Israel-Hamas war day 184: What's happening in Gaza, Lebanon?

The IDF stated on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Brigadier-General Roman Gofman as the Military Secretary to the Prime Minister.

The appointment was made after consultation with Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi.

Gofman will be promoted to the rank of Major General.

Additionally, the IDF stated that Major-General Avi Gil will complete his three-year term, and his replacement date will be determined according to the situational assessment.

A Senate ally of President Joe Biden said the US should continue sending weapons to Israel, rejecting a call by House members to withhold arms transfers pending a full investigation into the Israeli missile strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza.

Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, cited a heightened risk of an attack by Iran or its proxies after a strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria that Iran blamed on Israel.

“In the face of a possible attack from Iran, I don’t agree that we should in any way constrain or stop the delivery of defensive material that is essential for Israel’s defense,” Coons said on Fox News Sunday.

The Israel Air Force (IAF) fighter jets conducted multiple strikes over the last few days on three Hamas rocket launch posts, the IDF said on Monday.

The posts were discovered using direct operational identifications in a designated humanitarian area in western Khan Yunis.

Allegedly, they were used to carry out attacks towards southern Israel throughout the recent months of fighting.

Prior to the attack, the IDF verified the evacuation of civilians and accurately targeted the launchers.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated in a Monday post on X that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ends Israel's war against Hamas without an extensive attack on Hamas in Rafah, he will cease to have a mandate to serve as prime minister.

אם ראש הממשלה יחליט לסיים את המלחמה ללא מתקפה נרחבת על רפיח על מנת להכריע את חמאס, לא יהיה לו מנדט להמשיך לכהן כראש הממשלה.

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) April 8, 2024

Israeli security forces thwarted an attempted stabbing attack at a Jordan Valley checkpoint, the IDF and Israeli media reported on Monday morning.

The IDF reported that after the suspect arrived at the Tayasir Checkpoint, she refused to identify herself. She subsequently attempted to stab the soldiers stationed at the checkpoint.

The IDF personnel responded with live fire, neutralizing the attacker. No injuries were reported among the Israeli personnel.

Amid reports on Monday of US backing for Palestinian Authority (PA) control of post-war Gaza, tensions between Fatah and Hamas appear to be escalating, posing a threat to existing plans.

The US and other influential entities anticipated that the Palestinian Authority would implement crucial reforms to function as a "normalized" authority.

An Israeli official told the Wall Street Journal, "The understanding is that one way or another, we will work with entities connected to the Authority. However, it doesn't mean that the current format of the Authority will be the leading force in Gaza."

Yesterday, a sharp crash in the value of the Iranian Rial was reported, with some sources reporting that one USD would now be worth over 660,000 Iranian Rials in some unofficial markets.

Others stressed that the already weak currency suffered a blow, leading to the loss of 30% of its worth overnight, despite the regime’s official digits showing no major changes.

One member of the Majlis (the Iranian parliament) demanded to know from chair Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf which steps the authorities are going to take. He called on the parliament to meet with the governor of the country’s central bank and wondered, “If we don't have money, why are we printing more? And if we do have money, why is it so costly?”

An Israeli airstrike delivered by Israel Air Force fighter jets eliminated Ali Ahmed Hassin, the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan forces in the Hajir region of southern Lebanon, the IDF reported on Monday.

Earlier, Reuters cited security forces who said that two others were also killed in the strike, which took place in the area of Sultaniyeh.

Three Hezbollah operatives killed

The IDF stated that the other two individuals hit were Hezbollah operatives under Hassin's command.

Following previous reports suggesting progress in negotiations between Hamas and Israel regarding a potential hostage deal, Al Jazeera reported that a Hamas official told the Qatari state-run media organization that these claims were false.

The Hamas official reportedly said, "The Israeli delegation has not responded to Hamas's requests to reach a form of a deal."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid vowed to continue working for the freedom of the hostages in Hamas captivity and slammed those who were not speaking up in their defense at a Washington DC rally for Israel and the hostages on Sunday.

Addressing the crowd, he said, “We came here [today] to say there are truth and lies in this world.

"The hostages are victims of terror and hatred, as they are victims of anyone who remains silent and of anyone who tries to explain to us that there are two sides to the story.

"There are not two sides to the story. This is not a story. These are real people.