The Israeli ground operation in Gaza that seemed imminent has not yet taken place, but the army continues to prepare the ground. During the night, after having announced the intensification of the attacks, the air force bombed the Strip again and caused “at least 55 deaths” according to Hamas. But he also bombed the West Bank, a mosque in the Jenin refugee camp, where “a Hamas and Islamic Jihad cell planning new attacks was taking refuge – Israel is sure of this”. And while Israel prepares for the ground invasion, the US deploys air defense systems in the Middle East.
The Israeli Prime Minister on Saturday night Benjamin Netanyahu convened his cabinet while the United States announces the strengthening of the military device: it will send other air defense systems to the Middle East and move more troops. Meanwhile, Israel also intensifies the evacuation of the northern border area while warning that the escalation by Hezbollah risks “dragging Lebanon into a war”.
Meanwhile, diplomacy is struggling: the peace summit for Gaza and the “Palestinian question”, organized by Egypt in the so-called New Administrative Capital outside Cairo, ended without a final joint declaration from the 34 countries and international organizations that had participated. Despite the lack of consensus at the end of the meeting, all the guests were categorical in defending the same ideas: the coexistence of two States is the only viable solution to the conflict, civilian lives must be protected everywhere and humanitarian aid must be able to enter the Gaza Strip. The United Nations hopes that more aid will enter the Palestinian enclave today.
To know more:
The story – Hostages, Hamas’s offer: “Free with a stop to the raids”
The report – In Tel Aviv divided between war and mercy
The background – The prime minister flies to Netanyahu: “Hamas wants to erase the Jews”
The analysis /1 – Jerusalem is no longer invincible: so the US has placed it under commissionership
The analysis /2 – The only way is the two-state solution
The intervention – Whoever acts in the name of God is destined to fail, only women can stop the war
In Iraq, rockets hit Ain al-Asad, the US troop air base
Katyusha rockets targeted Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US troops and other international forces in western Iraq. This was reported by the Reuters agency, adding that an explosion was heard inside. On Saturday, Ain al-Asad’s defense systems intercepted and shot down two drones as they flew near the base. Ain al-Asad Air Base is located in AL-Anbar province.
After the attack on the mosque in Jenin, more deaths in the West Bank
Following the night attack on the al-Ansar mosque in Jenin – where Israel hit an armed cell which, according to military radio, was preparing an attack – the toll of Palestinians killed in clashes with the army in the West Bank has risen. According to a report from Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, two people were killed in the mosque. A third was shot by the army during riots in the nearby town of Kabatya. Two other Palestinians were shot to death during incidents in Tubas and Nablus, according to medical sources cited by the agency.
Canada’s Ministry of Defense: Israel did not attack the hospital
According to the Canadian Ministry of Defense, Israel is “almost certainly” not responsible for the explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip. This is the result of an independent analysis by the Canadian Intelligence Service. Israel did not attack the hospital on October 17, 2023, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The explosion was probably caused by a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip. Also according to French intelligence, it is very likely that the hospital was hit by a Palestinian rocket with an explosive charge of around 5kg. According to French 007s, several rockets in the arsenal of the Palestinian militant group Hamas carry explosive charges of about the same weight.
The French 007s: Palestinian rocket is the cause of the hospital massacre
According to French intelligence, it was a Palestinian rocket, and not an Israeli air raid, that was the cause of the explosion of the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, a Palestinian rocket carrying an explosive charge of about 5 kilograms and perhaps misfired . This was reported by the AP agency which cites a senior French soldier as its source. According to the source, there are several rockets in Hamas’ arsenal capable of carrying explosive charges of that weight (including one Iranian-made and another Palestinian).
The UN is pushing for the green light for a second humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza
The head of United Nations humanitarian operations Martin Griffiths hopes that the Rafah crossing will reopen today to allow the entry of more trucks with humanitarian aid, after the arrival of twenty vehicles yesterday, a “drop in the ocean” of what is necessary, but still the first aid since the beginning of the war on October 7th. Today we would be talking about 20-30 trucks, Griffiths specified.
Alarm sirens in central Israel and the greater Tel Aviv area
Warning sirens for the resumption of rocket fire from Gaza rang out in central Israel and the greater Tel Aviv area. The Israeli army made this known.
The Israeli army: “Hezbollah drags Lebanon into war”
The escalation of attacks by the Hezbollah group risks “dragging Lebanon into a war”, the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) have declared. “Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into a war from which it will gain nothing, but risks losing a lot,” said Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus. «Hezbollah is playing a very, very dangerous game. They are making the situation worse. Every day we see more and more attacks,” he said. «Is the Lebanese state really willing to jeopardize what remains of Lebanese prosperity and sovereignty for the sake of terrorists in Gaza? This is a question that the Lebanese authorities must ask themselves and answer.”
The UN: 42% of Gaza homes destroyed or damaged
At least 42% (164,756) of all housing units in the Strip have been destroyed or damaged since the outbreak of hostilities. This was announced by the Ministry of Housing in Gaza, quoted by the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs according to which it is estimated that there are 1,400,000 displaced people in the Palestinian enclave with 566,000 of these refugees in 148 designated emergency facilities by UNRWA, the refugee agency.
New Israeli bombings in southern Gaza, 11 dead
New Israeli bombings in southern Gaza. At least 11 Palestinians were killed in Khan Younis. Other raids also hit Rafah, denounce Palestinian sources cited by the Guardian, recalling that only a few hours earlier the Tsahal military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, had renewed the appeal to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip to move south “for their safety”. .
The Israeli army: evacuate another 14 communities on the border with Lebanon
The Israeli army and the Ministry of Defense have announced the decision to evacuate another 14 Israeli communities close to the border with Lebanon where tension due to rockets from Hezbollah and other Palestinian factions is now very high. Already last week the evacuation of 28 other communities and of Kiryat Shmona began.
Hamas: over 50 dead in Israeli night raids in Gaza
The death toll from Israel’s nightly raids in the Gaza Strip is “over fifty dead”. Hamas makes this known. The Israeli army announced yesterday the intensification of attacks on the Strip.
Media, Israeli raid on Damascus and Aleppo airports
An air attack was reportedly conducted by the Israeli army on the airports of Damascus and Aleppo. The Israeli media reported it.
Attack on Jenin mosque, 4 dead
Four dead. This would be the result of the air attack carried out by Israel against an “underground structure” of the Al-Ansar mosque in Jenin, in the West Bank. This was reported by the Palestinian agency Wafa, quoting the director of the Palestinian Red Crescent of Jenin, Mahmoud Al-Saadi. The victim of the bombing was a young man.
The US activates defense systems throughout the Middle East
The Pentagon has announced the deployment of defense systems “throughout” the Middle East.
The bombing of Gaza intensifies
The Israeli bombing of Gaza is intensifying: the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced an increase in attacks to create the necessary conditions for the next phase of the war, i.e. the ground offensive. An Al Jazeera correspondent said the attacks were concentrated in the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, calling them “truly terrifying”. ‘The Times of Israel’ reports it.
Biden, “Delay the invasion? I’m talking to Israel.”
“I’m talking to Israel.” This is how Joe Biden responded to accompanying journalists who asked him if he “was encouraging the Israelis” to postpone the invasion of Gaza as suggested by his statement on Friday, later corrected by the White House.
An Iranian drone attacks a US base in Iraq
A drone struck an air base in Iraq that hosts US troops on Saturday. Iraqi security sources reported this, but the Pentagon said it could not confirm that such an attack had taken place. Armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack US interests in Iraq over Washington’s support for Israel since Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people in a shocking cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7.
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