Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 99?

South Africa does not excel, to say the least, on fighting corruption or on efficiently managing public institutions, which is perhaps why Israel did not see it coming. True, since the beginning of the ground offensive in Gaza, IDF advanced with legal counseling at its side every step of the way. Having said that, it is clear now that Israel arrived to the International Court of Justice in the Hague not enough prepared.

By not enough prepared, I don’t mean that the Israeli legal team didn’t do its homework. On the contrary. Under the circumstances, it actually did remarkably well. The six Israeli legal experts stayed calm, focused, and clear in their arguments.

Time was calculated to the very last minute, to bring up to the court’s attention every detail that could strengthen the Israeli viewpoint. The most powerful parts were probably the opening remarks by Tal Becker and the presentation by Galit Raguan about facts on the ground, laying it out to the court why Israel cannot be suspected on genocidal intention. 

The thing is, that the problem goes much deeper. It relates to irresponsible statements issued since Oct. 7 by Israeli politicians, to videos and pictures filmed by soldiers inside the Gaza Strip, and to missed warning signs that South Africa was up to something. 

The Israeli legal team explained that most of the statements presented by South Africa came from people who are not decision-makers, that the quotes from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were taken out of context.

Health Minister Uriel Busso on Saturday evening issued a call to raise his ministry's budget ahead of a Sunday vote on the amended wartime budget for 2024.

"The health establishment is an integral part of the home front, much like the Defense Ministry," Busso said in a statement. "The Health Ministry must receive a substantial addition to its budget to confront the challenges posed by the war for the upcoming years.

"In our current predicament, we cannot face these challenges, which amount to the health security of Israeli citizens. I am sure that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich understand the magnitude of the situation."

The IDF announced on Saturday evening that St.-Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Dan Wajdenbaum fell in battle in the central Gaza Strip on Friday.

Wajdenbaum, 24 years old from Ra'anana, served in the 5037th Battalion of the 11th Yiftach Brigade.

An IDF officer in the reservist 7155th Battalion was seriously wounded in southern Gaza battles. In addition, a reservist and an officer from the Combat Engineering 605th Battalion were seriously wounded in different battles in central Gaza.

President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States had delivered a private message to Iran about Iran-backed Houthis responsible for attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

"We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared," Biden told reporters at the White House before departing to the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend.

The Houthi movement threatened a "strong and effective response" after the United States carried out another strike in Yemen overnight, further ratcheting up tensions as Washington vows to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned group.

The latest strike, which the US said hit a radar site, came a day after dozens of American and British strikes on Houthi facilities in Yemen.

A Houthi fighter stands guard during a ceremony at the end of the training of newly recruited Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen January 11, 2024 (credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)

Harmed Houthis ability to respond

White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday the initial strikes had hit the Houthis' ability to store, launch, and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used to threaten shipping.

He said Washington had no interest in a war with Yemen.

Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of "foreign terrorist organizations" in 2021, was asked by reporters on Friday whether he felt the term "terrorist" described the movement now. "I think they are," Biden said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak on the IDF's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Saturday evening, the Prime Minister's Office said.

A press conference was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local Israel time.

A nearly 100-foot long (30-meter) tunnel exhibit was unveiled at Hostages Plaza in Tel Aviv on Saturday afternoon. The exhibit was opened ahead of a special rally to mark 100 days of captivity in Gaza after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th.

The exhibit stood just feet away from the Shabbat table set up in honor of the kidnapped, set up in their honor in the earliest days of the war.

Constructed by industrial artist Roni Levavi, the tunnel was built to simulate how life in a tunnel would appear to those held by Hamas. The dark tunnel drew large crowds throughout the day and was filled with signatures of captive family members who accessed the exhibit before the general public. 

The tunnel was filled with messages of hope, posters for missing loved ones, and pleas for help in English and Hebrew: bring them home now. Family members of the captives who visited went through with markers to write their remarks inside the exhibit.

While walking through the dark tunnel, sounds resembling exploding bombs played on loop.

Families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza standing outside a tunnel installation at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on January 13, 2024 (credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)

Hostages in attendance

Some of those in attendance included released hostage Ofir Engel, a teen released as part of November’s hostage swap deal.

Engel was released after 54 days as a hostage in Gaza, after being kidnapped on October 7th from Kibbutz Be’eri while visiting his girlfriend, Yuval Sharabi. The Kibbutz Ramat Rachel resident was abducted alongside Sharabi’s father. Both Yuval and her sister Ophir Sharabi toured the tunnel replica alongside Engel.

Yuval and Ophir are both the daughters of Yossi Sharabi, and nieces of Eli Sharabi, both of whom have remained in Hamas captivity for 100 days.

While visiting, Engel stated: “Walking in this tunnel is terrifying, and being a hostage underground is unbearable. Their time is running out.” He called for their immediate release.

Also in attendance was Doron, a Kibbutz Hatzor resident and host father to many IDF lone soldiers throughout the years. On October 7th, one of his own was kidnapped, not long after arriving to begin his service through Tzofim Garin Tzabar.

Doron is 20-year-old Edan Alexander, a lone soldier who came for his IDF service from Tenafly, New Jersey in September. Among Alexander’s advocates are his entire host family, working to show up to the square daily and advocating for his immediate release.

“Edan is an amazing boy. Every time he came to the kibbutz, he came to us,” Doron told The Jerusalem Post. “On bloody Saturday, he was kidnapped from his base early in the morning. He was kidnapped alive. We are calling on the government, they need to bring him back alive,” he added.

Doron, who uses a motorized chair for mobility, has decorated the vehicle with signs calling for his release, and his kidnapped posters — each one with a different age, signifying that Alexander spent his 20th birthday in Hamas captivity. He said he has been passing the time by spending every day possible at the Hostage Square and headquarters, advocating for his return. 

Families of the captives flowed in and out of the structure throughout the day. Starting Saturday afternoon, the public can access the tunnel while visiting the square. 

President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States had delivered a private message to Iran about Iran-backed Houthis responsible for attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

"We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared," Biden told reporters at the White House before departing to the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets continued striking Hezbollah terror infrastructure across southern Lebanon on Saturday, the IDF said, following rocket fire at northern Israeli border towns earlier in the day.

The IDF said that its aerial forces struck the source of the rocket fire on Saturday. Later that evening, a home in the northern moshav of Shtula suffered a direct hit by an anti-tank missile, Israeli media reported.

No one was harmed by the rocket's impact. However, significant damage was caused to the home.

In addition, fighter jets also completed an attack on Hezbollah positions in the area of the Meiss El Jabal and Yarine villages, in Lebanon's south. 

Smoke rises during an exchange of fire between the IDF and terrorists from the Hezbollah organization on the border between Israel and Lebanon, January 8, 2024. (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)

IDF: Hezbollah continuously violates UN resolution 1701

In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military stressed that "Hezbollah’s ongoing terrorist activity and attacks against Israel violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

"The IDF will continue to defend its borders from any threat," it added.

Israel has informed Egypt of its plans to launch a military operation aimed at retaking control of the key Philadelphi corridor in the southern Gaza Strip, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Citing both current and former Israeli and Egyptian officials, the report noted that the IDF operation would "likely involve removing Palestinian officials from a key crossing point and stationing Israeli forces along a stretch of land from Gaza’s southeastern corner abutting both Israel and Egypt toward the Mediterranean Sea about 12 kilometers (8 miles) to the northwest," as per the WSJ.

Any attack in the politically sensitive area of Rafah and the Philadelphi corridor would be highly charged because it borders Egypt and has diplomatic implications for Israel's relations both with Cairo and globally.

The Jerusalem Post reported last month that the IDF had steered clear of Rafah so far because of those sensitivities.

Israeli forces operating in the Gaza Strip on January 13, 2024 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S OFFICE)

Egypt rejected Israeli proposal for oversight on buffer zone

Earlier this week, it was reported that Egypt has rejected a proposal by Israel for greater Israeli oversight over the buffer zone on the Egypt-Gaza border and is prioritizing efforts to broker a ceasefire before working on post-war arrangements.

The Egyptian sources said that during those talks Israel had approached Egypt about securing the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow buffer zone along the border, as part of Israeli plans to prevent future attacks.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets continued striking Hezbollah terror infrastructure across southern Lebanon on Saturday, the IDF said, following rocket fire at northern Israeli border towns earlier in the day.

The IDF said that its aerial forces struck the source of the rocket fire on Saturday.

In addition, fighter jets also completed an attack on Hezbollah positions in the area of the Meiss El Jabal and Yarine villages, in Lebanon's south. 

In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military stressed that "Hezbollah’s ongoing terrorist activity and attacks against Israel violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

"The IDF will continue to defend its borders from any threat," it added.