🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 406, 2023 - November 15, 2024 🎗️

  

🎗️Day 406 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!!!”

Judih Weinstein and her husband, Gadi Haggai, were on their morning walk when gunfire erupted and missiles streaked across the sky. Taking cover in a field, they could hear a recorded voice from an alert system for their Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel.
On December 28, Kibbutz Nir Oz confirmed the death of Judih Weinstein, 70. She and her husband Gadi Haggai were both killed on October 7 and their bodies are still held hostage to Gaza. This is what we know about the events of October 7 and its aftermath

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

*6:50pm yesterday - Haifa and areas around - hostile aircraft 

*6:55pm yesterday - Haifa and areas around - hostile aircraft
*7:00pm - north and west of Haifa - hostile aircraft - Daliat el Carmel, Beit Zaid, Yokneam, Shaar Haemekim, Orenim, Alonim, Kfar Tikva, Sde Yaacov, Elyakim, 
*7:05pm yesterday - south west of Haifa - hostile aircraft - Ein Haemek, Yokneam, Mevo Carmel, Givat Nili, Amakam, Zichron Yaacov
*7:10pm yesterday - south of Haifa - hostile aircraft - Or Akiva, Caesarea
*7:15pm yesterday - south of Haifa - hostile aircraft - Sdot Yam
*7:55pm yesterday - north - rockets/missiles
*11:55pm yesterday - Haifa and areas around, Acre and areas around - rocktets/missiles -The IDF says five rockets were launched from Lebanon at the Haifa Bay area a short while ago.

Some of the rockets were intercepted, and one struck a construction site, lightly wounding a man.

*12:00am -north  - missiles/rockets
*12:35am -north  - missiles/rockets
*1:20am -north  - missiles/rockets
*2:00am - Haifa and areas around, Acre and areas around - rocktets/missiles
*3:30am - north - rockets/missiles 
*4:40am - north - rockets/missiles
*7:25am - north - rockets/missiles
*8:00am - north -rockets/missiles
*8:10am - north - rockets/missiles 
*9:00am - north - rockets/missiles 
*10:10am - north - hostile aircraft - Ajar, Kfar Yuval, Maayan Baruch, Hagoshrim, Kiryat Shemona, Beit Hillel

Hostage Updates 

• Today is Tamir Nimrodi's 20 birthday. It is his second birthday in captivity. Tamir's full story is below in the 'personal stories' section.

  

  Today would be Amit Buskila's 29th birthday. 

  
  
  

  Amit Buskila, 27: Budding fashion stylist dreamed of being famous

  Murdered by Hamas after fleeing the Supernova festival, her body was kidnapped and recovered from Gaza in May

  Amit Esther Buskila, 27, from Ashdod, was murdered by Hamas terrorists near the Supernova music festival on October 7.

  Her body was taken captive by Hamas to the Gaza Strip, where it remained until it was recovered by IDF troops in an operation in northern Gaza on May 17.

  Amit was on the phone with her uncle, Shimon, during the early morning hours of the attack. She told him that she could hear terrorists approaching as she was hiding behind cars near the Mefalsim junction, where she had fled from the site of the rave.

  Shimon then heard her begging and the last words he heard her say were, “No, no, no,” and then, in a weak voice, “I love you.”

  Amit was laid to rest in Kiryat Gat on May 19. She is survived by her parents, Ilana and Meir, and her brother, Siel.

  Amit, a budding fashion stylist, was remembered by her loved ones for her fun-loving sense of humor, love of cooking and her dream of one day being famous. Not long before she was killed, Amit filmed an audition for the reality TV show “Master Chef,” but her family asked for it to not be included in the show while her fate was unknown.

  Her close friend, Eden Wessely, wrote on Instagram after news of her death to “my angel, you just went out to dance and never came home.”

  For seven months she had hoped that “Amit returned and I would tell her everything that happened when she wasn’t here, and her with her humor would make everything light-hearted and laugh at all the photos of her that I hung in every corner of my house.”

  Eden noted that the pair had been friends for more than 15 years. “What didn’t we go through together? Ups and downs, tears and laughter… I prayed that you would get married, have children, I always dreamed that we would grow old together, we had a true friendship, through good and bad.”

  Amit’s mother, Ilana Buskila, cried at the funeral: “I prayed for a different ending to the torment I’ve been through,” she said.

  “I was lucky to have you for 28 years,” she continued. “You wrapped me in love, you were my inspiration… you entered the hearts of the people of Israel.”

  Amit’s brother, Siel, said at her funeral that his sister was “the light, the sun that shone everywhere, she was a free bird without borders, without restraints. Everywhere she wanted to go, she went. Every goal she set for herself, she achieved.”

  Their family, he said, “was amazed time and time again by your courage, your bravery, your faith and your achievements. You are strong as a rock, steadfast and stubborn, only I know what a fighter you are, whenever you were disappointed by those around you I was there to observe from the sidelines, proud of your inner strength.”

  Amit “dreamed of being a huge success, of conquering the world,” he said. “My little sister, my love. Your bed at home is made up and empty. The mirror at home has not reflected your face for some time. The pots at home will no longer feel the warmth of your hands. And the spices will remain in their places. Who will fill the home with food and joy?”

• Palestinian Islamic Jihad publishes fourth video of hostage Sasha Trufanov
  The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group publishes another video of hostage Sasha Trufanov, two days after it released a different clip of him.
  The clip is the fourth video that the terror group has released of Trufanov.
  It is unclear when the video was made. In the clip Trufanov says that he is aged 28; however, he turned 29 earlier this week, his second birthday in captivity.
  In the nearly two-minute-long video, Trufanov — in a statement almost certainly dictated by his captors in the Gaza Strip — asks Shas chairman Aryeh Deri to convince the government to agree to a deal for the hostages’ release, reminding him of the Jewish obligation to free all captives.
  Terror groups have previously issued similar videos of hostages in what Israel says is deplorable psychological warfare.
  Most Israeli media do not carry the video clips.
  Trufanov was taken hostage along with three members of his family — grandmother Irena Tati, mother Yelena (Lena) Trufanova and his girlfriend Sapir Cohen — from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 Hamas massacre in the Gaza border town.
  Trufanova and Tati were released by Hamas on November 29 at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cohen was released on November 30 as part of a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. link In the video, which I have seen, Sasha directs his pleading to Arye Deri, chairman of the Shas Ultrareligious party. Deri has been minimally vocal about pushing for a hostage deal but has stopped very short from demanding a deal, otherwise he will leave the government. Deir and his wife have met with many of the hostage families who have pleaded with them to act and they shake their heads yes but do very little. It is very well known that if the Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the head Rabbi of Shas in his lifetime, was still alive, he would have commanded Deri and the rest of the Shas Knesset members to demand a deal or he would bring down the government. Yosef understood very well that redemption of prisoners is the highest mitzvah (deed) in Judaism, yet the most releigious of the cabinet members and Knesset sit on their hands and remain quiet and/or indifferent to the plight of the hostages, the families and the country which cannot even begin to heal as long as the hostages remain in Gaza.

  
  

Gaza and the South

• Human Rights Watch said in a report released today that Israel’s repeated evacuation orders in Gaza amount to the “war crime of forcible transfer,” and to “ethnic cleansing” in parts of the Palestinian territory.
  
  

  
  This aerial image from video shows the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, in footage published April 25, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
  
  

  “Human Rights Watch has amassed evidence that Israeli officials are… committing the war crime of forcible transfer,” the report says.

  “Israel’s actions appear to also meet the definition of ethnic cleansing” in the areas where Palestinians will not be able to return, HRW adds.

  The 172-page report’s findings are based on interviews with displaced Gazans, satellite imagery, and public reporting conducted until August 2024.

  Although Israel says the displacement is justified for civilians’ safety or by military imperatives, the report claims that “Israel cannot simply rely on the presence of armed groups to justify the displacement of civilians.”

  “Israel would have to demonstrate in every instance that displacement of civilians was the only option,” to fully comply with international humanitarian law.

  “Systematically rendering large parts of Gaza uninhabitable… in some cases permanently… amounts to ethnic cleansing,” Ahmed Benchemsi, spokesman for HRW’s Middle East division said in a press briefing.

  The HRW report pointed in particular to the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors, running along the Egyptian border and cutting Gaza along its east-west axis respectively, which have been “razed, extended, and cleared,” by Israel’s army to create buffer zones and security corridors.

  The report says Israeli forces have turned the central Netzarim corridor, between Gaza City and Wadi Gaza, into a buffer zone four kilometers (2.5 miles) wide mostly cleared of buildings.

  Israel went into Gaza after the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre to destroy the terror group and try and free the 251 hostages.  Israel denies violating international law and has repeatedly called on civilians to evacuate to humanitarian zones as it battles Hamas, which is deeply imbedded in civilians infrastructures and in a series of tunnel complexes under residential areas. link

   

• Several Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror operatives were killed, including a senior commander, in a recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, the IDF says.

  According to the military and Shin Bet, the airstrike killed Alkaman Abd as-Salam Khalil Anbar, who was responsible for Islamic Jihad’s rocket firing array in Gaza City.

  The IDF says Anbar was responsible for rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza City, as well as being a “significant figure” in the terror group’s weapons manufacturing processes.

  Other Islamic Jihad members, involved in rocket fire on Israel and troops in Gaza, were killed in the strike, according to the military.

  Meanwhile, the IDF says it is continuing to battle Hamas operatives during an operation in the Strip’s northern towns of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun. Troops with the 162nd Division also located numerous weapons during the operation, the military says.

  In southern Gaza’s Rafah, troops with the Gaza Division directed drone strikes against several gunmen who were trying to attack the forces, the IDF adds. video and pictures
  
  

  
  
• **The "Ring of Fire" Around the Terrorists Was Created Before the Soldiers Encountered Them**

  

  
  
  

  
  In Jabalia, with limited intelligence, they anticipated enemy movements and disrupted a deadly ambush. In Rafah, they uncovered an extensive tunnel system, and in Gaza, they exposed an underground missile base with Iranian guidance. After a year of intense fighting in the Gaza Strip, intelligence officers from the Nahal Brigade share how they get inside a Hamas militant's mind, why their challenges grow as the enemy weakens, and the mission that haunts them.
  In the Al-Atatra neighborhood in northern Gaza, Nahal Brigade soldiers advance cautiously. The air is thick with tension, but something doesn’t add up. “Where is all our enemy?” the commanders in the field wonder, surprised by the absence of ambushes or resistance. The answer lies kilometers away, in the brigade’s intelligence unit. There, in front of large screens, sits Maj. A, the brigade’s intelligence officer, overseeing a complex system of real-time data collection and cross-referencing. Reports flow in from the field, blending with intelligence from various agencies and visual reconnaissance analyses. While the soldiers advance, he and his team create a "ring of fire" around them, identifying and eliminating terrorist cells before the soldiers encounter them.
  Maj. A, like other field intelligence officers, isn’t just someone who sits behind a screen. “I grew up as a fighter in the Paratroopers and later transitioned to intelligence,” he shares in an interview with N12 magazine. Similarly, the battalion intelligence officers under his command combine combat experience with expertise in field intelligence. These young officers play a crucial role in every operational decision made by battalion and company commanders, acting as a critical link between the field and headquarters. “These aren’t the intelligence officers of the Kirya (central headquarters in Tel Aviv),” A emphasizes. “We train fighters who are also intelligence experts. A field intelligence officer experiences what it’s like to walk on foot, wear a vest, and fire a weapon before learning military intelligence.”
  In the complex battlefield of Gaza, where the enemy has shifted from a semi-military organization to guerrilla warfare, the ability of intelligence officers to combine field understanding with intelligence analysis is crucial. “We’re focused on one thing only — war.”
  
  **Training for a Different War**
  In the year leading up to the war, the Nahal Brigade prepared for combat, but not against Hamas. “We trained for maneuvers in Lebanon, conducted many models, drills, and combat procedures,” A recounts. But reality changed drastically on October 7. The soldiers found themselves fighting off waves of militants in the southern border area, preventing a greater massacre in the southern settlements of the Eshkol region. The cost was heavy: 23 Nahal fighters fell on that dark Saturday, including the brigade commander Jonathan Steinberg, Nahal reconnaissance unit commander Lt. Col. Yonatan (Barney) Tzur, and deputy reconnaissance commander Maj. Ido Israel Shani.
  Since then, the Nahal Brigade has not stopped. “We regrouped and realized we were heading into one thing — war,” A says. At the start of the ground operation, the brigade was among the first to enter Gaza from the north in early November. They participated in numerous battles in northern Gaza, leading operations like the Battle of Jabalia, which began immediately after the ceasefire during the hostage deal. 
  Subsequently, the brigade held the Natzarim corridor created by the IDF to divide the strip and participated in five regional battles utilizing the corridor. In May, Nahal fighters joined Division 162 in operations in Rafah. “Even now, the brigade is maneuvering in Rafah, working tirelessly and doing incredible work,” the brigade’s intelligence officer proudly states.
  
  **"You Are the Eyes of Intelligence in the Field"**
  During the battles, intelligence officers build the tactical intelligence picture and translate it into field actions. “It’s a two-way process,” explains Lt. A, intelligence officer for Battalion 931. “The brigade’s intelligence unit sends you information, and you return intelligence findings from the field. You are the eyes of intelligence in the field, and no one else can provide this information.”
  The brigade intelligence officer elaborates: “The field updates us with intelligence, which we process into actionable operations. Fighters identifying enemies, underground structures, weapons, and documents allow us to synthesize intelligence into insights and recommendations on the ground.” Such recommendations can be critical for the soldiers’ lives and operational effectiveness: “Flank from the right or left, don’t enter this house because it’s booby-trapped, target that building, and strike specific enemy cells.”
  
  **Adapting to a Fragmented Enemy**
  Over time, the dismantling of Hamas’s organized military units has made it harder to analyze enemy patterns. “At the start of the war, Hamas was a structured enemy,” A explains. “But through our maneuvers, we broke them down from a semi-military force into a guerrilla organization operating sporadically.”
  However, this transition has made it harder to predict their actions. “This enemy adapts quickly,” says Capt. M, Nahal Reconnaissance intelligence officer. “It’s guerrilla warfare, so it’s easier for them to adjust, move, and strike unexpectedly.”
  
  **"If You Make a Mistake, It Costs Lives"**
  Alongside their successes, intelligence officers are acutely aware of the price of mistakes. “Every incident where a soldier is injured or killed shapes you as both a person and a professional,” Capt. M shares. “It teaches you the critical importance of getting it right because mistakes cost lives.”
  Despite the ongoing challenges, A and his team remain focused: “My purpose every morning, and that of every intelligence officer in the field, is to understand who the enemy is, act on that understanding, and attack when necessary. The goal is to kill as many terrorists, destroy their infrastructure, and bring our forces back safely.”  link

Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria

• Lebanese media report new Israeli airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.

  
  Smoke rises between buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, November 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

  The strikes come after the IDF issued evacuation warnings for two more buildings in Dahiyeh around half an hour ago. video of aidstrike on a building in Beirut

• Israeli fighter jets last night struck several buildings and command centers belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh, the IDF says. video
  

  Additionally, in the past day, the military says it struck over 120 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including weapon depots, command centers, cells of operatives, and numerous rocket launchers, including those used in an attack on Haifa yesterday.

  The strikes come as the IDF’s 36th, 91st and 146th divisions operate in new areas of southern Lebanon.

  The military says the ground forces located Hezbollah rocket launchers and other weapons, as well as demolished a tunnel during recent operations.

• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Lebanon says that there is an alarming escalation in the human toll from Israeli airstrikes in the densely populated areas across Lebanon.

  Israel is targeting Hezbollah operatives throughout Lebanon over the terror group’s repeated attacks on Israeli border towns over the past year.

• 
  

  IDF says fighter jets carried out two waves of strikes in Beirut, and on Lebanon-Syria border
  
  Israeli fighter jets carried out two waves of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier today, as well as a strike on the Lebanese-Syrian border last night, the IDF says.
  The targets in Beirut included weapon depots, command centers and other infrastructure used by Hezbollah, according to the military.
  Before the strikes were carried out the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area. The IDF accuses Hezbollah of placing its assets inside and under civilian buildings.
  Separately, Israeli fighter jets hit several land crossing roads in Syria last night, which the IDF says were being used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons into Lebanon from Iran.
  Several routes and border crossings between Lebanon and Syria have been struck by the IDF in recent weeks, amid efforts to counter Hezbollah’s weapon smuggling attempts. video

  
  
  

West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel

•  Police demolish the last remains of the unrecognized southern Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran to make way for a planned Orthodox Jewish Jewish community called Dror.

  The demolition ends a more than 20-year legal battle and carries out a 2015 High Court of Justice ruling that the Bedouin have been illegally squatting on land that belongs to the state.

  Efforts to convince the roughly 300 residents to move to plots prepared for them in the nearby Bedouin town of Hura largely failed.

  Many of the residents opted to demolish their homes themselves. Police on the scene today raze a mosque that still stands, according to video released by the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev, a nonprofit that represents the impoverished southern communities.

  
  Police demolish a mosque in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev on November 14, 2024 (The Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev)

  The group says three members of Umm al-Hiran’s leadership were detained ahead of the demolition and their whereabouts are unknown.

  A spokesman for the Council calls the demolition “another chapter in the ethnic cleansing and expulsion of Arabs in this country.”

  In a statement, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hails his “strong policy of demolishing illegal homes in the Negev,” saying he has overseen a 400% rise in demolition orders there since the start of 2024.

  A previous 2017 demolition in Umm al-Hiran resulted in police shooting and killing a Bedouin driver, causing his vehicle to run over and kill a policeman. He was falsely accused of being a terrorist.

  The 37 unrecognized villages in the Negev house some 150,000 people, or roughly a third of Israel’s Bedouin population, according to the Council. Israel decided in the 1990s to raze some of the illegally built villages and build authorized communities in their stead.

  According to the Council, the plan will see some 9,000 Bedouins in 14 villages lose their homes.   

Politics and the War (general news)

•  Eighty-eight Democratic lawmakers have signed onto a letter calling on US President Joe Biden to sanction far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich before he departs the White House in January.

  Smotrich and Ben Gvir are “driving policies that promote settler violence, weaken the Palestinian Authority, facilitate de facto and de jure annexation, and destabilize the West Bank,” the House and Senate lawmakers argue in a letter sent on October 29 but made public today.

  The Biden administration has weighed the unprecedented step in recent months, but has thus far held off on the move, with the president feeling the US should not be sanctioning officials from a democratic ally country, US officials have told The Times of Israel.

  A move to sanction them would almost certainly be reversed by President-elect Donald Trump and it also comes with significant questions regarding enforcement. If Israel continues to pay the ministerial salaries of Smotrich and Ben Gvir, the government would be exposed to sanctions of its own, which is likely not the administration’s intention, given its support for the US-Israel relationship more broadly.

  “Government leaders instigating violence must be subject to US sanctions… with radical officials in the Netanyahu government continuing to enable settler violence and enact annexationist policies, it is clear that further sanctions are urgently needed,” the letter states.

  The signatories are largely made up of some of the more progressive Democrats in Congress, but they also include the more moderate Sen. Chris Coons as well as Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democratic appropriator who, this year, received the endorsement of a PAC affiliated with the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate. Eight Jewish lawmakers are also among the signatories link this would be the first time that the US government sanctioned officials from an ally, a move that I, personally am very supportive of. Both Ben Gvir and Smotrich are criminals, before becoming ministers and since as they have committed criminal offenses that our extreme messianic government, not only doesn't punish them but freely enables them to continue in their illegal actions.

• Opposition Leader Yair Lapid welcomes Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision to approve sending 7,000 new draft orders to eligible ultra-Orthodox men.

  “I said in the Knesset that if you send the 7,000 draft orders to the ultra-Orthodox, soldiers and reservists will know that you are there for them,” Lapid writes on X. “You did it without blinking.”

• Lack of manpower: IDF reservists service jumps from 25 to 136 days a yearThe military is way behind in replacing dead, wounded soldiers.
  

  Service time for reservists in the IDF has jumped from a pre-war average of 25-42 days over one to three years, depending on the role, to around 136 days per year for combat fighters during wartime.

  Reservist commanders are serving even longer in 2023-2024, at an average of 168 days per year, with certain soldiers serving on the front for around 142 days. Reservists serving in Home Front desk jobs average around 121 days per year.

  Military sources said they hope that in the coming year – presuming the war ends or stabilizes at a level that does not require significant new invasions – reservist duty could drop back down to 70-72 days. That would include two weeks of training, preparation, and organization in the field.
  

  Although the IDF said that 85% of reservists are still showing up for duty, The Jerusalem Post understands that many specific units are at much lower numbers, some even close to 50%, a potential threat to the military being able to continue the multiple missions assigned to it by the government as part of the ongoing war.

  All of this takes place as the government has been stuck on legislation to officially and permanently increase service length for mandatory service soldiers from 32 to 36 months and for reservists and career officers, as well as being stuck on legislation to pressure haredim (ultra-Orthodox) to join the IDF in higher numbers.
  

  Those opposing the legislation, both within the coalition and the opposition, especially former defense minister Yoav Gallant, have argued that it is morally repugnant to increase the length of service on the rest of the country, which at least has been performing significant service until now, when the vast majority of haredim still have never served a day.

  Military sources suggested separating the issue; since the war started, around 800 soldiers have been killed, 5,346 have been wounded, and 11,944 have been examined for potential medical issues from battle.
  

  This means that the IDF needs at least 7,000 new soldiers to replace those already lost – and probably more since many of those examined may have post-traumatic stress disorder and may not continue to serve.

  Of the soldiers killed in the war, 385 (34%) have been reservists; 141 were mandatory service soldiers, and 268 were career officers Commanders among those killed include four colonels, five lieutenant colonels who commanded battalions, seven deputy battalion commanders, 63 company commanders, 20 deputy company commanders, and 67 platoon commanders.

  These deaths have impacted 1,543 parents, 180 widows, 27 pregnant widows, 507 orphans, and 219 partners.

The Region and the World

•    The UN Security Council’s 10 elected members have circulated another draft resolution demanding “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza along with the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

  The Council’s 10 elected members — Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland, Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia — circulated the draft after reaching the agreement.

  The United States, Israel’s closest ally, holds the key to whether the Security Council adopts the resolution. The four other permanent members — Russia, China, Britain and France — are expected to support it or abstain.

  In an interview with The Times of Israel last week, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon criticized an earlier draft that has since been lightly edited in a bid to gain American support.

  The earlier draft split the two demands for a ceasefire and hostage release into separate paragraphs, which were merged into one in the updated version. That was enough to convince the US to abstain on a similar resolution adopted by the Security Council in March, which called for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan.

  In June, the Council adopted another resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire based on the parameters that were being negotiated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, which envisioned a three-staged hostage release deal that would bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. 
  

  But talks on this framework have all but fallen apart since then. The US and Egypt are still working to negotiate a hostage deal, and Washington is hoping that Qatar’s decision to ask Hamas officials to leave Doha will spark a breakthrough in negotiations. So far, though, none has come to fruition.

  Accordingly, Security Council members are once again working on their own ceasefire resolution. Such initiatives have not made an impact on the ground in the past, but members hope that they will add pressure to the warring parties to end the conflict.

  Danon told The Times of Israel last week that his office opposed the draft resolution because it doesn’t explicitly condition ending the war on the release of the hostages. The US argued in March that merging the two demands into the same sentence was enough for it to interpret the text as a conditional relationship between the ceasefire and the hostage release.

  The draft also demands immediate access for Gaza’s civilian population to humanitarian aid and services essential for their survival.

  Additionally, it “underscores” that UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees, “remains the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza.”

  Israel’s parliament passed two laws last month banning UNRWA’s operations in the Palestinian territories, which take effect in 90 days.

  The draft resolution would also express the council’s “deep alarm over the ongoing catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza including the lack of adequate healthcare services and the state of food insecurity creating a risk of famine notably in the north.”

   --would be nice if they had any power to actually do something to get the hostages home

  
  

Survivors

Personal Stories

  Taken captive: Matan Angrest, turned 21 while held hostage in Gaza

Angrest was abducted from near Nahal Oz on October 7

Matan Angrest, 21, was at Nahal Oz on the morning of October 7 when the kibbutz was attacked during the Hamas assault.

Angrest was taken hostage, along with his friend, Itay Chen.

Angrest tried calling his parents early in the morning of October 7, but his parents didn’t hear the phone.

By the time the family realized what was happening near the Gaza border, they tried calling Matan, but couldn’t reach him.

Matan is the eldest of the four Angrest siblings from Kiryat Bialik and shares his birthday, November 28, with his younger sister, Adi Angrest, who just turned 18.

They usually celebrate together — this was the first time she marked the day without him.

His family has said in interviews that Matan is a natural student and dedicated soccer player who is a longtime fan of the Maccabi Haifa soccer team.  link

At mass rally, family airs recording of hostage Matan Angrest urging PM to sign deal

The mother of an abducted Israeli soldier played an audio clip of her son addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from his captivity in Gaza at a weekly protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, as hundreds of thousands of people gathered at multiple locations across the country to demonstrate against the government and call for a hostage release-ceasefire deal.

The audio clip of Matan Angrest, roughly 30 seconds in length, was the first public sign of life from him since he was abducted from the Nahal Oz military base on the morning of October 7.

In the recording, which the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said was recently obtained in Gaza, Angrest used terminology highly likely to have been dictated by his Hamas captors, and referred to himself and his fellow hostages as “prisoners.”

“Netanyahu,” he said in the clip, “you must, must do this exchange between the [Palestinian] prisoners in Israel and the prisoners here. I very much want to see my family and friends, it’s very important. I think you’re capable of it. I trust you.”

His mother Anat Angrest chose to play the recording at the weekly rally in Tel Aviv to drive home her demand for a deal to secure the release of the 101 hostages still captive in Gaza.

Anat Angrest, mother of captive soldier Matan Angrest, speaks at a rally against the government and for ahostage deal, September 14, 2024. (Paulina Patimer/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

She played the clip of her son after her own address to the prime minister.

“Bibi,” she began, drawing boos from the audience at the mention of the premier’s nickname, “I thought that maybe after a year you could help me answer my children.”

“Mom, is Matan eating?” she said, quoting her conversations with her children. “Mom, do you still believe Matan will come back?”

“And the most important question: Who are Ben Gvir and Smotrich?” she added, referring to far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who strongly oppose what they term a “surrender deal.”

Angrest charged that her son hasn’t come back yet due to the two “crazies.” link

Big dreams, bigger hearts: The stories of the six Golani soldiers who fell in Lebanon

Itay was a dedicated leader, Sraya was joyful and generous, Dror was a loyal protector, Nir was hardworking and kind, Shalev was a true-hearted fighter and Yoav a spirited champion; they put everything on the line to protect their home

'Truly a remarkable person'

'Our hearts can hardly bear the pain'

'He always looked after his soldiers'

'A hardworking young man'

'A joyful young man with deep values and boundless generosity'

'A true fighter'

Since the outbreak of the war, 793 IDF soldiers have fallen in battle, six of them on Wednesday alone.

They were identified as Captain Itay Marcovich, 22, from Kokhav Ya'ir; Staff Sergeant Sraya Elbom, 21, from Mehola; Staff Sergeant Dror Hen, 20, from Gan Haim; Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer, 20, from Dimona; Sergeant Shalev Itzhak Sagron, 21, from Sderot; and Sergeant Yoav Daniel, 19, from Nahariya, all from the Golani Brigade's 51st Battalion. There are their stories.

Sergeant Shalev Itzhak Sagron, 21, from Sderot, served as a combat soldier in the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade. In a few months, he was due to begin a squad commanders' course.

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Sergeant Shalev Itzhak Sagron

His sister, Renana, told Ynet that he "was truly a remarkable person, with immense values and incredible strength." She added, "Anyone who knew him can attest to how pure-hearted he was." The family moved to Sderot near the Gaza border in 2022, having previously lived in Moshav Nehalim in central Israel. "During most rounds of fighting, we were evacuated," she said. "Shalev studied at the Nehalim yeshiva, where we also lived. He was passionate about Golani, dedicated to his service. He loved the army deeply—it was his dream to be a combat soldier."

"About six months ago, his commander practically insisted he go to the course, but Shalev wanted to remain a soldier," she continued. "He always said, 'I want to be a combat soldier—nothing else.' He saw himself as a protector of Israel with his own body. He came home just before Simchat Torah, after a long time away, mostly in Lebanon. His arrival was filled with joy, and we shared special moments together. Looking back, I realize those were our last moments together—a sweet memory that will stay with us."

Captain Itay Marcovich, 22, from Kokhav Ya'ir, served as a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion. He is survived by his parents, Tami and Oren, and two siblings, Omri and Ella. His brother was injured in a Hezbollah drone attack on the Golani Brigade training base last month.

Captain Itay Marcovich

(Photo: IDF)

Itay’s former teacher, Noa Shimoni, shared her memories: “Another name added to the list of the fallen, another face I remember—the look in his eyes when the material interested him or when he suddenly understood the explanation, the laughter in class, the smile, the desire to understand why I gave the grade I did.”

“Itay Marcovich, of blessed memory. It’s surreal to write those words after your name. I will never forget you,” she added. The Kokhav Ya'ir-Tzur Yigal local council also paid tribute, saying, “Our hearts can hardly bear the pain. The community mourns and embraces the beloved Marcovich family on the loss of their son Itay.”

Itay will be laid to rest Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the military section of the Kokhav Ya'ir cemetery. The council announced, “The public is invited to pay final respects to Itay and to join the family with Israeli flags at 3:00 p.m., from the entrance square (near the Etgari Center) to the path leading to the cemetery.”

Staff Sergeant Dror Hen, 20, from Gan Haim, served as a squad sergeant in the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He is survived by his parents, Avital and Yisrael, and two brothers, Aviv and Ra'anan.

Staff Sergeant Dror Hen

(Photo: IDF)

Dror’s uncle, Zohar Hen, remembered him with deep emotion, saying, “Our patriotic family cannot comprehend this. Dror served in Lebanon, just as I did in the reserves. He would joke about my helmet as a reservist compared to his tactical gear.” The uncle added that Dror “never complained” and “always looked after his soldiers in the Golani Brigade, where he was proud to serve.”

“He was a brilliant student,” his uncle shared. “He could have gone to the Air Force or Unit 8200, but he made it clear to everyone in the family: only combat, only Golani.” The uncle said Dror felt immense joy in his service, sharing that on his last weekend home he had mentioned “work still to be done.”

Dror, who had a close bond with his two brothers, had also planned to pursue higher education after his service. “He was incredibly talented—it’s a loss beyond words,” his uncle expressed.

Ora Omer Katz, Dror’s mother’s cousin, paid tribute, writing, “Dror, a Golani fighter, a charming young man and pride of the family. Our hearts are crushed with pain, struggling to believe this unbearable loss.”

The Southern Sharon Regional Council announced that the funeral is set for Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at the Gan Haim cemetery and invited residents to “bring flags along the main street of Gan Haim to accompany our beloved Dror on his final journey.”

Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer, 20, from Dimona, served as a combat soldier in the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He is survived by his parents, Geula and Noam, and his siblings Uriah, Ran, Gil, Dikla and Idan.

Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer

(Photo: IDF)

Dimona Mayor Benny Biton mourned his passing, writing, “Nir was a hardworking young man, a computer whiz who chose combat service out of a desire to give back to his country. All of Dimona grieves his loss.”

Staff Sergeant Sraya Elbom, 21, from Mehola, was a squad commander in the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He leaves behind his parents, Yael and Shai, and siblings Netanel, Hodaya, Eyal and Aviram.

Staff Sergeant Sraya Elbom

(Photo: IDF)

The Jordan Valley Regional Council paid tribute, saying, “Sraya was a sociable, joyful young man, surrounded by friends, with deep values and boundless generosity. He left for combat in Gaza during his commanders’ course, returned to complete the course, and went straight into combat in Lebanon. He had only four months left until his discharge.”

Yisrael, a close friend, also mourned him, writing, “The sweetest, most beautiful kid, the one I loved and admired, the kid who was better and more dedicated than all of us—he fell in Lebanon.” He added, “Sraya, how did you let God win? It makes no sense. Where did you go? I need you to come back for one last cigarette with me.”

Sergeant Yoav Daniel, 19, from Nahariya, served as a soldier in the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He is survived by his parents, Revital and Shachar, and his sisters, Hadar and Stav.

The Municipality of Nahariya expressed condolences, saying, "We extend our embrace to the family during this difficult time. May they know no more sorrow. May his memory be a blessing."

Sergeant Yoav Daniel

(Photo: from Facebook)

Sparta Martial Arts Club in Haifa, where Yoav trained, also paid tribute, saying, “With deep sadness and heartbreak, we say goodbye to a true fighter, friend and brother to many of us—Yoav Daniel, a unique spirit. He trained with us for two years, and from the start, his ever-present smile broke down all barriers. Being around Yoav meant constant laughter and lightheartedness, no matter the situation.”

“He quickly became part of the Sparta family,” they added. “Yoav was an Israeli MMA champion for several years and even competed abroad, but he decided that serving as a combat soldier was his priority. Less than a year ago, we threw him a send-off party with one of his favorite things—food. I was incredibly proud of his decision to enlist in combat, and we had many talks about the importance of serving as a soldier, especially in times like these.”

“Sadly, Yoav belonged to a generation that joined the IDF during wartime, and that’s all he knew in his military service,” the club shared. “Whenever he had leave, he would come to our open mats in Haifa and train with friends. We saw him just a few days ago, and everyone’s hearts are broken. Wherever he is now, I’m sure he’s smiling.”

Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages

The King of Gog and Magog

Hadas Kalderon

Mother of Erez and Sahar, who returned from Hamas captivity after 52 days. Their father Ofer Kalderon is still being held in Gaza. Her mother Carmela Dan and her 13-year-old niece Noya were murdered.

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the spirit of horror and terror was hovering over our heads.

I remember when the air was filled with innocence, orange groves, winds of fulfillment, golden fields, simplicity, hope, and revival.

And today, among the cypress trees, the pines, the potato fields—silence.

It is the silence of abandonment, desertion, and betrayal. Friends, this is the silence of death.

Since October 7th, we have been a wounded, bleeding, hurt society. A society losing its most basic values. Core values, such as the sanctity of life, have gone bankrupt; the abnormal has been normalized. Our senses are dull, we have grown accustomed to every shocking piece of news, every new horror.

If I naively thought that the worst of our enemies were behind the fence, I was proven wrong. Agonized by impossible stomach cramps, the inability to digest the new, monstrous understanding—that the enemy is here, among us, disguised. It is not easy to notice them, to defend ourselves.

It is the masquerading juggler, our very own Prime Minister, the glorious Benjamin Netanyahu.

Until today, the most horrendous event in the history of Israel has been managed by unloving, uncompassionate hands, hands that are not obligated to the core Israeli and Jewish values.

Worst of all, the clock ticks twice.

First, for the miserable hostages who were accidentally thrust into this whirlpool of horror; the helpless hostages, our young, gentle soldiers, and civilians from all over who are being tortured and sacrificed at the altar. What altar?!

The altar of Netanyahu’s crazed rule.

Second, the genuine fear for the survival, revival, and future of our country.

Our Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is not a true leader. There are no leaders today. Where have they all gone? Perhaps they are buried under the weight of corruption, interests, and aggression.

And I must ask: What legacy will he leave behind? What mark?

The mark of a diabolical juggler, devoid of values and a heart. A walking mask, mercilessly playing with us all with no second thought, devoid of conscience, and with no moral compass to guide him.   The masked man is hurting, deserting, and sacrificing innocent civilians.

Good people who have given their lives and their souls to this country that has turned its back on them in their time of need.

How dare he speak of the safety of our civilians when the lives of 120 women and men are at stake even as we speak? Every moment he procrastinates endangers them even more.

How did he create a bond with Hamas’ Yahya Sinwar? At the beginning, by feeding and strengthening the beast, and now in this endless war. You cannot kill an idea which promises that the war will go on forever, with the hostages being used as the perfect bargaining chip.

The Prime Minister is in a conflict of interests: the war serves his personal agendas.

We’re fighting to save lives while he’s fighting to save his throne.

The king of Gog and Magog. This is how you will be remembered in the history books. Instead of bringing them home and becoming the king of kings, with a diamond-adorned crown.

Shame. Shame. Shame.

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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