Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 155?

The head of the IDF's Northern Command met with security coordinators to discuss security along the northern border on Friday, as the IDF conducted operational strikes on Hezbollah targets on Saturday.

The IDF announced on Saturday that it struck military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon, including operational military headquarters.

Among the targets were buildings being used by Hezbollah terrorists in the Ayta ash Shab area, operational military headquarters in the Majdal Zoun and Kafra municipality, and additional infrastructure in Mhaibib.

Additionally, the IDF announced that launches were detected crossing into northern Israel earlier in the day and that the military has returned fire to their points of origin.

As exchanges of fire ensue and tensions rise with Hezbollah, Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin met with security coordinators to discuss the security situation on Israel's northern border on Friday.

Gordin sat down with the security coordinators of the Mateh Asher and Ma’ale Yosef regional councils, continuing a series of meetings as part of a campaign to strengthen the relationship between the IDF’s Northern Command, the councils, and the residents of the North.

“We are constantly strengthening our readiness to launch an attack in Lebanon. Our commitment – my commitment – is to change the security situation to ensure residents return to their homes,” the commander told the security coordinators of the Western Galilee councils.

Plans for potential escalation

At the same meeting, Gordin presented the main points of assessing the security situation, the IDF’s commands in the recent period, and the stages for continuing and even escalating fighting in the North if needed.

Major General Ori Gordin in a meeting with northern security coordinators, March 8, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

In his speech, Gordin, who hosted the open dialogue, told the security coordinators that they are “very much appreciated for your actions and for this partnership – we are here together. The plow and the weapon from the creation of the state will also continue forward in tandem. There are quite a few achievements within the campaign. They’re pushing back a great deal, but there has been lots of damage to their infrastructures, capabilities and spaces. We are constantly strengthening our readiness to launch an attack on Lebanon.”

The IDF announced on Saturday the death of Major (res.) Amishar Ben David in combat on Friday in the southern Gaza Strip.

Amishar was 43 years old, from the town of Eli in the West Bank, and a commander in the Oz Commando Brigade.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed on Saturday evening that Ben David was his cousin, mourning his loss in an X post.

"My dear cousin, Amishar, a hero of Israel, fell in the battle in Gaza," the finance minister wrote. "We grew up together. Relatively few cousins ​​with a strong and special bond."

Smotrich shared a photo of the two from a family barbecue event held last summer, writing: "Who would have dreamed that this would be the last picture?"

"The pain is immense. An indescribable loss."

בן דודי היקר, עמישר, גיבור ישראל נפל בקרב בעזה.

גדלנו יחד.
מעט יחסית בני דודים עם קשר חזק ומיוחד.
"שנר" קראנו לו.
חופשים, שבתות, טיולים, שמחות.
איזה איש. איזה כאב. אין מילים.

על האש משותף בקיץ האחרון. מי חלם שזו תהיה התמונה האחרונה.

איש משפחה אהוב. pic.twitter.com/yHR2TuElwr

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) March 9, 2024

Additionally, the IDF announced that another officer from the same brigade was seriously injured and was brought to a hospital for treatment.

Anti-government protests resulted in pushing, arrests, and even a protester throwing a smoke grenade in Kaplan, in Tel Aviv, Israeli media said on Saturday.

According to Israel Police, an earlier demonstration was approved, but protesters arrived and moved towards the Kaplan area without coordination with police, and began blocking traffic and moving barriers.

Police said in a statement that officers already deployed in the area had evacuated protesters from Kaplan and had taken in a suspect for questioning who is believed to have thrown a smoke grenade.

The Wall Street Journal published an interview with Senior Hamas official Husam Badran on Saturday, discussing Hamas's hard-line stance of only agreeing to a permanent ceasefire and shedding light on details of the negotiation process that are lesser known to the public.

Badran begins the interview by claiming that Hamas is still willing to negotiate a ceasefire deal, saying claims of Hamas disinterest come from Israel and America. “We didn’t declare negotiations have been stopped. We are the party most keen to stop this war,” he said.

According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, Qatar has threatened to expel Hamas officially from their base in Doha if they don't come to an agreement, but Badran denied this claim.

That being said, he stated that Hamas's official position is still a permanent ceasefire and allowing displaced Gazans to return to their homes.

As far as the negotiation process goes, he revealed that the discussion of swaps of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners has taken a back seat to relieving the humanitarian situation and ending the fighting.

The IDF announced on Saturday the death of Major (res.) Amishar Ben David in combat on Friday in the southern Gaza Strip.

Amishar was 43 years old, from the town of Eli in the West Bank, and a commander in the Oz Commando Brigade.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered another antisemitic speech, during which he compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fascist leaders on Saturday.

In the speech, Erdogan compared Netanyahu to historical fascist leaders, stating that "Netanyahu earned his place alongside Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin." 

The Turkish President also refused to condemn Hamas's actions on October 7 and even stood by the terrorist group in his rhetoric. Erdogan accused Israel of acting as "the Nazis of our time while committing humanitarian crimes in Gaza." He refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization: "We cannot be coerced into designating Hamas as a terrorist organization. We communicate with them openly and stand behind them."

Netanyahu's response to Erdogan's fiery rhetoric 

In response, Netanyahu said, "Israel observes the laws of war and will not be subject to moral preaching from Erdogan, who supports murderers and rapists of the Hamas terrorist organization, denies the Armenian genocide, massacres Kurds in his own country, and cracks down on regime opponents and journalists."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during a protest against the recent killings of Palestinian protesters on the Gaza-Israel border and the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem, in Istanbul, Turkey May 18, 2018. (credit: MURAD SEZER/REUTERS)

This is not the first time since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war that Erdogan has attacked Israel. "Netanyahu has gone down in history as the butcher of Gaza, and we are preparing to prosecute him," Erdogan has previously stated.

In another instance, the Turkish leader accused "Israel and other parties as being behind the terrorist organizations in northern Syria and Iraq. Israel would not have lasted three days without the support of Western countries. We are making preparations to declare Israel a war criminal in front of the world."

Mossad chief David Barnea met his counterpart in the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns in a meeting on Friday evening, a statement by the Israeli spy agency via the Prime Minister's Office confirmed.

Burns briefed Barnea on recent developments made in Cairo negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza as part of "ongoing efforts to retrieve the hostages," the statement read.

Hamas does not appear to be interested in reaching a ceasefire deal ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the statement on behalf of the Mossad added.

Further, the statement charged that Hamas is seeking to escalate tensions across the region ahead of Ramadan at the expense of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"[Israel] is in contact and cooperating with all mediators at all time, as part of continued attempts to reduce gaps in negotiations and bring about an agreement,” the statement read."

Head of Mossad David Barnea attends the state ceremony marking 50 years since the Yom Kippur War, held at the military cemetery at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, on September 26, 2023 (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Hostage talks expected to resume in Cairo next week

Hostage talks are expected to resume in Cairo next week, as Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked on the terms of a deal for a six-week pause to the Gaza war in exchange for the release of some 40 captives.

Hope for an agreement by the start of Ramadan on Sunday night appeared slim as Hamas's delegation left Cairo on Thursday morning “for consultation with the leadership of the movement, with negotiations and efforts continuing to stop the aggression, return the displaced, and bring in relief aid to our people,” a statement from Hamas read.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.

The IDF announced on Saturday that it struck military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, including operational military headquarters, in Lebanon.

Among the targets were buildings being used by Hezbollah terrorists in the Ayta ash Shab area, operational military headquarters in the Majdal Zoun and Kafra municipality, and additional infrastructure in Mhaibib.

Additionally, the IDF announced that launches were detected crossing into northern Israel earlier on in the day, and that the IDF has returned fire to the sources of the launches.

Mossad chief David Barnea met his counterpart in the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns in a meeting on Friday evening, a statement by the Israeli spy agency via the Prime Minister's Office confirmed.

Burns briefed Barnea on recent developments made in Cairo negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza as part of "ongoing efforts to retrieve the hostages," the statement read.

Hamas does not appear to be interested in reaching a ceasefire deal ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the statement on behalf of the Mossad added.

Further, the statement charged that Hamas is seeking to escalate tensions across the region ahead of Ramadan at the expense of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"[Israel] is in contact and cooperating with all mediators at all time, as part of continued attempts to reduce gaps in negotiations and bring about an agreement,” the statement read."

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Saturday that reconstructing the Gaza Strip after the war will cost $90 billion as a response to the IDF beginning operations in Rafah.

He also reiterated that Egypt would not allow Palestinian refugees inside Egypt's borders, saying, "We will not assist the separation of Palestinians from their land."

On the topic of aid, he also commented that Egypt is "working" on beginning airdrops, like the US and other countries.