🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 531, 2023 - March 20, 2025 🎗️
🎗️Day 531 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
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*4:00am - red alert Central Israel and Jerusalem- ballistic missile from Yemen- Missile intercepted by our air defenses outside of borders of Israel
*1:20pm - South - Gaza Envelope /Tel Aviv, Or Yehuda, Holon, Rishon L'tzion, Ramat Gan- 3 rockets from Gaza, Palmachim -1 rocket intercepted, 2 fell in open areas- rocket shrapnel hit areas in Rishon L'zion, no injuries
Hostage Updates
Hostage’s cousin leads thousands in Jerusalem rally where some plan to sleep on the street
Shay Dickmann, cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, tearfully leads the mostly silent protest gathering by the Shift 101 group — which campaigns for the captives’ return — by singing the Jewish prayer for peace “Oseh Shalom” at Jerusalem’s Paris Square.
Thousands have gathered in the main downtown intersection, dressed in white, sitting on the asphalt.
Organizers announce that tents and sleeping bags are available for whoever is planning to sleep on the Jerusalem street.
“Whoever was abandoned must be returned!” calls one organizer.
“We won’t abandon you, we will bring you back!”
In Their Own Words: This Is What the Hostages Feel During the Fighting in Gaza
Testimonies from hostages who returned from captivity reveal the consequences of the decision to resume fighting against Hamas for the hostages still held in Gaza. The hostages describe a reality of constant fear of IDF attacks in the Strip, a routine that includes shaking walls, collapsing ceilings, and perpetual terror. Some of the returned hostages even warned that the treatment of the hostages changes in response to decisions made by Israel and may be influenced by the resumption of fighting.
This is what the hostages feel during the fighting in Gaza.
**Liri Albag** 
"There were moments when it was very close, when the whole building shook, when the entire tunnel shook. A blast that wakes you from sleep. There was one time when there was a loud explosion nearby, and an hour later, we still couldn’t fall asleep from the shock." **Romi Gonen** 
"My heart broke this morning. I will never forget the moment I heard the booms in captivity when the deal fell apart, and I realized I wouldn’t be returning soon. I beg you, Israel, you must keep fighting for them. They don’t have time!"
**Eliya Cohen** 
"How can you keep fighting after everything we in captivity have revealed to you? The realization that the promises and threats we heard from the terrorists so many times are about to come true—it tears me apart inside."
**Eli Sharabi** 
"Hamas terrorists are constantly listening to statements from our leadership. Every irresponsible statement—the first to pay the price are us, the hostages."
**Aviva Siegel** 
"There were helicopter bombs above us. I was sure we were going to die."
**Chen Goldstein-Almog** 
"It’s a feeling of helplessness and very difficult emotions. How can you fight like this while we’re there? How? We couldn’t comprehend that they were talking about escalating the fighting and not talking about us."
**Hagar Brodetz** 
"The Air Force bombed the building next to us, and the house we were in just exploded. The windows shattered, things fell from the ceiling, the walls started to crumble. Suddenly, a boom, and darkness—you can’t see anything. You think you’re dead."
**Ada Sagi** 
"There were deafening explosions. The first time I heard it from the other side, and every time, the building shook."
**Ilana Gritzvsky** 
"On days when their friends were killed, there was no talking, nothing. They were really angry, and when we asked for water and food, they said, 'Not now.'"
**Shani Goren** 
"You hear everything happening outside—the roars, the missiles—and it falls near the house, and you’re in absolute terror."
**Louis Har** 
"At first, there was really the thought that we’d be out soon. But then Friday came, and the first thing we heard were booms—our planes starting to attack. We looked at each other, and it hit us. That’s it, we’re not getting out, we realized."
**Keith Siegel** 
"The ceasefire blew up. In one moment, there was insane noise from fighter jets, missile fire, and bombs falling very close to the apartment where I was held. Thoughts about what might happen in the next moment didn’t leave me, and I felt an immediate danger to my life."
**Sasha Trufanov** 
"I’m sure my fellow hostages are going through hell because of the decision to resume fighting. The explosion of the ceasefire brought me back to the days when the phrase 'the army has resumed fighting' or 'the deal fell through' would come, and with it, the understanding that I was about to enter a difficult and dark period."
**Yarden Bibas** 
"The decision to resume fighting brings me back to Gaza, to the moments when I heard explosions around me and feared for my life. I was afraid the tunnel I was held in would collapse."
**Nili Margalit** 
"When there’s no food, everyone is hungry. All the people living in the same place are hungry. It doesn’t matter where they are, which side they’re on. Or when there’s no air, or when the bombs are getting closer to you—they’re getting closer to everyone, they can hurt everyone. So the fear grows."
These harrowing testimonies paint a vivid picture of the terror and helplessness experienced by the hostages during the fighting in Gaza. They highlight the direct impact of military decisions on their lives and the urgent need to prioritize their safety and return. link
Freed hostage Eli Sharabi to testify before UN Security Council
Eli Sharabi, a former hostage released by the Hamas terror group in Gaza last month, will speak at a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York today, sharing his firsthand account of captivity.
“Eli Sharabi’s presence at an official Security Council briefing at this moment is particularly significant,” says Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, who initiated Sharabi’s invitation to the event.
“Just as the UN believes it can continue its attacks on Israel, Eli, with his courageous and unfiltered testimony, will look them in the eye and remind the world who we are fighting for,” says Danon in a statement from his office.
At today’s meeting, focusing “on [the] hostages still held in Gaza,” Sharabi will open with his testimony and “share his harrowing account with the Council members,” says Danon.
The meeting follows a briefing this week by the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Sharabi’s participation marks a continuation of his global campaign to advocate for the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, after he met earlier this month with US President Donald Trump in the White House, and with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street.
The Security Council will convene at 10 a.m. New York time (4 p.m. Israel time), according to Danon’s office.
The meeting comes as a result of efforts by Danon for a Security Council briefing dedicated to the hostage crisis, the ambassador’s spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.
Hostages’ families roiled as cabinet meeting on Gaza delayed so government can vote on firing Bar
Relatives of hostages still held in Gaza say they are “fuming” over reports that the government has delayed a planned meeting on the Gaza war in order to discuss the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
In a harshly worded statement issued by the Hostage Families Forum, the relatives accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet of ignoring them and endangering their loved ones.
According to the families, the security cabinet was supposed to convene Thursday evening “to discuss the fate of [the hostages] who are currently at risk of death and disappearance in Hamas’s Gaza tunnels.”
“The families demanded at the start of the week, and throughout all the past months, an urgent meeting with the prime minister and cabinet,” the statement reads. “Not a peep and not an answer.”
Netanyahu’s office announced Thursday that it would hold a vote on firing Bar at 9:30 p.m., defying the attorney general, who says such a move contravenes protocol.
According to Hebrew media report, the meeting on Gaza initially slated for tonight will be pushed off until next week.
- Qatari report: Hamas team headed to Cairo after lightning visit by Israeli negotiators
A Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo today to meet with senior Egyptian officials on efforts to reach a renewed ceasefire in Gaza, Qatari-owned newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports.
Egyptian sources tell the newspaper that an Israeli military delegation also made a short visit to Cairo last night and met with Egypt’s intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad.
The delegation discussed the Israel Defense Force’s limited ground operation in Gaza and the reinforcement of forces across the entire Strip, the newspaper says.
According to the report, Hamas informed mediators that it is willing to release Israeli hostages, provided that this is part of the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel has refused to advance to the second phase of the now-defunct ceasefire deal, which would see Israel’s military pull out of Gaza, unless all hostages are released.
Hostage Updates
Hostage’s cousin leads thousands in Jerusalem rally where some plan to sleep on the street
Shay Dickmann, cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, tearfully leads the mostly silent protest gathering by the Shift 101 group — which campaigns for the captives’ return — by singing the Jewish prayer for peace “Oseh Shalom” at Jerusalem’s Paris Square.
Thousands have gathered in the main downtown intersection, dressed in white, sitting on the asphalt.
Organizers announce that tents and sleeping bags are available for whoever is planning to sleep on the Jerusalem street.
“Whoever was abandoned must be returned!” calls one organizer.
“We won’t abandon you, we will bring you back!”
In Their Own Words: This Is What the Hostages Feel During the Fighting in Gaza
Testimonies from hostages who returned from captivity reveal the consequences of the decision to resume fighting against Hamas for the hostages still held in Gaza. The hostages describe a reality of constant fear of IDF attacks in the Strip, a routine that includes shaking walls, collapsing ceilings, and perpetual terror. Some of the returned hostages even warned that the treatment of the hostages changes in response to decisions made by Israel and may be influenced by the resumption of fighting.
This is what the hostages feel during the fighting in Gaza.
**Liri Albag**
"There were moments when it was very close, when the whole building shook, when the entire tunnel shook. A blast that wakes you from sleep. There was one time when there was a loud explosion nearby, and an hour later, we still couldn’t fall asleep from the shock."**Romi Gonen**"My heart broke this morning. I will never forget the moment I heard the booms in captivity when the deal fell apart, and I realized I wouldn’t be returning soon. I beg you, Israel, you must keep fighting for them. They don’t have time!"
**Eliya Cohen**"How can you keep fighting after everything we in captivity have revealed to you? The realization that the promises and threats we heard from the terrorists so many times are about to come true—it tears me apart inside."
**Eli Sharabi**"Hamas terrorists are constantly listening to statements from our leadership. Every irresponsible statement—the first to pay the price are us, the hostages."
**Aviva Siegel**"There were helicopter bombs above us. I was sure we were going to die."
**Chen Goldstein-Almog**"It’s a feeling of helplessness and very difficult emotions. How can you fight like this while we’re there? How? We couldn’t comprehend that they were talking about escalating the fighting and not talking about us."
**Hagar Brodetz**"The Air Force bombed the building next to us, and the house we were in just exploded. The windows shattered, things fell from the ceiling, the walls started to crumble. Suddenly, a boom, and darkness—you can’t see anything. You think you’re dead."
**Ada Sagi**"There were deafening explosions. The first time I heard it from the other side, and every time, the building shook."
**Ilana Gritzvsky**"On days when their friends were killed, there was no talking, nothing. They were really angry, and when we asked for water and food, they said, 'Not now.'"
**Shani Goren**"You hear everything happening outside—the roars, the missiles—and it falls near the house, and you’re in absolute terror."
**Louis Har**"At first, there was really the thought that we’d be out soon. But then Friday came, and the first thing we heard were booms—our planes starting to attack. We looked at each other, and it hit us. That’s it, we’re not getting out, we realized."
**Keith Siegel**"The ceasefire blew up. In one moment, there was insane noise from fighter jets, missile fire, and bombs falling very close to the apartment where I was held. Thoughts about what might happen in the next moment didn’t leave me, and I felt an immediate danger to my life."
**Sasha Trufanov**"I’m sure my fellow hostages are going through hell because of the decision to resume fighting. The explosion of the ceasefire brought me back to the days when the phrase 'the army has resumed fighting' or 'the deal fell through' would come, and with it, the understanding that I was about to enter a difficult and dark period."
**Yarden Bibas**"The decision to resume fighting brings me back to Gaza, to the moments when I heard explosions around me and feared for my life. I was afraid the tunnel I was held in would collapse."
**Nili Margalit**"When there’s no food, everyone is hungry. All the people living in the same place are hungry. It doesn’t matter where they are, which side they’re on. Or when there’s no air, or when the bombs are getting closer to you—they’re getting closer to everyone, they can hurt everyone. So the fear grows."
These harrowing testimonies paint a vivid picture of the terror and helplessness experienced by the hostages during the fighting in Gaza. They highlight the direct impact of military decisions on their lives and the urgent need to prioritize their safety and return. link
Freed hostage Eli Sharabi to testify before UN Security Council
Eli Sharabi, a former hostage released by the Hamas terror group in Gaza last month, will speak at a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York today, sharing his firsthand account of captivity.
“Eli Sharabi’s presence at an official Security Council briefing at this moment is particularly significant,” says Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, who initiated Sharabi’s invitation to the event.
“Just as the UN believes it can continue its attacks on Israel, Eli, with his courageous and unfiltered testimony, will look them in the eye and remind the world who we are fighting for,” says Danon in a statement from his office.
At today’s meeting, focusing “on [the] hostages still held in Gaza,” Sharabi will open with his testimony and “share his harrowing account with the Council members,” says Danon.
The meeting follows a briefing this week by the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Sharabi’s participation marks a continuation of his global campaign to advocate for the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, after he met earlier this month with US President Donald Trump in the White House, and with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street.
The Security Council will convene at 10 a.m. New York time (4 p.m. Israel time), according to Danon’s office.
The meeting comes as a result of efforts by Danon for a Security Council briefing dedicated to the hostage crisis, the ambassador’s spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.
Hostages’ families roiled as cabinet meeting on Gaza delayed so government can vote on firing Bar
Relatives of hostages still held in Gaza say they are “fuming” over reports that the government has delayed a planned meeting on the Gaza war in order to discuss the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
In a harshly worded statement issued by the Hostage Families Forum, the relatives accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet of ignoring them and endangering their loved ones.
According to the families, the security cabinet was supposed to convene Thursday evening “to discuss the fate of [the hostages] who are currently at risk of death and disappearance in Hamas’s Gaza tunnels.”
“The families demanded at the start of the week, and throughout all the past months, an urgent meeting with the prime minister and cabinet,” the statement reads. “Not a peep and not an answer.”
Netanyahu’s office announced Thursday that it would hold a vote on firing Bar at 9:30 p.m., defying the attorney general, who says such a move contravenes protocol.
According to Hebrew media report, the meeting on Gaza initially slated for tonight will be pushed off until next week.
- Qatari report: Hamas team headed to Cairo after lightning visit by Israeli negotiators
A Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo today to meet with senior Egyptian officials on efforts to reach a renewed ceasefire in Gaza, Qatari-owned newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports.
Egyptian sources tell the newspaper that an Israeli military delegation also made a short visit to Cairo last night and met with Egypt’s intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad.
The delegation discussed the Israel Defense Force’s limited ground operation in Gaza and the reinforcement of forces across the entire Strip, the newspaper says.
According to the report, Hamas informed mediators that it is willing to release Israeli hostages, provided that this is part of the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel has refused to advance to the second phase of the now-defunct ceasefire deal, which would see Israel’s military pull out of Gaza, unless all hostages are released.
Gaza and the South
- IDF launches ‘pinpoint’ ground operations in central, southern Gaza to expand buffer zone
The IDF confirms it has launched “pinpoint” ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, which it says are aimed at expanding its buffer zone.
Troops of the 252nd Division entered the Netzarim Corridor area, capturing around half of it, up to the Salah a-Din road.
At the same time, the IDF says it deployed the Golani Brigade to the southern part of the Gaza border, readying itself for future actions in the Strip.
IDF tanks said moving along Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor, with Palestinian vehicle movement northward halted
Gazan media reports that IDF tanks have begun advancing along the Netzarim Corridor and that vehicle movement northward via the Strip’s Salah al-Din road has stopped.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
The development comes as foreign inspection teams tasked with checking vehicles moving northward under the ceasefire agreement, who have been entering from Egypt every day since the truce began to do so, have not been able to enter Gaza since Israel resumed its offensive yesterday.
Israel names 2 more senior Hamas members killed in recent Gaza strikes
The IDF and Shin Bet announce that two more top Hamas officials were killed in airstrikes in the Gaza Strip over the past day.
The dead include Yasser Mohammed Harb Musa, a member of Hamas’s politburo who headed the defense portfolio and ministry of development.
“As part of his role, Musa handled the advancement and guidance of terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF and Shin Bet say, adding that he was considered close to slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The second Hamas official the IDF says it killed is Mohammed Jamasi, the chief of the terror group’s so-called emergency committee.
“Over the years, Jamasi held key positions in the political bureau and the leadership of the movement and as part of his role in the war, he coordinated a significant portion of the Hamas regime’s government activity in the Gaza Strip, including the guidance of terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the statement adds.- IDF says it continues to strike Hamas, PIJ targets in Gaza
The IDF says it is continuing to carry out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, striking Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets.
In the past few hours, the IDF says Air Force aircraft hit a vehicle in southern Gaza with two operatives in it, as well as other members of terror groups, infrastructure, and observation posts.
Hamas claims Israeli ground op in Gaza is ‘new and dangerous violation’ of ceasefire
Hamas claims Israel’s ground operation in the central and southern Gaza Strip and its incursion into the Netzarim Corridor is a “new and dangerous violation” of the ceasefire deal, according to a statement by the Palestinian terror group.
- IDF says troops deployed along northern Gaza coast
The Israeli military says it launched ground operations along the coast of the far north of the Gaza Strip, close to Beit Lahiya, early this morning.
Over the past few hours, troops of the 252nd Division pushed into the coastal road area, and are currently deployed there, the army says. Two tank battalions of the 188th Armored Brigade are leading the operation.
Ahead of the offensive, the IDF says it carried out airstrikes on some 40 targets in the Beit Lahiya area, including tunnels, anti-tank missile launch posts, Hamas operatives and other threats to troops.
Additionally, the IDF says it carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza overnight.
Fighter jets and other Israeli Air Force aircraft hit terror operatives, buildings used by the terror groups, weapons and other infrastructure that posed a threat to Israel, the military and Shin Bet say in a joint statement.
The IDF adds that it is currently continuing strikes across Gaza.
There have not been any reports of actual clashes since Israel resumed military action in Gaza on Tuesday.
UNRWA says five staffers killed in resumed Gaza offensive
Five staff members of the United Nations Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, have been killed in the past few days, the agency’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini says.
“In the past few days another five UNRWA staff have been confirmed killed, bringing the death toll to 284. They were teachers, doctors and nurses: serving the most vulnerable,” he said in a statement posted on X.
On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned attacks on the organization’s personnel after a United Nations Office for Project Services staff member died in an alleged strike on UN guesthouses. Israel has denied carrying out an airstrike on the facility in Deir al-Balah, and photos from the scene show that those hurt were from the United Nations Mine Action Service, which deals with clearing leftover explosive devices.
Israel says Hamas and other Gazan terror groups use UN facilities to hide weapons, personnel or other infrastructure. It has also published evidence showing UNRWA staffers were among the thousands of Hamas-led Gazans to take part in massacres across southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Gazans warned away as Israeli troops advance through Netzarim belt
The IDF is warning Palestinians to avoid a main Gaza artery as troops advance in the Netzarim Corridor area in the Strip’s center.
In a post on X, IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee says “over the past day, IDF troops began a targeted operation” in central Gaza, and are “deployed up to the center of the Netzarim Corridor.”
“For your safety, do not travel on the Salah a-Din road between the north of the Gaza Strip and the south and vice versa,” he says.
Traveling from the north of the Strip to its south is only permitted via the coastal road, known as al-Rashid, Adraee adds.
The IDF is currently engaged in military action aimed at expanding its buffer zone along the Gaza border, including in the south near Khan Younis and in the Strip’s north near Beit Lahiya.
The military has warned Palestinians against approaching areas where troops are operating.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
The IDF confirms it has launched “pinpoint” ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, which it says are aimed at expanding its buffer zone.
Troops of the 252nd Division entered the Netzarim Corridor area, capturing around half of it, up to the Salah a-Din road.
At the same time, the IDF says it deployed the Golani Brigade to the southern part of the Gaza border, readying itself for future actions in the Strip.
IDF tanks said moving along Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor, with Palestinian vehicle movement northward halted
Gazan media reports that IDF tanks have begun advancing along the Netzarim Corridor and that vehicle movement northward via the Strip’s Salah al-Din road has stopped.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
The development comes as foreign inspection teams tasked with checking vehicles moving northward under the ceasefire agreement, who have been entering from Egypt every day since the truce began to do so, have not been able to enter Gaza since Israel resumed its offensive yesterday.
Israel names 2 more senior Hamas members killed in recent Gaza strikes
The dead include Yasser Mohammed Harb Musa, a member of Hamas’s politburo who headed the defense portfolio and ministry of development.
“As part of his role, Musa handled the advancement and guidance of terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF and Shin Bet say, adding that he was considered close to slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The second Hamas official the IDF says it killed is Mohammed Jamasi, the chief of the terror group’s so-called emergency committee.
“Over the years, Jamasi held key positions in the political bureau and the leadership of the movement and as part of his role in the war, he coordinated a significant portion of the Hamas regime’s government activity in the Gaza Strip, including the guidance of terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the statement adds.
The IDF says it is continuing to carry out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, striking Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets.
In the past few hours, the IDF says Air Force aircraft hit a vehicle in southern Gaza with two operatives in it, as well as other members of terror groups, infrastructure, and observation posts.
Hamas claims Israeli ground op in Gaza is ‘new and dangerous violation’ of ceasefire
Hamas claims Israel’s ground operation in the central and southern Gaza Strip and its incursion into the Netzarim Corridor is a “new and dangerous violation” of the ceasefire deal, according to a statement by the Palestinian terror group.
The Israeli military says it launched ground operations along the coast of the far north of the Gaza Strip, close to Beit Lahiya, early this morning.
Over the past few hours, troops of the 252nd Division pushed into the coastal road area, and are currently deployed there, the army says. Two tank battalions of the 188th Armored Brigade are leading the operation.
Ahead of the offensive, the IDF says it carried out airstrikes on some 40 targets in the Beit Lahiya area, including tunnels, anti-tank missile launch posts, Hamas operatives and other threats to troops.
Additionally, the IDF says it carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza overnight.
Fighter jets and other Israeli Air Force aircraft hit terror operatives, buildings used by the terror groups, weapons and other infrastructure that posed a threat to Israel, the military and Shin Bet say in a joint statement.
The IDF adds that it is currently continuing strikes across Gaza.
There have not been any reports of actual clashes since Israel resumed military action in Gaza on Tuesday.
UNRWA says five staffers killed in resumed Gaza offensive
Five staff members of the United Nations Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, have been killed in the past few days, the agency’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini says.
“In the past few days another five UNRWA staff have been confirmed killed, bringing the death toll to 284. They were teachers, doctors and nurses: serving the most vulnerable,” he said in a statement posted on X.
On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned attacks on the organization’s personnel after a United Nations Office for Project Services staff member died in an alleged strike on UN guesthouses. Israel has denied carrying out an airstrike on the facility in Deir al-Balah, and photos from the scene show that those hurt were from the United Nations Mine Action Service, which deals with clearing leftover explosive devices.
Israel says Hamas and other Gazan terror groups use UN facilities to hide weapons, personnel or other infrastructure. It has also published evidence showing UNRWA staffers were among the thousands of Hamas-led Gazans to take part in massacres across southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Gazans warned away as Israeli troops advance through Netzarim belt
In a post on X, IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee says “over the past day, IDF troops began a targeted operation” in central Gaza, and are “deployed up to the center of the Netzarim Corridor.”
“For your safety, do not travel on the Salah a-Din road between the north of the Gaza Strip and the south and vice versa,” he says.
Traveling from the north of the Strip to its south is only permitted via the coastal road, known as al-Rashid, Adraee adds.
The IDF is currently engaged in military action aimed at expanding its buffer zone along the Gaza border, including in the south near Khan Younis and in the Strip’s north near Beit Lahiya.
The military has warned Palestinians against approaching areas where troops are operating.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
- Syrian government and Kurdish officials discuss merging their armed forces
The new Syrian government wants to bring Syria’s breakaway Kurdish militias back under government control, but the details of their recent breakthrough agreement are still being worked out and negotiators will have overcome a decade of civil war.
Government officials meet in the northeastern province of Hassakeh with the commander of the main Kurdish-led group in the country, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is backed by the US.
The meeting comes a week after Syria’s interim government signed a deal with the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country’s northeast, including a ceasefire and the merging of the SDF into the Syrian army.
The deal should be implemented by the end of the year. It would bring northeast Syria’s borders and lucrative oil fields under the central government’s control.
- Syrian government and Kurdish officials discuss merging their armed forces
The new Syrian government wants to bring Syria’s breakaway Kurdish militias back under government control, but the details of their recent breakthrough agreement are still being worked out and negotiators will have overcome a decade of civil war.
Government officials meet in the northeastern province of Hassakeh with the commander of the main Kurdish-led group in the country, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is backed by the US.
The meeting comes a week after Syria’s interim government signed a deal with the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country’s northeast, including a ceasefire and the merging of the SDF into the Syrian army.
The deal should be implemented by the end of the year. It would bring northeast Syria’s borders and lucrative oil fields under the central government’s control.
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- Settlers said to raid northernWest Bank Palestinian village, steal livestock
A group of settlers have raided the northern West Bank Palestinian village of Jalud, Arabic media reports.
During the raid, the settlers allegedly stole livestock belonging to residents in the village.
Such attacks have continued on a near-daily basis, unabated for months.
The police’s West Bank commander is under investigation for refusing to prosecute settler attacks in order to curry favor with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Video
Politics and the War (general news)
- Bennett: Netanyahu must quit over Qatari payments to his aide; if PM knew, it’s treason
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no longer has any moral authority to send troops into battle and must resign in the wake of newly reported evidence that the salary of one of his top aides was paid by Qatar, former prime minister Naftali Bennett declares — arguing that knowingly accepting such funds constitutes “treason.”
“This morning, it emerged that the salary of Netanyahu’s media adviser for security matters was paid by the Qatari government,” Bennett tweets.
“I’ll say it again, because it’s so hard to grasp: The terrorist government of Qatar financed the security spokesman of the Israeli prime minister, during a time of war. This is no longer a rumor, but a fact that was published this morning. The whole question now is who knew what.”
According to recordings aired today by the Kan public broadcaster, an Israeli businessman based in the Gulf said that he transferred money from a Qatar-employed US lobbyist to Eli Feldstein, while the latter was working as Netanyahu’s spokesman.
Kan noted in its report that for at least part of Feldstein’s time working for Netanyahu, the aide did not receive any direct salary from the Prime Minister’s Office because he had not passed a security clearance.
Denouncing Qatar’s hands as “stained with rivers of Jewish blood,” Bennett says that if he were to have discovered that one of his staffers had accepted money from a country such as Belgium, he would have immediately fired him and demanded Shin Bet and police investigations into his office.
“Isn’t the prime minister of Israel and his office supposed to care only for the interests of Israel?” Bennett asks, adding that if the money was accepted “knowingly, then it is treason against the State of Israel.”
“If it was not intentional, meaning that the adviser did not know that the source of his salary was from Qatar, then Qatar is operating rogue agents in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, and this is a security failure of the highest level,” he declares.
Despite this, nobody involved in the so-called Qatargate scandal has been fired and “Netanyahu, for some reason, continues to cover up the event and fights the investigators,” Bennett continues.
The Shin Bet is currently investigating several members of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office for alleged improper ties with Qatar.
Netanyahu has announced his intention to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and is reportedly considering convening a cabinet meeting to carry this out, potentially tomorrow.
In light of what is happening, “the government and its head have completely shattered any shred of public trust in their motives” and “have no moral authority to send soldiers into battle,” Bennett insists — calling for the government to resign “today” and to “allow the people of Israel to elect a new leadership that will rebuild Israel.”
- Coalition defeats bill seeking to form state inquiry into Oct. 7 failures
Coalition lawmakers defeat a bill to establish a state commission of inquiry into the failure to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught, with the Knesset voting 39-51 against the legislation sponsored by National Unity MK Orit Farkash Hacohen.
The bill would have allowed for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry without the need for a government decision in cases of “exceptional public importance.”
Representing the government’s position on the legislation, Justice Minister Yariv Levin says that he would not trust any commission whose members would be appointed by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit — whose recent appointment he long sought to prevent.
A state commission of inquiry holds unique powers to investigate a national disaster, including subpoena power, and is totally independent of the government after it is set up. Its members are chosen by the president of the Supreme Court.
Responding to the failure of her bill, MK Farkash Hacohen tweets that despite Levin’s call for “broad consensus” in the choice of the members of an investigative probe, the coalition sought no such consensus when it voted in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in support of a bill “politicizing the judicial selection committee” this morning.
A previous bill by Farkash Hacohen calling for the establishment of a state probe was defeated 45-53 in the plenum in late January.
“Those who have nothing to hide should not be afraid of establishing a state commission of inquiry,” National Unity declares in a statement.
For his part, party chief Benny Gantz tells lawmakers that the decisions of policymakers in office in the years leading up to October 7, including his, must be probed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out any inquiry until after the war — and, over the weekend, swiftly rejected a compromise proposal made by President Isaac Herzog and Supreme Court President Amit which would see Amit consult with incoming Supreme Court deputy head Noam Sohlberg, a conservative, when appointing the members of a state commission, should the government agree to establish one.
Addressing the issue during a Knesset speech earlier this month, Netanyahu agreed that it was “crucial to investigate in depth the events of October 7 and what led up to it,” but that “this investigation needs to win the trust of the nation, or the overwhelming majority of the nation.”
Red-faced and shouting into the microphone, he called for an “objective, balanced, independent investigation… not a commission whose findings are predetermined.”
In February, Likud MK Ariel Kallner presented a proposal for an alternative investigatory body whose members would be appointed by the Knesset, in an effort to head off establishing a state commission of inquiry.
Netanyahu hasn’t publicly backed or proposed any mechanism for probing October 7. link The only reason that a State Commission of Inquiry doesn't pass the Knesset is because the corrupted and failed coalition are following Netanyahu's direction to not allow a commission like this to come to be. It would mean an end to Netanyahu's political career and possibly much worse for the current criminally indicted prime minister. Many others will be found culpable as well and their careers will also end. Preventing the commission is purely for self preservation of Netanayahu and his cronies.
- Police detain, grill 2 suspects as part of probe into Qatari payments to Netanyahu aides
Police detained and questioned two suspects under caution this evening, as part of an ongoing investigation into whether thousands of dollars were funneled from Qatar to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides over the past few months.
The arrests are made hours after the Kan public broadcaster aired recordings in which a Gulf-based Israeli businessman admitted to transferring money from a Qatari employed lobbyist to Netanyahu aide Eli Feldstein.
Israeli businessman Gil Birger, via a private company, paid Feldstein while the latter was working as Netanyahu’s spokesman, according to Kan.
Further details regarding the investigation are barred from publication in accordance with a court-issued gag order
Channel 12 describes the detainees as “central figures,” adding that each of them gave their version of the sequence of events.
- ### The Failure in Defense, Intense Fighting, and Tragic Mistake: IDF Publishes Investigation into October 7 Events at Kibbutz Alumim
- Bennett: Netanyahu must quit over Qatari payments to his aide; if PM knew, it’s treason
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no longer has any moral authority to send troops into battle and must resign in the wake of newly reported evidence that the salary of one of his top aides was paid by Qatar, former prime minister Naftali Bennett declares — arguing that knowingly accepting such funds constitutes “treason.”
- Coalition defeats bill seeking to form state inquiry into Oct. 7 failures
Coalition lawmakers defeat a bill to establish a state commission of inquiry into the failure to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught, with the Knesset voting 39-51 against the legislation sponsored by National Unity MK Orit Farkash Hacohen.
The bill would have allowed for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry without the need for a government decision in cases of “exceptional public importance.”
Representing the government’s position on the legislation, Justice Minister Yariv Levin says that he would not trust any commission whose members would be appointed by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit — whose recent appointment he long sought to prevent.
A state commission of inquiry holds unique powers to investigate a national disaster, including subpoena power, and is totally independent of the government after it is set up. Its members are chosen by the president of the Supreme Court.
Responding to the failure of her bill, MK Farkash Hacohen tweets that despite Levin’s call for “broad consensus” in the choice of the members of an investigative probe, the coalition sought no such consensus when it voted in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in support of a bill “politicizing the judicial selection committee” this morning.
A previous bill by Farkash Hacohen calling for the establishment of a state probe was defeated 45-53 in the plenum in late January.
“Those who have nothing to hide should not be afraid of establishing a state commission of inquiry,” National Unity declares in a statement.
For his part, party chief Benny Gantz tells lawmakers that the decisions of policymakers in office in the years leading up to October 7, including his, must be probed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out any inquiry until after the war — and, over the weekend, swiftly rejected a compromise proposal made by President Isaac Herzog and Supreme Court President Amit which would see Amit consult with incoming Supreme Court deputy head Noam Sohlberg, a conservative, when appointing the members of a state commission, should the government agree to establish one.
Addressing the issue during a Knesset speech earlier this month, Netanyahu agreed that it was “crucial to investigate in depth the events of October 7 and what led up to it,” but that “this investigation needs to win the trust of the nation, or the overwhelming majority of the nation.”
Red-faced and shouting into the microphone, he called for an “objective, balanced, independent investigation… not a commission whose findings are predetermined.”
In February, Likud MK Ariel Kallner presented a proposal for an alternative investigatory body whose members would be appointed by the Knesset, in an effort to head off establishing a state commission of inquiry.
Netanyahu hasn’t publicly backed or proposed any mechanism for probing October 7. link The only reason that a State Commission of Inquiry doesn't pass the Knesset is because the corrupted and failed coalition are following Netanyahu's direction to not allow a commission like this to come to be. It would mean an end to Netanyahu's political career and possibly much worse for the current criminally indicted prime minister. Many others will be found culpable as well and their careers will also end. Preventing the commission is purely for self preservation of Netanayahu and his cronies.
- Police detain, grill 2 suspects as part of probe into Qatari payments to Netanyahu aides
Police detained and questioned two suspects under caution this evening, as part of an ongoing investigation into whether thousands of dollars were funneled from Qatar to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides over the past few months.
The arrests are made hours after the Kan public broadcaster aired recordings in which a Gulf-based Israeli businessman admitted to transferring money from a Qatari employed lobbyist to Netanyahu aide Eli Feldstein.
Israeli businessman Gil Birger, via a private company, paid Feldstein while the latter was working as Netanyahu’s spokesman, according to Kan.
Further details regarding the investigation are barred from publication in accordance with a court-issued gag order
Channel 12 describes the detainees as “central figures,” adding that each of them gave their version of the sequence of events.
- ### The Failure in Defense, Intense Fighting, and Tragic Mistake: IDF Publishes Investigation into October 7 Events at Kibbutz Alumim
“This morning, it emerged that the salary of Netanyahu’s media adviser for security matters was paid by the Qatari government,” Bennett tweets.
“I’ll say it again, because it’s so hard to grasp: The terrorist government of Qatar financed the security spokesman of the Israeli prime minister, during a time of war. This is no longer a rumor, but a fact that was published this morning. The whole question now is who knew what.”
According to recordings aired today by the Kan public broadcaster, an Israeli businessman based in the Gulf said that he transferred money from a Qatar-employed US lobbyist to Eli Feldstein, while the latter was working as Netanyahu’s spokesman.
Kan noted in its report that for at least part of Feldstein’s time working for Netanyahu, the aide did not receive any direct salary from the Prime Minister’s Office because he had not passed a security clearance.
Denouncing Qatar’s hands as “stained with rivers of Jewish blood,” Bennett says that if he were to have discovered that one of his staffers had accepted money from a country such as Belgium, he would have immediately fired him and demanded Shin Bet and police investigations into his office.
“Isn’t the prime minister of Israel and his office supposed to care only for the interests of Israel?” Bennett asks, adding that if the money was accepted “knowingly, then it is treason against the State of Israel.”
“If it was not intentional, meaning that the adviser did not know that the source of his salary was from Qatar, then Qatar is operating rogue agents in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, and this is a security failure of the highest level,” he declares.
Despite this, nobody involved in the so-called Qatargate scandal has been fired and “Netanyahu, for some reason, continues to cover up the event and fights the investigators,” Bennett continues.
The Shin Bet is currently investigating several members of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office for alleged improper ties with Qatar.
Netanyahu has announced his intention to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and is reportedly considering convening a cabinet meeting to carry this out, potentially tomorrow.
In light of what is happening, “the government and its head have completely shattered any shred of public trust in their motives” and “have no moral authority to send soldiers into battle,” Bennett insists — calling for the government to resign “today” and to “allow the people of Israel to elect a new leadership that will rebuild Israel.”
In the battles in the Alumim area and within the kibbutz itself, approximately 57 civilians were murdered, and 5 security personnel were killed. Five people were abducted from the area. During that Saturday, a tragic case of mistaken identity occurred when a couple fleeing the Nova party entered a home in the kibbutz and was shot by the emergency response team. The failures included a breakdown in command, difficulty in forming a clear situational picture, and more.
IDF forces next to Kibbutz Alumim
530 days after Hamas's surprise attack on October 7, 2023, the IDF today (Wednesday) released the findings of its operational investigation into the battle that took place at Kibbutz Alumim and its surroundings on that black Saturday. The investigation, led by Colonel Ido Saad and chief investigator Colonel (res.) Ziv Beit-Or, was summarized by former Southern Command chief Major General Yaron Finkelman, and its findings were presented to the Alumim community and bereaved families. The investigation team unequivocally determined that the IDF failed in its mission to defend Kibbutz Alumim. According to the investigation, approximately 100 terrorists, mostly from Hamas's Nukhba unit, infiltrated the Alumim area, carrying out massacres, abductions, looting, and other brutal crimes.
The investigation highlighted that alongside operational errors and mistakes in force deployment, the fighting in the Alumim area included numerous acts of heroism and extraordinary courage by the combat forces, commanders, and security personnel who fought in the area, saving many residents.
The Heavy Toll on Black Saturday
In the battles in the Alumim area and within the kibbutz itself, approximately 57 civilians were murdered, and 5 security personnel were killed. Five people were abducted from the area, three of whom were taken alive and two as corpses. Two of the abductees are still being held in Gaza.
The numbers behind the battle at Kibbutz Alumim | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Terrorists Entered the Kibbutz and Encountered Civilians Fleeing the Nova Party
The Hamas attack began at 06:29 with a barrage of fire from the Gaza Strip toward communities in the western Negev. Upon receiving "Red Alert" warnings, members of the emergency response team were instructed to remain in protected spaces. However, when gunfire was heard near the homes, several members left the shelters.
At 07:01, 10 terrorists on 5 motorcycles entered Kibbutz Alumim. They entered through the rear gate, attacked several foreign workers in the dairy farm area, and exited through the front gate of the kibbutz. Fifteen minutes after entering the kibbutz, the terrorists noticed many civilians fleeing the Nova party to a shelter at the entrance junction of the kibbutz.
The terrorists carried out a massacre inside and outside the shelter, murdering many civilians who had fled the party. Simultaneously, a force from Battalion 13 arrived from the "Magen Alumim" outpost to the kibbutz entrance and began engaging the terrorists. The terrorists were pushed back into the kibbutz, exited through the rear gate, and retreated to the Gaza Strip. At 07:24, the armory was opened, and members of the emergency response team armed themselves and continued defending the community.
Key locations of the battle at Kibbutz Alumim | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
The Tragic Incident: A Case of Mistaken Identity
The investigation revealed that during the morning hours, as terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz, a tragic case of mistaken identity occurred. A couple fleeing the Nova party entered a home in the kibbutz, and the residents, who were locked in their safe room, reported in the kibbutz WhatsApp group that "terrorists had entered their home." Members of the emergency response team surrounded the house, rescued the residents, and entered to clear the house. Due to a misidentification, the emergency response team shot and killed the civilian man, while his partner was seriously injured.
Waves of Infiltration and the Defense Battle
At 08:40, approximately 10 additional terrorists arrived in the area outside the kibbutz. The commander of Battalion 585 and two members of the emergency response team halted the terrorists' advance, killing some and forcing others to retreat southward. Forty minutes later, around 15 terrorists entered the kibbutz near the swimming pool and "Hadar Garden." Members of the emergency response team arrived and began engaging the terrorists. During the battle, the force managed to push the terrorists out of the residential area.
Another group of terrorists reached the residential quarters of foreign workers near the dairy farm. This group is believed to have carried out the massacre of the foreign workers and later abducted two of them to the Gaza Strip. At 09:30, approximately 40 Nukhba terrorists in 4 white pickup trucks entered the Alumim area. Security forces that arrived in the area engaged the terrorists and prevented them from entering the kibbutz.
The Third Infiltration into the Kibbutz
Members of the emergency response team and additional forces continued fighting in the "Hadar Garden," swimming pool, and dairy farm areas. A multi-agency command post established by security forces formed a situational picture, directed forces, and organized the evacuation of casualties. Simultaneously, around 15 terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz for the third time, reaching the dairy farm area. These terrorists set fire to the haystack and the logistics center shed in the packing house.
Operational Control Achieved by Afternoon
Around 11:40, a force from Battalion 890 arrived in the Alumim area by helicopter. The force encountered terrorists, split into two teams, and eliminated them. Three soldiers were wounded in this battle. At the same time, fighters from the "Shaldag" unit, en route to Be'eri, also arrived in the Alumim area. One of the platoons from Battalion 890, sent to Nahal Oz, encountered the Shaldag unit along the way. Together, they charged and eliminated many terrorists.
At 13:00, a force from the Yahalom unit received a report from the emergency response team about a fourth infiltration of terrorists into the kibbutz. Three terrorists entered over the rear gate. A Yahalom unit force, together with the emergency response team, identified and eliminated the terrorists.
The battle at Kibbutz Alumim (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
Securing the Area and Full Control
Security forces in the kibbutz began clearing the area of terrorists and evacuating casualties from the entire area. On the morning of Sunday, October 8, a battalion from Brigade 646 joined the clearing force to evacuate residents and secure the community. The brigade assumed responsibility for the Alumim area.
The evacuation of residents, after ensuring their safety, was carried out in two phases, and a full sweep of the kibbutz and entrance area was completed. The forces then continued clearing operations in open areas and fields between Alumim and Be'eri and "Magen Alumim," evacuating the bodies of the fallen and conducting additional security operations.
Investigation Conclusions
- Failure in Defense: The IDF failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Alumim and the civilians in and around the area.
- Heroism of the Emergency Response Team: During the first hour and a half of fighting, the emergency response team and kibbutz residents, along with ad hoc forces that arrived in the area, defended themselves. Their actions and resourcefulness prevented the enemy from expanding its attack to other areas of the kibbutz.
- Arrival of Forces: Most of the forces fighting in the Alumim area were en route to the entire southern sector, primarily Kibbutz Be'eri and other communities. The kibbutz's location on Route 232 led to forces engaging in the Alumim area, even though they had not originally planned to defend the community.
- Insufficient Preparedness: The division and brigade's preparedness was inadequate relative to the threat. Too few forces were deployed in the area, including the "Magen Alumim" company, which was understaffed.
- Breakdown in Command: At the start of the battle, the command and control capabilities of Battalion 13 were severely compromised due to the infiltration and takeover of the Nahal Oz base.
- Difficulty in Forming a Situational Picture: The IDF struggled to create a clear and coherent situational picture of events in the Alumim area for an extended period, until the afternoon, despite the local emergency team having a general situational picture as early as the morning.
- Lack of Command and Control: The fighting in the area during the initial hours was characterized by a lack of command and control, as well as insufficient coordination between the various forces and units.
- Importance of Organized Forces: The arrival of relatively large and organized forces, primarily Battalion 890, led to the elimination of many terrorists and the achievement of operational control.
- Friendly Fire Incident: The incident in which a civilian was killed and another seriously injured by the emergency response team was defined as tragic. The forces acted in accordance with the situational picture available to them. The primary factor influencing the incident was the "combat stress" experienced by the emergency response team and the belief that terrorists were inside the family's home. link
The Region and the World
- Strikes hit a Houthi stronghold in Yemeni capital of Sanaa, three residents tell Reuters.
The strikes hit a neighborhood close to the capital’s airport, the residents say.
The strikes come after the US launched a wave of strikes in areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, who said last week they were resuming attacks on Red Sea shipping to support Palestinians in Gaza.
Personal Stories
The strikes hit a neighborhood close to the capital’s airport, the residents say.
The strikes come after the US launched a wave of strikes in areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, who said last week they were resuming attacks on Red Sea shipping to support Palestinians in Gaza.
Freed hostage Or Levy posts new tattoo of Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s inspirational quote
Freed hostage Or Levy posts a photo of his arm with the quote on Instagram. The quote reads, “He who has a why can bear with any how,” a statement told to him by fellow hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin on their 52nd day of captivity. Hersh was later murdered by his terrorist captors at the end of August 2024.
“This sentence accompanied me ever since and to this day, and perhaps thanks to it, I was able to survive this terrible inferno,” writes Levy, who was taken hostage with Goldberg-Polin on October 7, 2023. “My ‘why’ is [my son] Almog and I knew that I would survive anything — no matter how difficult it was — for him.”
Levy was released home in February, only finding out then that his wife, Eynav, was killed on October 7.
He writes that he knew in captivity that when he returned home, he wanted to get a tattoo with that quote so that he would never forget it.
Levy adds that when he told the story to Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, “Hersh’s amazing parents,” he found out from them that the quote is from Nietzsche and was quoted in Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning.”
He writes that he learned that Frankl used the sentence to describe the mental strength required of him to survive the Holocaust.
“I have tried to avoid comparisons to the Holocaust until now,” writes Levy, “but the parallels are clear.”
He says that since Israel ended the ceasefire, returning to strikes on Gaza, he cannot help but remember that time in captivity — the fears, the mental and physical abuses, the constant danger to life that hovered over the hostages and still hovers over the heads of the remaining hostages.
It is impossible to describe how difficult the situation is, says Levy, how much the hostages suffer in Gaza, how much their families suffer, and he appeals to the Israeli government to put an end to the suffering.
Freed hostage Or Levy posts a photo of his arm with the quote on Instagram. The quote reads, “He who has a why can bear with any how,” a statement told to him by fellow hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin on their 52nd day of captivity. Hersh was later murdered by his terrorist captors at the end of August 2024.
“This sentence accompanied me ever since and to this day, and perhaps thanks to it, I was able to survive this terrible inferno,” writes Levy, who was taken hostage with Goldberg-Polin on October 7, 2023. “My ‘why’ is [my son] Almog and I knew that I would survive anything — no matter how difficult it was — for him.”
Levy was released home in February, only finding out then that his wife, Eynav, was killed on October 7.
He writes that he knew in captivity that when he returned home, he wanted to get a tattoo with that quote so that he would never forget it.
Levy adds that when he told the story to Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, “Hersh’s amazing parents,” he found out from them that the quote is from Nietzsche and was quoted in Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning.”
He writes that he learned that Frankl used the sentence to describe the mental strength required of him to survive the Holocaust.
“I have tried to avoid comparisons to the Holocaust until now,” writes Levy, “but the parallels are clear.”
He says that since Israel ended the ceasefire, returning to strikes on Gaza, he cannot help but remember that time in captivity — the fears, the mental and physical abuses, the constant danger to life that hovered over the hostages and still hovers over the heads of the remaining hostages.
It is impossible to describe how difficult the situation is, says Levy, how much the hostages suffer in Gaza, how much their families suffer, and he appeals to the Israeli government to put an end to the suffering.
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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