Israel-Hamas War Day 205: What's going on in Gaza, Lebanon?

The World Central Kitchen, the humanitarian food aid organization, will return to operations in the Gaza Strip on Monday.

The NGO pulled out of Gaza earlier this month after the IDF mistakenly targeted a convoy of seven of its aid workers, killing all of them.  

Two projectiles were fired from Lebanon toward the Mount Dov area in northern Israel on Sunday evening, the IDF said.

Earlier that day, IDF soldiers "identified and monitored a Hezbollah terrorist operating in the area of Ayta ash Shab as he entered a military compound belonging to the terrorist organization," the military added

Fighter jets then reportedly struck the compound, destroying it. 

The amount of humanitarian aid going into the Gaza Strip will be ramped up in the coming days, the IDF said on Sunday.

"Over the last few weeks, the amount of humanitarian aid going into Gaza has significantly increased. In the coming days, the amount of aid going into Gaza will continue to scale-up even more," spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

"Food, water, medical supplies, shelter equipment and other aid - more of it is going into Gaza than ever before," Hagari said.

Israel instructed its embassies abroad to prepare for a severe antisemitic backlash should the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants against top Israeli leaders and army brass over their actions in Gaza, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz (Likud) issued messages on the matter both to Israeli missions abroad and to Jewish organizations, suggesting that the latter work with local authorities to increase security.

He also spoke with Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli on the issue. 

The ICC has not issued any formal statement on pending action, since its Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan confirmed in November 2023 that he was investigating the situation in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem, including actions relating to the Israel-Hamas war that began on October 7.

Israel has feared that Khan plans to issue arrest warrants in the near future, possibly even this week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden on Sunday night.

The conversation came amid reports that Israel is preparing for its long-delayed invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, but is willing to call off the operation in favor of a deal with Hamas for the release of Israeli hostages.  

A rocket was launched from the northern Gaza Strip towards the area of the Gaza Border Communities of Be'eri and Alumim on Sunday morning, according to Israeli media. 

The rocket reportedly landed in an open area. 

Head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas said at a conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday that he expected an IDF operation in Rafah in the next days.

He added that only the United States could stop Israel from attacking Rafah.

"We call on the United States of America to ask Israel to not carry on the Rafah attack. America is the only country able to prevent Israel from committing this crime," Abbas told a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Abbas reiterated that he rejects the displacement of Palestinians into Jordan and Egypt and said he is concerned that once Israel completes its operations in Gaza, it will then attempt to force the Palestinian population out of the West Bank and into Jordan.

A Hamas delegation will visit Cairo on Monday for Gaza ceasefire talks, a Hamas official who asked not to be named told Reuters, adding that the delegation will discuss a proposed ceasefire offered by mediators and Israel's response.

"We are deeply saddened by" Hamas's attack on Israel, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said in an interview with CNN on Sunday, 

ראש עיריית איסטנבול אקרם אימאמאולו ל-CNN: "חמאס ביצע מתקפה בישראל שהעציבה אותנו למדי. אנו מחשיבים כל מבנה שרוצח אנשים כארגון טרור"@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/cMPFzc8ln9

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 28, 2024

"Any organized structure that carries out terrorist acts and kills people en masse is considered a terrorist organization by us," he continued.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with IDF soldiers at an army base on Sunday and said Israel was obligated to destroy Hamas and bring back the hostages. 

"We are working on these two tasks, and I am determined to do both things," the minister said. "It will take as long as it takes, but we must do this task. I don't think there is any army in the world that is capable of doing what you do, in these scopes and qualities," he added.