Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 151?

Israel “was not involved in the inspection" of the food packages airdropped over Gaza on Saturday during a joint operation with Jordan, the Pentagon told The Jerusalem Post.

“The goods are prepackaged foods that are inspected at the time they are processed and before delivery,” the Pentagon said. It did not expand on how the goods were inspected or the location where the airplanes for the airdrop had departed from.

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters on Monday that the drop of 38,000 ready-to-eat meals into Gaza was done in collaboration with the Jordanian Royal Air Force. “This operation saw 66 bundles of aid offloaded across three C-130 aircraft delivered to people in dire need of it,” he said. It was the second such airdrop, with Jordan conducting the first such operation on Tuesday. The US plans to do more airdrops.

Other countries, including Belgium, want to conduct similar operations as a go-around solution to the problems of ground aid distribution during an ongoing combat between Israel and Hamas, which according to the United Nations, has created a food crisis in the enclave that is home to 2.3 million people.

Israeli opposition leader MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) raised concerns about the security aspects of such operations when he spoke to his faction on Monday in the Knesset. In a speech attacking the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lapid said, it was “not qualified” to run the war or the necessary diplomacy around it.

Soldiers stand near Belgian Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas, as it is loaded with humanitarian aid that is destined for an airdrop over Gaza, at Belgian military airport in Melsbroek, Belgium March 4, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN)

Lapid pointed to the issue of the airdrops as an example, explaining that “the Americans and the Jordanians airdrop into Gaza did not go through a security inspection. Americans have lost faith in this government. They have lost faith in Netanyahu's ability to run a campaign.”

Israel inspects goods entering Gaza

The Israeli office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT,) which is tasked with oversight concerning goods entering Gaza from air, sea, and land, said however that Israel had been involved in the inspections. “The aid packages that are airdropped into the Gaza Strip undergo security checks, in which Israeli officials are also involved."

COGAT did not elaborate further and neither did the US or Lapid’s office when pressed for more details about how security was handled or will be handled for goods that were airdropped or will be airdropped in the future.

Israel has tightly controlled inspections of goods entering Gaza to ensure that no weapons or materials that could be used to produce weapons are smuggled into the enclave to help Hamas in its war against Israel. This includes an inspection mechanism for goods entering Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border.

Before the war, there were three land crossings into Gaza, two controlled by Israel at Kerem Shalom and Erez and a third at Rafah under Egyptian control. Rafah and Erez were considered pedestrian crossings while Kerem Shalom was the main avenue goods were transferred into the enclave. Israel for security reasons has long controlled Gaza airspace and sea space. There is no port in Gaza for large-scale cargo ships and Gaza had an airport only briefly from 1998-2001.

The Jordanian and US airdrops mark the first time in over two decades that non-Israeli aircraft have flown over Gaza airspace.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

The IDF's 98th Division surrounded the Hamad neighborhood in Khan Yunis on Monday and raided infrastructure in the area, where Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists operated, the IDF stated on Tuesday.

The terrorists were then promptly arrested by Israeli forces.

This took place after the terrorists attempted to escape from the western Khan Yunis neighborhood during civilian evacuations that the IDF was carrying out in the area, which were being done to protect Gazan civilians. Israeli forces also located weapons during the raids.

About 20 terrorists were also eliminated on Monday in central Gaza by Israeli forces through the use of sniper and tank fire and UAVs.

IDF troops concurrently continued to act to evacuate civilians from combat areas, the military added.

IDF eliminates terror squad

In the Beit Hanun area in northern Gaza, the forces identified a squad of terrorists who operated a drone. A fighter jet subsequently eliminated the squad.

IDF operates in Khan Yunis, Gaza on March 4, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The IDF eliminated about twenty terrorists in the central Gaza Strip, with the IAF striking over 50 Hamas targets, which included rocket launch positions, munitions warehouses, tunnel shafts, and other military infrastructures.

During his meetings in Washington last night, Defense Minister Benny Gantz heard sharp and highly critical messages about the humanitarian situation in Gaza from Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, according to Israeli and American sources familiar with the meeting.

Gantz was surprised by the strength of the criticism and concern he heard from senior government officials on this issue.

"There is significant difficulty here that needs to be addressed," said an Israeli source familiar with the meeting's content. Another conclusion Gantz drew from the meetings at the White House yesterday is that his visit to Washington occurred two months too late.

In his view, the strained relations between the White House and Netanyahu and his advisors did not allow for a sufficient understanding in the American administration regarding Israel's intentions and policy.

Gantz met for about an hour with President Biden's senior advisor on the Middle East, Brett McGurk, an hour and a half with National Security Advisor Sullivan, and another 45 minutes with Vice President Harris.

FILE PHOTO: Israeli Emergency cabinet minister and opposition politician Benny Gantz leaves after he addressed the press in Kiryat Shmona, Israel November 14, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)

Harris emphasized to Gantz that Israel needs to take further steps in cooperation with the United States and the international community to increase the humanitarian aid entering Gaza and ensure that it is distributed to Palestinians in need, according to the White House.

A source familiar with the content of the meeting between Harris and Gantz said that the message from the Vice President was that the Biden administration wants to continue supporting Israel, but Israel needs to do its part, especially concerning the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"Help us help you," Harris told Gantz. The message from all the senior American officials to Gantz was that Gaza needs to be flooded with aid, and it's Israel's role to find a solution on how to do that.

What's next?

Harris also emphasized to Gantz that before Israel considers a military operation in Gaza, it needs to present a workable humanitarian plan, given the risk of civilian casualties among Palestinians.

Gantz revealed during the talks at the White House that Biden administration officials do not believe what they have heard so far from Netanyahu and his advisors regarding a possible operation in Gaza, much less a plan to evacuate the civilian population from the city.

McGurk, Sullivan, and Harris repeatedly asked Gantz where Israel intends to relocate more than a million Palestinians currently in Gaza and cast doubt on Israel's ability to do so. Gantz clarified to Harris and Sullivan that Israel does not intend to enter Gaza without addressing the civilian population and stressed that it can be done.

The big picture

Senior White House officials expressed pessimism to Gantz about the likelihood of reaching a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia under the current conditions as long as the conflict in Gaza continues.

They emphasized that the key to progress with Saudi Arabia lies in Israel, and if a prolonged ceasefire is achieved, the Israeli government will need to take significant steps regarding the Palestinian issue for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to progress toward a peace agreement.

One thing the Israeli government will need to do is commit to a path leading to a future Palestinian state. Senior White House officials expressed doubt if the current Israeli government, which includes extremist elements, would be willing to take such a step.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz has summoned Israel's ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan back for consultations, he wrote in a post on X on Tuesday morning.

כשר החוץ אני קובע את המדיניות ואת סולם הערכים של משרד החוץ ולכן הנחיתי לנקוט מיד בצעד תקדימי ויוצא דופן בזימון שגריר ישראל באו"ם להתייעצויות, והוא נמצא כעת על המטוס בדרכו לישראל, וזאת מתוך הבעת מחאה על העובדה שמזכ"ל האו"ם פועל למסמס את הדו"ח החמור שהוא עצמו הזמין על פשעי המין של…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 5, 2024

"As the Foreign Minister, I determine the policy and the scale of values ​​of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and therefore I instructed to immediately take the unprecedented and extraordinary step of summoning Israel's ambassador to the United Nations for consultations, and he is currently on the plane on his way to Israel," Katz said.

This is a developing story.

The IDF destroyed the home of Abed Massad, an accomplice of a terrorist attack in Huwara last August, early Tuesday morning, Israeli media reported

The Huwara attack resulted in the deaths of Ashdod residents Shai Nigarkar and his son Aviad

The house was demolished in the village of Kafr Dan, north of Jenin in the West Bank.

Osama Beni Fidel, the terrorist who carried out the attack, was arrested last November during a military operation in Jenin.

An unmanned aerial vehicle that infiltrated into the Golan Heights from Syria was intercepted by a fighter jet, Maariv reported Tuesday morning.

This is a developing story.

One of two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis at the container vessel M/V MSC SKY II in the Gulf of Aden hit the ship and caused "damage," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday.

Initial reports indicated no injuries and the Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned container vessel did not request assistance and continued on its way, CENTCOM said in a statement.

A military spokesperson for the Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday that they targeted the vessel with "a number of suitable naval missiles." Houthis are targeting Red Sea shipping lanes in support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Houthi followers raise firearms during a parade in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and to show support to Houthi strikes on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in Sanaa, Yemen January 29, 2024. (credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)

US and British response

The US military said that Houthis also launched an anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen into the southern Red Sea, however, it impacted the water with no damage or injuries to commercial or US Navy ships. CENTCOM forces conducted "self-defense" strikes against two anti-ship cruise missiles that presented "an imminent threat" to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region, the statement added.

The United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and redesignated the militia as a terrorist group.

Houthis' Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.

Sergeant Dolev Haim Malka from the Nachshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade fell in southern Gaza last Friday and was buried on Sunday in the military section of the Shlomi cemetery.

19-year-old Malka, a volunteer for the Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom, left behind his parents, a brother, and a sister—along with numerous friends and loved ones. 

Malka saved countless lives during his time as an MDA volunteer, first joining the organization as a teenager in 2018. He carried out numerous ambulance and MICU shifts in the north of Israel.

Remembering Dolev Haim Malka

Nir Dei, the head of volunteers at the MDA station in Shlomi, recounted his first time meeting Malka. 

"I met Dolev about six years ago when he came to us at the MDA station in Shlomi as a 14-year-old boy and was a trainee in the first aid course,” Dei said. “He was a talented and professional volunteer, with thousands of volunteering hours and a lot of experience – which helped him save many lives.” 

Magen David Adom ambulance (credit: MAGEN DAVID ADOM ISRAEL)

Dei continued to mention other charitable causes for which Malka had donated his time, money, and effort. 

“He also helped distribute food on holidays and help the elderly. He was a kind-hearted person overall. He was smiling and charismatic,” Dei said. “May his memory be blessed."

Fellow MDA volunteers and friends of Malka, Nitay Dahan, Omer Ocampo, Roy Harfuf, and Shalev Butbul, recounted, "We met Dolev at the age of 15 at the MDA station in Shlomi, and we quickly bonded. For five years, we were inseparable - we were together on shifts, at school, and in our free time. We became a family. Now, there are four of us, missing and broken. 

“Dolev just wanted to give of himself and help people. He was just someone who only wanted to do good in the world and be happy. A man of joy, family, and friends. We love him and will not forget him."

Ships will have to obtain a permit from Yemen's Houthi-controlled Maritime Affairs Authority before entering Yemeni waters, Houthi Telecommunications Minister Misfer Al-Numair said on Monday.

Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's offensive in Gaza.

The near-daily attacks have forced firms into long and costly diversions around southern Africa and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the wider Middle East. The United States and Britain have bombed Houthi targets in response.

The territorial waters affected by the Yemeni order extend halfway out into the 20-km (12-mile) wide Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow mouth of the Red Sea through which around 15% of the world's shipping traffic passes on its way to or from the Suez Canal.

"(We) are ready to assist requests for permits and identify ships with the Yemeni Navy, and we confirm this is out of concern for their safety," Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, reported Al-Numair as saying.

People walk past a graffiti, depicting a Houthi fighter stopping an Israeli ship off the coast of Yemen, painted on a wall of the Saudi embassy in Sanaa, Yemen February 15, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)

Damage caused by Houthi attacks

Hong Kong-based HGC Global Communications said on Monday that at least four underwater communications cables - Asia-Africa-Europe 1, the Europe India Gateway, Seacom and TGN-Gulf - had been damaged last week in the Red Sea, without stating the cause.

It estimated that the damage had affected 25% of the data traffic flowing under the Red Sea, and said in a statement that it had devised a plan to reroute traffic.

Al-Numair's ministry on Saturday blamed US and British attacks for any damage to cables.

In the latest incident, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Monday it had received a report that a vessel had been damaged by two explosions, 91 nautical miles southeast of Aden, but there were no casualties and the vessel was proceeding to its next port of call.

The head of the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) warned on Monday that "without additional funding, we will be in uncharted territory with serious implications for global peace and security."

"We are functioning hand to mouth," Philippe Lazzarini told the 193-member UN General Assembly.

The United States - the largest donor to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East - and other countries paused funding after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of taking part in the October 7 attack by Hamas militants.