Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 176?

At least 32,782 Palestinians have been killed and 75,298 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said on Sunday.

As the Lebanese Christian village of Rmeish marks its first Easter since the Gaza war erupted, residents say a parallel confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel is dragging them into a conflict they did not choose.

Like many Christians elsewhere in southern Lebanon, residents are angry and fearful their homes could be caught in the cross-fire and their families forced to flee -- permanently -- from their ancestral villages near the Lebanon-Israel border.

Earlier this week, a Rmeish resident confronted a group of armed men trying to launch rockets at Israel from within the village. Some villagers rang church bells to sound the alarm, and the armed men moved off to fire rockets from another neighborhood, according to mayor Milad al-Alam and Rmeish residents.

"What we've been saying for the last six months is: among our own homes, keep us neutral. Any strike in return would have brought huge losses," Alam told Reuters.

Hezbollah began launching rockets from hilltops and villages in southern Lebanon at Israel on Oct. 8 in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which carried out a cross-border attack into Israel the previous day that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziad al-Nakhalah visited Iran over the weekend, where he promised “victory” in the war against Israel. His visit came days after the head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, also flew to Tehran from Doha. The meetings come at an auspicious time. This is the last week of Ramadan and it also comes on the eve of the six months anniversary of the October 7 massacre. The visit by these two terrorist bosses is important and it likely foreshadows a new phase of conflict.

In the past when Iran has sought to bring together these groups in meetings it often represents a larger part of the Iranian war against Israel and against the US and other countries in the region. For instance, in the past these kinds of meetings have taken place during periods of escalation. These groups have also been meeting more frequently to try to coordinate multiple fronts against Israel. This is the Tehran strategy of “uniting the arenas.”

What we know from the public statements about the PIJ leader meetings in Iran is that he discussed the role of his terrorist group with the Iranian foreign minister. “Amir Abdollahian considered the unity of the resistance currents in Palestine and the Gaza Strip in the current battle as one of the valuable manifestations of the Palestinian nation,” a report at Tasnim News said. This referenced the accomplishments the Palestinians believe they have gained on the political, legal, and international fronts.

The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) continued operations targeting terrorist infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, including inside Shifa Hospital, after armed forces uncovered more weapons within the hospital, the IDF said on Sunday.

During an IDF operation in Rimal, in the northern Gaza Strip, terrorists launched RPGs and fired at troops with sniper rifles. Subsequently, compounds where RPGs were launched and snipers were stationed were targeted and struck by Israel Air Force (IAF) aircraft.

Over 15 terrorists were eliminated on Saturday, the IDF added, including a terrorist cell identified while exiting a tunnel shaft and approaching an IDF convoy. The terrorists were eliminated via airstrike.

Following anti-government protests Saturday night, government officials condemned their activities Sunday morning, arguing that they benefit Hamas. 

"The scenes remind me of terrorist demonstrations," MK Tally Gotliv said in a Sunday interview on the Knesset channel, discussing the protests against the government. 

She continued to say that the protesters "are ruining the country -- they will bring us another hell."

New Hope leader MK Gideon Sa'ar said in a Sunday statement on X that the government's approach to the war would lead to Israel's defeat.

"The issue of the plan to release the captives is stuck for precisely the same reason everything is stuck: In these long months, military pressure on Hamas has waned," Sa'ar wrote. "Without significant pressure, Hamas sees no urgency to devise a new plan.

"A protracted, repetitive, and sluggish war won't lead to a breakthrough. In this scenario, Hamas feels entitled to demand its return to the northern Gaza Strip and the reinstatement of its authority (both political and military) there. The stark reality is that without halting the erosion and altering the course of the conflict, Israel is bound for defeat."

נושא המתווה לשחרור החטופים תקוע בדיוק מאותה סיבה שהכל תקוע: חודשים ארוכים שבהם הוחלש הלחץ הצבאי על חמאס. חמאס לא מרגיש בלחץ להגיע למתווה חדש, כי לא מופעל עליו לחץ משמעותי. המשך מלחמה ארוכה, שבלונית ואיטית לא תביא אותו לשם. במצב דברים זה מרשה לעצמו החמאס לתבוע בעצם את חזרתו לצפון…

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) March 31, 2024

The Israeli military announced Sunday that it has begun recruiting combat soldiers for the March-April 2024 cycle amid the war in Gaza.

Men comprise 61.8% of these new recruits, while women comprise 38.2%. The IDF reported an increase in soldiers from the United States, Russia, and Ethiopia.  

Of the 883 new immigrants enlisting in the IDF, 557 are men, and 326 are women. Additionally, 646 lone soldiers are enlisting, of which 370 are men and 276 are women. 

A terrorist attempted to stab people at the central station in Beersheba and was neutralized by a soldier present at the scene, according to the IDF.

Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics provided medical treatment to the 20-year-old man with a stab wound in moderate condition. Another IDF soldier was lightly wounded. Both were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in stable condition. 

The terrorist, Naji Abu Farih, was a Bedouin resident of Rahat and a furniture bus driver, according to local reports.

Documentation from the scene shows the terrorist running between platforms at the central station, wielding 

The IDF announced on Sunday morning it had changed the closed military zone status of some localities in the Gaza border communities.

As part of the changes, the Re'im forest and some agricultural areas in the Gaza border communities will be reopened. 

An Israel Air Force jet intercepted a suspicious aerial target from Syria which was making its way toward Israeli territory, the military said Saturday night.

No infiltration into Israeli territory was identified, the IDF noted.

Earlier on Saturday night, Israeli media reported, citing Syrian sources, that Israeli jets reportedly struck in Daraa in southern Syria.