x🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 407, 2023 - November 16, 2024 🎗️

  

🎗️Day 407 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

*9:55pm yesterday - north -rockets/missiles

*10:40pm yesterday - north -rockets/missiles 

*10:55pm yesterday - north -rockets/missiles
*6:00am  - south - rockets- Eilat and areas around -The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq takes responsibility for launching a drone this morning at Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat.

Sirens sounded in Eilat at 6 a.m. after the IDF says it identified a drone “from the east” heading toward Israel. The drone crashed before crossing into Israeli territory, according to the military.

*8:05am - north - hostile aircraft- Milu'ot, Nahariya, Leeman, Gesher Haziv, Saar, Batzet
*8:15am - north - hostile aircraft - Batzet, Milu'ot, Rosh Hanikra, Gesher Haziv, Hahariya, Leeman, Saar
*8:20am - north - hostile aircraft - Gesher Haziv, Milu'ot, Nahariya
*10:00am - north - rockets/missiles
*10:45am - Haifa and areas around - rockets/missiles. -A barrage of some 35 rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area a short while ago.

According to the IDF, the rockets all struck open areas.Since this morning, Hezbollah has fired some 55 rockets and four drones at northern Israel.Meanwhile, the IDF has issued evacuation orders for three more buildings in Beurit’s southern suburbs ahead of airstrikes.

*11:50am - north - rockets/missiles
*12:15pm - north - rockets/missiles
*12:45pm - north - rockets/missiles
*2:10pm - north - rockets/missiles
*2:45pm - Haifa and areas around, north, Acre-rockets/missiles -A barrage of 10 rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Haifa Bay area and Western Galilee a short while ago.

According to the IDF, some of the rockets were intercepted while the rest struck open areas.There are no reports of injuries.

*2:50pm - north - rockets/missiles
*3:25pm - north- rockets/missiles

Hostage Updates 

• Bucking Netanyahu, 69% of Israeli public backs hostage deal that would end Gaza war

  
  Israelis protest calling for a deal to release hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, November 13, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

  
  
  

  A poll aired on Channel 12 shows 69 percent of the public supports a hostage deal that would end the war in Gaza, compared to 20% who support continuing the war.

  Eleven percent of respondents said they weren’t sure which scenario they preferred.

  Even among Likud voters, a plurality supports a war-ending hostage deal, with 46% in favor compared to 26% who prefer continuing the war. Another 18% said they were unsure.

  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recorded late last month telling Likud lawmakers that Israel could not accept Hamas’s demand to end the war in exchange for the hostages, ostensibly over concerns that a deal would allow Hamas to remain in Gaza in some form.

Gaza and the South

•  

Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria

• **Hezbollah Receives Ceasefire Proposal in Lebanon and Reviews the Offer**  

  
  

  Qatar's Al Jazeera reported that the terror organization received a copy of the ceasefire proposal and is set to provide feedback on its terms. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed receipt of the proposal but denied that it grants operational freedom to the IDF. Meanwhile, intense attacks continue in Beirut's Dahiya district.  

  
  

  As part of negotiations for de-escalation in Lebanon, Hezbollah received a ceasefire framework sent by the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, to Speaker Nabih Berri, the lead Lebanese negotiator. According to Al Jazeera, Hezbollah will review the proposal and provide its comments to Berri.  

  
  

  Hezbollah is reportedly eager to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, amid reports that the IDF has expanded its strikes deeper into southern Lebanese villages, displacing hundreds of thousands more residents. However, discrepancies remain between Israel's optimism and Lebanon's stance. Hezbollah's affiliated newspaper claimed that the organization insists on including a clause prohibiting Israeli military operations in the agreement and demands the agreement take effect immediately rather than gradually.  

  
  

  Speaker Berri confirmed to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that the U.S. proposal was received, yet he refuted claims that it allows operational freedom for the IDF in Lebanon. He stated:  

  "The Biden administration knows such a condition is unacceptable and cannot even be discussed. We cannot accept any violation of our sovereignty."  

  
  

  Berri also denied that the proposal includes NATO or other foreign deployments in Lebanon. He highlighted Lebanon's objection to a clause establishing a monitoring committee to oversee the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, proposing alternative mechanisms instead. Despite these challenges, he expressed optimism, noting positive progress in the negotiations.  

  
  

  Meanwhile, Israel continues heavy strikes in Dahiya, Beirut. For the fourth time today, the IDF issued an evacuation alert targeting the Al-Ghabiri area. IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee confirmed that the air force conducted two waves of strikes, targeting Hezbollah's concealed terror infrastructure, including weapon depots and command centers.  

  
  

  In parallel, Iranian senior advisor Ali Larijani visited Beirut following his Damascus trip, meeting with Berri and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Larijani reaffirmed Iran's support for decisions by the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, particularly regarding the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.  

  
  

  Lebanese Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar criticized the ceasefire proposal, alleging that it reflects a unilateral U.S.-Israeli understanding, framing the offer as coercive: “accept it or face a more intense conflict in the coming months.”  

  
  

  Diplomatic sources report that Israel demands international guarantees for dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, both above and below ground, along with deployment of Lebanese armed forces bolstered by UNIFIL to monitor border crossings and ports.

  The Qatari Al Jazeera channel reported that the terrorist organization Hezbollah has received a copy of the ceasefire proposal and will provide its comments on it. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed its receipt but denied that it grants operational freedom to the IDF. Meanwhile, intensive Israeli strikes continue in the Dahiya district of Beirut.

  
  

  As part of efforts to establish a ceasefire in Lebanon, Hezbollah received the proposal from U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea, delivered to Berri, who leads the negotiations on Lebanon's behalf. Al Jazeera reported today (Friday) that "Hezbollah will study the points of the proposal and inform Berri of its observations." Hezbollah appears eager to reach a ceasefire quickly amidst reports of intensified IDF actions, including expanded strikes on villages and widespread displacement of Lebanese civilians.

  
  

  Despite progress, discrepancies remain between Israeli optimism and Lebanese perspectives. Hezbollah-linked media allege that the group is insisting on a clause prohibiting Israeli freedom of action in Lebanon and demands the agreement take immediate effect without a gradual implementation.

  
  

  Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who represents Hezbollah in the negotiations, confirmed to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that "we have received the U.S. proposal," but denied that it includes provisions for Israeli freedom of movement. He added, "The Biden administration knows such terms are unacceptable and non-negotiable. We cannot accept any violation of our sovereignty." Berri also rejected claims that the proposal includes the deployment of NATO or other foreign forces in Lebanon.

  
  

  He emphasized that the proposal does contain an "unacceptable" clause for Lebanon: establishing a committee involving Western countries to oversee the implementation of UN Resolution 1701. He noted ongoing discussions about an alternative mechanism, saying, "Work is progressing, and the atmosphere is positive." He indicated that U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein's visit to Lebanon depends on the progress of the negotiations.

  
  

  Berri criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the IDF's strikes on his birthplace in southern Lebanon and Dahiya in Beirut, saying, "Netanyahu seems to think that acting aggressively will force concessions, but he clearly doesn’t understand who he’s dealing with."

  
  

  Meanwhile, IDF strikes in Dahiya have intensified, with multiple warnings issued to evacuate areas. IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee confirmed two waves of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah weapons depots, command centers, and other terrorist infrastructure.

  
  

  The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, aligned with Hezbollah, reported that rebuilding costs in Lebanon are estimated at $2.9 billion, with $630 million needed for Dahiya alone. Over 7,000 housing units have been destroyed in Beirut, particularly in Dahiya, and tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed across southern Lebanon.

  
  

  Iran's senior advisor Ali Larijani arrived in Beirut following a visit to Damascus, meeting with Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Larijani reiterated Iran's support for Lebanon's government and Hezbollah's decisions, particularly regarding the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.

  
  

  According to Al-Akhbar, the ceasefire proposal, delivered by U.S. Ambassador Shea, reflects a one-sided U.S.-Israeli understanding, including Israel's demand for international guarantees to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure, enforce Lebanese army deployment bolstered by UNIFIL, and oversee border and port activities.
  link
  

• The IDF says it carried out a fourth wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs this evening.

  The targets included Hezbollah command rooms and weapon depots, according to the military.

  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.

• Lebanese state media reports that Israeli ground forces reached their deepest point in Lebanon since launching its latest campaign against Hezbollah six weeks ago, before pulling back early this morning after fierce battles with terror operatives.

  The state-run National News Agency reports that IDF troops captured a strategic hill in the southern Lebanese village of Shamaa, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Israel’s northern border early this morning, before being pushed back.

  Israeli troops are said to have detonated the Shrine of Shimon the Prophet in Shamaa as well as several homes before they withdrew, but the claim could not be immediately verified.

  In a statement, the IDF said troops “continue their limited, localized, and targeted operational activity in southern Lebanon,” without immediately responding to requests for comment on the Lebanese media reports.

  The push on the ground came as Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs as well as several other areas in southern Lebanon including the port city of Tyre. The IDF issued evacuation orders for Lebanese civilians ahead of the strikes.
  
  

• Two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives were killed in an Israeli strike on Syria on Thursday, according to a source from the terror group which has fought against Israel in Gaza alongside Hamas.

  The source tells AFP that Abdel Aziz Minawi, a member of PIJ’s political bureau, and the terror group’s foreign relations chief Rasmi Abu Issa were killed in the strike on Qudsaya, in the Damascus area.

  The IDF on Thursday confirmed the strikes on several PIJ buildings and command centers, calling them a “significant blow” to the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian terror group and its operatives.

West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel

•    Dozens of masked settlers entered the West Bank village of Beirut Furik, near Nablus, earlier this morning and set fire to several buildings and a car, according to the military.

  The IDF says that before the violence, it received reports that Palestinians had stolen a herd of sheep and attacked an Israeli man.

  A short while later, dozens of masked Israelis entered Beit Furik, where a “violent confrontation developed between them and the Palestinians who were there, which included mutual throwing of stones,” the IDF says.

  The IDF says troops and Border Police officers were dispatched to the scene and they used riot dispersal means to disperse the sides.

  The military says it is unaware of any injuries in the violence. No arrests have been made.

  “The IDF condemns events of this type and will continue to act with determination to maintain security and order in the region,” the military adds. 

Politics and the War (general news)

•  
• 
  

The Region and the World

• 
  
• Report: Israeli strike on Iran military site destroyed equipment needed for Iran to develop nuclear weapon
  
  This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows damaged buildings at Iran's Parchin military base outside of Tehran, Iran, October 27, 2024. The damaged structures are in the bottom right corner and bottom center of the image. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows damaged buildings at Iran's Parchin military base outside of Tehran, Iran, October 27, 2024. The damaged structures are in the bottom right corner and bottom center of the image. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

The Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear research facility in Parchin destroyed sophisticated equipment that will make it much harder for Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon if it chooses to do so, two Israeli officials tell the Axios news site.

Axios revealed the strike earlier today, though, it has not been confirmed by either side.

“This equipment is a bottleneck. Without it the Iranians are stuck,” a senior Israeli official tells Axios.

“This is equipment the Iranians would need in the future if they want to make progress towards a nuclear bomb. Now they don’t have it anymore and it is not trivial. They will need to find another solution and we will see it,” the official adds.

Iran “conducted scientific activity that could lay the ground for the production of a nuclear weapon. It was a top secret thing. A small part of the Iranian government knew about this, but most of the Iranian government didn’t,” a US official tells Axios.

“The strike was a not so subtle message that the Israelis have significant insight into the Iranian system even when it comes to things that were kept top secret and known to a very small group of people in the Iranian government,” a US official says.

• Lebanese officer bars Iranian delegation from leaving the airport in sign of widening rift 
  

  The Lebanese army’s head of security at Beirut’s airport directed his officers to search a security team that was accompanying Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International reports.

  The Iranian team refused to be searched, citing diplomatic immunity, leading the airport security head to shut down all gates surrounding the VIP lounge where the Iranians were residing, preventing them from leaving the airport, according to the report.

  The incident appears to point to growing frustration in Lebanon over Iran’s alleged meddling in its internal affairs through Tehran’s ongoing support for Hezbollah.  

• Italy protests to Israel over unexploded shell hitting UNIFIL base in Lebanon

  Italy says an unexploded artillery shell hit the base of the Italian contingent in the UN observer mission in Lebanon and Israel promised to investigate.

  Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke with Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar and protested Israeli attacks against its personnel and infrastructure in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, an Italian statement says.

  Tajani says the safety of the soldiers in UNIFIL had to be ensured and stressed “the unacceptability” of the attacks.

  The Italian statement says Sa’ar had “guaranteed an immediate investigation” into the shell incident.

• U.S. Fighter Pilots Who Defended Israel from the Iranian Attack: "We Were Stunned by the Volume of Launches"
  
  On the night of April 13, the U.S. military intercepted over 70 drones and ballistic missiles launched toward Israel. An F-15 fighter crew recounted how they quickly ran out of munitions and had to land under fire: "We declared an emergency, unsure if a missile would explode on our wing," said one pilot. 
  In an interview with CNN, U.S. Air Force F-15 pilots shared their experiences defending Israel from hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles fired by Iran. Captain Lacey Hester, a weapons systems officer, said, "We had no idea the night would end this way when we got the call to deploy."
  
   Unprepared for the Scale
  Fighter pilot Timothy Causy admitted the team had little preparation for the scale of the attack: 
  "Iran could launch massive amounts of drones due to their low cost, and our job was to protect the civilians of our ally despite the overwhelming numbers."
  Captain Benjamin Coffey detailed an unsuccessful attempt to intercept an Iranian drone heading toward Israel:
  "We descended well below the minimum safe altitude for the aircraft. It felt like we were racing toward the ground in total darkness. The target was barely visible—and we missed it."* 
  
  **Intense Interceptions and Limited Resources**  

That night, U.S. Air Force and Navy forces intercepted 70 drones and three ballistic missiles. Despite their success, the pilots described the shock of facing such an unprecedented attack: *"This was our first real test against a drone swarm of this magnitude,"* they said.  

Their aircraft quickly ran out of interceptor missiles, with each F-15 carrying only eight at a time. After 20 minutes of combat, they were forced to land. Returning to base wasn’t simple, as Iranian launches triggered local air defense systems, scattering debris across runways.  

*"We had to declare an emergency because a missile had been launched, and we didn’t know if it was armed and about to explode on our wing. That’s a big deal,"* said Causy. During the landing, alarms blared as projectiles flew over the base, adding to the chaos. Ground-based commander Clayton Weeks advised them to stay airborne as long as they had fuel, saying, *"If things are exploding overhead, it’s very likely they’re exploding on the ground too."*  

**Recognition for Bravery**  

The F-15 pilots and ground crews received commendations for their courage during the operation. Causy was awarded the U.S. Air Force’s highest honor for extraordinary aerial achievement. Hester and Coffey received the Silver Star for combat valor, while Weeks earned the Bronze Star for his heroism on the ground.  

Reflecting on the mission, the pilots emphasized their focus on saving lives:  

*"The drones weren’t targeting us—they were meant to harm Israeli civilians. We were committed to protecting innocent lives."*

link

Survivors

Hi-tech pioneer Eyal Waldman: October 7 changed my vision of peace

After October 7, Israeli tech leader Eyal Waldman rethinks peace with Palestinians, calls for resilient Israel and worthy leadership for a better future.

Israeli hi-tech pioneer and Israel prize winner Eyal Waldman’s short-term vision for peace shifted on October 7; the day his daughter Danielle was murdered by Hamas terrorists in the south of the country.

His long-term conviction that Israeli-Palestinian peace is not just possible but necessary, however, has remained unchanged.

“Either we need to continue to kill each other, or we need to continue to learn to live next to each other – I think the second option is much better,” he told The Jerusalem Post.

Danielle, 24 years old on October 7, was killed by Hamas terrorists alongside her partner Noam while trying to escape the Supernova music festival massacre.

Before trying to get away with her friends, Danielle stopped to help a woman who needed her, only then proceeding to her car, her father explained.

 Eyal Waldman (credit: Wikimedia Commons)Enlrage image

Waldman received news of the October 7 attack from Bali and immediately rushed back to Israel.

“I went South to look [for Danielle], and then I found her car. [Her] body was taken on Sunday, I got there on Monday morning,” he explained.

“There was still fighting there,” when he got to the South, said Waldman, adding that IDF soldiers were killed nearby and that there were bodies around his daughter’s car.

Waldman hoped that his daughter had been taken captive to Gaza, but four days later was told that her body had been identified.

BEFORE OCTOBER 7, Waldman had thought that it was possible to work with Hamas and that they could be willing to speak with goodwill in some situations. 

Waldman had been employing Palestinians for years as part of a vision that this could help foster peace and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to a hospital in Gaza, according to media reports.

“I have been in favor of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian [conflict] for many years. I am frustrated that we keep killing each other instead of figuring out how to live next to each other,” he said.

Waldman decided to “combine the geopolitical advantage of finding cheap labor in the Palestinian Authority” with the opportunity to “lay another brick in the Israeli-Palestinian solution.”

“I think it was very important,” he said of this work. “It brought Israelis and Palestinians closer together. It created positive friction between Palestinians and Israelis.”

Waldman gave an example of this positive friction, recalling a time he was having breakfast with a Palestinian woman and her partner.

During the breakfast, his daughter “Danielle came in with Noam, and Noam came in with a Tavor [rifle], and the woman suddenly froze. She understood he was a soldier.”

Waldman could tell that the woman was uncomfortable. “I told her, look, when he is at your checkpoint, he is afraid of you.”

“That means that next time she came to the checkpoint, she saw the soldiers, and she saw Noam [in them], said Waldman, adding that this could give her a different perspective on why the soldiers at the checkpoint act the way they do.

“It creates positive friction – when people talk about soccer, about jokes, and their family and kids and stuff; and not only about problems between two nations.”After October 7, however, Waldman realized that Hamas could not be a partner in his vision for peace. 

“In the short term, we certainly need to destroy Hamas, and whoever is involved and whoever was involved.”

His idea that Hamas could be reasoned with, stemming from his experience working with people in Gaza, was “proved wrong,” he said.

But looking at the situation from a broader historical perspective, Waldman emphasized that the possibility of peace has looked bleak in the past as well.

“In 73, our biggest crisis was with the Egyptians, and Egypt was our number one enemy,” he said, adding that there was a vast hatred between Israelis and Egyptians at that time.

“Then four years later, one man who the Egyptians did not support, and who the Israelis did not believe, made peace between two nations.”

A hope for peace in the coming years 

WALDMAN EXPRESSED hope that following the crisis of October 7 as well, peace would follow in a few years.

“I hope that [...] we will replace the leadership on both sides, and there will be one or two leaders who will be able to make the change,” he said.

Israel’s current leadership lacks vision, goals, an ability to lead, a sense of fairness, and charisma, said Waldman, adding that there is also corruption and no effort to fight it among the country’s authorities.

“I don’t think we have worthy leadership – not in the opposition or the coalition,” he said.

Waldman laid out how he thinks peace could exist, with two states; swapped territories; and clear borders.

This includes a Palestinian “state with autonomy, a currency, and an airport” that lives side by side with Israel, he described.

This Palestinian state would not have indirect fire capability or significant weapons that enable it to threaten Israel, he said.

In his vision, “There are very clear borders,” and part of Jerusalem could possibly be international “so that we can all claim that it is ours,” said Waldman.

There are many more details to iron out, but these are the basic ideas behind his vision of joint life between Israelis and Palestinians, Waldman explained.

The business leader also commented on the impact the Israel-Hamas war has had on the country’s economy.

Despite its durability, “if we keep hurting the economy like we are now [for the long term], it will be very problematic,” he said.

“It’s necessary to address the economy and see how we attract people from abroad to come to invest and do things here and do projects, which I don’t see happening today.”

Waldman also emphasized that from his position in the business world, he sees a brain drain threatening the country.

Only 30-50,000 people need to leave the country to harm the economy and create a noticeable difference, he explained. Some of this economic damage and brain drain is due to the government’s allocation of resources. “People today are very sectoral,” he said, adding that political leaders take budgets for their own sectors or intimates.

No dictatorship here

It is vital to make sure “that the state of Israel stays a Jewish, liberal-democratic country,” he said.

“I don’t think we would want to live in a dictatorship,” he said, touching on the potential impacts of sectoral government and bad leadership on quality of life and the economy.

Waldman was active in protests against the judicial reform from an early stage. The government and its “aspiration to lower the level of democracy of the country” are harmful to the state, he said.

This has left business leaders, himself included, with little choice but to be involved in shaping the country, academia, and other institutions, he explained.

Asked about his vision and hope for what the future of the state holds, Waldman emphasized the need for solid institutions and for security.

In the future of Israel, Waldman envisages “worthy leaders who will build an economy, academia, education, and health; and of course [ensure] security first.” link

Personal Stories

Taken captive: Tamir Nimrodi, walked by gunmen to base gate

Tamir, 19, was catching some hours of sleep when he was abducted on October 7

Tamir Nimrodi, 19, a soldier serving in COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip, was taken hostage from his base near the Erez Crossing on October 7.

Nimrodi had just gone to sleep in the early morning hours of October 7 when the base was attacked by Hamas terrorists. He had been with his friends in another part of the base, but got tired and went to bed.

When the sirens began sounding, Nimrodi wrote to his mother, around 6:45 a.m., asking how she was and telling her there was a rocket attack.

By 7:12 a.m., he had been abducted, along with fellow soldiers Ron Sherman and Nik Baizer.

Nimrodi’s friends who had remained in the other part of the base survived the attack.

Nimrodi, along with Baizer and Sherman, were walked by the terrorists, in their shorts and t-shirts, to the gate of the base.

When the Nimrodi family saw a Hamas video of him later that day, his mother noted that Tamir didn’t have his glasses. He and the others were seated on the floor, their hands behind their heads, looking down.

“He can’t see a meter without his glasses,” she said.

Nimrodi’s birthday was on November 15, marked during his captivity in Gaza.

Clinging to hope, a hostage’s mother gains a new understanding of her missing son

There has been no sign of life from Tamir Nimrodi since October 7, but Herut Nimrodi is still finding out new things about his flourishing in the army before being kidnapped

When Tamir Nimrodi, an education corps soldier, was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from his base near the Erez Crossing on October 7, he had just started feeling comfortable with his army service.

Tamir Nimrodi, center, taken hostage from his army base on October 7, 2023, with his two younger sisters, Mika, left and Amit (Courtesy)

Drafted into the Israel Defense Forces corps that handles continuing education for soldiers, the teen had received an award for excellent service and was being considered for officer training, his mother, Herut Nimrodi, told The Times of Israel.

Nimrodi didn’t take any of her son’s successes for granted: The boy struggled throughout his years in school, both socially and intellectually, due to ADHD and sensory issues.

“For a kid who had such problems, he could have ended up a mess,” said Nimrodi. “He took all of his experiences and turned them around. He was having a better time; he was flourishing.”

In the 12 months since her son was taken captive, Nimrodi has heard from other soldiers that he crossed paths with during his six months of service, who have clued her in to the impact her son has had.

One soldier told of how Nimrodi brought his dinner to eat with her when he found out she was eating meals by herself in her room. Another related that Nimrodi snuck some shekels into her pocket when they had a break at a mall and he realized she had nothing to spend.

“All these little stories that I wouldn’t have heard if he hadn’t been taken hostage,” said Nimrodi. “Stories about how he helped them and understood them.”

As the date for Tamir’s 20th birthday approaches on November 15, Nimrodi said she isn’t so sure he even reached the age of 19.

Tamir had just gone to sleep in the early morning hours of October 7 when Hamas terrorists began their onslaught on southern Israel, including the base next to Gaza where he was serving in COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration.

About 15 minutes after rocket sirens first began to blare at 6:29 a.m., Nimrodi texted his mother asking how she was and telling her there was a rocket attack.

By 7:12 a.m., he had been abducted, along with fellow soldiers Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer. All three were walked by the terrorists, in their shorts and t-shirts, to the gate of the base.

Beizer, Sherman and another hostage were killed due to an IDF strike on a Hamas commander in early November. Their bodies were later discovered and returned to Israel for burial.

Meanwhile, there have been no signs of life or otherwise from Tamir, beyond a video put out by Hamas on October 7 in which he could be seen without his glasses.

The IDF confirmed that he crossed into Gaza, walking on his own two feet. Beyond that, there is nothing but a swirl of rumors, said Nimrodi, particularly since Baizer and Sherman’s bodies were found.

In her darkest moments, Nimrodi recalls the look of terror in her son’s eyes in the Hamas video, left exposed without his glasses.

“He was caught in one of the things that scared him the most,” she said, referring to Tamir’s fear of terrorist bus bombings.

While Nimrodi appealed to the Red Cross and other aid organizations to bring her son some eyeglasses, she was told not to have any expectations, given that Hamas is a terror group.

Pope Francis during a meeting with relatives of Israeli hostages, including the Bibas family (Shiri, Yarden, Ariel, Kfir), Omri Miran, Agam Berger, Guy Gilboa Dalal and Tamir Nimrodi, held in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian terrorists, seen at the Vatican City, April 8, 2024. (Vatican Media/AFP)

“I can’t help him, I can’t be switched for him, I can’t save him, I just see him in trouble,” said Nimrodi, whose name, Herut, means freedom.

She continues fighting for him even as her energy has waned and with hope fading a diplomatic deal for Tamir and the other 100 hostages thought to be captive in Gaza.

Tamir is the eldest child of Nimrodi, who is divorced from the father of her three children. Her two daughters, Mika, 17, and Amit, 15, have responded differently to the events of the last year.

Amit hasn’t attended school during the last year, even as her mother and the school administration try to find ways to encourage her.

Mika, meanwhile, copes by locking away the trauma, trying to live her life as if the family isn’t in the midst of an ongoing nightmare.

“They’re in a kind of conflict between the two of them,” said Nimrodi of her two daughters.

Herut Nimrodi, left, with her two younger daughters, Amit and Mika, and their new dog, dressed up in a family costume for Purim 2024, six months after her son, Tamir Nimrodi, was taken hostage by Hamas to Gaza. (Courtesy)

Nimrodi tries to manage it all: her responsibilities as a single mother of three, working a few hours a day in her job as the director of an Osem food lab, parenting her daughters, and participating in the struggle for the hostages.

“I don’t wish this on anyone,” she said. “We’re fighting for 101 hostages and we know that at least 40 are already dead. So you don’t know who’s left alive, we have no idea. Today could be their last day.”

She isn’t one of the hostage parents participating in protests and rallies, although she does take part in some of the diplomatic missions organized by the Hostages Families Forum, making sure that the issue is kept in the news.

She isn’t angry, either, not yet.

“I know that being angry now won’t do anything and will use up the energy I don’t have,” she said. “I have a prime minister and I have expectations because he’s the prime minister,” she said. “It’s his job” to lead.

She reserves a part of herself just to being a mother to her daughters who need to giggle and laugh, and who need happiness.

“I don’t want them to grow up in a house of mourning and Tamir wouldn’t want it,” said Nimrodi, who adopted a puppy this last year. “The little moments of joy are so important for them so they still have a kind of childhood. I can’t take that from them.”

Herut Nimrodi, left and her son, hostage Tamir Nimrodi, second from right, along with other family members in their sukkah. (Courtesy)

Nimrodi didn’t think marking the first anniversary of October 7 would be difficult but it was — even though she made sure to be surrounded by friends and family, so as not to fall and crumble into a deep sorrowful depression.

A former teacher sent a video of Tamir in his army uniform when he returned to his high school to pick up his matriculation certificate. Hearing his voice shocked Nimrodi, who was having trouble remembering what he sounded like.

And then on October 9, Tamir came to Nimrodi in a dream, the first time in the last year.

“I asked for a hug and we hugged and that’s when I woke up,” she said. “It made me cry, maybe he’s trying to send me a message, maybe he’s not coming back.”

Nimrodi has nonetheless soldiered on, sticking to the routine she has established, focusing on her daughters, her job and her home, the routine that gets them through another day.  link

Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages

The Man Who Took His People's Name in Vain

Dror Keren

Actor and Creator.

These words are written at a time when the fate of our kidnapped people hangs in the balance. For them and their families, October 7th is one long nightmare that has yet to end. It is a time when we are all defeated, abandoned and betrayed in darkness.

An endless war, people with no home. A rotten, corrupt, dysfunctional public service that keeps going. No facility. No remedy. The physical walls being built between the multiple homes of the Prime Minister of Israel and his people, these barriers are a reflection of his detachment. We shout so that he will hear, and he is there, beyond the wall.

The essence of the rift between the “leader” of the people of Israel and anyone who considers human life to be of utmost value is that even after this unfolding disaster for which he is responsible, he continues to make gestures and faces, projecting “business as usual” and “everything is under control,” as if October 7th never happened, as if there was never a contract between a leader and his citizens, and “responsibility,” “shame,” and “accountability” were never part of the job requirements.

    When there is no alignment between words and reality, when the truth has no meaning, we are like a shipwreck at sea. No anchor, no horizon.

What will become of people when the man who holds the state's steering wheel crushes once again, sometimes even with a smile, the remains of their trust in him?

When their distress and pain does not concern him? When it is he who fuels their fear for the future of their burning home? His “absolute victory” is our absolute destruction.

The civil indictment against the head of the Israeli government will be a thick book, with new sections added to each chapter every day.

Chapters about the lies, the incitement and agitation, the poisoning of the public climate, and the deliberate cognitive chaos designed to delay and escape responsibility.

Under his watch, within the borders of the State of Israel, on a Saturday morning, and for hours on end, his people were burned, raped, murdered, slaughtered, and kidnapped - we had and still have one clear and fundamental expectation for him - to bring them back. All of them. After abandoning them - he must bring them back. But instead, and because of him, day in, day out, the families of the hostages and all those demanding their return have become objects of ridicule and violence, accused of sabotaging the unity of the people and the morale of the Israel Defense Force soldiers.

An ancient Buddhist principle says: “A man's deeds are his only property, and one cannot escape the results of his actions.”                The book that will recount the life and crimes of Benjamin Netanyahu will be an indictment drenched in the blood, rage, and tears of all those who paid and continue to pay the price.

For eternity, he will be remembered as the man who abandoned. A deceitful man who all his life tried to escape the consequences of his actions, whose survival was the essence of his governance, and who took his people's name in vain.

Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

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

PMO- Prime Minister's Office

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

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