Killing of soldiers raises questions about Israel’s plan for ‘buffer zone’
Israeli officials have suggested that the 24 Israeli soldiers killed yesterday were demolishing buildings to secure a “buffer zone” in central Gaza that would push Palestinian residents away from Israeli communities.
“They fell in battle near the border fence, during a defence operation in the buffer zone between the Israeli communities and Gaza. This is a task whose entire purpose is to create the security conditions for the safe return of [Israeli] residents to their homes,” said Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi.
There is ample footage online of Israeli soldiers blowing up buildings in Gaza in apparent controlled demolitions. If Israel is trying to raze Palestinian neighbourhoods in vacant areas of Gaza in the name of safety, the effort would defy US policy and may be in violation of international law.
Washington says it opposes the permanent displacement of Palestinians as well as any “reduction in the territory of Gaza”. Moreover, the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits “any destruction” of property by the occupying power except when it’s deemed “absolutely necessary by military operations”.
‘We need to say no’ to Netanyahu: US congressman
Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat, has criticised the Israeli prime minister over his vocal opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Washington is Israel’s top military and diplomatic backer, and Biden is seeking more than $14bn in additional aid to the US ally.
But Netanyahu has been openly defying the US rhetoric about the two-state solution. “The prime minister needs to be able to say no, even to our best friends,” he said last week. Doggett wrote in a social media post, “After all America has done for him, if Netanyahu ‘needs to be able to say no’ to us, we need to say no to him and do so now!”
In New Hampshire primary in US, many will vote for ‘ceasefire’
In a literal sense. Some voters in the northeastern US state will write “ceasefire” on their ballots to call for an end to the war in Gaza.
Voting is under way in the United States’ first presidential primary, which pits Donald Trump against Nikki Haley on the Republican side. For Democrats, US President Joe Biden decided to forgo the primary race in the state after a dispute over the timing of the contest. The president had pushed for South Carolina to be the first primary.
Still, there is a campaign to write Biden’s name on the ballot. But Palestinian rights advocates are urging voters to go with “ceasefire” instead. “We are asking New Hampshire voters who support a ceasefire: de-escalation, humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and a just solution to the conflict in the Middle East to write in ‘Ceasefire’ for president,” the campaign organisers say.
The New Hampshire secretary of state’s office told HuffPost that the “ceasefire” votes will be tallied in a “separate column”. Results are expected on Tuesday evening.
Netanyahu says Israel ‘will not stop fighting’ in Gaza after death of soldiers
The prime minister said on Tuesday that the slain soldiers were “heroes” and that Israel would press forward with its assault on Gaza.
“Yesterday we experienced one of our most difficult days since the war erupted,” Netanyahu said. “In the name of our heroes, for the sake of our lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory.”
"We were expecting to die at any minute:" Gazans describe fleeing Khan Younis as Israel expands operations
Thousands of people are leaving Khan Younis, as the Israel Defense Forces said it has surrounded the city amid further operations west of the area.
A CNN video recorded Monday shows displaced people sitting on the side of streets and in the vicinity of the seashore as they head west and south. The IDF had instructed civilians to leave several districts in and around the city and head toward the coast, which it described to CNN as "safer." The video shows cars, trucks, and tractors transporting families and their essential belongings, such as blankets, mattresses and food. Many, however, are walking.
Hisham Sayegh said he saw four people killed, which forced him to leave with his family as shelling in the area intensifies. "There are dead people on the ground. We left them behind. There are people killed inside the houses,” Sayegh said. “We were expecting to die at any minute.”
Amer Hijjo, from northern Gaza, said he was on the move for a third time. “Now, we are displaced again to the unknown. The bombardment was all night. We woke up with a tank at the entrance of the house this (Monday) morning, so we left.”
Um Mohammad, a woman from Khan Younis, said she and her family are on the street until they figure out where to go — and they can not afford transport south to Rafah. "Vegetables, flour, and water are all expensive. There are no toilets. No one cares about us as if we are not human beings. We have been in the streets for more than 100 days. Every place we go to, they tell us to leave, and here we are again and again in the streets,” she said.
Um Adel, a woman from Gaza City, told CNN that her family had been in Khan Younis, and her granddaughter died because “there was no oxygen or medication for her.”
What is the ICJ waiting for....
The ICJ ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine on March 16th, less than 3 weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/16/un-international-court-of-justice-orders-russia-to-halt-invasion-of-ukraine
Although the request for provisions was already made 5 days after the invasion (feb 27) https://www.icj-cij.org/case/182
South Africa's initial request was on December 29th https://www.icj-cij.org/case/192 3.5 weeks ago.
The hearings were on the 11th and 12th of Januari.
It didn't take the court long to grant provisional measures for Ukraine, now they're dragging their feet. Are they overwhelmed by the daily flood of additional evidence...
