War Summary, Day 494: Previously missing Israeli determined killed by Hamas on Oct 7, Security Cabinet votes to follow both of Trump’s outlines, PM Netanyahu issues unclear hostage ultimatum, IDF prepared for immediate return to war, Operation Gates of Hell outlined, and King Abdullah of Jordan meets President Trump.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
76 held captive in Gaza.
36 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:
– Shlomo Mansour determined killed by Hamas
– Security Cabinet votes to follow both of Trump’s outlines
– PM Netanyahu issues unclear hostage ultimatum
– IDF prepared for immediate return to war
– Operation Gates of Hell outlined
– King Abdullah meets President Trump
Hostages:
This morning, the IDF informed the family of hostage Shlomo Mansour, that he had been murdered by Hamas on October 7th, when they took him hostage from his home in Kibbutz Kissufim. Shlomo was 86 years old, and had survived the Farhoud Massacre as a child in Baghdad.
His death had been determined by a panel of health experts and members of the rabbinate, based on new evidence found in recent months.
Following Hamas’s threat not to release the hostages, and U.S. President Trump’s call for all hostages to be released by Shabbat noon or “all hell,” Israel’s government security cabinet convened for intensive discussions, and to vote on the next steps.
Amit Segal of News 12 says that Netanyahu and his team knew in advance about Trump’s ultimatum, and it had been made in full cooperation between the two.
According to Ariel Kahana of Israel Hayom, the security cabinet voted for full adherence to the Trump outline in both parts.
Hours after the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video statement, in which he said, “The unanimous decision that I passed in the Cabinet is as follows: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense fighting until the final defeat of Hamas.”
Netanyahu also said that last night he “instructed the IDF to amass forces inside – and surrounding – the Gaza Strip. This action is being carried out at this hour and will be completed very soon.”
Immediate confusion erupted after Netanyahu’s statement, since he did not specify “all” hostages, and simply said “our hostages.” The confusion only grew after two contradicting clarifications from unnamed senior sources in the Prime MInister’s Office were issued, one after the other.
The first: “The expectation is for the release of all nine living hostages from Phase A in the coming days. Not necessarily this coming Shabbat, but within a few days after that.”
The second: “Prime Minister Netanyahu and the cabinet are adhering to U.S. President Trump’s announcement regarding the release of the hostages. That is, that everyone will be released on Shabbat.”
Confusion still remains: Which of the two clarifications are correct? And why wasn’t Netanyahu explicitly clear in his announcement?
Netanyahu is known for being extremely cautious. It’s possible that he wanted to leave a small door open, in case Hamas returns only some of the hostages on Shabbat, and still leaves room for negotiations to get the remaining hostages out before collapsing the ceasefire. It’s also possible that he remained ambiguous in order to leave Hamas in a lose-lose situation, where they will inevitably fail to return all the hostages, and leave the door open for the IDF to return to Gaza in full force, with Trump’s full backing.
Trump does not expect Hamas to return all the hostages by Shabbat. When asked by a reporter today, he said, “They want to play tough guy, but we’ll see how tough they are. Hamas is bullies. The weakest people are bullies.”
Hamas clearly realized the mistake of their threats on Monday, and released a statement in an attempt to rewind: “We are committed to the ceasefire agreement as long as the occupation remains committed to it.”
The (now controversial) Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters seems unsure how to respond to the situation, and released a statement in opposition to a return to war, but in support of urgently bringing back all hostages: “Prime Minister, you made the decision to bring all our hostages home through an agreement. We must not go backwards. We cannot allow the hostages to waste away in captivity. Time is running out for the hostages. The shocking events of recent days demonstrate the urgent need to accelerate the timeline, complete the full negotiations immediately, and bring back every last hostage with utmost urgency.”
My personal (not necessarily correct) assumption:
Hamas does not want to release all the hostages. WIth Trump now firmly behind Israel, they know that as soon as they let go of the last living hostage, they will be eradicated from Gaza for good. Their only hope is to hold onto at least one or a few living hostages, and use them as human shields for as long as they can, until Israel & the U.S. give up. However, they also don’t want to return to a war in which they will be killed, especially after the people in Gaza got a full view of the destruction and are less likely to support and obey them.
By threatening not to release the next three hostages this Shabbat, Hamas was hoping they’d be able to get Israel to renegotiate something more friendly to Hamas’s future.
Trump and Netanyahu (who likely estimated that Hamas would do this) delivered the ultimatum in order to call Hamas’s bluff. But without Israel giving any leeway, Hamas only sees two options: hold the hostages and return to war, or release the hostages and then return to war—without any chips left. Netanyahu may be sending the message to Hamas’s top leaders that they have a tiny bit of leeway to negotiate their own escape from Gaza before a return to war, only if they do release all the hostages.
Gaza:
The IDF says it is approving battle plans for Gaza in case the ceasefire-hostage deal collapses.
Currently, there are two IDF divisions stationed in the buffer zone around Gaza, and in the Philadelphi Corridor: the 162nd Division and Gaza Division. Since Netanyahu’s instructions last night, the IDF deployed additional brigades and special forces to bolster the current positions. Several more brigades are on standby if needed, and additional divisions are preparing for possible deployment. Many reservists were called up as well, or given notice to be prepared.
There are currently no changes in guidelines for civilians, though the IDF is prepared for all scenarios.
Ariel Kahana of Israel Hayom reported an outline for “Operation Gates of Hell,” which was discussed and voted on in today’s security cabinet meeting. Here are the main steps—though it’s unknown what/if it was agreed on:
- A rapid and renewed takeover of the Netzarim Corridor, and renewed strength at positions in the Rafah Crossing and Philadelphi Corridor, the moment the ceasefire collapses.
- The Shin Bet is collecting information on the exact location of the hundreds of terrorists, especially the serious ones, who were released during Phase A, and is preparing a plan for their re-arrest if the cabinet approves.
- The Israeli Prison Service is preparing to worsen the conditions of imprisonment for terrorists still in prison.
- The legal council is preparing the necessary infrastructure to allow the execution of senior Nukhba terrorists who were captured by Israel. They will then be executed if Hamas harms any of the hostages.
- The outgoing and incoming Chiefs of Staff are formulating a comprehensive plan to destroy the remnants of Hamas in Gaza, as well as to stop all excess supplies entering Gaza to the minimum necessary, while at the same time protecting as much as possible any remaining hostages.
Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich wanted to add that for each day the hostages aren’t returned, Israel will annex 5% of Gaza. It appears that he did not have enough support for this from within the cabinet.
News 12 reported that according to new satellite data, Steve WItkoff’s assessment that it would take 15+ years to clear and rebuild Gaza is correct. The destruction by area:
– Northernmost Gaza: 84% of structures are destroyed, with the most destruction in the three cities where Hamas held out longest. In Jabaliya it appears that 100% of structures were destroyed.
– Gaza City: 72% destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
– Central Gaza: 33% destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Israel hit this area the least, due to suspicion that most of the hostages were kept here.
– Khan Yonis: 73% destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
– Rafah: 55% destroyed or damaged beyond repair—mostly in the areas along the Philadelphi Corridor, bordering Egypt.
The Secretary-General of the Arab League issued a call for Hamas to step down from ruling Gaza for the sake of Palestinian interests. He also called for a two state solution, led by the Palestinian Authority.
King Abdullah of Jordan met with Trump today. In an Oval Office press conference, Trump reiterated the plan to relocate 2 million people from Gaza. He said that he won’t threaten Jordan, because they are making great progress. King Abdullah so far offered to take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza (presumably with their immediate families).
(A very nervous looking) King Abdullah in response to press questions about taking in Gazans said, “Mister president, I think, we have to keep in mind that there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries. We’re being invited by Mohammed bin Salman to discussions in in Riyadh. I think the point is is how do we make this work in a way that is, good for everybody. Right. Obviously, we we have to look at, the best interest of of The United States, of the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan, and we’re going to have some interesting discussions today.”
The country of Jordan is already very unstable, and is fearful that importing a large number of Gazans will be the tipping point for the country.
Judea & Samaria:
Operation Iron Wall is continuing in Samaria.
During operations, the IDF demolished the home of a PIJ terrorist who killed an IDF soldier in July, and wounded 16 others, by setting off two roadside bombs. This is standard practice—the IDF routinely destroys homes of terrorists convicted of deadly attacks.
Confirming yesterday’s report that the PA was only pretending to stop the salaries to convicted terrorists, Senior Fatah official Monir al-Jaghoub confirmed: “President Mahmoud Abbas did not halt the salaries of anyone. The full salaries of the prisoners, martyrs, and the injured will be paid through another body.”
Lebanon:
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that the head of the ceasefire supervision committee, American General Jasper Jeffers, received an Israeli request to extend the ceasefire until February 28. There is no reliable confirmation whether this is true.
Other reports indicate that the IDF is preparing to withdraw from Lebanon on the 18th of February, and will bolster IDF troops along the border following the withdrawal. Israel may be exploring the possibility of holding security posts along the border within Lebanon as well.
Sponsor by Ari and Shoshana Schwartz in the zechus of their children. May Hashem guard every soldier and bring all the hostages safely home.
Discussion
We appreciate your feedback. If you have any additional information to contribute to this article, it will be added below.