Israeli attacks killed over 42,000 Palestinians across Gaza
- Gaza’s Health Ministry says 45 Palestinians were killed and 130 wounded in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
- 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.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.
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.
