π️Lonny's War Update- October 630, 2023 - June 27, 2025 π️
- Hostage families urge US intervention to end war in Gaza like it did with Iran
Orna and Ronen Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra, taken hostage and killed in Gaza on October 7, 2023, during a June 26, 2025 press conference. (Screen capture)Four hostages’ family members, Ilan Dallal, Dalia Cusnir-Horn, Orna and Ronen Neutra and Lea Goldin, speak to reporters during a virtual press conference organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and MediaCentral on Thursday about the need to press for a hostage deal with Hamas now that the 12-day war with Iran had ended with a ceasefire.
“The war needs to end for the whole region to be able to move forward,” says Orna Neutra, whose son, Omer Neutra, was taken captive on October 7 and killed in a Gaza tunnel, where his body is still held hostage.
“We feel that the war in Gaza is prolonged for political reasons,” says Omer’s father, Ronen. “So we’re asking President Trump to intervene and do what he did with Iran and put pressure on Hamas and Israel. The people are tired, it’s time to end this conflict.”
The family members emphasized that there is an opportunity now to push for a deal with Hamas following the ceasefire with Iran.
Ilan Dallal, father of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalla, during a June 26, 2025, press conference (Screen capture)“There’s this amazing success that Israel just had in Iran, and we need to leverage that,” says Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still held hostage while her other brother-in-law, Iair Horn, was released in February.
“We’re being told all the time that negotiations are taking place but that Hamas is not willing to change,” says Cusnir-Horn. “What we’re trying to tell the US administration and President Trump is… Israel also has to take this agreement, just like it did with Iran. Maybe this conflict with Iran didn’t end the way Israel wanted, but just as the US intervened with Iran, this is the kind of leadership we ask for from President Trump with Hamas.” link
- Slain Gaza hostage Ofra Keidar buried in Be'eri; 'Mom, I survived. I’m alive' daughter saysOfra Keidar was laid to rest 629 days after her murder and abduction to Gaza; Herzog at her grave urges Netanyahu to act: 'This is a pivotal moment—we must bring the hostages home'The funeral of rescued hostage Ofra Keidar, 70, was held Thursday at the cemetery in Kibbutz Be’eri. Keidar, a longtime resident of the kibbutz, was murdered on October 7 during the Hamas massacre, and her body was abducted to Gaza. She was killed while on her usual morning walk near her home.Her husband, Sami, also was murdered in their house, and his caregiver was wounded. She is survived by her three children—Elad, Oren and Yael—and several grandchildren.Yael and Ofra KeidarKeidar’s body was recovered from Gaza during a joint IDF and Shin Bet operation earlier this week, alongside the remains of hostages Sgt. Maj. (res.) Shai Levinson and Jonathan Samerano. “We are in deep pain, but we also feel relief that we can finally bury Ofra in the soil of Be’eri, the land she so loved,” the family said after her return. “The return of all the hostages is a moral obligation. We pray that all families will be able to close this circle of terror—some with recovery, others through burial.”On the morning of the attack, Keidar managed to speak by phone with her son Elad, telling him there was gunfire all around her. Two months later, her family received official confirmation of her murder. Speaking at the funeral, Elad said: “A huge void opened in our lives on October 7. Two months later, we were told you’d been murdered during that call. Over time, we felt some relief knowing you didn’t suffer.”Elad KeidarAfter we were informed your body had been returned from Gaza, I couldn’t stop replaying that last phone call—watching the footage, thinking about the situation we were in, and the moment you faced the terrorists. I started analyzing it all from every angle, trying to understand every detail. I need those answers to close my own personal circle. I truly hope every hostage family gets to do the same.”Yael, Keidar’s daughter, also delivered an emotional eulogy: “I want to tell you that I survived. I’m alive. I’m heartbroken that you’re gone. We weren’t just mother and daughter—we were friends. I miss your hugs and carry your values forward. I want you to know there are good people who are with me and love me. My dear brothers, Elad and Oren, are always by my side, even when it’s hard. I want to thank all the soldiers who brought you home. May your memory be a blessing. I love you and will remember you forever.”President Isaac Herzog also spoke at the funeral, declaring: “The entire State of Israel has a sacred duty: to never forget our brothers and sisters still suffering in Gaza’s tunnels. We must bring them home—every one of them, the living and the dead.”“I call on the prime minister and all decision-makers: this is a pivotal moment. After the successes of Operation Rising Lion, we must take another step—and another—and bring them home. Send the teams, the senior officials, to Qatar, Cairo, wherever needed. Speak with whoever needs to be spoken to. Act with resolve, creativity and urgency—by every means, until they are back with us.”Standing at the graveside, Herzog added: “As president of the State of Israel, on behalf of the nation, I ask your forgiveness. Forgive us for not protecting you on that cursed day. Forgive us for failing to rescue so many—more than 100 members of Be’eri—from the hands of the Hamas murderers. Forgive us for taking so long, for leaving you to face your fate alone—so few, against so many, and so cruel.” link
π️Day 630 that 50 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivityπ️
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*8:00pm yesterday - Missile from the Houthis in Yemen - fell before reaching the borders of Israel
Netanyahu, Trump said working on plan to end Gaza war and expand Abraham Accords
One report claims deal is imminent, despite mediators saying no progress made in Cairo talks; PM said hoping to receive pardon in criminal graft trial as part of agreement
US President Donald Trump is reportedly pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conclude the 20-month-old war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the success of the 12-day war against Iran, several Hebrew media outlets reported Thursday, amid calls in Israel for the same.
The Kan public broadcaster reported that Trump’s demand to cancel Netanyahu’s criminal trial was also linked to this effort.
The report said that an unnamed senior Israeli official close to Netanyahu had said Trump’s Truth Social post demanding that Netanyahu no longer be forced to stand trial on multiple criminal charges “wasn’t sent out for no reason.”
“It is part of a larger move that is meant to bring an end to the war in Gaza, the release of all the hostages, an end to Netanyahu’s trial, and a serious regional move,” said the official.
According to the source, Trump published the statement “to prepare public opinion in Israel for a pardon process for Netanyahu.”
The Kan report said coalition members were planning to utilize Trump’s tweet in order to advance legislation or processes that would lead to the cancellation of Netanyahu’s trial. It cited potential efforts to advance a so-called “French law” under which a serving prime minister could not be prosecuted; canceling the offense of breach of trust, one of the charges against Netanyahu in all three of the cases he is battling; and seeking a presidential pardon.
The report’s publication coincided with a Channel 12 report that said Netanyahu’s lawyer was involved in a recent, failed effort to arrange a plea bargain for him.
It was unclear from the Kan report how the cancellation of Netanyahu’s trial would be integrated into a regional deal, or indeed whether such a move would even be possible.
Yet at the same time, mediators involved in the ongoing ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations between Israel and Hamas said Thursday there had yet to be any breakthrough in that regard, and that there wouldn’t be one unless both sides started taking negotiations in Cairo more seriously.
Meanwhile, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported that as part of the American president’s plan to end the war, new countries would join the Abraham Accords, and Israel would be required to commit to supporting a future Palestinian state.
According to the outlet, Trump brought up the matter of ending the war during a “euphoric” phone call with Netanyahu late on Monday, following the US’s weekend strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities.
The two leaders were joined on the call by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, said the outlet.
Citing an unnamed source familiar with the conversation, the newspaper reported that during the phone call, the two leaders agreed to wrap up the war in Gaza within two weeks, requiring Israel to halt its military offensive and Hamas to release the remaining 50 hostages.
The Palestinian terror group’s leadership would then be exiled, and four Arab states, including the UAE and Egypt, would be tasked with jointly governing the war-torn enclave in its place, the report said. It did not identify the other two Arab states that would supposedly govern the territory.
As part of the rehabilitation of the Strip, any Gazans wishing to emigrate would be absorbed by several unnamed countries, Israel Hayom said.
Arab states have repeatedly asserted that they will not take part in the postwar rehabilitation of Gaza absent Israeli acquiescence to the Palestinian Authority gaining a foothold in the Strip as part of a pathway to a future two-state solution, a demand that, until now, Netanyahu has flatly rejected.
Moreover, Hamas’s leaders have also long rejected demands to go into exile.
As part of the plan, Trump and Netanyahu were said to have agreed that Israel would be required to express support for a future two-state solution, conditioned on reforms made by the Palestinian Authority. In exchange, Washington would recognize Israeli sovereignty in some parts of the West Bank.
With the end of the war in Gaza and a renewed Israeli commitment to a future two-state solution, both Saudi Arabia and Syria would establish ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, the report stated, and other Arab and Muslim countries would follow suit.
Saudi Arabia has long conditioned the establishment of diplomatic ties on Israel’s commitment to Palestinian statehood, while the possibility of peace with Syria has been raised repeatedly in recent months as the two countries are reportedly in direct contact following the fall of the Assad regime last year.
Prior to Israel’s 12-day war with Iran and Israel’s extensive blows to the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Trump was said to be pushing Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza.
Now, with the ceasefire there holding, he has resumed these efforts, two unnamed political sources told Israel Hayom. Another source denied this to the outlet, saying they weren’t familiar with any pressure.
The heady plan for the future of Gaza, Israel, and the wider region explained Trump’s fury over Israel’s planned retaliation to Iran’s violation of the nascent ceasefire on Tuesday, the report claimed, as well as his Truth Social post on Thursday demanding an end to the premier’s corruption trial.
Trump’s apparent demand for Israel to wrap up its war in Gaza following the successful Iran offensive is being increasingly echoed in Israel, including by President Isaac Herzog.
Speaking at the funeral of slain hostage Ofra Keidar, whose body was recovered from Gaza earlier this week, Herzog urged Netanyahu and the country’s top decision makers to act at this “key moment” following the war with Iran and secure a deal to bring home the remaining hostages.
“Send all the teams, at the most senior levels, talk to everyone you need to talk to, keep working in every way and with all your might until they return to us,” the president demanded.
This call was picked up by relatives of the hostages as well, who told reporters during a virtual press conference on Thursday that with the ceasefire in Iran, a renewed push for a hostage deal must come next.
“There’s this amazing success that Israel just had in Iran and we need to leverage that,” said Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still held hostage in Gaza. Eitan’s brother, Iair Horn, was released in February.
Mourners attend the funeral of slain hostage Ofra Keidar, at the Kibbutz Be’eri cemetery, June 26, 2025. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)But even amid the renewed push to bring an end to the war, Kan reported that no progress had been made in Cairo, where Palestinian-American political activist Bishara Bahbah has been in talks with senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad about a US ceasefire proposal.
Bahbah told the Jordanian Al Ghad TV channel on Tuesday that it would be possible to reach a deal “within days,” and that very few remaining disagreements remained between Israel and Hamas over the terms of the deal.
But according to Kan, there has still yet to be a breakthrough with regard to these final disagreements, as Hamas is refusing to seriously engage in the talks with Bahbah unless Israel also dispatches a delegation to Egypt.
Sources told The Times of Israel earlier this week that Jerusalem was holding off on sending a delegation until it was able to determine whether the war with Iran had influenced Hamas to soften its positions.
But a Palestinian source familiar with negotiations told Kan that Hamas was responding in kind and was refusing to dispatch senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya to the Cairo talks unless Israel sent a team as well.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages, including 49 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 28 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. Hamas is also holding the body of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014. Link OMG, this is a new low for Netanyahu, a person who constantly goes lower and lower without restraint. He is basically blackmailing the hostage families and the Israeli public that fir him to end the war and bring home the hostages, we have to let him go free from his criminal trials and impending possibility of going to prison. If this doesn’t scream ‘guilty’ more than anything else, what does? Netanyahu refused a plea deal because it meant he would receive a ‘scarlet letter’ forbidding him from public office which means the end of his political life and immediately stepping down. Now he is pushing for a presidential pardon. However, in the history of presidential pardons in Israel, the person receiving the pardon must admit guilt. Netanyahu refuses to admit guilt.
- Hostage families protest in Tel Aviv, demand full deal, slam Netanyahu over Gaza war
Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv as hostage families declared an end to 'partial deals,' urging a full agreement to free hostages from Gaza and slamming the government for prolonging the war
Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square Thursday evening, answering a call from hostage families demanding a full deal to bring all the captives home. The protest, which turned into a march, ended with the arrest of seven demonstrators, some of whom sat on and blocked a major roadway.Protestors in Tel Aviv demand a full hostage dealPolice labeled the event an “illegal protest,” citing attempts to block central streets and clashes with officers. “Protesters began marching toward unauthorized locations, endangering themselves and others,” the police said. “After declaring the protest illegal, participants continued to disrupt order and were pushed back by officers.” Earlier in the day, families of the hostages held a press conference demanding an immediate, comprehensive deal. “The military achievements are clear, but politically we’ve failed,” said Udi Goren, cousin of captive soldier Tal Haimi. “We defeated a near-nuclear power in under two weeks, but can’t end a war against terrorists with sandals and AKs?” Vicky Cohen, mother of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen, read a letter she said her son could not write. “Dear Mom, it’s dark here. I miss you so much. I’d give anything for one hug,” she read. “For me, it’s one endless day since October 7.”Cohen added: “He’s been rotting in tunnels for 629 days. The time for partial deals is over.”Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is also a hostage, addressed U.S. President Donald Trump directly: “You ended the war with Iran. End the one in Gaza. Bring my son home.”Bar Godard, daughter of slain hostage Meni Godard, pointed to the disparity: “We defeated Iran in 12 days. And we’re still dragging on against Hamas? There’s no full victory without the hostages.”Attorney Ayelet Hashachar Seidov, leader of the “Mothers at the Front” group, declared: “Our children are not bargaining chips. The only victory Netanyahu has achieved is over his own people.”She continued, “629 days of abandonment and lies. The government buys time with our children’s blood. Wars are being fought with the lives of other people’s children.”Activist Shikma Bressler also spoke, urging President Isaac Herzog not to “let Israel become a banana republic.” She warned of a shift toward religious dictatorship and accused the government of prolonging the war to preserve political power.“This war must end,” she concluded. “We are here to make sure Israel remains a democracy that values life, redeems its captives, and chooses peace.” link -
"If it weren’t for the girls, I would have stayed with David in captivity. I wouldn’t have agreed to be released."
The missiles from Iran took her right back to October 7: “During the siren, I held the door shut, thinking terrorists were coming to murder us.” Sharon Aloni Cunio shares in a powerful and painful WhatsApp interview with Moshe Nussbaum the trauma that haunts her and her daughters, Emma and Yuli, every day — and the nerve-wracking anticipation of her husband David’s release from captivity: “Not a day goes by that I don’t replay every minute of the separation that was forced on us. It tore our hearts apart.”Moshe Nussbaum in conversation
with Sharon Aloni CunioMoshe Nussbaum:
Hello to Sharon Aloni Cunio, survivor of captivity, who was kidnapped along with her little daughters, Emma and Yuli, and her husband David, who has now been held by Hamas for almost 630 days. Tuesday, 09:30. Where am I catching you?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Hi Moshe, morning of day 627, after another sleepless night.Moshe Nussbaum:
I wouldn’t for a second compare my nights to yours — no matter how difficult or nerve-wracking they might be. I’m not a good example, because this war caught me stuck in the U.S. after treatments and tests in Boston. I just got back to Israel yesterday… Tell me, how are you?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
I think that after almost two years of an ongoing nightmare for every Israeli citizen, everyone is dealing with their own challenges. And I think that even with the terrible situation my daughters and I are in, it doesn’t take away from the fact that every Israeli is experiencing hardship in their own way.Moshe Nussbaum:
Today a ceasefire with Iran was announced, and the number one question on everyone’s mind is whether and to what extent this ceasefire will help advance the return of your husband David and the other hostages.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Moshe (can I call you Moshe?), one important thing — my husband David is not the only hostage in the family. His brother Ariel, my dear brother-in-law, Emma and Yuli’s uncle, is also a hostage.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
And to your question — that really is the million-dollar question. I don’t know what to tell you… I just want to hope that now all the focus of the country’s leadership will be on one thing only — how to bring back all 50 hostages (including the late Inbar Haiman) — the living for rehabilitation and the dead for burial. I really hope that from now on, this is the only thing they’ll deal with — One can only dream.Moshe Nussbaum:
First of all, please do call me Moshe (or even Nussi, even though we didn’t know each other until now…). We’ll talk more about Ariel later, of course. How did you and the girls cope with the missiles from Iran and the sirens over the past ten days?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
It’s complicated. At the first siren, I somehow managed to pull myself together and get the girls into the bomb shelter. The moment I slammed the door shut, I was thrown straight back to October 7. Sadly, we’ve already had sirens since being released from captivity, but this time it was different. I went into a panic attack, imagined hearing terrorists in the house, and found myself holding the shelter door shut out of fear that they would come in and murder us.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Even after Home Front Command gave the all-clear, I couldn’t leave. I was sure it was a deception, and they were waiting quietly outside. It ended in the morning, when the girls opened the door.Moshe Nussbaum:
What you’re describing is unfathomable.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
I know, but unfortunately, this is the reality I live in now. I haven’t even begun my rehabilitation process, and so October 7 is still very much alive and kicking inside me. The only difference is that on October 7, it was David who held the shelter door for five hours, even though it was scalding hot from the terrorists setting our house on fire. This time, I had to hold it.Moshe Nussbaum:
Honestly, after hearing such descriptions, I find it hard to move on to other topics — even if they’re related.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
What did you want to talk about?Moshe Nussbaum:
A bit about how you feel. Do you think the war with Iran over the last ten days caused the public to forget about the hostages still held by Hamas?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
In terms of the media — yes. The media and public agenda completely changed, and naturally, there was much less talk about the hostages. But I must acknowledge our amazing people, who didn’t forget for even a moment.On social media, I saw thousands of posts from citizens who shared the message that the hostages have no safe space.
Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Who knows that better than me? As a family, when we were held hostage in Gaza, a missile hit the house next to where we were being held.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
I can’t even begin to describe the feelings that went through our bodies in those moments.Moshe Nussbaum:
The last sign of life you received from David was in February. Can you describe what you felt when you got that update?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
For over a year I was in a fog — the last sign of life I received was from the released female hostages sometime in November 2023, who told me what happened after we were separated. Every day, I hoped for a sign of life — to hear that he was managing to cope with the impossible situation.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Nussi, think about it for a second. We were sure families would be released together — that’s what the terrorists told us the whole time. David kept saying he was afraid they’d leave the men behind, and I kept insisting, based on what the terrorists said, that that wouldn’t happen. When the last rounds of releases started, I waited each week for a hostage to come out and say they were together. Every week that passed without that broke my heart and sent me into a tough place for the whole following week. Then Sagiv Dekel-Chen was released from captivity — he had been with David in the tunnel. That very day, he called me and told me about David’s condition. But since then, I haven’t heard anything.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Not a day goes by that I don’t replay every minute of the separation that was forced on us. It tore our hearts to shreds. If the girls weren’t in the picture, I would’ve stayed with him and wouldn’t have agreed to be released. The thought that I had to leave him behind (not by choice, of course) crushes me daily.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Nussi, that man is the love of my life. We’ve been together since our early twenties — nearly 12 years. I don’t know my life without him. And honestly? I don’t want to know them. That’s the biggest fear.Moshe Nussbaum:
I totally understand you!Moshe Nussbaum:
Can you share what Sagiv said about his condition?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Yes, right away, but look what’s happening — there’s a ceasefire with Iran, and now rockets are falling in the north. It’s making me anxious that the focus will no longer return to Gaza.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
He told me David is holding on, thinks about us a lot, and clings to the fact that he knows we were released and that we are safe.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
That said, there are many medical issues that require immediate treatment, which he’s not getting. I’m very worried. There were some extremely difficult periods, which out of respect for his privacy I won’t detail, but it only highlights the urgency of ending this and bringing everyone home.Moshe Nussbaum:
His brother, Ariel Cunio, is also held by Hamas. What do you know about his captivity? Are they being held together?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
We know for certain that they are not held together — at least as of February.And this is an opportunity to say how much of a hero Arbel Yehud is — his partner. Ever since she was released from captivity, after being held alone in Gaza for such a long time, she has poured her heart into the fight for Ariel’s release.
Sharon Aloni Cunio:
She (Arbel) leaves no room for doubt: he’s there, he’s alive, and she’s not giving up on him. She doesn’t let anyone forget him. She’s incredible.Moshe Nussbaum:
If you could speak to David and Ariel right now — what would you say to them?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Wow, what a hard question. I think I would tell them that the entire country is fighting to bring them back home. That there isn’t a single moment that passes where we don’t think about them, love them, cry for them, miss them, and are broken without them. That we promise to do everything to bring them back, even when it feels hopeless.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
That I wish they could see the girls now — how strong and amazing they are. That I’m proud of them every day and just want them back here, safe and whole. And to David… that I love him more than anything in the world. And that I’ll never stop waiting.Moshe Nussbaum:
I don’t know how you’re able to hold all this pain and still remain so clear and strong. It’s hard to even read your words without breaking down. And you live this — every day, every hour, every minute.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
I do not always manage to stay strong. But I’m a mother — I don’t have the option of collapsing. I owe it to Emma and Yuli to keep going, to make sure their lives don’t stop too. And honestly? They are the ones who keep me going. They are my light.Moshe Nussbaum:
What do the girls know? Do they talk about captivity? About their father?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
They know everything. I don’t lie to them. I believe in telling children the truth — in an age-appropriate way. They know we were kidnapped by bad people. They know they hurt us. They know we managed to get out — but that daddy and uncle Ariel are still there.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
And yes, they talk about it a lot. They draw, they ask questions, they reenact things in their play. Sometimes they’re scared. Sometimes they ask really hard questions. But mostly — they miss him terribly.Moshe Nussbaum:
What can you tell and share about your and the girls’ rehabilitation: What does your daily routine look like?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Honestly? Depressing.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
The nights are the hardest for the girls. That’s when all the defenses drop and control slips away, and with that come the nightmares, the screaming, the nonstop crying, and the worry for Dad’s life. Of course, we’ve long since switched to co-sleeping. I can’t sleep. I’m quite afraid of it — because that’s when my own nightmares come.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
My peace comes mainly while they’re at preschool (as long as there aren’t missiles from Iran π), and even that time is mostly spent in breakdowns, crying, and loneliness — while I’m fighting for David’s return. From the moment they come home, I put on the mask of a “normal” mom, a happy mom — and I have to hide the real situation from the girls. But let’s be real — they’re pretty much geniuses. They sense everything. They don’t stop asking hard questions on an hourly basis — questions I honestly have no answers to. You have to remember that in a week they’ll be five years old, and I need to give them age-appropriate explanations. But who the hell prepares explanations for a situation where Dad is in captivity? Especially when they know exactly what Gaza is.Moshe Nussbaum:
How do they cope with the trauma of the kidnapping?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
You have to remember their story is a little different. Yuli was kidnapped together with David, and I joined them later.
For Emma, on the other hand, Dad disappeared, Mom disappeared, and eventually she was taken from the hands of her aunt, Danielle, upon entering Gaza. If that’s not horrific enough, she also saw sights no human, of any age — especially children — should ever see.Just to give you a small taste, she described one of the situations in the words: “The man spilled in red.” She was held alone for ten days in Gaza — a three-year-old girl. She tells about those days from her own eyes. I want to hope it didn’t leave her with too-deep scars, but judging by how it looks — that’s probably just wishful thinking.
Sharon Aloni Cunio:
One thing I know for sure: she needs her father to hug her tight, really tight, and help her return to herself.
Last night, she shared with me her ongoing worry — that she’s afraid Dad won’t come back alive — but this time, she added a new fear: that she’s afraid I’ll die and disappear on her too.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Our daughters had their innocence stolen at age three. It will take us years to recover — if at all. But we won’t even be able to begin until David comes back to us.Moshe Nussbaum:
You say, “It’ll take us years to recover”: According to experts and based on what you feel — how long will this accompany the girls in their lives? Is there any chance that this scar will heal?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
There is no precedent for this horrific situation, so we’re the case study the world will learn from. So unfortunately, there is no answer to that question — only hope.Moshe Nussbaum:
Do you notice a difference in how the two of them react?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Of course. Even though they’re identical twins, they’re completely different.
Yuli is more emotional and expresses her struggles more throughout the day (with tantrums), and at night she allows herself to rest — but she must have me close.
Emma, on the other hand, really tries to project strength during her waking hours, and only near bedtime do all the fears come out — and her nights are hard.Moshe Nussbaum:
Both you and your sister Danielle are captivity survivors, and so are your daughters — how do you strengthen one another?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Danielle is oxygen for me. She’s very present in my and the girls’ lives. She takes it upon herself to do everything for them when I can’t function — even when it’s at a moment’s notice and she has to cancel everything. But it’s not just her. It’s my parents, who jump in at every moment, and my brother, who comes at my first call — just because I don’t want to be alone.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Nussy, just try for a moment to step into the shoes of my amazing parents, Remos and Riki. In a single moment — their family disappeared.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
My dad described it perfectly: “We were ten — we’re left with four.” All the rest were in an unclear status. They had no information for many weeks on whether we were even alive. I don’t wish that on any parent. My parents also deserve to heal, and they won’t begin their recovery until David and Ariel are here.Moshe Nussbaum:
Last month, Yarden Bibas joined you and Eitan — David’s twin brother — in a video marking David’s 35th birthday in captivity. What kind of connection do you have with Yarden, and how much strength do you manage to draw from him?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Yarden is life. Truly. We talk every day. It makes no sense that in this situation — he is the one giving me strength. He’s fighting for David — his best friend — instead of recovering from the tragedy that was forced on him. He’s strong and brave, and I thank God every day that he’s part of my life.Moshe Nussbaum:
I’m sending you a short video:Moshe Nussbaum:
It’s been almost two months since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the International Bible Quiz for Youth that returning the hostages is an important goal — but victory over our enemies is the top goal of the war. Are you angry at Netanyahu over those remarks?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Naturally, I was very disappointed to hear that the Prime Minister doesn’t see the return of my husband — who was kidnapped in pajamas from our home on October 7th and the state wasn’t there for him — as a top priority.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
I see the incredible achievements Netanyahu has brought in the war with Iran, and I say to him from this platform: You’re aiming for “total victory” — but there won’t be any total victory here without David and the rest of the hostages being here. If the order of priorities doesn’t change urgently, this will be a stain on us as a society.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
I think a lot about the Prime Minister’s brother, the late Yoni [Netanyahu], who gave his life to rescue hostages. Decades later, the Prime Minister now also has an opportunity to embrace the life-saving values that guided his heroic brother.Moshe Nussbaum:
And finally, assuming — and hoping — that the ceasefire with Iran holds, what call would you like to make now to the public in Israel?Sharon Aloni Cunio:
The people of Israel, in all its diversity, want to see the hostages home. If there were differences of opinion until now about priorities — that’s over. It’s time to end this. It’s time to bring everyone back. It’s time to heal ourselves as a society. And that won’t happen without the return of the hostages.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
I want to call out from here to the people of Israel: This is the time, this is the moment, this is the hour — be with us. Each one in your own way: in the square, in prayers, in a hug, or a kind word.
And remember — this is not a right-left issue. It’s a moral issue for an entire country, and absolutely not a private tragedy of 50 families.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
And one final word, truly final, to the dear soldiers — who left their homes, their failies, and their lives 627 days ago and have been fighting day and night, knowing they are risking their lives: I just want to say a huge thank you. You too deserve to return to life.Moshe Nussbaum:
Sharon Aloni Cunio, thank you for an honest, powerful, and painful conversation. I’m an incurable optimist by nature: I hope and believe that very soon we’ll be able to share in your joy and the joy of all the families — with the return of David and all the other hostages home. Thank you so much, and a big hug.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
Thank you, Nussy, for the care and sensitivity. I’m waiting for the day we can breathe again. Please don’t stop mentioning the hostages at every opportunity.
A big hug ❤️Moshe Nussbaum:
Sharon, I know you didn’t ask for this conversation to be published, and we just exchanged messages for me to hear how you are. But I’m asking for your permission to publish this conversation, because I think the entire country needs to hear your voice.Sharon Aloni Cunio:
If it will help bring David and Ariel and everyone home — then yes. Please publish it. link
- From Tehran to Tel Aviv, Benny Sabati helps Israelis decode the Iranian regime
Benny Sabati, an INSS analyst and Tehran-born former intelligence officer, has become Israel’s most trusted voice on the Islamic Republic; With firsthand experience and calm authority, he warns that Iran’s regime may crumble under pressure—'the Ayatollah's inner circle is collapsing; he’ll be left alone'
Benny Sabati never expected to become a household name. A senior analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies, he has spent years decoding Iran's behavior for policymakers and academics. But in the days after Operation Rising Lion erupted, Sabati became a surprise breakout star. His calm, fluent Farsi, and data-driven insights have made him a fixture on Israeli television, the go-to expert to explain Tehran's motives and missteps to a nation under threat.Benny Sabati never expected to become a household name. A senior analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies, he has spent years decoding Iran's behavior for policymakers and academics. But in the days after Operation Rising Lion erupted, Sabati became a surprise breakout star. His calm, fluent Farsi, and data-driven insights have made him a fixture on Israeli television, the go-to expert to explain Tehran's motives and missteps to a nation under threat."What I’m about to say may sound wrong," he told a Sunday morning panel, hours after an Iranian barrage left 10 Israelis dead, "but as someone who was a child during the Iran-Iraq War, I prefer to focus on Israel’s insane achievements. Iranians are messaging me saying, 'You’ve conquered western Iran—this makes no sense.' On the other hand, I see our casualties and understand the price we’re paying."Sabati has long advocated for taking the Iranian threat seriously and not falling back on illusions of diplomacy. "They only negotiate when a sword is at their neck. And even then, they see it as temporary—as a hudna," he said, using the Arabic term for truce or armistice.His insights don’t come from theory alone. Born in Tehran, Sabati spent the first 15 years of his life under the Shah and then the Revolutionary Guards. What began as a secular, Western-facing childhood morphed into a nightmare of repression. "As a kid, it was terrifying—scenes I didn’t witness again until October 7," he recalled.His family fled after his father, a CPA, was accused of collaborating with Israel and was nearly killed by the Revolutionary Guards. In 1987, they crossed the border with the help of smugglers and arrived in Israel. The transition wasn’t easy. "For Persian-speaking kids like me, it was rough. Not just the language—Israelis aren’t easy people," he admitted.He refers to this period not as absorption but as "acclimation," noting how his accent and hair became the subject of ridicule. "You look like Eli Ohana," kids would tease, referring to a former Israeli soccer icon.But over time, Sabati turned what once made him self-conscious into assets. "At first, it was a mark of shame. Later, I saw it could be an advantage. After my army service, a career counselor told me: 'This is your calling card. Don’t hide it.'"He joined military intelligence, served for three decades, and today uses his background to shape national strategy. His critics include Eliyahu Yossian, a researcher of Iran and the Middle East, known for his hawkish takes. Sabati avoids ad hominem attacks but hints at philosophical differences. "I, too, came to Israel thinking I was right and everyone else was wrong. Eventually, I learned. You can get your point across without wishing death on others. I’ve changed. I hope he can, too.Sabati’s expertise even informed the creators of the Israeli espionage series "Tehran," where he served as cultural consultant. His input added nuance—from details about Revolutionary Guard hypocrisy to underground desert parties where teens blasted music from the King of Pop at dawn, hoping to dance before the morality police arrived. "You ran alone. That wasn’t individualism—it was isolation," he said.Sabati’s reading of the Iranian psyche is grim but clear. "Three things mean nothing to the regime: life, time, and money," he said. "They’ll wait out their enemies until the global winds shift. It’s not that they win—they just outlast."Yet, he believes Israel has changed the equation. "At the rate we’re striking," he said, "Iran could see a fundamental shift in power within two weeks. The Ayatollah's inner circle is collapsing—he’ll be left alone."Victory, in Sabati’s eyes, won’t come with a surrender document, but with subtle signals. "When they start signaling a desire to negotiate, that means they’ve broken. With their pride and delusions of grandeur, it’s very hard for them to climb down from a tree once they’ve climbed it."Can Israelis and Iranians be friends again? Sabati seems resolute: "Absolutely. They already look up to us. They constantly ask how to get a visa to Israel. Everyone there watched 'Tehran.' It’s popular because it’s anti-regime. Our friendship will look different—but it’s possible."And what does he think about his sudden media fame? He chuckles. "Shampoo," he quips. "Everyone tells me with this hair I should do shampoo ads." Behind the modest jokes is a man who spent decades preparing for a moment he never sought—but is now uniquely qualified to meet. link Netanyahu agreed to end Gaza war within two weeks after US strike on Iran
After the US strike on Iran earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump agreed on a rapid end to the war in Gaza and expansion of the Abraham Accords, Israel Hayom reports, citing “a source familiar with the conversation.”
According to the outlet, Trump and Netanyahu agreed in a phone call that the war in Gaza would end within two weeks. Four Arab states, including the UAE and Egypt, would jointly govern the Gaza Strip in place of Hamas. The terror group’s leadership would be exiled, and all hostages would be released.
However, Arab allies have repeatedly asserted that they will not take part in the postwar rehabilitation of Gaza absent Israeli acquiescence to the Palestinian Authority gaining a foothold in Gaza as part of a pathway to a future two-state solution, but Netanyahu has flatly rejected any PA role in the Strip.
Moreover, Hamas’s leaders have also long rejected demands to go into exile.
Trump and Netanyahu were joined on the “euphoric” call late Monday night by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, says Israel Hayom.
Gazans who wish to emigrate would be absorbed by several unnamed countries, says the report.
Saudi Arabia and Syria would establish diplomatic ties with Israel, and other Arab and Muslim countries would follow suit.
Israel, for its part, would express its support for a future two-state solution, conditioned on reforms made by the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, the leaders agreed that Washington will recognize Israeli sovereignty in some parts of the West Bank.
The heady plan could explain Trump’s fury over Israel’s planned retaliation to Iran’s violation of the nascent ceasefire on Tuesday, and his Truth Social post calling for an end to Netanyahu’s corruption trial. link
Gaza and the South
Israel halts aid into northern Gaza, officials say, as clans deny Hamas stealing it
Israel has stopped aid from entering northern Gaza but is still allowing it to enter from the south, two officials say, after images were circulated of masked men on aid trucks, who clan leaders say are protecting aid and are not Hamas stealing it.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer tells reporters that aid is continuing to enter from the south, but did not specify whether any supplies were entering from the north.
A Gaza Humanitarian Foundation spokesperson says the group is exempt from a two-day suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries into the territory.
The Higher Commission for Tribal Affairs, which represents influential clans in Gaza, says that trucks had been protected as part of an aid security process managed “solely through tribal efforts.” The commission says that no Palestinian faction, a reference to Hamas, had taken part in the process.
Hamas, the terror group that has ruled Gaza for more than two decades but now controls only parts of the territory after nearly two years of war with Israel, denies any involvement.
Throughout the war, numerous clans, civil society groups, and factions – including Hamas’ secular political rival Fatah – have stepped in to help provide security for the aid convoys.
Clans made up of extended families connected through blood and marriage have long been a fundamental part of Gazan society.
Amjad al-Shawa, director of an umbrella body for Palestinian non-governmental organizations, says the aid protected by clans on Wednesday was being distributed to vulnerable families.
There is an acute shortage of food and other basic supplies after the nearly two-year military campaign by Israel that has displaced most of Gaza’s two million inhabitants.
Aid trucks and warehouses storing supplies have often been looted, frequently by desperate and starving Palestinians. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies.
“The clans came … to form a stance to prevent the aggressors and the thieves from stealing the food that belongs to our people,” Abu Salman Al Moghani, a representative of Gazan clans, says, referring to Wednesday’s operation.
- GHF says it was only group permitted by Israel to distribute aid in Gaza on Thursday
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation interim executive director, John Acree, says his organization was the only one allowed by Israel to distribute aid in the Strip today after a partial halt by Jerusalem amid concerns over Hamas looting.
“Our hope is this will be a temporary pause and all other aid organizations will soon be able to resume distribution in the region,” Acree says in a statement. “However, it is imperative that aid be distributed in a responsible way directly to the people who need it.”
GHF says it distributed 38,880 boxes of food at three of its sites on Thursday.
GHF says its boxes contain enough food for 5.5 people for 3.5 days, but the contents are dry food products that require preparation elsewhere in war-ravaged Gaza, where community kitchens and cooking supplies are limited.
A UN spokesperson confirms to The Times of Israel that Israeli authorities blocked its teams from accessing the Zikim Crossing in northern Gaza where they had been seeking to pick up assistance.
The partial halt on aid deliveries came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Hamas was continuing to steal aid and ordered the IDF to address the issue within 48 hours.
Netanyahu’s statement came hours after former prime minister Naftali Bennett posted a video showing gunmen on top of an aid convoy making its way through northern Gaza and claimed they were Hamas operatives stealing aid.
There was no confirmation that the gunmen were indeed Hamas operatives, and the Haaretz daily cited witnesses on the ground who claimed the gunmen were members of a clan securing the aid from looters as the trucks made their way to a UN warehouse in northern Gaza.
The UN has acknowledged that its convoys have been plagued by looting, but has blamed armed gangs rather than Hamas and has insisted that the solution is for Israel to allow much more aid into Gaza so that demand decreases.
An average of just 56 trucks have been entering Gaza per day since Israel partially lifted its blockade after 78 days on May 19. The UN says several hundred are needed daily to address the dire need in the Strip.
GHF argues that its model is more effective, asserting that its aid convoys have not been looted, as it has its gunmen who prevent such takeovers.
But the US- and Israeli-backed organization only operates up to four distribution sites for the entire Strip, and Gazans have been forced to walk long distances, while crossing IDF lines to pick up aid. There have been near-daily mass casualty incidents in which the IDF has opened fire on Palestinians it claims strayed off approved access routes or were using them when forbidden. Some of these incidents have taken place on roads used by the UN for aid distribution and are not near GHF sites.
The clip shared by Bennett appeared to be from northern Gaza, where GHF doesn’t operate. One month ago, it said it had received approval from Israel to open a distribution site in northern Gaza but that has yet to come into fruition.
- Hamas-linked Gaza rescuers say Thursday’s death toll from Israeli fire rises to 56
Gaza’s Hamas-linked civil defense agency says Israeli forces killed 56 people in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory on Thursday, updating a previous toll of 35.
Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal tells AFP that 56 people were killed by Israeli fire across Gaza, including six who were waiting for aid in two separate locations.
The IDF has not commented on its strikes today.
- IDF says troops in northern Gaza demolished Hamas tunnel used in deadly attack during 2014 war
A Hamas tunnel in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun, used in a deadly attack on troops during the 2014 Gaza War, was recently demolished, the military says.
In the incident on July 21, 2024, a cell of Hamas operatives emerged from a tunnel and exchanged fire with troops, killing Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar, 2nd Lt. Yuval Haiman, Warrant Officer Baynesain Kasahun, and Sgt. First Class Nadav Goldmacher.
The tunnel, which the military says was a kilometer long, was demolished by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit during operations of the Kfir Brigade’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the Beit Hanoun area. video of blowing up the tunnel
- Anger at Hamas grows as 'clan' model takes effect | Aid chaos in Gaza70 aid trucks were robbed overnight in Khan Younis and, in Gaza, the well-known figures from prominent families who were recorded transferring equipment from a truck to their vehicles is being blamed; In the northern Gaza Strip, a new model has been started in which the distribution of aid is secured by local clans: 'We cannot allow anarchy to run the streets'
The escalating chaos surrounding the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip reached a new peak in the past 24 hours, with mutual accusations, public threats and leaked footage directed at Hamas. At the same time, a new operational model is emerging in northern Gaza, based on “clan-based security” for aid distribution. This development coincides with an unusual overnight announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israe Katz, directing the IDF to present an operational plan within 48 hours “to prevent Hamas from taking over humanitarian aid entering Gaza.”Seventy aid trucks were looted overnight in Khan Younis after entering the Strip. A self-described “association of clans, tribes and families” in Gaza issued an extraordinary statement acknowledging that they possess the identities of individuals involved in the “shameful robbery” that was captured on video. The statement indicated that these were well-known figures from prominent families and gave them a final opportunity to return the aid and allow it to reach its intended recipients, warning that their names would be publicly exposed otherwise.“This act severely harms our brothers in southern and central Gaza,” the statement declared. “We call upon the clans in the south to act like those in Gaza City and the north, who have responsibly secured aid distribution.” link - Heavy losses, no victory: Israel's strategic collapse in Gaza A Zionist analyst stated on Thursday that Netanyahu’s cabinet has failed in its war against Gaza and its people.Mizan -
According to Al Jazeera, the Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv quoted Avi Ashkenazi, a military analyst for the Zionist regime, as saying that after 628 days of war in Gaza and leaving behind more than 1,900 dead, Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet has suffered a heavy defeat.
Ashkenazi emphasized: “We are not pursuing any clear objective in this Gaza war and have effectively entered a deadlock. Israel is not achieving victory in Gaza but is sinking deeper into its quagmire.”
Referring to the heavy casualties suffered by the Israeli army in recent days, he added: “In this month alone, 20 of our soldiers have been killed. The Israeli army was not prepared for a two-year-long war against Gaza and was inadequately equipped to confront Hamas’s military capabilities, its underground tunnel networks, and the resilience of the people of Gaza.”
Ashkenazi also pointed to the equipment shortages within the Israeli army, saying: “We are facing a lack of modern equipment and in some cases have been forced to use weapons dating back to the 1950s.”
He concluded by referring to a recent incident in southern Gaza: “The recent ambush by Palestinian forces in Khan Younis, which resulted in the deaths of seven Israeli soldiers, reflects this bitter reality.”
According to Israeli media, the continued military presence in the Gaza Strip is not only unnecessary but also highly dangerous.
In this regard, Gershon Baskin—one of the key architects of the so-called “Gilad Shalit exchange deal”—stated that Hamas would seek to inflict maximum casualties as long as Israeli forces remain in Gaza.
He further stressed: “The human cost of this war is extremely high and unjustifiable. Israel is killing around 100 people in Gaza every day—most of them civilians—while the people of Gaza are simply fighting to survive.”
Baskin believes that the current war in Gaza is more about preserving Netanyahu’s political survival than achieving military objectives.
Referring to Israel’s recent attack on Iran, he said: “The war against Iran briefly boosted Netanyahu’s morale, but it won’t last, and his failures will soon become evident.”
He also sarcastically criticized Netanyahu’s political performance, noting: “The people will not forget what happened on October 7 and who was in power at that time.”
He added: “We have seen Israel’s complete dependency on the United States—just as Trump ordered Netanyahu to halt the attack on Iran, and he obeyed immediately. Trump could do the same regarding Gaza.”
In conclusion, Baskin commented on the prospect of a prisoner exchange: “Hamas is ready to agree to a deal for the release of all Israeli hostages—on the condition that the war comes to an end.” link
- Gaza clans deny Hamas is stealing aid, after Israel partially halts deliveries
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it was the only aid group operating in the enclave Thursday, as UN officials say access to border crossing was blocked by IsraelClan leaders in Gaza denied on Thursday that armed men who were seen riding atop trucks of humanitarian aid in the Strip were Hamas operatives, saying instead that they were protecting the aid from being stolen, after Israel scaled back aid deliveries to the territory over the assertion that Hamas operatives had returned to stealing the supplies.
Earlier on Thursday, after images were circulated of masked men on aid trucks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz that there was evidence of Hamas once again taking control of aid entering the enclave’s north.
They said that the Israel Defense Forces had been instructed to present a plan to prevent this from happening within the next 48 hours.
Following the joint statement and a separate Channel 12 report claiming that all aid deliveries had been halted due to concerns that Hamas was stealing aid, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters that aid was continuing to enter the Strip from the south. While he declined to specify whether deliveries to the north had been stopped, two officials confirmed to Reuters that they had been.
At the same time, the Higher Commission for Tribal Affairs, which represents influential clans in Gaza, denied that the masked men in the images were Hamas operatives, and said the trucks had been protected as part of an aid security process, managed “solely through tribal efforts.”
The commission said that no Palestinian faction, a reference to Hamas, had been involved in the process. The Palestinian terror group, which has ruled Gaza for almost two decades but now controls only part of the territory, also denied any involvement.
Palestinians carry bags of flour looted from aid trucks in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, June 26, 2025. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)Throughout the war in Gaza, which erupted with the deadly Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, numerous clans, civil society groups, and factions – including Hamas’s secular political rival Fatah – have stepped in to help provide security for the aid convoys.
Clans made up of extended families connected through blood and marriage have long been a fundamental part of Gazan society.
Amjad al-Shawa, director of an umbrella body for Palestinian non-governmental organizations, said the aid protected by clans on Wednesday was being distributed to vulnerable families.
There is an acute shortage of food and other basic supplies after the nearly two-year military campaign by Israel that has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants, as Hamas continues to hold 50 Israelis hostage.
Aid trucks and warehouses storing supplies have often been looted, with Israel accusing Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies, while others say the looters frequently are desperate and starving Palestinians.
“The clans came … to form a stance to prevent the aggressors and the thieves from stealing the food that belongs to our people,” Abu Salman Al Moghani, a representative of Gazan clans, said, referring to Wednesday’s operation.
Only GHF was able to distribute aid Thursday
Although Mencer told reporters that aid deliveries to the south of the Gaza Strip had continued as normal, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said it was the only group allowed to distribute aid on Thursday, suggesting that no trucks entered via the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
The humanitarian aid trucks that enter Gaza via Kerem Shalom in the south and Zikim in the north carry supplies including flour, food and medical equipment, and are intended to supplement the aid distributed by GHF, which operates on a smaller scale and is limited to certain areas.
People carry boxes of relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in the central Gaza Strip on May 29, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)A UN spokesperson confirmed to The Times of Israel that Israeli authorities had blocked its teams from accessing the Zikim Crossing, where they had been seeking to pick up assistance.
The UN has acknowledged that its convoys have been plagued by looting, but has blamed armed gangs rather than Hamas and has insisted that the solution is for Israel to allow much more aid into Gaza so that demand decreases.
An average of just 56 trucks have been entering Gaza per day since Israel partially lifted its blockade after 78 days on May 19. The UN says several hundred are needed daily to address the dire need in the Strip.
GHF argues that its model is more effective, asserting that its aid convoys have not been looted, as it has its gunmen who prevent such takeovers.
But the organization only operates up to four distribution sites across the entire Strip, none of which are in the north, and Gazans are forced to walk long distances while crossing IDF lines to pick up the supplies.
The State Department on Thursday approved $30 million in funding for GHF, calling on other countries to also support the group despite the criticism.
“This support is simply the latest iteration of President Trump’s and Secretary Rubio’s pursuit of peace in the region,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said of the approval.
The $30 million falls well below the $500 million that the US reportedly considered giving GHF earlier this month.
A Palestinian man flashes V-sign and shows a container of Tahini he received from the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, southern Gaza, on June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)There have been near-daily mass casualty incidents in which the IDF has opened fire on Palestinians it says strayed off approved access routes or were using them when forbidden. Some of these incidents have taken place on roads used by the UN for aid distribution and are not near GHF sites.
In a statement confirming that GHF was alone in distributing aid on Thursday, the organization’s interim executive director, John Acree, said GHF hopes “this will be a temporary pause and all other aid organizations will soon be able to resume distribution in the region.”
“It is imperative that aid be distributed in a responsible way directly to the people who need it,” he said.
GHF said that, in total, it distributed 38,880 boxes of food at three of its sites on Thursday.
It has said its boxes contain enough food for 5.5 people for 3.5 days, but the contents are dry food products that require preparation elsewhere in war-ravaged Gaza, where community kitchens and cooking supplies are limited.
Medical aid reaches Gaza for first time in months
Highlighting the difficulties in delivering aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization said on Thursday that it had finally delivered a medical shipment on Wednesday, for the first time since March 2.
It said, however, that the nine truckloads were “a drop in the ocean.”
Wednesday’s shipment of supplies, plasma and blood will be distributed among hospitals in the territory in the coming days, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
He said the nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies, 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 units of plasma were delivered via the Kerem Shalom Crossing, “without any looting incident, despite the high-risk conditions along the route.”
“These supplies will be distributed to priority hospitals in the coming days,” Tedros said.
“The blood and plasma were delivered to Nasser Medical Complex’s cold storage facility for onward distribution to hospitals facing critical shortages, amid a growing influx of injuries, many linked to incidents at food distribution sites.”
The reported mass-casualty incidents at aid distribution points didn’t show any signs of slowing down on Thursday, as the Hamas-linked civil defense agency said Israeli forces had killed 56 people in the war-ravaged enclave throughout the day, updating a previous toll of 35.
Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that six of those killed had been waiting for aid in two separate locations.
There was no comment from the IDF on the reported strikes.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 56,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught.
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.
Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 440. The toll includes two police officers and three Defense Ministry civilian contractors. link
- Gazan media reports clash between Hamas, armed clansmen at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis
Reports from Gaza: Gunfire exchange between Hamas and armed clansmen at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis yesterday.
Media outlets in Gaza report that a confrontation broke out yesterday between Hamas operatives and armed members of the influential Barbakh family clan at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.
Footage shared on social media captures sounds of gunfire during the confrontation, and burned vehicles and damaged equipment can be seen in the vicinity of the hospital.
There are no known casualties as a result of the clash.
The Hamas-run interior ministry says that “armed individuals operating outside of the law” entered Nasser Hospital, fired weapons inside the facility, set fire to ambulances, and destroyed equipment.
Hamas police forces reportedly clashed with the gunmen, expelled them from the hospital, and arrested several of them.
Anti-Hamas media outlets in Gaza report a different version of events, however, saying that members of Hamas’s “Sahm Unit — a unit tasked with enforcing order and pursuing those accused of theft or collaboration with Israel — killed a member of the Barbakh family and then fled to Nasser Hospital.
According to these reports, armed members of the Barbakh clan pursued them, resulting in the confrontation. The reports further claim that Hamas forces used ambulances and fired toward homes belonging to the Barbakh family members.
A Telegram channel affiliated with Hamas’s Sahm Unit claims that Hamas acted against a member of the clan involved in the theft of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. The post does not specify the fate of that individual.
- IDF says it killed two Hezbollah operatives in south Lebanon strikes
The IDF says it eliminated two Hezbollah operatives today in separate airstrikes in southern Lebanon within the span of two hours.
According to an IDF statement, one of the targets was a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, who was killed in an airstrike in the Baraachit area.
Shortly afterward, a second strike targeted and killed a member of the group’s observation unit in the Beit Lif area.
Israeli military forces launched a barrage of missiles targeting Jabal Blat in southern Lebanon. - IDF says it demolished home in south Lebanon that Hezbollah used to survey troops
A home in the southern Lebanon town of Houla, allegedly used by Hezbollah to observe Israeli forces, was demolished by IDF troops overnight, the military says.
According to the IDF, the home belonged to Ahmad Ghazi Ali, a Hezbollah operative killed in a drone strike in Houla a week ago.
“The structure was used by the Hezbollah terror organization for military activity, including attempts to gather intelligence on IDF troops,” the military says, adding that “the terrorists’ activity in the structure constituted a clear violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
The military says the demolition was carried out by the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade in a special operation.
Earlier today, two Hezbollah operatives were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. link
- Lebanese health ministry says one killed, 11 injured in strike on southern Lebanon apartment
The Lebanese health ministry says one woman was killed and 11 others were injured in an Israeli strike on an apartment in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.
Earlier, Lebanese media reported that an Israeli drone targeted an apartment in Nabatieh.
It remains unclear whether the incident is part of the wave of strikes in southern Lebanon previously announced by the IDF.
IDF says fighter jets struck Hezbollah facility in Beaufort Castle area, southern Lebanon
Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck a Hezbollah facility in the Beaufort Castle area a short while ago, the military says, after Lebanese media reported strikes in the area.
According to the IDF, the facility, used by the terror group to “manage its fire and defense array,” was part of an underground Hezbollah site that was previously targeted in Israeli strikes.
“In recent days, the IDF identified attempts by the Hezbollah terror organization to restore the site and therefore the terror infrastructure in the area was struck,” the military says.
The IDF says the “presence of this site and the attempts to reestablish it constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” video
- Settlers filmed attempting to raid Palestinian village; exchange of stone throwing at entrance
Footage shows Israeli settlers apparently attempting to raid the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya in the central West Bank before running into a group of locals trying to keep them out.
The footage shows the sides throwing stones at each other, with some of the settlers masked.
There are no immediate reports of injuries or IDF arrival at the scene.
The incident comes a day after a deadly settler rampage through the village of Kafr Malek. video
- Condemning latest settler attack, UAE calls on Israel to hold perpetrators accountable
A Palestinian woman gestures in front of a burnt car after an Israeli settlers attack the previous day in Kafr Malik in the Israeli occupied West Bank, on June 26, 2025. (Zain JAAFAR / AFP)The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry issues a statement condemning yesterday’s deadly settler rampage in the central West Bank Palestinian village of Kafr Malik.
Abu Dhabi in the statement “warned against the continuous assaults by settlers, and called on the Israeli government to assume full responsibility, condemn these hostile practices and hold the perpetrators accountable.
“The UAE stressed that failure to act will be seen as tacit approval that will only further deepen the cycle of hatred, racism and instability,” the statement adds. link There is little chance that our extremist government will do anything or anything of significance that would satisfy the UAE or any of the European countries that have placed sanctions on the Jewish terrorists. This government does exactly the opposite. The extreme messianic ministers that Netanyahu normalized encourage and support all of the Jewish terror actions and attacks and make sure that no one is arrested or charged with any crimes except for the Palestinians who stand up against the terrorists. What had once upon a time been a relatively rare occurrence of Jewish terror against Palestinians, under this government, has become a daily problem. The Jewish terrorist feel immune to any action against them, not by the army and not by the police, and since there are almost never arrests, and even rarer, charges, they feel super empowered and it is already reaching epidemic proportions. Netanyahu never speaks up against these terrorists and therefore by keeping silent, gives his consent and enablement. This makes the entire government complicit in these war crimes and they are war crimes because all of the attacks take place in occupied territory that falls under international law about military occupied lands and the laws governing them.
- Police free all settlers detained in Wednesday’s deadly rampage of Palestinian village
Police released all five Israeli suspects who were detained in yesterday’s deadly settler rampage in the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik.
The suspects had been detained by Israeli troops before being transferred to police at a nearby station, where officers promptly released them and informed them that they were no longer suspects in the case, Haaretz reports.
No other suspects have been arrested.
Settler attacks on Palestinians throughout the West Bank have been taking place on a near-daily basis with almost complete impunity, in what has sparked mounting sanctions from Western governments.
The head of the Israel Police’s West Bank division is currently under investigation for ignoring settler violence to curry favor in the eyes of Ben Gvir. He was allowed to return to his post, despite the ongoing investigation. link Here was a rare case that the army actually detained some of the Jewish terrorists only to be released by the police who have explicit instructions from their criminal minister Ben Gvir not to even show up when these acts of terror are being committed and certainly not to arrest or charge any of the Jews. In this case, Palestinians were killed which also is happening more and more since these Jewish terrorists are actually given implied immunity from the criminal minister and the criminally responsible cabinet and government. DISGRACEFUL!
- Why is Netanyahu and his government so opposed to turning Gaza over to the Palestinian Authority?
Why is Netanyahu and his government so opposed to turning Gaza over to the Palestinian Authority? It is not because the PA is a terrorist regime – the PA continues to cooperate and coordinate security with the Israeli security forces, including the Shin Bet. The Palestinian Authority arrests Hamas operatives and imprisons them or turns them over to Israel. It is not because the Palestinian Authority is corrupt – Palestinian corruption never bothered the Israelis, many former senior Israeli officers have been full partners in some of the corruption in the PA. Also, how can a corrupt regime like the Netanyahu government and Netanyahu himself be bothered by corruption – it never prevented them from their own corruption.
The opposition to the Palestinian Authority controlling Gaza comes from the same sentiment that was expressed many years ago by then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir who said: we will not negotiate with the PLO because they are terrorists, we will not negotiate with them because there is only one thing to negotiate with them about and that is the establishment of a Palestinian state, and we will never agree to that. Likewise, for Netanyahu, if the Palestinian Authority retakes control over Gaza, then the Palestinian leadership is once again united. The biggest danger to Israel, according to Netanyahu, is that a united Palestinian leadership means a large increase in international pressure to recognize the State of Palestine and for Israel to withdraw from all of the occupied territories. Netanyahu’s policy of fostering and enforcing the Palestinian political divide between the West Bank and Gaza (meaning between Fatah and Hamas) has been his strategy since 2009 and October 7 did not change that for Netanyahu. Among the lessons learned from October 7 is that we must resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and resolution means the two states solution with clear and enforceable security arrangements strengthened by regional engagement by neighboring Arab states. Netanyahu continues to oppose any resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that is why the biggest security threat for Israel remains the continuation of Netanyahu as Prime Minister of Israel.
(Gershon Baskin, June 26, 2025). link
“The one who pressed the button and the one who closed his eyes: The two faces of Netanyahu”
The achievements against Iran sharpen our national tragedy: how could the same Netanyahu, who was present at every critical decision throughout the years and acted with great courage against the entire Iranian axis, not be here up until October 7th — even though he sat in every closed meeting and watched Hamas grow into a giant force before his very eyes • OpinionTwo Netanyahus.
There were two of them, so similar, so different: the one who studied and thoroughly understood the material, who knew his enemies, who had the courage to make decisions, to stand against those who tried to stop him, to sweep everyone along, even those defined by most as an impossible task. The one who knew when to press the button at the decisive moment — without fear, without hesitation. Fully aware the price could be greater than any other.And then there was the one who saw everything. Who sat in every closed meeting, who was exposed to all the intelligence material. The one who was first to detect how the Iranians were deceiving the entire world and progressing toward a bomb, and who warned again and again from every possible platform. The one who saw Radwan forces executing Nasrallah’s plans to raid our border communities in the field, and the one who knew everything about Hamas. How the terror organization, under his leadership, evolved over the years from a guerilla group into an army, on the path to becoming a monster that would overrun us on October 7th. He saw everything, he knew everything, and chose to close his eyes.
They were two. So similar, so different. The focused one who, on September 19th, 2024, made — contrary to the prevailing opinion — the brave decision that would lead to the breaking of the Iranian axis. Operation “The Beepers.” The entire security establishment, except for the Mossad chief — who adamantly supported the operation — opposed it.
But he — maybe it was his experience, maybe the trauma of October 7th, maybe it was his instincts — knew this was the moment. He pressed the button. If you like, he knocked over the first domino of Khamenei. And from that moment on, he didn’t stop. Operation “The Beepers,” followed by the elimination of the Hezbollah leadership, the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of Iran, culminating in the assassination of Nasrallah — and without asking President Biden. Without receiving approval from the world’s greatest superpower, who arms us and stood by our side (almost) the entire time. Over their heads. Updating the Americans in real-time and moving on. Then Syria, then Iran. No one believed he would succeed in convincing President Trump not just to support from the outside, certainly not to become a partner. Up until what he defined as total victory. And it’s his — from beginning to end. Yes, without the precise intelligence, without the Mossad and the Air Force — it wouldn’t have happened, but someone has to make the decision. And he was there. He made the decision. A decision he hadn’t made for years. Fifteen years.
What we, the residents of the Gaza envelope, saw from beyond the fence, he saw under a magnifying glass. The digging of tunnels that became a nightmare for our forces and hostages for a year and eight months now, the smuggling of weapons and homemade manufacturing that became a full-blown defense industry underground and above it, the Hamas army that grew from 10,000 operatives to 50,000, including elite Nukhba forces training nonstop across from Netiv HaAsara. Escalation round after escalation round, operation after operation — with Hamas leading, setting the pace, dictating the height of the flames and the daily agenda of the residents. Ours.
We saw everything. And so did he.
He also chose, time and again, to grant them immunity. Even in the operations he initiated, he chose to grant immunity to Hamas and only hit Islamic Jihad. All to buy quiet. The peak: Qatari money. Not only did he not fight them, he funded them — in the hope that the big money flowing into Gaza would go to the struggling population and calm Hamas. The money went to terror. That too he saw and knew. The Shin Bet warned in real time. Until the explosion on October 7th.
This week, Minister Deri said: “The October 7th massacre saved the people of Israel.” Or in other words, in your death in the Gaza envelope — you bequeathed to us, to the State of Israel, life. This is an outrageous statement, but mostly far from the truth. “On October 7th,” Deri explained, “the grand plan to destroy the people of Israel was revealed to us.” Well no, Minister Deri, we didn’t need October 7th to understand that the Iranian axis seeks to destroy us (the first Netanyahu repeated this again and again). We didn’t need October 7th to understand we must deal with the head of the snake, or at least start with its offshoots.
The entire difference between the great victory in the 12-day war and the failure of October 7th can be summed up in two words: leadership and courage. On one hand, a prime minister who demonstrated exceptional leadership and acted with great courage and won against all odds. That’s Netanyahu. On the other hand, a prime minister who for years feared making decisions, who led a policy of containment that signaled to Hamas that Israel is afraid and will do anything to avoid escalation. Cowardice that Sinwar identified. That’s also Netanyahu.
In one of his interviews after October 7th, the prime minister explained that he didn’t have international and domestic legitimacy to launch an operation to destroy Hamas. That is true, but a true leader must create that legitimacy — and sometimes (like in the assassination of Nasrallah, like in the insistence on entering Rafah that led to the elimination of Sinwar) must act even without it. Leadership, as we said.
So similar, so different. On one hand, Netanyahu, the leader, who was there in Operation “The Beepers,” in the elimination of Hezbollah’s leadership, in Syria, and in the great victory over Iran. And on the other side, Netanyahu — the same Netanyahu — who wasn’t there until October 7th. A prime minister who chose to close his eyes, to contain, while the monster grew into a giant before his very eyes. The same Netanyahu who chose, time and again, not to decide. Not to lead.
Victory over Iran, as great as it may be (and it is very great and deserves full credit), will not obscure what happened to us here on October 7th. It is a victory that only sharpens the understanding that had the other Netanyahu been here then — the Netanyahu who makes decisions and presses the button — the horror could have been prevented. True, our Israeli memory is short, but the pain is too great. For those who will never return, for those still waiting for us to bring them back. link There are a few points in this article that I strongly disagree with. The first is "the prime minister explained that he didn’t have international and domestic legitimacy to launch an operation to destroy Hamas". That is a load of crap. In most cases during his entire period as Prime Minister, he has done and committed so many actst aht he didn't have either international or domestic legitimacy or both. He did what suited him politically and the outside legitimacy concerns were not truly concerns. If there was a Democrat as US President, he constantly and consistently acted against the public and private statements of the president. If there was a Republican president, he knew that he could do whatever he wanted, even if it was in direct opposition of the president's statements because he knew that he would, not only be forgiven, but praised by that same President.
Thes second major point that I totally disagree with is that Netanyahu acted courageously by pressing the button at the decisive moment. I strongly believe that Netanyahu's decision to attack was entirely politically motivated. In the week before, he was facing the strong possibility that his government was going to fall and he would have to go to early elections. The Haredi parties were threatening to vote against the government because they couldn't get their draft exemption law passed at a time that the army's needs are greater than any other time in our history. Netanyahu's situation was so precarious that even one of his closest allies, Aryeh Deri of Shas was going to vote against the government due to the pressures of the Rabbis above him. It doesn't surprise anyone that the one Knesset member from the various Haredi parties that he told about the impending Iran attack was no other than Aryeh Deri. This maneuver moved Deri back into his fold and would not vote against the government, and that action brought others to soften their tone and preserve this most corrupt and failed government. In addition, the tides of political support for continuing the Gaza war was turning. More and more Knesset members were questioning why the war was still going on and the hostages were not being brought home. Netanyahu didn't want this pressure from within to put a stop to the war that he was banking on keeping it going for his political survival needs. Ending the war would mean a commision of inquiry and most likely early elections, as well as the completion of his criminal trials. He wanted to stave off all three and the best was was to start another war without the backing of our allies, at least the remaining allies that might stick with us. Sure, Netanyahu can say that he was planning to attack months ago but he didn't. Since the beginning of the war on October 7, there were various ministers trying to convince him to attack Iran early in the war or much earlier than he did. He rebuffed them every time and it was mostly out of his cowardice of what would happen. The same as why it took time to attack Hizbollah. The former Defense Minister Galant told of Netanyahu talking to him and pointing outside saying, they know where we live, emphasizing his fear of attack because he was sure Hizbollah or Iran would go after him and his familiy or his mansion in Caesarea as they did once before. That is pure cowardice and is one of his stronger traits.- Court blocks Ben Gvir’s promotion of cop indicted for throwing stun grenade at protesters
The Jerusalem District Court has barred Israel Police Supt. Meir Suissa from taking charge of the South Tel Aviv police station, rejecting National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s bid to promote the indicted officer, who threw a stun grenade into a crowd of anti-government protesters.
The national security minister decried the ruling handed down last night, calling Suissa a “talented and respected police officer who has fallen prey to a judicial system that is busy constantly thwarting government policy.”
“As I promised the prime minister earlier today, we will do everything in our power, using the tools available to us in the Knesset, to put an end to this harassment and persecution,” continued Ben Gvir, who oversees the police, as quoted by Hebrew outlets.
Ben Gvir promoted Suissa to the rank of chief superintendent just a month after he was indicted on charges of reckless and negligent behavior in July 2024 over his conduct while dispersing an anti-government protest in Tel Aviv a year prior.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara called the promotion — made without the police chief’s recommendation — illegal. The Jerusalem District Court froze Suissa’s promotion in September last year, which Ben Gvir then appealed.
Suissa was filmed throwing a stun grenade directly into a crowd of protesters during the March 2023 demonstration, hospitalizing a woman with a direct hit to her face.
He was indicted alongside four other officers accused of throwing stun grenades towards the crowds, who had not been acting violently towards police officers. At the time, Ben Gvir praised Suissa for his handling of the demonstration. link This article is not an exception but a case of the illegal and immoral rule of extremists like Ben Gvir. This senior police officer took the law into his own hands when he threw a stun grenage into a peaceful demonstration. The demonstrators were protesting against the government and that is something that fascists like Ben Gvir want to put down, as well as other types of protestors that Ben Gvir would like to enact his revenge upon. Unfortunately, there are police officers, from very junior up to some of the most senior who have made various efforts to get on the good side of this criminal minister and the best way to show they side with him is through acts against protestors (anti government and those who demonstrate for the hostages). Many of these acts committed by the police are either illegal, like in the case of the stun grenade or they arrest people for crimes that they make up and the courts later release the arrested parties. Ben Gvir is literally a convicted criminal for being part of an outlawed racist party, Kach and arrested for so many crimes that he committed as an extremist racist, and he spent his legal career defending Jewish terrorists who committed crimes of terror against Palestinians and left leaning Israeli.
- The Region and the World
- Normalization is on the agenda again | The clues, and the candidates to join the Abraham Accords
US promotes Saudi deal, ties normalization to end of Gaza war and the release of hostages; Netanyahu says victory in Iran enables dramatic expansion of Abraham Accords; 'This is an opportunity that must not be missed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on Tuesday that Israel is on the cusp of a dramatic expansion of the Abraham Accords.In a video post Netanyahu said that after the victory over Iran, Israel now has an opportunity to expand the accords. "We have an opportunity and it must not be waisted. we must not waist even one day," Netanyahu said. Earlier officials were surprised when U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said Wednesday night: “We think we will have some pretty big announcements on countries that are coming into the Abraham Accords.” An Israeli source told ynet: “It’s not yet clear who Witkoff meant, and we aren’t aware of any concrete developments.”But behind the scenes—particularly in the Prime Minister’s Office—people understand the Americans’ intentions, at least in terms of the plan they’re crafting. Assuming that Witkoff was not speaking randomly, we can begin to guess the shape of the expected normalization. There’s no doubt that the war with Iran marks a turning point—the Middle East and Muslim-majority states have realized a significant shift: Uncle Sam is once again the world’s sheriff. The heavy blow dealt to Tehran—even if its nuclear program wasn’t completely destroyed—sends a crucial message to moderate Muslim states: it’s time to choose a side, and choose quickly. Those aligned with the Axis of Evil will want to distance themselves, and fast. After suffering blows over the past year, everyone has learned what happened to those sheltered by Iran: Assad’s regime collapsed; Hassan Nasrallah was targeted and Hezbollah’s capabilities were significantly diminished; the Houthis were left in ruins and their commander was killed or severely injured at an arms trafficking event; Iraqi militias were decimated—and, above all, Iran itself is licking its wounds after losing around 20 senior commanders.The U.S. plan explicitly envisions peace through strength. This is President Trump’s strategy—he likely expected regional states to line up after the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. But reality is more complicated, and it certainly won’t happen overnight.No normalization steps are likely before the conflict in Gaza ends, and it is therefore likely that Trump will now turn his full attention to Gaza and push for a hostage deal as the condition for ending the war. This would be a major milestone, almost essential for normalization. Trump and his team are preparing for the post-war phase, positioning both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli public opinion. It’s no coincidence that Trump’s dramatic post Wednesday night, calling to drop Netanyahu’s trial, may be part of the broader strategy. There are no free gifts—Netanyahu will have to pay, in Israeli political currency.Everyone is waiting for RiyadhAssuming the Gaza war really is nearing its end, there are a few early candidates could join the Abraham Accords. The most likely first mover is Azerbaijan, which has strategic ties with Israel, and U.S. influence may bring Armenia as well. Azerbaijan, a Shiite Muslim country, already maintains diplomatic relations with Israel, though mostly symbolically. Witkoff visited there before and hinted at it. Armenia also has relations with Israel—but they are tense.In the Middle East, Syria seems the most plausible next candidate. National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi mentioned the possibility of normalization discussions with Syria—and even Lebanon—in a Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee briefing. Syrian President Ahmad al‑Sharaa understands that joining the Accords could bring international recognition and perhaps sanctions relief after Assad’s fall.That’s not to say embassies will open in Damascus tomorrow, nor that Israelis will soon enjoy hummus in the capital’s markets. Still, an agreement between the two governments is plausible. Israel is already in contact with al‑Shara’s regime; both share a mutual interest in preventing an Iranian‑Hezbollah presence in Syria.With Lebanon, however, the situation is far more complex. The Lebanese public isn’t ready for normalization, but perhaps, at most, a non‑belligerence pact.Saudi Arabia is the pivotal state the Americans most want to join. Its accession could trigger a flood of follow-on agreements: Indonesia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman—and several African Muslim-majority nations like Niger, Mali, Djibouti. Some even speculate Indonesia might precede Saudi Arabia, but everybody will be watching Riyadh. The key question: will Saudi agree only if the Gaza war ends, or will they also demand a formal Palestinian state as part of the conditions?Netanyahu currently seems incapable of signaling openness to a future Palestinian state—especially as long as Smotrich and Ben Gvir remain in his government. If Netanyahu wants to leave a legacy, he may even have to part ways with his hard‑right allies. It’s already clear this is bigger than ending the Gaza war—and it seems likely Trump might try to bring Israeli opposition figures on board. Don’t be surprised if Bennett, Lapid, or Gantz are invited to the White House later to help Netanyahu craft a “political parachute” to free him from far‑right influence.But reality is more complicated than Trump’s dramatic rhetoric, and that of his envoy Witkoff. Hamas remains 100% obstinate. Without firm guarantees for a war-ending deal, Hamas will block an interim agreement; without an interim agreement there is no ceasefire and no hostage release. Perhaps after the strikes on Iran, the U.S. and Israel will reconsider and propose a comprehensive, single‑step deal. With the momentum from the Iran operation, Netanyahu could indeed pass such a deal in his government.The telltale signsAs early as last March, a political insider close to the prime minister told ynet: “Netanyahu fears a hostage deal ending the war could hurt his coalition, so he intended to link it to the Saudi deal—a major package that couldn’t be signed without a Gaza solution, and might include the issue of control over the Strip.” Netanyahu also wanted to link the deal to normalization, but gaps remained.Reports suggest that such a package has been on the table for many months—but it involves an Israeli pullback from Gaza. Now, after the successes against Iran, signs are growing that more countries will join the Accords—subject to specific conditions.First, consider Trump’s late-night post calling to drop Netanyahu’s trial, to which Netanyahu responded by thanking him for his support. Trump wrote: "Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State." As stated earlier, Trump doesn’t give gifts for free; this is part of a larger, likely coordinated, regional strategy—and Netanyahu is part of it.Trump hasn’t hidden his goals: since declaring the ceasefire with Iran, he’s become impatient with Israel—especially over the ongoing war in Gaza. In Trump’s view, the vision is clear: end the war, bring back the hostages—then move toward normalization with Saudi Arabia and extend the Abraham Accords to more regional—and perhaps international—partners. Witkoff even hinted last night that a “deal with Hamas is closer than ever.”In this context, Trump’s call to drop the trial is not unrelated—but may be part of a “package deal”: Trump offers Netanyahu public and possibly practical support, and in return Netanyahu is expected to do everything possible to end the Gaza war and advance regional objectives. This may just be the first shot in a broader campaign yet to unfold.Opposition leader Yair Lapid hinted as much Thursday morning in an interview with ynet: “With all due respect to Trump—he shouldn’t interfere in the judicial process of a sovereign country. I assume it’s a concession he’s giving Netanyahu because he intends to bend him regarding Gaza and ending the war. That suits Trump.”Meanwhile, responses to the post that rattled the political system are underway. Attorney Amit Hadad, Netanyahu’s lawyer, petitioned the Jerusalem District Court to delay his client’s testimony over the next two weeks—arguing that it’s a critical period nationally and diplomatically, and that the Prime Minister’s attention is required for “top-tier tasks,” chiefly directing the Gaza war and its regional ramifications.'The era of piecemeal deals is over'On Thursday, against the backdrop of the Iran ceasefire and the ongoing Gaza conflict, hostage families issued a statement expressing anger at the government and calling to “advance a comprehensive agreement now.”Fearing another round of piecemeal deals with brutal list-making (deciding who will be released after nearly two years in captivity and who remains in Hamas custody), Vicky Cohen—mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen—said: “He’s rotted in tunnels for 629 nights and days. After so long, I’ve run out of words. It’s time for a comprehensive deal—the era of partial deals is over.”Udi Goren, cousin of the fallen soldier and hostage Tal Haimi, said: “We’ve achieved military gains, but failed politically.”Einav Tsengauker, mother of hostage Matan Tsengauker, noted: “If it could end with Iran, it can end with Gaza.” She appealed directly to President Trump, asking him to “decide to bring my son home from the tunnels. End the Gaza war now.” She added: “Why are they not willing to end the war in Gaza, once Hamas has been defeated?” link. It is very clear that Israel could quickly end the war in Gaza and bring the hostages home. The idea of Israel's power was damaged badly on October 7 but after the army regained its footing, the power was shown and emphasized with the major destruction of Gaza - 80% of Gaza, buildings, streets, infrastructure was destroyed. From Gaza, the same was shown in Lebanon and specifically in Beirut and from Lebanon, on to Syria after the fall of Assad and in a matter of days, we literally destroyed the Syrian airforce and all air defenses. And now, all that was done in Iran in 12 days. All of these operations were done with incredibly close cooperation between the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Mossad and all the intelligence agencies. Why could we achieve such major successes and changes in our neighborhood in such a short time but can't be done in Gaza. All of the security services have told Netanyahu very clearly that the war can end in order to bring the hostages home and they can deal with the aftermath very well. All that sounds great and could be done in very short order if not for one thing, one person, Netanyahu. He doesn't want the war in Gaza to end for his own personal and political interests and he is the autocrat who has to decision in his hand. He is responsible for the continued suffering of the hostages, the unending pain of the hostage families and the blood of every soldier and every hostage who is killed in Gaza, is on the hands of Netanyahu, but he doesn't care. And that is the only reason we are still at war in Gaza. Regarding normalization with Saudi Arabia, it was never really off the table. For quite a few years, Saudi Arabia was willing to have normalization with Israel and their demands, at the time regarding the Palestinians was basically to give lip service to a Palestinian state. They just wanted Israel to make a vanilla statement that Israel would make efforts to end the conflict and reach a 2 state solution. Even this, Netanyahu refused. Since the war in Gaza, the Palestinian issue returned to the place it had been years ago in Saudi Arabia. MBS has made it very clear that he is no longer interested in a vanilla statement. It has to be a real plan and actual actions towards ending the conflict and having a 2 State Solution as the end result. Without that, normalization with Saudi Arabia is off the table, and if Saudi Arabia won't go there, many of the other Arab/Muslim states that are very interested in normalization as well, they won't make that major step without Saudi Arabia. And this demand of Saudi Arabia is one that Netanyahu is not capable of making. He has made it his career goal that a Palestinian State will never come into being. He spent his time weakening the Palestinian Authority and helping to strengthen Hamas over more than a decade, expanded Jewish settlements in the West Bank to prevent contiguous land masses that could become a Palestinian state, in this government gave his extremist racist coalition partners senior positions whereby they could do a lot to make the lives of Palestinians even worse and harder than they have experienced in the past in order to 'encourage them' to leave. If nothing else, October 7 should have taught us that we cannot continue to occupy another people depriving them of civil and human rights and freedom to express their national desires and needs with a state of their own, and think that these 5 million people will just lay down and accept the situation of not belonging to any state forever! This government and every Netanyahu government before this one, as well as most governments since 1967 and the original occupation has spent most of their time and resources coming up with ways to 'manage the conflict'. We have only had a few Prime Ministers (Rabin, Olmert, Barak, Peres) who have tried to solve the conflict and not manage it. Olmert was the closest and could have made it across the finish line if not for his upcoming criminal charges that brought about his resignation. But his efforts, with the help of my brother, have come back to the forefront and the two of them along with my brother's Palestinian partner for a 2 State Solution and a former PA Foreign Minister who was also the PA Ambassador to the UN, and the four of them are busy building what can be a new future for us all. Gershon Baskin, together with Samer Sinijlaw head the Alliance for Two States, and their motto is "From the River to the Sea, on two states we agree!That is the only path to peace and security for us all."
Both side need new leadership and I am hopeful that the new leadership on both sides will bring us to the negotiating table to resolve the Israel/Palestine conflict so we can stop managing it as the failure it has always been.
- Personal Stories
‘We Will Dance Again’ film on Nova massacre wins award at News & Documentary Emmys
The Nova music festival in southern Israel as seen in 'We Will Dance Again.' (Courtesy)
“We Will Dance Again,” a documentary film about the Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, wins an award at the 46th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
The 90-minute film, produced by Paramount Plus and Hot 8, takes home the award for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary. movie trailer
Yariv Mozer, who directed the film, accepts the prize while wearing a yellow hostage pin on stage at the ceremony in New York City.
“As of tonight, [it has been] 620 days that the Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza have experienced a catastrophic pain because of the war triggered by Hamas on October 7,” he says in his acceptance speech. “‘We Will Dance Again’ is a document of history recording events as they happened.”
Mozer notes that one of the film’s producers, Michal Weits, was wounded this week when her home in Tel Aviv was hit by an Iranian missile: “Michal is hospitalized and we wish her a full recovery.”
Also joining Mozer and the producers and editors on stage is Natalia Casarotti, the mother of Keshet Casarotti-Kalfa, who was murdered at age 21 while fleeing the Nova festival, as well as two survivors who appear in the film, Yuval Siman-Tov and Tamir Leshetz.
“Above all we dedicate this award to the safe and immediate return of the hostages who are still in Gaza,” Mozer proclaims. “We want this cycle of bloodshed to end. This war should end. This war should not serve the interests of the Israeli government and the Hamas terror group.”
Mozer, a veteran filmmaker, told The Times of Israel in an interview last year that he made the decision to pursue the film just hours after the massacre began, and was allowed to visit the site of the rave just two days later.
He also combed through videos on social media, finding clips posted by survivors and victims who were desperately cataloguing what many believed to be the last moments of their lives.
“They were in a situation where no one was answering them, no one was helping them,” the director said last year. “So they picked up their phones to have a kind of communication with the world, to connect, because they thought, ‘I may not be alive in another minute, and everyone will see and understand that I was in this situation.’”
Of the 3,500 partygoers who attended the Nova music festival, 364 were murdered, and 44 were taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. A total of 251 hostages were taken captive and more than 1,200 people were murdered in the prolonged Hamas attack on October 7 that spread throughout 22 communities in addition to the Nova festival.
Of the 50 hostages remaining in captivity in Gaza, 15 were taken from the site of the festival. Those believed by Israeli authorities to still be alive are Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Maxim Herkin, Segev Kalfon, Bar Kuperstein, Eitan Mor, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Alon Ohel and Avinatan Or.
On Wednesday night, the Emmys handed out its prizes for news coverage, awarding several productions related to the ongoing war in Gaza, including a Business Insider feature titled “The Man Who Feeds Gaza’s Children,” a New York Times short form feature, “She Survived an Airstrike that Killed Her Entire Family in Gaza,” and a New York Times opinion piece titled “Two Weeks Inside Gaza’s Ruined Hospitals.”
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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