Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 183?

The IDF on Sunday announced that it had concluded the active invasion stage of the war for now while leaving open the possibility of a future new invasion of Rafah in deep southern Gaza.

In terms of IDF forces, this means that the IDF has withdrawn all of Division 98 from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza while maintaining one plus brigades - the Nahal brigade and portions of Brigade 401 – in northern and central Gaza.

Although a top IDF official said that this change had nothing to do with US pressure, the timing was unmistakable in coming right after the IDF’s disastrous mistaken killing of seven humanitarian aid workers last week.

The decision also came less than two days after Israel opened the Erez Crossing and Ashdod port to transfer humanitarian aid, decisions made under threat by the US of potentially losing weapons support after Jerusalem had refused these requests from Washington for months.

Critically, this means that Palestinians can, on one hand, move freely within southern Gaza and Khan Yunis and that there is a complete vacuum for preventing a return of Hamas governance, but the IDF is keeping northern and central Gaza cut off from the south.

IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip. March 23, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

This means Palestinians cannot move from south to north and that over two million Palestinians, more than half of whom are northern Gaza residents, remain separated from their communities, with somewhere between 150,000-300,000 Palestinians remaining in northern Gaza, who never left.

Two people were wounded in a terror attack in which a terrorist exited a car in the Nabi Ilyas Junction on Sunday and shot at the vehicles in the vicinity, the military said. 

A female soldier was severely wounded as a result of the attack. In addition, a civilian was lightly wounded, the IDF said. 

The IDF added that troops were encircling the area of Nabi Ilyas, aided by an air force aircraft, in an attempt to pursue the terrorist. 

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli media reported two people had been wounded from gunshots fired at a bus on Road 55 near the Nabi Ilyas Junction in the West Bank, near Karnei Shomron, in a terror attack, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

Israeli forces at the scene of a suspected terror attack near Elazar, in the West Bank. March 21, 2024. (credit: GERSHON ELINSON/FLASH90)

The military said it had received reports of the shooting, and forces had been dispatched to the scene.

The military radio reported the terrorist had fled the area and that UAVs had been sent to the scene to aid in the pursuit. 

Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 33,175 Palestinians and wounded 75,886 since Oct. 7, Gaza's Hamas-governed health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

There have been 38 Palestinians killed and 71 injured in the past 24 hours, the statement added.

The health ministry's numbers cannot be independently verified, and they do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that "the 7th of October is a day of pain for Israel and the world" in a post on X marking the six-month anniversary of the October 7th massacre on Sunday morning.

The 7th of October is a day of pain for Israel and the world.

Nothing can justify the horror unleashed by Hamas.

I once again condemn the use of sexual violence, torture & kidnapping of civilians, and call for the unconditional release of all the hostages. pic.twitter.com/xdHmDIsxyy

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 6, 2024

"The United Nations and I personally mourn with Israelis for the 1,200 people, including many women and children, who were killed in cold blood," said Guterres. "Nothing can justify the horror unleashed by Hamas on October 7th."

The UN secretary general added that he condemns "the use of sexual violence, torture, injuring, and kidnapping of civilians, the firing of rockets towards civilian targets, and the use of human shields" and called for the "unconditional release of all the hostages."

A damaged and blood-stained kindergarten is seen following a deadly infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel October 22, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

Guterres has consistently disappointed with his responses to the ongoing war

Guterres has come under fire repeatedly throughout the war for his focus on condemning Israel and for comments concerning the October 7 massacre

IDF Capt. Ido Baruch, Sgt. Amitai Even Shoshan, Sgt. Reef Harush, and Sgt. Ilai Zair fell in battle in southern Gaza, the IDF announced on Sunday morning.

The four served in the Oz Brigade.

A British Royal Navy ship will supply aid to Gaza as part of an international effort to help set up a new humanitarian maritime corridor in early May, the foreign office and ministry of defence said on Saturday.

The multinational effort, involving the United States, Cyprus, and other partners, will develop a new temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, British Foreign Minister David Cameron said.

"The situation in Gaza is dire and the prospect of famine is real. We remain committed to getting aid to those who so desperately need it," Cameron said in a statement.

Cameron has also pledged 9.7 million pounds ($12.26 million) for aid equipment and logistical expertise to help set up the maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, his office said.

The IDF struck sites near Janta in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon early Sunday morning, just hours after an IDF drone was downed by a surface-to-air missile in Lebanon, according to Lebanese reports.

الطيران الإسرائيلي ينفذ عدة غارات على منطقة بعلبك وضواحيها شرقي #لبنان pic.twitter.com/yDbZHAgeZc

— حسين مرتضى Hussein Mortada (@HoseinMortada) April 6, 2024

Some Lebanese reports indicated that Syrian air defenses were activated during the strikes in the Beqaa Valley, although there has been no official confirmation of such an incident as of yet.

The United States warned that Israel would be judged on the results of the security cabinet’s decision late Thursday night to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including opening the Erez crossing and allowing goods to move through the Ashdod Port.

“These are positive developments,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday, “but the real test is results, and that’s what we’re looking to see in the coming days and the coming weeks.”

He laid a series of litmus tests by which the Biden administration would judge the effectiveness of the security cabinet’s decisions.

“Is the aid effectively reaching people who need it throughout Gaza? Are the bottlenecks and other delays at crossings being resolved? Do we have a much better system for deconfliction and coordination so that the humanitarian workers, the folks who are delivering the aid, can do it safely and securely?” he stated as he spoke to reporters in Belgium.

The war cabinet is set to convene on Sunday before the Israeli delegation to the Cairo hostage talks departs, Kan news reported on Saturday.

At least three anti-government protesters were injured after being run over by a driver during demonstrations in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, according to police.

One of the protesters was in moderate condition, while at least two others were lightly injured, according to Magen David Adom.

אירוע חריג בהפגנה לשחרור חטופים: אדם הגיע ברכב ודרס מפגינים, אישה כבת 50 נפצעה באורח בינוני, מצבם של שניים נוספים - קל | תיעוד הדריסה
(צילום: איתי רזיאל)@hadasgrinberg pic.twitter.com/U4DfJFlNDI

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 6, 2024

Footage from the scene showed the driver and passengers yelling at police and protesters before speeding forward and driving over several people. The driver was later arrested.

שימו לב - המשטרה האשימה את המפגינים בתקיפת שוטרת. רואים כאן בסרטון השלכת מפגין על ידי שוטר לכיוון השוטרת ופגיעה בה pic.twitter.com/KS918C2Koc

— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) April 6, 2024