A mass grave in northern Gaza was found following the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The already decomposing bodies were tied up, blindfolded, and dumped after allegedly being killed execution-style.
Casualties
- 27,019+ killed* and at least 66,139 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.
- 558 Israeli soldiers killed since October 7, and at least 3,221 injured.**
*This figure was confirmed by Gaza’s Ministry of Health on February 1. 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
- Over 70 U.S. cities pass symbolic resolutions calling for ceasefire in Gaza.
- Palestinian officials accuse Israeli forces of “execution-style” killings in Gaza following reports of bodies with blindfolds and tied hands discovered in mass grave in northern Gaza.
- UN: unemployment in Gaza reached nearly 80 percent in December.
- Doctors without borders: Israeli forces have rejected aid deliveries to north Gaza “almost systematically,” medical facilities under constant attack by Israeli forces.
- UNRWA Gaza Chief: UNRWA staff and thousands of displaced Gazans forced to leave Khan Younis due to Israeli aggression.
- Human Rights Watch: UNRWA funding freeze could hasten famine in Gaza.
- UNOCHA:184,000 people sheltering on western outskirts of Khan Younis
- UNRWA: Facilities for displaced families in Gaza attacked at least 270 times since October 7.
- Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is expected in Cairo as the Palestinian group reviews a proposal for a six-week truce.
- Netenyahu: Israel has “red lines” in its ongoing negotiations.
- PCRS: Israeli forces storm Al-Amal Hospital square and fire heavily around the medical complex.
Israel’s Genocide in Gaza Continues
Israel Nears End of Major Military Campaign in Gaza, Exposes UNRWA-Hamas Connections. On this day, after four months of military operations, Israel estimated that 2,000 Hamas members are incapacitated, the Israeli government released documents proving at least 190 members of UNRWA staff are Hamas or Palestinian Jihad, and continued destroying the vast network of underground tunnels used by Hamas members as part of Israel’s broader strategy to dismantle Hamas’ underground tunnel network, allegedly used for command and control, weapon transport, and holding about 130 hostages.
In a press conference, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari reported that approximately 2,000 Hamas militants were killed by the Israeli army in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip. He noted that numerous Hamas leaders died, fled, or surrendered providing valuable intelligence. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, speaking near the Gaza border, stated that around half of Hamas fighters were either killed or injured. He anticipated prolonged fighting in Gaza, emphasizing that Hamas lacks supplies, ammunition, and reinforcements.
Meanwhile, Elon Levy, addressing the situation from the Israeli government’s viewpoint, accused UNRWA of serious offenses. His globally aired statement implicated the agency as a covert supporter of Hamas, outlining ‘recruitment, military activity, and aid distribution’ as the main forms of collusion. Levy contended that 10% of UNRWA staff have ties to Hamas or Jihad.
Following Levy’s statement, Israeli intelligence provided concrete evidence, uncovering documents and identity cards that link approximately 190 UNRWA employees to Hamas or Palestinian Jihad. This evidence includes names and photographs of individuals involved in various activities, including the transport of an Israeli soldier’s body, coordination of weapon supplies, and management of militant transport. Among the implicated are an UNRWA teacher possessing an anti-tank missile, another caught photographing a hostage, and a store manager at an UNRWA school who allegedly set up a war command room for the jihad movement. In light of these findings, Israeli forces arrested several UNRWA workers traveling from Khan Yunis to Rafah and dismantled a hidden Palestinian Islamic Jihad underground weapons factory, seizing rockets and explosives concealed in U.N. Relief and Works Agency sacks.
In response to these allegations and potential funding issues, UNRWA announced the risk of suspending operations in Gaza and the region after February. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the challenging conditions faced by UNRWA workers in humanitarian relief.
Several nations, including key allies, openly opposed the United States’ decision to halt funding to UNRWA. In this context, the UAE, through Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reinforced its support for UNRWA during talks with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. They stressed the necessity of safe humanitarian aid in Gaza and the importance of preventing further conflict and loss of life. Sheikh Abdullah praised UNRWA’s swift handling of internal issues and urged other donors to renew their support, highlighting UNRWA’s essential humanitarian role amidst ongoing conflict and allegations.
Axios reported that a group of Democratic Jewish U.S. Congress members discussed alternatives to UNRWA in Gaza, with a senior official suggesting six international organizations, including UNICEF and the World Food Programme, as potential replacements or supplements, indicating a pursuit of viable solutions for the humanitarian needs in Gaza amid complex regional politics and security concerns.
Last but not least in Monday’s events, the AP Press reported on a contentious development in southern Gaza where an Islamic cemetery was demolished. The Israeli army justified this action, stating that Hamas has been utilizing such sites for military operations. In a related move, the Israeli army disclosed its strategy of flooding the underground tunnel network in Gaza. This tactic aims to disrupt the extensive tunnel system used by Hamas for various purposes, including attacks on Israel, command and control operations, weapons transportation, and allegedly holding around 130 hostages.
Following the reports of significant casualties among Hamas fighters and the controversial demolition of an Islamic cemetery in southern Gaza, tensions escalated further. An official from Hamas’ Health Ministry leveled grave accusations against Israel, alleging organ theft from the bodies managed by the Ministry of Health. These claims were echoed by the Palestinian News Agency “Wafa,” which reported inconsistencies in bodies returned by Israeli forces. Adding to the gravity, The Palestinian News Agency “Wafa” supported the allegations of misconduct, reporting anomalies in bodies that Israeli forces had returned. “Wafa” revealed that the Israeli army initially took 110 bodies from the Shifa Medical Complex, all casualties of their military actions in Gaza. However, they later returned only 100 of these bodies, raising questions about the missing ten. No response in Israeli media was found.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday “It’s time that the international community and the UN itself understand that UNRWA’s mission has to end. There are other agencies in the UN. There are other agencies in the world. They have to replace UNRWA.” He continued, “UNRWA is totally infiltrated with Hamas. It has been in the service of Hamas and its schools, and in many other things. I say this with great regret because we hoped that there would be an objective and constructive body to offer aid.”
The U.N. humanitarian affairs chief appealed to nations yesterday to resume funding for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). The “lifesaving services” UNRWA provides “to over three-quarters of Gaza’s residents should not be jeopardized by the alleged actions of a few individuals,” Martin Griffiths told the Security Council. “It is a matter of extraordinary disproportion.” He added, “Our humanitarian response for the occupied Palestinian territory is dependent, completely dependent on UNRWA being adequately funded and operational.” Anushka Patil reports for the New York Times.
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are demanding an investigation after 30 bodies were reportedly discovered under a school in northern Gaza. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry in the West Bank also called “for the formation of an international field investigation team” into what it described as “the massacres committed by the occupation,” alleging that according to civilian testimonies, “they were killed, seemingly executed, while blindfolded and their hands shackled.” Kareem Khadder, Ibrahim Dahman, Katie Polglase and Tim Lister report for CNN.
More than 100 Palestinian detainees who had been held in Israel have been released and entered Gaza early today, the Gaza Crossings Authority said. The 114 detainees, which included four women, were released through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Ibrahim Dahman and Tim Lister report for CNN.
Israeli forces have left the grounds of Al Amal hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza two days after entering the hospital complex, the Palestine Red Crescent said today. Ibrahim Dahman and Amir Tal report for CNN.
REGIONAL RESPONSE
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps reduced the deployment of their senior officers in Syria due to a spate of fatal Israeli strikes, and will instead draw on allied Shi’ite militia to preserve their sway, five sources familiar with the matter said. Since December, Israeli strikes have killed more than half a dozen of its members. Reuters reports.
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
South Africa denied claims that the ruling ANC party received funding from Iran to file its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). At a press briefing yesterday, foreign minister Naledi Pandor called the allegations a counter-offensive by Israel and its allies, echoing earlier comments by President Cyril Ramaphosa that South Africa could face retaliation for pursuing legal action against Israel. BBC News reports.
U.S. RESPONSE
| Biden will issue an executive order to sanction Israeli settlers involved in West Bank violence, AP sources say. President Biden has spoken out against retaliatory violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks against Israel. |
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked the State Department to review and present policy options on possible U.S. and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter. A senior U.S. official added that the Biden administration is linking a possible normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia to the creation of a pathway to establish a Palestinian state as part of its post-war strategy. Saudi officials have previously said that any potential normalization agreement would be conditioned on the creation of an “irrevocable” pathway toward a Palestinian state. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Blinken said yesterday the U.N.’s humanitarian work in Gaza is “absolutely vital” while calling for an investigation into the allegations that some UNRWA staff played a role in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. In remarks alongside UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, Blinken said “her mission now could not be more vital” and “We strongly and fully support it. We’ll be working very closely with Sigrid, with Israel, with Egypt, with other concerned parties to in the first instance maximize the assistance getting in, but not only getting into Gaza, getting to people who need it within Gaza, including in the north.” Jennifer Hansler reports for CNN.
A federal judge yesterday dismissed a lawsuit by Palestinian Americans who sought to force Washington to withdraw support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, as was widely expected based on constitutional precedent that only the political branches of U.S. government may determine foreign policy. However, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White wrote he would have preferred to issue the injunction if he were not limited by the Constitution, and implored the Biden administration to “examine the results of their unflagging support” of Israel. “As the ICJ has found, it is plausible that Israel’s conduct amounts to Genocide,” the opinion states. Shawn Hubler reports for the New York Times.
A group of U.S. citizens filed a federal lawsuit yesterday charging that the Hamas Oct. 7 attacks were “masterminded and funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Among the 67 plaintiffs are former hostages and people injured from the attacks, as well as family members of those killed. The lawsuit says, “Iran bears direct responsibility” for the Oct. 7 attacks. Diana Dasrath and Corky Siemaszko report for NBC News.
The Chicago City Council voted yesterday to approve a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war, making it the largest City in the United States to do so. The vote was 23-23 with Mayor Brandon Johnson breaking the tie. Colbi Edmonds reports for the New York Times.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
The United States yesterday attributed the drone attack that killed three U.S. personnel and wounded at least 40 in Jordan on Sunday to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a broad umbrella group of Iran-backed militias. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday that Washington believes the attack was planned and facilitated by the Islamic Resistance group, adding that President Biden is continuing to weigh response options but “the first thing you see won’t be the last thing … it won’t be a one off.” A U.S. official said Iranian assets outside of Iran could also be targets, with most strikes inside Syria. Meanwhile, Iran’s ambassador to the U.N. warned yesterday that Tehran would “decisively respond” to any U.S. attack on it after the United States said it holds Tehran responsible. POLITICO reports.
U.S. officials believe there are signs that Iranian leadership is worried about the actions of its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, according to multiple people familiar with U.S. intelligence, as acts from militia groups threaten to disrupt the global economy and risk direct confrontation with the United States. U.S. intelligence also suggests that Iran is concerned the Houthi attacks could upset economic relations with China and India, key Iranian allies. Officials cautioned that there is no sense that Iran’s wariness will change its strategy of supporting proxy attacks on U.S. and Western targets, although it could signal minor adjustments. Natasha Bertrand and Katie Bo Lillis report for CNN.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH HOUTHIS
The United States carried out airstrikes against a Houthi drone ground control station in Yemen and 10 Houthi drones today, U.S. Central Command said. Oren Liebermann reports for CNN.
The Houthis said they struck a U.S. merchant ship in the Red Sea yesterday that had been heading to “the ports of occupied Palestine,” a phrase sometimes used to refer to Israel, but two maritime sources said the claim was fake. There has also been no update from the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations, which usually sends alerts following such attacks. Patrick Jackson reports for BBC News.
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have scaled back deployment of their officers in Syria and will rely more on allied Shi’ite militia to preserve their sway there, sources familiar with the matter said. Recent Israeli strikes have killed more than half a dozen of their members, among them one of the Guards’ top intel generals.
- Tankers carrying Russian oil have continued sailing through the Red Sealargely uninterrupted by Houthi attacks on shipping and face lower risks, according to shipping executives, analysts and flows data. On Wednesday, the United States struck up to 10 drones in Yemen that were preparing to launch.