π️Lonny's War Update- October 474, 2023 - January 22, 2025 π️
π️Day 474 that 94 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*9:00pm yesterday - Tel Aviv - stabbing attack - 4 injured, 24 and 28 year olds in moderate condition and a 24 and 59 year old in good condition. The terrorist was killed on site
US green card holder, a Moroccan national, wounds 4 in Tel Aviv terror stabbing spreeTwo moderately wounded, two others lightly hurt; Shin Bet confirms it’s probing why the assailant was let into Israel after being interrogated at airport
Four people were wounded Tuesday evening by a terrorist who went on a stabbing spree in a trendy Tel Aviv neighborhood, emergency services and Israel Police said, before he was shot dead.
The scene of a stabbing terror attack in Tel Aviv, January 21, 2025 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)The assailant who carried out the stabbing was Moroccan national Abdelaziz Kaddi, a US green card holder, according to an ID found on his body.
Kaddi was flagged by security when he arrived in the country a few days ago but was nonetheless granted entry, a decision the Shin Bet said late Tuesday it was investigating.
It was the second terror stabbing in three days in the Israeli metropolis.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said four people were wounded in the attack in Nahalat Binyamin. The victims include two men aged 24 and 28 in moderate condition, and two others aged 24 and 59 in good condition, MDA said.
Kaddi entered Israel on January 18 with a tourist visa.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said immigration officials had identified Kaddi as a threat when he arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and sought to bar him from entry. He was handed over to security officials for questioning.
“To my regret, they decided to allow his entry into Israel,” Arbel said in a statement. He called on Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to investigate the incident, which the security agency shortly afterward confirmed it was doing.
Four people were wounded Tuesday evening by a terrorist who went on a stabbing spree in a trendy Tel Aviv neighborhood, emergency services and Israel Police said, before he was shot dead.
The scene of a stabbing terror attack in Tel Aviv, January 21, 2025 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
The assailant who carried out the stabbing was Moroccan national Abdelaziz Kaddi, a US green card holder, according to an ID found on his body.
Kaddi was flagged by security when he arrived in the country a few days ago but was nonetheless granted entry, a decision the Shin Bet said late Tuesday it was investigating.
It was the second terror stabbing in three days in the Israeli metropolis.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said four people were wounded in the attack in Nahalat Binyamin. The victims include two men aged 24 and 28 in moderate condition, and two others aged 24 and 59 in good condition, MDA said.
Kaddi entered Israel on January 18 with a tourist visa.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said immigration officials had identified Kaddi as a threat when he arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and sought to bar him from entry. He was handed over to security officials for questioning.
“To my regret, they decided to allow his entry into Israel,” Arbel said in a statement. He called on Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to investigate the incident, which the security agency shortly afterward confirmed it was doing.
Hostage Updates
- Hamas Hostage Negotiator Gershon Baskin/Talkline With Zev Brenner - America's leading Jewish program with newsmaker guests and celebrity interviews
- Emily Damari’s mother posts pic showing daughter’s hand unbandaged; thanks those worldwide who campaigned for her release
Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily was released from Hamas captivity on Sunday, posts a new photo of the two of them, showing Emily’s hand unbandaged after she lost two fingers when shot by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
“Thank you to everyone in the UK and around the world who supported the campaign to bring Emily home, and for all your messages here on X. You are amazing and we love you all,” tweets the Surrey-born, London-raised Mandy.
In some of the first pictures the family cleared for publication after her release, Emily, a dual Israeli-British citizen, was seen waving her bandaged left hand in a phone call to her relatives, in an image widely seen as emblemizing her courage and resilience.
The gunmen who burst into her home at Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, shot her dog, she reportedly told her family and friends in her first conversations with them on Sunday evening, and she was hit, too, as she tried to comfort her dying pet.
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. Emily is seen with a bandaged hand. She lost two fingers after being shot by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, onslaught. (Courtesy)In an Instagram post on Monday, the released hostage, 28, wrote that the outpouring of love and support had made her “heart burst with excitement.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she wrote. “I’m the happiest in the world just to be.”
Emily’s post was signed with the “rock on” emoji, in a nod to the gesture her hand now permanently makes.
Hostage Updates
- Hamas Hostage Negotiator Gershon Baskin/Talkline With Zev Brenner - America's leading Jewish program with newsmaker guests and celebrity interviews
- Emily Damari’s mother posts pic showing daughter’s hand unbandaged; thanks those worldwide who campaigned for her release
Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily was released from Hamas captivity on Sunday, posts a new photo of the two of them, showing Emily’s hand unbandaged after she lost two fingers when shot by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
“Thank you to everyone in the UK and around the world who supported the campaign to bring Emily home, and for all your messages here on X. You are amazing and we love you all,” tweets the Surrey-born, London-raised Mandy.
In some of the first pictures the family cleared for publication after her release, Emily, a dual Israeli-British citizen, was seen waving her bandaged left hand in a phone call to her relatives, in an image widely seen as emblemizing her courage and resilience.
The gunmen who burst into her home at Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, shot her dog, she reportedly told her family and friends in her first conversations with them on Sunday evening, and she was hit, too, as she tried to comfort her dying pet.
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. Emily is seen with a bandaged hand. She lost two fingers after being shot by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, onslaught. (Courtesy)In an Instagram post on Monday, the released hostage, 28, wrote that the outpouring of love and support had made her “heart burst with excitement.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she wrote. “I’m the happiest in the world just to be.”
Emily’s post was signed with the “rock on” emoji, in a nod to the gesture her hand now permanently makes.
Freed hostage Romi Gonen shares a first post on her Instagram account since she was freed Sunday from Hamas captivity in Gaza, writing that “there is life after death.”
The post includes a photo of Gonen and her mother embracing after her return to Israel, which she says “I can’t believe I’m screenshotting right now… sometimes dreams come true.”
“I wanted to stop a moment and say thanks to the people of Israel, my family and friends. The prayers and strength you sent accompanied us the entire way and helped us believe this nightmare will ultimately end.”
“It will take more time to process and thank you all. It must be remembered that there are 94 more hostages in Gaza who are dying for us to save them. The people of Israel live and with the help of God we’ll continue to receive good news in the coming weeks.”
Yehuda Cohen, father of Nimrod Cohen, said to discuss using arrest warrant for PM as leverage to ensure that hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas is implemented in full
Yehuda Cohen, father of Israeli-American hostage Nimrod Cohen, a soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, speaks at a hostage families rally outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on April 7, 2024. (Paulina Patimer/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)Yehuda Cohen, the father of Israeli-American hostage Nimrod Cohen, met with the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, to discuss using the arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pressure him into implementing the hostage-ceasefire agreement with Hamas in full.
During the meeting, according to the Kan public broadcaster, Cohen asked Karim Khan to work with the Israeli government to reach a permanent end to the war in Gaza, and to ensure that the ceasefire agreement is not cut short before all the remaining hostages are released.
Nimrod Cohen, an IDF soldier then aged 19, was abducted from the Nahal Oz military outpost during the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror assault in southern Israel. He is expected to be released during the second phase of the deal, the first phase of which began on Sunday and will last for 42 days.
Cohen was said to have asked Khan to use the arrest warrant for Netanyahu, issued in November for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war, as a way of pressuring the prime minister into seeing out the duration of the agreement with Hamas. The exact way in which Cohen hoped to see the warrant used as leverage by The Hague was unclear.
In addition, Cohen was said to have raised the issue of the Israeli government’s refusal to open a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks and ensuing war in Gaza, as well as recent attempts by the government to revive its contentious judicial overhaul agenda, which has largely remained stagnant since the Hamas onslaught.
After Khan requested arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his then-defense minister Yoav Gallant last July, Israel was reportedly advised that establishing a commission of inquiry could have prevented them from being issued.
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan (center) announces that he has requested arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, May 20, 2024. (Courtesy, International Criminal Court)
State commissions of inquiry are typically headed by a retired Supreme Court justice, appointed by the court president. As such, they are seen by international agencies as an indication of an independent justice system able to probe allegations against a country, circumventing the need for external intervention.
As with the refusal to open a commission of inquiry, critics of the judicial overhaul legislation have long warned that weakening Israel’s legal system could expose senior IDF commanders and political figures to criminal proceedings in international courts, such as the ICC, if Israel is believed to no longer have the ability to investigate itself.
In a recent interview with Reuters, Khan said that he believed Israel had made “no real effort” to investigate the allegations of war crimes itself, and stood by his decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
“We’re here as a court of last resort and …as we speak right now, we haven’t seen any real effort by the State of Israel to take action that would meet the established jurisprudence, which are investigations regarding the same suspects for the same conduct,” he said.
Should Israel investigate itself, however, he said the case could still be handed back to the internal courts under so-called complementary principles.
Cohen’s meeting with Khan followed a stormy session of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee last week, in which Cohen told the forum he would be willing to go to the ICC and say that Netanyahu was responsible for “war crimes” against not only Palestinians but also Israelis.
He noted that 400 IDF soldiers have been killed fighting in Gaza, and said: “If these [ICC] arrest warrants can make Netanyahu abandon his personal interests and make a deal including the very last hostage, then that is what I will do.”
Yehuda Cohen, father of hostage Nimrod Cohen, speaks during a meeting of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee at the Knesset in Jerusalem, January 13, 2025. (Knesset)
In response, Likud MK Eliyahu Revivo charged that his “contemptible” statement was “condemning your son to the Hamas dungeons for many more years.”
- Hamas confirms 4 female hostages to be released on Saturday, without naming them. Pictures of five female Israeli soldiers who are held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are displayed ahead of a weekly protest by families to demand their release, in Tel Aviv, Aug. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
IDF says displaced Palestinians can return to north Gaza next week if Hamas upholds truce; Mossad, Shin Bet chiefs in Cairo for talks with Egyptian intel chief
A Hamas official confirmed Tuesday that four Israeli female hostages would be freed on Saturday as part of the ceasefire deal that will also see Palestinian security prisoners released.
Taher al-Nunu said Hamas would release “four Israeli female detainees in exchange” for a second group of Palestinian inmates.
He did not name the four women who will be released after over 470 days in captivity. The hostage and ceasefire deal states that Hamas is required to provide the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release, though the terror group failed to meet that condition for the first three women who were freed on Sunday.
Nunu’s statement came after a spokesperson for the terror group’s prisoners’ office claimed on Monday that the next hostage release would happen on Sunday, a day later than agreed, which was followed by a Hamas statement that the release would take place on Saturday after all.
There are seven female hostages remaining from the original list of 33 to be released in the first phase of the hostage ceasefire deal. Two of them are civilians: Arbel Yehud, 29, and Shiri Silberman Bibas, 33.
There are also five female soldiers in captivity: Liri Albag, 19, Karina Ariev, 20, Agam Berger, 21, Danielle Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20.
Bibas’s two young sons Ariel and Kfir, now aged 5 and 2, are also held and are on the list, as is her husband, Yarden Bibas.
For each of the female soldiers, Israel will release 50 Palestinian prisoners, 30 of them convicted terrorists who are serving life sentences. Early Monday, Israel released 30 prisoners for each of the three civilian female hostages — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher — Hamas set free the previous afternoon. link
Bar Not on the Release List in Phase 1: "I Dreamed He Came Back, It Felt Real"
Dvir Kuperstein knows his brother, Bar, was not included in the first phase of the prisoner release deal. Yet, he is unwilling to wait another year to reunite his family with their beloved one, held in Gaza. "When the hostages returned, I asked why them and not our Bar," he shared. "I’m afraid I’ll feel even worse now."
"Yesterday, I dreamed about Bar," said Dvir, the younger brother of Bar Kuperstein, who is held hostage in Gaza. "I’ve dreamed of him before, old dreams, memories of us together, but this time, I dreamed of the future. He came back, we were together in the hospital. Mom was happy, all the siblings were in the room, hugging and excited that he was there. In the dream, he looked pale and very tired, thin. He asked me to bring him a hamburger; that’s what he wanted. It felt so real, so alive. I could truly feel Bar."
"I miss playing against him on the playstation" Dvir with a picture of his brother Bar.Bar Kuperstein was not on the list of released hostages in the first phase of the deal. His family hopes he will be released in the next phase. "We can start with this deal," Dvir said, "and at each stage, come back and say: That’s it, there are no more hostages to return. But then, like the last deal, we’ll wait again, another year will pass, and then maybe another. When the hostages came back, I asked why them and not our Bar. When will he come back already? That was a year ago. So what now? I’m afraid I’ll feel even worse."
Bar, 22, is a year older than Dvir. They are alike in many ways but also different. Dvir mentioned that their voices are identical. "Do you hear me? It’s like you’re talking to Bar," he said. "But in personality, he’s funnier. He’d tease me, always laughing, while I’m more introverted. We loved playing soccer and PlayStation together. I miss playing against him on the PlayStation."
During the war, Dvir has been looking after their younger siblings. Between family duties, he travels to meet influential figures, trying to persuade them to help secure Bar’s release. "I met with the UN Secretary-General," he said. "I went to Congress and met with senior officials there. I give lectures to Jewish communities in the U.S. and in Israel."
Bar's mother, Julie Kuperstein
Before October 7, Dvir was in the army. "I was a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade’s 50th Battalion, just like Bar. My father had a dream of opening a falafel stand. He was a great cook and fulfilled his dream. Bar and I worked at the falafel shop after my father had an accident that left him paralyzed. Bar took charge. I was 16, and he was 17. Dad spent two years in the hospital in rehabilitation, with Mom by his side. We’d run between the hospital and the falafel shop. Then Bar enlisted, and we had to sell the shop. Things at home were tough," he said.
How Did Bar End Up at the Nova Festival?
"Two weeks before the end of his military service, he went to work there. We used to work during our service. That night, I was sleeping at my girlfriend’s place. He wanted me to come work with him, but I keep Shabbat. I had dinner with my parents and then went to my girlfriend. In the morning, she woke me up because of the sirens. I told her everything was fine, to go back to sleep. Slowly, we realized it was serious. I ran home, and my grandmother told me Bar had spoken to her. He said, ‘I’m getting everyone out of the festival and coming back.’ That was his last sentence. Grandma was the last one to talk to him. We didn’t realize there were terrorists at the festival; we thought it was just in Ofakim.
"I took my weapon and got organized with friends from the army to head to the Gaza border area. Then, suddenly, there were screams at home. My mom saw a video. I came to see it too. We saw Bar filmed in Gaza, looking at the camera with fear. You could immediately tell it was him, no doubt. A friend who was with him, and we thought was dead, survived and came to our house a few hours later. He told us everything. Just as I thought, Bar took charge, ferrying injured people from the festival to Kibbutz P’tish, and then returned to the festival area. He did this three times. Everyone he evacuated survived. Many people he saved came to our home to tell us how heroic he was."
A Family Upended Since October 7
"Chaos, anger, shock," Dvir said. "I locked myself in my room; I didn’t want to talk to anyone. But then, you immediately go to battle. They wanted to call me up on October 7, but I told them my brother was a hostage. My brigade commander called to check on me, and a few hours later, he was killed. Other friends from Nahal were also killed. From there, you do what you can: lectures, flights around the world. I even went to speak with Bibi. I told him, ‘Think if it were your brother. Like it’s my brother, it could have been yours. Do everything to bring him back.’"
Tal Kuperstein at a demonstration for the hostagesTal Kuperstein, the father, recently spoke for the first time at a rally for the hostages in Holon. Speaking from his wheelchair, Tal shared how his son took over the family business at just 16 after he was injured in a car accident and became disabled.
"You can see that when families shout at the government, it only strengthens Hamas," Dvir said. "Why do people love listening to my dad? Because he tells Bar’s story and what he feels. Not politics. That way, both the left and right connect to him. I oppose everything Ben Gvir and Smotrich say, but you can’t fight hate with hate. You have to try to touch their hearts." link
Senior Negotiator to Hostage Families: Canceling the Deal Is a Death Sentence
Amid U.S. President Trump’s recent statement following his inauguration, families of hostages met today (Tuesday) with senior members of the negotiation team to express concerns over the incomplete deal. A senior negotiator clarified: “We will do everything to ensure it continues; otherwise, it could mean a death sentence for some of the hostages.” Excerpts from the difficult conversation:
Hostage Family Member: "How can you guarantee my brother will come home?"
Senior Negotiator: "Hamas has no interest in blowing up the deal."
Hostage Family Member: "I hear only the first phase is confirmed, and I hear Netanyahu's promises to Smotrich. Are they planning to abandon the hostages to die in captivity?"
Senior Negotiator: "The deal was signed in full, including all its stages. The details of the second and third phases are not yet finalized, but it was fully approved by the government."
Family Representative: "But there are ministers in the government who oppose it."
Senior Negotiator: "We are aware of the key figures in the government who oppose the deal. The hardest part will be ensuring they (the ministers) don’t derail the agreement midway. We will do everything to keep it on track because otherwise, for some, it could be a death sentence."
The Prime Minister's Office stated: "The Prime Minister insists that Hamas not breach the agreement again and that the deal be implemented exactly as written." link
Gaza and the South
- Shin Bet, Mossad chiefs and Egypt intel head agree Rafah crossing to be run by Palestinian Authority
An unnamed source tells Asharq Al-Awsat that an agreement was reached at a meeting between Israeli security chiefs and the head of Egyptian intelligence that the Palestinian Authority will manage the Gazan side of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt, under “international supervision and monitoring by the UN.”
The Cairo meeting was held Monday-Tuesday between Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Mossad chief David Barnea and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad.
The source tells the London-based newspaper that no date has been set for the reopening of the key border crossing.
According to the source, there is still no agreement on the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt, but “the differences of opinion are technical, and they will be resolved.”
“Israel proposed partial withdrawals from the corridor, but Egypt did not accept the idea and insists on a complete withdrawal and a return to the situation as it was before the war,” the source tells the outlet.
- PM’s office partially denies report it agreed to allow Palestinian Authority to run Rafah crossing
Israel partially denies a report in a Saudi-owned news outlet that it has agreed to allow the Palestinian Authority to take control of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt when it reopens.
However, the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office notes that the PA currently plays some role in approving exit visas and it also leaves open the possibility for it to play a larger role in the future.
The PMO statement accuses the PA of trying to “create the false impression that it controls the crossing.”
The PMO notes that the IDF is currently deployed at the crossing point and “nobody passes through it without supervision and approval from the IDF and Shin Bet.” It claims that “non-Hamas Gazans” provide technical management of the crossing with international oversight, and the PA provides the stamp on passports allowing Gazans to exit the Strip.
The report in the UK-based Asharq Al-Awsat said that during conversations this week in Cairo between Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Mossad head David Barnea and Egyptian intelligence officials, they agreed to allow the PA to manage the crossing “under international and UN supervision.”
The report, citing a source familiar with the meetings, noted that the current arrangements are temporary and “concern this stage only of the ceasefire.”
The PMO also admits that the current arrangement at the crossing is for the “first stage of the deal and will be reexamined later.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly vowed that the PA cannot assume control of Gaza after the war, although many international observers and Israeli defense officials have suggested it is the most viable alternative. link No matter how much Netanyahu wants to deny it, the only viable alternative to Hamas in Gaza is the PA backed by Egypt and the Gulf States. The sooner this happens, the quicker the government and military control by Hamas in Gaza will end together with the end of the war and the beginning of the rebuilding of Gaza. There is no other option and the longer that Netanyahu prevents this, the longer our soldiers are going to be there, more soldiers will be killed. the hostages won't come home, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will worsen, and the war will become a never ending war of attrition.
An unnamed source tells Asharq Al-Awsat that an agreement was reached at a meeting between Israeli security chiefs and the head of Egyptian intelligence that the Palestinian Authority will manage the Gazan side of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt, under “international supervision and monitoring by the UN.”
The Cairo meeting was held Monday-Tuesday between Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Mossad chief David Barnea and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad.
The source tells the London-based newspaper that no date has been set for the reopening of the key border crossing.
According to the source, there is still no agreement on the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt, but “the differences of opinion are technical, and they will be resolved.”
“Israel proposed partial withdrawals from the corridor, but Egypt did not accept the idea and insists on a complete withdrawal and a return to the situation as it was before the war,” the source tells the outlet.
Israel partially denies a report in a Saudi-owned news outlet that it has agreed to allow the Palestinian Authority to take control of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt when it reopens.
However, the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office notes that the PA currently plays some role in approving exit visas and it also leaves open the possibility for it to play a larger role in the future.
The PMO statement accuses the PA of trying to “create the false impression that it controls the crossing.”
The PMO notes that the IDF is currently deployed at the crossing point and “nobody passes through it without supervision and approval from the IDF and Shin Bet.” It claims that “non-Hamas Gazans” provide technical management of the crossing with international oversight, and the PA provides the stamp on passports allowing Gazans to exit the Strip.
The report in the UK-based Asharq Al-Awsat said that during conversations this week in Cairo between Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Mossad head David Barnea and Egyptian intelligence officials, they agreed to allow the PA to manage the crossing “under international and UN supervision.”
The report, citing a source familiar with the meetings, noted that the current arrangements are temporary and “concern this stage only of the ceasefire.”
The PMO also admits that the current arrangement at the crossing is for the “first stage of the deal and will be reexamined later.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly vowed that the PA cannot assume control of Gaza after the war, although many international observers and Israeli defense officials have suggested it is the most viable alternative. link No matter how much Netanyahu wants to deny it, the only viable alternative to Hamas in Gaza is the PA backed by Egypt and the Gulf States. The sooner this happens, the quicker the government and military control by Hamas in Gaza will end together with the end of the war and the beginning of the rebuilding of Gaza. There is no other option and the longer that Netanyahu prevents this, the longer our soldiers are going to be there, more soldiers will be killed. the hostages won't come home, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will worsen, and the war will become a never ending war of attrition.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- Qatar PM says ‘we should be cautiously optimistic’ when dealing with Syria’s new administration
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says in Davos “We should be cautiously optimistic” when dealing with the new administration in Syria.
He adds that the new authorities, who took office after rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8 following 13 years of civil war, need to be helped to stabilize the situation in the country. link We in Israel should be looking at Syria as a budding opportunity to change the dynamics between our countries and look to open communications immediately. We, of course, will need to be very careful but see the possibilities and not just the fears. Unfortunately, we have very few people, if any, in leadership positions who have the vision to actually do anything statesmanlike (we unfortunately don't have any women in these positions) and we are damned with politicians who can only see as far as their own personal and political interests.
IDF says troops seized weapons, including rocket launchers, in south Lebanon
IDF troops operating on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov in recent days captured numerous weapons, the military says.
The IDF says members of the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade located and seized anti-tank missiles and launchers, rocket launchers, machine guns, and other weapons.
The IDF is still deployed to some areas of southern Lebanon, in accordance with a ceasefire agreement.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says in Davos “We should be cautiously optimistic” when dealing with the new administration in Syria.
He adds that the new authorities, who took office after rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8 following 13 years of civil war, need to be helped to stabilize the situation in the country. link We in Israel should be looking at Syria as a budding opportunity to change the dynamics between our countries and look to open communications immediately. We, of course, will need to be very careful but see the possibilities and not just the fears. Unfortunately, we have very few people, if any, in leadership positions who have the vision to actually do anything statesmanlike (we unfortunately don't have any women in these positions) and we are damned with politicians who can only see as far as their own personal and political interests.
IDF says troops seized weapons, including rocket launchers, in south Lebanon
IDF troops operating on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov in recent days captured numerous weapons, the military says.
The IDF says members of the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade located and seized anti-tank missiles and launchers, rocket launchers, machine guns, and other weapons.
The IDF is still deployed to some areas of southern Lebanon, in accordance with a ceasefire agreement.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- Lifting of US sanctions sparks Palestinian fears of settler escalation
Moayaad Shaaban, a minister in the Palestinian Authority, says the lifting of sanctions “gives the green light to settlers to commit even more serious crimes.”
He added that, as a result, he feared a “real massacre in one of our villages.”
Just last night, at least 21 people were wounded in settler attacks “under the supervision and protection of the Israeli army and political leadership,” the ministry says.
UN security alerts on Monday indicated that at least 11 incidents involving settlers occurred throughout the West Bank since a ceasefire began in Gaza on Sunday.
The Palestinian foreign ministry criticized a decision by Defense Minister Israel Katz last week to release settlers held in administrative detention, warning “against attempts to escalate the situation in the West Bank” to facilitate its annexation by Israel.
It also denounced what it said was a proliferation of Israeli checkpoints and tightened restrictions on Palestinians, which it said had “fragmented the West Bank.”
It noted that there were now nearly 900 barriers in the territory, including 16 installed in recent days.
IDF says it ‘hit more than 10 terrorists’ during ongoing raid in West Bank’s Jenin
The IDF says it has “hit more than 10 terrorists” during an ongoing raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, dubbed Operation Iron Wall.
“During the past day the forces hit more than 10 terrorists,” the military says, adding that several airstrikes were carried out, and numerous explosive devices were neutralized.
The operation is still ongoing.
The Palestinian Authority health ministry reported nine dead in Jenin and another fatality in a nearby village.
- IDF tells Palestinians in Jenin hospital to stay inside as it clears suspected bombs
The IDF says it instructed Palestinians at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin to remain inside the medical center for several hours as troops cleared suspected improvised explosive devices planted in the area by terror operatives.
“Following concerns of IEDs on roads near the Jenin hospital, security forces operated in the area overnight to neutralize the IEDs,” the military says in response to a query.
“As a result, those staying at the hospital were asked to remain inside it to maintain their safety. After the forces’ activity in the area, exit from the hospital was made possible through organized and safe routes,” the IDF says.
The IDF says troops did not enter the hospital and are not surrounding other medical centers in Jenin.
The military has been operating in Jenin since yesterday, in a major raid dubbed Operation Iron Wall. The Palestinian Authority health ministry has reported nine dead in Jenin and another fatality in a nearby village.
Moayaad Shaaban, a minister in the Palestinian Authority, says the lifting of sanctions “gives the green light to settlers to commit even more serious crimes.”
He added that, as a result, he feared a “real massacre in one of our villages.”
Just last night, at least 21 people were wounded in settler attacks “under the supervision and protection of the Israeli army and political leadership,” the ministry says.
UN security alerts on Monday indicated that at least 11 incidents involving settlers occurred throughout the West Bank since a ceasefire began in Gaza on Sunday.
The Palestinian foreign ministry criticized a decision by Defense Minister Israel Katz last week to release settlers held in administrative detention, warning “against attempts to escalate the situation in the West Bank” to facilitate its annexation by Israel.
It also denounced what it said was a proliferation of Israeli checkpoints and tightened restrictions on Palestinians, which it said had “fragmented the West Bank.”
It noted that there were now nearly 900 barriers in the territory, including 16 installed in recent days.
IDF says it ‘hit more than 10 terrorists’ during ongoing raid in West Bank’s Jenin
The IDF says it has “hit more than 10 terrorists” during an ongoing raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, dubbed Operation Iron Wall.
“During the past day the forces hit more than 10 terrorists,” the military says, adding that several airstrikes were carried out, and numerous explosive devices were neutralized.
The operation is still ongoing.
The Palestinian Authority health ministry reported nine dead in Jenin and another fatality in a nearby village.
The IDF says it instructed Palestinians at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin to remain inside the medical center for several hours as troops cleared suspected improvised explosive devices planted in the area by terror operatives.
“Following concerns of IEDs on roads near the Jenin hospital, security forces operated in the area overnight to neutralize the IEDs,” the military says in response to a query.
“As a result, those staying at the hospital were asked to remain inside it to maintain their safety. After the forces’ activity in the area, exit from the hospital was made possible through organized and safe routes,” the IDF says.
The IDF says troops did not enter the hospital and are not surrounding other medical centers in Jenin.
The military has been operating in Jenin since yesterday, in a major raid dubbed Operation Iron Wall. The Palestinian Authority health ministry has reported nine dead in Jenin and another fatality in a nearby village.
Politics and the War (general news)
- Coalition shoots down opposition bill calling for state commission of inquiry into Oct. 7
The coalition defeats an opposition bill calling for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 by a vote of 45-53.
Arguing against the bill, sponsored by National Unity MK Orit Farkash Hacohen, Science Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) declared that the launching of such a probe must wait until the end of the war “and not during the fighting” — though a ceasefire is currently in effect — and promotes the idea of an alternate commission composed of representatives chosen by both the coalition and opposition.
“To evade responsibility, the coalition today harmed Israel’s security, the bereaved families and the families of the hostages,” National Unity says in a statement about the vote.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party tweets a list of MKs who oppose the measure, stating that they “once again spat in the faces of the bereaved families and the families of the hostages.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out any inquiry until after the war. Additionally, in a press conference last month, he said that “a state commission is not acceptable to a considerable portion of the people. A government inquiry is not acceptable to another portion. What is needed is to find a different mechanism that will get to the truth and that is acceptable to most portions of the people.”
Critics allege Netanyahu seeks to establish a panel with fewer powers than a state commission, fearing it will implicate him in the disaster. link There are a number of critical things that must happen in Israel for us to begin to heal after October 7 and become the country we need to be and wish to be. The first thing and most critical thing is to bring all the hostages home. The second is to establish an official, independent State Commission of Inquiry and the third is new elections. Netanyahu has been the blocker to bring home the hostages in order to keep his government together to stay prime minister. He is doing all he can to prevent the establishment of the official independent commission of inquiry because he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the findings will damn him to history as the prime minister responsible for the worst disaster in the history of the state. Instead, he and his cronies are pushing for a government commission that they will determine the parameters of the inquiry and to make sure that all blame and culpability will fall on the security forces and nothing on Netanyahu and his governments. As for elections, he doesn't want elections because he knows that it will be the end of his period as prime minister forever. He wants to push off elections as long as possible so he can push his October 7 narrative that it was all the army, Shin Bet and Mossad and didn't touch him and he is relying on a long history of people having a very short memory and will not blame him for October 7 by the time elections roll around. I sincerely hope and believe that October 7 will be the issue with the longest memory that no one will forget and Netanyahu will pay the price and be sent home never to be seen in public office again.
- In subtle parting shot at government, IDF chief calls for external probe into Oct. 7 failures
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in a televised statement after announcing his resignation says he is responsible for the failures on October 7, 2023, as well as for the military’s achievements during the war.
He also calls to appoint an external committee to investigate the army’s failures.
“On the first day of the war, during the General Staff’s situation assessment, I took clear and vocal responsibility for the IDF’s failure to protect civilians” during the October 7 onslaught,” Halevi says. “I did so again publicly on the sixth day of the war.”
“The IDF’s primary mission is to protect the country’s citizens. We failed in that. I have carried the consequences of that terrible day ever since and will carry them with me for the rest of my life,” he says.
“Throughout my service in the IDF, I was taught that an operation concludes only when its missions are complete. An operation ends when everyone returns. An operation ends after a debriefing. The purpose of the IDF’s investigations is learning — whether the force succeeded or failed,” Halevi says.
He says the IDF “must provide answers and conduct thorough, high-quality, and fully transparent investigations.”
“We investigate out of commitment to the fallen, the hostages and their families and members of the Western Negev communities; we investigate out of the obligation to learn, and in a way that will allow us to better protect the citizens of Israel in the future,” Halevi says.
He says the concluded investigations will be presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz and the public.
IDF chief Herzi Halevi (L to R), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IAF Chief of Staff Omer Tischler at the IAF’s underground command center at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv on December 26, 2024. (IDF)Halevi also addresses pervasive conspiracy theories about October 7: “I can confidently say now: no one hid information. No one knew what was about to happen. No one helped the enemy carry out its brutality. Such claims, apart from being false, harm the dedicated service members who acted and continue to act for the nation’s security and deeply understand their responsibilities in light of the outcomes,” Halevi says.
Upon completing the IDF’s investigations, we will better understand what happened to us, why it happened, and how to fix it. The military investigation focuses solely on the IDF, and cannot encompass all the causes and areas that could prevent similar events in the future,” he says. “An investigative committee or any other external body will be able to investigate and examine, and will have the IDF’s full transparency.”
“I bear responsibility for the IDF’s failure, and I also bear responsibility for its achievements. I will say in advance that I wish we had not needed these achievements, and no success can undo the immense pain, sorrow, and loss caused since the war began,” Halevi says.
Noting the IDF’s achievements, Halevi says “The Middle East has changed, our threat map has been fundamentally altered, opportunities have opened up, and we must continually assess the risks.”
Regarding Hezbollah, the IDF chief says the Lebanese terror group “suffered a defeat.”
“Most of its leadership was eliminated; over 4,000 terrorists were killed, including the organization’s senior command chain, headed by Hassan Nasrallah,” he says.
On Hamas, Halevi says the Palestinian terror group’s military wing “was hit very hard.”
Troops of the Kfir Brigade operate in the northern Gaza Strip, in a handout photo issued by the IDF on January 7, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)“Most of the organization’s leadership was killed, headed by Yahya Sinwar, as well as the senior members of the military wing, headed by Muhammad Deif. The IDF eliminated close to 20,000 Hamas terror operatives,” he says.
“We have not yet returned all the hostages and we have tasks to complete against the Hamas governance and against the guerrilla and terrorist capabilities that the organization still possesses,” Halevi says.
In the West Bank, Halevi says the IDF has killed 794 terror operatives. “Terrorism in Judea and Samaria could have been much more significant in this war if it weren’t for the offensive and defensive efforts we took.”
Halevi also notes that in the war, Israel “fought directly against Iran for the first time.”
“We attacked Iran following barrages of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, which were launched at Israel. In two nights we carried out [strikes] with the Israeli Air Force, based on very high-quality intelligence and with brave strategic partnerships and defensive moves that greatly reduced the damage,” he says. Halevi says he has no intention of staying in his role.
“From the moral point of view, it is not appropriate for my tenure to be a complete one, as I have previously announced. Now is the right time for decisions. I have been investing everything in the war for 473 days now, to succeed in eradicating Hamas, the military, and the government; to succeed and return the hostages and to return the residents of the Western Negev and the residents of the north to their homes safely,” he says.
In his speech, Halevi says he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz that he intends to resign on March 6. “Until then, we will properly complete all investigations and urgent tasks, and I will hand over command of the IDF in a thorough and responsible manner to whichever of the candidates is chosen to replace me.”
“I will soon complete 40 years of military service. I made this decision a long time ago and now, when the IDF has the upper hand in all the combat theaters and another hostage agreement has been launched, the time is right,” he says.
- IDF personnel chief: Haredi draft a ‘clear operational need,’ effective sanctions needed for those who dodge
The conscription of ultra-Orthodox men is a “clear operational need,” Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, head of the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, tells the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
“We all understand the need. On the first day of the war I buried 98 people,” says Bar Khalifa, the former commander of the 36th Division who led troops during months of fighting against Hamas in Gaza.
“I have no intention of changing the IDF’s stated position in the slightest,” he declares, adding that the military needs 6,000-7,000 additional combat troops.
The army has previously told the committee that, assuming it is provided with the necessary resources, it will be able to absorb Haredim “without any restrictions” starting in 2026.
However, Defense Minister Katz has instead pushed for gradually increasing the number of Haredi men drafted into the military until it hits 50 percent of the annual eligible Haredi draft cohort in 2032.
Says Bar Khalifa: “We are making a crazy, enormous effort. I am convinced that as we progress and succeed in recruiting our Haredi brothers, they will enlist with us. What we are preparing for them will allow us to successfully recruit them. We have invested millions, we are investing enormous resources and will expand as much as necessary.”
Bar Kalifa also urges “much more effective sanctions” on individuals who dodge the draft in order to improve enlistment numbers.
- Coalition shoots down opposition bill calling for state commission of inquiry into Oct. 7
The coalition defeats an opposition bill calling for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 by a vote of 45-53.
Arguing against the bill, sponsored by National Unity MK Orit Farkash Hacohen, Science Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) declared that the launching of such a probe must wait until the end of the war “and not during the fighting” — though a ceasefire is currently in effect — and promotes the idea of an alternate commission composed of representatives chosen by both the coalition and opposition.
“To evade responsibility, the coalition today harmed Israel’s security, the bereaved families and the families of the hostages,” National Unity says in a statement about the vote.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party tweets a list of MKs who oppose the measure, stating that they “once again spat in the faces of the bereaved families and the families of the hostages.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out any inquiry until after the war. Additionally, in a press conference last month, he said that “a state commission is not acceptable to a considerable portion of the people. A government inquiry is not acceptable to another portion. What is needed is to find a different mechanism that will get to the truth and that is acceptable to most portions of the people.”
Critics allege Netanyahu seeks to establish a panel with fewer powers than a state commission, fearing it will implicate him in the disaster. link There are a number of critical things that must happen in Israel for us to begin to heal after October 7 and become the country we need to be and wish to be. The first thing and most critical thing is to bring all the hostages home. The second is to establish an official, independent State Commission of Inquiry and the third is new elections. Netanyahu has been the blocker to bring home the hostages in order to keep his government together to stay prime minister. He is doing all he can to prevent the establishment of the official independent commission of inquiry because he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the findings will damn him to history as the prime minister responsible for the worst disaster in the history of the state. Instead, he and his cronies are pushing for a government commission that they will determine the parameters of the inquiry and to make sure that all blame and culpability will fall on the security forces and nothing on Netanyahu and his governments. As for elections, he doesn't want elections because he knows that it will be the end of his period as prime minister forever. He wants to push off elections as long as possible so he can push his October 7 narrative that it was all the army, Shin Bet and Mossad and didn't touch him and he is relying on a long history of people having a very short memory and will not blame him for October 7 by the time elections roll around. I sincerely hope and believe that October 7 will be the issue with the longest memory that no one will forget and Netanyahu will pay the price and be sent home never to be seen in public office again.
- In subtle parting shot at government, IDF chief calls for external probe into Oct. 7 failures
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in a televised statement after announcing his resignation says he is responsible for the failures on October 7, 2023, as well as for the military’s achievements during the war.
He also calls to appoint an external committee to investigate the army’s failures.
“On the first day of the war, during the General Staff’s situation assessment, I took clear and vocal responsibility for the IDF’s failure to protect civilians” during the October 7 onslaught,” Halevi says. “I did so again publicly on the sixth day of the war.”
“The IDF’s primary mission is to protect the country’s citizens. We failed in that. I have carried the consequences of that terrible day ever since and will carry them with me for the rest of my life,” he says.
“Throughout my service in the IDF, I was taught that an operation concludes only when its missions are complete. An operation ends when everyone returns. An operation ends after a debriefing. The purpose of the IDF’s investigations is learning — whether the force succeeded or failed,” Halevi says.
He says the IDF “must provide answers and conduct thorough, high-quality, and fully transparent investigations.”
“We investigate out of commitment to the fallen, the hostages and their families and members of the Western Negev communities; we investigate out of the obligation to learn, and in a way that will allow us to better protect the citizens of Israel in the future,” Halevi says.
He says the concluded investigations will be presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz and the public.
IDF chief Herzi Halevi (L to R), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IAF Chief of Staff Omer Tischler at the IAF’s underground command center at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv on December 26, 2024. (IDF)Halevi also addresses pervasive conspiracy theories about October 7: “I can confidently say now: no one hid information. No one knew what was about to happen. No one helped the enemy carry out its brutality. Such claims, apart from being false, harm the dedicated service members who acted and continue to act for the nation’s security and deeply understand their responsibilities in light of the outcomes,” Halevi says.
Upon completing the IDF’s investigations, we will better understand what happened to us, why it happened, and how to fix it. The military investigation focuses solely on the IDF, and cannot encompass all the causes and areas that could prevent similar events in the future,” he says. “An investigative committee or any other external body will be able to investigate and examine, and will have the IDF’s full transparency.”
“I bear responsibility for the IDF’s failure, and I also bear responsibility for its achievements. I will say in advance that I wish we had not needed these achievements, and no success can undo the immense pain, sorrow, and loss caused since the war began,” Halevi says.
Noting the IDF’s achievements, Halevi says “The Middle East has changed, our threat map has been fundamentally altered, opportunities have opened up, and we must continually assess the risks.”
Regarding Hezbollah, the IDF chief says the Lebanese terror group “suffered a defeat.”
“Most of its leadership was eliminated; over 4,000 terrorists were killed, including the organization’s senior command chain, headed by Hassan Nasrallah,” he says.
On Hamas, Halevi says the Palestinian terror group’s military wing “was hit very hard.”
Troops of the Kfir Brigade operate in the northern Gaza Strip, in a handout photo issued by the IDF on January 7, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)“Most of the organization’s leadership was killed, headed by Yahya Sinwar, as well as the senior members of the military wing, headed by Muhammad Deif. The IDF eliminated close to 20,000 Hamas terror operatives,” he says.
“We have not yet returned all the hostages and we have tasks to complete against the Hamas governance and against the guerrilla and terrorist capabilities that the organization still possesses,” Halevi says.
In the West Bank, Halevi says the IDF has killed 794 terror operatives. “Terrorism in Judea and Samaria could have been much more significant in this war if it weren’t for the offensive and defensive efforts we took.”
Halevi also notes that in the war, Israel “fought directly against Iran for the first time.”
“We attacked Iran following barrages of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, which were launched at Israel. In two nights we carried out [strikes] with the Israeli Air Force, based on very high-quality intelligence and with brave strategic partnerships and defensive moves that greatly reduced the damage,” he says. Halevi says he has no intention of staying in his role.
“From the moral point of view, it is not appropriate for my tenure to be a complete one, as I have previously announced. Now is the right time for decisions. I have been investing everything in the war for 473 days now, to succeed in eradicating Hamas, the military, and the government; to succeed and return the hostages and to return the residents of the Western Negev and the residents of the north to their homes safely,” he says.
In his speech, Halevi says he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz that he intends to resign on March 6. “Until then, we will properly complete all investigations and urgent tasks, and I will hand over command of the IDF in a thorough and responsible manner to whichever of the candidates is chosen to replace me.”
“I will soon complete 40 years of military service. I made this decision a long time ago and now, when the IDF has the upper hand in all the combat theaters and another hostage agreement has been launched, the time is right,” he says.
- IDF personnel chief: Haredi draft a ‘clear operational need,’ effective sanctions needed for those who dodge
The conscription of ultra-Orthodox men is a “clear operational need,” Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, head of the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, tells the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
“We all understand the need. On the first day of the war I buried 98 people,” says Bar Khalifa, the former commander of the 36th Division who led troops during months of fighting against Hamas in Gaza.
“I have no intention of changing the IDF’s stated position in the slightest,” he declares, adding that the military needs 6,000-7,000 additional combat troops.
The army has previously told the committee that, assuming it is provided with the necessary resources, it will be able to absorb Haredim “without any restrictions” starting in 2026.
However, Defense Minister Katz has instead pushed for gradually increasing the number of Haredi men drafted into the military until it hits 50 percent of the annual eligible Haredi draft cohort in 2032.
Says Bar Khalifa: “We are making a crazy, enormous effort. I am convinced that as we progress and succeed in recruiting our Haredi brothers, they will enlist with us. What we are preparing for them will allow us to successfully recruit them. We have invested millions, we are investing enormous resources and will expand as much as necessary.”
Bar Kalifa also urges “much more effective sanctions” on individuals who dodge the draft in order to improve enlistment numbers.
The Region and the World- Houthis release crew of Israel-linked ship over a year after seizing vessel off Yemen coast
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized the vessel off the coast of Yemen, Al Masirah TV, which is owned by the Houthis, reports.
The Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which is in turn owned by an Israeli businessman.
It had been chartered by a Japanese company when it was captured on November 19, 2023 by the Houthis, who said they were acting in “solidarity” with people in the Gaza Strip.
The crew was handed to Oman in the wake of the ceasefire and hostage release deal that was agreed to by Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Personal Stories Father and husband of hostages freed in Nov. 2023 on what lies ahead for the newly released
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized the vessel off the coast of Yemen, Al Masirah TV, which is owned by the Houthis, reports.
The Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which is in turn owned by an Israeli businessman.
It had been chartered by a Japanese company when it was captured on November 19, 2023 by the Houthis, who said they were acting in “solidarity” with people in the Gaza Strip.
The crew was handed to Oman in the wake of the ceasefire and hostage release deal that was agreed to by Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Avihai Brodutch, who sat outside Defense Ministry demanding return of his family, says the 3 hostages freed after 471 days, 2 of whom are from his kibbutz, will ‘live it their whole lives’Avihai Brodutch, whose wife Hagar and three young children were taken hostage during the October 7 attacks and returned home in the November 2023 ceasefire, shared some of the family’s experiences on Sunday, as Israel awaited the return of the first three hostages freed under the current deal.
Brodutch and his family are members of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, also the home of Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, two of the hostages released Sunday evening, along with Romi Gonen, who was taken from the Nova music festival.
“We’ve been waiting a very long time for their return,” Brodutch said in a video call with journalists.
The family’s hostage trauma began on the morning of October 7, 2023, when Brodutch left his wife and children in the sealed room of their Kfar Aza home, and took his gun to fight Hamas terrorists invading the kibbutz.
When Brodutch returned home, wounded, his family was gone and he assumed they were dead. It took another 24 hours before he found out that his family had been taken hostage to Gaza, along with Abigail Edan, their neighbor’s daughter, then three years old.
Brodutch was the family member to protest outside Israel’s Defense Ministry complex in Tel Aviv for the hostages’ return in the days following the attack. He remained there for days, along with the family dog, demanding the government’s immediate response to the hostage crisis.
Avihai Brodutch, whose family was taken hostage in Gaza, sat outside the Defense Ministry for weeks after their October 7, 2023 abduction (Courtesy)Brodutch said he felt that the government had failed the Israeli people, given the months of protests, the ongoing war and the suffering of the nation.
“A lot of hostages died, a lot of soldiers died, and this is just on our side,” he said. “And a lot on the other side has been destroyed and lost. And a lot of the lives lost have been in vain, I’m sorry to say.”When Brodutch’s family returned on November 26, 2023, the third day of the week-long hostage release, it was the happiest day of his life, he said, akin to the births of his three children.
After being called at 2 a.m. and told that his family was being released home, Brodutch said he went to his home in Kfar Aza, which was still in ruins, to search for his children’s stuffed animals and pillows and his wife’s pocketbook.
“I stuffed the cars with things and went to Schneider [Hospital],” said Brodutch, who described the first moment when he saw his family as a miracle.
They were very thin and full of lice but full of life, “and breathing and speaking,” he said.
“We relive this day over and over again,” said Brodutch, adding that the family celebrated the anniversary of their release this past November 26 with a special meal, which they’ll do every year to mark the family’s miraculous return home.
Avichai Brodutch, whose wife and three children were taken hostage on October 7, 2023 and later released, speaks about the after-effects of captivity on January 19, 2025 (Screengrab/Hostages Forum)Brodutch lauded US President-elect Donald Trump for helping bring about the current ceasefire and hostage deal.
“We have to thank Donald Trump for what he did, I don’t really know what he did,” said Brodutch, in the video call with journalists organized by the Media Central press organization and the Hostages Forum. “He has the magic touch, I guess, and he deserves anything. If I could do anything for this very special person, the next president of America. We’re really, really grateful. We’ve been waiting for so long.”
Brodutch’s family tells him new stories of their time in Gaza every day, he said. He knows now that Hagar Brodutch spent hours each day in captivity distracting the children with stories of her travels with Avihai in Thailand and Australia, and of the food they would all eat after surviving in Gaza on mostly pita.
“It’s a terrible, terrible thing, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” he said. “They’re going to live it their whole lives.”
Yet, said Brodutch, his family is doing well, still living in Shefayim, the kibbutz in the country’s center that has housed evacuees from Kfar Aza since October 7, 2023. Some of the kibbutz members have resettled in the south, at least temporarily, in Kibbutz Ruhama.
“They go to school, they’re happy kids,” Brodutch said of his children, adding that he sometimes watches them as they sleep. “Kids are remarkable, they get up and live their lives. They all smiled on the first day. Only my wife was crying. They keep smiling and it’s just overwhelming.”
At the same time, they now get scared at the sounds of jet engines. Hagar Brodutch told her husband they heard similar sounds in Gaza during IDF bombings in the first weeks of the war.
“It’s a trigger for what they went through in Gaza,” said Brodutch. “We’re still a happy family but some things inside may never heal.” link
Avihai Brodutch, whose wife Hagar and three young children were taken hostage during the October 7 attacks and returned home in the November 2023 ceasefire, shared some of the family’s experiences on Sunday, as Israel awaited the return of the first three hostages freed under the current deal.
Brodutch and his family are members of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, also the home of Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, two of the hostages released Sunday evening, along with Romi Gonen, who was taken from the Nova music festival.
“We’ve been waiting a very long time for their return,” Brodutch said in a video call with journalists.
The family’s hostage trauma began on the morning of October 7, 2023, when Brodutch left his wife and children in the sealed room of their Kfar Aza home, and took his gun to fight Hamas terrorists invading the kibbutz.
When Brodutch returned home, wounded, his family was gone and he assumed they were dead. It took another 24 hours before he found out that his family had been taken hostage to Gaza, along with Abigail Edan, their neighbor’s daughter, then three years old.
Brodutch was the family member to protest outside Israel’s Defense Ministry complex in Tel Aviv for the hostages’ return in the days following the attack. He remained there for days, along with the family dog, demanding the government’s immediate response to the hostage crisis.
Brodutch said he felt that the government had failed the Israeli people, given the months of protests, the ongoing war and the suffering of the nation.
“A lot of hostages died, a lot of soldiers died, and this is just on our side,” he said. “And a lot on the other side has been destroyed and lost. And a lot of the lives lost have been in vain, I’m sorry to say.”When Brodutch’s family returned on November 26, 2023, the third day of the week-long hostage release, it was the happiest day of his life, he said, akin to the births of his three children.
After being called at 2 a.m. and told that his family was being released home, Brodutch said he went to his home in Kfar Aza, which was still in ruins, to search for his children’s stuffed animals and pillows and his wife’s pocketbook.
“I stuffed the cars with things and went to Schneider [Hospital],” said Brodutch, who described the first moment when he saw his family as a miracle.
They were very thin and full of lice but full of life, “and breathing and speaking,” he said.
“We relive this day over and over again,” said Brodutch, adding that the family celebrated the anniversary of their release this past November 26 with a special meal, which they’ll do every year to mark the family’s miraculous return home.
Brodutch lauded US President-elect Donald Trump for helping bring about the current ceasefire and hostage deal.
“We have to thank Donald Trump for what he did, I don’t really know what he did,” said Brodutch, in the video call with journalists organized by the Media Central press organization and the Hostages Forum. “He has the magic touch, I guess, and he deserves anything. If I could do anything for this very special person, the next president of America. We’re really, really grateful. We’ve been waiting for so long.”
Brodutch’s family tells him new stories of their time in Gaza every day, he said. He knows now that Hagar Brodutch spent hours each day in captivity distracting the children with stories of her travels with Avihai in Thailand and Australia, and of the food they would all eat after surviving in Gaza on mostly pita.
“It’s a terrible, terrible thing, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” he said. “They’re going to live it their whole lives.”
Yet, said Brodutch, his family is doing well, still living in Shefayim, the kibbutz in the country’s center that has housed evacuees from Kfar Aza since October 7, 2023. Some of the kibbutz members have resettled in the south, at least temporarily, in Kibbutz Ruhama.
“They go to school, they’re happy kids,” Brodutch said of his children, adding that he sometimes watches them as they sleep. “Kids are remarkable, they get up and live their lives. They all smiled on the first day. Only my wife was crying. They keep smiling and it’s just overwhelming.”
At the same time, they now get scared at the sounds of jet engines. Hagar Brodutch told her husband they heard similar sounds in Gaza during IDF bombings in the first weeks of the war.
“It’s a trigger for what they went through in Gaza,” said Brodutch. “We’re still a happy family but some things inside may never heal.” link
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
A War Hero Abandoned: Abraham Munder, PioneerZahiro Shahar MorNephew of Abraham Munder, who was kidnapped from his home in Nir Oz and is still held captive by Hamas.
My uncle, Abraham Munder, was born in Givatayim to a blue-collar family. From a young age he was taught the value of caring for community and land alike. He was a member of Ha’Shomer Ha’Tzair (a labor Zionist secular youth movement) and later joined the Israel Defense Forces as a paratrooper. In the 1967 Six Day War, he participated in the liberation of Jerusalem and was injured in battle. For me, Abraham was and always will be both the heroic and playful uncle. He would carry you on his broad shoulders and play backgammon with you out in the field.He was an old-fashioned man - hard-working, industrious, and devoted - who fit into the framework of the kibbutz and chose it as his home. In his free time, Uncle Abraham loved to travel around Israel and sing in various local choirs.I grew up in Be’er Sheva, not far from Nir Oz. On our visits to the uncles on the kibbutz, we would enjoy the elegant architecture, the well-tended greenery, and the peacefulness of the surroundings. But for the past 15 years, Abraham and his family and his kibbutz have been trapped in an unbearable reality that culminated in the darkest tragedy that Israel has ever known, in which Abraham was kidnapped along with his wife, his daughter, and his grandson. His son, Roy, who lived on the kibbutz and devotedly took care of his parents, was murdered.But they were not abandoned for the first time on the 7th of October. These people of peace and solidarity, who settled in the Western parts of the Negev and made the desert blossom - as Ben Gurion said - were consistently abandoned over and over again by the right-wing governments. The inhabitants of the kibbutzim bordering on the Gaza Strip were subjected to bombardments of missiles and a series of hopeless wars.At the same time, the members of these kibbutzim were abandoned in the face of a campaign of hatred directed against all Israelis who weren’t on the political right, which continued for years on end. When the government took away the kibbutzim’s weapons kept for emergency defense, they were told: “You supported Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, this is what you get.” Even though it had been a right-wing prime minister who had initiated the withdrawal.The status of the kibbutz faded. No longer “the golden youth, defenders of the southwestern border in the flowering desert,” they became “traitors to Israel,” shunned in the eyes of Netanyahu’s government. The vision of the kibbutzim was neglected and abandoned over the course of many years, until the tragedy of the 7th of October.In my eyes, Abraham symbolizes the dream of the State of Israel. He was born a few years before the establishment of the state, and the course of his life intersected with its greatest milestones. Abraham is the epitome of the Jewish pioneer, the first generation of native Israelis, who have been sacrificed at the altar of narrow-minded political considerations, and was abandoned in his old age by a government that did all it could to harm anyone they deemed “enemies of the people:” the voters of the left wing.Netanyahu began his preparations to abandon the people of the kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip when he contributed to the incitement against Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin that led to his assassination in 1995. Since then, Netanyahu has not rested, setting up his propaganda machine that has poisoned public discourse and turned the “pioneers” into the “traitors of Israel.” The blood of the hostages is on Netanyahu’s hands. He began his work years ago, and we are all next.
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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