Israel-Hamas War: What happened on Day 101?

The Hamas terror organization announced on Monday that hostages Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itai Svirsky, 38, had been killed in captivity. Noa Argamani, 26, is reportedly still alive.

The update from the Gaza-based Islamist terror organization comes in a video featuring Argamani, where the 26-year-old reported the death of her fellow hostages.

Hamas has been teasing the announcement

The video followed Hamas's sequence of teased announcements, where they claimed that they would announce the fate of the three Israelis.

"I was located in a building," Argamani said in the Hamas video. "It was bombed by an IDF airstrike, an F16 fighter jet. Three rockets were fired. Two of the rockets exploded, and the other didn't. We were in the building with Al Qassam soldiers and three hostages: Myself, Noa Argamani, Itai Svirsky, and Yossef Sharabi.

"After the building we were in was hit, we were all buried under rubble. Al Qassam soldiers saved my life, and Itai's, unfortunately, we were not able to save Yossi's.

Noa Argamani (credit: Courtesy)

"After many days...two nights, Itai and I were relocated to another place. While we were being transported, Itai was hit by an IDF airstrike. He did not survive."

Hamas has a track record of engaging in psychological warfare. 

"Itai Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi," Argamani added in the video. "They died because of our own IDF airstrikes. Stop this madness and bring us home to our families. While we are still alive, bring us home."

Svirsky's parents were killed the day he was kidnapped

Svirsky was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7 during Hamas's rampage through the souther Israeli community. The 38-year-old had been staying with his mother, Orit, 70, at the time.

He and his mother had been hiding under blankets in the safe room when the terrorists stormed in and sprayed the room with bullets, killing Orit.

Itai’s father, Rafi, 71, was also murdered, along with his three golden retrievers.

Sharabi and his son, Oren, 13, had also been kidnapped from the Kibbutz. Oren was returned during a round of hostage/prisoner exchanges

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited soldiers from the Yahalom unit, according to an IDF statement on Monday evening.

"In this campaign, we are making a very clear statement to the entire region - the State of Israel wants to live here," Halevi said to the soldiers. "There are many reservists here, whom we've brought from their lives, away from their families, jobs, studies, for already three months."

He added, "We experienced terror today in Ra'anana, you see, it drew inspiration from things in Gaza. And you see the brutality; these aren't brave people coming to fight you, these are people who come into a city and attack civilians to fight you. These are people who come into a city and attack civilians in their daily routines and drive over sidewalks, and there is only one response to these things.

"Tonight, we will send forces into Gaza, to continue fighting terrorists, we will send forces into Judea and Samaria to continue fighting and destroying terror infrastructures."

Israel's defense minister said on Monday that the intense military operation in southern Gaza was nearing its end, but that without keeping up pressure, Hamas would not agree to release any more hostages.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also said that the end of the war must be accompanied by diplomacy, and that leadership in Gaza should then be left to the Palestinians.

 The Yemeni Houthi movement will expand its targets to include US ships, an official from the Iran-allied group told Al Jazeera on Monday.

Nasruldeen Amer, a spokesperson for the Houthis, said the United States was "on the verge of losing its maritime security."

After 80 days of fighting within the Gaza Strip, the 36th Division was released from reserves duty on Monday, according to a statement from the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

The 36th division was made up of commando, paratrooper, and artillery reserve forces, as they worked side by side with the Israeli Air Force and the Navy in the northern Gaza Strip.

The areas that they operated in were Zeyton, Shati, Shejaia, Rimal and the central Gaza refugee camps.

What did they do in Gaza?

During their time in the Gaza Strip, the division attacked terror targets and eliminated hundreds of terrorists as well as destroying a tunnel route that was tens of kilometers long.

The IDF's 36th Division were released from reserve duty after 80 days of fighting in Gaza, January 15, 2024 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

In mid-December, the IDF released a statement saying the 36th Division completed the dismantling of Hamas terror capabilities in the Shejaia neighborhood of Gaza City, hours after the 99th Division completed its operations in Gaza City's southern area and began expanding its area of activity to the central Strip.

Brett McGurk, a top White House official, has been quietly pushing a day-after plan for Gaza that would see a more active role played by Saudi Arabia, the Huffington Post reported on Friday. 

McGurk's idea for Gaza's future would involve reconstruction aid being sent by Saudi Arabia, and possibly other wealthy Gulf countries, to pressure Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to step down so that new leadership could take power. The new leadership would have a less volatile relationship with Israel and, in exchange, Israel would accept a more limited role in Gaza. 

The plan would require the long-desired normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Post wrote. US President Joe Biden has followed in his predecessor's footsteps, stating the pact's potential benefits for the region. 

Unnamed experts told the Post that Saudi Arabia would struggle to embrace Israel, given how Arab states have publicly and deeply aligned themselves with Palestinians.

One of the most controversial aspects of McGurk's plan is the timeline of only 90 days. 

Houthi forces in Yemen struck the US-owned and operated container ship M/V Gibraltar Eagle with an anti-ship ballistic missile, US Central Command said on Monday, although there were no reports of injuries or significant damage.

The dry bulk vessel Gibraltar Eagle was hit by an "unidentified projectile" while sailing 100 miles off the Gulf of Aden and suffered limited damage to its cargo hold, the vessel's US operator Eagle Bulk Shipping said on Monday.

"As a result of the impact, the vessel suffered limited damage to a cargo hold but is stable and is heading out of the area," Eagle Bulk said in a statement.

"All seafarers onboard the vessel are confirmed to be uninjured. The vessel is carrying a cargo of steel products."

The Iran-backed Houthis who control most of Yemen's Red Sea coast have been attacking commercial ships in the area they say are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports, in action they is aimed at supporting the Palestinians in the war and Hamas in Gaza.

Airstrikes against Houthi threats

US and British forces responded last week by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

Earlier in the day, British Maritime Security firm Ambrey said that a Marshall Islands-flagged, US-owned bulk carrier was reportedly struck by a missile while transiting near Yemen's port of Aden.

A man holds up a gun, as Houthi supporters rally to commemorate ten Houthi fighters killed by the US Navy in the Red Sea, in Sanaa, Yemen January 5, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said that a vessel was hit from above by a missile 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden, without identifying the vessel.

Ambrey said three missiles were reportedly launched by the Houthis, with two not reaching the sea and the third striking the bulk carrier.

Ambrey added that the impact reportedly caused a fire in a hold, but that the bulker remained seaworthy with no injuries on board.

The vessel was assessed not to be Israel-affiliated, according to Ambrey, which also assessed the attack to have targeted US interests in response to the recent strikes on Houthi military positions.

Later on Monday an explosion was heard near Yemen's Hodeidah airport, residents reported. Hodeidah is some distance from Aden, however, and it was not immediately clear what had caused the blast.

The Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and much of the west and north of Yemen, have vowed to continue attacks in the Red Sea since the US and British strikes.

The group's leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, said on Thursday in a televised speech that any US attack on Yemen would not go without a response.

The US military said on Sunday a US fighter jet shot down an anti-ship cruise missile that the Houthis fired towards the USS Laboon in the southern Red Sea.

The chief negotiator for Yemen's Houthis said on Monday the group's stance has not changed since US-led airstrikes on its positions, and warned that attacks on ships headed to Israel will continue.

US and British warplanes, ships and submarines last week launched dozens of airstrikes across Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which the Iran-aligned movement cast as a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza.

"Attacks to stop Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the occupied Palestine will continue," Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters.

He said the group was still demanding an end of the war in Gaza, and humanitarian aid deliveries to the north and south of the Gaza Strip.

"We do not want escalation in the Red and Arabian Seas," Abdulsalam said. It was the United States and Britain that were militarizing the Red Sea with their warships, he added.

An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the U.S.-led coalition from RAF Akrotiri to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen, aimed at the Iran-backed Houthi militia that has been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, January 12, 2024. (credit: VIA REUTERS)

"Our communication ... continues to clarify our position, and confirm that all commercial ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are safe, with the exception of Israeli ships or those heading to Israel, only and only," he said.

Israel has regularly denied having links to vessels that have come under attack in the Red Sea, and several international shipping lines have paused deliveries or switched to longer, most costly routes.

"Our position comes from religious, moral and humanitarian principles ... as well as in response to the calls of the people of Palestine ... to support the oppressed in the Gaza Strip," Abdulsalam said.

US strikes on Houthi terrorists

The US military said on Sunday a US fighter jet shot down an anti-ship cruise missile which the Houthis fired towards the USS Laboon in the southern Red Sea. "There were no injuries or damage reported," the US Central Command added.

The Houthi movement controls much of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against a US-backed and Saudi-led coalition.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded the Houthis immediately end attacks on ships in the Red Sea and implicitly endorsed a US-led task force that has been defending vessels while cautioning against escalating tensions.

US President Joe Biden promised to continue efforts to secure the release of some 136 captives held in Gaza for 100 days, as Hamas increased its psychological warfare in an attempt to further ignite Israeli public anger against its government.

“No one should have to endure even one day of what they have gone through, much less 100,” Biden said.

“On this terrible day, I again reaffirm my pledge to all the hostages and their families—we are with you.,” he stated.

“For each of those 100 days, the hostages and their families have been at the forefront of my mind as my national security team and I have worked non-stop to try to secure their freedom,” Biden stressed.

Hamas's psychological warfare

The US President published his statement concurrent to the Hamas release of its latest hostage video. This one showed Noa Argamani, 26, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itai Svirsky, 38.

Sharabi, who lived in Kibbutz Be’eri, lost his wife Leanne, and their two daughters, Noya and Yahel in the attack. Itai Svirsky and his brother Eli, 55, are also held captive.

Itai Svirsky of Tel Aviv was taken from the same kibbutz who was visiting his parents, Orit and Rafi, who were killed in the attack.

Noa Argamani (credit: Courtesy)

Argamani was taken from the Nova music festival and has been among the high-profile hostages, in part because she was among those photographed as she was taken captive and because her mother Liora who is dying of cancer wants to see her daughter released while she is still alive.

Liora was born in China and Netanyahu has appealed to the country’s President Xi Jinping to assist Israel in securing her release.

Pushing forward a new hostage deal

Israel’s main ally in pushing for a hostage deal has been the United States, with the help of Egypt and Qatar which has acted as intermediaries in hopes of securing an agreement.

Biden met with representatives of the hostage families when he visited Israel in October. About twelve of some 250 hostages seized during the Hamas-led attack against southern Israel on October 7, were American, Out of whom six are still in captivity.

In his statement, Biden summarized US efforts to free the hostages through “aggressive diplomacy.”

“We saw the first results of that effort in late October when two Americans were reunited with their loved ones.

“In November, working in close coordination with Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, we brokered a seven-day pause in fighting that resulted in the release of 105 hostages—including a 4-year-old American child—and allowed us to surge additional vital humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“I was deeply engaged to secure, sustain, and extend that deal. Sadly, Hamas walked away after just one week.
“But the United States and our partners have not given up. Secretary Blinken was back in the region this past week seeking a path forward for a deal to free all those still being held.  

“I look forward to maintaining close contact with my counterparts in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to return all hostages home and back to their families,” he said.

Despite his optimistic words and reports of Egyptian and Qatari proposals, including some for interim deals to free the remaining elderly and female captives, no imminent deal appears to be on the horizon.

Hamas has insisted that any agreement must include a permanent ceasefire while Israel has remained determined to destroy the terror group and oust it from the Gaza enclave which it has forcibly ruled since 2007.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have both said that the military campaign in Gaza is the best pressure lever to secure a deal for the remaining captives.

The relatives of the captives and their supporters have urged Israel to make a deal now, even at a high price, fearing that every day in captivity endangers the lives of the hostages. It’s already presumed that some 23 of the 136 captives are no longer alive.

The Hamas video showed Argamani, Shirabi, and Svirsky, speaking in captivity, but there was nothing in the brief clips that dated their statements.

In its video, Hamas said that “tomorrow we will inform you of their fate.”

Combined ramming and stabbing attacks were reported in Ra'anana on Monday afternoon, leaving over a dozen people injured.

A single terrorist stabbed a woman, stole a car and proceeded to carry out ramming attacks in several locations, Israel Police confirmed. The terrorist swapped vehicles three times after crashing, the police stated. 

Two people were slightly injured after being run over on Haroshet Street, where a 66-year-old man was also seriously stabbed.

An additional eight people were injured to varying degrees, including a 70-year-old woman critically, a 34-year-old man, and a 16-year-old boy in serious condition with head injuries, as a result of the ramming on Ahuza Street, the main street of the city.

Three of the victims overall are in serious condition, seven are in moderate condition, and five are lightly injured. 

The injured were taken to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.

Viola Hachmon, a paramedic for Magen David Adom (MDA)  who provided first aid on Ahuza Street, told The Jerusalem Post, "This is a very difficult event with many casualties. To my knowledge, everyone has already been evacuated to various hospitals, including those in critical condition."

MDA paramedic Eli Raymond, who arrived at one of the scenes, said, "We arrived at the scene with large forces and began performing an initial triage and providing medical treatment to about eight wounded people with different degrees of injury."

"Following an unusual incident currently in Ra'anana, police forces are on the scene, and the circumstances of the incident are being investigated," Israel Police said in a statement. "The public is asked to be vigilant and obey the police officer's instructions." 

Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai is reportedly on his way to the scene. 

Schools in the area were placed on lockdown, and parents were told not to take their children outside their homes, the mayor's office announced after the attacks.

This is a developing story.