Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 83?

The IDF announced on Thursday that it will not take any current action against soldiers who mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages on December 15 who were waving a white flag, screamed “help” in Hebrew, and were bare from the waist up .

The three, named Yotam Chaim, Samer Talalka, and Alon Shamriz, were all taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7 massacre against southern Israeli communities.

In publishing the results of its final probe into the issue, the IDF said that despite the soldiers clearly violating the rules of engagement – by firing on persons who presented no immediate danger and were waving a white flag – the enormous complexity of the circumstances led to no immediate punishment.

Soldiers who killed hostages to remain in Gaza

IDF sources suggested that once the war was over it was possible that disciplinary or other action might theoretically be taken against some of the soldiers involved, but in the meantime the soldiers are being left to continue to fight in the field.

The IDF legal division also technically can second-guess the IDF chief, but that is a very rare occurrence.

Also, with it being ambiguous when the war will be “over,” given discussions of higher and lower intensity stages, it seems that no action will be taken for the foreseeable future.

Already back on December 16, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi had signaled this would be the direction he would go in.

Back then he had also said that the soldiers had violated open fire rules, but on the other hand he had not mentioned even removing them from combat without any formal penalty.

Also, at the time the IDF legal division sidestepped addressing the issue, pending the IDF chief’s probe.

But there have been cases where initial evidence was strong enough to launch an initial criminal probe and where the soldiers involved were immediately arrested and questioned under caution - which was not done here.   

The incident happened in the Shejaia neighborhood of Gaza City, an area of intense combat where Hamas terrorists have been operating in civilian attire and used complex deception tactics.

Some of those tactics have included trying to use white flags, stuffed animals, or seemingly harmless women to get IDF soldiers to approach an area, where some other terrorists then opens fire or sets off a remote explosive device.

According to the final IDF probe, around six Hamas fighters had been killed or observed recently by IDF forces along the line of travel which the three hostages likely took based on the multiple locations where the IDF has established they definitely spent time.

Some of the Hamas terrorists were killed by infantry, one by a tank, and one by a drone.

All of this information was in the minds of the soldiers involved in killing the three hostages.

Details of the IDF's investigation into the killings

The final probe found that the soldiers opened fire on the three at a distance of 38 meters where the hostages were standing at a window one floor up from the ground level of a house.

According to the high command’s understanding of the open fire rules, such a distance and without seeing any weapon, and certainly seeing a white flag and a bare upper body disqualifying the likelihood of explosives, there was no reasonable way to argue the soldiers could have felt threatened.

However, the soldiers argued that they were given additional instructions from local commanders in the field about what was considered a threat and when to fire, and that 38 meters and suspicious activity from a window fell within those open fire rules.

Further, given the many fake surrender traps Hamas has set throughout the war, including using Hebrew, white flags, and actual children’s items seized by Hamas in Israel on October 7, Halevi and other commanders seem to be willing to recognize the subjective sense of danger felt by the soldiers involved as valid enough to avoid immediate punishment.

Controversially, the first soldier who opened fire has admitted that he did see the white flag, but still felt it was a trap and that he was in danger.

The US Navy's USS Mason shot down a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in the southern Red Sea on Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Friday morning.

According to CENTCOM, this was the 22nd attempted attack conducted by the Houthis against international shipping since October 19. No damage was caused to the 18 ships present in the area at the time.

The USS MASON (DDG 87) shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis between 5:45 - 6: 10 p.m. (Sanaa time) on Dec. 28. There was no damage to any of the 18 ships in the area or reported injuries. This is the 22nd… pic.twitter.com/Y4JRS22850

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 29, 2023

The incident comes as the Houthis continue their attacks on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea despite the establishment of a US-led coalition aimed at deterring such attacks.

On Tuesday, the US military downed 12 kamikaze drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles fired by the Houthis in the southern Red Sea within a period of just 10 hours.

Additionally on Tuesday, the IDF said that it had intercepted a drone over the Red Sea that was headed toward Israel.

US sanctions network transferring Iranian funds to Houthis

As part of efforts to combat the Houthi threat, the US issued sanctions against one individual and three entities for facilitating Iranian funding for the Houthis on Thursday. The sanctioned individual is Nabil Ali Ahmed Al-Hadha - the head of the Currency Exchangers Association in Sanaa, Yemen - and the three entities are exchange houses in Yemen and Turkey.

The sanctioned individual and entities facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars to the Houthis at the direction of Sa'id al-Jamal, a person affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force.

Jamal's network uses a web of exchange houses throughout the Middle East to facilitate the transfer of funds to the Houthis, including the Turkey-based Al Aman Kargo Ithalat Ihracat Ve Nakliyat Limited Sirketi, the Yemen-based Nabco Money Exchange and Remittance Co., and the Yemen-based Al Rawda Exchange and Money Transfers Company.

“Today’s action underscores our resolve to restrict the illicit flow of funds to the Houthis, who continue to conduct dangerous attacks on international shipping and risk further destabilizing the region,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States, along with our allies and partners, will continue to target the key facilitation networks that enable the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their backers in Iran.”

Alleged Israeli airstrikes targeted sites in southern Syria and near Damascus on Thursday night in two separate waves, according to Syrian reports.

Syria's state news agency SANA reported that Israeli fighter jets conducted airstrikes from over the Golan Heights targeting sites in southern Syria, causing material damage.

The local Suwayda 24 news site reported that a radar site belonging to the Syrian Army at Tal al-Sahn, not far from the Syrian-Jordanian border, was targeted and destroyed in the airstrikes. No injuries were reported in the strike.

Syrian air defenses were activated in the Damascus area as well during the strikes, although it is as of yet unclear what locations in the Damascus area were targeted.

The Tal al-Sahn site has been targeted repeatedly in the past by alleged Israeli airstrikes.

A few hours after the first wave of airstrikes, a second wave of airstrikes was reported in the Damascus area, with Syrian air defenses activated in response.

SANA reported that the second airstrikes were conducted from over Lebanon and targeted several sites near Damascus, causing material damage.

According to the Syrian Capital Voice news site, all the sites targeted were sites holding air defense systems.

Recent alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria

The airstrikes come just days after Razi Mousavi, a senior officer in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in the Damascus area. Mousavi served as one of the leaders of Iran's efforts in Syria and had been targeted by Israel in the past, according to Iranian media.

The airstrikes also come just a day after the Damascus International Airport returned to service after being put out of service by an alleged Israeli airstrike in late November.

Blasts were heard in the vicinity of Damascus amid reports of an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria on Thursday night, Syrian media reported.

Syrian air defenses were activated following Israeli "aggression," the Syrian News Agency added.

Sayyed Reza Mousavi, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in the vicinity of the Syrian capital on Monday.

This is a developing story.

Two people were reportedly wounded in a stabbing attack at the Mazmuria checkpoint near Jerusalem on Thursday night, as per initial reports.

One is in serious condition and the other is in moderate condition. The terrorist was "neutralized," according to Army Radio.

MDA paramedics arrived at the scene to give the victims medical treatment, Walla reported.

Roads blocked

Roads have been briefly blocked to Jerusalem following the attack.

This is a developing story.

Two wounded Palestinian children arrived in France on Thursday to get hospital treatment, said the French Foreign Ministry, which also reiterated that it remained extremely concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israel is holding ongoing talks for the release of hostages who remain in Gaza captivity, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told representatives of the Hostages and Missing Families forum in a Thursday meeting.

"We are holding talks right now," Netanyahu said. "I cannot elaborate on the status [of negotiations] - we are working to bring them all home. That is our goal," he told the families.

Hamas put out two denials this week about October 7 that raise eyebrows. Neither of the Hamas statements deny its crimes on October 7. Hamas is proud of the crimes such as massacring civilians and kidnapping children and elderly people.

Instead, Hamas is concerned about reports that Iran and Hezbollah knew about the attack. Iran backs Hamas, and in the wake of the attack, Iran’s foreign minister met Hamas leadership in Qatar. Hamas leaders live in Doha. Hamas officials also live in Lebanon and have traveled to Turkey since the October 7 attack.

 However, despite all the support Hamas has received, it apparently is concerned that eventually, evidence will emerge that other countries or groups had knowledge of October 7. It is not plausible that a huge operation like the attack on Israel could be planned entirely in Gaza without anyone knowing.

Iran has backed Hamas for years, and Iran has shown willingness to try to unify various fronts against Israel to coordinate with Hamas. This means that Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other groups coordinate with Hamas and Iran. It would seem unbelievable that only regarding October 7, there was no prior discussion about such an attack with Iran and Iran’s proxies.

Hamas claims that Hezbollah did not know about October 7

However, Hamas takes this issue seriously. The terrorist group slammed a French newspaper for an article about the “timing of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.” Hamas claimed that the “journalist has included in his article full of fabrications and lies a claim about Yahya Sinwar asking Saleh al-Arouri to inform Mr. Hassan Nasrallah about the operation half an hour before it happened," relating that to Osama Hamdan.

Hamas claimed the reports that Hezbollah learned about the attack just before it happened are false. Hamas even said the article shows foreign media is “biased” and not “professional.”

Israel's war cabinet, set to convene later on Thursday evening, will discuss a Qatari proposal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, N12 reported.

The reported Qatari initiative is different than former proposals shut down by either Israel or Hamas, the report noted.

Mossad chief David Barnea was set to take part in the cabinet meeting to disclose the details of the Qatari proposal to the ministers.

Egypt ceasefire proposal flounders

The war cabinet examined on Monday an Egyptian proposal for a new hostage deal while Islamic Jihad representatives visited Cairo.

Egypt confirmed on Thursday that it had put forward a framework proposal to end the bloodshed in Gaza, including a three-stage plan for a ceasefire, the head of its state media body said.

Egypt has yet to get responses on the proposal from the parties involved and will give details about the plan once those responses are received, said Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt's State Information Service.

Tovah Lazaroff and Reuters contributed to this report.

Some 501 IDF soldiers have been killed since the beginning of Operations Swords of Iron on October 7, Israeli media reported citing Israeli military numbers.

In addition to the over 500 soldiers, 57 officers and policemen of the Israel Police were also killed in the battles to contain and defend the settlements, along with about ten soldiers of Shin Bet.

The vast majority of soldiers that were killed were on October 7, which was over 300, according to the IDF website. The number slowly increased over the past 82 days of fighting.

The day of the massacre saw Hamas terrorists entering IDF bases in the south and massacring the soldiers.  Forces that jumped to defend the bases were also injured, led by Golani's 13th Battalion, which suffered dozens of casualties that day.

Many dozens of IDF soldiers from various units were killed during the attempts to rescue the civilians from the surrounding settlements and during the recapture of the settlements and neighborhoods briefly occupied by Hamas that day.