War Summary, Day 492: Trump “losing patience” with slow pace of hostage return, changes coming to the hostage deal, whistleblower revealed Hamas would have surrendered a year ago if not for Biden’s aid, dozens of Hamas supporters approach border fence near Kibbutz Nachal Oz, Netanyahu adds to the goals of the war, IDF hits targets in Lebanon and Syria, Iran won’t negotiate under pressure, and Egyptian smuggling becoming increasingly problematic.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
76 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
138 living hostages rescued.
41 hostage bodies rescued.
1,821 Israelis killed.
413 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
87 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
18 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,683 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
70,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.
Top Headlines:
– Horrifying testimony from returned hostages
– Trump “losing patience” with slow pace of hostage return
– Changes coming to the hostage deal
– Whistle blower: Hamas would have surrendered a year ago, if not for Biden’s aid
– Dozens of Hamas supporters approach border fence near Kibbutz Nachal Oz
– Netanyahu adds to the goals of the war, shows huge optimism
– IDF hits targets in Lebanon and Syria
– Iran won’t negotiate under pressure
– Egyptian smuggling becoming increasingly problematic
Hostages:
The three hostages released on Shabbat have shared more information about their time in captivity, and it is beyond horrific. The men were subject to unspeakable torture methods, both physically and mentally. I won’t detail it here, but those who are aware of the extent of Hamas’s depravity can only imagine. They said that other hostages who have not yet been released are being treated horrifically, and many are in far worse condition than they.
A source told Lahav Harkov, of Jewish Insider, that the Trump administration is not committed to the Biden ceasefire outline, and is working with Israel to extend stage one and maximize the number of living hostages released. Stage two and three can be expected to look very different from the original proposal. The question is if Hamas will give in, or drop everything if they feel that they aren’t getting what they want—which is their own survival. In that case, it will be a return to war.
In an interview today, U.S. President Trump said: “I watched the hostages come back today, and they looked like Holocaust survivors… I don’t know how much longer we can’t take that. I know we have a deal where they keep dribbling in, but they are in really bad shape… At some point we’re going to lose our patience… I don’t know how much longer we can take it.”
When asked why Arab states will agree to take in Gazans, Trump said that they haven’t spoken to him yet. “When they speak to me, they’re going to take them. The only reason they may be don’t act enthusiastic is they haven’t talked to me.”
President Erdogan of Turkey stated today: “No one can remove the residents of Gaza from their land. We do not need to discuss the Trump plan or take it seriously; it came out under Zionist pressure on the American administration.”
Meanwhile, a pattern is emerging in all interviews with people from Gaza. When asked about Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans, they all call it terrible and say no one will move.. but then say that personally, the moment they can, they will move themselves and their own family out of Gaza, to a place where they can have a future.
A NYT article (“The Political Future of Palestinians, According to Palestinians”) interviewed five “Palestinians” from Gaza, Judea & Samaria, Egypt, and the U.S. They were asked about the future of Palestinians. None of the five said that Hamas must be disowned or dismantled for the sake of their future, and there was zero self accountability. Instead, they placed blame on Israel, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a corrupt prop for Israel, which needs to be replaced. One of the five went as far as to direct blame on the PA for not showing a united front with other “Palestinian groups” (aka, Hamas) following the October 7th massacre.
Rafael Hayoun Blows the Whistle:
In an interview on Kan 11, Rafael Hayoun gave a devastating testimony of clear evidence: Senior Hamas members were ready to surrender by the end of December 2023. Then things turned around for them right in time.
Rafael Hayoun is an extreme hacker, with specialty in entering camera systems, phones, and radios. He used to provide intelligence to the IDF as a side hobby, in the years before October 7th. Several month before October 7th, he gained a picture of the attack that Hamas was planning, and began to ring alarms at all levels of the IDF intelligence. He was shut down by the (now resigned) head of the IDF intelligence, and his equipment was confiscated.
After October 7th, his equipment was returned, along with his lines of communication to the IDF intelligence.
At the end of December 2023, Hayoun picked up conversations between senior Hamas terrorists in Gaza. They were starving, thirsty, and suffering due to the lack of electricity. Israel had cut everything off in the early days of the war, and enforced a strict siege on Gaza.
The terrorists were ready to give up all the hostages and Sinwar, and fully surrender. Then, another senior terrorist told them to wait another day, because something was in the works.
Hayoun gave all this information to the IDF, who said they would share it with Netanyahu and Biden. However, it appears that Biden was either not moved, or wasn’t ready for Hamas to surrender.
The next day, under extreme pressure from the U.S., Israel was forced to lift the siege on Gaza, the electricity went back on, and fuel trucks entered Gaza, along with hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid, all of which went straight to Hamas. There was never again any talk of surrender.
Hayoun says, that based on what he observed, if the siege had continued, the hostages would have been home and Hamas would have surrendered over a year ago. He still thinks it’s possible to achieve again.
Gaza:
Overnight, the IDF withdrew from the eastern section of the Netzarim Corridor, leaving it open for Gazans to have free movement between the north and south of Gaza. It is unclear if there is security on the eastern section, inspecting vehicles which cross over to the north. The IDF has not yet commented on the withdrawal.
Hamas pushed the limits of the buffer zone even further today. A group of dozens of Hamas suspects/supporters approached the border in Northern Gaza, getting within eyesight of Kibbutz Nachal Oz, and just a 300 meters away from IDF positions in the buffer zone. IDF forces moved forward with military vehicles, and fired warning shots. When the warning shots weren’t heeded, some direct shots were made, and several terror suspects were hit. Local media reports four eliminated. At that point, the group withdrew.
There were several other incidents with smaller groups all along the buffer zone, with may warning shots fired. In Khan Younis a woman was reportedly killed when she ran towards IDF positions. At sea, a Gazan boat exceeded the maritime boundary, and returned in response to warning shots.
This is all a return to the longtime Hamas method which allowed them to eventually get right up to, and then cross the border, without a response.
Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz made statements that there would be zero tolerance for Gazans approaching the border, at risk of their life.
At a cabinet meeting today, following his return from Washington, Netanyahu spoke about several large accomplishments from his trip, claiming: “This visit and the talks that we held with the President of the US included additional considerable achievements that can ensure the security of Israel for generations. I am not exaggerating. There are opportunities for possibilities that I think we never dreamed of, or at least a few months ago they did not seem possible – but they are possible.”
Netanyahu praised Trump’s pivot from previous “day after” plans presented to Israel, in which the PA is given control of Gaza, and Trump’s new “completely revolutionary and creative vision” which is “much better for the State of Israel.” Netanyahu emphasized that Trump is very determined to carry it out.
Netanyahu detailed how Trump praised Israel’s accomplishments against the Iranian axis, and how in response, he credited heroic IDF soldiers. He then said that he and Trump agreed that Israel must achieve the objectives of the war—which per his description, appear to have expanded. In Netanyahu’s words, but with numbers added:
- The elimination of Hamas
- The return of all of our hostages
- Ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel
- Returning all of the residents in both north and south, and, of course,
- Preventing Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.
Iran:
Trump has made it clear that he first wants to try diplomatic negotiations with the Iranian regime, and the use of heavy sanctions to shut their program down.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, decried America’s attempt to “redraw the map,” and said that Iran will not negotiate with such a country.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, clarified that Iran wouldn’t negotiate under Trump’s “maximum pressure” method.
Meanwhile, Israel is quietly training and preparing for an attack, in case it becomes necessary. Don’t expect to know if and when it will happen, until it does. A sure sign of it coming is silence—both at the U.S.-Iran negotiating table, and from Israel.
Judea & Samaria:
The IDF further expanded Operation Iron Wall to operate in Nur Shams, near Tulkarem. The operation is now in Jenin, Tulkarem, Tubas, the Tamun area, Shechem (Nablus), and Nur Shams.
So far, several terrorists in Nur Shams have been neutralized or arrested, but the IDF has not yet given numbers.
The IDF Military Police have opened an investigation after the PA healthy ministry reported that two women, including one who was pregnant, were shot and killed in IDF fire in Nur Shams this morning. It is possible that they were caught in crossfire between terror groups who were firing at the IDF.
Lebanon:
The IDF hit several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, some in Southern Lebanon in the Nebatiyeh area, and some 100 kilometers away from Israel in the Baalbek area, and Beqaa Valley. The targets included Hezbollah weapons storages and rocket launchers, which posed an immediate threat to Israel.
In the Beqaa Valley, the IDF hit an underground tunnel between Syria and Lebanon, which Hezbollah was using to smuggle weapons.
Hezbollah is continuously violating the ceasefire agreement, by maintaining a presence in Southern Lebanon, and rebuilding their arsenal by importing more weapons from Iran.
Syria:
Syrian media reported an alleged Israeli airstrike at the former Assad Khalkhalah airbase, in southern Syria. The last time the IDF struck this base was in December, during Assad’s fall. The IDF has not commented on the airstrike, and might not at all, in a return to the previous policy of quiet action in Syria.
Cross-border clashes continue between Syria and Lebanon, focused on the small area from which Hezbollah used to enter Syria in order to assist Assad in fighting against the rebel forces—the same forces which now rule Syria. These smuggling routes are also used for smuggling weapons, cash, and drugs.
The Syrian HTS forces might be glad that the IDF destroyed Hezbollah’s cross-border smuggling tunnel, but despite speculation, it is extremely unlikely that there was any collaboration. Despite some common goals, Israel and Syria are not yet friends, and still highly suspicious of each other’s intent.
Other:
– The IDF launched an intensive drill this morning, which lasted until evening. Skies were filled with Air Force jets and helicopters. The drill tested the Central Command’s readiness for terror attacks, in particular the possibility of an October 7th style attack coming from terror groups in Judea and Samaria. The drill took place in the Judea and Samaria, Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, and Golan Heights areas.
– The IDF again foiled an attempt from Egypt to smuggle weapons into Israel, via a drone. Troops caught the drone, which was carrying three riffles. Egyptian smugglers are slowly improving their methods, increasing in sophistication.
Sponsored by his daughters in our father’s memory נתן בן אליעזר יצחק ע״ה
“Then, another senior terrorist told them to wait another day, because something was in the works.”
How did that terrorist know what the white house was going to do?
Did they have a contact man in the Biden admin who was helping them?
Could be like heads of state in South Africa and Nicaragua who have nothing better to do for their own country’s people than out of the blue to bring bogus case against Israel to ICC, there is axis of bribery “in the works” that they get information on. May be Iran, Qatar, Saudia Arabia— any anti semite networks that have their ways for decades of influencing. It’s beyond us, but I’m glad it’s being exposed. My personal lesson in avodas Hashem, ask Hashem for help when there’s a bribery attempt from the yetzer hara or ego to have prosecutorial or hurtful thoughts towards a yid, and certainly about saying or doing something harmful.