π️Lonny's War Update- October 711, 2023 - September 16, 2025 π️
π️Day 711 that 48 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivityπ️
IDF chief reportedly yells at cabinet ministers: Go secure a hostage release deal!
In the meeting last night on the future of the campaign in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the meeting by confronting military chiefs over leaks to the media, saying that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Eyal Zamir opposes the operation in Gaza City, Channel 12 reports.“What is this?” Netanyahu said as he waved around articles on Zamir’s opposition to the operation, per the report. “Stop giving briefings against the operation. This cannot continue! We made the decision — and you need carry it out. This isn’t an army that has a state; it’s a state that has an army.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir then challenged Zamir: “What is your reaction to these accusations?”
Zamir said he was unaware of any briefings given to journalists.
Meanwhile, according to a report in Channel 13, Zamir fired back at the members of the cabinet.
“I am preparing the army for ground maneuvers and am calling up reservists to defeat Hamas according to your instructions,” said Zamir. “Why isn’t the negotiating team traveling around the world now, in order to bring about a deal by force,” he continued. “Why do we always have to depend on [the US]?”
“Why is Dadi sitting here,” he asked, using Mossad chief David Barnea’s nickname. “Why are you in Israel? Go bring us a deal by force!”
Per Channel 13, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer responded by reminding Zamir that, before the attacks on Iran, “You stood here and said that the US won’t be with us in Iran, that they won’t fight alongside us. In the end, everything that happened contradicted what you said and your assessments.”
“There is a deal on the table now, and it is there only because we didn’t listen to you and we didn’t adopt your position,” Dermer reportedly adds.
“So take the deal!” Zamir yelled back. link Like everyone else Netanyahu chooses, he wants yes men who don't argue with him and only do his bidding. He thought he had that with Zamir, his personal choice to head the IDF. It turns out that Zamir, as an IDF chief needs to be, cares more about the country, the people and all those under his command than taking bad orders from corrupt politicians and acting without saying a word. Yes, it is his role to take strategic direction from the political echelon but he is the one who determines how to act on it. It is also his supreme role to speak when he believes the political echelon is endangering its citizens and soldiers with bad decisions that also will have far reaching negative implications for the entire country. Whether or not Zamir has political aspirations for the future, he has a legal and moral obligation to the country, not to the prime minister or his yes man defense minister. As a soldier, we each swear allegiance to the State, not to a politician. As much as Netanyahu would prefer that everyone swear allegiance to him personally, it is not something that is going to happen, no matter how many yes men he has under him. Zamir has warned the political echelon time and time again that the best way forward for the state and the war is to make a deal, not continue the fighting, which he has also stated increases exponentially the dangers and risks to the hostages living and dead and to every soldier he orders to fight in Gaza. A deal is the only way forward, not more fighting, not more destruction, not more people dying. Just as Zamir yelled at Netanyahu "TAKE THE DEAL!"
- Hostage families camp outside PM’s home amid rumored start to Gaza City ground op
Captives’ parents rush to Jerusalem, warning their sons being held in areas targeted by IDF; Trump: ‘all bets are off’ if report true that Hamas bringing hostages above ground as shieldsThe families of hostages being held in Gaza frantically scrambled to organize a protest outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence overnight Monday-Tuesday amid reports that the IDF had commenced ground operations aimed at implementing the long-pledged takeover of Gaza City, which they fear will endanger their loved ones.
Several Palestinian media sites said that Israeli tanks had entered the northern Gaza city where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering, but those reports weren’t confirmed, and the IDF did not issue a corroborating statement.
While the commencement of a ground operation appeared inconclusive, the IDF was undoubtedly intensifying its operations around Gaza City.
Palestinian media outlets reported that the IDF was hitting Gaza City with warplanes, artillery and drones, causing massive explosions that could be heard from afar. Even residents of central Israel reported feeling vibrations from the strikes.
“There is heavy, relentless bombing on Gaza City, and the danger keeps increasing,” witness Ahmed Ghazal said overnight Monday-Tuesday, adding that homes have been destroyed and residents are trapped under the rubble.
“We can hear their screams,” said the 25-year-old Gaza City resident.
Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency, told AFP that “bombing is still ongoing heavily across Gaza City, and the number of deaths and injuries continues to rise.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz later tweeted that troops are “fighting valiantly to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”
“Gaza [City] is burning. The IDF is striking the terror infrastructure with an iron fist,” he said. “We will not relent and we will not back down, until the mission is completed.”
In recent days, the military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Gaza City, including against tall buildings, ahead of a looming offensive against Hamas in the area.
Israeli officials have say 300,000 Palestinians have heeded the IDF’s calls for civilians to evacuate Gaza City in recent weeks after the population had ballooned to roughly one million displaced people earlier this year.
The evacuation orders have had limited success, as many Palestinians that other areas in the Strip are no safer and as Hamas has urged Gazans not to heed the Israeli warnings. The Strip’s population of roughly two million had already been squeezed into areas encompassing less than a quarter of the enclave before the Gaza City operation commenced.
The intensified bombings came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new offensive in Gaza City and his stated goal of eradicating Hamas.
Rubio showed no daylight between himself and Netanyahu on a visit to Jerusalem on Monday, saying Israel could “count on our unwavering support” for its military push in the devastated Palestinian territory.
Trump threatens Hamas again
Also on Monday, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had recently read a report claiming that Hamas has positioned hostages as human shields in Gaza City, calling it a “human atrocity” and threatening the terror group.
“I have just read a news report that Hamas has moved the hostages above ground to use them as human shields against Israel’s ground offensive,” Trump wrote.
“I hope the Leaders of Hamas know what they’re getting into if they do such a thing. This is a human atrocity, the likes of which few people have ever seen before. Don’t let this happen or, ALL ‘BETS’ ARE OFF. RELEASE ALL HOSTAGES NOW!” he added.
The US president has issued a number of threats against the Hamas terror group if it does not cede to demands, but it was not clear what actions — if any — he intends to take.
On Sunday night, the mother of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal said she had received information that her son had been moved above ground in Gaza City to serve as a human shield for Hamas operatives.
Trump later reiterated his warning to Hamas in comments to reporters from the Oval Office.
“Thank you, President Trump, for your unflinching support for Israel’s battle against Hamas and the release of all our hostages,” Netanyahu tweeted minutes after Trump’s Truth Social post.
Hamas later hit back at Trump, claiming his comments demonstrated “blatant bias in favor of Zionist propaganda.”
The terror group said Trump knows well that Netanyahu is the one destroying all chances of reaching an agreement that would end the war in Gaza.
Hamas added that it holds the US — along with Israel — responsible for the escalating war in Gaza.
“War criminal Netanyahu bears full responsibility for the lives of his prisoners in the Gaza Strip,” the group said, adding that the Gaza City takeover risks the lives of the hostages.
“Washington knows that Netanyahu is sabotaging the chances of any agreement, most recently by attempting to assassinate the negotiating delegation in Qatar while they were discussing Trump’s final deal,” Hamas said.
Hostage families camp outside Netanyahu’s home
Amid reports that the IDF was beginning the first stages of its attack on Gaza City, the Hostages Families Forum issued a desperate plea late Monday night to protect their loved ones, accusing Netanyahu of sacrificing them.
“The 710th night in Gaza might be the last night in the lives of the hostages who are barely surviving, and the last night of the ability to locate and return the slain hostages for a proper burial,” the group said in a statement.
The group alleges that a significant number of the 20 hostages considered by Israel to be alive are being held in Gaza City.
“The prime minister is consciously choosing to sacrifice them on the altar of political considerations,” the group adds, accusing him of ignoring advice from the IDF chief of staff, who has reportedly warned against the operation.
The mother of hostage Matan Angrest said her son was being held in the area being struck by the IDF in Gaza City overnight Monday-Tuesday.
“I won’t let this be his last night (alive). I’m on my way to the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. Come with me!” Anat Angrest tweeted.
The IDF has said that it is taking steps to avoid targeting areas where the hostages are held, though, it has in the past unknowingly done so, leading indirectly or directly to the deaths of a number of hostages.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is also being held in Gaza, tweeted, “We hear the bombings on our children and we can’t sit at home.”
She accused Netanyahu of deciding to kill the hostages and of “sacrificing an entire country for his political survival.
“We are going out to demand the return of our children in a comprehensive deal to end the war,” Zangauker added.
Hostage Nimrod Cohen’s mother Vicky Cohen addressed her son directly in an X post.
“My child, I know that the bombings around you are shaking the tunnel you are in,” she wrote.
“I wish I could just tell you to take care of yourself, but we both know that this is not in your control. I am sending you strength and asking you: Be strong, and don’t break.”
Former hostage Arbel Yehoud, whose boyfriend Ariel Cunio is still being held in Gaza, wrote an appeal to the public on Instagram as she made her way to Jerusalem for the protest outside Netanyahu’s residence.
“My Ariel is in real danger. The sounds of the explosions from Gaza shake the walls of my home and the chambers of my heart. I am going up to Jerusalem to the prime minister’s residence, and I need you with me to save everyone,” she writes.
The Hostage Family Forum subsequently issued a statement saying that Netanyahu had heard about the “families’ intention to come demonstrate near his home in Jerusalem and fled within minutes.”
The forum reiterated its call for the public to join them in Jerusalem for the protest.
Turnout was somewhat limited, likely due to the last-minute nature of the protest and the late hour at which it was called.
The parents of hostages Matan Zangauker, Matan Angrest and Rom Braslavski camped out in sleeping bags on Azza Street after police barred them from bringing tents onto the street.
They were joined by the father of slain hostage Guy Iluz and other relatives of the 48 captives still being held in Gaza.
Zangauker’s mother Einav told reporters that the families don’t intend to leave, as they fear that the military’s operations ordered by the government are endangering their loved ones.
“Sara (Netanyahu), come out here and tell me what you promised me in Nir Oz. There are other fathers and mothers here too. Come out and tell me how you lied to my face, how you told me that you were going to bring a deal that returns everyone home. Come out and tell me how you lied to me. You know how to meet with families behind closed doors, away from the media, away from everything, where you sell them complete nonsense. Enough!” Zangauker could be heard shouting.
“I have one interest: for this country to wake up and bring back my child along with 47 other hostages — both living and deceased — and to bring our soldiers home,” she continued.
Netanyahu “doesn’t like hearing us here, so he ran away like a coward. We will follow him everywhere, day and night. It’s over. The gloves are off. If he stops at nothing and sends our precious, brave, heroic soldiers to fight while our hostages are being used as human shields, he is not worthy of being prime minister!” she adds. link
Hostage families camping out outside PM’s Jerusalem residence in sleeping bagsThe parents of hostages Matan Zangauker, Matan Angrest and Rom Braslavski are currently camping out in sleeping bags outside the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Jerusalem’s Azza Street, protesting the reported IDF commencement of its Gaza City takeover.
They are joined by the father of slain hostage Guy Iluz and other relatives of the 48 captives still being held in Gaza.
Zangauker’s mother Einav tells reporters that the families don’t intend to leave, as they fear that the military’s operations ordered by the government are endangering their loved ones.
They are resorting to sleeping bags after police barred them from bringing tents onto the street.
- Rubio: Only ‘very short window of time’ left for ceasefire and hostage-release deal
This is in the hands of one man, Trump. Netanyahu will do everything to prevent a deal and a ceasefire as he has done for the last 2 years. Trump is the only person that Netanyahu cannot say no to. Last week, it appeared that it was going to work. Trump told Netanyahu about his plan to end the war and have the hostages released on day one of the ceasefire. Trump also was going to give personal guarantees to Hamas that Israel would not restart the fighting even if all the details of ending the war took more time than the 60 day ceasefire. We were on the precipice of getting all the hostages home and ending the war and Trump told Netanyahu to accept it. But Netanyahu still had a trick up his sleeve and that was to attack the meeting of the Hamas leaders who were convening to discuss and then accept the Trump deal to end the war. Netanyahu saw a double opportunity: to kill as many of Hamas' senior leaders in one shot and to kill the deal to end the war. How could Netanyahu resist such party favor in front of him? The costs and repercussions of the action meant absolutely nothing to him because the costs and repercussions were going to hurt the hostages, the soldiers and the country, not him in his war of political survival. That is all he able to see, is it good for him? And he acts accordingly. There is much coming out to show that Trump knew about the attack and didn't stop it like he did the last attack of Tehran in the 12 day war with Iran. After Iran immediately breached the ceasefire deal with ballistic missiles that killed and caused major damages, Netanyahu ordered a major aerial strike against Iran. Trump, upon hearing this ordered Netanyahu to call off the attack and he did. He allowed one jet to bomb a low priority radar site outside of Tehran as a symbolic response. The point here is that Netanyahu will not say no to Trump. If Trump did know about the attack on Qatar, it showed that Netanyahu once again succeeded in wrapping Trump around his little finger. However, despite all of Netanyahu's hyperbole, the attack was a failure and Trump hates failures, so Trump disassociated himself from the attack and came down on Netanyahu. Unfortunately, this was more for the international press than it was for real in light on Rubio's statements following his meetings with Netanyahu. Rubio stated the need to destroy Hamas which is what Netanyahu has been selling to Trump who has given him the green light instead of ending the war and bringing home the hostages.
Our only hope is if Trump, indeed sees the 'short window of time' left for a deal and his hopes for the Nobel Peace Prize and then forces Netanyahu to make a deal now, and not next month or the month after when we may find that many of the hostages have been killed either by our bombings in Gaza or executed by the terrorists guards, both scenarios that we have seen take the lives of many of our hostages. Hamas hits back at Trump for believing ‘Zionist propaganda’ regarding hostages
Hamas issues a statement hitting back at US President Donald Trump after the latter warned that “all bets were off” if reports that the terror group is moving hostages above ground to thwart the IDF takeover of Gaza City turn out to be true.
Hamas claims Trump’s comments demonstrate “blatant bias in favor of Zionist propaganda.”
The terror group says Trump knows well that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the one destroying all chances of reaching an agreement that would end the war in Gaza.
Hamas adds that it holds the US — along with Israel — responsible for the escalating war in Gaza.
“War criminal Netanyahu bears full responsibility for the lives of his prisoners in the Gaza Strip,” the group says, adding that the Gaza City takeover risks the lives of the hostages.
“Washington knows that Netanyahu is sabotaging the chances of any agreement, most recently by attempting to assassinate the negotiating delegation in Qatar while they were discussing Trump’s final deal,” Hamas says.
Video shows air force strike toppling Gaza City tower
Footage published by Palestinian media shows an Israeli Air Force strike leveling the Ghefari Tower on the coast of Gaza City, following an evacuation warning to those nearby.
The military had said that the tall building, which was already partially collapsed, was being used by Hamas. The IDF confirms carrying out the strike, saying that Hamas placed surveillance equipment and set up observation posts at the Ghefari Tower in order to track troop movements and advance attacks.
Israel's top economists warn: Gaza offensive would trigger economic catastrophe
In letter obtained by Ynet, 80 economists say government’s reported plan to capture Gaza City would lead to an exodus of young professionals, long-term damage to Israel’s international standing and devastating effects on its economy and society
Falling output and the erosion of strong economic sectors would likely force the government to raise taxes and cut services in education, health and welfare, they said. Combined with soaring costs and slower growth, that would drive up Israel’s debt, risk further credit downgrades and raise borrowing costs. “The deterioration would further harm investment, growth and output,” the economists wrote.Eighty of Israel’s most senior economists warned Monday that a full-scale invasion and military occupation of Gaza would cause unprecedented economic harm to the country, deepening an already severe crisis caused by the ongoing war.In a letter obtained by Ynet, the economists said the government’s plan to capture Gaza City and displace about one million people in a months-long military operation would lead to an exodus of young professionals, long-term damage to Israel’s international standing, and devastating effects on its economy and society.“This is a severe warning of a potential economic catastrophe unlike anything Israel has ever experienced, if there is no drastic change to the country’s worsening political and security situation,” the letter said.The signatories include former senior officials from the Bank of Israel, the Finance Ministry and major universities. Among them are Omer Moav, Manuel Trajtenberg, Yoel Naveh, Avi Ben-Bassat, Avia Spivak, Zvi Eckstein and David Boaz. Former university presidents Avishay Braverman of Ben-Gurion University, Haim Ben-Shahar of Tel Aviv University, Rafi Melnick of Reichman University and Kobi Metzer of the Open University also signed.The letter’s initiators — professors Eran Yashiv, Itay Ater and Benny Bental — said an occupation would saddle Israel with massive direct costs for reserve duty, ammunition and equipment, adding tens of billions of shekels to the defense budget.They noted that under international law, Israel would become the governing authority in Gaza, responsible for food and water supplies, health care, education and infrastructure such as electricity, sewage and transportation. The economists estimated those costs at around 60 billion shekels ($16 billion), roughly equivalent to the annual budget of Israel’s Health Ministry.The letter also warned of potential sanctions from European nations and other Western partners, jeopardizing trade with Israel’s main economic allies. They said such a development would accelerate the departure of skilled workers, reduce productivity and lower the standard of living.
Gaza City residents fleeing south (Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)CThey added that the long-term costs would include treatment for wounded soldiers and civilians, support for those suffering psychological trauma, and lost career and education opportunities for reservists and their families.The group concluded that conquering Gaza would “threaten the security and economic resilience of the State of Israel and risk distancing it from the group of developed nations.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have overseen Israel’s war policy and economic response, did not immediately respond to the economists’ warning. Link. So what is Netanyahu's response? He has a press conference and states that Israel is now economically alone and will have to live a spartan existence. He does not have any solutions, he does not present plans to offset the economic wilderness we are now it, he does not tell what plans the government has to be more efficient by getting rid of ridiculous and superfluous ministries and ministers to set an example for the people, he does not say that the finance ministry is working on solutions to any of the problems. No, all he says is that we have to live with the situation that he created, that Israel is now a pariah nation that other countries are daily announce embargoes, bans, blockades and divestments from Israel. For Netanyahu to do anything but say that we have to live with the shit he created for us would be a sign of a leader, but Netanyahu is not a leader. He is a failed politician and the most dangerous person in Israel today to Israel. He has done more damage to the country both internally and internationally than any of our enemies could have ever dreamed of doing to us. And instead of present strategic plans to improve the situation like a real leader, he only makes the situation worse by digging us in deeper to the holes he has dug for us all. With friends like Netanyahu, we certainly don't need any enemies.Heavy Israeli airstrikes reported in northwest Gaza City
Palestinian media reports a series of intensive Israeli airstrikes in northwest Gaza City.
The IDF has not yet commented.
In recent days, the military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Gaza City, including against tall buildings, ahead of a looming offensive against Hamas in the area.
Heavy Gaza strikes light up night sky; blasts felt in central Israel
Reports of heavy IDF bombardments in northern Gaza follow days of tower demolitions and mass flight of civilians; Palestinians say gunship opened fire alongside artillery and flares, as army chief warns of risks to hostages and heavy troop losses
Heavy Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza City on Monday night after consecutive days of demolishing high-rise buildings and as hundreds of thousands of residents continued fleeing southward, Palestinian media reported.Witnesses described a “belt of fire” stretching across the city’s northwest, with footage showing Gaza’s night sky glowing orange from multiple strikes.According to reports and video from the scene, Israeli forces fired illumination rounds and carried out artillery barrages in northern Gaza. Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV claimed that an Israeli attack helicopter also fired on the area near Sheikh Radwan Bridge inside Gaza City.Around 10 p.m., loud explosions from the Gaza strikes were felt across central Israel and even in the Sharon region, residents reported.The escalation came as a stormy meeting in the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem exposed sharp divisions between the political leadership and top military commanders over the looming operation in Gaza and stalled negotiations for a hostage deal.
Israeli forces fire illumination flares over northern Gaza during overnight operations, Sept. 15, 2025
(Photo: AP/Leo Correa)
(Photo: AP/Leo Correa)
(Photo: AP/Leo Correa)
(Photo: AP/Leo Correa)According to sources familiar with the discussions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the meeting with a scolding, waving newspaper clippings quoting senior officers — including remarks attributed to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir — voicing reservations about the ground maneuver. “What is this? Stop briefing against the operation,” Netanyahu said. “This is not an army with a state, but a state with an army.” He did not name Zamir directly.National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir pressed Zamir for a response. “I don’t know of any briefings,” the army chief replied.Zamir went on to voice strong concerns about the risks the operation could pose to the 48 hostages still held in Gaza, warning their danger would increase during the assault. While pledging that the military would try to minimize the risks, he urged urgent diplomatic efforts. Turning to Mossad chief David Barnea and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Zamir demanded: “Why isn’t the negotiating team traveling the world right now to force a deal? Why are we always dependent on others? Why is [Barnea] sitting here? Go bring a deal!”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: IDF, Alex Kolomoisky, OMAR AL-QATTAA)He then raised his voice at Netanyahu, saying: “Exhaust the talks for a deal!”Dermer shot back that Zamir’s assessments were wrong. “You’re talking about things you don’t understand. You don’t understand diplomacy. In the end, everything happened despite your instructions. Only because we didn’t listen to you is there a deal on the table.” Zamir retorted: “So take it!”Dermer said Hamas remained interested in negotiations despite Israel’s attempted strike on its leadership in Qatar and insisted that Doha still wanted to mediate.During the meeting, Zamir also estimated that an assault to capture Gaza City could result in dozens of Israeli soldiers being killed, though he avoided giving precise figures. Netanyahu countered that most assessments showed a ground offensive would intensify pressure on Hamas and could bring the war closer to a decisive outcome.Following reports of the heated exchange, a political official defended Netanyahu, saying: “Thanks to the prime minister’s correct decisions, 207 hostages have already been freed, and he is determined to bring them all home. During last night’s meeting, he emphasized that briefings and leaks from security discussions endanger our forces and harm the effort to free the hostages, and must stop immediately.”On Tuesday morning, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum requested an urgent meeting with Zamir after his warnings to the Knesset Intelligence Subcommittee about the risks of the planned operation, dubbed Operation Gideon's Chariots II. In a letter, the families expressed deep fears for their loved ones, warning that the assault could result in the deaths of living hostages or the loss of remains of those already killed. LinkPalestinian reports: IDF detonates remote-controlled, explosive-laden APCs in Gaza City
Palestinian media reports that the Israeli military detonated several explosive-laden remote-controlled armored personnel carriers in the Gaza City neighborhoods of Tel al-Hawa and Rimal this morning.
During the war, the IDF has repurposed decommissioned M113 APCs by packing them with explosives and attaching remote-control capabilities, in order to drive them into areas with Hamas infrastructure without risking the lives of troops.
The massive blasts from the APCs are used to destroy Hamas infrastructure, including booby trapped areas.
Air Force struck 850 targets in Gaza City over past week, IDF says
The Israeli Air Force struck over 850 targets and hundreds of operatives in Gaza City in the past week, the military says, ahead of a ground offensive in the area that began last night.
In a statement, the IDF says it has begun a “broad ground operation throughout Gaza City” aimed at “achieving the objectives of the war in the Gaza Strip,” including the defeat of Hamas and the release of the hostages.
“The troops’ activity began in accordance with the operational plan and is expected to expand according to the situation assessment,” the military says.
Footage shows Gaza City residents sleeping in streets after heavy Israeli strikes
Videos circulating on social media show families spending the night in the streets of Gaza City following heavy Israeli bombardments overnight. Reports from Gaza say dozens were killed and injured in the city as a result of the strikes. video
Heavy bombing reported in Gaza City with residents trapped under rubble
Israel heavily bombarded Gaza City after midnight on Monday-Tuesday, witnesses tell AFP, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed Israel’s offensive in the devastated territory.
“There is heavy, relentless bombing on Gaza City, and the danger keeps increasing,” witness Ahmed Ghazal says, adding that homes have been destroyed and residents are trapped under the rubble.
“We can hear their screams,” says the 25-year-old Gaza resident.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency, tells AFP that “bombing is still ongoing heavily across Gaza City, and the number of deaths and injuries continues to rise.”
**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 article "Retired FBI agent exposes Hamas’ long game in America" in the Region and the World section.
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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- Netanyahu’s march of folly risks destroying Abraham Accords and his legacy
Opinion: Five years after historic ceremony on White House lawn, PM’s only lasting diplomatic achievement is in danger; his reckless decisions, from strikes in Qatar to mismanaged war policy, risk unraveling peace gains and isolating Israel furtherFive years ago today, Benjamin Netanyahu achieved the most significant diplomatic breakthrough of his career: peace agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. As prime minister, he managed to shatter the long-standing clichΓ© that progress on the Palestinian track was the only way to normalization with the Arab world.The dynamics of the agreements, described in journalist Barak Ravid’s book on the Abraham Accords, show that there was little advance planning, certainly not from Israel. Netanyahu was pursuing annexation of parts of the West Bank, while the Trump administration was presenting its “Deal of the Century,” built on the formula of two states for two peoples. The Emiratis wanted direct access to Washington, security guarantees and a way to block an irreversible step against the Palestinians. It was a historic moment, set in motion by a front-page op-ed in Yedioth Ahronoth. The UAE’s ambassador to Washington wrote directly to the Israeli public—and essentially to its government—stating that Israel had to choose between annexation and normalization. Netanyahu overcame his political anxieties, dropped annexation (which President Donald Trump's administration would have vetoed anyway) and chose peace. Since then, trade between Israel and the Gulf states has steadily grown, even in wartime. Direct flights continued, even when European and American airlines suspended service to Tel Aviv. The Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government is still remembered as a golden era in relations, particularly for its decision to send security aid to the UAE immediately after the Houthi attack in February 2022. But those times feel like ancient history. Today’s reality is bleak. Israel’s strike in Qatar has fueled skepticism and hostility toward Israel across the Arab world, and embarrassed the Gulf states that signed peace with it. From Abu Dhabi to Washington, none of Israel’s allies understand how the strike served its declared goal: acceptance of Donald Trump’s latest proposal for a comprehensive hostage deal and an end to the war. The military and security establishment, which objected to the timing of the strike in Qatar, proved weak in the face of Netanyahu. The prime minister approved an action with strategic implications outside the authority of the security cabinet. What is going on? After Oct. 7, Israel woke up to discover it had no deterrence—not against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen or Iran. These actors all attacked Israel on their own initiative and by surprise. Israelis rightly chose to rebuild Ze'ev Jabotinsky’s “Iron Wall”—the message that they will not go anywhere, and that the plan to destroy Israel, born in Tehran, Gaza and Beirut, will not succeed. The impressive achievements in Iran and Lebanon restored deterrence, but Israel did not stop. It went into overdrive—hyper-aggressive action without limits, and more importantly, without forethought. Bombing a meeting of Hamas leaders who were discussing Trump’s proposal—at a time when Qatar was still accepted by Jerusalem as a mediator—is an absurd decision, unless you have planned two steps ahead. Israel had not. Another example is Defense Minister Katz’s inflammatory tweets, often accompanied by videos of destruction in Gaza in which frightened civilians can clearly be seen. In other words: even if Israel wants to be seen as “the neighborhood madman” no one dares touch—a concept popular among amateur strategists on Israeli social media—there is a thin line between being too dangerous to provoke and being so reckless that others have no choice but to unite against you. Even if the Qatar summit ends without concrete steps, this stew should have been simmered carefully, not ruined. Time and again, the security establishment opens windows of opportunity for the political leadership. Time and again, the leadership fails to act, choosing instead the blunt instrument of military force. Military power is only one component of strength. Netanyahu’s diplomatic legacy—the one true achievement he leaves behind—is now in serious jeopardy. Israel gravely miscalculated the timing of its strike in Qatar, handing the extremist state, which consistently funds terror and incitement, the chance to play the victim. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces are preparing a ground maneuver in Gaza in the coming weeks. The army’s top brass oppose it outright. As we heard last night, Hamas is trying to use living hostages as human shields in Gaza City. It is time for a breakthrough. Hamas does not want Israel to occupy Gaza. Israel does not want to occupy Gaza. And anyone who imagines this is the way to defeat Hamas should face the facts: Israel is currently allowing unsupervised evacuations from Gaza City, including by car. If Hamas wants to leave, it can. After Gaza, we will hear about the need to enter the central refugee camps, then Muwasi, then back into Gaza again, with Hamas returning in the cycle. There is another way, and the Trump administration is trying to lead it: a deal to end the war, in one or two stages, that brings hostages home and leaves Gaza without Hamas rule. Just before it is too late—in fact, just after—it is time to break the march of folly and blood. link - IDF operations chief left in the dark on Hamas’ Oct. 7 plan, classified internal probe reveals
Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, then head of the IDF’s Operations Division, learned of suspicious activity in Gaza only at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 7 and declared a national emergency hours later; probe flagged his actions, but the chief of staff is expected to stand by himThe IDF’s Operations Division, which directs Israel’s forces in routine and wartime, failed to receive key intelligence about Hamas’ invasion plan and only acted on partial warnings hours before the Oct. 7 assault, according to findings from an internal probe that remain classified.Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, who headed the division at the time and is now chief of Military Intelligence, was never briefed during his tenure on Hamas’ “Jericho Wall” plan. The invasion blueprint was uncovered by Unit 8200 more than a year before the attack and turned into an intelligence report in 2022. Binder only received word of unusual activity in Gaza at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, five hours after the Shin Bet security service and Military Intelligence first noticed signs. Binder’s actions that night are under review by a committee led by retired Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman, which is examining the IDF’s own investigations into operational failures. Binder is expected to receive backing from current Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. He has argued that even if he had convened a full situational assessment during the night, “it would not have changed the outcome.” On Sunday, the chief of staff decided to freeze both the handling and publication of the committee’s findings, fearing disruption inside the military ahead of a planned maneuver in Gaza that is expected to continue into 2026. The move was meant to maintain unity among the army’s senior ranks at a critical stage. Military officials said the Turgeman Committee found the investigation of the Operations Division to be incomplete, especially regarding its conduct on the night before the attack. Unlike other reviews — such as those into the Southern Command and Gaza Division — this case was fully documented on video in the IDF’s underground command bunker in Tel Aviv, allowing investigators to follow events minute by minute. The probe revealed that Binder was not aware of Hamas’ actual invasion plan and instead was briefed on a contingency scenario called “Parash Pleshet,” which assumed at most two small-scale infiltrations involving up to 70 attackers. In reality, Hamas launched a mass assault across multiple points along the Gaza border.Terrorists breaking through the Gaza border fence on Oct. 7 On the night before the attack, warning signs had already appeared in Gaza, but Binder was updated only at 2:30 a.m. in a phone call from his Shin Bet counterpart. He ordered two drones to scan the area; one malfunctioned and the other took off too late. He also updated Navy officials and was aware of a conversation among generals led by then–Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Because the reports reaching him did not convey urgency, Binder scheduled a General Staff assessment for 8:30 a.m., with a smaller one under his command an hour earlier. The Operations Division later told investigators it relies on intelligence agencies and regional commands for information and does not operate its own intelligence unit. The IDF has not ruled out further probes into the Operations Division, as well as the Navy and Southern Command. Military officials said the Turgeman report has not yet been presented to either the chief of staff or Binder. They noted that the Operations Division formally declared a national emergency at 7:16 a.m., mobilizing the entire army. The army also responded to criticism that Binder did not convene a full General Staff meeting that night, saying he kept relevant officials updated individually, including air defense. Officials added: “Even if such a meeting had been held, it would not have changed the devastating outcome that struck Israel hours later.” link Netanyahu admits Israel is economically isolated, will need to become self-reliant
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admits that Israel is facing increasing economic isolation as the war in Gaza drags on and will have to become more self-reliant.
“Israel is in a sort of isolation,” he says at a conference of the Finance Ministry’s accountant general in Jerusalem, and may have to move toward a self-sufficient economy.
“We will increasingly need to adapt to an economy with autarkic characteristics [without foreign trade],” he says. “The word I most hate. I am a supporter of the free market, but we may find ourselves in a situation where our arms industries are blocked. We will need to develop arms industries here — not only research and development, but also the ability to produce what we need.”
Netanyahu says that he believes Israel can exit this isolation, but blames mass migration to Europe of Muslim immigrants for “bending the governments” in an anti-Israel direction and leading them to cancel defense deals with the Jewish state.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Netanyahu after his comments.
“Netanyahu’s statement that Israel is entering isolation and needs to adapt to an isolation economy is a crazy statement. Isolation is not a decree of fate, it is the product of a wrong and failed policy of Netanyahu and his government,” says Lapid. “They are turning Israel into a third-world country and are not even trying to change the situation.” link. These are the words of a cowardly and petty politician who has never had a plan or a notion of strategy for the country he supposedly leads. The only arena in which he ever has strategic plans is regarding his political survival and his legacy. When it comes to presenting a future for Israel, Netanyahu Can only rely on doomsday statements which he has used for his entire career. He presents fear, hatred, division but never a plan to make things better. The economic impacts of his never ending war are met with impotence and decrees of worsening times, meaning more taxes on those who can’t afford it, more and more government cuts to all of the desperately needed social programs, the cancellations of others and nothing to repair the damage. His superfluous ministries and ministers will remain in place because they are politically expedient for him and he doesn’t care that they waste the taxpayers money and never serve as personal example. He and his cronies will continue in their unending mode of grabbing as much budgetary monies as possible for their partisan interests and to help with the needs of the country and people. Netanyahu has no ability or capacity to solve the problems, only to look at how they can benefit him. It is identical to his motto that we will forever live by the sword, instead of what is required by a real leader who searches to no end and finds solutions to end crises instead of perpetuating them
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange dives as IDF begins Gaza City op, PM says Israel to be ‘Sparta’
Israel Business Forum: PM leading country to ‘dangerous and unprecedented’ downturn
Combat vets toss piles of pills around Knesset meeting on suicides to highlight distress
A Knesset hearing on preventing suicide among soldiers and veterans turns chaotic as combat veterans pour bags of medications onto the table, loudly warning that there will be more suicides during the upcoming holiday season if something does not change.
“We’ve been crying out for years, the holidays will be a trigger for more cases,” one veteran yells as others toss boxes and bags of pills around the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee meeting, underlining the deep levels of distress many are dealing with and complaining that those who have experienced trauma have not been provided with adequate treatment.
“Five years ago I warned you about these suicides. You did nothing. You did nothing,” the veteran says, referring to an apparent uptick in veterans and soldiers taking their own lives in the wake of fighting in Gaza.
Committee chairwoman Michal Woldiger (Religious Zionism) responds with exasperation that they can keep throwing pills if they want, but “we want to help you. I can’t run a discussion like this.”
At the beginning of the hearing, Woldiger said the increase in suicides was not unique to military veterans.
“The recent war has exacerbated the need and unfortunately we are seeing a sharp increase in the number of calls for help, in the sense of distress and in the number of suicides, both in civilian society and among those serving in the IDF. In previous discussions we have already warned of gaps in the areas of detection, prevention and treatment, but things have not been sufficiently advanced and improved,” she said.
- Officials warn of 'PTSD crisis' among Gaza veterans: 'We don't want to be next suicide case'
Defense Ministry says 20,000 soldiers have been added to its rehabilitation lists since the Gaza war began, most with psychological injuries; by 2028, the number is expected to double, with PTSD cases posing the greatest challengeAbout 20,000 wounded, most suffering mental trauma, have been added to the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department lists since the outbreak of the Gaza war.The department estimates that by 2028, before even completing the planned military operation to take over Gaza City, another 20,000 will be added.“Mental health issues come after the war,” explained Limor Luria, head of the rehabilitation department. “There is no magic cure for psychological injuries."The number of soldiers wounded and those suffering mental health impacts has risen by 20,000 since the war started. The Rehabilitation Department foresees adding at least 20,000 more by 2028; by then about 100,000 wounded will be under its care, with roughly half of them dealing with psychological injuries.These figures are projections made before accounting for the future toll of continuing fighting and the Gaza City campaign.The expectation of an incoming wave of wounded stems from a familiar pattern, as Luria said, “mental health problems reach us after the war.” Each month the department receives about 1,000 new applications for recognition of war-related injury, plus another 600 for injuries from earlier wars and past incidents.Data from the department show the severity of the challenge confronting both the Defense Ministry and Israeli society as a whole.Of the 20,000 “Iron Swords” war wounded received so far, 45% have physical injuries only, 35% have mental injuries only, and the remaining 20% suffer both physical and mental wounds.The projection is that the share of mental health cases will grow, as many such injuries become apparent only long after warfare ceases. Altogether, the department is now treating a record 31,000 people with mental illness across a spectrum of diagnoses: anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders and PTSD.The ongoing rise in both the scale and proportion of mental injuries requires special preparation. Luria noted that someone with a mental health difficulty seeks help at three times the rate of someone with a physical disability.“There is no magic cure for psychological injury, and the functional impairments are much more significant. We see this in reintegration into community life, into family life", she said.Added to this are the growing incidents of suicide, “a national challenge that involves all of us, the families, the health maintenance organizations, the community,” Luria said.The enormous need comes against a backdrop of therapist shortages across the population. “This is a big challenge; we are discussing it extensively with the Ministry of Health,” she said. The ongoing war, which also affects the home front, is putting pressure on the mental health system.Meanwhile, since the war began the Rehabilitation Department has established several dedicated mental‑health treatment frameworks for soldiers, including three “balancing homes” that serve as alternatives to hospitalization in closed psychiatric wards.Treatment of war‑wounded proceeds in stages: immediate care, intermediate recovery after hospitalization, and finally returning to work and everyday life. Luria said the final stage is the hardest, especially now. “It is challenging to return to normal. We see that in the difficulty of leaving the hospital, returning to work."Of the tens of thousands of wounded and mentally wounded, about a quarter are still defined as being in the immediate treatment phase and are far from a normal life; they are either hospitalized, in day‑hospital care, or in other intensive settings like therapeutic farming.About half of the wounded have returned to work. “That is the biggest challenge,” Luria said, noting that studies show returning to work within six months significantly increases the likelihood of long‑term employment.Still, among those who have resumed daily routines, around 60% are still in various supportive settings.Of the complex physical injuries, 99 soldiers have lost limbs, and 16 are paralyzed and wheelchair‑bound. Though they make up a small percentage of all wounded, their needs are very high, Luria said.Also, about 160 suffer moderate to severe head injuries. Luria added that even “mild” head injuries are not trivial, as they involve memory problems, functional impairments, and difficulties returning to work.The department opened a head injury unit at Sheba Medical Center to treat such cases and plans to expand it to treat the most severe head trauma. Meanwhile, in today’s Finance Committee hearing in the Knesset, Omer Amsalem (IDF veteran who fought in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and suffers from PTSD), one of the leaders of the PTSD veterans' protest, criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.“Promises need to be fulfilled. We do not want to be the next suicide case. We will escalate our protests every day. We will set the country on fire if you do not stop the next suicide,” he said. “I have no home to come back to, my wife could not stand me. You sent a 19‑year‑old to fight but did not care for him afterward."Micha Katz spoke alongside him: “You cannot take away my daughter because I went to fight for the country. Do something. Speak up. Does this make any sense to you?”Smotrich replied: “The first problem is that we, as a country, and the world do not yet fully know how to treat this. Since we met, we have placed it on the agenda. We established a special joint forum with the Defense Ministry."Amsalem shot back: “I’m tired of hearing that you all 'understand'. Itzik Saidian is burned from head to toe, and he will tell you that everything is bullshit. The mental health reform for combat veterans with PTSD does not really provide solutions." link Israel has only what to lose from the entry into Gaza
"Like a step from victory" through "the destruction of Hamas" up to "Gideon’s Chariots" – a spectacular verbal journey that hides a simple reality: there is no plan to end the war in Gaza, and there is a prime minister for whom the war is better than for Israel • the entry into Gaza is only the last chapter in the play – another mistake that will cost a heavy price • opinion Major General (res.) Israel Ziv
The flood of slogans, beginning with "the absolute victory," "a step from victory," "the defeat of Hamas" and lately "the destruction of Hamas," along the migration of the decisive campaigns for two years of war from Gaza to Khan Yunis, from there the "decisive campaign" migrated south to Rafah, and then rose in "Gideon’s Chariots" again to Khan Yunis and now returns for a renewed round of performance in Gaza.
All this suits more the phenomena of migration of nature not to a strategy of deciding a war. Contrary to all the doctrine of war, there is one central effort of conquering the territory, purifying the territory, defense and political arrangement or military rule. There is not and never was a war that destroys the last enemy.
Dismantling and eliminating the function of the rival’s system sufficed to bring achievement before your own forces wear out. All the steps on the need for continuation of war, that long ago lost its effectiveness and it achieves mainly failures and unreasonable prices, are the deceptions to the public. All the sweeping actions in Gaza are a move of hand in water, that every time it migrates further Hamas renews in the same place. No vacuum remains.
How many additional wars will there be after Gideon’s Chariots B? C? D? How long will every operation last? What, if any are the achievements or the prices that we are ready to pay? If someone in the public thinks that someone in the government or in the army has a clue – he is mistaken.
The advice of my colleague, a major general in reserves, who gives advices of Ahitophel (idiom meaning giving bad advice based on a biblical story) on expulsion of population and the need in starving it, does catastrophic damage. My cabinet colleagues who are completely ignorant of any concept in managing war, draw inspiration from his advice and bring thereby one after another more and more failures. The transfer, movement of population, starvation, taking land and so on and so forth testify to detachment from reality and loss of capacity of judgment. The prime minister has at least one good reason. He only wants that the war will continue because it is good for him for the trial being conducted against him. The prices that the State of Israel pays simply do not interest him. As long as after him follow the blind, the greedy and those paralyzed from fear, he will continue to defend himself under cover of the war.
Hamas is no longer fighting, it is only waiting – and stinging
A military strategist by the name of Clausewitz coined in his book "On War," two hundred years ago, that the longer the war will continue its fate is to wear out. The momentum at its beginning will fade, therefore the most important are its achievements at the beginning and not the attempt to add to them at its end. Along all history wars are carried out by people and tools, they are not outside the limits of physics and their fate is to wear out until nothing.
In a mobilized country like Israel, the prices of the wearing out are much more. Hamas learned this actually rather quickly, it stopped to fight against the IDF long ago, and unlike the IDF it does not waste any energy, it recruits new terrorists and already doubled its number. Most of its time it is occupied in hiding and not in fighting. Every time there is an opportunity it does a small and painful attack, and mainly enjoys the endless mistakes that Israel does, including its upcoming entry into Gaza.
The price of several thousands of Palestinian dead in Gaza is good for Hamas. The price of stopping the humanitarian aid serves it excellently. The escape of the prime minister of Israel from a hostage deal is excellent for his image. The irresponsible attack in Doha – a huge achievement for solidarity with it. It, the cruel murderers organization that massacred Israelis and deserves to be erased from the world, perhaps lost in the battlefield but it grows again and scores big wins in the war in a political way and in the popularity it created for the Palestinian issue, on the basis of lack of understanding in our conduct.
Israel "won" the dubious title of Iran
Last week, passed in the UN a resolution called "the New York Declaration." 142 countries, most of them friends that supported Israel until not long ago, voted in favor of an independent Palestinian state. Opposing were the United States and nine tiny countries. This is a huge victory for Hamas, that the glory of the government of Israel did not even relate to it. In the upcoming UN General Assembly, the Palestinian Authority will be declared as a state over the head of Israel, a colossal failure for a failed right-wing government that serves a state on a silver platter to the Palestinians. All over the world, including in the United States, public opinion has turned into hating Israel with demonstrations everywhere. The State of Israel is being expelled one after the other from the family of nations, they do not want us anymore in the universities and in the academia, in festivals, in the places of tourism, in businesses and in commerce. Israel is a leprous state full on, and its prime minister is persona non grata in most of the world.
After the miserable attack in Qatar, Israel could still repair if it would have declared the end of the war. However, instead, the weakest government ever turned Israel into a bully casting terror on all the neighborhood, while violating sovereignty without any account. Israel becomes the replacer of the image of Iran that now, at the conference in Doha on the background of the attack, returned to be adopted by the Arab states that embrace it, for they have now a common denominator – Israel attacked both of them. On that the Arab states unite against us, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, the Gulf states. Instead of an anti-Iran coalition, arises a regional anti-Israel coalition.
In sorrow, this is not the end of the folly and the dangers. The conquest of Gaza, that will certainly harm the hostages, will cost a very heavy price of soldiers, will necessarily bring to pushing of population which can spill into Egypt, a trend that the transfer lunatics desire. Cairo already announced that such a move in its view will constitute a declaration of war. I do not want even to think what catastrophic meanings for Israel as a result of ignition on the Egypt border. For the prime minister, responsibility is not part of his considerations. This is even an opportunity for a few more months of war and excuse for absence from testimony in the court. The diplomatic price is not important. The prime minister is concerned mainly of personal threat, on the need to defend himself he spares nothing.
The entry into Gaza is a war that will be taught in history as a failure known in advance. Its prices will be clarified every day anew, and for a long time forward. link
- The Region and the World
- Retired FBI agent exposes Hamas’ long game in America
Lara Burns describes how Hamas shifted its US strategy from fundraising to propaganda, focusing on campuses and media influenceThe Hamas terrorist network in the United States has spent more than two decades working to infiltrate America’s media and college campuses. The goal: to hijack the narrative and secure unintentional support for terrorism from the broader public.According to Lara Burns—an attorney and retired federal agent—the strategy worked.Between 1993 and 2004, Burns interviewed more than 800 people affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. Through these investigations, she developed deep insight into the network Hamas was building inside the United States. She also played a key role in shutting down the Holy Land Foundation and labeling it a domestic terror organization.This month, Burns traveled to Israel to meet with leaders, share her knowledge, and educate the media. She aimed to explain why U.S. news outlets and college campuses may be framing the story of Oct. 7 and the ongoing two-year war with Hamas the way they are.Burns joined the FBI in 2000, just before the 9/11 attacks and former U.S. President George W. Bush’s declaration of a “war on terror.” At the time, the war targeted not only al-Qaida but also other groups, including Hamas. Burns was assigned to investigate Hamas’ U.S. funding apparatus, which ultimately led to the 2008 conviction of the Holy Land Foundation for funneling more than $12 million to Hamas.Guilty verdicts on all 108 counts against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development were announced in federal court in Dallas, Texas, representing the most significant victory against terrorist financing in the U.S. since 9/11.Burns explained that U.S. authorities initially pursued Hamas aggressively, shutting down its funding, arms and key organizations. But once it became clear that Hamas was not conducting operational activity on American soil, the focus shifted elsewhere.“American society and the U.S. government, in my opinion, failed to understand the strategy of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas and that they plan hundreds of years in advance, and nothing deters them from pursuing that ultimate goal,” Burns told a group of journalists who met last week in Tel Aviv. “I think because they weren’t conducting overt military operations on U.S. soil, they were deemed to be less of a threat” than the Islamic State, Hezbollah and Iran, who were clearly active on U.S. soil. “They took a back seat. But to me, when organizations like Hamas are quiet, that’s when they’re the most lethal.”Burns said that by 2008, the government was “exhausted” from the lengthy investigation into Hamas funding and felt it had achieved a significant victory by dismantling the group’s U.S. fundraising arm.“FBI priorities changed, and we stopped looking at Hamas,” she admitted. “When Oct. 7 happened, and when I woke up to hear the news of the attack, I was devastated, because I had always known how evil the terrorist organization was, and then immediately turned on the television and checked social media and saw individuals that were part of that original U.S.-based infrastructure driving false narratives and hate and praising the attacks.”She said the false narrative portrays the atrocities as “a resistance operation” rather than acts of brutal terror.Burns compared Hamas to the dorsal fin of a shark.“If you’re at the beach and your kids are in the water and you see that dorsal fin, most people can recognize that it is dangerous and get out of the water,” she said. “But where is the real heart and soul? Where is this danger? It’s underneath the water. It’s what you can’t see. It’s the heart and mind that drive that beast. That is Hamas’ radicalization model. That is the propaganda piece they use to garner support, co-opt groups and magnify their numbers so that false narratives like Oct. 7, a resistance operation, start resonating with people.”She said FBI wiretaps going back as far as 1993 prove that this strategy was always Hamas’ plan.Hamas was founded in December 1987 during the First Intifada by the international Muslim Brotherhood to destroy Israel. At that time, Burns explained, Musa Abu Marzouk—then studying at Louisiana Tech—was appointed by the Brotherhood to establish a U.S.-based infrastructure to support Hamas.Internal Brotherhood documents later seized by the FBI described this infrastructure as providing political, media and financial support.
According to Burns, Marzouk helped create three leading front organizations: the Islamic Association for Palestine, which became Hamas’ propaganda arm; the Occupied Land Fund, later renamed the Holy Land Foundation, which became Hamas’ financial arm; and the United Association for Studies and Research, which served as the political/academic arm. These groups operated under the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee, with major centers in Indiana; Richardson, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; and Northern Virginia. In 2004, the FBI seized thousands of Arabic documents detailing Hamas’ U.S. network. A chart from 1991 listed the 28 top U.S.-based mosque leaders connected to Hamas. Burns noted that many still run Islamic societies and schools in the U.S. today. Marzouk also used this infrastructure to counter Fatah’s influence, funneling money to fund weapons to fight Yasser Arafat’s forces. FBI documents from 1990–1992 also reveal his meetings with the Iranian regime. By 1992, Marzouk had secured Iranian financial support for Hamas’ activities from inside the U.S. Burns said a wiretapped emergency meeting in October 1993—held as Hamas was focused on derailing the peace process—revealed the group’s U.S. strategy. Leaders discussed the need to support jihad and Hamas; derail the peace process and annihilate Israel; infiltrate U.S. politics, universities and media; establish Islamist influence in academia to counter Jewish influence, including training professors to teach Hamas’ narrative; control charities, hospitals,and education (K–12) in Gaza and the West Bank, and eventually in the U.S.; and create a clean Washington, DC-based organization to defend them, intimidate critics and shape the narrative. Burns said the group emphasized repackaging their goals for American audiences, avoiding direct references to eliminating Israel and instead using language Americans would accept. The meeting focused heavily on universities, journalism, law, politics, media, education and investment as arenas of influence. “In 2008, the theory was that ‘you’ve dismantled their fundraising arm, you’ve taken away the money, they’ll go away,’” Burns said. “But the money was only a small component. It was the propaganda piece that they needed. And they needed it not just to radicalize the children in the schools they built in Gaza and the West Bank, which they were absolutely doing. They needed it to drive their radicalization of narratives in the U.S., to recruit individuals and entities to support their cause without realizing that they were actually supporting terror.” In 2010, Hamas’ U.S.-based leaders decided to focus more on student activism, leading to the establishment of National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP). “This was an important event, because this really kicked off their aggressive maneuvers on U.S. campuses,” Burns said. According to Burns, the movement’s messaging also began to sharpen. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement was gaining traction, and Hamas operatives adopted its themes: accusing Israel of genocide, labeling it an apartheid state and framing the conflict as “oppressor versus oppressed.” These slogans resonated with groups in American society that generally would not align with terrorist organizations. “Don’t you feel oppressed? You’re an oppressed group. Don’t you feel oppressed? We are oppressed as well. And it is one of those things where you find intersectionality between groups, and all of a sudden you see non-terrorist-supporting groups out there with [terror-supporting groups] on campus,” Burns explained. Burns noted that Islamist groups with very different ideologies, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Hamas, willingly joined forces. “When do they come together?” she asked. “They come together against a common enemy, and the common enemy is Israel. But it’s bigger than Israel. The common enemy is the West, because anti-imperialism and those narratives, that’s what they come together on.” When Oct. 7 occurred, Burns said, NSJP was already prepared.Pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University (Photo: AFP, INDY SCHOLTENS) “The graphics were amazing,” she recalled. “They were ready to go and very organized in their campus activities and things like that.” Burns stressed that many of the same individuals she investigated during the original war on terror are still active today in Hamas’ infrastructure. While she expressed faith that the U.S. government is trying to distinguish between good and evil in this conflict, she acknowledged the complexity of the challenge. “We believe in free speech, we believe in constitutional rights. We want everyone to be able to do that. We don’t believe that terror organizations should knowingly disseminate propaganda. I have faith that the government is trying to counter that,” she said. Burns added that civil litigation can be a powerful tool in holding individuals and organizations accountable. Unlike federal prosecutions, civil cases can expose information without requiring criminal charges. “When you have civil litigation like that, information comes to light, and that’s what we need,” she said. “We need information and education, because many false narratives have been going on for so long, unchecked, without us paying attention. “We were looking for the fin, and the shark was swimming below the water.” She warned that America is already years behind in confronting this threat, and only a collective effort can reverse the damage. “It is going to take everyone’s voice who understands the truth to speak it and have courage,” Burns said. “I don’t think that’s happening right now, because I think a lot of people believe that the problem doesn’t impact them, that they’re not affected. Law enforcement can’t begin to address a problem if they have no idea what it is … This is not a political thing. We’re just trying to bring the facts to you so you’re informed and can make responsible decisions based on facts.” Burns concluded with a reminder: “Whatever your politics are, one thing that is not disputed in the United States is that Hamas is a terrorist organization, and what took place on Oct. 7 was terror.” link Netanyahu says those slamming Israel over Qatar attack showing ‘immense hypocrisy’
The only hypocrite here is Netanyahu. His claims of why he ordered the attack are filled with his typical lies. There were two reasons for the attack and both were for the benefit of Netanyahu. The first reason was to kill the Trump deal which would have brought all the hostages home on the first day but had the risk of bringing down his government, and the second reason was to kill Hamas leadership who convened to discuss the Trump deal. Netanyahu envisioned using the ‘success’ of that attack for his election campaign. If it was a success, he also would have received great compliments from his BFF Trump, but since it appears to have been a dismal failure, and Trump hates failures, Trump is speaking negatively about the attack and Netanyahu’s intentions. In addition, only the opposition will use the failure of the attack and its implications that are still in the works, against Netanyahu in the next election campaignNew UN report says Israel guilty of genocide in Gaza; Israel: Report ‘distorted and false’
A new United Nations report says that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, has concluded that Israel has carried out four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Those include “killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births.”
Israel adamantly rejects the charge that it is committing genocide, saying it strives to avoid civilian casualties, and blames Hamas for putting noncombatants in harm’s way. Israel’s Foreign Ministry accuses the report’s authors of being “Hamas proxies.”
“The report relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods, laundered and repeated by others,” the ministry’s statement says. “Israel categorically rejects this distorted and false report and calls for the immediate abolition of this Commission of Inquiry.”
The report was published after a nearly two-year investigation by the commission following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught that began the war. The October 7 attack receives only fleeting mention in the report, and the details of the massacre are not included at all.
According to the commission, explicit statements by “civilian and military authorities” as well as a “pattern of conduct” by the military “indicate that the genocidal acts were committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a group.”
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” says Navi Pillay, chair of the commission. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”
All three members of the commission, including Pillay, announced their impending resignations in July. Pillay’s term will end in November.
The report accuses Israel’s leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, of having “incited the commission of genocide.”
The authors of the report accuse Israel of numerous crimes in Gaza, including starvation, mass killing, systemic sexual and gender based violence, and directly targeting children.
The Commission urges Israel to “end the genocide in Gaza” and calls on UN member states to halt arms transfers to Israel, and to prosecute individuals or corporations under their jurisdiction that are complicit in genocide. link. For all the people who think that Israel can do no wrong and the IDF can do no wrong, it's time to 'wake the fuck up'!!! This isn't just another attack by antisemites or anti Israel extremists. This is a valid report on what is happening on the ground in Gaza and is being committed by us, Israel as directed by the corrupt, extreme failed government led by the criminally indicted prime minister who also has the dubious credit of having a warrant out for his arrest by the ICC.
The report states "Those include “killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births.” Israel has done all of the above. I'm very surprised they they left out Ethnic Cleansing which is also ongoing with the "voluntary emigration" and also fits into the crimes of genocide.
No one in Israel takes any pleasure in admitting the crimes of genocide against our beloved country. These crimes have been and still are being committed in our names and it is upon every one of us to stand up, call it what it is and order it to be stopped. We have to disavow this government's crimes in our names and demand that immediate actions be taken to stop the crimes and hold every single perpetrator of these crimes accountable and charged for these crimes both in Israel and internationally, starting with the Prime Minister.
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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Twitter - @LonnyB58
My blogs in The Times of Israel my blogs
Substack - https://lonnyb.substack.com/
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
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