Hopes for an early ceasefire in the Gaza war are dwindling. Apparently Hamas is building walls. Meanwhile, criticism of Israel is growing because of the catastrophic humanitarian situation. The news at a glance.
Israel is coming under increasing international pressure in the Gaza war because of the catastrophic humanitarian situation. South Africa submitted an urgent application to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to order Israel to allow aid into the sealed-off coastal area. The reason for this is “widespread famine,” according to a statement from the court in The Hague.
Meanwhile, hopes are dwindling that an agreement on the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire will be reached before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, which begins around March 10, according to the New York Times newspaper, citing several people involved in the talks in Cairo familiar people reported.
Concern about escalation of violence during Ramadan
If efforts by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt fail, Israel is threatening a military operation in the city of Rafah during Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday. In Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, around 1.5 million Palestinians are currently seeking refuge from the fighting in other parts of the area in a confined space and under miserable conditions. Israel assured that it would bring civilians to safety before an offensive. Israeli officials believed Gaza’s Islamist Hamas leader Jihia al-Sinwar was not interested in a deal but hoped it would escalate tensions in the West Bank and Jerusalem during Ramadan, Wall Street reported Journal”. An invasion of Rafah could also lead to a larger conflict on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, it said.
South Africa complains about violations of the Genocide Convention
At the end of December, South Africa sued Israel before the International Court of Justice for alleged violations of the Genocide Convention. The UN court ruled in an interim ruling that Israel must take protective measures to prevent genocide. “In view of the new facts and changes in the situation in Gaza – in particular the widespread famine – caused by Israel’s ongoing egregious violations” of the Convention, South Africa is compelled to request further interim orders, it said.
Israel: More aid deliveries than before the start of the war
In view of increasingly harsh criticism from other countries due to the catastrophic supply situation in the coastal strip, the government in Jerusalem emphasized that more aid supplies were currently arriving in the coastal strip than before the start of the war. “In the past two weeks, an average of 102 food shipments have entered the Gaza Strip every day. That is almost 50 percent more than before Hamas started the war on October 7,” said government spokesman Eylon Levy. There is a “flood of false reports that Israel would limit the amount of aid deliveries. “There are no restrictions. I repeat: none,” emphasized the Israeli spokesman.
British Foreign Minister urges Israel to provide more aid
However, Great Britain’s Foreign Minister David Cameron sees Israel as having a duty to enable more aid deliveries. At a meeting with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz, he made it clear what steps Israel needed to take and how worried Britain was about a possible offensive in Rafah, Cameron said on X (formerly Twitter). “I have again urged Israel to increase the flow of aid. We are still not seeing any improvements on the ground. This must change,” Cameron said. An immediate humanitarian pause, more capacity for the distribution of aid and improved access by land and sea are needed.
Report: Hamas insists on permanent ceasefire
The mediators had recently discussed a proposal for a six-week ceasefire during which the Islamist Hamas would release about 40 hostages – women, the elderly and the sick, as well as five Israeli soldiers – in exchange for about 400 Palestinian prisoners. So far, the talks have focused on a first phase that envisages the release of these 40 of a total of around 100 hostages, wrote the New York Times. Israeli officials believed that a broad consensus had been reached, but then Hamas again made further demands.
Hamas wants Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire during or after three phases of hostage rescue, the New York Times reported. She also insists on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the northern Gaza Strip after the third phase of the hostage rescue and on larger aid deliveries. It must be guaranteed that half of it goes to the north of Gaza, it was said. The latter demands could still be negotiated between Israel and Hamas, it was said. There is a dispute over whether men of fighting age should be allowed to return to northern Gaza, which Israel has sealed off, during the ceasefire, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Egyptian officials. However, an Israeli official denied that this was currently part of negotiations taking place exclusively through the mediating states.
The Gaza war was triggered exactly five months ago by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups carried out in Israel on October 7th. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 30,717 people have been killed in Gaza so far. The number does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.
USA: dead after Houthi attack on cargo ship
According to the US government, sailors were killed in an attack on the freighter “True Confidence” off the coast of Yemen. “The Houthis have killed innocent civilians as they continued their reckless attacks on international commercial shipping affecting countries around the world,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. According to media reports, it is the first time that crew members of a merchant ship have been killed in a Houthi attack. The spokeswoman did not give a death toll. US media reported two deaths, citing government officials.
In recent months, the Houthi militia in Yemen has repeatedly targeted civilian merchant ships. According to its own statements, it acts in solidarity with Hamas and directs its attacks on freighters with alleged connections to Israel, the USA or Great Britain. It had recently announced that it would intensify its attacks. The USA and Great Britain had carried out military strikes against positions in Yemen several times in response to the attacks. The EU has also launched a military operation to protect shipping in the Red Sea, in which Germany is participating with a frigate.
Notice from the UN Court Report from the New York Times Report from the Wall Street Journal