Israel Weekly War Summary Week #78 |March 30-April 5 ,2025

Overview

• Israel submitted a proposal for a 40-day ceasefire in exchange for 11 hostages and the remains of 16 others, which was rejected by Hamas, who demanded a 50-day ceasefire, the reopening of border crossings, the release of 250 security prisoners, including 150 serving life sentences in exchange for five Israeli hostages
• Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Aerospace Force, cautioned that U.S. forces in the region are “sitting in a glass house” and should not “throw stones”.
• Iran has begun withdrawing its military advisors stationed in Yemen, who were there to support the Houthi rebels. According to a report in the UK’s Telegraph, which cited a senior Iranian official, the decision was made to avoid a direct confrontation with the United States should an Iranian soldier be killed in Yemen.
• The IDF spokesperson stated that so far, 250 terrorists have been eliminated in operation “Oz VeHerev” (“Strength and Sword”), including 12 senior commanders.
• Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida stated that half of the living hostages have been moved to newly designated evacuation zones and Hamas will not evacuate them further. This essentially means Hamas is deliberately endangering the hostages’ lives to impede the advancement of the IDF.
• Turkey has begun construction and assumed control of the T-4 Airbase (which was attacked by the IDF) in central Syria.

Gaza

Hostage Deal

• Israel has submitted a proposal to mediators for a 40-day ceasefire. On the first day, 11 living hostages would be released. On the fifth day, Hamas would provide information on the medical condition of the remaining hostages. On the tenth day, 16 dead hostages would be returned, reducing the number of hostages in Gaza to 32.
• Hamas continues to reject Israel’s demands. It has only expressed a willingness to release five hostages in exchange for a 50-day ceasefire, the reopening of border crossings, and the release of 250 security prisoners, including 150 serving life sentences.
• The family of kidnapped soldier Matan Angerst has released a 13-second video showing the moments of his abduction on October 7th. In the footage, Angerst is seen on top of the tank from which he was captured, visibly injured, with his shirt pulled up while Hamas terrorists hold him. The family also released another video from his time in captivity, where Angerst is interrogated in English by a Hamas operative. A previous video of Angrest released by Hamas showed him with asymmetrical eyes and mouth, a broken nose and a non-functional right hand. Former hostages have provided additional testimony, reporting that Angrest was being held in a dark cellar under harsh conditions, subjected to starvation, and forced to treat his own injuries without proper medical care and that he was left permanently disabled due to the torture he has been subjected to.
• Keith Siegel, a former hostage, provided a chilling account of his captivity in a “60 Minutes” interview where he described the inhumane conditions he experience in captivity which included deliberate starvation, physical abuse and being allowed to shower only once a month with a bucket of cold water
• A report emerged regarding a secret meeting held in Beirut with representatives from 13 Palestinian factions, including Hamas. In this meeting, it was unanimously agreed that disarmament of the “resistance” in Gaza is a red line and not up for discussion as long as the “Israeli occupation” continues. Hamas has reportedly conveyed this position formally to mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, as well as to American representatives, asserting that their weapons serve a defensive purpose for the Palestinian people and land, and therefore cannot be negotiated while Israel maintains a presence in the Strip.

Operational

The IDF continues to seize more territory as part of a broader strategy aimed at forcing Hamas to accept a hostage deal under Israeli terms. The purpose of territorial control is to push the population into more confined areas, while no food is entering through the border crossings.

• The IDF spokesperson stated that so far, 250 terrorists have been eliminated in operation “Oz VeHerev” (“Strength and Sword”), including 12 senior commanders.
• Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida stated that half of the living hostages have been moved to newly designated evacuation zones and Hamas will not evacuate them further. This essentially means Hamas is deliberately endangering the hostages’ lives to impede the advancement of the IDF, highlighting Hamas’s strategy of using hostages as human shields to maintain its control—control which is primarily threatened by IDF military operations.
• The killing of Mohammad Hassan Mohammad Awad, commander of the terrorist faction “Mujahedeen Brigades”, has been confirmed. Awad was among the leaders of the October 7 massacre at Nir Oz, where he raided multiple times, and actively participated in the brutal murder of members of the Bibas family.
• The 36th Division has joined the fighting in the Rafah area alongside the Gaza Division. The objective is to sever the Rafah area from Khan Yunis using a new axis: the Morag Axis. Both the political and security leadership have stated that the goal of the operation is to pressure Hamas into releasing the hostages, amid signs of a breakdown of civil order in the Gaza Strip.
• The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit in Arabic issued evacuation orders for all residents of the expanded Rafah area and neighborhoods in southern Khan Yunis, instructing them to move northward to the rest of Khan Yunis and the Al-Mawasi area. This marks the largest evacuation in recent months, with 140,000 people displaced within a single day—most of them had returned to the area during the recent ceasefire.
• Due to the ongoing blockade, bakeries throughout the Gaza Strip have shut down because of shortages in flour and fuel. On March 27, the World Food Programme stated that its food supplies would run out within two weeks.
• A terrorist attempted to cross the border fence (into Israel) to carry out an attack and was neutralized.
• Two rockets were launched from northern Gaza toward Sderot and surrounding areas; both were intercepted.
• IDF struck an UNRWA clinic in Jabalia, where a Hamas battalion headquarters had been established.
• IDF launched new operations in the Shuja’iyya area in northern Gaza. The goal is to deepen Israeli control and expand the security perimeter in the region.
• The Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a video showing rocket launches, which it claims were directed at the Hatzor Airbase. Compared to previous operations, terror factions have released fewer statements and videos during the current campaign, likely indicating a diminished operational capacity.
• According to an Axios report, Israel aims to capture approximately 25% of the Gaza Strip and exert pressure on Hamas to agree to a hostage deal within two to three weeks. If that fails, the operation will expand to additional areas, eventually concentrating the population into a single zone, similar to the previous situation in Al-Mawasi.

Analysis

Israel’s expanded military campaign has helped expose Hamas’s loss of control over the civilian population and has begun to shatter the tyranny of fear that had controlled the Gazan population, as more and more Gazans are taking the risk of protesting against Hamas, despite the real risks, including the recent murder of a Gazan who protested against Hamas last week.  He was tortured, brutalized and his corpse was delivered to his family as a mafia style warning to deter others from challenging Hamas.

The border crossings have been closed since March 2, following the end of the previous hostage deal framework. Although Hamas managed to stockpile supplies for two months, recent bakery closures have caused the price of a sack of flour to increase approximately fivefold

In a flour distribution line in Deir al-Balah, a Hamas police officer shot and killed a member of a local clan. In response, members of the clan captured the officer and executed him—an unprecedented event during the war. The very coverage of this execution reflects a breakdown of the fear barrier, at least among stronger clans.

On April 2^nd, there were demonstrations against Hamas in Beit Lahia and Jabalia, with protestors demanding an end to the war. That same day in the Tuffah neighborhood, a mob looted an UNRWA food warehouse, stealing at least 20,000 sacks of flour. These events help explain the IDF’s recent destruction of 100 Hamas pickup trucks. These vehicles are more often used for policing than combat against the IDF, and their destruction weakens Hamas’s enforcement capabilities.

Hamas Abroad

The Shin Bet foiled a planned terrorist attack and arrested a Hamas cell consisting of six operatives in Nablus who were being directed from Turkey. They had already planted explosives on key roads and planned to carry out shootings.

Domestic Israel

• The IDF published its investigation into the massacre at the Nova music festival. According to the findings, a Nukhba force from the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza had planned to reach the town of Netivot. However, a navigation error by its commanders led the unit to encounter festival-goers who were fleeing the scene. Trapped between two directions, the attackers ambushed and killed civilians from both the north and south ends—some victims were murdered near the Yad Mordechai Junction in the north, while others were killed near Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the south.
• General Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), arrived in Israel as the official guest of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and joined a joint panel discussion with senior IDF commanders.
• New developments in the ‘Qatar-Gate’ scandal- a report by journalist Avishai Grinzeigexposed additional details, revealing that Gilead Sher, who served as an advisor to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, , facilitated a deal with Jay Footlik, a former Democratic official and U.S.-based Qatari lobbyist and Israeli businessman Gil Birger. Sher was also the one who pushed Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara to not allow for the dismissal of the Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar. In addition, the editor of the Jerusalem Post was interrogated about the scandal after it was alleged that he was a middleman between Footlik and Birger.

Judea and Samaria

• During Ramadan 2025 (March 1–29), offensive operations by the IDF, Border Police, and Shin Bet led to a sharp decline in terrorist attacks compared to Ramadan 2024 (from 27 attacks to just 3). In this period, 401 wanted individuals were arrested, 105 weapons were confiscated, and 13 terrorists were eliminated. In total, there were 1,508 offensive operations in the area, with the highest number (316) conducted in the Etzion Regional Brigade sector.
• During January and February of 2025, Israeli security forces uncovered a terror cell based in Nablus, operating under direction and funding from Hamas headquarters in Turkey. The cell was planning shooting attacks and bombings against Israeli forces and targets throughout Judea and Samaira. The six members of the cell were arrested with an M-16 rifle and around $60,000 in cash designated for funding these operations. During the investigation, a large explosive device hidden near the Jit Junction was discovered and destroyed.

Lebanon

Diplomatic

• Morgan Ortagus is expected to visit Lebanon to urge the government to set a deadline for Hezbollah’s disarmament in exchange for loan assistance and economic recovery reforms. Pressure is mounting within Lebanon against Hezbollah. For example, the mayor of Sidon has ordered the closure of Al-Qard al-Hassan Society’s offices in the city (effectively Hezbollah’s bank). Meanwhile, the IDF destroyed several Hezbollah-associated buildings in Naqoura, where the group had planned to open a clinic as part of its rehabilitation efforts.

Operational

• On April 1, an Israeli airstrike hit a nine-story building in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut, killing Hassan Ali Muhammad Badr and his son, along with two other Lebanese nationals. Badr was a senior official in Unit 3900 of the Quds Force and oversaw the “Palestinian file.” Together with Hamas, they were planning a massive attack on Israelis abroad during Passover. The operation had three strategic goals: to pressure Israel to withdraw from five southern outposts, to initiate a “revolution” within Hezbollah’s leadership by replacing moderates, and to shift the strategic balance against Israel.
• On the same day, Spanish police in Barcelona arrested three Hezbollah operatives attempting to procure drone components for manufacturing suicide UAVs. While a connection between the two incidents is possible, it has not yet been confirmed.

Syria

Military Activity

• The “Military Council of Sweida” has announced plans to establish 16 different units, including an artillery department and a counterterrorism battalion. The council rejects the rule of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani and seeks Druze autonomy, reportedly receiving assistance from Israel.
• The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes in Syria. Military systems were destroyed at the T-4 Airbase, a research institute building in Damascus was hit, and aerial defense systems were struck. The primary target was the Homs airbase, where runways were destroyed. Dozens of Syrian casualties were reported.
• These strikes sent a message to Turkey not to embed itself in Syria like Iran did in order to avoid further escalation with Israel. Israel wanted to prevent Syria from becoming a Turkish Proxy which has the potential as being as dangerous as the Assad regime was, as an Iranian proxy.
• An armed group from the villages of Nawaa and Tasil in southern Daraa (near Koya) ambushed and attacked an IDF patrol from the 474th Brigade (Golan Formation). In the exchange of fire and artillery response, 10 gunmen were killed and about 20 wounded. No Israeli casualties were reported.

Diplomacy

• Impact SE, an organization that monitors educational content in Arab societies, has analyzed changes in the school textbooks under Syria’s new Islamist-led government. During the short time that the HTS regime has ruled in Syria, the overall curriculum has taken an even more hostile approach towards Israel than the previous Assad regime.  The curriculum  which had followed a secular national narrative that was prominent under the Assad regime. The concept of martyrdom shifted from a national to a religious context.  and included the glorifying of terrorists like Dalal al-Mughrabi who participated in a terror attack in Israel in 1978 which left 37 people dead.

Turkey

• On April 1, the Arabic newspaper Ain al-Sharq al-Awsat reported that Turkey began construction and assumed control of the T-4 Airbase (which had been attacked by the IDF) in central Syria. Turkey also plans to take over the base in Palmyra and is building an airbase near Aleppo (Mana base). The objective is to deploy UAVs and military equipment to combat the Islamic State and patrol the desert. Turkish Hisar-A and Hisar-O air defense batteries are being deployed to deter Israeli strikes.
• Turkey is moving toward a strategic agreement with Syria. This construction follows a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in which they agreed that Turkey would take responsibility for countering Iran and the Islamic State in Syria. However, it is evident that the air defense systems are also intended to deter Israel.
• After an exchange of harsh messages by the Israeli and Turkish foreign Ministries, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued the following statement: “Israel must stop undermining the efforts aimed at stabilizing Syria. It plays the role of a strategic destabilizing factor in the region, leading to chaos and fueling terrorism. Israel must end its expansionist policies and withdraw from the territories it occupies in order to establish regional security. Israel represents the greatest threat to the security of our region with its attacks on the territorial integrity and national integrity of other countries.”

Iran

• Iran has begun withdrawing its military advisors stationed in Yemen, who were there to support the Houthi rebels. According to a report in the UK’s Telegraph, which cited a senior Iranian official, the decision was made to avoid a direct confrontation with the United States should Iranian soldiers be killed in a US attack. The source further explained that Tehran is scaling back its strategy of supporting proxy forces in order to focus on direct threats from the U.S.
• President Trump issued a public warning, stating that if Iran did not agree to a new nuclear deal, it would face unprecedented bombing. This happens as negotiations progressed in Oman.
• Iran is making efforts to strengthen its air defense systems. In West Azerbaijan Province, Iran has recently deployed a Ghadir radar system with a detection radius of up to 1,100 kilometers. Two more similar systems are currently being deployed in the southern part of the country.
• Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Aerospace Force, cautioned that U.S. forces in the region are “sitting in a glass house” and should not “throw stones”, emphasizing their vulnerability to Iranian retaliation. Iranian officials reportedly stated that every American soldier in the region would become a target if the U.S. attacked Iran.
• In response to escalating tensions and recent strikes in Yemen, S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered reinforcements of American fighter jets in the Middle East to bolster naval assets in the region. The Pentagon did not specify which aircraft were being deployed, but according to anonymous officials cited by Reuters, at least four B-2 bombers have been relocated to a joint U.S.-UK base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean. The B-2 Spirit is a long-range, radar-evading aircraft capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads. Among its arsenal is the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bomb designed to destroy deeply buried or hardened targets. This capability is particularly significant in the context of Iran’s nuclear program, as key facilities like Natanz and Fordow are believed to be located underground.
• Experts note that this location is close enough to support operations in either Yemen or Iran. Diego Garcia, a key military base, serves as an ideal staging ground for operations against the Houthis or, if necessary, Iran. This redeployment has increased the number of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Middle East to two, underscoring the seriousness of the situation and the U.S. commitment to countering threats in the region.

Global Jihad

• The “International Union of Muslim Scholars” (IUMS) issued a fatwa calling for Jihad against Israel’s activities in Gaza: “The necessity of armed Jihad in Palestine. We call for imposing a siege against the occupation by land, sea, and air, emphasizing the need for immediate military intervention by Islamic nations and support for Palestinian resistance militarily, financially, and politically. Normalization with the occupation is prohibited.”
• This statement represents a call for Muslim nations to go to war against Israel—distinct from recurring incitement or condemnations of Israeli actions. This is a direct religious command to fight Israel, similar in nature to the 1996 fatwa issued by Osama bin Laden calling for jihad against the United States and Israel.

International

• On April 3, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Budapest, Hungary, where he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.During this visit, Orbán announced Hungary’s intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), criticizing the court as having become overly politicized, particularly in light of its recent actions against Israeli officials.Hungary’s move to exit the ICC marks it as the first European Union member state to do so.
• On April 3, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu and indicated that Netanyahu might visit the United States in the near future, possibly as soon as the following week.
• The Hind Rajab Foundation, an organization that files complaints against Israeli soldiers involved in the war, announced it would appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This move follows Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary. The foundation declared its intention to request that European airspace authorities deny Netanyahu overflight permissions and called on all European nations to uphold international law and not provide a haven for “war criminals.”
• On April 1st, Nicaragua announced its withdrawal from the lawsuit filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague—a case originally initiated by South Africa in response to the war in Gaza.
• Amit Susana, a former hostage who was released as part of the prisoner exchange deal after being held in Gaza for 55 days, has been awarded the U.S. Secretary of State’s “Women of Courage” award. Susana bravely spoke publicly about the sexual assault she endured during captivity. She is now the second Israeli woman to receive the award. The honor was presented by former First Lady Melania Trump.
• Meanwhile, two senior Republicans—Senator Jim Risch and Congressman Brian Mast, chairs of the Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committees—issued a stern warning to the UN Human Rights Council. In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, they threatened sanctions if the council proceeds with plans to establish a new investigative body targeting Israel. The letter warned that any state or UN body that supports this mechanism would face the same consequences that were imposed on the ICC during the Trump administration.