The U.S. government threatens further regional violence on the heels of drone attack that killed three American troops in Jordan. Human rights groups slam countries for pulling funding for UNRWA as Palestinians in Gaza face famine and starvation.
Casualties
- 26,422+ killed* and at least 65,087 wounded in the Gaza Strip.
- 387+ Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem
- Israel revises its estimated October 7 death toll down from 1,400 to 1,147.
- 557 Israeli soldiers killed since October 7, and at least 3,221 injured.**
*This figure was confirmed by Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Some rights groups put the death toll number at more than 33,000 when accounting for those presumed dead.
** This figure is released by the Israeli military.
Key Developments
- Occupied West Bank: Israeli forces shoot dead a Palestinian child southeast of Bethlehem and Palestinian man west of Jenin.
- High-ranking Israeli politicians attend “Return to Gaza Conference” to plan re-settlement.
- Human Rights Monitor: Israeli forces kill 373 Palestinians, including 345 civilians, 48 hours after ICJ interim ruling.
- UNICEF: Over 16,000 children at risk of missing routine vaccinations, exposing them to illnesses like measles, pneumonia and polio.
- PCRS: Israeli shellings and heavy gunfire in the vicinity of besieged Al-Amal Hospital, Khan Younis.
- CENTACOM: Three US service members killed, 25 injured in drone attack by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq in northeast Jordan.
- Gaza Health Ministry: 7,000 wounded and sick people need to leave Gaza to access life-saving medical care.
- Jordan, Turkey, Amnesty International, and WHO call on countries to reinstate funds for UNRWA.
- UNRWA: Only 4 of 22 health centers in Gaza operational due to bombardment and access restrictions
- Yemen’s Ansar Allah send message of defiance to Israel and its allies via music video.
- Japan and Austria join about a dozen countries in suspending funds to UNRWA.
- Gaza’s Health Ministry: Al Nasser Hospital, Khan Younis medical and non-medical waste is piling up “everywhere” amid military siege.
| Elham Fakhro joins host Yara Hawari to discuss the reactions of Arab peoples and their governments to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, placing them within the historical and contemporary context of Arab normalization with the Israeli regime.Listen here on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. |
Regional Arabic Outlets: Reporting on Additional Attacks Against Americans While Linking the Jordan Attack to the War in Gaza
Arabic sources confirmed the Iraqi armed factions strikes on a base housing American forces near Erbil Airport. Al Jazeera reported a source in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced the killing of American soldiers by a drone. Sami Abu Zuhri, a leader in Hamas in a statement to Reuters, said “The killing of three American soldiers is a message to the U.S. administration that unless the killing of innocents in Gaza stops, it will face the entire nation.” He added, “The ongoing American-Zionist aggression on Gaza is enough to explode all situations in the region.”
Arab analysts also noted that the attack exposed a significant technical security breach as well as the militias’ precise strike capabilities. The fact that a large drone targeted sleeping quarters and residences of soldiers indicated precise intelligence and guidance systems equipped not just with explosives. The drone came from Syria.
Predicting whether and where the U.S. might retaliate, analysts on various Arab media said the easiest and nearest option for the U.S. is to attack Iranian targets in Syria, which has been done by American forces before without a reaction from the Syrian regime.
The Houthis, meanwhile, claimed that the attack on Tower 22 was “a message to US policy in the region” and represented “the discontent with the American policy in the Arab world.” This narrative supports the Iranian regime’s plausible deniability by depicting the attack as a spontaneous reaction of non-Iranian regional people, as opposed to an element of Tehran’s carefully crafted regional campaign against the U.S. and its allies.
Other significant reactions from key policy makers in the United States and several countries:
Egypt: Egypt affirmed its strong condemnation of any terrorist acts that threaten the security and stability of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, expressing full solidarity with Jordan in this delicate situation… Egypt emphasized the necessity of confronting all forms of terrorism and rejecting all manifestations of violence to ensure the stability of the region.
Israel: Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, “We stand united in our values and battle against a common enemy. Their sacrifice will always be remembered. Rest in peace. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.” War Cabinet member (and opposition leader) Benny Gantz called for restraining the ‘Axis of Terrorism’ led by Iran in the Red Sea and the region.
Russia: President Putin’s Middle East envoy Alexander Lavrentiev argued that the United States had brought the Tower 22 attack on itself by meddling in the region. Lavrentiev alleged that the United States had been escalating terrorist activity in the Al-Tanf region in Syria, nearby Tower 22, thereby implying that the deadly attack was the fault of the Americans themselves.
Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq: KRG President Nechirvan Barzani condemned the “terrorist” attack against American forces in northeastern Jordan. Both he and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani were unequivocal that the attack showed the danger of the Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Their responses implied that the Tower 22 attack was the continuation of the IRGC aggression against the KRG, which involved most recently the deadly IRGC missile attack on Erbil.
U.S. ESCALATION LIKELY AFTER TROOP DEATHS IN JORDAN
Bottom Line Up Front:
* The Sunday drone attack by Iran-backed militias that killed three U.S. military personnel at a base in Jordan, near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, affirms that the Israel-Hamas war has become a regional conflict.
* The Iran-aligned militias responsible for the attack might have been emboldened by the start of U.S.-Iraq talks on limiting the U.S. military presence in the country, or merely see this as the latest in a string of tit-for-tat escalatory actions with U.S. forces.
* The U.S. deaths, the first deaths caused by the nearly 160 attacks pro-Iranian militias have conducted since they began their campaign against U.S. forces on October 17, is certain to prompt U.S. escalation.
* The Jordan attack will broaden the U.S. debate over its level of involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict and embolden those U.S. leaders calling for U.S. retaliation against targets inside Iran itself.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
President Biden vowed yesterday to respond after three U.S. troops were killed and 34 injured in a drone attack in Jordan carried out by “radical Iran-backed militant groups” on a U.S. patrol base. The Pentagon called the strike a “One-Way ‘Suicide’ Drone Attack on a Patrol Base” near the Syrian and Iraqi border in northeastern Jordan. Nick Robertson reports for The Hill.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson dismissed the U.S. accusation about Tehran’s involvement in yesterday’s drone attack on the U.S. base in Jordan as “baseless.” Nasser Kanani insisted Iran was “not involved in the decision making of Resistance groups” in how they “defend Palestinians or their own countries.” BBC Newsreports.
ISRAEL Genocide in Gaza continues
Israeli military and intelligence officials have concluded that a large number of weapons used by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks and in the war came from the Israeli military itself. While analysts have long pointed to underground smuggling routes, recent intelligence shows that Hamas has been able to build rockets and anti-tank weaponry out of the thousands of munitions launched into Gaza by Israel that failed to detonate, according to weapons experts and Israeli and Western intelligence officials. Maria Abi-Habib and Sheera Frenkel report for the New York Times.
Several right-wing Israeli ministers attended a conference yesterday calling for Israelis’ “resettlement” of Gaza, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich delivering keynote speeches. The conference, dubbed “Settlement Brings Security,” was led in part by the Nachala organization, a group endorsing the expansion of Jewish settlements. The event called for Israel to rebuild settlements in both Gaza and northern parts of the occupied West Bank. Chantal Da Silva reports for NBC News.
Israel said “significant gaps” remain after ceasefire talks yesterday with the United States, Qatar, and Egypt but called the talks constructive and said they will continue over the next week, a tentative sign of progress on a potential agreement that would see Israel pause military operations against Hamas for an extended period of time in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages. Najib Jobain, Wafaa Shurafa and Melanie Lidman report for AP News.
Israel ramped up efforts yesterday to prevent Israeli protesters from blocking the flow of aid into Gaza, two days after the International Court of Justice said it must allow more supplies to enter the enclave. The military declared the area around the border crossing into Gaza a closed military zone. The order is intended to bar access to all unauthorized people and will remain in force through next Saturday. Isabel Kershner reports for the New York Times.
REGIONAL RESPONSE
Senior national security officials from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority secretly met in Riyadh 10 days ago to coordinate plans for the day after the war in Gaza ends and to discuss how a revitalized Palestinian Authority could govern the region, according to three sources with knowledge of the meeting. The Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian security chiefs told Majed Faraj, director of the Palestinian general intelligence service, the Palestinian Authority needs to conduct serious reforms that will enable it to revitalize its political leadership, the sources said. Two sources said U.S. and Israeli officials were briefed on the discussions by some of the participants. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Several countries have suspended funding for the U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) after the agency announced it fired several staff over allegations they were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The donor countries suspending aid include Australia, Canada, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Established in 1949, UNRWA is the largest UN agency operating in Gaza and employs around 13,000 people inside the enclave. Sarah Fowler and Lipika Pelham report for BBC News.
UNRWA said it could be forced to suspend its operations if donor states do not reinstate funding they recently paused over allegations that some of the agency’s staff participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. “I urge countries who have suspended their funding to reconsider their decisions before UNRWA is forced to suspend its humanitarian response,” the agency’s Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a statement. “The lives of people in Gaza depend on this support and so does regional stability.” Omar Abdel-Baqui and David Luhnow report for the Wall Street Journal.
Uganda has distanced itself from an opinion written by a Ugandan judge serving at the International Court of Justice who dissented from the panel’s ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. “The position taken by Judge Sebutinde is her own individual and independent opinion, and does not in any way reflect the position of the government of the republic of Uganda,” the government said. Judge Sebutinde was the only judge out of the 17-member panel to vote against all six measures adopted by the court ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide and ensure humanitarian relief as it battles Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Reuters reports.
U.S. RESPONSE
The Biden administration is discussing leveraging arms sales to Israel to convince the Israeli government to scale back its military campaign in Gaza, according to three current U.S. officials and one former U.S. official. At the direction of the White House, the Pentagon has been reviewing what weaponry Israel has requested that could be used as leverage, the sources said, adding that Israeli officials continue to ask for more weapons including aerial bombs, ammunition, and air defenses. Carol E. Lee and Courtney Kube report for NBC News.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing criticism after suggesting some pro-Palestinain protesters are “connected to Russia.” Pelosi said yesterday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “for them to call for a ceasefire is Mr. Putin’s message.” Aileen Graef reports for CNN.
IRAN-PAKISTAN TENSIONS
Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian landed in Pakistan today for “in-depth talks” on de-escalating tensions following the deadly airstrikes by Tehran and Islamabad earlier this month that killed at least 11 people. Both ministers are expected to hold a joint news conference later today. Munir Ahmed reports for AP News.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH HOUTHIS
Yemen’s Houthis claimed they launched a missile at a U.S. warship in the Gulf of Aden yesterday evening. The operation was part of “military measures in defense of Yemen, reaffirmation of the decision to support the oppressed Palestinian people,” military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said. Meanwhile, a U.S. Defense official rejected the Houthi claims and said there had not been any reported attacks on Washington’s vessels. BBC News reports.
Jordan: Initially Trying to Claim the Deadly Strike Wasn’t on Jordanian Territory, then Tying it to the Narcotrafficking War on Jordan’s Border
In the immediate aftermath of the attack on Tower 22, Jordanian government spokesman denied that Jordanian territory had been attacked and tried to claim the attack actually took place inside Syria, at the Coalition base a short distance away at Tanf. The Jordanians’ initial narrative was clearly meant to give Jordan the latitude to avoid being embroiled in any subsequent US-Iran escalation.
Al Jazeera highlighted the conflicting statements on the exact location of the strike and whether it is in Syrian or Jordanian territory. The outlet noted that while the United States confirmed the killing of their soldiers in Jordan, for some odd reason, the Jordanian official statement continued to say the base is not in Jordan. The Minister told the official “Al-Mamlaka” channel that “the attack targeting U.S. forces near the Syrian border did not occur inside Jordan,” clarifying that “the attack targeted the Al-Tanf base in Syria.” But the Jordanians were forced to discard this narrative once U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin publicly said the attack took place at Tower 22 inside Jordan.
Once the Jordanians acknowledged the attack had taken place inside Jordan, their media emphasis shifted to saying that the attack was indicative of Jordan’s long standing warning that it needed more help to secure the violent Jordan-Syria border. Jordanian military analyst, Al-Duwairi said that Jordan has been voicing concerns about these threats emanating from the north and east.
This theme was echoed by Jordanian government sources who told media outlets that Jordan would be requesting an urgent deployment of U.S. Patriot missiles.
Biden Pledges Retaliation After Drone Strike Kills U.S. Troops in Jordan
“The question Biden faces is whether he just wants to react to events in the region or whether he wants to send a bigger message that attempts to restore a sense of deterrence that just hasn’t existed in the region for months now,” the Middle East Institute’s Brian Katulis tells the New York Times.
“The Biden administration would have a better chance of securing help from friends in the region if it was not so passive,” CFR expert Steven A. Cook writes for the Wall Street Journal. “No one is going to lend a hand to the U.S. unless Washington takes decisive action to reform the [Palestinian Authority], confront Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ and isolate the region’s arsonists, notably Qatar and Turkey.”