Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 288?

The combat teams of the 3rd Brigade, the 8th Brigade, the Commando Brigade, and the Multidimensional Unit operated under the command of the 99th Division in the heart of Gaza City, the IDF stated Saturday.

IDF soldiers raided Hamas infrastructure used for building up terror operations located inside UNRWA headquarters and also carried out additional searches in the area, the IDF noted.

During operations, with intelligence support, IDF soldiers raided buildings where Hamas terrorists were staying, including a building in a civilian neighborhood where Hamas terrorists were entrenched and a high-rise building in Gaza City.

Rocket sirens sounded in northern Israel on Saturday afternoon.

Following an IDF strike on the World Central Kitchen aid truck, which killed seven international aid workers in April, the Australian government opened an investigation into the incident in which an Australian citizen was killed.

In addition to the Australian citizens, citizens from Poland, Canada, the UK, and the US were also killed in the strike.

As a result, the Australian government appointed retired Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin to serve as Special Adviser to the Australian Government on Israel's response to the Israel Defense Forces strikes.

Biskin was chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2014 - 2018 and Chief of the Air Force from 2008 - 2011. He has significant expertise in air operations, having served as a fighter pilot at the beginning of his military career.

As part of his mission, he was required to examine several areas, including IDF policies and procedures for operational incidents and measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Air Marshal Mark Binskin, stands on the tarmac during a ceremony to thank the international and Australian air crews involved in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines plane MH370, at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Pearce Base in Bullsbrook, near Perth April 29, 2014. (credit: REUTERS/Richard Polden)

According to a report by the Australian published on Thursday, Binskin's report is "set to largely back the Jewish state’s official response to the tragedy."

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Biskin "although mistakes were made," was satisfied with the IDF's response and civilian safeguards and was "in line with those of Western counterparts ­including Australia."

The report has not yet been released, with the Australian saying that Biskin must first brief the government before briefing the family of Zomi Frankcom. 

Recommendations for aid organizations

The report will include new recommendations for the Australian Defence Force and international aid organizations operating in conflict zones.

Biskin was reportedly pleased with the level of cooperation he received from Israel, with an official telling the Australian Senate, "At no point has Mr Binskin said to me that he has felt he has been short on information or detail."

The WCK strike resulted in the IDF firing two senior officers, a colonel and a major, and several others receiving reprimands.

IDF troops continued to operate across Gaza on Saturday, in particular in Rafah, with combat teams dismantling several pieces of infrastructure and eliminating several terrorists, the IDF announced.

The 401st Brigade's combat team operated against Hamas terrorist infrastructure and terrorists in the Tel Al Sultan neighborhood in Rafah's west.

The 401st were joined by combat teams from the Givati Brigade.

The Alexandroni Brigade continued its operations in the central Gaza Strip, where they eliminated a number of terrorists in conjunction with the IAF.

Palestinians living in Gaza’s Nuseirat camp, where four hostages were rescued in June, complained to CNN that they weren’t warned they were living in the same vicinity as hostages - putting them at risk of being caught in the crossfire, the site shared on Friday.

Several Palestinian terrorists and civilians were killed in the operation, although the IDF placed the number of killed at 90, while Hamas claimed over 200 were killed. Argamani (25), Almog Meir (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40) were all rescued during the operation. 

Family doctor Dr. Ahmed Aljamal and his family held three of the rescued hostages.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, filed an urgent letter of complaint on Friday with the UN Security Council following the drone attack launched by the Houthis, which exploded in Tel Aviv, killing one and wounding ten. 

Ambassador Erdan stressed that the Houthi attacks on Israel are part of Iran’s use of proxies to target Israel.

“Since October 7, the Houthis have fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, in direct violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216,” said Ambassador Erdan.

The IDF and Palestinians have reportedly engaged in intense fighting in Beit Omar near Hebron, Israeli media reported, citing unconfirmed Palestinian reports. One Palestinian has allegedly been killed in the fighting. 

President Joe Biden will focus his energy in his meeting next week with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Friday afternoon during an interview at the Aspen Security Forum.

"Several weeks ago, the president went out and said to the world, there is a blueprint, a pathway to get the hostages home, a ceasefire in place, humanitarian assistance in Gaza," he said. "We believe there is an opportunity to get it done. Let's use next week to try to clear through those obstacles and get a deal."

President Biden said these are going to be difficult talks requiring a lot of give and take and back and forth, according to Sullivan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of halting plans to establish a field hospital in Israel intended for the treatment of sick and injured children from Gaza, the BBC and other Israeli media channels reported Friday. 

Establishing a field hospital in Israel had caused rifts between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Israeli media reported.

Gallant announced the site earlier this week, YNet noted. It was proposed as a temporary solution to provide medical care while the Rafah crossing remained closed to civilians. 

Yemen's Houthi rebels hit and damaged a Singapore-flagged container ship with two missiles on Friday as they escalate attacks on global shipping over Israel's war in Gaza.

The overnight assault on the Lobivia cargo ship came as the Iran-aligned Houthis also claimed responsibility for a fiery, long-range aerial drone strike in the center of Tel Aviv that killed one man and wounded four others.

The Houthis in recent weeks have become more adept at inflicting damage on their targets. In June, the militants struck the Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier with missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat, causing it to sink.