π️Lonny's War Update- October 275, 2023 - July 7, 2024 π️
π️Day 275 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
Today is exactly 9 months that the hostages have been in captivity. There is very guarded optimism that a deal can be worked out for the release of all hostages, if Netanyahu will show that he cares more about the lives of the hostages than his government and position as prime minister. It is entirely in his hands!!!
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*3:30pm yesterday- south- rockets Nahal Oz*5:00pm yesterday - south-Sderot, Nir Am, Ibim*9:00pm yesterday - south- rockets Kfar Aza*5:35am- north- rockets Ramot Naftali*10:00am - north -rockets Masad, Sde Ilan*10:00am - north - rockets - Lavie, Hodiot, Kfar Hahar Hayarden, Ilbon, Harrarit Yachad, Mitzpeh Netofa, Araba, Deir Hana, Beit Rimon, Uuzier, Tura'an, Kedmat Galil, Mrar, Beit Jan, Rama, Peki'in, Kfar Zeitim, Ravid*1:00pm - North -rockets - Sasa, Amirim, Shefer, Meron, Safsufa, Kfar Hoshen, Kfar Shammai, Beit Jan, Sde Meron Field School, Tzavon*2:10pm- north - rockets Goren, Gordon Hagalil
Hostage Updates
- Hamas and Egyptian sources told the AP news agency that the terrorist organization has given initial approval to the American proposal for a phased ceasefire. Hamas has dropped its demand that Israel commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, but is demanding "written guarantees" that negotiations will continue even after the implementation of the first stage of the deal. Re This statement provides an update on the ongoing negotiations for a potential ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. It indicates a potential shift in Hamas's position, suggesting some progress in the talks. However, as with all such reports, it's important to note that the situation remains fluid and subject to change.
- Chilling document reveals: Preparing for horrifying scenarios of pregnancies in Hamas captivity:
Twelve women remain in Hamas captivity, and the medical system, as reported in Maariv, is preparing for the dreadful possibility of pregnancies resulting from the rape of hostage women.
Hostage Updates
- Hamas and Egyptian sources told the AP news agency that the terrorist organization has given initial approval to the American proposal for a phased ceasefire. Hamas has dropped its demand that Israel commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, but is demanding "written guarantees" that negotiations will continue even after the implementation of the first stage of the deal. Re This statement provides an update on the ongoing negotiations for a potential ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. It indicates a potential shift in Hamas's position, suggesting some progress in the talks. However, as with all such reports, it's important to note that the situation remains fluid and subject to change.
- Chilling document reveals: Preparing for horrifying scenarios of pregnancies in Hamas captivity:
Twelve women remain in Hamas captivity, and the medical system, as reported in Maariv, is preparing for the dreadful possibility of pregnancies resulting from the rape of hostage women.
Nine months have passed since twelve women were kidnapped and held captive by Hamas. The horrifying possibility of pregnancy in captivity has resurfaced. A new medical document reviewing the medical literature highlights the anticipated medical, psychological, and social issues that could arise should one of the raped hostages become pregnant.
Published in the latest issue of the "Harefuah" journal by the Israel Medical Association, the article was written by Dr. Lea Shelef from the School of Social Work at Sapir College and psychiatrist Dr. Gil Salzman from Geha Hospital. The authors note that in several wars around the world, rape has been systematically used as a method to annihilate populations. For example, ISIS attacks since 2014 during the war in Iraq and Syria, and the mass rapes of women in the wars in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Several studies examining the psychological consequences of rape in women who survived war conditions revealed that they suffer from a range of mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, dissociative disorders, sexual dysfunction, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide attempts. The risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a rape event is 6.2 times higher, and when women are exposed to other traumatic events like assault, torture, murder, or the rape of others, severe long-term psychiatric disorders accompany PTSD. A review of the literature indicates that the likelihood of pregnancy resulting from rape in captivity can reach up to 20%. Ironically, ISIS's "rape law" prohibits the rape of pregnant women. Therefore, the organization prevents women taken captive and turned into sex slaves from becoming pregnant. However, according to the horrific ideology of the murderous organization emulated by Hamas, impregnating a woman essentially converts her and her children to Islam, and she should be grateful for this throughout her life. An official ISIS leaflet on captives states that a fighter can rape a woman he enslaves almost under any condition, even if she is a child, but he must ensure she is not pregnant. Some survivors reported receiving birth control pills or morning-after pills in captivity.
How can Israel help hostages who faced sexual violence in captivity?
Despite the difficulty in bearing the idea of pregnancies resulting from rape in captivity, the researchers emphasize the necessity to prepare for every scenario. This involves using all known trauma treatment methods to alleviate suffering and foster resources through tools that recreate a sense of security.
The method of ending a pregnancy depends on the fetus's age and the timing of the decision. In the early weeks of pregnancy, it can be terminated using relatively simple methods, medicinal or surgical. In the case of pregnancy beyond the viability threshold of 24 weeks, termination is performed by fetal demise in the womb and emptying the uterus in a stillbirth, which is a traumatic event requiring close mental health support.
In conclusion, experts recommend preparing the treating teams for every scenario, including situations where a woman chooses to continue the pregnancy for religious reasons. "It is crucial to respect the victim's decision without any preconceptions by the medical team. However, the transition from total lack of autonomy in captivity to freedom can be confusing, and the team needs to provide advisory support if the victim struggles to decide. Even in the most severe cases in the literature, proper and sensitive treatment showed improvement in the emotional state of a significant portion of the victims." Link
- A double delegation of work teams is expected to leave on Monday for the Qatari capital Doha and the Egyptian capital Cairo to hold talks on the hostage deal. The head of the CIA, Bill Burns, is expected to hold a summit this week that will give an envelope to the talks, apparently in Qatar, with the participation of the head of the Mossad, Dedi Barnea, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Muhammad al-Thani, and the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamal. There is also a possibility that Burns will come to Israel to secure her agreement to the deal.
**Optimism in Israel regarding progress in negotiations:
These are the items still in dispute**
An Israeli delegation led by senior Mossad officials will
depart for Qatar and Cairo early this week. A security source said that Egypt
entered the picture at the end of the week, trying to mediate, among other
things, on the issue of the Rafah crossing.
Israel is showing optimism tonight (Saturday) regarding the
continuation of negotiations for the release of hostages. An Israeli
delegation, defined as a working-level delegation led by senior Mossad
officials, will depart for Qatar and Cairo early this week. The goal is to
advance the negotiations. Mossad chief **Dadi Barnea** returned on Friday from
a lightning visit to Qatar where he presented the Israeli guidelines. Barnea
told his interlocutors that Israel is committed to the outline presented by US
President **Joe Biden** and approved by the UN Security Council, but there are
still several points of contention.
Gaps in the deal:
* The question of the Philadelphi Corridor and IDF deployment
inside and outside the Strip
* The question of the key to released prisoners, and their
identity
* Article 14 regarding the ceasefire, and whether it will
continue for an unlimited time
In addition to these gaps, there is also Hamas's demand for
written commitments from the mediators before the start of negotiations, which
was until recently defined as the only major obstacle remaining.
A security source says that Egypt entered the picture at the
end of the week. Among other things, Cairo will try to advance the issue of the
border and the Rafah crossing. Israel estimates that the Mossad delegation,
which includes representatives of the Shin Bet and representatives of the
hostage management team led by **Nitzan Alon**, will need to shuttle between
Egypt and Qatar. The assessment is that the Americans will increase pressure on
the mediators as well as on Hamas and Israel.
Israel enters the negotiations after the IDF has completed
most of its missions both in Rafah and in the north and center of the Strip. In
Israel, it's understood that Hamas is beginning to grasp the extent of the
damage caused to it and its difficulty in rehabilitating its military array, so
the assessment is that it will be possible to overcome the disputed issues that
were left.
Contacts for the release of hostages, including soldiers,
will begin, according to a senior Hamas official whose words were reported to
Reuters, after 16 days from the first stage. This comes after Hamas gave
initial approval to the US-backed proposal for a gradual ceasefire agreement in
Gaza, canceling a central demand that Israel commit in advance to a complete
end to the war.
Two senior Hamas officials said that Washington's phased
agreement would initially include a "full and complete" six-week
ceasefire that would lead to the release of several hostages, including women,
elderly people, and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of
Palestinian prisoners. During the 42 days, Israeli forces will withdraw from
densely populated areas of Gaza and allow the return of displaced persons to
their homes in northern Gaza, officials said.
Senior Hamas official **Osama Hamdan** told AFP: "The
movement expects a response from Israel to its proposals for a ceasefire in
Gaza today or tomorrow. If the response is positive, we will discuss the
proposals in detail. The movement's military capabilities in the Gaza Strip are
still in a good position to continue the war.". link
**Almog, rescued from Hamas captivity: "It's important to reach a deal, so every mother can hug her child"
Against the backdrop of renewed negotiations, families of hostages delivered a statement to the press outside the Kirya base: "A group of extremists in the government want to sentence them to death, leadership is expected to act according to the will of the people. Netanyahu - don't you dare break our hearts." At the rally, a message from Almog Meir Jan, who was rescued last month from Gaza as part of "Operation Arnon," was screened.
In the context of renewed negotiations for a deal with Hamas, families of hostages delivered a statement to the press this afternoon (Saturday) near the Kirya base in Tel Aviv, centered on a demand for cabinet members to ensure that the contacts are not torpedoed. Later, the weekly rally in Hostages Square called for the release of Israelis held captive in Gaza for 274 days, during which a video message from Almog Meir Jan, who was rescued last month with Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, and Andrei Kozlov as part of "Operation Arnon," was screened:
In the press statement, **Einav Tzangauker**, mother of hostage Matan Tzangauker, said: "For the first time in many months, we feel hope. For the first time, I feel I'm close to hugging my Matan. This is an opportunity we must not miss. Netanyahu, we've seen how you repeatedly torpedoed deals at crucial moments. Don't you dare break our hearts again. Enough with the torpedoing. It's your duty to bring back all the citizens you abandoned. Now that we've reached the moment of truth, we call on the people: Only public pressure will bring about a deal. Come out with us to the streets."
**Danny Elgart**, brother of Itzik Elgart held in Gaza, added: "The people are with us. You see it in every poll. The people want to save lives and bring the hostages home. The people understand that the country won't recover without returning all the hostages. A group of extremists in the government, disconnected from the people, want to sentence them to death. Leadership is expected to act according to the will of the people and hear the public's cry."
**Ayala Metzger**, daughter-in-law of hostage Yoram Metzger: "Gallant, Deri, heads of the security system and negotiation team - all eyes are on you. Don't let him torpedo the deal again. It's your duty to ensure this deal goes through. We must not miss this opportunity. If Netanyahu is creating difficulties or putting sticks in the wheels of negotiations - go to the public and tell the truth."
**Almog Meir Jan: "Infinite love"**
In the video screened at the rally in Hostages Square, **Almog Meir Jan** wished to express condolences to the family of YAMAM officer Arnon Zamora, who was killed in his rescue operation in Nuseirat, and added: "I came out four weeks ago from captivity in Gaza. The moment I arrived, so many people hugged me, simply infinite love. My return is like a birthday for me, like being born again, and I expect all the hostages in Gaza to experience it like I did. It's important that we reach a deal so that all mothers can hug their children and husbands, just as I hug my mom now every morning. Meeting her was amazing. She's the closest person to me. We understand each other just with a look.
"In Gaza, I thought about how if I return alive, not 'if', when I return alive, the meaning of the 'alive' tattoo will take on a completely different meaning than I initially planned. It's so moving, all the people who are endlessly committed to this cause. It's incredibly strengthening and moving to go on stage and see our pictures, those of us who have returned home. We're waiting for everyone, this is my daily wish and prayer."
He added: "I would also like to say to all the soldiers who were injured in battles, and to all the fighters and lions who are now in Gaza: You move me every day. You are the strongest army there is and I'm proud to be part of you." After the video screening, his mother **Orit Meir** said on stage: "For 246 days, Almog didn't receive a hug from me, a kind word, or even a scolding. But for 274 days already, Yuri, Arbel, Karina, Omer, Elkana, Aviatar and many others are not receiving what Almog has been getting since June 8. That's why I'm here, not at home, not on the couch, but here alongside my new additional family. For the 120 hostages, only pen and paper will do the job. The leadership must make the right move. They must sign now."
**Ella Haimi**, wife of the late Tal Haimi who gave birth to their fourth son in May: "Three weeks passed from the moment you and I found out I was pregnant until October 7. When I realized you were kidnapped, I thought you'd surely return by the birth, after all, nine months is a long time. The uncertainty is burning. At every pregnancy check-up, I told myself you'd come to the next one, and then came the news that can't be digested. Two months ago, Lotan was born. He's as beautiful and sweet as the intensity of the missed opportunity that you won't know each other. He has no idea what storm he was born into. It's clear to all of us that only a deal will bring back all the hostages. As a widow of a hostage, I call on you - Prime Minister and Cabinet members - don't miss this. Netanyahu - you promised, fulfill it. The disaster happened on your watch and it's your responsibility. Attack this mission with determination and courage just like Tal and his friends. Complete the negotiations, it's possible."
**Daniella Aloni**, who was released from captivity in a deal in November with her daughter Emilia, spoke on stage. "We're at a special rally marking the mothers' cry but there's one mother who can't cry out for her children languishing in Hamas captivity: Her name is Shiri Bibas," she said. "Shiri can't cry out. She's not allowed. She's not allowed to speak in captivity, so she's certainly not allowed to cry out. As someone who was in Hamas captivity for 49 days with a 5-year-old child, I know what Shiri is going through. For 49 days, I had to lie to Emilia and build a cover story about how we got to this hell. Let's cry out together: Everyone now. Kfir now. Ariel now. I call from here, even beg, the Prime Minister and Cabinet members: We must not miss this opportunity. Mr. Prime Minister, give the negotiation team room to maneuver to come back with a deal and bring everyone home."
Anat Engrest, mother of kidnapped soldier Matan: "He was kidnapped severely wounded and unconscious from a battle where his three team members were murdered. Tomer was found dead in the tank and his mother Keren is here by my side. Daniel Peretz and Itai Chen z"l were kidnapped when they were no longer alive. Hagit, Itai's mother, is also here by my side. Shelly, Daniel's mother, isn't here due to the sanctity of the Sabbath. Four soldiers who gave their lives in battle and saved many lives.
"I received a sign of life from Matan. In the video, he's seen looking directly at the camera with a wounded gaze and turning to you, Prime Minister. He cries out - 'Netanyahu, I don't understand how this happened, but I trust you to get me out of here'. What disappointment. The Prime Minister didn't get you out. They're not talking about you in the next phase. The country you fought for has decided you're staying there."
**Reports: This is the deal on the table**
The Wall Street Journal reported that last night Mossad officials told mediating countries they are optimistic that the political-security cabinet and the government in Israel will approve the deal. This comes after Mossad chief Dadi Barnea returned from a brief visit of several hours to Doha, Qatar's capital. The Prime Minister's Office stated that it was decided that next week a team will depart to continue negotiations for a deal, and noted that "there are still gaps between the sides." According to various reports, the deal is divided into three different stages. In stage A, which will last about six weeks, 33 hostages will be returned - all women in captivity, elderly and sick people, and some bodies. At the same time, negotiations will be conducted on stage B - in which Hamas demands a full IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the rest of the living hostages (apparently soldiers and young men). Parallel to the first two stages, hundreds of terrorists will be released from Israeli prisons, including those with blood on their hands. In stage C, according to the plan, the rest of the Israeli bodies will be returned.
But gaps still exist. According to sources familiar with the matter, the disputes relate to security issues, veto on the identity of heavy prisoners to be released, and force deployment. One obstacle lies in Hamas's demand for an Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor. Another obstacle is the organization's demand for a commitment that negotiations on extending the ceasefire will be without time limit - which Israel opposes. Additionally, Hamas has also announced that it will not agree to the placement of foreign forces in Gaza, in the "day after." link
- Two-thirds of Israelis back hostage deal over continuing war in Gaza - poll
Two-thirds of the Israeli public believe returning the hostages is more important than continuing the war in Gaza, according to a poll published by Channel 12 News on Friday.
Asked what is most important at this time, 67 percent of respondents said returning the hostages, compared to 26% who said continuing the war in Gaza, and 7% who said they didn’t know.
Israel sent a delegation of negotiators headed by Mossad chief David Barnea to Doha on Friday after Hamas submitted its latest response to the hostage deal proposal. Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming week.
Responding to the question of why they think the war hasn’t ended yet, 54% said it was because of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political considerations, 34% said it was due to substantive and operational considerations and 12% weren’t sure.
Sixty-eight percent of respondents said Israel is far from the “total victory” pledged by Netanyahu, compared to 23% who said Israel is close and 9% who were unsure.
Recently, multiple officials, including Israel Air Force commander Tomer Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, have said that Hamas’s military wing is close to being defeated in Gaza. Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that the war will continue until all Israel’s goals are achieved, specifying that Hamas must be destroyed, all hostages returned, and the threat of a future major security threat to Israel from Gaza neutered.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s approval ratings on his handling of the war were significantly low. While their approval ratings were not high either, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s and Halevi’s scores were far better than the prime minister’s. More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents said Netanyahu’s performance was not good, as opposed to only 28% who said it was. Four percent said they didn’t know.
Meanwhile, almost half (49%) said Gallant’s performance was not good, as opposed to 43% who said it was. The remaining eight percent said they didn’t know. Halevi was the only prominent figure in the poll to have more people say his handling of the war was good (46%) than not good (44%); the other 10% said they didn’t know.
With the country’s leaders’ approval ratings low and constant protests calling for new elections, respondents were asked when elections should be held. Forty-three percent said as soon as possible, 29% said when the war is over, 23% said when the current coalition’s term expires in October 2026, and 5% said they were unsure.
Asked who is most suited to serve as premier, Netanyahu or opposition chair Yair Lapid, 31% of respondents said Netanyahu, compared to 30% who said Lapid. A further 35% said neither and 4% were unsure.
When the choice was between National Unity leader Benny Gantz and Netanyahu, 35% said Gantz and 29% said Netanyahu. An additional 31% said neither and 5% were unsure. link
- A double delegation of work teams is expected to leave on Monday for the Qatari capital Doha and the Egyptian capital Cairo to hold talks on the hostage deal. The head of the CIA, Bill Burns, is expected to hold a summit this week that will give an envelope to the talks, apparently in Qatar, with the participation of the head of the Mossad, Dedi Barnea, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Muhammad al-Thani, and the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamal. There is also a possibility that Burns will come to Israel to secure her agreement to the deal.
**Optimism in Israel regarding progress in negotiations: These are the items still in dispute**
An Israeli delegation led by senior Mossad officials will depart for Qatar and Cairo early this week. A security source said that Egypt entered the picture at the end of the week, trying to mediate, among other things, on the issue of the Rafah crossing.
Israel is showing optimism tonight (Saturday) regarding the continuation of negotiations for the release of hostages. An Israeli delegation, defined as a working-level delegation led by senior Mossad officials, will depart for Qatar and Cairo early this week. The goal is to advance the negotiations. Mossad chief **Dadi Barnea** returned on Friday from a lightning visit to Qatar where he presented the Israeli guidelines. Barnea told his interlocutors that Israel is committed to the outline presented by US President **Joe Biden** and approved by the UN Security Council, but there are still several points of contention.
Gaps in the deal:
* The question of the Philadelphi Corridor and IDF deployment inside and outside the Strip
* The question of the key to released prisoners, and their identity
* Article 14 regarding the ceasefire, and whether it will continue for an unlimited time
In addition to these gaps, there is also Hamas's demand for written commitments from the mediators before the start of negotiations, which was until recently defined as the only major obstacle remaining.
A security source says that Egypt entered the picture at the end of the week. Among other things, Cairo will try to advance the issue of the border and the Rafah crossing. Israel estimates that the Mossad delegation, which includes representatives of the Shin Bet and representatives of the hostage management team led by **Nitzan Alon**, will need to shuttle between Egypt and Qatar. The assessment is that the Americans will increase pressure on the mediators as well as on Hamas and Israel.
Israel enters the negotiations after the IDF has completed most of its missions both in Rafah and in the north and center of the Strip. In Israel, it's understood that Hamas is beginning to grasp the extent of the damage caused to it and its difficulty in rehabilitating its military array, so the assessment is that it will be possible to overcome the disputed issues that were left.
Contacts for the release of hostages, including soldiers, will begin, according to a senior Hamas official whose words were reported to Reuters, after 16 days from the first stage. This comes after Hamas gave initial approval to the US-backed proposal for a gradual ceasefire agreement in Gaza, canceling a central demand that Israel commit in advance to a complete end to the war.
Two senior Hamas officials said that Washington's phased agreement would initially include a "full and complete" six-week ceasefire that would lead to the release of several hostages, including women, elderly people, and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. During the 42 days, Israeli forces will withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow the return of displaced persons to their homes in northern Gaza, officials said.
Senior Hamas official **Osama Hamdan** told AFP: "The movement expects a response from Israel to its proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza today or tomorrow. If the response is positive, we will discuss the proposals in detail. The movement's military capabilities in the Gaza Strip are still in a good position to continue the war.". link
**Almog, rescued from Hamas captivity: "It's important to reach a deal, so every mother can hug her child"
Against the backdrop of renewed negotiations, families of hostages delivered a statement to the press outside the Kirya base: "A group of extremists in the government want to sentence them to death, leadership is expected to act according to the will of the people. Netanyahu - don't you dare break our hearts." At the rally, a message from Almog Meir Jan, who was rescued last month from Gaza as part of "Operation Arnon," was screened.
In the context of renewed negotiations for a deal with Hamas, families of hostages delivered a statement to the press this afternoon (Saturday) near the Kirya base in Tel Aviv, centered on a demand for cabinet members to ensure that the contacts are not torpedoed. Later, the weekly rally in Hostages Square called for the release of Israelis held captive in Gaza for 274 days, during which a video message from Almog Meir Jan, who was rescued last month with Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, and Andrei Kozlov as part of "Operation Arnon," was screened:
In the press statement, **Einav Tzangauker**, mother of hostage Matan Tzangauker, said: "For the first time in many months, we feel hope. For the first time, I feel I'm close to hugging my Matan. This is an opportunity we must not miss. Netanyahu, we've seen how you repeatedly torpedoed deals at crucial moments. Don't you dare break our hearts again. Enough with the torpedoing. It's your duty to bring back all the citizens you abandoned. Now that we've reached the moment of truth, we call on the people: Only public pressure will bring about a deal. Come out with us to the streets."
**Danny Elgart**, brother of Itzik Elgart held in Gaza, added: "The people are with us. You see it in every poll. The people want to save lives and bring the hostages home. The people understand that the country won't recover without returning all the hostages. A group of extremists in the government, disconnected from the people, want to sentence them to death. Leadership is expected to act according to the will of the people and hear the public's cry."
**Ayala Metzger**, daughter-in-law of hostage Yoram Metzger: "Gallant, Deri, heads of the security system and negotiation team - all eyes are on you. Don't let him torpedo the deal again. It's your duty to ensure this deal goes through. We must not miss this opportunity. If Netanyahu is creating difficulties or putting sticks in the wheels of negotiations - go to the public and tell the truth."
**Almog Meir Jan: "Infinite love"**
In the video screened at the rally in Hostages Square, **Almog Meir Jan** wished to express condolences to the family of YAMAM officer Arnon Zamora, who was killed in his rescue operation in Nuseirat, and added: "I came out four weeks ago from captivity in Gaza. The moment I arrived, so many people hugged me, simply infinite love. My return is like a birthday for me, like being born again, and I expect all the hostages in Gaza to experience it like I did. It's important that we reach a deal so that all mothers can hug their children and husbands, just as I hug my mom now every morning. Meeting her was amazing. She's the closest person to me. We understand each other just with a look.
"In Gaza, I thought about how if I return alive, not 'if', when I return alive, the meaning of the 'alive' tattoo will take on a completely different meaning than I initially planned. It's so moving, all the people who are endlessly committed to this cause. It's incredibly strengthening and moving to go on stage and see our pictures, those of us who have returned home. We're waiting for everyone, this is my daily wish and prayer."
He added: "I would also like to say to all the soldiers who were injured in battles, and to all the fighters and lions who are now in Gaza: You move me every day. You are the strongest army there is and I'm proud to be part of you." After the video screening, his mother **Orit Meir** said on stage: "For 246 days, Almog didn't receive a hug from me, a kind word, or even a scolding. But for 274 days already, Yuri, Arbel, Karina, Omer, Elkana, Aviatar and many others are not receiving what Almog has been getting since June 8. That's why I'm here, not at home, not on the couch, but here alongside my new additional family. For the 120 hostages, only pen and paper will do the job. The leadership must make the right move. They must sign now."
**Ella Haimi**, wife of the late Tal Haimi who gave birth to their fourth son in May: "Three weeks passed from the moment you and I found out I was pregnant until October 7. When I realized you were kidnapped, I thought you'd surely return by the birth, after all, nine months is a long time. The uncertainty is burning. At every pregnancy check-up, I told myself you'd come to the next one, and then came the news that can't be digested. Two months ago, Lotan was born. He's as beautiful and sweet as the intensity of the missed opportunity that you won't know each other. He has no idea what storm he was born into. It's clear to all of us that only a deal will bring back all the hostages. As a widow of a hostage, I call on you - Prime Minister and Cabinet members - don't miss this. Netanyahu - you promised, fulfill it. The disaster happened on your watch and it's your responsibility. Attack this mission with determination and courage just like Tal and his friends. Complete the negotiations, it's possible."
**Daniella Aloni**, who was released from captivity in a deal in November with her daughter Emilia, spoke on stage. "We're at a special rally marking the mothers' cry but there's one mother who can't cry out for her children languishing in Hamas captivity: Her name is Shiri Bibas," she said. "Shiri can't cry out. She's not allowed. She's not allowed to speak in captivity, so she's certainly not allowed to cry out. As someone who was in Hamas captivity for 49 days with a 5-year-old child, I know what Shiri is going through. For 49 days, I had to lie to Emilia and build a cover story about how we got to this hell. Let's cry out together: Everyone now. Kfir now. Ariel now. I call from here, even beg, the Prime Minister and Cabinet members: We must not miss this opportunity. Mr. Prime Minister, give the negotiation team room to maneuver to come back with a deal and bring everyone home."
Anat Engrest, mother of kidnapped soldier Matan: "He was kidnapped severely wounded and unconscious from a battle where his three team members were murdered. Tomer was found dead in the tank and his mother Keren is here by my side. Daniel Peretz and Itai Chen z"l were kidnapped when they were no longer alive. Hagit, Itai's mother, is also here by my side. Shelly, Daniel's mother, isn't here due to the sanctity of the Sabbath. Four soldiers who gave their lives in battle and saved many lives.
"I received a sign of life from Matan. In the video, he's seen looking directly at the camera with a wounded gaze and turning to you, Prime Minister. He cries out - 'Netanyahu, I don't understand how this happened, but I trust you to get me out of here'. What disappointment. The Prime Minister didn't get you out. They're not talking about you in the next phase. The country you fought for has decided you're staying there."
**Reports: This is the deal on the table**
The Wall Street Journal reported that last night Mossad officials told mediating countries they are optimistic that the political-security cabinet and the government in Israel will approve the deal. This comes after Mossad chief Dadi Barnea returned from a brief visit of several hours to Doha, Qatar's capital. The Prime Minister's Office stated that it was decided that next week a team will depart to continue negotiations for a deal, and noted that "there are still gaps between the sides." According to various reports, the deal is divided into three different stages. In stage A, which will last about six weeks, 33 hostages will be returned - all women in captivity, elderly and sick people, and some bodies. At the same time, negotiations will be conducted on stage B - in which Hamas demands a full IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the rest of the living hostages (apparently soldiers and young men). Parallel to the first two stages, hundreds of terrorists will be released from Israeli prisons, including those with blood on their hands. In stage C, according to the plan, the rest of the Israeli bodies will be returned.
But gaps still exist. According to sources familiar with the matter, the disputes relate to security issues, veto on the identity of heavy prisoners to be released, and force deployment. One obstacle lies in Hamas's demand for an Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor. Another obstacle is the organization's demand for a commitment that negotiations on extending the ceasefire will be without time limit - which Israel opposes. Additionally, Hamas has also announced that it will not agree to the placement of foreign forces in Gaza, in the "day after." link
- Two-thirds of Israelis back hostage deal over continuing war in Gaza - poll
Two-thirds of the Israeli public believe returning the hostages is more important than continuing the war in Gaza, according to a poll published by Channel 12 News on Friday.
Asked what is most important at this time, 67 percent of respondents said returning the hostages, compared to 26% who said continuing the war in Gaza, and 7% who said they didn’t know.
Israel sent a delegation of negotiators headed by Mossad chief David Barnea to Doha on Friday after Hamas submitted its latest response to the hostage deal proposal. Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming week.
Responding to the question of why they think the war hasn’t ended yet, 54% said it was because of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political considerations, 34% said it was due to substantive and operational considerations and 12% weren’t sure.
Sixty-eight percent of respondents said Israel is far from the “total victory” pledged by Netanyahu, compared to 23% who said Israel is close and 9% who were unsure.
Recently, multiple officials, including Israel Air Force commander Tomer Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, have said that Hamas’s military wing is close to being defeated in Gaza. Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that the war will continue until all Israel’s goals are achieved, specifying that Hamas must be destroyed, all hostages returned, and the threat of a future major security threat to Israel from Gaza neutered.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s approval ratings on his handling of the war were significantly low. While their approval ratings were not high either, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s and Halevi’s scores were far better than the prime minister’s. More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents said Netanyahu’s performance was not good, as opposed to only 28% who said it was. Four percent said they didn’t know.
Meanwhile, almost half (49%) said Gallant’s performance was not good, as opposed to 43% who said it was. The remaining eight percent said they didn’t know. Halevi was the only prominent figure in the poll to have more people say his handling of the war was good (46%) than not good (44%); the other 10% said they didn’t know.
With the country’s leaders’ approval ratings low and constant protests calling for new elections, respondents were asked when elections should be held. Forty-three percent said as soon as possible, 29% said when the war is over, 23% said when the current coalition’s term expires in October 2026, and 5% said they were unsure.
Asked who is most suited to serve as premier, Netanyahu or opposition chair Yair Lapid, 31% of respondents said Netanyahu, compared to 30% who said Lapid. A further 35% said neither and 4% were unsure.
When the choice was between National Unity leader Benny Gantz and Netanyahu, 35% said Gantz and 29% said Netanyahu. An additional 31% said neither and 5% were unsure. link
Gaza
- "The Terror City Exposed: Thousands of Terrorists, Booby-Trapped Neighborhoods, and Tunnel Network"
Ahead of the decisive operation in Rafah, Lt. Col. Nati Biton, commander of the 9th Armored Battalion - the first unit to enter the city - describes two months of fighting in the complex urban area: "We felt they were waiting for us, with anti-tank teams emerging from tunnels and dense neighborhoods rigged with explosives. In one house a family lived, and the next house was entirely booby-trapped." Despite the challenges, the battalion commander reports: "We have a good grip on the area, breaking the resistance was quick."
Now the IDF aims to create a sterile buffer zone along the Philadelphi Corridor. The Rafah maneuver, which the IDF had been preparing for a long time and the world was anxiously watching, began two months ago on May 6th. "When we entered Rafah, we were the first two battalions, our 9th Battalion crossed first," tells us Lt. Col. Nati Biton, commander of the 9th Armored Battalion. "The first mission was in the Dahaniya area - an area that was very prepared for combat, with many anti-tank teams coming out of tunnels. We felt they were ready and waiting for us."
"We had incidents there almost every day, and most of the terrorists we eliminated in Rafah were in this area. The forces mainly dealt with pop-up cells, explosive devices, and booby-trapped neighborhoods." In an interview with N12 magazine, Lt. Col. Biton describes these booby-trapped neighborhoods that awaited the forces: "In one house a family lived, and the next house was entirely booby-trapped. We encountered dense neighborhoods with explosives and cells coming out to fight."
The army reports that large quantities of explosives were found in the booby-trapped neighborhoods, along with combat tunnels. "The issue of traps in Rafah is of higher intensity than what we've encountered so far - the area is prepared, and you can see many combat zones," notes the battalion commander. The IDF says intelligence was received about entire booby-trapped neighborhoods: To avoid unnecessarily endangering soldiers, it was decided to deal first with the above-ground space, thus reducing the likelihood of harm to forces.
The working assumption is that all systems in the booby-trapped neighborhoods are interconnected - including defense tunnels, crossing possibilities to Egypt, and attack capabilities. Therefore, destroying the traps disables many enemy capabilities - turning the complex plan into a disadvantage.
About two months into the operation in Rafah, Lt. Col. Biton clarifies: "Our grip is good and we're managing to deal with the challenges. The breaking of resistance was quick here and we spread to all areas. We've progressed in many things - how to properly fight in dense areas using armored vehicles and how infantry and armor fight together. There's also a drone for the battalion, which assists. We found some of the terrorists in shelters, others came out to confront us - and we eliminated them," he recalls. "Today there are almost no terrorists on the ground, and even underground we're managing to deal with them: we exposed dozens of shafts and tunnels. At the end of our operation in Dahaniya, we destroyed the underground threat in the area."
After about eight weeks inside Rafah, the IDF is at an advanced point, and is also working extensively to thwart operations and smuggling in the Philadelphi Corridor area. The army identifies that to maintain its survivability, Hamas is trying to avoid direct confrontation with soldiers as much as possible. The IDF estimates that the defeat of Hamas's Rafah Brigade is close, and recently intensified the attack. At least 900 terrorists were eliminated in ground battles, out of about 3,200 terrorists who belonged to the Rafah Brigade at the beginning of the war.
**How do you perceive the major threats to the forces, anti-tank missiles and belly charges?**
"Our armored vehicles are proving themselves," declares the battalion commander. "There were accidents a few times, but my guys and I feel quite safe in our vehicles. The issue of charges is meticulous work, I won't talk about the techniques here, but in most cases we stop it before it meets us."
Later, the officer says, they moved to operate in the Philadelphi Corridor and in the neighborhoods of the Shabura refugee camp. There, he estimates, the mission is nearing completion: "The level of competence (of Hamas) here is declining and resistance is almost non-existent here."
And what's the next target? "We'll do any mission assigned to us."
The conversation inevitably drifts to the issue of wear and tear on the fighting forces - and how to give them stamina for continued battles. "There's progress here too," explains the battalion commander. "At the beginning of the fighting in my battalion we were 66 days at some point without leaving, and we understood that we need to approach this a little differently. We went to do a bit..."
"More refreshment for the divisions and giving soldiers more time at home. The commanders are very attentive to the soldiers, knowing how to raise a red flag in time. This is already the third cycle during the fighting, and it's almost a new battalion during the fighting."
**What are you hearing from them?**
"It's a long fight, but I hear a lot of strength, a lot of understanding of why we're here. As a commander, you draw much of your strength from your subordinates - I have a reserve company that's been with me everywhere in the fighting, and you see the strength. These people come here for eight months of reserve duty, and it reflects the atmosphere and what we're doing here in the clearest way. I'm surprised every day by the people here, people who have been fighting since October 7th and don't stop, it's simply amazing."
Another encouraging fact is the increase in demand for NCO and officer courses, indicating the desire to continue serving in the army: "I have a deputy company commander who didn't want to go to a company commander course if he would receive training and not combat, because he wants to continue fighting. In the end, we reached a compromise and he went."
**Do you see home? Your family?**
"Not much, there are bereaved families we need and want to visit, wounded we want to be with. This issue of the family home front is essential: the women who support, the husbands who support - we also have female officers in the regular service here. My wife is very active in this story, coordinating people, talking to them, accompanying them. The battalion becomes like a community, not just those fighting inside."
"We're essentially closing off Hamas's air"
The Chief of Staff's visit to Rafah this week signaled the direction for the continuation. "That they feel exhausted and we feel charged and determined. With determination, perseverance, and patience, we're turning this into attrition for the other side and fulfilling our missions from our perspective. This campaign is long because we don't want to leave Rafah with the infrastructure. There are terrorists we eliminated underground, there are those who tried to get out and were eliminated."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised the "very great achievements in Rafah" and said that Israel is moving towards "finishing the stage of eliminating Hamas's terror army." Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during his visit to Rafah, declared: "We are essentially closing off Hamas's air - the Rafah crossing, the tunnels. The result is they have nowhere to arm themselves, nowhere to equip themselves, no way to bring reinforcements, no way to treat their casualties."
Main damage - in the southwestern part of the city
Recently published aerial photographs reveal that the main damage in Rafah was caused in the southwestern part of the city, in the Brazil refugee camp, near the Philadelphi Corridor. Satellite images showed that a long strip of buildings adjacent to the corridor was destroyed due to the intense battles conducted by the IDF in the area.
Achievement in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood
Attacks in Rafah continue also from the air, for example in a case where terrorists were eliminated inside an army building. In another case, Nahal Brigade fighters in ambush identified an armed terrorist cell advancing towards them in a vehicle and eliminated it with a fire strike.
This week, another achievement was recorded in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah: Combat teams from the Commando Brigade, Brigade 401, and the Yahalom unit raided an underground site for producing long-range rockets of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. This is considered the largest site of this terrorist organization in the Strip: according to IDF estimates, hundreds of rockets were produced at this underground position in recent years.
Other shafts were located this week in Rafah - and led the forces to a complex underground route. Checks revealed that the tunnel, at least 500 meters long, passed close to a UNRWA school. Nine rocket launch positions were destroyed during that activity.
In parallel with efforts in other focal points such as Shejaiya, activity in Rafah continues constantly - hundreds of terrorists were eliminated and others apparently fled. The extent of available forces has a significant impact on the pace of progress within Rafah. The need for many forces in the north and in Judea and Samaria poses a challenge - and senior commanders are responsible for balancing between the different needs.
However, the IDF is encouraged by the progress in Rafah and estimates that the decision is near - as Hamas's centers of gravity have been severely hit. During a discussion this week, army representatives asked the political echelon for about four more weeks to complete the operation in Rafah, that is, until the end of July: This time window is necessary for the army to deal with the remaining tunnels in Rafah and also on the Philadelphi Corridor.
Even if the activity in Rafah stops earlier for some reason, IDF forces are expected to remain at the Rafah crossing - the same focal point that Hamas used for years to smuggle many weapons. To preserve the achievements in the operation in Rafah, the IDF is working on creating a sterile area that allows destroying terror tunnels along the 14 kilometers of the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza side. The goal of creating the sterile space - preserving the IDF's freedom of action to operate thoroughly against tunnels crossing the border with Egypt, and thwarting smuggling.
In this operation, the army is also clearing the area of possible threats, such as anti-tank missiles and mortar bombs, and keeping the ability to re-enter the Rafah area relatively freely due to intelligence and operational grip. An Israeli source told the American Washington Post about two weeks ago that so far Israel has located 20 tunnels from Gaza to Egypt, under the Philadelphi Corridor, and that the IDF has destroyed 14 of them. According to the newspaper, it is estimated that there are about 20 more tunnels in the area that have not yet been discovered. The Israeli source said that since May, no smuggling has been carried out from Egypt to Gaza thanks to the IDF operation in Rafah.
The army speaks of a "decisive achievement" against Hamas in Rafah, which will soon allow focusing efforts elsewhere. link
- The Hamas police in Gaza announced earlier that Israeli warplanes killed a group of policemen and police officers of the terrorist organization in West Rafah. Among the dead was an officer with a rank equivalent to a lieutenant colonel. His name was Fars Abdel-Ael and he was the commander of the local station. Besides him, three other officers and policemen were killed. Eight others were injured.
- The Hamas police in Gaza announced earlier that Israeli warplanes killed a group of policemen and police officers of the terrorist organization in West Rafah. Among the dead was an officer with a rank equivalent to a lieutenant colonel. His name was Fars Abdel-Ael and he was the commander of the local station. Besides him, three other officers and policemen were killed. Eight others were injured.
The Israeli defense establishment believes Hamas will try to carry out a major terror attack in the coming weeks in an attempt to stymie renewed efforts to close a hostage-ceasefire deal, according to an unsourced Hebrew media report.
The attack could be inside Gaza, near the border with the Strip, or in the West Bank, the report adds, without giving further details.
The Channel 12 report also says that Egyptian mediators will likely increase their involvement in the US and Qatar-led negotiations, after Hamas said it has given initial approval for the latest proposal for a phased truce and hostage exchange deal.
- Israeli soldiers are finding Judaica in Gaza - and trying to locate the items' owners
The commander of a small Israeli military drone unit in Gaza was on a routine reconnaissance mission with his team in an apartment in Rafah when one of his soldiers came across an object that looked strikingly out of place: a wood laminate challah board framed with the biblical injunction to “remember the Shabbat” in gold lettering, in Hebrew and English.
The commander knew that he was allowed to take property only if he needed to use it to fight the war, which didn’t apply here. But he wasn’t sure what to do.
“We’re definitely not allowed to take them as souvenirs or anything like that,” said the soldier, named Yoya. Military regulations prohibit soldiers from giving their full names to the press. “Stealing is forbidden and it’s also immoral. But in this case, when I saw that this was a Jewish item I said, ‘this can’t be theirs.’” So he tried to locate the owner of the challah board by posting a photo of it on Facebook. While the post garnered 1,400 reactions and nearly 250 comments, nobody claimed the ritual object.
Similar posts have cropped up in the more than eight months since Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza at the end of October. Two weeks before Passover, another post made the rounds on social media — and was published in an Israeli news outlet — calling for the owners of a Seder plate found in a home in Khan Younis to claim their lost property. In December, Yoya’s brother, Elisha, also an IDF soldier, found a Hanukkah menorah in the shape of a hamsa, a hand-shaped symbol, in a home in Khan Younis. The post said, without elaborating, that the menorah had “probably been taken on October 7” amid looting during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
Other troops who have encountered Judaica in Gaza have made the same assumption. Maj. (res.) Maor Lavi likewise found a menorah in what he described as the home of a terrorist in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, alongside weapons, military uniforms and equipment. Lavi told Israel’s public broadcaster Kan that he had a “gut feeling” it was stolen on October 7. “Next to the bed, we just saw the menorah sticking out on top of one of the dressers. We took it,” Lavi said. “I would really want to return it to its owner and find the person, the family it belongs to.”
His unit lit the menorah on the seventh and eighth nights of Hanukkah. Shortly after the incident, Lavi, a father of four, was killed.
- Israeli soldiers are finding Judaica in Gaza - and trying to locate the items' owners
The commander of a small Israeli military drone unit in Gaza was on a routine reconnaissance mission with his team in an apartment in Rafah when one of his soldiers came across an object that looked strikingly out of place: a wood laminate challah board framed with the biblical injunction to “remember the Shabbat” in gold lettering, in Hebrew and English.
The commander knew that he was allowed to take property only if he needed to use it to fight the war, which didn’t apply here. But he wasn’t sure what to do.
“We’re definitely not allowed to take them as souvenirs or anything like that,” said the soldier, named Yoya. Military regulations prohibit soldiers from giving their full names to the press. “Stealing is forbidden and it’s also immoral. But in this case, when I saw that this was a Jewish item I said, ‘this can’t be theirs.’” So he tried to locate the owner of the challah board by posting a photo of it on Facebook. While the post garnered 1,400 reactions and nearly 250 comments, nobody claimed the ritual object.
Similar posts have cropped up in the more than eight months since Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza at the end of October. Two weeks before Passover, another post made the rounds on social media — and was published in an Israeli news outlet — calling for the owners of a Seder plate found in a home in Khan Younis to claim their lost property. In December, Yoya’s brother, Elisha, also an IDF soldier, found a Hanukkah menorah in the shape of a hamsa, a hand-shaped symbol, in a home in Khan Younis. The post said, without elaborating, that the menorah had “probably been taken on October 7” amid looting during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
Other troops who have encountered Judaica in Gaza have made the same assumption. Maj. (res.) Maor Lavi likewise found a menorah in what he described as the home of a terrorist in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, alongside weapons, military uniforms and equipment. Lavi told Israel’s public broadcaster Kan that he had a “gut feeling” it was stolen on October 7. “Next to the bed, we just saw the menorah sticking out on top of one of the dressers. We took it,” Lavi said. “I would really want to return it to its owner and find the person, the family it belongs to.”
His unit lit the menorah on the seventh and eighth nights of Hanukkah. Shortly after the incident, Lavi, a father of four, was killed.
Regulations around seizing property
In response to inquiries, the Israel Defense Forces detailed its regulations regarding seizing property, though it did not specifically address the issue of Judaica. More broadly, Israeli military looting has been an issue during the war.
In February, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi called on soldiers “not to take anything that is not ours — be it a souvenir or a piece of military equipment.” Three months later, Israel’s Military Advocate General, Maj-Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, announced that the IDF was investigating 70 incidents of suspected violations of the laws of war by IDF soldiers, including looting. Several soldiers have been indicted for alleged looting from Palestinians in recent years — including during operations in Gaza.
“As part of the fighting and subject to the military protocols, it is possible to use enemy property for military necessity, as well as take property that belongs to the terrorist organizations subject to the protocols regarding booty of war,” the spokesperson said. “Taking property in ways that are not in accordance with army protocols is prohibited by law. Incidents in which forces did not behave in accordance with protocols and the law will be examined.”
Lt. Col. (res) Maurice Hirsch, former director of the IDF’s Military Prosecution in the West Bank, noted that while there is no way to fully ascertain whether the menorah and objects like it were stolen, nor whether they were taken on Oct. 7 or beforehand, there is evidence of looting of Israeli homes and businesses by Palestinians on October 7. Prior to the attack, more than 18,000 Gaza Palestinians worked legally in Israel, so it’s possible they acquired the items then.
According to its author, Asa Kasher, violations like looting fly in the face of the IDF’s Code of Ethics, which stresses the “purity of arms.”
“It means that you use your military force only for certain purposes, for the purposes of fighting a war which is justified,” he said. “And looting is using your force in a wrong way, and therefore it is absolutely forbidden.” Full article
In response to inquiries, the Israel Defense Forces detailed its regulations regarding seizing property, though it did not specifically address the issue of Judaica. More broadly, Israeli military looting has been an issue during the war.
In February, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi called on soldiers “not to take anything that is not ours — be it a souvenir or a piece of military equipment.” Three months later, Israel’s Military Advocate General, Maj-Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, announced that the IDF was investigating 70 incidents of suspected violations of the laws of war by IDF soldiers, including looting. Several soldiers have been indicted for alleged looting from Palestinians in recent years — including during operations in Gaza.
“As part of the fighting and subject to the military protocols, it is possible to use enemy property for military necessity, as well as take property that belongs to the terrorist organizations subject to the protocols regarding booty of war,” the spokesperson said. “Taking property in ways that are not in accordance with army protocols is prohibited by law. Incidents in which forces did not behave in accordance with protocols and the law will be examined.”
Lt. Col. (res) Maurice Hirsch, former director of the IDF’s Military Prosecution in the West Bank, noted that while there is no way to fully ascertain whether the menorah and objects like it were stolen, nor whether they were taken on Oct. 7 or beforehand, there is evidence of looting of Israeli homes and businesses by Palestinians on October 7. Prior to the attack, more than 18,000 Gaza Palestinians worked legally in Israel, so it’s possible they acquired the items then.
According to its author, Asa Kasher, violations like looting fly in the face of the IDF’s Code of Ethics, which stresses the “purity of arms.”
“It means that you use your military force only for certain purposes, for the purposes of fighting a war which is justified,” he said. “And looting is using your force in a wrong way, and therefore it is absolutely forbidden.” Full article
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
A prominent member of Hezbollah’s air defense unit was killed in a drone strike in northeastern Lebanon earlier today, the Israel Defense Forces says.
According to the military, Maytham Mustafa al-Attar was considered to be “a significant source of knowledge” in Hezbollah’s air defense unit, and was involved in planning and carrying out attacks against Israel.
The IDF says al-Attar obtained his knowledge during visits to Iran, and was involved in helping the Lebanese terror group procure Iranian weapons. The IDF says al-Attar obtained his knowledge during visits to Iran, and was involved in helping the Lebanese terror group procure Iranian weapons. Al-Attar was hit while driving near the town of Shaat in the northeastern Baalbek district, around 100 kilometers from the Israeli border.
The IDF says his killing is “a blow to the capabilities of Hezbollah’s air defense unit.”
Hezbollah has announced al-Attar’s death, which brings the terror group’s death toll amid the war in Gaza to at least 361. The report noted that Sariel has not taken responsibility for his unit’s role in Israel’s intelligence failures — and to the contrary has even said that resigning would be tantamount to “cowardice.”
An IDF response quoted by Channel 12 said that the intelligence unit “was part of the intelligence failure that is currently being investigated,” while defending the professionalism of its commander. Link
A prominent member of Hezbollah’s air defense unit was killed in a drone strike in northeastern Lebanon earlier today, the Israel Defense Forces says.
According to the military, Maytham Mustafa al-Attar was considered to be “a significant source of knowledge” in Hezbollah’s air defense unit, and was involved in planning and carrying out attacks against Israel.
The IDF says al-Attar obtained his knowledge during visits to Iran, and was involved in helping the Lebanese terror group procure Iranian weapons. The IDF says al-Attar obtained his knowledge during visits to Iran, and was involved in helping the Lebanese terror group procure Iranian weapons. Al-Attar was hit while driving near the town of Shaat in the northeastern Baalbek district, around 100 kilometers from the Israeli border.
The IDF says his killing is “a blow to the capabilities of Hezbollah’s air defense unit.”
Hezbollah has announced al-Attar’s death, which brings the terror group’s death toll amid the war in Gaza to at least 361. The report noted that Sariel has not taken responsibility for his unit’s role in Israel’s intelligence failures — and to the contrary has even said that resigning would be tantamount to “cowardice.”
An IDF response quoted by Channel 12 said that the intelligence unit “was part of the intelligence failure that is currently being investigated,” while defending the professionalism of its commander. Link
West Bank and Jerusalem
- Tracking Iran's weapons route into the West Bank
Iran-supported Islamist militias are currently engaged in war against Israel on two fronts. The main focus of combat remains, of course, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
A “support front,” as is the preferred term, has been maintained by Lebanese Hezbollah since October 8 in the Israel-Lebanon border area.
Iran seeks as a strategic objective to surround Israel with a crescent of active fronts maintained by Iran and supported by Islamist client militias. As part of this, the regime is seeking to find a way to add an eastern component to this crescent – through Jordan to the West Bank. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its client militias have freedom of action, of course, in Iraq, where they are deeply embedded in government and state.
But further west, two elements stand as barriers in the way of the Iranian desire to begin an armed campaign against Israel in the West Bank and from there into central Israel. These are the US-supported Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Israeli security presence in the West Bank. Tehran is actively engaged in developing a variety of “solutions” to this problem.
The Iranians are not without significant achievements in this area. Most importantly, Tehran has succeeded in establishing and maintaining an arms route in which military materiel, brought from Iran into Lebanon, is then transported across the Syrian-Lebanese border, via Jordan, into the West Bank. The maintenance of this route is of strategic importance to Iran. It is intended, over time, to flood the West Bank with weaponry, and by so doing, to eventually make this area a third front in the ongoing long war against Israel.
Iran-supported Islamist militias are currently engaged in war against Israel on two fronts. The main focus of combat remains, of course, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
A “support front,” as is the preferred term, has been maintained by Lebanese Hezbollah since October 8 in the Israel-Lebanon border area.
Iran seeks as a strategic objective to surround Israel with a crescent of active fronts maintained by Iran and supported by Islamist client militias. As part of this, the regime is seeking to find a way to add an eastern component to this crescent – through Jordan to the West Bank. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its client militias have freedom of action, of course, in Iraq, where they are deeply embedded in government and state.
But further west, two elements stand as barriers in the way of the Iranian desire to begin an armed campaign against Israel in the West Bank and from there into central Israel. These are the US-supported Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Israeli security presence in the West Bank. Tehran is actively engaged in developing a variety of “solutions” to this problem.
The Iranians are not without significant achievements in this area. Most importantly, Tehran has succeeded in establishing and maintaining an arms route in which military materiel, brought from Iran into Lebanon, is then transported across the Syrian-Lebanese border, via Jordan, into the West Bank. The maintenance of this route is of strategic importance to Iran. It is intended, over time, to flood the West Bank with weaponry, and by so doing, to eventually make this area a third front in the ongoing long war against Israel.
How do Iranian arms enter the West Bank?
THE FOLLOWING details one of the channels of Iranian arms to the West Bank. There may well be others.
The weapons pipeline from Lebanon and Syria to the West Bank began in 2005. Syrian Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Suleiman, assassinated by Israel in 2008, was responsible for facilitating the arrival of weapons to Damascus and the Syrian coast, and then managing their conveyance to Lebanon and Jordan.
Lebanese Hezbollah was also involved in this process. In this period, two brothers, Sami and Alaa al-Bashashbeh from Ramtha in Jordan, were responsible for the handling of weapons from their entry into Jordan until their transfer into the West Bank.
The Bashashbehs cooperated with smuggling networks on the Syrian side, and with Lebanese Hezbollah. Their interest, and that of the other smuggling families, was in money, not ideological commitment. The transfer at that time was in small arms – rifles, pistols, and ammunition.
This network broke down with the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, and the loss by the Syrian regime and its allies of large parts of the border to Sunni Arab insurgent groups. With the reconquest by the Assad regime and its allies of the southern border area in 2018, the process began again, on a larger scale, once again managed by Hezbollah, under Iranian supervision, in cooperation with elements of the Syrian regime and local smuggling families. These activities take place within the framework of Hezbollah’s external security office, headed by senior movement official Wafiq Safa.
Now the arms smuggling process begins in Lebanon. Weapons are transported across the border to a Hezbollah external security headquarters in Qusayr, Syria.
The weapons are taken from there to the Homs area, where they are stored at a farm belonging to Hussein Rahma. The farm has been converted by Hezbollah into a site for the storage of arms.
From there, the weapons are taken to a site at the Sayeda Zeinab area south of Damascus. There, a senior Hezbollah official named Zain al-Abidin is responsible for storing them and managing their transfer to southern Syria and Suwayda. Under his supervision, the arms are taken to remote areas in the Suwayda province on the Syrian-Jordanian border. They are then transported into Jordan, and then into the West Bank.
While light weapons are still being transported along this route, in the post-2018 period and the years prior to the current war, the focus shifted. The weaponry now trafficked included and includes C4, TNT, mines, anti-tank mines, RPG launchers, and missiles of various types, including anti-armor and anti-personnel missiles.
ON THE Jordanian side, two families centrally involved in the transfer of weapons within Jordan and into the West Bank are the al-Saeed and al-Ramthan families. Muhammad al-Ramthan, the main member of this family involved in weapons transfer, is the brother of Mari al-Ramthan, who was killed in an airstrike by the Jordanian authorities in May 2023 because of his involvement in smuggling across the border.
At the time, regional media reports called Mari al-Ramthan the “Escobar” of southern Syria because of the smuggling of Captagon along the routes he maintained. Few media outlets at the time noted that the same lines were being used to transport weaponry. The 4th Armored Division, commanded by Maher al-Assad, is involved in this process.
From there, the weapons are taken to a site at the Sayeda Zeinab area south of Damascus. There, a senior Hezbollah official named Zain al-Abidin is responsible for storing them and managing their transfer to southern Syria and Suwayda. Under his supervision, the arms are taken to remote areas in the Suwayda province on the Syrian-Jordanian border. They are then transported into Jordan, and then into the West Bank.
While light weapons are still being transported along this route, in the post-2018 period and the years prior to the current war, the focus shifted. The weaponry now trafficked included and includes C4, TNT, mines, anti-tank mines, RPG launchers, and missiles of various types, including anti-armor and anti-personnel missiles.
ON THE Jordanian side, two families centrally involved in the transfer of weapons within Jordan and into the West Bank are the al-Saeed and al-Ramthan families. Muhammad al-Ramthan, the main member of this family involved in weapons transfer, is the brother of Mari al-Ramthan, who was killed in an airstrike by the Jordanian authorities in May 2023 because of his involvement in smuggling across the border.
At the time, regional media reports called Mari al-Ramthan the “Escobar” of southern Syria because of the smuggling of Captagon along the routes he maintained. Few media outlets at the time noted that the same lines were being used to transport weaponry. The 4th Armored Division, commanded by Maher al-Assad, is involved in this process.
Hezbollah smuggling
Hezbollah also relies on the cooperation of local elements and armed groups to facilitate the smuggling. In this context, Jihad and Mashafi al-Saeed of Sha’ab village play a central role.
A medical facility maintained in Sha’ab village by Jihad al-Saeed has been used by Hezbollah for the storing of arms on the Syrian side of the border. Regarding the final stage of the network, namely those individuals on the Jordanian side responsible for bringing the weapons into the West Bank, several names can be identified.
Four individuals involved in the process of smuggling in this area are Abu Amar al-Khalidi, Abu Khaled al-Sarhan, Saqr al-Fadous, and Muhammad al-Duaij. All are known arms smugglers.
So far, this has been the route from Lebanon via Syria and Jordan to the West Bank. What happens when the weaponry arrives in this area? A recent report by veteran Israeli Middle East analyst Ehud Ya’ari on this subject suggests that Iran has abandoned efforts to create a unified, hierarchical military command structure in the West Bank.
Such a structure would be too vulnerable to penetration by Israel’s security services because of their tight hold there.
Instead, the weaponry and materiel are made available to any ad hoc armed group that forms itself on a local basis in the West Bank is willing to carry out attacks on Israel.
Formations such as the now defunct Lions’ Den of Nablus and the Jenin Battalion of that city offer examples of such loosely assembled Ktaeb, or battalions. Ya’ari refers to this approach as the “Kitaba” strategy of Iran.
In his report, produced for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, he indicates that there are currently 1,000 members in such loosely organized formations.
He also notes that IRGC Quds Force Units 840 and 3900 have established a joint “operations room” for managing this process with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
And the final destination of the weaponry? On Monday, 22-year-old Sgt. Yehuda Geto of Pardess Hanna and the IDF’s Commando Brigade was killed in an IED explosion in the Nur-a-Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm on the West Bank.
A week earlier, Capt. Alon Sacgiu of the Kfir Brigade died in an IED explosion in Jenin, in which 16 other IDF soldiers were wounded. That’s how it’s meant to end, from Iran’s point of view.
The Iranian arms route from Lebanon, through Syria and Jordan to the West Bank, represents the main flagrant subversion of Jordanian sovereignty so far achieved by the Tehran regime.
It is also a clear, present, and growing danger for Israel. link
Politics and the War (general news)
- Anti-government groups are gearing up for a “day of disruption” to demand new elections, as Israel marks nine months since Hamas’s shock October 7 attack, with 116 hostages still languishing in captivity in Gaza.
Today’s demonstrations will form part of the “week of resistance” protest groups kicked off at their weekly protests last night.
The protesters have said they will block major throughways including Routes 2, 4 and 6, and hold rallies across the country, culminating in a mass demonstration outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
There will also be a rally outside the Histadrut’s labor federation’s Tel Aviv offices to call on the union to strike in solidarity with the protest groups’ demand for the government to step down.
Also this morning, a demonstration is set to gather outside the Kiryat Ono home of Histadrut chief Arnon Bar-David, who has previously indicated his support for the anti-government protests.
Some of Israel’s leading companies, mainly from the tech and finance sectors, have said they will employees take time off to protest.
- Military intelligence alert system said poorly maintained leading up to October 7
Today’s demonstrations will form part of the “week of resistance” protest groups kicked off at their weekly protests last night.
The protesters have said they will block major throughways including Routes 2, 4 and 6, and hold rallies across the country, culminating in a mass demonstration outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
There will also be a rally outside the Histadrut’s labor federation’s Tel Aviv offices to call on the union to strike in solidarity with the protest groups’ demand for the government to step down.
Also this morning, a demonstration is set to gather outside the Kiryat Ono home of Histadrut chief Arnon Bar-David, who has previously indicated his support for the anti-government protests.
Some of Israel’s leading companies, mainly from the tech and finance sectors, have said they will employees take time off to protest.
Latest TV report on failures to heed warnings leading up to brutal Hamas onslaught quotes former 8200 officials as saying commander ‘didn’t care’ about crucial signal model
attack, exposed further details about the failures of Israeli military intelligence including neglecting to maintain a signal system that could have prevented the devastating attack.
According to the Channel 12 News report, the alert system was developed by the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 8200 following the Israel Defense Forces’ 2014 campaign in Gaza, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, the worst conflict in the enclave until the ongoing war.
“We set up a joint team of the Shin Bet, 8200 and the [IDF] Gaza Division and built an alert model, which would give us a sign that Hamas is about to invade if several warning elements materialize,” a former senior Military Intelligence official was quoted as saying, explaining that the system triangulated three signal intelligence elements — the terror operatives, along with the time and location of a potential attack. “We put in tremendous listening efforts as soon as we recognized that things were happening and we raised the flag,” the source added.
According to the report, an earlier version of this intelligence system had helped operatives to raise an alert that helped the IDF prevent a Hamas invasion back in 2014 by bombing a tunnel in Gaza from which terrorists were planning to infiltrate and take Israeli hostages. By April 2022, Channel 12 said, the elite 8200 unit had reproduced dozens of pages outlining Hamas’s invasion plan, dubbed Jericho Wall, which was first presented to intelligence officials as a 40-page report more than a year before October 7. But Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, the unit’s commander, and a senior official named only as ‘Gimel,’ who was responsible for the signal intelligence effort, reportedly did nothing to action the warnings. By April 2022, Channel 12 said, the elite 8200 unit had reproduced dozens of pages outlining Hamas’s invasion plan, dubbed Jericho Wall, which was first presented to intelligence officials as a 40-page report more than a year before October 7. But Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, the unit’s commander, and a senior official named only as ‘Gimel,’ who was responsible for the signal intelligence effort, reportedly did nothing to action the warnings. By April 2022, Channel 12 said, the elite 8200 unit had reproduced dozens of pages outlining Hamas’s invasion plan, dubbed Jericho Wall, which was first presented to intelligence officials as a 40-page report more than a year before October 7. But Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, the unit’s commander, and a senior official named only as ‘Gimel,’ who was responsible for the signal intelligence effort, reportedly did nothing to action the warnings. According to the intelligence officials quoted in the report, the alert system was well maintained under the previous 8200 commander and rarely malfunctioned.
“But under Yossi’s management it was neglected. Most of the time it didn’t work and they didn’t care,” an anonymous former Military Intelligence source was quoted as saying. The report also said that Sariel had tried to shut down the system due to the difficulty of operating and maintaining it, but was deterred when one of the female officers in 8200 said that it would not be “fair to residents of southern communities.”
The dossier presented by the unit before October 7 was said to detail a series of exercises by Hamas’s elite forces who drilled raids on Israeli towns and military posts. The terror group’s operatives were also said to have studied how to hold soldiers and civilians hostage when back inside Gaza, and in what conditions the hostages could be killed.
Another former senior intelligence officer quoted by Channel 12 on Saturday pointed to “overconfidence” on the part of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, who has since stepped down over his role in the failures that led to Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
“They said that the intelligence situation had never been better. We asked Haliva what score he gave to their performance and he said ’90,'” the officer said in disbelief, referring to comments made some months before October 7. “Brig. Gen. Yud is a highly decorated officer who has contributed his entire adult life to the security of the State of Israel, and continues to lead his unit during the war and bring about important achievements. The October 7investigations will be presented to the public in a transparent manner after they have been concluded, and in an orderly and professional manner,” the statement read.
Last week, Channel 12 reported on an emailsent by a Non-Commissioned Officer in Unit 8200 who had attempted to warn her superiors in the days prior to October 7 that Hamas had a clear plan in place and urged all parties to begin working to minimize the damage that the terror group would be able to cause. The email and the report that preceded it were apparently dismissed by the Gaza Division’s top intelligence officers, and the Jericho Wall plan was actualized on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst through the Gaza border and carried out a deadly assault in southern Israel, slaughtering some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.
The IDF struggled to respond, with bases closest to the border overrun and the chain of command seemingly broken amid the chaos.
The Channel 12 report was the latest indication of the intelligence establishment’s failure to realize that Hamas was capable of mounting a large-scale attack on Israel. Link
- ‘Pyromaniacs who spout nonsense’: Ex-IDF spokesman blames ministers for war’s bad PR
British-born Peter Lerner says government’s lack of planning for Gaza’s future left him rhetorically unarmed for foreign press as post-Oct. 7 ‘leeway of legitimacy’ faded away
A former military spokesperson for foreign media accused the government of “helping Hamas directly” by repeatedly sabotaging Israel’s public relations efforts throughout the war in Gaza.
Lt. Col. (res.) Peter Lerner, who returned to the IDF to serve in a reserve capacity after October 7, made the comments in an interview with the Haaretz daily published Friday. The newspaper said that Lerner, who was born in Britain, was interviewed over 750 times in foreign media during the war before ending his stint in June.
According to Lerner, Israel’s international standing dropped precipitously in that time. He accused the government of failing to meet the challenge and blamed specific ministers for actively sabotaging Israel’s media strategy.
Lerner said Israel’s war in Gaza enjoyed a “leeway of legitimacy” in the days after October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill nearly 1,200 people and take over 250 hostages.
“There is a sentence I repeated again and again, and at that time it really was true: ‘Decent countries and decent nations are on our side,'” Lerner told Haaretz of the war’s early days. As the army’s ground offensive progressively devastated Gaza, Israel’s public relations took a hit. But the main difficulty, Lerner said, was Israel’s own government.
The former army spokesperson named two specific problems: the government’s failure to formulate a strategy for postwar Gaza; and ministers who purposely made belligerent statements to curry favor with their voters.
Lerner said that formulating a strategy for postwar Gaza was not the army’s job. “But I, as a spokesperson, started fielding questions on the subject already on October 10: What are your goals, what are you trying to achieve, what are your plans for the future?” Lerner said.
“And very soon I understood that I haven’t the answers to these questions — not because they haven’t decided, but because they’re just never going to decide,” Lerner added, likening himself to an armed guard with no bullets.
The Region and the World
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Personal Stories
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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