Letter to My Captives

Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, has released a letter written by Israeli-American prisoner Keith Siegel before his release. Siegel, 65, was freed on Saturday as part of the fourth phase of a prisoner exchange deal.

In the letter, published on Al-Qassam’s Telegram channel along with an Arabic translation, Siegel described his conditions in captivity. He stated that his guards ensured he had food, water, medicine, and vitamins.

Keith Siegel noted that when he fell ill, Al-Qassam fighters provided him with a doctor. They also brought him food that suited his health needs, including a vegetarian diet without oil.

He thanked his captors for their care throughout his time in Gaza since October 7, 2023. He also criticized the Israeli government, saying it failed to secure a deal to bring prisoners home and end the war. “This led to many casualties and more harm to both sides,” he wrote.

On Saturday, Al-Qassam also released a video of Siegel speaking in Arabic, thanking his captors before his release.

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Murder, Mayhem and Israel

The Government Media Office in Gaza reported that Israel’s genocide has killed more than 61,000 people and displaced over two million. The office detailed the toll during a press conference at Al-Shifa Hospital on Sunday.

At least 47,487 victims arrived at hospitals, while 14,222 remain missing under rubble or in the streets. The number of wounded has reached 111,588.

Israeli forces have kidnapped over 6,000 Palestinians, subjecting them to severe abuse and torture. Dozens have died in custody. Forced displacement has affected over two million people, some uprooted more than 25 times under dire conditions.

Genocide Against Women and Children

The genocide has taken a devastating toll on children and women. Among the dead are 17,881 children, including 214 newborns who died amid the attacks. Over 38,000 children have been orphaned, with 17,000 losing both parents. Israeli forces have also killed 12,316 women.

Israeli bombings have wiped out entire families. The report recorded 9,268 massacres against families, erasing 2,092 families from civil records. Another 4,889 families were nearly wiped out, leaving only one survivor in each case.

Attacks on First Responders and Infrastructure

Israeli strikes have killed 1,155 medical workers, 205 journalists, and 194 civil defense personnel. More than 150,000 housing units have been damaged.

Israel’s war has also decimated Gaza’s healthcare system. At least 34 hospitals are out of service. The transportation sector has suffered losses exceeding $1.5 billion.

Education Under Attack

Israeli airstrikes have damaged 1,661 educational institutions, including 927 schools, universities, and daycare centers that were completely destroyed. Another 734 facilities suffered partial damage. The war has killed 12,800 students and nearly 800 educators. Around 785,000 students have been denied access to education.

The Government Media Office declared Gaza a disaster zone, warning that basic survival resources have collapsed. It urged international intervention to save 2.4 million people at risk of starvation, dehydration, and disease.

The office placed full responsibility on Israel, the Biden administration, and all those who have politically, economically, and militarily supported Israel’s actions.

Authorities in Gaza have outlined a post-war reconstruction plan in coordination with local and international organizations. They are calling for urgent relief, including the entry of 200,000 tents, 60,000 mobile homes, and essential shelter supplies according to the Quds News Network.

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Through Its Prisoner Handover, Hamas Shows Strength – Expert

Military and strategic expert Nidal Abu Zeid said the scenes of the handing over of the three Israeli prisoners, Saturday, were more disciplined and organized and carried many messages that the Palestinian resistance wanted to send to the Israeli occupation as part of the superiority it achieved in the battle of image and media.

Abu Zeid added to Jordan 24 the handover took place in two locations in the north and center of the Gaza Strip, which indicates the continuing strength of leadership and control of the resistance even after Hamas announced the martyrdom of seven of the first-rank leaders of the Qassam Brigades.

He pointed out this indicated that the Palestinian resistance also succeeded in overcoming the crisis of its organizational structure as well as in replacing its leaders who were killed in Israel.

Abu Zeid pointed out the black jeep that appeared during the handover of the two prisoners in Khan Yunis is one of the occupation army vehicles the resistance seized during its military operations there. This is in addition to the scenes of weapons carried by the resistance fighters during the handover, such as the Uzi and Scorpion, which are weapons of the elite units of the Israeli occupation forces.

He explained the place of handover in Khan Younis and the background pictures of leaders Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military chief and Rafeh Salama on the platform, shows the symbolism of the city, as the birthplace of Deif and leader Salama who led the Khan Younis Brigade, and both were martyred in an operation by the Israeli occupation in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.

This is in addition to the symbolism of handing over one of the prisoners who holds American citizenship in the Gaza port near the area where the American side tried to establish the sea pier but miserably failed and ended in losing millions of dollars.

Abu Zeid pointed out the resistance is still superior in the battle of the image and the media it broadcasts through scenes of handing over prisoners within messages related to the capabilities of the resistance and decoding some of the symbols of the signals through which it wants to prove its capabilities and the fact it is able to continue, whether through the diplomatic dimension and negotiations or a return to the military operational dimension.

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Israeli Troops Raid Wedding in Hebron, Arrest Groom

Israeli soldiers raided a Palestinian wedding ceremony, Friday, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and detained the groom and other guests.

The arrests are trending on the social media with much images and commentary from news websites other bloggers.

According to witnesses the groom and the other guests were detained for an hour before they were released according to Anadolu.

One blogger said the Israeli army stormed the “wedding in Hebron and abducted the groom while he was next to his bride. What was supposed to be the happiest moment for the couple turned into their worst because of Israel.”

The Israeli forces raided the Abu Turki family celebration at the Sofia Hall in the Umm al-Dalia area in the center of Hebron and took the men for questioning and forcing them to raise their hands.

Witnesses said the Israeli troops vandalized some of the cars of the guests with the reasons remaining unclear of why they wanted to raid the wedding party.

Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the escalation in the West Bank because of threats from right-wing parties to bring down his government over the ceasefire, which they oppose according to the Turkish news agency.

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