One week since ICJ ruling, Israel still carrying out violations in Gaza
Since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an emergency ruling in the genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel in December, the following violations have been documented:
- Israeli forces killed more than 1,000 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, according to the Ministry of Health.
- The Israeli army attacked a family in a car, killing all except one child – Hind, who is six. The Red Crescent dispatched two medics to evacuate her but the fate of all three remains unknown.
- A mass grave was found north of Gaza, where at least 30 Palestinian bodies were found handcuffed and blindfolded.
- Palestinians in Gaza released from Israeli detention have been sharing harrowing accounts of torture, beatings, starvation, humiliation and abuse, according to rights groups such as the Palestinian Prisoners Society and Addameer.
- Israel has intensified its siege on the Nasser Medical Complex and al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, pushing them out of service. The attacks included raids into the facilities, threats to people to evacuate at gunpoint, and the killing of at least three PRCS staff.
- Israel continued to issue evacuation orders, forcing thousands to leave Khan Younis and Gaza City. During displacements, Israel continued to target, detain and humiliate Palestinians, according to firsthand accounts and local journalist reports.
- Israel intensified its attacks against UNRWA, the main humanitarian agency in Gaza, leading several states to suspend their donations to the agency.
- Twelve ministers and 15 members of the Knesset attended a conference in Jerusalem calling for the annexation of Gaza. Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians while outlining a map of 21 settlements to be set up.
People who fled fighting in the Gaza Strip gather along an overcrowded street in Rafah in the southern part of the Palestinian territory
Video shows Israeli military opening fire as civilians flee Khan Younis
Al Jazeera’s Arabic service has obtained footage showing an Israeli military vehicle apparently opening fire on Palestinian civilians fleeing Khan Younis. Clashes and shelling have been reported in Khan Younis city, in the southern Gaza Strip, which was deemed safe for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were forced to flee north and central Gaza.
آليات الاحتلال تطلق النار على المدنيين أثناء نزوحهم من خان يونس#حرب_غزة #فيديو pic.twitter.com/wvUR4NklRY
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) February 3, 2024
Hamas deploys police, distributes funds in sign of resurgence
Hamas began deploying police and making partial salary payments to some civil servants in Gaza City in recent days, resurfacing in areas where Israel withdrew the bulk of its troops a month ago. Four Gaza City residents told The Associated Press uniformed and plainclothes officers deployed near police headquarters and other government offices, including near al-Shifa Hospital. Residents said they saw both the return of civil servants and subsequent Israeli air raids near the makeshift offices.
The return of police marks an attempt to reinstate order in the devastated city. Signs of a Hamas resurgence in the Gaza Strip’s largest city underscore the group’s resilience despite Israel’s deadly air and ground campaign. Israel says it’s determined to crush Hamas militarily and prevent it from returning to power in Gaza.
Hamas demands Israel release Marwan Barghouti during truce talks
He’s viewed by some Palestinians as their Nelson Mandela and he’s a prime candidate to become their president in the future. He’s also the highest-profile prisoner held by Israel. Now Marwan Barghouti’s freedom is at stake in ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. Hamas leaders demanded Israel release Barghouti as part of any deal to end the fighting in Gaza.
The demand brings new attention to Barghouti, who plays a central role in Palestinian politics even after spending more than two decades behind bars. His release could lay the groundwork for his eventual election to national office. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan called for Barghouti’s release as international mediators try to push Israel and Hamas towards an agreement after nearly four months of war.
For Palestinians, the plight of their imprisoned loved ones is deeply emotional. Palestinians widely see them as heroes battling Israeli occupation. Virtually every Palestinian has a friend, relative or acquaintance who has been imprisoned.
Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti was jailed for life by Israel in 2004
“There have been campaigns to free Barghouti for years, namely to nominate him for a Nobel Peace prize. Like Mandela, he has spent more than 20 years in prison, so this reinforces his symbolic value as a political negotiator,” said Chagnollaud. “It’s quite logical because basically, it reinforces the notion that he has the capacity to be a unifying leader and get out of an impossible situation.”
A prison stay has long been a source of legitimacy for the Palestinian people, he noted. "Those who come out of prison are adorned with a halo, it’s a kind of resistance rite of passage,” said Chagnollaud. On the political stage, few people can fill Barghouti’s shoes. “Potential leaders have no charisma and what’s more, are hated by the population precisely because they’re part of the Palestinian security apparatus that collaborates with Israeli security,” said Chagnollaud.
Number of Palestinians arrested by Israel reaches 6,500
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says 12 people have been detained in overnight raids in the occupied West Bank, bringing the total number of Palestinians arrested since October 7 to 6,500. Israel routinely uses administrative detention to place Palestinians behind bars for an initial period of six months. Their detentions can then be repeatedly extended for an indefinite period without charge or trial.
