Live Updates
Middle East Eye, May 24 2024
Evening recap
Here are the day’s key developments:
- Egypt agreed to allow aid outside Rafah to be trucked to Israel for delivery into Gaza, but refused to reopen the Rafah border crossing
- Israel launched multiple missiles on Rafah on Friday, defying the ICJ’s ruling to halt its operations in the city
- Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Turkey and Oman welcomed the ICJ’s ruling against Israel
- The death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza has killed a total of 35,857 Palestinians and wounded an additional 80,293, the Palestinian health ministry said on Friday
- Netanyahu slammed South Africa’s claims against Israel as ‘’false, outrageous and disgusting’
- Yemen’s Houthis say they launched attacks on three ships, including one in the Mediterranean Sea
- Human Rights Watch said Israel was flouting the International Criminal Court’s ruling
- Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed mortar attacks on Israeli troops and attacks on Israeli tanks.
Blinken calls on Israel and Egypt to conclude talks on reopening Rafah crossing
Blinken called on Egypt and Israel to reach an agreement on reopening the Rafah border crossing in a call on Friday with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, the State Dept said. Blinken also said the US opposed a major Israeli military operation in Rafah.
Palestinian rights groups call for third states to enforce ICJ ruling
Three Palestinian human rights groups welcomed the ICJ’s ruling ordering Israel to stop its assault on Rafah. Al-Haq, Al Mezan and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights issued a joint statement on Friday welcoming the top UN court’s ruling against Israel. The groups noted that the implementation of the ruling is mandatory under international law, adding that “third states must take firm and unequivocal action to ensure Israel’s compliance.” The groups called for sanctions on Israel and a complete arms embargo.
Macron discusses Israel’s war on Gaza with Arab ministers
Macron held talks on Friday with Qatar’s prime minister and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan on the Gaza war, the French presidency said. Efforts to revive a “two-state” solution to the conflict and humanitarian efforts for Gaza dominated the talks. The officials also discussed “all the levers that could be activated in order to obtain the reopening of all crossing points” into Gaza, the Elysee palace said in a statement. The meeting took place ahead of an expected visit to Paris by CIA chief Bill Burns aimed at reviving stalled hostage deal talks.
White House says its been ‘clear and consistent’ on Rafah
The White House said on Friday that it has been “clear and consistent” on its position on Rafah after the ICJ ordered Israel to stop its offensive on the southern Gaza border city.
Biden administration yet to respond to ICJ ruling
The Biden administration has yet to reply to the ICJ’s ruling ordering Israel to stop its offensive on Rafah and surge aid into Gaza. But the world is steadily reacting to the decision, with major Middle Eastern states and US allies welcoming the decision, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Oman. Meanwhile, pro and anti-Israel lawmakers in the US have weighed in. American Palestinian Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib tweeted:
The whole world is taking action to stop the genocide of Palestinians, including the International Court of Justice. Where is President Biden’s red line?
Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham tweeted:
As far as I’m concerned, the ICJ can go to hell. This will and should be ignored by Israel.
Read More: World welcomes ICJ ruling to halt Rafah offensive but US response pending.
Oman welcomes ICJ ruling
Oman has welcomed an ICJ ruling ordering Israel to stop its assault on Rafah and surge aid into Gaza. Oman said according to the Oman News Agency:
The Sultanate of Oman welcomes the decision of the International Court of Justice issued today in the Hague regarding the case of genocide charges against Israel.
Oman called on the UNSC to implement the courts decision “to immediately stop aggressive actions in the Palestinian territories.”
Amnesty International calls for halt to Rafah attack after ICJ ruling
Any further Israeli attacks on Rafah could constitute underlying acts of genocide, Amnesty International warned, commenting on the ICJ’s ruling against Israel. Heba Morayef, Amnesty’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa said in a statement on Friday:
With this order the International Court of Justice has made it crystal clear: the Israeli authorities must completely halt military operations in Rafah, as any ongoing military action could constitute an underlying act of genocide. The ground incursion and the associated mass forced displacement it has caused, pose further irreparable risk to the rights of the Palestinian people protected under the Genocide Convention.
Qatar welcomes ICJ ruling
Qatar has welcomed an ICJ ruling ordering Israel to stop its assault on Rafah and surge aid into Gaza. Qatar said in a statement:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers that the decision reflects the international community’s categorical rejection of the war on the Gaza Strip.
Qatar called on Israel to fully commit to implementing the ruling and provide a timely report to the ICJ.
Hamas targeted Merkava tanks
Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, says it attacked two Israeli Merkava tanks and an Israeli military bulldozer with Yassin-105 rockets in the Beit Lahiya area. Hamas also released a new video showing a soldier planting a demolition charge behind an Israeli tank, and another soldier firing mortar rounds.
UAE welcomes ICJ ruling
The UAE has welcomed an ICJ ruling ordering Israel to stop its assault on Rafah and surge aid into Gaza. It said:
The UAE welcomes the decision of the International Court of Justice to impose additional temporary measures on Israel, demanding that it immediately stop the attack on Rafah.
Only 906 truckloads of aid entered Gaza amid looming famine, UN says
The UN OCHA said that between May 7 May and May 23, only 906 truckloads of aid entered Gaza, amid warnings of a looming famine. Roughly 800 of those truckloads were food supplies, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. According to the OCHA, 143 trucks passed through the Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing in Gaza’s south. Sixty-two entered Gaza through the Erez crossing and 604 entered via the Western Erez crossing. Just 97 truckloads entered through a US-built floating pier in central Gaza.
Egypt will only agree to open Rafah with PA support: Report
Egypt said any agreement to send aid to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing will take place with the coordination of the Palestinian Authority, Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera news TV reported Friday, citing a senior Egyptian official. In the meantime, Egypt will allow aid that has piled up on its territory to be transported to Israel. The aid will enter Gaza via the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.
PA backs Egypt’s move not to open Rafah, send aid to Kerem Shalom
The Palestinian Authority has backed Egypt’s decision to reject opening the Rafah border crossing until a legal agreement is reached between Cairo and Israel. The PA said in a statement:
In light of the official contacts that took place with our brothers in the Arab Republic of Egypt, it was agreed to bring relief aid to our besieged people in the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing on a temporary basis.
The Kerem Shalom border crossing runs between Israel and Gaza. US officials previously complained that Egypt was preventing aid that had piled up outside Rafah from travelling into Israel. Cairo says it wants a new legal agreement in place before opening Rafah, the sole crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
Gaza death toll raises to 35,857
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed a total of 35,857 Palestinians and wounded an additional 80,293, the Palestinian health ministry said on Friday. Israel launched strikes on Rafah on Friday despite the top UN court’s call to halt its offensive there.
US officials will travel to Cairo to discuss opening Rafah
The US will send a team of senior officials to Cairo next week to discuss how to reopen Rafah border crossing, the White House said in a statement after Biden’s call with Sisi. The US has been pressing for Egypt to reopen Rafah border crossing since it was seized by Israel in May. In a call with Biden, Sisi agreed to allow aid to move towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing which connects the Gaza Strip and Israel. US officials said previously that Egypt was not allowing trucks to move towards the crossing. However, Egypt and the US didn’t agree to reopen the Rafah border crossing. The White House said in a statement:
Biden also expressed his full commitment to support efforts to reopen the Rafah crossing with arrangements acceptable to both Egypt and Israel and agreed to send a senior team to Cairo next week for further discussions.
Biden-Sisi call ends with no Egyptian commitment to open Rafah
Sisi said he wanted “legal mechanisms” to be put in place to bring aid into Gaza from the Rafah border crossing in a call with Biden. An Egyptian readout of the call said the two leaders agreed to increase the transfer of humanitarian aid and fuel to Gaza and transfer them to the UN through the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Egypt said the aid will go through Israel’s crossing with Gaza until there are legal mechanisms in place to reopen the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side. The call between the leaders came after US officials including Blinken upped their rhetoric against Egypt, suggesting Cairo was to blame for the Rafah border crossing’s closure. The border has been closed since Israeli troops seized it earlier in May.
Turkey’s foreign ministry welcomes ICJ ruling
Turkey’s foreign ministry welcomed the ICJ’s ruling asking Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah and open the city’s border crossing. The Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement:
No country in the world is above the law. We expect all decisions taken by the Court to be quickly implemented by Israel. To ensure this, we invite the UNSC to do its part.
Biden administration once praised ICJ judge who ordered Israel to halt Rafah attack
A judge once nominated by Biden to serve as a legal advisor at the State Dept joined the ICJ’s majority to demand Israel halt its offensive on Rafah. The UN’s top court voted 13-2 to ask Israel to stop its assault and open the Rafah border crossing. Sarah Cleveland, who joined the majority, was appointed to the court in Nov 2023. At the time, Blinken welcomed her appointment, saying Cleveland’s vision advanced an ICJ that is “judicially independent, preserves the integrity and authority of the court and ensures the dignity of all people.” Cleveland was never confirmed as the State Dept’s legal advisor.
Netanyahu slams South Africa’s case against Israel following ICJ ruling
Netanyahu has slammed South Africa’s claims against Israel as “false, outrageous and disgusting.” Netanyahu said Israel’s war on Gaza has not led to the destruction of the Palestinian people.
South Africa’s president welcomes ICJ ruling to halt military offensive in Rafah
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the ICJ’s ruling on Friday ordering Israel to halt its military offensive on Rafah. Ramaphosa also said he is concerned the UNSC has not successfully reduced Palestinian suffering in Gaza. The top UN court has no way to immediately enforce its order.
South Africa says UN top court’s ruling is ‘de facto call for ceasefire’
South Africa has welcomed the ICJ’s ruling asking for a halt to Israel’s offensive on Rafah. Zane Dangor, director general of South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations, said:
This order is groundbreaking, as it is the first time that explicit mention is made for Israel to halt its military action in any area of Gaza. It is de facto calling for a ceasefire. It is ordering the major party in this conflict to end its belligerent action against the people of Palestine.
Benny Gantz says Israel will continue fighting in Rafah despite ICJ ruling
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz told Blinken that Israel has no intention of following a ruling by the UN’s top court, and will continue fighting in Rafah. Gantz said:
Israel is obligated to continue fighting to return its hostages and ensure the safety of its citizens, at any time and place, including in Rafah.
Despite vowing to disregard the ICJ’s ruling to stop fighting in the city, Gantz said Israel is acting according to international law.
Houthis claim attack on ship sailing on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast
Yemen’s Houthis have launched attacks on three ships in the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Sea, the group’s spokesman, Yahya Sari, said on Friday. Sarea said the group fired missiles at the Essex vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. Attacking ships in the Mediterranean would mark a broadening of the Houthis’ maritime attacks. British maritime security company Ambrey said the Essex had been transiting recently between Egypt’s Mediterranean ports of Alexandria and Port Said. Houthi language indicated they did not hit the vessel, Ambrey added.
Human Rights Watch says Israel flouting ICJ
Human Rights Watch said the International Criminal Court’s ruling against Israel underlines the “gravity of the situation in Gaza.” The group said:
Palestinians are facing a famine in Gaza after the UN’s top court ordered Israel to stop attacking Rafah and open its border crossing. Yet the Israeli government continues to flout the World Court’s binding orders by obstructing the entry of lifesaving aid and services.
Hamas’s Al-Qassam brigades claims mortar attack on Israeli troops
Hamas’s armed wing the Al-Qassam brigades said it launched heavy calibre mortar shells on Israeli troops south of Gaza city. The strike took place on Netzarim corridor, which has been a site of previous Hamas attacks on Israeli forces. The East-West highway is being used by Israel to divide Gaza in two.
Israel pummels Rafah after ICJ ruling to halt offensive
Israel launched multiple missiles on a packed residential neighbourhood in Rafah on Friday, defying the ICJ’s ruling to halt its operations in the city. A video circulating on social media platform X showed three back-to-back explosions in Rafah with plumes of smoke rising. MEE couldn’t independently verify the video.
Yair Lapid: ICJ ruling a ‘moral disaster’
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced the world court’s ruling for failing to draw a connection between its demand for an end to the Israeli assault on Rafah and a demand to return Israeli hostages held in Gaza. He said the failure was “a moral collapse and a moral disaster.”
Smotrich: Demand to stop war is demand for Israel to ‘cease to exist’
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said in a tweet:
Israel will not agree to stop its war on Gaza, meaning, decree itself to cease to exist. We continue to fight for ourselves and for the entire free world. History will judge who today stood by the Nazis of Hamas and ISIS.
Netanyahu calls emergency meeting following ICJ ruling
Netanyahu will convene an emergency meeting with key ministers following the ICJ’s order that Israel halt its offensive on Rafah, Israeli media is reporting. Foreign Minister Israel Katz, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz and the government’s judicial adviser are said to be attending. Al Jazeera is citing political sources reporting that Israel will not respond to the ruling, and that it is already holding under-the-table talks with the US for it to veto any resulting UNSCR.
Hamas welcomes ICJ ruling but says it is not enough
Hamas has applauded the ICJ’s ruling ordering Israel to halt its operations in Rafah, but warned that it did not go far enough and urged for an end to Israel’s offensive on all of Gaza.
Ben Gvir: ‘only answer’ to ICJ ruling is the occupation of Rafah
Israeli media is reporting that Israeli security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said:
The only answer to the ICJ’s ruling is the occupation of Rafah, the increase of military pressure and the defeat of Hamas, until the complete victory in the war is achieved.
Palestinian Authority welcomes ICJ ruling
The Palestinian Authority has applauded the ICJ ruling ordering Israel to immediately halt its operations in Rafah. A Palestinian presidency spokesperson told Reuters that the decision reflects “an international consensus” to end Israel’s war on Gaza.
ICJ orders Israel to report back to court in a month
The ICJ has ordered Israel to report back within one month about its implementation of today’s ruling. Judge Nawaf Salam noted that Israel had failed to do this following the previous two orders in January and March.
ICJ orders Israel to ensure access of investigators to Gaza
Judge Nawaf Salam said in his ruling:
Israel must take effective measures to ensure the unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or investigative body mandated by the competent organs of the UN to investigate allegations of genocide.
ICJ: ‘Israel must immediately halt its military offensive’
Judge Salam said in his reading of the ruling:
Israel must immediately halt its military offensive of any other action in the Rafah governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.
ICJ: Court orders Israel to immediately halt Rafah offensive
In his reading of the ruling, Judge Salam said that the court order by 13 votes to 2 to halt its Rafah offensive.
ICJ: Humanitarian situation in Rafah is ‘disastrous’
Judge Nawaf Salam, head of the International Court of Justice, opened the session by noting that South Africa’s request for additional measures is a modification of its prior order issued to Israel in March. He added that the court is able to modify orders if the situation in Gaza has deteriorated since then. He went on to say that the humanitarian situation in Rafah is now classified as “disastrous.”
ICJ session under way
The ICJ session has begun. The court will shortly deliver its ruling on South Africa’s request to order Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.
ICJ delivers its verdict in South Africa’s request to halt Israel’s Rafah offensive
20 newborns at Al-Aqsa hospital at risk amid fuel shortages
The lives of over 20 newborn babies at Al-Aqsa hospital are at risk, as oxygen generators will shut down imminently due to fuel shortages, Unicef has warned. The UN’s children agency said in a tweet:
Gaza needs more fuel now and safe corridors for humanitarian workers to operate.
Gaza’s health ministry warned on Thursday that services at the hospital would shut down imminently due to fuel shortages. Power outages have forced the hospital to abandon equipment and treat patients manually on the floor.
Palestinians stranded in Gaza after paying Egypt $5k each to flee
The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been closed indefinitely since the Israeli military seized the crossing on May 7, a closure which has left thousands of Palestinians in limbo. Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October, and the subsequent closure of all other crossings, the Rafah crossing with Egypt has been the only passageway for civilians fleeing the conflict. An Egyptian company with exclusive control on exits and transfers via the terminal had been charging Palestinians at least $5k per adult and $2.5k per child to cross to the Egyptian side. In April, Hala Consulting and Tourism Services, a firm owned by Sinai tribal leader and business tycoon Ibrahim al-Organi, made at least $2m per day from Palestinians. Read more: Palestinians stranded in Gaza after paying Egypt $5k each to flee.
ICJ set to order halt to Gaza war: Report
Israeli officials are expecting that the International Court of Justice at The Hague will issue a ruling later today that would require Israel to stop its ongoing war on Gaza, according to a senior diplomatic source quoted by Israel Hayom. The source said:
Legal experts assess there is a high probability the court will rule against Israel. The two potential scenarios are that the court could order a cessation of Israeli operations in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, or further, that it could seek to halt the broader war in Gaza entirely through court injunctions.
The ruling would leave Israel even more diplomatically isolated following a series of serious setbacks this week. At the start of the week, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and three of Hamas’s senior leaders. On Wednesday, Israel lashed out at Norway, Ireland and Spain, who announced that they are recognizing a Palestinian state.
EU’s Borrell urges Israel not to ‘intimidate’ ICC judges
The EU Foreign Affairs chief Josep Borrell called on Israel “not to intimidate” or “threaten” the judges of the International Criminal Court, following the news that its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as for three of Hamas’s senior leaders. During an interview with Spanish public television TVE, Borrell said:
I ask everyone, starting with the Israeli government, but also certain European governments, not to intimidate the judges, not to threaten them, but to show respect for the International Criminal Court.
Rights groups file complaint against Booking.com for listing Israeli settlements
Human rights groups in the Netherlands have filed a criminal complaint against the hotel broker site Booking.com for possible war crimes, alleging it benefited from listing accommodation in Israeli settlements within occupied Palestinian territories. Dutch prosecutors confirmed they received the complaint filed by the European Legal Support Centre, Al Haq, Somo and the Rights Forum on Thursday. The collective accused Booking.com of laundering money in the Netherlands from its business operations in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlements built on stolen Palestinian land are considered illegal under international law. Booking.com has denied the claims and said there are no laws prohibiting listings in Israeli settlements, adding that various US state laws would prohibit divesting from the region. Read more: Rights groups file complaint against Booking.com for listing Israeli settlements.
CIA, Mossad chiefs to meet in Europe to discuss Gaza negotiations
CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to meet Mossad chief David Barnea in Europe over the weekend in an attempt to restart negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire deal, according to the NYT. The talks are being held at an undisclosed location in Europe over the next few days. It’s not clear if Egyptian and Qatari negotiators will take part.
Israeli activists protest war in Gaza
Al-Aqsa Hospital patients will die without fuel, electricity: Report
Hospital spokesperson Khalil al-Deqran told Al Jazeera that doctors are unable to use many of the facilities at Al-Aqsa Hospital because of power outages, which have forced the shutdown of the generators. Deqran said:
Some of the patients are being treated on the floor. This will lead to the death of so many sick and wounded people.
A statement from the hospital reported by the Quds News Network said:
We appeal to the international community and all international and UN organisations to supply 50 kL of fuel to the hospital within the coming hours to prevent a health catastrophe affecting hundreds of patients and injured individuals. Any delay in supplying the fuel would effectively be a death sentence for these patients and injured individuals.
Closure of Al Jazeera in Israel condemned by twenty-seven countries
The Media Freedom Coalition have published a statement signed by the governments of 27 states criticising the shutdown of Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. The members of the coalition, which is a partnership working to advocate for media freedom, said:
A free and diverse media landscape is crucial for democracies to function, especially in times of conflict, as people rely on independent information from multiple, reliable sources to stay informed and make their decisions. It is essential that all journalists be given unhindered access to cover events and developments as they unfold, so that they have the possibility to report and inform transparently and factually.
It was signed by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, UK and US.
US seeking to revive EU group’s role in monitoring Rafah crossing
A European Union border assistance mission is under consideration to be put in charge of administering the Rafah crossing, according to a Politico report citing senior Biden administration officials. The European Union border assistance mission to the Rafah crossing point, EUBAM Rafah, in short, has reportedly been in talks with US officials to take over the administration of the Rafah crossing, which has been closed since Israel invaded Rafah on May 7. Its mission statement reads:
EUBAM Rafah is mandated to provide a Third-Party Presence at the Rafah Crossing Point. In its current stand-by mode, EUBAM Rafah supports enhanced capacity of Palestinian Authority border agencies.
EUBAM Rafah was previously in charge of monitoring the crossing from 2005 to June 2007, when it announced a temporary suspension of operations after Egypt closed the crossing following Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip. The US proposition of reinstalling EUBAM Rafah comes amid an ongoing impasse between Egyptian and Israeli officials on who should be put in charge. Read more: US seeking to revive EU group’s role in monitoring Rafah crossing.
Israel recovers bodies of three captives in Gaza
The Israeli army recovered the bodies of three Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip in an overnight operation, the military announced on Friday. The three were named as Orion Hernandez Radoux, 30, Hanan Yablonka, 42, and Michel Nisenbaum, 59. Israel claims all three were killed on Oct 7, but this claim could not be independently verified.
Israel kills two Palestinians in central Gaza
An Israeli military attack on az-Zawayda in central Gaza has killed at least two people, Al-Jazeera is reporting.
Israel forbids Spain from accessing Palestinians following recognition of Palestinian statehood
Israel will stop the Spanish embassy from providing consular services to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Friday. The move follows Spain’s decision to recognise Palestine as a state earlier this week, and comments made by the country’s deputy prime minister, who said:
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
The foreign minister wrote on Friday in a post on Twitter:
Following Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state and the Spanish deputy prime minister’s antisemitic call, I have decided to prohibit the Spanish embassy from providing services to Palestinians from Judea and Samaria. If this ignorant, hate-filled individual wants to understand what radical Islam truly seeks, she should study the 700 years of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus, today’s Spain.
Student, teacher, doctor, and a playful brother: The Palestinians Israel killed in Jenin
A wide-scale Israeli military assault on Jenin in the occupied West Bank entered its second day on Wednesday. The ongoing raid started Tuesday morning, with Israeli forces shooting at moving cars and civilians in the city’s refugee camp. Eight Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the first 24 hours, with 24 more people wounded and many others detained. Israeli armoured vehicles and bulldozers demolished homes, shops and roads in the assault, as clashes with local fighters continued. Read more: Student, teacher, doctor, and a playful brother: The Palestinians Israel killed in Jenin.
Biden administration weighs formation of post-war force to rule Gaza
The Biden administration is making preparations for the formation of what it calls peacekeeping force which would be composed by vetted Palestinians or Arabs in postwar Gaza with a US official serving as its top civilian advisor, Politico reports, citing four US officials with knowledge on the matter. The US expects to play a prominent role in rebuilding and rehabilitating the Gaza Strip following the Israeli destruction aided by US weaponry. One option on the table is to appoint a US official to serve as a civilian adviser to the force. According to the report, the US is also working to persuade Egypt, Morocco and the UAE to join the force, should it be formed. A document obtained by Politico suggests that the peacekeeping force should not be “a US-commanded mission” as it would likely “encounter fierce resistance by the Palestinian people given US support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.” The document suggests that the force would be composed of some 2k Palestinian members and an additional 1k members from Arab countries, with an “appropriately senior officer” from either Israel, Egypt of a reformed Palestinian Authority at its helm. The US currently favours Egypt as the contender to lead the force, according to the report.
Israeli ai strikes kill seven Palestinians in their home in Gaza
Israeli air strikes have hit several homes in northern Gaza, killing at least seven people, reports WAFA. One house was hit in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, north of Gaza City, killing two members of the family sheltering there, the report added. Another house was struck in al-Fakhoura neighbourhood near the Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least five people and wounding several others.
Three US troops wounded during Gaza pier operation
Three US troops suffered non-combat injuries in the effort to make a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, with one in critical condition at an Israeli hospital, US officials said on Thursday Reuters reported.
US comedian Dave Chappelle calls out Israel’s ‘genocide’ in UAE show
US comedian Dave Chappelle said on Thursday that a “genocide” is taking place in Gaza. Chappelle’s made the comments while performing in Abu Dhabi, which has maintained its diplomatic relations with Israel. Before coming on stage, the full crowd at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena cheered as DJ Trauma, who accompanied Chappelle on the trip, played the song “My Blood is Palestinian” by the Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf. Chappelle also noted that making Jews safer in America amid rising cases of anti-Semitism would make them realise they do not need Israel as an ultimate protector.
Palestinian Authority facing fiscal collapse: World Bank
The fiscal situation of the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank, has worsened in the last three months, “significantly raising the risk of a fiscal collapse,” the World Bank said on Thursday amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Reuters reported:
The rapidly widening gap between the amount of revenues coming in, and the amount needed to finance essential public expenditure, is driving a fiscal crisis.
US Congress is set to host war crimes suspect Netanyahu to speak
Netanyahu who is suspected of carrying out war crimes in Gaza and has an arrest warrant pending over him, will soon address a joint session of Congress in the US, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday. Johnson said to applause at the Israeli embassy’s annual Independence Day reception in Washington:
Tonight I’m happy to announce something else to you. We will soon be hosting Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol for a joint session of Congress.
Israeli military bombs apartment in Gaza City, killing 10
The Israeli military has bombed an apartment complex in Gaza City, killing at least 10 people, WAFA reported. Women and children were killed in the strike on the apartment, which belongs to the al-Ayoubi family and is located in the Shabiyah area of Gaza City, northern Gaza.
Biden’s approach to Rafah and Gaza aid is ‘monument to American fecklessness’
Blinken told a congressional hearing earlier this week that the several leaks to the media regarding private discussions and frustrations about Israel’s military conduct in Gaza should have never happened. He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday:
It’s deeply unfortunate that discussion was leaked to the press when it was a private discussion between us and Israel. Leaks are an unfortunate part of the business that we’re all engaged in. It’s really regrettable but it happens. But also something that’s not a leak is the fact that we’ve been both public and private about the fact that we have deep concerns about a major military operation in Rafah.
The congressional hearing highlighted a major discussion around the US-Israel relationship and the levers of pressure available to the Biden administration concerning Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Read more: Biden’s approach to Rafah and Gaza aid is ‘monument to American fecklessness.’
Morning recap
It’s day 231 of Israel’s war on Gaza. This is a recap of the last few hours to get you up to speed this morning:
- Al-Aqsa Hospital will shut down if no fuel is provided for its generators, the hospital warned
- Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 15 children, with Israel targeting Fatima al-Zahraa school were women and children are sheltering
- Israeli forces have killed at least 38 Palestinians in air and artillery strikes across Gaza
- Netanyahu has said he has a “surprising plan” to combat Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
- CIA chief Bill Burns is set to travel to Europe in the coming days to meet with his Mossad counterpart David Barnea, in a bid to restart hostage talks.
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