Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 95?

Nine IDF soldiers were killed in three incidents in Gaza on Monday, with eight soldiers wounded.

Six of the killed soldiers and most of the wounded came from an incident with explosive material near the partially underground and partially above-ground Hamas rocket manufacturing factory uncovered by the IDF at al-Bureij in central Gaza.

Israeli fire on a Gaza utility pole caused the blast inside a terror tunnel that led to the death of six IDF fighters on Tuesday, as per new details published on Tuesday evening by Israeli media.

A truck was bringing explosive material to soldiers operating near the partially underground and partially above-ground Hamas rocket manufacturing factory uncovered by the IDF at al-Bureij in central Gaza.

Israeli forces were going to use it to explode and destroy aspects of the Hamas manufacturing facility.

The incident, in which six soldiers were killed and a number wounded, occurred after an Israeli tank fired at what it identified as a suspicious terrorist target during operations across the Strip.

The tank fired two shells, one hitting its target and the other landing on the utility pole, causing an explosion around thirty minutes before planned and killing the soldiers.

There was another incident in Khan Yunis in which two soldiers died and a third incident elsewhere in which another soldier died.

Palestinian statehood must be part of Israeli normalization efforts in the region, including with Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, after he had visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.

Normalization is not a “substitute for” and can not come at the “expense of a political horizon for the Palestinians and ultimately a Palestinian state,” Blinken said.

“On the contrary, that piece has to be a part of any integration efforts or any normalization efforts,” he explained, adding that this was made very clear to him “in my conversations on this trip including in Saudi Arabia.”

Blinken's continued visits to the Middle East

Blinken arrived for what is his fourth regional visit in the last three months – since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, at a critical time as Israel enters what it has termed a third phase of its military campaign to destroy Hamas, which will involve lower intensity action that is more targeted.

During the first leg of his two-day visit, Blinken met with families of the 136 hostages held in Gaza, and some of those captives who have been released.

“For them, every hour, every minute that they are separated from their loved ones is an eternity,” he said, as pledged that the US was continuing to work to free the captives.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization said on Tuesday that it received a report of an incident in the Red Sea approximately 50 nautical miles west of Yemen's Hodeidah.

Authorities were investigating, UKMTO added in an advisory note.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, celebrated the birthday of Kfir Bibas from the UN stage and placed a birthday cake on the podium to remind all ambassadors of their duty to fight for his return home, on Tuesday.

Kfir Bibas "celebrated" his first birthday in captivity in Gaza along with his parents and four-year-old brother.

Happy birthday wishes

"Kfir's kidnapping became a symbol of the most despicable cruelty known to humanity - the cruelty of Hamas," Erdan stated on the podium. "Kfir, I wish that next year you will celebrate your birthday with your loving family"; "Kfir, you are the reason Israel fights day and night, and you will not stop until we bring you home"

Ambassador Gilad Erdan places a cake with the face of Kfir Bibas on the podium at the United Nations (credit: ISRAELI DELEGATION TO THE UN)

Additionally, ambassador Erdan appealed to the relatability and humanity of the rest of the ambassadors in the assembly.

"Many of you are here, parents or grandparents. Every milestone in your children's lives is a celebration. Their first step, their first word, their first smile and laugh. Babies are a source of light and hope - a symbol of life."

Three senior members of Hezbollah were killed in an Israeli UAV attack on a vehicle in southern Lebanon, the IDF confirmed on Tuesday evening.

The families of the hostages in Gaza have called for a nationwide strike to commemorate 100 days of captivity of their relatives last Saturday.

Families of individuals abducted during the ongoing conflict are set to initiate a 100-minute nationwide economic shutdown on Sunday, January 14, marking the solemn occasion of 100 days since the commencement of the war.

The families, along with the headquarters of the hostages and supportive members of the public, aim to send a resounding message demanding the return of their loved ones.

A loud message from silence

At noon on Sunday, workplaces across the country will come to a halt, with employees and employers joining support rallies organized by the chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David. The Histadrut, Israel's largest labor organization, is urging all workers and employers to participate in this unprecedented initiative.

Bar-David emphasized the personal, national, and moral obligation to keep the struggle for the return of the kidnapped individuals at the forefront. He expressed hope that the initiative would become redundant with the swift release of all abductees. "Together we will win!" Bar-David declared, urging unity among workers, employers, and the entire nation.

Yaniv Levy, chairman of the Histadrut's advocacy and publicity department, echoed the sentiment, stressing the need to heal the deep wounds in Israeli society caused by the abductions. Levy highlighted the collective power of the Histadrut, rooted in solidarity and mutual support, to stand with those whose lives have been put on hold since October 7.

Approximately 47% of younger Jewish voters, aged between 18-35, feel that President Joe Biden is overly supportive of Israel, according to the latest November 2023 National Survey of Jewish Voters, conducted by the Jewish Electorate Institute with GBAO Strategies. This contrasts sharply with the generally favorable view of the older Jewish electorate towards the President's handling of the war between Israel and Hamas.

According to the survey, only 18% of American Jews between the ages of 36 to 65 thought that Biden was "overly supportive." The religious stream with the highest support for Israel is the Conservative movement, with 89% approval for Biden's support for Israel, as opposed to 81% of the Orthodox and 79% of Reform Jews.

The survey, designed to understand the perspectives of the US Jewish electorate, has unveiled a significant generational divide in political opinions among American Jews. While a broad majority of respondents across the political spectrum approved of President Biden's approach to the conflict, the younger demographic showed notable divergence.

Jordan's King Abdullah will hold a summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday to discuss the "serious developments" in the Gaza Strip, the Jordanian state news agency reported on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday the United States believes South Africa's genocide submission against Israel is "meritless," but the daily toll of war on civilians in Gaza is far too high.

Blinken made the comment at a press conference after talks in Tel Aviv with Israeli leaders.