Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 65?

It seems unthinkable.

When Israel started its counteroffensive against Hamas in early October, the two goals were to “annihilate” Hamas and to return “all” of the hostages.

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly is likely to vote Tuesday on a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, diplomats said on Sunday.

The move comes after the US vetoed on Friday a UN Security Council demand for immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

The General Assembly in October adopted a resolution - 121 votes in favor, 14 against and 44 abstentions - calling for "an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities."

In interrogations by the Shin Bet, Hamas's former communications minister, Yosef Almansi harshly criticized the terror organization, and painted their leader, Yahya Sinwar, as an unpopular despot who has only brought harm to Palestinians, according to a statement by the agency on Sunday. 

Sinwar "has delusions of grandeur," Almansi said. "He feels like he is above everyone else." The people, he said, don't agree: "I have not seen anybody in the Gaza Strip who supports Sinwar," he told Shin Bet interrogators, "nobody likes Sinwar. There are people who, day and night, pray that God will free us from him."

Speaking of the group he served as a part of the Gazan government, Almansi said that "the achievements of Hamas are the killing and destruction of more than 60% of the buildings, infrastructure, streets, and public facilities," Almansi told interrogators. "This is a group of lunatics that Sinwar leads," he said. "They destroyed the Gaza Strip. They set it back 200 years." 

Yosef Almansi, former Communications Minister for Hamas's government in Gaza, speaks to Shin Bet interrogators. (credit: SHIN BET/SCREENSHOT)

Almansi: October 7 was "the opposite of Islam"

Of Hamas's attack on Israel, Almansi said, "October 7 is the opposite of Islam. It is heresy, madness. "What they did (acts such as the raping of women, taking of 240 hostages, and killing 1,200 people) is not accepted by logic, religion, or intellect. Those who are responsible for this are Sinwar and his group."

"My advice to the people in Gaza: to oppose Sinwar's group. Let us live, take care of people. We will build Gaza; It will take time. The wound is big."

Israeli forces attacked a terrorist cell in Lebanese territory on Sunday, the IDF said in a statement. In addition, a number of launches from Lebanese territory into Israel were detected Sunday night, the statement said, and the IDF is attacking the sources of the shooting.

Israel also intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed into Israel from Lebanese territory, the statement added, concluding that the event in question is over.

Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the IDF, visited soldiers on the border with Lebanon on Sunday, and held a situation assessment with the commanders there.

Speaking about the return of Israel's thousands of internally displaced citizens, who were evacuated from border areas following the outbreak of war on October 7, Halevi said that "we must return to a different situation, and return to both security and the feeling of security."

"There is a military way to do this," Halevi said, "the beginning of which you are doing here- to strike, to deter, to kill Hezbollah operatives."

Since October 7, areas near the border have seen daily exchanges of fire between IDF and Hezbollah forces, resulting in many Hezbollah casualties and some Israeli casualties.

That restoration of security, Helevi said, "can also come from an attack and war." He added that "the State of Israel has never looked at war as the first solution, but we understand that this must end with a very, very clear change of situation. And yes, a very hard thing happened that shows us there are cases when we must use this tool, in its full power."

"We are using it in Gaza," he said, "I don't want to say with full force, but with great force, and with excellent achievements." 

In a video statement released Sunday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the current phase of the war in Gaza "the beginning of the end of Hamas."

"In recent days, dozens of Hamas members have surrendered to our forces. They handed over their weapons and presented themselves to our heroic soldiers.

"I say to Hamas terrorists," the Prime Minister added, "It's over. Until you die for Sinwar. Surrender-- now."

The IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) killed Emad Karika, the new commander of Hamas's Shejaia Battalion, in an air strike, the agencies announced on Sunday.

Karika was promoted to the post, from his role as Deputy Commander, after Israeli forces killed his predecessor in combat in Gaza.

The IDF on Sunday announced the death of Lt. Nathaniel Menachem Eitan, 22, from Jerusalem, a soldier who served in Unit 669 in Gaza. Eitan was wounded in battle on Friday and later succumbed to his wounds. 

A senior politician in the Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Sunday that Israeli air strikes in south Lebanon marked a "new escalation" to which the group was responding with new types of attacks.

Hassan Fadlallah, in a statement sent to Reuters, said the escalation would "not deter the resistance in Lebanon from continuing to defend its country and supporting Gaza."

Hezbollah was responding to the escalation with new types of attacks, be it "in the nature of the weapons (used) or the targeted sites," he added.