π️Lonny's War Update- October 480, 2023 - January 26, 2025 π️
π️Day 480 that 90 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
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Hostage Updates
Hostage Updates
Gaza and the South
- In my opinion, it should be clear that there will be no reconstruction of Gaza as long as Hamas controls Gaza. No country, including the Arab countries, will pay to reconstruct Gaza if Hamas governs there. Even Qatar will not agree to finance the reconstruction if Hamas controls Gaza because there is no point in reconstructing a place that will be destroyed again. Hamas is aware of this and if there are other Palestinians who think otherwise, they do not understand the new reality. (Gershon Baskin January 27, 2025)
- EU ministers agree to revive Rafah border mission
The European Union will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says.
“Everyone agrees that EUBAM Rafah can play a decisive role in supporting the ceasefire,” Kallas says.
“Today, EU foreign ministers agreed to redeploy it to the Rafah Crossing Point between Gaza and Egypt. This will allow a number of injured individuals to leave Gaza and receive medical care,” she adds.
Team of US and Egyptian contractors begins checking vehicles traveling to northern Gaza
An Egyptian official says Egyptian contractors, along with a US firm, are running checkpoints that inspect vehicles heading to northern Gaza via the Salah a-Din road to ensure no armed terrorists travel the route.
The contractors are part of an Egyptian-Qatari committee implementing the ceasefire, according to the official, who speaks on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
An Israeli official says that the inspections began today and were a key demand of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during negotiations.
The official says that the vehicle checkpoint is designed to stop heavy arms flowing to northern Gaza.
The Israeli official described the team operating the inspections as “multinational,” but gave no further details except to say it included a private American security firm.
The official says Israel will continue to act against violations of the ceasefire terms.
The European Union will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says.
“Everyone agrees that EUBAM Rafah can play a decisive role in supporting the ceasefire,” Kallas says.
“Today, EU foreign ministers agreed to redeploy it to the Rafah Crossing Point between Gaza and Egypt. This will allow a number of injured individuals to leave Gaza and receive medical care,” she adds.
Team of US and Egyptian contractors begins checking vehicles traveling to northern Gaza
An Egyptian official says Egyptian contractors, along with a US firm, are running checkpoints that inspect vehicles heading to northern Gaza via the Salah a-Din road to ensure no armed terrorists travel the route.
The contractors are part of an Egyptian-Qatari committee implementing the ceasefire, according to the official, who speaks on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
An Israeli official says that the inspections began today and were a key demand of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during negotiations.
The official says that the vehicle checkpoint is designed to stop heavy arms flowing to northern Gaza.
The Israeli official described the team operating the inspections as “multinational,” but gave no further details except to say it included a private American security firm.
The official says Israel will continue to act against violations of the ceasefire terms.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- Lebanon says 2 killed as protests against Israeli presence erupt for a second day
Firing by Israeli troops killed two people and wounded 17 in the second day of deadly protests in southern Lebanon, health officials say, as residents displaced by the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah attempted to return to villages where Israeli troops remain.
The shooting came a day after 24 people were killed and more than 130 wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on protesters who breached roadblocks set up along the border.
Under a US-brokered ceasefire on Nov. 27, Israeli forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah was to move north of the Litani River by Jan. 26. While the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers had already deployed in several villages before the deadline, Israel remained in over a dozen villages, saying that the Lebanese military had failed to deploy.
The United States and Lebanon announced later yesterday that the deadline to meet the ceasefire terms had been extended to Feb. 18.
Protests resumed today particularly in eastern border villages, where residents again attempted to return home. Israeli troops opened fire, killing one person in the town of Odaisseh and wounding seven others across four southern villages, the Health Ministry reports.
The Israeli military has blamed Hezbollah for pushing people to protest and says soldiers fired warning shots when demonstrators approached.
- Lebanon says 2 killed as protests against Israeli presence erupt for a second day
Firing by Israeli troops killed two people and wounded 17 in the second day of deadly protests in southern Lebanon, health officials say, as residents displaced by the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah attempted to return to villages where Israeli troops remain.
The shooting came a day after 24 people were killed and more than 130 wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on protesters who breached roadblocks set up along the border.
Under a US-brokered ceasefire on Nov. 27, Israeli forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah was to move north of the Litani River by Jan. 26. While the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers had already deployed in several villages before the deadline, Israel remained in over a dozen villages, saying that the Lebanese military had failed to deploy.
The United States and Lebanon announced later yesterday that the deadline to meet the ceasefire terms had been extended to Feb. 18.
Protests resumed today particularly in eastern border villages, where residents again attempted to return home. Israeli troops opened fire, killing one person in the town of Odaisseh and wounding seven others across four southern villages, the Health Ministry reports.
The Israeli military has blamed Hezbollah for pushing people to protest and says soldiers fired warning shots when demonstrators approached.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
The Region and the World
- Iran purchases number of Russian-made Sukhoi-35 fighter jets
Iran has purchased Russian-made Sukhoi-35 fighter jets, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander says, amid Western concerns about Tehran and Moscow’s growing military cooperation.
This is the first time an Iranian official has confirmed the purchase of Su-35 jets. However, Ali Shadmani, who was quoted by Iran’s official Student News Network, does not clarify how many jets were purchased and whether they had already been delivered to Iran.
“Whenever necessary, we make military purchases to strengthen our air, land, and naval forces… The production of military equipment has also accelerated,” the deputy Coordinator of the Khatam-ol-Anbia Central Headquarters says.
Earlier this month, Iran and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership which did not mention arms transfers but said the two will develop their “military-technical cooperation.”
Iran’s air force has only a few dozen strike aircraft, including Russian jets as well as aging US models acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Personal Stories Avraham Munder, 79: Doting grandfather and amateur singerKidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, slain in March 2024 and his body recovered in August 2024
Avraham Munder, 79, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, along with his wife, daughter and grandson.
His son, Roee Munder, was murdered in the attack.
Avraham’s wife, Ruti, his daughter Keren and grandson Ohad were freed from captivity in late November. Upon their release, they found out that Avraham had been kidnapped and not murdered, as they had feared, after they had seen him forced to kneel on the ground while they were driven away.
In late August 2024, Avraham’s body was recovered by IDF troops from a tunnel in Khan Younis, and returned to Israel, along with those of Alex Dancyg, Yagev Buchshtav, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger and Nadav Popplewell.
Until his body was recovered, his family had held out hope that he was still alive. His family was later informed that he had likely been killed in March 2024, shot dead by his captors.
Avraham was buried on August 21, 2024, in Kibbutz Nir Oz in a joint ceremony alongside the reburial of his son, Roee, who had initially been laid to rest in Kibbutz Metzer in October 2023, without any of his immediate family present. Avraham is survived by his wife, Ruti, daughter, Keren and siblings Arye and Shoshi.
Born and raised in Givatayim, he came to the kibbutz as part of a pioneer youth group to establish and develop the community. There he met Ruti, and they remained together in the home they loved for close to six decades. A kibbutz eulogy said that Avraham had worked at the Nirlat factory and was “known for his warm nature and deep love of singing… we will forever remember Avraham for his clear voice, warm smile, and boundless love for his family and kibbutz.”
At his funeral, Avraham’s sister, Shoshi Ben Ezra, said she couldn’t understand how her “sensitive and kind-hearted brother, a man of labor and peace, whose love for his kibbutz and his country flowed was in his blood, spent the last months of his life in a tunnel with the feelings of abandonment and betrayal.”
His daughter, Keren, said that “Roee and I were just two siblings, but Mom and Dad hosted and took care of dozens of young people from Israel and abroad with a wide heart and openness — immigrants, adoptees, volunteers, new families, everyone fell in love with you, with your kindness, your sociability.”
“You were a modest and direct dad, pedantic and organized, never leaving any task for tomorrow, hardworking, alarmingly precise,” she wrote. “A dad who knew so much, English and French and even math. A dad who played ball and marbles with me, who brought me a stamp album… with the warmest embrace, the highest sensitivity, the best listener, acceptance, unconditional love.”
Her son, Ohad, “turned you into the happiest grandfather, he got to receive huge doses of love from you, you would enjoy just watching him sleep,” added Keren. “And you enjoyed every smart or funny sentence out of his mouth, taking pride in him and showing him off.” She wanted, she said, to remember not his health troubles and the horrible circumstances of his death, “but all our moments together, watching soccer games, rehearsals for choir, hearing your beautiful voice among all the others, reading us stories.”
Speaking at his funeral, his wife, Ruti, thanked him for the 62 years that they shared, “58 of which we lived together, a full life, together in harmony despite our differences.”
“We did everything together, we raised children, we traveled around Israel and the world, we watched soccer games and Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball games and all that we did with love and respect… You were a hardworking and exacting man of labor. You loved to sing, you would take part in ceremonies and holiday gatherings and sometimes sing in different groups. You loved the songs of Nat King Cole and Arik Einstein and many others. You were so sensitive and there were songs that even moved you to tears.”
Ruti said Avraham “was a loving husband to me and a loving father to Keren and Roee. You were a war family man to the whole extended family. You accepted me as I am, you made me feel loved and appreciated. We’ve been missing you already for so long.”
Iran has purchased Russian-made Sukhoi-35 fighter jets, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander says, amid Western concerns about Tehran and Moscow’s growing military cooperation.
This is the first time an Iranian official has confirmed the purchase of Su-35 jets. However, Ali Shadmani, who was quoted by Iran’s official Student News Network, does not clarify how many jets were purchased and whether they had already been delivered to Iran.
“Whenever necessary, we make military purchases to strengthen our air, land, and naval forces… The production of military equipment has also accelerated,” the deputy Coordinator of the Khatam-ol-Anbia Central Headquarters says.
Earlier this month, Iran and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership which did not mention arms transfers but said the two will develop their “military-technical cooperation.”
Iran’s air force has only a few dozen strike aircraft, including Russian jets as well as aging US models acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Avraham Munder, 79, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, along with his wife, daughter and grandson.
His son, Roee Munder, was murdered in the attack.
Avraham’s wife, Ruti, his daughter Keren and grandson Ohad were freed from captivity in late November. Upon their release, they found out that Avraham had been kidnapped and not murdered, as they had feared, after they had seen him forced to kneel on the ground while they were driven away.
In late August 2024, Avraham’s body was recovered by IDF troops from a tunnel in Khan Younis, and returned to Israel, along with those of Alex Dancyg, Yagev Buchshtav, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger and Nadav Popplewell.
Until his body was recovered, his family had held out hope that he was still alive. His family was later informed that he had likely been killed in March 2024, shot dead by his captors.
Avraham was buried on August 21, 2024, in Kibbutz Nir Oz in a joint ceremony alongside the reburial of his son, Roee, who had initially been laid to rest in Kibbutz Metzer in October 2023, without any of his immediate family present. Avraham is survived by his wife, Ruti, daughter, Keren and siblings Arye and Shoshi.
Born and raised in Givatayim, he came to the kibbutz as part of a pioneer youth group to establish and develop the community. There he met Ruti, and they remained together in the home they loved for close to six decades. A kibbutz eulogy said that Avraham had worked at the Nirlat factory and was “known for his warm nature and deep love of singing… we will forever remember Avraham for his clear voice, warm smile, and boundless love for his family and kibbutz.”
At his funeral, Avraham’s sister, Shoshi Ben Ezra, said she couldn’t understand how her “sensitive and kind-hearted brother, a man of labor and peace, whose love for his kibbutz and his country flowed was in his blood, spent the last months of his life in a tunnel with the feelings of abandonment and betrayal.”
His daughter, Keren, said that “Roee and I were just two siblings, but Mom and Dad hosted and took care of dozens of young people from Israel and abroad with a wide heart and openness — immigrants, adoptees, volunteers, new families, everyone fell in love with you, with your kindness, your sociability.”
“You were a modest and direct dad, pedantic and organized, never leaving any task for tomorrow, hardworking, alarmingly precise,” she wrote. “A dad who knew so much, English and French and even math. A dad who played ball and marbles with me, who brought me a stamp album… with the warmest embrace, the highest sensitivity, the best listener, acceptance, unconditional love.”
Her son, Ohad, “turned you into the happiest grandfather, he got to receive huge doses of love from you, you would enjoy just watching him sleep,” added Keren. “And you enjoyed every smart or funny sentence out of his mouth, taking pride in him and showing him off.” She wanted, she said, to remember not his health troubles and the horrible circumstances of his death, “but all our moments together, watching soccer games, rehearsals for choir, hearing your beautiful voice among all the others, reading us stories.”
Speaking at his funeral, his wife, Ruti, thanked him for the 62 years that they shared, “58 of which we lived together, a full life, together in harmony despite our differences.”
“We did everything together, we raised children, we traveled around Israel and the world, we watched soccer games and Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball games and all that we did with love and respect… You were a hardworking and exacting man of labor. You loved to sing, you would take part in ceremonies and holiday gatherings and sometimes sing in different groups. You loved the songs of Nat King Cole and Arik Einstein and many others. You were so sensitive and there were songs that even moved you to tears.”
Ruti said Avraham “was a loving husband to me and a loving father to Keren and Roee. You were a war family man to the whole extended family. You accepted me as I am, you made me feel loved and appreciated. We’ve been missing you already for so long.”
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
Netanyahu’s Historical PrecedentGali Mir-TibonAuthor and Historian.
As a historian and researcher of the Holocaust, I am shocked by the events that have taken place under Netanyahu’s rule, unprecedented in Israeli history.For the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, parts of our homeland were taken by the enemy on October 7th, 2023.Regardless of sophisticated American weaponry, regardless of the support offered by the leading world powers, regardless of compulsory military service which affords the army the bravest and finest minds of our children, our enemies took the Gaza Envelope and drove the inhabitants of the Galilee from their homes.The Netanyahu government, which speaks of Greater Israel, narrowed down the borders, making the country smaller than ever before.For the first time since the establishment of the State, our enemies no longer live in fear of us. For the first time since the establishment of the State and under Netanyahu’s rule, we have lost our faith in the ability of the State to protect us from our enemies. The Jewish State, established after the Holocaust, with the goal of saving Jews, has become under Netanyahu’s rule, the most dangerous place for Jews.Israeli citizens are buying personal defense weapons and homes abroad; the middle class in Greece, Romania, Cyprus, and the more affluent, in London and the U.S. Netanyahu is reestablishing the diaspora after 75 years of Israeli sovereignty. Under Netanyahu’s government a historical upheaval is taking place - that of the destruction of values: Zionism is being annihilated and Israelis are leaving Israel for the diaspora.In the 1948 War of Independence, within a few months the small country fought for its life and freed all its hostages. Today, our hostages, held by Hamas, living under subhuman conditions - proof of which is the number of hostages murdered in captivity - have become Netanyahu’s punching bag and scapegoat. In addition, Netanyahu is inciting his supporters against them. The high-intensity war ended months ago. Since then, the Israel Defense Forces has been engaged in counter-insurgency pinpointed operations.Netanyahu is afraid that the return of the hostages will prove to the citizens of Israel that there is no longer any reason to postpone elections, an inescapable conclusion following the catastrophic blunder - one that surpasses that of the Yom Kippur War - in which soldiers, not civilians, fell. This catastrophe brought in its wake bereavement, anxiety, disgrace and humiliation, of a kind unknown to us before.From the historical perspective, Benjamin Netanyahu is the most dangerous person vis-a-vis the security of the State of Israel. He approved transferring over one billion US dollars to the murderous organization, Hamas, ignored the threats of rockets, the burning fields, the cries of children in the Gaza Envelope, and has fortified our enemies over years, until October 7th.On October 7th we experienced the worst pogrom in the history of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The person under whose rule these horrors took place, the person under whose rule women and children and infants hid in smoke-filled rooms, searched for cover under bushes and in the fields, the person under whose rule more than 1,000 Israelis were murdered, women and young girls were raped, citizens were taken captive, and their southern homes looted undisturbed, is Netanyahu. He is the one.
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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