🎗️Day 702 that 48 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!!!”

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

*7:45am - Gaza Envelope - 2 rockets launched from Gaza - 1 intercepted, second fell in open area

Hostage Updates

Until the last hostage

US said to give Hamas, via mediator, principles for comprehensive hostage deal

Proposal to end war in exchange for captives reportedly passed along from Steve Witkoff via Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin; IDF strikes in Gaza City, but evacuation is slow
The United States has conveyed to the Hamas terror group a new set of principles for a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza, the Kan public broadcaster reported Sunday.
Days earlier, Israel began striking high-rise buildings in Gaza City ahead of a major operation there, which the IDF assesses could take up to a year, with goals that fall short of defeating Hamas, according to reports on Sunday.
The takeover plan has raised fears for the hostages still in Gaza, with the families of two captives seen in a Hamas propaganda video Friday saying they think their loved ones were recently moved to the city.
According to the Kan report, the US presented Hamas with a hostage deal proposal that, while not fully fleshed out, outlines a set of principles for future negotiations.
The report said the proposal was conveyed to the terror group via Gershon Baskin, a key Israeli negotiator in the deal that led to the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity in 2011 in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian terror convicts.
Channel 12 reported that Baskin, who is in contact with senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, received the proposal from US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.
In an apparent about-face after months of negotiations for a partial deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly declared that he will now entertain only a comprehensive deal that would see the release of all 48 hostages held in Gaza. As further conditions for ending the war, Netanyahu is also demanding that Hamas lay down its arms, that Gaza be demilitarized, that Israel retain overall security control, and that governance of the Strip be turned over to non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority “Arab forces.”
The terror group, which has ruled Gaza for almost two decades, released a statement on Saturday saying it “affirms its openness to any ideas or proposals that achieve a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, the unconditional entry of aid, and a genuine prisoner exchange through serious negotiations mediated by third parties.”
Before that, a report indicated that the group had sent a delegation to Cairo for talks amid apparent stepped-up efforts to jumpstart negotiations, and Witkoff held talks with officials from Egypt and Qatar about a potential deal.
After the terror group’s announcement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum again demanded that Netanyahu immediately dispatch negotiators for talks on a deal.
“Tonight’s Hamas statement once again highlights the severe shortsightedness of the Israeli government. Three weeks have already passed, and Israel has yet to respond to Hamas’s updated reply to the mediators,” a statement from the forum read.
The terror group said last month that it was willing to agree to a proposal for a 60-day truce freeing around half of the hostages under terms previously accepted by Israel, but Jerusalem has yet to respond to that offer, instead pushing ahead with plans for a wide-scale military offensive in Gaza City. Hamas also said it was open to a comprehensive deal that would end the war and see all the hostages released.
The Forum accused Netanyahu of refusing the deal for political reasons, perpetuating “an endless war whose purpose is to preserve the coalition.”
“We demand that the Israeli government accept the agreement currently on the table — to which Hamas has already responded positively — and immediately begin negotiations for a comprehensive deal to return everyone, down to the last hostage,” the statement read.
Only a fraction of Gaza City’s civilians said to have evacuated
The renewed efforts to reach a deal came as Israeli forces began the first stages of an operation to take over Gaza City in the northern Strip, a dense area where some million residents have been sheltering, and which includes neighborhoods the Israel Defense Forces have thus far avoided fighting in, to avoid harming hostages believed to be held there.
Over the weekend, the IDF struck several high-rise buildings in Gaza City after issuing evacuation warnings, saying it was targeting locations used to surveil or fire on IDF troops.
The strikes were also intended as signals to the local population to take evacuation warnings seriously, Channel 12 reported. According to the IDF’s assessments, however, only about 90,000 residents have left the city thus far, the network reported, adding that this is not a large enough number in the eyes of the security establishment, which may move to ramp up attacks on large structures in the coming days.
The Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City collapses from Israeli strikes on September 5, 2025 after residents were warned to evacuate, amid the war between Israel and the Hamas terror group. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Meanwhile, in the southern Strip — where residents of Gaza City have been told to evacuate to — a new humanitarian area providing food and medical services was opened in the Khan Younis area.
Although the military has demanded the mass evacuation of civilians in order to proceed with the fighting, the IDF is also expecting, according to the Ynet news site, some 10,000 Hamas fighters to escape the combat zone amid the masses of civilians moving south, as has occurred during previous evacuations.
According to the report, the security establishment has considered trying to screen all of those leaving in order to detain as many combatants as possible — but in addition to the basic difficulty of identifying them among the masses, the military is also wary of exposing soldiers, as well as Gazan civilians, to potential attacks by operatives during the process.
Hostage families say captives recently moved to Gaza City
Though Hamas fighters are expected to escape south, Ynet reported IDF concerns that the terror group will smuggle living hostages into the combat zone, to put them in harm’s way or dissuade Israel from going ahead with its plan to conquer Gaza City.
The families of hostages Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa-Dalal — who appeared in a propaganda video released by the terror group on Friday — believe the two were recently moved to Gaza City, based on information gleaned from former hostages held alongside them, Channel 12 reported.
Alon Ohel (L) and Guy Gilboa-Dalal (R) are seen in stills from a propaganda video released by the Hamas terror group, which holds them both in captivity, on September 5, 2025.
Security officials have warned in private forums, and anonymously to the press, that the Gaza City operation will endanger the remaining hostages, of whom only around 20 are believed to be alive, out of the 48 still held by terror groups in the Strip.
IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir has reportedly urged Netanyahu and the security cabinet to take the partial deal already on the table, which Hamas said it approved.
The proposal agreed to by the terror group would see 10 living captives freed and the bodies of 18 dead captives returned, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners and some 1,000 Gazan detainees, amid a 60-day ceasefire during which talks would be held for the release of the remaining hostages and a permanent end to the war.
IDF said to warn government operation endangers hostages
Zamir was also said to have warned political leaders that the IDF cannot predict with certainty how Hamas will behave toward the hostages during the Gaza City offensive, and that it may persist in its policy of killing hostages when troops get close to the location where they are being held, as happened last summer.
The IDF chief of staff has also reportedly demanded that political leaders decide in advance what to do after the offensive is completed, warning that Israel is marching toward a full military government in the Gaza Strip without ever declaring this as a policy.
Zamir has determined, however, that the order to conquer the city is lawful and that he therefore will not resist the political decision, despite his personal opposition to it, according to Channel 12.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks to troops in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, August 21, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Amid these strategic issues, military officials were cited by Hebrew outlets over the weekend as saying that the goal of the looming operation is not, in fact, to defeat Hamas, but merely to severely degrade its infrastructure, similar to actions carried out in northern Rafah and parts of Khan Younis over the last few months.
Offensive could take a year
The process of taking control of the city above-ground could be quick, reports said, claiming IDF assessments of only a week or two. The challenging part, however, will be locating and destroying Hamas infrastructure, including miles of tunnels underneath the city, in some of which hostages are believed to be held.
Zamir assessed this could take many months, or even about a year, according to Ynet. After Gaza City, the IDF may continue to parts of central Gaza where it also has not operated thus far to avoid harming the hostages.
People search for salvage at the mound of rubble at the site of the collapsed Sussi Tower, which was destroyed earlier by Israeli bombardment, in Gaza City on September 6, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Hebrew media said the IDF is preparing for the possibility that Hamas will concentrate its efforts on the sparser forces in the center and south of the Strip, amid the military focus on Gaza City. There were also reports of concern that Hamas will attack along the border fence, in an effort to thwart, or at least disrupt, the takeover plan.
Two rockets fired at Israel from Gaza; no injuries
On Sunday morning, two rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, the first such incident in some three weeks.
One rocket was intercepted and the second struck an open area, according to the IDF. There were no reports of injuries.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group — a Hamas ally in the war with Israel — claimed responsibility for the attack.
Illustrative: Gaza-based terror groups fire rockets towards the sea in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 12, 2023. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 64,000 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 over 22,000 combatants in battle as of August 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 460.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 48 hostages, including 47 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 26 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. link

Cousin of slain hostage: If leaders occupy Gaza, they will knowingly bring about murder of hostages

At a weekly press conference in Tel Aviv, a group of hostage families urges the defense establishment to refuse orders to occupy Gaza, stating that the move will lead to the murder of hostages.

Gil Dickmann, cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, says if leaders move ahead with the occupation of Gaza City, “you will knowingly bring about the murder of hostages.”

“A black flag flew over the order to enter into Rafah,” he says, referring to the operation during which his sister and five other hostages were found murdered by their captors a year ago.

He calls on the defense establishment, “don’t give a hand to the occupation of Gaza on the backs of the hostages.”

Merav Svirsky, sister of slain hostage Itay Svirsky, says, “the Israeli government is working to prepare the ground for the next murder of hostages. This is not theory; this is a real warning that is coming from official sources and senior officials. Itay, my dear, was murdered because of military pressure.”

She says a “black flag” flies over the planned conquering of Gaza, and that it was a “duty to oppose a clearly illegal order, and this is exactly the order that the cabinet imposes on the chief of staff.” Link

Hostage survivor shouted at Hostages Square: '701 days the government has betrayed its citizens'
Hostage survivor Ilana Grichevsky, partner of captive Matan Tzengauker, spoke at a rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and cried out: "I can't believe you've been abandoned there for 701 days already. This government promised us security but 48 hostages are still there, heroic soldiers are still risking themselves. For 701 days it has chosen wars, interests and indifference instead of lives. Don't say 'we are doing everything.' You haven't done everything, you haven't done enough. If you had, they would already be here. You, the decision makers, will not come out clean. 701 days is a story of a government that betrayed its citizens

‘Traitor’: Mass Jerusalem crowd pans PM as hostage’s mom calls him worst foe of Jewish people
A massive banner calling for the US president to push a hostage deal in Gaza, unfurled at Hostage's Square in Tel Aviv on September 6, 2025. (OM/Hostages Families Forum)

Tens of thousands attend rally urging deal and warning Gaza City takeover plan will imperil the abductees; relatives say they will haunt Netanyahu if their loved ones die in captivity
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem on Saturday evening for a rally organized by families of hostages held in Gaza, who charged that the premier was willingly sacrificing their loved ones in a bid to cling to power.
The mass demonstration — held in the capital, unlike the usual Tel Aviv in most weekly rallies — was organized in the shadow of the Israel Defense Forces’ plan to take over Gaza City, in the north of the Strip, where some of the remaining 48 hostages are believed to be held.
The military is forging ahead with the operation, at the orders of the government, despite widely-reported opposition from senior defense officials, who have assessed that the campaign could further endanger the lives of the hostages.
Protesters set out from the Chords Bridge, near the entrance to Jerusalem, toward Netanyahu’s residence on Azza Street, holding a banner reading, “Government of the shadow of death,” and chanting: “Why are they still in Gaza?”
As they walked, Ora Rubinstein, the aunt of Hamas hostage Bar Kuperstein, addressed Netanyahu directly, saying they were “not anarchists, we are not right-wingers, not left-wingers — we are families, and our demand is that you return all of them [the hostages], now.”
Police flanked the marchers, and the road was closed for the procession. Officers had brought a water cannon to an intersection that the protesters passed through, but did not use it.

‘If something happens, you will pay’

Masses of people awaited the marchers at Paris Square, less than a kilometer (mile) from Netanyahu’s home, for the main protest of the evening.
There, the mothers of abducted IDF soldiers Matan Angrest and Nimrod Cohen addressed the crowd.
At the top of the address, Anat Angrest tore up her prepared remarks and instead told the crowd that defense officials had recently contacted her to explain the risks associated with the expanded IDF operation in Gaza City.
Thousands attend a rally at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, calling for an end to the war and the release of all hostages, on September 6, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/FLASH90)
She said that she was informed that “the risk has already increased in recent days as a result of the IDF’s activities prior to the maneuver,” and was increasing with each passing day.
“The prime minister decided to implement the ‘Hannibal Protocol’ on my Matan, on all the hostages,” said Angrest. The controversial Hannibal Protocol is a military order officially repealed in 2016 that granted troops broad permission to do whatever was necessary to prevent the kidnapping of a fellow soldier, including actions that would potentially put their lives at risk.
“Mr. Prime Minister, as a father to children, you are separating me from Matan, Matan from his freedom, his life from his death!” cried Angrest.
“This is not a threat, Mr. Prime Minister. If something happens, you will pay for it — this is a mother’s word,” she warned Netanyahu.
Vicky Cohen, Nimrod’s mother, similarly cautioned the premier that if anything happened to her captive son, she would “make sure that you don’t have a minute of peace for the rest of your life.”
“Isn’t it enough for us that 42 hostages have already been murdered in captivity?” she said. “And what is the defense minister [Israel Katz], my Nimrod’s commander-in-chief, doing? Posting a one-sentence tweet on Twitter [X]: ‘We’ve started'” — referring to a tweet by Katz feting a strike on a Gaza City high-rise building.
“What exactly did you start?” inquired Cohen. “Adding another threat to the lives of the hostages who are barely living? What exactly are you proud of?”
Anat Angrest (L) and Vicky Cohen, the mothers of hostage soldiers Matan Angrest and Nimrod Cohen, speak at a rally near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home, on September 6, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
She noted that there was “a full deal on the table” that would secure the release of every one of the 48 hostages, but that Netanyahu was refusing to sign off on it.
When “Hamas demanded a partial deal, he [Netanyahu] demanded a full deal,” Cohen said, “and when Hamas agreed to a full deal, he demands a partial one and ramps up this unnecessary and political war.”
In recent weeks, the government has adopted the position that it will only agree to a deal that frees all hostages, which would mean ending the war, while Hamas has said it would agree to a phased framework very similar to one previously accepted by Israel.
“My son can return home tomorrow morning alive and the prime minister is undermining this,” Cohen declared, as the crowd booed Netanyahu. “My child will not be sacrificed on the altar of politics.”
“If a hair on my Nimrod’s head is harmed, I will make sure you don’t have a minute of peace for the rest of your life,” she vowed. “My sensitive boy… I have no idea how he is coping in the hellfire of Gaza.”
Thousands attend a protest in Jerusalem calling for an end to the war and the release of all hostages from Hamas captivity on September 6, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)
A legacy of ‘massacre and failure’
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage in Gaza, took to the stage as well, where she argued that Netanyahu was the worst enemy that the Jewish people have encountered.
“The Jewish people have had many persecutors throughout history,” said Zangauker. “Pharaoh, Haman, they carried out pogroms against us — but you, Benjamin Netanyahu, you rise above them all.”
“Seven-hundred-and-one days since Matan was kidnapped from his bed in Kibbutz Nir Oz straight into the jaws of Hamas,” she lamented, reflecting on the journey she has been on since, in her relentless fight to get him back.
“What didn’t I do?” she asked rhetorically. “I sat quietly for three months because they told us to shut up, they used scare tactics, ‘be quiet, it will be over soon.’ It didn’t help.”
“I sat at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv together with the other families of the hostages. We demanded and shouted, ‘Bring them home now.’ We marched in the scorching sun to Jerusalem, climbed on cages, gave media interviews, spoke abroad, we did everything — and they didn’t come back.”
Netanyahu, she charged, is “the father of the partial deals and ‘selektzia‘ doctrine,” — referring to the Nazis’ practice of separating family members from each other and sending some to their immediate death — “the father of the subversion, division and incitement doctrine, the father of the abandonment and sacrifice doctrine.”
She asserted that the premier’s loyalists were “leaking classified documents in violation of the law, inciting against us, against the citizens of the country, burning every good part of the country, and of democracy, and for what? So that the October 7 massacre will not stick to him.”
“Netanyahu, your only legacy is the massacre and failure of October 7,” Zangauker told the premier. “But your lies will not stop us.”
Einav Zangauker, the mother of Hamas hostage Matan Zangauker, speaks at a rally near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home, on September 6, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
At one point, parts of the massive crowd began to chant against Netanyahu, calling him a “traitor,” before Zangauker picked her speech back up.
“My Matan is doing everything he can to survive in the Hamas tunnels; he is your legacy of abandonment,” she shouted. “Why haven’t you replied to Hamas’s response for three weeks? Why are you sending [Strategic Affairs Minister Ron] Dermer to lie to [US] President [Donald] Trump?”
Yael Adar, the mother of slain hostage Tamir Adar, accused Netanyahu of condemning living hostages to be executed, saying they must be saved before the remains of those already dead, as she addresses a massive rally for a hostage deal in Jerusalem.
“I see you standing the living hostages before a firing squad, so how can I think that you are able to bring back the slain hostages?” she said.
Earlier in the evening, Matan Zangauker’s partner, Ilana Gritzewsky, herself a former hostage, spoke about his absence at a weekly rally in Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv.
“Matan, I miss you,” she said frankly. “I miss our cream pasta, I miss walks with our dog, our laughter, Friday night dinners and hanging out together, getting up early in the morning and ending each day with a hug. I miss my best friend.”
She said she “still lives in captivity,” and can envision Matan languishing away.
“I see him hungry, thirsty, weak,” she said. “I wonder if he remembers what I sound, feel and look like.”
Gritzewsky accused Netanyahu of prolonging the hostages’ captivity for political reasons.
“While Matan and the hostages waste away in the dark, the prime minister hangs on to his seat,” she said. “The enemy abducted us, but the ones holding us there for 701 extra days are you, the decision-makers.”
“You didn’t do everything. You didn’t do enough, because had you done, they would have already been here,” she said, adding that “the government has betrayed its citizens.”
Relatives and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip attend a rally demanding their release from Hamas captivity and calling for an end to the war, in Jerusalem, September 6, 2025. (AP/Mahmoud Illean)
Thousands packed into Hostages Square and the adjacent Shaul HaMelech Road for the weekly rally, which took place before the night’s main protest in Jerusalem, and to listen to former hostages and the families of those still in Gaza.
In the middle of the square, rally-goers unfurled a large banner addressed to Trump, which appealed for him to “Save the hostages now!”
The relatives of slain hostages also spoke at the rally, expressing anger over the planned takeover of Gaza City, and recounting their loved ones’ final moments.
“The cabinet has decided to take over Gaza… without planning how to avoid murdering the hostages,” said Orna Neutra, the mother of slain captive soldier Omer Neutra. “Whoever doesn’t give answers today will bear an eternal mark of shame.”
Speaking after Neutra, Boaz Zalmanovich told the protesters that he recently saw close footage of his 86-year-old father, slain hostage Aryeh Zalmanovich, being driven to Gaza by his Hamas captors during the terror onslaught of October 7, 2023.
“Two weeks ago, I saw a video filmed by one of the murderers on that horrible day that has gone on for 701 days already,” he said. “The recording is from up close, every detail is visible — the bandage on my dad’s head covering the wound that opened up… the blood dripping on his beard, his frightened eyes watching with horror, and his weak hands trying to hang on to the back of the scoundrel sitting in front of him.”
“My father was abandoned on the morning of October 7 and suffered horribly for 40 days before he died,” said Zalmanovich. “And the Israeli government, which prioritizes land over people, which prioritizes vengeance over mercy, did not come to the rescue.”
“For 701 days, the abandonment monster has eaten away at everything here,” he says. “But the cruel government chooses to keep bloodletting instead of ending the war and returning the captives.”
Thousands attend a protest march in Jerusalem calling for an end to the war and the release of all hostages, September 6, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)
Ofir Sharabi, the daughter of slain captive Yossi Sharabi, expressed fear that the new Gaza City offensive would make her father’s body and the remains of other slain captives irretrievable.
In February 2024, the IDF said Sharabi was likely inadvertently killed as a result of an Israeli strike.
“My father was murdered because of the military pressure that was brought to bear near the home where he was being held — but we need to beg for him to be brought back for burial?” she said. “The decision to conquer Gaza City means the murder and disappearance of the hostages.”
The Hostages Square rally ended with Ofir’s sister Yuval singing Hatikva, the national anthem.
While in previous weeks, rallygoers would often file out of Hostages Square to join up with the overtly political anti-government hostage deal protest on nearby Begin Street, the hostages’ families who organized those protests announced last month that they would stop them for the time being, in order to consolidate the campaign for the captives’ release.
This meant that Begin Road was all but empty except for several dozen left-wing protesters who previously stood on the fringes of the anti-government rally, bearing signs and chanting slogans accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
About 20 police officers were stationed next to them, and they escorted away a small band of right-wing youth who walked by, cursing at the protesters.
MKs say massive protests could push PM to end war
A pair of Labor lawmakers attending the Jerusalem protest argued that the “sociopathic” and “borderline psychopathic” Netanyahu will only work to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
MK Gilad Kariv told The Times of Israel that Netanyahu wouldn’t have abandoned the previous hostage deal after its first phase concluded last March had hundreds of thousands of Israelis taken to the streets demanding that agreement transition into its second phase, which envisioned the release of the remaining hostages and a permanent end to the war.
“Without hundreds of thousand of Israelis protesting, this war — like the First Lebanon War — will last 18 years,” he said, adding that the demonstrations should be nonviolent, while still “paralyzing the country.
For his part, Netanyahu has argued that agreeing to end the war in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages, as Hamas has proposed, would allow the terror group to reconstitute — something the premier won’t accept. However, a majority of Israelis back the trade, according to repeated public opinion polls.
Pressed on the importance of public protests for a hostage deal, given that the government has bucked this pressure since earlier this year, Kariv declined to entertain “such philosophical matters.”
“The Israeli public needs to take to the streets because Netanyahu won’t do the right thing, Netanyahu is not driven by morality and conscience. Netanyahu is a narcissist and a borderline psychopath,” he asserts. “The only thing that will move Netanyahu is one million Israelis in the streets and American pressure.
Kariv insisted that the Trump administration has provided such pressure, even though Washington has largely avoided criticizing Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war and appears to back the Israeli government’s plans to take over Gaza City.
The left-wing opposition lawmaker argued that the more Israelis take to the streets to call for a hostage deal, the more likely it will be that pressure will be levied by Washington in their favor against Netanyahu.
Standing alongside Kariv next to the main protest stage in Jerusalem’s Paris Square was fellow Labor MK Na’ama Lazimi who branded Netanyahu a “complete sociopath,” pointing to Netanyahu’s claim earlier this year that he sleeps with a clean conscience, even after Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
“You can’t expect him to act rationally, out of an understanding of the sanctity of life and what his role and responsibility is,” Lazimi lamented to The Times of Israel.
She highlighted the decision by Netanyahu’s office to allegedly leak distorted classified intelligence to the German Bild tabloid that was aimed at neutralizing mounting public pressure for an immeidate hostage deal after six captives were murdered by the captors last summer.
“When there are demonstrations… they stress him out and make him tremble,” Lazimi claimed.
“Netanyahu cares about his seat, he about his political survival, he cares about his trial. When we are here, he trembles. We need to come out en masse to save our brothers and ourselves,” she adds.
Fears of hostages being moved into Gaza City
Even as the families of the hostages begged for their loved ones to be kept safe in the face of the looming IDF offensive in Gaza City, Channel 12 news reported on Saturday night that the families of Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who appear in a video Hamas released Friday, believe the two were recently moved there, based on information from former hostages who were held with them.
A picture shows a view of a makeshift displacement camp at the Yarmuk Sports Stadium, once a football arena, as smoke billows during Israeli strikes on Gaza City on September 4, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
According to the report, there are concerns that other hostages have also been moved to Gaza City, ostensibly to put them in harm’s way or dissuade Israel from going ahead with the plan.
According to the channel, IDF chief Eyal Zamir, despite his opposition to the operation, has determined the order to conquer the city is lawful and therefore will not resist the political decision.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 48 hostages, including 47 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 26 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. Hamas is also holding the body of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014.
Hamas released 30 hostages — 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals — and the bodies of eight slain Israeli captives during a ceasefire between January and March, and one additional hostage, a dual American-Israeli citizen, in May as a “gesture” to the United States. The terror group freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that in the early weeks of the war. In exchange, Israel has freed some 2,000 jailed Palestinian terrorists, security prisoners, and Gazan terror suspects detained during the war.
Eight hostages have been rescued from captivity by troops alive, and the bodies of 51 have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors, and the body of a soldier who was killed in 2014. link As I do every Saturday evening, I was at the demonstration in Jerusalem in support of the hostages, their families and a call to end the war. The description of the demonstration is that it is near the Prime Minister's residence, which is a bit of misnomer. Yes, the demonstrations every saturday night are held in very close proximity to the official residence of the Prime Minister. However, this residence has been under renovations for more than 2 years, so Netanyahu and his wife actually live down the road on Aza Street (Gaza in Hebrew, seems very fitting) about 1/2 mile from the official residence. They live in one of their 4 properties (2 in Jerusalem, a mansion in Caesarea, and an exclusive apartment in NY that, for unknown reasons is registered on Netanyahu's name. It was acquired by the Israeli government when he was Israel's ambassador to the UN (1984-88) and put on his name. Why it was and is still on his name as though he personally owns it, is befuddling and no one has made the answer public).
In any case, no demonstrations or public gatherings are allowed within hundreds of yards from the building they live in. They do not hear the cries of the families and this is very much on purpose. Years ago, when they did inhabit the official residence. there were demonstrations held very close to their and they could hear them and see them if they looked out the window. While the soldier Gilad Schalit was in captivity, his family lived in a tent in the same area that the demonstrations are held. One day, after 5 years of Gilad's captivity, Sarah, Netanyahu's wife, went down to the tent and met the family. She came home and told her husband, enough, it's time to bring him home. Within 4 months, though the use of my brother as the secret back channel between the Israeli government and Hamas, Gilad was back home. The most interesting thing that happened right after that, was the installation of a huge black screen that blocked out the residence from the demonstrations so that demonstrators could not see the residence and people inside the residence could not see the demonstrations. This had nothing to do with security. It had everything to do with ignoring the population that is hurting and is trying to draw the attention of the Prime Minister.

Netanyahu claims to know the people of Israel but chooses to only know his own voter base. He is not the prime minister of all by his choice and it is terribly obvious with his statements and his actions. Last week, during one of the protests in Jerusalem for the hostages and to end the war, there were 2 zealots among the demonstrators who set fire to garbage bins which then spilled over and burnt the car of a wife of a reserve soldier. Everyone of the protester groups and protesters condemned this action and immediately a crowdfunding campaign started for the family. Within a couple of hours, hundreds of thousands of shekels were collected for them to buy a new car and everything that was in it including car seats for their children.
Netanyahu's ministers immediately called out the entire protest movement as terrorists, arsonists, anarchists, while Netanyahu himself called the demonstrators 'phalangists' referring to the South Lebanese christians who were responsible for the slaughters in 2 Palestinian refugee camps during the first Lebanese War. He was calling the families of hostages Phalangists equating them with slaughter!!! He has proven time and time again that he can always go to lower depths of depravity, so nothing he says against us should be surprising.
Back to the demonstration last night. Each week, we hear from hostage families and they are so appreciative of us all who come out to demonstrate and refuse to accept the situation as normal. For 702 days that are all part of a single day, October 7, they don't sleep through the night, they eat but have no appetites, the get up on the morning when all they want to do is crawl up into the darkness and sleep and make believe all of this is a bad dream, but they get up because they have no choice. They have no energy left but they find it somehow because they know that their loved ones in captivity have no strength and they must be strong to continue to fight for them. A good deal of their hidden strength comes from us, the people who stand up with them, the people who feel the pain and can't go on with their normal lives, the people who fight with them to bring home all the hostages. We are the majority and we will bring them home, despite our corrupt and failed leaders. We will bring them home and begin the process of rebuilding and healing our beloved country and ourselves with different leaders, with leaders who put the country and the people first, with leaders who preach hope and seek a better future for us all, not leaders who tell us there is no hope and we must live forever by the sword. Those are not leaders, they are cowards who lack the desire and ability to do better. They are the self interested petty politicians that we have today, who only see what is in front of them and if it serves their purposes, not those of the nation and the people. These are not leaders, they are not worthy of the people they are supposed to serve because they think the people are there to serve them. We deserve better and we will get better.

After 700 days, I shouldn’t be begging for the hostages to be free

Opinion: Seven hundred days have passed since Hamas’ attack, and still 48 hostages remain in Gaza; I know the fear of the tunnels, the hunger, the darkness; I was freed, but I cannot stop pleading until every one of them comes home -Doron Steinbrecher

One hundred days ago, on the 600th day since Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, I wrote about the pain of reaching that milestone. I could not imagine that we would reach today — day 700 — with dozens of hostages still held in Gaza. It is not possible, not logical and not real. But here we are, marking it.

In Israel, large numbers like 100, 300 or 700 are noted with events and ceremonies. But for those trapped in the tunnels, every day is the same. An eternity in hell. No one celebrates milestones underground. No one brought me a cake on day 200 or day 400. No one gave me relief because another round number had passed.

Doron Steinbrecher (Photo: Ziv 

The tunnel is the same tunnel. The hunger is the same hunger. The fear is as strong as the day before and the day after.

I was freed from captivity. But 48 hostages remain in Gaza — some alive, some dead. Every passing day has been filled with lost opportunities to bring them home. Moments of almost, followed by disappointments, pain and fear.

Inside the tunnels, there is no light, no air, no way to know day from night. The terrorists told me that if they heard the army approaching, I would be executed immediately. How many times do the hostages who are still there hear those same threats? How often do they fear they have been forgotten?
Now, as Israel expands its military campaign in Gaza and no negotiations are underway, I ask: what are the hostages thinking? Expanding the war will not bring them back. It will only endanger them, push them farther from home and add more days to the count.
Will it soon be two years? Will we mark that too while hostages are still trapped underground? How much more must the families, friends and all of Israeli society endure before we begin to heal?
Many already wear the double pin that marks the next milestone. But this cannot be just another number. It must be the end point, and the start of something new. A time when everyone is already here. A time to rebuild, to grow from the pain.
I am not willing to give up — not on them, not on hope, not on the possibility of recovery, not on the duty that everyone must be here. Please do not give up on them, on us, on the path of Israeli society to rise again.
And thank you. Thank you for not giving up.

'Blood dripped onto his beard': Family of oldest hostage shown new footage of October 7 abduction

Video presented to relatives shows 86-year-old Arie Zalmanowicz wounded and terrified moments after his capture by Hamas; son accuses government of abandoning them and urges immediate action to free remaining hostages

Family members of Arie Zalmanowicz, the oldest Israeli hostage still held by Hamas in Gaza, were recently shown new, close-range footage of his abduction that had not been previously made public, his son revealed Saturday at a rally in Tel Aviv.

The video, believed to have been filmed in Khan Younis shortly after the 86-year-old was taken from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, was shown to several family members last month by the government hostage task force, according to Boaz Zalmanowicz.

The clip shows Arie Zalmanowicz seated on a motorcycle between two Hamas terrorists. Unlike an earlier, grainier version released by the family in August 2024, the new video was shot from close range and shows him visibly wounded and terrified.

“The bandage on his head covered the wound from the blow he suffered. Blood dripped onto his beard. His frightened eyes stared in horror,” his son said during the rally, held at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. “His frail hands tried to hold on to the back of the man sitting in front of him, as if he had no other savior.”

Zalmanowicz was the oldest hostage taken during the attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led to the kidnapping of more than 250 others, according to Israeli authorities. Hamas later claimed in a propaganda video that he died from Israeli airstrikes. Two weeks after the first round of hostage releases in November, Kibbutz Nir Oz confirmed that he had been killed and that his body remained in Gaza.
“My father was abandoned on the morning of Oct. 7 and died in terrible agony over 40 days,” Boaz said. “The Israeli government chose land over life, revenge over compassion, and did not rescue him.”
Arie Zalmanowicz 
Boaz said the family has asked for the full video to be handed over, but it has not yet been released to them. He added that the footage clearly shows his father trying to move away from the camera, a detail not visible in earlier clips.
“It’s painful and heartbreaking to see your father like that,” he said. “What matters now is to bring the remaining hostages home.”

Boaz referenced other hostages whose recent images have raised alarm about their condition. “They don’t have much time, just like my father didn’t. We must act now,” he said.
During the rally, Boaz condemned what he called ongoing government inaction. “For 701 days and nights, the monster of abandonment has devoured everything in its path,” he said. “It consumes the bodies and spirits of the young in tunnels, the families left behind and the soul of Israel itself. Yet this government chooses bloodshed over rescue. Do what the people demand — stop the war and bring them all home.”  Link

Reservist soldier arrested at protest for hostages outside home of Likud minister
Police allege demonstrator threw punch at officer; he says he raised his hand in defense of other protesters; police said to raid man’s home, confiscate service weapons

Police on Saturday arrested a reservist soldier in an elite unit for allegedly assaulting a police officer during a protest calling for a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza held outside the home of Education Minister Yoav Kisch in central Israel’s Hod Hasharon.

The protest took place as part of Saturday’s planned major demonstrations in city squares and near the homes of government officials to pressure them to agree to a ceasefire deal that would return the 48 hostages that remain in captivity and end the war that has been raging in the Gaza Strip for over 700 days.

Police alleged that the protester did not obey an order to walk away from the gates in front of the minister’s house, and then raised his hand and threw a punch at an officer.

Hebrew media reports added that the man had previously filed complaints with police for violence against protesters, and that the arresting officer on Saturday was the subject of a prior complaint filed by the protester.

The protester was transferred to the Petah Tikva police station for questioning, and officers then raided his home and confiscated his service weapons, the reports said, adding that the man had been set to deploy for reserve service on Sunday.

The Haaretz daily reported that the protester claims he raised his hand to defend other protesters after an officer started pushing a physical barrier toward them, and that he was arrested immediately after doing so.

Responding to requests for comment, Israel Police said the protester “breached public order and was arrested after assaulting a police officer.”

“In accordance with the severity of the offense, the suspect was arrested and transferred for questioning at the police station,” police said. link There is absolutely no reason to believe the police statement of the incident. We have seen a never ending cycle of abuse and violence by the police against demonstrators for the hostages and against the war, especially near the homes of ministers. The police have standing instructions by the criminal minister in charge of the police to put down demonstrations against the government and against the war and to do it violently to send a message to the rest of the protesters. see the following article about Ben Gvir's 'National Guard' which as become his personal militia along with the rest of the police.

The national guard that minister Ben Gvir established increases its presence in the demonstrations
The purpose of the national guard of Border Police is to fight crime, but in the last half year it acted at least 29 times in protests for the return of the hostages and against the government • The police: “The guard acts according to the operational needs of the police”
From the beginning of the year fighters of the national guard acted 29 times in demonstrations across the country, so arises from data that reached into the hands of N12. The record was broken in the month of March during which the fighters were sent 17 times to different demonstrations, almost once a week on average.

The national guard initiated by the minister of national security Itamar Ben Gvir was established first and foremost in order to bring to strengthening a sense of security by means of struggle against terror and the rampant crime. The national guard that operates under Border Police indeed began to act in the different sectors, among other things in shooting events in the Negev, or in the confiscation of means of warfare in the north. But meanwhile, while the murder cases in Arab society continue to climb and while almost every day a victim is added, it is revealed that one of the central destinations to which the fighters are sent and at a high frequency is carrying out arrests in demonstrations, some of them for the return of the hostages and the rest against the government.

Protest in Paris Square in Jerusalem (photo: Dani Sternfeld) Protest for the return of the hostages | Photo: Dani Sternfeld

In the police they responded to the data and in their statement was written among other things, that “the national guard in Border Police, like all the units in the organization, acts according to the operational needs of the police. The Israel Police with all its units acts in all the sectors of the state to guard the public order and the security of the citizens.”

Last week, on the background of the intensification of the protest in favor of a deal to release hostages and end the war in Gaza, Ben Gvir published a new policy document that requests to regulate the manner of operation of the police in demonstrations in everything related to road blockages. The minister of national security demands from the police not to allow blocking of routes and vital roads in a number of areas which according to his words there is in them disturbance to the public. The legal adviser to the government Gali Baharav-Miara disqualified the outline of Ben Gvir to limit demonstrations, the minister rejected the claim of the legal adviser and attacked: “You are confused – without substantive reference the policy will enter into effect.”
Since the minister Ben Gvir entered into his position, many citizens told that they were witnesses to violence and display of force by the police and that new practices are undertaken toward protests. According to testimonies of demonstrators, alongside violent arrests in demonstrations, policemen are sent also to prevent quiet protests. Citizens who asked to express protest were arrested, beaten, and even a strip search was done on them. link

Gaza and the South

Hamas terrorist who bragged to parents about massacring Jews on Oct. 7 reportedly killed in airstrike

A Hamas terrorist who was heard bragging to his parents about slaughtering Jews during the October 7, 2023, onslaught in a recording released by the IDF was killed in an airstrike Thursday, according to Gazan media reports.

The Telegram reports identify the man as Mahmoud Afana, and say he was killed in Deir al-Balah.

The IDF has not yet confirmed the strike or the terrorist’s death.

In the phone call, the man can be heard excitedly telling his parents that he is in Mefalsim, a kibbutz near the Gaza border, and that he alone killed 10 Jews.

“Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!” he says, according to an English translation.

“Mom, your son is a hero,” he later adds.

His parents are heard praising him during the call. Identified by his father as Mahmoud, the terrorist says he is calling his family from the phone of a Jewish woman he’s just murdered, and implores them to check his WhatsApp messages for further documentation. The phone call of the monster to his parents This call recording was released by the IDF and it was one of the most horrible things that I had ever heard. Unfortunately, many more horrors were to be heard and seen that were perpetrated by the Hamas barbarians on October 7. The monster who made the call was a dead Man walking and he breathed the same air as us for 2 years too long.

Terrorist who boasted of killing 10 Israelis on Oct. 7 eliminated

Recordings revealed Mahmoud Afana bragging to his parents about the killings from inside Kibbutz Mefalsim, describing the victims and his actions in detail A Palestinian terrorist who boasted about killing 10 Israelis during the October 7 massacre was killed in an Israeli airstrike, Gaza officials reported Saturday. According to the reports Mahmoud Afana was killed Thursday in Deir al-Balah.

The chilling conversation in which Afana repeatedly bragged about the murders was made public two and a half weeks after the massacre during a United Nations Security Council session. Then-foreign minister Eli Cohen released a recording of a call Afana made to his parents, in which he described the killings in gruesome detail.

“I’m speaking to you from a Jewish woman’s phone, I killed her and her husband. With my own hands I killed 10,” Afana told his father in the recording. Investigators later confirmed that the phone Afana used belonged to one of the victims, which was recovered in the Gaza border area. On the phone, authorities found the full recording of the call between Afana and his family while he was inside Gaza.

Afana told his father he was speaking from Kibbutz Mefalsim. “Open my WhatsApp now and see all the dead. See how many I killed with my own hands. Your son killed Jews,” he said. His father replied: “May God protect you.”

He continued, speaking directly to his father: “Father, 10 with my own hands. I’m inside Mefalsim, I killed 10. Their blood is on my hands. Put Mother on.” His mother responded: “Oh my son, may God keep you safe.” Afana pressed on: “By God, 10 with my own hands. I felt them with my own hands.” His mother answered: “May God bring you back in peace.” Afana added: “Father, check WhatsApp, I want to make you a live broadcast from inside Mefalsim.”
Mahmoud Afana 
During the call, his mother encouraged him: “I wish I were with you.” Afana replied: “Mother, your son is a hero.” At that point, his brother joined the conversation and asked: “Did you kill 10?” Afana confirmed: “Yes, I killed 10, by God.” When his brother asked if he was in Zikim, Afana clarified: “I’m in Mefalsim, not Zikim. I was the first to enter, with God’s help. Hold your head high, Father.”

His brother urged him to return to Gaza, but Afana dismissed the idea. “Return? There is no return. It’s either death or victory. How can I return? Open WhatsApp and see how many I killed, how I killed them with my own hands.”
The call, released by the Israeli foreign ministry, has drawn international attention for the extreme nature of the terrorist’s boasting and the details of the attack on civilians. Israeli authorities have said Afana played a central role in the October 7 attacks and had targeted multiple families in the border communities.
Israeli officials confirmed the airstrike that killed Afana was part of ongoing operations targeting Hamas members responsible for planning and executing attacks against Israeli civilians. Link

Analysis of footage from Nasser Hospital strike calls Israel’s account into question

AP notes IDF cited common photographers’ practice of shielding equipment from sun with a towel as ‘suspicious behavior’ that led to attack last month that killed 22, including 5 journalists

Associated Press reporting into an Israeli attack on a Gaza Strip hospital that killed 22 people, including five journalists, raises serious questions about Israel’s rationale for the strikes and the way they were carried out, the news agency said Friday. Among those killed was Mariam Dagga, who worked for AP and other news organizations.

Israeli forces struck a position well known as a journalists’ gathering point, because — a military official said — the soldiers believed a camera on the roof was being used by Hamas to observe troops. The official cited “suspicious behavior” and unspecified intelligence, but the only detail given, AP said, was that there was a towel on the camera and the person with it — which the army interpreted as an effort to avoid identification.

AP said it had gathered new evidence indicating the camera in question actually belonged to a Reuters video journalist who routinely covered his equipment with a white cloth to protect it from the scorching sun and dust. The journalist, Hussam al-Masri, was killed in the initial strike.

The evidence calls into question why Israeli forces went through with the strike, AP said. Witnesses say Israel frequently observed the position by drone, including about 40 minutes before the attack, giving an opportunity to correctly identify al-Masri.

AP said its findings also reveal other troubling decisions from the August 25 attack:

Soon after the first strike, Israeli forces hit the same position again, after medical and emergency workers had reached the scene to treat the injured, and as journalists including Dagga had rushed to cover the news. The strike has raised accusations of a “double tap” — a type of attack intended to kill those responding to casualties and which experts in international law say is a possible war crime

Troops used high-explosive tank shells to strike a hospital, instead of more precise guided weapons that might have resulted in fewer casualties.
In all, Israel struck the hospital four times, the AP found, each time without warning.

The Israel Defense Forces refused to comment when asked if it hit the wrong person and has presented no evidence for its claims. It says it is still investigating but in its initial inquiry described “gaps” in how the attack was carried out. Israel has said none of the journalists killed were intended targets, nor were they linked to Hamas.

Following the initial investigation’s findings, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered the probe expanded to scrutinize the approval process for the strike, including the timing of the attack, the type of munitions used, and the chain of decision-making on the ground.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that Israel “deeply regrets” the attack, calling it a “tragic mishap.”

The IDF said after the incident that it regrets civilian casualties and does not target journalists, while accusing Hamas of “cynically” exploiting medical facilities for military purposes. Hospitals have repeatedly become battlegrounds in the Gaza war, with Israel accusing Hamas of using them to shelter fighters, hold hostages, and conceal military infrastructure.

Hamas has in the past held hostages at Nasser Hospital, according to the IDF and testimony from numerous ex-hostages. Shifa Hospital, in the north of the Strip, was also used by Hamas to hold some hostages and as a command-and-control center early in the war, and was the site of fierce battles between Hamas fighters and IDF troops. The ongoing IDF probe also said, without offering evidence, that six of the victims were Hamas operatives, including one who took part in the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza when terrorists invaded southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.

An IDF infographic details the identities of six Palestinians who the military says were terror operatives killed in an attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on August 25, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Hamas denied that any of the victims from the strike on Nasser Hospital were members of the terror group, and said two of the people Israel identified as Hamas operatives were in fact killed elsewhere.

Based on AP analysis of the footage at the time of the attack, and speaking to multiple eyewitnesses, there is no evidence that anyone killed in the strikes was armed.

The AP said its analysis of the attack is based on information from current and former Israeli military officials, other officials and weapons analysts — and accounts from nearly 20 people who were in or near

The strike has galvanized global anger as Israeli forces push ahead with a major offensive in Gaza City.

Smoke billows during Israeli strikes on the Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip, on September 5, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

IDF fire has killed 189 Palestinian reporters in Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Israel has accused some of the slain journalists of having been active members of terror groups. Israel has also barred foreign journalists from entering Gaza since the start of the war, giving Palestinian journalists a critical role in covering the conflict.

Both hospitals and journalists are supposed to be protected under international law, but hospitals can lose those protections if they are used for military purposes and journalists can, too, if they are armed or take part in hostilities.

Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and accuses Hamas of using Gaza’s civilians as human shields and embedding itself in civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.

In Nasser Hospital, Hamas at one point held some 30 Israeli hostages, including young children, according to former captive Sharon Alony Cunio, who has said she recognized the hospital after being released in November 2023.

Covering a camera with a cloth

Before the August 28 attack, the Reuters journalist, al-Masri, was positioned with his video camera high up on an external stairwell of Nasser Hospital. A photograph taken by Dagga in mid-August shows al-Masri on the same stairwell next to his camera, with a white cloth draped over it.

In the weeks before the strikes, al-Masri had broadcast live almost daily from the stairwell, according to other journalists who worked there and hospital officials.

Five journalists told the AP that he often used the cloth. It is common practice for video journalists around the world, including in Gaza, to use such high positions and to cover their cameras to protect them from the elements.

Nasser Hospital, one of the few functioning hospitals in Gaza, has been a vital location for Palestinian reporters, AP said.

It is a central point for reporting on dead and wounded from Israeli strikes, shootings of Palestinians seeking aid and malnourished people brought in daily. The Wi-Fi signal offered a rare reliable link to transmit news.

Photographers and videographers used the building’s external staircase for months to get a bird’s-eye view of the city of Khan Younis — and in the case of global news agencies like Reuters and AP, to supply live video footage to newsrooms around the world. The AP had repeatedly informed the army that its journalists were stationed there.

This frame grab taken from a video released by Al-Ghad TV shows the second of two rounds of Israeli strikes hitting the outside stairs of Nasser Hospital, minutes after the first, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 25, 2025. (Al-Ghad TV via AP)

An Israeli military official said that several days before the attack, Israeli forces spotted a camera on the roof and were tracking “suspicious behavior,” which the official did not specify.

The official said the military believed Hamas was using the camera to monitor its forces and said the camera and the man operating it had what they described as a towel draped over them, suggesting an effort at concealment. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

A second person was also killed in the initial strike that hit al-Masri. Hospital officials have identified all 22 dead, saying they were a mix of health and rescue workers, journalists and relatives of patients, AP said. But they said they could not be certain which of them was the other person killed in the first strike, since all the bodies were collected at the same time.

There has been no evidence of a second camera at the site where al-Masri was killed.

At about the same time as the first stairway was hit, Israel struck another part of the hospital, according to witnesses and video footage showing smoke rising from the location.

This frame grab taken from a video released by Al-Ghad TV shows people fleeing after the second of two rounds of Israeli strikes hit the outside stairs of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, August 25, 2025. (Al-Ghad TV via AP)

The Israeli military has given no explanation why it carried out a second round of strikes.

After the first attack, a crowd of medics, journalists and others made their way up the staircase, AP said. Ibrahim Qannan, a correspondent with Cairo-based Al-Ghad TV who was filming from below, said another journalist, Moaz Abu Taha, waved to him and shouted down to him, “Hussam was martyred.”

Within 10 minutes, two more loud blasts struck the staircase. Video analysis revealed the flashes of two projectiles and the booms of two explosions. Among those killed was Dagga, who had just snapped her last photos before heading up the stairs, and Abu Taha.

Dagga’s brother Sediq had spent the previous night with her and saw her filming from the stairs moments before she was killed. “I rushed upstairs and recovered her body,” he said.

People walk up stairs to the site of an Israeli strike at Nasser Hospital, minutes before a second round of strikes hit the same spot in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 25, 2025. This was one of the last photos taken by journalist Mariam Dagga, who freelanced for The Associated Press and other outlets, before she walked to the site and was killed. (AP Photo/Mariam Dagga)

Double-tap strikes, which hit crowds that move into areas to rescue victims from initial strikes, have notoriously been used by al-Qaeda and other extremist groups, as well as Russia’s military and forces loyal to former Syrian President Bashar Assad. First responders and other civilians are often harmed in such attacks.

Experts in international law say multiple aspects of this attack could point to potential war crimes, including targeting a hospital without warning, and the double-tap strategy that puts civilians in danger.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Israel Ziv, a former commander of the IDF Operations Directorate, said a double-tap strike would violate the army’s rules of engagement.

Raed al-Nims, head of the Palestinian Red Crescent’s media department in Gaza, said double tap strikes have “happened multiple times” in the war, hitting the group’s ambulances and personnel after they arrive at the scene of attacks.

Israel declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

This frame grab taken from a video released by Al-Ghad TV shows AP freelancer Mariam Dagga, bottom left, and other journalists, rescue workers, hospital staff, and others as they arrive to document the scene and help the wounded at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, shortly after the first of two rounds of Israeli strikes hit the building on August 25, 2025. (Al-Ghad TV via AP)

Tank fire was not supposed to have been used

AP analyzed videos of the attack and found that Israel fired tank shells in the strikes, which the Israeli military confirmed following their initial inquiry.

Ziv said less deadly and more precise options than tank fire were available. “There is no good explanation for that,” he said.

An official with knowledge of the attack said the tank wasn’t supposed to have been used, but was unable to say what the original plans were. The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Hebrew media reported that IDF Southern Command had authorized a drone strike on the Hamas surveillance camera but did not approve the use of tank shells.

A munitions expert who analyzed photos of shrapnel from the hospital obtained by AP said it came from high-explosive shells fired by a tank.

Parts of at least three tank projectiles from Israeli strikes that hit the outside stairs of Nasser Hospital are displayed at the site in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 25, 2025. (UGC via AP)

The remnants show parts of at least three fin-stabilized tank gun projectiles, consistent with those used by Israel, said N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, an Australian consulting firm.

Satellite imagery from the afternoon of the day of the strike shows Israeli tanks and armored vehicles operating about 4.5 kilometers (3 miles) northeast of the hospital.

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows Israeli tanks and armored vehicles operating northeast of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 25, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Discrepancies over Israeli claims of terror operatives

A day after the strikes, Israel gave the names of six men who it said were Hamas operatives killed in the attack. But this statement also raised troubling discrepancies.

It provided no evidence, and one man on its list, Omar Kamal Shahada Abu Teim, does not appear on the hospital’s list of casualties obtained by the AP. Doctors and morgue workers said no one by that name was killed, and unlike with the other five, Israel did not provide a picture.

Another person named, Jum’a al-Najjar, was a health care worker employed by Nasser Hospital, according to the morgue list. Another, Imad al-Shaer, was a driver for the first responders of Hamas’s civil defense agency.

The other three names appear on the casualty list, but no other details about them were immediately available.

Israel also did not say if any of the six were killed in its initial strike on the camera. Most were killed in the second round of strikes, and officials have not said whether they were identified among the crowd on the stairwell before troops struck it.

A joint letter from the AP and Reuters expressed outrage at the strikes and demanded answers.

“Unfortunately, we have found the [IDF’s] willingness and ability to investigate itself in past incidents to rarely result in clarity and action, raising serious questions including whether Israel is deliberately targeting live feeds in order to suppress information,” they said. Link The AP statement of the IDF's willingness and ability to investigate itself is dead on. The IDF investigations rarely amount to anything more than a statement saying that it was an unfortunate accident, mechanical failure or sometimes, a human error due to mistaken information received. There is almost never an admission of guilt or wrong doing and the statements are always followed by the canned message that the IDF makes every effort to prevent or minimize the injury or deaths of non involved civilians. When a statement like this is made once in a blue moon, it might have some validity, but not when it is a constant as it has been in this war. Most of the time, there are no statements made and no investigations had unless it gets the attention of some world leaders. Only then does the IDF spokesman's office issue a statement and claims that an investigation is underway. These 'investigations' are little more than the cat guarding the milk. It has been like this long before this war but has become so commonplace in the war with tens of thousands of non combatants killed, mostly women, children, elderly and the infirm. These are the reasons that the government refuses to allow foreign press in. The only press allowed in is Israeli press and it is restrained by army escort and the army taking them where the army wants them to go. There is no free press coverage of this war and the Israeli press has been fully culpable in its lack of reporting the horrors that have been perpetrated by us in Gaza.

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria

West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks

Reports: 2 Palestinians injured by settler gunfire in attack near Hebron in the West Bank

By Nurit Yohanan

Palestinian media reports that settlers attacked people and property in the Khilat al-Is area near the village of al-Shuyukh, north of Hebron in the West Bank, overnight.

According to the reports, two Palestinians were wounded by settler gunfire — one in the abdomen and one in the neck — and were in stable condition.

Additionally, the group of extremists reportedly set a number of properties on fire.

The IDF has not yet issued a response.

Politics and the War and General News

Yossi Cohen: Netanyahu responsible for everything before, during and after October 7
Former Mossad chief opens up about his covert operations, frustrations with Israel’s intelligence and political leadership, the Gaza strategy, his personal ambitions and the balance between family, faith, and public service

Yossi Cohen, the former head of Mossad, sits in an office that feels more like a private museum than a workspace. Floor-to-ceiling windows in his Modiin home look out over a manicured garden, while the interior is cluttered with telescopes, vintage desks, oversized art books, and Persian rugs. The furniture tells the story of a life lived between worlds—between strategy and leisure, secrecy and exposure. Cohen, 64, carries the quiet intensity of someone who has spent decades operating in the shadows, yet there is warmth in his easy laughter, and a boyish sparkle in his eyes when he recalls operations long kept secret.

“I haven’t spoken to Netanyahu in a year and a half. He is responsible for everything that happened on October 7,” Cohen says bluntly, setting the tone of the interview. He speaks without hesitation, a man accustomed to weighing risk, timing, and consequence. Asked about Israel’s leadership, his answer is direct: “No one will win the Likud alone—that’s my frustration. I proposed uniting the party from the bottom up, but everyone wants to run independently. They’re all taking from the same cake, and in the end it just gets bigger. There’s one bloc—why not unite it? Why not have a single leader for the whole?” Cohen leans back in his chair, tall and commanding, yet relaxed, as if finally letting out truths he has long held. He does not shy away from personal ambition. Asked if he could unify Israel’s fragmented political blocs, he answers simply: “Yes.” But he is firm about not wanting to serve as a deputy: “I will not be number two to Naftali Bennett or number three to Benny Gantz. I’m not interested in that. I’m not entering politics right now.” Still, he admits to a simmering sense of duty. “The need to fix Israel burns inside me. My wife once said, ‘Promise me you won’t go into politics.’ Now she says, ‘Swear you will. It’s your fate.’ Someday I will have to help lead this properly. If there was ever a time, this is it. But right now, there are no elections, and any talk of entering politics is premature and misleading.” The tension with the current political leadership is clear. “I will be a target, probably from every side,” he says matter-of-factly. And timing, Cohen stresses, is everything. He is still under a warning letter from the state inquiry into the submarine affair, which investigates tender manipulation and bribery. “Yes, I expect this will be resolved. I don’t even know what I’m accused of yet—I just received the letter. I believe everything I did was for the sake of Israel,” he says optimistically. Cohen is candid about the government: “It should end its days. Honestly, Netanyahu only talks to two ministers—Dermer and Deri. Is this government impressive? No.” Asked about Gila Gamliel’s appointment as intelligence minister, he responds with mock incredulity: “Really? Why not me? I spent 42 years in the system. I was chief of staff, intelligence minister, your arm abroad.” On Netanyahu’s responsibility after October 7: “He should have taken responsibility and set an election date. Responsibility isn’t taken after a crisis—it’s taken at the start of a term. Everything that happened on October 7 is the Prime Minister’s responsibility, along with everyone else in charge.” Cohen recounts proposing to Netanyahu a plan to temporarily relocate a million Palestinians from Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula, anticipating that without action, Israel would face civilian casualties. The plan was approved, but when Cohen contacted Qatar and Egypt, the Mossad and Prime Minister’s office publicly distanced themselves from the mission, leaving him “aghast” at the misunderstanding. Reflecting on his operational style, Cohen says: “I always wanted to be proactive, identify threats, neutralize them. But the prevailing approach was avoidance—‘Oh, what will happen next?’ For example, I had a full plan to eliminate Qassem Soleimani in Syria. Everything was ready—intelligence, surveillance, logistics—but I was told I couldn’t carry it out because it would spark a war with Iran.” He is equally frank about Gaza: “After Operation Protective Edge, our intelligence there was insufficient. I suggested Mossad could help, run special operations, enter Gaza—but cooperation was minimal and frustrating. Israel’s approach was avoidance, and that cost lives.” On the controversial Qatari money transfers: “I reject the claim entirely. I was a messenger, not the instigator. The money didn’t travel with me. We were raising funds for Gaza’s civilians under Shin Bet oversight, with clear accountability for every shekel. This was state policy, not mine or Mossad’s idea. When warned the money could reach the wrong hands, I suggested publicly stopping it. Was it stopped? I leave that question open.” Cohen also discusses his successes at Mossad. Acquiring Iran’s nuclear archive is a highlight, as is his claim to have invented the “exploding beepers” concept during operations against Hezbollah. “I’m the father of the concept. In 2004, I told then-Mossad chief Meir Dagan I wanted a special operations center that would also handle equipment sales.” He recalls the Natanz explosion: a balance table sold to Iran exploded and destroyed their facility. “How did we get authorized to sell such equipment to Iran? That’s the story.” He reflects on the character work of intelligence tradecraft: “I played every role—shoe dealer, lawyer, philosopher, businessman, investor’s son, broker, archaeologist. After an operation, you feel like a stage actor leaving the theater, going for a coffee. You inhabit these lives fully.” Cohen’s transition to the civilian world has made him wealthy. His stake in Doral Energy is expected to bring him $50 million when it debuts on the US market. Yet he remains restless, hinting that political engagement may be next. Scandals, like an alleged affair with a flight attendant, are brushed aside. “I hope the book will show who I really am. Much of my professional life was invisible, a ghost. Now, preparing for public service, I am the opposite—visible, aiming for Israel’s highest office.” Personal details reveal a man grounded in family and faith. A practicing Jew from a Jerusalemite family, married to a religious nurse, Cohen has four children, including Yonatan, born with cerebral palsy and now an officer in Unit 8200. He supports conscientious military service and backs families of hostages, though he does not personally protest. Cohen’s charisma is undeniable. In business and social circles, from Kfar Shmaryahu to Ashdod, “everyone is for me,” he says. “Ultra-Orthodox, liberal right, good Likudniks, settlers, family—they show it on their faces.” Long conversations with Cohen leave a clear impression: he commands attention and loyalty, blending intelligence with meticulous public image, yet is still haunted by the compromises of statecraft. “He is like a balance table,” Cohen says of himself. “Precision and stability are everything. But in humility—if a book is written about modesty, don’t look for my name in the bibliography. Look for me in the finest suit in the room.” link

The Region and the World

Spain said planning to OK sweeping arms embargo on Israel, may declare Netanyahu persona non grata
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez delivers a speech at Las Cortes Congress of Deputies in Madrid on May 7, 2025. (Thomas Coex/AFP)
Spain plans to approve a complete and immediate arms embargo on Israel on Tuesday and may even declare Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers persona non grata, local news outlet El País reports.
Madrid’s government, which has escalated its anti-Israel rhetoric amid the war against Hamas in Gaza, is working to impose a sweeping ban on all direct and indirect deals on weapons or military technologies with any Israeli public or private body, the Spanish report says, citing unnamed sources.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government pledged to stop selling arms to Israel shortly after Hamas’s onslaught of October 7, 2023. Last year, the Spanish government widened that commitment to include weapons purchases from Israel. In recent months, it has canceled several high-profile deals with Israeli companies.
The El País report says the intention is for the more complete embargo to take immediate effect this coming week by making it part of a royal decree, with the text building on the content of a law bill presented last year by the left-wing Sumar political alliance, which is part of the ruling coalition and has demanded stronger moves against Jerusalem.
Sumar founder Yolanda Díaz reportedly declares that her alliance is working with the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party on a package of steps aimed at “severing relations with the criminal Netanyahu regime,” halt all trade relations altogether, and declare the premier — as well as Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — persona non grata in Spain “for their incitement to genocide, forced starvation and ethnic cleansing.”
Spain is a long-time critic of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Speaking in the Spanish parliament last month, Sanchez called Israel a “genocidal state.”
His foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, told reporters last month that Spain would request the “immediate suspension” of the European Union’s cooperation deal with Israel, and would also urge partners to impose an arms embargo on Israel.
Spain had already outraged Jerusalem by recognizing Palestinian statehood in May 2024, in a joint move with Ireland and Norway. link Mark my word, we will be seeing Netanyahu declared a persona non grata in many more countries to come. It will be like a game of dominos. Netanyahu was always proclaiming that no one else could be welcomed by so many world leaders as he. His ego was constantly bolstered by the red carpets with pomp and circumstance wherever he traveled. He even rated himself with the American presidents and deemed that he needed his own Air Force One to fly in the style that a world leader must have at his fingertips. He and his wife even declared that she is the First Lady, when that is not the case in Israel. The 'First Lady', if we even have one is the wife of the figurehead president and he is referred to as citizen number one. From the glory that Netanyahu bestowed upon himself and his family (also having the supporting media refer to them as the First Family, which had never before been done in Israel before) to become a persona non grata has been a great fall which he brought upon himself. The problem is that the fall is not about him, it is about Israel and all of its citizens. Everything that Netanyahu has done in his war for his political survival reflects upon the entire country. The horrible decisions that he and his corrupt cabinet make about the hostages, the war, the humanitarian crisis and aid are all decisions that should not have been made by a leader who puts his/her country before themself, but these decisions and actions have been made, and we, the entire country pay the price. Our army is a people's army and our citizens have fought endlessly in this war. Now, as a result of Netanyahu's actions, many of our reservists are being hounded and hunted when they travel and will now constantly be at risk of being arrested in foreign lands. Embargoes are being placed on the country, starting with arms, but that will only be the start, as it will spread to civilian goods. Turkey is an example of a country (albeit an extreme country with a leader who hates Israel with a passion) which has cut all trade with Israel. There are now educational, medical, intellectual, cultural relations that have been been severed or curtailed with many countries around the world, and the incidents of Israelis and Jews being attacked, both verbally and physically is growing everyday in quantity, areas of the world and severity. Netanyahu should be a persona non grata here in Israel as well for all the damage he has caused us, all in the name of keeping his power and preserving his legacy.

Saudi Arabia, UAE said to agree on freezing normalization over West Bank annexation plans
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 20, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein / Pool / AFP)
Saudi Arabia has given the United Arab Emirates its blessing to reconsider normalization with Israel should moves be made toward the annexation of the West Bank, Israel’s Kan news outlet reports, citing a source close to the Saudi royal family.
According to the report, the issue was discussed during a recent meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, who met in Riyadh last week. The Saudi Press Agency reported that the two discussed “the latest developments in Palestine,” among other matters.
Kan quotes the source saying the two agreed that a pullback from the Abraham Accords would be a “realistic” option should moves toward annexation be made.
The source adds that any such move would also halt progress toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The UAE agreed to normalize relations with Israel in 2020 in exchange for Israel shelving plans to annex parts of the West Bank, in a move widely seen as having Riyadh’s tacit backing.
Abu Dhabi recently dispatched a number of warnings to Israel against revived plans to extend sovereignty to parts of the territory, including in an interview with The Times of Israel, an official statement and via backchannel sources. According to The Washington Post, the statements alarmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the point that annexation was taken off the agenda for a Thursday night cabinet meeting.
Riyadh earlier today published a statement condemning Israeli comments on displacing Palestinians in Gaza, and accusing Israel of genocide. The statement made no direct reference to West Bank annexation.

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

Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.social
My blogs in The Times of Israel my blogs
Substack - https://lonnyb.substack.com/

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Lonny's Ramblings

🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 702, 2023 - September 7, 2025 🎗️

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!!!”

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

*7:45am - Gaza Envelope - 2 rockets launched from Gaza - 1 intercepted, second fell in open area

US said to give Hamas, via mediator, principles for comprehensive hostage deal

‘Traitor’: Mass Jerusalem crowd pans PM as hostage’s mom calls him worst foe of Jewish people
A massive banner calling for the US president to push a hostage deal in Gaza, unfurled at Hostage's Square in Tel Aviv on September 6, 2025. (OM/Hostages Families Forum)

‘If something happens, you will pay’

After 700 days, I shouldn’t be begging for the hostages to be free

Opinion: Seven hundred days have passed since Hamas’ attack, and still 48 hostages remain in Gaza; I know the fear of the tunnels, the hunger, the darkness; I was freed, but I cannot stop pleading until every one of them comes home -Doron Steinbrecher

'Blood dripped onto his beard': Family of oldest hostage shown new footage of October 7 abduction

Video presented to relatives shows 86-year-old Arie Zalmanowicz wounded and terrified moments after his capture by Hamas; son accuses government of abandoning them and urges immediate action to free remaining hostages

Terrorist who boasted of killing 10 Israelis on Oct. 7 eliminated

AP notes IDF cited common photographers’ practice of shielding equipment from sun with a towel as ‘suspicious behavior’ that led to attack last month that killed 22, including 5 journalists

Covering a camera with a cloth

Tank fire was not supposed to have been used

Discrepancies over Israeli claims of terror operatives

Reports: 2 Palestinians injured by settler gunfire in attack near Hebron in the West Bank

Spain said planning to OK sweeping arms embargo on Israel, may declare Netanyahu persona non grata

Saudi Arabia, UAE said to agree on freezing normalization over West Bank annexation plans

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

Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.social
My blogs in The Times of Israel my blogs
Substack - https://lonnyb.substack.com/

#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope

There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!
‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית

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Popular posts from this blog

🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 443, 2023 - December 22, 2024 🎗️

🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 455, 2023 - January 3, 2025 🎗️

🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 484, 2023 - Feb 1, 2025 🎗️

🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 702, 2023 - September 7, 2025 🎗️

**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!!!”

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

*7:45am - Gaza Envelope - 2 rockets launched from Gaza - 1 intercepted, second fell in open area

US said to give Hamas, via mediator, principles for comprehensive hostage deal

‘Traitor’: Mass Jerusalem crowd pans PM as hostage’s mom calls him worst foe of Jewish peopleA massive banner calling for the US president to push a hostage deal in Gaza, unfurled at Hostage's Square in Tel Aviv on September 6, 2025. (OM/Hostages Families Forum)

‘If something happens, you will pay’

After 700 days, I shouldn’t be begging for the hostages to be free

Opinion: Seven hundred days have passed since Hamas’ attack, and still 48 hostages remain in Gaza; I know the fear of the tunnels, the hunger, the darkness; I was freed, but I cannot stop pleading until every one of them comes home -Doron Steinbrecher

'Blood dripped onto his beard': Family of oldest hostage shown new footage of October 7 abduction

Video presented to relatives shows 86-year-old Arie Zalmanowicz wounded and terrified moments after his capture by Hamas; son accuses government of abandoning them and urges immediate action to free remaining hostages

Terrorist who boasted of killing 10 Israelis on Oct. 7 eliminated

AP notes IDF cited common photographers’ practice of shielding equipment from sun with a towel as ‘suspicious behavior’ that led to attack last month that killed 22, including 5 journalists

Covering a camera with a cloth

Tank fire was not supposed to have been used

Discrepancies over Israeli claims of terror operatives

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 MazenPMO- 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

Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0 Twitter - @LonnyB58 Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.socialMy blogs in The Times of Israel my blogsSubstack - https://lonnyb.substack.com/

#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope

There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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!!!”

‘Traitor’: Mass Jerusalem crowd pans PM as hostage’s mom calls him worst foe of Jewish people
A massive banner calling for the US president to push a hostage deal in Gaza, unfurled at Hostage's Square in Tel Aviv on September 6, 2025. (OM/Hostages Families Forum)

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

PMO- Prime Minister's Office

Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.social
My blogs in The Times of Israel my blogs
Substack - https://lonnyb.substack.com/

There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!
‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית