Iran

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...

IDF forces continued clearing the area west of Khan Yunis above and below the ground, killing dozens of terrorists and detaining several dozen Palestinians suspected of involvement in terrorist activities. In the northern and central Gaza Strip, IDF forces returned to areas which they had previously vacated, to deal with terrorist targets and armed terrorist operatives who had returned. Statements of senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) members indicated they were still deliberating and had not yet reached a generally agreed-on decision. The UNRWA spokesman reported that many residents had migrated to Rafah, which resulted in a difficult situation and great overcrowding. He warned against carrying out a military operation in Rafah. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for seven attacks, most of them in the Mount Dov area. In response, the IDF attacked Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon Two shooting attacks were carried out. There were no casualties. Iran's representative to the United Nations told a UN Security Council session that all the "resistance groups" in the region were independent, he denied an Iranian military presence in Iraq, and claimed that the military advisors in Syria had been invited by the Syrian government and were operating in the country legally.The Islamic Resistance in Iraq published "photographic evidence" of the launch of a UAV at Eilat on January 28, 2024 . The UN Security Council met at the initiative of Russia to discuss the American attacks in Syria and Iraq. Read more...

During the past day, the IDF forces focused their activities on western Khan Yunis. They attacked the al-Qadasiya post, the main post of Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade. Hamas has not yet responded to the proposed hostage deal. Members of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) claimed they were still discussing the issue with the other "organizations," and reiterated that without a complete ceasefire no deal would take place. Hamas delegations and possibly also representatives of other "organizations" are expected to arrive for consultations in Egypt before a definitive answer is given. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for six attacks on IDF posts. Hezbollah reported three deaths. In response to the death of two of its operatives, Amal attacked several Israeli posts on the Israel-Lebanon border.The spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry again claimed that Iran had no proxy forces in the region and did not seek to escalate tensions but to achieve stability. The Fatemiyoun Brigade in Syria announced the death of four operatives. At least two of them were close to Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) Qods Force. In Iraq, an attempt was made on the life of a senior member of the Asaib Ahl al-Haqq militia. Read more...