Israel is probably carrying out mass arrests in Gaza. The US imposes sanctions on Houthi rebels. 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-controlled Gaza Strip. This news blog informs you about the current developments:
The federal government assumes that the German family was killed in Gaza
10:39 a.m.: According to the federal government, German citizens were also killed in the Gaza war. “We unfortunately have to assume at this point that there is a German family among the victims of the fighting in Gaza,” said the Foreign Office in Berlin on Saturday in response to a request. No further information was provided. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, citing information from relatives, reported that a German family of six was killed in an Israeli bomb attack in their home in Gaza on October 25th.
Iran warns of “uncontrolled explosion” in Middle East
10:24 a.m.: Following the US veto in the UN Security Council of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Iran has warned of an “uncontrolled explosion” in the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also called on Saturday in a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, according to his ministry, to immediately open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip so that humanitarian aid can reach the Palestinian territory.
On Friday, the USA exercised its right of veto in a vote in the UN Security Council on a resolution on the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas, which is supported by Iran. The resolution’s call for an immediate ceasefire would allow Hamas “to repeat what it did on October 7,” said U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood, referring to the Palestinian organization’s brutal attack on Israel , which triggered the war. As long as the US supports Israel’s “crimes” and “continuation of the war,” there is “the possibility of an uncontrolled explosion of the situation in the region,” Amir-Abdollahian told Guterres.
The UN Secretary General called the meeting. He invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter. This states that “the Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may endanger the maintenance of international peace and security.” The article had not been used for decades. Amir-Abdollahian praised Guterres’ actions as “courageous action to maintain international peace and security.”
New shelling on Israel’s border with Lebanon
9:04 a.m.: The shelling on Israel’s border with Lebanon continues. After new rocket attacks from Lebanon on Israeli territory, the army fired back at the places from which the attacks took place, the Israeli military said on Saturday.
During the night, Israeli fighter jets also attacked a number of targets belonging to the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. The military spoke of “terror targets,” including Hezbollah command and control centers. There were initially no reports of possible victims on either side. The information could not be checked for the time being.
Ceasefire resolution failed in UN Security Council
9:59 p.m.: A draft resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza war failed in the UN Security Council. Although 13 of the 15 members of the committee voted in favor on Friday in New York, the USA vetoed the draft introduced by the United Arab Emirates. Great Britain abstained. Similar initiatives had previously failed due to resistance from the USA. The US has always stood behind Israel and stated that such advances through a resolution could jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts on the ground.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres had previously urged the UN Security Council to advocate for such a humanitarian ceasefire. In a corresponding letter to the Council, he referred to Article 99 of the UN Charter. This allows the Secretary General to bring to the attention of the Security Council “any matter which, in his opinion, may jeopardize the guarantee of international peace and security” and, according to the UN, has not been used for decades.