It is approaching noon in Gaza City and in Tel Aviv. Here is a summary of the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict:
The Israeli military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, stated on Tuesday that the military is prepared and resolute for the next phase of the conflict and is awaiting political directives. In a social media post, the Israel Defence Forces claimed to have targeted more than 400 sites in the past 24 hours in what they termed a “wide-scale operation to dismantle Hamas’ terrorist capabilities.”
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, described the October 7th Hamas attack as “one of the worst atrocities of modern times” and accused Hezbollah in Lebanon of “playing with fire” in Israel’s north. He also attributed rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel to Iran, stating, “We are not seeking a confrontation on our northern border or with anyone else. We are focused on destroying Hamas infrastructure and bringing our citizens back home. However, if Hezbollah drags us into war, Lebanon will bear the consequences.”
During a visit to Israel, Emmanuel Macron expressed his shock at the October 7th attack and pledged France’s support for Israel, emphasizing the duty to combat terrorist groups.
Hamas released two more hostages from Gaza on humanitarian and health grounds. These individuals, Nurit Cooper (also known as Nurit Yitzhak) and Yocheved Lifschitz, were abducted along with their husbands from the Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza border on October 7th and are now in the care of the Israeli military.
According to the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA, approximately 1.4 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now displaced, with a shortage of clean drinking water and overcrowding becoming major concerns.
Overnight, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) confirmed that an additional six of its staff members were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 35 since October 7th. They also reported that 40 UNRWA installations had been damaged by Israeli airstrikes. It is approaching noon
In the UK, junior minister Victoria Atkins informed Sky News that the government believes six British nationals are being held hostage by Hamas, cautioning that the situation is rapidly evolving.
Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, Felix Klein, condemned the recent surge in anti-Jewish violence in the country, expressing concern that it could lead Germany back to its darkest times. He also expressed worry about potential erosion of basic rights as officials seek to suppress expressions of support for the Palestinian people.