Israel has apparently killed a key Hamas commander. The USA makes proposals for the future of Gaza. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel on October 7 and carried out massacres. Since then, Israel has been attacking targets in the Hamas-occupied Gaza Strip. This live blog informs you about the current developments:
Biden calls for a pause in the Middle East war
3:41 a.m.: US President Joe Biden has called for a “pause” in the war between Israel and Hamas so that the “prisoners” can leave the Gaza Strip. “I think we need a pause. A pause means giving time for the prisoners to get out,” Biden said Wednesday after being asked about the issue at an event.
The White House later explained that by “prisoners” Biden meant the hostages kidnapped by the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas.
The White House has so far refused to talk about a ceasefire, saying such a ceasefire would only play into the hands of Hamas. Instead, it called for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid deliveries or evacuations.
In view of the numerous civilian casualties and the tense supply situation during the Israeli attacks on the Islamist Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA has also called for a ceasefire.
Hamas announces new death toll after attack in Jabalia
1:23 a.m.: According to Hamas, at least 195 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on a part of the city of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip inhabited by refugees on Tuesday and Wednesday. Around 120 people are still missing under the rubble and at least 777 others are injured, said the press office of the Hamas-run administration in the Gaza Strip. The information cannot be independently verified. Israel says it attacked and killed Hamas leaders in the camp.
Israel: Hamas front defenses breached
11:23 p.m.: The spokesman for the Israeli Army (IDF), Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, sees clear progress by his troops. Israeli ground troops broke through Hamas’ front lines of defense in the northern Gaza Strip. “The ground operation is going as planned,” he says. The terrorists were attacked from the air, sea and on the ground, said Hagari, according to the Times of Israel. He did not give details about exactly which sections this took place.
Dispute in Israel over tax money for Palestinians
11:05 p.m.: A dispute has broken out in the Israeli government over tax revenue intended for the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank. Defense Minister Joaw Gallant demanded on Wednesday that taxes collected for Palestinians by Israeli authorities in Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank be paid out immediately. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich objected and accused Gallant of making a serious mistake.
Smotrich, whose religious-nationalist hardliner party has strong support among Jewish settlers in the West Bank, spoke out against the disbursement of the funds, which, among other things, are used to pay the salaries of the autonomous authority’s employees. He accused Palestinians in the West Bank of supporting the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Houthi: Fire rockets towards Israel
10:32 p.m: In Yemen, the Houthi rebels say they have fired a large number of drones at several targets in Israel. “Military operations in support of the Palestinians will continue until Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip ends,” says Houthi military spokesman Jahja Sareahe. The Houthis are supported by Iran in the civil war against government troops.
Baerbock defends German abstention on Gaza resolution
9:02 p.m.: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has once again defended Germany’s abstention in the vote on the Gaza resolution in the UN General Assembly against criticism. Germany has the special role of keeping the channels of communication open to other actors in the region such as Egypt or Jordan, said the Green politician on Wednesday evening in the ZDF program “What, now…?”.