π️Lonny's War Update- October 258, 2023 - June 20, 2024 π️
π️Day 258 that 120 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
"We are all hostages of the government"
- Liran Berman - his twin brothers Gal and Ziv are hostages in Gaza
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*9:00pm last night - South - rockets Kibbutz Alumim*10:40pm last night - south - rockets Kerem Shalom*2:30pm- north - Rockets/missiles Zra'it, Aran Al Aramsha -after 22 hours of quiet, more than 20 rockets after the killing of 2 Hizbollah terrorists*3:40pm - north - rockets/missiles Goren, Gordot Hagalil
Hostage Updates
- US officials estimate that as few as 50 hostages are still alive – Wall Street Journal: US officials estimate that of the 116 hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza, just 50 are still alive, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The assessment, based on a combination of Israeli and US intelligence, puts the number of deceased hostages at 66, a far higher number than Israel has publicly confirmed.
The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 41 hostages still in captivity, based on intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, the head of the medical team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Hagai Levine says there is cause to be “extremely worried.” “It seems like every week more hostages are dying or getting in danger or very sick,” he says.
The Wall Street Journal adds that both the Prime Minister’s Office and the IDF declined to comment on the estimation. link to the Wall Street Journal article It has been known that at least 50 of the hostages are dead, either taken as dead on October 7 or killed during their captivity. A few months ago, Hamas stated that there are upwards of 70 hostages dead but so many of their statements about the hostages states have been made for the purposes of psychological terrorism reasons, to make the families and the country suffer more and to bring about the deal that they want.
I have written about this in the past. There is a committee made up of 3 very senior doctors, heads of major hospital departments with years of trauma, surgery and operational experience, and they are the ones who make the final determination if a hostage is dead without actually having the body. This is something that is generally not done but due to these horrible circumstances, they do it. I heard one of the doctors on the radio about 5 months ago and he explained how they make this determination but he could not reveal a number of things so that the enemy would make it even more difficult for them to do so. They rely on a great deal of evidence from multiple sources (IDF, Shin Bet, released/rescued hostages, intelligence found in Gaza, interrogations of the terrorists captured from October 7 until today, and other sources). Unless they are 100% sure that someone is dead, they will not make that determination. With that said, it has been acknowledged by members of the negotiation team and security sources that the number of 70 dead is likely or close to the real number. That means that there are still 50 living hostages, as the Wall Street Journal posted and we have to do everything we can to get them back alive. The longer nothing is done, the chances that the number of 50 will quickly dwindle and we will end up with no live hostages. That is, unfortunately something that a number of our politicians/ministers don't care about. It would even serve their distorted purposes. But they also don't care about the ramification to the country. If we do not do everything and get the hostages back home, this country cannot begin to heal and deal with all of the trauma and post trauma. It also means that the most sacred covenant that we, the population had with the government of safety and security that was terribly broken on October 7, can never be repaired. That means that we no longer will have a country that we can feel safe in nor a government that truly will have a mandate to govern.
- An interview with Liran Berman whose twin brothers are hostages in Gaza: "I met with Ben Gvir, sat alone with him. He is a complex person."The twin brothers, Gal and Ziv Barman, who were kidnapped from their homes in Kfar Azza, have been held captive for 256 days. According to what the family knows from released captives, on the 56th day, Gal and Ziv were alive. Since then, they have had no information. Their brother, Liran: "I don't know if the war I'm fighting today is to bury my brothers or to restore them." Gal and Ziv Barman, twin brothers, were kidnapped from their homes in the youth neighborhood in Kfar Azza 256 days ago. Their brother, Liran, recently met with the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, to persuade him to support a deal - but without success.
"I met with Ben Gvir three weeks ago. Several families were supposed to come with me to his office, but in the end I stayed alone. Two families canceled. I sat with him alone, one on one. Him and his entourage. He is a complex person, I won't say more than that. He is sure he is being wronged and that if he were managing the affairs, it would look better here."
"Ben Gvir voted against the previous deal and threatened to vote against the upcoming deal. He argues that such a deal will leave my brothers there, as well as the soldiers and older men. He did not talk about another deal but about military pressure, that the IDF needs to crush Hamas and stop humanitarian aid. These are things that cannot happen. Today, we have no legitimacy to stop humanitarian aid."
Do you feel that Ben Gvir gives you a genuine answer or speaks in slogans?"I asked him to make some slogans for TikTok and statements to the media that he wants, but on the day the deal reaches the cabinet and he is supposed to vote in favor, he will go out and say he voted against. I cannot change the person, that's who he is, that's how he built himself and his base - on TikTok slogans. That's his power, not in actions. I heard slogans from him, that crushing Hamas primarily will bring back all the hostages. We cannot crush Hamas, because Hamas is an ideology, an idea, not people."
When you hear voices saying it is forbidden to stop the war to bring back the hostages, what do you think?"120 citizens are captives in Gaza. It doesn't matter if they are alive or not, it's irrelevant. 120 captives need to return home, some for burial and some for rehabilitation. There are many families who do not know the status. We know that Gal and Ziv were alive on the 56th day, from the released. Since then, we have no information. I don't know if the war I'm fighting today is to bury my brothers or to restore them. It has been exactly 200 days that I don't know. We entered the war to bring back the captives home. Today, there is no longer a war, there is fighting in one form or another. Most of our resources for bringing back the hostages have already been exhausted - but we have not received the hostages back." link I heard Liran on the radio this morning. He told about his meeting with Ben Gvir and he said that all Ben Gvir would say is what he would have done and what he would do with the war. It was all BS. He turned to Ben Gvir because of the power he holds over Netanyahu and the government and it came to naught. Liran made a statement that truly resonates "we are all hostages of the government!" This is the saddest and one of the worst true statements I have heard about the government and the hostages.
Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad blames Israel for a failure to reach a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, saying Israel’s “intransigent position is what makes it impossible to reach an agreement, as it rejects the formula of a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal, the return of (the population), or anything else.”
Speaking to Al Jazeera last night, Hamad argues that the Biden administration is “not an honest broker” and calls the US “a partner in aggression and genocide.” The senior Hamas official also insists that the organization can regroup after the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a rare meeting with the families of hostages who have been killed in Hamas captivity.
“We are committed to returning everyone, all of the 120 hostages, both the living and dead. We won’t give up on anyone,” he is quoted as saying in a statement from his office.
“We won’t leave the [Gaza] Strip until all the hostages return and we won’t leave until we eliminate Hamas’s military and governing capabilities,” he adds.
The statement doesn’t say which families took part in the meeting, which was also attended by the premier’s wife Sara Netanyahu and several other officials, and no images are released by the Prime Minister’s Office. link This is the first time that Netanyahu is doing the 'right thing' since the war began and this wouldn't have happened if he didn't see the bad press he was getting after going on Shabbat to visit the 4 rescued hostages 2 weeks ago. When the bodies of hostages were rescued from Gaza just a couple of weeks before that, he avoided the press and didn't make a single phone call or visit to the families of those declared dead.
Hostage Updates
- US officials estimate that as few as 50 hostages are still alive – Wall Street Journal: US officials estimate that of the 116 hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza, just 50 are still alive, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The assessment, based on a combination of Israeli and US intelligence, puts the number of deceased hostages at 66, a far higher number than Israel has publicly confirmed.
The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 41 hostages still in captivity, based on intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, the head of the medical team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Hagai Levine says there is cause to be “extremely worried.” “It seems like every week more hostages are dying or getting in danger or very sick,” he says.
The Wall Street Journal adds that both the Prime Minister’s Office and the IDF declined to comment on the estimation. link to the Wall Street Journal article It has been known that at least 50 of the hostages are dead, either taken as dead on October 7 or killed during their captivity. A few months ago, Hamas stated that there are upwards of 70 hostages dead but so many of their statements about the hostages states have been made for the purposes of psychological terrorism reasons, to make the families and the country suffer more and to bring about the deal that they want.
I have written about this in the past. There is a committee made up of 3 very senior doctors, heads of major hospital departments with years of trauma, surgery and operational experience, and they are the ones who make the final determination if a hostage is dead without actually having the body. This is something that is generally not done but due to these horrible circumstances, they do it. I heard one of the doctors on the radio about 5 months ago and he explained how they make this determination but he could not reveal a number of things so that the enemy would make it even more difficult for them to do so. They rely on a great deal of evidence from multiple sources (IDF, Shin Bet, released/rescued hostages, intelligence found in Gaza, interrogations of the terrorists captured from October 7 until today, and other sources). Unless they are 100% sure that someone is dead, they will not make that determination. With that said, it has been acknowledged by members of the negotiation team and security sources that the number of 70 dead is likely or close to the real number. That means that there are still 50 living hostages, as the Wall Street Journal posted and we have to do everything we can to get them back alive. The longer nothing is done, the chances that the number of 50 will quickly dwindle and we will end up with no live hostages. That is, unfortunately something that a number of our politicians/ministers don't care about. It would even serve their distorted purposes. But they also don't care about the ramification to the country. If we do not do everything and get the hostages back home, this country cannot begin to heal and deal with all of the trauma and post trauma. It also means that the most sacred covenant that we, the population had with the government of safety and security that was terribly broken on October 7, can never be repaired. That means that we no longer will have a country that we can feel safe in nor a government that truly will have a mandate to govern. - An interview with Liran Berman whose twin brothers are hostages in Gaza: "I met with Ben Gvir, sat alone with him. He is a complex person."The twin brothers, Gal and Ziv Barman, who were kidnapped from their homes in Kfar Azza, have been held captive for 256 days. According to what the family knows from released captives, on the 56th day, Gal and Ziv were alive. Since then, they have had no information. Their brother, Liran: "I don't know if the war I'm fighting today is to bury my brothers or to restore them." Gal and Ziv Barman, twin brothers, were kidnapped from their homes in the youth neighborhood in Kfar Azza 256 days ago. Their brother, Liran, recently met with the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, to persuade him to support a deal - but without success."I met with Ben Gvir three weeks ago. Several families were supposed to come with me to his office, but in the end I stayed alone. Two families canceled. I sat with him alone, one on one. Him and his entourage. He is a complex person, I won't say more than that. He is sure he is being wronged and that if he were managing the affairs, it would look better here.""Ben Gvir voted against the previous deal and threatened to vote against the upcoming deal. He argues that such a deal will leave my brothers there, as well as the soldiers and older men. He did not talk about another deal but about military pressure, that the IDF needs to crush Hamas and stop humanitarian aid. These are things that cannot happen. Today, we have no legitimacy to stop humanitarian aid."Do you feel that Ben Gvir gives you a genuine answer or speaks in slogans?"I asked him to make some slogans for TikTok and statements to the media that he wants, but on the day the deal reaches the cabinet and he is supposed to vote in favor, he will go out and say he voted against. I cannot change the person, that's who he is, that's how he built himself and his base - on TikTok slogans. That's his power, not in actions. I heard slogans from him, that crushing Hamas primarily will bring back all the hostages. We cannot crush Hamas, because Hamas is an ideology, an idea, not people."When you hear voices saying it is forbidden to stop the war to bring back the hostages, what do you think?"120 citizens are captives in Gaza. It doesn't matter if they are alive or not, it's irrelevant. 120 captives need to return home, some for burial and some for rehabilitation. There are many families who do not know the status. We know that Gal and Ziv were alive on the 56th day, from the released. Since then, we have no information. I don't know if the war I'm fighting today is to bury my brothers or to restore them. It has been exactly 200 days that I don't know. We entered the war to bring back the captives home. Today, there is no longer a war, there is fighting in one form or another. Most of our resources for bringing back the hostages have already been exhausted - but we have not received the hostages back." link I heard Liran on the radio this morning. He told about his meeting with Ben Gvir and he said that all Ben Gvir would say is what he would have done and what he would do with the war. It was all BS. He turned to Ben Gvir because of the power he holds over Netanyahu and the government and it came to naught. Liran made a statement that truly resonates "we are all hostages of the government!" This is the saddest and one of the worst true statements I have heard about the government and the hostages.
Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad blames Israel for a failure to reach a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, saying Israel’s “intransigent position is what makes it impossible to reach an agreement, as it rejects the formula of a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal, the return of (the population), or anything else.”
Speaking to Al Jazeera last night, Hamad argues that the Biden administration is “not an honest broker” and calls the US “a partner in aggression and genocide.” The senior Hamas official also insists that the organization can regroup after the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a rare meeting with the families of hostages who have been killed in Hamas captivity.
“We are committed to returning everyone, all of the 120 hostages, both the living and dead. We won’t give up on anyone,” he is quoted as saying in a statement from his office.
“We won’t leave the [Gaza] Strip until all the hostages return and we won’t leave until we eliminate Hamas’s military and governing capabilities,” he adds.
The statement doesn’t say which families took part in the meeting, which was also attended by the premier’s wife Sara Netanyahu and several other officials, and no images are released by the Prime Minister’s Office. link This is the first time that Netanyahu is doing the 'right thing' since the war began and this wouldn't have happened if he didn't see the bad press he was getting after going on Shabbat to visit the 4 rescued hostages 2 weeks ago. When the bodies of hostages were rescued from Gaza just a couple of weeks before that, he avoided the press and didn't make a single phone call or visit to the families of those declared dead.
Gaza
IDF spokesman says Hamas can’t be eliminated, will remain in
Gaza if no alternative: Hagari calls the terror group ‘an idea’ that is ‘rooted
in the hearts of the people,’ drawing response from Netanyahu amid growing
signs of division between PM and defense brass
IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari on Wednesday cast Israel’s war aim of eradicating the Hamas terror group as currently unattainable, appearing to further underscore tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defense officials over his handling of the war in Gaza.
“This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear — it’s simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” Hagari told Channel 13 news in an interview.
“Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — whoever thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong,” he continued. Hagari also warned that “if the government doesn’t find an alternative — [Hamas] will remain” in the Gaza Strip.
In response, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the security cabinet “has defined as one of the war goals the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.”
“The Israel Defense Forces is of course committed to this,” the statement added. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit subsequently issues a statement saying the military was committed to the government’s stated war goals, including destroying Hamas’s governing and military abilities, adding that Hagari talked in the interview about “eradicating Hamas as an ideology and an idea.”
“Any claim otherwise is taking the remarks out of context,” it added. Hagari’s comments Wednesday echoed remarks he made last month, when he was asked by whether the military’s to return to areas previously cleared of Hamas was a result of the government not making a decision on who will rule Gaza instead of the terror group.
“There is no doubt that a governmental alternative to Hamas will create pressure on Hamas, but that is a question for the political echelon,” he said at the time.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has urged Netanyahu to advance plans for post-war governance of Gaza, warning in May that a failure to find a replacement for Hamas will undermine Israel’s military achievements, as the terror group would be able to regroup and reassert control of the enclave. Additionally, Gallant called on Netanyahu to rule out Israeli military and civil rule in Gaza after the war triggered by Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, as some far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition advocate.
Television reports have said IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar also recently feuded with Netanyahu over strategic planning, while National Unity leader Benny Gantz resigned last week from the emergency war government after the premier refused to present a post-war plan by the deadline he set. There have been other recent signs of friction between the military and Netanyahu, including over “tactical pauses” in fighting along a road in southern Gaza that Netanyahu criticized, while the IDF said the move was in line with his instructions to increase the amount of aid entering the Strip.
“In order to achieve the goal of destroying Hamas’s capabilities I’ve had to make decisions that weren’t always accepted by the military leadership,” Netanyahu asserted during Sunday’s cabinet meeting. He also took a jab at the IDF, saying “we have a state with an army, not an army with a state,” in a reversal of a quip about Prussia.
Netanyanu’s eldest son Yair in recent days has also increasingly lashed out at army leaders, blaming them for the October 7 massacres that unlike the rest of the defense brass that day the premier has repeatedly refused to take responsibility for. link For anyone who has been reading my updates, reading my brother's posts and listening to his interviews, this is very old news as we have been saying this from the beginning of the war. The new news is that it is being said publicly and strongly by the upper echelons of the security establishment both as a way of pushing the political echelon to do something and to show that it is the politicians, specifically Netanyahu who is the cause of the problem and not the security establishment as Netanyahu and his cronies continue to push.
A senior Hamas official says IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari’s statement that Hamas cannot be eliminated is “an admission that [Israel] has already failed.”
Calling Hagari’s statement a “frank confession,” Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad says in an interview with Al Jazeera that after nine months of war, it is clear that Hamas cannot be eliminated even if Israel uses hundreds of times more munitions.
“This will change the course of history and will convince the international community that the Hamas movement will remain in the political scene, and will be a permanent part of the social fabric and the fabric of resistance,” Hamad, who fled Gaza shortly before October 7, continues.
Hamad argues that Hagari’s comments are evidence of discord within the Israeli government and that Israelis are telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war.
“This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear — it’s simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” Hagari told Channel 13 news in an interview. “Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong,” he continued. The statements led to a swift response by Netanyahu’s office that the security cabinet “has defined as one of the war goals the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.”
“The Israel Defense Forces is of course committed to this,” the statement added.
The IDF and the Shin Bet eliminated the leader of Hamas' tunneling operation in Beit Hanoun.
- An Air Force aircraft, accompanied by the Gaza Division, the AMAN unit, and the Shin Bet, attacked and eliminated Hamas terrorist Ahmed Hassan Suleiman al-Sawarka in the Beit Hanoun area. Al-Sawarka served as a commander in the tunneling force and infiltrated the communities near the Gaza border on October 7th. The terrorist led and directed the tunneling operation in the Beit Hanoun area and was involved in terror activities against IDF forces. Ahmed Hassan Salameh a-Swarkeh, according to the IDF, invaded
Israeli towns on October 7, and was later behind sniper attacks against Israeli
forces in Beit Hanoun.
The IDF says it was tracking
a-Swarkeh for a lengthy period, and he was eventually spotted by troops of the
414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, whereupon an Israeli Air Force drone
struck and killed him.
“Before the strike, steps
were taken to prevent harm to civilians. No civilians were harmed,” the
military says in a statement.
Two soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion were seriously wounded during fighting in southern Gaza’s Rafah earlier today, the military says.
The pair were wounded as a result of anti-tank fire, according to an initial IDF probe. They were taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.
The IDF releases footage of the Nahal Brigade’s recent operations in southern Gaza’s Rafah. Videos published by the IDF show a cache of weapons found by Nahal troops in a home, as well as a tunnel located in another building.
The weapons cache, including RPGs, grenades, explosive devices, and other military equipment, was found in wardrobes inside the home, the military says. The tunnel was located in a child’s bedroom using a small drone, the IDF says. In an adjacent room, the soldiers found a hole in a wall which the IDF says was used by Hamas operatives to move between buildings in the neighborhood. video
IDF spokesman says Hamas can’t be eliminated, will remain in
Gaza if no alternative: Hagari calls the terror group ‘an idea’ that is ‘rooted
in the hearts of the people,’ drawing response from Netanyahu amid growing
signs of division between PM and defense brass
IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari on Wednesday cast Israel’s war aim of eradicating the Hamas terror group as currently unattainable, appearing to further underscore tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defense officials over his handling of the war in Gaza.
“This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear — it’s simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” Hagari told Channel 13 news in an interview.
“Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — whoever thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong,” he continued. Hagari also warned that “if the government doesn’t find an alternative — [Hamas] will remain” in the Gaza Strip.
In response, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the security cabinet “has defined as one of the war goals the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.”
“The Israel Defense Forces is of course committed to this,” the statement added. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit subsequently issues a statement saying the military was committed to the government’s stated war goals, including destroying Hamas’s governing and military abilities, adding that Hagari talked in the interview about “eradicating Hamas as an ideology and an idea.”
“Any claim otherwise is taking the remarks out of context,” it added. Hagari’s comments Wednesday echoed remarks he made last month, when he was asked by whether the military’s to return to areas previously cleared of Hamas was a result of the government not making a decision on who will rule Gaza instead of the terror group.
“There is no doubt that a governmental alternative to Hamas will create pressure on Hamas, but that is a question for the political echelon,” he said at the time.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has urged Netanyahu to advance plans for post-war governance of Gaza, warning in May that a failure to find a replacement for Hamas will undermine Israel’s military achievements, as the terror group would be able to regroup and reassert control of the enclave. Additionally, Gallant called on Netanyahu to rule out Israeli military and civil rule in Gaza after the war triggered by Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, as some far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition advocate.
Television reports have said IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar also recently feuded with Netanyahu over strategic planning, while National Unity leader Benny Gantz resigned last week from the emergency war government after the premier refused to present a post-war plan by the deadline he set. There have been other recent signs of friction between the military and Netanyahu, including over “tactical pauses” in fighting along a road in southern Gaza that Netanyahu criticized, while the IDF said the move was in line with his instructions to increase the amount of aid entering the Strip.
“In order to achieve the goal of destroying Hamas’s capabilities I’ve had to make decisions that weren’t always accepted by the military leadership,” Netanyahu asserted during Sunday’s cabinet meeting. He also took a jab at the IDF, saying “we have a state with an army, not an army with a state,” in a reversal of a quip about Prussia.
Netanyanu’s eldest son Yair in recent days has also increasingly lashed out at army leaders, blaming them for the October 7 massacres that unlike the rest of the defense brass that day the premier has repeatedly refused to take responsibility for. link For anyone who has been reading my updates, reading my brother's posts and listening to his interviews, this is very old news as we have been saying this from the beginning of the war. The new news is that it is being said publicly and strongly by the upper echelons of the security establishment both as a way of pushing the political echelon to do something and to show that it is the politicians, specifically Netanyahu who is the cause of the problem and not the security establishment as Netanyahu and his cronies continue to push.
A senior Hamas official says IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari’s statement that Hamas cannot be eliminated is “an admission that [Israel] has already failed.”
Calling Hagari’s statement a “frank confession,” Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad says in an interview with Al Jazeera that after nine months of war, it is clear that Hamas cannot be eliminated even if Israel uses hundreds of times more munitions.
“This will change the course of history and will convince the international community that the Hamas movement will remain in the political scene, and will be a permanent part of the social fabric and the fabric of resistance,” Hamad, who fled Gaza shortly before October 7, continues.
Hamad argues that Hagari’s comments are evidence of discord within the Israeli government and that Israelis are telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war.
“This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear — it’s simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” Hagari told Channel 13 news in an interview. “Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong,” he continued. The statements led to a swift response by Netanyahu’s office that the security cabinet “has defined as one of the war goals the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.”
“The Israel Defense Forces is of course committed to this,” the statement added.
The IDF and the Shin Bet eliminated the leader of Hamas' tunneling operation in Beit Hanoun.
The IDF says it was tracking
a-Swarkeh for a lengthy period, and he was eventually spotted by troops of the
414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, whereupon an Israeli Air Force drone
struck and killed him.
“Before the strike, steps were taken to prevent harm to civilians. No civilians were harmed,” the military says in a statement.
Two soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion were seriously wounded during fighting in southern Gaza’s Rafah earlier today, the military says.
The pair were wounded as a result of anti-tank fire, according to an initial IDF probe. They were taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.
The IDF releases footage of the Nahal Brigade’s recent operations in southern Gaza’s Rafah. Videos published by the IDF show a cache of weapons found by Nahal troops in a home, as well as a tunnel located in another building.
The weapons cache, including RPGs, grenades, explosive devices, and other military equipment, was found in wardrobes inside the home, the military says. The tunnel was located in a child’s bedroom using a small drone, the IDF says. In an adjacent room, the soldiers found a hole in a wall which the IDF says was used by Hamas operatives to move between buildings in the neighborhood. video
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah
- My brother's post: Full scale war with Lebanon is so dangerous, I can't even imagine the scale of death and destruction that will happen on both sides. Enough of the foolish hubris from both sides. Dangerous threats lead to disastrous decisions. The way to end the fighting in the north of Israel and the south of Lebanon is to end the war in Gaza. The only way to bring the Israeli hostages homes from Gaza is to end the war in Gaza. The politics of the day after - both in Gaza and in Lebanon will have to be dealt with by the next Government of Israel. The current government of Israel will only do more harm. Yes, because of the tremendous failures of the Netanyahu government, Hamas will be left in Gaza and Hezbollah will be left in the south of Lebanon. There are political-diplomatic solutions for both Gaza and Lebanon. Both of them are linked to moving towards the implementation of the two states solution and building the regional defense alliance that appeared on the night that Iran attacked Israel. The region's threats have to be dealt with regionally. But the first order of the day is to end the war in Gaza and to end the lifeline of the Netanyahu government. Gershon Baskin, June 20, 2024
US special envoy Amos Hochstein warned Lebanese officials that if Hezbollah doesn’t cease its near-daily attacks on northern Israel, it could find itself the target of a limited Israeli operation, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
According to the report, Hochstein told the officials that a diplomatic solution was needed to force the Iran-backed terror group back from the Israel-Lebanon border, or else Israel could launch a limited attack with the backing of the United States.
The Biden aide is in the region in an attempt to prevent the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah from spiraling further after the terror group began attacking Israel on October 8, one day after the deadly Hamas onslaught in the south.
The skirmishes on the northern border have resulted in 10 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists. Hezbollah has named 342 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, as well as dozens of civilians.
- Operations officer of Hezbollah’s Jouaiyya regional unit killed in drone strike – IDF: The operations officer of Hezbollah’s Jouaiyya regional unit was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier today, the military says.
Abbas Ibrahim Hamza Hamada, also known as Fadl Ibrahim, was killed in a drone strike in the southern Lebanon town of Deir Kifa. According to the IDF, Fadl Ibrahim was in charge of operations in the Jouaiyya area, a town close to Deir Kifa.
The military says he was responsible for planning and carrying out attacks against Israel while commanding Hezbollah’s ground forces in Jouaiyya. In recent months, the IDF says Fadl Ibrahim “advanced the entrenchment of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, while attempting to improve the organization’s ground combat.”
Hezbollah announces his death but does not call him a commander. Fadl Ibrahim’s death brings the terror group’s toll amid the war to at least 349. Simultaneous to the drone strike that killed the operations officer, the IDF says fighter jets struck a Hezbollah surface-to-air missile launcher in Rihan, which it says posed a threat to Israeli aircraft.
US special envoy Amos Hochstein warned Lebanese officials that if Hezbollah doesn’t cease its near-daily attacks on northern Israel, it could find itself the target of a limited Israeli operation, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
According to the report, Hochstein told the officials that a diplomatic solution was needed to force the Iran-backed terror group back from the Israel-Lebanon border, or else Israel could launch a limited attack with the backing of the United States.
The Biden aide is in the region in an attempt to prevent the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah from spiraling further after the terror group began attacking Israel on October 8, one day after the deadly Hamas onslaught in the south.
The skirmishes on the northern border have resulted in 10 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists. Hezbollah has named 342 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, as well as dozens of civilians.
Abbas Ibrahim Hamza Hamada, also known as Fadl Ibrahim, was killed in a drone strike in the southern Lebanon town of Deir Kifa. According to the IDF, Fadl Ibrahim was in charge of operations in the Jouaiyya area, a town close to Deir Kifa.
The military says he was responsible for planning and carrying out attacks against Israel while commanding Hezbollah’s ground forces in Jouaiyya. In recent months, the IDF says Fadl Ibrahim “advanced the entrenchment of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, while attempting to improve the organization’s ground combat.”
Hezbollah announces his death but does not call him a commander. Fadl Ibrahim’s death brings the terror group’s toll amid the war to at least 349. Simultaneous to the drone strike that killed the operations officer, the IDF says fighter jets struck a Hezbollah surface-to-air missile launcher in Rihan, which it says posed a threat to Israeli aircraft.
West Bank
Politics
Gantz: We Need to Understand How Over a Decade the Enemy Built Capabilities That Led to the Failure That Culminated on October 7
The Defense Minister spoke at the annual memorial ceremony for fallen members of the intelligence community - and leveled criticism at previous Netanyahu governments. Gantz admitted: "This difficult war caught the IDF forces completely by surprise" - and called for an in-depth investigation, not only of the October 7 failure, but also of the years leading up to it.
The "Contseptsia at the Center" as well: At the memorial ceremony for fallen members of the intelligence community held this evening (Tuesday), Defense Minister Yoav Gantz spoke, addressing the major intelligence failure on October 7. "Since the last time we gathered here, many things have changed, chief among them the heavy war being waged in the south, north, Judea and Samaria, and in near and distant arenas."
"This difficult war caught the IDF forces completely by surprise," he opened his remarks. "It was the bravery of the citizens and soldiers in the regular army and reserves that halted the enemy, at an extremely heavy price unlike anything we have known. The painful failure and large gaps will be investigated and studied, and their lessons will impact our future in this land."
The Defense Minister noted that despite the surprise, "our determination, personal sacrifice, and systemic capabilities are what created the strength and offensive capability that led to operational achievements against the enemy - in Iran, Damascus, Gaza, and Beirut." Regarding the warnings that preceded the war and were ignored, Gantz called on intelligence personnel: "The obvious - I expect every soldier, commander, to voice their opinion, express their assessment, raise a red flag and sound an alarm even if they are in the minority and even if their views do not align with the majority assessment."
Gantz then leveled criticism, saying: "Especially at this time, members of the security establishment are the ones who constitute the iron wall and steel fist that enable our existence here. We must strengthen them, not turn our backs on them." The Minister called for an in-depth investigation not only of the failure itself, but also of the years leading up to it.
"Additionally, all of us - the security forces and the political leadership - bear the responsibility to conduct a deep and piercing investigation and understand how a reality was allowed in which over a decade the enemy built offensive and defensive capabilities that led to the intelligence and operational failure that culminated on October 7. The support and backing are necessary for our functioning and success, while the investigation and learning lessons are essential for our continued existence." link
- Netanyahu accuses Ben Gvir of leaking state secrets; Otzma leader retorts with demand for polygraph tests:
The ruling Likud party appears to accuse Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir of leaking private conversations after Hebrew media reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to include the far-right national security minister in a limited group of cabinet members receiving security reviews in exchange for his support of a controversial bill regulating the appointment of municipal rabbis.
The articles are “full of inaccuracies,” Likud says. “Prime Minister Netanyahu told Minister Ben Gvir one simple thing: whoever wants to be a partner in a limited security consultation team must prove that he is not leaking state secrets or private conversations.”
In response, Otzma Yehudit declares that it supports a law requiring cabinet members to undergo polygraph tests. The party “calls on the prime minister to promote it quickly, provided that it also applies to owners of a pacemaker.” Netanyahu had a pacemaker fitted last year.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu announced that the war cabinet — the small forum created on October 11 to manage the military campaigns against Hamas and Hezbollah — had been officially disbanded following National Unity leader Benny Gantz’s exit from the coalition.
Ben Gvir, a member of the security cabinet but not the smaller war cabinet, has grumbled throughout the war about being left out of decision-making forums by the prime minister.
Responding to Likud’s statement, National Unity slams Netanyahu, declaring that “someone who believes that there is a minister leaking state secrets should not give him control over the Israel Police and membership in the cabinet.” link This is the government of 'Chelm' (city of fools) where the Prime Minister doesn't trust his senior ministers and they don't trust him, yet the PM gives this minister more power over him than anyone in the government. The only one with more power (outside of the government) is his wife (not kidding, this is a known fact). This is the most dysfunctional government Israel has ever known and it's all because Netanyahu will do anything and allow anything in order to keep this horrendous coalition together so he can remain prime minister. We have reached the point when his own party members in the Knesset are speaking out about how dysfunctional this government is, yet they don't want it to end. Each day gets worse than the day before and each day, it's hard to believe that we haven't reached the bottom.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the decision yesterday to publicly criticize US President Joe Biden’s administration even though ministers and advisers had recommended him against it, according to a report by Channel 13 news.
The report says a clandestine meeting held before the video statement — which accused Washington of withholding arms shipments to Israel, calling it “inconceivable” — included National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and other officials, all of whom unequivocally objected to Netanyahu’s intention.
Dermer asked the premier to wait with the public criticism until he and Hanegbi meet US officials at the White House tomorrow, the report says. The network quotes an unnamed senior Israeli official as saying that “Netanyahu made the decision against the opinion of the advisers and ministers with whom he consulted.” The official adds that the prime minister’s remarks caused “great outrage in the Biden administration.” link
Gantz: We Need to Understand How Over a Decade the Enemy Built Capabilities That Led to the Failure That Culminated on October 7
The Defense Minister spoke at the annual memorial ceremony for fallen members of the intelligence community - and leveled criticism at previous Netanyahu governments. Gantz admitted: "This difficult war caught the IDF forces completely by surprise" - and called for an in-depth investigation, not only of the October 7 failure, but also of the years leading up to it.
The "Contseptsia at the Center" as well: At the memorial ceremony for fallen members of the intelligence community held this evening (Tuesday), Defense Minister Yoav Gantz spoke, addressing the major intelligence failure on October 7. "Since the last time we gathered here, many things have changed, chief among them the heavy war being waged in the south, north, Judea and Samaria, and in near and distant arenas."
"This difficult war caught the IDF forces completely by surprise," he opened his remarks. "It was the bravery of the citizens and soldiers in the regular army and reserves that halted the enemy, at an extremely heavy price unlike anything we have known. The painful failure and large gaps will be investigated and studied, and their lessons will impact our future in this land."
The Defense Minister noted that despite the surprise, "our determination, personal sacrifice, and systemic capabilities are what created the strength and offensive capability that led to operational achievements against the enemy - in Iran, Damascus, Gaza, and Beirut." Regarding the warnings that preceded the war and were ignored, Gantz called on intelligence personnel: "The obvious - I expect every soldier, commander, to voice their opinion, express their assessment, raise a red flag and sound an alarm even if they are in the minority and even if their views do not align with the majority assessment."
Gantz then leveled criticism, saying: "Especially at this time, members of the security establishment are the ones who constitute the iron wall and steel fist that enable our existence here. We must strengthen them, not turn our backs on them." The Minister called for an in-depth investigation not only of the failure itself, but also of the years leading up to it.
"Additionally, all of us - the security forces and the political leadership - bear the responsibility to conduct a deep and piercing investigation and understand how a reality was allowed in which over a decade the enemy built offensive and defensive capabilities that led to the intelligence and operational failure that culminated on October 7. The support and backing are necessary for our functioning and success, while the investigation and learning lessons are essential for our continued existence." link
- Netanyahu accuses Ben Gvir of leaking state secrets; Otzma leader retorts with demand for polygraph tests:
The ruling Likud party appears to accuse Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir of leaking private conversations after Hebrew media reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to include the far-right national security minister in a limited group of cabinet members receiving security reviews in exchange for his support of a controversial bill regulating the appointment of municipal rabbis.
The articles are “full of inaccuracies,” Likud says. “Prime Minister Netanyahu told Minister Ben Gvir one simple thing: whoever wants to be a partner in a limited security consultation team must prove that he is not leaking state secrets or private conversations.”
In response, Otzma Yehudit declares that it supports a law requiring cabinet members to undergo polygraph tests. The party “calls on the prime minister to promote it quickly, provided that it also applies to owners of a pacemaker.” Netanyahu had a pacemaker fitted last year.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu announced that the war cabinet — the small forum created on October 11 to manage the military campaigns against Hamas and Hezbollah — had been officially disbanded following National Unity leader Benny Gantz’s exit from the coalition.
Ben Gvir, a member of the security cabinet but not the smaller war cabinet, has grumbled throughout the war about being left out of decision-making forums by the prime minister.
Responding to Likud’s statement, National Unity slams Netanyahu, declaring that “someone who believes that there is a minister leaking state secrets should not give him control over the Israel Police and membership in the cabinet.” link This is the government of 'Chelm' (city of fools) where the Prime Minister doesn't trust his senior ministers and they don't trust him, yet the PM gives this minister more power over him than anyone in the government. The only one with more power (outside of the government) is his wife (not kidding, this is a known fact). This is the most dysfunctional government Israel has ever known and it's all because Netanyahu will do anything and allow anything in order to keep this horrendous coalition together so he can remain prime minister. We have reached the point when his own party members in the Knesset are speaking out about how dysfunctional this government is, yet they don't want it to end. Each day gets worse than the day before and each day, it's hard to believe that we haven't reached the bottom.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the decision yesterday to publicly criticize US President Joe Biden’s administration even though ministers and advisers had recommended him against it, according to a report by Channel 13 news.
The report says a clandestine meeting held before the video statement — which accused Washington of withholding arms shipments to Israel, calling it “inconceivable” — included National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and other officials, all of whom unequivocally objected to Netanyahu’s intention.
Dermer asked the premier to wait with the public criticism until he and Hanegbi meet US officials at the White House tomorrow, the report says. The network quotes an unnamed senior Israeli official as saying that “Netanyahu made the decision against the opinion of the advisers and ministers with whom he consulted.” The official adds that the prime minister’s remarks caused “great outrage in the Biden administration.” link
- White House blasts Netanyahu for ‘bottleneck’ claim: No one’s helped him more than US: The White House further stresses its frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his video statement accusing the US of withholding weapons and ammunition shipments from Israel.
The Biden administration has several times voiced its frustration over the video, but the sides appeared to put the episode behind them yesterday, as Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying the US had provided him assurances regarding his concerns. Meanwhile, the White House issued a fierce denial of reports that it had canceled a high-level meeting with Netanyahu’s top aides over the video and moved forward with plans to host those aides for a separate meeting with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan later today.
But asked about the video again during a phone briefing with reporters, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reiterates that Netanyahu’s claims were “vexing and disappointing to us as much as it was incorrect.”
The US insists that it has only upheld one shipment of bombs, which it has been upfront about for over a month. Netanyahu has yet to disclose what other weapons shipments he was referring to when he blasted the “inconceivable” US “bottlenecks” in weapons transfers.
Kirby says he has no idea what prompted the premier to make the claim, “given that no other country is doing more to help Israel defend itself against the threat by Hamas and other threats that they are facing in the region.”
“This president put fighter aircrafts up in the air in the middle of April to help shoot down several hundred drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles that were fired from Iran proper at Israel,” he continues. “There’s no other country that’s done more or will continue to do more than the United States to help… Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Kirby says the US has passed along its displeasure with Netanyahu to Israel through various channels. link Netanyahu's political actions throughout the war have alienated, frustrated and angered the US administration time and time again. Without this administration, this war would have looked very different. No one in their wildest dreams could have imagined or dreamed of the unbelievable support we have received from the US. Yet, Netanyahu continues to act out as a belligerent child for his own personal political reasons. In this case, he is trying to divert attention from the hostage crisis, the total lack of strategy in the war in the south and no plan for the north, with almost 100,000 Israeli 'refugees' in their own country because of this lack of strategy. So he is using the political issues, real and imagined to divert attention away from what is really happening, or actually what is really not happening.
- White House blasts Netanyahu for ‘bottleneck’ claim: No one’s helped him more than US: The White House further stresses its frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his video statement accusing the US of withholding weapons and ammunition shipments from Israel.
The Biden administration has several times voiced its frustration over the video, but the sides appeared to put the episode behind them yesterday, as Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying the US had provided him assurances regarding his concerns. Meanwhile, the White House issued a fierce denial of reports that it had canceled a high-level meeting with Netanyahu’s top aides over the video and moved forward with plans to host those aides for a separate meeting with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan later today.
But asked about the video again during a phone briefing with reporters, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reiterates that Netanyahu’s claims were “vexing and disappointing to us as much as it was incorrect.”
The US insists that it has only upheld one shipment of bombs, which it has been upfront about for over a month. Netanyahu has yet to disclose what other weapons shipments he was referring to when he blasted the “inconceivable” US “bottlenecks” in weapons transfers.
Kirby says he has no idea what prompted the premier to make the claim, “given that no other country is doing more to help Israel defend itself against the threat by Hamas and other threats that they are facing in the region.”
“This president put fighter aircrafts up in the air in the middle of April to help shoot down several hundred drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles that were fired from Iran proper at Israel,” he continues. “There’s no other country that’s done more or will continue to do more than the United States to help… Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Kirby says the US has passed along its displeasure with Netanyahu to Israel through various channels. link Netanyahu's political actions throughout the war have alienated, frustrated and angered the US administration time and time again. Without this administration, this war would have looked very different. No one in their wildest dreams could have imagined or dreamed of the unbelievable support we have received from the US. Yet, Netanyahu continues to act out as a belligerent child for his own personal political reasons. In this case, he is trying to divert attention from the hostage crisis, the total lack of strategy in the war in the south and no plan for the north, with almost 100,000 Israeli 'refugees' in their own country because of this lack of strategy. So he is using the political issues, real and imagined to divert attention away from what is really happening, or actually what is really not happening.
The Region
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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