• It is the 96th day of the war: According to Hamas, over 23,210 Palestinians have been killed, including around 8,000 children. In Israel, 1,200 people died in the attack on October 7th.
• Israel accuses: UN employees took part in the massacres of October 7th
• Raid on an ambulance in Gaza
• Houthi attack in the Red Sea
• Qatar presents new resolution to release hostages, Hamas rejects: “Disarm the resistance? Naif»
7:37 a.m. – FIRST HOUR | Flashing from Abu Mazen
(by Alessandro Trocino) US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met Abu Mazen, president of the authority that governs the West Bank, in Ramallah in the legendary Mukata. An unfriendly encounter, says Francesco Battistini. Abu Mazen called for the release of tax money frozen by Israel for the Palestinian Authority. Hundreds of people demonstrated against Blinken and the “American bombs.” The American envoy called on the Palestinian Authority to “reform” and asserted that he was in favor of a Palestinian state, including Gaza. Blinken will arrive in Cairo today.
Yesterday a new mediation proposal arrived from Qatar: the Israeli military must gradually withdraw in return for the gradual release of all hostages and the exile of Hamas leaders in Qatar. Benny Gantz, the centrist government leader, has already said: “Hamas no longer controls the Gaza Strip, but if we stop now, it will return.”
The genocide trial against Israel begins today at the UN Court in The Hague. The government accuses: “We have evidence that employees of the refugee agency UNRWA were involved in the massacre on October 7th.”
Another massacre in Gaza with 147 dead in 24 hours, adding to the 23,000 dead in recent weeks. The “targeted attacks” claimed by Israel appear to be poorly targeted and affect large numbers of civilians.
Trump said: “If Europe is in danger, we will not help you.”
Even the communist Enrico Berlinguer said he felt calmer under the Atlantic umbrella. Now he would probably feel a lot more anxious. According to EU Commissioner Thierry Breton's revelations, in 2020, when Donald Trump was president, he turned to Ursula von der Leyen: “You must understand that if Europe is attacked, we will never come to your aid.” And absolutely “If NATO is dead, we will all leave it.”
7:34 a.m. – The Houthis at the UN: “In Gaza, the USA and Israel are violating international law”
The head of Yemen's Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee has responded to a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea by accusing the United States of “violating international law” by they support Israel's war against Gaza. In a social media post, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi also said that Israel must “immediately stop all attacks that hinder life in Gaza” and that the United Nations Security Council should ensure that millions of Palestinians in Gaza are evacuated from the ” “Israeli War” frees the American siege of the territory.
The military siege of Israel is “a deadly weapon” that has turned the Palestinian territory into “the largest prison where collective punishment is practiced,” al-Houthi said.
“What the Yemeni armed forces are doing is in self-defense,” he said. “Deciding on the safety of navigation in the Red Sea is a political game and it is the United States that is violating international law,” he added. The Houthis have launched numerous missile and drone attacks against ships in the Red Sea.
7:26 a.m. – IDF attack in Rafah, 5 dead
At least five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack in Rafah. He reports it to Jazeera. Israel has stepped up bombings and ground attacks in the central and southern Gaza Strip, killing at least 147 people in the last 24 hours.
7:21 a.m. – Israel: “The International Criminal Court will not be able to order a cessation of fighting in Gaza.”
The International Criminal Court will not order an end to the fighting in Gaza. Israeli Justice Ministry officials told Haaretz newspaper that the ICC would limit itself to issuing interim injunctions against Israel. The interim orders could include a commitment from Tel Aviv to allow more humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave and allow Palestinians to return to the northern Gaza Strip.
7:18 a.m. – Khan Yunis, 7 dead and 25 injured in the attack on a house
Seven people were killed and 25 injured in an Israeli attack on a residential building in the town of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. This was reported by the state-run Palestinian news agency Wafa. Local sources reported that the victims included women and children.
6:55 a.m. – According to the USA, the allegations against Israel of genocide are unfounded
“The allegations that Israel is committing genocide are unfounded. In fact, it is those who violently attack Israel who continue to openly call for the destruction of Israel and the mass extermination of Jews,” US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement quoted by the Times of Israel. The Biden administration therefore reiterates its opposition to the International Court of Justice hearing accusing Israel of genocide on the eve of the Hague procedure requested by South Africa. “Genocide,” Miller continues, “is one of the most atrocious acts an organization or individual can commit, and such accusations should only be made with the utmost caution,” he adds. “Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas's acts of terror – acts that Hamas will repeat again and again until Israel is completely destroyed.” “Israel operates in an exceptionally difficult environment in Gaza, an urban combat zone in which “Hamas is deliberately interfering and hiding behind civilians,” he continues. While reiterating his condemnation of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, Miller said the United States still expects Israel to “respect international humanitarian law in its operations against Hamas.” It also underscores the widespread feeling in Washington that the IDF has not done enough to protect civilians and calls on Israel to “look for more ways to prevent harm to civilians and address credible allegations of humanitarian violations.” to investigate international law when they appear.” Miller also appears to be referring to U.S. displeasure with Israeli lawmakers' calls for collective punishment and mass expulsion of Palestinians, which have helped strengthen South Africa's case against Israel. “We continue to condemn dehumanizing rhetoric on all sides,” the State Department spokesman said.
6:21 a.m. – The Israeli army defines the two killed journalists as “terrorist agents”.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that two Al Jazeera journalists killed in an airstrike in Gaza were “agents of terrorism.” Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria, who also worked as video editors for the AFP and other news organizations, were killed on Sunday while carrying out an assignment for the Qatar-based broadcaster in the city of Rafah. In a statement, the army said that “intelligence confirmed that both deceased were members of terrorist organizations based in the Gaza Strip that were actively involved in attacks against IDF (army) troops.” “Prior to the attack, the two used drones, which posed an immediate threat to IDF forces,” the army said. There was no immediate reaction from the television station or the two men's families.
5:59 a.m. – China and Russia are ready to increase coordination in the war in the Middle East
China and Russia have agreed to increase communication and coordination in the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. This emerged at the end of yesterday's telephone conversations between the foreign ministers of both countries, the Chinese Wang Yi and the Russian Sergei Lavrov. The diplomats took stock of the bilateral relationship and noted that the global strategic partnership was “operating at full speed” over the past year. The two countries “not only managed their respective affairs well, but also played a fundamental role on the international stage and maintained global strategic stability,” said Wang, adding that there is a need to further consolidate trade in 2024 It is the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The representative of Beijing also expressed support for the Russian presidency of the Brics group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which took over on January 1.
5:54 a.m. – The United Nations approves the draft condemning the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea
The UN Security Council has approved a draft resolution condemning and calling for an immediate halt to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on commercial vessels in the Red Sea area. The text received 11 votes in favor and 4 abstentions (including Russia and China). Meanwhile, Israel claims to have evidence that among the Hamas militants involved in the October 7 massacres in Israel were “employees of UNRWA,” the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.