There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!
אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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IDF reservist killed, two others wounded by roadside bomb in West Bank overnight
Sgt. First Class (res.) Eviatar Ben Yehuda, killed in the West Bank on January 20, 2025. (Courtesy)
An IDF reservist was killed and two others were wounded, including a senior officer in serious condition, after being hit by a roadside bomb in the West Bank overnight.
The slain soldier is named by the military as Sgt. First Class (res.) Eviatar Ben Yehuda, 31, of the Ephraim Regional Brigade’s 8211th Reserve Battalion, from Nitzan.
MAY HIS MEMORY BE A REVOLUTION
According to an initial IDF probe, the soldiers were in a David light armored vehicle during a patrol in the town of Tamun, when a bomb was detonated against their vehicle.
The explosion killed Ben Yehuda and seriously wounded the reservist battalion commander. Another soldier was moderately hurt.
Hostage Updates
CBS News interview with Gershon Baskin about the hostage release - link
Sheba hospital says three released hostages are in ‘stable condition’
The three hostages, Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, released from Hamas captivity after 471 days “are in stable condition,” says Dr. Sefi Mendelovich, deputy director general of health at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan.
“It will take a few more days to complete all the needed examinations,” Mendelovich says. The hospital staff will continue to monitor their clinical condition.
Romi Gonen (right) and her mother, Meirav Leshem Gonen, embrace after Romi's return from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
Guidelines for hospitals set to receive hostages include STD checks, pregnancy tests
Ministry official says new protocols differ ‘significantly’ from November 2023 hostage release, as captives to return from over 15 months in captivity
File: A group of Israelis watch as a helicopter carrying hostages released from the Gaza Strip lands at the helipad of the Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva November 26, 2023 (AP/Leo Correa)
The Health Ministry issued new guidelines Thursday for hospitals preparing to receive hostages released during the upcoming Gaza ceasefire agreement, including administering tests for sexually transmitted diseases as well as pregnancy tests for female hostages.
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Health Ministry’s General Medicine Division, said the updated protocols differs “significantly” from those implemented for hostages released during the temporary ceasefire deal of November 2023, when 105 hostages were
Returnees will be emerging from more than 15 months in captivity.
There is a risk that returning hostages may develop Refeeding Syndrome,” Dr. Mizrahi explained. “This condition arises when individuals deprived of food during captivity attempt to compensate by consuming carbohydrates, potentially leading to serious harm.”
Mizrahi said there will be documentation and collection of forensic evidence from any cruelties hostages have suffered. Among other things, hostages will undergo tests for sexually transmitted diseases, with female abductees given pregnancy tests.
The protocol advises a minimum hospital stay of four days for returning hostages. Mizrahi noted that some of the previously released hostages eventually regretted leaving earlier than recommended, suggesting extended stays could better support their recovery.
The guidelines emphasize the need for heightened attention to hygiene, due to concerns of potential exposure to pathogens during captivity.
The ministry also urges families and visitors to avoid taking photos or posting updates on social media from hospital premises, warning such actions could inadvertently harm the recovery process of those freed from Hamas captivity.
Ziv, who conducted a groundbreaking study about the 19 children and seven women who were released in November, said the hostages exhibited the effects of psychological terror due to warfare strategies that included isolation, intimidation, deprivation of food and water, and emotional abuse.
When Hamas released the 105 civilians, the hostages went to one of six Israeli hospitals: Soroka Medical Center, Sheba Medical Center, Wolfson Medical Center, Ichilov Medical Center, Shamir Medical Center, and Schneider Children’s Medical Center.
Israel says 98 hostages are currently held in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 36 confirmed dead by the IDF.
The agreed-upon first phase of the deal will see Hamas release 33 “humanitarian” hostagesover 42 days — children, women, female soldiers, the elderly and the sick. Israel believes most of the 33 are alive but that some are dead. Jerusalem has not yet received word on each hostage’s status.
Images show Emily Damari reunite with mother; appears to be missing fingers on bandaged hand
Former hostage Emily Damari is seen on a video call with her family after meeting with her mother at an IDF facility near the Gaza border, January 19, 2025. (Courtesy)
Images posted to social media show former hostage Emily Damari on a video call with her family after meeting with her mother at an IDF facility near the Gaza border.
Damari and the other two hostages Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, are undergoing initial medical assessments at the army facility, and they will soon be taken to a hospital.
The images show a bandage on Emily’s hand after she was wounded during the October 7, 2023, onslaught. According to the Kan public broadcaster, she lost two fingers.
Doron Steinbrecher’s family gives thanks after ‘unbearable 471 days’
The family of Doron Steinbrecher’s publishes a statement giving thanks after she is released from captivity.
“After an unbearable 471 days, our beloved Dodo has finally returned to our arms. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported and accompanied us along this journey,” the statement says.
“A special thank you to the people of Israel for their warm embrace, unwavering support, and the strength they gave us during our darkest moments. We also extend our gratitude to President Trump for his significant involvement and support, which meant so much to us,” they say.
“Our heroic Dodo, who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, begins her rehabilitation journey today. We will continue to stand with all the families and do everything in our power until all of their loved ones return home.”
Government releases first pictures of released hostages reuniting with their mothers
The Israeli government releases the first images of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari reuniting with their mothers after their return from Hamas captivity.
Doron can be seen embracing her mother, Simona Steinbrecher, Romi hugs her mother, Merav Leshem Gonen, and Emily and her mother, Mandy Damari, take part in a video call with other family members.
The three mothers waited for their daughters at a special IDF facility set up near the border with Gaza. Emily, Romi and Doron and now on their way via helicopter to a hospital for evaluation and treatment, where they will be reunited with the rest of their family members.
Doron Steinbrecher (right), embraces her mother Simona after returning from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
Emily Damari (right) and her mother, Mandy, hold a video call with family members after her return from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
Roni Gonen (right) and her mother, Merav Leshem Gonen, embrace after Romi’s from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025.
Hamas spokesman: We’ll stick to the ceasefire deal if Israel does
In a video address hailing what he terms the Palestinian people’s sacrifice of countless martyrs in the past 15 months, Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida vows to focus all efforts on “containing” the Israeli enemy and urges mediators to compel Israel to commit to the ceasefire deal.
“The agreement reached could have been made a year ago if it had aligned with [Prime Minister] Netanyahu’s ambitions,” he says.
“We are committed to the ceasefire agreement, but this depends on the enemy’s adherence.”
Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida in a video address after the release of three Israeli hostages, January 19, 2025 (X)
'Completion certificates' Hamas gave to released captives included Red Cross signatures
The items inside the bag gave a clear depiction of psychological torture methods Hamas used on captives - and tried to send it with them into their lives post-captivity.
Red Cross employee signing the Hamas certificate
Two of the recently released Gaza hostages, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen, who were held together in captivity, were forced by Hamas to participate in a staged ceremony where they received "gifts and souvenirs" from their captivity Israeli media reported Sunday night.
All three released hostages received a 'gift bag' which included a photo of Gaza from Hamas terrorists.
Hamas terrorists gave the survivors "certificates of release" and made them pose and smile with their certificates before being transferred to Red Cross custody.
The representatives of the ICRC present signed the documents, according to the video.
Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher holding Hamas's psychological terror memorabilia (credit: screenshot, SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
What items did the released hostages receive as 'memoirs'?
Inside the bag, each of the released hostages received a map of the Gaza Strip, photos of them during their time in captivity, and certificates.
According to Israeli media, each certificate had an inscription with the "release decision" on it.
The survivors called the tactic a "cynical game."link
Gaza and the South
Today we saw several hundreds of Hamas militants in uniform in central Gaza while transferring the three Israeli hostage women to the Red Cross. Some Israelis were surprised to see Hamas's demonstration of force. I was neither surprised nor shocked. What my eyes saw was the enormous damage all around and then i saw many videos from the flattened northern Gaza Strip - piles of debris that were once homes and public buildings. The residents of Gaza will not really celebrate Hamas' temporary show of force. They see the reality around them and while they see Israel as a war criminal, they place full blame and responsibility on Hamas for bringing them the hell of fifteen months of destruction and death. The Palestinian people must put Hamas on trial for crimes against the Palestinian people. I have already written and said many times that the people of Israel must put Netanyahu on trial for crimes against the people of Israel. I am not comparing Hamas and Netanyahu, but our future after this war must be without Hamas and without Netanyahu, and probably without Abbas as well. It is the role of all of us to bring new leadership with political horizons that will bring us a future of hope. (Gershon Baskin, January 19, 2025)Gazans stream home through rubble as truce starts after 15 months of war
Carrying their personal belongings, displaced residents of the Strip celebrate deal; hundreds of aid trucks enter enclave from Egypt
This aerial view shows displaced Palestinians returning to Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on January 19, 2025 (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their homes on Sunday, after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas went into effect following an initial delay.
The ceasefire began nearly three hours laterthan scheduled, during which time Israel’s military said it was continuing to operate in Gaza, with the territory’s Hamas-run civil defense agency reporting 19 people killed and 25 wounded in bombardments.
Thousands of Gazans carrying tents, clothes and their personal belongings were seen heading back to their homes, after more than 15 months of war — started by the terror group Hamas — that displaced the vast majority of the territory’s population, in many cases more than once.
In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds of Gazans streamed down a sandy path, returning to an apocalyptic landscape dotted with piles of rubble and destroyed buildings.
In the main southern city of Khan Younis, people celebrated their pending homecoming.
“I’m very, very happy,” said Wafa al-Habeel. “I want to go back and kiss the ground and the soil of Gaza. I am longing for Gaza (City) and longing for our loved ones.”
Members of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian terror group Hamas, take part in a parade as they celebrate a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, January 19, 2025. (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
Although the terms of the deal place no restrictions in general on when Gazans can return to their homes, it does stipulate that movement from the south to the north will only be permitted on day seven of the truce. The IDF established a humanitarian zone for nearly two million displaced Gazans in the south of the enclave.
The truce had been scheduled to begin at 0630 GMT (8:30 a.m.) but was held up for hours after Hamas failed to provide on time a list of the three hostages who were to be freed on the first day.
In a televised address on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the 42-day first phase a “temporary ceasefire” and said Israel had US support to resume the war if necessary.
‘Full of hope’
In Gaza City, well before the ceasefire went into effect, people were already celebrating, waving Palestinian flags in the street.
But when it became clear the truce had been delayed, the joy gave way to desperation for some.
“Enough playing with our emotions — we’re exhausted,” said Maha Abed, a 27-year-old displaced from Rafah.
The Israeli army warned Gaza residents early Sunday not to approach its forces or Israeli territory.
“We urge you not to head towards the buffer zone or IDF forces for your safety,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram, adding that “moving from south to north via Gaza Valley puts you at risk.”
Displaced Palestinians return to Rafah, as a ceasefire deal between Israel and terror group Hamas went into effect, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, January 19, 2025. (Mariam Dagga/AP)
In Israel, the ceasefire was met with guarded optimism.
“I don’t trust our side or their side,” said taxi driver David Gutterman. “Always at the last moment something, a problem, can pop up, but all in all I’m really happy.”
Critics say small crowd at Gaza hostage release was made by Hamas to seem like it was bigger
People gather around a vehicle of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Saraya Square in western Gaza City for the handover of three Israeli hostages on January 19, 2025. (Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP)
Hamas critics in Gaza have been sharing on social media a photo of today’s transfer of the three Israeli hostages from the terror group’s fighters to the Red Cross, revealing that the crowd present was smaller than what may have appeared in Hamas’s footage of the event.
Those posting the zoomed-out photo are arguing that the terror group is far less popular in Gaza following 15 months of war sparked by its October 7, 2023, onslaught, which has left the coastal enclave and its population decimated.
Only several hundred Hamas members and supporters appear to have been present at the transfer.
Senior Hamas official confirms elimination of Marwan Issa
Marwan Issa circled in red. . (photo credit:SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE)
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed the death of deputy military chief Marwan Issa in an Israeli strike, while framing ongoing hostage negotiations as a victory for the militant group.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan confirmed on Sunday night that Marwan Issa, who served as deputy to former Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, had been eliminated, in an interview with Hezbollah-owned Al Manar TV on Sunday night.
“The dowry for liberating Palestine was the blood of these great leaders,” Hamdan said, listing several other Hamas and Hezbollah leaders eliminated by the IDF.
“In Palestine - Brother Abu Al-Abd, Brother Yahya Sinwar, Brother Marwan Issa, or other leaders like Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri - and in Lebanon, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, His Eminence Sayyed Hashim Safieddin, Hajj Abdul Qadir, Sayyed Mohsen, and other senior leaders whom we knew and experienced their sincerity.”
Israel has accused Issa of participating in planning theOctober 7 massacrein Israel, and he was reportedly involved in the 2011 Gilad Shalit hostage-prisoner swap.
An IDF infographic about Marwan Issa, deputy head of Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
In his interview, Hamdan stated that Hamas’s victory lies in the fact that Israel participated in any negotiations at all.
“[Israel] wanted to recover their prisoners by force, but now they're recovering them through negotiations,” Hamdan said, “they cannot recover any of them alive except through these negotiations.”
The 'high price'
While sources previously claimed that Hamas confirmed Issa’s death behind closed doors shortly after the strike that killed him in March, this was the first time an official acknowledged the strike, with Hamdan referring to the many terror leaders eliminated by the IDF as the “high price” that is necessary for the organization’s “great mission.”
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Two days into West Bank truce, Jenin terror groups open fire on PA forces
Clashes have renewed between Palestinian Authority security forces and terror groups in the Jenin refugee camp less than two days after a truce had been reached that was supposed to bring an end to violence in the northern West Bank city after over a month, Palestinian media report. The clashes come as the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal is being implemented. The Gaza agreement is likely a precursor to further tensions between Hamas — whose members in Jenin are affiliated to the armed groups in the northern West Bank — and the PA, as they jockey for post-war control over the Strip. Last month, the PA launched an unprecedented counter-terror raid in Jenin to demonstrate it can regain control over increasingly lawless Palestinian areas of the West Bank and can do the same in December. On Friday, the PA reached a truce with the so-called Jenin Battalion in which the leaders of the latter terror group handed over their weapons in exchange for immunity and allowed the PA to enter the refugee camp to restore order there. PA forces have been operating in Jenin since the weekend, working to defuse bombs. Tonight, armed groups reopened fire against them, Palestinian media reports.
Settlers reportedly torch home in West Bank’s Sinjil; 86-year-old man inside rescued
While the hostage deal was being implemented in Gaza, a group of Israeli settlers raided the Palestinian village of Sinjil, torching a home and two vehicles, including one that was holding gas containers, which caused a major blast, Palestinian media reports.
Palestinian media reports that an 86-year-old man had been in the home that was torched but was rescued in time and is being rushed to the hospital for treatment. There are also no reports of arrests. Video
Two settlers detained in connection with overnight attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank
Two Israeli settlers were detained over their suspected involvement in attacks on Palestinians in several West Bank villages overnight, the IDF says.
The military says it received reports of “violent rioting” in Turmus Ayya, Sinjil, and Ein Sinya, during which “a number of Israeli citizens set fire to a house and property in the area.”
IDF troops and police officers were dispatched to the villages moments after receiving the reports, the military says, adding that the forces used riot dispersal means.
“The forces are working to locate and arrest those involved. So far, two suspects have been detained for involvement in the rioting,” the army adds.
Palestinian crowd welcomes freed security prisoners with flags of Hamas, other terror groups
Palestinian men waving Hamas (green) and Hezbollah (yellow) flags sit on top of a Red Cross bus carrying released security prisoners from Ofer military prison in the West Bank are met by a crowd of family members and friends in Beitunia, outside Ramallah, in the early hours of January 20, 2025. (Photo by John Wessels / AFP)
Hundreds of people cheer, chant and honk car horns as two buses carrying Palestinian security prisoners freed from an Israeli jail arrive in the West Bank town of Beitunia.
The buses hold some of the 90 prisoners released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal that began Sunday and saw three Israeli hostages freed by the Hamas terror group after more than 15 months in captivity.
Members of the crowd climb atop the lead bus and unfurl a Hamas flag.
They are joined by others waving the flags of Fatah, Islamic Jihad and several other Palestinian factions, including terror groups, as well as the Palestinian flag and the flag of Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group.
Inside the bus, a handful of freed female prisoners smile and flash V-signs while a Red Cross staff member watches on.
Palestinian youths raise national flags along with Hamas (green) and Hezbollah (yellow) banners as they sit atop a Red Cross bus carrying dozens of security prisoners set free by Israel in the early hours of January 20, 2025, in the West Bank town of Beitunia, on the outskirts of Ramallah. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
Tareq Khatib, 44: Garbage truck driver and devoted father of 3
Murdered by Hamas terrorists in Ofakim on October 7
Tareq Khatib (Courtesy)
Tareq Khatib, 44, from Ofakim, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in the city on October 7.
With the start of the attack, Tareq and his family awoke, and took shelter in their bathroom, as they did not have a bomb shelter. About a half hour after the sirens began, his mother called and said they should come and stay with her, since she had a reinforced room, but they decided to stay home and wait it out instead.
Tareq nevertheless decided to go check up on his mother, worried that she was alone during the sirens, and set out on his electric bike around 7:20 a.m., according to a municipal eulogy. When his wife, Rivka, heard that there was a terrorist invasion of Ofakim, she called Tareq and heard screaming before the call was cut off.
Tareq was shot dead in the street by a cell of Hamas terrorists. Around 11 a.m., Tareq’s brother sent Rivka a video showing his body lying in the street next to his bike. At 3 a.m. Sunday morning, Rivka brought her children to her mother’s house and went to Tareq’s body, finding him riddled with 12 bullet holes, and sat with him until first responders were able to evacuate him and 13 other bodies who were lying in the same area.
He was buried in Rahat several days later. He is survived by his wife, Rivka, their three children, Liam, 10, Leeham, 8 and Barel, 2 months, as well as his mother, Karima, and his five siblings — Muhammad, Jihad, Zahed, Khalil and Etidal. Four of the siblings live in Israel, while one lives in Gaza.
Born in Egypt, Tareq moved to Israel when he was 7, settling with his family in the Bedouin town of Rahat in the south, according to a state eulogy. After finishing school, he began working as a garbage truck driver for the Ashkelon municipality.
He met Rivka Baruch, and the couple built a life together, having three children and settling in the Jewish town of Ofakim. (He was buried in Rahat as the Ofakim cemetery doesn’t have a Muslim section.)
The couple’s youngest, Barel Zohar, was not yet two months old when Tareq was killed. She was named in honor of Barel Shmueli, a Border Police officer who was shot and killed along the Gaza border fence in 2021. “At least he got to meet her, to be at her birth, to be with her a little bit,” said Rivka in video testimony about the attack.
“He was an incredibly wonderful person, a man who loved justice,” Rivka told Ynet. “He never did wrong to anybody in his whole life. He didn’t deserve this.”
He was a devoted family man and a lover of animals, his loved ones said, caring for and rehabilitating dogs who had suffered abuse.
“My son Tareq, he worked for the municipality, on the garbage truck, he went from work to home and home to work, he never went anywhere else,” Karima said in video testimony. “If he went anywhere else it was to come to me or to his brother… He just had a baby, six weeks old. It’s hard, so hard. A mother who buries her child while she’s still alive — it’s better if she dies.”
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
On Leaders Alienated From Their People
Malka Puterkovsky
A religious public figure, an educator and activist for women's rights, a leader of the movement promoting Torah study for women.
Tikun leyl Shavuot: [traditional Torah study on the eve of the Shavuot holiday that lasts all night] at the hostages’ tent city in Jerusalem. Study based on the source Tractate Ta'anit.
How does the Torah tell us to behave toward someone who is in trouble? "When the community is immersed in suffering, a person may not say: I will go to my home and I will eat and drink, and peace be upon you, my soul."
Moses was a great leader, one of whose primary characteristics was the ability to feel empathy and sorrow.
The Gemara component of the Torah tells us that during the war against Amalek, Moses wanted to raise his hands towards the heavens and imbue the fighting people with faith. By then Moses was old, and it was hard for him to stand, so he sat upon a stone. The Gemara asks: an aged man, can he not bring something to pad the stone a little, a pillow, a cushion? But Moses said: "Since the Jewish people are immersed in suffering, I too will be with them in suffering". Take note of what makes a man a great leader, one who fulfills the basic, essential condition for a leader.
I cannot remain silent in view of what the Torah demands of us.
The Jewish people's existence is based on the axiom that all Jews are responsible for one another.
A leader who does not see his evacuated citizens who are living for eight months in cramped hotel rooms with three, sometimes five, children, is a leader who does not adhere to that axiom. Nor does a leader who asks “what makes September 1st sacred?” while one of his ministers, wearing a kippah, declares he is committed to the values of the Torah, and yet allows himself to speak out against the families of the hostages. He does so as if the nightmare they live in is not due, among other reasons, to the disgraceful functioning of that leadership. It is a leadership that blatantly destroys the basis of our existence here, a leadership that denies the vital condition for our continued life in this country!
I am a Jewish woman who tries very hard to obey the commandments in the proper way. I live in a settlement; many consider me a right-winger. But this is not a political issue; there is no room here for disagreement. And when we have a leadership without a plan, which also shows contempt for its citizens, a woman like me cannot remain silent! And a word to those who do remain silent. The hottest place in hell is reserved for those who do not speak out. Silence is akin to complicity. I believe every Jew knows that unless we maintain true mutual responsibility, we have no existence here, neither physical nor spiritual.
I appeal to my acquaintances, to all my beloved friends who declare themselves observers of the Torah and its commandments, it is our duty to carry out the commandment of rebuke - this government does not deserve to be in power. The government of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, if you are unable to help, at least do the minimum required of leadership - show empathy.
Now it is actually those who feel committed to the Torah who are obliged to raise a loud bitter cry.
Acronyms and Glossary
COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0 Twitter - @LonnyB58
🎗️Day 260 that 120 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!!!” There is no victory until all of the hostages are home! אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
🎗️Day 361 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
🎗️Day 239 that 125 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!!!” There is no victory until all of the hostages are home! אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
Emily Damari (right) and her mother, Mandy, hold a video call with family members after her return from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
Romi Gonen (right) and her mother, Meirav Leshem Gonen, embrace after Romi's return from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
Doron Steinbrecher (right), embraces her mother Simona after returning from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
Emily Damari (right) and her mother, Mandy, hold a video call with family members after her return from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
Roni Gonen (right) and her mother, Merav Leshem Gonen, embrace after Romi’s from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025.
Displaced Palestinians return to Rafah, as a ceasefire deal between Israel and terror group Hamas went into effect, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, January 19, 2025. (Mariam Dagga/AP)
Marwan Issa circled in red. . (photo credit:SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE)Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed the death of deputy military chief Marwan Issa in an Israeli strike, while framing ongoing hostage negotiations as a victory for the militant group.Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan confirmed on Sunday night that Marwan Issa, who served as deputy to former Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, had been eliminated, in an interview with Hezbollah-owned Al Manar TV on Sunday night. “The dowry for liberating Palestine was the blood of these great leaders,” Hamdan said, listing several other Hamas and Hezbollah leaders eliminated by the IDF. “In Palestine - Brother Abu Al-Abd, Brother Yahya Sinwar, Brother Marwan Issa, or other leaders like Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri - and in Lebanon, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, His Eminence Sayyed Hashim Safieddin, Hajj Abdul Qadir, Sayyed Mohsen, and other senior leaders whom we knew and experienced their sincerity.” Issa was targeted in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip in March of last year, with the IDF later confirming he had been killed. Israel has accused Issa of participating in planning the October 7 massacre in Israel, and he was reportedly involved in the 2011 Gilad Shalit hostage-prisoner swap. 
An IDF infographic about Marwan Issa, deputy head of Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
“[Israel] wanted to recover their prisoners by force, but now they're recovering them through negotiations,” Hamdan said, “they cannot recover any of them alive except through these negotiations.” 
Palestinian youths raise national flags along with Hamas (green) and Hezbollah (yellow) banners as they sit atop a Red Cross bus carrying dozens of security prisoners set free by Israel in the early hours of January 20, 2025, in the West Bank town of Beitunia, on the outskirts of Ramallah. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
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