🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 622, 2023

🎗️Day 622 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

Read the opinion piece by Amos Harel from Haaretz - "With Its Goals in Iran Out of Reach and Its Endgame Unclear, What's Next for Israel? - by Amos Harel" in the Iran and Israel section

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

3:50pm yesterday- Golan and Galil areas - drone intrusion
7:30pm yesterday - Gush Dan, Sharon and Northern West Bank areas - 7-8 ballistic missile barrage - some fell before reaching Israel and the 3-4 remaining were intercepted-A vehicle was hit by shrapnel in central Israel as a result of the barrage launched from Iran. According to Magen David Adom (MDA), the driver of the vehicle is fully conscious.
*8:05pm - Gaza envelope - rockets from Gaza - Nirim - rocket fell inside Gaza

10:25pm-north- drone intrusion- Golan Heights - shot down
12:05am - center of country- Gush Dan, Sharon, Shfela, Some of Lachish, Jerusalem areas - Ballistic missiles from Iran- no reports of injuries or damages

1:55am -North - drone intrusion - Golan and Galil areas
2:20am - north - drone intrusion
6:55am - north- multiple drones intrusion- Golan and Galil areas
7:05am - country wide alert - missile barrage from Iran - impacts in 4 separate locations - 3 in Gush Dan and 1 in Beersheva at Soroka Hospital where a building sustained major damage. reports of 2--25 light injuries, direct impact on 4 story building in Holon, impact at the Tel Aviv stock exchange. 1 seriously injured in Holon
Eli Bin, head of the Magen David Adom ambulance service, says a floor at Soroka Hospital that was hit this morning was evacuated of patients only yesterday amid the war. “Many lives were saved,” Bin says. Video of the moment of impact of Soroka hospital
Direct impact on Soroka Hospital in Beersheva
Soroka
Soroka

Direct impact in Ramat Gan
Ramat Gan

Direct impact in Holon

7:35am - north -drone intrusion
12:15pm - Gaza envelope - rockets from Gaza - Nachal Oz

The army announced the death of a soldier killed in battle in South Gaza.
First Sergeant Stav Halfon, 20 from Petach Tikva was killed by a Hamas sniper

MAY HIS MEMORY BE A REVOLUTION!

He was the fourth IDF soldier to fall in the fighting in Gaza in the past week.

Hostage Updates

Until the last hostage

These are the 53 most important faces in Israel today, but not to the government. These are the 53 hostages remaining in the hell of Hamas captivity. These are the 53 people that our Prime Minister has allow to rot and die in Gaza and his entire corrupt and failed government does nothing to bring them home

Israel asked by US, Qatar to send Gaza hostage deal team to Egypt for negotiations - exclusive

An Israeli official speaking to The Post said: "When the conditions are ripe for sending a negotiation delegation, it will proceed at a mutually agreed-upon location."

Relatives and supporters of the hostages, held in Gaza since the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, protest demanding their immediate release with a deal, in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 18, 2025.

Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have called on Israel to dispatch a delegation to Sharm el-Sheikh to negotiate a hostage release deal, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post.

“Due to current flight restrictions, Sharm el-Sheikh was suggested as an alternative venue,” the source explained.

However, an Israeli official, speaking to the Post, denied receiving such a request and labeled the information inaccurate. “When the conditions are ripe for sending a negotiation delegation, it will proceed at a mutually agreed-upon location,” the official said.

Netanyahu identifies 'breakthrough' in Gaza hostage deal talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he identifies a “breakthrough” in the negotiations, noting: “I gave instructions to advance the talks.”

Sources familiar with the negotiations said that talks have been on hold since Israel’s military operation against Iran began. “Both parties are waiting to assess the situation,” two informed sources said.

According to the sources, close coordination between Israel and the US is also influencing Hamas, raising doubts about the reliability of American guarantees for the deal.

Three primary obstacles have hindered the negotiations over the past few weeks. One issue appears to have been resolved, with Israel agreeing to Hamas’s proposal to release eight hostages on the first day and two on Day 55.

The remaining challenges include the scope of Israel’s withdrawal during the deal and the events planned for Day 61, alongside disagreements over ceasing hostilities and continuing talks for the release of the remaining hostages. link. Our negotiations partners should not have to ask Netanyahu to send our negotiating team. We should be begging them to include us and they should not leave until there is white smoke, a deal to bring all the hostages home. Anything less is continued criminality on the part of our failed self-serving prime minister

Parents of hostages and their supporters gather online amid Iranian conflict

A screen capture of attendees at a virtual meeting of Shift 101, the mostly silent protest for the hostages who met online on June 16, 2025 (Courtesy)

With Israel focused on Iran war, families of captives say they feel forgotten, are frustrated by their inability to gather in person and rally for release of their loved ones

With public gatherings forbidden by the IDF Home Front Command during the ongoing war with Iran, hostage family members and their supporters feel worried, frustrated, and unable to rally and protest for their loved ones.

On Monday night, 300 people joined a virtual meeting of Mishmeret 101 (Shift 101), the silent, white-wearing protest group that revolves around hostage parents, meeting several times a week in front of government buildings as part of the struggle to bring the captives in Gaza home.

As the group, which first began gathering in November 2024, was unable to meet in person, it instead sent invitations to a Zoom gathering on Monday evening.

At the start of the meeting, one of the organizers let everyone know that if there were sirens warning of an incoming missile attack, the Zoom session would be concluded and postponed until Tuesday afternoon.

The attendees nodded, some of them already seated in their safe rooms and bomb shelters, bracing for what had become nightly Iranian missile attacks.

Most of the virtual meeting attendees wore white, among them family members of hostages and released captives, including Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen; Dvora Idan, whose son, Tsahi Idan, was killed in captivity; Lee Siegel, the brother of freed hostage Keith Siegel; Niva Wenkert, whose son, Omer Wenkert, was freedfrom captivity; and Maccabit Meyer, the aunt of hostages Ziv and Gali Berman.

“I feel like I’m climbing the walls at home,” said Meyer, who is a regular at the Shift 101 gatherings and other protests for the hostages. “I feel a sense of desperation without the ability to go out and fight for them.”

As the hostage family members spoke, dozens of attendees posted their comments of support in the Zoom chat.

One of the Mishmeret organizers offered a list of activities and actions that could offer support for the hostages and their families and were still currently possible.

The suggestions included printing the PDF of a sign that read, “The hostages don’t have a protected space,” and taking a photo while holding the sign in one’s shelter and then sharing it on social media.

Meyer, along with others, said the concern for their loved ones has only grown following the opening of another battlefront.

“They can’t crawl to any safe space, or hear what is happening,” said Meyer, adding that the family has been told the twin brothers are not held captive together after being taken hostage from their homes in the young adult neighborhood of Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.

Meyer shared a video made to illustrate the bond between her twin nephews, inspired by a now-familiar photo of the Berman brothers, created with photos taken by other twins and siblings.

Ziv and Gali Berman were taken captive by Hamas terrorists from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)

Viki Cohen urged the government during the virtual meeting to end the war in Gaza and bring the hostages home, including her son Nimrod.

“You get the sense that the hostages are not a priority for most people,” said Cohen. “They’re not at the top of the list.”

The next day, on Tuesday morning, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum posted a copy of the Knesset’s daily memo, noting that it didn’t mention the 53 remaining hostages.

“The families of the hostages are shocked and outraged that the issue of bringing back their loved ones has ‘disappeared’ from the government’s agenda,” said the families in a statement.

The forum sent out an invitation to another Zoom meeting on Tuesday night for a conversation between hostage mother Ayelet Samerano, whose son Jonathan Samerano was killed and his body abducted to Gaza on October 7, and journalist Ben Shani.

“During this hour as well, the nation is with the hostages,” read the headline on the flyer.

‘Media just focused on the war with Iran’

Meanwhile, some of the hostage family members are among the nearly 200,000 Israelis currently stranded abroad, as Israel’s airports are closed due to the daily rocket barrages from Iran.

Cohen had told The Times of Israel that her husband and son were stuck in the US, where they had been meeting with politicians and community leaders in Washington, DC, and New York.

Hostage mother Viki Cohen at a recent Shift 101 gathering on June 6, 2025 in Jerusalem (Courtesy)

Ruby Chen, whose son, Itay Chen, a soldier, was killed and his body taken captive to Gaza on October 7, was also en route to Israel from the US when the IDF struck Iran.

Now he is stranded in Europe and trying to meet with politicians and local leaders in order to be as functional as possible, while his wife and younger son are sitting in their apartment’s reinforced room.

“Our topic has somehow been lost,” said Chen, speaking with The Times of Israel on Monday. “Suddenly, the media is talking about the third or fourth day of the war instead of day 619.”

Chen said it reminded him of Hadar Goldin, the soldier who was killed in Gaza in 2014 and whose body was abducted by Hamas.

“Everyone moved on, and I was also guilty of moving forward and not remembering that Hadar and Oron [Shaul] were left in Gaza,” he said. “Now it’s not two, it’s 53, and how is it possible, for the love of God, that the government of Israel can move on without doing anything about this?”

Ruby Chen, the father of slain hostage Itay Chen, speaks in New York before the United Nations Security Council, May 15, 2025 (UN webtv screenshot)

Chen, along with the other parents, believes that releasing the hostages should have been the ultimate goal, rather than dismantling Hamas in Gaza.

Now, however, he is hoping for the possibility of a larger ceasefire with Iran that could include the release of the remaining hostages.

“Netanyahu has this achievement with Iran, but it’s pushed the hostage situation from the daily conversation,” added Viki Cohen. “The media is just focused on the war with Iran.” Link

Israel and Iran

From an excellent Facebook post: Danny Saban:

The empty-headed zealots say: "In the end, it's Netanyahu who dared to make a courageous decision."

Really? That's your bottom line?

So let’s get this straight. The man who spent 15 years talking, warning, speechifying, sounding alarms, puffing himself up, and waving placards at the UN—he is the one who, after a horrific massacre, a collapse of national trust, 20 months of war, thousands wounded, hundreds dead, thousands displaced, hostages forgotten, an economy shattered, and citizens broken…

Suddenly becomes a "hero"?

No.

Not a hero—but a professional credit thief, devoid of morals.

The man who failed to prevent October 7th,

who allowed Hamas to grow, who sanctified Qatari money,

who played with fire—and is now *burning down the house* to escape his trial and disgrace.

He didn’t "dare."

He was dragged.

He didn’t decide.

He exploited a moment—while the IDF, Military Intelligence, Shin Bet, and Mossad had been crafting a plan for years,

preparing the campaign despite him, not because of him.

And here’s the bitter joke:

The man who hesitated for decades, who dragged his feet on every strategic decision,

who chose to blame, incite, and hand out talking points—

Suddenly he’s a "brave leader"?

This isn’t just cynicism—it’s mockery.

Mockery of the families who lost everything.

Mockery of the soldiers worn down to the bone.

Mockery of civilians living in bomb shelters.

Mockery of a nation bleeding out—just so someone can say: "I chose to act."

So no.

Netanyahu is *not* the hero of this decision.

He’s the hero of spin.

The hero of evasion.

He didn’t *choose* the moment—he fled accountability.

Because *leadership* isn’t attacking Iran after the house has burned down.

Leadership would have been preventing the fire.

And him?

He held the lighter.

In the photo on the left: One of the real heroes. Someone who dares every day, who wins battles near and far—for us, not for some populist "leader" (that guy on the right) who excels in bluster, speeches, and stealing credit. link

IDF says about 20 out of 400 Iranian missiles struck in urban areas; casualties far below prewar estimates

Iran has launched over 400 ballistic missiles and some 1,000 drones at Israel since the start of the conflict on Friday, according to fresh data from the IDF.

Of the ballistic missiles, just over 20 impacted urban areas in Israel, causing casualties and extensive damage. Twenty-four people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded.

The casualty figures are far below what the IDF anticipated when it planned the operation against Iran, according to military officials.

Of the 1,000 drones, fewer than 200 reached Israel’s borders and entered Israeli airspace. However, not one of the drones impacted Israel. All were either intercepted by the Israeli Air Force and Navy, or fell short before reaching Israel. Link

“Catastrophic loss”: Inside the destruction of Weizmann’s research labs
Scientists scramble to save freezers, data, and years of research from missile-hit buildings.

After the Weizmann Institute of Science suffered a direct missile strike on Sunday, and another landed near the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, universities across Israel are asking: who’s next?

According to estimates, the value of the Weizmann building that was hit ranges between $50 million and $100 million. University officials now believe that Iran views Israeli academic institutions as strategic assets, a perception that has prompted a ban on campus presence and laboratory work at several institutions.

Damage at the Weizmann Institute

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but several buildings dedicated to life sciences research, including cancer research, were severely damaged, along with a building focused on environmental sciences. A senior academic estimated that the cost of building an empty laboratory facility is around $50 million, and up to $100 million when outfitted with sophisticated equipment. Another expert noted that lab buildings are among the most expensive to construct, second only to hospitals, with an estimated cost of 25,000 shekels per square meter, amounting to 100–250 million shekels per building, not including specialized instruments worth millions of dollars.

“The damage to some laboratories is catastrophic,” said Prof. Sarel Fleishman of the Faculty of Biochemistry at Weizmann. “In life science labs, much of the knowledge is embedded in the devices and freezers, materials developed by researchers over many years. Now we are scrambling to extract what we can and relocate as fast as possible.”

Fleishman’s own lab suffered relatively minor damage, and he is now hosting displaced colleagues.

He explained that these labs study evolutionary and physiological mechanisms, often with applications in drug discovery and cancer diagnostics. “Entire research wings have been destroyed. Some labs have lost all their materials, materials whose value lies in years of expertise and effort. This isn’t just infrastructure loss; it’s decades of student research and life-saving work that may be gone forever,” he said. “It will take years to rebuild. But I believe we will overcome this. The Weizmann community is resilient, and the support we’re receiving globally is invaluable.”

Prof. Daniel Haimovich, president of Ben-Gurion University and chairman of the Council of University Presidents, added:

“No scientific pursuit is worth risking the life of a student or a researcher. Campuses are empty because we know we could be targeted. And now we’ve seen, there’s no distinction between day and night.”

Haimovich stressed that the loss of Weizmann’s cancer research labs represents irreplaceable damage: “When a lab and all its samples and documentation are destroyed, it’s a disaster. We’ll never know which potential treatment or cure has been lost. The cost to human health is immeasurable.”

For security reasons, university officials declined to specify what protective measures are being taken. However, it’s believed that extensive digital backups of research data are now a key priority.

Israeli academia is globally recognized, with Weizmann, Technion, and Hebrew University consistently ranking among the world’s top 100 universities in the Shanghai rankings. But since the start of the judicial overhaul, universities have come under dual pressure: on one front, the government, especially Education Minister Yoav Kisch, has sought to take political control of The Council for Higher Education and key academic bodies; on the other, since the outbreak of war, Israeli academia has faced hundreds of global boycott efforts, many triggered by inflammatory statements from ministers about the expulsion of Gazans and obstruction of humanitarian aid.

Against the backdrop of the government's growing hostility toward academia, some researchers have remarked ironically that Iran seems to value Israeli science more than the Israeli government does.

“It’s clear that Israeli academia is a target,” said Haimovich. “The Weizmann Institute and other institutions have been deliberately hit. At least the Iranians recognize the power of science, unlike our own government.”

He recounted a conversation with a senior government official who blamed the BDS movement on Israeli academics:

“We’re treated as enemies of the people, even though our research fuels the very technologies that defend Israel. The pilots, the intelligence units, the engineers - they all come from our universities.”

Haimovich concluded: “The government must understand that investing in research is the best security investment Israel can make. Scientists need independence to pursue discoveries. The greatest threat to academia is politicization, particularly of institutions like The Council for Higher Education, where political interests may override scientific merit.” link

After Four Days: The Dog Tzvika Was Rescued From the Rubble in Rishon LeZion
The family members of the dog believed he had been killed by the missile strike on Saturday morning, but today, during an operation by the Oketz Unit and the Rishon LeZion Municipality, he was found among the ruins. Tali Shabtai, whose baby daughter was filmed in the arms of a policewoman after the missile strike, said: “I did not believe it when they discovered he was alive.”

The dog of the Shabtai family – whose home was destroyed by the Iranian missile strike in Rishon LeZion and who had been missing since Saturday – was found safe and sound after four days by soldiers from the Oketz Unit and representatives of the Rishon LeZion Municipality. The dog was found during a drill simulating a disaster site. Two people were killed in the missile strike on Saturday morning.

Tali Shabtai, mother of the two-month-old baby who survived the missile strike and was filmed in the arms of a policewoman, told excitedly:
“This is a double miracle. First of all – our little baby survived, and also Renana, who is three, my husband Ariel, and I. And now – a second miracle: Tzvika, our beloved 13-year-old dog, was found alive, after five days during which we thought he was dead.”

According to her, at the time of the strike, Tzvika was under the sofa that collapsed.
“Apparently, that is what saved him – the sofa absorbed the impact of the destruction and did not crush him completely. In the days after, I cried, I mourned, I thought he had not survived. Today I burst into tears, I did not believe it when we discovered he was alive. It turned out he had been hiding under the living room all that time.”

Tvika and Renana

Tali Shabtai's baby in the arms or a police officer on Shabbat

Shabtai described a huge sense of relief:

“This is supreme happiness. For me, it is a double miracle.”
Tzvika is the best friend of Renana, the three-year-old.
“She kept asking where he was, and we told her he ran away. Now, finally, we can tell her that we found him.”

As mentioned, those who located the dog were Oketz soldiers, in cooperation with the Rishon LeZion Municipality. The forces continued searching in the area of the missile strike, and during the search, they heard barking. It then turned out to be the dog of a family whose house was completely destroyed and who had been evacuated to a hotel.

Female soldiers from the Oketz Unit, representatives of the municipal veterinary service in the Rishon LeZion Municipality, and the municipal emergency coordinator of Rishon LeZion, Nir Neumann, who coordinated the drill – were surprised to discover that the dog was in relatively good health, but very startled and frightened.

Tvika within the destruction

The city veterinarian, Rafael Vaturi, examined the dog and even called the owners so they could try to calm him. From there, the dog Tzvika was transferred to the veterinary hospital in Beit Dagan, where he will undergo treatment and an initial assessment of his condition, and from there the municipality is expected to return him to his family.

The mayor of Rishon LeZion, Raz Kinstlich, said:
“After several difficult days, it is moving to receive such joyful news and return to the dear family their beloved dog Tzvika, after he had been missing since the moment of the impact, and to give them a point of light. Now we are waiting for the moment when we can return Tzvika to his loving family.” link

Why the IDF is removing home front restrictions after 1,000 drones, 400 missiles - analysis
The Islamic Republic has fired over 400 ballistic missiles and launched over 1,000 drones against Israel, with fewer than 30 missile hits in civilian areas, killing around 25 people.

As surprised as Israelis were to find themselves at war with Iran on Friday morning, they were possibly as equally surprised that already on Wednesday afternoon the IDF started to reduce the home front restrictions which on one hand make it less likely that Iran can hit as many people exposed outdoors, but on the other hand shut down large aspects of civilian life.

Essentially, the story is about statistics.
The Islamic Republic has fired over 400 ballistic missiles and launched over 1,000 drones against Israel, with less than 30 missile hits in civilian areas, killing around 25 people, and not a single drone killing anyone.

Around 600 people have been wounded and reportedly around 4,000 people have been forced to move out of structures damaged by the missiles, but this might be half of the worst case scenario that the military was expecting or prepared for.

And Tehran still might yet outwit the IDF and manage some deadly strikes which could force the IDF to backtrack to more home front restrictions.

But the idea is that allowing 30 people to congregate outdoors in some areas, 50 in other areas, and around 100 indoors in areas with safe spaces is a reasonable risk to take after six days of fighting with Iran as the home front command notices a clear pattern of reduced number of missiles barrages and reduced volume of missiles per barrage.

Anti-missile system fires interception missiles as missiles fired from Iran as it seen from Tel Aviv, June 18, 2025. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90)

The IDF said that this change is coming about from a mix of data points: it has destroyed around 40% of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, significantly reducing how many missiles can be fired at once.

It has destroyed much of the command and control units which would help coordinate mass barrages at once, even those missile crews who succeed at getting to an area for firing are sometimes failing to fire or firing with less accuracy due to the perception or actuality of being hunted by the air force as they do it.

Regarding the drones, of the 1,000 launched drones, it is not just that none of them have killed an Israeli, it is that around 800 of them have been shot down or crashed on their own long before even getting close to Israel's border - given the 1,500 kilometers they must travel at slow speeds to arrive in Israel.

The IDF also highlighted that the calculations are impacted directly by Iranian strategy

To date, Iran has fired far more on the Tel Aviv and central Israel areas than on the periphery border areas, such that the restrictions - for the first time in the war - are more lenient for the border areas than for the central parts of the country.

According to the IDF, the hope is a staggered reopening of the Israeli economy, assuming that these earlier and smaller stages of reopening do not lead to more casualties from ongoing Iranian attacks.

Likewise with synagogues and other public gatherings, there is now some room to reopen, though with very limited numbers.

Education settings are still expected to remain closed longer both because they are filled with children who are considered more vulnerable, and also because they tend to inherently have much larger numbers of people.

However, the IDF said that special education settings may start to open up given that they can often operate in smaller numbers. link

Neglect of shelters in Arab towns a ‘grave failure that puts lives at risk,’ report warns

New report slams Israel’s planning policies for leaving hundreds of thousands in Arab areas without shelters; In East Jerusalem, only 60 shelters exist, while just 250 have been built in the Negev
The deadly Iranian missile barrage in recent days, which left more than 20 civilians dead and hundreds wounded, has cast a harsh spotlight on the dire lack of bomb shelters in Arab and Bedouin communities across Israel. Four women were killed in the northern city of Tamra, where no public shelters or fortified buildings were available, underscoring the life-threatening gap in protection. While most Israeli cities have public shelters even when residential buildings lack reinforced rooms, hundreds of thousands of citizens in Arab and Bedouin areas remain without even the most basic protective infrastructure. A key reason, officials say, is that many homes were built without permits and therefore lack formal recognition, meaning no official protection plans can be approved for them.

Iranian missile strikes apartment building in Tamra (Photo: Ahmad Gharabli/ AFP)

A new position paper by the Israeli nonprofit Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights, released Tuesday for the first time, reviews the status of civil defense in Arab towns, Bedouin villages and East Jerusalem. The findings point to a systemic failure and discriminatory planning policies that have resulted in a severe shortage of shelters, directly endangering residents’ lives. The report concludes that the state’s neglect of protection in Arab communities amounts to a grave and ongoing failure.

According to the report, approximately 100,000 Bedouin citizens live in about 35 unrecognized villages across the Negev, in makeshift structures made of tin and concrete blocks that lack reinforced rooms or any basic safety features. These homes offer no protection from missile attacks. Another 200,000 Bedouins live in officially recognized Negev towns. But even in these areas most structures were built without permits and do not meet safety codes, making it nearly impossible to add proper fortification. Despite the urgent need, only around 250 shelter points have been established in the Negev since October 2023—roughly half funded by the government, with the rest coming from private initiatives or civil society organizations. Bimkom says the low number “illustrates the government’s failure to provide an adequate response.”

The scene in Bat Yam

The situation in Arab communities in northern and central Israel is also troubling. Many of these towns lack approved zoning plans, making it impossible to issue building permits or retrofit existing homes with shelters. In most cases, the structures were built independently by residents, and technical, financial, and planning barriers make reinforcement infeasible.

In East Jerusalem, home to nearly 400,000 Palestinians, there are only about 60 public shelters—most located in schools. In contrast, West Jerusalem boasts hundreds of public shelters and reinforced spaces in newer or renovated buildings. This gap highlights a massive disparity in civilian protection between the two sides of the city. Furthermore, most homes in East Jerusalem were built without permits or are considered legal only because they existed before Israeli law was applied to the area. As a result, they lack protected spaces and leave residents highly vulnerable during attacks.

The authors of the report note that the National Outline Plan for Shelters (TAMA 40 A/1/1), fast-tracked after the October 2023 Hamas attack, was intended to streamline the approval process for adding reinforced rooms to private and public buildings. However, the plan includes no government funding and offers no practical support for implementation in economically disadvantaged communities. The burden of planning and financing protective spaces, they argue, has been unfairly shifted to private citizens and local authorities, without providing them with the necessary tools or resources to do so.

The funding issue, Bimkom notes, does not fall under the responsibility of the National Planning Administration or the National Housing Headquarters, but rather depends on the willingness of the Israeli government and the Finance Ministry to allocate the required budget.

In Arab and Bedouin communities—among the most socioeconomically marginalized in the country—where most existing buildings do not meet safety standards, simply speeding up the permit process is not a viable solution. The plan also lacks any monitoring or enforcement mechanisms to ensure its effectiveness.

Furthermore, TAMA 38, a separate framework for strengthening buildings against earthquakes, which can also be used for fortification, relies on market incentives and is only feasible for economically viable projects. As such, it has failed to protect the periphery and Arab communities, where profitability is limited or nonexistent.

Bimkom is calling on the Israeli government and local authorities to urgently and responsibly address the shelter disparity through long-term planning, dedicated public funding, technical and financial assistance for residents, and oversight to ensure that reinforced structures are built in all communities that need them.

“Discriminatory planning against Arab and Bedouin communities is worsening the already dire situation for these vulnerable populations in the face of real security threats,” the organization said. “This systemic neglect disproportionately harms the most at-risk citizens—and must end immediately.”

In response to Ynet’s request for comment, the National Planning Administration and the National Housing Headquarters said:

Planning institutions are responsible only for planning issues. Already in October 2023, just days after the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, the National Planning and Building Council approved a national outline plan to streamline the process for adding protected spaces, regardless of sector. Additionally, a separate outline plan was approved for setting up temporary shelters nationwide without requiring permits—this will also apply to the Bedouin areas in the south. Funding and implementation are not under the responsibility of the planning bodies.” link

Police disperse mass Hasidic wedding held in violation of war restrictions
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox celebrants gather outside the Belz Great Synagogue in Jerusalem for a wedding, held despite IDF restrictions of public gatherings amid war with Iran, on June 18, 2025. (Screenshot/Ynet)

Police dispersed a massive Hasidic wedding held this evening in Jerusalem that flouted the IDF’s restrictions on public gatherings amid ongoing war with Iran, Hebrew outlets report.

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered outside the Belz Hasidic dynasty’s main synagogue in the capital to celebrate the wedding of the granddaughter of Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the sect’s spiritual leader.

The wedding was held despite the Home Front Command’s 30-person limit for public gatherings in most areas of the country, provided they could reach a protected space in time.

The chuppah ceremony, held on the roof of the synagogue, was broadcast to the masses congregated in a walled-off area adjacent to the building.

“Police arrived at the scene with reinforced manpower,” law enforcement said in a statement, as quoted by Ynet. “A dispersal order was issued accordingly, and the participants left the premises.” link It is truly unbelievable that during a time of national crisis, when gatherings of more than 30 people is illegal because of the inherent dangers, these Haredim don't think that they are part of Israel and don't have to adhere to laws that they don't like. For anyone who might say, it's their problem if they get hurt or killed, they are wrong. A mass event takes tremendous resources away from other areas that are in need as well and all the emergency workers and volunteers who would have to respond are immediately in danger as well. It's unfortunate that they aren't punished with fines or arrests. It is the only way for them to learn, even a little.

With Its Goals in Iran Out of Reach and Its Endgame Unclear, What's Next for Israel? - by Amos Harel

The Israeli attack on Iran, which sparked an all-out war between the two countries, was meant to delay Iran's plans by two to three years. Its main goal was to delay the Iranians from swiftly obtaining the ability to develop a complete nuclear weapon, from increasing the number of ballistic missiles in their arsenal to around 8,000 in the next two years and from making progress toward implementing a major attack on Israel, which Israelis have dubbed the Iranian "plan of annihilation."

The Israeli airstrikes, which have also included the assassination of dozens of senior officials of the Iranian regime and its security services, is supposed to pave the way for intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump. Jerusalem is still hoping that thanks to its military operation, Trump will be able to force the Iranians to accept a more demanding agreement.

Meanwhile, it's also clear that Israel is trying to promote the downfall of the regime. That was evident in Monday's strikes, which were aimed at targets identified with the regime, like the headquarters of Iranian state television. But this is a more ambitious goal that probably isn't achievable. The rising number of Iranian civilians killed in the Israeli strikes may well produce the opposite effect, by leading part of the public to close ranks around their hated regime against the external threat.

Yet even after four days of war, enormous damage in Tehran and considerable damage in Tel Aviv, it's impossible to say that the goals, overt or less so, have been achieved or are even within reach. Have realistic goals even been set, or are the "goals" merely wishes?

Israel began the war brilliantly, but the military operation is far from over. There's uncertainty regarding the U.S. position as well as uncertainty over the scenarios for ending the war. And naturally, there is a fear that this will become a long war of attrition for which Israel isn't prepared.

Even as we are awed by the successes that the air force, Military Intelligence and the Mossad racked up during the attack, as well as the interceptions by our aerial defense systems and the daring of rescuers from the Home Front Command, we shouldn't ignore the basic fact that almost all recent governments failed to do anything to eliminate one critical gap. A sizable percentage of Israelis – tens of percent – have no accessible protection from rockets in the form of a nearby shelter or safe room. And many of them live in major cities.

Moreover, nobody prepared the public for the differences between missile fire from the Gaza Strip or Yemen and what residents of greater Tel Aviv and Haifa have experienced over the past few nights. After the Israel Defense Forces wisely destroyed the bulk of Hezbollah's missile threat, many Israelis presumably thought the major risk had been reduced.

As of Monday evening, 25 Israelis had been killed by Iran's massive missile strikes. Hundreds of others are wounded and dozens of buildings are either destroyed or will have to be demolished. This is damage on a scale that Israelis aren't used to – at least not those living in the center of the country.

Since the war began, Iran has launched some 350 ballistic missiles at Israel. More than 90 percent of them were either intercepted by our aerial defense systems or landed in open areas. And the number of people killed has been lower than the IDF General Staff initially predicted.

Obeying the Home Front Command's instructions and staying in a shelter or a safe room usually saves lives. To date, aside from those killed in a direct missile hit on a safe room in a building in Petah Tikva early Monday morning, no one has been killed in a safe room. But obviously, these are interim findings. A mass casualty incident, or a direct hit on a strategic asset or a site with symbolic importance would change the mood on the home front, which is already tense and anxious.

The IDF points out that one important advantage has been achieved – Israel has complete freedom of the skies in western Iran, achieved with the help of precise intelligence in real time. This goal was already achieved on Saturday, faster than the army expected, and it has enabled the air force to hit dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers and hundreds of missiles. The attacks on senior officials are also continuing, though on a smaller scale.

The IDF describes this as acquiring the same freedom of action in the third circle – that is, Iran – as it has in the first, namely Gaza or Lebanon. Israel has thereby imitated the United States' tactic at the start of its two wars against Iraq, in 1991 and 2003 – "shock and awe," a method that relies mainly on the use of airpower.

Too good to be true

Where does Israel go from here? As written in these pages at the start of the war, the most important and decisive factor was the extent of American support for Israel. Will the public statements, the transfer of ammunition and the intelligence and air-defense assistance be translated to offensive measures? On Monday, there was a lot of focus on the movement of 30 U.S. refueling aircraft eastward from an American base.

In the first scenario, the Americans join in an attack on the Fordow nuclear facilities and other regime targets. That would change the balance of power entirely and realize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fantasies. However, Trump hasn't given any indication of moving in that direction, and the isolationist circles around him are strongly opposed to direct U.S. involvement.

In the second scenario, Trump urges Netanyahu to quickly end the war while he's ahead and forces a cease-fire on both sides, while trying to reach a new nuclear agreement with tougher conditions for Iran (the IDF hopes that they will be given more time to attack, despite the damage on the home front).

The third scenario – and perhaps the most dangerous – touches on a war of attrition. Israel could find itself in the same situation as Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for more than three years. But at least Ukraine enjoys strong international support.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Iran has already relayed urgent signals of its desire to end the war and resume nuclear talks. According to the report, which is attributed to officials in the Middle East and Europe, Tehran conveyed these messages through Arab intermediaries to the United States and Israel.

This is very encouraging news, but raises a slight suspicion that at such an early stage in the war, it may be too good to be true. Iran has been hit hard by Israel, with attacks unprecedented in scope, but it's impossible to ignore the determination that the extremist regime has demonstrated to date. Moreover, the Journal (without involving its skilled staff in Israel) has been suspected in recent years of serving as a conduit for stories favorable to Netanyahu.

One person who is unwisely contributing to the accusations that Israel is deliberately targeting civilians in Tehran is Defense Minister Israel Katz. On Monday, following heavy shelling of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, Katz wrote on X that "the residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon."

Such remarks entangle Israel, and Katz himself, with accusations of war crimes, precisely on the front where the IDF is more selective in its use of fire than in Gaza. Later, Katz was forced to issue a clarification. This is no longer a ridiculous matter, but one of real damage. Pilots are risking their lives in Iran, soldiers are being killed in Gaza and so are civilians on the home front – while for Katz, the war appears to be one big photo op. "He was, there is no kinder or gentler word for it, a fool," journalist David Halberstam said about Robert McNamara, the U.S. defense secretary during much of the Vietnam War.

Katz is the man Netanyahu chose to put into such a senior position in the midst of a war. What else keeps the prime minister busy during this difficult war, as he embarks on the most important strategic campaign of his life? On Monday, he appealed to the High Court of Justice to overturn the attorney general's opinion to enable Maj. Gen. David Zini, his candidate to lead the Shin Bet security agency, to be urgently appointed to the position after Ronen Bar stepped down a day earlier. The journey to dismantle democracy continues, despite the war in Iran, and may even accelerate under its auspices.

The calculations

To preserve the element of surprise, Netanyahu didn't bother to let the citizens of Israel in on his considerations on the eve of the attack. After the first attack, he explained that new intelligence had emerged in recent months that left him no choice but to act. Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who now enjoys a high level of public trust, troubled to make clear that the decision to go to war was "businesslike and professional." But many former defense establishment officials have doubts, mainly about the prime minister's considerations, which have justifiably been questionable in recent years.

Intelligence officials told Haaretz on Monday that the Iranians exploited the lengthy negotiations over the Americans' return to the nuclear agreement, first at the end of President Joe Biden's term and then at the start of Trump's, to accelerate its nuclear project. Renewed work was identified in the project's weapons group, among others. Most of that group's leading scientists were killed in a targeted Israeli strike on the night of the first attack.

The army had recommended to undertake the operation in June, after several previous postponements, with the idea that capabilities to carry out opening moves would have been completed. However, waiting further could have led to gaps in the Iranian air defenses being closed. That is why the attack was launched when it was. There will be room to revisit these considerations, both while the war is fought, and even more so when it's over.

about the author - Amos Harel, the recipient of the 2015 Sokolov prize for print journalism, is Haaretz's military analyst. Harel (b.1968) was Haaretz's military correspondent from 1997-2007, and was a news editor and head of the news desk in the five years prior.

Harel is the author of three books, two of them co-written with Avi Issacharoff: "The Seventh War" (2004), about the second intifada, and "Spider Webs" (2008), about the second Lebanon war. Both books were bestsellers. "The Seventh War" won the Tshetshik Prize for Strategic Studies on Israel's Security in 2005, and "Spider Webs" got the same award in 2009.

Harel has a B.LL (Bachelor of Laws) from Tel Aviv University. He is married and has three children. link There are a number of glaring points in this article that I need to emphasize. I'll start with the simplists, the Defense Minister Katz. The previous Defense Minister Galant had been an acolyte of Netanyahu's until some point months into the war in Gaza. He was mainly influenced by Gadi Eisenkott and Benny Gantz who joined the government from the opposition to be in the war cabinet. Galant found his voice and it was one which didn't go along with everything that Netanyahu said. Quite the opposite. He finally understood that Netanyahu first and foremost looked out for himself and all of his decisions were first based on what was good or bad for him and then for the country. Galant, who spent most of his adult life serving the country in the IDF saw things very differently and acting on what he believed was best for the country, first and foremost, even at his own political and personal expense. Therefore, Netanyahu publicly fired him and the streets reacted. All the hundreds of thousands who had been fighting against Netanyahu's judicial overthrow took to the streets to protest. The amazing thing was that this was across the political spectrum with most of the protestors in a state of non belief that they were protesting for the benefit of a man who was seen as too far right and too close to Netanyahu and would never have come out on his behalf in the past. Long story short, Netanyahu canceled the firing and Galant continued in his role until a few months ago when Netanyahu once again fired him because of Galant's public statements against Netanyahu's actions and directions. Netanyahu did what he always tries to do, put someone else in who would exclusively be his useful idiot and his yesman and that is why he put Yisrael Katz, who has proven himself to be exactly those things that Netanyahu wants.
Now, more directly to Netanyahu. In all of his very long (too long) time as prime minister, he has never presented a strategic plan for anything, so his lack of any strategic plan for any of our war fronts is not a surprise. However, this total lack of strategy is a national danger. The lack of strategy presents us with wars of attrition on multiple fronts with no exit plan in site. Netanyahu knows very well how to start wars. He never has any plans on how to end them and we all suffer. Soldiers have to keep fighting on multiple fronts, reservists are called to more and more duty, already serving hundreds of days, soldiers are being killed, injured and maimed, our 53 hostages are rotting in the hell of Hamas' captivity, our economy is crashing, the homefront is paralyzed with millions having to shelter multiple times a day, the skies closed for an indetermined period of time, hundreds of thousands of Israelis stuck outside the country, and the list goes on. The only area that Netanyahu and his cronies always have strategic plans is around his personal political survival and his legacy. For himself, he has one of the best well oiled machines of public relations and a devastating poison machine that he uses against all of his enemies and opponents. If he and his team put 1% of their energies towards the benefit of the state and not just the benefit of Netanyahu, our situation would probably be considerably better.

Police halt broadcast of foreign outlets reporting from missile impact sites

Police halted the broadcast of several foreign news agencies reporting from missile impact sites this morning.

The agencies’ footage — which police say revealed “precise locations” — was apparently being used by the Al Jazeera news network, banned in Israel since last summer.

A spokesman for police says patrol units were dispatched to take action “against news agencies utilized by Al Jazeera to transmit unauthorized and unlawful content.”

In footage of the police action shared by the National Security Ministry, an officer is seen ordering a cameraman to hand over his recording device.

The cameraman resists and can be heard saying to him in Hebrew: “They are seeing you on CNN, seeing you on BBC, seeing you all over the world, so calm down for a second.” The cameraman requests that the officer talk to the police spokesman, and adds that he can’t help it if other channels are using his broadcast.

The decision was made “in accordance with the policy of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and under the directive of Police Commissioner Danny Levy,” says a police spokesman.

Earlier this week, police raided the offices of foreign TV crews after they broadcast missile impacts in the Haifa area, where barrages had targeted sensitive facilities.

Ben Gvir has pledged to crack down on foreign media broadcasting the locations of missile impacts.

“Broadcasts that show exactly where the missiles land on the State of Israel are a danger to state security,” he said from a missile impact site in Petah Tikva on Tuesday. “I expect that anyone who does this be treated as someone who harms state security.”

Israeli authorities have sought to limit information on impact locations they argue can be used by Iran to better calibrate its missiles.

Gaza and the South

Thousands of reservists in the Gaza division: Preparations for ground maneuver continue
The IDF has called up thousands of reservists in the Gaza Division and transferred some of them to the field. In cooperation with the Air Force, they are practicing scenarios for entering the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, troops inside Gaza eliminated terrorists yesterday. 'Every day that passes without a ground operation creates pressure,' said sources.

IDF targets 'pockets of anarchy' in Gaza amid unusual Khan Younis shooting While IDF prioritizes war with Iran, humanitarian aid operations in Gaza continue to erode Hamas’ authority, distributing over 442,000 weekly packages amid security challenges, including black-market resale and sporadic violence While the IDF remains fully focused on the war with Iran, humanitarian aid operations in Gaza continue to move forward. The military remains engaged in Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which carries a heavy toll, but due to a reduction in available forces, its activity in Gaza has shifted. Alongside combat operations, distribution of aid packages by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) continues at several points throughout the strip.

On Tuesday morning, a crowd of Gazans gathered near an aid truck that had broken down in the Khan Younis area, close to IDF troops operating in the sector. As the crowd approached the truck and the troops, gunfire was opened toward the Gazans. Local reports indicate several casualties. An IDF spokesperson stated: “The details are under review. The IDF regrets any harm to non-combatants and acts to minimize such incidents as much as possible while ensuring the safety of IDF troops.”

For the first time since the American organization began operations, all four distribution points were open to Gaza residents on Monday. According to security sources, since the beginning of the aid distribution, 442,080 packages have been handed out, with each package designed to support five people for one week.

Security officials explain that the aid distribution continues to erode Hamas’ control and governance. Gazans are coming to the distribution points and simply taking care of themselves. The war with Iran has impacted Gaza mainly in terms of deterrence but has also fueled public frustration. Many residents feel that with the world’s attention focused on the war with Iran, the negotiations and efforts to end the conflict in Gaza — which they desire — have been sidelined.

Aid distributed in southern Gaza

Hamas, for its part, is trying to assert authority over the distribution points but has so far failed to do so. “In fact,” a security source explains, “this is the most serious governance crisis Hamas has faced since the war began, and the intention is to keep up this pressure.”

The humanitarian operation may expand further, with an additional four distribution points expected to open, which would also establish a daily routine for Gazans. However, there are still gaps that the American foundation and the security establishment are working to address. Currently, there is no reliable system for tracking who receives aid packages. As a result, people are sometimes coming to the distribution points repeatedly, day after day.

The American organization is working to improve the situation, aiming for each distribution center to serve a designated list of individuals who can collect aid packages once a week. Due to the lack of monitoring, reports have surfaced of a black market where individuals collect multiple aid packages and resell them to other Gazans at inflated prices.

At this stage, the security establishment sees no signs that Hamas is taking control of the humanitarian aid. A few days ago, a video circulated on social media showing a Gazan — allegedly a former Hamas member — arriving at one of the distribution points. “This further undermines Hamas’ authority, embarrassing and humiliating it,” a security source explained.

The collapse of Hamas’ authority and the breaking of the population’s fear barrier has created pockets of anarchy in certain areas. Trucks delivering medical supplies and cooking equipment to northern Gaza, in coordination with Israeli government approvals, are sometimes looted before reaching their destinations — as happened again in the Khan Younis incident. Still, there are no indications that Hamas was behind these events.

Following adjustments made to the distribution points, several key questions remain. Will the aid operation — which is severely damaging Hamas — be suspended as part of negotiations for hostage releases? Will Hamas demand an end to the aid in response to the pressure and humiliation it faces? And if so, how will Israel respond, and could an agreement be reached to relocate distribution points to the Gaza border?

To deal with the pockets of anarchy, security officials are considering a proposal for the IDF to isolate certain areas from Hamas, allowing aid trucks to enter those zones and enabling civilians to manage the process on a district-based system. For now, this idea remains distant and is naturally tied to the outcome of ongoing hostage negotiations.

The defense establishment currently views the American humanitarian aid operation as one of the most significant developments in the war. The goal is to continue this plan in order to sever Hamas’ hold over the Gaza population as much as possible and eventually allow the emergence of a new, demilitarized leadership. LINK

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks

Five battalions enter refugee camp in Nablus: 'Expanding activity in the area'
Five battalions from the Samaria Brigade entered the Balata refugee camp in Nablus as part of the expanded operations in northern Samaria and as part of Operation 'Iron Wall,' alongside police forces and Shin Bet. The IDF spokesperson reported this, adding that the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit simultaneously began operating in the settlement of Meithalun in Samaria. It was also reported that security forces launched operations in Qalqilya, Salfit and Jayyous in the Ephraim Brigade area. The forces searched hundreds of homes, arrested wanted individuals and confiscated combat equipment and military gear.

Politics and the War and General News

Finance Ministry delaying transfer of funds for more shelters in high-risk towns

The Finance Ministry is dragging its feet on the transfer of funds to build more shelters in communities at high risk of Iranian missile fire, Army Radio reports.

This morning, MKs Naor Shiri (Yesh Atid) and Naama Lazimi (Labor) submitted an inquiry to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the holdup on an NIS 100 million ($29 million) budget to bolster protective infrastructure.

The plan, undertaken in a joint decision by the Defense Ministry and IDF Home Front Command, would set aside NIS 50 million to construct portable shelters in areas with a shortage of protected spaces.

These shelters will first go up in the Gush Dan area in central Israel. Afterwards, more will be built in the Shfela (Judean foothills) region, then the Krayot, a cluster of suburbs just north of Haifa, Kan reported earlier this week.

Unlike the portable shelters scattered throughout the south to protect communities near the Gaza border, these structures will be better suited for the Iranian missile threat, with closable doors, providing better defense against ballistic missile shrapnel.

The other half of the budget is to go to renovating already-existing shelters, improving their electricity, ventilation and plumbing systems, using Defense Ministry contractors.

The IDF and Defense Ministry submitted the request two days ago to the Finance Ministry, but the latter is apparently demanding to see the full plans before greenlighting the initiative.

Sources familiar with the issue tell Army Radio that dozens of shelters could have already been placed in high-risk areas if not for the days of delay amid ballistic missile fire from Iran.

Despite the holdup, several locales in the Gush Dan area have already received portable shelters from the Home Front Command, including Bnei Brak and Ramat Hasharon.

Both the Defense Ministry and Finance Ministry declined to respond to Army Radio’s requests for comment. link Why should the Finance Ministry headed by the most unqualified and failure of a Finance Minister do anything for the safety and good of the country and its citizens if the money required isn't going to the only 2 things Smotrich cares about: settlement in the West Bank and Gaza and extremist messianic religious education? That is where he makes sure all of the money goes and all of his efforts.

The Region and the World

Hezbollah sits on the sidelines and the Houthis barely fire: Iran's friends appear to have abandoned her

After almost a week of war, the weakened Lebanese terror group is content with statements and condemnations, and the rebels in Yemen are threatening but not acting; The pro-Iranian militias in Iraq are also encountering difficulties, after being expelled from Syria; But things could change when the U.S. enters the campaign

Six days into the war between Israel and Iran, the Islamic Republic’s armed terror proxies in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen have largely refrained from joining the fight, despite vocal support and threats. While Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias have condemned Israel’s actions, they have so far held their fire—each for its own reasons. Only the Houthis in Yemen have continued sporadic launches toward Israel, though at a lower rate than before the war. 

The situation, however, could shift if the United States escalates its involvement.

Hezbollah cautious amid domestic pressures
Hezbollah, which suffered significant blows during its campaign against Israel—waged in what it claimed was “support for Gaza”—has taken a restrained stance. Though it condemned the initial Israeli strike in Iran and denounced U.S. involvement, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has not threatened retaliation. The group is facing mounting political pressure in Lebanon, including calls to disarm, and has reportedly received explicit warnings against dragging the country into a broader war.
“We stand with Iran politically, in the media, and publicly," senior Hezbollah figure Mahmoud Qamati stated Sunday. "Iran has not asked us for military support—it can defend itself.” 

He added that Israel’s claim of monitoring Hezbollah’s movements was a pretext to justify continued strikes on Lebanon. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah echoed this message, saying Iran has never demanded others fight on its behalf: “When attacked, its sovereignty and dignity prevent it from relying on anything other than its own strength and leadership.”
Iraqi militias restrained amid political shifts
Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have also remained quiet, partly due to shifting dynamics in Syria and Iraq. The fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime and weakening of the Iranian axis in Syria have forced these militias to retreat from cross-border operations. Now concentrated within Iraq, they face limitations on launching attacks, particularly with the Iraqi leadership wary of endangering state stability.
Shiite militiamen near Kirkuk, Iraq(Photo: Reuters)
Though some drones were reportedly observed near U.S. bases in Iraq in recent days, according to a senior source quoted by Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar, they crashed before reaching their targets. Another militia source said they were merely trying to “remind Washington that Iraq is not an open arena” and stressed that if the conflict widens, Iraq “will not remain neutral.” For now, however, they are aligned with Iran’s call for restraint.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is reportedly pressuring militia leaders to avoid provocative rhetoric. On Sunday, the pro-Iranian Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement asserting that Iran does not need military assistance to deter “the Zionist entity.” However, the group warned that if the U.S. joins the war, it will target American interests and bases across the region. They called on Baghdad to expel U.S. forces and shut down the American embassy—framing Washington as “the most dangerous threat to Iraq’s security and regional stability.”
Houthi supporters rall in Sanaa(Photo: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
The muted responses from Hezbollah and the Iraqi militias do not appear to stem from a lack of capacity but rather from political considerations and external constraints. Lebanese channel MTV, a critic of Hezbollah, remarked: “Is it a lack of weapons or a lack of a green light? Only the coming days will tell. For now, the Lebanese are enjoying neutrality.”
Houthis continue threats, but hold back
Among Iran’s proxies, only the Houthis in Yemen continue to fire toward Israel, albeit less frequently. Houthi political council member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Al Jazeera that Israel “crossed all red lines” by attacking Iranian nuclear sites, and warned: “Any aggression against an Arab or Muslim country will be met with an inevitable Yemeni response. We will support Iran just as we supported our brothers in Gaza.”
Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, said late Sunday that Iran has the right to strike back at any nation attacking or aiding Israel: “It has enough capabilities to respond, and it maintains extensive agreements and relations with many countries.”
While the Iranian regime’s regional proxies remain in the background for now, shifting dynamics—including U.S. military involvement—could quickly alter their calculus.  Link

Personal Stories

Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

IPS - Israel Prison System

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen

PMO- Prime Minister's Office

UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission

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