Israel plans new offensive in Gaza in March. Bild enquiry: Netanyahu aide arrested

The Israeli army 'has drawn up plans to launch massive new military operations in Gaza in March', with a targeted offensive in Gaza City aimed at pushing the yellow ceasefire demarcation line towards the coast of the enclave, further expanding control over the territory. The Times of Israel writes this, citing an Israeli official and an Arab diplomat. According to the latter, however, the operation cannot start without the green light from the US, which is still trying to advance the fragile ceasefire reached in October to a second phase that includes the disarmament of Hamas.

Meanwhile, however, Israeli fire has killed at least three Palestinians in two separate incidents in Gaza. This was stated by the health authorities in the Strip, linked to Hamas, quoted by the Times of Israel. The medics say that one Palestinian was killed in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, in an area under Hamas control, while two others were killed in the town of Bani Suhaila east of Khan Younis, in an area on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line that demarcates the IDF withdrawal.

The IDF stated that today, for the second time, it carried out a series of attacks against Hezbollah infrastructure in different areas of Lebanon, following the evacuation warning for the residents of Kfar Hatta in the south of the country. The Times of Israel writes this. In the morning, the army said it had struck weapons depots used by Hezbollah at several sites in southern Lebanon, after detecting activity there in recent months.

Among the side effects of the operations launched against Hamas is the arrest of a high-ranking aide to Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu suspected of obstructing an investigation, with local media reporting that the arrest is related to the investigation into the leak of military information during the Gaza war. Police did not release the individual's name, but Israeli media reported that he would be Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu's current chief of staff, who has been designated as Israel's next ambassador to the UK. "This morning, a senior official in the prime minister's office was arrested for questioning... on charges of obstructing an investigation," police said. "The suspect... is currently being questioned."

Former Netanyahu aide Eli Feldstein recently claimed that Braverman tried to obstruct an investigation into a leak of sensitive military information to the foreign press during the war against Hamas in Gaza: in September 2024, Feldstein leaked a classified document from the Israeli army to the German tabloid Bild, for which he was subsequently arrested and indicted. Israeli media reported that police also searched Braverman's home today and that Feldstein was due to speak to police later in the day about Braverman's alleged involvement in the affair. Feldstein is also a suspect in the so-called 'Qatargate' scandal, in which he and other close associates of Netanyahu are suspected of having been recruited by Qatar to promote the image of the Gulf monarchy in Israel. According to the Israeli media, Braverman is not suspected of being directly involved in the Qatargate scandal. In response to Braverman's interrogation by police on Sunday, opposition leader Yair Lapid called for his appointment as ambassador to the UK to be suspended.