Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 150?

One person was killed, two people were seriously wounded, four others were moderately wounded, and one other person was lightly wounded after an anti-tank missile was fired toward Margaliot in northern Israel on Monday morning, according to Israel's emergency medical service, Magen David Adom.

The wounded, all Thai workers, were evacuated by helicopter to Rabin Medical Center-Hasharon Hospital, Rambam Medical Center, and Ziv Medical Center.

"Using an MDA bullet-proof intensive care vehicle, we arrived near the place where the anti-tank missile fire occurred and retrieved the wounded from there," said MDA senior medic Yigal Ben Udiz and MDA paramedic Walid Kezel. "Together with the IDF medical personnel, we provided medical treatment and evacuated five wounded people who suffered from shrapnel injuries with Air Force helicopters."

IDF strikes Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon

Shortly after the anti-tank missile attack, the IDF struck a site in Chihine in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese reports.

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

On Sunday night, Hezbollah claimed that Israeli forces made two attempts to infiltrate into Lebanese territory. The terrorist movement said it fired at and set off explosive devices targeting the troops.

Additionally, on Sunday night, the IDF struck sites belonging to Hezbollah in Ayta ash Shab and Kfarkela.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael “Erik” Kurilla on Monday, discussing regional tensions and attacks by Iranian proxies.

Important discussion with US @CENTCOM Commander General Kurilla about rising regional challenges as a result of Iranian aggression via proxies. We underscored the importance of close cooperation between US and Israeli forces to ensuring regional stability and security. pic.twitter.com/RbIeRfOYtt

— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) March 4, 2024

“I held an important discussion with US CENTCOM Commander, General Kurilla, about rising regional challenges as a result of Iranian aggression via proxies. We underscored the importance of close cooperation between US and Israeli forces to ensuring regional stability and security," said Gallant.

"I thanked the General for his leadership and commitment to the powerful bond between our militaries, defense establishments and nations. We are fighting to defend our freedom and our common values.“

Israeli forces operated for six hours in the Al Am'ari refugee camp in Ramallah on Sunday night, one of the largest Israeli raids in the city in years.

During the raid, Israeli forces arrested two wanted individuals, interrogated several other suspects, and confiscated incendiary material published by Hamas, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

A riot broke out during the raid, with Palestinians throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers who responded by opening fire. A Border Police officer was lightly wounded on her leg during the riot and was evacuated to the hospital.

A 16-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire during the riot, according to Palestinian reports.

An IDF K9 unit operates in Nablus, in the West Bank overnight. March 4, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

IDF demolishes home of terrorist who murdered Dees

Israeli forces also operated in Nablus on Sunday night, demolishing the apartment of one of the terrorists responsible for the terrorist attack in which Lucy, Maia, and Rina Dee were murdered.

Throughout the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 13 suspects, including in Nur Shams, Hebron, Deir Amar, and Tubas.

Since the beginning of the war, about 3,400 suspects have been arrested across the West Bank, including about 1,500 affiliated with Hamas.

The United Nations human rights chief on Monday it was imperative to avoid any exacerbation of the war in Gaza, warning that any conflagration could have broad repercussions across the Middle East and beyond the region.

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Volker Turk said the war in Gaza, which has been raging since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas gunmen in southern Israel, had already spilled over in neighboring countries.

"I am deeply concerned that in this powder keg, any spark could lead to a much broader conflagration," said Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"This would have implications for every country in the Middle East, and many beyond it."

Escalation with Hezbollah is worrying

Turk described the military escalation in southern Lebanon between Israel, Hezbollah and other armed groups as "extremely worrying."

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, as it seen from the Israeli side of the border, February 8, 2024 (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)

"It is imperative to do everything possible to avoid a wider conflagration," he said.

The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in hostilities for months in parallel to the Gaza war. It has marked the worst conflict between them since 2006.

The Gaza war began when Hamas stormed Israel on Oct. 7 in an attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in another 253 being abducted, according to Israeli tallies.

The attack drew an Israeli offensive in Hamas-run Gaza. Hamas- run health authorities in the enclave claim that more than 30,000 Palestinians have been confirmed killed during the offensive.

Turk said last week that war crimes had been committed by all parties in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. They should be investigated and those responsible be held accountable, he said.

 President Tayyip Erdogan is set to discuss Turkey's efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during talks this week in Ankara, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Monday.

Speaking at a diplomatic forum in Turkey at the weekend, the Palestinian Authority's Foreign Minister Riyad-al Maliki said Abbas would pay a visit to Ankara on Tuesday and meet Erdogan.

Turkey, which has harshly criticized Israel for its attacks on Gaza and backed measures to have it tried for genocide at the World Court, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire. But Ankara has no direct involvement in truce talks.

Hamas is not on Turkey's terrorist list

Unlike its Western allies and some Gulf nations, NATO member Turkey does not view Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group which runs Gaza and on Oct. 7 carried out an attack inside Israel that prompted the Israeli campaign, as a terrorist organization.

Erdogan and Abbas will discuss recent developments in Gaza as well as the situation in the West Bank, the diplomatic source said.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour attend a public hearing held by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to allow parties to give their views on the legal consequences of Israel's ''occupation'' of the Palestinian territories. (credit: REUTERS/PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW)

"Turkey has been delivering extensive humanitarian aid to Gaza in coordination with Egypt since the beginning of Israel's attacks... Within this scope, humanitarian aid operations will also be discussed during the meetings with President Abbas," the source said.

The IDF dropped leaflets on Monday urging Palestinians in northern Gaza not to loot aid trucks traveling through the area, days after dozens of people were killed as crowds rushed an aid convoy in an attempt to loot it.

"People of the northern Gaza Strip, to contribute to improving humanitarian conditions and aid access to the northern Gaza Strip, make way for humanitarian aid and refrain from looting, theft, and acts of chaos so that food reaches the needy and poor throughout the region," read the leaflet dropped by the IDF.

The leaflet quoted verse 29 from Surah An-Nisa of the Quran, reading, "O believers! Do not devour one another’s wealth illegally, but rather trade by mutual consent."

The leaflet also quoted a hadith (a saying or teaching of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad recorded by his companions) sourced to Abu Hurayra, a companion of Muhammad, which stresses that "Everything belonging to a Muslim is forbidden to another Muslim: his blood, his property, and his honor."

On Thursday, dozens of Palestinians were killed after crowds rushed an aid convoy traveling through northern Gaza. Hamas accused Israel of shooting at and bombing the crowds, while the IDF says the deaths were caused by people trampling each other and that the only case of shots being fired was a separate incident nearby involving a small group that approached Israeli forces and would not stop despite repeated warnings.

The looting of aid trucks in Gaza has been a consistent issue in recent months as public order in Gaza collapses alongside Hamas' loss of control. Drivers of aid trucks have been shot at and attacked, and aid organizations have struggled to transport and deliver supplies brought into the Strip due to the lack of any security.

Protests try to stop humanitarian aid to Gaza

Additionally, on Monday, Israeli protesters attempted to once again block the Kerem Shalom crossing to prevent the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Police said that after a short discussion, the protesters agreed to leave the site voluntarily, although three protesters who refused to leave were detained.

"Israel Police pursues a policy of acceptance and sensitivity towards the protestors, but will not allow a violation of public order, and will operate with zero tolerance towards those who violate the order and disobey the policemen's instructions," said the police.

The police added that officers from the southern district, as well as Border Police and other national units from the police, have been assisting the IDF in securing the delivery of humanitarian equipment to Gaza, including by ensuring Israeli civilians do not enter the closed military zones where aid is brought into Gaza.

A group of Breslov hassidim were rescued by Israeli forces on Sunday night after attmepting to reach Joseph's Tomb in Nablus without IDF approval, Israeli media reported on Monday.

During the attempt to enter the tomb, Palestinian terrorists fired at the group. The group was rescued, with no injuries reported.

"The entry into Area A without coordination is forbidden and dangerous," the IDF said to KAN news.

The IDF, Israel Police, and Shin Bet held a situation assessment on Sunday to prepare for expected tensions during the month of Ramadan, set to begin next week.

The security agencies held the meeting to improve coordination and operational preparedness among the agencies. The agencies noted that they would work to ensure the freedom of worship for Israeli Arabs and residents of the West Bank within security regulations.

The Israeli air force eliminated a terrorist squad less than 30 minutes after the squad fired rockets toward Hatzerim and Be'eri on Saturday, the IDF said on Monday morning.

The IAF was directed to the location of the terrorist squad by the Nahal Brigade.

Additionally, on Sunday, the Nahal Brigade eliminated 15 terrorists with sniper fire, aircraft, and with the aid of tanks. In one firefight, the soldiers spotted a terrorist squad entering a Hamas military compound and directed the Air Force to strike and eliminate the terrorists.

Over the past 24 hours, soldiers from the 98th Division launched an offensive in the west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, surrounding the Hamad neighborhood and carrying out raids in the area. Soldiers from the Givati Brigade, the 7th Brigade, and the Oz Brigade eliminated terrorists who were operating from within the civilian area.

IDF arrests 80 terrorists hiding among group of civilians

Additionally, the combat team of the 7th Brigade helped evacuate the civilian population in the area and arrested about 80 suspects from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist movements who tried to escape within the civilian population. The Bislamach Brigade also continued its strikes in the town of Al Qarara, north of Gaza.

US Vice President Kamala Harris bluntly called out Israel on Sunday for not doing enough to ease a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza as the Biden administration faces increasing pressure to rein in its close ally while it wages war with Hamas terrorists.

Harris, speaking in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where state troopers beat US civil rights marchers nearly six decades ago, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept a deal to release hostages in return for a 6-week cessation of hostilities.

But she directed the bulk of her comments at Israel in what appeared to be the sharpest rebuke yet by a senior leader in the US government over the conditions in the coastal enclave.

"People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane, and our common humanity compels us to act," Harris said at an event to commemorate the 59th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" in Alabama. "The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses," Harris said.

Her comments reflected intense frustration, if not desperation, within the US government about the war, which has hurt President Joe Biden with left-leaning voters as he seeks re-election this year.

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an event to mark the 'Bloody Sunday' anniversary, in Selma, Alabama, U.S., March 3, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Megan Varner)

Harris said Israel must open new border crossings, not impose "unnecessary restrictions" on aid delivery, protect humanitarian personnel and convoys from becoming targets, and work to restore basic services and promote order so that "more food, water, and fuel can reach those in need."

The United States carried out its first air drop of aid in Gaza on Saturday and Harris is scheduled to meet with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz on Monday at the White House, where she is expected to deliver a similarly direct message.

Israel boycotted Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo on Sunday after Hamas rejected its demand for a complete list naming hostages that are still alive.

"Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal," Harris said. "Let's get a ceasefire. Let's reunite the hostages with their families. And let's provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza."

"Fight for freedom is not over"

After concluding her remarks about the Middle East, Harris, the first Black and Asian American woman to serve as No. 2 to the commander-in-chief, turned her attention to the events of Selma and the ongoing effort to address racial inequality.

"Today, we know our fight for freedom is not over," she said. "Because in this moment, we are witnessing a full-on attack on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms, starting with the freedom that unlocks all others: the freedom to vote," Harris said, citing laws in states across the country that ban ballot drop boxes, limit early voting and, in Georgia, made it illegal to give food and water to people waiting in line to vote.

At the beginning of their time in office, Biden appointed Harris to lead their administration's efforts to advance voting rights, but the effort largely fizzled without enough votes in Congress to pass new laws on the issue.

Biden has said democracy is on the ballot in the 2024 election, in which he is likely to face former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election that Biden won.