There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!
אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
I am traveling over the next few days, so today's update is coming early and the updates of the next few days may be late.
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*8:40pm yesterday - terror attack in Ariel Industrial Zone in the West Bank. Shooting attack.
The IDF has launched a manhunt after an Israeli civilian was shot and moderately wounded near the West Bank settlement of Ariel.
According to a military source, it is unclear where exactly the shooting took place. The victim reached Ariel’s industrial park after coming under fire, where he met up with security forces and medics.
Troops are blocking roads and using aerial surveillance amid the searches for the assailant, the source says.
Hostage Updates
**First Sign of Life Received from Abductee Avinatan Or**
The first sign of life from hostage Avinatan Or has been received, as revealed tonight (Wednesday) on the *Main Edition*. The sign of life came from interviews with returned hostages who were held in central camps. They reported that both they and Avinatan were held in harsh conditions, without food and with very little water. Or, aged 30, was abducted from the Nova party in Re'im, along with his partner Noa Argamani, who was later released in a military operation from the central camps.
After hearing IDF troops above their tunnel, Hamas captors drew guns on hostage
Israeli civilian hostage Omer Shem Tov, center, wearing an approximation of an IDF uniform, is flanked by armed Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in a propaganda ceremony in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The mother of freed Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov reveals that while he was held captive in a Gaza tunnel, Hamas terrorists heard IDF soldiers above and threatened to kill him if the troops approached.
Omer “heard the tanks above and the voices of the soldiers. The captors had their weapons drawn on him and told him, ‘If the IDF arrives, we’ll shoot you in the head,'” Omer’s mother, Shelly Shem Tov, tells the Kan public broadcaster.
In those moments, Shelly says, Omer told himself, “I have no control over anything — I can only pray.”
Shelly describes the daily conditions Omer faced, saying he was kept in “a confined space with four guards. It was even harder when the army was in the area, everything was tense.”
Omer was included in the final group of captives released in the first stage of the hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which ended on March 1. Shelly has said that he was kept for 450 days alone in a tunnel.
Shelly also comments on Omer’s recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, saying that “Omer got the impression that the president was genuinely committed…and intended to bring everyone back. That was meaningful for him. He was disappointed that it took so long to bring him home.”
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are currently holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. This includes the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.
‘Trump, help us bring daddy home from Gaza’ — hostage Omri Miran’s daughters
Hostage Omri Miran's children record a message to US President Donald Trump on March 10, 2025. (Screen capture/X)
The wife of hostage Omri Miran has uploaded a video of her two young daughters asking US President Donald Trump to bring their father home.
“Trump, help us bring daddy from Gaza,” one of them says in Hebrew.
“Thank you,” she adds in English.
The two of them hug and kiss photos of their father.
PM huddles with security chiefs amid hostage talks in Doha
With a hostage negotiating team in Doha, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls his top political partners and security chiefs together for a situational assessment.
According to office of one of the principals, Netanyahu is joined by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, Mossad Director David Barnea, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
Bar’s presence is sure to raise eyebrows, as Netanyahu has been trying to push him out, and the two reportedly had a tense meeting last week in which the prime minister tried to convince him to step down.
IDF knows that hostages at risk in event of new, harsher Gaza invasion - analysis
There is a debate about whether military force saved or led Hamas to kill more hostages from after November 2023 until the January 19 ceasefire and hostage deal.
IDF sources have quietly told The Jerusalem Post what Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich said out loud earlier this week, though much of the rest of the government has not admitted the point: that a return to war in Gaza, especially the expected more aggressive return, could and likely will endanger the remaining 59 hostages.
There is no question that military force helped bring back around 80 Israeli hostages from Hamas in November 2023.
There is a debate about whether military force saved or led Hamas to kill more hostages from after that point and after summer 2024 until the January 19 ceasefire and hostage deal.
On the one hand, eight hostages were physically rescued in four heroic operations, and another 25 were returned alive during the hostage deal, and some dozens of bodies were returned in a mix of operations and during the hostage deal.
On the other hand, since November 2023, there have been at least three incidents where multiple hostages were killed mistakenly by the IDF or by Hamas in response to awareness that the IDF was close by and might rescue the hostages, and estimates are there were many more.
The IDF has said clearly throughout the war that it will not attack a spot where it knows for sure a hostage is being held, and sources indicate that there is no change in policy on that, even for future operations.
A problem will be that the new Gaza invasion plans discussed by media commentators include a rapid conquest of all parts of Gaza as opposed to a gradual staged invasion as in late 2023- mid-2024.
This will inevitably make it much more difficult for the IDF to track where the hostages are and where Hamas is moving them in real-time as over two million Palestinians may start moving around at the same time.
Of course, the IDF will still do everything it can to avoid hitting the hostages, but in a faster operation with so many Palestinians moving at the same time, it will be comparatively far harder to do so.
This means that the decision to return to war in Gaza and more aggressively will expose what has been a growing recognition that additional military force against Hamas is less about rescuing hostages and more about trying to finish Hamas off in Gaza to end the future threat they pose.
According to Smotrich, the calculation here is that more Israeli lives will be saved from Hamas in the future compared to the remaining 22-24 still living hostages whose lives may be lost.
IDF sources would also agree to the implication that taking risks with the hostages lives at this point, when Hamas is holding “only” 22-24 living hostages, may be more digestible than on January 19 when it was holding around 50 living hostages - let alone than in November 2023 when it was holding 250 hostages, and the picture of how many were alive was far more unclear.
The truth is that this calculation – more military force to eliminate Hamas’s military power even with the potential to endanger some of the hostages – was a calculation that the IDF and the government were making for much of the war.
Did military force save the hostages?
Sometimes, military force probably saved hostages, and sometimes, it probably endangered them.
The factors which are different now which are allowing Smotrich and some IDF sources to acknowledge this calculation more clearly are the fact that “only” 10% of the original 250 hostages are currently left alive in Gaza and that there have been extensive efforts to try to get Hamas to agree to immunity in exchange for expulsion which seem to have reached a dead end.
In other words, there could still be some deals between Israel and Hamas to return some hostages, but if the government decides that it cannot allow Hamas to remain in Gaza as a military force, even if Hamas gives up formal political control, at some point, there will be an invasion.
In turn, at some point, the remaining live hostages will face increased danger from the renewed invasion.
Even if the government is still maintaining that a renewed invasion and saving the hostages are entirely consistent goals, an increasing number of voices are admitting the contradiction. link. This analysis is missing a lot of information. 35 hostages have been killed in captivity, some of them (numbers unknown and will probably never be known definitively) were killed by our aerial bombing. The IDF has stated that they didn't bomb and attack areas that they believed had hostages. The problem with this statement is that we were seriously lacking this information throughout the war. We must remember that one of the rescue operations was a mistake. The soldiers entered a tunnel and were suprised by a hostage who they almost killed mistaking him for a terrorist. We have lots of testimonies by returned hostages that the buildings they were kept in were bombed and others right next to them. They continue telling that they had to escape multiple times during the bombings and were almost killed many times. The statement "There is no question that military force helped bring back around 80 Israeli hostages from Hamas in November 2023." is a false statement and there is little to no proof of this 'no question' statement. As a matter of fact, Hamas never had any intention of taking so many hostages and so many civilians of all ages. They were unprepared for it and actually wanted to get rid of most of them as soon as possible but, of course for a high price. The military pressure had nothing to do with this hostage deal. At that time, Hamas still had all of their top leaders alive and fully functioning, even some that we thought we had killed in previous years. While it is true that they were surprised by the amount of aerial bombings, they still felt strong and secure and that they had the capabilities to cause Israel great damage. Now to Smotrich's statements. Yes, the security forces heads and the cabinet are very aware that going back to fighting will likely endanger all of the living hostages still in captivity. If we restart aerial bombings, we may end up killing our hostages. No matter what we will do, we know from all the returning hostages that they terrorists guarding the hostages become much more aggressive and crueler when the fighting restarts and when negotiations breakdown. This means that the torture they are already experiencing will get worse and there is a chance that the terrorists will kill them. We also know that the terrorists have orders to execute the hostages if they hear, see or think that the IDF is approaching. The hostages areas are almost definitely booby trapped to explode if the IDF approaches and they are all shackled and have no way to protect themselves in any situation. Going back to fighting could very well be a death sentence to the remaining living hostages. Smotrich's other statements are not worthy of response.
Israeli hostage negotiating team to remain in Doha as talks continue
Israel’s hostage negotiating team will remain in Doha tonight, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
There was a possibility that they would return this evening.
Citing a Palestinian source, the Kan public broadcaster reports that the US is pushing a 60-day ceasefire in return for the release of 10 hostages.
If that does not work, the US could work to free only the US hostages. One — Edan Alexander — is alive, and another four have been killed.
An Israeli official pushes back on the reports on the US ceasefire proposal, saying that the negotiating team “has not received at all any proposal for the return of 10 hostages in exchange for 60 days of ceasefire.” linkAs I have said many times, anonymous Israeli officials means that it's coming from Netanyahu and its veracity should be suspect and assumed to be lies. In this case, I am absolutely certain that it is a lie as Steve Witkoff himself has addressed the issue of 10 hostages over a 60 day period. For Netanyahu, the fact that Witkoff is directing the negotiations gives him an out on every level. He can claim to his extremist coalition partners that the Americans are pushing the deal and that it doesn't call for the end of the war and to the hostage families, he can also claim that the Americans are driving the negotiations and that this is the best they could get. Both of these are total lies. The only reason that Witkoff is going for this horrible deal is because a real deal calling for the release of all the hostages means ending the war and he doesn't have the bandwidth currently to force Netanyahu's hand. He has also been put in charge of negotiating a ceasefire and end of the Russia/Ukraine war which is taking a great deal of his attention away from the hostage deal. He is therefore going with the expedient, a deal that could relatively easily be agreed upon by both sides because it is such a bad deal.
Steve Witkoff, Israel looks to you - Editorial from The Times of Israel
To drag us out of this unforgivable limbo, in which Hamas is rearming and no hostages are going free, your first task is ensuring that Netanyahu is more afraid of you and your president than he is of his coalition partners
Dear Special Envoy Witkoff,
You have thrown yourself into your role as Middle East envoy with clarity and compassion. The Israeli public, and most especially the families of the 59 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, now look to you to ensure they are brought home, and fast, before more of the 24 we believe are still living join the 35 we know are dead.
Our people look to you because our prime minister is hesitant, his judgment clouded by his political interests. Most Israelis want him to resign — he presided over the October 7, 2023, catastrophe, but refuses to internalize that the buck stops with him. Most Israelis are adamant that we need a powerful state commission of inquiry to establish the fullest picture of what went so terribly wrong, how our political and military leaders let down their guard and enabled Hamas to carry out its massacre, but he refuses to sanction that kind of probe because he knows its conclusions would be politically terminal for him. Half of Israelis believe that your boss, President Donald Trump, cares more about the hostages than he does. As you know, many released hostages and the families of hostages strongly share that assessment.
Almost two months ago, you helped finalize our deal with Hamas that, in its first phase, ensured the release of 33 hostages — 25 living and eight dead — and that was intended to continue to a second phase, in which the rest of the living hostages would be released in return for another vast quantity of mass-murdering Palestinian terrorists, the full withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza, and a permanent end to the war.
US envoy Steve Witkoff visits Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, to meet with the families of Hamas-held hostages, January 30, 2025 (Adar Eyal / Hostages Families Forum)
Our prime minister, who signed off on this deal and conveyed it to your predecessors last May, subsequently sought to amend it and chose for months not to push for its implementation, manufacturing pretexts such as the claim that Israel would never be allowed to resume fighting Hamas if it agreed to a full halt, and that Israel’s very existence depends on the IDF’s presence along the Gaza-Egypt border. And then, after you helped make certain that the first, 42-day phase went ahead, he refused to honor the deal’s provision to begin negotiating phase two.
Why the prime ministerial hesitancy? Because Netanyahu fears that, were he to accept phase two’s commitment to ending the war, his coalition would collapse and he would lose power. He’s wrong on both counts. His endlessly threatening far-right coalition partner, Bezalel Smotrich, loudly insisting on a return to the war and no phase two, will not easily bring down the government — he knows his voters would never forgive him. And the opposition will provide a parliamentary safety net for Netanyahu so long as he takes the necessary steps to get all the hostages home.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a vote in the Knesset plenum, Jerusalem, December 31, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Netanyahu also fears that one or both of the ultra-Orthodox parties will doom his government if he does not pass legislation enshrining their community’s indefensible exemption from military service — an always outrageous inequality that has become corrosive in a nation defending itself on multiple war fronts with insufficient troops and a colossal burden on the reservists. But here, too, he is mistaken.
The ultra-Orthodox extortionists know full well that there is no possible potential alternative coalition that would be more accommodating to their demands, more susceptible to their political blackmail. But as he has done since he established this government — the most out-of-touch and fatally incompetent in our country’s history — when he gave immense power and authority to the far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, Netanyahu, terrified of losing his majority, continues to act like a supplicant to those who need him more than he needs them.
A group of released hostages meets US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on March 5, 2025. Eli Sharabi is about to present Trump with a cartoon showing a picture of Holocaust survivors at a Nazi concentration camp with the caption “Never again,” beside a photo of an emaciated Sharabi from his own release last month and the caption “Again.” (White House/X)
Netanyahu might change his stance on the hostages and the direction of the war at the end of this month, once he has got the 2025 state budget voted into law and avoided the automatic collapse of his government that a failure to do so by March 31 would trigger. But that deadline is almost three weeks away, and, until then, he has plunged Israel and, most specifically, the hostages into an unforgivable limbo.
We know, first hand now, from heroic survivors of captivity such as Eli Sharabi, that every day is potentially the last for hostages who are chained, starved, tortured and abused in the Hamas tunnels. And yet, every day for almost two weeks and counting, Hamas is enjoying the benefits of the ongoing ceasefire — reorganizing, recruiting and rearming, with the sole, relentless goal of killing more of us — while under no obligation to release any hostages. As my colleague Biranit Goren noted two days ago, Netanyahu has publicly insisted throughout the war that intensive, sustained military pressure is vital to both destroy Hamas and enable the release of the hostages. Yet he has chosen to abort both of those processes — to lift the military pressure and delay the freeing of the hostages.
Your colleague Adam Boehler demonstrated in his lamentable series of television interviews on Sunday that he understands less than almost anybody what Hamas stands for and aims for — his declared strategy was “to identify with the human elements of those people and then build from there”?!? — and was radically unsuited for the high-stakes, ultra-sensitive direct talks with Hamas with which he was tasked. It’s not much of a compliment to say you most certainly know better.
Gazans, including young children, and Hamas gunmen gather shortly before the release of three Israeli hostages in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on February 22, 2025. (Eyad Baba/AFP)
And therefore, an Israel surrounded by depraved, cynical, cunning, dead-serious genocidal enemies, and simultaneously ill-led by self-interested politicians who are again, with every lesson unlearned, gearing up to tear the country apart with a resumption of ultra-contentious legislation that aims to defang our judiciary — well, our Israel looks to you, Mr. Witkoff.
Do in Qatar today what you have already proved once that you can do — finalize the terms of a deal, the best deal you can, to get the hostages out of hell. Hamas claims to be committed to the framework that was agreed to in your presence in January, but you know that it will breach the ceasefire, and thus give Israel every legitimacy to resume the effort to destroy its military capabilities once the hostages are returned. Come the day, you can also coordinate a regional process to prevent genocidal terrorists again ruling Gaza — though exporting Gazans en masse to Egypt and Jordan, as you probably realize, is not the best idea.
Right now, however — today! — your first priority needs to be ensuring that Netanyahu is more afraid of you and your president than he is of his coalition partners — the far-right Jewish supremacists and the non-Zionist ultra-Orthodox. That he and they recognize that freeing the hostages will not signify the end of the battle against Hamas and, in fact, will make the battle less complex, since there will no longer be no-go areas where the IDF cannot venture for fear of killing our own. That Hamas will have nowhere to hide. That the Israeli leadership that failed to protect its citizenry on October 7 will at least have saved all the lives that were left to save, brought home the dead for burial, and enabled the start of our national healing.
And that the White House, as Trump made explicit a week ago after hosting eight released hostages in the Oval Office and hearing their horror stories from captivity, will keep “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job.”
Arab ministers agree to continue consultations with Trump envoy on Egypt’s Gaza plan
Arab foreign ministers have agreed to continue consultations with US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff regarding Egypt’s plan for the post-war management of Gaza.
The group of top Arab diplomats met with Witkoff earlier today and issued a joint statement about their plan to continue talks with him shortly afterward.
Notably joining the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s top aide Hussein al-Sheikh.
Sheikh met with Witkoff in Riyadh in January.
Trump: No one is expelling any Palestinians
US President Donald Trump says no one is expelling anyone from Gaza.
During an Oval Office spray with Ireland’s Prime Minister Michael Martin in the Oval Office, a reporter asks the Irish leader about Trump’s plan to “to expel Palestinians out of Gaza.”
“Nobody’s expelling any Palestinians,” Trump pipes in.
The comment appears to amount to an about-face for Trump who when introducing his proposal to take over Gaza last month said that all of the Strip’s population of roughly 2 million people would be permanently relocated.
When pressed last month as to whether he would relocate Palestinians by force, Trump insisted that no people in Gaza actually want to remain there.
IDF deploying 'worm-sized' spy devices in Gaza to track hostages, future targets - report
Sources claimed that Israel is gathering as much intelligence as possible to update its target database in Gaza.
(ILLUSTRATIVE) A hostage release in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli drone, an IDF soldier, and the Gaza Strip.(photo credit: REUTERS/Gil Cohen Magen, Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90, IDF Spokesperson's Unit, Atia Mohammed/Flash90)
Israel has recently intensified its intelligence operations, using drones to deploy espionage devices in various areas of the Gaza Strip and collect information on future targets, the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing sources from Palestinian terror factions in Gaza.
The report also said that some of these drones are being used to gather intelligence on hostages still held in Gaza.
Other sources from Gaza-based terrorist organizations claimed that the newly deployed surveillance tools released by drones include cameras and other wiretapping devices as small as a worm. These devices, they alleged, are hidden in bags placed in remote areas, cemeteries, and sometimes even in densely populated neighborhoods.
The sources further stated that operatives from terrorist groups have identified and neutralized some of these espionage attempts.
According to the report, Gaza’s security forces have been monitoring these drop sites to determine whether Israeli operatives arrive to collect the devices.
This surveillance has reportedly led to the arrest of several Palestinians.
Gathering intelligence
Additionally, the sources claimed that Israel is gathering as much intelligence as possible to update its target database in Gaza. They identified several locations where drones have been observed deploying these espionage devices, including central Khan Yunis, Deir al-Balah, the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, the al-Bureij refugee camp, the al-Zawaida refugee camp, and several neighborhoods in Gaza City.
Terrorist organizations in the Strip are reportedly on high alert, fearing a sudden IDF operation by air or ground. The sources also claimed that Israel has been using a type of suicide drone, which has already been deployed in targeted assassinations of terrorists and field commanders during the war.
Surveillance on hostage releases
In light of the reports, Hamas has reportedly issued new security regulations warning of the alleged Israeli intelligence efforts to monitor activities in Gaza, particularly in areas where hostage handovers occur.
According to a Hamas-affiliated Telegram channel, Al-Hares (The Guardian), A Hamas commander within Gaza’s National Security stated that Israel has increased its intelligence operations in the Strip, particularly during Ramadan, as part of efforts to gather information about hostages.
“Due to Israel’s intelligence efforts and information gathering, families of resistance fighters must proceed with extreme caution and be ready for any emergency situation,” the channel stated.
The message further instructed Gazans to avoid sharing information about Hamas members, limit media exposure, and refrain from posting details on social media. link
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
Lebanon Responds to Israel: All Talks of Negotiations for Normalization Are Incorrect
The Lebanese channel *Al-Mayadeen* denied Israeli statements about direct negotiations leading to normalization. After an Israeli political source spoke of a "broad plan to normalize relations," Lebanon emphasized that the discussions are solely about resolving border issues and the matter of prisoners. Criticism from Hezbollah: "Israel is trying to dismantle the organization, which will lead to civil war."
The Lebanese channel *Al-Mayadeen* claimed today (Wednesday) that the establishment of the three committees agreed upon in the talks between Israel and Lebanon is not part of a normalization process but rather the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. This contradicts statements from the Israeli side, which presented the move as part of a "broad and comprehensive plan" aimed at achieving full diplomatic relations.
"All talk of these committees being a prelude to normalization is incorrect," the Lebanese channel asserted. According to the report, the committees will deal exclusively with "existing issues"—border disputes and the contentious points since 2006, including the five areas Israel has controlled since the war and the issue of prisoners.
While Lebanon downplays the significance of the talks, an Israeli political source presented a completely different picture this morning: "The discussions with Lebanon are part of a broad and comprehensive plan. The Prime Minister's policy has already changed the Middle East, and we want to maintain the momentum and achieve normalization with Lebanon," the source said. "Just as Lebanon has claims regarding the borders, so do we. We will discuss these matters."
**Hezbollah Warns of "Destructive Consequences"**
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Al-Amin, editor of the *Al-Akhbar* newspaper and identified as a "Hezbollah mouthpiece," issued a sharp warning: "Israel wants to forcibly disarm Hezbollah—which will lead to civil war."
"Opening the door to negotiations under these conditions means there are those in Lebanon who do not read history and are unaware of the risks involved in such a step," Al-Amin wrote. "Those responsible today must understand that they bear responsibility for everything that results from this normalization process, and the consequences are destructive, to say the least."
Al-Amin emphasized that "the release of prisoners is not in exchange for Zionist captives, nor is it part of negotiations or conditions. The enemy is the one who abducted Lebanese prisoners from their villages in southern Lebanon or from their homes in Mount Lebanon."
**Lebanese President Demands U.S. Involvement**
A previous report in the Lebanese newspaper revealed that negotiations and talks regarding southern Lebanon began some time ago and that Lebanese President Michel Aoun asked the U.S. to pressure Israel on the issue of prisoners. This came especially after Lebanon agreed to extend the ceasefire by an additional 30 days, and the Americans promised to advance the issue of prisoners.
According to the report, Aoun stressed to the Americans that any channel dealing with southern Lebanon and the points of contention with Israel requires dialogue with Hezbollah and other key players in Lebanon.
Last night, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement announcing the start of the talks. "During the meeting, it was agreed to establish three joint working groups aimed at stabilizing the region, which will focus on the following issues: the five areas controlled by Israel in southern Lebanon, discussions on the Blue Line and remaining disputed points, and the issue of Lebanese detainees held by Israel," the statement read. link
IDF releases footage of Monday night airstrikes in southern Syria
The military releases footage showing Monday night’s wave of airstrikes in southern Syria.
The Israeli Air Force strikes had targeted radars and other intelligence-collecting systems, along with military headquarters and weapon depots, belonging to the former Syrian regime, the IDF says.
In all, some 40 targets were hit by some 60 munitions dropped by 22 IAF fighter jets, according to the military. video of attack
**22 Fighter Jets, 60 Munitions: This is What the Largest Attack in Syria in Two Months Looked Like**
Dozens of targets were attacked, including radars and command centers containing weapons and military equipment belonging to the Assad regime. The IDF has released details and footage from the extensive attack in southern Syria two days ago, the largest in recent months.
Dozens of targets attacked, 22 fighter jets involved, and over 60 munitions deployed: The IDF released details and footage tonight (Wednesday) of what was Israel's largest attack on Syrian territory in over two months.
Israeli Air Force jets struck dozens of targets in southern Syria two days ago, including radars and detection systems used for building aerial intelligence, as well as command centers and military sites containing weapons and military equipment belonging to the Syrian regime in southern Syria. According to the IDF, 22 fighter jets participated in the attack, deploying over 60 munitions across southern Syria.
In a statement released two days ago, the IDF stated, "The presence of these assets in southern Syria poses a threat to the State of Israel and to IDF operations. These targets were attacked to eliminate future threats."
In Syria, it was reported that 41 targets were attacked in the rural areas of Damascus alone, while the Air Force also struck other regions. This was the most significant and extensive series of Israeli attacks in over two months.
**Targets Attacked in Southern Syria**
**Footage from the Attack**
Earlier, Syria reported attacks on the towns of Sasa and Qatana in the rural areas of Damascus, targeting former military positions in the Daraa region, as well as strikes in the rural areas of Quneitra, aimed at the Syrian Army's 90th Brigade.
Our security affairs analyst, Ron Ben-Yishai, noted that the massacre carried out by Abu Muhammad al-Julani's forces in the Alawite cities of western Syria reinforces Israel's perception of emerging threats that require preemptive preparation. This is not just a threat from jihadists who have seized power and are attempting to present a moderate and stable front, but also the concern that Syria could become a hub of fragile political stability, including military bases from the Ottoman Empire that Erdogan is trying to reestablish.
One rapidly developing threat that particularly concerns the defense establishment is posed by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who may seek to operate from Syria against Israeli border communities in the Golan and the Galilee Panhandle. Al-Julani's forces released senior terrorists, Hamas operatives, and Islamic Jihad members from prison during the early days of the rebellion—individuals whom Bashar al-Assad had imprisoned to avoid complicating his relations with Israel when they carried out planned attacks. The fear is that they have already begun planning new attacks. Another concern is that Turkey may arm and train al-Julani's jihadist army. link
Group of senior Syrian Druze expected to visit Israeli Golan Heights
A group of around 100 senior figures from Syria’s Druze are expected to visit the Israeli Golan Heights on Friday, members of the community say, in a further sign of Israel’s support for the minority group.
The group is expected to meet Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, as well as other members of the community and to visit a shrine.
There is no immediate confirmation of the visit from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
The Druze, an Arab minority present in Syria, Israel and Lebanon, practice a faith that originated in Islam but which has a distinct identity.
In Israel, many Druze serve in the military and police, including during the war in Gaza, and some have reached high rank.
Friday’s visit is the latest sign of Israeli support for the Druze since a ceasefire in Lebanon and the shock overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in Syria towards the end of last year.
Israel has called repeatedly for the rights of Syrian minority groups including the Druze to be protected.
This week Defense Minister Israel Katz said Druze from across the separation line would be allowed to enter the Golan Heights for work and even that Israel would be ready to defend the community, following days of violence in Syria.
Israeli ministers have expressed deep mistrust of the new Syrian government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, describing his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement as a Jihadist group. The group was formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda but later renounced the connection.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
Politics and the War (general news)
New IDF Southern Command chief appears to prioritize defeating Hamas over freeing hostages
Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor has entered the role of chief of the IDF Southern Command, replacing Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman who is resigning over his part in the failures that led to Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
A handover ceremony took place earlier today inside the Gaza Strip, with new IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir attending.
Asor’s previous role in the IDF was head of the Personnel Directorate.
In his speech, Asor seemingly prioritizes the defeat of Hamas over the release of the hostages.
“The first mission — the complete destruction of Hamas terrorists,” Asor says.
He adds, “Those who have sworn to annihilate us, who sought to kill, destroy, and exterminate every Jew, young and old, infant and woman, in a single day…will face the crushing force and indomitable spirit of the soldiers of the IDF.”
Asor goes on to state, “The second mission — the return of our brothers who are suffering in captivity, both the living and the fallen.” linkDisgusting and beyond contempt. The first mission of every soldier and every officer must be the return of the hostages, with many of them being soldiers. What parent will be prepared to send their child to the army which does not place the highest importance on making sure that no one is left behind? The army abandoned the hostages on October 7 and this new Southern Commander is sharing that he is continuing to abandon them still.
The Region and the World
Houthis announce renewal of naval blockade on Israel: 'Until aid enters Gaza' Almost 24 hours after ultimatum from Iran's envoys in Yemen expired, Houthi terrorist leaders announced they will again attack any ship linked to Israel: 'We salute the Palestinian people and we will stand by them' ; The Houthis have not threatened to fire at Israeli territory, but the Air Force is prepared for any scenario Following the expiration of the Houthi ultimatum on Tuesday evening, the spokesman for the Iran-backed militia in Yemen, Yahya Saree, announced that the maritime blockade on Israel would continue “for another month, until the crossings into Gaza are opened for humanitarian aid.” He added, “The Yemeni forces salute the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, and affirm that they stand alongside the Palestinian resistance.”
Earlier Tuesday, Houthi Defense Minister Mohammed al-Atifi said the group’s forces were “ready and fully prepared to carry out the leadership’s instructions to support Gaza and assist Palestinian fighters.” The Houthi cabinet issued a similar statement, warning it was “prepared for any developments or consequences resulting from Yemen’s support for Gaza and Palestine.”
The Houthis operate in Sanaa, Yemen
(Photo: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
The Houthi ultimatum specifically threatened to resume attacks on “Israeli ships,” rather than firing missiles or drones at Israeli territory. Still, the Israeli Air Force remains on high alert, although officials said this level of readiness is standard and not the result of a new threat.
Last week, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said naval operations against Israeli ships would resume if humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza did not restart within four days. That deadline passed at midnight Monday. On Tuesday, he reaffirmed the group’s warning, saying Houthi forces were ready to act and that military operations would begin immediately if aid shipments did not resume.
Israeli officials believe Hamas requested the Houthis renew their blockade as a way to pressure Israel not to resume fighting in Gaza. Houthi leaders made similar threats last month, warning they would restart rocket attacks from Yemen if cease-fires in Gaza or Lebanon collapsed.
Israel has been preparing for the possibility that the Houthis will follow through on their threats, which could include both a renewed naval blockade and missile attacks. Officials said Israel is working closely with U.S. Central Command and is expecting a stronger American response than during President Joe Biden’s term. Former President Donald Trump, in his first month in office, designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization and imposed sanctions on senior Houthi officials.
The Houthis demonstrate
(Photo: Mohammed Huwais / AFP)
Israel has struck Houthi targets in Yemen five times during the current war. Despite heavy damage to some of their key assets, the Houthis are threatening a “second round” of attacks. Israel’s most recent strike in Yemen was Jan. 10, just days before the transition of power in Washington.
ICJ says it will hold hearing next month on Israeli decision to block Gaza aid
The International Court of Justice will hold hearings next month on Israel’s humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians, amid claims the Israeli government is blocking aid access to Gaza.
The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution in December requesting that the world body’s top court give an advisory opinion on the matter.
The hearings will open on April 28 at the court’s seat in The Hague, it says in a statement.
The resolution, submitted by Norway in October, was adopted by a large majority. It calls on the ICJ to clarify what Israel is required to do to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population.”
Although the ICJ’s decision are legally binding, the court has no concrete means to enforce them. But they increase the diplomatic pressure on Israel.
Norway’s initiative was triggered by an Israeli law banning from the end of January the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil and coordinating with the Israeli government.
Personal Stories
"I spoke with Yarden Bibas, I was told it was the first time he smiled since his release"
David Draiman, the lead singer of the band *Disturbed*, dedicated a column to the Bibas family and shared details of an emotional conversation he had with Yarden. "I told him we are friends now and invited him to attend any show he wants as a VIP guest," he said. The Jewish star also condemned Hollywood's silence in the face of rising antisemitism: "No one in Hollywood is brave enough to speak up."
David Draiman and Yarden Bibas
David Draiman, the Jewish lead singer of the heavy metal band *Disturbed*, whose song Yarden Bibas requested to be played at the funeral of his wife Shiri and their sons Ariel and Kfir, may they rest in peace, published a column in *The Hollywood Reporter* over the weekend. In it, he wrote about the Bibas family and the moving conversation he had with Yarden.
"I have been following the tragedy of Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their red-haired children, Ariel and Kfir, since October 7. Over time, I prayed and hoped that, against all odds, there would be a sign of life, something to hold onto, so we could at least convince ourselves to believe they might still be alive," Draiman began. "About two weeks ago, when the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were returned from captivity in Gaza and buried, I received a message that the father of the family, Yarden, is a fan of the band and that he planned to play our song *Hold on to Memories*."
David continued: "I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to process it. I spoke with Yarden, told him how closely I had followed their story, how I and so many others had prayed for him. I made it clear that I support him and sent him strength, hoping it would give him some comfort during this insane time. I told him we are friends now and invited him to attend any show he wants as a VIP guest. Later, I was told that when I spoke with him, it was the first time he had smiled since his release."
The musician then criticized the fact that many in Hollywood chose to remain silent after the massacre. "I am still appalled by the world’s lack of response to the abduction and murder of infants by their captors. Not to mention the women who were raped and abused. I am furious that the world has become indifferent. To see hostages paraded like objects in front of cameras to the cheers of crowds in Gaza—and no one says a word about it."
"No one in Hollywood is brave enough to speak up either," he added. "At the Oscars, the only person who had any courage was Adrien Brody, who at least addressed antisemitism in some way. He was trembling as he did it. I truly think he was afraid of the backlash he might face. Jews have always been the scapegoat for all evil. Thank God for the State of Israel. Thank God we have the ability to defend ourselves, despite the horrors of the monsters who broadcast live to the world what they did on October 7."
About the song Yarden chose to play at the funeral, Draiman wrote: "Music is a magical thing, and I truly consider us lucky that we are still able to create it. I don’t know how I will be able to sing that song next time without breaking down in tears. I think Yarden Bibas is an extraordinary person. It takes immense mental fortitude to survive a loss of this magnitude. I am glad our song was able to give him at least some comfort and strength." link
Testimonies from Captivity by Returned Hostages
Noa Argamani
A 26-year-old woman, rescued by our forces after 246 days in Hamas captivity:
*"At first, I thought they were messing with me, and I didn’t move from the spot. He (a soldier) asked me, ‘Can I carry you on my shoulder?’ And then I realized it was happening... The soldiers were brave—it was a matter of seconds, and I might not have been here today."*
Sahar Calderon
A 17-year-old girl, released after 54 days in Hamas captivity with her brother Erez:
*"I went through my own Holocaust there, and my father is going through his, and everyone there is going through a Holocaust. I wish I could erase it from my mind... I’m scared to go outside. I’m afraid of every stranger I see. I’m afraid someone will hurt me... On the outside, I might look radiant and happy, but inside I’m broken. Inside, I’m empty. Every day I wake up, it’s October 7th, and I’m in Gaza."*
Adi Saguy
A 75-year-old woman, released after 53 days in Hamas captivity:
*"A woman came in with gloves. Meirav went in for her first shower, they took off her earrings, and they changed all our clothes—everything we came with from Nir Oz. And that guy, Mustafa, got angry and made gestures like this, ‘Hamas will come and take you,’ because we refused to let him check us."*
Moran Stella Yanai (40).
Moran was abducted from the Nova festival and released after 54 days in Hamas captivity. Photo: "Uvda" (Fact).
"There was this constant fear that you’d be raped at any moment, and another day would pass, and another. You prepare yourself..."*
Amit Susana
Age 40, released after 55 days in Hamas captivity:
*"A terrorist dragged me into the children's room and forced me to perform a sexual act on him. After I went to shower, he came at me and pressed a gun to my forehead. He hit me and forced me to remove the towel. He touched me, sat me on the edge of the bathtub, and hit me again."*
Acronyms and Glossary
COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
IPS - Israel Prison System
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0 Twitter - @LonnyB58
🎗️Day 260 that 120 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!!!” There is no victory until all of the hostages are home! אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
🎗️Day 361 that 101 of our hostages in Hamas captivity **There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!** “I’ve never met them, But I miss them. I’ve never met them, but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them, but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!” We’re waiting for you, all of you. A deal is the only way to bring all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation. #BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope There is no victory until all of the hostages are home! אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
🎗️Day 239 that 125 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!!!” There is no victory until all of the hostages are home! אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
The first sign of life from hostage Avinatan Or has been received, as revealed tonight (Wednesday) on the *Main Edition*. The sign of life came from interviews with returned hostages who were held in central camps. They reported that both they and Avinatan were held in harsh conditions, without food and with very little water. Or, aged 30, was abducted from the Nova party in Re'im, along with his partner Noa Argamani, who was later released in a military operation from the central camps.
US envoy Steve Witkoff visits Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, to meet with the families of Hamas-held hostages, January 30, 2025 (Adar Eyal / Hostages Families Forum)
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a vote in the Knesset plenum, Jerusalem, December 31, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
A group of released hostages meets US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on March 5, 2025. Eli Sharabi is about to present Trump with a cartoon showing a picture of Holocaust survivors at a Nazi concentration camp with the caption “Never again,” beside a photo of an emaciated Sharabi from his own release last month and the caption “Again.” (White House/X)
Gazans, including young children, and Hamas gunmen gather shortly before the release of three Israeli hostages in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on February 22, 2025. (Eyad Baba/AFP)
**Targets Attacked in Southern Syria** 
**Footage from the Attack** 
The Houthis operate in Sanaa, Yemen(Photo: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
The Houthi ultimatum specifically threatened to resume attacks on “Israeli ships,” rather than firing missiles or drones at Israeli territory. Still, the Israeli Air Force remains on high alert, although officials said this level of readiness is standard and not the result of a new threat.Last week, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said naval operations against Israeli ships would resume if humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza did not restart within four days. That deadline passed at midnight Monday. On Tuesday, he reaffirmed the group’s warning, saying Houthi forces were ready to act and that military operations would begin immediately if aid shipments did not resume.
Israeli officials believe Hamas requested the Houthis renew their blockade as a way to pressure Israel not to resume fighting in Gaza. Houthi leaders made similar threats last month, warning they would restart rocket attacks from Yemen if cease-fires in Gaza or Lebanon collapsed.
Israel has been preparing for the possibility that the Houthis will follow through on their threats, which could include both a renewed naval blockade and missile attacks. Officials said Israel is working closely with U.S. Central Command and is expecting a stronger American response than during President Joe Biden’s term. Former President Donald Trump, in his first month in office, designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization and imposed sanctions on senior Houthi officials.
David Draiman and Yarden Bibas
A 17-year-old girl, released after 54 days in Hamas captivity with her brother Erez: *"I went through my own Holocaust there, and my father is going through his, and everyone there is going through a Holocaust. I wish I could erase it from my mind... I’m scared to go outside. I’m afraid of every stranger I see. I’m afraid someone will hurt me... On the outside, I might look radiant and happy, but inside I’m broken. Inside, I’m empty. Every day I wake up, it’s October 7th, and I’m in Gaza."* Adi Saguy
A 75-year-old woman, released after 53 days in Hamas captivity: *"A woman came in with gloves. Meirav went in for her first shower, they took off her earrings, and they changed all our clothes—everything we came with from Nir Oz. And that guy, Mustafa, got angry and made gestures like this, ‘Hamas will come and take you,’ because we refused to let him check us."* Moran Stella Yanai (40).
Moran was abducted from the Nova festival and released after 54 days in Hamas captivity. Photo: "Uvda" (Fact). 
Age 40, released after 55 days in Hamas captivity: 
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