Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 97?

Hamas expressed support for South Africa's accusation against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday, according to a statement posted to the terror organization's Telegram channel on Thursday.

The Hamas statement claims South Africa's legitimacy in its position as a statement of support for the Palestinian people and cites "crimes of the occupation."

"We consider this historic plea that the world witnessed today to be a valid and reliable reason, from a state consistent with its principles and the principles of international law, to stop the occupation’s aggression. Our people, children and defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip, and then begin prosecuting the occupation for the crimes of genocide it is committing against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

Hamas engages in the practices of using human shields and child soldiers and is currently holding at least 130 people hostage in Gaza.

Iran seized an "American oil tanker" in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian media reported on Thursday. 

The United States has not yet commented.

This is a developing story.

An Israeli strike on a civil defense center in southern Lebanon on Thursday killed two rescuers and destroyed an ambulance, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated rescue force.

Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed terror group.

The civil defence operations room at the Islamic Health Authority said that "direct Israeli bombardment on an emergency centre in the town of Hanin" killed two male unit members.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

It was the first time in more than three months of cross-border shelling that an Israeli strike hit an emergency center.

Mourners carry a coffin during the funeral of Wissam Tawil, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces who according to Lebanese security sources was killed during an Israeli strike on south Lebanon, in Khirbet Silem, Lebanon, January 9, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Aziz Taher REFILE)

Previous IDF attacks

In other cases, rescuers and medics have been wounded in Israeli bombardment as they tried to reach the site of a previous strike or extract casualties.

The deaths bring to 25 the number of civilians that have been killed in Israeli shelling on southern Lebanon, including children and journalists.

At least 140 Hezbollah terrorists have also been killed there, and nine troops on the Israeli side of the border.

Hezbollah also launched rockets across the border at Israel on Thursday, as US special envoy Amos Hochstein met with Lebanese officials in Beirut in an attempt to cool tensions on the disputed frontier between Lebanon and Israel.

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.

Israel working with the region and creating a path to a Palestinian state is the best way to isolate Iran, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

Blinken was speaking before boarding a plane leaving Cairo, where he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The top diplomat added that the US is focused on making sure the West Bank does not explode.

"Israel has every right to defend itself against Hamas," declared German Vice Chancellor Dr. Robert Habeck in a statement during a joint press conference with Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat (Likud) in Jerusalem.

Minister Barkat criticized the International Court of Justice in The Hague for its perceived bias against Israel.

He expressed concern over the court's actions, stating, "Anti-Israel sentiment has become the new form of antisemitism," highlighting the challenges Israel faces on the international stage.

Germany provides unwavering support for Israel

Echoing Barkat's sentiments, Vice Chancellor Habeck emphasized Germany's unwavering support for Israel's right to self-defense, remarking on the importance of ensuring Israel's security in the face of threats.

"Israel has every right to defend itself against Hamas. We must ensure the atrocities of October 7th never recur. On behalf of all Germans, we stand in solidarity with Israel. Israel's right to safeguard its citizens' lives is paramount, and in this, we stand united," he said.

A joint press conference with Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat (Likud) in Jerusalem. (credit: ECONOMY MINISTRY)

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – The International Court of Justice in the Hague (ICJ) opened Thursday morning its deliberations on the complaint submitted on Dec. 29 by South Africa, accusing Israel of genocide.

South Africa said Israel is subjecting the Palestinian people to apartheid and genocidal acts, at the opening of hearings in a case it brought against Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

"South Africa contends that Israel has transgressed Article Two of the (Genocide) convention, committing acts that fall within the definition of genocide. The actions show a systematic pattern of conduct from which genocide can be inferred," Adila Hassim, advocate of the high court of South Africa, said.

Exceptionally, 100 journalists were allowed into the building, with dozens of TV crews covering the two opposing demonstrations gathered in front of the court well before the hearing started and despite the very cold weather in the Dutch capital.  

Pro-Israel protest outside the Hague ahead of Israel's genocide hearing brought by South Africa, January 11, 2024 (credit: ARSEN OSTROVSKY)

Pro-Palestinian demonstration meets pro-Israel

Security has been beefed up across the city since Wednesday, especially in front of the ICJ, where hundreds of police officers on foot, vehicles, and horses are keeping apart the two opposing demonstrations.  

Thousands of people marched in the Hague in support of Israel, with family members of hostages held in Gaza leading the rally. Director of the Digital Diplomacy Bureau at the Israeli Foreign Ministry David Saranga, who is also marching, told The Jerusalem Post that buses from across Holland brought earlier this morning to the Hague the demonstrators, who are carrying pictures of the kidnapped and also of Israelis murdered on Oct. 7. The march was organized by the Christian for Israel and Christians in Defense of Israel groups, alongside local and European Jewish organizations. 

An anti-Israel demonstration gathered across the street from the Israelis. Demonstrators carried signs such as ‘’banal evil,’’ or ‘’stop the killing in Gaza,’’ and waved the Palestinian flag.  

Companies in the Netherlands refused to publish billboards with pictures of Israeli hostages held by Hamas ahead of Israel's genocide trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

The National Public Diplomacy Directorate, through the Government Advertising Agency, prepared a billboard campaign throughout the Netherlands to raise awareness for the release of Hamas hostages ahead of the trial at The Hague. 

The campaign was expected to be launched as part of a multifaceted public relations and diplomacy program surrounding the hearing in the International Court of Justice in The Hague in which South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza. 

The billboards that were designed for the campaign present different pictures of abductees, mentioning their names and the fact that they are in captivity in Gaza, under the caption “He/She can’t testify today.”

The main message conveyed in these billboards is the fact that 136 kidnapped Israelis are being held captive by Hamas and are unable to testify at The Hague trial. 

The International Court of Justice on the day of the trial to hear a request for emergency measures by South Africa, who asked the court to order Israel to stop its military actions in Gaza and to desist from what South Africa says are genocidal acts committed against Palestinians during the (credit: REUTERS/THILO SCHMUELGEN)

These are victims and witnesses to the acts of terrorism and crimes against humanity committed by Hamas, as well as to the war crimes Hamas commits every additional day the hostages are held in Gaza.  

Over ten companies were reached out to, and all refused

Over ten billboard companies were reached out to in The Hague, Rotterdam, and Schiphol Airport, but all of them refused to cooperate with the Government Advertising Agency. 

During the work with one of the billboard companies, the design and message of the sign were approved, but at the last moment, before the signs were supposed to go up on billboards, the billboard company informed the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit that the advertisement was canceled.

This billboard campaign is one of several public diplomacy and awareness campaigns that will take place in Europe over the course of the hearing.

The head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Moshik Aviv, issued a statement saying, “The attempts at silencing the hostages' voices will be answered with a loud voice. Even in front of the court in The Hague, there are those who choose an aggressive and outrageous manner to take down an information campaign on hundreds of billboards throughout the Netherlands, including in The Hague.

The truth will prevail, and the State of Israel will continue to stand up for the justice of its path and tell the whole world the truth. We are running an unprecedented international information campaign. They will not be able to silence us.”

The CEO of the Government Advertising Agency, Moriah Shalom, said, “The publishers' refusal is a severe affront to freedom of expression and Israel's right to speak out in a loud voice against the terrorism that its citizens are suffering from. This is a crude attempt to silence the voices of the Israeli hostages, who were abducted during Hamas's murderous terrorist attack. Their right to be heard is beyond all doubt.”

Over 1000 people march outside the Int'l Court of Justice in the Hague in support of Israel, as the hearings open on the case of genocide brought by South Africa against Israel.

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – The International Court of Justice in the Hague (ICJ) opened Thursday morning its deliberations on the complaint submitted on Dec. 29 by South Africa, accusing Israel of genocide.

South Africa said Israel is subjecting the Palestinian people to apartheid and genocidal acts, at the opening of hearings in a case it brought against Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

"South Africa contends that Israel has transgressed Article Two of the (Genocide) convention, committing acts that fall within the definition of genocide. The actions show a systematic pattern of conduct from which genocide can be inferred," Adila Hassim, advocate of the high court of South Africa, said.

Exceptionally, 100 journalists were allowed into the building, with dozens of TV crews covering the two opposing demonstrations gathered in front of the court well before the hearing started and despite the very cold weather in the Dutch capital.  

Security has been beefed up across the city since Wednesday, especially in front of the ICJ, where hundreds of police officers on foot, vehicles, and horses are keeping apart the two opposing demonstrations.  

Hundreds of people marched in the Hague in support of Israel, with family members of hostages held in Gaza leading the rally. Director of the Digital Diplomacy Bureau at the Israeli Foreign Ministry David Saranga, who is also marching, told The Jerusalem Post that buses from across Holland brought earlier this morning to the Hague the demonstrators, who are carrying pictures of the kidnapped and also of Israelis murdered on Oct. 7. The march was organized by the Christian for Israel and Christians in Defense of Israel groups, alongside local and European Jewish organizations. 

An anti-Israel demonstration gathered across the street from the Israelis. Demonstrators carried signs such as ‘’banal evil,’’ or ‘’stop the killing in Gaza,’’ and waved the Palestinian flag.  

IDF troops discovered a vast subterranean tunnel complex built by Hamas under Khan Yunis on Wednesday, the IDF announced. Located by the Commando Unit, the Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit, and Special Forces units, the tunnel was connected to an extensive underground tunnel network beneath a civilian area in the city.

After investigating the tunnel, the IDF confirmed that Israeli hostages had been inside the tunnel. Millions of shekels are estimated to have been invested in excavating the tunnel and equipping it with air ventilation systems, electrical supply, and plumbing. 

The IDF's 98th Division is simultaneously fighting underground and above ground in urban areas in the city. Engineering forces, the Yahalom Unit, special forces units and additional troops are leading the effort to locate tunnels, investigate and dismantle them with advanced technology and operational means.

During underground combat, the forces located more than 300 tunnel shafts, some leading to significant tunnels, tactical shafts, and underground areas, which are used as weapons storage facilities and combat areas.

Weapons located by IDF troops in Al-Maghazi, January 10 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

As IDF soldiers continued operations in central Gaza, several terrorists were identified and killed by air strikes and live fire in the region on Wednesday, the IDF spokesperson unit reported. 

According to the statement, the IDF carried out intense operations in Al-Maghazi and Khan Yunis on Wednesday. 

In one operation, Golani soldiers identified an armed terrorist cell and eliminated it as the terrorists were exiting a tunnel. The IDF located them using aerial surveillance and were eliminated with an airstrike. 

Weapons were found in the family home of a terrorist

The three terrorists exiting the tunnel were carrying AK-47s. In the operation, the IDF soldiers located weapons in the family home of one of the terrorists. 

In another operation in the area of Al-Maghazi, troops identified eight terrorists who were heading in the direction of a school known to be used for terrorist activities. These terrorists were killed by precise sniper fire. 

In the area of Khan Yunis, IDF troops identified three terrorists exiting a compound filled with weapons. This terrorist cell was eliminated using an airstrike. 

Also in Khan Yunis, IDF soldiers identified two terrorists placing an explosive device on the ground, and killed them on the spot. 

Later on, two more terrorists were identified entering a compound. One went up on a rooftop in order to scout IDF troops. Both terrorists were killed in airstrikes. 

In another operation in Khan Yunis, following anti-tank missiles fired at IDF troops, the troops struck the terrorist infrastructure from which the missiles were fired.