Middle East live blog: ++ Blinken warns of expansion of the conflict ++

US Secretary of State Blinken again warns of an expansion of the war in the Middle East. Reporters Without Borders expresses sharp criticism of Israel after the deaths of two journalists in the Gaza Strip. All developments in the live blog.

The World Health Organization canceled an aid shipment of medical supplies to the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday. The WHO said the background was a lack of safety guarantees. It is the fourth time since December 26 that the WHO has had to cancel a delivery to the Al-Awda hospital and the central pharmacy, the WHO representative in the Palestinian territories said on X. “Heavy shelling, restrictions on movement and disrupted communications make it nearly impossible to regularly and safely deliver medical supplies to the Gaza Strip, particularly to the north.”

As the war in the Middle East enters its fourth month, Israel estimates that 136 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli government spokeswoman said 25 of them were probably no longer alive. Among the hostages, Israel also includes the bodies of two soldiers who were kidnapped during the last major Gaza war in 2014, as well as two other Israelis who have been held in the coastal strip since then.

The war was triggered three months ago by the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas and other extremist Palestinian groups. According to Israeli information, more than 1,200 people were killed. According to the latest information, around 250 people were abducted to the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Israel again on Sunday. For Baerbock, it is the fourth visit to the Middle East since the beginning of the war between Israel and the militant Islamist Hamas. “If you look at the television news here in Israel, you won’t find a particularly big response there,” commented ARD correspondent Oliver Feldforth the local situation.

Nevertheless, the Foreign Minister’s visit is seen as a sign of support, even though Germany is becoming more critical of its demands on Israel. Baerbock is calling for a lower level of military escalation in the Gaza Strip in order to protect the civilian population, explains Feldforth. “Of course, official Israel has a hard time with this, so people look at the visit with a bit of ambivalence.”

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on Israel to do more to protect the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The people there must have the opportunity to live in security and dignity, she said on Sunday evening in Jerusalem on her fourth visit to Israel since the Islamist Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. She called for “less strong operations” in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas.

The Israeli military says it has killed 10 Palestinian fighters in Khan Yunis, the largest city in the southern Gaza Strip. 30 “significant terrorist targets” were attacked there. In addition, a weapons depot was bombed during an operation in the center of the Hamas-controlled area. The military said a tunnel shaft was also uncovered.

The Israeli army says it has once again fired on several Hezbollah militia targets in Lebanon, which borders to the north. Air force fighter jets attacked a military facility near Marwahin and a rocket launcher elsewhere on the border, the armed forces said. In addition, an Israeli drone and a helicopter attacked positions from which Israel was fired upon.

According to its own information, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not been able to enter the north of the Gaza Strip for twelve days in the ongoing war between Israel and the militant Islamist Hamas. A planned mission to Al-Awda Hospital was canceled for the fourth time because security was not guaranteed, the WHO announced on the X platform that night.

Heavy bombing, limited movement options and interrupted communication have made it “almost impossible” to deliver medical supplies to the isolated coastal strip and especially to its north. Hospitals are seriously understaffed because medical staff have fled following evacuation calls, the UN agency said.

The Secretary General of the organization Reporters Without Borders was shocked by reports of journalists being killed in the Gaza Strip. “It is definitely a never-ending slaughter,” wrote Christophe Deloire on the online service X, formerly Twitter. “We will continue to appeal to the International Criminal Court to ensure that crimes against journalists are made a top priority.” The total number of journalists killed in the Gaza Strip has risen to 79.

On Sunday, two Palestinian journalists were killed in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip, according to Al-Jazeera television. The broadcaster said video journalist Mustafa Thuria, who also worked for the AFP news agency, and Al Jazeera journalist Hamsa Wael Dahduh were killed in a “targeted attack” on their car. The Israeli army said the attack targeted a “terrorist” in the car.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is again warning of an expansion of the war in the Middle East. “This is a moment of profound tension in the region. This conflict could easily escalate and cause even more uncertainty and suffering,” Blinken said at a news conference in Doha. Without concerted peace efforts, it could spread to the entire region.

He will make it clear to Israeli officials that they must do more to avoid civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and that Palestinian civilians can return home and not be forced to leave the Gaza Strip. The USA is Israel’s most important ally. Blinken has been in the region since Friday and is trying to de-escalate the situation. A visit to the West Bank and Egypt is planned for this week.

Israel’s army says it has destroyed more than 100 Palestinian terrorist targets in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Foreign Minister Baerbock landed in Israel for her fourth visit. All developments from Sunday to read.