KEY POINTS
- Both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in Gaza, says UN rights chief
- IDF reviewing reports of alleged Israeli attack on Palestinian crowd waiting for humanitarian aid
- Israeli army strikes Hezbollah assets after two northern Israeli communities targeted
It's the 146th day of the war in Gaza, and dozens have been reported dead following violence during a humanitarian aid operation in northern Gaza where a large crowd was waiting for the delivery.
New Zealand has joined several other countries in designating Hamas as a terror entity, but it also sanctioned some Israeli settlers it described as "extremist."
- Israeli fighter jets strike Hezbollah targets after rocket launches from Lebanon
- At least 1 Hezbollah militant dead in Israeli strike near Lebanon-Syria border: Report
- US' Austin, Israel's Gallant talk hostage deal, Gaza humanitarian situation: Pentagon
- US fears Israel may launch ground raid into Lebanon if Hezbollah issue isn't resolved: Report
- White House reviewing reports around northern Gaza aid trucks stampede: Report
- Houthi leader says rebel militia has 'surprises' in store at Red Sea: Arab media
- US asks Israel to clarify humanitarian aid convoy incident: Report
In the greater Middle East, tensions remain high as Yemeni rebel Houthis risk global supply chain disruption due to attacks on commercial shipping lanes in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden.
Israel reportedly carried out strikes in the vicinity of Syria's capital, Damascus. There were reports of a huge explosion in the Sayeda Zainab neighborhood, which is known as a heavily fortified area where a Shi'ite shrine is located. There are also reports of an airstrike targeting a vehicle in western Syria Thursday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday said it shot down a suspicious aerial target near Haifa in northern Israel. This comes amid continuing rocket salvos from Lebanese territory by Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Back in war-torn Gaza, Hamas' top official in the Strip, Yahya Sinwar, reportedly said the Palestinian militant group has now put Israelis "exactly where we want them." This as the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said the war death toll has now passed a grim milestone of 30,000.
Meanwhile, the loved ones of some 130 hostages still in captivity in Gaza are on their second day of a four-day march to call for the abductees immediate release. There is mounting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prioritize freeing hostages over eliminating Hamas.
The raging war in Gaza stems from a long and violent Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has drawn attacks toward Israel from Iranian-backed militias. Decades of bad blood reached a devastating high for Israel when Hamas operatives raided Israel on Oct. 7, murdering more than a thousand people and abducting some 250 hostages.
The live update has ended.
US asks clarification from Israel over northern Gaza aid delivery stampede
The U.S. has reportedly asked Israel for more information regarding the deadly humanitarian aid delivery operation in northern Gaza that allegedly resulted in over a hundred deaths. The Biden administration has reportedly not yet received an update from Israel other than the IDF's official statements on the matter.
A Biden administration official tells me the U.S. asked Israel for clarifications about the aid convoy incident in Gaza, but hasn't received anything for now other than what was in the official statements from the IDF https://t.co/kVh19Ida8F
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) February 29, 2024
This comes after a White House spokesman said reports surrounding the incident were "serious."
