π️Lonny's War Update- October 282, 2023 - July 14, 2024 π️
π️Day 282 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
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*5:40pm yesterday - north - rockets Margaliot*3:10am yesterday - south - 2 explosive UAVs intercepted outside of Eilat airspace*2:30pm -yesterday North - rockets Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Kiryat Shemona*2:45pm yesterday - north - rockets Margaliot*3:30pm yesterday - north - rockets Kiryat Shemona*5:40pm yesterday -north - rockets Hanita, Metzuba*7:15pm yesterday - north - rockets Kiryat Shemona, Margaliot, Beit Hillel*7:40pm -yesterday -North - rockets Maayan Baruch, Kiryat Shemona , Tel Hai*10:50am -north - hostile aircraft Admin, Eilon, Goren, Gordot Hagalil, Hanita, Yaara*10:50am- north - rockets Arab al Aramsha*12:05pm - north - hostile aircraft - Dishon, Yiftach, Malkia, Mevo'ot Hermon, Ramot Naftali, Ayelet Hashahar, Gadot, Huleta, Yesod Hamaleh, Mishmar Hayarden, Amuka, Sde Eliezer, *12:15pm - north -Ayelet Hashahar, Gadot, Huleta, Yesod Hamaaleh, Mishmar Hayarden, Amuka*1:20pm - Center - car ramming terror attack at a bus stop in Nir Zvi (near Tzrifim), 2 seriously wounded, 1 moderately and 1 lightly wounded. The terrorist was killed by security forces
Hostage Updates
Gaza hostage-truce talks have been halted after three days of intense negotiations failed to produce a viable outcome, two Egyptian security sources say, blaming Israel for lacking a genuine intent to reach an agreement.
The sources, who speak to Reuters on condition of anonymity, say that the behavior of the Israeli mediators revealed “internal discord.”
According to the sources, the Israeli delegation would give approvals on several conditions under discussion, but then come back with amendments or introduce new conditions that risked sinking the negotiations. The sources say the mediators viewed the “contradictions, delays in responses, and the introduction of new terms contrary to what was previously agreed” as signs the Israeli side viewed the talks as a formality aimed at influencing public opinion.
The Ynet news site later reported that the Israeli negotiating team has not been updated on such a move.
Additionally, Hamas is awaiting a response from mediators on proposals introduced to Israel, the group’s deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya tells Al Jazeera TV. link This is all Netanyahu. Since November, he has done everything to sabotage any and every possibility of a hostage deal and it looks like he is succeeding to do so again. He has put in new demands that no one else has agreed upon and stated that he will not move 1 millimeter and will not allow Hamas to move 1 millimeter. And the targeted attempted assassination (one of many) put the negotiations at risk. Mohamed Deif is definitely worthy of assassination but timing is everything. Yes, the Shin Bet came to Netanyahu and Galant with good intel on Deif's whereabouts and offered a rare opportunity to get him, but it shouldn't be now while the negotiations are going on and were presenting themselves to be the best possible position we have been in since November. All of the Hamas leadership are dead men walking but we need to bring the hostages home before anything else.
Hamas denies it has withdrawn from hostage-truce talks
after latest Israeli attacks
Statement from Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of the terror
group’s political office, accuses Netanyahu of trying to derail efforts to
achieve a deal
The Hamas terror group has not withdrawn from ceasefire talks
after this weekend’s deadly Israeli attacks in Gaza, one of the group’s senior
officials insisted on Sunday.
The statement from Izzat
El-Reshiq, a member of the political office of Hamas, also accused Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to derail efforts by Arab mediators and
the United States to reach a ceasefire deal.
El-Reshiq’s announcement came
hours after an unnamed senior Hamas official told AFP Sunday that the
Palestinian terror group has withdrawn from talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza
war because of Israeli “massacres” and Israel’s attitude in negotiations, while
also leaving the door open for a return to mediation.
Senior security official: This is the moment of truth for the hostages - but there are those among us who are delaying the deal
A source involved in the negotiations estimates: A hostage deal could be reached within two weeks • However, he warns: "Netanyahu's insistence will stall the negotiations for weeks, there may be no one left to bring back" • The Prime Minister's Office denies the report: "The claim is false and unfounded. Hamas is the one trying to change the outline"
The negotiations for a hostage deal have reached crucial days. However, sources involved and knowledgeable about the negotiations warn of the possibility that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preventing the maturation of the negotiations and the formulation of the final agreement, as we reported on "Friday Studio". "This is the moment of truth for the hostages," said senior sources familiar with the negotiations, "but there are those among us who are delaying the deal."
"We can reach an agreement within two weeks and get the hostages out," estimates a source familiar with the details of the negotiations, "but the Prime Minister's insistence on building a mechanism to prevent the passage of armed men is a 'goat' (a phony roadblock) that will stall the negotiations for weeks, and by then there may be no one left to bring back." The source added that between 20 and 30 hostages could be returned alive, and this is within reach.
Prime Minister Netanyahu insists on building a mechanism to ensure that there will be no passage of armed men back to the northern Gaza Strip. The draft agreements state that there will be no passage of armed men, but Netanyahu wants to create a mechanism to enforce this clause.
Professional officials warn in discussions that it will take a long time to create such a mechanism, and that in any case there will be difficulties in implementing it due to the inability to supervise. In addition, Hamas may reject an agreement that includes such a mechanism.
Furthermore, during the discussions, security officials warned of the possibility that the deal would be delayed, and that additional hostages would be killed during the fighting. Netanyahu, in one of the meetings, banged on the table and said: "I am the Prime Minister and I decide."
**The Prime Minister's Office stated:**
"The claim by an anonymous 'security source' about adding principles is false and fundamentally unfounded. The Prime Minister stood - and continues to stand - on the firm positions in accordance with the outline for the return of the hostages. Hamas is the one trying to change the outline, and the Prime Minister strongly opposes this."
The dispute within the government - and Netanyahu's visit to the White House
In the Political-Security Cabinet, as well as in the government, there is a majority for approving the deal. However, Ben Gvir and Smotrich may leave the government if the agreement is approved - which would lead to its dissolution.
The assessment is that Netanyahu does not want to arrive for a visit to the White House and Congress in about two weeks after the deal has been approved, as this would put him in a political predicament. It's possible that he wants to arrive in Washington and discuss the details of the deal directly there.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office received approval from the White House, and Netanyahu and U.S. President Biden will meet during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington. The parties are trying to coordinate an exact date for the meeting, according to Biden's busy schedule. It is estimated that the meeting will take place a day before or after Netanyahu's speech to Congress.
Next week, National Security Advisor Hanegbi and Minister Dermer will leave for talks with their counterparts in Washington. This is a dialogue that was postponed following the incident and anger at the White House over the video Netanyahu released in which he attacked Biden for delaying arms shipments. The delegation is expected to also discuss the situation in Iran, the hostage deal, and normalization with Saudi Arabia. link Netanyahu proves over and over that his political career is the most important thing to him and is willing to sacrifice every single one of the hostages. The hostages' families know this, the IDF general staff knows this, the Shin Bet and the Mossad know this and the negotiators know it, as does Egypt, Qatar and the US and each has come out and said as much in turn. Netanyahu, of course denies it because it would make him look like a monster, which he is, but he tries to sugar coat it every time by making claims that no one buys, but he continues and continues and we will be left with no live hostages. It is not enough that October 7 is Netanyahu's responsibility, he needs to save himself politically at the expense of the hostages' lives. He must go and the sooner the better for the entire country.
The families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas decried Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of ceasefire talks after officials accused the premier of derailing the negotiations with his demand for an enforcement mechanism to prevent armed Hamas operatives from returning to northern Gaza.
Netanyahu is also now calling for Israel to retain control along the Gaza-Egypt border, hardening his negotiating stances in light of reported intelligence showing Hamas wants a ceasefire agreement due to its weakening military position.
Talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States have failed to secure an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire since a weeklong truce in November that saw Hamas free 105 people kidnapped during its October 7 onslaught. However, there has been renewed optimism about the talks after Hamas dropped its demand that the framework include an upfront commitment from Israel to end the war during the first phase — though the terror group is still demanding a commitment to that effect from mediators. “We are horrified and shocked by this irresponsible behavior that is likely to lead to missing an opportunity that may never come back,” the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “By the time everybody comes to their senses and works together, there may be no one to bring back.”
“Every minute is an eternity for us and every second is hell for them. We appeal to the prime minister: we stand behind the Netanyahu deal. Now it’s your turn to stand behind the deal you put on the table.”
An official involved in the talks told Channel 12 news that Israel was facing a “moment of truth for the hostages,” saying a deal could be reached within two weeks.
“The prime minister’s insistence on building a mechanism to prevent the movement of armed operatives [to northern Gaza] will stall the talks for weeks and then there may not be anyone to bring home,” the official added. According to the Walla news site, Netanyahu raised the issue during a meeting with the negotiating team on Thursday night. The negotiators reportedly told Netanyahu that they were opposed to the new condition and it was unfeasible, but the premier was said to insist on it. It is a demand that was not part of the Israeli proposal from May 27,” a senior official was quoted as saying, referring to the draft outlined by US President Joe Biden four days later, which currently forms the basis of the talks.
“It’s not clear why Netanyahu is raising this demand now. The security services know how to deal with the return of the armed terrorists to northern Gaza,” the official said.
In another report, officials involved in the negotiations told the Kan public broadcaster that Netanyahu was now micromanaging the talks, conducting the negotiations practically on his own.
The public broadcaster quoted the officials as saying that Netanyahu was “managing every iota” of the negotiations and investing much more time in handling them.
Channel 12 also reported that officials believe Netanyahu is trying to delay an agreement because he is likely to lose his coalition over the deal, with far-right parties vowing to quit if it goes through. Also Friday, the Axios news site reported that five families of US citizens held hostage by Hamas are seeking a sit-down with Netanyahu and their congressional representatives when he visits Washington later this month to address a joint session of Congress. “Collectively, we have never met the Prime Minister as a group, and we believe the visit presents an unmissable opportunity, as there is no better time to meet than when he is on US soil,” they were quoted as writing in a letter to Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog. “We believe the time is ripe to discuss the Israeli government’s strategy for securing the release of our loved ones and how the Prime Minister intends to implement that strategy.”
The families also said that if Netanyahu speaks to Congress about Israel’s military offensive against Hamas without meeting them, it “would signal that the fate of the hostages is not the highest priority for Israel’s government.”
“We respectfully urge Prime Minister Netanyahu to dedicate all his energy to reuniting our families.”
Hamas continues to demand written guarantees
Meanwhile, a Hamas official said Friday the Palestinian terror group was still insisting on written guarantees from mediators in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations that Israel will not resume the war after the first group of Israeli hostages held in Gaza are released.
While the two sides have agreed on a general framework for a deal, the main sticking point remains that Hamas wants it to result in a permanent ceasefire, while Netanyahu has said that any agreement “must allow Israel to return to fighting until all the objectives of the war are achieved.”
Ahmed Abdul-Hadi, the head of Hamas’s political office in Lebanon, told The Associated Press in an interview that Hamas has been “flexible” on some points but continued to insist that “negotiations should continue for a permanent ceasefire until a permanent ceasefire is reached,” as opposed to the wording in the current proposal, under which the ceasefire should continue as long as negotiations continue.
“Netanyahu can stop the negotiations and thus resume the aggression” at any time, he said. “We want something in writing to ensure that negotiations continue … in order to reach a permanent ceasefire.”
He denied reports that the terror group’s leadership inside Gaza had pressured political leaders outside to accept the deal on the table due to the military pressure it is facing, saying that the “military situation is very solid for the resistance (Hamas) and is better than the early days of the war.” Abdul-Hadi said that Hamas does not expect to resume its role as the ruling party in Gaza after the war but wants to see a Palestinian government of technocrats. However, he said the form that future governance in the enclave should take is “a Palestinian matter that is agreed upon by the Palestinian people” and is not on the table in the current negotiations.
“We do not want to rule Gaza alone again in the next phase,” he said. “We want to have a partnership and national consensus.”
In related remarks, a member of Hamas’s political bureau said the terror group has suggested during ceasefire negotiations that an independent government of non-partisan figures run postwar Gaza and the West Bank, with another Hamas source saying this would pave way for Palestinian national elections.
“We proposed that a non-partisan national competency government manage Gaza and the West Bank after the war,” Husam Badran said in a statement about the ongoing negotiations.
“The administration of Gaza after the war is a Palestinian internal matter without any external interference, and we will not discuss the day after the war in Gaza with any external parties,” Badran asserted.
A Hamas official told AFP the proposal for a non-partisan government was made “with the mediators.”
The potential government will “manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in the initial phase after the war, paving the way for general elections,” said the official, who did not want his name disclosed. The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
Israel responded with a military offensive to destroy Hamas, topple its Gaza regime, and free the hostages.
It is believed that 116 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that.
Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 42 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.
Hamas has also been holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
Family members of Israelis held hostage in Gaza, joined by thousands of supporters, were advancing Saturday on the final leg of a four-day march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, calling for a deal with Hamas to secure the release of their loved ones, as high-stakes indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued for an agreement on a Gaza ceasefire and a release of captives.
The march set out from Ma’ale Hahamisha outside the capital and was to culminate with an evening rally outside the Prime Minister’s Residence, concurrent with mass demonstrations throughout the country. Shouts of “Shame!” could be heard from the crowd as Zangauker said the prime minister’s name.
“We won’t let you, Benjamin Netanyahu. We demand that you stop sabotaging the deal, we demand that you sign the deal. Put aside all personal or political considerations and bring the hostages home,” she said. As the march was underway, news broke that the IDF had targeted Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military wing, and Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip. The report created fresh uncertainty among relatives and concern regarding the effect the attempted killings would have on negotiations.
“We’re all for settling the score with the Hamas murders, but not at the cost of our loved ones’s lives and our chances to get them home,” Einav Zangauker told Channel 12 following the strike. ”
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan, 24, was kidnapped by terrorists from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, told the crowd, “We’re seeing more and more reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to sabotage the deal [to release the hostages]. He adds demands that could cost Matan his life, he adds demands that could cost the lives of other hostages.”
“If [Hamas military wing commander] Muhammad Deif was eliminated with a hostage deal on the table, and Netanyahu doesn’t get up now and say he’s willing to take the deal, even at the price of ending the war, that means he’s given up on my Matan, and on the rest of the hostages.”“Netanyahu, don’t bury the hostages, tell the public now that you support the deal that’s on the table,” she added.
A large demonstration was expected on Tel Aviv’s Begin Road, outside IDF headquarters in the evening.
Relatives have intensified their demonstrations, saying the recent resumption of indirect negotiations may be the last chance to bring hostages home alive.
- Aunt says hostage neice's return was miracle, but she'll keep fighting until all are home: Roxanne Saar, whose niece Gali Tarshansky was held captive and nephew Lior was killed at Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct. 7, says PM’s attitude toward hostages ‘like a knife in the gut’
On Friday night, October 6, the extended Tarshansky, Aroussi, Saar and Shosh families ate their Shavuot holiday meal together at Kibbutz Be’eri.
The extended family of released hostage Gali Tarshansky (fourth from left) at her July 2023 bat mitzvah, three months before she was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023; Aunt Roxanne Saar, far left (Courtesy)The next morning, Gali Tarshansky, 13, was taken hostage, her brother Lior Tarshansky, 15, was killed by Hamas terrorists, and their uncle, Noy Shosh, 36, was killed, as he defended his young family.
Since then, it’s been days, weeks and months of mourning, fear and activism for Roxanne Saar, a maternal aunt to Gali and Lior, and sister-in-law to Noy Shosh. She thinks of Be’eri as a second home since marrying her husband, Gonen Saar, who grew up at the kibbutz. “Sometimes we stay over, 100 times we’ve stayed over and this one time, we didn’t,” said Saar, who lives in Ashdod, recalling that her family stayed in Be’eri for nearly a month last summer, while they were having their home renovated. “That’s what stays with me, that I could also be a hostage right now, me, my daughters, my husband.”
Saar’s husband, Gonen Saar (who Hebraicized his last name years ago), is the younger brother of Reuma Aroussi, the mother of released hostage Gali Tarshansky. Gali and Lior lived at Be’eri, where their divorced parents, Ilya Tarshansky and Reuma Aroussi, both lived, along with their maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, hundreds of terrorists swarmed into the kibbutz, where residents were left to fend for themselves for long hours, as terrorists moved from home to home, kidnapping, brutalizing and massacring civilians well into the afternoon.
Gali Tarshansky and her brother, Lior Tarshansky, at her July 2023 bat mitzvah in Kibbutz Be’eri, three months before she was taken hostage and Lior was killed, during the October 7 Hamas attack (Courtesy)
In all, 101 civilians and 31 security personnel were killed in Be’eri — a community of around 1,000 residents — and a further 30 residents and two more civilians were taken hostage by the Hamas terrorists, 11 of whom still remain in Gaza.
“I could have been there in Gaza, with all the women, like Shiri Bibas and her babies,” said Saar. “I was there the night before and we came home. Why? I have no idea.” Saar has played an active role in the now-nine-month battle to get the hostages home, lobbying weekly in the Knesset to attain attention for those still held, and rehabilitation budgets and focus on the released hostages.
Saar said she sits in the Knesset plenum and committees “to yell, because Gali can’t be there until all the hostages are back home,” she said. “It’s to be her voice and Reuma’s voice. We had a miracle that Gali came back, but it’s not over.”
Gali was in the reinforced room with her brother, Lior, 15, and their father, Ilya on that October morning.
Terrorists tried to storm into the safe room, and then lit the home on fire. The Tarshanskys tried to jump out of the window, but terrorists were waiting and opened fire, killing Lior.
Gali was taken captive to Gaza, while Ilya managed to escape. Gali was released on November 29 during a temporary ceasefire.
On that morning, Reuma Aroussi sat alone in her sealed room, knowing that Hamas terrorists were invading the kibbutz and not knowing what was happening to her children. It took two weeks for the army to determine that Gali had been taken hostage and Lior killed. Gali was released 52 days later, in one of the last days of the ceasefire at the end of November. The first thing she asked about was her brother, Lior, who was about to turn 16, said Saar.
“I’m not sure Reuma has mourned Lior yet, because she’s so involved in taking care of Gali,” said Saar. “It’s like having a small child again, making sure she’s okay all the time. She’s all of 14 and went through an experience that none of us can really imagine.”
When Gali returned, she was in good physical condition, but emotionally spent. She was kept captive with two other Be’eri residents, Raz and Ohad Ben Ami. Raz was also released at the end of November, but Ohad is still held hostage.
“There are days, and there are days,” said Saar. “Some days are totally normal for her, where she goes to school and plays volleyball and makes a video for TikTok, but there are less good days.” Many Be’eri residents are still living in hotels in the Dead Sea, but Tarshansky and her mother, Reuma, currently live in Tel Aviv.
“Physically, Gali is back, but it’s not over,” said Saar. “It’s all very real for our family. We can’t rehabilitate until everyone is back.”
When Gali marked her 14th birthday after her release from captivity, she wore a yellow dress to remember all the hostages who have yet to return home, said her aunt. As Saar sits in the Knesset, she notes the Knesset members who pay attention to the hostage families, and the many others who are apathetic, focused only on coalition politics.
She also noted that when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks publicly, he never mentions the hostages first — always second or third on the list of war priorities.
“Is that what he would do if it was one of his own family members?” said Saar.
Saar said that what she sees as a lack of empathy and attention to the hostages by Netanyahu “is like a knife in the gut, like touching a wound all the time.”
“I can’t believe that people were taken in their pajamas from their houses and nine months later they still aren’t here,” she said. “To tell you the truth, I initially thought that it wouldn’t be more than two weeks. I can’t believe that we’re still in this.”
It brings her back to the period when her niece, Gali, was held hostage and was one of the last people to be released. Saar found she couldn’t pay attention to anything until she saw her smiling in the hospital.
“I can’t imagine what this is like for the families who haven’t seen their loved ones in nine months,” said Saar. “We only went through this for nearly two months. If you’re not in it, you can’t imagine it, but you should try.” link
Hostage Updates
Gaza hostage-truce talks have been halted after three days of intense negotiations failed to produce a viable outcome, two Egyptian security sources say, blaming Israel for lacking a genuine intent to reach an agreement.
The sources, who speak to Reuters on condition of anonymity, say that the behavior of the Israeli mediators revealed “internal discord.”
According to the sources, the Israeli delegation would give approvals on several conditions under discussion, but then come back with amendments or introduce new conditions that risked sinking the negotiations. The sources say the mediators viewed the “contradictions, delays in responses, and the introduction of new terms contrary to what was previously agreed” as signs the Israeli side viewed the talks as a formality aimed at influencing public opinion.
The Ynet news site later reported that the Israeli negotiating team has not been updated on such a move.
Additionally, Hamas is awaiting a response from mediators on proposals introduced to Israel, the group’s deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya tells Al Jazeera TV. link This is all Netanyahu. Since November, he has done everything to sabotage any and every possibility of a hostage deal and it looks like he is succeeding to do so again. He has put in new demands that no one else has agreed upon and stated that he will not move 1 millimeter and will not allow Hamas to move 1 millimeter. And the targeted attempted assassination (one of many) put the negotiations at risk. Mohamed Deif is definitely worthy of assassination but timing is everything. Yes, the Shin Bet came to Netanyahu and Galant with good intel on Deif's whereabouts and offered a rare opportunity to get him, but it shouldn't be now while the negotiations are going on and were presenting themselves to be the best possible position we have been in since November. All of the Hamas leadership are dead men walking but we need to bring the hostages home before anything else.
Hamas denies it has withdrawn from hostage-truce talks after latest Israeli attacks
Statement from Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of the terror group’s political office, accuses Netanyahu of trying to derail efforts to achieve a deal
The Hamas terror group has not withdrawn from ceasefire talks after this weekend’s deadly Israeli attacks in Gaza, one of the group’s senior officials insisted on Sunday.
The statement from Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of the political office of Hamas, also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to derail efforts by Arab mediators and the United States to reach a ceasefire deal.
El-Reshiq’s announcement came hours after an unnamed senior Hamas official told AFP Sunday that the Palestinian terror group has withdrawn from talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza war because of Israeli “massacres” and Israel’s attitude in negotiations, while also leaving the door open for a return to mediation.Senior security official: This is the moment of truth for the hostages - but there are those among us who are delaying the deal
A source involved in the negotiations estimates: A hostage deal could be reached within two weeks • However, he warns: "Netanyahu's insistence will stall the negotiations for weeks, there may be no one left to bring back" • The Prime Minister's Office denies the report: "The claim is false and unfounded. Hamas is the one trying to change the outline"
The negotiations for a hostage deal have reached crucial days. However, sources involved and knowledgeable about the negotiations warn of the possibility that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preventing the maturation of the negotiations and the formulation of the final agreement, as we reported on "Friday Studio". "This is the moment of truth for the hostages," said senior sources familiar with the negotiations, "but there are those among us who are delaying the deal."
"We can reach an agreement within two weeks and get the hostages out," estimates a source familiar with the details of the negotiations, "but the Prime Minister's insistence on building a mechanism to prevent the passage of armed men is a 'goat' (a phony roadblock) that will stall the negotiations for weeks, and by then there may be no one left to bring back." The source added that between 20 and 30 hostages could be returned alive, and this is within reach.
Prime Minister Netanyahu insists on building a mechanism to ensure that there will be no passage of armed men back to the northern Gaza Strip. The draft agreements state that there will be no passage of armed men, but Netanyahu wants to create a mechanism to enforce this clause.
Professional officials warn in discussions that it will take a long time to create such a mechanism, and that in any case there will be difficulties in implementing it due to the inability to supervise. In addition, Hamas may reject an agreement that includes such a mechanism.
Furthermore, during the discussions, security officials warned of the possibility that the deal would be delayed, and that additional hostages would be killed during the fighting. Netanyahu, in one of the meetings, banged on the table and said: "I am the Prime Minister and I decide."
**The Prime Minister's Office stated:**
"The claim by an anonymous 'security source' about adding principles is false and fundamentally unfounded. The Prime Minister stood - and continues to stand - on the firm positions in accordance with the outline for the return of the hostages. Hamas is the one trying to change the outline, and the Prime Minister strongly opposes this."The dispute within the government - and Netanyahu's visit to the White House
In the Political-Security Cabinet, as well as in the government, there is a majority for approving the deal. However, Ben Gvir and Smotrich may leave the government if the agreement is approved - which would lead to its dissolution.
The assessment is that Netanyahu does not want to arrive for a visit to the White House and Congress in about two weeks after the deal has been approved, as this would put him in a political predicament. It's possible that he wants to arrive in Washington and discuss the details of the deal directly there.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office received approval from the White House, and Netanyahu and U.S. President Biden will meet during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington. The parties are trying to coordinate an exact date for the meeting, according to Biden's busy schedule. It is estimated that the meeting will take place a day before or after Netanyahu's speech to Congress.
Next week, National Security Advisor Hanegbi and Minister Dermer will leave for talks with their counterparts in Washington. This is a dialogue that was postponed following the incident and anger at the White House over the video Netanyahu released in which he attacked Biden for delaying arms shipments. The delegation is expected to also discuss the situation in Iran, the hostage deal, and normalization with Saudi Arabia. link Netanyahu proves over and over that his political career is the most important thing to him and is willing to sacrifice every single one of the hostages. The hostages' families know this, the IDF general staff knows this, the Shin Bet and the Mossad know this and the negotiators know it, as does Egypt, Qatar and the US and each has come out and said as much in turn. Netanyahu, of course denies it because it would make him look like a monster, which he is, but he tries to sugar coat it every time by making claims that no one buys, but he continues and continues and we will be left with no live hostages. It is not enough that October 7 is Netanyahu's responsibility, he needs to save himself politically at the expense of the hostages' lives. He must go and the sooner the better for the entire country.
The families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas decried Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of ceasefire talks after officials accused the premier of derailing the negotiations with his demand for an enforcement mechanism to prevent armed Hamas operatives from returning to northern Gaza.
Netanyahu is also now calling for Israel to retain control along the Gaza-Egypt border, hardening his negotiating stances in light of reported intelligence showing Hamas wants a ceasefire agreement due to its weakening military position.
Talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States have failed to secure an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire since a weeklong truce in November that saw Hamas free 105 people kidnapped during its October 7 onslaught. However, there has been renewed optimism about the talks after Hamas dropped its demand that the framework include an upfront commitment from Israel to end the war during the first phase — though the terror group is still demanding a commitment to that effect from mediators. “We are horrified and shocked by this irresponsible behavior that is likely to lead to missing an opportunity that may never come back,” the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “By the time everybody comes to their senses and works together, there may be no one to bring back.”
“Every minute is an eternity for us and every second is hell for them. We appeal to the prime minister: we stand behind the Netanyahu deal. Now it’s your turn to stand behind the deal you put on the table.”
An official involved in the talks told Channel 12 news that Israel was facing a “moment of truth for the hostages,” saying a deal could be reached within two weeks.
“The prime minister’s insistence on building a mechanism to prevent the movement of armed operatives [to northern Gaza] will stall the talks for weeks and then there may not be anyone to bring home,” the official added. According to the Walla news site, Netanyahu raised the issue during a meeting with the negotiating team on Thursday night. The negotiators reportedly told Netanyahu that they were opposed to the new condition and it was unfeasible, but the premier was said to insist on it. It is a demand that was not part of the Israeli proposal from May 27,” a senior official was quoted as saying, referring to the draft outlined by US President Joe Biden four days later, which currently forms the basis of the talks.
“It’s not clear why Netanyahu is raising this demand now. The security services know how to deal with the return of the armed terrorists to northern Gaza,” the official said.
In another report, officials involved in the negotiations told the Kan public broadcaster that Netanyahu was now micromanaging the talks, conducting the negotiations practically on his own.
The public broadcaster quoted the officials as saying that Netanyahu was “managing every iota” of the negotiations and investing much more time in handling them.
Channel 12 also reported that officials believe Netanyahu is trying to delay an agreement because he is likely to lose his coalition over the deal, with far-right parties vowing to quit if it goes through. Also Friday, the Axios news site reported that five families of US citizens held hostage by Hamas are seeking a sit-down with Netanyahu and their congressional representatives when he visits Washington later this month to address a joint session of Congress. “Collectively, we have never met the Prime Minister as a group, and we believe the visit presents an unmissable opportunity, as there is no better time to meet than when he is on US soil,” they were quoted as writing in a letter to Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog. “We believe the time is ripe to discuss the Israeli government’s strategy for securing the release of our loved ones and how the Prime Minister intends to implement that strategy.”
The families also said that if Netanyahu speaks to Congress about Israel’s military offensive against Hamas without meeting them, it “would signal that the fate of the hostages is not the highest priority for Israel’s government.”
“We respectfully urge Prime Minister Netanyahu to dedicate all his energy to reuniting our families.”
Hamas continues to demand written guaranteesMeanwhile, a Hamas official said Friday the Palestinian terror group was still insisting on written guarantees from mediators in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations that Israel will not resume the war after the first group of Israeli hostages held in Gaza are released.
While the two sides have agreed on a general framework for a deal, the main sticking point remains that Hamas wants it to result in a permanent ceasefire, while Netanyahu has said that any agreement “must allow Israel to return to fighting until all the objectives of the war are achieved.”
Ahmed Abdul-Hadi, the head of Hamas’s political office in Lebanon, told The Associated Press in an interview that Hamas has been “flexible” on some points but continued to insist that “negotiations should continue for a permanent ceasefire until a permanent ceasefire is reached,” as opposed to the wording in the current proposal, under which the ceasefire should continue as long as negotiations continue.
“Netanyahu can stop the negotiations and thus resume the aggression” at any time, he said. “We want something in writing to ensure that negotiations continue … in order to reach a permanent ceasefire.”
He denied reports that the terror group’s leadership inside Gaza had pressured political leaders outside to accept the deal on the table due to the military pressure it is facing, saying that the “military situation is very solid for the resistance (Hamas) and is better than the early days of the war.” Abdul-Hadi said that Hamas does not expect to resume its role as the ruling party in Gaza after the war but wants to see a Palestinian government of technocrats. However, he said the form that future governance in the enclave should take is “a Palestinian matter that is agreed upon by the Palestinian people” and is not on the table in the current negotiations.
“We do not want to rule Gaza alone again in the next phase,” he said. “We want to have a partnership and national consensus.”
In related remarks, a member of Hamas’s political bureau said the terror group has suggested during ceasefire negotiations that an independent government of non-partisan figures run postwar Gaza and the West Bank, with another Hamas source saying this would pave way for Palestinian national elections.
“We proposed that a non-partisan national competency government manage Gaza and the West Bank after the war,” Husam Badran said in a statement about the ongoing negotiations.
“The administration of Gaza after the war is a Palestinian internal matter without any external interference, and we will not discuss the day after the war in Gaza with any external parties,” Badran asserted.
A Hamas official told AFP the proposal for a non-partisan government was made “with the mediators.”
The potential government will “manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in the initial phase after the war, paving the way for general elections,” said the official, who did not want his name disclosed. The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
Israel responded with a military offensive to destroy Hamas, topple its Gaza regime, and free the hostages.
It is believed that 116 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that.
Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 42 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.
Hamas has also been holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
Family members of Israelis held hostage in Gaza, joined by thousands of supporters, were advancing Saturday on the final leg of a four-day march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, calling for a deal with Hamas to secure the release of their loved ones, as high-stakes indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued for an agreement on a Gaza ceasefire and a release of captives.
The march set out from Ma’ale Hahamisha outside the capital and was to culminate with an evening rally outside the Prime Minister’s Residence, concurrent with mass demonstrations throughout the country. Shouts of “Shame!” could be heard from the crowd as Zangauker said the prime minister’s name.
“We won’t let you, Benjamin Netanyahu. We demand that you stop sabotaging the deal, we demand that you sign the deal. Put aside all personal or political considerations and bring the hostages home,” she said. As the march was underway, news broke that the IDF had targeted Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military wing, and Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip. The report created fresh uncertainty among relatives and concern regarding the effect the attempted killings would have on negotiations.
“We’re all for settling the score with the Hamas murders, but not at the cost of our loved ones’s lives and our chances to get them home,” Einav Zangauker told Channel 12 following the strike. ”
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan, 24, was kidnapped by terrorists from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, told the crowd, “We’re seeing more and more reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to sabotage the deal [to release the hostages]. He adds demands that could cost Matan his life, he adds demands that could cost the lives of other hostages.”
“If [Hamas military wing commander] Muhammad Deif was eliminated with a hostage deal on the table, and Netanyahu doesn’t get up now and say he’s willing to take the deal, even at the price of ending the war, that means he’s given up on my Matan, and on the rest of the hostages.”“Netanyahu, don’t bury the hostages, tell the public now that you support the deal that’s on the table,” she added.
A large demonstration was expected on Tel Aviv’s Begin Road, outside IDF headquarters in the evening.
Relatives have intensified their demonstrations, saying the recent resumption of indirect negotiations may be the last chance to bring hostages home alive.
- Aunt says hostage neice's return was miracle, but she'll keep fighting until all are home: Roxanne Saar, whose niece Gali Tarshansky was held captive and nephew Lior was killed at Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct. 7, says PM’s attitude toward hostages ‘like a knife in the gut’
On Friday night, October 6, the extended Tarshansky, Aroussi, Saar and Shosh families ate their Shavuot holiday meal together at Kibbutz Be’eri.
The extended family of released hostage Gali Tarshansky (fourth from left) at her July 2023 bat mitzvah, three months before she was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023; Aunt Roxanne Saar, far left (Courtesy)The next morning, Gali Tarshansky, 13, was taken hostage, her brother Lior Tarshansky, 15, was killed by Hamas terrorists, and their uncle, Noy Shosh, 36, was killed, as he defended his young family.
Since then, it’s been days, weeks and months of mourning, fear and activism for Roxanne Saar, a maternal aunt to Gali and Lior, and sister-in-law to Noy Shosh. She thinks of Be’eri as a second home since marrying her husband, Gonen Saar, who grew up at the kibbutz. “Sometimes we stay over, 100 times we’ve stayed over and this one time, we didn’t,” said Saar, who lives in Ashdod, recalling that her family stayed in Be’eri for nearly a month last summer, while they were having their home renovated. “That’s what stays with me, that I could also be a hostage right now, me, my daughters, my husband.”
Saar’s husband, Gonen Saar (who Hebraicized his last name years ago), is the younger brother of Reuma Aroussi, the mother of released hostage Gali Tarshansky. Gali and Lior lived at Be’eri, where their divorced parents, Ilya Tarshansky and Reuma Aroussi, both lived, along with their maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, hundreds of terrorists swarmed into the kibbutz, where residents were left to fend for themselves for long hours, as terrorists moved from home to home, kidnapping, brutalizing and massacring civilians well into the afternoon.
Gali Tarshansky and her brother, Lior Tarshansky, at her July 2023 bat mitzvah in Kibbutz Be’eri, three months before she was taken hostage and Lior was killed, during the October 7 Hamas attack (Courtesy)In all, 101 civilians and 31 security personnel were killed in Be’eri — a community of around 1,000 residents — and a further 30 residents and two more civilians were taken hostage by the Hamas terrorists, 11 of whom still remain in Gaza.
“I could have been there in Gaza, with all the women, like Shiri Bibas and her babies,” said Saar. “I was there the night before and we came home. Why? I have no idea.” Saar has played an active role in the now-nine-month battle to get the hostages home, lobbying weekly in the Knesset to attain attention for those still held, and rehabilitation budgets and focus on the released hostages.
Saar said she sits in the Knesset plenum and committees “to yell, because Gali can’t be there until all the hostages are back home,” she said. “It’s to be her voice and Reuma’s voice. We had a miracle that Gali came back, but it’s not over.”
Gali was in the reinforced room with her brother, Lior, 15, and their father, Ilya on that October morning.
Terrorists tried to storm into the safe room, and then lit the home on fire. The Tarshanskys tried to jump out of the window, but terrorists were waiting and opened fire, killing Lior.
Gali was taken captive to Gaza, while Ilya managed to escape. Gali was released on November 29 during a temporary ceasefire.
On that morning, Reuma Aroussi sat alone in her sealed room, knowing that Hamas terrorists were invading the kibbutz and not knowing what was happening to her children. It took two weeks for the army to determine that Gali had been taken hostage and Lior killed. Gali was released 52 days later, in one of the last days of the ceasefire at the end of November. The first thing she asked about was her brother, Lior, who was about to turn 16, said Saar.
“I’m not sure Reuma has mourned Lior yet, because she’s so involved in taking care of Gali,” said Saar. “It’s like having a small child again, making sure she’s okay all the time. She’s all of 14 and went through an experience that none of us can really imagine.”
When Gali returned, she was in good physical condition, but emotionally spent. She was kept captive with two other Be’eri residents, Raz and Ohad Ben Ami. Raz was also released at the end of November, but Ohad is still held hostage.
“There are days, and there are days,” said Saar. “Some days are totally normal for her, where she goes to school and plays volleyball and makes a video for TikTok, but there are less good days.” Many Be’eri residents are still living in hotels in the Dead Sea, but Tarshansky and her mother, Reuma, currently live in Tel Aviv.
“Physically, Gali is back, but it’s not over,” said Saar. “It’s all very real for our family. We can’t rehabilitate until everyone is back.”
When Gali marked her 14th birthday after her release from captivity, she wore a yellow dress to remember all the hostages who have yet to return home, said her aunt. As Saar sits in the Knesset, she notes the Knesset members who pay attention to the hostage families, and the many others who are apathetic, focused only on coalition politics.
She also noted that when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks publicly, he never mentions the hostages first — always second or third on the list of war priorities.
“Is that what he would do if it was one of his own family members?” said Saar.
Saar said that what she sees as a lack of empathy and attention to the hostages by Netanyahu “is like a knife in the gut, like touching a wound all the time.”
“I can’t believe that people were taken in their pajamas from their houses and nine months later they still aren’t here,” she said. “To tell you the truth, I initially thought that it wouldn’t be more than two weeks. I can’t believe that we’re still in this.”
It brings her back to the period when her niece, Gali, was held hostage and was one of the last people to be released. Saar found she couldn’t pay attention to anything until she saw her smiling in the hospital.
“I can’t imagine what this is like for the families who haven’t seen their loved ones in nine months,” said Saar. “We only went through this for nearly two months. If you’re not in it, you can’t imagine it, but you should try.” link
Gaza
- IDF strike targets Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif; group claims at least 90 killed: Arch-terrorist’s fate unconfirmed; army says Deif and head of Khan Younis Brigade were hit in fenced-off Hamas area surrounded by dozens of operatives; no hostages believed in vicinity
Muhammad Deif, the elusive commander of Hamas’s military wing, and another top commander in the terror group were targeted in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, the Israeli military said.
Deif and Rafa’a Salameh were struck with large munitions above ground while in a low building between the al-Mawasi area and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, and not in a tunnel.
Hamas claimed that over 90 people had been killed in the strike. According to the IDF’s assessments, no hostages were held at the site when the strike was carried out.
Deif’s fate was unknown as of 8 p.m., though defense sources said there was a growing likelihood he had been killed.
A senior Hamas official denied that Deif was targeted in the strike. “The Israeli allegations are nonsense and they aim to justify the horrifying massacre. All the martyrs are civilians and what happened was a grave escalation of the war of genocide, backed by the American support and world silence,” Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. He also said that the strike showed Israel is not interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement.
Khalil Al-Hayya, the deputy leader of Hamas, later denied Deif was dead. “We say to [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that Muhammad Deif is listening to you right now and mocking your lies,” Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera.
Al-Mawasi is designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone.
The IDF said the building struck was not in a tent camp for displaced Palestinians, but rather in a fenced-off Hamas compound within a civilian environment.
Several dozen more Hamas operatives were also in the area of the site when it was targeted, including Deif and Salameh’s guards, military sources said. Nevertheless, photos emerging from Gaza showed bodies of children and elderly individuals, purportedly from the scene.
Deif, 58, who has commanded the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades for over two decades, has long been one of the terror figures most wanted by Israel. He was an architect of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught on Israel, the deadliest attack in the country’s history, when some 1,200 people were killed and around 251 others dragged to Gaza as hostages. Alongside Deif was another top figure, Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade.
According to IDF assessments on Saturday evening, Salameh was likely killed in the strike.
Salameh is considered to be close to Deif, and acting as his deputy since the assassination of the previous deputy head of the al-Qassam Brigades.
The targeted site belonged to Salameh. The compound was located around 500 meters away from the furthest point the IDF advanced to in Khan Younis earlier this year. Recently, Deif reached the compound, and indications of this reached the army overnight, according to IDF sources.
Over the following hours, the IDF worked to verify the information, and once it was confirmed, the airstrike was carried out, on Saturday at around 11 a.m. The IDF also spent the time verifying that no hostages were held in the compound before the strike.
The IDF believed that its intelligence indicating Deif was at the site was highly accurate, although as of Saturday night, could not fully confirm he was killed in the attack.
The military also believed Hamas would attempt to hide Deif’s death for some time. The al-Mawasi and western Khan Younis areas are part of an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone — where the vast majority of the Gazan population is residing — but the IDF said the strike was accurate and only targeted the fenced-off Hamas site.
Muhammad Deif, the elusive commander of Hamas’s military wing, and another top commander in the terror group were targeted in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, the Israeli military said.
Deif and Rafa’a Salameh were struck with large munitions above ground while in a low building between the al-Mawasi area and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, and not in a tunnel.
Hamas claimed that over 90 people had been killed in the strike. According to the IDF’s assessments, no hostages were held at the site when the strike was carried out.
Deif’s fate was unknown as of 8 p.m., though defense sources said there was a growing likelihood he had been killed.
A senior Hamas official denied that Deif was targeted in the strike. “The Israeli allegations are nonsense and they aim to justify the horrifying massacre. All the martyrs are civilians and what happened was a grave escalation of the war of genocide, backed by the American support and world silence,” Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. He also said that the strike showed Israel is not interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement.
Khalil Al-Hayya, the deputy leader of Hamas, later denied Deif was dead. “We say to [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that Muhammad Deif is listening to you right now and mocking your lies,” Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera.
Al-Mawasi is designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone.
The IDF said the building struck was not in a tent camp for displaced Palestinians, but rather in a fenced-off Hamas compound within a civilian environment.
Several dozen more Hamas operatives were also in the area of the site when it was targeted, including Deif and Salameh’s guards, military sources said. Nevertheless, photos emerging from Gaza showed bodies of children and elderly individuals, purportedly from the scene.
Deif, 58, who has commanded the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades for over two decades, has long been one of the terror figures most wanted by Israel. He was an architect of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught on Israel, the deadliest attack in the country’s history, when some 1,200 people were killed and around 251 others dragged to Gaza as hostages. Alongside Deif was another top figure, Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade.
According to IDF assessments on Saturday evening, Salameh was likely killed in the strike.
Salameh is considered to be close to Deif, and acting as his deputy since the assassination of the previous deputy head of the al-Qassam Brigades.
The targeted site belonged to Salameh. The compound was located around 500 meters away from the furthest point the IDF advanced to in Khan Younis earlier this year. Recently, Deif reached the compound, and indications of this reached the army overnight, according to IDF sources.
Over the following hours, the IDF worked to verify the information, and once it was confirmed, the airstrike was carried out, on Saturday at around 11 a.m. The IDF also spent the time verifying that no hostages were held in the compound before the strike.
The IDF believed that its intelligence indicating Deif was at the site was highly accurate, although as of Saturday night, could not fully confirm he was killed in the attack.
The military also believed Hamas would attempt to hide Deif’s death for some time. The al-Mawasi and western Khan Younis areas are part of an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone — where the vast majority of the Gazan population is residing — but the IDF said the strike was accurate and only targeted the fenced-off Hamas site.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
Israeli fighter jets struck a series of Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in the past hour, the IDF says.
The targets included a rocket launcher in Rab al-Thalathine, used in an attack on Kiryat Shmona earlier; infrastructure in Ayta ash-Shab; an observation post in Odaisseh, infrastructure in Kafr Kila; and a building and other infrastructure in Houla, according to the military.
Four IDF soldiers were wounded, one seriously, during a rocket attack Saturday on the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, as cross-border skirmishes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continued to flare.
According to the military, the four were hurt by falling shrapnel following a rocket interception. The soldiers, all women, were taken to a hospital.
The Israel Defense Forces said the barrage from Lebanon included some 15 rockets, most of which were shot down by Iron Dome. Several rocket impacts caused damage, according to police. Another eight rockets were fired at Kiryat Shmona a short while after the barrage that wounded the soldiers, the IDF said, adding that no injuries were caused in the second attack.
Both salvos were preceded by a barrage of of 10 projectiles was launched at the northern city, most of which were shot down by air defenses.
In other attacks during the day, the Israel Defense Forces said two suspected drones heading toward Israel were shot down by Israeli air defenses over southern Lebanon.
Rockets were also fired from Lebanon at the Zar’it, Margaliot, and Maayan Baruch areas. There were no injuries, though Hebrew media reported two houses in Margaliot sustained significant damage.
Meanwhile, the IDF said it struck a Hezbollah field commander in southern Lebanon’s Kfar Tebnit, in the Nabatiyeh District, after Lebanese media reported an Israeli strike on a car in the area. No further details were immediately available.
The IDF also announced strikes on Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, which it said were used to attack the northern communities of Zar’it and Maayan Baruch earlier Saturday.
The IDF added that a building in Ayta ash-Shab, where a Hezbollah member was operating, was also struck.
Additionally, the military said it carried out a drone strike on two Hezbollah operatives preparing to launch rockets at Israel in southern Lebanon’s Deir Mimas.
A source close to Hezbollah who requested anonymity told AFP that one of the men was a Hezbollah member and the father of a fighter who had been killed, while the second man was a member of Hezbollah ally the Amal movement. The source insisted they were “civilians, not fighters,” which was echoed by a Lebanese security source who claimed they “were filling up water from a roadside spring” when they were struck.
Israeli fighter jets struck a series of Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in the past hour, the IDF says.
The targets included a rocket launcher in Rab al-Thalathine, used in an attack on Kiryat Shmona earlier; infrastructure in Ayta ash-Shab; an observation post in Odaisseh, infrastructure in Kafr Kila; and a building and other infrastructure in Houla, according to the military.
Four IDF soldiers were wounded, one seriously, during a rocket attack Saturday on the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, as cross-border skirmishes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continued to flare.
According to the military, the four were hurt by falling shrapnel following a rocket interception. The soldiers, all women, were taken to a hospital.
The Israel Defense Forces said the barrage from Lebanon included some 15 rockets, most of which were shot down by Iron Dome. Several rocket impacts caused damage, according to police. Another eight rockets were fired at Kiryat Shmona a short while after the barrage that wounded the soldiers, the IDF said, adding that no injuries were caused in the second attack.
Both salvos were preceded by a barrage of of 10 projectiles was launched at the northern city, most of which were shot down by air defenses.
In other attacks during the day, the Israel Defense Forces said two suspected drones heading toward Israel were shot down by Israeli air defenses over southern Lebanon.
Rockets were also fired from Lebanon at the Zar’it, Margaliot, and Maayan Baruch areas. There were no injuries, though Hebrew media reported two houses in Margaliot sustained significant damage.
Meanwhile, the IDF said it struck a Hezbollah field commander in southern Lebanon’s Kfar Tebnit, in the Nabatiyeh District, after Lebanese media reported an Israeli strike on a car in the area. No further details were immediately available.
The IDF also announced strikes on Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, which it said were used to attack the northern communities of Zar’it and Maayan Baruch earlier Saturday.
The IDF added that a building in Ayta ash-Shab, where a Hezbollah member was operating, was also struck.
Additionally, the military said it carried out a drone strike on two Hezbollah operatives preparing to launch rockets at Israel in southern Lebanon’s Deir Mimas.
A source close to Hezbollah who requested anonymity told AFP that one of the men was a Hezbollah member and the father of a fighter who had been killed, while the second man was a member of Hezbollah ally the Amal movement. The source insisted they were “civilians, not fighters,” which was echoed by a Lebanese security source who claimed they “were filling up water from a roadside spring” when they were struck.
West Bank and Jerusalem
Politics and the War (general news)
- The Israel Defense Forces’ cloud computing network has faced over three billion cyber attacks since war broke out between Israel and Hamas on October 7, the officer commanding the military’s computer unit said this week, but all of the attacks were intercepted and did not cause damage.
The revelation was made by Col. Racheli Dembinsky, commander of the IDF’s Center of Computing and Information Systems (Mamram), at the “IT for IDF” conference in Rishon Lezion on Wednesday.
Dembinsky said the targets of the attacks included operational cloud computing used by many systems serving troops on the ground during combat to share information and locations of forces. While Dembinsky did not say what kinds of attacks were perpetrated or how great a danger they posed, she stressed that all were blocked and no systems were at any point compromised.
Mamram, the IDF’s central computing system unit, handles the infrastructure and defense of the military’s remote servers.
War broke out on October 7 when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251. It has also been reported that cyberattacks were carried out against Israel on October 7. Dembinsky confirmed this.Speaking of her experience on that day, Dembinsky said, “I received a phone call that morning and thought there was a malfunction in the alert system. I quickly understood there wasn’t a malfunction, but a broader attack. Also, we immediately understood this wasn’t fake. I put on my uniform and drove to the base. We began transitioning to emergency mode. We were required to focus on the continuous functioning of people and systems. The industry assisted us, and it, along with the reservists we recruited, acted as a force multiplier for us.”
Among the war’s main challenges was dealing with the overloading of computer systems caused by the large amount of manpower using them. “The recruitment of reservists and the growth in the amount of users brought about a few peaks. One of the peaks was reasonable, but another one, on October 27, the eve of the IDF’s ground incursion in the Gaza Strip, brought an extraordinary amount of users.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been attempting to leave his conversations regarding the management of the war in Gaza untraceable, two separate Hebrew media outlets this week suggested.
According to the Ynet news site, senior figures in the security establishment fear that efforts are being made to edit the minutes of wartime discussions held with Netanyahu after discovering discrepancies between transcripts of the meetings and what the figures had heard in real time.
Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office reportedly approached Netanyahu’s former military secretary, Maj. Gen. Avi Gil, to warn him that people from the premier’s inner circle were attempting to tinker with the meeting records. The Wednesday report said one of the meetings, whose records were tampered with, dealt with “sensitive preparations for a significant political event,” but it did not elaborate further. Gil later sent a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara expressing his concerns over the matter.
In addition, meetings at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, where most cabinet discussions were held at the beginning of the war, have their audio recorded. However, senior political sources told Ynet they could not be assured that was the case for meetings held at Netanyahu’s offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where more recent meetings have been held.
Netanyahu’s office denied the report, calling it a “complete lie.”
“Whoever is familiar with the processes knows that something like this could not happen. All discussions are recorded and transcribed by law, and therefore their content cannot be changed,” his office said.
The Israel Defense Forces, Gil and Baharav-Miara did not comment on the report. Meanwhile, the Kan public broadcaster reported Friday that Netanyahu has been holding sensitive discussions on the war via phone calls on the WhatsApp app, which does not allow conversations to be recorded.
Weeks after the Hamas-led October 7 terror onslaught that started the war, the Haaretz daily reported that Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman — who was previously admitted to shredding documents at the Prime Minister’s Office — seized classified documents concerning the months leading up to the war, leading Baharav-Miara to order National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi to return the documents.
The latest reports come as Netanyahu continues to refuse to explicitly say that he is responsible for what happened on October 7 — unlike many Israeli security and military officials and some political figures who have.
The premier has also declined to initiate a state commission of inquiry into Israel’s failures leading up to the massacre, arguing that doing so would harm the war effort and should only commence after the fighting ends, and not explicitly committing to a state commission as opposed to a less powerful inquiry body. link
The revelation was made by Col. Racheli Dembinsky, commander of the IDF’s Center of Computing and Information Systems (Mamram), at the “IT for IDF” conference in Rishon Lezion on Wednesday.
Dembinsky said the targets of the attacks included operational cloud computing used by many systems serving troops on the ground during combat to share information and locations of forces. While Dembinsky did not say what kinds of attacks were perpetrated or how great a danger they posed, she stressed that all were blocked and no systems were at any point compromised.
Mamram, the IDF’s central computing system unit, handles the infrastructure and defense of the military’s remote servers.
War broke out on October 7 when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251. It has also been reported that cyberattacks were carried out against Israel on October 7. Dembinsky confirmed this.Speaking of her experience on that day, Dembinsky said, “I received a phone call that morning and thought there was a malfunction in the alert system. I quickly understood there wasn’t a malfunction, but a broader attack. Also, we immediately understood this wasn’t fake. I put on my uniform and drove to the base. We began transitioning to emergency mode. We were required to focus on the continuous functioning of people and systems. The industry assisted us, and it, along with the reservists we recruited, acted as a force multiplier for us.”
Among the war’s main challenges was dealing with the overloading of computer systems caused by the large amount of manpower using them. “The recruitment of reservists and the growth in the amount of users brought about a few peaks. One of the peaks was reasonable, but another one, on October 27, the eve of the IDF’s ground incursion in the Gaza Strip, brought an extraordinary amount of users.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been attempting to leave his conversations regarding the management of the war in Gaza untraceable, two separate Hebrew media outlets this week suggested.
According to the Ynet news site, senior figures in the security establishment fear that efforts are being made to edit the minutes of wartime discussions held with Netanyahu after discovering discrepancies between transcripts of the meetings and what the figures had heard in real time.
Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office reportedly approached Netanyahu’s former military secretary, Maj. Gen. Avi Gil, to warn him that people from the premier’s inner circle were attempting to tinker with the meeting records. The Wednesday report said one of the meetings, whose records were tampered with, dealt with “sensitive preparations for a significant political event,” but it did not elaborate further. Gil later sent a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara expressing his concerns over the matter.
In addition, meetings at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, where most cabinet discussions were held at the beginning of the war, have their audio recorded. However, senior political sources told Ynet they could not be assured that was the case for meetings held at Netanyahu’s offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where more recent meetings have been held.
Netanyahu’s office denied the report, calling it a “complete lie.”
“Whoever is familiar with the processes knows that something like this could not happen. All discussions are recorded and transcribed by law, and therefore their content cannot be changed,” his office said.
The Israel Defense Forces, Gil and Baharav-Miara did not comment on the report. Meanwhile, the Kan public broadcaster reported Friday that Netanyahu has been holding sensitive discussions on the war via phone calls on the WhatsApp app, which does not allow conversations to be recorded.
Weeks after the Hamas-led October 7 terror onslaught that started the war, the Haaretz daily reported that Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman — who was previously admitted to shredding documents at the Prime Minister’s Office — seized classified documents concerning the months leading up to the war, leading Baharav-Miara to order National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi to return the documents.
The latest reports come as Netanyahu continues to refuse to explicitly say that he is responsible for what happened on October 7 — unlike many Israeli security and military officials and some political figures who have.
The premier has also declined to initiate a state commission of inquiry into Israel’s failures leading up to the massacre, arguing that doing so would harm the war effort and should only commence after the fighting ends, and not explicitly committing to a state commission as opposed to a less powerful inquiry body. link
The Region and the World
- Argentina designated Hamas a terrorist organization Friday and ordered a freeze on the financial assets of the Palestinian group, a largely symbolic move as President Javier Milei seeks to align Argentina strongly with the US and Israel.
Announcing the decision, Milei’s office cited Hamas’s cross-border onslaught against Israel last October 7, when terrorists killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and took 251 hostage in the deadliest attack in Israel’s 76-year history, sparking the ongoing war in Gaza.
The statement also mentioned Hamas’ close ties to Iran, which Argentina blames for two deadly terror attacks on Jewish sites in the country. The move comes just days before the 30th anniversary of one of those attacks, the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. It killed 85 people and wounded hundreds more in the worst such attack in Argentina’s modern history.
The other attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, in 1992, killed more than 20 people. Argentina’s judiciary has accused members of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group of carrying out the two attacks.
Friday’s announcement professed Milei’s “unwavering commitment to recognizing terrorists for what they are,” adding that “it’s the first time that there is a political will to do so.” The US, European Union and several other countries long put a terrorist designation on Hamas, which is the de facto ruler in the Gaza Strip.
Previous left-leaning Peronist governments in Argentina, home to the largest Jewish community in Latin America, have maintained friendly ties with Israel but also voiced support for Palestinian statehood. Since coming into office in December, Milei has set himself apart from even Israel’s closest allies in his vocal support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A huge swell in global pressure has left Israel deeply isolated over its military campaign in Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians — an unverified figure that doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants — displaced over 80% of the territory’s people and triggered a humanitarian disaster.
“Argentina must once again align itself with Western civilization,” Milei’s office said Friday.
Personal Stories
Announcing the decision, Milei’s office cited Hamas’s cross-border onslaught against Israel last October 7, when terrorists killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and took 251 hostage in the deadliest attack in Israel’s 76-year history, sparking the ongoing war in Gaza.
The statement also mentioned Hamas’ close ties to Iran, which Argentina blames for two deadly terror attacks on Jewish sites in the country. The move comes just days before the 30th anniversary of one of those attacks, the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. It killed 85 people and wounded hundreds more in the worst such attack in Argentina’s modern history.
The other attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, in 1992, killed more than 20 people. Argentina’s judiciary has accused members of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group of carrying out the two attacks.
Friday’s announcement professed Milei’s “unwavering commitment to recognizing terrorists for what they are,” adding that “it’s the first time that there is a political will to do so.” The US, European Union and several other countries long put a terrorist designation on Hamas, which is the de facto ruler in the Gaza Strip.
Previous left-leaning Peronist governments in Argentina, home to the largest Jewish community in Latin America, have maintained friendly ties with Israel but also voiced support for Palestinian statehood. Since coming into office in December, Milei has set himself apart from even Israel’s closest allies in his vocal support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A huge swell in global pressure has left Israel deeply isolated over its military campaign in Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians — an unverified figure that doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants — displaced over 80% of the territory’s people and triggered a humanitarian disaster.
“Argentina must once again align itself with Western civilization,” Milei’s office said Friday.
THOSE WE HAVE LOST
Stories of civilians and soldiers killed since Hamas’s onslaught on Israel on October 7, 2023 Link to their stories
‘This was a place of joy’: Time stands still in empty bedrooms of hostages held in Gaza
Families reflect on significance of captives’ inner sanctums, some of which bear witness to October 7 onslaught, while others exude an untouched tranquility
KIBBUTZ NIR OZ (AP) — The empty bedrooms of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 remain frozen in time.
Nine months into their captivity in Gaza, some hostages’ bedrooms still show signs of that day’s violence and struggle: blood-stained floors, bullet-riddled walls, scorched and toppled furniture.
Others exude tranquility and routine: their beds are left unmade and their belongings — trophies, stuffed animals, framed photos — remain untouched at the behest of shell-shocked families as a testimony to their absence.
Thousands of Hamas-led terrorists killed roughly 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, and kidnapped 251 — many taken from their bedrooms.
Since then, Israel has killed over 38,000 Palestinians while fighting Hamas in Gaza, according to the Strip’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The Israel Defense Force says it killed about 15,000 gunmen in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 in Israel on October 7.
It is believed that 116 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
For many of those kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, their bedrooms or entire homes were destroyed.
The remains of a mattress are seen in the scorched bedroom of hostage David Cunio, 34, and his wife, freed hostage Sharon Alony Cunio, 33, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
All that remains of the charred bedroom of David Cunio and Sharon Alony Cunio are the curled springs of their mattress, lying in a pile of soot.
“This was a place of joy until October 7, of joy, of the gift of togetherness, of giving, of love. Now, it’s not just a war zone, but a place of massacre,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen, as he leaned against the door frame of the destroyed bedroom of his son, Sagui.
Damage from a hand grenade seen in the bedroom of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, May 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Dekel-Chen wonders how his family — now living with other members of Kibbutz Nir Oz in temporary housing an hour away — will ever regain their sense of security.
Sagui’s wife, Avital, was seven months pregnant on October 7 and survived the attack with her two daughters by hiding for hours in the family’s safe room.
She gave birth to a third daughter during Sagui’s captivity.
In Givatayim, a suburb of Tel Aviv, plastic sheeting covers the furniture in the empty home of Or and Eynav Levy.
Plastic covers the bed in the home of Eynav Levy, 32, who was killed on October 7, and her husband, hostage Or Levy, 33, in Givatayim, July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Or was kidnapped and Eynav was killed in the attack on the Reim-area Nova music festival.
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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