Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 107?

There is something surreal about all the renewed talk of a Palestinian state.

Less than four months after Hamas launched a savage attack on Israel – killing 1,200 people, taking 240 people hostage, destroying communities, raping women, mutilating bodies, and sparking a significant war – news sites are reporting on the tension between Washington and Jerusalem over a two-state solution.

Suddenly, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is talking about a pathway toward two states as a condition for a broad, new Middle East structure that will have Saudi Arabia formalizing ties with Israel. Suddenly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after discussing the issue with US President Joe Biden, is saying a Palestinian state will never happen under his watch. Suddenly, five senators are announcing that they are in favor of conditioning emergency supplemental aid to Israel on Netanyahu, reaffirming support for a Palestinian state.

A war between Israel and the 'Palestinian State of Gaza'

A few weeks ago, former National Security Council head Giora Eiland said that one of Israel’s public diplomacy errors since October 7 was casting this war as one between Israel and Hamas.

Wrong, he said; this is a war between the State of Israel and the Palestinian State of Gaza. Since Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, that strip of land has been under the Palestinians’ exclusive control, first by the Palestinian Authority and then, as a result of a bloody coup in 2007, by Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden (credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE AND ALEX KOLOMOISKY/POOL)

For nearly two decades, Israel has not controlled Gaza, has not ruled there, has had no say over the government that the Palestinians themselves voted in, and has been unable to prevent the build-up of a small army with significant capabilities.

The Palestinians had a mini-state in Gaza, and in Ariel Sharon’s original conception, when he prompted Israel’s withdrawal from the area, this was to be a test case as to whether that state could eventually extend to the West Bank as well.

On October 7, Israel saw how well that worked out, and what this mini-Palestinian state had wrought. Israelis saw what a Palestinian entity, fed on fanatical ideology, was able to accomplish. Israelis saw what this Palestinian entity was, what it sanctified, what it worked for, what it dreamed of, and what it was capable of carrying out.

And what they saw is not something that will encourage them to say in the future, “Hey, this worked great; let’s duplicate it elsewhere.”

Or, as no less a one-time two-state advocate than President Isaac Herzog said Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, “If you ask an average Israeli now about his or her mental state, nobody in his right mind is willing now to think about what will be the solution of the peace agreements.”

Israelis, he said, have “lost trust in the peace processes because they see that terror is glorified by our neighbors.”

In other words, for the vast majority of Israelis right now, talking about a two-state solution – while the hostages are still being held, while Israel is fighting on various fronts, and while Palestinian polls are giving Hamas a staggering amount of support in the West Bank – is just a pipe dream.

SO WHY is all the Palestinian state talk re-percolating? Because of elections, both in Israel and the US.

In a notable shift from its primarily diplomatic anti-Israel stance, Turkey has decided to take direct economic actions against Israel. While Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously targeted Israel in the diplomatic arena, the latest move involves the removal of Israel from Turkey's list of export destinations, Hebrew media reported on Sunday.

Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war after October 7, Turkey's anti-Israel steps were concentrated in diplomatic spheres, with Erdogan regularly criticizing Israel. The recent development, however, goes beyond rhetoric, with Ankara now actively affecting trade between the two nations.

The significant implication of this decision is that Turkey will discontinue subsidizing trade and withdraw support for businesses engaged in operations with Israel. Furthermore, it serves as a clear message to Turkish business owners that state assistance will not be provided if they choose to engage in trade with Israel.

This strategic move follows Israel's placement as 13th on Turkey's list of exports in 2023, despite the war's impact, accounting for goods valued at $5.42 billion, approximately 2.1% of total exports. This marks a noticeable decrease from the $7 billion worth of exports in 2022.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Hamas' Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh shake hands during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara January 3, 2012 (credit: REUTERS/Stringer)

Erdogan's anti-Israel rhetoric

This economic decision comes in the wake of Erdogan's strong anti-Israel rhetoric, with explicit support for Hamas and accusations of Israeli war crimes.

Turkey's role as a safe haven for Hamas leadership, along with recent incidents like the detention of Israeli soccer player Eden Kartsev and the deportation of Sagiv Yehezkel, showcases the intensification of tensions between the two nations.

Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, tried to have government spokesperson Eylon Levy removed from his role participating in the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests before the Israel-Hamas War, N12 reported on Sunday night. 

Tweets from the time of the weekly protests by Levy have reportedly circulated among the prime minister's inner circle, and have upset some. 

Levy has become something of the international face for the Israeli government in media outlets across the world as Israel battles to save its public image after the Hamas atrocities of October 7 and the subsequent ground invasion of Gaza. 

Responding to the report, the Public Diplomacy Department stated, "The report is incorrect. The Public Diplomacy Department operates in a professional manner."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday told representatives of Israeli hostage families that there are growing signs that they are hotter on the heels of Hamas's top leadership and the hostages in Khan Yunis than they have been until now.

"Operations in Khan Yunis are at a high point, and there are early signs that are arriving at the most sensitive locations for Hamas are getting us closer to the two goals of the war," said Gallant.

The defense minister was referring to the goals of dismantling Hamas and returning the around 130 Israeli hostages.

He made the statement one day after the IDF revealed it had found cages in Khan Yunis where hostages had previously been held by Hamas.

'Mushroom clouds will continue to cover the skies of Gaza'

Earlier, Gallant visited the 100th Squadron of the Israeli Air Force at the Hatzor base and conducted a flight over the skies of Gaza, accompanied by the squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel S.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant flies above the skies of Gaza with the Israeli Air Force, January 21, 2024 (credit: DEFENSE MINISTRY)

Afterward, the defense minister held a conversation with the pilots, aircrew, and ground crews responsible for the aircraft armament.

Gallant expressed his appreciation to the air and ground teams and emphasized the importance of coordination between the Air Force and the forces operating in the Gaza Strip to achieve operational objectives.

"I observed the forces operating in the northern, central, and southern parts of the Gaza Strip," Gallant said. "I witnessed a real-time attack by the Air Force in the southern part of Gaza City.

"The accuracy, the quality of execution, and the perfect coordination with the forces are very impressive," Gallant continued. "We are operating with force in the Khan Yunis area, and it will expand. The mushroom clouds from the tanks, artillery, and Air Force planes will continue to cover the skies of Gaza until we achieve our goals, primarily the dismantling of Hamas and the return of the hostages to their homes."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday told representatives of Israeli hostage families that there are growing signs that they are hotter on the heels of Hamas's top leadership and the hostages in Khan Yunis than they have been until now.

"Operations in Khan Yunis are at a high point, and there are early signs that are arriving at the most sensitive locations for Hamas are getting us closer to the two goals of the war," said Gallant.

The defense minister was referring to the goals of dismantling Hamas and returning the around 130 Israeli hostages.

He made the statement one day after the IDF revealed it had found cages in Khan Yunis where hostages had previously been held by Hamas.

Addressing the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said on Tuesday that the American and British attacks on the Houthis can only worsen the security situation in the Red Sea and that the real solution to the security issues there is ceasing the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

According to Al Thani, the Western military intervention will neither bring an end to nor contain the Houthi attacks but will only escalate them, and the sole solution is to defuse the conflict in Gaza.

"We need to address the central issue, which is Gaza, in order to get everything else defused...if we are just focusing on the symptoms and not treating the real issues, [solutions] will be temporary," said Al Thani.

In context: Qatar is one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters, supplying large amounts of it to European countries, mainly Germany. The Gulf country supplies LNG to Europe in vessels that usually cross the Suez Canal to reach Europe much faster, saving about two weeks of travel. Shortly after the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, the Iran-backed Yemeni militia, the Houthis, attacked several shipping vessels sailing close to its coasts of the Red Sea on their way to cross the Suez Canal. Last weekend, the US and the UK started striking Houthi targets in response.

Since the weekend, some vessels shipping Qatar's LNG have either stopped or deviated to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, making the travel significantly longer.

The European Union (EU) is considering imposing "consequences" on Israel if it continues to oppose a proposed Palestinian State under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The issue is to be discussed at a scheduled meeting of foreign minister for member states on Monday, as support for the Jewish State wavers amid a growing civilian death toll in Gaza. 

Netanyahu has repeatedly fought back against the idea of a Palestinian State in Gaza, despite pressure from the EU and the United States and its President Joe Biden.

Gazan figures state that 25,000 people have died since Israel began its air and ground campaign after the October 7 atrocities carried out by Hamas. These numbers are near impossible to verify, however, as Hamas is in control of the Gaza Health Ministry. 

Speaker of the Parliament (Majlis) in Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on Sunday that "The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps will change the angles of their missiles in order to aim them at Israel - if you make a mistake," Saudi-owned news station Al-Arabiya reported Sunday evening.

This weekend, Hojatollah Omidvar, who served as the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force intelligence unit in Syria, was assassinated in the Damascus area, allegedly by Israel.

Omidvar’s deputy and three other senior officials were killed in the same strike.

In June 2023, the Washington Post reported that Omidzadeh “identified US Humvee and Cougar armored vehicles in Syria” for the purpose of having his henchmen attack them. He was also believed to be deeply involved in coordinating attacks against Israel.

This came after the assassination on December 26, also attributed to Israel, of Sayyed Reza Mousavi, a senior commander in the IRGC. That assassination was also in the vicinity of the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Mousavi was even higher than Omidvar and was responsible for coordinating the financing and logistics of transferring weapons from Tehran to proxies in Syria.

(L-R) Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (credit: REUTERS)

He was also considered extremely close to Qasem Soleimani, the former head of the Quds Force who was killed by a US drone, aided by aspects of Israeli intelligence, in January 2020.

Other major assassinations recently attributed to Israel in Lebanon were of Hamas Deputy Chief Saleh al-Arouri and Hezbollah’s Radwan chief Wissam al-Tawil.

The only major assassination Israel actually took credit for publicly was of Hezbollah drone chief Ali Hussein Bergi, which it justified by saying he had directly orchestrated recent escalatory attacks on sensitive Israeli army bases and Israeli civilians.

Despite the public silence, the Jerusalem Post understands that the IDF has undertaken thousands of operations in Syria in recent years to prevent Tehran from mounting a new dangerous front on another of Israel’s borders and that senior ranks do not leave Iranian officials immune.

In fact, with the most intense part of the Gaza invasion already completed weeks ago, the Post understands that the Israeli Air Force has been more freed up for a number of other missions in the region.

This continually growing list of assassinations as well as a mid-December massive cyber attack on Iran’s gas stations, presuming they were carried out by Israel, are sending multiple messages to the Islamic Republic.

The most obvious one is to stay out of Syria.

A 'price tag' for Iran

But the attacks are likely also a “price tag” for the Islamic Republic to make it pay for its sponsorship of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Even though the ayatollahs had no direct connection to the October 7 Hamas invasion of Israel, Iran has provided funding, logistics help, and training for Gaza’s terror rulers for years, and since the conflict started, has ordered attacks on Israel by Hezbollah in Lebanon, proxies in Syria, and the Houthis of Yemen.

For decades there was a shadow war between Israel and Iran, but if it ever traveled into the territory of Iran proper, it was usually only related to the ayatollahs’ nuclear weapons program.

There were always some exceptions, including some Iranian officials assassinated in April-June 2022, but the recent wave of targeted killings suggests conflict between the countries has entered a new phase.

Tehran has wanted to draw real blood from Jerusalem for years and finally succeeded on October 7, as well as since then with its other proxies.

For the ayatollahs, making as many as 250,000 Israelis evacuate their homes on multiple fronts is also as much a victory as the number of Israelis its proxies have killed.

Iran has also struck back, going after Israelis in India and other countries.

Also, Iran said it retaliated against the Mossad or Mossad-aligned Kurdish groups in Iraq last week with long-range missile strikes.

All of that could have been a smokescreen for the Islamic Republic to last out against opposition groups, which it also did against groups in Syria and Pakistan.

But it showed a greater readiness by Iran to flex its military might, with less fear of the destabilizing consequences.

There is also the gradually escalating fight between the Houthis and Iranian proxies in Iraq versus the US and some allies for their support for the Jewish state during this war.

The final front is the nuclear weapons one where IAEA chief of nuclear inspections Rafael Grossi on Friday all but threw his arms up in exasperation at being at a dead end in trying to get Tehran to restore full transparency over its suspicious nuclear activities.

With all of the many fronts, it can act on, and while neither Israel nor the US has an easy silver bullet answer for how to resolve the threats posed by Iran, with the exception of the nuclear front, Jerusalem and Washington seem to have the upper hand.

On the nuclear front, they really have not come to a strategy of how to halt Iran’s nuclear enrichment now for around three years running. There, America and the Jewish state, for now, seem to have sufficed with a threat to attack if Iran actually tries to cross the line to finalize production of a nuclear weapon.

Yet, on the other fronts, far more senior Iranian officials and critical assets, and those of their proxies, are going up in smoke than on the Israeli and American side.

The question that is still unanswered is how to return stability to the region in a way that will leave Israeli security improved to avoid the possibility of an October 7 or similar repeat. 

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the 100 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force at the Hatzor base and conducted a flight over the skies of Gaza, accompanied by the squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel S.

Afterward, the defense minister held a conversation with the pilots, aircrew, and ground crews responsible for the aircraft armament.

The Defense Minister expressed his appreciation to the air and ground teams and emphasized the importance of coordination between the Air Force and the forces operating in the Gaza Strip to achieve operational objectives.

"I observed the forces operating in the northern, central, and southern parts of the Gaza Strip," Gallant said. "I witnessed a real-time attack by the Air Force in the southern part of Gaza City.

"The accuracy, the quality of execution, and the perfect coordination with the forces are very impressive," Gallant continued. "We are operating with force in the Khan Yunis area, and it will expand. The mushroom clouds from the tanks, artillery, and Air Force planes will continue to cover the skies of Gaza until we achieve our goals, primarily the dismantling of Hamas and the return of the hostages to their homes."