Live updates the latest on israel’s war in gaza
In response to a truce proposal with Israel, which the mediator Qatar described as “largely positive,”Hamas released a statement. Israel has declared that it is “thoroughly” reviewing the remarks made by Hamas regarding the potential deal. The Israeli military announced that 31 of the prisoners detained in
Gaza had been declared dead, causing further sorrow in Israel and increasing pressure on the Netanyahu administration to give the return of the remaining prisoners top priority. Following criticism from right-wing politicians, the Israeli military issued an apology for a military exercise that simulated a Palestinian being kidnapped by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.
The drill was denounced by Prime Minister Netanyahu as “detached from reality,
” but since October 7, Jewish settlers’ attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have increased to unprecedented levels. A projected Israeli attack on Rafah, close to the Egyptian border where an estimated 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are currently gathered in the hopes of finding safety, alarmed the UN. The UN declared that to prevent an Israeli attack that might result in “large scale” casualties among Palestinian displaced people who have nowhere to go,
“everything possible” must be done.
Senator Bernie Sanders criticises the impact of pro-Israel lobbying organisation’s on American politics
American israel political action committee “Lobbying groups like Christians United for Israel [CUFI] and AIPAC [the American-Israel Public Affairs
Committee]” have come under fire from Sanders for using their substantial financial resources to promote “unquestioning support for Israel’s right-wing government. ” Speaking on Tuesday to a US think tank,
Sanders stated that AIPAC is anticipated to invest roughly $100 million in an effort to unseat progressive politicians who have advocated for Palestinian rights in the next election cycle. Sanders connected the influence of lobbying organisation’s that advance the interests of governments like Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to the more general topic of the role that money plays in US politicians , saying, “The message was clear: if you criticise Netanyahu, you will be targeted.”
UK MP requests information from FM about “flimsy” Israeli report on
UNRWA
UN report on israel and Palestine Scottish National Party MP Tommy Shepherd has written to UK Foreign Minister David Cameron, inquiring as to whether the UK government’s suspension of UNRWA aid was solely motivated by an Israeli dossier. Numerous media sources have reported that the dossier, which served as the foundation for Israeli accusations that a few UNRWA staff members participated in the October 7 attack, is devoid of supporting documentation.
“In light of the revelations surrounding the 6-page document, I urge you to
review the decision made to suspend funding and resume support for UNRWA while it conducts its internal investigation,” the letter ends. significant famine risk
Risk of famine The WFP’s regional director, Matt Hollingsworth, stated,
“We know there is a very serious risk of famine in Gaza if we don’t provide very significant volumes of food assistance regularly.” According to the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), the percentage of relief missions refused entry into northern Gaza has increased significantly: from 14% in October to December, 56% of deliveries were refused entry in January. Additionally, it stated that the Israeli military “imposed reductions on the volume
of assistance, such as the quantity of food, ” and “at times required justifications” for fuel quantities headed for medical facilities. The Israeli army was questioned by the BBC. They led us to Cog-at, who instructed us to ask the army the questions we had. Four-time mother of four Duha al-Khalidi of Beit
told the BBC two weeks ago that after her kids went three days without food, she walked six miles (9.5 km) to her sister’s home in Gaza City in a desperate attempt to find food.
“I don’t have any money,
and even if I did, there’s nothing in the town’s main market,
” she stated.
“[My sister’s] family is likewise
going through hardship. She gave me the last of the pasta that was in her fridge.”
“The devastation is extensive.”
Over half of the agricultural land in the central region of Deir al-Balah appears to have been damaged,
according to recent UN figures. This includes Bassem Younis Abu Zayed’s farmland and olive press. “It looks like the aftermath of an earthquake,
” he stated. “A large area of nearby buildings and farm animals
have been destroyed. 80–90% of the olives are gone, even if we can get the mill back up and running. It’s a loss for the upcoming few years as well as for this year.
” In the border town of Rafah, located further south, the 300,000 residents of the town are now vying for space with over a million people who were displaced by the fighting elsewhere. The Israeli army frequently releases what it claims is new video of bustling eateries and marketplaces in the southern areas of Gaza. A public health emergency is imminent due to a lack of shelter, sanitation, and medical care, according to residents and aid agencies. Although most of the 114 aid missions that attempted to reach the southern areas of Gaza last month were successful, many people are still going hungry. Blocks to aid can come from conflict, red tape, or debris. A food convoy in Gaza that was about to move north earlier this week was struck by naval gunfire. However, deliveries are made more difficult by Gazans’ increasing desperation, according to Matt Hollingsworth.
