Israeli forces continue to besiege Khan Younis hospital, doctor says
Dr Nahed Abu Taima, the director of the surgical division at the Nasser Medical Complex, tells Al Jazeera the Israeli army is continuing to besiege the hospital while also targeting areas nearby. “Since the siege, we have received 630 wounded patients, most of them seriously injured,” he said.
“We face major and serious challenges, including severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies. We also have a huge shortage of medical personnel.” Abu Taima added that the accumulation of waste in and around the hospital poses a serious health threat.
Over 100 aid trucks ‘blocked’ from entering Gaza by protesters
Israel’s Channel 12 is reporting that 132 aid trucks are stuck at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing and cannot enter the Gaza Strip due to the demonstration. The media outlet also reported that 70 trucks had managed to enter the Gaza Strip before the blockade by the protesters began. Israelis demanding that the release of captives come before any more humanitarian aid can cross into Gaza have staged several similar protests in recent weeks.
Families of captives and supporters protest against the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, Israel, January 28, 2024
Israel approves millions of dollars for ‘rural’ settlements in West Bank
Israeli rights group Peace Now says authorities approved the money for what they’re calling “farm outposts”. “Although pressure is mounting on Israel to prevent violence by settlers, and there is a risk of the evolvement of a third front in the West Bank, the government sees fit to persist in supporting farms, from which many of the violent attacks of settlers against Palestinians are coming,” Peace Now said.
On November 19, 2021, the previous Benjamin Netanyahu government allocated 20 million shekels ($5.5m) annually for 2022, 2023 and 2024 to support “volunteer groups operating in rural settlements engaging in significant agricultural activity in areas of national priority”.
