π️Lonny's War Update- October 333, 2023 - September 3, 2024 π️
π️Day 333 that 101 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!!!”
Their fate was in Netanyahu's hands. Now, it's their blood on his hands!
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*5:00pm yesterday - north - rockets - Mano, Neve Ziv, Zra'it, Shomera*8:00pm yesterday - north - rockets - Zra'it
*10:00pm- north - rockets - Zra’it, Arab Al- Aramsha, Idmit
*6:50am - north - Batzet, Leeman, Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi
*3:25pm - north - rockets - Shtula, Netua
*3:50pm - north - hostile aircraft - Ajar, Kibbutz Dan, She'ar Hayeshuv, Snir*5:00pm - north - rockets - Netua, Shtula*5:40pm - North - rockets - Arab al Aramsha*5:40pm - north - hostile aircraft - Hanita
*10:00pm- north - rockets - Zra’it, Arab Al- Aramsha, Idmit
*6:50am - north - Batzet, Leeman, Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi
*3:25pm - north - rockets - Shtula, Netua
*3:50pm - north - hostile aircraft - Ajar, Kibbutz Dan, She'ar Hayeshuv, Snir
Hostage Updates
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have just received a briefing from the administration’s hostage negotiators and their national security teams, the White House says.
The meeting was held against the backdrop of Hamas’s killing of six Israeli hostages, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose bodies were recovered by the IDF over the weekend.
During the meeting, “Biden expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable,” according to a White House readout.
This line is notable given that just before entering the meeting, Biden was asked by reporters whether he thinks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been doing enough to secure a deal and he responded, “No.”
As is often the case, reporters did not ask the US president whether he thought Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had been doing enough, so the media narrative focused on Netanyahu.
During the Situation Room meeting, Biden and Harris received an update from the US negotiation team on the status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, after being drafted by the US on August 16, the US readout says.
They “discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt,” the US readout adds.
Participating in the Situation Room meeting were CIA Director Bill Burns, White House Mideast Czar Brett McGurk, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, Harris’s National Security Adviser Phil Gordon, and Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients.
Shortly before entering the meeting, Biden told reporters he was “very close” to presenting a final hostage deal proposal by the end the week — what appears would be a take it or leave it offer.
Seven US nationals are still held by Hamas, with three of them having been declared dead.
Addressing his son, the father of murdered 23-year-old hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin tells mourners at his Jerusalem funeral that “we failed you.”
“Hersh, we failed you. We all failed you. You would not have failed you,” Jon Polin says. “You would have pushed harder for justice. You would have worked to understand the other, to bridge differences. You would have challenged more people to challenge their own thinking.”
“And what you would have been pushing for now is to ensure that your death, the death of all the soldiers, and so many innocent civilians, are not in vain,” Polin says.
“Your starting point would be returning all of the hostages,” Polin says.
“For 330 days, mom and I sought the proverbial stone that we could turn over to save you. Maybe, just maybe, your death is the stone that will bring home the remaining 101 hostages,” he says.
“You would keep on pushing for a rethinking of this region. You have said we must take a chance on a path with the potential to end the ongoing cycles of violence,” Polin says.
The mourning father says his son would push every decision-maker to ask themselves if all of their decisions lead to a better future, and to step aside if they do not.
He also explained how his son believed in social justice and was now a global symbol of the need for change in the world, “always seeking to understand the other, and always with dignity and respect.”
“For 23 years of life we had with you were a blessing, we now will work to make your legacy a blessing. You were a really great guy, I love you,” Polin concludes.
This undated photo provided by Rachel Goldberg shows her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The 23-year-old from Jerusalem was last seen when Hamas terrorists loaded him into the back of a pickup truck with other hostages abducted from a music festival in the western Negev Desert on Oct. 7. (Courtesy of Rachel Goldberg via AP)
Rachel Goldberg-Polin speaks at her son's Hersh's funeral in Jerusalem, September 2, 2024. (Screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)The mother of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin tells
mourners at his Jerusalem funeral that it was a privilege to have him as a son.
“I have had a lot of time during the past 332 days to think
about my sweet boy Hersh, and one thing I keep thinking about is how out of all
the mothers in the whole entire world, God chose to give Hersh to me,” Rachel
Goldberg-Polin says. “What must I have done in a past life to deserve such a
beautiful gift?”
Continues Rachel: “I am honest and I say, it’s not that
Hersh was perfect. But he was the perfect son for me. And I am so grateful to
God — and I want to thank God right now in front of all of you for giving me
this magnificent present of my Hersh. For 23 years, I was privileged to have
the most stunning honor — to be Hersh’s momma. I’ll take it and say thank you.
I just wish it had been for longer.”
She says the family “became absolutely certain” that Hersh
would come back alive. “But it was not to be.”
“Now I no longer have to worry about you; I know you are no
longer in danger. You are with beautiful Aner. He will show you around,” she
says, referring to her son’s best friend Aner Shapiro, who was killed as he
threw grenades out of a bomb shelter to save those inside.
“I pray that your death will be a turning point in this
horrible situation in which we are all entangled,” she says, adding she takes
comfort that he was with other hostages at the time he was killed.
“When you wrote to us from the bomb shelter, you had just
seen Aner get killed. You had lost your arm and you thought you were dying. And
you wrote to us, I’m sorry, because you knew how crushing it would be for us to
lose you, so you fought to stay alive. And now you’re gone,” she says.
Rachel asks her son to forgive her being unable to save
him. “At this time, I ask your forgiveness. If ever I was impatient or
insensitive to you during your life, or neglected you in some way, I deeply and
sincerely request your forgiveness, Hersh. If there was something we could have
done to save you, and we didn’t think of it, I beg your forgiveness. We tried
so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I’m sorry,” she says in anguished
tones.
“Now, my Hersh, I ask for your help. As we transform our
hope into grief, in this new, unknown brand of pain, I beg of you, Hersh,
please do what you can do to have your life shine down” on the whole family,
she says. “Help shower us with headling and resilience. Help us to rise again.”
She thanks neighbors and her community for the support they
have given, saying that her family will now need even more help in the coming
period as they deal with their grief.
“Okay, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it’s as
good as the trips you dreamed about,” she says toward the end of her address.
“Because finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally, finally, finally you’re free.
I will love you and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life,”
she says.
“I know you are here,” she says, addressing Hersh and
putting her hand to her heart. “I just need to teach myself to feel you in a
different way.”
“When you wrote to us from the bomb shelter, you had just
seen Aner get killed. You had lost your arm and you thought you were dying. And
you wrote to us, I’m sorry, because you knew how crushing it would be for us to
lose you, so you fought to stay alive. And now you’re gone,” she says.
Rachel asks her son to forgive her being unable to save
him. “At this time, I ask your forgiveness. If ever I was impatient or
insensitive to you during your life, or neglected you in some way, I deeply and
sincerely request your forgiveness, Hersh. If there was something we could have
done to save you, and we didn’t think of it, I beg your forgiveness. We tried
so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I’m sorry,” she says in anguished
tones.
“Now, my Hersh, I ask for your help. As we transform our
hope into grief, in this new, unknown brand of pain, I beg of you, Hersh,
please do what you can do to have your life shine down” on the whole family,
she says. “Help shower us with headling and resilience. Help us to rise again.”
She thanks neighbors and her community for the support they
have given, saying that her family will now need even more help in the coming
period as they deal with their grief.
“Okay, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it’s as
good as the trips you dreamed about,” she says toward the end of her address.
“Because finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally, finally, finally you’re free.
I will love you and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life,”
she says.
“I know you are here,” she says, addressing Hersh and
putting her hand to her heart. “I just need to teach myself to feel you in a
different way.”
Hamas publishes footage of six murdered hostages whose bodies were recovered by the IDF in the Gaza Strip.
From L-R: Murdered hostages Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat and Eden Yerushalmi, in a Hamas propaganda video released September 2, 2024. (screenshot)It is unclear when the footage was taken, but Hamas says it is a promo for an extended video to be published soon, featuring hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi.
Hamas has previously issued similar videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is psychological warfare.
Most Israeli media outlets do not carry the video clips.
Hamas admits to killing 6 hostages: "After the rescue from Nuseirat, new instructions were given"
Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida responds on Telegram, continuing to avoid video or audio statements: "After the incident in Nuseirat (Operation Arnon), new instructions were given to the guards of the hostages regarding how to treat them, in case the Israeli army approaches their location"
Murdered hostage Carmel Gat’s cousin, Gil Dickmann, a leading voice among the hostage families fighting for a hostage deal, says Monday in a Hostages Forum press conference ahead of his cousin’s funeral at Kibbutz Be’eri that he is still getting used to the fact that he’s no longer a hostage family member, but will continue fighting for the remaining 101 hostages.
Gil Dickmann, cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, on September 1, 2024 (Instagram screenshot: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)“This is still my fight because it’s the fight of all Israelis,” says Dickmann. “It’s the price we will pay as Israelis if we don’t get them home.”
Gat, 40, was one of six hostages executed by Hamas at the end of last week, after nearly 11 months in captivity in Gaza. The bodies of the six hostages were recovered by the IDF and brought home to be buried in Israel.
“It’s the most tragic nightmare that we could have dreamed of,” says Dickmann. “We were anxiously awaiting the deal that could bring Carmel back.”
Gat was taken captive on October 7 by Hamas terrorists from her parents’ home in Kibbutz Be’eri. Her brother, sister-in-law, and 3-and-a-half-year-old niece were also captured, although her brother and niece managed to escape their captors. Gat’s sister-in-law, Yarden Roman-Gat, was released after 54 days of captivity. The family believed Carmel Gat would be released on the eighth day of the November ceasefire, but the deal collapsed as Israel and Hamas returned to fighting.
The Gat family had information throughout that Carmel was alive, receiving signs of life a few weeks before she was executed by Hamas captors, says Dickmann.
“We’ve been trying our best to tell everyone all over the world that the lives of the hostages are in great danger because they’re in the hands of a terror organization,” says Dickmann. “Sometimes people imagine that Hamas is a regular state, a regular organization.”
Dickmann says he wants to believe that his country and government believe in saving lives, although it’s become clear to him over the course of the last nearly 11 months that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t touched by any of the hostages and thinks only in terms of politics.
“Most ministers don’t understand that they voted for the execution of the hostages,” says Dickmann, referring to the recent cabinet decision to continue insisting on keeping control of the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza, a sticking point in hostage deal negotiations. “People are not something you can just spare or trade for other goals and reasons,” he says. “It’s horrible we had to pay the price with Carmel’s life, but I really hope that this is a turning point that the Israeli public can’t have this anymore and that the Israeli government will understand that they have to sign this deal immediately.”
Dickmann says the latest rounds of protests throughout the country on Sunday night and Monday, along with the general strike, show, he says, that most Israelis want a hostage deal.
“I guess we had to lose our most precious things for it to become time for [a general strike],” he says. “There are mixed feelings — everyone is finally coming out [to protest], but it’s too late for Carmel and all the hostages we didn’t save. If we don’t do it ourselves, no one is going to do it for us.”
- Uri Danino's father accuses: "We felt that not everything was done to bring them home"
Rabbi Elchanan Danino spoke harshly against politicians, including Aryeh Deri: "Why aren't you threatening to bring down the government?" • He referred to a call he received from the Prime Minister after his son's body was rescued from Gaza • Uri, of blessed memory, was kidnapped from the party in Re'im. The last contact with him was at 08:34
Rabbi Elchanan Danino, father of Uri Danino who was murdered over the weekend in Hamas captivity, was interviewed today (Monday) by Yishai Cohen in Kikar HaShabbat. "We felt that not everything was done to bring them home, the behavior continues even after six were murdered. Even now they're not doing anything," Elchanan said painfully. "I asked Deri, why can only Ben-Gvir and Smotrich threaten, let him threaten that if there's no deal he'll also dismantle the government."
Rabbi Danino accused the decision-makers: "I heard very serious things from politicians. It's possible that if they had behaved differently 160 days ago when there was an opportunity for a deal, Uri could have been here. The behavior is the same even after six were murdered. I feel sorry for parents and siblings whose parents and relatives are kidnapped there. A miracle happened to us. We were fortunate to receive Uri whole, that we were able to bury him."
Rabbi Danino said he was surprised by what Netanyahu told him in their phone call after learning of his murder: "The Prime Minister called, I was surprised, he asked for forgiveness and apologized, something I don't recognize in him, maybe the man started to understand that he was a bit wrong in his approach until now."
Rabbi Elchanan Danino, father of Uri of blessed memory who was murdered in Hamas captivity: The story of Uri Danino
25-year-old Uri from Givat Ze'ev was kidnapped from the Nova party in Re'im. Uri, from an ultra-Orthodox family, went to the party to celebrate with his friends and didn't update his family about it. The last contact with him was at 08:34, when his girlfriend called and he told her he was escaping and driving "like a psychopath" and that she should call later - since then his traces disappeared.
From testimonies the family heard, Uri tried to escape in a car, but changed his direction to try to help other people who were fleeing - among them, as it turned out later, were Itai and Maya Regev and Omer Shem-Tov. "I hear from his friend who survived, he tells me 'I see Uri driving behind me and at some point he turns around'," Yitzhak, Uri's brother, said in an interview with News 12. "Now while he was turning around he sent him a message, 'Send me the number of Omer, Maya or Itai'. The friend who survived (Tomer) calls him and says: 'What, this is not the time now to start looking to be a hero', he told him the sentence that's a bit typical of Uri, 'I'll be fine, it's them I need to bring home'."
It later turned out that those Uri went to save were Itai and Maya Regev, who were released from Hamas captivity, and Omer Shem-Tov who is still in Gaza. After his release, Itai Regev provided new information about the sequence of events: "After about an hour and a half-two hours of running between bullets, Omer gets a phone call from Uri and tells him 'send me a location, I'm coming to get you'. After about ten minutes after that Uri called Omer, told him he was here, started honking and we got into the car." In one of the videos that came out from the party, Uri is seen in his blue car, with Omer beside him and Itai and Maya behind.
According to Itai, from that moment the four try to escape and encounter difficult sights, including sprayed cars and bodies on the road, until they themselves encounter terrorists who spray the car. "I get a bullet in the leg, Maya gets two seconds after me," Itai describes, "I had about 3-4 seconds where I'm screaming to the heavens."
Uri was supposed to start his bachelor's degree studies and get married to his girlfriend Liel. link
- Let it be clear that Netanyahu has sentenced the hostages to death. Netanyahu stated that Israel will not leave the Philadelphia corridor not after 42 days nor after 42 years, meaning that Israel will occupy Gaza for many more years. He also says that we will not make a deal with Hamas until Hamas gives up all its demands and then we will release all the abductees. That means we will never bring back the hostages. Netanyahu is sacrificing the hostages on an altar of his own personal political survival. (Gershon Baskin, 9-2-2024)The 3-Weeks Deal:End the war within 3 weeks. Israeli withdrawal from Gaza over the 3 weeks. All 101 Israeli hostages will be released over the 3 weeks in parallel to the release of an agreed number and list of names of Palestinian prisoners. One of the Hamas leaders wrote me this morning:I appreciate your efforts and hope you succeed to bring the deal.We support your proposal, all leaders.But I think Netanyahu will reject it.Me to Hamas leader: He will reject it - but we will force it on him - we are also putting the pressure on Washington. There are also 2 groups of senior formal military people who are working to put the pressure on and a group of very good and powerful people from the families.(Gershon Baskin, September 3, 2024)
- CNN report: "Mediators discussed advancing a deal - and Netanyahu sabotaged everything in one speech"
The head of Mossad flew for a secret visit to Doha, Biden and Harris received an update from the negotiating team, the US President said he was close to presenting the final deal - and then Netanyahu chose to give a speech and clarify that Israel will never leave the Philadelphi Corridor. A source involved in the talks: "He sabotaged everything". Biden: "I'm not negotiating with him, but with my counterparts from Egypt and Qatar"
The head of Mossad flew to Qatar, the mediators discussed possible ways to advance a deal - and then came Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's press conference. "This man sabotaged everything in one speech," a source involved in the negotiations told CNN. According to the CNN report, after the murder of hostages in Hamas captivity, those involved in the negotiations spoke to each other by phone and discussed possible ways to advance a hostage deal and a ceasefire. "But then Prime Minister Netanyahu held the press conference, and made it clear that Israel will never leave the Philadelphi Corridor," CNN wrote. The same source said that "this man sabotaged everything in one speech".
Netanyahu's press conference took place after Mossad chief Dedi Barnea flew to Doha for a secret visit and met with the Prime Minister of Qatar. Yesterday, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received an update from the American negotiating team on the status of the proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. "They discussed the next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continued consultations with partner mediators Qatar and Egypt," the meeting summary statement said.
Biden, who earlier yesterday responded negatively to a question about whether he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to advance a deal and said that he was close to presenting the final deal to the parties, was asked about that Netanyahu press conference, and said: "We are still negotiating. We are not negotiating with him - I am negotiating with my counterparts from Egypt and Qatar."
Meanwhile, the Families Headquarters for the Return of the Hostages stated last night in response to Netanyahu's speech that it was "full of lies and spins". According to the headquarters, the PM chose the legacy of abandonment instead of saving lives and returning the hostages. Netanyahu proved that he does not intend to return the hostages. This is the real meaning of his words behind all the lies and spins we heard. "The people of Israel, who mostly support the return of the hostages, will no longer lend a hand to this criminal abandonment," the headquarters added. "The struggle to return the hostages will be intensified and increased until the last hostage returns home - the living for rehabilitation and the murdered and fallen for proper burial."
In parallel with Netanyahu's speech last night, thousands of protesters gathered around "Ze'ev's Fortress", the Likud headquarters building on King George Street in Tel Aviv. Clashes developed between protesters and police, and the protesters managed to bypass barriers of trucks. Bonfires were lit. Earlier, thousands also demonstrated on Kaplan Street in front of the Begin Bridge calling for the release of the hostages, a day after the massive demonstration on the street.
Hadas Calderon, whose children's father Ofer is still kidnapped in Gaza, said at the demonstration: "Yesterday six bodies, today funerals and many broken hearts. The value of the sanctity of life is dead, expired. You ruined it. Blood cabinet, it's dark for them in the tunnels and dark for us in our hearts. Our families are thrown like dogs in the tunnels. You, Prime Minister, are betraying your people." Danny Elgart, brother of kidnapped Itzik Elgart, referred to the Prime Minister's press conference: "Netanyahu, if your statement is not about a hostage deal, don't make any statement."
Thousands also demonstrated in front of the Prime Minister's residence on Gaza Street in Jerusalem, where severe clashes developed between police and protesters. The police updated that 15 protesters were arrested during the protest. link
**"Violation of Islamic rules": Muslim religious
leaders condemn the murder of hostages**
An organization of Muslim religious leaders called the
"Global Imam Council" (GIC) published a condemnation of the murder of
six hostages by Hamas. One of the organization's members, a religious leader
from Pakistan, told Kan News: "Protecting hostages is an absolute duty for
any Islamic organization if they claim to be Muslim"
An organization of Muslim religious leaders called the
"Global Imam Council" (GIC) published a condemnation of the murder of
six hostages by Hamas and conveyed condolences to the hostages' families. The
organization's statement read: "The murder and kidnapping of innocent
civilians and their execution is a criminal act that violates the rules of
warfare defined by Islam - which absolutely prohibits harming innocent
people."
One of the organization's members, Pakistani religious
leader Pir Mudasir, who is responsible for the South Asian region, said today
(Tuesday) in a conversation with Kan News: "You cannot murder hostages in
the name of religion. It is absolutely forbidden in any religion. Protecting
prisoners of war is the responsibility of every Islamic organization if they
claim to be Muslim. So all the more so, protecting hostages is an absolute
duty."
Mudasir, who is in the capital of Pakistan, a country that
has no public relations with Israel, added: "This is condemnable. You
can't support the murder of innocents, especially not hostages. We pray and
hope for their release."
In a statement published in recent days by the GIC, the
imams place responsibility for all the murders that occurred after the October
7 attack, which brought destruction and death to the entire region and
particularly to the Palestinian people, on both Hamas and the Iranian regime.
Regarding this, the Pakistani religious leader said:
"The statement of the Global Imam Council is very clear. We have our
principles that speak about the right of the State of Israel to exist and the
right of every Israeli to live in peace. We are very clear in our position
against terrorism and extremism from day one. We condemn all terrorist attacks
against Israel whether by Hamas or any other state."
The spokesman for Hamas's military wing, Abu Obeida,
publicly admitted yesterday that the Hamas terrorist organization murdered the
six Israeli hostages in captivity. "After the rescue of four hostages in
the Israeli operation in Nuseirat, we sharpened the instructions to those
guarding the hostages on how to act if IDF forces approach," he said. link
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pays a condolence visit to the family of Alex Lobanov, one of the six hostages who were murdered by Hamas late last week shortly before their bodies were found and brought back to Israel.
Alex Lobanov, pictured here with wife Michal, was the head barman at Supernova, when he was captured on October 7, 2023 by Hamas terrorists who attacked the desert rave (Courtesy)But while Alex’s parents Oksana and Gregory meet the premier in their home in Ashkelon, two days after the funeral, the dead captive’s widow Michal refuses to meet Netanyahu or speak to him on the phone.
Netanyahu spoke on the phone with Alex’s parents two days ago and issued a rare apology over their son’s death.
“I want to tell you how sorry I am, and I ask for your forgiveness for not succeeding in bringing Sasha home alive,” he told Oksana and Gregory, using their son’s shortened name, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Hostage Updates
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have just received a briefing from the administration’s hostage negotiators and their national security teams, the White House says.
The meeting was held against the backdrop of Hamas’s killing of six Israeli hostages, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose bodies were recovered by the IDF over the weekend.
During the meeting, “Biden expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable,” according to a White House readout.
This line is notable given that just before entering the meeting, Biden was asked by reporters whether he thinks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been doing enough to secure a deal and he responded, “No.”
As is often the case, reporters did not ask the US president whether he thought Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had been doing enough, so the media narrative focused on Netanyahu.
During the Situation Room meeting, Biden and Harris received an update from the US negotiation team on the status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, after being drafted by the US on August 16, the US readout says.
They “discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt,” the US readout adds.
Participating in the Situation Room meeting were CIA Director Bill Burns, White House Mideast Czar Brett McGurk, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, Harris’s National Security Adviser Phil Gordon, and Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients.
Shortly before entering the meeting, Biden told reporters he was “very close” to presenting a final hostage deal proposal by the end the week — what appears would be a take it or leave it offer.
Seven US nationals are still held by Hamas, with three of them having been declared dead.
Addressing his son, the father of murdered 23-year-old hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin tells mourners at his Jerusalem funeral that “we failed you.”
“Hersh, we failed you. We all failed you. You would not have failed you,” Jon Polin says. “You would have pushed harder for justice. You would have worked to understand the other, to bridge differences. You would have challenged more people to challenge their own thinking.”
“And what you would have been pushing for now is to ensure that your death, the death of all the soldiers, and so many innocent civilians, are not in vain,” Polin says.
“Your starting point would be returning all of the hostages,” Polin says.
“For 330 days, mom and I sought the proverbial stone that we could turn over to save you. Maybe, just maybe, your death is the stone that will bring home the remaining 101 hostages,” he says.
“You would keep on pushing for a rethinking of this region. You have said we must take a chance on a path with the potential to end the ongoing cycles of violence,” Polin says.
The mourning father says his son would push every decision-maker to ask themselves if all of their decisions lead to a better future, and to step aside if they do not.
He also explained how his son believed in social justice and was now a global symbol of the need for change in the world, “always seeking to understand the other, and always with dignity and respect.”
“For 23 years of life we had with you were a blessing, we now will work to make your legacy a blessing. You were a really great guy, I love you,” Polin concludes.
This undated photo provided by Rachel Goldberg shows her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The 23-year-old from Jerusalem was last seen when Hamas terrorists loaded him into the back of a pickup truck with other hostages abducted from a music festival in the western Negev Desert on Oct. 7. (Courtesy of Rachel Goldberg via AP)
Rachel Goldberg-Polin speaks at her son's Hersh's funeral in Jerusalem, September 2, 2024. (Screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)The mother of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin tells mourners at his Jerusalem funeral that it was a privilege to have him as a son.
“I have had a lot of time during the past 332 days to think about my sweet boy Hersh, and one thing I keep thinking about is how out of all the mothers in the whole entire world, God chose to give Hersh to me,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin says. “What must I have done in a past life to deserve such a beautiful gift?”
Continues Rachel: “I am honest and I say, it’s not that Hersh was perfect. But he was the perfect son for me. And I am so grateful to God — and I want to thank God right now in front of all of you for giving me this magnificent present of my Hersh. For 23 years, I was privileged to have the most stunning honor — to be Hersh’s momma. I’ll take it and say thank you. I just wish it had been for longer.”
She says the family “became absolutely certain” that Hersh would come back alive. “But it was not to be.”
“Now I no longer have to worry about you; I know you are no longer in danger. You are with beautiful Aner. He will show you around,” she says, referring to her son’s best friend Aner Shapiro, who was killed as he threw grenades out of a bomb shelter to save those inside.
“I pray that your death will be a turning point in this horrible situation in which we are all entangled,” she says, adding she takes comfort that he was with other hostages at the time he was killed.
“When you wrote to us from the bomb shelter, you had just seen Aner get killed. You had lost your arm and you thought you were dying. And you wrote to us, I’m sorry, because you knew how crushing it would be for us to lose you, so you fought to stay alive. And now you’re gone,” she says.
Rachel asks her son to forgive her being unable to save him. “At this time, I ask your forgiveness. If ever I was impatient or insensitive to you during your life, or neglected you in some way, I deeply and sincerely request your forgiveness, Hersh. If there was something we could have done to save you, and we didn’t think of it, I beg your forgiveness. We tried so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I’m sorry,” she says in anguished tones.
“Now, my Hersh, I ask for your help. As we transform our hope into grief, in this new, unknown brand of pain, I beg of you, Hersh, please do what you can do to have your life shine down” on the whole family, she says. “Help shower us with headling and resilience. Help us to rise again.”
She thanks neighbors and her community for the support they have given, saying that her family will now need even more help in the coming period as they deal with their grief.
“Okay, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it’s as good as the trips you dreamed about,” she says toward the end of her address. “Because finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally, finally, finally you’re free. I will love you and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life,” she says.
“I know you are here,” she says, addressing Hersh and putting her hand to her heart. “I just need to teach myself to feel you in a different way.”
“When you wrote to us from the bomb shelter, you had just seen Aner get killed. You had lost your arm and you thought you were dying. And you wrote to us, I’m sorry, because you knew how crushing it would be for us to lose you, so you fought to stay alive. And now you’re gone,” she says.
Rachel asks her son to forgive her being unable to save him. “At this time, I ask your forgiveness. If ever I was impatient or insensitive to you during your life, or neglected you in some way, I deeply and sincerely request your forgiveness, Hersh. If there was something we could have done to save you, and we didn’t think of it, I beg your forgiveness. We tried so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I’m sorry,” she says in anguished tones.
“Now, my Hersh, I ask for your help. As we transform our hope into grief, in this new, unknown brand of pain, I beg of you, Hersh, please do what you can do to have your life shine down” on the whole family, she says. “Help shower us with headling and resilience. Help us to rise again.”
She thanks neighbors and her community for the support they have given, saying that her family will now need even more help in the coming period as they deal with their grief.
“Okay, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it’s as good as the trips you dreamed about,” she says toward the end of her address. “Because finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally, finally, finally you’re free. I will love you and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life,” she says.
“I know you are here,” she says, addressing Hersh and putting her hand to her heart. “I just need to teach myself to feel you in a different way.”
Hamas publishes footage of six murdered hostages whose bodies were recovered by the IDF in the Gaza Strip.
From L-R: Murdered hostages Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat and Eden Yerushalmi, in a Hamas propaganda video released September 2, 2024. (screenshot)It is unclear when the footage was taken, but Hamas says it is a promo for an extended video to be published soon, featuring hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi.
Hamas has previously issued similar videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is psychological warfare.
Most Israeli media outlets do not carry the video clips.
Hamas admits to killing 6 hostages: "After the rescue from Nuseirat, new instructions were given"
Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida responds on Telegram, continuing to avoid video or audio statements: "After the incident in Nuseirat (Operation Arnon), new instructions were given to the guards of the hostages regarding how to treat them, in case the Israeli army approaches their location"
Murdered hostage Carmel Gat’s cousin, Gil Dickmann, a leading voice among the hostage families fighting for a hostage deal, says Monday in a Hostages Forum press conference ahead of his cousin’s funeral at Kibbutz Be’eri that he is still getting used to the fact that he’s no longer a hostage family member, but will continue fighting for the remaining 101 hostages.
Gil Dickmann, cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, on September 1, 2024 (Instagram screenshot: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)“This is still my fight because it’s the fight of all Israelis,” says Dickmann. “It’s the price we will pay as Israelis if we don’t get them home.”
Gat, 40, was one of six hostages executed by Hamas at the end of last week, after nearly 11 months in captivity in Gaza. The bodies of the six hostages were recovered by the IDF and brought home to be buried in Israel.
“It’s the most tragic nightmare that we could have dreamed of,” says Dickmann. “We were anxiously awaiting the deal that could bring Carmel back.”
Gat was taken captive on October 7 by Hamas terrorists from her parents’ home in Kibbutz Be’eri. Her brother, sister-in-law, and 3-and-a-half-year-old niece were also captured, although her brother and niece managed to escape their captors. Gat’s sister-in-law, Yarden Roman-Gat, was released after 54 days of captivity. The family believed Carmel Gat would be released on the eighth day of the November ceasefire, but the deal collapsed as Israel and Hamas returned to fighting.
The Gat family had information throughout that Carmel was alive, receiving signs of life a few weeks before she was executed by Hamas captors, says Dickmann.
“We’ve been trying our best to tell everyone all over the world that the lives of the hostages are in great danger because they’re in the hands of a terror organization,” says Dickmann. “Sometimes people imagine that Hamas is a regular state, a regular organization.”
Dickmann says he wants to believe that his country and government believe in saving lives, although it’s become clear to him over the course of the last nearly 11 months that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t touched by any of the hostages and thinks only in terms of politics.
“Most ministers don’t understand that they voted for the execution of the hostages,” says Dickmann, referring to the recent cabinet decision to continue insisting on keeping control of the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza, a sticking point in hostage deal negotiations. “People are not something you can just spare or trade for other goals and reasons,” he says. “It’s horrible we had to pay the price with Carmel’s life, but I really hope that this is a turning point that the Israeli public can’t have this anymore and that the Israeli government will understand that they have to sign this deal immediately.”
Dickmann says the latest rounds of protests throughout the country on Sunday night and Monday, along with the general strike, show, he says, that most Israelis want a hostage deal.
“I guess we had to lose our most precious things for it to become time for [a general strike],” he says. “There are mixed feelings — everyone is finally coming out [to protest], but it’s too late for Carmel and all the hostages we didn’t save. If we don’t do it ourselves, no one is going to do it for us.”
- Uri Danino's father accuses: "We felt that not everything was done to bring them home"Rabbi Elchanan Danino spoke harshly against politicians, including Aryeh Deri: "Why aren't you threatening to bring down the government?" • He referred to a call he received from the Prime Minister after his son's body was rescued from Gaza • Uri, of blessed memory, was kidnapped from the party in Re'im. The last contact with him was at 08:34Rabbi Elchanan Danino, father of Uri Danino who was murdered over the weekend in Hamas captivity, was interviewed today (Monday) by Yishai Cohen in Kikar HaShabbat. "We felt that not everything was done to bring them home, the behavior continues even after six were murdered. Even now they're not doing anything," Elchanan said painfully. "I asked Deri, why can only Ben-Gvir and Smotrich threaten, let him threaten that if there's no deal he'll also dismantle the government."Rabbi Danino accused the decision-makers: "I heard very serious things from politicians. It's possible that if they had behaved differently 160 days ago when there was an opportunity for a deal, Uri could have been here. The behavior is the same even after six were murdered. I feel sorry for parents and siblings whose parents and relatives are kidnapped there. A miracle happened to us. We were fortunate to receive Uri whole, that we were able to bury him."Rabbi Danino said he was surprised by what Netanyahu told him in their phone call after learning of his murder: "The Prime Minister called, I was surprised, he asked for forgiveness and apologized, something I don't recognize in him, maybe the man started to understand that he was a bit wrong in his approach until now."Rabbi Elchanan Danino, father of Uri of blessed memory who was murdered in Hamas captivity: The story of Uri Danino25-year-old Uri from Givat Ze'ev was kidnapped from the Nova party in Re'im. Uri, from an ultra-Orthodox family, went to the party to celebrate with his friends and didn't update his family about it. The last contact with him was at 08:34, when his girlfriend called and he told her he was escaping and driving "like a psychopath" and that she should call later - since then his traces disappeared.From testimonies the family heard, Uri tried to escape in a car, but changed his direction to try to help other people who were fleeing - among them, as it turned out later, were Itai and Maya Regev and Omer Shem-Tov. "I hear from his friend who survived, he tells me 'I see Uri driving behind me and at some point he turns around'," Yitzhak, Uri's brother, said in an interview with News 12. "Now while he was turning around he sent him a message, 'Send me the number of Omer, Maya or Itai'. The friend who survived (Tomer) calls him and says: 'What, this is not the time now to start looking to be a hero', he told him the sentence that's a bit typical of Uri, 'I'll be fine, it's them I need to bring home'."It later turned out that those Uri went to save were Itai and Maya Regev, who were released from Hamas captivity, and Omer Shem-Tov who is still in Gaza. After his release, Itai Regev provided new information about the sequence of events: "After about an hour and a half-two hours of running between bullets, Omer gets a phone call from Uri and tells him 'send me a location, I'm coming to get you'. After about ten minutes after that Uri called Omer, told him he was here, started honking and we got into the car." In one of the videos that came out from the party, Uri is seen in his blue car, with Omer beside him and Itai and Maya behind.According to Itai, from that moment the four try to escape and encounter difficult sights, including sprayed cars and bodies on the road, until they themselves encounter terrorists who spray the car. "I get a bullet in the leg, Maya gets two seconds after me," Itai describes, "I had about 3-4 seconds where I'm screaming to the heavens."Uri was supposed to start his bachelor's degree studies and get married to his girlfriend Liel. link
- Let it be clear that Netanyahu has sentenced the hostages to death. Netanyahu stated that Israel will not leave the Philadelphia corridor not after 42 days nor after 42 years, meaning that Israel will occupy Gaza for many more years. He also says that we will not make a deal with Hamas until Hamas gives up all its demands and then we will release all the abductees. That means we will never bring back the hostages. Netanyahu is sacrificing the hostages on an altar of his own personal political survival. (Gershon Baskin, 9-2-2024)The 3-Weeks Deal:End the war within 3 weeks. Israeli withdrawal from Gaza over the 3 weeks. All 101 Israeli hostages will be released over the 3 weeks in parallel to the release of an agreed number and list of names of Palestinian prisoners.One of the Hamas leaders wrote me this morning:I appreciate your efforts and hope you succeed to bring the deal.We support your proposal, all leaders.But I think Netanyahu will reject it.Me to Hamas leader:He will reject it - but we will force it on him - we are also putting the pressure on Washington. There are also 2 groups of senior formal military people who are working to put the pressure on and a group of very good and powerful people from the families.(Gershon Baskin, September 3, 2024)
- CNN report: "Mediators discussed advancing a deal - and Netanyahu sabotaged everything in one speech"The head of Mossad flew for a secret visit to Doha, Biden and Harris received an update from the negotiating team, the US President said he was close to presenting the final deal - and then Netanyahu chose to give a speech and clarify that Israel will never leave the Philadelphi Corridor. A source involved in the talks: "He sabotaged everything". Biden: "I'm not negotiating with him, but with my counterparts from Egypt and Qatar"The head of Mossad flew to Qatar, the mediators discussed possible ways to advance a deal - and then came Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's press conference. "This man sabotaged everything in one speech," a source involved in the negotiations told CNN. According to the CNN report, after the murder of hostages in Hamas captivity, those involved in the negotiations spoke to each other by phone and discussed possible ways to advance a hostage deal and a ceasefire. "But then Prime Minister Netanyahu held the press conference, and made it clear that Israel will never leave the Philadelphi Corridor," CNN wrote. The same source said that "this man sabotaged everything in one speech".Netanyahu's press conference took place after Mossad chief Dedi Barnea flew to Doha for a secret visit and met with the Prime Minister of Qatar. Yesterday, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received an update from the American negotiating team on the status of the proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. "They discussed the next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continued consultations with partner mediators Qatar and Egypt," the meeting summary statement said.Biden, who earlier yesterday responded negatively to a question about whether he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to advance a deal and said that he was close to presenting the final deal to the parties, was asked about that Netanyahu press conference, and said: "We are still negotiating. We are not negotiating with him - I am negotiating with my counterparts from Egypt and Qatar."Meanwhile, the Families Headquarters for the Return of the Hostages stated last night in response to Netanyahu's speech that it was "full of lies and spins". According to the headquarters, the PM chose the legacy of abandonment instead of saving lives and returning the hostages. Netanyahu proved that he does not intend to return the hostages. This is the real meaning of his words behind all the lies and spins we heard. "The people of Israel, who mostly support the return of the hostages, will no longer lend a hand to this criminal abandonment," the headquarters added. "The struggle to return the hostages will be intensified and increased until the last hostage returns home - the living for rehabilitation and the murdered and fallen for proper burial."In parallel with Netanyahu's speech last night, thousands of protesters gathered around "Ze'ev's Fortress", the Likud headquarters building on King George Street in Tel Aviv. Clashes developed between protesters and police, and the protesters managed to bypass barriers of trucks. Bonfires were lit. Earlier, thousands also demonstrated on Kaplan Street in front of the Begin Bridge calling for the release of the hostages, a day after the massive demonstration on the street.Hadas Calderon, whose children's father Ofer is still kidnapped in Gaza, said at the demonstration: "Yesterday six bodies, today funerals and many broken hearts. The value of the sanctity of life is dead, expired. You ruined it. Blood cabinet, it's dark for them in the tunnels and dark for us in our hearts. Our families are thrown like dogs in the tunnels. You, Prime Minister, are betraying your people." Danny Elgart, brother of kidnapped Itzik Elgart, referred to the Prime Minister's press conference: "Netanyahu, if your statement is not about a hostage deal, don't make any statement."Thousands also demonstrated in front of the Prime Minister's residence on Gaza Street in Jerusalem, where severe clashes developed between police and protesters. The police updated that 15 protesters were arrested during the protest. link
**"Violation of Islamic rules": Muslim religious leaders condemn the murder of hostages**
An organization of Muslim religious leaders called the "Global Imam Council" (GIC) published a condemnation of the murder of six hostages by Hamas. One of the organization's members, a religious leader from Pakistan, told Kan News: "Protecting hostages is an absolute duty for any Islamic organization if they claim to be Muslim"
An organization of Muslim religious leaders called the "Global Imam Council" (GIC) published a condemnation of the murder of six hostages by Hamas and conveyed condolences to the hostages' families. The organization's statement read: "The murder and kidnapping of innocent civilians and their execution is a criminal act that violates the rules of warfare defined by Islam - which absolutely prohibits harming innocent people."
One of the organization's members, Pakistani religious leader Pir Mudasir, who is responsible for the South Asian region, said today (Tuesday) in a conversation with Kan News: "You cannot murder hostages in the name of religion. It is absolutely forbidden in any religion. Protecting prisoners of war is the responsibility of every Islamic organization if they claim to be Muslim. So all the more so, protecting hostages is an absolute duty."
Mudasir, who is in the capital of Pakistan, a country that has no public relations with Israel, added: "This is condemnable. You can't support the murder of innocents, especially not hostages. We pray and hope for their release."
In a statement published in recent days by the GIC, the imams place responsibility for all the murders that occurred after the October 7 attack, which brought destruction and death to the entire region and particularly to the Palestinian people, on both Hamas and the Iranian regime.
Regarding this, the Pakistani religious leader said: "The statement of the Global Imam Council is very clear. We have our principles that speak about the right of the State of Israel to exist and the right of every Israeli to live in peace. We are very clear in our position against terrorism and extremism from day one. We condemn all terrorist attacks against Israel whether by Hamas or any other state."
The spokesman for Hamas's military wing, Abu Obeida, publicly admitted yesterday that the Hamas terrorist organization murdered the six Israeli hostages in captivity. "After the rescue of four hostages in the Israeli operation in Nuseirat, we sharpened the instructions to those guarding the hostages on how to act if IDF forces approach," he said. link
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pays a condolence visit to the family of Alex Lobanov, one of the six hostages who were murdered by Hamas late last week shortly before their bodies were found and brought back to Israel.
Alex Lobanov, pictured here with wife Michal, was the head barman at Supernova, when he was captured on October 7, 2023 by Hamas terrorists who attacked the desert rave (Courtesy)But while Alex’s parents Oksana and Gregory meet the premier in their home in Ashkelon, two days after the funeral, the dead captive’s widow Michal refuses to meet Netanyahu or speak to him on the phone.
Netanyahu spoke on the phone with Alex’s parents two days ago and issued a rare apology over their son’s death.
“I want to tell you how sorry I am, and I ask for your forgiveness for not succeeding in bringing Sasha home alive,” he told Oksana and Gregory, using their son’s shortened name, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Gaza
- 10 months after the start of the ground maneuver - Hamas is rebuilding its capabilities in northern Gaza Strip
Security officials identify worrying signs of renewed Hamas activity in northern Gaza Strip • Estimates indicate about 3,000 new operatives recruited to the terrorist organization, equipped with weapons and ammunition and receiving payment for their activities • While the IDF continues to operate in certain points in the area, the possibility of a renewed and massive entry into northern Gaza is being considered to prevent re-establishment
Almost 10 months have passed since the IDF began the extensive ground maneuver in northern Gaza Strip on October 27. However, according to information we published last night (Monday) in the main edition, it appears that Hamas is managing to rebuild its capabilities in the area, despite the severe blow it suffered.
In the first weeks of the war, the IDF deployed significant force in northern Gaza, aiming to damage Hamas's terror infrastructure and prevent its ability to carry out further attacks. The ground maneuver included the entry of armor, infantry, and engineering forces, with massive air force support. This action led to significant damage to Hamas's capabilities and pushed it out of the area.
However, updated information paints a worrying picture. While the IDF continues to operate in certain points in northern Gaza, it is not present there as massively as it was in the first months of the ground maneuver. According to a security source who spoke with security personnel in the Gaza envelope area and whose words reached N12, the security system identifies that Hamas has managed to rebuild some of its capabilities in the area. Estimates indicate that about 3,000 new Hamas operatives have returned to operate in northern Gaza. These are not operatives who moved from southern Gaza to the north, but new manpower recruited by the organization. According to the same security source, Hamas provides these operatives with ammunition and weapons, and even pays them for their activities.
This development raises great concern among Israeli security officials, as it indicates Hamas's ability to recover, despite the severe damage it suffered at the beginning of the war. Meanwhile, the message conveyed to security personnel in the Gaza envelope: there may be no choice but a renewed and massive IDF entry into northern Gaza. link
- The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a group of Hamas operatives at a command room embedded within a former Gaza City college. According to the military, Hamas was using the Namaa’ college to plan and carry out attacks against troops and the country.
The IDF says it took “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.
“The Hamas terror organization systematically violates international law, brutally exploiting civilian institutions and the population as a human shield for terror activity,” the military says.
In recent months, dozens of airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF. video
Israeli authorities release figures on the polio vaccination push in Gaza that correspond to what the World Health Organization is saying.
The IDF’s Southern Command and the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories say that on Sunday, the first day of the campaign, approximately 86,683 people were vaccinated. Yesterday, approximately 74,346 people were vaccinated.
The World Health Organization in Gaza confirms that it has vaccinated over 161,000 children under 10 in the central Strip versus a projected 150,000.
The drive comes after an unvaccinated 10-month-old baby from central Gaza contracted polio and suffered partial paralysis, in the first case of the disease in the enclave in 25 years.
The drive is staggered across three geographic regions of Gaza, beginning in the central Strip on September 1-3, then in southern Gaza on September 4-6, and finally in northern Gaza on September 7-9.
The campaign, which involves two doses, aims to cover over 640,000 children under age 10 over the next nine days.
The IDF says it took “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.
“The Hamas terror organization systematically violates international law, brutally exploiting civilian institutions and the population as a human shield for terror activity,” the military says.
In recent months, dozens of airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF. video
Israeli authorities release figures on the polio vaccination push in Gaza that correspond to what the World Health Organization is saying.
The IDF’s Southern Command and the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories say that on Sunday, the first day of the campaign, approximately 86,683 people were vaccinated. Yesterday, approximately 74,346 people were vaccinated.
The World Health Organization in Gaza confirms that it has vaccinated over 161,000 children under 10 in the central Strip versus a projected 150,000.
The drive comes after an unvaccinated 10-month-old baby from central Gaza contracted polio and suffered partial paralysis, in the first case of the disease in the enclave in 25 years.
The drive is staggered across three geographic regions of Gaza, beginning in the central Strip on September 1-3, then in southern Gaza on September 4-6, and finally in northern Gaza on September 7-9.
The campaign, which involves two doses, aims to cover over 640,000 children under age 10 over the next nine days.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
A barrage of some 30 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Western Galilee this afternoon, the IDF says.
There are no injuries in the attack, claimed by Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, the IDF says it struck a building used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Markaba earlier today.
It releases footage of the strike. video
A rocket fired from Lebanon a short while ago has impacted near Ein Yaakov, according to an image and media reports.
Smoke rises after a rocket impact near Ein Yaakov, northern Israel, September 2, 2024. (Courtesy)
An explosives-laden drone crashed into scrubland in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, sparking a bushfire, the Israel Defense Forces says.
Firefighters are attempting to douse the flames near Manara in the Galilee panhandle after the attack, which did not trigger warning sirens.
Sirens did sound in the border towns of Arab al-Aramshe and Hanita in the Western Galilee, where the IDF says troops successfully shot down a drone that infiltrated from Lebanon.
Hezbollah says it targeted soldiers in Manara with “appropriate weapons.” It does not claim the attack near Hanita.
Several anti-tank missiles were launched from Lebanon at the border community of Arab al-Aramshe a short while ago, the IDF says.
There are no injuries in the attack, which is claimed by Hezbollah. The terror group claims it targeted an Israeli intelligence unit.
Separately, the IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a building in southern Lebanon’s Markaba where a group of Hezbollah operatives were identified.
Fighter jets struck another Hezbollah site in Rihan, the IDF adds.
It releases footage of the strikes. video
A barrage of some 30 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Western Galilee this afternoon, the IDF says.
There are no injuries in the attack, claimed by Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, the IDF says it struck a building used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Markaba earlier today.
It releases footage of the strike. video
A rocket fired from Lebanon a short while ago has impacted near Ein Yaakov, according to an image and media reports.
Smoke rises after a rocket impact near Ein Yaakov, northern Israel, September 2, 2024. (Courtesy)An explosives-laden drone crashed into scrubland in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, sparking a bushfire, the Israel Defense Forces says.
Firefighters are attempting to douse the flames near Manara in the Galilee panhandle after the attack, which did not trigger warning sirens.
Sirens did sound in the border towns of Arab al-Aramshe and Hanita in the Western Galilee, where the IDF says troops successfully shot down a drone that infiltrated from Lebanon.
Hezbollah says it targeted soldiers in Manara with “appropriate weapons.” It does not claim the attack near Hanita.
Several anti-tank missiles were launched from Lebanon at the border community of Arab al-Aramshe a short while ago, the IDF says.
There are no injuries in the attack, which is claimed by Hezbollah. The terror group claims it targeted an Israeli intelligence unit.
Separately, the IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a building in southern Lebanon’s Markaba where a group of Hezbollah operatives were identified.
Fighter jets struck another Hezbollah site in Rihan, the IDF adds.
It releases footage of the strikes. video
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- Settlers, including one under US sanctions, indicted over assault on lost Bedouin travelers
The State Attorney’s Office indicts two settlers from the illegal West Bank outpost of Givat Ronen on charges of terrorism, aggravated bodily harm, and damaging property motivated by racism, among other charges, a rare move reflecting increased international pressure to hold extremists accountable for attacks on Palestinians.
The indictment was filed over an incident in Givat Ronen in August in which five Arab Israeli citizens were attacked, threatened and verbally abused by the two suspects after they mistakenly drove into the illegal settlement.
David Hasdai, a known settler extremist sanctioned by the US in February, was indicted on charges of perpetrating an act of terrorism, aggravated bodily harm, arson, and damaging a vehicle and damaging property on racist motives.
Yaakov Goelman is charged with causing deliberate damage to property with racist motivation, and blackmail through threats with racist motivation.
On August 9, Lamis al-Jaer, a resident of the Bedouin town of Rahat in southern Israel, mistakenly drove into Givat Ronen in the northern West Bank with her 2-year-old daughter and three other female relatives in the car.
Hasdai and others chased after the vehicle and began pelting al-Jaer’s car with rocks and stones smashing the windscreen and injuring the women inside the vehicle, according to the indictment. They eventually escaped from the car and ran away on foot, until they were rescued by Israeli security forces.
Their car was set ablaze by the settlers, while Goelman shouted at the women “You must be from Gaza” and “You were happy on October 7.” He then stole one of the women’s phones, called her grandmother, and threatened to kill her granddaughter, the indictment says.
Indictments over settler violence are rare, especially when involving Palestinian victims. In July, the High Court of Justice noted that out of 231 open or completed police investigations into settler violence in the Judea district in the Southern West Bank, not one indictment has been filed since November last year.
The State Attorney’s Office indicts two settlers from the illegal West Bank outpost of Givat Ronen on charges of terrorism, aggravated bodily harm, and damaging property motivated by racism, among other charges, a rare move reflecting increased international pressure to hold extremists accountable for attacks on Palestinians.
The indictment was filed over an incident in Givat Ronen in August in which five Arab Israeli citizens were attacked, threatened and verbally abused by the two suspects after they mistakenly drove into the illegal settlement.
David Hasdai, a known settler extremist sanctioned by the US in February, was indicted on charges of perpetrating an act of terrorism, aggravated bodily harm, arson, and damaging a vehicle and damaging property on racist motives.
Yaakov Goelman is charged with causing deliberate damage to property with racist motivation, and blackmail through threats with racist motivation.
On August 9, Lamis al-Jaer, a resident of the Bedouin town of Rahat in southern Israel, mistakenly drove into Givat Ronen in the northern West Bank with her 2-year-old daughter and three other female relatives in the car.
Hasdai and others chased after the vehicle and began pelting al-Jaer’s car with rocks and stones smashing the windscreen and injuring the women inside the vehicle, according to the indictment. They eventually escaped from the car and ran away on foot, until they were rescued by Israeli security forces.
Their car was set ablaze by the settlers, while Goelman shouted at the women “You must be from Gaza” and “You were happy on October 7.” He then stole one of the women’s phones, called her grandmother, and threatened to kill her granddaughter, the indictment says.
Indictments over settler violence are rare, especially when involving Palestinian victims. In July, the High Court of Justice noted that out of 231 open or completed police investigations into settler violence in the Judea district in the Southern West Bank, not one indictment has been filed since November last year.
Politics and the War (general news)
- Several hundred activists are demonstrating in Caesarea, as the scheduled protest there gets underway.
The event is taking place at an intersection in the northern part of the city, not far from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence.
“Until he goes, until he takes the blame,” the crowd chants, among other slogans.
Protesters outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in Caesarea call for the government to secure a hostage-ceasefire deal, September 2, 2024. (Gavriel Fiske/ The Times of Israel)Multiple groups are present at the scene, including Brothers in Arms, supporters of the Hostages and Missing Family Forum, and several youth groups. Some of the protesters are wearing t-shirts proclaiming themselves veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
About a dozen police officers observe the scene from a central traffic island, where loudspeakers have been set up.
Hundreds of protesters are calling for a hostage-ceasefire deal on Azza Street in Jerusalem within police barricades several hundred meters from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home.
Protesters are making tremendous amounts of noise with hundreds of horns as hostage family members speak on a podium.
Protesters near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem call for a hostage-ceasefire deal, September 2, 2024. (Iddo Schejter/The Times of Israel)“Your decisions are leading to their deaths,” Nissan Calderon, the brother of hostage Ofer Calderon, says, addressing Netanyahu.
Protests are being held across the country after the bodies of six hostages who were recently executed were returned to Israel.
Asked whether he’s planning to present a final hostage deal proposal by the end of the week, US President Joe Biden tells reporters, “We are very close to that.”
Subsequently pressed by reporters as to whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough to secure a deal, Biden responds, “No.”
The Israeli premier has come under fire for prioritizing a new demand to maintain IDF troops in the Philadelphi Corridor during the first six-week phase of the ceasefire deal to prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.
The security establishment has opposed Netanyahu’s stance, arguing that the IDF can return to the corridor if need be, and that the new demand risks blowing up the talks while leaving the hostages to die.
An Israeli official involved in the hostage negotiations lamented to The Times of Israel over the weekend that Netanyahu has over-relied on military pressure, while neglecting the need for parallel diplomatic initiatives, such as the hostage deal, which has cost captives their lives.
Biden is holding a Situation Room meeting later today with his top ceasefire negotiators to discuss next steps following Hamas’s murder of six Israeli hostages, including American national Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose bodies were subsequently recovered by the IDF.
Asked why he thinks this final proposal will be successful when previous offers have failed, Biden responds, “Hope springs eternal.”
“I’ve spoken to the American hostage, I spoke to his mom and dad, and we’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can,” he says, referring to Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents Jon and Rachel.
**Gantz Attacks Netanyahu: "You Were Afraid to Enter Gaza, and Now You're Talking About Philadelphi?" | Reactions to the Statement**
Yair Lapid attacked: "Netanyahu at least told one truth: that he does not want to end the war." • Yair Golan: "Netanyahu's declaration of lies." • The Hostage Families' Headquarters: "Netanyahu proved tonight that he does not intend to bring back the hostages. The people will not stand for this abandonment." • Smotrich praised Netanyahu: "I support the Prime Minister for his steadfastness."
Just minutes after Netanyahu's speech, where he explained at length why, in his view, the IDF must remain in the Philadelphi Corridor, many political figures sharply criticized him. In Kibbutz Nir Oz, it was said that Netanyahu thinks that "if he erases the kibbutz, he thinks he can erase the horror."
"A speech full of lies and spins," said the Hostage Families' Headquarters. "The Prime Minister chose a legacy of abandonment over saving lives and returning the hostages. Prime Minister Netanyahu proved tonight that he does not intend to bring back the hostages. This is the real meaning of his words, through all the lies and spins we heard tonight. The people of Israel, who mostly support the return of the hostages, will no longer stand for this criminal abandonment. The fight to bring the hostages back will intensify and escalate until the last hostage returns home—alive for rehabilitation, and the murdered and fallen for proper burial."
Lapid attacked Netanyahu: "The Philadelphi Corridor doesn't really bother him, but rather the Ben Gvir-Smotrich axis. This is his new trick to prevent the disintegration of his coalition." "Netanyahu at least told one truth: that he does not want to end the war," the opposition leader added. "He said it three times, that he does not want to end the war, which means he does not want to make a hostage deal, he wants an eternal war. His words tonight had one terrible implication: he will not make a deal."
Lapid concluded: "I call on responsible people and parties within the coalition. Not only Ben Gvir is allowed to set ultimatums, you are allowed too. You can say: if there is no deal, there will be no government. Contrary to what he said, he is always the first in the room to succumb to pressure."
Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz also attacked in a post on X: "It's amazing that someone who was afraid to enter Gaza, and did not want to maneuver at all in the southern part, is now explaining to the whole country the importance of one corridor he did not want to enter. Just as we decided to maneuver in the Gaza Strip, despite pressures from around the world, just as we resumed fighting when the first outline was breached, just as we struck deep in Lebanon and will strike again, and just as we attacked the port of Hodeidah, the IDF will reach wherever it needs to, and whenever it needs to."
Gantz added: "Anyone who once again presents a display with missile diagrams should also present a display with the release of hostages. We are facing another decade-long campaign in Gaza, and in the Philadelphi Corridor. Those who cannot commit to all the objectives of the war, including the return of the hostages, cannot lead it. They should hand over the keys and leave the leadership to those who can face all the challenges."
Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democrats and former Deputy Chief of Staff, attacked: "The declaration of lies by the man who built Hamas proves that he is unfit and dangerous, having decided to abandon the hostages to death in the captivity of a cruel terrorist organization. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a greater reward for Israel's enemies and the axis of evil than Netanyahu. We will overthrow him, restore security, and bring back hope."
Kibbutz Nir Oz issued a statement, writing: "Netanyahu's speech once again proves the well-known: the Prime Minister thinks that if he erases Kibbutz Nir Oz from the map, he can erase the horror, the abandonment, and the massacre that took place there on October 7th. We will not let him forget. The greatest failure in the history of the state will be written in the pages of history, and Netanyahu will be remembered for generations as the primary culprit."
The "Life Forum for Hostage Families" sharply attacked: "Today, just a few hours ago, we buried two hostages who could and should have returned home to their families in a deal; the reason they were returned in a coffin is their abandonment by Netanyahu! When Mr. Abandonment says 'We will not give up Philadelphi,' he is saying—I will sacrifice all the remaining hostages."
"The only strategic value of the Philadelphi Corridor is to thwart a deal for the release of the hostages and to save the coalition of abandonment. The corridor has no other value according to all security agencies in Israel. Even the maps do not help Mr. Abandonment show control, because he does not control. Mr. Abandonment is weak against Hamas, weak against Hezbollah, and strong only against the hostage families and our Defense Minister. President Biden says tonight that there is a deal on the table, and Netanyahu is thwarting it; we believe Biden, not Mr. Abandonment, as testified by the six fresh graves of the hostages sacrificed in vain."
**Reactions in the Coalition**
On the other hand, the coalition was quick to praise Netanyahu. "I support the Prime Minister for standing firm against our enemies and for delivering clear messages to the Israeli public and the entire world," said Finance Minister Smotrich. "The Prime Minister said simple things that every Israeli who wants to live in security should identify with. The State of Israel needs to eliminate Hamas to maintain the security of its citizens with strength. We are all united in the desire and effort to bring back the hostages and destroy Hamas. Together, with God's help, we will win."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir wrote: "I support the Prime Minister for his important words tonight. We must not agree to a reckless deal and leave the Philadelphi Corridor. Just as we must not surrender and leave the Philadelphi Corridor, we must not surrender in the other principles that will ensure our victory in the war. Now is the time to increase military pressure on Hamas, exact a very heavy price for the murder of our hostages, on the way to their absolute defeat—on all fronts where we are fighting them."
link
Comptroller blasts political, IDF chiefs for failing to
‘bear responsibility’ for Oct. 7
Speaking
at Bar Association conference, Matanyahu Englman accuses the military of
building ‘high and impassable walls’ to stymie his probe into its failures
surrounding the attack
State Comptroller Matanyahu
Englman excoriated the country’s political and military leaders in a speech on
Tuesday, accusing them of impeding inquiries into Hamas’s October 7 massacre
and refusing to take any responsibility for ip.
“In Israel, as
of September 2024, there is no one who has taken personal responsibility with
action alongside it — not at the political level, not at the security and
military level, and not at the civilian level,” Englman declared in a speech at
the Israel Bar Association conference in Tel Aviv.
“There has not
been a single person among the elected officials, bearers of public office,
military leaders and the security establishment, who has met the proper
standard and the expected time when it comes to upholding the value of bearing
responsibility,” the state comptroller added.
Englman upbraided the IDF in particular for resisting his
efforts to conduct a review of the military’s actions before, during, and after
the Hamas attack, and also chastised the Prime Minister’s Office for holding up
and interfering with his review.
The comptroller announced in December that
he would conduct a wide-ranging investigation into the military’s multi-level
failures. In June, the High Court ordered Englman
to suspend his probe into the military and the Shin Bet “in view of the complex
security reality.”
Englman on
Tuesday criticized the defense establishment for trying to stop his review of
the IDF’s actions before October 7, saying it has “built high and impassable
walls which have led to the stymying of the review,” adding that “the Prime
Minister’s Office, for its part — even though it has provided material — is
still putting up obstacles which are hindering and disrupting the required
professional activities.”
In response to Englman’s comments, the IDF issued a statement
saying that it respects the office of the comptroller and is open to criticism
that does not “harm the war effort and the attention of the military leadership
— as the High Court ruled.”
The IDF added
that — as it said in its response to the court earlier this year — Englman’s
suggested probe would “cause real and tangible harm to the security bodies’
operations.” The military said that Englman had rejected its proposal to begin
a narrower investigation into a limited number of topics.
In his speech Tuesday, Englman blasted military and political
officials, saying that “all of them, at different levels of severity, do not
convey the public and principled resilience expected of them, which at its
foundation is a readiness [to accept] real criticism, without limitation, even
if the results are biting and tough.”
He said he
believes that it is “very doubtful if it will be possible to restore this value
in the future.”
Israel’s top
military intelligence official, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, who headed the IDF’s
Military Intelligence Directorate, resigned in April over his role in the
failures leading to October 7, while the commander of the IDF’s Gaza Division,
Brig. Gen. Avi Rosenfeld, resigned his post in June for the same reason.
Englman also lamented routine leaks from classified forums, such
as the security cabinet, in which various senior officials and politicians have
leaked information designed to push responsibility onto others.
The Prime
Minister’s Office did not issue a response to Englman’s harsh public criticism
on Tuesday. In May, the PMO pushed back against
the comptroller’s claim that it was not cooperating with his investigation,
saying that contrary to his accusations, “every request is answered in full,
including all questions regarding the prime minister, even though all the PMO
teams are working around the clock on the issues of the war.”
In announcing
his wide-ranging probe in December, Englman vowed to
“leave no stone unturned” in his investigation of the failures surrounding
Hamas’s October 7 attack, in which thousands of terrorists stormed into Israel
and slaughtered around 1,200 people, wounding thousands more and taking 251
captive to the Strip.
“This is an event that has changed the reality on a national
level,” the comptroller said last year. “The reality that existed until the day
of the massacre cannot continue. This premise underlies the planning of the
state audit of the conduct of all the parties in the periods leading up to the
massacre, on the day of the massacre itself, and in the events that Israeli
citizens faced afterward.” link
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announces that the United Kingdom will suspend some licenses for arms sales to Israel, but denies that the move amounts to an arms embargo.
The decision will suspend 30 licenses, out of the around 350 that the UK has granted for companies to sell to Israel, says Lammy.
The export licenses pertain to components for Israel’s aerial systems, including fighter jets, helicopters, and drones.
It does not pertain to the F-35 program, which is a multinational project that pools parts before disbursing them to participating countries, including Israel.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Lammy says that the decision comes in the wake of a review of UK arms export licenses, which found a “clear risk” that some “might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
“Facing a conflict such as this, it is this government’s legal duty to review Britain’s export licenses,” he explains.
“This is not a blanket ban. This is not an arms embargo.”
The decision was formally made by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, with Lammy’s backing.
Lammy’s Labour party instituted a review of the licenses after they returned to power in July, and Lammy visited Israel twice since assuming office.
British officials have not said that Israel is violating humanitarian law, but believe there is a serious risk, according to the two-month assessment.
The suspension could be lifted in the future if the UK assesses that the risk of violations has diminished.
The event is taking place at an intersection in the northern part of the city, not far from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence.
“Until he goes, until he takes the blame,” the crowd chants, among other slogans.
Protesters outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in Caesarea call for the government to secure a hostage-ceasefire deal, September 2, 2024. (Gavriel Fiske/ The Times of Israel)
Multiple groups are present at the scene, including Brothers in Arms, supporters of the Hostages and Missing Family Forum, and several youth groups. Some of the protesters are wearing t-shirts proclaiming themselves veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
About a dozen police officers observe the scene from a central traffic island, where loudspeakers have been set up.
Hundreds of protesters are calling for a hostage-ceasefire deal on Azza Street in Jerusalem within police barricades several hundred meters from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home.
Protesters are making tremendous amounts of noise with hundreds of horns as hostage family members speak on a podium.
“Your decisions are leading to their deaths,” Nissan Calderon, the brother of hostage Ofer Calderon, says, addressing Netanyahu.
Protests are being held across the country after the bodies of six hostages who were recently executed were returned to Israel.
Asked whether he’s planning to present a final hostage deal proposal by the end of the week, US President Joe Biden tells reporters, “We are very close to that.”
Subsequently pressed by reporters as to whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough to secure a deal, Biden responds, “No.”
The Israeli premier has come under fire for prioritizing a new demand to maintain IDF troops in the Philadelphi Corridor during the first six-week phase of the ceasefire deal to prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.
The security establishment has opposed Netanyahu’s stance, arguing that the IDF can return to the corridor if need be, and that the new demand risks blowing up the talks while leaving the hostages to die.
An Israeli official involved in the hostage negotiations lamented to The Times of Israel over the weekend that Netanyahu has over-relied on military pressure, while neglecting the need for parallel diplomatic initiatives, such as the hostage deal, which has cost captives their lives.
Biden is holding a Situation Room meeting later today with his top ceasefire negotiators to discuss next steps following Hamas’s murder of six Israeli hostages, including American national Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose bodies were subsequently recovered by the IDF.
Asked why he thinks this final proposal will be successful when previous offers have failed, Biden responds, “Hope springs eternal.”
“I’ve spoken to the American hostage, I spoke to his mom and dad, and we’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can,” he says, referring to Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents Jon and Rachel.
**Gantz Attacks Netanyahu: "You Were Afraid to Enter Gaza, and Now You're Talking About Philadelphi?" | Reactions to the Statement**
Yair Lapid attacked: "Netanyahu at least told one truth: that he does not want to end the war." • Yair Golan: "Netanyahu's declaration of lies." • The Hostage Families' Headquarters: "Netanyahu proved tonight that he does not intend to bring back the hostages. The people will not stand for this abandonment." • Smotrich praised Netanyahu: "I support the Prime Minister for his steadfastness."
Just minutes after Netanyahu's speech, where he explained at length why, in his view, the IDF must remain in the Philadelphi Corridor, many political figures sharply criticized him. In Kibbutz Nir Oz, it was said that Netanyahu thinks that "if he erases the kibbutz, he thinks he can erase the horror."
"A speech full of lies and spins," said the Hostage Families' Headquarters. "The Prime Minister chose a legacy of abandonment over saving lives and returning the hostages. Prime Minister Netanyahu proved tonight that he does not intend to bring back the hostages. This is the real meaning of his words, through all the lies and spins we heard tonight. The people of Israel, who mostly support the return of the hostages, will no longer stand for this criminal abandonment. The fight to bring the hostages back will intensify and escalate until the last hostage returns home—alive for rehabilitation, and the murdered and fallen for proper burial."
Lapid attacked Netanyahu: "The Philadelphi Corridor doesn't really bother him, but rather the Ben Gvir-Smotrich axis. This is his new trick to prevent the disintegration of his coalition." "Netanyahu at least told one truth: that he does not want to end the war," the opposition leader added. "He said it three times, that he does not want to end the war, which means he does not want to make a hostage deal, he wants an eternal war. His words tonight had one terrible implication: he will not make a deal."
Lapid concluded: "I call on responsible people and parties within the coalition. Not only Ben Gvir is allowed to set ultimatums, you are allowed too. You can say: if there is no deal, there will be no government. Contrary to what he said, he is always the first in the room to succumb to pressure."
Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz also attacked in a post on X: "It's amazing that someone who was afraid to enter Gaza, and did not want to maneuver at all in the southern part, is now explaining to the whole country the importance of one corridor he did not want to enter. Just as we decided to maneuver in the Gaza Strip, despite pressures from around the world, just as we resumed fighting when the first outline was breached, just as we struck deep in Lebanon and will strike again, and just as we attacked the port of Hodeidah, the IDF will reach wherever it needs to, and whenever it needs to."
Gantz added: "Anyone who once again presents a display with missile diagrams should also present a display with the release of hostages. We are facing another decade-long campaign in Gaza, and in the Philadelphi Corridor. Those who cannot commit to all the objectives of the war, including the return of the hostages, cannot lead it. They should hand over the keys and leave the leadership to those who can face all the challenges."
Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democrats and former Deputy Chief of Staff, attacked: "The declaration of lies by the man who built Hamas proves that he is unfit and dangerous, having decided to abandon the hostages to death in the captivity of a cruel terrorist organization. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a greater reward for Israel's enemies and the axis of evil than Netanyahu. We will overthrow him, restore security, and bring back hope."
Kibbutz Nir Oz issued a statement, writing: "Netanyahu's speech once again proves the well-known: the Prime Minister thinks that if he erases Kibbutz Nir Oz from the map, he can erase the horror, the abandonment, and the massacre that took place there on October 7th. We will not let him forget. The greatest failure in the history of the state will be written in the pages of history, and Netanyahu will be remembered for generations as the primary culprit."
The "Life Forum for Hostage Families" sharply attacked: "Today, just a few hours ago, we buried two hostages who could and should have returned home to their families in a deal; the reason they were returned in a coffin is their abandonment by Netanyahu! When Mr. Abandonment says 'We will not give up Philadelphi,' he is saying—I will sacrifice all the remaining hostages."
"The only strategic value of the Philadelphi Corridor is to thwart a deal for the release of the hostages and to save the coalition of abandonment. The corridor has no other value according to all security agencies in Israel. Even the maps do not help Mr. Abandonment show control, because he does not control. Mr. Abandonment is weak against Hamas, weak against Hezbollah, and strong only against the hostage families and our Defense Minister. President Biden says tonight that there is a deal on the table, and Netanyahu is thwarting it; we believe Biden, not Mr. Abandonment, as testified by the six fresh graves of the hostages sacrificed in vain."
**Reactions in the Coalition**
On the other hand, the coalition was quick to praise Netanyahu. "I support the Prime Minister for standing firm against our enemies and for delivering clear messages to the Israeli public and the entire world," said Finance Minister Smotrich. "The Prime Minister said simple things that every Israeli who wants to live in security should identify with. The State of Israel needs to eliminate Hamas to maintain the security of its citizens with strength. We are all united in the desire and effort to bring back the hostages and destroy Hamas. Together, with God's help, we will win."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir wrote: "I support the Prime Minister for his important words tonight. We must not agree to a reckless deal and leave the Philadelphi Corridor. Just as we must not surrender and leave the Philadelphi Corridor, we must not surrender in the other principles that will ensure our victory in the war. Now is the time to increase military pressure on Hamas, exact a very heavy price for the murder of our hostages, on the way to their absolute defeat—on all fronts where we are fighting them."
link
Comptroller blasts political, IDF chiefs for failing to
‘bear responsibility’ for Oct. 7
Speaking
at Bar Association conference, Matanyahu Englman accuses the military of
building ‘high and impassable walls’ to stymie his probe into its failures
surrounding the attack
State Comptroller Matanyahu
Englman excoriated the country’s political and military leaders in a speech on
Tuesday, accusing them of impeding inquiries into Hamas’s October 7 massacre
and refusing to take any responsibility for ip.
“In Israel, as
of September 2024, there is no one who has taken personal responsibility with
action alongside it — not at the political level, not at the security and
military level, and not at the civilian level,” Englman declared in a speech at
the Israel Bar Association conference in Tel Aviv.
“There has not
been a single person among the elected officials, bearers of public office,
military leaders and the security establishment, who has met the proper
standard and the expected time when it comes to upholding the value of bearing
responsibility,” the state comptroller added.
Englman upbraided the IDF in particular for resisting his
efforts to conduct a review of the military’s actions before, during, and after
the Hamas attack, and also chastised the Prime Minister’s Office for holding up
and interfering with his review.
The comptroller announced in December that
he would conduct a wide-ranging investigation into the military’s multi-level
failures. In June, the High Court ordered Englman
to suspend his probe into the military and the Shin Bet “in view of the complex
security reality.”
Englman on
Tuesday criticized the defense establishment for trying to stop his review of
the IDF’s actions before October 7, saying it has “built high and impassable
walls which have led to the stymying of the review,” adding that “the Prime
Minister’s Office, for its part — even though it has provided material — is
still putting up obstacles which are hindering and disrupting the required
professional activities.”
In response to Englman’s comments, the IDF issued a statement
saying that it respects the office of the comptroller and is open to criticism
that does not “harm the war effort and the attention of the military leadership
— as the High Court ruled.”
The IDF added
that — as it said in its response to the court earlier this year — Englman’s
suggested probe would “cause real and tangible harm to the security bodies’
operations.” The military said that Englman had rejected its proposal to begin
a narrower investigation into a limited number of topics.
In his speech Tuesday, Englman blasted military and political
officials, saying that “all of them, at different levels of severity, do not
convey the public and principled resilience expected of them, which at its
foundation is a readiness [to accept] real criticism, without limitation, even
if the results are biting and tough.”
He said he
believes that it is “very doubtful if it will be possible to restore this value
in the future.”
Israel’s top
military intelligence official, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, who headed the IDF’s
Military Intelligence Directorate, resigned in April over his role in the
failures leading to October 7, while the commander of the IDF’s Gaza Division,
Brig. Gen. Avi Rosenfeld, resigned his post in June for the same reason.
Englman also lamented routine leaks from classified forums, such
as the security cabinet, in which various senior officials and politicians have
leaked information designed to push responsibility onto others.
The Prime
Minister’s Office did not issue a response to Englman’s harsh public criticism
on Tuesday. In May, the PMO pushed back against
the comptroller’s claim that it was not cooperating with his investigation,
saying that contrary to his accusations, “every request is answered in full,
including all questions regarding the prime minister, even though all the PMO
teams are working around the clock on the issues of the war.”
In announcing
his wide-ranging probe in December, Englman vowed to
“leave no stone unturned” in his investigation of the failures surrounding
Hamas’s October 7 attack, in which thousands of terrorists stormed into Israel
and slaughtered around 1,200 people, wounding thousands more and taking 251
captive to the Strip.
“This is an event that has changed the reality on a national
level,” the comptroller said last year. “The reality that existed until the day
of the massacre cannot continue. This premise underlies the planning of the
state audit of the conduct of all the parties in the periods leading up to the
massacre, on the day of the massacre itself, and in the events that Israeli
citizens faced afterward.” link
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announces that the United Kingdom will suspend some licenses for arms sales to Israel, but denies that the move amounts to an arms embargo.
The decision will suspend 30 licenses, out of the around 350 that the UK has granted for companies to sell to Israel, says Lammy.
The export licenses pertain to components for Israel’s aerial systems, including fighter jets, helicopters, and drones.
It does not pertain to the F-35 program, which is a multinational project that pools parts before disbursing them to participating countries, including Israel.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Lammy says that the decision comes in the wake of a review of UK arms export licenses, which found a “clear risk” that some “might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
“Facing a conflict such as this, it is this government’s legal duty to review Britain’s export licenses,” he explains.
“This is not a blanket ban. This is not an arms embargo.”
The decision was formally made by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, with Lammy’s backing.
Lammy’s Labour party instituted a review of the licenses after they returned to power in July, and Lammy visited Israel twice since assuming office.
British officials have not said that Israel is violating humanitarian law, but believe there is a serious risk, according to the two-month assessment.
The suspension could be lifted in the future if the UK assesses that the risk of violations has diminished.
The Region and the World
Personal Stories
Interview Gershon Baskin: The only way forward is for us to feel remorse
Gershon Baskin, a Jew who moved to Israel 46 years ago, has dedicated his life to contributing to bringing peace between Israel and Palestinians. He has a Ph.D. in international affairs and has trained in negotiations. Among other, his efforts include initiating educational programs between Israeli and Palestinian schools from within the Israeli Ministry of Education; establishing and maintaining contacts with key Palestinian figures and conducting secret back channel political negotiations between the sides; founding and running various peace focused NGOs; organising more than 2000 workshops for professionals from both sides; advancing commercial scale renewable energy to Palestine and housing projects in Palestinian East Jerusalem and mixed cities. He has written several books and writes for Israeli newspapers in Hebrew and Palestinian newspapers in Arabic. In 2015, he brought 30 conflict wounded Israeli Jews and Palestinians to meet war wounded Serbs, Bosniacs and Croats. Gershon Baskin has been unrelenting in pursuing peace, he continues to do so to this day.
You were born in the United States. What made you move to Israel when you were 22 years old?
My move to Israel was a combination of push and pull. I was a member of the Zionist youth movement in high school. I spent a year in Israel after high school and before university. I felt at home there. Simultaneously, as many other young people, I felt alienated in the US, this was during the Vietnam war and the civil rights movement.
Can you describe how your view on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict developed, i.e. the recognition of both peoples to the right to liberation, dignity and a state on the contested land?
It wasn't obvious at first. I spent an intensive year in Israel with a Zionist youth group in 1974-75. I lived in a kibbutz and spent time in Jerusalem. At some point, I realised that I hadn't spoken to a single Arab, I did not know what they thought, who they were. I then read a lot about them and communicated with as many Arabs as possible. The result was that in 1975, I wrote an article published in a Jewish newspaper -The Jewish Radical from Berkeley California- calling for a Palestinian state.
Is there a way to get the majority of Israelis and Palestinians to think this way as well?
The majority of Israeli Jews and Palestinians do not think this way, they are even more apart now. Many red lines have been crossed on both sides. This is the worst of wars yet, it is a true catastrophe and has engendered deep and widespread trauma. We need to get out of this cycle of violence. Leaders on both sides have proven to be unworthy, they have done horrible things to their own people. We need new leadership.
You have had a variety of roles over the past 46 years in the peace-making process between Israel and Palestinians, can you describe the most meaningful one in terms of significance and success?
The most meaningful thing I have done is negotiate the release of Ghilad Schalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas in 2006. He was released in 2011 in exchange of 1027 Palestinian detained by Israel. I had direct responsibility to ensure that an individual stayed alive, is not forgotten and eventually came back home.
Another major contribution I made through IPCRI, which contributed to reaching the August 1993 Oslo Peace Accord, was in October 1992 when I organised a multi-day meeting between high ranking Palestinian and Israeli security officials who were in direct contact with respectively Yasser Arafat and Itzakh Rabin, to discuss a variety of sensitive security issues. Among them, the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from Palestinian territories, the terms of a Palestinian security force, the release of prisoners, the handling of illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, could a Palestinian police be responsible for their safety if they refused to evacuate?
But maybe as important are the hundreds, thousands of individuals whom I've touched, whom I've influenced in their understanding and perspectives, bringing them to work for peace.
You have written that an emergence of leaders on both sides who begin speaking the language of peace is required. Do such potential leaders exist? If so, who are they? Why are they not speaking out? How will they emerge?
Yes, they do exist, on both sides, I could mention a few names but I will not as I do not think that would be helpful to them at this time. There are people out there who are critical, who are beginning to present a vision that will take us out of this cycle of violence, who are not corrupt, who have integrity. They do not stand out today because there is no room for them to stand out into. Once elections are held, these individuals will rise, they will present a vision that will inspire people to imagine a different reality. Then there are those who may be seeking the highest positions in government who may be eyeing the right moment to move forward, politicians know that timing is important, if it isn't right, an opportunity may be lost. We are struggling on both sides of this conflict with the question of how to get rid of our respective leaders, but there is no clear answer at this stage. Now is the time to build movements on both sides, to put out ideas, to make people think, to inspire them, it is happening. Though it is more difficult on the Palestinian side due to lesser freedom of speech. But it is not easy on the Israeli side either because society is very divided, it has become common to accuse someone of being a traitor, there is a poison machine working overtime to defame people, their names, their families, their beliefs. If new leaders emerge on just one side speaking the language of true and just peace, that will instigate the other side to move in that same direction.
You have stated that the mighty army of Israel cannot destroy the idea of Hamas nor can it destroy the yearning of the Palestinian people for freedom, independence and dignity. It seems that such insight has not crossed Netaniyahu's mind nor that of many others in Israel. Is this a lack of judgement, a deliberate will to ignore or something else?
It is a combination. There is denial of reality. Some people in Israel choose to imagine a different reality, they can look at 7 million other people living between the river and the sea, but claim that these people are not a nation. They are blinded by their shortsighted ideology. As for Netanyahu, it is a bit more complex, he is not stupid, he knows he bears responsibility for what happened on October 7th and for what led to it, he needs to keep this war going for his political survival. Then there are those who have been living with the myth that the only language Arab neighbors understand is the language of force, when in fact it is Israel who is the one who understands only the language of force. The reasoning is that if you apply force and it hasn't worked, use more force. But the longer Israel remains in Gaza and the more force it uses, the more potential recruits for Hamas, the more difficult it is to get rid of it, force begets force, more people killed, more destroyed lives, more desire for revenge, more wounded souls. We must voice our opposition to this cycle, and feel remorse. We have to say we are sorry.
Regarding the day after, there is some consensus that Hamas must disarm and relinquish governing power? In such a scenario, what would be Hamas' alternative? How much support is it likely to still have among Palestinians?
In Gaza, Hamas is loosing support, there are indications that Gazans are now blaming and are angry against Hamas, some would even use force against it if they could. If Israel withdrew from Gaza, there would be a massive opposition to Hamas, less in the West Bank because they haven't suffered the same excessive consequences of this war. At the same time, considering the excesses of the war Israel is waging with disregard to civilian life, displacing almost the entire population of two million rendering them homeless, and massively destroying civilian infrastructure, Israelis are justifiably hated. Hamas and Israel are responsible for the pain and trauma Palestinians are currently enduring.
Hamas has to be a Palestinian, not an Israeli problem, it is they and their Arab neighbors that have to come up with an alternative, an interim government that will be acceptable to the Palestinian people, the region, Israel, the US. Not a single dollar for reconstruction will enter Gaza if there isn't an acceptable form of government. An Arab peacekeeping force could disarm Hamas and integrate its fighting members into a credible Palestinian security force, it is not always about ideology but about survival, if you pay them more than Hamas is today, it would work.
You've just mentioned a peacekeeping force in Gaza at the end of the war, what type of force would this be and how likely is it to happen?
A multinational peacekeeping force would allow Israel to withdraw from Gaza should such a force have a clear mandate that would include not only protecting Palestinians, but also protecting Israel from Palestinian attacks, as well as disarming Hamas. The force would likely not be under the UN aegis because Israel distrusts the UN, but it could be drawn from the Arab League, or even not necessarily from an existing international institution, as is currently the case in the Sinai, but it would be best if it were Arab led. Israel would probably accept an Arab force comprising countries with which it has diplomatic relations, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain. It is crucial that the Saudis also play a big role in post-war Gaza. However, such a force must be invited by the Palestinians to avoid it being considered as another form of occupation. The likelihood of this happening is high as it will give Israel a credible mechanism to withdraw from and not re-enter Gaza. Israel should not want to repeat an 18 year war and occupation in Lebanon with more than 1000 dead Israeli soldiers.
Are you supportive of the ICJ considering a case against Israel for violating international humanitarian law and the ICC's prosecutor to request arrest warrants against Israel's Prime Minister, B. Netaniyahu and Y. Gallant, its Defense Minister, as well as the three top Hamas leaders, of which two have been assassinated by Israel?
Yes, I am supportive of both these legal initiatives. The world needs and must abide by international acceptable rules of conduct. Israel has crossed so many red lines with total impunity. The outcome is, among other, 56 years of occupation. This has to stop. As for the way it is waging the current war and its leaders' responsibility for it, they can make their case in the courts. While Hamas is not a country, arrest warrants can still be issued against its leaders.
You are also an environmentalist: what is to be done with the huge amount of physical infrastructure debris in Gaza? Do you foresee building a recycling plant and reusing the material to rebuild?
I have been talking with experts in the field. Some types of polymers can be added to the rubble during the recycling process. This would make the recycled building material even more solid than the initial material. Indeed, there is no need and it would not be necessary to rebuild with completely new material. A major problem are the destroyed aquafers in Gaza. Desalination plants and new sewage systems need to be build. Reconstruction of Gaza should be geared toward renewable energy such as solar panels on rooftops. There may also be the possibility to lease part of the Sinai to create a significant solar energy plant.
Should it have indeed been Hezbollah, Hezbollah most likely missed its target when its rocket killed 12 children in a football field in a Druze village in the Golan Heights. Israel conquered the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967 and unilaterally annexed the territory in 1981 against all UN Security Council resolutions. Few media mention this. As part of a wider sustainable peace in the Middle East, should Israel return this ceased land to Syria, regardless of who is in power in Damascus?
The Druze people in the Golan Heights should be asked what they want, possibly through a referendum. It should be noted that as a result of the 1967 Six Day War during which Israel conquered the Golan Heights, some 150,000 of its inhabitants fled to Syria. Israel and Syria have not made peace since 1948. The current Syrian regime is not legitimate which is why the return of the Golan Heights, which should be considered occupied territory, to Syria at this time should be considered carefully.
So what are the chances that this war will be the last one, that a new strategy on all sides will come out of it?
This must be the last one. Ten months of horrific violence, tragedy and suffering. The international community must be much firmer with both Israel and Hamas. The negotiators, the USA, Egypt and Qatar must place ultimatums on both parties to force an agreement, have enough sticks to seriously penalise, but also plenty of carrots to offer for making peace. 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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