🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 505, 2023 - February 22, 2025 🎗️

  

🎗️Day 505 that 63 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

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 

The last two days have been days of horror and a mourning nation: receiving the bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz and then finding out that the body that was supposed to be Shiri was not hers and having to wait another day to receive her body. The pain we all feel for the Bibas family is enormous and every single one of the 6 families who's loves ones returned today expressed their sadness and condolences to the Bibas and Lifshitz families. Even in their moments of joy after suffering 505 days of uncertainty and fighting to bring back their loved ones, their first words and sentiments are for those we have lost. And not a single one of them are content with the return of their loved ones. In the same breath of expressing joy that their personal battle is over, their battle continues with the rest of us until the last hostage comes home.
Today, we are a joyful nation, not because of any battles won or any terrorist killed. We are joyful for the single reason that brings us joy since October 7, 2023, the return of hostages home to Israel. This is our only victory. This is what we have been fighting for, what our soldiers have been fighting for and dying, for our hostages to come home. 6 more have come home today but we still have 63 of our brothers, fathers, sons, daughter and grandmother in captivity being held by the Hamas monsters. Only when the last one has been brought home, the living to rehabilitation and the dead to proper burial, only then can we, as a nation begin to heal and rebuild. That is our only joy, our only victory. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!

• Six hostages freed after 505 days in Hamas captivity

  

  Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert , Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham back on Israeli soil after staged handover ceremony; Hisham al-Sayed to be freed without public display (Hisham is free as well)
  Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert were paraded onto a stage in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, alive and walking on their feet, as Hamas staged a ceremony for their release Saturday. The three appeared pale and had lost considerable weight during their 505 days in captivity.

  Dressed in military uniforms, they were handed over to the Red Cross which was set to transfer them to the IDF for their return home after 16 months in Hamas captivity since their abduction from the Nova music festival during the October 7 massacre. On stage, Omer Shem Tov was seen kissing the foreheads of two of his captors.

  

  Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert paraded onto a stage in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, ahead of their release

  (Photo: Reuters)

  Their families, waiting anxiously to see their loved ones alive, broke out in cheers.

  Earlier, hostages Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham were also released from captivity in a separate event in Rafah in southern Gaza.

  

  Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu released from Hamas captivity

  A fourth hostage, Hisham al-Sayed, an Israeli Bedouin man held since 2015, was to be released separately from another location later in the day without a public ceremony, with the terrorist group citing respect for his family. Mengistu and Shoham handed over in Rafah Hamas transferred Mengistu and Shoham to the Red Cross in a staged release ceremony in Rafah, where they were briefly displayed before being handed over. Shortly after, the IDF confirmed their transfer to Israeli forces, and the two were brought to the Re’im military base near the Gaza border for initial medical evaluations before reuniting with their families. The two were then airlifted to a hospital for further medical care. Tal Shoham

  

  

  Shoham, who turned 40 while in captivity, was abducted alongside his wife, two children, mother-in-law and other relatives from Kibbutz Be’eri. While his family members were released in November 2023 as part of a hostage release deal, Shoham remained in Hamas captivity until now.

  

  Tal Shoham with his family who had been released from Hamas captivity in 2023 (Photo: Courtesy)

  
  

  "We can finally breathe," said Shoham’s cousin upon seeing his transfer to IDF custody. "Tal is coming home, and his wife and children will finally embrace him again." "The family is not complete until Tal returns," wrote his relative, Aviv Baron. Israeli officials continue to pressure Hamas for the release of remaining hostages, including fathers and male captives left behind. "This is a complex moment of mixed emotions," said a close friend of Tal Shoham. "We are overjoyed but must remember that many hostages are still in Gaza. They all deserve to come home."
  Tal Shoham reunites with family after 16 months in Hamas captivity Avera Mengistu

  

  Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli, has been held by Hamas since 2014 after crossing into Gaza voluntarily near Kibbutz Zikim. His family has fought for his release for years, accusing the Israeli government of neglecting his case due to his mental illness and Ethiopian background.

  

  Avera Mengistu appears in Hamas propaganda clip

  
  

  "People don’t know that Avera is a shy and introverted man, loved by his friends," his relative, Gil Elias, said. "He would do anything for them. People also don’t realize how deeply his brother’s death affected him, worsening his emotional struggles and leading to his entry into Gaza. He has been struggling with mental illness." Avera Mengistu finally free after nearly 11 years in Hamas captivity Eliya Cohen

  

  Eliya Cohen was abducted from the Nova music festival, where he was with his partner, Ziv, her nephew Amit Ben-Avida, and his partner Karin Schwartzman, both of whom were killed in the Hamas-led massacre on October 7. The group had sought shelter in what later became known as "the shelter of death." After his abduction, Ziv learned that Eliya had planned to propose and had already purchased an engagement ring. His mother, Sigi, recently expressed shock at the horrific conditions in which her son and fellow hostage Alon Ohel were held, as described by freed captives. According to their accounts, Eliya and Alon were bound in chains and endured brutal conditions. Eliya Cohen finally free Omer Wenkert

  

  Omer Wenkert and his friends arrived at the Nova music festival just an hour before the massacre began. "I'm scared to death," he told his family in his final message before being taken hostage. His mother, Niva, said Omer and his friend, Kim Damti—who was killed in the attack—had taken shelter in a building that was hit by at least eight grenades, killing many inside. Omer was among the few who survived.

  

  Omer Wenkert's parents wait for his return (Photo: Yariv Katz)

  
  

  The oldest of three siblings, Omer was diagnosed with colitis at 14 and was in grave danger during his captivity. He had a deep passion for food, aspired to be a restaurant critic, and worked hard to support himself from a young age. 'Omer is home' family cheers as hostages are released Omer Shem Tov Omer Shem Tov, 22, was also kidnapped from the Nova festival.

  

  
  He was held in captivity alongside Itay and Maya Regev, who were freed in November 2023.
  

  

  "I hope he knows we’ve been turning the world on its head trying to get him out and that he is not alone," said his father, Malachi. "I wish I could send him a message to keep him strong. We tried to get medications to him, and I hope they were delivered. If he received them, I imagine he would realize how much effort is being made for his release." Our life's mission is complete', Omer Shem Tov's dad says Hisham al-Sayed Hisham al-Sayed has been in Hamas captivity since 2015 after crossing into Gaza on his own. His family said he had previously entered Gaza multiple times before being captured. In 2022, Hamas released a video showing him lying in bed with an oxygen mask.

  

  Hisham al-Sayed in Hamas propaganda video

  
  

  His mother emphasized that, according to Islamic teachings, individuals with mental illnesses are excused from legal and religious judgments. "Even God does not judge them," she said.

  Hamas announced that al-Sayed’s release would not be staged like the others, citing respect for his family. link

  Hisham al-Sayed back in Israel after nearly 3,600 days in captivity
  

  Released hostage Hisham al-Sayed has crossed the border into Israel, after nearly 3,600 days in Hamas captivity, the IDF says.

  He was escorted out of the Gaza Strip by Israeli special forces, after being handed over to them by the Red Cross. The IDF is bringing him to a facility near the border for an initial physical and mental checkup, and to meet with family members.

  The family of Hisham al-Sayed says in a statement that they “are overwhelmed with emotion at Hisham’s return home.”
  “After nearly a decade of fighting for his return, the long-awaited moment has finally arrived,” the statement says. “We extend our gratitude to the entire people of Israel, who stood by us and supported us over the years. A special thanks to the families of the hostages and the headquarters that embraced us and saw us as a natural part of the struggle to bring everyone home.”
  It adds: “Now, more than ever, we emphasize the importance of continuing the framework that will bring all the hostages home — the living for rehabilitation and the fallen for a proper burial in Israel.”

  
  

• Hospital says it is prepared to give comprehensive care to Avera Mengistu
  

  The Health Ministry says that Avera Mengistu has arrived at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.

  The hospital says they will provide him with comprehensive medical care, including psychological support, and address all his needs.

  Released hostage Avera Mengistu meets members of his family at an IDF facility near the Gaza border, after 3,821 days in Hamas captivity, footage released by the military shows.

  

  Released hostage Avera Mengistu meets members of his family at an IDF facility near the Gaza border, February 22, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

  Mengistu has since been airlifted to a hospital in central Israel.

  
  
• IDF spokesman: Terrorist captors murdered Ariel and Kfir Bibas ‘with their bare hands’

  
  

  The IDF says the terrorists who held children Ariel and Kfir Bibas captive in Gaza murdered them “with their bare hands” weeks after their kidnapping on Oct. 7, 2023.

  
  

  “We can confirm that baby Kfir Bibas, just 10 months old, and his older brother Ariel, aged four, were both brutally murdered by terrorists while being held hostage in Gaza no later than November 2023. These two innocent children were taken hostage alive, along with their mother, Shiri, from their home on October 7, 2023,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says in a televised statement.

  
  

  “Contrary to Hamas’s lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered in cold blood by terrorists,” he says. “The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys — they killed them with their bare hands. Afterward, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities. This assessment is based on both forensic findings, from the identification process, and intelligence that supports these findings. We have shared these findings, intelligence, and forensics with our partners around the world so they can verify it.”

  

  Shiri Bibas (left) and her sons Ariel, 4, (top-right) and baby Kfir, who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)
  
  

  Hagari adds that when he spoke yesterday with the children’s father, recently released hostage Yarden Bibas, “Yarden looked me in the eyes and asked that all the world know and be horrified by the manner in which they murdered his children.”

  
  

  Says Hagari: “The entire world must know exactly how the Hamas terrorist organization operates. Ariel and Kfir were murdered, and then yesterday, their bodies were returned in a cynical and cruel ceremony in Gaza. Shiri Bibas, who was meant to be returned with her children to Israel as part of the agreement, was not returned by Hamas. Hamas lied and violated the agreement.

  
  

  “The body that Hamas falsely claimed was Shiri’s was not hers, nor was it any other hostage. Instead, Hamas sent over the body of an anonymous woman. This is further evidence of Hamas’s barbaric cruelty.”

  
  

  He says Israel demands that Shiri Bibas be returned to Israel swiftly, “in accordance with the agreement.”

  
  

  “On Thursday evening we confirmed that one of the deceased hostages was 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz. Oded was taken hostage alive together with his wife Yocheved by the Islamic Jihad terror organization on October 7, 2023, from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The forensic examination confirms that Oded was also murdered in captivity in November 2023,” Hagari says.

  
  

  “The abduction and murder in captivity of Oded, Ariel, and baby Kfir, are crimes against humanity. The whole world must condemn these barbaric acts of terror,” he says.

  
  

  “Today, our hearts go out to Yarden Bibas, Kfir and Ariel’s father, and Shiri’s husband, who was abducted separately from his wife and children on October 7, and returned home after 484 days in captivity earlier this month. We will do everything we can to bring Shiri home, and all the 69 other hostages still being held in horrific and brutal conditions by Hamas in Gaza.”

  
  

  “Our mission is not over, until every single hostage comes home,” Hagari adds

  
  
  
• IDF: Captors murdered children Ariel and Kfir Bibas ‘in cold blood’ with ‘their bare hands’

  Spokesman said Yarden Bibas insisted he tell the world the horrific truth; Hamas professes surprise after body of Gazan woman sent to Israel in place of Shiri Bibas, names 6 living hostages to be freed Saturday
  

  The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that forensic examinations have revealed that Palestinian terrorists murdered children Ariel and Kfir Bibas “with their bare hands” weeks after their kidnapping on October 7, 2023.

  
  Ariel and Kfir Bibas (Hostage Family Forum)
  
  

  “We can confirm that baby Kfir Bibas, just 10 months old, and his older brother Ariel, aged four, were both brutally murdered by terrorists while being held hostage in Gaza no later than November 2023. These two innocent children were taken hostage alive, along with their mother, Shiri, from their home on October 7, 2023,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.

  
  

  The IDF statement came hours after it was discovered that Hamas had not returned the body of the boys’ mother Shiri, sending instead the body of a Gazan woman and later claiming that there had been a mix-up with the bodies during an Israeli airstrike.

  
  

  Hagari said the evidence clearly showed that they were not killed in an airstrike as Hamas claimed.

  
  

  “Contrary to Hamas’s lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered in cold blood by terrorists,” he said.

  
  

  “The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys — they killed them with their bare hands. Afterward, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities.”

  
  

  “This assessment is based on both forensic findings from the identification process and intelligence that supports these findings. We have shared these findings, intelligence and forensics with our partners around the world so they can verify it,” said Hagari.

  
  

  Hagari added that he spoke on Thursday with the children’s father, recently released hostage Yarden Bibas, who demanded that he tell the world what had happened:

  
  

  “Yarden looked me in the eyes and asked that all the world know and be horrified by the manner in which they murdered his children.”
  

  

  Yarden Bibas (center) with his sister Ofri and father Eli, soon after his release from Hamas captivity on February 1, 2025 (IDF Spokesman)

  
  

  Said Hagari: “The entire world must know exactly how the Hamas terrorist organization operates. Ariel and Kfir were murdered, and then on Thursday, their bodies were returned in a cynical and cruel ceremony in Gaza. Shiri Bibas, who was meant to be returned with her children to Israel as part of the agreement, was not returned by Hamas. Hamas lied and violated the agreement.”

  
  

  “The body that Hamas falsely claimed was Shiri’s was not hers, nor was it any other hostage. Instead, Hamas sent over the body of an anonymous woman. This is further evidence of Hamas’s barbaric cruelty.”

  
  

  He said that Israel was demanding that Shiri Bibas be returned to Israel swiftly, “in accordance with the agreement,” and called the murder of the other hostages “crimes against humanity.”

  

  The IDF holds a ceremony in the Gaza Strip honoring the four slain Israeli hostages whose bodies are apparently in coffins returned by Hamas, February 20, 2025. The coffins are seen draped in Israeli flags. (IDF)
  
  

  ‘Not asking for revenge now. Asking for Shiri’

  Following the revelations, Yarden’s sister Ofri issued a statement eulogizing her nephews and demanding Shiri’s return.

  
  

  “For Ariel and Kfir and for Yarden, we are not asking for revenge now. We are asking for Shiri,” said Ofri Bibas. “Hamas’s cruelty only underlines the need to immediately get Shiri back to us and save the lives of the living hostages, and get the fallen back for burial.”

  
  

  She also said: “There can be no forgiving the abandonment of October 7, and no forgiving the abandonment [of those held] in captivity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we didn’t get an apology from you at this terrible moment.”

  
  

  Later the Hostage Family Forum released a statement saying that it was horrified by the “barbaric” killings.

  
  

  “We are shaken to the core by the horrifying findings confirming the cruel and brutal murder of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, just innocent infants,” the Forum said, adding that it it was another example of why all the hostages had to be brought home as soon as possible.

  
  

  “The Bibas family, and all of us standing with them, have one message: Remember Ariel and Kfir. Let their memory be a call to action. The fight to bring every hostage home must not stop for a moment. This is a moment of moral clarity. The world must stand united in demanding their immediate return — before it is too late,” the statement said.

  
  Shiri Bibas, Kfir Bibas and Ariel Bibas (Courtesy)
  
  

  Hamas claims it is committed to the deal

  Hamas, meanwhile, professed surprise at what it asserted was a mix-up over Shiri’s body.

  
  

  In a statement, Hamas said it would  “examine these allegations very seriously” and announce the results of its investigation.

  
  

  The Hamas statement reiterated its claim that there may have been an “error or mix up” in bodies found in the rubble of an Israeli airstrike, which it claimed killed Shiri Ariel and Kfir.

  
  

  Hamas then called on Israel to return to Gaza the body of the Palestinian woman that it handed over in place of Shiri.

  
  

  The terror group said it remains committed to implementing the current ceasefire-hostage release deal and vowed to uphold “all of our obligations,” claiming that it has no interest in holding on to any bodies of hostages.

  
  

  The terror group also said it would proceed with the release of six live hostages on Saturday, saying it would release hostages Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.

  

  Top row, from left: Omer Shem-Tov, Tal Shoham, Eliya Cohen. Bottom row, from left: Avera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, Omer Wenkert (Courtesy)

  
  

  According to Hamas’s past statements, the six are the last of those to be returned under the first phase who are alive.

  
  

  The families of the six were already notified by Israeli officials on Tuesday.

  
  

  Al-Sayed and Mengistu have been captive in Gaza for over a decade, after entering the Strip of their own accord. The others were abducted on October 7, 2023.

  
  

  Israel confirmed receiving the list.  Link

• Families of hostages ask for loved ones’ coffins to lie in state outside Knesset

  The families of a number of hostages sign onto a letter to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana requesting that the coffins of their loved ones be able to lie in state outside the Knesset after they return.

  

  A view of the main building of the Knesset in Jerusalem, December 26, 2018. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

  
  

  The letter, penned by Yesh Atid MK Meirav Cohen, says that those who “paid with their lives because the country could not protect them” are “worthy of a final honor” that would allow the public to come and pay their respects after their bodies are returned to Israel.

  
  

  Those signed onto the letter include family members of Inbar Haiman, Alex Dancyg, Itzik Elgarat, Tamir Nimrodi, Elad Katzir, Idan Shtivi and others — some of whom have already been returned to Israel and some whose fate remains unknown.  link Having the returning hostages who were killed in captivity lie in state at the Knesset is the correct act for so many reasons. Firstly, it is for us, the people to pay respect to those who were lost and could have/should have been saved, and most importantly for the Knesset, especially the government to face their responsibility that they have totally shirked. The government that abandoned them for this entire time should look into the face of what happened on their watch and due to the actions of the prime minister, to face the disgrace that they could have changed and brought all of the hostages who were killed in captivity, back alive if it had been their priority and not their self interests.
  
  
  

Gaza and the South

•  Egypt’s Sissi leaves Riyadh after meeting about Israel-Palestinian conflict

  Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has left Saudi Arabia after participating in an informal meeting to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Gulf Arab states and Jordan, the presidency says in a statement.

  
  

  The meeting takes place as Arab countries rush to formulate an alternative to US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza and resettle most of them in other countries.

  
  
• BBC pulls Gaza documentary after star revealed as son of Hamas official

  The BBC has removed a documentary about the Gaza war from its online streaming service after it emerged that the child who is a central figure in the film is the son of a Hamas deputy minister, a fact that was at no time disclosed in the movie.

  
  

  “Gaza: How To Survive a War Zone” is narrated by a 14-year-old boy named Abdullah Al-Yazouri. The Telegraph reported earlier this week that the teen’s father is Ayman Alyazouri, deputy minister of agriculture in the Strip’s Hamas-run government.

  
  

  “‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’ features important stories we think should be told — those of the experiences of children in Gaza,” the BBC says in a statement.

  
  

  “There have been continuing questions raised about the program and in light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company,” it says. “The program will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.”
  
  

  
  
• At handover spot, Hamas displays weaponry it claims was stolen from Israel on Oct. 7
  

  On the stage prepared by Hamas in Rafah are the usual placards with messages including “We are the flood,” as well as military weapons and equipment the group claims were stolen from the IDF on October 7, 2023.

  The strap of one of the guns is branded with the word “Ravshatz,” the Hebrew acronym for the head of a community’s local security team, indicating it was taken from such an individual killed by terrorists during the October 7 attack.

Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria

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West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel

• Netanyahu says he’s ordered more military raids in West Bank

In the Tulkarem refugee camp, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that IDF forces “will launch additional operational activity against terror centers” after the attempted bus bombings last night.

“In the past year, we have greatly increased our activity,” he says. “We are entering the terrorist strongholds, clearing entire streets used by terrorists, their homes. We are eliminating terrorists and commanders.”

Netanyahu also gets a security briefing from the commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, the head of the Civil Administration, and the commander of the Ephraim Brigade.

Politics and the War (general news)

• Trump: ‘I really am’ fine with any decision Israel makes — continue truce or resume war

  US President Donald Trump says he’s “really” fine with any decision Israel makes as to whether to continue to a second stage of the Gaza hostage deal or return to combat in Gaza.
  Asked about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position in an interview with Fox News, Trump says, “He’s actually not torn. I mean, you know where he stands, and he would like to go in, and he’s just so angry, and he should be. If he’s not angry, then there’d be something wrong with him, frankly.
  “He is very angry; he’s a very angry man at what happened, especially what happened yesterday with these kids,” he says, referring to the return of murdered hostage children Ariel and Kfir Bibas. “It’s so barbaric. You wouldn’t think that would happen in the modern age, but it happened.”
  Asked then on Israel’s need to decide between seeking to bring back more hostages in a second phase or resuming the war, and whether he is fine with either choice, Trump answers, “I am. I really am. You know, when you see what’s happening there… you just wonder about the condition of the hostages that they have. One group came in so bad, it looked like it was a concentration camp in Germany.”
  He adds: “Sometimes you have to make a decision… it’s a rough decision.”  link. This is exactly the problem with Trump and his support for the return of the hostages. Trump is being pushed by 2 people, Steve Wycoff and Miriam Adelson but he is not predictable nor is he consistent. It is said by many that his decision is always based on the last person in the room. In this case, the last person is Netanyahu on the phone who knows how to play Trump. He convinces him that there are many reasons that we have to go back to fighting even at the expense of the hostages' lives. Trump has seen the condition of some of the hostages upon their release, but Netanyahu convinces him to say that he will support Netanyahu's decision to go back to fighting and not go forward with Phase 2. Of course, everyone agrees that Hamas cannot be left to govern Gaza or ever again present a threat to Israel but that can be done after we get the hostages back, no matter what any agreement will say. We know that it will be easy to prove that Hamas will breech any agreement and give the legitimacy to go after them and finish them off. The only reason that Hamas is still in control is because of Netanyahu and his weak government. Netanyahu has refused to have any other Palestinian body in place of Hamas to take over and push out Hamas. If it is up to Netanyahu, we will go back to fight, there will not be any hostage deal, there will not be a replacement to Hamas and the living hostages will all be dead. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!
  
  

• Israel to free 602 Palestinian prisoners tomorrow, says NGO
  
  
  A Palestinian prisoner released by Israel as part of the hostage deal with Hamas flashes the victory sign as he alights a bus in the West Bank city of Ramallah on February 8, 2025. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)
  
  A Palestinian prisoner released by Israel as part of the hostage deal with Hamas flashes the victory sign as he alights a bus in the West Bank city of Ramallah on February 8, 2025. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)
  The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club says that Israel will free 602 prisoners from jails tomorrow as part of the ongoing hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas.
  Amani Sarahneh, a spokeswoman for the NGO, tells AFP that those slated for release include 445 individuals from Gaza who were arrested after Hamas’s October 7 attack, 60 serving long sentences, 50 serving life sentences and 47 re-arrested after a 2011 exchange for captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
  Last night Hebrew media reported that seven of those who were slated to be released outside of Israel’s borders requested to instead remain in prison, and they were replaced with seven others from a list of those eligible.

The Region and the World

• Turkey says it thwarted terror attacks on Jewish sites by ISIS member
  

Turkish police have arrested a man planning simultaneous terrorist attacks on Jewish schools and synagogues in Turkey and foreign countries, the Turkish news site Hurriyet says.

The suspect, a citizen of Uzbekistan, is a member of the Asian branch of the radical terrorist organization ISIS, Hurriyet reports.

Turkish security and intelligence units discovered the plot when they infiltrated the terror network’s communication systems and deciphered coded correspondence and encrypted discussions, the report says. The intended timing and targets of the plot have not been revealed.

Personal Stories

 

Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages

Patchwork Quilt

Prof. Gur Alroey

Historian.

Israeli society is a stunning and colorful quilt, the source of Israel's strength and security, and its economic and social prosperity over the past 76 years. From its inception, Israeli society experienced disputes, tensions and controversies, however it always kept the quilt whole, recognizing its importance. But when Benjamin Netanyahu entered Israeli politics, and in particular after his election as Prime Minister in 1996, he began to unravel the quilt’s seams, one after another. He has torn Israeli society apart, polarized it and incited hatred between the different colorful patches for the sake of his own political survival. The peak of this incitement is the abandonment of our hostages in the Gaza tunnels, and turning them into a political issue.

A direct line can be traced between Netanyahu's toxic whisper in the ear of an elderly Rabbi, claiming that "the leftists have forgotten what it means to be a Jew", and his abandonment of the residents of the Gaza Envelope who were abducted from their homes on October 7th. Abandoning the hostages is a mark of Cain that Netanyahu will carry for the rest of his life; Israel’s Prime Minister turned his back on a Jewish tradition that ascribes utmost importance to saving Jews in captivity and setting them free.

As is his wont, Netanyahu is also denying the Zionist ethos and the Israel Defense Forces spirit that asserts that no wounded or captive soldier should be left behind on the battlefield. In the War of Independence, our hostages were brought back from Jordanian captivity; this was also the case when Uri Ilan's body and the surviving members of his unit were returned to Israel as part of a prisoner exchange deal; or when Shlomo Ben Elkana sought and found the remains of Avshalom Fineberg, a Nili hero; it happened to the hostages of the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War and the First and Second Lebanon Wars; and to soldiers who were captured by terrorist organizations and released following negotiations with the heads of these organizations. Sadly, it was not the case with Ron Arad, who was abandoned by generations of Israeli governments, or for the kidnapped bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul. These cases have remained indelible stains in the history of Israel.

David Ben Gurion asserted that there would be no Unknown Soldier Monument in Israel; that the State of Israel was and is committed to finding every soldier. Following his moral statement, the IDF Missing Soldiers Unit was established, sparing no time or effort in finding IDF missing soldiers, from 1948 to this day. Every investigator in this unit is well aware of the fact that a missing soldier robs the peace of mind of his family, making it impossible for them to rehabilitate their lives following the disaster that befell them. Following October 7th, we have all lost our peace of mind, as well as any confidence in our safety.

It is the ethical and moral responsibility of Israel’s prime minister to bring the living hostages back to their families, and the dead hostages to final rest in their homeland. We are all hostage families. It is a national rather than a personal struggle.

The hostages' faces, smiling at us from their photographs throughout Israel, bear witness to the beautiful quilt that portrays Israeli society. Abandoning them in Hamas captivity rips apart the last seam of our solidarity, denying us the right to our existence as a society and as a nation.

Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

IPS - Israel Prison System

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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