Israel-Hamas War: What happened on Day 138?

Hamas has "softened its positions" in the negotiations for a hostage deal, Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Wednesday, citing diplomatic sources. 

The report further added that the two delegations had arrived in Cairo ahead of the talks.  

This is a developing story.

Two women, an Israeli and a Palestinian, were honored this week by TIME Magazine, receiving recognition for organizing their respective movements as well as their collaboration in the hopes of reaching peace.

In an exciting announcement on Wednesday morning, TIME released its slate of women of the year to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8. These 12 women were selected for their contribution to building a more equitable future for women, and this year's list includes two women - one Israeli and one Palestinian - who founded and led movements for equality and peace.

The first recipient is Dr. Yael Admi, who founded "Women Wage Peace," a women-led movement dedicated to promoting peace and finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

The co-director of "Women Wage Peace," Orna Shargai, stated, "In these difficult days, we are fighting against despair and carrying the banner of hope for a better future. We were moved by the choice of TIME magazine, and this gives members of the "Women Wage Peace" movement the strength to continue this difficult journey, especially during these terrible days when we are experiencing the suffering of thousands of girls and children, mothers and fathers, grandparents, women, and men, young and old. We join in the demands of our sister movement, "Women of the Sun," to end this terrible conflict and work for the future of our children and future generations."

The second recipient is Reem Hajajreh, the founder of the Palestinian organization "Women of the Sun." "Women of the Sun," like "Women Wage Peace," seeks nonviolent solutions, dialogue, and coexistence among Israelis and Palestinians, with a special focus on the role of women in leading such efforts. The two organizations have worked in tandem and have called on decision-makers to end the cycle of violence and seek peaceful and sustainable solutions for women and the people of the region. 

Merely days before Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, the women of these two groups organized an event that saw Israeli and Palestinian women convening in Jerusalem and the Dead Sea to demand a peaceful future and action on the part of leaders. On October 7, co-founder of "Women Wage Peace," Vivian Silver and two other women from the organization were murdered by Hamas terrorists.

Yael Admi photographed at a joint event of the two organizations. (credit: TAMAR MAZPI)

Despite the October 7 attack and ensuing bitter conflict, the two groups have continued to work tirelessly in cooperation and have not lost sight of their goals. 

'The great majority of our people share mutual ambition'

The two groups released a joint statement: "We believe that the great majority of our people share mutual ambition. Therefore, we demand that our leaders listen to our call and open talks and negotiations as soon as possible with a determined commitment to achieve, within a limited time frame, a political solution to the long and painful conflict."

Along with the prestigious recognition by TIME magazine, the two groups have also been nominated as candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize of 2024 by the Free University of Amsterdam.

The university commended "Women Wage Peace" and "Women of the Sun" in a statement: "Their work stands out tragically at this moment, considering their ability to continue building peaceful relations between Palestinian and Israeli communities despite the incredible obstacles they faced in the last two months."

Israel is expected to reopen the Karni border crossing to enable the entrance of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, ABC News said on Wednesday, citing Israeli sources. 

The crossing has been closed since 2011.

Gaza border protesters slam 'offense' to IDF soldiers

Tzav 9, the organization that has been organizing the protests aiming to block the aid trucks arriving at the Kerem Shalom crossing, said in response. "The Israeli government must stop and finally take responsibility. The obvious meaning of the introduction of the aid trucks is to establish and strengthen Hamas's rule. This is a serious and ongoing offense to the IDF soldiers fighting in the Gaza Strip and distances terribly the return of the hostages home."

"It is clear to everyone that these trucks do not reach the population of Gaza in any way, but go straight to the terrorists of the murderous terrorist organization that carried out the gruesome massacre on October 7," the statement continued.

Protestors block Kerem Shalom crossing. (credit: Efrat Avrahami, Tzav 9)

"The determined people and the relatives of the hostages who come with us to disrupt these 'convoys of death' will not stand by," the statement added, concluding, "We will continue to fight that no aid will pass until the last of the abductees returns."

In recent weeks, protestors have repeatedly reached the Kerem Shalom crossing in order to block the humanitarian aid convoys, clashing with police forces. 

In late January, these clashes prompted the IDF to expand the closed military zone to include the area of the Kerem, Shalom crossing, barring civilians from entering.

Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman also commented on the move, saying, "I don't remember anyone making it easy for our hostages who are going through hell in captivity in the Gaza Strip," noting the policy should be "Humanitarian for humanitarian." 

The State of Israel will be forced to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews into the IDF if a new bill is not brought into law by April 1, attorney-general Gali Baharav-Miara stated in a letter to the High Court of Justice on Wednesday.

The IDF on Wednesday revealed a strategic tunnel that Hamas's leadership used during the war, which it has just destroyed in Khan Yunis.

Primarily, the mission of destroying tunnels in Gaza has fallen to the elite anti-tunnel Yahalom Unit, a unit which was developed after the 2014 Gaza conflict caught the IDF unprepared for the cope of Hamas's tunnel threat.

To date, Yahalom has destroyed 11 strategic tunnels that constitute the "center of gravity" of Hamas's tunnel network, with each one, including the one revealed on Wednesday, requiring an investment of millions of shekels.

Regarding this specific tunnel, the IDF and Yahalom discovered at a certain point that part of a tunnel network it was exploring led to a larger expansive network.

To fully explore the new network, the IDF had to pry open powerful blast doors that were designed to prevent or slow IDF advancement underground.

Further, the IDF used special intelligence methods to identify Hamas terrorists on the other side of the blast doors, something which made it easier for the IDF to kill them in battle.
 
Once the IDF had dispatched the Hamas forces protecting the inner strategic tunnel area, they found extensive sleeping quarters, electric and water infrastructure, bathrooms, and kitchens full of a variety of foods and other items.

This strategic tunnel runs for more than a kilometer, and the IDF said that until the recent deep invasion of all portions of Khan Yunis, including the western and southern portions, it had been used by Hamas's leaders to manage the war.

The two terrorists who committed the deadly attack in Ra'anana in January planned to kill a senior IDF officer, the police said on Wednesday after having published the findings of its investigation. 

According to Israeli media, the senior officer targeted in the attack was the IDF's spokesperson in Arabic, Avichay Adraee.

This is a developing story.

Israel is expected to reopen the Karni border crossing to enable the entrance of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, ABC News said on Wednesday, citing Israeli sources. 

The crossing has been closed since 2011.

Engineering forces of the Alexandroni Brigade breached close to 30 kilometers of border routes in Israel's North, the military said on Wednesday, granting it significant freedom of action.

The Alexandroni Brigade, deployed from Metulla to Rosh Hanikra, is leading the defense battle against Hezbollah, the IDF noted.

Israeli house hit by anti-tank missile

In an additional incident in the north, a house in Metula was hit by an anti-tank missile, Israeli media said on Wednesday. No injuries were reported. 

Earlier on Wednesday, under the direction and cooperation of the Air Force, more than 500 targeted attacks were carried out on enemy spots from the air and on the ground, and more than 2000 shells were fired into Lebanese territory.

Israeli soldiers operate near the northern border with Lebanon, on February 21, 2024 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The IDF attacked three operational headquarters of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the military announced. 

Israeli forces also attacked a military building containing terrorists from the organization in the village of Yaroun. The IDF identified a number of terrorists entering the military structure the day before. 

Switzerland's government said on Wednesday it wants to ban Hamas after the Palestinian terror group's attacks in Israel last year, which killed nearly 1,200 people and sparked a war in Gaza.

Bern said it was taking action after the attacks on October 7, which killed two Swiss nationals and resulted in nearly 250 people being taken hostage.

The Swiss government said under the new legislation, Hamas and "cover or successor organizations," as well as organizations or groups that act on its behalf or in its name, will be banned.

Hamas prevented from using Switzerland as safe haven

The ban aims to punish Hamas for the October attacks as well as prevent the group from using Switzerland as a safe haven or carrying out attacks in the country, for example, by making entry bans or expulsions easier to arrange.

It will also help combat terrorist financing by allowing the Swiss anti-money laundering authorities to better exchange information with counterparts abroad, the government said.

A man looks at a graffiti, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, February 8, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/SUSANA VERA)

The law, which has entered a consultation phase, will be limited to five years, the government said.