Human rights experts say the Biden administration’s proposed maritime corridor is a much less effective solution to addressing the dire needs of Gaza’s besieged and starving population than a ceasefire and pressuring Israel to open land crossings.
Casualties:
- 30,878+ killed* and at least 72,402 wounded in the Gaza Strip.
- 424+ 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.
- 587 Israeli soldiers killed since October 7, and at least 3,221 injured.*
Key Developments:
- Israeli bombardments kill at least twelve civilians across the Gaza Strip
- Israeli military carries out mass arrest campaign in Khan Younis in southern Gaza
- UNRWA: An average of 63 women are killed every day in Gaza
- Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City documents its first case of a child starving to death
- Poll: 67 percent of Israelis doubt that a hostage release deal will be reached in time for Ramadan
- Israeli soldiers arrest and beat Palestinian worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque
- UN: Israeli settlements are surging to record levels, to international condemnation
- European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen announces that maritime humanitarian aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza will open this weekend
- US President Joe Biden focuses on foreign policy, war in Gaza during State of the Union address.
- Protests demanding ceasefire in Gaza disrupt Biden’s State of the Union address.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he would build a “temporary pier” in Gaza to allow a maritime corridor to let humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip during last night’s State of the Union address.
“A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day.”
But dozens of humanitarian aid and NGO representatives argue that this is neither practical nor ethical–particularly given how many aid trucks are waiting to get into Gaza at the Rafah crossing.
- Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories have expanded by a record amount and risk eliminating any practical possibly of a Palestinian state, the UN human rights chief said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will push on with its offensive against Hamas. Follow the latest.
- AS AID AIRDROPS CONTINUE, A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE MOUNTS IN THE GAZA STRIP
Bottom Line Up Front:
* As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, the U.S. military began dropping food along the Strip’s coastline in a joint operation conducted by U.S. and Jordanian air forces over the weekend, according to a statement by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
* UN agencies and aid groups have highlighted that the airdrops are insufficient to meet the scale of the humanitarian crisis, as food insecurity has pushed at least a quarter of Gaza’s population toward famine, according to UN officials.
* The deterioration of conditions has led to chaos and violence in the Gaza Strip, particularly around aid deliveries, underscored by the incident around an aid convoy near Gaza City last week that reportedly left more than 100 dead.
* The international community, including Israel’s allies such as the European Union and the UK, has increased pressure on Israel to create new aid delivery routes.
Israel’s Genocide War in Gaza Continues
Hamas negotiators left Cairo yesterday without a breakthrough in talks over a ceasefire in Gaza, the group said, as hopes for an imminent ceasefire ahead of Ramadan continued to dim. U.S. officials have said that Israel has “more or less” accepted the deal, while a Hamas official said the negotiations had come to a “standstill,” blaming Israel for “clearly undermining any horizon for an agreement.” Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) internal investigation into the recent aid convoy incident in which over 100 Palestinians were killed as they tried to reach aid trucks has concluded that its troops did not open fire on the convoy itself. According to the probe, the military fired shots at several Palestinians who moved toward soldiers, “endangering troops.” The Times of Israel reports.
Israel has “prepared a new land crossing directly into northern Gaza,” a senior U.S. administration official said yesterday, following weeks of U.S. pressure as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens. “This third crossing will allow for aid to flow directly to the population in northern Gaza that is in dire need of assistance,” the official said, adding that “as the UN confirmed today, we expect the first deliveries to transit this crossing over the coming weeks, starting with a pilot and then ramping up.” Jennifer Hansler reports for CNN.
U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden reaffirmed Israel’s “right to go after Hamas” following the Oct. 7 attacks but said that Israel has a “fundamental responsibility” to protect civilians in Gaza. Speaking yesterday at the State of Union address, Biden reiterated U.S. support for a two-state solution, saying “no other path” would guarantee “Israel’s security and democracy” and that “Palestinians can live with peace and dignity.” Biden added, “This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined.” CNNreports.
The U.S. military will build a port offshore of Gaza to deliver more humanitarian aid into the enclave by sea, President Biden announced yesterday. The temporary port will increase humanitarian assistance by “hundreds of additional truckloads” per day, officials say. Biden said the port will involve a temporary pier to transport supplies from the sea to the shore, adding that Israel “must do its part” by allowing more aid to enter. It is not clear who will build the causeway or secure the aid on land, leaving crucial questions unanswered about how the operation will succeed. George Wright and Tom Bateman report for BBC News.
CIA Director Bill Burns has traveled back to the Middle East, according to a U.S. official and another source familiar with the trip. The source said Burns was in Egypt on Wednesday before traveling to Qatar yesterday. The U.S. official said Burns is not expected to stop in Israel on this trip. Alex Marquardt reports for CNN.
CIA chief visits region as Sinwar foils hostage deal
War cabinet convenes as hostage negotiations fail; Israeli official surprised by expected Biden announcement of pier to be established on Gaza shore to deliver aid
CIA chief William Burns arrived in the region to visit Egypt and Qatar as the US goes to great lengths to secure a hostage release deal in exchange for a cease-fire before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins early next week. Burns is not expected to visit Israel. Israeli officials said that despite the efforts, they were not optimistic that an agreement with Hamas can be reached because Hamas does not want one. “Hamas made the decision not to advance in the negotiations and to blame Israel for the hunger in Gaza, and to flood media outlets to turn them against Israel.” American officials also blamed Hamas for the failure of negotiations. “Hamas rejected the deal and refuses to release the old and infirmed hostages,” the officials said. The Wall Street Journal quoted Egyptian officials who said Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar believes he has the upper hand because of the internal political divisions within Israel and the increasing pressure of the US administration on the Israelis to do more to ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza. The Egyptians added that Sinwar hopes for more favorable terms in the wake of the growing tension between Israel and the US and that he would be able to achieve an end to the fighting and a complete withdrawal of IDF troops.
Report: Biden weighs conditioning Israeli use of US arms in Rafah
The Biden administration, worried about a new humanitarian catastrophe, appears to be considering ways to prevent Israel from using U.S. weapons if it attacks the densely populated area around the city of Rafah.
President Biden and senior advisers haven’t made any decision about imposing “conditionality” on U.S. weapons. But the very fact that officials seem to be debating this extreme step shows the administration’s growing concern about the crisis in Gaza — and its sharp disagreement with Israeli leaders over a Rafah assault.
“Israel should understand that the Biden administration’s level of frustration about mishandling of the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached the limit,” said Martin Indyk, a two-time U.S. ambassador to Israel. “If Israel launches an offensive in Rafah without adequately protecting the displaced civilian population, it may precipitate an unprecedented crisis in U.S.-Israel relations, even involving arms supplies.”
According to the Washington Post’s David Ignatius, the mere consideration of such a significant measure indicates the administration’s deepening worry over the Gaza crisis and its clear disagreement with Israeli officials regarding an attack on Rafah.
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
A top E.U. official is in Cyprus today to inspect preparations to send aid to Gaza by sea, hours after President Biden announced the U.S. military would set up a temporary port to support deliveries. It is unclear when the first ship will depart, but it is believed it could happen as early as Sunday, the expected start of Ramadan. Menelaos Hadjicostis reports for AP News.
The United States, the United Kingdom and France have submitted an official request initiated by Israel for an emergency U.N. Security Council session on the U.N.’s report accusing Hamas of sexual crimes on Oct. 7, Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said the aim of the session will be to “discuss the grave findings and to issue an unequivocal call for the immediate release of all the hostages in Gaza.” The Times of Israel reports.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
Lebanon has recirculated to mediating countries this week its “vision” for ending hostilities between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, a Lebanese government official told CNN. The official said the Lebanese vision, first presented at the U.N. Security Council in January, calls for a “full and balanced implementation” of U.N. resolution 1701 that ended the war in 2006. It also calls for Hezbollah and Israel to adopt a “full and immediate cessation of hostilities,” the source said. Upon full cessation, Israel would withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, including disputed areas like the Shebaa Farms, while Hezbollah and any armed factions would withdraw from the area between Lebanon’s Litani River and the Israeli border, and only troops of the Lebanese Armed Forces would be present there.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH THE HOUTHIS
U.S. forces shot down four anti-ship cruise missiles and one drone over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen yesterday, the U.S. Central Command said, adding that the strikes were taken in “self-defense.”
Muslim Holy Month Looms as Flashpoint in Fight Between Israel and Hamas
Israel fears militants could use Ramadan for second phase of Oct. 7 attacks
Q: How does Ramadan factor into the Israel-Hamas war?
The start of the Islamic holy month looms as a flashpoint in the fight. Israeli leaders have set the first day of Ramadan, which starts around Sunday, as a deadline for a Gaza cease-fire deal. Hamas is calling for mass protests on the same day. WSJ reporters covering the war from the Middle East wrote about the rising tensions.
A: The head of Hamas’s political bureau has called on Palestinians outside Gaza to converge on Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, on the first day of Ramadan to protest limits set on Palestinian worshipers. During the period of fasting and prayers, Muslim worshipers traditionally gather at the mosque, which is housed in a compound that is known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Judaism’s holiest place.Ramadan has in recent years seen tensions escalate in Israel and the Palestinian territories—including at the Al Aqsa Mosque—and Israeli security officials are concerned militants could exploit its significance to expand the war beyond Gaza by instigating violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the wider Middle East.Meanwhile, Israel says it will launch an offensive against what it sees as Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza—the city of Rafah where more than one million displaced Palestinians have taken shelter—if a cease-fire deal isn’t reached by Ramadan. An invasion of Rafah could inflame tensions in the region and potentially trigger a larger-scale conflict on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. On Thursday, Hamas said it was pausing its participation in talks, after its leader in Gaza emerged from days of silence to deliver a hardened negotiating position.
Gaza war turns Palestine into a potential Middle Eastern lightning rod.
The Gaza war has turned Palestine into a lightning rod for mounting frustration and discontent in Arab autocracies such as Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
Concerned that the war could mobilise segments of civil society, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates where any form of public protest is banned, have cracked down on expressions of solidarity with Gaza, including the sporting of keffiyehs, the chequered scarf that symbolises Palestinian nationalism.
In December, pro-Palestinian activists at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai faced unprecedented restrictions including prohibitions on flags and explicitly naming a country in news conferences, and scrutiny of their slogans.In January, the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, the biggest film event in the Middle East and North Africa, welcomed Palestinian cinema but banned the donning by attendees of keffiyehs.
Like in the second half of the 20th century, protests in the Middle East beyond the Gulf in support of Palestinians and against Israel’s assault on Gaza are as much about the war as they are about anger at governments’ faltering economic performance.
In Egypt’s case, “the question of Sisi’s future will arise when Egyptian citizens decide that they have nothing more to lose,” said Israeli journalist and Middle East analyst Zvi Bar’el.
The same is true for much of the Middle East beyond the Gulf with widespread public frustration at Arab states’ inability or unwillingness to alleviate Palestinian suffering as the joker in the pack. Read the full article here.
Five months of pain will not stop Palestinians demanding their rights
Daoud Kuttab
In the fall of 2023, Israel appeared to be on the cusp of widening its effort to bypass Palestinian rights by means of expanding its normalization process with Arab countries. It had an overwhelming political, financial and military advantage over the entire region. The balance of force seemed to be in its favor, many of the world’s most powerful countries and their media appeared to be in its pocket and its ideological Jewish superiority appeared to be taking center stage at little or no political cost.
Five months ago, all this changed.
Five months ago, Gaza was not known by many people around the world and the goal of Palestinians liberating their land and living in freedom seemed far-fetched. Palestinians have paid a high price for their insistence on their inalienable right and there is no power on Earth today that will stop them from fulfilling their national aspiration to be free. Read the full article here