π️Lonny's War Update- October 631, 2023 - June 28, 2025 π️
- Rubio meets with hostages’ families: ‘Real victory in Gaza will be achieved when all hostages return home’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with the relatives of hostages held in Gaza for the first time since entering his role, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says in a Hebrew-language statement.
“The real victory in Gaza will be achieved only when all the hostages return home,” Rubio was quoted as saying to the representatives of hostages’ families in Washington, DC.
The families told Rubio that there was a window of opportunity to reach a deal to release all the hostages, and expressed faith that the Trump administration would work towards that goal.
- Qatar sees ‘window of opportunity’ for hostage deal in Gaza
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week’s ceasefire with Iran and work towards a truce-hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip.
“If we don’t utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it’s an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don’t want to see that again,” Majed al-Ansari says in a Friday interview with AFP.’ link Unfortunately, there are only 2 scenarios that this is a real window of opportunity that will be taken up. The first is if Netanyahu personally feels politically strengthened enough to believe he can win an early election or if Trump will finally reach the point that he will give Netanyahu his ultimatum which will force him to accept an end of war deal to bring back all the hostages. Their lives depend on these 2 men and neither of them have enough respect for the lives of the hostages or the desires of the nation. They make their decisions solely on what is best for them.
- 'Mediators requested two-week ceasefire, US to present plan to end war'
Saudi television network Al-Arabiya reported from Egyptian sources that negotiations on a hostage deal will resume soon and that the US is arranging a meeting in Doha, Qatar. "The mediators requested a timeframe for a ceasefire," the sources noted, adding that mediators asked the US for a plan to bring aid into Gaza in July and requested "a ceasefire for two weeks." It was also claimed that "the US informed mediators it will present its plan to end the war within days. In parallel, Qatar and Egypt will conduct contacts with Hamas next week to reach understandings." IDF confirms probing troops’ fire on aid-seeking Gazans; denies that it’s an order from above
Following a Haaretz report revealing that Israeli troops are using deadly fire on hungry aid-seeking Gazans, the IDF confirms that its high-level General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism is probing the matter.
However, the IDF denies that troops are being ordered by commanders to deliberately open fire on Palestinian aid seekers.
Over the past month, though, the IDF has repeatedly acknowledged firing warning shots that struck Palestinians who it claimed had strayed off pre-approved access roads to distribution sites or used them when they are supposed to be closed. While not providing figures of its own, the IDF has also claimed that Hamas is inflating the death counts in these mass casualty incidents.
In a statement, the military asserts that it is “operating to allow and facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), and to secure the routes leading to the distribution centers, to allow the aid to reach the civilians rather than Hamas.”
“These efforts are taking place alongside the IDF’s ongoing operational activities throughout the Gaza Strip,” the statement says.
“We strongly reject the accusation raised in the article. The IDF did not instruct the forces to deliberately shoot at civilians, including those approaching the distribution centers. To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians,” the military claims.
The Hamas-run health ministry says 549 people have been killed and 4,000 have been wounded trying to pick up aid from GHF sites or while waiting for UN food trucks since May 27, when GHF launched.
“In light of recent reports of incidents of harm to the civilians approaching the distribution centers, the incidents are being examined by the relevant IDF authorities,” the military says, confirming Haaretz’s report that the Military Advocate General directed the top-tier General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism to investigate.
“Any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary,” the statement continues.
“The allegations of deliberate fire toward civilians presented in the article are not recognized in the field,” the IDF asserts.
Netanyahu, Katz give IDF 48 hours to find ways to stop Hamas from seizing aid
Directive comes as videos emerge of gunmen riding trucks, handing out cargo in north Gaza; despite report of halt, footage shows supplies distributed from trucks in Gaza City
The Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday announced that the military had been ordered to present a plan within the next two days on how to keep Hamas from stealing humanitarian assistance.
Volunteers carry bags of flour to be distributed to Palestinians at a depot set up by the independent Save Youth Future Society (SYFS), in coordination with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), in Gaza City on June 26, 2025. (BASHAR TALEB / AFP)Netanyahu, in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz, said that Hamas was taking control of humanitarian aid entering the northern Gaza Strip and stealing it from Gazan civilians.
“Following information received today indicating that Hamas is once again taking control of humanitarian aid entering northern Gaza and stealing it from civilians, the prime minister and the defense minister have instructed the IDF to present within 48 hours an operational plan to prevent Hamas from taking over the aid,” the PMO said in a statement.
The announcement came an hour after former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who looks to be a leading challenger to Netanyahu in the next election, posted on X a video of armed men he claimed were Hamas operatives riding on trucks full of humanitarian aid that they had taken control of. He wrote that soldiers on the ground told him their orders are to let trucks into Gaza with no attempt to control what happens to them.
“This is how we continue to supply Hamas with money and power,” Bennett wrote in criticism of the government’s handling of the situation.
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.
Shortly before the PMO’s announcement, Channel 12 news reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official, that Israel had halted aid deliveries to Gaza amid concerns that Hamas was seizing the deliveries and threats by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to quit the government. Footage and reports of aid delivered to the Strip on Thursday contradicted the claim.video
The US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said later Thursday that it was allowed to distribute aid, while assistance earmarked for UN distribution was barred by Israel.
Smotrich, who has consistently demanded a tough stance on Gaza, did not make the reported threat publicly, though, he has in the past said he would bolt the government if the war in Gaza ended before the complete destruction of Hamas.
The official said the so-called pause on aid deliveries will remain in place until the IDF presents its plan to the government.
Footage published by Palestinian media showed that humanitarian aid was still being distributed from trucks in Gaza City, in the northern part of the Strip. According to the reports, the trucks had reached their destination, and their cargo was being distributed by local clans and “security committees,” both of which operate under the authority of Hamas. video
GHF does not operate an aid distribution center in northern Gaza, as it does in the south and center.
Israel has accused Hamas of hoarding aid and selling it at exorbitant rates amid the war sparked on October 7, 2023, when the terror group stormed southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
The UN and humanitarian aid groups have repeatedly warned that there is not enough food in Gaza and famine is imminent.
Israel has in the past halted aid, accusing Hamas of abusing supplies. Last month, a new organization, the GHF, opened four distribution centers aimed at delivering aid directly to Gazans and preventing Hamas from diverting the goods.
Humanitarian organizations operating under the UN framework, such as the World Food Programme, are currently responsible for distributing humanitarian aid in northern Gaza.
In south and central Gaza, GHF operations have been plagued by deadly shooting incidents as hundreds of thousands of Gazans try to reach the centers. The IDF does not run the centers, though it does provide security along access routes. Though admitting that in some cases troops opened fire when Palestinians approached their positions, Israel also accuses Hamas of deliberately provoking violence at the centers.
On Thursday, Hamas-controlled health authorities said that three people were killed and dozens were wounded as crowds awaited UN aid trucks along a main route in central Gaza.
The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
The GHF began operating in Gaza after the nearly three-month blockade Israel placed on the Strip. link
Gazan media says IDF shelling in Khan Younis kills at least six
Gazan media reports that at least six people have been killed during IDF shelling in Khan Younis.
The military has yet to comment on operations this morning.- IDF issues evacuation warning for Palestinians in central Gaza
The military’s Arabic spokesperson issues an evacuation warning for residents in parts of the central Gaza Strip, after a rocket was fired from there at Israel, instructing them to head southward ahead of IDF operations in the area.
The statement says the IDF will employ intensive firepower “to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations in these areas, and will attack any area used for launching rockets.”
- 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 Israel 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.”Detention of an aid truck by Hamas membersThe Qatatua clan secures aid distribution in Khan YounisSecuring Gaza aid distributionMeanwhile, criticism of Hamas is mounting among local actors, including the Israel-armed Abu Shabab militia, which claimed that “Hamas itself stole all the aid that was brought in.” The militia even accused a local Hamas official named Tamer Abu-Dabousa of selling the contents of 22 trucks on the black market. Adding fuel to the fire, a leaked photo circulated online, reportedly showing Hamas policemen unloading aid from a distribution truck into their own vehicles under the caption: “The thief who guards.” Earlier Thursday morning, humanitarian aid was distributed in northern Gaza under heavy oversight by clans and without any Hamas presence. Hamas’ information office clarified in a public statement that responsibility for securing the distribution lay entirely with the clans, aiming to avoid accusations that they were stealing the aid. Local sources say this marks the beginning of a “clan model” in northern Gaza, a move that allows for local management of aid distribution via community leadership, quietly yet indirectly coordinated with Hamas. Eyewitnesses described the operation as organized and calm, a stark contrast to the chaos that has prevailed in southern Gaza in recent days.Waiting for aid distribution in northern Gaza(Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP)Aid distribution in northern Gaza(Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP)Receiving aid in northern Gaza(Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP) Firas, a Gaza resident who received a summons for an aid package, expressed optimism. “This is the dream of many in the Gaza Strip. Inshallah (God willing), the aid will reach everyone fairly, without favoritism. Distribution equal to all.” By contrast, Dima Shawan, who did not receive a summons, voiced frustration: “I hope they distribute aid fairly, not only to Hamas employees.” Abu Salman al-Murani, coordinator of the Supreme Committee on Clan Affairs, explained that security for aid convoys is meant “to prevent chaos and allow equitable delivery of food to those in need—as part of the fight against hunger that has worsened since Israel’s blockade began in March.” He added that the goal is to protect the public, not just the food, warning: “We cannot let anarchy govern the streets.”Waiting for aid in northern Gaza(Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP)Receiving aid(Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP) Meanwhile, the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) continues operations primarily in southern Gaza. On Thursday, it opened three distribution centers across the Strip—two in the south and one in the central area—providing approximately 34,500 food boxes. On Wednesday, around 1.9 million meals were distributed in approximately 33,000 boxes. COGAT Coordinator Ghassan Alian posted on X that about 150 aid trucks carrying food, infant formula, medicine and medical supplies entered through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings in recent day. “We will continue to enable humanitarian aid entry for the civilian population—but not for Hamas,” he said. The directive from Netanyahu and Katz came in response to information received within the last 24 hours indicating that Hamas was once again seizing humanitarian aid entering northern Gaza and redirecting it away from civilians. Concurrently, the two men ordered the suspension of aid to northern Gaza. This followed an ultimatum from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who, after viewing footage of Hamas taking over aid, warned Netanyahu that if the situation was not corrected, he would submit his resignation. Netanyahu assured him that the issue would be addressed before the scheduled discussion on Sunday. link
π️Day 631 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
*7:20am- Negev and Dead Sea areas- single ballistic missile from Yemen- intercepted- no reports of injuries or damages 
Gaza and the South
- Dozens of settlers attacked, tried to run over IDF soldiers in West Bank overnight, military says
A group of dozens of Israeli settlers attacked and attempted to ram IDF soldiers with a car in the West Bank overnight, the military says.
The incident began after troops spotted Israelis in vehicles heading toward the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik, which was declared a closed military zone due to a previous settler attack there on Wednesday.
Troops were dispatched to the scene to disperse the Israelis gathering near the village.
“Upon the arrival of the forces, dozens of Israeli civilians hurled stones toward them and physically and verbally assaulted the soldiers, including the battalion commander,” the IDF says, adding that the assailants “vandalized and damaged security forces’ vehicles, and attempted to ram them.”
The troops used “riot dispersal means” to clear the gathering, and six suspects were detained and handed over to the police.
“The IDF and Israel Police condemn any act of violence against security forces and will act firmly against any attempt to harm security personnel carrying out their duty to protect Israeli citizens,” the statement adds. link. This is not the first case that these Jewish terrorist attack Israeli security forces. It happens, in most cases, where there are soldiers or border police (who are under to IDF, whereas most border police fall under the Israel police and its convicted criminal minister of Internal 'Insecurity') who come between the terrorists and their Palestinian victims or when they are prevented from going near them as in this case. They have no compunction about attacking our forces when they get in their way because they have reached the point of feeling invincible and immune from arrests, charges and prosecution. This is the result of the 2 senior racist messianic ministers who constantly encourage this behavior and even reward it. And a prime minister who is too weak to say anything.
Katz blasts settler attack on IDF troops, calls on settlement leaders to join condemnation
Defense Minister Israel Katz says he “strongly condemns the grave acts of violence and the attack on IDF soldiers” in the West Bank last night.
Dozens of settlers had attacked soldiers near the village of Kafr Malik, days after an attack against Palestinians in the area.
“I call on law enforcement authorities to act immediately to locate all those who engaged in violence and bring them to justice, as is done everywhere,” Katz says in a statement.
Katz says he also appeals “to the rabbis and settlement leaders to strongly condemn and disavow these acts of violence.”
“The State of Israel will not tolerate violence and taking the law into one’s own hands, and will not allow harm to IDF soldiers who bravely fight against Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria and protect the security of the settlers day and night,” he adds.
Katz has previously said that acts of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians are not terrorism. He also ended the policy of administrative detentions against extremist settlers while leaving them in place for Palestinians. link Katz is a complete hypocrite and is the epitome of holding double standards. He doesn't lift a hand or make a statement when the Jewish settler terrorists attack, vandalize, main and kill Palestinians and their property. He, who has the power to order the IDF and border police under his authority to clamp down on all of this violence in the West Bank, after all, the West Bank falls entirely under military occupation where the Palestinians are concerned, so it would be very easy for him to have troops and border police handling these terror attacks on a regular basis. Instead, he doesn't do anything until they attack our troops and security personnel. He may call on law enforcement to act immediately, but this is a half hearted call and the criminal minister in charge of the police will make sure that not one of the settler terrorists is charged. The most we can hope for with this corrupt and extreme government is that some of the terrorists may be brought in for questioning, but that is as far as it will go with this government that condones, enables and encourages the settler violence against Palestinians. At most, in this case, they will get their wrists slapped. So much for the rule of law or equal law.
Golan casts Jewish extremism as ‘existential threat’ to Israel after settler attack on IDF troops
The Democrats chair Yair Golan describes violent Jewish extremism as an “existential threat” to Israel after settlers attacked IDF soldiers overnight.
“Maybe it is not in the headlines, but the most serious existential threat to the State of Israel is not from Iran or Yemen, but from home,” he writes on X. “Kahanist, nationalist, and fanatical Israel is deliberately working to dismantle Jewish and democratic Israel.”
He says violence against innocents and IDF soldiers is not “not a fringe phenomenon,” but a “dangerous current that has taken a deep hold, even around the government’s table.”
Golan says Israel stands at a “crossroads” where it can remain a Jewish and democratic state or go down the route of extremism and messianism. link Golan is very right. This is an existential threat when we have Israelis attacking our security personnel and getting away with it. It is a question of whether we all live within the rule of law or we don't. There is no such a thing that some live by the rule of law and others don't and there are no repercussions. It is at that point that we have lost any semblance of democracy, for the little that we have left.
A Netanyahu ally tells ToI no one will remember Oct 7 by election time. He may be right.
A triumphant narrative is being carefully crafted by the PM’s inner circle to fully clear him of responsibility for the disaster, as he systematically removes all ties to it
“The failure and disaster of October 7 won’t come up at all in the next elections,” declares Natan Eshel, a close associate and friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The disaster will have no effect whatsoever on the election results. None,” he states.
Speaking to the Times of Israel, Eshel bases that claim on precedent — the failures of 1973’s Yom Kippur War, when Israel was caught unprepared for a surprise attack by Egypt and Syria, and their electoral consequences, or lack thereof, for Israel’s leadership. In December 1973, two months after that traumatic war, prime minister Golda Meir and defense minister Moshe Dayan won reelection despite the blunders.
“No one held anything against Golda,” Eshel
There are, notably, some differences.
The Yom Kippur war lasted 19 days. And despite their success at the polls, both Meir and Dayan decided to resign four months later, following the release of an interim report by a state commission of inquiry set up to investigate the war’s failings. The Israel-Hamas war sparked by October 7 has lasted 20 months and counting. Netanyahu has so far thwarted the establishment of a state probe into October 7.
Though the Agranat Commission did not assign Meir and Dayan personal responsibility for the errors made ahead of the Yom Kippur conflict, it determined that the two bore ministerial responsibility. It stated that the decision regarding their fate was up to the public and the political system.
Eshel relies on that precedent.
“Everyone knows that the army and the Shin Bet screwed up. Netanyahu may bear ministerial responsibility for what happened, but he’s not to blame,” argues the adviser.
For Eshel, the October 7 disaster pales in comparison to recent achievements in Israel’s war against Iran. “The removal of the Iranian threat is a hundred times more significant than the October disaster,” he says.
Netanyahu and his allies are carefully crafting this narrative. The goal is to arrive at elections — seen as likely to take place in 6-12 months — with a platform that fully clears the premier of any responsibility.
In fact, the prime minister is methodically eliminating from the system any negative associations between himself and the disaster. Over the past two years, he has overseen the removal of all security chiefs whom he viewed as responsible for the debacle: the defense minister, the chief of staff, the head of military intelligence and the Shin Bet director.
In the 14 years preceding October 7, it was Netanyahu who — for all but 18 months — set Israel’s national security policy. And yet, he sees those officials as solely responsible for the calamity. According to Eshel, Netanyahu’s campaign message will be: “Iran was me, and I’m still here. October 7 was them — and they’re all gone.”
On Thursday, it was apparently time to also eliminate Netanyahu’s criminal trial from the picture. In an unprecedented tweet likely coordinated with the prime minister, US President Donald Trump called for legal proceedings to be canceled, claiming they were a grave injustice. Trump asserted that the trial was an act of ingratitude by Israel toward its great leader.
Trump’s tweet quickly launched an open campaign to end the trial, with ministers and coalition MKs echoing the message one after the other.
Leading them was Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who, as justice minister in the previous Lapid-Bennett government, had once blocked a favorable plea deal for Netanyahu. Sa’ar was the one who appointed Gali Baharav-Miara in February 2022 as attorney general for a six-year term, at least partly because he knew she would continue overseeing Netanyahu’s trial even if elections took place, and that she firmly opposed plea deals that would end the trial without Netanyahu receiving a career-ending designation of moral turpitude.
Likud ministers and MKs such as Nir Barkat, Shlomo Karhi, Miki Zohar, Idit Silman, Ofir Katz, Ariel Kallner, Tally Gotliv and others voiced their enthusiastic support for canceling their boss’s trial, trampling basic democratic principles such as equality before the law and judicial supremacy.
Silman and Gotliv went even further, with the former demanding a commission of inquiry into the “frame-up of Netanyahu’s cases” and the latter urging Trump to enact personal sanctions against the chief justice and the attorney general.
Later in the day, Netanyahu himself joined the campaign, thanked Trump, and reposted the president’s statement supporting the cancellation of the trial. Trump’s statements also gave a boost to the government’s plan to dismiss the attorney general and appoint someone else who would end Netanyahu’s trial.
These aggressive moves were accompanied by widespread leaks Thursday about imminent historic diplomatic developments in the region, clearly meant to elevate Netanyahu’s image and diminish the significance of the criminal proceedings. As politicians gave interviews mocking the charges and the very notion of the trial, Netanyahu’s attorney filed a request for the panel of judges to excuse Netanyahu from testifying in the next two weeks as planned, citing momentous events (on Friday, judges dismissed that request).
For now, Netanyahu can indeed chalk up a cumulative win. In a poll broadcast Thursday night by the Kan state broadcaster (Hebrew link), Netanyahu’s Likud party received 31 seats — almost the same as in the last election in November 2022. Though the current coalition was still at 56 seats in the 120-member Knesset, 11 short of its current 67, the results signaled a clear upward trend.
This is the first political dividend from the major achievements in Iran.
Netanyahu is sure to seek more wins as he endeavors to reach elections without the stain of October 7, without a trial, and with dazzling diplomatic victories coordinated with Trump — the man who, in practice, seems to be running the show. link This is exactly what Netanyahu wants and it meshes entirely with his need and desire to keep the war in Gaza going. He wants as much time as possible for the rewriting of the national narrative with Netanyahu's book of lies where he bears no responsibility for October 7 and everything that led up to it. One of Netanyahu's first meetings after the barbaric attack on October 7 was a meeting with his political advisors and PR people on October 8, a day that should have been 100% consumed with taking back the Western Negev which was occupied by the Hamas terrorists and getting back our 251 hostages. Instead, Netanyahu was most consumed with the fact that all that happened could destroy Netanyahu's image and political future, so that meeting set in motion the things that Netanyahu and his poison machine has been doing since then; shifting all blame and responsibility to the security services (IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, Intelligence) and for him in the political echelon, no blame, no responsibility and no culpability. Along with the rewriting of the narrative, very early in the war, Netanyahu and his poison machine turned the hostage issue into a political one and equating anyone who supported the hostages and their families were the same protestors who, before the war, were protesting the judicial overthrown and were seen as anti-Netanyahu people who needed to be redefined as enemies of the State and Hamas supporters. They had some, but limited success there because most of the population eventually took up the cause of the hostages and recognize that it is a national imperative and non political. Netanyahu is banking that, with enough time, he will be able to totally extricate himself from October 7 and that the public will accept that. Well, WE WON'T! WE WILL NOT LET ANYONE FORGET NETANYAHU'S VERY COMPLICIT ROLE IN OCTOBER 7! AND MORE THAT THAN, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THERE WILL BE A STATE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO OCTOBER 7 AND ALL THAT BROUGHT US THERE, AS WELL AS THE MISMANAGEMENT OF THE WAR AND THE HOSTAGES. JUSTICE WILL COME AND NETANYAHU WILL PAY THE PRICE!
IDF chief signals to cabinet: 'We’re closing on defined Gaza objectives'
IDF chief Eyal Zamir says Iran strike could help advance Gaza goals; nearing key lines in Operation Gideon’s Chariots, army to present next steps to political leadership
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Friday during a tour of Gaza that the military is closing on the lines it set for the current phase of Operation Gideon's Chariots.In what appeared to be a message to the cabinet, Zamir stated: “The fighting in Gaza is the primary front. In the near future, we will reach our designated lines. From there, operational options will be presented to the political echelon. We will continue acting decisively to achieve the two goals of the campaign—freeing the hostages and defeating Hamas.”According to Zamir, “Iran has taken a major hit. The blow it suffered will affect the entire axis, including Hamas, whose main patron has been weakened. This has the potential to advance our objectives in Gaza.”Zamir also addressed the deaths of seven IDF combat engineers from the 188th Armored Brigade, killed this week in fighting in Gaza: “We lost seven of our best in battle. It’s a painful event. We are standing with their families in this difficult hour. The incident will be investigated thoroughly, and we will learn from it.”He expressed appreciation for the reservists: “To you, the reservists, our deep respect. You understand the gravity of the moment and continue to show up whenever called. Yesterday, we held a situation assessment to examine how we can ease the burden on reservists. We will make sure forces are used efficiently and only when there is a clear operational need.”Zamir’s remarks come amid growing talk of a potential “comprehensive deal” in the Middle East following the Israeli strikes on Iran. U.S. officials said Thursday that “momentum has been created post-Iran, and progress is possible.”Israeli officials familiar with the negotiations said, “Netanyahu wants to close this at the highest levels. This time it’s a comprehensive deal—it won’t be like previous arrangements where a delegation is sent for proximity talks with Hamas. This will come from the top, with a joint decision by Netanyahu, Trump, White House envoy Brett McGurk, and Israeli Minister Ron Dermer. Everyone else is just spinning their wheels and doesn’t know what’s happening.”The sources added that the proposed deal is far-reaching and includes a cease-fire, the return of 50 hostages, and an expansion of the Abraham Accords. “That’s what interests Trump. He’s not here to sabotage—he’s offering a bear hug,” one source said.Israeli forces have been operating in recent days in Khan Younis and northern Gaza. The operation’s goal was to shrink Hamas’s area of control in the Strip. Over the past two weeks, amid the conflict with Iran, the pace of fighting in Gaza has slowed as the Strip became a secondary theater. Due to manpower shortages and the operational demands of the Iran conflict, the IDF has frozen many planned attacks against Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and Khan Younis.The Region and the World- European boycott of Israeli goods expands, hits Germany
Israeli farmers report growing distancing from their exports across Europe: Belgium and Ireland are boycotting, Aldi has reportedly halted orders—and even Japan is showing signs of hesitation
Following decisions by the Co-op chains in Italy and the UK to stop selling Israeli products, Israeli farmers and food exporters say they are seeing a growing boycott of Israeli agricultural goods across Europe, including in Germany. This country typically supports Israel and avoids overt boycotts. Behind-the-scenes pushback is also being felt from major retailers like the UK’s Waitrose, Germany’s Aldi and even as far away as Japan.Israeli potatoes sold by Yapro(Photo: Yapro)“In the past two weeks, we’re hearing louder voices calling for a boycott in Germany, and that’s new,” a potato exporter told Ynet. “For six weeks now, Aldi has been doing everything possible to avoid buying from us.”Another Israeli farmer said: “We sell to packing companies, who then brand and distribute our products to the supermarkets. One of my German packers told me, ‘I love you guys, I need your product, I’ve known the Israeli farmers for years — but the retailer's buyer told me it’s hard to place 'Produce of Israel' on the shelf when the newspaper headline reads ‘genocide.’ It’s weighing on us.’ I understand them. Still, the Germans have stuck to their purchasing schedules — so far.”Ofer Levin, an agricultural exporter, added: “There’s been a major shift in sentiment against us in Germany in recent weeks, driven by public opinion around the Gaza war. We’re nearing the end of our sales season there, and we’ve been subtly told that Aldi won’t carry us anymore. Officially, they say it's because there’s fresh local produce now, but when you dig deeper, it’s political. Aldi has decided to stop selling Israeli goods on its shelves.”Belgium bans, Sweden long disengaged and Ireland joins inLevin said the boycott began in Belgium, where EU labeling regulations require retailers to visibly mark the country of origin on shelves — something that has led to consumers rejecting Israeli produce. However, mini potatoes packaged in a way that bypasses country-of-origin labeling requirements continue to be bought in bulk. “That shows it’s entirely political,” he said.Asked whether other countries are joining the boycott, Levin said: “In Sweden, ICA hasn’t bought Israeli produce for maybe five years. Norway doesn’t buy from Israel at all anymore. Since last year, the border has been effectively closed to our goods and this trend is growing across Europe.”“The biggest customer for our potatoes is Germany,” he continued. “They’ve already told me: if this continues into next year, we might not be able to start the next season with you. And this is Germany — one of Israel’s more supportive countries.”He exports to the German supermarket chain Kaufland, which gives him exclusive shelf space for two months annually. “I doubt they’ll drop us mid-season, but if the situation continues, they could easily decide to open the door to Egyptian produce. It’s not about quality — it’s political.”“In France, Lidl canceled my program over the situation. France is a small market for us, but the political pressure is real. Public opinion matters.”Even Japan is waryA fruit exporter who supplies avocados, citrus and peppers — including to Co-op branches in Western Europe — said: “We’ve been hearing for a year that things are getting more complicated. It started under the radar but is becoming more overt as the Gaza headlines keep coming.”Do you hear this across all your export markets? “Yes — Western, Central and Eastern Europe, including Russia. Eastern Europe is less affected, and we also export to the U.S., Canada and even Japan.”And what did you hear from Japan? “A Japanese customer told us we should be cautious about shipping Israeli produce there — the perception of Israeli goods in Japanese society is becoming problematic.”Yaniv Yablonka, CEO of Yapro, which exports around 50,000 tons of potatoes annually to 11 European countries, said Co-op is the only chain that publicly declares its boycott. “Most retailers tell packing houses privately: ‘Don’t bring us Israeli goods, we don’t want BDS trouble or protests — just get it from Morocco or Egypt.’ But Co-op is the only one that comes out and says it publicly.”Yapro sells raw, unwashed produce to packers, who then clean, sort and brand it for stores. “After Operation Defensive Shield, we went to the Israeli embassy in London and made noise about the boycott, and Co-op backed down. Today, they don’t need us — they have alternatives. So it’s easier for them to turn against us.”How the Co-op boycott unfoldedThe renewed spotlight on the boycott came after Co-op UK and Co-op Italy announced they would stop selling Israeli products, including Achva tahini, SodaStream bottles and peanuts. Co-op Italy even began marketing Cola Gaza, a Palestinian-flag-branded cola.Though the war in Gaza is the current trigger, Yablonka said the boycott had already begun beforehand. “I met with Co-op Norway’s buyer on October 5, 2023. Within two weeks of October 7, they canceled our deal. This isn’t new. It did not come out of the blue.”Co-op Switzerland stopped buying Israeli goods five or six years ago, he added. “Every time there’s an operation in Gaza — Cast Lead, Pillar of Defense, Protective Edge — we face issues. This happens in Norway, the UK and Switzerland. Less so in Italy, where I work less.”Worst markets for Israeli exporters“I canceled all my seed orders for Belgium, Norway and Ireland on October 8, 2023. I knew the deals would fall through. In Norway and Belgium, those were big contracts. Ireland was smaller — maybe 500–600 tons out of our 50,000. But I know other exporters who got hit in Ireland, especially with citrus and radishes.” What about the rest of the UK? “We had a relatively quiet 2024 and 2025 in the UK, until this past month. But in Ireland, we’ve seen BDS events, like dumping Israeli goods outside stores. In Norway last year, we didn’t sell a single kilo, even though they needed the product and asked for it. Packers told us: ‘We want your produce — the chains won’t allow it.’ In Belgium, the fear is about the EU labeling law.”Israeli farmers near the Gaza borderEven produce grown in southern Israel, far from the West Bank or Golan Heights, doesn’t always help. “I keep a ready-to-go file with UN maps, GPS coordinates and documents showing our goods are from sovereign Israel — but it only helps sometimes.”Spain is still buying — for now.What about Spain or the Netherlands? “The Netherlands has issues, too — but they’re more business-focused. When there’s a supply gap, politics takes a back seat. Spain has been my biggest market for two years. Great deals for farmers. But I fear we’re on borrowed time.”Why? “The product is good, the chain is happy, but one day the buyer might wake up and tell the packer, ‘That’s it, no more Israeli goods.’ It’s in the air. Maybe the only reason we’re safe is because we sell in bulk, without labeled origin, so we’ve ‘removed’ the problem. But it hangs over all of Europe.”Southern Israel growers hit hard, ships turning away.Israeli potatoes are considered premium. “Tesco might carry 12–13 potato lines — we’re just one, priced at €700 per ton versus €200–Personal Stories
Following 12 days of war between Israel and Iran, many Israelis are showing signs of trauma, according to Prof. Eyal Fruchter, co-founder of the ICAR Collective. “One of the biggest things that trauma causes is a change in the perception of the world as not manageable and dangerous,” he told ILTV News. “This happens to a lot of people that suffer from trauma. Now, when you re-traumatize, it just enhances the amount of belief that the world is not tolerable, that you cannot bear the traumas, that you cannot coordinate them, and you cannot control them. And once you feel uncontrolled, it's very hard to get back control of your life.”
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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My blogs in The Times of Israel my blogs
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