🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 416, 2023 - November 25, 2024 🎗️

  

🎗️Day 416 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

There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!

‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית

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

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

*4:35pm yesterday - north - rockets/missiles

*4:45pm yesterday - north - rockets/missiles
*6:10pm yesterday - north - rockets/missiles
*6:15pm yesterday - north - rockets/missiles
*6:15pm yesterday - Haifa and Acre and areas around - rockets/missiles
*6:30pm - Center - Sharon areas, Kfar Saba, Hod Hasharon, Petach Tikva -rockets/missiles
*6:40pm yesterday - north - rockets/missiles
*6:45pm yesterday - north and center-rockets/missiles 

*8:05pm yesterday - north - rockets/missiles
*8:10pm yesterday - north -over 250 missiles, rockets and anti tank shells launched from Lebanon yesterday causing injuries and major damage in the north and center of the country
*8:35am - north -rockets/missiles
*9:10am - north - rockets/missiles
*9:15am - north - rockets/missiles
*10:05am - north - hostile aircraft - Rosh Hanikra, Batze, Shlomi, Gesher Haziv
*10:05am - north - rockets/missiles
*10:10am - - north - hostile aircraft - Nahariya
*11:25am - north - rockets/missiles
*11:30am - north - rockets/missiles 
*12:05pm - north - rockets/missiles
*12:40pm - north -rockets/missiles
*1:40pm - north - rockets/missiles
*2:45pm - north -rockets/missiles
*2:50pm - north -rockets/missiles
*4:20pm - north - hostile aircraft - Zivan
*4:20pm - north - rockets/missiles
*4:40pm - north - rockets/missiles

Hostage Updates 

• Today is Ofer Kalderon’s 54th birthday, his second birthday spent in the hell of Hamas captivity 

  יום הולדת 54 לחטוף עפר קלדרון -

Taken captive: Ofer Calderon, initially escaped through window

Children Sahar Calderon, 16, and Erez Calderon, 12, were released on November 27

Ofer Calderon, 53, was taken captive on Saturday, October 7, with two of his children, when Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz, killing over 100 residents and some 15 foreign agricultural workers, and taking about 80 hostages.

Ofer Calderon, along with Erez and Sahar, two of his four children, initially escaped from their shelter through the window during the Hamas onslaught, into the fields of Kibbutz Nir Oz, where they were later taken hostage.

Sahar Calderon, 16, and Erez Calderon, 12, were released on November 27 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel. Ofer Calderon remains a hostage in Gaza.

Hadas Calderon, Ofer’s ex-wife, was in the sealed room of her home on the kibbutz, holding the door handle against the terrorists. Their elder son, Rotem, 19, also survived in the safe room of his apartment, in the kibbutz area for young adults, while his older sister Gaya, 21, was in Tel Aviv.

Grandmother Carmela Dan was at her house down the street with Hadas Calderon’s niece, Noya Dan. Their bodies were found on October 19.

At a press conference held in the aftermath of the Hamas massacres in Israel’s south, Gaya Calderon wept, saying, “My dad brought me up, he’s my best friend, I have no one to talk to.”

Hadas Calderon stood in front of the Defense Ministry for days before her two children were released, and extended members of the family are continuing to rally for Ofer Calderon’s release.

Ofer marked his 53rd birthday in captivity in Gaza last year.

• ‘A year is too long for a deal’: Hostage families, freed captives mark brief truce anniversary

  

  Released hostages and relatives of Israelis held captive in the Gaza Strip hold a press conference in Tel Aviv, November 24, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

  
  

  Survivors of Hamas’s captivity and relatives of hostages still in Gaza gather at the Hostage Families Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv to mark a year since the weeklong ceasefire that saw Hamas release 105 women and children kidnapped on October 7, 2023, in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners.

  As the auditorium fills up, a slideshow from last November of hostages reuniting with their families is projected on a large screen.

  “A year is too long for a deal,” reads the slideshow.

  Negotiators have so far failed to secure another truce-hostage deal. The Forum demands a deal that would release all remaining hostages at once, fearing a staggered-release agreement, as outlined in previous draft proposals, would collapse before all the captives are freed.

  Gabriela Leimberg, who spent 53 days in Gaza, says she survived captivity by imagining being reunited with her family.

  “Captivity is hell,” she says. “The only light is hope.”

  “It’s hard for me to believe the hostages still have hope and that they can imagine their return,” she adds.

  She recalls that her partner, Luis Har, and brother, Fernando Merman, were slated to be released days after she was.

  “We left them with a heavy heart,” she says. “Over 70 days passed before they returned in a [rescue] operation.”

  The deal, she says, brought back “105 living hostages — more than can be brought back in a rescue mission.”

  Yifat Zailer, cousin of hostage Shiri Bibas, speaks about the pain of not knowing what happened to the Bibas family: her cousin Shiri, nephews Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 15 months old, and the boys’ father, Yarden.

  

  
  

  “Until we hear otherwise, they’re alive, as far as we are concerned,” she says. “That’s the least they deserve.”

  Last November, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were slated for return the very day hostilities resumed.

  “What would have happened if we had waited one more day?” Zailer asks in tears.

  She recalls how “our heart burst with joy and panged with envy” watching the other hostages be reunited with their families.

  “Only with a deal that brings back all the hostages can I know my family’s fate,” she says.

  Later, in English, she addresses international media: “We need the international community’s help. We can’t do this alone.”

  Also speaking at the event are: freed hostages Raz Ben Ami, whose husband Ohad Ben Ami is still captive, and Danielle Aloni, whose brother-in-law David Cunio is still captive along with his brother Ariel; as well as Michel Illouz, father of slain hostage Guy Illouz.  link

  
  
  
• From everything I can ascertain, it is clear to me that Prime Minister Netanyahu is the main obstacle preventing a deal that will return all the hostages, because there is no possible deal that would not end the war in Gaza and a full Israeli withdrawal from there. It is very difficult to negotiate with Hamas, that is known, and it is not entirely clear that Hamas's negotiators who are outside Gaza can commit that a deal with them will be fully implemented in Gaza, so it will be necessary to include performance tests in any deal before the full implementation of commitments. At the same time, it is clear to me that on the Israeli side, the negotiators have not yet received a full mandate from the Prime Minister to complete the task ("bring them home" has not yet been said to them). The negotiators are also avoiding the option that was tried and succeeded in the negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit - a channel of direct contact with Hamas leaders. There is no certainty that such a direct contact can bring different results than the contact through intermediaries, but, really - what is there to lose??? I don't know if under the current conditions I can get a better deal, or a deal at all, what I do know is that I have access to no less than eight senior Hamas officials who would be willing to communicate with me if I were given permission and authority to negotiate (of course under full supervision and instructions from the negotiators), but it is clear from my experience in May when I was activated for only two weeks, I was shut down from one hour to the next, apparently after the Prime Minister learned that I had been activated. Today, despite all my attempts to return to active negotiations, the negotiators apparently prefer not to challenge Netanyahu in any way. (Gershon Baskin, November 25, 2024)
  Dr Gershon Baskin 
  
  
  
  
•  This is how the opportunity to release hostages in April was missed.  

  Prime Minister Netanyahu tried to explain to Minister Gantz why he excluded him from the late-night conversation in which he narrowed the mandate of the negotiation team. Gantz was furious: "Your conversation with Smotrich was more significant than the war cabinet; we are not wallpaper." Gallant joined the criticism: "The prime minister is the key figure, but he is not alone." The full protocol.  

  
  

  In April, there was hope that another deal for the release of hostages could materialize. Israeli professionals did not give up and attempted to bridge the gap with Hamas to bring the hostages home, according to the "Netanyahu plan." However, on April 27, a particularly dramatic phone call revealed internal government battles, accusations of political motives, and a lack of cohesion among the political leadership. Gantz was furious: "The war cabinet is not wallpaper." Gallant joined the criticism: "The prime minister is the key figure, but he is not alone."  

  
  

  This evening (Sunday), we published all the quotes from the shouting match on the "Main Edition."  

  
  

  At the start of the conversation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to explain why he excluded former minister Benny Gantz from the late-night discussion held the day before, during which Netanyahu narrowed the mandate given by the war cabinet to the negotiation team. "Benny, I want to clear the air and set the facts straight," said the prime minister. "I simply wanted to talk to the head of Mossad and Nitzan Alon to make comments on the text to approve it with them. But then everyone wanted to join the conversation. The defense minister wanted to join, the chief of staff wanted to join," the prime minister claimed. "I had no objection to you joining either... You should have joined as well, there's no question here," Netanyahu told Gantz. "We are not hiding anything. I had no problem with it, and I am sure you would have agreed with everything in that discussion. Why did I want to go over the text? To bring a responsible formula that I approve. I wanted to make corrections, for example, how to incentivize them (Hamas) to give us hostages without committing in advance to an IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip."  

  
  

  Gantz expressed suspicion that the real reason Netanyahu reduced the mandate of the negotiation team was the opposition of ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir to the deal. Gantz's suspicion stemmed from the fact that before the meeting he was excluded from, Smotrich had threatened in the political-security cabinet to dismantle the government if a deal was signed, and he seemed well-informed about the plan, which was supposed to remain secret.  

  
  

  Netanyahu denied providing Smotrich with information about the deal. "What happened factually between the war cabinet meeting and the political-security cabinet meeting was that we were sitting there in the cabinet meeting, and Smotrich entered. He got it from someone, not from me. He said he understands we are about to make a deal."  

  
  

  The prime minister turned to Gantz and said: "I understand you think he then came to me to talk and was given the details, but that's not true. No details were given to him. Fox (the cabinet secretary) was also with me; it was a five-minute conversation. He came to talk to me about another matter entirely. We did not say a word about the deal."  

  
  

  At this point in the conversation, Netanyahu allowed Mossad chief Dedi Barnea to explain why an urgent night meeting was held without Gantz. Due to censorship, we cannot share his remarks, except for the clarification by security officials to the media that the number of hostages Israel demanded to release at the humanitarian stage was 33, including children, women, elderly men, the wounded, and the sick.  

  
  

  Netanyahu added: "We asked for a quick discussion to address the matter, and then everyone joined as they did. We agreed this would be the starting number; everyone agreed on this. It's important to understand that. I'm sure if you were on the call, you would have agreed with it too because everyone agreed on it."  

  
  

  Gantz replied: "Prime Minister, I tell you unequivocally, the war cabinet is not wallpaper. I told you in the discussion that I request a clear conclusion because every time there was a conclusion, and please check yourself, prime minister, throughout all the previous discussions, there was a conclusion, we left the room, and by the next day, the story was postponed, shifted elsewhere, every time for another reason, justified as it may be. Ultimately, every conclusion we reach in the war cabinet serves as a basis for changes or delays, which I cannot accept."  

  
  

  Netanyahu responded: "Just a minor correction, at the end of the war cabinet discussion, we said we would precisely draft the details."  
  

  Former Minister Gantz reminded that 16 hostages had been murdered since December up until that conversation at the end of April and turned to Netanyahu: "You are the prime minister, and you hold the ultimate responsibility and the reins. Every moment that passes—we do not know what it means. Every day, every delay, can cost human lives. We are hesitating and causing delays, and I am sure you don't want this, just as I don't, but in the end, it endangers the hostages. Now I will say again—if, for you, the war cabinet is an unnecessary burden, then release it and say so. If not, then treat it as it deserves, and if a decision is made in it, it cannot be that by the next morning I receive reports that things have changed."  

  
  

  Gantz also told Netanyahu during that dramatic conversation: "My feeling is that your half-hour with Smotrich was more significant than the war cabinet. I don't know if the Mossad chief is still on the line; for me, he can hang up because this conversation is already going in other directions. I am not even arguing with you about the starting point. I am only worried that the starting point will be such that Hamas doesn't even come to the table, and then what have we achieved?"  

  
  

  The prime minister responded: "They have very favorable opening conditions because they are receiving very important things for them, and it's not just me saying that."  

  
  

  Gantz agreed: "We need to go with the best opening conditions we can," but clarified, "as long as the professional elements, including you (Netanyahu), can ensure that with them, Hamas actually comes to the table because if they don't, it will take another week. And in that week, I don't know how many more hostages we will lose. If we don't trust the team, let's send someone else. So, you go, I have no problem."  

  
  

  Then, the argument heated up, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant joined the criticism of the delays, claiming that whoever leaked to the media that Israel was ready to discuss a number lower than 33 hostages wanted to incite Smotrich, Ben Gvir, and perhaps the public against the deal.  

  
  

  "Whoever published the report in the media does not want there to be an agreement. We are losing people over time. This is also a goal of the war, and if they do not live, we have not achieved it," Gallant emphasized. "I heard Smotrich and other figures who do not want a deal, and I don't think we can allow that. In my opinion, there is authority for the forum managing the matters, and it is within the war cabinet's authority. The prime minister is the key figure in this place, but he is not alone."  

  
  

  Gantz continued and clarified that pushing as quickly as possible for a deal was essential. "I know there are those who do not want deals. I know there are those for whom this ongoing deterioration serves their purposes, but I am not willing to be part of this," he warned.  

  
  

  Following that heated conversation, Hamas announced that it was considering the "Netanyahu plan" in a "positive spirit." However, Prime Minister Netanyahu admitted in the media that Israel intended to break the three-phase agreement immediately after the first, humanitarian phase, and continue the fighting.  

  
  

  At the end of July, what was called the "clarification letter" was drafted and sent to the mediators, in which Israel insisted on the Philadelphi Route. Mossad Chief Barnea was the one who mediated with the Qataris, conveying that Netanyahu had sudden reservations. According to Western sources exposed to the conversation details, the Qatari looked at Barnea in despair and expressed frustration with the conduct. A foreign official who spoke with a senior Israeli political figure told him: "You can't want to free your people less than we want to."  

  
  

  From that point until today, Israel remains in the same place—even after the assassination of Sinwar and after the security establishment openly stated that the military achievement had been exhausted. The question that should trouble us is: Has Israel always done everything to push for a deal? At least according to those present at that dramatic conversation in April, the answer is no.  

  
  

  The Prime Minister's Office responded to the leaked quotes: "Once again, domestic elements echo Hamas's propaganda lies aimed at blaming Israel's prime minister. This while a series of American officials have unequivocally clarified that the reason there was no additional hostage deal was Hamas."  

  
  

  The Office of Former Defense Minister Gallant stated: "We do not address statements made in classified security discussions, whose leaks harm the achievement of the war's objectives. We suggest opposition figures stop these leaks."  

  
  

  The Office of Former Minister Gantz commented: "We regret the ongoing leaks from sensitive discussions. Only a state commission of inquiry can bring the truth to the public regarding decision-making processes and provide answers—who pushed for the release of hostages and offensive actions, and who hesitated, feared, and acted according to the whims and approvals of their coalition partners."  link
  
  
  
  
• **The difficult testimony of the released hostage, MKs watched the kidnapping video**  

  Merav Tal, who returned from captivity a year ago, told the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women: "They took us for 8 hours with a bag over our heads and a blanket on our faces." • The footage also shows Yair Yaakov, her partner, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists, and whose body remains in Gaza. • Eli Elbag, the father of the kidnapped observer: "They labeled me a leftist traitor. The machine of venom is working."  

  
  

  At the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women, Merav Tal, who was returned in a deal a year ago, presented a video documenting the moments of her abduction. In the special session, she demanded the return of the 101 hostages held captive by Hamas. The video shown to the Members of Knesset (MKs) depicts the terrorists entering her home. It also features Yair Yaakov, her partner, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists, and whose body remains in Gaza.  

  
  

  "We were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz from our home, in pajamas. My partner's two children, aged 13 and 16, were also kidnapped," she told the committee members. "They were alone. Alone with terrorists for 52 days. They starved us all the time, we had no water, no electricity. It’s not fear, it’s terror being there. They constantly threatened us with weapons. We had to relieve ourselves on each other."  

  
  

  Tal described to the committee, chaired by Pnina Tamano-Shata, the harsh conditions of her captivity: "You couldn’t flush the toilet because there was no water. They threatened us, took us for eight hours with a plastic bag over our heads, duct tape sealed, and a blanket covering our faces and necks. Like that, in a car, for eight hours with six terrorists in the vehicle. We couldn’t speak or say that our necks hurt or that we couldn’t breathe. We traveled like that for eight hours to reach Nasser Hospital, where we were held by Hamas for another five days. I was held by Islamic Jihad."

  
  

  "They don’t let them in; they’re not included. I want to tell you that every day I wake up at 3–4 in the morning because of nightmares," Tal said, demanding that hostage families be recognized as victims of terrorism. "You can’t sleep when others haven’t returned. Small children have anxiety attacks; they can’t return to regular school routines. The torment is simply hell—being alongside the terrorists, not seeing light, not breathing properly, trembling constantly. And what troubles me most are the girls who are still there. Think about what they’re going through. Enough talk—action is needed."  

  
  

  **Eli Elbag: "They labeled me a leftist traitor. The venom machine works well."**  

  Simultaneously, at the Constitution Committee, opposition MKs protested the very holding of the discussion regarding the Bar Association Law. MK Yoav Segalovich from Yesh Atid criticized: "We will not allow any activity of the committee in this format. Focusing on trivialities while people are abandoned in Gaza is crossing a red line. There will be no discussion in this committee about the Bar Association, nor in other committees. Telling hostage families, time and again, ‘We heard you,’ and then moving on—this won’t happen anymore."  

  
  

  Eli Elbag, the father of the kidnapped observer Liri Elbag, protested: "They labeled me a leftist traitor. I’m the mother of the Bibist. (expression meaning that he is a dyed in the wool Bibi supporter) The venom machine works well. Stop this rhetoric—it’s tearing us and the nation apart. If we can’t stop it, we won’t have a country."  

  
  

  During the heated debate, Committee Chair Simcha Rothman removed most of the opposition MKs after they disrupted his attempts to start the discussion. "You’ve completely lost it. We will file a complaint against you," said MK Vladimir Beliak. Rothman replied: "Complain to whoever you want. Shame on you for using hostage families as a filibuster tool against a law you don’t like and want to block. This is despicable beyond measure."  

  link
  
  
  

Gaza and the South

• A recent airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught, the IDF says.
  The PIJ operative is named as Basel Kamel Salim Nabahin.
  Earlier today, the IDF said the commander of the rocket unit in Hamas's East Jabalia Battalion was killed in a separate airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, in an operation that also took out a terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught. video of the airstrike

• The head of Hamas’s East Jabalia Battalion was recently killed in an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF says, in an operation that also took out a terror operative who participated in the October 7 onslaught in southern Israel last year.

  In a statement, the military says that the Israeli Air Force carried out the strike against battalion commander Ahmed Abd Halim Abu Hussein in cooperation with the 215th Artillery Brigade, the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Shin Bet.

  It says that Abu Hussein was “responsible for planning numerous rocket and mortar launches toward Israel and IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip.

  Several other Hamas operatives were killed in the attack, the IDF says, including one who “participated in the murderous massacre on October 7.”

Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria

• Israel agreed in principle to Hezbollah truce, Netanyahu now working on how to present it to the public
  

  The Kan broadcaster reports that Israel has signed off on a US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Prime Minister Benjamin is now working on how to present it to the public — assuming it is approved by the Iran-backed terror group.

  The aim is to present the truce not as a “compromise” but as beneficial to Israel, Kan reports.

  The ceasefire allows for Israel to retain the right to carry out military operations on the Lebanon-Syria border, the report adds.

  Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said last week that the terror group had reviewed the truce proposal and submitted a response and that the ball was in Israel’s court.

• The IDF says it carried out airstrikes against 12 Hezbollah command centers in Beirut’s southern suburbs a short while ago.

  According to the military, the command rooms belonged to Hezbollah’s intelligence division, coast-to-sea missile unit, and Unit 4400, the latter of which is tasked with delivering weapons from Iran to Lebanon.

  The Hezbollah sites were located “in the heart of a civilian population,” the IDF says, accusing the terror group of using human shields.

  Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.

• The IDF’s 36th Division has raided over 150 Hezbollah sites and killed dozens of operatives during recent ground operations in southern Lebanon, the military says.

  The division is operating in the western sector of southern Lebanon with the Golani Infantry Brigade, 188th Armored Brigade, the 282nd Artillery Regiment — which crossed into Lebanon for the first time in 24 years — and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.

  The IDF says the troops during their operations have located numerous weapons, rocket launchers, bunkers, and Hezbollah fighting positions that posed a threat to northern Israel.

  The forces have also killed “a large number” of Hezbollah gunmen in close-quarters fighting and by calling in airstrikes, the military adds.

• Ynet and Haaretz are also now reporting that Israel has given its non-final okay to a ceasefire in Lebanon.

  The reports note that not all issues have been resolved, but say Jerusalem has approved the main tenets of the proposal.

  Haaretz reports that the proposal will include three stages: a truce followed by Hezbollah removing its forces north of the Litani River; an Israeli pullout from southern Lebanon; and finally, Israeli-Lebanese negotiations on demarcation of contested border areas.

  It says an international body led by the US will be tasked with monitoring the ceasefire, and that Israel expects to receive a letter from Washington affirming its right to act militarily should Hezbollah break the terms of the ceasefire amid no action by Lebanon’s military and international forces.

  Ynet adds that US mediator Amos Hochstein had in recent days warned both sides that he would end his mediation efforts if they did not soon agree to the deal on the table.

• The IDF has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the time is right for a ceasefire in Lebanon, Channel 12 reports, citing a close Netanyahu aide.

  The army has achieved the goals it set out of destroying Hezbollah infrastructure along the border and removing the possibility of a raid into northern Israel by pushing Hezbollah back, while drastically reducing its rocket arsenal, it has told the prime minister, according to the report.

  But if the efforts to achieve a ceasefire collapse, says Channel 12, the IDF has plans for an expansion of its operation in Lebanon.

• The IDF says it carried out a series of airstrikes across Lebanon against command rooms and other sites belonging to Hezbollah’s executive council, which oversees the terror group’s financial and administrative affairs.

  In the past few hours, Israeli fighter jets struck 25 sites belonging to the Hezbollah executive council, in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh, the northeastern city of Baalbek, the Beqaa Valley, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the outskirts of the Lebanese capital, according to the military.

  The IDF says the sites included command and control centers and intelligence-gathering centers, where members of the executive council were gathered.

  The command centers were responsible for forming assessments for Hezbollah, for the terror group to “make operational and additional decisions,” according to the military.

  The strikes “damaged the capabilities of the executive council to direct and assist Hezbollah terrorists in their attempts to carry out terror plots against the Israeli home front and IDF forces, as well as Hezbollah’s command and control, rehabilitation and information gathering capabilities,” the IDF says.

  The executive council, according to the IDF, is tasked with “the restoration of [Hezbollah’s] military capabilities on the day after the war, and is a central support for the organization’s military activity.”

  The former head of the executive council, Hashem Safieddine, who was due to replace Hassan Nasrallah as the leader of the terror group after his assassination, was killed in an airstrike last month.

• The IDF’s 91st Division, which is operating in southern Lebanon, discovered and destroyed several rocket launchers over the last day that were primed and ready to fire on northern Israel, the military says in a statement.

  It adds that the Israeli Air Force has “attacked dozens of Hezbollah terror targets” across Lebanon over the past 24 hours, including “headquarters, weapons depots and numerous Hezbollah launchers,” some of which it says were used in recent rocket fire on Israel.

West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel

•     

Politics and the War (general news)

• Government OKs measure to keep 320,000 reservists eligible for draft until March 2025

The government approves the extension of a special measure raising the number of reservists the IDF is authorized to call up for service, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office confirms to The Times of Israel.

According to media reports, up to 320,000 reservists will remain eligible to be drafted until March 2025.

Tweeting ahead of the decision, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slammed the government for extending the eligibility for service of people “who have been serving for 250 and 300 days.”

“If the government would recruit thousands of ultra-Orthodox youths, it would be possible to ease the burden on those who both serve and work,” he stated.

In June, the government raised the number of reservists the IDF was authorized to call up in case of need from 300,000 to 350,000 until August 1. link This failed and corrupt government has the gaul to approve something like this while at the same time bending over itself to pass a law to formally and unconditionally exempt Haredim from the draft and army service. 25% of eligible aged men (not including women because there is no talk of drafting Haredi women) in Israel today are Haredim. That means that 75% of the men have to carry the burden and risk their lives while these 25% live their disconnected lives and receive government stipends for being parasites and this government supports it.

• National Unity chairman Benny Gantz warns Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against reviving his government’s now largely shelved judicial overhaul, promising that “we will not allow a coup to be carried out under the cover of war.”

  “Arrogance, intoxication with power, contempt, and smugness have returned. The coup d’état is on the table,” Gantz tells reporters ahead of his National Unity party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.

  The government views Israel’s security establishment as “part of the deep state,” the attorney general as “a problem for the State of Israel,” and the media as “too free,” Gantz contends, referring to recent reports that Netanyahu may move to fire the attorney general, IDF chief of staff and Shin Bet head.

  His comments also come in the wake of government efforts to boycott the left-wing Haaretz daily and privatize the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation within two years, effectively closing down the public broadcaster.

  “It ended very badly last time, it will end very badly this time too,” Gantz states, calling on Netanyahu to take responsibility and halt the government’s plans before they “end in disaster.”

  Turning to the possibility of a negotiated solution to the war with Hezbollah, Gantz argues that “military achievements must be translated into political achievements” and says that Israel has “he opportunity to offer the state of Lebanon a better future” by “joining the moderate alliance instead of the axis of evil.”

  “Lebanon has an opportunity to expel Hezbollah from its midst and distance Iran from it, and join the normalization agreements,” he says, insisting that without a political resolution and “tough security enforcement, ​​[Israel’s] military achievement will be lost and the next round will only be a matter of time.”

  
  
  
• **Minister Karai was recorded: "We can change the system of government"**  

The Ministerial Committee decided to advance two more proposed laws, increasing tension between the coalition and legal advisors. • A representative of the Attorney General, who determined that MK Gottlieb's proposed law complicates the initiation of investigations against MKs, suggested forming a committee to discuss immunity. • Minister Karai attacked: "Maybe this is an opportunity to establish a public committee to discuss the boundaries of the Supreme Court."  

The coalition’s wave of legislation is intensifying, along with clashes with the Attorney General's office. The Ministerial Committee on Legislation convened today (Sunday) and approved further promotion of two controversial laws: the closure of the "Kan" Broadcasting Corporation and the privatization of public broadcasting, as well as the "French Law," stipulating that MKs could only be investigated or prosecuted with the active approval of 90 MKs.  

Participating in the committee was Attorney General's representative Avital Sompolinsky, who announced her opposition to MK Gottlieb's proposal to make it harder to initiate investigations against public officials. She suggested that the ministers establish a dedicated committee to examine the issue of immunity, so that MKs would not deliberate on it themselves. Sompolinsky stated:  

"We don’t propose establishing a public committee in every situation, but when discussing immunity, the implication is essentially that the Knesset is legislating for itself. There are various ways to neutralize this difficulty, such as when MKs determine their own rights. Again, even though immunity has its rationale, there’s considerable logic in such a case to establishing a public committee to evaluate the matter."  

Communications Minister Shlomo Karai said:  

"I am the chairman. Perhaps this is an opportunity to indeed establish a public committee to examine the boundaries of the Supreme Court, of the Attorney General's office, which often seems to exceed the legal mandate granted to them."  

Justice Minister Yariv Levin argued:  

"There’s a great deal of work to be done here, perhaps to refine some aspects. I’m not claiming it’s a perfect arrangement. However, the need to make some sort of change here and restore to immunity some of the status and strength it once had—I support it, and I think it’s essential in our current reality."  

During the same discussion, the law for privatizing "Kan" was also approved, which would mean the closure of the public broadcasting corporation. In this part of the debate, Minister Karai also referred to the government's decision to stop publishing ads in the "Haaretz" newspaper and declared that elected officials could change the system of government if they so choose.  

"You know, today the government approved a statement regarding the 'Haaretz' newspaper," Karai said. "Why a statement? Because I’ve been waiting for a legal opinion from the Attorney General’s office for a whole year on a proposal to discontinue funding for 'Haaretz,' and they refuse to write one. As she said today, under the pretext that it’s partisan, a political pretext. We believe it’s a systemic change, okay? We are public officials, and we can also change the system of government if we wish and determine changes in conduct and procedures." link This is just another glaring example of what the priorities are of this failed and corrupted government. They don't talk about the hostages, the war, the economy, just ways to take full control of the justice system, eliminate non adoring press and assure that the small remaining fragments of democracy are destroyed in the name of their desires for power and messianic ideologies.

• **After the indictment against Chief Superintendent Meir Suissa: Easing of stun grenade use regulations against protesters**  

According to a report on "Kan," police officers will be allowed to throw stun grenades at protesters from a distance of at least one meter "if possible." • Simultaneously, their annual stun grenade training has been canceled and replaced with computer-based learning.  

The Israel Police has lifted the ban on throwing stun grenades at protesters from short distances following the indictment of Chief Superintendent Meir Suissa, who threw a grenade at protesters in March 2023, as first reported by "Kan 11."  

According to the new regulations initiated by the police, officers will be permitted to throw a stun grenade from a minimum distance of one meter from protesters "if possible," with discretion left to the officers on the ground. Additionally, officers will no longer be required to undergo annual training in stun grenade use and will instead complete a computer-based training module.  

In July, the Police Internal Investigations Department of the State Attorney's Office filed an indictment in the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court against five officers who had thrown stun grenades at protesters during a demonstration in Tel Aviv in March 2023. The officers acted contrary to police operational procedures, and their negligence resulted in injuries to protesters. One of the accused officers is Chief Superintendent Suissa.  

In early September, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara declared that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s decision to appoint Suissa as commander of the Tel Aviv-South station was "illegal." The Attorney General explained, "The appointment was carried out hastily, in blatant violation of proper administrative rules, contrary to the customary appointment procedures in the Israel Police, and while excluding relevant officials who should have participated in the process."  link The police have become the private militia of the criminal Minister of National 'Insecurity' Ben Gvir and this is part of the takeover of democratic law with tyranny. Being allowed to use stun grenades on peaceful demonstrators, first and foremost those demonstrating for the hostages and against this corrupt government is the epitome of autocratic rule: the silencing of the opposition.

• Addressing a report that senior aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were behind a public relations campaign to boost Qatar’s global image before Doha hosted the 2022 soccer World Cup, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid states that in any other country such behavior would have led to the fall of the government.

  Speaking with reporters ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting at the Knesset, Lapid declares it’s impossible to remain “indifferent” to the fact that within the Prime Minister’s Office “the people closest to him received money from Qatar to run a public relations campaign for a country that stands behind Hamas.”

  According to the Haaretz daily, Jonatan Urich and Yisrael Einhorn, who at the time worked in their Perception PR company, partnered with another Israeli firm to create a campaign on behalf of Qatar that marketed the Gulf country as a bedrock of peace and stability.

  At the time, Netanyahu was head of the opposition, but the government at the time, headed by Lapid and Naftali Bennett, was maintaining his policy of courting Qatar to send tens of millions of dollars each month to Gaza’s Hamas terrorist rulers in order to prevent the enclave’s economic collapse.

  Urich and Perception denied the Haaretz report, calling it “fake news.”

  “The most senior Hamas figures can be allowed to live in Qatar, to do business in Qatar” while Urich and Einhorn “profit from Qatar and explain to the world that the Qataris are actually good people,” charges Lapid.

  Lapid says that if somebody close to him had acted this way, members of Netanyahu’s coalition “would be standing here screaming that this proves definitively that we normalized Hamas and did not understand what it was planning and what disaster it would bring upon us.” He also demands to know if Netanyahu was aware of Urich and Einhorn’s activities.

The Region and the World

•  The United Arab Emirates has arrested three individuals responsible for the murder of Abu Dhabi-based Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the UAE Interior Ministry announces, saying that it was done “in record time.”

  The statement stresses the country’s “ability to deal firmly with anyone who tries to undermine the security and stability of society.”

  Kogan was an Israeli-Moldovan national, but the UAE statement calls him “the Moldovan citizen.”

  After Kogan’s family filed a report about his disappearance, says the statement, an investigation was initiated. The full findings of the investigation will be announced upon its completion.

  “The United Arab Emirates, with all its institutions, will spare no effort to prevent any attack on its citizens, residents and visitors,” says the statement, adding that “all security agencies work around the clock to protect the stability of society and ensure the sustainability of the highest levels of security and safety that have been established since the founding of the state.”

  The statement gives no details of the identity of the arrested suspects.  
  
  

Survivors

Personal Stories

**The Moment I Saw a Woman After 49 Days with Violent Men**  

**Returning to Historical Images**  

A year after the release of children and women abducted by Hamas, family members and the teams that accompanied them recall the moment their lives changed – for the second time. *“I started breathing again,”* says Bat Sheva Yahalomi, the mother of Eitan. *“Moments of humanity and hope,”* says the head of the Red Cross delegation in Gaza. Alongside this, the thought of those still there does not fade: *“How can it be that there are still mothers experiencing this for over 400 days?”*

A year after the deal to release 104 hostages, the released, their families, and the teams who accompanied them in hospitals, the military, and the Red Cross revisit the dramatic images. In a series of testimonies, they recount the defining moments of returning home: the first glance, the embrace, the tears, and the words. Through their eyes, a long journey of returning to life unfolds, accompanied by the pain for the 101 hostages still there—far from their families, the world, and themselves.

**The image makes me feel good that I’m in the country, healthy and whole.**  

Margalit in the hospital following her release from Hamas captivity

I remember my joy when I finally returned—a great happiness. I told myself at that moment that my children were waiting for me and that I would soon see them. In the photo, Gal Avraham is leading me; he was responsible for my reception at the hospital. He accompanied me until my release, and we are still in touch today. Even now, I thank him for the impeccable organization, the warm welcome, and especially his constant smiles.

**I was the commander of Wolfson Hospital as part of the hostage directorate established in the IDF on October 7.**  

We formed a team that worked in collaboration with the hospital administration to create optimal conditions for the return of those released to Israel, their reception at the hospital, providing them with the best medical care, and eventually releasing them to their homes.

It is very hard to put into words the feeling I had when I boarded the helicopter for the first time, when it landed with released hostages from Gaza. I imagined my grandmother before me and acted as a grandson would. I tried to follow the procedures I had practiced, but it was impossible not to be moved and cry during the family reunions.

**When I look at the photo, I am filled with pride.**  

It was a great honor to lead such an operation and to accompany an extraordinary and strong woman like Margalit. She is one of a kind. The task of receiving the hostages at the hospital was part of my reserve duty, alongside my role as CEO of the national “Yad Labanim” organization. It was incredibly challenging. On one hand, I deal daily with many bereaved families who have joined the circle of mourning, and on the other, I accompany hostages returning to Israel—a whirlwind of emotions and feelings.

To the version of myself from that time, I would say: *Remember this moment, and treasure it in your mind; you are part of the history of the people of Israel.* I would also share that since Margalit’s return, we have remained friends. We meet and talk often. Margalit accompanied me on my wedding day, honored me, and presented us with the rings under the chuppah. It was a powerful and moving moment.

**Bat Sheva Yahalomi, mother of Eitan, released after 52 days**  

*“Hope still burns within us.”*  

The feeling back then, when the photo was taken, was that my heart was filled with happiness and love, and my soul finally found some relief. It felt as if I had received air and started breathing again. When I look at it, I see the naivety and hope I had then. Today, it is harder to hold onto them, knowing that Ohad and another 100 hostages are still there. Thinking about them, hopeless, once again robs me of air.

"I was able to breathe again' - Eitan Yahalomi's family after his release

I want to tell the people who accompanied us then, and those who still do, that meeting them and the beautiful people surrounding us gives us strength to this day. They keep the flame of hope alive within us; it still burns.

The excitement and anticipation for the arrival of the children released from captivity were immense. It’s a moment you cannot prepare for. As the director of the Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital at Ichilov, and as a team, we all felt overwhelming emotion.  

I remember when the helicopter landed, and we went up to the helipad on the roof, waiting for the elevator doors to open and bring the children down to us.  

When Eitan Yehalami and his mother, Bat Sheva, lifted their eyes and met our gaze, I saw hope personified. It was a defining and incredibly powerful moment. All of us were in tears.  

I remember thinking to myself—this is a situation I’ve never faced before. There are no medical protocols written anywhere for treating a child returning from captivity, and no medical school in the world teaches this. It’s an absurd and incomprehensible reality.

Unfortunately, the world doesn’t always want to listen, but it’s crucial that people know and remember that children were kidnapped from their homes here, just like Eitan, only 12 years old, who was taken alone from Nir Oz. It’s important to remember the 101 hostages who are still there.  

As doctors, we know all too well how dire and dangerous the health conditions are for those who have been in the tunnels for over 400 days. If they don’t return soon, who knows what state they’ll be in when they finally do?  

**Daniel Aloni, released after 49 days in captivity**  

*"The defining moment when I realized: we are safe"*  

It was the first moment I truly understood that we were stepping on holy ground, the moment I saw, for the first time in 49 days, the face of a woman. Until then, we had only seen men—violent men who kidnapped us, men on whose mercy we depended for all those days in captivity.  

And it wasn’t just any woman—it was the IDF.

The first moments after the release. Daniela and her daughter Emily

In that defining moment, I realized we were safe and that this terrible nightmare was over (at least for us). Those were truly moments of pure happiness. I learned so much about myself, and I am still learning. I’ve realized that I want to be a better person to myself, a better mother to my daughter, to strengthen the connections that truly matter, and to cherish beautiful moments, even if they seem insignificant.  

My story sharpened my understanding of how fragile and fleeting life is. In one moment, it feels like we have everything, and in the next, everything can vanish and be taken from you. During this time, I understood how much our salvation and security as a people depend on our unity. There’s no doubt that this unity is facing the toughest test we’ve known as a nation since the establishment of the state.  

I hope we emerge stronger and, above all, more united from this trauma, and that we will soon bring all the hostages back home.  

**Mirit Regev, mother of Maya, released after 50 days**  

*"I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you"*  

Looking at this picture now feels like seeing it and not believing it. Did I go through this? I didn’t see my daughter for 50 days? And how is it possible that there are still mothers going through this for over 400 days? How?  

The phone call I received the day before from my officer, Moran, informing me that my Maya was coming home brought me joy beyond words. The feeling was sublime. The prayers, the faith that she would return—it all came true. My daughter is coming home.

Joy, relief, worry. The moment of reunion with Maya in the hospital

I was afraid of meeting her. I didn’t know how she would come back. I didn’t know what to say. I knew I needed to hug her and say I’m sorry—sorry that I couldn’t protect you, my child. I assumed she was injured, but not to this extent. I now recall her heartbreaking cries. How much she needed us—her father, me, and her little brother. How worried she was in those moments about Itay, who was still in captivity. The relief of having her safely home after so many days of uncertainty was accompanied by deep concern for her physical and emotional well-being: touching her, feeling her, speaking to her. And above all, understanding what had happened—how she was abducted, and what about her brother who was still in Gaza?  

**Chen Avigdori, whose daughter and wife were released after 50 days in captivity:**  

*"Unimaginable levels of worry"*  

Personally, it was the happiest moment of my life. After 50 days of anxiety and fear, I was finally able to breathe for the first time. Hugging your child after such a period is like giving birth to someone you already know. The worry was on an inhuman level. That very day, I knew my personal ordeal had ended, but the fight ahead was still looming, and I vowed not to rest until my mother and sisters from the families of the captives had a similar ending.  

*"It was the happiest moment of my life. After 50 days of anxiety and fear, I was finally able to breathe for the first time. Hugging your child after such a period is like giving birth to someone you already know. The worry was inhuman."*  

"I couldn't have survived this horror with circles of support". Avigdori family after the release

If I could pull aside the Chen of November 25, 2023, I would tell myself one thing: Take a deep breath, this will take much longer than you think. Looking back, I feel that I could not have survived this disaster without my support circles. So, if I haven’t said it enough: thank you to the neighbors, acquaintances, old and new friends, and above all, thank you to my family—to my siblings Adi and Zohar, and to my parents Nitza and Yoram Avigdori, because of whom I am who I am today and was who I was on October 7.  

**Zoli, adoptive father of Abigail Idan, who was released after 51 days in captivity:**  

*"A journey of new lives"*  

We are a year after this photo. A photo filled with a spectrum of emotions, a photo of a “mini” victory because Abigail is home and we can begin to rebuild our lives. This photo marks the beginning of our journey to create new lives with three children who have joined our nuclear family. It’s a photo that also stirs immense worry—what will happen to a girl who was held captive for 51 days? Over time, we’ve discovered the incredible mental strength of this amazing four-year-old girl.

The first meeting with Avigail Idan and her family after her release from Hamas captivity

A photo that doesn’t show what’s going through our minds and hearts at that moment. Joy, worry, tension, happiness, and sadness all mix together, accompanied by great optimism about the future.  

We also want to thank the teams who gave us amazing care, with such sensitivity and attention to every little detail during our stay. And of course, a huge thank you to our extended family and everyone who has helped us along the way and continues to help us to this day. Let us end with the most important wish: may we soon see all our captives, each one, back home.  

**Prof. Ronit Lubetzky, with Sahar Calderon, released after 52 days:**  

*"A place no child should ever be"*  

As head of the pediatric department at Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital in Ichilov, I remember the days leading up to this photo. We prepared for their arrival, set up a pleasant, well-equipped department, and made sure every detail was taken care of to provide comfort and as much privacy as possible.  

It was a privilege to welcome the children, care for them after the horrors they endured, and witness the incredibly moving reunions with their families.

The Kalderon Family and Professor Lubetzky

In that moment, when the amazing Sahar Calderon was reunited with her family, I felt immense happiness. Words cannot describe that feeling.  

As a mother myself, I looked at each of these children as if they were my own, and that’s how we cared for them during their time with us. Treating a child returning from captivity is a tremendous challenge—medically, emotionally, and socially. We cared for children who had been held for over 50 days and saw the heavy toll it took on them. Every morning, I pray for the day we can welcome all the captives to the hospital, especially Ariel and Kfir Bibas, children who have been in captivity for over 400 days, in a place no child should ever be.  

**Captain (Res.) Shelly Sokolov, with Naveh Shoham, released after 50 days:**  

*"Being a voice of certainty in a shattered world"*  

From October 7 until today, I’ve served as the spokesperson for the team established to care for the captives and their families, responsible for maintaining communication between them and the army. I’ve been there from the beginning, during the initial formation of this effort, when we didn’t yet know where it would lead or what the situation truly was.  

During the negotiation and release process, the sense of responsibility was immense. It wasn’t just about providing information but creating a sense of security amid chaos, being a voice of certainty in a shattered world, and easing the extreme transitions the returnees experienced that day.  

I experienced these moments not only as a spokesperson but as a part of this great ship, witnessing its purpose fulfilled. When I look at this photo, the first thing that comes to mind is hope. At the time, it was tangible, fresh hope. We thought it marked the start of a new era—the end of the war, the beginning of peace. Now, when I look at the photo, knowing the harsh reality still surrounds us, that hope takes on a different shade. It reminds me that in the darkest times, the light shines even brighter.  

Captain (reserves) Shelly Sokolov

That was such a moment—a moment when, from the pain, came a glimpse of the possibility to breathe again, even for just a moment. Despite the adults’ hesitant glances and the children’s whispered conversations—habits formed in captivity—seeing Naveh play, his small eyes beginning to fill again with the innocence of childhood, was for me a small moment of healing.  

I remember standing in the hangar we set up as a transit station for the returning captives before they were flown to hospitals. Seeing them arrive, utterly exhausted, confused, looking around as if they couldn’t believe they were finally home. That day, I saw Adi walk in. She was holding little Yahli in her arms, with her other hand grasping Naveh’s.  

She was a woman who instantly struck you as a true lioness, a fighter carrying so much weight—both physical and emotional. I approached her and offered my help. She looked at me and said, “It’s okay, in captivity I discovered how strong my hands are.” That sentence left a deep impression on me.  

At that moment, something in her softened slightly, and she allowed me to help, if only for a moment. Suddenly, Naveh took me with him to open the gifts he had received and try on the clean, new clothes prepared especially for him. I saw a child who, to me, seemed to be trying to reclaim the childhood that had been taken from him.

This experience changed everything. Serving in the reserves, where each day was a race to bring a sliver of certainty into a chasm of uncertainty, became more meaningful than anything I’d done before. Watching them return—women, children, teenagers—was like finally being able to breathe again. It gave me renewed strength to keep going.  

I want to tell those in the photo—you are not alone. There are hundreds of people working tirelessly to bring you and everyone else home. You may not see them all, but they are here, behind every step. This work, carried out quietly and with dedication, is a testament to the power of the human spirit, the shared effort, and the belief that one day—hopefully soon—everyone will come home.  

**Pascal Hundt, Red Cross**  

*"A Spark of Hope"*  

As head of the sub-delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza during the release operation, this photo takes me back to the moment I witnessed the relief on the faces of the captives who were freed and reunited with their families, and to the determination of the ICRC team to fulfill our humanitarian mission.  

Pascal at the transfer of the hostages at the Rafiah Crossing

It was an emotionally charged event. The hostages had been held for weeks in captivity, separated from their families. At the moment of release, you could see a spark of hope. The hostages felt immense relief when they saw Red Cross personnel and realized they were finally going home. It’s hard to put into words because it was so emotionally intense. We had tears in our eyes. It was a moment of shared humanity and a break from the conflict, for everyone involved.  

We focused on reassuring the hostages that they were on their way back to their loved ones. Their families were desperately waiting for information about them, while the hostages themselves didn’t know what had happened to their loved ones.  

In that moment, we were filled with hope. From the very first day, we called for the release of the hostages and used every tool at our disposal to try to reach them and assess their condition. I am proud that we played a role in their release, but also frustrated by the ongoing severity of the humanitarian situation.  

The ceasefire agreement brought a sense that the situation might improve. Unfortunately, the agreement ended, and the situation has since deteriorated dramatically.  

We are committed to addressing the needs of all civilians. Our sole focus is the humanitarian needs of all individuals. We do not engage in political disputes, but in these unique moments, we have an obligation to remind all parties that civilians are suffering and to work toward safeguarding their lives and dignity. The Red Cross is dedicated to addressing the needs of everyone, but we need the conditions that allow us to do so.

link

Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages

I Will Never Forget nor Forgive

Yael Adar

Mother of Tamir Adar, who was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz, injured, and died due to lack of medical care.

On October 7th, 2023, our lives were irreversibly shattered by the negligence of the Israeli government. Our home, our children, and our community were left unprotected, and I lost my son, his friends, my friends, and the semblance of a normal life - all due to our government's failure.

I spent 42 years living in the Gaza Envelope area. We surrounded Gaza, but we ourselves were not shielded. For two decades, we were silenced by tax concessions, resilience programs, and the construction of shelters - a façade of security that masked the reality. This silence allowed the Hamas monster to grow, ultimately rising against us and knocking on our doors on Simchat Torah, in October of 2023.

On that day, my daughter-in-law turned into a widow, my grandchildren became orphans, my children - bereaved siblings, and I - a mother who lost her eldest son. For what? For a security that you, Bibi, promised us, a security that was never delivered. The Israel Defense Forces personnel acknowledged their failure, admitting to the lapse in securing the border and taking immediate action. You, Mr. Prime Minister, however, refuse to accept responsibility for the October 7th massacre. You claim to have seen nothing, heard nothing, known nothing, even though on June 29th, 2023, during a memorial for the soldiers who died in Operation Protective Edge, you vividly described the impending danger: an invasion of our villages and cities, the taking of hostages. You promised us security, yet left us exposed. Three months later, everything you so clearly described unfolded before our eyes.

During Operation Cast Lead in January 2009, ten soldiers and three civilians were killed. Back then, you, Mr. Netanyahu, were in the opposition, immediately pledging to end the Hamas regime: “There is only one course of action - to end Hamas in Gaza. We will fulfill this mission; we will end the terror reign of Hamas.”

Fifteen years have passed, during most of which you were Prime Minister, continuously making empty promises of security while leading us through more gory conflicts. Despite numerous opportunities to destroy Hamas, you failed to give us security. Every campaign forced us from our homes, only to return “until the next round.” Every time, you claimed Hamas was critically weakened, so we went back, raising our children under constant trauma and post-traumatic stress, while you labeled us “privileged.” We secured the border, toiled the land, only to have our loved ones murdered, raped, butchered, and abducted.

You exploited our devotion to life on the border, creating a false sense of security. You abandoned my family’s life, living on the border, and every day without my son is another day of abandonment. I will never forget, nor forgive. You bear the responsibility.

Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen

PMO- Prime Minister's Office

UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission

Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0 
Twitter - @LonnyB58 

Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.social