Here is the important information from the last 24 hours:
– An area of the largest city in southern Gaza was evacuated. Israel on Wednesday ordered the evacuation of a large area in the city of Khan Younes, the largest in southern Gaza, where many Palestinians have sought refuge. The Israeli army called for the “immediate evacuation” of an area representing “approximately 20%” of the city of Khan Younes, according to a document released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
– Towards a new lull in fighting? Ongoing discussions about a possible new pause in hostilities in the Gaza Strip are “very serious,” a White House spokesman said Wednesday, even as President Joe Biden has suggested a ceasefire is not possible. Nothing is imminent. “We hope they will be successful,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council. “We’ve been working on this since the end of the last break.”
– Benjamin Netanyahu rules out a ceasefire. The Israeli prime minister does not want the fighting to end before the “elimination” of Hamas. “We will continue the war until the end. It will continue until the elimination of Hamas, until victory. Those who think we will stop are out of touch with reality,” he said.
– New report from Hamas. The government of the Palestinian Islamist movement says Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have claimed 20,000 lives since the war began on October 7. According to the same source, at least 8,000 children and 6,200 women are among the dead.
– Emmanuel Macron's warning. The President of the Republic reminded Israel on Wednesday that the fight against terrorism does not mean “razing everything in Gaza” and reiterated his call for a ceasefire “leading to a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.” “As the weeks go by, we cannot allow the idea to take hold that an effective fight against terrorism would mean razing everything in Gaza or indiscriminately attacking civilians and causing civilian casualties,” the head of state said on France 5 .