🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 542, 2023

🎗️Day 542 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

There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!
‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית

Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements

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Hostage Updates

Hamas shares medical info on Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander
Terror group signals willingness to release 5 hostages, including Alexander, under proposed 50-day truce, but Israel insists on 10; as negotiations continue, public pressure mounting amid intensified IDF operations in Gaza and rare anti-Hamas protests
Hamas has provided medical information on American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander to mediators and indicated willingness to release him along with four other hostages—both living and deceased—as part of a proposed ceasefire deal, according to Arab media reports on Saturday citing Egyptian sources. The reported offer, which surfaced ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, includes a potential 50-day pause in fighting. However, Israeli officials insist any deal must include the release of at least 10 of the 24 hostages believed to still be alive, in line with a framework proposed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
While Hamas is reportedly pressing for long-term negotiations to end the war, Israel maintains that any current agreement must focus solely on a temporary ceasefire in exchange for hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed Saturday that Israel had submitted a counterproposal, coordinated with the United States, in response to a plan received from mediators Egypt and Qatar. The matter was discussed in the latest Security Cabinet meeting.
Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya confirmed the terrorist group had accepted a proposal earlier in the week and accused Israel of jeopardizing the deal. He also reiterated Hamas’ refusal to disarm under any future agreement, calling its arsenal a “red line.”
Negotiators are working to reach an agreement by the Jewish holiday of Passover in two weeks, after efforts to secure a deal before Eid were ruled out by sources familiar with the talks. The current round of negotiations marks the first serious push since the collapse of the ceasefire more than a week ago and follows five weeks without a hostage release.
Meanwhile, the IDF has expanded its ground operations in Gaza, amid growing pressure from hostage families and rare anti-Hamas protests within the Palestinian enclave. As part of the proposed deal, Hamas is also reportedly willing to release the remains of some of the 35 hostages believed to have died in captivity.
Reports also emerged Saturday that Hamas recently rejected a U.S.-backed proposal offering senior military commanders safe passage abroad, financial incentives and protection from harm in exchange for laying down arms.
According to The New Arab, the offer included nearly $2 billion in compensation, varying by rank, for leaders such as Mohammad Sinwar (brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar), Rafah commander Mohammed Shabana and Gaza City commander Az al-Din al-Haddad.
While the identity of the funders was not disclosed, the report cited signs pointing to regional actors. The offer was reportedly intended to pave the way for Hamas’ demilitarization—an outcome Israel views as critical to ending the war.
Netanyahu, facing internal political pressure, has reiterated that no deal will be accepted without achieving all of Israel’s war objectives: the release of all hostages, Hamas’ full disarmament and the removal of its leadership from Gaza.
While Hamas has reportedly shown openness to a post-war governance structure that excludes its officials in name, it continues to reject any scenario requiring it to give up military control—described by analysts as a “Hezbollah model.”
Meanwhile, Unrest is growing inside Gaza as Israeli military pressure intensifies and residents face nearly a month without new humanitarian aid. On Saturday evening, the IDF announced it had expanded its ground operations in the southern Gaza Strip, launching activity in Rafah’s al-Janina neighborhood “to broaden the security buffer in the area.”
According to the military, forces destroyed Hamas terror infrastructure, while the Israeli Air Force conducted dozens of strikes over the weekend, targeting weapons depots, rocket launchers and additional terrorist sites.
Following a mortar attack on Israeli forces in central Gaza, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to residents in eastern Khan Younis. Israeli officials have warned they may expand territorial control unless Hamas agrees to release more hostages.
The return to fighting, combined with the worsening humanitarian crisis, has fueled rare public unrest inside the enclave. For the first time in years—and notably since the war began—hundreds of Gazans took to the streets this week in multiple locations, chanting “Hamas out” in protests against the group’s rule.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Hamas is struggling to maintain discipline within its ranks. In a sign of its weakened grip, the group did not violently suppress the demonstrations, instead downplaying the protests as benefiting Israel—a line echoed by Hamas leaders citing Defense Minister Israel Katz's encouragement of Gazan protests.
Hayya, who heads the group’s Gaza leadership but currently resides abroad, addressed the situation in a statement. “We are aware of the suffering in our beloved Gaza, of the siege, starvation and denial of water, food and medicine, in addition to the killings, assassinations and chaos,” he said. “Yet the resilience of our people remains as solid as rock. Their awareness and understanding will help them resist the occupation and its deceptions, including its suppression and terror.”
Meanwhile, as on many Saturday nights since the October 7 attacks, thousands across Israel took to the streets demanding the release of the hostages. Bar Godard, daughter of slain hostage Meny Godard, addressed a rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, revealing that an IDF operation to recover her father’s body had failed.
On Monday afternoon, rumors started spreading—reports on Telegram about bodies being recovered,” she said. “Soon after, I saw his photo under the headline: ‘The body of Meny Godard recovered.’ I started shaking. That evening, our liaison officer called and said he was on his way. I thought maybe he would say my dad is alive. But the moment he opened the door, I understood—Dad isn’t coming back.”
She said the officer described the mission to extract Godard’s body, which included retrieving remains from a refrigerator in a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) outpost. Despite the bravery of the soldiers involved, the mission was ultimately unsuccessful.
Addressing both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Godard issued a firm request on behalf of her family: “Do not send any more soldiers into harm’s way to retrieve my father’s body. No more families should be added to the circle of grief. We demand his return, along with all the hostages, through a negotiated deal.”
She concluded with a powerful call to action: “Bring the living hostages home now. Give the dead a proper burial. [Netanyahu], take responsibility like that officer—and secure a deal that will unite and strengthen the nation.”
Hamas, meanwhile, continued its psychological warfare tactics, releasing a second video within a week of hostage Elkana Bohbot. The disturbing clip, approved for publication by his family, shows Bohbot weeping and pleading for help.
"I am the one who asked to record the video. Hamas did not tell me to record the video," he says. "This is not psychological warfare. The real psychological war is me waking up without seeing my son, without my wife. It’s tearing me apart. You don’t understand. I want to get out of here!"

Fighting back tears, he adds, “Why is my wife alone? Why can’t my son say ‘Dad’? His birthday is coming. Why? Please get us out of here."
He continues his plea, questioning why his rights as a longtime worker are being ignored. “I have been working for this country for 15 years. I am a contractor, please check that yourselves. Please. No one has been in our situation—we are under bombardment 24 hours a day, every day. And now we’re told there might be a rescue attempt by force? That would kill us. I’m afraid I’ll die here at any moment.” Link
Yarden Bibas appeals to Trump: Stop the war, bring back all the hostages; I’m only here because of you
Yarden Bibas is interviewed on CBS's 60 Minutes, March 30, 2025 (CBS 60 Minutes)
Yarden Bibas calls on US President Donald Trump to stop the war in Gaza and bring the hostages back, in his first interview since his release from Hamas captivity and the return of his murdered wife and two young children earlier this year.
Asked on CBS’s ’60 Minutes’ if he has a message for Trump, Bibas responds, “Please stop this war and help bring all of the hostages back.”
Pressed on whether he really believes that Trump can help, Bibas replies, “I know he can help. I’m here because of Trump. I’m here only because of him.”
Bibas’s remarks appear to reflect the feeling of many of the hostage families who have focused efforts to release their loved ones on the administration in Washington, believing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government needs to be pressured by the US into agreeing to a deal.
Bibas’s response also highlights hostage families’ opposition to Netanyahu’s decision to resume the war earlier this month amid an impasse in negotiations with Hamas. They have expressed fear that the resumed Israeli strikes endanger the remaining hostages. Roughly 24 of the 59 captives still in Gaza are believed to still be alive.
It’s not just hostage families who are opposed. A poll aired over the weekend on Channel 12 showed that 69 percent of Israelis support ending the war in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages — something that Netanyahu has opposed, arguing that it would leave Hamas in power.
Bibas conducts the interview while wearing a t-shirt with the pictures of hostage brothers David and Ariel Cunio — his neighbors in Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was the hardest hit border town during Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
Bibas is one of several released hostages interviewed for the ’60 Minutes’ segment, which will air in full tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Also taking part is recently released American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel. link
Hostage families demand meeting with Dermer, accuse him of leaving them ‘in complete darkness’
Relatives of the hostages held in Gaza tell Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is leading the ceasefire negotiations, that they feel as though their loved ones have been placed last on the government’s list of priorities.
In a letter penned to Dermer and published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the relatives of more than a dozen hostages accuse him of leaving them “in complete darkness” and failing to update them about any progress — or lack thereof — during ceasefire negotiations.
“Minister Dermer, when you were appointed as head of the negotiating team, we were promised that this would help reach a breakthrough on a new agreement,” they write. “In reality, more than a month has passed and there is no progress in sight.”
“The hostages are in immediate danger — the living are in danger of death and the dead are in danger of vanishing,” they warn.
“Minister Dermer, the responsibility and authority is in your hands. Do not leave the negotiating room until you achieve a comprehensive agreement,” they write, calling for the remaining 59 hostages, living and dead, to be returned in one fell swoop rather than a lengthy deal.
Appealing for Dermer to meet with them, the families say they feel as though they “have been forgotten in the dark.”
“When you’re not in the negotiating room — we are coming to you again with a demand — meet with us, all the families of the hostages, immediately. Pay attention to us,” they urge. “Our loved ones have no time. We have no time.”
Channel 12 reported last week that Dermer has yet to meet with a single hostage family or present his own initiative for a deal since taking over the negotiating team last month.
His office has denied the report and said he met with four families in the last two weeks, but declined to reveal their names.
The letter is signed by dozens of relatives of 21 hostages, both living and dead.
Among the signatories are the children of Manny Godard, who said yesterday that the military had tried and failed to recover their father’s body from Gaza.
It is also signed by freed hostage Iair Horn, who was forced to leave his brother Eitan behind in Gaza when he was released from Hamas captivity on February 15.
Keith Siegel: "I saw torture and sexual assault of one of the female hostages"
Former hostages Yarden Bibas, Tal Shoham, and Keith Siegel were interviewed on the American program "60 Minutes." Yarden, speaking in his first interview since being released from Hamas captivity, recounted that the terrorists cold-bloodedly murdered his wife Shiri and their children: "The captors would tell me, 'It's not a big deal—you'll have a better wife and children.'" Siegel gave a harrowing testimony: "They forced me to watch the torture and sexual assault of one of the female hostages."
Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel

Yarden Bibas was interviewed on CBS's "60 Minutes" for the first time since his release during the first phase of the hostage deal. "They murdered my family in cold blood—with their own hands," he told interviewer Lesley Stahl. "The captors told me many times, 'It doesn’t matter, you’ll get a new wife and new, better children,'" Yarden shared. Fellow survivors Tal Shoham and Keith Siegel also spoke in the interview.
"There was a young woman with me whom the terrorists tortured—I witnessed it, they forced me to watch. I also saw sexual assaults of Israeli female hostages," Siegel said.
Wearing a shirt with a picture of the kidnapped brothers David and Ariel Cunio, Yarden described how he spent most of his time in tunnels, fearing Israeli airstrikes: "It’s terrifying—you don’t know when it’s going to happen, and when it does, you fear for your life. It feels like an earthquake, but underground. Everything could collapse on you at any moment."
Stahl asked Yarden about the letter he wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his release, urging him to end the war: "Don’t you think continued fighting will encourage Hamas to release more hostages?" Yarden firmly replied, "No." He thanked former President Trump, saying, "I know he can help—I’m here because of Trump. He’s the only one who can convince Netanyahu to stop this war again."
Speaking about the Cunio brothers, still held by Hamas, Yarden said: "I’ve known David Cunio since first grade, and his younger brother Ariel—they’re both still in Gaza. I don’t know if they’re getting enough food or water. They don’t see daylight. We did everything together—David was at my wedding. Now I’m going through the hardest time of my life, and David isn’t here with me. I lost my wife and children—Sharon must not lose her husband."
**Keith Siegel: "They forced me to watch the abuse of a hostage"**
Keith Siegel, also released in the deal, gave a shocking testimony: "There was a young woman with me whom the terrorists tortured," he said on the program. "I witnessed it—they forced me to watch. I saw sexual assaults of Israeli female hostages." Siegel recounted being taken to Gaza and held in a tunnel: "We felt in danger, under threat. The terrorists surrounded us with weapons."
He described Hamas’ escalating cruelty: "They became worse and more violent. They beat me and starved me—they would eat in front of me without offering me food. I showered once a month using a cup and a bottle of cold water. They broke my spirit. My life depended entirely on the Hamas terrorists—I was completely at their mercy. They left me alone several times, and I was terrified: What would I do if they didn’t come back? They made me think there was no point in even trying to escape."
Stahl asked Siegel: "I heard the captors shaved the heads and private parts of hostages—is that true?" He replied: "Yes, it’s true. I think they did it as an act of humiliation—they wanted to degrade us."
**Tal Shoham: "Sometimes the water we drank tasted like blood"**
Tal Shoham, released from captivity, met with the parents of Aviv David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal to update them on their sons' condition. He testified that they were beaten daily and ate only a little rice or pita each day. "Sometimes the water we drank tasted like blood, sometimes like metal," Shoham said.
The former hostage told the interviewer: "You don’t need much to stay alive—just one slice of bread a day and a cup of water. We negotiated with the captors—we’d give them massages every day in exchange for extra food, like tuna or sardines."
Shoham continued, speaking about Aviv and Guy: "One of the hardest things I heard from them was, 'Why should we stay alive? Why not take matters into our own hands and just end it?'" Breaking into tears, he said: "If they do it, they’ll do it together. Aviv and Guy aren’t children, but sometimes I felt like their father there."  link
Israel's Counterproposal and Waiting for Hamas | New Details
Israeli officials: "If Hamas agrees to the Wittekoff framework, we will discuss Phase 2" • Israel's warning: If Hamas does not respond to the proposal soon, pressure will intensify • The military is preparing, among other things, to seize more significant territory in the Strip • If negotiations collapse—Israel will begin an operation to decisively defeat Hamas • These are Israel’s new demands to the mediators
Israel is awaiting a response from the mediators after submitting a counterproposal yesterday, as we reported this evening (Sunday) in the "Main Edition." Throughout the day, discussions were held at various levels along the axis between Israel, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt.
Israeli officials told Channel 12 News: "We are standing firm on the Witkoff framework. If Hamas agrees, we will be ready to enter discussions on Phase 2 of the deal."
Currently, Hamas is offering the release of five hostages in exchange for 50 days of ceasefire. In contrast, Israel is demanding the release of 11 living hostages and half of the deceased hostages in exchange for 40 days of ceasefire.
Israel has also conveyed several additional demands to the mediators:
- Humanitarian aid must reach only the civilian population.
- The condition of the hostages must be maintained.
- Strict adherence to the hostages' nutrition and health.
Assessments in Israel suggest that the logistical and humanitarian blockade imposed on the Strip, along with military pressure, is influencing Hamas and causing shifts in their stance. However, Israel is simultaneously warning: If Hamas does not respond soon to the new proposal and is unwilling to move forward—the pressure will only intensify.
**IDF Preparations in Case Negotiations Fail**
The IDF is preparing for a series of significant moves in the very near future, should Hamas reject Israel’s proposal for a deal. These include seizing even more substantial territory than seen so far, along with additional operational steps designed to jumpstart negotiations.
Israel prefers not to launch a full-scale campaign to defeat Hamas and instead wants to exhaust diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement. This process could take a few weeks. However, if talks collapse, the security establishment is prepared to decisively defeat the terrorist organization.
Last night, it was reported that Hamas agreed to a ceasefire during the holiday period and the release of five hostages. Following the cabinet meeting, N12 learned what was said behind closed doors, where ministers received a briefing on the progress of negotiations—as well as operational plans for continuing the fighting in Gaza.
At this critical juncture, the mediators’ role is to find a formula that will bring the sides closer and lead to understandings. The Israeli negotiation team is aware that the holiday period introduces an opportunity for progress. However, it is clear that the military campaign continues on a razor’s edge: On one hand, pressure is mounting, while on the other, Israel risks reaching a point where returning to negotiations may become difficult.  link The drip and drab release methodology is Netanyahu's making. It is horrible inhumane. The only deal that must be made is a single release for all 59 of the hostages and end to the war. That is not happening because Netanyahu doesn't want to end the war and wants to stretch it out as long as possible. He believes that the more time he has, the better his chances to get more people to believe his narrative of lies and rehabilitate his broken legacy. He is right in that more people will believe his narrative and the further away we get from October 6 without elections and without an Independent State Commission of Inquiry, he is in better shape. But there are enough people who will never forget and never allow Netanyahu to escape his responsibility and blame for everything that led up to October 6, the mishandling of the war and the horrendous situation of the hostages for 542 days and counting.

* - Hostage’s mom Einav Zangauker passes letter to PM during his trial: ‘You systematically refuse to meet with me’
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, stands outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, after she was banned from entering to the building, on January 6, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage in Gaza, brings a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a break in a hearing at his ongoing criminal trial.
Zangauker says she is writing to the premier because “you consistently and systematically refuse to meet with me in private, despite numerous official requests, as is customary in your dealings with all the families of the hostages.”
“The deal being negotiated is a selektzia deal,” she says, using a Holocaust-era term used to describe Germany’s distinction between Jews deemed fit for hard labor and those sent straight to the slaughter.
“I ask you to take care of getting Matan out of hell, and I demand that the prime minister brings a comprehensive agreement that will provide a solution for all 59 hostages, living and dead, and to ensure an end to the war, because we know that this is the only condition that Hamas is not willing to bend on,” she says.
“This is an unnecessary war, no more hostages must pay for this with their lives. If my Matan managed to survive to this day, I demand that the prime minister bring him and everyone else home. And not risk a single hair on a soldier’s head in an attempt to rescue hostages,” she says.
The letter is taken by Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad.
Matan Zangauker, who was abducted from his Nir Oz home on October 7, 2023, as part of Hamas’s attack on Israel, has been held captive in Gaza for 542 days. His mother is a prominent leader in the protests to secure the release of all those held by terrorists in Gaza. Video
CBS’s “60 Minutes” shows a reunion between former hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel with released captive Agam Berger.
The three of them were held together in a Hamas tunnel. They were seven in total when they were together in a small, cramped tunnel. Aviva was released after 50 days in November 2023, at which point Keith and Agam were also separated.
“You couldn’t stand up. [There was] no room to walk around. Only if we needed to use the toilet, we were allowed to get out of this niche,” Keith recalls.
“The first day they were with us for a few hours, and then they left us. We said, ‘If we need help, what do we do?’ And they said, ‘Come to the stairs and shout for us and we’ll come.'”
Keith says he was relieved when Aviva was released in November 2023, but later saw how she was mobbed by hostile Gazans during her transfer. “I wasn’t sure Aviva made it home alive… This was very stressful.”
When he was finally released in February, Keith says he was told by his captors that he needed to wave and thank Hamas during his release ceremony.
“I waved to the audience. I did not say, ‘Thank you,'” he recalls, adding that he had felt anxious that something would go awry at the last minute and that he would not be released.
Discussing the strong bond he formed with the other hostages he was with, Keith says they all looked after each other physically and emotionally.
Embracing Berger, Aviva says she kept smiling throughout their captivity and that it gave all of them a great deal of strength. She recalls how she and Berger used to hold hands and look into each other’s eyes in order to try and mitigate the joint fear.
Aviva also shares how Berger and fellow hostage Liri Albag cheered Keith up during one particularly dark time of their captivity.
“Most of the time Keith cheered us up,” Berger notes.
“When it was tough for one of us, all the others helped,” Keith says.
“There was a very, very intense bombing. Agam was especially afraid. [I asked her] if it was okay if I were to hold her hand. I held her hand,” he recalls. “She helped me, and I helped her.”
Keith uses the interview to call on the Trump administration, the Israeli government and the mediating parties to get back to the negotiation table in order to renew the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
“It’s urgent, and every day that this goes on is just more and more suffering and more and more possible death and psychological devastation,” he says. Video

Released hostage Tal Shoham says fellow captives discussed suicide
Caption: Released hostage Tal Shoham, 1st right, is interviewed on CBS's '60 Minutes' with the parents of hostages Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David on March 30, 2025. (CBS's '60 Minutes')
Recently released hostage Tal Shoham recalls how Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David — hostages with whom he was held in captivity and who are still held in Gaza — openly discussed taking their own lives because of the inhumane conditions under which they have been held.
“One of the toughest things that I heard from them — they told me more than once, ‘Why stay alive?'” Shoham tells CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
“Why not just take their own life with their own hands and finish it… to get released from this.”
Shoham is interviewed alongside the parents of Gilboa-Dalal and David.
“They will do it together if they decide to do it,” says David’s mother Galia.
Shoham, 40, shares how he turned into a father-like figure to the 23-year-old Gilboa-Dalal and David. “They are not children, but from time to time, I felt like a father,” Shoham recalls before choking up.
“They are children,” Gilboa-Dalal’s father Ilan chimes in.
“I really, really fear that they are now alone,” says Shoham.
Gilboa-Dalal and David’s Hamas captors drove them to a hostage release ceremony last month and forced the pair to watch.
“Then they moved them back to the tunnels [to] devastate them,” Gilboa-Dalal’s father says.
CBS’s Lesley Stahl says she doesn’t know how anyone could watch the video that Hamas produced from that day, but David’s mother Galia responds, “It was a sign of life.”
Shoham shares details of his captivity with Gilboa-Dalal and David to their parents during the joint interview.
“It’s important for us to know exactly what’s going on with our children,” says Gilboa-Dalal’s father.
Shoham shares how Gilboa-Dalal cried for five or six days straight after being taken captive. He recalls how they lived in very narrow tunnels and were only given minute amounts of pita, rice and water.
“Sometimes the water tastes like blood, sometimes like iron. Sometimes it was so salty that you could not drink it, but you don’t have anything else,” he says.
One of their captors told them that they were being given the bare minimum amount of food to be able to survive for years. “You won’t die, but you will have the worst time,” Shoham recalls being told.
In order to get additional food, Shoham says he and the other hostages would give back rubs to their captors every day.
“It’s worse than how they treat animals,” Gilboa-Dalal’s father says.
Asked how she can listen to such difficult details, David’s mother responds, “I want everyone to listen because this is the reality. Maybe someone will hear it, and it will save our sons.”

Gaza and the South

Hamas begins brutal crackdown on Gaza protests with torture, executions
Residents in the enclave say terror group executed at least six organizers; Gaza City resident returned to his family after four hours of torture and died shortly afterward, while others reported missing
Hamas has begun cracking down on Gazans who participated in recent protests against the group’s rule, executing six people and publicly beating others, according to Palestinian activists and residents.
Among those killed was Odai al-Rubai, 22, a resident of Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood. Al-Rubai had called for public demonstrations and spoken out against Hamas on social media. He was abducted by Hamas operatives, tortured for four hours, and then returned to his family as he lay dying, witnesses said.
Anti Hamas Protests in Gaza

“He was dragged by a rope around his neck, beaten with clubs and metal rods in front of passersby,” said one resident who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.
Another resident, Hussam al-Majdalawi, was reportedly kidnapped and beaten in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. Al-Majdalawi, who had also spoken against Hamas, was shot in the legs and left wounded in a public square, according to eyewitnesses.
Hamza al-Masri, a Gaza-based social activist who lost an eye after being tortured by Hamas in the past, said the crackdown was part of a broader effort to silence dissent.
“Just for asking to live, a Hamas military unit kidnapped several young men, including helpless Odai,” al-Masri wrote on social media. “Hours after he was taken, he was returned to his family without life.”
He accused Hamas of maintaining tight control over local media, preventing journalists from reporting on abuses. “There isn’t a single journalist in Gaza who can speak about the crimes being committed here,” he said. “The world has no idea what’s happening.”
Anti Hamas Protests in Gaza calling to end the war

Despite the threats, mourners at al-Rubai’s funeral shouted anti-Hamas slogans, including “Hamas out,” and several relatives fired weapons into the air. Members of his family reportedly identified one of the men responsible for the torture and vowed revenge.
“Don’t come to offer condolences before we take revenge,” one family member was quoted as saying.
Gazan influencer Mustafa Asfour wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that al-Rubai was “killed because he said aloud: We want to live. These are very sad moments, fueling hatred that could ignite a civil war.”
Large protests erupted earlier this month across Gaza, with thousands of Palestinians demanding an end to the ongoing war with Israel and criticizing Hamas’ governance. However, demonstrations subsided Friday, and no new calls for protest have emerged.
Palestinian sources said other demonstrators have gone missing in recent days, as Hamas seeks to reassert control and deter further dissent. link These actions by Hamas are not new. This is the way that they have ruled with an iron fist in Gaza for close to 2 decades. There is no free press, no freedom of expression and any dissent against Hamas was arrest, torture, death. And now with the growing unrest and renewed fighting and dislodging Gazans by the army, the protests against Hamas are growing. Hamas leaders are afraid to come out of hiding due to the many bombing assassinations since the return to fighting but the underlings are there to continue to propagate the fear of Hamas and to show that Hamas still rules.

Hamas said to turn down $2B offer to disarm, relocate top commanders from Gaza
Sources say U.S.-backed proposal included additional financial incentives and protection from future attacks for senior figures, with funding for plan originating from undisclosed regional actors
Hamas recently rejected a U.S.-backed proposal that would have allowed its top military commanders to leave the Gaza Strip with their families in exchange for significant financial incentives and guarantees of safety abroad, according to a report published by the Qatari-owned newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The proposal included offers of nearly $2 billion, to be distributed based on the military rank of each commander, as well as additional funds in return for disarming—both heavy and personal weapons. The report said the identities of those funding the offer were not disclosed, though signs pointed to regional actors.
Hamas terrorists

According to unnamed sources cited in the report, the offer was extended to battalion commanders and senior leaders in the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. Among those named were Muhammad Sinwar, commander of the Rafah Brigade; Muhammad Shabaneh; and Az al-Din al-Haddad, commander of the Gaza City Brigade.
Muhammad Sinwar is the brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza who was killed earlier in the war. He is believed to now lead the group in Gaza and is reportedly involved in efforts to rebuild its military infrastructure. He is also thought to be responsible for hostages still held in Hamas’s tunnel network.
Sinwar played a central role in Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, which killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Mohammed Deif and Yihya Sinwar

In December, the Israeli military released rare footage showing him traveling in a jeep with bodyguards inside a large tunnel discovered near the Israeli community of Netiv HaAsara and the Erez border crossing. He was seen receiving a briefing from engineers and tunnel workers brought in from Khan Younis and touring the length of the tunnel.
Israel has repeatedly attempted to assassinate Sinwar. During the current conflict, the military distributed leaflets in Gaza offering a $300,000 reward for information leading to his death—$100,000 less than the amount offered for his brother. The leaflets also included bounties for other senior Hamas commanders, including Khan Younis Brigade chief Rafa Salameh and longtime operative Muhammad Deif, both of whom were killed in Israeli airstrikes in July. Salameh carried a $200,000 bounty; Deif, $100,000.
In February, Israeli forces raided Sinwar’s office at the “al-Qadisiyyah” base in Khan Younis and destroyed it along with the surrounding compound.
(R-L) Muhammad Sinwar, commander of the Rafah Brigade; Muhammad Shabaneh; and Az al-Din al-Haddad, commander of the Gaza City Brigade
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Shabaneh assumed command of the Rafah Brigade during Israel’s 2014 war with Hamas, after the killing of three senior Hamas commanders. He oversees four battalions, including the elite Nukhba unit that led the Oct. 7 attack. He has survived multiple assassination attempts and lost three sons during the current conflict. Unconfirmed reports circulated that he had also been killed, though neither Israeli nor Palestinian officials have verified those claims.
Al-Haddad, known in Gaza as the “ghost of al-Qassam,” is among the highest-ranking commanders in Hamas’s military wing. He leads at least six battalions, including the Nukhba unit. According to an investigation by Qatar’s Al Jazeera network, al-Haddad convened his battalion commanders the day before the Oct. 7 attack and handed them written orders. One of the key objectives was to abduct a large number of Israeli soldiers in the early moments of the assault and transport them into Gaza. The plan emphasized documenting the attack and securing control over Israeli border communities.
Al-Haddad has survived several Israeli assassination attempts, but both of his sons—who held command roles in the Nukhba unit—were killed during the war. link
Palestinian Red Crescent says 14 bodies recovered from ambulances hit by Israeli fire in Gaza last week
The Palestinian Red Crescent says that it has recovered bodies of 14 rescuers killed in Israeli military fire on ambulances in the Gaza Strip one week ago.
“The number of recovered bodies has risen to 14 so far, including eight EMTs from the Palestine Red Crescent teams, five civil defense personnel and an employee from the United Nations agency,” the group says in a statement.
The IDF acknowledged yesterday that it had fired on ambulances and fire engines in southern Gaza last week, saying it had mistakenly identified them as “suspicious vehicles.”

IDF calls on Gazans in Rafah to evacuate: ‘Returning to fight with great force in these areas’
By EMANUEL FABIAN
The IDF issues an evacuation warning for Palestinians in the entire Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, saying the military is “returning to fight with great force to eliminate the capabilities of terror organizations in these areas.”
In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, publishes a map of the area that is to be evacuated, telling Gazans to move to the al-Mawasi area on the southern Strip’s coast.
It marks the largest evacuation order issued by the IDF since the resumption of the offensive against Hamas earlier this month.
It covers a large area between Rafah and Khan Younis, where the IDF has so far not operated in with ground forces.

Netanyahu’s close associate reportedly aided transfer of Qatari funds to Gaza
Billionaire Shlomi Fogel, a major shareholder in Israel Shipyards, relayed messages for years from terror group to Doha, with Israel’s consent, says TheMarker; PM’s office denies
A close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly played a direct role in coordinating Qatari cash transfers to Hamas in Gaza in recent years, with Israel’s approval.
The Saturday report by business daily TheMarker comes amid a flurry of allegations regarding what critics say were problematic ties between those around Netanyahu and the Gulf petrostate, which has played a leading role in hostage negotiations, as well as accusations that the Israeli premier helped prop up Hamas while catastrophically miscalculating the terror group’s intentions.
According to the outlet, citing an unspecified “document,” Israeli billionaire Shlomi Fogel maintained contact in the late 2010s and early 2020s with Mohammad al-Emadi, a Qatari diplomat who oversaw Doha-funded reconstruction projects in Gaza following the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.
Al-Emadi also oversaw the deliveries of hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from Qatar to Gaza between 2018 and 2021, money approved by Israel in hopes of keeping a lid on simmering tensions in the Strip amid sky-high unemployment.
The Qatari official personally accompanied convoys bringing the money from Ben Gurion Airport to Gaza and was present when the funds were handed over to Hamas officials.
According to TheMarker, business people in Gaza repeatedly used Fogel as a go-between to relay messages to al-Emadi, pressing him to speed up the transfers, claiming that doing so would help stabilize the situation and prevent violent escalations along the border.
Mohammad al-Emadi, Qatar’s point man for Gaza, speaking to a Palestinian news outlet in the coastal enclave. (Screenshot: YouTube)
A source close to Fogel confirmed most of the details outlined in the document, TheMarker reported. Fogel refused to comment to TheMarker on the report while Netanyahu’s office said no Israelis were involved in the cash transfers.
Criticism over the cash transfers, which were controversial at the time, and of Netanyahu’s alleged policy of allowing Hamas to maintain rule in Gaza in exchange for calm, has ratcheted up sharply following the terror group’s October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel.
In April 2024, a confidential report by a team of veteran US and Israeli intelligence professionals found that “Qatari funding and policies led directly to October 7.” The experts estimated that Doha provided $2 billion (NIS 7.4 billion) in total to the terror group.
Fogel first developed connections with al-Emadi in the mid-2010s through several visits to Doha, where he also met with other senior Qatari officials, according to TheMarker.
The Israeli businessman spoke openly about advancing business ventures related to Gaza, including a solar power station funded by Qatar to provide electricity to the Strip, though the projects never came to fruition.
In addition, Fogel reportedly portrayed himself as a business partner to Nabil Bouab, a Gazan businessman who owned a sewing factory that employed many Gazans and provided services to Israeli fashion companies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a debate at the plenum hall of the Knesset in Jerusalem, on March 26, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
TheMarker reported that several former Netanyahu aides attested to the prime minister’s close ties to Fogel, including alleged meetings at Fogel’s private residence.
“Fogel is very close to Netanyahu,” one former staffer was quoted as saying. “His close relationship with the prime minister gave him expertise in political matters.”
According to the source, Fogel would look to parlay political developments into profitable business ventures for himself. These included infrastructure projects based on the assumption that Hamas would continue ruling Gaza, aligning with Netanyahu’s policies, TheMarker said.
According to TheMarker, Fogel advocated for an Israeli strategy in interviews and conferences that sought to isolate the Palestinian Authority, preventing its international recognition as an independent state, while simultaneously supporting Gaza’s economic development through business ventures.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
In a 2016 interview with Israeli business news outlet Globes, Fogel spoke about Gaza: “With barely $800 per capita GDP, there’s no doubt that two million people in the Gaza Strip will try again and again to shake the tree and disturb Israel, where per capita GDP is $37,000,” implying that an investment in Gaza’s economy would be an investment in Israel’s security.
Fogel continued, “Let’s say that tomorrow morning, we give [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] a state. I’ve no doubt… that a large proportion of the refugees, first of all from Syria and Iraq… will start flowing into the West Bank,” adding that “we’ll find another 1-1.5 million refugees coming to live near us, and also in Rehovot and Jerusalem.”
In a subsequent interview with Globes in 2018, Fogel acknowledged his discussions with Hamas officials, stating, “When I talk to Hamas people, I tell them: I am willing to do this not because I love you, I know you want to kill us. I am only doing this so that there will be peace.”
The document expanded on Fogel’s questionable ties, revealing that he helped facilitate funding from Qatar for Hamas’s government, which was approved by Netanyahu’s government.

Eli Feldstein (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the backdrop of the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90, Tomer Appelbaum/Pool, Yehoshua Yossef/Flash90)
The Prime Minister’s Office denied that any Israeli officials were directly involved in the Qatari funding: “Another transparent attempt to fabricate a nonexistent scandal. The security agencies handled the Qatari grant, and they even recommended it. To the best of our knowledge, no other Israeli officials were involved,” it said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister has already sued [former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon] and others who claimed or hinted that he somehow received money from Qatar, and he will continue to act against anyone who spreads this lie,” the PMO added.
Netanyahu announced earlier this month that he is suing Ya’alon for comments suggesting that he received tens of millions of dollars from Qatar, amid an investigation into alleged ties between Doha and several of the prime minister’s aides, dubbed Qatargate.
Netanyahu’s former spokesman, Eli Feldstein, who was charged last November with harming national security, was reportedly paid by Doha to feed top Israeli journalists pro-Qatar storie Link

IDF kills 50 Hamas fighters in northern, central Gaza
Soldiers also identified a hidden network of tunnels running a kilometer.
The IDF has killed 50 Hamas fighters in northern and central Gaza recently, it announced on Monday.
More specifically, the announcement was about the military operations of Division 252 around the Netzarim Corridor in central gaza and in certain areas northward of the corridor.
In addition, those troops have uncovered a network of tunnels running for a full kilometer which they had not discovered during previous Gaza invasions.
Further, the IDF destroyed a location for rocket making.
A Hamas rocket launcher seized by the IDF in the Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
This last element could be significant given that Hamas has returned to periodically firing rockets, albeit in small numbers, at the Gaza Corridor in recent weeks.
Earlier Monday, the IDF said that it was broadening its invasion to new areas of Rafah.
IDF soldiers operate in the northern Gaza Strip, March 31, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
On Sunday, it seemed that with hostage talks at an inflection point, the Gaza war had gone on cruise control.
By air and land: Attacking Hamas
From Thursday of last week through Sunday, though there were continued aerial attacks and limited new ground incursions, there was no serious broadening of the invasion.
Even the announcements on Monday were relatively modest compared to deeper and more aggressive invasions by the IDF earlier in the war or compared to predictions of how aggressively the IDF would attack Gaza if no new hostage deal was reached around a month ago.
Given that there has been little new in the Gaza invasion in the last several days, the government appears to have held up a yellow light on the progress of the invasion to allow time for reaching a new hostage deal with Hamas before the IDF dives deeper into other portions of Gaza, forcing most of the population to evacuate to the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone on the Mediterranean coast.
Before Monday, the last time the IDF said it killed dozens of Hamas terrorists was Thursday of last week. On both Friday and Sunday, the IDF sent out zero updates on the Gaza war. On Saturday, there was one minor update about an incursion into a less important area of Rafah as well as an update on a series of air strikes.
The last major ground move was on March 26 when the IDF ordered a broad evacuation of Palestinians from northern Gaza, including portions of Zeitoun, Rimal, Tel-al-awa and two other areas.
Adding these evacuations to earlier evacuations from Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia, most of the northern Gaza areas which are important to Hamas, other than the downtown part of Gaza City itself, Shejaiya, and Shaati, had been evacuated by then. As such, those new ground maneuvers on March 26 were significant.
Alson March 26, the IDF attacked those areas of Gaza which had been responsible for an unidentified impact near Zimrat in the Gaza Corridor.
Hamas's rocket fire on March 26 was not successful in terms of killing anyone, but one of the two rockets fired did get through and the Gazan terror groups continue to show the capability to fire two to three rockets at a time.
Likewise on Saturday, the IDF struck areas of Khan Yunis from which mortars had been fired on nearby IDF forces.
In the broader view, the most destructive part of renewed hostilities by far was March 18 itself when the air force struck around 80 significant targets, including many top Hamas political officials, in under 10 minutes
What followed was a few stays of steady escalation and invasion into different sectors of the Gaza Strip.
This seemed to culminate on March 26 and could have broadened further to Gaza City, new parts of Khan Yunis, and new parts of central Gaza, but instead so far it has plateaued.
Already last week, a forum of high ranking reservists called on IDf Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir to broaden the invasion and soon to put maximal pressure on Hamas, just as advocates for the remaining hostages pressured the government to cut a new deal with the Gazan terror group and halt the latest hostilities.
Israel renewed hostilities after a 42-day ceasefire followed by a nearly three week deadlock between the sides on the next steps of the ceasefire. Link

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria

Lebanese authorities arrest suspects over recent rocket fire on northern Israel
Lebanese authorities say several suspects have been arrested after rockets were fired at neighboring Israel earlier this month, testing a fragile November ceasefire.
Lebanon’s General Security agency says it has “arrested several suspects, and the relevant authorities have begun investigations with them to determine responsibility and take the appropriate legal measures.”
The Hezbollah terror group has denied involvement in the rocket fire that took place on March 22 and 28.
It nevertheless prompted an Israeli strike on Hezbollah’s Beirut stronghold on Friday for the first time since the truce went into effect in November.

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks

Shin Bet says it foiled West Bank shooting, bombing attack directed by Hamas from Turkey
Materials said to be for a bombing and shooting attack in the West Bank in an image released on March 31, 2025 (Shin Bet)
An attempt by Hamas to carry out a shooting and bombing attack in the West Bank, directed by members of the terror group in Turkey, was recently foiled, the Shin Bet announces.
In January and February, six members of the Hamas cell, residents of Nablus, were detained by Israeli forces. The six were interrogated by the Shin Bet and Israel Police on suspicion that they were planning attacks.
The investigation found that the cell was being directed and funded by Hamas in Turkey. The cell received tens of thousands of dollars to carry out attacks on security forces and other targets in the West Bank, the Shin Bet and police say in a joint statement.
An assault rifle and $40,000 in cash were seized during the arrest of three of the suspects on January 29, and another $20,000 was captured during the arrest of another suspect that day, the statement says.
The other suspects were arrested on later dates.
Following the interrogation of one of the suspects, the Shin Bet says troops located a bomb that had been planted by the cell near the Gitai Avisar Junction in the West Bank. The explosive device was successfully neutralized.
The suspects aren’t named by police and the Shin Bet says indictments are expected to be filed against the six in the coming weeks.

Politics and the War and General News

Ben Gvir mocked by colleagues for overzealous demands in Gaza
In a security cabinet meeting last night on Israel’s next steps in Gaza, ministers pushed to impose harsher measures on the Palestinian enclave while taunting National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for his unrealistic demands, Channel 12 reports.
The far-right minister called for all electricity to Gaza to be cut off, reportedly telling the cabinet, “We must black out all the electric lines in Gaza.”
According to the report, Major General Ghassan Alian, the head of COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), informed him that Israel is no longer giving any electricity to Gaza, and residents are using generators.
Ben Gvir then called for Israel to take out Gaza’s generators and internal electric wires in order to “turn their lights out.”
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi mocked Ben Gvir, according to Channel 12, telling Alian that he should “turn off the sun.”
“He wants to give them the plague of darkness before Passover,” added Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
On March 9, Energy Minister Eli Cohen instructed the Israel Electric Corporation to immediately cut off the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip, in an apparent bid to pile pressure on Hamas.
Adir Fell on October 7th in the Battle at the Erez Base, His Father on the Investigation: "A Genuine Reckoning Without Whitewashing"

David, the father of Golani fighter Adir Tahar who was killed during Hamas terrorists' invasion of the Erez crossing, responded to the IDF's findings: "We don’t accept many of the conclusions—I think there should be an investigation into the investigation." About his son and the other fallen soldiers: "They fought—there’s only a brief mention of their bravery."
Corporal Adir Tahar went out on the morning of October 7th to fight against dozens of Hamas terrorists who breached the Erez crossing. He fought alongside his comrades from the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade until he was killed by an anti-tank missile. Nearly a year and a half after the massacre, the parents of the soldiers who fell at the Erez crossing received the findings of the IDF's investigation into the battle that took place at the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA). David Tahar, Adir’s father, said following the release of the investigation yesterday (Sunday): "I think there needs to be an investigation into the investigation."
Besides Corporal Tahar, three other soldiers from Golani’s security company stationed at the CLA were killed in the battle, along with three CLA soldiers and two combat intelligence soldiers. Additionally, three CLA soldiers—Ron Sherman, Nick Beizer, and Tamir Nimrodi—were abducted to Gaza. Ron and Nick were killed in captivity as a result of an Israeli airstrike that eliminated senior Hamas official Ahmed Randor, alongside whom captive Elia Toledano was also killed. Tamir Nimrodi remains held captive and is classified as alive.
"They absolutely did not hide—I have videos that prove it," David Tahar said about the battle in which his son fell. "The final outcome is so devastating that it proves they fought." Regarding claims from bereaved families that some commanders at the CLA hid during the battle, Tahar said: "Some fought, and some didn’t. My son and the other fallen Golani soldiers fought and met their deaths."
Referring to the investigation’s findings, the grieving father said: "We already know the military failed—it failed in terms of intelligence and the processes that took place there. On one hand, it was initially said that hundreds of terrorists entered the Erez crossing, and now they’re saying it was dozens. But even so, these were dozens who entered with weapons, grenades, and snipers on the rooftops. Young soldiers understood the incredibly complex situation and chose to fight and defend Israel. There were other soldiers who fought there too—some were wounded."
David Tahar added: "I conducted my own investigation. According to the official report, these soldiers were supposed to go and defend Netiv HaAsara, while the outpost was supposed to defend itself. There are many things in the investigation we don’t accept, which is why I think there needs to be an investigation into the investigation. That means when this cursed war is over—the state will have to conduct a real reckoning, without whitewashing."
"The report doesn’t talk about the soldiers who went out and defended—that’s the most painful part. Their bravery gets just one paragraph, a small mention about how they saw death before their eyes. Some claim recommendations for medals of valor are being considered. That was mentioned, so it doesn’t align with claims about soldiers hiding under beds. Those who went out to fight fell defending this country."
The IDF investigation determined that the combat force assigned to defend the Erez CLA on October 7, 2023, was insufficient even for a more limited scenario. The year-long investigation was based on interviews with soldiers, recordings of radio communications, interrogations of captured terrorists, security camera footage, and discussions with bereaved families. According to the findings, beyond command and control failures, the base was not prepared for defense, and there was no proper contingency plan for an attack. Additionally, the lack of artillery support that could have countered the assault contributed to the soldiers' vulnerability.
The investigation revealed that minutes after 7:00 AM, terrorists breached the base’s main gate. The on-duty CLA commander delayed them briefly with gunfire, but once he ran out of ammunition, there was no one left to stop them. One terrorist managed to hit two observation balloon operators hiding near the dining hall (one was killed instantly, the other later died of his wounds), while others reached the living quarters, where they killed three soldiers and abducted three more alive. Over the next hour, clashes continued in the base, during which more IDF soldiers fell.
The report highlighted a gap in the ability to shift from a defensive stance to engaging the enemy. It claimed the terrorists could have been stopped and the battle ended with different results had forces been deployed differently. The battalion’s reserve platoon was on base during the attack but was not positioned to defend the nearby community under its responsibility.
The main gate was overrun early in the attack, allowing rapid, unopposed penetration into the heart of the base. There was roughly half an hour between the terrorists being spotted on the Erez crossing terminal roof and their entry into the base, but this time was not used to organize soldiers or brief all forces.
Investigators noted a lack of unified command and control to coordinate forces in the area. CLA commanders connected with soldiers only partially by phone, not in person, leading many to act independently. Additionally, the absence of a joint operations room for the company and the CLA hampered combat management, coordination, and the ability to direct forces against the enemy in the base. However, the investigative team commended the decision of the 77th Battalion commander to deploy available forces to fight in nearby communities and protect civilians rather than the CLA. link

Top Netanyahu aides Urich and Feldstein arrested in ‘Qatargate’ investigation
(L) Yonatan Urich, adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, in Tel Aviv on October 3, 2022 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90) and (R) Eli Feldstein arrives for a court hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court on March 11, 2025 (Yehoshua Yosef/Flash90)
The police announce the arrest of two suspects in the so-called Qatargate scandal.
They are named by Hebrew-language media named as Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, top aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a very brief statement to the press, the police state that the two suspects were arrested earlier today within the framework of the investigation into suspected unlawful ties between senior aides to Netanyahu and Qatar.
The investigation is being conducted by the police’s Lahav 433 national crimes unit and the Shin Bet.
No further details are made available for publication due to a court-imposed gag order on the case.
The investigation was launched following revelations that Netanyahu’s former spokesman Feldstein — who has been charged with harming national security in a case involving the theft and leaking of classified IDF documents — worked for Qatar via an international firm contracted by Doha to feed Israeli journalists pro-Qatar stories, while he was employed in the PMO.
Last November, it was also reported that top Netanyahu aides Urich and Yisrael Einhorn did public relations work for Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup there.
AG instructs police to summon Netanyahu to testify in Qatargate investigation
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara instructs the police to summon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give testimony in the ongoing investigation into his aides over their allegedly unlawful ties to Qatar, Channel 12 reports.
Netanyahu’s testimony would be given as someone with knowledge of the affair and not as a suspect at this stage.
According to Channel 12’s report, a decision as to whether to subsequently question Netanyahu under caution, meaning as a suspect in the case, would be taken after giving open testimony first.
The Attorney General’s Office does not immediately respond to a request for the report’s verification.

Opposition leaders: PM’s Shin Bet pick an ‘excellent commander,’ but must prove loyalty to state rather than PM
Commander of the Israeli Navy, Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit, speaks at a graduating ceremony for new Israel Navy Officers in Haifa Naval Base on March 6, 2019 (Meir Vaknin/Flash90)
Opposition leaders respond to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s naming of Vice Adm. (res.) Eli Sharvit as the next Shin Bet chief, saying that while the former Navy chief was an excellent commander, he will need to prove he is loyal to the law and the state rather than to the premier.
Sharvit was named earlier this morning as Netanyahu’s pick to replace Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, whom the cabinet voted to formally dismiss earlier this month. Bar remains in his post, with a temporary injunction imposed on his dismissal by the High Court of Justice.
National Unity leader Benny Gantz says that Sharvit has “values and experience” but that he should not be appointed to head the Shin Bet until the High Court has ruled on Netanyahu’s firing of incumbent Bar.
“Sharvit is an excellent man and commander, with values and experience. An independent man who has always been guided by the interests of Israel’s security, and I have no doubt that this will continue to be the case in the future,” Gantz says in a statement.
“However, what is clear is that the prime minister decided this morning to continue his campaign against the judicial system and lead the State of Israel toward a dangerous constitutional crisis. The appointment of the head of the Shin Bet must be made only after a High Court decision,” Gantz says.
Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman tells the Kan public broadcaster that while Sharvit was an “excellent” commander, his appointment “raises many questions.”
“I know Sharvit, he was an excellent navy commander,” Liberman says. “[However] He has no intelligence background, he has no training in that, no relevant knowledge, so the considerations that led to his appointment raise many questions.”
The Democrats chief Yair Golan says Sharvit will need to prove he is loyal to the law and the state, rather than to Netanyahu.
“Sharvit is a worthy and decent man. His appointment as head of the Shin Bet will be subject to approval by the High Court of Justice,” Golan writes on X.
“However, his appointment by a prime minister who has launched an attack on the rule of law and democratic Israel poses a huge challenge to him,” Golan writes.
“This is not a normal time period, and this is not a normal appointment. Every Shin Bet chief faces pressure, but they have never been required to face a prime minister who is determined to dismantle the institutions of democracy to escape the threat of justice,” Golan says.
“The public expects [the Shin Bet chief] to be fully independent, to continue investigating the Qatari money, including investigating the prime minister’s own involvement, and to stand firmly on the side of democracy, the law, and the truth,” Golan writes, referring to the ongoing Shin Bet probe of alleged ties between Netanyahu’s top aides and Qatar, which backs Hamas.
“It’s a difficult, almost impossible task, but it’s his duty. He will have to prove that his loyalty is solely to the law and the state, and not to whoever appointed him,” Golan concludes.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, whom the government is also trying to fire, has warned that the ousting of Bar faces legal difficulties, in part due to the ongoing Shin Bet probe of alleged ties between the Prime Minister’s Office and Qatar.
Bar vowed to stay on as Shin Bet chief until the return of all hostages from Gaza and the formation of a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas onslaught, which the government opposes.
The court has scheduled an April 8 hearing on the petitions against his firing.
Vice Adm. (res.) Eli Sharvit, who has been named by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the next Shin Bet chief, previously participated in protests against the government’s judicial overhaul plans.
According to a report by Ynet in March 2023, Sharvit joined a protest on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street, alongside other former military officers. He did not issue a call to refuse to show up for duty, like other reservists did, but only expressed concern for the planned legislation, according to the report.
Sharvit also reportedly does not know Arabic and has never been involved in Palestinian affairs. Though this would not be unprecedented for a Shin Bet head.
He began his service in the Navy in 1985, becoming an officer. Over the years, he commanded several missile boats and held other prominent roles.
In 2006, Sharvit was the deputy commander of the Navy’s missile boat fleet, and amid the Second Lebanon War that year he commanded one of its squadrons.
Between 2007 and 2009, he served as a department head in the IDF Operations Directorate, the only role that he held outside of the Navy.
Sharvit then returned to command the missile boat fleet until 2011. Afterward, he was appointed to command the Haifa naval base, where he served until 2014.
Between 2014 and 2016, he served as chief of staff in the Navy before being promoted to the rank of vice admiral and becoming the commander of the Navy.
Sharvit commanded the Navy until 2021, including amid the May 2021 conflict with Hamas.
Since being released from the military, he has served in several top roles in civilian companies.
Earlier this month, Sharvit was appointed by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to be a member of a panel of former officers who are to examine and evaluate the military’s October 7 investigations.
Sharvit would not be the first Shin Bet head who comes from outside the organization and is unfamiliar with its workings, Arabic and Palestinian affairs. In 1996, Ami Ayalon, also a former commander of the Navy, was appointed to head the Shin Bet following the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

The Region and the World

Personal Stories

He survived the war—and shared his comrade’s final song with the world. Youtube video of their song

Amid lull in Gaza fighting, Efraim Yachman and Matanel Lisner composed a melody for a verse from Psalms; Yachman fell in battle a month later; their battlefield-born song was released on his 23rd birthday, performed by Lisner and peers from Yeruham’s Hesder Yeshiva
Efraim Yachman was supposed to celebrate his 23rd birthday on Thursday. Instead of a joyous occasion, the day became one of remembrance and longing for the Givati Brigade soldier who was killed in the early days of the war during a clash in Gaza. His family and friends chose to honor his life, legacy and unique musical talent by releasing a song he composed during the fighting. Yachman was a student at the Hesder Yeshiva in Yeruham, which lost ten of its students and alumni in the Iron Swords War. Described by family and friends as a role model and exemplary figure, Efraim was known for his deep connection to Torah and his passion for music. “He was a very serious person, loved Torah and was deeply devoted to it,” said his brother Yosef Meir Yachman, one of six siblings. Efraim was a gifted musician who began playing piano in first grade and later took up guitar and drums in middle school.

At the start of the war, Efraim entered Gaza alongside his yeshiva and military comrade, Matanel Lisner, serving in a separate team from their yeshiva unit. Lisner recalled the moment the reality of war truly struck them: “When the mortar exploded near us, we understood the real dangers of combat. We decided together to compose a quiet melody to the verse ‘I called upon Hashem in distress,’ which we felt was so desperately missing amid what we were going through.” After two of their classmates from Yeshiva cohort 28 — Eitan Rosenzweig and Yakir Yedidya Schenkolewski — were killed, Matanel and Efraim resolved to complete the song in their memory. The melody became a tribute of remembrance and strength for their unit, which fought in Gaza. Ultimately, the fallen friends were laid to rest side by side in the military cemetery.

Efraim Yachman (left) and Matanel Lisner

One month later, Efraim fell in a clash with terrorists in the Daraj Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. Lisner, who survived the firefight with minor injuries, recounted the harrowing encounter.

“We were defending from inside a building when three terrorists jumped in and opened fire. Efraim and the company commander went up the stairs to engage, so we could evacuate the wounded. I was helping a wounded soldier down the stairs when I spotted a grenade land near me. I felt the blast, but I kept moving him. Only later, after I was evacuated, did I learn I’d been hit,” he said.

“When I returned home from Barzilai Hospital, my parents told me Efraim had fallen. It was incredibly hard to hear. In the war, I was one of the few who spent nearly every moment with Efraim. That bond gave me a deep sense of duty to honor him through the song we wrote together.”

Efraim Yachman
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)

Lisner’s commitment didn’t end there. Just six weeks after his injury, he returned to the battlefield in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood. There, his unit was ordered to demolish a building and burn its third floor. “After setting fire to the room I was in, I realized I had no exit—the whole floor was engulfed in flames,” he said. “I fired into the air, groping through the thick smoke, unable to see anything. In that moment, I thought about everything—about the end.”

In the chaos, Lisner whispered a prayer. “Suddenly, God lit up my eyes, and I saw light coming through a window,” he recalled. “I ran to it, stepped outside, took a deep breath and realized the only way out was to jump.” He leaped three stories onto the roof of a nearby warehouse. “I survived by a miracle—and with me, the song in Efraim’s memory.”

Yachman wasn’t the only musically gifted member of the yeshiva to fall in battle. Their friend, Yair Hananya, also a talented musician, had helped Lisner record the song’s first demo. Just weeks after their initial arrangement, Yair too was killed. His voice and memory now live on in the song and music video, forever intertwined with the legacy of the yeshiva’s fallen.

Yair Hananya

According to Rabbi Chaim Wolfson, head of the Hesder Yeshiva in Yeruham, the song and video honoring Yachman serve not only as a personal tribute but as a reflection of the broader national experience.

“The song tells the story of the entire people of Israel, moving from narrowness to expansiveness,” Rabbi Wolfson said. “We’re in a national crisis that began on Simchat Torah, and we’re working to emerge from it and defeat our enemies. Even in that narrow space, we discovered moments of expansiveness—within the grief, we found sources of strength.” Rabbi Wolfson continued, “This is a story of the hardships of fighting in Gaza and the joy of brotherhood among comrades. It’s also about the bereaved families who face their loss with remarkable dignity and inspire us all. It’s a song about our kidnapped brothers who are still suffering in captivity—we cry out for their swift return to freedom. These days, as we approach Passover, are a time of renewal and liberation. The Jewish people long to be freed from all forms of oppression and to find the Lord even in the darkest places.” Now that the video has been released, Yosef Meir Yachman, shared his emotional reaction: “The video was an incredibly meaningful moment for me. After an entire year, everything culminated in that one powerful experience. The melody has become part of my prayer—it’s no longer just a song, it’s part of my life.”

He recalled one moment in particular from the filming—the gathering of the entire yeshiva and bereaved families in the courtyard, all singing the melody together, with tears and uplifted spirits. “It didn’t feel staged—it was a deeply authentic moment.”

Matanel Lisner described the video’s release as filled with “mixed emotions.” “On one hand, there’s pain and chills—it all comes together in a painful point,” he said. “But on the other hand, I’m glad we were able to bring it to light after all we’ve been through.”

He emphasized that “the message of the video is the ideal synthesis of different parts of our lives—family, army and yeshiva—each one valuable and meaningful on its own. From this integration emerges the ideal image of the yeshiva student: someone who shares responsibility, who bears the burden for the people of Israel and its Torah. Beyond the memory and grief in the video, it offers a call to rise from crisis—a vision of growth and continuity, shaped by all we’ve endured.” link

Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

IPS - Israel Prison System

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen

PMO- Prime Minister's Office

UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission

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