π️Lonny's War Update- October 724, 2023 - September 29, 2025 π️
π️Day 724 that 48 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivityπ️
- Hamas says it has lost contact with two hostages amid IDF push into Gaza City
Terror group claims it demanded a 24-hour lull in airstrikes to move captives to safety; Gaza City clans said to turn down Israeli proposal to form anti-Hamas enclaves
The weekly rally at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, in support for the release of the Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza, on September 27, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/FLASH90)Hamas claimed Sunday that it had lost contact with two hostages during Israeli operations in a pair of Gaza City neighborhoods, as three Israel Defense Forces divisions moved deeper into the northern city in a bid to conquer it.
In a statement, the terror group’s al-Qassam Brigades armed wing said it had demanded that the IDF “withdraw to the south of Street Eight (one of the streets in Gaza City) and halt aerial sorties for 24 hours starting at 6 p.m. today so that attempts can be made to extract the prisoners (hostages).”
The statement’s apparent indication of the hostages’ exact location is unprecedented.
Both hostages were abducted in the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement that their families were working with authorities to review the Hamas statement, and asked that the names of their loved ones not be made public.
Families of captives have repeatedly raised concerns that the military’s push into Gaza City — which the government has said is necessary to defeat remaining Hamas forces — could endanger hostages held in the area.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 48 hostages, including 47 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 26 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive, and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. Among the bodies held by Hamas is also an IDF officer killed in Gaza in 2014.
The Hamas statement came after the IDF said the air force over the past day struck some 140 targets, including buildings used by terror groups, operatives, and other infrastructure, while medical sources in the Hamas-run Strip reported at least 77 killed by Israel over the past 24 hours.
Smoke rises from Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike, September 27, 2025. (Fathi Ibrahim/Flash90)As Israeli tanks moved deeper into Gaza City’s residential districts on Sunday, local health authorities said they have been unable to respond to dozens of desperate calls, expressing concern about the fate of residents in the targeted areas. Witnesses and medics said the tanks had deepened their incursions in the Sabra, Tel Al-Hawa, Sheikh Radwan, and Al-Naser neighborhoods, closing in on the heart and the western areas of Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering.
Israel has instructed Gaza City residents to flee ahead of the offensive there. The military saidFriday some 780,000 of roughly 1 million residents had fled so far, while Hamas’s government media office put the number closer to 190,000.
In one incident in Gaza City, troops of the Golani Brigade spotted a cell of five Hamas fighters that launched RPGs at a building where the forces were stationed, the IDF said. No injuries were caused in the attack, and the troops then directed a drone strike to kill the gunmen, according to the military.
Meanwhile, the IDF said 98th Division forces have “deepened their operational control” of Gaza City, and in the past day directed strikes on Hamas sites and operatives.
Israel’s ground troops also pressed on in southern Gaza, with forces from the IDF’s Gaza Division killing terror operatives and destroying Hamas infrastructure, including surveillance equipment, in the Strip’s south, the military said.
Gaza City clans bombed after refusing to govern anti-Hamas enclave — report
Israel recently approached two large Gaza City clans about forming anti-Hamas enclaves in the city, and, after being turned down, bombed homes that belong to them, according to a report in the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.
Smoke rises following an Israeli military strike in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)The outlet said the Shin Bet approached representatives of the Durmush and Bakr families, both of which have remained in Gaza City, about implementing a plan to divide the city into zones controlled by armed groups supported by Israel.
According to the report, which cited security sources and contacts on the ground in Gaza, the Durmush and Bakr families rejected the offer, which would have required them to fight Hamas and pass intelligence to Israel.
The proposed scheme appeared to be similar to a model implemented with armed groups carving out anti-Hamas enclaves in Gaza’s south that claim support from Israel.
A member of the Bakr family, who asked not to be named, confirmed the details to the paper.
According to the sources cited by Asharaq Al-Awsat, the families rejected the offer on Friday. On Saturday, Israel struck several houses belonging to members of the families in Gaza City, killing about 36 people, the report said.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 66,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it had killed over 22,000 combatants in battle as of August and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught.
Israelis rally for the release of captives held by Hamas-led terrorists in Gaza, at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on September 20, 2025. (Jack Guez/AFP)Hamas released 30 hostages — 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals — and the bodies of eight slain Israeli captives during a ceasefire between January and March 2024, and one additional hostage, a dual American-Israeli citizen, in May 2024 as a “gesture” to the United States.
The terror group freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that in the early weeks of the war. In exchange, Israel has freed some 2,000 jailed Palestinian terrorists, security prisoners, and Gazan terror suspects detained during the war.
Eight hostages have been rescued from captivity by troops alive, and the bodies of 51 have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors, and the body of a soldier who was killed in 2014. Link
Trump says he’s gotten ‘very good response’ from Israel, Arab leaders on Gaza plan
US President Donald Trump, in a phone interview with Reuters, tells the news agency he’s received a “very good response” from both Israel and Arab leaders about the US plan for an end to the war in Gaza.“Everybody wants to make the deal,” Trump says, a day before he is slated to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House about the deal.
Trump says he hopes to finalize the deal during the meeting tomorrow, echoing comments he made earlier tonight to journalist Barak Ravid, that he hopes to announce a deal within the next two days.
Trump says the proposal is aimed not only at ending the war in Gaza, but at achieving a broader peace in the Middle East. Link
PM said to be in meeting with Witkoff, Jared Kushner about Gaza deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting now with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, says journalist Barak Ravid on Channel 12.
The meeting aims to narrow remaining gaps on a deal to end the Gaza war, he reports, with Israel’s main concerns focused on securing stronger guarantees for Hamas disarmament and rejecting a Palestinian Authority role in postwar Gaza.
Trump: Talks on Gaza deal in ‘final stages,’ ‘Bibi wants peace,’ Hamas ‘respects Arab world’
US President Donald Trump tells the Axios news site and Channel 12 news that talks over Washington’s plan to end the war in Gaza are “at their final stages,” expressing hope that an agreement could be announced within the next two days, following his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House tomorrow.“Everybody has come together to get a deal, but we still have to get it done,” Trump tells Axios reporter Barak Ravid in a phone interview, adding: “The Arab countries were fantastic to work with on this, and Hamas is coming with them. [Hamas has] great respect for the Arab world.”
“The Arab world wants peace, Israel wants peace and Bibi wants peace,” Trump says, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
Trump adds that his plan aims not only to end the Gaza war but also to open the door to wider regional peace.
“If we get this done, it will be a great day for Israel and for the Middle East,” he says. “It will be the first chance for real peace in the Middle East. But we have to get it done first.”
Speaking on Israel’s Channel 12, Ravid adds that Trump said he hopes to finalize an agreement during Monday’s meeting and announce it the same day or the next. Link
Trump's envoys leave Netanyahu's hotel, Israeli source: 'Good atmosphere toward conclusion'
Freed hostage Eliya Cohen hails killing of Hamas abductor, jokes ‘baklava, anyone?’
Former hostage Eliya Cohen welcomed the IDF’s elimination of the Hamas commander who abducted him on October 7, calling it 'a blessing'; He and his partner shared celebratory posts as families of victims urged focus on freeing remaining hostages
Freed hostage Eliya Cohen, on Sunday night, praised the killing of the Hamas commander who abducted him from the “shelter of death” near Re’im during the October 7 massacre, where 16 people were killed and four, including Cohen, were taken hostage.“First of all, thank God,” Cohen said in an Instagram story. “Next in line are the rest of his friends — the triangle, the circle, the square.” His partner, Ziv Abud, filmed the video, telling him, “I think I’m the happiest person in the world right now. The terrorist who kidnapped you, who dragged you from among the bodies and threw you into a pickup truck like a sack of potatoes on the way to Gaza — the IDF took him out.”The couple reposted footage of the kidnapping with captions reading “Bye bye.” In another clip, Cohen quipped, “Baklava, anyone?” — a pointed reference to the Palestinian custom of distributing baklava after the killing of Israelis or terror attacks in Israel.Earlier in the day, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that an airstrike killed Hassan Mahmoud Hassan Hassin, a Nukhba company commander from Hamas’ al-Bureij Battalion, who led the Re’im terror attack and participated in the abduction of Israeli civilians.Cohen also spoke with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, who said he learned of the killing while giving a lecture. “Yes, I saw,” Cohen replied. “They eliminated the terrorist who kidnapped me. I was told in the morning — we already celebrated.”The father of fallen soldier Aner Shapira, who died while heroically blocking grenades thrown into the shelter of death, welcomed the killing but struck a somber note. “Of course, all the murderers are worthy of death. The world is better without them. But for every terrorist eliminated, others rise. True joy will come only when all the hostages are freed, the wounded healed, bereaved families embraced, and Israeli society united.”Why I walked out of Netanyahu’s UN speech
Opinion: When Netanyahu began reading hostage names, I waited for my son’s. He stopped after 20. Stunned, I longed to cry out “Itay!” but held back. Instead, I walked out of the hall. My son is no less a hostage, and I expect an apology.
Ruby Chen, father of hostage soldier Itay and Danny Miran, Father of hostage Omri MiranThis is the second year I have traveled to the United Nations General Assembly, and this time I came with great anticipation to hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech. My expectations were especially high after President Donald Trump’s address, in which he spoke about the urgency of freeing all the hostages and fulfilling his vision for a new Middle East — a vision he first detailed in his inaugural speech 10 months ago.As Netanyahu entered the General Assembly hall, dozens of delegates from around the world demonstratively walked out. I asked myself: How did Israel reach this terrible moment? On Oct. 8, 2023, just one day after Hamas’ massacre, the entire world supported Israel in its just war against Hamas. Today, only a small number of nations support the Israeli prime minister’s policies. Many seem to think that two years of war should have been enough to eliminate Hamas’ threat to destroy Israel.Netanyahu began his speech by addressing the hostages. For a moment, I thought perhaps he finally understood what is most important. He started reading names of hostages, and I waited to hear him say the name of my son. I waited for “Staff Sgt. Itay Chen.” But he stopped after 20 names.I was left stunned, my mouth open in disbelief. In a surge of deep grief, I wanted to shout my son’s name into the chamber. To cry out: “Itaaay!” But I held myself back. Maybe that was a mistake.Why did he not say my son’s name on the most important stage in the world? My son is a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, a hero who used his body to stop Hamas murderers from killing, burning and raping more Israelis when Israel’s government failed to protect them. Is my son less of a hostage? Is the prime minister ashamed of him? Is he invisible, not worth bringing home?I wanted to scream his name into the hall, but perhaps my late mother raised me to be too well-mannered. As an act of protest, I left the chamber rather than sit through the rest of Netanyahu’s speech. Outside, I joined the families of other hostages holding a rally for the return of all captives, alongside American citizens who gather every week in Central Park in New York. Their rallies are organized by volunteers from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum’s New York branch.Ruby Chen holds a sign calling for his son's release from Gaza during a rally at Hostages' Square in Tel Aviv(Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Even now, a day later, I still cannot understand why the prime minister avoided mentioning all the hostages’ names. Is he trying to condition the public to accept that he does not aim to bring home every last hostage, because doing so might require declaring an end to the war? Is he saying that the remains of the hostages killed in captivity are not important to return? That they have no names, no families who long to bring them home?During these High Holy Days, leading up to Yom Kippur, every Jew is called to examine his conscience and consider how he will stand before God on the Day of Judgment. I hope the prime minister will use the days left before Yom Kippur to reflect and apologize to the families whose loved ones he did not acknowledge. As a Jew, he should know there is no greater mitzvah than bringing his brothers home for burial in the Land of Israel.I pray that on Monday, in his meeting with President Trump, the prime minister will finally advance the outcome all of Israel yearns for: the return of all the hostages, the return of soldiers to their families, the release of reservists back to their homes, and the beginning of Israel’s recovery after two of the most painful years in its history.Gmar Chatima Tova. LinkHersh Goldberg-Polin’s father: No celebrations over killing of terrorist who captured my son
Jonathan Polin, the father of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, says that he did not celebrate when he was informed that the terrorist who captured his son had been killed.
Hersh was kidnapped from the Nova festival and murdered in captivity in August 2024.
Yesterday, the IDF announced that it had killed Muhammad Ahmad Yousef al-Jamal. Jamal had killed police officer Ch. Insp. Arnon Zmora, during a hostage rescue mission in the central Gaza Strip last summer. He had also reportedly commanded the Hamas forces that captured Hersh and several others from a bomb shelter they were in, also killing several others.
Polin said he was informed by the IDF that al-Jamal had been killed. “I reacted much like Michal Zmora did when she wrote ‘I’m still a widow, my children are still orphans.'”
“My thoughts are with Alon Ohel, the last hostage still alive in captivity from the bomb shelter, who is still surviving, still suffering,” Polin says.
“I don’t celebrate killings. I won’t celebrate until we bring back all the hostages.”
Polin also comments on the emerging Gaza peace plan being proposed by US President Donald Trump. “Maybe an agreement could bring me some kind of consolation.”
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*6:00pm yesterday-Ballistic missile from Yemen- no reports of injuries or damage
Two rockets launched from Gaza, fall short in Strip
Two rockets were launched from the northern Gaza Strip at the Nahal Oz area a short while ago, the military says.
Interceptor missiles were launched at the two rockets, which ultimately did not cross the border and fell short inside the Strip, according to the IDF.
Alerts were activated in open areas only, and not in any towns, “according to protocol,” the military adds.
Palestinian suspect in attempted car-ramming shot dead by troops, IDF confirms
A Palestinian suspect who attempted to carry out a car-ramming at the Jit Junction in the West Bank was shot dead by troops, the military says.
One Israeli man in his 20s was seriously wounded in the incident, medics say. According to a preliminary investigation by the army, he was hit in the crossfire as the soldiers opened fire on the suspected attacker.
Magen David Adom took the man to a hospital for treatment.
IDF announces soldier killed in West Bank car-ramming attack earlier today
An IDF soldier was killed in today’s car-ramming attack in the West Bank, the military announces.
The slain troop is named as Staff Sgt. Inbar Avraham Kav, 20, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th Battalion, from Lotem.
MAY HUS MEMORY BECAUSE REVOLUTION
During the attack, a Palestinian assailant driving a truck accelerated toward Israeli troops at the Jit Junction, hitting Kav. The soldiers then opened fire on the driver, killing him.
According to an investigation by the army, after being hit by the truck, the slain soldier was also hit by gunfire as the other troops opened fire on the attacker
Reports: Private hospital in Gaza hit in IDF strike, ER at another hospital evacuated
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry’s secretary-general, Yusuf Abu Rish, announces that the IDF struck the al-Hilu Hospital in Gaza City with two shells, and the internet connection there is shut down.
The hospital is private and relatively small, covering an area of about 600 square meters (656 square yards).
In addition, media outlets in the Strip report that the emergency department at Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital was evacuated due to the advance of IDF forces in the area as part of the operation to seize control of Gaza City.
The IDF has not yet issued a response
Hamas publishes footage of assault on IDF encampment last month that wounded 3 soldiers
Hamas gunmen flee during an attack on an army encampment in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, and dead Hamas operatives following the incident, August 20, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Hamas publishes footage from its large-scale assault on an IDF encampment in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis last month.
The military said that troops managed to successfully repel the attack on August 20, during which 15 of the Hamas gunmen were killed — in gun battles, tank shelling, airstrikes, and in one case, being run over by a tank.
Three IDF soldiers were injured while exchanging fire with some of the gunmen in a building they managed to enter, one seriously and two lightly.
Fighting inside the encampment lasted no longer than 10 minutes before the gunmen began attempting to flee back to a tunnel from which they emerged, according to the IDF’s probe.
Despite successfully repelling the attack, the military said it was a failure that the gunmen had managed to infiltrate the encampment.
In all, some eight Hamas gunmen were killed inside the post and in the area surrounding it, and around another seven operatives — who had been launching mortars — were eliminated on the outskirts, mainly by airstrikes. Approximately eight gunmen managed to flee back to the tunnel, the IDF probe found. Video
Hamas commander who led killing, kidnapping at roadside shelter on Oct. 7 killed in Gaza – IDF
A Hamas Nukhba Force commander who led the killing and kidnapping of Israelis from a roadside bomb shelter near Kibbutz Re’im during the October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in a recent airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.
According to the military, Hassan Mahmoud Hassan Hussein served as a Nukha company commander in Hamas’s Bureij Battalion.
Hussein, alongside another Nukhba force commander, Muhammad Abu Attawi, led the attack on a bomb shelter near Re’im where partygoers from the Nova festival had fled to.
Four people were taken hostage alive from the shelter and 16 were murdered. Seven managed to survive and were later rescued.
Hussein was also involved in attacks on troops during the war in Gaza, the IDF says.
Attawi, the other Nukba commander involved in the attack on the Re’im shelter, was killed in an Israeli strike in October 2024.
Footage shows strike on Gaza City high-rise
Footage shows the Israeli Air Force strike that leveled a high-rise building in Gaza City a short while ago.
The military said the building was used by Hamas.
It had issued an evacuation order for those in the vicinity of the building prior to conducting the airstrike
IDF says it foiled attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel from Egypt via drone
The IDF says it foiled another attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel from Egypt via drone today.
Troops located the drone after it crossed the border and it was found to be ferrying three assault rifles, the military says.
In the past year, there have been frequent attempts to bring weapons and drugs over the Egyptian border using drones. There have also been attempts to smuggle similar contraband from Israel into Gaza using drones.
Syrian leader Sharaa meets World Jewish Congress head, discusses talks with Israel
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets in New York with World Jewish Congress President and businessman Ronald Lauder.
The meeting is reported by the official Syrian news agency, which says the two discussed negotiations between Israel and Syria.
The two countries have been in talks over a security agreement, though Sharaa has said a full peace deal, or normalization along the lines of the Abraham Accords, is not currently on the table
Decades ago, Lauder was reported to have served as a mediator between Israel and Syria, shuttling messages between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, whose son Bashar was deposed by Sharaa’s Islamist forces and other rebels last December
IDF confirms its airstrikes in southern Lebanon, says it hit Hezbollah arms depots
The IDF confirms carrying out airstrikes in southern Lebanon a short while ago, saying it hit Hezbollah weapon depots.
The storage facilities hit by the Israeli Air Force were being used by Hezbollah to advance attacks against Israel, the military says, adding that their presence “constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
Police question Ben Gvir aide, prisons chief amid probe into tolerance for settler violence
Israel Prisons Chief Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi and Chanamel Dorfman, a close aide to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, are summoned by the Department of Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) for questioning under caution, in connection with a probe into negligent policing of settler violence in the West Bank.
The DIPI obtained a conditional arrest order against Dorfman from the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court today, which it requested because Dorfman declined to say whether he would present himself for questioning, although he did eventually do so of his own accord.
Yaakobi and Dorfman were summoned for questioning today following new developments in the investigation, after police gleaned information pertinent to the case from Dorfman’s phone, which had been confiscated earlier this year.
Commander Avishai Muallem, head of the Judea and Samaria Police District’s investigations and intelligence department, is suspected of deliberately failing to properly carry out investigations into Jewish, far-right extremists in the West Bank in order to curry favor with Ben Gvir.
Head of the Judea and Samaria Police District’s investigations and intelligence department Commander Avishai Muallem arrives at the Department for Internal Police Investigations in Jerusalem, December 23, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)Dorfman, who formerly served as Ben Gvir’s chief of staff in the ministry, is suspected of trying to influence police investigations regarding Jewish extremists in the Judea and Samaria police district, and was in contact with Muallem over such investigations.
Yaakobi is under suspicion for allegedly having informed Muallem that he was a central suspect in the investigation, which would constitute obstruction and breach of trust. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara announced in July that she is considering filing an indictment, subject to a hearing, against Yaakobi, although such an indictment is yet to be served.
Ben Gvir, in response, accuses Baharav-Miara of “operating DIPI as a private militia for settling scores and stitching up cases to eliminate right-wing rule,” and dubs her “the criminal who has been fired” in reference to the government’s efforts to remove her from office.
The far-right minister says he gives Yaakobi and Dorfman his full backing and says they are both examples of “exemplary civil servants who are dedicated to the State of Israel.” Link The hypocrisies in this article would, in normal times be beyond belief. But we don't live in normal times (I have forgotten what normal looks like). We live in an absurd time where the Minister in charge of the police and the Israel prison system is a convicted criminal who has 53 arrests in his file and was convicted of supporting and belonging to a terror organization, Kach, the party/organization that was designated as a racist and illegal party by the Knesset. Ben Gvir, the extremist racist messianic minister reincarnated the Kach party into its current party, Otzma Yehudit (Jewish power) and, again, in normal times, that party would also be designated as racist and illegal. Unfortunately, we have a prime minister who is first and foremost interested in remaining prime minister and he took the fringe extremists Ben Gvir and Smotrich, brought them into his government and gave them senior ministerial portfolios and has allowed them to steer Israel's politics and virtually everything about the war, just so he will remain prime minister. He has normalized what should never have become normal. Ben Gvir has taken the Israel Police and made it his private militia. He promotes only police who adhere to his extremist instructions and punishes those that go against his illegal actions. He has given the police specific instructions regarding Jewish Settler Terror attacks against Palestinians. If called to an incident, they are not to respond. If, by chance they respond or are there, they are not to arrest settler terrorists, only the Palestinian victims of the settler terrorisms. If the settler terrorists are brought to the police by the army or Shin Bet, they are to be released, but if they do go before a judge who gives them house arrests, they will surely be released from such house arrest within days, whereas any Palestinian arrested will be charged and held in jail until his court case and sentence, as 99.9% of Palestinians are found guilty of charges and sentenced to prison. It must be remembered that Ben Gvir spent his entire legal career defending Jewish Terrorists and as a politician, encourages and supports all of their actions including the killing of Palestinians.
Ben Gvir has also given instructions to the police/militia about handling protesters for the hostages and against the government. They are to be physically and verbally abusive and arrest people on made up charges, which the judges cancel and release the people arrested. Some demonstrators are forced to undergo strip searches as though they are major criminals like drug dealers. Police are instructed to grab and destroy any protest sign they decide is politically charged and are especially brutal with anyone holding a Palestinian flag or holding posters of Palestinian children killed in Gaza by our bombings.
The Attorney General has warned on several occasions Ben Gvir's illegal actions of directing police work, investigations and arrests which he, as minister is not allowed to do and the Supreme Court has also made it clear to him that his actions have been illegal. He ignores the attorney general as well as the supreme court and only deepens his direct involvement in police activities which a minister is not allowed to do. He claims that the Attorney General has made the police internal affairs into her private militia which is a laughable and hypocritical as he has turned the entire police and prison service into his private militia.
There is a good chance that he will not be remaining in the government for much longer due to the Trump plan to end the war but as long as he is in his position, he corrupts the law and the police and it is high time that there are consequences to his actions and those of his cronies who act in exactly the same way.
- Politics and the War and General News
Just 2 weeks before Oct. 7, Mossad reportedly said Hamas ‘not interested’ in armed conflict
The Mossad put out a position paper shortly before October 7, 2023, downplaying the threat of an attack from Hamas, Channel 12 reports.
“We perceive that the leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip is not interested in military conflict with Israel at the present time, but will not be deterred if it is forced upon them,” the report quotes the spy agency’s assessment as saying.
The network says the paper was published just two weeks before Hamas’s devastating massacre in southern Israel, which killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
The terror group, the Mossad reportedly said, was “maintaining a high degree of readiness out of concern for Israeli countermeasures.”
“The broad interest of Hamas’s leadership in Gaza is to avoid escalation at present,” the paper said, according to Channel 12.
In a response to the network, the Mossad says it was not responsible for intelligence in Gaza. It does not go on to explain, in light of that, why it had composed the position paper.
“According to the distribution of responsibilities between the intelligence services… the Mossad has no responsibility for strategic alerts about the use of force in the Palestinian arena,” the Mossad statement says, adding that it thus attributed “low significance” to the paper.
“In accordance with that delination, the Mossad did not deal operationally in the Gaza Strip — neither in intelligence gathering, nor in running agents, nor in conducting special operations,” the statement says. link This report is very unusual. The Mossad had no intelligence responsibility for Gaza at all. Gaza and the West Bank fall under the complete purview of the Shin Bet. But putting that aside, it shows continuing evidence of the conception that was pushed by the political echelon (Netanyahu) for many years. Despite any contradictory intelligence, Netanyahu wanted the intelligence and military focus to be on Iran and Hizbollah which was a direct satellite of Iran. He was convinced that Hamas and Gaza could be controlled, managed and deterred with money and permits for Gazans to work in Israel. He made sure to surround himself with the security chiefs who would go along with his conception and basically ignore anything that was happening in Gaza. Eventually, when a State Commission of Inquiry does come about and investigates everything that led up to October 7 as well, the evidence will show a lot more than what we already know about this conception of Netanyahu's that was proliferated non stop by the security organizations, as they were instructed to do by the political echelon. Reports such as this one will be brought into evidence but the truly damning reports that will finally see the light of day will be the reports of those in the intelligence community and the security organizations that did not agree with the conception of Hamas deterred and reported on serious issues and actions by Hamas that were ignored on multiple occasions and by multiple senior staff. A report such as this from the Mossad is one that Netanyahu will likely use to show that he was misled. The other reports that will come out in the Commission of Inquiry will be much less friendly to him and that is another reason that he is fighting the establishment of this Commission.
- Israel hit with nearly $1 billion in scrapped defense contracts as global fury over Gaza war growsIndustry officials fear the cancellations could spread to other countries seeking to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza, while a prolonged freeze on new deals worth billions threatens long-term exportsIsrael’s defense industries are warning of a deepening crisis after Spain canceled another arms deal with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, raising the total value of suspended contracts with Israeli companies in recent months to about $654 million. Industry officials fear the cancellations could spread to other countries seeking to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza, while a prolonged freeze on new deals worth billions threatens long-term exports.Spain’s Defense Ministry announced last week it had canceled a planned purchase from Rafael of dozens of Litening 5 targeting pods, which guide aerial bombs from a distance of up to 100 kilometers. The deal was valued at more than $218 million. Earlier, Spain scrapped an order for Rafael-made Spike anti-tank missiles worth about $272 million.Another $763 million deal with Elbit Systems and two Spanish firms for Puls rocket systems was also canceled. Elbit’s share of the deal amounted to roughly $152 million. Earlier this year, Spain canceled a smaller munitions order worth several million dollars with an Elbit subsidiary.The cancellations mark one front in a broader campaign by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SΓ‘nchez, who has taken an unusually sharp tone toward Israel during the Gaza war. In recent weeks Spain imposed an arms embargo, barring Israeli-linked supply vessels from docking in its ports and halting exports of raw materials, forcing Israeli firms to seek alternatives. Over the weekend, Spain and Italy deployed naval ships to escort the “Sumud” flotilla, which departed Barcelona in late August with the stated aim of breaking Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Ironically, the Spanish warship sent to accompany the flotilla carries Rafael-made weapons and defense systems. The governments announced the move after flotilla organizers said their vessels had been attacked by drones, causing damage to several ships. Israeli defense officials have not commented publicly on Spain’s actions. But one senior industry executive told the Israeli financial daily Calcalist: “After the war they’ll come crawling back. They need our weapons more than we need them. They’re a small market. Still, this requires us to stay alert regarding other markets.” Executives note that amid a global arms race, canceled systems like Spike missiles can be quickly diverted to other buyers. But they warn that the real threat lies in the continued freeze on new contracts. Deals worth billions of dollars have been stalled for months. Foreign procurement officials say the hesitation stems from hostile public opinion toward Israel, fear of domestic unrest, and a desire to avoid politically sensitive decisions.Rafael-made Spike anti-tank missiles (Photo: Rafael) “Israel’s technological edge is obvious and many countries want our weapons, but they prefer to wait until the Gaza war ends and global attention shifts,” another executive said. “Wars drag on, and clients can’t wait forever. If the current situation continues, we’ll see a decline in exports in 2026 and a serious blow in 2027. If things stabilize now, we can still benefit from strong demand and Israel’s reputation. But if not, we will be in an entirely different situation.” Israel’s defense exports hit a record $14.8 billion in 2024, with half of that business in Europe. The Defense Ministry has warned for months that growing international isolation could hurt future sales. It has also sought to expand exports as a way of financing new production infrastructure and advanced systems to preserve Israel’s military edge. A senior industry official warned that anyone who thinks Israeli defense companies can rely solely on local Defense Ministry orders “doesn’t understand reality.” He added: “Maybe former U.S. President Trump will bring some logic, end this war and save something. Our situation is not good, to say the least. Even our friends in the world feel like they’re sinking into the mud with us. Who wants to be friends with a pariah state? Israel cannot become Sparta.” Meanwhile, Economy Minister Nir Barkat flew to Germany over the weekend on what he described as a 24-hour “lightning trip.” With Manufacturers Association president Ron Tomer at his side, Barkat met Germany’s economy minister to press Berlin to block a European Union proposal to suspend parts of its free-trade agreement with Israel. If implemented, Israeli goods would face tariffs in EU states. Germany is considered a swing vote on the decision, which is due to be made by the European Commission. “Germany’s support against emerging sanctions is critical,” Tomer told Calcalist after the trip. “We received an encouraging message that they will not back trade restrictions, but politics there are complicated.” A recent Manufacturers Association survey of 132 exporters found that half had experienced canceled or nonrenewed contracts with foreign clients. Seventy percent said the cancellations were political, and 84 percent were in EU countries. Thirty-eight percent reported shipping difficulties, while 29 percent cited customs delays worldwide. “The Israeli brand has been damaged,” Tomer said. “We never thought we’d reach this situation, but I’m optimistic — from here we can only go up.”The crisis deepened further last week when Microsoft confirmed it had blocked Israel’s Unit 8200, the military intelligence division, from using some of its cloud services. The move followed a joint investigation by the Guardian and the Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine, which reported that the unit had used Microsoft’s Azure servers to store intercepted phone calls by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Microsoft president Brad Smith said the decision was meant to ensure the company’s technology is not used for mass surveillance of civilians. Employees had staged protests over the company’s ties to Israel, including an occupation of Smith’s office.
(Photo: IDF)
According to the Guardian report, Unit 8200 stored some 8,000 terabytes of intercepted data, including millions of phone calls, and used Azure computing power to analyze the material. Microsoft said it reviewed the matter with Israel’s Defense Ministry before suspending access to cloud storage, artificial intelligence tools and other services.
An Israeli security official insisted the decision had not harmed the army’s operational capabilities. link These cancellations are just the beginning. Last night on the news, it was reported by the head of the manufacturers organization that all types of business in Israel are being hit very hard by countries throughout the world. He told of a case of an Israeli manufacturer who needed to purchase new machines for hundreds of thousands of dollars for his manufacturing plant that he put out tenders to 3 companies (2 in Switzerland and 1 in Italy). The 2 Swiss companies refused to provide a quote saying that they will not do business anymore in Israel. They are willing to lose a deal worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to not do business with Israel. This was just one of many examples. Israel cannot survive without trade with the rest of the world. Even with the products that we manufacture ourselves, we still need to get the raw materials from outside of Israel and those channels are drying up. Israel has a huge military industry which is famous throughout the world and many countries want to buy our weapons and defense systems. But they are all dependent on raw materials from outside of Israel. On the one hand, we are seeing cancelations unlike anything we have seen before, so far a billion dollars and on the other hand, the difficulties or inability to secure raw materials to build the weapons. As an example, we manufacture bombs and missiles which all need explosive materials. Most of the explosive materials are manufactured with raw materials that we don't have in Israel. Almost 2 weeks ago, Netanyahu made a horribly received speech on television about the fact that Israel is now an alienated nation and we would have to live as an Autarky, which means that we need to be a state of complete economic self sufficiency and not rely on international trade. That speech caused the Tel Aviv Stock exchange to take a nose dive because everyone knows that we are not able to leave a self sufficient life in any aspect of life. Much of our food is imported as well as clothing and most of our manufacturing and construction needs. The impact of government's actions in Gaza are having devastating impacts on the economy and this will continue for a long time. Until the war ends, the situation will continue to get worse. IDF chief: Intelligence Directorate undergoing ‘transformation’ based on lessons of Oct. 7
During a visit to the military’s main visual intelligence unit, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the Intelligence Directorate is undergoing major changes following lessons learned from the October 7 onslaught.
“The Intelligence Directorate is undergoing a significant transformation, mainly based on the lessons of October 7,” Zamir says at the directorate’s Unit 9900, according to an IDF statement.
“Intelligence warning stands at the forefront of the directorate’s mission, and we must ensure that all our tasks support it,” he adds.
Unit 9900 is the military’s main visual intelligence, or VISINT, unit, operating Israel’s spy satellites, as well as reconnaissance planes and drones for the IDF’s needs.
IDF chief wrote PM, Katz before Gaza City op, reportedly warned of ‘no political endgame’
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir hand-delivered a secret memo to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz weeks ahead of the military offensive in Gaza City, warning that the operation lacked a “political endgame” and risked the lives of both hostages and soldiers, Channel 13 reports.
“IDF fighters are returning to the same places without a political purpose,” the letter read, according to the report, which comes a day before Netanyahu is set to discuss a US proposal for ending the Gaza war with US President Donald Trump in Washington.
“The operational actions endanger the hostages — whose condition is deteriorating,” Zamir reportedly wrote, stressing that “every operation needs a political endgame. There is no political endgame,” and writing that Israel “refuses to find an alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”
An IDF spokesperson confirms the document’s existence to Channel 13, calling it “an extremely sensitive and secret” memo that was delivered directly to the prime minister and the defense minister.
The spokesperson warns that “leaking its contents to unauthorized parties constitutes a breach of state security.”
Parents of soldiers serving in Gaza react angrily to the Channel 13 report, telling the network: “We are appalled… According to the Chief of Staff himself — he is sending our children to die and be wounded without purpose. Our children’s lives are not forfeit… This is the time for the parents of the fighters to stand up and stop this pointless war.”
Security cabinet, IDF chief excluded from talks on Gaza war deal – report
Israel’s security establishment has been excluded from discussions on US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, with details withheld even from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the security cabinet, Channel 12 reports, without citing sources.
A day ahead of his White House meeting with Trump to discuss and possibly finalize the framework, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has kept the process tightly held through a small circle including his top advisor, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and his military secretary, Roman Gofman, according to the Hebrew network.
The report notes that Netanyahu held a similar policy of secrecy regarding the Abraham Accords normalization agreements during Trump’s last term, and around potential Saudi normalization leading up to the war in Gaza.
The reported exclusion comes despite the high-level security considerations surrounding the framework, under which the war would end immediately, hostages would be released within 48 hours, and the IDF would gradually withdraw under US guarantees.
The Prime Minister’s Office does not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Link
Netanyahu says Abraham Accords ‘will be expanded’ despite Gaza war, Doha strike
Netanyahu's arrogance and self delusions are well known and he has used them to his advantage for years. He was able to sell his delusions to a vast array of people, not just the Bibist (Netanyahu's supporters) but to heads of state throughout the world. That era has ended. What is also well know is that Netanyahu fits the cliche "how do you know if he's lying? He's moving his lips" to a tee. Many world leaders have known that for a long time but kept silent because they valued their relationship with Israel. Netanyahu's actions in Gaza has made a relationship with Israel toxic and Netanyahu can no longer sell his delusions to the outside world. He continues to try to sell them to the Israeli public and the Bibists will believe every word out of his mouth, even when he says that the Abraham Accords will be expanded despite the war. I can only assume that the end of the speech by the Indonesian president gave him the 'chutzpah' to make such a statement.The Indonesian president said "“We must also recognize, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then we can have real peace,”
Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population. His statement was very reassuring about the potential of future normalization with many Arab and Muslim countries and Indonesia would very much like that to happen quickly. However, it is highly doubtful that there will be any expansion of the Abraham Accords as long as the Gaza war is going on. In addition, many of those same countries are waiting for the one country that will change the entire picture of the Middle East normalizing relations with Israel and that country is Saudi Arabia.
Prior to October 7, the Saudis were open to normalization and the issue of the Palestinians was quite minor. They only demanded a vanilla statement that there would be movement towards settling the conflict. Since October 7, the issue of settling the conflict came back into the picture as a prime concern and the Saudis made it very clear that there could not be any normalization until a real path towards a Palestinian State was set up and real, no longer a vanilla statement that could be ignored by all parties.
It is known that once there is normalization with Saudi Arabia most of the Arab Nations as well as the Muslim nations, excluding of course Iran and Houthis Yemen, would follow and join the Abraham Accords. I strongly believe that the Indonesian President will not bypass Saudi Arabia and join the Abraham Accords until the Palestinian issue is very much on the table. This goes for every other country that has interest in relations and normalization with Israel.Trump to speak with Qatar’s emir ahead of summit with Netanyahu; White House ‘exasperated’ with PM — report
US President Donald Trump will speak by phone with Qatari Emir Tamim Al Thani before hosting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, Axios reports, amid Arab concerns that Trump is altering his Gaza proposal to meet Israeli demands.
Trump’s advisers tell the outlet that there is growing frustration with Netanyahu in the White House, and that if he says no to Trump’s proposal to end the war, he will be blamed.
“The Arabs have agreed to it like 100%. Now we’re waiting for the president to work his magic on Netanyahu,” a Trump adviser tells Axios.
“Everyone — and I mean everyone — is exasperated with Bibi,” says another aide.
Both US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner have “just about had it” with Netanyahu, says an adviser. “Both are at their wits’ end with Israel.”
Some advisers have been telling Trump that his ability to force an end to the fighting in Gaza is a test for his credibility on the world stage.
According to Axios, the White House saw an opportunity after Netanyahu ordered a strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar earlier this month.
“When Bibi sent those missiles into Qatar, he united the Gulf state Arabs,” Trump’s adviser tells Axios. “They are all one. They speak with one voice… It was a rallying effect. And on this, for the first time, you really had a monolithic Arab world. And Witkoff and [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio said: ‘Aha, this is the time.'”
Advisers have also told Trump that Netanyahu is worried primarily about political survival, has been destabilizing the Middle East, and was “manhandling” him. One adviser mentioned Netanyahu’s focus on domestic online political discourse in the US, calling it a “bizarre obsession.”
The Region and the World- The manufactured crisis with Egypt that Israel doesn’t need
Opinion: Warnings of an Egyptian threat are less about real intelligence and more about politics; by recycling rumors and echoing one another, commentators risk manufacturing a crisis with Cairo that could destabilize one of Israel’s most vital alliancesIn recent weeks, media outlets and social media channels have circulated growing warnings about a “dark conspiracy” emerging from Egypt, ranging from alleged violations of the peace treaty to massive, unilateral military buildups in Sinai and even preparations for a potential war with Israel.A closer look reveals a troubling finding in both the sources and reliability of these claims. Most of the journalists and commentators (including former Israeli security officials) issuing these warnings are clearly affiliated with Israel's political right wing. Their analyses are vague and notably lacking in citations from official diplomatic or military sources. What appears instead is a classic echo chamber, where individuals quote one another without questioning the origin or credibility of the information. Many of those raising the alarms claim they are applying the lessons of October 7, calling the current situation with Egypt the “new Conception". Ironically, many of these voices failed to sound any such alarm before the Hamas-led October 7 attack and, in some cases, had even praised the Gaza arrangement (The real danger here is not necessarily a looming Egyptian attack but rather a concerted effort to manufacture tension between Cairo and Jerusalem, driven by questionable motives. A recent historical parallel offers a reminder that involves the so-called “Qatargate affair”. Qatar was seeking to bolster its image as a successful mediator by undermining Egypt, spreading false claims about Cairo’s alleged military intentions against Israel. These "reports", including "stories" about "Egyptian drills to strike Israel’s nuclear reactor in Dimona", were later turned out to be fabricated fake news or the recycling of outdated information misrepresented as new evidence of preparations for a military campaign. In reality, Israeli-Egyptian relations are indeed worsening, though not for the reasons suggested in these reports, but rather Cairo's concern that Israel may seek to resolve the Gaza crisis at Egypt’s expense by forcing Gazans into northern Sinai. That concern has deepened in light of Israel’s stated goal to conquer Gaza City and relocate most of the population to a confined area in the south of the Strip. Tensions were further fueled as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed enthusiasm for a pendant featuring an outline of the biblical “Promised Land,” which includes territory in neighboring Arab states, including Egypt. Adding to the strain was an "interview" of Netanyahu with the Telegram channel Abu Ali Express, in which he accused Egypt of blocking Palestinian migration from Gaza. This led to a sharp diplomatic exchange between the two countries. Compounding the issue is a proposal by Minister of Science and Technology Gila Gamliel, floated early in the war and even before it, to establish a Palestinian state in Sinai, an idea viewed in Cairo as a serious threat. Fragile ties and deep mistrust The current crisis in Israeli-Egyptian relations is marked by fragile relations and profound mistrust between the two countries' leaderships. This is a recipe for tragic miscalculation, a dangerous dynamic that can escalate into war even when neither side intends confrontation. Egypt’s heightened military readiness, especially in anticipation of extreme scenarios (such as a mass breach of the border with Gaza and an influx into Sinai), is likely perceived in Israel as preparation for an offensive. This, in turn, prompts Israeli vigilance and threats, setting off a snowball effect that risks direct friction, including security clashes, potentially undermining the peace treaty between the two countries. All this comes despite a recently signed gas deal between Israel and Egypt, an agreement that, in theory, should have helped curb a deterioration in ties. Amid these tensions, it is important not to lose sight of genuine, not imagined threats coming from Egypt, mainly the intensified smuggling of weapons from Sinai into the Gaza Strip and Israel, often using drones. As with the Philadelphi Corridor, once a key route through which Hamas transformed itself into a military force prior to the October 7 attack, today’s smuggling is enabled by a combination of negligence, willful blindness, and possibly the collusion of local Egyptian actors profiting from the trade. Close coordination and trust between the governments could help suppress this threat. As always, U.S. involvement, as the sponsor of the peace agreement, remains vital. In both October 1973 and October 2023, Israeli political and military leaders were marked by overconfidence and a dismissive attitude toward their adversaries, conditions that led to strategic surprises and national traumas. Now, in October 2025, a different but equally dangerous challenge is emerging: a determination to invent threats. This stems from a mix of questionable interests and post-traumatic actions, involving an overreliance on exercising force and operating based on analysis of the other side's capabilities without any real effort to assess their intentions. This new “conception” is a uniquely Israeli mix of emotional yearning, ideological rigidity, and paranoia. All these highlights once again the troubling fact that the conceptual failures leading up to October 7 were never duly investigated in Israel. The increasingly dangerous tension with the Arab world’s most powerful military demands clarity - both from the prime minister and from the IDF. While ambiguity and behind-the-scenes coordination are often useful, in a situation where Egyptian war readiness is treated as fact and the risk of direct confrontation is growing, a public response is urgently needed. That message should aim to calm tensions, not inflame them. Israel’s recent pivot from complacency and containment to a show of force in every situation has become, in effect, its strategy over the past six months. But this shift could drag the country into yet another conflict, one in which Egypt has no clear interest, and risk one of Israel’s most vital strategic assets of the past 50 years. And all this is unfolding as Israel is already deeply entangled in protracted conflicts, increasingly isolated on the international stage, and struggling to maintain domestic consensus, particularly in regard to the war in Gaza. Dr. Michael Milshtein is the Head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University link Jordan’s king says details of Trump’s Gaza plan ‘in line with what has been agreed’
Jordan’s King Abdullah says that many details of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza are “in line with what has been agreed upon,” the Jordanian state news agency reports.
He does not give further details on the plan itself or what it entails.
Trump has said he is close to forging a deal to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages held by terror groups there.
Last week, the US president indicated that he’d need to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to visit the White House Monday, in order for the plan to be finalized.
It’s unclear whether Israel is actually on board with the plan, which was revealed yesterday by The Times of Israel, and Hamas said today that it has yet to even receive it.
International Union of Architects moves to boycott Israel over Gaza war
The International Union of Architects approved a resolution condemning Israel and urging a boycott, drawing sharp criticism from Israel’s architects’ association, which accused the body of politicizing the profession Link
Father and daughter killed on October 7 reburied in their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza 
Nadav Goldstein-Almog, 48, and his daughter Yam, 17, first buried in Shefayim, were reinterred in Kfar Aza; Agam, the daughter and sister who returned from captivity, said: 'I hoped for a miracle.' Chen, Nadav’s widow, recalled: 'When we heard on the radio in Gaza, ‘We are sorry for Nadav and Yam,’ that was the confirmation they were no longer
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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