Bodies on the streets of north Gaza during deadly Israel raids
- Heavy fighting continues as Israeli forces again invade northern Gaza, trapping at least 400,000 Palestinians as fears grow for their safety after the latest evacuation orders were largely ignored.
- Hezbollah says fighters repelled two Israeli military incursions as its attempt to gain ground in southern Lebanon appears to stall with three Israeli soldiers wounded in battle.
‘Some progress’ made on Gaza ceasefire deal, says VP Harris
There has been some progress on a Gaza truce but it’s “meaningless” unless a deal is actually reached between Hamas and Israel, US Vice President Kamala Harris says.
“We must have a ceasefire and a hostage deal as immediately as possible,” she said during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
As the conflict in Gaza intensifies and spreads across the region, the gap between US rhetoric and policy is widening.
The Biden administration has continued to verbally call for de-escalation while also providing Israel with political support and a steady supply of bombs to sustain its wars.
Netanyhau ‘playing politics’, blocks Israeli defence minister’s trip to US
What we know for sure is the US is growing increasingly frustrated because the US is still not really aware of what exactly Israel plans to do when it comes to its promised retaliatory strike against Iran.
That is one of the reasons Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, had been scheduled to go to Washington DC today and meet with his counterpart, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. To try and potentially coordinate a response with the US. To let the US know more about what Israel might be planning to do when it comes to this strike on Iran.
What complicates this now even further is the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu, last night, decided to put a stop to Yoav Gallant’s trip to Washington DC. He said that Yoav Gallant is not going until Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Joe Biden.
This morning we’re seeing more political leaders in Israel, including members of the opposition, saying that Netanyahu is playing politics right now at a very dangerous time.
It just shows how difficult is it for the US to get clarity from Israel at a time when so many people in the region and the world… are waiting to see what’s going to happen, and if a promised strike from Israel towards Iran is going to set the region more ablaze.
Tens of thousands fleeing Israeli attacks arrive in northern Lebanon
Lebanon’s Disaster Management Committee in the North says at least 58,898 displaced people fleeing Israeli attacks in southern and eastern parts of the country have sought refuge in the northern districts.
It named the areas as Bcharre, El Batroun, El Koura, El Minieh-Dennie, Tripoli and Zgharta.
Only 14,267 of them are being housed at official shelters, it said.
The highest numbers of displaced people were reported in Tripoli and El Minieh-Dennie districts, with the figures reaching 15,973 and 13,554, respectively.
Lebanese authorities say more than 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon, resulting in shelters reaching capacity and people increasingly having to sleep out in the open on the street or in public parks.
At least 20 killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza
At least 20 people were killed during the night and early hours in air strikes as the Israeli army continues to target residential buildings, public facilities, and infrastructure across Gaza. Here is a breakdown of the casualties:
- Nine members of the Farahat family were killed inside a house they were sheltering in. They were from Shujayea neighbourhood, east of northern Gaza City.
- Four members, including two children, of the al-Jamal family were killed in an air strike that targeted their home in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp.
- A war-displaced family of four was also killed inside their tent in Nuseirat.
- A family of three, one child included, was killed in a bombing of their home in the nearby Bureij refugee camp.
Displacement used as ‘weapon of war’ in fight between Israel, Hezbollah
There is a massive humanitarian crisis, a displacement crisis in Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced in their own country. In fact, displacement has been used as a weapon of war by both sides.
The message from Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general yesterday to the Israelis is that you will not be able to return tens of thousands of residents to northern Israel as long as you continue to strike targets in Lebanon. And we will cause even further displacement by targeting deeper inside Israel.
So the displacement could last for weeks – if not months – if there is no solution to this crisis and the United Nations is warning that this country cannot handle the situation. The needs are enormous and there are just not enough resources to help the people.
As Israel attacks, 400,000 Palestinians trapped in north Gaza: UN
At least 400,000 people are ensnared in northern Gaza after the Israeli army again issued evacuation orders for residents, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says.
“Israeli authorities are forcing people to flee again & again, especially from Jabalia camp. Many are refusing because they know too well that no place anywhere in Gaza is safe,” UNRWA’s chief Filippo Lazzarini said.
The UN agency’s shelters and services are being forced to shut down, some for the first time since the start of the conflict, he said.
Call for Lebanon to ‘free’ itself of Hezbollah seen as attempt to ‘ignite civil strife’
This is very much a deeply divided country. There are those who support Hezbollah and there are those who are against Hezbollah.
So this message from Netanyahu is being interpreted as an attempt by Israel to ignite civil strife. To try to weaken Hezbollah internally inside the country.
In fact, politicians who support Hezbollah have been warning against any attempt to try to exploit what is perceived as Hezbollah’s weakness after the series of setbacks that it faced in recent weeks.
No doubt these are delicate times with the warring sides hardening their positions. We heard Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general show flexibility in the sense that the Lebanon front is no longer linked to the Gaza front.
But he did say that Hezbollah would only accept a ceasefire. Nothing more and nothing less. Which means that it rules out any attempt to disarm the group under fire or as part of a political solution to this war.
One killed, several wounded in Lebanon’s Baalbek as Israeli raids continue
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that a Lebanese man was killed and several others wounded in an Israeli air attack on the town of Sidon in the eastern Baalbek region.
The agency said the wounded included a woman, her daughter and granddaughter.
It added that residents of the town of Khader, also in Baalbek, are due to hold funerals for five of its residents killed in an Israeli air attack on Tuesday. The victims were a retired teacher, three members of his family and their neighbour.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said Israeli attacks killed at least 36 people and wounded 150 others on Tuesday, taking the death toll in Lebanon since October 7 to 2,119 with 10,019 others injured.
