Negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza war continue. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains dramatic. The news at a glance.
Despite the extremely tough negotiations over a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza war and further releases of hostages, hope for early progress remains. Recently there have been cautiously optimistic signals from negotiating circles about the talks between Israel and the Islamist Hamas. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has now expressed hope for a ceasefire within days.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen, so that the United Nations has not ruled out supplying more than two million people by air. There are chaotic scenes and scuffles during the distribution of relief supplies. Helpers from the organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) see the healthcare system in the densely populated coastal area completely collapsing.
Egyptian president expresses hope for a ceasefire
Egypt’s President al-Sisi said at an event broadcast on Al Qahera News TV that an early ceasefire would be important to provide real help to the suffering people of the Gaza Strip. He also addressed allegations that his country is failing the people of Gaza by not allowing them to cross the border into Egypt.
“It was very important to us from day one that the Rafah border crossing would be a route for aid deliveries,” said Al-Sisi. His country has never closed the border crossing, but has to be careful in the current situation. Egypt is concerned about a possible mass exodus of refugees from the Gaza Strip towards Egypt.
Report: Violent scuffles over aid deliveries
Given the disastrous humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations is not ruling out supply flights. “Ideally, we want to move things by road, we want more roads to be open, we want more open border crossings. But as I said: all options remain on the table for the World Food Program (WFP), said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York York.
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has recently become more serious because many trucks carrying relief supplies are not being allowed to reach their destination. According to a CNN report, there were chaotic scenes during the distribution of aid dropped from the air.
Dozens of people were also killed in chaos and gunfire around an aid convoy in the Gaza Strip this morning. The Hamas-controlled health authority accused Israel’s army of attacking a crowd in Gaza city waiting for aid. 104 people are said to have been killed and 760 injured. The information could not initially be independently verified.
Doctors Without Borders: Healthcare is collapsing
Given the dramatic situation in the Gaza Strip, medical staff there are barely able to provide people with adequate care, according to Doctors Without Borders. “Health care has been attacked – it is collapsing. The whole system is collapsing,” said the organization’s general director, Meinie Nicolai, in a video message on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.
Meanwhile, the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia, north of the coastal strip, suspended its medical activities due to a lack of fuel. This makes the situation even worse and means that thousands of patients can no longer be cared for, said the director of the hospital, Ahmed Kahalot.
A total of more than 30,000 dead
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has described the ongoing attacks in the Gaza Strip as “carnage”. The Hamas-controlled health authority announced that 81 people were killed and 132 others injured in the past 24 hours alone. Since the Israeli military offensive began in October, 30,035 people have been killed and 70,457 wounded.
Türk cited the death toll at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and said tens of thousands were also missing and were probably buried under the rubble of their homes. “This is carnage.”
Hamas figures cannot be independently verified. However, the United Nations and other observers point out that the authority’s figures have proven to be overall credible in the past.
Thousands of tons of ammunition used
Israel has used thousands of tons of ammunition in densely populated residential areas in the Gaza Strip. These included weapons that caused widespread damage, said Türk. Such weapons produced a massive blast wave that could rupture human organs and cause deep burns.
“Over the past five months of war, the office has registered numerous incidents indicating war crimes committed by the Israeli armed forces, as well as indications that the Israeli armed forces targeted indiscriminately or disproportionately in violation of international humanitarian law,” Turk said. Blocking aid deliveries and therefore using starvation as a method of war could, if carried out consciously, potentially be war crimes.
“Hamas created the battlefield in Gaza”
The Israeli ambassador defended Israel’s actions. Your country is at war against a terrorist organization. Hamas created the battlefield in Gaza. Because the fighters were hiding behind civilians, Israel had no choice but to attack there. Israel is doing everything it can to comply with international humanitarian law, for example by warning the population about air strikes.
The Palestinian ambassador said children and women desperately lining up to get food were being bombed. He accused Israel of genocide. He condemned the October 7 attacks. However, the calendar did not begin on October 7th. Israel has been oppressing the Palestinians for decades.
The diplomats from dozens of countries in the room showed no reaction to the speech by the Israeli ambassador, who was in the hall of the UN Human Rights Council with two released hostages. After the speech by the Palestinian representative, there was long-lasting applause.
Federal government increases humanitarian aid for Gaza
In view of the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip, the federal government is increasing humanitarian aid for the sealed-off coastal strip by a further 20 million euros. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) announced this in Berlin. She added that that wasn’t nearly enough.
The number of trucks bringing life-saving food, medicine and other aid to Gaza has fallen sharply in recent weeks. “This is unacceptable. The Israeli government must immediately allow safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid,” demanded the minister.
Protesters break through checkpoint at border crossing
During a protest at the Erez border crossing with the Gaza Strip, Israeli demonstrators violently broke through a military checkpoint and entered the sealed-off coastal area. Israel’s military confirmed on request that around 100 demonstrators had previously gathered at the crossing north of the Gaza Strip. Several Israeli media outlets previously reported on the incident.
According to media reports, the demonstrators are radical settler activists. They made it around 500 meters into the Gaza Strip before they were stopped by Israeli soldiers. According to the army, soldiers monitored people during the incident in the Gaza Strip. They were eventually taken back to Israeli territory and handed over to the police.
Videos on social media showed protesters carrying boards trying to set up a makeshift settlement on the other side of the border crossing – but still on Israeli territory. There were harsh exchanges between the activists and soldiers, which prevented them from crossing.
Presumably Israeli attacks in Syria and Lebanon
According to human rights activists, one person was killed in suspected Israeli attacks on targets in Syria and Lebanon. More than a dozen are said to have been injured. There was initially no confirmation from the Israeli side.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a truck was hit by a suspected Israeli drone strike near the Syrian city of Homs, not far from the border with Lebanon. One person was killed. According to Syrian government circles, it was probably a vehicle belonging to the Shiite organization Hezbollah.
Explosions were also reported in the southwest of the Syrian capital Damascus. According to the Observatory for Human Rights, an air defense and radar position was targeted. According to activists, this is the 17th Israeli attack on Syrian territory since the Gaza war began last October.
Hezbollah positions in Lebanon were also reportedly the target of Israeli attacks. Accordingly, there were already a whole series of air strikes and artillery shelling at various places in the border area during the night. According to Lebanese security sources, 14 people were injured. Hezbollah said it fired on Israeli soldiers in the Israeli-Lebanese border area. Israel is said to have responded with further air strikes.
Two people killed in attack in West Bank
Two people were also killed in an attack near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. In the afternoon, a terrorist opened fire at a gas station not far from Eli, the Israeli military said. The attacker could therefore be “neutralized” on site. Israeli soldiers closed the surrounding streets and are searching for possible other suspects in the area.
The two victims were pronounced dead at the scene by rescue workers, according to the Magen David Adom emergency service. Accordingly, there are two men who are said to be between 20 and 40 years old.