What is going on in Israel, Lebanon, and Gaza?

Emily Damari, a survivor of Hamas captivity, underwent a series of surgeries today to repair severe injuries she sustained on October 7, which had remained untreated throughout her time in captivity. 

Emily was shot in her leg and hand, losing two fingers. “I fully accept my hand, the pain, and the scars. To me, they symbolize freedom, hope, and strength,” she said. "I was stitched up like a cushion." 

Damari underwent multiple surgeries at Sheba Medical Center to treat the severe wounds inflicted on her during the October 7 attack.

With the IDF having disclosed last week extreme detail regarding its failures to block Hamas’s October 7 invasion of southern Israel and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusing even to open a state inquiry into his own actions after nearly 18 months, much of the media is now performing its own analysis of the prime minister.

The central potential points of vulnerability for Netanyahu are claims that:

1) Netanyahu was the primary or key co-architect of the policy of containing and trying to deter Hamas versus pursuing other options with the Palestinian Authority, the Saudis, and other moderate Sunni groups

2) Netanyahu was the primary or key co-architect of the policy of facilitating Qatar sending millions of dollars per month to Hamas.

3) Netanyhu weakened the IDF in real terms and harmed Israeli deterrence visa vise Hamas and other Iranian proxies in terms of perceived weakness due to the judicial overhaul.

Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post Sunday that they are giving Hamas a few days to reach an agreement on the release of additional hostages.

"We are willing to give a chance of a few days, but we won't let it drag on indefinitely," the officials said. "If we see that the negotiations are not being conducted in good faith, we will return to fighting in Gaza."

Hamas will not agree to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal as requested by Israel, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi told Al Jazeera on Sunday in an interview. He added that Hamas would only release the remaining Israeli hostages under the terms of the already agreed-upon phased deal.

The Middle East, Israel, and its neighbors are in a wild new era where the IDF has forces newly stationed in three areas that Jerusalem does not make any claim to: Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon. In the West Bank, forces have been stationed for an extended period, with the IDF claiming a significant portion of that area.

What do these military positions mean for the future, and what options and pitfalls do they open up?

The first phase of Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas ended on Saturday, closing a chapter that saw the release of 25 Israeli hostages, five Thai hostages, and eight bodies.

In return, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including terrorists involved in some of the worst attacks in recent memory. It also pulled back from most of Gaza, except for the Philadelphi Corridor, the enclave’s perimeter, and some areas in the northern Strip. 

The past six weeks also saw a massive influx of humanitarian aid into the Strip—some 25,000 trucks’ worth —and Israel’s withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor, allowing hundreds of thousands of Gazans to return northward.

For weeks, the burning question was: what comes next?

Two weeks ago, in mid-February, there was talk that “hell will break loose” in Gaza if Hamas didn’t abide by the ceasefire and continue to release hostages.

At the time, it appeared Hamas was willing to walk away from the first phase of the ceasefire and not release hostages on time. In the end, Hamas backed down and hostages were released. Now, the first phase of the ceasefire is over, and Hamas expects that it will be extended.

One can tell that Hamas expects things to remain calm by how it is behaving. It has set up tables for Ramadan in areas of Gaza and seems to expect that calm will prevail.

Israel's security forces completed a counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank that took place throughout the past month, in which terrorists were eliminated and hundreds of wanted people were arrested, the IDF announced on Sunday afternoon. 

During the operation, approximately 25 terrorists were killed. Among them were terrorists who manufactured explosive devices and individuals who planned terrorist attacks, the IDF said. 

Additionally, 350 wanted individuals were apprehended, approximately 120 weapons were confiscated, and hundreds of explosive devices were destroyed, the IDF added.

IDF counterterrorism operation in the West Bank throughout the month of February 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

IDF counterterrorism operation in the West Bank throughout the month of February 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

IDF counterterrorism operation in the West Bank throughout the month of February 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

Families of hostages from the Tikva (Hope) Forum demanded on Sunday that Israel walk back its acceptance of a framework by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff for a temporary ceasefire during the Ramadan and Passover period.

Last week, Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, spoke to a conference of heads of regional councils. During his speech, he spoke about how he envisions Israel’s defense policy.

Egyptian mediators have proposed that Hamas will release three living hostages and three slain hostages in exchange for prolonging the ceasefire deal by two weeks, according to officials with information on the matter. 

This comes as the 42-day hostage-ceasefire deal expired on March 1, with Israel saying it is ready to immediately implement a ceasefire extension proposal by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The proposal would span over Ramadan and Passover. On the first day of the framework, half of the living hostages and the remains of deceased hostages would be released. At the end of the framework — if an agreement is reached for a permanent ceasefire — the remaining living and deceased hostages will be released, the PMO added.