🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 613, 2023 - June 10, 2025 🎗️
Is the negotiation stuck? In Israel they are not losing hope: “There is still no breakthrough”
Despite Hamas’s refusal of the new Weitekopf outline, the contacts for a hostage deal are not ceasing and are being conducted mainly between the United States and Qatar. A senior Israeli official noted that “there is an effort” to reach an agreement, but in Israel they understand that the terror organization will continue to insist on guarantees for ending the war.
The understanding in Israel is that Hamas will continue to insist on receiving guarantees that the fighting will not be renewed after the next hostage deal. In Israel they hope that the military pressure exerted by the IDF in the Gaza Strip, combined with the diplomatic pressure on Hamas, will lead to a change in the position of the terror organization, but so far, as mentioned, there are no signs that this is happening.
The American special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Weitekopf, had hoped until last week for a breakthrough in light of the Eid al-Adha holiday, but Hamas was not willing to be flexible in its demands. Weitekopf even considered coming for a visit to the region but changed his mind. Nevertheless, Weitekopf, who already managed to bring Idan Alexander out of captivity in what seemed like an impossible step, still conveys that he believes it is possible to reach an agreement based on his outline. He remains optimistic and says he is doing everything so that it will happen – and he will not give up.
The reason for this, as Weitekopf has stated many times and in contrast to what is said in Israel, is that this is the mission of his life, in which he is personally invested – and failure is not an option for him. Hamas, as noted, remains firm in its tough positions: the terror organization does not believe that Israel will not return to fighting and refuses to drop its demand to release 20 hostages as part of the first stage.
Witkoff outline
Although the terror organization signaled a willingness to discuss the Weitekopf outline, in practice it demands American guarantees for the end of the war, a withdrawal of Israel from territories it does not intend to vacate – and it refuses to release 10 hostages within a week as proposed in the outline, preferring instead to stretch the release over 70 days of negotiations. Its central demand remains unchanged: a complete end to the war.
Hamas said yesterday that “the escalation of Israel’s military action increases its losses and pushes its captives toward the unknown, there is no solution other than a comprehensive deal – something Netanyahu refuses.” Israel, which is not yet willing to end the war, is not at this stage prepared to accept any of Hamas’s demands – and between these gaps, the United States, Qatar, and also Egypt are trying to mediate. link
- Thrown, beaten by Gaza mob: New footage of hostage Matan Angrest’s abduction — including cries from inside tank
IDF soldier's parents say they collected testimony from released hostages who saw her son in recent weeks, which they say is in stark contrast between official reports and his true, dire condition—discovery his mother Anat called 'devastating'
The family of Matan Angrest, an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since October 7, released new footage Monday evening showing his violent abduction, urging the public to grasp the severity of his condition. video of the brutal kidnapping
The video captures Angrest being dragged and beaten, injured, from his tank while surrounded by a mob—graphic evidence of the brutality he endured at the moment of his capture.
🎗️Day 613 that 55 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.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
#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
*10:55am - Gaza Envelope - rocket fired at Zikim Beach near the kibbutz.- Rocket was intercepted by air defenses
“For 611 days, I avoided watching the full video. Last night, I forced myself to see it for the first time. We have no choice. Matan’s life is in danger,” his mother, Anat Angrest, said in a statement. “We were compelled to release another segment of the video to the public. We wish we didn't have to.”Two months ago, the family released the first segment of a video showing Angrest being assaulted by a crowd. The footage released Monday is a continuation of that same video, filmed by Hamas and recovered by Israeli forces.Matan in a Hamas propaganda video
Anat Angrest said her family had in recent weeks gathered testimonies from released hostages who encountered Matan in captivity. She described their findings as a “devastating revelation,” highlighting a stark discrepancy between official reports and his actual condition after the video’s release.“While the prime minister wasn’t even aware Matan was injured, we learned he suffers from open burns, infections and fever, as well as clear signs of torture and electric shocks,” she said. “We are showing the public the brutal lynching he endured on October 7. His injury has been overlooked simply because he is a soldier.”She said she had met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and came away believing he was unaware of her son’s injuries.“He said that if he had known Matan was wounded, he would have insisted on his release under the humanitarian category, which includes injured captives without distinction,” she said.
“Since then, Hamas released the video proving Matan has suffered irreversible injuries. His face appears fractured.” linkMatan’s condition
Alongside the harsh documentation, additional information was published regarding Matan’s medical condition, as it reached his family following a series of testimonies from captivity survivors. This is alongside medical analysis of videos and intelligence information. From the information collected, it emerges that Matan suffers from the following illnesses and injuries:
- Chronic asthma and suffers from breathing distress. According to the testimonies, the attacks tend to occur after frequent interrogations that are carried out with severe violence.
- Testimonies about being connected to batteries and electric shocks until loss of consciousness. In these cases, they brought Matan out unconscious from the tunnels in order to keep him alive until the next abuse.
- Severe burns down to the nerves, open and infected, on both hands that are not being treated; the hands are swollen and the stay and humidity in the tunnels do not allow for bandaging and antibiotic treatments. Some of the fingers Matan can no longer move.
- The infections in the body have caused Matan to suffer for many days from high fever, along with chills and screams from intense, unceasing pain.
- Swollen eye and a risk of damage to vision.
- Fractures in the cheekbones and lower jaw.
- Many medical opinions from various fields indicate that Matan’s medical condition puts his life in danger — physically and mentally.
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- Hostages’ families ask supporters to participate in day of good deeds to mark 613 days of captivity in Gaza
The families of the hostages are seeking participants in a day of good deeds tomorrow, marking 613 days that the remaining 55 hostages have been held in Gaza
The number 613 corresponds in Jewish tradition to the number of mitzvahs, or commandments and precepts given in the Torah.
Simultaneously, the Knesset is holding a day of discussions about the hostages in six committees.
Meetings will be held about economic assistance for the families of the hostages; aid systems in local authorities for returned hostages and their families; issues relating to female hostages; online violence on social media against the families of the hostages; the public health issues of hostage families; and educational programs relating to the hostages and their families.
Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was killed in captivity in August 2024, write ask on social media for the public to join them in “flooding the world with goodness and light in merit of all the cherished hostages coming home.”
The initiative includes suggestions of good deeds, including helping someone in need, smiling at others, making a donation, visiting an elderly person or engaging in any deed that brings light to the world.
The Polin-Goldbergs initiated a similar event for a week in July 2024, promoting kindness and good deeds in the world to bring about the redemption of the remaining hostages.
Idit Ohel, the mother of hostage Alon Ohel who is still held in captivity in Gaza, posts on social media, asking supporters to listen to the song “Song without a Name,” one of Alon’s favorite songs, which he hums when possible in captivity, according to those who were held with him.
Ohel asks the public to listen to the song at full volume or with headphones on June 10 at 9 p.m., and posts a link to the version of the song sung by Israeli songwriter Yehudit Ravitz.
“We’re sending energy of love, optimism and strength to Alon,” says Idit Ohel in an Instagram reel. “Alon, you’
IDF says troops killed 15 terror operatives in clashes in Gaza
During operations of the 98th Division in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis in the past day, the IDF says troops eliminated at least 10 terror operatives who were identified near the forces.
The troops killed the operatives with sniper fire and tank shelling, the military says.
In northern Gaza, the IDF says the 252nd Division directed an airstrike against a cell of five operatives spotted near the forces.
Dozens more targets, including tunnels and operatives, were hit in airstrikes in the past day across Gaza, the military adds.
IDF says troops fired warning shots at Gazans who ‘posed threat’ in Netzarim Corridor area, after Palestinians say 20 killed
Overnight, the IDF says troops fired warning shots at Palestinians who approached forces “and posed a threat” in the Netzarim Corridor area.
The incident took place hundreds of meters from an aid distribution site, hours before it opened, according to the IDF.
The military says the Palestinians approached the troops “despite warnings that the area is an active combat zone.”
Palestinian media reported that some 20 people were killed and dozens were wounded in the incident.
The military says it is aware of the reports of casualties by its gunfire in the area, but “the reported number of casualties is inconsistent with the information available to the IDF.”
The IDF says it is further investigating the incident.
IDF issues evacuation warning for part of northern Gaza following earlier rocket fire
Following rocket fire from the northern Gaza Strip at southern Israel, the IDF issues an evacuation warning for the area of the launch.
The area is already under an existing evacuation warning issued by the military in late May.
“The IDF is operating with great force in the areas where you are located to destroy the capabilities of terror organizations. The IDF will respond firmly to every terror act or rocket attack,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee says on X.
Civilians are called to head for “known shelters” in Gaza City.
IDF says troops demolished over 1,200 ‘terror infrastructures’ in Khan Younis suburb serving as Hamas stronghold
IDF troops demolished over 1,200 “terror infrastructures” in the Khan Younis suburb of Khuzaʽa during a recent operation in the area, as part of efforts to expand Israel’s buffer zone along the border with the Gaza Strip, the military says.
The operation in Khuzaʽa in recent weeks was led by the 188th Armored Brigade.
“The forces worked to locate and destroy terror infrastructure in the [Khuzaʽa] area, which served as a central Hamas terror stronghold,” the IDF says.
Hundreds of Hamas terrorists set out from Khuzaʽa during the October 7, 2023, onslaught, especially to Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of civilians were murdered and abducted.
During combat engineering operations and airstrikes, the IDF says it killed dozens of terror operatives and destroyed 1,200 sites, both above and below ground, to “remove the threat to the border communities.”
Among the destroyed infrastructures was a tunnel that was 500 meters long and 25 meters deep, the military adds. video
IDF says it foiled attempt to smuggle in weapons from Egypt via drone
The IDF says it foiled yet another attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel from Egypt using a drone today.
The drone had been spotted crossing the border from Egypt into Israel before it was downed.
The drone was found to be ferrying seven rifles, 10 handguns, and ammunition. The contraband and drone were handed over to the police.
In recent months, there have been frequent attempts to bring weapons and drugs over the Egypt border using drones. There have also been attempts to smuggle similar contraband from Israel into Gaza using drones.
Anarchy in Gaza is celebrating, Hamas is losing its grip – and is torturing Palestinians
The terror organization continues to publish on a Telegram channel where acts of violence are documented against those whom it defined as collaborators • Large and heavy stones are also being used, as a substitute for bullets • At the same time, the chaos in the distribution of aid is intensifying • People affiliated with Yasser Abu Shabab were allegedly documented shooting at residents waiting to receive food packages • A journalist was brutally beaten, residents warn: “The public has become a blood sacrifice in the name of political ideology”The chaos in the middle of the aid distribution centersIn the shadow of the complex reality in the Gaza Strip, between the distribution centers and the continued fighting of the IDF, Hamas continues to impose fear and terror. The “Arrow” unit of the terror organization brutally beats residents, confiscates phones, and throws stones at Palestinians suspected of “collaboration.”
Among the many tools of intimidation that Hamas operates in Gaza, a Telegram channel named “Catch the collaborator” stands out, where videos of “instant punishment” are distributed daily against those suspected of collaboration or crime – without evidence and without mercy.
More than 100,000 followers watch these scenes of horror, in which Gaza Strip residents are documented being beaten, humiliated, and sometimes also seriously injured. It is evident that recently large and heavy stones have been used, as a substitute for bullets – this is how Hamas seeks to impose an atmosphere of terror in the streets, even as its grip on the local reality continues to loosen.
Sources in Hamas’s military wing announced at the end of the week the decision by the security apparatuses to place a group of snipers at intersections and roads in the Strip, in order to “protect aid trucks from thieves and security suspects in the north and south of the Gaza Strip.” They warned that “anyone who tries to stop or disrupt the movement of the aid trucks – his sentence is death, just like a collaborator, traitor, or occupier.”
Humanitarian chaos: aid trucks, looting, and shooting at those waiting
Meanwhile, in Gaza this morning it was reported that 11 trucks with frozen food arrived at markets in Deir al-Balah in the center of the Strip. Among them, chicken breast could be found after several months during which it did not enter the Strip – at a price of 250 shekels per kilogram.
Chicken breast that arrived in the Strip – sold for 250 shekels per kilogram (and with kosher certification of Chatam Sofer)In the background is also the distribution of aid in the distribution centers under the new framework, accompanied by obstacles – in practice, there is no enforcement, and even Hamas militants might collect food packages in civilian clothing without anyone stopping them.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced that the distribution center in Tel al-Sultan was closed due to a riot caused by crowding that prevented unloading the aid, and that the center in the Saudi neighborhood was closed for today – after the completion of the distribution of food packages.
Alongside this, in Gaza it was claimed this morning that men affiliated with Yasser Abu Shabab, who heads the militia that operates and secures the aid distribution, are shooting at residents waiting to receive food packages. In the documentation that was published, injuries to legs can be seen as a result of the shooting.
Despite the new method, according to the reports coming from Gaza, looting events continue day after day. For example, today it was reported that a warehouse in Deir al-Balah was looted of all its contents – meat, tobacco, hookahs, batteries, and electrical systems.
Criticism is silenced: attacks on journalists and growing civilian rage
It is evident that criticism against Hamas in the Strip continues to exact a heavy price from those who dare to express it publicly. The Gazan journalist Omar Abd Rabbo, who expresses his opinions courageously, found himself yesterday paying the price for it.
“I was attacked with very severe violence by a group of armed, masked men belonging to Hamas in the area of Nuseirat in the center of the Gaza Strip, because of my personal opinions that I published on social networks,” he wrote yesterday on his Facebook account. “Without even trying to hold any conversation or discussion, they confiscated my personal phone and destroyed my journalist ID.”
The chaos in Gaza’s aid distribution centers | Photo: ReutersAbd Rabbo shared today that “yesterday I underwent medical tests and received treatment at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat following the brutal assault I suffered at the hands of Hamas men. The tests revealed many injuries and bruises in different parts of my body, as a result of the severe violence used against me.”
He called on authorities, human rights organizations, and especially the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, “to intervene immediately to stop the arbitrary measures being taken against me, to protect me from violence, and to act for the return of my personal property that was illegally confiscated, on the background of the realization of my right to freedom of opinion and expression.”
Ahmad, a Gazan activist, called: “The spies of Hamas’s military wing have left alone the collaborators who sold out their commanders hiding like rats in the tunnels, and instead of pursuing them – they are busy chasing Gazans for one word of anger or a cry of pain about the hell of October 7. Freedom for two million people in Gaza from the thugs of the remnants of al-Qassam.”
In the shadow of Eid al-Adha, a resident of the Strip named Abu Nael pointed to the distortion of Hamas: instead of offering a symbolic sacrifice, the Gazan public becomes a blood sacrifice in the name of political ideology wrapped in religion. And so, according to him, the residents of the Strip become living sacrifices of the leadership.
“It is possible to find verses about the virtue of death – there are. About the virtue of hunger – there are. About the virtue of suffering – there are. About the prohibition of anger – there are. About the prohibition of sadness – there are. About the prohibition of intellect – there are. About the damage of emotion – there are. As if this is a religion that came down only for the Gaza Strip,” he wrote.
According to him, dozens of Muslim countries do not require their citizens to sacrifice their lives in the name of God, but Hamas has turned the residents of Gaza themselves into “scapegoats.” He said: “We have not seen a Muslim country where a leader says ‘God, take our blood until You are satisfied.’ We have not seen an Islamist movement that built an altar of sacrifices and presents to its flock of believers its failure and stupidity – while accepting the idea that the Muslim was created to die in the framework of the great Islamic nation project.”
Abu Nael added that as long as the citizen remains silent and awaits his reward in the next world – he is essentially a captive, his consciousness is captive, and he awaits slaughter “in the method of the Muslim Brotherhood, as implemented by Hamas animals in Doha.” link
Alternative to Hamas? This is how Abu Shabab is acting to build a civil government in Rafah
In the shadow of the chaos in the Strip, Yasser Abu Shabab is trying to build a civilian alternative to the terror organization • He is recruiting volunteers in a variety of fields: health, education, economy, and media • Despite the connection and coordination – the Palestinian Authority disavows him: we have no connection to himWhile Hamas is dealing with cracks and the chaos in the streets is increasing, Yasser Abu Shabab positions himself as one who seeks to establish an alternative civil government in eastern Rafah. Under the appearance of “volunteering for the sake of the community,” he announced today (Monday) about Gazans with professional skills – for the purpose of establishing administrative and community committees.
In a post he published on his Facebook account, Abu Shabab called for the recruitment of Gazans “with experience, skills, and specialization” for a series of civil governmental volunteer roles – in the field of health, engineering and architecture, education and teaching, management and economy, programming and technology, media and documentation, law, community service and social development, languages and translation.
Abu Shabab militiaThese are the criteria for the recruitment of volunteers to Abu Shabab’s militia:
University graduates
Students
Pensioners
People with experienceChaos in Gaza’s aid distribution centers | Photo: APHamas terrorists | Photo: APYoung men and women with willingness and readiness
The volunteering will include:
Aid and rescue committees
Emergency field rooms
Education and teaching committees for children
Media units
Documentation and exposure of violations
Coordination of international aid
Maintenance of civil order
Technical and electronic support for community infrastructureIn addition, in Abu Shabab’s militia they announced that they intend to publish full details about “the armed gangs that attack trucks and kill civilians in areas under Hamas control and in the area of the American distribution centers.” They announced a 24-hour ultimatum – in which these gangs may stop their actions before the publication of the details. At the same time, they denied any connection to the aid distribution of the American company.
After Abu Shabab confirmed in a recording published yesterday that entry into the area under the control of his forces is carried out with oversight “through the Palestinian Intelligence Mechanism, in order to ensure that no terrorist entity infiltrates and tries to sabotage the attempt to break free from Hamas rule” – the Palestinian Authority hurried to disavow him, even though he maintains close contact with it. The spokesman of the Palestinian security mechanisms, Anwar Rajab, denied it, saying: “We have no connection whatsoever to the Abu Shabab militia.”
In his recording, which was published by the “Center for Peace Relations,” he demanded that Hamas “withdraw from power, especially after hundreds of protests that called for its removal.” He also said that “hundreds of families” are flocking to the area under his forces’ control and called “to open a larger humanitarian corridor” that would allow “the safe return of tens of thousands.” link
GHF says it handed out over 23,000 boxes of food at two sites today
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it distributed over 23,000 boxes of food at two distribution sites today in Rafah and central Gaza.
This brings the total boxes delivered since a May 26 launch to 192,480, according to GHF.
The US- and Israeli-backed foundation says each box contains meals for 5.5 people for 3.5 days.
However, its contents are largely dry food products that require community kitchens or cooking equipment to prepare, which are very scarce in war-ravaged Gaza.
- IDF drone strike targets car 20 km north of Israel’s border with Lebanon — report
Lebanese media reports an Israeli drone strike on a car in the town of Nmairiyeh, located some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
Gaza and the South
- Settlers reportedly torch vehicle in northern West Bank village
Settlers torched a vehicle overnight in the northern West Bank Palestinian village of Immatain, according to Arabic media reports.
Footage from the scene shows a car in the village going up in flames along with the Hebrew word “revenge” graffitied onto the wall of a nearby home.
There are no arrests reported in the latest incident of settler violence, which for months have taken place on a near-daily basis with near-complete impunity. video Of course, these terror acts are committed with not 'near-complete impunity', the impunity is absolutely complete. If the army comes, they either stand by and do nothing, or they stop the fighting between the sides and arrest some Palestinians, never the terrorist settlers. The police never show up because they have been given explicit orders by the convicted criminal Minister in charge of the police, and he was convicted of supporting exactly these kinds of terrorist acts. And then we have the criminally indicted Prime Minister who never says anything about these terrorist attacks thereby condoning them and normalizing them both by his total silence and by his normalizing his extremist messianic coalition partners all in the name of staying in power. This entire government is criminal in its actions and its inactions of neglect of these terrorist acts by the extremist terrorist settlers and the total neglect of the rising violence and killings in the Arab sector of Israel, all citizens. The rising daily death toll in the Arab sector has gained exponentially under the leadership of Netanyahu and the criminal Minister of Internal 'Insecurity' Ben Gvir. With the daily homicides in the Arab sector, Ben Gvir doesn't even make statements anymore because they are all a pack of lies that he will do something about the rising violence there. Nobody believes his lies and he has stopped saying anything and doesn't do anything when it is in the power and the providence of the Israel Police to do the work to stem that tide and bring back law and order.
- Golan: Netanyahu endangering lives of hostages, soldiers and civilians to remain in power
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “endangering the lives” of Israeli soldiers, civilians and hostages in order to hold on to power, The Democrats chief Yair Golan declares, calling the premier’s call for “complete victory” in Gaza a “lie” and warning that the government will use “violence, hatred” and “bribery” to maintain its rule.
Addressing reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Golan says that complete victory “is a term that has no real military or political meaning” — describing it as “propaganda” and asserting that the occupation of the Gaza Strip “is not a security objective” but rather “a political move that weakens Israel’s security, endangers the hostages and IDF soldiers.”
“I want to be clear: an Israeli takeover of the Gaza Strip is not a complete victory, it is a complete surrender to the extreme messianic line led by Ben Gvir and Smotrich,” he says, referring to two far-right members of the coalition.
“Real security for Israel will be achieved in only one way: a broad regional arrangement, with the support of the United States and the inclusion of the moderate Sunni axis countries. A move that will topple the Hamas regime, isolate Iran, and return Israel to the path of legitimacy and strategic alliances.”
Citing a Sunday evening Channel 12 report that documents seized in Gaza quoted then-Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh as saying that Qatari funding was “Hamas’s main artery,” Golan says that this money transfer, facilitated by Netanyahu, “financed the rockets, the anti-tank missiles, the explosives and the weapons with which Israeli citizens were massacred” on October 7.
Under Netanyahu, prior to October 7, Israel allowed suitcases with millions in Qatari cash to enter Gaza through its crossings in order to maintain its fragile ceasefire with the Hamas rulers of the Strip.
Turning to the next elections, Golan says that “this will be the most violent, ugly, and dangerous election campaign the State of Israel has ever known.”
“The Netanyahu government will do everything to preserve its rule: violence, hatred, criminality, bribery, incitement, intimidation, and physical bullying. We will not descend into violence because that is not our path and never will be,” Golan declares. link Everything that Golan said is the disturbing truth. Netanyahu, for quite some time has endangered every hostage left in Gaza, the living and the dead, endangers soldiers daily and works to destroy what democracy we have left in this country. He is the most destructive and most dangerous person in Israel today because everything he does, is for himself and to stay in power. I'm sure that Netanyahu, once upon a time did many things believed he believed it was in the interest of the country, though I disagreed with just about everything he has done. But those days are long behind us. His first, middle and last thoughts are all about him and what is good for his political survival. He has no strategy for the war, the hostages, the economy, our international standing, or any of the critical issues we are facing everyday. His only strategy is how he stays in power, how he keeps his coalition together, and his people only work towards this goal, the country be damned.
- Abbas tells Macron he supports demilitarization of Hamas, commits to holding PA elections within year
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that Hamas “must hand over its weapons” and called for the deployment of international forces to protect “the Palestinian people,” France announces.
In a letter addressed yesterday to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who this month will co-chair a conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, Abbas outlined the main steps that he thinks must be taken to end the war in Gaza and achieve peace in the Middle East.
“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces,” wrote Abbas.
He said he was “ready to invite Arab and international forces to be deployed as part of a stabilization/protection mission with a (UN) Security Council mandate.”
“We are ready to conclude within a clear and binding timeline, and with international support, supervision and guarantees, a peace agreement that ends the Israeli occupation and resolves all outstanding and final status issues,” Abbas wrote.
“Hamas has to immediately release all hostages and captives,” he added.
In a statement, the Elysee Palace welcomes “concrete and unprecedented commitments, demonstrating a real willingness to move towards the implementation of the two-state solution.”
Macron has said he is “determined” to recognise a Palestinian state, but also set out several conditions, including the “demilitarization” of Hamas.
In his letter, Abbas reaffirmed his commitment to reform the Palestinian Authority and confirmed his intention to hold presidential and general elections “within a year” under international auspices.
“The Palestinian State should be the sole provider of security on its territory, but has no intention to be a militarized State.”
The Palestinian Authority has been under pressure from Arab and Western states to undergo significant reform as they push for the body to replace Hamas as Gaza’s governing authority.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused, however, to entertain the option of allowing the PA to return to governing Gaza. This has stopped nearly half a dozen Arab countries from committing to participating in the postwar management of the Strip, as they have conditioned their support on the establishment of a political horizon for an eventual two-state solution.
- First permanent October 7 memorial center opens in Sderot
Part of the Tell to Survive initiative, the center features a virtual reality experience with personal survivor testimonies and a lookout point toward the Gaza border
Just a short distance from the Gaza border, Sderot inaugurated the first permanent memorial center dedicated entirely to the October 7 Hamas massacre.The center, launched by the ISRAEL-is organization in partnership with the Sderot municipality, is intended to preserve the memory of that traumatic day and document the testimonies of survivors.Located in an area that itself endured the horrors of the terror attack, the center offers a guided tour that includes real-time audio testimonies, a lookout point toward Gaza, and a virtual reality experience featuring five personal survivor accounts. Visitors are taken on an emotional journey through voices, images, and scenes that present the events from a deeply personal and human perspective.The new memorial cetner(Photo: Alon Georgi)The project is part of the Tell to Survive initiative, which aims to give both Israelis and international visitors a direct encounter with the story, using interactive technology, audio installations, and survivor testimony.The initiative is guided by documentary filmmaker Stephen Smith, known for his work documenting thousands of Holocaust survivors, who now focuses on preserving the voices of those who lived through the October 7 terror attack. ISRAEL-is, an Israeli nonprofit active in grassroots diplomacy since 2017, works in collaboration with the IDF, academic institutions, and communities in Israel and abroad. The organization’s mission is to share the Israeli story with diverse audiences in a direct, educational, and unfiltered way. link
- In apparent first, Israeli strike in Houthi-controlled Hodeidah said to be carried out from the sea, not the air
Contrary to the initial reports, the Israeli strike in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah was carried out by the Navy from the sea, rather than an airstrike.
There is no official comment from the IDF yet.
Yesterday, the military issued evacuation warnings for the port of Hodeidah and two other ports on Yemen’s western coast.
In first, Israeli Navy attacks Houthi targets in Yemen
Strikes follow an evacuation warning it issued Monday for the ports of Ras Issa, Hodeidah and Salif, citing their use by the Houthis for military purposes
For the first time since the start of the war, the Israeli Navy carried out its strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen early Tuesday, targeting piers at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, a stronghold of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, according to media reports in Yemen.The strikes followed an evacuation warning it issued Monday for the ports of Ras Issa, Hodeidah and Salif, citing their use by the Houthis for military purposes. Unlike previous attacks in Yemen, the Israeli Air Force did not participate in the operation.“Due to the use of sea ports by the Houthi terrorist regime for terrorist activity, we call on all those present at these ports to evacuate and distance themselves until further notice, for their own safety,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson said in a statement.Smoke rises from the Hodeidah port in western Yemen following an Israeli airstrike, May 16, 2025. (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)The last known Israeli strike in Yemen took place about two weeks ago, when the air force targeted the airport in the capital, Sanaa, in an operation known as “Golden Jewel.” Defense Minister Israel Katz said at the time that the attack destroyed the last aircraft used by the Houthis.The Houthis, who have launched dozens of missiles and drones at Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, fired another missile toward Israel on Monday. The projectile did not reach Israeli territory and no sirens were activated. The most recent Houthi attack to trigger alarms came last Thursday, when a ballistic missile was intercepted over Jerusalem during protests in the capital and Tel Aviv.Shortly after that launch, the Houthis claimed responsibility and said the missile had been aimed at Ben-Gurion International Airport. A spokesperson for the group said the strike was in response to Israeli military actions in Gaza and southern Beirut. link
Hamas terrorists move towards the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip, during the terror group's onslaught on October 7, 2023. (Mohammed ABED / AFP)
Members of Kibbutz Erez’s civil defense squad, with help from the security team of the nearby kibbutz of Or Haner, repelled Hamas’s attempted invasion of the Gaza-border community during the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, according to an Israel Defense Forces probe published Tuesday.
Between 15 and 20 terrorists attempted to infiltrate Erez. The probe found that at least two were killed on the edge of the kibbutz during fighting led by the local security officers, and another six were eliminated by soldiers closer to the Gaza border fence. The remaining terrorists apparently managed to return to the Strip.
One person was killed during the fighting in Erez, Amir Manzhor Naim, a member of the local security team. Several other civilians were wounded.
Residents and members of the civil defense squad at Kibbutz Erez and Kibbutz Or Haner “demonstrated courage, determination to engage, and camaraderie,” the IDF probe stated. “Their brave fighting in the kibbutz prevented a massacre.”
The probe also noted that an IDF tank crew that deployed that morning to the border, just outside the kibbutz, “reduced the scope of the attack and disrupted the enemy’s plan.” Israeli Air Force strikes also “prevented a large additional wave of terrorists from entering the area.”
Erez was infiltrated by terrorists during the onslaught, “but was never conquered at any stage,” the investigation said.
Israeli volunteers gather for an avocado fruit harvest at a plantation near Kibbutz Erez close to the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on December 20, 2023. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
The findings published Tuesday are the latest in a series of detailed investigations into some 40 battles and massacres that took place during Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, when about 5,600 terrorists stormed across the border, killed some 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages into Gaza, where dozens remain captive.
Similar to other investigations, the probe concluded that the IDF “failed in its mission to protect” Erez and those in the surrounding area, mainly because the military never prepared for such an event: an Israeli community being attacked by terrorists, as well as a widespread attack on numerous towns and army bases simultaneously by thousands of terrorists.
“The IDF struggled until the afternoon to form a clear picture of events in Erez, while the local security team had a general understanding by morning,” the probe said.
The probe, carried out by Lt. Col. (res.) Israel Shitrit, covered all aspects of the fighting in Kibbutz Erez and the surrounding area. The IDF said the investigators made visits to the scene and reviewed every possible source of information.
The Kibbutz Erez probe was aimed at drawing specific operational conclusions for the military. It did not examine the wider picture of the military’s perception of Gaza and Hamas in recent years, which has been covered in separate, larger investigations into the IDF’s intelligence and defenses.
Timeline of the attack
At 6:28 a.m., one minute before Hamas launched its initial barrage of over 1,000 rockets at Israel, the commander of an IDF company stationed in the area spotted two drones flying overhead and opened fire. One of the drones was shot down, while the second hit the army post where the commander was stationed.
As rocket sirens sounded across southern Israel, Erez’s security coordinator, who was in Jerusalem that morning, immediately called up the community’s local security team.
The former security coordinator, who was in the kibbutz, took command of the civil defense squad. According to the probe, 12 of the kibbutz’s 16 assault rifles were stored in the homes of the local security officers. In many other Gaza border communities on October 7, the civil defense squad’s weapons were stored in a central armory, which in some cases were not opened due to various circumstances.
The commander of the IDF company in the area at 6:38 a.m. ordered a tank to position itself between the Gaza border fence and the kibbutz. The tank team then engaged the first wave of terrorists infiltrating from Gaza, running over some of them on motorcycles. The tank was hit by anti-tank missile fire amid the fighting.
Hamas terrorists move towards the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip, during the terror group’s onslaught on October 7, 2023. (Mohammed ABED / AFP)
The company commander moved into Erez and positioned himself near one of the entrances, but a short while later left for Kibbutz Nir Am after receiving reports of an infiltration there. The tank also headed for Nir Am.
At 7:05 a.m., members of the civil defense squad who were positioned on the outskirts of Erez spotted several pickup trucks heading toward the back entrance to the community. They opened fire on the terrorists and rushed for the entrance to block the attack.
The terrorists disembarked from the pickup trucks and began exchanging fire with the civil defense squad as they both arrived at the back gate to the community.
“Fierce fighting” took place at the back entrance, with one local security officer wounded in the head by a grenade at 7:15 a.m., but he continued to fight, and another hit by gunfire at 7:40 a.m. and evacuated for medical treatment. The terrorists also fired an RPG at a home in the kibbutz.
At 7:45 a.m., Naim, a member of the security team and a major in reserves, was fatally wounded while fighting from the yard of a home near the back entrance.
Erez’s security coordinator, still en route to the kibbutz, requested help from Or Haner’s coordinator, who sent reinforcements.
The first team from Or Haner arrived at 8 a.m., as the Erez civil defense squad was pinned down at a post next to the back entrance and running low on ammunition. At 8:15 a.m., the Erez security coordinator and three Or Haner residents arrived.
The former Erez security coordinator organized a rescue team to try and reach the civil defense squad members trapped near the back entrance. At 8:45 a.m., the team, while under fire, reached the post, and rescued the local security officers by 9 a.m.
Another RPG fired by the terrorists hit the house near the back entrance, injuring several members of the civil defense squad and civilians. The local security officers regrouped and rescued the family living in the house where the fighting was taking place.
Afterward, the local security officers deployed to an area on the kibbutz’s perimeter fence where several terrorists had been spotted using a drone a short while earlier. During the fighting, the terrorists managed to breach the fence using explosives and enter the kibbutz briefly.
The local security officers fought back, and the terrorists withdrew, ending the fighting at around 10:30 a.m.
Hamas terrorists move towards the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip, during the terror group’s onslaught on October 7, 2023. (Mohammed ABED / AFP)
After the fighting ended in Erez, the local security team and residents began searching the kibbutz.
A small force of paratroopers arrived in the kibbutz at 10:45 a.m., as did other soldiers, though the latter troops headed for other areas under attack a short while later.
Shin Bet officers joined in the search efforts at 1 p.m., and at around 8 p.m., additional paratroopers and members of the elite Multi-Domain unit arrived to reinforce the kibbutz. 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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