From reports coming forth from recently released hostages, there are new ‘signs of life’ of a couple captives whose fate was unknown. Omri Meirav, was taken from his home in Nahal Oz into the tunnels of Gaza. He left behind a wife and 2 small daughters. Omri was last seen caged in a terror tunnels late last July. His family is praying that he is still alive.

Alon Ohel is a concert pianist. He won a national competition when he was 18, just prior to his IDF service. He was kidnapped at age 24 from Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October, 2023. One of the released hostages saw and was able to communicate briefly with Alon about two months ago. He had been badly wounded by shrapnel, was very malnourished and chained in an underground cage, but was still very much alive.

https://youtu.be/UdJobqOspdg?si=-mJ1rNgbNiTisyka

The oldest person in captivity, Shlomo Mansur, was 85 when he was captured. He was born in Iraq and survived the Farhud, the Middle Eastern equivalent of the Holocaust. He escaped Baghdad as a small child during the burning, raping, murdering and pillaging of his country by Islamophobia-Fascists in 1941. They came to Israel where he set up a good life. Mansur was one of the founders of Kibbutz Kissufim on the Gaza border. He was a father and grandfather. He was murdered by Hamas on 7 October, 2023. They still have his body. His wife managed to escape. Ironically he was born during a Holocaust and died in one 85 years later.

Or Levy was one of the hostages returned to Israel last Shabbat. He was the one who drove to the Nova Festival with his wife, Einav that morning, leaving their 1 year old son with the grandparents. As soon as they arrived, they heard the red alert sirens and the gunfire. The couple ran into a concrete roadside bomb shelter with over 30 other young people. One of whom was soldier, Aner Shapira. Aner, 22, bravely threw back seven grenades thrown by a terrorist into the bunker. The terrorist then sprayed the inside of the shelter with machine gun fire, killing Aner, Einav and many of those inside. The few who survived were taken to Gaza. Or has expressed his desire to meet Aner Shapira’s parents to thank them for his son’s sacrifice and bravery.

Or had not known that his wife was among those killed that fateful morning. He was told the news by his child, Almog, who just turned 3. Almog: Dad. You’ve been away for a long time.You look different today. Or: That’s right. Almog: Mommy Einav is not coming back. She is dead. Little Almog, who has had time to come to terms with his trauma will now help Or process his father’s grief. The two hugged each other in bed for hours after they were reunited at the hospital. Almog, who still doesn’t understand fully, tried to feed his father, who is on a very restricted diet. Or ate the food Almog gave him according to Tal Levy, Or’s brother. They had told Almog that his daddy was far away with many other people. They were looking for him and would do anything they could to find him for as long as it would take. The small child seemed to understand and was overjoyed when his family told him “Today, it’s Daddy’s turn to return home.”

News just came out here by an informed whistleblower and Israeli intelligence gatherer, Rafael Hayon, that as of December 2023, Hamas was ready to concede. The fighters were under siege by the IDF. They were being surrounded, without food, power, water or fuel. They were ready to give back all the hostages as well as the location of Yahya Sinwar and other key peratives. It was just prior to the first hostage release. It would be a complete surrender.

The terrorists fighting in the North were told by commanders in Qatar that their wives were all raped inside a mosque by IDF forces in Rafiah (the extreme south). The IDF had not even gone into southern Gaza… They were given orders to wait 24 hours. If they did not obey, they would be beheaded. Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived that night and within 12 hours a pause in fighting and an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza was set up. Aid flowed in the next day, thus prolonging the war.

Hamas has now claimed that Israel violated the terms of ceasefire. They are retroactively punishing Israel by ceasing the release of any more hostages. They claim-

• A young child was shot and killed by IdF forces on Sunday. The facts are thus according to the IDF authorities: A group of 8 teenagers advanced towards a group of IDF soldiers and were told to stand down. They started throwing rocks and shots were fired at the ground I warning. One 17 year old rushed the guard with a knife in an attempted stabbing. He was shot and killed.
• The IDF did not fully evacuate Gaza. The ceasefire agreement called for all soldiers to retreat from the division between North and South Gaza, the Netzarim Corridor. They did this allowing free passage on foot to civilians.
• Civilians are being blown up by IEDs hidden in the ground by IDF. In actuality, even though they have been warned, a few people have been killed when they entered what was left of their buildings. Many buildings have been booby trapped by Hamas in order to kill Israeli soldiers, many who have died when bugged structures collapse upon detonation.
• Lack of humanitarian aid. Israel has thus far allowed in 13,866 aid trucks; 300,000 family sized tents supplied by Egypt, Jordan and the UN; and 50 gas and fuel tankers per day. There are reports of looting and commandeering of the rigs by Hamas forces, who in turn, sell food, hygiene and clothing to civilians at exorbitant prices.

If there is no aid, where did all those brand new, unscratched, undented white trucks carrying the Hamas terrorists come from? They show up every hostage release. It looks like a car commercial. And their brand new clean uniforms? And weapons? And the uniforms supplied to the hostages upon release? They must have some slick fashion designer to come up with those matching brown prisoner sweats with mugshots and property of AlQassem Brigade emblazoned on the front. And those spiffy huge billboards that provide the backdrop for their choreographed release ceremonies? The expensive cameras with telephoto lenses and videography equipment? None of these soldiers or even participants in the crowds look underfed.

Yesterday, there was a major shift in rhetoric on all sides. Hamas is not releasing prisoners. The deal is off. President Trump has said that if every single hostage is not returned by noon this Saturday then all hell will break loose and Israel will have free reign to restart the war. He has also stated that the US will take and rebuild Gaza. That they will be in charge of the rebuilding efforts and that any peaceful, non terrorist can enter. Jobs will be created in this new beachfront paradise. Resort hotels will be opened. Until then, the Gazan civilians would be free to leave.

However, until yesterday, none of the neighboring Arab nations would take them in. Why do you think that is? Finally, on camera in the West Wing of the White House, in a. Meeting with President Trump, Jordan King Abdulla offered to take in 2000 young children with cancer or in need of emergency medical treatment. Trump responded that it was “a beautiful thing.” If these Gazans can leave voluntarily, it collapses the narrative that they are living in an open air prison. They do not want a solution. They are against “the White Man Zionist colonialism. If Gaza is rebuilt and prospers, their victimhood disappears. Either way they lose.

And today, Prime Minister Netanyahu came out with his statement (translated from the Hebrew):

It could be an interesting weekend. Hizbulla and the Houthis have vowed to enter the fight if Israel comes down on Hamas.

If you have time and want to watch the most bizarre interview (UK journalists), so far-fetched it’s actually absurdly hysterical at points (12 minutes in), watch the takedown between anchor, Julia Hartley-Brewer and Yvonne Ridley. It aired yesterday evening on TalkTV, UK.

https://youtu.be/m0KM4LUrRUs?si=iP5tHFBi6H1_KLd0

Once again, if you like the content I am delivering, please share the link to my blog widely. It is important that others understand the facts on the ground, not just the misinformation. It takes hours to do all the research and I try to keep everything factual and up-to-date. I’d really like to expand my current reader base. Thank you so much….Tamar