🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 579, 2023 - May 7, 2025 🎗️

 

 🎗️Day 579 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

READ " Ministers who came to Roni’s shiva looked me in the eyes and promised: a state commission of inquiry will be established. They lied" In the Politics and War section.

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

*11:00AM - The Israel Air Force intercepted a drone coming from the East, most likely from Yemen, the military said on Wednesday. 



Hostage Updates

Qatar? Egypt? Who needs to mediate? For 18 years, I've been saying there's no substitute for direct contact and direct negotiations. But there's no courage to advance direct negotiations because there's no urgency to bring back the hostages and end the war. Continuing the war will lead to the killing of more hostages. There can be no deal with Hamas if Israel kills everyone in Hamas who could release the hostages in Gaza. The Israeli government continues to sacrifice the hostages. Eliminating Hamas before the return of the hostages is a plan to eliminate the hostages. 
 (Gershon Baskin, May 6, 2025)



Trump reveals that number of living hostages has dropped from 24 to 21

US President Donald Trump reveals that the number of living hostages in Gaza has dropped from 24 to 21.

Israel has yet to publicly confirm this updated figure, though, last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara said in front of reporters that the number was less than 24. The comments infuriated hostage families who had not been updated on the matter.

Trump went on to echo that revelation two days later that fewer than 24 hostages were still alive in Gaza but didn’t give a specific figure.

But speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump says, “As of today, it’s 21 [who are still alive]. Three have died.”

He doesn’t give additional details.  Link  Most people are not aware of how it is determined if the hostages are alive or not. There is a committee of 3 senior doctors with many years experience in trauma, triage and medical assessments. They work together with many areas of involvement: intelligence, hard evidence, returning hostage testimony and other information that is kept secret so the enemy cannot hide, destroy or corrupt the information they use.  The horrific circumstances of October 7 necessitated, for the first time, life and death determinations without the actual bodies as they were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists  this committee only determines death if they are 100% certain that the hostage could not have survived or was killed in October 7.  However, there are most certainly histages that they strongly believe have been killed but they don’t have enough evidence to determine 100% that the hostage is dead.  This information, obviously is in the hands of Netanyahu, Katz and others. As such, it is also in the hands of Sarah Netanyahu who, apparently controls her husband and matters of State. This is the reason that she opened her big mouth last week when her husband stated 24 living histages and she blurted out ‘less’.  As a result, it is likely that Netanyahu shared this secret information with his buddy Trump and Trump, not only has no verbal restraints, he likes to make headlines no matter who gets hurt.  That is our situation now. The iDF has only told families who’s hostage relatives have had the 100% determination of death. None of the other families have been informed even if there is almost 100% certainty. in addition, due to Netanyahu’s refusal to make a deal for the return of all the hostages, many hostages have died and been killed in captivity. There are some hostages for whom we have never received signs of life and have not been seen by any Israeli since October 7. Their status is a complete black hole. That is the reason that we know for sure that 35 of the 59 hostages are no longer alive and the other 24 are assumed alive.

Families demand answers after Trump lowers estimate of living hostages

Relatives of the 59 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip renew their call for Israeli officials to tell them if there is updated intelligence on the fates of their loved ones, after US President Donald Trump said that only 21 hostages remained alive, three fewer than Israel’s official estimate.

“The number of living hostages as is known to the families, provided to them by official sources, is 24,” the Hostage Families Forum says in a statement.

“We demand again from Israel — if there is new intelligence being kept from us, pass it to us immediately,” it adds.

The comment echoes the families’ response after Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said at a meeting last week that “fewer” than 24 hostages remained alive.

“As of today, it’s 21 [who are still alive]. Three have died,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday evening, without providing additional details.

Gal Hirsch, the government point person on hostages, said shortly afterward that Israel’s official number remained 24.

The families’ statement also calls on Netanyahu to pause the military campaign in Gaza until all hostages are returned.

Israeli envoy says official list of living hostages remains at 24 after Trump said it dropped to 21




Demonstrators protest for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, outside the District Court in Tel Aviv, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is testifying in the trial against him, May 6, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hostage point-man Gal Hirsch says Israel’s official list of living hostages still has 24 names on it after US President Donald Trump told reporters earlier this evening that the total number of living hostages in Gaza dropped from 24 to 21.

A source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the discrepancy could be due to the fact that Israel might have intelligence that certain hostages are no longer alive or has yet to obtain any sign of life from them since their kidnapping but that their deaths have not been definitively confirmed.

Hirsch tweets that Hamas is currently holding 59 hostages — 24 of whom are on the list of living hostages and 35 of whom are on the list of hostages whose deaths have been officially confirmed.

Of the 59 hostages, five are foreign nationals, Hirsch says.

Amid anger from hostage families over learning about such developments in the media, Hirsch insists that his office maintains regular contact with hostage families and is always available for updates and clarifications.  link Hirsch is another of Netanyahu's unqualified for the position he is given and does what he boss tells him to do. Yes, the official number remains at 24 but they have unofficial numbers based on those they assume dead but not declared dead and these aren't being shared with the families.




Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: Egypt received an American proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip

According to the report, in Cairo the proposal was received a few days before the arrival of the American President Donald Trump to the region for a visit • Trump is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates • According to the report, the proposal includes the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and the release of a limited number of hostages - with the goal of achieving a long-term ceasefire even before the visit



IDF forces in Gaza

In Israel they are preparing for a significant expansion of the fighting in the Gaza Strip, and tens of thousands of Order 8s (emergency reserve call up) have already been sent to reservists for this purpose.
The one trying to stop any escalation in the fighting is the United States, so according to the report of the newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, which reported today (Tuesday) that the Americans submitted to Egypt a proposal for a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, days before the planned visit of Donald Trump to the Middle East.

According to the report, the American proposal includes conditions "less complex" than those that were discussed in the last two weeks by the parties, and the goal in Washington is to reach agreements even before the visit of President Trump, who is planned to arrive in the Middle East on the 13th of May.



Idan Alexander, the soldier who holds American citizenship and is in the captivity of Hamas

What the "threshold proposal" includes, the American plan that was reported
*   Opening of the humanitarian corridors and the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip,
*   Release of a limited number of Israeli hostages, among them Idan Alexander who holds American citizenship
*   Provision of clear information regarding the condition of the remaining hostages in the Strip
 *  Guarantees that the hostages who will not be included in the American proposal will receive food and medicine as required

The Egyptian source who was quoted in the Qatari newspaper confirmed the existence of contacts between Egyptian, American, and Israeli officials at the highest levels in order to handle the humanitarian issue in the Gaza Strip.
According to the newspaper, the American proposal arrived simultaneously with a meeting of senior Hamas officials in Doha, who are discussing the situation and the proposals that are on the table.  link. Once again, everyone is playing into Netanyahu's hands with this 'threshhold' proposal and it is the harm of the hostages. The only proposal that should be discussed is a single and complete deal to bring home all 59 of the hostages at one time (no more drips and drabs that Netanyahu introduced with the first deal in November 2023) and an end to the war. This is the only deal that Hamas will agree to and Netanyahu has been the sole player who has prevented this deal from happening. Trump must use the pressure that he has over Netanyahu to force him to accept this deal, no matter Netanyahu's personal agenda and interests. A single deal to bring all the hostages home and end the war!!!!



Dermer heads to DC for meetings with senior US officials ahead of Trump’s Mideast trip


Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has departed for Washington for meetings tomorrow with senior American officials ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the region next week, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

The meetings will cover ongoing hostage talks, Israel’s planned operation in Gaza, Iran nuclear negotiations and other regional issues, the Israeli official says, confirming reporting in the Walla news site.

Dermer is looking to remain up to date on what the administration is planning for the trip, the Israeli official says.

Trump is slated to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. There is not currently a plan to stopover in Israel, but some Israeli officials have been telling reporters over the past day that it is not out of the question.

The focus of Trump’s meetings will largely be boosting bilateral ties between the US and the countries he’s visiting, the Israeli official says.  link  It hasn't been stated, but I have little doubt that the main reason that Dermer is going to Washington ahead of Trump's trip to the region is to make sure Trump is not going to force Netanyahu's hand to end the war. Of course, the US negotiations with Iran will come up, especially since Trump has already made statements about it, and yesterday about the Houthis, that don't sit well with Israel. Trump is unpredictable and unstable in his statements and his decision making.  Netanyahu has always made sure to be the 'last one in the room' in order to influence Trump as so many of his statements and decisions are very much based on the influence of the last person in the room with him. However, on 4 separate recent occasions, Trump has thrown Netanyahu a curve ball: 1-direct negotiations with Hamas; 2- direct negotiations with Iran; 3- summoning Netanyahu to the White House without any previous notice in order to tell him that the tariffs on Israel will not change; 4- announcing yesterday that the US will stop military actions against the Houthis. All of these actions and statements by Trump have unsettled Netanyahu and he doesn't know which way the wind is blowing. There have been behind the scenes preparations for the possibility that Trump will also come to Israel following his trip to Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, which is what Netanyahu wanted in order to be in Trump's ear 24/7 for however long he would be here but Trump announced last night that he won't be stopping in Israel at this time. This doesn't meant that Trump is planning to present Netanyahu with pressure or untimatums about ending the war, but it also doesn't mean he won't. Most of the Israeli public is hoping that he will and then we can bring all the hostages home and end Netanyahu's war.




Qatar and Egypt say they are working together on Gaza truce, reject reports of rift 

Qatar and Egypt say in a joint statement that the two countries are working together “with a shared vision to bring an end to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza” by securing a ceasefire.

The statement also pushes back against what it describes as recent attempts to create a rift between the “sister countries” via the media.

Reports have surfaced in recent months portraying strained ties between the countries, with each downplaying the others’ contribution to efforts to end the fighting in Gaza and free the hostages.

The allegations came to the fore in connection with the so-called Qatargate scandal in Israel, which revolves around suspicions that advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received money from Doha to launch a media campaign aimed at undermining Egypt’s role as mediator and bolster Qatar’s influence in the ceasefire negotiations.




Violence erupts near Knesset as police forcibly disperse anti-government protesters


At least 2 arrested, with police accusing demonstrators of refusing to clear path to Prime Minister’s Office; hostage’s father says ‘nobody cares’ about his son’s suffering in Gaza



Anti-government protesters clash with police outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on May 5, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators protested outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon, with police forcibly dispersing some of those gathered, as clashes broke out between protesters and officers.

The protesters had marched from the Chords Bridge (entrance to Jerusalem) to the Knesset complex for a demonstration timed to coincide with the first weekly faction meetings following the end of the spring recess.

Speaking to Channel 12 news, protesters said they showed up to demonstrate over a host of issues, including the failure to recover the remaining 59 hostages from Gaza, the mass call-up of IDF reservists, and the treatment of the country’s educators during ongoing wage disputes.


While the demonstrators were allowed to rally outside the Knesset, some of them were said to have tried to block the entrance to the Prime Minister’s Office, which is just across the street. Police ordered them to move, and later forcibly removed those who refused.

Protest organizers said that at least two people were arrested in the clashes, though one was released shortly afterward.

Police said that some protesters ignored police demands to move out of the way and “swore at a police officer” who was on duty. In a statement, police said one protester was arrested after attacking a female police officer who was working to clear demonstrators from the unauthorized zone.


In footage posted online, police could be seen hauling protesters across the street while crowds jostled around them. In a second video clip, a protester is dragged across the street by the arm, while another is hauled out of the crowd by a cop pulling him by the strap of his backpack.

Addressing the Knesset on Monday, Regional Cooperation Minister Dudi Amsalem accused protest organizers of being funded by Iran, sparking outrage from some opposition MKs.


“You’ve been doing this for more than 2.5 years, with huge amounts of money that you raise from overseas, including from hostile countries,” he said, speaking from the Knesset rostrum. “I’m convinced, by the way, that your protests are also being funded by Iranian parties… Time will tell.”

His comments prompted yelling from Labor MK Efrat Rayten and Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben-Ari.

Some of the protesters gathered outside the Knesset were tied to the larger movement to free the hostages remaining in Gaza, who were particularly angry after the government overnight approved an expansion of the fighting that was said to include “conquering” the Strip.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich asserted on Monday that Israel is “finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip,” adding that once the new offensive in Gaza begins, there will be “no retreat from the territories we have conquered, not even in exchange for hostages.”



Anti-government protesters clash with police outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on May 5, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)




Speaking at the protest outside the Knesset, Merav Svirsky, the sister of slain hostage Itay Svirsky, who was murdered in captivity, slammed the current government, mentioning the Qatargate scandal, in which aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are accused of being paid by Doha to advance its interests.

“The Qatari money that funded Netanyahu’s office also funded the weapons that were used to murder my family,” said Svirsky, whose parents, Orit and Rafi Svirsky, were murdered in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7.

“It’s insane to understand the self-interests involved here,” she continued. “It burns me inside to understand how these self-interests affected the lives of my family.”

Some protesters brought a large model train adorned with an outline of Netanyahu’s face and the writing “The Trojan Qatar” to the protest outside the Knesset.



Anti-government protesters rally near the Knesset in Jerusalem alongside a ‘Trojan Qatar’ model train, May 5, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)




At a protest nearby, Ofir Braslavski, the father of hostage Rom Braslavski, noted that they recently received a video of his son, in which “I could barely identify him. He’s in really bad shape.”

“But everyone just keeps going, nobody cares. It doesn’t interest anybody,” Braslavski said.

In a statement Monday afternoon, the Hostages Family Forum accused the government of “saying in a clear voice, ‘We have abandoned the hostages.'”

“Despite the government of Israel doing everything in order to cause us to lose hope, the vast majority of Israelis will not give up,” the organization added.

Polls have consistently shown that a large majority of the Israeli public favors a deal that would see all the hostages held in Gaza released, even if it means ending the war.

Israel believes that 59 hostages are still being held captive in Gaza, though at least 35 of them have been confirmed dead by the IDF. During a truce in November 2023, 105 hostages were freed, and another 30 were released in January and February 2025, along with the bodies of eight other captives. IDF troops have rescued eight hostages alive and recovered the bodies of 41 captives.

Most family members of the hostages believe that another ceasefire deal is the only way to return their loved ones home, and that expanding the military operation in Gaza will only put their lives in further danger.  link



Survivor of the captivity, Daphna Elyakim: "One of the terrorists was touching me all the time"
Daphna was kidnapped at the age of 15 from Nahal Oz, and was held more than 50 days in captivity • She shared about the harassments she experienced: "The terrorist said that they would release everyone – and I would stay with him so he could marry me"


Elyakim: "The terrorist insisted on accompanying me to the shower, I did not allow him" | Photo: Barel Malik

The survivor of the captivity, Daphna Elyakim, was hosted this morning (Tuesday) at the closing conference of the TEEN SPIRIT program on behalf of the Civil Information Headquarters. Daphna shared that she was harassed in Hamas captivity. "One of the terrorists was touching me all the time," she told with courage. "He said that they would release everyone and I would stay with him so that he could marry me. He insisted on accompanying me to the shower, I did not allow him."

Daphna was kidnapped at the age of 15 from the house of her father Noam in Nahal Oz, together with her sister Ela, aged 8. Also in the house were Noam's partner, Dikla Arava, and her son, Tomer. The terrorists broadcast the events in the house from Dikla's phone live. Noam had been shot in the leg, and the terrorists were seen interrogating the family members about their identities.

The terrorists took out Tomer and demanded from him, under rifle threats, to knock on doors and ask the neighbors to come out. Noam, Tomer, and Dikla were murdered. Daphna and Ela were seen already in the first days photographed in Hamas captivity. The two were released in the first hostage deal, after 51 days in Hamas captivity.

Daphna Elyakim
"One of the terrorists was touching me all the time." Daphna Elyakim, archive

In an interview with "Channel 12 News" in January of last year, Daphna shared about the events from Gaza. "The first thing I did was to give Ela food, to see that she was full and that she had eaten, and only then I ate," she said. "She was afraid at some point because she saw a rifle and thought they were planning to kill us, so she really started crying there. On the days when they offered us to shower, then I had to argue with her, because it was impossible to know when they would allow us to shower again. All the time I made sure that she would do everything before me. All the time we were with each other, and if she cried, then I was with her. And when I cried, she was with me."

"All I thought about was what is with my family, what is with my friends. What is happening in the country, if they reached all of Israel, if they destroyed all of Israel," she said. The few pieces of information she had, she received with difficulty from listening to the radio in Arabic.

The terrorists who held them told Daphna and Ela that no one in Israel was fighting to bring them home. "I thought that no one cared at all that we would return, that it did not interest the people here. That is what they told us all the time, that they preferred we would stay in Gaza and that we would return as corpses."

The conference in which Daphna participated today was held by the Civil Information Headquarters, which is led by Eliav Batito. The conference took place in Jerusalem with the participation of 700 youths who underwent training by the headquarters in the past year. As part of the initiative, the participants created various information programs, and today the competition took place in which 20 groups from around the country participated. The group that will win the competition – will fly to represent the state in an information delegation abroad in the coming summer.   link



At event for US envoy, ex-captive and hostage’s family plead for Trump’s help to free captives

Former hostage Omer Shem Tov, his parents, and the parents of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal speak on stage during an international welcoming event for US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem.

“Thank you, Ambassador Huckabee, and thank you, President Trump. I am here today…because of you. And today, I am the happiest man alive,” says Omer, who was released during the temporary ceasefire-hostage deal in February.

“We have to bring my brothers and sisters home as soon as possible,” he continues, referring to the 59 hostages remaining in Gaza, adding that “I believe and I know you can bring them home. So please do everything you can.”

Guy’s father, Ilan Dalal, tells Huckabee that “As a representative of the strongest country in the world, you and President Trump have an important role in achieving an agreement for the release of the hostages. You have the power to influence the parties to reach an agreement and to urge the mediators to work harder…My son’s life is in your hands.”

“You can leverage the great power of the USA and the significant influence of President Trump, the strongest man in the world right now, to free the hostages,” he says.

Huckabee responds that “We heard tonight from the hostage families, whose hearts are broken and who broke our hearts with their stories…I want Guy home. I pray that before another fortnight happens, Guy is home. We all pray for the return of every hostage

Gaza and the South


  IDF says strike targeted Hamas operatives at command post in central Gaza

The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a group of Hamas operatives at a command center in the central Gaza Strip a short while ago.
Palestinian media reports that the strike hit a school in the Bureij area, which was used as a shelter for displaced Gazans, killing at least 18 people.

According to the military, the site was being used by Hamas to store weapons intended to be used in attacks on IDF troops and Israeli civilians.
The IDF says it took numerous steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including the use of a “precision munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”


Hamas-linked Gaza rescuers say 9 killed in new Israeli strike on school sheltering displaced
Gaza’s Hamas-linked civil defense agency says that nine people were killed in a fresh Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in the center of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
“Nine dead and dozens of injuries in a new airstrike that targeted the northern side of Abu Humeisa School, which shelters displaced people in Al-Bureij camp,” Ahmad Radwan, a media officer from the Hamas-linked Gaza civil defense, tells AFP after rescuers said an earlier Israeli strike on the same site killed 22.
The IDF has yet to comment on the latest strike but has long insisted that it takes precautions to avoid civilian casualties.
Gaza rescuers say 9 killed in new Israeli strike on school sheltering displaced

Gaza’s civil defence agency says that nine people were killed in a fresh Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in the center of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
“Nine dead and dozens of injuries in a new airstrike that targeted the northern side of Abu Humeisa School, which shelters displaced people in Al-Bureij camp,” Ahmad Radwan, a media officer from the Hamas-linked Gaza civil defense, tells AFP after rescuers said an earlier Israeli strike on the same site killed 22.
The IDF has yet to comment on the latest strike but has long insisted that it takes precautions to avoid civilian casualties.

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria



Despite raids, the Captagon threat outlives Assad and Nasrallah



Despite anti-drug claims by Damascus, Captagon smuggling continues unchecked, driven by a complex network involving ex-military, Hezbollah and regional actors

While Damascus continues to publicize its anti-drug efforts, neighboring countries remain on high alert, frequently intercepting drug shipments at their borders with Syria. This underscores a harsh reality: the drug trade is no longer exclusive to the Assad regime. Even after the Syrian president's fall and the waning influence of Hezbollah, the threat persists.

Last week, Syria’s Drug Enforcement Administration announced the discovery of a Captagon production facility in Homs, near the Lebanese border. Authorities confiscated equipment and raw materials. Coinciding with this, the Lebanese army raided a similar lab in the Hermel region, also near the Syrian border.



A Syrian rebel fighter examines Captagon pills produced in an improvised lab inside a farm villa in the town of al-Dimas, about 17 miles northwest of Damascus, on December 22, 2024

(Photo: OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

These seizures appear to be mere drops in the ocean. Captagon production continues unabated, and shipments regularly make their way toward Jordanian and Gulf borders. The real architects of these networks—those who manage and protect them—remain untouched.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian war, the country has descended into a state of organized chaos. The Assad regime found in narcotics an alternative economy to compensate for the collapse of state institutions and revenue streams.

Captagon, a small stimulant pill, has become a multi-billion-dollar export commodity, smuggled through intricate routes into the Gulf and Europe.

Ad 



A warehouse containing Captagon drugs discovered in the Saboura area along the Damascus–Beirut highway

(Photo: via X)


Intelligence reports from the U.S. and Gulf countries indicate that Syria’s defunct 4th Division, formerly led by Maher Assad, provided military protection for the trafficking networks. Meanwhile, Hezbollah was critical in securing border routes to the Mediterranean through Hermel and Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley.

Within this arrangement, Captagon transcended mere illicit trade. It became an instrument of governance, funding, and regional leverage—a tool of political manipulation and battlefield financing.

While Syria remains largely passive, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has taken the lead in confronting the crisis. Over the past two years, Amman has bolstered military and intelligence operations along its northern frontier. Smuggling attempts from Syrian territory now occur on an almost daily basis and are increasingly accompanied by armed incursions.

In the latest such event, Jordanian Armed Forces foiled a major smuggling attempt last Sunday. According to an official military statement, border surveillance detected a group of traffickers attempting to cross illegally from Syria. A rapid reaction force was deployed, engaging per standard rules of engagement. The traffickers fled back into Syrian territory, leaving behind large quantities of Captagon, which were seized.

A senior Jordanian military source said: “Smugglers now operate with advanced tactical methods—using drones, encrypted communications, and jamming devices. This suggests the involvement of actors with high-level operational and intelligence capabilities.”



Seizure of Captagon pills hidden inside children’s toys in Syria




Despite growing speculation about Assad's fall and Hezbollah's diminishing role, security experts caution that the Captagon threat is likely to endure. Over the last decade, a complex infrastructure has emerged—financial, logistical, and security-oriented—that could survive the political downfall of its founding figures.

Retired Brigadier General Mustafa al-Sheikh said: “Captagon is no longer a project run by individuals—it is an integrated system involving military officers, smugglers, militia leaders, and transnational money laundering networks. The fall of Assad or Nasrallah won't automatically dismantle it. On the contrary, it may become even more dangerous in the absence of centralized authority.”

He added: “The real danger is that parts of Syria—especially the south and west—may become ungoverned zones where local warlords control drug operations in the absence of a structured political transition.”

Despite numerous reports showing the Captagon trade yields billions annually, the international community has yet to develop a coherent strategy to address it. Sanctions from the US and Europe have targeted individuals and entities, but with little systemic effect.



Security forces of Syria’s new government inspect a warehouse where Captagon pills were previously hidden inside children’s toys, hookahs, household doors and plastic insulation, during a raid in the city of Latakia on January 19, 2025

(Photo: AAREF WATAD / AFP)




Security analyst Abdul Latif Mustafa said: “Major powers see ‘stability’ in Syria—even under Assad—as preferable to chaos. With Washington and Brussels consumed by crises in Ukraine and Gaza, there’s little bandwidth for Syria’s narcotics threat.”

He emphasized the urgency of creating a regional-international alliance, similar to counter-terrorism coalitions, to combat the drug trade. “Captagon now fuels extremism and threatens the internal stability of several countries,” he said.

According to Abdul Latif Mustafa, the first step in dismantling this organized criminal empire is cutting off its funding sources. That would require: Targeting drug production facilities and infrastructure in Syria and Lebanon; cracking down on money laundering networks tied to Captagon revenues; a trilateral security coordination mechanism between Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq to be established with international support; enhancing aerial and ground surveillance systems along Syrian borders; and imposing stringent sanctions on both state and non-state actors involved in narcotics, regardless of official or militia status.

The Captagon crisis is not just a matter of narcotics—it is a hybrid threat, intertwining organized crime, economic desperation, and regional power struggles. As long as shipments continue to flow and political will remains lacking in Damascus and its allies, Captagon will remain both a “tool of governance” and a “weapon of coercion” in the hands of a resilient regional axis.

The response cannot be local alone. It must be regional and international, equipped with tools proportional to the scale of the threat. Security is no longer just about borders—it’s about political will. And so far, that will remain absent. The story is written by Rizik Alabi and reprinted with permission from The Media Line.   link




IDF says Hezbollah commander killed by drone strike in southern Lebanon

The IDF says it killed a Hezbollah commander in a drone strike in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon earlier today.

The strike killed Adnan Harb, who the military says headed Hezbollah’s logistics array in the terror group’s Badr regional division. The regional unit is tasked with the area north of the Litani River.

The IDF says Harb, as part of his role, worked to restore Hezbollah’s fighting capabilities, as well as restore infrastructure in areas south of the Litani River.

“The terrorist worked to transfer weapons within Lebanese territory between the various units in the organization. His actions constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF says

Syria says Israeli strikes to be a key focus of Sharaa’s meeting in Paris with Macron

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday, the French presidency says.

During the meeting, Macron will reaffirm France’s support for the construction of a “free, stable and sovereign Syria that respects all the components of the Syrian society,” the statement says.

The visit, the first for Sharaa to a European country since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, is expected to address several security challenges faced by the new Syrian government, with particular emphasis on the repeated Israeli attacks on Syria’s sovereignty, according to the state-run Syrian news agency SANA.

Sharaa, in February, received an invitation from Macron to visit France

Hamas man said killed in Israeli strike on southern Lebanon



Rescue workers inspect a damaged car after an Israeli strike in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, early Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP/Mohammed Zaatari)

One person was reportedly killed in an Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon just before dawn.

Security officials at the scene tell The Associated Press that the man was a member of the Hamas terror group.

The country’s state-run National News Agency says an “enemy drone” hit a car in the city’s Villas neighborhood, near the Imam Ali Mosque.

Pictures shared online show a Renault on fire.  There is no Israeli comment on the alleged strike.

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks

Politics and the War and General News



Ministers who came to Roni’s shiva looked me in the eyes and promised: a state commission of inquiry will be established. They lied
As a bereaved father and to the families of "October Council" there is one clear message to the government: do not test us. We are wounded animals, and with wounded animals one does not mess • We will not allow the establishment of a "convenient" commission of inquiry, the politicians will not appoint those who will investigate them – only a state commission of inquiry will be able to tell me what really happened • Eyal, father of the observer Roni Eshel of blessed memory, in a special column

Already 577 days I have not slept a full night. The thoughts wander, the question marks are many, and one thought gives no rest: what has to happen so that the State of Israel and its elected officials will not abuse bereaved families and give us answers to the most basic and most important question – what happened here?

Already 577 days they have been telling us stories: at the beginning of the war, during the shiva for Roni, many ministers came to comfort. All of them looked me in the eyes and told me: we owe you answers. A state commission of inquiry will be established. During the first months, ministers looked directly into television cameras and said live to the people of Israel similar things – a state commission of inquiry will surely be established.

And suddenly, around the month of July 2024, we began to hear different tunes: suddenly they no longer spoke of a state commission of inquiry, they spoke of a "special" inquiry.

You surely ask what is "special". An explanation in a sentence: the politicians want to be the ones to appoint those who will investigate them. Do you understand what that means? The politicians, from this government and previous governments over the last 15 years, whose decisions among other things must be investigated, want to appoint their own investigators. Imagine that Carmel Mauda, that kindergarten teacher who was convicted of abusing toddlers, would demand to appoint her own investigators and judges. Does that sound logical to anyone?



Do you support the establishment of a state commission of inquiry- 75% support, 15% against and 10% don't know

Already for 50 years in the State of Israel, there is a law of commissions of inquiry which regulates clearly how disasters of such magnitude are to be investigated. The law was legislated 50 years ago out of the necessity that there must be separation of powers, the investigated must not interfere with the investigation, and it must be independent. Therefore, as long as breath is in my nostrils, I will not allow any committee to be established here that is not a state one.

Due to the understanding that there is an attempt to establish another kind of committee, I joined my friend Rafi Ben Shitrit, father of the hero of Israel Elroi Ben Shitrit of blessed memory. Together we founded, with other families, the October Council – families from all shades of Israeli society. More than 1,500 families of fallen soldiers, families of the murdered, families of hostages, survivors of captivity, survivors of the massacre, have joined us so far. Together we demand only one thing: a state commission of inquiry. This is not a political demand. Or as Eli Sharabi said: this is not right, this is not left, this is straight.

My message to the government is simple and sharp: do not test us. A state commission of inquiry will surely be established. 1,500 families of the October Council, and I among them, will not allow the establishment of a "convenient" commission of inquiry for the government. A commission of inquiry is not supposed to be convenient. It is supposed to be piercing, sharp, uncompromising, and impartial. And if the politicians appoint it, it will be far from that.

Politicians, you are standing in front of a struggle like no other – 1,500 families who were harmed on the seventh of October are ready for any battle. Yoram Yehudai, father of Ron of blessed memory who was murdered at Nova, member of the October Council, said a sentence you would do well to remember very well: we are wounded animals, and with wounded animals one does not mess.



Roni of blessed memory and Eyal Eshel

I promised Roni to reach the truth

I promised Roni above her grave, and I repeat again my promise – I will not rest and I will not be silent until I reach the truth, and the path to the truth goes through a state commission of inquiry, only a state commission of inquiry. That is democracy, that is what is left for those fallen, for my Roni who took the matriculation exam in civics. Let the people and the country know.

I beg, leave Israel a democracy for the next generation growing up in the country. In spite of and in defiance of those who flee from responsibility.  LINK

The Region and the World



IDF says fighter jets dropped 50 munitions in Sanaa strikes against Houthis


The IDF says Israeli Air Force fighter jets dropped 50 munitions during the strikes today on the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport and other targets near Yemen’s capital.  video



Dozens of IAF aircraft were involved in the strikes, including fighter jets, refueling planes, and spy planes.

According to the IDF, the fighter jets “disabled” the airport within 15 minutes.

The strikes also hit several power stations near Sanaa and a cement factory north of the capital, which the military says were used by the Houthis.

Sanaa airport official says facility ‘completely destroyed’ by Israeli strikes





Yemenis watch as smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes targeting a power plant and Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Yemen’s international airport was “completely destroyed” in Israeli airstrikes on the rebel-held capital Sanaa, an airport official tells AFP.

“Three planes out of seven belonging to Yemenia Airlines were destroyed at Sanaa airport, and Sanaa International Airport was completely destroyed,” the official says.

Trump: US will stop bombing Yemen after Houthis agreed to halt attacks on shipping

Asked about Houthi pledge to continue attacking Israel, Trump responds, ‘I’ll discuss that if something happens’

Asked about Houthi pledges to continue attacks against Israel despite having agreed to halt attacks on US ships in the Red Sea, US President Donald Trump responds, “I’ll discuss that if something happens.”

“I don’t know about that, but I know one thing: They want nothing to do with us, and they let that be known through all of their surrogates,” Trump responds when asked about the Houthi threats during questions from reporters in the Oval Office.

US official confirms Israel was not informed of ceasefire with Houthis

A US official says the Trump administration did not notify Israel ahead of time of an agreement with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels to halt attacks.

Israel learned of the ceasefire when Trump announced it publicly during an oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The comment from the US official confirms Hebrew-language media reports citing Israeli officials saying Jerusalem was caught off guard by the announcement.

Personal Stories




Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

IPS - Israel Prison System

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

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




PMO- Prime Minister's Office

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

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