Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 113?

The tense relationship between Israel and Egypt is on the verge of collapse following weeks of a 'deepening chill' amid the IDF's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Saturday.

As per the report, ties have reached a slump not seen in nearly two decades as the "so-called cold peace has further cooled both on the governmental and civilian levels," Ofir Winter of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) was quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not spoken to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in weeks, with the latter refusing to take calls from the prime minister, Egyptian officials told WSJ. 

Egypt convinced of secret Israeli plan to expel Palestinians

Further, it was reported that Egypt is suspicious of Israeli plans for a post-war Gaza, with the government in Cairo "convinced" of a secret Israeli plan to expel the Palestinians from the Strip to the Sinai Peninsula.

Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, gather as they seek shelter at the border with Egypt, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 7, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)

Earlier this week, the Jerusalem Post reported that Cairo issued a public warning to Israel that the ties between the two countries were at risk over IDF control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow 14-kilometer buffer zone that runs along Egypt’s border with Gaza.

“It must be strictly emphasized that any Israeli move in this direction will lead to a serious threat to Egyptian-Israeli relations,” the head of the State Information Services (SIS) Diaa Rashwan said in a statement he issued.

“Egypt,” Rashwan said, “is capable of defending its interests and sovereignty over its land and borders and will not mortgage it in the hands of a group of extremist Israeli leaders who seek to drag the region into a state of conflict and instability."

"Egypt is capable of defending its interests and sovereignty over its land and borders and will not mortgage it in the hands of a group of extremist Israeli leaders who seek to drag the region into a state of conflict and instability.”

Diaa Rashwan

Sisi also accused Israel this week of carrying out procedures that obstruct the entry of aid from the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

"This is part of how they exert pressure on the issue of releasing the hostages," he added.

Britain said it has joined the US in "temporarily pausing" future funding for the United Nations' agency for Palestinians in Gaza, while it reviews "concerning allegations" that UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

"The UK is appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement on Saturday.

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh called for countries that announced they would withdraw funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to reverse their decision, in a post on X on Saturday.

Al-Sheikh called for the reversal citing great political and humanitarian risks should funds be withdrawn from the agency, which operates as the exclusive UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees.

We call on the countries that announced the cessation of their support for #UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision, which entails great political and humanitarian relief risks, as at this particular time and in light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian… https://t.co/mxIam0zmZs

— حسين الشيخ Hussein AlSheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) January 27, 2024

"In light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian people, we need the maximum support for this international organization and not stopping support and assistance to it," he wrote in his post.

UNRWA workers were recently fired from their positions for participating in the October 7 Massacre, leading to several countries deciding to withdraw funding for UNRWA.

Both the United States and Italy decided to withdraw funds for UNRWA following the revelations.

UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL Philippe Lazzarini attends the opening day of the Global Refugee Forum, in Geneva (credit: JEAN-GUY PYTHON/REUTERS)

UNRWA funding blocked

In December the lower house of the Swiss Parliament voted to suspend funding for UNRWA, amounting to $23 million, although this seems to have been due to internal corruption in the agency which involved Swiss national, Pierre Krähenbühl, according to swissinfo.ch. 

Krähenbühl was UNRWA commissioner from 2014-19 and has been accused of claiming compensation when he was not present for work in a confidential report seen by the Swiss parliament, he denies these charges.

However, the decision to suspend funds did not pass the Swiss upper house which voted 23 to 21 against suspension. 

Switzerland is the ninth-largest funder of UNRWA, while the United States provides nearly $350 million making up over one-quarter of the total funds for UNRWA.

The IDF Commando Brigade has, alone, killed over 100 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic  Jihad terrorists in Khan Yunis over the course of the last week, the IDF announced on Saturday.

The brigade’s combat teams raided terrorist hubs in the western portion of the south Gaza City, the IDF said, successfully killing numerous Hamas and PIJ fighters, destroying terror infrastructure, and locating many weapons.

Additionally, troops of the brigade’s Egoz unit target a munitions warehouse in the area and guns, ammunition, explosives, RPGs, photography equipment, and diving gear.

The unit also raided the house of one of the associates of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Therein, the Egoz unit soldiers located weapons, the IDF added

IDF Commando Brigade troops operate in Khan Yunis, Gaza. January 27, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

IDF strikes RPG-armed terrorist squad

Also this past week, Egoz unit troops identified armed terrorists preparing to fire RPGs at Israeli forces. In response, the IDF soldiers opened fire on the fighters, forcing them to flee into a nearby structure.

In response, the Israeli troops directed aircraft to target the terrorist squad, eliminating it, the IDF said.

Secondary explosions coming from the targeted building indicated the presence of explosives inside the building, the IDF added.

The decision by some countries to cease support for the UN relief agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) entails great political and relief risks, Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said on Saturday on X.

"We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision," he said.

We call on the countries that announced the cessation of their support for #UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision, which entails great political and humanitarian relief risks, as at this particular time and in light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian… https://t.co/mxIam0zmZs

— حسين الشيخ Hussein AlSheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) January 27, 2024

Italy has decided to suspend financing of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday.

The decision follows allegations that some UNRWA workers were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel carried out by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, though Tajani made no direct reference to those suspicions.

"The Italian government has suspended financing of the UNRWA after the atrocious attack on Israel on October 7," Tajani posted on social media platform X, adding that some of Italy's allies had already taken the same decision.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised the American government Saturday morning for its decision to stop funding UNRWA following intelligence information provided by Israel regarding the involvement of several organization members in the October 7 attack.

"We have been warning for years: UNRWA perpetuates the 'refugee problem,' distances peace, and serves as a civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza," wrote Katz on X, and called on the UN to take "immediate personal steps" against the leaders of the organization.

מברך את הממשל האמריקאי על החלטתו להפסיק את המימון לארגון אונר"א, אחרי שהתברר שחלק מעובדיו נטלו חלק בטבח הנורא ב-7 לאוקטובר.

אנחנו מתריעים כבר שנים: אונר"א מנציחה את "בעיית" הפליטים, מרחיקה את השלום ומשמשת כזרוע אזרחית של חמאס בעזה.

מברך את קנדה שהצטרפה להחלטה ומצפה שמדינות…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) January 27, 2024

IDF troops of the Maglan unit operating under the Commando Brigade, carried out raids on a number of terrorist targets deep in Khan Yunis, among them a military depot where a significant amount of ammunition, weapons, and various technological assets were located, the IDF reported on Saturday.

The fire array of the brigade directed an aircraft that successfully eliminated three terrorists who were planting explosives near the Israel forces, the IDF added.  

Concurrently, soldiers in the Egoz unit reportedly engaged and killed numerous armed terrorists in close quarters combat.

Additionally, the Givati Brigade’s combat team eliminated numerous terrorists in various encounters in the Khan Yunis area, the IDF said. 

IDF troops operate in Khan Yunis, Gaza. January 27, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Seven terrorists against one tank

In one of the engagements, seven terrorists who fired RPG missiles at IDF troops were killed by Israeli tank fire after being identified as hiding within a structure in the area. 

The Israeli troops also reportedly eliminated additional armed terrorists carrying Kalashnikovs.

Also in Khan Yunis, the 7th Brigade’s fire array directed an aircraft to target and eliminate a terrorist the IDF observed setting up an observation post to direct fire at Israeli forces.

Three people were seriously, moderately, and lightly wounded respectively in a shooting incident in Lod on Friday, Walla reported the following day.

Police opened an investigation into the Damash neighborhood in the city. All those who were injured are residents of the city, according to the report.

MDA paramedics arrived at the scene and treated those injured, and evacuated them to Shamir Medical Center in Be'er Yaacov.

Police are still searching for the perpetrators of the shooting.

Earlier violent incidences in Lod

Earlier this week, a resident of Lod in his 40s was seriously injured in a violent incident, also in the city. He, like the three injured on Friday, was also taken to the Shamir Medical Center.

Shamir Medical Center (credit: SHAMIR MEDICAL CENTER)

A month earlier, the police arrested a resident of Lod in his 30s on suspicion of murdering his 60-year-old mother in her home in the city. The police forces that arrived at the apartment found the woman and her death was determined immediately by the medical officials who arrived.

This is a developing story.

The father of the boyfriend of Daniella Gilboa - who is currently held hostage by Hamas, recalled his son asking Gilboa's parents for her hand in marriage, as well as discussing the sentiment of the hostage's loved ones following a video released that showed her still captive in Gaza.

Gilboa, originally from Petah Tikva, was abducted by Hamas on the day of a massacre last October and appeared in a propaganda video released by the terrorist organization on Friday.

The video shows Gilboa, who had been kidnapped from a base near the border and had previously been seen in a video believed to have been filmed on the day of her abduction. The video shows her with two other female hostages, Karina Ariev and Doron Steinbrecher.

The father of Daniella's boyfriend shared insights in an interview with Maariv, where discussed the mixed emotions within Gilboa's family, expressing relief at her being alive and in relatively good physical condition.

"In her family, there is a feeling of relief alongside a feeling of disappointment; they are still confused. They were happy to see the video of her alive, but they are also a little reserved," he explained.

A screenshot from the Hamas hostage video released on January 26, 2024 (credit: screenshot)

For seven weeks, there had been no information about Daniella, and it was only with the release of the video that her family and loved ones learned of her condition.

New signs of life replenished a sense of hope in Daniella's loved ones

The father noted, "We received the news with much more joy than her family, to suddenly see her alive. We saw that she was wounded in her leg, and now we see that she is in relatively good physical condition. She looks strong, so that encourages all of us. It gives us not only hope but real happiness."

He also noted the importance of details in the recent video, mentioning Gilboa's statement that it was the "107th day," in captivity, while the video was released on the 111th day. He then acknowledged the concerns of her parents, saying, "We understand that her parents are more reserved and that it is more difficult for them. We are supporting them, wishing that she would return as soon as possible."

Sharing a touching moment from three weeks ago, he recounted, "They had a dedication of a Torah scroll, and my son asked her parents for her hand in marriage, to which they answered yes, even though they are only 19-20 years old. Right after that, he shouted to the sky - 'I'm going to propose to you!'

"He prays that she will come back soon and be reunited with him and her family."