🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 589, 2023 - May 17, 2025 🎗️
Witkoff says most Israelis back hostage deal, recognizing split between Netanyahu gov’t and public
US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff says more than half of Israelis back securing the release of hostages through a negotiated settlement with Hamas.
“If you look at the public opinion in Israel, it’s split more than down the middle on behalf of getting the hostages out and having a negotiated settlement to this thing,” he is quoted as having told The Atlantic for a profile piece done by the magazine.
Repeated polls have indicated that a large majority of Israelis back ending the war in Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining 58 hostages — a trade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected, arguing that it leaves Hamas in power. But the premier also faces pressure from his far-right coalition partners who have threatened to collapse his government if he ends the war.
In this week’s profile, Witkoff defends Netanyahu, asserting that Hamas’s conduct throughout the war “has been so poor that Bibi in certain circumstances has felt that he has no alternative.”
He adds that any long-term solution to the conflict must involve the “total demilitarization” of Hamas. The terror group has rejected the demand to date, while offering to enter a yearslong truce that includes security guarantees, such as a halt on weapons production and tunnel digging, two sources familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel last month.
🎗️Day 589 that 58 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
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Dozens said killed in heavy Israeli strikes across Gaza; Trump: ‘People are starving’
IDF says it hit over 150 ‘terror targets’; reports of Israeli tanks advancing ahead of expected major offensive after US president leaves region; Trump: ‘Lot of bad things going on’ in Gaza
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday killed at least 74 people, Hamas-run authorities said, as US President Donald Trump wrapped up a Middle East visit that skipped Israel and offered little prospect for a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Vowing to take care of Gaza, Trump said “a lot of people are starving in Gaza… There’s a lot of bad things going on.”
Strikes overnight into Friday morning hit the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis, and sent people fleeing from the Jabaliya refugee camp and the town of Beit Lahiya.
The death toll figure, which is not independently verified, does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
The Saudi Al-Hadath news channel reported that Israeli tanks advanced in the area of Beit Lahiya.
The IDF said Friday afternoon that it had carried out airstrikes on over 150 “terror targets” in the Gaza Strip over the past day.
The targets included anti-tank missile launch posts, cells of operatives, and buildings used by terror groups to carry out attacks on forces, the army said.
People sift through the rubble after an airstrike in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 16, 2025 (BASHAR TALEB / AFP)Amid ground operations, the IDF said the 252nd Division killed several operatives who were at an observation post in northern Gaza; the Gaza Division destroyed several tunnel shafts and other infrastructure and killed several operatives in Rafah; and the 36th Division destroyed additional Hamas infrastructure and killed operatives trying to plant a bomb in the Morag Corridor area.
The strikes, which could at times be heard as far away as central Israel, sparked panic in northern Gaza.
“We were asleep when suddenly everything exploded around us,” north Gaza resident Umm Mohammed al-Tatari, 57, told AFP.
“Everyone started running. We saw the destruction with our own eyes. There was blood everywhere, body parts and corpses. We didn’t know who was dead and who was still alive.”
Another resident, 33-year-old Ahmed Nasr, said the bombing continued through the night.
“We couldn’t sleep or find any peace. There is no safety. We could die at any moment,” he said. The United Nations estimates that 70 percent of Gaza is now either an Israeli-declared no-go zone or under evacuation order.
Palestinians ride an animal-pulled cart as they flee Gaza City on May 16, 2025 (Bashar TALEB / AFP)The widespread strikes came as Trump finished his visit to Gulf states — there had been some hope that his regional trip could usher in a deal or expedite the renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel cut off aid to Gaza on March 2, a tactic it has said is intended to force concessions from the terror group Hamas, which is still holding 58 hostages.
Trump: Lot of people starving
Speaking with reporters in Abu Dhabi, the US president briefly touched on Gaza and the humanitarian situation there.
“We’re looking at Gaza, and we got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving,” he said. “A lot of people. There’s a lot of bad things going on.”
Asked whether he supports Israeli plans to expand the war in Gaza, Trump told reporters, according to Reuters: “I think a lot of good things are going to happen over the next month, and we’re going to see. We have to help also out the Palestinians. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza, so we have to look at both sides.”
Israel has argued that sufficient humanitarian assistance entered the Strip during a six-week ceasefire and that Hamas has been stealing much of that aid.
In recent weeks, though, officials in the Israel Defense Forces have begun warning the political echelon that the enclave is on the brink of starvation.
‘Heavy hearts’
On Friday, families of the hostages said they woke up with “heavy hearts” to reports of increased strikes in Gaza and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “join hands” with Trump’s efforts to release the hostages.
“Missing this historic opportunity for a deal to bring the hostages home would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever,” the families said in a statement released by the hostage forum.
A senior Israeli defense official said last week that the IDF will launch a major offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip if no hostage deal is reached with the terror group by the end of Trump’s visit to the region.
However, Arab mediators hope that the US will convince Israel to at least hold off on the operation for several more days, as they wait to determine the results of a Tuesday IDF strike targeting Hamas’s Gaza leader, Muhammad Sinwar.
People walk their dogs past a billboard bearing the portraits of Israeli hostages, held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, in Jerusalem on May 13, 2025. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)Hamas has insisted on an up-front Israeli commitment to end the war before it releases additional hostages. It also issued a statement on Thursday, warning of harm to the talks if Israel doesn’t end its nearly two-and-a-half-month-long blockade on aid entering Gaza. Israel has accused Hamas of stealing much of the aid that was previously brought in.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to commit to ending the war, saying Hamas must be destroyed, and has insisted on only agreeing to a temporary ceasefire of roughly 45 days, which would begin with Hamas releasing about 10 hostages.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 58 hostages, including 57 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023.
They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF, and 21 are believed to be alive. There are grave concerns for the well-being of three others, Israeli officials have said.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 53,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Israel’s death toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 418. Link
IDF expands Gaza campaign as regional tensions spike, hostage deal stalled
IDF strikes on Gaza are expanding in scope, targeting Khan Younis and Jabaliya; Hostage talks in Doha remain stalled, with Trump stating he’s unsure Netanyahu can secure a resolution, while emphasizing the need to address Gaza’s growing humanitarian crisis
IDF has announced shortly before midnight on Friday that over the past day, it had begun extensive strikes and moved forces to seize dominating positions in Gaza as part of the opening moves of Operation "Gideon's Chariots" and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza. According to the statement, "all of these efforts are aimed at achieving the objectives of the war in Gaza, including the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas. Israeli forces under the Southern Command will continue to act to protect Israeli citizens and fulfill the goals of the war."In Gaza, there were simultaneous reports of a loud explosion in the northern Gaza Strip and heavy fire from IDF troops. Reports also mentioned renewed artillery fire and gunfire from IDF vehicles east of the Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City. According to the reports, "IDF is bombing buildings in northern Gaza." Overnight, there were also reports of strikes in Khan Younis, Jabaliya, and Deir al-Balah.The dramatic IDF announcement came just hours after President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East concluded and amid stalled hostage negotiation talks in Doha. Over the past two days, attacks in Gaza have escalated significantly, with more than 250 people killed since Thursday morning, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health—marking the deadliest strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed in March.IDF strikes in northern Gaza on Friday were described by military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai as aiming to push residents of the area to move southward. However, he noted that no ground operation has yet begun, and that the goal appears to be exerting pressure on Hamas during the Doha negotiations. Military sources indicated that "part of Operation Gideon's Chariots involves moving the Palestinian population." They added that preparations for a ground offensive are currently underway.
(Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)Sources familiar with the matter said that Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, attempted to break the deadlock in the Doha talks with a small deal for hostage releases in exchange for a month-long ceasefire. However, there is currently no agreement, as Hamas still insists on a permanent end to the war. Reports from Jerusalem indicate that the talks are at a standstill, with both sides entrenched in their positions and awaiting a decision from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on whether to recall the delegation. Israeli sources added that "Witkoff has given up and is leaving the decisions to Israel." No comment was provided by Witkoff. One source claimed, "There is no progress in the talks, no optimism. Hamas is not ready for the big deal, and as it looks now, Israel is heading for a ground maneuver within days. There might be last-minute changes."President Trump, speaking on Friday afternoon at the end of his visit to the UAE, said he was unsure if Netanyahu could secure the release of the hostages. "We'll know soon; they're not in a good situation. We'll work together on this," he said. He added, "We're looking at Gaza, and we have to deal with it. There's a lot of bad stuff happening." Trump expressed optimism, saying that many "good things" would happen in Gaza over the next month.Trump did not comment on whether he supports Netanyahu's plans to expand military activity in Gaza but emphasized the humanitarian crisis caused by the war. "We also need to help the Palestinians," he said. "You know, many people are starving in Gaza, so we need to look at both sides. But we'll do a good job."While preparations for a ground operation are ongoing, assessments suggest that even if Israel intensifies its actions, it will not be the large-scale operation previously mentioned but rather a smaller initiative aimed at scaring Hamas into agreeing to a deal. In any case, the IDF reiterated, amid tensions between ministers and IDF Chief of Staff, that "IDF soldiers will not stand by distributing humanitarian aid."UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher criticized the new Gaza aid fund announced by the U.S., calling it "a waste of time." In a statement to the press, Fletcher rejected proposals to establish an alternative mechanism for delivering aid, urging, "Let’s not waste time. We already have an operational plan based on non-negotiable principles—humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence." He added, "We’ve done this before. We can do it again. We know how to prevent hunger. Let us work." Fletcher emphasized the UN has the personnel, distribution networks, community trust in the field, and the aid itself—160,000 pallets of supplies ready for delivery.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Friday of what he called "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza. "The latest wave of bombings forces people to move under the threat of even heavier attacks," Türk said. "The systematic destruction of entire neighborhoods and the prevention of humanitarian aid constitute what appears to be an attempt at permanent demographic change in Gaza, undermining international law and amounting to ethnic cleansing."Following Friday's operation in which two ports in Yemen were attacked, Defense Minister Israel Katz hinted that Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas' de facto leader in Gaza, had been eliminated in an airstrike earlier this week at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, although no official statement has been made. "If the Houthis continue to fire missiles at Israel, they will suffer painful blows, and we will target terrorist leaders just as we did to Mohammed Deif and the Sinwars in Gaza, Nasrallah in Beirut, and Haniyeh in Tehran. We will hunt down and eliminate Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in Yemen too," Katz said.Israeli military, however, has not yet confirmed that Mohammed Sinwar was killed in the strike. "This week, we targeted the European Hospital, where Hamas militants at various levels were present. We will provide updates once we have confirmed information. All the strikes are coordinated with the Prisoners and Missing Persons Headquarters to avoid harming the hostages," military sources said. Link- Trump's administration plans to relocate one million Gazans to Libya, report says
According to NBC, the US plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to war-torn Libya, discussing the deal with Libyan leaders and offering frozen funds; incentives like free housing and scholarships are considered
The Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, according to five sources familiar with the matter who spoke to NBC News. The plan is reportedly being taken seriously, with evidence including discussions held with Libyan leadership.
Sources told NBC that, in exchange for hosting the Palestinians, the U.S. would release billions of dollars in frozen funds that have been held for more than a decade. Three sources said no agreement has yet been reached and noted that Israel has been updated on the talks. The State Department and the National Security Council did not respond to NBC’s requests for comment.Libya has faced instability for the past 14 years, following the outbreak of civil war and the overthrow of its leader Muammar Gaddafi. Two rival governments—one in the west, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, and another in the east under Khalifa Haftar—are competing for control. The State Department advises Americans against traveling to Libya due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, kidnappings, and armed conflicts.It is unclear how many Palestinians would voluntarily agree to leave Gaza. One possibility discussed within the administration, according to a former U.S. official, is to offer financial incentives, free housing, and even scholarships to encourage relocation.Hamas senior official Basem Naim said the group was not informed of the talks and insisted that Gazans would not leave: “The Palestinians are rooted in their land, committed to their homeland, and ready to fight to the last and sacrifice everything to protect their land, homeland, families, and their children’s future. The Palestinians alone have the right to decide what to do, including the people of Gaza.” Link. This is a ludicrous idea, that Palestinians will leave Gaza for a war torn desert in Africa where their lives will remain in desperate uncertainty, unemployment, starvation and likely a continuation of their not having human and civil rights. If they were being offered migration to the US, Canada or Western Europe, many Gazans would jump at the chance. no matter where, as long as Israel is the party promoting “voluntary emigration “, it is still considered a war crime of ethnic cleansing which falls under the crime of Genocide. - Next in line? The Hamas commander poised to succeed Sinwar
Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, Hamas' Gaza Brigade chief and survivor of multiple Israeli assassination attempts, may replace Mohammed Sinwar after Israeli assassination attempt; Rafah commander Muhammad Shabana, once a contender, believed to have been killed with Sinwar
Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, known by his aliases "Abu Suhaib” and “the Ghost of the al-Qassam Brigades,” is one of the most prominent military commanders within Hamas’ armed wing. He currently serves as the commander of the Gaza Brigade and is a member of the group’s inner military council. With the reported possibility of Mohammed Sinwar being eliminated, Haddad is now seen as the likely successor.Haddad began his path in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades as a company commander, then advanced to command a battalion. He was eventually appointed commander of the Gaza Brigade after the assassination of his predecessor, Bassem Issa, in 2021.Over the years, he has commanded at least six battalions, in addition to a special forces unit. In June 2024, it was reported that he had been appointed overall commander of northern Gaza. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, following the reported killing of Yahya Sinwar, Haddad oversaw two regional commands and 14 Hamas battalions—effectively “sharing” control of the Gaza Strip with Mohammed Sinwar.On October 6, 2023, one day before the massacre in Israeli communities near the Gaza border, Haddad held a secret meeting with the commanders under his authority and handed them a document instructing them to “carry out the operation.” One of the main objectives he outlined was the mass abduction of Israeli soldiers in the opening moments of the assault, to be taken into Gaza. He also emphasized the importance of live documentation of the attack and the takeover of Israeli border communities.Following the reported assassination of Yahya Sinwar, Haddad gave an interview to Al Jazeera’s program “More Hidden Than Revealed,” in which he claimed that Hamas launched the October 7 assault after allegedly uncovering information from Unit 8200 servers. According to him, Hamas intelligence breached an Israeli server and discovered a document showing that the IDF was planning a large-scale war in Gaza even before the massacre.Haddad has survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts over the years, including airstrikes targeting his home in 2008, 2012, 2021, and 2023. In November 2023, Israel offered a $750,000 reward for information leading to his capture or killing. His eldest son, Suhaib, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on January 17 of this year.Haddad also held a senior role in Hamas’ internal security unit known as “al-Majd,” an organization founded by Yahya Sinwar and tasked with pursuing suspected collaborators with Israel. Haddad and Sinwar were known to have a close relationship, largely based on Haddad’s integration into Hamas’s military wing. The two are believed to have closely cooperated on internal security matters and counterintelligence operations. While Haddad is viewed as the leading candidate to replace Mohammed Sinwar, one other senior commander from the October 7 war was a possible candidate: Muhammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade. Shabana also survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts, including during the IDF’s ground operations in Rafah, but is believed to have been in the tunnel during the strike that killed Mohammed Sinwar. Shabana assumed his position during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, after the killing of three top Hamas military commanders. He has commanded four battalions, including Hamas’ elite Nukhba unit, which spearheaded the October 7 massacre. Throughout the war, Shabana has survived several assassination attempts and lost three of his sons. Following Yahya Sinwar’s reported killing, rumors circulated that Shabana had also been eliminated, though no confirmation was provided by either Israeli or Palestinian sources. Trump says he did not consult with Israel on Syria
US President Donald Trump says he did not consult ally Israel about the US decision to recognize Syria’s new government, despite deep Israeli suspicion of Islamist President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration.
“I didn’t ask them about that. I thought it was the right thing to do. I’ve been given a lot of credit for doing it. Look, we want Syria to succeed,” Trump tells reporters aboard Air Force One, shortly after departing Abu Dhabi at the close of a four-day Middle East trip.
Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, a major policy shift before meeting Sharaa. Link. Most of the moves that Trump has made recently that concern Israel have been done under the radar of the Israeli leadership, specifically Netanyahu. Trump's frustration with Netanyahu has been growing and he is no longer willing to let Netanyahu's influence change his mind in deals that are far reaching for Trump's personal agenda, which is primarily guided by his personal business and money interests. His deals this week for military sales to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey have a direct impact on reducing or eliminating the US promised military superiority. For Trump, it is huge amounts of money feeding into the US Military machine as well as the side deals in those countries that are making him and his family much richer. Netanyahu's naysaying was jeopardizing Trump's deals. The impacts of these deals and agreements without consideration of the ramifications of what it means now and in the future for Israel is something that will go on much longer than we will see Netanyahu as prime minister.
- New strike in southern Lebanon
- Lebanon Report: One killed in drone strike on vehicle near Tyre
- Hezbollah commander killed in IDF drone strike in southern Lebanon.
The IDF says it killed a Hezbollah commander in a drone strike in Lebanon this morning.The operative, who was targeted on a road near Mazraat Jemjim — some 30 kilometers from the Israeli border — in the Tyre District, was the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in the Beaufort Castle area, the military says. Lebanon’s health ministry says one person was killed in the strike.
According to the IDF, the commander was involved in restoring Hezbollah’s capabilities in the area.
Earlier this month, the IDF struck a major Hezbollah facility near Beaufort Castle.
“Restoring terror infrastructure and the activity there constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military adds. Video
21 suspects held by Lebanon for spying on Hezbollah, in what has become ‘nightmare’ for terror group — report
Lebanese authorities are holding 21 people accused of spying on Hezbollah for Israel, with many of them managing to get close to the Iran-backed terror group’s leadership, the London-based Arabic Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reports.
According to the report, Israeli espionage activities have become a “nightmare” for Hezbollah, whose leadership was eliminated throughout the course of an over-year-long conflict that the terror group instigated in support of Hamas in Gaza, a day after the October 7, 2023, massacre.
The report says that out of the 21 suspects, 13 are Lebanese citizens, six are Syrian, and two are Palestinians, and were recruited by the Mossad before and after the beginning of the war, a source in Lebanon’s Justice Ministry says.
One of the most dangerous alleged spies arrested was Mohammed Salah, the son of an elite Radwan Force commander, the source says, adding he was critical in the elimination of some of the terror group’s key figures, including Hassan Bdair in March.
- As Syria lauds Trump’s sanctions removal, Israel remains cautious
Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria has surprised allies and adversaries alike; While Damascus celebrates, Israel expresses caution, and US officials outline conditions for further relief
Head of the IDF Operations Directorate, Major General Oded Basiuk, recently visited Baku and met with Turkish officials amid efforts to mediate between Israeli representatives and the new Syrian regime led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, who recently gained additional international legitimacy through a meeting with President Trump during his visit to Riyadh.Israeli contacts were part of ongoing defense discussions with Turkey regarding the situation in Syria, with representatives from Ankara also present. In a previous meeting involving Turkey, higher-ranking officials attended, with Israel represented by the Head of the National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi. Contrary to reports on Friday, IDF denies any direct meeting between Major General Basiuk and members of the Syrian regime under al-Sharaa.Trump has announced the historic lifting of sanctions on Syria, a move that reportedly surprised not only Israel but also officials in Washington, according to a report in The Washington Post.As further evidence of warming ties between Washington and Damascus, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Friday with his Syrian counterpart, Foreign Minister Asad Hassan al-Shibani. The meeting, held in Antalya, took place two days after Trump’s dramatic announcement, which was celebrated in Syria. This development effectively provides an economic lifeline from the Trump administration to the al-Sharaa regime, following nearly 14 years of civil war and decades of dictatorship under the exiled tyrant Assad. During their meeting, Rubio and his Syrian counterpart discussed a "roadmap" for lifting sanctions, according to statements from the Turkish and Syrian foreign ministries. The exact terms and timeline of the process remain unclear. Rubio told reporters after the meeting that the United States’ goal is to assist in establishing a stable and peaceful Syria. He added that he was encouraged by calls from figures within the "New Syria" for peaceful relations with Israel and the expulsion of terrorists from the country.Rubio stated that the Trump administration would begin with "temporary concessions" on some sanctions imposed on Syria by Congress. This would not only allow dollars to flow into Syria but also enable Syria’s neighbors to fund its reconstruction without fear of U.S. penalties. As Syria progresses, Rubio noted, the Trump administration might eventually request Congress to permanently lift the remaining sanctions on Syria. "We’re not there yet," he emphasized, adding, "It’s too early." However, Rubio did not specify the conditions Syria must meet for full sanctions removal.Trump’s commitment to lifting sanctions has been perceived both regionally and globally as a significant victory for the new Syrian regime. In an interview with Syrian state channel Al-Ikhbariya, the Syrian foreign minister stated: "We want to see Syria restored before the end of Trump’s term and for all Syrians to return. Since December 8 (the Syrian coup), we’ve begun normalizing relations with all Arab and foreign nations, including the United States. Syria’s future will be bright after the lifting of American sanctions."While Trump has the authority to remove some restrictions on Syria, Congress must lift others, and experts warned in a conversation with The New York Times that this will take time. On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it is beginning the process of lifting sanctions. "The Treasury’s actions can help rebuild Syria’s economy, financial sector, and infrastructure, putting the country on a path toward a bright, prosperous, and stable future," the department said in a statement.In Damascus, celebrations erupted following Trump’s announcement, which was seen as a significant victory. The lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria reportedly occurred despite Israel’s opposition. According to the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested Trump to maintain the sanctions on Syria and refrain from supporting or stabilizing it, fearing a repeat of events like those on October 7. However, Trump did not agree to the request.In contrast, Israeli officials claimed that the Syrian issue was not raised in recent discussions with the U.S. over the past months and emphasized that they did not "firmly" oppose the move, instead exercising necessary caution in the post-Assad period. According to these officials, the U.S. spent about six months evaluating its options before making a reasonable decision that Israel did not act against. In an optimistic scenario for Israel, the decision increases the likelihood of Syria joining the Western bloc, thereby weakening the Iranian axis’s ability to regain a foothold. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s connection to Syria is significant, as it serves as a counterbalance to the close ties between the new regime and Turkey. - Netanyahu’s climb and collapse: Diplomacy, power, and miscalculation - opinion -Amotz Asa-El
Benjamin Netanyahu rose as a skilled statesman but fell due to political missteps and strained US ties, failing to navigate Palestinian realities and shifting American politics.He was the new Abba Eban. Worldly, erudite, eloquent, and sporting impeccable English, Benjamin Netanyahu was hardly 35 when diplomatic opportunity beckoned.
As ambassador to the UN, he would not only become famous and build a bridge to national politics, but also ignite a statesman’s career.
Fame was established quickly through weekly speeches to Jewish, Christian, academic, and business forums across the US. The statesman’s aura was cultivated through countless television interviews where he emerged as a master of the sound bite.
And since everyone understood that the ambitious diplomat excels at explaining his country’s policy, but does not shape it, he found a way to climb to actual statecraft when he demanded that the UN hand in documents concerning its former secretary-general Kurt Waldheim’s Nazi past. Waldheim, by then the president of Austria, became an international pariah. As the Nazi went down, Netanyahu went up.
That is how, at 39, Netanyahu became deputy foreign minister. It would take another eight years until he would become prime minister, but the statesman’s career was well underway.
It would be an illustrious career, one marked by high visibility, resounding speeches, and remarkable achievements, only to culminate in colossal demise.
STATECRAFT CAME calling the morning Netanyahu became prime minister in spring 1996. The question was whether to uphold his predecessor’s Oslo Accords, which he opposed.
In a show of pragmatism, Netanyahu recognized the Palestinian Authority, met with Yasser Arafat, and even expanded the Oslo Accords by ceding Hebron to the Palestinian Authority. At the same time, he prevented the emergence of a Palestinian state. Such hawkishness was disagreeable to his opponents, but it was what his voters expected, and it certainly constituted statecraft, good or bad.
The same went for his statesmanship’s other leg – Iran. Netanyahu lost no opportunity to define Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat, a rhetorical commitment that was coupled with lavish budgeting for a potential military showdown with Tehran.
Netanyahu’s take in both arenas created conflicting aims. Fighting Iran meant fighting Islamism, but fighting Palestinian statehood meant fighting the non-Islamist Mahmoud Abbas. The evolving statesman ignored this dissonance, and in fact resolved to exploit it by cultivating Gaza’s Islamists as a counterweight to the West Bank’s secularists.
The mistake Netanyahu made with the Palestinians
The consequent illusion of stability, coupled with Netanyahu’s political durability and international visibility, bolstered his diplomatic stature. By his mid-sixties, he was counted among the world’s most prominent leaders. The mature statesman hosted in his villa Indian leader Narendra Modi, convened seven African leaders for a summit in Entebbe, and attended the Red Square Victory Day parade seated alongside Vladimir Putin.
Netanyahu was now not only a famous statesman, but also one of the most veteran world leaders. When he became prime minister last century, figures like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Emmanuel Macron were still anonymous even in their own countries.
It was in that atmosphere that the ripe statesman embarked on his most diplomatically ambitious move, when he emerged on Capitol Hill and from American politics’ inner sanctum attacked the leader of the free world.Most Israelis agreed with Netanyahu that Barack Obama’s dancing with Iran’s wolves was reckless, but many doubted the wisdom of his provocation. Netanyahu’s fans silenced them. “Bibi,” they said, “knows America better than all of us. He knows what he is doing.”
Bibi’s statecraft then shone even brighter, twice. First, when he used Israel’s Mediterranean gas to create alliances with Cyprus, Greece, and Italy; and then, when he delivered the Abraham Accords, which expanded Arab-Israeli peace. The mature statesman’s confidence now flew skyward, where it would hover for several years before crashing to the ground.
FACED AGAIN with a Democratic president in Washington, Netanyahu challenged him, too.
First, he ignored president Joe Biden’s call to suspend his divisive judicial reform, then he publicly attacked Biden for slowing down arms shipments while last year’s fighting raged.
Biden really was tinkering with some shipments, and that was both unfair and unwise, but Netanyahu, as would befit the Churchillian statesman he believed he was, looked beyond the war’s demands. He was thinking about the approaching American election and chose to gamble on Donald Trump. That meant ingratiating Trump by squabbling loudly with Biden.
And when Trump won, Netanyahu basked in the success of his gamble. Trump is his ally, buddy, and toy. He will sing Netanyahu’s lyrics, dance to his tune, and follow his lead. Little did he know.
THE RE-ELECTED Trump’s initial bravados – to depopulate Gaza and pulverize Iran – suggested the gamble was working. But then a different Trump came forth, and the aging statesman’s roulette spun from bingo to grief. The Republican soulmate Netanyahu had nurtured while treating the Democrats like enemies now turned on him like a tiger on its zookeeper.
Regarding Iran, Trump launched talks with the ayatollahs. With Yemen, he announced a ceasefire while attacks on Israel persisted. With Syria, he announced an end to sanctions against its Islamist regime. Concerning Turkey, he has set out to sell F-35 jets, creating a strategic tie-breaker with Israel.
To Saudi Arabia, he is offering a nuclear reactor even without a peace deal with Israel. And regarding Gaza, Trump negotiated with Hamas, releasing an IDF soldier while ignoring the declining statesman, who thought Trump was his stooge.
It was, in essence, the same mistake Netanyahu made with the Palestinians, when he thought he would control them indefinitely while lying to himself that they are not what they actually are.
The same went for his belief that he could control America’s leaders. Riding the tiger worked well, and even felt great, until the tiger turned its face and roared.
That, in brief, is how American politics and Palestinian nationhood, once the playthings of a diplomatic wiz, became the engines of an overripe statesman’s diplomatic demise.
Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Amotz Asa-El, The Jerusalem Post's senior commentator and former executive editor, is a fellow at the Hartman Institute. link. This article is an oversimplification of who Netanyahu is and how he has faiiled miserably, not just from October 7 but for many years. If one looks at his 'policies', we can see that he has never had or put forth a strategy about anything, except where it concerns his own personal and political situation and positions. His most important personal strategy was to make sure there was never anyone on his bench who saw himself as his successor. Whenever a political protege would arise, he made sure to quickly clip his/her feathers and either put them in their place or politically destroy them. He wanted and wants everyone to believe that no one can replace him. Those who have been closest with him and subsequently distanced themselves have said that he truly saw himself as the savior of the Jewish people, not just of Israel and saw himself more as a king then an elected prime minister. He is a glaring example of the well known phrase ' power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. He is the most corrupt and failed prime minister in our history and the last 19 months have shown to the world that he is the most dangerous person in Israel today.
Gaza and the South
IDF reportedly carrying out strikes in Yemen after Houthi attacks
The Israeli Air Force is carrying out strikes in the Hodeidah area of Yemen, according to local media reports.
The Israeli military has not yet commented.
The IDF warned twice this week to evacuate the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa, Hodeidah and Salif ports on the western coast of Yemen, following several ballistic missile and drone attacks on Israel by the Iran-backed group. Link
Israeli Air Force carrying out strikes on two ports in Yemen
IDF hits Hodeidah, Salif ports after Houthi missile fire, as mass pro-Gaza marches take place in Yemen; Strikes comes after Sunday’s port evacuation warning and hours after Trump’s regional visit
Five days after the IDF issued a warning of imminent strikes in Yemen—a message reiterated by the military's Arabic-language spokesperson—the Israeli Air Force reportedly carried out attacks on Yemeni soil.According to reports from Yemen, the Israeli Air Force struck the ports of Hodeidah and Al-Salif, targets specifically named in the IDF’s evacuation warning issued last Sunday. Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reported that more than ten airstrikes were carried out on the two sites.The strikes coincided with the weekly Friday marches held in the Yemeni cities of Sanaa, Saada, and others in solidarity with Gaza. This week’s demonstrations were held under the slogan: “With Gaza, to confront genocide and starvation.” At the same time, the Israeli Air Force continued its operations in the Gaza Strip, including strikes in the Tel al-Zaatar area in northern Gaza.Despite a series of ballistic missile launches by the Houthis toward Israel in recent days, no Israeli response had been recorded until now.Last Sunday, five days after Israeli strikes disabled the airport in Sanaa, IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee issued an unusual evacuation warning for three ports in Yemen—Ras Issa, Hodeidah, and Salif, all in the Hodeidah province. Unlike previous warnings, no immediate follow-up strike was carried out, though Adraee repeated the warning later in the week. 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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