π️Lonny's War Update- October 304, 2023 - August 5, 2024 π️
π️Day 304 that 115 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!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
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
*12:05am - north - rockets Snir*2:00am - north - hostile aircraft - Ayelet Hashahar, Ramat Naftali, Yiftach, Mevo'ot Hermon
*2:00am - north - rockets Dishon, Malkia
*2:20am - north - hostile aircraft - Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Tel Hai, Kiryat Shemona*2:30am - north - rockets Yiron
*7:25am -north - rockets - Beit Haemek, Ben Ami, Netiv Hashayara, Avdon, Sheikh Danon, Mizra'a
*10:05am - north - rockets - Margaliot, Kiryat Shemona*11:50am - South - rockets Nir Oz, Nirim, Ein Hashlosha
*11:50am - north - rockets Baram, Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Dafna*12:35pm - north - rockets Zra'it, Rosh Hanikra
*2:00am - north - rockets Dishon, Malkia
*2:20am - north - hostile aircraft - Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Tel Hai, Kiryat Shemona
*7:25am -north - rockets - Beit Haemek, Ben Ami, Netiv Hashayara, Avdon, Sheikh Danon, Mizra'a
*10:05am - north - rockets - Margaliot, Kiryat Shemona
*11:50am - north - rockets Baram, Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Dafna
Hostage Updates
Hostage Updates
Ariel Bibas's aunt, Ofri, appeals to the prime minister to sign a deal to release her two nephews and their parents along with the other 111 hostages, and tells Ariel on his 5th birthday that he is a hero
At this moment I was supposed to be out shopping for a present for Ariel's fifth birthday. We should have been planning our outing to the south to celebrate with him as we'd done for four years before he was taken hostage. The massacre on October 7, and the abduction of Ariel, baby Kfir, Mom Shiri and Dad Yarden, should not have taken place. They should not have been abandoned as they were. This cannot go on. They could have been with us at home, and until they return we can have no celebrations.
The extended Bibas family was set to mark Ariel’s 5th birthday with a march from Tel Aviv’s Habima Square to Hostages Square at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Hundreds gathered in Central Park in New York City on Sunday to mark the birthday.
“My heart skips a beat every time I remember how much you’re missed,” Pnina wrote in her letter. “Can you feel our longing, the immense love that fills our hearts?” “The world around us continues to turn, but time seems to have frozen without you. You’ve grown a year older, but there’s no celebration,” Bibas lamented. “I try to imagine the moment you’ll return to us. Will you still call me ‘Grandma Nini?’ Will you still want to play ‘piggyback?'”
“I can almost hear your laughter as you splash water on me while we water the plants in the garden,” she continued.
“The kumquat tree you love so much has blossomed again, its branches filled with tiny orange fruits. I see them and remember your small hands, eager to pick and taste them. The loquat tree near your home has also borne fruit, orange ones, and I can imagine you running to your mum, so proud of what you’ve picked,” she added.
“Instead of celebrating all the new things you’ve learned, we’re dealing with an absence — of you, of your mum and dad, and of little Fir Fir,” she wrote,
“We’re also in the shadow of a terrible loss. Grandpa Yossi and Grandma Margit are no longer with us, and how will you react when you learn this news?” she added, referencing Shiri Bibas’s parents Margit and Yossi Silberman, who were killed in their Kibbutz Nir Oz home on October 7.
Pnina wrote that she will “never stop hoping” to see her family. “Every day I dream of the moment we’ll be together again,” she said.
“I imagine the excitement, the tears, the hugs. I see you shouting ‘Grandma Nini!’ and little Kfir, who might not remember me anymore, smiling at me with a big grin,” she added, vowing, “We’ll celebrate all the birthdays we’ve missed, together.”
- My brother's post:
It seems that what I have been saying for months is right - the Israeli negotiators (Barnea, Bar, Alon) have never had a mandate from Netanyahu to bring the hostages home. In April 2011 when David Meidan (Mossad) accepted the job from Netanyahu, he asked what is his mandate and Netanyahu said: Bring Him Home! (Gilad Schalit). That mandate has never been given to the Israeli negotiators - and now they are saying it (to media personalities). They need to say it in public, out loud, and if they have integrity they need to tell Netanyahu that they refuse to continue to negotiate when they cannot succeed. Likewise, the mediators (Egypt and Qatar) need to stop playing the negotiating game. They need to put their own "agreement" on the table and tell Israel and Hamas: take it or leave it! And if it is rejected, they need to tell both Israel and Hamas that they are ceasing their efforts to mediate. Enough is enough. By the way, the Egyptian Qatari "agreement" needs to be that the war will end, Israel will withdraw from Gaza, Egypt and the US will secure the Gaza-Sinai border, all 115 Israeli hostages will be returned, a certain number of Palestinian prisoners will be released - Israel can select them but they will include 50% of those prisoners serving life sentences. This deal should be completed within six weeks - not longer. This includes most of the demands and possibilities of both sides. (Gershon Baskin, August 4, 2024)
The negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire-hostage release deal are effectively on hold and will not pick up until after Iran launches its promised retaliation against Israel for its alleged assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and until after the terror group selects a replacement for the politburo chief, two officials familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.
The Iranian response could arrive as early as Monday night, while Hamas is expected to announce a new leader in the coming days, the two sources say.
Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators will then resume efforts to negotiate a deal but believe that it will be much more difficult following Haniyeh’s assassination, the sources say, adding that Hamas has not shown any interest in resuming talks before a replacement is decided on.
An Israeli negotiating team was in Cairo over the weekend, but this was largely for bilateral talks with Egypt over the IDF’s deployment in the Philadelphi Corridor and at the Rafah Crossing, one of the officials says, noting that Hamas was not part of these discussions, even indirectly, and that no progress was made.
Qatar did not have any representatives at the Saturday meeting as it did not focus on the hostage file, the officials say.
The Hostage Families Forum issues an angry statement in response to Palestinian reports that Israel returned 80 bodies of Palestinians to Gaza today.
“How can it be that the State of Israel is giving 80 bodies and getting zero in return?” it says. “How is it possible that Israel, under [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s leadership, is returning bodies not as part of a deal? What about our relatives, until when will they languish in Hamas captivity in Gaza?”
The Forum demands “answers and clarifications” from Netanyahu and hostages point person Gal Hirsch on the matter.
There are 115 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, including 41 whose deaths have been confirmed by Israeli authorities. Of the total, 111 were abducted on October 7.
The United States is willing to guarantee to Israel that it will be able to renew fighting against Hamas in Gaza after the first phase of a potential ceasefire and hostage deal, as a means to pressure Hamas into releasing all the hostages it should in the first stage, several Hebrew media reports say.
According to the Yedioth Ahronoth and Haaretz dailies, Washington hasn’t yet given a written guarantee, as Jerusalem has been demanding, but has agreed in principle to give one if a deal materializes.
It seems that what I have been saying for months is right - the Israeli negotiators (Barnea, Bar, Alon) have never had a mandate from Netanyahu to bring the hostages home. In April 2011 when David Meidan (Mossad) accepted the job from Netanyahu, he asked what is his mandate and Netanyahu said: Bring Him Home! (Gilad Schalit). That mandate has never been given to the Israeli negotiators - and now they are saying it (to media personalities). They need to say it in public, out loud, and if they have integrity they need to tell Netanyahu that they refuse to continue to negotiate when they cannot succeed. Likewise, the mediators (Egypt and Qatar) need to stop playing the negotiating game. They need to put their own "agreement" on the table and tell Israel and Hamas: take it or leave it! And if it is rejected, they need to tell both Israel and Hamas that they are ceasing their efforts to mediate. Enough is enough. By the way, the Egyptian Qatari "agreement" needs to be that the war will end, Israel will withdraw from Gaza, Egypt and the US will secure the Gaza-Sinai border, all 115 Israeli hostages will be returned, a certain number of Palestinian prisoners will be released - Israel can select them but they will include 50% of those prisoners serving life sentences. This deal should be completed within six weeks - not longer. This includes most of the demands and possibilities of both sides. (Gershon Baskin, August 4, 2024)
The negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire-hostage release deal are effectively on hold and will not pick up until after Iran launches its promised retaliation against Israel for its alleged assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and until after the terror group selects a replacement for the politburo chief, two officials familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.
The Iranian response could arrive as early as Monday night, while Hamas is expected to announce a new leader in the coming days, the two sources say.
Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators will then resume efforts to negotiate a deal but believe that it will be much more difficult following Haniyeh’s assassination, the sources say, adding that Hamas has not shown any interest in resuming talks before a replacement is decided on.
An Israeli negotiating team was in Cairo over the weekend, but this was largely for bilateral talks with Egypt over the IDF’s deployment in the Philadelphi Corridor and at the Rafah Crossing, one of the officials says, noting that Hamas was not part of these discussions, even indirectly, and that no progress was made.
Qatar did not have any representatives at the Saturday meeting as it did not focus on the hostage file, the officials say.
The Hostage Families Forum issues an angry statement in response to Palestinian reports that Israel returned 80 bodies of Palestinians to Gaza today.
“How can it be that the State of Israel is giving 80 bodies and getting zero in return?” it says. “How is it possible that Israel, under [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s leadership, is returning bodies not as part of a deal? What about our relatives, until when will they languish in Hamas captivity in Gaza?”
The Forum demands “answers and clarifications” from Netanyahu and hostages point person Gal Hirsch on the matter.
There are 115 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, including 41 whose deaths have been confirmed by Israeli authorities. Of the total, 111 were abducted on October 7.
The United States is willing to guarantee to Israel that it will be able to renew fighting against Hamas in Gaza after the first phase of a potential ceasefire and hostage deal, as a means to pressure Hamas into releasing all the hostages it should in the first stage, several Hebrew media reports say.
According to the Yedioth Ahronoth and Haaretz dailies, Washington hasn’t yet given a written guarantee, as Jerusalem has been demanding, but has agreed in principle to give one if a deal materializes.
Gaza
- Seven IDF reservists were wounded, including four seriously, during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military says.
The troops, of the 205th “Iron Fist” Reserve Armored Brigade’s 9215th Battalion, were taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.
According to an initial probe, the troops were wounded by an explosive device or grenade hurled at them by a Hamas operative.
Four of the reservists are seriously wounded, two are listed in moderate condition, and one was lightly injured.
CNN Investigation: Nearly Half of Hamas Battalions Have Rebuilt Capabilities, Central Gaza Strip Battalions Untouched - "Because There Are Many Hostages There"
Nine months into the war, the American network published an analysis of Israel's achievements: "Netanyahu says 'victory' over Hamas is on the horizon. The data tells a different story." Key findings of the investigation:
- About half of Hamas battalions are managing to recover and return to fighting
- Two ways Hamas is rebuilding: merging damaged battalions into new frameworks and using weapons left behind by the IDF in Gaza
Nearly half of Hamas's 24 battalions in northern and central Gaza have been rebuilt and can return to fighting, according to an investigation published today (Monday) by CNN. The investigation examined Israel's achievements in the Gaza Strip after more than 9 months, and the published analysis shows that contrary to statements in Israel, Hamas is succeeding in rebuilding itself as a military force. Among the reasons: Hamas battalions in central Gaza have been almost untouched, due to the understanding in Israel that there are "many more hostages" in the area.
The data was analyzed by American research institutes and the American news network. The investigation cited Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement during his speech to Congress that "victory is on the horizon," but CNN notes that the analysis of the situation "casts doubt" on these words. The investigation noted that as of July, Hamas had managed to exploit the few resources left at its disposal and return to activity in a series of locations where the IDF had operated and which had already been "cleared." The IDF and Netanyahu's office declined the network's request to comment on the findings.
On the eve of the war, Hamas had 24 battalions spread throughout the Gaza Strip. The analysis shows that by early July, only 3 of the battalions had been disbanded and could no longer function as an effective framework. "A unit is defined as ineffective when it can no longer complete its mission. This is often represented by no attacks, or very few ineffective attacks." Two of the disbanded battalions are in northern Gaza, and the third is in the south, in the Rafah area. However, the investigation does not include an in-depth analysis of southern Gaza due to a lack of information to analyze the situation on the ground.
8 out of 24 battalions are defined as "combat effective," meaning frameworks that can carry out missions against IDF forces maneuvering in the Gaza Strip. The investigation described these battalions as "able to carry out the missions assigned to them." According to the assessment, these battalions still have advanced weapon systems and can use more sophisticated combat tactics. These battalions are located around Gaza City, in Deir al-Balah, and near Khan Yunis and Rafah.
The remaining 13 battalions were defined as "degraded" frameworks, meaning units that can carry out sporadic attacks, mostly in the form of "unsuccessful guerrilla" tactics. The network defines these battalions as "humbled," as fighting units that have suffered blows that delay their ability to carry out missions.
The investigation presents two main ways Hamas is rebuilding militarily. The first way is merging severely damaged battalions and reorganizing the frameworks. The second way is "recruiting new fighters and producing new weapons from explosives left behind by Israeli forces."
Central Gaza Strip Dilemma
The investigation dedicates a special section to central Gaza - where, according to the findings, Hamas battalions were much less severely damaged. Sources in Israel told CNN that the reason for this is that the IDF refrained from similar action as in other areas of Gaza due to the understanding that many hostages are being held in this area.
"If Hamas battalions were mostly destroyed, Israel wouldn't be fighting anymore," Peter Mansoor, a retired American officer who assisted in deploying 30,000 US troops in Iraq in 2017, explained to CNN. "The fact that they (the IDF) are still in Gaza, trying to uproot Hamas, shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu is wrong. Hamas's ability to rebuild its fighting forces has not been impaired."
A senior IDF officer who did not identify himself by name addressed the investigation's findings and told CNN that "we will enter anywhere Hamas raises its head. Can this ping-pong go on forever? No. Our society is not built for that, nor is the international community." He compared the maneuvering in Gaza to "a marathon runner who doesn't know where the stadium is. You're running and don't know if you're in the right direction." link
A truck driver was lightly injured by a rocket impact near Kibbutz Re’im a short while ago, medics say.
According to the IDF, a barrage of some 15 rockets was launched from southern Gaza’s Khan Younis at Israeli border communities.
Several rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, but others impacted the Re’im and Gama Junction area.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it is treating a man aged 37 in good condition, after he was hurt by a rocket impact.
In recent days there have been several rocket attacks from Khan Younis. The IDF has since issued an evacuation warning for Gazans in the area.
Palestinian media reports that more than 80 bodies were returned to the Gaza Strip this morning.
Amid the war in Gaza, the IDF has taken for identification bodies suspected of being those of hostages, returning them after confirming they do not belong to any captives that were abducted by Hamas on October 7.
At least 39 of the remaining 111 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been confirmed dead.
The IDF says it killed Hamas’s economy minister in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip yesterday.
According to the IDF, Abd al-Fattah al-Zari’i also served as an operative in Hamas’s manufacturing division.
The IDF says the manufacturing division works to “increase Hamas’s weapons capabilities, including by exchanging information with other terror organizations across the Middle East.”
Al-Zari’i, according to the IDF, played a “significant role in directing Hamas’s efforts to seize control of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip” as well as managing Hamas-controlled markets.
Additionally, he was responsible for the distribution of fuel, gas, and funds for “terror activities,” the military adds.
Palestinian media reported that killed al-Zari’i took place in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, and his mother was also killed in the attack.
The troops, of the 205th “Iron Fist” Reserve Armored Brigade’s 9215th Battalion, were taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.
According to an initial probe, the troops were wounded by an explosive device or grenade hurled at them by a Hamas operative.
Four of the reservists are seriously wounded, two are listed in moderate condition, and one was lightly injured.
CNN Investigation: Nearly Half of Hamas Battalions Have Rebuilt Capabilities, Central Gaza Strip Battalions Untouched - "Because There Are Many Hostages There"
Nine months into the war, the American network published an analysis of Israel's achievements: "Netanyahu says 'victory' over Hamas is on the horizon. The data tells a different story." Key findings of the investigation:
- About half of Hamas battalions are managing to recover and return to fighting
- Two ways Hamas is rebuilding: merging damaged battalions into new frameworks and using weapons left behind by the IDF in Gaza
Nearly half of Hamas's 24 battalions in northern and central Gaza have been rebuilt and can return to fighting, according to an investigation published today (Monday) by CNN. The investigation examined Israel's achievements in the Gaza Strip after more than 9 months, and the published analysis shows that contrary to statements in Israel, Hamas is succeeding in rebuilding itself as a military force. Among the reasons: Hamas battalions in central Gaza have been almost untouched, due to the understanding in Israel that there are "many more hostages" in the area.
The data was analyzed by American research institutes and the American news network. The investigation cited Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement during his speech to Congress that "victory is on the horizon," but CNN notes that the analysis of the situation "casts doubt" on these words. The investigation noted that as of July, Hamas had managed to exploit the few resources left at its disposal and return to activity in a series of locations where the IDF had operated and which had already been "cleared." The IDF and Netanyahu's office declined the network's request to comment on the findings.
On the eve of the war, Hamas had 24 battalions spread throughout the Gaza Strip. The analysis shows that by early July, only 3 of the battalions had been disbanded and could no longer function as an effective framework. "A unit is defined as ineffective when it can no longer complete its mission. This is often represented by no attacks, or very few ineffective attacks." Two of the disbanded battalions are in northern Gaza, and the third is in the south, in the Rafah area. However, the investigation does not include an in-depth analysis of southern Gaza due to a lack of information to analyze the situation on the ground.
8 out of 24 battalions are defined as "combat effective," meaning frameworks that can carry out missions against IDF forces maneuvering in the Gaza Strip. The investigation described these battalions as "able to carry out the missions assigned to them." According to the assessment, these battalions still have advanced weapon systems and can use more sophisticated combat tactics. These battalions are located around Gaza City, in Deir al-Balah, and near Khan Yunis and Rafah.
The remaining 13 battalions were defined as "degraded" frameworks, meaning units that can carry out sporadic attacks, mostly in the form of "unsuccessful guerrilla" tactics. The network defines these battalions as "humbled," as fighting units that have suffered blows that delay their ability to carry out missions.
The investigation presents two main ways Hamas is rebuilding militarily. The first way is merging severely damaged battalions and reorganizing the frameworks. The second way is "recruiting new fighters and producing new weapons from explosives left behind by Israeli forces."
Central Gaza Strip Dilemma
The investigation dedicates a special section to central Gaza - where, according to the findings, Hamas battalions were much less severely damaged. Sources in Israel told CNN that the reason for this is that the IDF refrained from similar action as in other areas of Gaza due to the understanding that many hostages are being held in this area.
"If Hamas battalions were mostly destroyed, Israel wouldn't be fighting anymore," Peter Mansoor, a retired American officer who assisted in deploying 30,000 US troops in Iraq in 2017, explained to CNN. "The fact that they (the IDF) are still in Gaza, trying to uproot Hamas, shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu is wrong. Hamas's ability to rebuild its fighting forces has not been impaired."
A senior IDF officer who did not identify himself by name addressed the investigation's findings and told CNN that "we will enter anywhere Hamas raises its head. Can this ping-pong go on forever? No. Our society is not built for that, nor is the international community." He compared the maneuvering in Gaza to "a marathon runner who doesn't know where the stadium is. You're running and don't know if you're in the right direction." link
A truck driver was lightly injured by a rocket impact near Kibbutz Re’im a short while ago, medics say.
According to the IDF, a barrage of some 15 rockets was launched from southern Gaza’s Khan Younis at Israeli border communities.
Several rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, but others impacted the Re’im and Gama Junction area.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it is treating a man aged 37 in good condition, after he was hurt by a rocket impact.
In recent days there have been several rocket attacks from Khan Younis. The IDF has since issued an evacuation warning for Gazans in the area.
Palestinian media reports that more than 80 bodies were returned to the Gaza Strip this morning.
Amid the war in Gaza, the IDF has taken for identification bodies suspected of being those of hostages, returning them after confirming they do not belong to any captives that were abducted by Hamas on October 7.
At least 39 of the remaining 111 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been confirmed dead.
The IDF says it killed Hamas’s economy minister in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip yesterday.
According to the IDF, Abd al-Fattah al-Zari’i also served as an operative in Hamas’s manufacturing division.
The IDF says the manufacturing division works to “increase Hamas’s weapons capabilities, including by exchanging information with other terror organizations across the Middle East.”
Al-Zari’i, according to the IDF, played a “significant role in directing Hamas’s efforts to seize control of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip” as well as managing Hamas-controlled markets.
Additionally, he was responsible for the distribution of fuel, gas, and funds for “terror activities,” the military adds.
Palestinian media reported that killed al-Zari’i took place in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, and his mother was also killed in the attack.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
Meeting with mayors and leaders of local councils in northern Israel yesterday, the chief of the IDF Northern Command says the military’s offensive plans are ready for a potential escalated conflict with Hezbollah.
“I want you to know that our offensive plans going forward are ready and we are prepared for this, in all aspects, from me to every single one of the soldiers,” says Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin to the mayors.
“We’ve attacked and destroyed a lot in the last 10 months but we still have work to do. We are determined and committed,” he adds, according to remarks released by the IDF.
Members of a cell of Hezbollah operatives were killed in a drone strike this morning in southern Lebanon’s Mays al-Jabal, the military says.
According to the IDF, the cell was operating a drone over Mays al-Jabal. A short while after they were spotted, an Israeli Air Force drone struck and killed them.
Following the strike, Hezbollah announced the deaths of Ali Shuqair, a member of the terror group, and Muhammad Hammadi, a paramedic who was a member of the Islamic Message Scouts Association, a Shiite scouts group associated with the Lebanese terror organization. Both were from Mays al-Jabal.
Meeting with mayors and leaders of local councils in northern Israel yesterday, the chief of the IDF Northern Command says the military’s offensive plans are ready for a potential escalated conflict with Hezbollah.
“I want you to know that our offensive plans going forward are ready and we are prepared for this, in all aspects, from me to every single one of the soldiers,” says Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin to the mayors.
“We’ve attacked and destroyed a lot in the last 10 months but we still have work to do. We are determined and committed,” he adds, according to remarks released by the IDF.
Members of a cell of Hezbollah operatives were killed in a drone strike this morning in southern Lebanon’s Mays al-Jabal, the military says.
According to the IDF, the cell was operating a drone over Mays al-Jabal. A short while after they were spotted, an Israeli Air Force drone struck and killed them.
Following the strike, Hezbollah announced the deaths of Ali Shuqair, a member of the terror group, and Muhammad Hammadi, a paramedic who was a member of the Islamic Message Scouts Association, a Shiite scouts group associated with the Lebanese terror organization. Both were from Mays al-Jabal.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- The Palestinian Authority’s Labor Ministry announces the disbursement of cash assistance payments to 3,576 laborers from the Gaza Strip who were stranded in Israel on October 7 and are currently residing in the West Bank.
The Gazans are currently living in housing centers provided by the PA government throughout the West Bank, the statement adds.
The handout amounts to 140 Jordanian dinars ($197). The ministry notes in a statement that this is the sixth batch of payments made by the PA to Gazan laborers since October 7, but previous ones do not appear to have been announced. The funds are provided by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, a Kuwait-based pan-Arab development finance institution.
About 10,000 Gazan laborers who were stranded in Israel on October 7 were deported back to the Strip in early November, the Washington Post has reported, quoting border officials. Hundreds more remained in detention and were returned to Gaza in subsequent months.
Prior to the October 7 attack, some 17,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip had permits to enter Israel legally for work.
The IDF says it has received reports of gunfire toward the West Bank settlement of Beka’ot, in the Jordan Valley area. There are no injuries. Troops are blocking roads and scanning the area, the IDF adds.
The Gazans are currently living in housing centers provided by the PA government throughout the West Bank, the statement adds.
The handout amounts to 140 Jordanian dinars ($197). The ministry notes in a statement that this is the sixth batch of payments made by the PA to Gazan laborers since October 7, but previous ones do not appear to have been announced. The funds are provided by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, a Kuwait-based pan-Arab development finance institution.
About 10,000 Gazan laborers who were stranded in Israel on October 7 were deported back to the Strip in early November, the Washington Post has reported, quoting border officials. Hundreds more remained in detention and were returned to Gaza in subsequent months.
Prior to the October 7 attack, some 17,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip had permits to enter Israel legally for work.
The IDF says it has received reports of gunfire toward the West Bank settlement of Beka’ot, in the Jordan Valley area. There are no injuries. Troops are blocking roads and scanning the area, the IDF adds.
Politics and the War (general news)
- Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Israel’s leadership over its handling of the Iranian threat, arguing that “there is no deterrence and there is no government.”
“I would like to ask the Israeli government, is what we are seeing in recent days the new standard?” Lapid asks during his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset. “Is it acceptable to you that for five days, an entire country has been sitting and waiting to be bombed?”
“Is this the new standard that the residents of the north will not receive even a hint from the government as to when they can go home?” he continues, accusing the government of “not even pretending” to try to return the evacuated residents of the north to their towns.
“The new standard is that young parents don’t go to a public park because it’s far from a shelter. Foreign airlines don’t want to fly here, because there’s no one to trust here. Everyone waits and waits and doesn’t know what they’re waiting for,” Lapid adds.
Israel is currently bracing itself for Iran’s response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, an act for which Jerusalem has not taken public responsibility. According to Axios, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told counterparts from G7 countries yesterday that Washington believes an Iranian attack on Israel could begin within the next 24 to 48 hours.
“This government will fall when the Knesset returns from the most unnecessary and wretched recess in the country’s history,” Lapid insists, promising to establish “an effective, functioning, decent government, which will bring order to the country and order to our lives.”
Former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Yair Lapid agree to testify before the so-called civil commission of inquiry probing the events leading up to the October 7 Hamas onslaught.
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly putting off the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to investigate successive government’s failures that enabled the October 7 attack, several groups representing survivors of the Hamas massacres and the families of those killed recently announced the formation of the independent probe, which they have said is aimed at “reaching the truth and preventing the next disaster.”
The commission’s members include two retired generals, a former police commissioner and the author of the IDF’s official code of ethics.
The commission says it is still waiting on a response from Netanyahu as well as former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Ehud Barak.
Over 90,000 Israelis have joined a network of WhatsApp groups preparing for mass demonstrations around the country in case Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Walla news site reports.
The outlet says all have joined the almost 90 silent groups over the past day to prepare for “Gallant night 2” — a repeat of the unprecedented spontaneous mass rallies that erupted in March 2023 when the premier announced Gallant’s termination over his call to pause the judicial overhaul legislation.
The national chaos caused Netanyahu at the time to reverse Gallant’s firing and pause the overhaul bills, but reports are increasingly indicating the prime minister is again seeking to oust his defense minister.
Some coalition members have also been calling for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s ouster, and the new WhatsApp groups are readying to respond to such a scenario as well, the report says.
The initiative is led by Labor member and anti-government protest leader Yaya Fink. link For Galant night #1, we were in a completely absurd situation where 100's of thousands of people went into the streets to protest Netanyahu's firing of Galant. The reason it was so absurd is because almost none of those protesting were Likud or government supporters and here they were standing up and showing support for a senior Likud Minister with whom they don't share any political or ideological principles or ideas. The protest was against Netanyahu's dictatorial decisions and to replace Galant, a former general with someone with no security or army experience, which is what most of the cabinet is built upon. Throughout the war, the relationship between the prime minister and his defense minister has been terrible and continued to get worse. Galant finally reached the recognition that the rest of the security establishment reached a long time ago and that is to make a deal to get our hostages home and they will manage whatever consequences come as a result. Galant has also called for a State Commission of Inquiry for October 7 and all that occurred leading up to the massacre. These 2 issues are Netanyahu's Achilles heel and he has been doing all he can to prevent both from happening. The rumors and speculation that Netanyahu is planning to fire Galant and is trying to make a deal with Gidon Saar (former senior Likud politician) to replace him. Saar also has no direct military leadership experience or security background other than his past political positions which put him in security cabinets. And all this is happening while a war is going on in the south, the north and the Iranian attack about to happen. Once again, Netanyahu is playing with the lives of the hostages and making decisions based only on his personal political interests over everything that is good for the country.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich implies he believes that blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is “justified and moral” even if it causes 2 million civilians to die of hunger, adding however that the international community won’t allow this to happen.
“We are bringing in aid because there is no choice,” Smotrich says at a conference in Yad Binyamin hosted by the Israel Hayom outlet. “We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned. Humanitarian in exchange for humanitarian is morally justified, but what can we do? We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war.”
He argues that Israel must regain full control over what exactly enters the Strip, saying he opposes the stance of the military and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on the matter and that “I don’t know if the prime minister doesn’t want or isn’t managing to rein them in.” He says Hamas plundering the aid is the “main factor” extending the war.
The far-right minister adds that while he supports Israel resettling Gaza, he hasn’t demanded that this be defined as one of the war’s goals. He argues that if Israel hadn’t pulled out of Gaza in 2005, the October 7 massacre would never have happened.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is unrealistic to resettle Gaza, angering far-right allies. link If it was up to Smotrich, he would certainly push to starve out 2 million Palestinians in Gaza and then he would push to do the same thing in the West Bank. His extremism and messianism, not only has not lessened. Quite the opposite. He would like to get rid of every Arab in Israel and every Palestinian in the West Bank and Gaza and, if he could, would use any and every method to do so.
- Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Israel’s leadership over its handling of the Iranian threat, arguing that “there is no deterrence and there is no government.”
“I would like to ask the Israeli government, is what we are seeing in recent days the new standard?” Lapid asks during his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset. “Is it acceptable to you that for five days, an entire country has been sitting and waiting to be bombed?”
“Is this the new standard that the residents of the north will not receive even a hint from the government as to when they can go home?” he continues, accusing the government of “not even pretending” to try to return the evacuated residents of the north to their towns.
“The new standard is that young parents don’t go to a public park because it’s far from a shelter. Foreign airlines don’t want to fly here, because there’s no one to trust here. Everyone waits and waits and doesn’t know what they’re waiting for,” Lapid adds.
Israel is currently bracing itself for Iran’s response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, an act for which Jerusalem has not taken public responsibility. According to Axios, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told counterparts from G7 countries yesterday that Washington believes an Iranian attack on Israel could begin within the next 24 to 48 hours.
“This government will fall when the Knesset returns from the most unnecessary and wretched recess in the country’s history,” Lapid insists, promising to establish “an effective, functioning, decent government, which will bring order to the country and order to our lives.”
Former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Yair Lapid agree to testify before the so-called civil commission of inquiry probing the events leading up to the October 7 Hamas onslaught.
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly putting off the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to investigate successive government’s failures that enabled the October 7 attack, several groups representing survivors of the Hamas massacres and the families of those killed recently announced the formation of the independent probe, which they have said is aimed at “reaching the truth and preventing the next disaster.”
The commission’s members include two retired generals, a former police commissioner and the author of the IDF’s official code of ethics.
The commission says it is still waiting on a response from Netanyahu as well as former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Ehud Barak.
Over 90,000 Israelis have joined a network of WhatsApp groups preparing for mass demonstrations around the country in case Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Walla news site reports.
The outlet says all have joined the almost 90 silent groups over the past day to prepare for “Gallant night 2” — a repeat of the unprecedented spontaneous mass rallies that erupted in March 2023 when the premier announced Gallant’s termination over his call to pause the judicial overhaul legislation.
The national chaos caused Netanyahu at the time to reverse Gallant’s firing and pause the overhaul bills, but reports are increasingly indicating the prime minister is again seeking to oust his defense minister.
Some coalition members have also been calling for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s ouster, and the new WhatsApp groups are readying to respond to such a scenario as well, the report says.
The initiative is led by Labor member and anti-government protest leader Yaya Fink. link For Galant night #1, we were in a completely absurd situation where 100's of thousands of people went into the streets to protest Netanyahu's firing of Galant. The reason it was so absurd is because almost none of those protesting were Likud or government supporters and here they were standing up and showing support for a senior Likud Minister with whom they don't share any political or ideological principles or ideas. The protest was against Netanyahu's dictatorial decisions and to replace Galant, a former general with someone with no security or army experience, which is what most of the cabinet is built upon. Throughout the war, the relationship between the prime minister and his defense minister has been terrible and continued to get worse. Galant finally reached the recognition that the rest of the security establishment reached a long time ago and that is to make a deal to get our hostages home and they will manage whatever consequences come as a result. Galant has also called for a State Commission of Inquiry for October 7 and all that occurred leading up to the massacre. These 2 issues are Netanyahu's Achilles heel and he has been doing all he can to prevent both from happening. The rumors and speculation that Netanyahu is planning to fire Galant and is trying to make a deal with Gidon Saar (former senior Likud politician) to replace him. Saar also has no direct military leadership experience or security background other than his past political positions which put him in security cabinets. And all this is happening while a war is going on in the south, the north and the Iranian attack about to happen. Once again, Netanyahu is playing with the lives of the hostages and making decisions based only on his personal political interests over everything that is good for the country.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich implies he believes that blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is “justified and moral” even if it causes 2 million civilians to die of hunger, adding however that the international community won’t allow this to happen.
“We are bringing in aid because there is no choice,” Smotrich says at a conference in Yad Binyamin hosted by the Israel Hayom outlet. “We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned. Humanitarian in exchange for humanitarian is morally justified, but what can we do? We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war.”
He argues that Israel must regain full control over what exactly enters the Strip, saying he opposes the stance of the military and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on the matter and that “I don’t know if the prime minister doesn’t want or isn’t managing to rein them in.” He says Hamas plundering the aid is the “main factor” extending the war.
The far-right minister adds that while he supports Israel resettling Gaza, he hasn’t demanded that this be defined as one of the war’s goals. He argues that if Israel hadn’t pulled out of Gaza in 2005, the October 7 massacre would never have happened.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is unrealistic to resettle Gaza, angering far-right allies. link If it was up to Smotrich, he would certainly push to starve out 2 million Palestinians in Gaza and then he would push to do the same thing in the West Bank. His extremism and messianism, not only has not lessened. Quite the opposite. He would like to get rid of every Arab in Israel and every Palestinian in the West Bank and Gaza and, if he could, would use any and every method to do so.
The Region and the World
Iran has issued a notice to airlines, known as a NOTAM, warning of GPS disruptions over the country.
The significance of the disruptions is not immediately clear, nor who may be behind them, though GPS disruptions are sometimes used to confuse the targeting of precision-guided missiles.
The notice comes as the Middle East is braced for a forceful Iranian attack on Israel following the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, widely attributed to Jerusalem.
Iran is not looking to escalate regional tensions but believes it needs to punish Israel to prevent further instability, the foreign ministry spokesperson says, following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
“Iran seeks to establish stability in the region, but this will only come with punishing the aggressor and creating deterrence against the adventurism of the Zionist regime,” Nasser Kanaani says, adding that action from Tehran is inevitable.
Kanaani calls on the United States to stop supporting Israel, saying the international community has failed in its duty to safeguard stability in the region and should support the “punishment of the aggressor.”
Iran’s foreign ministry called in ambassadors and heads of missions residing in Tehran for a meeting with acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani today to reiterate Iran’s will to respond to Israel.
Iran has called an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for Wednesday to discuss the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Iran’s response.
Tehran and Iran-aligned groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of killing Haniyeh on July 31 in the Iranian capital. His death was one in a series of killings of senior Hamas figures, as the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel nears its 11th month. Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility. According to The Guardian, at the meeting, Tehran will seek to convince Arab nations to support it as it plans retribution against Israel.
Egypt informed the high-level Israeli delegation that visited Cairo on Saturday for indirect talks with American and Egyptian negotiators that it will not be part of a regional military coalition to repel a potential Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel, the Qatari-owned news outlet al-Araby al-Jadeed reports.
In April, a massive drone and missile attack from Iran was foiled by a coalition that comprised Israel, the United States, Britain, France, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
In an effort to maintain its neutrality and de-escalate tensions in the region sparked by the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, Egypt also notified Tehran that it will close its airspace to any military action that would threaten regional security, the Qatari outlet writes.
Cairo officials tell their Iranian counterparts that the measure should not be perceived as hostile behavior toward Iran, but rather as a way to safeguard Egypt’s interests and sovereignty, the newspaper adds.
Amid heightened tensions over an anticipated Iranian and Hezbollah attack on the country, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has visited the Israeli Air Force’s underground command center at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“Our enemies are carefully considering their steps thanks to the abilities you have demonstrated in the last year. However, we must prepare for all possibilities, including a quick transition to offense,” Gallant says in remarks provided by his office.
Gallant observed the IAF’s preparations “in light of security developments” as well as “the possibilities of offensive action in all combat sectors,” the Defense Ministry says.
Personal Stories
Iran has issued a notice to airlines, known as a NOTAM, warning of GPS disruptions over the country.
The significance of the disruptions is not immediately clear, nor who may be behind them, though GPS disruptions are sometimes used to confuse the targeting of precision-guided missiles.
The notice comes as the Middle East is braced for a forceful Iranian attack on Israel following the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, widely attributed to Jerusalem.Iran is not looking to escalate regional tensions but believes it needs to punish Israel to prevent further instability, the foreign ministry spokesperson says, following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
“Iran seeks to establish stability in the region, but this will only come with punishing the aggressor and creating deterrence against the adventurism of the Zionist regime,” Nasser Kanaani says, adding that action from Tehran is inevitable.
Kanaani calls on the United States to stop supporting Israel, saying the international community has failed in its duty to safeguard stability in the region and should support the “punishment of the aggressor.”
Iran’s foreign ministry called in ambassadors and heads of missions residing in Tehran for a meeting with acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani today to reiterate Iran’s will to respond to Israel.
Iran has called an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for Wednesday to discuss the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Iran’s response.
Tehran and Iran-aligned groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of killing Haniyeh on July 31 in the Iranian capital. His death was one in a series of killings of senior Hamas figures, as the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel nears its 11th month. Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility. According to The Guardian, at the meeting, Tehran will seek to convince Arab nations to support it as it plans retribution against Israel.
Egypt informed the high-level Israeli delegation that visited Cairo on Saturday for indirect talks with American and Egyptian negotiators that it will not be part of a regional military coalition to repel a potential Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel, the Qatari-owned news outlet al-Araby al-Jadeed reports.
In April, a massive drone and missile attack from Iran was foiled by a coalition that comprised Israel, the United States, Britain, France, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
In an effort to maintain its neutrality and de-escalate tensions in the region sparked by the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, Egypt also notified Tehran that it will close its airspace to any military action that would threaten regional security, the Qatari outlet writes.
Cairo officials tell their Iranian counterparts that the measure should not be perceived as hostile behavior toward Iran, but rather as a way to safeguard Egypt’s interests and sovereignty, the newspaper adds.
Amid heightened tensions over an anticipated Iranian and Hezbollah attack on the country, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has visited the Israeli Air Force’s underground command center at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“Our enemies are carefully considering their steps thanks to the abilities you have demonstrated in the last year. However, we must prepare for all possibilities, including a quick transition to offense,” Gallant says in remarks provided by his office.
Gallant observed the IAF’s preparations “in light of security developments” as well as “the possibilities of offensive action in all combat sectors,” the Defense Ministry says.
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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