Today's newspaper featured a headline that caught my attention: "A Defense Expert Explains Why the Houthis Fire at Night.” I began reading the article, anticipating a detailed technical rationale—perhaps an assertion that their launch sites were undetectable under the cover of darkness. However, the "brilliant" security expert's explanation was disappointingly simplistic: they fire at night simply to torment us. Frankly, one hardly needs to be a defense expert to recognize that their middle-of-the-night attacks are indeed driving us a little crazy.
Last night marked the fourth attack in the dead of night, and notably, the second consecutive one. The sirens blared at 4:21 a.m., varying slightly in timing each night. Once more, we scrambled from deep sleep, hastily dressed in the bare essentials, put a harness and leash on the dog, and rushed down two flights of stairs to the shelter. After waiting for ten minutes, we exchanged wishes for a peaceful remainder of the night with our neighbors before ascending the stairs, hoping to quickly fall back asleep.
The Houthis, yet again, launched a single ballistic missile which was intercepted before it entered Israeli airspace. Debris from the interception scattered south of Tel Aviv, resulting in minimal damage. The “defense expert” is correct: the consistent firing of missiles—whether nightly or every other night—is likely to push the approximately three million people disrupted from their sleep to the brink of exhaustion. In just the past two nights, fifty individuals sustained injuries requiring medical attention, while many others suffered minor injuries that did not necessitate calling an ambulance. All of the injuries occurred while people rushed to a safe space.
This afternoon, at a graduation ceremony for new pilots, Israel Air Force Chief Major General Tomer Bar declared that the Air Force would escalate its attacks on Yemen.
At the same time, the Houthis altered their demands. Previously, Houthi leaders had stated that they would stop their attacks when the war in Gaza ends. Now, they assert that they will only halt their assaults once the blockade on Gaza is lifted— a considerably longer, and open-ended timeline.
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The Israeli government remains uncertain how to proceed. Some argue that the only solution is to strike Iran, while others insist that the Houthis are independent actors and will not be swayed by Iranian directives. It seems inevitable that we will soon learn of another Israeli strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. Regrettably, I anticipate that either tonight or tomorrow night, myself and millions of others will once again be abruptly awakened from our sleep.
This afternoon, a drone from Yemen crashed into an open field in southern Israel.
HOSTAGES
Last night, it was announced that our negotiating team had returned from Doha for consultations after a week described as productive. Today, Hamas issued an official statement asserting:
The group is showing flexibility, but the Israelis are imposing new conditions related to withdrawal, ceasefire, and prisoner exchange. These new conditions have delayed reaching an agreement.
It remains unclear whether Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided against pursuing an agreement or if there are genuine differences in positions that might still be reconciled. Sources indicate that the two primary issues are:
Hamas proposes to release only half the number of hostages in the first phase compared to the number Israel believes are alive.
Israel insists on receiving a complete list of all hostages slated for release, whereas Hamas maintains that the original agreement gave them seven days from the start of the ceasefire to provide this list. Furthermore, Hamas maintains it is unable to confirm which hostages are alive and which are deceased.
In response to Hamas's statement, the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu issued the following:
The terrorist organization Hamas is once again lying, reneging on understandings that were already reached, and continuing to complicate the negotiations. Nevertheless, Israel will persist tirelessly in its efforts to bring all our captives home.
Today, Defense Minister Katz visited the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border. He stated, “We will never allow Hamas to rule here again. We will continue to maintain security control.”
Chief Sephardic Rabbi David Yosef declared today that the hostages must be released at almost any cost—even expressing support for the release of terrorists with blood on their hands in exchange for the hostages’ freedom.
In many respects, this scenario mirrors discussions from months ago. It is still unclear where things stand, with the only certainty being that the hostages are still held in tunnels, and with each passing day, their lives are increasingly at risk.
AT HOSTAGE SQUARE … [Translated] FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
This chanukiah was crafted from fragments of rockets fired at Israel during the “Operation Iron Swords” conflict with Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon, which miraculously caused no harm.
Created by Eliyahu Gross, this piece of art was influenced by these challenging times, and serves as a reminder that it is possible to transform every intention into a great light.
The inspiration for this piece comes from the relief of the menorah on the Arch of Titus, as well as a photograph of the menorah lit in front of the Nazi Party headquarters in Kiel, Germany, during Hanukah in December 1931 (Hanukkah 5692).
This chanukiah symbolizes the steadfast resilience of our people in the face of adversity and challenges, and the power to turn darkness into great light.
Artist Eliyahu Gross has produced various creations from fragments of missiles and rockets during the Iron Swords conflict. Follow his creative process and explore additional works on our page. Tag us, and we’ll share your post.
The Army presented an exhibition featuring all the weapons captured from Hezbollah, accompanied by the following description:
During one of the recent operations by the 188th Brigade in southern Lebanon, the troops raided a small village following intelligence reports. From afar, the village appeared unassuming and innocuous, but that illusion was shattered as soon as they entered one of the houses.
“It was more of a hut, really small and cute,” said Lt. Col. A., the deputy brigade commander, with a wry smile. “But as soon as we stepped inside, the first thing we saw were two Kalashnikov rifles positioned on the floor, surrounded by what was clearly a full combat setup. Suddenly, it all felt a lot less cute.”
And so it was in every house they entered. “We knew Hezbollah was well-armed and planning to use these weapons against us, and we came prepared,” emphasized the deputy commander. “But still, seeing it with your own eyes is something else. I was in shock.”
All the weapons and equipment collected, even before the formal ground operations in southern Lebanon began, were presented this week in a special exhibition by the Northern Command, open to both Israeli and international audiences. “When you see all these weapons up close, you truly understand their intentions and how critical it is to fight back.”
The exhibition showcases hundreds of weapons and surveillance tools, ammunition, vehicles, propaganda materials, and more, which, remarkably, represent only a fraction of the 85,000 pieces of equipment seized during the operation in southern Lebanon. The confiscated arms were intended to be used by Hezbollah as part of their plan to “conquer the Galilee.”
Weapons Seized by the IDF in Southern Lebanon:
Approximately 6,840 RPG launchers and anti-tank missiles
Around 9,000 explosive devices and other armaments
Approximately 60,800 communication devices, electronic equipment, computers, and documents
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