Israel at War: What happened on Day 59?

Footage appearing to show Hamas members distancing people from a vehicle that arrived at the Nasser hospital in southern Gaza sparked speculation that a high-ranking target had been hit amid Israeli airstrikes on Monday evening.

وصول إصابات إلى مستشفى ناصر جراء قصف الاحتلال الاسرائيلي لمدينة #خانيونس قبل قليل.#غزة #فلسطين #فلسطين_المحتلة pic.twitter.com/oSDmBSGmho

— Khaled Iskef خالد اسكيف (@khalediskef) December 4, 2023

In the video, Hamas police could be seen using batons to distance people after an ambulance and a civilian vehicle arrived at the entrance to the hospital. The video shows the ambulance before cutting suddenly to a scene where the ambulance has already left. It is unclear who was being carried in the ambulance and the civilian car or why the video had been cut.

Turkey warned Israel of "serious consequences" if it tries to hunt down Hamas members living outside Palestinian territories, including in Turkey, a Turkish intelligence official said on Monday.

"Necessary warnings were made to the interlocutors based on the news of Israeli officials' statements, and it was expressed to Israel that (such an act) would have serious consequences," the official said.

Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported on Sunday that Israel would hunt down Hamas in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar even if it takes years, the head of Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet said in a recording. It was unclear when Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar made the remarks or to whom.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (credit: TUMAY BERKIN/REUTERS AND MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Erdogan calls Netanyahu 'butcher of Gaza'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be tried as a war criminal over Israel's ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, referring to the Likud party leader as the "butcher of Gaza."

In a speech to a meeting of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) committee in Istanbul, Erdogan said that Gaza is Palestinian land and will always belong to the Palestinians.

"Israel is not only a murderer but also a thief," Erdogan said, according to Turkish state media, adding "We cannot let Israel occupy Gaza once again."

Erdogan charged that "those who invade Gaza will seek other places tomorrow. Gaza butcher Netanyahu revealed he has expansionist ideals."

The fate of Hamas terrorists in southern Gaza will be "the same and worse" than those in northern Gaza, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Monday evening.

"We will continue until victory and until all goals are achieved, the elimination of Hamas and the return of the hostages to the State of Israel," said Gallant.

The IDF struck an operational headquarters, weapons storage warehouse, and other infrastructure used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon on Monday in response to continued rocket fire by the terrorist group toward northern Israel.

Among the targets hit were a Hezbollah weapons depot near Arab Al-Aramshe and sites where rockets were launched from in southern Lebanon. IDF artillery fire targeted a number of other sites in southern Lebanon as well.

According to the IDF, several projectiles were fired toward an IDF post near Arab al-Aramshe, and toward Matat, Tel Hai, Shtula, and Kiryat Shmona on Monday.

The Hezbollah terrorist organization took responsibility for at least nine attacks against sites in northern Israel on Monday.

According to Lebanese reports, an empty house in Umm al-Tut, another house in Bint Jbeil, and another house in Maroun el Rass in southern Lebanon were hit in Israeli strikes. A fire broke out in the house in Bint Jbeil, according to the reports.

Additionally, a Syrian citizen was injured in Israeli strikes in Wazzani in southern Lebanon on Monday, according to NNA. The report did not state what condition the Syrian was in.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea in Beirut on Monday to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

Lebanese FM accuses Israel of sparking border tensions

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib told the Lebanese Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that European Union officials had warned Lebanon against entering a war with Israel, with Bou Habib claiming Israel "took the initiative and threatened."

"It was not the Lebanese government nor Hezbollah that threatened war. Israel was issuing daily threats against Lebanon, while (Hezbollah Secretary-General) Hassan Nasrallah threatened it weeks after," claimed Bou Habib.

The foreign minister added that Israel has sent several messages through the European Union demanding that Lebanon implement UNSC Resolution 1701 and to force Hezbollah to move back to north of the Litani River in accordance with the resolution.

Bou Habib claimed that Lebanon had only conducted violations of the resolution recently and accused Israel of violating the resolution 30,000 times annually. The foreign minister committed to implementing the resolution and called for Israel and Lebanon to reach agreements about their land border saying "this could reduce the tension and enhance the chances of peace and stability in southern Lebanon."

Since the beginning of the year, Hezbollah and Palestinian factions assumed to be operating with Hezbollah's approval have conducted attacks against northern Israel, including an infiltration and bombing attack near Megiddo in March and the establishment of tents staffed with armed terrorists in the Har Dov area.

A day after the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on October 7, Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Lebanon launched attacks against sites in northern Israel.

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday spoke with Argentine President-elect Javier Milei and thanked him for his intention to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem, Netanyahu's office said.

Netanyahu congratulated Milei on his election win and thanked him for his support of Israel during the war with Hamas.

"The prime minister thanked the president-elect for his intention to move the Argentina embassy to Jerusalem, and invited him to visit in Israel," it said.

The IDF opened up a safe corridor for the humanitarian movement of civilians on a bypass road west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Monday, according to the IDF spokesperson for Arabic media, Avichay Adraee.

سكان قطاع #غزة،
جيش الدفاع يتصرف بقوة ضد #حماس والمنظمات الإرهابية في قطاع غزة وبشكل خاص في منطقة #خان_يونس.

فيما يلي عدة تعليمات عاجلة:

القتال والتقدم العسكري لجيش الدفاع في منطقة خان يونس لا يسمحان بتنقل المدنيين عبر محور صلاح الدين في المقاطع الواقعة شمالي وشرقي مدينة… pic.twitter.com/fQOBR6fHsF

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) December 4, 2023

Traffic from Rafah and Khan Yunis toward Deir al-Balah and central Gaza will be possible along the al-Rashid Coastal Road from southern Gaza and al-Shuhadaa Street in Deir al-Balah.

Adraee warned that Salah al-Din road is considered a war zone and is "extremely dangerous."

President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric Egger has arrived in Gaza to call for civilian protection, according to a report in Israeli media. 

The purpose of her visit is to promote the organization's approach to hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

Communication services in Gaza City and northern Gaza are currently down, Israeli media reported Monday afternoon, citing Palestinian news services.

This is a developing story.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concerns about the ongoing war in Gaza following the deadly attack by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel. He fears that this conflict may overshadow Ukraine's prolonged fight against Russia.

"We already can see the consequences of the international community shifting [attention] because of the tragedy in the Middle East," he said.

Zelensky emphasized the importance of focusing on the war taking place on European soil since February of last year, stating, "We must not allow people to forget about the war here."

The IDF struck terrorist infrastructure and an operational headquarters for the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon Monday afternoon, Israeli media reported

The Israeli Air Force used fighter jets and remotely manned aircraft to strike the complex.

Several launches toward open spaces in Israeli territory were also detected, prompting a responsive strike into Lebanese territory.