🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 634, 2023 - July 2, 2025 🎗️

🎗️Day 635 that 50 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivity🎗️

**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**



“I’ve never met them,

But I miss them. 

I’ve never met them,

but I think of them every second. 

I’ve never met them,

but they are my family. 

BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”



We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.



#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope




There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!

‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית

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

*8:00pm yesterday - Gaza Envelope - rockets from Gaza - Mivtachim Amioz, Nir Itzhak, Pri Gan- 2 rockets were intercepted and this is 2 days after the army announced that most of the residents of the Gaza Envelope can and should return to their homes.
*8:25pm yesterday - Ballistic missile alert from the Houthis in Yemen - Tel Aviv, Shfela and Jerusalem areas - missile intercepted and no injuries or damages reported



Alert area



Hostage Updates

Until the last hostage


To President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, I ask:  

Why 60 days? Why not 30 days? Why not two weeks?  
In fact, why not one week?  
Why only 10 hostages in the first week? Why not release them all now? After all, the new framework will lead to the end of the war—so why not end it sooner? Fewer soldiers killed, fewer Gazan civilians killed, less suffering for the hostages and their families. Hamas has finished its role in Gaza.  
Let the Palestinians and Arab states help Hamas exit the stage.  Hamas will not surrender to Israel, but it will surrender to the pressure of the Palestinian people and Arab nations. Israel cannot disarm Hamas, but the Palestinian people and Arab states can—and the main incentive: not a single dollar will go into Gaza’s reconstruction as long as Hamas remains in control and poses a threat.  On Monday at the White House—Trump, tell your friend Bibi: Do it now, immediately!  
(Gershon Baskin, July 2, 2025)

 

• Trump says Israel ‘agreed to necessary conditions to finalize’ 60-day Gaza ceasefir
  US president says ‘we’ll work with all parties to end the war’ during two-month truce, urges Hamas to accept the proposal ‘because it will not get better — it will only get worse’
  

  US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

  During the prospective two-month truce, “We will work with all parties to end the war,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, summarizing the development that came out of meetings top US officials held on Tuesday in Washington with visiting Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

  Trump said Qatar and Egypt will deliver the “final proposal” to Hamas.
  

  “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this deal because it will not get better — it will only get worse,” Trump wrote.

  There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials on Trump’s post, which appeared to be referring to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire that has been discussed over the past several months. Those talks have been at an impasse, largely over the terms for what happens at the end of that truce, with Israel demanding that it maintain the ability to resume fighting, while Hamas seeks for the temporary ceasefire to become permanent.

  In declaring that he will “work to end the war,” Trump apparently was trying to appease both sides, mentioning an end to the war without speaking definitively.

  Despite the announcement from Trump, an official from one of the Arab mediating countries told The Times of Israel that major hurdles remain and that the sides will still need to hold proximity talks in order to close remaining gaps.

  Two Arab diplomats from mediating countries told The Times of Israel that remaining sticking points also include Hamas’s demand for a return to old mechanisms for distributing humanitarian aid or the establishment of a new system to replace the current one managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Israel says GHF is essential in preventing the diversion of aid by Hamas, but the US- and Israeli-backed system has forced Gazans to walk long distances in order to pick up food, while also crossing IDF lines, coming under deadly fire on a near-daily basis.

  Meanwhile, Hebrew media outlets offered conflicting reports on whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was prepared to compromise.

  Channel 12 reported that he is, while Channel 13 quoted him as having said during a security cabinet earlier this week that “we need to kill every person that holds a weapon. Nothing less than this.”

  Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House next week, Trump saying earlier Tuesday that he will be “very firm” with the prime minister on the need to end the war in Gaza. Trump also repeated his prediction that a ceasefire and hostage release deal would be reached shortly. “I think we’ll have a deal next week,” he said.

  Ahead of Netanyahu’s trip, discussions were held Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office on the efforts to reach a hostage release deal, with reports of some progress.

  “There is a positive dynamic and lively activity on the issue of negotiations,” a senior official told The Times of Israel.

  While in the US, Netanyahu said will also meet with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and senior lawmakers.

  Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is currently in Washington ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, was slated to meet with Witkoff, Rubio and Vance.

  Hostage-ceasefire talks are being mediated by Witkoff, whose latest proposal, the authenticity of which was confirmed to The Times of Israel by two sources familiar with the negotiations, would see Hamas release 10 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and return the bodies of 18 deceased hostages during a 60-day ceasefire. The rest of the hostages would be released if a permanent ceasefire is reached.

  Hamas sources told the London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the terror group’s response to Witkoff’s deal proposal was generally positive, though with conditions.

  A source directly involved in the negotiations told The Times of Israel that Hamas’s response included a demand that makes it more difficult for Israel to resume fighting if talks on a permanent ceasefire are not completed by the end of the 60-day truce.

  The source said there were other changes Hamas wanted to make to the Witkoff proposal, adding that it would require a more drawn-out negotiation process.

  The updated proposal submitted by Hamas envisions the release of the 10 hostages being more spread out throughout the truce, rather than in two batches on the first and seventh days, as the US offer envisioned.

  The source said this change was aimed at preventing Netanyahu from abandoning talks on a permanent ceasefire after the hostages are released, or refusing to engage in them altogether, as he did during the previous ceasefire in January.

  Netanyahu told hostages’ families in May that he approved of Witkoff’s proposal in principle.

  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 These phased hostage releases are horrible and unnecessary. The only deal that should be made is a single deal to release all the hostages at once and end the war. This proposal of Trump's is very problematic. It appears to imply that part of the agreement will be continued talks to end the war. That is possible if Trump is prepared to press Netanyahu with 'an offer he can't refuse'. In addition, any agreement that does not include ending the war will be unacceptable to Hamas. Trump thinks that he is the strong man with the strong arm and can make anyone do what he wants them to do, but he has no understanding of the Middle East and absolutely no understanding of Hamas. As I have said many times, Hamas can be on its dying breath and still not budge from their bottom line of ending the war, no matter how much Trump threatens them that their situation will just get worse. They are an extremist religious fundamental terror organization that believes they are on this earth to suffer for their cause and they will be rewarded in their idea of heaven (and that does not mean the 72 virgins- that is a Western warped view of what Muslims martyrs regard their heaven).

  
  
• 
  
• Netanyahu continues discussions on ceasefire deal ahead of Washington trip
  

  Discussions in the Prime Minister’s Office are ongoing this evening on attempts to reach a hostage release deal with Hamas, as Israel sees some progress.

  “There is a positive dynamic and lively activity on the issue of negotiations,” a senior official tells The Times of Israel.

  No decision has yet been made on sending a delegation to talks in Cairo, an Israeli official tells Israel Hayom.

  Channel 12 also reports that there is “some progress” in contacts with mediating countries around a potential ceasefire deal with Hamas.

  The discussions take place as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to fly to Washington next week to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House.  link As I have said so many times, I don't believe a word coming from Netanyahu's mouth. He uses the hostages so often for his own political needs and not to get them released. Even now, before his trip to meet Trump, he is talking about the hostages but he uses the word 'rescue' and not a deal. He is not interested in ending the war because it suits him personally and there is no way to rescue the hostages.In 21 months, ony a handful of hostages have been rescued. The bulk of the return of the hostages have been through deals. Trump said that he will be 'very firm' with Netanyahu. He has the ability to be very tough and force Netanyahu to do things he doesn't want to do. We have seen this twice in recent months. The last hostage deal was made only because Trump told him to do it. Netanyahu then totally breached the agreement and refused to go to Phase 2 which would have seen all the hostages return and the end of the war. The second instance of Trump's demand of Netanyahu was just over a week ago when the ceasefire with Iran started and they breached it with a missile attack. Netanyahu then ordered a massive retaliation and there were 52 fighter jets on their way to deliver extremely heavy strikes when Trump called Netanyahu and told him to call off the attack. As a result, there was a minor attack on a low importance anti aircraft launch site. It was symbolic and to send a message. If Trump wants, he could get an end to the war immediately and get the hostages home if he forces Netanyahu. Netanyahu is a lot smarter than Trump and knows how to manipulate him, although Netanyahu got a very big surprise on his last visit to the White House when Netanyahu wanted to convince Trump to drop his tariffs on Israel. Trump summoned Netanyahu and didn't budge from his position. We will have to see how this plays out next week and hope that Trump will do the right thing and force Netanyahu to end the war and bring the hostages home.

• Hamas unlikely to cede demand that war can’t be restarted after ceasefire, says diplomat
  
  Palestinians check the rubble at the grounds of the Yaffa School building in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City following overnight Israeli strikes, on June 30, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
  
  

  Hamas is unlikely to budge from its demand for guarantees from the mediators that Israel cannot restart the war once a ceasefire has been reached, an Arab diplomat familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

  The diplomat says characterization of a split between a more hardline Gaza-based Hamas leadership and a more moderate leadership abroad is exaggerated, as both are in agreement about the need for a permanent ceasefire.

  Talk of Israeli flexibility on other issues will mean little if Israel insists on maintaining an ability to resume fighting once a ceasefire is in place, the Arab diplomat says. link Anyone involved in this war and in any negotiations knows that this is an immovable target. Hamas does not change or deviate from its bottom line which is an end of the war. They won't make any deal that doesn't include ending the war with international guarantees.

  
  
  

• Sa’ar presses Netanyahu to clinch Gaza deal with Knesset behind move

  Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says a “large majority” of the government and Israeli public are in support of reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, urging action to push an agreement over the finish line.

  “There is a large majority in both the government and the public in favor of the outline for releasing the hostages. If there is an opportunity to do it — it must not be missed!” writes Sa’ar on X.

  The post comes after Opposition Leader Yair Lapid promised to lend his party’s support for a deal in case hard-right coalition members attempt to block approval in the Knesset. Earlier in the day, Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly suggested forming a unified bloc with Religious Zionism to torpedo a deal, but party leader Bezalel Smotrich’s office denied that they had agreed to meet to discuss coordination on blocking the measure.  link This is a very new situation where we have a senior minister calling for Netanyahu to make a ceasefire and hostage deal. Unfortunately, he is not stating an end of the war, only a ceasefire. A ceasefire without ending the war means a few things: Hamas won't agree to any ceasefire without an agreement on ending the war as well, and any ceasefire without ending the war means a phased agreement with drips and drabs of hostages released over an extended time as well as leaving hostages to rot and die without any date or plan to bring them home.

• Responding to Trump, Hamas says Gaza deal must ‘clearly lead to complete end’ of war

Hamas says it is open to a ceasefire agreement with in Gaza but is stopping short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump that he said Jerusalem had agreed to.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu says the group is “ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.”
Hamas is “ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,” he says.
The question of whether a ceasefire will end the war or allow Israel to resume fighting has been the main sticking point keeping the sides from coming to an agreement, according to sources familiar with the talks.
Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, during which he would “work to end the war,” in comments that seemingly attempted to thread the needle between the warring sides’ positions.
Israel says it will not accept an end to the war until Hamas is defeated, while Hamas has demanded that any deal permanently end the war.
A Hamas delegation is expected to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official speaks on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the talks with the media.

Freed hostage Omer Wenkert says remaining captives are ‘starving, humiliated, miserable’


Released hostage Omer Wenkert speaks at Hostages Square on July 1, 2025. (Paulina Patimer/Hostages Forum)





Thousands of people gather in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square for the weekly “Singing for Their Return” event, praying and singing for the return of the 50 hostages, with speakers from bereaved families, wives of reservists and soldiers.

Released hostage Omer Wenkert shares details from his 505 days of captivity in Gaza, including meeting former hostage Liam Or in the Hamas tunnels during those first days, and who told Wenkert not to lose hope. Or was released in the November 2023 ceasefire.

Wenkert also spent eight months in captivity with Tal Shoham, who was released with him, leaving behind Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David, who are still hostages.

“They are still living an ongoing nightmare every single moment, experiencing endless and intensifying hell, starving, humiliated, miserable, and crying out to return to freedom,” says Wenkert. “I stand here today — and I am their voice! I cry out their pain and their pleas to come home!”

Tuval Rosenberg, a reservist tank commander, speaks at the Hostages Square event, describing his personal connections to six hostages, both living and dead.

He describes meeting Matan Angrest in basic training, now held hostage and meeting Daniel Perez in the commander’s course. Perez was killed on October 7, and his body was taken captive. Rosenberg says that he, Angrest and Perez served under Omer Neutra, another soldier killed and taken hostage, along with Oz Daniel and Itay Chen, also killed and taken hostage. Hostage Nimrod Cohen was under Rosenberg’s command during training.

“He’s known to us as a kidnapped soldier,” says Rosenberg of Cohen, “but he is much more than that. He is a world in and of himself.”

Rabbi Doron Perez, father of Daniel Perez, also speaks, praying that his son will merit a dignified burial in the land of Israel, and that the hostages return home.




Israel and Iran




New video just released by the military censor of the direct Iranian missile hit on the apartment building in Beersheva video



Gaza and the South









THIS IS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW- by Gershon Baskin


On Monday of next week Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to meet President Trump in the White House. Based on Trump’s social media post he is expected to tell Netanyahu that the war in Gaza must end and all of the hostages must come home. From what we know (I know from first sources) Hamas has four demands: (1) a permanent ceasefire also known as ending the war; (2) withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza; (3) release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons (including those who have killed Israelis); and (4) significantly increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. In exchange, Hamas is prepared to free all of the hostages (50 in number including all of those alive and all of the bodies of those no longer alive); and Hamas is prepared to transfer the governance of Gaza to a Palestinian civilian professional technocrat government. Hamas has not committed itself to disarmament, transferring its weapons to the new Palestinian government, or having its armed personnel or some of them leave Gaza with their families. That is the deal that can be done next week – first when Trump tells Netanyahu to make the deal, and then when Witkoff with Qatar and Egypt tell Hamas to make the deal and then they can all agree on the implementation plan. The war in Gaza could theoretically be over in one to two weeks from now.

My assessment is that once there are no longer Israeli soldiers in Gaza, the armed Hamas personnel will no longer have targets. Hamas does not have the ability or the motivation to continue to shoot rockets and mortars into Israel, once the war is over. They may feel that they need to protect themselves against angry Gazans and may want to continue to hold their arms until they feel more secure or until they are prepared to leave Gaza. The disarming of Hamas will take more time and must be completed by a new (albeit temporary) Palestinian legitimate government in Gaza which is not Hamas. The new Palestinian government will be able to invite Arab forces to come to Gaza to assist in establishing law, order, and governance. They will come, according to what they have said, but only coordinated with the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
What needs to happen now is that President Abbas must appoint the head of the temporary Gaza government or a list of names of people to run the government in Gaza. A list of 15 names was published by the Palestinian Authority with the support of Egypt way back in the beginning of March of this year. Most of those names are acceptable to most of the Palestinian people – at least that is what I have been told. Different names can be selected as well. The main point is that this must happen now. There is absolutely no reason for Abbas to wait even one day longer in announcing either the head of the temporary government or the list of names of what was called the “Gaza Support Committee”.

Since Israel prevented a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Turkey from taking place, Abbas should call for a meeting of all of the foreign diplomats based in the Palestinian Authority and Israel to come to Ramallah to voice their opinion, and hopefully support for the Palestinian plan for taking control of Gaza when the war ends. Abbas will receive the support of most of the international community which is essential for having a concrete plan for deal with the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

Taking over Gaza and reuniting Palestinian governance is a Palestinian interest first and foremost and requires Palestinian pro-active decisions right now. If this were to happen now, the Franco-Saudi summit which may be rescheduled to take place in Paris at the end of this month, or in September at the meeting of the UN General Assembly in the framework of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two States Solution (which includes more than 90 countries) would then have a much more concrete agenda for the reconstruction of Gaza and for moving forward in advancing the two states solution.

The international community would be able to push forward to implement the commitments addressed by Abbas in his letter to President Macron from June 10, 2025 which include the disarming of Hamas, the deployment of international forces to protect the Palestinian people with a UN Security Council Mandate, a full peace agreement with Israel for two states. Abbas also committed to new Palestinian elections within one year. Abbas wrote: “The State of Palestine stands ready to assume sole governance and security responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, with Arab and international support. Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces, which will oversee their removal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with Arab and international support.” The letter also included a commitment to “revoking the law of payments to families of prisoners and martyrs.”

The war must end now. The hostages must be returned home to Israel. Hamas can no longer govern Gaza and does not present a threat to Israel anymore. Trump can assure Netanyahu that if Hamas tries to rebuild its military capabilities, Israel can re-enter Gaza with the blessing of the United States. Trump can tell Hamas that as long as they do not try to rebuild their military threat against Israel, that the United States will guarantee the ceasefire and the end of the war.

This can all happen in the very near future.  link

IDF troops targeting Hamas infrastructure in eastern Gaza City, says military


The IDF's Commando Brigade operates in the Gaza Strip in a photo cleared for publication on July 1, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)





The IDF says it has launched a new ground operation in Gaza City, with the 98th Paratroopers Division joining the 162nd Armored Corps Division in the northern part of the Strip.

Troops are operating in the city’s eastern areas, targeting underground infrastructure and eliminating terrorist operatives. The Commando Brigade and 7th Armored Brigade are leading the ground maneuver, following a wave of Israeli Air Force strikes.

The military says around 100 terror targets have been struck so far, including weapons depots, command centers and observation posts. Operations are ongoing.

Over 165 major aid groups call for end to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operations


Palestinians gather at an aid distribution point set up by the privately run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 25, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)




More than 165 major international charities and non-governmental organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty, call for an immediate end to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

“Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,” the group says in a joint news release.

There have been repeated instances of Palestinians being shot near aid distribution sites. The IDF has said it is investigating and denies that troops are ordered to open fire on civilians.

The call by the charities and NGOs was the latest sign of trouble for the GHF — a secretive US- and Israeli-backed initiative headed by an evangelical leader who is a close ally of US President Donald Trump.

GHF started distributing aid on May 26, following a nearly three-month Israeli blockade amid a war that has already seen shortages, plunging Gaza into a humanitarian crisis.

Responding to the aid groups, GHF calls on them to join their operations.

“Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza,” the statement says. “We are ready to collaborate and help them get their aid to people in need. At the end of the day, the Palestinian people need to be fed.”

Hamas gives Abu Shabab clan boss 10 days to surrender

The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza says the leader of a clan supported by Israel operating in the Rafah area must turn himself in to the “relevant authorities” — i.e., Hamas — for prosecution within 10 days.

In a statement, Yasser Abu Shabab, an armed gang leader opposed to Hamas, is accused of treason, forming an illegal armed gang, and leading an armed rebellion.

The Abu Shabab clan operates in western Rafah, an area under Israeli security control. According to footage published by the clan, it has been securing humanitarian aid entering the area and has even established residential compounds. Israel recently acknowledged that it had transferred weapons to local actors as part of its effort to weaken Hamas, after reports that it had armed Abu Shabab.

The statement does not specify what measures would be taken if Abu Shabab fails to surrender to Hamas. Gazan media outlets have reported in recent weeks that Hamas has attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Yasser Abu Shabab, whose gang is thought to have previously been involved in drug running and aid looting.

The ministry also called on the public to come forward with any information regarding his whereabouts.

Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, and while it allows the presence of smaller groups and various local clan power structures, it has allowed little space for political dissent or support for Israel, executing Gazans who have protested the terror group’s control of the Strip and many others it accuses of collaboration.

Army says gun-smuggling attempts thwarted on Egypt border



Smuggled weapons captured by IDF forces along the Israel-Egyptian border, in a photo released on July 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF forces thwarted two separate weapons smuggling attempts along the border with Egypt over the past 24 hours, the military says.

Troops on Tuesday night intercepted a drone that crossed into Israeli territory carrying 10 firearms, the army says.

This morning, soldiers stopped a suspicious vehicle near the border, finding 14 guns inside. The driver was arrested and transferred for questioning.

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria



US gave Lebanon until today to respond to demand Hezbollah relinquish weapons, sources say


Lebanese officials are drafting a response to US demands for Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons across the country by November in exchange for a halt to IDF operations there, say two sources briefed on the matter.

The deadline has turned up the heat on the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, which was struck hard by Israel during last year’s war, is suffering a financial crunch, and faces pressure in Lebanon to disarm.

Washington’s demands were conveyed by Thomas Barrack, US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, during a trip to Beirut on June 19.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, tell Reuters Barrack had shared a written roadmap with Lebanese officials and told them he expected to hear back by July 1 (today) on any proposed amendments.

The six-page document centers on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other terror groups, and urges Lebanon to improve ties with neighboring Syria and implement financial reforms, they say.

They say Barrack had urged Lebanese officials to seize the opportunity laid out in the roadmap as it “may not come up again.” He is set to return to Lebanon next week.

Barrack had not yet gotten Israeli approval for the roadmap, the sources say. There was no immediate response from the US State Department, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office, or Israel’s Foreign Ministry to Reuters requests for comment.




IDF says troops dismantled sprawling 3 kilometer tunnel network in south Gaza


In one of the largest tunnel discoveries in recent weeks, IDF Paratroopers operating in Khan Younis have dismantled a sprawling underground network used by terror operatives in the southern Gaza Strip, the military says.

The troops uncovered roughly three kilometers of interconnected tunnels, used by terror groups to stage attacks, store weapons, and move undetected. The operation was carried out in coordination with the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.

According to the IDF, dozens of terrorists were killed in close-quarters battles during the ongoing operation, which also included Israeli Air Force strikes.

The IDF says that its troops have destroyed hundreds of above and below-ground terror sites, including tunnel shafts, command centers, and fortified hideouts designed for long-term use.

IDF says troops arrested Iranian terror cell in southern Syria


Israeli troops arrested several members of a terror cell deployed by Iran in southern Syria in an overnight raid, the military says.

The cell was operating in two locations near the border with Israel and was targeted based on intelligence gathered over recent weeks, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

During the raid, troops from the 474th Golan Regional Brigade, who carried out the raid together with field investigators from Military Intelligence’s Unit 504, also seized weapons, including firearms and grenades.

The IDF says it will continue efforts to thwart the entrenchment of Iranian-linked terror groups in Syria, particularly near the Israeli border.

Israeli troops have been stationed in Syria since the fall of the former Assad regime in December, where they are holding a small buffer zone near the border.

Cash-strapped Hezbollah said to freeze funds for home repairs in war-ravaged Beirut stronghold


Displaced residents, some carrying a Hezbollah flag, return to Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on November 27, 2024. (Bilal Hussein/AP)





Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group has informed homeowners in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh district that it is freezing compensation for repairs to homes damaged or destroyed during the war with Israel in October and November of last year, the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

According to the report, the suspension of funding is due to a cash shortage affecting Hezbollah, with no clear indication if or when the group will resume payments.

The Saudi paper does not specify the cause of Hezbollah’s financial shortfall.

Last week the newspaper Al-Jadeed reported that the recent assassination of Said Izadi, a commander of Iran’s Quds Force and head of a unit responsible for funneling Iranian funds to Lebanon, was expected to impact financial support for Hezbollah and its ability to pay for the rebuilding of Dahiyeh.

The densely populated neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold, was rocked by an intense Israeli air campaign over several weeks last year as part of a military campaign aimed at dismantling the Iranian proxy group following nearly a year of daily cross-border rocket and drone attacks.

In the past, Hezbollah has used payouts and other forms of social welfare to build up its popularity among Lebanese Shiites.

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks



2 Palestinians reported killed by Israeli troops in West Bank; IDF says it is investigating


In response to reports earlier today by the Palestinian Health Ministry that Israeli forces killed two individuals in separate incidents in the West Bank, including a 15-year-old boy in Ramallah, the IDF issues statements addressing both cases.

Regarding the incident in Ramallah, the military says that during an overnight operation in the central West Bank, several suspects hurled stones at Israeli troops. In response, soldiers fired warning shots into the air. No Israeli forces were injured, and the incident is under investigation.

In a separate incident near the town of Ramadin, southwest of Dhahiriya, the IDF says troops identified a suspect attempting to cross the security barrier overnight and opened fire in accordance with the rules of engagement. The IDF says the suspect was struck, and the incident is currently under further investigation.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 15-year-old Amjad Nassar Abu Awad was killed in Ramallah, and 24-year-old Samer Bassam Zagharneh was killed near Dhahiriya.

IDF investigating vandalism of Palestinian property in West Bank town


Israeli security forces say they have launched an investigation after Palestinian property was set on fire and vandalized overnight in the northern West Bank town of Bazariya.

According to the IDF, Hebrew graffiti was also sprayed on a separate home in the town.

Troops arrived at the scene this morning following a report of the incident.

Photos circulating on social media show graffiti reading, “You made a mistake — you don’t shoot Jews,” leading security officials to believe it was likely a revenge attack carried out by extremist settlers.

Politics and the War and General News


From the facebook post of "Citizens are in favor of exhausting the legal process of Netanyahu and his associates - no to plea deals!"

The great disaster was avoided, by luck
Giora Eiland
On the approach that endangered Israel:
The Prime Minister said yesterday that “we removed two immediate threats… we stood on the brink of annihilation.” This is an infuriating statement, an attempt to create a narrative that contradicts historical truth. Indeed, Israel faced the danger of an existential war, but that was in the summer of 2023. Netanyahu and his government preferred to ignore it.
In June 2023, I was summoned along with several other “formers” to a briefing by the head of Military Intelligence and the head of the Research Division. For three hours they presented the situation assessment. The two main messages were: first, Iran was close to completing its plan to destroy Israel even without nuclear weapons. Second, due to the severe political-public crisis in Israel, the Iranians wanted to move up the implementation of the plan from 2025 to early 2024. Concerned by what I had been shown, I asked to study the subject in depth, and a few days later I spent a whole day at Military Intelligence, where I received a detailed briefing on Iran’s capabilities and all its proxies, mainly Hezbollah. My concern turned into anxiety. I wrote to whomever I could that Israel was close not just to war, and not just to a multi-front war—but to an existential war.
This was a logical conclusion, and in fact the only possible conclusion, from the combination of three elements: the magnitude of the threat, the seriousness of the enemy’s intent, and Israel’s relatively limited ability to deal with this threat both defensively and offensively.
This was a realistic scenario in which a surprise, coordinated attack would be launched against Israel with the firing of hundreds of ballistic missiles from Iran, the firing of thousands (!) of rockets and missiles from Hezbollah, including precision missiles that would cause severe damage to infrastructure, a Hezbollah assault to conquer the Galilee, missile fire from pro-Iranian militias from Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and a massive attack of hundreds of rockets from Hamas. In such a scenario, Israel could have collapsed. Even the impressive offensive capabilities of the Air Force, which we now see in Iran, would not have been able to be realized with the same effectiveness, since the Syrian airspace, which is now completely open to us, would have created in 2023 serious challenges for the Air Force aircraft, and certainly for drones and refueling planes.
Despite this situation picture being in front of the Prime Minister, he refused to be moved. Already in May 2023, he said that “the intelligence is exaggerating,” and therefore refused the pleas of the Chief of Staff and the Minister of Defense to pause the judicial reform, which accelerated the division within the nation and encouraged Iran to move up the attack. We all remember the debate in the Knesset in July 2023 about the cancellation of the reasonableness clause. The heads of the Operations and Intelligence Directorates of the IDF came to the Knesset asking to speak with the ministers, but they ignored them. During the discussion itself, the camera captured Defense Minister Gallant pleading with Minister Levin: “Give me something.” Levin refused, and Netanyahu, who sat between the two, refrained from intervening.
And thus, when an existential war, no less, was expected within a few months, the Prime Minister dedicated his time to advancing divisive legislation and to long trips abroad. The illusion of calm was shattered on October 7. Yahya Sinwar lost patience, he did not wait for the coordinated attack as Iran wanted, and by doing so, he essentially sealed the defeat of the Shiite axis. Sinwar brought upon us a terrible disaster, a disaster that will take years to heal from, but without intending to, perhaps prevented an even worse disaster that could have occurred a few months later.
Either way, it is important not only to remember the failure of October 7, but to know that in the summer of 2023 the government led us with open eyes toward a potentially greater disaster. It was luck or divine intervention that prevented it. Netanyahu deserves all praise for leading the war against Iran at the right timing and under perfect conditions, but he is responsible, along with others, not only for October 7, but also for the reckless and smug approach he adopted months earlier.
Giora Eiland is a retired Major General of the Israel Defense Forces and a former head of the Israeli National Security Council.   link


Democrats chief: ‘Rioting’ coalition MKs at High Court show Israel could see a ‘storming of the Capitol’ after elections

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan slams coalition lawmakers for taking part in disturbances at the High Court of Justice, asserting that their actions are only a preview of what they will do if they lose the next election.
“The rioting of Likud MKs and the mouthpieces of Netanyahu’s poison machine at the Supreme Court today is a preview of the ‘Storming of the Capitol’ that will take place at the Supreme Court after the right’s defeat in the upcoming elections,” he tweets, referring to the January 6, 2021 riots in Washington, DC after Donald Trump lost the US presidential election.
The “poison machine” is the name some avowed critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu use for what they say is a network of pundits, journalists, influencers, and activists dedicated to besmirching the premier’s political rivals.
After being wounded in battle: Another reserve soldier who worked at PM's office summoned for hearing
Jay, 37, another reserve soldier who worked in the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was wounded in combat in the Gaza Strip - and has been summoned for a hearing before dismissal. Jay, a veteran reservist and father of three from the Sharon region, who immigrated to Israel alone from South Africa in 2011 and enlisted as a lone soldier in the Kfir Brigade, has worked in recent years in the security detail at the office. Earlier, it was revealed on ynet that the Prime Minister's Office published a tender for a position held by another employee, a reserve battalion commander, while he was recovering from injuries sustained in battle in Gaza. link This is one of the most disturbing and absurd stories of the harsh treatment that many reservists have encountered with their employers. However, this is not in the private sector, and it is not even in just any government office. This is happening in the Prime Minister's office! This is definitely a new low for that office that is all about serving Netanyahu and his political career. DISGRACEFUL!!!!

• IDF chief said to warn ministers further fighting in Gaza endangers hostages

  Far-right minister Smotrich reportedly criticizes Eyal Zamir for comments to cabinet on threat to captives, claims top officer trying to sway government to end war

  Israel’s military chief has advised cabinet ministers against ordering the Israel Defense Forces to expand operations in the Gaza Strip, over fears that doing so could significantly endanger the lives of hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave, according to Hebrew media accounts Monday.

  Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reportedly made the comments to ministers Sunday night during discussions over efforts to reach a deal with Hamas for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip. He also expressed fears that hostages were being subjected to intensifying torture, outlets including Channel 13, Channel 12, and Haaretz said.

  “There is serious abuse of the hostages and their situation is grave,” Zamir said, according to the reports, which cited sources with knowledge of his comments.

  Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, of whom some 20 are thought to still be alive.

  “I am in favor of defeating Hamas,” Zamir said, “But the more we deepen the operation now, the more we endanger the hostages.”

  Zamir’s comments were reportedly met with harsh criticism from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is vehemently opposed to a deal with Hamas.

  “You can do both – defeat Hamas and return the hostages,” the far-right Smotrich reportedly rebutted. “You are paving a decision for the political echelon.”

  On Monday, Smotrich said there would be “no greater danger” to Israel than to give in to calls for a ceasefire deal in order to free the hostages. In remarks to reporters at the Knesset, he urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue a “sharp and swift war that will destroy the enemy in Gaza and remove the threat it poses to Israel for many years to come.”

  Government critics have said Israel’s campaign in Gaza has stalled, with a rising death toll both among soldiers and Palestinian civilians but hardly any military gain, and argue that little more can be gained without a diplomatic solution that will bring the war to an end and defang what is left of Hamas.

  Responding to the media reports, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main organization representing hostages and their relatives, said in a statement that Zamir “raised a black flag before the political leadership. The blood and suffering of the hostages cry out from the ground.”

  “No minister can claim that they didn’t know the implications of continuing endless and pointless fighting in Gaza,” it said. “The hostages are in critical condition — those in immediate life-threatening danger, and those in danger of being lost forever.

  “Anyone who refuses to heed the chief of staff’s warning is adding insult to injury,” the statement said.

  The Sunday meeting ended without a decision, and a second meeting on Monday afternoon also failed to reach a verdict on how to proceed.

  According to Channel 12, ministers are facing a choice among three options: conquering all of Gaza, reaching a ceasefire that ends the war and frees the hostages, or pushing the civilian population into southern Gaza while attacking Hamas fighters remaining in the north.

  At the Monday meeting, Channel 12 reported that ministers complained to Zamir that he had assured them in the past that Israel could move masses of Palestinians from the north of the enclave to the south, then apply siege-like conditions in the north along with a swift military campaign to defeat Hamas forces there.

  Zamir was said to respond that the danger posed to hostages in the area complicated the matter.

  Pushing back, the army chief also protested to ministers over their dallying in deciding on how to proceed.

  “It is not right to continue the existing situation without a decision,” he said, according to Channel 12.

  Last week, Zamir said the IDF was close to reaching the lines in Gaza defined by the government, which would see the military hold control over 75 percent of the territory.

  By declaring that the military was in sight of achieving its goals, analysts said Zamir was signaling to the government the need to decide whether to move forward with a deal or prepare for the IDF to establish military rule in the Strip.

  So far, Netanyahu has refused to entertain an option that would bring about an end to the Gaza war, saying that Israel would carry on until it destroyed Hamas. But after nearly 21 months of war, many Israelis doubt much more can be gained through military means.

  Amid intensifying efforts by the Trump administration to end the war, Netanyahu will fly to Washington early next week, a White House official confirmed to The Times of Israel Monday night.

  There was no confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the timing for the visit, which was first reported by Axios, and is said to be scheduled for July 7.

  Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is currently in Washington for meetings with US officials, where he is facing increased pressure to bring about an end to the war in the Palestinian enclave.

  However, Israel and the Hamas terror group remain far apart, as the two sides have held to their positions in negotiations with mediators. Remaining sticking points between the sides include Hamas’s demand for a permanent end to the war, as opposed to Israel’s efforts to secure a temporary ceasefire that leaves open the option for it to resume fighting.  link It's interesting that the two main antagonists to this and the past IDF Chief are the 2 most extreme ministers in the government, with one, Smotrich being a draft dodger, who when he was finally caught at the age of 30 served for a few months as a clerk in IDF headquarters, and the other, Ben Gvir who was not allowed to join the army because he was viewed by all concerned as a great danger. And these are the 2 who think they know more about war, fighting, the army than the people who have dedicated their lives to this mission. The biggest problem is that Netanyahu lets them get away with it all, either not saying anything or reprimanding the chiefs that they are not to talk that way (in response) to the 'elected' political echelon who set the direction that the army must take. Disgrace upon disgrace!

  Ben Gvir reportedly seeking Smotrich’s help to block Gaza hostage deal

• Justice minister calls for government to actively advance West Bank annexation
  

  Justice Minister Yariv Levin says the time has come to annex the West Bank, during a meeting with settler leader Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council.

  “I think that this period, beyond the current issues, is a time of historic opportunity that we must not miss,” in reference to annexing the disputed territory.

  “The time for sovereignty has come, the time to apply sovereignty. My position on this matter is firm, it is clear,” Levin tells Dagan, according to a statement from Dagan’s office and a video released by Levin.

  Israel captured the territory in 1967 during the Six Day War, but has never formally annexed it. Israel began moving toward annexation in 2020 under a peace plan released by US President Donald Trump, but dropped the idea in exchange for normalization with the United Arab Emirates.

  Levin says the issue must be “at the top of the priority list.”

  “I think it is both realistic and possible. And it is essential, first of all, to realize our right to the land. Certainly to contribute to security, and to do justice to the settlers and the settlement [movement] who deserve to be equal citizens in every respect who live in settlements that are part of the fully sovereign State of Israel,” he says of the approximately half million Israelis living in the disputed territory.

  Dagan thanks Levin for his “brave partnership,” calling the territory “not just the heart of the land but also the safety belt for the State of Israel.”  link Levin is nothing less than a national pyromaniac. He is the one who pushed and is still pushing the hardest for the judicial overthrow which would take away most of the powers of the judicial system and put them in the hands of the government. He pushed and pushed this overthrow through 10 months of the biggest continuous protests this country had ever seen and was on the verge of some kind of civil upset/rage/war (take your pick) and also was a determining factor of Yihya Sinwar about when to launch his barbaric attack on Israel. Netanyahu was approached by all the security organization heads and other senior security people to call off Levin and the judicial overthrow and he ignored them all. For him, personally, he saw and still sees the full judicial overthrow and the mechanism for canceling his criminal trials.
  Prior to the attack on Iran, most of the world was against us for our continuing war in Gaza that turned into Netanyahu's War of Political Survival. The 2 millions refugees of Gaza are in dire straits and there is no hope in site. The 12 day war with Iran came with lots of international support despite all that has happened in Gaza. Right now, we have a very mixed bag of support, non support and downright anti Israel actions around the world. So what does Levin want to do? Blow everything up with his horrendous plan to annext the West Bank which is internationally recognized as occupied territory and not belonging to Israel. And Levin's plan meshes exactly with the plans and dreams of the most extreme messianic ministers in the government who are dying to annex the West Bank, Gaza and then move on to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and along the way, get rid of all the Palestinians. These plans are international war crimes but Levin, Smotrich and Ben Gvir don't give a damn about war crimes as long as they get what they want. They also don't give a damn about how it will affect the country from within. For them, we, who adamantly object to these criminal acts, are the enemies of the state and should be either deported or imprisoned or worse. They have no compunctions about penalizing anyone who doesn't agree with them. They are great dangers to the future of this country and we must do everything to bring early elections and put them back into the fringes of society where they should never be able to reach positions of power again.

  
  
  
The Region and the World


• Iranian foreign minister writes to Saudi counterpart as new regional alliance sought
  

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi passed a message to his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan, Riyadh says, amid what appears to be a push by Tehran to rally the region behind it following attacks on the country by Israel and the United States.

  According to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the message deals with “relations and ways to support and enhance them across all fields.” It was passed to Riyadh by Iran’s envoy during a lower-level meeting in Saudi Arabia, a statement says.
  

  The message coincides with an op-ed published by Araghchi in Lebanese paper An-Nahar claiming that Iran’s performance in the war last month “opens a new window for comprehensive diplomacy” in the Middle East, calling for unity among Islamic countries with a goal aimed at deterring Israel.

  “The fundamental pillar of deterrence is now embodied in cooperation among the countries of the region. Consensus in confronting shared threats, understanding on regional stability, economic security, and combating all forms of terrorism constitute the four cornerstones around which diplomatic negotiations should be conducted,” he writes, urging special attention for Gaza and Lebanon.

  The piece may mark a shift in Iran’s approach to the region, which placed Tehran in opposition to moderate Gulf states as it attempted to express regional strength via a network of proxy organizations that terrorized Israel and Gulf monarchies. Those groups have been decimated or rendered ineffective over the past 20 months since the October 7, 2023, leaving Iran largely on its own during Israel’s 12-day air offensive aimed at destroying its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Personal Stories




Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

IPS - Israel Prison System

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

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




PMO- Prime Minister's Office

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

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