🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 574, 2023 - May 2, 2025 🎗️
- Hostages Families Forum says PM’s stance is against that of most Israelis
After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “victory” was a more important goal than returning the hostages, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum reacts in fury.
“Prime minister, returning the hostages is not ‘less important,’ it is the supreme goal that should guide the Israeli government,” the group says in a statement.
The organization says it is alarmed that Netanyahu appears to be aligning himself with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, “in opposition to the overwhelming majority of the Israeli public who want the return of the hostages above all else.”
- Netanyahu: Return of hostages important, but war’s ‘supreme goal’ is victory over enemies
Hostages’ families accuse PM of ‘falling in line with Smotrich,’ as Herzog says Israel ‘can’t celebrate independence with a whole heart’ while captives still in GazaPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that “victory” over Hamas, not the return of the hostages, was the supreme objective of the war in Gaza, provoking anger from captives’ families.
The controversy came as hostages’ families in recent days accused Netanyahu of sabotaging a potential truce-hostage deal and withholding information about the remaining 59 captives.
Speaking at the annual Independence Day Bible Contest in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel has “many goals, many goals in this war. We want to bring all our hostages home. We’ve so far brought back 147 alive, and 196 total.”
“There are another up to 24 alive, 59 total, and we want to return the living and the dead,” said the premier, whose wife on Monday said the number of living hostages was lower than the official figure cited by the premier.
“It’s a very important goal,” Netanyahu continued, but then added, “The war has a supreme goal, and the supreme goal is victory over our enemies, and this we will achieve.”
Netanyahu has hitherto highlighted the destruction of Hamas, the return of all the hostages, and ensuring that Gaza cannot constitute a future threat to Israel as the three goals of the war, without ranking these goals. He has also repeatedly stressed that the war will continue until “absolute victory” in achieved.
His comment sparked outrage among hostages’ families, with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum accusing Netanyahu of “falling in line” with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who last week triggered a fierce backlash after he said that “the hostages are not the most important thing” in the war effort.
Responding to Netanyahu’s statement, the Forum said: “The majority of the Israeli public… wants the return of all the hostages before anything else,” and called the captives’ return “the supreme goal that should be guiding Israel’s government.”
Alluding to Independence Day, it said: “There is no full independence for the state or for the people of Israel without the return of our brothers and sisters.”
Meanwhile, President Isaac Herzog said at a ceremony in his official residence in Jerusalem on Thursday that Israel “cannot celebrate independence with a whole heart when our brothers and sisters are not with us. Israel as a nation longs for them, for their freedom.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has repeatedly assailed Netanyahu for refusing to end the war in Gaza as part of a deal with Hamas to free the captives. Israel rejected one such offer this week. Smotrich and fellow far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir have threatened to topple the government if Israel ends the fighting in Gaza.
Ben Gvir had temporarily quit the government after Israel in January signed a truce-hostage deal that saw Hamas release 33 women, children, civilian men over 50 and those deemed “humanitarian cases,” in exchange for some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including over 270 serving life terms in connection with the murders of dozens of Israelis.
Protesters call for the release of the hostages from Gaza, at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, April 26, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)The deal’s 42-day first phase expired on May 2 amid Netanyahu’s refusal to negotiate the potential second phase, which would have required a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza. Israel renewed hostilities in the Strip on March 18, after which Ben Gvir returned to the government.
The deal’s second phase would have seen Hamas release 24 hostages still thought to be alive — all of them young men abducted on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza. Terror groups in the Strip are also holding the remains of 35 hostages, including a soldier killed fighting in the 2014 Gaza war. link. Netanyahu has stated what we all know, that his priority is not and never has been the hostages. It is all about what serves him personally and not what serves the country. He has once again proven that he is heartless and soulless and he only cares about himself. Another fact that is known is that he wants the war to go on for at least another year to bring him as close to the next official election date, October 2026 and nothing else matters, not the hostages, not more soldiers killed, not the tens of thousands of reservists who continue to serve at the expense of their families, their businesses and jobs. It's all about what is good for Netanyahu.
Trump: I understand that fewer than 24 hostages are now aliveUS President Donald Trump says he has recently learned that fewer than 24 hostages are alive in Gaza.
“Out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it’s not even that number,” Trump says during a national day of prayer event at the White House.
For months, Israel has said it believes 24 of the 59 hostages are alive, though earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara, interrupted him during a public event to say that the number was lower than the official figure. The prime minister had said there were “up to 24” living hostages.
The incident angered hostage families who demanded that Netanyahu’s office share whatever updated intelligence it had on the fate of the captives.
Yael Alexander, left, and Adi Alexander, parents of Eden Alexander, an American-Israeli being held hostage by Hamas, listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House, May 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)Trump makes the comments while giving a shoutout to the parents of Edan Alexander, the last American-Israeli hostage believed to be alive, who are in the audience on the White House lawn.
“We don’t know how he’s doing, really…. We think we know, and hopefully [it’s] positive,” Trump says. “Two months ago, we were pretty sure. It looked like he was getting out. But they toughened up a little bit. And it’s a terrible thing, I know, what you’re going through.”
We don’t know how he’s doing. We think we know, and hopefully positive. Two months ago… it looked like he was getting out, but they’ve toughened up a little bit, and it’s a terrible thing.
“We’re working very. very hard to save your son,” he continues. “We have news coming out — both good and bad.”
“Things are heating up there,” Trump adds.
The president goes on to reiterate comments he regularly makes about his interactions with released hostages; what they shared with him about the horrific conditions in which they were held; and how the parents of slain hostages are just as desperate to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones as the parents of captives who are still alive. link Trump has also stated that he doesn't understand the families of hostages who are dead and their bodies are held in Gaza. Because they are dead, they don't appear to be very important to him to get back. When he returned to the White House, he put the hostages and ending the war as a high priority. Through Witkoff, Netanyahu felt the direct pressure and was forced to agree to the hostage deal but he reneged on even negotiating details of Phase 2 and breached the agreement. Since then, Trump's priorities regarding the hostages were and are influenced by Netanyahu, so all of his statements about the hostages, at this point are no more than lip service. Unfortunately, Trump is the only one who can truly pressure Netanyahu to make a deal, even if it means ending the war. We saw this with Phase 1 but has stopped applying any pressure on Netanyahu and the hostages are still in Gaza - 574 days and counting. DISGRACEFUL!!! - Navy commando reservists form ’59’ along beach to urge return of hostages
A group of active and retired Navy commando reservists take part in a symbolic dive urging the return of the 59 hostages still being held in Gaza.
After the dive, they form the number 59 on the beach in Caesarea.
The group says they are among hundreds of former and current Shayetet 13 reservists who wrote a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging him to return all of the hostages, even at the cost of ending the war against Hamas.
- In raw speech, Rachel Goldberg-Polin tells foreign envoys they can get hostages freedAs president and FM listen, mother of slain captive Hersh Goldberg-Polin reveals new details of his captivity and murder, says he was found with his face resting on the face of Eden Yerushalmi, ‘a girl named after paradise’
Rachel Goldberg-Polin speaks at the President's Independence Day reception for foreign diplomats in Israel, May 1, 2025 (Screenshot/GPO)With President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee in attendance, the mother of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin told foreign diplomats on Thursday that they have the ability to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
“It is absolutely doable, as long as people with power decide it is an interest and an equity for them,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin said in an emotional address at Herzog’s annual Independence Day reception for the foreign diplomatic corps in Israel. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that “victory” over Hamas, not the return of the hostages, was the supreme objective of the war in Gaza, provoking anger from captives’ families.
The controversy came as hostages’ families in recent days accused Netanyahu of sabotaging a potential truce-hostage deal and withholding information about the remaining 59 captives.
“I am simply a regular person,” Goldberg-Polin continued, “but I know that every single one of you here has the ability to help make this happen. You were not put here by chance. Oh no.”
“It may be that the only reason you do it is because it is righteous, it is holy, and it may be the singular most godly thing you do in your lives.”
This undated photo provided by Rachel Goldberg shows her with her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin. (Courtesy of Rachel Goldberg via AP)“And one day,” she said, “when you are called home to meet your maker, you will be able to say that you did the right thing. You helped save these divinely kissed souls who are languishing in Gaza at this very moment.”
Goldberg-Polin also revealed new details of her son’s captivity, and the way she and her husband found out about his death.
“My name is Rachel, and I will always be the mother of Hersh Goldberg Polin,” she began her address. (Video - watch from minute 35:25)
“Hersh will always be my first-born child,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin continued, as her husband Jonathan sat alongside Huckabee and UAE Ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja. “Hersh will always be my only son. And Hersh will always be 23 years old.”
Goldberg-Polin was abducted to Gaza during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught while hiding in a bomb shelter after running from terrorists who raided the Nova rave near Kibbutz Re’im.
He and five other hostages were executed by their Hamas captors in August. Their bodies were recovered and brought back to Israel by the IDF.
Goldberg-Polin said that hostage Or Levy asked for Jonathan and Rachel to meet him in the hospital after he was released in February.
Or Levy is embraced by relatives on February 8, 2025, soon after his release from Hamas captivity (IDF)Levy and Hersh were kidnapped from the same bomb shelter on October 7, spirited into Gaza on the same pickup truck, and temporarily reunited 52 days later in a Hamas tunnel.
Levy told the Polins that every day, Hersh would go to every hostage in the tunnel and repeat to them a Friedrich Nietzsche quote he had read from Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”– “If you know the why, you can live any how.”
“Hersh kept saying this quote over and over and over to himself and to each of the hostages who were held with him,” Rachel told the assembled ambassadors, religious leaders, and military attachés. “Hersh was encouraging each of them to hone in on what would be the motivation to keep inhaling and exhaling. To keep living within the depths of the literal hell on earth.”
Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, held captive in Gaza since October 7, in a Hamas propaganda video released on April 24, 2024. (Screenshot: Telegram)After Hersh was moved to a different tunnel, she said, “every single hostage, several times a day, for the next 437 days, those remaining hostages in Or’s tunnel would turn and ask each other, What is your why?”
“It became, he said, like a prayer.”
On the night of August 31, 2024 — the 330th day of Hersh’s captivity — Jon called her into their bedroom, said Rachel. He told her he had seen rumors online that the bodies of six hostages had been found in a Gaza tunnel, and that Hersh was one of them.
Jon handed her the book of Psalms she keeps on her bedside table, and told his wife, “Now it is time to pray.”
They said Psalms for the next seven hours, Rachel recalled, until IDF officers, an FBI agent, and US ambassador Jack Lew came to their home at 4 a.m. to tell them the bitter news that Hersh had been murdered.
A poster for an evening of song and unity in Jerusalem, planned for April 27, 2025, by the families of the ‘Beautiful 6,’ referring to six Hamas hostages killed in a Gaza tunnel in August 2024: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Or Danino and Alex Lubanov. (Courtesy)He and the five other hostages had been held in a tunnel 20 meters underground, 1.6 meters tall, and just 60 centimeters wide. It had no electricity or plumbing.
Hersh, who was 6’1”, only weighed 117 pounds, Rachel said. He was found on his knees, his face resting on the face of Eden Yerushalmi, said Rachel, “a girl named after paradise.”
“Getting back the hostages,” Rachel exhorted listeners, “This is your why, Israel.”
At the end of her address, First Lady Michal Herzog strode over to Rachel and gave her an embrace, while Al Khaja shook Jon’s hand and offered his condolences. link
- IDF says chief war goal is return of hostages, contradicting Netanyahu’s position
The IDF says that it’s most important goal of the war is returning the 59 hostages still held by Hamas, contrary to the position of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said yesterday that “victory” over the terror group, not the return of the hostages, was the supreme objective of the war in Gaza.
“The supreme mission that the IDF is dealing with is our moral duty to return the hostages. The second mission is defeating Hamas. We are working to advance both goals, with the return of the hostages being at the top [of the list of priorities],” the military says. link The problem with the statement by the Chief of Staff is that he doesn't set the IDF priorities, it is done by the Cabinet in normal times, but Netanyahu has made himself the autocratic leader backed up by the Cabinet. It is him and supposedly the Defense Minister who set the priorities, but since Katz, the defense minister is another of Netanyahu's yes men, it is solely in the hands of Netanyahu and he doesn't give a damn about the hostages because saving them is not the most important thing for his personal and political needs. To hell with them and to hell with the country, only his needs take precendent.
- WHO deputy director: We are ‘breaking the bodies and minds’ of Gaza’s children
The minds and bodies of children in Gaza are being broken, the executive director of the World Health Organization’s health emergencies program says, following two months of a total ban on aid deliveries to Gaza and weeks of renewed strikes.
“We are breaking the bodies and minds of the children of Gaza. We are starving the children of Gaza. We are complicit,” Deputy Director General Michael Ryan tells reporters at the WHO’s headquarters.
“As a physician, I am angry. It is an abomination,” he says.
“The current level of malnutrition is causing a collapse in immunity,” Ryan says, warning that cases of pneumonia and meningitis in women and children could increase.
Israel halted all aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2 following the conclusion of the first phase of a since-collapsed ceasefire and hostage release deal. It has repeatedly said that it won’t lift the blockade until Hamas releases the remaining 59 captives.
Last week, the World Food Programme said it had run out of food stocks in the Strip, although Israel has denied that there is a hunger crisis in the enclave.
The United Nations warned this week that acute malnutrition among Gaza’s children was worsening.
- IDF says it foiled attempt to smuggle guns across border from Egypt by drone
The IDF says it foiled yet another attempt to smuggle 10 assault rifles into Israel from Egypt earlier today, using a drone.
The drone had been identified crossing the border from Egypt into Israel before it was downed by troops.
The drone and guns were handed over to police for further investigation.
In recent months, there have been frequent attempts to bring weapons and drugs over the Egypt border using drones. There have also been attempts to smuggle similar contraband from Israel into Gaza using drones.
- Organizers of flotilla defying siege on Gaza claim ship was targeted in drone strike near Malta
Organizers of a “Freedom Flotilla” attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip — defying an Israeli blockade amid the war against Hamas — claim their ship was attacked overnight in a drone strike that targeted it twice, resulting in a fire onboard and a breach in the hull.
They say there are 30 activists onboard, the coalition’s press officer Yasemin Acar tells CNN, adding: “There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking.” She says that apparently the target was the generators at the front of the vessel, and that they no longer have access to electricity.
According to CNN, citing marine traffic websites, the ship is Palau-flagged Conscience.
The alleged attack happened off the coast of Malta in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea at 00:23 a.m. Malta time (1:23 a.m. Israel time), the coalition says on X, adding that it has been “organizing an action under a media blackout to limit Israeli sabotage.” It doesn’t name Israel or any other party as the culprit behind the attack.
It posts videos of a fire on a ship at nighttime that can’t immediately be confirmed.
It says it sent out an SOS signal, but hours later, Malta has yet to respond, adding the ship is 17 kilometers from Malta’s coast.
Acar tells CNN that a “small boat” has been sent from southern Cyprus. video
Malta disputes claim it didn’t help Gaza aid flotilla, says all aboard confirmed safeEveryone aboard an aid flotilla for Gaza that was allegedly hit by drones in international waters off Malta overnight are “confirmed safe,” the Maltese government says in a statement.
“The vessel had 12 crew members on board and four civilian passengers; no casualties were reported,” the statement says, adding that a nearby tug was directed to aid the vessel, which the government confirms is Palau-flagged Conscience.
“The tug arrived on the scene and began firefighting operations,” the government says, contradicting the pro-Palestinian activists’ claim that Malta didn’t respond to the mayday call for many hours.
The statement says that by 1:28 a.m. local time (2:28 a.m. Israel time), “the fire was reported under control. An Armed Forces of Malta patrol vessel was also dispatched to provide further assistance.”
Forty-five minutes later, “all crew were confirmed safe but refused to board the tug … The ship remains outside territorial waters and is being monitored by the competent authorities,” the statement concludes.
Flotilla organizers have claimed the ship was hit in an Israeli drone strike. Israel hasn’t commented on the accusation.
- Red Cross warns Gaza humanitarian work on ‘verge of total collapse’
The Red Cross warns that the humanitarian response in Gaza is on the “verge of total collapse” after two months of Israel blocking aid to the Strip in a bid to pressure the Hamas terror group to release the 59 hostages it is still holding.
“Without an immediate resumption of aid deliveries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will not have access to the food, medicines and life-saving supplies needed to sustain many of its programs in Gaza,” it says in a statement.
“Civilians in Gaza are facing an overwhelming daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with relentless displacement, and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance,” Pascal Hundt, ICRC Deputy Director of Operations, says in the statement.
“This situation must not — and cannot — be allowed to escalate further.”
ICRC stresses that under international humanitarian law, “Israel has an obligation to use all means available to ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population under its control are met.”
“If the blockage continues, programs such as the ICRC common kitchens, which often provide the only meal people receive each day, will only be able to operate for a few more weeks,” it warns.
Israel is planning to allow assistance into the enclave to resume in the current weeks, according to officials. It is planning to radically alter the way humanitarian aid is distributed when this happens, an Israeli and Arab official familiar with the matter have told The Times of Israel this week.
The plan is to transition away from wholesale distribution and warehousing of aid and to instead have international organizations and private security contractors hand out boxes of food to individual Gazan families, according to the officials.
🎗️Day 574 that 59 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*5:35am- Haifa and all areas around- ballistic missile from Yemen - intercepted before reaching Israel's borders
Red alert area
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Friday morning fired a ballistic missile at Israel, which was intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, the military said.
The missile triggered sirens at around 5:30 a.m. in Haifa and across northern Israel. It was only the second time that a missile from Yemen set off sirens in the north.
Debris from the missile interception penetrated the roof of a kindergarten at Kibbutz Mishmar Ha’emek. There were no reports of injuries in the attack.
Smoke trails, apparently from the interception of a Houthi missile fired from Yemen, are seen high above Jerusalem, May 2, 2025. (Times of Israel)
IDF soldier killed in car crash during operational activity in Golan Heights
An IDF soldier was killed yesterday in a car crash during operational activity in the Golan Heights, the military announces.
The soldier is named as Sgt. Niv Dayag, 19, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th Battalion, from Ramat Hasharon.
MAY HIS MEMORY BE A REVOLUTION!Another three soldiers were lightly wounded in the crash, on the Route 98 highway near Ramat Magshimim, the military and medics say.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it treated the four after their military vehicle overturned on the highway, with medics declaring the death of Dayag.
The IDF says the circumstances of the crash are under further investigation.
The chief of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, and the chief of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin have also appointed a panel of experts to look into the deadly crash. The team will be headed by Col. Nadav Maisles, the commander of the Yiftah Brigade.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Friday morning fired a ballistic missile at Israel, which was intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, the military said.
Smoke trails, apparently from the interception of a Houthi missile fired from Yemen, are seen high above Jerusalem, May 2, 2025. (Times of Israel)
An IDF soldier was killed yesterday in a car crash during operational activity in the Golan Heights, the military announces.
The soldier is named as Sgt. Niv Dayag, 19, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th Battalion, from Ramat Hasharon.
Another three soldiers were lightly wounded in the crash, on the Route 98 highway near Ramat Magshimim, the military and medics say.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it treated the four after their military vehicle overturned on the highway, with medics declaring the death of Dayag.
The IDF says the circumstances of the crash are under further investigation.
The chief of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, and the chief of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin have also appointed a panel of experts to look into the deadly crash. The team will be headed by Col. Nadav Maisles, the commander of the Yiftah Brigade.
A MUST WATCH VIDEO OF RACHEL GOLDBERG POLIN AT THE INDEPENDENCE GATHERING AT THE PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC CORP - WATCH HERE FROM MINUTE 35:25In the War and Politics section below, read the interview :Gershon Baskin: Peace Is Possible in Palestine"
Gaza and the South
- Two more Syrian Druze wounded in sectarian violence evacuated to Israel for treatment
Two Syrian Druze, who were apparently wounded during sectarian violence in the country, were evacuated by the Israeli military to a hospital earlier today, the IDF says.
The two were taken to Ziv Hospital in Safed, where three other wounded Syrian Druze were taken yesterday.
The military says troops are “deployed to southern Syria and prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering the area and Druze villages.”
“The IDF continues to monitor the developments, while maintaining readiness for defense and different scenarios,” the military adds.
- IDF says two Hezbollah operatives killed in southern Lebanon drone strikes
The IDF says it killed two Hezbollah operatives in drone strikes in southern Lebanon today.
The first strike in Mays al-Jabal targeted a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, according to the military.
The second strike, also in Mays al-Jabal, targeted a member of the terror group who was carrying out surveillance operations along the border, the IDF says.
The military publishes footage of the strikes. video
- Lebanon says one killed in Israeli strike on vehicle in south
Lebanon’s health ministry says one person has been killed in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the country’s south today.
The ministry says in a statement that an “Israeli enemy” drone strike on a vehicle in the southern town of Mais al-Jabal killed “a Lebanese and wounded two Syrians.”
There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
- Katz: Damascus strike is a warning to Syrian leader not to harm the Druze
Defense Minister Israel Katz says the overnight Israeli airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus is a “clear warning to the Syrian regime.”
“When [Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa] wakes up in the morning and sees the results of the Israeli Air Force fighter jets strike, he understands that Israel is determined to prevent harm to the Druze in Syria,” he says.
“It is his duty to protect the Druze in the suburbs of Damascus from attacks by jihadist rioters and to enable the hundreds of thousands of Druze in Sweida and Jabal al-Druze to defend themselves on their own, and not to send jihadist forces into the villages,” Katz says.
“It is our duty to protect the Druze in Syria from harm, for the sake of our Druze brothers in Israel, their loyalty to the state, and their immense contribution to Israel’s security,” he adds. LINK Our petty and stupid politicians are still doing the opposite of what should be done. They are issuing threats, bad mouthing the new Syrian regime and warning the world of their dangers instead of trying to engage by opening up secret channels of communication in an effort to reshape our neighborhood of the Middle East. They are choosing to ignore and miss the many opportunities before us. Yes, it is true that the new regime is very new, untested and the leaders had ties with Al Qaeda but they are claiming that they have changed, have no affiliations with the extremist and are looking to create a new Syria without wars, internally and externally. If we had true leaders and not the petty and failed politicians that make up our government, we would jump at the chance, and at the very least, start to talk to them, challenge them and make them show and prove that they are more than words, that their actions will speak for them.
After clashes, Syrian Druze leaders sign deal to hand over heavy weapons to regime
Druze representatives in the Jaramana area in the suburbs of Damascus have signed an agreement with Syrian regime representatives to hand over heavy weapons held by the Druze to the regime and to reinforce the regime’s security forces in the area.
Hossam al-Tahan, head of the Syrian regime’s security administration in the Damascus area, announced the agreement. According to the agreement, unlicensed weapons will be handed over to the authorities after a defined period.
Furthermore, last night, the governor of the Sweida province, a Druze stronghold in southern Syria, announced an agreement allowing the entry of official Syrian security forces into the area, for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the rise to power of Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The new regime’s agreements with the Druze in Syria come after several days of clashes between local armed Druze groups and other armed groups, followed by confrontations between the Druze and official Syrian security forces in Druze strongholds across Syria. These caused Israeli strikes Jerusalem has said were in defense of the Druze community, many members of which live in the Jewish state.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition body operating from outside Syria, has reported 21 deaths in the past 24 hours and 101 in recent days. According to the report, most were armed men killed in exchanges of fire, but nine Druze civilians were executed by Syrian security forces. These claims have not been independently verified, and the Observatory has a shaky track record regarding reliability.
Lebanon warns Hamas not to take actions compromising country’s sovereignty, stability
Lebanon has warned the Palestinian terror group Hamas not to conduct operations that compromise Lebanon’s sovereignty or disturb its stability, Beirut’s supreme defense council says.
- Lebanese army seizes hundreds of rockets from Palestinian terror group in country’s north, raids Hezbollah bases
The Lebanese army has seized 800 rockets in the Al-Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, the Saudi channel Al-Hadath reports.
The military has also reportedly entered bases belonging to Hezbollah in northern Lebanon.
There is no official confirmation of the report in Lebanon.
According to the report, the rockets belonged to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command terror group, a small Palestinian organization that has been operating in recent years from Lebanon. It has ties to the main Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and is not known to have carried out major terror attacks independently in recent years.
- Gershon Baskin: Peace Is Possible in Palestine
April 24—Dr. Gershon Baskin is an Israeli peace activist, columnist for the Times of Israel, and senior negotiator who has played a major role in multiple attempted peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Alliance for Two States, and the Israeli founder and former co-director of the Israeli-Palestinian Center for Research and Information. Dr. Baskin also served as an advisor to the assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and former President Shimon Peres for peace negotiations with Palestine in the 1990s. The interview was conducted by Gerald Belsky of the Schiller Institute.
Gerald Belsky: Hello Gershon, this is Gerald Belsky with the Schiller Institute and the International Peace Coalition. I know you have been a long-time peace activist, negotiator, researcher, and historian. I would like to ask your opinion of what is going on in Israel today. It seems that the mass of the population wants, and is demanding, an end to this war and a return of the hostages. Of course, the criticism of that, is that they have a certain lack of concern for the Gazans who have been slaughtered in this war. But some people have characterized this as close to civil war; [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has been accused of not being concerned with the hostages, but wanting to stay in power. This means he wants to continue this war. How do you see the situation in Israel?
Gershon Baskin is an Israeli activist and negotiator working for the Israel-Palestine two-state solution developed by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa.Gershon Baskin: There’s no question that Netanyahu’s strategy here is to continue the war, to continue to kill Palestinians in Gaza, to create a desire in Palestinians to leave Gaza in accordance with the plan that was presented by [United States President Donald] Trump—which I don’t think Trump even stands behind anymore—of evacuating the Palestinian population from Gaza. But Netanyahu has created an administration within the Ministry of Defense for the “voluntary” departure of Palestinians from Gaza. Netanyahu claims that the military pressure being used now is aimed at getting the hostages back; but in fact, we know from a year-and-a-half of war that military pressure gets hostages killed. There is a false expectation in Israel that the military pressure, with the threats by our Defense Minister Israel Katz, that Israel will take Palestinian territory from Gaza and annex it permanently, will push Hamas to surrender.
Hamas will not surrender; Hamas will never surrender to Israel. In fact, what could happen very easily is that the Hamas, who remain in control of parts of Gaza and are holding 59 Israeli hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, could simply begin executing these hostages. This is the pressure that Hamas has, and no one in Israel is considering that. Of course, Netanyahu’s strategy is based on his desire to stay in power while he’s embroiled from one scandal to another. During his court hearing for corruption, he had to be called to the police to testify in a case now called “Qatargate,” in which close employees to Netanyahu have been apparently paid for by Qatar through third parties over the past couple of years.
With regard to the Israeli public, the polls show clearly that the Israeli public wants this war to end; that they want the hostages to come home; that they want Israel to withdraw from Gaza. But Israel is an exhausted society; traumatized still by October 7, 2023, living that trauma every day. So, even though there are demonstrations taking place all around the country every single day—and they’re not small demonstrations, they’re large, but they’re not large enough to convince the Israeli government and Netanyahu that a majority of the public wants the war to end, or wants Netanyahu to step down and stop being Prime Minister. Even though that’s what the polls say, Netanyahu can always say, “The silent majority support me.”
It’s also very true what you said, that the Israeli society is not very concerned with the tragic deaths, the massive killing of Palestinians in Gaza—more than 50,000; the total destruction of the Gaza Strip. Only a margin of the Israeli society talks about the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza. That doesn’t mean that they’re not recognized by a much bigger part of Israeli society. But Israel is still in trauma and living in despair; they’re tired, exhausted from this war. So are the Palestinians, by the way. Palestinian society—both societies have gone through the biggest traumas that we’ve experienced since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. What’s been going on the last year-and-a-half to Palestinians in Gaza is worse than the Nakba of 1948 for the Palestinian people; not only in Gaza, but for Palestinians all over the world. And what happened on October 7th was the biggest trauma facing the Israeli Jewish population or the Jewish population around the world since the Holocaust.
And we’re not even post-trauma yet; we’re living in the trauma. So, it’s very difficult to expect the kind of maturity that’s required from a society to come up and stand against the crimes that are being committed by their own society. Eventually it will happen, but it’s a little too fresh still for the majority of Israelis to own up to what the state of Israel has been doing in their name, in our name.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He and former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa are building support for their two-state solution for Israel-Palestine there and around the world.Belsky: Would you discuss your peace initiative? I know that you have been promoting an initiative of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa. You have been travelling around the world; I know I saw you at the Vatican a month ago, discussing this with the Pope. What is the status of that, and where do you think this could lead?
Baskin: Well, the initiative was to bring these two former leaders together to see if they could agree on a vision for the future. They both state that they’re not in power and don’t have the ability or the justification to negotiate an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. But they wanted to present a vision which has three components to it. One is ending the war in Gaza, withdrawing from Gaza, returning the Israeli hostages and freeing Palestinian prisoners, and establishing a Palestinian professional technocratic government in Gaza that would then also invite an Arab security presence to be in the Gaza Strip to help stabilize the situation. The second component is the two-state solution; peace for Israel and Palestine based on the June 4, 1967 borders with mutual territorial swaps of around the size of 4.4% of the West Bank today. This would incorporate about 80% of the Israeli settlers within sovereign Israel in exchange for territory that would be annexed to the Palestinian state from within Israel. The third component is the solution for Jerusalem, where Jerusalem would have two capitals of the two states—the Palestinian capital in the Palestinian neighborhoods of Jerusalem; the Israeli capital where it is today in the Israeli neighborhoods of Jerusalem. But the Old City, which is actually less than one square kilometer, would not be under Israeli or Palestinian sovereignty, it would be under the trusteeship of five nations of which Israel and Palestine would be two of the five.
Nasser al-Kidwa, former Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority and co-founder of the Olmert/al-Kidwa initiative, speaks before the UN General Assembly, Nov. 30, 2004.We brought them to meet with world leaders to discuss their initiative. They have met with about 39 heads of state, foreign ministers, and other senior representatives of various countries. And in February, we held the first meeting, where we brought together 100 Israeli and Palestinian influencers, people from Israeli and Palestinian society, who were required to say that they agreed with the principles in the Olmert/al-Kidwa document in order to attend the conference. It was already a very interesting meeting that we held in Larnaca [Cyprus], which was very forward-looking, not the traditional Israeli-Palestinian meeting of mutual recriminations and blaming who is responsible and arguments over narratives. But it was really about: How do we get out of the mess that we’re in, how do we move forward, and how do we create a situation of self-determination and national dignity and freedom for both peoples—the Israeli people and the Palestinian people?
We are now focusing this initiative in Israel and Palestine, and myself and my Palestinian partner Samer Sinijlawi have established the Alliance for Two States, which is working alongside what was established in September 2024 in New York by the Saudis, the European Union, and the Norwegians at the time, called the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. The Global Alliance has now held meetings in New York, in Riyadh, in Brussels, in Oslo, in Cairo; the next meeting is planned for Rabat, Morocco. There are 90 countries participating in this meeting. The Morocco meeting is going to be co-sponsored by the Dutch government and the Moroccan government. We hope that they will be inviting Olmert and Nasser al-Kidwa to address this meeting. This will be the first time that this governmental forum of 90 countries will actually be bringing in civil society.
We’re also planning a meeting in June in Paris, at the invitation of [French] President [Emmanuel] Macron, of up to 1,000 Israelis and Palestinians, if we have the financial resources to do it. Israeli and Palestinian influencers, activists, people from both societies in support of the al-Kidwa/Olmert initiative. We are stepping outside of the framework that’s traditionally used in Israeli-Palestinian meetings of Chatham House rules; we want to shine the light on this. We want to bring in the media, and show that Israelis and Palestinians are meeting and talking about peace. We need to break this deadlock that’s existed for two decades now, where both societies believe that there’s no partner for peace on the other side. We are standing up in the light of day, in front of cameras, and saying, “Yes, there are partners.” A majority of Israelis and a majority of Palestinians do, in fact, want to live in peace. They just don’t believe that there are partners on the other side. We want to demonstrate that we can build partnership; we can create partnership; we can implement a policy based on partnership and move us forward.
So, that’s what we’re doing.
Cooperation Is a Pathway to Peace
Belsky: Finally, as you are well aware, the Egyptians have put forward a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza which was endorsed by the Arab League. We think that’s a good first step, but still only a first step. As you know, the Schiller Institute has long been promoting the idea of an Oasis Plan; which, as I’ve discussed with you and as you pointed out to me, some people think this is an alternative to a political solution. We see this as the means to a political solution. The reason is something that I think you, yourself, have said in your writing on your website. That is, the problem is that neither side sees the other as a partner for peace. There has to be a shared commitment to a future that benefits both sides; where they see that their interest is in the future of each side. The concept of this Oasis Plan, to bring in doubling of fresh water, desalination, and transform the whole region, is not only to achieve peace between Israel and Palestine, but to create a shared future for the whole region, of all these countries that you’re responding to, that are involved in the Global Alliance for Peace.
We’re getting endorsements of this Oasis Plan from many people now. The most prominent endorsement is from the current Palestinian ambassador to Denmark, Dr. Manuel Hassassian. Dr. Naledi Pandor, the former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation for South Africa, the foreign minister, has endorsed it. But the idea is to get a shared future, so it’s not just a piece of paper, but an agreement that we’re going to change the entire situation. What do you think about that idea?
Baskin: Look, you’re not alone in this. There are organizations like the Arava Institute, which is an environmental center bringing students from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and the rest of the world together to study. They have a diplomatic program in which they’re advancing environmental solutions, saying that the environment knows no border. There’s EcoPeace also, which is a joint Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian organization working on issues of water and environment and energy. These are all common issues to everyone in the region.
There’s no doubt that any political arrangement needs to include a vision for an environment which is shared by all of us. Myself, in my former position as the founder and co-director of the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), we started working on environmental issues back in 1994, when we had every year a conference under the title “Our Shared Environment.” The issue of water needs to be de-politicized; it’s ridiculous to think that water has a national flag on it. All the water between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea belongs to all the people between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. There’s no reason why there shouldn’t be sufficient water for everyone here. Water equals money today, and the amount of money needed to produce water is decreasing all the time, particularly when you add to it a renewable energy [source] as the means of desalinating water. We have an unlimited amount of water available to everyone here. So, we need to combine these environmental water-energy solutions. The same thing for energy; there’s enough sunlight here—God-given energy—to solve the energy problems of Israel and Palestine and other nations in the region. We live in one of the sunniest areas of the world, where there’s enough land available to have renewable energy solutions for everyone here. So, it’s really this nexus of water, energy, and environment that we need to work on. These things can all help bring about the political solution.
But we need the political will of the leaders here, and we don’t have that. We don’t have political leaders with the will for making peace. We need to incorporate economic solutions, environmental solutions as part of the work that we’re doing. I have always supported these cooperative issues that require us to work together, whether it’s public health, or the environment and water and energy; they don’t know borders. We need to understand that cooperation will produce a better future for all of us.
Belsky: Thank you very much, Gershon, for your remarks.
link - Military Source: "2025 Will Be a Year of Fighting With Focus on Gaza and Iran"; Preparations for Additional Reserve Call-Up
The IDF does not intend to scale back its control over seven combat zones, and deepening Operation "Strength and Sword" is under consideration. To achieve this, the military will need to call up thousands of reservists once again. According to the source, the army is currently short approximately 10,000 soldiers—7,000 of whom are combat troops needed to provide "breathing room." The goals in Gaza remain unchanged since October 2023: returning the hostages and dismantling Hamas. In Judea and Samaria: a decrease in terror attacks and warnings.IDF combat soldiers in Gaza
A year and a half of fighting across seven different zones has led the IDF to draw conclusions on numerous issues, including continued combat in Gaza and other fronts, intensifying operations in the Strip to achieve its objectives, the issue of Haredi conscription, the severe shortage of manpower—particularly combat troops—the Chief of Staff’s aspirations for 2025, and the strain on reservists who will soon be called up again. Today (Friday), a military source detailed some of these conclusions gathered since October 7.
The source clarified that 2025 will also be a year of fighting, with the focus on combat in Gaza against Hamas—and against Iran, though no details were provided. Additionally, they emphasized that the IDF’s overarching missions remain the return of the hostages and the elimination of Hamas.
After 60 Days in Office: The Chief of Staff’s Conclusions
The numerous challenges the military has faced and will continue to face present a clear security necessity: the army must grow. According to the source, this is the imperative of the hour.
The strategic achievements secured by the defense establishment since the war began have altered the security reality and Israel’s standing—particularly the IDF’s—in the Middle East.
Two war objectives that remain unfulfilled are top priorities: returning the hostages and toppling Hamas’s rule. The source stressed that "returning the hostages is at the top of the list," despite voices in the political system suggesting otherwise.
How the Fighting Will Continue on Various Fronts
Gaza Strip: Expanding Operation "Strength and Sword," intensifying combat, and additional reserve call-ups
- Despite military pressure on Hamas, the organization remains "intransigent," according to the source, prompting the IDF to escalate operations and mobilize additional reserves. The goal: advancing negotiations through military pressure and defeating Hamas.
- Since the operation began, the IDF has eliminated over 400 terrorists and struck thousands of terror targets.
- The Chief of Staff’s stance on humanitarian aid remains unchanged: the IDF will facilitate its distribution but will not handle it directly. The source added that the military will not allow starvation in the Strip and will thwart Hamas’s attempts to seize aid. However, they stressed that the IDF will act in accordance with political directives.
Reserve Brigade 5. Reservists may soon be called up again, per political directives | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Lebanon: The IDF will maintain operational freedom, enforce agreements, and serve as a buffer in the forward defense zone
- The military source disclosed attack figures since the agreement enacted on November 27, 2024. The IDF has struck around 350 terror targets in Lebanon and eliminated over 140 terrorists.
- The military will preserve its operational freedom and continue to neutralize threats as necessary.
- Outposts established during Operation "Northern Arrows" will continue to serve as a forward security zone, enabling operational control and defense for Israeli civilians.
Damage to a home in Lebanon after an Israeli strike. Israel will continue operating in the area to thwart threats | Photo: Str-/picture alliance via Getty Images
Syria: Preserving aerial operational freedom, thwarting threats, and preventing strategic weapons transfers
- The nine outposts established by the IDF in the buffer zone, from the southern Golan Heights to Mount Hermon, will continue to serve as a forward security area.
- Forces in the buffer zone are degrading the remaining capabilities of the Syrian military to prevent weapons and resources from falling into the hands of hostile actors attempting to entrench themselves there.
- The IDF will continue to maintain aerial operational freedom and counter threats to Israel while preventing Iran and its proxies from transferring strategic weapons to Syria.
Despite statements about the buffer zone, the military source did not address the crisis concerning the Druze community living across the border, who have suffered attacks by hostile elements. Last night, Israeli Druze protested nationwide to pressure the political echelon to deliver promised aid following the fall of the Assad regime.Forces of Division 210 in the buffer zone with Syria. Working to push hostile elements away from Israel | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Judea and Samaria: A positive trend compared to previous years
- The military source noted a decline in both warnings and actual terror attacks.
- Cooperation with the Shin Bet remains tight, helping to thwart terror attacks before they occur.
- The source added that since the start of Operation "Iron Wall," over 100 terrorists have been eliminated, and hundreds arrested.
- It was also noted that terror activity during Ramadan was lower than in recent years.
Reservists and the Manpower Issue
Tens of thousands of reservists have already served hundreds of days in uniform since October 7 in various roles. Senior military officials are aware of the difficulties, and the source stated that "reservists will be deployed judiciously and responsibly—based solely on operational considerations." They emphasized that the IDF is working to improve conditions for regular, reserve, and career soldiers, and that the Chief of Staff supports equal burden-sharing.
According to the source, "Those who give more will receive more." They stressed that, from the military’s perspective, everyone must contribute to national security, and the IDF is adapting to diverse populations. The figure revealing the severity of the manpower crisis: approximately 10,000 soldiers are currently lacking, including 7,000 combat troops.
Reflecting the Chief of Staff’s stance on equal service, the source clarified: "The military cannot stand alone in its mission without political backing and civilian sanctions." In practice, a conscription law exempting Haredim and allowing draft evasion could harm missions and the army itself, per the source. Enlisting Haredim is an operational necessity, and extensive efforts are underway to create tailored frameworks alongside draft orders issued under the law.Haredi protests outside the IDF Induction Center. The military lacks thousands of soldiers and combat troops to fulfill its missions | Photo: Tomer Neuberg, Flash 90
Zamir’s Plans Moving Forward: Establishing an Additional Tank Brigade and a Haredi Armored Reconnaissance Unit
- The primary goal remains expanding combat forces. This includes adding a fourth tank brigade to the existing three, establishing another infantry brigade, reviving disbanded armored reconnaissance units—and converting one into a Haredi unit.
- Additional territorial brigades will be added along Israel’s borders.
- The Strategic Affairs Division and "Third Circle" (responsible for military operations in non-neighboring countries) will be dissolved.
- Achieving "Israeli independence" regarding munitions and increasing interceptor numbers. The munitions shortage during the war could have hampered combat efforts.
- In the latter half of 2025: drafting a new multi-year plan for the IDF.
- Reviewing the Corps Command and activating the Ground Forces as an independent corps during emergencies.
- The "People" program, led by the Manpower Directorate, will provide hundreds of millions of shekels in aid to families of regular, career, and reserve soldiers.
Military Investigations: A Tool for Drawing Lessons and Restoring Trust
Investigations into battles and events during and following October 7 are still being published. The IDF, which conducts these inquiries into its own failures, has faced criticism for them. According to the military source, the investigations are "a tool for learning and drawing lessons to rehabilitate the army and restore trust in it."
One of Chief of Staff Zamir’s first actions upon taking office was establishing an external team to review the investigations, headed by retired Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman, former Southern Command chief. Turgeman’s team is tasked with assessing the quality of investigations and "ensuring their thoroughness and the implementation of lessons to enable effective integration into the IDF—at tactical, operational, and conceptual levels," per the source. The Chief of Staff himself will make final decisions after receiving the team’s findings. linkDestruction in Nir Oz after October 7. The external investigative team is reviewing the quality of inquiries | Photo: Channel 12 News
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'I do not see a better solution'
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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