Israel-Hamas War day 282: What is going on in Gaza, Lebanon?

Muhammad Sinwar, brother of Hamas chief in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, is set to replace Mohammad Deif as the head of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades if the latter is confirmed killed, Hamas sources told the Arabic news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday. 

The IDF targeted Hamas’s mythic supreme military commander Mohammad Deif on Saturday in the al-Muwasi humanitarian zone near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. He has been one of the terrorist group’s leading military figures for years.

There are many signs that Deif could be dead, with some coming in over the day on Saturday, but due to the long-range attack, the number of structures obscuring the area, the number of casualties, and the many times Deif has been thought to be killed only to survive in the past, the situation is far from clear.

Negotiations on a hostage release-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas have stalled, according to the Arab Affairs editor at army radio, despite US President Joe Biden claiming that Hamas and Israel had agreed on a basic framework for the agreement.

A Hamas source told Reuters, "The attack on Khan Yunis shows that Israel is not interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement."

Hamas denied on Saturday that the strike on Khan Yunis had been an elimination attempt on Hamas leader Mohammed Deif and placed blame on the Biden administration for enabling Israeli forces to take such an action. 

"The occupation's claims about targeting leaders are false claims, and this is not the first time that the occupation has claimed to target Palestinian leaders, and their lies were later proven, and these false claims are only to cover up the scale of the horrific massacre," Hamas wrote. "This disregard for international law and treaties, and the widespread violations against defenseless civilians, would not have continued, had it not been for the support provided by the US administration to the extremist Zionist government and its terrorist army.

Initial reports indicate several injuries and property damage in the area of Kiryat Shmona following the activated sirens, the Israel police reported Saturday evening. They are currently handling several sites where shrapnel fell.

Police officers and bomb squad experts from the northern district are currently isolating the impact sites and searching for additional remnants to remove any further risk.

Magen David Adom paramedics, in cooperation with an IDF medical team, are providing medical treatment and evacuating four wounded individuals to Ziv Hospital. Their wounds range from mild to moderate.

One IDF soldier was seriously wounded, another soldier was moderately wounded, and two more soldiers were lightly wounded as the result of debris from rocket interceptions, the IDF reported Saturday night. The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families have been informed.

Following the alerts activated in northern Israel at 7:15 p.m., about 15 rockets were identified crossing from Lebanese territory. Air defense fighters intercepted most of them.

Israeli air force fighter jets had earlier attacked a Hezbollah field commander who was located in the Tabnine village area in southern Lebanon.

Shortly afterward, additional alerts were activated in northern Israel, during which eight launches were identified crossing from Lebanese territory into the Kiryat Shmona area.

Israel's Air Force struck several Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon on Saturday night, including the launcher used to send missiles into Kiryat Shmona earlier in the day, the IDF said following the strike. 

The IDF strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure in Rab El Thalathine, Ayta ash Shab and an observation post in the area of Odaisseh.

It also targeted terrorist infrastructure in the area of Kfarkela and terrorist infrastructure in the area of Houla.

The Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah faction said Saudi Arabia would "pay the price" for harnessing their land routes to Israel and "enable the battle against the Palestinians," the faction announced on Saturday night in an official Telegram statement. 

They accused Saudi Arabia of being "malicious" in their normalization with Israel and condemned their creation of land channels as alternatives to sea routes to Israel.

Egyptian sources said that hostage talks had been halted until Israel can demonstrate it is serious after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas attempts to change the deal and the IDF targeted Mohammed Deif, who heads the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza.