π️Lonny's War Update- October 408, 2023 - November 17, 2024 π️
π️Day 408 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
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
*4:40pm yesterday- north -rockets/missiles*5:00pm yesterday- south - rockets- Sderot, Ibim, Nir Am, Mefalsim
*6:00pm yesterday- north -rockets/missiles *7:45pm yesterday- Haifa and areas around - rockets/missiles*10:20pm yesterday- north -rockets/missiles*10:45pm yesterday- north -rockets/missiles*11:00pm yesterday-north -rockets/missiles*12:05am - north -rockets/missiles -Hezbollah fired some 80 rockets from Lebanon that crossed into Israel today, according to an IDF tally.In the past week, the IDF has seen a decrease in the number of rockets fired by Hezbollah.
*4:25am - north - hostile aircraft - Tel Katzir
*9:20am - south center - hositle aircraft - Yavne, Kfar Hanagid, Nes Zion, Irus, Beit Hanan, Beit Oved, Einot
*10:05am - south - rockets- Nachal Oz
*10:10am - Haifa and areas around, Acre and areas around - rockets/missiles
*12:10pm - north - rockets/missiles
*2:04pm - north - hostile aircraft - Ajar
*2:55pm - north - rockets/missiles
*4:20pm - north - rockets/missiles -One person was lightly wounded by the blast of a rocket impact in the Upper Galilee a short while ago.
*6:00pm yesterday- north -rockets/missiles
In the past week, the IDF has seen a decrease in the number of rockets fired by Hezbollah.
*4:25am - north - hostile aircraft - Tel Katzir*9:20am - south center - hositle aircraft - Yavne, Kfar Hanagid, Nes Zion, Irus, Beit Hanan, Beit Oved, Einot
*10:05am - south - rockets- Nachal Oz
*10:10am - Haifa and areas around, Acre and areas around - rockets/missiles
*12:10pm - north - rockets/missiles
*2:04pm - north - hostile aircraft - Ajar
*2:55pm - north - rockets/missiles
*4:20pm - north - rockets/missiles -One person was lightly wounded by the blast of a rocket impact in the Upper Galilee a short while ago.
Magen David Adom says the person is fully conscious. Another two people are being treated for acute anxiety, MDA adds. According to the IDF, some 15 rockets were launched from Lebanon in the attack. The military says some of the rockets were intercepted while the rest struck open areas.
Sgt. Ori Nisanovich, 21, of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, from Jerusalem, was killed fighting on Friday, the IDF said. According to an initial IDF probe, Nisanovich was killed during an exchange of fire with a Hezbollah gunman in a building in a southern Lebanon village. The operative was killed in the gun battle.
Nisanovich’s death brings the IDF’s toll in the ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon and during operations on the border to 44.
Hostage Updates
Families highlight plight of child captives during rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum’s weekly rally at Hostages Square highlights the plight of parents and children in Hamas captivity, ahead of International Children’s Day this coming Wednesday.
“Let me tell you about my children and their rights,” says Bat Sheva Yahalomi, the wife of hostage Ohad Yahalomi and mother of former captive Eitan Yahalomi. Both hostages were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.
Eitan, 12, was “held alone for 16 days, surrounded by armed terrorists, who told him that the State of Israel and Nir Oz are no longer,” recounts the boy’s mother.
She says that since Eitan was released after 52 days in captivity, he has suffered from nightmares and hair loss.
“We’ll get over it, but that can happen only after his father and the rest of the hostages come back,” she adds.
“The last image Eitan and his two sisters have of their father is the image of him strewn on the floor, injured and bleeding, after he left the safe room to protect them,” Bat Sheva Yahalomi continues.
“What about their right to a father?” she asks. “What about their right to just be a child, their father’s child?”
Alon Nimrodi, father of captive soldier Tamir Nimrodi — “I’m proud of Tamir, not proud of the new title” — says he has trouble with one line of Hatikva, the national anthem: “to be a free nation in our land.”
“We’re not a free nation in our land,” he says. “A 101 hostages are there there in the gutter — how are we free, how?”
He says that this week, the family marked Tamir’s 20th birthday — his second in captivity — by donating care packages to the needy, the homeless, at-risk youth and wounded soldiers.
Alon Nimrodi says such charitableness aligns with his son’s values.
“These valued are absent among our decision-makers,” says the father. “They have given up on the hostages.”
The rally also features speeches from Ofri Bibas, whose brother Yarden, sister-in-law Shiri, nephews 5-year-old Ariel and 1 year-old Kfir are still in Gaza; Avital Dekel-Chen, wife of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen; and Meital Weiss, daughter of hostage Ilan Weiss.
**Many Gather at a Protest in Tel Aviv for the Hostages; Families Declare: "How is there no Israeli Initiative?"**
The families of the hostages held their weekly protest, calling for their loved ones' return home. They appealed to U.S. President-elect Trump: "Do everything to bring them back. They won’t survive the winter." They added: "How is it possible that the Cabinet has stopped discussing the issue? We must save everyone."
**Day 407 of the War:**
Families of hostages protested again today (Saturday), demanding the release of 101 hostages held captive in Gaza. At a press conference outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, they urged U.S. President-elect Trump to intervene and secure the hostages' release. During the event, a passerby confronted Matan Tsangauk's sister.
Demonstration for the release of abductees at Shaar Begin, this evening Photo: Zohar Bar Yehuda
Rally for the release of abductees in Tel Aviv, this evening | Photo: headquarters of the families of the abductees
At the rally in Hostage Square, Ofri Bibas Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas, spoke about her nephews Kfir and Ariel, who are also held captive by Hamas. Avital Dekel Hen, wife of hostage Sagai Dekel Hen, addressed her struggles after giving birth to their third daughter while her husband remains in Gaza.
**Emotional Pleas from Families:**
- Ofri Bibas Levy: “A year has passed, and they are not here. A year of broken promises and thwarted deals. Enough talking—time for action. Kfir and Ariel should be in kindergarten, running and playing. Instead, they are pawns in the cruelest game. In two months, on January 18, Kfir may mark his second birthday in captivity. He deserves a real celebration with cake and candles, with us. Everyone must come home—now.”
- Avital Dekel Hen: “I am fighting multiple wars: one to bring back Sagai, the love of my life and father of my daughters, and another to preserve the spirit of my daughters. Every day, I fight to maintain morale and hope for Sagai’s return. A third war is for our future as a nation. A whole generation is growing up in uncertainty. We must determine how this ends. If Sagai is fighting for survival, and I am fighting for hope, how can we give in to despair?”
**Accusations and Appeals:**
Einav Tsangauker, Matan’s mother, criticized the government during the press conference:
- “Yesterday, Israel proposed an initiative to end the war in Lebanon. How is it possible that there’s no Israeli initiative to end the war in Gaza? Even after Hamas has been defeated, Netanyahu refuses to end the war in Gaza for the sake of a deal. How can the Cabinet stop discussing the hostages? Netanyahu gave up on them long ago, sacrificing them and our soldiers while his extreme allies pursue settlements in Gaza.”
She appealed directly to Trump: “Intervene today. The hostages won’t survive the winter. Save Matan and all the hostages now!”
**Health Concerns for Hostages:**
Itzik Horn, whose sons Eitan and Yair were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, said:
- “Major General Nitzan Alon warned the Cabinet that time is running out. Winter is coming, and conditions are worsening. Doctors say the hostages in captivity are in horrific health conditions—severely malnourished and at risk of various diseases.”
Horn: "Winter is coming and the conditions are deteriorating"
Danny Algrant, brother of hostage Itzik, added:
- “A vast majority of the public—almost 70%—believes a hostage deal is more important than continuing the war in Gaza. The people want the hostages home and the war in Gaza to end. Netanyahu is acting against the will of the people.”
**Protests and a New Video Release:**
Earlier today, protesters gathered outside President Herzog’s residence in Tel Aviv, urging him to address the nation about the hostages' life-threatening conditions and reveal the truth about stalled negotiations.
Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad released a new video of hostage Sasha Trofanov, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. In the video, seemingly dictated by his captors, Trofanov directly appealed to Shas party leader Aryeh Deri:
- “Don’t let Netanyahu and the government abandon us and steal our lives. Please don’t allow our fate to be to die here in the darkness of Gaza’s tunnels, without a burial in Israel.” link
- **Smotrich Declares: "I Will Not Support a Ceasefire in the War"**
Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in an interview on *Meet the Press*, addressed the possibility of supporting a deal to end the war: - "We will end the war only when Hamas is obliterated. Establishing settlements in Gaza is appropriate, but it is not the goal of this war."
**On the Economy Amid the War:** In response to concerns about the economic situation, Smotrich dismissed claims of a collapsing economy: - "Those who read the real numbers know the truth."
**Firm Stance Against a Ceasefire:** Smotrich made it clear that he would not agree to a ceasefire at this stage of the conflict: - "We cannot afford to sign an agreement that ends the war while leaving Hamas in power in Gaza. Hamas has committed atrocities against us reminiscent of the Nazis. Our goal is to destroy Hamas to prevent another October 7 scenario." He added: - "I will not support any deal to end the war, and I don’t believe anyone in the government or security establishment would allow it. We will conclude this war when Hamas is erased, gone, and destroyed."
Smotrich expressed confidence that Hamas would be isolated: - "I estimate that when Hamas realizes it is left alone, without Iran and Hezbollah, an alternative can emerge to replace it."
**Reflecting on Domestic Challenges:** Smotrich admitted to past missteps, saying: - "One of my mistakes was moving too quickly and aggressively with the reform, which caused one side to feel deeply threatened regarding their values and place in Israel. But I’m surprised by the arrogance of those now suggesting stripping one and a half million people of rights because they don't serve in the military."
Reiterating his position on the war in Gaza, Smotrich emphasized: - "We cannot allow ourselves to sign a ceasefire agreement that would leave Hamas in control in Gaza. Our mission is to destroy Hamas to ensure there is no repeat of the horrors they inflicted."
**Vision for the Future:** Smotrich sees a historic opportunity with Trump’s election to advance settlement efforts under the current government, describing it as "significant." link. Unfortunately, I was 100% right about this messianic extremist following his visit to Nir Oz last week, where he 'shed a tear' hearing from the survivors about their families who were killed and kidnapped and are still languishing in the hell of Hamas captivity. For him, it was just a publicity spin and nothing moved him because he is so far removed from the reality of his own failures and those of the government he is part of. He loses no sleep over the fate of the hostages and their families. The only things that move him are the messianic causes of his ideology, first of which is settlement. For all he cares, soldiers can keep on dying, even those from his constituency, the religious zionist and all the hostages can die and stay buried in the ruins of Gaza, just so long as he can build more settlements. No one should believe that he will lift one tiny finger to save the hostages. He has no soul, no conscience and absolutely no moral compass, just like the prime minister. SHAME!!!
Hostage Updates
Families highlight plight of child captives during rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum’s weekly rally at Hostages Square highlights the plight of parents and children in Hamas captivity, ahead of International Children’s Day this coming Wednesday.
“Let me tell you about my children and their rights,” says Bat Sheva Yahalomi, the wife of hostage Ohad Yahalomi and mother of former captive Eitan Yahalomi. Both hostages were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.
Eitan, 12, was “held alone for 16 days, surrounded by armed terrorists, who told him that the State of Israel and Nir Oz are no longer,” recounts the boy’s mother.
She says that since Eitan was released after 52 days in captivity, he has suffered from nightmares and hair loss.
“We’ll get over it, but that can happen only after his father and the rest of the hostages come back,” she adds.
“The last image Eitan and his two sisters have of their father is the image of him strewn on the floor, injured and bleeding, after he left the safe room to protect them,” Bat Sheva Yahalomi continues.
“What about their right to a father?” she asks. “What about their right to just be a child, their father’s child?”
Alon Nimrodi, father of captive soldier Tamir Nimrodi — “I’m proud of Tamir, not proud of the new title” — says he has trouble with one line of Hatikva, the national anthem: “to be a free nation in our land.”
“We’re not a free nation in our land,” he says. “A 101 hostages are there there in the gutter — how are we free, how?”
He says that this week, the family marked Tamir’s 20th birthday — his second in captivity — by donating care packages to the needy, the homeless, at-risk youth and wounded soldiers.
Alon Nimrodi says such charitableness aligns with his son’s values.
“These valued are absent among our decision-makers,” says the father. “They have given up on the hostages.”
The rally also features speeches from Ofri Bibas, whose brother Yarden, sister-in-law Shiri, nephews 5-year-old Ariel and 1 year-old Kfir are still in Gaza; Avital Dekel-Chen, wife of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen; and Meital Weiss, daughter of hostage Ilan Weiss.
**Many Gather at a Protest in Tel Aviv for the Hostages; Families Declare: "How is there no Israeli Initiative?"**
The families of the hostages held their weekly protest, calling for their loved ones' return home. They appealed to U.S. President-elect Trump: "Do everything to bring them back. They won’t survive the winter." They added: "How is it possible that the Cabinet has stopped discussing the issue? We must save everyone."
**Day 407 of the War:**
Families of hostages protested again today (Saturday), demanding the release of 101 hostages held captive in Gaza. At a press conference outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, they urged U.S. President-elect Trump to intervene and secure the hostages' release. During the event, a passerby confronted Matan Tsangauk's sister.Demonstration for the release of abductees at Shaar Begin, this evening Photo: Zohar Bar YehudaRally for the release of abductees in Tel Aviv, this evening | Photo: headquarters of the families of the abducteesAt the rally in Hostage Square, Ofri Bibas Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas, spoke about her nephews Kfir and Ariel, who are also held captive by Hamas. Avital Dekel Hen, wife of hostage Sagai Dekel Hen, addressed her struggles after giving birth to their third daughter while her husband remains in Gaza.
**Emotional Pleas from Families:**
- Ofri Bibas Levy: “A year has passed, and they are not here. A year of broken promises and thwarted deals. Enough talking—time for action. Kfir and Ariel should be in kindergarten, running and playing. Instead, they are pawns in the cruelest game. In two months, on January 18, Kfir may mark his second birthday in captivity. He deserves a real celebration with cake and candles, with us. Everyone must come home—now.”
- Avital Dekel Hen: “I am fighting multiple wars: one to bring back Sagai, the love of my life and father of my daughters, and another to preserve the spirit of my daughters. Every day, I fight to maintain morale and hope for Sagai’s return. A third war is for our future as a nation. A whole generation is growing up in uncertainty. We must determine how this ends. If Sagai is fighting for survival, and I am fighting for hope, how can we give in to despair?”
**Accusations and Appeals:**
Einav Tsangauker, Matan’s mother, criticized the government during the press conference:
- “Yesterday, Israel proposed an initiative to end the war in Lebanon. How is it possible that there’s no Israeli initiative to end the war in Gaza? Even after Hamas has been defeated, Netanyahu refuses to end the war in Gaza for the sake of a deal. How can the Cabinet stop discussing the hostages? Netanyahu gave up on them long ago, sacrificing them and our soldiers while his extreme allies pursue settlements in Gaza.”
She appealed directly to Trump: “Intervene today. The hostages won’t survive the winter. Save Matan and all the hostages now!”
**Health Concerns for Hostages:**
Itzik Horn, whose sons Eitan and Yair were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, said:
- “Major General Nitzan Alon warned the Cabinet that time is running out. Winter is coming, and conditions are worsening. Doctors say the hostages in captivity are in horrific health conditions—severely malnourished and at risk of various diseases.”Horn: "Winter is coming and the conditions are deteriorating"Danny Algrant, brother of hostage Itzik, added:
- “A vast majority of the public—almost 70%—believes a hostage deal is more important than continuing the war in Gaza. The people want the hostages home and the war in Gaza to end. Netanyahu is acting against the will of the people.”
**Protests and a New Video Release:**
Earlier today, protesters gathered outside President Herzog’s residence in Tel Aviv, urging him to address the nation about the hostages' life-threatening conditions and reveal the truth about stalled negotiations.
Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad released a new video of hostage Sasha Trofanov, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. In the video, seemingly dictated by his captors, Trofanov directly appealed to Shas party leader Aryeh Deri:
- “Don’t let Netanyahu and the government abandon us and steal our lives. Please don’t allow our fate to be to die here in the darkness of Gaza’s tunnels, without a burial in Israel.” link- **Smotrich Declares: "I Will Not Support a Ceasefire in the War"**Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in an interview on *Meet the Press*, addressed the possibility of supporting a deal to end the war:- "We will end the war only when Hamas is obliterated. Establishing settlements in Gaza is appropriate, but it is not the goal of this war."**On the Economy Amid the War:**In response to concerns about the economic situation, Smotrich dismissed claims of a collapsing economy:- "Those who read the real numbers know the truth."**Firm Stance Against a Ceasefire:**Smotrich made it clear that he would not agree to a ceasefire at this stage of the conflict:- "We cannot afford to sign an agreement that ends the war while leaving Hamas in power in Gaza. Hamas has committed atrocities against us reminiscent of the Nazis. Our goal is to destroy Hamas to prevent another October 7 scenario."He added:- "I will not support any deal to end the war, and I don’t believe anyone in the government or security establishment would allow it. We will conclude this war when Hamas is erased, gone, and destroyed."Smotrich expressed confidence that Hamas would be isolated:- "I estimate that when Hamas realizes it is left alone, without Iran and Hezbollah, an alternative can emerge to replace it."**Reflecting on Domestic Challenges:**Smotrich admitted to past missteps, saying:- "One of my mistakes was moving too quickly and aggressively with the reform, which caused one side to feel deeply threatened regarding their values and place in Israel. But I’m surprised by the arrogance of those now suggesting stripping one and a half million people of rights because they don't serve in the military."Reiterating his position on the war in Gaza, Smotrich emphasized:- "We cannot allow ourselves to sign a ceasefire agreement that would leave Hamas in control in Gaza. Our mission is to destroy Hamas to ensure there is no repeat of the horrors they inflicted."**Vision for the Future:**Smotrich sees a historic opportunity with Trump’s election to advance settlement efforts under the current government, describing it as "significant." link. Unfortunately, I was 100% right about this messianic extremist following his visit to Nir Oz last week, where he 'shed a tear' hearing from the survivors about their families who were killed and kidnapped and are still languishing in the hell of Hamas captivity. For him, it was just a publicity spin and nothing moved him because he is so far removed from the reality of his own failures and those of the government he is part of. He loses no sleep over the fate of the hostages and their families. The only things that move him are the messianic causes of his ideology, first of which is settlement. For all he cares, soldiers can keep on dying, even those from his constituency, the religious zionist and all the hostages can die and stay buried in the ruins of Gaza, just so long as he can build more settlements. No one should believe that he will lift one tiny finger to save the hostages. He has no soul, no conscience and absolutely no moral compass, just like the prime minister. SHAME!!!
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his entourage after it was revealed that one of his spokesmen is accused of leaking a classified IDF document to the foreign press in a bid to bypass the military censor and influence public opinion against a deal to free them.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan, speaks at a press conference outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on August 31, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)“Netanyahu’s gang ran a criminal operation against the hostage release deal and the families, while providing aid to the enemy and endangering the security of the state,” she says.
Her comments come after a Rishon Letzion court lifts a gag order on details of the case.
Netanyahu to hold assessment on hostages with talks on deal stalled
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a meeting this evening on the hostages in Gaza, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
The meeting, which will be held at the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, comes as attempts to find a way forward on a deal to free the hostage are stalled. link. I have absolutely no expectations of anything buy publicity spins to come out of his 'assessment meeting' as he has no intentions of ending the war in Gaza and is totally willing to sacrifice the lives of all the living hostages. We may see his send Dadi Barnea to Qatar or Egypt but nothing will come of any of it because he refuses to give anyone on the negotiating team a mandate to bring them home.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says returning the hostages is the most important goal of the war.
“As I defined from my first day in the role, returning the hostages home is our most valuable goal. There never have been, and never will be, political considerations on the matter,” Katz says during a meeting with officials at the IDF’s command center for the efforts to free the hostages held by Hamas.
“Every meeting with the families of the hostages and those involved in the mission to return them fills me with more motivation, and I pledge to work together with the defense establishment in every possible way to return them home,” Katz adds. link The only reason that Katz is now Defense Minister is because he is one of Netanyahu's yes men and is not a threat to his leadership. When Katz says that the bringing the hostages is the most important goal, it is only for spin purposes and no action or planning is behind that stated 'goal'. He will not act like Galant and speak out against Netanyahu and will not push for any deal that includes ending the war because it doesn't fit with Netanyahu's agenda. Katz will not stand up against any of that because his political career is more important to him than standing up to Netanyahu who would kill his political career if he went against him.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his entourage after it was revealed that one of his spokesmen is accused of leaking a classified IDF document to the foreign press in a bid to bypass the military censor and influence public opinion against a deal to free them.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan, speaks at a press conference outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on August 31, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
“Netanyahu’s gang ran a criminal operation against the hostage release deal and the families, while providing aid to the enemy and endangering the security of the state,” she says.
Her comments come after a Rishon Letzion court lifts a gag order on details of the case.
Netanyahu to hold assessment on hostages with talks on deal stalled
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a meeting this evening on the hostages in Gaza, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
The meeting, which will be held at the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, comes as attempts to find a way forward on a deal to free the hostage are stalled. link. I have absolutely no expectations of anything buy publicity spins to come out of his 'assessment meeting' as he has no intentions of ending the war in Gaza and is totally willing to sacrifice the lives of all the living hostages. We may see his send Dadi Barnea to Qatar or Egypt but nothing will come of any of it because he refuses to give anyone on the negotiating team a mandate to bring them home.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says returning the hostages is the most important goal of the war.
“As I defined from my first day in the role, returning the hostages home is our most valuable goal. There never have been, and never will be, political considerations on the matter,” Katz says during a meeting with officials at the IDF’s command center for the efforts to free the hostages held by Hamas.
“Every meeting with the families of the hostages and those involved in the mission to return them fills me with more motivation, and I pledge to work together with the defense establishment in every possible way to return them home,” Katz adds. link The only reason that Katz is now Defense Minister is because he is one of Netanyahu's yes men and is not a threat to his leadership. When Katz says that the bringing the hostages is the most important goal, it is only for spin purposes and no action or planning is behind that stated 'goal'. He will not act like Galant and speak out against Netanyahu and will not push for any deal that includes ending the war because it doesn't fit with Netanyahu's agenda. Katz will not stand up against any of that because his political career is more important to him than standing up to Netanyahu who would kill his political career if he went against him.
Gaza and the South
- IDF’s former top intel analyst: Oct. 7 was strategic, multi-year failure, won’t be fixed by replacing people Brigadier General (res.) Itai Brun, the former head of the IDF’s Military Intelligence research and analysis division, warns in an interview that Israel’s inability to recognize that Hamas was preparing to invade shows a far-reaching systemic failure that cannot be fixed simply by replacing key officers and officials.
Rather, says Brun, it requires a fundamental change in the approach and culture of intelligence gathering, the processing of intelligence by the security establishment, and the interaction with the political leadership.
Brun, who left the IDF in 2015, was asked to return on October 8, 2023, and speaks to Channel 12 having now returned to civilian life.
He says the IDF intelligence community he encountered on October 8 understood it had failed — “an entire network of understandings had collapsed in seconds,” he says.
But while it recognized that it had refused to even consider that Hamas could and would burst through the border fence, and “they realized that they needed to rethink” as regards Gaza, some fundamentally false conceptions continued to be held even after the invasion and slaughter.
Israeli intelligence had failed to recognize that the Iran-led axis believed it could destroy Israel, he specifies. “They didn’t understand this change.”
He says Israeli intelligence had so much data, all indicating that Hamas was deterred and was not seeking a war, that there was a refusal to so much as countenance the possibility that this conception was erroneous — not even when the IDF obtained documentation such as the Jericho Wall material showing Hamas’s attack plans.
The conception held that Israel was strong and Hamas was weak, and thus there could be no logic for Hamas to attack, he notes. The whole network “was not listening, because it was convinced it knew… It could not accept the possibility that it was wrong.”
Brun says Hamas came to be dominated by people who believed they should and carry out an October 7-style attack from about 2017, and that by 2021 there was a growing belief in the Iran-led axis that they could destroy the Israeli army. Israeli intelligence, however, continued to believe “that they thought we were undefeatable.”
The growing confidence among Israel’s enemies was a “historic change” that Israeli intelligence missed. It was born of several factors, says Brun, including Hezbollah’s much-improved rocket and missile capabilities, a greater unity of purpose within the axis, an assessment that the US was not as strong as previously believed, and a recognition that they could do more harm to Israel than they’d previously thought.
Brun decries what he says was “a lack of trust” among the Israeli political and military leadership that prevented leaders “sitting in a room and clarifying” the intelligence community’s assessments of the enemies’ intentions.
But the “central lesson” of the October 7 tragedy, says Brun, is that it was not a failure of “one night, one front, one group of people…It’s much wider.”
“The even more significant thing is the gulf [between assessment and reality] in the years before,” he elaborates. “We were blind for years before that night.”
Brun says he won’t answer questions about political culpability, but stresses: “The entire Israeli apparatus was part of that misconception that Hamas was deterred.”
He distinguishes between the immense recent successes against Hezbollah, including locating and eliminating its leader Hassan Nasrallah, and the failures exposed by October 7, citing “two very different [sets of] capabilities.”
October 7 showed a strategic, multi-year failure as regards factors such as “the skill to understand strategies… and recognize changes in the other sides’ views and understandings.”
“Specific people could have functioned better,” he notes, “but I’m describing something deeper… The notion that we’ll replace the people and the problem will be solved is not correct.”
“Some of them are no longer in their positions and have acknowledged their responsibilities, but the idea that switching them fixes it — no… The problem is in the culture and the problem is in the system.”
Asked whether what happened in 1973 and again in 2023 can happen again, Brun says: “The conclusion is yes, it can happen to us again — and that has to be the fundamental assumption… We need to change the culture and the entire approach, in order to ensure that it won’t happen again.”
Asked whether he believes this fundamental change in approach will indeed now take place, he says, “I do yes.”
Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency says dozens of Palestinians were killed or injured in an Israeli strike on a multi-story residential building in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya.
Hamas-controlled authorities do not distinguish between fighters and civilians in their updates.
There is no comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
The Israel Defense Forces said over the weekend that it was continuing operations in the northern Gaza areas of Jabalia and Beit Lahiya, which have been the targets of an intense offensive since early October.
An Israel Defense Forces reservist was killed during fighting in Beit Lahiya yesterday.
Rather, says Brun, it requires a fundamental change in the approach and culture of intelligence gathering, the processing of intelligence by the security establishment, and the interaction with the political leadership.
Brun, who left the IDF in 2015, was asked to return on October 8, 2023, and speaks to Channel 12 having now returned to civilian life.
He says the IDF intelligence community he encountered on October 8 understood it had failed — “an entire network of understandings had collapsed in seconds,” he says.
But while it recognized that it had refused to even consider that Hamas could and would burst through the border fence, and “they realized that they needed to rethink” as regards Gaza, some fundamentally false conceptions continued to be held even after the invasion and slaughter.
Israeli intelligence had failed to recognize that the Iran-led axis believed it could destroy Israel, he specifies. “They didn’t understand this change.”
He says Israeli intelligence had so much data, all indicating that Hamas was deterred and was not seeking a war, that there was a refusal to so much as countenance the possibility that this conception was erroneous — not even when the IDF obtained documentation such as the Jericho Wall material showing Hamas’s attack plans.
The conception held that Israel was strong and Hamas was weak, and thus there could be no logic for Hamas to attack, he notes. The whole network “was not listening, because it was convinced it knew… It could not accept the possibility that it was wrong.”
Brun says Hamas came to be dominated by people who believed they should and carry out an October 7-style attack from about 2017, and that by 2021 there was a growing belief in the Iran-led axis that they could destroy the Israeli army. Israeli intelligence, however, continued to believe “that they thought we were undefeatable.”
The growing confidence among Israel’s enemies was a “historic change” that Israeli intelligence missed. It was born of several factors, says Brun, including Hezbollah’s much-improved rocket and missile capabilities, a greater unity of purpose within the axis, an assessment that the US was not as strong as previously believed, and a recognition that they could do more harm to Israel than they’d previously thought.
Brun decries what he says was “a lack of trust” among the Israeli political and military leadership that prevented leaders “sitting in a room and clarifying” the intelligence community’s assessments of the enemies’ intentions.
But the “central lesson” of the October 7 tragedy, says Brun, is that it was not a failure of “one night, one front, one group of people…It’s much wider.”
“The even more significant thing is the gulf [between assessment and reality] in the years before,” he elaborates. “We were blind for years before that night.”
Brun says he won’t answer questions about political culpability, but stresses: “The entire Israeli apparatus was part of that misconception that Hamas was deterred.”
He distinguishes between the immense recent successes against Hezbollah, including locating and eliminating its leader Hassan Nasrallah, and the failures exposed by October 7, citing “two very different [sets of] capabilities.”
October 7 showed a strategic, multi-year failure as regards factors such as “the skill to understand strategies… and recognize changes in the other sides’ views and understandings.”
“Specific people could have functioned better,” he notes, “but I’m describing something deeper… The notion that we’ll replace the people and the problem will be solved is not correct.”
“Some of them are no longer in their positions and have acknowledged their responsibilities, but the idea that switching them fixes it — no… The problem is in the culture and the problem is in the system.”
Asked whether what happened in 1973 and again in 2023 can happen again, Brun says: “The conclusion is yes, it can happen to us again — and that has to be the fundamental assumption… We need to change the culture and the entire approach, in order to ensure that it won’t happen again.”
Asked whether he believes this fundamental change in approach will indeed now take place, he says, “I do yes.”
Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency says dozens of Palestinians were killed or injured in an Israeli strike on a multi-story residential building in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya.
Hamas-controlled authorities do not distinguish between fighters and civilians in their updates.
There is no comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
The Israel Defense Forces said over the weekend that it was continuing operations in the northern Gaza areas of Jabalia and Beit Lahiya, which have been the targets of an intense offensive since early October.
An Israel Defense Forces reservist was killed during fighting in Beit Lahiya yesterday.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
The IDF says it has completed a fourth wave of airstrikes today on Hezbollah targets in the terror group’s southern Beirut stronghold.
The targets included command centers, according to the military.
In the past week, the IDF says it has struck some 50 Hezbollah sites in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Before the strikes were carried out, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
The IDF announces that it has completed a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre earlier today.
According to the military, the sites hit by fighter jets included command centers, weapon depots, buildings used by Hezbollah, and numerous other assets belonging to the terror group.
Many of the sites belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division, responsible for rocket fire on Israel from the western sector of southern Lebanon.
Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
Military says it targeted Hamas operatives at former Gaza school after 10 said killed in strike
Israeli fighter jets struck a group of Hamas operatives at a former school in Gaza City’s Shati camp earlier this evening, the military says.
According to health officials and media reports in Gaza, the strike on the Abu Assi school, which was serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians, killed at least 10 people.
The IDF says that the Hamas operatives had set up a command center within the former UN-run school, and were using it to plan “imminent” attacks against troops operating in Gaza.
To mitigate civilian harm, the IDF says it used a “precision munition,” aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.
“The Hamas terror organization systematically violates international law, brutally exploiting civilian institutions and the population as human shields for terror activity,” the IDF says, adding that it will continue to operate against terror operatives who use civilian sites.
Haifa synagogue building sustains heavy damage from Hezbollah rocket
A synagogue building in the northern port city of Haifa was heavily damaged by a Hezbollah rocket strike this evening.
The building is part of the Avot Ubanim synagogue complex in Haifa’s Carmel quarter.
There were no injuries as nobody was inside the building at the time of the attack.
Ten rockets were launched from Lebanon in the attack, with the IDF reporting that some were intercepted.
The IDF says it has completed a fourth wave of airstrikes today on Hezbollah targets in the terror group’s southern Beirut stronghold.
The targets included command centers, according to the military.
In the past week, the IDF says it has struck some 50 Hezbollah sites in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Before the strikes were carried out, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
The IDF announces that it has completed a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre earlier today.
According to the military, the sites hit by fighter jets included command centers, weapon depots, buildings used by Hezbollah, and numerous other assets belonging to the terror group.
Many of the sites belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division, responsible for rocket fire on Israel from the western sector of southern Lebanon.
Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
Military says it targeted Hamas operatives at former Gaza school after 10 said killed in strike
Israeli fighter jets struck a group of Hamas operatives at a former school in Gaza City’s Shati camp earlier this evening, the military says.
According to health officials and media reports in Gaza, the strike on the Abu Assi school, which was serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians, killed at least 10 people.
The IDF says that the Hamas operatives had set up a command center within the former UN-run school, and were using it to plan “imminent” attacks against troops operating in Gaza.
To mitigate civilian harm, the IDF says it used a “precision munition,” aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.
“The Hamas terror organization systematically violates international law, brutally exploiting civilian institutions and the population as human shields for terror activity,” the IDF says, adding that it will continue to operate against terror operatives who use civilian sites.
Haifa synagogue building sustains heavy damage from Hezbollah rocket
A synagogue building in the northern port city of Haifa was heavily damaged by a Hezbollah rocket strike this evening.
The building is part of the Avot Ubanim synagogue complex in Haifa’s Carmel quarter.
There were no injuries as nobody was inside the building at the time of the attack.
Ten rockets were launched from Lebanon in the attack, with the IDF reporting that some were intercepted.
- At least two clauses in US-pushed Lebanese ceasefire plan said unacceptable to Hezbollah
The past few days’ expanded Israeli strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon were decided upon by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new Defense Minister Israel Katz at the beginning of the week, and are aimed at showing Hezbollah that Israel will continue to expand its campaign if the terror group does not accept a ceasefire plan brokered by US envoy Amos Hochstein, Channel 12 reports.It says Hochstein is considering a return to the region in the midweek, but will not come unless it is clear that he can close the deal.
The TV report, which is unsourced, says there is pessimism in Lebanon about the prospects of a ceasefire, however, and that at least two clauses in what it says is a 13-point plan are unacceptable to Hezbollah: The clause that gives Israel the “right to self-defense,” which essentially means freedom of action in Lebanon, and the clause relating to the oversight of the agreement.
Channel 12 says 1.6 million Lebanese people have been displaced to date in the war. Some 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes in northern Israel since Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas’s invasion and slaughter in southern Israel.
The IDF says it has completed a fourth wave of airstrikes today on Hezbollah targets in the terror group’s southern Beirut stronghold.
The targets included command centers, according to the military.
In the past week, the IDF says it has struck some 50 Hezbollah sites in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Before the strikes were carried out, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
- Hezbollah media chief killed in IDF strike on central Beirut, terror group official saysMohammed Afif targeted at Syrian Ba’ath Party offices; military carries out new wave of strikes in terror group’s Dahiyeh stronghold; drone apparently launched from Iraq shot down
An Israeli airstrike on a building in a central neighborhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday reportedly killed the top spokesman for the Hezbollah terror group.
Two Lebanese security sources told Reuters that Hezbollah’s media relations chief Mohammed Afif was killed in the strike on the Ras al-Naba’a neighborhood. A Hezbollah official, speaking anonymously, confirmed this to The Associated Press.
The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately issue a comment on the strike.
Unlike dozens of other Israeli attacks carried out in Beirut this past week, the strike killing Afif was not carried out in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.
The building where Afif was targeted housed the offices of the Syrian Ba’ath Party, Lebanese media reported. The IDF did not issue any evacuation warning before the strike, as it was an assassination and did not target Hezbollah’s infrastructure.
Afif had been especially visible after Israel’s military escalation in September and following the assassination of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Last month, Afif was forced to interrupt a press conference in Dahiyeh after the IDF’s Arabic language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, issued an evacuation order for residents of the area ahead of an airstrike.
Also on Sunday, the IDF said it had completed a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh. The targets hit by fighter jets included command rooms and other infrastructure, according to the military.
Before those strikes were carried out, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
In recent days, the IDF has ramped up strikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut with over 50 Hezbollah sites hit in the past week.
One of the targets struck by Israeli fighter jets in Beirut on Saturday was an apartment formerly belonging to Nasrallah, according to the IDF.
The military said Nasrallah was targeted at the home during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, and it was later rebuilt. The apartment was currently being used by Hezbollah for its activities, the IDF said. Sunday’s strikes came after a barrage of some 20 rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area in the morning.
According to the IDF, some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses, while the rest struck open areas, causing no injuries.
The IDF also released footage on Sunday showing a Hezbollah weapons cache and tunnel being demolished by combat engineers in southern Lebanon.
The site had been discovered by troops of the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit, who are operating in Lebanon under the Alon Reserve Brigade. It marked the first time in the unit’s history that it was operating in Lebanon.
According to the IDF, during a raid in a southern Lebanon village, the troops found a tunnel shaft that led to underground infrastructure. Next to the shaft was a weapons depot, ammunition and a motorcycle, which the IDF says “were prepared for an invasion” of Israel.
Three IDF divisions have been operating in southern Lebanon in recent days, as the military has expanded its offensive against Hezbollah.
On Saturday, Hezbollah claimed to have confronted IDF soldiers on the outskirts of Shama, a Lebanese village located some 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the border with Israel.
It would mark the deepest point in Lebanon that the IDF has reached during the ongoing ground offensive.
Meanwhile, the IDF reportedly removed roadblocks on the northern border which were set up to prevent civilians from driving on roads that were exposed to anti-tank missile fire from Lebanon.
According to a Sunday morning report by Army Radio, all of the military roadblocks on the Lebanon border were removed in recent days, ahead of a possible return of the displaced residents of the north to their homes. full article
Lebanese media reports an unusual Israeli airstrike in central Beirut.
The strike was carried out in the Ras al-Naba’a neighborhood in the central part of the Lebanese capital, and not in the Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs.
The IDF also did not issue any evacuation warning before the strike.
Some reports claim that the building housed the offices of the Syrian Ba’ath Party.
The IDF releases footage showing a Hezbollah weapons cache and tunnel being demolished by combat engineers in southern Lebanon.
The site had been discovered by troops of the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit, who are operating in Lebanon under the Alon Reserve Brigade. It marks the first time in the unit’s history that it is operating in Lebanon.
According to the IDF, during a raid in a southern Lebanon village, the troops found a tunnel shaft that led to underground infrastructure.
A Hezbollah weapons depot and tunnel found by troops in southern Lebanon, in images distributed by the IDF on November 17, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)Next to the shaft was a weapons depot, ammunition, and a motorcycle, which the IDF says “were prepared for an invasion” of Israel.
The past few days’ expanded Israeli strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon were decided upon by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new Defense Minister Israel Katz at the beginning of the week, and are aimed at showing Hezbollah that Israel will continue to expand its campaign if the terror group does not accept a ceasefire plan brokered by US envoy Amos Hochstein, Channel 12 reports.
It says Hochstein is considering a return to the region in the midweek, but will not come unless it is clear that he can close the deal.
The TV report, which is unsourced, says there is pessimism in Lebanon about the prospects of a ceasefire, however, and that at least two clauses in what it says is a 13-point plan are unacceptable to Hezbollah: The clause that gives Israel the “right to self-defense,” which essentially means freedom of action in Lebanon, and the clause relating to the oversight of the agreement.
Channel 12 says 1.6 million Lebanese people have been displaced to date in the war. Some 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes in northern Israel since Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas’s invasion and slaughter in southern Israel.
The IDF says it has completed a fourth wave of airstrikes today on Hezbollah targets in the terror group’s southern Beirut stronghold.
The targets included command centers, according to the military.
In the past week, the IDF says it has struck some 50 Hezbollah sites in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Before the strikes were carried out, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
An Israeli airstrike on a building in a central neighborhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday reportedly killed the top spokesman for the Hezbollah terror group.
Two Lebanese security sources told Reuters that Hezbollah’s media relations chief Mohammed Afif was killed in the strike on the Ras al-Naba’a neighborhood. A Hezbollah official, speaking anonymously, confirmed this to The Associated Press.
The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately issue a comment on the strike.
Unlike dozens of other Israeli attacks carried out in Beirut this past week, the strike killing Afif was not carried out in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.
The building where Afif was targeted housed the offices of the Syrian Ba’ath Party, Lebanese media reported. The IDF did not issue any evacuation warning before the strike, as it was an assassination and did not target Hezbollah’s infrastructure.
Afif had been especially visible after Israel’s military escalation in September and following the assassination of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Last month, Afif was forced to interrupt a press conference in Dahiyeh after the IDF’s Arabic language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, issued an evacuation order for residents of the area ahead of an airstrike.
Also on Sunday, the IDF said it had completed a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh. The targets hit by fighter jets included command rooms and other infrastructure, according to the military.
Before those strikes were carried out, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
In recent days, the IDF has ramped up strikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut with over 50 Hezbollah sites hit in the past week.
One of the targets struck by Israeli fighter jets in Beirut on Saturday was an apartment formerly belonging to Nasrallah, according to the IDF.
The military said Nasrallah was targeted at the home during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, and it was later rebuilt. The apartment was currently being used by Hezbollah for its activities, the IDF said. Sunday’s strikes came after a barrage of some 20 rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area in the morning.
According to the IDF, some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses, while the rest struck open areas, causing no injuries.
The IDF also released footage on Sunday showing a Hezbollah weapons cache and tunnel being demolished by combat engineers in southern Lebanon.
The site had been discovered by troops of the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit, who are operating in Lebanon under the Alon Reserve Brigade. It marked the first time in the unit’s history that it was operating in Lebanon.
According to the IDF, during a raid in a southern Lebanon village, the troops found a tunnel shaft that led to underground infrastructure. Next to the shaft was a weapons depot, ammunition and a motorcycle, which the IDF says “were prepared for an invasion” of Israel.
Three IDF divisions have been operating in southern Lebanon in recent days, as the military has expanded its offensive against Hezbollah.
On Saturday, Hezbollah claimed to have confronted IDF soldiers on the outskirts of Shama, a Lebanese village located some 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the border with Israel.
It would mark the deepest point in Lebanon that the IDF has reached during the ongoing ground offensive.
Meanwhile, the IDF reportedly removed roadblocks on the northern border which were set up to prevent civilians from driving on roads that were exposed to anti-tank missile fire from Lebanon.
According to a Sunday morning report by Army Radio, all of the military roadblocks on the Lebanon border were removed in recent days, ahead of a possible return of the displaced residents of the north to their homes. full article
Lebanese media reports an unusual Israeli airstrike in central Beirut.
The strike was carried out in the Ras al-Naba’a neighborhood in the central part of the Lebanese capital, and not in the Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs.
The IDF also did not issue any evacuation warning before the strike.
Some reports claim that the building housed the offices of the Syrian Ba’ath Party.
The IDF releases footage showing a Hezbollah weapons cache and tunnel being demolished by combat engineers in southern Lebanon.
The site had been discovered by troops of the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit, who are operating in Lebanon under the Alon Reserve Brigade. It marks the first time in the unit’s history that it is operating in Lebanon.
According to the IDF, during a raid in a southern Lebanon village, the troops found a tunnel shaft that led to underground infrastructure.
A Hezbollah weapons depot and tunnel found by troops in southern Lebanon, in images distributed by the IDF on November 17, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Next to the shaft was a weapons depot, ammunition, and a motorcycle, which the IDF says “were prepared for an invasion” of Israel.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
- After Levin calls to resume judicial overhaul, Gantz warns last attempt ‘brought disaster to Israel’
National Unity leader Benny Gantz slams Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s call for the government to resume its contentious judicial overhaul program, and warns that the last time the process was attempted it “brought disaster to the State of Israel.”
The government’s attempts to make drastic changes to the judicial system were halted in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror onslaught, but Levin called for it to be put back on the agenda after flares were fired at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence on Saturday evening.
Gantz, in a post on X, warns that the “coup d’Γ©tat led by Yariv Levin brought disaster to the State of Israel, tore us apart from the inside and was a large part of how we reached October 7.”
“The fact that he brings up the idea of returning to it while the entirety of Israeli society is mobilized amid a difficult war proves that not only has he not learned his lesson — he is also an irresponsible person,” Gantz continues.
He calls for Netanyahu and the governing coalition to dismiss attempts to revitalize the controversial legislation. link. this failed government is so deliberately removed from the reality that has been on us since Oct 7, 2023 and ignores the most important and pressing matters that are upon us: the hostages, the war on 7 fronts, the soldiers being killed, the reservists who have served 300-400 days leaving behind their families and jobs, the quickly sinking economy, and the list goes on and on. But his government of petty politicians who are most responsible for everything that led up to October 7 and should have resigned immediately, go about their business as that we are still in October 6. This judicial overhaul is actually a judicial overthrow where the government is trying to change the laws and have the power over the courts. It is this judicial overthrow that brought out hundreds of thousands of protesters every week to prevent it from happening and it was this government's ignoring all the warnings given to it by the heads of all the security bodies that it was weakening the state and showing us at our weakest that the enemy can take advantage of, and that is just what happened. That doesn't make an iota of impact on the likes of Minister of 'Injustice' Levin and the facist head of the Knesset Law committee Rothman as they are both again strongly trying to push this judicial overthrow and ignore everything else around us. They are dangerous to the state and dangerous to the little democracy that remains.
The Region and the World
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Survivors
"I take care of orphans, and the state throws me crumbs like I’m a bird": The invisible victims of October 7 lost their siblings under traumatic circumstances on Black Saturday. Instead of processing their emotional scars, they stepped in to support their grieving parents and the children of their deceased siblings, often without any aid from the state.
Hadas Shemel is raising the three children of her late sister, Sharon. Hila Abir, whose brother Lotan was murdered, takes care of her shattered parents, as does Kfir Azulai, who lost his brother. "They gave us psychological counseling and that’s it. 'Go work, manage the household on your own,'" says Hadas. "The government says, 'They’re adults, let them fend for themselves. You’re not entitled to a dime.' But I’m not about to abandon them; they just lost their mother," she says painfully.
Hadas is raising her sister Sharon's three children—Noam, 16; Koren, 20; and Itai, 23—after Sharon was murdered during the Nova Festival massacre. Hadas, who considered Sharon not only her sister but also her best friend, has not had time to grieve. "I received a video but didn’t show it to anyone," she shares, her voice trembling. "In it, you see the terrorists trying to put my sister on one of their motorcycles, seemingly to kidnap her. She tries to escape, and one of them shoots her in the back. You can see it clearly in the video. These images will never leave my mind; they’re etched there. Whenever I look at a picture of her, I remember what I saw. She likely realized what was happening and chose to run, knowing she might die."
She raised them alone and was murdered. The late Sharon Hirsch with her sons, Itai Koren and Noam | Photo: Courtesy of the family
But Hadas has no time to deal with the trauma of watching her sister's murder. She has stopped working, lives off her savings, and is focused on maintaining a household for nine people, supporting her elderly parents and raising Sharon’s children so they can regain some semblance of normalcy and preserve their joy for life. Despite her efforts, the state provides minimal support, and even that was a struggle to secure. "After Sharon’s murder, they gave us help like throwing crumbs to birds," she says. "They gave us hush money, nothing more."
Hadas emphasizes that if the state had supported her as a bereaved sibling in the initial months following the massacre, the situation today would look very different. Bereaved siblings are an overlooked and almost forgotten group, left to manage broken homes and orphaned children while carrying their own scars of loss and bearing heavy financial burdens.
"Families need healing; don’t abandon us."
Mornings in the Hirsch family home in Ramat Hasharon start in the kitchen. The grandmother is cooking, Hadas is preparing sandwiches, and four teenagers now living together under one roof ask, "What’s for breakfast?" Three of them—Itai, Noam, and Koren, Sharon’s children—recently joined this unplanned commune. Hadas, who is married and has a teenage son of her own, has taken on the responsibility of fulfilling her sister's last wish: to raise her children.
"She probably decided to run away from the terrorists." The late Sharon Hirsch | Photo: Courtesy of the family
After Sharon was murdered, a social worker informed Hadas that she was not entitled to any state support—not as a bereaved sibling nor as one raising her sister’s children. Hadas’s experience is not unique; many bereaved siblings have been thrust into an unimaginable reality of loss, trauma, and overwhelming responsibility without a safety net.
Hadas recounts the agonizing search for Sharon, which lasted four days. "We searched hospitals and couldn’t find her. We thought she had been kidnapped. Eventually, we learned she fled the festival and made it to Kibbutz Mefalsim, where she was found." Since then, Hadas lives in fear. "I’m afraid to drive alone. I have trauma and anxiety," she says. But there’s no time for her to address her fears. "Everything falls on me—not just the kids but my parents, too. My mom is 75, barely mobile, and I handle all her doctor appointments and shopping. I also try to cheer her up and get her out of the house. We’re maintaining a household of nine, including elderly parents, and the chores are endless."
"Everyone is on me - not only the children, but also my parents." The late Sharon Hirsch and his mother | Photo: Courtesy of the family
By law, Hadas qualifies as a foster family for children under 18. Initially, she was granted foster status only for Noam, 16. After persistent efforts, she convinced a special committee to recognize Koren, 20, as well. For both, she receives a monthly stipend of 4,000 shekels (approximately $1,000) from the Ministry of Welfare. However, Itai, the eldest at 23, does not qualify for any support, and Hadas receives no aid for him, even though he lives in the same home. Additionally, Noam receives 5,000 shekels (approximately $1,250) per month from the Ministry of Defense as compensation for being a victim of terror, but this amount is held in a trust fund.
**From the State's Perspective, His Grandfather is Responsible for Him**
"Every withdrawal from the fund involves bureaucracy and paperwork," says Hadas. "It’s incredibly hard to manage like this. With the 4,000-shekel stipend, I feed the entire household. I want to return to work, but my emotional state and the mental burden make it challenging. I constantly ask myself, ‘How can I return to normal after everything that happened, especially when we’re still in this war?’"
Living with her husband, four children, and her elderly parents, Hadas also shares her home with Michal, the eldest sister of Hadas and Sharon. The family is now searching for volunteers to renovate their home to accommodate everyone. 
"We looked for her in the hospitals and couldn't find her." The late Sharon Hirsch (second from the right) with her brother | Photo: Courtesy of the family
"We take care of a house with 9 people, including elderly people." The Hirsch family Photo: Courtesy of the family
"Even though the children are adults, they all lived with her and were deeply connected to her. Now, I have to take care of them. I don’t want the state to fund me forever—I understand that financially, it’s not possible—but families like ours need time to heal and process everything that has happened. There are complex families, like grandparents raising grandchildren. Don’t abandon us like this. If I hadn’t fought to get foster status for some of the children, I wouldn’t even receive this stipend."
### "A Holocaust Was Inflicted on People, and No One Sees Them"
"My parents need me more than ever now; they’ve become like children emotionally and physically. They’re exhausted, they can’t sleep at night, and their minds are racing," shares Hila Abir, who lost her brother Lotan. On the day of the attack, he fled the festival and hid in a bomb shelter, where he was murdered. "My father used to be a businessman. Since that day, he’s stopped working. He only leaves the house to go to the cemetery. I feel guilty if I don’t visit them, as if I’m abandoning them," she adds, describing her sense of responsibility toward her parents. "People are preoccupied with memorializing, taking care of parents and nieces or nephews, and just surviving. They can’t work. We need the state to recognize us as victims ourselves, with rights."
"We need the state to recognize us as victims." The late Lutan Abir with his sister Hila | Photo: Courtesy of the family
"My mom has a phantom pain in her stomach—she’s constantly in anguish," Hila shares. "We all go to therapy, but everyone reacts differently. My dad hung pictures of Lotan in the living room, but my mom asked him to take them down because she couldn’t handle it. She wants to sell the house because she can’t bear walking past his empty room. My dad can’t even think about that; it’s all that’s left of him. The emotional complexity is immense. My other brother tries to escape the situation—he doesn’t even tell people he’s bereaved, avoiding questions entirely. Lotan’s friends are also grappling with unimaginable pain."
On October 7, at 6:30 a.m., when the sirens began, Hila was texting with Lotan, who had left the festival with his close friend Mai. At the time, Hila was staying with her mother, looking after her sister’s children in the village of Gan Haim. They knew Lotan was at the Nova Festival. "He called later and told us he was on his way home. Another brother was at a festival in the Arava, and we contacted him too," Hila recalls. "A friend in Kibbutz Kfar Aza texted me that morning. She told me to warn Lotan not to take Route 232 but to go via Netivot, as she already understood what was happening there."
"This is not a normal event, this is not another terrorist attack." The late Lutan Abir | Photo: Courtesy of the family
But Lotan couldn’t escape. A police roadblock turned him and Mai back, and they ended up in a bomb shelter near Kibbutz Be'eri. Throughout this time, Hila was texting with her brother. He told her there were 40 civilians in the shelter, none of them armed, and that the army and police were nowhere nearby. "I called the police, and they said they were sending forces. At 7:54 a.m., we lost contact with Lotan. We didn’t yet grasp the full scope of the situation. After the sirens stopped, we left the shelter and stopped my father from going to find Lotan himself. Then Mai called her uncle and told him they were shot at, that someone had died right next to her, and then the line disconnected. That’s when the chaos began, lasting four days until we received the terrible news."
Hila turned her home into a command center while her parents and Mai’s parents searched hospitals desperately. "We tried locating his Apple Watch and succeeded only the following morning at 5:30 a.m. The watch was at a shelter near Be'eri. I directed police forces there. They found Lotan’s phone and watch in a pool of blood, but no one was there; everyone had been evacuated, and we didn’t know where. Each day, our parents came home shattered, and the chances of finding him alive dwindled. We continued searching, sending armed friends to the area, but they came back without him. We spoke to all the survivors from that shelter, including their friend Ben, who was in the hospital. Every night was an endless nightmare."
On Tuesday afternoon, the family received word from the head of the village council that Mai had been found. An hour later, they found Lotan. To this day, the family doesn’t know how they both ended up in Shura Base Camp.
"This wasn’t a typical attack; it wasn’t just another terror incident. They inflicted a Holocaust on half the country. People were kidnapped and murdered, and we saw it on Telegram, heard it over the phone. For days, people didn’t know what had happened to their loved ones," Hila says, emphasizing the need for unique support. "No one in this country sees us," she adds, describing the government’s inaction. When Hila realized early in the war that the state did not intend to care for the bereaved civilian families, she decided to establish a special committee with other bereaved families to assist the families of those murdered in the massacre at the parties.
"When a soldier falls, there is an entire system that contacts the families, informs them of their rights, and guides them through the processes that follow the death or injury of their loved one. In civilian life, there is no such system. There are families who waited for answers about the fate of their loved ones, and it was ZAKA who called them to inform them that their son had been murdered and to come collect him from the Shura camp. There was no single entity responsible for this or taking charge of the situation," Hila describes the void.
"We prevented my father from going down to the field to take Lotan." The late Lutan Abir and his parents | Photo: Courtesy of the family
**She Doesn't Intend to Rely on the State for Bereaved Civilian Families**
Realizing that the state has no intention of assisting families of civilian victims, Hila decided to establish a special committee with other bereaved families to address the needs of those affected by the massacre at the festival.
### “Instead of Helping Us, They’re Crushing Us”
The committee was established in November 2023, starting as a WhatsApp group and evolving into a formal organization with 11 members, all of whom are bereaved siblings or parents. Each member is responsible for a different area of support for families. Hila oversees legislation and commemoration.
“The committee’s purpose is to advocate for families’ rights, assist them in coping with their loss and trauma, and promote legislation recognizing their unique status as secondary victims of acts of terror,” Hila explains. “We are working to advance the 'October 7 Law,' which would establish a protocol for supporting families of the massacre victims, similar to the system in place for military casualties.”
"I should be spending this year grieving and processing my loss, not acting as a representative for families. I should be telling Lotan’s story, not fighting ministers and committee chairs in the Knesset. But we don’t interest them,” Hila says painfully. “Instead of helping us, recognizing us, or passing a law, they only impose more burdens on us, and we have to fight them.”
“I do everything now for Lotan and Mai’s friends, for their generation,” Hila adds. “They contributed to the state; they were all fighters. Today, I spend more time with Lotan’s friends than my own. Only they understand the pain. I was like a little mother to him—we had a 15-year age gap. I can’t believe I’ll never see my brother again. Instead of being in the safest place, where the state provides me security and support after such an event, I have to fight for our rights because other bereaved families don’t have the strength—and I still need to take care of my parents.”
### Bereaved Families Seek Recognition, Not Justice
The bereaved siblings are not seeking justice; they want recognition of their unique situation and support to rebuild their lives. “I don’t think we need a monthly stipend but rather a grant for the first one to two years as immediate family members and secondary victims—and financial assistance. It’s impossible to work during the first one to two years, and expenses often increase. The treatment basket must be expanded—any form of helpful therapy should be included, whether it’s a licensed psychologist or a personal coach,” Hila suggests as a potential solution.
“I’m sure the state doesn’t want a generation of dependents. If they provided financial assistance for the first two years, we could process our loss, care for our families, and return to normal life as much as possible,” Hila concludes, asking for a chance to get back on track. “They need to recognize us as immediate family without requiring psychological reports,” she emphasizes, stressing the need for immediate acknowledgment without bureaucracy. 
"No one in the country sees us." The late Lotan (left) and his brother Hila and Dor | Photo: Courtesy of the family
### “My Mother Witnessed the Murder Through a Video Call”
Yonatan Azulai, 25, was murdered on Black Saturday in a shelter at Alumim Junction. For five long days, the family did not know his fate, clinging to every shred of hope. “We were in mental distress until we located him,” recalls his brother Kfir painfully. “If it was so hard for us, what can the families of the hostages say, who have been living a nightmare for over a year?” 
He was only 25 years old when he was murdered on October 7. The late Yonatan Azoulai | Photo: Courtesy of the family
When the sirens sounded, Yonatan and his girlfriend left the festival near Kibbutz Re’im and drove along Route 232. There, they encountered a police roadblock and were instructed to turn back and take shelter at Alumim Junction. Forty people were crammed into the shelter until a truck full of terrorists arrived. The attackers disembarked and began shooting indiscriminately. When their weapons jammed, they began throwing grenades. Yonatan was likely killed by the second grenade, along with seven others.
He managed to call his mother, who was abroad at the time, and bid her farewell during a video call. “He told our mom he didn’t know if he’d make it and added, ‘I’m sorry if I hurt you, Mom. Please keep the siblings united,’” Kfir recalls. “He told her they were being shot at, that there was no police or army, that they were abandoned to their fate, and no one was answering them.”
“Yonatan and Mom spoke for four minutes on the phone. My mother screamed her soul out through the phone, hearing the gunshots. She begged him to duck, realizing the terrorists were closing in,” Kfir continues. “The second grenade was thrown. My brother shielded his girlfriend with his body, saving her life. He was murdered. My mother experienced the entire event through a video call. These traumatic moments still prevent her from sleeping. She wakes up in terror every night, reliving the event repeatedly. The memories overwhelm her every second of every day.”
Kfir himself woke up that fateful morning to a message from Yonatan
**"Overwhelming Her Every Moment": A Family's Agony Following the Massacre**
In the family group chat at 6:58 AM, Yonatan sent a message that would mark a turning point for his family. “I didn’t even know he went to the party. From that moment, our lives turned upside down,” says Kfir, his brother.
Their mother, still reeling from the devastating phone call with Yonatan during the attack, informed Kfir and his siblings of what had transpired. Determined to find his brother, Kfir launched an independent search effort. He set up a command center, recruited volunteers through social media, and reached out to anyone who could help.
“We were in immense emotional distress. We knew he had been in the shelter, but after that, we had no idea where he was since the bodies had already been evacuated. For five days, we clung to the hope that he was still alive,” Kfir recounts. 
"He told his mother, 'Keep the brothers united'." The late Yonatan (right) and Kafir Azoulai | Photo: Courtesy of the family
### A Search That Ended in Heartbreak
Kfir’s older brother headed toward Ofakim at 4 PM to search for Yonatan, only to find roads blocked. A tip came in from someone who said they had seen Yonatan on Route 232, recognizing his necklace and shirt. “I told myself, ‘He’s alive.’ We even sent in a canine unit, but they didn’t find him. It all blew up in our faces,” Kfir describes.
The family hoped Yonatan had managed to escape or had been taken hostage, as they found his car 12 minutes from the shelter, with his shirt and bloodstains nearby. “We thought maybe he managed to flee,” Kfir says. “For five days, we searched for him. No official reached out to us. We did everything on our own. Looking back at the messages from that day, I remember how we didn’t sleep or breathe.”
Finally, on Wednesday morning, the family received the devastating news: Yonatan’s body had been found. A DNA sample Kfir provided matched Yonatan’s remains.
“We were five siblings, including Yonatan. Our father passed away from leukemia at 49 after much suffering, and our mother raised us alone. Yonatan was the head of the family, spreading light and joy everywhere. He was my best friend. He and my mom were incredibly close, talking on the phone every day,” Kfir shares.
### The Aftermath: Living with Trauma
“Our mom is struggling now. She has so much pain over Yonatan. Having experienced the entire event through the phone, she constantly suffers from flashbacks. Work is her safe place, but everything has changed. My siblings and I are supporting her emotionally, visiting and talking more. As for me, I suppress what happened, focus less on myself, and try to continue Yonatan’s legacy: to bring joy. It’s hard, but I choose that path,” Kfir says.
### "They Told Us to Get Therapy and Go Back to Work"
This year has transformed Kfir’s life. He had just completed his studies in interior design two months before the tragedy but has been unable to work in his field, consumed by grief and his dedication to commemorating Yonatan. “I don’t care about anything anymore. I had to take many days off work this year, and siblings don’t even get compensation for that from the state.” 
"She yelled at him on the phone to bend down because the terrorists are coming." The late Yonatan Azoulai and his mother | Photo: Courtesy of the family
“They gave us psychological counseling and told us, ‘Go back to work, carry the household, and keep functioning.’ It’s almost impossible,” Kfir explains.
He emphasizes the need for a proper support system, not just for survivors and evacuees but also for close family members. “The government doesn’t even know where to begin. And when it comes to siblings, there’s no recognition at all. There isn’t even a category for us in the committee handling this,” he adds, highlighting the absence of any provision in the Ministry of Defense’s compensation laws for bereaved siblings. 
"We were in great mental distress." The late Yonatan in a family photo with his mother and brother | Photo: Courtesy of the family
### A Broken System of Support
The massacre’s survivors, including families like Yonatan’s, continue to feel abandoned. Although a public committee led by Professor Aviad Hacohen, formed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, recently recommended one-time compensation for affected populations, many find the measures inadequate.
The recommendations include financial aid for participants of the festival, residents of affected areas, and immediate family members of victims or hostages. However, the compensation—ranging from 7,180 to 28,720 NIS for adults, and 1,436 to 5,744 NIS for children—is seen as insufficient for the needs of families grappling with long-term trauma. 
"We searched for him for five days." The brothers Daniel, the late Yonatan, Kafir and Hila Azoulai | Photo: Courtesy of the family
The second route is intended for the relatives of those who perished or were kidnapped in the massacre. This route includes a one-time grant in the amount of NIS 14,360 for each person over the age of 14. Siblings and children of prisoners of war over the age of 30 will be entitled to a treatment and rehabilitation basket in the amount of NIS 15,000 per person.
“The committee recognized that we are victims, but what they decided on is a joke. They really messed this up,” Hila, another bereaved family member, says in frustration. “People are falling into depression, spending days in cemeteries with no hope or purpose. This was such an extraordinary event that it requires new and innovative ways of addressing the victims, not the same old methods.” link. This failed government is still living in October 6 time frame. They refuse to recognize and understand that everything has changed and that October 7 was not just another terror attack. It was the worst day for the state and nothing can be the same, yet they continue their partisan and personal agendas as if nothing has changed. They have shown their complete apathy and distain for the hostages and the hostage families and have done the same for the survivors of October 7 and their families. This government under the prime minister with criminal indictments against him are doing one thing one thing only, keeping themselves in power. It is their only driving force and they are endangering the entire state and its citizens for every day that they remain in power.
Personal Stories Taken captive: Nimrod Cohen, twin working to bring him home19-year-old was abducted on October 7 from Nahal Oz
Nimrod Cohen, 19 was taken hostage to Gaza on October 7 from Nahal Oz.
His family found a Hamas video of him later that day, and at midnight, were informed by the army that Cohen had been abducted to Gaza.
“I know he’s alive,” said Vicki Cohen, Nimrod’s mother, in a video for a local paper. “That gives me strength.”
The Cohen family lives in Rehovot, where his family, particularly his twin sister, Romi Cohen, are active in the local branch of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organizes rallies and gatherings.
“I don’t sleep at night,” said Vicki, “I veer between moments of hope and despair.”
She and her husband went back to work, hoping the schedule and routine would help them get through the days and weeks of waiting. “I see people, I speak to them, and that helps.”
Vicki said that Cohen is a very sensitive, quiet person with a huge heart.
“A lot of people love him,” she said.
Nimrod Cohen, 19 was taken hostage to Gaza on October 7 from Nahal Oz.
His family found a Hamas video of him later that day, and at midnight, were informed by the army that Cohen had been abducted to Gaza.
“I know he’s alive,” said Vicki Cohen, Nimrod’s mother, in a video for a local paper. “That gives me strength.”
The Cohen family lives in Rehovot, where his family, particularly his twin sister, Romi Cohen, are active in the local branch of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organizes rallies and gatherings.
“I don’t sleep at night,” said Vicki, “I veer between moments of hope and despair.”
She and her husband went back to work, hoping the schedule and routine would help them get through the days and weeks of waiting. “I see people, I speak to them, and that helps.”
Vicki said that Cohen is a very sensitive, quiet person with a huge heart.
“A lot of people love him,” she said.
Gripped by despair, Israel’s hostage families try to keep hope alive
“There is a rope hanging over my son’s head,” said Yehuda Cohen, father of hostage Nimrod Cohen. He says the U.S. must pressure Netanyahu into a cease-fire.
“There is a rope hanging over my son’s head,” said Yehuda, a 54-year-old algorithms engineer. “But we still have a reason to fight. I don’t think of anything else.”
Yehuda Cohen and his wife, Viki, are clear: Hamas is a terrorist organization over which they have no control. Governments are supposed to protect their people. So the person controlling the rope, they say, is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the weeks since the bodies of the six hostages were found in Gaza — shortly after being shot at close range by their Hamas captors, Israel’s Health Ministry said — Israelis have returned to the streets for increasingly massive protests, calling on Netanyahu to secure the release of the remaining captives. But U.S.-backed cease-fire talks have faltered again, as Netanyahu insists on keeping Israeli troops along the Gaza-Egypt border and Hamas demands that more Palestinians be released from Israeli prisons.
A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to comment for this story. In a recorded video message this month, Netanyahu blamed Hamas for failing to reach a cease-fire agreement and said efforts to free the hostages are ongoing. He also reiterated the importance of having troops along Gaza’s southern border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor.
Among hostage families, the deaths of the six marked a turning point. Many who had been keeping their protests in Tel Aviv largely apolitical have now joined the more overtly anti-government demonstrations a few blocks away. The result, organizers say, has been the biggest crowds yet, measuring in the hundreds of thousands.
“We are marching with one voice now,” said Lee Siegel, 72, whose younger brother, Keith Siegel, is still being held by Hamas. “When you are shooting, anything could happen. We know that war and hostages returning home do not happen together.”
Every day, the Cohens try to keep up the pressure. Weekly, sometimes nightly, they protest. Last month, Yehuda and his older son, Yotam, traveled to Washington to plead with U.S. officials to force Netanyahu into a deal. They plan to return this month, with Viki and Nimrod’s twin sister, Romi, to make another push.
“We have a chance to reconstitute our family … to put things back together, by bringing Nimrod home,” Yehuda said. “Any good parent would never give up on his child.”
The Cohens were awakened by sirens at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7. Hamas-led militants had streamed out of Gaza to attack Israeli communities. They headed to the basement shelter of their plant-filled house in Rehovot, about 10 miles south of Tel Aviv. Yehuda rushed Yotam, then in the Israel Defense Forces, to his posting.
Details of the attack were slow to emerge. Ultimately, it became clear that Hamas had killed about 1,200 people and dragged more than 250 back to Gaza as hostages.
The Cohens did not immediately think of Nimrod, an IDF soldier with a tank unit stationed near Gaza.
When Yehuda texted Nimrod at 9:30 a.m., there was no reply. When he logged on to YouTube, one of the first videos he saw was of a tank going up in smoke and soldiers being dragged out. His son was one of them.
At first, the Cohens believed fighting might bring their son home. But that hope dissipated as they watched Israel’s military campaign grind on, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and bringing Nimrod no closer to freedom.
There are still 97 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza who were taken on Oct. 7, the Israeli government says; only 64 are believed to be alive.
The Cohens say Netanyahu is prolonging the war for political purposes, catering to those in his far-right base who saw Oct. 7 as an opportunity for Israel to reoccupy Gaza. They were appalled, but not surprised, when they heard a rabbi in the IDF declare the first month of war the “happiest of my life.” The Israeli military disavowed the rabbi’s comments.
“They make the land sacred instead of the lives of people,” Viki said. “That is why we are in the situation we are now.”
In Washington, the Cohens will push U.S. officials to use whatever leverage they have against Netanyahu — even suspending the sale of weapons or ammunition to Israel, they said, if that’s what it takes to bring the hostages home.
“There is a rope hanging over my son’s head,” said Yehuda Cohen, father of hostage Nimrod Cohen. He says the U.S. must pressure Netanyahu into a cease-fire.
“There is a rope hanging over my son’s head,” said Yehuda, a 54-year-old algorithms engineer. “But we still have a reason to fight. I don’t think of anything else.”
Yehuda Cohen and his wife, Viki, are clear: Hamas is a terrorist organization over which they have no control. Governments are supposed to protect their people. So the person controlling the rope, they say, is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the weeks since the bodies of the six hostages were found in Gaza — shortly after being shot at close range by their Hamas captors, Israel’s Health Ministry said — Israelis have returned to the streets for increasingly massive protests, calling on Netanyahu to secure the release of the remaining captives. But U.S.-backed cease-fire talks have faltered again, as Netanyahu insists on keeping Israeli troops along the Gaza-Egypt border and Hamas demands that more Palestinians be released from Israeli prisons.
A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to comment for this story. In a recorded video message this month, Netanyahu blamed Hamas for failing to reach a cease-fire agreement and said efforts to free the hostages are ongoing. He also reiterated the importance of having troops along Gaza’s southern border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor.
Among hostage families, the deaths of the six marked a turning point. Many who had been keeping their protests in Tel Aviv largely apolitical have now joined the more overtly anti-government demonstrations a few blocks away. The result, organizers say, has been the biggest crowds yet, measuring in the hundreds of thousands.
“We are marching with one voice now,” said Lee Siegel, 72, whose younger brother, Keith Siegel, is still being held by Hamas. “When you are shooting, anything could happen. We know that war and hostages returning home do not happen together.”
Every day, the Cohens try to keep up the pressure. Weekly, sometimes nightly, they protest. Last month, Yehuda and his older son, Yotam, traveled to Washington to plead with U.S. officials to force Netanyahu into a deal. They plan to return this month, with Viki and Nimrod’s twin sister, Romi, to make another push.
“We have a chance to reconstitute our family … to put things back together, by bringing Nimrod home,” Yehuda said. “Any good parent would never give up on his child.”
The Cohens were awakened by sirens at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7. Hamas-led militants had streamed out of Gaza to attack Israeli communities. They headed to the basement shelter of their plant-filled house in Rehovot, about 10 miles south of Tel Aviv. Yehuda rushed Yotam, then in the Israel Defense Forces, to his posting.
Details of the attack were slow to emerge. Ultimately, it became clear that Hamas had killed about 1,200 people and dragged more than 250 back to Gaza as hostages.
The Cohens did not immediately think of Nimrod, an IDF soldier with a tank unit stationed near Gaza.
When Yehuda texted Nimrod at 9:30 a.m., there was no reply. When he logged on to YouTube, one of the first videos he saw was of a tank going up in smoke and soldiers being dragged out. His son was one of them.
At first, the Cohens believed fighting might bring their son home. But that hope dissipated as they watched Israel’s military campaign grind on, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and bringing Nimrod no closer to freedom.
There are still 97 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza who were taken on Oct. 7, the Israeli government says; only 64 are believed to be alive.
The Cohens say Netanyahu is prolonging the war for political purposes, catering to those in his far-right base who saw Oct. 7 as an opportunity for Israel to reoccupy Gaza. They were appalled, but not surprised, when they heard a rabbi in the IDF declare the first month of war the “happiest of my life.” The Israeli military disavowed the rabbi’s comments.
“They make the land sacred instead of the lives of people,” Viki said. “That is why we are in the situation we are now.”
In Washington, the Cohens will push U.S. officials to use whatever leverage they have against Netanyahu — even suspending the sale of weapons or ammunition to Israel, they said, if that’s what it takes to bring the hostages home.
‘We are stuck’
In Tel Aviv last week, Yehuda and Einav Zangauker, a onetime Netanyahu supporter who became one of his most vocal critics after her son was kidnapped, led a small but determined weeknight crowd in chants calling for an end to the war. They brandished signs with faces of hostages and posters demanding the government “SEAL THE DEAL.” They blocked traffic, they said, to remind people in the bustling city that life cannot go on as normal.
Some in the crowd expressed a feeling verging on hopelessness. After so many months on the streets, demonstrators said, they doubted the protests had much effect, but they kept coming to support the families.
“We are stuck,” 74-year-old Nili Granot said. “The decision is between Netanyahu’s ears.”
When Lee Siegel learned of the six slain hostages, he thought of the families of Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and Carmel Gat, 40. Since Oct. 7, they had become like his own family. Then he thought of his brother, who was taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7. He wondered if he had been killed but not yet discovered.
“There is a feeling of desperation, of things being out of control,” Siegel said. “A feeling of ‘What can we do?’ But then we come back to: We have to hope. And we can’t be silent.”
Yehuda was protesting here last month when another family member of a hostage said there were rumors that bodies had been found in Gaza. Yehuda called Yotam, who quickly found the names of the dead on Telegram. Yehuda asked the man whether he wanted to see the list, explaining that it concerned his relative.
“His whole face just fell,” Yehuda said. “It is impossible to describe.”
In Tel Aviv last week, Yehuda and Einav Zangauker, a onetime Netanyahu supporter who became one of his most vocal critics after her son was kidnapped, led a small but determined weeknight crowd in chants calling for an end to the war. They brandished signs with faces of hostages and posters demanding the government “SEAL THE DEAL.” They blocked traffic, they said, to remind people in the bustling city that life cannot go on as normal.
Some in the crowd expressed a feeling verging on hopelessness. After so many months on the streets, demonstrators said, they doubted the protests had much effect, but they kept coming to support the families.
“We are stuck,” 74-year-old Nili Granot said. “The decision is between Netanyahu’s ears.”
When Lee Siegel learned of the six slain hostages, he thought of the families of Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and Carmel Gat, 40. Since Oct. 7, they had become like his own family. Then he thought of his brother, who was taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7. He wondered if he had been killed but not yet discovered.
“There is a feeling of desperation, of things being out of control,” Siegel said. “A feeling of ‘What can we do?’ But then we come back to: We have to hope. And we can’t be silent.”
Yehuda was protesting here last month when another family member of a hostage said there were rumors that bodies had been found in Gaza. Yehuda called Yotam, who quickly found the names of the dead on Telegram. Yehuda asked the man whether he wanted to see the list, explaining that it concerned his relative.
“His whole face just fell,” Yehuda said. “It is impossible to describe.”
‘We hope’
Viki Cohen misses the everyday things most. The mess of clothing on Nimrod’s floor. How he would leave just the tiniest bit of ice cream in the carton. His laugh.
Yehuda said he can envision his son returning home “like a Hollywood movie” — all of their efforts paying off, the family again complete. He tries not to let himself think about the alternative.
When Nimrod comes back, the Cohens said, he’ll need help processing the trauma of being in captivity for so long. One reason they speak to reporters, Yehuda said, is a hope that Nimrod will see them on television or the internet, and that it might boost his spirits.
“Because we hope,” he said, and paused briefly. “I would say I am sure — but I am very realistic, so I say hope — that it will end before he will be murdered, and he will be back with us.” link
Viki Cohen misses the everyday things most. The mess of clothing on Nimrod’s floor. How he would leave just the tiniest bit of ice cream in the carton. His laugh.
Yehuda said he can envision his son returning home “like a Hollywood movie” — all of their efforts paying off, the family again complete. He tries not to let himself think about the alternative.
When Nimrod comes back, the Cohens said, he’ll need help processing the trauma of being in captivity for so long. One reason they speak to reporters, Yehuda said, is a hope that Nimrod will see them on television or the internet, and that it might boost his spirits.
“Because we hope,” he said, and paused briefly. “I would say I am sure — but I am very realistic, so I say hope — that it will end before he will be murdered, and he will be back with us.” link
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
Democracy Under SiegeMuki TsurEducator and Researcher.
Democracy is not a situation, it is a challenge; a difficult regime that is under constant and unrelenting peril. Democracy is never assassinated - it commits suicide. When considering the various dangers faced by Israeli democracy, it may come naturally to mention Benjamin Netanyahu - and this is hardly by chance. He who spent a lifetime in evasion, limps fervently on a journey replete with his own interests, while eschewing others.The man who was brought up on deterministic and steadfast principles has become a man controlled by opportunity. The evolution of zealous theories into instrumental tools to serve one’s interests is not accidental - it is the legacy of numerous regimes. Netanyahu became the Neo-liberals’ prophet of doom, leaving his victims entranced. The original idea was embodied in the “teach the people to fish” proverb and was brought to fruition in the hundred-year-old French caricature in which the fish hold fishing rods on the banks of the river and humans flounder in the water. Netanyahu succeeded in turning the poor into a coalition of dependents on the one hand, and an economically besieged population on the other. Human emotions have now become commodities. Cynical stakeholders have stifled dialogue, considered essential in democratic societies, and turned it into a deafening silence that breeds violence and increases gaps between citizens and communities. There is a calculated nurturing of widespread misunderstanding, a conversation that intends to overpower and overtake, shouting without listening, resulting in turning those different from you into enemies in order to solidify the regime’s rule. Jews without democracy will not survive in the modern era, nor will Judaism. Jews have the unique ability to meld complex, un-meldable identities, the ardor of youth and the religion of sober maturity.The growth of Israeli society depends on connecting a minority within the Jewish people with a society that includes the larger Jewish community, and brings with it a growing responsibility and an opportunity to take the Israeli democratic lifestyle, based on partnerships, and turn it into one that cultivates identity politics. Netanyahu jumped on the bandwagon and turned it from an attempt at cultural integration without cultural erosion, to a political tool to serve his interests.A noteworthy chapter in this evolution concerns the memory of the Holocaust. In its essence, the memory of the Holocaust is a tribute to the collective responsibility for human life. It reminds us of our responsibility to uphold democracy and resist totalitarian regimes that evolve into racism and genocide. The memory of the Holocaust demands that we cultivate bravery over fear, uphold boundaries to power and nurture a peace-seeking society. Leveraging the memory of the Holocaust to spread fear and vengeance is a threat, not an opportunity.Israeli society will build itself anew. I hope it will be able to avoid the dark avenues we are all tempted to turn to for solace in times of trauma. Trauma is a closed circuit, broken only by crisis which introduces the need for rectification. The pinwheel of opportunism and zealotry is ubiquitous in the Middle East, but Israel must encourage new winds - both internally and externally. During times of war, this pinwheel becomes increasingly challenging as war presents difficult, critical moral questions with which the pinwheel struggles to deal. We see this clearly and dramatically with the hostage issue. Resolving this issue requires bravery, prioritization that may expose inherent weaknesses, the admission of failures and a long-term vision. Benjamin Netanyahu lacks all of these crucial abilities.
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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