Israel at War Day 573: What's happening in Israel, Gaza, West Bank?

Days before the deadline set by the High Court of Justice, the government is expected to hold another discussion on Monday during its weekly cabinet meeting about establishing a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7.

However, given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to a state commission of inquiry, this discussion is largely seen as a form of performance, aimed at creating the appearance of progress in response to petitions filed by bereaved families to the court. The families are demanding that the government be obligated to create an independent commission to investigate the failure of October 7.

In December, the court instructed the government to discuss creating a state commission of inquiry within 60 days. In February, the government held a discussion on the matter, dduring which Netanyahu and most ministers expressed opposition to the commission’s creation.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Hamas for aid lootings in the Gaza Strip, WAFA reported on Friday. 

The Palestinian outlet quoted a PA presidential statement saying that "it held Hamas-affiliated gangs primarily responsible."

He also emphasized that all of the looting gangs were "known to the Palestinian public and will top the blacklist to be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with the law at the appropriate time."

The security cabinet agreed on Friday night to expand operations in Gaza.

Several IDF reserve brigades will be mobilized and the 8th Infantry Division will be deployed.

Israel is currently not planning a full-scale manoeuvre in hopes of securing another hostage deal to see the 59 captives returned home. Netanyahu said earlier in the week that it is currently believe that fewer than 24, less than half the number of hostages being held, are still alive.

Five Syrian-Druze citizens were evacuated to receive medical treatment in Israel on Friday, the IDF announced. 

The injured citizens were evacuated to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed, after sustaining injuries in Syrian territory, the military said.

The individuals being treated are aged 19-43, with some receiving wounds sustained days ago, Maariv reported. Some have shrapnel wounds, while others sustained injuries to their limbs and back.

Disturbing reports and videos are circulating on social media that appear to show the deliberate targeting and dehumanization of the Druze community in Syria.

After a fabricated audio recording of a man cursing Muhammad, the Prophet, was released early last week and was associated with a Druze cleric, violent clashes erupted outside Damascus, Syria, targeting the minority Druze community. The violence resulted in more than 100 deaths, with a majority of them being Syrian Druze.

Some of those videos and reports include the execution of dozens of Druze men traveling in a convoy on a highway when they were ambushed and the forcible removal of a Druze man’s mustache, which holds significance to their culture and beliefs.

“The beard for the Druze is like a kippah,” said Israeli Druze Nisreen Abo-Asale, who lives in the predominantly Druze community of Daliyat al-Karmel. “It’s dehumanizing.”

The Houthis claimed a missile that triggered sirens near Haifa, the terrorist organization claimed on Telegram. 

"The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting a vital Israeli enemy target in the occupied area of Haifa using a hypersonic ballistic missile," the post reads.

The Houthis claimed that the missile " forced millions of settlers to flee into shelters."

The IDF intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Friday afternoon that triggered sirens in the Galilee and Carmel areas of Israel's North, the military announced.

Magen David Adom (MDA) stated that a woman had been injured while heading to a protected area as the sirens sounded.

No other reports of any individuals injured or wounded from the incident were reported, MDA added.

Following the sirens, Israel Police said that forces were prepared to conduct searches in the area to locate potential impact sites from the missile. 

Sirens sounded in the Galilee and Carmel areas in northern Israel due to a missile that was fired from Yemen, the IDF announced on Friday.

This is a developing story. 

The humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of "total collapse" amid the Israel-Hamas War, the Red Cross said on Friday.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has evaluated all of the key fronts faced by the military in his first nearly 60 days since taking the IDF's helm and reached a number of important conclusions, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Regarding aid to Gaza, Zamir's position is that the IDF cannot allow Palestinian civilians to starve, cannot be directly involved in distributing food aid, and cannot allow Hamas to control the food aid.

As such, his position is that international groups and private companies should distribute food aid, though he believes in leaving the choice of which groups to the political echelon.