π️Lonny's War Update- October 670, 2023 - August 6, 2025 π️
π️Day 670 that 50 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivityπ️
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Medical report: Hostages face ‘immediate risk of death’ from ‘systematic starvation’
Report from Hostages and Missing Families Forum comes after videos show Rom Braslavsky and Evyatar David looking emaciated, says they’ve drastically lost weight
The hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are at an “immediate risk of death” due to starvation, according to a report released Monday by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The report, described in a press release by the group representing relatives of most of the 50 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, said the policy of starving the hostages is intentional.
The report was published days after videos were released showing hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David both looking emaciated. The videos prompted shock in Israel and beyond, and lent greater urgency to calls to free the hostages, at least 20 of whom are thought to be alive. The report was also published as global outrage has mounted over reports of widespread starvation and deaths from malnutrition among Palestinians in Gaza.
The report was compiled by three medical and public health experts. It was based on the videos of David and Braslavski, as well as testimonies from released hostages and examinations of those who were killed.
“[T]he hostages still held alive in Gaza are suffering from deliberate, prolonged, and systematic starvation — an advanced medical state of severe hunger, causing multisystem damage and posing an immediate risk of death,” the report said.
“According to testimonies, the food provided to the hostages was minimal, nutritionally poor, and lacking essential nutrients — at times, no more than half a pita per day,” the report said. “Hostages reported constant hunger, entire days without food, persistent exhaustion, and the use of food as a means of punishment.
Israeli captives, from left to right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who were held hostage by Hamas in Gaza from October 7, 2023, onstage before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on February 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)Some hostages who were released earlier this year also looked emaciated. Iair Horn, a dual Israeli-Argentinian citizen who was taken hostage in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, said in July that the paucity of aid in Gaza meant hostages would also get less food.
“When there’s less food, then there’s also less for the hostages. When there’s aid, there’s a possibility you might get a cucumber,” said Horn, 46.
The researchers assessed that David and Rom Braslavski are severely underweight, based on the videos.
David has lost more than 40 percent of his body weight, while Braslavski has dropped 31%, the report said. Their gaunt appearance, as well as that of hostages who were released during a ceasefire earlier this year, led to comparisons to Holocaust survivors.
In the video of David, he appeared skeletal and was shown digging what he said he feared was his own grave.
The report said the hostages are at risk of suffering from what is known as “starved brain,” a condition with effects, it said, that include “memory impairment, cognitive decline, depression, confusion, apathy, and in some cases, hallucinations.”
The report added that the hostages are at added risk because they are kept out of daylight, deep underground, without access to clean water or medical care.
Hamas-held hostage Evyatar David filmed digging what he says he fears will be his own grave in a tunnel in Gaza, in a Hamas propaganda video that his family cleared for publication on August 2, 2025.“The medical evidence is unequivocal. The hostages in Gaza are in a state of extreme hunger and face an immediate risk of death due to deliberate starvation,” Hagai Levine, head of the forum’s health team, said in a statement. “The outcome of this cruel experiment is foreseeable — body and mind will gradually deteriorate until they collapse.”
He added, “Any further delay in rescuing the hostages may cost human lives. We must not stand idly by while our brothers vanish. We must act now to bring them all home.”
Negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release deal hit an impasse in July. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly conveyed that Israel will now seek to fully occupy Gaza, including fighting in areas where hostages are held.
David’s first cousin, Matan Eshet, told The Times of Israel that the family did not pay close attention to the medical team’s report.
“They can tell me his medical condition and the statistics, but he’s in such bad shape that I can see it with my own eyes,” said Eshet. “I don’t need a degree to tell me that he’s on the brink of death.”
David’s family first caught a glimpse of the video on Telegram on Friday night, but did not watch it, said Eshet, knowing it would break their spirits.
“I was broken when I saw it,” says Eshet. “My cousin doesn’t look or sound like himself. He looks like a copy of a copy of a copy of Evyatar.”
Eshet said he had hoped for a glimpse of the cousin he knows. What angered him the most was seeing the meaty hand of the Hamas terrorist shown in the uncut video, next to David’s emaciated body.
He said he is taking a break from social media because he keeps seeing his cousin’s face. “I see him every time I close my eyes,” said Eshet. Link
Cousin of hostage Evyatar David: ‘Don’t need a degree’ to know he’s on brink of death
Matan Eshet, a first cousin of the Hamas captive, describes family’s anguish at seeing propaganda video of their loved one in skeletal state
As the Hostages Forum medical team revealed its assessment that hostage Evyatar David has lost nearly half of his body weight in Hamas captivity, his cousin Matan Eshet said the family was not paying particularly close attention to the latest formal medical evaluation because it is all too obvious that he is close to death.
“They can tell me his medical condition and the statistics, but he’s in such bad shape that I can see it with my own eyes,” said Eshet. “I don’t need a degree to tell me that he’s on the brink of death.”
Three medical and public health experts compiled the Hostages Forum report, which was based on the propaganda videos of David and fellow hostage Ram Braslavski that were released over the weekend, as well as testimonies from freed hostages and examinations of those who were killed.
In the Hamas video of Evyatar David, published after Palestinian Islamic Jihad released similarly harrowing propaganda footage of Braslavski, David is shown to be skeletal and forced to dig what he said he feared was his grave.
Eshet, a first cousin of David’s who grew up living across the street from him in their hometown of Kfar Saba, has been working with his family for the last 22 months to bring David home.
“I was broken when I saw the video,” said Eshet. “My cousin doesn’t look or sound like himself. He looks like a copy of a copy of a copy of Evyatar.”
A still of hostage Evyatar David taken from a Hamas propaganda video (left) released on August 1, 2025. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)When the new video surfaced on Telegram, David’s older brother, Ilai David, and his mother, Galia David, would not watch it.
“Ilai said, ‘I can’t, I understand how bad he looks and I couldn’t get out of bed the last time, so how will I get out of bed after I see this one?'” said Eshet.
An initial video of David and his best friend, hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, was published in February 2025, as their fellow captives Omer Wenkert and Tal Shoham were returned to Israel during the ceasefire. At the time, according to Eshet, the family tried to take a positive view.
“We said, at least he’s with Guy, at least they fed him before the video,” recalled Eshet.
The family is now in regular contact with Shoham and Wenkert, who have given them detailed descriptions of their time in captivity with David.
“We got to know the hell he’s going through; it became a reality,” said Eshet. “We had testimony about what he thinks about, what he feels, the lack of food and sunlight.”
Hostages Evyatar David (left) and Guy Gilboa-Dalal speak in a Hamas propaganda video filmed at the site and time of the release ceremony in Gaza for three other captives, February 22, 2025. (Screenshot: Telegram)Eshet said the family is currently focused on rallying global pressure so David can get food and medical attention, although it is not holding out much hope of being helped by the Israeli government or United Nations.
“I don’t care if a member of the government calls us, I don’t want them to call to tell us they’re working on a deal, or that it’s terrible to see Evyatar like that,” said Eshet. “I want them to bring him back.”
Wenkert and Shoham have both said that the tunnel shown in the Hamas video of David is the same tunnel where they all held together, and that Gilboa-Dalal was probably behind the curtain seen in the footage.
“We know there are two ends to the tunnel, the iron door that closes behind you and the wall at the other end,” said Eshet.
“They probably didn’t show Guy to torture his family, and to suggest that maybe something happened to him,” added Eshet. “But we believe he’s there.”
‘We need to save this kid’
Even now, said Eshet, the family’s anger is only directed at Hamas, with David’s loved ones wanting to utilize their waning energy to speak about him in local and international media.
“We don’t have enough power to be angry at those who won’t help him directly,” he said. “Anger won’t get us anywhere.”
Yeela David, left, and Ilay David, respectively the sister and brother of hostage Evyatar David, speak at Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, August 2, 2025. (Lior Rothstein/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)Eshet, 28, is the same age as David’s older brother, Ilay. The two attended the same schools, with their families’ homes situated one parking lot away from one another.
When David was first taken hostage, Eshet, a recent chemical engineering graduate, spent most of his time at his aunt and uncle’s home, ensuring that David’s parents and siblings ate at least one meal a day and managing the number of visitors. Eventually, he became the driver for his cousins, taking them to meetings, rallies and interviews.
Evyatar David, left, and his cousin, Matan Eshet, when they were children, years before David was taken hostage on October 7, 2023 (Courtesy)The family was left with only one car, explained Eshet, as David had taken his mother’s car to the Nova desert rave where it was burned by Hamas terrorists.
On October 7, Eshet had just returned from a family vacation to the US, his family’s first time setting foot on American soil.
As he learned that the family lost contact with David, Eshet said his first thought was that his cousin’s phone probably ran out of battery after partying throughout the night.
“He has this aura about him,” said Eshet. “He was always running around and having things happen, but never anything major.”
Evyatar David, then 22, was kidnapped by Hamas from the Reim-area Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)By noon on October 7, the family knew that David had been taken hostage along with his best friend, Gilboa-Dalal, whom Eshet remembered from when the two were small boys.
Eshet described how he goes to bed at 4 a.m. to exhaust himself from dreaming about David, and said he has avoided social media the last few days to avoid seeing his cousin’s emaciated face.
“I see it every time I close my eyes,” said Eshet. “We need the world, the people of the world to help us make sure Evyatar comes back right now. We need to save this kid.” Link
Hostage's father: 'My grandfather left Auschwitz weighing 30 kgs, has the Holocaust returned?'
After seeing disturbing new footage of other hostages, the family of Alon Ohel says his likely condition mirrors Holocaust trauma; with no image of him released, they ask: Will Israel act only when it’s visible?
The parents of Alon Ohel, one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, say their son’s likely condition echoes their family's Holocaust trauma, drawing painful comparisons as new footage of other captives highlights the deteriorating situation.Alon’s great-grandfather, Simcha Ohel, survived Auschwitz and was liberated weighing just 30 kilograms, his family said. Nearly 80 years later, Alon is believed to be suffering from malnutrition, injury and a lack of medical treatment while being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Idit and Kobi Ohel (Photo: Shalev Shalom“Have we returned to the Holocaust?” asked Idit Ohel, Alon’s mother, following the release of new Hamas videos showing hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski visibly gaunt and distressed. “Alon looks exactly like we imagine. This isn’t a bad dream — it’s reality.”
No video of Alon has been released since his abduction on October 7, and his family has received no sign of life. They say the silence surrounding his condition only deepens their fears.
Alon’s father, Kobi Ohel, said Simcha, who was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust, rarely spoke of what he endured. “He didn’t use words,” he said. “But at night, he screamed.” Idit added, “Alon has those genes. He knows what it means to survive. He knows what it means not to eat. It’s inherited. He feels me — if I’m strong, he’s strong.”
Simcha Ohel (Photo: Courtesy of the family)The family says Alon is surviving not because of humanitarian aid, but thanks to his music, faith and belief that his parents are fighting for him.Idit sharply criticized both the Israeli government and international community for allowing humanitarian aid to continue flowing into Gaza without demanding the hostages’ release or proof the aid is reaching them. “First and foremost, save the starving,” she said. “Change the goals of this war.”She expressed frustration that only after new footage was released did attention return to the hostages. “It’s not that the prime minister didn’t know before. He knew. Everyone knew,” she said. “But where is it in the public discourse? Will people talk about it for 90 seconds and move on?”Despite her grief, Idit said she chooses hope every day. She imagines Alon returning home, healthy and free, performing onstage. “Write an article about his music career in five or six years,” she said. “We imagine that future and it will happen. That’s what keeps me going.”
Ruti Strom and Iair Horn (Photo: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)Ruti Strom, the mother of hostage Eitan Horn, also spoke out following the release of the Hamas videos. “What we saw isn’t new — people have been talking for months about the hostages’ deteriorating conditions. I don’t understand why nothing has been done.”Strom said she constantly worries about Eitan’s safety. “I know they’re not getting food or water every day. Even when they do, it’s very little — almost nothing. Of course I’m afraid.”Her other son, Iair, has already been released. Strom said the reunion was bittersweet. “I don’t know why they decided to split my boys,” she said. “It was terrible to see one come back while the other stayed behind. Even then I said — they’re all humanitarian.”Strom called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shift priorities. “He needs to stop the war and bring them home. We know there are still 20 hostages alive. I’m afraid if they don’t come back soon, they won’t all survive. Time is running out, and it’s only getting harder in those tunnels.”She said she draws strength from the support of Holocaust survivors who have joined the hostages’ families in their campaign. “To see 99-year-old survivors say this must not happen again — it’s powerful,” she said. “They’ve lived through this. I don’t know where they find the strength, but it moves us deeply.” LinkBrother of hostage Evyatar David tells UN that silence in face of Hamas cruelty ‘is complicity’
The brother of Hamas hostage Evyatar David tells the United Nations Security Council that it is responsible for the hostages’ suffering in Gaza.
“Every moment of delay is a step closer to a final, tragic outcome. We all have a responsibility. To the leaders of the world, to every member of this council, and to the global community: your silence in the face of this monstrous cruelty is complicity,” Ilay David says.
David speaks via video to a Security Council hearing focused on the Gaza war and the hostages.
Over the weekend, Hamas released a video showing an emaciated Evyatar David digging his own grave.
In his speech to the Security Council, David describes his close relationship with his brother, his brother’s love of music, and the family’s anguish in his absence.
Since the release of the video over the weekend, “My father cannot sleep and my mother has not stopped crying,” David says. He adds that, according to the testimony of released hostages, Hamas is deliberately starving the hostages as a form of torture, despite the terror group’s members having an ample supply of food.
David calls on the international community to demand and take action for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, call for humanitarian aid for the hostages, and “recognize that this is a matter of life and death requiring urgent medical intervention.”
“The very soul of humanity is being scarred by Hamas’s barbaric actions. We, the family of Evyatar, refuse to give up hope. We are weeping and suffering, but we are also fighting,” David says.
At Tel Aviv sit-in, mother of Nimrod Cohen says occupying Gaza will be ‘death sentence’ for hostages
Hundreds of people gather for a sit-in on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street, outside the Defense Ministry headquarters, led by Shift 101, the mostly silent, white-clad activist group.
The protesters, led by Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen and Maccabit Meir, aunt of hostages Ziv and Gali Berman, along with others, marched to Kaplan Street from Dizengoff Square.
“This government is ruining all of our values,” says Cohen. “We’re hearing talk about conquering Gaza, that will be a death sentence for our hostages, it will turn them into Ron Arads,” she says, referring to the Air Force navigator captured in Lebanon in 1986 and never released. “We can’t allow that to happen, and that’s why we’re here to continue fighting, to say, ‘Enough, stop.'”
Vicky Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, speaking to protesters sitting-in in front of the Kirya IDF Military Headquarters, August 5, 2025. (Tanya Zion-Waldoks / Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)Cohen tells Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the time has come to stop with his desire for revenge, to listen to the people and stop the war, and return all the hostages so that Israeli society can begin rebuilding itself and burying its dead.
Idit Ohel, mother of hostage Alon Ohel, says she doesn’t have a lot to say, except that she misses her son immensely.
“I so miss him that sometimes I forget how it is to be the mother of Alon,” says Ohel. “It’s hard to speak, it’s hard to stand, it’s hard to walk. The hardest is to breathe, knowing your son is in that place. I don’t wish this upon anyone.”
At the end of the shift, the protesters sing a song to mark what would have been the sixth birthday of Ariel Bibas, taken captive with his mother and younger brother on October 7, 2023, and killed in captivity. His body was returned for burial in February.
Sa’ar at the UN: International plans to recognize Palestinian state ‘assassinated the hostage deal’
He is so full of shit. Sa’ar will say anything and do anything that will benefit him politically. He has no morals and absolutely no qualms about lying to anyone and everyone if it helps him. The only thing that killed the hostage deal was Netanyahu and his complicit cabinet of which Sa’ar is a senior member.
From the post on X from Eisenkot, former IDF chief of staff, current Knesset member, whose son and nephew were killed in Gaza in this war
Briefings from "Netanyahu's associates" against the Chief of Staff during wartime. The Prime Minister's son tweets from afar against the Chief of Staff. The government dismisses the Attorney General and creates a constitutional crisis. The coalition replaces the chairman of the Defense Ministry in order not to enact a conscription law -
All this while IDF soldiers are risking their lives in Gaza in a war that has lost its purpose and while abandoning Israeli citizens who were kidnapped to their deaths in the most serious blunder in the country's history.
The Israeli government has long since lost its way. With fundamentally flawed priorities, it acts against the interests of the State of Israel and is unworthy of this strong and wonderful people. It could be otherwise. The citizens of Israel deserve different leadership.
Gadi Eisenkot Link
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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Red Cross: Videos of emaciated hostages are ‘appalling’ but no way to access the hostages without guarantees from Hamas, Israel
The sight of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski appearing severely emaciated in videos released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in recent days was “appalling,” says International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Gilad Grossman, who adds, however, that accessing hostages remains out of reach for the agency.
“Since we do not have access to the hostages, we did not have first-hand knowledge of their situation — seeing the videos was appalling,” Grossman tells The Times of Israel in a phone interview.
Following the release of the footage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog spoke directly with ICRC officials, urging them to do whatever is necessary to reach and treat the hostages. The ICRC has been repeatedly criticized by Israel for failing to assist any hostages throughout the war, except during handovers under hostage-release deals.
Despite these appeals, Grossman says that “To actually reach the hostages, we need to be granted access and there needs to be a process that ensures the hostages’ safety and our staff’s safety…In Gaza, most of the area is an active combat zone. We need to be able to move around safely, and that is not possible without all the necessary coordination and guarantees.”
Earlier this week, after the ICRC reiterated its call for access in response to the videos, Hamas publicly signaled willingness, for the first time, to allow humanitarian access to hostages—but only under conditions that require Israel’s approval, including halting all military activity during visits and opening additional humanitarian aid convoys.
“We remain in regular contact with Hamas and the Israeli authorities. If Israel and Hamas come to an agreement, we’re ready to operate,” Grossman says.
While Hamas and aid agencies blame Israel for the lack of food distribution in Gaza, Israel denies allegations of and responsibility for widespread starvation, and accuses Hamas of actively diverting supplies and disrupting humanitarian efforts.
Grossman declined to assess Hamas’s claim that there is insufficient food to feed the hostages or claims of starvation, but notes that “The situation in Gaza is catastrophic.”
“Even our staff are affected. Food is harder to get, the nutritional quality is lower, the portions are smaller. The little food that is available is very expensive… we feel the shortage,” he adds.
“We know Gazans are hungry and we know there is malnutrition. We see it in our field hospital, we see it in our other programs, and we hear about it from our colleagues,” he says.
After limited security meeting, sources say PM set on full occupation of Gaza, despite knowing it will endanger hostages
Following a limited security meeting to discuss military plans for Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heavily leaning toward occupying the Palestinian enclave, an unnamed source familiar with the details tells the Kan Public Broadcaster.
Other Hebrew-language news outlets, including Ynet and i24 News, carry similar reports, all quoting anonymous sources.
Today’s meeting was attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz, along with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
The IDF currently holds control over approximately 75 percent of the Gaza Strip, but under the new plan, the military would be expected to occupy the remaining territory as well, bringing the entire enclave under Israeli control.
One source tells Kan that the government is aware that the military campaign to gain full control over Gaza will likely endanger the remaining hostages, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.
The report says that the IDF and the defense establishment remain opposed to the plan, in part because it puts the hostages in danger of being executed by their captors should troops approach where they are being held.
According to Channel 12, the plan will be submitted to the full security cabinet for approval on Thursday.
The Prime Minister’s Office says in a brief statement that Netanyahu “held a limited security discussion today that lasted about 3 hours, in which the chief of staff presented the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza.”
“The IDF is prepared to implement any decision made by the security cabinet,” the statement adds.
Trump says ‘pretty much up to Israel’ when asked if he backs potential occupation of Gaza
No one in their right mind should ever think that Trump is Israel’s savior. He is erratic and makes his decisions based in last man in the room and the one who is loudest. This is especially the case when he is in discussions with fellow narcissistic autocrats who he respects as strong men. Almost every time that at he has expressed frustration and loss of patience with Netanyahu, Netanyahu did what he does best. He immediately picks up the phone, strokes Trump’s massive ego and then proceeds to wrap him around his little finger. We had pinned our hopes on Trump’s frustrations with Netanyahu and seeing that Netanyahu’s actions were going to kill his chances for his coveted Nobel Peace Prize. We thought it was enough for Trump to force Netanyahu to end the war and bring the hostages home just like he forced him into 2 other things Netanyahu didn’t want: the last hostage deal that Netanyahu breached before it went to the second phase and the calling off of the major retaliatory strike against Iran when they immediately breached the negotiated ceasefire. Because Trump is erratic, unpredictable and changes his mind on a dine, we can never have any certainty that he will ever pressure Netanyahu to do the right and necessary things:end the war and bring home the hostages. Unfortunately, Trump is the only person who can tell Netanyahu to do something and he can’t say no. Now, instead of giving Netanyahu marching orders to truly end the war, he has given him the green light to sacrifice all of the hostages and help Netanyahu destroy Israel with his plans to fully occupy Gaza. Following that, we will probably see the extremists fulfill their wildest dreams and get Netanyahu to annex Gaza and then the West Bank and it will all be with Trump’s blessings. That is all Netanyahu needs to perpetrate the actions that will literally tear Israel apart at the seems and fully make us a pariah state. Netanyahu is truly the most dangerous person in Israel today. He has made us war criminals and he is the destroyer of Israel. We are at the point that so many of his criminal actions are things that we can never come back from nor recover.IDF says troops demolished 2-kilometer-long Hamas tunnel under Khan Younis, in southern Gaza
A two-kilometer (1.25-mile)-long Hamas tunnel was demolished by combat engineers in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, during recent operations of the Kfir Brigade in the area, the IDF says.
The IDF releases footage of the demolition Link
107 tons of humanitarian aid airdropped into Gaza today by five countries, IDF says
Aircraft from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Germany, Belgium, and France airdropped 107 pallets of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip today, the IDF says.
Each pallet contains around one ton of food.
Since July 26, nearly 900 humanitarian aid packages have been airdropped in the Gaza Strip by nine countries, including Israel, according to the military. The packages the IDF airdropped were supplied by international aid groups
IDF says it struck Hamas weapons manufacturing site in Gaza City yesterday
A Hamas weapons manufacturing site in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood was struck by the Israeli Air Force yesterday, the IDF says.
To mitigate civilian harm in the strike, the military says it issued an evacuation warning, and used a precision munition, aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.
Meanwhile, the IDF says the 215th Artillery Regiment shelled a launching position used by terror operatives to fire mortars at an army encampment in northern Gaza yesterday. No injuries were caused in the mortar attack.
In the area of the Daraj and Tuffah neighbourhoods of Gaza City, troops of the 401st Armored Brigade directed a drone strike on a cell of some 10 operatives and eliminated them, the military says.
Elsewhere in Gaza, the IDF says it demolished Hamas infrastructure and killed additional operatives.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 138 Palestinians were killed in the Strip during the previous 24 hours. video
Lebanese PM instructs army to prepare plan for disarming Hezbollah by year’s end
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announces that the government has instructed the Lebanese Armed Forces to prepare a plan for consolidating arms under state control by the end of the year, meaning that Hezbollah and other armed groups will be required to disarm.
According to reports from Lebanon, tonight’s cabinet meeting was expected to deal with announcing the disarmament of Hezbollah in line with a proposal submitted by the US to Lebanon on the matter.
However, Salam says that the issue has been postponed and will be discussed in the cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday Link if and when this happens , it will be a major turning point for Lebanon and quite possibly for our relationship with Lebanon going down the road. It will not be an easy task at all and there could be considerable bloodshed. I have no doubt that if the Lebanese government asked for assistance from some of the Arab States, they would be more than agreeable as they too view Hizbollah as no different from Iran and a totally destabling influence on the whole region. It will also serve as a major inflection point for the Lebanese government after years of powerlessness and instability, not being able to even electing a permanent president. This could set the stage for a Lebanese government that can actually do something to rehabilitate Lebanon and work towards returning the country to some of its glory days as the Riviera of the Middle East
Gaza and the South
Women of Umm al-Khair continue hunger strike for sixth day as Israel refuses to hand over Awdah Hathaleen’s body
Around 60 women in the village of Umm al-Khair in the South Hebron Hills in the West Bank have been on a hunger strike for six days to protest the fact that the Israeli military has not yet returned the body of Awdah Hathaleen to his family for burial. Hathaleen was fatally shot last Monday in a confrontation with settlers outside of the village.
According to the family, the army conditioned the return of his body on holding a small funeral with restricted attendance in the evening hours. It also demanded that he be buried outside the village, claiming the local cemetery is illegal.
The IDF has not responded to a request from The Times of Israel for comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, Yinon Levi, a settler from the area who was arrested by police on suspicion of reckless manslaughter after being seen in a video firing toward Palestinians in the incident, was released from house arrest yesterday and resumed the construction work near the village that sparked the confrontation in which Hathaleen was killed.
On Friday, a court rejected a police request to extend Levi’s house arrest.
During the hearing, the judge stated that the reasonable suspicion against Levi had weakened and that the claim of no causal link between his gunfire and Hathaleen’s death was supported by evidence gathered from the Palestinian side, as well as his claim of self-defense.
Netanyahu said set to order full takeover of Gaza, despite IDF qualms, risk to hostages
Senior official close to PM quoted saying ‘the die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,’ also suggests IDF chief resign if he opposes move
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told ministers this week that he will seek cabinet backing for a plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, despite objections from within the Israel Defense Forces.
According to reports in Hebrew media, several ministers said Netanyahu used the term “occupation of the Strip” in private conversations describing his vision for the expansion of military operations in Gaza — a notable shift in tone as the government prepares to discuss the future of the Gaza campaign.
The Ynet news site quoted a senior official close to the premier as saying, “The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.”
“There will be operations even in areas where hostages are being held. If the chief of staff doesn’t agree, he should resign,” they added, referring to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who reportedly opposes the proposed occupation of Gaza.
The IDF currently holds control over approximately 75 percent of the Gaza Strip, but under the new plan, the military would be expected to occupy the remaining territory as well — bringing the entire enclave under Israeli control.
It is unclear what such a move would mean for the Strip’s millions of civilians and for humanitarian groups operating in the enclave.
Displaced Palestinians carry bags of humanitarian aid they received at a distribution center run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the central Gaza Strip on August 4, 2025. (AFP)The IDF has said it opposes taking over the whole Strip, with the army assessing it could take years to clear all Hamas infrastructure. It could also put hostages in danger of being executed by their captors should troops approach where they are being held.
Netanyahu said earlier Monday that he would convene the cabinet to order the IDF on how to proceed with the war effort, with some believing the premier could ask the army to hold back in order to further give hostage talks a chance to percolate.
On Sunday, Channel 12 news reported that a divide had emerged within the security cabinet on the potential occupation of Gaza, with the premier and Defense Minister Israel Katz allegedly remaining undecided.
Of those reportedly in favor of expanding Gaza operations were Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs.
On the other side, those reportedly favoring continued efforts to reach a ceasefire-hostage deal included Zamir, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Shas party leader Aryeh Deri, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Mossad chief David Barnea, the Shin Bet’s negotiator known by the Hebrew letter “Mem,” and Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, who is overseeing the hostage file for the military.
This handout photo from August 1, 2025, shows IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir meeting troops in the Gaza Strip. (Israel Defense Forces)Zamir cancels US visit
Amid the discussions on how to proceed in Gaza, Zamir recently canceled a planned trip to the United States, a military source said Monday.
The source said the short trip was conditioned on there being a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and since that is not the case, he would not be flying on Monday night.
Zamir was set to attend the handover ceremony of the head of the US Central Command, as well as meet with US officials at the Pentagon and leaders of Jewish groups, according to the IDF. Because there is no ceasefire, “and due to the difficult situation of the hostage issue, and the great responsibility on his shoulders, he decided to cancel his trip,” the source added.
Last week, Hebrew media reported that the cabinet had begun discussions on the potential occupation of the entire Strip, with some outlets saying annexation of parts of Gaza was also on the table. If decided upon, full occupation of Gaza would entail Israeli forces entering areas of Gaza that they have not yet operated, including areas where hostages are believed to be held.
Palestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by parachutes into Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)As the negotiations with Hamas have reached an impasse, Israel and the US have reportedly shifted towards a “comprehensive framework” for an end to the war and the release of all hostages, instead of the temporary ceasefire deal that was previously under discussion.
US envoy Steve Witkoff told families of hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday that US President Donald Trump was seeking a comprehensive deal to return the hostages and end the war, and that there would be no more “piecemeal” deals.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff meets with hostages’ families at Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv, August 2, 2025. (Paulina Patimer/ Hostages and Missing Families Forum)“There will be no more partial deals,” a senior official was quoted as saying two days earlier, explaining that Israel and the US now concur on the need to “shift from a framework for the release of some of the hostages to a framework for the release of all of the hostages, the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.”
If actualized, the new stance would mark a major shift for Israel, which came up with the phased hostage deal framework during the first year of the war, as it enabled Israel to secure the release of some of its hostages, while maintaining the ability to resume the war — something Netanyahu needed to maintain his coalition, as far-right partners threatened to collapse the government if Israel agreed to a permanent ceasefire.
An Israeli source quoted Friday by the Haaretz daily expressed deep pessimism about the prospects for a broader agreement, saying there was little chance Hamas would accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war.
Demonstrators rally in support of a deal to release hostages held in the Gaza Strip, at Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, August 2, 2025. (Dafna Yosha/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)The war began with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage. Since then, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 60,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.
Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught. Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 459. The toll includes two police officers and three Defense Ministry civilian contractors. Link. Netanyahu and the IDF Chief Zamir are at loggerheads about what next. Zamir along with the rest of the security chiefs have long said that a deal must be made to bring the hostages home and end the war. They are ready and fully prepared to deal with the follow up. Netanyahu claims that everything that army has done has not succeeded in bringing the demanded goals of bringing down Hamas and rescuing the hostages. He absolutely refuses to admit that he is at fault on both counts. The only way to bring home the hostages is through a deal. Only a handful of hostages have been rescued through military action and more than that have been killed and executed directly because of military pressure.
Regarding destroying Hamas, no army can do that. The army and Shin Bet have been incredibly successful in killing most of the upper leadership of the terrorist organization as well as tens of thousands of terrorists, but Hamas is more than just the terrorists, it is an idea and ideology. The only way to overcome these, there must be a better alternative. Netanyahu has, from the beginning of the war, refused to introduce a real alternative which can only be a Palestinian governing body that will be aligned in some way with the Palestinian Authority. The population of Gaza is hungry and has been hungry, even before the war for a change of leadership in the Strip. They have been terrorized by Hamas as an oppressive government that has imprisoned, tortured, and killed opposition and anyone who has been in favor of talking to Israel and Israelis. Before the war, the latest anonymous online polling that was done showed that no more than 18% of the population was in favor of Hamas.
Netanyahu has fought and prevented any alternative but his ridiculous actions to try to have clans take over these roles. These clans are War Lords who have been involved in the crime world, drugs, smuggling, prostitution, etc. In addition, every single one of them has had direct involvement with Hamas, building tunnels, paying for the use of tunnels for smuggling which including weapons, and even carrying out terrorist acts on their behalf. No where in the world has working with War Lords worked positively. They have always used the money and weapons given to them against those who provided them, in the end. Afghanistan is the perfect contemporary example but Netanyahu ignores all the signs and knowledge base in order not to have any involvement by the PA.
The bottom line of Netanyahu's argument against the IDF chief is that he is responsible for all the failures and they all are based on the same single reason. There has never been an strategic plan for the war, as Netanyahu has never presented a strategic plan for anything as prime minister.
Zamir and the rest of the security organizations are against Netanyahu's war plans and officers who are doing the actual fight ing in Gaza have stated privately that they refuse to do anything that will bring about the deaths of the hostages. Netanyahu and his failed corrupt government have proven time and time again that they are willing to sacrifice every single hostage if it serves their political plans.Military officials said to warn that occupying Gaza would lead to heavy IDF casualties
Military officials believe that if Israel proceeds with plans to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, it will lead to heavy casualties among Israeli troops, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The defense officials estimate that “dozens” of soldiers could be killed, and a large number would be wounded in the operation, Kan reports.
They also warned of the risk that conquering the full breadth of the Gaza Strip would pose to the remaining hostages, as until now the IDF has refrained from operating in areas where they are believed to be held.
According to Kan, the officials believe that the hostages could be killed either intentionally by their captors if the IDF approaches or inadvertently by Israeli troops.
The IDF is widely reported to be at odds with the political leadership over the next steps to take in Gaza, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be set on moving forward with occupation, while Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is reportedly recommending that the IDF take a more gradual approach and encircle Gaza City instead.
Netanyahu was said to have shot him down and told him to prepare plans for the occupation of the Strip.
IDF reveals 2025 suicide figures for first time amid rising concern: 'Every case is one too many'
The IDF disclosed mid-year suicide figures, reporting 16 cases so far in 2025; Officials pledged to expand mental health access as lawmakers warn of a surge in post-traumatic cases among soldiers; 'Our sons and daughters carry heavy burdens even after leaving the battlefield'
For the first time, the IDF has released official mid-year figures on suicide among troops, revealing that 16 cases have been recorded so far in 2025. The disclosure came Tuesday during a meeting of the Knesset Subcommittee on IDF Manpower, chaired by Knesset lawmaker Elazar Stern, which examined the military’s suicide prevention efforts.In addition to Stern, participants included Brig. Gen. Amir Vadmani, chief of staff of the IDF Personnel Directorate; Col. Dr. Yaakov Rothschild, head of the IDF's Mental Health Division; several lawmakers; and Neta, the sister of Maj. Asaf Dagan, who died by suicide.Vadmani presented annual suicide data, noting 21 cases in 2024, 17 in 2023, and 14 in 2022. He acknowledged the 16 cases so far this year — a figure the army has previously refused to release before year’s end — but stressed he does not view the numbers as indicative of a “wave.” “Every case is one too many,” he said. “Our lessons point to problems in accessibility to support hotlines. From mid-August, as we recognize the holidays as a particularly sensitive period, we are launching a campaign to improve hotline access, including the option for anonymous calls.”Also addressing the committee was Neri Shariya, a reserve mental health officer and head of rehabilitation at the Summit Institute, which this year launched the Dror program for IDF veterans with severe post-traumatic stress. The initiative offers personalized care — including psychological, family, social and employment support — from a central facility that houses staff offices, therapy rooms and group activities.Lawmaker Keti Shitrit warned of a looming crisis. “Having seen the grim data and forecasts from the mental health caucus, I warn we are facing a tsunami. It is unacceptable that we don’t receive concrete figures from the army on mental health referrals. Our sons and daughters carry heavy burdens even after leaving the battlefield. We have neither the privilege nor the time to wait. I demand the army establish a fully transparent committee with authority and clear goals,” she said.“There is an impressive system in place, but it can and should be improved," Stern concluded. "I was glad to see an attentive ear from IDF representatives. We cannot prevent all traumas, but we can ensure no one is left to cope alone. Mental health support is a moral duty that directly saves lives.” Link
US asked Israel to probe death of Palestinian-American in Silwad, State Dept. says
The US has asked Israel to investigate the death of a Palestinian-American who reportedly succumbed to complications from smoke inhalation after trying to put out a fire set by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Silwad, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says.
“We’ve called upon Israel to investigate each of these instances… We wait to see what those investigations will be, and that’s the case here,” Bruce says in response to a question from The Times of Israel on the matter during a State Department briefing.
Bruce is subsequently asked what the Trump administration’s position is on the status of the West Bank after US House Speaker Mike Johnson declared on a visit to the territory on Monday that “the mountains of Judea and Samaria” belong to the Jewish people.
“I’m not going to speak about the opinion of the government. And if there’s a policy regarding the status in any region of the world — certainly in the Middle East — I would wait to hear from Secretary Rubio and President Trump,” the State Department spokesperson responds.
US State Dept. declines to comment on reports that Israel plans to occupy Gaza, says freeing hostages is main priority
WASHINGTON — US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declines to comment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reported plan to direct the IDF to fully occupy the Gaza Strip.
“We remain focused on freeing the hostages, including the remains of two Americans, and ensuring that Hamas never rules Gaza again,” Bruce says during a State Department briefing, highlighting the recent videos of emaciated Israeli hostages released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
“What we saw was an astoundingly evil reminder of who they are… For them to feel comfortable putting on full display their barbarity and their inhumanity, tells you that they seem to feel pretty comfortable at the moment,” she adds. Link of course, the State adept us not commenting, not after their boss gave Netanyahu the green light to do so which means that the hostages are totally expendable for Netanyahu to reach his goals: keep his coalition from falling apart, give him the time he needs to accomplish what he believes he needs to do for re-election, destroy the moral fiber of the country and keep all of our open wounds infected for perpetuity.
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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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