Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 144?

Some hostages are kept by Hamas in Rafah, IDF spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari said in an interview given at the emergency conference on challenges facing Jewish communities held in Jerusalem.

"We are fighting Hamas from the north to the south," Hagari said. "We will finish in Rafah, it is an important city - there are hostages in Rafah," he was quoted by Israeli media as saying at the conference.

When asked on the whereabouts of Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, Hagari simply responded: "We will get to him, dead or alive."

Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, attends a rally marking the anniversary of Land Day, in Gaza City on March 30, 2022 (credit: ATTIA MUHAMMED/FLASH90)

Hagari on antisemitism: Israel's war is not limited to the Gaza Strip

Hagari told the people in attendance at the World Zionist Organization (WZO) emergency conference, "I am here with you today because I receive new information, on a daily basis, of antisemitic incidents occurring across the globe.

"The challenge is huge, and we are dealing with it together - this war is not limited to the Gaza Strip," the Israeli military spokesman added. "This war is fought by the entire Jewish People - we are losing this war based on social media, we must improve.

"We need to continue battling in this arena for the truth so that the entire world knows."

Israel, Hamas, and Qatari mediators all expressed caution on Tuesday about progress towards a truce in Gaza after US President Joe Biden said he believed a ceasefire deal could be reached in less than a week that would halt the war for Ramadan.

Hamas is now weighing a proposal, agreed by Israel at talks with mediators in Paris last week, for a ceasefire that would suspend fighting for 40 days, the first extended truce of the five-month-old war.

According to a source close to the talks, the proposal would see the terror group free some but not all of the hostages they are holding in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza, and Israeli troops pulling out of populated areas in the enclave.

But it appears to stop short of satisfying Hamas's main demand for any agreement to include a clear path towards a permanent end to the war and Israeli withdrawal, or resolving the fate of fighting-aged Israeli men among the hostages.

Rally for the release of hostages kidnapped in the October 7 attack by Hamas, February 25, 2024 (credit: DYLAN MARTINEZ/REUTERS)

In remarks broadcast on a late-night talk show after midnight on Tuesday, Biden said Israel had already agreed to halt fighting in Gaza for Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, which is expected to begin in two weeks, on March 10.

"Ramadan is coming up, and there’s been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan, as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out," Biden said on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers."

Earlier on Monday, Biden said he hoped a ceasefire agreement would be nailed down by March 4: "My national security adviser tells me that they’re close. They’re close. They’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a ceasefire," Biden said.

But Qatar, which has acted as the main mediator and is now hosting delegations from both sides to hammer out the terms of the deal, said a breakthrough had yet to be reached.

"We don't have a final agreement on any of the issues that are hampering reaching an agreement. We remain hopeful, not necessarily optimistic that we can announce something today or tomorrow. But we remain hopeful that we can get to some kind of agreement," said Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Two senior Hamas officials told Reuters that Biden's remarks appearing to suggest that an agreement had already been reached in principle were premature.

There were "still big gaps to be bridged," one of the Hamas officials told Reuters. "The primary and main issues of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces are not clearly stated, which delays reaching an agreement."

Israel did not comment on Biden's remarks, but unidentified officials were quoted by Israeli media as saying they, too, were taken off guard by the US president. Israeli news website Ynet quoted unidentified senior Israeli officials as saying they did not understand "what (Biden's) optimism is based on."

Mixed emotions

Hamas has consistently maintained that it would free its hostages only as part of a deal that included a way to end the conflict. Israel has said it will consider only temporary pauses and would not end the war until the terrorist group which initiated it by attacking Israel on October 7 is eradicated.

According to the senior source close to the talks, the draft proposal on the table was for a 40-day truce during which Hamas would free around 40 hostages - including women, those under 19 or over 50 years old, and the sick - in return for around 400 Palestinian prisoners, at a 10-for-one ratio.

Israel would reposition its troops outside of settled areas. Gaza residents, apart from men of fighting age, would be permitted to return home to areas previously evacuated, and aid would be ramped up, including urgent equipment to house the displaced.

In Gaza, there were mixed emotions about the prospect of a truce stopping short of a permanent end to the war.

"We don't want a pause, we want a permanent ceasefire, we want an end to the killing," Mustafa Basel, a father of five from Gaza City, now displaced in Rafah, told Reuters.

"Unfortunately, people's conditions are so grim that some may accept a pause, even (just) during Ramadan," he said. "They want a permanent end to the war, but the dire conditions make them want a pause even for a month or 40 days in the hope it becomes permanent."

 'Too many innocent' killed, Biden says

Hamas killed 1,200 people and captured 253 hostages on October 7, triggering a ground assault on Gaza. The Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say nearly 30,000 people have been confirmed killed.

Biden told NBC that Israel risked losing international support unless it takes more steps to spare civilians. Israel has threatened to attack Rafah, the last city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, where more than half of its 2.3 million residents are located, most sleeping in makeshift tents or public buildings.

Anyone who got lost the last couple of days in trying to follow the flood of new leaks about errors that allowed Hamas to invade southern Israel, kill 1,200 Israelis, and kidnap around another 240, should not feel bad.

Even for those of us who have been living and breathing this information constantly for nearly five months, it was not that easy to follow.

Just as important, it took time to dissect who was behind the different leaks (it was different parties) and why they leaked what they did.

To assist with understanding these issues, below is a short guide for the perplexed:

Leaks about IDF intelligence Unit 8200

The latest leaks that came out about Unit 8200 talked about an internal IDF report which mostly exonerated Unit 8200’s current commander “Y” from any special fault.

IDF soldeirs take part in a night-time drill [file] (credit: REUTERS)

The report did not shield Y from blame but said that the failure to take Hamas seriously and to properly understand and warn of the data collected about Hamas’s plans was a chronic decade or more long policy within Unit 8200, not related to any specific commander.

This leak appears to have come from Y or supporters of Y to try to clear his name or at least dilute his responsibility for the failure. Likewise, the leak could dilute responsibility for those currently serving below him. Also, the leak puts more responsibility on others in IDF intelligence, the IDF generally, and the political class.

However, until an external party not connected to Y does a report, we will not have the full story. The Jerusalem Post will be publishing in the coming days more details on the issue, including a harsher critique.

Leaks about the IDF and Shin Bet not reacting to Hamas activating Israeli SIM cards in Gaza

A leak by Channel 14, associated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only leaked a fact: that the IDF and Shin Bet did not properly respond to Hamas activating between dozens to hundreds of Israeli SIM cards in Gaza but also leaked what seems all relevant parties have repudiated: That IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi knew about this and withheld the information from Netanyahu.

This leak appears to come from Netanyahu or his supporters to blame Halevi, the IDF, and the Shin Bet for October 7 and to absolve himself of responsibility. However, all evidence suggests Halevi was not told about the SIM cards, and so he could not hide it from Netanyahu.

It is not 100% clear why Halevi was not told, but it appears to be because IDF intelligence analysis officials believed this was part of a pattern of other times that Hamas had carried out similar moves during many drills, or was at most a small scale operation to kidnap a couple of soldiers on a patrol.

While the Shin Bet decided to send a small group of reinforcements to the area where they thought a small attempted kidnapping might take place, no one in the IDF or Shin Bet believed there was any chance of a major attack, and hence they told Halevi that they could give him an update much later in the morning – at a time hours after the invasion eventually would begin.

This does not absolve Halevi or Netanyahu. Neither of them took Hamas seriously enough for years. And Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul campaign, whether justified or not in terms of the specific domestic issues at stake, badly weakened IDF readiness on October 7 and in the months leading up to then. There is also evidence that this weakness was perceived by Hamas as an even greater reason to launch a larger attack. In contrast, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was in favor of aspects of the overhaul in principle but believed it needed to move slower and by more consensus so as not to harm the defense establishment.

Leaks that IDF intelligence blocked sending helicopters to IDF Southern Command and that drones and aircraft were prevented from assisting until it was too late

A series of leaks last night and months ago suggested that the Air Force could have provided more help and faster to slow or prevent the invasion, but was blocked by IDF intelligence. These leaks are likely by IDF Southern Command officials, or supporters of the commander, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkleman blamed IDF intelligence or the Air Force for not giving them enough support.

The leaks also carefully highlight that Finkleman immediately ended a family vacation in the North middle of the night before October 7 when he learned about some of the worrying signs. The criticisms of IDF intelligence and the Air Force in refusing the requests to send air power to the border are valid. However, Finkleman, like other top IDF officials, stationed only around 600 soldiers and 12 tanks on the border. He could have stationed far more.

Even 1,500 or so out of the IDF’s 460,000-500,000 forces (counting reservists) might have been enough to stop the invasion of 3,000 Hamas terrorists. Netanyahu, Halevi, IDF intelligence, and Finkleman all did not take Hamas seriously, and all relied overly heavily on technological warnings and obstacles as opposed to having sufficient troops on the ground. In fairness, there were only a tiny number of intelligence officials who did take Hamas seriously over the last decade-plus, and the whole country, until October 7, was constantly pressing the political class and the IDF for troop cuts, a smaller army, and shorter service times.

The IDF's 932nd Battalion combat team located a camera last week belonging to a Hamas terrorist in the Zeitoun area in the northern Gaza Strip that contained footage exposing the terrorist organization's method of firing anti-tank missiles from built-up areas and inside buildings, as well as how the enemy operates in the area, the IDF reported on Monday.

This was when IDF St.-Sgt. Abraham Wovagen fell in battle, and terror cells that were suspected of shooting at the soldier were eliminated by an IDF aircraft.

Israeli forces carried out a targeted raid on a structure used to fire at the troops later that day, where weapons used by the terror organization were located, including a short-range anti-tank missile, pistols, sniper rifles, and ammunition.

Other operational activities in Zeitoun

Earlier, it was reported in the same area that IDF and IAF located a weapons manufacturing facility and rocket launchers used by the terror organization and identified a number of terrorists inside a tunnel shaft, which they promptly destroyed.

Hamas also launched numerous rockets towards Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip on Monday, in response to which the IAF struck an operational center of the launches located in central Gaza.

Also that same day, the IDF underwent efforts to evacuate Gazan civilians from combat areas, where forces apprehended a number of terrorists who tried to flee under the cover of the civilian population.

Israel risks losing the world's support if it keeps with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "incredibly conservative government," US President Joe Biden said in an appearance on the late-night show Seth Meyers on Monday night, where he joked about his age and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories before turning serious to discuss Israel and Gaza. 

Biden said it's a principle agreement that there will be a ceasefire while the hostages are released. He said Netanyahu agreed they would not engage in fighting during Ramadan, a point the Prime Minister later contested. 

Biden said Netanyahu made him a commitment that they're going evacuate significant portions of Rafah before beginning ground operations. 

“That gives us time to begin to move in directions that a lot of Arab countries are prepared to move in," Biden said, saying Saudi, Jordan, Egypt, and six other countries were ready to recognize Israel.

'Take advantage of the opportunity'

Biden said Israel has to take advantage of an opportunity to have peace and security for Israelis, and Palestinians who are being used as pawns by Hamas.

US President Joe Biden answers a question from a member of the news media as he and Seth Meyers visit Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in downtown New York, US February 26, 2024. (credit: REUTERS)

“I think that if we get that temporary ceasefire, we're going to be able to move in a direction where we can change the dynamic," Biden said. 

Biden issued cautious criticism of Netanyahu and Israel's government. 

"If it keeps us up without this incredibly conservative government they have and Ben-Gvir and others… they're going to lose support from around the world," Biden said.  

At least 50 anti-Biden protestors were arrested inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where Myers' NBC studio is, according to Jewish Voices for Peace NYC, an organizer of the protest. 

The United Nations Humanitarian Office (OCHA) said on Tuesday the Israeli military had stalled a medical evacuation convoy in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, detaining a paramedic and forcing others to remove their clothes.

According to OCHA, the incident occurred on Sunday during the evacuation of 24 patients from the city's Al-Amal Hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment, saying it was checking the details of the incident described by OCHA.

The hospital complex has been under siege during Israel's military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, aid agencies and Palestinian officials say.

An Israeli official said he doesn't "believe we’re as close" to a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal "as [people] say,” The Washington Post cited them as saying on Tuesday. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was surprised to hear US President Joe Biden's optimistic remarks regarding the possibility of a hostage deal, an Israeli source told ABC on Tuesday. 

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Tuesday that the recent escalation in an exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah has the potential to put at risk a political solution to the conflict.

UNIFIL urged all parties to halt hostilities to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of people in this region.

Russia is deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization, chiefly Iran. Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told the General Assembly on Monday ahead of the parley Moscow is holding this week with Palestinian factions, including Hamas.

“This week, Russia will be hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow! And not for the first time!” Erdan told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, which held a debate to mark two years to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia is one of the only places outside of the Middle East where Hamas terrorists and Houthi Jihadists are given the red-carpet treatment, even after October 7,” Erdan said.

St Basil's Cathedral, Kremlin, Moscow (credit: Meghas/Wikimedia Commons)

“Russia is hosting those who are responsible for intentionally murdering babies, raping women, and burning families alive,” Erdan stated. He also added that "this meeting in Moscow is a result of something more dangerous. Russia is now deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization.”

His words underscored the shift in Israeli policy regarding Moscow since the start of the war, a conflict for which Jerusalem had initially attempted to hold a neutral line and maintain strong ties with both Russia and Ukraine. 

The reason for Russian-Israeli ties cooling

The growing ties between Tehran and Moscow come as Iran has increased its military activity against Israel through attacks by its proxy groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. It has cooled Russian-Israeli ties while strengthening those with Ukraine.

Erdan told the UNGA that “It is no secret that Hamas is merely one tentacle of Iran’s terror armies. This horde of death and destruction includes Hezbollah, the Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terror organizations. They are funded, trained, armed, and directed by Iran.”

Gazan children poses with weapons and a Hamas terrorist in this photo released by the IDF, January 3, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Erdan elaborates by stating that “Iran is responsible for the attacks on American service members. Iran is behind the Houthi’s attacks on maritime trade. And it is Iran who supplies Russia with the drones that are attacking Ukrainian civilians."

This Iranian axis also includes “the Assad regime in Syria, the Kim regime in North Korea, and the Maduro regime in Venezuela," according to Erdan.

Parallels between Hamas-Israel war and Ukraine-Russia war.

Israel has drawn a parallel between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’s October 7 attack against its southern communities, as he referred to the Hamas-led invasion of Israel in which over 1,200 people were killed and another 253 seized as hostages.

“Both of our countries – Ukraine and Israel – are fighting a battle for our survival,” Erdan stated, underscoring that Jerusalem and Kyiv were standing strong together in solidarity while “the free world stands on the sidelines divided.”

“The State of Israel has always and will continue to remain committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Erdan stated.

Attacking the UN

Erdan accuses the United Nations, particularly its Security Council, of failing to rise to the defense of both countries, wanting that if this continues, it risks “losing all legitimacy.”

“The Security Council is paralyzed, paralyzed in the face of violence, and the entire UN system is being held hostage by political interests,” he stressed.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan wears a yellow Star of David at the UN Security Council on October 30, 2023. (credit: SCREENSHOT VIA MAARIV)

The UN has instead been transformed into a “weapon against freedom and liberty.” Erdan stated.

“We, Israel and Ukraine, are the canaries in the coal mine. To the rest of the free world, I say: Wake up! Wake up!” Erdan stated.