A lack of sanitation in Gaza’s overcrowded shelters is contributing to the rapid spread of infectious diseases, with the situation only expected to worsen. A three-day Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin kills 12 Palestinians, 500 detained.
Casualties:
- 18,787 Palestinians killed* and 50,897 wounded in the Gaza Strip
- 279 Palestinians killed and 3,365 wounded in the Occupied West Bank
* Due to breakdowns in communication networks within the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Health in Gaza has not been able to regularly and accurately update its tolls since mid-November. Some rights groups put the death toll number closer to 20,000.
Key Developments:
- Al Jazeera: At least 33 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on a UN school sheltering people in Khan Younis, as well as several homes across southern Gaza. Al Jazeera journalists Wael al-Dahdouh and Samer Abu Daqqa were injured while covering the attacks.
- WAFA: Additional Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip Friday night killed at least 15 people in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City, with a significant number of women and children among the casualties.
- Al Jazeera: Israeli forces raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza for the third day in a row, forcing 2,500 displaced people to leave. (UN)
- Al Jazeera: Israeli government to allow aid through Egypt’s Karem Abu Salem crossing
- Paltel: All telecommunications services cut across Gaza in the fifth communications blackout since the aggression started.
- UNWRA: Shelters in Gaza are at nine times their capacity. According to OCHA, this overcrowding has made sewage more difficult to manage, attracting insects, mosquitos, and rats, leading to the spread of infectious diseases.
- Palestinian Health Ministry: 360,000 cases of infectious diseases, largely spread due to overcrowding in shelters, schools and houses as well as contaminated water and food.
- UNOCHR: Since October 7, 2,784 women in Gaza have become widows and the new heads of their households.
- Reuters: Israeli troops leave Jenin after a three-day-long raid. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 12 Palestinians were killed, and 34 were injured.
- WAFA: Raids across the West Bank continued Thursday night, with Israeli soldiers destroying two family homes in the village of Urif, south of Nablus, forcibly evacuating the family before blowing up their home. A drone strike targeted a car in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus.
- UN report: 1,500 cases of Israel illegally approving housing permits on Palestinian land from September through December of this year.
- Al Jazeera: Since October 7, Israeli settlers have committed more than 343 violent attacks, killing eight Palestinian civilians, injuring more than 83 and forcing 1,026 Palestinians from their homes.
- U.S. National Security advisor Jake Sullivan met with Mossad Chief David Barnea to discuss cooperation between U.S. and Israeli security agencies on Thursday and Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.
ISRAEL’s Genocide in Gaza Continues
Israel’s Defense Minister said yesterday that the war against Hamas “will last more than several months…but we will win and we will destroy them.”
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog yesterday said now isn’t the time to discuss a two-state solution. “What I want to urge is against just saying a two-state solution. Why? Because there is an emotional chapter here that must be dealt with. My nation is bereaving. My nation is in trauma,”Herzog said. Julia Frankel reports for AP News.
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Wednesday that his armed Palestinian faction is “open to any ideas of initiatives” which would bring an end to the war. Haniyeh has previously said that a postwar Gaza without Hamas’ reign is “an illusion.” Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times.
Hamas’ tunnels “were built by well-trained and educated engineers who considered all possible attacks from the occupation, including pumping water,” spokesperson Osama Hamdan said yesterday, following reports of Israel pumping the tunnels with seawater. Hamdan said the tunnels “are an integral part of the resistance, and all consequences and expected attacks have been taken into account.” Meanwhile Israeli officials said they are only flooding tunnels which they believe do not contain any hostages. Hamdi Alkhshali reports for CNN.
A three-day military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin killed at least 12 people and wounded 34 others, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Residents reported that Israeli military vehicles left the region yesterday afternoon, indicating an end to its military operation in the area. Hiba Yazbek reports for the New York Times.
Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people and injured many more as it struck neighborhoods in southern Gaza yesterday. Cate Brown reports for the Washington Post.
Israeli forces said yesterday they apprehended dozens of “terror operatives” and detained more than 70 individuals from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. It follows widespread concern of Israeli operations at Gaza’s hospitals, with the head of the W.H.O, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying earlier this week he was “extremely worried” about Israel’s reported operations in healthcare facilities. Israeli forces raided the hospital for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, UN News said. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said today that its ambulances transported 10 people who were killed, and a further 15 who were injured, following a bombing in Deir al-Balah. They released a video showing paramedics carrying wounded children. The organization said it has struggled to contact its team in Gaza due to the telecoms blackout. In a post on X, they said “We feel extreme concern about the possibility of our teams continuing to provide emergency services, especially as this disruption affects the central 101 operation room and hinders the arrival of ambulances to the injured and wounded.” Doha Madani reports for NBC News.
Telecommunications were down in the Gaza Strip yesterday, marking the sixth time of communications blackout since the war broke out. “We regret to announce that all telecom services in Gaza Strip have been lost due to the ongoing aggression,” the two major Palestinian mobile networks announced on social media. It is unclear what caused the blackout and Israel has not responded to requests for comment. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden said he wants Israel to “be more careful” and more “focused on how to save civilian lives.” Meanwhile a senior U.S. official said Hamas’ “days are numbered.”
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Israel yesterday for two days of meetings with Israeli officials. An anonymous U.S. official said the conversations will focus on “campaign, objectives, phasing, what to expect to see over the coming days and weeks.” Yesterday, Sullivan met with Mossad Director David Barnea to discuss counterterrorism, Iran, and other regional issues. Bryan Peitsch and Karen DeYoung report for the Washington Post.
Sullivan is due to meet with the Palestinian president today to discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza. Those discussions could include reintroducing Palestinian security forces to the region who were driven out by Hamas in its 2007 takeover, according to a senior U.S. official. Karin Laub, Najib Jobain, and Bassem Mroue report for AP News.
National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby in a White House press briefingsaid he does not “want to put a time stamp” on scaling down of the war, adding “I think you can understand the last thing we want to do is telegraph to Hamas what they’re likely to face in the coming weeks and months.” Bryan Peitsch and Karen DeYoung report for the Washington Post.
“I can only tell you that President Biden still believes in the promise and the potential of a two-state solution,” Kirby told CBS news yesterday, adding that the White House is aware a two-state solution is “elusive.” For a two-state solution to work, “it is going to require leadership on both sides,” Kirby added. Lauren Irwin reports for The Hill.
The United States has gathered intelligence about Israel and Hamas’ tactics in Gaza, according to two sources familiar with the intelligence. The data has been shared with members of Congress and includes information on the weaponry used and the casualties caused by both sides. Details of potential Israeli violations, through a system called the Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance, is also being collected by State Department officials, according to former employee Josh Paul. Paul, who has since quit the State Department, said officials within the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs have asked the State’s legal wing to “provide information about their potential international law exposure as a result of approving these sales,” suggesting that Biden’s comment of Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” was based on information he had from such intelligence. Erin Banco, Nahal Toosi, and Alexander Ward report for POLITICO.
Senior adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Mark Regev said the Israeli military has shown the U.S. its “rigorous process” of how it chooses targets. “We can disagree on tactics but we share the same goal,” he said, adding that Israel has done its “utmost” to reduce civilian harm. BBC News reports.
Israel urging US not to talk publicly about two-state solution — officials. Request not just being made by PM, but Herzog, Gantz and Lapid as well, who argue that framework has no support post Oct. 7; US official says Washington in no position to heed call. Times of Israel
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
A cargo carrying the Liberian flag caught fire in the Red Sea today after being struck by a projectile which was launched from Yemen, according to a U.S. defense official. The Iranian-backed Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility, but have launched similar attacks on international and Israeli-owned shipping since the start of the Israel-Hamas War. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
Israeli Forces Battle Hamas in Gaza, 70 Surrender. Israeli forces are engaged in intense battles with Hamas members in Shujaiya, Jabalia, and Khan Yunis regions, backed by the Israeli Air Force. The 460th Armored Brigade, with Shin Bet’s collaboration, successfully located a Hamas hideout near Kamal Adwan Hospital. Around 70 Hamas operatives have voluntarily surrendered, handing over weapons. They are undergoing interrogation by Shin Bet and Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504. The conflict has resulted in casualties on both sides, with 444 Israeli officers and soldiers lost since hostilities began on October 7 last year. Gaza residents, including civilians, are affected by heavy shelling and bombing.
Qatar Severs Ties with Hamas, Expels Officials. Hamas officials, including prominent figures like Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal, have recently left Qatar and severed their communication, relocating to countries such as Algeria, Lebanon, and Iran. Qatar, criticized by U.S. lawmakers for supporting Hamas, had become a base for the terrorist group since 2012. Saleh al-Arouri, another key Hamas leader in Lebanon, has also moved to Turkey, possibly in response to Israel’s vow to eliminate Hamas leadership worldwide. The recent shifts may be linked to heightened security concerns. Concurrently, Israel canceled the visit of Mossad director David Barnea to Qatar for negotiations related to a potential new hostage release deal in Gaza. The decision was made by Israel’s war cabinet, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has led to concerns and demands for answers from the families of Israeli hostages. The negotiations involve American citizens among the hostages, with the United States and Qatar playing mediating roles.
Are Palestinian Factions Shifting Towards a True Peace? Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Vice President of Fatah, hints at abandoning agreements with Israel, emphasizing the priority of ending bloodshed in Gaza and the West Bank. Fatah, under Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, grows weary of unfulfilled agreements and focuses on uniting Palestinians against ongoing violence. Meanwhile, Hamas, traditionally opposed to Israel’s recognition, shows signs of change. Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, suggests in an Al-Monitor interview that Hamas might recognize Israel to cease the war in Gaza. This shift comes amidst international and Arab pressure following Hamas’ aggressive actions, including border incursions into Israel, resulting in significant casualties. Despite the PLO’s recognition of Israel in the 1993 Oslo Accords, Hamas has historically sought Israel’s destruction. However, recent Palestinian polls indicate growing support for Hamas, revealing a divide between West Bank and Gaza residents regarding their strategies.
U.S. Withholds Rifles from Israel Amid Concerns Over Settler Violence. The Biden administration has delayed the shipment of over 27,000 rifles to the Israel Police, citing concerns about their potential use by extremist Israeli settlers. This decision follows reports of increased settler violence in Judea and Samaria. The U.S. demands assurance from Israel that these weapons will be strictly used by police forces. Israeli settlement leaders argue that this move represents an attempt by the U.S. to maintain a balanced stance, criticizing the notion of a settler violence surge as exaggerated and based on biased reporting. They also highlight the discrepancy in U.S. responses to Palestinian Arab violence, which they claim is significantly higher in comparison. The U.S. stance is seen by some Israeli leaders as a diplomatic strategy to demonstrate impartiality in the region. Concurrently, the UK bans entry for settlers linked to violence against Palestinians, seeking to hold Israel accountable for destabilizing actions.