KEY POINTS
- Gaza ceasefire talks reportedly end with no breakthrough
- World Health Organization warns of 'extreme' malnutrition in northern Gaza
- UN report says there is 'convincing information' of Hamas' sexual crimes
It's Day 151 of the Israel-Hamas war, and Iran-backed Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks targeting American warships deployed in the Red Sea, escalating tensions in the already heated region.
The Israeli army has just revealed new details about the alleged involvement of some United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staffers in Hamas' atrocities, alleging that more than 450 of its staff were "military operatives in terror groups in Gaza."
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, chief of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson's Unit, on Tuesday revealed the names of three more UNRWA staffers who allegedly participated directly in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel – one of them he described as an UNRWA "school counselor."
- 'Convincing information' some hostages subjected to sexual violence: UN report
- Hezbollah's aggression driving Israel to a military 'decision point': Gallant
- Israel's Katz slams UN chief for not convening Security Council meeting over Hamas' sexual crimes report
- Truce negotiations in Egypt extended for 1 more day: Report
- US, Jordan conduct joint aid airdrop operation in northern Gaza: CENTCOM
- Turkey arrests 7 over alleged Mossad information selling: Report
- Hezbollah claims attacks on Israeli army bases, artillery positions
- 'On Hamas' to decide whether it is prepared for ceasefire deal: Blinken
In the troubled Gulf of Aden, a Houthi missile struck a Liberia-flagged container ship, "causing damage" to the said vessel, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Over in Washington, Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz reportedly heard some "very harsh and critical messages" over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
Tensions remain high in the Israel-Lebanon border as Iranian-backed Hezbollah steps up aggression toward northern Israeli communities. Rocket alert sirens sounded in Israel's northern region Tuesday, as per local media.
Meanwhile, there seems to be a turbulence within Hamas' inner leadership as Arab media reported that other Hamas leaders were unaware of Yahya Sinwar's decision to launch the invasion of Israel on Oct. 7.
The massacre of more than a thousand Israelis and foreign nationals and abduction of some 250 hostages by Hamas stems from a longstanding Israel-Palestine conflict that has drawn attacks toward Israel by several Iran-backed militias.
Amid increasing pressure to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been steadfast that his government will not submit to the militant group's "delusional demands."
The live update has ended.
Up to Hamas to agree to immediate truce: Blinken
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said "it is on Hamas to make decisions about whether it is prepared to engage in" an immediate ceasefire that could not only free hostages but also "dramatically increase the amount" of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, The Times of Israel reported.
Blinken made the statements during a meeting with Qatar's prime minister in Washington, as per the report.
His remarks came after Reuters reported that a Hamas official said the ball is now on the U.S. side as it should pressure its ally to agree to a truce deal.
Hezbollah claims attacks on IDF bases
Hezbollah on Tuesday claimed that it attacked "military bases and artillery positions" of the Israeli army using mortars, rockets and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). The attacks supposedly caused "material damage" to the IDF assets, the Lebanon-based terror group claimed.
The IDF has yet to deny or confirm the claims.
Turkey detains 7 over alleged information selling to Mossad
Turkey has arrested seven people accused of selling information to Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, the Anadolu news agency reported Tuesday, citing security sources, as per a Google translation.
The arrests were made in a joint operation between the Istanbul Police Department and Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), as per the report. The accused allegedly "compiled information about Middle Eastern people and companies in Turkey."
One of the suspects was identified as Hamza Turhan Ayberk, who was allegedly trained by Mossad in Belgrade in 2019. He allegedly placed tracking devices on target individuals, harassed the targets and allegedly made threats.
US, Jordan pull off airdrop operation in northern Gaza
A joint operation between U.S. CENTCOM forces and the Royal Jordanian Air Force Tuesday afternoon Gaza time resulted in the airdropping of more than 36,800 meal equivalents for civilians in northern Gaza, the U.S. military announced.
United States Central Command and Royal Jordanian Armed Forces Conduct Additional Airdrops of Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 5, 2024
Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on March 5, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. (Gaza… pic.twitter.com/ec2m80rUHl
Cairo ceasefire talks extended for 1 more day: Report
Talks for a Gaza ceasefire in Egypt has been extended for another day, with no breakthrough after two days of negotiations, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing a Hamas official.
Hamas negotiators will remain in Cairo for now amid mediators Qatar and Egypt's efforts to keep discussions ongoing as the situation in Gaza worsens. It is unclear if an Israeli delegation will travel to Egypt for further talks.
Israeli FM accuses UN chief of attempting to 'exclude' Hamas from accountability over sexual crimes
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz on Tuesday accused United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres of trying "to exclude Hamas from responsibility" over the Palestinian terror group's sexual crimes as detailed in a UN report released late Monday.
In a scathing criticism of Guterres on X, Katz wrote that the UN chief has "brought the organization to the lowest ebb" by ignoring Hamas' crimes against humanity. He also questioned why Guterres has not yet initiated an "immediate gathering of the UN Security Council to discuss the report and the declaration of Hamas as a terrorist organization."
Israel's Gallant says Hezbollah aggression pushing Israeli army to 'decision point'
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant has reportedly informed the U.S. president's advisor, Amos Hochstein, that Israel is committed to a diplomatic resolution in the northern border, but Hezbollah is not helping resolve the issue.
"We are committed to the political efforts to reach an agreement in the north, but Hezbollah's aggression brings us closer to a decision point regarding our military action in Lebanon," Axios political reporter Barak Ravid quoted Gallant as saying.
Houthis claim missile, drone attacks on US warships
Iranian-backed Houthis claimed that they launched "a number of ballistic missiles and drones" at several U.S. battleships in the Red Sea Monday hours before it attacked the MV MSC SKY II in the Gulf of Aden, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare'e said in a Google-translated post on X.
The Yemeni rebel militia threatened to continue its aggression "in the Red and Arab Bahrain, the Gulf of Aden, and Bal el-Mandeb" until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza. It also said it had the "ability to target warships and non-warships simultaneously."
The U.S. army has yet to deny or confirm the Houthi claims.
There is 'clear and convincing information' some hostages were subjected to sexual violence: UN report
A UN team led by special representative Pramila Patten released a report Monday that indicated "there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence during the 7 October attacks in multiple locations across Gaza periphery, including rape and gang rape, in at least three locations."
Patten's report was drawn up after a two-week mission wherein the team looked into reports of sexual violence and related atrocities committed by Hamas when the terror group invaded Israel.
"At the Nova music festival and its surrounding," there are reasonable grounds to believe that victims, mostly women, were subjected to rape, the report added.
In terms of the hostages, "the mission team found clear and convincing information that some have been subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence including rape and sexualized torture and sexualized cruel, inhuman degrading treatment," as per the report. It noted that the team has reasonable grounds to believe "that such violence may be ongoing" among hostages still in Hamas captivity.
Hunger, malnutrition rising among children in Gaza: WHO
"Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise among children, breastfeeding women, and pregnant women in Gaza," the WHO said Tuesday.
Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza is "overwhelmed" with patients and is faced with acute food, water, fuel, staff and medicines, the organization added.
Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise among children, breastfeeding women, and pregnant women in #Gaza.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 5, 2024
The only paediatric hospital in northern Gaza is overwhelmed with patients and is facing acute shortages of food, water, fuel, health workers, and medicines. The need for… pic.twitter.com/DIheYhT5u4
Truce talks end with no breakthrough: Report
Ceasefire talks in Cairo between Hamas and mediators ended Tuesday with no breakthrough, Reuters reported, citing senior Hamas official Bassem Naim.
Naim accused the Israeli prime minister of not wanting to reach a truce agreement. "The ball now is in the American's court" to pressure Israel into agreeing to a deal, he said.
There were earlier reports that Israel skipped Tuesday's negotiations after Hamas refused to provide a list of hostages that specify which were still alive and which have died in captivity.
Naim argued that Israel's demand was impossible unless a ceasefire takes place first since the hostages were located in different sites across the war zone and were being held by different militant groups.
There are still some 130 hostages in Gaza – around 30 of whom are believed to be dead.
Other Hamas leaders 'not aware' of Oct. 7 attack: Arab media
Hamas leadership and the political bureau were "not aware" of Sinwar's plan to launch a shock invasion in Israel, Sky News in Arabic reported Tuesday, citing unidentified sources. Sinwar is Hamas' most senior leader in the Gaza Strip.
International Business Times cannot independently verify the report.
Siren alerts in northern Israel: Local media
Rocket sirens sounded in northern Israel Tuesday afternoon local time, as per i24 News. There have been no siren alerts in the region in recent days, as heavily armed terror group Hezbollah appeared to focus its operations toward Israeli army bases.
Gantz gets 'harsh' messages from Harris, Sullivan: Report
The Israeli war cabinet minister, a former defense minister, heard from Harris and Sullivan "very harsh and critical messages regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the fact that Israel is not doing enough on this issue," Axios' Ravid wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday, as per a Google translation.
This comes following reports Monday that Netanyahu did not approve of Gantz's trip to Washington and reportedly told the minister that Israel can only have one prime minister.
Houthi missile hits commercial vessel in Gulf of Aden: CENTCOM
A missile fired from by Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden on Monday afternoon struck the MV MSC SKY II, a Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned container ship, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
The impact caused damage to the vessel, but there were no injuries reported and the ship continued on its route, as per CENTCOM.
March 4 Red Sea Update
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 5, 2024
On Mar. 4, at approximately 2:15a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen into the southern Red Sea. The missile impacted the water with no reported damage or injuries to commercial or U.S. Navy… pic.twitter.com/mqigHoON4b
On Monday night, CENTCOM forces carried out "self-defense strikes" against two anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) that they deemed were an imminent threat to U.S. Navy warships and commercial ships in the region.
IDF alleges over 450 UNRWA staffers are Gaza terror group operatives
Hagari on Tuesday revealed more details about Hamas' Oct. 7 invasion of Israel and how several UNRWA staffers allegedly participated directly in the atrocities.
He revealed the names of three more UNRWA personnel whom he said were also militants:
- Bakr Mahmoud Abdallah Darwish – alleged "Hamas terrorist" and "school counselor" at an UNRWA school
- Ghassan Nabil Mohammad Sh'hadda El Jabari – alleged terrorist working "in the Hamas-run Ministry of Health"
- Mamdouh Hussein Ahmad al-Qak – alleged terrorist with Hamas ally the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and a "teacher at an UNRWA Elementary School"
"Over 450 @UNRWA employees are military operatives in terror groups in Gaza... This is no mere coincidence, this is systematic. There is no claiming: 'we didn't know.'"
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 5, 2024
Watch the full statement by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari regarding UNRWA workers that were involved in… pic.twitter.com/NB5I6j0f2F
The IDF spokesperson also alleged that "over 450 UNRWA employees are military operatives in terror groups in Gaza," adding that the number is "no mere coincidence," and instead was a "systematic" issue within the embattled UN agency.
"There is no claiming 'we did not know,'" he pointed out.
The latest exposé comes more than a month after Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees of direct participation in the Oct. 7 massacre. At the time, the agency said it fired several employees over the revelation and vowed a thorough investigation.
