๐️Lonny's War Update- October 665, 2023 - August 1, 2025 ๐️
๐️Day 665 that 50 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivity๐️
PIJ releases video of hostage Rom Braslavski; ‘They broke him,’ family says
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group has put out a video of hostage Rom Braslavski, saying it is from before it claims it lost contact with his captors earlier this month.
The family has asked not to publish the video itself, but approves a still photo from it. It shows Braslavski looking pale and thin, lying on the ground in an unknown location in Gaza.
In a statement, the Braslavski family says: “We are deeply shaken. People talk a lot about what is happening in Gaza, about hunger, and I want to ask everyone who spoke about hunger: Did you see our Rom? He is not receiving food, and he is not receiving medicine. He has simply been forgotten there. Six minutes of video — that is all it took for Rom to break on camera. But Rom has been there for 664 days.
“They managed to break Rom. Even the strongest person has a breaking point. Rom is an example of all the hostages. They must all be brought home now.”
They demand “an immediate meeting with security officials… a meeting with the political and military leadership — from the head of Military Intelligence to the defense minister to the prime minister. We don’t understand what they’re doing all day at Knesset committees. Talking? Debating? Rom has been there for almost two years, and no one has even called to update us.
We ask that Ambassador Witkoff see this video. And we make an urgent plea to President Trump: Bring our son home.”
PIJ has made statements and claims in the past that have not always proven reliable. Israel has accused the group, like Hamas, of conducting psychological warfare. PIJ released a video of Braslavski in April, likely scripted by his captors, in which he said he was experiencing “hell” and displayed signs of illness.
I have seen the video. I doubt that Netanyahu has chosen to see it; he may have been provided with a synopsis of the video and yet, nothing moves him. After seeing this video, it is difficult for me to understand how Netanyahu and the rest of his do nothing ministers aren’t moved to tears and actions to get every hostage released immediately. In the video, Rom looks exactly like the concentration camp survivors, malnourished, skin as flaps covering his bones, face drawn back and looking like he couldn’t possibly have the strength to stand on his own. I have seen countless other videos from Hamas and Islamic Jihad of other hostages, some already back home, others who have been killed in captivity and others who are still in captivity. Every single one is heart wrenching and only someone without feelings could watch and not demand immediate action to bring them home. It has been made to painfully clear that Netanyahu and his useless ministers don’t have a sympathetic bone in their entire bodies. Even a narcissist autocrat like Netanyahu should be moved but 665 days and all the information, pictures and videos that are not available to the public have been available to him. Yet NOTHING!! His political survival still remains his single most important priority proving everyday, every hour and every minute of the hostages’ suffering that he is not worthy to be in power.
Trump envoy visits Israel amid hunger crisis in Gaza
President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is visiting Israel today to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Middle East Director for the International Communities Organization Gershon Baskin joins Ana Cabrera to share how Israelis view the situation and why only Trump can influence Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to end the war MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH DR. Gershon Baskin
**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!ืืื ื ืฆืืื ืขื ืฉืื ืืืืืคืื ืืืืช
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*
24-year-old reservist from Netanya is latest serviceman to die by suicide
Roi Wasserstein, a 24-year-old reservist from Netanya who served in the IDF’s 401st Armored Brigade, died by suicide yesterday — amid growing scrutiny over the treatment of reservists exposed to battlefield trauma and whether they are adequately supported after their service ends.
Wasserstein had completed over 300 days of reserve duty since the start of the war, serving in the brigade’s medical evacuation unit, where he was repeatedly exposed to traumatic events, including evacuating wounded and fallen soldiers under fire.
According to Ynet News, family members accused the Defense Ministry and the IDF of “disowning” Wasserstein after his death, asking, “Where is the shame?”
In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has instructed the IDF and his office to provide full support to Wasserstein’s family — including assistance with funeral arrangements and military honors.
In a Facebook post, Wasserstein’s mother, Dina — a well-known community figure in Netanya — describes him as “a child full of light, humble, kindhearted, a quiet hero.”
She tells Ynet that “after October 7, he took part in retrieving bodies under fire. He saw horrific sights. He got out of a tank in the middle of an inferno to prevent soldiers from being abducted and evacuated soldiers with amputated limbs. It affected him deeply. Ever since he came home, it never left him.”
The Defense Ministry says officials from the IDF’s Manpower Directorate are in close contact with the family and are accompanying them through the process. Katz expresses his “deepest condolences” and says he embraces the family in their time of grief. LINK This deeply sad story has multiple issues that are attacking and haunting our society right now. The first is the tens of thousands of soldiers (regular and reserves) who have been traumatized by this war and the post trauma will be hitting us for many years to come. Upon exit from Gaza, each soldier is asked if they would like to have counseling. Many refuse for multiple reasons: they don't yet understand what they have gone through and how it is and will affect them, the 'embarrassment' associated with therapy or needing therapy, the 'macho' feeling that everything is alright, and the list goes on. I believe we have reached a point that it has to be almost mandatory. Otherwise, we are going to see breakdowns in so many ways for years to come. The second major issue is How can the Defense Ministry be so obtuse to not immediately recognize him as a military fatality? Roi is, unfortunately not the first reservist to commit suicide after his service and for the defense ministry to refuse to recognize as a military fatality. It is so clear to everyone that this and the others are directly related to their traumatic service. Why do the families have to deal with fighting the defense ministry after losing their loved ones?
The End of Partial Deals: The Implications, the Challenges – and the Time That Was Wasted
According to a senior political official, “There will be no more partial deals,” but the road to releasing 50 hostages is still long. Hamas opposes demilitarization and exile and is expected to demand the emptying of prisons of life-sentence inmates: “Negotiations will resume – once the hunger ends.” Rubio led the shift, Smotrich claimed: “There will be no negotiations with Hamas.” The families on the time that passed: “The conception failed us.”“There will be no more partial deals.” This statement by a senior political source last night (Thursday), who said that such understandings are forming between the United States and Israel, essentially revealed the dramatic change in direction regarding hostage deal talks. In Israel, there is pessimism about the possibility of progress in the near future in deal negotiations, with talks on the verge of collapse, and focus shifting toward expanding the war. But perhaps the central headline is the decision to shift from negotiating partial deals to pursuing one comprehensive deal – for the release of all 50 hostages.
The implication of this decision is essentially a return to square one, which complicates matters – because Israel has not changed its conditions and still insists, among other things, on the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the exile of Hamas leaders. The terrorist organization, for its part, refuses both demilitarization and exile but is willing to form a “technocratic government” – one of the conditions set by several countries intending to recognize a Palestinian state.
Another implication is that the dispute over guarantees for ending the war will naturally be removed, because if the sides do reach an agreement – it will mean the end of the war. A full deal complicates things for the Israeli side in terms of the price, because Hamas will want to renegotiate the exchange ratios (hostages to prisoners to be released), and will likely seek to release as many terrorists as possible – and is expected to demand the emptying of Israeli prisons of all life-sentence inmates.
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The change in the American approach began with a meeting between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, one of the strongest figures in the administration, and Israeli officials. Rubio understood that a partial deal stems from political motives in Israel to avoid ending the war, and therefore a comprehensive deal is necessary – not only to get Hamas to agree, but to keep moving toward a resolution. Rubio’s political savvy surprised his Israeli counterparts, and they realized that the Secretary of State knows Prime Minister Netanyahu is “under pressure” from Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir.
Report: Trump believes Netanyahu is prolonging the war for political reasons
644 Days in Captivity: Islamic Jihad released a video of Rom, his mother says: “All his bones are showing”
150 Former Senior Security Officials: “End the war and return the hostages”Smotrich himself, who naturally opposes ending the war, did not sound concerned about this change of direction. At a conference of the “Tekuma” movement and the Yesha Council at the Expo in Tel Aviv, the Chairman of Religious Zionism said: “I state clearly – there will be no more negotiations with Hamas for a hostage deal. From now on, the only possible deal is Hamas’s complete surrender, the unconditional return of all our hostages, disarmament, the demilitarization of Gaza, the exile of Hamas operatives, and allowing anyone who wants to leave Gaza to do so.”
Meanwhile, Hamas claimed last night that they are “ready to immediately resume negotiations once the humanitarian crisis and hunger in Gaza end and when aid reaches its destination.” The terror organization added that “continuing negotiations under the shadow of hunger renders them meaningless, especially after Israel withdrew from the talks last week ‘without any justification,’ just when we were close to reaching an agreement.”
Hostage Families Headquarters: “Moving to a full deal was long overdue”
In the Hostage Families Headquarters, it was emphasized that the decision to move toward a comprehensive deal could have been made long ago – not just now, when the hostages have already been held in Gaza for 664 days: “In terrible delay, the Israeli government is now understanding what Israeli citizens have been saying for over a year – there is no place or operational and moral logic in partial selection deals. We must abandon this conception, which has failed us for many long months, endangers the hostages, jeopardizes the chances of bringing them back, hinders the rebuilding of life, and delays the proper burial of the fallen in their homeland.”According to the statement from the headquarters: “The move to pursue a comprehensive agreement to return all the hostages in a single deal was long overdue. The hostage families express support for President Trump and envoy Whitkopf: ‘You can make history again within a few days – end the fighting and reach a comprehensive agreement to release all the hostages.’ This is clearly in Israel’s national interest. The citizens of Israel and the whole world are waiting for news. Time is running out for the hostages. We must end this nightmare and reach a full agreement for the release of all hostages.”
Earlier, the senior political source claimed that an understanding is forming between Israel and the U.S. that given “Hamas’s refusal,” the approach must shift from a framework for the partial release of hostages to one for releasing all of them, dismantling Hamas’s weapons, and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. According to the senior official, “There will be no more partial deals.” Simultaneously, Israel and the U.S. will work to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza – while continuing the fighting.
According to the official, “There is a disconnect in the contacts, Hamas has cut off communication and there’s no one to talk to on the other side.” He explained that “This is also the understanding of Whitkopf, who will arrive in Gaza tomorrow and wants to see that we are delivering humanitarian aid. He’s coming to see the supply trucks and distribution centers up close.” Significant decisions are expected in the coming days, as chances of progress in the negotiations appear very slim. Whitkopf remains in Israel for now – and as long as he is in the area, no dramatic decisions are expected from Israel about next steps.
Germany: “We demand guarantees of no deportation or annexation”
All of these developments come against the backdrop of announcements from more and more Western countries about intentions to recognize a Palestinian state, sometimes while setting preconditions. Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Woodpohl, who is visiting Israel and met with his counterpart Gideon Sa’ar, said: “Israel is at risk of isolation, and I’m trying to prevent that.”“Many countries plan to recognize a Palestinian state without prior negotiations, Germany has a different stance,” Woodpohl said. “We see the recognition of a Palestinian state as the end of a process that should begin soon. We need guarantees from Israel that there will be no active deportation and no annexation. We’re at a critical point to prevent a rift between Israel and the European Union.” link
Hundreds in Tel Aviv demand end to war: ‘It’s a duty to refuse’
About 1,000 people gather at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square for an anti-war protest organized by an Israeli-Palestinian coalition of peace activists and human rights groups.
Speakers also assail Israel’s actions in the West Bank and the release of a settler accused of having shot dead Palestinian activist Odeh Hathaleen this week, even as Hathaleen’s relatives remain in prison.
In a rare occurrence for a Tel Aviv protest of this size, one of the speakers at the demonstration, actor Yossi Zabari, explicitly accuses Israel of genocide — “the word that frightens us more than the deed itself,” he says.
Protesters hoist pictures of emaciated Gazan children and Israeli hostages. A large screen on stage reads, in Hebrew and Arabic, “Enough with the killing, enough with the starvation, enough with the abandonment.”
“Right now in Gaza, there is a little girl hungry for food and a little boy thirsty for water,” says Rula Daoud, a co-leader of the binational socialist group Standing Together. “I don’t know how much energy the boy and girl have left in their bodies to shout, but I know I can shout for them.”
She calls for a joint Jewish-Arab struggle “to sabotage life here until the government breaks.”
We must not think that it’s not our responsibility and that we have nothing to do, because it’s possible to refuse, and it’s a duty to refuse to serve this war,” she says, as the crowd chants: “Refuse.”
Activist Ghadir Hani, who introduces herself, to applause, as “an Arab-Palestinian citizen of Israel,” says in her speech that starting Sunday, dozens of peace groups will set up a “struggle tent” on nearby Dizengoff Square, “from which actions of disruption and incessant struggle will go out.”
“We won’t stop until the war of annihilation is over and the government of death is out of here,” she says.
Hani also plays a video address to the demonstration by a man she introduces as “Rami, a resident of the Gaza Strip, whose family was displaced from its home and is struggling with hunger.”
Rami says he follows anti-war protests in Israel from afar, and expresses appreciation for protests that exhibit pictures of children killed by Israel.
“It shows we feel each other’s pain,” he says.
Hamas tells mediators it won’t resume ceasefire talks until hunger crisis addressed
Hamas negotiators in Doha have told mediators that they are uninterested in resuming ceasefire negotiations until the hunger crisis in Gaza subsides, an Arab diplomat and a second source involved in mediation efforts tell The Times of Israel.
Tensions are also at a peak level between Hamas and Arab negotiating countries, Egypt and Qatar. Hamas’s lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya accused Egypt last week of complicity in the humanitarian crisis, infuriating Cairo. The terror group is also angry at Qatar for signing onto a declaration at the UN earlier this week that called for Hamas to disarm and step down from power, the two sources say.
Earlier this week, Israel presented mediators with its response to the amendments requested by Hamas to the latest ceasefire proposal. The Hamas response angered Israel and the US, which subsequently pulled its negotiators from Doha.
In its latest response, Israel rebuffed Hamas’s demand that the IDF withdraw from population centers along the southern Gaza border.
Official: Israel, US now aligning on comprehensive Gaza plan, including release of all hostages, not partial ceasefire
As negotiations with Hamas stall, Israel and the United States are now aligned on aiming for a comprehensive framework in place of a partial ceasefire and hostage-release deal, an unnamed senior Israeli official tells Hebrew media outlets.
“There is an emerging understanding between Israel and the United States that, in light of Hamas’s refusal, we must shift from a framework for the release of some of the hostages to a framework for the release of all the hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip,” the official is quoted as saying.
“There will be no more partial deals,” they add.
“There is a breakdown in contacts. Hamas has cut off communication,” the official adds. “There is no one to talk to on the other side. This is also [US special envoy] Witkoff’s understanding.”
The official also notes that Jerusalem and Washington will work to increase humanitarian aid while continuing the fighting in Gaza.
As I have said repeatedly, Trump and most US leadership have very little real understanding of the Middle East and certainly not of Hamas. While the understandings being agreed upon now by Israel and the US and worthy, they are not all doable, at least not in the way that Netanyahu wants and has convinced Trump. Hamas is definitely willing to relinquish governing control of Gaza; as a matter of fact, they have absolutely no desire to continue governing Gaza. However, disarming them is another story altogether. They will never agree to give up their weapons to Israel or the US. That is a pipe dream of Netanyahu’s that he knows very well will never happen. The only way that Hamas can be really disarmed is by making it a completely Arab problem. There must be an alternative Palestine government in place in Gaza supported by a number of the Arab States with security forces from these same Arab states and trained by the US and others. None of the Arab states want Hamas in Gaza in any fashion, not governing and not holding arms. Everyone has agreed that Gaza has no future and will not be rebuilt as long as Hamas is still in any power. Israel needs to let go and let the Arabs take care of Hamas, it is the best and quickest way for it to happen.
Israeli officials tell outlets chances for ceasefire-hostage deal appear ‘slim’
Anonymous Israeli officials cited by Hebrew media say chances for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas now appear “slim,” and that negotiations are not taking place or expected to restart soon.
An unnamed official tells Channel 12 that Hamas is “unwilling to negotiate.”
“There are currently no ongoing negotiations or expectations for renewed talks. We are moving toward the next steps, which are expected to include a military operation,” the Maariv news outlet cites an official as saying.
The remarks follow US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon to try and resolve the logjam in talks
I hate being a broken record, so I will be succinct . Any unnamed official means it’s coming from Netanyahu and the announcement is made to emphasize his lies to continue convincing Trump that he needs to give Netanyahu the leeway to continue with his plan that will sacrifice the hostages and will mean more soldiers killed and maimed all on the alter of Netanyahu’s war for political survival
Israel gave Hamas its red lines on aid, prisoners, perimeter — report
Channel 12 reports on Israel’s alleged red lines in Gaza ceasefire negotiations:
Israel agrees to 500 trucks of aid to enter daily in a potential truce, but insists that the highly controversial US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation must continue to be the platform for distribution, as it believes this limits Hamas’s ability to hoard aid.
Terrorists from Hamas’s elite Nukhba forces will not be freed in exchange for hostages.
Israeli forces will relocate to a perimeter 800 meters from the border, inside Gaza. At some points, the perimeter will stand at 1,200 meters.
The network reports that with a deal seeming less likely in recent days, Israel is reviewing the possibility of moving to operate in areas it has avoided so far, where it believes hostages are being held. This would endanger the hostages’ lives.
Aircraft from Arab nations airdrop food packages in Gaza
Aircraft from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Egypt airdropped 43 aid packages containing food in the northern and southern Gaza Strip in the last few hours, the Israeli military says.
The IDF says the airdrops were carried out “in accordance with the directives from the political echelon and as part of the cooperation between Israel, the UAE, Jordan, and Egypt.”
The airdrops are part of a “series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip,” the military says.
“The IDF will continue to work in order to improve the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, along with the international community, while refuting the false claims of deliberate starvation in Gaza,” it adds.
IDF footage shows apparent Hamas attempt to ambush, kidnap soldiers
Footage circulating on social media shows an attempt by Hamas to carry out an attack on forces in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis yesterday, with an unusually large cell of at least 12 gunmen.
The military assesses that the operatives, armed with assault rifles and RPGs, sought to kidnap troops.
The videos, which are from leaked IDF aerial reconnaissance, show that the gunmen positioned themselves on the side of an IDF logistics road in Khan Younis and hid underneath blankets to ambush the Israeli forces.
The gunmen were spotted by troops of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion using a drone, and they called in an Israeli Air Force Hermes 450 UAV to strike them. However, as the videos show, the gunmen fled back into a nearby tunnel before being struck.
As the gunmen withdrew, the IDF also identified a Hamas drone flying over the area, apparently to provide intel to the cell, according to a military probe.
The IDF is also investigating the leaked videos that have circulated online since yesterday. video This is a very scary incident and not the first. Hamas has always tried to kidnap soldiers and now, even more so. As a guerilla fighting force, their big fighting capabilities are almost non existent but their guerilla tactics are improving daily. This was a large group that was attempting the kidnapping but we have seen and will see more of small groups doing it as well. Kidnapping a live soldier is much more valuable to them, but a dead one has great value as well, so none of this should be a comfortable situation for us. The only way for that to end is to end the war and get our soldiers out of Gaza entirely. Every soldier killed, maimed or kidnapped is directly on the hands of Netanyahu for keeping this war going for his own political survival.
Gaza and the South
2 more Palestinians die from malnutrition in Gaza — Hamas-run Gaza health ministry
Two more Palestinians have died over the past day due to complications from malnutrition, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry announces.
The pair brings the total figure of hunger-related deaths to 159 since the start of the war, with 90 of them being children, the ministry says.
The figures have not be verified.
On Sunday, the World Health Organization said that 63 of the hunger deaths had taken place in July alone
IDF confirms airstrikes on Hezbollah ‘strategic weapons’ sites in south Lebanon, Beqaa Valley
The IDF confirms completing a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah’s “strategic weapons” manufacturing and storage infrastructure in southern Lebanon and in the eastern Beqaa Valley a short while ago.
The targets included a facility used to manufacture explosives and an underground site where Hezbollah built and stored precision-guided missiles, the army says.
The strikes were carried out after the IDF says it had identified efforts by Hezbollah to restore the sites. The facility in the Beqaa Valley has been targeted by the IDF several times before.
Hezbollah’s activities “constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF adds.
Court refuses to extend house arrest for settler suspected of killing prominent West Bank activist
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court refuses a police request to extend the house arrest of Yinon Levi, a sanctioned settler who allegedly shot dead a Palestinian activist on Monday during a confrontation near the West Bank village of Umm al Kheir.
The court says evidence has “weakened” suspicions that the shot fired by Levi killed the Palestinian activist.
It releases Levi on the condition that he stay away from those involved in the case.
The police are seeking to charge Levi with reckless manslaughter and unlawful use of a firearm over the killing of Awdah Hathaleen, a prominent Palestinian activist who was shot in the upper body during a confrontation on Monday. The shooting occurred as pro-Palestinian activists tried to block construction work close to Umm al Kheir being carried out by Levi and a minor driving a heavy construction vehicle.
Levi and the minor were carrying out earthworks close to the Carmel settlement, which is immediately adjacent to Umm al Kheir. According to the Peace Now organization, Hathaleen sent a WhatsApp message to activists in the area saying that Levi had tried to sever the main water pipe for the Palestinian village, and then went with other activists to try to stop the construction vehicle.
Levi is among several West Bank settlers who were placed under economic sanctions by the former administration of US President Joe Biden for perpetrating violence against Palestinians. President Donald Trump lifted the sanctions, but sanctions imposed by Canada, the UK, and the European Union remain in place. link This is one of those times that I wish I couldn't say "I told you so". This is happening exactly as I said it would. It's not that I can see the future but I can read the writing on the wall because it's been written there so often. Settler terrorists attack and kill Palestinian; Settler detained (rarely arrested) along with Palestinians; Criminal Ministers Ben Gvir and Smotrich assail the army or police (whichever body detained the settler terrorists); settler either released or sent to house arrest; Palestinians sit in jail awaiting charges; Palestinians charged and held in jail till trial; Settler terrorist released from house arrest so he can attack Palestinians again; government says nothing; Criminal Ministers say that the settler terrorist did nothing wrong and should never have been detained or arrested.
This is the cycle under this government. It enables, encourages, supports morally and financially the settler terrorists while doing everything possible to make the lives of the Palestinians worse and worse by the day, to the point that killing Palestinians in these terrorists acts are no issue.
- Politics and the War and General News
Trump says Netanyahu prolongs Gaza war to stay in power
US president and his aides believe Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza to maintain his political power, despite Israel having already achieved its military objectives, report claims
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly said that the fastest way to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is for Hamas to surrender and release hostages, but White House sources revealed Thursday a growing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.According to a report in The Atlantic, Trump and his aides believe Israel achieved its military objectives in Gaza long ago and Netanyahu is prolonging the fighting to maintain political power, taking steps that hinder ceasefire negotiations.In a video address to a conference marking 20 years since Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza, hosted by the Tkuma movement and Yesha Council under the theme “From Expulsion to Sovereignty,” Netanyahu outlined his vision.“My vision is simple—the vision of generations, the vision of the prophets: returning to our land, establishing our state, ensuring our sovereignty and protecting our future,” he said. This rhetoric, emphasizing Israeli control, has fueled perceptions of his reluctance to end the war.espite Trump’s belief he was “disrespected by Netanyahu,” The Atlantic noted that senior U.S. officials doubt Trump will hold the Israeli leader accountable. His frustration hasn’t translated into a policy shift.Trump continues to blame Hamas for stalled talks and has refused to join France and the UK in considering recognition of a Palestinian state absent progress on the ground. A White House source downplayed tensions, saying, “There’s no significant rift. Even allies can disagree.”Two other U.S. officials clarified that Trump’s stance reflects his “America First” policy, not a personal clash, ensuring U.S. foreign policy isn’t dictated by Israel or any other nation.The same sources emphasized Trump’s waning patience is directed primarily at Hamas, which he holds responsible for starting the war. He largely supports Israel’s position, including Netanyahu’s vision of a post-war Gaza as a “Riviera of the Middle East,” while dismissing calls for a policy overhaul. Link. It’s hard to understand why Trump puts up with more crap from Netanyahu than he has ever done with other ‘friendly autocratic leaders’. The only thing that I can think of is his fundamentalist base that also supports Israel and Netanyahu, although that base may be in the beginnings of a 180degree change due to the Gaza humanitarian crisis and Netanyahu’s direct responsibility.No matter what, we in Israel need Trump to fully lose his patience with Netanyahu and force him to make a deal, end the war and bring home the hostages. Unfortunately, that is the only hope that we have.While Witkoff is now in Israel to try to move the stalled negotiations forward, he doesn’t yet have the mandate from Trump to order Netanyahu to make the deal. He will most likely be pressuring Netanyahu but without the necessary force, Netanyahu will continue to make every single decision about the war based on what is best for his political survival.- Statement Issued by Dr. Nasser Al-Qudwa – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine
Dr. Nasser Al-Qudwa, former Foreign Minister of Palestine, welcomes the final statement issued by the Two-State Solution Conference held in New York City with wide international participation, which represents an important step toward ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and realizing our people's aspirations for freedom and independence.
The establishment of a timeframe not exceeding 15 months to achieve the Palestinian state, and the emphasis on the urgent need to end the war in Gaza, constitute a qualitative development that must be built upon—especially in light of the catastrophic humanitarian conditions faced by our people in the Strip.
He also welcomes the clear affirmation that Gaza is an inseparable part of the Palestinian state and stresses the need to unify it with the West Bank through genuine and uncompromised reforms within the institutions of the Palestinian Authority—reforms we have long called for as a fundamental entry point to restoring unity and activating the Palestinian role in international forums.
In this context, he affirms the importance of what was stated regarding the need for genuine reforms and serious political change covering both the West Bank and Gaza, stressing that the upcoming phase requires the renewal of legitimacy through free and democratic general elections that restore trust to the Palestinian citizen and grant legitimacy to the upcoming leadership.
He further values and welcomes the pioneering and critical role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during this delicate phase, acknowledging its sincere determination to support Palestinian and Arab rights. This reflects a firm stance that serves our just cause and reinforces its commitment to peace and regional stability. The ongoing Saudi efforts express genuine support for the Palestinian people and their just cause. Recognizing this role is extremely important and must be further cultivated in upcoming meetings.
It has become imperative to arrange urgent and continuous meetings to adopt a unified and official Palestinian position that includes a clear and explicit statement affirming our commitment to the principles set forth by the New York Conference and expressing our welcome of its important content—especially regarding reform, elections, and the role of Arab brothers, particularly Saudi Arabia, in supporting the political track.
The condemnation of attacks on civilians by any party, and the affirmation that occupation, displacement, and war do not produce peace, align with Palestinian national principles and international law, and form an essential foundation for any serious political process.
He also calls on the Palestinian leadership to seize this historic moment and engage with it in a spirit of responsibility, so that the reforms may achieve a positive impact through individuals of higher competence, professionalism, commitment, and integrity—capable of addressing the scale of the real suffering and the dangers facing the Palestinian cause. This must be in line with the urgent needs of the Palestinian cause and the international community, and must capitalize on the growing international support to end the occupation and achieve a just peace based on the two-state solution, which enjoys global consensus.
Soldiers plead with reporters on IDF press tour of Gaza to publicize that they’re burnt out
The Haaretz daily quotes several soldiers currently serving in Gaza who share how burnt out they are after serving several hundred days of reserve duty.
“Don’t forget to talk about the reservists and active duty soldiers and how exhausted we are,” one of them tells the paper during a press tour of the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun organized by the IDF.
“I’ve already [informed the army] that I’m not going back to Gaza after this tour. I’m done with Gaza. People don’t understand what burnout is. They think it’s just a matter of giving us a few more hours of sleep, but it’s much more than that. People here are exhausted,” he says.
“There are not enough forces to carry out the missions. Tell the public what we are going through and shed light of the difficult conditions,” another soldier says.
Toward the end of the tour, two officers could be heard giving an order to troops over the radio to open fire so that the videographers could have some footage of “fighting.”
Shortly thereafter, extended machine gun fire could be heard in the background. When asked whether the shooting was a show for the media, the officers leading the tour had a hard time containing their smiles.
IDF to form panel of experts to review treatment of discharged soldiers who died by suicide
The chief of the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, has ordered the establishment of a panel of experts to “examine the response provided to discharged soldiers and reservists who are not on active duty and who ended their lives following their military service.”
The military says the committee will be headed by former Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. (res.) Moti Almoz, and will include IDF medical and mental health professionals, legal advisors, casualty officers, and Defense Ministry representatives.
“The committee will examine systemic, moral, and socio-national aspects related to the challenges faced by IDF veterans after their discharge, including issues of recognition and support for servicemembers, as well as the legal implications of recognizing their cases,” the IDF says.
The military says the committee is intended to “ensure a thorough, responsible, sensitive, and equitable examination of the support given to servicemembers throughout and after their military service.”
The committee’s findings will be presented by Bar Kalifa to Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir for approval, the army adds.
During the ongoing war, the military has seen a rise in suicides among soldiers and reservists. In several cases, the IDF has not recognized off-duty reservists who died by suicide outside of duty as fallen soldiers.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of faith in the army doing very much after this committee will submit its findings. The army has a horrible record of fixing itself and learning from its mistakes in so many areas including this one.
- Netanyahu pushing Gaza migration plan to keep Ben-Gvir in coalition, say officials
Israel reportedly reaches agreements with five countries ready to accept Gazan migrants, including Ethiopia, Libya and Indonesia; PM also prepares annexation plans if negotiations with Hamas fail, aiming to keep coalition partners aligned
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly has accelerated plans to encourage voluntary migration of Gaza residents to foreign countries, in an effort to keep far-right Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in the government, according to Israeli officials.Netanyahu is said to have assured Ben-Gvir that, if no hostage deal is reached soon, Israel would begin within weeks facilitating the voluntary relocation of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza. The initiative reportedly involves coordination among Israel’s security and diplomatic agencies, including the Mossad intelligence service and the Foreign Ministry.Sources familiar with the matter say regular meetings have been held to advance the plan, with Netanyahu directing the Mossad to speed up contacts with countries willing to accept Gazan migrants. Reports indicate agreements have been reached with five nations willing to absorb migrants, including Ethiopia, Libya and Indonesia. Under the plan, migrants would leave Gaza through Israel and Jordan rather than via Egypt, marking a change in the route.Mossad Chief David Barnea is reported to have discussed the matter with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and other American officials, seeking U.S. support for incentives to countries agreeing to receive migrants.Separately, Netanyahu has reportedly promised Minister Bezalel Smotrich that he would pursue annexation of parts of northern Gaza if no deal is reached, signaling a potential expansion of Israeli control in the area.Senior officials say Netanyahu’s top priority remains securing a hostage release deal, but with talks possibly stalling due to Hamas’ refusal, preparations are reportedly underway for both voluntary migration and annexation.To coordinate with the United States on these issues, Netanyahu is said to have dispatched Minister Ron Dermer, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Mossad Chief Barnea to Washington for talks.An Israeli official familiar with the discussions told reporters that, until recently, the issue of voluntary migration was theoretical but is now becoming concrete. “If there is no deal, thousands of Gazans could begin leaving voluntarily in the coming weeks — not millions, but several thousand,” the official said. link
- The Region and the World
US sanctions Palestinian Authority and PLO officials, denying them visas
Washington says Ramallah violating US law by ‘internationalizing’ the conflict, but ramifications of decision appear limited as Palestinian officials already need waiver to enter USThe United States announced Thursday that it will deny visas to Palestinian Authority officials, saying that the move was triggered by Ramallah’s efforts to prosecute Israel in global forums, which placed the PA in violation of US law.
A statement from the State Department on the move did not specify who was being targeted, only saying it would “deny visas” to “members” of the Palestine Liberation Organization and “officials” from the Palestinian Authority.
The ramifications of the announcement may be limited, as Palestinian officials are already required to receive waivers from the US in order to enter the country on official government business, according to Congressional legislation, which also allows PA officials to visit and work at the UN as part of Washington’s international obligations.
While the sanctions could be used to bar PA officials from attending the UN General Assembly in September when a growing number of Western countries have announced that they will unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, such visa denials would come under significant scrutiny if leaders of countries that are far more adversarial to the US are allowed to attend the confab in New York.
The announcement appears to be the first relatively punitive step that Washington has taken in response to France, the UK and Canada advancing Palestine recognition plans — a move encouraged by Ramallah. The Trump administration, for now, appears to prefer punishing Ramallah directly, as going after more powerful Western governments may be more difficult. However, Trump did float blowing up trade talks with Canada over its decision.
The State Department announcement said that the PA and PLO are in violation of two separate US laws due to actions taken to “internationalize” the conflict in bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICC has issued arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, while Israel is being charged with committing genocide in the ICJ, which is also adjudicating claims that Israel’s policies in the territories amount to apartheid.
Israel’s legal team waits to hear the arguments of South Africa’s legal team as part of South Africa case against Israel over Rafah offensive at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, on May 16, 2024. (Nick Gammon/AFP)The US has traditionally argued that a Palestinian state should only be formed as a result of negotiations with Israel — something successive Israeli governments for over a decade have not been interested in. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has also been accused of rejecting or stonewalling earlier negotiations.
The denial of visas also appeared to be the most limited of four steps that the Trump administration had at its disposal if the PA was found in violation of 2002 legislation that requires the president to assess whether Palestinian entities are fulfilling their commitments to combat terrorism and support peace with Israel.
The more forceful option that the US could have taken was to designate the PA as a foreign terrorist organization, which would have exposed Ramallah to crippling sanctions.
Among other reasons cited by the State Department for the visa denials were claims that the PA continues to support terrorism and provides payments to Palestinian terrorists and their families.
But Abbas signed a decree in February canceling legislation that conditioned welfare payments on the length of one’s prison sentence, with over 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners reporting that they were no longer receiving stipends. The PA even invited the US to come to Ramallah and certify that the Palestinians comply with congressional legislation that barred such payments. Two months have passed since the invitation was extended, and the US has yet to send a delegation.
Still, the State Department announcement said, “It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace.”
Palestinian security forces patrol in the center of the city of Jenin in the West Bank, December 16, 2024. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hailed Washington’s “moral clarity” after the State Department announcement.
The PA “must pay a price for its ongoing policy of paying terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks, and for its incitement against Israel in schools, textbooks, mosques, and the Palestinian media,” he said.
“This important action by [US] President [Donald] Trump and his administration also exposes the moral distortion of certain countries that rushed to recognize a virtual Palestinian state while turning a blind eye to the PA’s support for terror and incitement,” Sa’ar added.
Despite Sa’ar’s criticism, the PA is regularly credited by the Israeli security establishment for maintaining stability in the West Bank by cracking down on other armed Palestinian factions.
The PLO is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Western-backed PA, to which Israel granted limited autonomy in less than half of the West Bank. Abbas has led both entities for two decades after being democratically elected in 2005, but has refused to hold elections since. He pledged earlier this year to hold elections in 2026.
The PA has been under pressure from Arab and Western states to undergo significant reform as they push for the body to replace Hamas as Gaza’s governing authority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a future role for the PA in governing Gaza, but has failed to advance any alternative amid pressure from his far-right partners who want to establish settlements in the Strip. Link More asinine decisions and behavior due to Netanyahu's influence and convincing Trump of his distorted policies regarding Palestinians. There is no other way to reach peace in our conflict than to recognize a Palestinian State and bring the 2 sides to negotiate directly. We have had 58 years or failing to 'manage the conflict'. It's about time that we make the time to solve the conflict and stop living by the sword. October 7 should be a wake up call that occupying and suppressing 5 million people, refusing them civil and human rights, living under an oppressive judicial system that finds against them 99.9% of the time, rampant killing of Palestinians by settler terrorists, and we still have blind and deaf leaders who think this situation can go on without another volcanic eruption. This is not a prize to Hamas. Hamas' worst nightmare is a 2 State Solution. They want to wipe Israel and Jews off the face of the earth. A solution that is based on recognition of each state and on peaceful coexistence is a gift to Israel and the Palestinians and an end to Hamas.
German FM says Israel in danger of becoming diplomatically isolated
In Jerusalem, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says Israel is in danger of becoming diplomatically isolated amid growing international outrage over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and that Berlin is trying to prevent that.
“Israel must always find friends, partners, and supporters in the international community. And that is currently in danger in this situation. And if there is one country that has a responsibility to prevent this, then in my view it is Germany,” Wadephul tells reporters.
Wadephul held meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar after landing in Israel this afternoon, and will travel to the West Bank tomorrow for additional discussions on the Gaza humanitarian situation amid widespread international moves toward recognizing a Palestinian state. Link The German Foreign minister's warning is a bit too late. We are quickly on the way to be a Pariah State, if we haven't reached that point already. Israel is the modern day South Africa. We have long been an apartheid state, not exactly the same type of apartheid as South Africa but certainly an apartheid. But that is not what is making us a pariah state. It is the crimes committed in Gaza directed by this corrupted and failed government led by an autocratic narcissist whose major concern is his political survival and nothing else. The humanitarian crisis which has worsened on a daily basis to the point that children are starving to death is all at the hands of the criminal Netanyahu who certainly deserves the ICC indictment for committing war crimes. Due to the massive pressure coming from all sides and even from his BFF Trump, Netanyahu is finally making some efforts to alleviate to a minimal degree the humanitarian aid issue, but it is not enough. The only way to begin to remedy the entire horrid war and fiasco of his mismanagement of the war from the very beginning is to end the fucking war and bring home the hostages. Following that, hopefully there will be strong enough calls from across the political and civil arenas in Israel for a State Commission of Inquiry. Even if it were to be convened post haste, it will take a very long time for it to complete its investigations and report out and hopefully bring about indictments for those most responsible starting with Netanyahu. However, because it will take so long, it won't have any effect on the current and near future political situation. For that, we also need to have early elections which will almost definitely be called as soon as Netanyahu announces the end of the war. New elections will almost certainly be a major defeat to Netanyahu and push him into the opposition, which is the first step to seeing the end of his political career and influence in Israel. The country desperately needs for this most dangerous person to become a historical note with the explicit data that shows that he was personally responsible for bringing Israel to the lowest point in our history and for having the blood of 2000 Israelis on his hands.
- ‘Losing Republicans by the day’: Support for Israel slipping among Trump’s base
Younger Republicans join MAGA isolationists and Christian conservatives in calling out Jewish state as Gaza war drags on; president hasn’t adopted their more hostile rhetoric, but has taken noticeThe Nelk Boys’ “Full Send” podcast was one of the many platforms seized by US President Donald Trump to reach younger, conservative, male audiences as he successfully ran for re-election last year.
It was also the platform that the White House recommended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu utilize when the Israeli premier’s office sought guidance on whom he should be interviewed by in order to reach those same audiences on his trip to Washington earlier this month.
The interview itself went smoothly for Netanyahu, who was given an unchecked platform to present his views on the war in Gaza, the regime in Iran, anti-Israel protesters on college campuses, New York mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, and why he prefers a Whopper over a Big Mac. (Hopefully, his Orthodox coalition partners didn’t hear that part).
Reception of the episode, however, was disastrous. The podcast’s YouTube channel lost over 10,000 subscribers within a day. The hosts received an outpouring of vicious criticism for platforming Netanyahu amid what commenters and fellow influencers repeatedly described as the “genocide” in Gaza. In an apparent attempt at damage control during a livestream the next day, one of the Nelk Boys nodded at a “good point” from a critic who commented that hosting the Israeli premier was “like having a modern-day Hitler.”
The Nelk Boys then proceeded to platform for their millions of followers a series of anti-Israel influencers who tore into Netanyahu and Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza.
While many of the episode’s critics were likely left-wingers piling on against Netanyahu and Israel, the ordeal pointed to a growing problem the prime minister and Israel have with Trump’s base of supporters, particularly with younger conservatives.
Trump also recognizes the problem, reportedly telling a prominent Jewish donor recently: “My people are starting to hate Israel.”
A CNN poll this month found the share of Republicans who believe Israel’s actions have been fully justified has dropped from 68 percent in 2023 to 52%.
A Pew Research poll from April, meanwhile, found that while Republicans over age 50 have remained staunchly pro-Israel since 2022, the Jewish state’s unfavorability among Republican young adults climbed from 35% to 50% over those three years.
The distaste with Israel has reached other parts of Trump’s base — from isolationists upset with the disproportionate amount of foreign aid that the US gives to Israel, to Christian conservatives who may have been silent about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians more broadly but are now speaking out when their coreligionists are harmed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The far-right One America News Network and the Christian Broadcasting Network have both recently aired segments shining a light on rampant Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, an issue that until recently has not typically been discussed in such media circles.
The anchor for the OANN was former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz, who was Trump’s initial pick for attorney general before he withdrew his nomination amid mounting scandals.
Gaetz remains loyal to Trump in his new role, which he is also using to repeatedly criticize Israel.
The animosity is beginning to extend to sitting Republican lawmakers as well.
GOP lawmakers in the Senate voted unanimously to defeat resolutions introduced by progressive Bernie Sanders aimed at blocking arms sales to Israel, which were backed by a majority of Democrats.
But the breakdown would have surely been different if those votes had been held in the House, where Republicans such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie have been no less critical of the Jewish state than some of the most progressive Democrats.
While Massie has come within Trump’s crosshairs in recent months, Greene is one of his biggest supporters and was given a seat in Trump’s box along with a primetime speaking slot at last year’s Republican National Convention.
The MAGA lawmaker’s animosity toward the Jewish state may also be an attempt to settle scores with pro-Israel organizations who long accused her of employing antisemitic rhetoric, but Greene appeared to go a step further this week, becoming the first Republican lawmaker to refer to the Gaza war as a “genocide.”
There are also less extreme examples that indicate a shift within the MAGA wing of the GOP.
Earlier this week, Republican Rep. Lance Gooden tweeted, “Standing with Israel means eliminating every barbaric Hamas terrorist. It also means rejecting the killing and starvation of children in Gaza.”
“We must allow aid to enter Gaza. Ending this hunger crisis will not only spare the lives of children but will strip Hamas of its ability to use innocent children as pawns in their depraved acts of barbarism,” the Texas lawmaker added.
Trump has used similar rhetoric to that of Gooden’s in recent days, and has publicly broken with Netanyahu over whether reports of starvation in Gaza are real.
That led to a flurry of media reports declaring a rift between the two leaders that may have been more hyperbolized by journalists hoping there is one.
The president also avoided criticizing Greene when asked if he agreed with her “genocide” determination, sufficing instead with: “It’s terrible what’s occurring there.”
Trump has more brazenly feuded with Netanyahu before, even cursing him out for congratulating Joe Biden on winning the 2020 election.
But that was after Trump had left office, and he quickly changed his tune once he became the Republican frontrunner again.
A growing portion of his supporters, though, aren’t as diplomatic and aren’t balancing the same, sometimes competing, interests as the president of the United States.
“Whether it realizes it or not, Israel has made itself the villain of the world in letting this [Gaza war] go on so long,” conservative media personality Megyn Kelly said during an interview this week with Israel-defender-turned-critic Piers Morgan.“They have lost support among their dearest friends, the entire Democrat party here in the United States has turned against them, and they’re losing Republicans by the day here in America,” she added. link What is amazing here is that Netanyahu has performed what was thought to be the impossible, to lose the support of Israel's and Netanyahu's most ardent supporters, the MAGA conservatives and fundamentalists. Mr. Israel's Teflon has lost his non-slip coating, and it's about time. Netanyahu is directly responsible for all of the horror going on in Gaza. Instead of doing what was right, and the list is so long including ending the war, bringing home all the hostages, allowing humanitarian aid to reach the 2 million refugees, placing an alternative Palestinian government, withdrawing Israeli troops, setting up a state commission of inquiry, resigning for his responsibility for October 7, and so much more, Netanyahu only chooses to do what is best for his political survival. These died in the wool supporters are seeing the worst of what he has done and are saying 'enough' and it is slowly opening the eyes of his BFF, Trump, but not fast enough. Only Trump can force his hand. He is the only person, besides his wife, that Netanyahu cannot say no to. We need Trump to be at the same level as these new dissenters and tell Netanyahu "ENOUGH!"
IDF delegation reportedly barred from entering Birkenau with Israeli flags
For what is believed to be the first time, a group of IDF soldiers at a ceremony at the Birkenau concentration camp in Poland has been barred by police from bringing an Israeli flag into the camp, according to the Hebrew daily Ynet.
A delegation of 180 Israeli officers and security officials taking part in the “Witnesses in Uniform” Holocaust commemoration program was halted Thursday at the entrance to the concentration camp when a local police officer refused to let them enter with their flags, Ynet reports.
Israeli officers and local agents were unable to reach an agreement with the police, and the soldiers had to enter without their flags.
Soldiers say the incident was tense and humiliating, and charge that the decision was driven by antisemitic beliefs.
“No ceremony has ever been stopped mid-way — never in Treblinka, Warsaw, or Majdanek,” one participant tells Ynet. “This shows that we are still fighting against antisemitism in Europe, and there are still those who are trying to change the Zionist narrative and the sanctity of this place for us.” link Netanyahu, the gift that keeps on giving. This is the continuing impact of the crimes Netanyahu has committed in Gaza and everyone pays the price.
- Personal Stories
Of the 50 Israelis, alive and deceased, held hostage in the Gaza Strip, only one has been there more than 664 days, the amount of time that has passed since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
On August 1, the family of soldier Hadar Goldin will mark exactly 11 years since he was killed and taken captive by Hamas operatives.
“I can’t grasp it,” his mother Leah Goldin told The Times of Israel in a recent interview. “It’s more than a decade, it’s an entire generation.”
On August 1, 2014, Hadar, a 23-year-old officer in the Givati Brigade, was killed when Hamas gunmen opened fire on a group of soldiers in southern Gaza, hours into a humanitarian ceasefire brokered by the UN and US during the 2014 war. Hamas operatives managed to grab his body and drag it into a tunnel.
A day later, the Israel Defense Forces announced that it had concluded that Goldin had been killed in combat before being abducted, posthumously promoting him to the rank of lieutenant.
Since that tragic day, Leah Goldin, a software engineer by profession, has become a voluble, fierce advocate for her son. She, her husband Simha Goldin, and their three surviving children, including Hadar’s twin brother Tzur, have continued moving forward with their lives.
Weeks before Goldin’s remains were abducted, Hamas fighters seized the body of Oron Shaul, who was killed alongside six other soldiers when their armored personnel carrier was hit by rocket-propelled grenades in northern Gaza.
For years their fates were tied together, alongside those of Averu Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, two Israelis apparently suffering mental distress who entered Gaza of their own volition in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and then were held by Hamas.
On October 7, 2023, the number of abducted Israelis in Gaza swelled as Hamas terrorists rampaged through Israeli communities, army bases and a music festival, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251.
Suddenly the small cadre of hostages’ families, of which the Goldins were often the most vocal, became a cacophonous nationwide society.
In the nearly 22 months since the attack, 202 of those kidnapped on October 7 have been brought back, not all of them alive. Shaul, Mengistu and al-Sayed have also returned — the soldier’s body recovered by troops in January, and the two other released as part of a ceasefire deal weeks later.
‘They thought everyone was coming back’
Before the October 7 attack, few in Israel would have believed the campaign of killings and mass abductions possible. But for the Goldins, the idea that hundreds could be taken hostage was not much of a shock.
“It hurts to say that it didn’t surprise us,” said Leah Goldin.
Parents, family members and friends of late Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held in Gaza since 2014, attend an alternative ceremony outside the state memorial ceremony for Operation Protective Edge at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery, in Jerusalem, July 16, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the family, which had been in regular contact with political and religious leaders, hostage envoys, and military attaches for years, became an invaluable resource for relatives of those who had been dragged into Gaza.
“We were all on the phone,” said Goldin. “Everyone called us.”
To help the families suffering mental shock and anguish, the Goldins reached out to the PTSD treatment organization Psagot Institute and gathered 2,000 volunteers for a call center to gather information and create a list of hostages from among the names of the missing.
They also began working every contact they knew who could help with freeing the hostages, including Roger Carstens, who served as the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs in the US State Department.
While Hadar wasn’t a US citizen, his killing during a ceasefire brokered by the US made him an American interest.
“I’ve been in touch with Roger Carstens for years,” said Goldin. “It was a way to open the door.”
Within days, a former politician and public relations executive, Ronen Tsur, took charge of what became the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, and the Goldins handed him the lists they had compiled. The thinking was that a forum of over 250 families would wield more power to move the government to bring the hostages home.
Initially, though, the Goldins, Shauls, Mengistus and al-Sayeds were left out of the Forum.
“They thought everyone was coming back,” said Goldin. “They thought we were the bad example of what can happen.”
She recalled that lists of those abducted on October 7 failed to even note that four others were also being held in Gaza, an issue they took to heart.
From left to right: Avera Mengistu’s mother Agarnesh Mengistu, his sister Tsige Engidaw, Lt. Hadar Goldin’s mother Leah Goldin, First Sergeant Oron Shaul’s brother Ofek Shaul, Hisham Al-Sayed’s father Shaaban Al-Sayed and mother Manal Al-Sayed in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, on July 5, 2023. – (GABRIEL MONNET / AFP)
According to Goldin, the IDF initially refused to include them, telling the families that “Hadar and Oron are a different matter.”
“For us, that was worse than October 7. And we didn’t accept it,” she said.
Eventually, after intense lobbying, including appeals to former IDF chief and then-cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant, the decision was reversed.
“It’s a wound that we still feel,” said Goldin.
Even now, she still checks every time the hostages are mentioned in the news to make sure Hadar is included in the count.
Orna Shimoni, whose son Eyal was killed in action in Lebanon in 1997, protesting at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv on March 9, 2025, and holding a poster of Hadar Goldin, who was killed and captured during the 2014 war in Gaza and his body has been held in captivity by Hamas since. (Credit Oded Engel/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)
Today, terror groups in the Gaza Strip still hold 50 hostages — Goldin and 49 of those taken on October 7. Of the 50, Goldin and 27 others are confirmed dead by the IDF, and there are grave concerns that two others may also have perished. Twenty hostages are believed to be alive, Israeli officials have said.
This week, negotiations for the potential release of 10 living and 18 deceased hostages as part of a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt were at a standstill, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others accusing Hamas of refusing to negotiate in good faith.
“We haven’t stopped trying,” Netanyahu said Tuesday of efforts to reach a deal despite his decision last week to pull negotiators from the talks in Doha. “But there is one major obstacle, and everyone knows it — Hamas. It remains obstinate in its refusal.”
The comments came a day after US President Donald Trump predicted that Hamas would never willingly release the final living hostages. Last week US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said Washington and Jerusalem would explore “alternative options” to free the hostages.
But critics accuse the government of being unwilling to end the war and prioritizing military action or reconquest and resettlement of Gaza over freedom for the hostages.
“Today I say that even 251 hostages isn’t enough to cause the decision makers to bring them back without all the nonsense,” said Goldin. “We have a deep, deep problem, and it’s the fault of the decision makers, which is what I call them because they’re not leaders. They’ve lost the values of this country.”
‘Forgotten values’
Goldin didn’t name Netanyahu, but referred to him as “the hand directing everything that has happened in the last 11 years.” Netanyahu was the country’s leader in 2014 when her son was killed and taken captive and has remained in power since, aside from an 18-month stint in the opposition in 2021-2022.
“It’s the same hand that isn’t bringing back our kids and the same hand that is cursing every opportunity,” she said. “We’re in a Jewish country in which everyone seems to have forgotten the Jewish value of bringing back a corpse. The rabbis, the IDF, the ethos of Zionism, of not leaving soldiers behind, the value of human rights — it’s just been forgotten.”
Goldin said Israel should be putting the hostage issue front and center in all of its diplomatic activity, especially it pursues the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia, claiming that Riyadh has direct influence over the patrons of Hamas’s terrorist regime in Gaza.
“I’d go to Saudi Arabia tomorrow to see who I could talk to, but I can’t with my Israeli passport,” she said.
Goldin noted that UN Security Council Resolution 2474 required the Iranian regime to enable the return of the remains of missing persons, since it is a party to the regional conflict waged against Israel.
“But no one in Israel is asking for that,” she argued.
Ayelet, sister of soldier Hadar Goldin whose body has been held in Gaza since 2014, speaks at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on April 26, 2025. (Credit Paulina Patimer/Hostages Forum)
While lobbying for the release of her son’s remains for burial, Goldin has continued to work, lecturing and consulting in her field of software engineering; her husband still teaches history at Tel Aviv University.
“We’re humans, we want to stay part of the community and society, and from our perspective, life continues,” said Goldin. “We continue to smile, we continue to live our lives with all the pain and the hard work.”
When she has a hard time motivating herself, she said she thinks about some of Hadar’s sayings, including the notes he wrote to soldiers serving under him and to youth group campers when he was a counselor.
One of her son’s sayings was that life gives people the chance to handle their own issues and to do great things.
The family of Hadar Goldin at his funeral Sunday August 3, 2014. (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
A week before Hadar was killed, Goldin recalled, the family held a get-together to mark his upcoming wedding on Kibbutz Alumim, a religious community near the Gaza border. They chose the location because it was easier for him to reach from the battlefield as war raged in the Strip.
Nine years later, Hamas-led terrorists stormed the kibbutz, killing and kidnapping over two dozen foreign workers on its outskirts. As the terrorists moved toward residential areas, the kibbutz’s security team rushed to halt the attackers’ advance, battling them alongside soldiers and police in a small shaded park that had been named in Hadar Goldin’s memory, and thwarting the onslaught.
Members of the security team “told us they felt that Hadar was with us,” Goldin relayed.
“People say to me they’re sorry they didn’t pay attention to Hadar before October 7,” she said. “I don’t need that, or to hear ‘The Goldins were right.'”
“Instead,” she added, “use that knowledge to correct this situation.” link
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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