Netanyahu will go down in history for ‘using hunger as a weapon’ in Gaza
French Senator Guillaume Gontard says Netanyahu will go down in history for “using hunger as a weapon” in Gaza.
In his speech at the Senate General Assembly on Wednesday, the president of the ecologist group in the French Senate said history books would write that Israel caused an explosion of violence in the Gaza Strip after October 7.
He quoted EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell when he labelled Gaza as “the world’s biggest open-air graveyard” while adding that the “apocalypse-like” situation in Gaza has been noted by journalists and doctors.
Lapid calls for halt to Rafah operation, deal with Hamas
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on Netanyahu’s government to strike an immediate deal with Hamas to return all captives held in Gaza.
In a radio interview, he said eliminating Hamas and its battalions in Rafah would then be possible while the most urgent matter was to end the tragedy of the captives and their families. He warned Netanyahu against launching a ground invasion in Rafah because it risks putting the deal in jeopardy.
He also warned Netanyahu against giving a speech to the Republican Party in the US Congress because it would deepen the crisis with the Biden administration.
Israel determined to take Rafah despite ‘potential breach’ with US
Israel will take control of Rafah even if it causes a rift with the US, a senior Israeli official said, describing the southern Gaza city where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering as a Hamas bastion harbouring a quarter of the group’s fighters.
Speaking to the podcast Call Me Back, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said Israel would hear out US ideas for Rafah, but the city would be taken whether or not an agreement was reached on the evacuation of civilians.
All aboard the stall train
UN agencies, 36 countries discuss aid to Gaza through Cyprus
Officials from 36 countries and UN agencies have gathered in Cyprus to discuss how to expedite aid to Gaza via a sea route launched last week.
“We are discussing how we can max up operational capacity both in terms of departure and means of transport and also in relation to the reception and distribution methodology,” said Constantinos Kombos, Cyprus’s foreign minister.
Delegates would also discuss the creation of a fund to coordinate operational activities of the initiative, Kombos said, although he clarified it was not a donor’s conference. Asked how many vessels could be departing Cyprus with aid once the initiative is at full operational capacity, Kombos said “as many as possible”.
A vessel left Cyprus last week and distributed aid in Gaza as part of a mission operated by Open Arms, World Central Kitchen and the UAE, with the support of the government of Cyprus. Another two are expected to depart in the coming days, subject to weather conditions.
Still waiting on that 2nd delivery.
