Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 176?

US officials have voiced concerns that intelligence shared with Israel is contributing to the death toll of innocent civilians, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that quoted officials close to the matter.

The main concern that was voiced in the report was the lack of oversight into what Israel chooses to do with the intelligence that the US provides it.

One representative interviewed in the report, Jason Crow (D., Colorado) is concerned that Israel is using intelligence to conduct strikes on innocent civilians.

"What I'm concerned about is making sure our intelligence sharing is consistent with our values and national security interests," said Crow.

Crow also stated that he met with senior Israeli and US intelligence officials and that the two sides had "pretty big inconsistencies" in terms of the Gazan civilian death toll.

The driving factor for these concerns is the lack of clear oversight mechanisms. This means that the only oversight that officials have over how Israel uses intelligence is assurances given by Israel before any action is taken. Additionally, it becomes more difficult to distinguish which intelligence was provided by the US once it has been mixed with intel gathered by the IDF.

US officials have voiced concerns that intelligence shared with Israel is contributing to the death toll of innocent civilians, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that quoted officials close to the matter.

The main concern that was voiced in the report was the lack of oversight into what Israel chooses to do with the intelligence that the US provides it.

One representative interviewed in the report, Jason Crow (D., Colorado) is concerned that Israel is using intelligence to conduct strikes on innocent civilians.

"What I'm concerned about is making sure our intelligence sharing is consistent with our values and national security interests," said Crow.

Crow also stated that he met with senior Israeli and US intelligence officials and that the two sides had "pretty big inconsistencies" in terms of the Gazan civilian death toll.

The driving factor for these concerns is the lack of clear oversight mechanisms. This means that the only oversight that officials have over how Israel uses intelligence is assurances given by Israel before any action is taken. Additionally, it becomes more difficult to distinguish which intelligence was provided by the US once it has been mixed with intel gathered by the IDF.

The IDF killed senior Hezbollah official Ismail al-Zin in a drone strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon, the IDF confirmed on Sunday evening.

The IDF said Zin was a Radwan Forces commander operating the special forces' anti-tank missile unit.

Al-Hadath also said it was responsible for Hezbollah's communications and computer operations.

He was struck in an attack in the southern Lebanese municipality of Kunin.

Lebanon reports of an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle that killed two pic.twitter.com/x9Ky8pAXb7

— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) March 31, 2024

"Al-Zin was a significant source of knowledge regarding anti-tank missiles and was responsible for dozens of anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli civilians, communities, and security forces," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said.

Israel’s Coordinated Office of Government Activity in the Territories (COGAT) accused the United Nations of failing to distribute humanitarian aid to Gazans in a post to X on Saturday showing a build-up of aid on the Gazan side of the territory’s border with Israel.

“Again,” the post reads, “the content of 400 trucks worth [of aid] is waiting to be picked up and distributed from the Gazan side of [the Keren Shalom crossing] post-Israeli inspection.

Again, the content of 400 trucks worth is waiting to be picked up and distributed from the Gazan side of KS post Israeli inspection. @UNRWA and @UN aid agencies lack the logistic capacity for performing their jobs. They must enhance its logistic capacity and admit its failures. pic.twitter.com/1vbVO4Z807

— COGAT (@cogatonline) March 30, 2024

The post goes on to say that “@UNRWA”—the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, responsible for providing social services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and elsewhere—“and @UN agencies lack the logistic capacity for performing their jobs. “They must enhance their logistic capacity and admit their failures. 

UNRWA, the agency criticized in the post, has been criticized by Israel and allies for years but has come under particular scrutiny since intelligence emerged earlier this year connecting employees of the agency to the October 7 attacks on Israel that initiated the ongoing war with Hamas. 

Israel has called for UNRWA to be defunded, and the United States and several other nations have frozen their donations to the agency in light of the reports.

US Congressman Tim Walberg (R) received condemnation for calling for Gaza to be treated like "Hiroshima and Nagasaki" in a video posted to X on Saturday.

In the video, Walberg is heard discussing his position on humanitarian aid and Gaza, saying that US aid to Israel should not be diverted to help Gaza.

Our #Michigan chapter @CAIRMI today condemned a call by @RepWalberg (R-MI) to end humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people in #Gaza facing Israeli-imposed starvation, ethnic cleansing and #genocide, and instead drop nuclear weapons on the population.https://t.co/H4vJTdcrUW

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) March 30, 2024

In response to a question on the new humanitarian port being built off Gaza, he says that the US "shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid" and that he prefers money to be spent on providing aid to Israel to help defeat Hamas.

Walberg then clarifies that "It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick."

He also linked Iran and Russia to Hamas's war effort and added, "Probably North Korea and China's in there too."

Hamas is "disintegrating from within," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told IDF soldiers during a Sunday visit to the 98th Paratroopers Division's military base in central Israel.

"Over the past few weeks, hundreds of terrorists have been arrested, and what they tell us helps paint the full picture," the defense minister said. 

"They're saying Hamas is disintegrating from within, the price they pay is very steep.

"The terrorists themselves are saying they can no longer take this toll," Gallant told the troops following a security assessment with the division's commanding officer, Dan Goldfus.

Israel will continue to target 'anyone who took part in October 7'

Gallant further told troops that the IDF would continue to seek out and kill anyone involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel. "The junior and senior officials, everyone who was either on the ground or giving orders from afar," he said.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visits IDF soldiers on March 31, 2024 (credit: ARIEL HERMONY/DEFENSE MINISTRY)

The pro-Iranian Al-Mayadeen media has begun to take an interest in the protests against Israel that have taken place in Jordan. This indicates that the pro-Iran axis in the region is beginning to think about how to take advantage of the protests. Iran has sought in the past to inch closer to Jordan via its proxies in Iraq and Syria. The Kingdom of Jordan is stable but Iran would like to have more influence in Jordan and also use access there to get to the West Bank. 

Al-Mayadeen reported on Sunday that “for the seventh day in a row, the vicinity of the Israeli occupation embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, is witnessing a gathering of thousands of demonstrators, in continuation of the daily demonstrations carried out by the Jordanian people to demand an end to the war on the Gaza Strip and the severing of relations with the Israeli occupation.” 

This indicates that pro-Iranian groups want to take advantage of the protests. Iran backs Hamas and views the Hamas attack on October 7 as accelerating its influence peddling in the region. Iran has said recently it wants to use the aftermath of October 7 to create a new world order. Leveraging October 7 to gain a foothold in Jordan may be part of the plan.

IDF soldiers supported by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) attacked a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operational headquarters located in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, according to an IDF statement on Sunday.

Israeli Air Force drones attacked the operational headquarters operating out of the hospital's courtyard earlier on Sunday.

The attack was precise and left the hospital undamaged and operational, "Regular functioning was not affected," the IDF said.

Rockets launched from Lebanese territory lightly wounded an IDF soldier in the Margaliot and Malkiya areas on Sunday, Israeli media reported.

In response, the IDF attacked the sources of the rocket fire, including Hezbollah infrastructure in al-Khiam and Rab El Thalathine in southern Lebanon. Additionally, the IDF attacked the Hula area with artillery to remove a threat.  

Pope Francis made renewed calls on Easter Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages in a peace-focused address marking the most important day on the Christian calendar.

Francis presided over Mass in a packed St Peter's Square, and then delivered his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing and message from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

Francis, 87, has been in poor health in recent weeks, forcing him on repeated occasions to limit his public speaking and cancel engagements as he did on Good Friday, skipping at short notice a procession at Rome's Colosseum.

However, he took part normally in other Holy Week events leading up to Easter, and appeared in relatively good spirits at Sunday's Mass. Easter celebrates the day in which the faithful believe Jesus rose from the dead.