Israel at war day 486: What happened in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza?

US President Donald Trump on Monday said there are no guarantees the Gaza ceasefire will hold, while his envoy said the measure is holding for now.

Trump and US special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff made the remarks to reporters at the White House.

When asked if he would let Israel annex the West Bank because Israel is small, Trump replied, "It's definitely a small country, in terms of size."

Trump then picks up a pan, and says, "You see this pen? Let's say my entire desk is the Middle East, Israel is the size of the pen.

"It's amazing what they were able to do for such a small country. A lot of brainpower there."

Incoming IDF Chief of Staff nominee Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir opposed the overwhelming majority position of the IDF high command on October 11, 2023 which wanted to launch a major strike on Hezbollah before the Lebanese terror group could get organized, sources have told The Jerusalem Post.

Current IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, though some have tried to portray him as too passive a commander, pushed hard for such a strike along with then-defense minister Yoav Gallant, Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Uri Gordon and the vast majority of the IDF high command (though there was a minority of some other top defense officials who also opposed.)

Ultimately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided against such an attack, and the major strike only took place in September 2024, with many top IDF officials saying that it could have been even more decisive in 2023 and saved 60,000 northern residents from having to evacuate for over a year.

IDF soldiers from the 7th and 769th Brigades located weapons storage facilities containing mortar shells, missiles, rockets, explosives, firearms, and a large amount of military equipment belonging to Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon, the military announced on Monday.

All of the weaponry was confiscated, and the storage facilities were dismantled.

"In recent days, IDF troops have conducted scans to remove threats in the area and dismantle Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure," the military added.

Incoming IDF Chief of Staff nominee Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir opposed the overwhelming majority position of the IDF high command on October 11, 2023 which wanted to launch a major strike on Hezbollah before the Lebanese terror group could get organized, sources have told The Jerusalem Post.

Current IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, though some have tried to portray him as too passive a commander, pushed hard for such a strike along with then-defense minister Yoav Gallant, Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Uri Gordon and the vast majority of the IDF high command (though there was a minority of some other top defense officials who also opposed.)

Ultimately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided against such an attack, and the major strike only took place in September 2024, with many top IDF officials saying that it could have been even more decisive in 2023 and saved 60,000 northern residents from having to evacuate for over a year.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Monday ahead of the negotiations of the second phase of the hostage deal that there are no political obstacles that should prevent the Israeli government from completing it.

He made the comments during a visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, calling it “one of the symbols of the massacre.”

“I am standing here in Kibbutz Nir Oz. This past Saturday, Jordan Bibas returned home after 487 days in captivity. For part of that time, he was held in a cage, beaten, and tortured. We do not know the fate of his wife, Shiri, or their children, Kfir and Ariel,” Lapid said.

“We owe it to the hostages and the murdered to ensure that this place does not become a desolate memorial to the dead. It must be a place of hope and rebuilding,” he added.

Since October 7, 2023, the IDF has killed over 850 Palestinians in the West Bank, with over 90% of them said to be terrorists. It also said that it has arrested well over 6,000 Palestinians since the war began and carried out over 120 airstrikes in the territory.

In July 2023 and this past August, the IDF undertook massive and extended operations in Jenin and other parts of the northern West Bank. For a short amount of time, following these operations, there seemed to be a drop in terrorist activity. But this was short-lived, and Palestinian terror waves from the West Bank returned.

That is why on January 21, the IDF began Operation Iron Wall, its third major West Bank operation in less than two years, coupled with the nearly nightly raids it has been undertaking since March 2022. The question is: How is this operation different from the previous ones, and might it mean that the IDF won’t need to carry out another major one in six months?

The IDF destroyed several buildings in Jenin as part of Operation Iron Wall, launched to eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure in the West Bank, the military announced Sunday. 

Newly released Israeli hostages have revealed the brutal conditions they endured in Hamas captivity—severe malnutrition, psychological torment, and forced confinement in cages. Families of those freed on Saturday described the physical and emotional toll their loved ones.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) following the IDF's activities in the West Bank which are part of Operation Iron Wall, Palestinian Authority state media WAFA on Sunday evening.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been welcomed at Blair House in Washington on Sunday evening ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump.