Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 102?

The Qatari foreign ministry also announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday that an agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas to send medications and aid into Gaza. 

Qatari mediation succeeds in reaching an agreement, between Israel and Hamas to send medications and aid into Gaza#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/d99TcM7JT8

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) January 16, 2024

Israel and Qatar have included the transfer of life-saving medicine to the hostages in the Gaza Strip during the last round of talks, according to reports by Israeli media on Saturday.

The agreement reached between Israel and Hamas stipulated that "medicine along with other humanitarian aid is to be delivered to civilians in Gaza Strip, in the most affected and vulnerable areas, in exchange for delivering medication needed for Israeli captives in Gaza," Qatar said in a statement.

The medications will leave Doha on Wednesday and will then be transported to Egypt, where they will be prepared to be transported into Gaza.

Israelis gather in Tel Aviv for the release of Gaza hostages on November 25, 2023 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)

US in negotiations to end Israel-Hamas War in exchange for hostages 

The US is involved in negotiations in Qatar that are reportedly aimed at bringing an end to the Israel-Hamas War in exchange for a return of the hostages held by Hamas, Israeli media, citing a report, publicized on Tuesday.

The US has worked with Qatar and Egypt to mediate a deal for the release of the 136 captives seized during the Hamas-led attack on October 7 and held since then in Gaza. 

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this article.

President Isaac Herzog, along with his wife First Lady Michal Herzog, will depart on Wednesday for a day-long visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the president’s office said in a Tuesday press release. 

There, the president will be joined by representatives of the families of those held hostage in Gaza, He will also address the Forum and hold a series of diplomatic meetings. 

The First Lady will participate in a panel at the conference about antisemitism, alongside Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States, and Jonathan Greenblatt, Executive Director of the Anti-Defamation League.

The central purpose of the visit is to call for the release of the hostages in Gaza and to increase political pressure for their return by Hamas, the president’s office said. 

The Council of the European Union (EU) on Tuesday added Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas, to their terrorist list as a result of the group's surprise attack on Israel on October 7.

The Council also added Ahmed Khaled Muller, a member of Al-Shabab in Somalia, to its autonomous sanctions list against ISIS and Al-Qaida. Muller has participated in combat operations and committed terrorist acts on behalf of Al-Shabab, a terrorist organization affiliated with Al-Qaida. 

These individuals added to the terrorist list are now subject to the freezing of their funds and other financial assets in EU member states, while EU operators are prohibited from making funds and economic resources available to them.

The Council stated, "The EU remains committed to taking decisive action against those who continue to threaten international peace and security by planning, financing, and committing terrorist attacks and by spreading their deadly propaganda around the world."

The Council of the EU had already added Mohammed Deif, Commander General of the military wing of Hamas, the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigade, and Marwan Issa, the deputy Commander of the military wing of Hamas, on December 8. Their funds and financial assets were also frozen. 

A European Union flag flies outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2019. (credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN)

The Council stated that these decisions reconfirm "the EU's resolve in countering the continued terrorist threat posed by Al-Qaeda, ISIL (Da'est) and their regional affiliates." 

These lists of persons, groups, and entities involved in terrorist acts and subject to restrictive measures were created as part of the EU's response to terrorism after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

These lists are reviewed regularly, at least every six months. There are 13 people and 21 groups and entities on these lists. 

An empty Malta-flagged bulk carrier was hit by a missile while heading north through the Red Sea, 76 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef, a security firm and two Greek shipping ministry sources said on Tuesday.

The Greek-owned vessel, the Zografia, was sailing from Vietnam to Israel with 24 crew on board and was empty of cargo when attacked, one of the Greek sources said.

"There were no injuries, only material damage," the source added.

The British maritime security firm Ambrey had mentioned the attack in an advisory note earlier on Tuesday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) surveillance hub also said it had received a report of an incident about 100 nautical miles northwest of Saleef.

The Iran-aligned Houthi group has threatened to expand the range of targets of its attacks in the Red Sea - which it says are a response to Israel's bombardment of Gaza - to include US ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.

Hamas carried out an attack against IDF soldiers in Khan Yunis from Nasser Hospital in the northern end of the city, Israeli media reported on Tuesday, citing an IDF investigation.

Later, the IDF noted that Hamas systematically exploits the Hospitals in Gaza to cover their military operations and uses civilians as human shields.

The IDF added that Hamas also takes advantage of hospital resources, including electricity and water.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday the kingdom could recognize Israel if a comprehensive agreement were reached that included statehood for the Palestinians.

"We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that could only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state," Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Asked if Saudi Arabia would then recognize Israel as part of a wider political agreement, he said: "Certainly."

Saudi Arabia is interested in securing Israeli-Palestinian peace

Prince Faisal said securing regional peace through the creation of a Palestinian state was "something we have been indeed working on with the US administration, and it is more relevant in the context of Gaza."

After the eruption of war last October between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas that rules Gaza, Saudi Arabia put on ice US-backed plans for the kingdom to normalize ties with Israel, two sources familiar with Riyadh's thinking said, in a swift reordering of its diplomatic priorities.

Saudi King Salman (credit: REUTERS)

The two sources told Reuters there would be some delay in the US-backed talks on the normalization of Saudi-Israel ties, which is seen as a key step for the kingdom to secure what it considers the real prize of a US defense pact in exchange.

Before Oct. 7, when Iran-backed Hamas fighters launched an attack on southern Israel, both Israeli and Saudi leaders had signaled they were moving steadily towards establishing diplomatic relations that could have reshaped the Middle East.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Tuesday that Israel was placing many obstacles to the entry of aid into Gaza, worsening the plight of Palestinians there.

Safadi, speaking at a press conference with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, said the hurdles meant only 10% of the total needs of more than two million Gazans under siege were being covered.

"The reality now is that Israeli measures are preventing sufficient aid from arriving, and only a fraction is being delivered," he said.

Israel, which screens goods going into Gaza and holds back aid it deems to be used for military purposes by its enemy Hamas, denies hampering aid.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi meets with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Amman, Jordan January 16, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/JEHAD SHELBAK)

Israel was also preventing aid from reaching northern Gaza, where Israel's bombardment and its occupation for weeks had wiped out infrastructure and much of its residential buildings, Safadi said.

The United Nations humanitarian office said on Friday that Israeli authorities were systematically denying it access to northern Gaza to deliver aid, and this had significantly hindered the humanitarian operation there.

Jordan at the forefront of aid to Gaza

Jordan, which has been at the forefront of Arab neighbors pushing Israel to allow more aid, is the only country that airdrops aid to Gaza to two military field hospitals it runs.

It succeeded in getting Israel to allow the World Food Programme (WFP) to send deliveries to Gaza through another land route that begins from Jordan, which has helped to ease pressure on the main Rafah border crossing, which is limited in capacity.

"Even the aid that is arriving is not reaching all of Gaza, some of it is arriving to the south, and when we talk of the north, there are big Israeli impediments preventing the delivery of aid there," he said

Safadi also blamed Israel for not heeding a call by a UN Security Council resolution that was adopted last month that called for allowing safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access.

"Unfortunately, this has not happened till now, and this is due to the Israeli position, which rejects allowing enough aid and refusing to adopt more effective ways to speed up delivery of aid," Safadi said.

The IDF has expanded its engagement with Hezbollah, undertaking multiple operations in southern Lebanon, it announced on Tuesday.

The initial report was made that IDF special ground forces operated inside Lebanon, killing a terror threat in the Ita al-Sha'ab area.

Additionally, Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked an anti-tank launcher belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Early afternoon Tuesday, the IDF reported additional joint strikes to targets in the area.

"A short while ago, the IDF completed combined aerial and artillery strikes on a number of Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Wadi Saluki in Lebanon," the statement said.

"Within a short amount of time, strikes were carried out against dozens of Hezbollah posts, military structures, and weapons infrastructure. Hezbollah is exploiting the area of the Wadi for its terrorist activity. Numerous assets and infrastructure have been concealed by the terror organization in the forested area, for the purpose of attacking Israeli civilians and soldiers."

In an interview with Piers Morgan on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Monday, Thomas Hand, Emily Hand’s father, hit back at those who say Israel’s war in Gaza is a disproportionate response to the October 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas.

With his nine-year-old daughter, Emily, by his side, the Irish-born Hand addressed the anti-Israel claims.

“They don't know a thing, we're living it, we have been living it for 30 years," he continued. "You have no idea; you have no right to even speak to me. Have you been to Israel? Ever?”

Regarding claims that Israel is an apartheid state, he said: "Has anyone of you come to see apartheid in this country? It doesn't exist, you idiots!” he cried out angrily. 

“Come look at all the roadsides, it's in Hebrew, it's in Arabic, and it's in English,” he added, “If it were apartheid, you wouldn't do that.”

“And you're all chanting 'From the River to the Sea,' you don't know what river, you don't know your history, you don't know your geography,” he exclaimed.  

"You're all chanting 'From The River To The Sea' - you don't know what river!"

Thomas Hand, whose daughter was held captive by Hamas for 50 days, reacts passionately to those who say Israel's response has been disproportionate.@piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/UI3WNfClN7

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) January 15, 2024

The IDF announced that it will form a committee to discuss the topic of recognizing hostages killed during the war as fallen soldiers, among other unique situations, on Tuesday.

The establishment of the committee comes following the accidental killing of Alon Shamriz, Yotam Haim, and Samer Talalka after they survived for many weeks in the captivity of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. After the incident, the family of Alon Shamriz appealed for him to be recognized as a fallen soldier, but the request was refused.