UN humanitarian officials say that thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are “just a step away from famine” by May. Russia calls on UNSC members to refrain from endorsing Washington’s resolution on Gaza, denouncing it as “a license to kill” for Israel.
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Casualties
- 29,954+ killed* and at least 70,352 wounded in the Gaza Strip.
- 380+ 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.
- 582 Israeli soldiers killed since October 7, and at least 3,221 injured.**
*This figure was confirmed by Gaza’s Ministry of Health on Telegram channel. Some rights groups put the death toll number closer to 35,000 when accounting for those presumed dead.
** This figure is released by the Israeli military, showing the soldiers whose names “were allowed to be published.”
Key Developments
- Hamas armed wing launches volley of missiles from southern Lebanon at northern Israeli targets on Wednesday morning.
- Hamas says it bombed “the headquarters of Israel’s 769th Eastern Brigade, and its airport barracks in Beit Hilal in northern occupied Palestine (present day Israel), with two missile salvos consisting of 40 Grad missiles.”
- Hamas attack causes severe damage to Israeli buildings in Kiryat Shmona settlement in the Galilee panhandle area, close to the borders with Lebanon.
- Ismail Haniyeh says “any flexibility we show in negotiations, out of concern for the blood of our people, is matched by a willingness to defend them.”
- On ceasefire talks, senior Hamas figure, Basem Naim, says: “The gap is still wide. We have to discuss a lot of points with the mediators.”
- Russia calls U.N. Security Council members to refrain from endorsing U.S. proposed resolution on Gaza, saying it constitutes “another license to kill” for Israel.
- Carl Skau, deputy executive director of WFP, says there is “a real prospect of famine by May [in Gaza].”
- Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza cancels all orthopedic and plastic surgeries after Israeli bombing destroyed two operating rooms.
- The Commission for Prisoners warns that the life of Palestinian prisoner Moatasem Raddad, 38, is at risk inside Israeli jail.
- Israeli settlers block Palestinian cars from traveling on road connecting Asira Al-Qibliya and Urif villages, south of Nablus.
Hamas fires volley of missiles on Israel from Lebanon
Hamas’ armed wing, Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, launched on Wednesday morning a barrage of missiles from southern Lebanon on Israeli targets in the north.
Israel’s Genocide War in Gaza Continues
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back yesterday against President Biden’s recent warning that Israel will lose international support if its “incredibly conservative” government continues down its current path. In a video, Netanyahu said he has led a successful campaign aimed at “countering international pressure to end the war ahead of time and mobilize support for Israel,” appearing to cite a recent Harvard-Harris poll that found more than 80% of those surveyed in the United States supported Israel more than Hamas in the current war. “This gives us more backing to continue the war until the total victory,” Netanyahu said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Hamas officials said yesterday that there has been no breakthrough in the mediated talks with Israel aimed at pausing the war and a prison-hostage exchange, a day after Biden said he was hopeful a ceasefire could start next week. A Hamas spokesperson said that the group had yet to formally receive “any new proposals” since senior Israeli officials met with mediators in Paris last week to advance a possible deal. Another Hamas official said yesterday that the group was sticking to its demand for a long-term ceasefire. Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, noted that “efforts are ongoing” and that all parties are conducting regular meetings. Aaron Boxerman, Hwaida Saad, Raja Abdulrahim, and Michael Levenson report for the New York Times.
Israeli negotiators have signaled that Israel could release a group of high-profile Palestinian prisoners serving lengthy jail terms in exchange for the release of some of the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, officials said. The shift in Israeli negotiating strategy could help persuade Hamas to agree to a deal that would temporarily pause fighting in Gaza. Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley report for the New York Times.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed to continue expanding settlements in the West Bank, defying international pressure to stop building on land that Palestinians view as core to a future independent state. Late yesterday, Smotrich announced the approval of a new settlement called Mishmar Yehuda and said work would continue on authorizing additional settlements. The move comes days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington considered Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be inconsistent with international law. Reuters reports.
At least a quarter of Gaza’s population – 576,000 people – are one step away from famine and nearly the entire population desperately needs food, U.N. humanitarian officials said yesterday, adding that levels of desperation are leading to some aid trucks being shot at, looted and overwhelmed by hungry people. As dire as the situation is today, U.N. humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Ramasingham told the U.N. Security Council, “there is every possibility for further deterioration.” Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
Israel will take measures to protect civilians if it expands military operations in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told CNN yesterday.
Hospitals in Gaza are facing dire conditions, with some operating without electricity, water, and low levels of medical supplies, the Hamas-run health ministry said yesterday. The situation is especially critical at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, the ministry said, where the generator has stopped, the sewage network has collapsed, water has been cut off, and more than 120 patients need to be evacuated to receive care. In northern Gaza, the Al-Awda Health and Community Association warned that its hospital faces “complete cessation” of services within the next 48 hours.
Israel held local elections yesterday, the first time that voters have gone to the polls since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Voters were choosing municipal and regional officials, who are responsible for issues like education, garbage disposal and park cleaning, in a vote delayed from Oct. 31 due to the war. Results are not expected for a few days until absentee ballots are tallied. Adam Sella reports for the New York Times.
REGIONAL RESPONSE
Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah will halt attacks on Israel if Hamas agrees to a proposal for a truce with Israel in Gaza, unless Israeli forces keep shelling Lebanon, according to two sources familiar with Hezbollah’s thinking. “The moment Hamas announces its approval of the truce, and the moment the truce is declared, Hezbollah will adhere to the truce and will stop operations in the south immediately, as happened the previous time,” one of the two sources said. Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily report for Reuters.
The emir of Qatar spoke yesterday of “a race against time” to secure hostage releases as part of the diplomatic push for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. Speaking at a dinner on a two-day state visit to France, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani noted that both countries are working intensely on Gaza diplomacy but spoke soberingly about the mounting civilian death toll. “The world sees a genocide of the Palestinian people. Hunger, forced displacement, savage bombardments are used as weapons. And the international community still hasn’t managed to adopt a unified position to end the war in Gaza,” he said. Sylvie Corbet and John Leicester report for AP News.
Planes from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and France joined a Jordanian airdrop operation along the coast of Gaza yesterday, the Jordanian military said in a statement. It marked the first time Egypt has airdropped aid to Gaza since the start of the war, and also appeared to be the first for the U.A.E. The New York Times reports.
U.S. RESPONSE
The Biden administration gave Israel until mid-March to sign a letter, provided by White House yesterday, that gives assurances it will abide by international law while using U.S. weapons and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, three U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios. The assurances are now a requirement under a memorandum issued by Biden earlier this month. While it does not single out Israel, the new policy came after some Democratic senators expressed concern over Israel’s military campaign. If Israel does not provide the assurances by the March deadline, U.S. weapon transfers will be paused.
Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen said yesterday that she urged Netanyahu in a letter to take steps to strengthen the Palestinian economy and warned the economic crisis in the West Bank could have negative consequences for Israel. Speaking at a press conference in Brazil, Yellen said, “The United States has urged the Israeli government to release clearance revenue to the Palestinian Authority to fund basic services and to bolster the economy in the West Bank.” Yellen also noted the suspension of Israeli permits for the 150,000 Palestinian workers from the West Bank has “hurt the Israeli economy,” a source said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The United States will provide $53 million in additional aid to support humanitarian programs that are delivering desperately needed assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at a press briefing yesterday. The new package will bring the total amount of U.S. aid delivered to Gaza during the war to $180 million, Kirby said, adding, “There’s no question that much more aid is needed to address the critical and urgent needs on the ground.”
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
Iran has made a concerted effort to rein in militias in Iraq and Syria after the United States responded with a series of airstrikes for the killing of three U.S. Army personnel this month. U.S. officials say that since Feb. 2, there have been no attacks by Iran-backed militias on U.S. bases in Iraq and only two minor attacks in Syria. The Biden administration has previously made clear that Tehran would be held accountable for operations by proxy forces, but it has avoided any direct attack on Iran. Farnaz Fassihi, Eric Schmitt, and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH THE HOUTHIS
| “Joe Biden had a really, really strong night tonight. You can’t cut it any other way than that,” Mitch Landrieu said during the CNN appearance. “That is not to say that the uncommitted vote wasn’t substantial.” Newsweek Bulletin |
| Despite progressives’ efforts to sway voters to withhold their support and vote “uncommitted,” President Joe Biden won the Michigan Democratic primary election, according to projections from CNN. However, Mitch Landrieu, the national co-chair for the president’s reelection campaign, said that the “uncommitted” votes were a “substantial” message to Biden.Why it matters: Biden’s support for Israel’s military so far has faced immense backlash from several key demographics of the Democratic electorate. Pro-Palestinian critics of Biden hoped to send him a warning in Michigan by voting “uncommitted.” The movement earned the support of high-profile progressives, including Palestinian American Representative Rashida Tlaib. However, Landrieu said Biden fared better in Michigan than former President Donald Trump. Biden garnered about 78.5 percent of the primary vote, while “uncommitted” was up to 16.2 percent. |
A rocket exploded late last night off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen in the latest suspected attack carried out by the Houthis, authorities said. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees shipping in the Mideast, reported the attack happened around 70 miles off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, adding that “The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to next port of call.” The Houthis have not claimed the attack at the time of writing. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
The U.S. Central Command said its aircraft and a coalition warship shot down five Houthi one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the Red Sea last night.“CENTCOM forces identified these UAVs originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region,” it said.
MAOR STAKEHOLDERS ARE DEEPLY DIVIDED ON POST-WAR GAZA
Bottom Line Up Front:
* Weekend talks in Paris outlined revised terms for a temporary Gaza ceasefire and hostage release but did not clarify how the enclave would be administered long-term.
* Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week released a plan for post-war Gaza that is deeply at odds with principles articulated by the United States, its allies, and the Arab states.
* Despite Israeli opposition, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) appears to be gearing up to resume its role in governing the Gaza Strip.
* Major Persian Gulf and other Arab states refuse any role in post-war Gaza unless Israel accepts PA rule in the enclave after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdraw.
Read the full text at The Soufan Center website
The United States, its European allies, and the Arab states are working to wind down the Israel-Hamas war, beginning with a long but still temporary ceasefire, accompanied by Hamas’ return of all hostages and an Israeli release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners. Talks last weekend in Paris among the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, joined by Israel’s chiefs of intelligence, revived stalled ceasefire talks and reportedly reached agreement on a truce framework. As of yesterday, there were still mixed signals, with President Biden saying that a ceasefire could be reached by next Monday, and Hamas saying it had yet to see “any new proposals” that would move talks forward. Israel’s government has repeatedly balked at any formula that would enable Hamas to remain an organized political and military entity in the Gaza Strip. However, it is not clear whether a deal is imminent. The Paris talks took on urgency earlier this month as
Israel threatened to extend its offensive into the city of Rafah, on the Egypt – Gaza border, if Hamas did not release all Israeli and foreign hostages before the Muslim holy period of Ramadan– expected to begin March 10. An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah to avoid fighting in areas to its north, and they now live under increasingly dire humanitarian conditions. The United States has pointedly opposed an Israeli offensive in Rafah unless Israel developed a cohesive plan to relocate Palestinian civilians and avoid interfering with the flow of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip. Yet most observers acknowledge that there is nowhere for civilians to go, with many warning that an Israeli offensive into Rafah will be a humanitarian nightmare, resulting in massive civilian deaths and suffering.