Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 84?

Israel's security cabinet discussed on Thursday a Qatari proposal that would see the release of more hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The proposal is still in its early stages as of Friday.

According to the proposal's outline, the first phase will include a humanitarian exchange deal that will include the release of 40-50 hostages in exchange for a complete ceasefire of a few weeks, according to three senior Israeli officials.

The second phase is expected to be more complex, its details are not yet completely clear, but the direction is to arrange a withdrawal of IDF troops from the area.

Hamas 'agrees in principle' to restart hostage release negotiation

Despite the cabinet discussing the proposal, neither Israel nor Hamas have yet responded to the offer. However, a report from Walla! stated that the Hamas terror organization "agrees in principle" to resume such negotiations.

Senior Israeli officials said that this is only an initial message and Israel hopes to get clarification on it at the end of the week, the Walla! report said. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya military base, in Tel Aviv, Israel, December 24, 2023 (credit: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS)

However, one official said that it was a positive development because, for the first time since the previous agreement, Hamas is signaling that it is ready to resume negotiations. "We have moved from a frozen standstill to just a very cold situation," said the official.

Another senior Israeli official said that Israel has not yet received a detailed proposal from the Qataris and is waiting to hear more details. "In any case, the gaps are still big," he said.

South Africa on Friday asked the International Court of Justice in the Hague to start legal proceedings against Israel on grounds Israel has violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention in its war on Hamas in Gaza.

"South Africa is gravely concerned with the plight of civilians caught in the present Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip due to the indiscriminate use of force and forcible removal of inhabitants," the country's Department of International Relations and Cooperation has said.

The department cites the concern of Gazan civilians caught in the crossfire, and accuses Israel of "indiscriminate use of force and forcible removal of inhabitants." It also said that "there are ongoing reports of international crimes, such as crimes against humanity and war crimes, being committed as well as reports that acts meeting the threshold of genocide or related crimes as defined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide."

"South Africa is gravely concerned with the plight of civilians caught in the present Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip due to the indiscriminate use of force and forcible removal of inhabitants."

South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation

South Africa states that they have repeatedly condemned all forms of violence and attacks against civilians, and have called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

US President Joe Biden on Friday extended duty-free reciprocal trade terms and concessions for Israel on specified quantities of certain agricultural products for one year to Dec. 31, 2024, the White House said.

In a proclamation signed by Biden while vacationing in St. Croix, the president said the extension would allow additional time for the two governments to conclude an agreement to replace a trade deal that dates back to 2004.

The IDF's 14th Reserve Brigade combat team located and destroyed one of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's hiding places in recent weeks, an apartment located in Gaza City, the IDF announced on Friday evening.

An investigation revealed that a tunnel shaft was located on the apartment's basement floor, where Israeli forces discovered a tunnel that was used by the terror organization.

The apartment is part of a long and branching network of tunnels that were constructed by the terror organization, where senior members moved and operated, an IDF spokesperson said.

IDF: Sinwar stayed in tunnel shaft below Gaza City apartment

The shaft below the apartment where Sinwar had stayed was 218 meters long and 20 meters deep in the northern Gaza Strip.

Infographic of the tunnel route under the Gaza City apartment where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was staying. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Video documentation of the exploration and discovery of these Hamas tunnels can be found below:

The IDF's Yahalom Unit also found in the tunnel an electrical network, ventilation, sewage infrastructure, and restrooms - all of which were destroyed by the IDF.

They were built so that it was possible to stay inside and conduct terror operations there for long periods.

Sirens sounded across northern Israel on Friday afternoon amid suspected hostile aircraft intrusions, as the IDF said it was carrying out a widespread assault on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The IDF struck a Hezbollah military compound and other infrastructures in addition to several launchpads placed along the border.

Israeli forces also struck an anti-tank cell and a launcher used to fire rockets at northern Israeli border towns.

IDF also attacked a squad belonging to Hezbollah in the village of Aitaroun.

Smoke rises during an exchange of fire between the IDF and terrorists from the Hezbollah organization on the border between Israel and Lebanon, December 25, 2023 (credit: Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

Following a warning of a hostile aircraft infiltrating Israel's north, the incident has ended.

In addition, in the last hour, several launches were detected from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, three of them crossed into Israeli territory.

The IDF attacked the sources of the fire with artillery. 

This is a developing story.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant appeared to take a shot at former prime minister Naftali Bennett on Friday, labeling his admission of Israel striking in Iran last year as "needless chatter."

Gallant, who visited the Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel, praised the Israeli Air Force's "impressive" operations across all military theaters. 

"The thunder of our fighter jets will deafen the needless chatter," Gallant told Israeli forces. "This is imperative...and will allow the IDF to safely carry out its missions."

Bennett, who was Israeli prime minister from 13 June 2021 to 30 June 2022, made the admission in an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal. 

"I directed Israel’s security forces to make Tehran pay for its decision to sponsor terror. Enough impunity," Bennett wrote in his op-ed. "After Iran launched two failed UAV attacks on Israel in February 2022, Israel destroyed a UAV base on Iranian soil. In March 2022, Iran’s terror unit attempted to kill Israeli tourists in Turkey and failed. Shortly thereafter, the commander of that very unit was assassinated in the center of Tehran."

The Hamas terrorist organization said on Friday that they will not be releasing any more of the hostages they've kidnapped until the "Israeli aggression ends."

"We reiterate that there will be no prisoner swap deal nor negotiation under fire," the terror group said, but said that they are "open to any initiative that can end this Israeli genocidal war."

Hamas has also commented about the "post-aggression period," stating that it is an "internal affair and is only decided by a Palestinian leadership that represents all our Palestinian people."

11 leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in an airstrike targeting Damascus International Airport on Thursday evening, Saudi media reported the following morning.

The commander of the Revolutionary Guards in eastern Syria, Nur Rashid, was injured in the airstrike, Saudi media channel Al-Hadath reported.

IRGC commanders were reportedly at the airport to meet with high-ranking delegates.

Other strikes on Syria this week, foreign media also claims were done by Israel

Syrian media also claimed on Thursday evening that Israel had targeted sites in southern Syria and near Damascus with airstrikes in two separate waves. Syrian air defenses were activated in the Damascus area during the strikes. The country's media quoted one Syrian military source as saying that the alleged airstrike carried out by Israel came from the "occupied Syrian Golan Heights."

Earlier this week, Iran vowed that Israel would "pay" for the killing of Sayyed Reza Mousavi, another IRGC commander who was killed by an alleged Israeli airstrike last Monday in the vicinity of Damascus.

Four people were wounded during a ramming attack on Hebron Hills, the IDF stated on Friday afternoon. The terrorist was neutralized at the scene by IDF soldiers.

Magen David Adom reported that four pedestrians were hit by a vehicle on Route 60 just north of Otniel near the Adirim Junction, with one in moderate condition and three in light condition. The victims were taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Walla reported.

The terrorist who attacked the junction was Omar Hassin, 16, from Hebron, according to Army Radio.

"Four young men, about 20 years old, were lying on the side of the road after being hit by a vehicle. One of them was unconscious and suffered from a head injury and the other three were fully conscious and suffered from injuries to their limbs," Walla quoted MDA medic Eli Rosenberg as saying while at the scene. "In cooperation with the IDF medical personnel, we gave them medical treatment and evacuated them to the hospital."

An Israeli far-right activist was arrested in Jerusalem on Friday morning after attempting to burn the Jordanian flag, Walla! reported.

The suspect, in his 20s, was reportedly intent on burning the flag as a response to a Jordanian representative of the Arab League Khalil Atiya burning a handmade Israeli flag during an Arab Parliament session in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.

Atiya was seen stepping on the flag after throwing it on the ground to applause.

חבר הפרלמנט הירדני, ח'ליל עטיה, שורף היום את דגל ישראל ודורך עליו בישיבה של הפרלמנט הערבי pic.twitter.com/HMcWTME3Gy

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) December 28, 2023

According to Walla!, the suspect sent a message in a group chat affiliated with the organization signaling his intent to burn the flag of the Hashemite Kingdom to Israel's East.

"Today at noon, the flag of Jordan will be set alight in Jerusalem's Damascus Gate," the suspect reportedly wrote to confidants. "Our silence is over."