The United Nations warns Israel of famine in the Gaza Strip about six months after the start of the conflict: Using hunger as a weapon is a war crime. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stressed in an interview with the BBC that Israel bears great responsibility for the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and that there is a “plausible” case of it being used by the Jewish state as a weapon: He warned that if the intention to starve the population of the Strip is proven, That would be a war crime.
Gaza, horrific pictures from the hospital: “Malnourished children are as thin as paper”
Meanwhile, in Israel, the words of an Islamic Jihad militia member who described, for the first time, in detail the rape of a young Israeli girl in the attack on October 7, sparked horror. In an interrogation video released by the army, Manar Qassem, who was arrested in Khan Yunis this month, said he entered a border kibbutz armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and a bomb. Upon seeing the young woman on the couch, he added: “The devil possessed me, and I made her lie down, and I started to take off her clothes, and I did what I did. “I raped her.”
Gaza, videos of Israeli soldiers playing with Palestinian women's underwear
On the 174th day of the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel was preparing for an attack in Rafah, and that he would send a delegation to the United States to discuss the operation. Meanwhile, the army continues to work at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where, according to its spokesman Daniel Hajri, Raed Thabet, a senior leader in the Al-Qassam Brigades, one of the “top ten” in Hamas and close to Sinwar and Deif, was eliminated. .
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Biden: Arab countries support the two-state solution
Joe Biden said Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are “ready to fully recognize Israel” in a conversation during a fundraiser at Radio City Hall in New York, journalists in attendance reported, citing CNN. Biden said: “I will not go into details, but I have worked with the Saudis and all the other Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Qatar. They are ready to fully recognize Israel for the first time, but “there must be a plan for after Gaza, and there must be a two-state solution.” “This is not happening today, but there must be progress, and I believe we can do it.”
UN Court: Israel must allow aid to enter Gaza
The United Nations International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including opening additional land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into the war-ravaged enclave. Judges in The Hague issued two new so-called provisional measures in a lawsuit filed by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in its military campaign launched after the October 7 attacks by Hamas. Israel denies committing genocide and accuses South Africa of trying to “undermine Israel's inherent right and obligation to defend its citizens.” In its legally binding order, the court called on Israel to take measures “without delay” to ensure “the unimpeded provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance.”
Syria: 38 killed in the Israeli attack on Aleppo
Local security sources reported, citing the British news agency Reuters, that last night's Israeli attacks on the city of Aleppo in northern Syria resulted in the killing of 38 people, including five members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
The United States destroyed four drones launched by Houthi forces
The US military said it destroyed four drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. US Central Command said on social media site X that the drones “pose an imminent threat to US Navy merchantmen and ships in the region.” US Central Command said the drones targeted a coalition ship and a US warship and “were participating in a self-defense operation over the Red Sea,” adding that no casualties or damage to US aircraft or coalition ships had been reported.
Gaza, New Zealand: Good Court proceedings in The Hague, and Israel's accession
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand “notes and welcomes the new additional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the ongoing case” regarding the Gaza Strip. Peters added in a message posted on his account: “We call on Israel to adhere to the new provisions, including taking all necessary and effective measures to ensure the provision of basic services and much-needed humanitarian aid without delay” in the Palestinian sector. Yesterday, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel to “guarantee urgent humanitarian assistance” in the Palestinian Strip. These are new interim measures issued by the court that must rule on charges of genocide brought by South Africa against the Jewish state.
Gaza – Media: 12 killed in an Israeli raid near Khan Yunis
The Palestinian news agency Wafa said that at least 12 people were killed in an Israeli air strike that hit a house near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip last night. There were also reports of casualties in Jabalia, in the northern Palestinian Strip. The death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 7 has reached at least 32,552 people and at least 74,980 wounded, according to the local Ministry of Health run by Hamas.
Israeli Foreign Ministry: “Israel is working to increase aid to Gaza”
Israel will continue to promote new initiatives and expand existing ones to enable and facilitate the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip in a sustained and wide-ranging manner, by land, air and sea, in cooperation with UN bodies and other partners in the international community. This includes continued efforts to increase the reach and means of accessing this aid, despite operational challenges on the ground and Hamas' active and repulsive efforts to seize, store, and steal aid. This was written by Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Hayat, who also accused South Africa of making “cynical attempts” to exploit the international court to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense and release the remaining hostages. The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into the war-torn enclave.
A senior US general says Israel did not get everything it asked for
The US Army chief said Thursday that Israel has not received all the weapons it requested, in part because some of them may affect the US military's readiness and because there are capacity limitations. Washington provides annual military aid worth $3.8 billion to Israel, its old ally. The United States was quick to send air defenses and munitions to Israel, but some Democrats and Arab-American groups criticized the Biden administration's steadfastness in supporting Israel, which they say gives it a sense of impunity. “Although we supported them with capabilities, they did not receive everything they asked for,” said General Charles Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.