War Day 574: IDF Mobilizes Reservists, Netanyahu Criticizes Qatar

War Summary, Day 574: Netanyahu publicly criticizes Qatar and tells them to choose a side, IDF calls up tens of thousands of reservists for increased operations in Gaza, IDF eliminates terrorist leader, arrests hundreds in Judea and Samaria, IDF hero killed in Golan Heights accident, Israel moves to protect Druze minority in Syria, deliver aid, Houthis launch 4 attacks on Israel, and mysterious fires and blackouts in Iran.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

59 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
147 living hostages rescued.
49 hostage bodies rescued.
1,833 Israelis killed.
417 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
88 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
18 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,720 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
10,000 Israelis estimated remain displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

– Netanyahu publicly criticizes Qatar, tells them to choose a side
– IDF calls up tens of thousands of reservists for increased operations in Gaza
– IDF eliminates terrorist leader, arrests hundreds in Judea and Samaria
– IDF hero killed in Golan Heights accident
– Israel moves to protect Druze minority in Syria, deliver aid
– Houthis launch 4 attacks on Israel
– Mysterious fires and blackouts in Iran

Hostages:

PM Netanyahu directly criticized Qatar in a post on X (Twitter), writing: “The time has come for Qatar to stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it’s on the side of civilization or if it’s on the side of Hamas barbarism. Israel will win this just war with just means.”

Netanyahu says the criticism was in response to the legal opinion which Qatar submitted to the ICJ several days ago, accusing Israel of conducting a genocide in Gaza. Earlier, Netanyahu’s office leaked that Qatar was responsible for blowing up hostage negotiations, and telling Hamas to wait for a better deal.

Qatar responded with a long statement leaning strongly in support of Hamas, and stating: “The State of Qatar firmly rejects the inflammatory statements issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which fall far short of the most basic standards of political and moral responsibility. Portraying the ongoing aggression against Gaza as a defense of “civilization” echoes the rhetoric of regimes throughout history that have used false narratives to justify crimes against innocent civilians.”

On the goals of the war, IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated that the IDF’s ultimate goal and mission is to first return the remaining hostages, and then collapse and defeat Hamas. PM Netanyahu stated the opposite, claiming that the first priority is victory over the enemy.

Gaza:

The IDF is still operating with 3 Divisions (8 battalions) in Gaza: The 252nd in Northern Gaza, up until the outter neighborhoods of Gaza City and particularly in Shejaya; the 36th in the Morag Corridor, which separates Rafah from Khan Younis, and from where they’re destroying the surrounding Hamas infrastructure and eliminating terrorists; and the Gaza Division in the Shaboura and Tel Sultan neighborhoods of Rafah, as well as several other areas in the buffer zone.

The IDF did not report details of airstrikes in Gaza, though there were several throughout Gaza, including reports of targeted eliminations. In Shejaya, troops eliminated dozens of terrorists, located and destroyed Hamas infrastructure, confiscated numerous weapons, and destroyed a weapons depot.

The IDF Chief of Staff, Defense Minister, and Prime Minister all approved the plans for expansion of the offensive against Hamas in Gaza. On Sunday, the government security cabinet is expected to convene to vote the final approval.

In the meantime, this evening, the IDF issued tens of thousands (some estimate 60,000) of call-up orders to reservists, in preparation for the expansion. Many of the reservists will be placed in more “simple” locations, such as the border of Lebanon and Judea & Samaria, where they will free up the units who are currently there, allowing them to head to Gaza.

Some of these reservists are being called up for the sixth or seventh time since October 7th. While the IDF originally assured reservists that they wouldn’t serve more than two and a half months in 2025, many are wondering if that promise will be broken. Most reservists say that they will be reporting, as a sacred mission, though they confess that it is very difficult to leave their families and jobs again. Many reservists also feel that they no longer receive the same support and patience from civilians as they did at the beginning of the war, which upheld their jobs and businesses, boosted their morale, and lent support to their wives and children at home.

As part of the intensified operations in Gaza, the IDF will soon be opening pockets of delivery of humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians, while trying to cut Hamas out of the picture. At the insistence of the Chief of Staff, IDF troops will not be delivering the aid personally. Instead, an American organization will. It remains to be seen whether they will be capable of delivering the aid without Hamas controlling or benefiting from it. The delivery of aid in Gaza follows intense pressure from and negotiations with the Trump administration.

Judea & Samaria:

On Friday, elite IDF soldiers operated in Balata, where they located and eliminated Omar Mustafa Abu Lail. Lail, originally from Shechem (Nablus), was a senior figure in the Balata terror infrastructure, was behind several shooting attacks, was involved in transferring weapons to terrorists, and has provided shelter and assistance to wanted terrorists from Shechem.

While searching Lail’s home, troops located and arrested another terrorist. They also confiscated Lail’s vehicle, and located a gun with cartridges in it.

Overnight on Shabbat, troops operated in Shechem and Tubas, and arrested two suspects for inciting violence and arson on social media.

The IDF gave a brief summary of activity in April:

– Hundreds of daily and nightly counterterrorism operations were executed.
– 290 individuals wanted for terrorism were arrested.
– Approximately 60 weapons and hundreds of thousands of shekels of terrorist funds were confiscated.
– 3 terrorist houses were destroyed.
– Dozens of explosive devices were destroyed.

North:

The IDF announced the name of a hero who fell in a car crash during operational activity in the Golan Heights:

Sgt. Niv Dayag, 19, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th Battalion, from Ramat Hasharon.

Another three soldiers were lightly wounded in the crash. The IDF says the circumstances of the crash are under further investigation.

Syria:

The violence against Syrian Druze neighboring Damascus continued into Friday. On Shabbat morning, the IDF launched a series of airstrikes against the new Syrian regime’s HTS militia, in a very strong warning. The strikes may have been the strongest in Syria yet.

The IDF used 12 fighter jets in over 26 raids to attack dozens of infrastructure components and weapons throughout Syria, including anti-aircraft guns and a surface-to-air missile launcher.

The IDF also delivered humanitarian aid to the Druze town via helicopter, a full 70 km from Israel’s border, and well out of Israel’s buffer zone—and brought an additional 10 injured Druze to Israel for medical treatment.

Separately, in an attempt to suppress the pro-Assad militias in Syria, the new regime arrested the leader of the Popular Front in Syria, and banned the terror group. Earlier, the regime imprisoned the head of the Islamic Jihad. Both terror groups are anti Israel, but are also anti-Syria, and fought cruelly in support of the Assad regime.

Yemen:

The Houthis have been busy lately, sending several sirens in Israel.

On Friday, the Houthis fired two separate ballistic missiles at Israel, one at 5:30 a.m., and one at 1:38 p.m. Both set off sirens in Northern Israel. Both were intercepted, but it seems only the first was intercepted before entering Israel.

A preschool in the Jezebel Valley was later found to be damaged by shrapnel from one of the missiles.

On Shabbat morning, at 6:23 a.m., sirens were activated in the Jerusalem area and Arad, again due to a ballistic missile.

At around 8:00 p.m., the Air Force intercepted a UAV (attack drone) fired by the Houthis, before it entered Israeli airspace. No sirens were activated in Israel, since there was no threat to Israeli cities.

Iran:

Following a 4.0 earthquake in Iran, two fires erupted. One, in the city of Nazarabad, broke out in what Iran says is a “cardboard manufacturing factory,” from where it spread to 12 nearby units.

The second fire was reported near the Montazer Ghaem power plant in the city of Fardis. This one led to widespread power outages in the region.

People living nearby told local media that they heard a loud explosion seconds before they felt the earthquake—suggesting that the explosion may have been the cause of the quake and fire.

Iran (nor Israel) has not yet released an official statement addressing the fires.

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