On the 96th day of the war, Israeli attacks on Gaza left more than 23,469 dead, most of them women, teenagers and children, the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said on Thursday, January 11. On the front line, Israeli aircraft stepped up early morning attacks on the area of Khan Younes, the capital in the territory's south, which witnesses said had become the epicenter of the fighting. The army claimed to have discovered a vast network of tunnels, including one through which “Israeli hostages” passed.
Relatives of hostages gathered in Nirim, southern Israel, on the border with the Gaza Strip, to announce the names of those held over loudspeakers, AFPTV reported.
In the Gaza Strip, the intensity of hostilities is exacerbating the ongoing health crisis for the 2.4 million residents, 85% of whom have been displaced and lack everything. From January 1 to 10, only 14% of the humanitarian aid that was supposed to be delivered was delivered, the United Nations agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian aid reported on Thursday, adding that three hospitals in the center and south of The proximity of the fighting threatened the closure.
The International Court of Justice is considering a lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the United Nations (UN), has begun considering a lawsuit in The Hague accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. The hearings will take place on Thursday and Friday.
South Africa submitted a petition to the agency in December arguing that Israel's war against Hamas militants in Gaza violates the 1948 Genocide Convention. In its 84-page filing, South Africa says that by killing Palestinians in Gaza, Israel is committing genocide, causing them severe mental and physical harm and creating conditions “capable of bringing about their physical destruction.” The 1948 treaty defines genocide as “acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.”
The hearings will focus exclusively on South Africa's application, which calls for emergency measures to order Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza while the court considers the case. The process could take years. Colombia and Brazil expressed support for South Africa late Wednesday. Israel described South Africa's lawyers as “representatives of Hamas in court,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement.
In response, Israel is “accused of genocide while fighting against genocide,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “A terrorist organization committed the worst crime against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and now someone is coming to defend them in the name of the Holocaust. What a nerve! “he added in a press release.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Israel-Hamas war: Former judge Aharon Barak leaves retirement to defend the Jewish state at the International Court of Justice
“The conflict must end so that the situation can move forward,” said Antony Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Cairo on Thursday morning to complete the final leg of his diplomatic marathon in the Middle East, dedicated to the conflict in the Gaza Strip. A rapprochement between Israel and the Arab countries, the majority of which do not recognize it, would be “the best way to isolate Iran and its proxies,” he estimated. “Security and integration [régionale] “Israel is linked to opening a path to a Palestinian state,” he added.
He also judged that a rapprochement between Israel and Arab countries, most of which do not recognize it, would be “the best way to isolate Iran and its proxies,” while Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah are part of the movements supported by Tehran Region. However, Mr. Blinken noted that he does not believe “the conflict is getting worse,” particularly despite the violence on the Israel-Lebanese border.
For his part, American mediator Amos Hochstein visited Beirut as part of American efforts to ease tensions along the Israel-Lebanese border. “We must find a diplomatic solution that allows the Lebanese to return to their homes in southern Lebanon (…) and the Israelis to return to their homes in the north,” he said after meetings with senior Lebanese officials.
Read the decoding: Article reserved for our subscribers Israel-Hamas war: Antony Blinken in the Middle East to stop the conflict from spreading
UN Security Council calls for “immediate” end to Houthi attacks
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council called for an “immediate” end to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The resolution drafted by the United States and Japan, which was adopted with 11 votes in favor and four abstentions (Russia, China, Algeria, Mozambique), “condemns in the strongest possible terms the at least two dozen attacks on commercial and commercial vessels since November.” 19.2023”, the date they seized the Galaxy Leader and took its 25 crew members hostage.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023 between Israel and Hamas, the Houthi rebels, who control a large part of Yemen, say they have carried out increased attacks in the Red Sea to slow down international maritime traffic there in solidarity with the Palestinians Gaza.
French naval forces “accompany” ships “under the French flag or of French interest” during their transit of the Red Sea, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, commander of the area, said on Thursday, assuring that “there is no subordination to the Americans.” Partner. On the other hand, we have intelligent geographical distribution of efforts and share our information. “Our buildings are interconnected in such a way that what they detect is visible in real time,” he said during a video conference at the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
During a press conference with journalists, he also clarified that France was working closely with the US-led Prosperity Guardian mission in the region through information sharing and patrols. However, the command of the French armed forces remained entirely under the control of Paris.