Of Two Bodies Of Hostages Left, One Returned , Identified

 :Nadene Goldfoot                                                   

The body of Thai hostage Sudthisak Rinthalak was returned to Israel overnight, leaving the body of just one Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, still in Gaza.  He was 43 when he died.  Rinthalak was a hard working agricultural employee who came to Israel after his divorce "to find" himself.  His family has been informed and plans are underway to repatriate his body.  His body was returned after forensic experts completed identification efforts overnight.

Rinthalak, an agricultural worker from Thailand, was murdered by Hamas-led terrorists near Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken captive to Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Rinthalak’s family and Thai Ambassador to Israel Boonyarit Vichienpuntu conveyed “their thanks and deep recognition to Israel for the efforts to return Sudthisak and the constant support for the family since the war broke out,” said the Prime Minister’s Office. 

Rinthalak is survived by his parents, Thong Ma and Orn, and his older brother, Thepporn. He was previously divorced and had no children and Thai Ambassador to Israel Boonyarit Vichienpuntu conveyed “their thanks and deep recognition to Israel for the efforts to return Sudthislak and the constant support for the family since the war broke out,” said the Prime Minister’s Office.              

Sudthisak returned  from Be'eri            Ran Gvili Last Hostage awaiting

 With his return, the body of just one slain hostage remains in Gaza: police officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, who was killed and abducted while battling terrorists in the border community of Alumim on the morning of October 7.

Resource:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/body-of-sudthisak-rinthalak-thai-farmer-and-family-breadwinner-returned-to-israel/  By Emanuel Fabian, 

ToI Staff and Agencies

Lebanon Has Trump Under Their Spell

 Nadene Goldfoot                               Lebanon

According to a post from Israel on X from the Prime Minister's Office: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Acting Director of the National Security Council to send a representative on his behalf to a meeting with government-economic elements in Lebanon. 

This is an initial attempt to establish a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon." I feel this is in response to a new directive from Trump who thinks the terrorist sitting in Lebanon's President seat is  just the cat's pajamas;  he's so cool. 

                               President Joseph Aoun

Lebanon's present president is Joseph Aoun, who was elected by the Lebanese parliament on January 9, 2025, after more than two years of a presidential vacuum. Challenges: His presidency faces significant challenges, including a severe economic crisis and the task of asserting the state's monopoly on arms, which brings him into confrontation with the powerful armed group Hezbollah. 

                                    Nawaf Salam

The prime minister of Lebanon, officially the president of the Council of Ministers, is the head of government and the head of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Lebanon, with the consent of the plurality of the members of the Parliament of Lebanon (after the Taif Agreement, 1990). By convention, the office holder is always a Sunni Muslim.

The current prime minister is Nawaf Salam. He was tasked by President Joseph Aoun to form the new government after mandatory parliamentary consultations on 13 January 2025, having received 84 out of 128 votes.

Lebanon's attitude towards Israel  is primarily shaped by the internal power dynamics involving the state government and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which wields significant influence and remains vehemently anti-Israel. Hezbollah, however, continues to view Israel as an enemy and maintains an armed militia, which the Lebanese army has struggled to disarm fully. Hezbollah's leaders and supporters frequently express hostility toward Israel, viewing continued resistance as essential.  The border remains a major flashpoint. Israel conducts daily strikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure, while warning that a failure to disarm the group could lead to a full-scale war. 

                                         Syria

Syria to join US-led coalition to defeat IS group after Trump meeting on               November 10, 2025.                                   

Jolani above:  'If you didn't have a rough past, you wouldn't have a chance', says Trump on al-Sharaa (al-Jolani).  Trump has expressed his support for al-Sharaa/Jolani, who until recently was designated a terrorist by the US government.                                   

  Abu Mohammad al-Jolani/Sharaa, born October 29, 1982, is only 43.  

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (also known as Ahmad al-Sharaa) was a former terrorist, and still is a jihadist who was the leader of the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria. He later severed ties with al-Qaeda and rebranded his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.. Following the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, al-Jolani became Syria's interim president and used his birth name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, prompting the U.S. to drop the bounty on him. 

Ahmad al-Sharaa, widely known by his former nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has a complex and evolving relationship with Israel, rooted in his history as a former al-Qaeda commander but shifting dramatically since his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), took control of Syria in late 2024. 

The United States and the United Nations previously designated al-Jolani as a global terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head due to his leadership of Jabhat al-Nusra, the official al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria. During this period, his nom de guerre "al-Jolani" (meaning "of the Golan") was a reference to his family's origin in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a potent anti-Israel symbol. 

Syria and Lebanon have a long and complex connection defined by shared history, direct political and military intervention by Syria, and strong sectarian and political ties. Syria's influence was evident during its nearly three-decade military occupation of Lebanon and continues to affect its politics today, particularly through its alliance with Hezbollah. More recently, the Syrian civil war has led to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees entering Lebanon, and has further complicated their relationship by dividing Lebanese opinion and increasing security tensions on the border. 

Syria will join the international coalition to combat the Islamic State group, marking a shift in US foreign policy in the Middle East, a senior Trump administration official has confirmed.  But this groups is to work on economic issues.  

Syria and Lebanon officially remain in a state of war with Israel, with no formal diplomatic relations. However, recent political changes, particularly in late 2024 and 2025, indicate a complex and potentially shifting dynamic, with some government factions signaling a readiness for de-escalation, while hostilities persist due to non-state actors and border disputes. 

The recent fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 has significantly altered the landscape. While Syria does not formally recognize Israel, and the two countries fought several wars, the new government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, appears more pragmatic and open to dialogue. (Is he just trying to soften up Netanyahu and then make hismove?).  Since becoming the de facto leader of Syria, al-Sharaa has rebranded himself as a statesman, using his birth name and actively working to distance himself and his government from his jihadist past. His current approach to Israel is characterized by caution and a focus on Syrian sovereignty rather than explicit aggression: 

The U.S. is mediating direct negotiations between Israel and Syria to de-escalate tensions and restore the 1974 ceasefire agreement.  Despite potential diplomatic shifts, the situation remains volatile. Israel has conducted frequent airstrikes in Syria to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence and to counter groups like Hezbollah. Both sides are currently engaged in military operations and skirmishes. 

Resource:

israelAM

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2024/11/why-lebanon-fell-for-hezbollah.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/07/al-qaeda-terrorist-back-in-saddle-in.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/07/goldfoot-benjamin-gantz-hebrew-9-june.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/08/turkey-former-ottoman-empires-hatred.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/08/juggling-iranian-hezbollah-units-near.html

 https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2014/06/past-action-of-hezbollah-towards-jews.html

https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2014/06/palestine-copying-hezbollah-run-lebanon.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2021/12/israels-success-amid-former-ottoman.html

https://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2010/10/israels-northern-border-neighbor-new.html

New Weapon: The Iron Beam or Eitan Or

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Who is Daniel Gold? The Engineer Who Designed Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense System

From Israel;  The head of the Directorate of Defense Research & Development, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Danny Gold, announced today that the directorate, together with Rafael and Elbit, will deliver the new laser weapon system Iron Beam (known in Hebrew as “Eitan Or” in memory of fallen soldier Eitan Oster) to the Air Force’s air‑defense branch by the end of the year. The laser system is expected to be a game changer on the battlefield.                          

  Gold in center in 2022 at Eitan Oster's funeral.            

                                                 

Eitan Yitzhak Oster was an Israel Defense Forces officer in the Egoz reconnaissance unit of the Commando Brigade. He was killed in action during the Battle of Al-Aadaissah in southern Lebanon and became the first Israeli casualty during the ground operation in Lebanon during the Israel–Hezbollah conflict.  He was born December 21, 2001 and died recently, October 22, 2024 at the age of 23. 

 On the night of October 2, 2024, while leading his team to secure an observation position in Adaisseh, they encountered a Hezbollah cell, sparking close-quarters combat. Oster was wounded in the chest but continued to command and evacuate his men under fire. He was later evacuated to Misgav Am and then by helicopter, where he was pronounced dead due to blood loss. He was the first Israeli soldier killed in the Lebanon ground operation of the war. Eitan probably was related to my Oster family of my Uncle Werner Oster, last Jew to get out of Germany in 1939 after a stint in what became a gas chamber center, Auschwitz.  

Daniel Danny Gold is an Israeli Defense Engineer, Israeli military leader born in 1962 in Tel Aviv, age 63.  He completed his studies in Electronic Engineering from Technion. He has two doctoral degrees in electronic engineering and business administration from University of Tel Aviv.  A Tat Aluf (Brigadier General) in the Israel Defense Forces in 2016. Additionally, he serves as the head of the National Technological Center for Combatting the COVID-19 pandemic at the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Israel’s New $1.2 Billion Laser Will Be Nearly Unstoppable—And America Wants One, Too

“Israel is a narrow strip of land with dense urban population centers. That does not leave much depth, so there is a premium on intercepting threats in flight,” explains James Black, assistant director at RAND Europe, a nonprofit think tank.  But Israel’s sophisticated, multi-layered integrated air-defense systems couldn’t stop everything. Nine Iranian missiles reportedly struck Nevatim and Ramon Airbases, and one person was injured by shrapnel. The waves of drones, missiles, and rockets synchronized to hit simultaneously were meant to overload Israeli defenses and exhaust stocks of interceptors. The wall held well this time, but Israeli planners know it’s a numbers game.

                                            

OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS “SHIELD OF LIGHT,” Iron Beam is a 100 kilowatt-class High-Energy Laser Weapon System, which Rafael Advanced Defense Systems first unveiled in 2014. Rafael is also a contractor on Iron Dome.

“Iron Beam will not replace Iron Dome, but complement it. Directed Energy offers a way to prioritize kinetic interceptors against the threats they are most needed for,” Black says. Specifically, Iron Beam will be integrated as an additional short-range layer to destroy threats up to 4.3 miles away.

 His parents, Aviva and Avraham, were Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Israel from Hungary. He completed his studies in Electronic Engineering at the Technion and in 1983 began his service in the Israeli Air Force, where he held positions in electronics, munitions, and electronic warfare. He later served in the DDR&D in various roles, including head of the Electronic Warfare Systems Department and head of the Research and Development Unit.

Among his notable contributions was the development of the Iron Dome missile defense system, which he worked on even before the project's approval. This work of his was originally critiqued by the states comptroller. For his work, he received the Israel Defense Prize in September 2012. In 2014, he completed his service in the IDF with the rank of Brigadier General and founded the company "Gold Technology and Entrepreneurship."

Rafael and Elbit are key companies involved in Israel's Iron Dome system, with Rafael as the main developer and Elbit as a partner in the newer Iron Beam laser system. Rafael is the primary developer of the original Iron Dome system, which uses missiles for interception, and is also developing the high-power laser system known as "Iron Beam". Elbit is a partner in the development of Iron Beam, manufacturing the laser source for the system, which will work alongside Iron Dome. 

The Hostage Body Brought to Israel Identified

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

      Dror Or, born August 10, 1976, 48 years old  Dror Or was born and raised in Kibbutz Re'im, Israel. He later moved to Tel Aviv to attend culinary school and worked in several restaurants before settling with his family in his wife Yonat's hometown of Kibbutz Be'eri. 

Israel was brought an unidentified hostage body.  It has been identified by authorities as Dror Or,  the third-to-last hostage, on his journey to be laid to rest.  Dror Or's remains were recently returned to Israel, and as of November 30, 2025, there are two deceased hostages whose remains are still in Gaza. No living hostages remain in Gaza. The individuals whose bodies have yet to be returned are:

1. Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer.

2. Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai national who worked in agriculture in Israel. 

  Or's remains were returned to Israel by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas via the Red Cross last week.  The Israeli cheesemaker Dror Or was born on August 10, most likely in 1976. He was 48 years old when he was murdered on October 7, 2023. An Instagram post from August 10 suggests that day was his 49th birthday, which would place his birth year around 1976.   He was a respected chef and cheesemaker from Kibbutz Be'eri, survived by his three children and parents. His body, which had been taken hostage to Gaza, was recently returned to Israel for burial. 

 "The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Or family and all the families of the abducted fallen," said the Israeli Prime Minister's Office."Dror Or, the hostage whose body was released to Israel last week, is buried in Kibbutz Be’eri and eulogized by his family and friends.   He is buried next to his wife, Yonat Or, who was killed on October 7, 2023. Her body was discovered several days after the Hamas terrorist attack. Two of their three teenage children were taken captive that day and released in November 2023.  

Somehow, Hamas knew this body was a hostage body and kept it 3rd  to last to hand over, hoping to gain some privileges, no doubt.  When told that all hostages needed to be released, Dror had been held back.  They are hold the last body.  Dror Or was considered a living hostage until May 2, 2024, when intelligence revealed that he was killed on October 7 and his body taken captive to Gaza.

Dorit Or, Dror’s mother, describes his birth and upbringing in Kibbutz Re’im, his place as the middle brother, his love of basketball, and his path to becoming a chef, meeting his wife Yonat and moving to Be’eri.  She calls her son and daughter-in-law “people of freedom and light, of spirit and creativity, who knew how to dream and turn dreams into reality.”

Resource:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/dror-or-buried-at-kibbutz-beeri-alongside-wife-yonat-also-killed-on-october-7/

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-876676

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-876676

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/world/middleeast/hostage-returned-israel-gaza.html#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20the%20truce,2%2C000%20Palestinian%20prisoners%20and%20detainees. for those a member

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyiy's Right Hand Man Forced to Resign

 Nadene Goldfoot                                        

   Andriy Yermak (b: November 21, 1971) age 54, in Kyiv, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union)  Yermak's Russian mother Maria met his Kyiv native Jewish father,  Borys on a school trip of a Leningrad school to Kyiv.  

• Andriy Yermak, a prominent Ukrainian official and former film producer, has a Jewish father and Jewish relatives in Israel, the US, and Belgium.  He sees a connection with Israel.  “[Ukraine] is a great nation in the center of Europe, and this is a great nation which wanted to be free, to be independent,” he continued. “And I’m sure that our history will be so great, as great as the history of Israel, and the relations between our countries, the relations between our people, will be stronger, and we can always say that we are real friends.”

A political earthquake in Ukraine has taken place as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andrii Yermak, the country’s second-most-powerful person, was forced to resign amid a corruption scandal. This comes as Ukraine is enmeshed in negotiations with the Trump administration on a possible end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Jack Hewson joins John Yang with the latest from Kyiv.

Andriy Borysovych Yermak (Ukrainian: Андрій Борисович Єрмак; born 21 November 1971) is a Ukrainian politician and former film producer who served as the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine from 2020 to 2025, after being appointed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  In 1995 he received his  master's degree in international private law.  In 1997, Yermak founded his own law firm and worked in the field of intellectual property and commercial law.

Yermak became acquainted with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2011, when Zelenskyy was the general producer of the TV channel Inter. The two became friends.  

      Yermak at a meeting of President Trump and President                   Zelenskyy in the White House on 18 August 2025

Yermak is also a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the highest command and control body for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He has been described as Volodymyr Zelenskyy's right-hand man and a "real power broker" in Ukraine. In 2023, Politico called him Kyiv's "Green Cardinal". In 2024, Time named Yermak to their annual list of 100 most influential people in the world.

 He just resigned  on 28 November 2025.  Yermak resigned from his position as the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine after his home was raided by anti-corruption agents.

He stated he is going to the front lines and has claimed his innocence.  In a text message to The Post, Yermak said he is going to the front lines and is prepared for any reprisals, calling himself an "honest and decent person". His statement was made in an impassioned message to the New York Post following anti-corruption raids on his home and office, where he maintained his innocence and expressed a desire to avoid creating political problems for President Zelenskyy. 

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. The resultant conflict is the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, and a major escalation of the war between the two countries that began in 2014.  In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and supported separatists in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region after Ukraine's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in the Euromaidan protests. Russia's military seized control of Crimea in February 2014, followed by a disputed referendum in March that led to Russia's formal annexation of the peninsula. In April, fighting began in the Donbas between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists, initiating a conflict that would last for years. 

Will Zelensky be able to stand up to Russia now without Yermak?

As for the Front Lines, The "front lines" associated with the name "Yarmak" in Ukraine refer to the areas around the southeastern city of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Mayor Serhii Yarmak serves as the mayor of Huliaipole, a city that has been subject to continuous Russian shelling and is considered a front-line town.  Due to the proximity of active combat and severe attacks, most residents have fled, leaving only a small fraction of the pre-war population. 

Another individual, Andriy Yarmak, an agricultural economist, is involved in discussions and analysis regarding the global food crisis stemming from the war, rather than military front lines. There is also mention of a Ukrainian rapper named Yarmak who has been on the front lines questioning a Russian prisoner of war. 

Resource:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOnoB4XlwGM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andriy_Yermak

https://www.ukrainer.net/en/peace-in-ukraine-analysis/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22474343723&gbraid=0AAAAADNJdlT_ReL6XgQLDXNBHm-ANLXCO&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0KrJBhCOARIsAGIy9wBdB9Rxt9302qxfzQ4S8iDeqcrkwaiJ2AhziiKvb4winifGEHKZiYoaA

https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-zelensky-advisor-opens-up-about-his-jewish-roots-urges-greater-israeli-support/#:~:text=Yermak%20added%20that%20his%20family,to%20stay%20on%20the%20sidelines.%E2%80%9D