Israel’s Ben-Gvir calls for occupation of Gaza, ‘encouraging’ Palestinians to leave
Israel’s ultra-nationalist, far-right minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has called for Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and said that Palestinians should be “encouraged” to leave the territory. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 13 news on Wednesday night, Ben-Gvir said: “There is no other way to restore security to the State of Israel” other than a full occupation of the Palestinian territory.
“Voluntary immigration of the residents of Gaza should be encouraged,” he told the channel in a studio interview.
He also criticised how Israel was fighting its war on Gaza, saying Israeli soldiers were doing an “excellent job”, but the Israeli government cabinet was not supporting them properly, according to reports. “I hope that Likud elements do not set us back in terms of achievements,” he said of the war.
UN experts warned this week that the entire population of Gaza is experiencing hunger, the territory faces a devastating famine that will kill many, and at least 24,448 people have been killed so far and 61,504 wounded in Israel’s war on the besieged enclave since October 7.
Humanitarian aid and medicine enter Gaza as part of Hamas-Israel deal
The Qatari government, with the support of the French government, has brokered a deal that will see medicine and other humanitarian relief delivered to civilians in Gaza’s “most affected and vulnerable areas”.
In exchange, medication will be delivered to 45 Israeli captives held in the besieged enclave.
Qatari officials say the medication and aid left Doha for Egypt yesterday and has been transported into Gaza by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
IDF will work with Qatar, but can't guarantee medicine reaches Israeli hostages, military spokesperson says
The Israeli military said it does "not have the ability to guarantee" medicine will reach hostages being held in Gaza, said Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces.
When asked about how the medicine would reach the hostages, Hagari said Israel would work with Qatar to ensure the medicine reaches those being held captive. “What is important is that this effort happens, and currently the trucks are being checked. They will finish the checks, they will get in (to Gaza) and we need to do everything we can to ensure that the medications will indeed reach where they need to go,” Hagari explained.
Qatar announced on Tuesday it brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas to allow medication into Gaza for Palestinians and Israeli hostages. Earlier Wednesday, the Hamas terms of the agreement included a stipulation that for every one box of medication given to Israeli hostages, 1,000 boxes of medication are also provided for Palestinians in Gaza.
Heavy bombardment in Khan Younis targeted homes, hospitals, cemetery: UN
An ongoing telecommunications blackout has limited the latest update from the UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA), with information from northern Gaza even further limited by highly restricted access. The report says that a missile reportedly struck the UNRWA health clinic in Daraj, in Gaza City in central Gaza on Wednesday, but that “further details on the impact of the projectile are yet to be established”.
In Southern Gaza, OCHA reported heavy bombardment in the Khan Younis area for the last two days targeting residential buildings, a cemetery and hospitals. “Initial reports and video footage show that much of the al-Namsawi cemetery was destroyed and graves empty with some corpses reportedly missing,” the OCHA update said.
16 Palestinians, including children, killed in Israeli shelling in Rafah
We’re hearing reports that the death toll from Israeli shelling in Rafah overnight has risen to 16 people killed, including small children. As we reported earlier, footage verified by Al Jazeera showed the bodies of three children killed in Israeli shelling of a house east of Rafah arriving at Abu Youssef Al Najjar Hospital.
Previously designated as a “safe zone” by Israel, Israeli attacks on the city in Southern Gaza come as Palestinians there struggle to survive in extremely overcrowded conditions.
Displaced Palestinian children take shelter inside a building damaged by Israeli bombardment in Rafah in southern Gaza on Wednesday
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