Israel-Hamas war day 208: What's going on in Gaza, Lebanon?

President Isaac Herzog met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday morning, expressing concerns about arrest warrants that may be issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli officials.

"While we are waging war to defend our citizens and bring about a different future in the Middle East, our enemies and other elements are trying to undermine the entire process by using international legal forums that were established to have a world order that pursues peace and the values and norms that we all believe in in the modern world, especially the efforts done at the International Criminal Court," said Herzog.

"Israel has a very strong legal system, very strong adjudication and law enforcement system, and it has pursued legal steps from the highest authorities in this land to any other citizen. We're very proud of it, and the rule of international law regarding complementarity is a basic lawyer world norm," he added. "Therefore, trying to use the International Criminal Court against Israel, which is fighting terror, is a clear and present danger to democracies and to free peace-loving nations who pursue the norms of international law, and I call upon all our allies and friends to object and reject any such efforts."

Herzog thanked Blinken for his support, saying, "I think there should be a unanimous decision of the international community that freeing the hostages is the utmost priority."

The United States won’t rest until all the hostages are returned from Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told activists who had gathered outside his hotel in Tel Aviv, demanding the release of the remaining 133 captives.

“Bringing your loved ones home is at the heart of everything we’re trying to do, and we will not rest until everyone – man, woman, soldier, civilian, young, old – is back home,” Blinken said as he stopped to speak to the demonstrators as they stood behind a steel barricade fence waving Israeli and American flags.  

“There is a very strong proposal on the table right now. Hamas needs to say yes and needs to get this done.  That is our determination, and we will not rest, we will not stop until you’re reunited with your loved ones,” Blinken said.

"Keep the faith"

“So please keep strong, keep the faith.  We will be with you every single day until we get this done,” he stressed.

Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid will head to the United Arab Emirates for a short official visit in Abu Dhabi, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

This is a developing story.

Only two out of eight US interceptors succeeded in hitting Iranian missiles during the drone and missile attack that targeted Israel in mid-April, Army Radio reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, over 90% of Israeli interceptors hit their targets, according to the report.

Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock complained that the government was "throwing the [war effort] in the trash to save 22 or 33" of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, in an interview with Army Radio on Wednesday.

She added that any government that would agree to such a deal "doesn't have a right to exist."

Two men were lightly wounded by anti-tank missile fire near Ramot Naftali in northern Israel on Tuesday night, the Ziv Medical Center said Wednesday morning.

The two, residents of Shibli and Arraba, were driving a chicken transport truck in the area. The truck was hit directly by a missile while they were outside the vehicle. The two were released from the hospital overnight.

Hezbollah had said on Tuesday night that it had set up an "elaborate ambush" against what it called an "Israeli military vehicle" near Ramot Naftali. The only vehicle reported damaged in the area at the time was the chicken transport truck.

The IDF said Wednesday morning that the Air Force had targeted sites belonging to Hezbollah in Khiam and Kfarkela in southern Lebanon overnight, including observation points and terrorist infrastructure.

Terrorist infrastructure and a military building belonging to Hezbollah were targeted near Blida, and near Meiss Ej Jabal and Odaisseh in southern Lebanon as well overnight.

New York City police officers entered the grounds of Columbia University on Tuesday night and arrested over 100 students in an effort to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters who took over a campus building after a nearly two-week standoff with administrators of the Ivy League school.

Live television images showed police entering the elite campus in upper Manhattan, which has been the focal point of student protests that have spread to dozens of schools across the US, expressing opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.

"We’re clearing it out" police in a riot unit yelled as they marched up to the barricaded entrance to the buildingMeanwhile,le dozens more police marched to the protest encampment.

“Shame! shame!” jeered many on-looking undergrads still outside on campus.

Columbia University officialy threatened academic expulsion of the students who seized Hamilton Ha earlier on Tuesdayll.

People protest as the police stand guard at Columbia University, where a building occupation and protest encampment had been set up in support of Palestine (credit: REUTERS/CAITLIN OCHS)

"Hind's Hall"

The occupation began overnight when protesters broke windows, stormed inside and unfurled a banner reading "Hind's Hall," symbolically renaming the building for a 6-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.

Over half (58%) of the Israeli public believes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resign immediately, including 28% of those who voted for the bloc that supports Netanyahu, according to a poll published by N12 on Tuesday.

Additionally, 48% of Israelis believe Defense Minister Yoav Gallant should resign immediately, 50% believe IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi should resign immediately, and 56% believe Shin Bet head Ronen Bar should resign now.

Regarding when elections should be held, 54% of respondents said they should be brought forward. Over a third (37%) said that Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot should leave the government.

How would the parties do in new elections?

The poll additionally found that, if elections were held today, Gantz's National Unity Party would earn 31 seats, while the Likud would earn 18 seats, Yesh Atid would earn 15 seats, Shas, Yisrael Beytenu, and Otzma Yehudit would earn 10 seats each, United Torah Judaism (UTJ) would earn eight seats, Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am would earn five seats each, and Meretz and the Religious Zionist Party would earn four seats each.

An Israeli woman casts her ballot on the day of Israel's general election in a polling station in Kiryat Arba, a Jewish settlement in the West Bank November 1, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)

The poll results would leave the bloc currently supporting Netanyahu with 50 seats and the bloc around Gantz and Yair Lapid with 65 seats. (Hadash-Ta'al traditionally does not sit in coalitions)

The US military said it destroyed on Tuesday an uncrewed surface vessel in an area of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.

Mosab Hassan Yousef, the disowned son of a Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Tuesday, where he defended his stance that a Rafah operation was essential for defeating Hamas. 

Yousef insisted that Israel should not compromise its security because of “global pressure,” as the pressure was only temporary.