π️Lonny's War Update- October 488, 2023 - February 5, 2025 π️
π️Day 488 that 79 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
*
Hostage Updates
Israeli team to Qatar lacks power to discuss 2nd phase, is only sent to prevent Hamas halting hostage releases
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has only agreed to send a negotiating team to Qatar to avoid giving Hamas a pretext to halt the ongoing hostage deal, and the delegation won’t be empowered to actually discuss the second phase of the ceasefire, according to Hebrew media reports.
Israel has said it will send a team to Doha, the Qatari capital, for talks in the coming days.
Under the initial ceasefire deal, talks on the second stage were set to have started from the 16th day of the truce, which was yesterday. The second stage would end the war and see the release of the remaining living hostages.
However, the Walla news site reports, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, that Netanyahu only agreed to send the team under pressure from the White House’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff to avoid a situation in which Hamas cites the lack of phase-two negotiations to stop freeing hostages as part of the deal’s ongoing first phase.
Moreover, Channel 13 news reports not only did Netanyahu have reservations about sending the delegation — it won’t even have the power to negotiate the terms of the second phase. link We are at a very dangerous point with the hostage deal. Netanyahu, for his personal and political reasons, is once again preparing to kill the continuation of the deal to phase 2. His exremist partners are once again threatening to bring down the government if phase 2 goes into effect and the war doesn't continue and Netanyahu will do anything to keep his government together and himself as prime minister. The lives of the hostages take a very far place in the background of his priorities. He is a disgrace and we will never forget that he is mostly responsible for bringing us October 7, for keeping the hostages in captivity and for the deaths of all those who could have been brought home alive. His hands are stained with their blood and his legacy will forever be as the worst and most dangerous prime minister in the history of Israel.
After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the negotiating team that he will dispatch to Qatar later this week will only be tasked with discussing technical issues regarding the agreement, US President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff indicates that the agenda will be more substantive.
Netanyahu reportedly publicized the limited mandate of the mid-level negotiating team due to pressure he is facing from far-right coalition partners who have threatened to collapse the government if Israel doesn’t resume fighting after the first phase and don’t even want the premier to hold negotiations regarding the second phase.
Asked how the US will respond if Netanyahu refuses to end the war, Witkoff tells reporters outside the White House that he met with the premier yesterday during which he discussed the issue. He notes the statement Netanyahu’s office issued.
“That’s a team that’s going there to negotiate all of these issues that we’re talking about,” Witkoff says.
While the deal stipulates that the sides were supposed to have started negotiations regarding the terms of the deal’s second phase yesterday — the 16th day of the agreement’s first phase — Witkoff tells reporters, “We’re in phase two now — we’re in day 17 of phase two.”
It is unclear what he means by this.
“We were able to get to the right place on phase one. We’re hopeful we’ll get to the right place on phase two,” Witkoff says, adding that Trump is committed to seeing the entire deal through.
Outside White House, hostage’s relatives urge Trump to ensure Netanyahu sees deal through
Dozens of Israelis, including hostage Matan Zangauker’s mother and girlfriend, are holding a rally outside the White House calling on US President Donald Trump to ensure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks to the ongoing hostage deal.
The rally is being held hours before Trump is slated to meet Netanyahu in the Oval Office.
Zangauker’s mother Einav and his girlfriend Ilana Gritzewsky — herself a former hostage released during the November 2023 hostage deal — address the crowd.
“Dear President Trump, I want to personally thank you for your commitment to freeing our hostages and ending the war,” Zangauker says into a megaphone.
“I am here as a deeply concerned mother who wants to hold her son again… a mother who expected her prime minister to do everything he can to free Israeli hostages. But instead, [Netanyahu] made excuses and favored political considerations [over making a] deal,” she says.
“The extremists in the government are trying to sabotage the agreement, but we will not give up and we will not leave a single hostage behind,” she adds, referring to Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners who have threatened to collapse the government if he doesn’t resume fighting against Hamas after the first phase ends early next month.
Reflecting on her time in captivity, Gritzewsky tells the crowd: “I know what [Matan] is going through right now — the silence, the helplessness, the terror of waking up every day wondering if today will be the day will we die, or the day the world will forget us.”
“President Trump, I know you don’t walk away. I know you don’t stop until the job is done, and that’s why I’m begging you — not as a politician, but as someone who has already shown the world what true leadership looks like: Please don’t stop now,” says Gritzewsky, who is wearing the hat her boyfriend had on when he was taken captive on October 7, 2023, which she has worn every day since her release.
“If this deal falls apart, the hostages will die. It is not a metaphor. It is true. You know it, I know it, and you are the only one who can stop it from happening. Please, President Trump, don’t let them be forgotten. Don’t let Matan die in darkness. You have already done the impossible. Now I’m begging you — finish what you started.” video 1 video 2
- **Held in a separate cell and lost about 15 kg: Testimonies from the captivity of Yarden Bibas** Yarden was held alone and was only taken out of his cell once a day to eat with other captives. When he saw his friend from the kibbutz passing through the tunnel, he asked the terrorists to let them stay together—but they refused. Some of the captives who returned in recent days said they met Hamas leader Sinwar during their captivity. His family in a statement at Sheba Hospital: "Yarden asks about Shiri and the children, and there are no answers for him. Three-quarters of our hearts are in captivity; we can no longer accept the uncertainty."
Alongside the fear for his family's lives, Yarden Bibas endured an extremely difficult captivity, marked by harsh conditions and psychological terror from his captors. Testimonies published this evening (Monday) on Channel 12 News reveal that Bibas was held alone in a cell in a tunnel and was only taken out once a day to eat with other captives. The terrorists refused to allow him to stay with his friend from the kibbutz, and he lost about 15 kg of his body weight.
In one instance, Yarden saw his friend from Kibbutz Nir Oz passing through the tunnel. He asked the terrorists to let him stay with his friend so they could support each other—but Hamas terrorists refused, which deeply affected him. Additionally, he was initially held in a small cell separate from his friends from Nir Oz. He was dressed in a galabiya and was only allowed out of the cell once a day to eat with other captives. At times, there was no food, and Bibas lost about 15 kg of his weight.
It was also revealed that Yarden thought his wife Shiri and their children, Ariel and Kfir, had stayed at home and survived. He tried to confirm this with the terrorists repeatedly—every day, every hour—until they decided to lie and told him that Shiri and the children had been seen in Tel Aviv.
**Yarden Bibas's testimony from captivity** The terrorists demanded that one of the female captives tell Yarden about the fate of Shiri and the children. She refused, and then they forced another captive, who, with a trembling voice and tears, had to update Yarden. Meanwhile, the terrorists recorded him during his most difficult moments.
**The Bibas family: Yarden, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir** However, as of this moment, there is no reliable information about the fate of Shiri and the children, Ariel and Kfir. The Bibas family demands that Israel complete the deal and provide them with certainty about their fate.
Additionally, some of the captives who returned in recent weeks said they met Hamas leader Sinwar during their captivity. Captives who returned in the previous deal also testified that they met Sinwar. It appears that the arch-terrorist regularly met with captives—in tunnels and safe houses.
**Yarden Bibas meeting his father and sister after his release from Hamas captivity | Photo: IDF Spokesperson**
"Yarden asks about Shiri and the children, and I have no answers for him." Yarden, who was released on Saturday after 484 days in Hamas captivity, is now at Sheba-Tel Hashomer Hospital, and this evening his family held a press statement to update on his condition. Ofri Bibas-Levy, Yarden's sister, said: "Yarden is here, and we rediscovered what we already knew—how strong and amazing he is. We learned how he kept himself together in hell, with the sensitivity and humor that so characterize him."
"There is a lot of information to process, some of it difficult and not easy to handle. We are taking each day as it comes, at his pace, accompanying him on this journey." Ofri also said that Yarden shared that he was moved to many locations during his captivity, held in harsh conditions, and for long periods, food was scarce, and hygiene conditions were poor. According to her, he lost a lot of weight, significant muscle mass, and was almost never exposed to sunlight.
**Yarden Bibas's testimony from captivity** "Yarden is discovering that he is no longer anonymous, how much he and his family are loved. This moves him, but it is also not easy to handle. He is learning and discovering the efforts to bring them back and expresses his deep and sincere appreciation to everyone. In his modest nature, he asks to maintain his privacy, and we ask that his request be respected," added his sister.
"Yarden's journey to recovery has only just begun, and it is clear that it will not be complete until his family—Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir—are home. Everything feels very fragile. My brother has returned, but my sister-in-law and nephews have not. Yarden asks about them, and I have no answers for him," said Ofri.
She reiterated the family's demand from the negotiation team, the government, and its leader to provide them with answers—"Yarden deserves it after all he has survived"—and added: "You made the right decision in favor of the deal. Its costs are heavy, but there is and will be no price for life, freedom, security, and restoring citizens' trust in the state."
**Yarden Bibas with his father and sister in a helicopter**
Following this, Dana Silberman-Siton, Shiri Bibas's sister, spoke. "After 15 months of hell, during which I lost my parents, my friends, and my younger and only sister Shiri, who was kidnapped with my nephews Ariel and Kfir and her husband Yarden to Gaza—the day before yesterday, I started breathing a little again, as Yarden returned to us," Dana began.
"I am overjoyed to have been able to hug him, hear his voice, and look into his eyes again. The look in Yarden's eyes is the same as the look in my eyes today as I address you, and we have one question—where are Shiri and the children? Three-quarters of our hearts are still in captivity, and until they are returned, we will remain incomplete," she said.
**The Bibas family's statement**
"This is the responsibility of the government and the state toward Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir. Toward Yarden. Toward me and toward our entire family. And also toward all Israeli citizens who are watching and asking whether the State of Israel knows how to protect its sons and daughters, whether the State of Israel knows how to bring everyone home."
Dana expressed her heavy-hearted gratitude to the IDF soldiers "who went into battle and fought for us" and to their families, concluding: "I turn to the Prime Minister and members of the government: Complete the deal in all its stages. Until the last captive. Do not let extremist voices blow up the deal. This is our commitment as a people to see everyone return. This is what distinguishes us from our enemies. Everyone—the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for a dignified burial." link
5 hostage soldiers were held by senior Hamas terrorist, served as human shields — reports
Five soldiers abducted by Hamas to Gaza were held in the home of a senior official in the Palestinian terror group’s military wing, who was apparently using them as human shields, several Hebrew media outlets report.
Liri Albag, Daniela Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy and Agam Berger — all recently freed as part of the current ceasefire deal — were reportedly held in an apartment. They described the Hamas figure as the most dominant in the apartment, issuing orders to others who were there. He would bring them food and make sure that they could shower, while “manipulating their feelings” and trying to get them to talk about intelligence the IDF had before the October 7, 2023, onslaught.
The soldiers reportedly said that whereas other terrorists who were guarding them treated the soldiers worse than they did civilian hostages they were guarding, the senior Hamas official played “the good cop” role while trying to draw from them information about IDF activity close to the border in the days before the mass invasion.
The freed captives are expected to be released tomorrow from the hospital for rehabilitation, except Berger, who was released after the others and will stay a few more days.
Romi Gonen in 1st public comments since she was freed: ‘I came out of the darkness into the light’
Romi Gonen in an undated photo uploaded to social media on February 5, 2025 (Instagram)
Romi Gonen in an undated photo uploaded to social media on February 5, 2025 (Instagram)In her first public comments since she was freed by Hamas last month, former hostage Romi Gonen says she “came out of the darkness into the light.”
Gonen says that she can finally join the initiative promoted before her release in which people would wear her beloved leopard print on Wednesday.
“Thank God I am finally home to be a part of it. There is no doubt that leopard print is an inseparable part of me and thanks to my family and friends, you have turned it into an exciting initiative designed to remember me and fight for me,” she writes on Instagram.
“After 471 days, I came out of the darkness into the light, and I was so excited to shout: ‘Dad, I am back alive, Dad!'” she writes.
“Thank you to my beloved family who did everything to bring me home. Thanks to you, I was able to maintain my sanity and faith,” she writes.
“Thank you to all my friends who became the ‘Romi army’ and to everyone who took part in the struggle, to the security forces who risked their lives for us, I will be forever grateful,” she writes. “Huge support and love to the bereaved families.”
“My recovery journey begins now and I have many more surgeries and treatments ahead of me, but the most important thing is that I am home,” she writes.
“We must not forget that there are 79 more kidnapped people in Gaza, who survive every day in terrible conditions and are just waiting for us to save them. My rehabilitation will not be complete until they are all home. We must bring them home!!!!”
Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and held hostage by terrorists in the Gaza Strip for 471 days.Returning Home: Five Released Observers Reunite with Their Families
The five female IDF observers who were held captive by Hamas are gradually being discharged from Beilinson Hospital, with crowds of supporters welcoming them in their neighborhoods. Liri Elbag: "An overwhelming feeling. We will fight for the return of all the hostages."
Naama Levy (l) and Liri Albag (R) returning home
The five observers, who were kidnapped on October 7 and held in captivity for over 15 months, are returning home today (Wednesday). The young women were released as part of the hostage deal and received initial medical treatment at Beilinson Hospital. Four of the freed hostages—Karina, Liri, Daniela, and Naama—chose to remain at the hospital for an additional week to wait for their friend Agam Berger, who was released about a week after them. Around their homes, neighbors have already gathered with flags, signs, and immense joy, eagerly awaiting their return.
Crowds are awaiting Karina Araev as she makes her way home to Pisgat Ze’ev.
Crowds are awaiting Daniela Gilboa as she makes her way home.
Naama Levi left the hospital in a vehicle, accompanied by a convoy cheering with joy, waving Israeli flags, and warmly embracing her as she was showered with love from passersby who called out to her and celebrated her return home.
Upon leaving the hospital, Liri Elbag expressed: "An overwhelming feeling. We will fight for the return of all the hostages." Her father, Eli Elbag, made an impromptu statement to the media: "You have given us so much strength. You gave it to us, and Liri saw you—all the people embracing her—and it gave her the strength to keep fighting." He added, "We will not celebrate until the last hostage returns. We will fight until everyone is home. When they all return, we will celebrate in every community and for the entire nation."
Hostage Updates
Israeli team to Qatar lacks power to discuss 2nd phase, is only sent to prevent Hamas halting hostage releases
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has only agreed to send a negotiating team to Qatar to avoid giving Hamas a pretext to halt the ongoing hostage deal, and the delegation won’t be empowered to actually discuss the second phase of the ceasefire, according to Hebrew media reports.
Israel has said it will send a team to Doha, the Qatari capital, for talks in the coming days.
Under the initial ceasefire deal, talks on the second stage were set to have started from the 16th day of the truce, which was yesterday. The second stage would end the war and see the release of the remaining living hostages.
However, the Walla news site reports, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, that Netanyahu only agreed to send the team under pressure from the White House’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff to avoid a situation in which Hamas cites the lack of phase-two negotiations to stop freeing hostages as part of the deal’s ongoing first phase.
Moreover, Channel 13 news reports not only did Netanyahu have reservations about sending the delegation — it won’t even have the power to negotiate the terms of the second phase. link We are at a very dangerous point with the hostage deal. Netanyahu, for his personal and political reasons, is once again preparing to kill the continuation of the deal to phase 2. His exremist partners are once again threatening to bring down the government if phase 2 goes into effect and the war doesn't continue and Netanyahu will do anything to keep his government together and himself as prime minister. The lives of the hostages take a very far place in the background of his priorities. He is a disgrace and we will never forget that he is mostly responsible for bringing us October 7, for keeping the hostages in captivity and for the deaths of all those who could have been brought home alive. His hands are stained with their blood and his legacy will forever be as the worst and most dangerous prime minister in the history of Israel.After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the negotiating team that he will dispatch to Qatar later this week will only be tasked with discussing technical issues regarding the agreement, US President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff indicates that the agenda will be more substantive.
Netanyahu reportedly publicized the limited mandate of the mid-level negotiating team due to pressure he is facing from far-right coalition partners who have threatened to collapse the government if Israel doesn’t resume fighting after the first phase and don’t even want the premier to hold negotiations regarding the second phase.
Asked how the US will respond if Netanyahu refuses to end the war, Witkoff tells reporters outside the White House that he met with the premier yesterday during which he discussed the issue. He notes the statement Netanyahu’s office issued.
“That’s a team that’s going there to negotiate all of these issues that we’re talking about,” Witkoff says.
While the deal stipulates that the sides were supposed to have started negotiations regarding the terms of the deal’s second phase yesterday — the 16th day of the agreement’s first phase — Witkoff tells reporters, “We’re in phase two now — we’re in day 17 of phase two.”
It is unclear what he means by this.
“We were able to get to the right place on phase one. We’re hopeful we’ll get to the right place on phase two,” Witkoff says, adding that Trump is committed to seeing the entire deal through.
Outside White House, hostage’s relatives urge Trump to ensure Netanyahu sees deal through
Dozens of Israelis, including hostage Matan Zangauker’s mother and girlfriend, are holding a rally outside the White House calling on US President Donald Trump to ensure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks to the ongoing hostage deal.
The rally is being held hours before Trump is slated to meet Netanyahu in the Oval Office.
Zangauker’s mother Einav and his girlfriend Ilana Gritzewsky — herself a former hostage released during the November 2023 hostage deal — address the crowd.
“Dear President Trump, I want to personally thank you for your commitment to freeing our hostages and ending the war,” Zangauker says into a megaphone.
“I am here as a deeply concerned mother who wants to hold her son again… a mother who expected her prime minister to do everything he can to free Israeli hostages. But instead, [Netanyahu] made excuses and favored political considerations [over making a] deal,” she says.
“The extremists in the government are trying to sabotage the agreement, but we will not give up and we will not leave a single hostage behind,” she adds, referring to Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners who have threatened to collapse the government if he doesn’t resume fighting against Hamas after the first phase ends early next month.
Reflecting on her time in captivity, Gritzewsky tells the crowd: “I know what [Matan] is going through right now — the silence, the helplessness, the terror of waking up every day wondering if today will be the day will we die, or the day the world will forget us.”
“President Trump, I know you don’t walk away. I know you don’t stop until the job is done, and that’s why I’m begging you — not as a politician, but as someone who has already shown the world what true leadership looks like: Please don’t stop now,” says Gritzewsky, who is wearing the hat her boyfriend had on when he was taken captive on October 7, 2023, which she has worn every day since her release.
“If this deal falls apart, the hostages will die. It is not a metaphor. It is true. You know it, I know it, and you are the only one who can stop it from happening. Please, President Trump, don’t let them be forgotten. Don’t let Matan die in darkness. You have already done the impossible. Now I’m begging you — finish what you started.” video 1 video 2
- **Held in a separate cell and lost about 15 kg: Testimonies from the captivity of Yarden Bibas**Yarden was held alone and was only taken out of his cell once a day to eat with other captives. When he saw his friend from the kibbutz passing through the tunnel, he asked the terrorists to let them stay together—but they refused. Some of the captives who returned in recent days said they met Hamas leader Sinwar during their captivity. His family in a statement at Sheba Hospital: "Yarden asks about Shiri and the children, and there are no answers for him. Three-quarters of our hearts are in captivity; we can no longer accept the uncertainty."Alongside the fear for his family's lives, Yarden Bibas endured an extremely difficult captivity, marked by harsh conditions and psychological terror from his captors. Testimonies published this evening (Monday) on Channel 12 News reveal that Bibas was held alone in a cell in a tunnel and was only taken out once a day to eat with other captives. The terrorists refused to allow him to stay with his friend from the kibbutz, and he lost about 15 kg of his body weight.In one instance, Yarden saw his friend from Kibbutz Nir Oz passing through the tunnel. He asked the terrorists to let him stay with his friend so they could support each other—but Hamas terrorists refused, which deeply affected him. Additionally, he was initially held in a small cell separate from his friends from Nir Oz. He was dressed in a galabiya and was only allowed out of the cell once a day to eat with other captives. At times, there was no food, and Bibas lost about 15 kg of his weight.It was also revealed that Yarden thought his wife Shiri and their children, Ariel and Kfir, had stayed at home and survived. He tried to confirm this with the terrorists repeatedly—every day, every hour—until they decided to lie and told him that Shiri and the children had been seen in Tel Aviv.**Yarden Bibas's testimony from captivity**The terrorists demanded that one of the female captives tell Yarden about the fate of Shiri and the children. She refused, and then they forced another captive, who, with a trembling voice and tears, had to update Yarden. Meanwhile, the terrorists recorded him during his most difficult moments.**The Bibas family: Yarden, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir**However, as of this moment, there is no reliable information about the fate of Shiri and the children, Ariel and Kfir. The Bibas family demands that Israel complete the deal and provide them with certainty about their fate.Additionally, some of the captives who returned in recent weeks said they met Hamas leader Sinwar during their captivity. Captives who returned in the previous deal also testified that they met Sinwar. It appears that the arch-terrorist regularly met with captives—in tunnels and safe houses.**Yarden Bibas meeting his father and sister after his release from Hamas captivity | Photo: IDF Spokesperson**"Yarden asks about Shiri and the children, and I have no answers for him."Yarden, who was released on Saturday after 484 days in Hamas captivity, is now at Sheba-Tel Hashomer Hospital, and this evening his family held a press statement to update on his condition. Ofri Bibas-Levy, Yarden's sister, said: "Yarden is here, and we rediscovered what we already knew—how strong and amazing he is. We learned how he kept himself together in hell, with the sensitivity and humor that so characterize him.""There is a lot of information to process, some of it difficult and not easy to handle. We are taking each day as it comes, at his pace, accompanying him on this journey." Ofri also said that Yarden shared that he was moved to many locations during his captivity, held in harsh conditions, and for long periods, food was scarce, and hygiene conditions were poor. According to her, he lost a lot of weight, significant muscle mass, and was almost never exposed to sunlight.**Yarden Bibas's testimony from captivity**"Yarden is discovering that he is no longer anonymous, how much he and his family are loved. This moves him, but it is also not easy to handle. He is learning and discovering the efforts to bring them back and expresses his deep and sincere appreciation to everyone. In his modest nature, he asks to maintain his privacy, and we ask that his request be respected," added his sister."Yarden's journey to recovery has only just begun, and it is clear that it will not be complete until his family—Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir—are home. Everything feels very fragile. My brother has returned, but my sister-in-law and nephews have not. Yarden asks about them, and I have no answers for him," said Ofri.She reiterated the family's demand from the negotiation team, the government, and its leader to provide them with answers—"Yarden deserves it after all he has survived"—and added: "You made the right decision in favor of the deal. Its costs are heavy, but there is and will be no price for life, freedom, security, and restoring citizens' trust in the state."**Yarden Bibas with his father and sister in a helicopter**Following this, Dana Silberman-Siton, Shiri Bibas's sister, spoke. "After 15 months of hell, during which I lost my parents, my friends, and my younger and only sister Shiri, who was kidnapped with my nephews Ariel and Kfir and her husband Yarden to Gaza—the day before yesterday, I started breathing a little again, as Yarden returned to us," Dana began."I am overjoyed to have been able to hug him, hear his voice, and look into his eyes again. The look in Yarden's eyes is the same as the look in my eyes today as I address you, and we have one question—where are Shiri and the children? Three-quarters of our hearts are still in captivity, and until they are returned, we will remain incomplete," she said.**The Bibas family's statement**"This is the responsibility of the government and the state toward Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir. Toward Yarden. Toward me and toward our entire family. And also toward all Israeli citizens who are watching and asking whether the State of Israel knows how to protect its sons and daughters, whether the State of Israel knows how to bring everyone home."Dana expressed her heavy-hearted gratitude to the IDF soldiers "who went into battle and fought for us" and to their families, concluding: "I turn to the Prime Minister and members of the government: Complete the deal in all its stages. Until the last captive. Do not let extremist voices blow up the deal. This is our commitment as a people to see everyone return. This is what distinguishes us from our enemies. Everyone—the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for a dignified burial." link
5 hostage soldiers were held by senior Hamas terrorist, served as human shields — reports
Five soldiers abducted by Hamas to Gaza were held in the home of a senior official in the Palestinian terror group’s military wing, who was apparently using them as human shields, several Hebrew media outlets report.
Liri Albag, Daniela Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy and Agam Berger — all recently freed as part of the current ceasefire deal — were reportedly held in an apartment. They described the Hamas figure as the most dominant in the apartment, issuing orders to others who were there. He would bring them food and make sure that they could shower, while “manipulating their feelings” and trying to get them to talk about intelligence the IDF had before the October 7, 2023, onslaught.
The soldiers reportedly said that whereas other terrorists who were guarding them treated the soldiers worse than they did civilian hostages they were guarding, the senior Hamas official played “the good cop” role while trying to draw from them information about IDF activity close to the border in the days before the mass invasion.
The freed captives are expected to be released tomorrow from the hospital for rehabilitation, except Berger, who was released after the others and will stay a few more days.
Romi Gonen in 1st public comments since she was freed: ‘I came out of the darkness into the light’
Romi Gonen in an undated photo uploaded to social media on February 5, 2025 (Instagram)
Romi Gonen in an undated photo uploaded to social media on February 5, 2025 (Instagram)In her first public comments since she was freed by Hamas last month, former hostage Romi Gonen says she “came out of the darkness into the light.”
Gonen says that she can finally join the initiative promoted before her release in which people would wear her beloved leopard print on Wednesday.
“Thank God I am finally home to be a part of it. There is no doubt that leopard print is an inseparable part of me and thanks to my family and friends, you have turned it into an exciting initiative designed to remember me and fight for me,” she writes on Instagram.
“After 471 days, I came out of the darkness into the light, and I was so excited to shout: ‘Dad, I am back alive, Dad!'” she writes.
“Thank you to my beloved family who did everything to bring me home. Thanks to you, I was able to maintain my sanity and faith,” she writes.
“Thank you to all my friends who became the ‘Romi army’ and to everyone who took part in the struggle, to the security forces who risked their lives for us, I will be forever grateful,” she writes. “Huge support and love to the bereaved families.”
“My recovery journey begins now and I have many more surgeries and treatments ahead of me, but the most important thing is that I am home,” she writes.
“We must not forget that there are 79 more kidnapped people in Gaza, who survive every day in terrible conditions and are just waiting for us to save them. My rehabilitation will not be complete until they are all home. We must bring them home!!!!”
Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and held hostage by terrorists in the Gaza Strip for 471 days.Returning Home: Five Released Observers Reunite with Their Families
The five female IDF observers who were held captive by Hamas are gradually being discharged from Beilinson Hospital, with crowds of supporters welcoming them in their neighborhoods. Liri Elbag: "An overwhelming feeling. We will fight for the return of all the hostages."
Naama Levy (l) and Liri Albag (R) returning homeThe five observers, who were kidnapped on October 7 and held in captivity for over 15 months, are returning home today (Wednesday). The young women were released as part of the hostage deal and received initial medical treatment at Beilinson Hospital. Four of the freed hostages—Karina, Liri, Daniela, and Naama—chose to remain at the hospital for an additional week to wait for their friend Agam Berger, who was released about a week after them. Around their homes, neighbors have already gathered with flags, signs, and immense joy, eagerly awaiting their return.
Crowds are awaiting Karina Araev as she makes her way home to Pisgat Ze’ev.
Crowds are awaiting Daniela Gilboa as she makes her way home.Naama Levi left the hospital in a vehicle, accompanied by a convoy cheering with joy, waving Israeli flags, and warmly embracing her as she was showered with love from passersby who called out to her and celebrated her return home.
Upon leaving the hospital, Liri Elbag expressed: "An overwhelming feeling. We will fight for the return of all the hostages." Her father, Eli Elbag, made an impromptu statement to the media: "You have given us so much strength. You gave it to us, and Liri saw you—all the people embracing her—and it gave her the strength to keep fighting." He added, "We will not celebrate until the last hostage returns. We will fight until everyone is home. When they all return, we will celebrate in every community and for the entire nation."
Gaza and the South
- US officials defend Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans: He thinks it’s ‘inhumane’ to keep them there during long reconstruction
WASHINGTON — Two of US President Donald Trump’s senior aides offer further detail regarding his recent comments on the reconstruction of Gaza and his idea for Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians while that process takes place.
“President Trump looks at the Gaza Strip and sees it as a demolition site, sees it as impractical for it to be rebuilt within three to five years, believes it will take at least 10 to 15 and thinks it is inhumane to force people to live in an uninhabitable plot of land with unexploded ordnances and rubble,” the first senior US official says during a briefing with reporters.
Trump “is looking for solutions to help the people of Gaza have normal lives while the Gaza Strip is being rebuilt, and he is trying to look at this in a realistic way,” says the senior official.
A second senior US official notes that Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza last week, becoming the first American official to do so in 15 years. He was struck by how unrealistic the five-year reconstruction timeline included in the May 2023 ceasefire proposal put forward by former US president Joe Biden was.
“You’ll need things like a geotechnical survey. There’s no utility, there’s disease, there’s [no running] water. You couldn’t get an ambulance through there, even if you wanted to right now, so it really is quite uninhabitable,” the second official says.
Notably, the US officials don’t reiterate Trump’s call for Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians — a demand that both countries have rejected.
The Trump aides stress that the US wants to work with its Arab allies and Israel to come up with “creative solutions to this challenge.”
One of the officials says that they met yesterday with a group of Arab ambassadors to discuss the matter.
“This is not going to be something that the United States is going to solve alone and not something that we’re going to impose on Arab[s] and Israel, rather, we’re asking our friends and partners and allies to come together as we look for solutions we can provide that would be humane and provide dignity for the Palestinian people,” the official adds.
Leaders of Egypt, Jordan discuss ‘united Arab position’ after Trump invites
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi speaks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, stressing the need to adopt a united position that would help achieve regional peace.
According to Sissi’s office, the phone call addressed “developments in the region,” including the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the need for “the rapid reconstruction” of the territory.
The two leaders “stressed the need to commit to the united Arab position calling for reaching permanent peace in the Middle East,” the Egyptian presidency’s statement adds.
Egypt and Jordan, both key US allies, have been under pressure to accept a proposal by US President Donald Trump to “clean out” the Gaza Strip by temporarily sending Palestinians to their territories during Gaza’s reconstruction.
Cairo and Amman have issued repeated strong rejections while making overtures to their Washington ally. link Trump probably envisions rebuilding Gaza to be like a resort so he can build some of his hotels and apartment buildings there. In order to get the best prices, he would need to get rid of all the riff raff, in other words, the Gazans. It is a ridiculous and internationally illegal plan of forced displacement of a local population under a military occupation.
Rebuilding Gaza with 2 million refugees and all of the rubble of 80% destruction of all of the buildings and infrastructure will be a monumental task that will require huge international funding and very difficult and complicated civil engineering. Much of the financing will come from the Gulf Countries but only when Hamas is no longer ruling and specifically, the PA is the government in Gaza. It would be wise to bring in the Chinese to perform the actual demolition and building. The are the most efficient and fastest builders in the world today and are best equipped for such a task. And it can all be done without Trump's forced transfer.
Empty Gaza of all its residents and settle them around the world | Trump's plan, alongside Netanyahu
WASHINGTON — Two of US President Donald Trump’s senior aides offer further detail regarding his recent comments on the reconstruction of Gaza and his idea for Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians while that process takes place.
“President Trump looks at the Gaza Strip and sees it as a demolition site, sees it as impractical for it to be rebuilt within three to five years, believes it will take at least 10 to 15 and thinks it is inhumane to force people to live in an uninhabitable plot of land with unexploded ordnances and rubble,” the first senior US official says during a briefing with reporters.
Trump “is looking for solutions to help the people of Gaza have normal lives while the Gaza Strip is being rebuilt, and he is trying to look at this in a realistic way,” says the senior official.
A second senior US official notes that Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza last week, becoming the first American official to do so in 15 years. He was struck by how unrealistic the five-year reconstruction timeline included in the May 2023 ceasefire proposal put forward by former US president Joe Biden was.
“You’ll need things like a geotechnical survey. There’s no utility, there’s disease, there’s [no running] water. You couldn’t get an ambulance through there, even if you wanted to right now, so it really is quite uninhabitable,” the second official says.
Notably, the US officials don’t reiterate Trump’s call for Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians — a demand that both countries have rejected.
The Trump aides stress that the US wants to work with its Arab allies and Israel to come up with “creative solutions to this challenge.”
One of the officials says that they met yesterday with a group of Arab ambassadors to discuss the matter.
“This is not going to be something that the United States is going to solve alone and not something that we’re going to impose on Arab[s] and Israel, rather, we’re asking our friends and partners and allies to come together as we look for solutions we can provide that would be humane and provide dignity for the Palestinian people,” the official adds.
Leaders of Egypt, Jordan discuss ‘united Arab position’ after Trump invites
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi speaks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, stressing the need to adopt a united position that would help achieve regional peace.
According to Sissi’s office, the phone call addressed “developments in the region,” including the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the need for “the rapid reconstruction” of the territory.
The two leaders “stressed the need to commit to the united Arab position calling for reaching permanent peace in the Middle East,” the Egyptian presidency’s statement adds.
Egypt and Jordan, both key US allies, have been under pressure to accept a proposal by US President Donald Trump to “clean out” the Gaza Strip by temporarily sending Palestinians to their territories during Gaza’s reconstruction.
Cairo and Amman have issued repeated strong rejections while making overtures to their Washington ally. link Trump probably envisions rebuilding Gaza to be like a resort so he can build some of his hotels and apartment buildings there. In order to get the best prices, he would need to get rid of all the riff raff, in other words, the Gazans. It is a ridiculous and internationally illegal plan of forced displacement of a local population under a military occupation.
Rebuilding Gaza with 2 million refugees and all of the rubble of 80% destruction of all of the buildings and infrastructure will be a monumental task that will require huge international funding and very difficult and complicated civil engineering. Much of the financing will come from the Gulf Countries but only when Hamas is no longer ruling and specifically, the PA is the government in Gaza. It would be wise to bring in the Chinese to perform the actual demolition and building. The are the most efficient and fastest builders in the world today and are best equipped for such a task. And it can all be done without Trump's forced transfer.
Empty Gaza of all its residents and settle them around the world | Trump's plan, alongside Netanyahu
The US president and the prime minister are now meeting in the Oval Office, in what could shape the face of the Middle East for years to come; Trump spoke about removing Palestinians from Gaza forever: 'Who would want to go back there? There is nothing but death and destruction'; Netanyahu on Israel's goals in the war: 'Hamas will not remain in Gaza'
Later, President Trump was asked about his relocation plan for Gazans - and he again claimed that the Palestinians should be evacuated from the Strip, while unlike previous times he now called for "resettlement" of them permanently outside the Strip.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri says US President Donald Trump’s remarks about taking over the Gaza Strip are “ridiculous” and “absurd.”
“Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region,” Abu Zuhri tells Reuters.
The response from the Palestinian terror group comes hours after Trump said he wants the US to “take over” Gaza and “own” the Strip in order to rebuild the coastal enclave after it was leveled in the past 15 months of war.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous bombs and other weapons on the site… and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out [and] create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” Trump said during a press conference alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump didn’t specify who those jobs will be for, given that he is also calling for all Palestinians to be removed from Gaza. Link trump has no boundaries or limitations he believes that anything he says is genius and should be done for him and his corrupt family, Gaza is a real estate deal
"I don't think people should be going back," Trump said. "You can't live in Gaza right now. I think we need another location. I think it should be a location that's going to make people happy. You look over the decades, it's all death in Gaza. This has been happening for years. It's all death. If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what's happening in Gaza."
He added that "I hope we can do something nice, why would they want to go back? This place is hell, it's the worst place in the world." He emphasized, however, that he does not support Israeli settlements in Gaza: "I don't see it happening. It's too dangerous. Nobody would want to live there, soldiers don't want to be there, so how would people want to settle it? The best way is to get out, find nice, open places with sunlight, they (the Palestinians) wouldn't want to go back to Gaza." Link Trump’s idiotic and patently illegal plan just got worse. Now, there are no heirs about temporary resettlement or limiting the numbers to be transferred temporarily. He lad it out quite clearly. He wants to transfer all Gazans and for it to be permanent. In some of my previous posts, I mentioned the idea that trump is envisioning trump hotels and apartment buildings. I now think he also envisions a trump golf course on the Gaza beach with the Mediterranean as its backdrop. In order for this to be a profitable endeavor, he needs to change the local population. His permanent transfer plan does exactly that. He is not an altruistic person looking out for the best interests of Gazans nor for israeilis. He looks first and foremost at what is good for him.
European ministers come out against Trump’s Gaza plan: ‘Unacceptable and against international law’
Foreign ministers from a number of European countries come out against US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and relocate its entire population.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says in a statement, “A displacement of the Palestinian civilian population from Gaza would not just be unacceptable and against international law. This would also lead to new suffering and new hatred.”
She says that there must not be a solution “over the heads of the Palestinians” and a negotiated two-state solution remains the only one.
France “will continue to campaign for the implementation of the two-state solution, the only one that can guarantee long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the French foreign ministry says, adding that the future of Gaza must not involve “control by a third state.”
British Foreign Minister David Lammy says at a news conference during a trip to Kyiv, “We’ve always been clear in our belief that we must see two states. We must see Palestinians live and prosper in their homelands in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also rejects the proposal. “I want to be very clear on this: Gaza is the land of Gazan Palestinians and they must stay in Gaza,” Albares tells reporters.
“Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state Spain supports and has to coexist guaranteeing the Israeli state’s prosperity and safety,” he adds.
Settler leaders welcome Trump’s Gaza proposal: Israel should ‘adopt the vision today, translate it into action’ link Of course, the settler leaders and all their messianic followers are buying into Trump's forced transfer, ethnic cleansing plan. They don't care whether it is ethnic cleansing or genocide or whatever other charges the world wants to bring up about this horrendously disgusting plan as long as it goes along with their messianic ideology.
Ben Gvir: If PM starts to implement Trump’s Gaza plan, Otzma Yehudit will return to coalition. - this is one of Netanyahu's main motivations for supporting Trump's stupid and illegal real estate development plan. Both Ben Gvir and Smotrich will fully support any government action and decisions that will support Trump's racist plan.
- After meeting Palestinian Authority PM, Egypt FM calls for Gaza reconstruction ‘without Palestinians leaving’
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty calls for the swift reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of Palestinians from the territory following a surprise proposal from US President Donald Trump to take it over.
In his talks with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Cairo, the two men agree on “the importance of moving forward with early recovery projects… at an accelerated pace… without the Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip, especially with their commitment to their land and refusal to leave it,” the Egyptian foreign ministry says.
PA’s Abbas strongly rejects Trump proposal: ‘Legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable’
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas expresses “strong rejection” of US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over the Gaza Strip.
“President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership expressed their strong rejection of calls to seize the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians outside their homeland,” Abbas’s office says in a statement, adding that “legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable.”
- In one blow: Trump reopened the deep wound of the Palestinians It is impossible not to take seriously such a statement from the most powerful man in the world, whose promises stir up all the historical traumas of the region. Trump is currently achieving what no one has managed before him: uniting the entire Arab world—against him. Ohad Hemo, commentary.
In February 2023, the ground shook in Turkey and Syria. In September, it struck Morocco. The elders of Safed still remember the earthquake of 1927. But even in the earthquake-experienced Middle Eastern neighborhood, no tectonic movement, no matter how strong, can compare to the massive shifts that have begun in recent weeks, culminating tonight (between Tuesday and Wednesday). All it took was a statement from the leader of the world's most powerful nation, who is trying to change the order of the Arab and Muslim world and touch the holy of holies—the Palestinian arena. Did we say touch? Change, shift, rebuild, even create.
Meanwhile, Trump is succeeding where no one has before—uniting the entire Arab world. Against the plan, of course. And we need to understand why: the evacuation of Gaza, like any point between the river and the sea, touches the most exposed nerves of the Arab world, resonating with the trauma of the Nakba of 1948, the departure, abandonment, and flight from Palestine. Its abandonment, God forbid, to the Jews, representatives of the West. That original sin for hundreds of millions in this neighborhood still haunts them today. Seventy-six years later, an American president comes along proposing to renew the "Nakba" for them, this time voluntarily, just months after the images from Gaza that spoke exactly this language in the collective Arab memory.
Anyone who has ever visited Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and certainly in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and spoken with the residents there, children and adults alike, will surely recognize the answer to the question—where are you from? The answer, as if prepared in advance, will point to the village, town, or city from which the family came and left or was expelled in 1948. Moreover, the heart of the Palestinian ethos is the concept of "sumud," steadfastness, which was established at the Baghdad Conference in 1978 and supposedly guarantees that such a Nakba will never happen again.
But there are those who threaten that it will return, and it's not just another politician from the back benches of the Israeli Knesset. This is the most powerful man in the world. Incidentally, perhaps surprisingly, his plan resonates with the desire of many Palestinians in Gaza to emigrate, even before the war. Surveys in Gaza on the eve of the war were persistent, indicating that a third of the residents of the Strip wanted to emigrate. Today, the numbers are likely much higher, considering that Gaza is a place where large parts are unfit for human habitation. Egypt and Jordan, by the way, are less enticing destinations, but it is reasonable to assume that if Western countries or countries promising a better life open their doors, the initial trickle will turn into a flood of departures.
But there is life itself, and there is the idea. And if we return to the latter, the Palestinian issue has never belonged solely to the Palestinians. On the contrary, it has long been taken from them and serves as a political tool and emotional means for the millions around them. They will likely find it very difficult to see the plan implemented. Therefore, it is not surprising that the two reluctant sponsors, the important countries expected to absorb the Palestinians, Egypt and Jordan, are opposing it. The fear of King Abdullah and President el-Sisi is that what would be perceived as a betrayal of the Palestinian issue would ignite the anger of the masses at home.
And so too Saudi Arabia, the one supposed to be the grand prize. Contrary to Trump's words, Saudi Arabia was quick to clarify that it opposes the plan and that normalization goes through a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia is saying what is expected of the leader of the Sunni world, the center of Islam, the ideological patron of the Palestinian issue, and the place from which the Saudi peace plan between the Arab world and Israel emerged. It is very possible that Saudi Arabia will settle for a roadmap, an Israeli declaration that it is willing to move towards a Palestinian state. However, it is highly doubtful that this giant state will grant the reward of normalization without Israeli consent to a Palestinian state or, alternatively, with quiet consent to Gandhi's (Rehavam Ze'evi, former right wing policition known as Ghandi) plan—transfer from Gaza. link
- (Gershon Baskin, February 5, 2025)Trump, in Shock Announcement, Says U.S. Will Take Over Gaza After Permanently Displacing PalestiniansThe U.S. President unveiled his plan at a White House press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who immediately endorsed the plan, saying 'Trump is taking it to a much higher level'
Trump is correct that rebuilding a demolition zone with more than 2 million people living there is very difficult and life for the people there will be total hell. The Palestinian people in Gaza are already quite adjusted to living in total hell, but that is not an excuse not to think about alternatives. Trump’s statement that the people of Gaza deserve to live decent lives is absolutely true. It is the surest way of ensuring that they will not be bitter, full or rage and hate and wanting revenge. Trump has as much right to claim Gaza as he does to claim Greenland or any other part of the world. Netanyahu is a political schemer who has already proven that he joins hands with other criminals to secure his own political future at the expense of his own people. But let’s challenge Trump and Netanyahu with some additional ideas:
With that in mind, here are some modifications to the Trump-Netanyahu plans:
1. Gazans are used to living on the coast. They are used to breathing the fresh sea air and to be able to go and walk along the beaches of Gaza. The newly named “Gulf of America” in Trump’s sunny Florida has amazing beaches with a lot more space than the short shores of Gaza. Florida and Gaza specialized for many years in growing oranges and Gaza’s agricultural sector once provided for 1/12 of Israel’s fresh produce and a large percentage of the fresh produce for Gaza. Florida has many small colleges and lots of schools for a population which is aging – Gaza’s youth can fill those schools with fresh young minds. I am quite sure that Florida can accommodate two million Gazans for a few years while Trump rebuilds Gaza with nice neighborhoods, beach side hotels and resorts, casinos and gold courses. OR…..
2. For a period of 3-5 years, every country that has refused to recognize the State of Palestine and have continually denied Palestinians their right of self-determination should be required to accept a percentage of the Gaza population while Gaza is being rebuilt. The list of countries that have denied Palestinians the right of self-determination begins with Israel and the USA, but it also includes the UK, Australia, Finland, Canada, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and many more. Their denial of Palestinian national rights has contributed to the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and should those countries which have refused to recognize Palestine should now be required to pay the price for their denial. Many of the countries listed about have stated that they would recognize the State of Palestine when the time is right. Well, the time has never been more right, so it is now time to pay for tardiness and failure to do the right thing at the right time.
3. The billions of dollars and crypto currencies reported to be in the accounts of Palestinian leaders from various factions who are now billionaires needs to be confiscated to contribute to the rebuilding of Gaza. Those are the Palestinian billionaires in Qatar, in Amman, in Ramallah and other places who have stolen the money of the Palestinian people need to contribute now to the rebuilding of Gaza. I am quite sure that there are ways to locate that money and to steal it back from the thieves who took it in the first place.
In all seriousness, Trump seemed very serious, but I remind us all that he was also very serious about the Mexican wall that the Mexicans would pay for. He has made many policy statements over the years that remain in the air and never are implemented.
As serious people we need to say out loud that the first people who will decide on the reconstruction of Gaza are the Palestinian people.
• The Great United States of America has no right to relocate Palestinians (force them to be transferred out of Gaza).
• The USA has no right to make decision for the Palestinian people.
• The State of Israel has no right to make decisions for the Palestinian people.
• No people can legally or morally be forced to evacuate their own homeland.
• No Israeli leaders or US leader has the right to build Israeli settlements in Gaza and this should never be done again.
• Israel has a strategic responsibility to see that Gaza is rebuilt in a way that provides the millions there with the chance of living a decent life.
• The Palestinian people have a strategic responsibility to ensure that they are being led by people and political parties that understand that there is no viable armed struggle that does not lead to their death and destruction.
• The Israeli people have a strategic responsibility to ensure that they are being led by people and political parties that understand that there is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that Israel must recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in a state of their own next to Israel on the lands that Israel occupied in 1967.
• The future of our region may very well be in the hands of Saudi Arabia. If Saudi Arabia stands firmly on their commitment to link normalization with Israel with Palestinian statehood, we might actually have a way out of this conflict. With that in mind I am encouraged by the official statement that has come out of Saudi Arabia.
- Israel won’t relent on demand Hamas cede control of Gaza, senior Israeli official quoted as saying
Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, a member of the premier’s entourage is cited by Channel 12 news as saying Israel will not relent on its demand that Hamas disarm and cede control of Gaza.
“Israel cannot give up on [the requirement for] the end of Hamas’s control of Gaza and the demilitarization of the Strip as part of the agreements that will enable the continuation of the [current hostage-ceasefire] deal,” the official tells the news outlet.
“Hamas cannot be involved in any way in the running of Gaza. If Hamas does not accept this, then the US must support Israel in fighting [against Hamas in Gaza] in a different way from the way we were able to fight in the Biden administration era.”
Senior Trump officials have indicated recently that the administration backs the idea that Hamas must go, but the president also says that he wants the fighting to end, with all hostages freed. link A 'senior Israeli official' means it's coming from Netanyahu but allows him deniability, if needed. The fact that Hamas is still in control of Gaza is all on Netanyahu. He refused to put in any governing body that has anything to do with the Palestinian Authority.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty calls for the swift reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of Palestinians from the territory following a surprise proposal from US President Donald Trump to take it over.
In his talks with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Cairo, the two men agree on “the importance of moving forward with early recovery projects… at an accelerated pace… without the Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip, especially with their commitment to their land and refusal to leave it,” the Egyptian foreign ministry says.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas expresses “strong rejection” of US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over the Gaza Strip.
“President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership expressed their strong rejection of calls to seize the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians outside their homeland,” Abbas’s office says in a statement, adding that “legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable.”
• The Great United States of America has no right to relocate Palestinians (force them to be transferred out of Gaza).
• The USA has no right to make decision for the Palestinian people.
• The State of Israel has no right to make decisions for the Palestinian people.
• No people can legally or morally be forced to evacuate their own homeland.
• No Israeli leaders or US leader has the right to build Israeli settlements in Gaza and this should never be done again.
• Israel has a strategic responsibility to see that Gaza is rebuilt in a way that provides the millions there with the chance of living a decent life.
• The Palestinian people have a strategic responsibility to ensure that they are being led by people and political parties that understand that there is no viable armed struggle that does not lead to their death and destruction.
• The Israeli people have a strategic responsibility to ensure that they are being led by people and political parties that understand that there is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that Israel must recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in a state of their own next to Israel on the lands that Israel occupied in 1967.
• The future of our region may very well be in the hands of Saudi Arabia. If Saudi Arabia stands firmly on their commitment to link normalization with Israel with Palestinian statehood, we might actually have a way out of this conflict. With that in mind I am encouraged by the official statement that has come out of Saudi Arabia.
Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, a member of the premier’s entourage is cited by Channel 12 news as saying Israel will not relent on its demand that Hamas disarm and cede control of Gaza.
“Israel cannot give up on [the requirement for] the end of Hamas’s control of Gaza and the demilitarization of the Strip as part of the agreements that will enable the continuation of the [current hostage-ceasefire] deal,” the official tells the news outlet.
“Hamas cannot be involved in any way in the running of Gaza. If Hamas does not accept this, then the US must support Israel in fighting [against Hamas in Gaza] in a different way from the way we were able to fight in the Biden administration era.”
Senior Trump officials have indicated recently that the administration backs the idea that Hamas must go, but the president also says that he wants the fighting to end, with all hostages freed. link A 'senior Israeli official' means it's coming from Netanyahu but allows him deniability, if needed. The fact that Hamas is still in control of Gaza is all on Netanyahu. He refused to put in any governing body that has anything to do with the Palestinian Authority.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- Qatar urges Israeli pullout from Lebanon, pledges to help rebuild country after gov’t is formed
Qatar’s prime minister says during a visit to Beirut that Doha will help Lebanon rebuild after a devastating Hezbollah-Israel war, but only after a new government is formed.
Reeling from years of crisis and conflict, Lebanon has pinned hopes on wealthy Gulf states to fund reconstruction, with Qatar having been heavily involved in such efforts after the 2006 Second Lebanon War between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group.
“When it comes to economic support and support for reconstruction, there is no doubt that the State of Qatar will be there,” Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani tells reporters after meeting Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun.
“We look forward to ongoing efforts to form a government, and after that, we will discuss these files,” Al-Thani says, adding that he looks forward to forming “a strategic partnership” with Lebanon.
Al-Thani is set to meet other senior officials during what he describes as a “visit of support,” including prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam, who has been tasked with forming a government, though efforts have stalled.
Qatar was among five countries, including the United States, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which lobbied heavily for Lebanon to elect a president last month and end a two-year vacuum due to political deadlock.
A fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire has been in place since November 27, after more than a year of hostilities sparked unprovoked by the terror group, including two months of all-out war.
Al-Thani says it is crucial for Israeli troops to “adhere to the agreement on the withdrawal… from southern Lebanon,” without making similar comments about Hezbollah, which similarly must withdraw from southern Lebanon by February 18.
- Qatar urges Israeli pullout from Lebanon, pledges to help rebuild country after gov’t is formed
Qatar’s prime minister says during a visit to Beirut that Doha will help Lebanon rebuild after a devastating Hezbollah-Israel war, but only after a new government is formed.
Reeling from years of crisis and conflict, Lebanon has pinned hopes on wealthy Gulf states to fund reconstruction, with Qatar having been heavily involved in such efforts after the 2006 Second Lebanon War between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group.
“When it comes to economic support and support for reconstruction, there is no doubt that the State of Qatar will be there,” Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani tells reporters after meeting Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun.
“We look forward to ongoing efforts to form a government, and after that, we will discuss these files,” Al-Thani says, adding that he looks forward to forming “a strategic partnership” with Lebanon.
Al-Thani is set to meet other senior officials during what he describes as a “visit of support,” including prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam, who has been tasked with forming a government, though efforts have stalled.
Qatar was among five countries, including the United States, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which lobbied heavily for Lebanon to elect a president last month and end a two-year vacuum due to political deadlock.
A fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire has been in place since November 27, after more than a year of hostilities sparked unprovoked by the terror group, including two months of all-out war.
Al-Thani says it is crucial for Israeli troops to “adhere to the agreement on the withdrawal… from southern Lebanon,” without making similar comments about Hezbollah, which similarly must withdraw from southern Lebanon by February 18.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
The Region and the World
- Sharaa to discuss defense pact with Erdogan, including Turkish airbases in Syria, sources say
Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are expected to discuss a joint defense pact in Ankara today, including establishing Turkish airbases in central Syria and training for Syria’s new army, four sources familiar with the matter say.
NATO member Turkey has long backed Syria’s armed and political opposition to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in late December in a lightning offensive spearheaded by Sharaa’s forces.
Ankara is positioning itself to play a major role in the new Syria, filling a vacuum left by Assad’s main regional backer Iran, in an expansion of Turkish sway that could spark rivalry with Gulf Arab states and put Israel on edge.
The sources – a Syrian security official, two Damascus-based foreign security sources and a senior regional intelligence official – speak on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media about the meeting.
This is the first time that elements of any strategic defense arrangement by Syria’s new leaders, including details of additional Turkish bases, have come to light.
The pact could see Turkey establish new air bases in Syria, use Syrian airspace for military purposes, and take a lead role in training troops in Syria’s new army, the sources say.
Syria’s new leadership has dissolved the army and its various rebel factions, and is working on integrating them into a new military command.
The sources say the deal is not expected to be finalized today.
Personal Stories
Andrei Kozlov
Aged 27, was freed by our forces after 246 days in Hamas captivity"On Thursday, a guy came to me and removed my blindfold. He signaled to me with gestures, 'I, tomorrow, will film you, and I will kill you,' with a shooting gesture. And I thought, 'So this will be the end of my story? In this way? Really?' Of course, I didn't sleep at all that night afterward."
Almog Meir Jan (22)
Almog was abducted from the Nova festival and rescued by our forces after 246 days in Hamas captivity. Photo: "Uvda"
"Our captor was an unstable person, a psychopath. We were terrified of encountering a day when he was in a bad mood. It was enough for the smallest thing to happen, and suddenly he would get an idea: to punish you."
Noa Argamani
Aged 26, rescued by our forces after 246 days in Hamas captivity
On the rescue: "At first, I thought they were messing with me, and I didn’t move from the spot. He (a soldier) asked me, 'Can I lift you onto my shoulder?' That’s when I realized it was happening... The soldiers were brave – it was a matter of seconds, and I might not have been here today."
Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are expected to discuss a joint defense pact in Ankara today, including establishing Turkish airbases in central Syria and training for Syria’s new army, four sources familiar with the matter say.
NATO member Turkey has long backed Syria’s armed and political opposition to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in late December in a lightning offensive spearheaded by Sharaa’s forces.
Ankara is positioning itself to play a major role in the new Syria, filling a vacuum left by Assad’s main regional backer Iran, in an expansion of Turkish sway that could spark rivalry with Gulf Arab states and put Israel on edge.
The sources – a Syrian security official, two Damascus-based foreign security sources and a senior regional intelligence official – speak on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media about the meeting.
This is the first time that elements of any strategic defense arrangement by Syria’s new leaders, including details of additional Turkish bases, have come to light.
The pact could see Turkey establish new air bases in Syria, use Syrian airspace for military purposes, and take a lead role in training troops in Syria’s new army, the sources say.
Syria’s new leadership has dissolved the army and its various rebel factions, and is working on integrating them into a new military command.
The sources say the deal is not expected to be finalized today.
"Our captor was an unstable person, a psychopath. We were terrified of encountering a day when he was in a bad mood. It was enough for the smallest thing to happen, and suddenly he would get an idea: to punish you."
On the rescue: "At first, I thought they were messing with me, and I didn’t move from the spot. He (a soldier) asked me, 'Can I lift you onto my shoulder?' That’s when I realized it was happening... The soldiers were brave – it was a matter of seconds, and I might not have been here today."
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
On Two LegendsZeruya ShalevWriter.
An ancient legend, found in a book of the 12th century, tells us how the entire world of the Torah was saved thanks to the observance of the “Redemption of Captives” mitzvah. Rabbi Abraham Ibn Daud Halevy writes in the Book of Tradition (Sefer HaQabbalah) about four Torah scholars who had left Babylon on a ship in order to collect money for bridal dowries, and were then kidnapped and sold to slavery, each in a different land.Thanks to the mutual responsibility of Jews across the continents, the four were redeemed by different communities, and each of them founded a thriving Halacha center in his new country for the advancement of Torah studies.Although the story’s historic credibility has never been verified, the legend bears better than a million witnesses to the immense importance of this mitzvah in Jewish tradition, as well as to the immense blessing it embeds. In contrast, the nightmarish legend which is being written now will tell the next generations a tale of a heartless and unscrupulous tyrant, who has put the stability of his regime above the redemption of hostages, for whose abandonment he is responsible. It will tell of a coward, who tried to avoid a moral and sacred obligation, and polluted it with political considerations. It will tell of a parsimonious tyrant who was not ready to pay the price, although he asked his subjects to make the greatest sacrifice of all. It will tell of a lying tyrant, who deceived his people and tricked his allies. It will tell of a vindictive and hedonistic tyrant who was engaged in his own private interests, and those of his family. It will tell of a deceiving tyrant who betrayed not only the one and sole Jewish state but also the Jewish tradition that he and his government pretended to represent.In contrast to Abraham, the father of our nation, who went to war in order to liberate Lot and his people from captivity, the tyrant—the destroyer of the nation—disregards his most vital and urgent duty. There is no bigger mitzvah than the redemption of captives, says Maimonides, and the Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch) adds that any delay of their redemption is like shedding blood. Indeed, so much blood has already been shed. Woe to the people who suffer such leaders, woe to the leader with such a legacy. Hopefully, the story will have a good ending, and will not be one of complete destruction.Only with the redemption of our sisters and brothers in Gaza will we be able to begin to recover. I look at their pictures again and again: one could have been my daughter, the other my son. They are so close, yet so far. They are so close to our hearts, and are yet so abandoned. They are so loved, and yet so abandoned. Only with them, will we be able to call this place home.
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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