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The International Court of Justice stopped short of ordering an Israel cease-fire but called for six urgent provisional measures to prevent acts of genocide taking place, including preventing and punishing acts of incitement to genocide by senior officials. Hamas released footage of three Israeli women kidnapped on October 7. UNRWA said it is investigating the alleged involvement of several of its employees in the October 7 massacre. Chinese officials have asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Here's what you need to know 112 days into the war


What happened today

Pro-Israel activists gather near the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. The United Nations' top court has decided not to throw out genocide charges against Israel for its military offensive in Gaza. That is part of a preliminary decision in a case that goes to the core of one of the world's most intractable conflicts. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

■ ICJ: The International Court of Justice at The Hague gave its interim ruling on emergency orders relating to South Africa's petition accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The ICJ stopped short of ordering an cease-fire, but a large majority of the 17-judge panel voted for six urgent provisional measures:

1. For Israel to take "all measures" to prevent acts of genocide from taking place

2. To ensure the IDF does not engage in any acts of genocide

3. To prevent and punish public incitement to genocide, including by government and military officials

4. To enable basic services and humanitarian aid to reach Gazan civilians

5. To preserve evidence related to violations of Genocide Convention

6. To submit a report to the ICJ within one month on all measures taken

Israel's foreign ministry said that Israel remains committed to abide by international law. PM Netanyahu said the court's decision "rightly rejected the outrageous demand to deny" Israel the right to basic self-defense, but added that the court's willingness to discuss the claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza "is a mark of disgrace that will not be erased for generations."

Israel will have to halt fighting in Gaza if it wants to adhere to the orders of the court, South Africa's minister of international relations said after the ruling. A senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that Israel should be "forced" to implement the Court's decisions.
■ CEASE-FIRE NEGOTIATIONS: The U.S. believes that the leaked recording of PM Netanyahu criticizing Qatar set hostage negotiation efforts back, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said, adding that "Qatar has been an integral, irreplaceable, key regional partner."

"We've gone from Holocaust denial to everyone having their own preferred Holocaust, and I'm not sure what's worse" - Anshel Pfeffer

■ GAZA: UNRWA said it is investigating the alleged involvement of several of its employees in Hamas' October 7 massacre, and that it had severed ties with these staff members. The U.S. said it is "extremely troubled by the allegations," and that it will suspend funding to UNRWA as it reviews the charges and "the steps the UN is taking to address them."
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 26,083 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.

The U.S. has created a channel with Israel to discuss concerns over incidents in Gaza in which civilians have been killed or wounded by the IDF or civilian facilities have been targeted, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

Cold and rainy weather in Gaza risks making the war-torn Palestinian enclave "completely uninhabitable," the UN human rights office warned on Friday.

Senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh said the UN Security Council should demand that Israel stop the war and withdraw from Gaza.
■ ISRAEL: Hamas released footage of three Israeli women kidnapped on October 7 and taken hostage to Gaza. The three – Doron Steinbrecher, and soldiers Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariav – say they have been in captivity for 107 days.
Israeli right-wing activists and family members of hostages blocked trucks delivering aid into Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing for the third day in a row on Friday, protesting the entry of aid while Israeli hostages are still held by Hamas.

The UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict will arrive in Israel on Monday to collect information on crimes committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and will also visit the West Bank, her office said.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he told his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin that "American pressure is of great importance in efforts to return the hostages." Gallant also said that Hezbollah's refusal "to withdraw its forces from the border" with Israel undermines a political solution to the conflict, despite it being Israel's preference.

Sgt. Major (res.) Eliran Yeger, 36, from Tel Aviv, was killed in combat on Thursday in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

Sky News apologized for making a comparison between Israel's behavior in Gaza and the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust during an interview with Israeli lawmaker Danny Danon.
■ LEBANON: Sirens sounded in northern Israeli communities on Friday as a result of a number of rockets fired from Lebanon; the IDF struck the sources of the launch.

■ HOUTHIS: Chinese officials have asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis, or risk harming business relations with Beijing, four Iranian sources and a diplomat told Reuters.

Context

Displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on Friday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 26,083 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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The ICJ's interim ruling on the Gaza genocide case against Israel on Friday was claimed as a victory by both Israel and its prosecutors. Six countries, including the U.S., said they will pause UNRWA funding over reports of employee involvement in Hamas' October 7 massacre. The WHO chief warned that the Strip's last functioning hospital is on the brink of collapse amid ongoing Israel-Hamas fighting in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis. The Israeli army said it raided terror hotspots in western Khan Yunis and opened a humanitarian corridor for residents to move away from areas of fighting.

Here's what you need to know 113 days into the war


What happened today

An Israeli tank takes position at the western entrance of Khan Yunis' refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, on Friday.

■ UNITED NATIONS: The U.S., Canada, Australia, Italy, U.K., and Finland said they will suspend the transfer of funds to UNRWA following reports on the involvement of 12 of the agency's employees in Hamas' October 7 massacre.

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on Friday that "Israeli authorities [had] provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees" in the October 7 attacks, that he terminated their contracts and launched an investigation. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General was "horrified" by the news, said his spokesperson on Friday.

Hussein al-Sheikh, PLO Secretary-General, posted on X urging states to reverse their decisions to pause UNRWA funding, citing great "humanitarian relief risks."

Hamas condemned UNRWA's chief for deciding "to terminate contracts with a number of UNRWA employees in Gaza based on Zionist information."

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz applauded the U.S. decision to pull UNRWA funding, and said that the UN agency "serves as a civilian arm of Hamas."

The UN's health agency, the World Health Organization, refuted Israel's accusation that the WHO is in "collusion" with Hamas and is "turning a blind eye" to hostages' suffering. "Such false claims are harmful and can endanger our staff who are risking their lives to serve the vulnerable," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Ghebreyesus also warned that the last functioning hospital in Gaza – Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, where fighting between the IDF and Hamas is taking place – is on the brink of collapse.

■ ICJ: Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the International Court of Justice's interim ruling Friday that called on Israel to "take all measures" to avoid acts of genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for a cease-fire, was an important development for isolating Israel and exposing its crimes.

PM Netanyahu said the ICJ "rightly rejected the outrageous demand to deny" Israel the right to basic self-defense to which it is entitled as a country but called the Court's willingness to discuss the claim of genocide at all was "a mark of disgrace that will not be erased for generations," adding Israel will continue the war until "absolute victory."

The U.S. State Department said that the ICJ ruling is "consistent with our view that Israel has the right to take action" in self-defense and that "allegations of genocide are unfounded." South Africa hailed what it called a "decisive victory" for international rule of law.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' bureau called the ICJ ruling "crucial," and called on the international community to "pressure Israel" and not "collaborate with Israel's genocide against the Palestinian nation."

Palestinian Islamic Jihad – which is fighting alongside Hamas in Gaza – said it condemned the world court's reluctance to demand an immediate cease-fire.

Egypt considered recalling its envoy to Israel after allegations made by the Israeli defense team at the world court about Cairo's failure to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Whatever good or bad things we may say about the legal reasoning of the ICJ, it is the humanitarian catastrophe [in Gaza] and the need to end it – including the situation of the Israeli hostages – that resonates from" the Court's ruling - Aeyal Gross

■ GAZA: Israeli aircraft, tanks and infantry troops have killed at least 11 terror operatives over the past 24 hours in battles in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, according to the IDF. The IDF said it found rifles, RPGs, sophisticated photographic and diving equipment.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi about the war in Gaza, and a hostage/prolonged cease-fire deal. Biden also spoke with Qatar's Emir Al-Thani.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 26,257 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.

The IDF said it has opened a humanitarian corridor for residents in Khan Yunis to move away from areas of fighting, and published a recording of evacuees from Khan Yunis chanting: "The people want to overthrow Hamas."

Torrential rains in Gaza have worsened the humanitarian situation there, sources in the Strip reported, with videos on social media showing flooding in southern displaced persons camps and makeshift tents that aren't built to sustain rain and mud.

■ ISRAEL: Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, addressing Israel's cabinet, demanded to establish an investigative committee to examine the failures that lead to Hamas' October 7 attack.

Demonstrations calling for the release of the hostages in Gaza and rallies against the Netanyahu government will be held this evening in several locations across Israel.

In Tel Aviv, thousands are expected at three separate rallies. The first calls for immediate elections; the second, under the banner of "Never again is now," after International Holocaust Memorial Day, calling to return the hostages; and a third anti-occupation bloc-led protest calling for a ceasefire, ending the Gaza siege and a hostage deal.

Family members of Israeli hostages held in Gaza protested today in front of PM Netanyahu's house in Caesarea for the third week running, demanding a hostage deal.

According to IDF data, 37 soldiers are hospitalized in serious condition. Since the start of the Gaza ground operation, 258 IDF troops have been seriously wounded.

■ LEBANON: Lebanese media reported that two people were killed and two wounded by an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Friday. An Israeli drone struck the area of Naqoura in southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to Lebanese reports.

The Israeli army said three missiles were fired from Lebanon at the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, with some landing in open areas. Israeli artillery also shelled targets in Lebanon, the army said, after a barrage of rockets and an anti-tank missile were fired at northern Israel.

The Israel Air Force attacked Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, according to an IDF statement, striking the areas of Bint Jbeil and Deir Aames.

After a hostile aircraft warning in northern Israel, the IDF said it successfully intercepted an aerial target in Lebanese territory.

■ HOUTHIS: Yemen's Houthis said their naval forces carried out an operation targeting "the British oil tanker Marlin Luanda" in the Gulf of Aden, causing a fire to break out. CENTCOM said a Houthi anti-ship missile fired at a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Gulf of Aden was shot down.

The Houthi's Al-Masira television said on Saturday that the U.S. and the U.K. launched two airstrikes targeting the port of Ras Issa in Yemen's Hodeidah province.

Context

Displaced Palestinians warm themselves by a fire on a rainy cold day at a tent camp, on Friday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 26,257 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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Three U.S. soldiers were killed in a drone strike on an army base in Jordan attributed to an Iranian-backed militant group. UNRWA will not address the allegations made against its employees until investigations are completed, sources in the agency told Haaretz. Eighty percent of Hamas tunnels in Gaza remain intact according to Israeli and U.S. sources. The Biden administration is mulling slowing delivery of some weapons to Israel to press Netanyahu to scale back the offensive in Gaza. The IDF designated the Kerem Shalom crossing a closed military zone in response to protesters blocking aid trucks to Gaza.

Here's what you need to know 114 days into the war


What happened today

Visitors look at photos of Israelis killed on October 7 and during the Israel-Hamas war, displayed at the National Library in Jerusalem, Sunday.

■ JORDAN: Three U.S. soldiers were killed in a drone strike on an army base in Jordan. President Biden said that the U.S. knows "it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq" and the U.S. would "hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing."

■ UNRWA: Sources in UNRWA told Haaretz the organization will not address the specific allegations made against its employees until investigations are completed. Twelve employees face allegations that they participated in the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7.
Germany, the Netherlands and Canada joined the U.S., U.K. and other countries in suspending funding to UNRWA. France announced that it will not be transferring funds for the first half of 2024. Switzerland, which contributes around $23 million per year to UNRWA, said that no decision would be taken on the 2024 payment until the accusations were clarified, according to AFP.

In response to countries freezing UNRWA funds, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said employees involved in terrorism will be held accountable, but called on governments to "guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's operations."

Following his statement, Israel's UN envoy said Guterres had ignored for years evidence presented to him personally of UNRWA's involvement in incitement and terrorism, and criticized him for his call to keep funds flowing before a thorough investigation.

UNRWA spokesperson in Gaza Adnan Abu Hasna said that due to the frozen funds, the agency will be able to provide services in Gaza only until the end of next month.
"Instead of Netanyahu – who began his career with fiery and glorious speeches at the UN – bolstering the status of Israel among the international community, as he promised in his first book, 'A Place Among the Nations,' he has brought it to the status of a criminal and murderous state" - Aluf Benn

■ GAZA: The IDF reported "intensive fighting" in the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip. The fighting has led to thousands of civilians fleeing the city in the direction of Rafah on the border with Egypt. An IDF spokesperson detailed three four-hour "tactical" pauses in Israel's operations on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, for Gazans to move around and secure provisions.
Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, announced that Israel has assassinated their field commander in Gaza, Mohammed Dib "Salem."

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 26,422 Palestinians have been killed and 65,087 were wounded since the war began.

Eighty percent of Hamas' tunnels in Gaza remain intact according to Israeli and U.S. sources, the Wall Street Journal reported. Attempts at using seawater to fill the tunnels have proven less effective than was anticipated, the report added.

Israeli military and intelligence officials have concluded that a significant number of weapons used by Hamas in the October 7 attack and in the war in Gaza are Israeli military issue, whether stolen from IDF bases or built out of Israeli munitions launched at Gaza that failed to detonate, the New York Times reported.
■ ISRAEL: The Biden administration is mulling slowing delivery of some weapons to Israel to press Netanyahu to scale back the offensive in Gaza, NBC news reported. The White House responded to the report by saying that there is no change to its Israel policy.
Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Ben chief Ronen Bar are meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, CIA chief William Barnes and Egyptian Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Kamel in Paris in order to advance negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a hostage release deal.

Israeli security forces blocked roads leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing to prevent protesters, who are calling for the halt of aid to Gaza until hostages are released, from disrupting aid deliveries. Israeli security officials said they would not allow trucks to be blocked, following the ICJ's ruling to ramp up aid to Gaza, and the IDF later declared the crossing a closed military zone.

Rocket sirens blared in Israel's north and south throughout Sunday.

The IDF announced a six-month suspension of a reservist who led a convoy of military vehicles in a protest against ending the war in Gaza. The soldier hung signs on the military vehicles that read: "We too were released without a decisive victory."
■ ICJ: Uganda has distanced itself from an opinion written by a Ugandan judge sitting in the ICJ who dissented from the Court's ruling in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, saying her remarks do not reflect Uganda's position. Julia Sebutinde was the only judge on the 17-member ICJ panel to vote against all six measures adopted by the court.

■ LEBANON: Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked two Hezbollah sites in the area of the villages of Zibqin and Khula, the IDF said.

Context

Displaced Palestinians receive food aid at the UNRWA center in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 26,422 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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Thousands of Israelis, including Netanyahu government ministers, attended a far-right conference calling for the Jewish resettlement of Gaza and the transfer of its Palestinian population on Sunday night. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly told U.S. officials that he will not allow Israeli settlements to be built inside Gaza. The U.S. sees a framework for another hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Here's what you need to know 115 days into the war


What happened today

Women protest in Tel Aviv last week to demand a deal for the release of Israeli hostages being held captive in Gaza by Hamas since they attacked Israel on October 7.

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: Ongoing talks to bring about a cease-fire and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas have been constructive, and the U.S. sees a framework for another deal, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told MSNBC.
An Israeli source told Haaretz that a meeting between Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani, CIA chief William Burns and Egyptian intel chief Abbas Kamel in Paris was positive, but it was "still too early to say" if it would lead to a deal.

Qatar's PM said "good progress" was made on a deal, and that the talks could lead to a permanent cease-fire, Reuters reported.

Hamas reiterated its position that it will only release hostages if it is guaranteed an end to the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the IDF withdraws its forces from the Strip.

Israel's war cabinet will convene Monday evening in the wake of the Paris meeting.
■ UNRWA: Israel gave the U.S. information about 12 UNRWA employees who were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack, including one employee who kidnapped an Israeli woman, another who took part in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri and another in the massacre at the Nova music party, the New York Times and Reuters reported.
About 10 percent of UNRWA employees in Gaza have ties to Hamas or Islamic Jihad, an intelligence document obtained by the Wall Street Journal estimated.

The European Commission said it would review further funding to UNRWA in light of the allegations. Romania, Austria and Japan are the latest countries to suspend funds. UNRWA is not the only source of humanitarian aid for Palestinians, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that he canceled all meetings between his staff and UNRWA, and called on its commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, to resign.
"The Israeli political leadership, from the prime minister all the way to the person he appointed to coordinate hostage negotiations, has conducted itself in a disgraceful manner, focused more on photo-ops and gaslighting the hostages' families than on a disciplined, effective campaign" - Daniel Levin

■ GAZA: The IDF said Israeli forces killed dozens of militants in various raids on the west side of Khan Yunis, as well as on the Al-Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF's Arabic spokesperson called on residents of the western part of Gaza City to evacuate.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 26,637 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that about half of Hamas' militants in Gaza have been killed or wounded, but the battle against the rest will continue for months.
■ ISRAEL: Thousands of Israelis, including Netanyahu government ministers, attended a far-right conference in Jerusalem on Sunday night calling for the establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza and the transfer, or expulsion, of Palestinians. Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir were key speakers.
Ben-Gvir reiterated his support for encouraging the voluntary emigration of Palestinians out of Gaza as "the most moral and logical solution." Likud communications minister Shlomo Karhi said that "voluntary" emigration may need to become forcible expulsion.

War cabinet minister Benny Gantz said the conference "harmed Israeli society during wartime, harmed our legitimacy in the world, harmed efforts to return our hostages" and referring to PM Netanyahu said "he who is silent and is dragged along – is not a leader."

Gallant told U.S. officials that he will not allow the rebuilding of Israeli settlements inside the Gaza Strip, according to Axios.

The German Foreign Ministry said it rejected any consideration of Israeli resettlement of Gaza and the transfer of the Palestinian population.

Rocket sirens blared in Israel's north and south throughout Monday, as well as in Tel Aviv and central Israel for the first time in three weeks.

A soldier was seriously wounded in a car-ramming attack in Haifa near an IDF base. The attacker then disembarked from the vehicle with an ax, and attempted to enter the base, prompting soldiers to shoot and kill him.

Four Israeli settlers were arrested on suspicion of assaulting truck drivers delivering aid to Gaza.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog accused the International Court of Justice of misrepresenting his words in its ruling that ordered Israel to implement measures for the protection of Palestinians and prevention of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
■ JORDAN: Iran denied any link to Sunday's drone strike which killed three U.S. soldiers on an army base in Jordan.

■ LEBANON: The IDF said five launches from Lebanon were detected on Monday. Two soldiers were lightly wounded by Hezbollah rocket fire from Lebanon earlier on Monday.

■ WEST BANK: The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that five Palestinians were killed in four separate clashes with the IDF amid raids across the West Bank throughout Monday.

■ SYRIA: At least two people were killed, and several others were wounded, in a series of explosions at the sites used by pro-Iranian militias in southern Damascus.

■ HOUTHIS: Yemen's Houthis launched a rocket at U.S. warship Lewis B. Puller as it sailed through the Gulf of Aden on Sunday, the group's military spokesman said on Monday.

Context

A man wearing a UNRWA jacket walks on a street which has been bulldozed by the Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin in the West Bank on Monday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 26,637 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group is studying a three-phased cease-fire proposal emerging from negotiations in Paris. Gaza militant factions reiterated that no hostages will be released before Israel halts its offensive in Gaza. The U.K. is considering, along with allies, to recognize a Palestinian state as a means to promote a two-state solution. The IDF confirmed it is flooding Hamas tunnels in an effort to destroy them.

Here's what you need to know 116 days into the war


What happened today

A protestor in Tel Aviv.

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh that the group had received a cease-fire proposal emerging from talks between Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. in Paris and would study it, adding he would visit Cairo for discussions on the plan.

The proposed deal includes three stages, a senior Hamas official told Reuters. The first stage would include the release of civilians, the second stage would include all male and female soldiers, and the final stage would include the release of bodies of Israelis held by Hamas.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine reiterated that Israel must halt its Gaza offensive and withdraw before any hostages are released.

During their meeting in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Qatari PM Mohammed Al Thani for Qatar's mediation efforts to free the hostages, and the two agreed to continue to coordinate increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron said that the U.K. is considering, together with its allies, to recognize a Palestinian state as part of a diplomatic move to achieve "irreversible progress" towards a two-state solution, the BBC reported.

"Over time, if Netanyahu's diplomatic rejectionism continues, it will become harder to guarantee U.S. military support" - Amos Harel

■ GAZA: The IDF announced that it has flooded Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip in an effort to destroy them. Reports had previously referenced the tactic, but this is the first confirmation by Israel.

The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of "storming" the Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, where there are thousands of displaced persons and refugees. The IDF both denied that Israeli forces are inside the hospital and that they are storming it.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 26,751 Palestinians have been killed and 65,636 were wounded since the war began.

■ UNRWA: Blinken said Washington will look hard at what steps UNRWA takes in response to what he called "deeply troubling" allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 attack on Israel.

Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy called UNRWA "a Hamas front organization" which allows the terror group "to launder information to the foreign media."

New Zealand and Sweden joined the U.S., U.K., Germany and several other countries in freezing funding to UNRWA in light of the allegations that staff members took part in the October 7 massacre in southern Israel. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the allegations should be investigated.

■ ISRAEL: During a visit to a pre-military academy in a West Bank settlement, PM Netanyahu said the IDF will not leave Gaza as part of a hostage release deal, and that Israel does not intend to release thousands of terrorists.

Family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza harshly criticized the far right conference calling for the re-settlement of Gaza. Gil Dikman, whose cousin Carmel Gat is a hostage, said: "In the morning you throw mud at each other, and in the evening you dance at an event that only harms us. In Gaza, the hostages do not dance."

The U.K. Foreign Office issued a strongly-worded denunciation of the conference, saying it was "alarmed" by it, and that the clear U.K. position was that "Gaza is occupied Palestinian territory and will be part of the future Palestinian state," adding that settlements are illegal. No Palestinian should be threatened with forcible displacement or relocation."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel for two days on Saturday, according to Israeli sources.

■ WEST BANK: Israeli forces, dressed as Palestinian medical staff, assassinated three Palestinians in Jenin's Ibn Sina hospital in the West Bank. According to the Shin Bet, the Israeli Police and the IDF, the forces killed militants associated with either Hamas or Islamic Jihad who were hiding in the hospital, and planning a raid on Israeli settlements inspired by the Hamas attack on October 7.

Hamas said that the killing of the three wanted persons in the Jenin hospital raid "is a vile crime that will not go without a response."

■ LEBANON: The IDF said fighter jets struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

■ U.S.: U.S. President Biden said on Tuesday he has decided how to respond to a drone attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan, but did not elaborate.

■ HOUTHIS: The Houthis in Yemen are prepared for a "long-term confrontation" with the U.S. and U.K., according to a statement on Tuesday by the commander of the Houthi forces, Mohamed al-Atifi.

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron will travel to Oman on Tuesday where he is expected to call for stability over ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, his office said.

■ U.K.: Workers and shoppers at a family-owned kosher supermarket in one of London's most demographically Jewish neighborhoods fended off a knife-wielding attacker who was demanding to know whether its owners supported "Israel or Palestine" on Monday.

Context

People sit near tents at a make-shift shelter for Palestinians who fled to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 26,751 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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The framework for a cease-fire/hostage deal between Israel and Hamas reportedly includes the release of all civilian captives held in Gaza during a six-week cease-fire. Far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposes the deal, threatening the dissolution of Netanyahu's government. Stockholm police detonated an explosive charge found near the Israeli embassy. The IDF said it struck Syrian army posts overnight in response to rockets fired at northern Israel on Tuesday.

Here's what you need to know 117 days into the war


What happened today

Pictures of hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas are displayed on a poster, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 31, 2024. REUTERS/Susana Vera TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: A framework for a cease-fire/hostage deal between Israel and Hamas includes the release of all Israeli civilian hostages held in the Strip during a six-week cease-fire backed by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, the Washington Post reported.
According to the report, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons will be released in exchange for Israeli captives at a rate of three prisoners for each hostage.

The proposal also includes the condition of a non-permanent repositioning of IDF forces away from densely populated areas in the Strip and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza, and may include additional truces beyond the first six weeks, during which IDF soldiers and the bodies of hostages who were killed by Hamas would be released.

The number of Palestinian prisoners set to be released in a potential deal has yet to be specified, a senior Hamas official told Reuters.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Washington D.C. with families of Israeli hostages and former hostages.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he opposes the potential deal with Hamas, adding that "a ridiculous deal means the dissolution of the government." Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that his party agrees to enter the government to replace the far-right Religious Zionism party in order to promote a hostage deal.
"In other words, one way or the other – if a deal moves forward – the [Netanyahu] coalition has slim prospects of surviving in its current form" - Amos Harel

■ GAZA: The IDF continues to scale down its presence in the Strip, leaving one reservist brigade within Gaza. Division 162 is operating in northern Gaza around the al-Shati refugee camp, where Hamas appears to be attempting to rehabilitate its local regiment.
Four Palestinians, including a child, were killed in the assassination of an Islamic Jihad member in North Rafah, according to Palestinian reports. According to the reports, the four were inside a vehicle that was attacked from the air.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 26,900 Palestinians have been killed and 65,949 were wounded since the war began.
■ UNRWA: Norway, a top donor to the UN agency, urged countries that have cut funding to UNRWA to consider the consequences of their actions on Gazans. The head of the World Health Organization warned that halting funding to UNRWA would lead to "catastrophic consequences" for people in Gaza.

■ ISRAEL: The chief of the IDF's Southern Command designated the Nitzana border crossing with Egypt a closed military zone. The order came after protests held in recent days against the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip while Hamas still holds Israeli hostages.
Israel Police have announced that Sergeant Ran Guili, 24, previously thought to be held hostage by Hamas, was killed on October 7 and his body taken to Gaza.

The IDF announced the names of four soldiers who were killed fighting in Gaza.
"The 'meaningless fringe' excuse is dead. In Israel, what looks insane one minute becomes state policy the next" - Dahlia Scheindlin

■ WEST BANK: Israeli security forces arrested 14 wanted Palestinians and seized munitions in an overnight raid, the IDF said.

■ SYRIA: The IDF said it struck Syrian army posts overnight in response to rockets fired at the Golan Heights on Tuesday.

■ LEBANON: The IDF said the Air Force and Artillery Corps bombed Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Earlier on Wednesday, several launches were detected from Lebanon towards northern Israel.

■ U.S.: Leaders of the U.S. Reform movement, the largest Jewish denomination in the country, said that they were "deeply dismayed" by PM Netanyahu's recent dismissal of the possibility of a two-state solution that would provide the Palestinians with their own state.

■ HOUTHIS: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was hopeful it could be decided on Wednesday which member state could lead the upcoming EU mission to protect vessels in the Red Sea, adding this operation could be launched before mid-February.
U.S. CENTCOM said Iran-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship cruise missile from Yemen toward the Red Sea on Tuesday; a U.S. destroyer in the area shot it down.
■ SWEDEN: Stockholm police detonated a suspicious object found near the Israeli embassy in Sweden's capital. Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, said "Today we were subject to an attempted attack against the Embassy of Israel in Stockholm and its employees," and added that "we will not be intimidated by terror."

Context

Palestinians bury the bodies of people who were killed in fighting with Israel and returned to Gaza by the Israeli military, in Rafah on Tuesday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 26,900 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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President Biden issued an unprecedented executive order to punish Israelis who target Palestinian civilians, initially sanctioning four Israeli West Bank settlers. A source familiar with negotiations for a hostage release/cease-fire deal is concerned that Netanyahu is trying to sabotage the talks. PM Netanyahu instructed the IDF to examine a plan to distribute Gaza humanitarian aid directly instead of UNRWA.

Here's what you need to know 118 days into the war


What happened today

New Yorkers protesting outside U.N. headquarters Thursday morning demanding the immediate release of the Israeli hostages.

■ U.S.: President Biden issued an unprecedented executive order aimed at punishing Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have attacked Palestinian civilians. The executive order initially targets four Israeli settlers indicted for violence, during which their assets in the U.S. will be frozen.
Biden's order will further allow the U.S. to impose sanctions on additional individuals and leaders of any entity, including government officials, targeting Palestinian civilians – whether through violence, intimidation, property damages or terror.
■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: A source familiar with the Israel-Hamas cease-fire/hostage deal told Haaretz he fears Netanyahu's recent harsh comments are meant to push Hamas to ditch the talks, to allow Israel to continue fighting while blaming Hamas for the collapse.
U.S. President Biden said, "I'm engaged day and night" in the effort to "bring our hostages home, to ease the humanitarian crisis, and to bring peace to Gaza and Israel," and called for "an enduring peace with two states for two peoples."

Former Meta boss Sheryl Sandberg, Cherie Blair and witnesses of Hamas sexual violence spoke at the U.K. Parliament. Cabinet member Kemi Badenoch said: "Rape is not resistance or some form of freedom fighting. It is a betrayal of all women to be silent about the savagery of these attacks."
■ GAZA: Israel released 114 Palestinian detainees on Thursday morning through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, according to the Red Crescent. Four women were among those released, said the organization's head.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27,019 Palestinians have been killed and 66,139 were wounded since the war began.

UNRWA: Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said PM Netanyahu instructed the IDF to examine a plan to distribute humanitarian aid directly to Gazans instead of UNRWA.
"The normalization process was allowed to be hijacked by Netanyahu into an argument that the Palestinian issue no longer mattered – a big mistake" – David Rothkopf

■ ISRAEL: Dozens of protesters attempting to block aid trucks at the Ashdod port from reaching Gaza were joined by far-right lawmaker Tzvi Sukkot, a member of Netanyahu's coalition. Several protesters were filmed accosting Arab truck drivers, with one heard saying: "I'm the master, you're the slave."
The government's security-political cabinet convened on Thursday to discuss the current proposal for a cease-fire/hostage release deal.

Merav Ben Ari, a member of opposition leader Yair Lapid's party, said the party refused an offer from Justice Minister Yariv Levin to join Netanyahu's government, and claimed that Levin offered them the portfolios currently held by far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The IDF's Home Front Command announced that it is easing restrictions in communities close to the border with Gaza and allowing educational institutions to open.
■ LEBANON: The IDF said the Air Force attacked a Hezbollah military structure in southern Lebanon. Several rocket launches from Lebanese territory towards northern Israel were detected Thursday.
Defense Ministry's data shows 427 homes in Israel's north were hit by Hezbollah's rocket fire since the war began, with 80 of them sustaining direct hits.
■ HOUTHIS: U.S. CENTCOM said it struck Houthi drone bases and destroyed 10 attack drones in Yemen.

■ IRAN: Iran's Revolutionary Guards have scaled back deployment of their senior officers in Syria due to a spate of deadly Israeli strikes and will rely more on allied Shi'ite militia to preserve their sway there, five sources told Reuters.
Iran manufactured the drone that hit a U.S. base in Jordan on Sunday, killing three U.S. soldiers and wounding more than 40, four U.S. officials told Reuters.

The U.S. has approved plans for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria against multiple targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities, CBS News and the BBC reported.

Context

Palestinians go on with their lives at a makeshift camp set up on the beach for people who fled to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, on Thursday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 27,019 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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A day after President Biden issued an unprecedented executive order sanctioning violent West Bank settlers, the White House said the sanctions won't target Israeli government officials "at this time." UNICEF estimated that 17,000 children in Gaza are unaccompanied or separated from their families. Israel's Arrow missile defense system intercepted a missile over the Red Sea launched from Yemen. An Iranian Revolutionary Guards adviser was reportedly killed in a strike on Damascus attributed to Israel.

Here's what you need to know 119 days into the war


What happened today

A protest in Tel Aviv.

■ BIDEN'S EXECUTIVE ORDER.: A day after U.S. President Biden's unprecedented executive order aimed at punishing Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have attacked Palestinian civilians, White House spokesperson Jack Kirby said that "There are no plans to target with sanctions Israeli government officials at this time."
PM Netanyahu responded to the sanctions, saying "Israel acts against all those who break the law everywhere, and therefore there is no room for exceptional measures in this regard." Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Biden was "wrong about Israeli citizens and the heroic settlers." A settler council head called the order "an antisemitic plot."
■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: Hamas' messages to Israel on the latest hostage-release deal do not indicate that the group is ready to move ahead with the current proposal, a source familiar with the negotiations told Haaretz, adding that while initial indications are good they are not definitive as Hamas has yet to submit its list of reservations.
Senior Hamas official in Beirut Osama Hamdan said the group remains committed to its demand for a permanent cease-fire, as well as the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners including those serving life sentences, such as Marwan Barghouti. Hamdan added "there is no way" successive pauses in fighting would be accepted by Gaza's other factions.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Israeli news outlet Kan that he "does not see a deal," with Hamas, adding that "If it were up to me, I would cut off contact with the Qataris" and Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar.

Algeria drafted a UN Security Council resolution to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, a move that the U.S. – a council veto power – opposes.
"Shock at the decision may obscure just how much of a game-changer President Joe Biden's executive order could eventually be. It has the potential to irreversibly impact Israel's settlement enterprise and its access to U.S. financial institutions, its fundraising, relations between the two countries, and more" – Ben Samuels

■ GAZA: The IDF said forces raided a number of Hamas military buildings in western Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, and eliminated armed cells in northern and central Gaza.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27,131 Palestinians have been killed and 66,287 wounded since the war began.

The UN's humanitarian office voiced concern about clashes in Khan Younis that have forced more people to flee to Rafah in southern Gaza, describing the border town as a "pressure cooker of despair."

UNICEF estimated that 17,000 children in Gaza are unaccompanied or have been separated from their families during the conflict.

Belgium accused Israel of bombing the offices of the Belgian development agency Enabel in Gaza, and summoned the Israeli ambassador for clarification on the matter.

Satellite imagery analyzed by the UN Satellite Centre shows that 30 percent of Gaza's buildings have been destroyed or damaged.
"A reporter who accompanied a force of regular army paratroopers asked them what they think the war's goal is. They answered uniformly: to bring back the hostages. It's not certain that this is what Netanyahu would like to hear – and Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, still less" – Amos Harel

■ ISRAEL: Dozens of demonstrators blocked the transfer of aid to the Gaza Strip at the Nitzana border crossing on Friday morning. "Not a single supply truck to Hamas passes through here. Additional activists from all over the country are making their way to the crossing," said the right-wing group which organized the protest.
Around 1,000 people participated on Friday in the annual conference of Standing Together, an Israeli-Palestinian grassroots movement targeted for boycott by the BDS movement. "Israelis and Palestinians are here to stay," said co-leader Alon-Lee Green, adding the group supported every effort to release hostages and "end the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza." Pre-recorded messages by U.S. lawmakers Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were played.

Demonstrators arrived near PM Netanyahu's home in Caesarea in order to read the names of those murdered and kidnapped in the Hamas attack on October 7. After police confiscated a megaphone from the protesters, Labor MK Gilad Kariv used his parliamentary immunity to take a megaphone and speak their names.

The participation of Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli at a German-Israeli conference in Berlin co-organized by Die Welt and The Jerusalem Post was canceled after several participants pulled out due to his participation, the German daily TAZ reported.

Later in the day, Chikli compared U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron to Neville Chamberlain, accusing Cameron of appeasing the "Nazis" of Hamas by considering recognition of a Palestinian state.
■ HOUTHIS: Israel's Arrow missile defense system intercepted over the Red Sea a surface-to-surface missile that was launched from Yemen toward Israel, the IDF said.

■ LEBANON: The IDF said that the Israel Air force struck Hezbollah military compounds and a terror squad in southern Lebanon, while artillery attacked Hezbollah targets located near the southern Lebanese village of Ayta ash Shab.
Three rockets were fired towards northern Israel on Friday morning, the IDF said.
■ U.S.: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, to discuss Israel's shift to "low-intensity operations in Gaza, support for a diplomatic solution along the Israel-Lebanon border, and stability in the West Bank," the Pentagon said.
The Iran-backed Iraqi armed group Nujaba said on Friday it will continue launching attacks on U.S. forces until they withdraw from Iraq and the Gaza war ends.
■ IRAN: A day after it was reported that the Revolutionary Guards were scaling back deployment of senior officers in Syria due to a spate of deadly Israeli strikes, an IRGC adviser was killed in an alleged Israeli strike on Damascus, according to reports in a semi-official Iranian news site. Opposition websites in Syria reported that Israel targeted Iranian militias in the strike.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said on Friday that his country will not start a war, but it will "respond strongly" to anyone who bullies it.
■ SWEDEN: Sweden's security police said on Friday that an explosive device found outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm on Wednesday is now being investigated as a "suspected terrorist crime."

■ TURKEY: Turkish police arrested seven people on suspicion of selling information to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, state media reported.

Context

Palestinians line up for free food distribution during the ongoing Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis, on Friday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 27,131 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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Hamas is due to respond Sunday evening to the hostage release/cease-fire deal formulated in Paris last week. Far-right minister Ben-Gvir accused U.S. President Biden of giving aid "to Hamas" instead of fully backing Israel, and said how Trump would handle the war would be "completely different." Fifteen rockets were launched from Lebanon into Israel. The IDF admitted to operating a psychological warfare Telegram channel targeting Israelis with graphic content from Gaza. The U.S. and U.K. struck 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday night.

Here's what you need to know 121 days into the war


What happened today

A mounted police officer stands next to protesters against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, in Tel Aviv, on Saturday.

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: Hamas and other Palestinian factions will issue their response to the proposed hostage deal formulated in Paris last week on Sunday evening. Israel's War Cabinet is set to meet Sunday evening.
Speaking to U.S. media outlets, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said "it's up to Hamas to come forward and respond" to the proposal, adding: "No one wants the war to continue. But for this to happen, all the hostages need to come home and Hamas needs to no longer pose a threat to Israel."

Sullivan said that returning the hostages is "a paramount priority" for the U.S., but that the Israeli government must decide if it agrees, adding: "Depending on that answer, they'll also have to answer to the Israeli people."

Meeting in Moscow with the mother of Sasha Trufanov, an Israeli with Russian citizenship taken hostage by Hamas, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that "Russian diplomacy is determined to continue to seek the release of every Russian citizen" held in Gaza.
"Khamenei is so wary of the Americans that he has returned former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to office, so that he can advise the regime on how to defuse the crisis" – Amos Harel

■ GAZA: The IDF said that forces have deepened operations in the southern Gazan city of Khan Yunis.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27,365 Palestinians have been killed and 66,630 wounded since the war began.
■ ISRAEL: Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed U.S. President Joe Biden in a Wall Street Journal interview, claiming how Donald Trump would handle the war would be "completely different." He added that "instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel" to the Gaza Strip which, according to Ben-Gvir, "goes to Hamas."
PM Netanyahu addressed Ben-Gvir's comments, saying: "I don't need help to figure out how to navigate our relations with the U.S. and the international community."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Ben-Gvir's interview "hurt Israel's international standing," and that Netanyahu "can't control any of the extremists in his government." War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz said that disputes with allies "must be settled in the relevant forums and not in irresponsible statements in the media."

In response to Ben-Gvir's remarks, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the Biden administration to impose sanctions on him, saying he "threatens the region's stability by publicly calling for the expulsion of the Palestinians."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed in an interview that "every airstrike in Gaza brings us closer to achieving our goals and returning the hostages." He said that "the reality is similar" on the Israel-Lebanon border: the more Israel operates militarily, "the chance of not having to go to war grows."

Seven protesters who blocked the entrance to Ashdod port in an attempt to stop humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza were detained by police for questioning.

The IDF has admitted that a Telegram channel targeting Israelis with graphic content from the war in Gaza was operated by members of an Israeli psychological warfare unit. The channel, 72 Virgins – Uncensored, was created on October 9, without official approval or authorization, the IDF said. The admission reverses an earlier IDF denial prompted by a Haaretz investigation.

The IDF announced the death of Sgt. 1st Class (res.) Shimon Yehoshua Asulin, 24, from Beit Shemesh, who was killed in battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday.
■ LEBANON: Fifteen rockets were launched towards Israel, the IDF said. IDF fighter jets attacked Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including surveillance posts and launch sites where terrorists were residing, the IDF said. Several launches toward Israel were identified and intercepted earlier on Sunday.
The Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen news agency reported that the Amal Movement was responsible for recent rocket launches at northern Israel.

U.S. special adviser Amos Hochstein is visiting Israel and will meet with PM Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz. The meetings are part of an effort to avoid an escalation with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
■ WEST BANK: The European Union is considering imposing sanctions on "extremist" settlers in the West Bank, following U.S. President Biden's executive order last week.

■ HOUTHIS: The U.S. and U.K. launched a third series of strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said.
A joint statement issued by the supporting countries said the aim of the strikes was to warn the Houthi leadership and "de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea."

Continued U.S.-British "aggression" in Yemen will not achieve their goals and will not affect Yemen's support for Gaza, a Houthi spokesperson said.

Context

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza, on Saturday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 27,365 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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Hamas sources said that the group is still deliberating the cease-fire and hostage-release deal proposal. U.S. State Secretary Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia for his fifth Mideast trip since October 7. UN chief Guterres established an independent review group led by France's foreign minister to assess the allegations made against UNRWA. PM Netanyahu said that "we must kill Hamas' leadership" and that the war cannot end before that happens.

Here's what you need to know 122 days into the war


What happened today

Protesters for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, outside the military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: Hamas sources said that the group is still deliberating on the cease-fire and hostage-release deal proposal, and that they expect to give an answer on the matter soon.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid met with PM Netanyahu and told him that his party will provide a safety net, meaning support in the Knesset against no-confidence motions, in favor of a deal to release the hostages.

Former Arab Israeli politician Azmi Bishara, who fled charges of espionage in Israel to live in Doha and is considered close to the Qatari government, told the Qatari news agency al-Arabi that the U.S. is trying to convince Hamas, through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, that Israel would be hard pressed to resume fighting in Gaza after a long truce. He added that Hamas will respond to the current proposal being discussed with multiple clauses, and not just a simple "yes or no."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia, the first stop in his fifth Mideast trip since October 7. Blinken will also visit Egypt, Qatar and Israel this week.

Five activists from Israel and the U.S. are holding a 36-hour fast near the Geneva HQ of the International Committee of the Red Cross, to raise awareness of the plight of the hostages.
"Iran is an excruciating paradox. On the one hand, it is a constant menace and threat, an effervescent agent of chaos capable of setting the Middle East ablaze. On the other, it is inherently a paper tiger. A dangerous tiger, but paper" – Alon Pinkas

■ GAZA: The IDF said it continued to raid Hamas infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27,478 Palestinians have been killed and 66,835 wounded since the war began.

The head of UNRWA is visiting three Gulf states this week, seeking to drum up support after key donors suspended funding following allegations that some of its staff were involved in the October 7 attack. Spain has pledged an additional 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million), and Portugal 1 million euros.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that he established an independent review group led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to assess the allegations made against UNRWA. Israel's foreign minister commended the decision, and said Israel will send "all evidence highlighting UNRWA's ties to terrorism and its harmful effects on regional stability."

UNRWA's director of operations in Gaza, Thomas White, said a food truck about to move into the northern Gaza Strip came under IDF fire, without casualties.

Gen. Frank McKenzie, former CENTCOM commander, described Israel's success in its objectives in Gaza to date as "very limited."
■ ISRAEL: At a meeting of his Likud party, PM Netanyahu said that "we must kill Hamas' leadership" and emphasized that the war cannot end before that happens. Reaching this goal will take time, he said, which he defined as "months and not years."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he hoped Netanyahu chooses the path of "crushing Hamas" and not "giving them fuel," as opposed to the "path of Lapid and Gantz," referring to Israel's opposition leader and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the U.S. administration's decision to impose sanctions against four Israeli settlers, saying that it punishes "over half a million settlers, law-abiding Israeli citizens now on the front lines of the war against terror."

Russia's Foreign Ministry said it will summon Israeli ambassador Simona Halperin over "unacceptable comments" after she harshly criticized Russia's stance towards Hamas since October 7 and accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of "downplaying" the Holocaust in an interview with Russian outlet Kommersant.

U.S. President Joe Biden privately referred to PM Netanyahu as a "bad f** guy," according to people who've spoken with the president, Politico reported. The White House denied the report, which also claimed that Biden has "grown suspicious" of Netanyahu as the war continues, and that Biden's fear is that "Netanyahu is eager to drag the U.S. into a wider war in the Middle East."
■ LEBANON: The IDF said it struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah announced that three of its men were killed in IDF strikes in southern Lebanon. According to Lebanese media, at least one was killed Sunday night in an attack in the village of Yaroun.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with Biden's Middle East special adviser Amos Hochstein and said that Israel is willing to solve the crisis with Lebanon through diplomacy, but is prepared for any other scenario.
■ WEST BANK: Israel Police said a 14-year-old Palestinian was shot dead after he tried to stab police officers in Al-Azriya village near East Jerusalem.
The IDF said it arrested 33 suspects throughout the West Bank Monday overnight.
■ HOUTHIS: Italy will become a target if it takes part in attacks against Yemen, a senior official from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday.
The U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, is traveling to the Gulf this week to discuss the urgent need to reduce regional tensions, including cessation of Houthi attacks.

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Schapps said recent strikes against Yemen's Houthis "had a significant effect on degrading their capabilities," but did not deter the rebel group from continuing to attack vessels in the Red Sea.
■ GERMANY: A college student in Berlin beat a Jewish classmate until he was hospitalized after the two got into an argument Friday night about the Israel-Hamas conflict, police said.

Context

Residents return to parts of Gaza City after the Israeli army withdrew, on Thursday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 27,478 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

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At least 32 of the remaining hostages being held in Gaza are dead, according to an IDF assessment, the New York Times reported. Hamas said it has responded "positively" to the proposed hostage release/cease-fire deal. Israel is reportedly pressing the U.S. and the UN to allow UNRWA to continue supplying humanitarian aid to Gaza. A large majority of Israelis believe that the next election should be held much earlier than the designated date in November 2026.

Here's what you need to know 123 days into the war


What happened today

A woman looks at posters with portraits of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas in front of the United Nations European headquarters, in Geneva, Switzerland, February 5, 2024.

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: More than a fifth of the remaining hostages being held in Gaza are dead, according to an internal assessment conducted by the IDF, the New York Times reported. The families of 32 hostages whose deaths are confirmed have been informed, according to four military officials, who said they were also assessing unconfirmed intel that at least 20 other hostages have also been killed.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Cairo for his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi as he works to advance a hostage release/cease-fire deal mediated by the Egyptians and Qataris.

Qatar's Prime Minister said he has received a reply from Hamas on the proposed deal and that the response makes Qatar "optimistic."

Hamas announced it had replied "positively" to the proposal, claiming the deal offered a full cease-fire ending the war, aid, rehabilitation of Gaza, the end of the blockade and the exchange of hostages/prisoners.
■ GAZA: The IDF has begun investigating dozens of incidents in the current war with Hamas that have raised suspicions that orders were disobeyed, in which commanders on the ground exceeded their authority or where it is suspected that the international laws of war were violated.
Israel is pressing the U.S. and the UN to allow UNRWA to continue its role in supplying humanitarian aid to Gaza during the war, Israeli and American officials told the Wall Street Journal. UNRWA said it expects its preliminary report into Israeli claims that a dozen employees took part in the October 7 massacre to be ready by early next month.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed and 66,978 wounded since the war began.

Arab Israeli lawmaker Ahmed Tibi shared on X/Twitter footage of sheep being shot by Israeli snipers in Khan Yunis in Gaza. According to sources in Khan Yunis, the sheep were in Bani Suheila, near Khan Yunis, an area under Israeli military control.
"Without minimizing the importance of the [Israeli] army's successes while fighting an unprecedented underground war, Hamas has not been defeated in Gaza. Far from it" – Amos Harel

■ ISRAEL: A large majority of Israelis believe that the next Knesset election should be held before its designated date in November 2026, according to a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute. The poll also showed that about half of Israelis would oppose a deal to end the war if it includes the establishment of a Palestinian state and peace agreements with other Arab countries.
At a meeting in the White House, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana told U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that Israel's goal in the Gaza war is the "complete defeat of Hamas," and thanked the U.S. for its support since the outbreak of the war, especially in efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued a public apology after his son suggested U.S. President Biden suffered from dementia in a tweet he posted on X.

Argentina's far-right libertarian president Javier Milei landed in Israel, announced plans to relocate Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem and immediately visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that "now is the time to make the right decisions so we can meet the political goals we've set" for the war.

Israel Police revealed during a Knesset committee hearing that 116 cases have been opened of violent or sexual offenses in hotels where evacuated Israelis have been living since the beginning of the war.
■ RUSSIA: Russia's foreign ministry summoned Israeli ambassador Simona Halperin over what it called "unacceptable comments" she made in an interview with Russia's Kommersant daily, in which she harshly criticized Russia's stance towards Hamas since the attack of October 7, and accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of "downplaying" the Holocaust.

■ LEBANON: Two Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded from shrapnel after anti-tank missile fire toward northern Israel from Lebanon. The Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar news outlet reported that the Israeli Air Force attacked the village of Hula in Lebanon's south.
Several rocket launches were detected from Lebanon towards Israel on Tuesday. The IDF attacked the source of the launches in response.
■ WEST BANK: Palestinians from the West Bank shot at a kibbutz in northern Israel, causing no casualties, the IDF said.
A Palestinian was shot dead by soldiers at an army checkpoint near the entrance to Nablus, the IDF said, adding he appeared at the site and took out a gun.
■ HOUTHIS: Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they fired naval missiles at two ships, Star Nasia and Morning Tide, in the Red Sea.
The Houthis "will further escalate" if the Israeli attack on Gaza does not stop, the group's leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said.

Context

Displaced Palestinians take shelter in a tent camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

lbrande

Hamas has proposed a three-stage ceasefire plan over 135 days split into three 45-day phases that would lead to an end to the war. PM Netanyahu called the Hamas proposal "delusional" and that its conditions would "lead to another massacre." A new round of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt towards a hostage release deal is set to begin in Cairo on Thursday. Saudi Arabia stated that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and Israeli "aggression" in the Gaza Strip stops.

Here's what you need to know 124 days into the war


What happened today

French President Emmanuel Macron walks past French Republican Guards who hold portraits of the French victims of the Oct.7 2023 Hamas' attack, during a ceremony at the Invalides monument, Wednesday, Feb.7, 2024. France is paying tribute to French victims of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, in a national ceremony led by President Emmanuel Macron four months after the deadly assault in Israel that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw around 250 abducted.(Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AP)

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: Hamas has proposed a three-stage cease-fire plan over 135 days, split into three 45-day phases, that would lead to an end to the war, in response to a proposal by Qatari and Egyptian mediators which was backed by the U.S. and Israel.
All women hostages, males under 19, the elderly and sick would be released during the first phase in exchange for the release of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Remaining male hostages would be released during the second phase, and hostages' bodies and remains will be exchanged in the third phase.

A political source familiar with the details of the cease-fire proposed by Hamas said that the group is demanding a change to the protocol for Jews visiting the Temple Mount/ Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, as well as other conditions related to withdrawing IDF troops from areas of Gaza.

A new round of talks towards a hostage release deal is set to begin in Cairo on Thursday, according to Egyptian reports.

An Israeli government spokesperson said the Mossad "is looking intently" at the Hamas proposal given to them by Qatari mediators.

At a press conference, PM Netanyahu said, in reference to the Hamas proposals, that "surrendering to Hamas' delusional conditions will lead to another massacre, and will bring to a great tragedy upon Israel that no one would be willing to accept."
■ GAZA: The IDF said forces are engaging Hamas militants in the southern Gazan city of Khan Yunis.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently visiting Israel, reportedly expressed concern to PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant about Israel's potential expansion of military operations to the south Gazan city of Rafah, to which many Gazans fled during Israel's bombardment of the north.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that he is "especially alarmed" by reports that the IDF intends to focus on Rafah next.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27,708 Palestinians have been killed and 67,147 wounded since the war began.

UNWRA said that as of 31 January, only four out of 22 UNRWA health centers were operational.
"It is only the struggle for the release of the hostages that forces Benjamin Netanyahu to deal with difficult questions on the home front and exposes his utter lack of vision" – Jacky Khoury

■ ISRAEL: In an official statement, Saudi Arabia said there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, Israeli "aggression" in the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli forces leave Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met PM Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, discussing U.S. efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and increasing aid to displaced Gazan civilians. The State Department added that Blinken "also stressed the urgent need to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and prevent the conflict from expanding."

Argentina's far-right President Javier Milei met with PM Netanyahu, and told him that Argentina intends on designating Hamas a terrorist organization, according to the Prime Minister's Office. Milei also met with Foreign Minister Israel Katz in the wake of his announcement Tuesday that he would move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem.

An Israeli reservist, 26-year-old Hanan Drori, who was wounded seven weeks ago in Gaza and contracted a fungal infection, was pronounced dead on Wednesday.
■ FRANCE: One hundred relatives of the 42 French-Israeli victims of the Hamas attack of October 7 attended France's national memorial ceremony, the first in the world, held at the Elysee Palace in Paris. President Emmanuel Macron declared that "68 million French citizens are in mourning today."

■ LEBANON: The IDF said an air force helicopter attacked Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon. During the night, air force jets struck Hezbollah targets.
Several rockets were launched towards northern Israel. The IDF responded with artillery towards the source of the fire.
■ WEST BANK: The IDF said that two armed Palestinians were killed during an arrest of a wanted person in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp.

■ HOUTHIS: Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they had fired missiles at two vessels in the Red Sea, causing damage to the ships.

■ SYRIA: The Syrian military said Israeli airstrikes over the central city of Homs killed and wounded civilians.

Context

Children gather by a tent, as displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, take shelter in a tent camp, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at the border with Egypt, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 7, 2024. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 27,708 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Why don't you give the Rabbi a break and start your own thread?

lbrande

Rab-Eye isn't concerned, why are you?

lbrande

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken said Hamas' response to the hostage release/cease-fire proposal has "some clear nonstarters," but the U.S. thinks "it creates space for an agreement." A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu's reply to Hamas shows the PM intends to pursue conflict in the region. Several Israelis were wounded from rocket and missile fire from Lebanon on Thursday. A Hezbollah commander was killed in a strike attributed to Israel in Nabatiyeh.

Here's what you need to know 125 days into the war


What happened today

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, on Wednesday.

■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed Hamas' response to the hostage release/cease-fire proposal by saying that "while there are some clear nonstarters," the U.S. thinks "it creates space for an agreement to be reached and we'll work at that relentlessly till we get there."
After PM Netanyahu called Hamas' response to the proposal "delusional," senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the PM's remarks show he intends to pursue conflict in the region. A Hamas delegation headed by senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya is now in Cairo to pursue cease-fire talks with Egypt and Qatar.

Released Israeli hostages responded to Netanyahu's remarks Wednesday night, saying, "We have reached the moment of truth where we must decide who will live and who will die. The price is heavy, but the price of abandonment will be a stain for generations to come."

During a patrol of Gaza, IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi said that the military is "making a strong effort to return the hostages," and that "it won't happen without military pressure."

President Vladimir Putin told leaders of Russia's Jewish community on Wednesday that Moscow had achieved "specific results" by engaging with Hamas officials to free hostages held in Gaza, Russian news agencies reported.
■ GAZA: The IDF reported that forces operating in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza arrested two terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre, and that fighting in northern and central Gaza continues.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27,840 Palestinians have been killed and 67,317 wounded since the war began.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that according to intel collected by the IDF, Iran sent "tens of millions" of dollars in envelopes to the Gaza Strip. "From the materials we seized in Gaza, we understand that Sinwar takes care of himself first and foremost," Gallant said, referring to a million dollars Sinwar took for his own use.
"With his constant refrain of 'continuing until total victory,' Netanyahu, like many other leaders before him, is living in a Churchillian fantasy. What he can't accept is that in his World War II cosplaying, he isn't Winston Churchill but Neville Chamberlain – the dismal appeaser whom Churchill replaced eight months after war began" – Anshel Pfeffer

■ ISRAEL: The major Israeli protest movement that led the Kaplan Street protests against PM Netanyahu's judicial coup announced that protests calling for new elections will resume on Thursday night across Israel for the first time since October 7.
War cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said that he raised with Netanyahu "profound concerns about actions and rhetoric, including from government officials, that inflame tension and undercut international support and place greater strains on Israel's security."

The Gaza border community of Kibbutz Be'eri said that the family of Meni Godard, 73, killed by Hamas on October 7, was notified that his body is being held in Gaza.

Argentinian President Javier Milei decried what he called Hamas' "21st century Nazism," terrorism and antisemitism during a tour of a Gaza border kibbutz devastated by the October 7 massacre.
■ LEBANON: The IDF said a soldier was moderately wounded and two reserve soldiers were lightly wounded after a rocket was launched from Lebanon toward Israel's north, and that the Israeli Air Force responded with strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon near the launch sites. A suspicious aerial target was also intercepted earlier on Thursday.
Reports in Lebanon said Israeli aircraft struck vehicles in the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Saudi media reported that Hezbollah regional commander Abbas al-Debs was killed in the attack.
■ WEST BANK: A Palestinian man fired a gun at an IDF outpost near the entry to the village of Deir Sharaf, and was shot dead by soldiers, the IDF said.

■ HOUTHIS: The German naval frigate Hessen has set sail on a planned EU military mission to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea against attacks by Houthi militants in Yemen.

■ IRAQ.: A commander from Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group in Iraq that the Pentagon has blamed for attacking its troops, was killed in a U.S. strike Wednesday, the U.S. military said.

■ U.K.: PM Rishi Sunak said that some post-October 7 protests have been marred by "far too many appalling examples of antisemitism, violent intimidation, and the glorification of terrorism," adding that the U.K. police will be enforcing measures to "stop people from covering their faces to conceal their identity and evade arrest."

Context

Smoke over the Gaza Strip.

Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 27,840 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to the Netanyahu-led government's judicial coup – legislation aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.