π️Lonny's War Update- October 466, 2023 - January 14, 2025 π️
π️Day 466 that 100 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!
ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*6:40pm yesterday-Ballistic missile from Yemen shot down- red alert West Bank, Afula , Jordan Valley*3:00am - ballistic missile from Yemen - red alert throughout central Israel and Jerusalem areas - missile intercepted - Shrapnel from the missile landed in Tsur Hadassah and Mevo Beitar. I live in Tsur Hadassah and the picture below is a house in Mevo Beitar (2 minutes from my house as the bird flies, or in this case, the missile fragments). As can be seen, missile fragments are as large or larger than a car.
*5:15am - South - Gaza Envelope - rockets - Netiv Haasara - false alarm
Five IDF soldiers were killed and 10 others were wounded in the northern Gaza Strip this morning, the military announces.
The slain troops are named as:
Hostage Updates
Hostage Updates
- Hamas official says leadership meeting tonight to discuss deal, response will be ‘positive’ if no compromises on ‘fundamental points’
A Hamas official, who refuses to provide his name, tells the Qatari al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper that the terror group will meet this evening to discuss the latest hostage-ceasefire proposal, and that its response will be “positive” if there are no compromises on what the terror group calls “fundamental points.”
Israeli officials earlier today denied a report by Saudi outlet Al Arabiya that the terror group has already responded, without reservations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet this evening with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to gauge his reaction to a possible hostage-ceasefire deal, Hebrew media report.
Ben Gvir has been one of the most steadfast opponents of a deal with Hamas and has repeatedly threatened to bolt the coalition.
Ben Gvir is also reportedly convening his Otzma Yehudit faction later this evening in a bid to formulate a response to the emerging deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet this evening with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to gauge his reaction to a possible hostage-ceasefire deal, Hebrew media report.
Ben Gvir has been one of the most steadfast opponents of a deal with Hamas and has repeatedly threatened to bolt the coalition.
Ben Gvir is also reportedly convening his Otzma Yehudit faction later this evening in a bid to formulate a response to the emerging deal.
Hostage talks advanced after ‘tense’ meeting between Netanyahu, Trump envoy
Hostage talks advanced after “tense” meeting between Netanyahu and Trump’s envoy, officials tell the Times of Israel.
US President-elect Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff held a “tense” meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday during which the former leaned hard on the Israeli premier to accept compromises necessary to secure a hostage deal by the January 20 US presidential inauguration, two officials familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.
Witkoff’s pressure on Netanyahu appears to have had an effect, with the two officials familiar with the negotiations saying that key gaps were filled in the talks over the weekend.
Spokespeople for Witkoff and Netanyahu did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
While the prime minister had been pushing for weeks for a temporary ceasefire that only amounted to the first phase of the three-stage proposal Israel submitted last May, the agreement that is being finalized is increasingly closer to the original offer, with clauses connecting the first phase with the two others, making it harder for Israel to resume fighting once the initial stage goes into place, Haaretz reports.
The daily adds that Israel will also agree to fully withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor during the first phase. Over the summer, Netanyahu characterized continued Israeli control over the border strip between Egypt and Gaza as critical for Israel’s very survival, insisting that the IDF remain there indefinitely.
He added conditions regarding continued Israeli presence there to the original Israeli proposal, which significantly hampered negotiations in July, Arab and Israeli officials told The Times of Israel at the time.
Top-level talks to be held tomorrow morning in Doha to iron out final details of deal — report
A round of Gaza ceasefire talks will be held in Doha Tuesday morning to finalize remaining details related to the deal, an official briefed on the negotiations tells Reuters.
A deal to end the Gaza war is “closer than it’s ever been,” the official says, adding that US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, outgoing Biden administration envoy Brett McGurk and Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar were expected to attend.
Hostage familes rail at Katz in Knesset, demand deal that will bring all captives home
Representatives of the hostage families scream at Defense Minister Israel Katz, asking why their relatives are not on the list of those to be released under a potential deal being currently negotiated.
“They’re engaged in a selection,” yells one family member, referring to the Nazi practice of selecting those who would live or die in concentration camps.
Some of the family members wear a yellow Star of David with 7.10 on it, referring to the October, 7, 2023, Hamas assault.
The outburst disrupts a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in which Katz is presenting his proposal for legislation to exempt large numbers of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service.
“I’ve been a Likud member my entire life,” shouts Hanna Cohen, whose niece Inbar Haiman was murdered in Hamas captivity in 2023. “I want her [back] for burial in Israel.”
“No Schindler’s list,” yells Cohen. link They are absolutely right. This deal should have been a total one shot deal to bring home all the hostages and end the war. This deal is the same one that was on the table in May and July of 2024 and could have been completed then and saved many of the hostages who have since been killed. The only difference now is that Netanyahu wants to assuage his buddy Trump who said to him very clearly to make a deal and also to end the war. It's very hard to believe that Netanyahu, despite his statements that he will continue fighting, will return to the war when his buddy is in the White House and doesn't want to deal with a war in Gaza. And if that is truly the case, the only reason that Netanyahu didn't allow this to be a complete deal for all the hostages and ending the war is his personal political considerations. There is a likelihood that Smotrich will vote against the deal but stay in the government. What Ben Gvir will do is still a question. He is trying to get Smotrich to go with him to Netanyahu and both threaten together that if this deal goes through, they will bring down the government. If Smotrich won't go along with this plot, it is highly suspected that Ben Gvir will also vote against it but will not leave the government despite all of his earlier threats. With Saar now in the government, Netanyahu can maintain his seat and coalition without Ben Gvir, so his threat carries much less weight. If, however, Netanyahu would have made this a complete deal with a declaration that the war will end when the last hostage comes home, then it is likely that Smotrich together with Ben Gvir would have bolted the government together and brought it down. Everything with Netanyahu is a personal political decision and the good of the country comes a very far second.
Ben Gvir says he repeatedly foiled a hostage deal over the last year, sparking outcry
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparks an outcry when he says that he has repeatedly foiled a hostage-ceasefire deal over the past year.
In a post on X together with a video in which he calls on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they will bolt the coalition if the deal goes through, the Otzma Yehudit leader says that he has managed to stop previous efforts to reach a deal.
“In the last year, using our political power, we managed to prevent this deal from going ahead, time after time,” he writes.
However, he says he now lacks the power to stop the deal because Netanyahu expanded the coalition by bringing in Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party.
“Recently other actors who support the deal have joined the government and we no longer hold the balance of power,” he laments.
His remarks draw an outcry from hostage family members and opposition politicians.
“He is openly admitting that he stopped a deal with his own hands for political gain,” Gil Dickmann, a relative of Carmel Gat who was killed by her captors. “If it were not for him, Carmel would be alive today.”
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says Ben Gvir’s comments prove his accusations that the government was not making a deal for political reasons.
“For more than a year I have been saying that ‘they are not reaching a hostage deal for political reasons’ and everyone tells me that this cannot be, that it’s shocking, and how could I say such a thing,” Lapid posts on X.
“And today Ben Gvir puts out a video and says to the camera, without blinking, that is the terrible truth,” he say. link This government has a lot of vile creatures in it, but Ben Gvir may very well be the worst of the worst. And the most disgusting part of it is that he is proud of it. He doesn't give a damn about the lives of any of the hostages. He has his messianic missions which include turning the police force into his own private militia which he is, unfortunately succeeding in doing, destroy the rule of law, do everything to make the lives of Palestinians miserable in order to get them to leave their homes, and make Israel into a dictatorial style of rule as he has dreams of grandeur of ruling Israel one day. And Netanyahu is the culprit who brought this convicted criminal into his government, gave him a senior ministry with lots of power and normalized this racist criminal. Right now, Netanyahu is the most dangerous person in Israel today but Ben Gvir has his eye on that title and we all need to be very careful and make sure it can never happen. His mentor, Meir Kahana's racist party Kach was made illegal. Ben Gvir and his party should meet the same fate.
- Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages, officials tell Associated Press
Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks say. An Israeli official says progress has been made, but the details are being finalized.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, and an Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirm its authenticity. The plan would need to be submitted to Israel’s cabinet for final approval.
All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks.
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad delegation arriving in Doha for talks on hostage deal’s final details
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group announces that a high-level delegation will arrive in Doha this evening to participate in talks regarding the final details of the hostage deal that is believed to be on the verge of completion.
PIJ is believed to be holding a number of the 98 hostages still captive in Gaza.
- Deal to see release of female civilian hostages, followed by female soldiers, elderly and severely ill
The emerging hostage deal will begin with the release of three female civilian hostages on the first day of the first 42-day phase. Each subsequent week will begin with the release of another group of hostages, Channel 12 reports, without citing any sources.
The releases will begin with the female civilian hostages along with the Bibas children Ariel and Kfir. Hamas claimed at the beginning of the war that they and their mother Shiri were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The IDF said it was probing the matter and has since said that it doesn’t have intelligence confirming that they’re no longer alive.
The next group to be released in the first phase will be female soldiers, followed by the elderly and then those who are deemed extremely ill, with 33 hostages being released in total.
Hostages’ families leave meeting with PM with questions on when 2nd phase of deal will begin
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has wrapped his meeting with the first of two groups of hostages’ families at his office in Jerusalem.
Several of those who were in the first meeting tell Channel 12 that they left with lots of questions unanswered, particularly regarding when the second and third phases of the deal will commence.
The first stage of the deal is slated to last six weeks and see the release of 33 hostages — the remaining women, elderly and severely ill hostages.
The deal on the verge of being inked stipulates that on the 16th day of the first phase, Israel and Hamas will begin negotiations regarding the terms of the second stage during which the remaining living hostages will be released. If talks have not completed by the end of the first phase, the sides will be urged by the mediators to continue negotiating until the terms of the second phase are reached.
Netanyahu has preferred the staged framework, rejecting a one-stage deal for all of the hostages in exchange for Israel permanently ending the war, arguing that doing so would allow Hamas to remain in power.
Hamas has sought assurances from the mediators that the first phase will lead immediately to the second phase, which is supposed to end with the declaration of a permanent ceasefire. The third phase is slated to see the release of remaining bodies of slain hostages.
Sharon Sharabi, whose brothers Yossi and Eli are held in Gaza, tells reporters after the meeting that the government should not agree to wait until the 16th day to start negotiations on the terms of the second phase, arguing that these talks should commence right away. Yossi Sharabi was accidentally killed in an IDF strike, while Eli Sharabi is believed to be alive.
The first meeting at the premier’s office lasted 45 minutes, with Netanyahu telling the families that talks are advancing and that he is doing everything he can to bring about the release of all 98 hostages, Channel 12 reports.
Netanyahu highlighted how Israel’s military successes over the past several months led Hamas to compromise on some of its positions. He says that the deal will allow Israel to remain in the first phase in the Philadelphi Corridor along with a buffer zone along the Israel-Gaza border.
Health Ministry gearing up for possible return of hostages
Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the Health Ministry’s public health division, says the ministry is preparing for the return of hostages, with 33 expected to be freed in the first phase of the deal currently being negotiated between Israel and Hamas.
The conditions of these hostages, including women, children, older adults and wounded civilians, who return after more than a year in captivity will be “very different” than when Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, she tells Ynet.
She stresses that officials have learned from the last hostage release.
The admitting hospitals will make sure to give the hostages their privacy while they do medical tests and check for nutritional deficiencies. The medical staff will continue to monitor the hostages’ health over a long period of time.
Netanyahu, Your Time for Hesitation Is Over
Sometimes it seems the Prime Minister believes that a few days here or there, a few hostages more or less, are a price that can be borne. For the families of the hostages, every day is a painful failure to protect our loved ones and a real danger to their lives. This is the moment to act, to sign. Bring my father and everyone else home.
— Dr. Sharon Lifshitz, daughter of Oded Lifshitz, a hostage in Gaza, in a special column for N12
After 464 days of abandonment of our loved ones in Hamas captivity, even the trip of the Mossad chief and Shin Bet chief to Doha fails to instill in us real optimism. “We’ll believe it when we see them in our ambulance,” my mother, Yocheved Lifshitz, told me yesterday (Saturday) on her way to Begin Boulevard to protest.
Since Black Saturday, we’ve learned through the suffering of our hostages—and our own suffering—so many moments in which we’ve seen the sanctity of their lives turned into political spin by the Prime Minister. Time and again, we’ve watched him choose his own interests over theirs.
“Take from this whatever you want,” one of the Prime Minister’s close associates told me after a 90-minute meeting in his office, where he explained why “everything is being done for the hostages.” But now is the moment—now!—to listen to the military leadership, save lives, and bring them home. There is an opportunity here that won’t come again.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, you cannot bring back Yusuf and Hamza to their families alive, but our loved ones are still there.
Sometimes it seems the Prime Minister thinks a few days more, a few hostages more or less, are an acceptable cost. Has he become so blind? Personally, I feel above all that I have failed—we have failed. I wasn’t there for my father when he was kidnapped, when he was shot, when he lay on the floor in Khan Yunis and met Ada Sagi. I wasn’t there for him when he shared a room in Khan Yunis with Hannah Katzir, and his condition wasn’t good. And I haven’t been with him since.
He is there, experiencing what he never expected—that in his old age and frailty, he would be alone, without love or a hug, without the ability to share a kind word, a warm embrace, or even a bowl of my mother’s chicken soup—unmatched in its comfort—or even a warm blanket over his cold shoulders. Both of us always have cold shoulders in winter.
In the unspoken contract with my father and the other hostages, we were supposed to be there to protect him and my mother. And yet, we have not succeeded in bringing him back.
Steve Witkoff, an envoy of President-elect Donald Trump, arrived in Israel amidst progress in negotiations that has been confirmed by Israeli sources. Since the November 2023 deal, we have been waiting for the moment an agreement for the release of the hostages would be approved. Now, even President Trump has set a deadline—before his inauguration on January 20.
“Regional leaders must understand that enough is enough,” the CIA Director said yesterday, and all of us felt as though he was speaking for us. If Netanyahu dares to sabotage this opportunity, he will face not only us—the families of the hostages and the public—but also the U.S. administration, led by President Trump, who would view it as a personal affront.
The abandonment of the hostages in Gaza is not only a moral and ethical failure. The Israeli government and Prime Minister Netanyahu are violating two Basic Laws by leaving our loved ones there for more than 15 months.
Because we have learned not to trust Netanyahu to make the best decisions for the hostages and Israel, we have been forced to turn to the High Court of Justice. Alongside the teams traveling to Doha, we, the families, are asking the court to compel the state to commit to a framework of conditions that will enable the deal, including a cessation of fighting in Gaza, as was done in Lebanon.
“When our neighbors have nothing to lose, we lose greatly,” you once wrote in one of your articles, Dad. You believed this deeply, as a journalist and as a person. And now, in your old age, wounded and abandoned by those entrusted with your safety—chiefly the Prime Minister—you are experiencing firsthand the consequences of the refusal to reach agreements for our security. For your security.
Ada Sagi told us upon her return how much you tried to find Mom, how much effort you made to understand what had become of her. Now, Mom and all of us have spent 15 long, nightmarish months trying to bring you and the other hostages home, repeatedly colliding with a brutal reality.
We hear of another Hamas video, underscoring the urgency of releasing the 98 hostages who have been abandoned there for over 15 months. Twenty-nine of those taken alive have already been murdered or killed.
Mr. Netanyahu, in decision-making, there is always a limited window for deliberation. That window has closed for you, for us, and especially for my father and the other 97 hostages. This is the time to act—to sign, to bring them home, and to give the fallen a proper burial. You must allow all of us to begin the process of healing, long before we can even dream of true recovery.
Dr. Sharon Lifshitz is the daughter of Yocheved and Oded Lifshitz, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Yocheved was released in a life-saving deal. Her father, Oded, remains abandoned in Gaza. link
Hostage talks advanced after ‘tense’ meeting between Netanyahu, Trump envoy
Hostage talks advanced after “tense” meeting between Netanyahu and Trump’s envoy, officials tell the Times of Israel.
US President-elect Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff held a “tense” meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday during which the former leaned hard on the Israeli premier to accept compromises necessary to secure a hostage deal by the January 20 US presidential inauguration, two officials familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.
Witkoff’s pressure on Netanyahu appears to have had an effect, with the two officials familiar with the negotiations saying that key gaps were filled in the talks over the weekend.
Spokespeople for Witkoff and Netanyahu did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
While the prime minister had been pushing for weeks for a temporary ceasefire that only amounted to the first phase of the three-stage proposal Israel submitted last May, the agreement that is being finalized is increasingly closer to the original offer, with clauses connecting the first phase with the two others, making it harder for Israel to resume fighting once the initial stage goes into place, Haaretz reports.
The daily adds that Israel will also agree to fully withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor during the first phase. Over the summer, Netanyahu characterized continued Israeli control over the border strip between Egypt and Gaza as critical for Israel’s very survival, insisting that the IDF remain there indefinitely.
He added conditions regarding continued Israeli presence there to the original Israeli proposal, which significantly hampered negotiations in July, Arab and Israeli officials told The Times of Israel at the time.
Top-level talks to be held tomorrow morning in Doha to iron out final details of deal — report
A round of Gaza ceasefire talks will be held in Doha Tuesday morning to finalize remaining details related to the deal, an official briefed on the negotiations tells Reuters.
A deal to end the Gaza war is “closer than it’s ever been,” the official says, adding that US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, outgoing Biden administration envoy Brett McGurk and Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar were expected to attend.
Hostage familes rail at Katz in Knesset, demand deal that will bring all captives home
Representatives of the hostage families scream at Defense Minister Israel Katz, asking why their relatives are not on the list of those to be released under a potential deal being currently negotiated.
“They’re engaged in a selection,” yells one family member, referring to the Nazi practice of selecting those who would live or die in concentration camps.
Some of the family members wear a yellow Star of David with 7.10 on it, referring to the October, 7, 2023, Hamas assault.
The outburst disrupts a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in which Katz is presenting his proposal for legislation to exempt large numbers of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service.
“I’ve been a Likud member my entire life,” shouts Hanna Cohen, whose niece Inbar Haiman was murdered in Hamas captivity in 2023. “I want her [back] for burial in Israel.”
“No Schindler’s list,” yells Cohen. link They are absolutely right. This deal should have been a total one shot deal to bring home all the hostages and end the war. This deal is the same one that was on the table in May and July of 2024 and could have been completed then and saved many of the hostages who have since been killed. The only difference now is that Netanyahu wants to assuage his buddy Trump who said to him very clearly to make a deal and also to end the war. It's very hard to believe that Netanyahu, despite his statements that he will continue fighting, will return to the war when his buddy is in the White House and doesn't want to deal with a war in Gaza. And if that is truly the case, the only reason that Netanyahu didn't allow this to be a complete deal for all the hostages and ending the war is his personal political considerations. There is a likelihood that Smotrich will vote against the deal but stay in the government. What Ben Gvir will do is still a question. He is trying to get Smotrich to go with him to Netanyahu and both threaten together that if this deal goes through, they will bring down the government. If Smotrich won't go along with this plot, it is highly suspected that Ben Gvir will also vote against it but will not leave the government despite all of his earlier threats. With Saar now in the government, Netanyahu can maintain his seat and coalition without Ben Gvir, so his threat carries much less weight. If, however, Netanyahu would have made this a complete deal with a declaration that the war will end when the last hostage comes home, then it is likely that Smotrich together with Ben Gvir would have bolted the government together and brought it down. Everything with Netanyahu is a personal political decision and the good of the country comes a very far second.
Ben Gvir says he repeatedly foiled a hostage deal over the last year, sparking outcry
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparks an outcry when he says that he has repeatedly foiled a hostage-ceasefire deal over the past year.
In a post on X together with a video in which he calls on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they will bolt the coalition if the deal goes through, the Otzma Yehudit leader says that he has managed to stop previous efforts to reach a deal.
“In the last year, using our political power, we managed to prevent this deal from going ahead, time after time,” he writes.
However, he says he now lacks the power to stop the deal because Netanyahu expanded the coalition by bringing in Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party.
“Recently other actors who support the deal have joined the government and we no longer hold the balance of power,” he laments.
His remarks draw an outcry from hostage family members and opposition politicians.
“He is openly admitting that he stopped a deal with his own hands for political gain,” Gil Dickmann, a relative of Carmel Gat who was killed by her captors. “If it were not for him, Carmel would be alive today.”
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says Ben Gvir’s comments prove his accusations that the government was not making a deal for political reasons.
“For more than a year I have been saying that ‘they are not reaching a hostage deal for political reasons’ and everyone tells me that this cannot be, that it’s shocking, and how could I say such a thing,” Lapid posts on X.
“And today Ben Gvir puts out a video and says to the camera, without blinking, that is the terrible truth,” he say. link This government has a lot of vile creatures in it, but Ben Gvir may very well be the worst of the worst. And the most disgusting part of it is that he is proud of it. He doesn't give a damn about the lives of any of the hostages. He has his messianic missions which include turning the police force into his own private militia which he is, unfortunately succeeding in doing, destroy the rule of law, do everything to make the lives of Palestinians miserable in order to get them to leave their homes, and make Israel into a dictatorial style of rule as he has dreams of grandeur of ruling Israel one day. And Netanyahu is the culprit who brought this convicted criminal into his government, gave him a senior ministry with lots of power and normalized this racist criminal. Right now, Netanyahu is the most dangerous person in Israel today but Ben Gvir has his eye on that title and we all need to be very careful and make sure it can never happen. His mentor, Meir Kahana's racist party Kach was made illegal. Ben Gvir and his party should meet the same fate.
Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks say. An Israeli official says progress has been made, but the details are being finalized.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, and an Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirm its authenticity. The plan would need to be submitted to Israel’s cabinet for final approval.
All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group announces that a high-level delegation will arrive in Doha this evening to participate in talks regarding the final details of the hostage deal that is believed to be on the verge of completion.
PIJ is believed to be holding a number of the 98 hostages still captive in Gaza.
The emerging hostage deal will begin with the release of three female civilian hostages on the first day of the first 42-day phase. Each subsequent week will begin with the release of another group of hostages, Channel 12 reports, without citing any sources.
The releases will begin with the female civilian hostages along with the Bibas children Ariel and Kfir. Hamas claimed at the beginning of the war that they and their mother Shiri were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The IDF said it was probing the matter and has since said that it doesn’t have intelligence confirming that they’re no longer alive.
The next group to be released in the first phase will be female soldiers, followed by the elderly and then those who are deemed extremely ill, with 33 hostages being released in total.
Hostages’ families leave meeting with PM with questions on when 2nd phase of deal will begin
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has wrapped his meeting with the first of two groups of hostages’ families at his office in Jerusalem.
Several of those who were in the first meeting tell Channel 12 that they left with lots of questions unanswered, particularly regarding when the second and third phases of the deal will commence.
The first stage of the deal is slated to last six weeks and see the release of 33 hostages — the remaining women, elderly and severely ill hostages.
The deal on the verge of being inked stipulates that on the 16th day of the first phase, Israel and Hamas will begin negotiations regarding the terms of the second stage during which the remaining living hostages will be released. If talks have not completed by the end of the first phase, the sides will be urged by the mediators to continue negotiating until the terms of the second phase are reached.
Netanyahu has preferred the staged framework, rejecting a one-stage deal for all of the hostages in exchange for Israel permanently ending the war, arguing that doing so would allow Hamas to remain in power.
Hamas has sought assurances from the mediators that the first phase will lead immediately to the second phase, which is supposed to end with the declaration of a permanent ceasefire. The third phase is slated to see the release of remaining bodies of slain hostages.
Sharon Sharabi, whose brothers Yossi and Eli are held in Gaza, tells reporters after the meeting that the government should not agree to wait until the 16th day to start negotiations on the terms of the second phase, arguing that these talks should commence right away. Yossi Sharabi was accidentally killed in an IDF strike, while Eli Sharabi is believed to be alive.
The first meeting at the premier’s office lasted 45 minutes, with Netanyahu telling the families that talks are advancing and that he is doing everything he can to bring about the release of all 98 hostages, Channel 12 reports.
Netanyahu highlighted how Israel’s military successes over the past several months led Hamas to compromise on some of its positions. He says that the deal will allow Israel to remain in the first phase in the Philadelphi Corridor along with a buffer zone along the Israel-Gaza border.
Health Ministry gearing up for possible return of hostages
Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the Health Ministry’s public health division, says the ministry is preparing for the return of hostages, with 33 expected to be freed in the first phase of the deal currently being negotiated between Israel and Hamas.
The conditions of these hostages, including women, children, older adults and wounded civilians, who return after more than a year in captivity will be “very different” than when Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, she tells Ynet.
She stresses that officials have learned from the last hostage release.
The admitting hospitals will make sure to give the hostages their privacy while they do medical tests and check for nutritional deficiencies. The medical staff will continue to monitor the hostages’ health over a long period of time.
Netanyahu, Your Time for Hesitation Is Over
Sometimes it seems the Prime Minister believes that a few days here or there, a few hostages more or less, are a price that can be borne. For the families of the hostages, every day is a painful failure to protect our loved ones and a real danger to their lives. This is the moment to act, to sign. Bring my father and everyone else home.
— Dr. Sharon Lifshitz, daughter of Oded Lifshitz, a hostage in Gaza, in a special column for N12
After 464 days of abandonment of our loved ones in Hamas captivity, even the trip of the Mossad chief and Shin Bet chief to Doha fails to instill in us real optimism. “We’ll believe it when we see them in our ambulance,” my mother, Yocheved Lifshitz, told me yesterday (Saturday) on her way to Begin Boulevard to protest.
Since Black Saturday, we’ve learned through the suffering of our hostages—and our own suffering—so many moments in which we’ve seen the sanctity of their lives turned into political spin by the Prime Minister. Time and again, we’ve watched him choose his own interests over theirs.
“Take from this whatever you want,” one of the Prime Minister’s close associates told me after a 90-minute meeting in his office, where he explained why “everything is being done for the hostages.” But now is the moment—now!—to listen to the military leadership, save lives, and bring them home. There is an opportunity here that won’t come again.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, you cannot bring back Yusuf and Hamza to their families alive, but our loved ones are still there.
Sometimes it seems the Prime Minister thinks a few days more, a few hostages more or less, are an acceptable cost. Has he become so blind? Personally, I feel above all that I have failed—we have failed. I wasn’t there for my father when he was kidnapped, when he was shot, when he lay on the floor in Khan Yunis and met Ada Sagi. I wasn’t there for him when he shared a room in Khan Yunis with Hannah Katzir, and his condition wasn’t good. And I haven’t been with him since.
He is there, experiencing what he never expected—that in his old age and frailty, he would be alone, without love or a hug, without the ability to share a kind word, a warm embrace, or even a bowl of my mother’s chicken soup—unmatched in its comfort—or even a warm blanket over his cold shoulders. Both of us always have cold shoulders in winter.
In the unspoken contract with my father and the other hostages, we were supposed to be there to protect him and my mother. And yet, we have not succeeded in bringing him back.
Steve Witkoff, an envoy of President-elect Donald Trump, arrived in Israel amidst progress in negotiations that has been confirmed by Israeli sources. Since the November 2023 deal, we have been waiting for the moment an agreement for the release of the hostages would be approved. Now, even President Trump has set a deadline—before his inauguration on January 20.
“Regional leaders must understand that enough is enough,” the CIA Director said yesterday, and all of us felt as though he was speaking for us. If Netanyahu dares to sabotage this opportunity, he will face not only us—the families of the hostages and the public—but also the U.S. administration, led by President Trump, who would view it as a personal affront.
The abandonment of the hostages in Gaza is not only a moral and ethical failure. The Israeli government and Prime Minister Netanyahu are violating two Basic Laws by leaving our loved ones there for more than 15 months.
Because we have learned not to trust Netanyahu to make the best decisions for the hostages and Israel, we have been forced to turn to the High Court of Justice. Alongside the teams traveling to Doha, we, the families, are asking the court to compel the state to commit to a framework of conditions that will enable the deal, including a cessation of fighting in Gaza, as was done in Lebanon.
“When our neighbors have nothing to lose, we lose greatly,” you once wrote in one of your articles, Dad. You believed this deeply, as a journalist and as a person. And now, in your old age, wounded and abandoned by those entrusted with your safety—chiefly the Prime Minister—you are experiencing firsthand the consequences of the refusal to reach agreements for our security. For your security.
Ada Sagi told us upon her return how much you tried to find Mom, how much effort you made to understand what had become of her. Now, Mom and all of us have spent 15 long, nightmarish months trying to bring you and the other hostages home, repeatedly colliding with a brutal reality.
We hear of another Hamas video, underscoring the urgency of releasing the 98 hostages who have been abandoned there for over 15 months. Twenty-nine of those taken alive have already been murdered or killed.
Mr. Netanyahu, in decision-making, there is always a limited window for deliberation. That window has closed for you, for us, and especially for my father and the other 97 hostages. This is the time to act—to sign, to bring them home, and to give the fallen a proper burial. You must allow all of us to begin the process of healing, long before we can even dream of true recovery.
Dr. Sharon Lifshitz is the daughter of Yocheved and Oded Lifshitz, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Yocheved was released in a life-saving deal. Her father, Oded, remains abandoned in Gaza. link
Gaza and the South
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- Lebanon’s new PM vows to extend state control all over Lebanese soil
Lebanon’s new prime minister pledges to extend state authority over all Lebanese soil after a November ceasefire ended a war between Hezbollah and Israel that severely weakened the Shiite terror group.
Nawaf Salam, in his first speech, says he would “extend the authority of the Lebanese state across all its territory” and “work seriously to completely implement UN Resolution 1701” calling for Hezbollah to withdraw from south Lebanon.
- Lebanon’s new PM vows to extend state control all over Lebanese soil
Lebanon’s new prime minister pledges to extend state authority over all Lebanese soil after a November ceasefire ended a war between Hezbollah and Israel that severely weakened the Shiite terror group.
Nawaf Salam, in his first speech, says he would “extend the authority of the Lebanese state across all its territory” and “work seriously to completely implement UN Resolution 1701” calling for Hezbollah to withdraw from south Lebanon.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
- The ambassador’s farewell warning: You can’t ignore the impact of this war on future US policymakers
Biden’s support for Israel, amid huge opposition in the media and parts of his party, contributed to the collapse of his reelection bid, argues Jack Lew in a long, worried interview
Excellent interview with the outgoing US Ambassador to Israel
Biden’s support for Israel, amid huge opposition in the media and parts of his party, contributed to the collapse of his reelection bid, argues Jack Lew in a long, worried interview
Excellent interview with the outgoing US Ambassador to Israel
Investigation: How Netanyahu's Circle Moved to Block the Establishment of a State Commission of Inquiry into the October 7 Massacre
The investigation reveals that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife acted to "distance the failure from Netanyahu." The Prime Minister's Office crafted a plan for a political commission of inquiry that would serve his interests.
An investigation by Kan News, published today (Monday), unveils the plan devised within Netanyahu's inner circle to thwart the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre. It details the process from consultations five days after the attack, through disputes with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, to the involvement of Sara Netanyahu.
A few days after October 7, discussions began in the Prime Minister's circle about investigating the failure, which intensified after the Chief of Staff took responsibility for the failure on October 12, 2023, according to the investigation. At that time, at least two sources revealed, the idea of establishing a governmental inquiry committee was proposed but deemed unlikely to gain public acceptance. The prominent idea among Netanyahu's associates was to establish a state commission of inquiry with a historical scope of investigation, designed to distance the blame from Netanyahu. In any case, it was decided to delay the committee's formation.
For nearly a year, this approach prevailed within the Likud party. Even during negotiations in September 2024 with Gideon Sa’ar, Netanyahu's associates sought assurances that Sa’ar would not expedite the establishment of a commission, although they still discussed the possibility of a state commission of inquiry.
Investigation: How Netanyahu's Circle Moved to Block the Establishment of a State Commission of Inquiry into the October 7 Massacre
The investigation reveals that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife acted to "distance the failure from Netanyahu." The Prime Minister's Office crafted a plan for a political commission of inquiry that would serve his interests.
An investigation by Kan News, published today (Monday), unveils the plan devised within Netanyahu's inner circle to thwart the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre. It details the process from consultations five days after the attack, through disputes with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, to the involvement of Sara Netanyahu.
A few days after October 7, discussions began in the Prime Minister's circle about investigating the failure, which intensified after the Chief of Staff took responsibility for the failure on October 12, 2023, according to the investigation. At that time, at least two sources revealed, the idea of establishing a governmental inquiry committee was proposed but deemed unlikely to gain public acceptance. The prominent idea among Netanyahu's associates was to establish a state commission of inquiry with a historical scope of investigation, designed to distance the blame from Netanyahu. In any case, it was decided to delay the committee's formation.
For nearly a year, this approach prevailed within the Likud party. Even during negotiations in September 2024 with Gideon Sa’ar, Netanyahu's associates sought assurances that Sa’ar would not expedite the establishment of a commission, although they still discussed the possibility of a state commission of inquiry.
A Shift in Approach
A shift came in October 2024, driven by both Netanyahu and Sara Netanyahu, following a series of Israeli military successes in Lebanon, the targeted killing of Yahya Sinwar, and strikes in Iran. These boosted Likud’s standing in polls. According to sources close to Netanyahu, he believed that public discourse had shifted to focus on military achievements rather than the initial failure. Around this time, the Prime Minister also proposed renaming the conflict to the "War of Renewal."
During this period, Netanyahu revisited the question of a commission of inquiry. Sara Netanyahu strongly opposed a state commission, with a close associate recounting her saying, "They will try to bring down the Prime Minister and blame him for everything." At this time, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was aware that Netanyahu had backed away from permitting a state commission of inquiry and was exploring alternative ideas. Gallant reportedly discussed the matter with Netanyahu, who dismissed him with the remark, "This is not the time for commissions of inquiry; we are in the midst of a war," providing no further clarification.
After Gallant's Dismissal: The Plan to Block a State Commission of Inquiry Took Shape
After Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was dismissed in early November 2024, the plan to thwart the establishment of a state commission of inquiry gained momentum. By mid-November, the Prime Minister’s Office had already drafted a general framework for legislation proposing a political inquiry committee, ostensibly neutral, to be selected by 80 Knesset members. At least two Likud Knesset members told Kan News that Netanyahu's aides approached them to sponsor the proposal, before MK Ariel Kallner announced that he would champion it.
Currently, according to sources in the Prime Minister’s circle, the plan is to advance the proposal for a political inquiry committee. If the proposal is approved, the opposition is unlikely to cooperate, delaying the establishment of any committee. This would allow the government to stall without a commission until the end of its term. As a backup plan, if the proposal fails, the Prime Minister could argue that due to the opposition's refusal to cooperate, a governmental inquiry committee will be formed in the interim to produce a report.
Reactions from Likud and Other Officials
Likud MK Ariel Kallner stated:
"I am unaware of what transpired in the Prime Minister’s circle, but I have been working for about six months to establish an equitable state commission of inquiry. Israel urgently needs a state commission of inquiry with professional experts accepted by all segments of society, aiming for the broadest possible consensus."Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s office responded:
"There is no basis to these claims."Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s office declined to comment.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office has yet to respond.
Civil Society Pushback
The Zulat Institute, which filed a petition to the Supreme Court along with 86 Knesset members following the investigation, stated:
"Netanyahu and Likud fear a state commission of inquiry whose members would be appointed by the President of the Supreme Court. Such a commission would expose Netanyahu's responsibility for the greatest failure in the country’s history and would necessitate personal consequences. Evidence for this can already be found in the statements made by National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, who told Likud officials in June 2024 that the purpose of a state commission of inquiry is to dismantle right-wing rule. Only a state commission of inquiry can uncover the truth needed to heal and rebuild Israeli society." link
The Region and the World
-
Personal Stories Semyon Avdalimov, 66: House painter and grandfather of 7Murdered by Hamas terrorists in Sderot on October 8
Semyon Avdalimov, 66, from Sderot, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in the city on October 8, 2023.
Semyon, who suffered from mild dementia, was with his daughter, Haya, during the attack on the city on Saturday. The next day, Semyon wanted to go home to his wife, Dinor, though his family tried to convince him otherwise.
Semyon left the house to smoke and disappeared. More than two weeks later, his family was told that his body had been found in bushes near the entrance of the city, with two gunshot wounds in his head and shoulder, according to Haaretz. The family told the newspaper that they had never been provided any additional information on his murder by police.
He was buried in Sderot. He is survived by his wife, Dinor, their two daughters, Haya and Erina, and seven grandchildren.
Semyon was born Derbent, in the Dagestan region of southern Russia, one of five children, according to a state eulogy. He attended local schools as part of the Mountain Jews (Kavkazi) community there.
He enlisted in the Georgian army, serving two years as a driver. Afterward, he returned to Derbent, working as a train driver and also as a school bus driver. He married Dinor and they made their home in the city, raising their two daughters.
In 1993, the family moved together to Israel, living for a year in Hadera before settling in Sderot. Semyon worked as a house painter and became well known in the city. His daughters married and Semyon had seven grandchildren he loved deeply.
Semyon Avdalimov, 66, from Sderot, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in the city on October 8, 2023.
Semyon, who suffered from mild dementia, was with his daughter, Haya, during the attack on the city on Saturday. The next day, Semyon wanted to go home to his wife, Dinor, though his family tried to convince him otherwise.
Semyon left the house to smoke and disappeared. More than two weeks later, his family was told that his body had been found in bushes near the entrance of the city, with two gunshot wounds in his head and shoulder, according to Haaretz. The family told the newspaper that they had never been provided any additional information on his murder by police.
He was buried in Sderot. He is survived by his wife, Dinor, their two daughters, Haya and Erina, and seven grandchildren.
Semyon was born Derbent, in the Dagestan region of southern Russia, one of five children, according to a state eulogy. He attended local schools as part of the Mountain Jews (Kavkazi) community there.
He enlisted in the Georgian army, serving two years as a driver. Afterward, he returned to Derbent, working as a train driver and also as a school bus driver. He married Dinor and they made their home in the city, raising their two daughters.
In 1993, the family moved together to Israel, living for a year in Hadera before settling in Sderot. Semyon worked as a house painter and became well known in the city. His daughters married and Semyon had seven grandchildren he loved deeply.
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
The Rules of the GameEinav GaliliMedia Personality.
I knew Keren Munder, who was kidnapped on October 7th with her son Ohad and her parents Ruthi and Avraham, many years ago, when she was my son’s volleyball coach. I didn’t give much thought to my kids’ after- school activities - unless one of them turned out to be the next Ronaldo or Marie Curie, don’t call me - but Keren drew my attention. She had that quality that transforms a teacher into an educator, in the profound sense of the word. Maybe it’s the messages she would occasionally send, which were never really about sports: “Your son complimented the new young players, good job,” or “Your son encourages his teammates, it’s a pleasure to watch him play.” That’s not really about volleyball, is it?Once, while watching the team practice, I noticed something: whenever a player did something wrong, she would correct them quietly, and when they did something well, she would raise her voice and shout the compliment. That reverse attitude was so brilliant that we adopted it at home: whenever someone does something that is considerate or especially cute, our roars of “well done!” can make the walls shake. What do these absolute values, set carefully like polished plates in the kitchen cabinet, have to do with the ongoing moral failure and the complete ethical decay of the person in charge of the lives and sanity of over one hundred and twenty Israeli hostages who are still in Hamas captivity? Over one hundred and twenty human beings - who knows how many of them are still alive—and Prime Minister Netanyahu dillies and dallies, confirms and denies, falters and wavers, declares and leaks. What began as a mere hint (for it was so inconceivable) turned into a whisper (because it was just unbelievable), has for a while now been glaringly obvious: when choosing between human lives and his clutches on his reign, the strategy is clear: stretching time out long enough makes the problem solve itself.The only thing that remains under this modus operandi is to silence the hostages’ families, who are crazed with grief. An entire trilogy dedicated to Netanyahu’s legacy would not suffice to contain the horrors. Einav Zangauker, Matan’s mother, was attacked at a demonstration. Liri Elbag’s father Eli was beaten, as was Gadi Kedem, father of Tamar who was murdered along with her husband and their three beautiful children. Danny Elgarat, Itzik’s brother, was forcibly removed from a Knesset committee meeting. It’s a hatred that trickles down from above like radioactive pollution, afflicting people, animals, and water wells.How does this compare with the world of values of Keren Munder, who was released in the first hostage deal (when it seemed we still knew right from wrong) after 49 days in captivity with her son and her mother, after her brother was murdered and her 79-year old father remains hostage? These are the simple rules that apply to grade-school activities: responsibility, solidarity, and mutual accountability are what transform isolated people into a functioning human group. That’s the stuff of which gravity is made, as it pulls stars towards each other and keeps them together. Without it, the human galaxy will collapse into itself.
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0
Twitter - @LonnyB58 Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.social
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Comments
Post a Comment