CIA chief William Burns is in Cairo for discussions on a truce that could temporarily halt the fighting. The truce is negotiated in exchange for the release of captives and Palestinian prisoners.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II has voiced his concerns to US President Joe Biden, emphasising that the world cannot afford Israel’s planned ground invasion of Rafah, where over 1.4 million people seek shelter. Since 7 October, Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed at least 28,473 Palestinians and wounded 68,146 others.
The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of a Palestinian resistance group, reported a clash with an Israeli infantry unit near Khan Younis. The confrontation occurred at zero distance, suggesting close-quarters combat, and the group claimed to have detonated an explosive device in a house where Israeli troops were positioned in the same area.
Meawhile, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent and a photojournalist have been wounded in an Israeli air strike near Rafah.
Various organisations advocating for journalists’ rights and protection have strongly condemned Israel’s strike on the two Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza. Tim Dawson, deputy secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, suggested that there appears to be a systematic campaign by Israel to intimidate and reduce the number of journalists in Gaza, estimating a 10 percent decrease in their numbers.
As Israel press ahead with its attacks in Gaza, the World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a warning about the potential mass displacement of people from Rafah, raising concerns about the fragile situation in the region and the humanitarian consequences of military actions. UN Chief Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern about the worsening conditions faced by aid delivery workers in Gaza, emphasising the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
In a televised address, Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader, Syed Hassan Nasrallah, outlined key points, stating that hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border would cease when Israeli aggression on Gaza stops. He warned of further displacement in northern Israel and cautioned that Hezbollah would escalate the conflict if Israel widened its military operations. Nasrallah criticised Western delegations visiting Lebanon, accusing them of seeking security guarantees for Israel without addressing Lebanon’s concerns.