🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 704, 2023 - September 9, 2025 🎗️

 

🎗️Day 704  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!!!”






READ THE HAARETZ EDITORIAL IN THE WAR AND POLITICS SECTION

Haaretz Editorial | Netanyahu Wanted to Be Israel's Mr. Security. Instead, He's Mr. Death.

Read the very important article " ‘Hijacking, anarchic, extreme’: How some Gazans view international pro-Palestine protesters" in the Gaza section 

Great article about how the diaspora Support for Palestine is actually support for Hamas and is doing great damage to the Palestinians in Gaza 

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

*1:20pm- central Negev- explosive drone from Yemen

*5:35pm- Dead Sea, West Bank, Jerusalem Mountains- explosive drone intrusion from Yemen





IDF announces four soldiers killed in Hamas attack on army camp outside Gaza City


L-R: Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed, Sgt. Amit Arye Regev, and Sgt. Gadi Cotal, who were killed in the Gaza Strip on September 8, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Four soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack on the outskirts of Gaza City early this morning, the military announces.

Three of the slain troops are named as:

• Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed, 20, from Tel Mond.
• Sgt. Amit Arye Regev, 19, from Modiin.
• Sgt. Gadi Cotal, 20, from Kibbutz Afikim.

MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A REVOLUTION 

They all served with the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion.

The name of the fourth soldier is set to be released later, the army says.

Additionally, a soldier of the Nahal Infantry Brigade’s 50th Battalion was moderately wounded in the incident, the army adds.

According to a preliminary IDF probe, three Hamas operatives launched an attack on an army encampment in the Kafr Jabalia area, on the outskirts of Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood at around 6 a.m. The incident took place shortly after troops had returned to the outpost following an overnight activity.

The operatives reached a tank at the entrance to the encampment and opened fire at the commander, who had his head outside the armored vehicle’s open hatch. The gunmen then hurled an explosive device inside the tank, leading to the deaths of the four soldiers, according to the initial investigation.

The probe also found that other soldiers stationed in the encampment returned fire at the fleeing gunmen, with at least two of them being hit. During the exchange of fire, the wounded infantryman was hit in the leg, according to the IDF.




Fourth soldier killed in Gaza attack named as Matan Abramovitz, 21

By Emanuel Fabian



Matan Abramovitz. (Courtesy)

The IDF names the fourth soldier killed in yesterday’s Hamas attack on an army encampment on the outskirts of Gaza City as Lt. Matan Abramovitz, 21, from Ganei Tikva.

Abramovitz, who served in the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion, was killed alongside the three other members of his tank early Monday.

The three others were named yesterday evening as Sgt. Uri Lamed, Sgt. Amit Arye Regev, and Sgt. Gadi Cotal.

According to an initial IDF probe, Hamas gunmen opened fire on the tank at the entrance to the encampment, before hurling an explosive device which exploded inside the armored vehicle, killing the four troops.

These are the six victims of the terror attack in Jerusalem

Gunmen who opened fire at Ramot Junction bus stop claimed the lives of Torah scholars, a newly wed husband, a cardiologist-baker and the ‘mother’ of a religious youth group



The attack ended when a soldier and a number of civilians who were present at the scene fired at the terrorists, killing them, police said.





The victims of a deadly terror shooting in Jerusalem, on September 8, 2025: Top L-R: Levi Yitzhak Pash, Yisrael Matzner, 28; Rabbi Yosef David, 43; Bottom L-R: Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79; Yaakov Pinto, 25; Sarah Mendelson, 60. (Courtesy)


The dead were named as Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57, Yaakov Pinto, 25, Yisrael Matzner, 28, Rabbi Yosef David, 43, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79, and Sarah Mendelson, 60. All were residents of Jerusalem except for Pash, who lived in Tel Zion in the central West Bank.



The attack ended when a soldier and a number of civilians who were present at the scene fired at the terrorists, killing them, police said.




The dead were named as Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57, Yaakov Pinto, 25, Yisrael Matzner, 28, Rabbi Yosef David, 43, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79, and Sarah Mendelson, 60. All were residents of Jerusalem except for Pash, who lived in Tel Zion in the central West Bank.

These are their stories.



Yosef David, 43

David was a Torah scholar who had recently taken a job as a prayer instructor at a Haredi elementary school, the ultra-Orthodox news site JDN reported.




According to the site, David was murdered when he was waiting for the bus from his job to the yeshiva where he pursued his own Torah studies. Witnesses told Hebrew media that he died clutching his books.




His family described him as a pious scholar who rose early every morning without fault, and always had a wide smile on his face, JDN said.

He is survived by his wife and four children, according to JDN.




Yisrael Matzner, 28

Matzner, a father of three, was born in Bnei Brak and attended Haredi elementary schools in central Israel before going on to study at the venerated Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem, according to ultra-Orthodox news site Behadrei Haredim.




After he wed, Matzner pursued further Torah study at Jerusalem’s Meisharim kollel (a yeshiva for married men), the news site said, quoting people in the institution as saying: “Rabbi Yisrael was noble with a gentle soul… full of Torah and intelligence and wisdom.”




He is survived by his wife and children, as well as his parents, the news site said.




Sara Mendelson, 60




Mendelson, also known as “Sarita,” was on her way to work at the national headquarters of Bnei Akiva, a religious Zionist youth group, where she was a member of the national leadership, the movement said.




According to the movement, Mendelson had “for decades” managed municipal relations in the movement’s treasury.




Netanel Alek, the movement’s deputy secretary-general, was quoted in Hebrew media as saying “Sarita was kind of the mother of Bnei Akiva and was “always smiling to everyone.”

“She was always thinking how to invest the money in children and the needy,” he adde




Mendelson was born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel with her family when she was 7, according to Ashdodnet, a local news site in Ashdod, where she spent part of her childhood.




She is survived by her husband, four children, and several grandchildren, according to a condolence message and Hebrew media.




Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57

Pash was on his way to his job at Yeshivat Kol Torah, a large Haredi institution in Jerusalem’s Bayit Vagan neighborhood, where he was a maintenance worker.




He was “well-known in the neighborhood, did many good deeds, gave charity widely, and studied Torah frequently,” the yeshiva said.




Pinchas, a student at the yeshiva, was quoted by religious newspaper Makor Rishon as saying Pash was hitching a ride from the Ramot Junction and was about to take the last seat in a car before giving it up to another person who was on the way to a doctor’s appointment.




“He was a janitor, but when I needed to ask questions in Halacha (Jewish law) I knew I could ask him,” said Pinchas.




Pash is survived by his father, his wife and six children, according to ultra-Orthodox media.




Yaakov Pinto, 25

Pinto was a recent emigre from Spain who wed two months ago. He was a student at the Derech Emunah yeshiva in Lod and worked as a counselor in the dormitories of Hedvat HaTorah Yeshiva High School, a Haredi high school in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood. Unlike many Haredi schools, Hedvat HaTorah integrates secular subjects at an advanced level into its intense course of Torah study.




Rabbi Meshulam Brandwein, the headmaster, told Haaretz that Pinto’s family could not make it to his wedding because of the war with Iran in June.

“We were a family to him,” he said. “He left an entire environment and culture and came here with the motivation to be part of us, and indeed, he succeeded — not just to be a part of us but to be a significant and elevated part. He was a kind-hearted man. We’re all stunned and grieving.”




Pinto is survived by his parents and wife.




Mordechai Steintzag, 79

Steintzag, also known as Mark, was a former cardiologist and the proprietor of Dr. Mark’s Bakery in Beit Shemesh, which supplies healthy breads across Israel.




According to the bakery’s website, Steintzag immigrated to Israel from the United States in 1993, and, recognizing a lack in healthy bread varieties, used his “medical knowledge and inspiration from Pennsylvania country life” in a mission to make healthier breads more widespread.




“He dedicated his life to a path of health and humanity. For him, bread was not just a food but a symbol of warmth, home, belonging and giving,” the bakery said in a statement, offering condolences to Steintzag’s family.




MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A REVOLUTION



Hostage Updates

Until the last hostage



Hamas officials: It is not possible to release all hostages in a single day under American proposal

By NURIT YOHANAN



International Red Cross (ICRC) vehicles arrive at the scene shortly before Hamas fighters release of three Israeli hostages as part of the seventh hostage-prisoner swap, in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on February 22, 2025. (Eyad Baba/AFP)

Sources in Hamas tell the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas informed the mediators it would not be possible to release all the hostages, both living and dead, on the first day of the ceasefire, as demanded by the new American proposalfor a ceasefire deal.

The sources explain to the newspaper that “there are hostages who were killed in places where the IDF would need to cease fire (apparently for an extended period) in order to recover them from under the rubble, or who were buried in areas the IDF later entered” (and now controls).

Trump proposal could jump-start Gaza hostage talks, but success hinges on him 

Opinion: Trump’s proposal to begin with the release of all hostages may face Hamas skepticism, but their strategic gains and US pressure could accelerate negotiations, while Israel’s defense minister risks politicizing the military

On the surface, the chances that the American plan will produce a comprehensive deal for the release of hostages and a halt to the war appear slim to none. Hamas would lose its strongest bargaining chips on day one, in exchange for an open-ended ceasefire and vague assurances that the war won’t resume as long as talks continue. These promises have been made and broken before, leaving little reason for Hamas to trust them this time.

Israel, on the other hand, would secure the most critical payoff immediately: the release of hostages, both alive and fallen. Yet the U.S. proposal does not even address Israel’s second most important war aim: the disarmament of Gaza, the dismantling of Hamas’s weapons, and the removal of its leadership from the territory.




Viewed coldly, this explains the widespread skepticism among Israeli officials and the justified pessimism in Jerusalem about positive developments.




But a deeper look at the U.S. plan reveals an element that offers reason for cautious optimism: Trump’s personal involvement. The plan clearly signals that former President Trump intends to take an active role in negotiating an end to the war. When a U.S. president applies the full weight of his diplomatic and economic influence across the Middle East, behind a mediation effort aimed at halting the war and securing the release of all hostages, it can be a true “game changer.”




Trump has so far failed to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, but in other conflicts in Asia and the Middle East, his interventions produced frameworks that successfully ended hostilities.

That said, there is little cause for celebration in Jerusalem: Trump could pressure Israel into concessions the current government would find painful, potentially allowing Hamas to survive in Gaza in a weakened state.

Hamas' interests

Hamas also has reason to approach Trump’s direct involvement cautiously. Trump and Netanyahu are clearly aligned, and there is good reason to believe the plan originated in Jerusalem before being sent to Washington via David Darman, so that Trump and Secretary Witkoff could adopt it as a last-resort solution.

It is likely that, as negotiations progress, Trump will insist that Hamas disarm and that Gaza be cleared not just of rockets and anti-tank missiles, but of tunnels as well. Hamas’s caution is reflected in a statement its foreign leadership released last night.




Yet the escalating military pressure works in Israel’s favor: Hamas urgently needs a pause, even if only for a few months. Another incentive for Hamas to accept the U.S. plan is that if Israel halts Operation “Gideon Chariots B” and does not enter Gaza, more than half of the city’s population remains under Hamas control, and the destruction would cease. With the other half also under Hamas control, the plan guarantees continued population control, at least temporarily, allowing the group to survive, prepare for guerrilla warfare, and hope that psychological and public pressure on the Israeli government will work in its favor.




For all these reasons, negotiations may now accelerate. The likelihood of success depends largely on Trump’s personal engagement. How much he wants or is capable—given his mercurial nature—of sustaining pressure on both sides remains unclear. Yet it appears this matter is important to him, perhaps to offset the colossal failure of his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine and enhance his chances for a Nobel Prize.

One thing is certain: even with a U.S. president involved, patience and steady nerves will be essential. The negotiations, which will ultimately determine the outcome of the war in Gaza, could take weeks or months.

During this time, the Israeli public, eager to see hostages freed quickly, must exercise patience and be selective in protests, as aggressive demonstrations risk hardening Hamas’s positions psychologically.

If Trump does commit to hands-on engagement, the talks could secure the release of all hostages and a cessation of hostilities on terms acceptable to the Israeli government.

Katz turns the military into a political pawn

While critical negotiations over hostages and southern security unfold, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz remains preoccupied with political maneuvering. He is supposed to focus on tracking the progress of Operation “Gideon Chariots II” in Gaza and the volatile situation in the West Bank.

Instead, Katz prioritizes demonstrating authority to Likud’s central committee by forcing the IDF chief of staff to approve politically driven appointments. He bargained over the post of coordinator of operations in the territories (COGAT), exchanging the approval of one senior officer for others, undermining military professionalism.



Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief Eyal Zamir (Photo: Ariel Hermoni)

Katz’s actions systematically erode the chief of staff’s authority and the institutional integrity of the IDF. The army’s strength lies in its professionalism; once soldiers don uniforms, political differences are set aside and mission execution becomes the focus.




Katz’s politicization of the military turns it into another public service riddled with partisan manipulation, which will take years to correct. Rather than contributing to the IDF’s operational successes, Katz undermines morale and the ethos of service.

As for retired Major General Yoram Halevi, he has an impressive operational record in law enforcement and counterterrorism, but no experience managing humanitarian operations. Having followed such operations worldwide for 50 years, it is clear that professional competence in planning and managing humanitarian missions determines their success.

Until Yoram Cohen learns what COGAT head Ghassan Alian already knows, months could pass during which humanitarian aid for Gaza’s residents—a key factor in maintaining legitimacy and preventing Hamas control—will suffer. Katz, however, remains indifferent, even willing to spark unnecessary conflict with the Druze community, as he blocked the chief of staff’s plan to appoint Brig. Gen. Hesham Ibrahim, a capable civilian affairs officer, is in favor of a politically palatable but inexperienced candidate.

This episode underscores that Israel’s defense minister prioritizes Likud politics above national security and professional military management. Link




Israel has accepted Trump proposal for Gaza, ready to end war ‘tomorrow,’ Sa’ar says

Israel “said yes” to US President Donald Trump’s latest proposal for a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says during a press conference in Croatia.

“The war in Gaza can end tomorrow,” says Sa’ar.

“We are ready to accept a deal that would end this war, based on the cabinet decision,” Sa’ar says. He adds that Israel’s government has two demands for the war to end — the release of all Israelis hostages and Hamas laying down its arms.

Hamas’s disarmament “ensures a better future for Gazans, for the Palestinians there,” he continues, calling Hamas “a problem for Palestinians and for the region.”

The US and Israel have yet to detail what the proposal entails, though some purported details have been leaked to the press, including the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and an agreement by Israel not to resume fighting. Channel 12 news reported on Sunday that under the new proposal, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza would be gradual but would take place mostly at the start of the ceasefire. Negotiators would then have 60 days — or as long as it takes — to come to an agreement on the disarmament of Hamas, the specifics of Israel’s withdrawal, and an alternative government for Gaza, according to the network.

Sa’ar also praises Lebanon’s government for its cabinet decision to disarm the Hezbollah terror group, calling it “very important for the future of Lebanon and for the region as a whole.”

“Israelis and Palestinians have suffered enough,” says Sa’ar. “As long as these terror states exist, as long as Hamas remains in power, the suffering on both sides will not end.”

Former hostages, families urge lawmakers push for deal: 'You're not even ashamed?!'

U.S. President Trump proposed a plan for the immediate release of all 48 hostages in Gaza; Hamas has not rejected it but may demand conditions Israel opposes, including full IDF withdrawal, while expressing willingness to negotiate a ceasefire and hostages’ release


Hostage survivors Iair Horn, Yarden Bibas, and Sharon Aloni-Cunio appeared before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday, urging lawmakers to advance a deal to bring home the 48 hostages still held in Gaza amid reports of a new U.S.-backed proposal under consideration by Hamas and Israel.

Horn broke down in tears as he recounted running alongside his brother Eitan after an Israeli missile struck near them while they were in captivity. “He’s not small or weak, and after the blast, you have to run because of the missile and toxic gases. While running, he sits down and tells me, ‘Leave me here.’ He’s my little brother, I won’t give up on him,” Horn said.



Former hostages and families at Knesset

(Photo: Amir Ettinger)

He concluded his testimony: “I think the country is in distress, the people of Israel are in distress. Help us begin to recover, end the war, bring back the hostages, and return to something closer to a functioning society.” Aloni-Cunio directly addressed lawmakers: “You’re not even ashamed to say that the hostages have a price. Who are you to decide the price for David? I’m at home with two five-year-old daughters, broken, and every day I break anew. Every day you kill us again. Us and them.” She added: “There are things I experienced in captivity that I cannot speak about out of shame. Why don’t we hear from you? Why aren’t you on our side? How long must I keep lying to my daughters about what will happen, when I don’t even know if David will return alive or in a coffin? How much more can I endure? This is daily abuse, and it doesn’t bother you.”



Yehuda and Viki Cohen, parents of hostages Nimrod (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Gil Dickmann, cousin of hostage Carmel Gat, who was killed in Hamas captivity, said: “Carmel was supposed to be here. Instead, we were at her memorial last week.” Addressing the committee chairman, Dickmann said: “You, Boaz Bismuth, and the entire political leadership send soldiers on these missions, knowing they won’t rescue hostages but will endanger them. When I asked Government Secretary Yossi Fox if the operation in which six hostages were killed was intended to target Sinwar, he didn’t answer—but his silence confirmed it. You care more about killing terrorists than returning hostages. That’s how 42 hostages were killed.” The hearing comes as U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a new proposal aimed at resolving the hostage crisis. Hamas did not explicitly reject the plan, which calls for the immediate release of all 48 hostages on the first day of a ceasefire. Sources familiar with the negotiations said the proposal offers guarantees that Israel would not resume military operations while talks continue. Analysts expect Hamas to demand conditions Israel has opposed, including a full withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza. The group, however, expressed willingness to enter negotiations immediately on the release of hostages in exchange for a clear declaration ending the war, a full withdrawal from Gaza, and the establishment of a committee to manage the Strip by independent Palestinian authorities. link




Gaza and the South



IDF hits 3rd Gaza City high-rise in as many days after evacuation warnings

Military says al-Ru’ya tower was being used by Hamas for ‘intelligence gathering’; medical sources in Hamas-run Strip report 50 killed by IDF across Gaza, 5 dead from malnutrition

For the third time in as many days, the IDF on Sunday struck a Gaza City high-rise residential building that it said was being used by Hamas, after issuing several warnings to people in the area to evacuate.

Meanwhile, rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel for the first time in three weeks. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

The strike on the al-Ru’ya tower came as medical sources in the Hamas-run Strip reported 50 people, including 46 from northern Gaza, killed by Israeli fire across Gaza since dawn on Sunday, as well as five malnutrition-related deaths, including three children, over the past 24 hours

One person was killed in the IDF strike on al-Ru’ya tower, the al-Quds hospital said in a statement.

Witness Mohammed Al-Nazli told AFP that the bombing of the al-Ru’ya tower “felt like an earthquake” and that the building was “completely destroyed and turned to rubble.”

Commenting on the army’s leveling of high-rises over the past days, Nazli said it was “extremely terrifying, and we don’t know how much more we can endure.”

According to the IDF, Hamas had “installed intelligence gathering means” at the building and “positioned observation posts to monitor the location of IDF troops in the area.” The IDF also said Hamas operatives had planted many explosive devices near the building as part of preparations for the military’s operation to take over Gaza City.

The IDF on Saturday called on Gaza residents to flee south to a new “humanitarian zone.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that over 100,000 people have fled Gaza City.



Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli army strike on a building in Gaza City, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, after the Israeli army issued a prior warning. (AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun)

It is estimated that there were some 1 million people in the city.  The IDF’s warning Saturday was followed by two urgent evacuation notices for people in and near al-Ru’ya tower and another Gaza City high-rise that was struck roughly an hour later. On Sunday, the IDF again called on people in the area of al-Ru’ya to flee immediately before it struck the building.

The military on Friday also blew up Gaza City’s Mushtaha tower after issuing an evacuation warning, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying the explosion signified the opening of the “gates of Hell in Gaza.”

Israel did not provide evidence to show Hamas was using the buildings, an accusation the terror group has denied.

Elsewhere in Gaza City on Sunday, the IDF in the morning bombed the al-Tawheed Wal Sunna mosque in Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhood, according to Palestinian media.

No casualties were reported, and footage from the scene was captured on a hand-held camera pointed at the building ahead of the explosion, indicating that the IDF gave prior warning of the attack. The military did not immediately comment on the strike.

While mosques and other religious buildings are protected under international law, they can be targeted if they are used for military purposes. The IDF has accused Hamas of embedding itself in civilian infrastructure, including mosques.

Also Sunday morning, two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward Israel, setting off sirens in Gaza border communities and the nearby town of Netivot in the first rocket launch from Gaza in three weeks, the IDF said.

One of the rockets was intercepted while the second landed in an unpopulated area, the military said. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad later claimed responsibility for the rocket launch, saying on Telegram that it had aimed at Netivot.  Link

  




Gaza authorities say five high-rises toppled since weekend

By Nurit Yohanan



Palestinians take cover during an Israeli strike on a building in Gaza City, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, after the Israeli army issued a prior warning. (AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun)

Five Gaza high-rises have been destroyed by the Israeli military in the last 72 hours, according to the Strip’s Civil Defense agency, a rescue and emergency body in the Strip controlled by Hamas.

The buildings, most of them 10-15 stories, housed some 4,100 people in 209 apartments, the agency says.

Strikes targeting the buildings also destroyed 350 nearby tents sheltering some 3,500 people, it adds.

The tally for the number of buildings hit is far smaller than claims from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz that dozens such buildings have been hit in recent days.


Palestinians check the rubble of a building called al-Ruya Tower in Gaza City's Rimal area following an Israeli bombardment, on September 8, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

The IDF says the buildings were used by Hamas to conduct operations against troops, including surveillance, and residents of the buildings were warned before the strikes.

 

In first, Israel orders all of Gaza City to evacuate ahead of ground invasion

By Emanuel Fabian

The IDF says Palestinian civilians in all areas of Gaza City must evacuate immediately ahead of a major ground offensive against Hamas in the area.

The warning marks the first widespread evacuation order for all of Gaza City. Previous warnings issued by the IDF in recent days only included specific buildings and the area surrounding them.

“The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, just as it has throughout the Strip,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, says on X. 


Palestinians are instructed to head to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip’s south via the coastal road.

“Remaining in the area is extremely dangerous,” Adraee says.

The announcement also provides a phone number for Palestinians to “report Hamas roadblocks or attempts by its members to prevent evacuation.” link Up until now, the evacuation orders have been a dismal failure. The numbers of Gazans evacuating Gaza City given by the IDF have been inflated. They have claimed 100,000 while the actual number is much lower. In any case, even if accurate, the number of people in Gaza City are 1 million, so 100,000 is a tiny amount for the IDF to continue according to the original plan of decimating the city by flattening every building and mass aerial bombings, with all activities proving major risks of killing the hostages held in Gaza City. The residents are refusing to evacuate for multiple reasons. Many of them have evacuated many times already, some as many as 20 times in the last 2 year. They have said that wherever they evacuate to is just as dangerous as we know that many evacuated areas have experienced bombings as well. They are being met by antagonism and violence in the south where the 'humanitarian' tent areas are set up and are facing Hamas gunmen who are shooting at people to prevent them from evacuating. They don't have any money or resources to evacuate. The estimated minimum cost for a couple (not a family) is $2000 for a tent and space to set up. Many have said that going anywhere is risking their lives so they prefer to stay in their homes and die there.

For all of these reasons, the army has been blowing up high rise buildings. The claim is that Hamas is using these building for their terror activities, which is most likely true. Hamas has had a lot of time to prepare Gaza City for the IDF attack. They have set up snipers and booby traps in all of the high rise buildings, so blowing them up was expected, however the time now is mostly to show the residents that staying in their homes is not an option and they have to evacuate. It is one thing to say they will stay in their homes even if it means dying. It is another to watch the outcome of these demolished buildings. I do expect more residents to evacuate, but I am not sure it will be enough for the IDF to carry out their full plans for the city. I hope they won't be able to  as the risks to the hostages and to the soldiers is so high. We have lost too many of both to be complacent and go along with the plans of this failed government that is continuing this war solely to keep the failed and corrupt coalition together.

Defense minister says ‘Gaza will be razed’ if no Hamas surrender.
Katz is just another government war criminal and will also eventually be indicted and have a warrant for his arrest by the ICC. It doesn't matter that Israel is not a signatory (State party) of the ICC, there are 125 countries that are. Israel refused to sign on due to our occupation of the West Bank and refusal for any international body to have a legal argument against our actions there. "The jurisdiction of the ICC is limited to the territories and nationals of state parties. Israel signed the Rome Statute on 31 December 2000 but did not ratify it. " (link) The fact that we are not part of the ICC does not remove Israel from the recognition of crimes committed by it under the statutes of the ICC. The ICC cannot come to Israel and arrest anyone with an ICC warrant for their arrest but they can arrest those people as soon as they place their feet in one of the 125 signatory countries.
Katz's continuing statements of razing and total destruction are rightfully viewed by the international community as genocidal statements. He is joined by many others within this criminal, failed and corrupt coalition with the head criminal being Netanyahu. The key other criminals are all of the members of the extremist racist parties of Smotrich and Ben Gvir, without exception and a number of the extremist ministers and Knesset members of Netanyahu's Likud. According the Geneva Convention of 1948 and 1951, the entire genocide convention is not only on acts of genocide but on words of intent. 
"The "Geneva Convention on Genocide" is actually the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted in 1948 by the UN General Assembly in response to the Holocaust. It defines genocide as specific acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, and requires states to prevent and punish it. The Convention makes genocide a crime under international law and is considered a peremptory norm, binding even on non-ratifying states, as its principles are recognized by civilised nations. "
This statute makes every single one of these coalition hacks international criminals by their deeds and their intents based on their verbose statements.  



‘Hijacking, anarchic, extreme’: How some Gazans view international pro-Palestine protesters
International pro-Palestine protesters think they are helping Gazans. Gazan activists say they are propping up Hamas terrorists. 


Pro-Palestine protesters on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on August 3, 2025 (Image: DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images).



From the streets of London to North American campuses to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, supporters of Palestine raise their flags and chant in solidarity.
But in Gaza itself, the value of this support is not always clear. I spoke with three Gazans — two still living amid war, and one now abroad — about how they view the voices raised in their name. 
Their views reveal disillusionment and show that solidarity is complex and sometimes counterproductive.

Hamza Howidy: Peace and human rights activist



Palestinian asylum seeker Hamza Howidy has been threatened by Western pro-Palestine demonstrators in Germany because he opposes armed resistance and supports Israel’s right to exist.  

He says the international Palestine movement thinks it knows better than Palestinians themselves, when it comes to what Gaza needs.

“In the past, our cause was hijacked by Pan-Arabism. Palestine became a symbol for Arab regimes, but actual Palestinians were ignored or used… Today we’re being hijacked by what I’d call Pan-Leftism. 

“Now huge parts of the Western left, along with their local followers, push two fixed demands on Palestinians: full boycott of anything connected to Israel — academic, cultural and economic — and full support for armed resistance. 

“If you question them, you're accused of betrayal. You're told you're not a real Palestinian.”  

Since leaving Gaza in 2023, Howidy has been able to observe the international pro-Palestine movement at close quarters. 

He believes these supporters have an opportunity to help the people of Gaza, but they lack a clear vision and waste their efforts on maximalist demands that do not help Palestinians. He supports demonstrating for humanitarian aid, an end to the war and rebuilding Gaza, but says uncompromising sloganism hurts Palestinians and supports a corrupt regime.

"Both Palestinians and Israelis have the right to exist. It is hypocritical to accuse Israel of genocide while supporting the atrocities of Hamas and chant, we want to dismantle the Zionist entity, than to oppose the genocide in Gaza". 

Howidy says the pro-Palestine movement paints the Palestinian people purely as victims, misrepresenting them as incapable of thinking and making decisions for themselves. 

He is frustrated by the international pro-Palestine movement’s support for armed resistance. "For 80 years, we have tried armed resistance. The Palestinians no longer have a place to live in Gaza City. More than 80 per cent of the city is destroyed. People are living in tents, starving, and suffering psychological damage. Instead, we must acknowledge our mistakes and decisions and take responsibility. Diplomacy and negotiation are the solutions." 

Howidy feels strongly about the need to speak up for his people and finds it difficult to do so in Germany, where awareness of Germany’s persecution of Jews means avoidance of discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

"When I arrived in Germany, applied for asylum, and shared my story, the response from immigration officials was not to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to protect myself from opponents.” 

He kept talking, received threats and called the police: “Their efforts were ineffective, perhaps because they didn't understand the sensitivity of the situation". 

Rami Saeed: Journalist, Gaza City 

Rami Saeed is sceptical about the value of the slogans carried by Western demonstrators.  

"Free Palestine? Is it Gaza, the West Bank, the Arabs inside Israel, or the Palestinians of the Diaspora? This [slogan] is not related to reality but rather used for spite and blackmail. It is just an anarchic slogan since it's only used by people who don't understand the reality on the ground.” 

Saeed says the solidarity movement does not acknowledge the culpability of Hamas for the continuing conflict.  

“The West considers Hamas as freedom fighters. If that is the case, then Hamas should be concerned with the affairs of its people. On the contrary, Hamas oppresses its people and hijacks them for the movement's extremist agendas.  

“The West must know that the people of Gaza only want to remain on their land and live in peace. People are naturally non-ideological; however, it is essential to recognise a fundamental difference between Hamas, the resistance movement, and the civilians. 

"Hamas could have accepted the agreements with Israel, including the Abraham Accords, by demonstrating realism and pragmatism. Hamas refuses to establish a Gazan administration reflecting the values of the people because it is a fundamentalist and ideological movement. Their refusal eventually led to a catastrophe.” 

Saeed believes most Gazans oppose both Hamas and armed confrontation with Israel. He said it will take more than an end to the war with Israel for Gaza to be free, pointing out that Hamas came to power through a military coup and elections were merely a formality. 

Yahya Al-Hajj: Economic and political activist, Gaza City 

Yahya Al-Hajj is also concerned that solidarity movements conflate Gaza and Hamas, supporting a regime that is bad for the people of Gaza.  

"Solidarity in its form is a good thing in the sense we understand it. However, "Free Palestine" and other slogans that are being carried, support for the continuation of the resistance violently [lead to] more deaths for the people of Gaza, which we reject entirely,” he said. 

Al-Hajj believes that solidarity movements must share their message, applying pressure to Hamas as well as to Israel. He blames Hamas' recklessness for some of the suffering and believes it should make concessions to save the lives of Gazans. 

Solidarity protesters need to learn about what life was like in Gaza before October 7, Al-Hajj said. They should consider the reality of life under Hamas, the lack of democracy, and the suffering and division of the population, as well as the experiences of those impacted by the war.

Al-Hajj says West pro-Palestine demonstrators avoid discussing facts and prefer to stick with slogans that reinforce extremism. “I prefer to discuss everything happening on the Strip openly, without suppressing any voice,” he said.

Beyond the slogans 

For Gazans, solidarity is not symbolic — it is practical. International support can ease suffering, but only when it listens to the priorities and realities on the ground. Otherwise, it risks adding to the burdens Palestinians already carry.  

The Palestinian cause is complex and international protest movements oversimplify it.  

Any meaningful change will require listening not to Westerners waving Palestinian flags, but to Palestinian voices.


Manar Al-Sharif

Manar Alsharif is a Palestinian-Syrian journalist and activist who grew up in Syria. After the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, she and her family were forced to flee to Egypt before later moving to Gaza. Her journalism and activism in Gaza led to her arrest by Hamas authorities, where she spent three months in jail, including a period in solitary confinement, and endured a two-week hunger strike. She remains committed to amplifying marginalized voices and exposing the realities of repression.   link

Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria



• Hezbollah official says four members killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon

  By AFP

  BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli strikes on the country’s east killed at least five people today, after the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah positions.

  “The Israeli enemy strikes on the Bekaa and the outskirts of Hermel led to a preliminary toll of five dead and five others wounded,” the ministry says, noting the toll was provisional.

  A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, confirms four of the five killed were terror group members  Link

  
  

• Syria slams alleged Israeli strikes as ‘blatant infringement’ of regional stability

  By Reuters

  Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemns a wave of reported Israeli airstrikes in the country as “a blatant infringement” of its sovereignty and regional stability.

  In a statement, the ministry charges that the attacks are part of an ongoing series of escalations pursued by Israel against Syrian territory.

  Israel struck in the vicinity of Syria’s central Homs city, the coastal city of Latakia and the historic city of Palmyra, Syrian state-affiliated media has said.

  There has been no immediate comment from Israel.

  
  

• Alleged Israeli strike south of Beirut said to wound Hezbollah man

  
  
West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Terror Attacks



• Leaders vow to step up West Bank raids as far right demands ‘vengeance’ after attack

  Netanyahu visits scene of shooting with police minister Ben Gvir, who urges citizens to arm themselves, blames High Court of Justice for demanding security prisoners get more food  Full article The calls from coalition members for action and revenge will cause two very different reactions. The first we are already seeing with the army closing all entry points from the West Bank into Israel and the army surrounding and closing off several Palestinian villages in the Ramallah area  we will also be seeing the army going into villages, arresting Palestinians and engaging in shooting when the soldiers feel under threat and if there is any shooting at the troops.  The second reaction will be revenge attacks by settler terrorists. The settler terrorists have been committing terror acts against Palestinians on a daily basis. Not that they need an excuse, but these terrorists will use the attack in Jerusalem as justification for multiple acts of revenge without any repercussions. The only question is how many attacks and how bad they will be: killing Palestinians?
  
  

  
  
• The military said Sunday that troops recently razed a Hamas tunnel spanning hundreds of meters in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.

  
  The IDF published a video of the demolition and said the tunnel was located during operations of the Nahal Brigade in the area. The tunnel featured a room that was used by Hamas’s forces in Zeitoun to coordinate attacks, according to the military.

  PM: Over 100,000 Palestinians have left Gaza City

  Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday that Israel killed a terrorist who took part in the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, and bragged to his parents that he had personally slaughtered 10 Jews.

  According to Netanyahu, Israel killed the man, then called his parents to inform them.

  In a phone call from the October 7 onslaught, released by Israel days after the massacre that sparked the Gaza war, the man could be heard excitedly telling his parents that he was in a kibbutz near the Gaza border. “Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!” he said, according to an English translation.

  Palestinian media in Gaza identified the man on Saturday as Mahmoud Afana, and said he was killed in Deir al-Balah.

  Netanyahu also indicated at the cabinet meeting that around 100,00 civilians have left Gaza City amid the widening military operation there.

  “About 100,000 people have left Gaza. Hamas is trying to do everything to prevent them from leaving and to keep them there to serve as human shields,” said the premier. His office later clarified to The Times of Israel that he was referring to Gaza City, not the entire Strip.

  Netanyahu also accused Hamas of shooting women and children in the legs in an effort to prevent them from fleeing.

  “We want to focus on the terrorists themselves, and allow the civilian population to get out,” said Netanyahu, accusing Hamas of shooting women and children in the legs in an effort to prevent them from fleeing.

  “Our effort in Gaza against the last [Hamas] strongholds – essentially the last important stronghold, Gaza City – is part of our effort to complete the dismantling of the Iranian axis stranglehold,” he said.

  The UN estimates that around 1 million Palestinians remain in Gaza City. The vast majority of Gaza’s 2 million population has been displaced.

  

  A girl rides through the broken windshield at the front of a vehicle transporting people and their belongings while evacuating southbound from Gaza City on September 2, 2025 (Eyad BABA / AFP)

  Last month, the UN officially declared there was a famine in northern Gaza. Israel, which paused the delivery of aid into Gaza for nearly three months until mid-May, has rejected the report.

  UN aid chief Tom Fletcher on Sunday said there was a “narrow window to prevent” famine from spreading farther in Gaza.

  “There is a narrow window – until the end of September – to prevent famine from spreading to Deir al Balah (in central Gaza) and Khan Younis (southern Gaza). That window is now closing fast,” he said.

  Israel has accused Hamas of hijacking aid shipments, and the UN of failing to deliver them.

  COGAT, the Defense Ministry agency that deals with humanitarian issues, said on Sunday that over the past week aid from more than 1,900 trucks, most supplying food, was distributed in Gaza.

  “We will continue facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza for the civilian population — not Hamas,” COGAT said in a statement.

Politics and the War and General News



Haaretz Editorial | Netanyahu Wanted to Be Israel's Mr. Security. Instead, He's Mr. Death.

 Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer "Mr. Security," and on Monday he was finally renamed "Mr. Death." It is incomprehensible that the man who was prime minister on October 7, after serving in the position for nearly 14 consecutive years during which he cultivated Hamas as an asset and funded it, whose name will forever be linked to the worst disaster in Israel's history, is still the prime minister. It is illogical that a self-proclaimed world expert on fighting terrorism, who suffered the greatest defeat to terrorism, continues to lead Israel from one terror attack to the next. Never has the slogan "No peace without security" been better exemplified. Netanyahu is a complete failure in protecting national security.
Six Israelis were shot dead Monday in a terrorist attack at Jerusalem's Ramot Junction. Eight more suffered moderate or serious injuries. In addition, four members of the 401st Armored Brigade's 52nd Battalion were killed in the Jabalya area of northern Gaza.
The security situation under Netanyahu and his "fully right-wing" government, whose members railed against the Bennett-Lapid government every time a rock was thrown in the territories, is only going from bad to worse. The right continues to enjoy false credit for security, based on the false doctrine that only it is strong on security. Under the cover of this smokescreen, the right's irresponsibility regarding security is forgiven again and again, as if it were the lesser of two evils. As if the left would harm Israel. In fact, by every metric the years with right-wing governments were Israel's worst in terms of security. 


For years, and especially since October 7, the left has warned that Netanyahu's path leads to more violence: refusing to negotiate with the Palestinians; weakening the Palestinian Authority; scorning PA President Mahmoud Abbas; encouraging criminal construction in settlements; handing civil authority in the West Bank to settler representative Bezalel Smotrich; turning a blind eye to settler violence; imposing collective punishment and much more. The continuation of the war will guarantee only more dead soldiers and hostages.     

Yet every time reality slaps them in the face, Netanyahu and his cabinet ministers are quick to point an accusing finger in every direction but their own. On Monday, it was the Supreme Court, following its (mild) ruling that the food supplied to security prisoners does not meet legal requirements.      "You are also part of this war," Netanyahu told the cameras, the national security minister at his side. What a terrible joke: Itamar Ben-Gvir standing next to him on the dance floor, covered in blood. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar blamed the initiative to establish a Palestinian state. It's a reminder that not only do they not understand anything about security, but they are leaders of the lowest caliber. They seek all of the authority for themselves but flee from responsibility like the plague. Responsibility is for the left and for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

The most failed government in Israeli history has turned Israelis into pariahs abroad and made Israel a more dangerous place for them. We must work to oust it and save the state. Link

The Region and the World

• Spain recalls ambassador from Israel after Sa’ar accuses Madrid of antisemitism  Link it’s hard to keep track of which minister or coalition member is winning the race of making the most enemies against Israel.  Netanyahu, as prime minister is obviously winning, so the question is, whose in second place, Saar, Katz, Ben Gvir, Smotrich, or other coalition members?

Personal Stories

A return to life for Kibbutz Nir Oz: "We Will Leave the Burnt Houses’”
The Kibbutz, which suffered one of the hardest blows during the massacre of 7/10 and still has nine of its members held hostage in Gaza, is beginning to recover. Ron has returned with his family to the new neighborhood being built: "We are determined to turn from a symbol of disaster into a symbol of rebirth”

700 days after October 7, signs of a new beginning are visible in Nir Oz: This week members of the kibbutz gave the order to begin demolishing the houses that were damaged, as well as those where residents were murdered on the morning of the massacre. At the same time, the first six families returned to the "Halutz" neighborhood, made up of renovated and newly built homes.
One of those families is that of Ron Bahat, who came back to Nir Oz with his wife and their two daughters about two weeks ago, and now serves in a role he describes as "responsible for physical rehabilitation — something like that".

One of the first to go back. Ron Bahat (photo: Gon Mizrahi)


Bahat says that By November, "There will be 100 people in the kibbutz. By the end of 2026 more families will return, and by mid-2027 Nir Oz will be full again. We will also celebrate Rosh Hashanah here. We are in the final stages of planning and thinking about the rebuilding of the kibbutz. It is very moving to see life return. And, unpleasant as it is to say — this is without assistance from the state". As fighting in Gaza continues and threatens to expand, Bahat voices optimism. "I have no fear for Nir Oz — it will rise and be stronger, large", he says, despite the fact that many families chose not to return after the massacre. "There is no doubt that this will be an amazing place. People are stepping up. Four families from outside are moving here to help us build, keep and create the foundation for the larger return. They are coming for at least two years, and perhaps they will stay if it works out".
The kibbutz, of which some members remain held hostage in Gaza - and where only six houses remained untouched by the attackers - has areas that must be handled with special care. Bahat says Nir Oz had agreed to leave a section known as the "Zone of Uncertainty", which includes burned homes, houses of hostages and other traces of the massacre. "We will treat that area more slowly and carefully", he says. "All this while we continue the daily struggle for the return of the hostages".

Amid the ruins. Ron Bahat
(photo: Herzl Yosef)
"One idea", he explains, "is to gather the construction materials from the destroyed houses and build a 'Memorial Hill' that will serve as a living testimony to growth out of the destruction". Other ideas include creating a memorial garden, a remembrance room, and preserving remains and stories of the houses".
Speaking about returning to Nir Oz, Bahat says that for him and his family, "this is the most natural and right thing to do. It's joyful to see the place alive, to see people here. We worked so hard to reach this stage, and it is finally happening. It's a significant milestone, though there is still a road ahead. For some families the move back is a little more complicated, since the children are still studying afar - but everyone here wants to see the place alive and thriving and to take part in rebuilding it. It warms the heart and brings great joy".
Looking at the map of the kibbutz, Bahat says: "We're keeping the same DNA while at the same time expanding. Nir Oz will change, no doubt, but we will preserve our core values: mutual responsibility — which I would be glad to see extend to the government as well — education and community. I believe many people in the community are waiting to see life return here, a sense of security restored, and then they will also come. I would be glad if in the end everyone came back, but more important is that each family finds the best way to rebuild their lives, wherever that may be. Our door is always open. Nir Oz will always be their home".

Nir Oz will change, no doubt. Destruction in the wake of the massacre
(צילום: גדי קבלו )
As noted, in addition to the families returning to Nir Oz, four new families - from "the Outside" - are set to join the community. "We have not even announced that we are taking in new members, and we are receiving endless inquiries". says Bahat, "The sense of belonging and the desire to be part of something larger than your personal circle is immense. For now, we are focused on the 'Halutz' stage, the first stage, and on seeing how to bring Nir Oz back to life. After that we will turn to absorb new members. We are determined to turn from a symbol of disaster into a symbol of renewal.
It is inconceivable that after 700 days there are still hostages in Gaza, including nine from Nir Oz,", Bahat ends his words with a painful reminder. "We will not forgive and we will not forget — until they return, we will not stop fighting and we will not truly be whole". link






Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

IPS - Israel Prison System

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

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




PMO- Prime Minister's Office

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

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

‎אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית