Gaza Dispute
WATCH: People in Gaza live through the unliveable amid Israeli bombing
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 15, 2024
Frustration, resignation and despair growing in Gaza: UNRWA chief
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) January 15, 2024
At least 5 Palestinians injured by Israeli forces in occupied West Bank: report
At least five Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.
According to the report, Israeli forces fired at and injured a Palestinian at the Qalandia military checkpoint, the main crossing point between Ramallah and Jerusalem. The Red Crescent Society said the 28-year-old was struck by a bullet in the lower abdomen at the checkpoint.
Wafa also reports that four Palestinians were injured during an Israeli raid on the city of Nablus.
Citing Ahmed Jibril, director of the Red Crescent Ambulance and Emergency Center in Nablus, the report said the injured included a 15-year-old who was injured in the head, a 71-year-old who was wounded in the abdomen, a nine-year-old child was injured after being struck with shrapnel in the head, and a 27-year-old who was also wounded by shrapnel.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that Israel has killed 30 Palestinians in the West Bank in the current year.
OCHA said that the count included seven children.
— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) January 15, 2024
Gaza conflict boosted Hamas’ popularity in Gaza, West Bank: poll
The conflict in Gaza has led to a significant decline in the standing of the Palestinian Authority’s leadership and boosted Hamas’ popularity in the enclave as well as the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reports citing the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.
“Support for Hamas in the West Bank increased considerably by more than three times to 44 per cent but increased slightly in the Gaza Strip to 42pc.
“Support for Fatah [a secular political party that dominates in the government of the Palestinian Authority] dropped considerably to 17pc only (16pc in the West Bank and 18pc in the Gaza Strip),” the institute found.
— Children of Peace (@ChildrenofPeace) January 15, 2024
WHO plans to deploy emergency medical team to support surgeries in Gaza
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the lack of facilities in Gaza’s Al-Aqsa hospital, where 140 patients remain and 1500 people are taking shelter.
“Only two doctors are available to treat the wounded in the emergency department, and maternity services have shut down,” the group said in a post on X, adding that the lack of safety has forced most medical staff, patients and thousands of displaced to leave Al-Aqsa hospital.
“Food, water, and fuel are scarce. UNRWA has provided 24,050 liters of fuel to sustain vital services but much more is needed.”
The post also mentioned that the hospital “desperately needs” a sustained flow of supplies, additional human resources and protection.
“WHO is planning to facilitate the deployment of an emergency medical team specifically to support surgeries and the emergency department. This will only be possible in a secure environment.”
Ben-Gvir says Turkey ‘acting with Nazism’ towards Israel, calls for boycott
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir delivered harsh words to Turkey after Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel’s arrest.
“Turkey acts toward Israeli players, and toward anything with a scent of Israeliness, with Nazism,” the ultranationalist politician said in a post on X.
“Erdogan is a full-on Nazi,” he wrote about the Turkish president, calling on all Israelis not to travel to Turkey and impose a boycott on Turkish products.
“The state of Israel and Israeli citizens must not act with forgiveness toward Turkey. We won’t let ourselves be trampled on.”
Hamas calls for end of bombing, shows video of 3 captives
Hamas aired a video showing three Israeli captives in Gaza and urged Israel’s government to stop its attacks.
The undated 37-second video of Noa Argamani, 26, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itai Svirsky, 38, ended with the caption: “Tomorrow [Monday] we will inform you of their fate.”
Of about 240 people seized by Hamas on October 7, about half were released in a November truce. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza and 25 died in captivity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has brushed off calls for a ceasefire saying Israel will keep going until it achieves “complete victory” over Hamas and recovers the remaining captives.
Central Gaza under severe Israeli attack
The entire central area is under heavy bombardment. This includes all the refugee camps — Maghazi, Bureij and Nuseirat – as well as az-Zawayda area and the city of Deir el-Balah.
Even the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Hospital, which has now run out of fuel.
More wounded people are arriving at the hospital, even though it is unable to provide proper care. The facility’s remaining staff are exhausted and international medical teams had to evacuate over the past few days.
We’re looking at crippled healthcare facilities, more displacement, and more suffering for Palestinians.
'Student terrorist squads’: Israel claims to thwart Hamas activities
Earlier, we reported that Israeli forces arrested 25 Palestinian students at An-Najah University who staged a sit-in protest over the institution’s high tuition fees.
The Israeli military now claims they arrested nine students to “thwart the activities of Hamas cells’ student terrorist squads” who were hiding at the university in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli forces, in a post on X, also said they detained other students for questioning.
132 killed in Gaza in last 24 hours
At least 252 people have also been injured by Israeli attacks during this period, reports Gaza’s health ministry.
“A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulances and civile defence crews cannot reach them,” the ministry said in a post on Facebook.
The latest casualties bring the total death toll in Gaza since October 7 to 24,100, according to the ministry, with an additional 60,384 injured.
Israeli forces pushing deeper into besieged Khan Younis
There seems to be a surge in Israel’s aerial campaign in southern Khan Younis city.
Heavy artillery shelling hit eastern Khan Younis overnight and into the morning. There are reports of continued shelling within the last half-hour.
In southern Khan Younis, air strikes continued to destroy infrastructure and more homes.
And as we reported earlier, in western Khan Younis — in Mawasi “evacuation zone” — an Israeli strike hit a displaced family sheltering inside a tent. The death toll from that single strike is now at three — all from the same family. Others critically injured are at the Nasser hospital. There is fear more people are under the rubble.
Israeli forces are pushing deeper into the heart of the city.
‘Fireworks’ as Israel grapples with difficult budgets cuts to fund war
There are fireworks over how to fund the Israeli government’s war budget in 2024. It is a very difficult discussion. The war costs Israel some $269m each day, a major burden on the country’s economy.
The cost is not just to fund the weaponry. It’s also paying the reservists, feeding them, and housing them.
And then it’s the cost of taking care of over 100,000 Israeli evacuees who have left communities near the Gaza and Lebanese borders. These evacuees have to be housed in hotels and are being paid thousands of shekels each month by the Israeli government.
To fund the war this year, some of Israel’s proposals include: a $239m cut in the education ministry’s budget, and more than $100m in cuts to the health ministry’s budget. A lot of things are being affected.
This just goes to show the widespread impact the war is having in Israel.
US: ‘Time is right’ for Israel to scale down Gaza attack
The White House says “it’s the right time” for Israel to reduce the intensity of its war on Gaza, exposing growing differences between the close allies.
Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States has been speaking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza.
“We believe it’s the right time for that transition, and we’re talking to them about doing that,” he said on Face the Nation.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead full force until Hamas is destroyed and all captives are freed.
Israeli footballer faces Turkish judge over goal celebration
Sagiv Jehezkel, the Israeli football player arrested in Turkey over a gesture he made during a match, will be brought before a judge on charges of “inciting people to hatred and hostility”.
The Antalyaspor player gestured to a message on his bandaged hand reading “100 days 7/10” alongside a star of David. The act has been interpreted in Turkey as support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, but Israeli media says it’s a message of support to captives still held in the enclave.
Jehezkel’s club suspended him for acting “against the national values of our country by sharing the writing on his wrist”.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X: “We will continue to support the oppressed Palestinians.”
‘Shame’: Palestine UN mission decries Blinken ignoring killed civilians
Palestine’s mission criticised the US secretary of state for making no mention of the 24,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip – about half of them children – in his post to mark 100 days of war.
“Shame on those who remain complicit and not call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Shame on them,” it said in a post on X.
Blinken only said “100 days of captivity in Gaza is far too long” and vowed to bring back the captives.
‘Very grim outlook’ in occupied West Bank after arrests
Violent raids and arrests have become part of the fabric of daily life in the occupied West Bank. This is one of the reasons Israeli security chiefs last week warned the area may be on the verge of exploding.
But it’s not just because of the violence – the fact that 347 Palestinians have been killed here since October 7. It’s also the lack of economic opportunity. So many Palestinians who used to have work permits so they could go into Israel to work have not been able to do so since October 7.
It’s a dire economic situation, the violence is increasing, and the frequency and intensity of Israeli raids is increasing. Overall, a very grim outlook for all the Palestinians we speak to throughout the occupied West Bank.
Israel arrested 25 students staging sit-in at West Bank university: Reports
In Nablus, Israeli forces stormed the campus of An-Najah University where students were staging a sit-in protest.
Students are saying upwards of 25 of them have been arrested.
The president of the university has recently said that all communications had been cut off in and around the campus.
Additionally, all the students who were there received a text message from Israeli forces telling them to “surrender now”.
Colombian president says South Africa’s legal team deserves Nobel Prize
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has repeatedly expressed his support for South Africa’s ongoing case at the International Court of Justice, has previously labelled Israel’s war on Gaza as a “genocide”.
“If anyone deserved the Nobel Peace Prize today, it would be the South African legal team that has filed a complaint against Netanyahu for genocide in defense of the Palestinian people,” he wrote in a post on X.
The governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru have all also condemned Israel’s actions in recent months.
Israeli forces raid home of longest-serving Palestinian prisoner
Israeli forces have reportedly raided the family home of Nael al-Barghouti, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, in the village of Kobar, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
A video posted on Telegram, verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency Sanad, shows overturned furniture and kitchen utensils scattered across the floor after the raid.
Al-Barghouti was first arrested by Israeli forces in 1978. After spending 34 years in prison, he was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel in 2011. He was rearrested in June 2014 under Article 186 of Military Order 1651.
In October, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said that al-Barghouti was one of 559 Palestinians serving life sentences.
Houthis: Missile fired after US aircraft ‘violates national sovereignty’
The US military says the missile was shot down by a US aircraft with no injuries or damage reported. This would be the second anti-ship ballistic missile the Houthis have launched since the US began bombing Houthi targets late last week.
A few hours before the CENTCOM statement, we received a complaint from a Houthi spokesman, Mohamed Abul Salam, who said a US aircraft had been observed flying close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas on Sunday.
He said the activity by ‘enemy aircraft is a blatant violation of national sovereignty’. So according to the Houthis, US aircraft have been buzzing the area.
Mayor of New York City calls for captives to be released on 100th day
Eric Adams has joined calls from senior US officials for Hamas to release the remaining 136 captives who have now been held in Gaza for over 100 days.
“This must end,” said Adams in a post on X, “the hostages must be released.”
New York City has been the site of frequent protests, including a Jewish-led protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza where hundreds of people were arrested in October last year.
When asked by a journalist about his position on a ceasefire last week, Adams said “we need to do everything that’s possible to end anything that’s going to take the lives of innocent people,” but did not specifically refer to a ceasefire.
Houthis fire missile at US warship in Red Sea in first attack after American-led strikes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea on Sunday, but a US fighter jet shot it down in the latest attack roiling global shipping amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.
The attack marks the first US-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since America and allied nations began strikes on Friday on the rebels following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over the Israel-Hamas war, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration.
Australian foreign minister calls for sustainable ceasefire at start of Middle East tour
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's foreign minister called on Monday for a "sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza as she left for a Middle East tour that includes a visit to the occupied West Bank and meetings with the families of Israeli hostages.
Penny Wong said she would use the visits to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and the United Arab Emirates to advocate for a pathway out of the current conflict and a lasting peace in the form of a two-state solution.
Australia would also use its voice to push for more humanitarian assistance, greater protection of civilians and a de-escalation of regional tensions, she added.
China calls for larger-scale peace conference on Gaza crisis: Wang Yi
BEIJING (Reuters) - China Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the war in Gaza continues to escalate and China is calling for a larger-scale, more authoritative and effective international peace conference and a concrete timetable to implement a two-state solution.
Wang made the comments to reporters after talks with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, sharing his views on the Israel-Hamas war, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry late on Sunday (Jan 14).
Separately, Wang also held talks with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States where the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the conflict, reaching several points on helping to solve the crisis.
Netanyahu vows 'no one will stop us'
GAZA (Agencies) - The war between Israel and Hamas entered its 100th day on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed "no one will stop us" from destroying the militant group.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not be deterred by a case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where it is fighting accusations that the campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide.
"No one will stop us – not The Hague, not the Axis of Evil, no one," he told a news conference, referring to Hamas and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Houthi militias which have offered their support.
Egypt blames Israel’s ‘stubbornness’ for blocking aid through Rafah
The lack of aid entering Gaza through Rafah and other border crossings has been solely caused by Israel, according to Diaa Rashwan, the chairman of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS).
“Throughout these 100 days, has been the stubbornness and intentionality of the occupying Israeli authorities, at other Gaza Strip crossings, delaying the inspection of aid before allowing its passage to the Palestinian side, by virtue of its military control over the territory of the Gaza Strip,” he was quoted as saying in an SIS post on Facebook.
Rashwan added that the Rafah crossing hadn’t been closed “for a single moment” on the Egyptian side, while Israeli authorities deliberately disrupted or delayed the entry of aid “under the pretext of inspecting it”.
Egypt, China stress priority of safety, security of Red Sea navigation
DUBAI (Reuters) - Egypt and China are closely following developments in the Red Sea, focusing on the priority of ensuring the safety and security of navigation, the two countries said in a joint statement on Sunday.
Both expressed concern over the expansion of the conflict in the region, emphasizing the importance of efforts to stop attacks on Gaza, the statement added.
China's foreign minister Wang Yi, speaking at a press conference in Cairo after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, called for an end to the attacks on civilian vessels in the Red Sea, though he did not mention the Iran-backed Houthi militia responsible for those attacks.
Israel continues onslaught of Gaza as war hits 100 days
DOHA/GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks and aircraft hit targets in southern and central Gaza on Sunday and there were fierce gun battles in some areas as the war reached 100 days since the Oct. 7 attack led by gunmen from the Islamist Hamas movement.
Communications and internet services were down for the third day running, complicating the work of emergency and ambulance crews trying to help people in areas hit by fighting.
Fighting was concentrated in the southern city of Khan Younis, where Hamas said its fighters hit an Israeli tank, as well as in Al-Bureij and Al Maghazi in central Gaza, where the military said several militants were killed.
