π️Lonny's War Update- October 313, 2023 - August 14, 2024 π️
π️Day 313 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!!!”
115 hostages, 313 days.
Does this seem normal to anyone?
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
115 hostages, 313 days.
Does this seem normal to anyone?
Bring them HOME, now!
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
*10:00pm yesterday - north - rockets Malkia, Dishon*11:35pm yesterday - north - rockets - Meron Field School, Beit Jan - - about 25 rockets launched at the Upper Galilee. The rockets struck open areas and no reports of injuries
*12:35am - South - rockets - Holit*10:55am - north - hostile aircraft- Arab al Aramsha, Admit, Eilon, Goren, Gordot Hagalil, Hanita, Ya'ara
*10:55am - north - rockets - Manara
*3:45pm - north - rockets Margaliot
*12:35am - South - rockets - Holit
*10:55am - north - rockets - Manara
*3:45pm - north - rockets Margaliot
Hostage Updates
A member of the Israeli negotiating team tells Channel 12 that there is no point in traveling to the Thursday hostage talk summit if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t expand the mandate of the team.
The exact parameters for the Israeli team will be set at a meeting with Netanyahu later this week.
The negotiators warned Netanyahu earlier this month that it won’t be possible to reach a deal with the new demands that he issued in late July. Netanyahu insisted again earlier today that he has not added new demands, rather offered clarifications that allow for the deal to be implemented.Link everyone, including the negotiators know that Netanyahu will once again demand certain parameters that will be almost guaranteed to scuttle any chances for a deal. He has been putting out feelers to his extreme right wing coalition partners, Ben Gvir and Smotrich, to see what they could agree to and what would push them over the edge. There has been speculation that both of them would bolt the government if a deal was agreed up which called for the end of the war but would come back to the government before the winter Knesset session. Currently, the Knesset is on its longest recess in history so that Netanyahu wouldn’t face a vote of no confidence over everything that is happening in the south, north, hostages, economy. The recess gives him more breathing space to keep his government together and himself as prime minister. If the speculation has any merit and he believes that their bolting the government was only temporary for them to save face, then there is a chance he would go forward with a deal. It's very unlikely to happen as those ministers would have to resign, as well as the other ministers from their parties and they would lose a lot of party funding which is part of the coalition agreements. Here money talks and makes the possibility of resigning and coming back almost zero. Let’s hope they do it anyway and Netanyahu does make a deal.
US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel says that “Qatar has assured us that they will work to have Hamas represented” at Thursday’s hostage talks summit.
Hamas issued a statement earlier this week indicating that it would not attend the meeting, calling on mediators to coax Israel into agreeing to the updated proposal that the terror group submitted in early July.
That offer saw Hamas cave on its long-held, central demand that Israel commit up-front to a permanent ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by submitting a series of new demands that Hamas has rejected, Israeli and US officials say.
A location for Thursday’s summit has not yet been announced, but an Arab official tells The Times of Israel that the current expectation is for the meeting to take place in Doha.
Regardless of whether or not Hamas attends, its negotiators would not be in the same room as Israeli counterparts anyway.
Despite speculation that Hamas might not attend, Patel says, “We fully expect these talks to move forward.”
My brother’s post: On the Negotiations in Doha:
In the US-Egypt-Qatar leaders' jont statement it was clear that the mediators are fed up and want an agreement to end the war and to bring the Israeli hostages home. They essentially said that the "rules of the game" have been changed. They are now ready to put down their own bridging proposals. That is what they need to do from the very beginning of this round of talks. The previous proposal, the so-called Netanyahu plan is a bad plan. It will take too long to implement, there are too many potentials points of failure, it does not bring a quick end to the war and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and it does not make the full exchange for all of the Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The time frame of the deal must be shortened to 4-6 weeks and during that time the war must end, Israel must withdraw from Gaza, the Gaza-Egypt border must be hermetically sealed on the Egyptian side with American inspectors; and the Israeli hostages - all of them, living or dead, must be returned to Israel in exchange for as many Palestinian prisoners as is agreed. The Palestinian prisoners must be allowed to return to their homes, both as principle and because that is where they can be best monitored by Palestinian and Israeli security apparatuses. The three heads of the Israeli negotiating team are going to Doha - this is very important. The Head of Egyptian Intelligence will be there, so will the Qatari Prime Minister and the Head of the CIA. Hamas is in Doha and the Egyptians and Qataris are in constant contact with them.
The mediators must have their diplomatic tool box filled with lots of carrots, and also lots of sticks. An additional tool has apparently been added to the tool box by the assessment that Iran will not attack Israel if a ceasefire is reached. The US must now use its big stick against Israel: We, the US have your back Israel if you are attacked by Iran or by Hezbollah - but we will no longer fuel the war in Gaza. The Egyptians and Qataris have their big sticks for Hamas including expelling the Hamas leadership from Qatar and not allowing Hamas leaders and their families to stay in Egypt - along with other sticks and carrots. Now is the time for an agreement. The Israeli negotiators should not leave Doha until that agreement is reached. If the Israeli negotiators reach the point where they can agree but know that Netanyahu will prevent agreement, then they must return home, present the agreement to the public and all should resign from their post as negotiators. This can be done now - it must be done now!
- Moments Before the Doha Summit: The Dramatic Discussion Between Netanyahu and the Negotiation Team – Which Could Change the Entire Picture
The Prime Minister must determine how broad the mandate of the negotiation team will be before departing for the crucial summit tomorrow • Netanyahu claimed in an official statement: "I did not add conditions to the deal", a political source claims Netanyahu is firmly standing by the conditions he set • President Biden: Believes Iran will not attack Israel if there's a deal • Senior official: If Israel is perceived as the one who foiled the talks - it will also be responsible for Iran
A heated argument recently erupted between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the negotiation team against the backdrop of the ongoing sensitivity of the contacts and Israel's conditions for a hostage deal. Leaders are preparing for the summit to be held on Thursday, likely in Doha, and as we reported yesterday (Tuesday) on the "Main Edition", it seems that due to the approach to dramatic decisions, the tension between the sides has reached a boiling point. Biden was asked tonight about the chance of reaching a deal, and replied that it's becoming difficult, but that he's not giving up.
Despite the mediating countries and professional elements in Israel already making it clear that this is the last opportunity, at the top, the argument over the mandate between Netanyahu and the heads of the negotiation team continues. In Israel, they are working around the clock to narrow the gaps, but now the big question is: How broad will the mandate be with which the team will leave for the crucial summit? The scope of the mandate will be determined in a discussion with the Prime Minister and it can be estimated that the parties are on the threshold of a particularly dramatic discussion. After the report in the New York Times about the new conditions allegedly added by the Prime Minister to the negotiation talks, Netanyahu clarified on his part in an official statement from his office that he did not add conditions to the deal. In contrast, the negotiation team claims that this is verbally correct, but not substantively and practically. The US and mediators are preparing to also present their own outline. They see this as the last opportunity and intend to present an outline that bridges the gaps and are convinced that all gaps can be overcome, the question is if the parties will want to and flexibility is required.
"The Prime Minister stands by the conditions he presented," emphasized a political source in a conversation with News 12. "This includes the mechanism for supervising the rise of armed men to the northern Gaza Strip." This is a critical point, perhaps the most critical, since all the heads of the security system made it clear that for now there is no mechanism that allows this. It seems that only in the discussion itself will the negotiation team know if this is a well-planned tactic of the Prime Minister or a principled position that he cannot compromise on. "An agreement can be reached, it requires flexibility also from Sinwar who presented 29 demands and knows he can't get them and also from Netanyahu," added the senior source. "Tomorrow we'll know if the insistence on clarifications is a tough negotiation tactic or a way to postpone the agreement. The problem is that this time it's not just Israel versus Hamas, but the stakes have risen and if Israel is perceived as the one who foiled the negotiations - it will be the one also signed against Iran." Sources in the negotiation team emphasized that if the mandate is not broadened, there is no point in traveling and continuing to "string along the families." Recall that in the shouting meeting we published last week on "Friday Studio" the heads of the security system hurled harsh accusations at the Prime Minister. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar claimed that he "feels the Prime Minister doesn't want the outline on the table," and asked him to tell him if that's his intention. Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon claimed that "we're at zero," and said the Prime Minister knows very well that the parameters he added will not be accepted, and there will be no deal. This time too, senior officials in the security system said at the end of the stormy meeting that "Prime Minister Netanyahu does not want a deal at this time." He continues to insist despite them making it clear to him that the system knows how to deal with the implications of the deal and claim he has given up on the hostages.
Meanwhile, we can take comfort in the fact that for now the American strategy has succeeded: The moves have been postponed and all attention has been shifted to the deal. Recall that the summit to be held tomorrow is expected to be attended by the CIA chief, the Prime Minister of Qatar and the head of Egyptian intelligence. On Israel's side, Mossad chief Barnea and it appears also political advisor Ophir Falk, who will join on behalf of the Prime Minister. Now there is an understanding that it's important for Hamas representatives to also be present around the discussion table. Especially when in Iran they claim that a ceasefire in Gaza could prevent a combined attack in response to the assassination of Haniyeh.
US President Biden was also asked tonight about the chance of reaching a deal, and replied: "It's becoming difficult. We'll see what Iran does, and we'll see what happens if there's any attack. But I'm not giving up." When asked if he thinks Iran will refrain from attacking Israel if there's a deal, he said: "That's my expectation. We'll see." link
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirms that senior political adviser Ophir Falk will be part of a delegation to talks in Doha aimed at freeing hostages and halting fighting in Gaza.
Falk will attend the talks alongside Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and IDF Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.
News reports after Falk was dispatched to a round of negotiations in July described him as Netanyahu’s eyes and ears at the talks.
“Israel will send the negotiations team on the agreed upon date, that’s tomorrow August 15th, in order to finalize the details of the implementation of the framework agreement,” government spokesperson David Mencer says in a briefing.
According to the PMO, Netanyahu held three separate “in-depth” meetings over seven hours in Tel Aviv today to discuss the talks. link The fact that Netanyahu is once again sending his advisor (watch dog) to the negotiations is not a good sign. He does that to make sure the official negotiators don't agree to anything that Netanyahu doesn't want. In the past, these things were Netanyahu's demands that were not approved by the war cabinet or anyone else and were told verbally to the negotiators after the official meetings with the war cabinet. In other words, Netanyahu has sent Falk to make sure that a deal wouldn't not be made. Not a good sign.
Hostage Updates
A member of the Israeli negotiating team tells Channel 12 that there is no point in traveling to the Thursday hostage talk summit if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t expand the mandate of the team.
The exact parameters for the Israeli team will be set at a meeting with Netanyahu later this week.
The negotiators warned Netanyahu earlier this month that it won’t be possible to reach a deal with the new demands that he issued in late July. Netanyahu insisted again earlier today that he has not added new demands, rather offered clarifications that allow for the deal to be implemented.Link everyone, including the negotiators know that Netanyahu will once again demand certain parameters that will be almost guaranteed to scuttle any chances for a deal. He has been putting out feelers to his extreme right wing coalition partners, Ben Gvir and Smotrich, to see what they could agree to and what would push them over the edge. There has been speculation that both of them would bolt the government if a deal was agreed up which called for the end of the war but would come back to the government before the winter Knesset session. Currently, the Knesset is on its longest recess in history so that Netanyahu wouldn’t face a vote of no confidence over everything that is happening in the south, north, hostages, economy. The recess gives him more breathing space to keep his government together and himself as prime minister. If the speculation has any merit and he believes that their bolting the government was only temporary for them to save face, then there is a chance he would go forward with a deal. It's very unlikely to happen as those ministers would have to resign, as well as the other ministers from their parties and they would lose a lot of party funding which is part of the coalition agreements. Here money talks and makes the possibility of resigning and coming back almost zero. Let’s hope they do it anyway and Netanyahu does make a deal.
US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel says that “Qatar has assured us that they will work to have Hamas represented” at Thursday’s hostage talks summit.
Hamas issued a statement earlier this week indicating that it would not attend the meeting, calling on mediators to coax Israel into agreeing to the updated proposal that the terror group submitted in early July.
That offer saw Hamas cave on its long-held, central demand that Israel commit up-front to a permanent ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by submitting a series of new demands that Hamas has rejected, Israeli and US officials say.
A location for Thursday’s summit has not yet been announced, but an Arab official tells The Times of Israel that the current expectation is for the meeting to take place in Doha.
Regardless of whether or not Hamas attends, its negotiators would not be in the same room as Israeli counterparts anyway.
Despite speculation that Hamas might not attend, Patel says, “We fully expect these talks to move forward.”
My brother’s post: On the Negotiations in Doha:
In the US-Egypt-Qatar leaders' jont statement it was clear that the mediators are fed up and want an agreement to end the war and to bring the Israeli hostages home. They essentially said that the "rules of the game" have been changed. They are now ready to put down their own bridging proposals. That is what they need to do from the very beginning of this round of talks. The previous proposal, the so-called Netanyahu plan is a bad plan. It will take too long to implement, there are too many potentials points of failure, it does not bring a quick end to the war and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and it does not make the full exchange for all of the Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The time frame of the deal must be shortened to 4-6 weeks and during that time the war must end, Israel must withdraw from Gaza, the Gaza-Egypt border must be hermetically sealed on the Egyptian side with American inspectors; and the Israeli hostages - all of them, living or dead, must be returned to Israel in exchange for as many Palestinian prisoners as is agreed. The Palestinian prisoners must be allowed to return to their homes, both as principle and because that is where they can be best monitored by Palestinian and Israeli security apparatuses. The three heads of the Israeli negotiating team are going to Doha - this is very important. The Head of Egyptian Intelligence will be there, so will the Qatari Prime Minister and the Head of the CIA. Hamas is in Doha and the Egyptians and Qataris are in constant contact with them.
The mediators must have their diplomatic tool box filled with lots of carrots, and also lots of sticks. An additional tool has apparently been added to the tool box by the assessment that Iran will not attack Israel if a ceasefire is reached. The US must now use its big stick against Israel: We, the US have your back Israel if you are attacked by Iran or by Hezbollah - but we will no longer fuel the war in Gaza. The Egyptians and Qataris have their big sticks for Hamas including expelling the Hamas leadership from Qatar and not allowing Hamas leaders and their families to stay in Egypt - along with other sticks and carrots. Now is the time for an agreement. The Israeli negotiators should not leave Doha until that agreement is reached. If the Israeli negotiators reach the point where they can agree but know that Netanyahu will prevent agreement, then they must return home, present the agreement to the public and all should resign from their post as negotiators. This can be done now - it must be done now!
- Moments Before the Doha Summit: The Dramatic Discussion Between Netanyahu and the Negotiation Team – Which Could Change the Entire PictureThe Prime Minister must determine how broad the mandate of the negotiation team will be before departing for the crucial summit tomorrow • Netanyahu claimed in an official statement: "I did not add conditions to the deal", a political source claims Netanyahu is firmly standing by the conditions he set • President Biden: Believes Iran will not attack Israel if there's a deal • Senior official: If Israel is perceived as the one who foiled the talks - it will also be responsible for IranA heated argument recently erupted between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the negotiation team against the backdrop of the ongoing sensitivity of the contacts and Israel's conditions for a hostage deal. Leaders are preparing for the summit to be held on Thursday, likely in Doha, and as we reported yesterday (Tuesday) on the "Main Edition", it seems that due to the approach to dramatic decisions, the tension between the sides has reached a boiling point. Biden was asked tonight about the chance of reaching a deal, and replied that it's becoming difficult, but that he's not giving up.Despite the mediating countries and professional elements in Israel already making it clear that this is the last opportunity, at the top, the argument over the mandate between Netanyahu and the heads of the negotiation team continues. In Israel, they are working around the clock to narrow the gaps, but now the big question is: How broad will the mandate be with which the team will leave for the crucial summit? The scope of the mandate will be determined in a discussion with the Prime Minister and it can be estimated that the parties are on the threshold of a particularly dramatic discussion. After the report in the New York Times about the new conditions allegedly added by the Prime Minister to the negotiation talks, Netanyahu clarified on his part in an official statement from his office that he did not add conditions to the deal. In contrast, the negotiation team claims that this is verbally correct, but not substantively and practically. The US and mediators are preparing to also present their own outline. They see this as the last opportunity and intend to present an outline that bridges the gaps and are convinced that all gaps can be overcome, the question is if the parties will want to and flexibility is required."The Prime Minister stands by the conditions he presented," emphasized a political source in a conversation with News 12. "This includes the mechanism for supervising the rise of armed men to the northern Gaza Strip." This is a critical point, perhaps the most critical, since all the heads of the security system made it clear that for now there is no mechanism that allows this. It seems that only in the discussion itself will the negotiation team know if this is a well-planned tactic of the Prime Minister or a principled position that he cannot compromise on. "An agreement can be reached, it requires flexibility also from Sinwar who presented 29 demands and knows he can't get them and also from Netanyahu," added the senior source. "Tomorrow we'll know if the insistence on clarifications is a tough negotiation tactic or a way to postpone the agreement. The problem is that this time it's not just Israel versus Hamas, but the stakes have risen and if Israel is perceived as the one who foiled the negotiations - it will be the one also signed against Iran." Sources in the negotiation team emphasized that if the mandate is not broadened, there is no point in traveling and continuing to "string along the families." Recall that in the shouting meeting we published last week on "Friday Studio" the heads of the security system hurled harsh accusations at the Prime Minister. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar claimed that he "feels the Prime Minister doesn't want the outline on the table," and asked him to tell him if that's his intention. Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon claimed that "we're at zero," and said the Prime Minister knows very well that the parameters he added will not be accepted, and there will be no deal. This time too, senior officials in the security system said at the end of the stormy meeting that "Prime Minister Netanyahu does not want a deal at this time." He continues to insist despite them making it clear to him that the system knows how to deal with the implications of the deal and claim he has given up on the hostages.Meanwhile, we can take comfort in the fact that for now the American strategy has succeeded: The moves have been postponed and all attention has been shifted to the deal. Recall that the summit to be held tomorrow is expected to be attended by the CIA chief, the Prime Minister of Qatar and the head of Egyptian intelligence. On Israel's side, Mossad chief Barnea and it appears also political advisor Ophir Falk, who will join on behalf of the Prime Minister. Now there is an understanding that it's important for Hamas representatives to also be present around the discussion table. Especially when in Iran they claim that a ceasefire in Gaza could prevent a combined attack in response to the assassination of Haniyeh.US President Biden was also asked tonight about the chance of reaching a deal, and replied: "It's becoming difficult. We'll see what Iran does, and we'll see what happens if there's any attack. But I'm not giving up." When asked if he thinks Iran will refrain from attacking Israel if there's a deal, he said: "That's my expectation. We'll see." link
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirms that senior political adviser Ophir Falk will be part of a delegation to talks in Doha aimed at freeing hostages and halting fighting in Gaza.
Falk will attend the talks alongside Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and IDF Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.
News reports after Falk was dispatched to a round of negotiations in July described him as Netanyahu’s eyes and ears at the talks.
“Israel will send the negotiations team on the agreed upon date, that’s tomorrow August 15th, in order to finalize the details of the implementation of the framework agreement,” government spokesperson David Mencer says in a briefing.
According to the PMO, Netanyahu held three separate “in-depth” meetings over seven hours in Tel Aviv today to discuss the talks. link The fact that Netanyahu is once again sending his advisor (watch dog) to the negotiations is not a good sign. He does that to make sure the official negotiators don't agree to anything that Netanyahu doesn't want. In the past, these things were Netanyahu's demands that were not approved by the war cabinet or anyone else and were told verbally to the negotiators after the official meetings with the war cabinet. In other words, Netanyahu has sent Falk to make sure that a deal wouldn't not be made. Not a good sign.
Gaza
- Following Hamas’s attempted rocket attack from southern Gaza’s Khan Younis on Tel Aviv today, the IDF issues a new evacuation order for Palestinians in the area.
Two rockets were fired by Hamas, with one landing in the sea off the coast of Tel Aviv and the other falling short in Gaza.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes a list of the zones that need to be evacuated.
The announcement calls for Palestinians in the specified areas to evacuate to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone.
The IDF is currently carrying out an offensive in Khan Younis. Before the raid, the IDF issued evacuation orders for other areas of Khan Younis.
The Hamas terror group releases footage of it launching two long-range rockets from the Gaza Strip at central Israel today.
The video shows that Hamas used makeshift rocket launchers, instead of the standard launch pits that it would normally use to carry out long-range rocket fire on Israel.
As such, one of the rockets fired today landed in the sea off the coast of Tel Aviv, while the second fell short in Gaza, according to the IDF.
The IDF has assessed that Hamas still possesses the capability to launch rockets at central Israel or Jerusalem, but the terror group does not have many long-range rockets or launchers left to use. video of the preparation of rocket launchers and the launch
Haaretz reports that the IDF has been using Palestinian civilians as human shields during operations in Gaza, ordering them to go into tunnels and homes that the army fears may be booby-trapped.
“It is better that they explode and not the soldiers,” one of the soldiers speaking to Haaretz recalls being told by his commander who justified the practice.
Haaretz says the IDF has not been using terror suspects, but rather innocent civilians who it detains specifically for this practice.
The report cites several soldiers who have witnessed the tactic regularly used in Gaza.
Haaretz says the practice has been used across Gaza in recent months, and senior officers, including the chief of staff, were aware.
In its response to the report, the IDF does not appear to deny that the practice is carried out. It says that such conduct is prohibited, that this was made clear to troops and that the allegations are under investigation. Link. This is another war crime that Israel will be charged with because of the criminal actions of a criminal minister
Israel Defense Force troops operating in Gaza have been using Palestinian civilians as human shields, forcing them to enter tunnels and homes ahead of soldiers due to fears that the structures may be rigged with traps, the Haaretz daily reported on Tuesday.
The IDF said it was reviewing the allegations.
According to the report, which cited testimonies obtained from returning IDF soldiers who have regularly witnessed use of the tactic, troops have on multiple occasions scouted out Gazan civilians who they believe will be an asset to them while operating against Hamas in dense urban areas.
In most, the “recruited” Palestinians are adult men, the report stated, although soldiers also recounted instances in which elderly men or teenagers were selected. The men are not terror suspects, but are detained specifically to be sent into buildings and tunnels that troops believe may be booby-trapped.
“It is better that they explode and not the soldiers,” a soldier quoted in the report recalled being told by his commander, who he said had justified the practice.
The Palestinian men are told that they’ll be released after completing one “mission,” another soldier recounted. He said that the Palestinians were kept with the troops for varying lengths of time, ranging from one or two days to a week.
The newspaper alleged this practice has been widely employed across the Gaza Strip in recent months, and that senior IDF staff — including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi — were aware.
The IDF knows “that it’s not a one-time incident of a young and stupid commander who decides to take someone of his own accord,” one of the soldiers said.
Meanwhile, troops serving under commanders who decided to test out this method told Haaretz that they were not always aware of the true identities of these men.
One of the soldiers recalled an incident in which a man he didn’t know joined their team, wearing an IDF uniform but with sneakers instead of combat boots, and without a protective vest.
The soldiers were instructed to guard him at all times, the soldier said, and the reason for his presence wasn’t made clear to them until a day later, when they were required to enter a tunnel inside a combat zone. The Palestinian man was sent in ahead of them while the commander tracked his movements via the bodycam feed, according to the soldier.
“We could hear deep breathing, it sounded like he was a bit scared,” a soldier who watched the footage said. “They simply sent him in and he mapped it out for the commanders, with the brigade commander watching on the outside.”
One soldier said he was charged with guarding a 16-year-old Palestinian teenager ahead of the mission he’d been selected for.
“You keep quiet and try to convince yourself, ‘ok, let’s go, let’s use them,'” the soldier said. “They tried to explain it in a rational way, but at the end of the day, you have a 16-year-old boy sitting inside the house handcuffed, with his eyes covered.”
The soldier added that it wasn’t until the teen was released a few days later that he realized he hadn’t been a terror suspect at all.
An unnamed source from within the IDF Southern Command attested to Haaretz that Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman was aware of the practice.
“In every meeting at which the issue was raised, there were commanders who warned about the ethical and legal implications,” the source said, adding that some officers had asked to leave the meetings when the matter was raised rather than be party to the conversation.
In its response to the allegations, the IDF did not appear to deny employing the practice amid fighting in Gaza, where Israeli forces have been engaged in a 10-month-long war with Hamas following the October 7 terror onslaught in southern Israel.
“IDF instructions and orders prohibit the use of Gazan civilians caught in the field for military missions that pose a deliberate risk to their lives,” the military said in its response, adding the allegations laid out in the report “were forwarded to the relevant authorities for review.”
The use of human shields is considered a war crime under international law. It is characterized by the International Criminal Court as “utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations.”
The IDF has repeatedly accused Hamas operatives in Gaza of hiding among the Palestinian civilian population and using them as human shields.
War erupted between Israel and Hamas in Gaza following the terror group’s invasion of southern Israel on October 7, during which it killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, 111 of whom are believed to still be held in the Gaza Strip. link
When girls complain to Gaza pediatrician Lobna al-Azaiza that they have no comb, she tells them to cut off their hair.
It’s not just combs. Israel’s blockade of the territory, ravaged by 10 months of war, means there is little or no shampoo, soap, period products or household cleaning materials.
Israel says it allows essential aid in, but maintains a blockade in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons. It also claims that Hamas has diverted aid for its own use.
Waste collection and sewage treatment have also collapsed, and it’s easy to see why contagious diseases that thrive on overcrowding and lack of cleanliness — such as scabies and fungal infections — are on the rise.
“In the past period, the most common disease we have seen was skin rashes, skin diseases, which have many causes, including the overcrowding in the camps, the increased heat inside the tents, the sweating among children, and the lack of sufficient water for bathing,” the doctor says.
Azaiza used to work at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya until Israeli tanks separated the north of the besieged enclave from the south, as the IDF seeks to topple the Hamas terror group that rules Gaza, after its devastating attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Like most of Gaza’s medics, she has adapted and continues to treat patients, walking to work past her own ruined house, demolished by an Israeli strike.
The tent clinic she set up with a small team began by treating children, but has by necessity become a practice for whole families, most of whom have also been ordered or bombed out of their homes, like the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.
Even the medication that is available is often unaffordable; a tube of simple burn ointment can now cost 200 shekels ($53).
Azaiza has little doubt where the immediate solution lies:
“The border crossing must be opened so that we can bring in medications, as most of the current ones are ineffective: zero effect, there is no effect on the skin diseases that we see.”
The IDF says that it has temporarily closed a route in southern Gaza’s Rafah, used to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, after Hamas opened fire at the area.
The military does not provide further details on the incident.
It says that deliveries along the route have been halted temporarily, “as the area has become an active combat zone.”
“Terror activity in humanitarian areas and areas where the population is concentrated harms humanitarian coordination and the distribution of aid,” the IDF says.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 40 targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day, the military says.
The targets hit by fighter jets included various Hamas infrastructure, including buildings used to launch anti-tank missiles, as well as cells of gunmen, according to the IDF.
The IDF also says it struck sites near a rocket-launching position, used in yesterday’s attempted attack by Hamas on Tel Aviv. According to the IDF, the two rockets were fired from a route in Khan Younis, used to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Troops meanwhile continue to battle Hamas in southern Gaza’s Rafah and Khan Younis, and the Netzarim Corridor in the Strip’s center.
Two rockets were fired by Hamas, with one landing in the sea off the coast of Tel Aviv and the other falling short in Gaza.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes a list of the zones that need to be evacuated.
The announcement calls for Palestinians in the specified areas to evacuate to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone.
The IDF is currently carrying out an offensive in Khan Younis. Before the raid, the IDF issued evacuation orders for other areas of Khan Younis.
The Hamas terror group releases footage of it launching two long-range rockets from the Gaza Strip at central Israel today.
The video shows that Hamas used makeshift rocket launchers, instead of the standard launch pits that it would normally use to carry out long-range rocket fire on Israel.
As such, one of the rockets fired today landed in the sea off the coast of Tel Aviv, while the second fell short in Gaza, according to the IDF.
The IDF has assessed that Hamas still possesses the capability to launch rockets at central Israel or Jerusalem, but the terror group does not have many long-range rockets or launchers left to use. video of the preparation of rocket launchers and the launch
Haaretz reports that the IDF has been using Palestinian civilians as human shields during operations in Gaza, ordering them to go into tunnels and homes that the army fears may be booby-trapped.
“It is better that they explode and not the soldiers,” one of the soldiers speaking to Haaretz recalls being told by his commander who justified the practice.
Haaretz says the IDF has not been using terror suspects, but rather innocent civilians who it detains specifically for this practice.
The report cites several soldiers who have witnessed the tactic regularly used in Gaza.
Haaretz says the practice has been used across Gaza in recent months, and senior officers, including the chief of staff, were aware.
In its response to the report, the IDF does not appear to deny that the practice is carried out. It says that such conduct is prohibited, that this was made clear to troops and that the allegations are under investigation. Link. This is another war crime that Israel will be charged with because of the criminal actions of a criminal minister
Israel Defense Force troops operating in Gaza have been using Palestinian civilians as human shields, forcing them to enter tunnels and homes ahead of soldiers due to fears that the structures may be rigged with traps, the Haaretz daily reported on Tuesday.
The IDF said it was reviewing the allegations.
According to the report, which cited testimonies obtained from returning IDF soldiers who have regularly witnessed use of the tactic, troops have on multiple occasions scouted out Gazan civilians who they believe will be an asset to them while operating against Hamas in dense urban areas.
In most, the “recruited” Palestinians are adult men, the report stated, although soldiers also recounted instances in which elderly men or teenagers were selected. The men are not terror suspects, but are detained specifically to be sent into buildings and tunnels that troops believe may be booby-trapped.
“It is better that they explode and not the soldiers,” a soldier quoted in the report recalled being told by his commander, who he said had justified the practice.
The Palestinian men are told that they’ll be released after completing one “mission,” another soldier recounted. He said that the Palestinians were kept with the troops for varying lengths of time, ranging from one or two days to a week.
The newspaper alleged this practice has been widely employed across the Gaza Strip in recent months, and that senior IDF staff — including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi — were aware.
The IDF knows “that it’s not a one-time incident of a young and stupid commander who decides to take someone of his own accord,” one of the soldiers said.
Meanwhile, troops serving under commanders who decided to test out this method told Haaretz that they were not always aware of the true identities of these men.
One of the soldiers recalled an incident in which a man he didn’t know joined their team, wearing an IDF uniform but with sneakers instead of combat boots, and without a protective vest.
The soldiers were instructed to guard him at all times, the soldier said, and the reason for his presence wasn’t made clear to them until a day later, when they were required to enter a tunnel inside a combat zone. The Palestinian man was sent in ahead of them while the commander tracked his movements via the bodycam feed, according to the soldier.
“We could hear deep breathing, it sounded like he was a bit scared,” a soldier who watched the footage said. “They simply sent him in and he mapped it out for the commanders, with the brigade commander watching on the outside.”
One soldier said he was charged with guarding a 16-year-old Palestinian teenager ahead of the mission he’d been selected for.
“You keep quiet and try to convince yourself, ‘ok, let’s go, let’s use them,'” the soldier said. “They tried to explain it in a rational way, but at the end of the day, you have a 16-year-old boy sitting inside the house handcuffed, with his eyes covered.”
The soldier added that it wasn’t until the teen was released a few days later that he realized he hadn’t been a terror suspect at all.
An unnamed source from within the IDF Southern Command attested to Haaretz that Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman was aware of the practice.
“In every meeting at which the issue was raised, there were commanders who warned about the ethical and legal implications,” the source said, adding that some officers had asked to leave the meetings when the matter was raised rather than be party to the conversation.
In its response to the allegations, the IDF did not appear to deny employing the practice amid fighting in Gaza, where Israeli forces have been engaged in a 10-month-long war with Hamas following the October 7 terror onslaught in southern Israel.
“IDF instructions and orders prohibit the use of Gazan civilians caught in the field for military missions that pose a deliberate risk to their lives,” the military said in its response, adding the allegations laid out in the report “were forwarded to the relevant authorities for review.”
The use of human shields is considered a war crime under international law. It is characterized by the International Criminal Court as “utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations.”
The IDF has repeatedly accused Hamas operatives in Gaza of hiding among the Palestinian civilian population and using them as human shields.
War erupted between Israel and Hamas in Gaza following the terror group’s invasion of southern Israel on October 7, during which it killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, 111 of whom are believed to still be held in the Gaza Strip. link
When girls complain to Gaza pediatrician Lobna al-Azaiza that they have no comb, she tells them to cut off their hair.
It’s not just combs. Israel’s blockade of the territory, ravaged by 10 months of war, means there is little or no shampoo, soap, period products or household cleaning materials.
Israel says it allows essential aid in, but maintains a blockade in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons. It also claims that Hamas has diverted aid for its own use.
Waste collection and sewage treatment have also collapsed, and it’s easy to see why contagious diseases that thrive on overcrowding and lack of cleanliness — such as scabies and fungal infections — are on the rise.
“In the past period, the most common disease we have seen was skin rashes, skin diseases, which have many causes, including the overcrowding in the camps, the increased heat inside the tents, the sweating among children, and the lack of sufficient water for bathing,” the doctor says.
Azaiza used to work at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya until Israeli tanks separated the north of the besieged enclave from the south, as the IDF seeks to topple the Hamas terror group that rules Gaza, after its devastating attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Like most of Gaza’s medics, she has adapted and continues to treat patients, walking to work past her own ruined house, demolished by an Israeli strike.
The tent clinic she set up with a small team began by treating children, but has by necessity become a practice for whole families, most of whom have also been ordered or bombed out of their homes, like the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.
Even the medication that is available is often unaffordable; a tube of simple burn ointment can now cost 200 shekels ($53).
Azaiza has little doubt where the immediate solution lies:
“The border crossing must be opened so that we can bring in medications, as most of the current ones are ineffective: zero effect, there is no effect on the skin diseases that we see.”
The IDF says that it has temporarily closed a route in southern Gaza’s Rafah, used to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, after Hamas opened fire at the area.
The military does not provide further details on the incident.
It says that deliveries along the route have been halted temporarily, “as the area has become an active combat zone.”
“Terror activity in humanitarian areas and areas where the population is concentrated harms humanitarian coordination and the distribution of aid,” the IDF says.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 40 targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day, the military says.
The targets hit by fighter jets included various Hamas infrastructure, including buildings used to launch anti-tank missiles, as well as cells of gunmen, according to the IDF.
The IDF also says it struck sites near a rocket-launching position, used in yesterday’s attempted attack by Hamas on Tel Aviv. According to the IDF, the two rockets were fired from a route in Khan Younis, used to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Troops meanwhile continue to battle Hamas in southern Gaza’s Rafah and Khan Younis, and the Netzarim Corridor in the Strip’s center.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
The IDF confirms carrying out a drone strike earlier today in southern Lebanon’s Baraachit, killing two members of Hezbollah’s so-called Southern Front unit, the terror group’s regional command in southern Lebanon.
Separately, tanks under the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade shelled Hezbollah operatives at an observation post in the Mount Dov area, the IDF says.
Additionally, buildings used by Hezbollah in Chihine and Aalma ash-Shab, and an anti-tank guided missile launch post in Ayta ash-Shab, were struck, the military adds.
Hezbollah today announced the deaths of two members in Israeli strikes, bringing the terror group’s toll since October to at least 408.
The Biden administration lays into National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who led a visit to the Temple Mount with several other Israeli lawmakers where participants were filmed praying in violation of the status quo that governs the flashpoint site.
“We certainly are paying close attention to actions and activities that we find to be a detraction from Israel’s security, a contributor to greater insecurity and instability in the region. That would certainly be the actions that we saw today that Mr. Ben Gvir participated in,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel says during a press briefing.
“Even the Prime Minister’s Office made clear that the events of this morning are a deviation from what is Israeli policy and a deviation from the status quo,” Patel notes.
“The United States stands firmly for preservation of the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites of Jerusalem. Any unilateral action like this that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable.”
“It detracts from what we think is a vital time, as we are working to get this ceasefire deal across the finish line. It detracts from what our stated goal is for the region, which is a two-state solution,” he adds.
The IDF confirms carrying out a drone strike earlier today in southern Lebanon’s Baraachit, killing two members of Hezbollah’s so-called Southern Front unit, the terror group’s regional command in southern Lebanon.
Separately, tanks under the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade shelled Hezbollah operatives at an observation post in the Mount Dov area, the IDF says.
Additionally, buildings used by Hezbollah in Chihine and Aalma ash-Shab, and an anti-tank guided missile launch post in Ayta ash-Shab, were struck, the military adds.
Hezbollah today announced the deaths of two members in Israeli strikes, bringing the terror group’s toll since October to at least 408.
The Biden administration lays into National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who led a visit to the Temple Mount with several other Israeli lawmakers where participants were filmed praying in violation of the status quo that governs the flashpoint site.
“We certainly are paying close attention to actions and activities that we find to be a detraction from Israel’s security, a contributor to greater insecurity and instability in the region. That would certainly be the actions that we saw today that Mr. Ben Gvir participated in,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel says during a press briefing.
“Even the Prime Minister’s Office made clear that the events of this morning are a deviation from what is Israeli policy and a deviation from the status quo,” Patel notes.
“The United States stands firmly for preservation of the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites of Jerusalem. Any unilateral action like this that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable.”
“It detracts from what we think is a vital time, as we are working to get this ceasefire deal across the finish line. It detracts from what our stated goal is for the region, which is a two-state solution,” he adds.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- Security sources tell Channel 12 that they have seen an uptick in terror threats since National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount earlier today during which he declared that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer at the site, in violation of the status-quo that governs the flashpoint compound.
The security sources tell the network that Ben Gvir is playing with fire and risks drawing Arab Israelis into the ongoing conflict. Link Ben Gvir is trying to change the status quo and encourage Jewish prayer in the Temple Mount which is against the law he openly flaunts the law, as Minister of Police. Even his colleagues in the government refer to him as a pyromaniac for all of his actions and statements that are mean to ignite and incite
The IDF says it launched a counterterrorism operation in the West Bank city of Tubas and the adjacent town of Tamun this morning.
So far, the troops have killed a Palestinian gunman and wounded others amid exchanges of fire, the military says.
Several wanted Palestinians have also been detained, and weapons have been seized. The IDF says it will provide further details on the operation later.
The security sources tell the network that Ben Gvir is playing with fire and risks drawing Arab Israelis into the ongoing conflict. Link Ben Gvir is trying to change the status quo and encourage Jewish prayer in the Temple Mount which is against the law he openly flaunts the law, as Minister of Police. Even his colleagues in the government refer to him as a pyromaniac for all of his actions and statements that are mean to ignite and incite
The IDF says it launched a counterterrorism operation in the West Bank city of Tubas and the adjacent town of Tamun this morning.
So far, the troops have killed a Palestinian gunman and wounded others amid exchanges of fire, the military says.
Several wanted Palestinians have also been detained, and weapons have been seized. The IDF says it will provide further details on the operation later.
Politics and the War (general news)
- White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tells reporters aboard Air Force One that White House mideast czar Brett McGurk is traveling to Cairo and Doha, while special envoy Amos Hochstein is traveling to Beirut as the administration seeks to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release deal, while also preventing further regional escalation.
“We believe that negotiators should come to the table. We believe getting to a ceasefire deal is the best way to de-escalate the tensions that we’re seeing,” Jean-Pierre tells reporters.
She also calls on Israel and Hamas to attend Thursday’s hostage talk summit. Israel has already said it will send a team, while Hamas has indicated that it won’t.
A group of senior economists warns that Fitch’s downgrade of Israel’s credit rating is a sign of the continued deterioration of the country’s economy since the establishment of the government in December 2022.
“Fitch joins Moody’s and S&P in downgrading Israel and reflects that the state is already paying high interest rates on its debts,” the economists say. “The credit rating downgrade and high interest rates are not only due to the war imposed on Israel on October 7, but are the result of a never-ending series of government failures.”
Fitch late on Monday lowered the country’s score to A from A+, expecting the “conflict in Gaza could last well into 2025.” The ratings agency maintains a negative outlook on the economy, which opens the door for further downgrades as the ballooning costs of the continued military fighting weigh on public finances.
The top economists lament that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is delaying the preparation of the state budget for 2025, while ignoring calls for action by Treasury officials and warnings of the Bank of Israel.
Adding to this, Education Minister Yoav Kisch promotes the transfer of huge sums to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions that do not teach core studies and the government’s policies subsidize the mass evasion of military service by the ultra-Orthodox population and thereby increase the burden of the army service on the general public, they warn.
“The government harms state institutions and civil society that are essential to the prosperity of Israel’s economy, such as the public service, the legal system, and academia,” the economists caution. “Israelis need to wake up and call as soon as possible for a fundamental change in the work of the government. Otherwise the damage the government causes may not be able to be repaired.”
Among the group members are Prof. Zvi Eckstein, former deputy governor of the Bank of Israel; Rony Hizkiyahu, former Bank of Israel supervisor of banks and accountant general; Yair Avidan, former supervisor of banks; Prof. Avi Ben-Bassat, former finance ministry director general; and Prof. Eugene Kandel, former chairman of the National Economic Council.
The Defense Ministry rehabilitation department says it has received some 10,056 soldiers since the beginning of the war on October 7.
According to the Defense Ministry, some 3,500, or 35%, are suffering from PTSD or other mental disorders caused by trauma.
Another 37% are suffering physical trauma to their limbs, the ministry says.
Among the 10,056 soldiers, around 68% are reservists.
The rehab department is also working with some 62,000 wounded veterans from previous wars. It forecasts that by 2030, the department will be treating some 100,000 people, with at least half of them suffering from PTSD.
"The IDF's Holy of Holies in Danger: How the October 7 Investigations are Being Contaminated
Failures are being hidden and not explained to the public, investigations are delayed and contaminated, conspiracies are surfacing - and baseless accusations are hurled at senior military officials. Meanwhile, the government is avoiding establishing a commission of inquiry - and the documents collected have not reached the State Comptroller. "Why would a battalion commander cooperate if the lawyer warns him?" asked a reserve officer. IDF: "We maintain the purity of the operational investigation"
A company commander from the Golani Brigade was recently forced to leave his tense sector on the Lebanon border for a full day and return south to the Gaza border to reconstruct the difficult battle that took place under his command at one of the outposts near the Strip on the morning of October 7. The young officer, who is debating whether to continue his career service, naturally complied with the investigation team established at the initiative of the General Staff, and even assisted with battle records and event logs he made with his soldiers in the days after that traumatic Saturday, knowing it would be difficult for them to remember every detail of the long battle later. But this time, the IDF offered this company commander something foreign to him, and not what he was trained for at Officer Candidate School or in the Brown Brigade: a dedicated lawyer on behalf of the military defense and at the initiative of the military prosecution. He and other "junior" interviewees of his rank and below did not think at all, in their apparent naivety, that they needed to be equipped with a defense lawyer offered to them by the army at the stage of operational investigations, because they had done nothing wrong, and because they were always taught to tell the whole truth in the "operational investigation," a sacred institution in the IDF.
About five months ago, an unprecedented event in the history of the army was revealed in Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, a decision that came from high up in the General Staff: to recruit dozens of senior military defense lawyers in the reserves, among the best and most expensive in Israel, for the benefit of the officers who will be investigated about the failures of October 7.
The decision caused astonishment in the IDF, in combat units and even in the military prosecution itself - and in recent weeks, since the publication of the battle investigation in Kibbutz Be'eri, criticism has been rising from within the army about the way in which the investigations, which have turned from operational to legal, are being conducted, with real concern for the future: the moment the investigations are contaminated by extraneous considerations and external constraints, including legal and image considerations - it will be possible to fold up the business. The IDF will forever repeat its fatal mistakes, and no commander will really take responsibility for his mistakes or failures.
A senior reserve officer said that "they should have started the investigations from the top, from the General Staff and the major generals, and not first cast mud and blame on fighters and company commanders - and from just one battle in one kibbutz, out of some strange hope that this would regain the trust of the kibbutz residents in the army and cause them to return home. Exactly the opposite happened, with great damage to the rest of the investigations. But the seeds for this were planted earlier, why would a battalion commander fully cooperate with an investigation and admit his mistakes or the mistakes of his colleagues, if his commanders are still in office and if his lawyer warns him that it will come out to the public and be used against him in a commission of inquiry that will be established or by the State Comptroller?"
A former senior female officer, who is still in public office, added: "The operational investigation must be confidential from any person, including lawyers, because of the obligation and need to implement lessons written in blood. This is also enshrined in the Military Justice Law. The military defense has never given prior advice to commanders in this format, especially since it involves a cost of millions of shekels for the salaries of those dozens of senior lawyers."
Investigations do not replace a commission of inquiry - which was not established
The IDF claimed that "the army has never investigated itself in the middle of a war, even though this one is different in length and depth, and still the Chief of Staff determined that it is necessary to investigate in order to draw lessons. Therefore, the investigation must start in the units themselves and from there move up. The Chief of Staff determined that in parallel, senior officials are also being investigated, including himself, including the events of the night preceding October 7 - and things will be presented transparently to the public. Attaching a lawyer to those being investigated is a reasonable step since the findings of the investigations will form a factual basis that will be transferred to external investigations such as the State Comptroller, who can recommend personal measures and accordingly harm the reputation of those investigated." The army also emphasized that "the investigation does not replace a full external examination or investigation mechanism." However, and despite the fact that more than ten months have passed since October 7, our political correspondent Itamar Eichner emphasizes that a state commission of inquiry to examine the failures of the war, which is considered one of the largest intelligence and military failures in the country's history - is not on the horizon.
The reason for not establishing this committee is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's firm opposition to establishing a state commission of inquiry as long as the war continues. Netanyahu repeatedly emphasizes at every opportunity that he opposes the establishment of a state commission of inquiry at this time, and that the failures of October 7 should be investigated only at the end of the war, so that commanders and soldiers are not "busy taking lawyers," in his words.
Despite his words, he is mainly afraid that a state committee is appointed by the President of the Supreme Court according to law, and that the one who might head it is former President Esther Hayut. Therefore, he and his associates are looking to invent another investigation mechanism - which does not currently exist in law - such as a committee appointed by the President of the State or a parity parliamentary committee composed of coalition and opposition representatives, and two new inventions: a "special" state commission of inquiry or selection in a referendum.
The political echelon's attack
The IDF, not to its benefit, has been caught in a corral that is difficult to get out of: The operational investigations are supposed to lead to drawing lessons and preventing the next October 7. In practice, they also serve an additional purpose - their publication, it was hoped in the IDF, would allow transparency that would restore public confidence in the army in general and of the residents of the western Negev in particular. In the absence of this transparency and without external commissions of inquiry that the political echelon refuses to establish, dozens of conspiracies about betrayals from within the IDF are being spread and false accusations are hurled at senior army officials, in an organized campaign that exploits the vacuum created.
At the beginning of the war, senior officials in the army warned that "if we investigate during the fighting, there will be exchanges of blame within the IDF that will harm it greatly," and this is regardless of the political climate in the State of Israel where "senior officials," including major generals, are attacked in an organized onslaught by ministers with great influence in the cabinet, and following them by their supporters. The case of the violent invasion of the Sde Teiman and Beit Lid bases following a Military Police investigation into severe abuse of a terrorist by soldiers is one example of this, but this public atmosphere also weakens the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi. At the beginning of the war, he tried to do the minimum required and appoint external investigative committees headed by retired major generals, who had gained significant distance from their service period in uniform.
Senior former officers such as Sami Turgeman, Yoav Har-Even and Shaul Mofaz were on the verge of receiving the appointment, but the intention was leaked and exposed on Ynet at the beginning of the year, and within minutes government members pounced on the Chief of Staff - out of fear that such committees would find flaws that would also touch the political echelon. The Chief of Staff folded and the committees were not established. The IDF and the entire public were left only with internal investigations, which as mentioned are also encountering problems and ailments that surfaced with the publication of the Be'eri investigation.
"One of the main problems is that no officer really took responsibility and resigned. The entire General Staff needs to be replaced, maybe except for one or two generals, and certainly the Chief of Staff. He himself knows, ethically and morally, that he cannot continue," claimed the senior reserve officer. According to him, his position reflects the opinion of many officers in the IDF, especially reserve soldiers who are active in the war. "But why would a specific battalion commander or brigade commander resign or be dismissed if the officers above him are still in their positions?".
At the beginning of the year, we revealed that combat commanders in the Gaza Division, at the rank of colonel, had already prepared sealed resignation letters but decided not to implement them. The reason, according to sources in the IDF, lies in suspicion towards their superiors that their departure would be interpreted as focusing blame on them. This is joined by another reason, no less frightening, that prevents taking responsibility from becoming practical: reports that a joint cluster has been formed for Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, because they are afraid to resign as they know that Netanyahu will try to take over the IDF as well - by appointing a weak defense minister subservient to the whims of politicians and in a way that will corrupt the IDF as the police were corrupted. The IDF explained that personal steps will be taken only after the full picture becomes clear from the breadth investigations: "We could have been in a battle of generals today and we are not, because the Chief of Staff emphasized in several speeches and explanations to his subordinates the issue of collegiality in investigations. You can maintain the value of camaraderie and conduct an honest and penetrating investigation."
The retention of many officers in their positions creates another inherent bug in the investigations: subjects of investigations remain near positions of power and tools that will help them fight to clear their names. According to a senior military-legal source, "An official who had a central part in the failures receives access by virtue of his position to all operational logs, protocols and summaries of situation assessment discussions that were before and after, warnings that were passed or not passed, and every morning he sees other officers who are subordinate to him and he influences their future and fate, who also need to testify in the investigation about his functioning on that Saturday and in the days before it. How can an investigation be clean like this, even if he doesn't falsify or touch records?".
However, said the same officer, many of the materials of the investigation teams are difficult to change: these are radio recordings that were saved and protocols of operational discussions. "And still not everything is memorable, and add to that commanders and fighters, some of whom are still in post-trauma. An operational investigation is supposed to have full confidentiality, but this time it is knowingly and in advance violated, and the way to cover-ups is paved from the beginning. The DNA that we all knew in the IDF of the past of a penetrating, honest and true investigation is being eroded because of a sick culture of cheap public relations and dangerous populism that is invading the IDF and bringing it closer to the political process that the police went through."
Our legal affairs correspondent Tova Tzimuki adds that meanwhile, today the IDF is supposed to respond to the Supreme Court why they will not hand over to the State Comptroller the internal investigations carried out by the army and the materials collected for this purpose, in light of State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman's demand from last week. The Comptroller informed the Supreme Court that "since the submission of operational investigations is a legal obligation and does not require any inputs from the IDF - as the documents have already been concentrated and in any case an audited body is not allowed to 'filter' documents required to be produced and their receipt will allow progress in state audit, including at political and civilian levels as well as fulfilling the public interest - it is appropriate for the IDF to do so as soon as possible."
In parallel with the paralysis in receiving materials for the State Comptroller from the army, following a meeting held a few weeks ago by Englman with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - progress has been made in transferring materials from the Prime Minister's Office to the State Comptroller's Office. However, there are still gaps in the materials requested to be submitted.
In addition, the Comptroller's Office continues to work diligently on dozens of reports related to the October 7 failure at the political and civilian level, with the IDF being the only body that could not begin the audit process on it at all. The Shin Bet cooperated fully until the Supreme Court's decision to suspend at this stage the audit of it and the IDF.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit stated that "The IDF is investigating the events of October 7 and what preceded them, while maintaining the purity of the operational investigation and in light of the values set by the Chief of Staff - truth, transparency, objectivity, responsibility and camaraderie. The operational investigation is part of the IDF's operational concept, and an essential and built-in part of the fighting. It improves the IDF's readiness in the south and in other arenas. The purpose of the investigation is learning and drawing lessons for the continuation of the fighting in all arenas."
A senior military source added that "We are focused on the growing threats these days from Iran and Hezbollah in the midst of the war. In parallel, the operational investigation continues, but the pace of investigation has been adjusted to the security reality and situation assessment."
The Military Defense stated: "The Military Defense, by virtue of its role under law, provides military personnel with lawyers (in regular service and in reserves), who advise them and even represent them in courts and before public investigation institutions. As is known, the State Comptroller has already begun to examine many and varied issues, and in the future the government is also expected to decide on a commission of inquiry. Lawyers who are reserve members of the Military Defense are entitled to compensation at the accepted rate and similar to any citizen serving in the IDF reserves."
https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rknorlk50#autoplay
“We believe that negotiators should come to the table. We believe getting to a ceasefire deal is the best way to de-escalate the tensions that we’re seeing,” Jean-Pierre tells reporters.
She also calls on Israel and Hamas to attend Thursday’s hostage talk summit. Israel has already said it will send a team, while Hamas has indicated that it won’t.
A group of senior economists warns that Fitch’s downgrade of Israel’s credit rating is a sign of the continued deterioration of the country’s economy since the establishment of the government in December 2022.
“Fitch joins Moody’s and S&P in downgrading Israel and reflects that the state is already paying high interest rates on its debts,” the economists say. “The credit rating downgrade and high interest rates are not only due to the war imposed on Israel on October 7, but are the result of a never-ending series of government failures.”
Fitch late on Monday lowered the country’s score to A from A+, expecting the “conflict in Gaza could last well into 2025.” The ratings agency maintains a negative outlook on the economy, which opens the door for further downgrades as the ballooning costs of the continued military fighting weigh on public finances.
The top economists lament that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is delaying the preparation of the state budget for 2025, while ignoring calls for action by Treasury officials and warnings of the Bank of Israel.
Adding to this, Education Minister Yoav Kisch promotes the transfer of huge sums to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions that do not teach core studies and the government’s policies subsidize the mass evasion of military service by the ultra-Orthodox population and thereby increase the burden of the army service on the general public, they warn.
“The government harms state institutions and civil society that are essential to the prosperity of Israel’s economy, such as the public service, the legal system, and academia,” the economists caution. “Israelis need to wake up and call as soon as possible for a fundamental change in the work of the government. Otherwise the damage the government causes may not be able to be repaired.”
Among the group members are Prof. Zvi Eckstein, former deputy governor of the Bank of Israel; Rony Hizkiyahu, former Bank of Israel supervisor of banks and accountant general; Yair Avidan, former supervisor of banks; Prof. Avi Ben-Bassat, former finance ministry director general; and Prof. Eugene Kandel, former chairman of the National Economic Council.
The Defense Ministry rehabilitation department says it has received some 10,056 soldiers since the beginning of the war on October 7.
According to the Defense Ministry, some 3,500, or 35%, are suffering from PTSD or other mental disorders caused by trauma.
Another 37% are suffering physical trauma to their limbs, the ministry says.
Among the 10,056 soldiers, around 68% are reservists.
The rehab department is also working with some 62,000 wounded veterans from previous wars. It forecasts that by 2030, the department will be treating some 100,000 people, with at least half of them suffering from PTSD.
"The IDF's Holy of Holies in Danger: How the October 7 Investigations are Being Contaminated
Failures are being hidden and not explained to the public, investigations are delayed and contaminated, conspiracies are surfacing - and baseless accusations are hurled at senior military officials. Meanwhile, the government is avoiding establishing a commission of inquiry - and the documents collected have not reached the State Comptroller. "Why would a battalion commander cooperate if the lawyer warns him?" asked a reserve officer. IDF: "We maintain the purity of the operational investigation"
A company commander from the Golani Brigade was recently forced to leave his tense sector on the Lebanon border for a full day and return south to the Gaza border to reconstruct the difficult battle that took place under his command at one of the outposts near the Strip on the morning of October 7. The young officer, who is debating whether to continue his career service, naturally complied with the investigation team established at the initiative of the General Staff, and even assisted with battle records and event logs he made with his soldiers in the days after that traumatic Saturday, knowing it would be difficult for them to remember every detail of the long battle later. But this time, the IDF offered this company commander something foreign to him, and not what he was trained for at Officer Candidate School or in the Brown Brigade: a dedicated lawyer on behalf of the military defense and at the initiative of the military prosecution. He and other "junior" interviewees of his rank and below did not think at all, in their apparent naivety, that they needed to be equipped with a defense lawyer offered to them by the army at the stage of operational investigations, because they had done nothing wrong, and because they were always taught to tell the whole truth in the "operational investigation," a sacred institution in the IDF.
About five months ago, an unprecedented event in the history of the army was revealed in Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, a decision that came from high up in the General Staff: to recruit dozens of senior military defense lawyers in the reserves, among the best and most expensive in Israel, for the benefit of the officers who will be investigated about the failures of October 7.
The decision caused astonishment in the IDF, in combat units and even in the military prosecution itself - and in recent weeks, since the publication of the battle investigation in Kibbutz Be'eri, criticism has been rising from within the army about the way in which the investigations, which have turned from operational to legal, are being conducted, with real concern for the future: the moment the investigations are contaminated by extraneous considerations and external constraints, including legal and image considerations - it will be possible to fold up the business. The IDF will forever repeat its fatal mistakes, and no commander will really take responsibility for his mistakes or failures.
A senior reserve officer said that "they should have started the investigations from the top, from the General Staff and the major generals, and not first cast mud and blame on fighters and company commanders - and from just one battle in one kibbutz, out of some strange hope that this would regain the trust of the kibbutz residents in the army and cause them to return home. Exactly the opposite happened, with great damage to the rest of the investigations. But the seeds for this were planted earlier, why would a battalion commander fully cooperate with an investigation and admit his mistakes or the mistakes of his colleagues, if his commanders are still in office and if his lawyer warns him that it will come out to the public and be used against him in a commission of inquiry that will be established or by the State Comptroller?"
A former senior female officer, who is still in public office, added: "The operational investigation must be confidential from any person, including lawyers, because of the obligation and need to implement lessons written in blood. This is also enshrined in the Military Justice Law. The military defense has never given prior advice to commanders in this format, especially since it involves a cost of millions of shekels for the salaries of those dozens of senior lawyers."
Investigations do not replace a commission of inquiry - which was not established
The IDF claimed that "the army has never investigated itself in the middle of a war, even though this one is different in length and depth, and still the Chief of Staff determined that it is necessary to investigate in order to draw lessons. Therefore, the investigation must start in the units themselves and from there move up. The Chief of Staff determined that in parallel, senior officials are also being investigated, including himself, including the events of the night preceding October 7 - and things will be presented transparently to the public. Attaching a lawyer to those being investigated is a reasonable step since the findings of the investigations will form a factual basis that will be transferred to external investigations such as the State Comptroller, who can recommend personal measures and accordingly harm the reputation of those investigated." The army also emphasized that "the investigation does not replace a full external examination or investigation mechanism." However, and despite the fact that more than ten months have passed since October 7, our political correspondent Itamar Eichner emphasizes that a state commission of inquiry to examine the failures of the war, which is considered one of the largest intelligence and military failures in the country's history - is not on the horizon.
The reason for not establishing this committee is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's firm opposition to establishing a state commission of inquiry as long as the war continues. Netanyahu repeatedly emphasizes at every opportunity that he opposes the establishment of a state commission of inquiry at this time, and that the failures of October 7 should be investigated only at the end of the war, so that commanders and soldiers are not "busy taking lawyers," in his words.
Despite his words, he is mainly afraid that a state committee is appointed by the President of the Supreme Court according to law, and that the one who might head it is former President Esther Hayut. Therefore, he and his associates are looking to invent another investigation mechanism - which does not currently exist in law - such as a committee appointed by the President of the State or a parity parliamentary committee composed of coalition and opposition representatives, and two new inventions: a "special" state commission of inquiry or selection in a referendum.
The political echelon's attack
The IDF, not to its benefit, has been caught in a corral that is difficult to get out of: The operational investigations are supposed to lead to drawing lessons and preventing the next October 7. In practice, they also serve an additional purpose - their publication, it was hoped in the IDF, would allow transparency that would restore public confidence in the army in general and of the residents of the western Negev in particular. In the absence of this transparency and without external commissions of inquiry that the political echelon refuses to establish, dozens of conspiracies about betrayals from within the IDF are being spread and false accusations are hurled at senior army officials, in an organized campaign that exploits the vacuum created.
At the beginning of the war, senior officials in the army warned that "if we investigate during the fighting, there will be exchanges of blame within the IDF that will harm it greatly," and this is regardless of the political climate in the State of Israel where "senior officials," including major generals, are attacked in an organized onslaught by ministers with great influence in the cabinet, and following them by their supporters. The case of the violent invasion of the Sde Teiman and Beit Lid bases following a Military Police investigation into severe abuse of a terrorist by soldiers is one example of this, but this public atmosphere also weakens the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi. At the beginning of the war, he tried to do the minimum required and appoint external investigative committees headed by retired major generals, who had gained significant distance from their service period in uniform.
Senior former officers such as Sami Turgeman, Yoav Har-Even and Shaul Mofaz were on the verge of receiving the appointment, but the intention was leaked and exposed on Ynet at the beginning of the year, and within minutes government members pounced on the Chief of Staff - out of fear that such committees would find flaws that would also touch the political echelon. The Chief of Staff folded and the committees were not established. The IDF and the entire public were left only with internal investigations, which as mentioned are also encountering problems and ailments that surfaced with the publication of the Be'eri investigation.
"One of the main problems is that no officer really took responsibility and resigned. The entire General Staff needs to be replaced, maybe except for one or two generals, and certainly the Chief of Staff. He himself knows, ethically and morally, that he cannot continue," claimed the senior reserve officer. According to him, his position reflects the opinion of many officers in the IDF, especially reserve soldiers who are active in the war. "But why would a specific battalion commander or brigade commander resign or be dismissed if the officers above him are still in their positions?".
At the beginning of the year, we revealed that combat commanders in the Gaza Division, at the rank of colonel, had already prepared sealed resignation letters but decided not to implement them. The reason, according to sources in the IDF, lies in suspicion towards their superiors that their departure would be interpreted as focusing blame on them. This is joined by another reason, no less frightening, that prevents taking responsibility from becoming practical: reports that a joint cluster has been formed for Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, because they are afraid to resign as they know that Netanyahu will try to take over the IDF as well - by appointing a weak defense minister subservient to the whims of politicians and in a way that will corrupt the IDF as the police were corrupted. The IDF explained that personal steps will be taken only after the full picture becomes clear from the breadth investigations: "We could have been in a battle of generals today and we are not, because the Chief of Staff emphasized in several speeches and explanations to his subordinates the issue of collegiality in investigations. You can maintain the value of camaraderie and conduct an honest and penetrating investigation."
The retention of many officers in their positions creates another inherent bug in the investigations: subjects of investigations remain near positions of power and tools that will help them fight to clear their names. According to a senior military-legal source, "An official who had a central part in the failures receives access by virtue of his position to all operational logs, protocols and summaries of situation assessment discussions that were before and after, warnings that were passed or not passed, and every morning he sees other officers who are subordinate to him and he influences their future and fate, who also need to testify in the investigation about his functioning on that Saturday and in the days before it. How can an investigation be clean like this, even if he doesn't falsify or touch records?".
However, said the same officer, many of the materials of the investigation teams are difficult to change: these are radio recordings that were saved and protocols of operational discussions. "And still not everything is memorable, and add to that commanders and fighters, some of whom are still in post-trauma. An operational investigation is supposed to have full confidentiality, but this time it is knowingly and in advance violated, and the way to cover-ups is paved from the beginning. The DNA that we all knew in the IDF of the past of a penetrating, honest and true investigation is being eroded because of a sick culture of cheap public relations and dangerous populism that is invading the IDF and bringing it closer to the political process that the police went through."
Our legal affairs correspondent Tova Tzimuki adds that meanwhile, today the IDF is supposed to respond to the Supreme Court why they will not hand over to the State Comptroller the internal investigations carried out by the army and the materials collected for this purpose, in light of State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman's demand from last week. The Comptroller informed the Supreme Court that "since the submission of operational investigations is a legal obligation and does not require any inputs from the IDF - as the documents have already been concentrated and in any case an audited body is not allowed to 'filter' documents required to be produced and their receipt will allow progress in state audit, including at political and civilian levels as well as fulfilling the public interest - it is appropriate for the IDF to do so as soon as possible."
In parallel with the paralysis in receiving materials for the State Comptroller from the army, following a meeting held a few weeks ago by Englman with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - progress has been made in transferring materials from the Prime Minister's Office to the State Comptroller's Office. However, there are still gaps in the materials requested to be submitted.
In addition, the Comptroller's Office continues to work diligently on dozens of reports related to the October 7 failure at the political and civilian level, with the IDF being the only body that could not begin the audit process on it at all. The Shin Bet cooperated fully until the Supreme Court's decision to suspend at this stage the audit of it and the IDF.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit stated that "The IDF is investigating the events of October 7 and what preceded them, while maintaining the purity of the operational investigation and in light of the values set by the Chief of Staff - truth, transparency, objectivity, responsibility and camaraderie. The operational investigation is part of the IDF's operational concept, and an essential and built-in part of the fighting. It improves the IDF's readiness in the south and in other arenas. The purpose of the investigation is learning and drawing lessons for the continuation of the fighting in all arenas."
A senior military source added that "We are focused on the growing threats these days from Iran and Hezbollah in the midst of the war. In parallel, the operational investigation continues, but the pace of investigation has been adjusted to the security reality and situation assessment."
The Military Defense stated: "The Military Defense, by virtue of its role under law, provides military personnel with lawyers (in regular service and in reserves), who advise them and even represent them in courts and before public investigation institutions. As is known, the State Comptroller has already begun to examine many and varied issues, and in the future the government is also expected to decide on a commission of inquiry. Lawyers who are reserve members of the Military Defense are entitled to compensation at the accepted rate and similar to any citizen serving in the IDF reserves."
https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rknorlk50#autoplay
The Region and the World
- An Iranian attack on Israel could be delayed amid hoped-for negotiations later this week for a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza, three Iranian officials said on Tuesday, indicating that a successful deal could hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel for alleged assassinating Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh on its soil.
Iran has vowed to retaliate harshly for Haniyeh’s killing, which took place as he visited Tehran late last month and which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed or denied its involvement.
The US Navy has deployed warships and a submarine to the Middle East to bolster Israeli defenses and intensive diplomatic efforts to dissuade Tehran from attacking have been taking place around the clock.
One of the sources, a senior Iranian security official, said Iran, along with allies such as the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, would launch a direct attack if the talks for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas fail or it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations. The sources did not say how long Iran would allow for talks to progress before taking action. full article This, of course could just be a trick by Iran for us to let our guard down or it could be legitimate.
The US military says it destroyed two Houthi vessels in the Red Sea over the past day.
The vessels “presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” the US military’s Central Command says on X. No other details are provided.
A missile attack has targeted a US airbase in Conoco gas field in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province, Syrian state media reports.
The attack is the latest suspected strike from Iran-backed groups targeted US troops in Irfaq and Syria. On Friday, a drone struck on another base housing US troops in Syria. minorly injured eight , Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder says eight servicemembers were treated for brain injuries and smoke inhalation “out of an abundance of caution.”
Three of them have since returned to duty.
Despite moving troops, jets and arms to the region in a bid to deter an Iranian attack on Israel, Ryder says the soldiers stationed in Syria remain focused on the mission of battling the Islamic State.
Projectiles launched in the direction of a US airbase in a gas field in Syria’s Deir al-Zour province did not hit the facility, two US officials say.
A security source earlier told Reuters that an Iran-backed militia targeted the base with six shells, all of which fell in the vicinity of the US base, adding that the US-led coalition responded to the attack with artillery.
The US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says the projectiles did not hit the base and there were no injuries. The official cites initial reports that can change.
Personal Stories
The Disaster of Tank Number 3: Fighters' Parents Reveal Abduction Video for the First Time - and Call for a Deal
Ten months after the Saturday they were attacked and kidnapped, the parents of Omer Neutra, Nimrod Cohen, Oz Daniel, and Shaked Dahan decided to release the full video of the harrowing event. On camera, they discuss the major failure and the urgent need for a deal. "The crew couldn't function because the equipment given to them by the army wasn't working properly, because they tried to save a few pennies on engine hours," says Yehuda Cohen, father of Nimrod who is held captive by Hamas.
The images of a burning tank with jubilant terrorists on top became one of the symbols of the October 7th disaster. Tonight (Tuesday), the parents of the fighters kidnapped from the tank face the camera, talk about the major failure, the urgent need for a deal, and reveal for the first time the full abduction video.
Tank crew number 3 consisted of four friends: Tank commander Omer Neutra from Long Island, gunner Nimrod Cohen from Rehovot, loader Oz Daniel from Kfar Saba, and driver Shaked Dahan from Afula. Along with all of us, their parents watched the tank go up in flames, only they recognized it was tank number 3.
"I'm looking at the tank we see on TV all day, even Saturday morning, and I tell Amir: 'Amir, this is Oz's tank, tank number 3,'" recounts Merav Daniel, mother of Oz, whose body is held in Gaza. "Then he says to me: 'How do you know? The number doesn't mean anything, it could be on all the tanks in the line.'"
"I simply recognize my son coming out blurred, blurred faces, you can't not recognize that it's your son," said Amir, the father. "I immediately held my head, and Merav was next to me, she caught me and managed in a split second to immediately identify that it was Oz. And we see them coming out and being taken, not clear what, who, we didn't even think of anything, not even kidnapping, it's not something you think of," he added.
"I sent a WhatsApp, of course there was no response," said Yehuda Cohen, father of Nimrod who is held captive by Hamas. "We hear on the radio, 'infiltrations here', 'terrorists seen there'. I got home, straight to start searching the web for what's happening. It didn't take long until I found the famous video, a tank going up in smoke in front of the fence," he added. "He went upstairs and approached me quietly and whispered: 'I think I identified Nimrod,'" his wife recounted.
"They had to get out or they would die from suffocation inside the tank"
The tank crew from Battalion 77 was then holding a line on the Gaza Strip border in an area called "The White House" located between Kibbutz Nir Oz and Nirim. Around 6:30 in the morning, reports of fence breaches began to arrive. They and another crew were awake and ready to move. One tank drove north, tank number 3 turned south. But after 20 minutes, the commander of the northern tank reported to the southern tank that he had been hit. Neutra replied that he was turning around and advancing north towards the kibbutzim, but then their tank suddenly began to slow down.
**What do you actually know today about what happened there that morning?**
"That they were on the fence, so they apparently also were hit by an RPG that hit the tank hard and at the same time two charges were attached to them, right in front and behind," said Amir Daniel. When the crew began their journey to assist the second tank, the tank began to trudge. As a result, the terrorists managed to attach a charge to them and neutralize the tank. "The tank started to ignite, caught fire. Apparently, the entire extinguishing system started working, they basically had to unload or they would die from suffocation inside the tank," Amir added. "They essentially chose to open the hatches themselves and get out."
"Nimrod was home during the holiday, and we talked about what's happening in the army," Yehuda Cohen recounted. "Suddenly he drops on me: 'Sometimes we wait for the tank at the position.' They're there, facing the border and the tank arrives after them on a carrier, to save engine hours. I insisted on getting a final investigation to understand what happened in the tank, why it crawled. After about two months, they (IDF) came with the answer that it was indeed brakes that got stuck," he explained. "The crew couldn't function at the moment of operational action because the equipment given to them by the army wasn't working properly, because they tried to save a few pennies on engine hours," Cohen clarified.
Only now, 10 months later, are they ready to reveal the full abduction video of their sons, the video in which you can clearly see how, moments before they suffocated inside the burning tank, they opened the hatches and were forcibly pulled out by Hamas terrorists.
"Today in hindsight we know that already half an hour after the abduction, Oz was no longer alive," said mother Merav. "There's a continuation to this video they published on Telegram, and the continuation is that Oz struggled with the terrorists, he tried to grab a grenade from them, he fought against all odds and then they shot him to death, and this was in the first half hour of the abduction." "There are two stages. There's the abduction of Omer, Nimrod, and Oz, because they came out of the tank. After that came the mob, and the mob is the one that entered the tank, saw Shaked's body and took it," explained Yehuda, Nimrod's father. "It's like two stages, there's the 'operational' stage, the 'regular terrorists' who come, do the action and go, and then comes the mob, the civilians and celebrate on the remains."
**What do you actually think about the deal being discussed now?**
"A very simple sentence. A comprehensive deal in exchange for a ceasefire," said Yehuda. "But the deal now, by the way, which talks about stages, it could very well be that they stop for a moment in the middle and don't reach the stage where your sons return. To this I say the very simple saying, what doesn't start, doesn't end. We need to finish the humanitarian part in order to get to my son," he added. "The government is essentially busy with its survival and not busy fulfilling its basic duty - to correct the failure it's responsible for from October 7th." Oz's mother, whose body is held in the Gaza Strip, Merav Daniel added: "It's clear that everyone, everyone, everyone, until the last hostage should return. Those who are alive should be prioritized and returned first, but also the fallen. It's also not logical that they will remain last, I think that in the deal that's forming, in every stage there should also be fallen soldiers."
The IDF has not yet presented the families with an official investigation of the failure that occurred that morning. Meanwhile, alongside the struggle to get an answer about what happened to tank number 3 and what happened to its crew is clear. Nimrod and Omer have been hostages in Gaza for 10 months, the bodies of Oz and Shaked are held by Hamas. And although they want to remember their beautiful children smiling and safe, they want us to see the abandonment in our eyes, to remember what happened there on that Saturday and what is still happening every day, until they all return.
**The IDF Spokesperson responded:**
"The investigation of the October 7th events has not yet been completed. When it is concluded, it will first be presented to the communities of the southern settlements, to the families of the hostages, to the bereaved families and the families of the wounded, and then it will be published transparently to the public." link
Iran has vowed to retaliate harshly for Haniyeh’s killing, which took place as he visited Tehran late last month and which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed or denied its involvement.
The US Navy has deployed warships and a submarine to the Middle East to bolster Israeli defenses and intensive diplomatic efforts to dissuade Tehran from attacking have been taking place around the clock.One of the sources, a senior Iranian security official, said Iran, along with allies such as the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, would launch a direct attack if the talks for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas fail or it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations. The sources did not say how long Iran would allow for talks to progress before taking action. full article This, of course could just be a trick by Iran for us to let our guard down or it could be legitimate.
The US military says it destroyed two Houthi vessels in the Red Sea over the past day.
The vessels “presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” the US military’s Central Command says on X. No other details are provided.
A missile attack has targeted a US airbase in Conoco gas field in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province, Syrian state media reports.
The attack is the latest suspected strike from Iran-backed groups targeted US troops in Irfaq and Syria. On Friday, a drone struck on another base housing US troops in Syria. minorly injured eight , Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder says eight servicemembers were treated for brain injuries and smoke inhalation “out of an abundance of caution.”
Three of them have since returned to duty.
Despite moving troops, jets and arms to the region in a bid to deter an Iranian attack on Israel, Ryder says the soldiers stationed in Syria remain focused on the mission of battling the Islamic State.
Projectiles launched in the direction of a US airbase in a gas field in Syria’s Deir al-Zour province did not hit the facility, two US officials say.
A security source earlier told Reuters that an Iran-backed militia targeted the base with six shells, all of which fell in the vicinity of the US base, adding that the US-led coalition responded to the attack with artillery.
The US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says the projectiles did not hit the base and there were no injuries. The official cites initial reports that can change.
"The investigation of the October 7th events has not yet been completed. When it is concluded, it will first be presented to the communities of the southern settlements, to the families of the hostages, to the bereaved families and the families of the wounded, and then it will be published transparently to the public." link
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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