🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 490, 2023 - February 7, 2025 🎗️
🎗️Day 490 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!אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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Hostage Updates
Yesterday was Avinatan Or's 32nd birthday, his 2nd while in Hamas captivity (story of Avinatan as told by his mother, below)
- **Hamas Has Yet to Submit a List, Israeli Source: "If It Is Not Sent, It Is a Serious Violation"**
Israel is waiting to receive the names of the hostages scheduled to be released tomorrow. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently in Washington, is in no rush to send a delegation to Qatar to discuss the second phase of the deal. Instead, he appears to be content with sending lower-level officials to focus on implementing the first phase. The Hostage Families Headquarters is demanding that the delegation be given a clear mandate, as concerns about the next steps grow.
Israel is awaiting the names of the hostages to be released in the fifth wave of the first phase, which is expected to take place tomorrow (Saturday). An Israeli official said this afternoon that if there is a violation and Israel does not receive the list, it will "view this seriously" — though no specific steps were mentioned.
Meanwhile, even before the names are published, Israel is pressuring the mediators to secure the release of three male hostages, as well as the return of Shiri Bibas and her children, Ariel and Kfir. Hamas claims they were killed but has provided no evidence. The father, Yarden, returned to Israel in the last wave alongside Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel.
At the same time, an Israeli working-level delegation is expected to head to Qatar this weekend. However, it appears that the focus of the discussions will be on continuing the implementation of the first phase of the hostage deal, rather than negotiations on the second phase. From Prime Minister Netanyahu's perspective, the second phase began on the 16th day, as agreed, upon his arrival in Washington, where he remains. The delegation is expected to depart after the fifth wave tomorrow, but if a crisis arises, it may leave earlier to address it.
Israel emphasizes that this is a working-level delegation, not one led by Mossad chief Dedi Barnea — whose continued role as head of the negotiation team is unclear, as he may be replaced by Minister Ron Dermer. Meanwhile, sources familiar with the negotiations said, "There is agreement with the Americans that it is very important to conduct serious negotiations on the second phase and to advance to this phase as much as possible."
Sources who spoke with Netanyahu during his diplomatic visit to Washington sensed that he is interested in extending the first phase of the deal and releasing more hostages in exchange for prisoners. However, the Prime Minister insists on several conditions for the second phase: the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip; the release of all hostages; the expulsion of Hamas leadership; and the exclusion of Hamas from the reconstruction of Gaza.
Hamas, for its part, has been sending strong messages in recent days against President Donald Trump's voluntary migration plan, which Netanyahu has adopted. An Israeli official even said, "There is concern that Hamas will not carry out the deal" in light of these statements, which highlight the significant gaps between the two sides ahead of negotiations on the second phase.
Amid the uncertainty about what comes next, the Hostage Families Headquarters released a statement calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Do not miss the opportunity — send the negotiation delegation to Qatar with a clear mandate to complete the agreement and bring all the hostages home."
According to the headquarters, "The 16th day of the agreement has passed, the Netanyahu-Trump meeting took place, and 79 hostages are still being held in Hamas' hell in Gaza, with no guarantee of their release. The new testimonies about what is happening in captivity are horrifying — the hostages have no time, they must be urgently brought home. An entire nation demands to see the hostages return home — the living for rehabilitation in the arms of their families, and the deceased for a proper burial."
The headquarters addressed Netanyahu, saying, "You have full backing from the U.S. president and the American administration. Now is the time to ensure the agreement is completed — down to the last one. Behind the words 'second phase' are faces, families, and an entire nation. Missing the opportunity to bring them home will be a tragedy for generations. We have no future and no hope without their return."
So far, 18 hostages have been returned to Israel as part of the deal, including five Thai citizens. Therefore, as part of the first phase of the deal, which is supposed to include the return of 33 Israelis, 20 more citizens are expected to return, including the three members of the Bibas family, whose fate is unknown — mother Shiri and children Ariel and Kfir. In addition, seven men in the "over 50" category, all aged 50-85, are expected to be released: Ohad Ben Ami, Eliyahu Sharabi, Itzik Elgarat, Shlomo Mansour, Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshitz, and Tzachi Idan.
Additionally, 10 hostages classified as sick or injured are expected to be released: Sagiv Dekel Chen, Yair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Alexander Trufanov, Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Tal Shoham, and Omer Shem Tov, as well as Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held captive in Gaza for nearly a decade. Furthermore, as part of a separate list, two foreign nationals, a Thai and a Nepali, whose condition is currently unknown, are expected to be returned, along with the bodies of three foreign workers — two Thais and one Tanzanian. link
- Three more hostages due to be freed on Saturday amid uncertainty over deal’s futureHamas supposed to say Friday which captives it will release; Jerusalem reportedly dispatching negotiators to Doha over weekend for talks on rest of 1st phase, but not 2nd stage
Hamas is expected to release a fifth batch of Israeli captives on Saturday as part of the hostage release and ceasefire deal, as US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza fueled further uncertainty on whether the multiphase agreement will hold up.
A list of the three hostages to be released is expected in Israel by 4 p.m. on Friday.
According to Channel 12 news, Israel is pressuring mediators to secure the release of Shiri Bibas and her young sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 2. Hamas has violated the deal by releasing captive female troops and male civilians before the children and their mother, and Israel has said it has “grave concern” for their lives. The father, Yarden Bibas, was released last Saturday.
A Hamas official cited by the network said the terror group would see how Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip progresses before deciding on the fate of the deal. According to the network, the terror group is unlikely to thwart the rest of the first phase, including Saturday’s expected hostage release.
On Thursday, the government approved a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in return for the hostages. Three prisoners were removed from the list at the last minute, including Mahmoud Atallah, a terror convict accused of raping a prison guard, who was replaced with an identically named security prisoner, according to the Israel Hayom newspaper.
In total, Israel has said it would release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners — including 737 serving life terms for dozens of murders — in return for 33 Israeli hostages during the deal’s first phase.
So far, 13 Israelis have been released, along with five Thai hostages freed outside the framework of the deal.
Yarden, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas (Courtesy)Though talks for the second phase were supposed to commence Monday, Netanyahu has pushed off sending a negotiating team, reportedly until he returns from Washington next week.
A working-level negotiating team, led by the outgoing Shin Bet deputy director — known by his Hebrew initial “Mem” — is expected in Doha over the weekend, but is empowered to discuss only the first phase, not the second, according to Channel 12. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s spokesman denied reports that the premier presented in Washington a plan to end the fighting in Gaza — a sine qua non for the second stage, but a red line for the right flank of Netanyahu’s coalition.
The delay in talks on the second phase has deeply worried the families of male hostages under 50 and claims hostages, who are not set to be released until phases two and three.
Moshe Or, brother of hostage Avinatan Or, told Channel 12 that “there is a feeling that the second phase is disintegrating. [People are] starting to talk about all sorts of other things, flattening Gaza, moving the Palestinians… In our view it’s unacceptable and scary that [they’re] starting to talk that way and forget about [the hostages].”
Woman holds up a poster of Avinatan Or at a protest outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea on March 30, 2024. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)
Avinatan marked his 32nd birthday on Thursday. His girlfirend Noa Argamani, who was rescued from Hamas captivity in June, wrote on Instagram that she was “doing everything to get you back, to get to the second phase of the deal so you’re not left behind.”Argamani herself is currently in Washington with a delegation of hostage families determined to ensure that the deal proceeds to its second phase.
On Thursday, Trump honored her in a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, saying she “showed unwavering strength and courage and faith as she endured the unendurable.” full article Netanyahu does not stop playing his petty political games. The problem is that his petty games costs the lives of hostages. Now is when he should be fully in with getting all the hostages home and completing the deal. Instead, he is playing up to his buddy Trump with his unbelievably ridiculous and illegal Gaza plan, and keeping Smotrich in his failed government and bringing the criminal Ben Gvir back into his corrupt government. And the hostages? Well, as we can remember that Netanyahu said "they're suffering but not dying". He was wrong then and he is wrong now. While he is playing his games, they ARE dying. Netanyahu is trying with all his might to have October 7 as a minor footnote to his legacy but that date, the massacre under his watch that he bears most of the responsibility, will never be a minor footnote. It will be the overbearing headline to his total failure as the worst and most dangerous prime minister in Israel's history.
- Ex-hostage Ofer Calderon leaves hospital, family says he will join fight for remaining hostages
Former hostage Ofer Calderon, 54, has been discharged from Sheba Medical Center after completing his initial recovery and undergoing the necessary medical tests.
In a statement upon his release, the Calderon family says that Ofer’s “journey to recovery is still long and will not end until all the hostages return home.”
“Ofer promises to join the fight for their return at the first opportunity he can,” they add
Freed hostage Keith Siegel discharged from hospital, six days after return from Gaza
Former hostage Keith Siegel, 65, has been discharged from Ichilov Hospital after completing his initial recovery and the necessary medical checkups.
Siegel was released from Gaza on February 1 as part of the ongoing ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
Braving stormy weather, protesters rally at US consulate in Jerusalem to call for return of all hostages
A group of activists stage a protest outside the US consulate in Jerusalem, calling for the release of the remaining 76 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The protest is organized by the Mishmeret 101 organization, which draws inspiration from the non-violent protests staged by Mahatma Gandhi in India in the 1930s to fight British imperialism.
Undeterred by the stormy weather, many of the protesters hold white umbrellas to protect from intermittent rain.
Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of murdered hostage Yoram Metzger, calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to ensure that the hostage deal remains intact until all three phases are carried out, despite pressure from some parts of Netanyahu’s government to dissolve it and return to fighting at the end of the first phase.
“There’s no reason to delay it, there’s no reason to postpone,” she says in a video statement from the protest site. “The hostages are languishing there, and they’re in very bad condition. Complete the deal as quickly as possible and bring everyone home!”
- ‘We need to bring Avinatan home and let the light back into our lives’ (Dec 15, 2024)Ditza Or gives a moving talk in the UK on the plight of her son, who has been held hostage for over 14 months
itza Or had already guessed that something terrible had happened to her son Avinatan before she heard the news that he had been kidnapped by Hamas.
On the afternoon of October 7, she was taking a nap at home in Jerusalem. She had been told about the attacks in the south, but thinking that none of her seven children were in the area, while distressed by news, she felt reassured that her own family was safe. And as someone who keeps Shabbat, Ditza hadn’t checked her phone, so had no reason to think otherwise.
“At about 3 o’clock, I was resting when I heard footsteps under the window of my room, and these footsteps caught my attention. I listened, and then I heard the knock on the door of the house. I didn't want to open it, but they kept knocking. Finally, someone else opened it, and I heard the voices of my two children.”
As her children don’t drive on Shabbat, Ditza immediately realised that they were bringing her bad news, so when they knocked on her bedroom door, “I decided that I will not let this enter my world. I knew that something very horrible was on the other side of the door, and I decided that I wasn’t going to open the door to allow that into my life.”
Avinatan and Ditza OrEventually, her children just let themselves into the room, accompanied by a psychologist. “And we know the meaning of such a mission, such a group.” It was her daughter who delivered the news that both Avinatan and his girlfriend Noa Argamani had been kidnapped.
“There are no words that can explain what a mother feels, what I felt at that moment. It's like lightning striking, but from all directions at once. Then all the light inside of you disappears, and the darkness means no thoughts, no emotions, no air, nothing. Just nothing.”
The video of Avinatan and Noa being abducted, with Noa pleading for her life, has become one of the most widely viewed pieces of footage from October 7, capturing the moment when hundreds of Hamas terrorists broke through the border with Gaza and attacked festival goers, slaughtering more than 360 of them and taking more than 40 hostage. During their murderous rampage throughout southern Israel, they killed over 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage into Gaza, where 14 months later, 101 remain.
A campaign in Israel to bring home Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or before Noa's rescueIt took Ditza, who is a British-Israeli citizen, about two weeks before she could bring herself to watch the whole 20-second video, and as she shares her story with an audience at Chabad’s Jewish Life Centre in Borehamwood, she looks away from the screen as those moments are replayed.
“Until now, I still prefer not to watch it again because it's just so, so terrible and painful to know that Avinatan is in the hands of the worst and most cruel beast in the world, in the hands of the Hamas.”
Avinatan and Noa had only decided at the last minute to go to the music festival, arriving at 4.30 in the morning, two hours before the attack began. “At that point, someone filmed Avinatan saying to Noa, saying: ‘I'm so happy that you're not one of those girls who is afraid of a few missiles.’ “It turned out to be much more than just a few missiles,” says Ditza.
When they realised that terrorists had infiltrated the site, the couple tried to flee in their car, firstly south and then north, but, each time, were told to turn back because of terrorists in the area. After driving into a field, they abandoned the car and hid in a ditch for three to four hours. Nitza found this out from texts that Avinatan had sent to a friend.
“Avitan was telling him: ‘There's a terrible massacre here. People are being shot all over.’ He sent photographs of the area and the location, everything that could help find them, but no help came.”
After Noa was rescued, Ditza learnt that Avinatan had had the chance to escape from the festival but had chosen to stay with Noa so as “not to neglect her at the hands of the monsters”.
“I have thought about what would have happened if he had escaped, but I know he would have never forgiven himself. He wouldn’t have able to live with himself. So, he was very loyal, and I'm proud of him for that.”
Avinatan Or and his girlfriend Noa ArgamaniFor the first three months after Avinatan was taken hostage, the family heard nothing. “Then we got a call from the intelligence with an indication of life. That's what it's called. And it means just that, that he's alive.”
Since then, they have received two further signs of life. “The last one was in May, which means that since May, we don't even know if he’s alive. We hope so.”
What she does know, from speaking to released or rescued hostages, is that Avinatan is being held alone, under the ground. “We don't know whether he knows whether it’s daytime or nighttime because he doesn't see the daylight.”
Avinatan is the second of Ditza’s seven children. Whether or not he was aware of it, he turned 31 in captivity, and, says his mother, is “very tall, very strong, very good looking and bright. Brilliant.”
An electrical engineer at a media company, he is “very, very funny and is a wonderful cook. He likes making things, but they'll be very, very special and very complicated dishes. He loves children and he loves his friends.”
Avinatan Or is very close to his familySince her son was abducted, Ditza, who has family in the UK, has devoted all her waking hours to fighting for his release, lobbying politicians both in Israel and abroad. Her talk this evening is part of a week-long visit, where she has been meeting MPs and calling for them to exert pressure to ensure a deal. This included the launch of a project “twinning” MPs with hostages, so they can raise awareness of their plight and support their relatives. Conservative MP for Windsor Jack Rankin has been twinned with Avinatan.
Thanking the audience for the support she has received from the UK community and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK, which organised the visit, she says: “I have met English, Jewish people and they are very warm and supportive. It gives us a lot of strength to know that we are not alone.”
Back in Israel, every evening since October 9, Ditza has been holding a vigil at the entrance to HaKirya, which houses the headquarters of the IDF and Tel Aviv’s government office.
“We stand there with those pictures, and we talk. We speak with all the heads of the army who go in and out and who decide about what's being done. We meet and talk with all the politicians there.”
Ditza Or has been campaigning tirelessly for the release of her sonDays after Ditza’s talk, there is news of resumed hostage negotiations. “We are trying our best to persuade our government and politicians not to sign a partial deal, because only a few hostages are then released. All of the others that are left when the IDF withdraws from Gaza will then never be freed. There will never be a chance to bring them back home. So, they must insist on signing a deal that brings all of them home."
The hostages, she says, “are not just numbers, not just pictures of beautiful people. They are people like you and me, whose lives were so full, colourful, rich, interesting and funny and, suddenly, these lives stopped.”
In the past 14 months, Ditza hasn’t returned to work as a therapist, saying: “I am still a mother to my other six children but much less than before and even less so a grandmother to my nine grandchildren.”
Describing the dramatic rescue of Noa in June as “the happiest thing”, she concedes that her return “has made the pain and the absence of Avinatan even stronger”.
When she heard about Noa coming home, not wanting to overwhelm her by visiting, Ditza sent her a short message, saying : “We're so, so, so happy you are home, and we send you the greatest hug .”
But, the next day, the hospital got in touch with Ditza, saying that Noa wanted to see her. “I had an amazing meeting with her for over two hours. The medical staff who were there kept telling her that it was too tiring for her, and she should stop, but Noa said she wouldn’t stop talking until she had told us everything she knew…. and I saw what a brave, wise, devoted young woman she is.”
Ditza Or and Noa Argamani are reunited after Noa's rescue from captivityNoa said that as soon as she was put on the motorbike, she was driven away quickly and that was the last she saw of Avinatan. “She was moved in Gaza five times, and every time she moved, she would ask people if they had seen him, but in every place, people said they didn’t know anything about him.
“But when the monsters say that, they aren’t saying everything. The focus is to make it harder and more painful. And even if they did know, they wouldn’t say.”
Noa is now “very much engaged in the struggle to bring Avinatan back”, says Ditza, travelling to the States, South Africa and Japan to raise awareness.
As another Chanukah approaches and the waiting continues, Ditza holds onto the hope that she will see her son again.
Ditza Or in front of an image of her son Avinatan“We are now in the beginning of the month of Kislev, which is the month of the light. And my son is called Avinatan Or, which, in Hebrew, means ‘Our Father has given us light.’ And now this light has been in the most extreme, extreme darkness for over 430 days, over 10,000 hours and an endless number of minutes. We hope that in this month, even tonight, they'll be home again, and the light will return to our lives.” link
Hostage Updates
Yesterday was Avinatan Or's 32nd birthday, his 2nd while in Hamas captivity (story of Avinatan as told by his mother, below)
- **Hamas Has Yet to Submit a List, Israeli Source: "If It Is Not Sent, It Is a Serious Violation"**Israel is waiting to receive the names of the hostages scheduled to be released tomorrow. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently in Washington, is in no rush to send a delegation to Qatar to discuss the second phase of the deal. Instead, he appears to be content with sending lower-level officials to focus on implementing the first phase. The Hostage Families Headquarters is demanding that the delegation be given a clear mandate, as concerns about the next steps grow.Israel is awaiting the names of the hostages to be released in the fifth wave of the first phase, which is expected to take place tomorrow (Saturday). An Israeli official said this afternoon that if there is a violation and Israel does not receive the list, it will "view this seriously" — though no specific steps were mentioned.Meanwhile, even before the names are published, Israel is pressuring the mediators to secure the release of three male hostages, as well as the return of Shiri Bibas and her children, Ariel and Kfir. Hamas claims they were killed but has provided no evidence. The father, Yarden, returned to Israel in the last wave alongside Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel.At the same time, an Israeli working-level delegation is expected to head to Qatar this weekend. However, it appears that the focus of the discussions will be on continuing the implementation of the first phase of the hostage deal, rather than negotiations on the second phase. From Prime Minister Netanyahu's perspective, the second phase began on the 16th day, as agreed, upon his arrival in Washington, where he remains. The delegation is expected to depart after the fifth wave tomorrow, but if a crisis arises, it may leave earlier to address it.Israel emphasizes that this is a working-level delegation, not one led by Mossad chief Dedi Barnea — whose continued role as head of the negotiation team is unclear, as he may be replaced by Minister Ron Dermer. Meanwhile, sources familiar with the negotiations said, "There is agreement with the Americans that it is very important to conduct serious negotiations on the second phase and to advance to this phase as much as possible."Sources who spoke with Netanyahu during his diplomatic visit to Washington sensed that he is interested in extending the first phase of the deal and releasing more hostages in exchange for prisoners. However, the Prime Minister insists on several conditions for the second phase: the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip; the release of all hostages; the expulsion of Hamas leadership; and the exclusion of Hamas from the reconstruction of Gaza.Hamas, for its part, has been sending strong messages in recent days against President Donald Trump's voluntary migration plan, which Netanyahu has adopted. An Israeli official even said, "There is concern that Hamas will not carry out the deal" in light of these statements, which highlight the significant gaps between the two sides ahead of negotiations on the second phase.Amid the uncertainty about what comes next, the Hostage Families Headquarters released a statement calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Do not miss the opportunity — send the negotiation delegation to Qatar with a clear mandate to complete the agreement and bring all the hostages home."According to the headquarters, "The 16th day of the agreement has passed, the Netanyahu-Trump meeting took place, and 79 hostages are still being held in Hamas' hell in Gaza, with no guarantee of their release. The new testimonies about what is happening in captivity are horrifying — the hostages have no time, they must be urgently brought home. An entire nation demands to see the hostages return home — the living for rehabilitation in the arms of their families, and the deceased for a proper burial."The headquarters addressed Netanyahu, saying, "You have full backing from the U.S. president and the American administration. Now is the time to ensure the agreement is completed — down to the last one. Behind the words 'second phase' are faces, families, and an entire nation. Missing the opportunity to bring them home will be a tragedy for generations. We have no future and no hope without their return."So far, 18 hostages have been returned to Israel as part of the deal, including five Thai citizens. Therefore, as part of the first phase of the deal, which is supposed to include the return of 33 Israelis, 20 more citizens are expected to return, including the three members of the Bibas family, whose fate is unknown — mother Shiri and children Ariel and Kfir. In addition, seven men in the "over 50" category, all aged 50-85, are expected to be released: Ohad Ben Ami, Eliyahu Sharabi, Itzik Elgarat, Shlomo Mansour, Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshitz, and Tzachi Idan.Additionally, 10 hostages classified as sick or injured are expected to be released: Sagiv Dekel Chen, Yair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Alexander Trufanov, Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Tal Shoham, and Omer Shem Tov, as well as Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held captive in Gaza for nearly a decade. Furthermore, as part of a separate list, two foreign nationals, a Thai and a Nepali, whose condition is currently unknown, are expected to be returned, along with the bodies of three foreign workers — two Thais and one Tanzanian. link
- Three more hostages due to be freed on Saturday amid uncertainty over deal’s futureHamas supposed to say Friday which captives it will release; Jerusalem reportedly dispatching negotiators to Doha over weekend for talks on rest of 1st phase, but not 2nd stage
Hamas is expected to release a fifth batch of Israeli captives on Saturday as part of the hostage release and ceasefire deal, as US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza fueled further uncertainty on whether the multiphase agreement will hold up.
A list of the three hostages to be released is expected in Israel by 4 p.m. on Friday.
According to Channel 12 news, Israel is pressuring mediators to secure the release of Shiri Bibas and her young sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 2. Hamas has violated the deal by releasing captive female troops and male civilians before the children and their mother, and Israel has said it has “grave concern” for their lives. The father, Yarden Bibas, was released last Saturday.
A Hamas official cited by the network said the terror group would see how Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip progresses before deciding on the fate of the deal. According to the network, the terror group is unlikely to thwart the rest of the first phase, including Saturday’s expected hostage release.
On Thursday, the government approved a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in return for the hostages. Three prisoners were removed from the list at the last minute, including Mahmoud Atallah, a terror convict accused of raping a prison guard, who was replaced with an identically named security prisoner, according to the Israel Hayom newspaper.
In total, Israel has said it would release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners — including 737 serving life terms for dozens of murders — in return for 33 Israeli hostages during the deal’s first phase.
So far, 13 Israelis have been released, along with five Thai hostages freed outside the framework of the deal.
Yarden, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas (Courtesy)Though talks for the second phase were supposed to commence Monday, Netanyahu has pushed off sending a negotiating team, reportedly until he returns from Washington next week.
A working-level negotiating team, led by the outgoing Shin Bet deputy director — known by his Hebrew initial “Mem” — is expected in Doha over the weekend, but is empowered to discuss only the first phase, not the second, according to Channel 12. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s spokesman denied reports that the premier presented in Washington a plan to end the fighting in Gaza — a sine qua non for the second stage, but a red line for the right flank of Netanyahu’s coalition.
The delay in talks on the second phase has deeply worried the families of male hostages under 50 and claims hostages, who are not set to be released until phases two and three.
Moshe Or, brother of hostage Avinatan Or, told Channel 12 that “there is a feeling that the second phase is disintegrating. [People are] starting to talk about all sorts of other things, flattening Gaza, moving the Palestinians… In our view it’s unacceptable and scary that [they’re] starting to talk that way and forget about [the hostages].”
Woman holds up a poster of Avinatan Or at a protest outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea on March 30, 2024. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)Avinatan marked his 32nd birthday on Thursday. His girlfirend Noa Argamani, who was rescued from Hamas captivity in June, wrote on Instagram that she was “doing everything to get you back, to get to the second phase of the deal so you’re not left behind.”Argamani herself is currently in Washington with a delegation of hostage families determined to ensure that the deal proceeds to its second phase.
On Thursday, Trump honored her in a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, saying she “showed unwavering strength and courage and faith as she endured the unendurable.” full article Netanyahu does not stop playing his petty political games. The problem is that his petty games costs the lives of hostages. Now is when he should be fully in with getting all the hostages home and completing the deal. Instead, he is playing up to his buddy Trump with his unbelievably ridiculous and illegal Gaza plan, and keeping Smotrich in his failed government and bringing the criminal Ben Gvir back into his corrupt government. And the hostages? Well, as we can remember that Netanyahu said "they're suffering but not dying". He was wrong then and he is wrong now. While he is playing his games, they ARE dying. Netanyahu is trying with all his might to have October 7 as a minor footnote to his legacy but that date, the massacre under his watch that he bears most of the responsibility, will never be a minor footnote. It will be the overbearing headline to his total failure as the worst and most dangerous prime minister in Israel's history.
- Ex-hostage Ofer Calderon leaves hospital, family says he will join fight for remaining hostages
Former hostage Ofer Calderon, 54, has been discharged from Sheba Medical Center after completing his initial recovery and undergoing the necessary medical tests.
In a statement upon his release, the Calderon family says that Ofer’s “journey to recovery is still long and will not end until all the hostages return home.”
“Ofer promises to join the fight for their return at the first opportunity he can,” they add
Freed hostage Keith Siegel discharged from hospital, six days after return from Gaza
Former hostage Keith Siegel, 65, has been discharged from Ichilov Hospital after completing his initial recovery and the necessary medical checkups.
Siegel was released from Gaza on February 1 as part of the ongoing ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
Braving stormy weather, protesters rally at US consulate in Jerusalem to call for return of all hostages
A group of activists stage a protest outside the US consulate in Jerusalem, calling for the release of the remaining 76 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The protest is organized by the Mishmeret 101 organization, which draws inspiration from the non-violent protests staged by Mahatma Gandhi in India in the 1930s to fight British imperialism.
Undeterred by the stormy weather, many of the protesters hold white umbrellas to protect from intermittent rain.
Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of murdered hostage Yoram Metzger, calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to ensure that the hostage deal remains intact until all three phases are carried out, despite pressure from some parts of Netanyahu’s government to dissolve it and return to fighting at the end of the first phase.
“There’s no reason to delay it, there’s no reason to postpone,” she says in a video statement from the protest site. “The hostages are languishing there, and they’re in very bad condition. Complete the deal as quickly as possible and bring everyone home!”
- ‘We need to bring Avinatan home and let the light back into our lives’ (Dec 15, 2024)Ditza Or gives a moving talk in the UK on the plight of her son, who has been held hostage for over 14 months
itza Or had already guessed that something terrible had happened to her son Avinatan before she heard the news that he had been kidnapped by Hamas.
On the afternoon of October 7, she was taking a nap at home in Jerusalem. She had been told about the attacks in the south, but thinking that none of her seven children were in the area, while distressed by news, she felt reassured that her own family was safe. And as someone who keeps Shabbat, Ditza hadn’t checked her phone, so had no reason to think otherwise.
“At about 3 o’clock, I was resting when I heard footsteps under the window of my room, and these footsteps caught my attention. I listened, and then I heard the knock on the door of the house. I didn't want to open it, but they kept knocking. Finally, someone else opened it, and I heard the voices of my two children.”
As her children don’t drive on Shabbat, Ditza immediately realised that they were bringing her bad news, so when they knocked on her bedroom door, “I decided that I will not let this enter my world. I knew that something very horrible was on the other side of the door, and I decided that I wasn’t going to open the door to allow that into my life.”
Avinatan and Ditza OrEventually, her children just let themselves into the room, accompanied by a psychologist. “And we know the meaning of such a mission, such a group.” It was her daughter who delivered the news that both Avinatan and his girlfriend Noa Argamani had been kidnapped.
“There are no words that can explain what a mother feels, what I felt at that moment. It's like lightning striking, but from all directions at once. Then all the light inside of you disappears, and the darkness means no thoughts, no emotions, no air, nothing. Just nothing.”
The video of Avinatan and Noa being abducted, with Noa pleading for her life, has become one of the most widely viewed pieces of footage from October 7, capturing the moment when hundreds of Hamas terrorists broke through the border with Gaza and attacked festival goers, slaughtering more than 360 of them and taking more than 40 hostage. During their murderous rampage throughout southern Israel, they killed over 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage into Gaza, where 14 months later, 101 remain.
A campaign in Israel to bring home Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or before Noa's rescueIt took Ditza, who is a British-Israeli citizen, about two weeks before she could bring herself to watch the whole 20-second video, and as she shares her story with an audience at Chabad’s Jewish Life Centre in Borehamwood, she looks away from the screen as those moments are replayed.
“Until now, I still prefer not to watch it again because it's just so, so terrible and painful to know that Avinatan is in the hands of the worst and most cruel beast in the world, in the hands of the Hamas.”
Avinatan and Noa had only decided at the last minute to go to the music festival, arriving at 4.30 in the morning, two hours before the attack began. “At that point, someone filmed Avinatan saying to Noa, saying: ‘I'm so happy that you're not one of those girls who is afraid of a few missiles.’ “It turned out to be much more than just a few missiles,” says Ditza.
When they realised that terrorists had infiltrated the site, the couple tried to flee in their car, firstly south and then north, but, each time, were told to turn back because of terrorists in the area. After driving into a field, they abandoned the car and hid in a ditch for three to four hours. Nitza found this out from texts that Avinatan had sent to a friend.
“Avitan was telling him: ‘There's a terrible massacre here. People are being shot all over.’ He sent photographs of the area and the location, everything that could help find them, but no help came.”
After Noa was rescued, Ditza learnt that Avinatan had had the chance to escape from the festival but had chosen to stay with Noa so as “not to neglect her at the hands of the monsters”.
“I have thought about what would have happened if he had escaped, but I know he would have never forgiven himself. He wouldn’t have able to live with himself. So, he was very loyal, and I'm proud of him for that.”
Avinatan Or and his girlfriend Noa ArgamaniFor the first three months after Avinatan was taken hostage, the family heard nothing. “Then we got a call from the intelligence with an indication of life. That's what it's called. And it means just that, that he's alive.”
Since then, they have received two further signs of life. “The last one was in May, which means that since May, we don't even know if he’s alive. We hope so.”
What she does know, from speaking to released or rescued hostages, is that Avinatan is being held alone, under the ground. “We don't know whether he knows whether it’s daytime or nighttime because he doesn't see the daylight.”
Avinatan is the second of Ditza’s seven children. Whether or not he was aware of it, he turned 31 in captivity, and, says his mother, is “very tall, very strong, very good looking and bright. Brilliant.”
An electrical engineer at a media company, he is “very, very funny and is a wonderful cook. He likes making things, but they'll be very, very special and very complicated dishes. He loves children and he loves his friends.”
Avinatan Or is very close to his familySince her son was abducted, Ditza, who has family in the UK, has devoted all her waking hours to fighting for his release, lobbying politicians both in Israel and abroad. Her talk this evening is part of a week-long visit, where she has been meeting MPs and calling for them to exert pressure to ensure a deal. This included the launch of a project “twinning” MPs with hostages, so they can raise awareness of their plight and support their relatives. Conservative MP for Windsor Jack Rankin has been twinned with Avinatan.
Thanking the audience for the support she has received from the UK community and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK, which organised the visit, she says: “I have met English, Jewish people and they are very warm and supportive. It gives us a lot of strength to know that we are not alone.”
Back in Israel, every evening since October 9, Ditza has been holding a vigil at the entrance to HaKirya, which houses the headquarters of the IDF and Tel Aviv’s government office.
“We stand there with those pictures, and we talk. We speak with all the heads of the army who go in and out and who decide about what's being done. We meet and talk with all the politicians there.”
Ditza Or has been campaigning tirelessly for the release of her sonDays after Ditza’s talk, there is news of resumed hostage negotiations. “We are trying our best to persuade our government and politicians not to sign a partial deal, because only a few hostages are then released. All of the others that are left when the IDF withdraws from Gaza will then never be freed. There will never be a chance to bring them back home. So, they must insist on signing a deal that brings all of them home."
The hostages, she says, “are not just numbers, not just pictures of beautiful people. They are people like you and me, whose lives were so full, colourful, rich, interesting and funny and, suddenly, these lives stopped.”
In the past 14 months, Ditza hasn’t returned to work as a therapist, saying: “I am still a mother to my other six children but much less than before and even less so a grandmother to my nine grandchildren.”
Describing the dramatic rescue of Noa in June as “the happiest thing”, she concedes that her return “has made the pain and the absence of Avinatan even stronger”.
When she heard about Noa coming home, not wanting to overwhelm her by visiting, Ditza sent her a short message, saying : “We're so, so, so happy you are home, and we send you the greatest hug .”
But, the next day, the hospital got in touch with Ditza, saying that Noa wanted to see her. “I had an amazing meeting with her for over two hours. The medical staff who were there kept telling her that it was too tiring for her, and she should stop, but Noa said she wouldn’t stop talking until she had told us everything she knew…. and I saw what a brave, wise, devoted young woman she is.”
Ditza Or and Noa Argamani are reunited after Noa's rescue from captivityNoa said that as soon as she was put on the motorbike, she was driven away quickly and that was the last she saw of Avinatan. “She was moved in Gaza five times, and every time she moved, she would ask people if they had seen him, but in every place, people said they didn’t know anything about him.
“But when the monsters say that, they aren’t saying everything. The focus is to make it harder and more painful. And even if they did know, they wouldn’t say.”
Noa is now “very much engaged in the struggle to bring Avinatan back”, says Ditza, travelling to the States, South Africa and Japan to raise awareness.
As another Chanukah approaches and the waiting continues, Ditza holds onto the hope that she will see her son again.
Ditza Or in front of an image of her son Avinatan“We are now in the beginning of the month of Kislev, which is the month of the light. And my son is called Avinatan Or, which, in Hebrew, means ‘Our Father has given us light.’ And now this light has been in the most extreme, extreme darkness for over 430 days, over 10,000 hours and an endless number of minutes. We hope that in this month, even tonight, they'll be home again, and the light will return to our lives.” link
Gaza and the South
- Trump's Gaza plan is "imperialism & ethnic cleansing"; he's "the most dangerous person in the world": Gershon Baskin, Middle East Director, International Communities Organization, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.One of Israel’s foremost analysts, who was also the negotiator who secured the release of Gilad Shalit in 2011, has said that President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza is “imperialism and ethnic cleansing”. Gershon Baskin called it “insane” and a sign of “a world gone upside down”. He added: “Donald Trump is the most dangerous person in the world.” Full interview with Gershon Baskin on youtube
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- Syrian army advances into Lebanese territory, clashes with HezbollahThe confrontation between the Syrian Army and Hezbollah on Lebanese soil marks a major shift in regional dynamics.
For the first time since the fall of the Assad regime and the decline of Hezbollah’s influence in Syria, Syrian Army forces aligned with the new Syrian administration have entered areas of Hermel, Lebanon, sparking fierce clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
The fighting, which began early Thursday, escalated as Syrian forces repelled Hezbollah’s attempted advances near the Syrian town of Al Qusayr, a longtime stronghold of the Iran-backed group.
A field source told The Media Line that Hezbollah fighters launched multiple attempts to push into Al Qusayr but were met with heavy resistance from the Syrian Army, which forced them back into Lebanon. As the situation escalated, Syrian forces crossed into Hawik, a Lebanese town in the Hermel region, where intense combat forced Hezbollah elements to retreat.
Lebanese political activist Omar Salloum, speaking to The Media Line, described Hawik as a border town frequently used for Hezbollah-run smuggling operations. The fighting, he said, lasted throughout the day, involving exchanges of gunfire with light and medium weapons. Mortar shells were also deployed by the Syrian Army to prevent further Hezbollah incursions near Al Qusayr, a strategic hub for smuggling weapons and drugs.
Amid the escalating violence, The Media Line obtained footage from Damascus showing Syrian Army personnel captured by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Reports suggest that these prisoners were being treated in violation of international detention standards. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicate that the Syrian Army had also captured Hezbollah fighters.
Syrian border with Lebanon
Since the December 8, 2024, collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime, the new Syrian administration has worked to secure its porous border with Lebanon, aiming to curb arms and drug smuggling. Several large-scale smuggling operations have been intercepted in recent weeks, reflecting Syria’s renewed effort to assert control over its territory.
Historically, Hezbollah has relied on these smuggling routes to transport weapons, narcotics, and other supplies vital to its operations. However, as Hezbollah remains engaged in a prolonged conflict with Israel, its ability to operate freely along the border has been severely weakened. Despite these setbacks, Thursday’s clashes suggest Hezbollah is attempting to reassert its presence in border regions it once controlled.
While the extent of the conflict remains unclear, the confrontation between the Syrian Army and Hezbollah on Lebanese soil marks a major shift in regional dynamics. The new Syrian government’s willingness to engage Hezbollah militarily signals a break from past alliances, adding another layer of instability to the region. link Beyond the opportunity that the new Syrian government presents to Israel as a potential good neighbor and maybe even peace partner, this fight against Hizbollah is a classic 'enemy of my enemy' scenario that Israel should not miss out on looking and acting to open lines of communication with the new Syrian government. Not doing so would be an historic mistake and a huge missed opportunity. I sincerely hope that our Foreign Minister's unnecessarily adversarial remarks against the new Syrian government are just for show and we have behind the scenes, back channel discussions underway with the Syrians.
Lebanese media report Israeli strikes in Nabatieh, Beqaa Valley; No immediate comment from IDF
Lebanese media report that Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes in the Nabatieh area and the Beqaa Valley.
Both areas are north of the Litani River, which Hezbollah is required to withdraw to under a ceasefire agreement.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the reported strikes.
Confirming strikes, IDF says fighter jets hit Hezbollah arms depots that violated ceasefire
The IDF confirms carrying out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, saying fighter jets hit a pair of sites where the Iran-backed terrorist group was storing weaponry in violation of the ceasefire reached in November.
A statement from the Israel Defense Forces describes the strikes as “targeted” and vows the military “will prevent any attempt by the Hezbollah terror organization to rearm, in accordance with the understandings of the ceasefire agreement.”
For the first time since the fall of the Assad regime and the decline of Hezbollah’s influence in Syria, Syrian Army forces aligned with the new Syrian administration have entered areas of Hermel, Lebanon, sparking fierce clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
The fighting, which began early Thursday, escalated as Syrian forces repelled Hezbollah’s attempted advances near the Syrian town of Al Qusayr, a longtime stronghold of the Iran-backed group.
A field source told The Media Line that Hezbollah fighters launched multiple attempts to push into Al Qusayr but were met with heavy resistance from the Syrian Army, which forced them back into Lebanon. As the situation escalated, Syrian forces crossed into Hawik, a Lebanese town in the Hermel region, where intense combat forced Hezbollah elements to retreat.
Lebanese political activist Omar Salloum, speaking to The Media Line, described Hawik as a border town frequently used for Hezbollah-run smuggling operations. The fighting, he said, lasted throughout the day, involving exchanges of gunfire with light and medium weapons. Mortar shells were also deployed by the Syrian Army to prevent further Hezbollah incursions near Al Qusayr, a strategic hub for smuggling weapons and drugs.
Amid the escalating violence, The Media Line obtained footage from Damascus showing Syrian Army personnel captured by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Reports suggest that these prisoners were being treated in violation of international detention standards. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicate that the Syrian Army had also captured Hezbollah fighters.
Syrian border with Lebanon
Since the December 8, 2024, collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime, the new Syrian administration has worked to secure its porous border with Lebanon, aiming to curb arms and drug smuggling. Several large-scale smuggling operations have been intercepted in recent weeks, reflecting Syria’s renewed effort to assert control over its territory.
Historically, Hezbollah has relied on these smuggling routes to transport weapons, narcotics, and other supplies vital to its operations. However, as Hezbollah remains engaged in a prolonged conflict with Israel, its ability to operate freely along the border has been severely weakened. Despite these setbacks, Thursday’s clashes suggest Hezbollah is attempting to reassert its presence in border regions it once controlled.
While the extent of the conflict remains unclear, the confrontation between the Syrian Army and Hezbollah on Lebanese soil marks a major shift in regional dynamics. The new Syrian government’s willingness to engage Hezbollah militarily signals a break from past alliances, adding another layer of instability to the region. link Beyond the opportunity that the new Syrian government presents to Israel as a potential good neighbor and maybe even peace partner, this fight against Hizbollah is a classic 'enemy of my enemy' scenario that Israel should not miss out on looking and acting to open lines of communication with the new Syrian government. Not doing so would be an historic mistake and a huge missed opportunity. I sincerely hope that our Foreign Minister's unnecessarily adversarial remarks against the new Syrian government are just for show and we have behind the scenes, back channel discussions underway with the Syrians.
Lebanese media report Israeli strikes in Nabatieh, Beqaa Valley; No immediate comment from IDF
Lebanese media report that Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes in the Nabatieh area and the Beqaa Valley.
Both areas are north of the Litani River, which Hezbollah is required to withdraw to under a ceasefire agreement.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the reported strikes.
Confirming strikes, IDF says fighter jets hit Hezbollah arms depots that violated ceasefire
The IDF confirms carrying out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, saying fighter jets hit a pair of sites where the Iran-backed terrorist group was storing weaponry in violation of the ceasefire reached in November.
A statement from the Israel Defense Forces describes the strikes as “targeted” and vows the military “will prevent any attempt by the Hezbollah terror organization to rearm, in accordance with the understandings of the ceasefire agreement.”
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- **The Operation in Jenin: "A Hornet's Nest, This Time We Entered Strong and with Force"**
More than two weeks into the IDF's Operation "Iron Wall" in the terror capital of Judea and Samaria, it is clear that this is an event of a different magnitude. In a special interview with N12, Lt. Col. A. shares insights into the Palestinian side's reactions ("Stay, it's good") and the patrons behind the scenes ("Iran and Hezbollah are transferring funds"). Following the release of Zabidi, he warns: "I know what he's thinking, he better not test us."
IDF activity in northern West Bank
Twenty-three years after Operation "Defensive Shield," the images emerging this week from the heart of the Jenin refugee camp evoke echoes of the complex battles that took place there years ago. The place that holds the title of "terror capital" in the northern West Bank now faces a large-scale military operation in its 2025 version—where the scale of destruction caused by targeting terror infrastructure reveals that Jenin is undergoing a "Gaza-ization," fueled by terrorists' attempts to escalate tensions in Judea and Samaria.
Lt. Col. A., the head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) in Jenin, finds a moment of quiet late at night, after a day filled with situation assessments, area patrols, and approving operational plans. "This operation is more intense," he shares in a special interview with N12. "I think anyone who sees the scenes from the refugee camp is talking in terms of a mini-Gaza, it's part of the discourse."
**"They say it's like Gaza, this time we entered strong"**
"The residents sit in a café and ask: 'Did you see what happened in the camp?' So they say it's like Gaza," continues Lt. Col. A. "They talk about how this time something different was done, we entered strong and with force, the camp is not what it used to be. Some even say: 'Remember 2002?' But it should be said that it hasn't reached the scale where people are talking about it expanding to the city or other villages being targeted."
**How long before the operation did the Palestinian side know you were going in?**
"At my level, I can say not much time in advance. This was an operation that started with surprise. There were minutes to an hour of intense pressure where my phone didn't stop ringing for a moment. I had to speak with several figures from their side and ours to ensure the event went smoothly, and from there, continue running with the forces according to the plan. If this event had gone wrong, it could have taken us to bad places and disrupted all the plans of the operation aimed at achieving the goals we set for ourselves."
The destruction in the Jenin Refugee camp
**"I felt pressure and concern from the other side"**
When you update figures on the Palestinian side that the IDF is going in, how do they react?
"I felt a sense of pressure and concern, stemming from the friction and how it would look externally. It can be said that in the conversation, there was an understanding that we needed to enter and carry out our operation."
**Mass flight of Palestinians from the Jenin refugee camp changes the landscape**
The mass exodus of Palestinians from the Jenin refugee camp has altered the terrain: a place that normally houses thousands of residents has been almost completely emptied since the start of Operation "Iron Wall." Out of 7,000 residents, only 1,000 remain, according to Palestinian sources who spoke with N12.
**How do you view this flight, and does it represent a shift in perception of the situation?**
"Part of the population in the refugee camp has left over the past year and a half, and not everyone has stayed. Some have left and gone out, some have returned, and some have not left at all, which is the minority in the camp. The operation of the mechanisms caused a large part of them to leave as well due to their actions. When we entered, some left the camp. A significant percentage moved to the rural areas of Jenin, mainly to their relatives, many moved to the city, and a minority of the population left the area."
Lt. Col. A. emphasizes: "We knew how to convey the right messages and act so that they would reach everyone in the end. We told people that those who leave will not be harmed and will save their lives. Those who want to stay in a combat zone may be harmed, even though there is no intention to harm you, so it's better to leave the camp and find another place. We did not force anyone, but we recommended it. Those who moved through the sewers were checked, and some were evacuated by ambulances and left. It was a three-day event of not easy days, and we allowed the rest of the forces to operate."
Explosions of buildings in Jenin
Terrorists weapons bound by the IDF
**The Palestinian Authority understands that the mechanisms operated there for a month and a half, but in reality, it is far from eradicating the terror nests in Jenin?**
"Yes, they understand that. It should be said that they tried, made efforts, and carried out actions. In terms of results, it depends on how you look at it. The things they managed to achieve were not done for a long time, but we still need to understand that there is a difference between our military strength and capabilities and theirs."
**It seems there are those who view the Palestinian Authority as complicit in this event and say to them: 'You prepared the ground for the other side,' and this creates problems.**
"It should be said that the Palestinian Authority and all its elements in the past month and a half have somewhat surprised with their actions in terms of internal legitimacy. We haven't seen the Palestinian security forces stand against a demonstration in the city and disperse it for a long time, and on the other hand, fight inside the refugee camp. Those who hate the Authority and do not see it as an address will talk about it and label it as complicit."
"There are also those who say that this cooperation is very good and will eventually bring us to a good point and restore the situation to what it was," says Lt. Col. A., who has been in this challenging role for over a year. "Some say—one game of the Palestinian Authority is over, one game of the Israeli side is happening now, and the next game of the Authority. Everyone is preparing the ground for the other."
**Do figures in the Palestinian Authority who are in contact with you pressure you to leave?**
"It depends on who is talking to us, some ask if we are going to stay much longer? Some say: 'Stay, it's good.' Some say: 'You must not leave until you finish this,' and there are also voices saying: 'What can be done while you are here?'"
**When Lt. Col. A. refers to the complexity of the operational activity in the Jenin refugee camp, he does not hide the challenges—but also not the cautious optimism.**
"Jenin is considered a hornet's nest where everyone mainly comes from this refugee camp, and we know that Islamic Jihad and Hamas are constantly trying to keep their forces here. Of course, our activity thwarts them. I believe that with the strength we have today, everything we are doing and the plans we have set, and if we continue with them, according to what we are planning—perhaps we can change the reality here."
**"Iran and Hezbollah are transferring funds, we are present on the ground"**
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are not alone; we also see funding channels from the Iranian patron and Hezbollah reaching Jenin, further fueling this terror activity.
"Yes, there are channels from Iran and Hezbollah transferring funds and assisting in weapons smuggling, we have also seen signs of ISIS. We are present on the ground to prevent this from escalating."
According to Palestinian sources, there is precise pricing for terror operations in the Jenin area: a resident who goes out to shoot at the fence, an Israeli settlement, or the Barkan crossing receives $100. The goal of the operations is mainly psychological—spreading videos intended to show the operational presence of terror organizations in the area.
Destruction in the Jenin refugee camp
**Last week, we saw the terrorist Zakaria Zubeidi, considered a symbol, being released. Are there estimates that he will return to Jenin after this operation ends?**
"Yes, there are estimates that he might return to Jenin. There was a lot of talk that he would receive a respectable welcome in Kabatia, and preparations began for that. We followed this issue, and we have the ability in our unit to know what he is really planning. In the end, his brother issued a statement that it was not true, and this caused Zakaria Zubeidi to remain in the Ramallah area. I know what he thinks and wants, he better not test us. My biggest question is what kind of Zakaria will return and which path he will take?"
**How are the Palestinian residents of Jenin prepared for the release of terrorists?**
"The population is concerned about the terrorists returning to the Jenin area and knows that this could worsen the situation in terms of our risk and our operation. There are places that are quiet, and there is concern that they will become places of terror, and then their daily lives will change drastically. They understand that the Israeli side has run out of patience."
"There are places that accept them and try to make noise and commotion, understanding the implications of this," continues Lt. Col. A. "In conversations with the other side, I understand how much more deterred they are by the release of prisoners who will come to the area and cause it to further deteriorate security-wise, which will also affect civilian deterioration. They see the heavy price of loss and are looking very closely at Jenin and the refugee camp," he concludes.
In the past week, more than 60 wanted individuals were arrested, and dozens of weapons were confiscated, including M-16 rifles, pistols, Carlo-type weapons, in addition to other means of warfare, including dozens of explosives and materials for manufacturing explosives. link
More than two weeks into the IDF's Operation "Iron Wall" in the terror capital of Judea and Samaria, it is clear that this is an event of a different magnitude. In a special interview with N12, Lt. Col. A. shares insights into the Palestinian side's reactions ("Stay, it's good") and the patrons behind the scenes ("Iran and Hezbollah are transferring funds"). Following the release of Zabidi, he warns: "I know what he's thinking, he better not test us."
Twenty-three years after Operation "Defensive Shield," the images emerging this week from the heart of the Jenin refugee camp evoke echoes of the complex battles that took place there years ago. The place that holds the title of "terror capital" in the northern West Bank now faces a large-scale military operation in its 2025 version—where the scale of destruction caused by targeting terror infrastructure reveals that Jenin is undergoing a "Gaza-ization," fueled by terrorists' attempts to escalate tensions in Judea and Samaria.
Lt. Col. A., the head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) in Jenin, finds a moment of quiet late at night, after a day filled with situation assessments, area patrols, and approving operational plans. "This operation is more intense," he shares in a special interview with N12. "I think anyone who sees the scenes from the refugee camp is talking in terms of a mini-Gaza, it's part of the discourse."
**"They say it's like Gaza, this time we entered strong"**
"The residents sit in a café and ask: 'Did you see what happened in the camp?' So they say it's like Gaza," continues Lt. Col. A. "They talk about how this time something different was done, we entered strong and with force, the camp is not what it used to be. Some even say: 'Remember 2002?' But it should be said that it hasn't reached the scale where people are talking about it expanding to the city or other villages being targeted."
**How long before the operation did the Palestinian side know you were going in?**
"At my level, I can say not much time in advance. This was an operation that started with surprise. There were minutes to an hour of intense pressure where my phone didn't stop ringing for a moment. I had to speak with several figures from their side and ours to ensure the event went smoothly, and from there, continue running with the forces according to the plan. If this event had gone wrong, it could have taken us to bad places and disrupted all the plans of the operation aimed at achieving the goals we set for ourselves."
**"I felt pressure and concern from the other side"**
When you update figures on the Palestinian side that the IDF is going in, how do they react?
"I felt a sense of pressure and concern, stemming from the friction and how it would look externally. It can be said that in the conversation, there was an understanding that we needed to enter and carry out our operation."
**Mass flight of Palestinians from the Jenin refugee camp changes the landscape**
The mass exodus of Palestinians from the Jenin refugee camp has altered the terrain: a place that normally houses thousands of residents has been almost completely emptied since the start of Operation "Iron Wall." Out of 7,000 residents, only 1,000 remain, according to Palestinian sources who spoke with N12.
**How do you view this flight, and does it represent a shift in perception of the situation?**
"Part of the population in the refugee camp has left over the past year and a half, and not everyone has stayed. Some have left and gone out, some have returned, and some have not left at all, which is the minority in the camp. The operation of the mechanisms caused a large part of them to leave as well due to their actions. When we entered, some left the camp. A significant percentage moved to the rural areas of Jenin, mainly to their relatives, many moved to the city, and a minority of the population left the area."
Lt. Col. A. emphasizes: "We knew how to convey the right messages and act so that they would reach everyone in the end. We told people that those who leave will not be harmed and will save their lives. Those who want to stay in a combat zone may be harmed, even though there is no intention to harm you, so it's better to leave the camp and find another place. We did not force anyone, but we recommended it. Those who moved through the sewers were checked, and some were evacuated by ambulances and left. It was a three-day event of not easy days, and we allowed the rest of the forces to operate."
**The Palestinian Authority understands that the mechanisms operated there for a month and a half, but in reality, it is far from eradicating the terror nests in Jenin?**
"Yes, they understand that. It should be said that they tried, made efforts, and carried out actions. In terms of results, it depends on how you look at it. The things they managed to achieve were not done for a long time, but we still need to understand that there is a difference between our military strength and capabilities and theirs."
**It seems there are those who view the Palestinian Authority as complicit in this event and say to them: 'You prepared the ground for the other side,' and this creates problems.**
"It should be said that the Palestinian Authority and all its elements in the past month and a half have somewhat surprised with their actions in terms of internal legitimacy. We haven't seen the Palestinian security forces stand against a demonstration in the city and disperse it for a long time, and on the other hand, fight inside the refugee camp. Those who hate the Authority and do not see it as an address will talk about it and label it as complicit."
"There are also those who say that this cooperation is very good and will eventually bring us to a good point and restore the situation to what it was," says Lt. Col. A., who has been in this challenging role for over a year. "Some say—one game of the Palestinian Authority is over, one game of the Israeli side is happening now, and the next game of the Authority. Everyone is preparing the ground for the other."
**Do figures in the Palestinian Authority who are in contact with you pressure you to leave?**
"It depends on who is talking to us, some ask if we are going to stay much longer? Some say: 'Stay, it's good.' Some say: 'You must not leave until you finish this,' and there are also voices saying: 'What can be done while you are here?'"
**When Lt. Col. A. refers to the complexity of the operational activity in the Jenin refugee camp, he does not hide the challenges—but also not the cautious optimism.**
"Jenin is considered a hornet's nest where everyone mainly comes from this refugee camp, and we know that Islamic Jihad and Hamas are constantly trying to keep their forces here. Of course, our activity thwarts them. I believe that with the strength we have today, everything we are doing and the plans we have set, and if we continue with them, according to what we are planning—perhaps we can change the reality here."
**"Iran and Hezbollah are transferring funds, we are present on the ground"**
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are not alone; we also see funding channels from the Iranian patron and Hezbollah reaching Jenin, further fueling this terror activity.
"Yes, there are channels from Iran and Hezbollah transferring funds and assisting in weapons smuggling, we have also seen signs of ISIS. We are present on the ground to prevent this from escalating."
According to Palestinian sources, there is precise pricing for terror operations in the Jenin area: a resident who goes out to shoot at the fence, an Israeli settlement, or the Barkan crossing receives $100. The goal of the operations is mainly psychological—spreading videos intended to show the operational presence of terror organizations in the area.
**Last week, we saw the terrorist Zakaria Zubeidi, considered a symbol, being released. Are there estimates that he will return to Jenin after this operation ends?**
"Yes, there are estimates that he might return to Jenin. There was a lot of talk that he would receive a respectable welcome in Kabatia, and preparations began for that. We followed this issue, and we have the ability in our unit to know what he is really planning. In the end, his brother issued a statement that it was not true, and this caused Zakaria Zubeidi to remain in the Ramallah area. I know what he thinks and wants, he better not test us. My biggest question is what kind of Zakaria will return and which path he will take?"
**How are the Palestinian residents of Jenin prepared for the release of terrorists?**
"The population is concerned about the terrorists returning to the Jenin area and knows that this could worsen the situation in terms of our risk and our operation. There are places that are quiet, and there is concern that they will become places of terror, and then their daily lives will change drastically. They understand that the Israeli side has run out of patience."
"There are places that accept them and try to make noise and commotion, understanding the implications of this," continues Lt. Col. A. "In conversations with the other side, I understand how much more deterred they are by the release of prisoners who will come to the area and cause it to further deteriorate security-wise, which will also affect civilian deterioration. They see the heavy price of loss and are looking very closely at Jenin and the refugee camp," he concludes.
In the past week, more than 60 wanted individuals were arrested, and dozens of weapons were confiscated, including M-16 rifles, pistols, Carlo-type weapons, in addition to other means of warfare, including dozens of explosives and materials for manufacturing explosives. link
Politics and the War (general news)
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In the Prison Yard, Moments Before Release: The Terrorists Set to Be Freed Will Watch Footage of Gaza's Widespread Destruction
Exclusive Report: A three-minute video, produced by the IDF Operations Directorate in collaboration with the Israel Prison Service (IPS), will be shown to Palestinian prisoners set for release on Saturday. As Hamas has yet to publish the names of the hostages to be freed in the fifth phase of the deal, the IPS has not received a list of the prisoners to be released. So far, Israel has freed 583 security prisoners.
The names will be checked, medical examinations will be conducted—but just before they are handed over to the Red Cross, the prisoners will be forced to watch a video depicting the chaos: The IDF Operations Directorate (Amitz), in cooperation with the Israel Prison Service, has produced a video documenting the vast destruction in the Gaza Strip. Starting tomorrow (Saturday), Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons as part of the fifth phase of the current hostage deal will be required to watch the footage. This information was obtained by Ynet, as Hamas has yet to provide Israel with a list of the hostages to be released tomorrow, prompting an Israeli official to warn that "failure to do so would be a severe violation."
The three-minute-long video will be displayed to the released prisoners on television screens within the prisons during their departure process. Last week, the IPS printed the phrase "The Nation of Israel Never Forgets" on the identification bracelets of the prisoners, alongside the IPS emblem and the Israeli flag. Many security prisoners, including those serving life sentences, are unaware of the reality outside prison walls. The video aims to expose them to the new reality in Gaza.
Palestinian prisoners released in the last part of deal last week
-
In the Prison Yard, Moments Before Release: The Terrorists Set to Be Freed Will Watch Footage of Gaza's Widespread Destruction
Exclusive Report: A three-minute video, produced by the IDF Operations Directorate in collaboration with the Israel Prison Service (IPS), will be shown to Palestinian prisoners set for release on Saturday. As Hamas has yet to publish the names of the hostages to be freed in the fifth phase of the deal, the IPS has not received a list of the prisoners to be released. So far, Israel has freed 583 security prisoners.The names will be checked, medical examinations will be conducted—but just before they are handed over to the Red Cross, the prisoners will be forced to watch a video depicting the chaos: The IDF Operations Directorate (Amitz), in cooperation with the Israel Prison Service, has produced a video documenting the vast destruction in the Gaza Strip. Starting tomorrow (Saturday), Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons as part of the fifth phase of the current hostage deal will be required to watch the footage. This information was obtained by Ynet, as Hamas has yet to provide Israel with a list of the hostages to be released tomorrow, prompting an Israeli official to warn that "failure to do so would be a severe violation."
The three-minute-long video will be displayed to the released prisoners on television screens within the prisons during their departure process. Last week, the IPS printed the phrase "The Nation of Israel Never Forgets" on the identification bracelets of the prisoners, alongside the IPS emblem and the Israeli flag. Many security prisoners, including those serving life sentences, are unaware of the reality outside prison walls. The video aims to expose them to the new reality in Gaza.
Palestinian prisoners released in the last part of deal last week
IPS Prepares for the Next Prisoner Release Phase
Meanwhile, the IPS has completed preparations for the upcoming release phase set for tomorrow in exchange for additional hostages being returned from captivity in Gaza. As Hamas has yet to provide the list of hostages to be released from captivity, the IPS has not yet received a corresponding list of prisoners set to be freed on Saturday. So far, 583 prisoners have been released under the deal. However, the total prison population under the IPS—comprising both security and criminal inmates—has actually increased by 298. As of today, Israeli prisons hold 23,741 inmates, including 10,197 security prisoners and 13,544 criminal offenders
Deputy Commissioner Yariv Cohen, head of the IPS Incarceration Division, explained:
"So far, 583 security prisoners have been released, but at the same time, we are admitting new prisoners daily from the IDF—primarily from Jenin—following the commissioner's policy and the national security directive. Additionally, 292 prisoners have been transferred from IDF facilities in Sde Teiman and Anatot.
"The number of criminal prisoners has also risen. In fact, the day before the operation began, we had fewer illegal infiltrators in prison. The situation now is that we are holding more terrorists, with the same number of prison wardens, and the IPS budget remains unchanged—placing a heavier burden on the system."
"What Was, Will Not Be Again"
The destruction in Gaza
IPS Commissioner, Chief Warden Kobi Yaakobi, stated last week regarding the prisoner releases:
"During my visits to the prisons, wardens have asked me with concern whether, after the deal, the conditions for security prisoners will return to what they were before. My response is clear: What was, will not be again. We did not allow any expressions of joy among the terrorists while they were in our custody."
Yaakobi added:
"The terrorists felt the full weight of the IPS’s authority until the last moment. If any of them return, they will face the current incarceration conditions—not those from October 6. In the coming days, I actually anticipate an increase in detainees due to the IDF’s pressure and operations in Judea and Samaria.
"Therefore, the workload will remain intense. The cells vacated due to the prisoner releases will not be repurposed for criminal inmates. The Israel Prison Service manages this battle as an integral part of Israel’s security forces. We will continue to admit new terrorists captured by the IDF to ensure the security of the State of Israel." link
The Region and the World
Trump’s bid to push out Gazans is an ‘existential threat’ to Jordan, say analysts
King Abdullah II has rejected the scheme, is set to meet Trump next week; Jordan, which relies on US aid, has a fraught history with its sizable Palestinian population
Donald Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza poses a major threat to Jordan, with analysts saying the US president’s proposal would upend the balance the kingdom must strike between ensuring its US aid lifeline and safeguarding its security.
In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, Trump, to audible gasps from those in attendance, announced a proposal for the United States to take over Gaza and to move its residents out.
Trump had previously floated Jordan and Egypt — both US allies, and neighbors of Israel and the Palestinian territories — as possible destinations. But both countries have flatly rejected the proposal, reiterating their support for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu, whose coalition rejects a Palestinian state, has not said who he wants to take the reins in Gaza after the war sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.
The premier and his allies have applauded Trump’s plan, which was excoriated by most of the international community, especially the Arab world.
“This project not only seeks to eliminate the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people on their land, but also affects security, stability, identity and sovereignty in Jordan,” said Oraib Rantawi, who heads the Amman-based Al Quds Center for Political Studies.
“In Jordan, we would be looking at an existential threat, not just a security threat,” he said, warning that such a move would export the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to Jordan.
Jordan’s King King Abdullah II receives Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, Jordan, February 5, 2025. (Chris Setian / Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP)
“Jordan could cease to exist if this displacement plan is executed.”
King Abdullah II on Wednesday rejected “any attempts” to take control of the Palestinian territories and displace their people, and held talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on the matter.
On February 11, he is due to meet Trump in Washington, after Netanyahu this week became the first foreign leader to meet the US president at the White House since his inauguration.‘Recipe for ruin’
Despite widespread backlash, Trump has insisted that “everybody loves” the plan, which he said would involve the United States taking over the Gaza Strip, though he offered few details on how more than two million Palestinians would be removed.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” he said, sparking a global outcry.
Rantawi called the plan “a recipe for ruin, not a recipe for stability and peace.”
Former Jordanian information minister Samih al-Maaytah said it would be “political suicide” for Jordan and Egypt, with both countries “accused of colluding to crush the Palestinian cause.”
“For Jordan, it would change our demography and the political equation while destroying our national identity,” he added.
Half of Jordan’s population of 11 million is of Palestinian origin, and since the establishment of Israel in 1948, many Palestinians have sought refuge there.
According to UN figures, 2.2 million Palestinians are registered as refugees in Jordan.
The West Bank and East Jerusalem were under Jordan’s control from 1948 until Israel captured them during the Six-Day War of June 1967.
Trump’s bid to push out Gazans is an ‘existential threat’ to Jordan, say analysts
King Abdullah II has rejected the scheme, is set to meet Trump next week; Jordan, which relies on US aid, has a fraught history with its sizable Palestinian population
Donald Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza poses a major threat to Jordan, with analysts saying the US president’s proposal would upend the balance the kingdom must strike between ensuring its US aid lifeline and safeguarding its security.
Trump had previously floated Jordan and Egypt — both US allies, and neighbors of Israel and the Palestinian territories — as possible destinations. But both countries have flatly rejected the proposal, reiterating their support for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu, whose coalition rejects a Palestinian state, has not said who he wants to take the reins in Gaza after the war sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.
The premier and his allies have applauded Trump’s plan, which was excoriated by most of the international community, especially the Arab world.
“This project not only seeks to eliminate the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people on their land, but also affects security, stability, identity and sovereignty in Jordan,” said Oraib Rantawi, who heads the Amman-based Al Quds Center for Political Studies.
“In Jordan, we would be looking at an existential threat, not just a security threat,” he said, warning that such a move would export the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to Jordan.
Jordan’s King King Abdullah II receives Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, Jordan, February 5, 2025. (Chris Setian / Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP)
“Jordan could cease to exist if this displacement plan is executed.”
King Abdullah II on Wednesday rejected “any attempts” to take control of the Palestinian territories and displace their people, and held talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on the matter.
On February 11, he is due to meet Trump in Washington, after Netanyahu this week became the first foreign leader to meet the US president at the White House since his inauguration.
‘Recipe for ruin’
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” he said, sparking a global outcry.
Rantawi called the plan “a recipe for ruin, not a recipe for stability and peace.”
Jordanian troops ready a recoilless anti-tank gun on a jeep in Jerusalem, May 31, 1967. In the background is the Notre Dame De France Church and Hospital, left, inside the then-Israeli sector of Jerusalem. (AP Photo)
Over the following years, the Jordanian military and Palestinian factions fought Israel together. But in 1970, clashes erupted between the Jordanian army and Palestinian groups in what became known as “Black September.”
Sparked by a decision by armed factions to start operating in Amman and other major cities and to set up illegal checkpoints, the violence ultimately led to the groups’ expulsion from the country.
Part of the uproar over Trump’s proposal emanated from the departure it would entail from long-standing international efforts toward self-determination for Palestinians and an eventual two-state solution.
“Who gave Trump the moral, legal, and political authority to intervene in Gaza, take it over and invest in it? He talks about Gaza like a real estate developer, not like a head of state,” Rantawi said.
‘No choice’
For Jordan in particular, the outrage also stems from a perceived lack of recognition for its sovereignty.
Jordan is also well aware of the economic pressure the United States could exercise, given how small its economy is and how greatly it relies on international aid, chiefly from Washington.
Every year, Jordan receives from the United States around $750 million in economic assistance and another $350 million in military aid.
Still, King Abdullah is unlikely to give Trump any room for maneuver when they meet later this month.
“The king has no choice but to reject this proposal outright,” Rantawi said, adding it was “non-negotiable.”
“Trump wants us to sell Jordan for $1.5 billion in aid,” he added.
Mustafa al-Amawi, a Jordanian MP, said that US aid “was not a gift.”
“But if it comes down to making a trade-off, we will not accept the aid,” he said.
Maaytah agreed.
“It is true that Jordan would be affected if aid were cut off, but it isn’t worth bartering for,” he said.
Fears of coming under pressure over Trump’s proposal sparked legislators to prepare a bill on national sovereignty and reject any forced displacement of Palestinians to Jordan “as an alternative homeland.”
“Parliament stands with the king, and categorically rejects the US president’s statements on the forced displacement of Gazans from their homes to Jordan, Egypt or any other country,” Amawi said.
Personal Stories **Amit Susana** 
40 years old, released after 55 days in Hamas captivity "A terrorist dragged me into the children's room and forced me to perform a sexual act on him. After I went to shower, he approached me and pressed a gun to my forehead. He hit me and forced me to remove the towel. He touched me, sat me on the edge of the bathtub, and hit me again."
**Aviva Siegel** 
62 years old, released after 51 days in Hamas captivity. Her husband, Keith (64), is still in Gaza. (just released last saturday)"The terrorists bring inappropriate clothes, doll clothes—and turned the young female captives into puppets on strings that they could do whatever they wanted with, whenever they wanted... There wasn’t a minute when we weren’t experiencing some form of abuse, in every way... The boys also go through what the girls go through, but at least they can’t get pregnant. It’s unbelievable that they’re still there."
**Shani Goren** 
29 years old, released after 55 days in Hamas captivity "150 meters from the border, we suddenly hear a combat helicopter in the sky. It was a terrifying moment... I lowered my head and realized my pants were torn and covered in blood... All the terrorists (were eliminated) in a second... I thought about running, but I told myself I couldn’t leave the girls here. You never know what will happen, Doron is injured, and who will they be with?"
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
He Must GoTami AradEducator and Researcher.
Dr. Tal Weissbach sustained a serious eye injury from a water cannon at a demonstration in Jerusalem. Dr. Weissbach, one of the leaders of the "White Coats" protest, was struck by a modern-day slingshot that has been used with diabolical frequency at demonstrations since the attempted judicial overhaul.Ben-Gvir's water-cannon-slingshot symbolizes what this government is doing to us all, sparing no one - including the hostages' families and the bereaved families.The citizens of Israel are held captive by a government elected before October 7th, which acts as if the greatest disaster in the country's history never happened. The Evasion Law - the law exempting the Haredis from military duty - was passed under the smug smile of a Prime Minister who, at the time of the vote, knew that four fighters had been killed, though their names had not yet been released. The corrupt rabbinical law was introduced while Israel Defense Forces soldiers risked their lives in house-to-house fighting in Rafah. Soldiers are serving second and third rounds in the reserves, the Gaza Envelope is abandoned, the north is on fire, the cost of living is skyrocketing, and the detached Prime Minister rushes ahead in a protected motorcade to public relations events or yet another backroom deal in the Knesset.If I were chairman of the Labor Federation (Histadrut), I would shut down the entire country rather than make halfhearted statements about the need for elections. Arnon Bar-David must send Bibi one message: Return the mandate to the people, or face an all-out strike.Those who worship Bibi do not understand that this is not a political disagreement between Left and Right. This is about a man who gathers around him small, immoral, and unscrupulous people. This is the man considered by over 50% of Israeli citizens as directly responsible for the massacre. This is the man who refused to eliminate Hamas’ Yayha Sinwar five times! And equally as grave - it is he who, through his own acts and words, has poisoned and torn Israeli society apart.He is not worthy of being the Prime Minister of Dr. Tal Weissbach, or of heroes such as the late Yaron Shai and his comrades who were killed in the battles of October 7th. He “did not hear” that they had been killed.He is not worthy of their comrades who risk their lives today, nor of the Israeli society, as it mourns and fights. It is he who is responsible for the abandonment of civilians on October 7th and the abandonment of the hostages. Since then, he should have taken to the barricades to bring them all home, but instead is taking to the barricades in the Knesset to keep his coalition together.Netanyahu will be remembered as the Prime Minister who consciously abandoned civilians and soldiers to their fates for the sake of his political survival. He will be remembered as the one who trampled the basic values of Israeli society and, through his mouthpieces, shattered the value of mutual accountability that has bound the diverse Israeli society together since its inception.The mandate must now return to the people, so that rehabilitation can begin, so that the hostages can return to their families, so that Israeli society can face the complex challenges ahead. And to those who ask: yes, he must go, even in a time of war, so that the war may end with some shred of hope.
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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