Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 153?

Hostage talks are expected to resume in Cairo next week, as Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked on the terms of a deal for a six-week pause to the Gaza war in exchange for the release of some 40 captives.

Hope for an agreement by the start of the holy month of Ramadan on Sunday night appeared slim on Thursday.

Negotiators still hoped, however, to finalize terms for a deal before the emotions of that sensitive period led to an explosion that could complicate the execution of a deal.  

"Hamas's delegation left Cairo this morning for consultation with the leadership of the movement, with negotiations and efforts continuing to stop the aggression, return the displaced, and bring in relief aid to our people," a Hamas statement said.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Israel had been "thwarting" efforts to conclude a deal, which has been mediated by Egypt and Qatar with help from the United States.

Hamas officials have said a permanent ceasefire must be in place before the hostages are freed, Israeli forces must leave Gaza and all Gazans must be able to return to homes they have fled.

Hamas has said it can't provide a list of the hostages who are still alive without a ceasefire as the hostages are scattered across the war zone. 

This week, Tamar and Sarah discuss the urgency of a hostage deal ahead of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan and the intense pressure on the Israeli government amid the Israel-Hamas War. They discuss international pressures on Israel relating to the hunger crisis in Gaza and the new UN report on sexual violence as a tool of war on October 7. 

Then, they are joined by Prof. Mimi Ajzenstadt, a full professor at the Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare and at the Institute of Criminology, Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and former President of the Open University of Israel. They discuss the data she has collected regarding gender-based consequences of the events of October 7 and the ensuing war.

Our podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

The Knesset International Relations department's spokesperson reported that Udo Bullmann, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights in the European Parliament, ended his visit to Israel on Tuesday.

During the visit, Bollman held a series of meetings with members of the Knesset and families of the hostages. He toured the village called Gaza, where he saw the houses from which young women were kidnapped and met with their families. He also visited the Knesset, went to where the Re'im party was, and watched the horror movie from October 7.

"Release the hostages from Gaza immediately and unconditionally"

Udo Bullmann

During his visit, Bullmann emphasized the importance of a swift release of the hostages in Gaza, who have been there for 153 days now. Nonetheless, Bullmann also called for a ceasefire and an increase in humanitarian aid sent to Gaza. "We hope that a solution to the tragedy will be found, which will lead to a regional solution," he added.

Edelstein's comments on Bullmann's visit

The chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, MK Yuli Edelstein, criticized Bullmann for the fact that the hostages in Gaza do not receive visits from the Red Cross, and there is no certainty as to whether they were given medication. "I was imprisoned in the Gulag, and there I received better conditions than the hostages in Gaza," stressed Edelstein.

MK Edelstein also noted that Hamas uses humanitarian aid for terrorist purposes and harms the Gazan population.

The chairman of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women, MK Panina Tamano Shata, asked the Bullmann to hold a discussion in the Committee for Human Rights in the European Parliament, which he chairs, on the subject of the mangled state of human rights during the events of October 7. MK Tamano Shata told Bullmann about the sexual crimes committed that day.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told the International Union of Muslim Scholars Conference in Qatar on January 9 that donations to Gaza were not "humanitarian aid" but a form of "financial jihad," according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.

"Jihad" is defined by Oxford Languages as "a struggle or fight against the enemies of Islam" and or "the spiritual struggle within oneself against sin." Terror attacks are often considered to be acts of jihad.

Muslims use "jihad" to describe an internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith, the actions taken to build a Muslim society, and to describe a "holy war" to defend Islam, with force if necessary, according to the BBC. 

"The [Islamic] nation has an important role. The scholars of our nation have a pivotal role, on two fronts: The first front is supporting the resistance. Brothers and sisters, the whole world is pouring weapons on the occupation. The whole world is not afraid to do so. There are air bridges from multiple capital cities which reach the occupation, as well as aircraft, and so on and so forth. This has become an individual obligatory [Islamic] duty, which we must perform," Haniyeh told the conference. 

"Like the scholars have mentioned, there are fatwas to this effect, and there are motivating statements. There is verbal Jihad, which is Jihad by the tongue, but indeed, the time has come for Jihad of the swords. This is the battle for Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and not the battle of the Palestinian people, or Gaza, or the people in Gaza.

"The people of Gaza constitute our frontline trench for defense, as well as for offense. They are not there only to defend, but also to attack. What was October 7 if not a frontline trench for an offensive by our nation? We must not let this moment slip away. The time has come. Oh, sons of our Islamic nation, oh, free people of the world, there are very few historic moments like this. Do not let this moment slip away. Our nation and our Islamic scholars have very few historic moments like this. Do not let this moment slip away, because if it does, we do not know how many decades will pass before such a moment returns.

HAMAS MEMBERS, along with various Palestinian factions, work to maintain order and control market prices amid the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, this week. (credit: MOHAMMED SALEM/REUTERS)

"Time is on our side. At the beginning of this aggression, the Americans were waving a big stick in the face of the world, and even in the Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities in some European countries—some of their prominent Palestinian or Arab figures were summoned and were told not to raise the Palestinian flag or do anything. But the language of the same countries has now changed. Why has it changed? Because of the [Palestinian] steadfastness. Were it not for this steadfastness, the conscience of the world would have been crushed. Brothers, we should build on this steadfastness. We should hold on to the victory that took place on October 7 and build upon it.

"The Islamic scholars can establish groups and delegations on multiple levels. These delegations would meet the officials of the countries in which they live—government officials, political parties, civil society, institutions—and fulfill their duty in their own countries. They can even lead the masses [in protests]. That's for one. Secondly, [we should] form special delegations that will meet with the heads of state in the Arab, Muslim, and even Western countries. They should visit countries and talk about Palestine, Jerusalem, Gaza, and the need to stop the aggression against the Gaza Strip.

"The second issue is the call to donate money. Dear brothers and sisters, let us call this 'financial Jihad.' The Islamic nation does not make 'donations.'

"This is not just a humanitarian issue, despite its immense importance and Gaza's need for any aid it can get. This is financial Jihad. We should revive this principle of Islamic jurisprudence in our Islamic nation—the notion of waging Jihad with one's life and one's money."  

Humanitarian aid in Gaza

Gaza has been the recipient of aid from Israel, the United States, the United Nations, Jordan and many over countries as humanitarian conditions have suffered since Israel launched its war against Hamas. 

The United States has begun delivering aid via airdrops in hopes of it reaching Palestinian civilians. 

Hamas, the terrorist organization responsible for running the strip, has been accused of stealing humanitarian aid and manufacturing a crisis that would result in a high civilian death count.

Gazan civilians have testified to officers of the IDF's Unit 504 how Hamas murdered Gazan civilians who tried to get help from UNRWA and that Hamas terrorists steal food from US aid organizations and seize civilian properties for military use.

In one recorded call, a Gazan civilian testified that Hamas murdered his cousin because he tried to seek help from UNRWA. In another conversation, a civilian said he does not leave his home because he fears Hamas will seize it and use the property to fire toward Israel and destroy his house. 

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.

The Arab Affairs commentator for Channel 13 news, Zvi Yehezkeli, was interviewed on Tuesday on Radio Israel, and discussed to the feelings within Gazan society regarding the Israel-Hamas War.

"Our Western mind is sure that the Arab mind sees how devastated Gaza is and regrets October 7, but no. They will study and learn about it in the future. In their minds, they distinguish between that day of 'achievement,' as they see it, and the [subsequent] consequences they brought upon themselves," Yehezkeli explained.

"It might be that on a personal level, when an ordinary Gazan sees his home destroyed, he feels sorry. But on a general level, they know they will have a new one built, that food will keep coming, that the Americans and the world will take care of them. A true victory is something related to the land. If the countries of the world come and restore them [to how they were before October 7] - returning them to the same point, indeed. The victory [for us would be] encouraging voluntary migration," he added.

Give Gazans an option to leave

"How do you check if this war did something to them? Give them the option to leave. Until today, hundreds of thousands have left Gaza. The young people from there upload a lot of videos onto the Internet, coming out against what happens in the Strip; they want to leave, give them the option," Yehezkeli concluded.

The United States military plans to build an emergency port off the Gaza coast to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and help alleviate the hunger crisis in the enclave.

The port “can receive large ships carrying food, water medicine, and temporary shelters,” top US officials told reporters in a background briefing.

US President Joe Biden is expected to announce the initiative during his annual State of the Union speech.

Spain will send the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA an additional 20 million euros ($21.88 million) in aid, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Thursday.

This will be on top of the 3.5 million euros the country has already pledged in February

Hamas chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is in disagreement with Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas’s political bureau, on the demands the terror group should make in the ceasefire negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. 

According to the report, based on officials in the know, the two leaders hold conflicting opinions.

Sinwar is taking a hawkish stance, wishing to extort more concessions from Israel, while Haniyeh, who is leading the Cairo negotiations, is willing to concede to a six-week pause in the war, during which a possibility of a durable ceasefire could be explored along with the IDF’s withdrawal from the Strip.  

Hamas Gaza Chief Yahya Sinwar (L) gestures as he speaks with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh at the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip September 19, 2017 (credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

Hamas's demands for a ceasefire

Earlier on Thursday, Hamas announced in a press statement on its Telegram channel that its delegation was leaving the Cairo talks “for consultation with the leadership of the movement.”

Hamas’s exigencies for a ceasefire include installing a ceasefire before releasing any hostages, Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip, and allowing all Gazans to return to their homes. In addition, the terror group has stated it cannot ascertain which of the hostages are dead or alive. 

The allegations of strife between the two Hamas chiefs come amid a report published earlier this week by Sky News Arabia claiming that Sinwar was the object of heavy criticism by the Hamas leadership abroad for initiating the October 7 attack without prior consultation.

Only five Hamas leaders were aware of the decision to attack. Haniyeh was not among them, according to the news outlet. 

Reuters contributed to this article. 

Israel will push on with its offensive against Hamas, including into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite growing international pressure to stop, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas after its terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting 253. More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel's subsequent offensive, Hamas health authorities estimate, prompting worldwide criticism and condemnation.

"There is international pressure and it's growing, but particularly when the international pressure rises, we must close ranks, we need to stand together against the attempts to stop the war," he said.

Esther Cunio, a 90-year-old Argentinian grandmother living in Kibbutz Nir Oz, was spared by Hamas terrorists after she mentioned she came from the same country as soccer player Lionel Messi, according to a new documentary titled Voces del 7 de octubre - Latino Stories of Survival.

Cunio went viral after being forced to take a photo with her would-be masked terrorist abductors.

On October 7, two Hamas terrorists invaded her community and killed, kidnapped, or wounded approximately a quarter of the Kibbutz residents. 

Cunio was questioned by the terrorists on the whereabouts of her relatives but redirected the conversation to discussions on soccer. 

She credits her survival to her conversational skills and informs her abductors that she was born in the same place as Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi. 

The destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, October 19, 2023. (credit: ERIK MARMOR/FLASH90)

One of the terrorists informed Cunio that he was a big fan of Messi, and that was when he made her pose for the infamous photo.

Eight of Cunio's extended family members were kidnapped to Gaza, and two remain hostage.

David and Ariel Cunio, grandchildren of Esther, are still being held in Gaza.

About the Documentary 

Cunio's story will be told alongside other stories of Latino-Israeli October 7 survivors. 

The film is currently in the production stages and being developed by Fuente Latina, a nonprofit organization for Spanish-speaking media covering Israel.

“This documentary is unique as it spotlights the Spanish-speaking community in Israel and conveys their stories of horror and heroism from the Hamas attack to millions of Hispanics worldwide,” said Leah Soibel, CEO and Founder of Fuente Latina. “The film is critical as it preserves these testimonies for future generations, ensuring the truth is not distorted or forgotten, as is the case with past events,” she said. 

"Documenting the narratives of the October 7 Hamas attacks from the viewpoints of Spanish-speaking immigrants has been an extraordinary privilege. Our film aims to preserve the lessons of history while leveraging the strength of our shared humanity in the battle against terrorism, said Tony Hernandez, the film's director. 

Funds are being raised for the production.

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