🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 371, 2023

🎗️Day 371 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!!!”
October 7th, one year later - A full year has passed since that cursed Saturday... A painful year, a difficult year, a year of suffering, of bereavement, of explosions, shells, missiles, murders, physical and mental injuries... The sadness doesn't end, the tears don't stop.. A year of hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza, a year of funerals, of memorials, of fallen soldiers, of families shattered to pieces... The price we paid in this terrible war was so heavy, and hard to digest... I can't believe that we as a people have reached this date again, after such difficult days, after this terrible failure that caused all these atrocities to happen.

How can we continue? There's life "as usual" on 6/10/23 and there's life after... I can't stop the tears, I can't calm myself down... Such a difficult day, such a difficult year that's indescribable - from that terrible day until now.

878 civilians murdered 726 fallen soldiers since the beginning of the war 53 children murdered 921 orphans 119 bereaved parents left without children 251 kidnapped to Gaza, of whom 101 are still in Hamas captivity Hundreds of thousands of evacuees... And the numbers keep rising

I'll conclude this post with a word of hope - a prayer for the immediate return of all the hostages from Gaza home, that we won't know any more terrible losses as the war continues, and that we'll know quieter days.. Amen.

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

There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!
‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית

The two sections at the end, personal stories and Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages are very important to read, as important or more than the news of the day.

Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements

10:20pm yesterday -north - rockets/missiles
11:00pm yesterday -north - rockets/missiles
11:30pm yesterday -north - rockets/missiles
6:35am -south - hostile aircraft -Beer Ganim, Ashkelon, Brachia, Kfar Silver, Hodaia, Misha, Nir Yisrael - The Israel Defense Forces says it successfully shot down a drone that crossed into Israel, after drone alarms sounded in Ashkelon and nearby towns north of Gaza.
It does not say where the UAV came from, and there is no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
The attack comes hours after an Iran-backed militia in Iraq claimed to have fired a drone at the Red Sea city of Eilat.
8:20am -north - rockets/missiles
8:30am- Haifa, Acre and all areas around both cities - Residents of Acre and the Krayot area report a number of interceptions in the latest rocket barrage fired at northern Israel from Lebanon.
Some 20 rockets were fired in the barrage, Hebrew media reports, triggering sirens in the Upper Galilee and in communities close to the Lebanon border.
One rocket appeared to have impacted in the Kiryat Bialik Industrial Zone, causing minor damage but no injuries.
8:45am - north - rockets/missiles - Two people are said to have been wounded by anti-tank missile fire in Kibbutz Yir’on in the Upper Galilee, close to the Lebanon border.
The extent of their injuries is not immediately clear.
10:00am - north -Residents of several communities in northern Israel have been instructed to remain indoors due to a suspected terrorist infiltration.
The orders apply to residents of Rehaniya, Kerem Ben Zimra, Dalton and Kadita. Security forces are searching the area, and Ynet reports nothing unusual has been found thus far.
10:30am - north - A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force intercepted two unmanned aerial vehicles launched toward Israel from Lebanon, the IDF says, adding that the UAVs did not cross into Israeli territory, and as such, no sirens were activated.
Regarding earlier rocket launches, the military says that some 25 rockets were launched from Lebanon at around 8:30 a.m. It says that some of the rockets were intercepted while others fell in open areas. One other rocket was fired in a separate launch toward Kiryat Shmona, and fell in the area, the military adds.
10:50 - north - rockets/missiles
2:20pm - north - rockets/missiles
(2:45pm - south - rockets- Nir Am, Givim, Sapir College, Sderot, Ibim
*3:00pm - north - rockets/missles

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that three reserve soldiers were killed amid fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, where the military launched a fresh ground offensive this week to prevent Hamas from reestablishing itself in the area.
The three, all soldiers in the 5460th support unit of the 460th Brigade, were named as:
Master Sgt. (res.) Ori Moshe Borenstein, 32, from Moreshet.
Maj. (res.) Netanel Hershkovitz, 37, from Jerusalem.
Master Sgt. (res.) Tzvi Matityahu Marantz, 32, from Bnei Adam.
This composite photo shows from left to right Master Sgt. (res.) Ori Moshe Borenstein, Maj. (res.) Netanel Hershkovitz and Master Sgt. (res.) Tzvi Matityahu Marantz, who the IDF announced on October 10, 2024, had been killed fighting Hamas in northern Gaza. (Israel Defense Forces)
Their deaths bring the number of Israeli troops killed in the ground offensive in Gaza to 353.
The announcement came as the IDF said troops were pressing ahead with the operation in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya, where according to a military statement they killed dozens of terror operatives over the previous 24 hours.

Hostage Updates

IDF soldiers warn they will stop reporting if gov't does not advance a hostage deal
Some have signed as an indication that they are actively stopping their service, while others have signed as a warning that they are reaching a breaking point.
138 IDF soldiers, 17 of whom are in their regular service and the rest of whom are in reserves, have signed a letter expressing that they cannot continue to serve if the government does not advance a hostage deal, organizers behind the initiative told The Jerusalem Post Thursday.
Some have signed as an indication that they are actively stopping their service, while others, as a warning that they are reaching a breaking point. Some signed in support of the concept but have not stopped their service, or threatened they will do so imminently. Among those signed on the letter are several officers.
Delaying the return of hostages
“We, who serve and have served dedicatedly, while risking our lives, announce that if the government does not change direction immediately and work to advance a deal to bring the hostages home, we cannot continue to serve,” read the letter, addressed to the prime minister, defense minister, and IDF leadership.

“For some of us, a red line has already been crossed, for others, it is getting closer. The day is coming when we, with broken hearts, will stop reporting for service,” the letter added.
Demonstrators protest for a hostage release deal in Tel Aviv on September 21, 2024. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)

The letter also stated that signatories feel it is clear that the government is “not only delaying the return of the hostages from captivity but risking their lives: Many hostages have been killed by IDF bombardments, many more than have been saved in rescue missions.”
“We call on the government: Sign a deal now to save the lives of the hostages.”
The IDF did not receive the letter through official channels. link

Protest march in Tel Aviv: "A year of abandonment - No revival without a deal"
The protesters marched from Habima Square to the Kirya Gate calling for a deal • Naama Levy's grandfather: "Are there any chances left for the 101 living and dead hostages to return home?" • Snir Dan, uncle of the late Carmel Gat: "The observers warned in the months leading up to the attack, throughout this period the senior command refused to listen to the warnings"

A protest march, in which families of hostages participated, took place last night (Thursday) in Tel Aviv. The protesters marched from Habima Square to the Kirya Gate, ahead of the political-security cabinet meeting, calling on decision-makers to bring about a deal immediately: "A year of abandonment - No revival without a deal".

Among the marchers was Shaul Levy, grandfather of Naama Levy who is held hostage in Gaza: "I feel terrible guilt towards my granddaughter Naama. And I cry out: I didn't betray you! For almost a year I've been pacing like a lion in a cage and don't know what to do with myself from anxiety. I ask myself why I can't reach you and save you."

"We hear about the wonderful capabilities of the security services and the army across the border, and here, right next to us, there are 101 hostages and there's no savior and no rescuer," said Naama's grandfather. "It's driving me crazy! And she's withering away and losing hope and being humiliated in Hamas' dens and undergoing atrocities to her body and soul."

Snir Dan, uncle of the late Carmel Gat who was murdered in captivity, also participated in the march and said: "The observers warned in the months leading up to the surprise attack about Hamas' preparations for the attack, intelligence gathering, and unusual training. Throughout this period, the senior command refused to listen to the warnings."

"Women who weren't heard, and even today aren't heard. Einav Tzangaukar who wants her son back home alive, and other women who are shouting the obvious, the moral and right thing, not out of weakness but out of strength," he added. "They understand the limitations of power and demand not to sacrifice their sons and daughters on the altar of the corrupt government."

Esther Buchshtab, mother of the late Yagev Buchshtab, is also among the protesters in the demonstration: "I'm no longer a family of a hostage. But I'm part of the country and I have a responsibility towards the hostages. I'm here because I was educated for mutual responsibility, for civic responsibility towards my friends, towards people in my country." link

Rallies in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem demand ‘cabinet of death’ reach hostage deal
Marchers carry sign saying ‘there’s no rebirth without a deal,’ referencing PM’s desired name change for war; marking Yom Kippur, protesters ask for hostages’ forgivenessNorthern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
Hostage families and their supporters demand the government reach a deal to free their loved ones, in Tel Aviv, October 10, 2024. (Pro-Democracy Protest Movement/Danor Aharon)

Hostage families and their supporters rallied Thursday in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in support of a deal to free their loved ones and protested what they view as government inaction in reaching an agreement.
Demonstrators marched from Habima Square to the Kirya military base carrying various anti-government banners, one of them reading “A year of abandonment, there’s no rebirth without a deal,” referencing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to change the official name of the war with Hamas from “Swords of Iron” to the “War of Revival.”
Protesters also held up signs demanding an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, and labeling several ministers, including Netanyahu, as members of the “cabinet of death,” criticizing their ongoing opposition to a deal as fatal to the captives.
In Jerusalem, protesters gathered in front of the Great Synagogue and called out the names of hostages. They asked them for forgiveness for being left in captivity, ahead of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
Talks for a hostage deal have been deadlocked for several months. Hamas has demanded a complete withdrawal of the military from Gaza and a permanent end to the war, while Israel has refused any arrangement that would allow the terror group to retain control of the Strip and rebuild its military strength.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar reportedly reestablished contact with Qatari mediators recently, after being silent for several weeks because he believed Israel was uninterested in reaching a deal, although it doesn’t appear he has softened his stance.

Demonstrators call out the names of hostages held in Gaza, in front of the Great Synagogue, Jerusalem, October 10, 2024. (Pro-Democracy Protest Movement/Orna Kupferman)
White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk said Wednesday that Sinwar remains the main decision maker in the terror group and is likely hiding in an underground Gaza tunnel with hostages in his vicinity.
It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 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

Gaza

In the secret discussion at the General Staff, they instructed to prepare for war with Hamas according to "Jericho Wall" - but nothing was done

Who in the top security echelon was updated about the most important warning in IDF history a year before the attack, and why were the instructions of the Head of Operations Division to prepare for a mass invasion of Israeli territory not implemented - new revelations about the October 7 failure

On Yom Kippur Eve, especially when the publication of investigations is delayed and politicians are making every effort to bury a state inquiry, there is no more appropriate and somber time to bring new details and documents that have never been published before, about the biggest failure in Israel's history. A series of exposures regarding the "Jericho Wall" plan - that document accompanied by a presentation based on detailed intelligence information received by the IDF in spring 2022 and constitutes a fairly accurate description of the Hamas attack that materialized on October 7 - sheds light on how the security system treated the most important warning they had.

The revelations exposed here show to whom the "Jericho Wall" plan was distributed throughout the security system and political echelon, a year before the attack, and worse - how it was lost within it. Another document reveals the comparison made by the intelligence of the Gaza Division, months before the October 7 massacre, between the Nukhba training exercises and the invasion plan for the State of Israel. Another critical document that should reach the state commission of inquiry is the summary of a meeting by the then Head of Operations Division, Brigadier General Yaron Finkelman, now the Southern Command Chief. The date: July 27, 2022. The title: "Intelligence Deepening 'Jericho Wall' - Summary of Head of Operations Division". The Operations Division is responsible, among other things, for preparing and developing operational plans for war, as well as force activation and coordination. The purpose of the discussion according to the document - operational response to Jericho Wall.

Finkelman's summary states: "At its core, the Jericho Wall plan signifies a transition to a widespread offensive effort in Israeli territory, as part of Hamas's lesson-learning from previous events". He says that if these ideas are implemented, even partially, there is "significant damage potential". According to that summary, the Head of Operations Division gives appropriate weight to the plan and understands that Hamas is making a strategic change. Brilliantly, Finkelman analyzes well that "in the absence of the element of surprise, the probability of success of the plan is very low". And how would such a surprise occur? In two situations, he determines. If Hamas advances preparations and launches an attack under the cover of an exercise, "similar to the Yom Kippur War" (this is explicitly written!), or in case of misinterpretation of Israel's actions.

He lists steps to be taken - "to prepare for the plan as a possible scenario in the context of fighting", and to check against emergency orders, to examine if there is a required response. In particular, Finkelman notes, it's necessary to examine how to deal with an event of a mass invasion into Israel "in a scenario of fighting on two fronts simultaneously". From this moment on, the document is very practical. It's necessary to build possible courses of action to implement Jericho Wall, and formulate a divisional, command, and General Staff response. Those responsible are the Operations Department, Southern Command, Division 143. To improve operational infrastructures "under the assumption that we will encounter simultaneous raid patterns in the upper (i.e., ground invasion) and maritime domain". Again, responsibility is assigned. And finally - to conduct another discussion where "a comprehensive operational response to the Jericho Wall plan will be presented in an orderly manner". As far as I know, such a discussion did not take place. By the way, when Finkelman arrived at the Southern Command, neither the intelligence officer nor the outgoing General Toledano told him anything about Jericho Wall.

This document and discussion raise countless questions. At the end of 2022, Finkelman leaves the position, goes to study abroad, and returns to the position of Southern Command Chief. Clearly, he understands the threat in question. Did his successor at the time, the new Head of Military Intelligence Shlomi Binder, do anything with all this? When he entered his position, Jericho Wall was not presented to him at all. How is it possible that the Southern Command did not deal with this plan? How did Finkelman not push the issue when he arrived at the Southern Command, if he knew it so well?

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit responded: "The IDF is currently fully focused on the intense fighting on all fronts and achieving the war's objectives, and in parallel continues to advance in the process of investigating the events of October 7. When concluded, the findings will be presented transparently to the public."
link

Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria

Unfazed by IDF evacuation order, Bedouin villagers on Lebanese border cling to home
1,400 residents of Arab al-Aramshe have declined to leave despite army declaring the location a closed military zone
Some 1,400 residents of the Bedouin village of Arab al-Aramshe in the Western Galilee, which was declared a closed military zone on Monday for a week, have decided to stay despite the evacuation order, The Times of Israel has learned.
The IDF has made an exception to its orders, allowing these residents — who make up the majority of the village’s population — to remain, though they are not permitted to leave their houses, according to Adeb Mazal, the village’s community manager.
The village, part of the Mateh Asher Regional Council, is less than five kilometers (three miles) from the Lebanese border.
A year ago, after the October 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel and the onset of Hezbollah rocket fire toward northern Israel, the IDF ordered an evacuation of the village. Most residents were relocated to hotels in Nazareth, but within two months about half of them had returned, and by February, the majority had come back to the village.
At the start of this week, Mazal estimates that around 1,500 of the village’s 1,800 residents were at home in Arab al-Aramshe, with the other 50 families having rented apartments elsewhere in the Western Galilee. On Monday, he said, “a small number, perhaps 100, left for hotels in Acre and Nahariya, while the rest remained in the village.”
According to Mazal, the main reason for staying is aside from a general reluctance to leave, the fact that hotels — which are hosting many long-term evacuees plus hundreds recently evacuated from nearby Shlomi and other areas — have no room to accommodate most of the village’s residents on such short notice.

Adeb Mazal in Shavei Zion, May 2024. (Dafna Talmon)
“We are in an extremely challenging situation,” Mazal said. “The IDF is only allowing entry to the village for essential workers. The rest, if they leave, cannot return, and if they stay, they cannot leave their homes. They’re saying it’s fine; they have water, food, and shelter.”
“They are taking a huge risk,” he continued. “They are giving up their freedom of movement, and they are also risking the possibility that the order will be extended beyond October 13, potentially for a long period. I urge the residents: If you can, if you have somewhere to go, evacuate. For your safety. And if you stay, please follow the IDF’s instructions.”
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A closed military zone is an area the IDF declares off-limits due to security risks, under emergency regulations. The declaration means that residents who leave the village will not be allowed to return until the order is lifted.
On Monday, Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin declared the town of Shlomi, the kibbutzim of Rosh Hanikra, Hanita, and Adamit in the Western Galilee, and Arab al-Aramshe closed military zones.

This picture taken on March 15, 2023 shows a military area warning sign along the border area between southern Lebanon and northern Israel near the northern Arab-Israeli village of Arab al-Aramshe. (JALAA MAREY / AFP)
Also inside the closed military zone were several Upper Galilee towns, including Metula, Manara, Yiftach, Malchia, Misgav Am, and Kfar Giladi. Most residents of these areas had been evacuated at the start of the war, and some who had stayed or returned left this week following the declaration.
The military orders, signed by Gordin, state: “No civilian shall enter the closed zone without permission granted by me or on my behalf.”
In April of this year, Dor Zimel, a reservist in the Etzioni Brigade, was killed in Arab al-Aramshe by a Hezbollah drone. Eighteen other people were wounded — 14 IDF soldiers and members of the village’s emergency response team, and four civilians.
During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, a mother and her daughters — Fadia, Jumaa and Samira Sultana, residents of the village — were killed by a Hezbollah rocket.
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Cows graze in the border area near Israel’s northern Arab village of Arab al-Aramshe on March 15, 2023, while the southern Lebanese village of Dhaira appears in the background. (JALAA MAREY / AFP)

Mazal himself evacuated last year and is currently living in Shavei Zion, although his parents returned to the village. In an interview with The Times of Israel in June he declared: “I oppose returning to the village and try to convince the residents to leave.”
He explained at the time, however, why residents had returned: “Our connection to our home and land is integral to our culture. It’s unacceptable for us to live in an apartment building. The Bedouin want their sheep and cows in their garden.
“As the administrator for our community, I’ve had to deal with numerous complaints. People didn’t understand where they were or what they were supposed to do.
“The connection to the home and land is an inseparable part of Bedouin culture. We’re not accustomed to living in housing complexes; we want the sheep and cow in the yard. I had to deal with endless complaints. People didn’t understand where they were or what to do. We were welcomed warmly in Nazareth, but still didn’t feel like we belonged there.”

Adeb Mazal in Shavei Zion, May 2024. (Dafna Talmon)
The IDF told The Times of Israel, in response to a request for comment on this story: “The Home Front Command and Civil Defense officers are in continuous contact with residents and local authorities, providing updated instructions based on the situation assessment.
“The IDF urges residents to continue staying informed and to follow the Home Front Command’s instructions, as they save lives.” link

IDF says foreign laborer killed by fallen munition explosion, not anti-tank missile as first believed
Following a preliminary investigation, the IDF says that the death of a Thai laborer and the injury of another in Kibbutz Yir’on earlier was not caused by an anti-tank missile, as initially believed, but by fallen munition that exploded in the area.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel warns that it is illegal to employ foreign workers in evacuated communities, after a Thai worker was killed and another was seriously injured by anti-tank missile fire in Kibbutz Yir’on.
He says that in light of the incident, he has instructed the Director General of the Population and Immigration Authority to clamp down on employers who have continued to hire foreign workers in evacuated areas.
“The duty to protect every individual’s life prevails over opening irrigation systems in evacuated agricultural areas,” he adds.

The 205th Reserve Armored Brigade moves into southern Lebanon, and has destroyed Hezbollah tunnels, prepared defensive positions, and other enemy infrastructure, says the IDF.

“The brigade eliminated a number of terrorists and destroyed dozens of terrorist targets from the air, from the ground and with artillery,” according to the IDF.

“Today we will remove the threat of attack on our country,” says Brigade commander Col. Yoav Scheider in a radio message to his troops before they move into Lebanon. “This is our mission, this is what we are tasked with.”
“We have a difficult battle ahead,” he says, “but the mission is clear, important and urgent. video of the forces moving in
The commander of an anti-tank missile unit within Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, the IDF says in a statement.

According to the IDF, Ghareeb Alshuja’a had overseen the firing of anti-tank missiles toward the Ramot Naftali area.

An airstrike targeting Alshuja’a was carried out in the Meiss Ej-Jabal area, in coordination with troops of the IDF’s 91st Division, the military says.

In addition, over the last day, IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon uncovered and destroyed rocket launchers aimed at Israel, and several gunmen were eliminated while operating in a building close to where Israeli forces were located, the military says.

It adds that the Israeli Air Force also carried out multiple strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the last day, including weapons warehouses, an observation post and rocket launchers. video of the attack

Hezbollah's "Defense Minister," Nasrallah's Brother-in-Law: This is the Assassination Target in Beirut

Reuters reported that Wafiq Safa survived the assassination attempt • According to reports, 3 floors collapsed • The assassination target is another senior figure in Hezbollah's leadership - Wafiq Safa, who is married to Nasrallah's sister • He joined the terrorist organization in the 1980s, and in the 2008 hostage deal, he announced that Goldwasser and Regev were dead - after ordering the removal of the two soldiers' coffins from the Naqoura crossing during a broadcast • Profile of a killer

**Survived the assassination attempt?**
In Lebanon, it was reported last night (Thursday) about a large attack carried out by Israel in Beirut, outside the Dahieh quarter. The apparent target is Wafiq Safa - one of the highest-ranking officials in the terrorist organization who remains alive. In Lebanon, at least 18 casualties are reported in the attack, but it is not yet known if Safa is among them. However, Reuters reported from security sources that Safa survived the assassination attempt.

Safa is a well-known figure in Lebanon, and one of the prominent activists in Hezbollah and one of the closest to Nasrallah. He was born in Lebanon, served as the head of internal security in the organization and earned the nickname "Defense Minister" of the terrorist organization. Like most of the other senior officials assassinated in the last month, he joined Hezbollah 40 years ago, just two years after the organization was established in 1982. Over the years, he advanced through the ranks in Hezbollah. In 2008, when he served as the head of the terrorist organization's liaison unit, he was the one who announced during a broadcast at the Naqoura crossing that the two soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were kidnapped in the summer of 2006 in an incident where three other soldiers were killed and led to the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, were no longer alive. He was also one of the prominent figures who negotiated the deal on behalf of Hezbollah. "Now we are handing over the two Israeli captive soldiers who were captured by Hezbollah on July 12, 2006, and whose fate remained unknown until this moment," Safa said. When asked if they were alive, he replied with satisfaction: "Now their fate will be revealed," and then ordered the removal of the two coffins from the vehicle.

Later, Safa continued to advance in the leadership of the murderous organization. In an interview with the Iranian news agency about a year ago - published by the Revolutionary Guards also in Hebrew - he was called "the prominent security figure in Hezbollah in Lebanon" and even received the title "keeper of secrets of Hezbollah and the Lebanese Islamic Resistance." In that interview, conducted just two weeks before October 7, he also referred to Hezbollah's provocation of setting up two tents in Israeli territory and said: "The resistance forces are always on alert, these tents are placed inside Lebanese territory and must not be touched." At this stage, Israel has not officially commented or taken responsibility for the attack. link
**IDF Chief of Staff: "We are not stopping"**

Yesterday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar visited southern Lebanon. The two held a situation assessment there with the Northern Command chief and the commander of Division 91. "We have seven maneuvering divisions - three in Gaza - south, center and north of the Strip. Four divisions are working here. The IDF operates in many other places with ground and air forces, with intelligence and special operations in many sectors," Halevi said.

He added: "We continue to fight the enemy and we are not stopping until we understand that we know how to bring the residents back. Not only in security now, but also in future outlook. If someone comes to build these villages again, he will say 'it's not worth building terrorist infrastructure because the IDF will destroy this village again'. We operate in all sectors - also in the Bekaa and in Beirut, also north of the Litani and south of the Litani. All these things are working very strongly. What you are doing here is the most important component in bringing back the residents. Special days and holidays, and we are all focused on doing so that the residents of the State of Israel can celebrate the holidays and for years to come be here in security."

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said: "The State of Israel cannot protect its residents from terrorists only with the security line at the mall and against missiles only by building shelters. This needs to be in the terrorist nests and production lines. Therefore, on a peaceful border - defense on the border side. On a war border - defense on both sides of the border with freedom of action. In recent years we see Hamas establishing itself in Lebanon, it will increase because they will leave Gaza and the investment will be here. We will continue to pursue them everywhere. We will always remember the massacre of October 7 and ensure that they remember the lesson of October 8."

Meanwhile, the Arabic Sky News network reported that Wafiq Safa, who was the target of yesterday's attack in Beirut, was critically wounded in the assassination attempt. Yesterday, Hezbollah sources claimed he survived. link
Hezbollah appointed new military command, preparing for war of attrition. Halevi: "We are not stopping"

The Lebanese terrorist organization established a new command center 72 hours after Nasrallah's elimination, and Hezbollah sources claim it is in direct contact with the field. The reason behind the lack of use of powerful and precision missiles, and the Shin Bet chief's threat to Hamas terrorists in Lebanon: "We will pursue them everywhere. We'll make sure they remember the lesson of October 8"

Reuters reported today (Friday) that after almost all of its senior military leadership was eliminated, Hezbollah is preparing for a long war of attrition in southern Lebanon - with a new military command that will guide terrorists in rocket fire and fighting in southern Lebanon.

Sources in the terrorist organization told Reuters that Hezbollah still holds a significant weapons stockpile, which also includes precision missiles that it has not yet used.

Two sources said that Hezbollah's command experienced disruptions in the first days after the assassination of the organization's leader Hassan Nasrallah in an attack in the Dahieh quarter of Beirut. However, according to the two sources, a field commander in the organization and a source close to Hezbollah - the organization established a new command center after 72 hours. The command center continued to function, according to the report, despite IDF attacks, which allowed its operatives in the south to launch rockets and fight according to instructions from the central command.

The Hezbollah field commander claimed that the organization's operatives carry out orders "according to capabilities on the front," and described the new command in the terrorist organization as a "narrow circle" that is in direct contact with the field. He noted that the new command in Hezbollah operates in absolute secrecy. The terrorist organization, we should remember, has not yet officially appointed a successor to Hassan Nasrallah. Both his designated heir, Hashem Safi al-Din, and Safi al-Din's successor, in the words of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were eliminated in Israeli attacks. Earlier this week, the organization's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, announced that the fighting makes it difficult for Hezbollah to choose an alternative leader.

In any case, another source familiar with Hezbollah's activities said that the organization's internal landline network is "vital" for communication between the organization's operatives these days. Sources noted that the network survived attempts to damage it as part of attacks attributed to Israel on Hezbollah's communication networks - pagers and communication devices.
Destruction in the Hizbullah stronghold, the Da'ahia quarter. The operations room of the military command continues to function (Photo: AFP)

Since the IDF forces entered ground operations in southern Lebanon, the army has managed to clear several villages in southern Lebanon. Some of the battles against Hezbollah operatives are conducted face-to-face. The terrorist organization has not published how many terrorists have been killed since the beginning of the battles - and in fact, they rarely, if at all, publish the names of their casualties since Israel began eliminating senior officials one after another. Among IDF fighters, 12 soldiers and officers have fallen since the beginning of the operation. In Hezbollah, according to the same field commander, they have been preparing for years for ground combat against the IDF - and have built tunnels that, according to estimates in Israel, total hundreds of kilometers in length. "They are the basis of the battle. We prepared them for years - and their time has come." The source close to Hezbollah confirmed the claims in Israel that the tunnels uncovered recently were built for Radwan force members for the purpose of invading the Galilee. However, he claimed that Israel did not know the extent of the tunnels.

**Preserving powerful weapons and preventing damage to infrastructure**

One of the questions asked since Israel began escalating attacks in Lebanon - and even eliminated Hezbollah leader Nasrallah - is why the terrorist organization does not use powerful missiles, or precision missiles. Both sources said that Hezbollah chose not to use them in order to "keep something in reserve" in case of a long war. According to them, another reason - is "not to give Israel a reason to expand attacks on infrastructure in Lebanon - such as Beirut airport, roads and bridges."
A Hezbollah rocket launcher. They don't want to give Israel a reason to expand attacks (Photo: Reuters)

Another source said that Hezbollah did not launch its most powerful missiles at Israeli cities, like Tel Aviv, because it could give Israel a reason to attack Lebanon more severely.

On the other hand, sources in Israel said that the fact that Hezbollah launches between 100 to 200 rockets and missiles a day on average - and not thousands as expected, shows its significant weakening. Estimates around the extent of damage to Hezbollah's launch capabilities vary. According to a Western diplomat, even before Nasrallah's elimination - the terrorist organization lost about 25% of its missile capability.

West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel

Israel says it killed the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the central West Bank in an airstrike yesterday.

A handout photo released by the IDF on october 11, 2024, shows what the Israeli military says are guns and other items found on a pair of terrorists killed in an airstrike near Tulkarem a day earlier. (IDF Spokesperson)
Muhammad Abdullah was made the head of the Iran-backed terror group in the Tulkarem-area camp after his predecessor Muhhamad Jabber was killed in a gunbattle in late August, the Israel Defense Forces says.
The IDF says Abdullah was killed in a strike from the air alongside a second terrorist, without naming the second person.
The army says Abdullah was responsible for organizing the group’s activities, including “many attacks.” It accuses him of deploying explosives against Israeli troops.
The army says troops on the ground seized semi-automatic rifles and flack jackets found on the pair, the IDF says.
Official Palestinian Authority news outlet Wafa says troops also seized the bodies of the two, naming the second fatality as Awad Omar from the nearby town of Bal’a.

Politics and the War (general news)

The Region and the World

Personal Stories
Taken captive: Devoted uncle and Nir Oz resident Yair Horn
Yair captured with his younger brother Eitan Horn, visiting Kibbutz Nir Oz for the Simchat Torah Shabbat, October 7

Yair Horn, 45, was abducted from his Kibbutz Nir Oz home on October 7, as Hamas terrorists swarmed through the kibbutz, killing or kidnapping one in four of the community’s residents.

Horn’s younger brother, Eitan Horn, 37, was visiting from his home in Kfar Saba for the holiday weekend.

The family immigrated from Argentina years ago, and when sirens began sounding, warning of incoming rockets, their father Itzik messaged his two sons.

Eitan answered, writing, “Did you forget that in Yair’s kibbutz the missiles always pass overhead?”

That was the last communication received by the Horn family.

When father Itzik Horn heard that terrorists were attacking Kibbutz Nirim, he understood that Nir Oz would be next in line, given its location.

A Nir Oz friend later confirmed that the brothers were together at the time of the Hamas incursion into the kibbutz.

Yair works in construction, and is heavily involved in Nir Oz, organizing parties and holiday activities and is responsible for the local kibbutz pub.

They’re also very involved uncles, according to their father, Itzik, often taking their nephews to Hapoel Beersheba soccer games. link

Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages

Bibi: Bring the Hostages Back Home and Get Off the Stage
Adv. Avi Kalo
Former head of MIA (Missing in Action) Department, Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Branch.

History, it seems, has a haunting tendency to repeat itself, but in increasingly terrifying and powerful ways.
Following the Yom Kippur War, the Golda Meir administration rapidly crumbled. Its leaders resigned, were fired, and vanished into obscurity, never to return. High-ranking military officials, including Army Chief David "Dado" Elazar, paid a heavy price for that catastrophic failure. Now, fifty years later, history's grim ghost returns, draped in horror, death, and mourning, as the nation endures its worst security failure since the Holocaust. Over nine months have passed since that dark day, and the government, along with its leader, seems intent on dodging accountability - a double escape.
The first escape is institutional: The government and its head consistently refuse to take responsibility for the massacre and its devastating aftermath. They are desperately avoiding an official investigation that would inevitably point to the prime minister as the chief culprit, potentially ending his and his colleagues' political careers. The second escape, entwined with the first, yet far graver, is the failure to bring back the hostages. In their monumental fiasco, the government, particularly its leader, has been doing everything possible to evade, confuse, and delay both the enemy and the public, avoiding a hostage deal that would irrevocably tarnish their political future.
In essence, between the proverbial rock and hard place of Bibi’s political survival and personal ambition, lies a bloody space where the hostages are neglected. This space, unprecedented in Israel's history, marks a profound breach of trust between the State and its citizens. Meanwhile, the ruling elite continues to feign efforts to secure the hostages' release, despite the fact that their failures led to the kidnapping of many civilians and soldiers.
Bibi, it’s not too late, even though the hour is indeed late. You have one last choice, timed by the rapidly dwindling hourglass of our hostages’ lives: make the deal to bring them back. Yes, this deal may lead to the collapse of your extremist and messianic, anti-Zionist government, and possibly spell the end of your political career. Yet, these concerns pale in comparison to your profound moral duty as prime minister to those taken captive under your watch. It is your duty to ensure their right to freedom and life.
Close the deal now. Accept the political repercussions, and if necessary, step down from the political stage for good. Only then will history show you any measure of kindness - as a leader responsible for failure but also for the hostages' rescue.
Otherwise, if you persist on your current path, sabotaging any potential deal, history will judge you harshly. Your legacy, drenched in blood and reminiscent of the darkest eras, will be one of knowingly allowing Jews to be murdered.
The time is now. There is no other. The choice - bound by time and by the blood of our captive brothers and sisters - is in your hands.

Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

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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