The Israeli Army claimed this Wednesday, April 24, to have killed half of Hezbollah's commanders in Lebanon, while maintaining its offensive on the south of the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, where it has said it is preparing a broad incursion military. For its part, the United States Government has asked Israel to allow the entry of new humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, as well as explanations about the mass graves found in Gaza hospitals. On the other hand, this same Wednesday, Hamas released a survival video of a 24-year-old American-Israeli hostage, in which he criticizes the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defense Minister, announced on April 24 that the Army he leads has eliminated half of the group's commanders Lebanese Shia Hezbollah, in southern Lebanon.
According to Israeli military reports, they have attacked around 40 Hezbollah targets, which include warehouses and weapons structures in the town of Ayta ash Shab, where Israel said the Hamas-aligned group was coordinating attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers on the border.
Minister Gallant assured that the commanders who were not discharged are fugitives or in hiding due to the constant operations of the Israeli Army on Lebanese territory.
The Hezbollah group declared war on Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Jewish-majority state began its all-out siege of the Gaza Strip on October 7.
Israel and Hezbollah have maintained years of tensions and mutual provocations, which have multiplied during the last six months with the Islamist group claiming responsibility for launching projectiles against Israeli territory.
The offensive against Rafah continues
In parallel to the attacks in Lebanon, Israel continues to bomb Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, as part of preparations for a possible ground incursion announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more than a month ago.
The city is home to around 1.4 million people, many of whom are internally displaced, as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned on different occasions.
International organizations and even the US Government have asked Israel to refrain from making a land incursion into Rafah to avoid further humanitarian damage.
Hamas publishes proof of survival of American hostage
Sitting in a chair, without half an arm, with close-cropped hair and with notable discomfort, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a hostage who has already completed more than 200 days in captivity in Gaza, attacked Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas released a survival video of the young man, who turned 24 in captivity on March 10, and in which he appears to be in apparently good health.
Netanyahu and his government should be ashamed (…) It will not be a happy holiday for me, but I wish it for you,” said Goldberg-Polin, referring to the celebration of Passover.
Goldberg-Polin is one of the 129 hostages that the Israeli authorities estimate that they still remain in Gaza, although according to Hamas, around 70 could have died in the midst of Israeli attacks.
The Goldberg-Polin family has given permission for the video of their son Hersh, who has been held captive by Hamas for 201 days, to be published and used after it was released by the terror organization Hamas today.
For more than 200 days, 133 hostages have been held captive by… pic.twitter.com/1pD4RcxEe0
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) April 24, 2024
The Israeli Government has attempted to negotiate indirectly with Hamas through mediators, such as Qatar and Egypt, to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, as happened at the end of last year, however, new negotiations have not borne fruit.
For his part, Majed al Ansari, spokesman for Qatar's foreign ministry, said he remains “committed” to mediating a truce in Gaza, but is reconsidering his role due to the “attacks” and “lack of seriousness.” by Israel and other parties involved.
The United States asks Israel for information on mass graves in Gaza hospitals
The United States urged Israel to provide more details about the mass graves that have been discovered in recent days near two hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
At least 310 corpses have been exhumed from mass graves adjacent to al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, while more than 200 bodies, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
We continue to press the Government of Israel for more information, said State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel during a press conference.
According to the spokesperson, the Israeli Army has explained that the graves already existed, that They were excavated by them in search of bodies of Hamas hostages and which, later, were covered again.
However, the United States is seeking more details about the circumstances surrounding these events and has promised to publicly share the information once it is collected.
Both the UN and the European Union have demanded independent investigations into these findings.
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While the US State Department is considering sanctioning the Netzach Yehuda battalion of the Israeli Army, made up of ultra-Orthodox soldiers, for alleged human rights violations against Palestinians.
US law prohibits the provision of military aid to foreign units facing accusations of human rights violations.
Biden demands that Israel allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza
US President Joe Biden asked the Israeli Government to allow the entry of new humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, included in an aid package recently approved by Congress in Washington.
“We have to get humanitarian aid to Gaza as soon as possible. This law includes $1 billion of additional humanitarian aid in Gaza. We are going to secure that aid and enhance it with food, medical supplies and water. “Israel has to make sure that all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza,” Biden said.
The US president added that this aid will be directed to “innocent people who are seriously suffering the consequences of what Hamas started.”
Biden reiterated his strong support for his main ally in the Middle East, highlighting that his commitment to Israel is unwavering.
The comments came after enacting a military aid law worth a total of 95 billion dollars, which includes assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
The $26.4 billion allocation for Israel includes funds for anti-missile defense systems as well as the acquisition of advanced defense weapons systems, while $9.2 billion is for humanitarian assistance.
This acquisition takes place in the midst of several calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and when the United States Government itself has indicated its urgency to protect the lives of civilians in Israel's colossal offensive in the Palestinian enclave.
With EFE, Reuters and local media
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