We present here a diary of reported news from Israel and elsewhere about the Israel-Hamas war of 2023/2024, known in Israel as Swords of Iron. Our sources include the IDF Spokesman, Israeli Kan TV/radio service, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Twitter/X (@IsraeliPM) and other sources considered reliable…
Thursday February 29, 2024 (Day 146):
- Situation: Little change, the Israel-Hamas war continues in the South of Israel, friction continues to grow with Hezbollah in the North. The international propaganda war also continues. Hostage release talks have not yet concluded. The IDF remains poised to enter Rafah in Southern Gaza if the 134 remaining hostages are not released by Ramadan on March 10, 2024.
- Aid convoy incident: A misleading report by the BBC reads as follows: More than 110 Palestinians are reported to have been killed while trying to get desperately needed aid in north Gaza. Crowds of waiting civilians descended on a convoy of lorries after it passed through an Israeli military checkpoint on the coastal road west of Gaza City. Israel’s military said troops fired at some people they thought were a threat. CORRECTION: Israel’s military said (in Hebrew at a press conference) that they applied standard procedures: Firing in the air and at the feet of a few in a separate incident to deter people threatening them. The military also said they did NOT fire at anyone in the main incident, the deaths were caused when crowds were crushed in a stampede and when Arab truck drivers ran over people with their trucks. The White House issued a neutral statement saying President Biden spoke with President Al-Sisi of Egypt and: “Both leaders grieved the loss of civilian lives and agreed that this incident underscored the urgency of bringing negotiations to a close as soon as possible and expanding the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza”. Comment:
February 21, 2024 (Day 138):
- Situation: The Israel-Hamas war continues in the South of Israel, friction continues to grow with Hezbollah in the North. The IDF remains poised to enter Rafah on the Egyptian border if the 134 remaining hostages are not released by Ramadan on March 10, 2024. The Moslem festival of Ramadan is always a sensitive time. More Iranian casualties in Damascus, Syria are reported.
- Pressure: International pressure grows on Israel to accept a ceasefire and/or a two-state solution and/or not to enter Rafah unless the Gazan tent city there is first moved. PM Netanyahu says (frequently) that Israel wants total victory over Hamas, all the hostages back and no chance of October 7 atrocities being repeated.
- Finance Minister Smotrich: said all these objectives carry equal weight. Others criticized him for not putting the hostages first. Smotrich is also opposing NIS 15m of aid to survivors of the October 7 Super-Nova rock festival because “they aren’t a community”.
- Knesset: In a vote (today Feb 21), a large majority of 99 out of 120 Knesset members voted against any externally imposed solution (Kan). Comment: Israelis will vote with their feet: many inhabitants of the North and South won’t return home until they deem it safe. This is not a left-right issue.
- Medicines: Qatar and France apparently claim medicines intended for hostages are starting to reach them. Proof is awaited (Kan and others).
- Paris may soon host the next stage of hostage release negotiations. Or Egypt. Or both. the heat is on mainly the Gazan/Arab side, to achieve something somewhere by Ramadan on March 10. (Kan).
