The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is calling on Israel to open an investigation into “a possible war crime” committed by its forces in the Gaza Strip. This UN agency says it has received “disturbing information” about the deaths of “eleven unarmed Palestinian men” in Gaza City. They died on Tuesday evening during an Israeli army operation in a residential building where several families were seeking refuge. Follow our live stream.
Diplomatic efforts to negotiate a new ceasefire. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh visited Cairo on Wednesday to discuss a new “temporary week-long ceasefire in exchange for the release of 40 Israeli prisoners, women, children and men,” a source close to the Palestinian movement told AFP. On the other hand, Israel is conducting a dialogue with Qatar and the United States to reach a ceasefire that would allow the release of hostages. However, the positions of both camps are still far apart.
UN Security Council vote postponed. Tough negotiations must continue on Thursday in the UN Security Council, which has been postponing a vote on a resolution to speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza since the beginning of the week. The text was debated for several days to avoid another veto by the United States, Israel's historic ally.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening. According to Ocha, half of the population there suffers from extreme or severe hunger and 90% of residents are regularly deprived of food for an entire day. The war has caused immense destruction in the area, with most hospitals out of service and 1.9 million people, or 85% of the population, having fled their homes, according to the UN.
Israel orders evacuations in Khan Younes. The Israeli army posted a message on social media on Wednesday ordering the “immediate evacuation” of part of the largest city in southern Gaza. According to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), this decision affects an area that represents “approximately 20%” of the city. According to the organization, the area to be evacuated includes around 141,000 Palestinians, refugees in 32 camps fleeing the fighting.