Hamas

During the past day IDF forces continued fighting in west Khan Yunis to increase control over the area. In the central Gaza Strip the forces clashed with armed terrorist squads. The Palestinians cautioned against an IDF entrance into Rafah they warned that the expansion of the campaign to Rafah would endanger the Paris proposal and Hamas' response to it. Hamas stated that Israel's response to their proposal differed from the original proposal as formulated in Paris and included conditions and raised obstacle. In an attempt to find shelter, Gazans have been moving from the Rafah area to the Deir al-Balah area in the central Gaza Strip and to the Egypt-Gaza Strip border area. During the past day, Hezbollah carried out ten attacks. Two Israeli civilians were seriously injured in Kiryat Shmona. The IDF responded by attacking Hezbollah targets and facilities in south Lebanon. France submitted a proposal for an arrangement which included the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from the border area and the deployment of Lebanese army forces in the area. Hassan Fadalallah, head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, refused to comment on the proposal. A vehicle ramming attack was attempted in the Gush Etzion area. The Iranian foreign minister continued his round of visits and arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar. It was his fifth visit to Qatar since the outbreak of the war. Read more...

Two Israeli hostages were rescued in a joint operation carried out in Rafah by the IDF, the Israeli Security Agency and the Yamam. In west Khan Yunis intense fighting continued as action on the ground increased. Guided by intelligence, the forces also operated at Amal Hospital in western Khan Yunis, with advance coordination with the hospital and without harming patients or medical staff. Meanwhile, warnings continue of the dangers inherent in the expansion of IDF activity into the Rafah area. A "senior Hamas member" said Hamas had informed the mediators that if the Israeli government decided on the entry of troops into Rafah, they would stop all hostage negotiations for an unlimited period of time.The Turkish IHH announced its intention to purchase ships to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip by sea. Hezbollah continued to attack and claimed responsibility for four attacks during the past day. The Amal Movement reported eight of its operatives had died since the beginning of the war. Two stabbing attacks were carried out during the past day, one in the Old City of Jerusalem and the other between Husan and Beitar Illit (west of Bethlehem). Mahmoud Abbas met in Doha with Tamim Bin Hamad, ruler of Qatar. Mahmoud Abbas warned of the dangers of an Israeli military action in Rafah and called for the intervention of the international community. After a visit to Lebanon, the Iranian foreign minister visited Syria where he met with the Syrian president, foreign minister and representatives of the Palestinian terrorist organizations. Read more...

The IDF forces continued their integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the Khan Yunis area, with additional activities in the northern Gaza Strip. In Gaza City, the forces uncovered a tunnel used by senior Hamas members. It passed under the UNRWA headquarters building. A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks with the head of Egyptian intelligence and Qatari officials regarding the movement's answer to the terms of the deal. After two rounds of talks, the delegation left for consultations in Qatar. The Freedom Fleet Coalition announced plans to renew the aid flotillas to the Gaza Strip. The first two ships would be dispatched at the beginning of Ramadan, which begins during the second week of March 2024. Over the weekend, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 24 attacks. The IDF responded by attacking Hezbollah targets. In an attempted attack on a senior Hamas member north of Sidon, two people were killed, but the Hamas terrorist apparently survived. The security forces of the Palestinian Authority (PA) detained a number of operatives from the Jenin Battalion. The Houthis reported several American-British strikes on targets in Yemen.: The chairman of the Jordanian Bar Association said that the Association, together with other Arab bar associations and organizations, had submitted a complaint to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against senior Israeli officials Read more...

The IDF forces continued their activities throughout the Gaza Strip, focusing on the southern region. A tunnel was discovered in Khan Yunis where the leadership of Hamas and several hostages had apparently stayed. The Palestinians reported on escalating attacks in the Rafah.After drafting their response, senior Hamas officials stated they were "flexible and open to discussion," and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of wanting to continue the fighting. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for seven attacks during the past day. Three IDF soldiers were injured by anti-tank missiles and rockets fired at Kiryat Shmona and Biranit. In response, IDF aircraft attacked terrorist targets. Shots were fired at an IDF position near Nablus; the shooter was killed. No IDF casualties. IDF forces continued counterterrorism activities. A senior operative of the Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq responsible for attacking United States military bases in Syria and Iraq, was killed in an American army attack. The Saudi Arabian foreign ministry announced that diplomatic relations with Israel would not be established before the end of the war in the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of IDF forces and Israel's recognition of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders. Read more...