Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 268?

18 IDF soldiers were wounded as a result of an explosive UAV attack in the northern Golan Heights earlier on Sunday, the IDF announced Sunday evening.

One soldier was critically injured, and 17 soldiers were lightly injured. They were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment, and their families were notified. 

Following these events, the Israel Air Force (IAF) struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including an observation post in the area of Markaba.

An additional launcher was destroyed in the area of Ayta ash Shab, from which a projectile was fired towards northern Israel on Sunday, the IDF noted. 

IDF artillery fired to remove multiple threats in southern Lebanon. 

PM Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on the importance of defeating Hamas, as US officials reportedly sought to amend some of the language in the proposal in an attempt to bridge the differences between Israel and Hamas.

As part of IDF operations, several significant tunnel shafts were located in Rafah, including a 500-meter-long tunnel that passed near an UNRWA school.

After years of effort and billions of dollars invested, it seems the issue of Hamas smuggling tunnels from Rafah into Egypt isn't going away any time soon.

At least 37,877 Palestinians have been killed and 86,969 have been wounded in Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said on Sunday.

The Hamas health ministry does not differentiate between civilians an combatants in its tally and has been repeatedly criticized for distorting casualty figures.

The IDF’s current reinvasion of Shejaia has led to killing dozens of Hamas terrorists since Friday, but so far seems to be more about eliminating tunnels there which were missed during the first time through.

The operation is expected to last weeks as the IDF wraps up its operations in Rafah.

By early January, the IDF had already achieved operational control over Shejaia, but over recent months once the IDF withdrew from the area, Hamas has been reconstituting itself.

But according to the IDF, it did not operate in all parts of Shejaia during the first invasion, and it did not penetrate a significant amount of Hamas’s tunnel network in the area.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Sunday it had received a report of an incident 13 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Al Mukha, but that the vessel and its crew were safe.

An UKMTO advisory note said a merchant vessel had reported being approached by 12 small craft which remained in the vicinity of the vessel for about an hour before leaving the area.

The vessel and crew were reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call, the advisory note added.

The government approved unanimously on Sunday the appointment of Likud MK Danny Danon as Israel's Ambassador to the UN, the government stated.

Danon has served in this role in the past and this is the second time he is set to hold this position. 

"I am proud and honored to return and serve the State of Israel during this critical period," Danon commented.

"As Israel faces numerous fronts, it is imperative for each of us to contribute our best efforts and expertise. This has been my approach in the past, and it will continue to be my approach moving forward," he added. 

Danon further stated, "In the face of the resurgence of diplomatic terrorism, I am committed to presenting the truth with confidence for the sake of the people of Israel and our shared future."

About a month and a half ago, the 162nd Division maneuvered towards Rafah with the aim of overwhelming the Rafah Brigade, locating weapons, tunnels and taking control of the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing - through which weapons, ammunition and military equipment were smuggled.

The combat teams of the 401st and Givati ​​brigades have taken over the Rafah crossing, the Philadelphi Corridor, the NPK neighborhood (parallel to the Philadelphi Corridor), the Brazil neighborhood in the south of the city, and parts of the Tel Sultan neighborhoods in the West of the city.

The forces of the 162nd Division, from the beginning of the maneuver in Rafah, killed over 1000 terrorists whose names the IDF knows, not including those buried under the ruins of the buildings or underground.

IDF troops of the 98th Division operated in Shejaia, in the Gaza Strip over the past day, finding weapons, killing terrorists, and carrying out targeted raids on booby-trapped compounds, the military said on Sunday. 

In addition, troops struck dozens of terror structures in the area via an Israel Air Force aircraft. 

In the Rafah area, the military noted, troops of the 162nd Division eliminated terrorists and demolished shafts. On Saturday, the military targeted and destroyed a mortar launch site.

In central Gaza, the military carried out raids and destroyed a tunnel shaft in the area.