Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 210?

Clashes broke out between IDF forces and Palestinians in the town of Deir el-Ghusun, north of Tulkarm, Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen news agency reported overnight Saturday.

Earlier in the night, Israel allegedly attacked in the area of Nuseirat in Gaza, Al-Mayadeen network claimed. No wounded were reported.

This is a developing story.

US CENTCOM announced on Friday that it had suspended the construction of the floating pier off of Gaza and had handed over control to Israel.

The pier has been partially built and is being moved to the Port of Ashdod due to unsafe weather conditions.

Update on the Construction of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability in Mediterranean Sea

Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) temporarily paused offshore assembly of the floating pier in the vicinity of Gaza due to sea state considerations. Forecasted high winds and… pic.twitter.com/cIY2TUn7NX

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 3, 2024

The pier's construction will be finished before being placed on the Gaza shoreline where aid can be directly delivered to the population.

Approximately one thousand US troops will be involved in the construction of the pier system Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS), CNN reported. The pier could also, upon its completion, deliver as many as 150 trucks of aid and food to Gaza's civilian population.

Hopes that the pier could've been completed sooner

There has been much debate about exactly what Israel's plans for a post-war Gaza would look like. Documents from the Prime Minister's Office were published online on Friday, showing Israel's plan to revitalize the Gazan economy.

The documents published online showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempt to bring about a lasting peace and reintegrate Gaza into the regional economy through large infrastructure and economic investment.

The plan laid out the goal of rebuilding Gaza in order to moderate its politics.

It called Gaza an "Iranian outpost" that "sabotages emerging supply chains" and "thwarts any future hope for the Palestinian people."

The plan also highlighted the historically central place that Gaza held in the East-West trade routes, being on both the Baghdad-Egypt trade routes and the Yemen-Europe trade routes.

Gaza-Arish-Sderot free trade zone plan form the government's plan for a post-war Gaza, May 3, 2024. (credit: screenshot)

Three steps to success

According to the documents, there are three steps for returning Gaza to self-governance.

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has confirmed its delegation will visit Cairo on Saturday, a Hamas official told Reuters on Friday.

This is a developing story.

The Yemen-based terrorist Houthi movement is offering students, who have participated in anti-Israel protests on US college campuses and were suspended as a result, to study in Yemen, the country's Sana'a University stated on Friday.

"We are serious about accepting students who have been suspended from universities in the United States for their support for the Palestinians," a senior official at Sana'a University, which is controlled by the Houthis, told Reuters. "We are fighting this battle with Palestine in every way we can."

Students have rallied or set up tents at dozens of campuses in the United States in recent days to protest against Israel's war in Gaza, now in its seventh month.

The Houthi-run Sana'a University issued a statement applauding the "humanitarian" position of the students in the United States and said they could continue their studies in Yemen.

They even provided an email address

Their statement also included email address for any students curious about transferring, according to the Telegraph.

Israel gave Hamas a week to agree to a cease-fire deal, or the invasion of Rafah will begin, Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

Egyptian officials claimed that Hamas is seeking a long-term truce and guarantees from the US that a cease-fire will be respected by Israel.

Hamas expressed concern that the latest proposal is still too vague and gives Israel room to restart the fighting.

Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's Gaza chief, has yet to make his view known, further complicating the situation. 

Israeli figures from across the right slammed the deal when it was announced earlier in the week.

Demonstrators protest for the release of Israeli hostages held hostage by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, in Jerusalem. April 27, 2024. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Proposal details

The proposal calls for an initial period of up to 40 days of cessation of violence, during which Hamas would release up to 33 hostages, with the possible negotiation of a long-term cease-fire to develop.

The family of Eliakim Shlomo Liebman, who was previously identified as a hostage, announced on Friday that his body was found in the grave of a woman murdered on October 7.

Liebman was a security guard at the Nova Music Festival; during the course of October 7, he rescued several people from the massacre before going back a final time and never returning.

It is unclear at this time how his body got to the grave.

His body was found in the grave of a woman murdered on October 7, who was buried in Gush Dan, and who was murdered together with Liebman in the Reim parking lot.

At the beginning of the war, it was initially suspected that Liebman was not a hostage after no indication of abduction was found.

After that, a body part of his was found in the area; this raised the possibility that he was not kidnapped but buried with another victim from the Nova party massacre.

The International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan issued a veiled warning to Netanyahu to stop his intimidation tactics designed to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants against top Israeli leaders for war crimes, including in Gaza.

“The Office insists that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials cease immediately,” he wrote in a post on X.

He spoke out after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli leaders had issued statements against the issuance of such warrants and US politicians had threatened to reimpose sanctions the Trump administration had leveled against the court, but which were rescinded by US President Joe Biden.

Discussions between Israel and the United States 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog brought up the issue when he met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday. 

Protesters gather outside of the ICC before the Hostage and Missing Families Forum files a complaint against Hamas leaders, February 14th, 2024 (credit: Eyal Radoshitzki)

There is a belief in the Prime Minister’s Office, that US intervention could be helpful. The ICC has not formally announced the issuance of such warrants, which are expected to target Netanyahu, Defense Minster Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Herzl Halevi.

Britain on Friday announced new sanctions on "extremist Israeli groups" and several individuals who it said were behind violence in the West Bank, according to a statement from the British foreign ministry.

This is the second UK sanction package targeting individuals in the West Bank, with the first being announced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in mid-February.

This most recent announcement was made by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, with the sanctions specifically against two groups and four individuals "responsible for perpetrating human rights abuses" against Palestinian communities. The most recent sanctions include an asset freeze preventing the targeted Israeli groups and individuals from dealing with funds with UK citizens or businesses, and a travel ban to the United Kingdom.

The two groups are Hilltop Youth and Lehava, with the former being described by the ministry which "establishes illegal settler outposts across the West Bank with the stated mission of expelling all Palestinians from the Occupied Territories." The latter was accused of also "facilitating, inciting, and promoting violence against Arab and Palestinian communities."

Who are the sanctioned individuals? 

The four individuals sanctioned are Noam Federman, former leader and spokesperson of the now defunct Kach party, who was accused of training settler groups to commit violence against Palestinians and avoid repercussions; Neria Ben Pazi, for building illegal outposts between 2015-2023; Eden Levi, who was documented taking parts in assaults of Palestinians, and has now been accused by the British foreign ministry of being involved in an incident where Palestinians were beaten and sexually assaulted five days after October 7; and Elisha Yered, an unofficial spokesperson for Hilltop Youth who has allegedly made statements inciting violence that include justifying Palestinian deaths for religious reasons and called for the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was looking for a defense alliance with the US and slammed any Israeli leader who would agree to such a deal with Hamas.

"Hamas head Yahya Sinwar is not calling for a ceasefire but rather a defense alliance with the United States that will allow him and all the murderers, butchers, and rapists complete immunity. It was also prevent Israel from eliminating Hamas, allowing them to prepare for their next massacre," Smotrich said.

"Any Israeli leader who agrees to this by signing or turning a blind eye will be remembered to the world for knowingly neglecting the security of the citizens of Israel," he added.

The finance minister concluded by calling for Israel to immediately engage in a military operation in Rafah.