π️Lonny's War Update- October 347, 2023 - September 17, 2024 π️
π️Day 347 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!!!”
Shay Albag writes to her sister Liri, after a video of her kidnapping from the base of Nahal Oz was made public:
“And once again, everyone sees you in your most fragile state. Once again everyone is looking and wondering what would be your fate. And again, all I see is my little sister, like I have never seen in my life, and I'm not there to look after you as I should. All I see is you, our Liri. With fear in your eyes, with tons of terrorists around you that threaten your life.
And it's worse than I could ever imagine.
All I want to do is yell to the world that this is still happening! That this video is from almost eight months ago, and you are still there, in a continuous terror attack. Still with fear in your eyes, knowing it’s dangerous to even smile. Those who hold you are monsters who took away the freedom you deserve!
For so long you had waited to enlist, you dreamt of becoming an officer and contribute to the country you love so much.
And I’m simply asking, does this country love you in return? Is it really fighting to keep you safe and to bring you home?
When you last saw some of the hostages who came back home, you asked them not to forget you. I haven't forgotten you. Has the country forgotten you?
I'm sorry that another day has passed and we didn't bring you home. Sorry that we had to share images of your terrified face in the most awful place, instead of a happy video of you coming home.”
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
“And once again, everyone sees you in your most fragile state. Once again everyone is looking and wondering what would be your fate. And again, all I see is my little sister, like I have never seen in my life, and I'm not there to look after you as I should. All I see is you, our Liri. With fear in your eyes, with tons of terrorists around you that threaten your life.
And it's worse than I could ever imagine.
All I want to do is yell to the world that this is still happening! That this video is from almost eight months ago, and you are still there, in a continuous terror attack. Still with fear in your eyes, knowing it’s dangerous to even smile. Those who hold you are monsters who took away the freedom you deserve!
For so long you had waited to enlist, you dreamt of becoming an officer and contribute to the country you love so much.
And I’m simply asking, does this country love you in return? Is it really fighting to keep you safe and to bring you home?
When you last saw some of the hostages who came back home, you asked them not to forget you. I haven't forgotten you. Has the country forgotten you?
I'm sorry that another day has passed and we didn't bring you home. Sorry that we had to share images of your terrified face in the most awful place, instead of a happy video of you coming home.”
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*8:15pm yesterday - north - rockets - Metulla*10:45pm yesterday - north - rockets - Zra'it, Shomera, Shtula
*10:50pm yesterday - north - rockets - Zra'it, Shomera, Shtula
*12:30am - south -rockets - Netiv Haasara
*7:30am - north -rockets - Manara
*10:40am - north -rockets - Baram, Dovev, Yiron
*1:45pm - north - hostile aircraft - Malkia, Lev Hahula, Dishon, Yiftach, Mevo'ot Hermon, Ramot Naftali - Several explosive-laden drones were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel a short while ago.The IDF says some of the drones were intercepted and others impacted outside of Ramot Naftali. There were no injuries in the attack.
*3:05pm - north - rockets - Shtula
*10:50pm yesterday - north - rockets - Zra'it, Shomera, Shtula
*12:30am - south -rockets - Netiv Haasara
*7:30am - north -rockets - Manara
*10:40am - north -rockets - Baram, Dovev, Yiron
*1:45pm - north - hostile aircraft - Malkia, Lev Hahula, Dishon, Yiftach, Mevo'ot Hermon, Ramot Naftali - Several explosive-laden drones were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel a short while ago.
The IDF says some of the drones were intercepted and others impacted outside of Ramot Naftali. There were no injuries in the attack.
*3:05pm - north - rockets - Shtula
Hostage Updates
Yesterday was the 54th birthday of the hostage Yossi Sharabi
On October 7, Yossi Sharabi, 53, a resident of Be’eri, was seen being taken by Hamas on a pickup truck, along with Ofir Engel, 18, a Jerusalem resident who was visiting the family for the weekend.
Wife Nira told The Times of Israel in November that the family was awoken at 6:30 a.m. by sirens, and hurried into their safe room with a bottle of water as the house filled with the scent of baking jachnun, the savory Yemenite pastry often left baking overnight to be eaten on Shabbat.
The sirens didn’t stop, said Nira, and they heard shots being fired outside as well as yelling in Arabic. Yossi Sharabi kept peering out the windows of their home to see what was happening, and holding the safe room door closed when they were all inside.
The Hamas terrorists arrived at the Sharabi home at 12:30 p.m., entered their safe room and immediately shot and killed the family dog.
The terrorists then walked the family outside, Nira and her daughters still in pajamas, and seated everyone on a kibbutz lawn, along with an elderly couple and another family.
They kept shuffling the family from place to place in the kibbutz, walking them in complete silence, until they were brought to a street where a black car was waiting. Ofir and the eldest Sharabi daughter Yuval were holding hands, and the terrorists told them to break their hold, then motioned to Yossi and Ofir to get into the car, along with a neighbor’s 16-year-old son, Amit Shani. That was the last time they saw Yossi and Ofir.
Yossi (left) and Eli Sharabi, brothers who were each taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 (Courtesy)Hamas also broke into his brother Eli Sharabi’s home, shouting in Arabic and laughing loudly, according to text messages between other family members with Eli, his wife Lianne and their daughters, Noiya, 16 and Yahel 13.
The terrorists shot the family dog, then took the family hostage in their safe room and set fire to the house.
Eli Sharabi’s family was at first considered missing until the bodies of Lianne, Noiya and Yahel were identified more than a week later.
There has been no sighting of Eli Sharabi on social media or in photos and videos posted by Hamas.
“My job is to bring my brothers home,” said Sharon Sharabi, a surviving brother.
Ofir Engel, 18, and Amit Shani, 16, were released on November 29 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel.
Yossi Sharabi was killed in Hamas captivity and his family survived. His brother Eli is believed to still be alive in Hamas captivity but his entire family was executed on October 7. link
The Hostage Families Forum warns New Hope chair Gideon Sa’ar against joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “hostage-abandoning government” amid mounting reports that the right-wing opposition party leader plans to do so.
“Anyone who chooses to continue to serve or join the hostage-abandoning government will forever be a partner in the greatest abdication in the history of the country,” the forum says in a statement.
The hostage families call on the public to join them in a protest tonight outside Sa’ar’s home. “We must stop this reckless and dangerous move before it is too late for the 101 remaining hostages.”
Israel still has not received a new formula for a hostage deal from the United States, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Mossad chief David Barnea was in Qatar last week to try to find a way to make progress in the talks, but currently there are no teams in Doha or Cairo.
The Americans are being cautious and are trying to avoid presenting a proposal that is likely to be rejected, says the Israeli official.
The official says that on the Philadelphi Corridor, Israel is willing to show some flexibility on the deployment and number of troops on the Gaza-Egypt border but will not withdraw fully.
A major focus of Israel’s Gaza campaign moving forward will be destroying the pillars of Hamas’s civil rule in Gaza, especially the distribution of humanitarian aid, which Israel sees as a core component of the terror group’s ability to show that it still controls the lives of Palestinians in the Strip, the Israeli official says.
Nakhba terrorists assisted the IDF in locating hostages, sometimes even accompanying forces | What can be published
Terrorists interrogated in Sde Teiman prison camp provided information about locations where hostages were held in Gaza and who was holding them • Following the information, IDF forces entered to search those sites • The information is published with censor approval
Almost a year into Operation Iron Swords and the intensified ground operation in the Gaza Strip - which also led to locating hostages taken to Gaza on October 7. Today (Monday) it can be published that some of the Nukhba terrorists arrested by the IDF in Gaza assisted the forces in finding places where hostages were held. From what can be published and approved by the censor, the terrorists interrogated in Sde Teiman were able to point out places where hostages were held or other terrorists who were holding hostages. Following information provided to the IDF, forces entered those locations - and searched them. Sometimes the terrorists even accompanied them to the Strip.
Health Minister Uriel Buso addressed this morning the treatment of terrorists in Israeli hospitals. "The system must treat anyone who comes through its gates," Buso said in an interview at Yedioth Ahronoth and ynet's Health Conference. "Some of these terrorists who were treated in my system - they went with them into Gaza, into the tunnels, and brought hostages when needed. There's life-saving information now. So, we bring them for treatment to stabilize them, not to give them a massage."
What Hamas terrorists revealed in interrogations
Since the war broke out, the police and Shin Bet have revealed footage from interrogations of Hamas terrorists, including from the Nukhba force, who took an active part in the massacre in the Gaza envelope communities. The interrogations revealed that they received clear instructions to kill the men and kidnap the elderly, women and children. One of the terrorists described how they captured civilians: "We were ordered to kill the men, especially the young ones, the elderly, women and children we were told to take captive. I saw them take a 65-year-old woman on a motorcycle, then a 15-year-old girl came out, we took a selfie with her and they told me to shoot her, in the end they took her on a motorcycle, kidnapped her."
Another terrorist said in the interrogation: "We entered in the morning to take hostages and stay in their homes. Then they told us 'clear the houses and kidnap as many hostages as possible'. In Gaza, whoever brings hostages gets a grant of an apartment and $10,000, that's what the commander told us. They wanted as many hostages as possible, that was the purpose of the entry from their perspective."
Terrorists who took hostages to Shifa Hospital told Shin Bet investigators about the route they took from the moment they entered Israeli territory - until they brought the hostages to the hospital. "Two people I was with took someone and left with him. Then I brought two hostages and another one," one of the terrorists said. "The first hostage walked on his feet and we brought him in walking (to Shifa). The second hostage we brought into the elevator and carried him on a stretcher." Upon arrival at the hospital, the terrorists brought the two hostages into a room where there were three armed men, al-Qassam Brigade operatives.
Gaza truce:
Former Israeli negotiator reveals three-week plan accepted by Hamas
- Gershon Baskin
says he reached out to Hamas after a request by families of Israeli hostages
Hamas
accepted the plan but now ‘this has to go on an official track,’ Baskin
tells Anadolu
- US
must ‘push it forward and … force it on Israel and on Hamas through the
Qataris and the Egyptians,’ says Israeli peace activist
- Netanyahu
and his ministers are talking about the ‘reoccupation of Gaza’ and
‘drawing up … detailed plans for new Israeli settlements,’ says Baskin
A former Israeli hostage negotiator has revealed details of his
plan to end the war on Gaza in three weeks, a proposal he says has been
accepted by Hamas but is yet to see the light of day.
Gershon Baskin, known for his role in facilitating past
negotiations between Israel and Hamas, including the release of Israeli soldier
Gilad Shalit in 2011, put forward a proposal to his contacts within the
Palestinian group earlier this month.
In an interview with Anadolu, he said Hamas agreed to the terms,
which included an end to Israeli presence in Gaza, along with the release of
all Israeli hostages and “an agreed upon” number of Palestinians in Israeli
prisons – all within the span of just three weeks.
The activist said he was approached by families of Israeli
hostages to negotiate with Hamas for “a better deal” than the one currently on
the table.
Baskin started discussions with a Hamas leader who is part of
the group’s negotiating team and whom he has known for 18 years.
“I asked a very simple question: Would you (Hamas) agree to a
deal that would end the war in three weeks?” he said.
“Israel would withdraw from Gaza totally. You would release all
the hostages … dead and alive in Gaza, and there would be an agreed upon
release of Palestinian prisoners.”
The Hamas contact, according to Baskin, took several days for
internal discussions before confirming that they agreed to the deal.
“Now I decided to go public with it, and I have notified the
Qataris, Egyptians, the US, and notified the Israeli public as well as the
Israeli negotiating team,” he said.
Baskin clarified that he is not involved in the negotiations in
an official capacity, so he urged Hamas to announce their decision about the
proposal themselves.
“I don’t represent Hamas and I don’t represent the government of
Israel,” he said.
“What I urged is for the Israeli negotiators to ask the Qataris
and the Egyptians to ask Hamas if they agreed to the deal.”
Regarding a response from the mediators, Baskin said he cannot
discuss the details as it is “in the works.”
“It’s in the hands of the officials. This has to go on an
official track,” he said.
“I’ve communicated with Hamas. I’ve communicated with the
families. I’ve communicated with very important Israelis who said that they
will communicate with the Israeli negotiators.”
Since Oct. 7, Baskin said he has been contacted several times by
family members of Israeli hostages and the forum set up by their families, and
once by the Israeli negotiating team.
“I hope that we can move this forward because there is a
possibility to end this war in three weeks,” he said.
Netanyahu ‘will not make an agreement that ends the war’
The persistent deadlock in talks for a cease-fire is because
“the positions of Israel and Hamas are diametrically opposed,” according to
Baskin.
“Hamas says that they will not make any agreement with Israel
that does not end the war, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s position is that he
will not make an agreement with Hamas that ends the war,” he explained.
“These two diametrically opposed positions have created a
situation whereby the mediators, the US, Qatar and Egypt, have been spending
three months on negotiating a bad deal,” he said, referring to the three-phase
proposal announced in May by US President Joe Biden.
That deal includes processes that will take months, during which
only a small number of Israeli hostages would be returned and the fate of the
others would be unknown, he said.
Then it has a provision for Israel’s gradual withdrawal in the
first 45 days from what has been called Gaza’s “populated areas,” he said.
“There are no unpopulated areas in Gaza. It’s a very small
densely populated area,” said Baskin.
“They’ve spent a lot of time in these negotiations, defining the
minutiae … A huge waste of time because the bottom line is they’ve spent three
months on these negotiations without reaching an agreement.”
The former mediator said the stalemate in truce talks has
allowed the war to continue for too long.
“It has allowed for too many Israeli hostages to be killed, too
many Palestinians to be killed, too much suffering to continue happening while
there is a complete and total lack of a strategic vision by anyone involved for
the day after,” he said.
On the future of Gaza, Baskin stressed that its reconstruction
and rehabilitation is closely linked to the political setup that emerges once
the war ends.
“No one in the world would provide the money to rebuild Gaza if
Hamas remains in control … The Palestinians have the task of finding an
alternative leadership to govern Gaza, and eventually govern all of Palestine
as a unified government.”
Biden fueling war as Israel plans reoccupation of Gaza
Echoing a view held by many around the world, Baskin asserted
that the only player with the power to force Israel’s hand remains the US.
“Biden needs to put an end to this war. Biden fueled this war
for too long, providing Israel with bombs and a free hand to do what it wants.
We all know that the US could have put an end to this war within a week if it
wanted to,” he said.
To move forward, said Baskin, the US must “scrap the bad plan that
they hope to develop and that’s been negotiated to death for three months.”
“They need to accept this three-week plan and push it forward
and … force it on Israel and on Hamas through the Qataris and the Egyptians,”
he said.
He emphasized that Israel must be forced to accept a truce deal
because Netanyahu does not want to end the war and is, instead, planning for a
reoccupation of Gaza.
“Anyone who talks about staying on the Philadelphi Corridor … is
talking about the reoccupation of Gaza,” said Baskin, referring to one of the
main Israeli demands that has become a major sticking point in negotiations.
“He (Netanyahu) has members of his government who are drawing up
deep and detailed plans for new Israeli settlements in Gaza. There are people
who have written up plans to evacuate the entire north of Gaza … and whoever
doesn’t leave will be considered a Hamas fighter and will be killed, and then
to bulldoze it all flat and to build Israeli settlements.” link
Hostage Updates
Yesterday was the 54th birthday of the hostage Yossi SharabiOn October 7, Yossi Sharabi, 53, a resident of Be’eri, was seen being taken by Hamas on a pickup truck, along with Ofir Engel, 18, a Jerusalem resident who was visiting the family for the weekend.
Wife Nira told The Times of Israel in November that the family was awoken at 6:30 a.m. by sirens, and hurried into their safe room with a bottle of water as the house filled with the scent of baking jachnun, the savory Yemenite pastry often left baking overnight to be eaten on Shabbat.
The sirens didn’t stop, said Nira, and they heard shots being fired outside as well as yelling in Arabic. Yossi Sharabi kept peering out the windows of their home to see what was happening, and holding the safe room door closed when they were all inside.
The Hamas terrorists arrived at the Sharabi home at 12:30 p.m., entered their safe room and immediately shot and killed the family dog.
The terrorists then walked the family outside, Nira and her daughters still in pajamas, and seated everyone on a kibbutz lawn, along with an elderly couple and another family.
They kept shuffling the family from place to place in the kibbutz, walking them in complete silence, until they were brought to a street where a black car was waiting. Ofir and the eldest Sharabi daughter Yuval were holding hands, and the terrorists told them to break their hold, then motioned to Yossi and Ofir to get into the car, along with a neighbor’s 16-year-old son, Amit Shani. That was the last time they saw Yossi and Ofir.
Hamas also broke into his brother Eli Sharabi’s home, shouting in Arabic and laughing loudly, according to text messages between other family members with Eli, his wife Lianne and their daughters, Noiya, 16 and Yahel 13.
The terrorists shot the family dog, then took the family hostage in their safe room and set fire to the house.
Eli Sharabi’s family was at first considered missing until the bodies of Lianne, Noiya and Yahel were identified more than a week later.
There has been no sighting of Eli Sharabi on social media or in photos and videos posted by Hamas.
“My job is to bring my brothers home,” said Sharon Sharabi, a surviving brother.
Ofir Engel, 18, and Amit Shani, 16, were released on November 29 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel.
Yossi Sharabi was killed in Hamas captivity and his family survived. His brother Eli is believed to still be alive in Hamas captivity but his entire family was executed on October 7. link
The Hostage Families Forum warns New Hope chair Gideon Sa’ar against joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “hostage-abandoning government” amid mounting reports that the right-wing opposition party leader plans to do so.
“Anyone who chooses to continue to serve or join the hostage-abandoning government will forever be a partner in the greatest abdication in the history of the country,” the forum says in a statement.
The hostage families call on the public to join them in a protest tonight outside Sa’ar’s home. “We must stop this reckless and dangerous move before it is too late for the 101 remaining hostages.”
Israel still has not received a new formula for a hostage deal from the United States, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Mossad chief David Barnea was in Qatar last week to try to find a way to make progress in the talks, but currently there are no teams in Doha or Cairo.
The Americans are being cautious and are trying to avoid presenting a proposal that is likely to be rejected, says the Israeli official.
The official says that on the Philadelphi Corridor, Israel is willing to show some flexibility on the deployment and number of troops on the Gaza-Egypt border but will not withdraw fully.
A major focus of Israel’s Gaza campaign moving forward will be destroying the pillars of Hamas’s civil rule in Gaza, especially the distribution of humanitarian aid, which Israel sees as a core component of the terror group’s ability to show that it still controls the lives of Palestinians in the Strip, the Israeli official says.
Nakhba terrorists assisted the IDF in locating hostages, sometimes even accompanying forces | What can be published
Terrorists interrogated in Sde Teiman prison camp provided information about locations where hostages were held in Gaza and who was holding them • Following the information, IDF forces entered to search those sites • The information is published with censor approval
Almost a year into Operation Iron Swords and the intensified ground operation in the Gaza Strip - which also led to locating hostages taken to Gaza on October 7. Today (Monday) it can be published that some of the Nukhba terrorists arrested by the IDF in Gaza assisted the forces in finding places where hostages were held. From what can be published and approved by the censor, the terrorists interrogated in Sde Teiman were able to point out places where hostages were held or other terrorists who were holding hostages. Following information provided to the IDF, forces entered those locations - and searched them. Sometimes the terrorists even accompanied them to the Strip.
Health Minister Uriel Buso addressed this morning the treatment of terrorists in Israeli hospitals. "The system must treat anyone who comes through its gates," Buso said in an interview at Yedioth Ahronoth and ynet's Health Conference. "Some of these terrorists who were treated in my system - they went with them into Gaza, into the tunnels, and brought hostages when needed. There's life-saving information now. So, we bring them for treatment to stabilize them, not to give them a massage."
What Hamas terrorists revealed in interrogations
Since the war broke out, the police and Shin Bet have revealed footage from interrogations of Hamas terrorists, including from the Nukhba force, who took an active part in the massacre in the Gaza envelope communities. The interrogations revealed that they received clear instructions to kill the men and kidnap the elderly, women and children. One of the terrorists described how they captured civilians: "We were ordered to kill the men, especially the young ones, the elderly, women and children we were told to take captive. I saw them take a 65-year-old woman on a motorcycle, then a 15-year-old girl came out, we took a selfie with her and they told me to shoot her, in the end they took her on a motorcycle, kidnapped her."
Another terrorist said in the interrogation: "We entered in the morning to take hostages and stay in their homes. Then they told us 'clear the houses and kidnap as many hostages as possible'. In Gaza, whoever brings hostages gets a grant of an apartment and $10,000, that's what the commander told us. They wanted as many hostages as possible, that was the purpose of the entry from their perspective."
Terrorists who took hostages to Shifa Hospital told Shin Bet investigators about the route they took from the moment they entered Israeli territory - until they brought the hostages to the hospital. "Two people I was with took someone and left with him. Then I brought two hostages and another one," one of the terrorists said. "The first hostage walked on his feet and we brought him in walking (to Shifa). The second hostage we brought into the elevator and carried him on a stretcher." Upon arrival at the hospital, the terrorists brought the two hostages into a room where there were three armed men, al-Qassam Brigade operatives.
Gaza truce: Former Israeli negotiator reveals three-week plan accepted by Hamas
- Gershon Baskin
says he reached out to Hamas after a request by families of Israeli hostages
Hamas accepted the plan but now ‘this has to go on an official track,’ Baskin tells Anadolu
- US
must ‘push it forward and … force it on Israel and on Hamas through the
Qataris and the Egyptians,’ says Israeli peace activist
- Netanyahu
and his ministers are talking about the ‘reoccupation of Gaza’ and
‘drawing up … detailed plans for new Israeli settlements,’ says Baskin
A former Israeli hostage negotiator has revealed details of his plan to end the war on Gaza in three weeks, a proposal he says has been accepted by Hamas but is yet to see the light of day.
Gershon Baskin, known for his role in facilitating past negotiations between Israel and Hamas, including the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011, put forward a proposal to his contacts within the Palestinian group earlier this month.
In an interview with Anadolu, he said Hamas agreed to the terms, which included an end to Israeli presence in Gaza, along with the release of all Israeli hostages and “an agreed upon” number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons – all within the span of just three weeks.
The activist said he was approached by families of Israeli hostages to negotiate with Hamas for “a better deal” than the one currently on the table.
Baskin started discussions with a Hamas leader who is part of the group’s negotiating team and whom he has known for 18 years.
“I asked a very simple question: Would you (Hamas) agree to a deal that would end the war in three weeks?” he said.
“Israel would withdraw from Gaza totally. You would release all the hostages … dead and alive in Gaza, and there would be an agreed upon release of Palestinian prisoners.”
The Hamas contact, according to Baskin, took several days for internal discussions before confirming that they agreed to the deal.
“Now I decided to go public with it, and I have notified the Qataris, Egyptians, the US, and notified the Israeli public as well as the Israeli negotiating team,” he said.
Baskin clarified that he is not involved in the negotiations in an official capacity, so he urged Hamas to announce their decision about the proposal themselves.
“I don’t represent Hamas and I don’t represent the government of Israel,” he said.
“What I urged is for the Israeli negotiators to ask the Qataris and the Egyptians to ask Hamas if they agreed to the deal.”
Regarding a response from the mediators, Baskin said he cannot discuss the details as it is “in the works.”
“It’s in the hands of the officials. This has to go on an official track,” he said.
“I’ve communicated with Hamas. I’ve communicated with the families. I’ve communicated with very important Israelis who said that they will communicate with the Israeli negotiators.”
Since Oct. 7, Baskin said he has been contacted several times by family members of Israeli hostages and the forum set up by their families, and once by the Israeli negotiating team.
“I hope that we can move this forward because there is a possibility to end this war in three weeks,” he said.
Netanyahu ‘will not make an agreement that ends the war’
The persistent deadlock in talks for a cease-fire is because “the positions of Israel and Hamas are diametrically opposed,” according to Baskin.
“Hamas says that they will not make any agreement with Israel that does not end the war, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s position is that he will not make an agreement with Hamas that ends the war,” he explained.
“These two diametrically opposed positions have created a situation whereby the mediators, the US, Qatar and Egypt, have been spending three months on negotiating a bad deal,” he said, referring to the three-phase proposal announced in May by US President Joe Biden.
That deal includes processes that will take months, during which only a small number of Israeli hostages would be returned and the fate of the others would be unknown, he said.
Then it has a provision for Israel’s gradual withdrawal in the first 45 days from what has been called Gaza’s “populated areas,” he said.
“There are no unpopulated areas in Gaza. It’s a very small densely populated area,” said Baskin.
“They’ve spent a lot of time in these negotiations, defining the minutiae … A huge waste of time because the bottom line is they’ve spent three months on these negotiations without reaching an agreement.”
The former mediator said the stalemate in truce talks has allowed the war to continue for too long.
“It has allowed for too many Israeli hostages to be killed, too many Palestinians to be killed, too much suffering to continue happening while there is a complete and total lack of a strategic vision by anyone involved for the day after,” he said.
On the future of Gaza, Baskin stressed that its reconstruction and rehabilitation is closely linked to the political setup that emerges once the war ends.
“No one in the world would provide the money to rebuild Gaza if Hamas remains in control … The Palestinians have the task of finding an alternative leadership to govern Gaza, and eventually govern all of Palestine as a unified government.”
Biden fueling war as Israel plans reoccupation of Gaza
Echoing a view held by many around the world, Baskin asserted that the only player with the power to force Israel’s hand remains the US.
“Biden needs to put an end to this war. Biden fueled this war for too long, providing Israel with bombs and a free hand to do what it wants. We all know that the US could have put an end to this war within a week if it wanted to,” he said.
To move forward, said Baskin, the US must “scrap the bad plan that they hope to develop and that’s been negotiated to death for three months.”
“They need to accept this three-week plan and push it forward and … force it on Israel and on Hamas through the Qataris and the Egyptians,” he said.
He emphasized that Israel must be forced to accept a truce deal because Netanyahu does not want to end the war and is, instead, planning for a reoccupation of Gaza.
“Anyone who talks about staying on the Philadelphi Corridor … is talking about the reoccupation of Gaza,” said Baskin, referring to one of the main Israeli demands that has become a major sticking point in negotiations.
“He (Netanyahu) has members of his government who are drawing up deep and detailed plans for new Israeli settlements in Gaza. There are people who have written up plans to evacuate the entire north of Gaza … and whoever doesn’t leave will be considered a Hamas fighter and will be killed, and then to bulldoze it all flat and to build Israeli settlements.” link
- Gershon Baskin
says he reached out to Hamas after a request by families of Israeli hostages
Gaza
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
Visiting US special envoy Amos Hochstein warned Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during their meeting in Tel Aviv earlier today that a major Israeli offensive against Hezbollah will not lead to the return of the evacuated northern residents to their homes.
Instead, it would raise the risk of a prolonged regional war, a source familiar with the matter tells reporters
Hochstein told Gallant that the US supports a diplomatic solution to Hezbollah tensions, be it through a Gaza ceasefire or another path, the source says.
For his part, Gallant told Hochstein that only military action against Hezbollah will allow Israel to return the tens of thousands of evacuated northern residents to their homes.
Hezbollah weapon depots and other buildings used by the terror group in southern Lebanon were struck by Israeli fighter jets a short while ago, the IDF says.
The strikes were carried out in Tayr Harfa, Odaisseh, Blida, and Kafr Shuba.
The military releases footage of the strikes.Meanwhile, a barrage of three rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Matat area, setting off sirens in the community. The IDF says the projectiles struck open ground.
A separate barrage of 10 rockets was fired at the Upper Galilee, also all impacting open areas, according to the IDF. Sirens had sounded in Kiryat Shmona and nearby communities.
There are no injuries in the attacks. video
Preparation for War in the North: The Cabinet Convened, These Are the IDF's Objectives
Israel is discussing expanding operations in the north, considering various implications and timing, and estimates: The Americans will prevent a widespread conflict in the north • After multiple postponements: The Cabinet convened to discuss the northern front • Senior security official: We need to prepare for a long campaign that will exact a heavy price • Criticism in the U.S. about the possibility of Gallant's dismissal: "An act of madness" • Behind the attempt to oust Gallant: Paving the way for the draft-dodging law
**Preparations for a major campaign in the north:** Against the backdrop of Yoav Gallant's impending dismissal as Defense Minister, the Cabinet convened last night (between Monday and Tuesday) and added the safe return of northern residents to their homes to the war's objectives. Israel is already discussing expanding operations, various implications, and timing.
The military doesn't want to repeat the precedent set in Gaza, where there was essentially no detailed war objective, and they have set several clear goals for how the operation's success will be defined. Among the objectives: returning residents, significantly bolstering the force deployment on the border, and pushing Hezbollah forces away from the border. A senior security official said we need to prepare for a long campaign that will exact a heavy price. The Cabinet is convening after urging from the defense establishment, and it added the safe return of northern residents to their homes to the war's objectives.
U.S. envoy to the Middle East Amos Hochstein met with the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister and heard from both that since Hezbollah has tied itself to Gaza, and because there's no arrangement in the south - Israel has no choice but to take significant action in the north. Hochstein conveyed the message that such an escalation would not allow for the return of northern residents to their homes, and that Israel risks a regional conflict. Israel is counting on the Americans to stop the move because they won't want an escalation before the elections - but this is a very big gamble.
Following contacts between PM Netanyahu and MK Gideon Sa'ar regarding his entry into the government and appointment as Defense Minister, senior U.S. administration officials are questioning in closed conversations why there's a need to replace the Defense Minister, a person with experience in such a sensitive situation, saying: "Firing Gallant is an act of madness."
Netanyahu's circle is trying to present it as if Gallant is the one preventing a campaign in the north, but Gallant's circle says this is spin, and that Gallant is the one who assessed that military action in the north is necessary and is pushing for it along with the entire defense establishment, insisting on not settling for limited action.
The IDF is convinced that the State of Israel has passed the junction - there's no arrangement and they're heading for escalation, and no one is speaking any other language. This has enormous implications - but the defense establishment is certain that Israel at this stage cannot settle for a "focused operation" as we've seen in previous years in Gaza for example, and that it's necessary to go with full force for a wide-ranging move throughout Lebanon, "including Dahieh."
Replacing a Defense Minister at this time, in the midst of a war, is doubly dangerous: What is the impact of such a thing on the army itself - and how do our enemies perceive it? What do Hezbollah or Iran think? Does this strengthen or weaken Israeli deterrence?
Another point that needs to be emphasized is that replacing the Defense Minister may pave the way for the draft-dodging law - a conscription law that doesn't require Haredim to enlist in the army. What should parents of soldiers and future recruits think? What should parents who send their children to the army and to war think when there are those who evade and remain outside? link Everything presented in this article shows clearly and definitively where Netanyahu has set his priorities: doing everything and anything to stay in power. It is a floating chess game for him, moving the pieces all around to keep everything together and up in the air while not providing a single solution or real strategic plan to anything. To replace an experienced and qualified Defense Minister at this time with an unexperienced and unqualified addition to his government is the most idiotic thing for the good of the army and the country. It solves one thing and one thing only, Netanyahu's continuation as prime minister by shoring up support for the worst decisions to be made: the Haredi draft law which will legally continue to exempt most of them while the needs of the security forces are greater than ever before, pass a budget that is not rooted in reality and does very little to show the international monetary community that we are doing the right things to strengthen the economy by making the right kinds of cuts and not putting most of the burden on the middle and weaker socio-economic populations, continuing to prevent a deal to bring the hostages home and end the war, forcing even more northern residents into refugee status by having them in danger's way with a full scale war in the north, potentially passing the undemocratic 'judicial reform' bills which will wipe out the power of the judiciary in favor of the government, and the list goes on and on as to the damage that this will wreak on the country for generations to come.
The Shin Bet foiled a recent attempt by Hezbollah to assassinate a former senior Israeli security official using a remotely detonated explosive device, the security agency announced on Tuesday.
An explosive device that an alleged Hezbollah cell planned to use in an attack against a former senior Israeli security official revealed on September 17, 2024. (Shin Bet)The attack was intended to have been carried out in the coming days, according to the Shin Bet.
The agency said that the Hezbollah network behind the attempted attack was also responsible for a bombing in Tel Aviv last year.
The Shin Bet said it uncovered a Claymore-style anti-personnel mine, known to be in possession of Hezbollah, which was intended to have been used to target the former official.
The bomb had a remote detonation system, including a camera and a cellular connection, which would have allowed Hezbollah to activate it from Lebanon.
The former official, who was not named, was notified by security officials of the incident. Further details were not immediately permitted for publication.
The Shin Bet said that the bomb was nearly identical to one that exploded in Hayarkon Park on September 15, 2023, in an attempted attack that caused no injuries.
Two suspects were detained over that bombing on a nearby highway. They were identified as Israeli citizens from the West Bank Palestinian town of al-Eizariya near Jerusalem, living intermittently in the Tel Aviv suburb of Jaffa.
That bomb, also activated by Hezbollah, was intended to harm another senior Israeli official, according to the Shin Bet.
The agency said the same Hezbollah network was behind both incidents. It added that the network was being tracked for a lengthy period.
In March 2023, Hezbollah carried out a bombing attack at Israel’s Megiddo Junction, seriously injuring a man. That attack also involved the use of a Claymore-style mine. A senior Hezbollah commander in the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, responsible for that bombing, was killed in an IDF strike in February.
Both incidents occurred before the war in the Gaza Strip. full article
- Lebanese minister: 8 killed, 2,800 injured in pager blast attack
Lebanon’s health minister says eight were killed and some 2,800 were wounded, including 200 seriously, in the pager blasts in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has said that two members are among the dead. A young girl, the daughter of a Hezbollah member, was also reported killed after a pager exploded in her parents’ home.
Health Minister Firas Abiad says hospitals continue to receive the wounded and that most injuries are in the hand and face.
Meanwhile, a large Red Cross convoy is on its way to southern Lebanon, according to Al Arabiya. Footage shows dozens of white-and-red jeeps and ambulances lined up by the side of a road near a church.
Hezbollah issues its first statement after the coordinated detonation of hundreds of pagers used by its members — in which over 1,000 were reportedly injured — saying two men and a girl have been killed.
The terror group says it’s carrying out a wide-ranging investigation into the attack, and notably does not point the finger at Israel.
It calls on people to be aware of “rumors and false and misleading information” that could serve the “psychological warfare” conducted by the “Zionist enemy,” in light of Israel’s threats to launch a large-scale offensive in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah further says that “a large number of people” were wounded and are being treated in hospitals in various parts of Lebanon, and that two “brothers” — meaning members of the terror group — and a girl were killed in one of the detonations. Lebanese media and the family have named the latter victim as 9-year-old Fatima Jaafar Abdullah.
- A number of Lebanese Hezbollah members have been taken to hospitals in and around the Syrian capital Damascus following the explosions of their pagers, which happened at the same time as the coordinated explosions in Lebanon, the Saudi-owned Alhadath reports.
Visiting US special envoy Amos Hochstein warned Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during their meeting in Tel Aviv earlier today that a major Israeli offensive against Hezbollah will not lead to the return of the evacuated northern residents to their homes.
Instead, it would raise the risk of a prolonged regional war, a source familiar with the matter tells reporters
Hochstein told Gallant that the US supports a diplomatic solution to Hezbollah tensions, be it through a Gaza ceasefire or another path, the source says.
For his part, Gallant told Hochstein that only military action against Hezbollah will allow Israel to return the tens of thousands of evacuated northern residents to their homes.
Hezbollah weapon depots and other buildings used by the terror group in southern Lebanon were struck by Israeli fighter jets a short while ago, the IDF says.
The strikes were carried out in Tayr Harfa, Odaisseh, Blida, and Kafr Shuba.
The military releases footage of the strikes.Meanwhile, a barrage of three rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Matat area, setting off sirens in the community. The IDF says the projectiles struck open ground.
A separate barrage of 10 rockets was fired at the Upper Galilee, also all impacting open areas, according to the IDF. Sirens had sounded in Kiryat Shmona and nearby communities.
There are no injuries in the attacks. video
Preparation for War in the North: The Cabinet Convened, These Are the IDF's Objectives
Israel is discussing expanding operations in the north, considering various implications and timing, and estimates: The Americans will prevent a widespread conflict in the north • After multiple postponements: The Cabinet convened to discuss the northern front • Senior security official: We need to prepare for a long campaign that will exact a heavy price • Criticism in the U.S. about the possibility of Gallant's dismissal: "An act of madness" • Behind the attempt to oust Gallant: Paving the way for the draft-dodging law
**Preparations for a major campaign in the north:** Against the backdrop of Yoav Gallant's impending dismissal as Defense Minister, the Cabinet convened last night (between Monday and Tuesday) and added the safe return of northern residents to their homes to the war's objectives. Israel is already discussing expanding operations, various implications, and timing.
The military doesn't want to repeat the precedent set in Gaza, where there was essentially no detailed war objective, and they have set several clear goals for how the operation's success will be defined. Among the objectives: returning residents, significantly bolstering the force deployment on the border, and pushing Hezbollah forces away from the border. A senior security official said we need to prepare for a long campaign that will exact a heavy price. The Cabinet is convening after urging from the defense establishment, and it added the safe return of northern residents to their homes to the war's objectives.
U.S. envoy to the Middle East Amos Hochstein met with the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister and heard from both that since Hezbollah has tied itself to Gaza, and because there's no arrangement in the south - Israel has no choice but to take significant action in the north. Hochstein conveyed the message that such an escalation would not allow for the return of northern residents to their homes, and that Israel risks a regional conflict. Israel is counting on the Americans to stop the move because they won't want an escalation before the elections - but this is a very big gamble.
Following contacts between PM Netanyahu and MK Gideon Sa'ar regarding his entry into the government and appointment as Defense Minister, senior U.S. administration officials are questioning in closed conversations why there's a need to replace the Defense Minister, a person with experience in such a sensitive situation, saying: "Firing Gallant is an act of madness."
Netanyahu's circle is trying to present it as if Gallant is the one preventing a campaign in the north, but Gallant's circle says this is spin, and that Gallant is the one who assessed that military action in the north is necessary and is pushing for it along with the entire defense establishment, insisting on not settling for limited action.
The IDF is convinced that the State of Israel has passed the junction - there's no arrangement and they're heading for escalation, and no one is speaking any other language. This has enormous implications - but the defense establishment is certain that Israel at this stage cannot settle for a "focused operation" as we've seen in previous years in Gaza for example, and that it's necessary to go with full force for a wide-ranging move throughout Lebanon, "including Dahieh."
Replacing a Defense Minister at this time, in the midst of a war, is doubly dangerous: What is the impact of such a thing on the army itself - and how do our enemies perceive it? What do Hezbollah or Iran think? Does this strengthen or weaken Israeli deterrence?
Another point that needs to be emphasized is that replacing the Defense Minister may pave the way for the draft-dodging law - a conscription law that doesn't require Haredim to enlist in the army. What should parents of soldiers and future recruits think? What should parents who send their children to the army and to war think when there are those who evade and remain outside? link Everything presented in this article shows clearly and definitively where Netanyahu has set his priorities: doing everything and anything to stay in power. It is a floating chess game for him, moving the pieces all around to keep everything together and up in the air while not providing a single solution or real strategic plan to anything. To replace an experienced and qualified Defense Minister at this time with an unexperienced and unqualified addition to his government is the most idiotic thing for the good of the army and the country. It solves one thing and one thing only, Netanyahu's continuation as prime minister by shoring up support for the worst decisions to be made: the Haredi draft law which will legally continue to exempt most of them while the needs of the security forces are greater than ever before, pass a budget that is not rooted in reality and does very little to show the international monetary community that we are doing the right things to strengthen the economy by making the right kinds of cuts and not putting most of the burden on the middle and weaker socio-economic populations, continuing to prevent a deal to bring the hostages home and end the war, forcing even more northern residents into refugee status by having them in danger's way with a full scale war in the north, potentially passing the undemocratic 'judicial reform' bills which will wipe out the power of the judiciary in favor of the government, and the list goes on and on as to the damage that this will wreak on the country for generations to come.
The Shin Bet foiled a recent attempt by Hezbollah to assassinate a former senior Israeli security official using a remotely detonated explosive device, the security agency announced on Tuesday.
An explosive device that an alleged Hezbollah cell planned to use in an attack against a former senior Israeli security official revealed on September 17, 2024. (Shin Bet)
The attack was intended to have been carried out in the coming days, according to the Shin Bet.
The agency said that the Hezbollah network behind the attempted attack was also responsible for a bombing in Tel Aviv last year.
The Shin Bet said it uncovered a Claymore-style anti-personnel mine, known to be in possession of Hezbollah, which was intended to have been used to target the former official.
The bomb had a remote detonation system, including a camera and a cellular connection, which would have allowed Hezbollah to activate it from Lebanon.
The former official, who was not named, was notified by security officials of the incident. Further details were not immediately permitted for publication.
The Shin Bet said that the bomb was nearly identical to one that exploded in Hayarkon Park on September 15, 2023, in an attempted attack that caused no injuries.
Two suspects were detained over that bombing on a nearby highway. They were identified as Israeli citizens from the West Bank Palestinian town of al-Eizariya near Jerusalem, living intermittently in the Tel Aviv suburb of Jaffa.
That bomb, also activated by Hezbollah, was intended to harm another senior Israeli official, according to the Shin Bet.
The agency said the same Hezbollah network was behind both incidents. It added that the network was being tracked for a lengthy period.
In March 2023, Hezbollah carried out a bombing attack at Israel’s Megiddo Junction, seriously injuring a man. That attack also involved the use of a Claymore-style mine. A senior Hezbollah commander in the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, responsible for that bombing, was killed in an IDF strike in February.
Both incidents occurred before the war in the Gaza Strip. full article
Lebanon’s health minister says eight were killed and some 2,800 were wounded, including 200 seriously, in the pager blasts in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has said that two members are among the dead. A young girl, the daughter of a Hezbollah member, was also reported killed after a pager exploded in her parents’ home.
Health Minister Firas Abiad says hospitals continue to receive the wounded and that most injuries are in the hand and face.
Meanwhile, a large Red Cross convoy is on its way to southern Lebanon, according to Al Arabiya. Footage shows dozens of white-and-red jeeps and ambulances lined up by the side of a road near a church.
Hezbollah issues its first statement after the coordinated detonation of hundreds of pagers used by its members — in which over 1,000 were reportedly injured — saying two men and a girl have been killed.
The terror group says it’s carrying out a wide-ranging investigation into the attack, and notably does not point the finger at Israel.
It calls on people to be aware of “rumors and false and misleading information” that could serve the “psychological warfare” conducted by the “Zionist enemy,” in light of Israel’s threats to launch a large-scale offensive in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah further says that “a large number of people” were wounded and are being treated in hospitals in various parts of Lebanon, and that two “brothers” — meaning members of the terror group — and a girl were killed in one of the detonations. Lebanese media and the family have named the latter victim as 9-year-old Fatima Jaafar Abdullah.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- After clash between settlers and Palestinians, only latter group sees arrests
Violence breaks out in the southern Jordan Valley area of the West Bank between local Palestinians and Israeli settlers from the region, with one settler and several Palestinians injured.
An Israeli herder from the illegal farming outpost of Zohar’s Farm who was grazing his sheep close to the settlement of Mevo’ot Yeriho reported early in the morning that he was attacked and beaten with clubs by Palestinians from the hamlet of Mu’arrajat East, leaving him with a head injury.
Footage provided by settler activists show the herder with blood running down his hair and face.
According to the IDF, the assailants fled but were pursued by other settlers, who had been alerted to the incident, into Mu’arrajat.
Video footage from the organization Looking the Occupation in the Eyes shows settler activists armed with clubs beating Palestinians inside a school in the village, apparently while looking for the perpetrator of the attack on the Israeli herder. Looking the Occupation in the Eyes says that pupils, the school principal, and pro-Palestinian Israeli activists were assaulted during the incident by the settlers.
“Upon reports [of the incident], IDF and police forces went to the spot, dealt with the clash, and arrested several suspects at the site,” the IDF says in a statement responding to the incident.
Two Palestinians were arrested in the incident, the IDF says. The police say no Israelis have been arrested yet, but added that an investigation is underway.
Mu’arrajat East is an unauthorized hamlet north of Jericho. Residents have reported a series of violent attacks and harassment by local settlers in recent months. videos
Violence breaks out in the southern Jordan Valley area of the West Bank between local Palestinians and Israeli settlers from the region, with one settler and several Palestinians injured.
An Israeli herder from the illegal farming outpost of Zohar’s Farm who was grazing his sheep close to the settlement of Mevo’ot Yeriho reported early in the morning that he was attacked and beaten with clubs by Palestinians from the hamlet of Mu’arrajat East, leaving him with a head injury.
Footage provided by settler activists show the herder with blood running down his hair and face.
According to the IDF, the assailants fled but were pursued by other settlers, who had been alerted to the incident, into Mu’arrajat.
Video footage from the organization Looking the Occupation in the Eyes shows settler activists armed with clubs beating Palestinians inside a school in the village, apparently while looking for the perpetrator of the attack on the Israeli herder. Looking the Occupation in the Eyes says that pupils, the school principal, and pro-Palestinian Israeli activists were assaulted during the incident by the settlers.
“Upon reports [of the incident], IDF and police forces went to the spot, dealt with the clash, and arrested several suspects at the site,” the IDF says in a statement responding to the incident.
Two Palestinians were arrested in the incident, the IDF says. The police say no Israelis have been arrested yet, but added that an investigation is underway.
Mu’arrajat East is an unauthorized hamlet north of Jericho. Residents have reported a series of violent attacks and harassment by local settlers in recent months. videos
Politics and the War (general news)
Israel’s economy expanded at an even slower pace in the second quarter of the year than initially estimated, as the months-long war with the Hamas terror group continues to take a heavy toll on exports and investments, data by the Central Bureau of Statistics shows.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an annualized 0.7 percent in the April to June period from the previous three months, the statistics bureau says in its second estimate, a downward revision from its initial estimate of 1.2% reported on August 18. The figure is far below economists’ expectations, which ranged from 2.3% to 5% for the quarter.
The Finance Ministry recently lowered its economic growth forecast for this and next year. It now expects the economy to expand by 1.1% in 2024 and 4.4% in 2025. That is down from a previous growth forecast of 1.9% for 2024 and 4.6% for 2025. link Between having a totally unqualified Finance Minister and a Prime Minister who doesn't set any strategic line or make strategic decisions, our economic situation is going to go from bad to worse, with larger deficits, great devaluations of the shekels, higher debts, worsening world credit ratings, higher taxes, more high tech companies leaving the country, less investment in high tech, and much more.
**Eisenkot:
"Gideon Sa'ar is not fit for the role of Defense Minister"**
Eisenkot
criticized: "This will be remembered as an opportunistic move. If Sa'ar
lends a hand to this - he is not worthy of being a public figure" • Gantz
also attacked: "This is the dictionary definition of petty politics at the
expense of state security" • Likud Minister Shikli supported Gallant's
dismissal: "With Sa'ar there will be harmony"
Knesset
member Gadi Eisenkot responded today (Tuesday) in an interview with Kan Reshet
Bet to Kan News' revelation that Netanyahu will fire Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant and appoint Knesset member Gideon Sa'ar in his place: "I call on
Gideon Sa'ar not to lend a hand to this cynical move by Netanyahu in a
difficult hour. If he lends a hand to this - he is not worthy of being a public
figure."
Eisenkot
criticized: "This will be remembered as an opportunistic move that will
allow Netanyahu to pass the conscription law. Sa'ar is not fit to be Defense
Minister in this reality - it will take him long months to get up to speed in
the role, it's not personal. This is a gamble on the future of the state."
The
Mamlachti Camp Knesset member added: "The firing of the Defense Minister,
and I'm not a fan of Gallant, is intended for political needs - to pass the
conscription law, and hence harm the IDF. This is a continuation of Netanyahu's
cynical policy, personal political consideration is supreme - after a year,
none of the war's objectives have been advanced."
National Camp chairman Benny Gantz also criticized the move. He spoke at the Moshav
Movement Council conference and said: "I ask to raise a black flag. What
Netanyahu is doing in these hours endangers Israel's security in the most
tangible way I remember being done by a prime minister during wartime.
Replacing a Defense Minister on the eve of an intense campaign in the north
that could turn into a regional war - this is security negligence."
"Replacing
a Defense Minister to promote a law that will anchor exemption from military
service is also moral negligence," Gantz continued. "It's
inconceivable that while reserve soldiers are arriving for their third rotation
and we are burying our dead and praying for our wounded, this is how our
leaders behave. This is the dictionary definition of petty politics at the
expense of state security. Netanyahu and Sa'ar are putting the war aside for
politics."
**Likud
Minister Shikli supports Gallant's dismissal**
Diaspora
Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli was interviewed this morning on the "This
Morning" program on Kan Reshet Bet with Aryeh Golan and justified the
dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. "When a Defense Minister
conducts an independent policy that contradicts the position of the
political-security cabinet, it's an abnormal situation," he said.
Chikli,
whose party until recently sharply criticized Sa'ar and even saw him as a
political enemy, claimed: "The addition of Gideon Sa'ar is a blessed thing
and I support his addition to the government." According to the Diaspora
Affairs Minister, Sa'ar's statements align with the positions of the
political-security cabinet ministers regarding humanitarian aid and policy in
the Gaza Strip and northern Israel: "There will be harmony with him,"
he claimed.
"There's
a difference between the line led by Netanyahu and Dermer and Gallant's
line," Chikli said and referred to the possibility of Sa'ar joining Likud:
"I'm not talking right now about joining the same party. It stands on the
same principle as when I supported Benny Gantz's entry into the government - it
doesn't mean that everything that happened in the past with these people is
erased."
Yesterday,
Kan News first reported that Netanyahu is preparing to fire Gallant. A source
in the Prime Minister's Office said that the chairman of "State
Right" is the candidate to replace Gallant. The office itself denied the
report regarding Sa'ar's appointment but did not address the report about
Netanyahu's intention to soon fire Gallant.
The Haredi
parties expressed satisfaction with the possibility of Sa'ar joining the
government. Senior figures in the parties said they would be willing to
consider giving up ministerial positions if Sa'ar's joining meant expanding the
government. The sources further estimated that "they will be able to work
better" with Sa'ar than with Gallant on formulating an agreed conscription
law. link It is so obvious that the politicians supporting the entire episode are those who want to see this coalition continue no matter how bad it is for the country and they care not a bit about the lives of the hostages. We, as a country are worthy of better leaders. This group of criminals, bullies and good for nothings are not worthy of us
Institutional investors have transferred a whopping NIS 151 billion ($40 billion) outside of Israel since the outbreak of war with the Hamas terror group on October 7, according to a report by Hebrew financial daily Calcalist.
The ongoing war with Hamas and fears over an escalation of the fighting to the north, alongside a ballooning deficit and slowing economic growth have led to a diversion of capital by large insurance companies and investment funds, which are responsible for managing the long-term savings of Israelis, including pension and provident funds, Calcalist says in the report.
With the outbreak of war in October, local institutions initially started to divert funds to Israel increasing their exposure to the local market. However, since April, the trend reversed due to a loss of confidence in the government’s ability to return the economy to sustainable growth, reduce the growing deficit, and bring down inflation, the report says.
According to an analysis by Calcalist, the average exposure to overseas assets by local institutions managing provident funds increased from 51.7% at the beginning of October 2023 to 56.3% at the end of July. The average exposure to overseas assets by financial institutions managing pension funds rose from 47.6% at the beginning of October to 50% in July. link Now is the time for a government to show stability, strategy, diplomatic decisions to bring out the end of the multiple crises, starting with the hostages and ending the war in Gaza; not to make irresponsible and dangerous changes such as the firing of the defense minister and replacing him with an unqualified politician. This obviously has been the standard method of operations in this failed government but we are at war and cannot afford to allow this to happen.
Israel’s economy expanded at an even slower pace in the second quarter of the year than initially estimated, as the months-long war with the Hamas terror group continues to take a heavy toll on exports and investments, data by the Central Bureau of Statistics shows.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an annualized 0.7 percent in the April to June period from the previous three months, the statistics bureau says in its second estimate, a downward revision from its initial estimate of 1.2% reported on August 18. The figure is far below economists’ expectations, which ranged from 2.3% to 5% for the quarter.
The Finance Ministry recently lowered its economic growth forecast for this and next year. It now expects the economy to expand by 1.1% in 2024 and 4.4% in 2025. That is down from a previous growth forecast of 1.9% for 2024 and 4.6% for 2025. link Between having a totally unqualified Finance Minister and a Prime Minister who doesn't set any strategic line or make strategic decisions, our economic situation is going to go from bad to worse, with larger deficits, great devaluations of the shekels, higher debts, worsening world credit ratings, higher taxes, more high tech companies leaving the country, less investment in high tech, and much more.**Eisenkot: "Gideon Sa'ar is not fit for the role of Defense Minister"**
Eisenkot
criticized: "This will be remembered as an opportunistic move. If Sa'ar
lends a hand to this - he is not worthy of being a public figure" • Gantz
also attacked: "This is the dictionary definition of petty politics at the
expense of state security" • Likud Minister Shikli supported Gallant's
dismissal: "With Sa'ar there will be harmony"
Knesset
member Gadi Eisenkot responded today (Tuesday) in an interview with Kan Reshet
Bet to Kan News' revelation that Netanyahu will fire Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant and appoint Knesset member Gideon Sa'ar in his place: "I call on
Gideon Sa'ar not to lend a hand to this cynical move by Netanyahu in a
difficult hour. If he lends a hand to this - he is not worthy of being a public
figure."
Eisenkot
criticized: "This will be remembered as an opportunistic move that will
allow Netanyahu to pass the conscription law. Sa'ar is not fit to be Defense
Minister in this reality - it will take him long months to get up to speed in
the role, it's not personal. This is a gamble on the future of the state."
The
Mamlachti Camp Knesset member added: "The firing of the Defense Minister,
and I'm not a fan of Gallant, is intended for political needs - to pass the
conscription law, and hence harm the IDF. This is a continuation of Netanyahu's
cynical policy, personal political consideration is supreme - after a year,
none of the war's objectives have been advanced."
National Camp chairman Benny Gantz also criticized the move. He spoke at the Moshav
Movement Council conference and said: "I ask to raise a black flag. What
Netanyahu is doing in these hours endangers Israel's security in the most
tangible way I remember being done by a prime minister during wartime.
Replacing a Defense Minister on the eve of an intense campaign in the north
that could turn into a regional war - this is security negligence."
"Replacing
a Defense Minister to promote a law that will anchor exemption from military
service is also moral negligence," Gantz continued. "It's
inconceivable that while reserve soldiers are arriving for their third rotation
and we are burying our dead and praying for our wounded, this is how our
leaders behave. This is the dictionary definition of petty politics at the
expense of state security. Netanyahu and Sa'ar are putting the war aside for
politics."
**Likud
Minister Shikli supports Gallant's dismissal**
Diaspora
Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli was interviewed this morning on the "This
Morning" program on Kan Reshet Bet with Aryeh Golan and justified the
dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. "When a Defense Minister
conducts an independent policy that contradicts the position of the
political-security cabinet, it's an abnormal situation," he said.
Chikli,
whose party until recently sharply criticized Sa'ar and even saw him as a
political enemy, claimed: "The addition of Gideon Sa'ar is a blessed thing
and I support his addition to the government." According to the Diaspora
Affairs Minister, Sa'ar's statements align with the positions of the
political-security cabinet ministers regarding humanitarian aid and policy in
the Gaza Strip and northern Israel: "There will be harmony with him,"
he claimed.
"There's
a difference between the line led by Netanyahu and Dermer and Gallant's
line," Chikli said and referred to the possibility of Sa'ar joining Likud:
"I'm not talking right now about joining the same party. It stands on the
same principle as when I supported Benny Gantz's entry into the government - it
doesn't mean that everything that happened in the past with these people is
erased."
Yesterday,
Kan News first reported that Netanyahu is preparing to fire Gallant. A source
in the Prime Minister's Office said that the chairman of "State
Right" is the candidate to replace Gallant. The office itself denied the
report regarding Sa'ar's appointment but did not address the report about
Netanyahu's intention to soon fire Gallant.
The Haredi parties expressed satisfaction with the possibility of Sa'ar joining the government. Senior figures in the parties said they would be willing to consider giving up ministerial positions if Sa'ar's joining meant expanding the government. The sources further estimated that "they will be able to work better" with Sa'ar than with Gallant on formulating an agreed conscription law. link It is so obvious that the politicians supporting the entire episode are those who want to see this coalition continue no matter how bad it is for the country and they care not a bit about the lives of the hostages. We, as a country are worthy of better leaders. This group of criminals, bullies and good for nothings are not worthy of us
Institutional investors have transferred a whopping NIS 151 billion ($40 billion) outside of Israel since the outbreak of war with the Hamas terror group on October 7, according to a report by Hebrew financial daily Calcalist.
The ongoing war with Hamas and fears over an escalation of the fighting to the north, alongside a ballooning deficit and slowing economic growth have led to a diversion of capital by large insurance companies and investment funds, which are responsible for managing the long-term savings of Israelis, including pension and provident funds, Calcalist says in the report.
With the outbreak of war in October, local institutions initially started to divert funds to Israel increasing their exposure to the local market. However, since April, the trend reversed due to a loss of confidence in the government’s ability to return the economy to sustainable growth, reduce the growing deficit, and bring down inflation, the report says.
According to an analysis by Calcalist, the average exposure to overseas assets by local institutions managing provident funds increased from 51.7% at the beginning of October 2023 to 56.3% at the end of July. The average exposure to overseas assets by financial institutions managing pension funds rose from 47.6% at the beginning of October to 50% in July. link Now is the time for a government to show stability, strategy, diplomatic decisions to bring out the end of the multiple crises, starting with the hostages and ending the war in Gaza; not to make irresponsible and dangerous changes such as the firing of the defense minister and replacing him with an unqualified politician. This obviously has been the standard method of operations in this failed government but we are at war and cannot afford to allow this to happen.
The Region and the World
- Tehran has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen’s Houthis, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says in a televised news conference, a day after the Iran-backed group said a missile it fired at Israel was a hypersonic one.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would inflict a “heavy price” on the Houthis who control northern Yemen, after they reached central Israel with a missile yesterday for the first time.
“It takes a person a week to travel to Yemen [from Iran], how could this missile have gotten there? We don’t have such missiles to provide to Yemen,” Pezeshkian says.
However, last year Iran presented what it described as Tehran’s first domestically made hypersonic ballistic missile, with state media publishing pictures of the missile named “Fattah” at a ceremony.
Pezeshkian also denies that his government transferred any weapons to Russia since he took office in August.
Personal Stories
Filmmaker Yahav Winer z"l, murdered in Kfar Aza, wins Ophir Award; his widow, Shay-Li Atari: "This award is for you"
The Israeli Film Academy Awards ceremony is currently taking place
In the shadow of the ongoing war and its effects that are evident everywhere, the political drama outside and Culture Minister Miki Zohar's unpopular reform - the Israeli film industry is gathering tonight (Monday) for the 35th Ophir Awards ceremony (Israeli Oscars). What should be a joyous and festive event feels a bit different this year. The best of the industry - especially its women - arrived at the Expo Hall in Tel Aviv to show support and be photographed, but sadness and tension are palpable in the air.
The Israeli film industry lost several of its sons and daughters this year, including young director and Kfar Aza resident Yahav Winer z"l, who was murdered on October 7th while protecting his wife and infant daughter. He is posthumously nominated for his short film "The Child". "I'm so excited to be here and receive such love," Shay-Li Atari, Winer's widow, told ynet, "I really want Yahav's film to win the award, for him, but I'll accept any choice with great love." Idan Amedi, who was injured in Gaza and became a national hero, is also nominated this year in the Best Actor category for his role in "The Ruler's Road" by director Maya Dreifuss - in a tumultuous year that could only happen in Israel.
The ceremony began with the words of Academy Chairman, producer Assaf Amir. After thanking the Academy members, people behind the scenes, and the Ministry of Culture, he said: "Tonight's ceremony is not long, without a lifetime achievement award - we decided to go for a shorter ceremony. There are many burning issues affecting the industry, worthy of discussion. But the ceremony is taking place in the shadow of a difficult war. I ask to pause for a moment and think about everyone who has been hurt and lost something. I call especially for the immediate return of the hostages. And on a personal note: I wish this cursed war could end and we could begin the process of rehabilitation and healing." In response to Amir's words, the audience replied: "Amen".
Earlier, Amir told ynet that "We are holding the ceremony under a big cloud. It's not an easy time. There's a war and we're all living it. We had to think about everything, how we do a ceremony under these conditions. We think about the war, about the hostages, and still think about how to do this event that is important: to celebrate Israeli cinema, the creators, the work here. Especially when the world often turns its back on us. It's a festive day, under a big cloud."
Later, actress Tali Sharon came up to present the Best Supporting Actor award, with the winner being Yaakov Zada Daniel, who stars in "Girls Like Us" by director Lee Gilat. This is Zada Daniel's first win after three nominations ("You Are My Everything", "All I Can Do" and "Valeria Gets Married"), reinforcing his status as one of the most respected actors in the industry. "I dedicate this award to the girls who are wherever they are - I invite you that if a hand is extended to you, take it," Zada Daniel said in his speech, "Our country is torn, if our brothers and sisters don't return, there's no point in living in this country."
The emotional moment of the evening came when the Best Short Film award was given to "The Child" - the film by Yahav Winer z"l. His widow Shay-Li Atari took the stage and received prolonged applause. "It's hard for me to say how excited I am to be here," she teared up, "I wasn't supposed to be on stage today, I wasn't supposed to receive this award. Know that if Yahav was here he would have read a long list of crew members, because one of the reasons he loved cinema is that you don't do it alone. My dear, this award is for you - not because you're gone, but because it's simply a good film.
Shay-Li Atari
"In cinema there is no death, it remains even after us," Atari continued her words, "When our films are over I will continue to write about you. I want to dedicate the award to the entire community of Kibbutz Kfar Aza that is still picking up its pieces. We are waiting for our friends to return home." At this point, Atari read out the names of the hostages from the kibbutz still in Gaza, and the names of the kibbutz's fallen. full article Yahav was also an instructed in the Sapir College Film School where my daughter is studying and had Yahav as an instructor. Yahav was one of the first that we (my family and our immediate circle) knew was killed on October. (as time went on, we knew almost 40 people who were killed, missing or taken hostage on October 7)Yahav Winer, 36, an actor and filmmaker, was killed protecting his wife and newborn baby after terrorists stormed into their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
“He not only blocked the window of our bedroom but also tried to lock the door of the house with Shaya’s stroller to stall the terrorists. He didn’t run away. He kept trying to save us. That was my husband,” his wife, fellow filmmaker Shaylee Atary told the Deadline site.
Atary and their month-old baby, Shaya, were rescued after hiding out for more than 24 hours. For three days, Atary waited for news of the fate of her husband, before she found out while filming a TV interview that he had been killed.
“The Boy,” a short film created and directed by Winer, which tells the story of a father and son dealing with rocket fire while living in Kfar Aza, won best cinematography at this year’s Tel Aviv International Students Film Festival.
“He’s a great filmmaker. And he’s a great friend. He was my best friend,” Atary told PBS. “We were 10 and a half years together. And we waited a long time for this child that we now have, Shaya.”
In a since-deleted interview on the T-Port film blog, Winer said that he was working on a new film inspired by life in Kfar Aza, where he had recently moved back after years living in Tel Aviv.
The film, he said, was set to explore “the trauma of the residents of Israel, and also the constant conflict that exists in you when you look over the fence at what is happening in Gaza.”
“The bloody conflict is traumatic because it has no solution, but within all of this there is comfort within the personal connections,” said Winer. link
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would inflict a “heavy price” on the Houthis who control northern Yemen, after they reached central Israel with a missile yesterday for the first time.
“It takes a person a week to travel to Yemen [from Iran], how could this missile have gotten there? We don’t have such missiles to provide to Yemen,” Pezeshkian says.
However, last year Iran presented what it described as Tehran’s first domestically made hypersonic ballistic missile, with state media publishing pictures of the missile named “Fattah” at a ceremony.
Pezeshkian also denies that his government transferred any weapons to Russia since he took office in August.
Yahav Winer, 36, an actor and filmmaker, was killed protecting his wife and newborn baby after terrorists stormed into their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
“He not only blocked the window of our bedroom but also tried to lock the door of the house with Shaya’s stroller to stall the terrorists. He didn’t run away. He kept trying to save us. That was my husband,” his wife, fellow filmmaker Shaylee Atary told the Deadline site.
Atary and their month-old baby, Shaya, were rescued after hiding out for more than 24 hours. For three days, Atary waited for news of the fate of her husband, before she found out while filming a TV interview that he had been killed.
“The Boy,” a short film created and directed by Winer, which tells the story of a father and son dealing with rocket fire while living in Kfar Aza, won best cinematography at this year’s Tel Aviv International Students Film Festival.
“He’s a great filmmaker. And he’s a great friend. He was my best friend,” Atary told PBS. “We were 10 and a half years together. And we waited a long time for this child that we now have, Shaya.”
In a since-deleted interview on the T-Port film blog, Winer said that he was working on a new film inspired by life in Kfar Aza, where he had recently moved back after years living in Tel Aviv.
The film, he said, was set to explore “the trauma of the residents of Israel, and also the constant conflict that exists in you when you look over the fence at what is happening in Gaza.”
“The bloody conflict is traumatic because it has no solution, but within all of this there is comfort within the personal connections,” said Winer. link
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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