Joe Biden’s visit, aid to Gaza and strike against a hospital, here is what to remember from the last few hours:
◾ Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, with whom he had just spoken, had “agreed” to “let up to 20 trucks cross” the border to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza . The American president, however, clarified that this aid would probably not arrive before Friday due to work to be done on the road.
◾ For its part, Israel has indicated that it “will not prevent humanitarian aid from Egypt as long as it concerns food, water and medicine”. In a press release, the Hebrew State, however, put one condition: that this aid not pass through its territory until the hostages held by Hamas are released.
◾ During his visit to Israel, Joe Biden also renewed his support for Israel and cleared it of the deadly explosion that hit a hospital in Gaza. “Based on the information we have had so far, it appears that (the strike) was the result of an out-of-control rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza,” said Joe Biden, who claims to have evidence from the Pentagon.
◾ Hamas continues to accuse Israel of being at the origin of the strike, as do Iran and many Muslim countries.
◾ According to the latest report communicated by the Ministry of Health of the government, led by the Islamist movement, at least 471 people were killed in the hospital explosion.
◾ The tragedy also provoked strong reactions in several cities in the Maghreb and the Middle East on Wednesday evening. Large rallies took place in Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain and Turkey. Ankara has also declared three days of national mourning.
◾ British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is traveling to Israel and several other capitals in the region this Thursday to call for avoiding an escalation of the war between Hamas and the Jewish state.
◾ the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution which called for a “humanitarian pause” between Hamas and Israel, with Washington castigating a text which did not mention Israel’s “right to defend itself”. Out of 15 member states of the Council, 12 voted for a project led by Brazil, two abstained, including Russia, but the United States, one of the five permanent members, voted against. This was enough to block the adoption of a resolution which also denounced the “terrorist attacks” by Hamas on October 7 and “all violence” against civilians.
◾ The death toll of French people since the massacres committed by Hamas has increased further. Now, there are 27 people killed while 7 others are still missing. Several are also being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. Finally, Paris repatriated 3,500 French people from Israel.
◾ More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel, most of them civilians, on October 7, according to a latest report. On the Gaza side, bombed by the Israeli army, at least 3,478 people were killed, again mostly civilians, according to local authorities, who do not specify whether this toll also takes into account that of the hospital victims. Ahli Arab from Gaza. More than a million residents have also fled to the south of the enclave, under the threat of an Israeli ground offensive in the north.