Baby freezes to death in Gaza as Israeli aid restrictions continue
Hamas official says Israel’s “blatant and outrageous violations” threaten the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
A Palestinian infant has succumbed to hypothermia as cold and stormy weather continues to batter those displaced by Israeli attacks.
Israeli prime minister’s office again takes aim at ICC
Netanyahu’s office has decried the International Criminal Court’s rejection on Monday of its bid to block an ongoing investigation into war crimes in Gaza.
In a statement, the office called the decision by the court’s appeals chamber “political and not judicial”. The appeals chamber decided not to overturn a decision by the ICC’s pre-trial chamber to allow the investigation.
“This ruling will not deter Israel from fulfilling its fundamental duty, defending its citizens and its state, in full accordance with the genuine principles of international law, as we have always done, and as we always will,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Israel is not a member of the ICC, but Palestine is. Court officials have determined that Israel’s conduct in Palestinian territory, therefore, may be investigated.
UN rights office says civic space ‘steadily shrinking’ in occupied territories
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in occupied Palestinian territory says the “space to monitor and document human rights violations and abuses, seek accountability for injustices, or organise and advocate for human rights is steadily shrinking”.
It pointed to intensified repression of journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and local and international nongovernmental organisations.
That has included the killing of at least 289 journalists in Gaza by the Israeli military throughout the war, according to the report. It also includes Israel using a 2016 counterterrorism law and emergency defence powers against Palestinian organisations to “justify raids of their offices, constrain funding and operations, and arrest staff”.
The report added that the Palestinian Authority is partially to blame “through its unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, arbitrary detentions, torture and other ill-treatment of journalists, human rights defenders, and government critics”.
Netanyahu to hold ‘decisive’ meeting on phase two of ceasefire on Thursday: Report
The Israeli prime minister is to hold a “decisive” meeting on a US proposal for phase two of the Gaza ceasefire on Thursday, Israel’s Channel 13 reports.
The report said the Israeli army will present possible scenarios at the meeting, including options for accepting Trump’s plan and preparations to resume fighting.
While a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect in October, the second phase of the deal – which concerns the future governance of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of an international stabilisation force – has only been agreed to in principle.
Netanyahu is to visit the US and meet Trump this month.
Netanyahu to hold ‘decisive’ meeting on phase two of ceasefire on Thursday: Report
The Israeli prime minister is to hold a “decisive” meeting on a US proposal for phase two of the Gaza ceasefire on Thursday, Israel’s Channel 13 reports.
The report said the Israeli army will present possible scenarios at the meeting, including options for accepting Trump’s plan and preparations to resume fighting.
While a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect in October, the second phase of the deal – which concerns the future governance of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of an international stabilisation force – has only been agreed to in principle.
Netanyahu is to visit the US and meet Trump this month.
