Day 147 — Friday, March 1

Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on Wednesday for the head of the U.N. Palestinian aid agency to testify publicly about its alleged ties to Hamas.

Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the committee’s chair, and Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) wrote to Philippe Lazzarini informing the commissioner-general of UNRWA that his offer to testify behind closed doors wasn’t enough.

“Many members of this committee are gravely concerned but sadly, unsurprised, by allegations that employees of UNRWA participated in the horrendous Oct. 7 attack and that thousands of employees have familial or direct ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations,” the lawmakers wrote.

“We are outraged by recent reporting that a Hamas military installation and server room is located directly beneath UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters,” they added. “It is now more important than ever that the American people hear from you directly in a public setting.”

The committee Republicans first wrote to Lazzarini on Jan. 15 asking him to testify about allegations that Hamas was stealing U.N. aid and amid longstanding concerns about whether UNRWA was wittingly or unwittingly aiding the terrorist group.

Since then, Israel has leveled more serious and direct allegations against UNRWA, including that 30 of its staffers participated directly in the Oct. 7 attacks and that more than 10% of its 13,000 employees in Gaza are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The United States and 16 other countries and the European Union have suspended aid to UNRWA in response.

JNS

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

“We recognize the suffering of the innocent people of Gaza. This is why we are seeking ways to expand our humanitarian efforts.”

Watch the full statement by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the incident regarding the humanitarian aid convoy the IDF facilitated. pic.twitter.com/m6Pve3Odqw

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 29, 2024

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari delivered a statement this evening (Thursday) regarding this morning’s incident involving a humanitarian aid convoy in northern Gaza and the IDF’s ongoing humanitarian aid efforts.

“This morning, the IDF coordinated a convoy of 38 trucks to provide additional humanitarian assistance to the residents of northern Gaza. This humanitarian aid came from Egypt, went through a security screening at the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing in Israel, and then entered Gaza for distribution by private contractors,” Hagari began.

“As these vital humanitarian supplies were making their way towards Gazans in need, thousands of Gazans dispensed upon the trucks. Some began violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death, looting the humanitarian supplies,” he explained.

According to Hagari, “the unfortunate incident resulted in dozens of Gazans killed and injured.”

“Here are the facts,” he said. “At 4:40 a.m., the first aid truck in the humanitarian convoy started making its way through the humanitarian corridor that we were securing. Yes, the IDF was securing the humanitarian corridor so that the aid convoy could reach its destination in northern Gaza. Our tanks were there to secure the humanitarian corridor for the aid convoy. Our UAVs were there in the air to give our forces a clear picture from above.”

“During this humanitarian operation, at 4:45 a.m., a mob ambushed the aid trucks, bringing the convoy to a halt,” he said as he presented a new video of the incident. “As you can see, in this video, the tanks that were there to secure the convoy saw the Gazans being trampled and cautiously tried to disperse the mob with a few warning shots.”

He continued, “When the hundreds became thousands and things got out of hand, the tank commander decided to retreat to avoid harm to the thousands of Gazans that were there. Here you can see how cautious they were when they were backing up. I think, as a military man, they were backing up securely, risking their own lives, not shooting at the mob.”

Rejecting Hamas’ accusations of a massacre of over 100 civilians, he said that “The Israel Defense Forces operates according to the rules of engagement and international law. No IDF strike was conducted toward the aid convoy. I want to repeat that: No IDF strike was conducted toward the aid convoy.”

“On the contrary, the IDF was there carrying out a humanitarian aid operation, to secure the humanitarian corridor, and allow the aid convoy to reach its distribution point, so that the humanitarian aid could reach Gazan civilians in the north who are in need,” he said.

“We have been conducting a humanitarian operation of this kind for the last four nights without any problem, this is the first night we have had this kind of event,” he said.

Hagari noted that “This humanitarian aid was coordinated by Israel, for the people of Gaza. We want the aid to reach the people of Gaza. We are working around the clock to make this happen. Israel puts no limits on the amount of aid that can go into Gaza. We are working together with humanitarian organizations and the international community to help them solve the issue of aid distribution inside Gaza, it is a problem.”

“Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza,” he said. “We recognize the suffering of the innocent people of Gaza. This is why we are seeking ways to expand our humanitarian efforts, this is why we are conducting humanitarian operations like the one we conducted this morning.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

IDF spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari announced that the IDF had killed over 450 Hamas terrorists in Gaza in the past few days and over 13,000 in total during a press conference on Thursday.

He also announced that security forces have neutralized over 3,400 terrorists in the West Bank, with 1,500 of them belonging to Hamas.

Regarding the aggression in the north, he announced that the IDF had killed over 220 Hezbollah terrorists, including Three Brigade commanders

Jerusalem Post

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

Two Israelis were killed when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire at a gas station in the West Bank on Thursday afternoon before being shot and killed by the proprietor of a nearby business on leave from fighting in Gaza, the military and medics said.

The attack, the second deadly shooting at the spot outside the settlement of Eli since June, comes as security tensions around the West Bank have risen ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, even as the military remains focused on fighting in Gaza and escalating skirmishes on the northern border.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said two men were found shot dead at the gas station shortly after 5 p.m. one on the side of the road and one in a car.

The victims were named as Rabbi Yitzhak Zeiger, 57, a father of three and a resident of Shavei Shomron in the West Bank, and Uria Hartum, a 16-year-old high school student from the settlement of Dolev who had been hitching a ride with Zeiger.

Zeiger, a volunteer with paramedic and rescue services organizations, was filling the car with gasoline when he was shot and killed, though he attempted to return fire, according to local authorities.

Hartum was killed as he sat inside the car.

The Israel Defense Forces said the assailant, later identified as a Palestinian Authority policeman, was shot dead at the scene by the owner of a nearby hummus restaurant.

Aviad Gazbar, who said he had recently returned from reserve duty in the Gaza Strip, told media at the scene that he “heard shots” while visiting the hummus restaurant.

“I fired a bullet so that the terrorist would know I was here. I saw that he saw me, and he started charging towards me, I took him down and continued scanning,” he added.

Images showed that the terrorist was armed with an assault rifle.

The Shin Bet security agency identified the assailant as Muhammad Manasra, 31, an officer in the Palestinian Authority’s police, from the West Bank’s Qalandiya refugee camp near Jerusalem.

Times Of Israel

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

(Galilee, Israel) — Let me reset the table before we begin. There are still 134 abductees in Gaza, which include four who have been there since 2014. For those of you doing the math, that’s a full decade in captivity. With the announcement of the death of 19-year-old Sgt. Oz Daniel, the number of confirmed dead among the hostages has risen to 33. Hamas needs to understand that there will be no peace until our hostages have been returned home.

As part of the preparation for the invasion of Rafah in southernmost Gaza, Head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited Cairo. The Egyptian government has been concerned that military action in Rafah will push Palestinians into their country. In other words, the Egyptian Arabs want to make sure that none of the Palestinian Arabs cross the border. Why? Because they know the Palestinians and recognize that they bring trouble with them wherever they go. Former Jordanian King Hussein understood that truth and used his military to drive out all the militant Palestinian factions from his country. Bar and Halevi reassured the Cairo government that they needn’t be concerned.

Israeli citizens were once again reminded how dangerous tunnel warfare is when they were informed of the deaths of 25-year-old Maj. Iftah Shahar and 24-year-old Cpt. Itai Seif. A booby-trapped tunnel shaft exploded in Gaza killing the two officers and wounding ten more soldiers. As I’ve said before, never before in the history of warfare has a military been forced to conduct simultaneous above and below ground operations in the manner necessary in Gaza.

It seems that everyone in the world is desperate for a ceasefire, except Hamas and Israel. Excitement for a ceasefire began to stir again this past week, leading U.S. President Joe Biden to postulate that a deal could be signed as soon as Monday. But two days ago, Hamas said, “Yeah…no!” The two most disappointed by this are Biden, who needs peace in the Middle East before the upcoming elections, and the Gazan people, who are seeing prices for necessities skyrocket as Hamas steals goods and relief supplies for themselves.

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

Representatives of the Israel Defense Forces told members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday that “there is no such concept as settler violence” in Judea and Samaria.

“There is nationalistic crime, but we are talking about a few incidents…We have great respect for the residents of Judea and Samaria. They are our brothers, and it is our job to ensure their safety,” the senior IDF officials told lawmakers during a closed-door meeting.

The official emphasized however that while there have only been a handful of incidents, these attacks “must be denounced by everyone so that the few do not tarnish an entire population,” according to Arutz 7.

According to IDF and Israel Police data, Jewish violence against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria has been steadily decreasing. Earlier this year, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called reports of growing “settler violence” a “blood libel” and “a lie disconnected from reality.”

On Feb. 1, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order targeting “persons undermining peace, security and stability” in Judea and Samaria, citing “high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages and property destruction.”

The White House named four Israeli Jews as the targets of sanctions: Yinon Levi of Meitarim Farm; David Chai Chasdai of Givat Ronen; Einan Tanjil of Kiryat Ekron; and Shalom Zicherman of Mitzpe Yair. Of the four, only Chasdai has ever run afoul of Israeli authorities.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has blasted the Biden administration’s Judea sanctions as a “disgrace” that could potentially apply to anyone who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.

“So anyone who the State Department feels is hostile to creating a Palestinian terror state could wake up one morning and find his funds frozen at his local bank!” Friedman tweeted on Feb. 13.

“Not only is this an unlawful interference in another nation’s internal politics (and a key ally to boot!) but it illegally punishes Israelis for exercising their free speech,” the ambassador noted.

 JNS

Day 145 — Wednesday, February 28

Israel is entering a dangerous phase and must exercise the utmost caution during the upcoming Muslim month of Ramadan, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Tuesday.

Speaking at a situational assessment in advance of Ramadan at the IDF’s Central Command, Gallant said Israel sees a “growing preoccupation of Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas to turn the month of Ramadan into the second phase of October 7 and set fire to the area.”

“We must not give Hamas what it failed to achieve since the beginning of the war and connect the combat arenas,” Gallant said.

In the past, Hamas repeatedly attempted to connect its armed conflicts in the Gaza Strip to tensions in Jerusalem, especially over the Temple Mount, in order to set fire to the West Bank and create a second front against Israel.

Gallant continued, “The main goal of Hamas is to take Ramadan, with an emphasis on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, and turn it into the second phase of their plan that began on October 7. Iran and Hezbollah are propagating this goal.”

Therefore, the defense minister stressed, Israel should do everything possible to calm tensions in every arena.

Israel should pursue this goal by, on the one hand, stopping and eliminating all terrorists who are trying to inflame the area with terror attacks.

All Israel News

Day 144 — Tuesday, February 27

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah on Monday fired a barrage of 60 Katyusha rockets at the Golan Heights.

The terror group said in a statement the volley of rockets was in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s east, the deepest confirmed attacks since the beginning of the cross-border clashes. It said it targeted an Israeli military base in the Golan “in response to the Zionist aggression near the city of Baalbek,” 100 kilometers (more than 62 miles) from the border earlier in the day.

Footage circulating on social media shows several rockets impacting and exploding near a bus carrying passengers, who quickly disembarked to take cover.

There were no reports of injuries in the barrage.

In addition to the unprecedented strikes in Baalbek, the Israel Defense Forces said it eliminated a senior Hezbollah commander, Hassan Hussein Salami, in an airstrike in southern Lebanon.

Salami, whose rank is equivalent to a brigade commander, was targeted while driving in the southern Lebanon village of Majadel.

The IDF said Salami was the commander of a regional unit in Hezbollah and oversaw attacks on IDF troops and Israeli communities in northern Israel.

Recent actions that Salami was involved in included anti-tank missile attacks on Kiryat Shmona and on the base of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade, according to the IDF.

Times Of Israel

Day 144 — Tuesday, February 27

Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old active-duty US Air Force member, died after setting himself on fire on Sunday outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC.

Prior to his death, Bushnell insisted in his final post on social media that the United States was “committing genocide” through its support of Israel—a reference to the false claim that Israel is deliberately targetting civilians in its war against the terrorist organization Hamas.

“Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’” he wrote. “The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.”

The disturbing “act of protest” was live-streamed by Bushnell on Twitch, where he can be heard shouting “Free Palestine” as he set himself ablaze in his military uniform. Firefighters then acted to distinguish the flames, and Bushnell was transferred to a hospital in critical condition before later succumbing to his injuries. The video has since been removed from the Twitch platform.

Jack Hibbs, Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, commented on the Airman’s actions outside the Israeli Embassy. 

“[Bushnell] is a member of the United States Air Force who has allowed himself to fall victim to the woke ideology and the progressive propaganda of a demonic agenda that has long been predicted in the Bible,” he highlighted. “That prediction is – that God will not stand with those who are against Israel and His people, the Jews.”

Day 144 — Tuesday, February 27

The Israel we see today is biblical Israel. Some would say that can’t be true because the people of that nation do not generally live as the Old Testament commands. But when did the people of Israel ever live up to the law of Moses? History shows that the Jews in Israel today descend from the Jews in Israel 2,000 years ago. God placed the proof in their DNA.

Do you know what that means? It means the Bible is true and you can trust every word. The Jewish people remaining distinct and regathering in Israel is one of the greatest of all biblical miracles. And it is taking place right now before our very eyes.

There were many dispersions of the Israelites from their homeland. Those dispersals culminated with Rome sacking Jerusalem and destroying the temple in 70 AD. The Children of Israel were dispersed around the globe. This is called the diaspora. They were physically and economically assimilated into cultures the world over, and yet, miraculously, they remained a distinct people.

And their DNA proves it! Michael Hammer of the Arizona Research Laboratories at the University of Arizona summarized the results of his major study of the DNA of Jews from various places in the world. “Despite their long-term residence in different countries and isolation from one another, most Jewish populations were not significantly different from one another at the genetic level. The results support the hypothesis that the paternal gene pools of Jewish communities from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East descended from a common Middle Eastern ancestral population, and suggest that most Jewish communities have remained relatively isolated from neighboring non-Jewish communities during and after the Diaspora.”

Day 143 — Monday, February 26

The Biden administration sees the Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria as illegal, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said on Sunday, thereby reversing the previous administration’s ‘Pompeo policy.’

Blinken’s statement came in response to the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that Israel plans to advance the construction of some 3,000 new homes in three settlements within Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank.

Smotrich’s announcement was made following the recent terror attack near Jerusalem last week.

“We’re disappointed in the announcement,” Blinken said on Friday during a joint press conference.

“It’s been longstanding U.S. policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace,” he continued.

“They’re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion. And in our judgment, this only weakens – it doesn’t strengthen – Israel’s security,” Blinken added.

These statements are contrary to the stance that the settlements conform with international law, as was formulated under the previous U.S. Trump administration in 2019, in a policy called the “Pompeo Doctrine,” after the former secretary of state.

Up until Blinken’s comments on Friday, Biden officials had not yet commented on the widely contested legality of the settlements.

The policy change was sharply criticized by Republicans, with former U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo himself responding: “Judea and Samaria are rightful parts of the Jewish homeland, and Israelis have a right to live there.”

“President Biden’s decision to overturn our policy and call Israeli ‘settlements’ illegal will not further the cause of peace. It rewards Hamas for its brutal attacks on October 7th and punishes Israel instead. These Israeli communities are not standing in the way of peace; militant Palestinian terrorism is,” he wrote on 𝕏.

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also slammed Blinken’s comments.

“It is an absolute disgrace the Biden administration would issue this decision, especially as Israel fights terrorists on multiple fronts that seek Israel’s destruction and as more than 130 hostages remain in Gaza,” he wrote on 𝕏.

“The Biden Administration must stop undermining Israel and facilitating efforts to delegitimize Israel. It is misguided and unconscionable.”

Johnson agreed with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who explained that he had researched the issue with State Department lawyers during his tenure.

“There is nothing illegal about Jews living in their biblical homeland. Indeed, Undersecretary of State Eugene Rostow, also the Dean of the Yale Law School (who negotiated UNSCR 242), stated that Israel has the best legal claim to Judea and Samaria,” Friedman wrote.

All Israel News 

Day 142 — Sunday, February 25

In a recent assessment of the situation in the northern Gaza Strip, the Chief of Staff, alongside other military commanders, emphasized the crucial role of the ongoing fighting effort in negotiations for the release of abducted individuals.

During the assessment, which took place on Saturday, the Chief of Staff, accompanied by Major General Yaron Finkelman, commander of the Southern Command, and Lieutenant Colonel Itzik Cohen, commander of Division 162, discussed the progress and strategy in the conflict zone.

The Chief of Staff’s remarks shed light on the multifaceted approach being taken to deepen military achievements in the region. He highlighted the importance of returning to areas with improved intelligence to make more significant advancements, both tactically and strategically.

These efforts, he noted, not only target enemy combatants but also aim to dismantle infrastructure and clear territories to enhance operational effectiveness.

Addressing the ongoing negotiations for the release of abductees, the Chief of Staff emphasized the interconnectedness between military achievements and diplomatic endeavors. He underscored the pivotal role of the fighting effort in exerting pressure on Hamas, thereby potentially facilitating the release of kidnapped individuals.

i24 News

Day 141 — Saturday, February 24

The Israeli Navy’s fleet of missile boats carried out “extensive” exercises over the past week, the IDF said on Friday, as the military prepares for potential war in the north while Israel warns that its patience for a diplomatic solution is running out.

Israel and Hezbollah also continued to exchange cross-border fire on Friday, as the Iran-backed terror group claimed to target a regional council building while the IDF said it intercepted a “suspicious” drone that crossed into its airspace.

The IDF said the Navy drills simulated fighting in the northern maritime theater, and some exercises were carried out alongside the Israeli Air Force, including the 193rd Squadron which operates the AS565 Panther helicopters, primarily used for missions at sea.

Among the scenarios that were drilled included foiling drone attacks, aerial rescue operations from vessels, and refueling the missile boats at sea, the IDF said.

The drill comes amid daily attacks by the Hezbollah terror group on northern Israel amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has warned it can no longer tolerate Hezbollah’s presence along its border following the October 7 atrocities and has warned that should a diplomatic solution not be reached, it will turn to military action to push Hezbollah northward.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel “will not be patient much longer for a diplomatic solution in the north.” Katz shared a clip on social media from a Channel 12 report Thursday evening which said Israel sent an official warning to the UN Security Council that Iran is continuing to send arms to Hezbollah in breach of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon.

“If the dramatic intelligence information we revealed before the Security Council doesn’t lead to a change, we will not hesitate to act,” tweeted Katz, after the report claimed Israel’s letter to the UNSC details the types of weaponry Iran is supplying Hezbollah as well as via which routes and on what dates.

Also Friday, Hezbollah claimed to have targeted the headquarters of the Upper Galilee Regional Council in Kiryat Shmona with two drones.

The IDF said that a “suspicious aerial target” that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon was successfully intercepted by air defenses. Suspected drone infiltration alarms had sounded in several communities in the Galilee panhandle.

Rockets sirens also sounded in Kiryat Shmona due to fears of falling shrapnel following the interception.

Hezbollah said that the attack was a response to recent Israeli strikes on “southern villages and civilian homes” including a strike on Thursday on what it said was a civil defense center in Blida.

Times Of Israel

Day 147 — Friday, March 1

Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on Wednesday for the head of the U.N. Palestinian aid agency to testify publicly about its alleged ties to Hamas.

Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the committee’s chair, and Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) wrote to Philippe Lazzarini informing the commissioner-general of UNRWA that his offer to testify behind closed doors wasn’t enough.

“Many members of this committee are gravely concerned but sadly, unsurprised, by allegations that employees of UNRWA participated in the horrendous Oct. 7 attack and that thousands of employees have familial or direct ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations,” the lawmakers wrote.

“We are outraged by recent reporting that a Hamas military installation and server room is located directly beneath UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters,” they added. “It is now more important than ever that the American people hear from you directly in a public setting.”

The committee Republicans first wrote to Lazzarini on Jan. 15 asking him to testify about allegations that Hamas was stealing U.N. aid and amid longstanding concerns about whether UNRWA was wittingly or unwittingly aiding the terrorist group.

Since then, Israel has leveled more serious and direct allegations against UNRWA, including that 30 of its staffers participated directly in the Oct. 7 attacks and that more than 10% of its 13,000 employees in Gaza are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The United States and 16 other countries and the European Union have suspended aid to UNRWA in response.

JNS

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

“We recognize the suffering of the innocent people of Gaza. This is why we are seeking ways to expand our humanitarian efforts.”

Watch the full statement by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the incident regarding the humanitarian aid convoy the IDF facilitated. pic.twitter.com/m6Pve3Odqw

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 29, 2024

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari delivered a statement this evening (Thursday) regarding this morning’s incident involving a humanitarian aid convoy in northern Gaza and the IDF’s ongoing humanitarian aid efforts.

“This morning, the IDF coordinated a convoy of 38 trucks to provide additional humanitarian assistance to the residents of northern Gaza. This humanitarian aid came from Egypt, went through a security screening at the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing in Israel, and then entered Gaza for distribution by private contractors,” Hagari began.

“As these vital humanitarian supplies were making their way towards Gazans in need, thousands of Gazans dispensed upon the trucks. Some began violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death, looting the humanitarian supplies,” he explained.

According to Hagari, “the unfortunate incident resulted in dozens of Gazans killed and injured.”

“Here are the facts,” he said. “At 4:40 a.m., the first aid truck in the humanitarian convoy started making its way through the humanitarian corridor that we were securing. Yes, the IDF was securing the humanitarian corridor so that the aid convoy could reach its destination in northern Gaza. Our tanks were there to secure the humanitarian corridor for the aid convoy. Our UAVs were there in the air to give our forces a clear picture from above.”

“During this humanitarian operation, at 4:45 a.m., a mob ambushed the aid trucks, bringing the convoy to a halt,” he said as he presented a new video of the incident. “As you can see, in this video, the tanks that were there to secure the convoy saw the Gazans being trampled and cautiously tried to disperse the mob with a few warning shots.”

He continued, “When the hundreds became thousands and things got out of hand, the tank commander decided to retreat to avoid harm to the thousands of Gazans that were there. Here you can see how cautious they were when they were backing up. I think, as a military man, they were backing up securely, risking their own lives, not shooting at the mob.”

Rejecting Hamas’ accusations of a massacre of over 100 civilians, he said that “The Israel Defense Forces operates according to the rules of engagement and international law. No IDF strike was conducted toward the aid convoy. I want to repeat that: No IDF strike was conducted toward the aid convoy.”

“On the contrary, the IDF was there carrying out a humanitarian aid operation, to secure the humanitarian corridor, and allow the aid convoy to reach its distribution point, so that the humanitarian aid could reach Gazan civilians in the north who are in need,” he said.

“We have been conducting a humanitarian operation of this kind for the last four nights without any problem, this is the first night we have had this kind of event,” he said.

Hagari noted that “This humanitarian aid was coordinated by Israel, for the people of Gaza. We want the aid to reach the people of Gaza. We are working around the clock to make this happen. Israel puts no limits on the amount of aid that can go into Gaza. We are working together with humanitarian organizations and the international community to help them solve the issue of aid distribution inside Gaza, it is a problem.”

“Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza,” he said. “We recognize the suffering of the innocent people of Gaza. This is why we are seeking ways to expand our humanitarian efforts, this is why we are conducting humanitarian operations like the one we conducted this morning.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

IDF spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari announced that the IDF had killed over 450 Hamas terrorists in Gaza in the past few days and over 13,000 in total during a press conference on Thursday.

He also announced that security forces have neutralized over 3,400 terrorists in the West Bank, with 1,500 of them belonging to Hamas.

Regarding the aggression in the north, he announced that the IDF had killed over 220 Hezbollah terrorists, including Three Brigade commanders

Jerusalem Post

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

Two Israelis were killed when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire at a gas station in the West Bank on Thursday afternoon before being shot and killed by the proprietor of a nearby business on leave from fighting in Gaza, the military and medics said.

The attack, the second deadly shooting at the spot outside the settlement of Eli since June, comes as security tensions around the West Bank have risen ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, even as the military remains focused on fighting in Gaza and escalating skirmishes on the northern border.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said two men were found shot dead at the gas station shortly after 5 p.m. one on the side of the road and one in a car.

The victims were named as Rabbi Yitzhak Zeiger, 57, a father of three and a resident of Shavei Shomron in the West Bank, and Uria Hartum, a 16-year-old high school student from the settlement of Dolev who had been hitching a ride with Zeiger.

Zeiger, a volunteer with paramedic and rescue services organizations, was filling the car with gasoline when he was shot and killed, though he attempted to return fire, according to local authorities.

Hartum was killed as he sat inside the car.

The Israel Defense Forces said the assailant, later identified as a Palestinian Authority policeman, was shot dead at the scene by the owner of a nearby hummus restaurant.

Aviad Gazbar, who said he had recently returned from reserve duty in the Gaza Strip, told media at the scene that he “heard shots” while visiting the hummus restaurant.

“I fired a bullet so that the terrorist would know I was here. I saw that he saw me, and he started charging towards me, I took him down and continued scanning,” he added.

Images showed that the terrorist was armed with an assault rifle.

The Shin Bet security agency identified the assailant as Muhammad Manasra, 31, an officer in the Palestinian Authority’s police, from the West Bank’s Qalandiya refugee camp near Jerusalem.

Times Of Israel

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

(Galilee, Israel) — Let me reset the table before we begin. There are still 134 abductees in Gaza, which include four who have been there since 2014. For those of you doing the math, that’s a full decade in captivity. With the announcement of the death of 19-year-old Sgt. Oz Daniel, the number of confirmed dead among the hostages has risen to 33. Hamas needs to understand that there will be no peace until our hostages have been returned home.

As part of the preparation for the invasion of Rafah in southernmost Gaza, Head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited Cairo. The Egyptian government has been concerned that military action in Rafah will push Palestinians into their country. In other words, the Egyptian Arabs want to make sure that none of the Palestinian Arabs cross the border. Why? Because they know the Palestinians and recognize that they bring trouble with them wherever they go. Former Jordanian King Hussein understood that truth and used his military to drive out all the militant Palestinian factions from his country. Bar and Halevi reassured the Cairo government that they needn’t be concerned.

Israeli citizens were once again reminded how dangerous tunnel warfare is when they were informed of the deaths of 25-year-old Maj. Iftah Shahar and 24-year-old Cpt. Itai Seif. A booby-trapped tunnel shaft exploded in Gaza killing the two officers and wounding ten more soldiers. As I’ve said before, never before in the history of warfare has a military been forced to conduct simultaneous above and below ground operations in the manner necessary in Gaza.

It seems that everyone in the world is desperate for a ceasefire, except Hamas and Israel. Excitement for a ceasefire began to stir again this past week, leading U.S. President Joe Biden to postulate that a deal could be signed as soon as Monday. But two days ago, Hamas said, “Yeah…no!” The two most disappointed by this are Biden, who needs peace in the Middle East before the upcoming elections, and the Gazan people, who are seeing prices for necessities skyrocket as Hamas steals goods and relief supplies for themselves.

Day 146 — Thursday, February 29

Representatives of the Israel Defense Forces told members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday that “there is no such concept as settler violence” in Judea and Samaria.

“There is nationalistic crime, but we are talking about a few incidents…We have great respect for the residents of Judea and Samaria. They are our brothers, and it is our job to ensure their safety,” the senior IDF officials told lawmakers during a closed-door meeting.

The official emphasized however that while there have only been a handful of incidents, these attacks “must be denounced by everyone so that the few do not tarnish an entire population,” according to Arutz 7.

According to IDF and Israel Police data, Jewish violence against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria has been steadily decreasing. Earlier this year, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called reports of growing “settler violence” a “blood libel” and “a lie disconnected from reality.”

On Feb. 1, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order targeting “persons undermining peace, security and stability” in Judea and Samaria, citing “high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages and property destruction.”

The White House named four Israeli Jews as the targets of sanctions: Yinon Levi of Meitarim Farm; David Chai Chasdai of Givat Ronen; Einan Tanjil of Kiryat Ekron; and Shalom Zicherman of Mitzpe Yair. Of the four, only Chasdai has ever run afoul of Israeli authorities.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has blasted the Biden administration’s Judea sanctions as a “disgrace” that could potentially apply to anyone who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.

“So anyone who the State Department feels is hostile to creating a Palestinian terror state could wake up one morning and find his funds frozen at his local bank!” Friedman tweeted on Feb. 13.

“Not only is this an unlawful interference in another nation’s internal politics (and a key ally to boot!) but it illegally punishes Israelis for exercising their free speech,” the ambassador noted.

 JNS

Day 145 — Wednesday, February 28

Israel is entering a dangerous phase and must exercise the utmost caution during the upcoming Muslim month of Ramadan, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Tuesday.

Speaking at a situational assessment in advance of Ramadan at the IDF’s Central Command, Gallant said Israel sees a “growing preoccupation of Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas to turn the month of Ramadan into the second phase of October 7 and set fire to the area.”

“We must not give Hamas what it failed to achieve since the beginning of the war and connect the combat arenas,” Gallant said.

In the past, Hamas repeatedly attempted to connect its armed conflicts in the Gaza Strip to tensions in Jerusalem, especially over the Temple Mount, in order to set fire to the West Bank and create a second front against Israel.

Gallant continued, “The main goal of Hamas is to take Ramadan, with an emphasis on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, and turn it into the second phase of their plan that began on October 7. Iran and Hezbollah are propagating this goal.”

Therefore, the defense minister stressed, Israel should do everything possible to calm tensions in every arena.

Israel should pursue this goal by, on the one hand, stopping and eliminating all terrorists who are trying to inflame the area with terror attacks.

All Israel News

Day 144 — Tuesday, February 27

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah on Monday fired a barrage of 60 Katyusha rockets at the Golan Heights.

The terror group said in a statement the volley of rockets was in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s east, the deepest confirmed attacks since the beginning of the cross-border clashes. It said it targeted an Israeli military base in the Golan “in response to the Zionist aggression near the city of Baalbek,” 100 kilometers (more than 62 miles) from the border earlier in the day.

Footage circulating on social media shows several rockets impacting and exploding near a bus carrying passengers, who quickly disembarked to take cover.

There were no reports of injuries in the barrage.

In addition to the unprecedented strikes in Baalbek, the Israel Defense Forces said it eliminated a senior Hezbollah commander, Hassan Hussein Salami, in an airstrike in southern Lebanon.

Salami, whose rank is equivalent to a brigade commander, was targeted while driving in the southern Lebanon village of Majadel.

The IDF said Salami was the commander of a regional unit in Hezbollah and oversaw attacks on IDF troops and Israeli communities in northern Israel.

Recent actions that Salami was involved in included anti-tank missile attacks on Kiryat Shmona and on the base of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade, according to the IDF.

Times Of Israel

Day 144 — Tuesday, February 27

Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old active-duty US Air Force member, died after setting himself on fire on Sunday outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC.

Prior to his death, Bushnell insisted in his final post on social media that the United States was “committing genocide” through its support of Israel—a reference to the false claim that Israel is deliberately targetting civilians in its war against the terrorist organization Hamas.

“Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’” he wrote. “The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.”

The disturbing “act of protest” was live-streamed by Bushnell on Twitch, where he can be heard shouting “Free Palestine” as he set himself ablaze in his military uniform. Firefighters then acted to distinguish the flames, and Bushnell was transferred to a hospital in critical condition before later succumbing to his injuries. The video has since been removed from the Twitch platform.

Jack Hibbs, Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, commented on the Airman’s actions outside the Israeli Embassy. 

“[Bushnell] is a member of the United States Air Force who has allowed himself to fall victim to the woke ideology and the progressive propaganda of a demonic agenda that has long been predicted in the Bible,” he highlighted. “That prediction is – that God will not stand with those who are against Israel and His people, the Jews.”

Day 144 — Tuesday, February 27

The Israel we see today is biblical Israel. Some would say that can’t be true because the people of that nation do not generally live as the Old Testament commands. But when did the people of Israel ever live up to the law of Moses? History shows that the Jews in Israel today descend from the Jews in Israel 2,000 years ago. God placed the proof in their DNA.

Do you know what that means? It means the Bible is true and you can trust every word. The Jewish people remaining distinct and regathering in Israel is one of the greatest of all biblical miracles. And it is taking place right now before our very eyes.

There were many dispersions of the Israelites from their homeland. Those dispersals culminated with Rome sacking Jerusalem and destroying the temple in 70 AD. The Children of Israel were dispersed around the globe. This is called the diaspora. They were physically and economically assimilated into cultures the world over, and yet, miraculously, they remained a distinct people.

And their DNA proves it! Michael Hammer of the Arizona Research Laboratories at the University of Arizona summarized the results of his major study of the DNA of Jews from various places in the world. “Despite their long-term residence in different countries and isolation from one another, most Jewish populations were not significantly different from one another at the genetic level. The results support the hypothesis that the paternal gene pools of Jewish communities from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East descended from a common Middle Eastern ancestral population, and suggest that most Jewish communities have remained relatively isolated from neighboring non-Jewish communities during and after the Diaspora.”

Day 143 — Monday, February 26

The Biden administration sees the Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria as illegal, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said on Sunday, thereby reversing the previous administration’s ‘Pompeo policy.’

Blinken’s statement came in response to the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that Israel plans to advance the construction of some 3,000 new homes in three settlements within Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank.

Smotrich’s announcement was made following the recent terror attack near Jerusalem last week.

“We’re disappointed in the announcement,” Blinken said on Friday during a joint press conference.

“It’s been longstanding U.S. policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace,” he continued.

“They’re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion. And in our judgment, this only weakens – it doesn’t strengthen – Israel’s security,” Blinken added.

These statements are contrary to the stance that the settlements conform with international law, as was formulated under the previous U.S. Trump administration in 2019, in a policy called the “Pompeo Doctrine,” after the former secretary of state.

Up until Blinken’s comments on Friday, Biden officials had not yet commented on the widely contested legality of the settlements.

The policy change was sharply criticized by Republicans, with former U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo himself responding: “Judea and Samaria are rightful parts of the Jewish homeland, and Israelis have a right to live there.”

“President Biden’s decision to overturn our policy and call Israeli ‘settlements’ illegal will not further the cause of peace. It rewards Hamas for its brutal attacks on October 7th and punishes Israel instead. These Israeli communities are not standing in the way of peace; militant Palestinian terrorism is,” he wrote on 𝕏.

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also slammed Blinken’s comments.

“It is an absolute disgrace the Biden administration would issue this decision, especially as Israel fights terrorists on multiple fronts that seek Israel’s destruction and as more than 130 hostages remain in Gaza,” he wrote on 𝕏.

“The Biden Administration must stop undermining Israel and facilitating efforts to delegitimize Israel. It is misguided and unconscionable.”

Johnson agreed with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who explained that he had researched the issue with State Department lawyers during his tenure.

“There is nothing illegal about Jews living in their biblical homeland. Indeed, Undersecretary of State Eugene Rostow, also the Dean of the Yale Law School (who negotiated UNSCR 242), stated that Israel has the best legal claim to Judea and Samaria,” Friedman wrote.

All Israel News 

Day 142 — Sunday, February 25

In a recent assessment of the situation in the northern Gaza Strip, the Chief of Staff, alongside other military commanders, emphasized the crucial role of the ongoing fighting effort in negotiations for the release of abducted individuals.

During the assessment, which took place on Saturday, the Chief of Staff, accompanied by Major General Yaron Finkelman, commander of the Southern Command, and Lieutenant Colonel Itzik Cohen, commander of Division 162, discussed the progress and strategy in the conflict zone.

The Chief of Staff’s remarks shed light on the multifaceted approach being taken to deepen military achievements in the region. He highlighted the importance of returning to areas with improved intelligence to make more significant advancements, both tactically and strategically.

These efforts, he noted, not only target enemy combatants but also aim to dismantle infrastructure and clear territories to enhance operational effectiveness.

Addressing the ongoing negotiations for the release of abductees, the Chief of Staff emphasized the interconnectedness between military achievements and diplomatic endeavors. He underscored the pivotal role of the fighting effort in exerting pressure on Hamas, thereby potentially facilitating the release of kidnapped individuals.

i24 News

Day 141 — Saturday, February 24

The Israeli Navy’s fleet of missile boats carried out “extensive” exercises over the past week, the IDF said on Friday, as the military prepares for potential war in the north while Israel warns that its patience for a diplomatic solution is running out.

Israel and Hezbollah also continued to exchange cross-border fire on Friday, as the Iran-backed terror group claimed to target a regional council building while the IDF said it intercepted a “suspicious” drone that crossed into its airspace.

The IDF said the Navy drills simulated fighting in the northern maritime theater, and some exercises were carried out alongside the Israeli Air Force, including the 193rd Squadron which operates the AS565 Panther helicopters, primarily used for missions at sea.

Among the scenarios that were drilled included foiling drone attacks, aerial rescue operations from vessels, and refueling the missile boats at sea, the IDF said.

The drill comes amid daily attacks by the Hezbollah terror group on northern Israel amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has warned it can no longer tolerate Hezbollah’s presence along its border following the October 7 atrocities and has warned that should a diplomatic solution not be reached, it will turn to military action to push Hezbollah northward.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel “will not be patient much longer for a diplomatic solution in the north.” Katz shared a clip on social media from a Channel 12 report Thursday evening which said Israel sent an official warning to the UN Security Council that Iran is continuing to send arms to Hezbollah in breach of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon.

“If the dramatic intelligence information we revealed before the Security Council doesn’t lead to a change, we will not hesitate to act,” tweeted Katz, after the report claimed Israel’s letter to the UNSC details the types of weaponry Iran is supplying Hezbollah as well as via which routes and on what dates.

Also Friday, Hezbollah claimed to have targeted the headquarters of the Upper Galilee Regional Council in Kiryat Shmona with two drones.

The IDF said that a “suspicious aerial target” that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon was successfully intercepted by air defenses. Suspected drone infiltration alarms had sounded in several communities in the Galilee panhandle.

Rockets sirens also sounded in Kiryat Shmona due to fears of falling shrapnel following the interception.

Hezbollah said that the attack was a response to recent Israeli strikes on “southern villages and civilian homes” including a strike on Thursday on what it said was a civil defense center in Blida.

Times Of Israel