π️Lonny's War Update- October 421, 2023 - November 30, 2024 π️
π️Day 421 that 101 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*8:25am - north in the Mediterranean -An Israeli Navy missile boat intercepted a drone in the Mediterranean Sea a short while ago, the military says.
According to the IDF, the drone was heading toward Israel and had been launched from “the east,” usually code for attacks from Iraq. No sirens were activated according to protocol, the military adds. Overnight, another suspected drone heading toward Israel from Iraq was shot down by the Israeli Air Force.
Hostage Updates
ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧͺ 36 ΧΧΧΧΧ£ ΧΧΧ¨ΧΧΧ ΧΧ¨ΧΧ
Today would be the 36th birthday of the hostage Uriel Baruch
Hostage Uriel Baruch murdered by Hamas, his body held in Gaza, his family reveals
Uriel Baruch, who was presumed taken hostage from the Supernova desert rave by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and whose death in Hamas captivity was announced on March 26, 2024. (Courtesy)
Tikva Forum says family informed by IDF of fate of 35-year-old father of two, who was abducted from Supernova festival on October 7; relatives remember ‘happy and loved man’
The Tikva Forum for Families of Hostages announced on Tuesday the death in Gaza of Uriel Baruch, 35, who was taken captive from the Supernova music festival on October 7.
The organization said Baruch’s family had been informed by the military that he was killed in captivity, and his body is being held hostage in Gaza.
He is survived by his wife Rachel, and their two sons. The family lives in the Giv’on settlement just outside Jerusalem.
“Uriel was a happy and loved man, he was loved by everyone around him,” his family said in a statement released via the Tikva Forum, an alternate group to the main umbrella Hostages Families Forum.
The news brings the number of confirmed deaths of hostages still being held in Gaza to 34, with another 67 held captive whose fates are unknown.
“Uriel Baruch, of blessed memory, was a joyful person who loved life. He worked in construction and loved techno music. Uriel was always surrounded by friends, most of whom called him by the affectionate nickname ‘Badalu,'” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
“Enough. We are heartbroken and can’t take the pain anymore. We want them back,” the statement read.
Baruch attended the Supernova rave with his friend, Michel Yoav, who was killed along with some 360 people at and near the party site by Hamas terrorists. He was last seen by his family in a video on social media showing Baruch’s car with his friend dead inside the car and Baruch on the ground, as they were trying to make their way home.
The family searched every hospital around the country, hoping that he was perhaps lying unidentified in one of them, and were eventually informed that he had been taken captive.
The families of the remaining hostages, as well as many of those who were freed, have demanded for months that the government reach a deal for their release, amid growing despair and the mounting death toll of those being held.
It is believed that 101 hostages, both alive and dead, abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza. During a weeklong truce in late November, 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 11 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and her fate is still unknown.
Hamas has also been holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively. link
- Hamas delegation to arrive in Cairo on Saturday amid push for hostage-ceasefire deal
A Hamas delegation will arrive in Cairo tomorrow for talks with Egyptian officials, the group’s senior official Basem Naim tells Reuters.
The visit comes days after the United States said it would begin new efforts with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to revive talks for a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal amid a renewed push in the wake of the truce between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
Hamas is displaying increased flexibility in long-stalled talks for an elusive ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip, and may agree to the Israel Defense Forces temporarily remaining on the enclave’s border with Egypt, a New York Times report said yesterday.
Poll: 71% back a deal to free the hostages and end war in Gaza; 51% oppose Gaza settlements
A poll shows overwhelming public support for a deal in which the hostages would be freed in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza.
Channel 12’s survey shows 71% support for such terms, compared to 15% who oppose them and 14% who don’t know.
Among supporters of what Channel 12 calls Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc of parties, 56% back a deal that stops the war in return for the hostages, 24% oppose it and 20% don’t know.
Hamas has consistently demanded a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza, an end to the war, and the release of large numbers of Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for the 101 hostages held captive in Gaza. Netanyahu said last night he would agree a ceasefire to secure the release of hostages but would not permanently end the war.
The poll also shows public favor continuing to shift away from Netanyahu and toward former prime minister Naftali Bennett, as well as showing a slight majority of the public does not support the rebuilding of settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Comparing Netanyahu to Bennett, 33 percent tell pollsters for Channel 12 news that the former is more suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 39% who say the latter.
Pitting Netanyahu against Opposition Lebanon Yair Lapid, 36% believe the former is more suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 28% who say the Yesh Atid leader is.
The network also asked respondents whether they favored Netanyahu against National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot – 35% of respondents say Netanyahu is more suited to serve as premier, compared to 33% who say Eisenkot is.
The poll also finds 51% of respondents are against the rebuilding of settlements in Gaza, with 33% in favor and 16% saying they do not know.
However, those who voted for Netanyahu showed a stronger tendency toward favoring the return of Jewish communities to the Strip, with 57% saying they agree and 24% against, with 16% responding that they do not know.
The Hezbollah-aligned Al-Akhbar outlet reports that Israeli and Egyptian officials have discussed the possibility of the transfer of medications to hostages held in Gaza.
Unnamed sources tell the outlet that topics under discussion during the Egyptian delegation’s visit to Tel Aviv this week included “the possibility of bringing in medicine for Israeli prisoners [sic], similar to a previous agreement.”
The Cairo officials are thought to have presented Israel with a “comprehensive vision” for Gaza. The Al-Akhbar report says talks were also held on the transfer of medications into the Strip for wounded Palestinians.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has not visited any of the hostages held by terrorists in Gaza despite urgent appeals from their loved ones and diplomatic officials for them to do so. link We don't know if this is true but even if it is, there is no way to know if the medications will ever reach the hostages. There was one delivery of medicines with the help of the French government, but no confirmation was ever received that any of the medicines reaching the hostages.
Protesters to rally this evening for hostage deal: ‘They can’t survive another winter in Hamas death tunnels’
The relatives of those held hostage in Gaza call for protesters to rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square at 8 p.m. this evening to mark one year since the temporary ceasefire in Gaza that saw 105 captives released.
“A full year has passed since the remaining 101 hostages in captivity believed their freedom was imminent, yet no further deals have materialized,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says in a statement.
“We must save them! They cannot survive another winter in Hamas’s death tunnels,” the forum says.
Speakers are to include Keren Munder, who was released in the deal last year along with her mother Ruti and young son Ohad. Her father Avraham was also kidnapped but was killed in Gaza.
Also due to speak is released hostage Ilana Gritzewsky, whose partner Matan Zangauker is still held hostage, and Chen Goldstein-Almog, who was released along with her three children Agam, Gal, and Tal. Her husband Nadav and daughter Yam were killed on October 7.
Liron Mor, the aunt of 5-year-old Avigail Idan who was taken hostage to Gaza and released last year, will also speak. Mor and her husband adopted the little girl and her siblings after their parents Smadar and Roee were killed on October 7.
Thomas Hand, whose daughter Emily was taken hostage and was freed in the temporary ceasefire, will also speak.
The demonstration will be the first since the Home Front lifted restrictions on the number of people permitted to gather in central Israel after the ceasefire with Hezbollah, put in place at the end of September following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah.
Hostage Updates
ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧͺ 36 ΧΧΧΧΧ£ ΧΧΧ¨ΧΧΧ ΧΧ¨ΧΧ
Today would be the 36th birthday of the hostage Uriel Baruch
Uriel Baruch, who was presumed taken hostage from the Supernova desert rave by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and whose death in Hamas captivity was announced on March 26, 2024. (Courtesy)
Tikva Forum says family informed by IDF of fate of 35-year-old father of two, who was abducted from Supernova festival on October 7; relatives remember ‘happy and loved man’
The Tikva Forum for Families of Hostages announced on Tuesday the death in Gaza of Uriel Baruch, 35, who was taken captive from the Supernova music festival on October 7.
The organization said Baruch’s family had been informed by the military that he was killed in captivity, and his body is being held hostage in Gaza.
He is survived by his wife Rachel, and their two sons. The family lives in the Giv’on settlement just outside Jerusalem.
“Uriel was a happy and loved man, he was loved by everyone around him,” his family said in a statement released via the Tikva Forum, an alternate group to the main umbrella Hostages Families Forum.
The news brings the number of confirmed deaths of hostages still being held in Gaza to 34, with another 67 held captive whose fates are unknown.
“Uriel Baruch, of blessed memory, was a joyful person who loved life. He worked in construction and loved techno music. Uriel was always surrounded by friends, most of whom called him by the affectionate nickname ‘Badalu,'” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
“Enough. We are heartbroken and can’t take the pain anymore. We want them back,” the statement read.
Baruch attended the Supernova rave with his friend, Michel Yoav, who was killed along with some 360 people at and near the party site by Hamas terrorists. He was last seen by his family in a video on social media showing Baruch’s car with his friend dead inside the car and Baruch on the ground, as they were trying to make their way home.
The family searched every hospital around the country, hoping that he was perhaps lying unidentified in one of them, and were eventually informed that he had been taken captive.
The families of the remaining hostages, as well as many of those who were freed, have demanded for months that the government reach a deal for their release, amid growing despair and the mounting death toll of those being held.
It is believed that 101 hostages, both alive and dead, abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza. During a weeklong truce in late November, 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 11 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and her fate is still unknown.
Hamas has also been holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively. link
- Hamas delegation to arrive in Cairo on Saturday amid push for hostage-ceasefire deal
A Hamas delegation will arrive in Cairo tomorrow for talks with Egyptian officials, the group’s senior official Basem Naim tells Reuters.
The visit comes days after the United States said it would begin new efforts with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to revive talks for a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal amid a renewed push in the wake of the truce between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
Hamas is displaying increased flexibility in long-stalled talks for an elusive ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip, and may agree to the Israel Defense Forces temporarily remaining on the enclave’s border with Egypt, a New York Times report said yesterday.
Poll: 71% back a deal to free the hostages and end war in Gaza; 51% oppose Gaza settlements
A poll shows overwhelming public support for a deal in which the hostages would be freed in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza.
Channel 12’s survey shows 71% support for such terms, compared to 15% who oppose them and 14% who don’t know.
Among supporters of what Channel 12 calls Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc of parties, 56% back a deal that stops the war in return for the hostages, 24% oppose it and 20% don’t know.
Hamas has consistently demanded a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza, an end to the war, and the release of large numbers of Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for the 101 hostages held captive in Gaza. Netanyahu said last night he would agree a ceasefire to secure the release of hostages but would not permanently end the war.
The poll also shows public favor continuing to shift away from Netanyahu and toward former prime minister Naftali Bennett, as well as showing a slight majority of the public does not support the rebuilding of settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Comparing Netanyahu to Bennett, 33 percent tell pollsters for Channel 12 news that the former is more suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 39% who say the latter.
Pitting Netanyahu against Opposition Lebanon Yair Lapid, 36% believe the former is more suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 28% who say the Yesh Atid leader is.
The network also asked respondents whether they favored Netanyahu against National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot – 35% of respondents say Netanyahu is more suited to serve as premier, compared to 33% who say Eisenkot is.
The poll also finds 51% of respondents are against the rebuilding of settlements in Gaza, with 33% in favor and 16% saying they do not know.
However, those who voted for Netanyahu showed a stronger tendency toward favoring the return of Jewish communities to the Strip, with 57% saying they agree and 24% against, with 16% responding that they do not know.
The Hezbollah-aligned Al-Akhbar outlet reports that Israeli and Egyptian officials have discussed the possibility of the transfer of medications to hostages held in Gaza.
Unnamed sources tell the outlet that topics under discussion during the Egyptian delegation’s visit to Tel Aviv this week included “the possibility of bringing in medicine for Israeli prisoners [sic], similar to a previous agreement.”
The Cairo officials are thought to have presented Israel with a “comprehensive vision” for Gaza. The Al-Akhbar report says talks were also held on the transfer of medications into the Strip for wounded Palestinians.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has not visited any of the hostages held by terrorists in Gaza despite urgent appeals from their loved ones and diplomatic officials for them to do so. link We don't know if this is true but even if it is, there is no way to know if the medications will ever reach the hostages. There was one delivery of medicines with the help of the French government, but no confirmation was ever received that any of the medicines reaching the hostages.
Protesters to rally this evening for hostage deal: ‘They can’t survive another winter in Hamas death tunnels’
The relatives of those held hostage in Gaza call for protesters to rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square at 8 p.m. this evening to mark one year since the temporary ceasefire in Gaza that saw 105 captives released.
“A full year has passed since the remaining 101 hostages in captivity believed their freedom was imminent, yet no further deals have materialized,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says in a statement.
“We must save them! They cannot survive another winter in Hamas’s death tunnels,” the forum says.
Speakers are to include Keren Munder, who was released in the deal last year along with her mother Ruti and young son Ohad. Her father Avraham was also kidnapped but was killed in Gaza.
Also due to speak is released hostage Ilana Gritzewsky, whose partner Matan Zangauker is still held hostage, and Chen Goldstein-Almog, who was released along with her three children Agam, Gal, and Tal. Her husband Nadav and daughter Yam were killed on October 7.
Liron Mor, the aunt of 5-year-old Avigail Idan who was taken hostage to Gaza and released last year, will also speak. Mor and her husband adopted the little girl and her siblings after their parents Smadar and Roee were killed on October 7.
Thomas Hand, whose daughter Emily was taken hostage and was freed in the temporary ceasefire, will also speak.
The demonstration will be the first since the Home Front lifted restrictions on the number of people permitted to gather in central Israel after the ceasefire with Hezbollah, put in place at the end of September following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah.
Gaza and the South
- Former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon claims Israel is being dragged by its leadership on a path of ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip that will lead to its destruction.
“The path we are being dragged down is occupation, annexation and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip,” the prominent government critic tells Democrat TV.
“Transfer, call it what you want, and Jewish settlements,” he says.
“Now look at the polls. Seventy percent — sometimes more and sometimes a little less — of the public in the State of Israel advocates a path that is Jewish, democratic, liberal, etc., and also with separation,” he says.
“Therefore, there must be no confusion here. The one who wants to confuse us is the one who is currently leading us to nothing less than destruction,” he says.
Journalist Lucy Aharish responds that Ya’alon is using unexpected language with the phrase “ethnic cleansing.”
“Ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, is that what you think? That we are on the way there?” she asks.
Ya’alon responds: “Why on the way? What is happening there? What is happening there? There is no Beit Lahia, there is no Beit Hanoun, they are currently operating in Jabalia and are essentially cleaning the area of Arabs.”
Israel has denied all claims of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. link Yaalon is not holding back. In the past, the term 'ethnic cleansing' has always been vehemently denied but Ben Gvir and Smotrich's statements and plans are very clear - 'voluntary' transfer of Palestinians to make way for Jewish settlement. However, Yaalon is only talking about Gaza. The extremists' plans are not limited to Gaza. They speak openly about doing the same thing in the West Bank. The difference is October 7 and the war where we have all but decimated Gaza and driven 1.5 million people from their homes and Ben Gvir and Smotrich want to make that permanent. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck and this duck is called 'Ethnic Cleansing'!
The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a car in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, targeting a terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught.
Palestinian media report that the strike in Khan Younis killed five people, including three local aid workers with World Central Kitchen.
“The terrorist was under intelligence surveillance for a long period, and was struck following reliable information about his location in real-time,” the military says.
The IDF says it is looking into claims that the terrorist was also employed by WCK, hired at some stage after the start of the war.
“We emphasize that it was a civilian unmarked vehicle and its movement on the route was not coordinated for transporting of aid,” the military adds.
- IDF releases footage of strike on Hamas operative in Rafah, says troops found weapons near hospital and mosque
The IDF releases a video showing a drone strike on a member of a Hamas cell that had set up booby traps in southern Gaza’s Rafah.
The military says that the cell had rigged barrels packed with explosives and other explosive devices in the area. They were all eliminated, according to the IDF.
The drone strike was directed by troops of the Nahal Brigade, which has been operating in Rafah under the Gaza Division in recent months.
Amid their operations, the IDF says the troops found weapons and military equipment during searches near a hospital and mosque in Rafah. video of the airstrike
“The path we are being dragged down is occupation, annexation and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip,” the prominent government critic tells Democrat TV.
“Transfer, call it what you want, and Jewish settlements,” he says.
“Now look at the polls. Seventy percent — sometimes more and sometimes a little less — of the public in the State of Israel advocates a path that is Jewish, democratic, liberal, etc., and also with separation,” he says.
“Therefore, there must be no confusion here. The one who wants to confuse us is the one who is currently leading us to nothing less than destruction,” he says.
Journalist Lucy Aharish responds that Ya’alon is using unexpected language with the phrase “ethnic cleansing.”
“Ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, is that what you think? That we are on the way there?” she asks.
Ya’alon responds: “Why on the way? What is happening there? What is happening there? There is no Beit Lahia, there is no Beit Hanoun, they are currently operating in Jabalia and are essentially cleaning the area of Arabs.”
Israel has denied all claims of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. link Yaalon is not holding back. In the past, the term 'ethnic cleansing' has always been vehemently denied but Ben Gvir and Smotrich's statements and plans are very clear - 'voluntary' transfer of Palestinians to make way for Jewish settlement. However, Yaalon is only talking about Gaza. The extremists' plans are not limited to Gaza. They speak openly about doing the same thing in the West Bank. The difference is October 7 and the war where we have all but decimated Gaza and driven 1.5 million people from their homes and Ben Gvir and Smotrich want to make that permanent. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck and this duck is called 'Ethnic Cleansing'!
The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a car in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, targeting a terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught.
Palestinian media report that the strike in Khan Younis killed five people, including three local aid workers with World Central Kitchen.
“The terrorist was under intelligence surveillance for a long period, and was struck following reliable information about his location in real-time,” the military says.
The IDF says it is looking into claims that the terrorist was also employed by WCK, hired at some stage after the start of the war.
“We emphasize that it was a civilian unmarked vehicle and its movement on the route was not coordinated for transporting of aid,” the military adds.
The IDF releases a video showing a drone strike on a member of a Hamas cell that had set up booby traps in southern Gaza’s Rafah.
The military says that the cell had rigged barrels packed with explosives and other explosive devices in the area. They were all eliminated, according to the IDF.
The drone strike was directed by troops of the Nahal Brigade, which has been operating in Rafah under the Gaza Division in recent months.
Amid their operations, the IDF says the troops found weapons and military equipment during searches near a hospital and mosque in Rafah. video of the airstrike
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
The US military’s CENTCOM announces that Major General Jasper Jeffers, Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), arrived in Beirut in recent days to oversee the implementation and monitoring mechanism of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.
Jeffers will do so alongside his co-chair, US Mideast envoy Amos Hochstein, who will fill the role until a permanent civilian US official is named.
The announcement notes that the oversight mechanism will be led by the US and include the Lebanese and Israeli militaries, UN peacekeepers and France.
The IDF confirms carrying out several strikes in Lebanon today, targeting threats that it says violated the ceasefire agreement.
Earlier today, the military says it identified a group of gunmen in southern Lebanon as they loaded a car up with RPGs, ammunition boxes and other military equipment. A drone then targeted the vehicle.
In another incident, a group of Hezbollah operatives were spotted at a building in southern Lebanon previously known to have been in use by the terror group. The IDF says troops struck the operatives, and later upon reaching the site found numerous weapons.
Additionally, a short while ago, the IDF says fighter jets carried out an airstrike against a Hezbollah facility near Sidon upon identifying activity there. According to the military, the site was used to store rocket launchers.
Separately, the IDF says it carried out a drone strike “deep within Lebanon” against a vehicle that was operating at a Hezbollah missile manufacturing facility.
“The IDF is deployed in southern Lebanon, working against any threat to the State of Israel, and will enforce any violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military adds. video of the drone airstrike
The IDF says it will again be imposing a nighttime curfew on movement in southern Lebanon.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman says that from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. tomorrow, “it is strictly forbidden” to cross the Litani River in a southbound direction.
“Those south of the Litani River, must remain where they are,” he says.
The IDF is still deployed to southern Lebanon, and it has 60 days to withdraw under the ceasefire deal.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Syrian military infrastructure near border crossings between Syria and Lebanon earlier today, which the IDF says were being “actively” used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons.
“This strike was carried out following the identification of the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah from Syria to Lebanon, even after the ceasefire agreement, and constitutes a threat to the State of Israel, in violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military says in a statement.
The IDF accuses Hezbollah, with the support of the Syrian regime, of using civilian border crossings to bring weapons into Lebanon.
Israel has vowed to prevent all weapon transfers to Hezbollah amid the ceasefire.
“The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel that violates the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military adds.
The IDF says it located a cache of weapons belonging to Hezbollah hidden inside a mosque during scans in southern Lebanon in the past day.
Troops also worked to disperse suspects who approached a no-go zone in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF.
“The IDF is deployed in southern Lebanon and will enforce any violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the military adds.
Northern Residents Have No Timeline for Returning Home, While Reconstruction in Lebanon Begins: "Massive Damage—Why Wait?"
A pharmacy owner told The Guardian that he estimated the damage at around 1.8 million shekels, while a candy store owner said, "We must stand on our own two feet." In Nabatieh, where the city's mayor was killed in an attack, locals shared, "Our safes were burned—we have no way to help the residents."
In Israel, tens of thousands remain internally displaced, with no clear indication of when they can return home. In the days following the ceasefire, while many northern Israeli residents have yet to return to homes—some of which were completely destroyed during over a year of fighting—reconstruction efforts have already begun in southern Lebanon.
"We started in the morning—why wait?" said Wafik Jaber, a resident of Nabatieh, to the British Guardian. "We must stand on our own two feet. We've grown used to the fact that the state can't help us. We have private generators, and someone is on the way to bring water. We don’t need anything from the authorities—just stability." Jaber’s candy shop was destroyed in one of the attacks on the city. Six weeks before the agreement was implemented, he monitored his shop via security cameras until the feed cut out, signaling the shop had been hit.
While supervising debris removal, he told the British outlet that the damage was estimated at around 7 million shekels. The World Bank, headquartered in Washington, D.C., estimated the total damage in Lebanon at around 31 billion shekels.
Other shop owners, like Hassan Baalbaki, also said they received no assistance offers from the authorities and couldn’t afford the repair costs alone. "No one came to talk to us. We’re working alone," said Baalbaki, whose pharmacy sustained about 1.8 million shekels in damage. "That’s not including structural damage. I can’t pay for it, but I hope to reopen next month."
Nabatieh was among the hardest-hit cities in southern Lebanon, particularly during an IDF strike in October described by Lebanese media as a "fire belt." Reports indicated that the attack targeted the municipal building, killing several workers and volunteers, including Mayor Ahmad Kahil. Municipal officials stated that the city's reconstruction would take time.
"This is dangerous work, and it will take more time—days—before we can clear the streets," said Ali Faqih, overseeing the work for the municipality. "There may still be bombs or mines under the concrete."
A regional representative in the Lebanese government said, "The scale of the destruction is immense, and we are uncertain how long it will take to rebuild the cities and villages." Despite residents of southern Lebanon beginning to return to their homes shortly after the ceasefire, formal damage assessments have yet to be conducted.
Municipal engineer Hussein Jaber described to the British newspaper how the destruction has slowed their efforts: "Everyone in the municipality was either injured or killed, which is delaying us. We lack the personnel to assess the damage and the resources to fix it. Our safes were burned—we can't provide financial support. We have no way to help the residents." link
The US military’s CENTCOM announces that Major General Jasper Jeffers, Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), arrived in Beirut in recent days to oversee the implementation and monitoring mechanism of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.
Jeffers will do so alongside his co-chair, US Mideast envoy Amos Hochstein, who will fill the role until a permanent civilian US official is named.
The announcement notes that the oversight mechanism will be led by the US and include the Lebanese and Israeli militaries, UN peacekeepers and France.
The IDF confirms carrying out several strikes in Lebanon today, targeting threats that it says violated the ceasefire agreement.
Earlier today, the military says it identified a group of gunmen in southern Lebanon as they loaded a car up with RPGs, ammunition boxes and other military equipment. A drone then targeted the vehicle.
In another incident, a group of Hezbollah operatives were spotted at a building in southern Lebanon previously known to have been in use by the terror group. The IDF says troops struck the operatives, and later upon reaching the site found numerous weapons.
Additionally, a short while ago, the IDF says fighter jets carried out an airstrike against a Hezbollah facility near Sidon upon identifying activity there. According to the military, the site was used to store rocket launchers.
Separately, the IDF says it carried out a drone strike “deep within Lebanon” against a vehicle that was operating at a Hezbollah missile manufacturing facility.
“The IDF is deployed in southern Lebanon, working against any threat to the State of Israel, and will enforce any violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military adds. video of the drone airstrike
The IDF says it will again be imposing a nighttime curfew on movement in southern Lebanon.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman says that from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. tomorrow, “it is strictly forbidden” to cross the Litani River in a southbound direction.
“Those south of the Litani River, must remain where they are,” he says.
The IDF is still deployed to southern Lebanon, and it has 60 days to withdraw under the ceasefire deal.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Syrian military infrastructure near border crossings between Syria and Lebanon earlier today, which the IDF says were being “actively” used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons.
“This strike was carried out following the identification of the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah from Syria to Lebanon, even after the ceasefire agreement, and constitutes a threat to the State of Israel, in violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military says in a statement.
The IDF accuses Hezbollah, with the support of the Syrian regime, of using civilian border crossings to bring weapons into Lebanon.
Israel has vowed to prevent all weapon transfers to Hezbollah amid the ceasefire.
“The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel that violates the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military adds.
The IDF says it located a cache of weapons belonging to Hezbollah hidden inside a mosque during scans in southern Lebanon in the past day.
Troops also worked to disperse suspects who approached a no-go zone in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF.
“The IDF is deployed in southern Lebanon and will enforce any violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the military adds.
Northern Residents Have No Timeline for Returning Home, While Reconstruction in Lebanon Begins: "Massive Damage—Why Wait?"
A pharmacy owner told The Guardian that he estimated the damage at around 1.8 million shekels, while a candy store owner said, "We must stand on our own two feet." In Nabatieh, where the city's mayor was killed in an attack, locals shared, "Our safes were burned—we have no way to help the residents."
In Israel, tens of thousands remain internally displaced, with no clear indication of when they can return home. In the days following the ceasefire, while many northern Israeli residents have yet to return to homes—some of which were completely destroyed during over a year of fighting—reconstruction efforts have already begun in southern Lebanon.
"We started in the morning—why wait?" said Wafik Jaber, a resident of Nabatieh, to the British Guardian. "We must stand on our own two feet. We've grown used to the fact that the state can't help us. We have private generators, and someone is on the way to bring water. We don’t need anything from the authorities—just stability." Jaber’s candy shop was destroyed in one of the attacks on the city. Six weeks before the agreement was implemented, he monitored his shop via security cameras until the feed cut out, signaling the shop had been hit.
While supervising debris removal, he told the British outlet that the damage was estimated at around 7 million shekels. The World Bank, headquartered in Washington, D.C., estimated the total damage in Lebanon at around 31 billion shekels.
Other shop owners, like Hassan Baalbaki, also said they received no assistance offers from the authorities and couldn’t afford the repair costs alone. "No one came to talk to us. We’re working alone," said Baalbaki, whose pharmacy sustained about 1.8 million shekels in damage. "That’s not including structural damage. I can’t pay for it, but I hope to reopen next month."
Nabatieh was among the hardest-hit cities in southern Lebanon, particularly during an IDF strike in October described by Lebanese media as a "fire belt." Reports indicated that the attack targeted the municipal building, killing several workers and volunteers, including Mayor Ahmad Kahil. Municipal officials stated that the city's reconstruction would take time.
"This is dangerous work, and it will take more time—days—before we can clear the streets," said Ali Faqih, overseeing the work for the municipality. "There may still be bombs or mines under the concrete."
A regional representative in the Lebanese government said, "The scale of the destruction is immense, and we are uncertain how long it will take to rebuild the cities and villages." Despite residents of southern Lebanon beginning to return to their homes shortly after the ceasefire, formal damage assessments have yet to be conducted.
Municipal engineer Hussein Jaber described to the British newspaper how the destruction has slowed their efforts: "Everyone in the municipality was either injured or killed, which is delaying us. We lack the personnel to assess the damage and the resources to fix it. Our safes were burned—we can't provide financial support. We have no way to help the residents." link
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz want IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi to step down over his responsibility to prevent Hamas’s October 7 massacre by the end of the implementation period for the ceasefire in Lebanon, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
Citing unnamed diplomatic and security sources as well as cabinet ministers, Kan reports the premier and defense minister seek to replace Halevi upon the end of the 60-day transition period.
Defense Minister Director-General Eyal Zamir, Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Amir Baram, Strategy Directorate of the IDF General Staff head Eliezer Toledano, or IDF Northern Command chief Ori Gordon are listed in the report as possible replacements.
The ceasefire sets out a 60-day transition period, during which the IDF will withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese Army will deploy some 5,000 troops south of the Litani River, including at 33 posts along the border with Israel. Hezbollah is banned from operating south of the river, several kilometers from the border.
The US has also reportedly provided a side letter specifying Israel’s right to respond to any violations of the ceasefire. LINK Such utter and disgusting hypocrisy. Netanyahu wants Halevi to step down over his responsibility for Oct 7 but Netanyahu absolutely refuses to take any responsibility whatsoever and his responsibility goes back for years on end. Driving Halevi out, which will certainly be followed with replacing the head of the Shin Bet which he is trying to do for other reasons, fits his false narrative that he bears no responsibility for October 7 and that it was entirely the fault of the security forces. Horrendous, disgraceful and disgusting, but that pretty much sums up Netanyahu's behavior and self serving nature and actions.
A Strategic Threat Under Israel's Nose: Why Was It Allowed to Happen, and What Is the Lesson for the Ceasefire?
After years of deceptive calm, Nasrallah's threats to conquer the Galilee turned out to be a well-planned operational scheme. Israel was aware of Hezbollah's massive weapon stockpiles aimed at the northern residents but relied on intelligence and forces that would arrive within 36 hours: "We lived in a dream, sitting on a powder keg." Scenes of destruction tell the whole story.
"Preemptive Response Reserved"
On August 13, 2006, after the Israeli government approved the ceasefire in southern Lebanon under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert clarified: "In case of information on a Hezbollah force threatening Israeli civilians or soldiers, we reserve the right to respond preemptively." Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni supported the decision, calling it "good for Israel," though Hezbollah later breached the agreement by not releasing abducted soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
Opposition to the Ceasefire
In 2006, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the ceasefire, warning that Resolution 1701 was dangerous. In 2014, he criticized it for enabling Hezbollah's massive arsenal buildup. However, he failed to acknowledge that much of Hezbollah's rearmament occurred during his tenure.
Hezbollah's Military Infrastructure
Under the guise of quiet, Hezbollah built a new military infrastructure, becoming the most heavily armed non-state organization in the world. In 2018, Israel launched Operation Northern Shield, uncovering Hezbollah's cross-border attack tunnels. However, no action was taken against infrastructure just meters inside Lebanon.
The Deadly Illusion of Peace
On October 7, 2023, as violence erupted, Gabi Na'aman, head of the Shlomi council, urgently called for military reinforcements. They arrived only after eight hours, exposing how vulnerable the northern front was. Na'aman reflected: "What happened on October 7 shocked us. The military must restore trust and ensure we return home safely."
A Legacy of Missed Warnings
For years, Na'aman and other northern leaders warned about Hezbollah's growing threat, but most preferred the illusion of peace. The recently unveiled offensive capabilities just across the border stunned local residents. "If the IDF knew about this, it's serious. If they didn’t, it's even worse," Na'aman stressed.
In conclusion, the lessons from this ongoing conflict underline the need for vigilance, proactive defense, and the painful consequences of underestimating a well-prepared enemy.
Over the past few years, Hezbollah has repeatedly tested Israel's patience, which adhered to the "campaign between wars" strategy (MABAM)—essentially a policy designed to indefinitely delay an inevitable war. In response to Nasrallah's "equations," Netanyahu avoided initiating a large-scale operation, preferring a policy in which Israel struck in Syria but refrained from targeting Hezbollah operatives or attacking Lebanon. Even when the prime minister changed briefly, the policy remained largely the same. It was assumed that if Hezbollah decided to attack, the IDF would have at least a three-day intelligence warning. However, on October 7, 2023, it became clear how risky that assumption was.
In August 2021, Hezbollah took responsibility for firing rockets at Israel for the first time since the Second Lebanon War. Previously, other organizations had claimed responsibility for such attacks with Hezbollah's approval. In response, the IDF launched a wave of strikes, but senior military officials admitted at the time, "We are not interested in escalation or war, but we won't allow the border to become a conflict zone." According to reports, the U.S. pressured Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to avoid a disproportionate response that could trigger a war, and indeed, Israel complied. Senior military officials added, "None of the parties want a war, especially not in the middle of summer. However, we do not want to continue under this equation." Six months earlier, under Netanyahu, Military Intelligence estimated that Hezbollah might initiate "limited escalations," but nothing was done.
"The entire defensive line of the IDF was neglected," says Naaman. "In 2020, a year before that rocket fire, two Sudanese individuals crossed into Shlomi through the fences. The search lasted all night and day until they were found in a drainage pipe in the forest. These were people seeking food or perhaps sent to test Israel's alertness. It was negligence. Now, a defense line must be established without any excuses like 'It'll be fine, and if something happens, we'll be there.' Anyone who thinks that way is setting the stage for Israeli citizens to get hurt."
IDF's Preparedness
Hezbollah’s plan, according to reports, was no secret. Military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai wrote in late 2015 that "despite being deeply embroiled in Syria and having a strong interest in avoiding conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has been preparing for a third Lebanon war as if it were imminent for over a year. This stems from a strategic shift by Nasrallah and Iranian Quds Force officials about a year ago." Ben-Yishai highlighted three primary challenges for the IDF:
1. Heavy and precise missile fire, more than ever before.
2. Special Hezbollah forces attempting to cross into Israel to capture towns, take hostages, and block key transportation routes.
3. Intense mortar and short-range rocket fire aimed at causing mass casualties and destruction in Israeli towns near the border.
Ben-Yishai emphasized that Hezbollah's aim was to maximize civilian casualties, forcing the evacuation of communities and causing demoralization.
A few months later, senior IDF officials confirmed that Hezbollah had turned most of its 200 Shiite villages in southern Lebanon into military outposts. They focused on improving the precision and size of their warheads while expanding underground warfare capabilities. Yet, they clarified, "We have the knowledge and capability to strike Hezbollah. These villages will be hit and result in many refugees." By September 2017, the IDF continued preparations for war, conducting the largest military exercise in 19 years. Tens of thousands of soldiers, including reservists, from several divisions participated, preparing for the worst-case scenario of a mass infiltration by Hezbollah fighters.
Strategic Misjudgment
Despite intelligence indicating accelerated training and infrastructure preparations near the border, the political echelon ordered defensive preparations instead of preemptive strikes. The idea was to "shape" the border area with artificial cliffs, fences, and observation equipment to hinder any Hezbollah assault. However, the assumption was that there would be an intelligence warning before an attack. On October 7, when the reserves mobilized quickly and reached the border within 36 hours, it became evident that a simultaneous attack by Hezbollah would have been catastrophic.
The Tunnel Fiasco
Another aspect of the failure involved the tunnel issue. Residents of northern Israel had repeatedly complained about excavation noises, but the IDF, until Operation "Northern Shield," refused to acknowledge Hezbollah tunnels' existence. Only in 2019, when six terror tunnels were neutralized, did the IDF confirm the residents’ suspicions. Despite this, concerns persisted that undetected tunnels still existed.
Conclusion
With the ceasefire in effect, the question remains: what will happen in the future? Destruction alone will not prevent Hezbollah's resurgence if given time and resources to rebuild. Israeli officials emphasize that this time, there can be no compromises, and the mistakes of the past must not be repeated. link
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz want IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi to step down over his responsibility to prevent Hamas’s October 7 massacre by the end of the implementation period for the ceasefire in Lebanon, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
Citing unnamed diplomatic and security sources as well as cabinet ministers, Kan reports the premier and defense minister seek to replace Halevi upon the end of the 60-day transition period.
Defense Minister Director-General Eyal Zamir, Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Amir Baram, Strategy Directorate of the IDF General Staff head Eliezer Toledano, or IDF Northern Command chief Ori Gordon are listed in the report as possible replacements.
The ceasefire sets out a 60-day transition period, during which the IDF will withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese Army will deploy some 5,000 troops south of the Litani River, including at 33 posts along the border with Israel. Hezbollah is banned from operating south of the river, several kilometers from the border.
The US has also reportedly provided a side letter specifying Israel’s right to respond to any violations of the ceasefire. LINK Such utter and disgusting hypocrisy. Netanyahu wants Halevi to step down over his responsibility for Oct 7 but Netanyahu absolutely refuses to take any responsibility whatsoever and his responsibility goes back for years on end. Driving Halevi out, which will certainly be followed with replacing the head of the Shin Bet which he is trying to do for other reasons, fits his false narrative that he bears no responsibility for October 7 and that it was entirely the fault of the security forces. Horrendous, disgraceful and disgusting, but that pretty much sums up Netanyahu's behavior and self serving nature and actions.
A Strategic Threat Under Israel's Nose: Why Was It Allowed to Happen, and What Is the Lesson for the Ceasefire?
After years of deceptive calm, Nasrallah's threats to conquer the Galilee turned out to be a well-planned operational scheme. Israel was aware of Hezbollah's massive weapon stockpiles aimed at the northern residents but relied on intelligence and forces that would arrive within 36 hours: "We lived in a dream, sitting on a powder keg." Scenes of destruction tell the whole story.
"Preemptive Response Reserved"
On August 13, 2006, after the Israeli government approved the ceasefire in southern Lebanon under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert clarified: "In case of information on a Hezbollah force threatening Israeli civilians or soldiers, we reserve the right to respond preemptively." Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni supported the decision, calling it "good for Israel," though Hezbollah later breached the agreement by not releasing abducted soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.Opposition to the Ceasefire
In 2006, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the ceasefire, warning that Resolution 1701 was dangerous. In 2014, he criticized it for enabling Hezbollah's massive arsenal buildup. However, he failed to acknowledge that much of Hezbollah's rearmament occurred during his tenure.Hezbollah's Military Infrastructure
Under the guise of quiet, Hezbollah built a new military infrastructure, becoming the most heavily armed non-state organization in the world. In 2018, Israel launched Operation Northern Shield, uncovering Hezbollah's cross-border attack tunnels. However, no action was taken against infrastructure just meters inside Lebanon.The Deadly Illusion of Peace
On October 7, 2023, as violence erupted, Gabi Na'aman, head of the Shlomi council, urgently called for military reinforcements. They arrived only after eight hours, exposing how vulnerable the northern front was. Na'aman reflected: "What happened on October 7 shocked us. The military must restore trust and ensure we return home safely."A Legacy of Missed Warnings
For years, Na'aman and other northern leaders warned about Hezbollah's growing threat, but most preferred the illusion of peace. The recently unveiled offensive capabilities just across the border stunned local residents. "If the IDF knew about this, it's serious. If they didn’t, it's even worse," Na'aman stressed.In conclusion, the lessons from this ongoing conflict underline the need for vigilance, proactive defense, and the painful consequences of underestimating a well-prepared enemy.
Over the past few years, Hezbollah has repeatedly tested Israel's patience, which adhered to the "campaign between wars" strategy (MABAM)—essentially a policy designed to indefinitely delay an inevitable war. In response to Nasrallah's "equations," Netanyahu avoided initiating a large-scale operation, preferring a policy in which Israel struck in Syria but refrained from targeting Hezbollah operatives or attacking Lebanon. Even when the prime minister changed briefly, the policy remained largely the same. It was assumed that if Hezbollah decided to attack, the IDF would have at least a three-day intelligence warning. However, on October 7, 2023, it became clear how risky that assumption was.
In August 2021, Hezbollah took responsibility for firing rockets at Israel for the first time since the Second Lebanon War. Previously, other organizations had claimed responsibility for such attacks with Hezbollah's approval. In response, the IDF launched a wave of strikes, but senior military officials admitted at the time, "We are not interested in escalation or war, but we won't allow the border to become a conflict zone." According to reports, the U.S. pressured Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to avoid a disproportionate response that could trigger a war, and indeed, Israel complied. Senior military officials added, "None of the parties want a war, especially not in the middle of summer. However, we do not want to continue under this equation." Six months earlier, under Netanyahu, Military Intelligence estimated that Hezbollah might initiate "limited escalations," but nothing was done.
"The entire defensive line of the IDF was neglected," says Naaman. "In 2020, a year before that rocket fire, two Sudanese individuals crossed into Shlomi through the fences. The search lasted all night and day until they were found in a drainage pipe in the forest. These were people seeking food or perhaps sent to test Israel's alertness. It was negligence. Now, a defense line must be established without any excuses like 'It'll be fine, and if something happens, we'll be there.' Anyone who thinks that way is setting the stage for Israeli citizens to get hurt."
IDF's Preparedness
Hezbollah’s plan, according to reports, was no secret. Military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai wrote in late 2015 that "despite being deeply embroiled in Syria and having a strong interest in avoiding conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has been preparing for a third Lebanon war as if it were imminent for over a year. This stems from a strategic shift by Nasrallah and Iranian Quds Force officials about a year ago." Ben-Yishai highlighted three primary challenges for the IDF:
1. Heavy and precise missile fire, more than ever before.
2. Special Hezbollah forces attempting to cross into Israel to capture towns, take hostages, and block key transportation routes.
3. Intense mortar and short-range rocket fire aimed at causing mass casualties and destruction in Israeli towns near the border.
Ben-Yishai emphasized that Hezbollah's aim was to maximize civilian casualties, forcing the evacuation of communities and causing demoralization.
A few months later, senior IDF officials confirmed that Hezbollah had turned most of its 200 Shiite villages in southern Lebanon into military outposts. They focused on improving the precision and size of their warheads while expanding underground warfare capabilities. Yet, they clarified, "We have the knowledge and capability to strike Hezbollah. These villages will be hit and result in many refugees." By September 2017, the IDF continued preparations for war, conducting the largest military exercise in 19 years. Tens of thousands of soldiers, including reservists, from several divisions participated, preparing for the worst-case scenario of a mass infiltration by Hezbollah fighters.
Strategic Misjudgment
Despite intelligence indicating accelerated training and infrastructure preparations near the border, the political echelon ordered defensive preparations instead of preemptive strikes. The idea was to "shape" the border area with artificial cliffs, fences, and observation equipment to hinder any Hezbollah assault. However, the assumption was that there would be an intelligence warning before an attack. On October 7, when the reserves mobilized quickly and reached the border within 36 hours, it became evident that a simultaneous attack by Hezbollah would have been catastrophic.
The Tunnel Fiasco
Another aspect of the failure involved the tunnel issue. Residents of northern Israel had repeatedly complained about excavation noises, but the IDF, until Operation "Northern Shield," refused to acknowledge Hezbollah tunnels' existence. Only in 2019, when six terror tunnels were neutralized, did the IDF confirm the residents’ suspicions. Despite this, concerns persisted that undetected tunnels still existed.
Conclusion
With the ceasefire in effect, the question remains: what will happen in the future? Destruction alone will not prevent Hezbollah's resurgence if given time and resources to rebuild. Israeli officials emphasize that this time, there can be no compromises, and the mistakes of the past must not be repeated. link
The Region and the World
Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad say they have reached the heart of the northern city of Aleppo, after a surprise sweep through government-held towns and nearly a decade after having been forced out of the city.
The opposition fighters, led by the Islamist jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched an incursion on Wednesday into a dozen towns and villages in the northern province of Aleppo, which was controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, backed by both Iran and Russia.
They made quick progress and by this evening, an operations room representing the offensive said rebels were sweeping through various neighborhoods of the city.
Assad and his allies Russia, Iran and regional Shi’ite militias had retaken all of Aleppo city in late 2016, with insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege in a battle that turned the tide against the opposition.
Rebel commander in the Jaish al-Izza rebel brigade Mustafa Abdul Jaber says the speedy advance was due to insufficient Iran-backed manpower in the broader province. Iran’s terror proxies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel since the start of the Gaza war, sparked by the Hamas terror group’s October 7 onslaught.
Syrian authorities have closed Aleppo airport and canceled all flights, a military source tells Reuters, as Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad say they reached the heart of the northern city of Aleppo. -- the situation in Syria is of great concern in Israel and the US. The instability can have a major impact on the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon and in the region. Part of the ceasefire agreement subtly states that Israeli attacks on Hizbollah, weapons and weapons smuggling be carried out as much as possible in Syrian territory and not in Lebanese. In addition, these particular rebel forces were previously aligned with Al Queda, so they are no friends of the west.
Russia’s military says its air force is bombing anti-government forces in Syria to repel “extremists” that have launched a major offensive on the city of Aleppo, Russian state news agencies reports.
Jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies reached Syria’s second city earlier today, pressing a lightning offensive against forces of the Iranian- and Russian-backed government.
The fighting is some of the deadliest in years in Syria’s civil war.
“The Russian air force is carrying out rocket-bomb attacks on the equipment and manpower of illegal armed groups, control points, warehouses and artillery positions of terrorists,” news agencies report a spokesperson for the defense ministry’s Reconciliation Centre for Syria as saying.
It claims that 200 militants had been “destroyed” over the last 24 hours.
AFP could not verify that figure.
“The operation to repel the aggression of the extremists continues,” says Oleg Ignasyuk, deputy head of the Russian reconciliation center, state media reported.
Moscow is Syrian leader Bashar Assad’s most important military backer, having turned the tide of the civil war in his favor when it intervened in 2015.
Survivors
Personal Stories Taken captive: Daniella Gilboa, identified by the shirt she woreGilboa, 19, has been missing since October 7; family saw her in a Hamas video
Daniella Gilboa, 19, was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Gilboa was in touch with her family on the morning of the attack.
She also sent her boyfriend videos that morning, which showed what she was wearing that day.
When Hamas videos appeared later that day, showing three of Gilboa’s friends being taken hostage to Gaza, Gilboa’s family was able to identify her by the shirt they knew she was wearing, and a small, hidden ponytail on her head.
The army later confirmed that Gilboa was taken hostage to Gaza.
“I picture her walking in the door and coming home,” said her mother, Orly, in multiple interviews.
Family of hostage Daniella Gilboa allows release of Hamas video of her from JanuaryRelatives release three-minute clip, edited from longer Hamas footage showing two other hostages, to emphasize ‘last opportunity’ to save captives’ lives
Daniella Gilboa in a Hamas propaganda clip published January 26, 2024. (Screenshot: Telegram)``The family of Israeli hostage Daniella Gilboa permitted media on Monday to publish a Hamas propaganda video of her from January, in which Gilboa says she has been abandoned by the government and begs to be brought home.
Though Hamas has from time to time issued clips of hostages as part of its efforts to pressure Israel into a hostage release deal, Israeli media does not publish the videos without the express permission of the families. The government has said the videos are an instrument of psychological warfare.
Hamas originally released the clip in January as part of a longer video that also showed hostages Karina Ariev, 19, and Doron Steinbrecher, 30. Like other outlets, The Times of Israel published news of the video’s release when it happened, but did not share the clip or a detailed description of it.
The decision to allow its release now was meant to galvanize support for the effort to arrive at a deal with Hamas, Gilboa’s mother told Kan news.
Gilboa was abducted from the Nahal Oz military base on October 7 of last year, when thousands of terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, and sparking the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group.
The hostage, who was 19 at the time but who has since turned 20 in captivity, was serving as a surveillance soldier as part of her mandatory military service. Many young female surveillance soldiers were killed during the Hamas assault on the base, while several were captured.
At the start of the clip, Gilboa identifies herself and says that she has been held by Hamas for 107 days, which would date the clip to January 22 (though the actual date of the video cannot be verified). Gilboa was likely coerced when she made the video.
“I am under bombardment and fire 24 hours a day. I am very, very scared for my life. You even almost killed me one time with your bombs,” Gilboa says in the video. video in hebrew
The sounds of explosions can be heard in the background while Gilboa speaks. It is unclear whether those were authentically recorded or edited in.
“Where were you on October 7 when I was kidnapped from my bed? Where are you now?” Gilboa says. “Why should I as a soldier… feel that I have been abandoned and thrown away?
“Get over yourselves, my dear government, and start doing your job as is necessary to bring all of us back home, while we are still alive,” Gilboa says.
“I don’t need any food, any money, any clothing, anything — just that you bring us home alive,” she adds.
Gilboa then addresses her family, saying: “I miss you very much, and I love you. I ask that you be strong, and that you do all that you can to bring me back home while I am still alive.”
The video resembled other videos Hamas has released of its captives, which in some cases have been the first sign of life from them since their abduction.
L-R: Hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Doron Steinbrecher are seen in a Hamas propaganda clip published January 26, 2024. (Screenshot: Telegram)
Gilboa family has now joined some others in allowing the publication of the clip in order to draw attention to the plight of the captives, and to pressure the government into making a deal to bring them home.
Israeli negotiators are in Egypt and Qatar this week, in renewed negotiations for a hostage-truce deal, in which the terror group would release Israeli captives in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
In November, Hamas released 105 civilian hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a one-week ceasefire. But further negotiations have been unsuccessful, as Hamas has demanded that Israel commit to end the war, a condition that Israel has refused to accept.
Over the weekend Hamas said it dropped its demand that Israel agree upfront to end the war, raising hopes for a deal, though it has also said it is seeking guarantees from mediators that the fighting will not resume.
In an interview with the Ynet news site, Orly Gilboa, Daniella’s mother, addressed far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have opposed hostage deals arguing the price demanded of Israel is too high.
“Enough, enough, let this deal happen,” she said, adding, “It seems this is our last opportunity to bring our children home.”
Commenting on the video, Orly said: “Daniella is acting her part. I recognize that sense for acting that she has, that ability to say things the way they expect her to, the way they had it written for her. I know it’s an act, it’s psychological warfare.”
The hostage’s mother noted that the video was filmed some six months ago, and that “her mental state [was] not good even on the 100th day [of captivity] — today we’re on day 277.”
She added that the family had received notice from the military of a confirmed sign of life about two months ago, but was not given any further details.
Orly said she hoped her daughter was still with fellow hostages Karina Ariev and Doron Steinbrecher.
Asked if she had a message for her daughter, the mother said: “I just want to tell her, ‘Keep holding onto your optimism.’ That it will happen, that it will happen soon, that this time it’s closer than ever.”
The decision by Gilboa’s family to permit publication of the January clip followed an earlier decision in May by families of surveillance soldiers to release footage showing the five young women’s abduction from the Nahal Oz base.
In the footage, taken by the Hamas terrorists using body cameras, the women are seen bloodied and wounded, with their hands tied, while Hamas men are heard telling the captive soldiers, “You are very beautiful” and referring to them using a term that the Islamic State terror group used to refer to sex slaves.
A still from footage showing the capture and abduction of Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy at the Nahal Oz base on October 7, 2023. (The Hostages Families Forum)At least one hostage released in November has testified to sexual abuse in captivity, while others have attested to hearing accounts of abuse from other captives in Gaza.
A United Nations report in March said there is “clear and convincing” evidence that hostages have been raped in captivity, and that those currently held captive are still facing such abuse.
It is believed that 116 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that.
Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 42 of those still held by Hamas, citing intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person is listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown. 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
Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad say they have reached the heart of the northern city of Aleppo, after a surprise sweep through government-held towns and nearly a decade after having been forced out of the city.
The opposition fighters, led by the Islamist jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched an incursion on Wednesday into a dozen towns and villages in the northern province of Aleppo, which was controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, backed by both Iran and Russia.
They made quick progress and by this evening, an operations room representing the offensive said rebels were sweeping through various neighborhoods of the city.
Assad and his allies Russia, Iran and regional Shi’ite militias had retaken all of Aleppo city in late 2016, with insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege in a battle that turned the tide against the opposition.
Rebel commander in the Jaish al-Izza rebel brigade Mustafa Abdul Jaber says the speedy advance was due to insufficient Iran-backed manpower in the broader province. Iran’s terror proxies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel since the start of the Gaza war, sparked by the Hamas terror group’s October 7 onslaught.
Syrian authorities have closed Aleppo airport and canceled all flights, a military source tells Reuters, as Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad say they reached the heart of the northern city of Aleppo. -- the situation in Syria is of great concern in Israel and the US. The instability can have a major impact on the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon and in the region. Part of the ceasefire agreement subtly states that Israeli attacks on Hizbollah, weapons and weapons smuggling be carried out as much as possible in Syrian territory and not in Lebanese. In addition, these particular rebel forces were previously aligned with Al Queda, so they are no friends of the west.Russia’s military says its air force is bombing anti-government forces in Syria to repel “extremists” that have launched a major offensive on the city of Aleppo, Russian state news agencies reports.
Jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies reached Syria’s second city earlier today, pressing a lightning offensive against forces of the Iranian- and Russian-backed government.
The fighting is some of the deadliest in years in Syria’s civil war.
“The Russian air force is carrying out rocket-bomb attacks on the equipment and manpower of illegal armed groups, control points, warehouses and artillery positions of terrorists,” news agencies report a spokesperson for the defense ministry’s Reconciliation Centre for Syria as saying.
It claims that 200 militants had been “destroyed” over the last 24 hours.
AFP could not verify that figure.
“The operation to repel the aggression of the extremists continues,” says Oleg Ignasyuk, deputy head of the Russian reconciliation center, state media reported.
Moscow is Syrian leader Bashar Assad’s most important military backer, having turned the tide of the civil war in his favor when it intervened in 2015.
Daniella Gilboa, 19, was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Gilboa was in touch with her family on the morning of the attack.
She also sent her boyfriend videos that morning, which showed what she was wearing that day.
When Hamas videos appeared later that day, showing three of Gilboa’s friends being taken hostage to Gaza, Gilboa’s family was able to identify her by the shirt they knew she was wearing, and a small, hidden ponytail on her head.
The army later confirmed that Gilboa was taken hostage to Gaza.
“I picture her walking in the door and coming home,” said her mother, Orly, in multiple interviews.
Daniella Gilboa in a Hamas propaganda clip published January 26, 2024. (Screenshot: Telegram)
The family of Israeli hostage Daniella Gilboa permitted media on Monday to publish a Hamas propaganda video of her from January, in which Gilboa says she has been abandoned by the government and begs to be brought home.
Though Hamas has from time to time issued clips of hostages as part of its efforts to pressure Israel into a hostage release deal, Israeli media does not publish the videos without the express permission of the families. The government has said the videos are an instrument of psychological warfare.
Hamas originally released the clip in January as part of a longer video that also showed hostages Karina Ariev, 19, and Doron Steinbrecher, 30. Like other outlets, The Times of Israel published news of the video’s release when it happened, but did not share the clip or a detailed description of it.
The decision to allow its release now was meant to galvanize support for the effort to arrive at a deal with Hamas, Gilboa’s mother told Kan news.
Gilboa was abducted from the Nahal Oz military base on October 7 of last year, when thousands of terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, and sparking the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group.
The hostage, who was 19 at the time but who has since turned 20 in captivity, was serving as a surveillance soldier as part of her mandatory military service. Many young female surveillance soldiers were killed during the Hamas assault on the base, while several were captured.
At the start of the clip, Gilboa identifies herself and says that she has been held by Hamas for 107 days, which would date the clip to January 22 (though the actual date of the video cannot be verified). Gilboa was likely coerced when she made the video.
“I am under bombardment and fire 24 hours a day. I am very, very scared for my life. You even almost killed me one time with your bombs,” Gilboa says in the video. video in hebrew
The sounds of explosions can be heard in the background while Gilboa speaks. It is unclear whether those were authentically recorded or edited in.
“Where were you on October 7 when I was kidnapped from my bed? Where are you now?” Gilboa says. “Why should I as a soldier… feel that I have been abandoned and thrown away?
“Get over yourselves, my dear government, and start doing your job as is necessary to bring all of us back home, while we are still alive,” Gilboa says.
“I don’t need any food, any money, any clothing, anything — just that you bring us home alive,” she adds.
Gilboa then addresses her family, saying: “I miss you very much, and I love you. I ask that you be strong, and that you do all that you can to bring me back home while I am still alive.”
The video resembled other videos Hamas has released of its captives, which in some cases have been the first sign of life from them since their abduction.
L-R: Hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Doron Steinbrecher are seen in a Hamas propaganda clip published January 26, 2024. (Screenshot: Telegram)
Gilboa family has now joined some others in allowing the publication of the clip in order to draw attention to the plight of the captives, and to pressure the government into making a deal to bring them home.
Israeli negotiators are in Egypt and Qatar this week, in renewed negotiations for a hostage-truce deal, in which the terror group would release Israeli captives in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
In November, Hamas released 105 civilian hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a one-week ceasefire. But further negotiations have been unsuccessful, as Hamas has demanded that Israel commit to end the war, a condition that Israel has refused to accept.
Over the weekend Hamas said it dropped its demand that Israel agree upfront to end the war, raising hopes for a deal, though it has also said it is seeking guarantees from mediators that the fighting will not resume.
In an interview with the Ynet news site, Orly Gilboa, Daniella’s mother, addressed far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have opposed hostage deals arguing the price demanded of Israel is too high.
“Enough, enough, let this deal happen,” she said, adding, “It seems this is our last opportunity to bring our children home.”
Commenting on the video, Orly said: “Daniella is acting her part. I recognize that sense for acting that she has, that ability to say things the way they expect her to, the way they had it written for her. I know it’s an act, it’s psychological warfare.”
The hostage’s mother noted that the video was filmed some six months ago, and that “her mental state [was] not good even on the 100th day [of captivity] — today we’re on day 277.”
She added that the family had received notice from the military of a confirmed sign of life about two months ago, but was not given any further details.
Orly said she hoped her daughter was still with fellow hostages Karina Ariev and Doron Steinbrecher.
Asked if she had a message for her daughter, the mother said: “I just want to tell her, ‘Keep holding onto your optimism.’ That it will happen, that it will happen soon, that this time it’s closer than ever.”
The decision by Gilboa’s family to permit publication of the January clip followed an earlier decision in May by families of surveillance soldiers to release footage showing the five young women’s abduction from the Nahal Oz base.
In the footage, taken by the Hamas terrorists using body cameras, the women are seen bloodied and wounded, with their hands tied, while Hamas men are heard telling the captive soldiers, “You are very beautiful” and referring to them using a term that the Islamic State terror group used to refer to sex slaves.
At least one hostage released in November has testified to sexual abuse in captivity, while others have attested to hearing accounts of abuse from other captives in Gaza.
A United Nations report in March said there is “clear and convincing” evidence that hostages have been raped in captivity, and that those currently held captive are still facing such abuse.
It is believed that 116 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that.
Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 42 of those still held by Hamas, citing intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person is listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown. 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
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
How Will I Tell my Son That It Was His Own Prime Minister, the One for Whom I voted, Who Gave up on Him?Einav ZangaukerMother of Matan, who was kidnapped from his home in Nir Oz and is held captive by Hamas.
I always taught Matan that in Israel, unlike other countries, if you fall in the street, everyone will rush to give you a hand. How can I tell him when he returns that it was his own Prime Minister, the one for whom I voted, who gave up on him? That he decided to abandon him and the other hostages? Since the beginning of the war, he briefed us that the issue of the hostages would be addressed after the war would come to an end. But how much longer will the war last, when in reality it is what keeps him in power and distances him from the State Inquiry Committee and from being held accountable for this failure?The one who funded and nurtured Hamas for years does not want to destroy it. If Netanyahu wanted to destroy Hamas, he would have promoted a plan for an alternative government in Gaza on October 8th, but instead, a day after the massacre, when the residents of the south were still hiding in shelters and bushes, Netanyahu met with his media advisors. That was what was important. How can a Prime Minister, whose hostages, soldiers, and people are of no interest to him, continue to manage such a failing war?During the months of the war, every time a hostage deal was discussed, anonymous briefings against the deal were released. The prime minister himself insisted on provoking Hamas and threatened to destroy it completely. These actions pierced my heart, as Matan's mother, and clarified my understanding of the ongoing policy of abandonment.If I knew that only Hamas was the obstacle to the deal, it would be "easier" for me. But the knowledge that Netanyahu is the main obstacle, because he refuses to end the war in exchange for a deal that would bring all the hostages back, presents another front of daily psychological terror that I must deal with.I feel betrayed by our leadership. The illusion Netanyahu has built in recent years has shattered, and I am collecting the pieces to try and fix that which they have broken. With a large segment of the public joining us, the families of the hostages, we bring a new, different, message - a message of caring, solidarity, brotherhood, friendship, and hope.We, the Israeli public, must not continue to accept Netanyahu as our prime minister. As a people, our duty to the hostages held by Hamas, is to get rid of him and replace him with true leaders who will bring them home. For Matan to return to me, for all the hostages to return, and for Israeli society to heal, we must remove our prime minister from office.
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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