Israel-Hamas War Day 193: What's going on in Gaza, Lebanon?

A staggering intelligence failure by Israeli military intelligence took place on April 1.

IDF intelligence assessed that killing Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander for Lebanon and Syria, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, in the heart of Damascus within a diplomatic compound (though not in the Iranian Embassy to Syria itself) would not lead to a major direct attack on Israel by Iran.

This estimate was dead wrong.

Iran directly and massively attacked Israel for the first time in 45 years after decades of being content with a lower-key shadow war via proxies.

The only reason there are no calls for a commission of inquiry about the colossally inaccurate assessment which led to Iran’s ferocious attack on Israel with around 350 aerial threats, including around 120 ballistic missiles, is that the air force, combined with the US, UK, France, Jordan, and others managed a miraculous shoot down rate that surpassed even the massive failure.

Iron dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles as rockets fired from Lebanon, as it seen over Kiryat Shmona, March 5, 2024. (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)

Put differently, due to IDF intelligence underrating the threat posed by an adversary, Israeli losses on April 1 could have been greater than on October 7, and the only difference was the effectiveness of the air force and allied forces.

The United States has seen steady progress in the amount of aid going into Gaza, the U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday. However, he claimed it was still not at the desired level and that Washington was working to improve that.

Speaking at a daily briefing, Miller also said Washington was yet to be briefed in detail on details for the evacuation of civilians from Rafah or humanitarian considerations ahead of a possible Israeli military offensive on the southern Gazan city.

A UN-mandated commission of inquiry that probes violations of international human rights law on Tuesday accused Israel of obstructing its efforts to collect evidence from the victims of the attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.

"So far as the government of Israel is concerned, we have not only seen a lack of cooperation, but active obstruction of our efforts to receive evidence from Israeli witnesses and victims to the events that occurred in southern Israel," said Chris Sidoti, one of three members of a commission of inquiry into abuses committed in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"We have contact with many, but we would like to have contact with more."

Sidoti appealed to the government of Israel, as well as victims and witnesses of the attack, to aid the commission in conducting its probe.

A general view of the United Nations Security Council during a meeting on ''Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,'' at the UN headquarters in New York, US, May 4, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/DAVID 'DEE' DELGADO)

Israel responds to Sidoti

Israel's war cabinet will meet on Tuesday to discuss the response to Iran's attack over the weekend, an Israeli official said.

No time was set for the meeting, the official said.

It will be the third time that the decision-making cabinet convenes since Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones against Israel on Saturday night.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi spoke with the Chief of the Defense Staff of the United Kingdom, Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, on Monday, the IDF reported. 

Halevi thanked Radakin for the British Army's assistance in the joint defensive effort to intercept Iran's attack on Israel in the "Iron Shield" operation. He asked Radakin to convey his appreciation to the British Army for their cooperation and high-quality operation. 

This follows Halevi's previous conversations with strategic allies, including with the commander of US Central Command, General Michael Erik Kurilla, on Sunday. 

This is a developing story. 

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza on Tuesday said that 30,843 Palestinians have been killed in the Strip since the war began on October 7.

The health ministry's death toll cannot be independently verified, and it does not differentiate between terrorists and civilians.

British budget airline easyJet on Tuesday suspended flights to Israel until October 27 citing the security situation in the Middle East.

"As a result of the continued evolving situation in Israel, easyJet has now taken the decision to suspend its flights to Tel Aviv for the remainder of the summer season," a spokesperson said in a statement, after the airline on Sunday paused flights to the Israeli city.

"Customers booked to fly on this route up to this date are being offered options, including a full refund."

This is a developing story. 

A UN-mandated commission of inquiry that probes violations of international human rights law on Tuesday accused Israel of obstructing its efforts to collect evidence from the victims of the attack by Hamas in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

"So far as the government of Israel is concerned, we have not only seen a lack of cooperation, but active obstruction of our efforts to receive evidence from Israeli witnesses and victims to the events that occurred in southern Israel," said Chris Sidoti, one of three members of a commission of inquiry into abuses committed in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"We have contact with many, but we would like to have contact with more."

Sidoti appealed to the government of Israel, as well as victims and witnesses of the attack, to aid the commission in conducting its probe.

This is a developing story. 

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is expected to discuss developments in the Middle East and the situation in Gaza with his Turkish counterpart during a visit to Turkey this weekend, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Tuesday.

Shoukry and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will also evaluate the latest developments in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, the source said.

Israel is still imposing "unlawful" restrictions on humanitarian relief for Gaza, the UN rights office said on Tuesday.

"Israel continues to impose unlawful restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance, and to carry out widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, at a press briefing in Geneva.