Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 177?

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Saturday that "famine" in Gaza can be dealt with in a short time if Israel opened the land crossings for aid to enter.

Safadi made the comments at a press conference with his Egyptian and French counterparts in Cairo.

The State Department said it welcomed the nomination of a new Palestinian Authority Cabinet, a spokesperson said on Friday.
 
“The United States looks forward to working with the new cabinet to promote peace, security, and prosperity and will be engaging this new government to deliver on credible reforms,” the State Department said.
 
Last week Biden administration officials maintained they will reserve judgements on new PA members until they see what actions the government takes.
 
“A revitalized PA is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza and establishing the conditions for stability in the broader region,” according to the State Department.

Mustafa's dual-role cabinet

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa formed a new cabinet on Thursday in which he will also serve as foreign minister, making an immediate Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appoints Mohammad Mustafa as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in Ramallah, in the West Bank March 14, 2024 (credit: VIA REUTERS)

Mustafa, an ally to President Mahmoud Abbas and a leading business figure was appointed premier this month with a mandate to help reform the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Abbas, who remains the most powerful figure in the PA as president, appointed the new government to demonstrate his willingness to meet international demands for change in the administration.

A delegation of Mossad and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) officials will depart for hostage negotiations in Doha and Cairo in the coming days, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Saturday night.

The delegations have “room to take action” in continuing negotiations, the PMO added, addressing how much authority teams were given.

Some delegation members will depart for Cairo on Sunday, media reported Saturday. The goal is to get a deal agreed on by the end of Ramadan, N12 reported.

Families of hostages gathered Saturday night outside of the Kirya military headquarters, where they called for the replacement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he is an obstacle to a deal that would free their family members, reports said.

The families said they would continue to protest against Netanyahu until he is no longer prime minister.

Following a meeting between families of the soldiers held hostage by Hamas and Netanyahu on Thursday, the families criticized Netanyahu’s strategy for ensuring their loved ones’ release.

IN 2015, when both the US House and the Senate had a Republican majority and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to a joint session of Congress while circumventing the Democratic administration and surprising it, he acted against the unbreakable rule, says the writer. (credit: GARY CAMERON/REUTERS)

The PMO responded Saturday night to reports that followed last week’s cabinet meeting, saying most of the cabinet ministers were opposed to allowing Palestinians to return to the north of the Gaza Strip as part of the hostage deal, following reports that most were in favor, with Netanyahu one of those opposed.

Israeli officials discuss Gaza deal possibilities

Mossad head David Barnea reportedly told the cabinet that despite the Hamas rejection of a compromise proposed by the US last Saturday, there was still the possibility of achieving a deal, which would rely heavily on allowing Gazans to return to the north of the Strip, according to N12.

Barnea reiterated the need for creative solutions, and this was supported by ministers Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, and Ron Dermer, while other members took a more lukewarm stance, such as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who believe that now is not the time for flexibility, said the report.

Netanyahu took a hardline approach, disagreeing with Barnea’s more flexible stance, according to N12.

Gantz and Eisenkot clashed with Netanyahu, saying a deal would have progressed if Israel had shown more initiative, according to a KAN report Thursday.

Israel has reportedly agreed to release Palestinian prisoners in return for the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, slain IDF soldiers whose bodies have been held in Gaza for nearly a decade, KAN reported Saturday.

The prisoners in question are those who were released in the hostage deal that led to the release of Gilad Schalit and were rearrested following involvement in terror attacks, the report said.

Maya Gur-Arieh contributed to this report.

The families of the hostages held by Hamas made a statement on Saturday evening criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to bring their loved ones home.

Sixteen relatives of the hostages took part in an emergency press conference held outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. They announced a new phase in their advocacy to bring their loved ones home, one which seeks to exercise increasing public pressure for the immediate replacement of Netanyahu, whom they believe to be the main roadblock in securing a hostage deal. 

These families, who have not seen nor heard from their loved ones in 176 days, are increasing pressure on the Israeli political establishment to return to the negotiating table. Much of this comes after reports and testimonies that Netanyahu has pushed back against a deal or sought to delay a deal in favor of increasing military pressure. 

In a major development, the families called for the removal of Netanyahu through elections. 

Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of 80-year-old Yoram Metzger, opened the press conference by stating, "The prime minister left us no choice. We all saw how Netanyahu repeatedly botched a deal for the return of the hostages. We saw how his personal political interest drives him time and time again in making decisions and how his concern for coalition stability outweighs his clear duty to bring our loved ones home.

Families of Israelis held hostage protest for their release, call on Netanyahu to resign, March 30, 2024. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)

"We were told to sit still, we were told to travel the world, but after six months, the hostages are still in Gaza! This is a complete and deliberate failure!"

Netanyahu as the obstacle to negotiations 

Einav Tsengaoker, the mother of hostage Matan Tsengaoker, appealed to the prime minister, saying, "After you abandoned our family members on October 7 and after 176 days where you failed to provide a deal, we understood that you are the obstacle that consciously and deliberately prevents a deal."

Tsengaoker called for elections, stating, "We are forced to do everything in our power to remove the obstacle, which is you, and we are forced to start a new phase in our struggle. From now on, we will work to replace you."

In an appeal to the war cabinet, Yael Or, the aunt of hostage Dror Or, asked ministers Gantz and Eisenkot, as well as the Likud party and the Knesset, to do everything in their power to return their loved ones. She called to "replace the one who fails to bring forth a deal because of personal reasons," meaning Netanyahu, and for members of his party to "listen to your conscience and the cries of the hostages, fulfill your duty to the state and citizens - replace Netanyahu immediately."

IDF soldiers and the air force supported by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) attacked a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operational headquarters located in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, according to an IDF statement on Sunday.

The attack was precise and left the hospital undamaged and operational, "Regular operations were not affected," the IDF said.

IDF chief of staff at Shifa Hospital: 'We achieved a major goal'

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi arrived at Shifa Hospital on Friday, where he held an assessment of ongoing operations with the commander of the IDF's Southern Command, Colonel Yaron Finkleman, the commander of the 162nd Division Lieutenant Colonel Itzik Cohen, and commander of Shayetet 13, lieutenant colonel "A," along with other senior IDF commanders.

Halevi stated, "After two weeks, we carried out a successful operation. To carry out something of this scale during a war is very complex.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi at Gaza's Shifa Hospital. March 30, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

"We are doing everything possible to prevent harm to patients and medical teams. The fact that this operation saw no harm to a single medical staff member or patient, but we were able to kill and capture many, many terrorists is a very significant achievement."

On Saturday, the IDF killed senior Hamas leaders Ra'ad Thabad, one of the highest ranked Hamas officials killed in Gaza to date other than Hamas’s No. 3 Marwan Issa, as well as Mahmoud Khalil Ziqzouq, deputy head of the rocket unit in Gaza City, and several others.

Since the beginning of the operation at Shifa Hospital, around two hundred terrorists have been killed. Over 800 suspects were found, with over 500 confirmed to be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad members.

In addition, the IDF revealed on Sunday that out of 598 IDF soldiers who have died since October 7, and 254 who have died as part of the ground invasion of Gaza, 39 soldiers have been killed by friendly fire or accidents.

This means that around 15% of Gaza invasion soldier deaths were from friendly fire or accidents.

Further, the IDF provided an update that 3,181 soldiers have been wounded since October 7. Out of the total, 1,545 have been wounded as part of the Gaza invasion, and 592 of those were from friendly fire or accidents.

This means that close to 40% of injuries have been from friendly fire or accidents.

Although the IDF has some significant precision weaponry, these statistics would be interesting for critics of Israel to note who attribute IDF killing or wounding of Palestinian civilians as deliberate as opposed to accidents, given that the IDF has no interest in friendly fire accidents.

Israel has agreed to a proposal forwarded to Hamas that includes the bodies of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, two IDF soldiers who were killed in Operation Protective Edge a decade ago, according to a Saturday report by KAN.

The proposal was forwarded to Hamas, but they have not yet responded.

The proposal also includes the release of prisoners who were formerly released in the Gilad Shalit deal but were then arrested again.

The Shalit deal was an agreement in 2011 between Israel and Hamas to release Gilad Shalit, who was held hostage by Hamas from 2006 to 2011 and was released in exchange for 1,027 prisoners held by Israel.

The possible deal with Hamas

As for the possible deal with Hamas, the offer is expected to be on the table again as part of the negotiations that will resume in Cairo in the coming days, according to three sources involved in negotiations cited by KAN.

Leah Goldin, mother of Hadar, speaks at a press conference, August 5, 2018 (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Shaul's brother said in an interview with KAN in the first days of the current war against Hamas to "not miss the opportunity again to get my brother back; my family has been abandoned."

Simcha Goldin, Hadar's father, spoke at the beginning of the war at a press conference of relatives of the families of the kidnapped and missing, and said, "The voice from here must be uniform and clear - if the state does not return all the captives and missing, Israeli society will collapse."

Al-Mayadeen, a Hezbollah-affiliated network, reported on Saturday that "Palestinian factions" in Syria rejected the proposal to establish a multi-national military force of Arab countries with the backing of the US. This force would be responsible for controlling law and order in Gaza and escorting humanitarian aid convoys. 

"Arab countries, together with the US, are trying to rescue the IDF from the situation it has found itself in Gaza. The Palestinian people are capable of choosing their leaders and institutions that will manage the Strip," the report stated. 

It was previously reported that Israel is interested in the advancement of an Arab force to both solve the issue of the looting of humanitarian aid convoys and prevent widespread hunger in Gaza. It would also to enable the creation of a Palestinian alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza. 

A senior Israeli official said that "such a move will build a governing body in the area that is not Hamas and will solve Israel's problem with the US regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

This official also noted that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the possibility of establishing a multi-national force during discussions with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and in talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. All of this was in the framework of promoting a plan for "the day after" the war in Gaza. 

Palestinians ride on a donkey cart as they return to their home, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, November 24, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

According to the Israeli official, this Arab-led force would only stay in Gaza for a limited transition period. It would be responsible for securing the temporary pier that the US intends to build off the coast of Gaza. This force would also escort the humanitarian aid convoys to ensure they reach the people who need it most rather than remain vulnerable to looting by terrorists. 

Additionally, Gallant asked the US to cooperate in promoting the establishment of this multi-national force, emphasizing to the Americans that this would take the form of political and material support, with no US troops entering the ground in Gaza. The senior Israeli official added that senior officials in the IDF and Defense Ministry had discussed the issue in recent weeks with representatives from three Arab countries, including Egypt. 

Arab nations propose creating force for West Bank 

In another development, there are reports that senior officials of Arab nations have proposed a deployment of Arab forces not only in the Gaza Strip but also in the West Bank, KAN News reported on Saturday. 

This proposal was brought up in a meeting last week between ministers of Arab countries and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cairo, where these leaders put forward such a proposal to station Arab forces in the Gaza Strip and regions in the West Bank. The force would also reportedly see the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates met with Blinken to propose this plan. 

An Arab diplomat, who was aware of the meeting, told KAN that Arab leaders expressed willingness to deploy forces in the West Bank "to launch a peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, and to implement the two-state solution."

This source told KAN that Arab states fear that Israel will treat this solution as tactical and temporary, such as distributing humanitarian aid, rather than a comprehensive and strategic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is something the Arab states would want to see through. 

Additionally, the source added that Arab states put this proposal on the table to prove their commitment to the peace process and their willingness to engage in security arrangements related to the establishment of a Palestinian state - not just by helping the IDF achieve its goals in Gaza.

Thousands of protesters rallied around the country to protest the government and call for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on Saturday evening. 

The main demonstrations took place on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv, the site of weekly anti-government protests, that have also been the location of several press conferences and speeches made by the families of the Gaza hostages and politicians. 

The police blocked Begin Road in Tel Aviv as protesters lit bonfires outside the Kirya military headquarters. These protests have already seen severe clashes between police and protesters, with police arriving with additional forces.

Police arrests 16 people 

Chants of "shame" were called by protesters as the police tried to push them away from the central bonfires that were lit on Begin Road. 

The police said 16 people had been arrested in Tel Aviv.  

Earlier this evening, the families of the hostages held a press conference where they spoke of the fact that they had not seen or heard from their loved ones in 176 days and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war and hostage negotiations. Their statements called for the state to hold new elections to replace Netanyahu. 

Protesters call for the release of the hostages and elections in Tel Aviv, March 30, 2024. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)

The Ayalon Highway was blocked by protesters in both directions, and it has been reported that water cannons are deployed by police to disperse the protesters. 

Protests are held across the country in numerous locations. Around 1,500 demonstrators in Jerusalem met at Paris Square, and they too called for the release of the hostages. Another 1,500 were reportedly protesting in Herzilya, and residents of the Gaza border communities were also reported to have blocked the Shaar HaNegev intersection in southern Israel.  

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. 

General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, proposed an outline for an Israeli military operation in Rafah to IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, according to a Saturday Kan News report. 

According to the report, Brown told his Israeli counterpart that the US did not want to see thousands of civilian casualties in Rafah. 

Kan further stated that the proposed outline included closing the Rafah border with Egypt and using technological surveillance such as cameras and sensors. 

Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

Carrying out targeted operations 

In addition, the US suggested that Rafah should be isolated from the rest of the Strip and that the IDF should carry out targeted operations in specific areas based on intelligence information. 

The US also proposed to operate a joint war room with Israel.

According to Kan, the US voiced its disappointment at Israel for not preparing a plan for a post-war Gaza. 

The report noted that the two military chiefs discussed the issue during Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s visit to Washington last week.