Israel must prevent further harm to civilians in the war it is waging against Hamas in Gaza, which has already claimed too many lives, over 23,000 so far.
On his fourth mission to Tel Aviv since October 7th US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has put renewed pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while reaffirming his full support for Israel to prevent a new terrorist attack by Palestinian militiamen in the future. Although for the USA the accusation of genocide made against the Jewish state in The Hague is “unfounded”.The death toll in Gaza, particularly among civilians and children, is “too high,” Joe Biden’s envoy warned. Who achieved this by attending a meeting of the Israeli War Cabinet? A UN delegation is visiting the north of the Gaza Strip to take stock of the situation on the ground, particularly the humanitarian one, and to carry out an “assessment” with a view to returning the displaced people to their homes.
For Blinken: “The war in Gaza could end tomorrow if Hamas makes the right decisions” However, he stressed that for “lasting peace” the establishment of a Palestinian state is necessary, as demanded by many countries in the region that the American diplomatic chief visited before his stay in Tel Aviv. “The position expressed by these countries,” he declared, “is fundamental to ending once and for all a cycle of violence through the realization of the political rights of Palestinians,” alluding to U.S. concerns about settler activity Israel's arrival coincided with Blinken's surprise eviction of a Jewish settlement near Bethlehem in the West Bank and the demolition of homes in some outposts near the Pney Kedem settlement, while the State Department denied that there was a plan to evacuate the population of Moving Gaza to Africa: “We are not busy examining the feasibility of this dossier,” the spokesman assured. However, radical right minister Itamar Ben Gvir – one of the supporters of the Palestinian withdrawal from Gaza and the return of the settlers – warned the foreign minister that “it is not the time to talk kindly to Hamas” but “… “Use a large stick.
Video demonstration in Tel Aviv for the United States to maintain its support
Gallant: “The operations in Khan Yunis are being intensified.” It is important to increase the pressure on Iran.
Operations in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, “will be intensified and continued until the Hamas leaders are reached and the hostages are recovered.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Blinken. “The changes in combat tactics in the northern part of the Gaza Strip,” Gallant added, “will allow Israel to achieve its war goals.”
“Increasing pressure on Iran is critical and could prevent regional escalation in broader areas,” Gallant told Blinken. Gallant also identified as a priority the return to the north of the country of displaced Israelis forced to flee by the actions of Lebanon's Hezbollah. “Israel,” he confirmed, “prefers to achieve this goal through diplomatic means, but is also preparing military alternatives.”
United Kingdom: Israel may have violated international law in the Gaza Strip
“Israel may have taken actions in Gaza that violate international law,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said as he answered questions from the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. The head of the Foreign Office said he was “concerned” about the conduct of the conflict against Hamas and specified that he had not received any explicit indication of any violations.
Israel: “The UN has no reason to exist.”
New harsh attack by Israel on the UN. Ambassador Gilad Erdan spoke in the General Assembly about the Israeli child Kfir, a Hamas hostage, who celebrated his first birthday in captivity. “And you prefer to discuss the ceasefire?” he shouted, promising that his country would continue to fight for its defense. “An organization that does not take a stand when a one-year-old child is taken hostage is an accomplice of terrorists and has no reason to exist,” he said, once again pointing the finger at the UN for “continuing to focus on this . “Ceasefire in Gaza and on help and not hostages.”
Israel responded to a query from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken: will allow a UN delegation to visit northern Gaza of Gaza so that he can see up close the state of infrastructure and assess needs in the region. According to the media, this was decided by the Israeli War Cabinet, in which Blinken himself was involved. The UN – the media recalled – had repeatedly expressed its concern about hunger in the Gaza Strip and the difficult access to food for many people in the Palestinian enclave.
Lebanon, a Hezbollah leader killed at Tawil's funeral
A senior Hezbollah commander responsible for dozens of drone strikes against northern Israelis in recent months, including today's attack on the IDF Northern Command headquarters in Safed, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, the Times of Israel reports.
Ali Hussein Barjithe commander of the Hezbollah Air Force in southern Lebanon, was shot dead in a car in the town of Khirbet Selm shortly before the funeral of senior Hezbollah commander Wissam al-Tawil, who was killed yesterday.
Video Lebanon, the funeral of Hezbollah leader Wissam Tawil
The Israeli army is expanding its operations in Khan Yunis. Hamas calls on Muslim countries to send weapons
The Israeli army is expanding its operations in Khan Yunis, a Hamas stronghold in southern Gaza. The military spokesman said that “around 40 terrorists were killed” in the attacks and that “important tunnel entrances and quantities of weapons” were discovered. In Maghazi, the troops identified – the spokesman continued – “activists of the Hamas brigade in the area who were killed.” The Israeli navy then attacked “military posts, supply depots and boats belonging to the Hamas naval forces.”
The Israeli army announced the deaths of four more soldiers killed in fighting in the central and southern Gaza Strip. They are Roi Tal (19 years old), the reservists David Schwartz (26 years old), Yakir Hexter (26 years old) and Gavriel Bloom (27 years old). The number of soldiers who have died in Gaza since the operation began now stands at 180.
Hamas has asked Muslim countries for support by sending weapons. This was stated by a leader of the organization. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Hezbollah claimed to have bombed the Israeli military base “Dado” near Safad, more than 20 km from the demarcation line with Lebanon, with several armed drones.
Video Gaza, the Al-Quds Brigades fire mortar shells at the Israeli army
In a surprise operation, hundreds of soldiers and agents isolated a Jewish settlement area near Bethlehem (West Bank) and then destroyed the houses in some outposts established near the Pney Kedem colony. The military's presence provoked the outrage of Representative Rothman, leader of the Religious Zionism Party. Defense Secretary Gallant emphasized that he personally ordered this operation, which coincided with the arrival of US Secretary of State Blinken in Israel. The Biden administration has repeatedly expressed concern about settler activity in the West Bank.
Baerbock: “Gaza and the West Bank belong to the Palestinians”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Egypt as part of her Middle East mission that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank “belong to the Palestinian people.” Germany and Egypt “agree” on this point, said Baerbock after a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo. Dpa writes it.
Relatives of the hostages want to block aid to Gaza
Relatives of the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip are on their way to the Kerem Shalom border crossing with the Gaza Strip, with the intention of blocking the site from which humanitarian aid for the population of the Palestinian enclave arrives daily. According to the media, the action is a protest against Hamas, which is preventing the Red Cross from visiting the hostages, understanding their condition and providing them with medical and humanitarian assistance. Shai Wenkert – father of Omer, a 22-year-old hostage – told Ynet that since October 7, his son “has not seen a doctor or received any medication, and it is not possible that hundreds of trucks are now entering the Gaza Strip drive in”.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA