Israel-Hamas War Day 203: What's going on in Israel, Gaza?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Israel on Tuesday, amid hostage deal talks, according to a report from Israel's Kan News on Friday. 

A Gaza-bound activist flotilla will be delayed in its planned Friday departure after the flag state that the lead vessel was registered under requested additional inspections, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a Thursday statement.

The coalition said that the Republic of Guinea Bissau requested an additional inspection for the Akdeniz, a passenger ship currently docked at a Turkish port in the Marmara Sea according to automatic identification system tracking services.

The activists asserted that the administrative roadblock was "initiated by Israel in an attempt to prevent our departure. Israel is pressuring the Republic of Guinea Bissau to withdraw its flag."

"This is another example of Israel obstructing the delivery of life-saving aid to the people in Gaza who face a deliberately created famine," said the coalition. "This is not the first time that Israel has used these kinds of tactics to stop our ships from sailing. We have overcome them before and are diligently working to overcome this latest attempt. Our vessels have already passed all required inspections, and we are confident that the Akdeniz will pass this inspection, provided there is no political interference. We expect this to be no more than a few days delay."

A Palestinian flag flutters as activists ride a boat during a rally ahead of the 4th anniversary of the Mavi Marmara Gaza flotilla incident, at the seaport of Gaza City May 29, 2014. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)

Additional ships expected in the flotilla

Besides the Akdeniz, another passenger ship and cargo ship are expected in the flotilla, according to the coalition. The coalition has not said where the ships will depart from on its facts page, listing only "ports in the Mediterranean."

Several hundred activists from at least 19 different countries will be passengers on the flotilla ships, including South African MP Mandla Mandela.

The coalition said that it will refuse to allow Israel to inspect the ships and aid that it intends to bring to Gaza, insisting they "will have third parties inspect the ships and participants to ensure no weapons are brought on board."

"Israel has denied entry of humanitarian aid it deems 'dual use; to the point of disallowing scissors, anesthetics, obstetrical surgery kits, etc," explained the coalition. "Israel continues to impede thousands of aid trucks from entering Gaza – we, therefore, refuse to allow the party that has caused the devastating famine and continues its genocidal actions to be the one to impose a similar restriction on this aid."

The flotilla follows in the wake of the 2010 flotilla that attempted to run the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The flotilla refused calls to dock in Ashdod and were intercepted by the Israeli Navy. When Shayetet 13 commandos boarded the ships, they were attacked on the Mavi Marmara with bludgeons and other weapons. In the fight, 10 flotilla members were killed, and ten Israeli commandos were injured.

An Israeli citizen was killed as a result of anti-tank missiles fired at the Mount Dov area on the night between Thursday to Friday, the military announced on Friday.

The military added the citizen was doing infrastructure work in the area.

During the night, IAF jets attacked Hezbollah targets, among which were a weapons storage facility and a launcher, in the Cheba area of southern Lebanon, the military further stated. 

In addition, jets struck a Hezbollah operational infrastructure in the Kfarchouba area and a military compound in the Ain El Tineh area of southern Lebanon. 

Forces also responded with fire to remove a threat in the area, the military concluded. 

An Israeli citizen was killed as a result of anti-tank missiles fired at the Mount Dov area on the night between Thursday to Friday, the military announced on Friday.

The military added the citizen was doing infrastructure work in the area.

During the night, IAF jets attacked Hezbollah targets, among which were a weapons storage facility and a launcher, in the Cheba area of southern Lebanon, the military further stated. 

In addition, jets struck a Hezbollah operational infrastructure in the Kfarchouba area and a military compound in the Ain El Tineh area of southern Lebanon. 

Forces also responded with fire to remove a threat in the area, the military concluded. 

The extended cabinet approved plans for an Israeli judge, accompanied by two foreign observers, to visit Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons for being part of Hamas's Nukhba forces, according to Israeli media.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich reportedly opposed the decision.

According to Walla, citing an Israeli official, such visits will be part of a try-out plan, with Israel approving the identity of the observers before the visits.

The official also added that Israel does not allow the Red Cross to visit the terrorists since the international organization does not visit the hostages.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli media reported the cabinet was set to discuss a British suggestion that British representatives should be allowed to visit Hamas Nukhba terrorists in prison so they can get an impression of the conditions in which the terrorists are detained.

Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Ben-Gvir: 'Visits harm deterrence' 

Following the decision, Ben-Gvir stated, “Unfortunately, once again, the Prime Minister is leading a wrong policy that harms deterrence. The decision today in the cabinet to force upon me visits by foreign observers to the prisons to check the condition of terrorists is a serious mistake,” on a post on X, formerly Twitter.

לצערי שוב רה״מ מוביל מדיניות שגויה שפוגעת בהרתעה. במקום לכנס את הקבינט לאשר פעולה ברפיח ובצפון, מכנס את הקבינט כדי לאשר ביקורים של משקיפים בינלאומיים לרוצחי הנוחב׳ה.

ההחלטה היום בקבינט לכפות עלי ביקורי משקיפים זרים בבתי הכלא שיבדקו את מצבם של מחבלי הנוחב׳ה, היא טעות חמורה.…

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) April 25, 2024

“Our hostages in Gaza are abused, with no visits and no concerns for their rights. These visits harm deterrence and negotiations with Hamas, raise the morale of the terrorists, may lead to prison riots, and beyond that, it is a violation of Israeli sovereignty and an opening for international intervention in other issues in the future. No country that respects its sovereignty and security would allow this to happen,” he added. 

The Pentagon is aware of reports that a small number of mortars landed in the vicinity of the marshalling yard area for humanitarian assistance that will eventually be the delivery site off the coast of Gaza.

The Pentagon is tracking some type of mortar attack causing minimal damage in the vicinity of the marshaling yard area for US delivery of humanitarian aid off the coast of Gaza, Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Thursday afternoon. 

Ryder said it’s important to highlight this occurred before any US forces started moving any supplies and no US assets were damaged. It’s unclear if any Israeli assets sustained damage.

Ryder added that the USNS Benavidez has begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea.

Cyprus is where aid will be stockpiled and loaded on the ships and Gaza is the shore where eventually this temporary causeway will connect, Ryder said.

People enter the State Department Building in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017. (credit: REUTERS/JOSHUA ROBERTS)

The marshalling yard eventually will be in the vicinity of where the causeway will connect to, Ryder said but the two essential pieces in the middle are the temporary pier which is out at sea and the causeway which will eventually join land and be anchored.

Not enough communication

According to Ryder, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has yet to speak with his Israeli counterparts on reports of mass graves found in Gaza with allegations of war crimes committed in the killing of the Palestinians found in the graves. 

Earlier Thursday, a State Department spokesperson said further information has been requested from Israel regarding the mass graves. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel faced scrutiny over the US' decision to allow Israel to conduct its own investigation into these allegations and not answer calls for an independent investigation.

Hezbollah attacked IDF troops in the Mount Dov area of Northern Israel with anti-tank missiles early Friday morning, according to Israeli media.

The IDF responded with artillery fire at the source of the fire, while the air force struck multiple targets in southern Lebanon.