🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 672, 2023 - August 8, 2025 🎗️

 🎗️Day 672 that 50 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivity🎗️

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



“I’ve never met them,

But I miss them. 

I’ve never met them,

but I think of them every second. 

I’ve never met them,

but they are my family. 

BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”



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



#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope




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

‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית

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

*1:40am - For second time within an hour, IDF intercepts drone likely from Yemen

A drone launched at Israel “from the east” was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force a short while ago, the IDF says for the second time in less than an hour.

No sirens were activated “according to protocol,” as no Israeli towns were under threat, the IDF says.

According to preliminary assessments in the IDF, this drone too was likely launched from Yemen.

*3:20pm yesterday- Gaza Envelope - rockets from Gaza - Nir Am




Hostage Updates

Until the last hostage


Bucking IDF warnings, security cabinet approves Netanyahu’s plan to conquer Gaza City
Proposal more limited than PM’s publicly stated desire to take over the entirety of the Strip, though official indicates IDF will later move on to other areas not yet occupied

The security cabinet approved overnight Thursday-Friday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to take over the densely-populated Gaza City, the premier’s office announced in a statement, bucking warnings from the IDF that the operation risks the lives of the remaining hostages in addition to potentially sparking a humanitarian disaster.
Still, the limitation of the takeover to Gaza City didn’t seem to go as far as what had earlier been characterized as a plan to occupy the entirety of the Strip. Netanyahu told Fox News hours before the security cabinet convened that a full takeover was his intention.
Notably, the statement from Netanyahu’s office described the proposal as one aimed at “defeating Hamas,” meaning there may have been subsequent operations beyond the one for Gaza City that were approved and not announced. ...
....During the 10-hour meeting that began at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Zamir expressed his opposition to Netanyahu’s proposal.
“The lives of the hostages will be in danger if we go ahead with this plan to occupy Gaza. There is no way to guarantee that we will not harm them. Our forces are worn out, the military tools need maintenance, and there are humanitarian and sanitary [concerns regarding the Palestinian population],” Channel 12 quoted the IDF chief as having said.....
....He explained that a full occupation of the Strip will take a year or two to complete, with the initial phase of intensive fighting likely to last five months.
Netanyahu’s office said in its statement that Zamir presented an alternative plan to the one backed by Netanyahu but an overwhelming majority of ministers determined that it would not bring about the defeat of Hamas or the release of the hostages
Also during the meeting, members of Israel’s hostage negotiating team urged the ministers not to authorize any plan that closes the possibility for a deal in the future.
Netanyahu reportedly responded that the Gaza City operation could be stopped at any point if Hamas agrees to Israel’s demands. link Just as he has done since the beginning of the war, Netanyahu has taken only his own advice and bucked the advice of the professionals, the people who know far better than him what is happening on the ground and care far more about the hostages, the soldiers and the population than he does. He will only do what is good for him and continuing the war is good for him because it keeps his coalition together. His disregard for the suffering and deaths of the hostages and the deaths and maiming of the soldiers is beneath all contempt. And his lies go unabated. He says that the operation can be stopped at any point if Hamas agrees to his demands. He knows very well that there are certain demands that Hamas will never agree to, no matter how badly they are beaten. They will never surrender their weapons to Israel, only to Arabs. They will never release the hostages without an agreement to end the war. These things will never happen which is what Netanyahu is banking on. It enables him to continue convincing Trump that no deal can be made with Hamas so he should let him continue the war despite the risks of killing all the hostages and the major costs involved: soldiers lives, reservists families, jobs and businesses, financial devastation to the country, and of course the endless killing of non combatant Gaza and the complete destruction of Gaza. None of that means anything to Netanyahu as long as he survives politically.
Hostages forum: Cabinet’s ‘foolish’ Gaza decision sentences captives to death, will cause ‘colossal disaster’
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum issues a scathing reaction to the cabinet’s decision to conquer Gaza City, where some of the captives are believed to be held.
“Tonight, the Israeli government sentenced the living hostages to death and the fallen hostages to disappearance,” it alleges in a statement.
“The cabinet decision to launch the process of occupying the Strip is an official declaration of the abandonment of the hostages, while completely ignoring the repeated warnings by the military echelon and the clear desire of most of the public in Israel,” it continues.
The statement accuses the government of acting against the national interest with a “foolish” move of “deception and unforgivable moral and security neglect” that brings Israel closer to a “colossal disaster for the hostages and [IDF] fighters.”
The Forum adds, however, that it is not too late and that the step can be stopped by reaching a comprehensive deal to end the war and return all the captives.  link
Egypt, Qatar working on framework to release all hostages in exchange for Gaza ceasefire, officials say
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar are working on a new framework which will include the release of all hostages — dead and alive — in one go in return for an end of the war in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip, according to two Arab officials speaking to The Associated Press anonymously due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
One is involved directly in the deliberations and the second was briefed on the efforts.
The efforts have the backing of major Arab Gulf monarchies, the officials say, as they are concerned about further regional destabilization if Israel’s government proceeds with a full reoccupation of Gaza, two decades after its unilateral withdrawal from the strip.
The yet-to-be finalized framework aims to address the contentious issue of what to do with Hamas’s weapons, with Israel seeking full disarmament and Hamas refusing. The official directly involved in the efforts says discussions are underway about “freezing arms,” which may involve Hamas retaining but not using its weapons. It also calls for the group to relinquish power in the strip.
A Palestinian-Arab committee would run Gaza and oversee the reconstruction efforts until the establishment of a Palestinian administration with a new police force, trained by two US allies in the Middle East, to take over the strip, he says. It is unclear what role the Western-backed Palestinian Authority would play.
The second official says that a powerful Gulf country is supporting the Egyptian-Qatari efforts.
A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to brief the media, says the group’s leadership has been aware of the Arab mediators’ efforts to revive the ceasefire talks, but has yet to receive details.
AP has reached out to the governments in Qatar, Egypt and Israel for comment.


Hamas says Israel choosing to ‘sacrifice’ hostages with Gaza City takeover
Hamas says that Israel’s decision to approve a plan to take over Gaza City is proof that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are disregarding the lives of the hostages, as they know that expanding the military operation “will lead to their sacrifice.”
The statement claims that the decision explains why Israel abruptly withdrew from hostage deal negotiations, which the terror group claims were “on the verge of reaching a ceasefire agreement.”
Israel and the US pulled their negotiating teams from Doha late last month after Hamas requested amendments to a partial ceasefire and hostage release deal that they found unacceptable.
Hamas demands that the United States and international courts stop Israel from carrying out its planned takeover.
Hundreds protest outside Cabinet meeting on full Gaza occupation, including former hostages and families
Families warn military action risks loved ones, accuse government of abandonment and urge negotiations as political and military officials at odds on war's next steps
Hundreds of demonstrators, including families of hostages held in Gaza and former captives, rallied Thursday evening outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem as Israel’s security cabinet convened to decide whether to authorize a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip.
The cabinet meeting, described by officials as pivotal, comes amid growing pressure from hostage families and divisions within the political and military leadership over the war’s next phase. Protesters gathered at The Joint Square in the capital, demanding the government pursue a deal with Hamas to secure the hostages’ release and end the nearly two-year war.

Among the protesters were survivors of Hamas captivity and relatives of those still held hostage since the October 7 attacks. “The military pressure is killing the hostages,” some demonstrators shouted, setting tires ablaze outside Likud Party headquarters at Metzudat Ze’ev in Tel Aviv.
“I’m just a mother begging that my son not be sacrificed,” said Anat Angrest, whose son, Matan Angrest, is among the hostages. “He’s wasting away. He’s being tortured and interrogated. The government has decided to give him up. No one is talking to us—not even today.”
Ilana Gritzewsky, who was held hostage and later released, accused the government of turning its back on the captives. “They decided to sacrifice Matan, my friends, all the hostages. They lied to us. In Nir Oz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to bring everyone home. Now he’s pushing for full occupation, knowing it will lead to their deaths,” she said. “I’m proof hostages come back through deals. There’s no other way.”
In Jerusalem, Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran, warned that the cabinet’s decision could determine the fate of the captives. “They’re about to make a decision that could be a death sentence for our loved ones. We’re here to support those in the government pushing for a deal,” she said. “Enough. Just enough.”Protests were also held in Ra’anana and other cities across Israel. At several demonstrations, families of hostages chained themselves together in symbolic protest. The cabinet session is expected to feature a sharp divide between far-right ministers pushing for a complete occupation of Gaza and others favoring a more limited approach. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are reportedly urging the government to proceed with a full takeover, regardless of any potential hostage deal. Ben-Gvir is expected to argue that even if Hamas indicates willingness to negotiate in the coming days, Israel must not halt the operation. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Shas party leader Aryeh Deri, who holds no voting power in the cabinet, returned early from overseas trips to take part in the deliberations. Both are expected to align with the military’s position that threatening occupation should be a means to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a deal—not an end goal. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is expected to advise against full occupation, warning it could endanger hostages, exhaust Israel’s military forces, and mire the country in long-term conflict. Zamir supports a more limited operation involving the encirclement of Gaza City and central refugee camps, continued commando raids, and space for negotiations. Earlier Thursday, Zamir held a multi-front security assessment ahead of the cabinet meeting. “We are not dealing in theory,” he said. “These are matters of life and death. We will continue to operate with responsibility, integrity, and determination.” While Netanyahu is likely to secure cabinet approval, some ministers are reportedly seeking guarantees that hostages’ lives will not be jeopardized. Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel have previously expressed support for a deal, but it remains unclear how they will vote. Deri is reportedly attempting to broker a compromise between Netanyahu and the IDF, advocating for a phased military campaign rather than an immediate occupation of the entire Strip. Netanyahu met with Deri ahead of the cabinet session and also held separate consultations with Smotrich and Regev. The decision comes amid international scrutiny and concern from top Israeli military officials, with some warning that Israel’s forces are already overextended after nearly two years of high-tempo operations. Defense officials, speaking anonymously to The New York Times, said the army is unprepared for a full-scale occupation due to troop fatigue and strain on reserve forces. Speaking earlier with FOX News, Netanyahu said Israel does not intend to annex Gaza and that control would be transferred to a transitional authority after Hamas is defeated. “We have no intention of annexing Gaza or imposing a long-term military regime,” Netanyahu said. “The goal is the destruction of Hamas and the return of our hostages.” link



Israel and Iran








Gaza and the South









A Call from One Young Woman in Gaza - by Dr. Gershon Baskin


This is the story of one young woman in Gaza. But it is also the story of entire population. I ache with pain from her story and I want to share her pain, and my pain with you. We have to know the reality of Gaza.

Last night I had a long conversation with one woman in Gaza. She is known to some of you – Maram – because some of you have contributed to her tuition to study computer science at the Al Azhar University in Gaza (the so-called Fatah university) which no longer exists along with the other six universities that have been wiped off the face of the earth by Israeli bombs and D-9’s. Some of you even helped to buy Maram a laptop computer for her studies. That was all before the war. She had completed three semesters with excellent grades and she was on her way to have a real future of hope and promise. Some of you might remember that the home of Maram’s aunt and uncle were bombed by Israel a few years before the war and that they were killed leaving five young children as orphans. Some of you answered my call to contribute money to buy the orphaned children clothes and to take care of their basic needs. We raised $7000 for those children in one week. Maram, a single young woman, taking care of her mother, then living in a tiny two room flat in Gaza along with her unemployed married brother and his wife and baby, took in the five children and became responsible for taking care of them while she was studying.

In the beginning of the war, her house was bombed and destroyed, along with all of her belongings including her laptop computer and her telephone. Maram and her family barely escaped death. Since then, she has been living in a tent being moved from place to place every time the Israeli army gives the order. Two months ago, her tent was hit by a bomb and burned down. They lost all of their possessions once again that they managed to accumulate during the last months and Maram and her mother were badly injured from burns. I saw the pictures of her wounds and I won’t share them here to save all of you from nightmares. Maram was bedridden for several months while she was healing. She could not walk. The good news is that she can now walk now with the help of crutches. The bad news is that one of her cousins was killed.

Maram broke down crying on the phone as she described their misery. She wished over and over for all of the Hamas leaders and Netanyahu to go to hell. She said “I swear that God will do justice and these Hamas monsters and Netanyahu the monster will all go to hell”. I could only agree with her.

I asked her about the mundane things like sanitation – are there toilets for the people to use? She said that there were public toilets with long lines for people to use. She said that many of the young children cannot wait and urinate and defecate outside of the toilets. Just imagine what that feels like, what it smells like. I asked her about sanitary pads for menstruation. She said that there are none and that she uses a piece of cloth that she washes and reuses all the time. I asked if she can take a shower somewhere. She said that it is possible, only infrequently, also because a bar of soap costs 25 shekels (more than $7). They have no money. She said that sometimes they simply wash themselves in the sea because there is no other way of refreshing themselves.

I send money to Maram and to a couple of other young families in Gaza whenever I find a way of getting money to them. It is not a lot of money. This helps to buy some food, but my small contributions cannot take care of their real hunger and thirst and other needs. They have no regular supply of food and water. Maram now weighs 41 kilograms (about 90 pounds). She kept on saying – we are exhausted, we only want this war to end. She kept saying how embarrassed and shy she was from me because I have sent her and her family money. She is a person who never asked me for anything. It was me who suggested to her to go to university – it was clear to me when we met online that she was intelligent and thirsty for knowledge and wanted to have a future of promise – but in her reality she couldn’t even dream of the possibility of studying. She is such a good person with such a pure soul – my heart arches for her every day. I think to myself – what kind of future will she have now? She has no home, no possession, and she has the responsibility of caring for her mother and 4 young children. Her laptop is gone, her telephone is gone (she calls me from the telephone of a friend) and her university is gone. She is living in a tent. She never supported Hamas.

I remember when she found out how much tuition at the university cost, I gave her the personal telephone number of Ghazi Hamad from the Hamas leadership. He was then the Minister of Social Affairs. I said to Maram “he is from your government – call him, they should help”. I knew that Hamas would not help her. Maram refused to call – she said those bastards only help themselves. They don’t help the common people who are not Hamas. I knew she was right, but I always tried to confront Hamas with their responsibility to their own people. We see how much they care about their own people today – the people of Gaza. But that is not the point of this story. The point of this story is Maram – one good young woman and her family in Gaza. This is a story of how human kind allows a genocide to take place and does not prevent it. I ache from what has happened to Gaza and to Maram. The crimes of Hamas do not erase the pain I feel as a human being. As a Jew and as an Israeli my ache is compounded by our own history and our responsibility to humanity to prevent what we have done to the innocent people of Gaza. Morality must compel us to put an immediate end to this war and that all of the criminals on both sides of this conflict must be brought to trial by their own people for crimes against humanity and crimes against their own people.  link




IDF says it destroyed rocket launcher in northern Gaza that fired at Nir Am yesterday



IDF troops are seen operating in the Gaza Strip in an image published by the military on August 8, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF Artillery Corps’ elite Sky Riders Unit, together with troops of the 401st Armored Brigade, destroyed a primed rocket launcher in northern Gaza yesterday, after it was used to fire a rocket at Nir Am, the military says.

It says that the launcher had been primed to fire several more rockets at Israel before it was destroyed.


Elsewhere in Gaza, the IDF says troops of the 36th Division are continuing to operate in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave, where they “destroyed underground infrastructure and eliminated terror cells that posed a threat to the forces.”

Additional forces in southern Gaza located and destroyed several tunnel shafts in the past 24 hours, the IDF adds.

At the same time, it says the 282nd Artillery Regiment destroyed a weapons depot, and the 990th Reserve Artillery Regiment hit buildings that posed a threat to troops in the Shuja’iyya and Zeitoun neighborhoods of Gaza City. videos

Six said injured in Gaza City after airdropped aid package lands on balcony, collapsing it onto waiting crowd

Reports: Six injured, most of them children, after balcony collapses following airdropped aid.

Media outlets in Gaza report that six people, most of them children, were injured when an aid package was airdropped into Gaza City and landed on a balcony, collapsing it onto the crowd beneath it.

Earlier this week, Gaza medics said a man had died after an airdropped aid package hit him on the head.





Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria



Hezbollah ministers walk out of cabinet meeting as Beirut approves US disarmament plan
Proposal lays out four phases that would lead to terror group’s missiles and drones being dismantled by the end of the year and a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon


The Lebanese government approved on Thursday the objectives of a US proposal that would ultimately lead to disarming the Hezbollah terror group.

Hezbollah ministers and Muslim Shi’ite allies walked out of the cabinet’s discussion on the plan, three Lebanese political sources told Reuters, days after the Iran-backed group lashed out at an earlier announcement of a plan to disarm Hezbollah, calling the move a “grave sin” and vowing to act “as if it did not exist.”

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said that the cabinet accepted the principles of the US proposal — including “the gradual end of the presence of non-state armed groups in the country, including Hezbollah, both north and south of the Litani River,” but said that the full details of the plan were not discussed in depth.


Morcos stated that the principles to which Lebanon agreed also include “ensuring Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the cessation of all hostilities, including ground, aerial and maritime violations,” as well as the establishment of a permanent border between Israel and Lebanon and between Syria and Lebanon, and that all countries mentioned must commit to the agreement.

In a press conference following the cabinet meeting, Morcos was asked how Hezbollah’s disarmament would be carried out in light of the group’s refusal to cooperate. He responded that the decisions would be implemented in accordance with a plan to be submitted by the Lebanese Army by the end of August, which will include a timeline for disarmament by the end of 2025.
According to a copy of the Lebanese cabinet agenda reviewed by Reuters, the US proposal — submitted by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the region, Tom Barrack — set out the most detailed steps yet for disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah and for a full Israeli withdrawal from five key posts in south Lebanon.

Barrack hailed on Thursday Beirut’s “historic” decision in approving the framework.
In a post on X, Barrack congratulated Lebanese leaders “for making the historic, bold, and correct decision this week to begin fully implementing” the ceasefire deal. “This week’s Cabinet resolutions finally put into motion the ‘One Nation, One Army’ solution for Lebanon. We stand behind the Lebanese people.”
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Israel dealt major blows to Hezbollah in an offensive last year, the climax of a conflict that began on October 8, 2023, when the Lebanese group started firing rockets and drones at Israel on a daily basis, in support of its ally Hamas, which had invaded the Jewish state from Gaza a day earlier, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
The US’s disarmament proposal aims to “extend and stabilize” a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel brokered in November.
“The urgency of this proposal is underscored by the increasing number of complaints regarding Israeli violations of the current ceasefire, including airstrikes and cross-border operations, which risk triggering a collapse of the fragile status quo,” it said.
Phase 1 of the plan requires the Beirut government to issue a decree within 15 days committing to Hezbollah’s full disarmament by December 31, 2025. In this phase, Israel would also cease ground, air and sea military operations.
Phase 2 requires Lebanon to begin implementing the disarmament plan within 60 days, with the government approving “a detailed [Lebanese army] deployment plan to support the plan to bring all arms under the authority of the state.” This plan will specify disarmament targets.
During Phase 2, Israel would begin withdrawing from positions it holds in south Lebanon and Lebanese prisoners held by Israel would be released in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).


During Phase 3, within 90 days, Israel will withdraw from the final two of the five points it holds, and funding will be secured to initiate rubble removal in Lebanon and infrastructure rehabilitation in preparation for reconstruction.
In Phase 4, within 120 days, Hezbollah’s remaining heavy weapons must be dismantled, including missiles and drones. Also in Phase 4, the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar and other friendly states will organize an economic conference to support the Lebanese economy and reconstruction and to “implement President Trump’s vision for the return of Lebanon as a prosperous and viable country.”
Hezbollah ministers, allies walk out of meeting in protest
Hezbollah ministers and Muslim Shi’ite allies in the Lebanese cabinet withdrew from the cabinet meeting on Thursday in protest of the plan, three Lebanese political sources told Reuters.
The meeting came after — amid US pressure and fears Israel could expand its strikes in Lebanon — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that the government had tasked the army with developing a plan to restrict weapons to government forces by the end of 2025.
The decision was unprecedented since the end of Lebanon’s civil war more than three decades ago, when the country’s armed factions — with the exception of Hezbollah — agreed to surrender their weapons.

Hezbollah said on Wednesday that it would treat Beirut’s decision to disarm it “as if it did not exist,” accusing the cabinet of committing a “grave sin.”
It added that the move “undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty and gives Israel a free hand to tamper with its security, geography, politics and future existence.”
The Amal movement, Hezbollah’s main ally, headed by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, also criticized the move and called Thursday’s cabinet meeting “an opportunity for correction.”

Iran, Hezbollah’s military and financial backer, said on Wednesday that any decision on disarmament “will ultimately rest with Hezbollah itself.”
“We support it from afar, but we do not intervene in its decisions,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added, saying the group had “rebuilt itself” after the war with Israel.
Citing “political sources” with knowledge of the matter, pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al Akhbar said the group and its Amal allies could choose to withdraw their four ministers from the government or trigger a no-confidence vote in parliament by the Shiite bloc, which comprises 27 of Lebanon’s 128 lawmakers.

Israel — which routinely carries out air strikes in Lebanon despite the ceasefire, saying it is responding to violations of the agreement — has already signaled it would not hesitate to launch destructive military operations if Beirut failed to disarm the group.
Since the beginning of a ceasefire in November 2024, the IDF says it has carried out over 500 airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, killing at least 230 operatives and destroying dozens of sites belonging to the terror group, saying they violated the terms of the truce.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is entitled to act against immediate threats posed by Hezbollah, but must forward complaints about longer-term threats to an oversight committee.
A Hezbollah operative was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Lebanon’s northeastern Beqaa Valley Tuesday night, and a further wave of strikes on Wednesday targeted weapons depots, rocket launchers, and sites used to store construction vehicles, according to the Israeli military. Israeli strikes killed two people on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese health ministry.  link




Lebanese media reports one killed in Israeli strike on vehicle in southern Lebanon

Lebanese media reports that the IDF struck a vehicle in Ansariyeh, located between Tyre and Sidon in southern Lebanon.

According to the reports, one person was killed in the strike.

There is no immediate response to the reports from the IDF.  video

Israel says senior PFLP commander killed in strike at Syria-Lebanon border crossing

A senior commander in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror group was killed in an Israeli airstrike at a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria yesterday, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.

According to the IDF, the strike in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley killed Mohammed Wishah, a Syrian senior terror operative in the PFLP, who served as the head of the group’s Military-Security Department in Syria.

He assumed the role after his predecessor, Shantal al-Al, was killed in a strike in Beirut in September 2024.

Wishah was responsible for “coordinating with other Palestinian terror organizations, strengthening ties and coordination with the Shiite axis, and recently operated to advance military operations against Israeli targets,” the IDF adds.

The IDF releases footage of the strike.

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks


• Extremist settler acquitted of terror charges after difficulties with eyewitness testimony
  Central District Court finds there was no question four Arab-Israeli women were severely assaulted and injured by Jewish mob, criticizes police over its conduct of investigation
  

  David Hasdai, a known extremist settler who was on a US sanctions list, was acquitted of terrorism charges and racially motivated crimes by the Lod Central District Court earlier this week over his role in a violent attack.

  Hasdai had been indicted over an incident in which four Arab-Israeli women and a baby were severely assaulted after mistakenly driving into an illegal settlement outpost in the West Bank a year ago. He was acquitted due to problems the women had in correctly identifying him, as well as errors by the police in the investigative process.

  Judge Efrat Fink nevertheless determined that there was no question the women had been severely assaulted and injured by Jewish rioters after entering the outpost, in an incident she said could have ended in their being killed.
  

  She also said that there was no question Hasdai had been present at the beginning of the incident when the women mistakenly entered the outpost, since he acknowledged having spoken with them (the women testified he shouted threateningly at them).

  Yaakov Goelman, another defendant, was convicted after pleading guilty to lesser charges than in the original indictment for chasing after the women, seizing their possessions, including their phones, and calling one of the women’s mothers and telling her that he was going to kill her daughter. 

Goelman received a sentence of eight months of community service on charges of blackmail and property damage.

  Hasdai was held in police custody for nearly a year after being indicted, but was released after the court acquitted him on Monday. Eight suspects were initially questioned after the assault, but only Hasdai and Goelman were indicted.

  

  Lamis al-Jaer, an Arab Israeli woman who was attacked after mistakenly driving into the illegal outpost of Givat Ronen in the West Bank on August 9 speaks to Channel 12, August 11, 2024. (Screen capture via N12, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

  
  

  
  
  The incident, which took place on August 9, 2024, generated severe condemnation at the time, with President Isaac Herzog speaking out strongly against the attack shortly after it occurred.
  After the women mistakenly entered the notoriously radical illegal outpost of Givat Ronen in the northern West Bank, 20 Jewish extremists, many of whom were masked, chased after their car, bombarded the vehicle with rocks; sprayed them with teargas; set their car on fire while the women were still inside; screamed that they were going to kill them; psychologically tortured them; and caused them severe physical injuries and psychological trauma.
  
  During the incident, one woman sustained a fractured shoulder, a fractured finger, injuries to her back, injuries to her feet, severe psychological trauma, fear of leaving her home and insomnia, according to the indictment.
  The second woman sustained injuries to her head, a fractured ankle, “massive bleeding from her head,” loss of consciousness, severe pain in numerous parts of her body, dizziness, vomiting, insomnia, and grade three burns and other injuries to her feet.
  A third woman sustained broken ribs, injuries and severe bruising to her hips and thigh, as well as other injuries to one of her knees, her feet, back and chest. The fourth woman sustained injuries to her feet, burning in her eyes, and was left with psychological trauma. The two-year-old child suffered some cuts, as well as burns to the soles of their feet.
  
  “The five [women] barely managed to escape the mob and their burning vehicle, after they had been injured by the hail of stones and rocks, were covered in soot from the arson of their vehicle, and in fear for their lives,” wrote Fink in her ruling.
  
  “This was a violent, severe and unimaginable incident, in which Jews attacked five Arab women, almost killing them, just because they were Arabs, and one can only imagine how those rioters would have felt if Jews had been harmed in the same way, just because of their identity,” the judge continued.
  “The trauma and damage remain etched in the hearts, bodies, and minds of the complainants to this day, and will certainly remain with them [for a long time].”
  Fink added that the women’s account of the incident itself was “totally reliable,” and said that Hasdai’s acquittal was not a result of a conclusion that they had not given a reliable account, but rather “a result of evidentiary difficulties in the identification process and linking the defendant to the violent event they experienced.”
  The confusing, traumatic nature of the incident and the large number of assailants made it impossible to rule with the certainty needed for a criminal conviction that Hasdai has been one of the assailants who participated in the violent part of the assault.
  Fink criticized the police for improperly conducting parts of the investigation, in particular aspects of the process to identify the assailants, as well as failing to go to the scene of the crime, among other failings.
  “The verdict gives rise to real difficulties, in that no one has been held accountable for the serious acts committed against the complainants, and there is no doubt that this verdict will cause additional psychological burden on them,” wrote Fink in conclusion.
  Attorney Adi Kedar, of the right-wing legal aid organization Honenu, which represented Hasdai, welcomed the court’s decision. “After a year of struggle in which the defendant was behind bars, the court issued a courageous verdict in which it acquitted the defendant of everything attributed to him in the serious indictment filed against him.”  link

• Smotrich: Israel will ‘erase the Palestinian state,’ rebuild long-gone West Bank settlements

  

  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, second left, and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, left, stand in a structure in the area of the former settlement of Sa-Nur in the northern West Bank, August 7, 2025. The two-word phrase, written in blue on the column on the photo's right, reads 'Death to Arabs.' (Roei Hadi/Samaria Regional Council)

  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also a minister within the Defense Ministry, says he is working to reestablish the former Israeli settlements of Ganim and Kadim in the northern West Bank, both of which were evacuated and dismantled as part of the 2005 disengagement.

  The far-right minister tells the Religious Zionism party’s Ofek newspaper that he hopes to see this plan come to fruition “in the coming weeks,” to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the withdrawal from Gaza and from four West Bank settlements.

  “The people of Israel are correcting the sin of Gaza,” he says, referring to the push among settler activists to reestablish the Gush Katif settlement bloc, “and I hope we will also be able to fully correct the sin of northern Samaria.”

  Earlier this year, Israel approved plans to rebuild the settlements of Sa-Nur and Homesh, which were dismantled along with Ganim and Kadim during the disengagement.

  Smotrich tells his party’s newspaper that the plans for the West Bank are intended to “erase the Palestinian state,” and to prevent another event similar to the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault from occurring in the future.

  “A large part of what we are doing today in Judea and Samaria is the product of insights from October 7,” he says, claiming that “an absolute majority” of Israelis know that the purpose of the West Bank settlements is to ensure “that Kfar Saba will not be Kfar Aza, Netanya will not be Be’eri, and Nitzanei Oz will not be Nahal Oz.”

• Extremist settlers torch car of IDF soldier seen as cooperating with authorities
  Arson near the West Bank settlement outpost of Tzur Harel is under police investigation, with officials condemning the attack and warning of serious consequences
  Extremist settlers set fire late Wednesday night to the vehicle of a soldier serving in the Regional Defense Battalion near the settlement outpost of Tzur Harel, security sources said.
  The attack came amid tensions between settlers and the Israeli military. The soldier was reportedly targeted because he was perceived by some extremists as cooperating with law enforcement to calm clashes between the army and settlers.
  

  The soldier returned home after a family event to find his car ablaze. With assistance from a friend, he was able to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher.

  A security official said that several days earlier, the Regional Defense Battalion commander visited the soldier’s home, where a group of youths verbally abused the commander, leading to a confrontation in which the soldier defended the officer. The official said those youths had already threatened the soldier, warning him that “his time would come.”

  Sources familiar with the case described the arson as a serious incident that could have had far worse consequences if the soldier’s wife or young son had been in the car at the time.

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  “This is a group that has completely lost control and crossed a line,” a security source said. “The soldier is facing a very difficult and complex situation. We expect leadership to condemn this act, which crosses every boundary.”

  Police are investigating the incident thoroughly. Two additional related cases from recent days remain under investigation under gag orders.

  Settler representatives called on all parties to address the issue. “There is a group of young people here who do not understand the damage they are causing to the settlement enterprise. This incident cannot be allowed to pass in silence,” they said. link. This is how the settler terrorism goes. They attack and kill Palestinians with impunity. Only when they attack our security forces do the politicians make any statements but actions against the terrorists are minimal, if at all so they feel invulnerable. This is certainly not the first time they have singled out military personnel who they see as a threat to their goals of terrorizing Palestinians to get them to leave their homes and their lands, and even then, the implications and actions taken against the terrorists are equal to a slap on the wrist, if that. This government's complicity in the Settler Terrorism is criminal at all levels but it shows exactly who they are.
  
  

Politics and the War and General News


• No power, no glory: The expensive weakness of the EU in Israel-Palestine - by Dr. Gershon Baskin
  

  For decades, I have heard from European politicians and leaders that Europe wants to be “a player and not just a payer”. In a normal world being a player requires not only financial resources but also the ability to flex real muscles.

  Today, the world is not normal – if in the past the United States was a player that engaged others in the decision making of consequential issues to global security, in the world in which Donald Trump is the President of the United States, it seems that most of the other centers of any real power have already lowered their expectations to influence global affairs where the US President is the player.

  Trump doesn’t like sharing the stage with others. However, Trump is the only person in the world who has leverage over Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Nothing that Europe can do politically will have any positive influence over the Israeli Prime Minister.

  Nonetheless, there is great importance to the French-Saudi initiative to advance the two-state solution, and with it enlist other countries to finally recognise the State of Palestine. This is important not only because those countries that have supported the two-state solution for many years – while only recognising one of the States – they are finally putting their money where their mouth is.

  The duplicity of supporting the two-state solution but only recognising one does not cause anyone in the region of Israel-Palestine, or in the world, to take Europe seriously. Most of those countries that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine have hesitated because they have been fearful of the response of the US. This has to end if those countries want to be players. Even if recognition of Palestinian statehood will not end the occupation or improve the lives of Palestinians, it has to be done – because it is the right thing to do.

  Europe has a history of making statements and issuing declarations on Israel and Palestine. But it has largely failed to act on its words. What actual power does Europe have? It is mostly in the economic field, and a little in the production of weapons and components of military machines.

  Despite being the largest funder of the Palestinian Authority, Europe has done very little to exert its financial leverage by making assistance conditional on changes and reforms that the EU believes are necessary. This is related to the issue of hateful material in school textbooks in Gaza, for which the EU is the largest donor. The EU has also previously called for serious reforms on issues concerning Palestinian democracy, including elections and human rights. While the bloc has been the largest funder of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, it has failed to ensure that Palestinian elections are actually held. These are just a few examples of missed opportunities for the EU to have used its funding to nudge Palestinian decision-making.

  On issues concerning Israel, European duplicity and the lack of conditionality on trade, finance of R&D (Horizon program), and entry to the EU, has been an ongoing sign of European powerlessness.

  Europe considers Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as being illegal. Why then do the 700,000 Israelis residing in such settlements enjoy visa-free access to Europe? If the settlements are illegal (in occupied territories, they are), the residents of those settlements are not living in the State of Israel. Even foreigners who have visa-free access to Israel and the United States are now required to fill out an online form to enter those countries. Why not do the same in Europe for Israelis? And if an Israeli’s place of residence is in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, they should be denied visa-free access to Europe.

  Similarly, if goods produced in illegal settlements are illegal products not produced in the State of Israel, why does Europe ask only that they are marked as being produced in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and not prevent their entrance into Europe as illegal contraband?

  Whatever Europe does to ensure that its actions match its policy directives, particularly in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace based on the two-state solution, Europe will be labelled by Israel as antisemites or of taking actions which are antisemitic. This is the way that the State of Israel deals with all legitimate criticism of what Israel does. If Europe is confident that the criticism raised against Israeli policies is legitimate and not antisemitic, then don’t be afraid to be labelled something that you are not. Israel uses the legacy of the Holocaust to cast the shadow of accusations of antisemitism in order to push down any and all legitimate criticism, and until now Europe has generally backed down. In the reality of the war crimes being committed by Israel in Gaza, it is time to stand up and open up the diplomatic toolbox of all of the carrots and sticks inside and to take out the biggest sticks in the toolbox with not only empty threats, but with actual intent to use them.  link

• Netanyahu: Israel intends to capture all of Gaza, hand it over to non-PA ‘Arab forces’
  Premier declines to say Trump gave green light to occupy entire Strip, but says Israel and US agree on ‘certain principles’ for post-Hamas Gaza, including non-Israeli civil control
  

  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, ahead of a key cabinet meeting on the next stage of the Gaza war, that Israel intends to take control of the entire Strip, then hand it over to an unspecified Arab governing force.

  The premier said a “detailed plan” will yet be developed for this post-Hamas government, and that it will not place Israel in control of the Strip as a civil government, nor allow the Palestinian Authority to play a role.

  “Our plan is not to occupy or annex Gaza. Our goal is to destroy Hamas and get our hostages back, and then hand over Gaza to a transitory government,” Netanyahu said to a group of visiting Indian journalists, according to the English-language CNN-News18.
  

  “We will never hand [Gaza] over to the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. We will provide overall security. There will be a security perimeter provided by us,” the premier added.

  Netanyahu’s comments were met with wholesale rejection from the Hamas terror group, and led Jordan to stress that it would only accept any decisions on the future of Gaza agreed to by the Palestinians.

  The prime minister’s remarks came shortly before the security cabinet convened Thursday evening to discuss a controversial plan to take over and occupy the entire Gaza Strip.
  

  Israel currently controls about 75% of the enclave, but has stayed out of areas where the Hamas terror group is believed to be holding hostages, and has refrained from asserting any civilian governance over the Strip’s population, who have been ordered to evacuate from all of the areas where ground troops are operating.
  

  “We want to end the war very soon. It will be over speedily. If Hamas concedes and lays down their arms and frees hostages, it will be over tomorrow. Even Palestinians in Gaza are fighting Hamas,” the prime minister said.

  Speaking to Fox News’s Bill Hemmer immediately before the cabinet meeting on Thursday, Netanyahu said: “We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas.”

  Asked if Israel will take over the entire 26-mile strip, Netanyahu said: “We intend to.” But, he added, “We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter, but we don’t want to govern it.”

  The prime minister said that Israel wants to “hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly, without threatening us, and giving the Gazans a good life.”

  In the interview, Netanyahu denied any intent to cause civilian suffering, noting Israel’s efforts to get humanitarian aid into the Strip.

  He also explained that “the reason you see the flattened buildings [in Gaza] is because Hamas booby traps every single building,” and that when the terror group’s underground tunnels are detonated, they take down buildings above them, emphasizing that all such buildings are empty, following broad evacuation orders.
  

  PM: US, Israel agree on ‘certain principles’ for ‘day after’

  When Hemmer asked if US President Donald Trump had given Jerusalem a green light to take control of the whole Strip, Netanyahu declined to give a clear yes, responding: “He just says, ‘I know Israel will do what it has to do.'”
  “We haven’t got into that kind of discussion,” Netanyahu continued, but he said the US and Israel had discussed a humanitarian surge leading up to a major operation, and certain principles, but not a detailed plan, for a post-Hamas Gaza.
  
  US President Donald Trump speaks during an event with Apple CEO Tim Cook (not in picture) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on August 6, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP)
  With respect to the humanitarian surge, Netanyahu told Fox, “I want the population to be in safe zones, to have food, water, sewage, electricity, medical help.”
  With respect to the day after, he said Jerusalem and Washington agree it “has to have certain principles,” but added, “I’m not talking about a detailed plan yet, because I think that will be developed.”
  Netanyahu listed five principles: Hamas’s disarmament; Gaza’s demilitarization; the release of all the hostages; Israeli security responsibility; and a non-Israeli civilian governing authority “that basically is willing to live in peace with Israel and give Gazans a different future.”
  Hamas, in a statement, called Netanyahu’s comments “a blatant coup” against the negotiation process.
  “Netanyahu’s plans to expand the aggression confirm beyond any doubt that he seeks to get rid of his captives and sacrifice them,” the statement said.
  The terror group added that it would view any governing force formed in line with Netanyahu’s proposal as an “occupying force linked to Israel.”
  
  

  

  Hamas terrorists carry their guns in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, ahead of the release of Israeli hostages on February 22, 2025. (Bashar Taleb/AFP)
  
  A Jordanian official told Reuters on Thursday, following Netanyahu’su comments, that Amman “will only support what Palestinians agree and decide on.”
  “Security in Gaza must be done through legitimate Palestinian institutions,” the source said. “Arabs will not be agreeing to Netanyahu’s policies nor clean his mess.”
  Lapid: PM proposing more dead hostages, fallen soldiers
  Opposition Leader Yair Lapid decried Netanyahu’s comments Thursday, saying in a statement: “What Netanyahu is proposing is another war, more dead hostages, more [fallen soldiers] and tens of billions of shekels of taxpayer money that will be poured into the delusions of 
  
  The Netanyahu-backed Gaza occupation plan would reportedly begin with taking over Gaza City, in the north of the Strip, as well as camps in the central Strip, driving around half of the enclave’s population southward toward the Mawasi humanitarian zone.
  Despite a few ministers potentially opposed to the plan, reports have said Netanyahu will likely secure a majority within the high-level security cabinet to support it.
  The Israel Defense Forces brass are said to be against the plan, with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reportedly warning that “occupying the Strip will drag Israel into a black hole.”
  Some hostage families have also sounded an alarm, noting that expanded operations would put the surviving captives in jeopardy.
  

  

  Israelis attend a protest calling for the end of the war in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages, in Jerusalem where Netanyahu convened the war cabinet, August 07, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
  
  The ongoing war in Gaza started with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre, in which some 5,600 terrorists invaded Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages to the enclave.
  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 so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught.
  Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.
  Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 459. The toll includes two police officers and three Defense Ministry civilian contractors.  link. As always with Netanyahu, LIES, LIES, LIES.  There are so many lies that come out of his mouth that it is so hard to keep track. 
  
  Starting with his declining to say if Trump gave him the green light to occupy Gaza. If he didn't get the nod from Trump, there is no way any plan to occupy Gaza would even be on the table.
  
  Next lie: Netanyahu said "that Israel intends to take control of the entire Strip, then hand it over to an unspecified Arab governing force." Netanyahu is still very much playing up to his messianic coalition partners who only want to take over Gaza,  get rid of all the Palestinians and set up only Jewish Settlements. This all coalesced with Trump's ridiculous plan for a Trump Mid East Riviera which is based on expulsion (voluntary emigration) of all Palestinians. Then Netanyahu made broad public statements on many occasions backing this plan. So, which is it, Netanyahu?
  
  Second part of same lie: Which unspecified Arab Governing force? You've had nearly 2 years to figure this out. You tried with various war lords and that doesn't work. You have refused to consider the Palestinian Authority or anyone connected to it and that is one of the reasons we reached October 2. You did all you could to weaken them and strengthen Hamas just to say there is no partner. You have refused to deal with this issue for the last almost 2 years saying each time that you will deal with the day after when the war ends. So, who will be your partner? Who?
  Hamas has stated both publicly and in writing that it doesn't want to govern Gaza anymore and will hand over the governing to another Palestinian body. It has also made clear that it will not disarm. This shouldn't surprise anyone. They will NEVER hand over their weapons to Israel, but they will do so to another Palestinian governing body, either voluntarily or forcibly but that can only happen when it becomes an Arab problem.
  
  Next lie: "“We want to end the war very soon. It will be over speedily. " This war should have and could have ended last year but it has gone on and shifted to a war for Netanyahu's political survival. That is the long and short of it. We could have had all the hostages home so long ago. Most of those killed could have been brought home alive. Those starving to death now would have been with their families long ago. There isn't a single person in the know that doesn't recognize that the war is going on simply because Netanyahu wants it to. Even Trump said it last week.
  
  Next lie: "In the interview, Netanyahu denied any intent to cause civilian suffering, noting Israel’s efforts to get humanitarian aid into the Strip." In May, when the government made the cruel decision to stop all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, they were fully aware of the critical nature of malnutrition, lack of food, water and medical supplies and understood that their decision would cause serious deepening of the crisis. They didn't care and there are some of the more extreme members of his extreme government who see the suffering and deaths in Gaza as an added bonus. The only reason there has been a big change in the flow of aid is because Trump's base was disgusted with the pictures of starvation and therefore Trump was pissed at Netanyahu and demanded change. He is the only one that Netanyahu is afraid to say no to. Otherwise, we would see the situation getting exponentially worse every day.
  There are more lies and the worst have to do with what will happen to the hostages when more military pressure is applied. Netanyahu knows that so many hostages have been killed by military pressure and that only a handful have been rescued in military missions. The only way to bring home the hostages is in a deal and occupying Gaza will kill them. If only he cared.

• Smotrich unhappy with Netanyahu’s Gaza plan, believes it to be a ploy to bring Hamas back to negotiations

  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is disappointed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to take control of Gaza City, as he believes it does not go far enough, a spokesperson for the Religious Zionism chair says.

  “The proposal spearheaded by Netanyahu and approved by the cabinet may sound good, but it’s actually more of the same,” the spokesperson says.

  “This is not an operation to conquer the Strip, take full military control of the territory and push for a decisive outcome — the only way to ensure victory, lasting security and the return of the hostages — but a specific and dangerous operation whose sole purpose is to return Hamas to the negotiating room — a goal that isn’t a goal of the war,” the statement adds.

  He predicts that once again, Netanyahu will promise that Israel is going “all the way,” only to then, “at the moment of truth, withdraw from the field after dozens of heroes have died and without any real operational achievements.”

  According to the spokesperson, Smotrich believes the decision is “immoral, unethical and not Zionist.”

  Offering more insight into Smotrich’s stance, the Israel Hayom newspaper reports that the far-right lawmaker, who is also a minister within the Defense Ministry, voted against Netanyahu’s proposal to take over Gaza City during last night’s security cabinet meeting.

  Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper reports that Smotrich went so far as to agree with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, whom he is frequently reported to be at odds with, that the plan was not a good one, and would not bring Israel closer to its stated aims.

  He is said to have told the security cabinet that if Netanyahu truly wants his plan to lead to “victory,” then the premier must “explicitly announce that he will no longer agree to a partial deal.”

  “That way, Hamas will understand that it has two choices left: Surrendering in an agreement or destruction.”

  “As long as there’s no such announcement from the prime minister, it is as though the goal of this big step is to again reach a partial deal,” he is quoted as having said. “So the content of the decision does not match its title, and that is not something I can agree to.” link We can expect to see both Smotrich and Ben Gvir start to apply pressure by publicly making threatening statements about leaving the government if their will is not done. They don't want any negotiations or a deal. They want full occupation of Gaza and not as a stop gap situation but a permanent occupation to be followed by annexation. As I ahe stated, their end goal is expulsion of all Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank and only Jewish settlements in both occupied territories, nothing less.

  
  
• IDF chief plans slow, phased Gaza City offensive, vows to protect hostages
  Eyal Zamir outlines a cautious campaign prioritizing hostage safety, delaying reserve call-ups until after holidays and setting Oct. 7 as deadline for civilian evacuation ahead of a months-long push to dismantle Hamas rule
  IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir convened a small group of senior officers Friday to review the Cabinet’s overnight decision to take over Gaza and begin planning the army’s next operation in northern Gaza, emphasizing that protecting the lives of hostages held by Hamas remains a central red line.
  Zamir has made clear that this principle will hold even if it means avoiding ground maneuvers in areas where Hamas fighters are operating near the captives. Military maps have marked such “polygons” since Israel’s initial ground incursion in November 2023, signaling zones to avoid where possible to reduce risks to hostages.
  

  Another operational principle Zamir intends to preserve is “safety over speed,” a cornerstone of the Gaza campaign since the first troops crossed the border on Oct. 27, 2023. While this approach has drawn criticism for slowing advances and spending days or weeks clearing small areas, the army says it minimizes casualties among its soldiers.

  The operational planning process at Southern Command is expected to take days or even weeks, alongside training for the large forces assigned to the mission. In a statement, Zamir’s office said the latest assessment reviewed the current battlefield picture and preparations for continued fighting in Gaza, with the goal of creating conditions for the hostages’ release and dismantling Hamas rule. Evacuating civilians from targeted areas remains another challenge. During recent operations in Gaza City neighborhoods such as Zeitoun and Shijaiyah, troops saw slower civilian departures than in earlier phases of the war. In some cases, weeks of artillery or rocket fire were needed to push residents to leave. Israeli officials believe that about 800,000 Palestinians, including thousands of Hamas fighters, have returned to Gaza City since January, when a partial reopening of the Netzarim Corridor followed a prisoner deal with Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set Oct. 7 as the deadline for civilians to leave Gaza City before a planned Israeli takeover. Some in the military worry the date is being used for political branding, but the timeline could also serve as a two-month pause allowing space for a potential hostage deal. Zamir also intends to uphold Israel’s commitments to international law and the military’s ethical code, resisting calls from Southern Command for heavier strikes that have caused high civilian casualties. Military officials say this is not only to shield troops from war crimes allegations but also to preserve international legitimacy as the war stretches on. IDF high command on Friday weighed which units will take part in the planned Gaza City offensive, with at least four divisions expected to be involved — including likely at least one reserve division. Zamir had pledged in recent weeks to give reserve commanders and troops relief in the coming months, especially in 2025, after 22 months of extreme operational demands. That promise is now expected to be broken, though the army aims to rely first on regular brigades and delay calling up the tens of thousands of reservists who will ultimately be needed. Reservists are not expected to be summoned under emergency orders in the immediate term. Many have told commanders in recent weeks they will not report for duty in July and August because of their children’s summer vacations. Military officials say family pressure and declining attendance rates, averaging under 70% in many battalions this year, mean keeping troops home during the high Holiday season will also factor into when call-ups are issued. The personnel considerations, combined with political and operational constraints, point to an emerging picture: any Israeli operation to seize Gaza City is likely to be slow and phased, with multiple pauses and exit points. Analysts say such a pace could benefit all sides — Hamas, which would survive for months without being decisively defeated and could choose its own timing for a deal; Netanyahu, who needs prolonged fighting without ending the war to sustain his government; and Zamir’s overextended army, which needs breathing room to avoid burnout. Until the new operation formally begins, regular IDF forces are expected to continue the pattern of the ongoing Operation Gideon’s Chariots — opening encirclement routes and conducting local raids around Gaza City, activity likely to be presented publicly as the opening phase of the new offensive. link
  
  
  
  

The Region and the World


Global Jewish leaders to Netanyahu: Israel policies fueling antisemitism worldwide 
Jewish leaders from 18 countries urge PM to change course, warning that government’s decisons are harming Israel’s global standing and fueling antisemitism, while calling for hostage deal, aid to Gaza and rule of law in the West Bank


Thousands of leaders from Jewish communities around the world—including prominent figures from North America, the United Kingdom and other countries—have signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that his government’s policies and rhetoric are causing “lasting damage” to both Israel and global Jewry.
The letter opens with a declaration of support: “We, members of Jewish communities around the world, support the State of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people. Our commitment to Israel and its citizens is deep and unwavering—always, and especially since the barbaric Hamas attack of October 7. We harbor no illusions about the actions and intentions of Hamas, other extremist forces or the states that support them.”


The letter, sent Thursday, states that the decisions of the Israeli government have harmed Jews around the world. “We recognize the painful dilemmas any Israeli government must confront when facing such threats,” the signatories wrote. “However, we cannot ignore the ongoing damage being caused by the policies and rhetoric of your government—to Israel, to its international standing and to the prospects of achieving a secure peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. This has serious consequences not only for the State of Israel, but also for the well-being, security and unity of Jewish communities in the diaspora.” The letter adds that current policies are also fueling antisemitism worldwide.
“As past, present and future leaders of Jewish communities, we do not remain silent in the face of external threats to Israel,” the letter continues, “nor will we remain silent when we believe that the policies of Israel’s government are endangering the strength, security and sustainability of both Israel and global Jewry. We will continue to raise our voices and encourage others in our communities to do the same. We call on the heads of leading institutions and organizations in our communities to make clear that politicians who use racist language are not welcome among us. We reject actions and speech that contradict our values, our history and tradition, Israel’s Declaration of Independence and the rule of law.”


The signatories urge the prime minister to ensure the provision of food and humanitarian aid to Gaza residents, to reach a deal to return all hostages and end the war, and to clearly commit that Israel will neither attempt to resettle Gaza nor pursue or support policies of expelling Palestinian civilians.
The letter also calls on Netanyahu to crack down on Jewish extremist violence in the West Bank. “If the Israel Defense Forces, when ordered by you, can launch a missile through a window in Tehran and eliminate an Iranian general with pinpoint accuracy, then it certainly has the ability to maintain order in the West Bank, prevent extremist violence, protect Palestinian civilians and enforce the law,” the letter states.


The authors also criticize racist and inflammatory remarks by members of Netanyahu’s government. One example cited is Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who recently said, “The government is racing toward erasing Gaza... Thank God we are erasing this evil... All of Gaza will be Jewish.” The letter calls such statements “a moral abomination and a desecration of God’s name,” asserting that they violate Jewish values and the foundational principles of the State of Israel.


The initiative behind the letter, known as The London Initiative (TLI), was launched last year by Sir Mick Davis and Mike Prashker. TLI aims to promote Israel in the spirit of its Declaration of Independence, through the strengthening of liberal democracy, the pursuit of a just society and a secure peace. The initiative seeks to build an unprecedented partnership between Israeli citizens and Jews worldwide who share that vision and seek a better future.
By midday Thursday, the letter had been signed by Jewish community leaders and members from 18 countries.
The letter closes with a reaffirmation of solidarity with Israeli citizens: “We continue to stand with the people of Israel, the vast majority of whom want this war to end and the 50 hostages—living and dead—still held by Hamas to be returned. Recent data show that most Israelis are prepared to pursue a secure peace with the Palestinians as part of a broader regional normalization effort. We are ready to support any Israeli initiative aimed at achieving that goal.”
Among the North American signatories are Birthright co-founder Charles Bronfman, former president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Susie Gelman, Rabbi Sharon Brous, UnXeptable founder Ofir Gutelzon and major philanthropists including Michael Gelman and Marcia Riklis.
British signatories include Dame Vivien Duffield, chair of the Clore Duffield Foundation; Oscar-winning producer Simon Chinn; former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind; UJIA President Sir Trevor Chinn; Portland Trust chair Sir Ronald Cohen; Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg; and filmmaker Sharon Lifschitz, whose parents were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.
Other signatories include Ronald S. Lauder Foundation CEO Marc Gervis of Canada, JCC Global President Monica Kievirt of Mexico, Kaleidoscope founder Stephen Pincus of Canada, Australian Jewish community leader Ron Finkel, former Canadian ambassador to Israel Jon Allen and former CCLJ president in Belgium Michel Soskine. Link Netanyahu, who claimed for years to be the saviour of the Jewish People (not just of Israel). As we all know, he has failed miserably on all accounts. His self importance was no more than the Emperor needs new clothes. His nakedness was finally seen by all. In the fable, the emperor, just like the wannabe king Netanyahu, continues in his procession even after bring exposed and realizing that he is, in fact naked. In this real life catastrophe, Netanyahu refuses to acknowledge that he is naked and continues on with with his contemptuous attitude and behavior. He cares nothing about the damage he inflicts on Israel daily and certainly not on the Jewish people around the world. He has a cabinet that back up the worst decisions that could be made because they serve their own interests. The only one he is concerned with is Trump and as soon as he is able to pull Trump over to him and get the green light, nothing else matters to him. He will continue to be Netanyahu the destroyer and will be purposely blind to any of the consequences because he believes that Trump will be his savior. Everything and everyone else can go to hell.

• IDF head Zamir has noticed soldiers' mental toll, the Security Cabinet needs to as Well. 
  The mental health of IDF soldiers has severely declined over the course of the war, and the government and IDF must act accordingly and not take them for granted.
  The government’s decision on whether to expand the war in the Gaza Strip and fully occupy it can’t be made only on an operational level. 

  It also has to take into account the human element.

  There are the dangers facing the hostages held by Hamas if the IDF enters areas in which they’re being held, but there is also the toll – both physical and emotional – to our armed forces, who have been fighting nonstop for almost two years. 

  The volume of reservists seeking treatment for trauma has jumped from 270 per year to around 3,000, a jump of more than 1,000%, Lt.-Col. Uzi Bechor, head of the Combat Mental Health Unit for reservist soldiers, told The Jerusalem Post this week.

  Since the beginning of the year, 16 soldiers have committed suicide, seven of them reservists. Most of the suicides were linked to combat-related circumstances and the psychological toll of extended stays in war zones, according to a KAN report, and the IDF has acknowledged that the phenomenon is connected to the ongoing war in Gaza. 

  An IDF reservist kisses his child before boarding the bus, in Jerusalem, May 2025. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
  

  The choices made in the conference rooms of the government have a direct consequence on thousands of men and women who, month after month, are being sent back into the battlefield, into danger, and into trauma. 

  These soldiers are not just names or numbers; they are sons and daughters, spouses and parents, students and workers, all of whom have been repeatedly called to bear the unbearable weight of this war. 

  Rippling effects of war

  The public alarm bell that the Post reported on this week, regarding the trauma of soldiers and the heartbreaking stories of suicides or attempted suicides, is not isolated or coincidental. 

  It is evidence of a deeper crisis that has been brewing beneath the surface for some time now.  

  What soldiers see and experience in war, especially this one, is particularly scarring. What the soldiers experience does not affect just them; it has ripple effects on their families, loved ones, and communities at large. 

  Soldiers carry what they saw and experienced on the battlefield when they catch up with friends or sit with family, while every partner, child, mother, and father of reservists and soldiers carries an inescapable and eternal stomach-knotting fear. 

  Even during brief respites at home, their war doesn’t stop. 

  Unfortunately, Israel is not new to war. We have a long collective memory, and we know the signs of psychological collapse when they begin to emerge. Veterans of the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, and the long chain of conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza carry emotional scars to this day.

  This price cannot be belittled, ignored, or downplayed when policy is set that will place our armed forces in greater danger for even longer periods of time. The conversations around policy, retaliation, and deterrence are often devoid of the human cost and the daily suffering that lives on long after a mission ends. 

  Our leaders must take into consideration that cost when deciding their next steps in the ongoing war against Hamas and the efforts to free our sons and daughters held in Gaza. 

  The government can’t take the heroic soldiers who have devoted the last two years to their country, at the expense of family and career, for granted. Their sacrifices cannot be treated as background noise. 

  The next choices will be pivotal to the status of the war and will affect Israel’s overall well-being, both inside and out. 

  If the government tells our exhausted soldiers to carry on and keep fighting in Gaza, how can they at the same time fight tooth and nail to bring about a draft law to exempt eligible ultra-Orthodox (haredi) men from service? With policies like that, a decision to expand the war and occupy all of Gaza will bring all of the divisiveness that has plagued Israel over the last few years to a head. 

  Ahead of Thursday night’s critical security cabinet meeting, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir expressed the correct sentiment when he said, “We are dealing with matters of life and death, in the defense of the country, and we do so while looking toward our soldiers and the civilians of Israel.” 

  Let’s hope the rest of the people sitting around the cabinet table take heed.  Link Zamir is doing what a proper officer does, looking out for the health and well being of his subordinates. In this case, Zamir's subordinates are every soldier and reservist in the country. The only problem is that he is speaking to a room of the deaf and blind. These senior ministers are only concerned for their political and personal agendas and neither contain the problems of the people fighting this awful war or the hostages who remain in Gaza. The ministers and advisors in this security cabinet fit into one of two categories. The first is Netanyahu's yes men, those who only do his bidding, say what he wants them to say, be his front men as anonymous officials when he wants a message related to the press, protect him at all costs even when the costs are the lives of the hostages and soldiers, and do anything for his continued political survival.
  The second category is the extremist messianics who have a messianic agenda and are willing to do anything to achieve it. Their messianic agenda consists of full occupation of Gaza as with the West Bank; annexation of both occupied territories; expel all Palestinians from the occupied territories in whatever way they can, which is generally through acts of violence and stealing their property and lands, anything that will make them want to leave their homes; and to fully settle all of the territories with Jewish settlements. Their agenda goes a step further and that is to do the same with Arab citizens of Israel. They are racists and don't want anyone buy Jews to be in Israel and the future annexed territories that they want to be an integral part of Israel. 
  The first category will do anything to help Netanyahu while the second will do whatever they can to achieve their delusional goals and use Netanyahu as their tool. They do it with threats and intimidation and succeed because they know that Netanyahu will do anything to stay in power. He becomes their very willing partner and together, they are destroying the country.

• Germany suspends arms exports to Israel until further notice over Gaza City takeover plan

  
  Friedrich Merz delivers his first speech as German chancellor in the parliament in Berlin, Germany, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

  The German government will not approve any exports to Israel of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says in response to Israel’s plan to expand its military operations there.

  The release of the Israeli hostages and negotiations for a ceasefire are Germany’s top priorities, Merz says in a statement, expressing deep concern over the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip. link Germany has been our greatest European ally throughout the war and has remained at our side through the worst of what our government has done, but it appears they, too have reached the point that they can't swallow any more. With a legitimate government that cares about our relations with our neighbors, we would expect dialogue behind the scenes before something like this erupts but this is not a legitimate government who cares about anything beyond their personal and political agendas and goals. The relations with the outside world mean nothing as long as Netanyahu has the green light from his BFF Trump. That is the extent of the caring of how we are viewed by the world and the price for this will be paid by every Israeli for many years. 

• Saudi Arabia slams Israel’s plan for Gaza City takeover, ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Palestinians

  Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City, lambasting it for the “starvation” and “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians in the blockaded territory.

  Riyadh said it “condemns in the strongest and most forceful terms the decision of the Israeli occupation authorities to occupy the Gaza Strip,” in a foreign ministry statement on X.

  It added that it “categorically condemns its persistence in committing crimes of starvation, brutal practices and ethnic cleansing against the brotherly Palestinian people.”

  Israel denies creating starvation conditions in the Gaza Strip and blames the UN and Hamas for preventing civilians from reaching aid.

Personal Stories





Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

IPS - Israel Prison System

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

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




PMO- Prime Minister's Office

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

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