KEY POINTS
- Cracks in the Netanyahu-Biden relationship deepened over the IDF's Rafah invasion plan, report says
- 3 countries express concern over Israel's Rafah ground campaign plan
- U.S.-funded flour for Gaza reportedly stuck at Israeli customs, raising White House's concerns
On the 132nd day of the Israel-Hamas war, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the late January seizure of weapons and military components from Iran that was bound for Houthi-held areas of Yemen.
The Israeli army's ground troops have kicked off a "limited" operation inside the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza's main city, near Rafah, which is at center of international concerns over Israel's planned ground campaign in the overcrowded city.
Wednesday's fire exchanges killed at least 12 people and injured over a dozen others in Israel and Lebanon. The casualties included a soldier with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when Hezbollah, a powerful militant group that, like Hamas, is backed by Iran, launched a rocket barrage toward Safed in northern Israel.
- World Health Organization accuses Israel of impeding Gaza aid deliveries
- Joe Biden blocks deportation of 'certain' Palestinians, citing Gaza situation
- Wounded Al Jazeera journalist also a Hamas deputy company commander: IDF
- Iran will 'reciprocate' if its vessels captured after US DOJ says Iranian fuel seized
- US strikes over a dozen Houthi assets in Yemen: CENTCOM
- 'Credible intelligence' some bodies of hostages may be at Nasser Hospital: IDF
- Senior Hezbollah commander reportedly assassinated in 'targeted strike'
- US, Arab partners may propose Palestinian state plan in coming weeks: Report
- Doctors Without Borders says Nasser Hospital shelled early Thursday
Back in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli army is preparing for "powerful action" in Rafah, an overcrowded city near Gaza's border with Egypt that has more than a million residents and evacuees.
U.S. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, in a phone call that Israel must ensure civilian safety before any action is implemented in Rafah.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) reported a second day of no maritime disruptions in the Red Sea Wednesday after the last attack on an Iran-bound ship by Yemeni Houthi rebels.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu remains unmoved amid increasing calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. He said the Israeli army will fight until Hamas is eliminated and until the terror group can no longer incite more violence in the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict.
The deep-rooted conflict erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack in Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting some 240 hostages. Around 110 abductees were freed in a late November ceasefire deal. Efforts to reach another truce agreement are at a standstill as the warring sides push the other to soften their demands.
Hezbollah says 'official' killed: Arab media
Hezbollah on Thursday announced the "killing" of two of its members, including an "official named Ali Muhammad al-Debs," Sky News Arabia reported.
This comes after initial local Israeli reports that a senior Hezbollah commander was assassinated in a "targeted strike" in Lebanon.
Nasser Hospital shelled Thursday: Doctors Without Borders
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also called Doctors Without Borders, said the Nasser Hospital was shelled early Thursday "despite Israeli Forces having told medical staff and patients they could remain in the facility."
A Feb. 13 order by the IDF supposedly asked "thousands of displaced people" to evacuate the area, MSF added.
🔴 Gaza update:
— MSF International (@MSF) February 15, 2024
Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, was shelled in the early hours of this morning, despite Israeli Forces having told medical staff and patients they could remain in the facility.
Thousands of displaced people were ordered to evacuate it on 13 February...🧵
The MSF's statement came after the IDF said its ground troops were conducting a "precise and limited" operation inside the Khan Yunis hospital amid "credible intelligence" that the bodies of some hostages may be at the facility.
The Israeli army has yet to confirm the charity's report.
US, Arab partners may unveil Palestinian state plan in coming weeks: Report
The U.S. and some of its partner Arab countries are preparing a comprehensive plan that includes a "firm timeline" for the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Washington Post reported Thursday, citing American and Arab officials.
The said Israel-Palestine peace plan is expected to be proposed sometimes in the coming weeks, as per the report.
Senior Hezbollah commander assassinated: Local media
There are initial reports that a senior Hezbollah commander has been eliminated in a "targeted strike" in Lebanon, Israeli i24 News reported Thursday local time.
🔴Initial reports of a senior #Hezbollah commander eliminated in Lebanon targeted strike
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) February 15, 2024
The Lebanon-based militant group, which is just one of many militias backed by Iran, has yet to confirm the reports.
US seizes Iranian lethal aid meant for Houthis: CENTCOM
The U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr seized "advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen" late last month, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
The said cutter located a vessel in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 28 and boarded the ship, which carried more than 200 packages containing various weapons, explosives, and other military components.
CENTCOM Intercepts Iranian Weapons Shipment Intended for Houthis
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 15, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. – A U.S. Coast Guard cutter, forward deployed to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound to… pic.twitter.com/inkw4ihq1I
'Credible intelligence' some hostages were held at Nasser Hospital: IDF
The Israeli army has "credible intelligence" some hostages were held at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, chief of the IDF's Spokesperson's Unit, said Thursday amid an ongoing military operation at the said medical facility.
"There may be bodies of our hostages in the Nasser Hospital facility," he added, citing information from unidentified sources and from "released hostages."
Hagari said the IDF is currently conducting a "precise and limited operation inside" the facility. It was "prepared with precision," considering the possibility that Hamas may be hiding behind civilians within the hospital, he added.
He said the IDF communicated with hospital administration in recent days to reiterate that they had "no obligation" to evacuate patients or staff since a key objective of the operation is "to ensure that the Nasser Hospital continues its important functions of treating Gazan patients."
We have credible intelligence that Hamas held hostages in Nasser Hospital.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 15, 2024
“Since the Hamas massacre of October 7, the IDF has been operating to fulfill its mission of dismantling Hamas and bringing our hostages home.” pic.twitter.com/5gzcbH6Vzc
Israeli troops operating inside Khan Yunis hospital: IDF
Israeli ground troops, "at this time," are "operating inside the Nasser Hospital" in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza's main city, the IDF said Thursday. "The operation is based on intelligence information indicating terrorist activity by Hamas at the hospital," the IDF said in a series of Google-translated posts on X (formerly Twitter).
Several suspects have been detained at the health facility, the Israeli army said, adding that it has opened a "special passage" to evacuate the civilian population around the vicinity of Nasser Hospital.
It also reiterated that Israeli troops will "continue to act in accordance with international law."
US conducts fresh 'self-defense strikes' on Houthi assets
U.S. forces with the CENTCOM on Wednesday conducted a series of "self-defense strikes" against eight assets belonging to the Yemeni Houthi rebel militia, the U.S. army said Thursday.
The assets targeted were seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), three mobile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and one explosive unmanned surface vessel (USV). The targets were identified in Houthi-held areas in Yemen and were ready to launch against Red Sea shipping lanes, as per CENTCOM.
Feb. 14 Summary of Red Sea activities
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 15, 2024
On Feb. 14, between the hours of 1p.m. – 7:30p.m.(Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully conducted four self-defense strikes against seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), three mobile unmanned aerial… pic.twitter.com/CWU8w2f21b
Iran will retaliate if its vessels seized: Official
Iran will reciprocate if its ships are seized, Mohammad Dehghan, the legal adviser to Iran's president, told state media Thursday. "If an Iranian ship is seized, we will reciprocate and the legal way is not closed in this regard," he said.
His statement came after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said earlier this month that it seized "more than 500,000 barrels of sanctioned [Iranian] fuel."
Wounded Al Jazeera journalist a Hamas deputy company commander: IDF
Ismail Abu Omar, an Al Jazeera reporter whom the news outlet said was wounded in an Israeli strike in Gaza, is not just a mediaman, the Israeli army said Wednesday.
Omar is a "deputy commander in Hamas' Eastern Battalion of Khan Yunis," the IDF said, adding that he filmed himself during Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of residents were taken hostage by Hamas operatives.
"According to @AlJazeera, he's a journalist. According to common sense, he's a terrorist," the IDF said.
Ismail Abu Omar holds two roles. According to @AlJazeera , he’s a journalist. According to common sense, he’s a terrorist.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 14, 2024
How do we know this? Abu Omar is a deputy company commander in Hamas’ Eastern Battalion of Khan Yunis who filmed himself in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the… pic.twitter.com/eHYR14o0RI
White House expects Israel to get US-funded flour into Gaza
Flour that the United States funded for Gaza civilians has "not moved the way that we had expected it would move," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters during a Wednesday media briefing.
He said Washington is expecting that Israel will "follow through on its commitment to get that flour into Gaza."
Tune in for a briefing with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. https://t.co/Xa2Gcq5sn8
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 14, 2024
The flour shipment was reportedly blocked by Israeli customs upon the orders of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was the subject of criticism last month after he called for the voluntary exit of Palestinians from Gaza.
3 countries warn Israel against Rafah ground invasion
Australia, Canada and the New Zealand in a rare joint statement Wednesday, warned Israel "not to go down this path" as Israeli ground forces prepare to raid Rafah. "An expanded military operation would be devastating. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go," the statement said.
The joint statement came after the Israeli prime minister pledged "powerful action" in Rafah.
Read the full story here.
Biden-Netanyahu relations at 'boiling point' over Rafah concerns
Relations between the U.S. president and Israeli prime minister at a "boiling point" amid Washington's increasing frustration over Israel's unwavering stance regarding its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, specifically a planned ground operation in Rafah, the Wall Street Journal reported early Thursday.
This comes after the White House reiterated that the U.S. will not support a ground raid of Rafah unless the Israeli government presents a plan that includes the assurance of safety of over a million people currently sheltering in the crowded city.
Biden blocks Palestinian deportation
The U.S. president signed a memorandum that blocks the deportation of some Palestinians in the U.S., "giving them a temporary safe haven," Sullivan said in a statement Wednesday.
The move will allow "certain" Palestinians currently in the country to stay in the U.S. for 18 months, providing protections for "most Palestinians" in the United States, "with certain exceptions."
Sullivan noted that anyone who "voluntarily returns" to Palestinian territories will lose protection under the memorandum. He said the decision was made "in light of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian needs" in Gaza.
No maritime alerts for second straight day: UKMTO
There were no maritime security alerts in the disrupted Red Sea from Tuesday night through Wednesday night, marking the second consecutive day of peace in the area.
Iranian-backed Houthis have been conducting daily near-daily attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea since November. However, it is the first time calm was experienced in the area after the U.S. said the Yemeni rebel militia fired two missiles Monday toward the MV Star Iris, a merchant ship from Brazil bound for Iran.
UKMTO DAILY SUMMARY
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 14, 2024
1800UTC 13 Feb 2024 to 1800UTC 14 Feb 2024https://t.co/aE4dSUuqMt#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/LS3J0zDr0B
WHO rep accuses Israel of impeding Gaza aid
Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative for occupied Palestinian territories, on Wednesday said fewer than half of its aid delivery mission requests in Gaza have been approved so far by Israel.
"Hospitals are completely overwhelmed and overflowing and undersupplied," he said, adding that the delivery mission requests have "been denied, impeded or postponed."
His remarks came amid pressure on the Netanyahu government to allow for the continuous flow of humanitarian assistance for Gaza's civilians.
Austin tells Gallant to ensure civilian safety before Rafah raid
The U.S. Secretary of Defense told Israel's defense minister in a phone call Wednesday that civilian safety should be ensured, as well as continued humanitarian aid entry into the Gaza Strip "before any operations against Hamas in Rafah" are implemented.
The defense leaders also discussed ongoing talks to secure the release of some 130 hostages still in Gaza, as per a statement from the Pentagon.
Gallant, for his part, provided an update on the IDF's operations in Khan Yunis, the known hometown of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' top leader in Gaza.
Netanyahu vows 'powerful action' in Rafah amid international calls for restraint
The Israeli prime minister on Wednesday vowed that the Israeli army will continue to fight "until complete victory, and this includes a powerful action in Rafah" after the civilian population in the overcrowded southern city are evacuated from "battle zones."
His remarks came amid increasing international scrutiny of an Israeli plan to launch a ground campaign in Rafah. More than a million civilians are believed to be sheltering in the city as thousands from northern and central Gaza moved south during the earlier weeks of the Israel-Hamas war.
12 dead, over a dozen injured in Israel-Hezbollah strikes
An Israeli soldier was killed Wednesday when Iran-backed Hezbollah launched a rocket barrage toward northern Israel. Eight others were injured after a rocket struck a building in Safed in northern Israel, the highest city in Galilee.
In retaliatory strikes toward southern Lebanon later Wednesday, eleven people were killed, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a hospital director and three Lebanese security sources. Among the dead were six children, as per the report. More than a dozen other people in Israel and Lebanon were injured in the tit-for-tat strikes.
Hezbollah vowed retribution for the casualties in Israel's retaliation. Israel previously said its army was ready to respond should the heavily armed militant group wage an all-out war in the northern front.
