The Israeli army is approaching Gaza City’s aggressive new frontier Hospital officials said they killed Palestinian territory on Wednesday overnight.
Hundreds of thousands of people remain in the city, the largest of the territory, and has already been abandoned from almost all Two Years of War The struggle with hunger.
The latest Israeli campaign, launched on Tuesday, could further escalate the conflict that has shaken the Middle East, possibly pushing a ceasefire out of reach. The Israeli forces who say they want to destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure have not given a timeline for the attack, but there were signs that it could take several months.
Many have tried to move from a city once home to one million people to the next Southern Gaza Strip. Israeli military seeks full evacuation.
This is the latest:
The US is promoting sanctions against militias that are suited to Iran
The Trump administration is boosting sanctions against four Iraqi militia groups alongside Iran, who say they are responsible for repeated attacks on the facilities and interests of the US and alliance within Iraq.
The US State Department said on Wednesday that Harakat Al Nujabah, Kataib Said Al Shuhada, Harakat Ansal Allah Al Aufiya and Kataib Al Imam Ali had been added to the list of foreign terrorist organizations.
All four were previously listed and were subject to sanctions. This includes freezing assets that could enter US jurisdiction, but designation of an FTO makes Americans offering “material support” a criminal offence.
The death toll in Gaza exceeds 65,000, the ministry says.
The ministry said Wednesday that the death toll rose to 65,062, with another 165,697 people injured since Hamas’ attack on Israel in 2023.
Israeli attacks have destroyed vast areas of Gaza, ousting about 90% of the population, causing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and experts have announced hunger in Gaza city.
The ministry does not say how many people were civilians or extremists, but it said women and children account for half of the deaths.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants raided southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and acquiring 251 people. Less than half of the 48 hostages believed to be alive remain in Gaza.
EU puts pressure on Israel to increase tariffs and sanctions
The European Union has announced the toughest plan that has not put pressure on Israel to end the war in Israel. This imposed increased tariffs on several Israeli goods and sanctions on two members, Israeli settlers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Because the EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner, tariffs could have a major impact on Israel’s economy. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saa vowed to resist the European campaign. The EU is divided into wars, and it is unclear whether the majority will support sanctions and trade measures.
Pope issues urgent call for a ceasefire
Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep” solidarity with the Palestinians and called for Israel to respect international humanitarian law, which drives new attacks in Gaza.
“Before the Almighty Lord, who commanded ‘You will not kill,’ and before all of the history of humanity, every man has an inviolable dignity that must always be respected and protected,” Leo said Wednesday.
The first American Pope was interrupted by applause when he mentioned Gaza at the end of the weekly general audience. He invited him to participate in ceasefires, hostage release, diplomatic solutions to conflicts, and calls for “full compliance with international humanitarian law.”
Israel opens a new route to leave South Gaza
Israeli military Arabic spokesman Colonel Avichey Adley said on social media that a new route along Gaza’s coastline would open at noon Wednesday for residents heading south. He says it will remain open for two days.
However, many Palestinians in the North are blocked from the outside world. Palestinian telecommunications regulators based in the occupied West Bank said Israeli strikes on major network lines in northern Gaza had collapsed internet and telephone services on Wednesday morning.
The Associated Press did not attempt to reach many people in Gaza city.
Egypt “does not tolerate forced removal of Palestinians”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatti said, “Palestinians should not be forced to leave their homelands.”
“We will not tolerate the second Nakba,” he added. Nakba is the Arabic word for “catastrophe,” referring to the mass expulsion of around 700,000 Palestinians from today’s Israel during the war in 1948.
His comments came in an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, the English version of the state-run Al-Ahram Newspaper, released Wednesday.
He condemned what Israel called a “voluntary immigration” plan for Palestinians from Gaza, saying it “has a serious impact on the safety and stability of the region.”
Ten seriously ill children from Gaza arrive in the UK
The World Health Organization says it supported the medical evacuation of 10 severely ill children from Gaza to the UK. They arrived with about 50 companions.
The UK government said it is working to ensure that families receive “appropriate support” during their stay.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to heal, play, and simply dream again,” said Wes Streeting, a health and social care secretary.
It is expected that more children will arrive in the coming weeks. The UK government is expected to strengthen its stance on Israeli military operations in Gaza and to be announced at the UN General Assembly next week, recognizing the Palestinian state.
Spain supports compensation for Palestinian authority
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alvarez said his country will work with Norway to “put the fund on the table” to help compensate the Palestinian government in the West Bank for tax revenues withheld by Israel.
“Israel is trying to annihilate the ideas and possibilities of a Palestinian state with a Gaza bomb in a true genocide,” said Alvarez, who visited Egypt.
February 2024, Norway He said he would transfer taxes To the PA, which had been frozen for months due to a dispute with Israel.
Israel will collect taxes and customs on behalf of Palestinian authorities, which manage parts of the occupied West Bank and help pay for Gaza’s public services.
Triggered after Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 The War in GazaIsrael regularly refuses to relocate, and Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says the funds support the fear.
Qatar condemns Israel’s ground attack
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday that it condemned Israel’s ground attacks “in the strongest conditions” in Gaza.
The ministry wrote that the operation marked an “extension of the genocide war” against the Palestinians.
Qatar is furious Israel’s strike last week It killed five Hamas members and local security guards.
At least 16 people have been killed in Israel’s strike in Gaza
Officials at Gaza Hospital said Wednesday that the women and children were among the 16 people killed overnight on the territory.
More than half of the deaths were killed in a strike in Gaza city, including a child and mother in an apartment in Shati refugee camp. According to officials at Shifa Hospital, the victims, more than half of the deaths were killed.
In central Gaza, Al-Auda Hospital said an Israeli strike struck homes in a Urban Nusayrat refugee camp, killing three people, including a pregnant woman. Officials at Nasser Hospital, whose bodies were brought in, were also killed when a strike crashed into a tent in the Mwasi area west of Khan Yunis city.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the strike.
Aid groups are seeking pressure on Israel
A coalition of major aid groups urged the international community on Wednesday to take stronger steps to stop Israeli attacks. The United Nations Committee of Experts said Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel rejected what it called a “skewed falsehood” report.
A statement from aid groups said the state “needs to intervene at will using at will all available political, economic and legal tools,” and the moment “requires decisive action.”
The message was signed by leaders of more than 20 aid organizations operating in Gaza, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Anella and Save the Children.
Hurry to save the archaeological items of Gaza
Before Israel’s anticipated new ground attack focused on Gaza City, it was able to save thousands of valuable archaeological artifacts from destruction after Israel targeted warehouse buildings on a strike last week.
The Israeli army said Hamas used the building for intelligence. It included items from more than a quarter century of excavations, including a 4th century Byzantine monastery.
International aid groups negotiated with the Israeli military for delays to move artifacts. Workers quickly packed items into the truck, but some were broken or left behind. The artifacts are now in safer locations, but are at risk of being housed outside as Israeli attacks spread.
