Israel is further escalating the regional war with a drone attack in Beirut
Senior Hamas figure killed in attack in southern Beirut
Hamas has announced that one of the victims of an attack in southern Beirut in Lebanon on Tuesday night was a senior official, Saleh Al Arouri. Hamas media outlet Al Aqsa TV said that the “Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, the martyr leader Saleh Al Arouri, was martyred in a treacherous Zionist airstrike in Beirut.” Al Arouri was considered one of the founding members of the group's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and was based in Beirut.
The Israeli army demolished Al Arouri’s house in the occupied West Bank town of Aroura in October. At the time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that forces “operated in the town” overnight to “demolish the residence of Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas terrorist organization’s political bureau and in charge of the Hamas’ activities in Judea and Samaria.” 
Former Israeli envoy to United Nations Danny Danon congratulated the Israeli security and intelligence agencies for the assassination of a senior Hamas figure. “I congratulate the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Mossad and the security forces for killing senior Hamas official Salah al-Aaruri [sp] in Beirut,” Danon said on X. “Anyone who was involved in the 7/10 massacre should know that we will reach out to them and close an account with them,” Danon added.
Israel will appear before ICJ at The Hague to address South Africa's claim of genocide
The State of Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at The Hague “to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel,” Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said in a news briefing Tuesday, referring to South Africa’s claim that Israel is committing genocide in its war against Hamas.
“How tragic that the rainbow nation that prides itself on fighting racism will be fighting pro-bono for anti-Jewish racists," Eylon Levy said.
"We have no doubt that after the Jewish state brings to justice the perpetrators of the bloodiest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, history will judge South Africa for abetting the modern heirs of the Nazis. We assure South Africa's leaders history will judge you,” he said.
In its application, South Africa accuses Israel of being “in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention” and says “acts and omissions by Israel... are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent... to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group,” the ICJ said in a statement.
Israeli report: Netanyahu wants Dershowitz at the ICJ
According to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, Israeli officials say the prime minister wants Alan Dershowitz to represent Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing next week over South Africa’s accusation that it is conducting genocide in Gaza.
Retired Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz, who is known as a champion of Israel, defended former US President Donald Trump during his Senate impeachment trial as well as convicted sex offenders Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein.
At least 200 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in last 24 hours
Israeli forces carried out 15 attacks and killed 207 Palestinians in the past 24 hours in Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said while adding that 338 people were also wounded. The total number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 7 now stands at 22,185. At least 57,000 have been wounded.
Additionally, more than 320 Palestinians have also been killed across the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7.
Forced displacement is a crime against humanity: UN special rapporteur
Francesca Albanese says that Israel has been carrying out forced displacement “with impunity during decades of illegal occupation”.
“It has now taken it to a new level by terrorising people through bombing, starvation and induced disease,” Albanese said on X in a response to a post by an Israeli legal rights expert’s claims that Israeli officials have been forcibly moving Palestinians within the West Bank and Gaza.
Israeli authorities demolish Palestinian structures in West Bank: UN
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has reported the first demolitions in 2024 of Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied West Bank. In a post on social media, UNOCHA said the demolitions were reported on Monday in Al Maniya, Bethlehem.
“2023 ended with 1,119 structures demolished and 2,210 people displaced, as a result, in the #WestBank,” UNOCHA said.
According to UNOCHA, the destruction and threat to destroy Palestinian homes and sources of livelihood by Israeli authorities “contributes to the generation of a coercive environment pressuring people to leave their areas of residence”.
Still no cause given for death of seventh Palestinian prisoner
Overnight, a seventh Palestinian has died in an Israeli prison. Abdul Rahman al-Bahsh, 23, was serving a 35-month sentence. That’s now seven prisoners since October 7.
It’s a high number, and comes against a background where Israel’s parliament has legislated toughening the conditions for Palestinian prisoners, and where the National Security Minister is Itamar Ben-Gvir, a man with convictions for incitement to racism and membership in a “terror” group, and a man who has taken particular interest in telling his constituents how he’s going to make life much harder for Palestinian prisoners.
No indications yet as to the cause of death of Abdul Rahman al-Bahsh, investigations are continuing according to the Israeli prison authorities.
Turkey arrests 33 for involvement in Mossad plot: Report
Turkish authorities have announced they detained 33 people suspected of being involved in a plot for Mossad, the Israeli intelligence and espionage agency, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
They said operations took place in eight Turkish provinces, and authorities are seeking 13 other suspects. The top prosecutor’s office in Istanbul also announced that arrest warrants have been issued for 46 suspects in another investigation into an alleged plot by Mossad to target foreigners in Turkey.
Blair Institute denies report on Gaza resettlement, says ‘wrong in principle’
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has called an Israeli news report linking the former UK prime minister to a role in the “voluntary evacuation” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip “a lie”.
“No such discussion has taken place. Nor would Tony Blair have such a discussion, the idea is wrong in principle. Gazans should be able to stay and live in Gaza,” the institute wrote on social media.
The Israeli news report claimed that Blair would lead in finding European countries that would take in Palestinian refugees from the besieged enclave where almost 22,000 people have been killed since Israel’s war on the territory began on October 7.
