Main events on March 10th
- Hamas accused Israel of reneging on its commitments under the ceasefire deal, saying it is yet to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, the border area between Gaza and Egypt.
- Several countries and rights groups condemned Israel for shutting off electricity to Gaza, accusing it of violating international law and committing war crimes.
- The Israeli military’s new chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, has told army commanders to “be prepared for 2025 to be a year of war”, according to the Haaretz newspaper.
- Representatives from Israel and Hamas – along with mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar – have convened in Doha as they attempt to extend the fragile Gaza ceasefire.
- Palestinian Authority forces killed a Palestinian fighter in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad strongly condemned the killing, calling it a dangerous escalation.
- Yemen’s Houthis said they stand by the looming deadline they gave Israel, pledging to resume naval attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden if the Gaza blockade is not lifted.
UN aid official says Israel’s blockade of Gaza threatens survival of over 2 million Palestinians
Muhannad Hadi, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, has said that “international humanitarian law is clear” and Israel must allow “unimpeded entry” of aid supplies to Gaza.
As Israel’s latest total blockade of Gaza marked a ninth day on Monday, Hadi said the “sustained supply of aid is indispensable” for the survival of more than 2 million Palestinians who have suffered “unimaginable conditions” in the war-battered territory.
“The entry of lifesaving aid must resume immediately. Any further delays will further reverse any progress we have managed to achieve during the ceasefire,” Hadi said in a statement.
A ‘dangerous’ moment: Advocates denounce arrest of activist Mahmoud Khalil
Civil liberties organisations and academics have raised alarm at the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University, calling it a serious breach of free-speech rights under the administration of President Donald Trump.
Free speech groups point out that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Khalil of leading “activities aligned with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization”.
But analysts note that the department’s allegation falls short of more tangible claims. US law, for instance, prohibits anyone in the country’s jurisdiction from providing “material support” to terrorist organisations.
The rationale provided for Khalil’s arrest, experts argue, was overly broad and could be wielded against any voices critical of Israel and US foreign policy.
“It’s a loophole so big that you could drive a truck through it,” Will Creeley, the legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech group, told Al Jazeera.
Demonstrators hold placards during a protest, after ICE agents arrested Palestinian student protester Mahmoud Khalil, at Foley Square in New York City, on Monday
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