Israel steps up West Bank assault as Trump doubles down on Gaza plan
- Israeli forces kill three people in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, as Palestinians continue to return to the north of the Strip after Israel’s military withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor.
- Israeli forces shoot dead three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman, in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
- US President Donald Trump doubles down on his plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip, telling reporters on Air Force One, “We will make Gaza into a good site for future development.”
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed a confirmed 48,189 people and wounded 111,640, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Gaza’s Government Media Office has updated the death toll to at least 61,709 people, saying thousands who were missing under the rubble are now presumed dead.
WATCH: Obstacles remain for Palestinians despite Israeli pullout from Netzarim Corridor
For the first time in more than a year, Palestinians can cross the Netzarim Corridor without fear of being shot at by Israeli forces.
Um Mohammed, one of the people who made the journey on Sunday, said that Palestinians remained “steadfast”.
“They’ve deprived us of food and water but they didn’t deprive us of air – we’re still alive,” he said.
Watch our video report below:
These are the main developments from overnight:
- Hamas condemned Trump’s renewed offer to buy and own Gaza, saying the Strip is an “integral part” of Palestinian land and that dealing with the “Palestinian issue with the mentality of a real estate dealer is a recipe for failure”.
- Israeli forces killed an elderly woman in southern Gaza, taking the death toll from the attacks on Sunday to four.
- They also raided the Education Bookshop in occupied East Jerusalem and arrested its owners, Ahmad and Mahmoud Muna, and set fire to a house in a village near the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank
- Trump issued a warning to Hamas, decrying the emaciated condition of several captives who were released on Saturday and saying, “I don’t know how much longer we can take that”.***
- The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed an Israeli draft bill that proposes adopting the name “Judea and Samaria” for the West Bank.
- Netanyahu’s cabinet held a court-mandated meeting to discuss establishing an inquiry into the October 7 attacks but postponed a decision for three months.
Israeli cabinet delays decision on inquiry into October 7 attacks
Netanyahu’s cabinet held a meeting on establishing a commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led attacks but discussions ended with the ministers deciding to hold more talks on the subject in three months, according to Israeli media.
The meeting was convened after Israel’s High Court of Justice ordered the government in December to hold a hearing on the matter within 60 days.
“Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of establishing any inquiry before the end of the war, and critics have alleged he seeks to establish a panel with fewer powers than a state commission, fearing it would implicate him in the disaster,” The Times of Israel reported.
- 1h ago(04:15 GMT)
Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinian journalists in Gaza in January
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) has condemned Israel’s “serious and continued escalations” against media workers, saying Israeli forces killed at least seven reporters in the Gaza Strip last month alone.
They are Omar al-Diraoui, Saed Abu Nabhan, Ahlam Al-Taluli, Mohammed Bashir Al-Talmis, Aqel Saleh, Ahmed Al-Shiah and Ahmed Hisham Abu Al-Rus.
The PJS said Israeli forces also killed nine family members of Palestinian journalists in January and destroyed the homes of six of them.
Israel’s war on Gaza has been one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers, with more than 200 killed over the course of 15 months. Rights groups say many of the journalists were killed in targeted attacks.
The latest batch of released hostages looked like the survivors of Auschwitz...emaciated, barely able to walk...in stark contrast to the obviously well-fed Hamas terrorists who surrounded them during the release.
ReplyDeleteMore like this, and Israel will not be able to maintain the ceasefire, and the airstrikes will start again.
Wakakakaka…
DeleteMfer, haven't u forgetting that the Zionist state is imposing tightened & strict aid movements within their captured & demolished territories?
If the Palestinian natives can't get foods & water, do u expect those hostages to live in heaven?
Ooop… where do u get the impression that those Hamas 'terrorists' were well-fed?
Mmmm… in yr mfering Zionist whitewashing swim of glory!