Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 104?

The IDF announced on Friday that Staff-Sgt. Ori Gerby, 20, from Herzliya, has died from wounds he sustained on Wednesday in combat in the southern Gaza Strip.

He was a combat soldier in the Givati Brigade. 

The Pentagon says the US is not at war with the Houthis, calling its five attacks against the militant group "defensive in nature," according to spokesperson Sabrina Singh. 

US forces conducted two airstrikes in the last 24 hours. Thursday morning, US Central Command conducted strikes on two Houthi anti-ship missiles, Singh said, and struck 14 missiles at over a dozen locations on Wednesday night. 

"We do not seek war, we are not at war with the Houthis," Singh said. "But again, what we are doing and the actions that we are taking are defensive in nature. I would turn back to the fact that there have been over 30 attacks by Houthis on 50 different nations that are transiting the Red Sea at this time."

"I can only repeat so many times that we do not seek war with the Houthis, but we will take self-defense actions if we need to protect our troops, protect commercial shipping, and ensure that freedom of navigation is still allowed through international waterways," Singh said.

The US has been able to severely disrupt and destroy Houthi military capabilities since its initial strike on Jan. 11, according to Singh.  

Armed men watch the ''Galaxy Leader'' ship that the Houthis took over to the coast of Yemen, December 5, 2023 (credit: REUTERS)

State dept: responses to Houthis will be 'case by case'

Initial assessments indicate the US has been "very successful" in destroying all intended targets, Singh said. 

"The systems, the capabilities that they had available to them yesterday are not the same ones that they have available to them today," Singh said. "So we're going to continue to take the action that we need to disrupt and degrade the Houthis."

The Pentagon said it cannot yet provide assessments on civilian or military casualties. 

The Pentagon "wouldn't say it's not capable" of stopping the Houthis, hours after President Joe Biden told reporters that the US airstrikes will not stop them. 

"That's why you saw the action we took earlier this morning and late yesterday, to degrade and destroy their capabilities," Singh said. 

White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said the US is taking away the Houthis' capability with "each and every strike."

Singh repeated that the end goal for these attacks is to deter the Houthis from attacking commercial shipping on the Red Sea, and that it's up to the Houthis to decide when the attacks stop. 

The UK joined the US in its initial attack last week, however the US was the sole power involved in the past two attacks. 

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said direct military action of this nature is always going to be "case by case" in terms of coalition involvement. 

"We've said from the outset that we did not think that the attacks would stop after our first military strike, that we would have to take further action," Miller said. "You have seen us take further action, and we're committed to continuing to do so because the attacks on commercial shipping are just unacceptable. They don't have anything to do with the conflict in Gaza, and they need to stop."

Signs of tension between the United States and Israel are continuing to grow, with reports suggesting that US President Joe Biden is "running out" of patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The friction is reportedly serious. One US news outlet quoted several US officials with direct knowledge of the issue saying that the two leaders have not spoken to each other since December 20, when Biden abruptly ended their phone call with the words, "This conversation is over." 

Biden and other senior US officials are reportedly becoming increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu and his far-right government coalition for not responding positively to the Biden Administration's recent requests over the war in the Gaza Strip. This became obvious after Secretary of State Antony Blinken's most recent visit to the region.

US: Netanyahu 'unappreciative' of Biden's support

A US State Department official told The Media Line that the US is trying to portray a positive image and keep clear public support for Israel, but the White House is furious with Netanyahu, calling him "unappreciative" of Biden's efforts and unconditional support. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/DENIS BALIBOUSE)

The official said that Blinken had hit a wall and was scrambling to find a way to deal with Netanyahu and his government.

"Biden gave Netanyahu a lot of credit. Of course, he gave Israel a lot of credit. And Israel really appreciates him. Some people felt that Biden, and not Netanyahu, saved Israel, and I’m not sure that they are wrong," Gideon Rahat, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, told The Media Line.

Bidens requests to Israel

The Biden Administration recently requested that Israel commit to a timetable and transition from its "high-intensity" military operation in Gaza to a "low-intensity" one.

Biden also requested that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues it is withholding. Netanyahu had rejected this, caving into the demands of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is against the move.

"I think Biden has the right to ask Netanyahu to listen to him and respect him because he did quite a lot for us. At the end of the day, we make our own decisions. But we should listen to him and respect him," Rahat said. 

"The Biden Administration could take several steps to pressure Israel to be more flexible, including economic pressure, as when you have war, the economy is bad," he said.

In addition to the tax revenue issue, the White House believes that Israel is not doing enough to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

It is also disappointed by Netanyahu's unwillingness to seriously discuss post-war plans. Biden supports the idea of a revitalized Palestinian Authority playing a role in Gaza, while Netanyahu opposes this. 

However, the reports of friction between the US and Israel are not as significant as some are making them out to be, international relations expert Dr. Yonatan Freeman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem told The Media Line.

"I don't think this is serious. Many US requests have been granted, in particular entry of humanitarian aid, fuel, etc., into the Gaza Strip, as well as a modification of some of the tactics used in certain areas of Gaza," Freeman said.

Escalation in Israel's north is more important

He said that a more important issue is the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on Israel's northern border with Lebanon, and the US concern that the fighting has spread outside the border area.

"The more tricky element involves Israeli responses to Hezbollah activity in northern Israel and the [US] wish that Israel not expand its response. It remains to be seen how long Israel will be able to restrain itself in the face of Hezbollah expanding its attacks," Freeman said.

Ziad AbuZayyad, the co-founder and co-editor of the Palestine Israel Journal, told The Media Line that Netanyahu is only out for himself.

"This is Netanyahu. His first priority is himself. Nothing else is important for him, and the division within the [war] cabinet is because each one in it has his own considerations and his own agenda," AbuZayyad said.

He added that Netanyahu's behavior toward Biden should not surprise anyone.

"I think that Netanyahu used to challenge the American president traditionally. He did it when [Barack] Obama was the president, and he [Netanyahu] went and gave a speech [about Iran] at the joint session in Congress, in spite of Obama’s opposition," he said.

"President Biden can be angry, and he can say whatever he wants, but he has no leverage over Netanyahu, especially now that we are going into an election season."

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that he backs a role for the PA in the future of Gaza, and also supports transferring withheld tax funds to the PA, as well as allowing Palestinian workers from the West Bank to re-enter Israel, saying a strong Palestinian government would support Israel’s war goals.

These issues have been especially contentious for the hard-right flank of Netanyahu’s coalition. 

Ultimately, Netanyahu's strategies may come down to political calculation. Judging by the fall in his approval ratings in polls since the war began on Oct. 7, Netanyahu has no option but to plow on in the hope of regaining the mantle of "Mr. Security" and saving his job by eliminating Hamas.

However, Biden, a friend of Israel but not of Netanyahu, has his own calculations to make. This is an election year in the US, and Biden is facing an internal backlash as a result of his support for Israel's war in Gaza.

Many in the Arab world view Biden’s approach to what has become the most divisive foreign policy crisis of his presidency as controversial and uneven. There are accusations that the president is jeopardizing US ties in the region.

"Let’s give Biden a lot of credit for his patience. Whether Israel can live without the United States, not at all. It’s an illusion," Rahat said. 

Two residents of east Jerusaem, a man and a little girl, were wounded after their car turned over while attempting to escape Border Police forces on Thursday night.

As officers were set to inspect the vehicle near the Ofrit military base in Jerusalem, the man attempted to drive away at speed, as per Border Police.

After a shot was fired at the vehicle, the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to turn over. The man was moderatley wounded, while the girl who was also in the car was lightly injured.

Despite Hamas’s success in firing 50 rockets on Netivot and the South on Tuesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday said that Israel has the terrorist group’s rocket firing capacity on the ropes.

Acknowledging that the IDF’s operational control of northern Gaza and progress in central and southern Gaza has not ended the rocket fire completely, he tried to put Hamas’s current rocket firing capabilities in context: “When there are pockets of resistance [despite the IDF’s broad success], naturally there are also some situations of rocket fire. The public could get confused by these matters and needs to understand the issue” properly, said Gallant.

The defense minister continued, “Hamas planned to fire hundreds of rockets every day on every sector of Israel. Now, it is only succeeding at firing dozens of rockets at some one-time [infrequent] flashpoint moment and only at one area.”

Further, he said that while he was not making light of any amount of rocket fire, he was confident that just as the IDF brought the average rocket fire per day way down, the military would continue to eliminate it.

Gallant addressed as well the fight with Hezbollah in the North: “We need to be ready for a deterioration of the security situation, which may compel us to use military means to return northern residents to their homes.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Minister Benny Gantz hold a joint press conference at the Defense Ministry, in Tel Aviv, November 11, 2023. (credit: Marc Israel Sellem/POOL/FLASH90)

Although Gallant and other Israeli officials have said that Israel prefers a diplomatic solution over a military one, they have been rattling the rhetorical saber in recent days to try to coerce the terrorist group to withdraw its forces away from the border with Israel, to convince evacuated northern Israeli residents that it is safe to return to their home communities.

Israel plans to agree to an International Committee of Red Cross request to hand over information on 60 Gazans who have been arrested and detained in Israel since October 7, N12 reported on Thursday night.

The Red Cross has, to date, failed to visit and treat any of the hostages remaining in Gaza.

The defense establishment reportedly supports the disclosing of information, which was raised following a petition filed to the High Court against the Israel Prison Service on the issue.

Red Cross 'not involved' in transferring medicine to Gaza hostages

The Red Cross stated on Thursday that it would not be involved in the transfer of medication during the Qatar-Israel agreement to bring medication to the hostages being held captive by Hamas, according to Israeli media.

A Hamas terrorist interacts with members of the International Committee of the Red Cross. (credit: Hamas Military Wing/Handout via REUTERS)

It stated that it is "in contact with the parties necessary in order to reach an agreement regarding the creation of a mechanism to transfer medication to the hostages."

"The Red Cross is not a party that will participate in the implementation of the agreed upon mechanism, including the supply of medicine.

"The Red Cross welcomes the agreement of the delivery of medication to hostages and medical facilities for the residents of Gaza, viewing it to be a positive humanitarian step," they concluded. 

 Mexico and Chile expressed "growing worry" on Thursday over escalating violence in the Palestinian territory of Gaza after several months of war between Israel and Hamas in a referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over possible crimes.

Since the early October surprise attack by Hamas terrorists that killed over 1,000 Israelis, wide-spread destruction in the densely-packed Gaza strip has led to increasing international alarm and scrutiny over the death of thousands of civilians, especially children.

In a statement, Mexico's foreign ministry argued that the ICC is the proper forum to establish potential criminal responsibility, "whether committed by agents of the occupying power or the occupied power."

The statement cited "numerous reports from the United Nations that detail many incidents that could constitute crimes under the ICC's jurisdiction."

Chile's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

KHAN YUNIS, GAZA – Gaza is in ruins if the Khan Yunis area is indicative of the rest of the strip. The destruction is a testament to the folly of the territory’s ruling power, Hamas, A shameful waste of everything Palestinians and their supporters claim to hold dear.

In the heart of the Bani Suheila municipality, looking through a rifle scope and a meurtrière carved into a wall, I couldn’t fathom why anyone would invite such a disaster onto their people and country. I couldn’t see a single building left unmarred by Hamas and IDF battles and operations.

Apartments were riddled with holes from bullets of every relevant caliber, with chains of dark spots from Negev, FN MAG, and RPK machine guns. Pockmarks from micro-Tavor, M4, and Kalashnikov rifles, deep gouges from sniper fire. The interiors of homes were laid bare by tank shells, the remnants of their exterior faces scarred by shrapnel from grenades, IEDs, RPG-7s, and LAWs.

The roads have been torn into dirt wadis shaped by the treads of Merkava tanks and armored personnel carriers. Periodic Winter squalls have filled putrid pools where swarms of chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs sate their thirst when they cannot rely on the goodwill of soldiers. When hungry, the myriad of farm animals dine on the garbage strewn in alleyways – spoiled food from refrigerators, stores, and the leftovers of soldiers. Among the garbage, I found a leaflet dropped by the IDF, urging residents to flee the area so they would not be caught in the exchange of fire. The danger of civilian collateral damage had been abated by the warnings; the city emptied and turned into a ghost town.

Destroyed buildings from Israeli airstrikes in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 26, 2023. (credit: ATIA MOHAMMED/FLASH90)

Gaz, by no means a paradise

Deep sandy pits have been dug in the ground in the search for the Hamas tunnels that honeycomb the city’s foundations. The corpse of one terrorist was found half-buried in the excavated sand. Many structures have been leveled as part of the anti-tunnel effort or because they had been turned into IED-laden death traps or positions for sniper or anti-tank guided missile fire.

The Khan Yunis outskirts have been similarly scoured to rout the Hamas cells and hives of tunnels. The orchards and greenhouses were scraped from the earth by D9 military bulldozers searching for shaft entrances, usually in response to hit-and-run attacks launched by hiding terrorists. There is no greenery; everything has been rendered to the dull color of dirt.

Despite what would be believed from the propaganda pumped out by Gazan terrorist organizations for the consumption of naïve Westerners, Gaza seemed to have once been a fine place. While anti-Israel activists might have one believe that the strip was an “open-air prison,” it was clearly a place filled with life, with farms and orchards, stores, schools, and apartment buildings. There were beautiful homes filled with marble countertops, elaborately decorated salons, flat-screen televisions, smartphones, and modern amenities.

All these things have been wasted by Hamas, and there is no pleasure to be had from such sights. Such destruction is the wages of war, willingly paid by Hamas just so they could wantonly slaughter Israelis. The October 7 Massacre, which resulted in the loss of almost 1200 lives and the kidnapping of hundreds, was an act of spiteful, suicidal hatred intended to harm Gazan and Israeli citizens alike. Hamas knew that Israel would need to remove the threat of further pogroms when it attacked, it knew that it would need to strive to free the captives, which could only be responsibly achieved with an unprecedented ground incursion.

Thousands of Israelis, including the families of Gaza hostages, called for the immediate reopening of negotiation channels to bring the remaining 132 hostages home.

The family of Kfir Bibas marked “the saddest birthday in the world” on Thursday as the youngest hostage being held by Hamas in Gaza turned one year old.

Mexico and Chile expressed "growing worry" on Thursday over escalating violence in the Palestinian territory of Gaza after several months of war between Israel and Hamas in a referral to the International Criminal Court over possible crimes.

Mexico's foreign ministry made the announcement in a statement.