Israel Update 29.5.25

Shavuot (Pentecost) greetings to my readers.

 

TRAGIC AFTERMATH OF 14 MAY TERROR ATTACK

 

Ravid Haim, the infant delivered in an emergency Caesarean section following the terrorist murder of his mother Tzeela Gez, died yesterday, Wednesday. He had been in critical condition since birth, receiving intensive care in the neonatal intensive care unit at Schneider Childrens’ Hospital. Report here

 

 

DEFENCE

 

It was revealed yesterday that Israel successfully intercepted dozens of Hizbullah drones using laser-based defence systems, the first country in the world to field a high-powered, operational laser system at scale. These laser systems serve as an additional defensive layer within Israel’s multi-tier air defence network, alongside the “Magen Or” (Iron Beam) system, which is still in development and expected to be delivered to the IDF later this year. Report here

 

 

GAZA

 

The IDF said Sunday that its current operation in Gaza is not about killing Hamas’s remaining forces but about taking control of Gazan territory and food distribution.Report here

 

 

AID DISTRIBUTION IN GAZA

 

Looting of UN aid

 

15 World Food Programme trucks carrying aid were looted in Gaza, the UN agency said Friday. 90 trucks carrying flour, baby food and nutritional supplements entered Gaza on Wednesday and 107 trucks on Thursday. Looters sacked the trucks in southern Gaza late Thursday as the vehicles headed to bakeries.

Five more aid trucks were taken over by looters on Saturday and the stolen goods were sold to Gazans at inflated prices.

Reports here (paywall)and here

 

 

A senior IDF official stated that “there is no famine in Gaza, we’re not even close to that,” on Tuesday.
Officials said there had been 110 looting incidents since the resumption of aid to Gaza last week through the UN mostly by Gazan civilians, armed gangs, and organized clans. Report here

 

New US & Israeli Plan

 

According to the new distribution plan, each family in Gaza would be able to go to the distribution area and receive aid, unlike the method used by the UN and other aid agencies, previously, which relied on the aid being delivered to shops and aid stations, allowing Hamas to then take control of the aid and use it for its own purposes…Each distribution centre would provide the humanitarian aid to 300,000 Gaza residents and will work around the clock, using staff from the aid organization and the local population but not UN employees.
Israeli officials said UN objections to the plan were politically motivated and originated at UN headquarters in New York, not from the people in Gaza. Report here

 

 

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)

 

The GHF a U.S.-backed group approved by Israel began distributing food aid in Gaza on Monday, with additional aid trucks scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. Currently four hubs have been set up. GHF has said it will eventually be able to meet the needs of 2 million people. It said it will create more hubs within 30 days. GHF is run by a group of American security contractors, ex-military officers and humanitarian aid officials.
To deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid, private subcontractors will transport supplies in armoured vehicles from the Gaza border to the hubs, where they will also provide security. The GHF said that until at least eight hubs are operating, the existing UN-led system will continue providing food in parallel.
The GHF condemned threats from Hamas targeting humanitarian organizations supporting aid distribution at GHF’s Safe Distribution Sites. It accused Hamas of trying to prevent Palestinians from accessing humanitarian supplies at the designated locations. “It is clear that Hamas is threatened by this new operating model and will do everything in its power to see it fail,” the foundation said.
On Monday, the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry called on Gaza residents not to cooperate with the new aid mechanism.Report here

 

 

The GHF today Thursday denied reports of five Palestinian deaths following the last two days of distribution of humanitarian aid.

GHF said: “We continue to see false reporting about deaths, mass injuries, and chaos at the Secure Distribution Sites. To reiterate, there have been no deaths at any GHF location. To date, two Gazans have required medical care that was delivered on-site, one relating to dehydration and another who was injured by others seeking aid. Reports to the contrary originated from Hamas and are inaccurate”

GHF also rebutted claims against it, stating that “no shots were fired at Palestinian crowds at the SDS [Safe Distribution Site] and there were no casualties.” Report here

 

 

Elouda, a company based in the Bedouin town of Hura in southern Israel is providing humanitarian aid packages to Gaza through the U.S.-backed GHF. US charities fund the packages, and before they are packed, the organization coordinates approval with the IDF. Report here

 

 

ISRAEL, THE UN & AID

 

 

The Israel Defence Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories has accused the UN of failing to collect more than 400 truckloads of humanitarian aid from the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing, whose contents are awaiting distribution.
“With the renewed entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, we have reached out to all humanitarian aid organizations and the international community, and called for them to take part in the distribution of aid to Gazan civilians. However, in the past few days, the UN has avoided fulfilling its role and instead continues to spread false and incorrect information regarding civilian distress.” Report here

 

 

Israel accused Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, of “libel” after he told CNN on Monday that there are 10,000 aid trucks on the Gaza border, cleared and ready to go. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) posted a video on X saying, “There are no 10,000 trucks waiting to go into Gaza. What there are, are hundreds of trucks’ worth of aid the UN hasn’t picked up from the Gazan side over the last few days after we gave you plenty of routes you can use to safely distribute the aid throughout Gaza.”
This comes less than a week after Fletcher told the BBC that 14,000 Gazan babies would die within the next 48 hours unless aid reached them. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs later retracted the statement. Report here

 

 

HOUTHI ATTACKS

 

 

A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis last Friday morning was intercepted, the second day in a row of Houthi attacks, and the fourth within a week. The missile set off sirens at around 4 a.m. in central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, sending nearly a million residents scrambling to shelters.  The IDF intercepted a missile on Sunday targeting the Jerusalem area. IDF air defences intercepted two missiles launched from Yemen toward Israel at 5 a.m. and 7:42 a.m. on Tuesday. Report hereReport hereReport here

 

Footnotes:

 

19 people were killed and over 40 were injured in an explosion last Thursday at a Houthi weapons depot in Sanaa, Yemen. Yemen’s Information Minister said the explosion was caused by a failed missile launch near the capital’s airport.Report here

 

The IDF on Wednesday attacked Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport in response to several Houthi ballistic missile attacks on Israel over the last week, destroying the last airplane the Houthis still had there.Report here

 

 

LEBANON

 

Lebanon’s army has reportedly largely disarmed Hizbullah in its southern strongholds as the country’s new government moves to enforce the November ceasefire. Israeli intelligence passed along by the U.S. has helped the Lebanese army find and destroy Hizbullah’s remaining weapons stockpiles and military posts in the south according to senior Arab officials.
“We do see a lot of areas where the Lebanese army is way more effective than expected,” an Israeli military official said. Report here (paywall)

 

Footnote: Reportedly, Syria has captured multiple shipments of weapons still headed to Hizbullah, and Hizbullah continues to have large missle supplies north of the Litani River which are not included in the Lebanese government’s disarming actions.

 

UPDATE: FORMER HOSTAGES

As Israelis marked the 600th day of incarceration for the 58 remaining hostages yesterday, news of some former hostages:

 

Former Hamas hostage Agam Berger told French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot during a meeting in France that Israel has no choice but to fight the terrorist group. “Diplomatic solutions won’t work because it’s either us or them.” She subsequently described the minister’s rude behaviour: “He was vaping during the meeting and constantly looking at his watch, waiting for the meeting to end.” Report here.          X post here

 

 

Released hostage Romi Gonen said that, three months after the first operation, she is preparing for a second hand surgery.Report here

 

 

Former hostage Omer Wenkert has described the harrowing conditions in which he was held in Hamas’s tunnels. One terrorist sprayed him in his eyes and face with insect repellent, before beating him with an iron rod. “They intentionally starved me,” he said, adding that he was fed half a pita a day for several weeks.Bathing was once in 50 days, with a little bottle.Report here

 

 

Omer Shem-Tov’s return to normal life has been challenging. He still freezes when he hears the sound of a jet plane, and is wracked with guilt that things he now enjoys are beyond the reach of the remaining hostages.                                                                                                      Three months after his release from Hamas captivity, he stood on the pitcher’s mound at a Boston Red Sox game. Surrounded by supporters, he tossed out the first pitch, then raised his arms in celebration. His name flashed on the stadium billboard. Report here

 

 

THE IDF

 

A group of seasoned IDF fighters who were over the age (40) for mandatory reserve duty have  volunteered to establish a new light infantry reserve division, driven by a deep sense of purpose and a desire to protect their communities. Report here

 

 

LEKET ISRAEL

 

For over two decades, Leket Israel has focused on rescuing high-quality surplus food and redistributing it to hundreds of thousands of food-insecure Israelis each week. In 2024 alone, Leket collected 69 million lbs. of produce from hundreds of farmers across the country, in addition to 2 million cooked meals from institutions such as the IDF and the hospitality sector.

This food is channelled directly to over 300 nonprofit organizations nationwide, feeding 415,000 Israelis in need each week. The process involves sophisticated logistics, refrigerated transport and an army of volunteers.

Yet when the agricultural sector faltered in the wake of war, Leket Israel went beyond food rescue. Understanding that the crisis now lay at the root—in the fields themselves—the organization launched a new programme of direct assistance to farmers. What emerged was an extraordinary model: a nationwide volunteer corps mobilized to work hand-in-hand with farmers in distress. These volunteers are not only harvesting excess produce but planting new crops, pruning trees, packing crates and offering emotional support to farmers who feel abandoned. Report here

 

 

CULTURE

 

 

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art will permanently display a Yayoi Kusama infinity mirror room, beginning in June. This immersive experience mimics peering into a life-size kaleidoscope, was created for and displayed at the museum in 2021. Report here

 

 

 

MEDICAL ADVANCES

 

 

The life of a 63-year-old heart failure patient was saved this week thanks to the first-ever implantation in Israel of a complete artificial heart. The groundbreaking procedure was carried out at Hadassah hospital. The patient’s diseased heart was removed entirely and replaced with a unique artificial heart made of titanium, combined with animal-derived biological tissues and advanced sensors. To date, only 114 such surgeries have been performed worldwide.Report here

 

 

A new treatment developed by researchers at the Hebrew University  and the IDF Medical Corps could significantly improve survival in cases of severe blood loss — a leading cause of preventable death in both military and civilian trauma. The team’s approach is based around activating a protein known as PKC-ε shortly after hemorrhagic shock begins. In animal studies, this intervention more than doubled survival rates from 25% to 73%. The results have been published in Scientific Reports. Report here

 

 

TOURISM

 

All 13 beaches in Tel Aviv were recently honoured with the annual Blue Flag Award for the 13th year in a row. The Blue Flag is an internationally recognized eco-label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education to beaches and marinas that meet a host of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility standards.Article here

 

 

COMMENT & OPINION

 

 

Brendan O’Neill: Hamas has instructed the people of Gaza not to cooperate with Israel’s delivery of aid. The UN has noisily rejected it too. And the commentariat is branding it ‘problematic’. They’re all on the same page. They’re all telling the suffering folk of the Gaza Strip not to accept the Jewish State’s help. This is a kind of psychosis. If you really believed that Gaza faces one of the worst famines of modern times, you would tell its people to take anything they can get. The hysterical reaction to the Gaza Humanitarian Fund suggests these people either don’t believe that, and they’ve been lying, or they do believe it but they hate Israel so much that they would rather see Gazans starve than eat Israel’s evil food. And honestly, I don’t know which is worse.Full article here

 

 

Charles Moore: The Misinformation against Israel Costs Lives.
The BBC interviewed Tom Fletcher, a former British diplomat who is now the UN humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, who said that if Israel did not let in UN food there were “14,000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours.” That was five days ago. Not one such death has been reported. In fact, the same IPC report whose projections he grossly distorted has admitted that there is currently no famine in Gaza.
But the damage was done. In Parliament, 13 MPs repeated the Fletcher dead baby formula. Tom Gross, the respected monitor of Israel coverage in the media everywhere, noted that the New York Times, NBC News, Time magazine, The Guardian and ABC News all repeated Fletcher’s claim, citing the BBC as a reliable source.
While admitting the “horrendous level of suffering” in the conflict, Gross says, “I follow it incredibly closely, and so far as I can tell, no one has yet died of hunger in this conflict.” Yet the times since Oct. 7, 2023, that the BBC has run starvation scares about Gazan people are almost uncountable. You barely hear that Israel’s policy is not to stop the aid but to find more secure ways of distributing it.
The constant use of the word “genocide” to describe Israel’s war has an effect on the collective mind of the West. If Israel is killing babies, say angry, radicalized young men, let’s kill the baby-killers. The extreme anti-Israel ideology of the man who murdered the young Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington was the gateway to his actions. If we judge by the slogans shouted in the pro-Gaza marches in Britain, many are passing through the same gateway here. Full article here (paywall)

 

 

Andrew Fox: Two young Israeli Embassy staffers were gunned down in cold blood in Washington, D.C.They weren’t soldiers. They weren’t armed. They weren’t in Gaza. Let’s not pretend this is an isolated act of violence. This murder is not random. It is the logical endpoint of 18 months of relentless, unpunished, institutionalized antisemitic propaganda unleashed across the globe since Oct. 7, 2023.

We have lived through a campaign of lies so grotesque it would be laughable if it weren’t costing Israeli lives. The evidence of the slaughter and rape of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 is overwhelming, horrifying, and undeniable. Every denial is a green light for the next massacre.

Israel is defending itself against a death cult that hides in hospitals, uses babies as shields, and brags about it on camera. Yet a whole chorus of willfully blind critics prefer to see war crimes where there are none, because it’s Israel. Because it’s the Jew among nations.

No one talks about the billions of dollars Hamas diverted from humanitarian aid. No one discusses the tunnels beneath the schools and hospitals. No one talks about the UN’s open complicity with Hamas, because the narrative must be preserved: the Jews are guilty.

Every protest chant, every keffiyeh waved in London, New York, Berlin, and Paris, has carried with it a genocidal dream: to wipe Israel off the map. “From the river to the sea” is not a call for peace; it is a call for Jewish extermination. After today, let’s stop pretending it is anything else. Full article here

 

 

David Harris:
What does “Free, free Palestine” mean? It sure isn’t a cry for peace or coexistence. Rather, it’s a call for the annihilation or expulsion of nearly 10 million Israelis, who live in a land associated with the Jewish people since time immemorial. Hamas, arguably the most regressive social movement on the planet, has been repackaged as a “progressive” cause. That has led to bizarre images of politicians, not to mention LGBTQ and women’s groups, embracing a cause that opposes everything they purportedly stand for.
Unless decisive action is taken, more innocent people may meet the same fate of political violence in America as Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. Free speech is a hallowed tradition. But when free speech becomes violent speech, when it seeks to incite, when it says some people, like Israelis and Zionists, have no right to live, it has crossed a line that can’t be ignored or intellectualized away. Full article here

 

 

Amir Taheri: The French leaders only state what they want Israel to do, never what Hamas should do. Hamas could instantly end this war by releasing all remaining hostages and surrendering its arms. Implicit support for Hamas, by bashing Israel and its leaders, might encourage what is left of the group’s leadership to prolong the conflict and produce more victims. Full article here

 

 

Interview

 

Just under three weeks after Oct 7, British screenwriter Lee Kern boarded a plane and came to Israel.

In this interview he speaks about his battle on the public diplomacy front after Oct 7 and other topics including why he believes that Shtisel is better than The Sporanos. Interview here