What happened in the last few hours?
These are the main news stories about Israel's military offensive in Gaza and the escalation in the Middle East this Friday, January 26, at 8:00 p.m.:
The UN court avoids calling for a ceasefire in Gaza but demands that Israel take action to prevent genocide. The United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza, but avoided taking the most forceful measure: calling for a ceasefire in Gaza . The judges did not order the Jewish state to end its military offensive in the enclave, which has already left more than 26,000 dead, but the demand that Israel allow “the provision of vital humanitarian assistance that the Palestinians urgently need” shows that the court, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, is “aware of the human tragedy that is unfolding in the region,” as its President Joan Donoghue stated.
Israel is relieved that The Hague does not call for a ceasefire in Gaza and promises to continue until “total victory”. In Israel, the heated rhetoric of some ministers does not hide their relief at the decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The biggest fear in the country was that he had ordered a ceasefire in Gaza this Friday. It would have caused serious damage to its image and put its allies in a delicate position, since it is up to the international community to enforce the judges' decisions, which are binding. For its part, the United States has reiterated that the measures are consistent with Washington's view that Israel has the right to take measures within international law to ensure that attacks like those of October 7 are repeated.
Hamas welcomes the UN court's ruling and demands that Israel be forced to comply. The Islamist group Hamas has welcomed measures taken by the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday that require Israel to prevent a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and allow more humanitarian access to the devastated enclave. “The International Court of Justice’s decision is an important development that helps isolate the occupation and expose its crimes in Gaza. We demand that the occupation be forced to implement the court's decisions,” Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said in a statement. Palestinian Authority (PNA) Foreign Minister Riyad al Maliki welcomed the resolution and recalled that the decisions of this body are “binding”. “Palestine welcomes the interim measures ordered today by the International Court of Justice. The TIJ judges evaluated the facts and the law. They have failed in favor of humanity and international law,” Maliki said in a video message released by his ministry.
Brussels expects Israel and Hamas to take the measures demanded by the UN court. The European Union has said it expects Israel and Hamas to fully comply with measures ordered by the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in The Hague. “The orders of the International Court of Justice are binding on the parties and they must comply with them. The European Union awaits its full, immediate and effective implementation,” the European Commission said in a statement.
Human Rights Watch calls on countries to use their influence on Israel to force it to respect the UN court's ruling. The ruling by the United Nations International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, calling on Israel to avoid genocide was hailed by Human Rights Watch as a “historic decision” that requires “immediate action to end the genocide and other actions “calls for atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza.” “Governments must use their influence to ensure the order is implemented [del tribunal]“since the severity of the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza caused by Israel’s war crimes demands nothing less,” the NGO said.
UN terminates contracts of several employees accused of involvement in Hamas attacks on October 7th. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Friday its decision to terminate the contracts of several of its employees who were allegedly involved in the October 7 attacks against Israel. The authority has launched an investigation to clarify the matter. The US government has announced the immediate suspension of its funding to UNRWA pending the investigation.
WHO rejects Israeli allegations of “collusion” with Hamas: “They are endangering our workers”. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has accused the Israeli government of filing “false complaints” against the organization that could even “endanger” its employees, a day after an Israeli official publicly discredited the organization for alleged “collusion.” with Hamas.
The UN says Israel is not bothering to respond to letters asking it to ease the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Israeli government has not responded to any of the communications from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and is also refusing to maintain contact with its representative in the occupied Palestinian territories and to issue visas to its international personnel. “International employees have been waiting for their visa for three years. I received one, although obviously short-term, and I hope they extend it,” revealed today the United Nations human rights envoy for Gaza and the West Bank, Ajith Sunghay, who paid a brief visit to Gaza last week.
The Red Crescent denounces Israeli tanks attacking the area around Khan Younis Hospital, where its rescue center is located. The Palestinian Red Crescent denounced this Friday that Israeli troops and tanks are surrounding and attacking the Al-Amal hospital in Khan Yunis (south of the Gaza Strip), where the organization has its outpatient center, for the fifth day in a row. According to the NGO, there is “heavy gunfire” in the area around the medical center. “There are several injured people and our teams are unable to reach them,” the Red Crescent added in a tweet posted on the social network. The Israelis called for continued bombing of areas they had previously, albeit unilaterally, deemed “safe” and for “chaotic” evacuation orders in areas of the southern Gaza Strip such as Khan Younis, the current epicenter of the military offensive on the Palestinian Enclave.