π️Lonny's War Update- October 499, 2023 - February 16, 2025 π️
π️Day 499 that 73 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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Hostage Updates
- Hostages’ families call for 500-minute fast on Monday to mark 500 days since their loved ones were abducted to Gaza
The families of hostages call for a fast tomorrow that will last 500 minutes, from 11:40 a.m. to 8 p.m., or from sunrise to sunset, to mark 500 days since the hostages were taken to Gaza by terrorists.
With 73 hostages left in captivity in Gaza, families will gather at the Hostages’ Families camp on Jerusalem’s Azza Street before marching to the Knesset, where Knesset committees will pause at 11:39 a.m. for the official start of the fast.
“As much as it is critical to keep pressure on our leaders to keep this deal moving forward, it is just as critical that the hostages’ families feel supported and know that they are not alone,” says Abbey Onn, whose cousin, Ofer Calderon, was recently released from Hamas captivity. “Fasting for 500 minutes is the least I can do to show solidarity with the hell the hostages and their families have been experiencing these last 500 days.”
A demonstration in support of the hostages will be held at the Knesset at 2 p.m., with a main gathering taking place at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square at 8 p.m., when the fast ends.
- Freed hostage Iair Horn in message to captive brother: ‘Eitan, you’re next!’
A photo released by the IDF shows released hostage Iair Horn flying in a helicopter on his way to hospital earlier today, with his mother Ruti and brother Amos.
“Eitan, you’re next!” he writes on a whiteboard, in a message to his other brother who remains in Hamas captivity.
Yair Horn holds an hourglass with a picture of the kidnapped Matan Tsangaukar and his mother, which he received from Hamas operatives.Hamas makes cynical use of hostages.
I understand that Yair will be giving the hourglass to Einav Tsengauker Hours after release, freed hostages talk of Hamas torture, psychological torment
Iair Horn was held with brother Eitan at start of captivity, but hasn’t seen him since; Sagui Dekel-Chen scarred by torture; Troufanov was held alone, learned to speak and read Arabic
Left to right: freed hostage Sasha Troufanov, center, embraces his mother Yelena, left, and his girlfriend Sapir Cohen in an Israeli Air Force helicopter on the way from the Gaza border area to Sheba-Tel Hashomer Medical Center near Tel Aviv, February 15, 2025. (IDF); Newly-released hostage Iair Horn (center) reunites with relatives at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. (Ma'ayon Toaf / GPO); Freed hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen seen with his wife Avital aboard an IDF helicopter. (IDF)The three hostages who were released from Gaza on Saturday after 498 days of captivity endured physical abuse and were left in the dark as to the fate of their loved ones, according to snippets of information shared with Hebrew media outlets by family members.
The information shared by Channels 12 and 13 and the Kan public broadcaster was conveyed by the freed hostages to their families and then cleared for publication by the military censor.
Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn were all abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 were seized as hostages.
Dekel-Chen and Horn were held captive by Hamas, and Troufanov was held by allied terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
They were released following days of uncertainty and doubt after Hamas accused Israel earlier in the week of failing to meet aid obligations and said it was pausing the scheduled hostage releases. Israel rejected the charge and threatened to resume the war.
The terror group eventually backed down on Thursday, and notified Israel via Qatari and Egyptian mediators of the identities of the three hostages slated for release Saturday.
While the three men looked thin and pale, and Horn seemed to be limping, they appeared to be in better physical condition than the three severely emaciated hostages who were released last week in images that shocked Israel and sparked an outpouring of anger.
Hostages L to R: Sagui Dekel-Chen, Yair Horn and Sasha Troufanov stand on stage next to Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen during their handover over to a Red Cross team in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 15, 2025. (Eyad Baba / AFP)All three of them were held in Khan Younis throughout their captivity, mere hundreds of meters from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz. While they were mostly held in tunnels, they were taken to apartments in the lead-up to their release, Kan reported.
All of them learned to speak Arabic during their 498 days in Gaza, and Troufanov also learned to read it, Channel 12 said.
Both Dekel-Chen and Horn were held with other hostages at various points in captivity, and at one stage early on, Horn was held with his brother Eitan, who is not slated for release in the first stage of the ceasefire and hostage release deal. They were not held together recently.
After he was separated from his brother, Iair was forced by his captors to film a video in which he talked about Eitan, Kan reported.
He lost 10 kilograms (22 lbs) in weight and, like the other hostages, received almost no medical treatment.
Nevertheless, Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center said his general condition was stable, and that he would be able to focus on reuniting with family and friends before undergoing more extensive testing and treatment.
Upon his release, Horn’s captors gave him an hourglass with a picture of Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage and who has emerged as a leading figure in the movement for the hostages’ return. According to Kan, the IDF plans to give her the hourglass.
Newly released hostage Iair Horn (center) reunites with relatives at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center on February 15, 2025. (Ma’ayon Toaf / GPO)Dekel-Chen, who was abducted while battling invading terrorists with the kibbutz security team on October 7, 2023, was held in a Gaza hospital for the first weeks of his captivity, Channel 12 reported. He was held along with other hostages, including Itzik Elgarat.
He was “tortured during interrogations” by his captors, Channel 12 said and has scars on his body to show for it. He was also shot in the shoulder and wounded on October 7.
The Israeli-American citizen was cut off from the outside world, with no access to any media or information, and didn’t know what had become of his family.
He “mourned and cried” for them, fearing the worst, but also “held out hope for them and was optimistic.”
His wife Avital was seven months pregnant on October 7 when he was captured and she gave birth in December 2023. His captors told him recently that he had a daughter born while in captivity, Kan reported, and gave him earrings for his wife. He didn’t believe what they told him, and asked the IDF representatives he met upon his release to confirm it.
Video footage of Dekel-Chen’s reunion with Avital captured the emotional moment when he found out the name of his third daughter.
“Do you remember what you called her?” Avital asked Sagui, referring to the girl’s baby bump nickname.
“Mazal!” he exclaimed in surprise.
“So that’s what she’s called, Shachar Mazal,” Avital responded.
“It’s perfect,” he said. Shachar is Hebrew for “dawn”; mazal means “luck.”
He only found out about the hostage release and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas two days before his release, at the same time that he learned he was going to be freed, Channel 12 said.
Freed hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen reunites with his family at Sheba Medical Center soon after his release from 498 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, February 15, 2025 (Avi Ohayon / GPO)In sharp contrast to the joyful news that awaited Dekel-Chen upon his release, Troufanov returned to the outside world to discover that his father Vitaly had been killed on October 7. He burst into tears at the news, delivered by IDF representatives.
Troufanov was held alone, as was the case with previously freed hostages Gadi Mozes and Arbel Yehoud, both of whom were also held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
He was barely exposed to television or radio in captivity, and had no idea that his family was fighting for his release. However, he heard the radio at the time of the first weeklong truce in November 2023, and discovered that his mother Yelena and girlfriend Sapir Cohen had been released from captivity. His grandmother Irena Tati had also been taken hostage and also was released after some 50 days in captivity.
Released hostage Sasha Troufanov, right, reunites with his grandmother Irena Tati at the Sheba-Tel Hashomer Medical Center, February 15, 2025. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)Nineteen Israeli hostages have been freed so far under the ceasefire deal that when into effect last month: four female civilians, five female IDF soldiers and 10 male civilians. In addition, five Thai hostages were released outside the framework of the deal with Israel.
Another 14 Israeli hostages are slated to be released in the initial stage of the ongoing truce deal with Hamas, of whom the terror group has said eight are dead.
The terror group freed 105 civilians during the weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that.
Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014. The body of another IDF soldier, also killed in 2014, was recovered from Gaza in January.
Red Cross: More must be done by all sides for ‘dignified’ Gaza hostage-prisoner releases
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) criticizes both Hamas and Israel over their conduct during a sixth swap of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
“The ICRC continues to raise its concerns about the way hostage and detainee releases are carried out. Despite repeatedly calling for all transfers to be carried out in a dignified and private manner, more must be done by all sides, including the mediators, to improve future transfers,” the organization says in a statement following the release of three Israeli hostages for 369 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel missed 2 windows for a deal, says former Israeli hostage negotiator; PMO: Lies
Israeli leaders knew hostages were “being held in very difficult conditions,” says Brig. Gen. (res.) Oren Setter, the former deputy to the IDF’s point man in the negotiations for a hostage-ceasefire deal Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, in an interview with Channel 12.
Brig. Gen. Oren Setter speaks during a Knesset committee meeting on October 20, 2022. (Screenshot: Knesset Channel)Setter says the cabinet knew hostages were being held in chains, starved, and physically and emotionally harmed.
“The matters were presented in [cabinet meetings and smaller consultations with the prime minister] clearly,” says Setter.
Setter also charges that Israel missed two “windows” for a hostage deal — in March and July of last year.
Setter quit Alon’s team in October.
The Prime Minister’s Office responds with a statement alleging that “senior officials on the negotiating team say that Setter is lying” and that he has repeatedly leaked details from meetings designed to harm the reputation of Netanyahu. His leaks, says the PMO, “have damaged the negotiations, endangered our hostages, and echoed Hamas’s false propaganda,” and are a criminal offense.
The PMO denies that a deal with Hamas could have been reached earlier.
“As all senior US administration officials have testified time and again, Hamas has refused to negotiate for months and was the only factor that constituted an obstacle to the deal,” claims the statement.
Netanyahu’s office insists that Hamas previously agreed to release only 12-14 living hostages in the first phase, as well as a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. It also says that Setter and other negotiators told Netanyahu that it would be impossible to reach a deal if he presented tougher demands.
“If the Prime Minister had not insisted, at least half of the live abductees would not have been released in phase one,” argues the PMO.- Protesters in Tel Aviv slam PM: ‘A deal that’s not completed murders everyone’Protesters for a hostage deal and against the government at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv, February 15, 2025. (Eitan Slonim/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)About a thousand people gather for the weekly pro-hostage deal, anti-government protest in front of the Begin Road entrance to the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. (*note: I don't know how they determine these numbers but they are so far off. There are tens of thousands at the weekly demonstrations every single week)
The protest takes place as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom protesters accuse of trying to thwart the continuation of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, holds security consultations about the future of the agreement.Speaking at the protest, Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, says she sometimes imagines herself reunited with her son, “having coffee, smoking a cigarette.”
“These moments are approaching with giant strides,” she says.To jeers, she adds: “The prime minister has tried to thwart the agreement again and again and again.”
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, addresses the crowd at a protest for a hostage deal and against the government on Begin Road in Tel Aviv, February 15, 2025. (Roi Boshi/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)“One person stands between us and all the hostages,” she says, referring to the premier.
“Netanyahu — we’re sick of the procrastination,” she says.
Assailing the protracted multi-stage hostage releases, she says, “Shorten the stages, release everyone, give us a victory image without loved ones.”
About an hour earlier, Zangauker had spoken at a separate rally at Hostages Square, a block away, where she also accused Netanyahu of abandoning the captives to keep his coalition intact: “How can you play politics on their backs when you know the Holocaust they are enduring in Hamas’s tunnels?”
The Begin Road demonstration is bolstered by protesters against the government’s judicial overhaul plan who have marched over from Habima Square.
In front of the IDF headquarters, protesters chant: “A deal that’s not completed murders everyone.”The main block of protesters is flanked by activists from various civil society groups: Members of the Israeli Gay Youth movement, who wave pride flags; a coalition of left-wing groups including Standing Together, Women Wage Peace and Socialist Struggle, and the Movement for Quality Government. - First testimonies: Dekel-Chen was tortured by Hamas, didn’t know his family survived; Troufanov didn’t know his father was murderedLeft to right: Freed hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen seen aboard an IDF helicopter, soon after his release from 498 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, February 15, 2025. (IDF); Newly-released hostage Iair Horn, wearing a Hapoel Beersheba soccer shirt, at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. (Ma'ayon Taof / GPO); Freed hostage Sasha Troufanov on the way from the Gaza border area to Sheba-Tel Hashomer Medical Center near Tel Aviv, February 15, 2025. (IDF)Channels 12, 13, and Kan TV tonight carry bits of information from today’s freed hostages that they have conveyed to their families and that the military censor has permitted for publication.
Among the key details:
All three of the hostages freed today endured “very harsh captivity, including physical abuse.”
All three were very hungry when released. All three have learned Arabic in captivity.
Sagui Dekel-Chen and Iair Horn were held together, and with other hostages, in recent days. For most of their captivity, they were in tunnels.
They were held with other hostages and have returned with signs of life regarding at least three.
Both men were wounded when they were abducted and suffered abuse that exacerbated their injuries.
Sasha Troufanov was held alone.
All three were held in Khan Younis, from where they were freed today, mere hundreds of meters from their homes on Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Iair Horn has told his family that he and his brother Eitan were held together early in their captivity, but not recently. He has said Eitan is injured in the leg. He was compelled by his captors to film a video in which he talks about Eitan, Kan reports.
He has lost tens of kilograms in weight, and received almost no medical treatment.
His captors gave Horn an hourglass with a picture of Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage, which the IDF intends to give to her, according to Kan.
Dekel-Chen was “tortured during interrogations” by his captors, Channel 12 reports. He has scars on his body, the report says.
He was held in a Gaza hospital for the first few weeks of his captivity along with other hostages, Kan reports. One of them was Itzik Elgarat.
The report says that Dekel-Chen knew nothing about what had become of his family for the entire time he was held hostage. He was completely cut off from all media. “He both mourned and cried” for his family, and also “held out hope for them and was optimistic.”
He only found out two days ago that he was going to be released.
Kan says Dekel-Chen’s captors told him, apparently shortly before his release, that he had a daughter born while he was in captivity, and gave him earrings for his wife. Dekel-Chen didn’t believe what they told him, and asked the IDF representatives he met on his release to confirm it.
Dekel-Chen was wounded in his shoulder on October 7, 2023, but told the IDF representatives it was not important, and that “the most important thing is that I meet my family already.”
In recent hours, he reunited with his daughters, the Channel 12 report says.
Sasha Troufanov did not know that his father was killed on October 7 and burst into tears when told today by IDF representatives.
He barely saw TV or heard the radio in captivity. He did not know that his family was struggling to get him released. But he did hear the radio at the time of the first truce in November 2023 and learned that his mother and girlfriend had been freed. - Trump envoy Witkoff says talks on stage 2 of ceasefire will ‘continue later this week’
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, says that talks on phase two of the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas will continue this week in a “location to be determined.”
Speaking to Fox News, Witkoff says he held “very productive and constructive” phone calls today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Adbulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad.
He says he discussed with the leaders “the timing of phase two, the positions of the parties so that we can understand where we stand, and we will continue the talks later this week at a location to be determined.”
He adds that phase two “is a little bit more intricate and complicated in terms of how we bring the two sides together on this.”
Witkoff explains that the second phase of the deal “contemplates an end to the war, but it also contemplates Hamas not being involved in the government and being gone from Gaza. So, we’ve got to square those two things.”
“But phase two is absolutely going to begin,” he adds.
He says he believes that all 19 IDF soldiers still being held by Hamas in Gaza are alive.
Witkoff also reveals that he and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz are heading to Saudi Arabia tonight to speak with Russian officials about ending the war in Ukraine. link As one of the Israel news commentators said today, (I'm paraphrasing) - it's good that we have Witkoff to tell us what's going on with the negotiations because all we are getting from Netanyahu and his office is denials, lies and silence.
- The 14 remaining hostages included in the first phase of the dealDuring the last six phases, 24 hostages were released by Hamas - 19 Israelis and 5 Thais • In the next two weeks, 14 more hostages are expected to be released, including Shlomo Mansour, who was murdered on October 7 and whose body was abducted, and 6 residents of Nir Oz • The condition of the remaining hostages is unknown to IsraelSasha Trufanov, Yair Horn, and Shai Dekel-Chen were released yesterday (Saturday) from Hamas captivity, bringing the total number of hostages released in the first phase of the deal to 24, including 19 Israelis and 5 Thais. 14 hostages included in the list are still in captivity and are expected to be released in the next two weeks. The terrorist organization Hamas announced that 8 of the hostages are no longer alive, one of whom is Shlomo Mansour, who was murdered on October 7.The three released hostages at the moment of meeting with IDF forcesSagi Dekel Chen and his wife Avital at their first meeting after release | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Yair Horn's mother watches the moment of handover to IDF forces
The hostages yet to be released in Phase 1Hostages already released in Phase 1Among the 14 remaining hostages: 6 hostages from Nir Oz, 5 aged 50 and above, 9 hostages known to be ill or injured, as well as the three members of the Bibas family. In addition, the two hostages Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who were abducted before the war, are expected to be released at the end of this phase.59 hostages remain in captivity and are not included in the first phase. 35 have been declared by official sources as no longer alive. 24 additional hostages will not return during the first phase - but only in subsequent phases. Among them: 11 young people abducted from Nova, 4 soldiers, 7 residents of the Gaza envelope, and two foreign workers.From Kibbutz Nir Oz, the most civilians were abducted into the Gaza Strip. With the completion of the current phase and the release of three residents of the kibbutz, 19 hostages from the kibbutz remain in Hamas captivity, including those expected to be released in phase one. Of these, 10 are defined as alive, and nine are known to be no longer alive.These are the additional hostages expected to be released in phase one of the hostage deal:Ariel BibasAriel was abducted at the age of 4 along with his mother Shiri and his brother, Kfir - who was abducted at just 9 months old - from their home in Nir Oz. The video of Shiri, terrified, wrapping her two children in a blanket, became one of the symbols of the war and horror. His father, Yarden, was seen in another video being led by terrorists into Gaza, and was released on Saturday from Hamas captivity. His grandparents, Shiri's parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were murdered. In November 2023, Hamas claimed that Shiri and her children were killed in an IDF attack, and released a video showing Yarden receiving the news of their deaths. In February, the IDF Spokesperson released a video showing the Bibas family alive from the early days of the war. In August, instead of celebrating his birthday in kindergarten, thousands marked Ariel's fifth birthday at a rally in Hostages Square. "I don't know what they're going through and how they're surviving. I want to hope that Hamas is keeping them alive as a bargaining chip," said Eli Sabo.Kfir BibasKfir, the infant, was abducted at just 9 months old along with his mother Shiri and his brother, Ariel (4) - from their home in Nir Oz, the youngest hostage. The video of Shiri, terrified, wrapping her two children in a blanket, became one of the symbols of the war and horror. His father Yarden was seen in another video being led by terrorists into Gaza and was released on Saturday from Hamas captivity. Terrorists' cameras documented the break-in at the Bibas family home. His grandparents, Shiri's parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were murdered. In November 2023, Hamas claimed that Shiri and her children were killed in an IDF attack, and released a video showing Yarden receiving the news of their deaths. In February, the IDF Spokesperson released a video showing the Bibas family alive from the early days of the war. In January, they marked his second birthday in captivity, "the saddest birthday in the world," at various events across the country and the world.Shiri BibasShiri was abducted at the age of 33 from her home in Nir Oz with her two young children - Ariel (4) and the infant Kfir, who was abducted at just 9 months old. The video of Shiri, terrified, wrapping her two children in a blanket and being led into Gaza by Hamas terrorists became one of the symbols of the war and horror. Her husband Yarden was seen in another video being led by terrorists into Gaza - and was released on Saturday from Hamas captivity. Shiri's parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were murdered in their home in the kibbutz on that same Saturday. Shiri works in the kibbutz's accounting department, and before that, she took care of the kibbutz's children. In November 2023, Hamas claimed that Shiri and her children were killed in an IDF attack, and released a video showing Yarden receiving the news of their deaths. In February, the IDF Spokesperson released a video showing the Bibas family alive from the early days of the war. "It's heartbreaking to see what they've been through," said Yifat, Shiri's cousin.Itzik ElgaratItzik was abducted at the age of 69 from his home in Nir Oz. He was shot in the hand, and his brother Danny tried to guide him over the phone on how to make a tourniquet. His brother said he tried to close the safe room door until he told him: "Danny, this is the end." He was abducted along with his brother-in-law - Alex Danzig, who was murdered in captivity. Itzik is a father of two, lived in Denmark for many years, and returned to the kibbutz after his divorce. He is an avid football and Maccabi Tel Aviv fan.Shlomo Mansour, of blessed memoryShlomo, of blessed memory, was abducted at the age of 86 from Kissufim. On October 7, Shlomo and his wife Mazal were in the safe room. Terrorists fired a burst at the door and broke in. Mazal hid in the bathroom. The terrorists found Shlomo, handcuffed him, and took him out of the house. Shlomo is a Holocaust survivor who survived the Farhud pogrom in Iraq. He was one of the founders of Kissufim and lived in the kibbutz with his wife Mazal for 60 years, a grandfather to 13 grandchildren. A master carpenter. In recent years, he volunteered with his wife Mazal in the army, renovating and renewing the inscriptions on the tombstones in the cemetery. His loved ones say he is a man with a big heart, golden hands, and a man of action. He is a father to children, a grandfather to grandchildren, and has five brothers and many friends in the kibbutz. "It's impossible to imagine how an 85-year-old man is coping in the hell forced upon him against his will after reaching old age." On Monday, Kibbutz Kissufim announced that his family had been informed that Shlomo was murdered on 7.10 and his body was abducted into Gaza.Ohad YahalomiOhad Yahalomi, Eitan YahalomiOhad was abducted at the age of 50, injured, from his home in Nir Oz. Eitan, his son, was also abducted but separately from him. The terrorists managed to break through the safe room door where the Yahalomi family was staying. They shot Ohad, he remained in the house, and from that moment, contact with him was lost. The terrorists abducted Bat-Sheva, Ohad's wife, with her two daughters on one motorcycle and Eitan on another motorcycle. Bat-Sheva, in a split-second decision, managed to jump off the motorcycle while holding her young daughters and didn't stop running until she reached a safe place. Eitan was left alone. Ohad is an employee of the Nature and Parks Authority, an ironman, a sportsman, a lover of hiking and nature, and a family man. Eitan was released on 27.11.23.Oded LifshitzOded was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz at the age of 83 along with Yocheved, his wife - who was released by Hamas "for humanitarian reasons" on 23/10/23. For many years, Oded was a journalist and columnist for "Al Hamishmar." A freedom fighter, human rights activist, and amateur pianist. Ada Sagi said she met him in Khan Younis on the first day of her abduction: "The person taking care of him said he had to take him to the hospital to remove a bullet from his hand. Oded was clear and alert and kept asking me: 'Ada, find out what happened to Yochka. I haven't seen her since the abduction.'" He was with other hostages from Nir Oz, and there is no report on his condition after the first 20 days.Tzachi IdanTzachi, 50, was separated from his family and abducted, according to estimates, into the Gaza Strip from his home in Nahal Oz. In a chilling live video from the family home, all the horrors the family endured were documented, including the shooting of their eldest daughter Maayan, 18, who was murdered. Tzachi's wife Gali and their two other children - Yahel (11) and Shahar (9) survived. At some point, the terrorists handcuffed Tzachi and their neighbor – Omri Miran, who was brought into Tzachi's house by the terrorists, and took them, likely in his car.Hisham al-SayedIn early April 2015, Hisham, a 35-year-old Israeli Bedouin with mental health issues from the south, independently crossed the border into the Gaza Strip. He was abducted by Hamas. In June 2022, Hamas released a video showing him lying on a bed, awake, looking around while wearing an oxygen mask. Hisham has been held captive by Hamas for almost ten years.Omer WenkertOmer was abducted at the age of 23 from the party in Re'im. At noon on Saturday, Hamas published photos of him bound, suffering, and beaten, as well as a video of him lying in a pickup truck with terrorists above him. Omer suffers from colitis, a chronic bowel disease that was under control when he was abducted, but worsens under stress. Omer was at the party in Re'im with his friend Kim Damti, who was murdered. The last thing he wrote to his mother while hiding in one of the shelters was "I'm dying of fear." The song "What a Day I Had, Samuel" by the band HaSmachot from 2001, his favorite song, became a TikTok hit. Liam Or, who was released from Hamas captivity in a deal in November 2023, said he was in a tunnel with Omer, where they became best friends. One of the first things Omer told him in captivity was "Don't lose hope."Elia CohenElia was abducted at the age of 27 from the party in Re'im. He went to the party with his girlfriend Ziv. When the massacre began, the two fled, grenades and RPGs were thrown at them. Ziv fell, and bodies fell on her, saving her. Elia was injured. According to the description, they looked at each other and held hands, he managed to say he was injured and that he was okay, but then someone pulled him from the pile of bodies. Elia was previously a party producer and now works in sales and has started dealing in real estate. He is from a religious family in Tzur Hadassah, who left religion before the age of 16. Elia is the eldest brother to three sisters. His father is disabled, and his mental state has deteriorated due to the situation. According to his family, Elia planned to propose to Ziv. His mother says he is a sensitive and empathetic person, with many friends in Israel and around the world: "I'm sure he's taking care of babies in Gaza, playing with them, and looking after them."Avraham MengistuAvraham, 37, with mental health issues, crossed the border into the Gaza Strip on 7.9.2014 near Zikim Beach and has been held by Hamas ever since. In January 2023, for the first time in years, Hamas released a video showing Avraham speaking broken Hebrew in captivity. Initially, security officials did not confirm the authenticity of the video, but later his mother said she recognized him. A day after the video was released, Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed that the video was authentic. Avraham grew up in Ashkelon alongside 11 siblings. They have been working for over a decade to bring him back to Israel.Tal ShohamTal, 39, Adi, and their two children came from Ma'ale Tzviya to visit Adi's parents in Kibbutz Be'eri. Tal and Adi were abducted with their children Noam, 8, and Yahal, 3, along with Adi's mother Dr. Shoshan Haran, Adi's aunt Sharon Avigad, and her daughter Noam Avigad, 12. Three family members were murdered - Tal's father-in-law, Avshalom Haran, Adi's aunt Lili Kipnis, and her husband Avitar. Also murdered was Avitar's caregiver, Paul Vincent Casteloy. The house with the safe room where 8 family members were staying was found burned after being set on fire by the terrorists. Tal's father, Gilad, heard eyewitness testimony from a Kibbutz Be'eri member that Tal walked out on foot and was seen handcuffed, as terrorists threw him into the trunk of a car likely stolen from the kibbutz. Adi and the children Noam and Yahal were released from captivity on 25.11.23. Tal remained behind.Omer Shem TovOmer was abducted at the age of 22 from the party in Re'im. He was at the party with the abducted brothers Itai and Mia Regev. He tried to escape in a car. Omer called his parents, and according to them, he sounded more panicked with each call. He said they were shooting, he said he saw dead bodies. He sent his parents a live location - and they saw the point moving towards Gaza. They tried to call, but he no longer answered. Mia was released in a hostage deal on 25.11.23, Itai was released on 29.11.23. Omer remains abducted in Gaza. - Health officials: Hostages facing life-changing, permanent disabilities from untreated injuries
Medical officials warn that the hostages left in Gaza may face life-changing and permanent disabilities, with information from freed captives suggesting that Alon Ohel is in danger of losing his sight.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, there are indications that Ohel, 24, who has been held by terrorists in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has shrapnel in one eye and can only see shadows out of it.
Medical officials who are in close contact with Ohel’s family tell the outlet that testimonies from freed captives indicate that he is danger of losing sight in both eyes due to his untreated injuries and ill-treatment.
Last week, his mother Idit Ohel issued a heartrending plea for his release, saying she had been told that he is being held starving in chains in a Hamas tunnel and has multiple untreated injuries.
“He has shrapnel in his eye, he has shrapnel in his shoulder, he has shrapnel in his arm. Alon was bound in chains, this entire time, and he had almost no food — at most one pita a day, over a very, very, very long time, more than a year,” the anguished mother told Channel 12.
Gaza and the South
- (Gershon Baskin , February 16, 2025) This is very bad and it’s the fault of Netanyahu and the Americans mainly for not working in creating an alternative legitimate Palestinian government for Gaza in a post Hamas scenario. It's official - Hamas wants war and pre-emptively rebukes Egypt and Arab proposals for Gaza. This video right here of Hamas's leader Osama Hamdan in Doha, Qatar, where the Aljazeera Forum is taking place, tells you everything you need to know about the terror group and why the resumption of total war in Gaza is merely a matter of time. He says that:
1- Hamas won, and the idea of the resistance was victorious.
2- Iran helped the resistance and will have a role in the future, whereas those who didn't help the resistance can't now expect to play a role (he's talking about the Arab countries).
3- Hamas, which brought unprecedented achievements, cannot be told that it won't be part of the Palestinian national project.
4- Anyone who wants to act in Israel's stead and in its place will be treated as such and will have to deal with the consequences of that (he's talking about any security arrangement that entails PA forces, Arab or international troops).
5- Hamas won't discuss disarming, the departure of its leaders [from Gaza], or disappearing from the scene and won't leave or pay any prices for reconstruction.
6- Hamas and team resistance have Iran, Turkey, and Africa (mainly referring to South Africa) as allies to provide support.
7- Hamas will rebuild its capabilities in Gaza and will expand them further, with its most crucial strength being that it can slap (attack) Israel anytime it wants.
This is a significant development and has immense implications for Gaza's people, the region, Trump's plan, and what's going to unfold in the near future.
**Lonny's notes - As my brother wrote, this is due to Netanyahu and Trump. Up until this announcement, Hamas was in behind the scenes talks and it was clearly recognized that Hamas could not continue to govern in Gaza, nor did they want to. They did, however want to remain as the military security force in Gaza, much like Hizbollah was in Southern Lebanon before they got involved in the politics. The Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others have stated that this is unacceptable as well. With Netanyahu's continued refusal to allow an alternative Palestinian governing body go into Gaza with the backing of the Arab states (boots on the ground) and the Americans as well as other western allies (training and equipment as well as monitoring), he fully enabled Hamas to stay, regroup and take back the governing functionality, including policing and security of Gaza. And to make matters worse, Trump's ridiculous and illegal transfer, ethnic cleansing plan united all the Arab States with all the Palestinians, including Hamas against this plan and further giving Hamas unexpected backing and strength. Netanyahu bears the lion's share of responsibility for October 7. With his inaction and poor actions, he will be 100% responsible for the next war with Hamas in Gaza.
- IDF says drone carried out warning strike in central GazaThe IDF says it carried out a drone strike earlier today in central Gaza as a warning after several vehicles tried to travel to the Strip’s north via an unapproved route.
Northbound vehicular traffic is only permitted on the Salah a-Din road, where a private company is inspecting Palestinian cars heading to northern Gaza.
The vehicles attempting to bypass the inspection on Salah a-Din, in violation of the ceasefire deal, returned south after the strike, the military says.
- Report: PM refuses to give approval for mobile homes and earthmoving equipment to enter Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not give approval for the entry of caravans and heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip during last night’s security consultations, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
A political official tells the outlet: “Following a security consultation chaired by the prime minister, it was decided that the issue of caravans will be discussed in the coming days. Israel is fully coordinating with the United States.”
According to reports, the ceasefire and hostage release agreement explicitly states that supplies and equipment can be brought in to Gaza to establish at least 60,000 temporary living facilities. The details of the deal have not been published in full.
Images last week showed mobile homes and earthmoving equipment waiting at the Rafah Border Crossing from Egypt.
Last week, Hamas protested that Israel was blocking their entry and said that talks to get the ceasefire-hostage deal back on track had included discussions on a number of specific items, including the homes and equipment. Hamas released three hostages yesterday.
The apparent refusal by the premier to approve the entry of the equipment to the Strip comes as Netanyahu reportedly wants to extend the current first phase of the deal beyond the designated 42 days, which are set to end on March 1, and secure the freedom of more hostages as part of phase one, including more hostages Israel now knows are in poor health.
According to Channel 12, the premier wants Israel’s negotiators to argue to the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, with US support, that it’s also in the interests of Hamas to extend phase one.
Netanyahu has refused to allow Israel’s negotiators to engage in talks on the agreement’s second phase, which would see the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war. link Netanyahu is once again, blatantly seeking to sabatouge the negotiations and let the remaining living hostages die all in the name of his own self interests of keeping his coalition alive.
- Gazans burn Star of David shirts Israel put on prisonersGazans are burning the shirts in which the Israel Prison Service dressed prisoners before their release earlier, which featured a Star of David and the words “We will not forget nor forgive.” video
- Israel releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners, including 36 serving life terms for terrorFreed detainees dressed in shirts with blue Star of David, writing in Arabic saying we ‘won’t forgive or forget,’ which Gazans then burn; 25, including Ahmed Barghouti, to be deported
Israel began releasing more than 300 Palestinian security prisoners, including three dozen serving life sentences for terror killings, after Hamas released Israeli hostages Sagui Dekel-Chan, Iair Horn and Sasha Troufanov on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal.
According to the Hamas-linked Prisoners’ Information Office, 369 Palestinians were set to be released, including 333 Palestinians who had been detained in Gaza during the war and 36 terrorists who had been serving life sentences, including for multiple murders.
The prisoner release was the largest so far in the ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
In an apparent reaction to Hamas dressing released hostages in prison garb and handing them “gifts” of Palestinian paraphernalia, the Israel Prison Service dressed the Palestinian detainees in shirts bearing a blue Star of David, the Shin Bet logo and, in Arabic, the phrase: “We will not forgive or forget.”
The prisoners were also said to have been given a Shin Bet-themed wristband and shown a film about the destruction in Gaza.
About an hour after the hostages were returned to Israel, live footage showed the first bus of Palestinian prisoners leaving the Ofer Prison for Ramallah in the West Bank, where a crowd of enthusiastic supporters received them. full article
**Rehabilitation to Last Only 5 Years, Without Hamas Control and Without Migration | The Arab States' Plan for the Gaza Strip**
At the upcoming Arab summit in Cairo, the Arab states will present their vision for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip, which will not include the main elements of the plan proposed by Donald Trump. One of the clauses: A Palestinian administration will be established to oversee the work carried out by Egyptian companies and funded by Gulf states. These are the main points of the plan that will attempt to prevent Israel from returning to warfare.
On February 27, the Arab summit will begin in Cairo, where the Arab world's plan for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip is expected to be presented. The proposal, which will be brought before leaders from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, was formulated by the Palestinians and handed over to the Egyptians to help present and implement it. The plan that Cairo will present will outline the rehabilitation over a period of only three to five years, without the migration of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip—and without Hamas control.
**The Processes Included in the Arab Plan for the Rehabilitation of the Strip**
1- The rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip following the war is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, which will come from the Gulf. The companies that will participate in the reconstruction of infrastructure and housing in the area are Egyptian, which is expected to become a significant source of income for Egypt, one of the countries most vehemently opposed to the migration of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
2- The workforce managed by the Egyptian companies and responsible for the actual reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will be Palestinian, likely local residents.
3- The understanding in the Arab world is that Hamas must be pushed into a corner so that it realizes it has lost control of the Gaza Strip, and within five years of the start of the rehabilitation, the terrorist organization's control over the people and territory in Gaza will be completely erased.
Hamas terrorists. The idea is to definitively deprive them of control over the Strip within 5 years Photo: Reuters
**A "Palestinian Administration" to Oversee Rehabilitation and the Fear of Renewed Fighting**
The Arab states understand that neither Israel nor the United States will accept a plan managed by the Palestinian Authority, so the entity managing the rehabilitation on the ground will be a Palestinian administration that will be established and rely on the Authority but will operate as an independent body.
In the Arab world in general and in the Gaza Strip in particular, there is concern that Israel will renew fighting even before the end of the first phase of the deal. The emerging understanding is that through renewed fighting, the Israeli government will advance the plan of U.S. President Donald Trump to complete the migration of Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, primarily to neighboring Arab states—Jordan and Egypt, which strongly oppose this.
The great fear is that renewed fighting will bring with it significantly more destruction of homes and buildings than has occurred so far, thereby pushing Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip—due to the fact that the Strip will become completely uninhabitable, thus solidifying the migration plan.
**Documentation of Air Force Attacks in the Gaza Strip (Photo: News)**
**Trump's Plan: Migration of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, and Turning the Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East"**
The U.S. president held a meeting with journalists on the presidential plane Air Force One, during which he said he wants to see Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab states absorb a larger number of displaced persons from the Gaza Strip. This is to distance them sufficiently from the population in order to "clean up the war-torn area and create a clean space."
"The feasibility of this move depends on the level of Trump's determination," says Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute. According to him, Egypt and Jordan are highly dependent on the U.S., and if the American president applies all his weight on the matter—they may succumb to the pressure. "If they refuse, he will halt American aid and tighten the U.S. grip on both of them. Egypt may be able to handle this through China or Russia, but Jordan is much weaker and more exposed to pressure."
The U.S. president outlined his grand plan for the Gaza Strip, which included turning it into the "Riviera of the Middle East." But as of today, it seems that his statements that Gaza "looks like hell. It's a pile of rubble," accurately describe the state of the area. According to satellite images analyzed for N12, about 65% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed during the war, and hundreds of millions of tons of construction debris are scattered throughout. Experts we spoke with pointed to the enormous difficulties in rebuilding Gaza after the war, estimating that the process will take, in an optimistic scenario, more than a decade and cost tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars.
According to Prof. Eli Podeh from the Hebrew University and the Mitvim Institute, the Arab plan for Gaza attempts to address the storm stirred up by Trump's statements regarding the evacuation of Gaza's Palestinian residents. His plan contradicts the collective Arab position and poses no less than a threat to the rule of Abdullah in Jordan and Sisi in Egypt. The fact that Saudi Arabia is one of the sponsors of the Arab plan lends support to the positions of Jordan and Egypt. Trump's threat to halt aid to them contradicts American interests and could backfire against him and Israel regarding the peace agreement. link
IDF says drone strike targeted gunmen approaching troops in south Gaza
The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip a short while ago, saying it targeted a group of gunmen who were approaching Israeli forces in the area.
Palestinian media reported that the drone strike killed three Hamas police officers.
Illustrative: Smoke billows over an area targeted during an Israeli strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on September 26, 2024 (Bashar TALEB / AFP)
“The IDF continues to call on Gazans to obey the IDF instructions and not approach the forces deployed to the area,” the military adds.
Hamas says an Israeli airstrike that killed three of its police officers today near the southern Gaza city of Rafah constitutes “a serious violation” of the ceasefire in effect since January 19.
“The treacherous firing carried out by a Zionist drone this morning east of Rafah city, targeting police elements tasked with securing the entry of aid… is considered a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement,” Hamas says.
The IDF said earlier that the drone strike “targeted a group of gunmen who were approaching Israeli forces in the area.”
IDF says it shot down drone used in attempt to smuggle assault rifle from Egypt to Israel
The IDF says it foiled an attempt to smuggle an assault rifle into Israel from Egypt earlier today, using a drone.
The drone had been identified as crossing the border from Egypt into Israel, and troops dispatched to the scene shot it down.
The soldiers found that the drone was ferrying a rifle and ammunition, according to the IDF.
**Lonny's notes - As my brother wrote, this is due to Netanyahu and Trump. Up until this announcement, Hamas was in behind the scenes talks and it was clearly recognized that Hamas could not continue to govern in Gaza, nor did they want to. They did, however want to remain as the military security force in Gaza, much like Hizbollah was in Southern Lebanon before they got involved in the politics. The Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others have stated that this is unacceptable as well. With Netanyahu's continued refusal to allow an alternative Palestinian governing body go into Gaza with the backing of the Arab states (boots on the ground) and the Americans as well as other western allies (training and equipment as well as monitoring), he fully enabled Hamas to stay, regroup and take back the governing functionality, including policing and security of Gaza. And to make matters worse, Trump's ridiculous and illegal transfer, ethnic cleansing plan united all the Arab States with all the Palestinians, including Hamas against this plan and further giving Hamas unexpected backing and strength. Netanyahu bears the lion's share of responsibility for October 7. With his inaction and poor actions, he will be 100% responsible for the next war with Hamas in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not give approval for the entry of caravans and heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip during last night’s security consultations, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
A political official tells the outlet: “Following a security consultation chaired by the prime minister, it was decided that the issue of caravans will be discussed in the coming days. Israel is fully coordinating with the United States.”
According to reports, the ceasefire and hostage release agreement explicitly states that supplies and equipment can be brought in to Gaza to establish at least 60,000 temporary living facilities. The details of the deal have not been published in full.
Images last week showed mobile homes and earthmoving equipment waiting at the Rafah Border Crossing from Egypt.
Last week, Hamas protested that Israel was blocking their entry and said that talks to get the ceasefire-hostage deal back on track had included discussions on a number of specific items, including the homes and equipment. Hamas released three hostages yesterday.
The apparent refusal by the premier to approve the entry of the equipment to the Strip comes as Netanyahu reportedly wants to extend the current first phase of the deal beyond the designated 42 days, which are set to end on March 1, and secure the freedom of more hostages as part of phase one, including more hostages Israel now knows are in poor health.
According to Channel 12, the premier wants Israel’s negotiators to argue to the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, with US support, that it’s also in the interests of Hamas to extend phase one.
Netanyahu has refused to allow Israel’s negotiators to engage in talks on the agreement’s second phase, which would see the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war. link Netanyahu is once again, blatantly seeking to sabatouge the negotiations and let the remaining living hostages die all in the name of his own self interests of keeping his coalition alive.
Israel began releasing more than 300 Palestinian security prisoners, including three dozen serving life sentences for terror killings, after Hamas released Israeli hostages Sagui Dekel-Chan, Iair Horn and Sasha Troufanov on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal.
According to the Hamas-linked Prisoners’ Information Office, 369 Palestinians were set to be released, including 333 Palestinians who had been detained in Gaza during the war and 36 terrorists who had been serving life sentences, including for multiple murders.
The prisoner release was the largest so far in the ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
In an apparent reaction to Hamas dressing released hostages in prison garb and handing them “gifts” of Palestinian paraphernalia, the Israel Prison Service dressed the Palestinian detainees in shirts bearing a blue Star of David, the Shin Bet logo and, in Arabic, the phrase: “We will not forgive or forget.”
The prisoners were also said to have been given a Shin Bet-themed wristband and shown a film about the destruction in Gaza.
About an hour after the hostages were returned to Israel, live footage showed the first bus of Palestinian prisoners leaving the Ofer Prison for Ramallah in the West Bank, where a crowd of enthusiastic supporters received them. full article
**Rehabilitation to Last Only 5 Years, Without Hamas Control and Without Migration | The Arab States' Plan for the Gaza Strip**
**The Processes Included in the Arab Plan for the Rehabilitation of the Strip**
1- The rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip following the war is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, which will come from the Gulf. The companies that will participate in the reconstruction of infrastructure and housing in the area are Egyptian, which is expected to become a significant source of income for Egypt, one of the countries most vehemently opposed to the migration of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
2- The workforce managed by the Egyptian companies and responsible for the actual reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will be Palestinian, likely local residents.
3- The understanding in the Arab world is that Hamas must be pushed into a corner so that it realizes it has lost control of the Gaza Strip, and within five years of the start of the rehabilitation, the terrorist organization's control over the people and territory in Gaza will be completely erased.
**A "Palestinian Administration" to Oversee Rehabilitation and the Fear of Renewed Fighting**
The Arab states understand that neither Israel nor the United States will accept a plan managed by the Palestinian Authority, so the entity managing the rehabilitation on the ground will be a Palestinian administration that will be established and rely on the Authority but will operate as an independent body.
In the Arab world in general and in the Gaza Strip in particular, there is concern that Israel will renew fighting even before the end of the first phase of the deal. The emerging understanding is that through renewed fighting, the Israeli government will advance the plan of U.S. President Donald Trump to complete the migration of Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, primarily to neighboring Arab states—Jordan and Egypt, which strongly oppose this.
The great fear is that renewed fighting will bring with it significantly more destruction of homes and buildings than has occurred so far, thereby pushing Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip—due to the fact that the Strip will become completely uninhabitable, thus solidifying the migration plan.
**Trump's Plan: Migration of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, and Turning the Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East"**
The U.S. president held a meeting with journalists on the presidential plane Air Force One, during which he said he wants to see Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab states absorb a larger number of displaced persons from the Gaza Strip. This is to distance them sufficiently from the population in order to "clean up the war-torn area and create a clean space."
"The feasibility of this move depends on the level of Trump's determination," says Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute. According to him, Egypt and Jordan are highly dependent on the U.S., and if the American president applies all his weight on the matter—they may succumb to the pressure. "If they refuse, he will halt American aid and tighten the U.S. grip on both of them. Egypt may be able to handle this through China or Russia, but Jordan is much weaker and more exposed to pressure."
The U.S. president outlined his grand plan for the Gaza Strip, which included turning it into the "Riviera of the Middle East." But as of today, it seems that his statements that Gaza "looks like hell. It's a pile of rubble," accurately describe the state of the area. According to satellite images analyzed for N12, about 65% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed during the war, and hundreds of millions of tons of construction debris are scattered throughout. Experts we spoke with pointed to the enormous difficulties in rebuilding Gaza after the war, estimating that the process will take, in an optimistic scenario, more than a decade and cost tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars.
According to Prof. Eli Podeh from the Hebrew University and the Mitvim Institute, the Arab plan for Gaza attempts to address the storm stirred up by Trump's statements regarding the evacuation of Gaza's Palestinian residents. His plan contradicts the collective Arab position and poses no less than a threat to the rule of Abdullah in Jordan and Sisi in Egypt. The fact that Saudi Arabia is one of the sponsors of the Arab plan lends support to the positions of Jordan and Egypt. Trump's threat to halt aid to them contradicts American interests and could backfire against him and Israel regarding the peace agreement. link
IDF says drone strike targeted gunmen approaching troops in south Gaza
The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip a short while ago, saying it targeted a group of gunmen who were approaching Israeli forces in the area.
Palestinian media reported that the drone strike killed three Hamas police officers.
Illustrative: Smoke billows over an area targeted during an Israeli strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on September 26, 2024 (Bashar TALEB / AFP)
“The IDF continues to call on Gazans to obey the IDF instructions and not approach the forces deployed to the area,” the military adds.
Hamas says an Israeli airstrike that killed three of its police officers today near the southern Gaza city of Rafah constitutes “a serious violation” of the ceasefire in effect since January 19.
“The treacherous firing carried out by a Zionist drone this morning east of Rafah city, targeting police elements tasked with securing the entry of aid… is considered a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement,” Hamas says.
The IDF said earlier that the drone strike “targeted a group of gunmen who were approaching Israeli forces in the area.”
IDF says it shot down drone used in attempt to smuggle assault rifle from Egypt to Israel
The IDF says it foiled an attempt to smuggle an assault rifle into Israel from Egypt earlier today, using a drone.
The drone had been identified as crossing the border from Egypt into Israel, and troops dispatched to the scene shot it down.
The soldiers found that the drone was ferrying a rifle and ammunition, according to the IDF.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- Lebanon says 25 arrested after attack on UN peacekeepers
Firefighters extinguish a burning UNIFIL vehicle, set ablaze by protesters, on the road leading to Beirut's international airport on February 14, 2025 (IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)
Firefighters extinguish a burning UNIFIL vehicle, set ablaze by protesters, on the road leading to Beirut's international airport on February 14, 2025 (IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)Lebanese authorities say more than 25 people have been arrested following an attack on a United Nations convoy yesterday that wounded two peacekeepers, including the force’s outgoing deputy commander.
UN and Lebanese officials have condemned Friday’s attack, which came as Hezbollah supporters for a second night blocked the road to the country’s only international airport over a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing there.
“More than 25 people have been arrested by Lebanese army intelligence,” with another person detained by the security services, Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar tells reporters after an emergency security meeting. “This does not mean these detainees carried out the attack… but the investigations will show who is responsible.”
The army and security agencies will bolster measures to “maintain security and stability,” Hajjar adds, and violations will be treated “with all seriousness.” - Lebanon blocked Iran planes after US warnings that Israel could shoot them down, source says
Lebanon denied permission for Iranian flights to land in Beirut twice this week after the United States warned Israel might shoot the planes down, a Lebanese security source tells AFP.
Israel has on several occasions accused Hezbollah of using the airport in Beirut to bring in weapons and money from Iran. The group — and Lebanese leaders — have denied those allegations.
The first incident occurred on Thursday, when Lebanese authorities sent word to Iran that a Beirut-bound flight should not take off.
“Through the Americans, Israel informed the Lebanese state that it would target the airport if the Iranian plane landed in Lebanon,” the source says.
“The American side told the Lebanese side that Israel was serious about its threat,” the source adds.
Lebanon’s public works and transport ministry then refused clearance for the flight, after consulting the prime minister and president, the source adds.
The message was passed on before the flight took off, says the source.
Another flight was also barred from taking off from Iran on Friday, which prompted protests in Lebanon from supporters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, who blocked the road to the country’s only international airport.
- IDF says it fired warning shots near crowd in south Lebanon; woman reported killed
Lebanese media reports that a woman was killed and several others were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the south Lebanon town of Houla, close to the border with Israel.
The IDF says it fired warning shots after suspects gathered in the area, where troops are still deployed. The military is currently unaware of any civilians being hit by the gunfire, but is investigating the claim.
Lebanon’s official news agency also reports that the IDF detained three civilians in the town.
The IDF has repeatedly warned Lebanese citizens not to approach areas where troops are still deployed in southern Lebanon amid an ongoing ceasefire.
The military is set to withdraw from most areas in south Lebanon where troops are still deployed on February 18, while remaining in five strategic positions.
Lebanon denied permission for Iranian flights to land in Beirut twice this week after the United States warned Israel might shoot the planes down, a Lebanese security source tells AFP.
Israel has on several occasions accused Hezbollah of using the airport in Beirut to bring in weapons and money from Iran. The group — and Lebanese leaders — have denied those allegations.
The first incident occurred on Thursday, when Lebanese authorities sent word to Iran that a Beirut-bound flight should not take off.
“Through the Americans, Israel informed the Lebanese state that it would target the airport if the Iranian plane landed in Lebanon,” the source says.
“The American side told the Lebanese side that Israel was serious about its threat,” the source adds.
Lebanon’s public works and transport ministry then refused clearance for the flight, after consulting the prime minister and president, the source adds.
The message was passed on before the flight took off, says the source.
Another flight was also barred from taking off from Iran on Friday, which prompted protests in Lebanon from supporters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, who blocked the road to the country’s only international airport.
Lebanese media reports that a woman was killed and several others were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the south Lebanon town of Houla, close to the border with Israel.
The IDF says it fired warning shots after suspects gathered in the area, where troops are still deployed. The military is currently unaware of any civilians being hit by the gunfire, but is investigating the claim.
Lebanon’s official news agency also reports that the IDF detained three civilians in the town.
The IDF has repeatedly warned Lebanese citizens not to approach areas where troops are still deployed in southern Lebanon amid an ongoing ceasefire.
The military is set to withdraw from most areas in south Lebanon where troops are still deployed on February 18, while remaining in five strategic positions.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
- After Hamas didn’t meet Trump’s ultimatum, Netanyahu cagey on what Israel will do
After Hamas freed 3 hostages today — seemingly less than what some Israeli officials demanded in recent days — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases a vague statement that gives no indication of what Israel will do next.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said that if Hamas doesn’t release all 76 hostages it was holding by Saturday at noon, Israel was free to renew the fighting and unleash “hell” on the Palestinian terror group. That ultimatum — assuming it was noon in Washington, DC — passed just over an hour ago.
Netanyahu “appreciates the [US] president’s full support for Israel’s decisions regarding the Gaza Strip going forward,” says the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The Prime Minister will convene the security cabinet as soon as possible to decide on Israel’s next steps,” says the statement.
Israeli officials last week demanded the release of “our hostages,” 9 hostages “in the coming days,” and “all of them.”
Netanyahu “highly appreciates” Trump’s leadership, says his office, and the ongoing coordination with the United States.
“The combination of the reinforcement of IDF forces around the Gaza Strip and President Trump’s firm stance led to the release of three of our hostages today — despite Hamas’s earlier refusal to release them,” boasts the PMO.
The Prime Minister Attacks the Head of the Shin Bet and the IDF Chief of Staff During War
"I keep telling you—there is one single mindset that led us to the last disaster and is leading us right now to the next one. That mindset has a name—it's called Benjamin Netanyahu."
Former Shin Bet Chief Yoram Cohen, in a rare personal interview, delivers an unprecedented attack on the criminally indicted Benjamin Netanyahu.
Cohen reveals new details about his relationship with Netanyahu, their confrontations, and even discusses a threat that was conveyed to him while he served as head of the Shin Bet.
He also expresses shock over revelations that employees in the Prime Minister's Office were simultaneously working for Qatar.
In the interview, Cohen voices his concerns about the potential dismissal of the current Shin Bet Chief, Ronen Bar, and the appointment of a new head who could misuse the agency’s power—weakening democracy under the orders of the criminally indicted Netanyahu.
"As long as this pathetic man continues to rule as if he were a medieval king, the next disasters are on their way."
You have been warned.
- After Hamas didn’t meet Trump’s ultimatum, Netanyahu cagey on what Israel will do
After Hamas freed 3 hostages today — seemingly less than what some Israeli officials demanded in recent days — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases a vague statement that gives no indication of what Israel will do next.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said that if Hamas doesn’t release all 76 hostages it was holding by Saturday at noon, Israel was free to renew the fighting and unleash “hell” on the Palestinian terror group. That ultimatum — assuming it was noon in Washington, DC — passed just over an hour ago.
Netanyahu “appreciates the [US] president’s full support for Israel’s decisions regarding the Gaza Strip going forward,” says the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The Prime Minister will convene the security cabinet as soon as possible to decide on Israel’s next steps,” says the statement.
Israeli officials last week demanded the release of “our hostages,” 9 hostages “in the coming days,” and “all of them.”
Netanyahu “highly appreciates” Trump’s leadership, says his office, and the ongoing coordination with the United States.
“The combination of the reinforcement of IDF forces around the Gaza Strip and President Trump’s firm stance led to the release of three of our hostages today — despite Hamas’s earlier refusal to release them,” boasts the PMO.
The Prime Minister Attacks the Head of the Shin Bet and the IDF Chief of Staff During War
"I keep telling you—there is one single mindset that led us to the last disaster and is leading us right now to the next one. That mindset has a name—it's called Benjamin Netanyahu."
Former Shin Bet Chief Yoram Cohen, in a rare personal interview, delivers an unprecedented attack on the criminally indicted Benjamin Netanyahu.
Cohen reveals new details about his relationship with Netanyahu, their confrontations, and even discusses a threat that was conveyed to him while he served as head of the Shin Bet.
He also expresses shock over revelations that employees in the Prime Minister's Office were simultaneously working for Qatar.
In the interview, Cohen voices his concerns about the potential dismissal of the current Shin Bet Chief, Ronen Bar, and the appointment of a new head who could misuse the agency’s power—weakening democracy under the orders of the criminally indicted Netanyahu.
"As long as this pathetic man continues to rule as if he were a medieval king, the next disasters are on their way."
You have been warned.
The Region and the World- Israel’s US envoy: Egypt’s Sissi is breaking peace deal, ‘playing both sides’ with Hamas
Ambassador Yechiel Leiter tells US Jewish leaders Israel will start sharing ‘truth’ about Qatar after having to ‘suck it up’ for captives’ sake, says Turkey stoking tensions on Temple Mount full article
Sissi tells WJC head Lauder a Palestinian state the ‘only guarantee’ for lasting Mideast peace
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi tells the head of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder that the establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only guarantee” for lasting peace in the Middle East.
During his meeting with Lauder in Cairo, Sissi calls for starting the reconstruction of war-battered Gaza “without displacing its residents from their land,” according to a statement from his office.
The Egyptian leader’s remarks come as Arab countries are scrambling to come up with an alternative to a controversial plan floated by US President Donald Trump to take over Gaza, redevelop the coastal territory and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Trump’s proposal envisages permanently resettling Gaza’s Palestinian residents elsewhere, including Egypt and Jordan, drawing widespread condemnation from Arab and world leaders.
“The establishment of a Palestinian state… is the only guarantee to achieve lasting peace,” Sissi tells Lauder.
According to the Egyptian presidency statement, Lauder praised Egypt’s “wise efforts” to restore stability in the region.
The leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are set to met in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss Trump’s proposal, ahead of an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo a week later to discuss the same issue.
Personal Stories Regards from a dead partner: Relative relays ‘psychological terror’ faced by hostageGadi Mozes’s daughter-in-law speaks about how the 80-year-old managed to keep himself going during his long, isolated captivity
Gadi Mozes, 80, surrounded by gunmen during his release from captivity in Khan Younis, Gaza, January 30, 2025 (Via social media)
When Gadi Mozes was held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, his captors at one point told him his partner had asked to send him her regards — only for him to later find out she had been murdered on the day of his capture.
The lie was part of what his daughter-in-law described as psychological terror the 80-year-old faced while in captivity for nearly 16 months.
In an interview published Wednesday, Einav Mozes-Aurbach spoke of the conditions Mozes had endured, and of how he kept his spirits up despite it all.
Mozes and six of his family members were snatched from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
For some 70 days of his captivity, Mozes was in complete isolation, locked alone in a dark room. He was moved between several apartments over the course of the war and was not held in tunnels as some hostages are.
Even when he was not alone, Mozes never met any other hostages until the last days of his captivity. His guards occasionally let him see news from Israel, including reports of demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages, which, Mozes-Aurbach said, gave him some comfort.
Gadi Mozes, held hostage by Hamas terrorists who abducted him during the October 7, 2023 assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz, pictured here with his late life-partner Efrat Katz who was murdered that day in their home (Courtesy)
At one point, his captors told him that his partner, Efrat Katz, had sent him her regards, but during one of the news reports from Israel, he learned that she had been killed on October 7.
“That was a big crisis for him,” Mozes-Aurbach told the outlet. “He realized that he could not believe anything they said to him.”
Mozes-Aurbach said her father-in-law was “in shock” following his abduction. “He couldn’t believe how the country and the army had abandoned the residents.”
She said that while being held in apartments, there were occasions when the windows shattered from nearby IDF strikes as the Israeli military battled Hamas.
“Aside from the difficulties, to be completely alone was terrible,” she said. “The loneliness was one of the hardest things for him there.”
Mozes-Aurbach noted that other freed hostages, some of whom were held together, have described how they lifted each others’ spirits, whereas Mozes “needed to pick himself up by his own efforts.”
She said that now that he has been freed, he craves company, meeting friends every day.
“He says, ‘I’m thirsty for human discourse, for human warmth.'”
Freed hostage Gadi Mozes reunites with his children (from left) Oded, Moran and Yair at an IDF facility near Re’im on January 30, 2025. (IDF)
Mozes-Aurbach noted that Gadi speaks basic Arabic and tried to connect with his captors, but was not always able to.
“There were days when he was in totally isolation,” she said. “There were situations where he thought, ‘that’s it,'” and feared he would be killed.
Sometimes such fears were born of misunderstandings, but sometimes his captors “led him to feel that way, that this is it, it’s over.”
She said he dealt with “a terrible reality, in substandard conditions, psychological terror, hunger.”
He was given dry pita bread to eat, sometimes with humus. At other times he could go 24 hours without being given any food.
Yet he found ways to take care of himself, doing math in his head, speaking to himself, and taking daily walks in the confined space he was kept in. It has been previously reported that he would walk up to seven kilometers a day, pacing back and forth in the tiny space.
“Each time he had dark thoughts, he lifted himself up and started walking,” Mozes-Aurbach said.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group issues a propaganda video showing civilian hostages Gadi Mozes and Arbel Yehoud embracing ahead of their release on January 30, 2025 (screencapture/X)
The first Israeli he met was 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud, as they were brought together a few days ahead of their joint release. She too had been kept alone for the duration of her capitivity.
Mozes-Aurbach spoke of how moving that moment was for Gadi, as he is a long-time friend of Yehoud’s father.
“It wasn’t just to meet an Israeli or to speak Hebrew for the first time in 16 months, it was to meet a family member.”
She said that during the chaotic moments of their release together, when the two were surrounded by a mob of hundreds as masked Hamas gunmen tried to maintain control, “they felt mortal fear.”
“He felt that the situation was getting out of control, and that in a moment they would be lynched. He really thought that he would not get out of there alive. It was very difficult and traumatic.”
While in captivity, he felt “disappointment and abandonment.” Since his return, “he has been touched by the solidarity of the people, as he says — but he still feels pained by the leadership’s continued neglect of him and those who are still there,” she said.
Not a day goes by in which he doesn’t speak “of the urgency to get [all the hostages] out of the hell of Gaza,” and he is already eager to join the public campaign for the hostages.
Gadi Mozes is escorted by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad gunmen as he is handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP/Jehad Alshrafi)
The ceasefire agreement reached last month halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by Hamas’s invasion of Israel.
The first phase of the deal is to see the release of 33 hostages for many hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including convicted killers. The potential second and third phases, if agreed upon, would see the return of the rest of the hostages and an end to the war.
However, the deal has been thrown into disarray after Hamas said Monday it would not release the next scheduled batch of hostages Saturday, alleging Israeli violations of the ceasefire. On Thursday it walked back this declaration.
While Israel has said it will return to war if the captives are not set free, mediators Egypt and Qatar have worked to keep the deal on track. link
Ambassador Yechiel Leiter tells US Jewish leaders Israel will start sharing ‘truth’ about Qatar after having to ‘suck it up’ for captives’ sake, says Turkey stoking tensions on Temple Mount full article
Sissi tells WJC head Lauder a Palestinian state the ‘only guarantee’ for lasting Mideast peace
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi tells the head of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder that the establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only guarantee” for lasting peace in the Middle East.
During his meeting with Lauder in Cairo, Sissi calls for starting the reconstruction of war-battered Gaza “without displacing its residents from their land,” according to a statement from his office.
The Egyptian leader’s remarks come as Arab countries are scrambling to come up with an alternative to a controversial plan floated by US President Donald Trump to take over Gaza, redevelop the coastal territory and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Trump’s proposal envisages permanently resettling Gaza’s Palestinian residents elsewhere, including Egypt and Jordan, drawing widespread condemnation from Arab and world leaders.
“The establishment of a Palestinian state… is the only guarantee to achieve lasting peace,” Sissi tells Lauder.
According to the Egyptian presidency statement, Lauder praised Egypt’s “wise efforts” to restore stability in the region.
The leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are set to met in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss Trump’s proposal, ahead of an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo a week later to discuss the same issue.
Gadi Mozes, 80, surrounded by gunmen during his release from captivity in Khan Younis, Gaza, January 30, 2025 (Via social media)
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
A Letter to the Prime MinisterProf. Ephraim (Efi) Shoham-SteinerDepartment of Jewish History, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva.
Mr. Prime Minister,In the late 12th century, Maimonides labored on writing his book "Mishneh Torah", in which he chose to highlight the commandment of redeeming captives within the context of "Laws of Charity" (in his words: gifts to the poor). At the beginning of the book, Maimonides, whose words are always measured, notes that "there is no greater commandment than redeeming captives", and in his summary, he repeats and writes with a slight change, "there is no more important commandment than redeeming captives", as stated in the Talmud. Between these two statements, Maimonides lists all the commandments that one who does not redeem captives transgresses. The redundancy in the opening and closing is puzzling, but Maimonides thought and wrote in Arabic, and it is clear that the words "important commandment" in the conclusion are not identical to "greater commandment." There is a hint here that one who engages in redeeming captives is likened in their actions to the "Master of the Worlds" (Rab al- 'Alamin), as if to say: one who engages in this commandment is likened to God himself. This emphasis teaches how much Maimonides valued the force of this commandment. Turning one's back on it is an act that should not be done.You grew up in the home of a medieval historian. Your late father was well acquainted with both Maimonides and the case that will be briefly described, dealing with supreme efforts to redeem captives that occurred in the same years when Maimonides wrote. In the composition "Sefer Zechirah" by Rabbi Ephraim ben Jacob of Bonn, Germany, a remarkable event of redeeming captives in the nearby city of Cologne is described. Two Jews fell victim to a false accusation of using counterfeit coins. In this period and region, such a serious accusation led to severe physical punishments and even death. The Jews who were arrested came from northern France to trade in Cologne. The local officials fabricated allegations against them and mistreated them. They were arrested, tortured, and faced the threat of severe and humiliating physical harm and even death. They were apparently even offered to convert their religion in exchange for a reduced sentence.Rabbi Ephraim proudly recounts the quick and determined mobilization and support of the Cologne community for the captives. The community members did not rest, took risks upon themselves, showed creativity, and acted on various fronts to redeem the captives. Neighboring communities were recruited for the effort, connections were activated, officials were bribed, legal advisors and intensive court diplomacy were employed, and resources were mobilized to save the captives. This was an exemplar of solidarity and communal and inter-communal empowerment that the Cologne community took pride in, and Rabbi Ephraim documented. The efforts bore fruit, and the captives were released, unharmed. Everything was done without hesitation about future consequences, with the understanding that we are dealing with certain life-saving and actual preservation of life. As someone to whom Jewish heritage is familiar and important, turning one's back on this path contradicts Jewish history and tradition and is inconsistent with the solidarity and responsibility of all world communities throughout history for redeeming captives, especially in the Land of Israel and in the sovereign State of Israel.Do not let yourself be recorded in our history as a leader who turned his back on the history and the tradition of Israel, the same tradition he was raised on in the home of his father, and on the deep-rooted commitment to redeeming captives and saving lives.
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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