Israel is defending its strike on an United Nations school that turned into shelter in the heart of Gaza and claims that six of the eighteen American aid workers who were killed were members of Hamas.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he will raise the issue of protecting humanitarian sites with Israel, at the same time criticizing the U.S.-designated terror group for “hiding in” civilian sites.
In an effort to root out what it claims to be Islamic Jihad and Hamas infrastructure, Israel has been assaulting the northern West Bank for nearly a week. Palestinians say that the Israeli operation has destroyed roads in Jenin and killed at least twenty people. Tensions are escalating in the West Bank, according to Israeli analysts.
Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday, the first stop on a four-nation tour to Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea – which will be his longest foreign trip since he became pontiff in 2013.
Israelis have reacted with shock and anger after finding the bodies of six slain Israeli hostages in a southern Gaza tunnel.Some blame the Israeli government for not reaching a cease-fire deal with Hamas earlier. Israel’s largest labor union announced a general strike starting Monday until the government signs a deal.
The site of this year’s Nova music festival has turned into a place of pilgrimage as Israel approaches the anniversary of the Hamas strike on October 7, which sparked the Gaza War.At the site, Hamas killed 364 young people and took 44 hostage.
Danny Danon Permanent Representative of State of Israel to the United Nations, presents his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The indirect negotiations for a Gaza cease-fire resumed on Thursday in Doha, Qatar, despite Hamas’ declaration that it will not attend. Many in Israel believe that after Hamas’ surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, this may be the last opportunity for an agreement that would free the 115 hostages that Hamas is still holding in Gaza. However, significant gaps between the two sides remain.
Israelis are on edge and waiting for expected retaliation almost two weeks after the purported assassinations of two senior militant leaders by Israel. Hezbollah and Hamas could both launch long-range missiles at much of Israel, causing enormous damage.But they also do not want an all-out war with Israel.
The appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the leader of Hamas has left Israelis even less hopeful about a cease-fire agreement, as they consider Sinwar as an even more extremist figure than his predecessor.