🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 580, 2023 - May 8, 2025 🎗️
Israel has ‘grave concerns’ over lives of 3 of 24 living hostages, say sources
Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza hold a press conference in Tel Aviv on May 3, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)Israeli sources indicate that 24 hostages in Gaza are officially considered to be alive, but that Israel has “grave concerns” over the lives of three of them.
The comments come after US President Donald Trump appeared to boast last night of inside information indicating that only 21 of the hostages being held captive in Gaza are still alive, fewer than the official Israeli figure of 24.
Trump’s comments sent shockwaves through the family members of the hostages, who demanded they be provided with any updates.
The assessment is believed to stem from the fact that Israel has some information about the status of a number of hostages, but not enough to confirm that they are no longer alive.
Ahead of January’s ceasefire, Israel provided Hamas with a list of 33 hostages it considered to still be alive. Ultimately, 25 of them returned home, and Hamas also returned eight bodies, including those of the Bibas family, about whom Israel had long expressed “grave concerns.” link
Report: IDF document lists returning hostages as least important war goal
Defense Minister Israel Katz (2nd from right) meets with IDF Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor (center), 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Sagiv Dahan (left) and Katz's military secretary, Brig. Gen. Guy Markizano (right), May 7, 2025. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)Despite telling the Israeli public that returning the hostages is the IDF’s most important goal of the war, he the objectives of a planned offensive in Gaza places the Hamas-held captives in sixth and last place, Haaretz reports.
The objectives of the planned offensive were presented yesterday to commanders.
According to Haaretz, the document states the following objectives: 1. Defeating Hamas; 2. Operational control over the territory; 3. Demilitarizing the territory; 4. Striking Hamas government targets; 5. Concentrating and moving the population; 6. Returning the captives.
The list of objectives uses the word “captives” and not hostages.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Monday that returning the hostages is the most important goal, and defeating Hamas is second. A senior IDF official made similar remarks to reporters last week.
The IDF does not immediately respond to the report. link. This is an absolute outrage and, if it is not changed or clarified presents the new Chief of Staff as a liar and just another one of Netanyahu's yes men. The return of the hostages must be the number one goal of everyone, especially of the IDF, Security Forces and the political echelon. We already know that it is not the priority of the political echelon headed by Netanyahu, but it had been of of of the security forces. This statement is very worrying. It is also a severe blow to all of the reserves who see their role in continuing to fight in Gaza to be only pawns in Netanyahu's personal intersests and not to be there for the hostages.
Ahead of Trump visit, senior Israeli official estimates: “There is a window of 9 days for progress toward a deal”
In Israel they pin hopes on the Trump visit to the Middle East next week, and a senior official said that this visit creates a significant opportunity for a breakthrough • At the same time, the army is advancing in preparations toward expansion of the operation in Gaza • Chief of Staff Zamir met with commanders in the army, and declares: “There is no choice – Hamas does not want a deal”
Trump visit – and the effort to bring about a breakthrough: In Israel they hope to again utilize the Trump effect, as was done with his entry into the White House, and hope that his visit to the Middle East creates the same dynamic. They speak about 9 critical days, to reach a deal by the time he finishes the visit. A senior Israeli official familiar with the negotiation says that “Trump’s visit creates a significant opportunity for a breakthrough, we are acting in order to maximize the possibilities of reaching a deal by the end of the visit.”
That same official clarified that “we are entering critical days,” and that the Israeli goal is to extract as many hostages alive from the Gaza Strip, as quickly as possible. On the table lies the Witkoff framework, the Egyptian deal, they speak about between 10 and 11 live hostages in exchange for a significant ceasefire.
The understanding is that this visit generates pressure among the mediators who are pressing on Hamas. Also the fact that Jordan is acting against the Muslim Brotherhood, in Lebanon they are acting against Hamas, together with the Israeli ultimatum for an intense action if there will not be a deal – and still the mediators are not succeeding in getting agreement from Hamas. On the contrary, there is truly an entrenchment of figures in the Hamas leadership around very militant positions.
According to the Israeli sources, Hamas goes one step forward and four steps backward, therefore in Israel they say that if there will be a breakthrough, it will come only toward the end of the visit. At the same time, the army is advancing in preparations for the expansion of the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Against the backdrop of disagreements between the Chief of Staff and the political echelon, Zamir nonetheless said yesterday to the fighters that there is no other choice.
The Chief of Staff: There is no possibility for a comprehensive deal, Hamas does not truly mean it
In the past 24 hours, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir was in Southern Command and in the Gaza Division, approving operational plans ahead of a larger campaign and the major move in the Strip. He met there with all the commanders who are supposed to enter the maneuver, he tells them: “We are entering the next stage in the campaign, it is a new stage and its goal is to create optimal conditions for the release of hostages. Only afterward, the additional stage – the defeat of Hamas.”
That means that there is here another final window of opportunity for a deal. The Chief of Staff recognizes and is well aware of the feelings that exist among the reserve soldiers, not only the weariness and not only the burden, but also the doubt that gnaws at the justness of the path, and therefore he says the following things to the commanders.
“There is no other choice, this is the call of the hour. Hamas refuses, only this way it will bring hostages, we will defeat it. There is no possibility for everything in exchange for everything (meaning a comprehensive deal), Hamas does not truly mean it, it wants to survive and drags out time,” says Chief of Staff Zamir to the fighters. “Foremost in our concern is to bring hostages, we will do it this time and it will be for generations.”
In the end, at the bottom line, this is the responsibility of the IDF and it is completing its preparations, it is ready for the call. But there is here immense responsibility on the government, and the bottom line is that the government will need to explain to the public, and especially to the reserve service members, the hundreds of thousands who will be recruited here, that all the possibilities were exhausted, that this is the last and only choice and there is no alternative to it, so that all will arrive, so that they will be able to stand in the two great goals defined by the state – also to defeat Hamas and also to bring the hostages. link. This is unbelievable and infuriating. Yes, Hamas is an obstacle to everything except the deal to end the war and bring home the hostages. The only obstacle to that deal is Netanyahu but all the sides are afraid to say that. Everyone knows Hamas' unmovable bottom line and knows that making that deal is the only way to resolve the entire situation. Netanyahu doesn't want to end the war for his own personal interests and there is no way to make a deal without ending the war. Period!!!!
Arab countries pushing Hamas to accept hostage deal to stall IDF offensive, official says
Multiple Arab countries are pushing Hamas to accept another hostage release deal in order to forestall an expanded Israeli offensive in Gaza, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
“There is now a lot of pressure,” says the official, “including from Jordan.”
“The entire region is pressuring them for some sort of deal.”
- U.S. and Israel discuss temporary Gaza administration until demilitarization and stabilization
🎗️Day 580 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
*5:10pm yesterday-
Missile launched from Yemen falls outside Israeli territory, says IDF
The IDF says it identified a ballistic missile launched from Yemen that fell outside of Israeli territory a short while ago.
No sirens sounded, the military adds.
Gaza and the South
- Hamas civil defense agency says 75% of emergency vehicles can’t operate due to lack of fuel
Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency says that a lack of fuel had forced three-quarters of its emergency vehicles to stop operating, more than two months into an Israeli aid blockade.
“Seventy-five percent of our vehicles have stopped operating due to a lack of diesel fuel,” the agency’s spokesman Mahmud Bassal tells AFP, adding that its first responders were also facing a “severe shortage of electric generators and oxygen devices.”
Gazans say 48 killed in series of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City
Palestinians sift through debris following an Israeli strike in the Bureij refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip, May 7, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)Local authorities in Hamas-run Gaza report that at least 48 people were killed today in Israeli airstrikes on a school that housed families displaced by the conflict and which was located close to a crowded market and restaurant in Gaza City.
Medics say two strikes hit the Karama School in Tuffah, a suburb of Gaza City, killing 15. Later in the day, an Israeli strike near a restaurant and market in the city killed at least 33 people, including women and children, the reports say.
The death tolls provided by Hamas, which do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, cannot be verified.
The IDF did not immediately comment, but generally says it targets Hamas terror infrastructure in the Strip, which is heavily embedded in the civilian population.
UAE mediating secret talks between Israel and Syria
The indirect contacts, which have not been previously reported, are focused on security and intelligence matters and confidence-building between two states with no official relations
The United Arab Emirates has set up a backchannel for talks between Israel and Syria, three people familiar with the matter said, as Syria's new rulers seek regional help to manage an increasingly hostile relationship with their southern neighbour.The indirect contacts, which have not been previously reported, are focused on security and intelligence matters and confidence-building between two states with no official relations, a person with direct knowledge of the matter, a Syrian security source and a regional intelligence official said.The first source described the effort, which began days after Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa visited the UAE on April 13, as currently focused on "technical matters," and said there was no limit to what may eventually be discussedThe senior Syrian security source told Reuters the backchannel was limited strictly to security-related issues, focusing on several counterterrorism files.The source said that purely military matters, particularly those concerning Israeli army activities in Syria, fell outside the scope of the current channel.The intelligence source said UAE security officials, Syrian intelligence officials and former Israeli intelligence officials were involved in the mechanism, among others.They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.Syria's presidency and the UAE foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The Israeli prime minister's office declined to comment.The mediation effort preceded Israeli strikes in Syria last week, including one just 500 metres (yards) from the presidential palace in Damascus, and Reuters could not establish if the mechanism has been used since the strikes occurred.Israel has framed the strikes as a message to Syria's new rulers in response to threats against Syria's Druze, a minority sect that is an offshoot of Islam with adherents in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.Informal mediation between Israel and Syria aimed at calming the situation has taken place in the last week via other channels, according to one of the sources and a regional diplomat. They declined to elaborate.Syria's government has condemned Israel's strikes as escalatory and as foreign interference, and says the new government in Damascus is working to unify the country after 14 years of bloodletting.The new rulers have also made repeated efforts to show they pose no threat to Israel, meeting representatives of the Jewish community in Damascus and abroad and detaining two senior members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.A letter sent by Syria's foreign ministry to the U.S. State Department last month, seen by Reuters, said "we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel."Minority fearsIsrael has struck in Syria for years in a shadow campaign aimed at weakening Iran and its allies, including Lebanese Hezbollah, who grew their influence after entering the country's civil war on the side of former President Bashar al-Assad.Israeli military operations have escalated since rebels ousted Assad in December, saying it will not tolerate an Islamist militant presence in southern Syria. Israel has bombed what it says are military targets across the country and Israeli ground forces have entered southwestern Syria.Reuters reported in February that Israel has lobbied the U.S. to keep Syria decentralised and isolated, framing its approach around suspicion of Sharaa - who once headed a branch of al-Qaeda before renouncing ties to the group in 2016.The UAE government also has concerns about the Islamist bent of Syria's new leaders, but Sharaa's meeting with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month went very well, the sources said, helping to assuage some of Abu Dhabi's concerns.The sources noted the meeting lasted several hours, making Sharaa late for a subsequent engagement.The backchannel with Israel was established days later, the sources said.Damascus sees the UAE's ties with Israel, established in a historic U.S.-brokered deal in 2020, as a key avenue to address issues with Israel, given the absence of direct relations between the two states.Israel's latest strikes in Syria followed days of clashes between Sunni Muslim and Druze gunmen triggered by a voice recording of unclear origin purportedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed, leaving more than two dozen people dead.Syria's government has since reached an agreement with Druze factions in the Druze heartland region of Suweida to hire local security forces from their ranks, in a move that has so far reduced tensions.The fighting posed the latest challenge for Sharaa, who has repeatedly vowed to unite all of Syria's armed forces under one structure and govern the country, fractured by 14 years of civil war until Assad's overthrow. But incidents of sectarian violence, notably the killing of hundreds of pro-Assad Alawites in March, have hardened fears among minority groups about the now-dominant Islamists and sparked condemnation from global powers. Link- Border Police Operating in Syrian Territory
- IDF confirms wave of strikes in Lebanon, says they targeted ‘significant underground’ Hezbollah infrastructure
The IDF confirms carrying out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon a short while ago, saying it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure.
The strikes carried out by fighter jets hit a facility near the Beaufort Castle, which the IDF says was used by Hezbollah to manage rocket fire and defenses.
At the site, the IDF says, it struck “terrorists, weapons, and tunnel shafts.” video
“This site is part of a significant underground project that, due to IDF strikes, has been rendered inoperable,” the army says.
The IDF adds that the facility and the activities carried out there “constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
- Hezbollah faces internal debate over holding senior officials accountable for losses in war with Israel
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Nahar reports that Hezbollah is experiencing internal dissension over whether to take disciplinary action against senior figures in the organization.
The report says that the group is debating whether to take action against senior members of the organization’s top leadership body, the Shura Council, in response to military losses and internal political difficulties stemming from the conflict with Israel that ended in a ceasefire late last year, which has held despite periodic violence in what both sides have said constitute violations.
According to the report, Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, is attempting to navigate between two factions – one advocating for punitive measures against senior leaders, and another opposing such actions.
The report adds that Qassem seeks to preserve the party’s current institutional structure.
- IDF says it set up medical facility in southern Syria for Druze wounded in clashes
The IDF says it has set up a medical facility inside southern Syria, next to the Druze village of Hader, to treat those wounded during sectarian violence in the country.
“The facility is part of a number of efforts that the IDF is carrying out to support the Syrian Druze population, and to maintain their security,” the military says.
More than 30 wounded Syrian Druze have been evacuated to hospitals in Israel in recent weeks.
“The IDF continues to monitor developments and maintain readiness for defense and various scenarios,” the army adds.
Sectarian violence in Syria has escalated in recent weeks, as Islamist supporters of the country’s new regime have targeted Druze communities in clashes in southern Syria.
Israel has vowed to protect the Syrian Druze community from threats, and the IDF has struck targets in the country as a “warning” to the new regime.
West Bank sees unprecedented drop in terror attacks amid heightened security efforts
According to newly released data, April recorded the lowest number of attacks in the West Bank in the past five years, with just 46 incidents, of which three were significant
The West Bank has witnessed an unprecedented decline in terrorist attacks in recent months, as Israeli security forces intensify operations to dismantle terror infrastructure. Central Command’s Operation Iron Wall, launched alongside significant political changes within the Israeli government, has contributed to a dramatic drop in violence in the region.According to newly released data from the Israeli security establishment, April 2025 recorded the lowest number of attacks in the West Bank in the past five years, with just 46 incidents, of which three were significant—shootings, stabbings, or bombings. This marks a sharp decline from 2023, when the monthly average was 214 attacks, peaking at 510 in October. The number of monthly attacks dropped to 115 in 2024 and just 57 in 2025. In comparison, the monthly average in 2020 was 74, and in 2021 and 2022, it stood at 120 and 168, respectively.The decrease in attacks is largely attributed to a combination of intensive security measures and structural changes on the ground. Since the beginning of the year, Israel's Shin Bet security service has thwarted around 500 planned attacks, including high-profile plots. This dramatic decline is seen as a result of Operation Iron Wall, which has been focused on neutralizing terror infrastructure in Palestinian refugee camps, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarm.The operation has involved engineering efforts to reshape these camps, including widening roads, dividing the camps into "blocks," and ensuring rapid access for security forces. “The goal is to transform the camp into an open city where every point is accessible quickly,” a security source explained.n a significant new development, Central Command’s Civil Administration is planning the demolition of around 100 structures in the Tulkarm and Noor al-Shams refugee camps. The announcement has caused panic among Palestinian residents, with thousands fleeing the camps with their belongings. This is part of a broader strategy to reshape the camp environment, making it easier for Israeli forces to operate within.At the same time, Israeli forces are engaged in targeted operations to hunt down terrorists who have fled to villages such as Qabatiya. These operations, based on intelligence gathered by Shin Bet, have created a sense of being hunted among the terrorists. "They hide in caves, but we reach them," said a military source. As a result, many refugee camps in the West Bank are now relatively empty, support for terror groups on social media is declining, and the Palestinian public is becoming increasingly aware of the heavy price of terrorism.The security operations are based on intelligence from Shin Bet, targeting individuals involved in past attacks or suspected of planning new ones. Special forces are conducting operations in collaboration with Shin Bet and the IDF, aiming to dismantle terrorist cells.In addition to military actions, the IDF is actively targeting the financial networks supporting terrorism. Since the onset of the "Iron Swords" war, Israeli forces have seized 46 million shekels in terrorist funding through operations like "Golden Swords" and "Baywatch". Three major money exchange businesses have been shut down, and 23 exchange branches have been declared illegal. Authorities are also seeing a rise in attempts to fund terrorism through cryptocurrency, though these efforts have largely been thwarted. Additionally, weapons smuggling routes along the eastern border are under close surveillance.The IDF is also focused on combating incitement on social media. In a recent operation, forces arrested two individuals in Nablus and Tubas for inciting further violence through social media platforms. Security officials warn that ongoing incitement from groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as from external actors such as Iran, could inspire additional lone-wolf attackers or local terror cells in the West Bank.
The volatile situation in the West Bank remains difficult to predict, with officials warning that developments elsewhere—such as in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen—could have a destabilizing effect on the region. Additionally, terrorists released in prisoner swaps, particularly those sent to Turkey, Lebanon and Gaza, continue to direct attacks from abroad, providing both financial and ideological support to terror groups operating in the West Bank.Despite the successes of the current operations, the situation remains fragile, and the possibility of further escalations looms, especially with concerns about potential attacks similar to the October 7 massacre. In recent years, the West Bank has undergone significant political and security shifts, with government moves such as the transfer of powers to Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the reshuffling of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from office contributing to the evolving security landscape.As Israeli forces continue their operations, the risk of further violence remains high, and the trajectory of security in the West Bank remains uncertain. LinkIDF hunting for Palestinian shooter in West Bank attack; 2 hospitalized
Security forces at the scene of a shooting attack near the Reihan checkpoint in the northern West Bank, May 7, 2025. (Courtesy)In an update, the IDF says a Palestinian gunman opened fire on Israeli forces carrying out military activity near the Reihan checkpoint in the northern West Bank a short while ago.
According to first responders, two injured were taken to Rambam Hospital in Haifa.
The IDF says it has launched a manhunt for the assailant.
Separately, a Palestinian attempted to ram troops near the southern West Bank city of Hebron with his car, before getting out and stabbing troops.
Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem says one person in moderate condition was brought to the hospital from the attack near Hebron.
The assailant was shot, the IDF says, and he was taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in critical condition, according to first responders.
Israeli settlers reportedly torch farmhouse near Ramallah
Israeli settlers have torched a farmhouse in the village of Abu Falah near Ramallah, according to Palestinian media reports.
There are no arrests reported. video
- Politics and the War and General News
Senior American official in sharp message to families of the hostages: "Trump will proceed with a deal with Saudi Arabia even without Israel"
In a meeting that took place last night with the families of the hostages, a senior figure in the American negotiation team criticized Israel for not utilizing the opportunity around the agreement with Saudi Arabia • "If Israel does not come to its senses, the price of the missed opportunity will be heavier than in the past" • The senior official agreed with the position of the families that military pressure could endanger the lives of the hostagesIn an exceptional meeting that took place last night between families of the hostages and a senior figure in the American negotiation team, the American representative voiced unprecedented criticism of Israel's conduct regarding the hostage deal and the developing agreement with Saudi Arabia – so we published this evening (Wednesday) for the first time in the main edition. According to several sources who were present at the meeting, the senior official warned that the United States would no longer wait for Israel, and President Donald Trump is determined to proceed with a strategic deal with Saudi Arabia – even without Israeli involvement.
The unprecedented criticism of the American senior official on Israel
"If until today they paid the price of not ending the war, then today the price will be much heavier for Israel and not only for the hostages," said the American senior official to the families, according to the sources who reported about the meeting. "President Trump is determined to proceed toward a significant deal with Saudi Arabia, even without Israeli involvement. The ceasefire agreement with the Houthis is only a preview, and if Israel does not come to its senses, then also the Millennium Deal will be done without it."
Firm stance in face of the deadlock
The meeting took place against the backdrop of the deadlock in the negotiations for the release of the hostages, as the families of the hostages sought to apply pressure on the parties to advance the deal. During the conversation, the American senior official expressed agreement with the position of the families that military pressure could endanger the lives of the hostages, a position that contradicts the current policy of the government of Israel.
The sharp criticism of the American senior official emphasizes the growing tension between the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government, especially with regard to the broader regional strategy promoted by the American president. According to the senior official, the United States views the agreement with Saudi Arabia as a strategic move that will proceed in any case.
Demonstrators in favor of a hostage deal | Photo: Avshalom Sassoni, Flash 90"We have hope that Israel will utilize the historic train that has left the station, but the United States will not wait at the station," laid out the American senior official the position of the administration, in a message that left the families of the hostages disturbed regarding the implications for their loved ones.
This is a significant signal to Israel that the American position is strengthening in favor of promoting broad diplomatic processes in the region, and that the agreement with Saudi Arabia – called "the Millennium Deal" – may materialize even without Israeli participation, which could leave Israel outside of significant regional arrangements. link Normally, I would say that this is a step in the right direction. Netanyahu doesn't want to lose the patronages of his buddy, Trump but things have changed recently. Up until recently, Netanyahu was very confident that he could wrap Trump around his fingers and direct him in his direction every time. However, Trump's unilateral latest steps shook the ground under Netanyahu. It started with his inability to convince Trump to remove or reduce the tariffs on Israel, and continued with direct negotiations with Hamas, and with Iran and the last hit was announcing that the US would stop military attacks on the Houthis. All of these actions and statements were made without first informing Israel, which hasn't be the case in the past. Netanyahu thought that he would always have the upper hand and that the US would not close major agreements with Saudi Arabia without Israel, as well as a nuclear deal with Iran. Trump has surprised him. This, however does not bode well for the hostages. Due to Trump's frustration with Netanyahu, instead of forcing him into an agreement to end the war and bring home all the hostages, he may very well lose all interest in the war and the hostages and move on to other things. That would leave the hostages at the mercy of Netanyahu and that is basically a death sentence for the hostages. - more info on the Saudi visit and implications to Israel in the article below in the Region and the World section - "Trump's upcoming visit to Riyadh looks set to be another success story"
- The Region and the World
- Trump ‘disappointed’ with Netanyahu, will continue Middle East policy objectives without Israel
US President Donald Trump is disappointed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Hayom reports, citing two “senior sources close to the president.”
According to the Hebrew-language daily, in closed-door conversations Trump said he was going to make progress on his objectives in the Middle East without waiting for Israel.
On a deal with Saudi Arabia, Trump wants Israel to be a central part of an agreement, but “Netanyahu is delaying making the necessary decisions,” writes Israel Hayom’s Ariel Kahana, who interviewed Trump at Mar-A-Lago last year.
Trump is also still upset with Netanyahu and his circle over what he sees as an attempt to push the White House into military action against Iran’s nuclear program, say the sources.
Israeli officials were caught off guard by Trump’s announcement that the US had reached a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen this week, and by the start of US-Iran nuclear talks in April.
After the Houthi ceasefire announcement, Netanyahu and senior ministers have been emphasizing in recent statements that Israel “can defend itself by itself.” Link Trump's anger at Netanyahu about the Iran nuclear deal stems from his first term in office when Netanyahu convinced him to leave the original deal made under the Obama Administration. Netanyahu convinced Trump that immediately after the US leaving the agreement, the Iranians would crawl back to him begging for a better agreement. That didn't happen, as we all know and Trump held Netanyahu responsible for that. This is most probably the main reason that Trump left Netanyahu in the dark that his people were going to negotiate directly with the Iranians and that Trump would not let Netanyahu derail or disrupt those negotiations.
- Trump's upcoming visit to Riyadh looks set to be another success story
Opinion: A US-Saudi axis appears to be springing up in place of Israel; US used to tie any Saudi progress toward civilian nuclear capabilities to normalization with Israel; the current trajectory seems to diverge, but now Trump – from a place of drive for immediate achievements while casting doubt on Israel’s intention to end the war – is striving to bypass Jerusalem
The first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term may not yet offer firm conclusions, but they unmistakably signal a pivotal shift in leadership direction. Trump’s early high-profile decisions suggest a presidency shaped by heightened uncertainty, the erosion of long-standing norms, economic turbulence, and the rise of militant nationalism—at a time when traditional alliances are being overshadowed by assertive, inward-looking agendas.These dynamics are already pointing to a potentially chaotic and disruptive chapter in the history of the U.S. presidency, one intent on dismantling the "global order." A clear early indicator of this trajectory can be found in his tariff policy—rooted in Trump’s business instincts and shaped by bitter lessons from the late 1970s—which challenges foundational principles of global trade, supply chains and access to raw materials.Interestingly, in the president's worldview—where power and wealth are closely intertwined —the Sunni Arab world stands at the heart of his international agenda. In his first overseas trip to the Middle East, Trump's focus will be on two of America’s long-standing and affluent allies: Saudi Arabia and the UAE, alongside Qatar. While discussions in Abu Dhabi are expected to emphasize deepening economic ties, particularly easing export restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips - the real spotlight will be on Riyadh.The visit to Saudi Arabia appears poised to follow a deliberate strategic blueprint. In a move that mirrors his first term, Trump is once again choosing the Kingdom as the stage for his initial overseas engagement—signaling both continuity and intentional messaging. The 2017 visit, widely viewed as a diplomatic and media triumph, culminated in multi-billion-dollar arms agreements that not only strengthened U.S. defense exports but also reinforced Washington’s military-industrial footprint in the region.By returning to this tested formula, Trump is strategically reaffirming longstanding alliances while leveraging defense and tech cooperation as pillars of his broader geopolitical agenda—especially amid growing competition with China and renewed focus on Middle Eastern stability.At first glance, the upcoming visit to Riyadh seems poised to deliver another high-profile success for the Trump administration with a new wave of arms deals—reportedly around $1 trillion—expected to be unveiled. While these agreements will bolster U.S. defense exports, they may also raise serious strategic concerns for Israel, particularly regarding the preservation of its qualitative military edge in the region.However, the deeper and more consequential development lies beneath the surface: the White House's growing openness to supporting the establishment of civilian nuclear capabilities within Saudi Arabia—a move that could reshape the regional balance of power and increase the future potential for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, especially in light of the Kingdom's interest in enriching uranium in its territory and its traditional lack of interest in committing to the IAEA's biting inspection mechanisms.And where, one might ask, does Israel stand amid all this apparent diplomatic and economic prosperity? Aside from the legal obligation requiring the U.S to uphold Israel’s qualitative military edge when exporting arms to the region (QME legislation), the emerging strategic triangle — United States-United Arab Emirates-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—appears to be advancing without Jerusalem at the table. While previous American administrations, including Trump’s first term, maintained that any Saudi progress toward civilian nuclear capabilities must be linked to normalization with Israel, the current trajectory seems to diverge. Driven by a desire for swift diplomatic wins and deep skepticism toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on the war in Gaza, Trump signals a willingness to bypass these long-held preconditions—potentially undermining Israel’s long-term strategic and security interests.Israel’s foreign relations are steadily eroding under the weight of the chronic strategic paralysis plaguing Netanyahu’s sixth government—a paralysis rooted in the prime minister’s ongoing criminal trial and the fragile grip of a coalition beholden to extremists. This government’s refusal—or inability—to engage meaningfully with even the broadest outlines for the outcome of the Gaza war underscores even a deeper crisis: Israel, once seen as a model of pragmatic and strategic diplomacy, is now viewed by many in the region and beyond as an obstacle rather than a partner.This failure to respond to a shifting regional landscape not only isolates Israel but signals a departure from the tradition of measured, wise and responsible statecraft that once defined its regional posture. As the consequences of this diplomatic inertia begin to seep into every facet of national life, and with Israel standing on the brink of mounting regional complexities, the public must confront a sobering question: Is this truly the leadership we envisioned—or merely the cost of political survival dressed as strategy? link - Trump’s Houthi ceasefire met with ‘astonishment’ in Israel, official says
US President Donald Trump’s announcement this week that his administration has reached a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen was met with “astonishment” by Israeli officials, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
“Some are concerned there will be more surprise moves,” says the official. “Others say we should wait and see how this plays out.”
Tal Kuperstein, recovering from a stroke that followed a serious car accident, is pushing himself to do everything he can to get his captive son Bar freed from Gaza
Tal Kuperstein, left, and Ora Rubinstein, father and aunt of hostage Bar Kuperstein on April 29, 2025 (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)
After Passover, Tal Kuperstein, father of hostage Bar Kuperstein, sat in his wheelchair at Israel’s border with Gaza near Kibbutz Nir Oz and, shaking with emotion, yelled, “Bar! I am speaking again! You can come back.”
Kuperstein’s meaning was clear: If he could manage to learn to speak again after his stroke, Bar could somehow return home.
It’s been five years since Kuperstein lost his ability to speak. He had suffered a cerebral incident during surgery after being in a car accident while volunteering as a medic for the United Hatzalah ambulance service.
Now he is clawing his way back toward walking and talking after his eldest son, Bar, was taken hostage from the Nova desert rave on October 7, 2023, where he was working as a security guard during the festival.
“I don’t know how I got the strength,” said Kuperstein, his speech at times slurred but his intent clear.
He forced himself to speak again, said Ora Rubinstein, Bar’s aunt, a nurse who is often by her brother’s side.
Tal Kuperstein, center, father of hostage Bar Kuperstein, with his aide Anel D’Souza, left, and Bar’s cousin, right (Courtesy)
“A month after Bar was taken captive, Tal decided he was going to do everything he could to fight and bring Bar back,” said Rubinstein. “And in every possible way, slowly, with help from so many good people he meets along the way. He’s at the Holon protests, rain or shine, he meets people and accepts their help.”
Rubinstein said that her brother needed confidence in order to allow himself to speak, even though it’s easier to ask his sister to speak for him.
“I feel that he’ll come home if I speak,” said Kuperstein, sitting next to his sister. His aide, Anel D’Souza, a foreign worker from India, is always at his side.
On Saturday, October 7, Bar had been working at the Nova with his best friend Din Tesler as part of a crew of security guards.
Tesler and Bar had been at the Nova desert rave since Thursday.
“It was my first time as a security guard,” Tesler told The Times of Israel. “Bar had worked for the company a few times before.”
When the rockets fired from Gaza began falling at 6:29 a.m., Bar and Tesler and the other guards opened an emergency exit and were helping treat wounded partygoers.
At that time, with rockets attacks countrywide, Bar’s grandmother called her grandson, knowing he was working as a security guard at some outdoor party. He told her he was fine and would head home as soon as they could get the partygoers on their way.
As Hamas terrorists began approaching from the direction of Kibbutz Be’eri, Bar told Tesler to go back into the festival while he remained on the main road with police officers to take care of those who were injured.
“That was the last time I saw him,” said Tesler, who has been traveling around the US since Bar was taken captive, speaking about what happened on October 7.
Din Tesler, left, with his best friend, Bar Kuperstein, before Kuperstein was taken hostage on October 7, 2023 (Courtesy)
They later heard that Kuperstein returned several times to the site of the party to treat injured partygoers.
Tesler ran into the woods, at first with other partygoers who were eventually shot by terrorists. He hid in a cactus bush until he was rescued by IDF soldiers that evening.
That’s when Tesler realized that Bar was a hostage.
When he charged his phone, he saw that Bar’s brother had sent him a Telegram video showing Bar and five others in captivity.
The graphic video and photographs showing Bar tied up on the ground were posted by the Hamas terrorists who took them.
“I had my first panic attack. I could barely breathe when I realized my best friend was a hostage,” said Tesler.
“I had last texted with Bar around 9 a.m., and he wrote, “Please take care of my family if something happens,” said Tesler.
Family members of hostage Bar Kuperstein and Israelis celebrate his 2nd birthday in Hamas captivity at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, April 1, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
The extended Kuperstein family, including Bar’s parents, Tal and Julie, his four siblings, his grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins, all of whom live in Holon within easy walking distance of one another, were having the same kinds of reactions.
“We yelled, we screamed, and then we said, ‘What do we do now?'” said Rubinstein.
“Our luck was that we knew he was a captive, not because someone official told us, but because we saw him in that Telegram video,” she said, referring to the uncertainty surrounding many others who went missing during the attack.
Over the next two days, Tesler said, he found out that many of his friends had been either killed or taken hostage, including fellow security guards Eitan Mor, Andrey Kozlov and Rom Braslavski, all captives.
Kozlov was rescued in June, while Mor and Braslavski are still held hostage, along with Bar.
On April 5, the terror group Hamas released a propaganda video featuring Kuperstein and Maxim Herkin, a Nova partygoer, in the first sign of life from both hostages since they were abducted.
Maxim Herkin was taken captive from the Supernova desert rave on October 7, 2023 by Hamas terrorists (Courtesy)
The family has spoken with released hostages, including Ohad Ben Ami, freed in February, who was kept with Bar for a while in the tunnels.
“He said his condition isn’t good, he’s in the tunnels,” said Rubinstein. “I saw the images of him from the video. He’s sad, he’s wan and pale.”
Rubinstein said that Bar looks better in the video than Ben Ami has described him, as her nephew lost more than 50% of his body weight.
“He looks a little better now because their Hamas captors started feeding them, assuming they would be released,” she said. “He was a little chubby before, he looked like his father,” gesturing to her brother.
The family learned other details about Bar in captivity. Always handy, he had fixed the electricity in the tunnels and helped arrange a crude plumbing setup in their underground cells.
“He loves to do things, he loves to help,” said Rubinstein.
“MacGyver!” said Tal, referring to the 1980s television show about a secret agent who performs complicated missions with the help of his knowledge of science and his Swiss Army knife.
It’s his nickname for his beloved son.
Bar has also learned some Russian because of spending time in captivity with Maxim Herkin, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen, said Rubinstein.
It brings their family history full circle, she said.
Her mother, Faina, Bar’s grandmother, was born in Moldova, while her father, Michael, a Holocaust survivor, narrowly escaped death in 1941 when his mother fled the Nazi advance in the Soviet Union and hid him in Tashkent — in what is now Uzbekistan — just months after his birth.
Released hostages and hostages’ family members, including Faina and MIchael Kuperstein, grandparents of hostage Bar Kuperstein, third and fourth from the left, stand outside Auschwitz’s crematorium at March of the Living on April 24, 2025. (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)
Bar’s father Tal and aunt Ora were both born in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. The family immigrated to Israel in 1972, when Ora was 4 and Tal was still a baby.
“We don’t have Russian citizenship,” said Rubinstein, as anyone who fled the Soviet Union from the 1970s through 1991 didn’t receive citizenship.
Even so, the family has appealed to the Russian government to help free Bar, as Moscow did in November 2023 with former hostages Elena Troufanov and her mother Irena Tati.
And Kuperstein and his son Dvir are joining a Hostages Forum mission to Washington, DC, next week with his son Dvir, hoping for assistance from US President Donald Trump. The trip follows an op-ed piece that Kuperstein recently published in the American conservative media site The Daily Wire.
“As Israel marks its 77th Independence Day and President Donald Trump completes his first 100 days in office, my heart is somewhere else entirely: in the darkness of Gaza, where my son Bar remains in captivity — frail, frightened, and forgotten by far too many,” wrote Kuperstein.
In the letter, Kuperstein describes his son as a pillar of the family since his father’s accident five years ago.
“We’re doing everything we can,” said Rubinstein. “When you turn to the world, to Trump, that’s the most important thing. He should read Tal’s letter, and pay attention to his words. He’s asking Trump to help bring Bar back home.” link
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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