Israel-Hamas war day 186: Three of Haniyeh's sons killed

Germany's Lufthansa on Wednesday said after careful evaluation it decided to suspend flights to and from Tehran until probably Thursday, April 11, "due to the current situation in the Middle East."

"We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with the authorities. The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa’s top priority," a spokesperson for the company told Reuters.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that Israel "must be punished and it shall be" for attacking the Iranian embassy compound in Syria. In a major escalation of Israel's war with regional adversaries, suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran's consulate in the Syrian capital on April 1 in a strike that Iran said killed seven military advisers.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday announced what he called “new major breakthroughs” that would jump the humanitarian aid going into Gaza from around 200 trucks per day last week to well over 500 trucks per day.

The increase in aid would come as part of five new initiatives, Gallant said.

The new initiatives include:

1. Implementing last Thursday’s government decision to open up Ashdod Port to increase the entry of goods and streamline security checks.
2. Implementing last Thursday’s government decision to open up a new northern crossing (reportedly Erez), which would provide a route to bring aid directly to northern Gaza and reduce pressure on the Kerem Shalom crossing.
3. Boosting aid through Jordan with two routes, including cooperation with the Jordanian Air Force, for a total of 150 trucks). This will set the foundation for future hubs.
4. Establishing the coordination and deconfliction mechanism, which is part of a wider effort to increase cooperation with international organizations, implement lessons learned, such as the World Central Kitchen incident, and work with new partners.
5. Other major projects, including working with the US on the JLOTS artificial island for absorbing and distributing maritime aid, COGAT working on infrastructure projects, such as water lines, and other meetings with new aid organizations.

When both Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday threatened retaliatory attacks if Iran does indeed decide to launch a strike against the Jewish State, it felt like a game of political chutes and ladders – and here we are again, at the start.

This followed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement a few days ago: “We will know how to defend ourselves, and we will act according to the simple principle: that those who harm us or plan to harm us, we will harm.”

The warnings came after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel “must be punished and it shall be,” for allegedly killing two high-ranking Iranian military officials in an attack on Iran's consular complex in Damascus..

Iran and Israel have danced this dance before.

Ayatollahs and presidents have threatened to wipe the Zionists off the face of the Earth almost since the day Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became leader of the Islamic Republic.

Who could forget Bibi at the UN with his Looney Toon image of a bomb and how close Iran was to finally achieving nuclear weapons?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not briefed on the strike that killed Haniyeh's three sons on Wednesday and did not approve the operation, Walla reported, citing an Israeli official. 

According to the official, the operation was deemed by the IDF and Shin Bet as a tactical move and was carried out because of Haniyeh's sons' role in Hamas's military wing. 

An additional report by Kan News on Wednesday stated that the war cabinet had not discussed the strike. 

Israel has agreed in hostage negotiations in Egypt to concessions about the return of Palestinians to the north of Gaza, but believes Hamas does not want to strike a deal, Israeli officials said on Wednesday.

Two officials with knowledge of the talks said that under a US proposal for a truce, Israel would allow the return of 150,000 Palestinians to north Gaza with no security checks.

In return, they said, Hamas would be required to give a list of female, elderly and sick hostages it still holds alive.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment. Hamas said on Tuesday that the latest proposal passed on by Eqyptian and Qatari mediators did not meet demands, but that it would study it further before responding.

Israel has accused the United Nations of undercounting aid entering Gaza, saying on Wednesday the UN was using a flawed approach meant to conceal its own distribution difficulties amid growing pressure on Israel to let in more relief supplies.

While Israel says the number of trucks entering Gaza has risen sharply in recent days, the UN has given much lower figures, and says it is still far less than the amount required to meet humanitarian needs.

Six months into Israel's ground and air operation following the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas, most of Gaza's 2.3 million people are homeless, parts of the enclave face famine, civilian infrastructure has been devastated and disease is widespread.

National Unity chairman Benny Gantz said during a press conference in Sderot on Wednesday that Hamas was militarily defeated following the IDF's operation in Gaza.  

"From a military point of view - Hamas is defeated. Its fighters are eliminated or in hiding. Its abilities are cut off, and we will continue to strike what remains.

House Republicans will bring a resolution that reiterates US support for Israel to the floor Wednesday afternoon as they rail against what they call President Joe Biden's one-sided pressure on Israel for a ceasefire. 

During their weekly press conference Wednesday morning, House Republican leadership slammed Biden and Democrats while professing support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The Republican conference believes any effort from the Biden administration to pressure Israel into an immediate ceasefire without conditions weakens Israel's hand, Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference Rep. Blake Moore (UT) said. 

Moore said the most frustrating part of the Biden administration's handling of this situation is that while Israel works through back-channel negotiations and to set up a temporary ceasefire, Hamas continues to walk back these good faith efforts.

U.S. President Joe Biden pauses during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/POOL/REUTERS)

'Biden has turned into an anti-Israel president'

"House Republicans refuse to stand for this, and we will remain committed to our ally Israel and their fight against the evils of terrorism," Moore said. 

Biden has transformed into an anti-Israel president more concerned with placating antisemitism in his base than standing with our "historic and vitally important ally," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not briefed on the strike that killed Haniyeh's three sons on Wednesday and did not approve the operation, Walla reported, citing an Israeli official. 

According to the official, the operation was deemed by the IDF and Shin Bet as a tactical move and was carried out because of Haniyeh's sons' role in Hamas's military wing. 

An additional report by Kan News on Wednesday stated that the war cabinet had not discussed the strike. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in a call with his US counterpart Antony Blinken on Wednesday, a Turkish diplomatic source said.