Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 218?

Hamas published on Saturday the first sign of life from 51-year-old hostage Nadav Popplewell, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim during the events of October 7.

The video shows Popplewell reading a short script before the video cuts to a large question mark. Accounts that posted the video mockingly asked, "In a few moments... What happened?"

It is unclear when the video is taken and what the current status of Popplewell's health is.

Nadav Popplewell's health

Popplewell had a black eye in the video, but no other visible injuries.

It is unclear when the video is taken and what the current status of Popplewell's health is.

Popplewell is diabetic and his sister told the Daily Mail in November, one month after he was kidnapped, that she was worried about his health in captivity.

Popplewell's mother, Channah Peri, was released on November 24 as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement.

Popplewell's brother Roee was murder on October 7.

Hamas has posted short videos of hostages in the past and taunted about the state of their wellbeing. This is part of Hamas's ongoing campaign of psychological terror.

Only two weeks ago, Hamas published footage of hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Keith Siegel and Omri Miran.

The IDF ordered evacuations of both Jabalia in northern Gaza and portions of Rafah in southern Gaza. Five soldiers were killed in fighting over the weekend.

The IDF said that 100,000-150,000 Palestinian civilians would need to be evacuated from Jabalia for a large renewed operation there, which the IDF notified had started, though at press time, there were still few details.

The IDF evacuates civilians before massive operation

This was the first time since January, when the IDF declared full operational control of northern Gaza that it has effectively acknowledged such a substantial loss of control that it must evacuate between a third and a half of all remaining civilians there in order to undertake another massive operation.

In mid-March, the IDF undertook a significant operation against around 1,000 Hamas fighters at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for about a week, but it was a targeted operation that did not require evacuating substantial numbers of civilians.

Following sirens in the Upper Galilee on Saturday night, it was identified that five launches were fired from Lebanon and landed in open areas, Israeli media reported.

No damage or casualties were reported from the launches.

Following sirens on Saturday night in the southern city of Ashkelon, one rocket was reported to have fallen in the city along with the fall of a rocket interceptor, Israeli media said on Saturday night, citing the municipality of Ashkelon.

No damage or casualties have been reported from the fall. 

Egypt, Qatar, and other Arab countries rejected Israel's proposal to control the civil administration in the Gaza Strip the day after the war, the Saudi-affiliated Al-Arabiya network reported on Saturday. 

Earlier, the United Arab Emirates also announced its refusal of the plan. The Emirate's foreign minister criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, "Netanyahu has no legal authority to invite us to participate in the civil administration of the Gaza Strip."

Additionally, a senior Egyptian source said that Cairo informed all parties concerned that Israel bears responsibility for the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden referred to governance in Gaza the day after the war, stating, "We are working with Arab countries that are ready to take over the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip the day after the war and promote the establishment of a Palestinian state according to the vision of the two countries."

Israeli fighter jets attacked a military structure belonging to Hezbollah in the Hamra area in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced on Saturday. 

On Friday, Israel's air defense successfully intercepted two UAVs in Lebanese territory. 

Additional alerts were activated in northern Israel on Saturday when two UAVs crossed from Lebanon and fell in the area of Beit Hillel in northern Israel. No injuries were reported. 

Israeli forces operated in Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas from re-establishing its military capabilities in the area, Israel's military spokesperson said on Saturday.

"We identified in the past weeks attempts by Hamas to rehabilitate its military capabilities in Jabalya. We are operating there to eliminate those attempts," said Daniel Hagari during a briefing to reporters.

Hagari also said that Israeli forces operating in Gaza City's Zeitun district killed about 30 Palestinian terrorists.

In a later report, the IDF stated it was striking Hamas terror targets in the Jabalya area.

This is a developing story.

The IDF's Nahal Brigade located weapons, destroyed terrorist infrastructure, and eliminated terrorists in the Zeitun area in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced on Saturday. 

As part of the operation, Nahal soldiers destroyed terrorist infrastructure and found several weapons, including Kalashnikovs, combat vests, and grenades. 

Additionally, the soldiers identified a number of terrorists that posed a threat. An air force aircraft worked in cooperation with the brigade to eliminate the terrorists. The IDF also killed a terrorist belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad who participated in the October 7 massacre. 

Alongside the military's continued operations in the Strip, the IDF's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) also announced the establishment of an additional field hospital run by the International Medical Corps in the Gaza Strip.

Following extensive alarms in the Upper Galilee, a UAV that crossed from Lebanese territory fell in the area of Beit Hillel, Israeli media reported on Saturday. 

This is a developing story. 

The IDF announced the death of Staff-Sergeant Ariel Tsym, 20-years-old, from Modi'in on Saturday. Tsym was a combat soldier in the 931st Battalion in the Nahal Brigade and was killed in battle in the northern Gaza Strip. 

His family was notified. 

Tsym was posthumously promoted from the rank of Staff-Sergeant to the rank of Sergeant. 

Fallen IDF soldier Ariel Tsym. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)