🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 547, 2023

🎗️Day 547 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

*8:40pm - IDF says it intercepted drone ‘from the east’; no sirens activated
A drone launched at Israel “from the east,” was intercepted by Israeli air defenses a short while ago, the military says.
The drone was likely launched from Yemen, according to initial military assessments.
Sirens were not activated in any towns.
The drone was shot down over the Aravah area in southern Israel.

Hostage Updates

Jon Polin in message to PM: Enough with the paranoid TikTok videos; bring back the hostages

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen pointing to a plant in his office corridor and stating “They want me and the government to be a potted plant [and not do anything]," in a social media video filmed on March 19, 2025. (Screen capture/X)
Jon Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was murdered last year in Hamas captivity, pans Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the ongoing war in addition to his broader conduct as of late.
“Not everything is political. Some things are simply human. The exemplary people of Israel deserve more. Do things with broad consensus. Bring back our 59 loved ones. Accept responsibility, say ‘I’m sorry,’ [establish a national commission of inquiry, [advance] a fair sharing of national service,” Polin tweets, without naming Netanyahu.
“Enough with the division, stop blaming, stop dividing, stop ignoring the will of the people, enough with the paranoid TikTok videos,” he says, an apparent reference to the videos Netanyahu has been posting on social media in which he rails against the “deep state” and dismisses the allegations against his aides in the ongoing Qatargate probe
“Why vacation during war? We Israelis deserve better,” Polin says of Netanyahu’s decision to extend his diplomatic trip so that he and his wife can spend the weekend in Hungary at the Israeli tax-payer’s expense while 59 hostages remain in captivity.
Hamas: We won’t move hostages from areas being targeted by IDF; Israel is responsible for their lives
The Hamas terror group says it will not be moving living Israeli hostages out of areas in the Gaza Strip that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated in recent days.
The IDF has issued evacuation orders for the entire Rafah area, Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood and other areas in the Strip’s north.
“Half of the living Israeli prisoners are located in areas in which the Israeli occupation army has requested to be evacuated in recent days,” claims Hudhaifa Kahlout — known by the nom de guerre Abu Obeida — the spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.
“We have decided not to transfer these prisoners from these areas, and to keep them under strict security measures, which are extremely dangerous to their lives,” Abu Obeida says in his statement, which is issued in Arabic, Hebrew and English.
He says that “if the enemy is concerned about the lives of these prisoners, they must immediately negotiate their evacuation or release.”
“The Netanyahu government bears full responsibility for the lives of the prisoners. Had they been concerned about them, they would have adhered to the agreement signed in January. Most of them would probably be in their homes today,” Abu Obeida adds.
Hamas has previously said it would execute hostages if Israeli troops are seen approaching areas where they are being held. In August, Hamas murdered six hostages in Rafah as Israeli forces were operating nearby.
Witkoff to meet with Dermer in Abu Dhabi early next week to discuss hostage talks
US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff is slated to meet with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer early next week in Abu Dhabi to discuss the ongoing hostage talks, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
If there is a breakthrough in the currently stuck talks, Witkoff will travel to either Doha or Cairo, whose governments are mediating between Israel and Hamas along with the US.
Witkoff met yesterday in Washington with a group of families whose loved ones are still being held in Gaza, Axios reports.
US and Israeli officials are hoping that the IDF’s renewed offensive against Hamas and the protests in Gaza against the terror group will lead Hamas to further compromise in the hostage talks, though, that has yet to take place. link the bottom line is that in order for there to be any hostage deal, Israel/Netanyahu must agree to the end of the war. This is known by every single person involved in the hostage negotiations. Hamas has stated clearly and unequivocally that they are prepared to release all the hostages at once in a single release, if the war ends. And the only way to get Netanyahu to end the war is if Witkoff, acting on behalf of Trump forces Netanyahu to do so. It was believed, at the beginning of Trump's term that he intended to do just that. Netanyahu also believed that he would do that, but Netanyahu was able to maneuver Trump into accepting everything that Netanyahu was selling him leading to Trump stating that Netanyahu can do whatever he needs to. That meant the threat of Trump forcing Netanyahu's hand was gone entirely. It was only because of Witcoff's pressure on Netanyahu that he agreed to the previous deal which has phases. The problem is that Netanyahu had no intention of adhering to the agreement past phase 1 which left 59 hostages in Gaza. Phase 2 specifically stated that negotiations for the ending of the war would be tied to the hostages being released. Netanyahu broke that agreement and won't agree to any deal that calls for the end of the war unless the threat from Trump is back on the table.
IDF chief tells skeptical hostage families Gaza offensive advancing their loved ones’ return
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met today with the families of several hostages held by the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, the military says.
Zamir has been meeting with the families of hostages once a week since he entered the role last month. The IDF says he is set to meet with additional families in the coming period.
During the meeting today, Zamir told the families of the goals of the current offensive against Hamas in Gaza and “the IDF’s commitment to return the hostages, [which is] a supreme goal.” link Of course the families are skepical because they know what most everyone else does, that the military pressure is killing hostages, not saving them and not making it easier to make a deal with Hamas. The previous Chief of Staff Halevy and the Head of the Shin Bet acknowledged that increasing military pressure was not the answer and that only a deal would bring back the hostages. However, that doesn't go along with what Netanyahu wants, so we are in this horrendous situation. Even if Hamas is on its last legs, their ideology will bring them to kill all of the hostages and then fight to their own deaths before bending the Netanyahu's will.
Most hostage families feel otherwise, warning that the ongoing IDF offensive in Gaza endangers their loved ones.
Yarden Bibis: "The last time I saw David was in a tunnel"

A released hostage posted a message about his close friend who remains captive in Gaza: "He strengthened me and helped me through the hard days." Yarden recounts that the last time they saw each other was after Hamas' announcement about my wife Shiri and the kids: "I comforted him after he was separated from his wife and daughters."

Yarden Bibis posted today (Friday) on Instagram, writing about his good friend David Cunio, who has been held captive by Hamas in Gaza for 546 days. Yarden shared a photo of them together at the bris of Ariel, of blessed memory, where David is seen beaming with joy.

"The last time I saw David was in a tunnel, a few days after Hamas’ announcement about my Shiri and the kids," he recalls. "David strengthened me and helped me through those difficult days, and I comforted him after he was separated from his wife, Sharon, and his daughters following their release from captivity."

"Since then, I haven’t seen or spoken to David. Over a year has passed, and I miss him so much," Yarden continues. "David and I have known each other since first grade, and in all the years we’ve been friends, we’ve talked or met almost every day. There’s no way a week goes by without us catching up on each other’s lives. We’ve been through everything together—joys, disappointments, hardships. We got married and built our families side by side. We already know exactly how to talk to each other, how to calm each other down, how to make each other laugh, and how to reset each other when needed."

Yarden ended the post with a call for David’s release and that of all the hostages:

"Bring my best friend back home. Bring David back to Sharon and his daughters. Bring all 59 hostages home. Now."  link

While Hamas has yet to cave in hostage talks, Israeli official insists military pressure working
Commenting on the government’s efforts to free the remaining hostages during a briefing with reporters on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Hungary, a “senior Israeli official” says Jerusalem is currently placing an emphasis on military pressure against Hamas.
The majority of hostage families oppose this strategy, warning that it risks the lives of their loved ones.
The “senior Israeli official” claims that Israel has identified “cracks” in Hamas due to the IDF’s renewed offensive in Gaza. The “cracks” are between Hamas’s military leaders in the northern and southern Strip and between Hamas leaders in Gaza and Hamas leaders abroad. However, he acknowledges that the terror group has not yet shifted its approach in the talks.
Hamas has insisted on sticking to the original terms of the deal, which was supposed to enter its second phase on March 2. That phase envisions the return of all living hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent end to the war — two conditions Netanyahu has refused, arguing that they leave Hamas in power.
He has instead sought to secure an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire, which would see the release of additional hostages while still allowing Israel to resume fighting.
The “senior Israeli official” briefing reporters says Israel will not agree to end the war in exchange for the hostages because Hamas is demanding significant guarantees, including through a UN Security Council resolution, that would bar Israel from resuming operations in Gaza.
The official claims that some Hamas operatives holding hostages may decide to leave the Strip due to Israel’s latest offensive — something that has not yet occurred.
The “senior Israeli official” insists that he understands that the hostages are suffering in captivity. However, he says that most of the hostages’ deaths — either by their captors or by Israeli airstrikes–— took place before February 2024, while eight were killed over the past year.
The official says at least 21 and as many as 24 hostages are still alive. There are 59 hostages in total. link Whenever there is an anonymous official, senior of otherwise, it means it is coming directly from Netanyahu. The most important point of this article is that, even with the release of the hostages, Netanyahu will not agree to the end of the war. His excuse is that Hamas is demanding international guarantees that Israel cannot go back to fighting. This is absolute BS. Whenever has any guarantee prevented Israel from fighting terrorists, especially if they break the agreement, which is basically guaranteed that they will. And the idea that it would prevent Israel from going back to fighting is even more absurd with Trump in the White House. He is the first one who would support breaking an agreement. It's just a convenient excuse for Netanyahu.

Gaza and the South

IDF says it killed terrorist who led Bibas abduction, was likely involved in their murders
Military says it also killed Hamas propagandist who was involved in hostage videos and official who funneled cash to terror group’s military wing; MSF: Worker killed in Gaza airstrike
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet on Friday said a terror operative who oversaw the kidnapping and likely was also involved in the murder of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza.

Shiri Bibas (left) and her sons Ariel, 4, (top-right) and baby Kfir, who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 and murdered in captivity. (Courtesy/Foreign Ministry)
The military and security agency also announced the killings of a Hamas propagandist involved in the production of hostage videos and an official central to funneling money to the terror group’s armed wing.
The IDF and Shin Bet on Friday said Muhammad Hassan Muhammad Awad, a senior member of the Mujahideen Brigades, a relatively small terror group in the Strip, had been targeted and killed in an airstrike in northern Gaza earlier that day.
In a joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet said that Awad had invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught and led the abduction of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas.
The IDF said Awad was “likely involved in their murder” during the early weeks of the war.
According to assessments by Israeli officials issued after her body had been identified, Shiri Bibas was “brutally” murdered by her captors in November 2023, alongside her sons, who were killed with “bare hands.” The assessments after a forensic investigation were contrary to Hamas’s claims that the three were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet on Friday said a terror operative who oversaw the kidnapping and likely was also involved in the murder of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza.
The military and security agency also announced the killings of a Hamas propagandist involved in the production of hostage videos and an official central to funneling money to the terror group’s armed wing.
The IDF and Shin Bet on Friday said Muhammad Hassan Muhammad Awad, a senior member of the Mujahideen Brigades, a relatively small terror group in the Strip, had been targeted and killed in an airstrike in northern Gaza earlier that day.
In a joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet said that Awad had invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught and led the abduction of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas.
The IDF said Awad was “likely involved in their murder” during the early weeks of the war.
According to assessments by Israeli officials issued after her body had been identified, Shiri Bibas was “brutally” murdered by her captors in November 2023, alongside her sons, who were killed with “bare hands.” The assessments after a forensic investigation were contrary to Hamas’s claims that the three were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Muhammad Hassan Muhammad Awad, a senior Mujahideen Brigades terrorist who Israel says oversaw the abduction of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, and was likely involved in their murders, seen in a poster released by the terror group following his killing by Israel on April 4, 2025. (Telegram)
The bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were returned in February as part of the ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Yarden Bibas was released alive.
The IDF and Shin Bet said Awad was also responsible for the abduction of US-Israeli nationals Gadi Haggai and Judy Weinstein, who were both killed amid the onslaught in Nir Oz, along with several Thai nationals taken hostage from the kibbutz, the military said.

Judy Weinstein and Gadi Haggai (Courtesy)
The terror group also confirmed Awad’s death, saying he was a senior military commander and head of its intelligence division. The IDF said he was considered close to the leadership of the Mujahideen Brigades.
“Additionally, as part of his role in the terror group, Awad was engaged in recruiting terror operatives in [the West Bank] and Israel [proper], through which they advanced and carried out attacks against Israelis,” the military said.
During the war, the IDF said the Mujahideen Brigades, which is allied with Hamas, carried out several attacks on Israeli forces in Gaza and against Israel.
Hamas propagandist and financier both killed this week
The IDF and Shin Bet also said Friday that they’d killed a Hamas operative who “served as a propaganda and psychological terror operative” in an airstrike in Gaza this week.
According to the military, Mohammed Saleh al-Bardawil “played a central role in Hamas’s propaganda apparatus, systematically spreading false information and leveraging media as a tool for psychological terror and to promote the murderous narrative of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
Bardawil also worked as a broadcaster with the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa Radio.
The IDF said that “while he was referred to as a well-known journalist in Gaza, he was an integral part of Hamas’s incitement and terror infrastructure.”

This undated photo published by the IDF on April 4, 2025, shows Hamas operative Mohammed Saleh al-Bardawil. (Via Israel Defense Forces; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
“Bardawil took an active part in producing the cynical propaganda videos distributed by the terrorist organization Hamas, in which the abducted Israelis were filmed during their captivity in Gaza,” the military added.
According to Palestinian media, Bardawil was killed on Monday in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, alongside his wife and three children.
A Hamas operative involved in funneling money to the terror group’s military wing was also killed in a Thursday airstrike, the IDF and Shin Bet announced.
Saeed Ahmad Abed Khudari was the head of the Al Wefaq Co. currency exchange company, which had been designated as a terror organization by the Defense Ministry for its involvement in transferring money to Hamas.
“Khudari has been involved in numerous financial transfers to Hamas’s military wing over the years and especially throughout the war,” the IDF said.
The military said his involvement in funneling funds to Hamas increased following the killing of his brother, Hamed Khudari, in 2019. His brother had also served as a money man for Hamas, according to the military.
Khudari’s elimination yesterday is “a significant blow to the terror organization’s ability to rearm and reestablish itself,” the IDF added.

Palestinians inspect the damage to the Dar al-Arqam School building in the al-Tuffah neighborhood after it was bombed by Israeli aircraft, in Gaza City, on April 4, 2025. (Ali Hassan/Flash90)

MSF says worker, family were killed in airstrike
Meanwhile, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical charity said on Friday that an April 1 airstrike killed one of its workers, as well as his wife and 28-year-old daughter.
MSF said it was “appalled and saddened by the killing of our colleague Hussam Al Loulou by an airstrike on the morning of 1 April.”
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
“Our colleague Hussam was killed along with hundreds of others across the Gaza Strip since the resumption of attacks by Israeli forces on 18 March,” MSF said.
The 58-year-old watchman at MSF’s urgent care unit in Khan Younis was killed along with his wife and 28-year-old daughter in the “horrendous attack” southwest of Deir Al Balah in central Gaza, MSF said.
He was the eleventh MSF worker killed in Gaza since the start of the war there began 18 months ago and the second since the collapse last month of a short-lived truce.
MSF hailed Loulou for his “selflessness, humility and genuine care for those around him,” adding that he was survived by two sons.

IDF troops of the 401st Armored Brigade operate in the northern Gaza Strip in a handout photo issued on April 4, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
“We strongly condemn his killing and call yet again for the immediate restoration of the ceasefire and protection of civilians,” the organization said. “This bloodshed needs to end.”
The war in Gaza started on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 50,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, while 35 have been confirmed dead by the IDF.
Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 410. link
NYT releases video showing Gaza ambulances had emergency lights when IDF fired on them
The New York Times publishes video showing Palestinian ambulances and fire engines were marked and had their emergency lights on when they came under Israeli fire in Gaza late last month, after a military spokesman said the vehicles “were identified advancing suspiciously toward IDF troops without headlights or emergency signals.”
According to the report, the video was discovered on the cellphone of one of 15 Palestinian medics killed in the incident who the UN says were buried in a mass grave.
In the statement earlier this week, the IDF’s international media spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the military “did not randomly attack an ambulance on March 23” and that “following an initial assessment, it was determined that the forces had eliminated a Hamas military operative, Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, who took part in the October 7 massacre, along with eight other terrorists from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.”

IDF says it will ‘thoroughly’ probe killing of 15 rescue workers in Rafah
The IDF vows to “thoroughly” investigate the incident in southern Gaza’s Rafah on March 23, during which troops opened fire on Palestinian ambulances and a fire truck. The bodies of 15 rescue workers were later said to have been found in a mass grave.
“The shooting toward the ambulance convoy in Tel Sultan on March 23 is in the process of an in-depth inquiry,” the military says in response to a query.
“All of the claims, including the published documentation, will be thoroughly examined and in-depth, to understand the conduct [of the troops] in the incident,” the IDF adds.
The military’s response comes after The New York Times published a video showing that Palestinian ambulances and a fire truck were clearly marked and had their emergency lights on when the IDF opened fire on them, contradicting Israel’s initial account of the incident.

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria

Talks between Trump aide, Lebanese president described as ‘positive’
Senior Lebanese officials say talks with visiting US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus were positive, focusing on south Lebanon amid a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah.
President Joseph Aoun and Ortagus discussed “south Lebanon, the work of the international monitoring committee and the Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory, a statement from the presidency says, characterizing the talks as constructive.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office, in a statement, also says the discussions with the envoy were “positive.”
IDF says troops seized, destroyed weapons at former Syrian regime army post
A tank belonging to the former Syrian regime which was captured by the IDF in southern Syria, in a handout photo issued on April 5, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
This week, the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade raided an army post belonging to the former Syrian regime, where the soldiers located tanks, APCs, and artillery systems, the military says.
The troops also located dozens of mortars and rockets. The IDF says the weaponry was destroyed or seized.
The IDF has been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December, mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries.
Troops have been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers deep into Syria, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile forces.”
Israeli officials have said that they seek to completely demilitarize the southern Syria area and not allow any armed groups to enter it and gain a foothold, including those of the new Syrian government.

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks

Autopsy on Palestinian who collapsed and died in Israeli prison last week said to reveal signs of starvation
The autopsy of a Palestinian minor who collapsed and died last week in Israel’s Megiddo Prison reportedly revealed signs of starvation and medical neglect.
The family of Waleed Ahmad tells the Haaretz daily that the 17-year-old was healthy, athletic and had no pre-existing conditions.
Ahmad’s death comes amid weeks of complaints by detainees at the Megiddo Prison of a bacterial infection that has been causing diarrhea and vomiting due to inadequate nutrition in the facility, Haaretz says.
Ahmad has been in prison since September of last year when he was arrested for allegedly throwing stones and a Molotov cocktail.
Six months later, after several brief court appearances during which no trial date was set, Walid collapsed on March 23 in a prison yard and struck his head, dying soon after, Palestinian officials said, citing eyewitness accounts from other prisoners.
Prison authorities deny any systematic abuse and say they investigate accusations of wrongdoing by prison staff. But the Israeli ministry overseeing prisons acknowledges conditions inside detention facilities have been reduced to the minimum level allowed under Israeli law.
Israel’s prison service did not respond to questions about the cause of death. It said only that a 17-year-old from the West Bank had died in Megiddo Prison, a facility that has previously been accused of abusing Palestinian inmates, “with his medical condition being kept confidential.” It said it investigates all deaths in detention.
The family believes Ahmad contracted amoebic dysentery from the poor conditions in the prison, an infection that causes diarrhea, vomiting and dizziness — and can be fatal if left untreated.
The Palestinian Authority says Ahmad is the first Palestinian under 18 to die in Israeli detention — and the 63rd Palestinian from the West Bank or Gaza since the start of the war. Palestinian prisoner rights groups say that is about one-fifth of the roughly 300 Palestinians who have died in Israeli custody since the 1967 Mideast war, when Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state. link The convicted criminal Minister of Internal 'Insecurity' Ben Gvir has ministerial responsibility over the prison system and since entering this position, has done everything to worsen the conditions of all Palestinian prisoners, not just those arrested for being part of the October 7 attack. Even before having ministerial responsibility, he has pushed for the harshest conditions possible for Palestinian prisoners. For him, the death of a Palestinian in prison just means one less on earth for him and his ilk to get rid of. He is a racist and all in his party are racists as they are followers of the racist Meir Kahana and the party is the reincarnation of the outlawed Kach party for being racist.

Politics and the War and General News

Poll: Most Israelis don’t believe Netanyahu’s claim that he knew nothing about aides’ ties to Qatar
Asked who is better suited to serve as prime minister, 38% of respondents said Benjamin Netanyahu, compared to 27% who said Opposition chair Yair Lapid, and 31% who said neither of them, according to a poll aired on Channel 12.
When Netanyahu was polled against National Unity chair Benny Gantz, the former received 36%, compared to the latter, who received 24% — a further drop for Gantz, who once polled ahead of Netanyahu and Lapid. Thirty-six percent of respondents said neither Netanyahu nor Gantz is suited to serve as premier.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett is the only politician polled who performed better than Netanyahu in a head-to-head matchup, receiving 40%, compared to the current premier’s 35%, while 22% of respondents said neither of them is suited for the position. The 40% figure for Bennett appears to be the highest yet.
Asked who should lead the center-left camp in the next election, 24% of respondents said Gantz’s deputy Gadi Eisenkot, 18% said Democrats chief Yair Golan, 17% said Gantz, 15% said Lapid, 8% said Opposition Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman, 7% said someone else and 11% said they weren’t sure.
Asked if they believe Netanyahu’s claims that he knew nothing about his aides’ allegedly illicit contact with Qatar, 59% of the public said they don’t believe the premier, compared to 30% who do. Among coalition voters, 28% of them don’t believe him, while 58% do.
Shin Bet chief reveals PM urged him to tell corruption trial judges it wasn’t safe for him to testify.
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar reveals that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly demanded that he inform the judges in the premier’s corruption trial that Netanyahu should not be allowed to regularly testify in court due to security reasons.
In a letter to the High Court of Justice ahead of its hearing on petitions against the government’s decision to fire him, Bar says his refusal to heed Netanyahu’s request led to a breakdown in trust between them. Netanyahu cited his lack of trust in Bar as the reason for his removal.
Bar says he adhered to his job’s requirement that he maintain “professional independence,” rather than act out of personal loyalty to the premier.
Netanyahu’s demands were ostensibly made last year when Israel was still dealing with a second front from the north. While Netanyahu sought to have the trial postponed indefinitely due to concerns about Hezbollah drone strikes on the Jerusalem District Court, where he was slated to testify several times a week for hours on end, the judges decided to move proceedings to the Tel Aviv District Court, which has a fortified basement.
The Shin Bet chief urges the court to reverse the government’s decision to fire him.
“The significance of advancing hastily carried out termination proceedings during a sensitive period, while criminal investigations are being conducted into the prime minister’s associates, without due process and detailed allegations against me and without giving me a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations, would convey a clear message to the entire chain of command in the Shin Bet, including to the next heads of the agency, that if one falls out of favor with the political echelon, they will immediately be fired,” Bar writes.

The Region and the World

Houthis claim responsibility for launching drone that was downed by IDF
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen take responsibility for launching a drone at Israel this evening, claiming to have targeted a “military target” in the Tel Aviv area.
According to the IDF, the drone was intercepted by air defenses, in the Dead Sea area.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched at least 10 ballistic missiles at Israel.
The Houthis also claim to have shot down an American reconnaissance drone over Yemen today.
Jerusalem expects ICC to issue more warrants against Israelis — official
Jerusalem expects the International Criminal Court to issue more warrants against Israeli officials, says a “senior Israeli official” briefing reporters during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Hungary.
Netanyahu and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban called Trump from Hungary yesterday and discussed ways to take measures against the ICC and its chief prosecutor, the Israeli official says.
The ICC has outstanding warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. link no one should be surprised by this. When the original warrants were issued against Netanyahu and Galant, I said then that this was just the beginning. It probably would next go to senior Security forces officers (IDF and Shin Bet) and then move to lower officers and finally to officers actually doing the fighting. Netanyahu and Galant are most likely the tip of the iceberg.

Personal Stories

The Touching Tribute by the Academy of the Hebrew Language for Ariel Bibis, of Blessed Memory

The Academy of the Hebrew Language unanimously decided to memorialize Ariel, of blessed memory, who was murdered in Hamas captivity. From now on, the orange butterfly "Ktamit Yerushalayim" (Jerusalem Fritillary) will be renamed "Ktamit Ariel" (Ariel Fritillary). In a letter sent to his father, Yarden, the Academy wrote: "It is fitting that it bear his name."

Last week, the Academy of the Hebrew Language informed Jordan Bebis of the decision to rename the orange butterfly "Ktamit Yerushalayim" to "Ktamit Ariel" as a tribute to his son, Ariel Bebis, of blessed memory, who was murdered by Hamas while held captive in Gaza. The decision was announced today (Friday).

The Academy explained that the orange butterfly carries the name of Jerusalem, and Ariel is one of the traditional names for the holy city. The decision was approved unanimously by the Academy’s members.

"A Fitting Name for a Butterfly-Loving Boy"

"We wish to inform you that at the 194th session of the Academy of the Hebrew Language, held on 24 Adar 5785 (March 24, 2025), the members unanimously decided to adopt the request of the Zoology Committee and change the name of the butterfly Ktamit Yerushalayim in honor of your son Ariel, who loved butterflies. From now on, the butterfly will be called Ktamit Ariel," read the letter to his father, Jordan, a survivor of Hamas captivity.

"We believed that among all the orange butterflies of our land, this particular one is most fitting to bear the name Ariel, as it is one of the names of Jerusalem. May this bring you some comfort in your grief," the Academy wrote. They added: "May his memory be bound up with all those who perished and fell in this terrible tragedy and in this difficult war."

From now on: "Ktamit Ariel"—a lasting tribute to a boy who loved butterflies, and a symbol of remembrance for all the victims. 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

Search This Blog

Lonny's Ramblings