KEY POINTS
- Medicine delivery for hostages in Gaza to begin Wednesday under France, Qatar-brokered deal
- Saudi may recognize Israel after Palestine issue resolved, says foreign minister
- Pakistan says Iran breached its airspace, killing 2 children
The Israel-Hamas war has entered its 103rd day, with Israel announcing that two hostages in a recent video published by Hamas were "murdered" in captivity by the Iran-backed militant group.
The European Union sanctioned Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' most senior leader in the Gaza Strip, adding him to its terror list. European citizens can no longer conduct financial transactions with him.
- Hamas' southern Gaza counter-spying chief assassinated: IDF
- Joint IDF, Shin Bet forces eliminate head of terror cell in West Bank city
- Medicine deal includes 1,000-1 package ratio for Palestinians, hostages: Hamas
- Kurdistan Region PM cancels scheduled meeting with Iranian FM: Arab media
Yemeni Houthis, who have carried out multiple attacks against commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since November, attacked a Greek-owned merchant vessel that was en route to Israel.
Amid increasing disruption of shipping activities in the area, the Biden administration is reportedly expected to re-classify the Houthi rebel militia as a global terrorist entity.
Back in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it raided the headquarters of a Hamas battalion in the southern part of the enclave, as well as a regional base of Hamas ally the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
On Israel's northern front near Lebanon, the IDF struck Hezbollah assets across three villages in southern Lebanon after launches from Lebanese territory were detected toward four Israeli communities.
The ongoing war in Gaza originates from decades of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that ultimately reached its peak on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants stormed into Israel, murdering more than 1,200 people and abducting over 200 others.
Heavy fighting reported in Khan Yunis
Heavy fire exchanges are underway between Israeli troops and Hamas in southern Gaza's main city, local media reported Wednesday, citing Palestinian media affiliated with the terror group.
The fighting is particularly intense in Batan as-Samin, located west of Khan Yunis, which is a Hamas stronghold and is the known hometown of Sinwar.
An evacuation helicopter was seen Wednesday morning flying low over the area, signaling that wounded Israeli soldiers were being transported.
Evac chopper flying low, a sign that it's transporting wounded IDF soldiers from the area of Khan Yunes. Palestinian media affiliated to Hamas are reporting heavy fighting between IDF ground forces and Hamas cells in the the Batan as-Samin area west of Khan Yunis in the southern… pic.twitter.com/krcGg1HZoc
— Pierre Klochendler (@P_Klochendler) January 17, 2024
