One hundred people suspected of “terrorist activities” by the Jewish state were arrested at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younes in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said on Saturday, February 17, storming that facility where fears were at stake for dozens of people is increasing, including patients and staff. The IDF also claims to have discovered Hamas mortars, grenades and other weapons. The latter claims that six patients died due to power outages that led to the interruption of oxygen distribution. Follow our live stream.
Joe Biden calls for “a temporary ceasefire.” For the American president, who spoke on Friday, this solution would make it possible to “get out the hostages held by Hamas.” By then, Joe Biden had called for a “ceasefire” or “pause” in fighting. A semantic debate that matters to the United States.
Fears of an attack on Rafah remain. The international community is also stepping up its calls to dissuade Israel from an offensive in the overpopulated city of Rafah, home to 1.4 million civilians, near the closed border with Egypt. The European Union on Friday again said it was “very concerned” about this prospect and called on Israel “not to take military action in Rafah that would worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.”
New number of people in Gaza. The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has left 28,858 dead, the vast majority of them civilians, the Hamas Health Ministry said in a new report on Saturday. According to Israel, 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza, of which 30 of around 250 people kidnapped are believed to have died. On October 7, Hamas members who invaded from Gaza killed more than 1,160 people in Israel, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data.