Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 148?

(JTA) — The United States blocked consideration of a United Nations Security Council resolution blaming Israel for the dozens of deaths that occurred during the the delivery of humanitarian assistance in northern Gaza on Thursday, as world leaders stepped up their calls for a ceasefire.

The US decision to block the veto came hours after a White House spokeswoman called the mass death incident “alarming” and called on Israel to investigate the incident.

The Associated Press reported that 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council favored approving the resolution, drafted by Algeria, but that the United States, one of five permanent members of the council with veto power, blocked it, seeking more information about the incident. The text of the draft resolution was not available.

“We don’t have all the facts on the ground – that’s the problem,” The AP quoted the deputy US ambassador, Robert Wood, as saying.

Israeli officials said troops were escorting trucks delivering aid to Gaza City  on Thursday when hundreds of Palestinians, who global health officials say are on the verge of a famine caused by the Israel-Hamas war, rushed toward the aid.

THE UNITED NATIONS Security Council holds a regular meeting on the situation in the Middle East, focusing on Israel in relation to the Palestinians. (credit: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS)

Hamas officials said that more than 100 Palestinians were killed in the ensuing melee, and blamed Israeli gunfire. Israeli officials say scant gunfire fired as warnings were responsible for 10 Palestinian casualties but said the vast majority of the deaths happened because of a chaotic stampede that they could not easily control.

The incident came as the Palestinian death toll topped 30,000 in the war launched when Hamas terrorists massacred approximately 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, and took more than 250 hostage. US President Joe Biden and Middle Eastern countries are working to bring about a temporary ceasefire to free more than 130 hostages still held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners, and to facilitate the delivery of much needed relief to the strip.

World leaders expressed their concern for the situation in Gaza

“The events in northern Gaza are tremendously alarming and of deep concern to us,” Olivia Dalton, a White House spokeswoman told reporters in the hours after the mass deaths. “Too many civilian lives have been lost as a consequence of military operations in Gaza.”

She said White House officials had been in touch with their Israeli counterparts. “We’ve been in touch with the government of Israel this morning about — to gather information and to request that they investigate and provide more information about the circumstances that led to this tragedy,” she said.

Biden in a brief exchange with reporters acknowledged that the incident would complicate his previous optimistic prediction that a temporary ceasefire could be in place by Monday. “Probably not by Monday, but I’m hopeful,” he said Thursday and then when asked in a followup question if the events in Gaza City earlier in the day would complicate the negotiations, he said “I know it will.”

World leaders stepped up their calls for a ceasefire in the wake of the mass deaths, with some blaming Israel for what happened.

“Deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers,” French President Emmanuel Macron, who had initially been strongly supportive of Israel in the war, said on social media. “I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.”

“Deeply disturbed by images from Gaza,” Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on social media. “Every effort must be made to investigate what happened and ensure transparency. Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for those in need and access to it must be ensured. We stand by civilians, urging their protection in line with international law.”

Even if Israel releases persuasive evidence that most of the deaths were the result of a stampede and not gunfire, the incident is likely to step up calls on Israel to allow in more efforts to secure Gaza Palestinians.

Israel has emphasized the chaos the soldiers faced, releasing drone footage of people rushing toward the food delivery.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, released an impassioned five-minute address in English arguing that the IDF troops were dedicated to the humanitarian aim of safely delivering the relief.

“The Israel Defense Forces operate according to the rules of engagement and the international law,” he said. “No IDF strike was conducted towards the aid convoy. I want to repeat that: No IDF strike was conducted towards the the aid convoy. On the contrary, the IDF was there conducting a humanitarian operation to secure the humanitarian corridor and allow the aid convoy to reach its designated distribution point so that the humanitarian aid could reach Gazan civilians in the north that are in need.”

Yet another Egyptian news broadcaster made headlines on Thursday by attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during her broadcast on the Egyptian Alghad channel.

After the 16th day of the war, Egyptian journalist Basma Wahba made news when she addressed Israel in Hebrew and attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

الاعلامية بسمة وهبة توجه رسالة شديدة اللهجة لإسرائيل ونتنياهوpic.twitter.com/JTR12np203

— Screen Mix (@ScreenMix) October 21, 2023

On Thursday, it was the turn of journalist Catherine Diab, from the Egyptian Alghad channel, broadcasting from Cairo and Britain, who attacked Israeli policy in the Gaza Strip since the war broke out and addressed the Netanyahu government.

At the beginning of her remarks, she said: "On the one hand, Israel understands that a ceasefire in Gaza is necessary, and on the other hand, it insists on opening another front and operating in Lebanon, on both sides its choosing war."

PROTESTERS MARCH past the US Capitol Building in Washington last week, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. (credit: REUTERS/LEAH MILLIS)

"At the same time, is there a new deal on the horizon? This is what President Biden announced , when he expressed optimism for a deal to release prisoners between Israel and Hamas. If there is indeed a ceasefire, this does not mean that the situation in Lebanon will calm down, said Israeli Defense Minister Gallant," she claimed.

News of a temporary ceasefire and hostage deal have been in the air for weeks, with long discussions by multiple national security delegations including Israel, the US, Qatar, and Egypt. Hamas and Israel both claim that a deal is far from being reached, while President Biden hopes to have one by Ramadan.

Diab calls the Netanyahu government Insane

Diab continued in her broadcast, saying "But I ask a question, did Israel destroy the military capabilities of Hamas after five months, allowing it to dare to aspire to destroy the capabilities of Hezbollah? There is a saying that says, insanity is to repeat the same action and expect a different result. But apparently the Netanyahu government has not heard of this, or, as always, they has hidden interests."

Escalation between Hezbollah and Israel has also been a looming question for months. There have been rockets launched almost daily from Lebanon into northern Israel, followed by IDF responses, destroying the launchers or eliminating Hezbollah terrorists.

Recently, Tehran signaled to Hezbollah that it is allowed to escalate its attacks against Israel at its discretion.

Maariv contributed to this report.

US President Joe Biden on Friday said he hoped there would be a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas by the time of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts on March 10.

"We’re not there yet," he told reporters, as he left the White House on Friday.

Chair of urban warfare studies at West Point, John Spencer, published an in-depth analysis of Hamas's unprecedented sub-terranean tunnel network, and the measures taken by the IDF to effectively neutralize it, based on his two visits to Israel, which he shared on X on Friday.

Based on now two visits to Israel/Gaza since the war began, Israel and the IDF have destroyed Hamas’s strategy at every turn from tunnels to historic civilian harm mitigation steps while methodically and rapidly clearing every inch of Hamas territory. @GAvrilingi

“Hamas’s…

— John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) March 1, 2024

 He started his analysis by noting that  the utilization of tunnels in warfare is not a novel concept, with historical examples dating back to biblical times and extending to modern conflicts such as the ongoing war in Ukraine.

However, he then highlighted the distinctive nature of the tunnels used by Hamas, saying its one of the two key pillars in Hamas's strategy, along with time.

Before the outbreak of hostilities, the presence and extent of Hamas's tunnel networks were believed to be well-documented, Spencer said.

The IDF has exposed a four-kilometer-long, 50-meter deep “strategic” level tunnel (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Referred to as Gaza's "Metro," these networks were estimated to span hundreds of miles beneath the surface. Yet, as the conflict unfolded, the IDF unearthed an extensive labyrinth of tunnels, surpassing initial estimates. He then noted the immense investment Hamas has made in constructing these tunnels, which he believes may have cost the organization up to a billion dollars over fifteen years.

US military commanders said on Friday that they conducted a strike against an Iranian-backed Houthi surface-to-air missile that was preparing to launch from Yemen.

US Central Command said on X that earlier on Friday the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Red Sea from Yemen.

The Hamas delegation met with the Special Envoy of the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, at the headquarters of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, the terror organization stated on its Telegram channel.

Hamas’s delegation included members of the political arm of the terror organization including Mousa Abu Marzouk and Hossam Badran. 

“The movement’s delegation thanked the Russian Federation for their positions in support of the Palestinian people, and for hosting the Palestinian meetings.” Hamas stated on its Telegram channel. 

The terror organization stated that the Hamas delegation briefed FM Bogdanov on the “course of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle” as they emphasized the need for continuation of the war until Gazans “gain their freedom.”  

Russia's foreign ministry 

Russia’s foreign ministry stated in a press release after the meeting, “It goes without saying that our main priority is to stop the bloodshed. We have worked on this since the first days after the October 7, 2023 attack. We have condemned the assault. But it is unacceptable to respond with collective punishment of Palestinians.”

FATAH AND Hamas officials wait for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as part of intra-Palestinian talks in Moscow in 2019. (credit: Pavel Golovkin/Reuters)

Russia’s foreign ministry highlighted the need for Palestinian unity, and wished Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas success in forming a new cabinet. Abbas accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and his cabinet on Tuesday, and requested that he stay on until a replacement is appointed.