Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 135?

Israeli air force jets struck two targets in the village of Yaroun in southern Lebanon, Israeli media reported on Sunday, citing Hezbollah's al-Manar channel.

IDF troops, continuing their operation in the west of Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip, killed about 20 Hamas fighters and seized numerous weapons in the area of the Nasser Hospital, the IDF said on Sunday. 

In the past day, troops have raided terror infrastructures, killed terrorists, and found numerous weapons in the Khan Yunis area, the military noted.

In this region, fighters of the 7th Brigade Combat Team found weapons and eliminated the roughly 20 terrorists via tank fire.

The troops also directed an IAF aircraft that targeted and killed terrorists in the area. In addition, the forces raided military buildings and located weapons, among which were explosives and a number of RPG missiles intended for use against IDF forces, the military noted.

IDF troops operate in Gaza. February 17, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Operation in Nasser hospital continues 

Furthermore, Commando troops continued to operate in the Nasser hospital and in the areas in its vicinity, locating weapons.

In parallel, fighters of the Paratroopers Brigade operated in a Hamas military structure, eliminating terrorists, finding safes, and confiscating weapons.

Troops of the 98th Division, in cooperation with the air force, carried out a series of strikes in Khan Yunis, where they destroyed a weapons warehouse and killed some 15 terrorists, among whom were six terrorists that came out of a terrorist infrastructure.

In the center of the strip, throughout the day, soldiers of the Nahal Brigade eliminated over ten terrorists, the military added.

During one of the operations, troops in conjunction with the air force identified a terrorist squad loading weapons on a cart and moving in the sector. The forces subsequently directed a manned aircraft from a distance that targeted and killed a number of terrorists.

The International Court of Justice is set to begin a six-day-long debate on the 'legality of the 57-year-long Israeli occupation in the West Bank' on Monday, according to a Sunday N12 report. 

The United Nations Security Council is likely to vote on Tuesday on an Algerian push for the 15-member body to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, said diplomats, a move the United States signaled it would veto.

Algeria put forward an initial draft resolution more than two weeks ago. But US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield quickly said the text could jeopardize "sensitive negotiations" aimed at brokering a pause in the war.

Algeria requested on Saturday that the council vote on Tuesday, diplomats said. To be adopted, a UN Security Council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, China, or Russia.

"The United States does not support action on this draft resolution. Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted," Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement on Saturday.

IDF operations in the Gaza Strip. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

Washington has already vetoed a UN Council action since October 7. But it has also abstained twice, allowing the council to adopt resolutions that aimed to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting.

Talks between the US, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar are on to seek a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"It is critical that other parties give this process the best odds of succeeding, rather than push measures that put it - and the opportunity for an enduring resolution of hostilities - in jeopardy," Thomas-Greenfield said.

Vote comes amid planned Rafah operation 

The Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 253 hostages. In retaliation, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that the Hamas-controlled health authorities say has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.

The likely council vote comes as Israel also plans for an operation Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than one million Palestinians have sought shelter, prompting international concern that such a move would sharply worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"The situation in Gaza is an appalling indictment of the deadlock in global relations," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

When asked to explain, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres was "pointing the finger" at the lack of unity in the Security Council "and how that lack of unity has hampered our ability ... to improve situations around the world."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for unilateral Palestinian statehood, explaining to reporters on Saturday night that it would reward Hamas for the October 7 massacre, stressing that any agreement with Ramallah must be done through direct talks.

“We will not submit to international dictates regarding a future agreement with the Palestinians,” Netanyahu said. “I made it clear in the cabinet – and I repeat and emphasize to the world tonight as well: an agreement will be reached only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions,” he said.

Israel under Netanyahu's leadership 

“Israel, under my leadership, will continue to strongly oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu said. “When do you want to give this unilateral recognition? After the terrible massacre of the 7th of October. There can be no greater reward for terrorism” that is unprecedented in scope, the prime minister said, adding that Doing so would prevent “any future peace agreement.”

Netanyahu issued a similar statement in an X post on Friday after the security cabinet met the previous night.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) had demanded such a clarification after The Washington Post published an article about US plans with Arab allies to advance a two-state resolution to the conflict. That drive would be part of a larger regional arrangement that would involve a Gaza ceasefire and Saudi normalization with Israel.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich confer in the Knesset, last week. Moody’s announcement on lowering Israel’s credit rating is viewed by both Netanyahu and Smotrich as politically motivated, the writer notes. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Some European countries have also increasingly talked about unilateral Palestinian statehood recognition.

Netanyahu, in his statements, was careful to speak of opposition to “unilateral” Palestinian statehood while avoiding talk of two states as he spoke of a potential for talks with the Palestinians for a future agreement.

Blinken's statements regarding a Palestinian state

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke of Palestinian statehood during his meeting in Munich with President Isaac Herzog on Saturday. According to the State Department, Blinken “underscored the US commitment to lasting peace in the region, including through the establishment of a Palestinian state with security guaranteed for Israel.”

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday the only pathway toward security and stability in the Middle East, including Israel, was through a Palestinian state.

When asked in a panel at the Munich Security Conference about the normalization of ties with Israel, Faisal said the kingdom was now concentrated on a truce in the Gaza war.

“We are focused on a ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and we are focused on humanitarian access for the people of Gaza,” he said.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stated it would not open diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized.

Blinken told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that there is “an extraordinary opportunity” in the coming months for Israel to normalize ties with its Arab neighbors.

The top US diplomat said there were genuine efforts led by Arab countries to revitalize the Palestinian Authority so it can be more effective in representing the Palestinians.

“Virtually every Arab country now genuinely wants to integrate Israel into the region to normalize relations... to provide security commitments and assurances so that Israel can feel more safe,” Blinken said.

“And there’s also, I think, the imperative, that’s more urgent than ever, to proceed to a Palestinian state that also ensures the security of Israel.”

An IDF military operation in Rafah is necessary to defeat Hamas irrespective of any hostage deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he pushed back against massive international pressure to hold off from such a move.

“There is no substitute for total victory and there is no other way to do it than eliminating the [Hamas] battalions in Rafah,” he said, adding, “We will do it.”

“Everyone wants an additional deal for a [hostage] deal,” Netanyahu said, adding “I want one as well. It’s good if we achieve that, but even if we achieve it [a deal], we [the IDF] will enter Rafah.”

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday the only pathway towards security and stability in the Middle East, including Israel, was through a Palestinian state.

When asked in a panel at the Munich Security Conference about normalization of ties with Israel Prince Faisal said the kingdom was now concentrated on a truce in the Gaza war.

"We are focused on a ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and we are focused on humanitarian access for the people of Gaza," he said.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stated it would not open diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized.

Hamas’s “delusional" demands are the sticking point in arriving at any deal to secure the release of the hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday night as he explained that progress can occur only when the terror group softens its stance.

It was for this reason, he said, that he did not send a second delegation to Cairo for talks last week.

This is a developing story.

Humanitarian issues are the sticking point in the talks for a hostage deal which have not been promising in the last days, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Thani told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

“We still see some difficulties on the humanitarian part of these negotiations,” Thani said.

He described how the talks which his country and Egypt have been mediating had been progressing but then hit a snag in the last days. 

“We made some good progress in the last few weeks in the negotiations,” Thani said, but in the last days, the situation has “not been promising.”.

The several elements of the agreement

He warned that “time is not in our favor” particularly in light of the upcoming Muslim holiday month of Ramadan which is “ahead of us,” combined with the potential of an Israeli army military operation in Gaza’s Rafah.

Relatives of hostages and supporters take part in a protest calling for their release in Tel Aviv (credit: REUTERS/SUSANA VERA)

The agreement has two elements, he said, the humanitarian one and the issue of how many captives would be freed.

“We believe that if we can reach an agreement on the humanitarian side of the agreement I do not think, the numbers will remain an obstacle, 

“If we are able to reach in the next few days some good conditions” on the humanitarian issue, “I believe that we can see a deal happening very soon.”

“If we are able to reach an agreement on the humanitarian side of the agreement I do not think, the numbers will remain an obstacle,” he said.

Thani spoke in the aftermath of an accelerated push by CIA Director William Burns to secure the release of the remaining 134 captives held in Gaza.  

Israel had initially sent a delegation to talks he held in Cairo but then held off from letting a second delegation travel there, explaining that Hamas had not put anything new on the table.

Among the sticking points has been Hamas’s demand for a permanent ceasefire, while Israel has insisted that a deal would pause a war that could only be ended with the destruction of Hamas.