Veteran Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin discusses the ongoing ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Interview on ABC News link
Hamas official: Russian national Maxim Herkin to be prioritized in 2nd stage of hostage deal
Maxim Herkin, taken captive from the Nova desert rave on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists (Courtesy)
Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk says that Maxim Herkin, kidnapped by Gazan terrorists from the Nova festival on October 7, 2023, will be released as a priority in the second stage of the deal.
He also tells Russian outlet Sputnik that hostage Sasha Trufanov, a dual Russian-Israeli national, will be released imminently.
“One of them, Trufanov, will definitely be released in the near future. He will be released despite the fact that he is a serviceperson, but it was decided to release him at the first stage of the deal,” the Hamas official says. Trufanov is a civilian and was abducted from his home, but Hamas classifies all male hostages under 50 as members of the military.
“This is our response to Russia’s position on the Palestinian issue,” the Hamas official says.
Trufanov, 28, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, alongside his mother, grandmother and girlfriend, while his father was murdered. The rest of his family was released in November 2023. He is on the list of the first 33 hostages to be released in the ongoing first stage of the hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Herkin has a 3-year-old daughter and is the primary provider for his mother and 11-year-old brother.
He went to the Nova festival almost by chance, invited by friends at the last minute. It was the first time he had gone to a trance rave. linkThis seems to be a gesture to Putin but it's not much of a gesture because they are not talking about releasing Maxim or Sasha without receiving anything in return. All Hamas is saying is that they will be prioritized and they will be as one of the 'numbers' released as part of the deal, phase 1 which is underway and phase 2 which still has to be negotiated.
Gadi Mozes ‘recovering very quickly’ despite harsh conditions in captivity, niece says
Efrat Machikawa (left) and her uncle, released hostage Gadi Mozes, following his January 30, 2025, release from captivity in Gaza (Efrat Machikawa)
Efrat Machikawa, niece of released hostage Gadi Mozes, speaks to journalists about her nearly 81-year-old uncle who was freed from Hamas captivity on Thursday.
“He is recovering, very quickly,” says Machikawa, adding that Mozes was “very, very scared” while being transferred in the midst of a mob in Gaza to the UN vehicle. “He was holding up for so long and was just terrified.”
Machikawa says her uncle knew some of what had happened during his 15 months of captivity.
He managed to hear and see bits of media broadcasts, and would be told by his Islamic Jihad captors when Machikawa was talking about him to the press, as they recognized her by the long earrings she always wears.
“He put all the bits together,” she says. “He understood things, but not totally.”
Mozes said they referred to him as “the old man” in Arabic. His age made it tough to sleep on the floor. He was kept in closed rooms where he would pace and count his steps, walking 3-10 kilometers each day.
He had little human interaction for most of the time he was kept captive.
“He kept himself on the move,” she says, adding that he also pushed himself intellectually, reading the same book in English over and over.
He had very little nutrition in the little food he was given, and lost a lot of weight, but “is somehow okay,” says Machikawa.
Mozes knew that his partner, Efrat Katz, had been killed in the October 7, 2023, assault. Her daughter, Doron, who was taken hostage with her two young children and then released in November 2023, is now pregnant and about to give birth.
Machikawa emphasized her uncle’s overall mental state.
“The first time he hugged me, he said ‘I’m alive, I’m normal,'” she says. “He made it very clear that he knew he could have been changed mentally, but he is as wonderful as he used to be.”
Freed hostage Daniella Gilboa: I prayed for my comrades for 30 minutes before being kidnapped
Freed hostage Daniella Gilboa, right, with her boyfriend Roy and dog, after her return from Hamas captivity in late January 2025. (Courtesy/Instagram)
Freed hostage Daniella Gilboa pens her first Instagram post since she returned from Gaza eight days ago after 477 days in Hamas captivity, alongside photos of her with her boyfriend, family and friends after her return.
“What an insane year I have gone through,” Gilboa writes at the outset of the lengthy post, thanking the public for supporting her family, praying for her, not giving up on her and not believing the “horrible rumors” spread by the Hamas terror group about her supposed death.
She writes about her thoughts during the Hamas attack on her Nahal Oz base on October 7, 2023, saying her “last wish before I was kidnapped” was for people to not give up on her.
“I didn’t want to despair and say goodbye, so instead I prayed and wholeheartedly believed that the end of me wasn’t there, in that bomb shelter,” she writes. “I prayed for all the girls with me for 30 minutes because I felt like I couldn’t do anything better at the time… I knew that the only thing that could save us was faith.”
She says that yesterday, she and the four other IDF surveillance soldiers released in recent days recited Birkat Hagomel, a Jewish blessing of gratitude said by people who have survived grave danger.
“This was the moment I was waiting for since surviving October 7,” Gilboa says. “To thank God for saving me from the worst against all odds.”
She recalls meeting her loved ones following her release, thanking them for working for her release, and saying she had worried about her family more than about herself.
She mentions her boyfriend Roy, “the love of my love who gave me so much strength from afar. You would come to me in my dreams, in my thoughts at all times of day. For more than a year, we were together in heart and in spirit. I love you.”
She also thanks the IDF soldiers who have fought the lengthy war, says she’s thankful for the opportunity to memorialize the 53 soldiers killed at the Nahal Oz base on October 7, and hopes for the imminent return of all the hostages.
“Who knows better than me that you, the people of Israel, those who fight with all their might, are giving [the hostages] a small hope amid the vast darkness.”
Under the sign of the struggle for her return: Emily Damari returned for the first time to her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, from where she was abducted. Emily posted on her Instagram account, writing: "I returned to my apartment, to the oxygen I had that was almost gone." She added: "I only closed part of the circle I so longed to close." The survivor of captivity made it clear: "I will only feel my true victory when everyone returns."
Emily Damari, who was released from Hamas captivity about two weeks ago, returned today for the first time to her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the Gaza envelope, from where she was abducted. Emily was photographed sitting on the ruins of her home, with a sign of the struggle for her return above her.
"I'm Back. Today I returned to my home, to my apartment, to the oxygen I had that was almost gone. I returned to the place where my nightmare began 485 days ago and closed only part of the circle I so longed to close," Emily wrote in the post she shared on her Instagram account.
Emily made it clear: "Like me, there are 79 other hostages who need to close their circles and are waiting to complete what’s missing. We cannot stop here; we must bring everyone back home. The living to rehabilitation and the murdered to burial. I will only feel my true victory when they return."
Mandy Damari, Emily’s mother, shared new information two days ago about the harsh conditions in which her daughter was held in captivity. In a conversation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Mandy said that Emily was held in UNRWA facilities and was denied medical treatment.
According to what Emily told her friends after returning from Hamas captivity, when she realized she was supposed to be among the first released in the deal, she turned to her captors and asked them to release Keith Siegel ahead of her in that phase. Keith is the father of Shir Siegel, Emily’s close friend whom she has known all her life. Yesterday, Emily and Shir, Keith’s daughter, watched together as he was released from captivity.
"Ofer didn’t know his son was alive; he only found out two weeks ago through TV."
A day has passed since Ofer Calderon returned from Hamas captivity as part of the hostage release deal. His cousin shared this morning about the uncertainty that accompanied him in Hamas' tunnels, the immense joy after the family reunion, and the concern for the remaining hostages: "The families and society in Israel must close this horrific chapter. For that to happen, everyone needs to return."
"Ofer had no idea that Rotem, his son, was alive. He only found out two weeks ago when he saw an interview on TV," said Eyal, Ofer Calderon’s cousin, this morning (Sunday) to Yoav Limor and Nisley Barda. Calderon was returned to Israel as part of the first phase of the second deal between Israel and Hamas. "He had to survive in uncertainty without knowing what was happening to his family. He went through everything," Eyal added. "There are people there in mortal danger, and they must be brought out quickly." Regarding the Calderon family, who were able to reunite, Eyal said, "It’s still not a given, it’s like a dream." The family mobilized for what became their life mission: to be whole again. "We partially succeeded when we brought back Erez and Sahar. We promised them they would hug their father. We didn’t know Sahar’s story; it came to light after many weeks of being here," he continued. "I’m glad we were able to fulfill our mission. The pictures from yesterday are the ones we wanted to see—four children welcoming their father back. The rehabilitation begins now." Alongside the personal joy, Eyal emphasized concern for all the hostages. "There are people who are no longer alive, but their families must close the circle. It’s not just the families; the State of Israel and society must also close this horrific chapter. For that to happen, everyone must return. Only then can we move forward and return to being a sane country." Soon, we’ll see forces trying to block part two of the deal. They’ll say Ofer Calderon looks good, that it’s possible to survive there. "I’ll say something simple: the pictures are misleading, and we’ve learned from experience because we have children who returned after 52 days. At first, it’s all smiles—but that’s not the reality. What you see at first glance isn’t what’s really happening. Everyone must return."
Secretive Hamas ‘Shadow Unit’ formed after Gilad Shalit abduction was responsible for guarding Oct. 7 hostages
A secretive Hamas unit formed in 2006 after the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was largely responsible for guarding the hostages abducted during the October 7, 2023, terror assault on southern Israel, the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat news outlet reports.
The so-called Shadow Unit was established in the months following Shalit’s abduction, the report states, as the Palestinian terror group required trained operatives to move him from place to place without detection as they evaded Israeli attempts to locate him.
According to the report, the unit’s operatives have been spotted at the site of hostage handovers in recent weeks, amid the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, indicating that it has played a large part in moving the hostages from location to location, from apartments to underground tunnels, throughout the more than 15 months of war in order to evade Israeli forces operating inside the Strip.
Many of the freed hostages have recounted being moved from place to place at various points during the war.
Hamas largely keeps the Shadow Unit out of the public eye, and its existence remained a secret until 2016, when the terror group published footage of Shalit’s time in captivity to mark five years since he was released back to Israel in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners. linkThere are a few strange things about this report. As my brother was the secret back door channel between Hamas and the Israeli Government in the negotiations to free Gilad Schalit, I have quite a bit of knowledge of the situation. During the 5 years and 3 months that Gilad was held in captivity, he was not moved. He was in the basement of an apartment and his captors/guards were basically in captivity with him. They did not change and were not allowed to leave for fear that they might expose the location that Gilad was held. This unit may have been formed after Gilad's captivity but I believe it is more likely that it was formed according to Sinwar's plans for the attack that was in the planning and training stages for a few years.
**"You Don't Care About Your Citizens": The Tense Conversation Between Minister Strock and Hostage Families | Exclusive** Last week, a difficult conversation took place between Minister Orit Struck, who opposes the current deal, and families of hostages who are not included in the current phase of the agreement. They tried to change her mind, but recordings of the conversation revealed an unbridgeable gap. Strock blamed the Shalit deal for the abduction of 251 people on October 7 ("We taught them that it pays off") and argued that the Israeli society's weakness is its sanctification of life: "This happened because they understood very well that this is the way." Last week, families of hostages and former hostages who returned from captivity met with Minister of Settlement Orit Struck, who opposes the next phase of the deal and claims that the deal is reckless and irresponsible. During the conversation, Struck shared that her son was also injured by terrorists who were released in the deal. The hostages and families, some of whose loved ones are still in Gaza and depend on the second phase of the deal, tried to bring her closer to their position. It was difficult for the hostages to hear Strock's various statements, as she listened to them but remained steadfast in her position. Full Quotes: **Family member of a hostage:** "We've been in this situation for over a year. If we end the war, all the hostages return. If Hamas attacks again, we will choose to fight back. Why don't we save those we can save now and then deal with what needs to be dealt with?" **Minister Strock:** "I know for certain that every hostage we bring back from captivity brings with it the next wave of abductions. It's enough for them to kidnap our children, women, and elderly, and we fall to our knees and give everything they demand." **Family member of a hostage:** "We were taught that the difference between us and the Arabs is that we sanctify life. And when we say these things—what is the difference between us and them?" **Minister Strock:** "We do sanctify life." **Family member of a hostage:** "So if we sanctify life—how are we abandoning them?" **Minister Strock:** "That is also our terrible weakness. No nation, nowhere in the world, has experienced what happened to us on October 7. And it happened only because they understood very well that this is the way." **Family member of a hostage:** "No, it happened because of the failure of the government, the army, and the Shin Bet." **A released hostage:** "It didn't happen because of the deals. You forgot about us for years." **Minister Strock:** "This clear decision by Hamas, that what they want is to kidnap, and to kidnap en masse—happened because we, the State of Israel, taught them that it is very profitable. And we are now teaching them that again." **Family member of a hostage:** "What you're doing now is teaching me and all the citizens of Israel that if we are kidnapped—good luck to us, because we want to teach the Arabs a lesson." **A released hostage:** "You're teaching me that you don't care about your citizens." **Minister Strock:** "If I didn't care, you wouldn't have been released from captivity because I raised my hand in favor of your release." **A released hostage:** "And what do you want me to say, thank you? Thank you for agreeing to release them? I was kidnapped on your watch! You don't value me!" **Minister Strock:** "I am not supposed to change my position, which is entirely aimed at protecting the State of Israel and its citizens—just because you think differently." **Family member of a hostage:** "If we go back to fighting, there's a good chance that *** won't survive another six months." **Minister Strock:** "Not necessarily." **Family member of a hostage:** "Carmel Gat didn't survive, Eden Jerusalem didn't survive." **A released hostage:** "Hersh didn't survive." **Minister Strock:** "I remember very well the huge celebrations in Israel when the Shalit deal was made. In the end, because of that deal, *** is now in captivity." **A released hostage:** "This happened because you fell asleep and failed to protect your citizens. If the intelligence had functioned, if you had functioned, if the Prime Minister and the government had ensured that the army and intelligence functioned—this wouldn't have happened!" Tomorrow (Monday) marks the 16th day, on which the Israeli government is supposed to begin negotiations with the mediators and Hamas on the second phase. Despite the many attempts by the families to convey the importance of completing the deal, this meeting between the hostage families and Strock indicates that the approach of some government officials differs—and the gaps in positions are unbridgeable. linkStruck, together with the rest of the members of her party, including her leader Smotich and those of Ben Gvir's party are amongst the most vile politicians in the Knesset, and they have very stiff competition for that title. They are all supposed to be religious as well (national religious who support the state and serve in the army, except for their leaders). Yet, they spit on all who are actually religious who honor the most important mitzva (deed) in Judaism, the redemption of prisoners. For them, their messianic ideologies are far more important than the lives of the hostages, especially since most of the hostages are not even people who vote for them. Their kippot (yarmukes) on their heads and all the prayers they said multiple times a day mean absolutely nothing, a big zero. Those are not the things that determine if a person, in this case a politician is good, is decent, cares for his/her people. No, what makes that determination are their actions, and the actions of this group are abhorrent and should be beneath someone who is supposed to represent the best interests of society. These are people who should never had positions of leadership in any public body, let alone members of Knesset and even worse, ministers in the government of Israel.
**Opposition in the Government to Phase Two? "Look Roni and Alma in the Eyes and Say – Dad Isn’t Coming Back"**
As Netanyahu meets with Trump and efforts are made to tie a deal to broader political agreements, 79 hostages remain in captivity—and their families are worried. "We cannot endure another year like this," said Lishay Miran-Levi, whose husband Omri is not included in the first phase. The brother of Avinatan Or criticized opponents in the government, while the father of Hisham al-Sayed said: "Everyone should learn a lesson from what happened to us."
Negotiations for the second phase of the hostage deal were supposed to begin today (Monday), but Israel did not send a delegation for such talks—and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to start the negotiations in Washington during his meetings with President Trump and his administration. Amid efforts to secure a broader deal, which might include normalization with Saudi Arabia, many families fear that these efforts will cause delays—and ultimately derail the agreement.
"It's getting more and more difficult": Lishi Miran-Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran
Roni and Alma, the daughters of the abductee Amri Miren, hold his picture. "Inviting the members of the government to look them in the eye and say that father is not coming back"
Lishay Miran-Levi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran, said this morning in an interview with ynet that her family is caught in a whirlwind of emotions, including joy and happiness, but also great fear and sadness. "It’s getting harder and harder. I don’t understand why Omri wasn’t included in the first phase of the deal. He’s 47, a father to two daughters, Roni and Alma." She spoke about the attempts to maintain hope and optimism, but also about the fears: "It took us 15 months to reach these stages, and we cannot endure another year like this—not us, and not those who are there."
Lishay addressed the government members who oppose the deal, saying: "I invite each of them to stand in front of my Roni and Alma, look them in the eyes, and tell them that their dad isn’t coming back. Then we’ll see what they think." Finally, she also addressed Omri: "Don’t lose hope, stay strong and survive. We’re doing everything to bring you back, hold on. If anyone else is listening, know that your friends who have returned have already joined the fight."
Moshe Or, the brother of hostage Avinatan Or, who is expected to be released in the second phase, said this morning in an interview with ynet that his family is torn between great joy for every hostage returning and concern for their loved one. He described Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s opposition to the second phase of the deal as "inhumane." He added: "Sabotaging the agreement is abandonment, it’s irresponsible. Will the remaining hostages stay in Gaza forever?"
Moshe also criticized the politicians opposing the deal, saying they are "abandoning the hostages again and again for political or unrealistic goals." However, he noted that he does not believe anyone can sabotage the deal and mentioned the U.S. administration and President Donald Trump, who are interested in continuing the agreement.
Moshe addressed his brother, saying: "If you or any of the hostages are listening, keep your head up and stay strong. Mom and Dad are fighting nonstop, talking to everyone possible to secure your release. You will definitely be freed, close your eyes and imagine the day you emerge from the tunnels and return to us. That day will come, and we’re doing everything to make it happen as soon as possible."
Eyal Calderon, whose cousin Ofer returned from Hamas captivity on Saturday, said in an interview with ynet: "Either we continue fighting and wake up every morning to painful 'cleared for publication' announcements, or we continue with the deal and achieve what we saw on the screen. It’s clear what decisions Israel needs to make." He added that the emotional images of the hostages’ release can sometimes be misleading. "The picture is much more complex. Until the last moment, they were in hell, facing immediate danger of death. They went through an ordeal, and Ofer and the children face a long rehabilitation process before we can be whole again."
Yesterday, Qatari Prime Minister Al-Thani admitted that there are still no "clear details" on when and how the talks for the second phase of the negotiations will begin, which were supposed to start today, and emphasized that he hopes to see "some movement" in the coming days. But for Netanyahu, the negotiations begin in Washington, not in Qatar—and he expects to discuss Israel’s positions on continuing the agreement during his meetings.
Before departing for his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu said the two would discuss the hostage deal, the "day after" in the Gaza Strip and Hamas, and the issue of reconstruction—which also includes the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia. He expressed hope that the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco signed during Trump’s first term, could be expanded—with the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia now on the table.
**"The Families Have Counted Over 480 Days, We’ve Counted Over 3,000"**
At the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting held this morning in the Knesset, the aunt of Sagi Dekel Chen, who is expected to be released in the first phase, said his family is "still in severe daily anxiety over the fate of the remaining 78 hostages. The tension is unbearable. If Sagi returns, I’ll be very happy, but if my neighbor’s son doesn’t return in this phase, I won’t be able to rejoice wholeheartedly, because there’s still a mother waiting." She added: "I urge the Israeli government to move forward with the second phase."
Shaaban al-Sayed, the father of Hisham al-Sayed, who was captured by Hamas when he crossed into the Gaza Strip in 2015 and is expected to be released in the first phase of the deal, said: "The families here have counted over 480 days, we’ve counted over 3,000." He added, "If we’re talking about abandonment, it started with them ignoring us for a very long time." He continued: "We warned that the abandonment began when they didn’t take care of Hisham. We hope everyone learns a lesson from what happened to us."
Hannah Cohen, the aunt of Inbar Hyman, who was murdered on October 7 and whose body was taken to Gaza, and who is not expected to be released in the first phase, said during the committee meeting that she found it difficult to feel joy when watching the images of the returnees, even though she wanted to. "Inbar will return in a different state," she said. "We are buried here, and she is buried in Gaza."
Yizhar Lifshitz, whose father Oded is expected to return in the first phase and whose mother Yocheved returned from captivity at the start of the war, said: "Our role is to ensure we don’t stop halfway. This is a great opportunity to bring back hostages. There are still 23 hostages from Nir Oz in captivity, this is just the beginning." link
Gaza and the South
"Total destruction, we were in the south - and now we're returning there": Gazans who arrived in the northern Strip discovered they had nothing to do there.
After 15 months of war, more than half a million Gazans returned to the northern Strip in the past week - only to discover the extent of the destruction and realize there wasn’t much left for them to do there. A source in the Strip who spoke today (Sunday) with N12 and is familiar with the details estimated that about 30% of the residents have returned south.
"We were in the south, we went to Netzarim, and now we're returning to the south," a Gaza resident told Palestinian media. "Yesterday we went, and today we came back. Destruction, destruction, destruction. Total destruction, the houses are bombed, and the streets are filled with rubble. We risked our lives, but we went to see our homes. There are no homes."
"Everything is sand, piles of sand," continued the Gazan who decided to return south. "We want someone to find a solution to this. We want to live, to sleep, to find shelter from this. There’s no water, no food, no drink, no life."
Main reasons for Gazans returning south - according to a source in the Strip:
- Shortage of tents
- Lack of water
- Municipalities in the area not functioning due to fuel shortages
- Rising prices in the northern Strip compared to the south
A Gaza resident who arrived in Beit Hanoun told N12: "The markets are active, and there is relatively lively movement. But with our return to the northern Strip, the merchants took advantage of this and raised the prices of many goods. Prices in the southern Strip are cheaper than in the north, and not just for food in the markets. For example, a liter of diesel in the south costs 20 shekels compared to about 45 shekels in the north."
According to him, most of the residents who stayed in his neighborhood in recent days have left the tents, and the neighborhood has emptied out again. "There is no shortage of food in the northern Strip, but there is a noticeable lack of water and tents," he claimed.
In the background, there is sharp criticism from Gaza residents against Hamas, which invested significant efforts in moving residents north but did not prepare for their reception, and they are paying the price. "The towers are gone. Nothing, it’s over," said a Gazan who returned to Beit Hanoun and found his home destroyed. "Those in the south should stay in the south. No one should come," he pleaded.
"Where are our homes? Gone," added another Gazan who returned to the northern Strip and was outraged by what he saw there. "We can’t distinguish between the neighbor’s house, our house, or the towers. The houses have been wiped out to the ground. There aren’t even basic living conditions."
"We need people to clear the roads for us, for the municipality to open the roads for us. Where are our homes? There are no homes," he continued. And some added another request: "The most important thing is to provide us with internet."
With the opening of the Netzarim corridor a week ago, a mass movement of Gazans began. Convoys waited at the crossing overnight, anticipating its opening. Since then, according to Palestinian reports, hundreds of thousands have already made their way through the corridor to the northern Strip.
In footage obtained by N12, the last remaining soldiers at the corridor are heard speaking over the radio: "This is Kokhav, we are on the ruins of the Netzarim settlement. We are the last military force leaving here - for the second time, it hurts the heart. We will return here." Another soldier stationed there, a resident of Netzarim who was evacuated from his home 20 years ago, said: "The Holy One, blessed be He, is managing things. I’m optimistic; just as we returned here after 20 years, we will return here again, God willing."
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
IDF says troops recently demolished Hezbollah weapons depots in south Lebanon
IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon recently demolished several Hezbollah weapons depots, the military says.
The IDF says the depots included mortars, missiles, rockets, explosive devices, guns, and other military equipment.
"To know him better than his wife": The command center that eliminated most of Hezbollah’s military leadership
The commanders who were forced to abandon their families and flee to Beirut, the senior official who was assassinated while traveling, and the replacements who were afraid to take the position. This is how one classified command center in the Northern Command systematically eliminated most of Hezbollah’s military leadership and dismantled a command-and-control system that had been built for years: "In the end, everyone breaks."
In the office of Major T., there are no windows. There is also no cellular reception. That’s how it is when you sit deep underground, in the intelligence assassination command center of the Northern Command. The screens that transmit live aerial images are his only connection to the outside world. In early June, after long weeks of intensive intelligence tracking, all efforts converged into a few brief moments. Muhammad Naameh Nasser, known as Abu Naameh, the commander of Hezbollah’s Aziz unit, was about to set out on a trip – and a very narrow window of opportunity opened to eliminate him without exceeding the "contained" war limits of those days.
The senior Hizbollah who was eliminated, Abu Ali Naama, and Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani
Since the outbreak of the war, Abu Naameh had barely left Beirut, well aware that he was in Israel’s crosshairs. "These are senior commanders who serve in the same positions for years," explains Major T., the commander of the operations center. "Unlike the IDF, where advancement is rapid and roles change every two to three years, in Hezbollah, they stay for a long time and develop expertise. Each target is a focal point of knowledge in his sector."
Abu Naameh chose to go south, crossing the Litani River. The IDF drone was already patrolling the skies, and in its control station at the Air Force base, a finger was on the trigger. But after the order to attack was given, a technical malfunction prevented the bomb from being released at the car he was traveling in. Abu Naameh, the commander of the western sector in southern Lebanon, whose status is equivalent to a division commander, escaped at the last moment.
The UAV accurately hit the car. The attack on Abu Naama's car
The hunt for the commanders who went underground
In the Northern Command, they call it a "quiet revolution." In the first weeks of the war, Unit 8200 identified that the old methods of tracking Hezbollah commanders were no longer sufficient. The Shiite terrorist army had dramatically reduced its "digital footprint" – a term used by Military Intelligence (AMAN) to describe all the electronic traces left by a person in phone communications, social networks, movements on the ground, and behavioral patterns.
As the days passed, the army also identified a gap in the ability to eliminate commanders in real-time, particularly within a range of up to ten kilometers from the border. "At the beginning of the war, Hezbollah made more mistakes," says the command center chief. "But once they realized we were tracking them, they developed evasion methods, preferred to stay in protected facilities, and minimized all possible communication with their surroundings."
A deep disappointment fell over the command center, whose name remains classified. It was a first-of-its-kind operation, established weeks after the war began. The command center was set up to eliminate Hezbollah’s senior field commanders, and ahead of Abu Naameh’s assassination mission, it was even expanded to enable immediate decision-making by all relevant bodies. Major T. was not willing to give up: "We conducted multiple simulations with the operational unit," he recalls. "We knew the chances of success were not high, but due to the target’s significance, we decided to go for it."
And indeed, persistence paid off: three weeks later, around 2:00 PM, Abu Naameh returned to the same travel route. The command center was prepared in advance, and this time, everything worked as planned. The drone precisely struck the vehicle, eliminating the senior official and his travel companion—another veteran Hezbollah operative—just seconds before they entered a second facility.
"I know some of the destinations from years ago." Abu Ali Nasser ("Abu Naama")
On their first Saturday of operations, the command center had already achieved its first success – the assassination of the battalion commander of the Shiite terrorist organization in the Al-Khiyam sector. "The uniqueness of an operation like this, where all the key personnel from the unit and other Military Intelligence units, the command’s intelligence, and the firepower elements are sitting in the same room, is the ability to bring valuable intelligence in real-time, translate it into a situational picture, and create the foundation for high-paced eliminations," describe officers from Unit 8200.
The command center focused mainly on commanders who posed challenges to the command, ranging from company-level to division-level officers, with an emphasis on influential leaders in critical areas such as anti-tank operations and rocket fire. At the heart of the operation were about ten experts from various fields. The team included experienced reservists, some in their 40s and 50s, who had been studying Hezbollah for years.
"I have known some of these targets for years," describes an officer from Unit 8200. "These are commanders who have operated against us for decades, and their elimination is dramatic for the organization. We are in a constant learning competition with the enemy, so after every strike, we conducted a thorough debriefing. This culture allows us to always stay one step ahead of them."
The structure was different from anything previously known in the command: an organization of multiple operational cells, each with its own specialization and unique operational method. Thus, if one approach failed, there was always another way to reach the target. The Northern Command chief made sure to visit the operation at least once a day to fine-tune and direct the needs and missions.
In the command center, they say that although the northern front was secondary in the early part of the war, with most resources directed toward Gaza, whenever special resources were needed—they were provided immediately.
Close intelligence surveillance. Killing Hezbollah operatives in a motorcycle attack
"To get to know him better than his wife."
Until the outbreak of Operation "Northern Arrow," the operations room managed this event in a way that could reduce Hezbollah's capabilities without starting an all-out war or perhaps a regional one. Without many declarations, the joint activity of the Intelligence Directorate, Northern Command, the Air Force, and the Operations Directorate reduced the capabilities of the terrorist organization in various configurations – and the scope of Israel's intelligence penetration grew and strengthened. "We operated to eliminate their command chain," describe those in Unit 8200. "Attacking the commander, his replacement, and the replacement of the replacement causes a deep crack in the enemy and creates an operational reality of fear and breaches."
Mustafa Badr al-Din. "The brain of Hezbollah" that was eliminated Photo: News
One of the significant operations took place just before the first ceasefire – in a single attack, both the commander of a Hezbollah brigade and the one designated to replace him were eliminated. This forced the organization to appoint inexperienced commanders to key positions. "We took upon ourselves the task of collecting the primary targets that pose a threat to the State of Israel," explains Lieutenant R, the head of the team in the operations room. "Our goal was to enter the intensified war while we were as focused as possible on our targets and succeeding in eliminating all of them until the moment of maneuver. Of course, the most senior personnel in the command boundaries are the unit commanders, and that’s where we focused first."
The candidate to succeed the Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Akil, who was killed in Beirut | Photo: None
In fact, from the outbreak of the war, Israel succeeded in systematically eliminating almost the entire military leadership of Hezbollah. This created a situation where simple soldiers in the organization lost their entire command chain – from the squad leader, through the company commander and battalion commander, all the way to the rank equivalent to the Chief of Staff. In many cases, even the appointed replacements did not last long in their roles.
"You need to know every detail about the target," says Lieutenant R, head of the target team in the operations room. "We need to know him better than his wife and better than his children. Ultimately, this is about human lives, and there’s no room for mistakes." Every morning begins with a decision on the daily target, and then the entire intelligence community gathers to go into detail and get it right.
The senior officer who tried to abduct soldiers and became a target
Two and a half weeks before the elimination of Abu Naama, on the eve of Shavuot, the operations room eliminated his counterpart Taleb Sami Abdullah, known as Abu Taleb. He was the commander of the Nasser region, which stretches from the Israeli border to the Litani River, from the town of Jbail eastward to Mount Dov – half of the South Lebanon arena. Under his command was most of Hezbollah’s force, particularly the organization’s heavy firepower in this area, which rained fire from guided missiles, anti-tank missiles, and drones on Israel.
After weeks of surveillance, the operations room concluded that he had to be eliminated. "There’s no good disruption that starts without getting to know the person and his personality," clarifies Lieutenant R. "Every person makes mistakes, and the greatness in research and action is finding those mistakes and knowing how to anticipate them in advance."
After weeks of surveillance, the Control Room realized that he had to be eliminated. Abu Taleb, commander of the al-Nasr unit
The 55-year-old Abu Taleb was defined by the military as "rich in operational knowledge and experience," and led the attempt to abduct soldiers in the village of R’ger in 2005, as well as a series of retaliatory actions in the previous decade and the beginning of the current decade in the Upper Galilee and Mount Dov, in which he killed soldiers from the Givati Brigade during their ascent to Mount Dov in 2015. In the Second Lebanon War, he served as the commander of the Bint Jbeil Brigade and fought against the Sayeret Matkal soldiers at Maroun al-Ras. "There was no difficult hesitation in defining him as a primary target," describes Lieutenant R. "When such a commander is not on the ground, the organization does not know how to operate like it would with him. He’s the center of gravity, the starting point. It gives confidence to our forces maneuvering in the field."
The margin of error and human weaknesses
Hezbollah senior officers learned to be cautious of the drones flying overhead. "They try not to operate in such a way that they’re visible," explains T, but they also have natural human weaknesses: "They also break." In those moments of breaking, a margin of error is created, and it allows following their movements. It’s enough for them to leave one asset and go to another, or take a tour of the sector, or move between Beirut and South Lebanon for meetings – to create an opportunity for elimination.
The impact on the fighting in the field was immediate. The enemy that faced the maneuvering divisions – 36, 146, and 98 – was severely injured. In many cases, Hezbollah forces retreated or even fled due to a lack of command and control (C&C). Some sectors remained completely weakened, with demotivated terrorists who had seen their renewed command chain eliminated four times. "This had a significant impact on morale," says T. "These are commanders whose subordinates admire them, some of them known since the Second Lebanon War. A real fear arose about who would be next."
The elimination of Abu Taleb made his counterpart Abu Naama especially cautious. "He acted in a much more permissive manner at first," says R, "but as soon as he realized that a targeted assassination of his counterpart had taken place, he fled to Beirut and issued strict orders to all commanders." Nevertheless, the operations room team didn’t give up. "We built a specific ‘incrimination’ model for his behavior," describes T.
"They always say one commander goes and someone else comes to replace him," says Lieutenant R. "I don’t disagree with that statement, but it’s very hard to replace a successful commander. It will take time for the new one to get into the groove, and that breathing room was what we needed – to buy a few more days to understand who would be next. Ultimately, killing commanders is about sowing confusion. It makes senior commanders not understand how things are happening and why they are happening."
Defined in the army as "rich in operational knowledge and experience". Abu Taleb
The margin of error and human weaknesses
Hezbollah’s senior officials learned to be cautious of the UAVs patrolling the skies. "They try not to operate in a way that makes them visible," explains T, but they too have natural human weaknesses: "They also break." In these moments of breaking, a margin of error is created, allowing them to be tracked. It is enough for them to move from one asset to another, take a tour of the sector, or travel between Beirut and South Lebanon for meetings – to create an opportunity for elimination.
The impact on the fighting in the field was immediate. The enemy faced by the maneuvering divisions – 36, 146, and 98 – was severely injured. In many cases, Hezbollah forces retreated or even fled due to a lack of command and control (C&C). Some sectors were completely weakened, leaving terrorists without motivation, their renewed command chain already eliminated four times. "This had a significant impact on morale," says T. "These are commanders whom their subordinates admire, some of them known since the Second Lebanon War. A real fear arose about who would be next."
"It hurt morale a lot." Hezbollah operatives in the summer Photo: AFP via Getty Images
The Control Room operated continuously, the terrorist organization suffered a shock. Funerals of Hezbollah terrorists | Photo: reuters
One of the important cases occurred when the operations room identified the commander responsible for the firing network towards Haifa. Although this was a target usually handled by the General Staff, thanks to the close cooperation between the bodies, a quick elimination was possible. Within a short time, the commander and his HQ were eliminated, and the result was immediately visible in the field – the fire towards Haifa significantly decreased. This was the second commander in this field to be eliminated, after his predecessor had already been killed by the General Staff’s command in the Kirya, which caused a deep crisis in the organization’s fire network.
"To kill their commanders is to sow confusion" | Photo: reuters
The soldiers didn’t even know the commander was eliminated
The severe blow forced the Shiite terrorist organization to change all of its operational methods, which greatly slowed its response capability. The commanders who survived struggled to find a safe place to establish themselves, and there was a feeling that no protected area remained. In many cases, due to the breakdown of the command chain, the soldiers didn’t even know that their commander had changed.
As more commanders were eliminated, a growing sense of frustration began to overshadow the terrorist organization, says T. Even when replacements were found, their capability was limited. "Their experience is lacking," says the commander of the operations room. "In a time when they are trying to maintain a particularly high level of disruption, communication is very limited. A new commander can’t just come in and say to his subordinates – this is the situation, this is my approach, and this is how I want us to act." Every such strike requires precise intelligence and "incrimination" of the targets in real-time, which indicates the ability to identify targets that are constantly moving – and strike them without causing, or almost without causing, harm to non-combatants. "We knew that Hezbollah’s response depended on the quality of our precision," emphasizes the commander of the operations room. "If civilians are harmed in the attack, the organization responds much more aggressively."
"We knew that Hezbollah's response depended on the quality of our accuracy" | Photo: ap
While the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been extended until February 18, the operations room continues to operate at full strength. The IDF has not withdrawn from some areas in southern Lebanon, as the Lebanese army failed to establish sufficient control in areas that were under Hezbollah’s control, especially in the eastern sector. "We maintain a very high level of readiness," emphasizes Captain T. "We are prepared for violations on their part and ready to return to full combat swiftly."
In the operations room, they assess that Hezbollah already regrets joining the campaign on October 8, 2023. "I don’t think they would take this strategy again a second time," says Lieutenant R. "They would have backed down and let the campaign in the south happen without them." For the young head of the target team, who experienced the Second Lebanon War as a 6-year-old, this represents a unique closing of the circle. "As a child who joined intelligence in early 2021, I never thought I would reach the point where we sit in the operations room and eliminate commanders I learned about in the foundational course." link
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
IDF says more than 50 terror operatives killed since start of northern West Bank op
IDF troops operate in the Tamun area, in the northern West Bank during a major counter-terrorism offensive, in an image cleared for publication on February 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF says it has killed over 50 Palestinian terror operatives in the northern West Bank since launching a major counter-terrorism offensive nearly two weeks ago.
Over 35 gunmen were killed by troops during operations in Jenin, Tulkarem, and the Tamun area, while another 15 were killed in drone strikes, the military says.
More than 100 wanted Palestinians have been detained.
The IDF says troops have also seized some 40 weapons and neutralized over 80 explosive devices amid the operation.
The offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, was launched on January 21, and the military expects it to last several more weeks.
Military says it demolished 23 buildings used by terror operatives in Jenin
The IDF says it demolished 23 buildings in the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp that were used by terror operatives.
Troops have scanned hundreds of buildings in Jenin during an ongoing raid there, locating bomb-making labs, caches of weapons, and command centers, the military says. The army publishes footage showing the detonation.
**From the Air and in Face-to-Face Combat: The Eliminations Carried Out by the IDF in the Past Week** The operation that the IDF began in the Jenin refugee camp and continued in Tulkarm is expanding to the surrounding villages, where extensive terrorist infrastructure has also been uncovered. Over 20 terrorists were eliminated, and more than 23 buildings used for hostile activities were demolished. "If we see additional buildings exploited for terrorism—we will destroy them. We will continue to act uncompromisingly against terrorism," a Central Command source told N12. The IDF and Shin Bet scanned hundreds of buildings in the Jenin refugee camp as part of the "Iron Wall" operation conducted in recent days in the northern West Bank. During the scans, bomb-making labs, observation posts, weapon stockpiles, and other terrorist infrastructure were found in some of the buildings. Over the past week, the IDF carried out several targeted killings with Shin Bet guidance, some during arrest operations and others by aircraft. Today, forces accompanied by armored vehicles entered the village of Tamun in Judea and Samaria. On January 22, a firefight broke out in Jenin during an arrest operation, resulting in the deaths of two terrorists involved in the attack at the Pundak (on January 6) where three Israeli civilians were murdered. Two days later, an armed cell in Qabatiya was targeted from the air, and two terrorists planning an imminent attack were killed. On January 27, a senior Hamas official in the Tulkarm refugee camp was eliminated in an airstrike, along with another terrorist operative.
### **Expanding the Counter-Terror Operation in the Northern West Bank** On January 29, an armed cell in the village of Tamun was targeted from the air. Two of the terrorists were involved in the detonation of an explosive device in the village on January 20, which led to the death of an IDF soldier and the injury of three others. Nine additional terrorists were eliminated in the same strike. On January 30, a terrorist involved in planning imminent attacks was shot and killed in Nablus. In a subsequent overnight operation by the IDF and Yamam forces, a Hamas operative planning an attack was arrested in Tulkarm, and two M16 rifles were seized. Two days later, a terrorist cell in Qabatiya on its way to carry out an attack was eliminated. In footage from yesterday, which appeared to be filmed inside the Gaza Strip, a massive explosion of buildings could be seen. Security forces, led by engineering units and Yahalom fighters, destroyed 23 buildings containing terrorist infrastructure. The military understands that it will need to aggressively confront terrorist infrastructure in the northern West Bank—hence the decision to demolish them. According to military sources, the forces "will not hesitate to do the same in other cities in Samaria where terrorism is active."
IDF APCs in the area of the village lies in Samaria
"We will continue to act in a sophisticated manner." Activity of IDF forces in Tulkarm
### **"We Will Continue to Act Sophisticatedly"** A Central Command source told N12 that the forces intend to continue locating and dismantling extensive terrorist infrastructure in the area. "If we see additional buildings exploited for terrorism—we will destroy them. We will continue to act uncompromisingly against terrorism," the source said. "Just yesterday, we expanded the operation to additional villages in the northern West Bank. We will continue to act in a sophisticated manner, and I promise you will see it soon." Since the operation began, the IDF has eliminated several terrorist cells from the air, but the demolition of buildings marks an escalation in Israel's offensive activities. All the buildings demolished so far were terrorist infrastructures, in line with Defense Minister Israel Katz's directive to demolish every house implicated in terrorism. The IDF and Shin Bet reported that, to date, over 50 terrorists have been eliminated, and more than 100 wanted individuals have been arrested. Additionally, forces have located and confiscated dozens of weapons, destroyed hundreds of explosive devices, and neutralized dozens of other devices planted along routes. ### **Palestinian Security Concerns** Palestinian security officials have recently expressed concerns to Israel that Hamas may rise in Judea and Samaria following the release of terrorists as part of the hostage deal. In the coming weeks, hundreds of Palestinians are expected to hold rallies in support of the released terrorists—a development that worries the Palestinian leadership. "We will not allow this to happen and will encourage rallies with Fatah flags instead of Hamas flags," they said. The Israeli security system was not satisfied with this statement and urged the Palestinians that if they do not handle the situation when celebratory rallies occur upon the release of terrorists, "our forces will act as necessary." The 'Iron Wall' operation was launched just four days after the Palestinian Authority attempted to reach agreements with armed groups in the Jenin refugee camp following the operation it conducted there over the past month and a half. However, these efforts failed and did not hold up in reality. ### **IDF Activity in Tamun** During the Palestinian Authority's operation in the Jenin refugee camp, approximately 340 armed individuals and collaborators were arrested, 58 armed individuals and 26 security personnel were injured, 14 were killed (including six security personnel, four armed individuals, and the rest uninvolved), and at least 290 explosive devices and 23 car bombs were neutralized. IDF armored vehicles in Samaria today. link
Politics and the War (general news)
Ahead of PM’s meeting with Trump, Lapid says government won’t fall over completion of hostage deal
Ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid reiterates his offer to provide the prime minister with a political “safety net” in order to complete the upcoming stages of the ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Speaking at Kibbutz Nir Oz along the Gaza border, Lapid says that “the American administration needs to know that there is no risk to the government because of the deal.”
“Tomorrow, a meeting will be held in Washington between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. It is important to clarify before this meeting: Netanyahu has a safety net from the opposition for the entire hostage deal, in all its stages,” Lapid says.
“There is no political obstacle that prevents Netanyahu from reaching the second phase of the deal. It has a huge majority [of support] among the people, it has a huge majority here in the Knesset and in the political system in Israel,” he continues, adding that “the hostage deal will not bring down the government.”
“Without President Trump and his commitment to the issue, it is very doubtful whether we would have seen the men and women who returned home in the last two weeks alive,” Lapid says. “The [US] president promised that he would make sure that the deal continues until the last of the hostages returns home, those who are dead and those who are alive, and we know that we can trust his word.”
Former national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party has already withdrawn from the coalition over opposition to the deal while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has threatened to pull his Religious Zionism party out as well if Israel does not return to fighting Hamas after the 42-day first phase of the agreement.
Minute by minute: Hamas' relentless attack on Nahal Oz base on October 7 IDF seeks to complete probe into one of the worst battles in Hamas' assault and may ask released IDF lookouts to testify in order to advance conclusions While the IDF’s investigation into the battle at Nahal Oz base is nearing completion, testimonies of IDF lookouts recently released from captivity as part of the cease-fire deal with Hamas could aid intelligence efforts to track down the Nukhba terrorists who took part in the attack and assist in finalizing one of the war’s key inquiries.
The battle was the deadliest among the numerous attacks on IDF bases near the Gaza border. The probe found that the terrorists had precise intelligence on the base, located 1–2 km from Gaza’s Shuja'iyya neighborhood.
Nahal Oz base, five IDF lookouts reuinting after their release from Gaza
(Photo: Tal Shahar, IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Timeline of the battle:
6:45 a.m.: Around 60 Nukhba terrorists storm the Nahal Oz base from land and by motorized paragliders under cover of heavy mortar and rocket fire.
7:05 a.m.: Terrorists reach the base’s command center and officers’ quarters. Most of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion was outside securing nearby Israeli communities.
7:50 a.m.: An Israeli Air Force drone strikes inside the base despite the chaos and risk of friendly fire, as some terrorists wear IDF uniforms.
8:30 a.m.: Hamas takes full control of the base, moving through shelters.
9:00 a.m.: A second wave of 50 terrorists enters, setting fires. Kidnappings proceed unimpeded, with terrorists using IDF jeeps.
10:00 a.m.: Terrorists roam freely; a third wave of 100 Hamas operatives arrives.
12:00 p.m.: The base’s central command post is overrun and burned. First reinforcements arrive and engage in combat.
1:00 p.m.: The tide turns as IDF forces begin clearing the base.
Nahal Oz base
(Photo: Tal Shahar)
From 7:30 a.m., attack helicopters and drones circled overhead, struggling to differentiate between soldiers and terrorists. Targeting was hampered by limited guidance from burning command posts and distant bases. The probe also found that some terrorists mistaken for soldiers were spared.
Inside a female barracks shelter, 15 soldiers hid. When terrorists approached, they fled in separate directions. Four were killed in a nearby building. Eleven others locked themselves inside another structure as terrorists tried to break in.
An Air Force drone operator launched a precise missile strike nearby despite incomplete identification of the attackers. The blast forced the terrorists to flee, saving the soldiers. Survivors recalled hearing the door handle rattling before the explosion shattered all windows and silenced the attackers.
The Air Force carried out 14 drone strikes inside the base, the first at 7:50 a.m., along with six helicopter strikes and 150 Apache cannon rounds. Nearby, drones executed 77 strikes, helicopters 36, and artillery fired over 1,600 shells, with 10 additional fighter jet strikes.
According to the IDF’s investigation, around 60 terrorists were killed from the air in and around Nahal Oz on October 7. Some 53 IDF soldiers were killed in the battle to defend the base. link
The Region and the World
**On the Path to Normalization? Saudi Palace Source to N12: "Optimistic, but Netanyahu's Government Must Agree to Concessions on the Palestinian Issue"**
Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, it appears that normalization with Saudi Arabia is expected to be on the agenda. A source in the Saudi royal palace, who spoke with N12 this morning (Monday), stated: "We have an opportunity, we are optimistic about Trump's second term and that he will pressure Netanyahu, but this will only happen if Netanyahu's government agrees to concessions on the Palestinian issue." "We have previously informed President Trump that we will not normalize relations with Israel without its willingness to move toward a two-state solution," the source added. "We aspire to move toward a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem alongside the State of Israel and to end this conflict, or at the very least, to secure meaningful guarantees regarding concessions on the Palestinian issue." "We hope for peace between Muslims and Jews and are working in that direction," the palace source noted. "We were closer to a solution if the left-wing parties and Lapid had won the recent Knesset elections, and we are optimistic that this will happen. If not soon, then in the future, with God's help." Regarding Trump's proposal to transfer Gazans to Egypt and Jordan, the source said: "We completely reject this and support the condemnation by Jordan and Egypt of this illegal and inhumane displacement. It is contrary to the principles of international law, even if it is considered a temporary displacement." Saudi expert Abdullah Al-Khatani told N12: "Saudi Arabia is open to this and has stated its demand—a solution that satisfies the Palestinians and that Israel agrees to. A deal with the U.S. would be worthless if it does not also bring peace to the region." "If Netanyahu responds to Trump's policies and interests, he will remain Israel's prime minister for a long time. That said, I believe Netanyahu has a major problem with his government to make concessions on the Palestinian issue for the sake of normalization at this stage," the source concluded. link
Personal Stories
"They sent me like a dog to tell my son that she was dead, there is no forgiveness for that"
Mordi Alon was a man full of optimism and humor until his son's beloved partner was murdered in captivity. Another deep scar was left when he felt "taken advantage of" in the case of Dolgopyat’s gold medal. But it was precisely at his lowest point that he discovered the power of absurd athlete quotes—a hobby from the past that became a book series and is now making a big comeback, thanks to the smile that appeared on his son's face. A rather pessimistic interview—where nothing was taken out of context.
For many years, Mordi Alon was an optimistic man who made many people laugh and chuckle. He was associated with the book series that celebrated the quotes of footballer Alon Mizrahi ("I want to play in Europe or in Spain," "I have nothing to prove, and I proved it today on the field," and more). On the day the war broke out, he lost his smile and humor, but it was a single chuckle he recently heard in his backyard that brought him some joy again—and also an unexpected professional goal: "It was the first time I saw my son laugh since October 7."
His son Noam was the partner of the late Inbar Hyman, the young artist who was kidnapped to Gaza from the Nova music festival and was later declared dead in captivity. "They were a couple. I still say 'they' in the present tense because until things are officially closed, that's how it is for me. Noam still hasn’t returned to himself; he is in a rehabilitation process. It’s not easy to go on with life when your partner is still in Gaza and the story is not closed."
Inbar’s name does not appear at this stage in the hostage deal. "I can’t watch the releases; I admit that I’m very jealous. On the one hand, it’s very joyful—we had a very special connection with Romi Gonen and her family—but on the other hand, there’s a feeling of loss—how heartbreaking that Inbar won’t come back alive, it’s killing us."
"For me, she is still here. You can walk around Haifa and find her graffiti works," he says about Hyman. "She signed them under 'Pink' with her famous question mark, and it's just amazing to walk around Haifa and encounter them—it’s like a greeting from another world. People constantly send me pictures of her works that I hadn’t seen before and were hidden. Eventually, other artists will cover them, but as long as she still manages to send signs, it’s moving."
"Two months after she was kidnapped, we received the message that she had been murdered. Noam and Inbar lived in Haifa, but a few days before the war, they slept at our house, and my younger daughter, Shira, was very close to her—to the point of sleeping at her place. She was an inseparable part of us," Alon recalls. "When it happened, I fought as if she were my own daughter—we moved heaven and earth to bring her back until the bitter news arrived."
Do you remember the day you were told Inbar was dead?
"I was coming back from a soccer game with friends. It was Friday. On the way home, the accompanying officer called and informed me that a medical committee had determined, based on new findings, that Inbar was no longer alive. And then, almost casually, he said, 'And if you don’t mind, please inform Noam as well.' As if it were a cat that got run over. I was still in my soccer clothes, and my fear was that within minutes, the whole country would know, and my son would find out from some WhatsApp message. So, I went up to his room, woke him up, and told him. It was extremely hurtful—not a police officer. Not a social worker. They sent me like a dog to tell my son. There is no forgiveness for that. I have flashbacks of sitting at the edge of the bed, holding his hand. I have no words for how angry I am about it. I often ask—how could they do this to us? Didn’t they deserve a little more respect?"
How did Noam react?
"Noam had a look of ‘Where are you getting this nonsense from?’ and asked to be alone. He just watched TV non-stop until morning. The process was wrong—this is not how he was supposed to hear that his partner had died. The process should have been fairer and more respectful. To this day, no one has really shown us the evidence. Naturally, this creates doubts and question marks. But this is the treatment we receive—whether it's David Bitan silencing Inbar's aunt in the Knesset or people I pass by on the street saying 'we deserve it'."
Right after the abduction, it was reported that the landlord of Inbar’s apartment demanded her belongings be removed and that Maccabi Haifa announced it would cover her rent for a year until she returned. What happened with that?
"It all started five days after October 7, and everything was in chaos. This whole story was pure insensitivity and stupidity on the part of the landlord. It reminds me of how Jews were portrayed in old anti-Semitic books—thinking only about money: five days after the disaster, he was just worried about clearing out her belongings. Today, he is in the place where he belongs—underground—but even after his death, I have no empathy for him. What he did was sheer evil."
"Suddenly I hear Noam laughing"
After a long period of sadness and withdrawal, Noam’s smile returned—thanks to an old project of his father: the book series "Taken Out of Context", in which Mordi Alon, together with Amir Doron, compiled the funniest and most confused quotes from the world of sports (and later also from politics, cinema, media, and business). "One day, my son Noam had some friends over to cheer him up, and suddenly I heard laughter. I didn’t understand what they were laughing at, and then I saw they were laughing at the book. I was suddenly filled with pride. For an hour, I just smiled from watching Noam laugh. It was the first time since."
That moment led Alon to make a surprising decision: "Three months earlier, Amir Doron called me and said that a doctor from Ben-Gurion University (Dr. Shlomit Gai) had contacted him to ask if we would consider releasing a new volume for the 25th anniversary of the first 'Taken Out of Context'. My immediate answer was no—mainly because of where I was in life: I just wanted to cry all day, and that’s what you’re offering me? But just to refresh my memory, I went and read the first volume, flipped through it a bit, and smiled. I left the book on the living room table—and then I saw Noam laughing. I called Amir and told him I wanted to do it."
Here is a complete, word-for-word translation of the text:
"Human lives are more important than football"
This interview is taking place exactly on the morning after the events at Sammy Ofer – the match between Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv that was stopped due to flares and rioting. Alon, a veteran and die-hard Maccabi Haifa fan ("I want my ashes to be scattered where Moshe Selecter scored the championship goal after I die"), was at the stadium and, like everyone else, thought the match would proceed smoothly, especially since a ceremony in honor of the murdered Maccabi Haifa fans, including Inbar Heyman, was held at the beginning.
"I looked at all the events through different eyes," he says. "Now I have a different perspective on life. At first, a sign was raised in memory of the fallen, and that ceremony was desecrated. But today, I am more forgiving; my perspective has changed – there are worse things. Human lives are more important than football. That is my view. And honestly, I was bummed that I wasn’t in front of the TV to pick out gems or funny quotes from the broadcast."
What would Inbar have said about these events?
"I suppose she would have been upset like all the fans, upset that the match was disrupted. She probably would have wanted a more original and elaborate display. At the end of the match, Noam said that what upset him the most was that they desecrated the ceremony. The same fans who raised the names of the fallen also disrespected their power."
How do you find strength in these days?
"Sometimes, when I feel like crap and tears choke my throat, I go to YouTube and watch Shlomi Arbeitman’s interview in English ('Pass, pass, it's a come'), and the smile returns instantly. That’s basically what 'Taken Out of Context' did – it took sentences and made people laugh."
"Only true football fans will understand this"
Alon is also an obsessive collector, owning many high-quality collections – and the only one in the country who holds numerous items related to football and sports. Amid all the chaos following Inbar Heyman’s kidnapping and the outbreak of the toughest war in Israel’s history, Alon received an intriguing offer that combined his two loves, collections and sports – but even from this offer, he got burned. The pain from that "deal" still lingers.
Looking back, can you now tell what exactly happened there?
"It was right in the days after the war began. I was approached and offered to sell a very rare item belonging to an Olympic athlete. I arrived at a meeting with many participants, where they explained to me that this was the medal Artyom Dolgopyat won in the World Championship that took place on October 7. They told me there was a buyer and a price. They made it seem like everything was set – I even sent a photographer, at my own expense, who photographed Artyom and the medal for the war effort. It's important to say that at the time, we didn’t know what was happening, and I wasn’t working, but I did it because I felt it was very important. They talked to me about a $100,000 donation to the families' headquarters, and it seemed important and worthwhile to me. As the days passed, I realized there was no buyer and that I had been deceived. That the whole thing was at my expense. It was a terrible feeling. Just another cynical exploitation that happened in those days around Inbar and the war. Those who need to do some soul-searching should do it themselves."
Have these people spoken to you since?
"Nobody has spoken to me since. The day after the whole thing blew up and the sale didn’t happen, I got a call saying they wouldn’t work with me anymore. As if I wanted to. It was an ugly trick played at my expense."
What is more precious to your heart – the book series or the unique items in your collections?
"Tough question. For me, if I had a ball signed by all the heroes of Maccabi Haifa’s first championship, that would excite me more than anything else I can imagine. For me, it’s a time tunnel. That was the sweetest moment of my life. I always tell my kids – don’t be offended, but I had a happier day than the day you were born. I cried that day with a joy that is almost impossible to recreate. Only true football fans will understand this."
Does anything about our current situation still leave you optimistic?
"No. I cannot be optimistic. Not even for a moment. I think the worst is yet to come. But I don’t want to get into that. I will just say that what we went through on October 7, our children and their children will go through much more intensely. We are repeating our mistakes over and over again."
You used to be a journalist, so maybe you can help me – how would you end this interview?
"In the past, I would have answered something optimistic. But today, I cannot say that. We have brought ourselves to a situation where it is hard to be optimistic. We have gone through an unthinkable Holocaust. I look at my children and cherish every moment I am with them. Today, when my daughter leaves the house, I feel like I am saying goodbye to her. I try to take in and treasure every moment with my children. Today, I understand that life is very fragile. Today, I cherish every moment with my children. In life, you must never treat any day as just another day."
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
The Man Who Took His People's Name in Vain
Dror Keren
Actor and Creator.
These words are written at a time when the fate of our kidnapped people hangs in the balance. For them and their families, October 7th is one long nightmare that has yet to end. It is a time when we are all defeated, abandoned and betrayed in darkness.
An endless war, people with no home. A rotten, corrupt, dysfunctional public service that keeps going. No facility. No remedy. The physical walls being built between the multiple homes of the Prime Minister of Israel and his people, these barriers are a reflection of his detachment. We shout so that he will hear, and he is there, beyond the wall.
The essence of the rift between the “leader” of the people of Israel and anyone who considers human life to be of utmost value is that even after this unfolding disaster for which he is responsible, he continues to make gestures and faces, projecting “business as usual” and “everything is under control,” as if October 7th never happened, as if there was never a contract between a leader and his citizens, and “responsibility,” “shame,” and “accountability” were never part of the job requirements. When there is no alignment between words and reality, when the truth has no meaning, we are like a shipwreck at sea. No anchor, no horizon.
What will become of people when the man who holds the state's steering wheel crushes once again, sometimes even with a smile, the remains of their trust in him?
When their distress and pain does not concern him? When it is he who fuels their fear for the future of their burning home? His “absolute victory” is our absolute destruction.
The civil indictment against the head of the Israeli government will be a thick book, with new sections added to each chapter every day.
Chapters about the lies, the incitement and agitation, the poisoning of the public climate, and the deliberate cognitive chaos designed to delay and escape responsibility.
Under his watch, within the borders of the State of Israel, on a Saturday morning, and for hours on end, his people were burned, raped, murdered, slaughtered, and kidnapped - we had and still have one clear and fundamental expectation for him - to bring them back. All of them. After abandoning them - he must bring them back. But instead, and because of him, day in, day out, the families of the hostages and all those demanding their return have become objects of ridicule and violence, accused of sabotaging the unity of the people and the morale of the Israel Defense Force soldiers.
An ancient Buddhist principle says: “A man's deeds are his only property, and one cannot escape the results of his actions.”
The book that will recount the life and crimes of Benjamin Netanyahu will be an indictment drenched in the blood, rage, and tears of all those who paid and continue to pay the price.
For eternity, he will be remembered as the man who abandoned. A deceitful man who all his life tried to escape the consequences of his actions, whose survival was the essence of his governance, and who took his people's name in vain.
Acronyms and Glossary
COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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"Ofer had no idea that Rotem, his son, was alive. He only found out two weeks ago when he saw an interview on TV," said Eyal, Ofer Calderon’s cousin, this morning (Sunday) to Yoav Limor and Nisley Barda. Calderon was returned to Israel as part of the first phase of the second deal between Israel and Hamas. 
"It's getting more and more difficult": Lishi Miran-Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran
Roni and Alma, the daughters of the abductee Amri Miren, hold his picture. "Inviting the members of the government to look them in the eye and say that father is not coming back"
The UAV accurately hit the car. The attack on Abu Naama's car
Nahal Oz base, five IDF lookouts reuinting after their release from Gaza (Photo: Tal Shahar, IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Timeline of the battle:6:45 a.m.: Around 60 Nukhba terrorists storm the Nahal Oz base from land and by motorized paragliders under cover of heavy mortar and rocket fire.
7:05 a.m.: Terrorists reach the base’s command center and officers’ quarters. Most of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion was outside securing nearby Israeli communities. 7:50 a.m.: An Israeli Air Force drone strikes inside the base despite the chaos and risk of friendly fire, as some terrorists wear IDF uniforms.
8:30 a.m.: Hamas takes full control of the base, moving through shelters.9:00 a.m.: A second wave of 50 terrorists enters, setting fires. Kidnappings proceed unimpeded, with terrorists using IDF jeeps. 10:00 a.m.: Terrorists roam freely; a third wave of 100 Hamas operatives arrives. 12:00 p.m.: The base’s central command post is overrun and burned. First reinforcements arrive and engage in combat. 1:00 p.m.: The tide turns as IDF forces begin clearing the base.
Nahal Oz base (Photo: Tal Shahar)
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