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Middle East Eye, May 9 2024
Evening Recap
On Thursday, both delegations from Israel and Hamas left Cairo after the latest round of negotiations, with the current progress for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza at a standstill. Sources familiar with the negotiations told MEE that Hamas did not entertain any changes to the proposal they accepted earlier this week after Israel walked away from the deal. The sources said that Hamas was still committed to the deal proposed by mediators earlier in the week, but Hamas was leaving Cairo after two days of talks with mid-ranking Israeli officials that failed to yield a breakthrough. Meanwhile, an Israeli official declared the talks over and said that Israel planned to proceed with its military operations in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza. Here’s what else you need to know about today’s developments:
- Hamas’s armed wing said it detonated a booby-trapped tunnel in Rafah, as Israeli forces continued to attack the city in southern Gaza.
- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-aligned militias, said it launched a drone strike on an Israeli military base.
- A group of Israeli settlers on Thursday launched several attacks on the headquarters of Unrwa in East Jerusalem, setting fire to the perimeter of the building. The attack forced the compound to shut down.
- The US performed another airdrop of humanitarian assistance over northern Gaza, this time doing it in coordination with Jordan’s military.
- More than 1,600 Columbia University alumni signed a letter pledging to withhold “all financial, programmatic, and academic support” to the university until a list of 13 demands is met. Chief among those demands is divestment from companies profiting off of Israel’s occupation.
- After Biden on Wednesday said the country could hold weapons transfers if Israel launches a full-scale invasion of Rafah, Israel’s military spokesperson said it had enough munitions to go ahead with its operations.
US, Jordan conduct aid airdrop over northern Gaza
US CENTCOM announced it performed another airdrop of humanitarian assistance over northern Gaza, this time doing it in coordination with Jordan’s military. The UN says that northern Gaza is under “full-blown famine,” and aid experts have said that airdrops are insufficient methods of getting enough food and other supplies into Gaza. Footage earlier this week showed several Palestinians falling from an unstable rooftop after trying to reach an aid package that was airdropped into Gaza.
UNRWA closing Jerusalem headquarters after Israeli settler arson
A group of Israeli settlers on Thursday launched several attacks on the headquarters of UNRWA in East Jerusalem, setting fire to the perimeter of the building. There were no injuries reported, however, the fire caused extensive damage to the property, according to UNRWA. Video footage shared on social media shows several fires surrounding the building, with a group of Israelis cheering in the background. Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of UNRWA, said that the attack has forced him to shut down the compound, given the ongoing security risk to staff members of the UN agency. Read more: UNRWA closing Jerusalem headquarters after Israeli settler arson attacks.
Columbia alumni pledge to withhold donations over school’s Israel-linked investments
More than 1,600 Columbia University alumni signed a letter pledging to withhold “all financial, programmatic, and academic support” to the university until a list of 13 demands is met. The letter, addressed to President Nemat ‘Minouche’ Shafik and the Trustees of Columbia University, begins:
Columbia University maintains an undisclosed number of investments with entities known to fund or profit from the Israeli military occupation, meaning that Columbia is financially and morally enabling the ongoing indiscriminate killing of Palestinians.
The website where the letter is posted updates new signatories and has a financial contribution ticker at the bottom, which at the time of publishing, reads: $68,354,601 financial contributions at risk. Read more: Columbia University alumni pledge to withhold financial support over Gaza war.
Islamic Resistance in Iraq launches strike on Israeli military base
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-aligned militias, said it launched a drone strike on an Israeli military base. The group said the attack was “in response to the massacres committed” by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s military has yet to comment on any damage.
Three Israeli soldiers wounded by booby-trapped tunnel in Rafah
Hamas’s armed wing said it detonated a booby-trapped tunnel in Rafah, as Israeli forces continue to attack the city in southern Gaza. Israel’s military confirmed the explosion and said three soldiers were wounded.
Israel has enough munitions required for Rafah operation, says spokesperson
The Israeli military has the amount of munitions it requires to proceed with its operations in Rafah, as well as operations in other parts of Gaza, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said. On Wednesday, Biden said Washington would suspend arms transfers if Israel invades Rafah. Israel has already launched an operation into Rafah, seizing the crossing with Egypt, but the Biden administration says this is not the “full-scale” invasion it is opposed to.
Hamas delegation leaves Cairo
A senior Hamas delegation left Cairo for Doha early on Thursday, and sources familiar with the negotiations are telling MEE that they did not entertain any changes to the proposal they accepted earlier this week after Israel walked away from the deal. Sources told MEE that the Palestinian group was still committed to the deal proposed by mediators earlier in the week, but Hamas was leaving Cairo after two days of talks with mid-ranking Israeli officials that failed to yield a breakthrough. Read more: Hamas delegation leaves Cairo after Israel rejects ceasefire proposal.
Israeli official says talks over, Rafah operation to proceed
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that during negotiations in Cairo, Israel submitted its reservations about the latest ceasefire proposal, and added that Israel will proceed with its operation in Rafah as planned. The official said that this round of negotiations in Cairo is over.
‘Smashing into Rafah’ will not defeat Hamas, says White House’s Kirby
White House national security spokesperson said that if Israel undertakes a major invasion of Rafah, it will not advance Israel and the US’s objective of defeating Hamas. Kirby said in a news briefing:
Smashing into Rafah, in his view, will not advance that objective.
Israel has already launched an operation into Rafah, seizing the crossing between Egypt and Gaza, but Washington says this operation is not the full-scale invasion that it is opposed to.
Israeli delegation, CIA’s Burns leave Cairo after negotiation talks: Reuters
Reuters is reporting, citing two Egyptian officials, that Israel’s delegation and CIA director William Burns have left Cairo after talks regarding the potential ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Slovenia to recognise Palestinian state
Slovenia has initiated the procedure for the recognition of a Palestinian state, the country’s Prime Minister Robert Golob said. The move, which was announced in March, is being used as leverage to end Israel’s war in Gaza. Golob was quoted as saying on the government’s Twitter account:
The horrors we see every day in Gaza are inadmissible and must stop. I call on Israel to put an immediate end to its attacks on Gaza and to use the negotiating table.
The date of Slovenia’s official recognition depends on the ongoing negotiations around a ceasefire, but Golob said Jun 13 would be the latest they would push the recognition.
Houthi chief says group will continue targeting ships transporting goods to Israel
The leader Yemen’s Houthi movement, Abd’ul-Malik al-Houthi, said that the group would continue to target ships of any company linked to supplying or transporting goods to Israel regardless of their destination. He said this was in retaliation to “the Israeli aggression on Rafah” in southern Gaza, according to Reuters.
Israeli contestant at Eurovision booed on stage
Israeli contestant Eden Golan’s dress rehearsal performance at the Eurovision Song Contest was met with boos and shouts of “Free Palestine” from the audience. Journalist Ben Rothenberg posted on Twitter:
Easily the most booing I’ve ever heard at #Eurovision but no major disruptions of Israel at the first show with a crowd.
One person who said they attended the show said several members of the audience left during Eden Golan’s performance of “Hurricane” and returned for the following contestant. Another user posted alongside a clip from the show:
Eurovision ignored public backlash and outrage from other musicians over Israel being allowed to perform at Eurovision while it continues its genocidal slaughter in Gaza.
Read more: Israel’s Eurovision contestant booed on stage as boycott calls continue.
Egypt Sinai hospitals on ‘high alert’ in preparation for wounded Palestinians
The Sinai Foundation for Human Rights said hospitals and blood banks in the North Sinai governorate have declared a critical state of emergency as they prepare to receive an influx of wounded Palestinians. The measure is part of a contingency plan in the event the Rafah crossing reopens after it was taken over by the Israeli army in recent days, medical sources told the foundation. The sources said that public and central hospitals have been recommended to release patients who are in recovery to ensure capacity to receive Palestinians.
Amsterdam denies British-Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sittah entry
The Netherlands has barred prominent British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sittah, who volunteered in Gaza’s hospitals last year, upholding a German-issued ban on his entry into Europe. The Rights Forum, a Dutch advocacy organisation, said in a statement that Abu Sittah, who is also the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, was due to be in the Netherlands next week to speak at the University of Amsterdam. The surgeon was also set to meet with Dutch MPs and speak an event held by The Rights Forum about “the suppression of unfriendly voices.” Abu Sittah visited the Hague earlier this year for a meeting with the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor. Last weekend, he was denied entry into France where he was scheduled to address the senate about Israel’s attacks against Gaza’s healthcare system. In April, Germany barred him from entering the country to participate in the Palestine Congress forum.
German education minister outraged by lecturers’ support of university protests
Germany’s Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger rebuked a letter of support from around 100 lecturers at Berlin universities in support of pro-Palestine protesters. Stark-Watzinger told Bild:
This statement from educators at Berlin universities is staggering. Instead of taking a clear stand against hatred of Israel and Jews, university occupiers are being turned into the victims and violence trivialised.
Dozens of lecturers from several universities in Berlin signed a letter declaring they stand with their students and “defend” their right to peacefully protest, “regardless of whether we agree with the specific demands of the protest camp.” The statement continued:
We call on the Berlin university management to refrain from police operations against their own students as well as from further criminal prosecution.
Berlin conservative mayor, Kai Wegner, also criticised the letter, saying:
I have absolutely no sympathy for the authors of this pamphlet.
Defence minister tells ‘friends and enemies’ Israel will achieve war aims
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told Israel’s “enemies and friends” that it would do whatever necessary to achieve its war objectives in Gaza and the north, in an apparent response to US pressure to halt its operation in Rafah. Gallant made the comments on Wednesday, after US President Joe Biden warned he would halt weapons supplies if Israel invades Rafah. He said, according to remarks released by his office
I turn to Israel’s enemies as well as to our best of friends and say: the State of Israel cannot be subdued. We will stand strong. We will achieve our goals. We will hit Hamas. We will hit Hezbollah. And we will achieve security.
The comments highlight the scale of the standoff between the Biden administration and the Israeli government.
State Dept urged to submit late report scrutinising Israeli weapon use
The State Dept has been urged to submit a delayed report to Congress on whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law in Gaza. On Wednesday, Biden told CNN that civilians had been killed as a consequence of US-supplied bombs and “other ways they go after population centers.” Now Noura Erakat, human rights lawyer and associate professor at Rutgers University, and Josh Paul, a former State Dept official who resigned in protest in late October, say Biden’s comments should trigger the government to act immediately. Erakat and Paul are the co-chairs of an independent taskforce which submitted evidence last month to the US government to show that Israel is using American weapons in violation of US NSM 20. Under the memorandum, the State Dept had been due to deliver its report on Wednesday into Israel’s use of weapons in Gaza, but missed the deadline. Erakat and Paul said in a statement on Thursday:
Based on President Biden’s acknowledgement, there is no remaining reason why the report should not accurately reflect Israel’s misuse of US-provided weapons in violation of international law and US military best practice.
Turkey not easing Israel export ban, says government source
Relaxing Turkey’s ban on exports to Israel is “out of the question” though companies have three months to fulfill existing orders via third countries, a Turkish trade ministry source said. In a document seen by Reuters, the Trade Ministry outlined the three-month reprieve for companies exporting to Israel. Ankara introduced the trade ban with Israel last week. Separately, Israel’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Erdogan had retreated on his earlier position and lifted many of the trade restrictions he imposed on Israel.
First aid shipment to US-built pier off Gaza leaves Cyprus
A vessel carrying humanitarian aid to a US-built pier off Gaza set sail from Cyprus in the morning, in the first delivery to the recently built floating ramp, Cypriot officials said. US officials have said the vessel will be used to offload supplies onto the pier built to expedite the delivery of aid into the besieged Gaza Strip. Rights groups have stressed that the most effective way to help people in Gaza is through the entry of aid by land, saying that deliveries by sea will not be enough to address the acute humanitarian crisis in the enclave. The Israeli military has closed the Rafah crossing and the Kerem Shalom crossing thia week, cutting off the entry of food, supplies and fuel.
Trinity College Dublin divests from firms involved in Israel’s occupation of Palestine
Trinity College Dublin has announced it will divest from Israeli companies involved in the occupation of Palestine after a sit-in by students protesting against the war on Gaza. Ireland’s most prestigious university decided to end its investments in Israeli companies after talks with the protesters. It marks a significant victory for the global campus movement, which has involved students establishing encampments within university grounds demanding that their institutions cut ties with Israel. In the US, riot police have violently dispersed protesters and Congress is working to pass legislation that widens the definition of antisemitism to include criticism of Israel. In France and the Netherlands, police have also used violence to evict protesters from their universities. Read more: Trinity College Dublin divests from firms involved in Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
UK system of arms exports to Israel not the same as US, Cameron says
Foreign Secretary David Cameron described Britain’s system and scale of arms exports to Israel as completely different from those in the US, saying the sales it licences were relatively small and policed by strict procedures. Cameron was responding to a question on whether Britain would follow the US after it warned that it would withhold weapons from Israel in case of a major invasion of Rafah. Cameron said after a speech:
There’s a very fundamental difference between the US situation and the UK situation. The US is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel. We do not have a UK Government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licences, and I think our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1% of their total.
Gaza health ministry calls border crossing closure ‘a new genocide’
Gaza’s health ministry said in a new press release that Israel’s closing of the enclave’s border crossings constituted “a new genocide” as it prevented travel for wounded and sick people and blocked the entry of “aid, medicine, medical supplies, food, trucks, and the fuel needed to operate hospitals.” It said:
Every hour, we lose some of the wounded from previous inspections who were waiting to travel to neighbouring countries, but the occupier’s control of the crossing and its closure prevented the travel of these wounded. The wounded and sick will suffer a slow death because there is no treatment or supplies and there is no possibility for them to travel.
The ministry added that the Rafah Governorate’s only dialysis center stopped operating due to Israeli bombings and threats. The ministry launched an “urgent and humanitarian appeal” to pressure and take action in order to open the crossings, provide treatment to those in need and allow necessary aid in.
Israeli president slams Ben Gvir’s ‘insulting’ comment, says Biden a ‘great friend’ of Israel
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Ben Gvir’s tweet criticising Biden “irresponsible and insulting,” emphasising that the American leader is “a great friend of the State of Israel.” Speaking at a state ceremony commemorating the Allies’ victory over Nazi Germany, Herzog also addressed Biden’s decision to withhold arms transfers to Israel should an invasion of Rafah take place, saying:
In the context of this morning’s news, it is important for me to say that even when there are disagreements and moments of disappointment between friends and allies, the disputes should be resolved in a certain way, and it is beholden upon all of us to avoid baseless, irresponsible and insulting statements and tweets that harm the national security and the interests of the State of Israel.
Israeli strike on Lebanon killed four Hezbollah members, Reuters reports
Quoting security sources, Reuters said that the four people killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle near Balfiyeh, south Lebanon, were members of the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Gaza death toll rises to 34,904
Gaza’s health ministry said 60 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave in the past 24 hours, bringing the total t0 34,904 killed since Oct 7. Additionally, 78,514 have been wounded since the start of the war.
Death toll from south Lebanon strike rises to four
Four people have been killed by the reported Israeli drone strike on a vehicle near the town of Bafliyeh, south Lebanon, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
80k people fled Rafah since Israeli assault: UNRWA
UNRWA said that around 80k people have fled Rafah since Israel launched an intensified military operation in the area on Monday. The UN agency tweeted:
The toll on these families is unbearable. Nowhere is safe. We need a ceasefire now.
Two killed in drone attack on south Lebanon
An alleged Israeli drone strike on a vehicle near the town of Bafliyeh, southern Lebanon has killed two people and wounded a third, a medical source told Al Jazeera.
Israel’s Ben Gvir: Hamas loves Biden
In an apparent response to Biden’s decision to stop offensive arms shipments to Israel should it invade Rafah, Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted:
Israeli army says it launched new raid in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood
The Israeli army said it has launched a new raid in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood overnight, claiming it aims to further dismantle Hamas infrastructure and eliminate “terrorists” in the area. Israel struck around 25 sites in the area before carrying out the raid. Palestinian journalists in the city reported the presence of Israeli tanks advancing into the neighbourhood, with many residents fleeing the area. Al Jazeera’s correspondent says Israeli strikes targeted the homes of the Dado, Yassin, Abu Hawar, and Nasser families.
Israeli control over border crossing puts children in Rafah at ‘edge of survival’
The UN OCHA said in its latest rapid assessment report that Israel’s continued control and closure of the Rafah border crossing is “choking off the entry of life-saving aid into Gaza.” The UN report says:
The continued block on the entry of critical humanitarian items via Rafah Crossing and continued hostilities would have serious consequences on access to food and nutrition services.
The report added that prior to Israel’s takeover of the crossing, an average of 48 relief trucks and 166 kl of diesel were entering Gaza on a daily basis. The report included an older warning from the UN’s children agency, Unicef, which says that over 600k children “crammed” in Rafah were already “highly vulnerable and at the edge of survival”, adding that an Israeli ground incursion would “expose them to catastrophic risks.”
Morning update
Here are the latest updates:
- At least 13 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli strike near a mosque in Gaza City, with scores of others killed in strikes on Nuseirat and Rafah, WAFA reports
- The UN says at least 109 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on homes in Rafah between Monday and Wednesday, including many women and children
- Additionally, four people have been killed in a recent Israeli strike on the west of Rafah city
- CIA chief Bill Burns returned to Cairo after holding talks with Mossad chief David Barnea and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN reports
- The Israeli army said one soldier was killed in a mortar and missile attack by Hezbollah in northern Israel on Wednesday
- Pro-Israel US Democrats are slamming Biden’s decision to stop arms transfers to Israel should it invade Rafah, with Senator John Fetterman and Representative Ritchie Torres expressing their deep disagreement with the move
- Aid workers say the Israeli army is already in Rafah, causing chaos, and strikes are being carried out even outside the evacuation zone in the city
- The Norwegian Refugee Council said none of its aid trucks have been permitted to go through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, despite Israel saying it has reopened the crossing for aid deliveries.
Niqnaq 