War Day: 556

Summary: April 14, 2025

Reports indicate ongoing serious negotiations for a potential hostage deal involving the release of 10 individuals, though progress has stalled due to Hamas rejecting terms that include their disarmament. In parallel, Hamas launched five rockets reaching as far as Ashdod, reflecting continued hostilities. Tensions within Gaza have also intensified, as a hospital department director was threatened by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) after refusing to protect terrorists. On the ground, the IDF has completed the full encirclement of Rafah, effectively cutting it off from Khan Younis, and has destroyed significant tunnel infrastructure while eliminating numerous high-value terrorist targets in precision strikes. In Judea and Samaria, 85 terrorists have been arrested, and security measures have been heightened during the Passover holiday following incidents such as a stone being thrown at a baby in a car seat. Regionally, the Houthis in Yemen launched drones and ballistic missiles, further contributing to instability. Meanwhile, the United States and Iran have initiated direct diplomatic engagement, holding their first talks with plans for a second round underway.

59 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
147 living hostages rescued.
49 hostage bodies rescued.
1,828 Israelis killed.
413 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
87 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
18 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,715 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
10,000 Israelis estimated displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Wishing you a happy Pesach!

Top Headlines:

•⁠ ⁠Reports of serious negotiations for a hostage deal to release 10 hostages
•⁠ ⁠Hamas rejects the deal, which demands their disarmament
•⁠ ⁠Hamas launched 5 rockets, as far as Ashdod
•⁠ ⁠Hospital department director in Gaza threatened by the PIJ after he refused to protect terrorists
•⁠ ⁠IDF completes encirclement of Rafah, now fully cut off from Khan Younis
•⁠ ⁠Significant tunnels destroyed
•⁠ ⁠Many awful terrorists eliminated in targeted attacks
•⁠ ⁠85 terrorists arrested in Judea and Samaria
•⁠ ⁠Security bolstered in Judea and Samaria over Pesach
•⁠ ⁠Stone thrown at baby in car seat
•⁠ ⁠Drones and ballistic missiles from Houthis in Yemen
•⁠ ⁠U.S. and Iran have first direct talks, plan second round

Hostages:

PM Netanyahu told parents of hostages that the government is working intensively on a deal that would see 10 of the remaining living hostages freed. This is a significant leap from Hamas’s earlier offers of just one hostage, and comes as Hamas appears to be in a panic and prepared to make concessions.

News 12 reports that this deal may be possible within two weeks. The report also states that the U.S. gave Hamas assurances that if they release more than 8 living hostages, the Trump administration will guarantee “serious talks” on ending the war.

However, Hamas seems to are preparing to turn down the deal, or at least try to get more out of it. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Al-Jazeera in a live interview that the current draft for a hostage deal is unacceptable to Hamas because it includes a clause that Hamas must disarm in the second phase of the ceasefire. Zuhri says that “this is a million times a red line.”

Abu Zuhri claimed that Hamas would release all hostages in one go, in exchange for a complete end to the war, complete IDF withdrawal, and reconstruction of Gaza—with Hamas remaining armed and in power.

As always: Israel does not want to stop the war without disarming and dismantling Hamas, in order to ensure that they do not murder and kidnap more Israelis. Hamas refuses to disarm, and insists on retaining a level of control in Gaza.

Gaza:

On Sunday, Hamas fired five rockets at Israel, in separate attacks. Most targeted Israeli border communities, while two reached further, triggering sirens in the Ashkelon and Ashdod areas.

The launches came primarily from Khan Younis in Southern Gaza, and the IDF immediately issued evacuation warnings for the launch areas, ahead of airstrikes.

Two IDF soldiers were injured in Southern Gaza, one as a result of a gunfight with a squad of terrorists. One soldier is in moderate condition, and the other in severe condition.

Over the last few days, the IDF advanced positions, eliminated dozens of terrorists daily, and struck an average of 40 Hamas terror targets per day. Among the targets were a weapons production site in the center of Gaza that supplies weapons to terrorists, and a launch site that contained primed launchers, prepared and aimed at Israeli civilians.

Two Hamas command and control centers were targeted, both in civilian areas. The IDF used precision strikes with both to avoid harm to civilians. One center was in the Deir al-Balah area in Central Gaza. At the time of the strike, many Hamas terrorists were gathered in the compound, planning further moves. The second was inside the “Al-Ahly” hospital in Northern Gaza.

Hamas continues to use hospitals as human shields, despite the harm to civilians. In a rare act, a department director at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis posted on Facebook today that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad threatened him after he and his colleagues refused to admit terrorists who didn’t require medical treatment. A threatening note was left in his office, which read: “You have crossed the line. Be careful, this is the first warning.” Shortly after posting, the department director deleted.

In Northern Gaza, the IDF issued evacuation warnings for the Shejaiya, Zeitoun, and Tuffa neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City, which will soon be added to the buffer zone.

Troops (Division 252) continue to clear through areas in Northern Gaza, being added to the buffer zone. They recently destroyed a Hamas tunnel route that stretched 1.2 kilometers long and 20 meters deep. Troops also located multiple weapons caches, including a cache of about 20 charges, an anti-tank launcher, and other weapons.

Hamas spreads its weapons and rockets all across Gaza, hiding them in every single block. This allows them to walk around unarmed, posing as civilians, and pick up weapons to attack at any given location. The brigades are divided by neighborhood, and every terrorist knows where they can find weapons in their turf.

Other than the Netzarim Corridor, the IDF is still not operating inside Central Gaza, but has carried out several careful airstrikes against Hamas targets in the area. It is largely thought that the IDF keeps out of Central Gaza because it is where Hamas keeps the most hostages.

In Southern Gaza, the IDF (Division 36) completed the encirclement of Rafah, and announced full control of the Morag Corridor. Rafah is now completely cut off from Khan Younis (other than the strong possibility of underground Hamas routes).

Several tunnels were destroyed in Rafah, including one in the Shabura neighborhood (found by the Gaza Division), which ran hundreds of meters long, and connected various Hamas tunnels to create a meeting point. Another tunnel was located just next to what used to be a preschool building, and led to several other tunnels. The tunnel shaft was trapped with a mine at the entrance.

Troops also found many weapons caches in Shabura and other areas of Rafah.

The IDF announced a long list of notable terrorist eliminations from recent days. Here are some highlights:

•⁠ ⁠11 terrorists who participated in the October 7th massacre were confirmed to have been eliminated recently. The IDF detailed some of the horrific acts of each of them. Amongst them was the murderer of the heroic IDF Col. Asaf Hamami.
•⁠ ⁠Haitham Razek Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khalil, the commander of Hamas’s Shejaya Battalion, who commanded the attack on Nachal Oz, during the October 7th massacre.
•⁠ ⁠Abid Allah Naim Hadhud Musa, deputy head of a Hamas sniper squad.

Judea & Samaria:

The IDF reports that last week, a total of 85 wanted terrorists were arrested, and several weapons were confiscated in Judea and Samaria.

The IDF bolstered security in Judea and Samaria, adding six additional companies that will operate during the Pesach (Passover) holiday.

Today was the first weekday of Pesach (aka, Chol Hamoed) in Israel, which, as usual, saw many Israelis traveling around the country. Several terrorists throughout Judea and Samaria took the time to throw large stones at Israeli vehicles driving along highways. In Huwara, terrorists threw a large stone into a car, where it smashed the window and hit a baby girl in her car seat. Miraculously, the baby survived with light injuries from the glass.

Yemen:

On Friday, the IDF intercepted a UAV (attack drone) launched by the Houthis in Yemen. No sirens were activated, as it was intercepted before it became a threat. The Houthis claim to have launched two UAVs at “military targets in Tel Aviv.” Only one was sighted.

On Sunday evening, just before the end of the first day of Pesach, the IDF intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis. Sirens were activated in a vast area in Central Israel, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. Large shrapnel pieces were found in a PA-controlled area near Chevron (Hebron). Again, the Houthis claimed to have launched two missiles at “military targets in Tel Aviv,” and only one was seen.

The IDF may soon begin giving Israelis advanced warning alerts on their phones, a few minutes before sirens are activated for missiles from Yemen.

It takes between 5 to 10 minutes for a ballistic missile from Yemen to reach Israel. Sirens are only activated 2 minutes before the missile would arrive. There are several reasons for this. One is that Israelis are trained to wait 10 minutes after a siren before leaving shelter. Activating a siren early may lead to people leaving shelter before the danger is over. Another reason is that many people get injured while running to shelter, or go into shock from the sound of the siren. The IDF therefore only activates sirens when the risk is perceived to be serious. Since about half of the Houthi missiles either fail or are intercepted before becoming a threat, the IDF waits until the missile reaches a high-risk proximity. (The IDF may also rely on U.S. radar systems to detect the initial launch from Yemen, before it reaches a slightly closer area covered by Israel’s radar systems.)

The U.S. is still attacking the Houthis in Yemen, and appears to be preparing for an increased intensity, or a new stage of attacks.

Iran:

The first round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran recently took place in Oman on Shabbat. Most of the negotiations were mediated by Oman’s foreign minister, with the U.S. and Iranian delegations in separate buildings.

At the U.S.’s insistence, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did sit together for one face-to-face meeting. Initial reports stated that the meeting between the two was just a few minutes, and Iran downplayed it as extremely limited, with no photos. However, later Axios reported that the meeting was actually a full 45 minutes long, and was a “substantive and serious” discussion. This would be the highest-level direct contact between the countries in eight years.

Both sides expressed distrust in each other, but also claimed to see a potential path forward.

The US’s key goal: For Iran to move its nuclear program away from potential weaponization by reducing its 60% enriched uranium stockpile (which is currently enough for 6 nuclear bombs).

Iran’s key goal: Getting sanctions lifted (and probably also avoiding an Israel-U.S. attack).

A second round of talks is scheduled for this Shabbat in Rome, though with the same mediators from Oman. The Trump administration is pushing for direct face-to-face negotiations rather than separated intermediary-managed discussions. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi plans to visit Tehran beforehand to discuss monitoring of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Israel remains extremely skeptical that the negotiations will achieve any success. It worries that either Iran will just drag negotiations out while they arm, or wear mediators out until Iran gets a deal that allows them to continue to build nuclear weapons.

Trump said he recognizes that Iran “might be tapping us along,” but maintains that he’ll recognize if that’s the case, and will respond harshly with military action if so.

Sponsored by Anonymous, in memory of my cousin Baruch Yehoshua ben Hershel Moshe v’ben Chaya Rivkah whose yarzeit was on 7 Nissan. He loved Israel and would have greatly appreciated reading these detailed daily reports.