🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 609, 2023

🎗️Day 609 that 56 of our hostages are still 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

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

*9:50pm yesterday - Jerusalem, Gush Dan and Central Israel areas - ballistic missile from Yemen- successfully intercepted

Hostage Updates

Until the last hostage

Current Assessment

1.⁠ ⁠The US vetoed the Security Council Resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza against 14 Member States of the Security Council who voted for it. The reason for the US veto is that the resolution did not call for Hamas to lay down its arms and exit Gaza and there was no call to release all of the hostages. Those are reasonable demands. Regarding the call on Hamas to lay down their weapons and exit Gaza - that must come from the Palestinian people if there is any expectation that it would actually happen.

2.⁠ ⁠I have been writing in the last 2 weeks that I believed that President Trump would tell Netanyahu to end the war and make a deal with Hamas. According to the mediators from the US, Qatar, and Egypt, Hamas is willing to make a deal immediately in which they would release all of the hostages at one time, but they demand a significant release of Palestinian prisoners from Gaza including a lot of Gazans who are non-combatants and are being held as hostages in Israel. Hamas also demands massive humanitarian aid to enter Gaza without Israeli interference (beyond necessary security checks) and most importantly Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire backed by US guarantees. The mediators from all three sides say that Netanyahu is not prepared to end the war or to accept a permanent ceasefire. Nor is Netanyahu willing to completely withdraw from Gaza. Mediators from two of the three sides have told me that Trump will not order Netanyahu to end the war and to make a deal. I hope that they are wrong – this is their assessment, not their inside knowledge. Trump needs to be reminded that he could actually get the Nobel Peace Prize if he brings an end to the war in Gaza. As long as Netanyahu is Prime Minister and his coalition is solid, it seems that there will be no deal, unless Trump interferes. Hamas is ready, apparently to accept a partial deal, but not without US guarantees that a permanent ceasefire at the end of the temporary ceasefire would be assured. They also hold firm to their demand about a major increase in humanitarian aid.

3.⁠ ⁠I am asked all the time if I agree to a deal that essentially leaves Hamas in control of Gaza. My answer is that Hamas is not really in control of Gaza today. The Hamas command which is left in Gaza is 3rd, 4th and 5th tier level officers who have no real army, no battalions, no stockpile of weapons or real ability to produce new weapons. There are no Hamas political leaders of importance left in Gaza. The people of Gaza don’t want Hamas there anymore. The Hamas leaders in outside of Gaza in Doha, Cairo and Istanbul will not be able to control what happens in Gaza for much longer. Some Hamas people in Gaza have said that they need to hold on to their weapons to protect themselves and their families from Gazans who will kill them if they are unarmed. In order to release the remaining 56 hostages Israel must make a deal with Hamas and there must remain some kind of Hamas ability left in Gaza to implement the deal. There has always been a contradiction between the two Israeli goals in this war - bringing down Hamas and bringing the hostages home.

4.⁠ ⁠One last thing to consider – whoever is still thinking about the day after this war, I believe that it is essential to put conducting Palestinian elections high on the agenda. The Palestinian people need to make their own decision on the kind of leadership they want. This is the only way to achieve Palestinian unity. It is also the best way to remove Hamas from having power. It is difficult to predict the outcome of those elections, but it seems to me that Hamas which committed collective Palestinian suicide on October 7 would not win. I have said to Palestinians and written in Palestinian newspapers that when the Palestinians conduct their next elections, they should have in their election law a determination that political parties that support the armed struggle should not be allowed to participate. The decision to use arms should be a decision only taken by the sovereign. There cannot be militias in the State of Palestine and the State of Palestine will never get recognition of Israel if the Palestinian people are not going to be committed to resolving the conflict through non-violent means. Palestinians must change their leaders, just as we in Israel must change our leaders – and the sooner the better! (Gershon Baskin, June 6, 2025)

Mother of hostage Yonatan Samerano says world leaders forgo Israel criticism in private

Ayelet Samerano speaks in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, May 12, 2025 (Paulina Patimer / Hostages Families Forum)

Ayelet Samerano, mother of Yonatan Samerano, whose body was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, to Gaza, tells Army Radio that world leaders she has met with are much more supportive of Israel and critical of Hamas in private than their public positions.
“It’s all about money or power,” says Samerano, who has spent the last 20 months meeting with public figures about the fate of her son, who was dragged into Gaza by an employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, and whose death has never been fully confirmed.

Yonatan Samerano was killed on October 7, 2023 and his body taken hostage by Hamas terrorists (Courtesy)
She says today would be her son’s 23rd birthday. The family will mark the occasion with a party tonight at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square full of music and dancing, as her son, a DJ, would have organized himself, Samerano says.

Hamas chief says terror group did not reject Witkoff proposal but demanded changes
Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya says in a pre-recorded speech that the terror group did not reject US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff’s latest Gaza ceasefire-hostage release proposal, but only demanded some changes and improvements to secure the end of war in the enclave.
The terror group is ready to engage in a new round of ceasefire talks, and the communication with the mediators was ongoing, he adds.

Anti-government protesters rally in Tel Aviv, call for an end to war, hostages’ release, elections
Thousands attend an anti-government protest at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square.

Anti-government protesters attend a demonstration in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv, June 5, 2025. (Yoav Loeff/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)
Protesters are calling for an end to the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, the release of hostages held by the terror group, and new Israeli elections.

IDF: Retrieval of slain hostages’ bodies planned in way to avoid harm to living captives

The IDF and Shin Bet’s overnight operation to recover the bodies of slain hostages Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein was planned in a way that did not risk the lives of other hostages still held by terror groups in Gaza, the military says.

According to the IDF, intelligence gathered by the military and Shin Bet “led to accurate planning of a covert operation, which was carried out while preserving the lives of the other hostages and led to the recovery of the bodies of the two.”

The operation was carried out “in the heart of Khan Younis” by the 98th Division, the IDF says.

What Judi said before she was taken to Gaza — and how Israeli forces brought her back
In chilling emergency call, Judi Weinstein-Haggai described being shot with her husband Gad during October 7 attack on Nir Oz; now, 608 days later, their bodies were recovered in a covert Gaza raid enabled by intel from detained terrorists

Israeli forces recovered the bodies of Gad Haggai and Judi Weinstein-Haggai in a covert overnight operation in the Khan Younis area of Gaza, officials confirmed Thursday, as new details emerged about the intelligence-led mission that brought them home. The recovery followed precise intelligence gathered by the Hostage Task Force, the Shin Bet internal security agency and Military Intelligence. According to Israeli officials, key information that enabled the rescue was obtained from interrogations of captured terrorists. One detainee provided a detail that significantly reinforced intelligence assessments, enabling the overnight operation between Wednesday and Thursday.

Since the outbreak of the war, the Shin Bet has interrogated thousands of Hamas fighters, extracting information about the terror group’s infrastructure, maneuvering forces and the locations of hostages — both living and deceased. The Haggais were reportedly held in Khan Younis by a smaller terror faction known as al-Mujahedeen.

The couple, dual U.S.-Israeli citizens and longtime residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, were abducted by Hamas on the morning of October 7, 2023. They had gone for a walk near their home around 6 a.m., just minutes before the cross-border assault began. Surveillance footage from the kibbutz shows them leaving the front gate at 6:06 a.m. Roughly an hour later, Judi made a desperate phone call to a fellow kibbutz member who also served as a volunteer medic with Magen David Adom. “Gadi and I were shot,” she told him. He attempted to dispatch an ambulance, but terrorists intercepted and torched the vehicle. Gad's children identified his body being dragged into Gaza in footage from that day, but authorities initially said they could not confirm his death. On December 22, 2023, the kibbutz announced that Gad had been killed during the attack. A week later, on December 28, it was confirmed that Judi had also been murdered that same morning.

In her final moments, Judi managed to place a call to the emergency hotline. The call, later released to the public, captures her pleading for help. “Outside the kibbutz, near Gaza, on a path in our fields,” she says. “My husband, I think he's dead and I was hit in the face. Please help us!” When asked by the operator, Esther, if terrorists had shot at them, Judi confirmed and added, “Everything is covered with blood.”

Are you someplace safe now? "No! Outside, under a tree, next to the road."

Are there still terrorists there? "Not at the moment."

Listen, I want you for now, to take care of yourself, ok? "I’ll try."

Tell me, he isn't conscious, correct? He isn't responding? "He’s not responding."

Did they shoot you too? "Yes, I am hurt! I the face and the hand."

'Return to a proper burial at home'

The IDF said Thursday morning: “The recovery operation was carried out by IDF forces under Southern Command, in coordination with Military Intelligence and special forces. The operation was made possible thanks to precise intelligence from the Hostage Task Force, Military Intelligence Directorate and the Shin Bet. After an identification process conducted at the National Center for Forensic Medicine, together with the Israel Police, the Hostage Task Force from the IDF’s Manpower Directorate delivered the notifications to the family and the Nir Oz community.” The couple is survived by four children and seven grandchildren. The family issued a message expressing both sorrow and gratitude. “We are grateful for the closure this brings and for their return to a proper burial at home, in Israel,” they said. “We wish to thank the IDF and the security forces who carried out the complex recovery operation and who have been fighting for us for over a year and a half, as well as everyone who supported, struggled, prayed, and fought for us and for the entire people of Israel. That said, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz — and all 56 remaining hostages — are brought home."

Kibbutz Nir Oz, where the couple resided, said, "After more than 600 days of pain and waiting, the bodies of Gad Haggai and Judi Weinstein-Haggai were brought home overnight in a military operation — back to the State of Israel and to Nir Oz. Gad and Judi will be laid to rest after being murdered and abducted on October 7 in the fields near their home in Nir Oz, and after their family was informed of their deaths in December 2023," the statement read. "Gad was kidnapped and murdered at the age of 72. He was a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, a father of four and grandfather of seven. A sharp-minded individual, he was a gifted wind instrument musician from the age of three, deeply connected to the land, a chef and an advocate of healthy vegan nutrition and sports. He was abducted to Gaza along with his wife, Judi Weinstein.

"Judi was kidnapped and murdered at the age of 70. A member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, she was a mother of four and grandmother of seven. An English teacher specializing in children with special needs and attention disorders, she also worked with children suffering from anxiety related to the security situation in the Gaza border area, using meditation and mindfulness techniques. She was a poet, an entrepreneur, a creative spirit and deeply committed to promoting peace and coexistence."

Judi immigrated to Israel from Canada at age 24. She first arrived at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet as a volunteer, where she met Gad. Besides her therapeutic work, she also taught yoga, wrote poetry and posted a daily haiku on Facebook—her last was on the morning of October 7. After the 2023 High Holidays, Judi was scheduled to begin a new role at a school in Sha’ar HaNegev, using puppet theater as a form of therapy.

Both held U.S. citizenship, and American officials had worked behind the scenes to bring their remains back for burial. link

Gaza and the South

Palestinian man says he was used by IDF as human shield for 3 months; IDF has said practice is prohibited
A Palestinian man testifies that he was allegedly used by IDF soldiers as a human shield for three months during operations in northern Gaza.
Jamil Al-Masri, 63, speaks with the fringe far-left Uncaptured Media online news outlet.
Masri says he was “starved, humiliated and abused,” and forced to search tunnels and homes under the orders of troops, beginning in October 2024, Uncaptured Media reports.
The military has not responded to the report or images circulating on social media last month showing Masri with troops.
The IDF said in March that it had launched investigations into at least six cases where troops operating in the Gaza Strip allegedly used Palestinians as human shields. It said that such conduct is prohibited, and that this has been made clear to troops.

Netanyahu confirms arming Gazan clans: ‘What’s wrong with that?’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms that his government is arming clans in Gaza to oppose Hamas.

Members of the Abu Shabab gang in Gaza, seen in a recent video posted by the group. (screen capture: Facebook)

In the latest installment in a series of short interviews with advisor Topaz Luk, his office has posted in recent weeks, Netanyahu says that “in consultation with security officials, we made use of clans in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas.”

“What’s wrong with that?” he continues. “It’s only good. It saves the lives of IDF soldiers.”

Avigdor Liberman, who heads the opposition Yisrael Beytenu party, told the Kan public broadcaster on Thursday morning that Netanyahu had unilaterally approved the transfer of weapons to the Abu Shabab clan, an armed gang or militia that is opposed to Hamas’s rule in the Gaza Strip.

“It’s extremely serious,” Netanyahu says of the leak, predicting that it won’t be investigated.

“Publicizing it only does good for Hamas,” argues Netanyahu. link What's wrong with this, Mr. Security? This clan is a known criminal gang led by a warlord. They have worked with Hamas in the past and have no allegiances but to the highest bidder. Mr. so called Security hasn't heard of the last major failure of working with warlords who then use the weapons and money given to them and use them against the government who gave it to them? Remember Afghanistan???

Lapid says Netanyahu’s move to arm Gazan clan will cause ‘more disasters’

Opposition head Yair Lapid slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over revelations today that he authorized the arming of Abu Shabab, a criminal gang in the Gaza Strip, as part of an effort to strengthen opposition to Hamas in the enclave.

“After Netanyahu stopped giving millions of dollars to Hamas, he moved on to giving weapons to organizations close to ISIS in Gaza, all off the cuff, all without strategic planning, all leading to more disasters,” Lapid posts on X.

'No guarantee weapons won't target troops': Inside Israel's operation to arm Gaza militia
Covert operation arms Gaza’s Bedouin militia under Netanyahu’s directive, aiming to weaken Hamas but risking IDF retaliation and weapon diversion; security officials fear no plan in place to prevent use of arms against soldiers

A covert Israeli operation to arm a rival Palestinian militia in Gaza was orchestrated in recent months by the Shin Bet, with direct authorization from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ynet reported Thursday. The goal was to challenge Hamas in southern Gaza by strengthening a Bedouin-affiliated group based in Rafah that has long opposed the Islamist organization. According to the report, dozens to hundreds of handguns and AK-47 rifles were transferred from Israel to the group in Rafah. Despite the intent to weaken Hamas, security officials admitted there were no guarantees the armed men wouldn’t later target IDF troops—particularly along the Philadelphi Corridor or on humanitarian aid routes secured by Israeli forces.

“There was never a plan or intention for them to govern Rafah after Hamas. They don't have the ability—or even necessarily the desire—to do so,” security officials told Ynet. The group is reportedly not affiliated with ISIS in Sinai but maintains close economic ties with them.
“Their primary focus is smuggling, prostitution and extortion—not the Palestinian national cause,” one official added. “Still, they're part of the Arab nation—Bedouins and Gaza residents—so there wasn’t consensus about the plan, especially due to the risk they’d use these weapons against IDF troops.”
Security officials reportedly debated this approach multiple times during the war, including discussions about how to handle large caches of weapons seized in Gaza and in Israel after October 7. One proposal was to reintroduce these weapons into Gaza, arming anti-Hamas factions. Officials confirmed that this is indeed what happened.
Israel is also investigating whether the group’s close family ties to Bedouin clans in the southern part of the country enabled drone-based arms smuggling from Israel into Gaza in recent months. Some of the smuggling attempts were intercepted but others weren’t.
Security officials said the initiative originated with the Shin Bet, which has long-standing ties with the Rafah-based group. The IDF reportedly supported the plan as part of a broader strategy to weaken Hamas from multiple angles. “They’ve already harmed and challenged Hamas—and continue to do so,” the officials noted.
Yasser Abu-Shabab's militia in Gaza

This isn't the first time Israel has armed hostile elements with Netanyahu’s approval. According to past reports, Israel supplied thousands of rifles to armed groups in the Syrian Golan during the civil war.
Some of those fighters—particularly those linked to ISIS near the Jordanian border—refuse to return the weapons. Israel has also long been reported to supply arms and military know-how to Kurdish forces, a claim it hasn’t denied.
Following the publication of the report, Netanyahu did not deny the operation. “It was advised by security officials. What’s wrong with that? It saves the lives of IDF soldiers,” he said. He criticized Yisrael Beytenu party chairman Avigdor Lieberman, who exposed the operation, saying his leak “only helped Hamas. He doesn’t care. It’s very serious.”
At the center of the operation is Yasser Abu-Shabab, a 32-year-old Bedouin resident of Rafah who’s presented on social media as the leader of a local militia. He heads a group called The Popular Forces, which he claims is meant to protect civilians and distribute humanitarian aid.
However, Palestinian and international reports say the group operates in coordination with Israel—especially in Israeli-controlled zones east of Rafah near the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

Abu-Shabab rose to infamy after being accused of looting UN trucks last year and reselling humanitarian supplies meant for Gazans—claims he denies. In a media interview, he claimed he only took food to feed his family but eyewitnesses, including a truck driver, said his men forcibly seized entire shipments.
Hamas later cracked down on the militia, killing Abu-Shabab’s brother. According to an official statement from the group, Hamas forces “eliminated 20 gang members who had stolen aid.” In a post quoted by The New York Times, Abu-Shabab denied receiving weapons from Israel, calling the reports “false claims meant to discredit a homegrown initiative against injustice, theft, and corruption.”

‘They get top-down orders—and arm gangs’

A security official directly involved in the operation told Israeli public broadcaster Kan that the unit executing the plan “takes orders from the top and arms gangs for combat inside Gaza.” He said the force was coordinated by Shin Bet officers on the ground and described the process as “complex, deliberate and highly discreet—not just another military aid mission.”
“I don’t know exactly how long this has been going on—it’s at the request of the Military Intelligence Directorate and Shin Bet,” the source said. “I believe there are several operations happening in multiple parts of Gaza due to how sensitive and compartmentalized it all is.” He added that the deliveries included light weapons, extensive equipment and likely also money.
“This wasn’t a ‘fire-and-forget’ operation,” the source continued. “It was calculated, supervised and targeted. These weren’t just supplies dropped into Gaza—they were recovered weapons reintroduced into the Strip.”
When asked whether participants understood the broader implications of the mission, the operative said: “There was a clear understanding in the field—who gets what, how and under what cover. The entire IDF apparatus was aware of it. It didn’t need to be spelled out—it was obvious.” link Netanyahu's record of successful strategic planning regarding the Palestinians is absolutely zero. Throughout his premiership, his only goal of the Israel/Palestine conflict was not to do anything, to make sure he always had his famous excuse that there is no partner on the other side. As such, he did everything possible to weaken the Palestinian Authority and strengthen Hamas. He made sure the money continued to flow into Gaza, knowing that much of it was going directly to Hamas (he was told that by his security chiefs). When the flow of money was at risk, he sent his security chiefs to Qatar to beg them to keep the money flowing. He and his extremist cronies said "Hamas is an asset". Netanyahu said on too many occasions that we will continue to live by the sword. What kind of leader says that and has no plan or inclination to change the paradigm? Let's not forget about how Hamas was founded during the premiership of Shamir. At that time, Shamir wanted to develop an alternative body that would become the 'official' representative of the Palestinians. Hamas was founded as an Israeli registered NGO to provide provide care services for Gazans. Shamir encouraged and promoted this new organization which quickly changed from a civilian agency to the newly founded terror organization. This shows how good we are at developing alternatives to Palestinian organizations.

GHF says nearly 25,000 boxes of food today at Gaza aid facilities

A day after suspending operations in the wake of a string of deadly incidents, almost 25,000 boxes of food were distributed to Palestinians in Rafah today, says the Gaza Humanitarian Fund in a statement.

GHF says 18,240 boxes of food were delivered at the Tel Sultan “Swedish village” site, which is closing down, and 6,720 were picked up at the new site in the nearby Saudi neighborhood.

Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages from the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah, southern Gaza, on June 5, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

The foundation says that food in all of those boxes amounts to roughly 1.5 million meals. The products are largely dry foods, though, which require cooking equipment or community kitchens in order to prepare.

GHF adds that a Palestinian truckers’ union strike is not affecting operations. A previous, deleted version of the statement said that the strike would only affect aid delivered by the UN and other aid groups.

The US- and Israeli-backed organization says it stands ready to help the UN get aid to the Palestinians. link

GHF says all Gaza aid distribution sites closed again today until further notice

The Israel- and US-backed-Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says that all its aid distribution sites in the enclave are once again closed and a reopening date will be announced later, urging residents to stay away from these sites “for their safety.”

Work at the sites was halted in the latter half of this week in response to a series of deadly shootings close to the operations, but two sites in the Rafah area were reopened yesterday afternoon, and GHF said it had distributed almost 25,000 boxes of food once they were.

It said 18,240 boxes of food were delivered at the Tel Sultan “Swedish village” site, which is closing down, and 6,720 were picked up at the new site in the nearby Saudi neighborhood.

The latest closure notice coincides with the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Astronomical food prices and dearth of livestock leave Gazans struggling to celebrate Eid al-Adha

Palestinians walk trough a market ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, in Gaza City, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip find themselves struggling to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which begins today, as the 20-month-old war and a recent total aid blockade, which has only been partially lifted, have made it almost impossible to perform the holiday customs.
To mark Eid al-Adha — Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice — Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and give away part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity. Then they have a big family meal with sweets. Children get gifts of new clothes.
But no fresh meat has entered Gaza for three months, and nearly all the territory’s homegrown sheep, cattle and goats are dead.
Some of the little livestock that remains is on sale at a makeshift pen set up in the vast tent camp of al-Mawasi on the southern Gaza coast, but no one can afford to buy.
A few people stop by to look at the sheep and goats, along with a cow and a camel. Some kids laugh watching the animals and call out the prayers connected to the holiday.
“I can’t even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,” says Abdel Rahman Madi. “The prices are astronomical.”
At a street market in the nearby city of Khan Younis, some stalls have stuffed sheep toys and other holiday knick-knacks and old clothes. But most people leave without buying any gifts after seeing the prices.
“Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy … Now with the blockade, there’s no flour, no clothes, no joy,” says Hala Abu Nqeira, a woman looking through the market. “We just go to find flour for our children. We go out every day looking for flour at a reasonable price, but we find it at unbelievable prices.”

Gazans pray amid ruins of mosques as they mark start of Eid al-Adha
As the Muslim world marks the start of Eid al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic holidays, media outlets in Gaza publish footage of hundreds of Palestinians performing the holiday prayers amid the ruins of homes and mosques, or in displaced persons camps across the enclave. video. video

Palestinians offer Eid al-Adha prayers beside the ruins of a mosque destroyed by Israeli bombardment, in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

In Jerusalem, meanwhile, thousands of people are recorded performing the holiday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. video

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria

IDF says it will soon strike underground Hezbollah sites in Beirut
The Israel Defense Forces says it will soon target several underground Hezbollah facilities in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which are used by the terror group to manufacture drones.
“Despite the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, the IDF identified that Hezbollah’s aerial unit (127) is working to produce many thousands of UAVs, under the guidance and funding of Iranian terror officials,” the military says in a statement.
The military says that Hezbollah is working to expand its drone manufacturing process to prepare for a future war with Israel.
“This activity is a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The Hezbollah terror organization creates challenges for the Lebanese state and thus impairs the implementation of the understandings,” the IDF says.
The military issued evacuation warnings for four buildings in the Lebanese capital ahead of the strikes.

People leaving Beirut’s Dahiyeh following IDF warnings
A video circulating on social media in Lebanon shows traffic jams in Dahiyeh, Beirut, apparently of people trying to leave the area following an IDF warning that Israel is expected to carry out an attack soon. linkLebanese army says Israel trying to ‘undermine’ country’s ‘revival’ with Beirut airstrikes

The Lebanese Armed Forces condemns the Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs last night, which the IDF said targeted Hezbollah drone facilities.

It notes in a statement that after the IDF announced the imminent strikes, the LAF contacted the ceasefire monitoring committee in an attempt to prevent the strike from going ahead, but “the enemy refused to respond to the committee.”

It says that Lebanese Army patrols were dispatched to inspect the buildings ahead of the strikes as part of the attempt to prevent them from going ahead.

Heavily damaged apartments are seen among collapsed building at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. Israel said it targeted Hezbollah drone manufacturing facilities. (Photo by AFP)

The strikes were “an attempt to undermine the revival of our homeland,” it asserts.

Lebanese PM: Army dismantled over 500 weapons depots and military sites in the south
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam states in a speech marking 100 days since the formation of his government that, in that time, the Lebanese Army has dismantled more than 500 military sites and weapons depots south of the Litani River in recent months.
Salam does not specify who the sites belonged to, but they are widely believed to have been operated by Hezbollah, which has concentrated much of its forces in southern Lebanon.
In his speech, Salam also states that there will be no stability in Lebanon without an end to Israeli attacks, Israel’s withdrawal from areas it holds in Lebanon, and the release of “Lebanese prisoners,” referring to individuals detained by Israel during the war with Hezbollah who remain in custody.

IAEA chief: Syria to give inspectors immediate access to suspected former nuclear sites
UN watchdog’s head Rafael Grossi says officials will look at 4 locations, including Deir Ezzor facility Israel bombed in 2007; says open to Damascus pursuing non-weapon program

Syria’s new government has agreed to give inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog access to suspected former nuclear sites immediately, the agency’s head told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, spoke in an exclusive interview in Damascus, where he met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa and other officials.

He also said Sharaa expressed an interest in pursuing nuclear energy for Syria in the future, adding, “Why not?”

The agency’s aim is “to bring total clarity over certain activities that took place in the past that were, in the judgment of the agency, probably related to nuclear weapons,” Grossi said. He described the new government as “committed to opening up to the world, to international cooperation” and said he is hopeful of finishing the inspection process within months.

An IAEA team in 2024 visited some sites of interest while former president Bashar al-Assad was still in power. Since the fall of Assad in December, the IAEA has been seeking to restore access to sites associated with Syria’s nuclear program.

Syria under Assad is believed to have operated an extensive clandestine nuclear program, which included an undeclared nuclear reactor built by North Korea in eastern Deir Ezzor province.

The IAEA described the reactor as being “not configured to produce electricity” — raising the concern that Damascus sought a nuclear weapon there by producing weapons-grade plutonium.

The reactor site only became public knowledge after Israel launched airstrikes in 2007 destroying the facility. Syria later leveled the site and never responded fully to the IAEA’s questions.

Israel only formally confirmed that it had been behind the 2007 bombing of the Deir Ezzor facility in 2018.

In the immediate aftermath of the strike, known to much of the world as Operation Orchard, the view that prevailed in Israel at the time was that keeping news of what had been done as quiet as possible would help Assad save face and prevent him from feeling he had to retaliate, which could have led to all-out war.

Grossi said inspectors plan to return to the reactor in Deir Ezzor as well as to three other related sites. Other sites under IAEA safeguards include a miniature neutron source reactor in Damascus and a facility in Homs that can process yellow-cake uranium.

“We are trying to narrow down the focus, to those or that one that could be of a real interest,” he said.

While there are no indications that there have been releases of radiation from the sites, he said, the watchdog is concerned that “enriched uranium can be lying somewhere and could be reused, could be smuggled, could be trafficked.”

He said Sharaa — who has courted Western governments since taking power — had shown a “very positive disposition to talk to us and to allow us to carry out the activities we need to.” full article Most of the world is recognizing that Syria is undergoing a monumental change that noone thought was possible just months ago when Assad was still the dictator. While it is wise to keep a certain level of suspicions due to the extremist background of the current leadership, it is worth noting that so many of the political leadership of countries that went through fundamental changes, were revolutionaries and even terrorists before becoming heads of state. We needn't look any further than our own country. Both Begin and Shamir were hunted and indicted as terrorists by the British before independence. Both of them were leaders of the organizations, Irgun and Lehi that the British listed as terror organizations and were responsible for the wanton killings of civilians as well as British military. And even after Independence, when these organizations almost fomented a civil war with the new Israeli government and army, Begin had already changed some of his spots and ordered them down from attacking after the Altalena Affair.
We must look at al-Sharaa in this light as well and recognize, encourage and fully support the changes that he has made personally and is making in the new Syria. If only we had real leaders, statespeople, and not petty politicians who can't see beyond their own self interests, most glaringly our prime minister. I'm not saying to embrace the new Syria with open arms, but a little bit of handshaking could go a long way towards building a very different future with our neighbors to the north.

IDF releases video of strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon

The IDF issues footage of its strikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon earlier this evening.

The strikes in Beirut hit several underground drone manufacturing facilities belonging to Hezbollah’s aerial forces, also know as Unit 127, according to the military.

The IDF says Hezbollah’s aerial forces launched over 1,000 explosive and surveillance drones at Israel during the war last year, and was currently working, despite the ceasefire deal, to strengthen its capabilities.

“The unit was working to manufacture many thousands of drones under the direction and funding of Iranian terror officials, as part of Iran’s efforts to harm Israel,” the IDF says.

“Over the years, Iran has funded and directed terrorist attacks through this project, in coordination with Hezbollah. Hezbollah terrorists travel to Iran for training in production systems, which supports the group’s ability to independently manufacture UAVs inside Lebanon,” the military continues.

“The IDF has identified that Hezbollah terrorists have been continuing this activity even since the understandings came into effect, and the IDF is determined to take action against terrorists trained in Iran for terrorist attacks.”

Additionally, the IDF confirms carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon’s Ain Qana, after issuing an evacuation warning. According to the military, the strikes hit a Hezbollah workshop used to build drones for attacks and surveillance. video

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks

Smotrich says banks bowing to EU sanctions against settlers may have to compensate them. Smotrich, the failed and absolutely unqualified minister of Finance is threatening the Israeli banks if they take action that hurts his jewish settler terrorist buddies. The banks must follow international protocols in order to continue to trade in the international markets but Smotrich is telling them not to honor those protocols. Good going Smotrich. I guess he's not satisfied with the 3 times that our credit ratings have been lowered under his time as finance minister and for the first time ever in the history of Israel.

Politics and the War and General News

Is a two-state solution still possible? Australia ABC Radio interview link
As the war in Gaza escalates, what is the way forward?
And is there a political solution on the horizon?
Some Israelis and Palestinians still support a lasting peace – and the two state solution.
Guests:
Gershon Baskin is an Israeli peace activist, and an advisor to Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He worked as a negotiator between Israel and Hamas for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit over a decade ago.
Samer Sinijlawi is a Palestinian peace activist and political commentator from east Jerusalem, one of the Fatah opponents of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the chair of the Jerusalem Development Fund.
Producer: Anne Barker

Gallant slams Netanyahu’s ‘lies,’ says he puts coalition ahead of Israel’s security
Former defense minister Yoav Gallant responds to a recording of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling a senior rabbi that he ousted the minister and former IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen Herzi Halevi to enable his coalition to advance a law exempting ultra-Orthodox men from military service.
“I heard Netanyahu’s lies. The false accusations come to cover up a simple truth: For me, the security of the State of Israel is first and foremost. For him — the security of the coalition is put ahead of Israel’s security. The only thing that bothers Netanyahu, in his words, is that I refused to pass a law exempting Haredim from IDF service,” Gallant says in a video statement.
“Everyone must serve. It is essential to ease the burden,” he adds.

Israeli Navy expected to block ‘Freedom Flotilla’ protest ship headed for Gaza

Climate activist Greta Thunberg boards the Madleen boat before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

The Israeli Navy is expected to block a high-profile activist mission sailing to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade, should it near Israeli territorial waters in the coming days.
Among those aboard the boat, named Madleen, are climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham, French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan — who has been barred from entering Israel — and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila.
Israeli defense officials tell The Times of Israel that they are monitoring the boat’s route, as it heads on a detour to pick up Sudanese migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
Still, if it continues on its route to Gaza, it will be intercepted by the Navy, the officials say. The boat may be towed to the Ashdod Port or be left at sea, the Kan public broadcaster reported earlier this week.
The IDF, in response to a query, says that it is “enforcing the maritime security blockade on the Gaza Strip, and is prepared and ready for a wide range of scenarios that it will handle in accordance with the political echelon guidelines.” link Early in the war, Greta Thunberg lost the respect and credibility of millions when she became the useful idiot of Hamas and endorsed Hamas' actions. I am not minimizing the destruction and desperation of Gazans and they are in desperate need of humanitarian aid and finally, a day after plan (that Netanyahu has fought against since the beginning) but her participation is only a show as far as I'm concerned. When she endorsed Hamas, she had absolutely no idea what had happened, what Hamas did to us, and how they are not an organization that shares any western values, nor did she make any attempt to understand the situation. She just bought into the propaganda that was put out by a well oiled machine that was funded by Qatar and Iran. No lights lit up above her head to make her question her support and she became a useful idiot.

The Region and the World

Iran orders material from China that can make some 800 ballistic missiles — report
Israel said to reassure US that it won’t strike Iranian nuclear facilities without first receiving signal from Trump that talks have failed

Iran has ordered from China large quantities of materials for producing ballistic missiles, according to a Thursday report in the Wall Street Journal that said the Islamic Republic is seeking to reestablish itself and its proxy network militarily.

The report came amid ongoing Iran-US nuclear talks, which began in April. Israel has informed the White House that it will not strike Iranian nuclear sites unless the talks fail, according to a separate report by Axios.

The Journal report, which cited people familiar with the transaction, said Tehran had ordered enough ammonium perchlorate to potentially manufacture up to 800 missiles. The material is used to produce solid-fuel missiles.

The material is reportedly expected to arrive in Iran in the coming months. The Journal said the shipment had been agreed upon “months ago, likely before” US President Donald Trump’s announcement in March that he had proposed nuclear talks to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The ammonium perchlorate was ordered by an Iranian entity called Pishgaman Tejarat Rafi Novin Co. from the Hong Kong-based Lion Commodities Holdings Ltd., the Journal reported. The report said Pishgaman could not be reached for comment and Lion Commodities’ director did not respond to a request for comment.

An official cited in the report said some of the ammonium perchlorate is expected to be sent to pro-Iran proxy groups such as Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have repeatedly launched ballistic missiles at Israel, most recently on Thursday.

Much of the material will reportedly remain in Iran as the country works to repair missile production plants that were damaged in October, when Israel responded to Iran’s second-ever direct attack some six months after an earlier missile-and-drone strike.

Israel’s October strike destroyed about a dozen so-called planetary mixers, which serve to blend ballistic missile ingredients, the Journal said.

Image taken from video shows missiles fired from Iran being intercepted over Jerusalem, October 1, 2024. (AP)

A report earlier this week said Iran is also working to revive its air defense system after Israel’s successive attacks on it.

The Journal said Iran’s UN delegation did not respond to a request for comment on the reported shipment of ammonium perchlorate. China’s Foreign Ministry told the Journal that Beijing was unaware of a contract for such a shipment.

“The Chinese side has always exercised strict control over dual-use items in accordance with China’s export control laws and regulations and its international obligations,” said the spokesperson.

An earlier Chinese shipment of missile fuel material has been linked to a blast in a southern Iranian port that state media said killed at least 18 people and wounded hundreds.

That shipment, which Iran has not acknowledged, contained enough ammonium perchlorate precursor to produce 260 short-range missiles, the Journal said, attributing the blast to mishandling by a unit from the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Iran, whose leaders are sworn to destroy Israel, has long funded and armed a network of regional proxies, the so-called Axis of Resistance, that includes Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Gaza’s Hamas, as well as separatist militias in Iraq.

Iran reportedly sent ballistic missiles to its Iraqi proxies in early April, despite the start of the nuclear talks that month and earlier reports that those militias were disarming.

Following five rounds of negotiations, the US on Saturday presented Iran with a proposal for a deal that would reportedly restrict the Islamic Republic’s uranium enrichment without halting it entirely. Khamenei rejected the proposal on Wednesday.

Iran has publicly rejected nuclear weapons, but has amassed uranium enriched to 60% — much higher than needed for civilian use, and a short step away from weapons grade.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for Iran’s enrichment capabilities and nuclear facilities to be fully dismantled. US intelligence has assessed that Israel will attack the nuclear facilities this year.

However, Israel has assured the White House that it won’t launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities unless Trump signals that the ongoing negotiations with Tehran have failed, Axios reported Thursday, citing two Israeli officials familiar with the matter.

One official said it could take several months before that happened, and Iran would try to prevent the talks from collapsing.

During a visit last week by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Mossad Director David Barnea and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Israeli officials reassured the White House that Israel would not surprise the US by unilaterally striking Iran, the report said.

An Israeli official quoted by the news site said, “We calmed the Americans and told them there is no logic in launching an attack if a good diplomatic solution can be found. This is why we are going to give it a chance and wait with any military action until it is clear that negotiations have been exhausted and [White House envoy to the Middle East] Steve Witkoff has given up.”

Though the IDF is constantly training for a strike on Iran, separate preparations for strikes on the Houthis have been misread by the US and other countries as a sign of an imminent Israeli attack on Iran, according to a senior Israeli official cited by Axios.

The report added that Iranian and US negotiators are not expected to hold talks this weekend, despite reporting earlier this week that a sixth round could take place in the Middle East. link

French resident files complaint against Netanyahu and IDF: 'They murdered my grandchildren in Gaza
Jacqueline Ribault, a French resident, has filed a complaint with authorities in her country regarding the "killing" of her two grandchildren "in Israeli bombings in Gaza - as part of an attempt to destroy the Palestinian people." Ribault filed a complaint with state authorities claiming that "unknown persons," the IDF and particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "murdered" her 6 and 9-year-old grandchildren in the Gaza Strip on October 24, 2023. According to her account, after Hamas's attack on October 7, her family living in Gaza fled to the northern part of the strip - where the mother was severely injured, and as stated, her two children - Ribault's grandchildren - were killed in an Air Force bombing. link I'm not much of a gambler but I would put money on this being just the first of an avalanche of complaints and legal suits against Netanyahu, the IDF and the State of Israel which will be filed in every country that has Palestinian residents who have family members killed or maimed from this war. It may take years, but I can see a point in time when courts in these countries will declare in favor of the Palestinian relative's legal suits and battles and Israeli assets in those countries will either be frozen or taken to pay the fines and penalties that the courts determine.

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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