🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 529, 2023 - March 18, 2025 🎗️
🎗️Day 529 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!אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
Read the important article "Shin Bet probe tied Oct. 7 directly to PM’s policy of sending Qatari money to Gaza, may be another reason he’s firing Bar" in the War and Politics section below.
We all know that Netanyahu never had the intention to enter phase 2 of the ceasefire because he never had the intention of ending the war in Gaza. The continuation of the war enables his political survival against the will of the majority of Israelis. Netanyahu is dangerous to Israel. Renewing the war enables him to bring the criminal Ben Gvir back into the coalition along with the zero value Gideon Saar who left his conscience behind to bolster Netanyahu’s corrupt regime. The renewal of the war is a failure of Trump to end the war as he promised. Trump could end the war and force the deal that will bring the hostages home and end the war but he is doing the opposite. Hamas’s rule in Gaza continues to be a crime against the Palestinian people and the Arab states and the people of Palestine, mainly the people of Gaza must tell Hamas to stand down and end their rule and control over Gaza. The renewal of the war is very likely to be a death sentence against living hostages. We, the people of Israel must stand up and bring our government down. It must be done now. (Gershon Baskin, March 18, 2025)
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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Hostage Updates
Netanyahu ‘choosing to murder our hostages’: Captives’ relatives, activists protest in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
Hostages’ families and supporters are gathering at the Knesset in Jerusalem and at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv today, protesting the government’s decision to end the ceasefire and resume airstrikes in Gaza.
About a dozen protesters stood outside the Knesset at midday, holding up images of hostages still held in Gaza and yelling into megaphones to call for their return home and for a resumption of the ceasefire.
Bereaved father Michel Illouz, whose son Guy Illouz was taken hostage to Gaza where he was killed and where his body remains, stood outside the Knesset and shook his head: “I have nothing to say. I just came back from the US and I can’t believe this is what I returned to.”
Other hostage family members are expected to speak this afternoon at the Jerusalem protest, with freed hostages Iair Horn, Sasha Troufanov and Keith Siegel planning to make statements at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square this evening.
Iair Horn’s brother, Eitan Horn, is still held captive in Gaza.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, pens a social media post accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “choosing to murder our hostages.”
“This is a war that will bury our families if it isn’t stopped,” she contends.
Former hostage, wife of current captive post broken heart emojis as ceasefire collapses
Hostage Omri Miran’s wife Lishay tweets a broken heart emoji shortly after Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza in what appeared to amount to the collapse of the ceasefire after roughly two months.
Former hostage Noa Argamani posts the same thing.
- As Israel strikes in Gaza, hostage’s wife says she may need ‘to prepare to sit shiva’
Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband Omri Miran is held captive in Gaza, notes he has managed to survive for 529 days since being taken hostage but expresses concern that Israel’s resumption of airstrikes puts his life at risk.
“It could be that after today, when IDF strikes hit Gaza at 3 in the morning, that I should prepare to sit shiva,” says Miran Lavi at the Knesset. “It could be that that is the situation, and the government of Israel and the public need to understand that.”
Dani Elgarat, whose brother Itzik Elgarat was killed in captivity, charges that by ending the ceasefire, the government is “going to destroy” the remaining hostages.
“The government has decided that the fate of the hostages will be like the fate of Hamas terrorists,” says Elgarat. “They are going to destroy them there.”
Daughter of slain hostage urges Trump’s help ‘to secure a deal now’
Several other family members whose loved ones were killed in captivity in Gaza speak outside the Knesset, calling for a return to hostage negotiations after Israel resumed strikes in Gaza overnight.
The speakers include Merav Svirsky, whose brother, Itay Svirsky, was killed in captivity, and Ayelet Svatitzky, whose brother, Nadav Popplewell, was also killed while held in Gaza.
Svirsky, whose parents were killed in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, mentions the hostages who have paid with their lives and says their families have paid as well.
Svatitzky says that for months, she traveled the world after her mother Channah Peri and brother Nadav Popplewell were taken captive from Kibbutz Nirim and her other brother, Roi, was killed on October 7. Her mother was released from Gaza in November 2023, but her brother remained in captivity and was killed by Hamas last summer.
“There are 59 hostages still trapped in Gaza, enduring unthinkable horrors— starved, tortured, and chained,” says Svatitzky. “They are struggling to survive. They can still be saved. They can still be brought home. And those who did not survive deserve to be returned and buried with dignity. We must do everything in our power to bring them back. We must return to the ceasefire and negotiations, and secure their release. A deal is the only way to bring them all back. Please, do not let other families suffer the same fate as mine. There is still time. There are still lives to save. Let’s bring them all home.”
Noam Peri, the daughter of hostage Chaim Peri who was murdered in captivity, says her father could have come home alive.
She appeals to US President Donald Trump, recalling the key role he has played in reuniting so many hostage families.
“We need his leadership along with the world’s urgent action — to secure a deal now,” says Peri.
As fighting resumes, bereaved hostage relative warns captives could stay missing in Gaza forever
Carmit Palty Katzir, whose brother Elad was killed in captivity, speaks at the gathering outside the Knesset protesting the resumption of Israeli strikes in Gaza. Her father, Rami Katzir, was killed on October 7, 2023. Her mother, Hanna, was taken hostage and released in November 2023, and then died a year later. Her brother’s remains were recovered in Gaza last April.
“If a deal had happened in time, we, the families who paid the heaviest price of all, could be living a different reality. We raise a red flag and warn: The path the government is choosing raises the risk for the ‘Ron Arads,'” she says, referring to the Israeli Air Force officer who has been classified as missing in action since 1986. “The circle of bereaved families will widen and for naught. We must return to the negotiating table to reach a full agreement, in which all the hostages will be released in return for the end of the war. If that doesn’t happen, the blood of the next hostage will be on your hands.”
“I want to say to you: Elad could have been released to my embrace. We have to return Hadar Goldin and Tamir Adar for burial,” she adds, referring respectively to a soldier killed during the 2014 Gaza war and a Kibbutz Nir Oz resident killed fighting terrorists on October 7, 2023, both of whose bodies are held in the coastal enclave.
Freed hostages warn renewed Gaza fighting risks lives of remaining Hamas captives
Freed hostages Yarden Bibas, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert write on social media about the fears and trepidation they’re experiencing since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and restarted strikes on Gaza early Tuesday morning.
“Israel’s decision to return to fighting brings me back to Gaza, to the moments where I heard the sounds of explosions around me and where I feared for my life as I was afraid that the tunnel where I was being held would collapse,” Bibas writes in English on social media. “My wife and children were kidnapped alive and were brutally murdered in captivity. The military pressure endangers the hostages while an agreement brings them home.”
Bibas shares an old photo of himself with longtime friends David Cunio and Ariel Cunio, brothers from Kibbutz Nir Oz who are still held hostage in Gaza.
“I am petrified for my best friends, David and Ariel Cunio,” he says. “I lost my Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, but David can still return alive to Sharon, Emma and Yuli and Ariel to his partner Arbel Yehud and his family.”
Eliya Cohen says that since hearing about strikes on Gaza, he has can’t manage to sit still.
“My brother, Alon Ohel, is wrapped in bicycle chains with chains on his legs, and eats one pita with mold and two spoons of fava beans each day,” writes Cohen, referring to hostage Alon Ohel, who was left behind in the Gazan tunnels when Cohen, Or Levy and Eli Sharabi were freed last month, during the first stage of the hostage release-ceasefire deal.
“It’s just impossible to grasp, and there are no words to describe the lack of understanding in our country about what is taking place 50 meters underground,” says Cohen. “And if there is any understanding, then how to explain this abandonment and lack of attention to human life?”
Freed hostage, Omer Wenkert, shares similar thoughts.
“Have you listened to a word of what we freed hostages have been telling you? Do you not see us?” writes Wenkert. “This dangerous decision will have an untold effect on those of us who are still held there. And I say ‘on us’ because those who are there are me, and I am them. I’m still there! Until the last hostage is released I am still there!”
- Former Hostages Struggle for Disability Recognition: "We Shouldn’t Have to Crowdfund and Beg for Charity"The Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women held its fifth discussion Monday on the demand to automatically grant 100% disability status, permanently, to hostages released from captivity in Gaza, instead of the current 50%. Despite promises, government ministries have yet to reach agreements: "In the war for money, you’re with us, but not for us," said the father of Ophir Engel. "You’re giving us crumbs, it’s a disgrace."
The Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women held a follow-up discussion Monday morning on the need to automatically recognize former hostages as 100% disabled, rather than 50%. Currently, to receive 100% disability, returnees must proactively apply to the National Insurance Institute, and the response is temporary. The families and the committee are demanding that the state provide the allowance automatically and permanently. 
Waving to returning hostages
Committee Chairwoman MK Pnina Tamano-Shata (National Unity Party) said during the discussion—the fifth of its kind: "We shouldn’t be in a situation where we have to crowdfund for returnees from captivity and they have to beg for charity. Before I complain to the bureaucratic level, I think this should be a shared mission of all government ministries to provide a more comprehensive package of around 100% disability benefits."
Ofra Gadron, Head of the Government Division at the Hostages and Missing Persons Administration, said: "It took us time to bring the draft bill that will be presented tomorrow because we had to reach agreements with many government ministries." The Chairwoman responded: "You said in previous discussions that you would bring the package and the benefits of around 100% as soon as possible. A few days ago, I saw an interview with a former hostage who is receiving 50%. It was explicitly stated that we would give around 100%. Is someone in the government ministries opposing this?"
Gadron: "We’re in the final stretch. There were disagreements, and we reached understandings that we need to open the Captives and Missing Persons Law and examine how to provide this as 100%. There are still disagreements. We’re pushing for this to be included in a legislative amendment by July." The Chairwoman: "Say it honestly—we don’t want to give. Say you want to give 2,500 shekels instead of 5,000, and then we’ll fight the Prime Minister. It’s not serious to drag this issue out for so long."
**"You Must Speak Openly, or We’ll Go to the Supreme Court"** 
Waiting for release. Hostage Square, Tel Aviv
Gila Shahar from the Ministry of Defense said: "Our position is to move forward with the changes we want to make. We’ve made progress in discussions and are quite aligned. Our hearts are with the people. The gaps aren’t on our side; they’re elsewhere. Things need to be finalized in other places." MK Tamano-Shata: "You must speak openly, or we’ll turn to the Supreme Court. You can’t speak in code. What are the gaps that exist?"
Gadron replied: "It’s not written as 100% and that’s it. 100% comes with rights attached to it. It’s 100% physical or mental, and every medical paradigm requires discussion." The Chairwoman: "You’re not connected; they’re crowdfunding."
Daniel Avidan from the National Insurance Institute: "We won’t create a barrier. We’ll pick up any glove thrown our way. The law isn’t with us; it’s a Treasury budget issue, and the Chairwoman understands the point." MK Merav Ben-Ari addressed the representative of the administration and said: "I’ve been here for many years, but this is a magnificent evasion. 'Next session, we’ll try.' If you think millions will be approved in the summer session, you’re wrong."
**"The State Isn’t Meeting the Need"** Shai Somekh, a representative from the Ministry of Justice, emphasized during the discussion that "there is no legal barrier to the issue." Ran Melamed from Turning Point NGO: "This law needs to pass in the budget next week. Government representatives sitting here are spinning you and us. You haven’t been given clear and honest answers to the questions asked." Noam addressed the government representatives: "Too many have turned to crowdfunding, and it’s appropriate that you examine this more deeply. The state isn’t meeting the need for which the families have turned to crowdfunding." Gadron: "There have been many inaccuracies in explanations about the state’s responses. Many grants are not one-time but permanent."
**"Who Said 100% Will Be Enough?"** Noam Idan Ben-Ezra, the sister of the late Tzachi Idan, said during the discussion: "It’s hard for me to participate in an economic discussion. When we amended the law in June, we emphasized that a comprehensive package is necessary. Who said 100% will be enough? Maybe we need more, maybe we shouldn’t limit ourselves to what’s defined? Bereaved families also need answers."
"Everyone has time- not the families" - Esther Buchstav
Yoav Engel, the father of Ophir, who was released from captivity in Gaza, said: "I’ve been sitting here for the fifth discussion, and it was agreed that there would be 100% and that treatments would be for life, not just three years. After 528 days, everything is the same. I say it’s a disgrace. The administration has aspects that help us a lot, but in the war for money or needs, we feel you’re with us but not for us. Everyone understands this was an extraordinary event, but you’re providing familiar responses. I saw the draft bill, and it’s giving us crumbs. Everything is one-time, and in the end, it’s the families trying to recover as best they can. You’re playing on the field, and no one is scoring the goal."
Esther Bokhshebtov, the mother of the late Yagev Bokhshebtov, said: "Time is passing, and it’s not in our favor. The kidnapping event didn’t end on October 7; we’re still in it, and the accumulating time only harms us. We feel the state isn’t with us. The state has time with the entitlements of the hostages and returnees, and everyone has time except the families." link This corrupt and failed government is busy emptying the state coffers of billions of shekels to add money to the west bank settlements and ultra orthodox bribery while letting the returning hostages and families to fend for themselves. This disgraceful government led by the criminally indicted prime minister have never recognized that everything changed on October 7. They continue their corruptions as though it's still October 6 and the country's priorities haven't changed. Their only priorities are keeping their corrupt coalition going and to hell with everything else.
Hostage Updates
Netanyahu ‘choosing to murder our hostages’: Captives’ relatives, activists protest in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
Hostages’ families and supporters are gathering at the Knesset in Jerusalem and at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv today, protesting the government’s decision to end the ceasefire and resume airstrikes in Gaza.
About a dozen protesters stood outside the Knesset at midday, holding up images of hostages still held in Gaza and yelling into megaphones to call for their return home and for a resumption of the ceasefire.
Bereaved father Michel Illouz, whose son Guy Illouz was taken hostage to Gaza where he was killed and where his body remains, stood outside the Knesset and shook his head: “I have nothing to say. I just came back from the US and I can’t believe this is what I returned to.”
Other hostage family members are expected to speak this afternoon at the Jerusalem protest, with freed hostages Iair Horn, Sasha Troufanov and Keith Siegel planning to make statements at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square this evening.
Iair Horn’s brother, Eitan Horn, is still held captive in Gaza.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, pens a social media post accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “choosing to murder our hostages.”
“This is a war that will bury our families if it isn’t stopped,” she contends.
Former hostage, wife of current captive post broken heart emojis as ceasefire collapses
Hostage Omri Miran’s wife Lishay tweets a broken heart emoji shortly after Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza in what appeared to amount to the collapse of the ceasefire after roughly two months.
Former hostage Noa Argamani posts the same thing.
- As Israel strikes in Gaza, hostage’s wife says she may need ‘to prepare to sit shiva’
Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband Omri Miran is held captive in Gaza, notes he has managed to survive for 529 days since being taken hostage but expresses concern that Israel’s resumption of airstrikes puts his life at risk.
“It could be that after today, when IDF strikes hit Gaza at 3 in the morning, that I should prepare to sit shiva,” says Miran Lavi at the Knesset. “It could be that that is the situation, and the government of Israel and the public need to understand that.”
Dani Elgarat, whose brother Itzik Elgarat was killed in captivity, charges that by ending the ceasefire, the government is “going to destroy” the remaining hostages.
“The government has decided that the fate of the hostages will be like the fate of Hamas terrorists,” says Elgarat. “They are going to destroy them there.”
Daughter of slain hostage urges Trump’s help ‘to secure a deal now’
Several other family members whose loved ones were killed in captivity in Gaza speak outside the Knesset, calling for a return to hostage negotiations after Israel resumed strikes in Gaza overnight.
The speakers include Merav Svirsky, whose brother, Itay Svirsky, was killed in captivity, and Ayelet Svatitzky, whose brother, Nadav Popplewell, was also killed while held in Gaza.
Svirsky, whose parents were killed in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, mentions the hostages who have paid with their lives and says their families have paid as well.
Svatitzky says that for months, she traveled the world after her mother Channah Peri and brother Nadav Popplewell were taken captive from Kibbutz Nirim and her other brother, Roi, was killed on October 7. Her mother was released from Gaza in November 2023, but her brother remained in captivity and was killed by Hamas last summer.
“There are 59 hostages still trapped in Gaza, enduring unthinkable horrors— starved, tortured, and chained,” says Svatitzky. “They are struggling to survive. They can still be saved. They can still be brought home. And those who did not survive deserve to be returned and buried with dignity. We must do everything in our power to bring them back. We must return to the ceasefire and negotiations, and secure their release. A deal is the only way to bring them all back. Please, do not let other families suffer the same fate as mine. There is still time. There are still lives to save. Let’s bring them all home.”
Noam Peri, the daughter of hostage Chaim Peri who was murdered in captivity, says her father could have come home alive.
She appeals to US President Donald Trump, recalling the key role he has played in reuniting so many hostage families.
“We need his leadership along with the world’s urgent action — to secure a deal now,” says Peri.
As fighting resumes, bereaved hostage relative warns captives could stay missing in Gaza forever
Carmit Palty Katzir, whose brother Elad was killed in captivity, speaks at the gathering outside the Knesset protesting the resumption of Israeli strikes in Gaza. Her father, Rami Katzir, was killed on October 7, 2023. Her mother, Hanna, was taken hostage and released in November 2023, and then died a year later. Her brother’s remains were recovered in Gaza last April.
“If a deal had happened in time, we, the families who paid the heaviest price of all, could be living a different reality. We raise a red flag and warn: The path the government is choosing raises the risk for the ‘Ron Arads,'” she says, referring to the Israeli Air Force officer who has been classified as missing in action since 1986. “The circle of bereaved families will widen and for naught. We must return to the negotiating table to reach a full agreement, in which all the hostages will be released in return for the end of the war. If that doesn’t happen, the blood of the next hostage will be on your hands.”
“I want to say to you: Elad could have been released to my embrace. We have to return Hadar Goldin and Tamir Adar for burial,” she adds, referring respectively to a soldier killed during the 2014 Gaza war and a Kibbutz Nir Oz resident killed fighting terrorists on October 7, 2023, both of whose bodies are held in the coastal enclave.
Freed hostages warn renewed Gaza fighting risks lives of remaining Hamas captives
Freed hostages Yarden Bibas, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert write on social media about the fears and trepidation they’re experiencing since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and restarted strikes on Gaza early Tuesday morning.
“Israel’s decision to return to fighting brings me back to Gaza, to the moments where I heard the sounds of explosions around me and where I feared for my life as I was afraid that the tunnel where I was being held would collapse,” Bibas writes in English on social media. “My wife and children were kidnapped alive and were brutally murdered in captivity. The military pressure endangers the hostages while an agreement brings them home.”
Bibas shares an old photo of himself with longtime friends David Cunio and Ariel Cunio, brothers from Kibbutz Nir Oz who are still held hostage in Gaza.
“I am petrified for my best friends, David and Ariel Cunio,” he says. “I lost my Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, but David can still return alive to Sharon, Emma and Yuli and Ariel to his partner Arbel Yehud and his family.”
Eliya Cohen says that since hearing about strikes on Gaza, he has can’t manage to sit still.
“My brother, Alon Ohel, is wrapped in bicycle chains with chains on his legs, and eats one pita with mold and two spoons of fava beans each day,” writes Cohen, referring to hostage Alon Ohel, who was left behind in the Gazan tunnels when Cohen, Or Levy and Eli Sharabi were freed last month, during the first stage of the hostage release-ceasefire deal.
“It’s just impossible to grasp, and there are no words to describe the lack of understanding in our country about what is taking place 50 meters underground,” says Cohen. “And if there is any understanding, then how to explain this abandonment and lack of attention to human life?”
Freed hostage, Omer Wenkert, shares similar thoughts.
“Have you listened to a word of what we freed hostages have been telling you? Do you not see us?” writes Wenkert. “This dangerous decision will have an untold effect on those of us who are still held there. And I say ‘on us’ because those who are there are me, and I am them. I’m still there! Until the last hostage is released I am still there!”
- Former Hostages Struggle for Disability Recognition: "We Shouldn’t Have to Crowdfund and Beg for Charity"The Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women held its fifth discussion Monday on the demand to automatically grant 100% disability status, permanently, to hostages released from captivity in Gaza, instead of the current 50%. Despite promises, government ministries have yet to reach agreements: "In the war for money, you’re with us, but not for us," said the father of Ophir Engel. "You’re giving us crumbs, it’s a disgrace."The Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women held a follow-up discussion Monday morning on the need to automatically recognize former hostages as 100% disabled, rather than 50%. Currently, to receive 100% disability, returnees must proactively apply to the National Insurance Institute, and the response is temporary. The families and the committee are demanding that the state provide the allowance automatically and permanently.Waving to returning hostagesCommittee Chairwoman MK Pnina Tamano-Shata (National Unity Party) said during the discussion—the fifth of its kind: "We shouldn’t be in a situation where we have to crowdfund for returnees from captivity and they have to beg for charity. Before I complain to the bureaucratic level, I think this should be a shared mission of all government ministries to provide a more comprehensive package of around 100% disability benefits."Ofra Gadron, Head of the Government Division at the Hostages and Missing Persons Administration, said: "It took us time to bring the draft bill that will be presented tomorrow because we had to reach agreements with many government ministries." The Chairwoman responded: "You said in previous discussions that you would bring the package and the benefits of around 100% as soon as possible. A few days ago, I saw an interview with a former hostage who is receiving 50%. It was explicitly stated that we would give around 100%. Is someone in the government ministries opposing this?"Gadron: "We’re in the final stretch. There were disagreements, and we reached understandings that we need to open the Captives and Missing Persons Law and examine how to provide this as 100%. There are still disagreements. We’re pushing for this to be included in a legislative amendment by July." The Chairwoman: "Say it honestly—we don’t want to give. Say you want to give 2,500 shekels instead of 5,000, and then we’ll fight the Prime Minister. It’s not serious to drag this issue out for so long."**"You Must Speak Openly, or We’ll Go to the Supreme Court"**Waiting for release. Hostage Square, Tel AvivGila Shahar from the Ministry of Defense said: "Our position is to move forward with the changes we want to make. We’ve made progress in discussions and are quite aligned. Our hearts are with the people. The gaps aren’t on our side; they’re elsewhere. Things need to be finalized in other places." MK Tamano-Shata: "You must speak openly, or we’ll turn to the Supreme Court. You can’t speak in code. What are the gaps that exist?"Gadron replied: "It’s not written as 100% and that’s it. 100% comes with rights attached to it. It’s 100% physical or mental, and every medical paradigm requires discussion." The Chairwoman: "You’re not connected; they’re crowdfunding."Daniel Avidan from the National Insurance Institute: "We won’t create a barrier. We’ll pick up any glove thrown our way. The law isn’t with us; it’s a Treasury budget issue, and the Chairwoman understands the point." MK Merav Ben-Ari addressed the representative of the administration and said: "I’ve been here for many years, but this is a magnificent evasion. 'Next session, we’ll try.' If you think millions will be approved in the summer session, you’re wrong."**"The State Isn’t Meeting the Need"**Shai Somekh, a representative from the Ministry of Justice, emphasized during the discussion that "there is no legal barrier to the issue." Ran Melamed from Turning Point NGO: "This law needs to pass in the budget next week. Government representatives sitting here are spinning you and us. You haven’t been given clear and honest answers to the questions asked." Noam addressed the government representatives: "Too many have turned to crowdfunding, and it’s appropriate that you examine this more deeply. The state isn’t meeting the need for which the families have turned to crowdfunding." Gadron: "There have been many inaccuracies in explanations about the state’s responses. Many grants are not one-time but permanent."**"Who Said 100% Will Be Enough?"**Noam Idan Ben-Ezra, the sister of the late Tzachi Idan, said during the discussion: "It’s hard for me to participate in an economic discussion. When we amended the law in June, we emphasized that a comprehensive package is necessary. Who said 100% will be enough? Maybe we need more, maybe we shouldn’t limit ourselves to what’s defined? Bereaved families also need answers.""Everyone has time- not the families" - Esther BuchstavYoav Engel, the father of Ophir, who was released from captivity in Gaza, said: "I’ve been sitting here for the fifth discussion, and it was agreed that there would be 100% and that treatments would be for life, not just three years. After 528 days, everything is the same. I say it’s a disgrace. The administration has aspects that help us a lot, but in the war for money or needs, we feel you’re with us but not for us. Everyone understands this was an extraordinary event, but you’re providing familiar responses. I saw the draft bill, and it’s giving us crumbs. Everything is one-time, and in the end, it’s the families trying to recover as best they can. You’re playing on the field, and no one is scoring the goal."Esther Bokhshebtov, the mother of the late Yagev Bokhshebtov, said: "Time is passing, and it’s not in our favor. The kidnapping event didn’t end on October 7; we’re still in it, and the accumulating time only harms us. We feel the state isn’t with us. The state has time with the entitlements of the hostages and returnees, and everyone has time except the families." link This corrupt and failed government is busy emptying the state coffers of billions of shekels to add money to the west bank settlements and ultra orthodox bribery while letting the returning hostages and families to fend for themselves. This disgraceful government led by the criminally indicted prime minister have never recognized that everything changed on October 7. They continue their corruptions as though it's still October 6 and the country's priorities haven't changed. Their only priorities are keeping their corrupt coalition going and to hell with everything else.
Gaza and the South
- Israel restarts Gaza strikes, blames Hamas for not releasing hostages as truce collapses
IDF says it targeted mid-level Hamas commanders and is prepared to widen offensive beyond airstrikes; death toll reportedly over 230; White House back offensive, says it was consulted beforehand
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed early Tuesday morning after roughly two months, as the IDF launched dozens of strikes throughout Gaza after receiving orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “act forcefully” against the terror group due to what the premier said was its repeated refusal to release Israeli hostages.
At least 232 Palestinians were killed, including children, according to unverified figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Netanyahu’s office said the decision to resume strikes shortly after midnight on Tuesday “followed Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US special envoy to the Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.”
Hamas has insisted on sticking with the original terms of the deal, which was supposed to enter its second phase at the beginning of the month. That phase envisioned Israel fully withdrawing from Gaza and agreeing to permanently end the war in exchange for the release of the remaining living hostages. While Israel signed on to the deal, Netanyahu has long insisted that Israel will not end the war until Hamas’s governing and military capabilities have been destroyed.
Accordingly, Israel refused to even hold talks regarding the terms of phase two, which were supposed to begin on February 3.
Nonetheless, the ceasefire remained in place for roughly two and a half weeks after the conclusion of the first phase, as mediators worked to broker new terms for the truce’s extension.
A fire at a tent encampment west of Khan Yunis following Israeli strikes on March 18, 2025. IAF air raid tonight (Screen capture; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)Accepting Israel’s aversion to phase two, Witkoff presented a bridge proposal last week that would have seen phase one extended for several weeks during which five living hostages would be released. The US envoy said Sunday that Hamas’s response to the offer was a “non-starter” and warned of impending consequences if the terror group did not change its approach.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that Israel consulted with the Trump administration before conducting the Tuesday strikes.
“As President Trump has made it clear: Hamas, the Houthis, Iran — all those who seek to terrorize, not just Israel, but the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose,” she said.
“Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes separately told The Times of Israel.
US President Donald Trump was integral in the securing of the ceasefire, with his envoy Witkoff leaning hard on Netanyahu to accept the hostage deal in January after months of deadlock under the previous Biden administration. Trump has campaigned on ending wars worldwide but has quickly grown impatient with Hamas since entering office, repeatedly threatening the terror group with destruction if the hostages weren’t released.
Hamas issued a statement early Tuesday saying Netanyahu’s government’s decision to “overturn the ceasefire agreement” exposes the hostages “to an unknown fate.”
A dead person killed during an Israeli army strike is taken into the hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday March 18, 2025.(AP Photo/ Mohammad Jahjouh)Hamas called on the mediators — the US, Qatar and Egypt — to hold Netanyahu fully responsible for breaking the ceasefire.
The terror group demanded Arab and Muslim countries to back “Palestinian resistance” aimed at “breaking the unjust blockade imposed on Gaza.” Hamas also urged the UN Security Council to urgently convene to issue a resolution obligating Israel to halt its “aggression.”
In its statement announcing the overnight strike, Netanyahu’s office said Israel moving forward will “act against Hamas with increasing military strength, adding that the operation is designed to achieve Israel’s war aims — the dismantlement of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and the return of all remaining 59 hostages.
Hostage families have long argued that those aims contradict each other and that a return to fighting will endanger their loved ones.
Hostage Omri Miran’s wife Lishay tweeted a broken heart emoji shortly after the strikes began. Former hostage Noa Argamani posted the same thing.
Polling over the past month has indicated that a majority of the Israeli public agrees with the hostage families and backs ending the war in exchange for the release of the hostages.
But those polls have also shown that a plurality of coalition voters back resuming the war. Netanyahu’s hardline coalition partners have also threatened to collapse the government if he ends the war before Hamas has been dismantled.
Israel wasn’t able to do this during the first 15-plus months of war but is emboldened by the new administration in Washington, which is less likely to criticize Jerusalem over potential civilian deaths or the lack of humanitarian aid in Gaza, which the IDF has blocked entirely since the end of the first phase.
The IDF also has a new chief of staff in Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir who entered the post earlier this month pledging an unrelenting effort to dismantle Hamas.
Netanyahu also announced on Monday that he plans to fire Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, one of several security chiefs who regularly sparred with the premier over his handling of the war. The security establishment has argued that Israel should agree to the original terms of the ceasefire in order to secure the release of the remaining hostages before it is too late, insisting that Hamas can be dealt with at a later date.
The cabinet was initially slated to hold a vote on Bar’s dismissal on Tuesday, but that meeting had not been finalized as of Monday night and the resumption of fighting could well delay that process further.
Bar’s agency joined the IDF in conducting an extensive wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, which the army said targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, members of the terror group’s politburo, and its infrastructure.
An Israeli military official briefing reporters said that the IDF conducted dozens of strikes using dozens of aircraft after Netanyahu signed off on the operation earlier Monday.
The strikes came after the IDF identified Hamas preparations to launch attacks on Israel along with its efforts to regroup and rearm, the Israeli military official said.
The military official said it intends to continue the airstrikes “as long as necessary,” and widen the surprise assault beyond an aerial campaign if it is ordered to.
The IDF is deployed and prepared on all fronts, including with heightened alert with its air defenses, the official added.
The plans for Tuesday’s operation had been kept secret until now for the IDF to have the element of surprise, the military official said.
A protester holds up a cutout of Edan Alexander’s face at a rally calling for the release of the hostages, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, March 15, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)Following an assessment, the IDF’s Home Front Command decided to postpone schools in Gaza border communities on Tuesday in addition to halting the train line to the southern city of Sderot.
Zamir managed the operation with Bar from the IDF’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Much of Gaza now lies in ruins after 15 months of fighting, which erupted on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and abducting 251 hostages into Gaza.
The Israeli campaign in response has killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and destroyed much of the housing and infrastructure in the enclave, including the hospital system.
- IDF releases footage of overnight strikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza
The IDF releases footage showing some of its overnight airstrikes against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets across the Gaza Strip as part of a surprise offensive.
The strikes have targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, members of the terror group’s politburo, and its infrastructure. Islamic Jihad members and infrastructure were also targeted.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported 404 deaths and 562 wounded in the strikes. video
Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesperson killed in IDF strikes
The Saudi channel Al-Hadath reports that the spokesperson for the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, known by his nom de guerre Abu Hamza, has been killed in IDF airstrikes in Gaza.
Additionally, the channel reports that Hassan al-Naam Abu Ali, a senior member of PIJ, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis.
Earlier, reports indicated that Yasser Harb, a member of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza, was killed in today’s strikes. His five sons, who were members of Hamas’s military wing, were previously killed in battles with the IDF in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
- IDF says it struck operatives in Gaza trying to plant bomb; Palestinians report 2 killed
The IDF says it carried out another airstrike in the central Gaza Strip earlier today, targeting two terror operatives attempting to plant a bomb in the ground.
According to Palestinian media reports, two were killed in the strike, in the Bureij area.
It comes after a similar strike in the same area earlier today with three more Palestinians reported killed.
- IDF may adopt cautious tactics in Gaza as massive invasion loses momentum - analysisIsrael faces a critical choice in Gaza: To launch a full invasion, opt for gradual strikes, or pursue another ceasefire deal.
Hamas terrorists seen in Gaza City, February 28, 2025
For the last two months, there was a relatively set narrative for Gaza after phase one of the hostage deal: Either Israel and Hamas would reach an agreement on the second phase of a hostage deal and bring the war closer to its end, or the military, under its new aggressive chief, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir would open the gates of hell on Hamas.
If Zamir and the government chose to go “all-out” against Hamas, it was expected that the IDF would invade all parts of Gaza rapidly, as opposed to the very gradual staged invasion that the military spread out over late 2023-mid-2024.
This would also include moving all of the Palestinian civilians to the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area such that the IDF would have unprecedented freedom to unleash aerial bombing and tank and artillery shelling from the ground on all other parts of Gaza without needing to worry about civilians being mixed in with Hamas.
That was until this past weekend.Suddenly, some defense and political voices returned to talks of gradual and targeted penetrations.
The question then is, how exactly would this be different from what the military carried out with former IDF chief Herzi Halevi?The biggest difference would really be that the IDF would theoretically go back to war in Gaza in a staged and gradual way but holding on to a threat that within some period of days or weeks if Hamas still did not relent, the military would take off all of the gloves for real.
The idea of this shift is to calibrate Israel’s escalation to give Hamas one last opportunity, under some but limited fire, to get smart and cut a deal more on Israel’s terms.
Yet, the problem with this thinking is that the initial gradual period would already be telling Hamas the exact opposite.
A gradual, staged return to battle will tell Hamas that Israel – even with Zamir in command and the Trump administration giving much stronger backing to dealing the terror group a fatal blow than its predecessor ever did – is still worried about the consequences of returning to full out war and whether it will get the desired outcome.
How many terrorists can still fight for Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad?Questioned about how a return to war will eliminate Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s new recruits – possibly as high as 25,000 and 5,000, respectively – when they can all just flee with the other 2.3 million Palestinian civilians running to Al-Mawasi, defense sources acknowledged that ending Hamas militarily will still not be all that simple.
SOME DEFENSE sources have expressed hope that intelligence in the last several months has done a strong job of finding and targeting Hamas fighters hiding in schools and other civilian facilities, which could lead to some more successful targeting operations.
But the bottom line is that if Hamas is ready to hide and temporarily put down its weapons, the only way Israel could truly root it out using force would be a very extended military occupation (Israeli soldiers in Gaza, not settlements), something which until now has not had the support of more than around 10% of the Israeli public.
The alternative remains some kind of imperfect diplomatic settlement that partially sets back Hamas but does not fully expel the terror group from Gaza.
Given these dilemmas and a sudden shakiness about returning to a full war in the enclave – which could lead to more dead soldiers, dead hostages, global criticism, and economic instability – the government has opted for “door number three,” avoiding a decision.
This is the reason Hamas has had more than two weeks of a ceasefire without having to give up a single hostage.It is the basis of the flurry of talks about another hostage deal returning 5-10 live hostages in exchange for extending the ceasefire for another 40-60 days.
It is also the reason that the IDF took a risky move attacking an Islamic Jihad drone recently, killing up to nine Palestinians under controversial circumstances.
The Jerusalem Post understands that the drone may not have been carrying out any terror moves at the time and that the IDF has said some of those who were killed wore dual hats as terrorists and journalists, such that targeting them would normally be preferable if they were actually in the middle of, or on the way to, some kind of violent act.
In other words, the military is being increasingly aggressive in small ways to try to intimidate Hamas. It is willing to risk harsher global criticism, but it may all be a partial cover for a hesitance to do something much bigger.
Eventually, though, Israel will either need to cut another deal, however imperfect, or choose between a new immense invasion or a return to smaller gradual invasions – with that third choice being a way to defer choosing between the first two. link
- ‘Unusual incident’ in Gaza indicates Hamas gearing up to carry out new raid in Israel
Israel recently identified “an unusual incident” in Gaza, which points to Hamas gearing up for a renewed raid, penetrating into Israel, Channel 12 says, in an unsourced report that it says was approved for publication by the military censor.
The report also says Israel has identified a “sharp rise” in Hamas efforts to carry out attacks on Gaza border kibbutzim and communities, and on IDF troops stationed inside Gaza.
It further quotes Defense Minister Israel Katz recently telling residents in communities close to Gaza: “Hamas has sustained a heavy blow, but has not been defeated. There are ongoing efforts for its recovery. Hamas is constantly gearing up to carry out a renewed raid into Israel — similar to October 7.”
The TV report comes a day after opposition MK Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief, and other opposition legislators warned of an alarming resurgence by Gaza’s terror groups.
“In recent days, we have been informed that the military power of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has been restored, to the point where Hamas has over 25,000 and PIJ has over 5,000 armed terrorists,” wrote the MKs, all of whom are members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed early Tuesday morning after roughly two months, as the IDF launched dozens of strikes throughout Gaza after receiving orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “act forcefully” against the terror group due to what the premier said was its repeated refusal to release Israeli hostages.
At least 232 Palestinians were killed, including children, according to unverified figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Netanyahu’s office said the decision to resume strikes shortly after midnight on Tuesday “followed Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US special envoy to the Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.”
Hamas has insisted on sticking with the original terms of the deal, which was supposed to enter its second phase at the beginning of the month. That phase envisioned Israel fully withdrawing from Gaza and agreeing to permanently end the war in exchange for the release of the remaining living hostages. While Israel signed on to the deal, Netanyahu has long insisted that Israel will not end the war until Hamas’s governing and military capabilities have been destroyed.
Accordingly, Israel refused to even hold talks regarding the terms of phase two, which were supposed to begin on February 3.
Nonetheless, the ceasefire remained in place for roughly two and a half weeks after the conclusion of the first phase, as mediators worked to broker new terms for the truce’s extension.
A fire at a tent encampment west of Khan Yunis following Israeli strikes on March 18, 2025. IAF air raid tonight (Screen capture; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Accepting Israel’s aversion to phase two, Witkoff presented a bridge proposal last week that would have seen phase one extended for several weeks during which five living hostages would be released. The US envoy said Sunday that Hamas’s response to the offer was a “non-starter” and warned of impending consequences if the terror group did not change its approach.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that Israel consulted with the Trump administration before conducting the Tuesday strikes.
“As President Trump has made it clear: Hamas, the Houthis, Iran — all those who seek to terrorize, not just Israel, but the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose,” she said.
“Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes separately told The Times of Israel.
US President Donald Trump was integral in the securing of the ceasefire, with his envoy Witkoff leaning hard on Netanyahu to accept the hostage deal in January after months of deadlock under the previous Biden administration. Trump has campaigned on ending wars worldwide but has quickly grown impatient with Hamas since entering office, repeatedly threatening the terror group with destruction if the hostages weren’t released.
Hamas issued a statement early Tuesday saying Netanyahu’s government’s decision to “overturn the ceasefire agreement” exposes the hostages “to an unknown fate.”
A dead person killed during an Israeli army strike is taken into the hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday March 18, 2025.(AP Photo/ Mohammad Jahjouh)
Hamas called on the mediators — the US, Qatar and Egypt — to hold Netanyahu fully responsible for breaking the ceasefire.
The terror group demanded Arab and Muslim countries to back “Palestinian resistance” aimed at “breaking the unjust blockade imposed on Gaza.” Hamas also urged the UN Security Council to urgently convene to issue a resolution obligating Israel to halt its “aggression.”
In its statement announcing the overnight strike, Netanyahu’s office said Israel moving forward will “act against Hamas with increasing military strength, adding that the operation is designed to achieve Israel’s war aims — the dismantlement of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and the return of all remaining 59 hostages.
Hostage families have long argued that those aims contradict each other and that a return to fighting will endanger their loved ones.
Hostage Omri Miran’s wife Lishay tweeted a broken heart emoji shortly after the strikes began. Former hostage Noa Argamani posted the same thing.
Polling over the past month has indicated that a majority of the Israeli public agrees with the hostage families and backs ending the war in exchange for the release of the hostages.
But those polls have also shown that a plurality of coalition voters back resuming the war. Netanyahu’s hardline coalition partners have also threatened to collapse the government if he ends the war before Hamas has been dismantled.
Israel wasn’t able to do this during the first 15-plus months of war but is emboldened by the new administration in Washington, which is less likely to criticize Jerusalem over potential civilian deaths or the lack of humanitarian aid in Gaza, which the IDF has blocked entirely since the end of the first phase.
The IDF also has a new chief of staff in Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir who entered the post earlier this month pledging an unrelenting effort to dismantle Hamas.
Netanyahu also announced on Monday that he plans to fire Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, one of several security chiefs who regularly sparred with the premier over his handling of the war. The security establishment has argued that Israel should agree to the original terms of the ceasefire in order to secure the release of the remaining hostages before it is too late, insisting that Hamas can be dealt with at a later date.
The cabinet was initially slated to hold a vote on Bar’s dismissal on Tuesday, but that meeting had not been finalized as of Monday night and the resumption of fighting could well delay that process further.
Bar’s agency joined the IDF in conducting an extensive wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, which the army said targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, members of the terror group’s politburo, and its infrastructure.
An Israeli military official briefing reporters said that the IDF conducted dozens of strikes using dozens of aircraft after Netanyahu signed off on the operation earlier Monday.
The strikes came after the IDF identified Hamas preparations to launch attacks on Israel along with its efforts to regroup and rearm, the Israeli military official said.
The military official said it intends to continue the airstrikes “as long as necessary,” and widen the surprise assault beyond an aerial campaign if it is ordered to.
The IDF is deployed and prepared on all fronts, including with heightened alert with its air defenses, the official added.
The plans for Tuesday’s operation had been kept secret until now for the IDF to have the element of surprise, the military official said.
Following an assessment, the IDF’s Home Front Command decided to postpone schools in Gaza border communities on Tuesday in addition to halting the train line to the southern city of Sderot.
Zamir managed the operation with Bar from the IDF’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Much of Gaza now lies in ruins after 15 months of fighting, which erupted on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and abducting 251 hostages into Gaza.
The Israeli campaign in response has killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and destroyed much of the housing and infrastructure in the enclave, including the hospital system.
The IDF releases footage showing some of its overnight airstrikes against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets across the Gaza Strip as part of a surprise offensive.
The strikes have targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, members of the terror group’s politburo, and its infrastructure. Islamic Jihad members and infrastructure were also targeted.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported 404 deaths and 562 wounded in the strikes. video
Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesperson killed in IDF strikes
The Saudi channel Al-Hadath reports that the spokesperson for the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, known by his nom de guerre Abu Hamza, has been killed in IDF airstrikes in Gaza.
Additionally, the channel reports that Hassan al-Naam Abu Ali, a senior member of PIJ, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis.
Earlier, reports indicated that Yasser Harb, a member of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza, was killed in today’s strikes. His five sons, who were members of Hamas’s military wing, were previously killed in battles with the IDF in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
The IDF says it carried out another airstrike in the central Gaza Strip earlier today, targeting two terror operatives attempting to plant a bomb in the ground.
According to Palestinian media reports, two were killed in the strike, in the Bureij area.
It comes after a similar strike in the same area earlier today with three more Palestinians reported killed.
Hamas terrorists seen in Gaza City, February 28, 2025
Israel recently identified “an unusual incident” in Gaza, which points to Hamas gearing up for a renewed raid, penetrating into Israel, Channel 12 says, in an unsourced report that it says was approved for publication by the military censor.
The report also says Israel has identified a “sharp rise” in Hamas efforts to carry out attacks on Gaza border kibbutzim and communities, and on IDF troops stationed inside Gaza.
It further quotes Defense Minister Israel Katz recently telling residents in communities close to Gaza: “Hamas has sustained a heavy blow, but has not been defeated. There are ongoing efforts for its recovery. Hamas is constantly gearing up to carry out a renewed raid into Israel — similar to October 7.”
The TV report comes a day after opposition MK Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief, and other opposition legislators warned of an alarming resurgence by Gaza’s terror groups.
“In recent days, we have been informed that the military power of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has been restored, to the point where Hamas has over 25,000 and PIJ has over 5,000 armed terrorists,” wrote the MKs, all of whom are members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- IDF strikes Syrian artillery systems near Israel border
The IDF says it carried out drone strikes a short while ago against artillery systems near the southern Syrian town of Khan Arnabeh, close to the Israeli border.
According to the military, the artillery had posed a threat to Israel.
“The presence of weapons in southern Syria is a threat to the State of Israel. The IDF will not allow the existence of a military threat in southern Syria and will act against it,” the IDF says.
- Lebanese president says forces will respond to Syrian fire after child killed
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says that his country’s forces will respond to incoming fire from neighboring Syria that authorities said killed a child.
Clashes broke out late Sunday at the Syrian-Lebanese border, with the new authorities in Damascus accusing the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah of abducting three soldiers into Lebanon and killing them.
A Lebanese security source tells AFP that Syrian forces fired shells into Lebanon after the three security personnel were killed in the Lebanese village of Qasr by local gunmen involved in smuggling.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) says the border clashes resumed on Monday following fresh Syrian shelling.
“What is happening on the eastern and northeastern borders cannot continue,” Aoun says in a post on X. “I have directed the Lebanese army to respond to the source of the fire.”
The army says that it undertook “exceptional security measures and intensive communications” since last night that had led to the return of the three Syrian soldiers’ bodies to authorities there.
It says Lebanese border towns and villages have seen “shelling from the direction of Syrian territory,” noting that army units responded with “appropriate weapons, reinforced their deployment and controlled the security situation.”
Communications were ongoing between “the army command and Syrian authorities to restore security and preserve the stability of the border area,” it adds.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos says one child was killed and six other people wounded by the Syrian shelling, adding that many civilians had also been displaced in the border area.
Hezbollah was a key backer of Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad before he was toppled in a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels in December.
- IDF confirms airstrikes against Hezbollah military sites in Lebanon
The IDF confirms carrying out a wave of airstrikes in Lebanon a short while ago, saying it targeted Hezbollah military sites.The sites were targeted after the IDF says it identified Hezbollah operatives and weapons at them.
“The terror activity at these sites poses a threat to the State of Israel and is a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military says.
The strikes were reported by Lebanese media in the Beqaa Valley area and in southern Lebanon. - Israeli strikes in Syria targeted military bases, some casualties
The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported Monday evening that Israel attacked military bases in the suburbs of the city of Daraa in Syria three times, and that there were casualties as a result of the attacks.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
The IDF says it carried out drone strikes a short while ago against artillery systems near the southern Syrian town of Khan Arnabeh, close to the Israeli border.
According to the military, the artillery had posed a threat to Israel.
“The presence of weapons in southern Syria is a threat to the State of Israel. The IDF will not allow the existence of a military threat in southern Syria and will act against it,” the IDF says.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says that his country’s forces will respond to incoming fire from neighboring Syria that authorities said killed a child.
Clashes broke out late Sunday at the Syrian-Lebanese border, with the new authorities in Damascus accusing the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah of abducting three soldiers into Lebanon and killing them.
A Lebanese security source tells AFP that Syrian forces fired shells into Lebanon after the three security personnel were killed in the Lebanese village of Qasr by local gunmen involved in smuggling.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) says the border clashes resumed on Monday following fresh Syrian shelling.
“What is happening on the eastern and northeastern borders cannot continue,” Aoun says in a post on X. “I have directed the Lebanese army to respond to the source of the fire.”
The army says that it undertook “exceptional security measures and intensive communications” since last night that had led to the return of the three Syrian soldiers’ bodies to authorities there.
It says Lebanese border towns and villages have seen “shelling from the direction of Syrian territory,” noting that army units responded with “appropriate weapons, reinforced their deployment and controlled the security situation.”
Communications were ongoing between “the army command and Syrian authorities to restore security and preserve the stability of the border area,” it adds.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos says one child was killed and six other people wounded by the Syrian shelling, adding that many civilians had also been displaced in the border area.
Hezbollah was a key backer of Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad before he was toppled in a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels in December.
The IDF confirms carrying out a wave of airstrikes in Lebanon a short while ago, saying it targeted Hezbollah military sites.
“The terror activity at these sites poses a threat to the State of Israel and is a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military says.
The strikes were reported by Lebanese media in the Beqaa Valley area and in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported Monday evening that Israel attacked military bases in the suburbs of the city of Daraa in Syria three times, and that there were casualties as a result of the attacks.
Politics and the War (general news)
- Opposition’s Golan accuses ‘dangerous’Netanyahu of resuming Gaza fighting to preserve his rule
The Democrats party chief Yair Golan slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his decision to resume hostilities in the Gaza Strip, tweeting that the troops in the field and hostages in Hamas captivity “are just cards in his game of survival.”
“Netanyahu is using the lives of our citizens and soldiers because he trembles in fear of us — the public protest against the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet,” the left-wing leader claims. Golan is referring to Netanyahu’s recent announcement that he will terminate Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, whose agency is investigating alleged ties between senior Netanyahu aides and Qatar.
Israelis “must not let the madness win” and instead protest in order to save the state of Israel “from the hands of this corrupt and dangerous man,” he says.
- The Excuse: "Lack of Trust": The Dismissed Officials, Those in the Crosshairs, and the One Who Didn’t Take Responsibility
The Democrats party chief Yair Golan slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his decision to resume hostilities in the Gaza Strip, tweeting that the troops in the field and hostages in Hamas captivity “are just cards in his game of survival.”
“Netanyahu is using the lives of our citizens and soldiers because he trembles in fear of us — the public protest against the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet,” the left-wing leader claims. Golan is referring to Netanyahu’s recent announcement that he will terminate Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, whose agency is investigating alleged ties between senior Netanyahu aides and Qatar.
Israelis “must not let the madness win” and instead protest in order to save the state of Israel “from the hands of this corrupt and dangerous man,” he says.
The dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar joins a series of firings and resignations in the defense and legal systems following the failures of October 7. Netanyahu accuses Bar of a "lack of trust," while polls show the public has lost trust in both Bar and Netanyahu, who refuses to step down. But it’s not just Bar—the excuse of "lack of trust" is being used by those seeking to settle scores with the professional echelon. Here’s the full list.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the nearly unprecedented decision Sunday to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar from his position. The last time a Shin Bet chief ended their term prematurely was after the assassination of Rabin, when Carmi Gillon submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Bar’s dismissal adds to a long list of senior defense officials who have resigned or been fired following the failures of October 7.
The only person who has not taken responsibility for the Simchat Torah massacre is the man at the top of the pyramid, responsible for the defense system, policy, and the strategic vision of the State of Israel—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
**Those in Office on October 7 Who Resigned or Were Fired**
Netanyahu said in his statement last night that he does not trust Shin Bet chief Bar and that he has "no confidence in him." According to a series of polls conducted over the past year and a half by Channel 12, the public has also lost trust in Bar, but at the same time, in the prime minister as well. In the latest poll conducted on March 5, 64% of respondents said Bar should resign, compared to 60% who think Netanyahu should step down.
In another poll conducted about a year ago on April 30, 2024, 56% said Bar should resign, and 58% said Netanyahu should resign. On the question of performance, according to a poll conducted on February 17 of this year, 61% believed Netanyahu’s performance was poor, compared to 46% who thought Bar’s performance was poor. It’s important to note that this isn’t just about Bar—the claim of "lack of trust" has become the go-to excuse for the political echelon when settling scores with the professional echelon in various systems.
**Ronen Bar: Netanyahu Dismissed Him Citing "Lack of Trust"**
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced his decision to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, citing a "lack of trust." The decision comes amid growing tensions between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Shin Bet chief, particularly following the "Qatar-Gate" affair and the ongoing investigation into the matter. Senior government officials expressed support for the move, claiming Bar "failed in his role" and that they expect him to "hand over the keys and go home."
**Gali Baharav-Miara: Government to Discuss Her Dismissal**
The government plans to discuss the dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on March 23, also citing a "lack of trust." Justice Minister Yariv Levin initiated the move, submitting a request to the Cabinet Secretary to place a motion of no confidence in the Attorney General on the agenda, due to her "improper conduct" and long-standing, substantive disagreements between the government and her, which hinder effective cooperation. The upcoming government discussion will mark the first stage in the dismissal process, which is expected to take several months.
**Yitzhak Amit: Justice Minister Does Not Recognize the Supreme Court President**
Justice Minister Yariv Levin expressed "complete lack of trust" in the new Supreme Court President, Justice Yitzhak Amit. Levin clarified that he does not recognize Amit’s appointment as president, claiming it was made through a flawed process. Tensions between Levin and the judiciary have escalated following the government’s attempts to advance judicial reforms and the criticism leveled at Levin by senior legal officials.
**Yaakov Shabtai: Ben Gvir Refused to Extend His Term**
Former National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir decided in June 2023 not to extend the term of Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai for a fourth year. Ben Gvir’s associates explained that the minister had "lost trust" in the commissioner due to disagreements over police policy and its handling of sensitive cases. The decision drew criticism from police and political figures, who argued it could harm police operations.
**Katy Perry: Ben Gvir Did Not Extend Her Term**
In December 2023, former National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir decided not to extend the term of Prisons Commissioner Katy Perry after months of a strained relationship. The minister cited, among other reasons, "complete lack of trust" in Perry, following repeated incidents in prisons, including inmate escapes and security breaches.
**Other Senior Officials Who Were Fired or Resigned**
**Aharon Haliva, Head of Military Intelligence**
About six months after Hamas’s deadly surprise attack, Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva informed the Chief of Staff of his intention to end his term. In a letter to the Chief of Staff, he wrote: "I will carry the terrible pain of this war with me forever. I trust that a state commission of inquiry will be established to thoroughly investigate the tragic events." Already in October 2023, Haliva admitted his part in the failure: "I bear responsibility for the failure; we did not meet the mission."
**Yoav Gallant, Defense Minister**
About a year after the war began, Prime Minister Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. As with Shin Bet chief Bar, the prime minister pointed to a "deepening crisis of trust. Over the past months, trust between me and the defense minister has eroded." In a speech following his dismissal, Gallant said: "This dismissal stems from a dispute over three issues. The first is my firm stance that everyone of draft age must serve in the IDF and defend the State of Israel. This is not just a social issue; it is central to our existence and future—for the security of Israel and the Jewish people."
It should be noted that Gallant was previously fired in March 2023 after calling for a halt to the judicial reform, but the decision was reversed two weeks later due to public pressure. Ultimately, Gallant was dismissed in November 2024, citing a "lack of trust." The dismissal followed prolonged tensions between Gallant and the prime minister and several senior ministers over disagreements on security and strategic issues.
**Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff**
Toward the end of January 2025, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi informed Defense Minister Israel Katz of his intention to end his term prematurely. Halevi explained in his letter to Katz: "I informed the defense minister today that, recognizing my responsibility for the IDF’s failure on October 7 and at a time when the IDF has achieved significant successes and is in the process of implementing an agreement to release hostages, I request to end my term on March 6, 2025."
His announcement came after attacks by senior government officials, led by Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who claimed that conscripted soldiers had no trust in him. Halevi noted in his letter that he takes responsibility for the failures that led to the October 7 attack but emphasized the importance of timing and expressed his desire to complete critical tasks before ending his term.
**Yaron Finkelman, Southern Command Chief**
Minutes after Chief of Staff Halevi’s announcement, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman also published a resignation letter from the IDF. "Guided by my conscience and the values that direct me, I have decided to end my role as Southern Command chief and my service in the IDF. On October 7, I failed to protect the Western Negev and its beloved and heroic residents. This failure will haunt me for the rest of my life," Finkelman wrote.
**Oded Basiuk, Head of the Operations Directorate**
Two days after Eyal Zamir entered the Chief of Staff’s office, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk informed him of his desire to retire from the IDF. The move comes after reports in the main news broadcast about a "cleaning of the stables" Zamir is planning in the IDF’s top ranks, which includes Basiuk’s dismissal. Before the "cleaning," Basiuk requested to retire from the IDF after nearly four years in his role. Zamir accepted his request but asked him to continue in his position in the coming months due to the army’s operational challenges. link
- ‘Can you guarantee it won't happen again?’ IDF’s October 7 investigations omit key findings, fuel resident distrust
Military's investigations into failures leading into and during Hamas’ attack leave out critical intelligence failures, with residents skeptical and demanding an external review to address systemic shortcomings
Residents of the Gaza border communities remain uncertain about returning home, even after the IDF presented its findings from investigations into the failures leading up to and on October 7. "You've shown us the mistakes, the malfunctions and the findings. But what’s next? How can you guarantee October 7 won't happen again?" they asked. No senior officer, past or present, had an answer.
One officer admitted the truth: only a high-level inquiry, like a state commission, could provide real answers and help Israel understand how the massacre on October 7 could take place — and, more importantly, how to prevent another invasion.
Kibbutz Nir Oz
Significant gaps remain in the investigations focused solely on the military’s performance. Some agencies, including the Magen David Adom emergency medical service, the Israel Police and even the Shin Bet did not cooperate with the military’s probes. Each had its own reasons, despite thousands of medics, officers and security personnel having worked closely with the IDF.Investigators also faced overwhelming workloads. The probe into Kibbutz Nir Oz initially involved a senior artillery corps officer but later required retired Maj. Gen. Eran Niv to step in due to the scale of the failures. Many investigation team leaders were active-duty commanders juggling frontline combat in Gaza and Lebanon alongside their probe duties.
One officer, Col. A., who commands a reserve brigade under the 98th Division, earned the nickname "Nahal Oz Brigade Commander" from his troops because of his repeated visits to the overrun base where 53 soldiers were killed.
IDF leadership was also uneasy that many of those questioned — from brigade commanders to senior generals — consulted lawyers provided by the military before responding to investigators. "It was clear who sought legal advice and who didn't," a military source said.
External review team appointed
A year after he rejected the idea, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved former IDF chief Herzi Halevi’s request to appoint an external review team to reassess the military’s investigations, issue recommendations for command (mostly symbolic, as some officers involved have already retired) and oversee implementation of lessons learned.
Led by former IDF Southern Command chief Sami Turgeman, the team includes retired generals who will examine concerns over investigator bias. For instance, the Southern Command's inquiry was led by Brig. Gen. (res.) Tal Hermoni, who was part of the command on October 7 and is still serving there. During the attack, he was the command’s home front officer working alongside his superior, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, in the main war room in Be’er Sheva, giving orders.
In another case, an investigator was a brigade commander who had fought in the very battle he was assigned to review. While no one questioned their integrity, their inquiries were inherently limited — military leadership instructed them not to assign personal measures such as dismissals or reprimands.
The only investigator to defy this order was Col. A., who reviewed the battle at the Nahal Oz base. Given the extent of the failures, the culture of negligence and the blatant disregard for operational orders he uncovered, he refused to avoid personal accountability.
Sensitive findings withheld
The investigations released to the public so far — including the next one, set to be shared with families and survivors of the Nova music festival — have omitted key aspects and completed reports, such as those concerning the IDF’s Gaza Division and intelligence units like Unit 8200.
Kibbutz Nir Oz
The military has reasons for this: These reports contain severe allegations from mid-level officers about critical failures, ignored warnings and a culture of complacency.
Golani Brigade commanders, for example, were deeply frustrated with Southern Command leaders, who failed to provide them with grenades or adequate combat gear in advance and withheld intelligence known on the night of the attack. Golani units were manning the frontline that Saturday.
Other forces present that weekend for training were furious to learn that no one in the operations division, led by Brig. Gen. Shlomi Binder knew they were available, armed and ready to deploy. "We lost one to two crucial hours — hundreds of troops could have reached the Gaza border by 9:00 a.m. instead of 11:00 a.m.," one internal report noted.
At the war’s outset, a senior military official warned that conducting investigations mid-fighting would weaken the army by fueling blame games. He likely didn’t anticipate the war dragging on indefinitely. The way the military chose to investigate itself — and the limited, filtered manner in which findings have been presented — reveals how deeply that fear influenced the process.
Some within the military argue that the investigations paint such contradictory narratives that it’s hard to believe that the same officers were involved in the same events. In the Gaza Division, for instance, Brig. Gen. Avi Rosenfeld, who commanded it on October 7, still insists the division didn’t collapse.
Aftermath of the massacre at Nir Oz
"The war room’s lights may have been out for 10 minutes, but the real failure was intelligence, not our response," he claimed.
The IDF maintains that "many lessons learned have already been implemented, including larger forces and readiness changes. As for the investigators, due to the volume of inquiries — over 50 — some were led by active-duty officers rather than reservists.
“To restore public trust, we worked to complete and present the findings. We chose not to issue personal recommendations to ensure interviewees spoke freely, focusing on improvement rather than blame."
link
- Shin Bet probe tied Oct. 7 directly to PM’s policy of sending Qatari money to Gaza, may be another reason he’s firing Bar
An annex to the Shin Bet’s internal probe of its own October 7 failures, which has not been published, but was given to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, directly ties the prime minister and his policies to the catastrophe, Channel 12 reports.
The TV report suggests that the annex, which it says amounts to an “astounding indictment” of Netanyahu, constitutes a “possible further reason” why the prime minister is firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
The document, which is entitled “The Path to October 7,” makes clear beyond all doubt that Netanyahu’s policy of buying calm in Gaza, by having Qatar send vast sums of money into the Hamas-run Strip, was maintained “despite multiple warnings issued by the Shin Bet to the prime minister [ahead of the Hamas invasion] that Israel was facing a disaster,” the TV report says.
It says the document, whose findings and conclusions were also based on Hamas documentation found in Gaza tunnels and on interrogations of Hamas detainees, establishes that the Qatari money was used to strengthen Hamas.
The Shin Bet document further reportedly says that “the entire security doctrine that Netanyahu had led for years collapsed” on October 7. Therefore, the document reportedly states, “a thorough investigation of the nature of a state commission is needed.”
The Shin Bet released a summary of its internal probe on March 4. Its published summation cites several factors that enabled Hamas to build up its forces for the October 7 onslaught, and decide to carry out the attack. Among the reasons cited: Israel’s policy vis-à-vis Gaza was to maintain periods of quiet, which enabled Hamas’s massive force build-up; the flow of money from Qatar to Gaza and its delivery to Hamas’s military wing; an ongoing erosion of Israel’s deterrence, and an attempt to deal with a terror organization based on intelligence and defensive measures, while avoiding offensive initiatives.
Channel 12 further reports that an official known only as “Mem,” the current deputy of the Shin Bet, is Netanyahu’s leading candidate to succeed Bar, but that this is not final. It notes that “Mem” held that position on October 7 and that might prevent his appointment.
The TV report also quotes sources close to Bar saying that he feels that he is defending values that are “larger than the security service,” and that he regards the current crisis as “a real threat to democracy and to the state.”
The issue is not the fate of Ronen Bar, the sources are quoted saying, but rather the well-being of the state.
- **Soldiers Who Received Exemptions Were Recalled, IDF Recruits Even Through Facebook: "Send Your Name and ID Number—Welcome Aboard"**
Residents of the Gaza border communities remain uncertain about returning home, even after the IDF presented its findings from investigations into the failures leading up to and on October 7. "You've shown us the mistakes, the malfunctions and the findings. But what’s next? How can you guarantee October 7 won't happen again?" they asked. No senior officer, past or present, had an answer.
Kibbutz Nir Oz
Kibbutz Nir OzThe military has reasons for this: These reports contain severe allegations from mid-level officers about critical failures, ignored warnings and a culture of complacency. Golani Brigade commanders, for example, were deeply frustrated with Southern Command leaders, who failed to provide them with grenades or adequate combat gear in advance and withheld intelligence known on the night of the attack. Golani units were manning the frontline that Saturday.
Aftermath of the massacre at Nir Oz"The war room’s lights may have been out for 10 minutes, but the real failure was intelligence, not our response," he claimed. The IDF maintains that "many lessons learned have already been implemented, including larger forces and readiness changes. As for the investigators, due to the volume of inquiries — over 50 — some were led by active-duty officers rather than reservists. “To restore public trust, we worked to complete and present the findings. We chose not to issue personal recommendations to ensure interviewees spoke freely, focusing on improvement rather than blame." link
An annex to the Shin Bet’s internal probe of its own October 7 failures, which has not been published, but was given to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, directly ties the prime minister and his policies to the catastrophe, Channel 12 reports.
The TV report suggests that the annex, which it says amounts to an “astounding indictment” of Netanyahu, constitutes a “possible further reason” why the prime minister is firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
The document, which is entitled “The Path to October 7,” makes clear beyond all doubt that Netanyahu’s policy of buying calm in Gaza, by having Qatar send vast sums of money into the Hamas-run Strip, was maintained “despite multiple warnings issued by the Shin Bet to the prime minister [ahead of the Hamas invasion] that Israel was facing a disaster,” the TV report says.
It says the document, whose findings and conclusions were also based on Hamas documentation found in Gaza tunnels and on interrogations of Hamas detainees, establishes that the Qatari money was used to strengthen Hamas.
The Shin Bet document further reportedly says that “the entire security doctrine that Netanyahu had led for years collapsed” on October 7. Therefore, the document reportedly states, “a thorough investigation of the nature of a state commission is needed.”
The Shin Bet released a summary of its internal probe on March 4. Its published summation cites several factors that enabled Hamas to build up its forces for the October 7 onslaught, and decide to carry out the attack. Among the reasons cited: Israel’s policy vis-à-vis Gaza was to maintain periods of quiet, which enabled Hamas’s massive force build-up; the flow of money from Qatar to Gaza and its delivery to Hamas’s military wing; an ongoing erosion of Israel’s deterrence, and an attempt to deal with a terror organization based on intelligence and defensive measures, while avoiding offensive initiatives.
Channel 12 further reports that an official known only as “Mem,” the current deputy of the Shin Bet, is Netanyahu’s leading candidate to succeed Bar, but that this is not final. It notes that “Mem” held that position on October 7 and that might prevent his appointment.
The TV report also quotes sources close to Bar saying that he feels that he is defending values that are “larger than the security service,” and that he regards the current crisis as “a real threat to democracy and to the state.”
The issue is not the fate of Ronen Bar, the sources are quoted saying, but rather the well-being of the state.
The IDF is "seeing a significant drop in motivation." Approximately 12,000 combat soldiers have returned to reserve duty since the start of the war—despite having been released. In one year, the percentage of enlistees dropped by 35%. The IDF is using every tool available to recruit additional soldiers for the force: "We’re spreading the message on Facebook and WhatsApp so people can reach out to us."
The IDF is concerned about the erosion of the reserve forces and understands that all means are justified to recruit soldiers and maintain operational readiness. Over the past six months, the combat units have begun recalling individuals who previously received exemptions—in an attempt to increase their numbers. At the same time, recruiters are turning from conventional methods to social media. "It’s a desperate situation, but it’s becoming trendy," explained one recruiter Monday in a conversation with N12.
**The Shortage of Reservists in Numbers**
- Approximately 12,000 combat soldiers have returned to reserve duty since the start of the war, after their exemptions were revoked.
- In combat support units—1,074 soldiers who previously received exemptions were recalled to reserve duty.
- At the start of the war—reserve enlistment stood at 120%. By November 2024, enlistment rates dropped to 85%.
- In February—82% of reservists reported for duty. It should be noted that this calculation is based on the tasks defined by the unit commander, so the actual reporting rate is much lower.
- The percentage of attached soldiers in combat battalions (soldiers who want to remain in reserves and move between units) ranges between 10-15%. This means the army relies on these individuals, transferring them between missions, but creating a lack of organic cohesion within the force.
"We are indeed seeing a significant drop in motivation and reserve enlistment," claim IDF sources. "The assessment is that on the day of an order and when called for a significant maneuver—all combat soldiers will report." Conversations with recruiters who have posted on Facebook, calling on the public to enlist, highlight the extent of the crisis.
"Reservists were invited to a medical exercise, but there weren’t enough people, so we were given permission to recruit through Facebook and job boards using Order 8. If you want to do something and you’re not doing it—there are always job postings here and there. People go through interviews, and it’s all because of the shortage of reservists," said Ilan.
**"Looking for Combat Soldiers Through Facebook"**
Laura added, "We’re a mixed reserve battalion. We’re about to hold a line for two to two and a half months in the Bethlehem area and are looking to recruit. You can join as an attached soldier or go through screening."
When asked how this works, she replied, "You’ll need to send me a message with your full name, ID number, and rifle qualification. My company commander will talk to you, pass it on to the personnel office, and they know everything. We’re spreading the message on Facebook and WhatsApp so people can contact us. I don’t know if there’s a shortage or if we just don’t know how to reach the right people. There are many female combat soldiers who weren’t assigned to reserves when they were discharged and were sent to a general pool, even though they have the training."
**"Many Female Combat Soldiers Weren’t Assigned and Were Sent to a General Pool—Despite Having the Training"**
We also spoke with Dima about recruiting drivers: "It’s not exactly combat soldiers; we’re looking for drivers. It starts with Rifleman 03 and up. You need a driver’s license; there’s a shortage of drivers. Send me your name, surname, and ID number on WhatsApp—and note where you’re from. But if you want to be a combat soldier, that’s a different department," he clarified.
**"We’ve Also Recruited Through Facebook"**
Yoni shared, "We post an ad, and if you meet the criteria, you’re attached." When asked if it works, he replied, "Of course, we manage to recruit. There are reserve groups that bring in great people. People reach out through Facebook."
Or added, "I’m a company commander; if you’re interested, I’m looking for a deputy company commander and a kitchen manager. Send me your ID number and full name—and welcome aboard." Tal is looking for a paramedic but admitted she’s surprised by the nature of the recruitment: "We’re a light infantry battalion, holding an operational sector. We need an additional paramedic—from emergency jumps to nighttime activities. The sector is in Gush Etzion. I myself am shocked by Facebook. It’s a desperate situation where even the command can’t find personnel. It’s become very trendy." link
- **Moments Before Final Approval of the Budget: The Massive Additions Received by Unnecessary Ministries**
A document submitted to members of the Finance Committee reveals the hundreds of millions of shekels added to the budgets of government ministries for 2025 since its initial approval in the first reading. The budget for the Settlement Ministry was increased by an additional 268 million shekels, while the budget for the Tradition Ministry more than quadrupled. This comes as former hostages turn to the public for financial assistance, alongside a sweeping budget cut that will impact health, education, and welfare budgets.
The marathon approval of the 2025 budget is in full swing, and the coalition is funneling hundreds of millions more into unnecessary ministries just after approving across-the-board cuts to all government ministries. During the votes in the Finance Committee, Knesset members were informed that the Settlement Ministry, headed by Minister Orit Strock of the Religious Zionism party (led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich), would receive an additional budget increase of 51 million shekels. Opposition representatives in the committee protested the budget increases while families of former prisoners of war, like Yarden Bibas, are turning to the public for financial help.
The new addition to Strock's ministry (in commitment authorizations and conditional expenditure) follows previous increases to the ministry's budget since the budget's initial approval in the Knesset in December last year. In total, the budget for the Settlement and National Missions Ministry has jumped from 123 million shekels to 391 million shekels since its original approval—an increase of 268 million shekels. This represents a more than threefold increase in the ministry's budget, which, according to claims, serves as the main conduit for funding projects close to the heart of the Religious Zionism party.
Simultaneously, the budget for the Jerusalem and Tradition Ministry, headed by Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism), was also significantly increased, and by an even larger margin: from 28 million shekels, the ministry's budget was raised to 118 million shekels—an increase of 90 million shekels, marking a more than fourfold expansion. Additionally, the ministry was granted a commitment authorization of 40 million shekels.
Another increase was made to the budget of the Heritage Ministry, formerly headed by Amichai Eliyahu until the resignation of the Otzma Yehudit party. From approximately 72 million shekels, the ministry's budget was increased to 78 million shekels—an addition of about 6 million shekels. A similar amount was granted to the ministry for commitment authorizations.
These budget additions were revealed in a document summarizing the replacement pages submitted Monday to members of the Finance Committee. These are budgetary increases for ministries that the professional echelon in the Finance Ministry recommended closing back in December 2023 to address the budgetary challenges created by the war.
**Unnecessary Ministries Recommended for Closure by the Finance Ministry**
At the same time: Cuts to Health and Education
These numbers come to light after the Finance Ministry asked government ministers at the beginning of the week to approve across-the-board cuts of 3 billion shekels to their ministries' budgets. These cuts include a reduction of over 1 billion shekels in defense spending, 375 million shekels in education and higher education budgets, and approximately 104 million shekels in health budgets. Additionally, the cuts include a reduction of 3.3 million shekels from the budget of the Holocaust Survivors' Authority.
At the beginning of the month, the government approved the allocation of over 5 billion shekels in coalition funds, focused on the ultra-Orthodox sector and programs for Jewish culture and identity. Among other things, the government approved an allocation of approximately 300 million shekels for purposes under the responsibility of Strock's Settlement Ministry, in addition to the ministry's own budget. link They have the gaul to cut budgets to Holocaust survivors. Many of these survivors live on that money and have to decide whether to buy medicine or food. Disgraceful!!!1
The Region and the World
- In rarity, Egyptian TV presses Hamas official on whether most Gaza casualties are military operatives or civilians
An anchor on Egypt’s Al-Qahera channel, seen as close to Cairo’s government, asks the spokesperson for Hamas’s Gaza health ministry at the start of an interview whether most of the casualties in the resumption of Israeli airstrikes have been civilians or member of “resistance factions,” an unusual question on an Arab channel.
The spokesperson, Khalil Dakran, responds that most of the injured arriving at hospitals are women, children, and the elderly.
Hamas figures routinely cast most of the casualties as women and children, and they don’t differentiate between members of terror groups and civilians.
-
Personal Stories
**"Imagine the Moment Guy Will Be Free": The Anime Film About the Hostage Who Dreams of Japan** "When he returns and watches it, it will be a peak moment for us" – Merav Glebov-Dalal shared her excitement in the ynet studio about the film about her son Guy, which premiered at the Harucon convention in Jerusalem before a large audience of Japanese culture enthusiasts. The film tells the story of the young man who was kidnapped while a plane ticket to Japan awaited him at home, blending the harsh reality of captivity with his dream of cherry blossoms. "We hope Guy is using the resilience he absorbed from anime worlds," said the film's creator, Yarden Bar. 
The Jerusalem International Convention Center was filled Sunday with thousands of anime and Japanese culture fans. Amid the elaborate makeup, colorful costumes, tournaments, and lectures, a special moment turned the annual Harucon convention into something more than just a cultural celebration. In a world premiere, a short anime film was screened, telling the story of Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped from the Nova party and is one of the 24 living hostages held in Gaza for 528 days.
The film, initiated and produced by animators Yarden Bar and Chen Hayfetz, not only keeps Guy's story and that of the other hostages in Gaza in the community's consciousness but also connects his deep love for Japanese culture and anime films with the horrifying and unimaginable situation he has been in for nearly a year and a half.
**He Bought a Plane Ticket to Japan – and Was Kidnapped** After the emotional screening, Guy's older brother, Gal Gilboa-Dalal, took the stage to loud applause. Gal told the audience about his brother's deep connection to Japanese culture and expressed hope that next year Guy himself could attend the convention as a guest.
The connection between Guy and Japanese culture began under his brother's influence but quickly grew into a great love. "Guy studied Japanese," says Merav Gilboa-Dalal, Guy's mother, in an interview with ynet. "He had a plane ticket to Japan in his hand." 
**What Drew Guy So Much to This Culture, So Different from Israeli Culture?** Merav: "We actually talked about this a lot. I didn’t have a connection to Japan, and I was curious to understand what his thing was with this culture that he connected with so deeply. During our conversations, I realized that anime films are full of emotion, and Guy was drawn to those kinds of films. Later, as he was exposed to more aspects of this culture, he began to connect with the Japanese cherry blossoms and, in general, everything related to Japan.
"My Guy, when he gets interested in something, he goes all the way," she adds wistfully. "Since he was a child, he’s been a hard worker, never willing to compromise or settle for just a part, and that’s also why he wanted to go to Japan—to study it seriously, from A to Z."
**Between Reality and Fantasy** The meeting between the family and the film's creators took place at the previous Harucon convention. "I was at the convention last year," says Bar, the film's initiator and creator and owner of Pixel Studio. "The family took the stage and talked about Guy’s love for Japanese culture, especially anime films. At that moment, I told myself: 'I’m going to get their number, and I’m going to approach them and tell them I want to make an anime film about Guy.'"
**How Do You Translate Such a Tragic Story into the Anime Format, Usually Associated with Imaginary and Colorful Worlds?** Bar: "It was really a challenging task. At first, I thought about making the film a bit more fantastical, imaginary. But once Chen, the film’s director, and I met with the family and heard from them about Guy’s biography, we realized the film would blend reality and fantasy.
The film is divided into two clear parts. "The first half deals with Guy and who he was until he was kidnapped," explains Bar, "and the second half is more imaginary, because we don’t really know what he’s going through in captivity. We want to speculate that Guy is using the resilience and positivity he absorbed from anime worlds to help himself survive this impossible place, to put it mildly." 
Guy running from the terrorists at Nova
The moment of Guy's abduction to Gaza
**What Happens at the End of the Film, in the More Fantastical Part as You Defined It?** "That’s the part where Guy imagines his freedom, the moment he is released from captivity. We tried to present that moment as we all imagine it, and we want to believe that Guy is also imagining the moment when he will get out of there and return to being a free person."
**"My Son Is Rotting in Gaza"** Guy’s image has also been etched into the public consciousness from the chilling video in which he is seen with Aviatar David, his childhood friend who was kidnapped with him, arriving at the "release ceremony" that Hamas terrorists organized for their fellow captives.
The cynical and cruel video, published by Hamas on social media, documented the difficult moment when Guy and Aviatar were forced to watch their friends being released, while they themselves were returned to the dark and narrow tunnels, without food, water, or air, despite apparently being promised that they too would be released. 
Hamas cruelly brought Guy Gilboa Dalal and Aviatar Dor to watch the Hamas ceremony of the release of other hostages
**"The Excitement Will Be Even Greater When Guy Returns and Watches the Film Himself"** Merav says hopefully. "I’m already waiting for that moment; it will be a peak moment for us."
**Can You Guess What His Reaction Will Be When He Watches the Film?** "I think it will do him a lot of good, especially because the ending will be good—both in the film and in reality."
Alongside the excitement and hope brought by the anime film, the political situation continues to cast a shadow over the hostages' families. When Merav is asked about her feelings in light of the recent reports of stalled negotiations and political tensions, she doesn’t hide her frustration: "The current state of no progress in the negotiations is simply unbearable for me; this stagnation is driving me crazy. It reminds me of what happened in Rafah, where nothing was done for three months." 
Meirav Gilboa Dalal "My son is rotting in captivity."
Her voice trembles slightly as she adds: "My son and the other hostages are rotting in captivity in Gaza, just rotting there. So what I feel and what I want to happen now is for the country to go for a comprehensive deal and bring all the hostages home, because everyone deserves to come home."
At the end of the screening, amid the audience’s cheers and thunderous applause, many attendees approached the Gilboa-Dalal family to offer their support. Guy’s story, with the plane ticket to Japan already in his hands, will continue to resonate with the Israeli anime-loving community—until he returns home and can fulfill his dream of seeing the cherry blossoms in Japan. link to article and video in Hebrew
An anchor on Egypt’s Al-Qahera channel, seen as close to Cairo’s government, asks the spokesperson for Hamas’s Gaza health ministry at the start of an interview whether most of the casualties in the resumption of Israeli airstrikes have been civilians or member of “resistance factions,” an unusual question on an Arab channel.
The spokesperson, Khalil Dakran, responds that most of the injured arriving at hospitals are women, children, and the elderly.
Hamas figures routinely cast most of the casualties as women and children, and they don’t differentiate between members of terror groups and civilians.
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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