Skip next section Israel agrees to a UN mission to assess the situation in the north of the Gaza Strip
09/01/20249. January 2024
Israel agrees to a UN mission to assess the situation in northern Gaza
At his press conference in Tel Aviv, US Secretary of State Blinken said Israel had agreed in principle on a plan for a UN mission in the northern Gaza Strip to assess the situation after Israel's reduction in military operations. The aim is to pave the way for the safe return of displaced civilians.
“As Israel's campaign in the northern Gaza Strip moves into a phase of lower intensity and the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] “We agreed today on a plan for the United Nations to conduct an assessment mission,” he said.
“It will determine what needs to be done so that displaced Palestinians can safely return to the north.”
Until then, he reiterated the need to allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
“More food, more water, more medicine and other essential supplies must reach Gaza,” he said. “And once they are in Gaza, they need to reach the people who need them more effectively.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2b5Skip next section Blinken calls on Israel to work with moderate Palestinian leaders
09/01/20249. January 2024
Blinken calls on Israel to work with moderate Palestinian leaders
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Israel to work with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on plans for the post-war Gaza Strip, but said the PA also “has a responsibility to reform itself”.
“Israel must stop taking steps that undermine the Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves effectively,” Blinken said in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
“Israel must be a partner to Palestinian leaders who are ready to lead their people and live side by side in peace with Israel,” he said, emphasizing that Arab leaders across the region are ready to help, but only “through a regional approach that includes a path to a Palestinian state.”
Israel has so far ruled out calls to allow the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from Gaza when the Islamist militant Hamas seized power in 2007, to run Gaza, instead speaking of maintaining indefinite military control over the area.
The US believes a “revived” authority should return to govern the enclave.
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2YfSkip next section Blinken: South Africa's genocide case against Israel is 'baseless'
09/01/20249. January 2024
Blinken: South Africa's genocide charges against Israel are 'baseless'
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has dismissed as “baseless” a genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, saying it “diverts the world from important peace and security efforts”.
“It is particularly galling,” he continued, “when you consider that those who attack Israel – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as their backer Iran – continue to call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews.”
The USA, among others, considers the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah to be terrorist organizations.
The UN court is expected to begin hearing the South Africa case on Thursday.
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2XkSkip next section Blinken: Daily toll on civilians in Gaza “far too high”
09/01/20249. January 2024
Blinken: The daily number of civilians in Gaza is “far too high”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “the daily cost of the war for civilians in Gaza, especially children, is far too high” as Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip continue.
At a news conference in Tel Aviv, Blinken also stressed that “Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homeland as soon as conditions permit” and that the United States “rejects any proposals that advocate the resettlement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip.”
Nevertheless, he reiterated that “it is crucial that Israel achieves its goal.” [the Hamas terror attacks of] October 7 can never happen again.” He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had assured him that the permanent displacement or resettlement of Gazans was not his government's goal.
Blinken also said Israel must “do everything we can to remove obstacles” to humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, saying: “We want this war to end as quickly as possible.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2XCSkip next section The International Criminal Court is investigating the deaths of journalists in Gaza
09/01/20249. January 2024
The International Criminal Court is investigating the deaths of journalists in Gaza
The International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed on Tuesday that it is investigating possible crimes against journalists since the outbreak of war between Israel and the militant Islamist group Hamas, in which dozens of reporters were killed in Gaza.
The media organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced in November that it had filed a complaint alleging war crimes related to the deaths of journalists trying to cover the conflict.
On Monday, RSF said it had received assurances from the Hague-based International Criminal Court that “crimes against journalists will be included in its investigations into Palestine.”
The court confirmed the statement on Tuesday, saying: “The investigation by the ICC Prosecutor's Office into the situation in the State of Palestine concerns crimes committed within the jurisdiction of the Court since June 13, 2014.”
According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 79 journalists and media workers have been killed since the war began three months ago.
After two Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli attack on their car on Sunday, the United Nations said on Monday it was “very concerned about this.” [the] “High death toll among media workers in Gaza.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2UuSkip next section Israel: Pressure on Iran is “crucial” to prevent escalation in the Middle East
09/01/20249. January 2024
Israel: Pressure on Iran is “crucial” to prevent escalation in the Middle East
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it was “critical to increase pressure on Iran” to “prevent regional escalation in further areas.”
The comment came in an official statement from the Israeli government following a meeting between Gallant and Blinken in Tel Aviv, where Gallant insisted that Israeli military operations in southern Gaza around the town of Khan Younis would be “intensified and continued.” .
But Israel also wants to avoid opening a second front on its northern border with Lebanon, where its forces have been involved in small exchanges of fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have also stepped up attacks on international merchant shipping in the Red Sea, while the Iranian navy deployed a warship to the region.
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2QiSkip next section Baerbock calls for the Rafah border crossing to be opened 24 hours a day and says: “Life in Gaza is hell”
09/01/20249. January 2024
Baerbock calls for the Rafah border crossing to be opened 24 hours a day and says: “Life in Gaza is hell”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called for the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip to be opened for 24 hours so that more humanitarian aid can reach the embattled enclave.
“Life in Gaza is hell,” she said during a visit to the Rafah border crossing after talks in Cairo and a German aid delivery to Al-Arish in North Sinai.
She said the federal government would do “everything in its power” to open the border, which is the only point through which humanitarian aid from Egypt can enter the Gaza Strip.
Before entering Gaza, trucks must undergo a lengthy inspection by Israeli officials, resulting in queues of up to 3,000 vehicles. “It can’t be the case that trucks are stuck here for days,” said Baerbock. “It breaks your heart to see that.”
Meanwhile, Baerbock's government colleague and Green Party colleague Robert Habeck says that Germany has a special role to play in the conflict due to its unique relationship with Israel.
“Precisely because the Israeli public knows that Germany, the federal government, has made a clear, special promise to protect Israel, we can speak openly,” said the Vice Chancellor on Tuesday during a visit to the capital Muscat of the Gulf state of Oman.
With regard to calls from Baerbock and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for more humanitarian aid for Gaza, Economics Minister Habeck said: “Israel has to do that.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2NcSkip next section British Foreign Secretary concerned about Israel's actions in Gaza
09/01/20249. January 2024
The British Foreign Secretary is concerned about Israel's actions in Gaza
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed concern on Tuesday that Israel may be violating international law over measures taken in Gaza.
“Am I worried that Israel has taken actions that may violate international law because this particular building was bombed or whatever? Yes, of course.” Cameron was responding to questions from Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
Israel began attacking Hamas targets after the Islamist group carried out terror attacks on October 7 that killed around 1,200 people.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said more than 23,000 people have been killed since the war began.
https://p.dw.com/p/4b2AGSkip next section ICRC spokesman highlights challenges in providing aid in Gaza
09/01/20249. January 2024
ICRC spokesman highlights challenges in providing aid in Gaza
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokeswoman Sarah Davies told DW that ensuring aid arrives in Gaza is not the only problem facing humanitarian teams.
Conflict and the devastation left in the area also presented major challenges, Davies said.
“It is very important that we remember that no matter how much aid arrives in Gaza, it must also be distributed effectively and safely.”
“At the moment that is not possible, given the ongoing armed conflict, the sheer number of displaced people, people living on the streets, the rubble, the rubble and the telecommunications challenges,” Davies said.
“People are not getting the help or care they really need.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4b20ESkip next section Blinken calls on Israeli prime minister to prevent harm to civilians
09/01/20249. January 2024
Blinken calls on Israeli prime minister to prevent harm to civilians
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his military must avoid further harm to civilians in Gaza, the State Department said.
“The minister reiterated our support for Israel's right to prevent a repeat of the October 7 terrorist attacks and emphasized the importance of preventing further harm to civilians and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza,” said Matthew Miller , spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Blinken reiterated this and also emphasized the importance of distributing humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip.
https://p.dw.com/p/4b1ncSkip next section The WHO complains about unnecessary amputations in Gaza
09/01/20249. January 2024
The WHO complains about unnecessary amputations in Gaza
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), many patients in the Gaza Strip are undergoing amputations even though it would normally be possible to save their limbs.
WHO representative for the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, and WHO emergency response team coordinator Sean Casey said there were different reasons for this.
The couple spoke to the press in Geneva via video links from Jerusalem and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Due to the ongoing fighting, the injured were unable to reach the hospital and there was a shortage of specialists such as vascular surgeons.
Because hospitals were now so overcrowded, operating rooms were only used for the most life-saving surgeries.
“I have never seen so many amputees in my life, including children,” said Peeperkorn.
Amputations are common in Gaza amid war and health crises
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https://p.dw.com/p/4b1pYSkip next section Germany's Baerbock hands over aid for Gaza
09/01/20249. January 2024
Germany's Baerbock hands over aid for Gaza
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has led the handover of almost ten tons of aid for the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip to the Egyptian Red Crescent.
Baerbock landed from Cairo in an Air Force A400M transporter and transported the supplies to al-Arish, the capital of Egypt's North Sinai governorate.
The plan was then to travel on to the border town of Rafah, 50 kilometers to the west. Most aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip arrive through the Rafah border crossing.
The German relief goods transported on almost 40 pallets came from the Foreign Office and were loaded and flown in by the Bundeswehr from the state of Lower Saxony.
Items included sleeping mats, blankets, children's sleeping bags and cots for displaced people in temporary shelters.
The goods were unloaded by the Red Crescent and transported to the coastal strip by the United Nations International Organization for Migration, with a Norwegian refugee organization responsible for distribution.
Life is becoming increasingly difficult for women in Gaza
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https://p.dw.com/p/4b1i7Skip next section Israeli military reports casualties within 24 hours
09/01/20249. January 2024
Israeli military reports casualties within 24 hours
The Israeli army said nine of its soldiers died in fighting in Gaza on Monday, one of the deadliest days for the military since it began a ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave on October 27.
A total of 185 soldiers were killed in the offensive following the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, it said.
Israel has vowed to crush Hamas, which rules Gaza, after its deadly attacks in Israel killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. She warned that the war against Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist group in several countries, will last throughout 2024.
Israel's bombings and ground operations in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 23,210 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Israel's military is pushing ahead with its Gaza offensive
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https://p.dw.com/p/4b1bISkip next section The WHO fears a rapid collapse of health care in the south of the Gaza Strip
09/01/20249. January 2024
The WHO fears a rapid collapse of health services in the south of the Gaza Strip
World Health Organization (WHO) officials say they are concerned about the possible collapse of hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip as fighting intensifies around the town of Khan Younis.
There are fears that many medical staff and patients may simply flee for their lives.
“So what we're seeing is really worrying around a lot of hospitals and an intensification of hostilities very close to the European Gaza hospital,” said Sean Casey, the coordinator of WHO's emergency medical teams in Gaza.
“We are seeing the health system collapsing very quickly,” Casey said via video link at a news conference in Geneva, adding that an estimated 600 patients had fled a facility.
UN warns Gaza 'uninhabitable' as war continues
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https://p.dw.com/p/4b1PWSkip next section Berlin is pushing for “concrete measures” to help Gaza
09/01/20249. January 2024
Berlin is pushing for “concrete measures” to help Gaza
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock calls for concrete measures to be taken to stop the suffering of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking in Cairo alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Baerbock said it was necessary to ensure the flow of aid to Gaza. Baerbock said she would travel to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt later on Tuesday.
“We need concrete measures today and now. We must ensure that aid reaches the people of Gaza,” she said.
The German foreign minister also said more access was needed to the northern part of the territory, where Israel says it has now cleared Hamas infrastructure.
Baerbock, who congratulated Egypt on its role in negotiating the release of hostages from Gaza, stressed that Berlin and Cairo agreed that Gaza and the West Bank were Palestinian. Baerbock therefore said that the Palestinians should not be expelled.
Egypt's Shoukry said the immediate priority was to reach a ceasefire, resolve security issues, ensure humanitarian assistance and prevent displacement.
“All the steps that are being taken [by Israel] “The measures are intended to accelerate displacement,” Shoukry said, adding that two million Palestinians could not remain trapped.
The German Foreign Minister arrived in Egypt after a visit to Israel.
Baerbock: “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people”
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https://p.dw.com/p/4b1OW