π️Lonny's War Update- October 339, 2023 - September 9, 2024 π️
π️Day 339 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!!!”
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
Due to personal family tragedy 2 days ago, I failed to talk about the fact that we are now 11 months and 2 days into the war, but worse than that 11 months and 2 days that 101 hostages have been languishing in Hamas captivity while our failed government led by the most dangerous person in Israel does virtually nothing but prevent a deal to be made to bring them all home.
Each night, they go home to their houses and their families, eat their meals without any issue, bath, wear clean clothes, watch TV, talk to people, travel, brush their teeth and go about their lives freely and in style. Not so for the 101 in Gaza. Many of those 101 (over 30 have been declared dead by the Israeli authorities) are no longer with us, either killed on October 7 and their bodies stolen by the Hamas barbarians or killed while in captivity. The ones who are still alive (we don't know how many and more are dying all the time) can't go home at night, can't brush their teeth or even shower, can't eat a meal (if they are lucky, they are getting more than a half a pita a day), can't communicate with their families, can't watch TV, or even talk freely if they happen to be with other hostages, can't wear clean clothes, not even clean underwear, don't get medical assistance, nothing. What they do get is raped, tortured, beaten, starved, threatened to be killed constantly and even get killed. And our prime minister says, "They're only suffering, not dying". This statement, of course, caused a major uproar by all the hostage families and the hostages who have returned.
With each opportunity in negotiations to make a hostage/ceasefire deal, Netanyahu has done all he can to make sure those deals fail because any deal will ultimately mean that the war has to end and that means that the government will collapse and new elections will have to be called. New elections, at this time are almost guaranteed to bring about a totally different coalition and a different prime minister. People who know Netanyahu well for many years have said that he genuinely believes that he is the only person to save, not just the State of Israel but the Jewish people. He is a megalomaniac who has almost succeeded in destroying democratic rule and creating a dictatorship where he is the only one to make decisions. This has been very evident with the managing of the war and all hostage negotiations. He has acted against the law by not bringing any of the negotiations to the cabinet and the Knesset. Instead, he has been the only real decision maker and maintains total veto power.
The war in Gaza needs to end but wars don't end by military decree. They end with strategic political agreement and plans. Unfortunately, throughout the war, there has not been a single strategic direction or decision and therefore, there is also no strategic plan or direction to end the war. Netanyahu has never had a strategic plan, long before the war and there is very little hope or expectation that he ever will. He is truly the most dangerous man in Israel today and must go home as soon as possible for the good of the country and our people.
Each night, they go home to their houses and their families, eat their meals without any issue, bath, wear clean clothes, watch TV, talk to people, travel, brush their teeth and go about their lives freely and in style. Not so for the 101 in Gaza. Many of those 101 (over 30 have been declared dead by the Israeli authorities) are no longer with us, either killed on October 7 and their bodies stolen by the Hamas barbarians or killed while in captivity. The ones who are still alive (we don't know how many and more are dying all the time) can't go home at night, can't brush their teeth or even shower, can't eat a meal (if they are lucky, they are getting more than a half a pita a day), can't communicate with their families, can't watch TV, or even talk freely if they happen to be with other hostages, can't wear clean clothes, not even clean underwear, don't get medical assistance, nothing. What they do get is raped, tortured, beaten, starved, threatened to be killed constantly and even get killed. And our prime minister says, "They're only suffering, not dying". This statement, of course, caused a major uproar by all the hostage families and the hostages who have returned.
With each opportunity in negotiations to make a hostage/ceasefire deal, Netanyahu has done all he can to make sure those deals fail because any deal will ultimately mean that the war has to end and that means that the government will collapse and new elections will have to be called. New elections, at this time are almost guaranteed to bring about a totally different coalition and a different prime minister. People who know Netanyahu well for many years have said that he genuinely believes that he is the only person to save, not just the State of Israel but the Jewish people. He is a megalomaniac who has almost succeeded in destroying democratic rule and creating a dictatorship where he is the only one to make decisions. This has been very evident with the managing of the war and all hostage negotiations. He has acted against the law by not bringing any of the negotiations to the cabinet and the Knesset. Instead, he has been the only real decision maker and maintains total veto power.
The war in Gaza needs to end but wars don't end by military decree. They end with strategic political agreement and plans. Unfortunately, throughout the war, there has not been a single strategic direction or decision and therefore, there is also no strategic plan or direction to end the war. Netanyahu has never had a strategic plan, long before the war and there is very little hope or expectation that he ever will. He is truly the most dangerous man in Israel today and must go home as soon as possible for the good of the country and our people.
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*6:55pm yesterday - north - hostile aircraft - Kibbutz Dan, Snir, Beit Hillel, Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Dafna, Hagoshrim, Kiryat Shemona, Tel Hai, She'ar Hayeshuv, Sde Nehemia, Amir, Kfar Blum*9:00pm yesterday - south - rockets - Southern Ashkelon - first time in a month that rockets were launched from Gaza to this area
*10:10pm yesterday - north - rockets - Misgav Am
*11:20pm yesterday - north - rockets - Fasuta
*6:45am - north - rockets - Manara*6:50am - north - rockets - Manara*8:10am - north - rockets - Kiryat Shemona, Beit Hillel, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Metulla, Tel Hai
*10:50am - north - hostile aircraft - Batzet, Shlomi, Leeman, Gesher Haziv, Nahariya, Saad, Achziv
*10:55am - north - hostile aircraft - Evron, Ben Ami, Nahariya*11:00am - north - hostile aircraft - Hanita, Shlomi, Batzet, Gesher Haziv, Saar, Nahariya, Ben Ami, Shavei Zion - A UAV made a direct hit on a high rise apartment building in Nahariya, extensive damage but no injuries. Story below
*11:50am - north - rockets - Arab al Aramsha*1:30pm - north - rockets - Ya'ara, Eilon, Avdon, Admit, Arab al Aramsha, Kfar Giladi
*3:15pm - north - rockets - Shlomi
*3:35pm - rockets - Dafna, Hagoshrim, Beit Hillel, Kiryat Shemona
*10:10pm yesterday - north - rockets - Misgav Am
*11:20pm yesterday - north - rockets - Fasuta
*6:45am - north - rockets - Manara
*10:50am - north - hostile aircraft - Batzet, Shlomi, Leeman, Gesher Haziv, Nahariya, Saad, Achziv
*10:55am - north - hostile aircraft - Evron, Ben Ami, Nahariya
*11:50am - north - rockets - Arab al Aramsha
*3:15pm - north - rockets - Shlomi
*3:35pm - rockets - Dafna, Hagoshrim, Beit Hillel, Kiryat Shemona
Hostage Updates
Hostage Updates
Today is the 36 birthday of the hostage Sagi Dekel Chen
Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, was about 200 yards away from his Kibbutz Nir Oz home on Saturday, October 7, when he first noticed Hamas terrorists entering the kibbutz.
In media interviews, his father, Connecticut-born Jonathan Dekel-Chen, a Hebrew University professor who also lives at Nir Oz but was away on business, and mother, Neomit Dekel-Chen, are telling the details of that terrifying day, when “heavily armed and precisely organized” Hamas terrorists began moving through the kibbutz.
Sagui and a few others raised the alarm about what was happening, and residents began entering and locking the sealed rooms of their homes, said Dekel-Chen. Sagui checked that his wife, Avital, and their children were safe and then went back outside with the rest of the kibbutz security team.
The siege went on for hours, but Sagui was last heard from at 9:30 a.m., said his father.
“My daughter-in-law and the kids are now traumatized,” said Dekel-Chen. “Avital heard her husband struggling in hand-to-hand combat.”
Avital and Sagui with their two daughtersSagui’s mother, Neomit, 63, also lives at Nir Oz, and was taken captive along with her neighbors in an electric cart headed toward Gaza, when an IDF helicopter shot at the terrorists and driver. Neomit, injured, made her way back toward the kibbutz to her family and was eventually rescued and evacuated.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen has been part of the American delegation of family members of those missing with US citizenship, telling the family’s story widely to gain attention for the ongoing plight of those taken captive.
“This is my struggle to free Sagui or ascertain that he and the others are alive,” he said. “These are my friends, my neighbors, teachers, students, nurses, farmers. I, like the other families, desperately want our loved ones back and to do anything to come home and fulfill their dreams.”
Beautiful article about Sagui and his family
Beautiful article about Sagui and his family
Rally to take place in Hostages' Square for Avera Mengistu, who has been held by Hamas for 10 years
'You country is abandoning you': Avera Mengistu's family at rally marking 10 years in captivity
"As of yesterday, September 7, it has been 10 years of Avera Mengistu being held in Hamas' brutal captivity," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Saturday marked 11 months of captivity for many of the hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, but for Avera Mengistu, an Israeli taken captive in 2014, Saturday marked his tenth year in Hamas captivity.
A rally to call for the release of Mengistu occurred on Sunday evening in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square. Mengistu’s parents and brother spoke at the rally as well as the brother of Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held by Hamas for over 10 years since he was killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and the brother of Hisham al-Sayed, who has been held by Hamas since 2015. The body of Oron Shaul who, like Goldin, fell in Gaza during the 2014 operation, has also been held by Hamas.
Avera's father, Ayelin Mengistu, spoke about his son: "He entered Gaza and did not intend to stay there. There are three more - Hadar, Oron, and Hisham. Recently, children, parents, mothers, and fathers have joined. It hurts my heart to see people who are murdered there and come back dead."
FAMILIES OF Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu pose at a news conference in 2018 where they called for the release of the two Israeli civilians from Hamas captivity. (credit: HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90)Ilan, Avera's brother, added: "Mother sits in front of the news every night to see your picture and says - 'This is how I at least know you are not forgotten.' Your country, which is supposed to care for you, is abandoning you."
Mengistu and al-Sayed are both believed to be alive, and videos of both have been released by the terror organization.
Both men are believed to have psychiatric disabilities, which caused them to wander into Gaza.
“Let’s show Avera and his family that we will not give up until he is safely home,” said the forum Fighting to Free Avera Mengistu.
“In spite of the ongoing suffering – his family has not stopped turning to Israel’s government, world leaders, and humanitarian organizations [asking them] to do everything to bring about his release from his cruel captors.”
When the IDF first released the number of hostages taken following October 7, Mengistu, al-Sayed, Goldin, and Shaul were not included in this count, Goldin’s mother Leah said.
“They didn’t count us,” she said, in a play on an Israeli expression that means “we did not matter to them.”
Demonstration on May 19, 2021 for the release of Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, Israeli captives held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip as well as the bodies of Israeli soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, kept by Hamas as bargaining chips. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
After fighting with officials, Goldin was able to ensure that the hostages taken before October 7 were included in the hostage count. link
Top Israeli negotiator told hostages’ families Gaza deal is unlikely anytime soon
Relatives of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 7 say they were told by a senior member of the Israeli negotiating team that a hostage-ceasefire deal is unlikely in the near future, Channel 12 News reports.
“At the moment, it looks like a deal isn’t going to happen. Not even the first phase. The only way forward is to end the war,” the negotiator reportedly told the families.
“Keep acting to get the public behind bringing about an end to the war,” the source adds.
The report comes as a group of hostage families and supporters are protesting on Tel Aviv’s Begin Street outside IDF headquarters, after hundreds of thousands of people attended a mass rally there last night, calling on the government to secure a hostage-ceasefire
Rally to take place in Hostages' Square for Avera Mengistu, who has been held by Hamas for 10 years
'You country is abandoning you': Avera Mengistu's family at rally marking 10 years in captivity
"As of yesterday, September 7, it has been 10 years of Avera Mengistu being held in Hamas' brutal captivity," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Saturday marked 11 months of captivity for many of the hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, but for Avera Mengistu, an Israeli taken captive in 2014, Saturday marked his tenth year in Hamas captivity.
A rally to call for the release of Mengistu occurred on Sunday evening in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square. Mengistu’s parents and brother spoke at the rally as well as the brother of Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held by Hamas for over 10 years since he was killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and the brother of Hisham al-Sayed, who has been held by Hamas since 2015. The body of Oron Shaul who, like Goldin, fell in Gaza during the 2014 operation, has also been held by Hamas.
Avera's father, Ayelin Mengistu, spoke about his son: "He entered Gaza and did not intend to stay there. There are three more - Hadar, Oron, and Hisham. Recently, children, parents, mothers, and fathers have joined. It hurts my heart to see people who are murdered there and come back dead."
Ilan, Avera's brother, added: "Mother sits in front of the news every night to see your picture and says - 'This is how I at least know you are not forgotten.' Your country, which is supposed to care for you, is abandoning you."
Mengistu and al-Sayed are both believed to be alive, and videos of both have been released by the terror organization.
Both men are believed to have psychiatric disabilities, which caused them to wander into Gaza.
“Let’s show Avera and his family that we will not give up until he is safely home,” said the forum Fighting to Free Avera Mengistu.
“In spite of the ongoing suffering – his family has not stopped turning to Israel’s government, world leaders, and humanitarian organizations [asking them] to do everything to bring about his release from his cruel captors.”
When the IDF first released the number of hostages taken following October 7, Mengistu, al-Sayed, Goldin, and Shaul were not included in this count, Goldin’s mother Leah said.
“They didn’t count us,” she said, in a play on an Israeli expression that means “we did not matter to them.”
Demonstration on May 19, 2021 for the release of Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, Israeli captives held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip as well as the bodies of Israeli soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, kept by Hamas as bargaining chips. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
After fighting with officials, Goldin was able to ensure that the hostages taken before October 7 were included in the hostage count. link
Top Israeli negotiator told hostages’ families Gaza deal is unlikely anytime soon
Relatives of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 7 say they were told by a senior member of the Israeli negotiating team that a hostage-ceasefire deal is unlikely in the near future, Channel 12 News reports.
“At the moment, it looks like a deal isn’t going to happen. Not even the first phase. The only way forward is to end the war,” the negotiator reportedly told the families.
“Keep acting to get the public behind bringing about an end to the war,” the source adds.
The report comes as a group of hostage families and supporters are protesting on Tel Aviv’s Begin Street outside IDF headquarters, after hundreds of thousands of people attended a mass rally there last night, calling on the government to secure a hostage-ceasefire
Freed hostage says she was forced to read lines, pose with food for propaganda clips
Aviva Siegel, released in November deal, tells WSJ she refused to neaten her hair when captors gave her a brush and hair clip, was made to repeat lines she forgot
Aviva Siegel, who was held hostage and wife of hostage Keith Siegel, listens during a House Foreign Affairs Committee roundtable discussion with families of US hostages held by Hamas, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 23, 2024. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)Released Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel on Saturday described the pressures of being forced to make propaganda videos for the terror group while being held in dire conditions in the Gaza Strip, including being coerced to repeat lines and pretend that adequate food was being given to her in captivity.
Siegel told The Wall Street Journal she struggled to remember the lines given by her captors as she was held with limited food and water inside tunnels where it was difficult to breathe. Her videos have not been released by the terror group.
“‘You didn’t say that you’re 62.’ ‘You didn’t say that you’re from Kfar Aza.’ ‘You didn’t say that Bibi needs to bring you back,’” Siegel recounted her captors telling her during filming, adding she would always forget what she needed to say.
Siegel, 62, was abducted along with her husband Keith from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza by Hamas terrorists on October 7. She was released on November 26 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel. Keith is still being held hostage.
Hamas has issued several videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is psychological warfare. Israeli authorities and human rights groups, and several freed hostages, have said that captives are coerced into making their remarks in such videos.
Israeli media outlets generally publish them only if their families request that they do so. Families have increasingly given their permission for the footage to be aired in an attempt to keep their struggle for their loved ones’ release in the public eye.
Illustrative: 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)Siegel was forced to speak to cameras and her captors’ production crew three times during her 51 days in Gaza, the Journal reported.
“So I had to say it again and again and again,” she said.
On two occasions, the terrorists took footage of her eating, in an apparent attempt to portray her captors as adequately taking care of her.
“They used to make food and put it on the table,” she told The Journal. “We had to sit next to them and smile and say everything is okay, just for the picture.”
In one instance, terrorists gave Siegel a brush for her hair, which was full of knots after her time in captivity. Siegel told The Journal that she refused the brush as well as a hair clip given to her by the captor.
“I knew what I looked like. I was disgusting. I was so dirty,” she said. “I looked at him, and I picked my hair up, and I said, ‘beautiful,’” she added.
On October 7, thousands of gunmen led by the Palestinian terror group stormed Kfar Aza and other communities in southern Israel to kill nearly 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and take 251 hostages of all ages, while committing numerous atrocities and weaponizing sexual violence on a mass scale. Some 80 members of Kibbutz Kfar Aza were killed, and about 18 were taken hostage.
Gershon Baskin, a key negotiator in the deal that led to the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity in 2011, told the Journal that Hamas’s use of propaganda videos has been effective in “exploiting the public sentiment” in Israel, as tens of thousands rally weekly around the country in support of a deal to return the hostages.
According to Baskin, the videos have been edited professionally and demonstrated an understanding of Israeli society.
“Hamas wants this war to end, and this is how they think that pressure can be put on Netanyahu,” he told the Journal. “I think that they have an enormous impact on Israeli society, and that’s what they’re aiming to do.”
Baskin added that Israeli intelligence is also using the videos to determine the hostages’ health situation, “dissecting every single frame and picture to see how the hostages are being kept.”
It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014 link
- **The Harsh Conditions in Which the Six Hostages Were Held and Murdered in a Gaza Tunnel**
The IDF Spokesperson presented the initial findings of the investigation to the families of the hostages. It appears that the hostages were murdered a day before the IDF reached them. They were held in a small tunnel with no air, toilets, or showers. There is evidence that some of them defended themselves and fought against the terrorists. Writing tools and notebooks were also found in the tunnel. One family stated, "They did everything to survive, but the government did not save them."
An initial investigation by the IDF reveals the horrific conditions in which the six Israeli hostages were held in Gaza tunnels, as reported this evening (Sunday) on "The Central Edition." The findings, presented by the IDF Spokesperson to the hostages' families, depict a grim reality of survival under inhumane conditions, culminating in the brutal murder of six hostages by Hamas terrorists.
**Key Findings:**- The hostages were murdered approximately a day before IDF forces reached the tunnel.- There is evidence that some of the hostages defended themselves and fought against the terrorists.- The hostages were held in a small, narrow tunnel where it was difficult for them to stand.- There were no air vents in the tunnel, making it very hard for the hostages to breathe.- The tunnel lacked toilets and showers.- The hostages bathed using bottled water, which was also used for drinking.- The hostages suffered from hunger and severe weight loss. Eden Yerushalmi's weight dropped to 36 kg (about 79 lbs).- A few protein bars were found, but they were not sufficient to prevent starvation.- A generator and a small flashlight were present but did not always work.- A chess set, writing tools, and notebooks were found.- The notebooks were collected by security forces and will be handed over to the families.
**"The Hostages Did Everything to Survive"**
One of the families told Channel 12 News that the hostages "did everything to survive" under impossible conditions. The family criticized the government for failing to rescue the hostages. According to findings from the Forensic Medicine Institute, the hostages were murdered about a day before IDF forces reached the tunnel. They were found with gunshot wounds and severe neglect visible on their bodies, including signs of long periods without bathing and, in one case, indications of having been bound. There were also signs of previous injuries sustained during their abduction, which had been treated over time.
Tunnel shaft leading to the tunnel the 6 were kept in
Despite these harsh conditions, the hostages managed to survive for 330 days in captivity until they were murdered by Hamas terrorists, who feared a possible rescue operation by the IDF. All six hostages whose bodies were recovered were found with gunshot wounds to the head and other areas. The condition of the bodies suggested systematic neglect, including long periods without showers.
IDF forces discovered the bodies of the six hostages in a tunnel in Rafah, located about a kilometer from the tunnel where hostage Farhan Kadi, who was released, was found. The tunnel was 20 meters deep, and there was no prior intelligence about its exact location. The IDF did not know the precise location of the six hostages in recent months but knew there were hostages in the area, leading to a cautious and gradual approach to operations in Rafah since the onset of ground combat there.
During the operation, there was no direct encounter with the terrorists who murdered the six hostages, as they fled. It's possible they were killed in ongoing ground combat above the area. After being found, the bodies were transported to Israeli territory near the border, where, at 4:00 a.m., police and rabbinical identification teams confirmed their identities. link
Freed hostage says she was forced to read lines, pose with food for propaganda clips
Aviva Siegel, released in November deal, tells WSJ she refused to neaten her hair when captors gave her a brush and hair clip, was made to repeat lines she forgot
Aviva Siegel, who was held hostage and wife of hostage Keith Siegel, listens during a House Foreign Affairs Committee roundtable discussion with families of US hostages held by Hamas, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 23, 2024. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
Released Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel on Saturday described the pressures of being forced to make propaganda videos for the terror group while being held in dire conditions in the Gaza Strip, including being coerced to repeat lines and pretend that adequate food was being given to her in captivity.
Siegel told The Wall Street Journal she struggled to remember the lines given by her captors as she was held with limited food and water inside tunnels where it was difficult to breathe. Her videos have not been released by the terror group.
“‘You didn’t say that you’re 62.’ ‘You didn’t say that you’re from Kfar Aza.’ ‘You didn’t say that Bibi needs to bring you back,’” Siegel recounted her captors telling her during filming, adding she would always forget what she needed to say.
Siegel, 62, was abducted along with her husband Keith from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza by Hamas terrorists on October 7. She was released on November 26 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel. Keith is still being held hostage.
Hamas has issued several videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is psychological warfare. Israeli authorities and human rights groups, and several freed hostages, have said that captives are coerced into making their remarks in such videos.
Israeli media outlets generally publish them only if their families request that they do so. Families have increasingly given their permission for the footage to be aired in an attempt to keep their struggle for their loved ones’ release in the public eye.
Illustrative: 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)
Siegel was forced to speak to cameras and her captors’ production crew three times during her 51 days in Gaza, the Journal reported.
“So I had to say it again and again and again,” she said.
On two occasions, the terrorists took footage of her eating, in an apparent attempt to portray her captors as adequately taking care of her.
“They used to make food and put it on the table,” she told The Journal. “We had to sit next to them and smile and say everything is okay, just for the picture.”
In one instance, terrorists gave Siegel a brush for her hair, which was full of knots after her time in captivity. Siegel told The Journal that she refused the brush as well as a hair clip given to her by the captor.
“I knew what I looked like. I was disgusting. I was so dirty,” she said. “I looked at him, and I picked my hair up, and I said, ‘beautiful,’” she added.
On October 7, thousands of gunmen led by the Palestinian terror group stormed Kfar Aza and other communities in southern Israel to kill nearly 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and take 251 hostages of all ages, while committing numerous atrocities and weaponizing sexual violence on a mass scale. Some 80 members of Kibbutz Kfar Aza were killed, and about 18 were taken hostage.
Gershon Baskin, a key negotiator in the deal that led to the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity in 2011, told the Journal that Hamas’s use of propaganda videos has been effective in “exploiting the public sentiment” in Israel, as tens of thousands rally weekly around the country in support of a deal to return the hostages.
According to Baskin, the videos have been edited professionally and demonstrated an understanding of Israeli society.
“Hamas wants this war to end, and this is how they think that pressure can be put on Netanyahu,” he told the Journal. “I think that they have an enormous impact on Israeli society, and that’s what they’re aiming to do.”
Baskin added that Israeli intelligence is also using the videos to determine the hostages’ health situation, “dissecting every single frame and picture to see how the hostages are being kept.”
It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014 link
Tunnel shaft leading to the tunnel the 6 were kept in
'May their memory be a revolution': Hundreds pay tribute to murdered Hamas hostages in Central Park
Hundreds of people hold a memorial rally in New York’s Central Park to mourn six Israeli and American hostages executed by Hamas in Gaza late last month, the Hostages Family Forum says in a statement.
Pro-Israel activists hold a banner with the photos of six hostages executed by Hamas in Gaza, while calling for the release of the remaining Israelis abducted by the Palestinian terror group on October 7, in Central Park, in New York City, on September 8, 2024. (Hostages Families Forum/ Amnon Shemi, Liri Agami)Gilad and Nitza Korngold, whose son Tal Shoham was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, tell the rally that they know their son is alive.
“The Red Cross has refused to help our loved ones while shamelessly requesting better conditions for the terrorists in Israel’s imprisonment. We ask everyone here to call your representatives and demand the release of our loved ones from captivity.”
Gilad Korngold, whose son Tal Shoham is held by Hamas in Gaza, speaks during a rally calling for the release of the remaining Israelis abducted by the Palestinian terror group on October 7, Central Park, New York City, September 8. (Hostages Families Forum/Amnon Shemi, Liri Agami)Moran Stela Yanai, who was kidnapped from the Supernova rave near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7 and released after 54 days in captivity, issues a call for the release of the remaining 97 hostages held by Hamas.
“It’s been 285 days since I was released in the hostage release agreement. The parents of Tal Shoham are like my own. My brothers and sisters in captivity are hungry and in pain and in constant danger,” she says.
“This past week has been the worst since October 7, but after hearing the families of the killed hostages speak at their funerals we must find the strength to keep fighting for them and bring them home!”
Released Hamas hostage Moran Stela Yanai speaks during a rally calling for the release of the remaining Israelis abducted by the Palestinian terror group on October 7, in Central Park, in New York City, on September 8, 2024. (Hostages Families Forum/Amnon Shemi, Liri Agami) The IDF announced last weekend that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages abducted alive by Hamas on October 7 from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah, shortly after they were murdered by terrorists.
The hostages were Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Alex Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 27.
Participants at the event hold a large banner with the six murdered hostages’ faces, with the phrase “May their memory be a revolution,” which was originally adapted from the traditional Jewish mourning phrase in honor of the late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and recalled by the father of Goldberg-Polin at his funeral last week. link
- Negotiators said to believe chance of hostage deal 'close to zero'; US also pessimistic
Families reportedly told deal unlikely to happen as Netanyahu, Sinwar both hardened stances; US to delay presenting new proposal, does not want to reward Hamas after executions
The chances of a phased hostage-ceasefire agreement being achieved on the basis of Israel’s May proposal are “close to zero” and there is “very broad pessimism” among the Israeli negotiators, Channel 12 reported Sunday, citing unnamed sources in the Israeli security establishment.
The US, which had indicated it was planning to present a new bridging proposal in the next two or three days, is now regarded as unlikely to do so, it added.
The report cited immense frustration among Israel’s negotiators who, it said, had believed until recently it was possible to at least reach an agreement between Israel and the mediators that would then be conveyed to Hamas.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Hebrew press conference last Monday, at which he repeatedly insisted on maintaining IDF control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border — a stance that was not specified in the Netanyahu-approved May proposal — “buried” the chances of such an agreement. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar then hardened his positions, the report said.
The prospects of progress were further dented when Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in an interview on Saturday night that Philadelphi was not his only “red line,” and that he also opposed an IDF withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor and the release of Palestinian security prisoners serving terms for murder. Essentially, said the report, the position set out by Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionism party that is a crucial element in Netanyahu’s coalition, “wiped out” Israel’s May proposal.
Channel 12 quoted a source familiar with the negotiations saying: “It appears that the current proposal will not come to fruition at this time. There is no prospect of a phased deal.”
The network said a senior Israeli negotiator had told hostage families that “not even the first phase” of the deal — a six-week ceasefire in which some 30 living women, children, elderly and ailing hostages would be released — was likely to happen at the moment.
“The only way forward is to end the war,” the negotiator reportedly said, adding: “Keep acting to get the public behind bringing about an end to the war.”
The TV report quoted sources in the defense establishment calling the current situation “fateful,” too, as regards the north, in that the absence of a deal could also mean an escalation in hostilities with Hezbollah, which some have assessed might agree to halt its attacks if an Israel-Hamas deal was reached.
Channel 12 added that families of hostages with dual Israeli-American citizenship were also hearing that the Biden administration is less optimistic than it was a week ago, when they were told it was working hard and fast on a new proposal.
That effort was ongoing, but the US mediators do not want to present a new proposal unless or until they see signs of potential progress. For now, they are urging fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt to see “what Hamas’s limits are,” the report said.
Citing White House officials, meanwhile, Axios reported that US President Joe Biden wants to present a new proposal, but his top aides think it would go nowhere, due to Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel control the Philadelphi Corridor, and the increase in the number of Palestinian terrorists Sinwar is demanding in return for the hostages.
Biden also does not want to make any concessions that would seem to reward Hamas’s recent murder of six hostages, the officials said.
US officials cited by Axios said there was “significant pessimism” at the White House after Hamas demanded that Israel release 100 more life-term murderers than had been agreed upon. One official told Axios that “people at the White House are sad, upset and frustrated” over the state of the talks. “We are still working, but we are not about to present anything imminently,” said the official. “We are in a tough spot.” full article
Hundreds of people hold a memorial rally in New York’s Central Park to mourn six Israeli and American hostages executed by Hamas in Gaza late last month, the Hostages Family Forum says in a statement.
Pro-Israel activists hold a banner with the photos of six hostages executed by Hamas in Gaza, while calling for the release of the remaining Israelis abducted by the Palestinian terror group on October 7, in Central Park, in New York City, on September 8, 2024. (Hostages Families Forum/ Amnon Shemi, Liri Agami)
Gilad and Nitza Korngold, whose son Tal Shoham was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, tell the rally that they know their son is alive.
“The Red Cross has refused to help our loved ones while shamelessly requesting better conditions for the terrorists in Israel’s imprisonment. We ask everyone here to call your representatives and demand the release of our loved ones from captivity.”
Gilad Korngold, whose son Tal Shoham is held by Hamas in Gaza, speaks during a rally calling for the release of the remaining Israelis abducted by the Palestinian terror group on October 7, Central Park, New York City, September 8. (Hostages Families Forum/Amnon Shemi, Liri Agami)
Moran Stela Yanai, who was kidnapped from the Supernova rave near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7 and released after 54 days in captivity, issues a call for the release of the remaining 97 hostages held by Hamas.
“It’s been 285 days since I was released in the hostage release agreement. The parents of Tal Shoham are like my own. My brothers and sisters in captivity are hungry and in pain and in constant danger,” she says.
“This past week has been the worst since October 7, but after hearing the families of the killed hostages speak at their funerals we must find the strength to keep fighting for them and bring them home!”
Released Hamas hostage Moran Stela Yanai speaks during a rally calling for the release of the remaining Israelis abducted by the Palestinian terror group on October 7, in Central Park, in New York City, on September 8, 2024. (Hostages Families Forum/Amnon Shemi, Liri Agami)
The IDF announced last weekend that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages abducted alive by Hamas on October 7 from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah, shortly after they were murdered by terrorists.
The hostages were Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Alex Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 27.
Participants at the event hold a large banner with the six murdered hostages’ faces, with the phrase “May their memory be a revolution,” which was originally adapted from the traditional Jewish mourning phrase in honor of the late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and recalled by the father of Goldberg-Polin at his funeral last week. link
Families reportedly told deal unlikely to happen as Netanyahu, Sinwar both hardened stances; US to delay presenting new proposal, does not want to reward Hamas after executions
The chances of a phased hostage-ceasefire agreement being achieved on the basis of Israel’s May proposal are “close to zero” and there is “very broad pessimism” among the Israeli negotiators, Channel 12 reported Sunday, citing unnamed sources in the Israeli security establishment.
The US, which had indicated it was planning to present a new bridging proposal in the next two or three days, is now regarded as unlikely to do so, it added.
The report cited immense frustration among Israel’s negotiators who, it said, had believed until recently it was possible to at least reach an agreement between Israel and the mediators that would then be conveyed to Hamas.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Hebrew press conference last Monday, at which he repeatedly insisted on maintaining IDF control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border — a stance that was not specified in the Netanyahu-approved May proposal — “buried” the chances of such an agreement. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar then hardened his positions, the report said.
The prospects of progress were further dented when Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in an interview on Saturday night that Philadelphi was not his only “red line,” and that he also opposed an IDF withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor and the release of Palestinian security prisoners serving terms for murder. Essentially, said the report, the position set out by Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionism party that is a crucial element in Netanyahu’s coalition, “wiped out” Israel’s May proposal.
Channel 12 quoted a source familiar with the negotiations saying: “It appears that the current proposal will not come to fruition at this time. There is no prospect of a phased deal.”
The network said a senior Israeli negotiator had told hostage families that “not even the first phase” of the deal — a six-week ceasefire in which some 30 living women, children, elderly and ailing hostages would be released — was likely to happen at the moment.
“The only way forward is to end the war,” the negotiator reportedly said, adding: “Keep acting to get the public behind bringing about an end to the war.”
The TV report quoted sources in the defense establishment calling the current situation “fateful,” too, as regards the north, in that the absence of a deal could also mean an escalation in hostilities with Hezbollah, which some have assessed might agree to halt its attacks if an Israel-Hamas deal was reached.
Channel 12 added that families of hostages with dual Israeli-American citizenship were also hearing that the Biden administration is less optimistic than it was a week ago, when they were told it was working hard and fast on a new proposal.
That effort was ongoing, but the US mediators do not want to present a new proposal unless or until they see signs of potential progress. For now, they are urging fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt to see “what Hamas’s limits are,” the report said.
Citing White House officials, meanwhile, Axios reported that US President Joe Biden wants to present a new proposal, but his top aides think it would go nowhere, due to Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel control the Philadelphi Corridor, and the increase in the number of Palestinian terrorists Sinwar is demanding in return for the hostages.
Biden also does not want to make any concessions that would seem to reward Hamas’s recent murder of six hostages, the officials said.
US officials cited by Axios said there was “significant pessimism” at the White House after Hamas demanded that Israel release 100 more life-term murderers than had been agreed upon. One official told Axios that “people at the White House are sad, upset and frustrated” over the state of the talks. “We are still working, but we are not about to present anything imminently,” said the official. “We are in a tough spot.” full article
Police say that they have arrested a man for posting online threats against the family of Matan Zangauker, who is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
Police say the 36-year-old man from Naharia was detained yesterday and will be brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court today.
Zangauker’s mother Einav has been one of the most outspoken critics of the government and its failure to bring home the hostages. --This is certainly not the first threat to families of the hostages but the first person to be arrested for it. Unfortunately, the extreme supporters of Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben Gvir threaten in one way or another regularly.
- In recording, father of murdered hostage slams PM for engaging in ‘petty politics’
Recordings released today reveal a tense and angry conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elhanan Danino, the father of hostage Ori Danino, who was murdered in captivity and his body returned to Israel last week.
Ori Danino was taken captive by Hamas terrorists from the Supernova desert rave on October 7, 2023 (Courtesy)The senior Danino (Rabbi Elhanan Danino) accused the prime minister of engaging in “petty and cheap politics,” and blamed the divisiveness in the country last year for the October 7 massacre.
The exchange occurred as Netanyahu visited to express his condolences the family of Ori Danino, an off-duty soldier with the Paratrooper’s Brigade who was captured from the Supernova music festival and held hostage for 11 months before he was murdered by Hamas. Danino’s body was recovered by troops from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah along with those of Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alex Lobanov and Almog Sarusi.
“Stop engaging in nonsense… we don’t deserve this land without unity, there will be no rebuilding without this land,” Danino says.
“Shut your office for 10 minutes a day and think about where your Jewish values are. Shut it down, send everyone out, no phones, spend time alone with your creator and think, where is God in your picture, where are your Jewish values?”
“This disaster happened because of the division and schisms that happened. It’s as clear as sun that’s what happened. Don’t spend time on petty and cheap politics and spin. There is no price on human life.”
“You are a leader. You were elected, sent to lead. Clear away all the nonsense. Too many other things have gotten in…”
Netanyahu: What things?
Elhanan Danino: “Stop dealing with gathering Knesset seats — with surveys, what will bring [support], what won’t. Stop it. I truly don’t know if there was a deal [to be done] or not. I’m not getting into that. But forgive me, sir, this all happened on your watch. My son was murdered in a tunnel that you built on your watch. Forgive me, forgive me. You’ve been in power for many years. Very many. The concrete and the dollars went in [to Gaza] on your watch. Shut yourself in a room and think about the Jewish value that you bring — not the Jewish identity of the State of Israel, we’ll control here, control there. In the end, the Holy One Blessed Be He does everything. Strong as we were before this, on Simchat Torah we got a slap unlike any other. A slap.”
Netanyahu: “I won’t tell you what goes on behind closed doors. It won’t interest you that much either… I was alone… Against the whole world. Facing the president of the United States and people here, and facing military elements here. To fight and to explain. It’s not only Hamas. It’s not only Hezbollah. It’s an atomic weapon they’ll drop here on all of us… I enter [my office] every day and ask myself, Why are you here? What am I here for? Why?…”
Elhanan: “You didn’t do it [tackle Hamas] for 15 years…. 15 years you sat in silence. You did nothing.”
Netanyahu: “I didn’t sit in silence…”
Elhanan: “You equipped them with tunnels and dollars.”
“Did you come here to listen or to be listened to? Because what you have to say we’ve heard for 15 years.” link
The Video from the Tunnel Where Six Hostages Were Executed, and the Shock of Ministers Who Watched It: "Human Beasts"
Exclusive: A video recorded by IDF forces, showing the narrow tunnel where the hostages were held in dire conditions, was presented to the ministers. The video will also be shown to the families, and based on their wishes, its public release will be considered. Cabinet members were horrified: "It was very difficult to watch."
Last night (Sunday), the IDF presented a chilling video during a meeting of the Security Cabinet, documenting the tunnel where six hostages were executed by Hamas. This was first reported by Ynet. The footage, taken by IDF forces and shown to ministers under the direction of the Defense Minister, reveals the narrow tunnel where the hostages were kept.
The tunnel is too cramped to stand in, with high humidity and no air circulation. The video depicted harsh scenes illustrating the conditions in which the murdered hostages were held. The IDF plans to show this video to the families, and then, based on their preferences, a decision will be made on whether to release it to the public.
Cabinet members were shocked by the footage and in complete disbelief. The ministers reacted to the video with statements such as "monsters," "human beasts," and "this just shows who we are dealing with." Participants in the meeting noted, "It was very tough. It was extremely difficult to watch. The atmosphere in the meeting was very tense. It underscored the cruelty of Hamas and the severe plight of our hostages."
During the meeting, the ministers were informed that the hostages—Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, and Alex Lubanov—were murdered on Thursday night, making the Security Cabinet's decision to remain in the Philadelphi area irrelevant as it was made between Thursday and Friday. It is believed that the terrorists killed them out of fear that the IDF was closing in on them.
During a Knesset committee meeting, Esther Buchstab, the mother of Yagav who was murdered in Hamas captivity, said that her son was also executed. "My son was kidnapped alive. He was supposed to return alive, but he came back dead. Murdered," she said. "Yesterday we received the autopsy report, which confirms the execution. He was executed. The army came close to the tunnel area, and they were executed. This is what happens under military pressure. Military pressure does not bring hostages back alive; it kills them. I don't think the army is to blame; this is government policy. We see this pattern repeated in one operation after another. Yagav's story from February, it took time to get them out, but they were executed."
Mossad Director Dedi Barnea briefed the Cabinet on negotiations for a deal. His briefing indicated that the negotiation team is still exploring the opportunity for talks and is waiting for an American mediation proposal, although it is not certain it will be presented. The primary focus of the discussion was on the situation in the West Bank. At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared, "Regarding the Temple Mount, there is and will be no change in the status quo." The Prime Minister's Office later stated, "The Prime Minister reiterated his directive that government ministers should not ascend the Temple Mount without his prior approval through his military secretary." Netanyahu's statement followed a request from the King of Jordan aimed at calming tensions. Jordan also condemned the attack at the Allenby crossing, although the condemnation was somewhat muted. full article Our worthless ministers were shown the film of the conditions the hostages were kept in and then executed. Did it move them? Did anyone pound on the table and demand that the rest of the 101 hostages be brought home immediately with a deal? No, none of that because they are soulless failures with no morale compass led by a prime minister who is led by the nose by his extremist coalition partners and who only cares about remaining prime minister. We have 2 senior ministers who are the extremist messianics who both threaten to leave the government if a deal is made and the war will end. But we don't have a single minister who will say that if a deal isn't made to bring the hostages home, he will leave the government because every single one of them is more concerned about their own position, the budgetary monies for their parties and interest groups, and staying on as ministers than they are for the good of the country, for a path towards ending the war and for a path to peace. If only we could exchange every single one of them for the hostages.
Police say that they have arrested a man for posting online threats against the family of Matan Zangauker, who is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
Police say the 36-year-old man from Naharia was detained yesterday and will be brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court today.
Zangauker’s mother Einav has been one of the most outspoken critics of the government and its failure to bring home the hostages. --This is certainly not the first threat to families of the hostages but the first person to be arrested for it. Unfortunately, the extreme supporters of Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben Gvir threaten in one way or another regularly.
Recordings released today reveal a tense and angry conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elhanan Danino, the father of hostage Ori Danino, who was murdered in captivity and his body returned to Israel last week.
The senior Danino (Rabbi Elhanan Danino) accused the prime minister of engaging in “petty and cheap politics,” and blamed the divisiveness in the country last year for the October 7 massacre.
The exchange occurred as Netanyahu visited to express his condolences the family of Ori Danino, an off-duty soldier with the Paratrooper’s Brigade who was captured from the Supernova music festival and held hostage for 11 months before he was murdered by Hamas. Danino’s body was recovered by troops from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah along with those of Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alex Lobanov and Almog Sarusi.
“Stop engaging in nonsense… we don’t deserve this land without unity, there will be no rebuilding without this land,” Danino says.
“Shut your office for 10 minutes a day and think about where your Jewish values are. Shut it down, send everyone out, no phones, spend time alone with your creator and think, where is God in your picture, where are your Jewish values?”
“This disaster happened because of the division and schisms that happened. It’s as clear as sun that’s what happened. Don’t spend time on petty and cheap politics and spin. There is no price on human life.”
“You are a leader. You were elected, sent to lead. Clear away all the nonsense. Too many other things have gotten in…”
Netanyahu: What things?
Elhanan Danino: “Stop dealing with gathering Knesset seats — with surveys, what will bring [support], what won’t. Stop it. I truly don’t know if there was a deal [to be done] or not. I’m not getting into that. But forgive me, sir, this all happened on your watch. My son was murdered in a tunnel that you built on your watch. Forgive me, forgive me. You’ve been in power for many years. Very many. The concrete and the dollars went in [to Gaza] on your watch. Shut yourself in a room and think about the Jewish value that you bring — not the Jewish identity of the State of Israel, we’ll control here, control there. In the end, the Holy One Blessed Be He does everything. Strong as we were before this, on Simchat Torah we got a slap unlike any other. A slap.”
Netanyahu: “I won’t tell you what goes on behind closed doors. It won’t interest you that much either… I was alone… Against the whole world. Facing the president of the United States and people here, and facing military elements here. To fight and to explain. It’s not only Hamas. It’s not only Hezbollah. It’s an atomic weapon they’ll drop here on all of us… I enter [my office] every day and ask myself, Why are you here? What am I here for? Why?…”
Elhanan: “You didn’t do it [tackle Hamas] for 15 years…. 15 years you sat in silence. You did nothing.”
Netanyahu: “I didn’t sit in silence…”
Elhanan: “You equipped them with tunnels and dollars.”
“Did you come here to listen or to be listened to? Because what you have to say we’ve heard for 15 years.” link
The Video from the Tunnel Where Six Hostages Were Executed, and the Shock of Ministers Who Watched It: "Human Beasts"
Exclusive: A video recorded by IDF forces, showing the narrow tunnel where the hostages were held in dire conditions, was presented to the ministers. The video will also be shown to the families, and based on their wishes, its public release will be considered. Cabinet members were horrified: "It was very difficult to watch."
Last night (Sunday), the IDF presented a chilling video during a meeting of the Security Cabinet, documenting the tunnel where six hostages were executed by Hamas. This was first reported by Ynet. The footage, taken by IDF forces and shown to ministers under the direction of the Defense Minister, reveals the narrow tunnel where the hostages were kept.
The tunnel is too cramped to stand in, with high humidity and no air circulation. The video depicted harsh scenes illustrating the conditions in which the murdered hostages were held. The IDF plans to show this video to the families, and then, based on their preferences, a decision will be made on whether to release it to the public.
Cabinet members were shocked by the footage and in complete disbelief. The ministers reacted to the video with statements such as "monsters," "human beasts," and "this just shows who we are dealing with." Participants in the meeting noted, "It was very tough. It was extremely difficult to watch. The atmosphere in the meeting was very tense. It underscored the cruelty of Hamas and the severe plight of our hostages."
During the meeting, the ministers were informed that the hostages—Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, and Alex Lubanov—were murdered on Thursday night, making the Security Cabinet's decision to remain in the Philadelphi area irrelevant as it was made between Thursday and Friday. It is believed that the terrorists killed them out of fear that the IDF was closing in on them.
During a Knesset committee meeting, Esther Buchstab, the mother of Yagav who was murdered in Hamas captivity, said that her son was also executed. "My son was kidnapped alive. He was supposed to return alive, but he came back dead. Murdered," she said. "Yesterday we received the autopsy report, which confirms the execution. He was executed. The army came close to the tunnel area, and they were executed. This is what happens under military pressure. Military pressure does not bring hostages back alive; it kills them. I don't think the army is to blame; this is government policy. We see this pattern repeated in one operation after another. Yagav's story from February, it took time to get them out, but they were executed."
Mossad Director Dedi Barnea briefed the Cabinet on negotiations for a deal. His briefing indicated that the negotiation team is still exploring the opportunity for talks and is waiting for an American mediation proposal, although it is not certain it will be presented. The primary focus of the discussion was on the situation in the West Bank. At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared, "Regarding the Temple Mount, there is and will be no change in the status quo." The Prime Minister's Office later stated, "The Prime Minister reiterated his directive that government ministers should not ascend the Temple Mount without his prior approval through his military secretary." Netanyahu's statement followed a request from the King of Jordan aimed at calming tensions. Jordan also condemned the attack at the Allenby crossing, although the condemnation was somewhat muted. full article Our worthless ministers were shown the film of the conditions the hostages were kept in and then executed. Did it move them? Did anyone pound on the table and demand that the rest of the 101 hostages be brought home immediately with a deal? No, none of that because they are soulless failures with no morale compass led by a prime minister who is led by the nose by his extremist coalition partners and who only cares about remaining prime minister. We have 2 senior ministers who are the extremist messianics who both threaten to leave the government if a deal is made and the war will end. But we don't have a single minister who will say that if a deal isn't made to bring the hostages home, he will leave the government because every single one of them is more concerned about their own position, the budgetary monies for their parties and interest groups, and staying on as ministers than they are for the good of the country, for a path towards ending the war and for a path to peace. If only we could exchange every single one of them for the hostages.
Gaza
- String of legal challenges still preventing prosecution of October 7 Hamas suspects
Thousands of alleged terrorists await trial due to difficulties with evidence, lack of representation, overloaded justice system, and fears for hostages’ lives
Eleven months after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, a series of legal difficulties are still preventing Israel’s justice system from beginning to prosecute the thousands of terrorism suspects captured in Israel that day or during the resulting war in Gaza.
Citing unnamed sources in the State Attorney’s Office, Haaretz reported last week that the challenges preventing Israel from prosecuting terrorists include inadequate evidence in some suspects’ cases, the extra load on an already struggling justice system, lack of representation for those on trial, and concern that beginning legal proceedings could harm hostages still held in Gaza or the chances of a deal to free them.
According to the report, the investigations into thousands of terrorism suspects arrested on or after October 7 have either been completed or are close to completion, but it is unclear when they will be put on trial.
During Hamas’s October 7 attack, more than 3,000 terrorists murdered some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in towns and bases in Israel’s south, committing widespread atrocities and sexual assault, and took 251 hostages.
Israeli forces killed some 1,000 of the invaders and hundreds more fled back to Gaza. Some 200 were captured alive and several thousand more have been detained in Gaza during the 11 months since, although the IDF has not given detailed numbers and many have been released following questioning.
In some cases, even though the investigation has been completed, prosecutors have little or no evidence that certain suspects took part in the specific murders with which they would be charged, making a conviction unlikely.
One potential solution that has been suggested, Haaretz reported, is to group suspects by the towns they operated in during the attack and put the groups on trial rather than individual suspects. But the International Court of Justice and other forums could declare such trials void because they would not comply with international legal practice.
Meanwhile, a possible solution to the pressure hundreds of trials would place on the justice system would be to hold the trials in military courts instead, the report added.
However, that would still leave the question of who would represent the suspects in their trials, as Israel’s public defenders have refused to represent them. The report did not present any possible solutions. But when faced with a similar issue for the Nazi Holocaust mastermind Adolf Eichmann’s trial in 1961, Israel enlisted foreign lawyers.
The final challenge listed in the report was fear for hostages still held in Gaza as mediators continue to try to reach a deal between Israel and Hamas that would see hostages released in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian security prisoners and a ceasefire.
At present, the suspects arrested since October 7 are being held mainly in two Israeli prisons, Ofer and Ktziot, and have been split into two groups. The first are people suspected of taking part in or helping plan the October 7 attack and designated to undergo proceedings as criminals, while the second comprises suspects who are being held under administrative detention as illegal fighters.
The suspects have been separated in order to protect the criminal suspects’ rights, Haaretz reported, and thus to avoid accusations of mistrials that would ultimately allow them to go free. However, suspects have been moved between the two groups as recently as in the last few weeks, as new evidence comes to light.
Since the US announced criminal charges against Hamas leaders including Yahya Sinwar last week, soon after six hostages were murdered by their Hamas captors, the State Attorney’s Office has come under criticism by police and citizens for not doing the same or beginning to prosecute October 7 suspects.
However, the former head of the office’s international department, Yuval Kaplinksy, explained to Haaretz that Israel’s legal system does not enable the state to indict Sinwar in the same way as the American system permits.
“Unlike the US, Israel doesn’t indict people who are not under arrest or available for proceedings,” he said.
“The US sees a duty to the Americans harmed by October 7 in filing an indictment,” he added, “but I don’t think there’s a single prosecutor in the US who believes that Sinwar will really be caught and put on trial in the US.”
It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014. link
Thousands of alleged terrorists await trial due to difficulties with evidence, lack of representation, overloaded justice system, and fears for hostages’ lives
Eleven months after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, a series of legal difficulties are still preventing Israel’s justice system from beginning to prosecute the thousands of terrorism suspects captured in Israel that day or during the resulting war in Gaza.
Citing unnamed sources in the State Attorney’s Office, Haaretz reported last week that the challenges preventing Israel from prosecuting terrorists include inadequate evidence in some suspects’ cases, the extra load on an already struggling justice system, lack of representation for those on trial, and concern that beginning legal proceedings could harm hostages still held in Gaza or the chances of a deal to free them.
According to the report, the investigations into thousands of terrorism suspects arrested on or after October 7 have either been completed or are close to completion, but it is unclear when they will be put on trial.
During Hamas’s October 7 attack, more than 3,000 terrorists murdered some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in towns and bases in Israel’s south, committing widespread atrocities and sexual assault, and took 251 hostages.
Israeli forces killed some 1,000 of the invaders and hundreds more fled back to Gaza. Some 200 were captured alive and several thousand more have been detained in Gaza during the 11 months since, although the IDF has not given detailed numbers and many have been released following questioning.
In some cases, even though the investigation has been completed, prosecutors have little or no evidence that certain suspects took part in the specific murders with which they would be charged, making a conviction unlikely.
One potential solution that has been suggested, Haaretz reported, is to group suspects by the towns they operated in during the attack and put the groups on trial rather than individual suspects. But the International Court of Justice and other forums could declare such trials void because they would not comply with international legal practice.
Meanwhile, a possible solution to the pressure hundreds of trials would place on the justice system would be to hold the trials in military courts instead, the report added.
However, that would still leave the question of who would represent the suspects in their trials, as Israel’s public defenders have refused to represent them. The report did not present any possible solutions. But when faced with a similar issue for the Nazi Holocaust mastermind Adolf Eichmann’s trial in 1961, Israel enlisted foreign lawyers.
The final challenge listed in the report was fear for hostages still held in Gaza as mediators continue to try to reach a deal between Israel and Hamas that would see hostages released in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian security prisoners and a ceasefire.
At present, the suspects arrested since October 7 are being held mainly in two Israeli prisons, Ofer and Ktziot, and have been split into two groups. The first are people suspected of taking part in or helping plan the October 7 attack and designated to undergo proceedings as criminals, while the second comprises suspects who are being held under administrative detention as illegal fighters.
The suspects have been separated in order to protect the criminal suspects’ rights, Haaretz reported, and thus to avoid accusations of mistrials that would ultimately allow them to go free. However, suspects have been moved between the two groups as recently as in the last few weeks, as new evidence comes to light.
Since the US announced criminal charges against Hamas leaders including Yahya Sinwar last week, soon after six hostages were murdered by their Hamas captors, the State Attorney’s Office has come under criticism by police and citizens for not doing the same or beginning to prosecute October 7 suspects.
However, the former head of the office’s international department, Yuval Kaplinksy, explained to Haaretz that Israel’s legal system does not enable the state to indict Sinwar in the same way as the American system permits.
“Unlike the US, Israel doesn’t indict people who are not under arrest or available for proceedings,” he said.
“The US sees a duty to the Americans harmed by October 7 in filing an indictment,” he added, “but I don’t think there’s a single prosecutor in the US who believes that Sinwar will really be caught and put on trial in the US.”
It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014. link
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- US suggests Lebanon-Israel land swap in bid to end border conflicts
According to the report, the Israeli side reiterated its main demand for a complete military withdrawal of Hezbollah to 10 km away from the border, a demand that the organization currently rejects.
American officials recently proposed, in a virtual meeting with their Israeli counterparts, a land swap between Lebanon and Israel as part of a comprehensive agreement to end the border conflicts and resolve the land dispute between the two countries, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Sunday.
The report follows Saturday night's rocket attacks, which involved about 50 launches from Lebanon toward Kiryat Shmona and Western Galilee.
According to the report, the Israeli side reiterated its main demand for a complete military withdrawal of Hezbollah to 10 km away from the border, a demand that the organization currently rejects.
On the other hand, two outstanding issues were raised in Washington's proposal for a diplomatic settlement. The first is the "Point B1" issue, the westernmost border point of the "Blue Line," overlooking the Israeli tourist site at Rosh Hanikra.
The proposal for this point involves recognizing it as part of Lebanon, with UN forces deployed there as a neutral party for both sides.
The second issue is the Kibbutz Misgav Am, which belongs to the Upper Galilee Regional Council.
A quid-pro-quo
Here, the Americans propose a land swap that would not alter the kibbutz's characteristics in exchange for twice the area currently held by Israel.
Other issues on the table, such as the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar Shuba Hills, and the northern part of the Rajar village, remain to be addressed later.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the current escalation signals preparation for a new military phase or if it is simply part of ongoing efforts to target Hezbollah sites in the southern Litani region.
Additionally, the diplomatic information regarding the fate of Lebanon's southern front remains unclear, with Western and American diplomatic sources indicating the improbability of a broad war, assuring that the Biden administration is making every effort to achieve calm in Gaza and other fronts.
On the other hand, diplomatic assessments suggest that Israel aims to use the period until the November US elections to weaken Hezbollah as much as possible. link
According to the report, the Israeli side reiterated its main demand for a complete military withdrawal of Hezbollah to 10 km away from the border, a demand that the organization currently rejects.
American officials recently proposed, in a virtual meeting with their Israeli counterparts, a land swap between Lebanon and Israel as part of a comprehensive agreement to end the border conflicts and resolve the land dispute between the two countries, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Sunday.
The report follows Saturday night's rocket attacks, which involved about 50 launches from Lebanon toward Kiryat Shmona and Western Galilee.
According to the report, the Israeli side reiterated its main demand for a complete military withdrawal of Hezbollah to 10 km away from the border, a demand that the organization currently rejects.
On the other hand, two outstanding issues were raised in Washington's proposal for a diplomatic settlement. The first is the "Point B1" issue, the westernmost border point of the "Blue Line," overlooking the Israeli tourist site at Rosh Hanikra.
The proposal for this point involves recognizing it as part of Lebanon, with UN forces deployed there as a neutral party for both sides.
The second issue is the Kibbutz Misgav Am, which belongs to the Upper Galilee Regional Council.
A quid-pro-quo
Here, the Americans propose a land swap that would not alter the kibbutz's characteristics in exchange for twice the area currently held by Israel.
Other issues on the table, such as the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar Shuba Hills, and the northern part of the Rajar village, remain to be addressed later.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the current escalation signals preparation for a new military phase or if it is simply part of ongoing efforts to target Hezbollah sites in the southern Litani region.
Additionally, the diplomatic information regarding the fate of Lebanon's southern front remains unclear, with Western and American diplomatic sources indicating the improbability of a broad war, assuring that the Biden administration is making every effort to achieve calm in Gaza and other fronts.
On the other hand, diplomatic assessments suggest that Israel aims to use the period until the November US elections to weaken Hezbollah as much as possible. link
According to Syria’s Sham FM radio, alleged Israeli airstrikes tonight targeted the Masyaf area, west of Hama.
The station says there is no immediate information on the extent of the damage. The area around Masyaf, which is thought to be used as a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias, has been repeatedly targeted in recent years in attacks widely attributed to Israel. Syria has reported that the death toll has risen to 14
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck several sites and a rocket launcher belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Kafr Kila, Taybeh, Hanine, and Yarine, the IDF says.
A separate strike yesterday in Khirbet Selm targeted a building used by Hezbollah, the military adds.
Hezbollah
drone hits Nahariya high-rise, as over 20 rockets fired at north; none hurt
Lebanese
terror group claims to have targeted IDF base, kilometers away from apartment
building that sustained direct impact video of the direct impact
Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Monday launched explosive-laden drones at northern Israel, one of which impacted a high-rise residential building in the coastal city of Nahariya, causing damage, authorities said.
The Israel Defense Forces said two drones were launched in the attack, which was later claimed by the terror group.
There were no injuries in the attack, though the drone that hit the building caused damage to two apartments.
In a statement, the terror group took responsibility for the drones but claimed to have targeted a military base, the IDF’s Shraga Camp, some three kilometers (1.8 miles) south of Nahariya.
Hezbollah said the attack was a response to recent IDF strikes in southern Lebanon.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi called the attack “a serious incident.”
Wrapping up an assessment on the northern front with the military’s top brass, Halevi said the “IDF operates strongly in the north, and is at a high level of readiness with prepared operational plans, ready for any mission that will be required.”
Dr. Maron Haj, a thoracic surgeon at Galilee Medical Center, said he was at work in the hospital when he heard his building was hit.
“Everything in our apartment was ruined,” he said. “We can’t live there. We have to figure out what to do next.”
Describing the attack, 9-year-old Aviel Avshalom, who was in school at the time, said it was “very scary.”
His mother, Alina Avshalom, said she hurried to pick up Aviel and his sister Miel from school — despite a call by Nahariya’s mayor to parents not to pick up their children.
“I don’t have a car and I had to think twice — but I didn’t want to leave the kids there,” she said.
In addition to the drones, Hezbollah also fired more than 20 rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel on Monday, according to the IDF.
The rockets targeted the Western Galilee, the Kiryat Shmona area, and the Galilee Panhandle.
There were no reports of injuries.
The terror group also claimed to have launched a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli fighter jet over southern Lebanon on Monday, forcing it to retreat.
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck several sites and a rocket launcher belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Kafr Kila, Taybeh, Hanine, and Yarine, the IDF said on Monday morning.
A separate strike on Sunday night in Khirbet Selm targeted a building used by Hezbollah, the military added. full article
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- Palestinian vehicle hits police car in West Bank; IDF says a deliberate attack
A Palestinian vehicle collided with a
police car in the West Bank Saturday in what the Israeli army said was a
deliberate attack.
The collision happened at the Eli gas
station, the scene of a number of previous terror attacks.
“A Palestinian vehicle accelerated
toward a police car and collided with it. There were no casualties,” the Israel
Defense Forces said.
The assailant “was caught by IDF troops”
and arrested, it added.
The alleged attack follows several
others in the West Bank in recent days.
On Monday an abandoned car laden with
explosives was neutralized by security forces at the entrance to the Ateret
settlement in the central West Bank.
That followed a twin car-bomb attack
last week in the southern West Bank, in which several people were injured.
Hamas claimed responsibility, on the heels of a call from a top official in the
terror group to resume suicide bombings.
Two days after the car bombings, three
Israeli police officers were killed in a shooting attack near the Palestinian city of
Tarqumiyah in the southern West Bank.
The incidents came amid major ongoing
counterterrorism operations by the Israel Defense Forces in several West Bank
cities. The IDF operations were launched in the wake of an attempted suicide
bombing in Tel Aviv in August, also claimed by Hamas.
Tensions in the West Bank have been high
since the October 7 Hamas massacre, which saw terrorists from Gaza infiltrate
Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251,
starting the ongoing war.
Since October 7, troops have arrested
some 5,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,000
affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority
health ministry, more than 670 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that
time. The IDF says the vast majority were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire,
rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 29 people,
including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in
Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were
killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank. link
A Palestinian vehicle collided with a
police car in the West Bank Saturday in what the Israeli army said was a
deliberate attack.
The collision happened at the Eli gas
station, the scene of a number of previous terror attacks.
“A Palestinian vehicle accelerated
toward a police car and collided with it. There were no casualties,” the Israel
Defense Forces said.
The assailant “was caught by IDF troops”
and arrested, it added.
The alleged attack follows several
others in the West Bank in recent days.
On Monday an abandoned car laden with
explosives was neutralized by security forces at the entrance to the Ateret
settlement in the central West Bank.
That followed a twin car-bomb attack
last week in the southern West Bank, in which several people were injured.
Hamas claimed responsibility, on the heels of a call from a top official in the
terror group to resume suicide bombings.
Two days after the car bombings, three
Israeli police officers were killed in a shooting attack near the Palestinian city of
Tarqumiyah in the southern West Bank.
The incidents came amid major ongoing
counterterrorism operations by the Israel Defense Forces in several West Bank
cities. The IDF operations were launched in the wake of an attempted suicide
bombing in Tel Aviv in August, also claimed by Hamas.
Tensions in the West Bank have been high
since the October 7 Hamas massacre, which saw terrorists from Gaza infiltrate
Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251,
starting the ongoing war.
Since October 7, troops have arrested
some 5,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,000
affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority
health ministry, more than 670 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that
time. The IDF says the vast majority were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire,
rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 29 people,
including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in
Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were
killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank. link
According to Syria’s Sham FM radio, alleged Israeli airstrikes tonight targeted the Masyaf area, west of Hama.
The station says there is no immediate information on the extent of the damage. The area around Masyaf, which is thought to be used as a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias, has been repeatedly targeted in recent years in attacks widely attributed to Israel. Syria has reported that the death toll has risen to 14
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck several sites and a rocket launcher belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Kafr Kila, Taybeh, Hanine, and Yarine, the IDF says.
A separate strike yesterday in Khirbet Selm targeted a building used by Hezbollah, the military adds.
Hezbollah
drone hits Nahariya high-rise, as over 20 rockets fired at north; none hurt
Lebanese
terror group claims to have targeted IDF base, kilometers away from apartment
building that sustained direct impact video of the direct impact
Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Monday launched explosive-laden drones at northern Israel, one of which impacted a high-rise residential building in the coastal city of Nahariya, causing damage, authorities said.
The Israel Defense Forces said two drones were launched in the attack, which was later claimed by the terror group.
There were no injuries in the attack, though the drone that hit the building caused damage to two apartments.
In a statement, the terror group took responsibility for the drones but claimed to have targeted a military base, the IDF’s Shraga Camp, some three kilometers (1.8 miles) south of Nahariya.
Hezbollah said the attack was a response to recent IDF strikes in southern Lebanon.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi called the attack “a serious incident.”
Wrapping up an assessment on the northern front with the military’s top brass, Halevi said the “IDF operates strongly in the north, and is at a high level of readiness with prepared operational plans, ready for any mission that will be required.”
Dr. Maron Haj, a thoracic surgeon at Galilee Medical Center, said he was at work in the hospital when he heard his building was hit.
“Everything in our apartment was ruined,” he said. “We can’t live there. We have to figure out what to do next.”
Describing the attack, 9-year-old Aviel Avshalom, who was in school at the time, said it was “very scary.”
His mother, Alina Avshalom, said she hurried to pick up Aviel and his sister Miel from school — despite a call by Nahariya’s mayor to parents not to pick up their children.
“I don’t have a car and I had to think twice — but I didn’t want to leave the kids there,” she said.
In addition to the drones, Hezbollah also fired more than 20 rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel on Monday, according to the IDF.
The rockets targeted the Western Galilee, the Kiryat Shmona area, and the Galilee Panhandle.
There were no reports of injuries.
The terror group also claimed to have launched a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli fighter jet over southern Lebanon on Monday, forcing it to retreat.
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck several sites and a rocket launcher belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Kafr Kila, Taybeh, Hanine, and Yarine, the IDF said on Monday morning.
A separate strike on Sunday night in Khirbet Selm targeted a building used by Hezbollah, the military added. full article
A Palestinian vehicle collided with a
police car in the West Bank Saturday in what the Israeli army said was a
deliberate attack.
The collision happened at the Eli gas
station, the scene of a number of previous terror attacks.
“A Palestinian vehicle accelerated
toward a police car and collided with it. There were no casualties,” the Israel
Defense Forces said.
The assailant “was caught by IDF troops”
and arrested, it added.
The alleged attack follows several
others in the West Bank in recent days.
On Monday an abandoned car laden with
explosives was neutralized by security forces at the entrance to the Ateret
settlement in the central West Bank.
That followed a twin car-bomb attack
last week in the southern West Bank, in which several people were injured.
Hamas claimed responsibility, on the heels of a call from a top official in the
terror group to resume suicide bombings.
Two days after the car bombings, three
Israeli police officers were killed in a shooting attack near the Palestinian city of
Tarqumiyah in the southern West Bank.
The incidents came amid major ongoing
counterterrorism operations by the Israel Defense Forces in several West Bank
cities. The IDF operations were launched in the wake of an attempted suicide
bombing in Tel Aviv in August, also claimed by Hamas.
Tensions in the West Bank have been high
since the October 7 Hamas massacre, which saw terrorists from Gaza infiltrate
Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251,
starting the ongoing war.
Since October 7, troops have arrested
some 5,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,000
affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority
health ministry, more than 670 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that
time. The IDF says the vast majority were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire,
rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 29 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank. link
A group of Palestinians poses with weapons at a mourning tent for Islamic Jihad operatives in Jenin, just days after the IDF withdrew from the West Bank city after a 10-day counterterrorism operation.
Videos circulating on social media show dozens of armed men at the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group event, some with face masks, with posts reading “Glory to the resistance.”
The IDF said earlier this week that 14 Palestinian gunmen in Jenin were killed during the West Bank raid, among them the commander of Hamas in the city, while more than 30 wanted Palestinians were detained.
Israel has long said the camp is a hotbed of terror activity, and has moved in to make arrests and dismantle terror infrastructure from time to time.
**"De Facto Annexation": How Smotrich Took Over Civil Life Beyond the Green Line**
With one arm wielding the powers as Minister of Finance and the other wielding the powers in the Ministry of Defense, Smotrich has been leading a series of moves that have effectively hollowed out the role of the military as the sovereign authority in the West Bank. The goal: to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and dispossess the residents. Security officials are concerned about the impact of the "Kahanization" of the West Bank on the rise of terrorism, and the White House is also worried. As the battle over the judicial system continues, this is the place where the revolution is in full swing. What happens in the West Bank does not stay in the West Bank: A few weeks ago, I met with one of the settler leaders in Judea and Samaria, a Likud member. I asked him what grade he would give to Smotrich and Ben Gvir, two ministers whose stronghold is the settlement enterprise. "I am disappointed with Ben Gvir," he replied. "He only talks. I am actually quite satisfied with Smotrich."
One can argue whether he was right about Ben Gvir, but the compliment to Smotrich was well-deserved. In the 20 months of the current government's rule, Smotrich has brought about a revolution in the situation of Jews and Palestinians in the West Bank. The headlines in the media are misleading: they mention the West Bank only in the context of Arab and Jewish terrorism or IDF-initiated operations. The real, historic change is happening in air-conditioned offices, under the radar, and is becoming an irreversible reality on the ground. According to the law, the military is the sovereign authority. In real life, Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank has been handed over to a closed, extreme political sect that is subject to one man's will and advances according to a single messianic plan. The Prime Minister either supports or does not interfere. What the sect has missed so far, the judicial revolution within the Green Line is achieving, with weak opposition from the military, just five minutes from Kfar Saba.
There is a vision here. There is also sheer malice, much like in the revolution of Rothman and Levin. Smotrich has taken over the West Bank in a pincer movement: one arm is his powers as Minister of Finance, the other arm is the powers he received as a minister in the Ministry of Defense. The goal outlined in his 2017 plan has not changed: to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and present the seven million Arabs living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean with a choice - to die in battle, emigrate abroad, or remain forever as second-class citizens.
The immediate task is to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, dispossess the residents in areas under Israeli control, and create a reality on the ground that will prevent any possibility of geographic division in an agreement. As Minister of Finance, he freezes, delays, or prevents the transfer of tax money that Israel collects for the Authority. These are not our funds - we are merely the collectors, for a handsome fee. They allow the Authority to pay salaries to about 140,000 employees, including members of the security forces who fight terrorism. Due to its financial distress, the Authority only pays them 50% of their salaries.
"The Israel Police conducts itself in the spirit of Ben Gvir. It avoids stopping Jewish violence and terrorism." Disturbances in Jit, in the month of August
The legal experts in Smotrich's sect have found another sophisticated way to impoverish the Palestinian Authority. Section B of the Law on Compensation for Victims of Terror (Exemplary Damages), which was passed in the Knesset in June at the urging of Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Chairman of the Constitution Committee Simcha Rothman, states: "If a person is injured in a terrorist act and is determined to have a permanent disability, the victim is entitled to exemplary damages from the sponsor of terrorism in the amount of five million shekels." The "sponsor of terrorism" is a sanitized term pointing to only one entity - the Palestinian Authority, which financially supports terrorists from its people (for which it deserves condemnation). Israel currently unilaterally deducts from the Authority's tax revenues the funds for terrorists and their families. Assuming that this is acceptable, the new law allows for double dipping.Another major source for the livelihood of the population and the Authority was work in Israel. After the events of October 7, this was blocked. The Shin Bet, fearing that the economic crisis would lead to terrorism, prepared a plan for controlled entry of some of the workers to permanent workplaces. The IDF supported it. Under pressure from Smotrich and his colleagues, the plan was outright rejected. The population has no choice but to rely on external aid, including the terrorist funds smuggled by Iran to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The second arm operates from the Ministry of Defense. On the 15th floor of the ministry, above the Defense Minister's office, Smotrich has established his own empire. Its executive officer is Hillel Roth, formerly a resident of Yitzhar and now of Revava, a personal, political appointee of Smotrich. His title is misleading - Deputy Head of the Civil Administration for Civil Affairs. In practical terms, he is the governor of the West Bank. The Persians called this role a Pasha; the Turks, a Sanjak Bey; the British, a Governor; the Germans, a Gauleiter; the Israeli version is longer, for appearances.
Burnt vehicles, sooty houses. The destruction the morning after the riots in Jit (Photo: Shaul Golan)Prof. Dan Turner is a resident of Kfar Adumim, a long-established and politically diverse settlement along the Jerusalem-Jericho road. Along with other residents, he has been fighting for years for his neighbors, including the Jahalin Bedouin tribe, residents of Khan al-Ahmar. He once took me to visit them. Ten days ago, he wrote me a long message and allowed me to publish it. "Regarding the new outpost established a few days ago 300 meters from Khan al-Ahmar, to pressure the impoverished community and close grazing lands to economically suffocate it - it's worth pausing to look at the broader processes that have happened over the past year in the West Bank. The government gave Smotrich supreme powers that allow him to quickly carry out the revolution he wanted in the West Bank - de facto annexation and the expulsion of Palestinians from Area C. To his credit, he says this openly.
"What does it mean? All the powers of the Head of the Civil Administration (CAA) were delegated to Hillel Roth, who himself is effectively subordinate to the Settlement Division, a political body in Smotrich's office in the Ministry of Defense. The CAA does not exist when it comes to civil services - construction, enforcement, water, archaeology, etc. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) learns about some actions only after the fact.
"The appointments of the heads of staffs in the administration, which are supposed to be professional, are gradually being staffed by party operatives. For instance, the recently appointed head of the Planning Bureau in the Civil Administration, the highest authority on planning issues in the West Bank, is a resident of Revava who was the engineer of the Samaria Regional Council. The legal advisor to the West Bank, who was subordinate to the military prosecution, was dismissed and his department was closed. The legal advisory passed into civilian hands. More than 20 jurists were recruited under Smotrich's appointment. Their mission, among other things, is to implement policies of de facto annexation and Judaization of the territories. Procedures are quickly changed to enable development exclusively for Jews.
"There are no gatekeepers; no professional level; no IDF. Everything is managed through civilian, political elements. The civilianization of services was one of the means for Smotrich and his people to free themselves from military control and strive for actual annexation. Personally, I have no problem with annexation, as long as everyone enjoys equal rights and opportunities. That is not the case. In the past year and a half, there has been zero planning for the 300,000 Palestinians living in Area C and zero building permits. Meanwhile, demolitions are carried out routinely, including cisterns and schools. Enforcement is accelerated and selective.
"The trend is the opposite in Jewish settlements - four times the declarations of state lands, four times the building approvals. Additionally, dozens of outposts are being established without permits. There are over a hundred farms and small outposts in the middle of Palestinian grazing lands. Illegal construction by Jews is not enforced, encouraged by the responsible minister. The Civil Administration currently has a full and sweeping prohibition on enforcing the law against building violators. Demolitions are rare and only due to urgent security considerations.
"The SJ District Police operate in the spirit of Ben Gvir. They avoid stopping Jewish violence and terrorism. Those who are arrested are released immediately. He also does not hesitate to intervene specifically and direct police officers. This is de facto annexation - civilianizing services under the control of a party with civil rights for Jews only. I wonder if this is Judaism, if this is Zionism. What is certain - it will not help our discussions against us in The Hague."
I heard similar or identical things last week from officials in the security establishment. There, the concern is about the impact of the Kahanization of the West Bank on the rise of terrorism. Another concern is from severe rulings by the courts in The Hague. It's not clear that the question of which committee will investigate the failures of October 7 guides the judges' peace of mind there, but what looks like apartheid, dispossession, and annexation in the West Bank interests them greatly. This seems like an easy reason to issue arrest warrants for ministers in the current government, perhaps even for the Prime Minister. The American administration is concerned about the changes in the West Bank no less than it is worried about the stalemate in Gaza. link
Politics and the War (general news)
- Security chiefs warn Jewish prayer on Temple Mount could trigger upsurge in West Bank, Jerusalem violence
Jewish worshipers prostrate themselves on the Temple Mount during a prayer service at the holy site, August 28, 2024. (Jeremy Sharon/Times of Israel)
Israel’s security chiefs have reportedly warned the political leadership that Palestinian anger over overt Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount threatens to trigger a major escalation of violence against Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The security establishment has waved “a red flag” to alert the political echelon to the growing danger, Channel 12 reports.
The TV report says the security establishment is concerned that the police are not enforcing the “status quo” that outlaws Jewish prayer at the contested holy site, that prayer is now routinely tolerated, and that some Jewish worshippers prostrate themselves in prayer on the Mount.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said repeatedly in recent weeks and months that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer, and been repeatedly contradicted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists that the decades-old status quo remains in force. But the current situation atop the Temple Mount is one in which the police are enabling a “de facto change” to the status quo, the TV report notes.
Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism as the site of the two Biblical temples, and the site of the third holiest shrine in Islam.
The report says the security warning highlighted the particularly dangerous period in the days ahead of the High Holidays when many Jews go to the Mount.
Iran and its proxies are pushing hard to inflame the West Bank, with funding and weaponry, the report says.
It cites an increase in warnings of specific attacks in and from the West Bank, saying there have been 47 such warnings in recent days. While the IDF and Shin Bet are working to thwart such attacks, the security establishment is urging the political echelon to take steps to help “stabilize” the situation.
The IDF has already allocated significant resources to the West Bank, but there is concern that a worsening of the situation would require the allocation of primary resources to that front, with harmful implications for the war in Gaza, the north, and Israeli deterrence against Iran. link When you have a Minister of the Police who is a self righteous convicted criminal. normalizing criminal behavior is an anticipated outcome, not a chance thing or even a mistake. It is deliberate, planned and completely goes along with the messianic ideology of the criminal minister himself. And the fact that Netanyahu is the prime minister who appointed him and normalized his extremism, he, too is just as guilty of the crimes his criminister is perpertrating. We are living in extremely dangerous times and the main job of the primer minister and his government is to protect the citizens and the country. What they are doing is just the opposite. They are making these dangerous times even more dangerous with no thought or care about the future of the country as long as it benefits their extremist ideologies.
- At the beginning of this evening’s security cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells ministers that there will be no change in the status quo regarding Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Israel has for decades agreed to maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount, whereby Jews are allowed to visit under police guard, but not pray. But the number of Jewish visitors has ballooned over the past few years and authorities have quietly allowed Jewish prayers.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has publicized his visits to the Temple Mount multiple times this year alone, has said repeatedly in recent weeks and months that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer, and has been repeatedly contradicted by Netanyahu, who insists that the decades-old status quo remains in force.
But recent reports have indicated that the police are currently enabling a “de facto change” to the status quo by allowing Jewish prayer, including prostration, at the flashpoint holy site.
Israel’s security chiefs have reportedlywarned the political leadership that Palestinian anger over overt Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount threatens to trigger a major escalation of violence against Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
“The prime minister repeated his directive that the ministers will not go up to the Temple Mount without his prior approval via his military secretary,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office reads. Link
Jewish worshipers prostrate themselves on the Temple Mount during a prayer service at the holy site, August 28, 2024. (Jeremy Sharon/Times of Israel)
Israel’s security chiefs have reportedly warned the political leadership that Palestinian anger over overt Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount threatens to trigger a major escalation of violence against Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The security establishment has waved “a red flag” to alert the political echelon to the growing danger, Channel 12 reports.
The TV report says the security establishment is concerned that the police are not enforcing the “status quo” that outlaws Jewish prayer at the contested holy site, that prayer is now routinely tolerated, and that some Jewish worshippers prostrate themselves in prayer on the Mount.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said repeatedly in recent weeks and months that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer, and been repeatedly contradicted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists that the decades-old status quo remains in force. But the current situation atop the Temple Mount is one in which the police are enabling a “de facto change” to the status quo, the TV report notes.
Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism as the site of the two Biblical temples, and the site of the third holiest shrine in Islam.
The report says the security warning highlighted the particularly dangerous period in the days ahead of the High Holidays when many Jews go to the Mount.
Iran and its proxies are pushing hard to inflame the West Bank, with funding and weaponry, the report says.
It cites an increase in warnings of specific attacks in and from the West Bank, saying there have been 47 such warnings in recent days. While the IDF and Shin Bet are working to thwart such attacks, the security establishment is urging the political echelon to take steps to help “stabilize” the situation.
The IDF has already allocated significant resources to the West Bank, but there is concern that a worsening of the situation would require the allocation of primary resources to that front, with harmful implications for the war in Gaza, the north, and Israeli deterrence against Iran. link When you have a Minister of the Police who is a self righteous convicted criminal. normalizing criminal behavior is an anticipated outcome, not a chance thing or even a mistake. It is deliberate, planned and completely goes along with the messianic ideology of the criminal minister himself. And the fact that Netanyahu is the prime minister who appointed him and normalized his extremism, he, too is just as guilty of the crimes his criminister is perpertrating. We are living in extremely dangerous times and the main job of the primer minister and his government is to protect the citizens and the country. What they are doing is just the opposite. They are making these dangerous times even more dangerous with no thought or care about the future of the country as long as it benefits their extremist ideologies.
Israel has for decades agreed to maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount, whereby Jews are allowed to visit under police guard, but not pray. But the number of Jewish visitors has ballooned over the past few years and authorities have quietly allowed Jewish prayers.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has publicized his visits to the Temple Mount multiple times this year alone, has said repeatedly in recent weeks and months that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer, and has been repeatedly contradicted by Netanyahu, who insists that the decades-old status quo remains in force.
But recent reports have indicated that the police are currently enabling a “de facto change” to the status quo by allowing Jewish prayer, including prostration, at the flashpoint holy site.
Israel’s security chiefs have reportedlywarned the political leadership that Palestinian anger over overt Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount threatens to trigger a major escalation of violence against Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
“The prime minister repeated his directive that the ministers will not go up to the Temple Mount without his prior approval via his military secretary,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office reads. Link
The Region and the World
- Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, is taking part in the Middle East – America Dialogue (MEAD) summit in Washington, DC.
Notably, she is appearing at the same event as many senior Israeli officials, as efforts for a US-brokered normalization agreement have been put on the backburner amid the US elections but could renew afterward.
Al Saud takes part in a panel alongside the Moroccan and Bahraini ambassadors to the US. The content of the panel and photos of it are currently barred from publication, though Israeli media outlets hail her speech as “inspiring.”
Hebrew media outlets cite an unnamed senior Israeli official as speculating that a normalization deal could be clinched in the lame-duck period between the November 5 election and the January 20 swearing-in of the new American president, while stressing that this would require a ceasefire in Gaza and some sort of vision to resolve the Palestinian issue.
- Erdogan seeks Islamic alliance against Israel, says its 'expansionism' won't stop in Gaza
Turkish leader claims Jewish state will next seek to occupy Lebanon, Syria, ‘our homeland between Tigris and Euphrates,’ says ‘Hamas is not only defending Gaza but Islamic lands’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Islamic countries should form an alliance against what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel.
He made the comment after describing what Palestinian and Turkish officials said was the killing by Israeli troops of a Turkish-American woman taking part in a protest on Friday against settlement expansion in the West Bank.
“The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries,” Erdogan said at an Islamic schools’ association event near Istanbul.
“Israel will not stop in Gaza,” he claimed. “If Israel continues in this manner, it will set its sights elsewhere after occupying Ramallah. The turn will come for other countries in the region. It will come for Lebanon, Syria. They will set their eyes on our homeland between the Tigris and Euphrates.
“They openly state this with every map they pose in front of,” he claimed. “They are already declaring that they will not be content with occupying Gaza alone.”
It is unclear what Erdogan was referring to, as Israel has made no such declarations. Israeli leaders have warned all-out war could erupt in Lebanon if Hezbollah does not cease its near-daily attacks on the country’s north, which have been ongoing since last October.
“That is why we say, ‘Hamas resists on behalf of Muslims.’ That is why we say, ‘Hamas is not only defending Gaza, it is defending Islamic lands, Turkey,” Erdogan said.
He said recent steps that Turkey has taken to improve ties with Egypt and Syria are aimed at “forming a line of solidarity against the growing threat of expansionism,” which he said also threatened Lebanon and Syria. link
Notably, she is appearing at the same event as many senior Israeli officials, as efforts for a US-brokered normalization agreement have been put on the backburner amid the US elections but could renew afterward.
Al Saud takes part in a panel alongside the Moroccan and Bahraini ambassadors to the US. The content of the panel and photos of it are currently barred from publication, though Israeli media outlets hail her speech as “inspiring.”
Hebrew media outlets cite an unnamed senior Israeli official as speculating that a normalization deal could be clinched in the lame-duck period between the November 5 election and the January 20 swearing-in of the new American president, while stressing that this would require a ceasefire in Gaza and some sort of vision to resolve the Palestinian issue.
Turkish leader claims Jewish state will next seek to occupy Lebanon, Syria, ‘our homeland between Tigris and Euphrates,’ says ‘Hamas is not only defending Gaza but Islamic lands’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Islamic countries should form an alliance against what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel.
He made the comment after describing what Palestinian and Turkish officials said was the killing by Israeli troops of a Turkish-American woman taking part in a protest on Friday against settlement expansion in the West Bank.
“The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries,” Erdogan said at an Islamic schools’ association event near Istanbul.
“Israel will not stop in Gaza,” he claimed. “If Israel continues in this manner, it will set its sights elsewhere after occupying Ramallah. The turn will come for other countries in the region. It will come for Lebanon, Syria. They will set their eyes on our homeland between the Tigris and Euphrates.
“They openly state this with every map they pose in front of,” he claimed. “They are already declaring that they will not be content with occupying Gaza alone.”
It is unclear what Erdogan was referring to, as Israel has made no such declarations. Israeli leaders have warned all-out war could erupt in Lebanon if Hezbollah does not cease its near-daily attacks on the country’s north, which have been ongoing since last October.
“That is why we say, ‘Hamas resists on behalf of Muslims.’ That is why we say, ‘Hamas is not only defending Gaza, it is defending Islamic lands, Turkey,” Erdogan said.
He said recent steps that Turkey has taken to improve ties with Egypt and Syria are aimed at “forming a line of solidarity against the growing threat of expansionism,” which he said also threatened Lebanon and Syria. link
Personal Stories
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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