Freed captive says Israeli air strikes put her ‘in the most danger’
Naama Levy, an Israeli soldier who was released in January, has described surviving an Israeli air attack during her time in captivity in Gaza.
“I was convinced every single time that this was my end, and it’s also what put me in the most danger,” she said at a protest, according to The Times of Israel. “One of the bombardments collapsed part of the house I was in,” she said. “The wall I was leaning on didn’t collapse, and that’s what saved me.
“They come by surprise. First, you hear a whistle, pray it doesn’t fall on you, and then the booms, a noise loud enough to paralyse you. The earth shakes. “That was my reality, and now it’s their reality,” she added, referring to the 58 captives who remain in Gaza, including some who died in captivity.
“At this very moment, there are hostages who hear those same whistles and booms, shaking with fear. They have nowhere to run, just pray and cling to the wall in a horrible feeling of powerlessness,” she said.
Demonstrators hold a banner, saying ‘Save the hostages, end the war”, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday
What’s the latest on talks for a ceasefire?
Family members of Israeli captives have once again taken to the streets of Tel Aviv, in an area that has become known as hostage square, as well as other parts of the country, to try to send a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they want a deal.
It’s been nearly 600 days since Israel’s war on Gaza began, and the Israeli delegation that was negotiating for a ceasefire deal in the Qatari capital, Doha, has returned with those talks still at a stalemate.
That’s because Netanyahu said he has new conditions for ending the war on Gaza. It’s not just disarming Hamas, it’s not just releasing the captives, and it’s not just the exile of political and military leaders. He says he wants to integrate Trump’s plan for Gaza into his conditions.
This is the plan that has been widely condemned internationally, with many saying it amounts to ethnic cleansing. But the Israeli leader says he will not end the war until all of his military objectives have been met and until there’s absolute victory.
Family members of Israeli captives say he’s prolonging the war for his own political and personal gain.
Rights groups seek ban on Israeli firms at Paris weapons expo
Palestinian and French rights organisations say they are taking legal action to prevent eight Israeli weapons companies from participating in the Paris Air Show next month.
The rights groups, including the Palestinian organisation Al-Haq, have asked the Bobigny judicial court to compel the organisers of the event to take all possible measures to stop a “manifestly unlawful disturbance”.
“There should be no doubt that these companies are supporting Israel’s ongoing military onslaught in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), given the information available on their official websites and networks,” the groups said in a statement.
“Some even go so far as to promote their weapons as having been ‘tested in combat’ in Gaza,” the statement added.
Last year, the French government banned representatives of Israeli companies from taking part in the Eurosatory weapons expo, but the decision was overturned by a court at the last minute.
📣 Al-Haq & partners take legal action to prevent Israeli Arms Companies from participating in Paris Airshow amid #GazaGenocide w/ @contactujfp @attac_fr @stopfuellingwar @Survie
🚨Some Israeli arms companies featured promote weapons as ‘tested in combat’ https://t.co/yfIo6TzEta
— Al-Haq الحق (@alhaq_org) May 24, 2025
