Two dead in Israeli strike on south Lebanon
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, along with local media, are reporting that two people were killed and four wounded when the Israeli army hit a residential home in the southern Lebanese village of Beit Lef.
Local outlet Kawalis Beirut published video from the scene of the strike, which shows civil defence crews digging through rubble in search of survivors. The four wounded people were transported to the hospital, Kawalis Beirut said.
Israel continues to hammer Khan Younis following ICJ ruling
As the world tries to assess the implications of the ICJ ruling earlier on Friday, little has changed on the ground in Gaza. Over the last several hours, Israeli forces have stepped up strikes on Khan Younis, where medical facilities remain under siege.
“There has not been any kind of noticeable development in terms of Israel’s military tactics,” Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reported from Rafah.
“We’ve been witnessing over the past few hours more Israeli attacks and artillery shelling of the main areas of Khan Younis, as Israeli forces are completely destroying residential buildings,” added Abu Azzoum, noting that fighting is moving closer to Nasser Hospital, making it difficult for medical workers to function inside the facility.
German state broadcaster calls on Israel to allow two workers exit Gaza
The German state broadcaster ARD has said that Israel is blocking two of its long-term Palestinian employees in Gaza from leaving the strip, citing security concerns that the outlet says have no basis in fact. ARD says that it has been asking Israel to allow the workers to leave Gaza, where they fear for their lives, with the support of the German government for more than two months.
One of the two ARD workers, Mohammed Abusaif, has been forced to evacuate eight times since Israel began its offensive and is now living in a tent near Rafah. “This does not make sense because they would not even be stepping onto Israeli soil,” ARD Senior Editor Christian Nitsche told Reuters of Israel’s citation of security concerns. “These colleagues are no security risk.”
US State Department says World Court order consistent with US view
The US says ICJ’s ruling is consistent with Washington’s view that Israel has the right to take action, in accordance with international law, to ensure the October 7 attack cannot be repeated. “We continue to believe that allegations of genocide are unfounded and note the court did not make a finding about genocide or call for a ceasefire in its ruling and that it called for the unconditional, immediate release of all hostages being held by Hamas,” a State Department spokesperson said.
Israeli UN envoy slams UNRWA as agency investigates employee October 7 attack links
Gilad Erdan says on X that “The United Nations is not only being used as a weapon to delegitimize our existence, but also to physically eliminate us.”
Earlier today, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said it has opened an investigation into some employees Israel alleges were involved in the October 7 attacks, and that it has severed ties with those staff members.
My response to UNRWA employees’ participation in the October 7 massacre:
How symbolic is it that on International Holocaust Remembrance Day it was exposed that UNRWA employees took part in the massacre? The UN is not only weaponized to delegitimize our existence, but also to… pic.twitter.com/uOSjTf1Uhv
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) January 26, 2024
"How symbolic is it that on International Holocaust Remembrance Day it was exposed that UNRWA employees took part in the massacre?"
How suspicious is the timing to bring out the accusations now, on Holocaust Remembrance Day during the provisional ruling of the ICJ...
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/u-s-pauses-funding-to-un-agency-for-palestinians-after-claims-staffers-were-involved-in-hamas-attack-1.6743515
The U.S. State Department said there were allegations against 12 employees. UNRWA has 13,000 staffers in Gaza, almost all of them Palestinians, ranging from teachers in schools that the agency runs to doctors, medical staff and aid workers.
More double standards on display. There have been hundreds of claims of IDF soldiers committing war crimes, even filming themselves while committing war crimes, yet not even willing to review any of it while sending more ammo and weapons.
https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts
Israel has agreed to use U.S. weapons only in self-defense. Outside of this, Biden administration officials have said they have not placed further limitations or constraints on how Israel uses U.S. weapons, although they say that Israel should observe international law.
Oh bombing civilians is self-defense, that's ok then.
Same for the settlers in the West Bank.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/23/crowdfunding-us-residents-fund-settlements-west-bank
Israeli protestors continue trying to prevent aid from crossing into Gaza
Israeli demonstrators have again travelled to Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing with Gaza to protest against aid deliveries into the strip, which is reeling under the risk of famine as Israel presses its assault.
“This is the third day that these demonstrations have taken place. We’re told that at one point today, there were actually hundreds of demonstrators. Each day, the number of demonstrators coming out protesting trucks carrying aid into Gaza have been increasing,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem.
“Today, we were told that at one point, these demonstrators broke through police barricades, they put themselves at the crossing, they prevented trucks from going in. We’re told that there were dozens of trucks that had to wait up to seven hours to be able to cross,” he added.
WHO refutes Israeli claims it is in ‘collusion’ with Hamas
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has slammed comments from Israeli authorities accusing the UN agency of colluding with Hamas. “WHO refutes Israel’s accusation at the Executive Board meeting yesterday that WHO is in ‘collusion’ with Hamas and is ‘turning a blind eye’ to the suffering of hostages being held in Gaza,” Tedros said in a social media post.
“Such false claims are harmful and can endanger our staff who are risking their lives to serve the vulnerable. As a United Nations agency, WHO is impartial and is working for the health and well-being of all people.”
