A second humanitarian aid convoy comprising 14 trucks successfully entered the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing on Sunday, as confirmed by UN aid chief Martin Griffiths. Griffiths characterized this event as a “small glimmer of hope for the millions of people in dire need of humanitarian aid,” while emphasizing that much more assistance is required to alleviate the pressing humanitarian crisis.
US President Joe Biden engaged in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his approval of the initial two convoys of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza. The leaders jointly affirmed their commitment to ensuring a continuous flow of vital aid into the region. The White House also disclosed that Biden and Netanyahu discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, including American citizens.
The Gaza health ministry, under Hamas’s governance, reported that Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of 4,741 Palestinians, leaving an additional 15,898 individuals injured. Shockingly, 40% of the casualties within the Gaza Strip are reported to be children. Israel initiated these attacks on October 7, retaliating against a Hamas attack that resulted in the loss of more than 1,400 Israeli lives, predominantly civilians.
Israel has heightened its operations in northern Gaza, issuing warnings that individuals who remain in the area could be regarded as sympathizers of terrorism. Palestinian media sources indicated that Israel also conducted airstrikes on the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, shortly after Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari urged Gaza’s residents to relocate south for their safety.
The United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported a tragic toll, with 29 of its workers in Gaza having lost their lives since the onset of the conflict on October 7.
Medical professionals in Gaza have raised alarm over diminishing fuel supplies, which endanger dozens of premature babies dependent on incubators. The United Nations health agency estimated that approximately 130 premature infants are at “grave risk,” while some hospitals are only hours away from exhausting their generator fuel.
Israel’s military authorities confirmed the captivity of 212 individuals. The release of two American hostages on Friday offered a glimmer of hope that others may soon be reunited with their families.
Israel reported retaliatory action against Lebanon following an incident involving a drone and anti-aircraft missiles fired into northern Israel. Israel announced plans to evacuate 14 additional communities in the affected area.
Israeli fighter jets conducted an airstrike in the southern outskirts of Aitaroun town in southern Lebanon, as reported by the Lebanese state media of NNA.
Israel also launched an attack in the West Bank, targeting a facility beneath a mosque that the Israeli military asserted was being utilized by Hamas.
In a stern warning, Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned Hezbollah against opening a second war front with Israel, asserting that it would be a grave mistake for the group and Lebanon as a whole. He emphasized that Israel would respond with overwhelming force in such a scenario.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged the potential for the Israel-Hamas conflict to escalate further through the involvement of Iran’s proxies. While expressing a desire to avoid escalation, they affirmed the readiness of US forces and personnel for any eventualities.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden held discussions with the leaders of Canada, France, Britain, Germany, and Italy to deliberate on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Furthermore, Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed that French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are set to visit Israel. They are expected to arrive on Monday and Tuesday, with plans to meet with Netanyahu.
In addition to these developments, Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, is scheduled to visit Tehran on Monday. Palestinian Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian engaged in discussions on halting what they referred to as “brutal crimes” committed by Israel in Gaza.
Turkey demonstrated its support by sending a presidential plane carrying a medical team and humanitarian supplies to Egypt on Sunday, aimed at providing assistance to Gaza.
Amid these events, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, expressed uncertainty regarding the casualties in an explosion at an Anglican hospital in the Gaza Strip. He cautioned against prematurely attributing responsibility to Israel, considering such assumptions as potentially constituting antisemitic libel.
Notably, thousands of individuals gathered in Berlin and London to denounce antisemitism and express their solidarity with Israel. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the crowd at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, emphasizing the significance of ensuring the safety and security of Jewish communities.
Simultaneously, in Paris, approximately 15,000 people assembled in a pro-Palestinian demonstration, marking the first such event permitted by authorities since the Hamas attacks on October 7.
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