🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 549, 2023 - April 7, 2025 🎗️
🎗️Day 549 that 59 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
Today is exactly one and a half years since October 7, 2023, the worst day in the history of Israel and the worst day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and yet, 59 hostages still remain in Gaza.
Bringing home the hostages should have been the first goal, starting on October 8 before any ground incursion and before any other goals. No price was too high. The government and the army failed totally and abandoned them and 1200 others were slaughtered. Only after getting all 251 hostages home should the ground incursion have begun and then the IDF and Shin Bet could have fought a war without having to worry if the bombing and fighting was going to risk the lives of the hostages.
The prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his successive governments had abandoned the south entirely for a decade and a half and Netanyahu further exacerbated the situation by making sure that Qatari money flowed into Gaza and to Hamas for over a decade. He promoted this transfer of funds even when Qatar wanted it to end.
Today, a year and half later, we still have 59 hostages languishing in Gaza hell with 24 of them assumed alive. We know from the voices of the returned hostages the kind of daily hell they are going through: intentional starvation, torture, shackled 24/7, no medical care, no human decency, dying every second they are there with the threat of immediate execution if the IDF troops come anywhere near them.
And yet, our heartless, soulless prime minister and his group of lackey cabinet members don't give a damn. As far as they are concerned, the remaining living hostages can die as a sacrifice to the personal and political needs of one man, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The only way that a deal to release the hostages can be made with the barbaric, murderous Hamas terrorists is by ending the war, something Netanyahu has absolutely refused to do despite the security heads who supported the end of the war in order to bring the hostages home. It is one of the main reasons that Netanyahu fired the Defense Minister Galant, forced the resignation of the Chief of Staff Halevy and is trying to remove the Head of the Shin Bet Bar. It is the only reason that he removed the Head of the Mossad Barnea, Head of the Shin Bet Bar and the Reserve General Nitzan Alon from the negotiating team and put his favorite and closest crony, Dermer in charge of the negotiating team.
Ending the war for Netanyahu is his biggest fear for 3 main reasons. Ending the war will bring about massive calls for an Independent State Commission of Inquiry that Netanyahu has fought against and tried to have a Knesset bill passed to prevent this commission from ever coming about. He knows that he will be found more culpable, responsible and to blame more than anyone else in the political and security echelons for bringing about October 7 and the mishandling of the war and hostages return since October 7. Second, ending the war will bring about massive calls for early elections which Netanyahu knows he will lose. He wants as much time to distance himself and his responsibility for October 7 as possible before new elections are held. He believes that Israeli memories will fade and will offer forgiveness for his role of October 7 and he will be able to rehabilitate both his political position and his legacy. Let's not forget that this man had dreams of roads and towns and possibly universities being named after him. Instead, next to his name in the history books will forever be the person who helped bring about October 7. And thirdly, he needs time for his corrupt coalition to finish their judicial overthrow making the judicial system subservient to the government and therefore having his criminal trials cancelled. Besides the ramifications of the State Commission of Inquiry that will eventually end his political career and potentially charge him for crimes, he is terrified that his criminal trials will end up sending him to prison as well. It is for these 3 reasons that he is willing to sacrifice all of the hostages. He has no concern for anyone but himself and his future. Everything else is secondary. This is the opposite of a leader. He is a criminal and the most dangerous person in Israel today and the blood of all the hostages who have been killed since October 7 is directly on his hands.
I can't believe that I am saying this, but our only hope lies with Trump. Only he can push Netanyahu to end the war and bring home all the hostages. Trump needs a victory after all of his bombastic election promises have gone up in smoke, ending the war in Gaza and bringing home the hostages is something that he really can do if he doesn't allow Netanyahu to once again wrap him around Netanyahu's fingers as he knows how to do. Trump's need for this victory may be our only hope to force Netanyahu to do what he absolutely doesn't want to do.
#BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!!!
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*2:00pm - South - Hamas fires 10 rockets at southern Israel, injuring one, in largest attack in months
Man suffering light injuries caused by shrapnel from hit in Ashkelon; IDF says only 5 rockets intercepted by air defenses; Netanyahu instructs Katz to respond harshly
A 30-year-old man in Ashkelon was lightly wounded by shrapnel during a rocket barrage fired from Gaza at southern Israel on Sunday as Hamas launched the largest such attack it has carried out in months, prompting Israel to vow that the terror group would pay a heavy price.
Shortly after 9 p.m. on Sunday, 10 rockets were launched toward the coastal cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod in southern Israel, from central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, marking the largest barrage from Gaza in many months.
Five of the ten rockets were intercepted by Israel’s air defenses, the Israel Defense Forces said, and at least one of the five that were not intercepted hit Ashkelon, causing damage and lightly injuring a 30-year-old man, who was taken to the coastal city’s Barzilai Hospital for treatment.
The Magen David Adom emergency services said that two other people were hurt while running to shelters, while several people were treated for acute anxiety following the attack.
Home Front Command officers were also operating at the sites of rocket impacts, the military said.
Footage posted to social media showed the moment of the impact in Ashkelon on Sunday, with the rocket appearing to strike near several high-rise apartment buildings.
- Netanyahu Referred to the "Hungarian Hostage" – His Family Fumed: "Hope You Didn’t Forget His Name"
During a summary of his visit to Budapest, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned hostage Omri Miran as "the Hungarian hostage"—without naming him or referencing the late hostage Ilan Weiss, who also held Hungarian citizenship. Omri’s wife, Lishay, reacted angrily: "Hope you didn’t forget that all the hostages need to be brought back." The PM’s office quickly clarified: "Netanyahu spoke with Lishay from the plane; Omri’s name was mentioned repeatedly during the visit."Prime Minister Netanyahu concluded his visit to Budapest today (Sunday) with a post on X, writing, among other things, that "of course, we also discussed the Hungarian hostage and other important issues for Israel." Lishay Miran, the wife of Omri Miran—the hostage Netanyahu was referring to—responded sharply: "There are two Hungarian hostages held in Gaza: the late Ilan Weiss and my husband, Omri Miran. Hope you didn’t forget his name." The PM’s office later stated: "The Prime Minister is now speaking with Lishay and has clarified that Omri’s name was mentioned multiple times."In his post, Netanyahu wrote that the visit focused on cooperation in ammunition production, which Israel needs to achieve "total victory in the seven-front war." At the end, he noted that discussions also covered "the Hungarian hostage."Lishay Miran fired back:"Mr. Prime Minister, there are two Hungarian hostages in Gaza: the late Ilan Weiss and my husband, Omri Miran. Omri will mark his 48th birthday in captivity this Friday. Our daughters, Roni and Alma, have waited 548 days for his return. I hope you didn’t forget his name—and that you didn’t forget that he and 58 other hostages are still waiting for you to bring them home."Residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz also expressed outrage at the phrasing, stating:"The 'Hungarian hostage' has a name—it’s Omri Miran. Just so you know, before you casually tweet about 'the Hungarian hostage' as if bringing him back isn’t your top priority."Following the backlash, the PM’s office released a statement:"Prime Netanyahu spoke with Lishay Miran from the plane and updated her that Omri’s name was repeatedly mentioned during his Budapest visit—including in the joint statement with Hungary’s Prime Minister, in private meetings with Hungary’s leaders, and in other discussions aimed at securing the hostages’ return. He also requested Hungary’s Prime Minister assist in repatriating the late Ilan Shlomo Weiss for burial in Israel. The Prime Minister emphasized his unwavering commitment to bringing back all hostages, living and deceased, while raising global awareness on every diplomatic visit." link
- Dozens of protesters demand hostage deal in DC amid Netanyahu visit
Footage shows around 50 Israelis and American Jewish protesters in front of Blair House, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is staying during his trip to Washington, DC, demanding a hostage deal.
Demonstrators chant “bring them home” and appeal to US President Donald Trump not to allow Netanyahu to “deceive” him, and to force the premier to carry out the second stage of the January 19 ceasefire-hostage release deal. video
- Hostage families protest outside Netanyahu’s home, marking year and a half since Oct. 7
Hostage families and their supporters are protesting in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem to mark a year and a half since the October 7, 2023 massacre.
Activists carry photos of the 59 hostages that remain held captive in the Strip.
Erez Adar, whose uncle Tamir Adar was murdered on October 7, urges the prime minister to reach a deal freeing all the hostages in one go.
“It is the most important subject of the day. We need to return everyone, the living for rehabilitation and the dead for burial, in order for us to have a better future here,” he says.
Varda Ben Baruch, whose grandson Edan Alexander is held hostage, evokes the Passover holiday, which demands that “every generation, a person must see himself as if he had come out of Egypt.”
“We say this in the Passover Haggadah. Now is your moment of truth,” she says, addressing Netanyahu. “You are in the United States and you should sit there with President Trump and finish a deal for everyone to get home. We are expecting this.”
Gil Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat was murdered in captivity, warns remaining living hostages are in danger if action isn’t taken immediately for their release.
“President Trump — please. It’s been a year and a half. There’s only one word possible to yell right now — enough, enough of this nightmare,” he says.
Similar demonstrations are also occurring at the homes of several other cabinet ministers.
Gaza and the South
- IDF strikes Hamas rocket launcher in central Gaza after barrage fired at Israel
The IDF says that, a short while ago, it carried out a drone strike against a Hamas rocket launcher in the central Gaza Strip used in this evening’s barrage on the Ashdod. It publishes footage of the strike.
Ahead of the strike, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for Palestinians in the Deir al-Balah area.
In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, published a map of the area that is to be evacuated, saying that it was a “final warning” before the IDF carries out strikes there.
Ten rockets were launched by Hamas in the attack, with the IDF reporting that it shot down five. One of the rockets struck Ashkelon, causing damage and wounding a man.
- IDF says more than 130 targets in Gaza hit by airstrikes over the weekend
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 130 targets in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, the military says, publishing footage of the attacks.
According to the IDF, the strikes over the weekend targeted Hamas operatives and members of other terror groups, along with infrastructure, including tunnels and command centers.
Additionally, the IDF publishes a video showing the downing of a drone launched at Israel from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthis on Friday night. The clip shows the drone being intercepted by an IAF helicopter. video
- Hamas leaders asked Iran for $500 million in 2021 to destroy Israel within 2 years, documents revealed by Katz show
Defense Minister Israel Katz reveals an intelligence document showing that Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif sent a letter to Iran’s IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani in June 2021 seeking support for the terror group’s plans to invade Israel, which was ultimately carried out on October 7, 2023.
“I am presenting a document here for the first time, which was found in the tunnels of senior Hamas officials in Gaza, which proves a direct relationship between Iran and Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, as part of Iran’s support for the Hamas plan to destroy Israel,” Katz says during a visit to the Military Intelligence Directorate’s so-called intelligence collection and technical spoils unit — known by its Hebrew acronym Amshat.
“We are confident that by the end of these two years, or during them, God willing, we will uproot this monstrous entity, and we will end this dark period in the history of our nation,” the letter reads.
Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestinian Division in the IRGC, “accepted the request and replied to them that Iran, despite its difficult economic situation and the plight of the Iranian population, will continue to funnel money to Hamas, because the struggle against Israel and the US is the top priority of the Iranian regime,” Katz says.
The defense minister adds that “the conclusion is clear: Iran is the head of the serpent, and despite all its denials, it is also funding and advancing terror in all areas, from Gaza, through Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria [West Bank] and now with the Houthis in Yemen, under the desire to destroy Israel.”
“Israel will do everything possible to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and will continue to hit its proxies in the region until the Iranian evil axis is crushed and defeated,” Katz adds.
“In the document, they ask of the commander of the [Islamic] Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force to transfer $500 million for destroying the State of Israel,” he says.
The document shows that Hamas demanded $20 million per month from Iran over two years, “to achieve these great goals, through which we will change the face of the world.”
- Palestinians said to take part in anti-Hamas demonstration in north Gaza
Media outlets in Gaza report a demonstration taking place in Jabalia in northern Gaza, with dozens of protesters chanting “Hamas are terrorists” and “Hamas are garbage.”
Two weeks ago, there were several consecutive days of anti-Hamas and anti-war demonstrations in Gaza, followed by reports that Hamas had attacked and killed some of the protesters. The demonstrations were halted for a period, although they returned last week with a protest in northern Gaza. video of the protests
- Israeli official confirms IDF readying for Gaza aid resumption; PMO insists it’s not
An Israeli official confirms to The Times of Israel a report that the IDF is planning to begin facilitating the entry of aid into Gaza in the coming weeks as assistance to the Strip begins to dissipate.
Israel began barring all aid from entering Gaza after the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza concluded on March 1.
The IDF denied the Ynet report earlier this morning, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office now echoes the army assertion in its own statement insisting that the political echelon’s directive to the IDF is to intensify the military pressure on Hamas in order to coax the terror group into releasing the hostages.
An Israeli official tells The Times of Israel that the IDF is working on a pilot program through which aid will be re-allowed into Gaza but in a manner in which Hamas won’t be able to divert it.
One of the ideas being workshopped is for aid to only be allowed into specific enclaves that are guarded by private security contractors.
The plans have not yet been finalized, the official says.
- Photojournalist who invaded Israel on Oct. 7 hurt in overnight Gaza strike
The IDF and Shin Bet confirm that overnight it carried out an airstrike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, targeting photojournalist Hassan Eslaiah, who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught.
Eslaiah was wounded in the strike, along with several other journalists, according to an update from a Palestinian news agency that he heads.
In a statement, the IDF and Shin Bet say that Eslaiah was a member of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade and was operating “under the guise of a journalist and owner of a press company.”
On October 7, Eslaiah, who was freelancing for the Associated Press, took photos of a burning tank on the Gaza border which had been attacked by Hamas operatives. He also invaded Israel with the terrorists and photographed them entering Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of civilians were massacred.
He was not wearing a press vest that would identify him as a member of the media.
“During the massacre, he documented and uploaded footage of looting, arson, and murder to social media,” the IDF says.
The military says it took steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike.
At least 17 killed in overnight Gaza strikes, health officials say
- IDF says drone strike killed Hezbollah rocket unit commander in southern Lebanon
- Beirut says one killed in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon
- IDF says troops killed Palestinian who was throwing stones at Israeli cars in the West Bank
The IDF says troops killed a Palestinian hurling stones at Israeli motorists in the West Bank this evening.
Troops of the 636th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit had staged an ambush near the town of Turmus Ayya, when they identified three Palestinians hurling stones at cars on the nearby highway.
The soldiers opened fire, killing one of the suspects and wounding the other two, the military says.
The IDF publishes footage showing the stone throwing.
- Arrested Palestinian was planning major terror attack on Jerusalem light rail, say police
Police and Shin Bet agents say they arrested a Palestinian from the Shuafat refugee camp last month whom they suspect of planning to carry out terror attacks.
The suspect, who was arrested by police at the Shin Bet’s behest, reportedly made his own pipe bombs and bought knives for multiple attacks he planned to carry out during the month of Ramadan.
It came to light during the investigation that the suspect planned to plant homemade explosives on the Jerusalem light rail, a bus, or in a restaurant in the southern part of the city. At a later point, he apparently began plotting to carry out a combined ramming and stabbing attack at a Jerusalem bus stop, buying knives and a car as part of his plan.
Prosecutors in the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office plan to file an indictment against the young man, but the joint police and Shin Bet statement does not specify when.
- Police arrest armed 19-year-old suspected of intending to carry out terror attack
Police arrested a 19-year-old armed with an assault rifle said to have been on his way to carry out a terror attack, Hebrew media reports.
After receiving intelligence from the Shin Bet, cops began pursuing the suspect, driving towards central Israel from the direction of the West Bank on Route 1.
Police blocked traffic on parts of Route 1, running from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, in an effort to locate the suspect. They stopped his car at around 3 p.m. this afternoon and detained him for questioning.
Palestinians strike in East Jerusalem, West Bank, demanding end to war in Gaza
Shuttered storefronts line empty streets in East Jerusalem and the West Bank as Palestinians hold a general strike demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
“I walked through the city today and couldn’t find a single place that was open,” Fadi Saadi, a shopkeeper in Bethlehem, tells AFP.
Shops, schools, and most public administrative offices are closed across the West Bank.
A coalition of Palestinian political movements — including rivals Fatah and Hamas — called the strike to protest what they described as “the genocide and the ongoing massacre of our people.”
It called for the strike “in all the occupied Palestinian territories, in the refugee camps… and among those who support our cause.”
“We close today because of our families in Gaza, our children in Gaza,” Imad Salman, 68, who owns a souvenir shop in Jerusalem’s Old City, says.
“In Jerusalem, in the West Bank, we can’t do anything more than we’re doing here now,” he tells AFP.
In East Jerusalem, the usually bustling commercial Salaheddin Street is empty.
“This strike is in solidarity with Gaza and what is happening there, and the war being waged against the Palestinian people, whether by (US President Donald) Trump, (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, the Israeli government, or the American government,” Ahmed, who did not give his surname, says.
“This war must stop, the killing and destruction must stop, and only peace should prevail — peace, and nothing but peace.”
Politics and the War and General News
- Outrage in the South: "A year and a half into the war, and they're still firing at us—what victory are they talking about?"
Ten rockets were launched tonight toward the Shephelah region, only half of them intercepted; three people lightly injured. Residents are furious: "We didn’t even have time to close the safe room before the explosion—how are they still firing on Ashkelon? This isn’t normal."Lapid attacks: "59 hostages in Gaza, rockets from Gaza, and Netanyahu cruising on the Danube"
Gantz adds: "Israel deserves leadership focused on defeating external enemies, not fighting the Shin Bet chief and the Attorney General"Renewed fire from Gaza—residents furious:After ten rockets were launched this evening (Sunday) from the Gaza Strip toward Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gan Yavne, and other communities in the Shephelah—with only half intercepted by the Iron Dome—southern residents are outraged. Meanwhile, the IDF Arabic spokesperson warned residents of Deir al-Balah, the city from which the launches originated, to evacuate immediately: "We will act with great force."The IDF confirmed that an Air Force aircraft struck the launcher used in the attack, vowing to "continue operations to eliminate any threat to Israeli civilians."Residents' anger:Uri, an Ashkelon resident, said: "After a year and a half of war in Gaza, and missiles are still hitting Ashkelon—this is unreal, it’s not normal. What victory are they talking about?" Rafi, also from Ashkelon, added: "The siren went off, and like always, we ran to the safe room—but before we could even close the door, there was an explosion. We realized it was very close. When we went outside, everything was smoke and debris. It was a miracle—we had almost no time."Damage in Ashkelon:After shrapnel fell near a parking lot in Ashkelon, damaging vehicles, Mayor Tomer Glam arrived at the scene and declared: "I expect the Israeli government and the IDF to strike Hamas with full force and destroy any ability they have to disrupt our lives again."Government response:Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to "expand Operation 'Strength and Sword' and deliver a powerful blow against Hamas in response to the attacks." He warned: "For every piece of shrapnel that hits an Ashkelon resident, Hamas’ murderers will pay a heavy price. We will not tolerate rocket fire toward Israel."The Prime Minister’s Office stated that Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Katz and approved "a forceful response," authorizing continued intensified operations against Hamas in Gaza.Political reactions:- Benny Gantz (National Unity): "Israelis didn’t need a reminder, but apparently the PM and his coalition did. Hamas is the enemy—still firing rockets after a year and a half of war. Not the Shin Bet chief, not the Attorney General, not the Supreme Court. Israel deserves leadership focused on defeating external enemies, not internal battles."- Bezalel Smotrich (Finance Minister): "If anyone needed proof why we must not stop until Hamas is destroyed, tonight’s rockets provided it. We promised Israelis Hamas would be crushed, and the south would live in safety for years—with God’s help, we will deliver."- Yair Lapid (Opposition Leader): "59 hostages in Gaza. 10 rockets from Gaza. And the Prime Minister is cruising on the Danube. This government has ruined the country, abandoned its citizens, and must resign."- Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu): "A year and a half into the war—still rockets, still 59 hostages, and the October 7th government sells us fairy tales of 'total victory.'"IDF warnings to Gaza residents:The IDF Arabic spokesperson, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, issued a final warning to residents of Deir al-Balah, urging them to evacuate immediately: "This is your last notice before strikes. Terror groups, led by Hamas, bear full responsibility for your suffering. For your safety, move south immediately to designated shelters in Al-Mawasi."Aftermath:Following the sirens, the IDF confirmed ten launches from Gaza—half intercepted, the rest landing in open areas. Three people were lightly injured by shrapnel in Ashkelon and taken to Barzilai Hospital.Hamas claimed responsibility for the barrage, launched from Deir al-Balah. The IDF responded with a wave of airstrikes in the area—the largest since resuming combat operations in Gaza. link
- Lapid: Netanyahu wants Shin Bet as ‘personal security organization’; Jewish terrorism must be probed
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid asserts the need to counter Jewish terrorism in the West Bank, while speaking at a Yedioth Aharonoth convention.
Lapid accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of wanting the Shin Bet as a “personal security organization” instead of an organization that prevents terrorism and saves lives.
Commenting on recordings of the head of the Shin Bet’s Jewish Division bragging about arresting radical settler suspects without evidence, Lapid says, “There is a thing called Jewish terror. The comments were serious and the man was suspended.”
“In the State of Israel, terrorism should be investigated. It is not surprising to me that this government says there is no Jewish terrorism because the national security minister was convicted of supporting terror,” Lapid says.
- Nova Tribe gives grants to bereaved families of Oct.7 rave
The Nova Tribe Community Association starts distributing more than NIS 1.2 million ($325,000) to 412 families who lost loved ones in the Hamas terror attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
The one-time memorial grants of NIS 3,000 ($790) per family are conditional on family registration. They are to help families with memorial activities of their choosing and to express the community’s commitment to preserving their memory.
The Nova Tribe Community Association was established by the producers of the Nova festival to support the rehabilitation of survivors and the bereaved families, to commemorate the murdered, and to tell the world their story.
Thousands of Hamas terrorists crossed the Gaza border into Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering some 1,200 mainly civilians and abducting 251.
Discovering the Nova party by apparent mistake, gunmen showered revelers with bullets as missiles rained down on them from the Hamas-controlled strip.
They murdered 364 revelers at the main party site and abducted 40 more to the Palestinian enclave.
The additional 48 dead were at two related raves also close to Kibbutz Re’im, or were gunned down on the main road out of the Nova, trying to escape. They also include Shirel Golan, a survivor who took her own life in late 2024.
- Gantz: Netanyahu has lost all restraints, is doing anything to remain in power
Opposition National Unity party chair Benny Gantz says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost all restraints that are possible to think of.”
Speaking at a Yedioth Aharonoth convention, Gantz says the prime minister is “doing anything to stay in government.”
“The delegitimization of the law enforcement system is intended to vindicate himself. He should take responsibility,” Gantz says.
“The Israeli public from the left to the right won’t allow a ruler of this sort to stay in power at the next elections,” he adds.
Ex-Shin Bet chief: Netanyahu asked me to ‘disqualify’ Bennett from cabinet over ‘loyalty problem’ while he was IDF officer
Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked him to “disqualify” Naftali Bennett from his cabinet by revoking his security clearance, citing a case of an unspecified “loyalty problem” while he was serving in the army.
Cohen served as head of the Shin Bet from 2011 to 2016. It is unclear exactly when, during the successive Netanyahu cabinets at that time, the request was made.
“The prime minister called me privately and told me, ‘Listen, information came to be recently about Bennett. He was removed as an officer of the IDF General Staff due to a loyalty problem — so he can’t sit in cabinet,'” Cohen tells Army Radio, adding the prime minister did not even ask him to confirm the case.
“He asked me to disqualify him from the cabinet because of this, due to security clearance. I said to him, ‘Tell me, are you serious about this demand?’ Firstly, why is something from 30 years ago relevant to what we are talking about now? Secondly, I will not do anything like this,'” Cohen recounts.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says in response that the interview is “no less than an earthquake.”
“Netanyahu tried to use the Shin Bet in order to fabricate plots and eliminate a political opponent. This is not how a prime minister behaves, this is how the head of a criminal organization behaves,” Lapid writes on X.
- Sissi says Egypt lost $7 billion in 2024 due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea amid the war in Gaza
- Gaza war crimes dossier implicating 10 Britons serving in IDF to be submitted to London police — report
British human rights lawyers are set to file a war crimes complaint today against 10 British citizens serving in the Israel Defense Forces, The Guardian reports.
“British nationals are under a legal obligation not to collude with crimes committed in Palestine. No one is above the law,” Michael Mansfield, one of the lawyers who will hand in the 240-page dossier, tells The Guardian.
“If one of our nationals is committing an offense, we ought to be doing something about it. Even if we can’t stop the government of foreign countries behaving badly, we can at least stop our nationals from behaving badly.”
The file will be handed to London’s Metropolitan Police war crimes unit, alleging the troops intentionally killed civilians and aid workers by sniper fire and were involved in indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, including hospitals.
The suspects, who include dual-nationals as well as officers, remain unnamed due to legal reasons, The Guardian says.
The report covers a period from October 2023 to May 2024 and is being handed in on behalf of the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights and the British-based Public Interest Law Center.
Israel has denied targeting civilians throughout the war, alleging Hamas terrorists use civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, to plan and carry out attacks.
Personal Stories
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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