🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 621, 2023

🎗️Day 621 that 53 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

A must read opinion piece in the Hostages section "The Hostage Dilemma in Iran"

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

5:15pm yesterday- country wide alert- 10 ballistic missiles from Iran- most were intercepted by air defenses including the American THAAD batteries
7:10pm yesterday - South - small barrage of ballistic missiles from Iran. No injuries and no major damages
8:20pm yesterday - Gaza Envelope - 2 rockets from Gaza fell in open areas
9:50pm yesterday- north - Ballistic missiles barrage - Galilee region - small amount of missiles, about 3-5. All intercepted. No reports of injuries or major damages
12:35am - country wide alert - ballistic missiles from Iran -15 missiles in this barrage, more than in the last day but far less than the first sets of barrages of over 50 missiles each time. 2 impacts, one in Sharon area and one of shrapnel in Jerusalem area. No injuries reported, damage limited to fire in a parking lot in the center. This is the 8th barrage in 24 hours.
1:25am - Center of country - barrage of around 10 missiles from Iran - no injuries, no damages

2:20am - Dead Sea area - drone intrusion - Masada, Ein Gedi
5:55am - North - drone intrusion - Golan and Galilee regions
9:05am - North- drone intrusion - Golan and Galilee regions
9:20am - north - drone intrusion - Golan and Galilee regions- The Israeli Air Force shot down 10 drones launched from Iran since last night

Slain reservist was Shin Bet combat commander, agency says
Cpt. (res.) Tal Movshovitz, 28, an IDF reservist who was killed in the Gaza Strip yesterday, was a member of the Shin Bet, the security agency announces.
Movshovitz served as a deputy company commander in the 7086th Combat Engineering Battalion in reserves. He was killed by an explosive device planted in a building in Khan Younis.
The Shin Bet says that outside of his reserve duty, Movshovitz was a combat commander in the agency.

He is the 11th member of the Shin Bet to be killed during the war.
The announcement comes as Movshovitz is buried in Modiin.

Hostage Updates

Until the last hostage

Hostage pointman says focus remains on captives even during escalation with Iran

The weekly rally for the hostages at Sha'ar Hanegev, represented by a few people in person and held virtually, following directives of the Home Front Command, on June 14, 2025. (Courtesy)

Israel has not reduced its focus on bringing the hostages back from Gaza, even during the war against Iran, government hostage pointman Gal Hirsch tells hostages’ families.
“In these critical hours, our eyes remain fixed on the hostages,” he says in a missive. “We are fully aware of the ongoing nightmare the hostages are enduring — and you, their dear families, with them.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum accused the government earlier today of abandoning the effort to bring their loved ones home, claiming in a statement that the issue has “disappeared” from the government’s agenda.
“Talks with the mediators and with the Americans are ongoing, but we are cautious in describing the situation,” says Hirsch, adding that the fight against Iran could cause some progress.
“As occurred previously during the prisoner exchange deal in January 2025, the current developments may have an impact once again. The potential certainly exists, and we are acting accordingly,” he writes.
“The prime minister, cabinet ministers and the heads of the security establishment see the return of the hostages as a central mission. We will not give up on anyone,” he pledges.
“Alongside the campaign against Iran, the effort to bring back the hostages continues — at all times and through all means,” he writes, stressing that all efforts continue: “Negotiations, intelligence, operations, foreign relations, influence efforts, public and covert diplomacy, family support and inter-ministerial and inter-organizational coordination.” link Gal Hirsch's statements are very problematic. Without even bringing up the point that he was put into this position for which he is totally unqualified. The main issue with him is that he serves as a mouthpiece for Netanyahu and that makes everything he says suspicious. The biggest problem is that there is no Israeli official involved in any talks or negotiations. He said there is ongoing talks with the Americans and mediators but no Israeli is present. Netanyahu has refused to send anyone to Qatar or Egypt to be directly involved and it is all left to others to work on what should be the first priority of the government and the prime minister, but unfortunately is only an afterthought. If we had a real leader as prime minister and not someone who measures every move based on what is good for him, then that leader would have put a team in place and told them they don't leave until there is white smoke, a deal to bring home all the hostages.

The Hostage Dilemma in Iran

Until this moment, spit spit, no aircraft of the Air Force has been harmed above Tehran. Until this moment, no pilot has fallen into captivity of the Revolutionary Guards. But this possibility hovers day by day and hour by hour above the heads of hundreds of pilots participating in the war.

It is impossible not to discuss the dilemma that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has raised regarding the issue of captives in general, and the possibility of captives in Iran. Spit spit. What, in fact, is the current policy regarding another Ron Arad in the hands of Iran? Will the fate of the captives be similar to the fate of the hostages in Gaza?

Is the commander of the Air Force telling the pilots today that they might become kamikazes? Suiciders in the name of the Government of Israel? Will Benjamin Netanyahu give an order to enter negotiations for the rescue and release of Israeli captives from the hands of Iran, if there will be such, God forbid?

If yes, why is he not doing so with Hamas in Gaza?

If not, what does he intend to say to the families of the captives in Iran?

The war is more important than the lives of your sons? The continuation of the war is more important? The goals of the war? After the war we will discuss a deal? With whom?

And if Iran already now will demand the cessation of the bombings in Tehran in exchange for the lives of the captive pilots? Will Netanyahu agree?

This is not a theoretical dilemma. Unfortunately, it is hovering right now in every moment in the cockpit of every fighter jet on its way to bombings in Iran.

The stance of the October 7 government, the government of the failure, the government of “Hamas is an asset” – actually harms these very days the motivation of every combatant in the IDF and that of the pilots and pilotesses, who risk their lives 1,500 kilometers away from the fortified bunker in which the members of the war cabinet are sitting.

Those who most of them did not serve in the IDF at all. Those for whom norms and values of combat are as far from their ideology as the distance between Jerusalem and Isfahan. These are the people who are now demanding messianic objectives in Gaza, and now messianic objectives in Iran – the overthrow of the regime in Tehran.

One who places all his hope on a military operation without a political purpose, will find that even a prisoner deal cannot be done at the end of the war.

The deals with Egypt and Syria were done at the end of past wars when the armies laid down their weapons and the sides discussed agreements on separation of forces, ceasefire, truce.

Will Netanyahu be willing to discuss with the leadership of Iran the conditions for the return of captives in exchange for Israel’s abandonment of slogans about the destruction of the nuclear program? And if the goal is so far-reaching, should every soldier and pilot understand that falling into captivity means certain death?

In Gaza there are still 53 hostages held in Hamas tunnels. 20 of them are alive. But the Government of Israel refuses to stop the war and in exchange to release them. It also refuses to reach political terms for ending the war. Terms within which also an agreement would be signed for the return of the captives.

What moral value, what ethical code is such a government currently instilling in its fighters?

Does Israel prefer a dead captive over a live captive for whom it would be forced to pay a price?

Is this the value of the new brotherhood of warriors? Shall we erase “do not abandon a wounded in the field”?

The fate of the hostages in Gaza weighs upon the pilots of the Air Force during their missions in Gaza. But now, it weighs upon them also because of their own fate, if, God forbid, they fall into captivity.

Netanyahu’s world of values is built on lies. Spins. Built on what will serve his personal and political good. Therefore it can be estimated that if and when a pilot will fall into Iranian captivity, Netanyahu will define his fall into captivity as “the price of war” and “a sacrifice for the future of the people of Israel against those who seek to destroy us.”

His life will be worth, from Netanyahu’s point of view, as much as the lives of the hundreds of fighters who fell in the fighting in Gaza on the altar of “Hamas is an asset.” Also then in 2018, when he was asked about the policy of financing Hamas, he boasted about the leadership decisions he was making. And when the policy crashed on all of us in the massacre of October 7, he fled from responsibility like a mouse from a sinking ship.

Also opposite Hezbollah in Lebanon Netanyahu behaved with the same irresponsible charlatanism and abandoned the residents of the north in the face of Hezbollah’s intensification and plans for the conquest of the Galilee, until the explosion came.

The negligence that Netanyahu showed opposite the Hamas front in Gaza and opposite the Hezbollah front in Lebanon is the same negligence he has shown on the Iranian front – first he invests in a terrible failure and then to fix, when everything is burning and collapsing, he justifies the price by lack of choice and slogans about existential threat.

Netanyahu is the one who led Donald Trump to exit Obama’s nuclear deal in 2018, an exit that caused Iran to break forward toward the military nuclear program to the point of the current state as a threshold country with material for 15 nuclear bombs. This is the man who now sends pilots on suicide missions in order to rescue Israel from the disaster that he himself brought upon it.

Therefore, the captives only interfere with him in the mission of rewriting his actions backward and fleeing from responsibility. A mission that in any case has no feasibility. The release of captives requires reaching agreements with the enemy and saving their lives in exchange for concession to the enemy. But concession, from Netanyahu’s point of view, means the end of his political life. Therefore, ironically, he will also abandon the pilots who, God forbid, will fall into captivity of the Revolutionary Guards in Iran.

Ittai Landsberg Nevo is a citizen concerned about the depth of governmental corruption, fears for the fate of democracy, and is appalled by the racism and violence in Israeli society. Former editor of Second Look and head of the documentary department at Channel One (2002–2017). Son of Kibbutz Tel Yosef and one of the founders of the Forum for the Reserve Soldiers (1995–2017). Today he is a director, content editor, and independent producer. link

Israel and Iran

Additional victim in Iranian missile strike on Petah Tikva named as Daisy Yitzhaki, 85
MAY HER MEMORY BE A REVOLUTION

Petah Tikva resident Daisy Yitzhaki, 85, is identified as one of the four people killed yesterday morning in an Iranian missile strike on an apartment in the city.

The direct impact also injured Yitzhaki’s caregiver, according to Ynet.

“With deep sorrow and great pain, we bow our heads together with all city residents over the cruel murder of four Petah Tikva residents in yesterday’s deadly missile barrage,” says Rami Greenberg, the city’s mayor.

Earlier today, the names of two other victims were announced — Yaakov and Hadassah Belo. Ofir Belo, the couple’s Brazil-based son, announced their death on Facebook, saying he is in “total shock.”

2 more victims of Haifa missile impact named as oil workers Igor Fradkin and Uri Levy

Igor Fradkin, 50, and Uri Levy, 58, are named as two of the three people killed in Iran’s missile strike on Haifa’s Bazan oil refinery.

Igor Fradkin
MAY THERe MEMORIES BE A REVOLUTION

Both worked in the oil refinery that was struck in the early hours of yesterday morning. Their coworker, 59-year-old Kiryat Motzkin resident Dani Avraham, was named as a victim last night.

Fradkin, a resident of nearby Kiryat Ata, leaves behind three children.

“My heart goes out to the Fradkin family in this difficult time of loss and bereavement,” says Kiryat Ata Mayor Yaakov Peretz in a statement. “On behalf of myself and the residents of the city, I offer my deepest condolences.”

Levy, who lived in Haifa and worked for decades at the oil refinery, leaves behind his wife, three children and granddaughter. One of his sons got married just two weeks ago, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

7-year-old Nastia came to Israel for cancer treatment. She and her family were killed by an Iranian missile

Killed in Bat Yam: Ukrainian girl from Odessa came to Israel for cancer treatment; Her father stayed in Ukraine to fight in its war, and grandmother Lena and her two other grandchildren - Konstantin, 9, and Ilya, 13, were killed with Nastia; Search continues in rubble for body of her mother, Maria
Three days after an Iranian missile struck a residential building in the coastal city of Bat Yam, the names of five Ukrainian victims — all members of the same family — were released. All were civilians from Odessa who had come to Israel seeking life-saving cancer treatment for a young girl. Seven-year-old Nastia Borik had been undergoing treatment in Israel for leukemia. She was killed in the missile strike along with her mother, Maria Peshkurova, 30; her grandmother, Lena Peshkurova, 60; and two of her young cousins, Konstantin Totvich, 9, and Ilya Peshkurov, 13. The two boys, who were Maria’s nephews on her mother’s side, attended local schools in Bat Yam.

Nastia gets treatment for cancer in Israel

The family, who are not Jewish, arrived in Israel in December 2022 to support Nastia through her cancer treatment. Although she initially responded, the disease returned and a bone marrow transplant failed to stop the aggressive leukemia.

Nastia’s father, Artem Borik, serves in the Ukrainian army’s Storm Brigade on the front line against Russia. He and Lena’s husband were unable to travel to Israel due to Ukraine’s restriction on men under 60 leaving the country due to the war. Artem had raised funds in Ukraine for his daughter’s medical care. Lena had come to Israel to assist her daughter, Maria, bringing the two nephews with her. All five were killed in the strike.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Israel is working to arrange the repatriation of the bodies, but with Israeli airspace still closed, transport remains technically impossible. “They were Ukrainian citizens from Odessa who came to care for their daughter in Israel. There is a shared fate between Ukrainians and Israelis,” said historian and journalist Shimon Briman. The Ukrainian Embassy said in a statement: “On June 14, five Ukrainian citizens, including three minors, were killed in a massive Iranian missile strike on Israel, when a missile hit a residential building in Bat Yam. Ukrainian diplomats and consular staff are in close contact with the Israel Police and other services to identify and arrange the repatriation of the victims’ bodies.”

The Bat Yam strike also claimed the lives of four Israeli civilians: Michael (Miki) Nahum, 61; Meir (Miro) Vaknin, 53; Bella Ashkenazi, 90; and Efrat Saranga, 44. More than 100 people were injured.

Rachel and Bat-El, two sisters who lived in the building, recounted the terrifying moment the missile struck. “We were in bed when it happened. We don’t have a reinforced room or a shelter,” Bat-El told Ynet. “There was a loud boom, we saw a flash from the missile and heavy smoke. Glass was everywhere, the windows shattered, the door blew off. We ran out and hid in the parking lot across the street.” link

Israir to start repatriation flights tomorrow from Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria

Arkia set to begin repatriation flights tomorrow

Like everything else, this government has failed with enabling its citizens return home during a national emergency. In the last few years, they have had enough experience with emergencies and locking citizens out of the country. As the body responsible for its citizens in Israel and around the world, there should have been a working solution in the drawer ready to be pulled out and acted on. This national emergency was unlike October 7 and Covid. This was a national emergency that the government created and should have taken into consideration that hundreds of thousands of Israelis will be locked out of the country due to closing the skies. Why did they have to 'create the wheel' after the fact and still fail miserably. But as far as our failed and unqualified transportation minister goes, "You are out of the country, don't panic and have fun". Disgraceful, just like most everything they do or don't do.

Dozens of stranded Israeli doctors begin sea evacuation amid airspace closure
With Israel’s airspace closed due to war with Iran, hundreds of doctors remain stuck overseas; Health Ministry is organizing rescue efforts, as dozens from leading hospitals board a merchant ship to return home amid surging medical demand
Following the closure of Israel's airspace due to the war with Iran, hundreds of medical professionals have found themselves stranded abroad, far from their hospitals and clinics, at a time when the healthcare system needs them most and readiness is at its highest alert level. Dozens of doctors from several hospitals have boarded a merchant ship on a special rescue voyage back to Israel, sources told Ynetnews. Among them are doctors from Sourasky Medical Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, and Sheba Medical Center.The Health Ministry reports that approximately 700 medical personnel are currently stranded abroad due to the airspace closure and are prioritized for return. “It’s hard to quantify the disruption to operational continuity, but clearly a shortage like this reduces output,” he added.

Getting Israeli doctors back home on a cargo ship
(Photo: shutterstock)

In an assessment held Monday night at the Health Ministry, officials reported ongoing efforts to rescue medical teams stranded abroad. The ministry has completed mapping and received prioritization lists from all institutions: approximately 390 medical personnel have been classified as first priority for return, and about 315 as second priority.

“The Health Ministry is planning some rescue operations, but nothing is guaranteed, so I took this option,” said Prof. Yehuda Ullmann, head of the surgical division at Rambam Health Care Campus, who is currently aboard the ship. About two weeks ago, he traveled with his wife and friends for a vacation in Madagascar. “The war broke out just as we were scheduled to board a flight to Ethiopia and then to Israel. At the airport, they were instructed not to board passengers whose final destination was Israel,” he explained. “I wasn’t willing to stay there even one more moment since it would be very hard to evacuate from there if necessary, so we changed our route to Frankfurt.”

“I head the surgical division, but my specialty is plastic surgery, treating burns and trauma — all very relevant to wartime. I felt terrible not being in Israel; it’s frustrating. As a physician, it feels wrong to be far away, especially given my role. Once it became clear that there was a chance to evacuate by sea, I flew alone to the port where the ship was departing.”

Efforts to accelerate rescue flights

Beyond those returning to Israel aboard the merchant ship, hundreds of other medical professionals are still waiting abroad, trying to understand when they will be able to return to their hospitals and clinics. Dr. Tzachi Slutsky, deputy director of Soroka Medical Center and chairman of the Israeli Association for Emergency Medicine, traveled last week with his wife and three children for a weekend family trip in Europe. “The plan was to return between Saturday and Sunday,” he told Ynet. “Like everyone else, we woke up Friday morning to the Iranian strike and quickly realized this was going to be significant.”

Since the start of Operation Rising Lion, 83 wounded individuals have been admitted to Soroka, including trauma and orthopedic injuries. Five are still hospitalized. Meanwhile, the hospital continues to treat casualties from fighting in Gaza. “My role in Israel doesn't allow me to disconnect from what’s happening, so we started managing remotely as much as possible,” Dr. Slutsky explained.

“There are enough experienced people at the hospital to take on any role, but being deputy director is still very significant. I’m responsible for operating rooms and intensive care, so I stay involved remotely as much as possible,” he added.

The Health Ministry is working to bring back doctors on rescue flights, which may begin as early as tomorrow. Twenty-six doctors from Soroka are currently stranded abroad. “Even once the rescue flights start, it’ll still be complicated because the flights will probably leave only from two specific locations for essential personnel, which means leaving families behind in this situation,” said Dr. Slutsky.

“Being abroad during these times is extremely difficult. The desire to return is very strong — to be part of managing this historic event. Soroka is still receiving wounded from Gaza, and we’re preparing for mass casualty events as the Iranian attacks continue. I send my strength to the emergency medical teams standing at the front lines across the country during these complex days.”

“Being stuck far away — it’s a difficult feeling of helplessness”

Dr. Israel Yoles, an OB-GYN and director of a women's health center in Modi’in Illit for Clalit, was on a flight returning from Boston on Thursday night. “At 3 a.m. Israel time, just minutes before takeoff, the pilot announced that an Israeli strike on Iran had just begun, and we were taken off the plane and back to the terminal,” he told Ynet. “El Al handled it well, putting all passengers up in a hotel for three nights.” Dr. Yoles had been in Boston for an obstetrics epidemiology conference where he presented Clalit research. Once he realized the airspace had closed, he registered for El Al rescue flights. “I’m keeping things in perspective. It’s not easy, but I remind myself that we still have hostages and soldiers in Gaza, and families with young children sitting right now in safe rooms."

As a community physician, Dr. Yoles treats about 30 patients daily. “Some are under pregnancy monitoring, and others may need immediate care in exceptional cases,” he said. “The clinic staff is fantastic, but management still falls on the team that remained behind. Being the manager from afar is a difficult feeling.”

He also described receiving a call from a patient stranded in Greece. “She’s a breast cancer patient stuck there without her medication. She asked me to issue a prescription so she could somehow obtain the drugs. But from here I’m powerless — I have no stamp or computer access. I referred her to a physician who could help, but these are the kinds of improvisations we’re having to make remotely.”

Dr. Yoles also noted that research in both Israel and abroad has shown that stress is linked to obstetric complications, repeated miscarriages, and preterm labor. “Today, the head nurse wrote to me that, during a rocket alert, a patient arrived, tragically, with intrauterine fetal death. We know these events happen, but during stressful periods, their incidence definitely rises. And in situations like this, as a physician and clinic manager who knows his patients but is stuck far away, you feel completely powerless,” he said. “In times like these, you don’t feel like going to restaurants or seeing shows — you’re glued to the news sites and constantly messaging family and the clinic. You’re just waiting for the skies to reopen so you can get home.”

“We’re constantly thinking about how to get back”

Prof. Benjamin Fox, director of the Pulmonary Institute at Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), also became stranded abroad after attending a pulmonary conference last week in Munich. Simultaneously, his wife, Dr. Liat Attas-Fox, an ophthalmologist, traveled to a fellowship program in Sweden. The two met up afterward in Amsterdam. “On a personal level, it’s worrisome because our daughters (15, 18, and 21) are relatively grown, but still dealing with this situation without their parents,” said Prof. Fox. “Professionally, it’s very difficult knowing my colleagues are managing the load, the stress, the shifts — I feel disconnected from the team, even though I’m its leader.”

“We have patients who need routine care, but there’s always the fear of a mass casualty event, and I’m unable to be there to support patients and colleagues. It’s frustrating,” he added.

Since the escalation, the couple has been actively searching for ways to return to Israel. “I’m working independently to get back; I’m not just sitting and waiting,” said Prof. Fox. “I found a way for my wife and me to return on a Mano Cruises ship. Registration opened this morning, and I managed to secure spots.” The ship is expected to sail to Israel later this week. “Even here in the heart of Amsterdam, I’m not out touring or enjoying vacation — we’re constantly focused on finding a way back. Now that I’ve found a route, I feel a bit calmer.”

The Health Ministry reports that approximately 700 medical personnel are currently stranded abroad due to the airspace closure and are prioritized for return. “It’s hard to quantify the disruption to operational continuity, but clearly a shortage like this reduces output,” he added. link

Israel modifies missile warning system, cancels 30-minute pre-alerts
Home Front Command cancels 30-minute missile pre-warning stage; from now on, alerts will be issued about 10 minutes before a projected launch, as part of an updated emergency protocol following deadly Iranian attacks
Israel’s Home Front Command has officially canceled the early missile warning stage that previously gave civilians 15 to 30 minutes of advance notice before an expected attack.

Under the revised guidelines, a single alert will now be issued approximately 10 minutes before incoming fire, eliminating the earlier tiered pre-alert system introduced just days ago. The change comes amid continued Iranian missile and drone threats.

Updated missile alert protocol

The Home Front Command’s new alert procedure now consists of three streamlined stages:

Ten minutes before a projected strike: a single directive will be issued instructing the public to prepare to enter protected spaces.
Upon receiving the siren or SMS alert: civilians must enter a designated safe area immediately, based on standard time-to-shelter guidelines.
Exit from the protected space is permitted only after receiving an official “all-clear” message.
This system replaces the previous four-stage protocol, which included a now-canceled 15–30 minute “pre-alert” intended to maximize civilian response time.

Nationwide emergency extended

In response to the continuing threat, the Israeli government has extended emergency regulations through June 30. All in-person educational programs—including schools, universities, youth programs, and summer camps—remain suspended, with remote learning in place. High school matriculation exams have been postponed until further notice.

Businesses nationwide remain largely shuttered, with only essential services allowed to operate. Public gatherings, cultural events, and sports activities continue to be banned under Home Front Command regulations.

Sheltering instructions and readiness measures

Civilians are advised to seek shelter in the following order of priority:

Reinforced safe rooms (Mamad, Mamak, Mamam) with sealed doors and secured windows.
Bomb shelters reachable within the alert time.
Interior stairwells, avoiding top or ground floors, or interior rooms with minimal windows.
Kitchens, bathrooms, and building entrances should be avoided due to risks from shrapnel and blast waves. In the absence of a safe room or shelter, individuals should lie flat and shield their heads.
Public shelters in urban areas have been opened, particularly in buildings lacking fortified rooms. The Israel Defense Forces have deployed around 30,000 personnel and over 50 search and rescue battalions nationwide to support civilian readiness.
Support services for new immigrants (Olim)
To assist immigrants during the ongoing emergency, several support initiatives are active:
The Olim Emotional Aid Hotline operates from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., offering free, anonymous emotional and psychological support in English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Amharic. Call: *3201
The Qualita organization has opened a dedicated French-language hotline, operating Sunday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call: 077-9727555
The Jewish Agency has opened a situation room in Jerusalem to support olim in absorption centers, visiting delegations, and emissaries serving Jewish communities abroad.
The country remains under “Red Policy 4,” the highest civilian emergency level, with strict limitations on movement and operations. Home Front Command Chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo emphasized the importance of immediate action: “Upon receiving an alert, enter the nearest safe space and remain there until you receive a clear instruction to exit. We are prepared to face this challenge together and protect the people of Israel.” link

Missile that hit Haifa oil refinery brings renewed urgency to plant’s closure plan

Environmental activists, who support long-term government plan to close Bazan plant for good and import and store products, warn writing is on the wall

The closure this week of the country’s main oil refinery in Haifa due to a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile has refocused attention on the dangers of maintaining such a facility in the middle of northern Israel’s huge metropolitan area.

Residents, environmental activists, and others have lobbied for years to have the Bazan compound closed and the materials it produces imported, due to both the heavy pollution it causes to the area — where cancer and asthma rates are high — and fears of disastrous consequences should it be struck. full article

Damage at the Bazan Group's oil refinery in the Haifa Bay after it was hit by an Iranian missile overnight June 15-16. (Used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

Tourism Ministry says it will help tourists seeking to leave Israel via special flights

The Tourism Ministry says it will assist tourists currently in Israel to register for specially coordinated departure flights from Israel once they are available.

For this purpose, the Tourism Ministry is opening a digital registration form that is being distributed through various online platforms to incoming tourism organizers, hotels, tour guides and other industry stakeholders. There are about 38,000 tourists currently in Israel, the ministry says.

The Tourism Ministry says it will consolidate and transfer the list, only as needed, to the National Security Council and the Transportation Ministry, so that coordination with airlines can be arranged to facilitate tourists’ departure from the country.

The form includes full name, phone number, email address and passport number, in accordance with privacy protection laws and regulations.

Tourists wishing to register are invited to fill out the form.

Birthright evacuates 1,500 participants to Cyprus via cruise ship

Israeli Navy intercepts dozens of Iranian UAVs in joint air-sea defense operations
Since the launch of Operation Rising Lion, Israeli naval forces have downed about 30 Iranian drones, joining the Air Force in repelling over 200 UAVs fired toward Israel; Navy reports 100% interception rate using advanced multi-layered systems
Since the start of Operation Rising Lion on the night between Thursday and Friday, Iran has launched approximately 200 UAVs toward Israel. By Tuesday, about 24 hours after the first interception using the LARD missile from the new Saar 6-class missile ship’s Barak Magen system, it was revealed that naval forces have intercepted around 30 Iranian UAVs since the beginning of the current campaign—at a launch and interception rate roughly equivalent to the most intense periods of fighting against Hezbollah less than a year ago, with a success rate reaching 100%.

Unlike previous confrontations, the Iranians have so far failed to strike any Israeli targets with UAVs launched directly from Iran, despite having fired more than 200 drones since Friday morning. Some were launched in massive swarms, with dozens of UAVs launched simultaneously, while others were sent in smaller groups, attempting to penetrate Israeli airspace from the Arava to the Golan Heights, through the Jordan Valley, around the clock. The Air Force has so far managed to repel these attacks, which are difficult to detect and intercept, but over the past two days, Navy forces have joined the complex mission more intensively, deploying a variety of interception systems from their ships in both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. These include the naval dome system, Barak missiles, and the new and expensive LARD missiles from the Barak Magen system, which successfully intercepted a UAV on Monday. This multi-layered approach allows the IDF to better manage its munitions economy and address the significant challenges of Arrow missile stockpiles, which are fired in large numbers daily to counter Iran’s ballistic missile barrages.

"We’ve reached a level of cooperation with the Air Force that we’ve never had before, with dozens of launch detections from Iran identified from the sea and relayed to the Air Force, which determines who will carry out the interception mission. We’re protecting the economic and sovereign waters and the gas rigs around the clock, which so far have not been attacked by the Iranians," said the Navy. The Navy is deployed with more than a thousand personnel and operating at full capacity across all arenas, with its forces also taking part in the most sensitive missions in the Iranian theater, utilizing submarines, missile ships, and Shayetet 13 naval commandos. link

Israel is running low on Arrow missile interceptors, WSJ reports

Israeli air defense system fires to intercept Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv, June 13, 2025. (AP/Leo Correa)

Israel is running low on defensive “Arrow” missile interceptors, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing an unnamed US official, raising concerns about the country’s ability to counter long-range ballistic missiles from Iran.
There has been no Israeli confirmation of the report, and no indication from Israel of any shortage of interceptors. Most Iranian missiles fired at Israel in recent days have been intercepted, at similar rates to Iran’s attacks in 2024, according to the IDF.
The IDF planned its operation in Iran months in advance, and claims to have accurate intelligence on Iran’s ballistic missile stockpiles. The military said yesterday that some 40% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed so far in the operation.
The Arrow system is not the only defensive measure being used against Iran’s missiles.
The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) systems in the Middle East capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. US Navy destroyers have also shot down projectiles. link

“Missiles Passed Over Our Heads”: Arrived in the Country by Sea – and Did Not Receive Entry Approval for 7 Hours
For 7 hours, while missiles passed over their heads, a ship that arrived with 54 Israelis from Cyprus did not receive entry approval to the port. Candice, one of the Israelis who was on the ship, says: “It was really stressful. They told us to take cover under the table. It is important that you pay attention to which ship you are boarding.”

While the evacuation flights began this morning, for several days now Israelis have been arriving in the country by sea, with the help of yachts and civilian boats, on a journey that takes about 30 hours and costs quite a bit of money.

Candice, who boarded such a boat yesterday from Larnaca together with her husband, tells mako this morning about the turmoil they experienced on the way to entering the country:
“We got from Budapest to Athens, we heard that a sailing was leaving from Larnaca and we flew there and managed to get on it. We were 54 Israelis, some of them families with small children, 30 hours at sea. We sat on Keter chairs.”

Candice says that despite the difficult journey at sea, the real hardship actually began when they reached the country:
“When we arrived at the Haifa port, they stopped us before the entrance and did not allow us to enter. We were 7 hours waiting, we were exhausted, hungry, with pregnant women. During this time there were also missiles toward the north. It was really stressful, all the interceptions were right above our heads.”

“We asked the person who stopped us just to let us in and get to shelter, and they told us to duck and take cover on the ship, under plastic tables.”

Did you understand why they did not let you in during all that time?
“They told us that we could not enter because the boat owners did not arrange the paperwork properly, that there was no docking space, and that they could approve entry only at six in the morning. We told them that this is not a normal situation, but it did not help. In the end, after 7 hours of waiting, we disembarked at eight at the port.”

“It is important for me to tell Israelis to pay attention to which ship they are boarding, that it has approval to enter a port, that they check how many hours the sailing takes. You have to make sure of all of this beforehand, so that what happened to us does not happen to you. People want so badly to return to the country that they do everything without checking the details. In the end, it is 1,000 euros to sail in a dinghy and sit on a Keter chair. Take that into account.” link. This is absurdity at its peak. The bureaucrats don't know how to stop being bureaucrats and are not living on the same planet as we are, just like our government. I experienced a much easier example of this absurdity when I was at the airport getting ready to fly to Florida for 10 days when the attack started. I was past security and when the alert sounded, quickly passed passport control and went to a protected space. I already decided that I was returning home to be with my family during this trying time when there was an announcement that all flights were cancelled and the airport was closing. Together with another handful of fellow travelers, we went back the way we came and were at the gate of passport control. They told us we had to go back down and follow the instructions of information below because they are not allowed to let people go back from this way. I told them that this was not a usual situation so one of the guards went to his supervisor to get an answer. He came back and told us the same thing, so we went back. It wasn't such a big deal in the end but it was an absurd bureaucratic and automatic response as though things were normal. This is what happened at the Haifa port but they should have been given emergency instructions to assist and enable everyone coming into the port to land, be able to go to the protected spaces at the port entrance and then take care of the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, this government and most of their offices have shown that they are not capable of dealing with a different reality. No end to the failures of this government.

Our Air Defenses

From Iron Dome to Arrow 3- Israel's Defense Systems
*First Layer (outer layer) - Arrow 3 - range 2400 kilometer (1500 miles)
*Second Layer - Arrow 2 and THAAD (American owned and manned) - range 1500 kilometer (930 miles)
*Third Layer - David's Sling - range 300 kilometer (185 miles)
*Fourth Layer - Iron Dome - range 70 kilometer (45 miles)
Ballistic missiles go into the atmosphere and when they are intercepted the shrapnel can fall over a very wide range due to the potential vectors of the fall. That is the reason that we are told to stay in protected spaces until any shrapnel may have fallen in populated spaces.
Below are samples of fallen shrapnel. The last 3 are pieces of Houthis (Yemen) missiles that landed within a radius of less than a mile from my house

Gaza and the South

IDF troops advancing into new area of Jabalia in northern Gaza

IDF troops operate in northern Gaza's Jabalia, in a handout photo published on June 17, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF troops are advancing into an area of northern Gaza’s Jabalia, which has not yet been reached during the military’s ground offensive against Hamas.
The military says for the first time, the 162nd Division is now operating in an area known as “Kafr Jabalia,” named after the Hamas battalion that was responsible for the area.
The IDF says it aims to locate and destroy terror infrastructure in the area, including tunnels. It says that so far, numerous terror operatives have been killed, and several tunnel shafts and rocket launchers have been destroyed.

Hamas officials claim IDF killed at least 50 people near aid site; army checking
Rescuers allege tank fired at crowd; unclear which Khan Younis aid center involved; IDF says it is aware of incident in which troops opened fire, is probing reports

Gaza’s Hamas-controlled civil defense agency said that Israeli forces on Tuesday killed at least 50 people gathered near an aid distribution site in Khan Younis in the territory’s south.

There had previously been almost daily reports of shootings resulting in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians trying to reach the sites of the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Israel has disputed the claims its forces caused mass deaths.

Hamas-run civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal — identified by Israel as a Hamas operative — told AFP that at least 50 people were killed and more than 200 wounded as thousands of Palestinians gathered to receive flour at a charity aid center in the morning.

The figures could not be verified, and Hamas does not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.

“Israeli drones fired at the citizens. Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to a large number of martyrs and wounded,” he said.

The Israeli army said it was looking into the incident.

“Earlier today, Gazans were identified gathering next to an aid truck that got stuck in Khan Younis, next to Israeli forces operating in the area,” the army said in a statement.

“We are aware of reports of a number of casualties from IDF fire after the mass neared [troops.] The details are being checked,” it added. The statement did not mention if a tank was involved.

The army said it regrets any injury to the innocent and acts to minimize harm to civilians while keeping troops protected.

Palestinians who were injured allegedly by Israeli fire as they gathered near a food aid center, receive care at Khan Younis’ Nasser hospital in the southern Gaza Strip on June 17, 2025. (AFP)

Videos shared on social media purporting to be of the aftermath of the incident showed dozens of bodies, some badly mutilated, scattered over a wide area, along with damaged vehicles.

Gaza’s Hamas health ministry later reported that as a result of the incident, “51 martyrs and more than 200 injuries have arrived at Nasser Medical Complex, including 20 in critical condition.”

The World Health Organization said initial reports pointed to at least 20 fatalities.

“This is again the result of another food distribution initiative,” said Thanos Gargavanis, WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer, without giving further details.

The Gaza Strip has been ravaged by more than 20 months of war between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which started the war on October 7, 2023, when it led a devastating invasion of southern Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Tuesday’s incident was the latest in nearly daily reports of mass deaths of Palestinians seeking aid in recent weeks, including near sites operated by the GHF.

Local health officials asserted that at least 23 people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday as they approached a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. In previous incidents, it has occasionally acknowledged troops opening fire near aid sites at suspects who approached their positions while ignoring warnings to stay away. It has suggested the figures provided by Hamas are inflated. Israel blames terrorists for provoking the violence.

The GHF stated in a press release late on Monday that it had distributed more than three million meals at its four distribution sites without incident.

Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, June 15, 2025. (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Israel has put responsibility for distributing much of the aid it allows into Gaza into the hands of the GHF, which operates sites in areas guarded by Israeli troops. Soldiers are not at the centers themselves, though they secure approach routes.

The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous, and violates humanitarian impartiality principles.

Sinwar tunnel sealed

Also Tuesday, the military said a Hamas tunnel that ran underneath the European Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, where the terror group’s leader Muhammed Sinwar was killed in a strike, had been sealed with concrete.

The IDF said that after scanning the tunnel and recovering the bodies of Sinwar and other senior Hamas military wing commanders, it pumped 250 cubic meters of concrete into the underground passages, sealing them shut.

The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous, and violates humanitarian impartiality principles.

Sinwar tunnel sealed

The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous, and violates humanitarian impartiality principles.

Sinwar tunnel sealed

The IDF said it did not blow up the tunnel as it does with many others in Gaza, because that would have damaged the medical center above it.

The military said its actions in the area, including the strike on May 13 that killed Sinwar and the Hamas commanders, were “carried out in a pinpoint and precise manner, while avoiding damage to the hospital building.”

A Times of Israel reporter saw broken windows and other minor damage at the hospital during an army-escorted tour earlier this month.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that 5,139 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on the territory on March 18 following a truce.

Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.

Mediated negotiations between the sides for a new ceasefire and hostage release deal are ongoing

GHF says only three aid distribution sites opened in Gaza today

A Palestinian woman carries a humanitarian aid package west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, on June 16, 2025. (Bashar TALEB / AFP)

After opening four distribution sites yesterday, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation only opens three locations today, and sees a significant drop in the number of meals given out.
The GHF says that it distributed nearly 1.9 million meals today in almost 33,000 boxes, according to its daily update. Yesterday, it distributed over 3.1 million meals in 55,000 boxes, the most since it started operations last month. The foundation says each box contains meals for 5.5 people for 3.5 days.
“Early overcrowding” at the SDS1 site in Rafah’s Tel Sultan neighborhood prevented trucks from arriving, says GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree.
“At present, Gaza is not a controlled environment,” says Acree. “It is a humanitarian emergency and we are operating under an emergency environment in a conflict zone.”
“People are starving and their desperation can create hazardous conditions,” he continues. “The uncomfortable truth is this: Until there is enough food aid inside Gaza, we will not always complete ‘orderly’ deliveries. GHF is doing everything it can to provide food quickly… and at scale. That is much more than can be said for others involved.”
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claimed this morning that Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The World Health Organization said initial reports pointed to at least 20 fatalities.
The IDF says it is investigating.

Israel says 85 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip yesterday

Yesterday, 85 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announces.

Israel resumed aid deliveries to Gaza on May 19, after a pause since March 2. Since then, 1,710 trucks have entered the Strip.

The aid underwent inspection by Israeli authorities before entering via Zikim Crossing in the Strip’s north and Kerem Shalom Crossing in the south.

International humanitarian organizations say the amount of aid entering the Strip is insufficient.

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks

IDF says Palestinian man attempted to stab soldiers, snatch gun in West Bank; suspect ‘neutralized’
A Palestinian man armed with a knife attempted to stab soldiers and snatch one of their guns in the West Bank village of Walaja overnight, the military says.
The IDF says the troops, who were carrying out an operation in the village, opened fire and “neutralized” the suspect.
No soldiers were hurt.

Politics and the War and General News

S&P warns long war with Iran could sink Israel’s credit rating
Global credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s warns that a protracted war with Iran and a sharp escalation will put Israel’s credit rating at risk of further downgrades.
“Developments in the Israel-Iran conflict are testing S&P Global Ratings’ previous assumptions by increasing downside risk including due to the prospect of further escalation,” S&P analysts say. “Israel says its stated aim of destroying Iran’s nuclear capability could take at least two weeks, possibly longer… this points to a more protracted campaign than the 2024 retaliatory strikes.”
“The likelihood of a diplomatic solution appears increasingly distant,” S&P analysts assess, adding that “thus far, developments suggest attacks and counter attacks are seeking to avoid drawing in third countries, such as the US or Gulf countries.”
In May, S&P reaffirmed Israel’s A/A-1 credit rating — which it downgraded twice last year — while keeping its outlook negative, meaning that the country could be facing further downgrades. The rating agency says the negative outlook reflects the “risk that the escalation of military conflict could substantially weaken Israel’s economy and fiscal and balance-of-payments positions.”
Meanwhile, Fitch analysts say in a separate report that they assume that the fighting will remain “contained between Israel and Iran, and will not persist for more than a few weeks.”
“Israel has strong defensive countermeasures and it appears that Iranian strikes have not had a material economic impact,” Fitch analysts note. “We believe Iran’s capacity to retaliate against Israel via proxies in Gaza and Lebanon has been damaged by Israel’s military campaigns in those regions.”
“Both factors suggest it is likely that damage from Iran’s military response to Israel’s latest attacks will not be on a scale that would affect Israel’s rating,” according to Fitch.
The rating agency, which last year lowered Israel’s credit rating, in April affirmed the country’s A credit score, but maintained a negative outlook.
Fitch says risk for a downgrade will “depend on the course and outcome of the conflict, including whether the conflict remains restricted between Israel and Iran, or spreads.” link Throughout Israel's history, our credit rating was never downgraded. The downgrading 3 times were not inevitable, they could have been prevented if we had a responsible government and a responsible and qualified Finance Minister. The credit agencies wanted to see the government take responsible actios during the war to show that they were also dealing with the economy in a proper way, such as closing down the superfluous ministries, which instead of closing them, added hundreds of millions of shekels to their budgets. They expected many other actions that were recommended by the professionals in the finance ministry, to be take by the government and the finance minister that were totally ignored. The credit agencies repeatedly warned that the credit ratings were in danger and the government didn't care. Our unqualified and failed finance minister said that the credit agencies didn't understand what it meant to be at war, as though it was their first time dealing with economies and war or other catastrophic situations. It is quite the opposite. Our finance minister doesn't understand finance, economy or anything about the world but the real problem is that he doesn't even care. He only cares about his extremist messianic ideologies, adding budgets to them, expanding settlements in the West Bank and then Gaza and pushing out all Palestinians. Therefore, the warnings of another credit downgrade doesn't even show up on his to do list. Totally irresponsible like the rest of this failed government.

Knesset panel okays mechanism to increase government funding for local religious councils
The Knesset Finance Committee approves a mechanism to allow the central government to pay a greater share of the budgets of religious councils in areas where the local authorities have difficulty in providing funding.
While opposition lawmakers object to discussing the matter, stating that it is inappropriate to deal with the issue during the ongoing war with Iran, a representative of the Religious Services Ministry says it is necessary now because if the mechanism is not approved within a specified timeframe, the participation rate of all authorities in the budget of the religious councils will automatically be 60 percent, which smaller councils may have trouble affording. full article These are the important things that this totally failed and corrupt government deals with, now to get more money into the hands of the Ultra religious parties, not the fact that there are 2 hundred thousand Israelis trying to get back into the country, not the national crisis whereby 53 of our hostages are still in captivity 621 days after October 7, not the economy that is failing more by the day and the international credit agencies are warning that our credit will be further downgraded, not with the death and destruction of the missiles and the compensation needed immediately for the families who are now refugees from their destroyed homes, not with the fact that our reserves have served hundreds of days and their lives are falling apart as well as the soldiers being killed and injured every day in Gaza. None of this. They have more important things to do. DISGRACE!!!!

The Region and the World

Organizers of march to Gaza say Egyptian authorities beat and detained 3 participants

Members of a humanitarian convoy of at least 1,500 people, including activists and supporters from Algeria and Tunisia, shout pro-Palestinian slogans as they gather, on their way to Gaza via Egypt's Rafah Crossing, in Zawiya, Libya, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)

Organizers of a march to the Egyptian border with Gaza say that three participants were abducted by plainclothes officers in Cairo amid a wave of arbitrary detentions, deportations and abuse by security forces.
Egypt’s interior and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to the allegations. Reuters could not independently verify the reported detentions or conditions.
The Global March to Gaza, launched this month, brought more than 4,000 activists from over 80 countries to Egypt in an attempt to peacefully approach the Rafah Border Crossing and draw attention to Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis, organizers say.
Since their arrival, dozens of participants say they have faced airport interrogations, deportations and roadblocks preventing access to the Sinai peninsula, which provides the land route to Gaza.
In a statement today, organizers say three international participants were forcibly taken from a Cairo cafe yesterday by security officers who did not identify themselves. Those named were Jonas Selhi and Huthayfa Abuserriya, both from Norway, and Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish citizen of Palestinian origin and one of the march’s organizers.
The statement says that according to Selhi, all three men were blindfolded, beaten and interrogated. Abukeshek, he says, faced especially severe abuse. His whereabouts remain unknown, while Selhi and Abuserriya have since been deported to Norway, organizers say.

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

Search This Blog

Lonny's Ramblings