January
14, 2024
·
Israel’s relentless attack on Gaza continues with 125
Palestinians killed and 265 wounded over the past 24 hours.
·
Pro-Palestinian protests around the world over the weekend –
from Johannesburg to Washington, DC – call for an end to the war on Gaza.
·
Dozens of arrests as Israeli bulldozers enter Jenin in the
occupied West Bank.
·
At least 23,968 people have been killed and more than 60,582
wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel
from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139.
Palestinians
slam Netanyahu’s comments defying ICJ
The
Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments in which he pledged “to continue the genocidal
war in defiance of both the international community and the role of the
International Court of Justice”, in the ministry’s words.
On
Saturday, the Israeli PM said that the ICJ was not able to stop Israel’s war in
Gaza.
“No
one will stop us – not The Hague, not the ‘Axis of Evil’, and no one else,”
Netanyahu said, referring to the ICJ by its location in the Netherlands, and
also referring to Iran and its proxies.
The
Palestinian ministry also said: “States that have enabled, encouraged and
participated in Israel’s genocide are also complicit in these attacks against
the Court and its officials.”
Journalist
killed by Israeli shelling: Al Jazeera Arabic
We
are receiving reports that Yazan Zweidi, who worked for the Egyptian
channel Al Ghad TV, has been killed by
Israeli shelling while working in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
New
US-UK strikes on Yemen hit Hodeidah governorate
That’s
according to Houthi media outlets, which reported the attacks targeted Jabal
al-Jada in al-Lahiya district.
The
reports added that US aircraft continue to fly over the governorate, which lies
on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The
exact target of the strikes is unclear, but no casualties have been reported, a
Houthi military source told Al Jazeera.
Hodeidah
has been a particular focus of US and UK air strikes, which began on Friday and
are aimed at limiting the capability of the Houthis to attack shipping in the
Red Sea. The Iran-allied Yemeni rebel group says its attacks are in support of
Gaza.
Israeli
strikes continue across Gaza
Hani
Mahmoud
Reporting
from Rafah in southern Gaza
Not
only are people reflecting on 100 days, but they’re also experiencing renewed
air strikes across the territory, even in the northern part, where there are
attacks on Beit Lahiya and attacks on the southern part of Gaza City, with the
Israeli military demolishing more than 10 residential homes.
As
we speak, there are more air strikes and artillery concentrated in the central
area [of the Gaza Strip], where the remaining health facility has been attacked
repeatedly, as well as an evacuation centre.
Distressing
reports are also coming from the southern part of the city of Khan Younis,
which has been repeatedly targeted with intense shelling and air strikes.
There
are reports about an entire residential block that was attacked and destroyed
by relentless air strikes. We’re trying to get a confirmation on the number of
people who have been killed.
We
were told by a civil defence crew and an ambulance that they were finding it
very difficult to get to the area as it was under heavy artillery shelling.
Protesters
gather at UK-base in Cyprus over Yemen strikes
About
300 demonstrators gathered at the Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, protesting
its role in recent US-UK strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.
The
base was used as a staging point for Typhoon fighter jets involved in the
operation, according to Reuters news agency.
“They
are using Cypriot land to do something every Cypriot is condemning, activist
Nicos Panayiotou told the news agency.
ICJ
should issue measures requested by South Africa: Palestinian rights groups
Three
legal and human rights groups have urged the International Court of Justice to
issue provisional measures as requested by South Africa and instruct Israel to:
·
Cease military operations
·
Refrain from genocidal acts
·
Facilitate entry of aid and fact-finding teams
The
rights groups – Al Mezan, Al-Haq, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
(PCHR) – also called on all “State Parties to the Genocide Convention to
express their endorsements and formally support the legal proceedings initiated
by South Africa at the ICJ.”
A
two-day public hearing of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) has concluded.
South
Africa laid out a list of genocidal acts by Israel on the first day of the
hearing on Thursday, while Israel defended itself on Friday.
Hezbollah
has taken a pragmatic position
Imran
Khan
Reporting
from Ebel el-Saqi, south Lebanon
One
of the things Hassan Nasrallah is using and trying to get across is that
because Hezbollah is being a deterrent on this border, it is putting pressure
on Israel.
He
said 100 days have passed, Gaza is still holding out, and Israel is mired in
failure and hasn’t achieved its declared and undeclared goals.
Hezbollah
leader Nasrallah said that the group is inflicting losses on the enemy and
putting pressure on the displaced, whose voices have grown louder.
This
is a key strategy for Hezbollah – all those Israelis who have had to leave
their homes in the north and can’t come back. He wants them to rise up and
start putting pressure on the Israeli government and let them come back to
their homes.
The
only way that is going to happen is if Hezbollah and Israelis come to some sort
of negotiated settlement, but that’s not going to happen while the Gaza war
takes place.
Two
Palestinians killed trying to restore Gaza internet service: Communications
monitor
The
NetBlocks observatory says the more than 48-hour outage has left “most
residents cut off” as the war in the enclave passes the 100-day mark.
The
monitor added that operator Paltel has said that two of its repair crews have
been killed while trying to restore service.
War
in Gaza hangs over Palestinian football team as first Asian Cup match
approaches
Joanna
Gasiorowska
Reporting
from Doha, Qatar
I
have been with the team for the last few months on and off. They’re no
strangers to overcoming adversity when it comes to playing at big tournaments
like this one.
In
fact, one of the challenges that they’ve always faced is just in getting
together because their players are scattered around the world. They’re playing
in different [football] leagues, and even when they do come to play together,
in getting into and out of the occupied Palestinian territories, their
movements are controlled by Israel.
But
the build-up to this Asian Cup has been unlike any other. Just after the war
began, the Palestinian team members who are based in the West Bank left with
great difficulty to play in some World Cup qualifiers in the United Arab
Emirates and in Kuwait, and they haven’t been able to go home since.
The
coach, Makram Daboub, has spoken about the feeling of constant anxiety among
the players. It’s been very difficult for them to communicate with their
friends and family and often they have had to rely on the news and social media
to give them information about what is happening back home.
In
fact, just last night, we learned from one of the players from Gaza that his
cousin was killed just before the final training session ahead of this match.
If
you’re just joining us
It’s
6:30pm (16:30 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.
Here
are some of the main developments in the last few hours:
·
The Israeli army confirms its soldiers killed two Palestinians
in the occupied West Bank.
·
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said that the US is wrong
if it thinks the Houthi rebels in Yemen will stop confronting Israel in the Red
Sea.
·
The Bank of Israel estimates that about 210 billion Israeli
shekels ($54bn) will be spent on the war in Gaza between 2023 and 2025.
·
The Axios news website has claimed that the US administration is
frustrated with Israel’s rejection of most of their recent requests related to
the war on Gaza.
·
A Hezbollah antitank missile has killed a 70-year-old Israeli
woman and her son, says the Times of Israel.
Air
raid sirens sound in southern Israel
Israeli
Army Radio claims that a rocket was intercepted and that five more landed in
open fields near the city of Ashdod.
Hamas’s
armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, stated that they had fired rockets at the city
from locations within Gaza where Israeli forces are operating.
‘Kids
begging for sip of water or loaf of bread’ in Gaza: UNRWA chief
The
hunger and desperations is happening “despite all the warnings we gave about
this tragedy”, the chief of the UN’s refugee agency tells Al Jazeera,
describing the state of Palestinian children inside UNRWA-run shelters and
schools.
“Whenever
you go to a school, the kids are looking at your eyes begging for a sip of
water of a loaf of bread,” said Philippe Lazzarini.
“This
100 days feels to be an eternity. But despite all the adversity, I find our
staff very motivated, heroic and committed to provide assistance,” he added,
asking for more aid trucks to be allowed into the besieged Gaza Strip.
Gaza: 400K Rally in DC
against “Genocide Joe;” Massive Protests in Johannesburg, London, other
Capitals
Millions of protesters came out
around the world on Saturday, answering the call of Palestinian activists to
rally against the ongoing Israeli attack on Gaza on a “Global Day of Action for
Palestine.” Close to home, an estimated 400,000 demonstrated in Washington,
D.C., and scattered what looked like bloodied dolls of children before the
White House gate as people chanted “Genocide Joe” and “Bloody Blinken.” The
rally in the capital was called for by the American Muslim Task Force for
Palestine. There are roughly 4 million Muslims in the United States, about 1.2
percent of the population, though the demonstration comprised many Christians
and Jews, as well.
The crowds demanded a ceasefire and
insisted that Mr. Biden force Israel into one. They also called for the release
of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
American Near East Refugee Aid said
Saturday, “The death toll in Gaza is immense and difficult to estimate due to
telecommunications cuts. UNOCHA reports that, as of January 11, at least 23,469
Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 59,604 injured. And some 1.9 million
people, nearly 85% of Gaza’s population, are internally displaced.
Among the organizers, the Council on
American Islamic Relation (CAIR), said “We thank every person who attended this
historic event to call for an end to the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza
and an end to our government’s support for their atrocities. The Biden
administration can no longer ignore the millions of Americans who are saying
‘enough is enough.’ It is time for the administration to listen to the people
and demand an immediate ceasefire, end its support for the Israeli apartheid
government, and hold Israeli officials to account for their crimes against
humanity.”
Before the event began, six
Palestinian-Americans from Gaza shared the catastrophes that have befallen
their families. CAIR writes that, e.g., “Dr. Alaa Hussein Ali (MI) shares the
story of the more than 100 members of his family who were killed in November in
Israeli attacks, including the murder of his brother by sniper as he attempted
to fetch water, and all of his in-laws after fleeing for safety to the south of
Gaza.”
Also speaking were presidential
candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein, Rep. Andre Carson, Code Pink Director
Medea Benjamin, and prominent Muslim-American leaders, including Ilyasa
Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X. Gaza-based Aljazeera journalist Wael Dahdouh,
many of whose close family members have been killed by Israel, spoke by video.
President Biden had left the White
House for Camp David.
One of the more poignant world-wide
rallies was staged at the US Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, as the
International Court of Justice at the Hague deliberates on the charge of
genocide brought against Israel by Pretoria. There was also a big protest in
Capetown. The organizers had a statement read out at the latter, according to
Matthew Hirsch at Ground Up: “We are here today to be part of the global day of
action that will see demonstrations planned in more than 66 cities and at least
36 countries. Today’s rally will be part of a united front of global voices,
calling unconditionally for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
Imtiaz Sooliman of the aid group
“Gift of the Givers,” which has had teams in Gaza and the West Bank, said
according to Hirsch, “People like us and people all over the world will make
sure that the ceasefire comes. The power of the people is more powerful than
any government and any weapon in the world.” Of the case brought by South
Africa at the Hague, he said, “I feel great to be South African. When we sent
our people to the ICJ we brought back the Mandela magic.”
South African attorneys are saying
that if the ICJ issues a ruling in South Africa’s favor they will bring civil
suits in the U.S. and U.K. on that basis, because of the collaboration of those
two governments in the massacre of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Hundreds of thousands also
demonstrated in London, and similarly large crowds came out in numerous other
cities around the world.
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