What happened in the last few hours?
This is the latest news on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza at 12:45 p.m. this Friday, February 16:
– Egypt is building an area next to Gaza that could house displaced Palestinians. Egyptian authorities are building a concrete wall in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula near Gaza's southern border, encircling much of the land that will be leveled, satellite images released Thursday show. The work aims to establish a high-security zone a short distance from the Palestinian enclave in preparation for the eventual reception of refugees from the Gaza Strip in the event of a mass exodus to Egyptian territory, the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights, a local organization, reported Relying on two local contractors. Egypt has not commented.
– Israel says it has arrested 20 Hamas militants involved in the October 7 attacks on Al-Naser Hospital. The Israeli army claimed on Friday it had detained “dozens” of people at Al Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. Among them, Israel claims, are 20 “terrorists” who were involved in the Hamas attacks on October 7th.
– Four patients died in Naser Hospital after the Israeli army raid. The Israeli army's recent invasion of Naser Hospital, the main one in the southern Gaza Strip, resulted in a total power outage that resulted in the deaths of at least four patients in the intensive care unit and endangered the lives of others, including three babies, like that Ministry of Health of the Palestinian enclave reported this Friday.
– Netanyahu rejects “international dictates to establish a Palestinian state for Israel.”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected “international dictates” on a final peace deal with the Palestinians that would provide for a Palestinian state and ensure it is solely dependent on Israel. He asserts that “Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state” because it would be a “reward” for terrorism after the October 7 attacks.
– Biden insists Netanyahu not attack Rafah without a plan to protect civilians. US President Joe Biden has once again insisted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if he really plans to launch a military ground operation in Rafah, he must put on the table a “credible and implementable” plan to protect civilians. Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip, is home to more than a million people displaced by the war from other areas of the Gaza Strip.