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International Business Times
International Business Times
World
Marvie Basilan

Israel-Hamas Conflict: Hackers Paralyze Iranian Gas Stations; US Expected To Announce Red Sea Force

Hamas Israel Hezbollah Lebanon Syria Benjamin Netanyahu IDF

KEY POINTS

  • Israeli army chief tells ground troops it's 'not the IDF' to shoot Israeli or Gaza civilians
  • Austin is expected to announce a bigger maritime task force in the Red Sea amid Houthi aggression
  • Hacking group Gonjeshke Darande said it carried out a cyberattack in response to Iran's 'aggression' in the region
Live Updates
In photo: a smoke plume erupts during Israeli bombardment on the northern Gaza Strip near the border with southern Israel on Dec. 17, 2023. Fighting continues on Israel's northern and southern fronts against Hezbollah and Hamas. (Credit: AFP)

It's the 73rd day of the Israel-Hamas war, and a hacking group, referred to as "Israel-linked" by local media, claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that it said crippled Iran's gas stations Monday. The group said the attack was carried out in response to Iran and its proxies' aggression in the Middle East.

A top official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) broke his silence regarding the attacks, and the current conditions of Gazans caught in the fighting due to Hamas' violent methods, marking the first time a senior PLO official spoke publicly about Hamas tactics since the Oct. 7 carnage.

The Israeli army has warned that Iran-backed Hezbollah is dragging the Lebanese public into an "unnecessary war" as the Lebanon-based militant group continues to fire toward Israel near the northern border.

The Syrian army said Sunday that Israeli missiles hit some sites near Syria's capital Damascus, which is the latest in a series of launches from Israel that are believed to target Iranian assets. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has yet to officially confirm the report.

  • Hezbollah attacks displaced over 80,000 people in northern Israel: IDF spokesperson
  • 2 Syrian soldiers wounded in Israeli airstrike: SANA
  • US-backed maritime force expected to involve Arab states: British media
  • IDF loses another 5 soldiers in Gaza battles
  • Israeli airstrike kills son of PIJ spokesperson: Report
  • PLO official says Hamas should rethink its methods
  • IDF troops uncover largest Hamas tunnel yet
  • 'Possible explosion' around Bab el-Mandeb Strait: UKMTO
  • Majority of Iranian gas stations not working Monday: Oil minister
  • France says one of its consulate workers killed in Israeli airstrike
  • Specific details on Hamas tunnels 'lost at the way of intelligence': Ex-Shin Bet member
  • Israel 'ready to transition' to next phase of war: US defense official
  • US pressuring Saudi to delay signing peace deal with Houthis: Report
  • Mossad chief, head of CIA, Qatari PM to meet for possible new hostage outline: Report

IDF chief Lt. Gen Herzi Halevi on Sunday reminded Israeli forces fighting in the Gaza Strip that the army should be "right going forward," following the "mistaken" killing of three hostages by Israeli fire Saturday.

The Kerem Shalom crossing has been opened for the first time for the entry of humanitarian trucks. The said crossing was only opened last week for delivery inspections, not for the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.

The Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 people by Hamas militants who raided Israel draws from the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict history that has only been magnified in recent weeks as protesters from both sides stage demonstrations around the world.

Amid pressure from the international community for the war to end, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country will fight to the end "on behalf of the fallen" and to ensure the security of "the Land of Israel."

The live update has ended.

Rocket sirens sound in southern Israel

Rocket sirens sounded after lunch Monday local time in communities near Israel's southern border with Gaza, local media reported.

Israel, Qatar, US officials to meet for potential new hostage deal: Reports

Qatar's prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the chief of Israel's Mossad, David Barnea, and the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Bill Burns, will meet in a European capital to discuss a potential new hostage deal, local N12 News reported Monday, as per a Google translation

In particular, the three will talk about the outline of a new hostage deal to get to a "breakthrough" for the release of more than a hundred hostages still being held in Gaza after Qatari mediators held talks with Hamas in recent days, as per the report.

The three-way talks will take place in Warsaw, Axios reported, citing two American and Israeli officials. Israeli officials are expecting that coming to an agreement over a new deal will be more challenging this time, the report noted.

Protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv after news spread of the death of three hostages. (Credit: AFP)

Saudi Arabia expected to sign peace agreement with Houthis: Report

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to sign a peace deal with Yemen's rebel Houthis, Israel's national broadcaster Kan reported, citing Lebanese newspaper Al-Alkhbar.

Amid ongoing U.S. efforts to get Arab states to join an expanded maritime force in the Red Sea, Washington is reportedly pressuring the kingdom to push back signing the agreement and join the Red Sea alliance.

In photo: map of the Red Sea and surrounding countries with locations of capitals. (Credit: AFP)

Austin to discuss Israel's plans to transition to a more focused battle strategy: Official

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to discuss with Netanyahu and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant about Israel's plans on how it will transition to a war strategy is more focused, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Monday.

"We have an interest in supporting the Israelis in planning for what a transition looks like when they make the decision that major ground operations should end and they're ready to transition," said the official, who is traveling with Austin for the secretary's Middle East trip.

Hacking group claims cyberattack on Iranian gas stations

Hacking group Gonjeshke Darande or "predatory sparrow," said Monday in a statement on X that it carried out a cyberattack that took out "a majority of the gas pumps throughout Iran."

The group added that the cyberattack was made "in response to the aggression of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in the region."

"[Ali] Khamenei, playing with fire has a price," the group said in a direct address to Iran's Supreme Leader, adding that it "warned" Iran a month ago that it will "impose cost for your provocations." The Times of Israel referred to the hackers as "Israel-linked."

Gonjeshke Darande followed up in another statement that it warned Iranian emergency services before carrying out the cyberattack operation to make sure some gas stations will still function "despite our access and capability to completely disrupt their operation."

IAF intercepts over 100 aerial targets since Oct. 7

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has "thwarted" more than a hundred "aerial threats" since the war started, the IDF said Monday. Among the targets intercepted were long-range missiles and drones.

IDF troops find suitcases packed with $1.3 million in Hamas member's house

Israeli troops found suitcases carrying funds worth "approximately NIS 5,000,000 (around $1.3 million) and many weapons" in the house of an unnamed "senior" Hamas member in the Jabalia area, the IDF said Monday.

Intel on specifics of Hamas tunnels 'lost': Former Shin Bet member

Col. (Ret.) Amit Assa said in an interview Monday that the "information" regarding specific details of Hamas tunnels when the Israeli security agency Shin Bet first received it was "lost at the way of intelligence."

"It's one of the problems of intelligence in the 7th of October," Assa, an ex-Shin Bet member, told local i24 News.

His remarks came after questions emerged about Israel's actual pre-war intelligence about the scope of Israel's knowledge about Hamas' preparations and how it missed the terror group's activities, considering the large-scale movements involved in constructing massive underground infrastructure.

France says one of its worker killed in Israeli air strike

The French foreign ministry said it has "learned of the death of one of its agents, who died as a result of his injuries during an Israeli bombing in Rafah" in southern Gaza, as per a Google-translated statement Sunday.

The said employee has been working for France for more than two decades. "We demand that all light be shed by the Israeli authorities on the circumstances of this bombing, as quickly as possible," the ministry said.

Around 70% of Iranian petrol stations' services disrupted

Only "at least 30% of gas stations are working" in Iran Monday, multiple outlets reported, citing Iranian oil minister Javad Owji's statement on state TV.

Reza Navar, spokesperson for the country's gas stations association, told Fars news agency that a "software problem" with Iran's fuel system was confirmed in some stations. The semi-official news outlet reported that authorities were not ruling out the possibility of a cyberattack.

The news comes about two years after a major cyberattack in Iran disrupted gas station operations across the country. At the time, the Iranian government blamed Israel and the United States for the cyberattack.

'Possible explosion' in Red Sea: UKMTO

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Monday morning local time that it received an incident report around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait of a "possible explosion" near Yemen's Mokha port. The incident is under investigation.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have carried out multiple attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea in recent weeks since the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas in Israel.

IDF says it unearthed largest Hamas tunnel yet

The Israeli said Sunday that it has located the biggest tunnel in Gaza that Hamas constructed. The said tunnel was uncovered around 400 meters from the Erez border crossing, the IDF said.

Israeli forces have located hundreds of tunnels across the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the IDF said, but this tunnel, stretching more than four kilometers (2.5 miles), is the largest yet that its troops found.

Read the full story here.

The Israeli army published photos of the largest Hamas tunnel that troops found since Oct. 7. (Credit: AFP)

Hamas should 'reconsider' its policies after war: Top PLO official

Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) executive committee, told Reuters in an interview published Sunday that the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel should make Hamas "reconsider all its policies and all its methods."

"It is not acceptable for some to believe that their method and approach in managing the conflict with Israel was the ideal and the best," he said.

He admitted that Oslo peace accords' political path offering was not working at this point and will not deliver the Palestinian people's dream of establishing its own state.

Sheikh also recognized that the Palestinian Authority, under President Mahmoud Abbas, is not a popular choice among Gazans as it is seen as a corrupt and undemocratic leadership, and needs to reassess its role in the enclave.

"After all this (killing) and after everything that's happening, isn't it worth making a serious, honest and responsible assessment to protect our people and our Palestinian cause? Isn't it worth discussing how to manage this conflict with the Israeli occupation?" Sheikh pointed out.

The interview marked the first time a senior leader of the PLO -- which, unlike Hamas, has recognized Israel's right to exist -- talked about the conflict since the war started.

A Hamas official told the outlet that Sheikh was on Israel's side and "him attacking the Palestinian resistance isn't surprising." Sheikh pointed out that it was his job to coordinate with the Israeli government so the suffering of Palestinians can be lessened.

Son of PIJ spokesman killed in Israeli airstrike: Report

An Israeli airstrike into Gaza Sunday killed the son of Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman Dawoud Shehab, Reuters reported, citing a PIJ official. The PIJ is a Hamas ally.

IAF attacks Hezbollah assets

Israeli air force troops attacked a Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanese territory late Sunday, the IAF wrote on X.

The two sides have been exchanging fire near Israel's northern border with Lebanon since the war started.

5 Israeli soldiers fall in Gaza

The Israeli army lost five more soldiers in fierce battles in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced on its tribute page for fallen soldiers Sunday.

  • Master Sgt. Eitan Neah, 26 โ€“ fighter in the Dovdvan unit of the Commando Brigade
  • Sgt. Boris Donavetsky, 21 โ€“ armored fighter in the 46th Battalion of the 401st Brigade
  • Sgt. Uriah Bayer, 20 โ€“ fighter in the Magellan unit of the Commando Brigade
  • Sgt. Tal Filiva, 23 โ€“ fighter in the Yahlam unit of the Combat Engineering Corps
  • Cpl. Liav Elosh, 21 โ€“ fighter in the Dovdvan unit of the Commando Brigade

Sgt. Bayer died Sunday of wounds sustained during a battle in the southern Gaza Strip late last week.

US' Austin to announce 'Operation Prosperity Guardian': British media

Austin, who is traveling in the Middle East and is due to arrive in Israel Monday, is expected to announce "Operation Prosperity Guardian," an expanded maritime protection force in the Red Sea to deter the continuing attacks against commercial vessels by Yemen's Houthis, British media reported.

The coalition, which is being mounted in Bahrain, is expected to involve other Arab states. Officials believe Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be onboard, The Guardian reported. Washington has also reportedly been seeking to get China to join the force.

The news comes following multiple attacks by the Houthi rebel group against commercial ships in the Red Sea in recent weeks. They also hijacked an Israeli-linked ship and have been holding its crew hostage since.

Disagreements between Israel and Hamas over new truce deal: Egyptian sources

There are still disagreements between Israel and Hamas over the implementation of a potential new ceasefire agreement that could see more hostages released, Reuters reported Sunday, citing two Egyptian sources.

Hamas is reportedly demanding that Israeli troops withdraw behind pre-determined lines and it also wants to unilaterally set the list of hostages to be freed. The sources said Israel has been refusing to withdraw.

Another point of friction is Hamas' demand for a complete ceasefire as a "pre-requisite" to release hostages.

"We are open to any efforts aimed at ending the Israeli aggression. This is the ground for any discussion," Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said when asked for a comment on the two sides' willingness to negotiate as per Egyptians, according to Reuters.

IDF tells soldiers it's 'not the IDF' to shoot at civilians โ€” Israelis or Gazans

Halevi spoke with Israeli ground troops in the Gaza Strip late on Sunday, following the demise of three hostages who were killed by Israeli fire Saturday.

"I'm sure they are the best, because everyone wants to do well, and I'm sure they were confident they were doing the right thing," the IDF chief of staff said of the soldiers who shot the hostages.

The IDF previously announced Saturday that the IDF "mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat and as a result, fired toward them and the hostages were killed." The incident occurred during combat against Hamas in Shuja'iyya โ€“ the same area where the Israeli army lost nine soldiers in a single operation last week, including the IDF's highest-ranking officer to have been killed since the Oct. 7 massacre.

"I'm speaking to you not to say if they were right or wrong, but so that we will be right going forward," Halevi said. He added that if soldiers encounter people who remove their shirts, with hands up and are approaching the Israeli army without weapons in hand, the soldiers should "take two seconds" to think of how they should act.

Furthermore, he said that if Gazans approach with a white flag, "coming out to surrender why would we shoot at them?" Shooting at civilians is "absolutely" unacceptable, he reiterated. "That's not the IDF."

Netanyahu reiterates Israel will 'fight to the end' amid international pressure

The Israeli government is faced with international pressure to agree to a ceasefire, but Netanyahu once again reiterated that the Israeli army will not stop fighting at this point.

In a speech before the government meeting at the Kirya in Tel Aviv Sunday, the Israeli prime minister read out a letter that he said was from the family of a fallen Israeli soldier.

"You have a mandate to fight; you do not have a mandate to stop in the middle. This is the testament of the fallen and it is our obligation to the living," the letter stated as per Netanyahu.

"I would like to respond to the dear families: the testament of the fallen is what guides us. We will fight to the end," he said.

Kerem Shalom opens for humanitarian truck entry into Gaza

The Kerem Shalom crossing was opened Sunday to allow humanitarian trucks to enter the Gaza Strip for the first time since the crossing's opening, marking a shift in the Israeli government's handling of humanitarian aid entering the enclave since the war started.

A total of 79 trucks were inspected and allowed entry into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday, the Israeli government said. The said crossing was opened last week, but only for delivery checks.

In the Nitzana crossing, 122 other humanitarian trucks were allowed entry into the enclave Sunday.

Syria says Israeli airstrike injures 2 soldiers

Israeli strikes targeting sites "near the capital Damascus" have wounded two Syrian soldiers, the Syrian defense ministry said, as per state agency SANA.

While the IDF has yet to officially confirm the report, Israel has been carrying out airstrikes towards Syria in recent weeks due to launches from Syrian territory that targeted Israel.

Last week, rockets were fired from Syrian territory toward the Golan Heights, to which the Israeli army responded at the source with artillery shelling, as per local media.

Israeli army warns Hezbollah attacks will have 'devastating consequences' on Lebanese public

More than 80,000 Israelis living near Israel's northern border with Lebanon have been displaced due to continuing attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said early Monday local time.

Israel has been responding to the continued firing of drones, rockets and missiles by the Lebanon-based terror group, he said.

"Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran, is dragging Lebanon into an unnecessary war that would have devastating consequences for the people of Lebanon. This is a war that they do not deserve," he noted.

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