π️Lonny's War Update- October 310, 2023 - August 11, 2024 π️
π️Day 310 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
*7:45pm yesterday - north - hostile aircraft - Or Haganor, Amirim, Bar Yohai, Kfar Shammai, Meron, Merom Hagalil, Kfar Hoshen, Ein Kemonim, Parod, Kadita, Shefer*11:05am - north - rockets -Matat
*2:55pm - terror shooting attack in the Jordan Valley - 1 man killed, a second victim in moderate condition
*2:55pm - terror shooting attack in the Jordan Valley - 1 man killed, a second victim in moderate condition
Hostage Updates
My brother's interview on Channel 4 UK News about the upcoming hostage deal negotiations (starting at minute 4:18)link
A family member of Avera Mengistu, who has been held captive by Hamas in Gaza since 2014, addresses the crowd at the weekly hostage deal rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Ynet reports.
A relative of Avera Mengistu speaks at a rally in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, August 10, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)Mengistu entered the Gaza Strip of his own accord in 2014 while suffering from severe mental health issues and was captured by Hamas.
“We know that he is alive and in a bad mental and physical condition,” his relative Gil says in Tel Aviv. “He’s been there not for a month or a year but for 10 years.”
“It’s incomprehensible to hear the testimonies of people who were released, and to think about what he’s been going through all these years,” he continues.
He says that there have been points at which Mengistu could have been released but that the various governments Israel has had over the last decade always let the opportunities slip away.
“We need courageous people who will exert pressure to do the right, proper and moral thing,” he says.
Families accuse PM of gambling with hostages’ lives to
preserve government
A group of hostage families give their weekly press
conference in Tel Aviv, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a
deal to free their loved ones held in Gaza at an upcoming round of negotiations
on Thursday in Cairo.
“In what world does a prime minister keep civilians and
soldiers who he abandoned to rot in captivity for 10 months?” Einav Zangauker,
whose son Matan is held in Gaza, asks.
“In what world does Netanyahu make criminal political
calculations for ‘timing’ and how [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben Gvir will
react, at the expense of lives?” she says, accusing the premier of gambling
with the lives of hostages to ensure his government survives.
“If Netanyahu continues to drag his feet, if he doesn’t
close a deal now that includes the release of everyone, we will receive only
bodies in return, if any. Netanyahu wants to extend the war to extend the life
of his government. He is ready to drag us to an escalation instead of reaching
a deal that saves lives and prevents an escalation,” she says, urging Israeli
negotiators to demand the prime minister agree to a deal.
Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held hostage, says the
current opportunity to reach a deal may be the last.
“According to media reports, Israel agreed to come to a
summit this Thursday. We have experience from summits and conferences that all
ended the same. The mediators came up with solutions, but Netanyahu repeatedly
botched the deal.”
10 months later, time has run out for the hostages in Gaza: Even when a deal is struck, when the handshakes are made and the photos have been taken, the scar left on the individuals, collective, and communities, will perhaps take a generation to heal.
As preparations ensued this past week for an Iran-led regional war, and October 2024 draws closer, the hostage posters are beginning to lose their colors under the decay of 10 months of upholstery, and this new normal, which once felt so foreign, so shocking, sinks in a little more comfortably.
There are still 115 hostages in Gaza. In a joint statement on Friday, the US, Qatar, and Egypt announced that finalizing talks for a ceasefire deal are ready and called on Israel and Hamas to send delegations, set for Thursday, either to Cairo or Doha.
It is time to “bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza, as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families,” they said. Immediately after that statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that an Israeli negotiating team would be present. Since the November deal, the impression has been that Netanyahu is working to maneuver the deal to finesse the conditions to best secure Israel’s survival. But time has long since run out for the hostages; Last week, Israel marked the fifth birthday of Ariel Bibas, who was kidnapped with his brother Kfir, who celebrated his own first birthday in captivity, along with their mother, Shiri, and father, Yarden.
Perhaps this paradox captures the split approaches that have emerged since October 7; one, micro, centers on the hostages and their families, and the high casualty rates on both sides that humanize the individual. The other, macro, asks big-picture questions and is more power-oriented: How can we militarily guarantee Israel’s security? How can we use our strengths and allies to beat Iran?
The second approach views the first as tunnel-visioned, as missing the point, while the first maintains that without bringing about individual redemption, a national one is unfeasible. Both approaches should be considered, and included in such a deal.
Perhaps the split goes much deeper, much further back than October 7; perhaps it is the clash of two national approaches pushing different priorities.
We cannot ignore the fact that even when a deal is struck, when the handshakes are made and the photos have been taken, the painstaking scar left on the individuals, collective, and communities, will take years, perhaps even a whole generation, to heal.
The emotional, psychological, diplomatic, monetary, and physical damage is truly life-altering and has shaped – and continues to shape – this entire generation. Channel 12 ran a segment last week where interviewers spoke with survivors of the southern kibbutzim and the Nova music festival; they are the dor hamilhama, “the war generation.”
The damage does not discriminate: the survivors of October 7; those who lost family and friends; the soldiers who fought and died and continue to do so, at this very minute; to the roughly 200,000 citizens forced to be refugees inside their sovereign borders, their lives held in limbo; those dealing with stress, anxiety and depression; Arab-Israelis, caught in a tormented state of split identities – a conversation the public is not ready for. All of this will not go away; it will take years of intentional healing and time, and its legacies will be passed on to the next generation of Israelis and Palestinians living here.
This will not be forgotten by a deal that “ends the war.” Because a war has no end really, only casualties and survivors, and the survivors on this side of the border will not forget. In addition, most understand that “ending the war,” actually means a temporary ceasefire.
You can’t kill an ideology, but you can kill people, especially those held in air-tight tunnels deep underground for a period that is unfathomable to the mind when dozens of them have been already been killed since November.
“I’d rather have a bad press than a good obituary,” Netanyahu told Time Magazine in an exclusive interview last week. This is a calculation the victims and hostages did not have the privilege of making.
This delegation needs to be the last; ensuring the release of all the hostages, as well as the best possible conditions for Israel’s security; the people are tired and weary, and they don’t want the best deal – there is no more time – they just want their people home so they can begin to heal. Without that, without the micro, the recuperation cannot begin. link
Hostage Updates
My brother's interview on Channel 4 UK News about the upcoming hostage deal negotiations (starting at minute 4:18)link
A family member of Avera Mengistu, who has been held captive by Hamas in Gaza since 2014, addresses the crowd at the weekly hostage deal rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Ynet reports.
A relative of Avera Mengistu speaks at a rally in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, August 10, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)Mengistu entered the Gaza Strip of his own accord in 2014 while suffering from severe mental health issues and was captured by Hamas.
“We know that he is alive and in a bad mental and physical condition,” his relative Gil says in Tel Aviv. “He’s been there not for a month or a year but for 10 years.”
“It’s incomprehensible to hear the testimonies of people who were released, and to think about what he’s been going through all these years,” he continues.
He says that there have been points at which Mengistu could have been released but that the various governments Israel has had over the last decade always let the opportunities slip away.
“We need courageous people who will exert pressure to do the right, proper and moral thing,” he says.
A group of hostage families give their weekly press conference in Tel Aviv, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal to free their loved ones held in Gaza at an upcoming round of negotiations on Thursday in Cairo.
“In what world does a prime minister keep civilians and soldiers who he abandoned to rot in captivity for 10 months?” Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held in Gaza, asks.
“In what world does Netanyahu make criminal political calculations for ‘timing’ and how [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben Gvir will react, at the expense of lives?” she says, accusing the premier of gambling with the lives of hostages to ensure his government survives.
“If Netanyahu continues to drag his feet, if he doesn’t close a deal now that includes the release of everyone, we will receive only bodies in return, if any. Netanyahu wants to extend the war to extend the life of his government. He is ready to drag us to an escalation instead of reaching a deal that saves lives and prevents an escalation,” she says, urging Israeli negotiators to demand the prime minister agree to a deal.
Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held hostage, says the current opportunity to reach a deal may be the last.
“According to media reports, Israel agreed to come to a summit this Thursday. We have experience from summits and conferences that all ended the same. The mediators came up with solutions, but Netanyahu repeatedly botched the deal.”
10 months later, time has run out for the hostages in Gaza: Even when a deal is struck, when the handshakes are made and the photos have been taken, the scar left on the individuals, collective, and communities, will perhaps take a generation to heal.
As preparations ensued this past week for an Iran-led regional war, and October 2024 draws closer, the hostage posters are beginning to lose their colors under the decay of 10 months of upholstery, and this new normal, which once felt so foreign, so shocking, sinks in a little more comfortably.
There are still 115 hostages in Gaza. In a joint statement on Friday, the US, Qatar, and Egypt announced that finalizing talks for a ceasefire deal are ready and called on Israel and Hamas to send delegations, set for Thursday, either to Cairo or Doha.
It is time to “bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza, as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families,” they said. Immediately after that statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that an Israeli negotiating team would be present. Since the November deal, the impression has been that Netanyahu is working to maneuver the deal to finesse the conditions to best secure Israel’s survival. But time has long since run out for the hostages; Last week, Israel marked the fifth birthday of Ariel Bibas, who was kidnapped with his brother Kfir, who celebrated his own first birthday in captivity, along with their mother, Shiri, and father, Yarden.
Perhaps this paradox captures the split approaches that have emerged since October 7; one, micro, centers on the hostages and their families, and the high casualty rates on both sides that humanize the individual. The other, macro, asks big-picture questions and is more power-oriented: How can we militarily guarantee Israel’s security? How can we use our strengths and allies to beat Iran?
The second approach views the first as tunnel-visioned, as missing the point, while the first maintains that without bringing about individual redemption, a national one is unfeasible. Both approaches should be considered, and included in such a deal.
Perhaps the split goes much deeper, much further back than October 7; perhaps it is the clash of two national approaches pushing different priorities.
We cannot ignore the fact that even when a deal is struck, when the handshakes are made and the photos have been taken, the painstaking scar left on the individuals, collective, and communities, will take years, perhaps even a whole generation, to heal.
The emotional, psychological, diplomatic, monetary, and physical damage is truly life-altering and has shaped – and continues to shape – this entire generation. Channel 12 ran a segment last week where interviewers spoke with survivors of the southern kibbutzim and the Nova music festival; they are the dor hamilhama, “the war generation.”
The damage does not discriminate: the survivors of October 7; those who lost family and friends; the soldiers who fought and died and continue to do so, at this very minute; to the roughly 200,000 citizens forced to be refugees inside their sovereign borders, their lives held in limbo; those dealing with stress, anxiety and depression; Arab-Israelis, caught in a tormented state of split identities – a conversation the public is not ready for. All of this will not go away; it will take years of intentional healing and time, and its legacies will be passed on to the next generation of Israelis and Palestinians living here.
This will not be forgotten by a deal that “ends the war.” Because a war has no end really, only casualties and survivors, and the survivors on this side of the border will not forget. In addition, most understand that “ending the war,” actually means a temporary ceasefire.You can’t kill an ideology, but you can kill people, especially those held in air-tight tunnels deep underground for a period that is unfathomable to the mind when dozens of them have been already been killed since November.
“I’d rather have a bad press than a good obituary,” Netanyahu told Time Magazine in an exclusive interview last week. This is a calculation the victims and hostages did not have the privilege of making.
This delegation needs to be the last; ensuring the release of all the hostages, as well as the best possible conditions for Israel’s security; the people are tired and weary, and they don’t want the best deal – there is no more time – they just want their people home so they can begin to heal. Without that, without the micro, the recuperation cannot begin. link
Starvation and psychological trauma: Report reveals medical conditions of former hostages
For the first time, the experts report on the clinical
characteristics of 26 children and women released from Hamas captivity.
The horrific injuries inflicted by the Hamas terrorists on
the Israeli hostages have now been documented in medical literature, according to
a report published for the first time in Maariv on Sunday morning.
Experts at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center for
Israel summarized the unfathomable medical findings of the abducted women and
children who came to them for treatment after the first hostage release.
In the report, the experts note the clinical characteristics
of 26 children and women who were released from Hamas captivity following the
Hamas attack on October 7.
The brutal attack led to the death of over 1,250 Israelis and the
hostage-taking of 250 men, women, children, babies, and elderly people. Some
115 of the hostages are still being held in captivity in Gaza. During the
hostage deal that took place in November 2023, about 50 Israeli women and
children were released and returned to Israel.
The data reported on in the study was collected from the
digitalized medical records of 19 children between the ages of 2 and 18 and
seven women between the ages of 34 and 78 who were hospitalized at Schneider
Hospital. The hostages examined included six nuclear families who were taken
hostage, as well as seven children who were held alone or held captive
separately from their families. A multidisciplinary team consisting of medical
professionals, dietitians, and psychological staff was tasked with evaluating
and treating the released hostages. Significant attention was paid to
anticipating potential medical problems, taking into account the patient's
medical history while maintaining medical confidentiality.
All patients underwent a medical evaluation that included a
medical admission questionnaire, a basic physical examination, blood tests,
fecal tests, and urine tests. During the hospitalization, all patients
underwent a psychological evaluation and a social team evaluation to determine their
personal and environmental conditions. Before the release from the hospital,
each family's needs and existing support circles were assessed, and contact was
made with the relevant teams in the community to ensure continuity of care in
each case.
The duration of hospitalization of the hostages ranged from
one day to nine days. Of the hostages, 70% had no home to return to because
some of the homes were destroyed on October 7, and others came from combat
zones where the residents were forced to evacuate their homes.
Of the hostages, prolonged constipation was reported in 10
patients, one of them a toddler, as a result of prolonged hunger, thirst, and
insufficient food that was not rich in the fats and dietary fibers that are
important for the digestive process.
Digestive problems and diseases
Two women and nine children suffered from prolonged
diarrhea. The stool tests showed the growth of multiple fecal bacteria, a
result of the severely unhygienic conditions in which they lived. All the
hostages suffered from starvation, and their nutritional status was poor: 15 of
them showed a significant weight loss of up to 15% of their body mass.
According to a report from the hostages, the diet was based on a little rice
and white bread, without vegetables, protein, or fats. Upon arrival at the
hospital, all patients received a specific nutritional regimen graded to avoid
the risk of a severe syndrome known as "over-feeding." All patients
were also treated with multivitamins during hospitalization.
All 26 patients reported poor sanitation and poor hygiene conditions. Two women
and six children were underground for most of their captivity. Some of them
also suffered as a result of a lack of vitamin D, which is important for normal
bodily function.
Most hostages reported limited access to running water throughout
their captivity. In six of the patients, head lice were found, which required
hair shaving and the start of drug treatment. One woman and five children
suffered from multiple insect bites and intense skin irritation.
Three of the children had a history of asthma and
experienced attacks during captivity that required the use of inhalers, but it
is not clear whether they were treated. One woman and two children suffered
from generalized muscle pain shortly after hospitalization.
Their lab tests showed high levels of the CPK enzyme,
indicating significant muscle damage, likely from the prolonged immobility of
sitting in captivity. Blood tests showed that about half of them had suffered
from tick-borne fever, Q fever transmitted by inhaling dust or contact with
sick animals, and murine fever caused by bacteria. These infections can cause
neurological problems, breathing difficulties, damage to muscles and joints,
and are sometimes life-threatening.
Of the 26 hostages, 14 were wounded during the attack and
kidnapping, including nine with shrapnel wounds that remained in their bodies
in the chest, limbs, and pelvis. One of them had a fractured rib and a lung
injury with bleeding. Another patient suffered a gunshot wound to the lower
abdominal wall.
All patients underwent a mental evaluation and received
social and psychological support during their stay in the hospital. All
reported psychological terrorism, with various psychological warfare
strategies, including isolation, intimidation, food and water restriction, and
psychological abuse.
Upon admission to the hospital, all children less than seven
years of age exhibited a submissive behavior pattern. Some of them suffered
from repeated nightmares. The kidnapped children spoke in a whisper, accustomed
to being threatened by terrorists.
Three toddlers took the food served to them and saved it for
a later time. Some of the hostages suffered immediate anxiety disorders and
began psychiatric medication. link
Thousands urge hostage deal; relative to negotiators: Don't hesitate to challenge PM
Weekly protests across the country Saturday evening drew thousands of protesters clamoring for new elections and the release of hostages after a senior security official was quoted in Hebrew media saying the captives are running out of time.
Besides the rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square and the largest anti-government demonstration on the nearby Kaplan Street, rallies were also held in Jerusalem, Haifa, Amiad Junction, Kfar Saba, Beersheba and beyond. In Karkur, near Hadera, protesters blocked a road as police warned them to disperse or face arrest. Earlier Saturday, Police also cleared activists who held “protest picnics” outside the homes of coalition members.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the rallies, Lishay Miran, whose husband Omri Miran was snatched from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, castigated Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for opposing a hostages-for-ceasefire agreement. “Yesterday you tweeted that it’s a ‘surrender deal,’” she said. “Do you consider it a surrender to bring home 115 human beings?”
White House spokesman John Kirby on Friday slammed Smotrich’s comment, saying it “jeopardized” the hostages and derailed talks for their release. The far-right minister rejected that criticism Saturday evening.
Channel 12 news quoted a senior Israeli official Friday as saying the hostages “will not survive much longer in the conditions in which they are being held.” The source reportedly stressed that Israel had clear information on the matter.
Referring to that report, Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker and a prominent activist for the hostages’ release, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of letting the abductees languish in captivity to satisfy his far-right partners and stay in power. “The prime minister is profiteering off the hostages’ lives,” she said. Addressing Israel’s negotiating team, she added: “Don’t hesitate to clash with Netanyahu — look him straight in the eyes and don’t back down.” full article
Starvation and psychological trauma: Report reveals medical conditions of former hostages
For the first time, the experts report on the clinical
characteristics of 26 children and women released from Hamas captivity.
The horrific injuries inflicted by the Hamas terrorists on
the Israeli hostages have now been documented in medical literature, according to
a report published for the first time in Maariv on Sunday morning.
Experts at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center for
Israel summarized the unfathomable medical findings of the abducted women and
children who came to them for treatment after the first hostage release.
In the report, the experts note the clinical characteristics
of 26 children and women who were released from Hamas captivity following the
Hamas attack on October 7.
The brutal attack led to the death of over 1,250 Israelis and the
hostage-taking of 250 men, women, children, babies, and elderly people. Some
115 of the hostages are still being held in captivity in Gaza. During the
hostage deal that took place in November 2023, about 50 Israeli women and
children were released and returned to Israel.
The data reported on in the study was collected from the
digitalized medical records of 19 children between the ages of 2 and 18 and
seven women between the ages of 34 and 78 who were hospitalized at Schneider
Hospital. The hostages examined included six nuclear families who were taken
hostage, as well as seven children who were held alone or held captive
separately from their families. A multidisciplinary team consisting of medical
professionals, dietitians, and psychological staff was tasked with evaluating
and treating the released hostages. Significant attention was paid to
anticipating potential medical problems, taking into account the patient's
medical history while maintaining medical confidentiality.
All patients underwent a medical evaluation that included a medical admission questionnaire, a basic physical examination, blood tests, fecal tests, and urine tests. During the hospitalization, all patients underwent a psychological evaluation and a social team evaluation to determine their personal and environmental conditions. Before the release from the hospital, each family's needs and existing support circles were assessed, and contact was made with the relevant teams in the community to ensure continuity of care in each case.
The duration of hospitalization of the hostages ranged from
one day to nine days. Of the hostages, 70% had no home to return to because
some of the homes were destroyed on October 7, and others came from combat
zones where the residents were forced to evacuate their homes.
Of the hostages, prolonged constipation was reported in 10
patients, one of them a toddler, as a result of prolonged hunger, thirst, and
insufficient food that was not rich in the fats and dietary fibers that are
important for the digestive process.
Digestive problems and diseases
Two women and nine children suffered from prolonged
diarrhea. The stool tests showed the growth of multiple fecal bacteria, a
result of the severely unhygienic conditions in which they lived. All the
hostages suffered from starvation, and their nutritional status was poor: 15 of
them showed a significant weight loss of up to 15% of their body mass.
According to a report from the hostages, the diet was based on a little rice
and white bread, without vegetables, protein, or fats. Upon arrival at the
hospital, all patients received a specific nutritional regimen graded to avoid
the risk of a severe syndrome known as "over-feeding." All patients
were also treated with multivitamins during hospitalization.
All 26 patients reported poor sanitation and poor hygiene conditions. Two women
and six children were underground for most of their captivity. Some of them
also suffered as a result of a lack of vitamin D, which is important for normal
bodily function.
Most hostages reported limited access to running water throughout their captivity. In six of the patients, head lice were found, which required hair shaving and the start of drug treatment. One woman and five children suffered from multiple insect bites and intense skin irritation.
Three of the children had a history of asthma and experienced attacks during captivity that required the use of inhalers, but it is not clear whether they were treated. One woman and two children suffered from generalized muscle pain shortly after hospitalization.
Their lab tests showed high levels of the CPK enzyme,
indicating significant muscle damage, likely from the prolonged immobility of
sitting in captivity. Blood tests showed that about half of them had suffered
from tick-borne fever, Q fever transmitted by inhaling dust or contact with
sick animals, and murine fever caused by bacteria. These infections can cause
neurological problems, breathing difficulties, damage to muscles and joints,
and are sometimes life-threatening.
Of the 26 hostages, 14 were wounded during the attack and
kidnapping, including nine with shrapnel wounds that remained in their bodies
in the chest, limbs, and pelvis. One of them had a fractured rib and a lung
injury with bleeding. Another patient suffered a gunshot wound to the lower
abdominal wall.
All patients underwent a mental evaluation and received
social and psychological support during their stay in the hospital. All
reported psychological terrorism, with various psychological warfare
strategies, including isolation, intimidation, food and water restriction, and
psychological abuse.
Upon admission to the hospital, all children less than seven
years of age exhibited a submissive behavior pattern. Some of them suffered
from repeated nightmares. The kidnapped children spoke in a whisper, accustomed
to being threatened by terrorists.
Three toddlers took the food served to them and saved it for a later time. Some of the hostages suffered immediate anxiety disorders and began psychiatric medication. link
Thousands urge hostage deal; relative to negotiators: Don't hesitate to challenge PM
Weekly protests across the country Saturday evening drew thousands of protesters clamoring for new elections and the release of hostages after a senior security official was quoted in Hebrew media saying the captives are running out of time.
Besides the rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square and the largest anti-government demonstration on the nearby Kaplan Street, rallies were also held in Jerusalem, Haifa, Amiad Junction, Kfar Saba, Beersheba and beyond. In Karkur, near Hadera, protesters blocked a road as police warned them to disperse or face arrest. Earlier Saturday, Police also cleared activists who held “protest picnics” outside the homes of coalition members.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the rallies, Lishay Miran, whose husband Omri Miran was snatched from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, castigated Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for opposing a hostages-for-ceasefire agreement. “Yesterday you tweeted that it’s a ‘surrender deal,’” she said. “Do you consider it a surrender to bring home 115 human beings?”
White House spokesman John Kirby on Friday slammed Smotrich’s comment, saying it “jeopardized” the hostages and derailed talks for their release. The far-right minister rejected that criticism Saturday evening.
Channel 12 news quoted a senior Israeli official Friday as saying the hostages “will not survive much longer in the conditions in which they are being held.” The source reportedly stressed that Israel had clear information on the matter.
Referring to that report, Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker and a prominent activist for the hostages’ release, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of letting the abductees languish in captivity to satisfy his far-right partners and stay in power. “The prime minister is profiteering off the hostages’ lives,” she said. Addressing Israel’s negotiating team, she added: “Don’t hesitate to clash with Netanyahu — look him straight in the eyes and don’t back down.” full article
Gaza
- Amid global criticism, Israel names 19 it says it killed in
terror HQ at Gaza school: White House ‘deeply concerned’ by airstrike; Egypt, Qatar fume; top EU diplomat slams unjustified ‘massacres’; IDF dismisses Hamas claim 90 killed, says no major damage to school complex
The IDF and Shin Bet security agency on Saturday night named 19 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror operatives that it said it killed in an airstrike Saturday morning on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command room at the Taba’een school in Gaza City.
The Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run civil defense agency claimed over 90 people were killed in the airstrike, describing the incident as a “horrific massacre.” Several Western diplomats, the Egyptian and Qatari mediators of ceasefire-for-hostage talks and numerous Muslim countries denounced Israel over the airstrike.
The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about the airstrike and was seeking further details. It said far too many civilians continue to be killed in the Gaza war. The IDF and Shin Bet security agency on Saturday night named 19 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror operatives that it said it killed in an airstrike Saturday morning on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command room at the Taba’een school in Gaza City.
The Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run civil defense agency claimed over 90 people were killed in the airstrike, describing the incident as a “horrific massacre.” Several Western diplomats, the Egyptian and Qatari mediators of ceasefire-for-hostage talks and numerous Muslim countries denounced Israel over the airstrike.
The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about the airstrike and was seeking further details. It said far too many civilians continue to be killed in the Gaza war. “Increasingly in recent months Hamas has focused on exploiting school buildings, often where civilians are sheltering inside, to use them as military facilities, command and control centers, for storing weapons, and to execute terrorist attacks,” Hagari said in a video statement. “Over the last few weeks, our intelligence has been closely monitoring an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility, where approximately two dozen Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were operating,” Hagari continued. “After we received clear intelligence of the threat posed by these terrorists and in accordance with international humanitarian law, we took numerous steps to mitigate the risk to civilians, including using aerial surveillance prior to the strike and selecting very precise munitions to avoid civilian casualties.”
“Early this morning, the IDF conducted a precision strike against the terrorists in one specific building of the compound. An area that, according to our intelligence, no women and children were present,” Hagari added.
Hagari also said that Hamas’s casualty count “does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, and they do not match the information held by the IDF.” It was unclear how many people were killed in all, and how many of the casualties were combatants.
“Horrified by images from a sheltering school in Gaza hit by an Israeli strike, with reportedly dozens of Palestinian victims. At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There’s no justification for these massacres,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X. UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said that Britain was “appalled” at Israel’s deadly airstrike and called for “an immediate ceasefire.”
“Appalled by the Israeli Military strike on al-Tabeen school and the tragic loss of life,” Lammy wrote on X, adding: “We need an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians, free all hostages, and end restrictions on aid.”
France said it condemned the strike “in the firmest of terms.”
“For several weeks, school buildings have been repeatedly targeted, with an intolerable number of civilian victims,” it said. In recent months, dozens of airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF.
The IDF said two days ago that it had struck Hamas command and control centers in schools in the Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods. And on Monday, it said the commander of Hamas’s Sheikh Radwan Battalion was killed in an airstrike at another school in Gaza City. “Since the beginning of this war, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations have been systematically abusing the civilian population and infrastructures in Gaza for their terrorist activities against the state of Israel,” Hagari said Saturday. “This includes Hamas’s massive network of underground tunnels which go under towns, hospitals, mosques, schools, and UN facilities, and are used by terrorists to command attacks, store weapons, and hold Israeli hostages captive.”
“It also includes hospitals across the Gaza Strip, which have been repeatedly infiltrated and weaponized by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and where terrorists, tunnel shafts were found. Increasingly, in recent months, Hamas has focused on exploiting school buildings, often where civilians are sheltering inside, to use them as military facilities, command and control centers, for storing weapons, and to execute terror attacks.”
According to military assessments, Hamas operatives are struggling to remain inside tunnels as the long war drags on and are therefore increasingly moving to above-ground sites, while hiding among innocents.
Egypt claimed Israel’s “deliberate killing” Saturday of Palestinians showed that it lacks a political will to end the war in Gaza amid negotiations for a deal that would see hostages released by Hamas in return for a ceasefire.
Qatar, which like Egypt has been mediating in the talks between Israel and Hamas, demanded an urgent probe after the strike.
The Qatari foreign ministry said it renewed the Gulf emirate’s “demand for an urgent international investigation, including the dispatch of independent UN investigators, to ascertain the facts regarding the Israeli occupation forces’ continued targeting of schools and shelters for displaced persons.” The foreign ministry of Lebanon — from where Hezbollah has been launching near-daily attacks on Israel in solidarity with Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities that started the ongoing fighting — said the strike showed Israel’s intention to “extend the war,” while Saudi Arabia urged the end to the “mass slaughter in Gaza.” full article
IDF says weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas operatives
found in Khan Younis tunnel
A cache of weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas operatives was recently found by troops in a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, the IDF says.
The find was made by soldiers of the 7th Armored Brigade and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, which are operating under the 98th Division.
Also amid the 98th Division’s operations in Khan Younis, the IDF says drone strikes were carried out against dozens of sites and operatives, including a terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught and Hamas commanders of engineering and sniper units.
The IDF and Shin Bet security agency on Saturday night named 19 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror operatives that it said it killed in an airstrike Saturday morning on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command room at the Taba’een school in Gaza City.
The Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run civil defense agency claimed over 90 people were killed in the airstrike, describing the incident as a “horrific massacre.” Several Western diplomats, the Egyptian and Qatari mediators of ceasefire-for-hostage talks and numerous Muslim countries denounced Israel over the airstrike.
The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about the airstrike and was seeking further details. It said far too many civilians continue to be killed in the Gaza war. The IDF and Shin Bet security agency on Saturday night named 19 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror operatives that it said it killed in an airstrike Saturday morning on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command room at the Taba’een school in Gaza City.
The Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run civil defense agency claimed over 90 people were killed in the airstrike, describing the incident as a “horrific massacre.” Several Western diplomats, the Egyptian and Qatari mediators of ceasefire-for-hostage talks and numerous Muslim countries denounced Israel over the airstrike.
The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about the airstrike and was seeking further details. It said far too many civilians continue to be killed in the Gaza war. “Increasingly in recent months Hamas has focused on exploiting school buildings, often where civilians are sheltering inside, to use them as military facilities, command and control centers, for storing weapons, and to execute terrorist attacks,” Hagari said in a video statement. “Over the last few weeks, our intelligence has been closely monitoring an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility, where approximately two dozen Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were operating,” Hagari continued. “After we received clear intelligence of the threat posed by these terrorists and in accordance with international humanitarian law, we took numerous steps to mitigate the risk to civilians, including using aerial surveillance prior to the strike and selecting very precise munitions to avoid civilian casualties.”
“Early this morning, the IDF conducted a precision strike against the terrorists in one specific building of the compound. An area that, according to our intelligence, no women and children were present,” Hagari added.
Hagari also said that Hamas’s casualty count “does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, and they do not match the information held by the IDF.” It was unclear how many people were killed in all, and how many of the casualties were combatants.
“Horrified by images from a sheltering school in Gaza hit by an Israeli strike, with reportedly dozens of Palestinian victims. At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There’s no justification for these massacres,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X. UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said that Britain was “appalled” at Israel’s deadly airstrike and called for “an immediate ceasefire.”
“Appalled by the Israeli Military strike on al-Tabeen school and the tragic loss of life,” Lammy wrote on X, adding: “We need an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians, free all hostages, and end restrictions on aid.”
France said it condemned the strike “in the firmest of terms.”
“For several weeks, school buildings have been repeatedly targeted, with an intolerable number of civilian victims,” it said. In recent months, dozens of airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF.
The IDF said two days ago that it had struck Hamas command and control centers in schools in the Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods. And on Monday, it said the commander of Hamas’s Sheikh Radwan Battalion was killed in an airstrike at another school in Gaza City. “Since the beginning of this war, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations have been systematically abusing the civilian population and infrastructures in Gaza for their terrorist activities against the state of Israel,” Hagari said Saturday. “This includes Hamas’s massive network of underground tunnels which go under towns, hospitals, mosques, schools, and UN facilities, and are used by terrorists to command attacks, store weapons, and hold Israeli hostages captive.”
“It also includes hospitals across the Gaza Strip, which have been repeatedly infiltrated and weaponized by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and where terrorists, tunnel shafts were found. Increasingly, in recent months, Hamas has focused on exploiting school buildings, often where civilians are sheltering inside, to use them as military facilities, command and control centers, for storing weapons, and to execute terror attacks.”
According to military assessments, Hamas operatives are struggling to remain inside tunnels as the long war drags on and are therefore increasingly moving to above-ground sites, while hiding among innocents.
Egypt claimed Israel’s “deliberate killing” Saturday of Palestinians showed that it lacks a political will to end the war in Gaza amid negotiations for a deal that would see hostages released by Hamas in return for a ceasefire.
Qatar, which like Egypt has been mediating in the talks between Israel and Hamas, demanded an urgent probe after the strike.
The Qatari foreign ministry said it renewed the Gulf emirate’s “demand for an urgent international investigation, including the dispatch of independent UN investigators, to ascertain the facts regarding the Israeli occupation forces’ continued targeting of schools and shelters for displaced persons.” The foreign ministry of Lebanon — from where Hezbollah has been launching near-daily attacks on Israel in solidarity with Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities that started the ongoing fighting — said the strike showed Israel’s intention to “extend the war,” while Saudi Arabia urged the end to the “mass slaughter in Gaza.” full article
IDF says weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas operatives
found in Khan Younis tunnel
A cache of weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas operatives was recently found by troops in a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, the IDF says.
The find was made by soldiers of the 7th Armored Brigade and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, which are operating under the 98th Division.
Also amid the 98th Division’s operations in Khan Younis, the IDF says drone strikes were carried out against dozens of sites and operatives, including a terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught and Hamas commanders of engineering and sniper units.
A “meaningful dialogue” is underway between Egypt and the Palestinian Authority for the latter to assume responsibility for the Rafah Crossing between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, the Kan public broadcaster reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the details.
The report says that the Egyptians aim for this to be the first element of a plan to have the West Bank-based PA gradually take over other strategic places in Gaza after the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, despite the Israeli leadership consistently rejecting the idea of handing the PA a role in ruling postwar Gaza.
Senior PA official Hussein al-Sheikh has in recent days met an Egyptian official in Ramallah to discuss the plan, which is strongly supported by Cairo and likely also backed by the US, the report says, adding that the intention is to have the PA openly take control of the crossing, without masking or hiding its involvement.
Early this morning the IDF says it struck a cell of terror operatives that were identified emerging from a tunnel shaft in southern Gaza’s Rafah.
The operatives were spotted by soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras, and a short while later a drone struck and killed them.
Also in Rafah, troops with the 162nd Division directed an airstrike on a building where they had spotted a cell of operatives, the IDF says.
Meanwhile, in Khan Younis, the military says that troops with the 98th Division directed strikes against a site used to launch a barrage of four rockets at the border community of Kissufim yesterday.
Another strike directed by the 98th Division was carried out against a building used by Hamas’s rocket unit, according to the IDF.
More than 30 other targets were struck by Israeli aircraft across Gaza over the past day, including buildings used by terror groups, anti-tank launch positions, and weapon depots, the military adds.
A “meaningful dialogue” is underway between Egypt and the Palestinian Authority for the latter to assume responsibility for the Rafah Crossing between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, the Kan public broadcaster reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the details.
The report says that the Egyptians aim for this to be the first element of a plan to have the West Bank-based PA gradually take over other strategic places in Gaza after the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, despite the Israeli leadership consistently rejecting the idea of handing the PA a role in ruling postwar Gaza.
Senior PA official Hussein al-Sheikh has in recent days met an Egyptian official in Ramallah to discuss the plan, which is strongly supported by Cairo and likely also backed by the US, the report says, adding that the intention is to have the PA openly take control of the crossing, without masking or hiding its involvement.
Early this morning the IDF says it struck a cell of terror operatives that were identified emerging from a tunnel shaft in southern Gaza’s Rafah.
The operatives were spotted by soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras, and a short while later a drone struck and killed them.
Also in Rafah, troops with the 162nd Division directed an airstrike on a building where they had spotted a cell of operatives, the IDF says.
Meanwhile, in Khan Younis, the military says that troops with the 98th Division directed strikes against a site used to launch a barrage of four rockets at the border community of Kissufim yesterday.
Another strike directed by the 98th Division was carried out against a building used by Hamas’s rocket unit, according to the IDF.
More than 30 other targets were struck by Israeli aircraft across Gaza over the past day, including buildings used by terror groups, anti-tank launch positions, and weapon depots, the military adds.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
The Hezbollah terror group takes responsibility for launching several explosive-laden drones at northern Israel in the past hour, claiming to have targeted a military base near Maghar.
Hezbollah says it targeted the IDF’s Michve Alon base, which it claims is used by the military as a staging ground and as a munitions depot. Michve Alon is a training base of the IDF’s Education and Youth Corps. Hezbollah says it carried out the attack in response to the IDF’s strike yesterday near Sidon, which killed a senior Hamas member.
- Powder-keg port town of Haifa readies for Hezbollah strike: ‘We are very exposed’
The Hezbollah terror group takes responsibility for launching several explosive-laden drones at northern Israel in the past hour, claiming to have targeted a military base near Maghar.
Hezbollah says it targeted the IDF’s Michve Alon base, which it claims is used by the military as a staging ground and as a munitions depot. Michve Alon is a training base of the IDF’s Education and Youth Corps. Hezbollah says it carried out the attack in response to the IDF’s strike yesterday near Sidon, which killed a senior Hamas member.
- Powder-keg port town of Haifa readies for Hezbollah strike: ‘We are very exposed’
Northern city still scarred by 2006 war with Iran-backed group; amid drone attacks, residents fear coast’s combustible materials could fuel local repeat of Beirut’s 2020 blast
Haifa’s residents gaze warily onto the sprawling industrial port that flanks their northern city, knowing the potential for a major blast as they brace for bombardment from Hezbollah.
The historic city cascades down a steep hillside to the very edge of the port, a complex that houses Israel’s biggest oil refinery, giant fuel tanks and other highly flammable targets.
Memories are vivid in Haifa — about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Lebanese border — of the 2006 Second Lebanon War against Hezbollah, when the Iran-backed terror group’s rockets repeatedly slammed into the city, reducing homes to rubble and leaving more than a dozen people dead.
Residents are also aware of the notorious Beirut port blast that killed more than 220 people, injured at least 6,500 and devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital in August 2020.
Haifa is now in the crosshairs once again, with Iran and its proxies feared to be preparing an attack over last week’s killings of top officials from Hezbollah and Hamas. “Of course it’s a main concern, especially after what we’ve seen happening four years ago in the harbor of Beirut,” long-time resident Patrice Wolff told AFP, when asked about the potential for a big explosion.
“We know how damaging it can be, a blast from this area, so we are very conscious of it. And we certainly hope it will not come to be that bad.”
We are very exposed’
Haifa’s Mount Carmel offers panoramic views across the city, port, Mediterranean coast and northern Israel, all the way up to the mountainous, disputed border with Lebanon.
However, the area has come under repeated drone attack in recent days, increasing jitters in the frontline region.
The residents of Haifa, population 280,000, know the drill: if the air raid siren sounds, or is alerted via smartphone, they have one minute to reach a bomb shelter or secure area.
Wolff, 58, who works for a medical supplies company, sleeps with his phone next to him in case of an alert.
“We’re all very conscious of the risk and we know what to do if things would go astray. We have instructions from the civil defense on how to behave,” he said.
“We certainly hope that it will not come to this extent but we are very exposed because we’re in a straight line from Lebanon.” Full article
Five Iran-backed fighters were killed today in a drone strike in Syria’s east, near the Iraqi border, a war monitor says, adding it was not clear yet who was behind the attack.
“Five pro-Iranian fighters were killed and others were injured, some severely… after an unknown drone targeted the military vehicle they were in… near the Syrian-Iraqi border,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The strike occurred in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor province, where Iran wields significant influence and which is regularly targeted by Israel and the United States, according to the Britain-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria.
SOHR, run by a single person, has regularly been accused by Syrian war analysts of false reporting and inflating casualty numbers as well as inventing them wholesale.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- A man critically wounded in a shooting attack in the Jordan Valley has died, first responders say.
The IDF says a large number of troops have been sent to the site of the shooting attack, and have begun a pursuit after the terrorists.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service earlier said that it was treating two victims near the Mehola Junction.
A car targeted in a shooting attack near the Mehola Junction in the West Bank, August 11, 2024. (Rescuers Without Borders)According to MDA, one of the victims, in his 20s, was in critical condition. He was pronounced dead not long after.
The second victim, aged 33, is in moderate condition. Both of the victims, motorists, were separately shot from a passing vehicle.
Far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech defends an incident over the weekend when settlers assaulted a group of Arab Israelis and torched their car after they accidentally drove into an illegal West Bank outpost.
“We are not talking about an Israeli family,” the Otzma Yehudit lawmaker claims, speaking to the Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee.
“In Judea and Samaria the threat is under your home,” she says, referring to the biblical name for the West Bank. “When a car with non-Israeli license plates drives in, there are no compromises.”
“While there is the possibility this is an innocent incident, there is also the chance it is a spying incident, an attempt to gather information. You can’t ignore that,” she says.
Five Arab Israelis were attacked and their car was set on fire Friday after they accidentally drove into Givat Ronen, a small hilltop outpost in the northern West Bank near the village of Burin, an area that has seen repeated clashes between extremist settlers and Palestinians. Israeli settlers are suspected of carrying out the attack.
The car was carrying four women and a 3-year-old girl, according to Hebrew media reports. link This racist excuse for a human being doesn't see anyone but people of her ilk as humans and worthy of living. The report states that this area of the West Bank 'has seen repeated clashes between extremist settlers and Palestinians." What is not reported is that every single one of those clashes is instigated by the extremist settlers whose goal is to displace the Palestinians from their own land and for them to take it all over. It is an embarrassment that this woman is a member of our Knesset and an even bigger embarrassment that her party holds too much influence in this horrendous government because Netanyahu normalized them. They are a direct by product of the former racist party Kach of the extremist racist Meir Kahana and the party was declared illegal many years ago. Instead of making the direct descendent of that party illegal, Netanyahu has normalized them, taking them from the fringes to senior cabinet positions.
The IDF says a large number of troops have been sent to the site of the shooting attack, and have begun a pursuit after the terrorists.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service earlier said that it was treating two victims near the Mehola Junction.
A car targeted in a shooting attack near the Mehola Junction in the West Bank, August 11, 2024. (Rescuers Without Borders)
According to MDA, one of the victims, in his 20s, was in critical condition. He was pronounced dead not long after.
The second victim, aged 33, is in moderate condition. Both of the victims, motorists, were separately shot from a passing vehicle.
Far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech defends an incident over the weekend when settlers assaulted a group of Arab Israelis and torched their car after they accidentally drove into an illegal West Bank outpost.
“We are not talking about an Israeli family,” the Otzma Yehudit lawmaker claims, speaking to the Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee.
“In Judea and Samaria the threat is under your home,” she says, referring to the biblical name for the West Bank. “When a car with non-Israeli license plates drives in, there are no compromises.”
“While there is the possibility this is an innocent incident, there is also the chance it is a spying incident, an attempt to gather information. You can’t ignore that,” she says.
Five Arab Israelis were attacked and their car was set on fire Friday after they accidentally drove into Givat Ronen, a small hilltop outpost in the northern West Bank near the village of Burin, an area that has seen repeated clashes between extremist settlers and Palestinians. Israeli settlers are suspected of carrying out the attack.
The car was carrying four women and a 3-year-old girl, according to Hebrew media reports. link This racist excuse for a human being doesn't see anyone but people of her ilk as humans and worthy of living. The report states that this area of the West Bank 'has seen repeated clashes between extremist settlers and Palestinians." What is not reported is that every single one of those clashes is instigated by the extremist settlers whose goal is to displace the Palestinians from their own land and for them to take it all over. It is an embarrassment that this woman is a member of our Knesset and an even bigger embarrassment that her party holds too much influence in this horrendous government because Netanyahu normalized them. They are a direct by product of the former racist party Kach of the extremist racist Meir Kahana and the party was declared illegal many years ago. Instead of making the direct descendent of that party illegal, Netanyahu has normalized them, taking them from the fringes to senior cabinet positions.
Politics and the War (general news)
Jordan will permit Israel to use airspace to foil Iranian
attack — report
Despite an official statement saying otherwise, Jordan will allow Israel to use its airspace to foil a potential Iranian attack, an informed official in Amman tells Channel 12 news.
“It stems from a security interest and this is the policy, just like in April when Jordan helped Israel stop the Iranian attack. It is ultimately an ally of the United States,” the source says.
Jordan has officially denied it will allow Israel to use its airspace to shoot down missiles and drones fired in a potential Iranian attack, expected to be launched as a reprisal for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic has blamed Israel for the killing, but Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement.
Reports in April said Amman did permit such actions when Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones.
Jordan will permit Israel to use airspace to foil Iranian attack — report
Despite an official statement saying otherwise, Jordan will allow Israel to use its airspace to foil a potential Iranian attack, an informed official in Amman tells Channel 12 news.“It stems from a security interest and this is the policy, just like in April when Jordan helped Israel stop the Iranian attack. It is ultimately an ally of the United States,” the source says.
Jordan has officially denied it will allow Israel to use its airspace to shoot down missiles and drones fired in a potential Iranian attack, expected to be launched as a reprisal for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic has blamed Israel for the killing, but Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement.
Reports in April said Amman did permit such actions when Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones.
The Region and the World
- Iran attack on Israel could last 3-4 days, will come by 'surprise'
"Iran's aerial operations against Israel could last three to four days," said Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Commission, Iran International reported on Saturday night, citing an interview published by 'Iran Watch.'
Ardestani reportedly told Iran Watch that Iran "is certainly prepared for the consequences of such an attack and will be ready for any subsequent developments." He added that the Iranian response would "be carried out by surprise and may even last three to four days."
He told the interviewer that "bloodshed would be carried out" to avenge Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran while attending the inauguration of new Iranian president Pezeshkian.
"Therefore, Iran's response to this crime of the Zionist regime will be definitive and there is no doubt about it."
Ardestani also told Iran Watch that prolonging the response, or making Israel wait for the response, was in Iran's favor as Israel "feels every night that it is in limbo, and keeping Israel in limbo is part of the revenge operation."
"Adopting a policy of patience and waiting is part of the revenge process of the Islamic Republic."
Many experts have claimed that psychological warfare is part of Iranian strategy. David Menashri, an Iran expert at Tel Aviv University, told The Media Line “Israel is not that good at the game of patience like Iran, so it will be interesting to see if it will act first. Iran is clearly winning the psychological warfare at the moment.” full article Iran hasn't attacked us yet for a variety of reasons. 1- They have a new president who doesn't agree with the Supreme Council regarding the intensity of the attack or the targets; he is not looking to start a full scale war which could include the US and other Western Allies. 2- Haniyeh, who was killed was not an Iranian and therefore their direct allegiance and need to retaliate is weighed differently. 3 - They are worried about the intensity and targets of an Israeli attack, either as retaliation or pre-emptive, especially in light of the successes of foreign attacks (Israeli?) on Iranian soil. 4- They may be weighing having their proxies take on the brunt of the retaliation if not all of it and therefore potentially remove Iranian territory from the equation, although this is not likely as the assassination of Haniyeh was in their backyard, so they may feel strongly that they must has some type of direct hand in the attack, albeit a smaller hand. 5 - Psychological warfare has been very costly for Israel and they are enjoying it - almost all foreign airlines have stopped flying to and from Israel, the shekel has taken a major hit in international monetary exchanges, the hit to our economy, the constant threat and anxiety that an attack can happen at any time. And I have no doubt that there are other reasons as well, so we continue to be in a holding pattern, living our lives and waiting for some kind of attack
Personal Stories
"Iran's aerial operations against Israel could last three to four days," said Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Commission, Iran International reported on Saturday night, citing an interview published by 'Iran Watch.'
Ardestani reportedly told Iran Watch that Iran "is certainly prepared for the consequences of such an attack and will be ready for any subsequent developments." He added that the Iranian response would "be carried out by surprise and may even last three to four days."
He told the interviewer that "bloodshed would be carried out" to avenge Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran while attending the inauguration of new Iranian president Pezeshkian.
"Therefore, Iran's response to this crime of the Zionist regime will be definitive and there is no doubt about it."
Ardestani also told Iran Watch that prolonging the response, or making Israel wait for the response, was in Iran's favor as Israel "feels every night that it is in limbo, and keeping Israel in limbo is part of the revenge operation."
"Adopting a policy of patience and waiting is part of the revenge process of the Islamic Republic."
Many experts have claimed that psychological warfare is part of Iranian strategy. David Menashri, an Iran expert at Tel Aviv University, told The Media Line “Israel is not that good at the game of patience like Iran, so it will be interesting to see if it will act first. Iran is clearly winning the psychological warfare at the moment.” full article Iran hasn't attacked us yet for a variety of reasons. 1- They have a new president who doesn't agree with the Supreme Council regarding the intensity of the attack or the targets; he is not looking to start a full scale war which could include the US and other Western Allies. 2- Haniyeh, who was killed was not an Iranian and therefore their direct allegiance and need to retaliate is weighed differently. 3 - They are worried about the intensity and targets of an Israeli attack, either as retaliation or pre-emptive, especially in light of the successes of foreign attacks (Israeli?) on Iranian soil. 4- They may be weighing having their proxies take on the brunt of the retaliation if not all of it and therefore potentially remove Iranian territory from the equation, although this is not likely as the assassination of Haniyeh was in their backyard, so they may feel strongly that they must has some type of direct hand in the attack, albeit a smaller hand. 5 - Psychological warfare has been very costly for Israel and they are enjoying it - almost all foreign airlines have stopped flying to and from Israel, the shekel has taken a major hit in international monetary exchanges, the hit to our economy, the constant threat and anxiety that an attack can happen at any time. And I have no doubt that there are other reasons as well, so we continue to be in a holding pattern, living our lives and waiting for some kind of attack
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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