Israel expands West Bank offensive; Gaza children die of hypothermia
- At least six children have died in Gaza because of the cold weather and lack of heating as Israel continues to largely restrict the entry of tents and mobile homes into the Palestinian territory.
- The Israeli army is expanding its offensive across the occupied West Bank, storming and opening fire in the city of Nablus.
Israeli air strike kills two in eastern Lebanon: Report
Two people have been killed and two wounded in an Israeli air raid in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen news channel reports. The Israeli army has not yet commented.
Israel and Hezbollah traded fire for more than a year after the Lebanese group started attacking its southern neighbour in October 2023 in support of ally Hamas in Gaza.
The hostilities morphed into a two-month all-out war that ended with a ceasefire in November.
Trump giving Netanyahu ‘free hand’ in Gaza and the West Bank
US President Trump has been empowering Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was on his way down and out over the last several months.
His plans for defeating Hamas did not work out, he is sought after by the International Criminal Court, and he is continuously trying to avoid his own corruption charges and trials.
And then he was saved by Trump, who is offering him more and more support, more and more empowerment. He is giving Netanyahu a free hand to do as he wishes in Gaza as well as the occupied West Bank.
I think one reason why US special envoy Steve Witkoff has postponed a planned trip to the Middle East is that his boss, Trump, wants to give Netanyahu time.
He is buying him time to dispatch Israeli tanks to the West Bank and extend, as much as he can, the ceasefire in Gaza, while he makes the Palestinians suffer and suffer until they no longer want to live in Palestine.
Israel’s ‘foreign intervention’ in Syria to top new rulers’ agenda
Earlier, we reported on the Syria national dialogue communique demanding that Israeli forces immediately withdraw from Syrian territory.
“Unfortunately, the south is not the only insecure pocket we have in Syria, there’s problems in the north and the west. But the Israeli one is the most serious now because it’s a foreign intervention in the country,” said Labib Nahhas, a Syrian political analyst and director of the Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity.
He said with the statements coming from Israel’s leadership, it doesn’t appear the Israeli military is going to pull back any time soon. But he said the international community will have to address the occupation.
“The issue of Israel, the security of Israel, and the relationship between Israel and Syria – this is going to be at the heart of all these discussions,” Nahhas said.
Palestinians in occupied West Bank must be allowed to return home: HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank have killed more than 50 Palestinians, including seven children, since January 21.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said 40,000 Palestinians, forced from their homes by Israeli raids and forced evacuations, will not be allowed back for at least a year.
“States should act to prevent atrocities and allow Palestinians to return to their homes,” Human Rights Watch said in a social media post.
Palestinian man shot by Israeli forces dies of his wounds
A Palestinian man succumbed to an injury he sustained from Israeli army gunfire in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, medical sources told Wafa news agency.
The man died after being shot by Israeli soldiers as they raided the city. Israeli forces fired live ammunition, tear gas, and sound bombs – wounding 11 people and suffocating dozens of others because of excessive gas inhalation.
The attack comes as Israeli soldiers stepped up their incursions in the occupied West Bank for more than a month now.
On Sunday, Israeli tanks rolled into the north as Israeli authorities announced they’ll remain there for a year while preventing about 40,000 displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes.
