By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
SvennoJ on 15 January 2024
Edit Thread

Updates from Aljazeera

Gaza war boosted Hamas’ popularity in Gaza and West Bank: Poll

The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research has said that the war also led to a significant decline in the standing of the Palestinian Authority‘s leadership. “Support for Hamas in the West Bank increased considerably by more than three times to 44 percent but increased slightly in the Gaza Strip to 42 percent. Support for Fatah [a secular political party that dominates in the government of the Palestinian Authority] dropped considerably to 17 percent only (16 in the West Bank and 18 in the Gaza Strip),” according to the findings.

The poll also found that the October 7 war also led to a significant rise in support for armed struggle in the occupied West Bank.

West Bank funerals for two Palestinians killed by Israeli forces

These men were from the town of Sa’ir, north of Hebron. They were working in an area called Wadi al-Reem, which is close to Sa’ir, yesterday when they were killed by Israeli soldiers. Their funerals have taken place in the past 90 minutes and really show how things continue to be extremely violent throughout the occupied West Bank. There are, on average, about 40 Israeli raids per day.



Elderly woman killed, 18 others injured in Israel’s Raanana

Police have spoken on local TV, saying that they have arrested two suspects for carrying out multiple car-rammings and a stabbing of an elderly lady who has now died from her wounds. That’s one person now killed and 18 others injured. The police chief confirmed that amongst those injured are children as well.

The police chief is saying that they are still trying to figure out what actually happened, but so far it’s believed that one of the attackers stole a car from a car wash. He ran some people over and then switched to another car after pulling out the elderly lady. He stabbed her and pulled her out of her car, and then continued driving and ramming a number of other people in his way and it seems that this happened in several locations in the city.

The two arrested people are from Hebron, in the occupied West Bank. The police chief is saying that they didn’t have work permits in Israel.

Israeli police arrest Palestinian suspect after attack in Raanana near Tel Aviv

Earlier, we reported on a suspected car-ramming attack in the city of Raanana near Tel Aviv. Israeli police now say that a man from Bani Naim, near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, was arrested for that incident. A second man from Hebron, a relative of the suspect, was also arrested.

In a statement, police said the man stole three cars during the suspected car-ramming attack. The Magen David Adom emergency service said at least 14 people were wounded, including one in critical condition and two in serious condition. At least one was reported to have been stabbed.

At least five Palestinians injured by Israeli forces in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have fired at and injured a Palestinian at the Qalandia military checkpoint, the main crossing point between Ramallah and Jerusalem, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. The Red Crescent Society said the 28-year-old was struck by a bullet in the lower abdomen at the checkpoint.

WAFA also reported 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 9-year-old child was injured after being struck with shrapnel in the head
  • A 27-year-old who was also wounded by shrapnel

‘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.



Rockets land in northern Israel

The Israeli military says two rockets fell in an open area in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported sirens sounded in the area at 11am (09:00 GMT).

Hezbollah has so far refrained from entering the Gaza war. It has, however, kept pressure on Israel by conducting nearly daily attacks along its southern border with its neighbour. While the exchanges of fire from both sides have largely been confined to the border area, the risk of a major escalation remains.

UK’s alleged use of Cyprus bases to arm Israel and hit Yemen draw protests

Crowds of angry Cypriots have gathered at a British air base to protest against the alleged funnelling of weapons to Israel for its brutal war in Gaza. Akrotiri, near Limassol in southern Cyprus, is one of two military sites retained by the United Kingdom’s military under the 1960 treaty that saw the island gain independence from colonial rule.

Since the latest escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict began on October 7, locals have seen a “daily” increase in the number of flights from Akrotiri, which is 40 minutes flying time from Tel Aviv, said Charis Pashias, head of the Cyprus Peace Council.

 



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.

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.

WHO paints grim picture of situation at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital

After a visit, the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided a more detailed picture of the situation inside two major Gaza health facilities, including Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. It said after a withdrawal this month by Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) and two other aid organisations, the hospital is even more short-staffed with only 12 health workers remaining, which is 10 percent of its total workforce.

“Only two doctors are available to treat the wounded in the emergency department, and maternity services have shut down,” it said, adding food, water and fuel are scarce. The WHO also reported the 360-bed Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis remains overstretched with 700 patients, double its normal capacity. About 7,000 displaced Palestinians are taking shelter at the hospital from Israeli bombing.



‘Still under the rubble’: 132 killed in Gaza in last 24 hours

At least 252 people were also wounded 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 civil 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 60,834 injured.

Gaza’s civil defence seeks fuel, equipment, vehicles to continue working

Gaza’s civil defence says in a video statement to Al Jazeera it completed more than 22,000 rescue missions “in tragic conditions” as its personnel, vehicles, headquarters and field points were subjected to systematic Israeli bombardment. Mohammed al-Mughayir, director of supply and financial affairs at the civil defence, said all civil defence headquarters are out of service as a result of shelling and bulldozing by Israeli vehicles.

He added crews in the Tuffah neighbourhood, in eastern Gaza, were targeted twice, which led to the death of 12 members. Al-Mughayir pointed out the rescue team death toll stood at 45, with more than 200 others injured. He confirmed the Israeli army arrested a number of civil defence personnel while they were on duty.

 



‘No safety, no future’: Palestinian envoy to UN delivers emotional speech

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Majed Bamya, says Israel destroyed “every spot where Palestinians kept happy memories”. “I am from the generation that was born with the Nakba, with its massacres, tents and hardships. I never thought I would see it again in my lifetime as 70 percent of Palestinians in Gaza became refugees and were denied their right to return,” he said.

“In 100 days, almost every Palestinian in Gaza has been forced to flee multiple times – from a house to a UN shelter to a tent – in search of safety. And every time a Palestinian searched for life met with death, Israel deliberately destroyed everything. It killed and maimed our children, doctors, journalists, engineers, poets, academics, and the requirements of life,” Bamia said.

“There are no more homes to live in, no schools or universities to study, hospitals to heal, no mosques or churches to worship, no agricultural land to cultivate, no bakeries to bake, no potable water, no markets to buy from, no safety, no future.”



‘Killed all our dreams’: Israel levels entire Gaza neighbourhood

Fierce fighting is under way between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops in southern Khan Younis city. The Palestinian press agency Safa reports that Israeli tanks are firing near the Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps in central Gaza.

In the Nuseirat refugee camp, local journalist Doaa El-Baz showed footage of what once was the street where she lived. “This whole neighbourhood is destroyed. Not a single house has been spared,” she said, standing before mounds of rubble. “They killed all our dreams here. The house where I grew up and spent all my childhood,” El-Baz said, her voice trembling.

Israeli army must leave Khan Younis, bring captives back alive: General

Israeli Reserve Major-General Yitzhak Barik called on the army to devote all its resources to rescuing captives held by Hamas and bringing them back alive while reducing the intensity of fighting in Gaza.

“Take the troops out of Khan Younis, stop the situation in which two or three people [captives] are killed every day … and operate with precise intelligence planes or surgical raids,” Barik said in an interview with Israeli media outlet News 13. “If we don’t get the abductees alive it will not be forgiven.”

Of 240 people seized, about half were released in a November truce. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza and 25 have died in captivity.

Israel to continue ‘high intensity’ attacks in January: Report

Despite American pressure to reduce deadly strikes on civilians in Gaza, the Israeli leadership has decided to “continue its high-intensity campaign throughout January”, a news report says. The Washington Post quotes six unnamed US officials as saying Israel is ignoring all US requests to reduce the intensity of its attacks as the civilian death toll soars.

But cutting the $3.8bn in annual military aid is one way to get Israel on board, said Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy. “If the president [Biden] is really frustrated, he has a lot of tools he can use. Promising unconditional support no matter what isn’t a good way to get someone to do something different,” Duss is quoted as saying.


‘Worst humanitarian crises faced by any civilian population this century’: Relief group

Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian organisation, says that nowhere in the world have so many people been trapped under such an intensive bombardment for this length of time.

“More than 10,000 Palestinian children have already died, surpassing the child casualties in all other recent global wars. A grim testament to the unparalleled tragedy unfolding in Gaza,” Egeland said in a statement.

 

Last edited by SvennoJ - on 15 January 2024