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→Notes part IIII: Jan 22, 2026+
Yoav Zitun, Itamar Eichner|01.25.26
Yoav Zitun, Itamar Eichner|01.25.26
[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjxot07lwe YNet]
[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjxot07lwe YNet]
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Holocaust survivor who fought Nazis with art and humor now hits the big screen.
Joseph Bau survived the Holocaust through art, forged documents and quiet acts of resistance; he married fellow prisoner Rebecca in a Nazi camp; now, his story is told in a new film and preserved at a Tel Aviv museum fighting to stay open.
Rinat Perera Danieli|01.25.26 | 14:55
For Joseph Bau, survival itself was never a single act of heroism but a sequence of improbabilities that bordered on the miraculous. From evading execution to marrying Rebecca in the camps and finding her again after the war, he survived moments that logic could not explain.
Joseph Bau was born in Krakow in 1920. He was a young art student when the Nazis invaded Poland. His studies were cut short, but his creativity became a weapon.
[https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byrnadkuwx YNet]
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Iran may have killed over 30,000 protesters in two days: Report.
By Brady Knox. Washington Examiner.
January 25, 2026. — Over two weeks, the Rapid Support Forces murdered thousands of civilians, with one estimate putting the kill count at over 60,000.
[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4432911/iran-may-have-killed-30000-protesters-two-days/ Washington Examiner]
____
Disturbing.
Iran Threatens Death Penalty for Sharing Videos of Its Gruesome Massacres.
After slaughtering over 30,000 citizens in just 48 hours, the Iranian regime has issued a chilling ultimatum: Record the carnage and face the gallows. With chemical weapons used on protesters and hospitals turned into execution chambers, Tehran is now criminalizing the truth to hide the deadliest massacre in its modern history.
Jfeed Staff.
Jan 26, 2026.
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/iran-criminalizes-protest-videos JFeed]
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The final hostage.
BREAKING: Body of Ran Gvili, the Final Oct. 7 Hostage, Returned to Israel
After 843 days, the circle has finally closed. The IDF has recovered the body of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the final hostage held in Gaza since October 7. Following a high-stakes operation in a Shuja'iyya cemetery, the "Hero of Alumim" has finally returned to Israel for a state burial.
Jfeed Staff.
Jan 26, 2026.
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/ran-gvili-body-located-gaza JFeed]
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Seized and Silenced.
Ransom for the Dead: How the Ayatollahs Are Profiting from Their Own Killing Spree.
A UN expert has revealed that Iranian security forces are kidnapping wounded protesters directly from hospital beds and extorting families for thousands of dollars to return the bodies of the dead.
Eliana Fleming.
Jan 26, 2026
[https://www.jfeed.com/middleeast/iran-hostage-bodies-extortion JFeed]
______
Rasht's Night of Slaughter.
Burned Alive or Shot Dead: How The Iranian Forces Turned a Bazaar Into a Death Trap.
Victims in the Iranian city of Rasht were forced to choose between being burned alive in a deliberate market fire or running into a barrage of assault rifle fire from waiting security forces.
Eliana Fleming.
Jan 26, 2026
[https://www.jfeed.com/middleeast/iran-rasht-bazaar-crackdown JFeed]
_____
109,000 Tonnes of Death.
The Iranian Method: Myanmar Adopts High-Seas Sanction-Busting Tactics to Bomb Civilians.
Investigations have uncovered a massive surge in jet fuel reaching Myanmar via "ghost ships" and ship-to-ship transfers, mirroring the evasive tactics used by Iran to bypass global sanctions.
Eliana Fleming
Jan 26, 2026
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/myanmar-sanction-busting-tactics JFeed]
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"We Kept Our Promise"
Shehecheyanu in Gaza: Rabbi's Blessing as Ran Gvili Comes Home.
After 843 days in Hamas captivity following his death on October 7, the body of fallen hostage Ran Gvili was recovered from a mass grave in northern Gaza during Operation "Brave Heart," bringing immense relief and emotion to his family and the nation.
Eliana Fleming
Jan 26, 2026.
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/ran-gvili-hostage-recovery JFeed]
'Objective completed'.
IDF Chief of Staff recites Shehecheyanu blessing.
Israel National News.
Jan 26, 2026, 9:05 PM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421507 INN]
____
New footage from the mission to find Ran Gvili.
Israel National News.
Jan 26, 2026, 5:40 PM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421497 INN]
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Emotional moment:
Former hostages remove the ‘Bring Them Home’ pin.
Israel National News.
Jan 26, 2026, 11:37 PM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421514 INN]
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Ran Gvili's family speaks out:
Our pride is stronger than the sorrow.
Israel National News.
Jan 26, 2026, 9:46 PM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421509 INN]
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Jerusalem:
Ran Gvili’s picture projected onto National Institutions Building.
Israel National News.
Jan 27, 2026, 4:08 AM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421519 INN]
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Jewish leaders welcome return of Ran Gvili.
Israel National News.
Jan 27, 2026, 5:24 AM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421521 INN]
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ADL calls Kanye West’s apology ‘long overdue’ but insufficient.
Elad Benari.
Jan 27, 2026, 4:52 AM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421520 INN]
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US official links Hamas disarmament to amnesty.
US official says Hamas disarmament may come with amnesty under Trump’s Gaza plan.
Elad Benari.
Jan 27, 2026, 3:10 AM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421518 INN]
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Iran threatens 'regret‑inducing' response to US attack.
Elad Benari.
Jan 27, 2026, 5:41 AM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421522 INN]
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If elected.
Flávio Bolsonaro vows to move Brazil’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Israel National News.
Jan 27, 2026, 6:16 AM
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421523 INN]
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Trump says Iran situation is 'in flux' as officials warn of attack in coming days.
Trump said he sent a 'big armada' near Iran, but diplomacy remains possible, adding 'they want to talk,' as officials told The NYT fears are growing of a strike in coming days; US official said the USS Lincoln could be in position within a day or two
Itamar Eichner, News Agencies|01.27.26.
[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hyk000fblbe YNet]
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From a Romanian forced labor camp to a proud IDF legacy.
As Israel marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 97-year-old survivor Arie Reiter and his granddaughter, Sgt. A., share a powerful testament of revival.
Yaakov Lappin. Jan. 27, 2026.
In 1944, a teenage Jewish boy named Arie Reiter was sent to a forced labor camp to pave roads for the retreating German and Romanian armies.
More than 80 years later, his granddaughter, Sgt. A., serves as a commander in the IDF’s School for Computer Professions (known by its Hebrew acronym, Basmach), protecting the digital infrastructure of the Jewish state. This state, Reiter said, seemed like a surreal fantasy in the camps of Europe during those darkest of days.
Their shared story, told ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, encapsulates the arc of Jewish history in the modern era, from history’s worst and industrial genocide against a scattered people, to national self-determination and rebuilding.
“If I would have stood up when in the camp, and told people that we’d have a country, a military, that we’d have children and grandchildren as officers, that we’d have the best air force in the world, they would have wanted to put me in an insane asylum, Reiter, who was born in the Romanian city of Vaslui, told JNS on Monday.
For Reiter, now 97 and a resident of Beersheva since 1951, the memories of his childhood under the fascist Romanian regime in the Second World War remain vivid and brutally painful. Romania, under the leadership of Ion Antonescu, allied with Hitler, adopting the Nuremberg Laws and participating in the invasion of the Soviet Union.
“All the laws that the fascists, the Germans invented, were also in Romania,” Reiter said. “They expelled all Jews from universities, high schools, and schools. Jewish lawyers couldn’t represent Romanians. Jewish doctors couldn’t treat Romanians.” ..
[https://www.jns.org/from-a-romanian-forced-labor-camp-to-a-proud-idf-legacy/ JNS]
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Erdogan warns Israel, Greece and Cyprus: Turkey will defend its maritime rights.
Remarks come ahead of a trilateral summit in Jerusalem aimed at deepening security and energy cooperation with Athens and Nicosia amid tensions with Ankara|01.27.26
[https://www.ynetnews.com/category/9733 YNet]
____
From a Romanian forced labor camp to a proud IDF legacy.
As Israel marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 97-year-old survivor Arie Reiter and his granddaughter, Sgt. A., share a powerful testament of revival.
Yaakov Lappin.
Jan. 27, 2026
In 1944, a teenage Jewish boy named Arie Reiter was sent to a forced labor camp to pave roads for the retreating German and Romanian armies.
More than 80 years later, his granddaughter, Sgt. A., serves as a commander in the IDF’s School for Computer Professions (known by its Hebrew acronym, Basmach), protecting the digital infrastructure of the Jewish state. This state, Reiter said, seemed like a surreal fantasy in the camps of Europe during those darkest of days.
Their shared story, told ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, encapsulates the arc of Jewish history in the modern era, from history’s worst and industrial genocide against a scattered people, to national self-determination and rebuilding.
“If I would have stood up when in the camp, and told people that we’d have a country, a military, that we’d have children and grandchildren as officers, that we’d have the best air force in the world, they would have wanted to put me in an insane asylum, Reiter, who was born in the Romanian city of Vaslui, told JNS on Monday.
For Reiter, now 97 and a resident of Beersheva since 1951, the memories of his childhood under the fascist Romanian regime in the Second World War remain vivid and brutally painful. Romania, under the leadership of Ion Antonescu, allied with Hitler, adopting the Nuremberg Laws and participating in the invasion of the Soviet Union.
“All the laws that the fascists, the Germans invented, were also in Romania,” Reiter said. “They expelled all Jews from universities, high schools, and schools. Jewish lawyers couldn’t represent Romanians. Jewish doctors couldn’t treat Romanians.” ..
[https://www.jns.org/from-a-romanian-forced-labor-camp-to-a-proud-idf-legacy/ JNS]
_____
Trump Briefed on Iran’s 'Weakest Point Since 1979' as U.S. Weighs Action.
Intelligence reports show the Iranian regime is at its weakest since 1979. As protests hit Khamenei’s strongholds, Senator Lindsey Graham signals that "evil must be defeated."
Gila Isaacson.
Jan 27, 2025
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/iran-regime-weakness-trump-briefing JFeed]
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'No reasonable person can get used to it': IDF commander on recovering Gvili's remains - interview.
Gvili was killed in battle fighting infiltrating Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, after saving the lives of partygoers fleeing the Nova music festival in Re’im and defending Kibbutz Alumim.
By Maya Zanger-Nadis.
January 27, 2026.
“This was a very complex mission - not only operationally, but also mentally and physically,” Maj. E (res), an IDF company commander in the Alexandroni Infantry Brigade, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday after Israeli forces recovered the remains of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili from northern Gaza.
Gvili was killed in battle fighting infiltrating Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, after saving the lives of partygoers fleeing the Nova music festival in Re’im and defending Kibbutz Alumim from Hamas terrorists.
[https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-884709
111,681 Holocaust survivors remain in Israel.
New data shows 12,000 Holocaust survivors died in Israel in 2025, with fewer than 200,000 still alive worldwide.
Shira Kadari-Ovadia|01.27.26
[https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjfj7rri11g YNet]
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Hamas seeks role for its police in Gaza ahead of disarmament talks, sources say.
Hamas is pushing to integrate its roughly 10,000 police officers into a new US-backed Palestinian administration for Gaza, a move likely to face Israeli opposition as disarmament talks continue.
By Reuters, Shir Perets.
January 27, 2026.
Hamas is seeking to incorporate its 10,000 police officers into a new US-backed Palestinian administration for Gaza, sources say on Tuesday, a demand likely to be opposed by Israel as the terror group debates whether to surrender its arms.
The terror group retains control of just under half of Gaza following an October ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump. The agreement ties further Israeli troop withdrawals to Hamas giving up its weapons.
[https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-884695 JPost]
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Hamas banking on Qatar, Turkey to allow its forces into Gaza peacekeeping force
ANALYSIS.
This idea would seem to be an obvious non-starter for how to proceed in Gaza, especially as Israel and the Trump administration want to see Hamas disarmed.
January 27, 2026
[https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-884712 JPost]
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PIJ knowingly fired faulty rockets in Gaza, killing 'a thousand' Palestinians, document reveals.
"We are at war. And even if a thousand people are killed by friendly fire, that is the price of war," PIJ's Akram al-Ajouri reportedly said.
By Sam Halpern.
January 27, 2026.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza knowingly launched defective rockets throughout the course of the Israel-Hamas War, killing 'a thousand' Gazans, KAN Reshet Bet reported on Tuesday, citing a document recovered from the Gaza Strip.
The Foreign Ministry later confirmed the authenticity of the document, sharing it on X/Twitter.
According to the report, the document, which contains a summary of a Beirut meeting between a Hamas official and Akram al-Ajouri, the head of PIJ’s al-Quds Brigades, was investigated by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. The al-Quds Brigades is Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing.
According to the document, which reveals that Hamas leaders were upset that so many PIJ rockets were falling short inside of Gaza and killing Palestinians, reveals that Hamas viewed the problem as an issue damaging public perception within Gaza.
[https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-884689 JPost]
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Israel alarmed as US pullout opens door to Turkish-led jihadist surge in Syria.
Commentary: US troop drawdown creates a vacuum in Syria that Turkey is poised to fill, threatening Israel’s air freedom in the north and en route to Iran; security chiefs urge swift diplomatic action and warn of growing risks to Jordan’s stability.
Ron Ben-Yishai|01.27.26 16:38
The sudden and ruthless manner in which the Trump administration turned its back on the Kurds in Syria—effectively giving a green light to President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s jihadist forces to invade their autonomous region in the country’s northeast and massacre them—has raised alarm within Israel’s security establishment.
The concern stems not only from what is seen as an immoral abandonment of an ally, and not only because something similar could one day happen to Israel, but also because the decision was made in Washington as a direct result of the influence wielded by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the U.S. president.
From an Israeli perspective, what matters even more is that, in parallel to the fighting in the Kurdish region, the White House has decided to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria in the very near future. For those who may have forgotten: east of the Euphrates, American troops had been working effectively with the Syrian Democratic Forces—mostly Kurds with some Arab tribal fighters—against some 3,000 Islamic State terrorists waging terror and guerrilla warfare against local regimes and American interests in Syria and Iraq.
This is not the first time Trump has sought to pull U.S. forces out of Syria. It also happened during his first term as president, when Israel intervened and partially prevented the move. Currently, about 900 American troops remain in Syria, but this time, Trump appears determined to bring them home.
This was one of the main issues raised during the recent meeting between U.S. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The withdrawal of American troops from Syria marks a significant milestone in the U.S.’s official policy of reducing its military presence in key strategic areas across the Middle East.
The rationale behind this shift, as outlined in the Pentagon’s recently released National Defense Strategy document, is that America’s regional allies will assume a larger and more active role in defending their own interests against the hostile intentions of Iran and its proxies. The document highlights Israel as a model to follow—a country capable of defending itself with what it terms “limited assistance” from the United States.
Still, in Israel, there is growing concern that the drawdown of American forces erodes deterrence capabilities and restricts its operational freedom in the region, particularly in the air. More troubling, however, is that the vacuum left by the U.S. withdrawal threatens regional stability. This, in turn, poses risks to the Jordanian regime and creates space for hostile actors—from Turkey to the Shiite militias in Iraq—to move closer to Israel’s eastern and northern borders.
Israeli defense and policy officials are also troubled by the growing influence of Turkey and Qatar over the White House. This trend, they believe, stems from close personal ties and shared business interests between their leaders and Trump and his inner circle. As a result, the Israeli government and military have had to swallow a number of unwelcome security-related concessions Trump has imposed, particularly concerning Syria and Gaza.
Israeli intelligence officials note that while the Shiite axis has weakened, a new force is emerging opposite Israel: the Sunni axis, led by Qatar and Turkey, with the quiet involvement of Pakistan and possibly other regional states. All of them are aligned with the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. In the IDF, this bloc is referred to as the “Ikhwan Axis”—the Brotherhood Axis.
At this stage, it does not pose a direct and immediate threat to Israel, but the rhetoric of Turkey’s Erdogan and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is seen as a clear warning sign of its potential danger.
Turkey commands the second-largest army in NATO and continues to strengthen its military. While there is currently no indication that it may become a direct military adversary, Israel is working to block its entrenchment efforts in Syria and the Gaza Strip.
As for Qatar, it is expected to continue its campaign of influence and information warfare, which is severely damaging Israel’s image and international standing, particularly in the United States.
Concern in the Hashemite Kingdom
Several developments on the ground help explain the concerns of Israeli decision-makers regarding two key trends: the U.S. military withdrawal from the region and Trump’s close ties with leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood axis.
Currently, there are about 3,000 American military personnel in Iraq—mostly specialists and advisers—spread across several bases, including in the Kurdish autonomous region in the north. Under an agreement with the Iraqi government, the U.S. is set to withdraw most of them by the end of September. Afterward, American troops will remain almost exclusively in the Kurdish area of northern Iraq.
As noted, around 900 U.S. troops are still stationed in Syria. Alongside Kurdish-led SDF fighters and with coalition air support, they successfully battled ISIS for eight years and played a decisive role in driving the group out of Syria and Iraq.
Now, as the White House moves to bring them home, the U.S. is pressuring the Kurds to comply with al-Sharaa’s demands to surrender their weapons, integrate into his army and live under his rule. The Kurds, however, fear such an arrangement—with good reason—since Sunni jihadists view them as infidels to be killed, as they did with the Druze and Alawites. The atrocities committed by regime forces in Kurdish areas in recent days have only reinforced these fears.
Another major concern involves some 9,000 ISIS detainees held by the Kurds east of the Euphrates who had not taken part in the group's ongoing guerrilla war in southeastern Syria and Iraq. Amid the recent fighting between Kurdish forces and the regime, some prisoners managed to escape. These are jihadists, no different from those serving in al-Sharaa’s military.
CENTCOM officials fear that, despite the regime’s pledge to act against ISIS, it may eventually release the remaining detainees, who would then resume attacks. Israeli officials are worried that at least some of these thousands could make their way to southern Syria and approach the Golan Heights border. What happens next is all too predictable.
In the meantime, the Shiite-led Iraqi government has agreed, at Washington’s request, to take in ISIS detainees from Syria into its own prison facilities, recognizing that if it does not and those terrorists are freed, Iraqi civilians—especially Shiites—will be in danger. The U.S. began transferring ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraqi-run detention camps last week, and the operation is still underway.
CENTCOM’s senior command is unhappy with the direction being set by the White House, noting that the order to pull American troops from Syria is restricting its ability to operate and gather intelligence in the Middle East.
While the U.S. still maintains a base with several hundred troops at al-Tanf on the Syria-Iraq border, it is possible that this outpost will also be shut down. Such a move would not only expose Syria and Iraq to renewed activity by jihadists—both Sunni and Shiite—but would also severely threaten the stability of the Jordanian regime.
ynet has learned that the Pentagon is also considering scaling back or even completely withdrawing from U.S. bases in Jordan. This prospect is causing significant concern in both Amman and Jerusalem, as it would leave the kingdom vulnerable to Iraqi Shiite militias entrenched along its border, and increase the threat to the monarchy from jihadist and Muslim Brotherhood elements operating inside Jordan and in southern Syria.
Concerns over Erdogan’s encroachment
But the main issue currently troubling Israeli defense officials is Turkey’s growing presence and military entrenchment in Syria. This neo-imperialist push, aimed at turning Syria into a satellite or client state that serves President Erdogan’s interests, is not only about reaping economic benefits from Saudi-funded reconstruction. It also seeks to give the Turkish military the ability to deploy radar systems, air defense batteries and forward bases near Israel, thus severely limiting its aerial freedom of action over Syria and Iraq.
That air freedom is among Israel’s most critical strategic assets in its efforts to counter Iran and other regional threats. The air corridors over Syria and Iraq have enabled Israeli Air Force missions deep into western, central and southern Iran. Maintaining this operational latitude is vital for preventing future force buildup and attack capabilities by hostile actors operating in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
Faced with this reality, Israel could soon confront a strategic dilemma: whether to act forcefully against Turkish entrenchment—even at the risk of direct military friction with a NATO member closely tied to Washington—or to refrain from action, at the cost of allowing serious erosion of a key strategic asset.
Security officials warn that this process will likely not happen overnight, but rather gradually—a “drip” of incremental Turkish moves, each one too small to justify a major Israeli response, but together forming a new reality within months or years in which Israeli aircraft no longer enjoy freedom of movement over Syria and Iraq.
Compounding this is the fact that under the Trump administration, Washington has shown far less willingness to engage militarily in the Middle East, focusing instead on China, Ukraine and domestic concerns. In such a scenario, Israel could find itself largely alone in defending its northern airspace autonomy.
This has led to the security establishment’s central recommendation to Israel’s political leadership: do not wait for the new reality to become permanent—take action now on three fronts. First, diplomatically with Washington: Prime Minister Netanyahu must leverage his direct influence on Trump and engage American Jewish organizations such as AIPAC to counterbalance the growing Turkish-Qatari influence in Congress.
Second, the IDF must reinforce border defenses with Syria and Jordan by all available means. Third, Israel must deepen its alliance with the United Arab Emirates and expand cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other moderate Sunni states.
If necessary, military action may also be required to establish clear red lines for Turkey and prevent it from turning Syria into a direct military sphere of influence. In any case, concern alone is not a strategy. The most urgent and strategic task now facing Israel is to recognize the emerging reality to its north and east, and to prepare for it swiftly and effectively.
[https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/rkigv8lu11l YNet]
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‘Hezbollah 2.0’ Trap.
The Great Gaza Gamble: Is Israel Trading Blood for a Paper Peace?
As Trump launches Phase B of his Gaza peace plan, concerns grow in Israel over the roles of Qatar and Turkey in reconstruction. Will a "technocratic" government be a shield for a Hamas comeback?
Jfeed Staff.
Jan 27, 2026
[https://www.jfeed.com/opinions/gaza-reconstruction-hamas-concerns JFeed]
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From 2014 to 2026: the 255 hostages freed from Gaza through deals, rescues and diplomacy.
With the recovery of Ran Gvili, the hostage era that began in 2014 has come to an end; military rescues, three hostage deals and diplomatic gestures led to the release of 255 men, women, children and soldiers held by by Hamas and other groups in Gaza.
Nina Fox, Maya Bar|01.27.26
The return of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, for burial in Israel, and his identification at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, marked the end of an era of captivity that began in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge and reached its darkest hour after the
October 7 massacre in southern Israel.
After more than 400 weeks, no Israeli hostages remain in the hands of
Hamas or other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. These are the stories of the 255 hostages.
Hostages held since 2014.
Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, a Golani Brigade soldier, was killed in combat between July 19 and 20, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, when his armored personnel carrier was hit in the Shejaiya neighborhood. More than a decade later, his body was recovered and returned to Israel in a covert intelligence operation.
Lt. Hadar Goldin, a Givati Brigade officer, was killed less than a month later. His body was held by Hamas for more than 400 consecutive weeks and was returned to Israel as part of the final hostage deal.
After the war, on Sept. 7, 2014,
Avera Mengistu
crossed the Gaza border and was abducted by Hamas. He was held alive for more than a decade and released in February 2025. Several months later,
Hisham al-Sayed
, who crossed into Gaza while suffering from severe mental illness, was also released in the same deal.
The October 7 kidnappings
A total of 251 people were abducted from Israel to the Gaza Strip during Hamas’ terror attack on October 7.
They were taken alive by terrorists and Palestinian civilians, on foot or aboard cars, motorcycles and tractors, some of them stolen, and during battles fought to defend the communities along the Gaza border. Forty-four Israelis were kidnapped from the Nova music festival in the Re’im forest, and 207 Israelis and foreign nationals were abducted from kibbutzim, IDF bases where they were serving, and various combat zones across the Gaza border area.
Hostages released without a deal.
Four women were released early on “humanitarian grounds”:
Natalie Raanan and Judith Raanan, an American mother and daughter from Chicago
Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz from Kibbutz Nir Oz IDF rescue operations Ori Megidish, an IDF surveillance soldier, was rescued from Gaza City on October 30, 2023
On Feb. 12, 2024, Fernando Marman and Luis Har were rescued from Rafah On June 8, 2024, Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv were rescued from Nuseirat; Yamam officer Arnon Zamora
was killed, and the operation was named in his honor On Aug. 27, 2024, Qaid Farhan al-Qadi was rescued alone from a tunnel in Rafah
Bodies recovered during the war.
Among those whose bodies were located and returned for burial:
Ilan Weiss, Idan Shtivi, Nattapong Pinta, Staff Sgt. Shay Levinson, Yonatan Samerano, Ofra Keidar, Yehudit Weiss, Cpl. Noa Marciano, Ofir Tzarfati, Shani Louk, Itzik Gelerenter, Amit Buskila, Ron Binyamin, Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum, Youssef al-Ziyadne and his son Hamza, Yagev Buchshtab, Cpl. Nik Beizer, Ron Sherman, Elia Toledano, Sgt. Kiril Brodski, Staff Sgt. Tomer Ahimas, Eden Zecharya, Ziv Dado, Oren Goldin, Maya Goren, Sgt. Shaked Dahan, Alex Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell, Elad Katzir, Master Sgt. Ravid Katz, Itay Svirsky, Orion Hernandez, Yair Yaakov, Aviv Atzili, Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein-Haggai.
Also returned were the bodies of
Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer Talalka, who were mistakenly killed by IDF fire, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Uri Danino, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov and Almog Sarusi, who were executed in a tunnel in Rafah.
The first hostage deal (November 2023)
Eighty hostages were released alive in seven stages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Among them:
Ruth Munder, Keren Munder and her son Ohad; Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia; Doron Katz-Asher and her daughters Raz and Aviv; Yaffa Adar; Adina Moshe; Margalit Moses; Hanna Katzir; Channah Peri; Sharon Avigdori and her daughter Noam; Liam Or; Emily Hand; Raya Rotem and her daughter Hila; Shiri Weiss and her daughter Noga; Shoshan Haran; Adi Shoham and her children Nave and Yahel; Hagar Brodetz and her children Ofri, Yuval and Oriya; Abigail Idan.
Additional releases included:
Maya Regev, Itay Regev, Dafna Elyakim, Ella Elyakim, Chen Goldstein-Almog and her children Agam, Gal and Tal; Elma Avraham; Aviva Siegel; Sharon Cunio and her twin daughters Emma and Yuli; Karina Engel and her daughters Mika and Yuval; Sahar and Erez Kalderon; Or and Yagil Yaakov; Meirav Tal; Ditza Heiman; Eitan Yahalomi; Tamar Metzger; Noralyn Babadilla; Ada Sagi; Rimon Kirsht; Ofelia Roitman; Gabriela Leimberg and her daughter Mia; Clara Marman; Raz Ben Ami; Yarden Roman-Gat; Liat Atzili; Moran Stella Yanai; Ofir Engel; Amit Shani; Gali Tarshansky; Yelena Trufanov; Irena Tatti; Ilana Gritzewsky; Bilal al-Ziyadne and his sister Aisha; Amit Soussana; Sapir Cohen; Mia Schem; Shani Goren; Nili Margalit.
Dozens of Thai nationals and Filipino citizen
Jimmy Pacheco were also released.
The second hostage deal.
More than a year later, a second deal led to the release of the remaining living hostages, including:
Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Ohad Ben Ami, Yarden Bibas, Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Yair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Alexander Trufanov, Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Gadi Moses, Keith Siegel, Ofer Calderon, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Eli Sharabi, Arbel Yehud, Sathian Suwannakham, Pongsak Tanna, Bannawat Saethao, Watchara Sriaoun and Surasak Rumnao.
Also released were.
Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.
Returned for burial were Shlomo Mansour, Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Oded Lifshitz, Itzik Elgarat, Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel and Kfir.
The final releases.
In May 2025, Hamas released Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli soldier, as a gesture to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Months later, the final deal led to the release of:
Bar Kupershtein, Evyatar David, Yosef Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Zangauker, Eitan Horn, Eitan Mor, twins Gali and Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Rom Braslavski, Ariel Cunio, David Cunio and Matan Angrest.
The bodies returned included:
Guy Iluz, Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi, Capt. Daniel Perez, Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, Eitan Levy, Inbar Haiman, Muhammad El-Atrash, Eliyahu Margalit, Ronen Engel, Tal Haimi, Aryeh Zalmanovich, Tamir Adar, Sahar Baruch, Amiram Cooper, Col. Asaf Hamami, Capt. Omer Neutra, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel, Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, Joshua Luito Mollel, Lior Rudaeff, Meni Godard, Dror Or, Sonthaya Oakkharasri and Sudthisak Rinthalak.
With the return of Ran Gvili, the final hostage held in Gaza, Israel closed a painful chapter spanning more than a decade, from 2014 through war, loss, rescue and return.
All 255 are now home.
[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1dye7i8bg YNet]
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How the IDF recovered Ran Gvili's body, IDF commander tells all.
In an Arutz Sheva interview, the deputy commander of the IDF Rabbinate combat unit recounts Operation Courageous Heart to recover Ran Gvili.
Shimon Cohen.
Jan 28, 2026, 6:24 PM (GMT+2)
The Deputy Commander of the Southern Command Search Unit, the Military Rabbinate's Combat Unit, Major A., recounts in an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News Operation Courageous Heart, the mission to recover the final deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, from the Gaza Strip.
Maj. A. says that the preparations for the operation had begun earlier, but due to various constraints, the operation was delayed. This being said, his soldiers were ready for action for a while, until "last week they were notified of a window of opportunity to execute the mission, and we began to get ready. We called the soldiers from their homes three days before the operation, we were issued the dedicated gear, and we practiced on dummies."
A. also notes that there were other units under his unit's command, including the dentists' unit, which identified the body, soldiers from an explosives ordnance unit to ensure the soldiers' safety, a unit of terrain experts, an IDF anthropologist, members of the Captives and Missing Persons Unit, and his soldiers who carried out the work.
"We joined an engineering unit that dug in the dirt with the excavators and pulled out the remains. This is very precise work; it demands great concentration by the troops," he explains, and notes that the forces entered the territory of the cemetery after a navigation and signage team that studied aerial images preceded them and marked points where there was a possibility to find Ran's body.
Regarding the work with the engineering vehicles, Maj. A. stresses that it was the most gentle work done by the heaviest tools. Before the start of the mission, A. spoke to his soldiers about its sensitivity, and in the field, there was strict coordination between a director on the ground and the excavator operator.
The excavator removed the bodies from the ground, arranging them in a manner that allowed for an initial examination by forensic dentists, with meticulous documentation and marking of details to ensure that everything planned to be removed from the grave was indeed recovered.
"We began on Sunday afternoon, and we were prepared for a few more days. For this, we called up a few more soldiers to allow for the constant execution of the operation, but we found Ran even before the next group of soldiers. There was a great sense of pride, the feeling of coming full circle on a biblical level," A. says. He recalls that in his speech to the soldiers, he mentioned the story of Samsons who toppled the pillars and, with his death killled more Philistines than he killed when he was alive, and the bible describes how Samson's brothers went to remove the rubble and find his body. "We have the same spirit and the same heritage."
In response to our question, Maj. (Res.) A. says that the work on the ground was also accompanied by risks that cannot and should not be detailed, given that this was an active combat zone. In this context, he noted the security envelope provided to his soldiers by the Alexandroni Brigade, while emphasizing that the danger was indeed present throughout the entire operation.
Regarding the composition of his unit, the combat unit of the Military Rabbinate, Maj. A. explained: “These are infantry fighters from all IDF units, religious and secular alike, who are willing to carry out the mission that the people of Israel need," he said.
He went on to describe a meaningful sense of closure experienced by his soldiers following the recovery of Ran Gvili: “Before the war, we were required to assist along the Judea and Samaria sector. We were stationed at the Lamed-Heh outpost, where we carried out operational activity for nearly a month. During that period, we conducted a drill to maintain our operational readiness, and at its conclusion, we held a formation in which we recounted the Lamed-Heh convoy incident, in which our soldiers were killed and their bodies abused until a British officer understood the importance of the matter and brought the fallen to Kfar Etzion, where the Vilna Gaon’s lottery was conducted. We pledged that we would not leave a fallen soldier behind. As a unit, we swore to bring everyone back. We held that formation on the anniversary of the fall of the Lamed-Heh platoon, and now, on the Hebrew date of the 8th of Shevat, we found Ran Gvili. For us, this is a very special closing of a circle."
Toward the end of the conversation, we asked Maj. A. about the findings discovered in Ran’s grave in Gaza. He said that the items found indeed matched what the force had expected to find. This included dental identification, as well as the fact that “based on the information we received, we understood that he might be found with some of his uniform, and indeed we found those items in that same grave together with his remains." The information was obtained through both human intelligence and various additional technological means.
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421616 INN]
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HATE IN QUEENS: Rebbi Punched in Face in Antisemitic Attack; Suspect Arrested After Shomrim Intervention.
January 27, 2026
[https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/2504682/hate-in-queens-rebbi-punched-in-face-in-antisemitic-attack-suspect-arrested-after-shomrim-intervention-1.html YWN]
Rabbi attacked in Queens on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Rabbi assaulted in a targeted antisemitic attack in Queens on Holocaust Remembrance Day, prompting widespread condemnation from city leaders, including Mayor Mamdani.
Israel National News.
Jan 28, 2026, 4:52 AM (GMT+2)
A rabbi was verbally and physically attacked in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens in New York, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
City authorities described the incident as "targeted antisemitic attack", according to a report in Ynet.
According to Yeshiva World News, the attack occurred when a rabbi was approached by a suspect who, without provocation, began shouting and cursing antisemitic epithets before punching him in the face and throwing him to the ground.
Witnesses said the suspect also made threatening gestures, forming his hands into the shape of a gun and pointing them at the victim before fleeing the scene.
The NYPD said that the suspect was arrested at the scene and that the victim did not require medical treatment.
Local leaders condemned the incident. Congresswoman Grace Meng, Senator Joe Addabbo, Senator Leroy Comrie, New York State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, New York State Assemblyman Sam Berger, and New York City Council member Lynn Schulman issued a joint statement denouncing the attack.
“We are outraged by the antisemitic attack that occurred in our district, in which a Rabbi was verbally harassed, physically assaulted, and threatened for being Jewish. This was a targeted act of hate, and it has no place in our community or anywhere in New York City," they said.
“No one should ever fear for their safety because of their religion, identity, or beliefs. The rise in antisemitic incidents across our city and country is deeply concerning, and this attack- occurring on Holocaust Remembrance Day - underscores the urgent responsibility we all share to confront hate before it escalates into violence," they added.
“We are relieved that the victim did not suffer serious injuries, and we stand in solidarity with him and with the Jewish community during this painful moment. We thank the officers of the 112th Precinct for their swift response and for taking the individual responsible into custody."
“We call on all New Yorkers to reject antisemitism and all forms of hatred, and to stand united in defense of the safety, dignity, and humanity of our neighbors," the statement concluded.
Julie Menin, Speaker of the New York City Council, said, “I'm appalled by this horrific antisemitic assault that occurred on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, of all days."
She added, “This act of violence is yet another example of the deeply disturbing pattern of hateful incidents against our Jewish community. It’s why the Council’s Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism is so urgently needed."
“No New Yorker should ever be subjected to hatred or violence for who they are or how they worship, and we are taking action to put an end to it," stressed Menin.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was “horrified by the antisemitic assault on a rabbi in Forest Hills."
“On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, New Yorkers were confronted with a painful truth: antisemitism is not a thing of the past-it is a present danger that demands action from all of us. There is no place for antisemitism in our city. I stand in solidarity with Jewish New Yorkers and my administration is committed to rooting out this hatred," he added.
New York has seen a sharp uptick in incidents of antisemitism since October 7, 2023. Data released by the New York City Police Department on the day before the mayoral election in November, won by Mamdani who has come under fire for his anti-Israel views, revealed that Jews were the victims in 62% of all hate crimes reported last month, with 29 antisemitic incidents out of a total of 47.
On the very day that Mamdani was elected, swastikas were sprayed on the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn.
[Over 800 severe antisemitic incidents in 2025, 21 Jews murdered].
Nearly two weeks after the election, antisemitic graffiti reading “F**k Jews" was found scrawled on a sidewalk in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Last week, two teenagers were arrested after allegedly spray‑painting dozens of swastikas and other antisemitic messages throughout a Brooklyn playground frequented by Jewish children
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421580 INN]
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Over 800 severe antisemitic incidents in 2025, 21 Jews murdered.
Most incidents were recorded in the US, the UK, France, Australia, and Canada, the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry found.
Israel National News.
Jan 27, 2026, 9:39 PM (GMT+2
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421568 INN]
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NO SURPRISES: PA Still Pays $2,000 A Month To Terrorist Who Smiled After Murdering 8 Children.
January 28, 2026.
[https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2504898/no-surprises-pa-still-pays-2000-a-month-to-terrorist-who-smiled-after-murdering-8-children.html YWN]
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Rubio: 'No one knows who will rule Iran after Khamenei'.
US Secretary of State updates Senate on the 'massive armada' that President Trump was headed toward Iran.
Israel National News.
Jan 28, 2026, 7:30 PM (GMT+2)
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421619 INN]
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Avi Kaner ابراهيم אבי
@AviKaner:
The death toll in Iran is now over 60,000 according to my sources on the ground at hospitals. #IranMassacre .
Jan 28, 2026
[https://x.com/AviKaner/status/2016273366068412887 on X]
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Iranian Spies Planned Attacks on US Air Base
From Ankara to Cyprus: The Lethal Route of Iran’s Armed Drone Smuggling Network
Turkish intelligence has dismantled a sophisticated Iranian espionage network that was conducting reconnaissance on the US Incirlik Air Base and plotting to smuggle armed drones into Cyprus.
Eliana Fleming
Jan 28, 2026 22
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/iran-drone-smuggling-network JFeed]
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Harvard professor with history of anti-Israel bias elected to Pulitzer Prize Board.
Vijay Iyer’s appointment “suggests that those who write fairly about Israel will be marginalized,” Daniel Mariaschin, of B’nai B’rith, told JNS.
Jessica Russak-Hoffman.
(Jan. 28, 2026 / JNS)
The Pulitzer Prize Board is facing scrutiny following the election of Vijay Iyer, a composer, pianist and professor at Harvard University with a documented history of anti-Israel bias and activism.
[https://www.jns.org/harvard-professor-with-history-of-anti-israel-bias-elected-to-pulitzer-prize-board/ JNS]
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‘Early enough’ to stop AI from having social media’s Jew-hatred problem, ADL says.
Daniel Kelley, of the ADL, told JNS that when technology companies started investing in the problem of antisemitism on social media, "they were doing it after the horse had left the barn in many respects.”
Aaron Bandler.
(Jan. 28, 2026 / JNS)
[https://www.jns.org/early-enough-to-stop-artificial-intelligence-from-having-social-medias-jew-hatred-problem-adl-says/ JNS]
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