Israel at war day 494
- IDF notifies family of hostage Shlomo Mansour, that he was killed during the October 7, 2023, onslaught, the military says. Mansour was murdered in Kibbutz Kissufim and his body was taken by Hamas terrorists to the Gaza Strip, where it remains held.
Of the 76 remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip, the IDF has confirmed the deaths of 36.
- Twin Brothers Alive in Gaza, signs indicate that 27-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman from Kibbutz Kfar Aza are still alive in Gaza, though their situation remains perilous.
- A security cabinet meeting to discuss Israel’s response to Hamas’s postponement of the release of hostages has ended after four and a half hours.There is no immediate comment from the Prime Minister’s Office on any decisions that may have been made during the meeting.
- Report: PM Netanyahu met with Jared Kushner, said to be behind Trump’s Gaza plan, during US visit last week
- Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoa told Qatari Al Arabi: "We are ready to resume the prisoner exchange if Israel adheres to the demands of the first phase of the agreement. Threats and the use of force will not lead to their release."
- Houthis say they will resume attacks on Israel if Gaza ceasefire fails
- Report on Saudi Al-Arabiya: Egypt has prepared emergency plans to deal with American pressure regarding the displacement of Gazans. It was noted that Cairo has made a final decision on Gaza and refuses to back down from it. According to the report, Cairo has not received any notification of any halts to the American aid - but has decided to take precautions to deal with any possible interruption
- Family of hostage Omri Miran says it has received sign of life as of July 2024 from a hostage recently released from Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
- An Israeli request to extend the hezbollah ceasefire until February 28 but US plans to stick to Feb. 18 deadline, official says israel had prepared a plan for security arrangements to be imposed on both sides of the border after the withdrawal of IDF forces, which includes strategic border posts where IDF special forces troops will be deployed