π️Lonny's War Update- October 519, 2023 - March 8, 2025 π️
π️Day 519 that 59 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*
Hostage Updates
Hostage Updates
- More than 50 former hostages appeal to Netanyahu: "Don't miss the opportunity to bring back the abductees"
The hostages who returned to Israel wrote to the Prime Minister: "We are not free as long as there are abductees in Gaza. Returning to war poses a real danger to those still alive." The hostages shared harrowing experiences from their captivity: "We saw the darkness. Torture, hunger, illness, and loneliness—this is the reality of the hostages right now."
The hostages who returned to Israel wrote to the Prime Minister: "We are not free as long as there are abductees in Gaza. Returning to war poses a real danger to those still alive." The hostages shared harrowing experiences from their captivity: "We saw the darkness. Torture, hunger, illness, and loneliness—this is the reality of the hostages right now."
More than 50 hostages who returned to Israel sent a letter Friday to the Prime Minister, urging him to advance the next stage of the deal and bring back all the hostages. Among the signatories are Yarden Bibas, Liri Albag, and Daniela Gilboa. Ilana Gritzhevsky, a former hostage, initiated the sending of the letter.
"We, who were abducted during the October 7 massacre, experienced firsthand the hell from which our loved ones have yet to return," they wrote at the beginning of the letter. "We saw the darkness, heard the horrors, and breathed in the fear. We know, not imagine, what the abductees left behind are going through. Brutal torture, humiliating hunger, untreated illnesses, and profound loneliness—this is their reality at this moment."
"We are not truly free. As long as they are there, large parts of us remain in captivity," they continued. "Every minute there is hell, every additional moment—a possible death sentence. The State of Israel stands at a dramatic crossroads—returning to fighting or bringing back all the hostages. More than a year has passed between the previous deal and the current one, and during that time, more hostages were killed than rescued in military operations."
**Protest in support of a hostage deal** (Photo: Avshalom Sassoni, Flash 90)
"The State of Israel stands at a dramatic crossroads—fighting or bringing back the hostages."
The returned hostages added: "We, who heard the sounds of bombings above our heads and experienced the anxiety for our lives, know that returning to fighting means a real danger to the lives of those still alive, and reduces the chances of bringing back for burial those who are no longer among the living."
"The State of Israel stands at a dramatic crossroads—fighting or bringing back the hostages."
The returned hostages added: "We, who heard the sounds of bombings above our heads and experienced the anxiety for our lives, know that returning to fighting means a real danger to the lives of those still alive, and reduces the chances of bringing back for burial those who are no longer among the living."
According to the former hostages, Israel was established to protect the Jewish people, but on October 7, it failed. "The State of Israel failed to fulfill its fundamental promise to its citizens," they wrote. "The only way to begin to atone for that resounding failure is to bring back all the abductees—the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for a proper burial on Israeli soil."
Ceremony for the transfer of abductees in Rafah** (Photo: Reuters)
"Returning to fighting means a real danger to the lives of those still alive."
The hostages addressed Netanyahu and the government ministers: "This may be the last opportunity to save lives and the last chance to bring back the deceased before they are lost. The only way to bring them back is through the full implementation of the deal—in one phase, without delays."
"Returning to fighting means a real danger to the lives of those still alive."
The hostages addressed Netanyahu and the government ministers: "This may be the last opportunity to save lives and the last chance to bring back the deceased before they are lost. The only way to bring them back is through the full implementation of the deal—in one phase, without delays."
They concluded the letter: "Do not let this opportunity slip away from us. The people of Israel want all the hostages home—the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for burial." link
- He looks ‘drained and desperate’: Hostage soldier’s family says new Hamas video proves ‘time has run out’
The family of Matan Angrest permits the publication of a Hamas propaganda video showing the abducted soldier.
“We are shaken by the video we just saw, in which we see our Matan looking drained and desperate after 518 days in Hamas’ tunnels,” the Angrests say in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
“Beyond the severe psychological state evident in the footage, his right hand is non-functional, his eyes and mouth are asymmetrical, and his nose is broken — according to testimonies from those who have returned, all due to interrogations and torture in captivity. What more proof is needed to understand that time has run out?”
The family appeals to US President Donald Trump “to continue fighting for our Matan and all 58 other hostages with the same unwavering commitment and relentless determination. We must not stop until the deal is completed — only when the last hostage comes home.” link In a previous Hamas video, he begged Netanyahu to help and get him released and home. In this video, he begs Trump because the whole world knows that Netanyahu will sacrifice all the hostages for his own self interests and only Trump has to power over him to push him to a deal. Since the beginning of the war, it has been painfully clear that the Americans have been doing more to get our hostages home than our own government and prime minister.
Over 50 ex-hostages tell Netanyahu to free the remaining captives: ‘May be the last chance’
A group of more than 50 former Hamas hostages sign a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for Israel to continue with the ceasefire deal so the remaining captives in Gaza will return home.
“We, who were kidnapped during the October 7 massacre, experienced on our flesh the hell from which our loved ones have yet to return. We saw the darkness, heard the horrors, breathed in the fear,” the freed hostages write. “We know and are not [just] describing what the hostages left behind are going through. Brutal torture, humiliating hunger, sickness without treatment, abysmal loneliness — that is their reality in these moments.”
“Every minute there is hell, every additional moment is a potential death sentence.”
The former captives urge the premier to prioritize the return of the hostages over a resumption of the fighting, saying that since the weeklong truce deal in November 2023 “more hostages have been murdered than were rescued in military operations.”
“Israel was founded to defend the Jewish people, but on October 7 it failed,” they continue. “The only way to begin atoning for this resounding failure is to bring back all the hostages, the living for rehabilitation and the dead for a proper burial in the soil of Israel.”
“This may be the last chance,” the released hostages conclude.
New IDF chief tells families of hostage soldiers they are his top priority
Relatives tells Eyal Zamir they feel they can rely more on foreign governments than Jerusalem to bring back loved ones
According to Channel 13 news, the father of hostage Tamir Nimrodi said it was “sad that we have to rely on foreign governments to bring our children back more than we can rely on the State of Israel.”
The mother of hostage Matan Angrest said: “We feel that the State of Israel is leaving soldiers and fallen troops behind, while there is an American commitment to bringing them back.”
...According to Channel 12, another relative told Zamir: “Do you understand that returning to combat may endanger their lives? You have an obligation to the soldiers — you were the ones who placed them there.”
Channel 13 cited Zamir as telling the parents that bringing the hostages back was “my highest duty, and it is my top priority. If, God forbid, I finish my tenure without bringing everyone back — I have failed in my mission.”
In his first speech as IDF chief Wednesday, Zamir said: “The task that I am receiving today is clear: to lead the IDF to victory,”
...Addressing the families of hostages, Zamir said, “Your loved ones are before my eyes. Our moral duty is clear: Bring everyone back home, in any way possible and as quickly as possible.”
...Zamir told the generals that returning the hostages held by Hamas was “a moral duty,” and the IDF would act to return all of them home. Zamir decided to place the photos of the hostages in his office until they are returned. full article The new chief of staff's comments regarding the hostages was not commendable, they are a moral imperative and necessary for him as head of the IDF to take responsibility for the soldiers that have been taken because of their service and the civilians who were literally abandoned by the IDF and government. Together with these facts, there are potentially serious problems and implications to his words. Firstly, he cannot take any action to return the hostages without getting direction and instructions from the political echelon. Secondly and most problematic is that IDF action on behalf of the hostages is basically divided into 2 possibilities. The first is rescue missions of which we have had far too few successful ones and we know that any future ones put the hostages in great risk with high probability that the Hamas terrorist guards have instructions to execute any and all hostages if they have a sense that the IDF is approaching. We have already seen the tragic results of these executions. And the second possibility is further military pressure to force Hamas to give up the hostages quicker and at a lower price. Here, too we have seen that more military pressure has the opposite results with more hostages being killed with more bombings of the remaining buildings, infrastructure and tunnels. In this scenario, the hostages may be killed by our own actions or by the Hamas guards. For the hostages, it is a lose-lose situation and only through a deal do we have any chance of bringing home the hostages. I sincerely hope that the new Chief will see that and do his best to internally apply the necessary pressure through intelligence to the political echelon, meaning the prime minister and push for a deal as his predecessor had been doing.
The family of Matan Angrest permits the publication of a Hamas propaganda video showing the abducted soldier.
“We are shaken by the video we just saw, in which we see our Matan looking drained and desperate after 518 days in Hamas’ tunnels,” the Angrests say in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
“Beyond the severe psychological state evident in the footage, his right hand is non-functional, his eyes and mouth are asymmetrical, and his nose is broken — according to testimonies from those who have returned, all due to interrogations and torture in captivity. What more proof is needed to understand that time has run out?”
The family appeals to US President Donald Trump “to continue fighting for our Matan and all 58 other hostages with the same unwavering commitment and relentless determination. We must not stop until the deal is completed — only when the last hostage comes home.” link In a previous Hamas video, he begged Netanyahu to help and get him released and home. In this video, he begs Trump because the whole world knows that Netanyahu will sacrifice all the hostages for his own self interests and only Trump has to power over him to push him to a deal. Since the beginning of the war, it has been painfully clear that the Americans have been doing more to get our hostages home than our own government and prime minister.
Over 50 ex-hostages tell Netanyahu to free the remaining captives: ‘May be the last chance’
A group of more than 50 former Hamas hostages sign a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for Israel to continue with the ceasefire deal so the remaining captives in Gaza will return home.
“We, who were kidnapped during the October 7 massacre, experienced on our flesh the hell from which our loved ones have yet to return. We saw the darkness, heard the horrors, breathed in the fear,” the freed hostages write. “We know and are not [just] describing what the hostages left behind are going through. Brutal torture, humiliating hunger, sickness without treatment, abysmal loneliness — that is their reality in these moments.”
“Every minute there is hell, every additional moment is a potential death sentence.”
The former captives urge the premier to prioritize the return of the hostages over a resumption of the fighting, saying that since the weeklong truce deal in November 2023 “more hostages have been murdered than were rescued in military operations.”
“Israel was founded to defend the Jewish people, but on October 7 it failed,” they continue. “The only way to begin atoning for this resounding failure is to bring back all the hostages, the living for rehabilitation and the dead for a proper burial in the soil of Israel.”
“This may be the last chance,” the released hostages conclude.
New IDF chief tells families of hostage soldiers they are his top priority
Relatives tells Eyal Zamir they feel they can rely more on foreign governments than Jerusalem to bring back loved ones
According to Channel 13 news, the father of hostage Tamir Nimrodi said it was “sad that we have to rely on foreign governments to bring our children back more than we can rely on the State of Israel.”
The mother of hostage Matan Angrest said: “We feel that the State of Israel is leaving soldiers and fallen troops behind, while there is an American commitment to bringing them back.”
...According to Channel 12, another relative told Zamir: “Do you understand that returning to combat may endanger their lives? You have an obligation to the soldiers — you were the ones who placed them there.”
Channel 13 cited Zamir as telling the parents that bringing the hostages back was “my highest duty, and it is my top priority. If, God forbid, I finish my tenure without bringing everyone back — I have failed in my mission.”
In his first speech as IDF chief Wednesday, Zamir said: “The task that I am receiving today is clear: to lead the IDF to victory,”
...Addressing the families of hostages, Zamir said, “Your loved ones are before my eyes. Our moral duty is clear: Bring everyone back home, in any way possible and as quickly as possible.”
...Zamir told the generals that returning the hostages held by Hamas was “a moral duty,” and the IDF would act to return all of them home. Zamir decided to place the photos of the hostages in his office until they are returned. full article The new chief of staff's comments regarding the hostages was not commendable, they are a moral imperative and necessary for him as head of the IDF to take responsibility for the soldiers that have been taken because of their service and the civilians who were literally abandoned by the IDF and government. Together with these facts, there are potentially serious problems and implications to his words. Firstly, he cannot take any action to return the hostages without getting direction and instructions from the political echelon. Secondly and most problematic is that IDF action on behalf of the hostages is basically divided into 2 possibilities. The first is rescue missions of which we have had far too few successful ones and we know that any future ones put the hostages in great risk with high probability that the Hamas terrorist guards have instructions to execute any and all hostages if they have a sense that the IDF is approaching. We have already seen the tragic results of these executions. And the second possibility is further military pressure to force Hamas to give up the hostages quicker and at a lower price. Here, too we have seen that more military pressure has the opposite results with more hostages being killed with more bombings of the remaining buildings, infrastructure and tunnels. In this scenario, the hostages may be killed by our own actions or by the Hamas guards. For the hostages, it is a lose-lose situation and only through a deal do we have any chance of bringing home the hostages. I sincerely hope that the new Chief will see that and do his best to internally apply the necessary pressure through intelligence to the political echelon, meaning the prime minister and push for a deal as his predecessor had been doing.
"Do Not Accept a Reality of Fallen Soldiers with Unknown Graves": Families of Fallen Hostages Issue a Statement
On Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown, family members of fallen soldiers whose bodies are held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza issued a statement—demanding their return. The mother of Idan Shtivi said: "My son went to a party alive—the State of Israel cannot return him to me with a notification." The mother of Tamir Adar presented two death certificates: "They wrote that his place of burial is unknown, but it is actually known—he is in the Gaza Strip."
This morning (Friday), families of fallen hostages issued a statement from Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown. Participating in the statement were Dalit Shtivi, the mother of Idan Shtivi; Yael Adar, the mother of Tamir Adar; and hostage survivor Noga Weiss, the daughter of Ilan Weiss. Noga Weiss’s Statement:
"On October 7, my father went out to defend the community of Be’eri. Terrorists broke into our home and kidnapped my mother in front of my eyes. After an hour of hiding, a terrorist kidnapped me too. When we returned as part of the deal, we learned that our father had been murdered and his body was abducted to Gaza. Today, I stand here on Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown. I demand—my father and the other hostages can be returned. Every moment they remain in Hamas captivity is a life-threatening danger for the living hostages and a risk of disappearance for the dead."
Ilan Weiss z"l
Noga and Meital Weiss in their home in Be'eri
Noga added: "We all deserve a grave and a place for eternal rest. I appeal to the prime minister and decision-makers—the momentum is here, it must not be missed. The responsibility lies with you to ensure that by the next Memorial Day, every family has a grave to visit. Only then can we begin to heal the wounds. Only then can the nation begin to recover. There is no conflict between the goals of the war: Hamas must be dismantled, but it cannot be done without bringing back the hostages. My father is the strongest person I know. Now it’s our turn to be strong for him."
Dalit Shtivi’s Statement:
"My son Idan went to a party alive. The State of Israel cannot return him to me with a notification. He must be brought back here. They always tell us—death is certain. In this case, even that is not certain. It is the responsibility of the State of Israel to bring Idan out of this nightmare, to bring me, my family, and all of Israel out of it. Immediately. I appeal to the prime minister and members of Knesset from all parties—please, embrace simple logic. The hostages now, the war against Hamas afterward."
Yael Adar’s Statement:
"As a society with values and morals, we must not accept a reality where there are fallen soldiers whose place of burial is unknown. Such a definition should remain in the past, for days when we did not have the military and intelligence tools to reach Iran and eliminate [Hassan] Nasrallah, to penetrate Hezbollah bunkers, to reach anyone anywhere in the world for Israel’s security. Every family deserves closure. Every fallen soldier deserves a burial."
"Tamir was injured on October 7. On January 4, 2024, we received the news that Tamir did not survive his injuries. A representative of the Military Rabbinate offered us a burial without a body—with Tamir’s belongings. Such a burial is closure for the government and its representatives—but not for us. The offer was immediately rejected. Tamir, my firstborn son, is a person—a whole world. He left behind a widow and orphans, grandparents, siblings, and bereaved parents. He went out to defend the country in the name of mutual responsibility and left a huge void. He deserves a proper burial here in our land, the land of Israel."
Tamir Adar z"l"After we rejected the offer of a symbolic burial, we received a death certificate. Two death certificates for one fallen soldier: in the first, it is written that the place of burial is 'unknown.' Reading that sentence felt like a knife to the heart. My child, a man of truth who went out to defend the country, was declared to have an unknown burial place—when it is actually known: he is in the Gaza Strip, in the hands of evil people. How did the State of Israel give up on him? I contacted the Ministry of the Interior and demanded a change. I will not accept that in 2024, there will be a fallen soldier whose place of burial is unknown. After my appeal, I received a new certificate. It no longer states that the place of burial is unknown. It now reads: 'Cause of death—fallen hostage, Swords of Iron.'"
Yael Adar, Tamir's mother making the statement of the hostage families"If, as a family, we had accepted the offer of a symbolic burial and the wording that 'the place of burial is unknown'—the State of Israel would have closed the case. No. The State of Israel must return all the fallen. All 59 hostages held by Hamas must be returned immediately—alive and dead. Before the living become fallen themselves, and the dead are lost. All that is needed is a courageous decision to save them all: the hostages and their families. Every fallen soldier has circles of life whose lives are not truly lived, and they can only recover after the hostages are returned."
Background:
In the months following the outbreak of the war, Israel determined that Idan Shtivi, Tamir Adar, and Ilan Weiss were murdered on October 7, and their bodies were abducted to Gaza. Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown is observed annually on the 7th of Adar, traditionally considered the day of Moses’s death—whose burial place is unknown.
Conclusion:
The families’ powerful statements highlight the unbearable pain of not being able to bury their loved ones and the urgent need for the State of Israel to act decisively to bring back all hostages—alive and dead. Their call for closure and justice resonates deeply, emphasizing the moral obligation to ensure that no fallen soldier is left behind. link
- Top Netanyahu confidant ‘lashed out’ at US envoy over direct talks with Hamas
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer “lashed out” at US hostage envoy Adam Boehler during a phone call held Tuesday, a Western official tells The Times of Israel, after Israel learned of an unprecedented meeting in Doha that the Trump aide held with a senior Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya to discuss the potential release of American hostages from Gaza.
Dermer fumed at Boehler for discussing the number of Palestinian prisoners Israel would release in exchange for the five American hostages without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s consent, the official says, confirming reporting in the Axios news site.
Boehler tried to explain that the meeting was only an initial discussion with Hamas and that nothing would be finalized without Israel’s approval, the Western official says.
Hours after the tense call was held, Boehler’s meeting with Hayya was leaked to the media, in a move that the US believes Israel was behind, the Western official adds. Link The absolute gaul of Dermer (and Netanyahu as Dermer is Netanyahu's closest aid and lap dog, and doesn't do anything that Netanyahu doesn't want done). Dermer is supposedly the new lead of the negotiating team but has nothing to show except delays and feeling that he and Netanyahu have all the time in the world to deal with the hostages. If some of the living hostages die during their long stretches of not doing anything, so be it, no big deal for them. They should be on their knees kissing the hands of the Americans, first the Biden Administration and Trump's for doing all they are doing on behalf of the hostages while he, Dermer and his boss let the hostages languish in the hell of Hamas captivity in Gaza. If anyone should be 'lashed out' at, it is Dermer and his corrupt boss.
"Do Not Accept a Reality of Fallen Soldiers with Unknown Graves": Families of Fallen Hostages Issue a Statement
On Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown, family members of fallen soldiers whose bodies are held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza issued a statement—demanding their return. The mother of Idan Shtivi said: "My son went to a party alive—the State of Israel cannot return him to me with a notification." The mother of Tamir Adar presented two death certificates: "They wrote that his place of burial is unknown, but it is actually known—he is in the Gaza Strip."
This morning (Friday), families of fallen hostages issued a statement from Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown. Participating in the statement were Dalit Shtivi, the mother of Idan Shtivi; Yael Adar, the mother of Tamir Adar; and hostage survivor Noga Weiss, the daughter of Ilan Weiss.Noga Weiss’s Statement:
"On October 7, my father went out to defend the community of Be’eri. Terrorists broke into our home and kidnapped my mother in front of my eyes. After an hour of hiding, a terrorist kidnapped me too. When we returned as part of the deal, we learned that our father had been murdered and his body was abducted to Gaza. Today, I stand here on Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown. I demand—my father and the other hostages can be returned. Every moment they remain in Hamas captivity is a life-threatening danger for the living hostages and a risk of disappearance for the dead."
Ilan Weiss z"lNoga and Meital Weiss in their home in Be'eriNoga added: "We all deserve a grave and a place for eternal rest. I appeal to the prime minister and decision-makers—the momentum is here, it must not be missed. The responsibility lies with you to ensure that by the next Memorial Day, every family has a grave to visit. Only then can we begin to heal the wounds. Only then can the nation begin to recover. There is no conflict between the goals of the war: Hamas must be dismantled, but it cannot be done without bringing back the hostages. My father is the strongest person I know. Now it’s our turn to be strong for him."
Dalit Shtivi’s Statement:
"My son Idan went to a party alive. The State of Israel cannot return him to me with a notification. He must be brought back here. They always tell us—death is certain. In this case, even that is not certain. It is the responsibility of the State of Israel to bring Idan out of this nightmare, to bring me, my family, and all of Israel out of it. Immediately. I appeal to the prime minister and members of Knesset from all parties—please, embrace simple logic. The hostages now, the war against Hamas afterward."
Yael Adar’s Statement:
"As a society with values and morals, we must not accept a reality where there are fallen soldiers whose place of burial is unknown. Such a definition should remain in the past, for days when we did not have the military and intelligence tools to reach Iran and eliminate [Hassan] Nasrallah, to penetrate Hezbollah bunkers, to reach anyone anywhere in the world for Israel’s security. Every family deserves closure. Every fallen soldier deserves a burial."
"Tamir was injured on October 7. On January 4, 2024, we received the news that Tamir did not survive his injuries. A representative of the Military Rabbinate offered us a burial without a body—with Tamir’s belongings. Such a burial is closure for the government and its representatives—but not for us. The offer was immediately rejected. Tamir, my firstborn son, is a person—a whole world. He left behind a widow and orphans, grandparents, siblings, and bereaved parents. He went out to defend the country in the name of mutual responsibility and left a huge void. He deserves a proper burial here in our land, the land of Israel."
Tamir Adar z"l"After we rejected the offer of a symbolic burial, we received a death certificate. Two death certificates for one fallen soldier: in the first, it is written that the place of burial is 'unknown.' Reading that sentence felt like a knife to the heart. My child, a man of truth who went out to defend the country, was declared to have an unknown burial place—when it is actually known: he is in the Gaza Strip, in the hands of evil people. How did the State of Israel give up on him? I contacted the Ministry of the Interior and demanded a change. I will not accept that in 2024, there will be a fallen soldier whose place of burial is unknown. After my appeal, I received a new certificate. It no longer states that the place of burial is unknown. It now reads: 'Cause of death—fallen hostage, Swords of Iron.'"
Yael Adar, Tamir's mother making the statement of the hostage families"If, as a family, we had accepted the offer of a symbolic burial and the wording that 'the place of burial is unknown'—the State of Israel would have closed the case. No. The State of Israel must return all the fallen. All 59 hostages held by Hamas must be returned immediately—alive and dead. Before the living become fallen themselves, and the dead are lost. All that is needed is a courageous decision to save them all: the hostages and their families. Every fallen soldier has circles of life whose lives are not truly lived, and they can only recover after the hostages are returned."
Background:
In the months following the outbreak of the war, Israel determined that Idan Shtivi, Tamir Adar, and Ilan Weiss were murdered on October 7, and their bodies were abducted to Gaza. Memorial Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers Whose Place of Burial is Unknown is observed annually on the 7th of Adar, traditionally considered the day of Moses’s death—whose burial place is unknown.
Conclusion:
The families’ powerful statements highlight the unbearable pain of not being able to bury their loved ones and the urgent need for the State of Israel to act decisively to bring back all hostages—alive and dead. Their call for closure and justice resonates deeply, emphasizing the moral obligation to ensure that no fallen soldier is left behind. link
- Top Netanyahu confidant ‘lashed out’ at US envoy over direct talks with Hamas
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer “lashed out” at US hostage envoy Adam Boehler during a phone call held Tuesday, a Western official tells The Times of Israel, after Israel learned of an unprecedented meeting in Doha that the Trump aide held with a senior Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya to discuss the potential release of American hostages from Gaza.
Dermer fumed at Boehler for discussing the number of Palestinian prisoners Israel would release in exchange for the five American hostages without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s consent, the official says, confirming reporting in the Axios news site.
Boehler tried to explain that the meeting was only an initial discussion with Hamas and that nothing would be finalized without Israel’s approval, the Western official says.
Hours after the tense call was held, Boehler’s meeting with Hayya was leaked to the media, in a move that the US believes Israel was behind, the Western official adds. Link The absolute gaul of Dermer (and Netanyahu as Dermer is Netanyahu's closest aid and lap dog, and doesn't do anything that Netanyahu doesn't want done). Dermer is supposedly the new lead of the negotiating team but has nothing to show except delays and feeling that he and Netanyahu have all the time in the world to deal with the hostages. If some of the living hostages die during their long stretches of not doing anything, so be it, no big deal for them. They should be on their knees kissing the hands of the Americans, first the Biden Administration and Trump's for doing all they are doing on behalf of the hostages while he, Dermer and his boss let the hostages languish in the hell of Hamas captivity in Gaza. If anyone should be 'lashed out' at, it is Dermer and his corrupt boss.
Gaza and the South
- Islamic nations adopt Arab counter to Trump’s Gaza takeover plan
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopts the Arab League’s counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, two ministers say.
“The emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopted the Egyptian plan, which has now become an Arab-Islamic plan,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says, in comments echoed by his Sudanese counterpart.
- IDF says Gaza drone strike targeted suspects planting bomb near troops
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopts the Arab League’s counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, two ministers say.
“The emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopted the Egyptian plan, which has now become an Arab-Islamic plan,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says, in comments echoed by his Sudanese counterpart.
The IDF says it carried out a drone strike in the northern Gaza Strip earlier today, targeting a group of suspects planting a bomb near Israeli troops.
Palestinian media report two dead in the strike in Gaza City’s eastern Shejaiya neighborhood.
Israeli forces are still deployed to a buffer zone along the Gaza border amid the ceasefire, and the IDF has repeatedly warned Palestinians against approaching the area.
- Palestinian media reports 2 killed in Israeli strike near south Gaza’s Rafah
Palestinian media reports two people were killed in an Israeli airstrike near the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
There is no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
France, Germany, Italy and UK give support to Arab-backed plan for reconstruction of Gaza
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain say they support an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave.
“The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,” the ministers say in a joint statement.
The plan, which was drawn up by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders earlier this month, has been rejected by US President Donald Trump and Israel, although there have been mixed signals from Washington.
It is a counter to Trump, who triggered global outrage by suggesting the US “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt, Jordan or other countries.
The Arab plan envisions an independent committee of technocrats running Gaza for six months before handing off control of the Strip to the Palestinian Authority. It provides for Palestinians to remain in the Strip while it is being rebuilt, as opposed to Trump’s proposal that the entire population be relocated.
It offers international peacekeeping troops to be dispatched in Gaza through a UN Security Council resolution. In the meantime, Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian Authority police officers so that they can then be dispatched to Gaza to uphold law and order, the plan says.
However, the Arab proposal does not address Hamas, instead maintaining that armed groups in Gaza can only be fully addressed through a political process that establishes a Palestinian state.
IDF says it carried out strike on ‘suspects’ who collected drone flown from Israel to south Gaza
The IDF says it detected and tracked a drone flying from Israel into the southern Gaza Strip overnight.
This morning, after the device was picked up by “suspects” in southern Gaza, an Israeli Air Force drone carried out an airstrike against them.
According to Palestinian media, two people were killed in the Israeli strike. In recent weeks, there have been several attempts to smuggle contraband into the Gaza Strip, with the IDF saying suspects on the Israeli side load up drones with weapons or drugs and fly them over the border.
Palestinian media reports two people were killed in an Israeli airstrike near the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
There is no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
France, Germany, Italy and UK give support to Arab-backed plan for reconstruction of Gaza
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain say they support an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave.
“The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,” the ministers say in a joint statement.
The plan, which was drawn up by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders earlier this month, has been rejected by US President Donald Trump and Israel, although there have been mixed signals from Washington.
It is a counter to Trump, who triggered global outrage by suggesting the US “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt, Jordan or other countries.
The Arab plan envisions an independent committee of technocrats running Gaza for six months before handing off control of the Strip to the Palestinian Authority. It provides for Palestinians to remain in the Strip while it is being rebuilt, as opposed to Trump’s proposal that the entire population be relocated.
It offers international peacekeeping troops to be dispatched in Gaza through a UN Security Council resolution. In the meantime, Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian Authority police officers so that they can then be dispatched to Gaza to uphold law and order, the plan says.
However, the Arab proposal does not address Hamas, instead maintaining that armed groups in Gaza can only be fully addressed through a political process that establishes a Palestinian state.
IDF says it carried out strike on ‘suspects’ who collected drone flown from Israel to south Gaza
The IDF says it detected and tracked a drone flying from Israel into the southern Gaza Strip overnight.
This morning, after the device was picked up by “suspects” in southern Gaza, an Israeli Air Force drone carried out an airstrike against them.
According to Palestinian media, two people were killed in the Israeli strike. In recent weeks, there have been several attempts to smuggle contraband into the Gaza Strip, with the IDF saying suspects on the Israeli side load up drones with weapons or drugs and fly them over the border.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- World Bank: Reconstruction of Lebanon after Israel-Hezbollah war to cost $11 billion
The World Bank estimates Lebanon’s recovery and reconstruction costs will amount to some $11 billion following the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a ceasefire last November.
“Reconstruction and recovery needs following the conflict that affected Lebanon are estimated at $11 billion,” the World Bank says in a report assessing damage and losses from October 8, 2023 — when Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel unprovoked — to December 20, 2024.
War monitor: Syrian security forces executed 69 Alawite men
A Syria war monitor says Friday that security forces “executed” 69 members of the Alawite minority, which toppled president Bashar al-Assad belongs to, a day after deadly clashes with gunmen loyal to him.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that security forces “executed 69 Alawite men in the towns of Al-Shir and Al-Mukhtariya in the Latakia countryside,” citing verified videos and testimonies from relatives of the dead.
The Observatory and activists release footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled in the yard of a house, with blood stains nearby and women wailing.
In another clip, men in military garb appear to order three people to crawl on the ground behind each other before opening fire on them at close range.
A third video shared by the Observatory shows a fighter in military garb shooting a man at close range at the entrance of a building, killing him.
AFP cannot independently verify the images.
Over 300 Alawite civilians killed by Syria security forces, allies since Thursday, monitor says
This handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows members of the Syrian security forces entering the western city of Baniyas in Syria's coastal Tartous province to reinforce government troops in clashes with militants loyal to deposed ruler Bashar al-Assad, on March 7, 2025. ( SANA / AFP)
A Syria war monitor reports that more than 300 Alawite civilians have been killed in recent days by the security forces and their allies, as authorities clash with militants loyal to the former government of Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor of unclear funding, reports that “311 Alawite civilians were killed in the coastal region… by security forces and allied groups” since the clashes began on Thursday, bringing the overall death toll to 524 people, including 213 security personnel and militants.
Yesterday, Defense Minister Israel Katz hit out at Syria’s Islamist rulers, calling the country’s new president an al-Qaeda terrorist. His comments came after the reports of the executions.
“[Abu Mohammed] al-Julani switched his robe for a suit and presented a moderate face,” Katz said in a statement, using the nom de guerre of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. “Now he’s taken off the mask and exposed his true face: A jihadist terrorist of the al-Qaeda school who is committing horrifying acts against a civilian population.”
“Israel will defend itself against any threat from Syria,” Katz added, while vowing the military would continue to occupy a buffer zone along the border and keep working to keep southern Syria demilitarized. link Another unnecessary inflammatory statement by another one of our idiot politicians who can't see further than his own nose. The new Syrian government forces are still battling remaining forces of the previous Assad regime which was barbaric to its own people. I am not excusing any executions and war crimes committed by them against the Alawite civilians and those should be spoken against and prosecuted as war crimes. But the statements by our defense minister and foreign minister are just plain stupid. Yes, Ahmed al-Sharaa has a horrendous background in his affiliation with ISIS but he has claimed that he has shed those clothes (not only literally but in essence) and is determined for Syria to be a country with equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion, politics, race, affiliations. Many of his actions have been the proof of the pudding and much has yet to be seen, but there is a definite opportunity that we have never had before to reshape our relationship with our northern neighbor who has been our determined enemy since our existence. This opportunity needs to be met with diplomacy by diplomats and not by egotistical, self interested petty politicians who do the bidding of their boss. Unfortunately, we don't have any real leaders or any proper diplomatic statespeople who are singularly concerned for the future and welfare of our country and people. If we did, we would have an order from the prime minister to stop making any comments about the new regime, good, bad or otherwise, a total media blackout and only allow statements by certain individuals who would make them in diplomatic fashion while we establish channels of communication and dialogue that hopefully would come out to the public in the not too distant future with promising announcements of new relationships and plans for a better future. Too much to ask of this dysfunctional and failed government and prime minister.
The World Bank estimates Lebanon’s recovery and reconstruction costs will amount to some $11 billion following the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a ceasefire last November.
“Reconstruction and recovery needs following the conflict that affected Lebanon are estimated at $11 billion,” the World Bank says in a report assessing damage and losses from October 8, 2023 — when Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel unprovoked — to December 20, 2024.
War monitor: Syrian security forces executed 69 Alawite men
A Syria war monitor says Friday that security forces “executed” 69 members of the Alawite minority, which toppled president Bashar al-Assad belongs to, a day after deadly clashes with gunmen loyal to him.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that security forces “executed 69 Alawite men in the towns of Al-Shir and Al-Mukhtariya in the Latakia countryside,” citing verified videos and testimonies from relatives of the dead.
The Observatory and activists release footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled in the yard of a house, with blood stains nearby and women wailing.
In another clip, men in military garb appear to order three people to crawl on the ground behind each other before opening fire on them at close range.
A third video shared by the Observatory shows a fighter in military garb shooting a man at close range at the entrance of a building, killing him.
AFP cannot independently verify the images.
Over 300 Alawite civilians killed by Syria security forces, allies since Thursday, monitor says
This handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows members of the Syrian security forces entering the western city of Baniyas in Syria's coastal Tartous province to reinforce government troops in clashes with militants loyal to deposed ruler Bashar al-Assad, on March 7, 2025. ( SANA / AFP)
A Syria war monitor reports that more than 300 Alawite civilians have been killed in recent days by the security forces and their allies, as authorities clash with militants loyal to the former government of Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor of unclear funding, reports that “311 Alawite civilians were killed in the coastal region… by security forces and allied groups” since the clashes began on Thursday, bringing the overall death toll to 524 people, including 213 security personnel and militants.
Yesterday, Defense Minister Israel Katz hit out at Syria’s Islamist rulers, calling the country’s new president an al-Qaeda terrorist. His comments came after the reports of the executions.
“[Abu Mohammed] al-Julani switched his robe for a suit and presented a moderate face,” Katz said in a statement, using the nom de guerre of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. “Now he’s taken off the mask and exposed his true face: A jihadist terrorist of the al-Qaeda school who is committing horrifying acts against a civilian population.”
“Israel will defend itself against any threat from Syria,” Katz added, while vowing the military would continue to occupy a buffer zone along the border and keep working to keep southern Syria demilitarized. link Another unnecessary inflammatory statement by another one of our idiot politicians who can't see further than his own nose. The new Syrian government forces are still battling remaining forces of the previous Assad regime which was barbaric to its own people. I am not excusing any executions and war crimes committed by them against the Alawite civilians and those should be spoken against and prosecuted as war crimes. But the statements by our defense minister and foreign minister are just plain stupid. Yes, Ahmed al-Sharaa has a horrendous background in his affiliation with ISIS but he has claimed that he has shed those clothes (not only literally but in essence) and is determined for Syria to be a country with equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion, politics, race, affiliations. Many of his actions have been the proof of the pudding and much has yet to be seen, but there is a definite opportunity that we have never had before to reshape our relationship with our northern neighbor who has been our determined enemy since our existence. This opportunity needs to be met with diplomacy by diplomats and not by egotistical, self interested petty politicians who do the bidding of their boss. Unfortunately, we don't have any real leaders or any proper diplomatic statespeople who are singularly concerned for the future and welfare of our country and people. If we did, we would have an order from the prime minister to stop making any comments about the new regime, good, bad or otherwise, a total media blackout and only allow statements by certain individuals who would make them in diplomatic fashion while we establish channels of communication and dialogue that hopefully would come out to the public in the not too distant future with promising announcements of new relationships and plans for a better future. Too much to ask of this dysfunctional and failed government and prime minister.
- IDF targeted Hezbollah arms caches and rocket launchers in Lebanon strikes overnight
The IDF said Friday night it carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon, saying it targeted Hezbollah military sites.
The sites had been used to store weapons and rocket launchers, the military said, adding that the strikes were carried out due to the sites posing a threat to Israel.
“The weapons and the rocket launchers in the military sites posed a threat to the State of Israel and constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF said.
The IDF said Friday night it carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon, saying it targeted Hezbollah military sites.
The sites had been used to store weapons and rocket launchers, the military said, adding that the strikes were carried out due to the sites posing a threat to Israel.
“The weapons and the rocket launchers in the military sites posed a threat to the State of Israel and constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF said.
IDF confirms Lebanon drone strike, says Hezbollah operative targeted
The IDF confirms carrying out a drone strike in southern Lebanon a short while ago, targeting a Hezbollah operative.
The operative was “involved in the rehabilitation of terror infrastructure and directing Hezbollah terror operations in southern Lebanon,” the military says.
IDF confirms Lebanon drone strike, says Hezbollah operative targeted
The IDF confirms carrying out a drone strike in southern Lebanon a short while ago, targeting a Hezbollah operative.
The operative was “involved in the rehabilitation of terror infrastructure and directing Hezbollah terror operations in southern Lebanon,” the military says.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
- 37 armed Israelis failed to stop 3 terrorists from murdering 17 in Netiv Ha’asara
Most of the 25-strong local security team remained in their homes; soldiers, who quickly reached the moshav, did not follow IDF’s combat protocols
An Israeli soldier walks pas charred cars in Moshav Netiv HaAsara in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on November 17, 2023, in the aftermath of Hamas's October 7 terror onslaught (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)On the morning of October 7, 2023, three Hamas terrorists on paragliders invaded the unsuspecting Gaza border community of Moshav Netiv Ha’asara.
Despite the Israel Defense Forces being in complete disarray by the shock attack on dozens of towns and military posts, in this case troops reached the moshav relatively quickly.
However, the soldiers and commanders were unable to stop the terrorists from murdering 17 residents, including three members of the local security team.
On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces presented its probe into the massacre and battle at the moshav — as part of its detailed investigations of some 40 battles that took place amid Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, during which some 5,600 terrorists stormed across the border, massacred some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza.
The probe into what happened at Netiv Ha’asara, carried out by Col. Ivry Elbaz, the commander of the Negev Brigade, covers all aspects of the fighting in the moshav that day.
Elbaz and his team spent hundreds of hours investigating the onslaught and battle at Netiv Ha’asara. The IDF said they reviewed every possible source of information — residents’ WhatsApp messages, surveillance videos and interviews with survivors and those who fought to defend the kibbutz, and made visits to the scene.
Israeli soldiers patrol in Moshav Netiv HaAsara in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on November 17, 2023, in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)The Netiv Ha’asara probe was aimed at drawing specific operational conclusions for the military. It did not examine the wider picture of the military’s perception of Gaza and Hamas in recent years, which was covered in separate, larger investigations into the IDF’s intelligence and defenses.
The army is also not looking at policies set by the political leadership. That way, it avoids conflict with government leaders who have insisted such investigations must wait until after the war against Hamas ends.
The investigation team stated that “despite the presence of a large local security team and the rapid arrival of commanders to the moshav, the forces were unable to stop the murder spree. Few forces operated against the terrorists, despite there being many forces in the moshav.”
The investigation found that all of the troops who reached Netiv Ha’asara that morning did not operate according to the IDF’s combat techniques. This included failing to secure the area, which later allowed more Palestinians to infiltrate the community; and slow scans of the moshav, while the terrorists were murdering civilians.
Additionally, most of the members of the 25-strong local security team, who were trained and armed, remained in their homes amid the onslaught due to an order sent by the Netiv Ha’asara’s security coordinator. Despite the order, some members left their homes and fought the terrorists.
Of the three Hamas terrorists who invaded the community, only one was killed during the attack. The other two were killed in the Gaza Strip later in the war.
Later on October 7, seven more Palestinians infiltrated from Gaza and entered Netiv Ha’asara. Four were captured and the other three fled.
The timeline of the attack
At 5:30 a.m. on October 7, Israeli troops stationed in the area near Netiv Ha’asara took their stations along the Gaza border in a shift change. The Hamas onslaught began an hour later.
Most of the 25-strong local security team remained in their homes; soldiers, who quickly reached the moshav, did not follow IDF’s combat protocols
An Israeli soldier walks pas charred cars in Moshav Netiv HaAsara in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on November 17, 2023, in the aftermath of Hamas's October 7 terror onslaught (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)
On the morning of October 7, 2023, three Hamas terrorists on paragliders invaded the unsuspecting Gaza border community of Moshav Netiv Ha’asara.
Despite the Israel Defense Forces being in complete disarray by the shock attack on dozens of towns and military posts, in this case troops reached the moshav relatively quickly.
However, the soldiers and commanders were unable to stop the terrorists from murdering 17 residents, including three members of the local security team.
On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces presented its probe into the massacre and battle at the moshav — as part of its detailed investigations of some 40 battles that took place amid Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, during which some 5,600 terrorists stormed across the border, massacred some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza.
The probe into what happened at Netiv Ha’asara, carried out by Col. Ivry Elbaz, the commander of the Negev Brigade, covers all aspects of the fighting in the moshav that day.
Elbaz and his team spent hundreds of hours investigating the onslaught and battle at Netiv Ha’asara. The IDF said they reviewed every possible source of information — residents’ WhatsApp messages, surveillance videos and interviews with survivors and those who fought to defend the kibbutz, and made visits to the scene.
The Netiv Ha’asara probe was aimed at drawing specific operational conclusions for the military. It did not examine the wider picture of the military’s perception of Gaza and Hamas in recent years, which was covered in separate, larger investigations into the IDF’s intelligence and defenses.
The army is also not looking at policies set by the political leadership. That way, it avoids conflict with government leaders who have insisted such investigations must wait until after the war against Hamas ends.
The investigation team stated that “despite the presence of a large local security team and the rapid arrival of commanders to the moshav, the forces were unable to stop the murder spree. Few forces operated against the terrorists, despite there being many forces in the moshav.”
The investigation found that all of the troops who reached Netiv Ha’asara that morning did not operate according to the IDF’s combat techniques. This included failing to secure the area, which later allowed more Palestinians to infiltrate the community; and slow scans of the moshav, while the terrorists were murdering civilians.
Additionally, most of the members of the 25-strong local security team, who were trained and armed, remained in their homes amid the onslaught due to an order sent by the Netiv Ha’asara’s security coordinator. Despite the order, some members left their homes and fought the terrorists.
Of the three Hamas terrorists who invaded the community, only one was killed during the attack. The other two were killed in the Gaza Strip later in the war.
Later on October 7, seven more Palestinians infiltrated from Gaza and entered Netiv Ha’asara. Four were captured and the other three fled.
The timeline of the attack
At 5:30 a.m. on October 7, Israeli troops stationed in the area near Netiv Ha’asara took their stations along the Gaza border in a shift change. The Hamas onslaught began an hour later.
Amid an initial barrage of around 1,000 rockets — which began at 6:29 a.m. — largely aimed at Israeli military posts, three Hamas terrorists on three paragliders flew over the border fence and headed for Netiv Ha’asara.
At 6:34 a.m., four IDF troops stationed in the area began to move toward the community’s southern greenhouses. Meanwhile, at 6:37 a.m., a member of Netiv Ha’asara’s local security team spotted from his home two of the paragliders and opened fire on them, before notifying the rest of the team of what he saw.
Between 6:39 and 6:42 a.m., the three terrorists on paragliders landed in three different areas of the community and independently began to massacre civilians.
At 6:53 a.m., the moshav’s security coordinator sent a message on the team’s WhatsApp group calling on them to stick their guns out of their windows and defend their homes and their neighbors. The coordinator feared that if the local security officers would leave their homes, they could end up in incidents of “friendly fire” with IDF troops.
The investigation found that this message caused most of the local security officers to remain in their homes and not engage in the fighting.
At the same time, eight troops of the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion arrived at the moshav. In all, there were now 37 armed personnel in Netiv Ha’asara, including the 25 local security team members.
At 7:07 a.m., one member of the local security team encountered one of the three terrorists and eliminated him.
The other two terrorists were continuing their murder spree, which would end by 8:10am.
Between 8:12 and 8:15 a.m., some members of the local security team, joined by the IDF troops, encountered the other two terrorists and exchanged fire with them. During the shootout, one of the security officers was killed.
Following the exchange of fire, the two terrorists managed to flee toward Gaza, first hiding out in a grove near the moshav, before at 8:34 a.m. withdrawing to the Strip.
Charred objects are scattered on the ground, in Moshav Netiv HaAsara in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on November 17, 2023, in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)At 9:20 a.m., the security officers and IDF troops carried out scans in the community, searching for possible additional terrorists, while evacuating wounded civilians.
At 11:30 a.m., another group of soldiers reached the community and joined the other forces carrying out scans.
Between 12:14 and 12:47 p.m., seven Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, who were not affiliated with any terror group, infiltrated into Netiv Ha’asara.
Some of the seven broke into the home of a resident, who in response opened fire and wounded one.
Four were captured by troops and the other three managed to flee back to Gaza.
Between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., troops continued to scan the community, and by 5:15 p.m., the IDF began to evacuate civilians. Many of the civilians later evacuated independently after the IDF established full control over the area.
By 10:30 p.m., all civilians had evacuated, and the bodies of the murdered were removed. link
Amid an initial barrage of around 1,000 rockets — which began at 6:29 a.m. — largely aimed at Israeli military posts, three Hamas terrorists on three paragliders flew over the border fence and headed for Netiv Ha’asara.
At 6:34 a.m., four IDF troops stationed in the area began to move toward the community’s southern greenhouses. Meanwhile, at 6:37 a.m., a member of Netiv Ha’asara’s local security team spotted from his home two of the paragliders and opened fire on them, before notifying the rest of the team of what he saw.
Between 6:39 and 6:42 a.m., the three terrorists on paragliders landed in three different areas of the community and independently began to massacre civilians.
At 6:53 a.m., the moshav’s security coordinator sent a message on the team’s WhatsApp group calling on them to stick their guns out of their windows and defend their homes and their neighbors. The coordinator feared that if the local security officers would leave their homes, they could end up in incidents of “friendly fire” with IDF troops.
The investigation found that this message caused most of the local security officers to remain in their homes and not engage in the fighting.
At the same time, eight troops of the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion arrived at the moshav. In all, there were now 37 armed personnel in Netiv Ha’asara, including the 25 local security team members.
At 7:07 a.m., one member of the local security team encountered one of the three terrorists and eliminated him.
The other two terrorists were continuing their murder spree, which would end by 8:10am.
Between 8:12 and 8:15 a.m., some members of the local security team, joined by the IDF troops, encountered the other two terrorists and exchanged fire with them. During the shootout, one of the security officers was killed.
Following the exchange of fire, the two terrorists managed to flee toward Gaza, first hiding out in a grove near the moshav, before at 8:34 a.m. withdrawing to the Strip.
At 9:20 a.m., the security officers and IDF troops carried out scans in the community, searching for possible additional terrorists, while evacuating wounded civilians.
At 11:30 a.m., another group of soldiers reached the community and joined the other forces carrying out scans.
Between 12:14 and 12:47 p.m., seven Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, who were not affiliated with any terror group, infiltrated into Netiv Ha’asara.
Some of the seven broke into the home of a resident, who in response opened fire and wounded one.
Four were captured by troops and the other three managed to flee back to Gaza.
Between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., troops continued to scan the community, and by 5:15 p.m., the IDF began to evacuate civilians. Many of the civilians later evacuated independently after the IDF established full control over the area.
By 10:30 p.m., all civilians had evacuated, and the bodies of the murdered were removed. link
The Region and the World- Houthis threaten to resume naval attacks if Israel doesn’t end Gaza aid freeze in 4 days
Yemeni university students hold up a portrait of the leader of the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, during a protest in Sanaa to denounce strikes on Yemen and Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, on January 15, 2025. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)The leader of Yemen’s Houthis, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, says the Iran-backed rebel group will resume its naval operations against Israel if Israel does lift its blockage of aid into Gaza within four days.
Personal Stories Oct. 7 bereaved father draws his hope, sadness and criticism in daily caricaturesMoshe Shapiro, father of hero Aner Shapiro who died protecting Nova partygoers in roadside shelter, seeks his own rehabilitation through a familiar hobby
Shira and Moshe Shapiro, bereaved parents of Aner Shapiro, who was killed during his heroic actions on October 7, 2023, in Beziers, France in May 2024 during a dedication of a bust in Aner's image (Courtesy)
A caricature by bereaved father Moshe Shapiro, part of his rehabilitation after his son, Aner Shapiro, was killed on October 7, 2023, which reads 'The voice of your brother's blood cries out to you from the ground,' about the remaining hostages in February 2025 (Courtesy)
A caricature by bereaved father Moshe Shapiro, part of his rehabilitation after his son, Aner Shapiro, was killed on October 7, 2023, from February 2025 (Courtesy)
Staff Sgt. Aner Elyakim Shapira (IDF)
Moshe Shapiro, father of Aner Shapiro, the heroic, unarmed, off-duty soldier who was killed protecting a crowded roadside shelter during the Hamas onslaught on October 7, 2023, draws caricatures as part of his ongoing rehabilitation.
Every day, he sits down for about half an hour and draws whatever comes to mind, usually inspired by the latest headlines in the news.
A sketch could be of freed hostage Emily Damari’s hand, missing two fingers and raised in victory, yellow hostage ribbons streaming from US President Donald Trump’s hair or an orange star to depict the Bibas family, killed in Hamas captivity.
When Aner, Shapiro’s eldest, was killed on October 7, his death wasn’t confirmed until several days later. The terrible loss was combined with the discovery that Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Aner’s best friend, had been taken hostage, after having the lower part of his left arm blown off during the Hamas terrorist attack.
The two friends had gone to the Nova desert rave with a group of others, running to hide in the field shelter early in the morning of October 7 when rockets began streaking across the sky.
With some 29 people crammed into the shelter — now known as the ‘migunit [field shelter] of death’ — the Hamas terrorists began tossing grenades inside and Aner, off-duty from the army, stationed himself at the opening, tossing back seven grenades before being killed by the eighth.
A screenshot of Hersh Goldberg-Polin (left) and his friend, Aner Shapira, in a field shelter early Saturday morning, October 7, 2023. Shapira was later declared dead, Goldberg-Polin was killed in captivity several months later (Courtesy)He was killed, along with others in the shelter. At least ten people survived because of Aner’s actions.
One of those who was taken captive was Or Levy, who was released recently. Levy’s wife Einav was killed.
He hasn’t yet drawn Levy, although Shapiro and his wife, Shira, met Levy two days after he was released home a few weeks ago.
“It was so emotional, one of the most emotional moments of my life,” said Shapiro. “He’s just bones, but with a strong spirit.”
Hamas gunmen flank Or Levy on a stage before handing him over to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on February 8, 2025 (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)Levy was taken hostage in the same pickup truck as Goldberg-Polin along with Eliya Cohen and Alon Ohel.
Goldberg-Polin was killed in captivity in late August, and Cohen and Levy were recently released home. Ohel is still held captive.
Levy wanted to tell the Shapiros about meeting Goldberg-Polin in the tunnels under Gaza, during the earlier part of their captivity, when he and Hersh spoke about Aner.
“He didn’t know who Aner was before that moment in the shelter,” said Shapiro. “When Or met Hersh in the tunnels, he asked about the guy who was trying to protect them and Hersh told him about Aner.”
“It’s so hard that his best friend didn’t come back,” added Shapiro. “It just makes me cry again. And thank God the others got out and I’m praying that Alon [Ohel] will come out.”
The details of that day are often replayed for the Shapiros in different interactions, but for now, Moshe Shapiro tries to find other ways of remembering Aner, who had many plans for his life, before it was cut tragically short on October 7.
Shapiro and his son, a burgeoning songwriter, rapper and artist, never drew together, but Shapiro would often send his caricatures to his eldest, asking for his critique.
“We have a similar style,” said Shapiro.
A caricature by bereaved father Moshe Shapiro, part of his rehabilitation after his son, Aner Shapiro, was killed on October 7, 2023. This caricature depicts the injured hand of freed hostage Emily Damari, with the words of the priestly blessing, ‘May god keep you and bless you’ (Courtesy)Shapiro, an architect with his own Jerusalem firm that specializes in preservation, has always drawn caricatures, a hobby that took off during the coronavirus, when the epidemic forced everyone home including Shapiro and his family of nine.
At some point during the pandemic, a relative hosted a local exhibit in her home gallery, featuring some 300 drawings by Shapiro.
His drawings have mostly focused on politics, skewering politicians and poking fun at the latest local brouhaha, with sly puns and turns of phrase.
Aner Shapiro, left, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, best friends who went to the Nova rave on October 7, 2023. Shapiro was killed trying to protect others in a field shelter, Goldberg-Polin was killed in captivity in August 2024 (Courtesy)In the seven months before the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, most of Shapiro’s caricatures focused on the planned judicial overhaul, and the politicians who were determined to carry it out.
In mourning and shock after the death of Aner, Shapiro didn’t draw anything for several weeks.
But then he returned to the hobby, “and it helped,” he said. “I’m like every bereaved parent. You try to create a schedule, but it’s hard. ”
He even had another exhibit in December 2023, thinking the war would be over by then.
Now, 16 months later, Shapiro is still drawing, but while he targets Hamas, Hezbollah, the United Nations, the BBC, CNN and any other relevant institution or terrorist organization, he doesn’t criticize the Israeli government in his caricatures.
“I don’t think it’s the right time during a war,” said Shapiro. “But the hostages are a very painful subject for me.”
A caricature by bereaved father Moshe Shapiro, part of his rehabilitation after his son, Aner Shapiro, was killed on October 7, 2023. This caricature depicts an orange star symbolizing the Bibas family, with yellow stars depicting families killed on October 7, in past terrorist attacks, and at other times in history (Courtesy)If he is skewering an international organization, Shapiro writes the caption in English, to make sure that anyone can understand what he’s saying.
The caricatures are a small part of what Shapiro and his wife, Shira, have been working on in the 16 months since Aner was killed. They are also producing an album of Aner’s music, a posthumous work of the songs that he had composed and produced before he was killed.
Shapiro’s dream was to publish his music and share his viewpoints with society through his songs — and to help change the world around him.
There’s an endless stream of projects and events dedicated and named in Aner’s memory, from seminaries to youth groups and programs named for him, as well as works of art, including a sculpture of Aner’s face, dedicated in Beziers, France.
A caricature by bereaved father Moshe Shapiro, part of his rehabilitation after his son, Aner Shapiro, was killed on October 7, 2023. This caricature depicts the field shelter where Aner was killed and a record, for the songs Aner wrote and which the family is producing as a posthumous album (Courtesy)“We aren’t involved with everything, but we’re very involved with the album,” said Shapiro.
The family is hosting a launch for the album in Jerusalem at the end of March, holding it in the garage of a local Subaru dealership because “you need something a little rough for rap,” he said.
The cover of a posthumous album of songs by Aner Shapira, killed on October 7, 2023, as he battled Hamas terrorists from a roadside shelter. The album launch on March 27, 2025 includes musicians Berry Sakharov and Shaanan Streett (Courtesy)He may put out another book of his drawings, following one of his daughters who put together a private book for family and friends of songs she wrote after October 7.
Shapiro already has one book published, of his architectural etchings. But if he decides to compile another one, it will only be when the war is over.
“I hope the end will be better than what we have now,” he said. “If not a happy ending, then at least something more positive.” link
A caricature by bereaved father Moshe Shapiro, part of his rehabilitation after his son, Aner Shapiro, was killed on October 7, 2023, which reads 'The voice of your brother's blood cries out to you from the ground,' about the remaining hostages in February 2025 (Courtesy)
Staff Sgt. Aner Elyakim Shapira (IDF)
Moshe Shapiro, father of Aner Shapiro, the heroic, unarmed, off-duty soldier who was killed protecting a crowded roadside shelter during the Hamas onslaught on October 7, 2023, draws caricatures as part of his ongoing rehabilitation.
Every day, he sits down for about half an hour and draws whatever comes to mind, usually inspired by the latest headlines in the news.
A sketch could be of freed hostage Emily Damari’s hand, missing two fingers and raised in victory, yellow hostage ribbons streaming from US President Donald Trump’s hair or an orange star to depict the Bibas family, killed in Hamas captivity.
When Aner, Shapiro’s eldest, was killed on October 7, his death wasn’t confirmed until several days later. The terrible loss was combined with the discovery that Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Aner’s best friend, had been taken hostage, after having the lower part of his left arm blown off during the Hamas terrorist attack.
The two friends had gone to the Nova desert rave with a group of others, running to hide in the field shelter early in the morning of October 7 when rockets began streaking across the sky.
With some 29 people crammed into the shelter — now known as the ‘migunit [field shelter] of death’ — the Hamas terrorists began tossing grenades inside and Aner, off-duty from the army, stationed himself at the opening, tossing back seven grenades before being killed by the eighth.
He was killed, along with others in the shelter. At least ten people survived because of Aner’s actions.
One of those who was taken captive was Or Levy, who was released recently. Levy’s wife Einav was killed.
He hasn’t yet drawn Levy, although Shapiro and his wife, Shira, met Levy two days after he was released home a few weeks ago.
“It was so emotional, one of the most emotional moments of my life,” said Shapiro. “He’s just bones, but with a strong spirit.”
Levy was taken hostage in the same pickup truck as Goldberg-Polin along with Eliya Cohen and Alon Ohel.
Goldberg-Polin was killed in captivity in late August, and Cohen and Levy were recently released home. Ohel is still held captive.
Levy wanted to tell the Shapiros about meeting Goldberg-Polin in the tunnels under Gaza, during the earlier part of their captivity, when he and Hersh spoke about Aner.
“He didn’t know who Aner was before that moment in the shelter,” said Shapiro. “When Or met Hersh in the tunnels, he asked about the guy who was trying to protect them and Hersh told him about Aner.”
“It’s so hard that his best friend didn’t come back,” added Shapiro. “It just makes me cry again. And thank God the others got out and I’m praying that Alon [Ohel] will come out.”
The details of that day are often replayed for the Shapiros in different interactions, but for now, Moshe Shapiro tries to find other ways of remembering Aner, who had many plans for his life, before it was cut tragically short on October 7.
Shapiro and his son, a burgeoning songwriter, rapper and artist, never drew together, but Shapiro would often send his caricatures to his eldest, asking for his critique.
“We have a similar style,” said Shapiro.
Shapiro, an architect with his own Jerusalem firm that specializes in preservation, has always drawn caricatures, a hobby that took off during the coronavirus, when the epidemic forced everyone home including Shapiro and his family of nine.
At some point during the pandemic, a relative hosted a local exhibit in her home gallery, featuring some 300 drawings by Shapiro.
His drawings have mostly focused on politics, skewering politicians and poking fun at the latest local brouhaha, with sly puns and turns of phrase.
In the seven months before the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, most of Shapiro’s caricatures focused on the planned judicial overhaul, and the politicians who were determined to carry it out.
In mourning and shock after the death of Aner, Shapiro didn’t draw anything for several weeks.
But then he returned to the hobby, “and it helped,” he said. “I’m like every bereaved parent. You try to create a schedule, but it’s hard. ”
He even had another exhibit in December 2023, thinking the war would be over by then.
Now, 16 months later, Shapiro is still drawing, but while he targets Hamas, Hezbollah, the United Nations, the BBC, CNN and any other relevant institution or terrorist organization, he doesn’t criticize the Israeli government in his caricatures.
“I don’t think it’s the right time during a war,” said Shapiro. “But the hostages are a very painful subject for me.”
If he is skewering an international organization, Shapiro writes the caption in English, to make sure that anyone can understand what he’s saying.
The caricatures are a small part of what Shapiro and his wife, Shira, have been working on in the 16 months since Aner was killed. They are also producing an album of Aner’s music, a posthumous work of the songs that he had composed and produced before he was killed.
Shapiro’s dream was to publish his music and share his viewpoints with society through his songs — and to help change the world around him.
There’s an endless stream of projects and events dedicated and named in Aner’s memory, from seminaries to youth groups and programs named for him, as well as works of art, including a sculpture of Aner’s face, dedicated in Beziers, France.
“We aren’t involved with everything, but we’re very involved with the album,” said Shapiro.
The family is hosting a launch for the album in Jerusalem at the end of March, holding it in the garage of a local Subaru dealership because “you need something a little rough for rap,” he said.
He may put out another book of his drawings, following one of his daughters who put together a private book for family and friends of songs she wrote after October 7.
Shapiro already has one book published, of his architectural etchings. But if he decides to compile another one, it will only be when the war is over.
“I hope the end will be better than what we have now,” he said. “If not a happy ending, then at least something more positive.” link
59 Hostages Remain in Gaza - Their Stories
Captain Daniel Peretz, z"l Age 22, from Yad Binyamin 
Daniel, z"l, served as a tank commander at the Nahal Oz outpost on October 7. He fell in battle, and his body was abducted by Hamas. Daniel was born in South Africa and made aliyah to Israel with his family at the age of 13, just two months after his bar mitzvah. "Making aliyah brought Daniel even closer to his older brother, Yonatan, who is two years his senior, and a special, deep bond formed between them," his family shared. They added, "Daniel was surrounded by friends and loved extreme sports. He enjoyed running and was always in great shape. He was a devoted older brother who loved spending time and laughing with his younger sisters. He was funny, smart, and always there to help anyone in need. He is survived by his parents, Doron and Shelley, his brother, and two sisters." On March 17, 2024, the IDF announced that the Military Rabbinate had confirmed his death after examining all the evidence and based on reliable information.
Meni Godard, z"l Age 73, from Kibbutz Be’eri 
Meni was murdered on October 7, and his body was abducted and is being held by the terrorist organization Hamas. His wife, Ayelet, was also killed in the attack on the kibbutz. Meni and Ayelet are survived by four children: Mor, Gal, Bar, and Goni, and six grandchildren. His children described him as the most devoted and loving father and grandfather, a family man who cared for everyone around him, a man of the sea and love, and a passionate fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv. Meni moved to Be’eri at the age of 13. Throughout his life, he held various roles in the kibbutz, including working at the Be’eri printing house, managing the kibbutz store and pool, serving as the chief economist, and playing and coaching for the local soccer team.
Sergeant Oz Daniel, z"l Age 19, from Kfar Saba 
Sergeant Oz Daniel, z"l, a soldier in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, was killed in battle on October 7, 2023. His body was abducted to Gaza. The tank crew he served on, Tank No. 3, included four members: Tank Commander Captain Omer Neutra from Long Island, Gunner Nimrod Cohen from Rehovot, Driver Shaked Dahan from Afula, and Loader Oz Daniel from Kfar Saba. The crew was stationed near the Gaza border at an outpost called "The White House," located between Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Nirim. Around 6:30 a.m., reports of infiltrations from the border began to arrive. The crew, along with another tank, was alert and ready to move. One tank headed north, while Tank No. 3 headed south. Twenty minutes later, the commander of the northern tank reported that they had been hit. Neutra responded that they were turning around and heading north toward the kibbutzim, but suddenly their tank began to slow down. "They were near the fence, so they likely also took an RPG hit that severely damaged the tank, and two explosives were attached to it, one in the front and one in the back," said Amir Daniel, Oz's father. As the crew attempted to assist the other tank, their tank stalled, allowing the terrorists to attach an explosive and disable it. "The tank caught fire, and the extinguishing system likely activated. They had to either open the hatches or suffocate inside," Amir added. "They chose to open the hatches and exit." In late February, it was announced that 19-year-old Oz had been killed in that battle, and his body is being held in Gaza. Captain Omer Neutra was killed on October 7, but his death was only confirmed 14 months later, on December 2, 2024. Driver Shaked Dahan also fell in battle on October 7. Gunner Nimrod Cohen remains abducted in Gaza; his family identified him in one of Hamas' abduction videos. Oz, z"l, was a young man who loved life, always laughing and smiling, a lover of people and a true friend. He was a musician and guitarist who believed in the power of music to change the world. He is survived by his twin sister and parents.
Lior Rodaeif, z"l Age 61, from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak 
Lior, z"l, was the legendary ambulance driver of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. An Argentine at heart, an avid cyclist, and a fan of Shlomo Artzi, he was married to Yaffa for 38 years and was the father of Noam, Nadav, Bar, and Ben, and the grandfather of Tomer, Dagan, and Shay. Two years ago, he suffered a severe heart attack. On the tragic Saturday of October 7, he fought against the terrorists and managed to report over the radio that he had been injured. On May 7, 2024, exactly seven months after the massacre, Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak announced that Lior had been killed in the battles of October 7, and his body was abducted and is being held in Gaza by Hamas.
Captain Omer Neutra, z"lAge 21, from Long Island, New York 
Omer, z"l, an Israeli-American who made aliyah to serve in the IDF, was a tank commander in the 77th Battalion. He was abducted to Gaza on October 7 alongside his crewmates while fighting near Nir Oz. On December 2, 2024, the IDF spokesperson announced that Omer had been killed in battle on the morning of the massacre. For nearly 14 months, the IDF could not confirm his fate, only stating that he had been abducted. After examining all the evidence and based on reliable information, the Military Rabbinate confirmed his death. His body remains in Hamas captivity. The crew of Tank No. 3, which he commanded, included four members: Tank Commander Omer Neutra from Long Island, Gunner Nimrod Cohen from Rehovot, Loader Oz Daniel from Kfar Saba, and Driver Shaked Dahan from Afula. The crew was stationed near the Gaza border at an outpost called "The White House," located between Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Nirim. Around 6:30 a.m., reports of infiltrations from the border began to arrive. The crew, along with another tank, was alert and ready to move. One tank headed north, while Tank No. 3 headed south. Twenty minutes later, the commander of the northern tank reported that they had been hit. Neutra responded that they were turning around and heading north toward the kibbutzim, but suddenly their tank began to slow down. "They were near the fence, so they likely also took an RPG hit that severely damaged the tank, and two explosives were attached to it, one in the front and one in the back," said Amir Daniel, Oz's father. As the crew attempted to assist the other tank, their tank stalled, allowing the terrorists to attach an explosive and disable it. "The tank caught fire, and the extinguishing system likely activated. They had to either open the hatches or suffocate inside," Amir added. "They chose to open the hatches and exit." Sergeant Shaked Dahan, age 19, was killed on October 7. In late February, it was announced that 19-year-old Oz Daniel had also been killed in the same battle, and his body is being held in Gaza. Gunner Nimrod Cohen remains abducted in Gaza; his family identified him in one of Hamas' abduction videos.
Uriel Baruch, z"l Age 35, from Jerusalem 
Uriel, z"l, was abducted from the party at Re’im. He was at the party with a friend, whose wife spoke to her husband at 6:30 a.m. The friend said they were on their way out, and she heard him say, "Uriel, drive, drive, they're shooting at us." This was the last contact with him. Uriel's friend was found shot near the car in the Mefalsim area. Uriel was seen in a Hamas video lying on the ground with his face to the side and a hood covering his head. Later, other videos from the scene showed the car with bodies, but Uriel was not there, and there was no blood where he had been lying. After three weeks, the family received confirmation that he had been abducted. On March 26, 2024, his family received the news that he had been murdered, and his body is being held captive by Hamas. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, two children, his parents Naomi and Amir, and three siblings. Uriel's family shared, "Uriel was a joyful and beloved person, loved by everyone who knew him. We will remember his smile and his love for people."
Master Sergeant Muhammad al-Atrash, of blessed memory Age 39, from Sawa 
Muhammad, of blessed memory, was a father to 13 children and served as a tracker in the Northern Brigade of the Gaza Division. At the beginning of December, his family was informed that he had been abducted in the Gaza Strip. On June 24, 2024, the IDF notified his family that he had fallen in battle on October 7 and that his body had been taken to Gaza.
**Dror Or, of blessed memoryAge 48, from Kibbutz Be'eri 
Dror, of blessed memory, was abducted from his home in Be'eri along with his children, Alma and Noam, and his nephew Liam. His wife, Yonat, of blessed memory, a well-known furniture designer, was murdered. Their eldest son, Yahli, who was not at home, survived. Dror, a chef specializing in dairy cuisine, worked at the Be'eri dairy producing boutique cheeses. Noam and Alma were released from captivity during the second phase of the hostage deal on November 25, 2023. Liam was released on November 29, 2023. On May 2, 2024, Kibbutz Be'eri announced that Dror had been murdered on October 7 and that his body was being held by Hamas.
**Yonatan Samrano, of blessed memoryAge 21, from Tel Aviv 
Yonatan Mordechai Samrano, of blessed memory, was abducted from the party at Re'im. He was traveling in a car with two friends, Binyamin Biton and Maor Gratiani, who were both murdered. The last location of his phone was on Saturday morning at Kibbutz Be'eri, where he was likely seeking shelter. According to his parents' assessment, at some point he was also seen with Matan Lior, the sound technician for the Block band in recent years, who was also murdered. On December 4, 2023, his family received the devastating news that he had been murdered. His body is being held in Gaza by Hamas.
Police Commander Ran Gvilli, of blessed memory Age 24, from Meitar 
Police Commander Ran Gvilli, of blessed memory, was a fighter in the Southern District's YASAM (special forces) unit of the police. He was abducted after being killed in battle at Kibbutz Alumim. On the morning of the attack, he was waiting for surgery at a hospital but left to help when he heard what was happening. At 10:50 AM, he contacted his friends on WhatsApp and reported that he had been shot twice in the leg, after which all traces of him disappeared. On January 31, 2024, it was announced that Ran, of blessed memory, had fallen in battle on October 7 and was classified as a fallen soldier whose body was abducted to the Gaza Strip. The police eulogized him, saying, "He fought bravely and with great determination on the front lines against the enemy."
**Joshua Loitu Mollel, of blessed memory Age 21, from Tanzania 
Joshua, of blessed memory, was an agriculture student from Tanzania. He worked at the dairy farm in Nahal Oz and was abducted from there. On December 13, 2023, his father received the news that his son had been murdered and that his body was being held captive by Hamas. According to the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, Joshua had arrived in Israel from Tanzania just two weeks before the surprise attack.
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
Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0
Twitter - @LonnyB58 Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.social
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Comments
Post a Comment