Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 129?

An Israeli government spokesperson said on Monday that Hamas had been reduced to half its fighting force in the Gaza war, with more than 12,000 gunmen who have been killed and large numbers wounded or captured.

"We're talking about three-quarters of Hamas' battalions that have been shattered ... with over 12,000 terrorists who have been killed," Eylon Levy said in a briefing.

"When you take into account the number of terrorists who have been wounded or apprehended, that is more than half of Hamas' fighting force knocked out of action."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met on Monday with the troops who participated in the rescue operation that freed the two hostages and congratulated them on the impressive results. 

"This is a turning point - Hamas is penetrable and understands that we can reach anywhere, with any force. You have allowed the citizens of Israel breathing space - the day will not be far away, and there will be more operations," he said. 

 International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan is "deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah," he said on social media platform X on Monday.

He reiterated that the ICC was "actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed" in Gaza and said that "those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said four Hamas battalions are in Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence further north are trapped in desperate conditions.

It says Israel cannot achieve its goal of eliminating the Islamist terrorists while they remain there. Civilians should be evacuated from the combat zone, it said.

Khan also called for the immediate release of all the hostages held in Gaza after Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, adding that this "also represents an important focus of our investigations."

Israel is not a member of the Hague-based court and does not recognize its jurisdiction. But Khan in October stressed his court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes carried out by Hamas in Israel and by Israelis in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas's armed wing claimed on Monday that three of eight Israeli hostages who were seriously injured following Israeli airstrikes had died from their wounds.

"The al-Qassam Brigades announce the killing of three of the eight Zionist detainees who we announced yesterday were seriously injured in the barbaric Zionist raids on the Gaza Strip," the Al Qassam Brigades said on Hamas's Telegram channel. "We will postpone announcing the names and photos of the dead for days to come until the fate of the rest of the wounded becomes clear."

Information shared by Hamas on the hostages is generally considered to be unreliable and a part of Hamas's psychological warfare. In the past, Hamas has claimed the death of a hostage who was later released as part of a ceasefire agreement.

Hamas claimed that Hannah Katzir had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, but she was released two weeks later from captivity.

While Hamas has falsely claimed the deaths of hostages before, the IDF has also confirmed the possibility that hostages had mistakenly died during airstrikes. Yossi Sharabi was, unbeknownst to the IDF, being held by Hamas in an adjacent building to a structure targeted by the IAF, resulting in his death.

Announcement made after two hostages rescued

Hamas's announcement came less than a day after the IDF successfully rescued two hostages being kept in Rafah. 

A helicopter arrives at Sheba Medical Center with the two rescued hostages, Februay 12, 2024 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

"The Nazi occupation army's attack on the city of Rafah last night, and its horrific massacres against defenseless civilians and helpless children, women, and elderly who have so far lost their lives over a hundred times, is considered a continuation of the people's genocide and forced displacement attempts... being carried out against our Palestinian people," Hamas wrote in a statement in response to the rescue. 

"The Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the United Nations Security Council have called for urgent and serious action to stop the Zionist aggression and the ongoing crimes of genocide against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip," Hamas continued.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised address after chairing a Cabinet meeting on Monday that Israel's Gaza offensive will top the agenda in his talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday.

 European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made a thinly veiled call on Monday for the United States to rethink its military aid to Israel due to the high number of civilian casualties in the war in Gaza.

Borrell recalled that US President Joe Biden said last week that Israel's response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack had been "over the top" and US officials had repeatedly said that too many civilians were being killed in Gaza.

"Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed," Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU development aid ministers in Brussels.

"If the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe we have to think about the provision of arms," he added.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations' agency UNRWA, said on Monday he had "no intention to resign" following allegations that some staff members participated in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The UN agency provides aid to Palestinians in Gaza and since the allegations were made, a number of donor countries have suspended funding. UNRWA has launched an investigation and dismissed staff accused of involvement in the attack.