Israel-Hamas War Day 284 |
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Family members and supporters of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli hostage who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas, release balloons to mark Nimrod’s 20th birthday while he’s being held in captivity, in Tel Aviv on Monday.Credit: Ricardo Moraes/ REUTERS
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Rocket fired from Lebanon intercepted by the Israeli army in northern Israel, last month.Credit: Gil Eliahu
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A demonstrator holds up an anti-war sign in Tel Aviv on Monday.Credit: Ricardo Moraes/ REUTERS
Hezbollah confirms that one of its members was killed in Bint Jbeil strike ■ Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says 38,664 killed in Gaza since war started ■ U.K. maritime agency gets report of incident southwest of Yemen’s Hodeidah ■ Israeli officials say hostage talks with Hamas will continue after assassination attempt on Mohammed Deif, Hamas gives mixed messages ■ Four soldiers wounded, two in serious condition, in car ramming attack near Ramla in central Israel ■ IDF confirms killing of Hamas’ Khan Yunis commander ■ Reports of 15 killed in IDF strike on Gaza UNRWA school Sunday
Hezbollah confirms that one of its members was killed in Bint Jbeil strike ■ Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says 38,664 killed in Gaza since war started ■ U.K. maritime agency gets report of incident southwest of Yemen’s Hodeidah ■ Israeli officials say hostage talks with Hamas will continue after assassination attempt on Mohammed Deif, Hamas gives mixed messages ■ Four soldiers wounded, two in serious condition, in car ramming attack near Ramla in central Israel ■ IDF confirms killing of Hamas’ Khan Yunis commander ■ Reports of 15 killed in IDF strike on Gaza UNRWA school Sunday
Blinken and Sullivan discuss Gaza aid, Lebanon escalation and Iran in meeting with top Israeli officials
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington on Monday. According to the State Department, the three discussed “practical solutions to resolve the remaining issues on the table in ongoing ceasefire negotiations and [Blinken] emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement that secures the release of hostages and alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
Blinken, Hanegbi and Dermer later attended a meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group, with a senior Israeli interagency delegation and representatives from the countries’ respective foreign policy, defense, and intelligence agencies. The meeting was also attended by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
According to a statement, the discussion “centered on countering Iran’s threats to Israel and the broader region. They also discussed developments with respect to Iran’s nuclear program, and discussed mutual coordination on a series of measures to ensure that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Biden: Without Israel, every Jew in the world would be at risk
U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview aired Monday that he “denied [Israel the] offensive weapons they were using – 2000-pound bombs and the rest – because I made it real clear they cannot use weapons we provide them and use them in civilian areas.” Instead, Biden said, “I sent defensive weapons. That’s why I put together this plan.”
The interview with Speedy Morman for Complex’s ‘360 With Speedy’ was recorded the day before the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
The interviewer then asked Biden asked if he identifies as a Zionist, and his one-word response – “Yes” – was greeted by silence.
“You’ll be able to make a lot out of, that because people don’t know what a Zionist is,” the president added. “Do you know what a Zionist is? If there weren’t an Israel, every Jew in the world would be at risk. There’s a need for it to be strong and a need for Israel to be able to have, after World War II, the ability for Jews to have a place that was their own. You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist and a Zionist is about whether Israel is a safe haven for Jews because of the history of how they’ve been persecuted.”
Biden went on to remind the interviewer that “I’m the guy that did more for the Palestinian community than anybody. I’m the guy that opened up all the assets, I’m the guy that made sure that I got the Egyptians to open the border to let goods and medicine and food through. I’m the guy that’s been able to pull together the Arab states to help the Palestinians with food and shelter.”
As for Hamas, the president described the organization as “a bunch of thugs. I was over there about eight days after the massacre and saw photos of mothers and daughters being tied with a rope together and kerosene poured on their heads and burned to death. Nothing’s happened like that since the Holocaust and it’s just not appropriate.”
Asked why a Muslim should vote for him, Biden replied: “The same reason why Arab Americans in the region support me. It’s the best way to keep peace and the best way to put things together and make sure there’s a two-state solution in the region. I’ve been a strong supporter of that and I’ve gotten significant support from Arab countries.”
“I got a call from the Saudis; they want to fully recognize Israel if the U.S. will give them a guarantee that we’ll give them weapons if they’re attacked by other Arab nations – one just around the corner – and we’d put a civilian nuclear facility there and our military would operate it so they could move away from fossil fuels. That’s a big gamechanger for the whole region.”
Palestinian-American activists sharply decried U.S. President Joe Biden’s claim that he has “done more for the Palestinian community than anybody.”
Layla Elabed, leader of the Uncommitted National Movement, said that “Biden claiming he’s done the most for Palestinians is like an arsonist taking credit for tossing a splash of water on the fire he’s still fueling.”
Two Israeli civilians injured after soldiers open fire at West Bank checkpoint
IDF soldiers opened fire at a vehicle carrying Israeli civilians near a checkpoint close to the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to the military. At least two of the civilians were injured.
According to a security source, a military force was inspecting two suspicious motorcyclists when a white vehicle with yellow Israeli license plates drove up to checkpoint. Three people got out of the car wearing hoodies and failed to respond to the soldiers’ procedure for arresting suspects. After the military opened fire, they tried to flee the scene, but two were hit by shrapnel.
Rocket hits mall in northern Israel; IDF: At least 20 missiles fired from Lebanon
A rocket fired from Lebanon struck a mall in Kiryat Shmona on Monday night, as the IDF said that at least 20 missiles were fired in two barrages just minutes apart. At 11:30 P.M., Israel’s aerial defense systems intercepted rockets fired at the Kiryat Shmona region and, less than 10 minutes later, another barrage was fired at the same area. The army said there were no reports of injuries.
Earlier, Hezbollah confirmed that one of its members was killed in an Israeli strike on a building in Lebanon’s town of Bint Jbeil on Monday. The organization named the fatality as Amar Dagar.
Amar Dagar, the Hezbollah member killed in Monday’s strike in Bint Jbeil.
Also among the fatalities was Baraa Katerji, a prominent businessman with close ties to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Katerji, who has financial links to the Syrian regime and Hezbollah, has been sanctioned by the U.S. in the past. It was reported he was killed while crossing over from Lebanon to Syria, but an official statement of his identity is yet to be released.
RECAP: Man killed in strike on Syria-Lebanon border is a businessman with ties to Assad; European Council sanctions right-wing Israeli activists
Here’s what you need to know on day 284 of the war:
■ Three civilians have been killed and three were wounded in an Israeli strike on a building in Lebanon’s town of Bint Jbeil on Monday, three security sources told Reuters.
■ Syrian reports say one of the men killed in an Israeli strike on the Damascus-Beirut road is a prominent businessman with close ties to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Baraa Katerji, who has financial links to the Syrian regime and Hezbollah, and has been sanctioned by the U.S. in the past.
■ The European Council imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli activists Baruch Marzel and Bentzi Gopstein, West Bank farm outpost settlements and the Tzav 9 organization which blocked aid trucks from transferring aid into Gaza.
■ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met two key Israeli officials on Monday and discussed ongoing talks toward a cease-fire deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
■ A Lebanese man accused of being a member of the Hezbollah militant group and procuring drone components that were to be exported for use in attacks against Israel has been arrested in Germany, prosecutors said Monday.
■ Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of American hostage Omer Neutra, will address the 2024 Republican National Convention on Wednesday.