π️Lonny's War Update- October 349, 2023 - September 19, 2024 π️
π️Day 349 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!!!”
Elan Siegel writes to her Dad, Keith:
Another night that my father closes his eyes
and can't believe that another day has passed.
He can't believe, after decades of doing good, opening himself to others, welcoming all, and raising his children as Zionists that love their country, he is there.
Without basic human rights, without the possibility of choice, even of the smallest thing, and without any option to cry for help.
Dad, I am sending you good thoughts beautiful beautiful moments from our lives that we shared.
It will happen again. We are all waiting for you so very much.
hold on.
We are holding on for you.
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
Another night that my father closes his eyes
and can't believe that another day has passed.
He can't believe, after decades of doing good, opening himself to others, welcoming all, and raising his children as Zionists that love their country, he is there.
Without basic human rights, without the possibility of choice, even of the smallest thing, and without any option to cry for help.
Dad, I am sending you good thoughts beautiful beautiful moments from our lives that we shared.
It will happen again. We are all waiting for you so very much.
hold on.
We are holding on for you.
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
*1:25pm - north - rockets - Zra'it
*2:15pm - north - rockets - Matat
*2:30pm - north- rockets - Matat
*2:40pm - north - rockets - Hanita, Shlomi*3:55pm - north - rockets - Zra'it, Shomera, Netua, Shtula, Even Menahem
*4:30om - north - rockets -Eilon, Admit, Hanita, Arab al Aramsha
*4:40pm - north - rockets - Majdal Shams, Goren Farms Guesthouse, Milu'ot North, Batzet, Leeman, Shlomi, Rosh Hanikra, Admint
4:50pm - north - rockets - Malkia5:35pm - north - hostile aircraft - Naharia, Milu'ot North, Gesher Haziv, Saar, Leeman5:40pm - north - hostile aircraft - Naharia, Kabri, Saar - tens of rockets launched against the Galilee region from Lebanon, fires broke out in the Carmel Forest
*2:30pm - north- rockets - Matat
*2:40pm - north - rockets - Hanita, Shlomi
*4:30om - north - rockets -Eilon, Admit, Hanita, Arab al Aramsha
*4:40pm - north - rockets - Majdal Shams, Goren Farms Guesthouse, Milu'ot North, Batzet, Leeman, Shlomi, Rosh Hanikra, Admint
4:50pm - north - rockets - Malkia
Hostage Updates
Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife, told the relative of a hostage held in the Gaza Strip that the government was unaware of the Supernova music festival on October 7 and was therefore not responsible for the massacre that took place there, according to leaked recordings published Tuesday.
The comments were made at a meeting with hostage families a few weeks ago, during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told participants that the government faced a “very difficult decision” regarding signing a hostage deal, in terms of the number of hostages who would be released in the first stage of an agreement, according to audio aired by Channel 12.
“I am telling you. We’ll do a survey now, you won’t agree. I didn’t agree!” Netanyahu said of the proposed terms of such a deal. Many Israelis are incensed that the prime minister has largely avoided taking responsibility for the years-long strategic missteps that led to the October 7 massacre. Critics, hostage families among them, have also accused him of sabotaging negotiations for a hostage deal, claiming the premier is set on avoiding a deal that endangers his governing coalition even at the cost of the hostages’ lives.
One of the participants pushed back against his remarks on the sidelines of the meeting, to which Sara Netanyahu responded by voicing concern over the ongoing “war of annihilation.” The premier’s wife claimed to participants that the October 7 massacre was part of a larger plot to eliminate Israel — an intention Hamas hid too well and ruined by acting prematurely.
“It is no secret that Iran has a plan to conquer us. You know, maybe it’s not connected. I am a psychologist and also work. I have been a child psychologist for many years,” she said, according to the recordings. The participant pressed the issue, voicing his concern that a hostage deal was close to being reached, but may not happen.
“I came out feeling there is a leader who thinks about every arena with a peripheral view,” Netanyahu’s wife said, defending her husband’s tough stance on a potential deal. “We are facing annihilation, and I ask you to believe the things I am saying and not to underestimate them. They want to annihilate us and they have the ability. We saw this on October 7, when for long hours they murdered, butchered, raped, and kidnapped. All of this shouldn’t have happened. Do you agree that this shouldn’t have happened?” she said.
“Of course, it shouldn’t have happened,” the meeting participant said.
“And there shouldn’t have been a party in Re’im,” Netanyahu added, referring to the music festival, where over 360 people were murdered and 40 were kidnapped. “I don’t understand who approved the party. If someone says, ‘This is the government’s responsibility,’ well, no, the government didn’t know,” she said.
Responding to the leaked recordings, Sara Netanyahu’s office said that the leaking of a few sentences from a three-hour meeting was “manipulative.”
The statement claimed that in every meeting, “Netanyahu fully sympathized with the call for the return of our hostages, and strengthened and supported the families.” The statement also noted that the premier’s wife continues to work as a psychologist for the Jerusalem municipality, though it did not say how that was relevant to the meeting with the families.
Hostage relatives told Channel 12 that Netanyahu’s wife was essentially an accomplice to the prime minister’s abandonment of the hostages, calling her “Mrs. Abandonment,” a play on “Mr. Abandonment,” a title used by some hostage families to describe the premier. “She who lives on Gaza Street in Jerusalem will never understand those who are imprisoned in substandard conditions in the Hamas tunnels in Gaza,” said Hadas Calderon, whose husband Ofer is held hostage, referring to the prime minister’s current residence. “As someone who works as a child psychologist, I would expect her to raise her voice strongly and poignantly regarding Ariel and Kfir, the children still held in Gaza, and not continue to abandon them there,” said Ofri Bibas-Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas, who is held captive in Gaza, along with wife and two children.
“I would send you to open a dictionary to understand what responsibility is, but I will limit myself to one clear statement: until all the hostages return, you carry full responsibility for the biggest failure in Israel’s history — we have nothing to talk about with you and your husband,” said Ayala Metzger, whose father-in-law, Yoram Metzger, was murdered in captivity.
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
TV report accuses Netanyahu of repeatedly ‘torpedoing’
hostage deal with Hamas
PM’s office slams ‘false claims’ by Channel 12, charges
network ‘echoing Hamas propaganda’ after it says premier has worked since
December to block agreement for political reasons
Israeli television on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently acted since December to “torpedo” a possible hostage deal with Hamas for political reasons, in a report that was forcefully denied by the premier’s office.
At the same time, Channel 12 news blamed Hamas, not Netanyahu, for the collapse of the seven-day ceasefire deal that included the release of 81 Israeli hostages and 24 foreign nationals in late November.
The deal fell apart when instead of the ten living hostages it was supposed to release, Hamas offered to return seven bodies of women and three living captives. Israel was certain those seven hostages — including Noa Argamani, who was later freed during a rescue operation in Gaza — were alive, and senior security officials stressed that if Israel accepted Hamas’s new offer, the terror group would simply shoot the seven living hostages.
Hamas also insisted on listing all the younger women, including Mia Shem, Romi Gonen, and Carmel Gat, as soldiers.
A senior cabinet minister told the network that “coalition threats” from far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich dominated cabinet discussions about finding a way to continue the release of hostages despite Hamas’s games.
“That was the biggest missed opportunity. It would have been right to see the process through to the end, and move to the next category [of hostages]. It was possible to bring the old men who died later in captivity, it was possible to bring Yarden Bibas home on humanitarian grounds,” the unnamed minister was quoted as saying.
A woman looks at a mural of the five female soldiers held hostage in Gaza, at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. September 17, 2024 (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)The report laid out Netanyahu’s decision to turn down an Egyptian proposal on December 24 and prevent Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from holding a discussion with Mossad chief David Barnea the next day.
There was also the potential for a breakthrough in January with a summit in Paris, said the report, but after Ben Gvir threatened to bring down the government, Netanyahu stressed five times over the next four days that there were obstacles in the talks.
Netanyahu continued along that line in March, refusing to expand the negotiators’ mandate. The report cited a former associate of Netanyahu, who argued that when the premier wants a deal, he doesn’t speak publicly about his red lines, as he has done repeatedly since US President Joe Biden presented Israel’s proposal on May 31. Channel 12 also said the top security officials were surprised by Netanyahu’s announcement in June laying out his red lines, including around the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border.
Netanyahu’s office later issued a statement denouncing the TV report, saying the “false claims” in the media “echo the propaganda of the terrorist organization Hamas.”
The Prime Minister’s Office argued that Netanyahu accepted all of the US proposals, which “completely refutes the claim that he sabotaged any deal for political reasons.”
It noted that Netanyahu sent a proposal on April 27 that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called “very generous”; that he agreed to US President Joe Biden’s proposal on May 31; and that, on August 16, he accepted the US “final bridging proposal,” all of which were turned down by Hamas.
Netanyahu’s office also pointed out that US officials have said repeatedly that there is no deal because of Hamas — though they have also put some of the blame on Israel at certain times.
“Those who want to help in the effort to free our hostages should put pressure on the murderer [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar and not on the prime minister of Israel,” it said. link
Oct. 7 ceremony organizers say all 40,000 tickets claimed in 8 hours, hope police will allow them to release more
Hostage Updates
Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife, told the relative of a hostage held in the Gaza Strip that the government was unaware of the Supernova music festival on October 7 and was therefore not responsible for the massacre that took place there, according to leaked recordings published Tuesday.
The comments were made at a meeting with hostage families a few weeks ago, during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told participants that the government faced a “very difficult decision” regarding signing a hostage deal, in terms of the number of hostages who would be released in the first stage of an agreement, according to audio aired by Channel 12.
“I am telling you. We’ll do a survey now, you won’t agree. I didn’t agree!” Netanyahu said of the proposed terms of such a deal. Many Israelis are incensed that the prime minister has largely avoided taking responsibility for the years-long strategic missteps that led to the October 7 massacre. Critics, hostage families among them, have also accused him of sabotaging negotiations for a hostage deal, claiming the premier is set on avoiding a deal that endangers his governing coalition even at the cost of the hostages’ lives.
One of the participants pushed back against his remarks on the sidelines of the meeting, to which Sara Netanyahu responded by voicing concern over the ongoing “war of annihilation.” The premier’s wife claimed to participants that the October 7 massacre was part of a larger plot to eliminate Israel — an intention Hamas hid too well and ruined by acting prematurely.
“It is no secret that Iran has a plan to conquer us. You know, maybe it’s not connected. I am a psychologist and also work. I have been a child psychologist for many years,” she said, according to the recordings. The participant pressed the issue, voicing his concern that a hostage deal was close to being reached, but may not happen.
“I came out feeling there is a leader who thinks about every arena with a peripheral view,” Netanyahu’s wife said, defending her husband’s tough stance on a potential deal. “We are facing annihilation, and I ask you to believe the things I am saying and not to underestimate them. They want to annihilate us and they have the ability. We saw this on October 7, when for long hours they murdered, butchered, raped, and kidnapped. All of this shouldn’t have happened. Do you agree that this shouldn’t have happened?” she said.
“Of course, it shouldn’t have happened,” the meeting participant said.
“And there shouldn’t have been a party in Re’im,” Netanyahu added, referring to the music festival, where over 360 people were murdered and 40 were kidnapped. “I don’t understand who approved the party. If someone says, ‘This is the government’s responsibility,’ well, no, the government didn’t know,” she said.
Responding to the leaked recordings, Sara Netanyahu’s office said that the leaking of a few sentences from a three-hour meeting was “manipulative.”
The statement claimed that in every meeting, “Netanyahu fully sympathized with the call for the return of our hostages, and strengthened and supported the families.” The statement also noted that the premier’s wife continues to work as a psychologist for the Jerusalem municipality, though it did not say how that was relevant to the meeting with the families.
Hostage relatives told Channel 12 that Netanyahu’s wife was essentially an accomplice to the prime minister’s abandonment of the hostages, calling her “Mrs. Abandonment,” a play on “Mr. Abandonment,” a title used by some hostage families to describe the premier. “She who lives on Gaza Street in Jerusalem will never understand those who are imprisoned in substandard conditions in the Hamas tunnels in Gaza,” said Hadas Calderon, whose husband Ofer is held hostage, referring to the prime minister’s current residence. “As someone who works as a child psychologist, I would expect her to raise her voice strongly and poignantly regarding Ariel and Kfir, the children still held in Gaza, and not continue to abandon them there,” said Ofri Bibas-Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas, who is held captive in Gaza, along with wife and two children.
“I would send you to open a dictionary to understand what responsibility is, but I will limit myself to one clear statement: until all the hostages return, you carry full responsibility for the biggest failure in Israel’s history — we have nothing to talk about with you and your husband,” said Ayala Metzger, whose father-in-law, Yoram Metzger, was murdered in captivity.
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
TV report accuses Netanyahu of repeatedly ‘torpedoing’ hostage deal with Hamas
PM’s office slams ‘false claims’ by Channel 12, charges network ‘echoing Hamas propaganda’ after it says premier has worked since December to block agreement for political reasons
Israeli television on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently acted since December to “torpedo” a possible hostage deal with Hamas for political reasons, in a report that was forcefully denied by the premier’s office.
At the same time, Channel 12 news blamed Hamas, not Netanyahu, for the collapse of the seven-day ceasefire deal that included the release of 81 Israeli hostages and 24 foreign nationals in late November.
The deal fell apart when instead of the ten living hostages it was supposed to release, Hamas offered to return seven bodies of women and three living captives. Israel was certain those seven hostages — including Noa Argamani, who was later freed during a rescue operation in Gaza — were alive, and senior security officials stressed that if Israel accepted Hamas’s new offer, the terror group would simply shoot the seven living hostages.Hamas also insisted on listing all the younger women, including Mia Shem, Romi Gonen, and Carmel Gat, as soldiers.
A senior cabinet minister told the network that “coalition threats” from far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich dominated cabinet discussions about finding a way to continue the release of hostages despite Hamas’s games.
“That was the biggest missed opportunity. It would have been right to see the process through to the end, and move to the next category [of hostages]. It was possible to bring the old men who died later in captivity, it was possible to bring Yarden Bibas home on humanitarian grounds,” the unnamed minister was quoted as saying.
A woman looks at a mural of the five female soldiers held hostage in Gaza, at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. September 17, 2024 (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)The report laid out Netanyahu’s decision to turn down an Egyptian proposal on December 24 and prevent Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from holding a discussion with Mossad chief David Barnea the next day.
There was also the potential for a breakthrough in January with a summit in Paris, said the report, but after Ben Gvir threatened to bring down the government, Netanyahu stressed five times over the next four days that there were obstacles in the talks.
Netanyahu continued along that line in March, refusing to expand the negotiators’ mandate. The report cited a former associate of Netanyahu, who argued that when the premier wants a deal, he doesn’t speak publicly about his red lines, as he has done repeatedly since US President Joe Biden presented Israel’s proposal on May 31. Channel 12 also said the top security officials were surprised by Netanyahu’s announcement in June laying out his red lines, including around the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border.
Netanyahu’s office later issued a statement denouncing the TV report, saying the “false claims” in the media “echo the propaganda of the terrorist organization Hamas.”
The Prime Minister’s Office argued that Netanyahu accepted all of the US proposals, which “completely refutes the claim that he sabotaged any deal for political reasons.”
It noted that Netanyahu sent a proposal on April 27 that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called “very generous”; that he agreed to US President Joe Biden’s proposal on May 31; and that, on August 16, he accepted the US “final bridging proposal,” all of which were turned down by Hamas.
Netanyahu’s office also pointed out that US officials have said repeatedly that there is no deal because of Hamas — though they have also put some of the blame on Israel at certain times.
“Those who want to help in the effort to free our hostages should put pressure on the murderer [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar and not on the prime minister of Israel,” it said. link
Oct. 7 ceremony organizers say all 40,000 tickets claimed in 8 hours, hope police will allow them to release more
Organizers of an October 7 ceremony say that all 40,000 tickets were reserved by members of the public within eight hours of them being released.
While the ceremony is free, police said it needed to be a ticketed event to prevent overcrowding.
Ceremony organizer Yonatan Shamriz tells Channel 12 that they hope authorities will allow them to increase capacity for the event at Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park.
Shamriz, whose brother Alon was mistakenly killed by IDF troops in Gaza along with two other hostages Yotam Haim and Samar Talalka, says that while the ceremony will be sad, emotional and respectful, “we want people to leave with hope.”
Shamriz emphasizes that the ceremony is a grassroots initiative and will feature people from across the religious and political spectrum.
Speeches will be made by bereaved families, former hostages, and residents of border towns. There will also be films shown and top Israeli artists will perform.
The alternative October 7 memorial ceremony is being held in addition to the state one, which has been largely boycotted by the families of hostages and residents of the Gaza border communities.
Families of hostages and other victims of October 7 have fumed at the government’s decision to charge Transportation Minister Miri Regev with organizing the state event. Regev dismissed the criticism as “noise.”
Israel has proposed a framework for a deal with Hamas that would see all the hostages released at once and an end to the fighting in the Gaza Strip, along with safe passage out of the enclave for Yahya Sinwar and his associates, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The proposed plan would see the release of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel, the demilitarization of the Strip, and a new system of governance for Gaza, the report says. No further details are given.
According to the report, Gal Hirsch, the government point man on the hostages, told the families of hostages that the proposal was presented last week in a meeting with US officials from the White House and State Department.
Sources who met with Hirsch say the proposal is called the “safe passage deal.”
An unnamed Israeli official tells Kan that the plan has been proposed as a “Plan B.”
“In light of the difficulties in the negotiations and the ticking clock on the lives of the hostages, we would like to propose a secondary plan that would shorten the stages, and allow for a faster deal,” the official says. “This will happen if Sinwar leaves [Gaza] and brings about an end to the war. This will allow us to to meet the goals of the war, and for the leadership of Hamas in Gaza to leave to a safe place.”
It is not the first time a proposal has been touted that would see all the hostages released in one go in return for the end of the war, sparked by Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack.
Message from the Headquarters of Families for the Return of the Hostages
Following the new proposal presented by the Prime Minister to the United States (through his envoy Gal Hirsch), the Families Headquarters states:
We welcome Netanyahu's new proposal: a deal in one phase and an end to the fighting. A single-phase deal including all 101 hostages is the aspiration of all Israeli citizens in general and the families of the hostages in particular. The proposal strengthens security in Israel and allows for a comprehensive regional arrangement. The proposal was presented in Washington to leaders from Arab countries and received positive resonance.
According to reports, Israel has submitted a new proposal to the United States for a deal to release the hostages. The outline includes the release of all hostages in one phase, allowing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and anyone who wants to leave with him to exit the Gaza Strip, the release of Palestinian prisoners, demilitarization of the Strip, implementation of a different control mechanism in Gaza, and an end to the war.
The Prime Minister must lead this proposal he formulated with courage, determination, and speed.
The Families Headquarters calls on all government members to express full support for Netanyahu's new proposal to release all hostages.
We must put an end to almost a year of abandonment.
Spokesperson for the Headquarters of Families for the Return of the Hostages ----This appears to be based on my brother's proposal of a few weeks ago. He has been saying all along that the Netanyahu/Biden proposal of a 3 stage process was a bad deal. In the first stage, we would see maybe 22 live hostages released and there was great doubt by everyone involved that the deal would survive to the 2nd stage which would leave most of the hostages still in captivity with little to no chance of reaching a new deal, just as it happened at the end of November when the deal fell apart and ended. Any deal must be for all the hostages in one stage. There are most likely quite a few sticking points that will need to be negotiated and or changed for the 2 sides to agree but there are a few that could be deal breakers. It is very hard to believe that Sinwar will, at any time, agree to leave Gaza. His religious extreme ideology would not allow it. He is committed to leading Hamas and to destroy Israel or die trying. There is no middle ground. Anyone who has a good understanding of Hamas and Sinwar knows that to be true. There have been many interviews with people from various security services who have sat with Sinwar and talked to him during his many years in prison in Israel. Every single one of them has said exactly what I have said now, that Sinwar will never leave Gaza and will die trying to destroy Israel. The other major sticking point will be a new system of governance in Gaza. There are parts of this that Sinwar and Hamas leadership would go along with, so as allowing the PA to take over the civil responsibilities of local government, such as health, education, humanitarian aide, etc, but Hamas is insisting on having a major role in that governance as wall as maintaining the armed struggle against Israel with all of their fighters, rockets, and ammunition.
Whoever thinks that Sinwar will agree to leave Gaza does not live in this world. There is no way that will happen. As I was told this morning by one of the Hamas leaders: Gaza is Sinwar's sea and he is a fish. A fish does not come out of the sea willingly. But the proposal, as it was reported this morning that Gal Hirsch told the Americans, comes close to a deal that Hamas is ready for: Within 3 weeks, ending the war, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an agreed release of the number and names of Palestinian prisoners, and the release of all the Israeli hostages from Gaza - all of them! This has to happen now!!!! Every passing day brings more death and destruction. This has to end now. (Gershon Baskin, 9-19-2024)
Relatives of the seven American hostages still held in Gaza met yesterday with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington for the 13th time since October 7.
“The families shared a number of ideas with Sullivan to help bring the hostage crisis to an end and also discussed intensifying efforts with Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and other regional powers to press Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement,” according to a statement issued by the families.
“The families expressed frustration with the lack of tangible progress and stressed that everyone needs to play a larger role in reaching an agreement that ensures the hostages’ safe return,” the statement adds.
“Sullivan stressed the administration’s unwavering commitment to bringing the Americans home and reiterated that resolving this crisis is a top priority for President Biden,” the readout says.
Israel has proposed a framework for a deal with Hamas that would see all the hostages released at once and an end to the fighting in the Gaza Strip, along with safe passage out of the enclave for Yahya Sinwar and his associates, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The proposed plan would see the release of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel, the demilitarization of the Strip, and a new system of governance for Gaza, the report says. No further details are given.
According to the report, Gal Hirsch, the government point man on the hostages, told the families of hostages that the proposal was presented last week in a meeting with US officials from the White House and State Department.
Sources who met with Hirsch say the proposal is called the “safe passage deal.”
An unnamed Israeli official tells Kan that the plan has been proposed as a “Plan B.”
“In light of the difficulties in the negotiations and the ticking clock on the lives of the hostages, we would like to propose a secondary plan that would shorten the stages, and allow for a faster deal,” the official says. “This will happen if Sinwar leaves [Gaza] and brings about an end to the war. This will allow us to to meet the goals of the war, and for the leadership of Hamas in Gaza to leave to a safe place.”
It is not the first time a proposal has been touted that would see all the hostages released in one go in return for the end of the war, sparked by Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack.
Message from the Headquarters of Families for the Return of the Hostages
Following the new proposal presented by the Prime Minister to the United States (through his envoy Gal Hirsch), the Families Headquarters states:
We welcome Netanyahu's new proposal: a deal in one phase and an end to the fighting. A single-phase deal including all 101 hostages is the aspiration of all Israeli citizens in general and the families of the hostages in particular. The proposal strengthens security in Israel and allows for a comprehensive regional arrangement. The proposal was presented in Washington to leaders from Arab countries and received positive resonance.
According to reports, Israel has submitted a new proposal to the United States for a deal to release the hostages. The outline includes the release of all hostages in one phase, allowing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and anyone who wants to leave with him to exit the Gaza Strip, the release of Palestinian prisoners, demilitarization of the Strip, implementation of a different control mechanism in Gaza, and an end to the war.
The Prime Minister must lead this proposal he formulated with courage, determination, and speed.
The Families Headquarters calls on all government members to express full support for Netanyahu's new proposal to release all hostages.
We must put an end to almost a year of abandonment.
Spokesperson for the Headquarters of Families for the Return of the Hostages ----This appears to be based on my brother's proposal of a few weeks ago. He has been saying all along that the Netanyahu/Biden proposal of a 3 stage process was a bad deal. In the first stage, we would see maybe 22 live hostages released and there was great doubt by everyone involved that the deal would survive to the 2nd stage which would leave most of the hostages still in captivity with little to no chance of reaching a new deal, just as it happened at the end of November when the deal fell apart and ended. Any deal must be for all the hostages in one stage. There are most likely quite a few sticking points that will need to be negotiated and or changed for the 2 sides to agree but there are a few that could be deal breakers. It is very hard to believe that Sinwar will, at any time, agree to leave Gaza. His religious extreme ideology would not allow it. He is committed to leading Hamas and to destroy Israel or die trying. There is no middle ground. Anyone who has a good understanding of Hamas and Sinwar knows that to be true. There have been many interviews with people from various security services who have sat with Sinwar and talked to him during his many years in prison in Israel. Every single one of them has said exactly what I have said now, that Sinwar will never leave Gaza and will die trying to destroy Israel. The other major sticking point will be a new system of governance in Gaza. There are parts of this that Sinwar and Hamas leadership would go along with, so as allowing the PA to take over the civil responsibilities of local government, such as health, education, humanitarian aide, etc, but Hamas is insisting on having a major role in that governance as wall as maintaining the armed struggle against Israel with all of their fighters, rockets, and ammunition.
Whoever thinks that Sinwar will agree to leave Gaza does not live in this world. There is no way that will happen. As I was told this morning by one of the Hamas leaders: Gaza is Sinwar's sea and he is a fish. A fish does not come out of the sea willingly. But the proposal, as it was reported this morning that Gal Hirsch told the Americans, comes close to a deal that Hamas is ready for: Within 3 weeks, ending the war, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an agreed release of the number and names of Palestinian prisoners, and the release of all the Israeli hostages from Gaza - all of them! This has to happen now!!!! Every passing day brings more death and destruction. This has to end now. (Gershon Baskin, 9-19-2024)
Relatives of the seven American hostages still held in Gaza met yesterday with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington for the 13th time since October 7.
“The families shared a number of ideas with Sullivan to help bring the hostage crisis to an end and also discussed intensifying efforts with Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and other regional powers to press Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement,” according to a statement issued by the families.
“The families expressed frustration with the lack of tangible progress and stressed that everyone needs to play a larger role in reaching an agreement that ensures the hostages’ safe return,” the statement adds.
“Sullivan stressed the administration’s unwavering commitment to bringing the Americans home and reiterated that resolving this crisis is a top priority for President Biden,” the readout says.
Gaza
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an assessment and approved battle plans for the northern front a short while ago, the military says.
The statement comes amid soaring tensions with the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon. link Unless something dramatic happens on the diplomatic front with Lebanon or with the hostage negotiations, there looks to be a very great chance that we are going to war in Lebanon, again - Lebanon War 3
At least eight people are wounded in an anti-tank guided missile attack on the Lebanon border earlier today, according to hospital officials.
Rambam Hospital in Haifa and Ziv Hospital in Safed say the medical centers have admitted eight people, including two in moderate-to-serious condition. The rest are lightly hurt, according to the hospitals.
The Hezbollah attack from Lebanon struck the Ramim Ridge area. The terror group claims to have targeted an IDF position.
Israeli fighter jets struck buildings in southern Lebanon’s Jebbayn earlier today, where the IDF says it identified several Hezbollah operatives.
Separate airstrikes targeted a rocket launcher and other buildings used by the terror group in Halta, Kafr Kila, Odaisseh, and Chama, the military adds.
The IDF releases footage of the strikes. Additionally, a barrage of some 10 rockets was fired earlier this evening at the Mount Hermon area, impacting open areas, according to the IDF.
More than 40 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel today.
Several explosive-laden drones launched from Lebanon struck northern Israel a short while ago.
According to the IDF, one of the drones impacted outside of the northern community of Ya’ara in the Western Galilee. Several people were reportedly wounded by the impact.
Several more drones struck outside the northern community of Beit Hillel near Kiryat Shmona, the IDF says.
The IDF says the drone impacts near Beit Hillel sparked fires but caused no injuries.
A fresh wave of explosions ripped across Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, appearing to mainly target hand-held radios used by Hezbollah members, a day after thousands were wounded when their pagers spontaneously exploded in a coordinated attack widely blamed on Israel after months of cross-border fire.
At least 14 people were killed and at least 450 were wounded in Wednesday’s second wave of blasts, according to Lebanese officials. An Israeli report said Jerusalem believes the death toll to be higher than reported, with Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit hit hard by the two days of attacks.
Explosions were reported Wednesday in phones, solar energy systems and fingerprint reading devices used by the group. At least one of the blasts took place at a funeral organized by Iran-backed Hezbollah for some of the 12 people killed in the pager explosion attack on Tuesday. An AP photographer in the southern coastal city of Sidon saw a car and a mobile phone shop that were damaged by devices exploding inside of them.
“A number of walkie-talkies exploded in Beirut’s southern suburbs,” a source told Reuters, with Hezbollah-affiliated rescuers confirming devices had exploded inside two cars in the area.
Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, and a Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that walkie-talkies used by the group exploded as part of blasts heard in Beirut. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Images circulating online purported to show the devices, which appeared to be different and larger than the pagers that exploded Tuesday. The hand-held radios were purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, around the same time that the pagers were bought, said a security source. A Reuters reporter in the southern suburbs of Beirut said he saw Hezbollah members frantically taking out the batteries of any walkie-talkies on them that had not exploded, tossing the parts in metal barrels around them.
Images of the exploded walkie-talkies examined by Reuters showed an inside panel labeled “ICOM” and “Made in Japan.” According to its website, ICOM is a Japan-based radio communications and telephone company.
Lebanon’s Red Cross said on X that it was responding with 30 ambulance teams to multiple explosions in different areas.
Lebanon’s official news agency reported that solar energy systems exploded in homes in several areas of Beirut and in southern Lebanon, wounding at least one girl. The reports of further electronic devices exploding suggested even greater infiltration into Hezbollah’s supply chain than was previously thought.
According to a Ynet report, Israel believes Hezbollah’s toll from the attacks over the last two days is much higher than the official numbers released so far. “The estimation is that there are many dozens of dead, if not more,” veteran investigative reporter and analyst Ronen Bergman wrote, without naming his sources.
Bergman added that Israel believes the explosions caused “significant harm” to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit, with much of its leadership taken out of action.
The new round of explosions on Wednesday came as Lebanon and Hezbollah were still struggling to come to terms with the shock and scale of Tuesday’s attack. Israel has not commented on the pager explosions, although US officials have indicated to some foreign media outlets that Jerusalem was behind the attack.
The death toll from Tuesday’s blasts rose to 12, including two children, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said on Wednesday. Tuesday’s attack wounded nearly 3,000 people, including many of the terror group’s fighters and Iran’s envoy to Beirut. Hezbollah said Israel was “fully responsible for this criminal aggression” and reiterated it would avenge the attack, while vowing to continue its fight against Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza war.
Cross-border exchanges with Israeli forces were “ongoing and separate from the difficult reckoning that the criminal enemy must await for its massacre,” Hezbollah said.
Explosion of Communication Devices Makes Headlines in Lebanon
The Saudi channel Al-Hadath reported that Hezbollah has arrested several people for questioning, including the brother of a senior member of the organization. It was also reported that the Lebanese army continues to detonate communication devices of the organization's operatives. Lebanese media await Nasrallah's speech - and attack Hezbollah: "Israel has succeeded for the first time in damaging the trust between Hezbollah and its people, talk of a full-scale war is realistic."
This is how newspaper headlines looked in the country after two consecutive days in which Hezbollah militants' communication devices mysteriously exploded. The Saudi channel Al-Hadath reported today (Thursday) that Hezbollah has begun a wave of arrests and detained several people for questioning, including the brother of a senior member of the organization. It was also reported that the person responsible for the devices in Hezbollah was arrested for questioning, and that the Lebanese army continues to detonate communication devices of the organization's operatives and has asked citizens to report any device and not approach it.
Hezbollah's mouthpiece Al-Akhbar also addressed the explosions, signaling this morning: "We have entered a battle without rules, talk of a full-scale war is realistic." The editor of the Lebanese newspaper, Ibrahim Al-Amin, published an article titled "The War of Annihilation in its Lebanese Version: Israel Wants to Crush the Resistance," claiming: "The Israeli breaches were not limited to the general environment hostile to Hezbollah, but also penetrated the heart of the environment close to Hezbollah - to the point of penetrating the body itself." "These are breaches in which the Americans also participated, and the records contain names of quite a few Hezbollah members, including commanders in high military and security ranks, and it turned out that they fell into the Israeli intelligence network," Al-Amin added. According to him, "Some of them caused the failure of sensitive Hezbollah activities and some even exposed some military secrets of the resistance."
Al-Amin continued: "The 'Deadly Call' operation the day before yesterday was both an image and operational success for Israel. For the first time, it hit the central component of trust in Hezbollah's connection with its people and supporters. When it activated the second part of the operation yesterday, it aimed to strengthen the doctrine of doubt instead of trust by directly pushing Hezbollah members, the social environment and its friendly environment to ask puzzling questions about how to deal with Hezbollah factors, its centers and institutions."
The article goes on to detail the headlines in various Lebanese newspapers, reactions from different sources, and speculations about potential investigations and responses from Hezbollah and the Lebanese judicial system. It also mentions expectations for Nasrallah's speech and concerns about escalating tensions with Israel. link
BAC Consulting, which reportedly manufactured and supplied thousands of pagers that exploded in an attack on Hezbollah members on Tuesday, is an Israeli front company, the New York Times reports.
Three intelligence officers briefed on the operation tell the newspaper that at least two other shell companies were created to obscure the fact that the manufacturers of the pagers were Israeli intelligence officers. Some earlier reports have suggested that Israel could have tampered with pagers that had already been manufactured.
According to the NYT report, the pagers began to be shipped to Lebanon in 2022, but supply was increased when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah denounced the use of cellphones as operationally unsafe.
Thousands were distributed to officers in the terror group, as well as their allies, the Times reports.
While Israel has not admitted that it was behind the attack in which at least 12 were killed and hundreds injured when the small explosive charges stashed inside the pagers were triggered, 12 current and former defense and intelligence officials who were briefed on the attack tell the New York Times that Israel was responsible.
A day later, walkie-talkies used by the terror group’s members also exploded, in an apparent second wave of the attack.
Israeli fighter jets are reportedly flying over Beirut as Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah gives his speech.
State media said the jets were breaking the sound barrier over the Lebanese capital.
Videos posted on social media showed Israeli warplanes flying low and shooting flares. video of Israeli war planes dropping flares at low altitude
In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah concedes that the terror group has suffered a “major and unprecedented” blow, but vows it will recover and keep on fighting
“The Israeli effort has largely been thwarted,” Nasrallah says. “We will probe what happened,” he adds, adding that an investigation committee has been established.
“We will not fall, and we will come out stronger. We are preparing to face even worse attacks.”
“Shortly, we will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the blessed Al-Aqsa flood operation,” Nasrallah says, referencing the savage October 7 onslaught by Hamas on southern Israel.
“There is no doubt that Hezbollah, since it joined the fight, has registered impressive achievements in the north of Israel,” he adds, claiming that the “criminal” attacks against Hezbollah’s portable devices were conducted by Israel to cover up its incapacity to achieve a military breakthrough against Hezbollah in the north, where it is “embroiled in a war of attrition.”
“We tell [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, [Defense Minister Yoav] Gallant and the Israeli people: We will not stop our attacks as long as the enemy does not halt its war in Gaza.”
- In a public address, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah blames Israel for the coordinated pager and walkie-talkie attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, saying the attack “violated all red lines.”
In his first comments since the coordinated attacks that were blamed on Israel, Nasrallah called the attacks “an unprecedented massacre.”
“On Tuesday, Israel intended to kill 4,000 people in one minute by detonating the pagers. Many of them were civilians,” the terror leader claims, even though the devices appear to have been distributed only to Hezbollah operatives. “The following day, 1,000 more in one minute. In two minutes, Israel intended to kill 5,000.”
“We have suffered a heavy blow. This is war, this is conflict. We know the enemy, not only Israel but also the US and NATO, has technological superiority,” he says.
The IDF announces that on Monday it foiled an attempted bombing attack against troops on the Lebanon border.
The military releases footage from a GoPro camera found on the body of one of the gunmen.
According to the military, troops of the Golani Brigade and other commandos were stationed in an ambush near the so-called Tziporen Post in Upper Galilee.
On Monday, surveillance soldiers of the 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted two suspects approaching the border, and the Golani soldiers and commandos opened fire and directed artillery shelling and a drone strike against the gunmen, killing both.
According to the IDF, the gunmen planned to plant a bomb in the area. the terrorists go pro video
The IDF announces that it is carrying out a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, aimed at taking away the terror group’s capabilities.
“The Hezbollah terror organization has turned southern Lebanon into a war zone, and for decades armed the homes of the citizens with weapons, dug tunnels under them and used them as human shields,” the IDF says.
“The IDF is working to create security in the north that will allow the residents to return to their homes, and to achieve all the other war goals,” the military adds.
Lebanese media report large Israeli airstrikes near Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Tyre district. video
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an assessment and approved battle plans for the northern front a short while ago, the military says.
The statement comes amid soaring tensions with the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon. link Unless something dramatic happens on the diplomatic front with Lebanon or with the hostage negotiations, there looks to be a very great chance that we are going to war in Lebanon, again - Lebanon War 3
At least eight people are wounded in an anti-tank guided missile attack on the Lebanon border earlier today, according to hospital officials.
Rambam Hospital in Haifa and Ziv Hospital in Safed say the medical centers have admitted eight people, including two in moderate-to-serious condition. The rest are lightly hurt, according to the hospitals.
The Hezbollah attack from Lebanon struck the Ramim Ridge area. The terror group claims to have targeted an IDF position.
Israeli fighter jets struck buildings in southern Lebanon’s Jebbayn earlier today, where the IDF says it identified several Hezbollah operatives.
Separate airstrikes targeted a rocket launcher and other buildings used by the terror group in Halta, Kafr Kila, Odaisseh, and Chama, the military adds.
The IDF releases footage of the strikes. Additionally, a barrage of some 10 rockets was fired earlier this evening at the Mount Hermon area, impacting open areas, according to the IDF.
More than 40 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel today.
Several explosive-laden drones launched from Lebanon struck northern Israel a short while ago.
According to the IDF, one of the drones impacted outside of the northern community of Ya’ara in the Western Galilee. Several people were reportedly wounded by the impact.
Several more drones struck outside the northern community of Beit Hillel near Kiryat Shmona, the IDF says.
The IDF says the drone impacts near Beit Hillel sparked fires but caused no injuries.
A fresh wave of explosions ripped across Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, appearing to mainly target hand-held radios used by Hezbollah members, a day after thousands were wounded when their pagers spontaneously exploded in a coordinated attack widely blamed on Israel after months of cross-border fire.
At least 14 people were killed and at least 450 were wounded in Wednesday’s second wave of blasts, according to Lebanese officials. An Israeli report said Jerusalem believes the death toll to be higher than reported, with Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit hit hard by the two days of attacks.
Explosions were reported Wednesday in phones, solar energy systems and fingerprint reading devices used by the group. At least one of the blasts took place at a funeral organized by Iran-backed Hezbollah for some of the 12 people killed in the pager explosion attack on Tuesday. An AP photographer in the southern coastal city of Sidon saw a car and a mobile phone shop that were damaged by devices exploding inside of them.
“A number of walkie-talkies exploded in Beirut’s southern suburbs,” a source told Reuters, with Hezbollah-affiliated rescuers confirming devices had exploded inside two cars in the area.
Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, and a Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that walkie-talkies used by the group exploded as part of blasts heard in Beirut. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Images circulating online purported to show the devices, which appeared to be different and larger than the pagers that exploded Tuesday. The hand-held radios were purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, around the same time that the pagers were bought, said a security source. A Reuters reporter in the southern suburbs of Beirut said he saw Hezbollah members frantically taking out the batteries of any walkie-talkies on them that had not exploded, tossing the parts in metal barrels around them.
Images of the exploded walkie-talkies examined by Reuters showed an inside panel labeled “ICOM” and “Made in Japan.” According to its website, ICOM is a Japan-based radio communications and telephone company.
Lebanon’s Red Cross said on X that it was responding with 30 ambulance teams to multiple explosions in different areas.
Lebanon’s official news agency reported that solar energy systems exploded in homes in several areas of Beirut and in southern Lebanon, wounding at least one girl. The reports of further electronic devices exploding suggested even greater infiltration into Hezbollah’s supply chain than was previously thought.
According to a Ynet report, Israel believes Hezbollah’s toll from the attacks over the last two days is much higher than the official numbers released so far. “The estimation is that there are many dozens of dead, if not more,” veteran investigative reporter and analyst Ronen Bergman wrote, without naming his sources.
Bergman added that Israel believes the explosions caused “significant harm” to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit, with much of its leadership taken out of action.
The new round of explosions on Wednesday came as Lebanon and Hezbollah were still struggling to come to terms with the shock and scale of Tuesday’s attack. Israel has not commented on the pager explosions, although US officials have indicated to some foreign media outlets that Jerusalem was behind the attack.
The death toll from Tuesday’s blasts rose to 12, including two children, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said on Wednesday. Tuesday’s attack wounded nearly 3,000 people, including many of the terror group’s fighters and Iran’s envoy to Beirut. Hezbollah said Israel was “fully responsible for this criminal aggression” and reiterated it would avenge the attack, while vowing to continue its fight against Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza war.
Cross-border exchanges with Israeli forces were “ongoing and separate from the difficult reckoning that the criminal enemy must await for its massacre,” Hezbollah said.
Explosion of Communication Devices Makes Headlines in Lebanon
The Saudi channel Al-Hadath reported that Hezbollah has arrested several people for questioning, including the brother of a senior member of the organization. It was also reported that the Lebanese army continues to detonate communication devices of the organization's operatives. Lebanese media await Nasrallah's speech - and attack Hezbollah: "Israel has succeeded for the first time in damaging the trust between Hezbollah and its people, talk of a full-scale war is realistic."
This is how newspaper headlines looked in the country after two consecutive days in which Hezbollah militants' communication devices mysteriously exploded. The Saudi channel Al-Hadath reported today (Thursday) that Hezbollah has begun a wave of arrests and detained several people for questioning, including the brother of a senior member of the organization. It was also reported that the person responsible for the devices in Hezbollah was arrested for questioning, and that the Lebanese army continues to detonate communication devices of the organization's operatives and has asked citizens to report any device and not approach it.
Hezbollah's mouthpiece Al-Akhbar also addressed the explosions, signaling this morning: "We have entered a battle without rules, talk of a full-scale war is realistic." The editor of the Lebanese newspaper, Ibrahim Al-Amin, published an article titled "The War of Annihilation in its Lebanese Version: Israel Wants to Crush the Resistance," claiming: "The Israeli breaches were not limited to the general environment hostile to Hezbollah, but also penetrated the heart of the environment close to Hezbollah - to the point of penetrating the body itself." "These are breaches in which the Americans also participated, and the records contain names of quite a few Hezbollah members, including commanders in high military and security ranks, and it turned out that they fell into the Israeli intelligence network," Al-Amin added. According to him, "Some of them caused the failure of sensitive Hezbollah activities and some even exposed some military secrets of the resistance."
Al-Amin continued: "The 'Deadly Call' operation the day before yesterday was both an image and operational success for Israel. For the first time, it hit the central component of trust in Hezbollah's connection with its people and supporters. When it activated the second part of the operation yesterday, it aimed to strengthen the doctrine of doubt instead of trust by directly pushing Hezbollah members, the social environment and its friendly environment to ask puzzling questions about how to deal with Hezbollah factors, its centers and institutions."
The article goes on to detail the headlines in various Lebanese newspapers, reactions from different sources, and speculations about potential investigations and responses from Hezbollah and the Lebanese judicial system. It also mentions expectations for Nasrallah's speech and concerns about escalating tensions with Israel. link
BAC Consulting, which reportedly manufactured and supplied thousands of pagers that exploded in an attack on Hezbollah members on Tuesday, is an Israeli front company, the New York Times reports.
Three intelligence officers briefed on the operation tell the newspaper that at least two other shell companies were created to obscure the fact that the manufacturers of the pagers were Israeli intelligence officers. Some earlier reports have suggested that Israel could have tampered with pagers that had already been manufactured.
According to the NYT report, the pagers began to be shipped to Lebanon in 2022, but supply was increased when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah denounced the use of cellphones as operationally unsafe.
Thousands were distributed to officers in the terror group, as well as their allies, the Times reports.
While Israel has not admitted that it was behind the attack in which at least 12 were killed and hundreds injured when the small explosive charges stashed inside the pagers were triggered, 12 current and former defense and intelligence officials who were briefed on the attack tell the New York Times that Israel was responsible.
A day later, walkie-talkies used by the terror group’s members also exploded, in an apparent second wave of the attack.
Israeli fighter jets are reportedly flying over Beirut as Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah gives his speech.
State media said the jets were breaking the sound barrier over the Lebanese capital.
Videos posted on social media showed Israeli warplanes flying low and shooting flares. video of Israeli war planes dropping flares at low altitude
In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah concedes that the terror group has suffered a “major and unprecedented” blow, but vows it will recover and keep on fighting
“The Israeli effort has largely been thwarted,” Nasrallah says. “We will probe what happened,” he adds, adding that an investigation committee has been established.
“We will not fall, and we will come out stronger. We are preparing to face even worse attacks.”
“Shortly, we will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the blessed Al-Aqsa flood operation,” Nasrallah says, referencing the savage October 7 onslaught by Hamas on southern Israel.
“There is no doubt that Hezbollah, since it joined the fight, has registered impressive achievements in the north of Israel,” he adds, claiming that the “criminal” attacks against Hezbollah’s portable devices were conducted by Israel to cover up its incapacity to achieve a military breakthrough against Hezbollah in the north, where it is “embroiled in a war of attrition.”
“We tell [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, [Defense Minister Yoav] Gallant and the Israeli people: We will not stop our attacks as long as the enemy does not halt its war in Gaza.”
In his first comments since the coordinated attacks that were blamed on Israel, Nasrallah called the attacks “an unprecedented massacre.”
“On Tuesday, Israel intended to kill 4,000 people in one minute by detonating the pagers. Many of them were civilians,” the terror leader claims, even though the devices appear to have been distributed only to Hezbollah operatives. “The following day, 1,000 more in one minute. In two minutes, Israel intended to kill 5,000.”
“We have suffered a heavy blow. This is war, this is conflict. We know the enemy, not only Israel but also the US and NATO, has technological superiority,” he says.
The IDF announces that on Monday it foiled an attempted bombing attack against troops on the Lebanon border.
The military releases footage from a GoPro camera found on the body of one of the gunmen.
According to the military, troops of the Golani Brigade and other commandos were stationed in an ambush near the so-called Tziporen Post in Upper Galilee.
On Monday, surveillance soldiers of the 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted two suspects approaching the border, and the Golani soldiers and commandos opened fire and directed artillery shelling and a drone strike against the gunmen, killing both.
According to the IDF, the gunmen planned to plant a bomb in the area. the terrorists go pro video
The IDF announces that it is carrying out a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, aimed at taking away the terror group’s capabilities.
“The Hezbollah terror organization has turned southern Lebanon into a war zone, and for decades armed the homes of the citizens with weapons, dug tunnels under them and used them as human shields,” the IDF says.
“The IDF is working to create security in the north that will allow the residents to return to their homes, and to achieve all the other war goals,” the military adds.
Lebanese media report large Israeli airstrikes near Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Tyre district. video
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SΓ‘nchez calls for restraint following the wave of explosives attacks in the Middle East, after he received Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Madrid.
“Today the risk of escalation has again dangerously increased. President Abbas and I have been talking about it in Lebanon, so we have to make a new and strong call for restraint, for de-escalation, for peaceful coexistence between countries. In short, to peace,” says SΓ‘nchez after a 45-minute meeting with Abbas.
This was the first meeting between the leaders since Spain recognized Palestine as a state on May 28 in a coordinated action with Ireland and Norway. Sanchez mentioned the strong importance that his government gave to the advisory opinion given by the International Court of Justice, which said Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem was illegal.
Abbas, for his part, called for a Middle East Peace Conference to be held in Madrid, like one that took place 33 years ago in the Spanish capital.
“Today the risk of escalation has again dangerously increased. President Abbas and I have been talking about it in Lebanon, so we have to make a new and strong call for restraint, for de-escalation, for peaceful coexistence between countries. In short, to peace,” says SΓ‘nchez after a 45-minute meeting with Abbas.
This was the first meeting between the leaders since Spain recognized Palestine as a state on May 28 in a coordinated action with Ireland and Norway. Sanchez mentioned the strong importance that his government gave to the advisory opinion given by the International Court of Justice, which said Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem was illegal.
Abbas, for his part, called for a Middle East Peace Conference to be held in Madrid, like one that took place 33 years ago in the Spanish capital.
Politics and the War (general news)
- An Israeli civilian was arrested last month for allegedly being recruited by Iran to assassinate Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, or the head of the Shin Bet.
The Shin Bet and Police say in a joint statement that the suspect was smuggled into Iran twice and received payment to carry out the missions.
The suspect, who was not named, was indicted today.
According to the Shin Bet and police investigation, the Jewish Israeli civilian was a businessman who lived for lengthy periods in Turkey, where he had business and social relations with Turkish and Iranian nationals.
In April 2024, the suspect agreed, through the mediation of two Turkish people, Andrey Farouk Aslan and Junayd Aslan, to meet with a rich businessman living in Iran named Eddy, to advance business activity, the Shin Bet says.
The suspect traveled to the Turkish city of Samandag, close to Syria, and met with two representatives sent by the Iranian businessman, according to the Shin Bet. In Samandag, the Israeli suspect and the Iranian held a phone call, after the latter was unable to leave Iran.
In May 2024, the Shin Bet says that the suspect traveled to Turkey to meet with Andrey, Junayd, and Eddy’s two representatives.
After the Iranian businessman was apparently again unable to leave Iran and travel to Turkey, the Israeli man was smuggled into Iran via a land crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van, the security agency says.
Inside Iran, the Israeli man met with Eddy and another person called Khwaja, who presented himself as a member of Iran’s security forces. The Israeli suspect also presented himself as an Israeli citizen during a meeting at Eddy’s house in Iran, according to the investigation.
During that meeting, Eddy suggested to the Israeli suspect that they carry out various missions in Israel for the Iranian regime, including sending money or a handgun to specified locations, taking photos of crowded public areas, and threatening Israeli civilians who are also operating on behalf of Iran and did not carry out their missions, the Shin Bet found.
The Israeli suspect said he would look into it, and in August 2024, returned to Iran. He was smuggled into Iran via a land crossing, hidden inside a truck, according to the investigation.
The security agency says that at Eddy’s house, the Israeli man met with Iranian intelligence officials, who asked him to “advance assassination attacks” on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, or Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.
The Iranian intelligence officials also looked into the possibility of assassinating other senior officials, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett, according to the investigation.
The Shin Bet says the assassination plans were seen by the Iranian officials as revenge for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran in July, which has been attributed to Israel.
According to the investigation, the Israeli man asked for $1 million upfront before carrying out any of the tasks.
The following day, the Israeli suspect met again with the Iranian intelligence officials, where they again discussed the assassination plans of senior Israeli officials, the Shin Bet says.
During that meeting, according to the investigation, it was also suggested that the Israeli man place money at various locations in Israel for others who are being operated by Iran. Other plans suggested in the meeting were for the Israeli man to locate Russian or Americans and task them with assassinating Iranian dissidents in Europe and the US, and to recruit a Mossad member as a double agent.
Also in this meeting, the Israeli man demanded a million dollars in advance, but the Iranian intelligence agents denied his request and said they would contact him in the future, the Shin Bet says.
According to the investigation, before leaving Iran for the second time, the Israeli man was given 5,000 euros by one of the Iranian intelligence agents for participating in the meetings.
The Shin Bet and Police say in a joint statement that the suspect was smuggled into Iran twice and received payment to carry out the missions.
The suspect, who was not named, was indicted today.
According to the Shin Bet and police investigation, the Jewish Israeli civilian was a businessman who lived for lengthy periods in Turkey, where he had business and social relations with Turkish and Iranian nationals.
In April 2024, the suspect agreed, through the mediation of two Turkish people, Andrey Farouk Aslan and Junayd Aslan, to meet with a rich businessman living in Iran named Eddy, to advance business activity, the Shin Bet says.
The suspect traveled to the Turkish city of Samandag, close to Syria, and met with two representatives sent by the Iranian businessman, according to the Shin Bet. In Samandag, the Israeli suspect and the Iranian held a phone call, after the latter was unable to leave Iran.
In May 2024, the Shin Bet says that the suspect traveled to Turkey to meet with Andrey, Junayd, and Eddy’s two representatives.
After the Iranian businessman was apparently again unable to leave Iran and travel to Turkey, the Israeli man was smuggled into Iran via a land crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van, the security agency says.
Inside Iran, the Israeli man met with Eddy and another person called Khwaja, who presented himself as a member of Iran’s security forces. The Israeli suspect also presented himself as an Israeli citizen during a meeting at Eddy’s house in Iran, according to the investigation.
During that meeting, Eddy suggested to the Israeli suspect that they carry out various missions in Israel for the Iranian regime, including sending money or a handgun to specified locations, taking photos of crowded public areas, and threatening Israeli civilians who are also operating on behalf of Iran and did not carry out their missions, the Shin Bet found.
The Israeli suspect said he would look into it, and in August 2024, returned to Iran. He was smuggled into Iran via a land crossing, hidden inside a truck, according to the investigation.
The security agency says that at Eddy’s house, the Israeli man met with Iranian intelligence officials, who asked him to “advance assassination attacks” on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, or Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.
The Iranian intelligence officials also looked into the possibility of assassinating other senior officials, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett, according to the investigation.
The Shin Bet says the assassination plans were seen by the Iranian officials as revenge for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran in July, which has been attributed to Israel.
According to the investigation, the Israeli man asked for $1 million upfront before carrying out any of the tasks.
The following day, the Israeli suspect met again with the Iranian intelligence officials, where they again discussed the assassination plans of senior Israeli officials, the Shin Bet says.
During that meeting, according to the investigation, it was also suggested that the Israeli man place money at various locations in Israel for others who are being operated by Iran. Other plans suggested in the meeting were for the Israeli man to locate Russian or Americans and task them with assassinating Iranian dissidents in Europe and the US, and to recruit a Mossad member as a double agent.
Also in this meeting, the Israeli man demanded a million dollars in advance, but the Iranian intelligence agents denied his request and said they would contact him in the future, the Shin Bet says.
According to the investigation, before leaving Iran for the second time, the Israeli man was given 5,000 euros by one of the Iranian intelligence agents for participating in the meetings.
The Region and the World
- Germany’s federal government denies yesterday’s Reuters report that Germany has put a hold on new exports of weapons of war to Israel while it deals with legal challenges.
“There is no approval stop for arms exports to Israel, and there will be no stop,” an Economy Ministry spokesman tells the German Press Agency.
“There is no German arms export boycott of any kind to Israel,” another government spokesman tells the agency.
“The Federal Government decides on the granting of licenses for arms exports in individual cases and in the light of the respective situation after careful examination, taking into account foreign and security policy considerations in accordance with the legal and political requirements,” says the Economy Ministry.
“In this individual case analysis, the current situation is always taken into account, including the attacks on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah as well as the course of the operation in Gaza.”
Reuters reported yesterday that a hold had been put on the exports, basing the claim on an analysis of data and a source close to the Economy Ministry.
Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($363.5 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a tenfold increase from 2022, according to data from the Economy Ministry, which approves export licenses.
However, approvals have dropped this year, with only 14.5 million euros’ ($16.1 million) worth granted from January to August 21, according to data provided by the Economy Ministry in response to a parliamentary question. Of this, the “weapons of war” category accounted for only 32,449 euros.
A UN committee accuses Israel of severe breaches of a global treaty protecting children’s rights, saying its military actions in Gaza had a catastrophic impact on them and are among the worst violations in recent history.
Hamas-run health authorities say 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign. These figures cannot be verified and do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 terror operatives.
Israel launched the war in response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel in which terrorists killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Hamas figures claim that of those killed in Gaza, at least 11,355 are children, and thousands more are injured.
“The outrageous death of children is almost historically unique. This is an extremely dark place in history,” Bragi Gudbrandsson, vice chair of the Committee, tells reporters.
“I don’t think we have seen before a violation that is so massive as we’ve seen in Gaza. These are extremely grave violations that we do not often see,” he says.
Israel, which ratified the treaty in 1991, sent a large delegation to the UN hearings in Geneva on September 3-4.
They argued that the treaty did not apply in Gaza or the West Bank and said that Israel was committed to respecting international humanitarian law.
Israel says its military campaign in Gaza is aimed at eliminating the Palestinian enclave’s Hamas rulers and that it does not target civilians but that the terrorists are deeply embedded among them, operating in tunnels under residential area, and from within hospitals and schools.
The Committee praised Israel for attending but says it “deeply regrets the State party’s repeated denial of its legal obligations.”
The 18-member UN Committee monitors countries’ compliance with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child — a widely adopted treaty that protects children from violence and other abuses.
In its conclusions, it called on Israel to provide urgent assistance to thousands of children maimed or injured by the war, provide support for orphans, and allow more medical evacuations from Gaza.
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“There is no approval stop for arms exports to Israel, and there will be no stop,” an Economy Ministry spokesman tells the German Press Agency.
“There is no German arms export boycott of any kind to Israel,” another government spokesman tells the agency.
“The Federal Government decides on the granting of licenses for arms exports in individual cases and in the light of the respective situation after careful examination, taking into account foreign and security policy considerations in accordance with the legal and political requirements,” says the Economy Ministry.
“In this individual case analysis, the current situation is always taken into account, including the attacks on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah as well as the course of the operation in Gaza.”
Reuters reported yesterday that a hold had been put on the exports, basing the claim on an analysis of data and a source close to the Economy Ministry.
Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($363.5 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a tenfold increase from 2022, according to data from the Economy Ministry, which approves export licenses.
However, approvals have dropped this year, with only 14.5 million euros’ ($16.1 million) worth granted from January to August 21, according to data provided by the Economy Ministry in response to a parliamentary question. Of this, the “weapons of war” category accounted for only 32,449 euros.
A UN committee accuses Israel of severe breaches of a global treaty protecting children’s rights, saying its military actions in Gaza had a catastrophic impact on them and are among the worst violations in recent history.
Hamas-run health authorities say 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign. These figures cannot be verified and do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 terror operatives.
Israel launched the war in response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel in which terrorists killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Hamas figures claim that of those killed in Gaza, at least 11,355 are children, and thousands more are injured.
“The outrageous death of children is almost historically unique. This is an extremely dark place in history,” Bragi Gudbrandsson, vice chair of the Committee, tells reporters.
“I don’t think we have seen before a violation that is so massive as we’ve seen in Gaza. These are extremely grave violations that we do not often see,” he says.
Israel, which ratified the treaty in 1991, sent a large delegation to the UN hearings in Geneva on September 3-4.
They argued that the treaty did not apply in Gaza or the West Bank and said that Israel was committed to respecting international humanitarian law.
Israel says its military campaign in Gaza is aimed at eliminating the Palestinian enclave’s Hamas rulers and that it does not target civilians but that the terrorists are deeply embedded among them, operating in tunnels under residential area, and from within hospitals and schools.
The Committee praised Israel for attending but says it “deeply regrets the State party’s repeated denial of its legal obligations.”
The 18-member UN Committee monitors countries’ compliance with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child — a widely adopted treaty that protects children from violence and other abuses.
In its conclusions, it called on Israel to provide urgent assistance to thousands of children maimed or injured by the war, provide support for orphans, and allow more medical evacuations from Gaza.
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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