KEY POINTS
- Israeli army says most of the dead in Gaza aid riot were trampled, run over by trucks
- Hamas warns stampede incident could halt truce negotiations
- 50 Palestinian inmates freed from West Bank prison, local media says
The war in Gaza is now on its 147th day, and Israel has reportedly conducted airstrikes in Syria, killing a military adviser in Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as well as two militia leaders of Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which has been launching rockets on a near-daily basis toward northern Israel since the Israel-Hamas war started.
Eyes are on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following reports that its troops fired at a large crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid to arrive in Gaza when violence erupted among the mob.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati expressed confidence that a ceasefire in Gaza would pave the way for negotiations regarding the tense Israel-Lebanon border.
- US will be 'seeking answers' in deadly Gaza aid site riot: State Department spokesperson
- Israeli army should 'fully explain' Gaza aid stampede: German foreign minister
- Investigation should be conducted in stampede incident: EU Commission president
- Israeli fighter jets strike 2 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon
- EU to push through with $54 million donation to embattled UNRWA next week
- Jordan airdrops aid packages in northern Gaza
- IDF completes Ramadan security preparations: Local media
- 'Millions' join Gaza solidarity rally in Yemeni capital: Houthi spokesman
- Only Iran-bound grain vessels still transiting Red Sea amid Houthi aggression: Analyst
The Red Sea saw a 24-hour period of peace Thursday as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it did not issue any maritime security alerts that day. The peaceful day came after Yemeni rebel Houthis, another Iran-backed terror group, said it has prepared "surprises" in the Red Sea.
Also, the forces with the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) have been striking Houthi assets in self-defense with the aim of ensuring safe navigation for commercial ships in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden.
Back in war-torn Gaza, the IDF is under mounting pressure to clarify the incident in northern Gaza wherein more than a hundred Palestinians were reported dead following a stampede as a humanitarian convoy entered the Strip to deliver aid.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again reiterated that Israel will not give in to Hamas' "delusional demands" for a halt in the fighting – this despite desperate calls from the loved ones of some 100 hostages and around 30 bodies of deceased abductees for their release.
The war in Gaza stems from an arduous and violent history of the Israel-Palestine conflict that has left civilians from both sides suffering the consequences of decades-long fighting.
The live update has ended.
Only grain ships bound for Iran still transiting Red Sea: Analyst
Amid continuing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, many grain-carrying vessels are avoiding the area, an analyst said Friday, as per Reuters.
"Just about all (dry bulk grain) vessels going from the Americas and western Europe are avoiding the Red Sea, the only exception is vessels going to Iran, they're still taking the Red Sea route when shorter," said Ishan Bhanu, a lead agricultural commodities analyst at data provider Kpler.
Houthis claim 'millions' of Yemenis attend march in solidarity with Gaza
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare'e said the "great Yemeni people" marched in "millions" to the Al-Sabeen Square in Yemen's capital of Sana'a on Friday to show support for the Palestinian people of Gaza.
The Friday rally was had the slogan "You are not alone ... stand with Gaza," as per Sare'e.
Yemeni Houthi rebels have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea since November, saying their aggression won't stop unless a ceasefire is implemented in the Gaza Strip.
IDF completes Ramadan preparations: Local media
The Israeli army has completed preparations for Ramadan, Israel's national broadcaster Kan reported Friday. Among the preparations made were simulations of possible escalated scenarios in the West Bank, as per the report.
"You have a great responsibility to arrive prepared and strong for every mission and this is even more important in preparation for Ramadan," IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops, as per a Google translation.
Egypt still hopes for Gaza truce before Ramadan
Egypt, which is a mediator alongside Qatar in truce talks, remains hopeful that Israel and Hamas will strike a ceasefire deal before the Ramadan month begins, its foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said Friday at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey.
"Everyone recognizes that we have a time limit to be successful before the start of Ramdan," he noted.
His statements come as both Israel and Hamas have not been very optimistic of progress made in negotiations for a ceasefire-hostage agreement.
Jordan airdrops aid packages in northern Gaza
Jordan airdropped a total of 48 humanitarian aid packages in four different locations across northern Gaza on Friday, the Israeli government said.
Today, humanitarian aid was airdropped by Jordan into the northern Gaza Strip. A total of 48 packages were dropped at four different locations in the area. pic.twitter.com/MBKBwmhciO
— COGAT (@cogatonline) March 1, 2024
The latest airdropping operation comes following difficulties in delivering aid to Gaza civilians by land, as underscored in Thursday's chaotic and deadly aid delivery operation wherein dozens were killed.
EU proceeds with $54 million donation to embattled UNRWA
The European Commission on Friday announced that the European Union will "proceed to paying EUR 50 million (approximately $54 million)" for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) next week, citing the agency's agreement to an audit, which will be conducted by an EU-appointed external team.
The Commission noted that it has "assessed its funding decision for UNRWA in light of the very serious allegations" that several staffers of the agency were directly involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.
It welcomed the UN's move of launching a probe into the matter and its decision to establish an independent review group to determine whether UNRWA was doing "everything within its power to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of serious breaches."
Israeli warplanes strike Hezbollah sites in Lebanon
Israeli fighter jets on Friday struck "military structure" belonging to Hezbollah in the Ayta ash Shab area and Jabal Blat in southern Lebanon, the IDF said. The strikes were carried out after several rocket launches from Lebanese territory targeted an open area in Margaliot, a moshav in northern Israel.
מטוסי קרב תקפו לפני זמן קצר מבנה צבאי של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב עייתא א-שעב. כמו כן הותקפו מבנה צבאי נוסף ותשתית טרור של הארגון במרחב ג׳בל בלט.
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 1, 2024
בשעה האחרונה זוהו מספר שיגורים משטח לבנון לשטח פתוח במרחב מרגליות pic.twitter.com/9ExdmbgekL
IRGC Navy adviser killed in suspected Israeli strike: Report
A military adviser of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy was killed in Syria Friday in a suspected Israeli strike, Reuters reported, citing Iran's official news agency, IRNA.
CEO of independent news platform Deir Ezzor 24 Omar Abu Layla identified the said "prominent leader" of the IRGC as Reza Zarei. Layla, who is also a northeast Syria governance and security expert, said Zarei was assassinated in Israeli airstrikes targeting Banias city on the Syrian coast Friday.
Two other "militia leaders" of Iranian-backed Hezbollah were also killed in the strikes, as per the reports.
🚨🚨🚨
— Omar Abu Layla (@OALD24) March 1, 2024
The prominent leader in the #IRGC Reza Zarei who was assassinated today in the Israeli airstrikes on the city of Banias on the Syrian coast, along with two Hezbollah militia leaders.
We are awaiting the names of the Hezbollah militia leaders who were also killed.… pic.twitter.com/3Me4fo8tEW
European Commission president calls for probe into Gaza aid site incident
Ursula von der Leyen on Friday took to X to raise concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza following Thursday's deadly stampede during the delivery of humanitarian aid in northern Gaza.
"Deeply disturbed by images from Gaza. Every effort must be made to investigate what happened and ensure transparency," she said. "We stand by civilians," she added.
Deeply disturbed by images from Gaza. Every effort must be made to investigate what happened and ensure transparency
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 1, 2024
Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for those in need and access to it must be ensured.
We stand by civilians, urging their protection in line with international law
Germany demands Israeli army 'fully explain' Gaza aid incident
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday said the IDF "must fully explain how the mass panic and shooting could have happened," as per a Google translation of her posts on X.
Reports about the incident were a "shock," she said, adding that a ceasefire was needed to free the remaining hostages in Gaza, more deaths can be prevented, and aid can be distributed safely.
50 Palestinian detainees released overnight: Local media
Around 50 Palestinian inmates were unexpectedly freed from the West Bank's Ofer prison Thursday night, local i24 News reported Friday.
The Israeli army and Israel's security agency Shin Bet said Friday that the releases were made to make room for "detainees with a higher threat level," as per the outlet. Palestinian reports stated that the released detainees were arrested after Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.
Hamas reportedly warns truce talks could end following aid incident
Hamas has threatened to end talks for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza following the deadly aid incident in northern Gaza, as per Reuters.
"The negotiations conducted by the movement's leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people," the Palestinian terror group reportedly said in a statement.
Netanyahu reiterates Israel won't bend to Hamas' truce demands
The Israeli prime minister early on Friday reiterated that Israel will not yield to Hamas' "delusional demands" for a ceasefire-hostage deal.
"We are making great efforts to succeed but one thing is clear to you – we will not capitulate in the face of Hamas's delusional demands. We will not do this because if we capitulate, we will simply not be here," he wrote in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).
But as of today, thanks to the combination of military pressure and tough negotiations, we have succeeded in returning alive 112 of our hostages. We are determined to return them all. With or without an outline, we will fight until total victory.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 29, 2024
He went on to say that while the Israeli army continues to pursue its goal of eliminating Hamas, the forces are also "making a relentless effort to return all of our hostages" as it is a "sacred goal."
His remarks came amid increasing pressure from the loved ones of remaining abductees in Gaza to free them immediately as some 30 of the hostages are believed to be dead.
'Tragic' aid riot highlights need for deal: US State Dept spox
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller late on Thursday addressed the stampede in northern Gaza that reportedly killed over a hundred Palestinians.
"Today's tragic event that reportedly killed over 100 Palestinians underscores the need to reach an agreement that will get hostages out of Gaza and enable more aid to come in," he said.
Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed during this conflict — not just today, but over the past 5 months.
— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) February 29, 2024
Today’s tragic event that reportedly killed over 100 Palestinians underscores the need to reach an agreement that will get hostages out of Gaza and enable more… pic.twitter.com/aH23DirVwL
He said the White House is "urgently seeking additional information on exactly what took place," adding that the Biden administration has been communicating with the Israeli government. An investigation into the incident is underway, he said. "We will be monitoring that investigation closely and pressing for answers."
US strikes missiles ready to launch towards Red Sea
U.S. forces on Thursday evening Sana'a time struck six mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) "that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea." The strikes were conducted in self-defense, the U.S. military said early Friday.
CENTCOM forces also downed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the southern Red Sea Thursday.
Feb. 29 Red Sea Update
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 1, 2024
On Feb. 29, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted two self-defense strikes against six mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea.
Earlier that… pic.twitter.com/VIrVizaS7H
The U.S. has been conducting self-defense strikes against Houthi assets in recent weeks as Yemeni rebel militia continued attacking commercial vessels transiting the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden.
Washington has also carried out joint strikes with the United Kingdom, targeting paramilitary sites in Houthi-held areas of Yemen.
Peace in Red Sea for first time this week
The UKMTO on Thursday said it issued no maritime security alerts in the Red Sea area from 4 p.m. UTC (11 a.m. EST) Wednesday through 4 p.m. UTC Thursday, marking the first time in the entire week that there was no incident report in the Red Sea.
UKMTO DAILY SUMMARY 29/02/2024https://t.co/lBGHDotJOT#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/eXl9TMjMOY
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 29, 2024
This comes after the Houthis' leader said there will be "surprises" in the Iranian-backed rebel militia's expanded Red Sea aggression.
Gaza truce will restart indirect talks to end Israel-Lebanon fire exchanges: Lebanese PM
Mikati said Thursday that a halt to the fighting in Gaza as early as next week would trigger indirect negotiations to also end hostilities in the Israel-Lebanon border, according to Reuters. The Lebanese caretaker prime minister said he believes Hezbollah would stop firing if Israel does the same in Gaza.
Hezbollah has pledged solidarity with Palestinians, being a Hamas ally and has been conducting near-daily rocket launches toward northern Israel.
IDF denies airstrike in deadly humanitarian aid riot
The Israeli army has denied that it conducted an airstrike Thursday during a humanitarian aid delivery operation that turned deadly as Palestinians sought to obtain supplies from an aid convoy.
"No IDF strike was conducted towards the aid convoy. On the contrary, the IDF was there conducting a humanitarian operation to secure the humanitarian corridor and allow the aid convoy to reach its designated distribution point," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, chief of the Israeli army's Spokesperson's Unit, said in a statement late Thursday.
“We recognize the suffering of the innocent people of Gaza. This is why we are seeking ways to expand our humanitarian efforts.”
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 29, 2024
Watch the full statement by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the incident regarding the humanitarian aid convoy the IDF facilitated. pic.twitter.com/m6Pve3Odqw
Hagari said a "mob ambushed the aid trucks, bringing the convoy to a halt" early Thursday morning. The Israeli tanks saw "Gazans being trampled, and cautiously" tried to disperse the mob" with a few warning shots in the air. However, the hundreds of people became thousands so the tank commander decided to retreat, Hagari noted, adding that the Israeli troops backed up "securely" and risked their own lives while "not shooting at the mob."
Some initial reports Thursday stated that an Israeli airstrike resulted in dozens of deaths in the aid site. Other reports stated that Israeli troops opened fire on the Palestinian crowd waiting on the supplies.
Israeli sources confirmed to AFP that Israeli forces did open fire at the crowd after determining that the mob near the aid trucks were a "threat." A spokesman for Netanyahu's office reportedly said many of the dead were run over by trucks. The IDF also previously said in a Thursday morning report that dozens of Gazans were killed "as a result of the pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks."
This morning humanitarian aid trucks entered northern Gaza, residents surrounded the trucks and looted the supplies being delivered. As a result of the pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks, dozens of Gazans were killed and injured.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 29, 2024
