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

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has approved plans for a major operation in Rafah, the IDF said on Sunday.

Halevi approved plans for the continuation of the war in a meeting on Sunday with Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman and the other division and brigade commanders of the Southern Command. 

The approval comes as Hamas negotiators in Cairo consider an Israeli proposal to postpone or forgo such an operation, which Prime Minister Netanyahu approved weeks ago, in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of some hostages. 

It also comes as the International Criminal Court reportedly considers issuing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Halevi, a decision that could be affected by Israel's actions in southern Gaza.

Sexual violence was a central part of the massacre and hostage-taking attack that Hamas terrorists carried out in Israel on October 7 and while many women’s organizations stayed silent or made weakly worded statements about it, there are still those who deny that it took place altogether.

This inspired former Facebook COO and author Sheryl Sandberg to make the compelling and important documentary, Screams Before Silence, which is now available on YouTube.

“It’s really difficult to talk about it, but . . . it’s my duty to come out and talk,” said Amit Soussana, one of the interviewees in the film. Soussana, who has also spoken about her ordeal to The New York Times, was kidnapped from her home in Israel and held hostage for nearly two months days.

She speaks in detail in the film about the sexual assault she suffered at gunpoint. While other sexual assault victims have not spoken publicly using their names, there are many witnesses and first responders who speak in the film, as well as video evidence of sexual assaults.

But the tragic truth, as this documentary makes crystal clear, is that the major reason few of the victims have come forward is that the vast majority were murdered following, and sometimes during, their assaults.

Israel has agreed to listen to US concerns and thoughts before it launches an invasion of the border city of Rafah in Gaza, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday.

Kirby, speaking to ABC, also said Israel has started to meet the commitments it made to President Joe Biden on allowing aid into the north of Gaza.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed all of Israel's diplomatic delegations abroad to "prepare immediately for a severe wave of antisemitic, anti-Jewish, and anti-Israel outbursts globally," citing the possibility that the International Criminal Court (ICC) could issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

In his statement, Katz called on the ICC not to issue warrants and to reject the premise behind doing so. 

"There's nothing more distorted than attempting to prevent Israel from defending itself against a murderous enemy openly calling for the destruction of the State of Israel," the foreign minister wrote. "If the warrants are issued, they will harm IDF commanders and soldiers and encourage the Hamas terror organization and the radical Islamic axis led by Iran against whom we are fighting.

"Israel operates with full adherence to all laws of war," he added, "accompanied by a robust and independent legal system, and provides extensive humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza in collaboration with international bodies, even though Hamas uses the population as human shields, attacks, and complicates the delivery of aid."

Amid reports that Israel was preparing to invade Rafah while also offering to postpone or forgo the operation in exchange for Hamas releasing Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7, right-wing government ministers threatened to withdraw from the coalition should Israel postpone the Rafah operation.

Meanwhile, center and center-left MKs said the government would lose legitimacy if it did not agree to a hostage deal instead. 

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, of Otzma Yehudit, repeated on Sunday his earlier statement that such a deal would mean the end of the government. His ally, Finance Minister and Religious Zionism leader, Bezalel Smotrich, said in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday that "agreeing to the Egyptian deal would be a humiliating surrender, handing over victory to Nazis on the backs of hundreds of heroic IDF combat soldiers that have fallen in battle."

The IDF stated it had attacked over the Passover holiday some 270 targets across the Gaza Strip, among which were 20 projectiles aimed at Israeli territory. During operations to destroy these, the military demolished rocket launch sites as well. 

The military added that in conjunction with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), an IAF aircraft struck a launch site that was situated within the humanitarian area in the southern part of the Strip.  Prior to the attack, the IDF allowed citizens to be evacuated from the region, preventing them from being harmed.

In a separate announcement, the IDF noted that Israel Air Force jets struck dozens of terror targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day.

Among the targets were launch sites, terror infrastructure, observation posts, and armed terrorists.  

The military added that the Navy had attacked additional targets and protected troops from the 99th Battalion, which operated in the center of the Strip. 

IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip. April 27, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

IDF kills terrorists in central Gaza

Columbia University has elected Israeli student Maya Platek as Columbia student government president for the 2024-2025 school year, the organization Students Supporting Israel (SSI) announced Friday. 

The election of an Israeli student for the role comes as the Columbia campus experiences an overwhelming wave of anti-Israel protests and encampments.

Platek has been determined to speak up for Jewish students on campus as a member of SSI, an organization that, according to its website, aims to allow for a pro-Israel voice on college campuses.

Platek introduced herself to the student body in a speech following her election.

“I am an Israeli rising senior and was recently elected as the Student Body President at Columbia University. As Columbia hits a peak of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, I am honored to have been elected as next year’s Student Body President. More than ever before, it is critical that our voices are heard and our safety is protected.”

Columbia University has also been slammed with unprecedented levels of antisemitic activity, including violent behavior against Jewish students. 

The International Criminal Court could not act against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top IDF brass without overt or tactic support from the United States, an Israeli diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post.

“Where is [US President Joe] Biden? Why is he quiet while Israel will potentially be thrown under the bus?” the source said.

The source spoke out as the Prime Minister's office is worried that the ICC will soon issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi. 

In light of this growing concern, Netanyahu posted on X Friday that, "Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.”

“The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it,” he stated.

US President Joe Biden looks on during his visit at the Chavis Community Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, US, March 26, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ELIZABETH FRANTZ/FILE PHOTO)

“Israel will continue to wage to victory our just war against genocidal terrorists and we will never stop defending ourselves,” Netanyahu stressed.

Israel warned Hamas it will carry out a major military operation unless the terror group accepts a deal on the table for the release of some, but not all, of the remaining 133 hostages.

“If there is a deal, we will suspend the operation,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Channel 12 as the IDF continued its preparations for the operation and Egypt renewed its push to secure a hostage deal after weeks in which it seemed that such efforts had hit a dead end.

“The release of the hostages is a deep priority for us,” Katz stressed. He spoke after an Egyptian delegation was in Israel on Friday for talks with Israel on the possibility of a new deal.

“If there is an option to make a deal, we will do it,” he said, although he stressed that this would not impact the overall goal of the war, which was to destroy Hamas.

Thousands gathered across the country to protest for the release of hostages in Gaza and for the declaration of elections on Saturday night. In Tel Aviv, protesters blocked the Ayalon Highway and seven protesters were arrested. 

Demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem and on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators also gathered in Haifa as well as other parts of the country. 

Protesters carried posters of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, calling for his immediate release. Earlier this week, a video was released by Hamas showing Hersh alive.