The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the completion of a new temporary pier to deliver aid to Gaza. The trucks carrying essential supplies are expected to begin arriving in the coming days under the auspices of the UN.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hear South Africa’s petition for additional emergency measures against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The hearings are set to commence in The Hague, with a focus on South Africa’s demand for Israel to withdraw from Gaza’s Rafah City. The petition is part of a broader case accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza. The ICJ previously issued emergency measures in January, urging Israel to refrain from genocidal acts, increase humanitarian aid, and preserve evidence of violations. The hearings will address South Africa’s call for additional urgent measures.
The Israeli army reported Hezbollah’s deepest strike yet on Israeli territory, employing armed drones in the attack. One drone was intercepted by Israeli air defences, while the other targeted a sensitive military facility near the Golani Junction. Hezbollah cited Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon as justification for the attack, prompting Israeli retaliation with overnight airstrikes in the Baalbek region.
Amid the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, Arab leaders are convening in Bahrain for a summit to discuss Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The gathering, the first of its kind since an extraordinary summit in Riyadh last November, underscores regional solidarity with the Palestinian cause. While previous meetings stopped short of endorsing punitive measures against Israel, there is growing momentum for a more robust response this time. With widespread anger in the region over Israel’s actions, the summit may herald a shift towards concrete measures to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza.
In the face of mounting pressure, a group of Democrats in Congress has urged the Biden administration to expand its efforts against extremist Israeli settlers and their financial backers in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to develop post-war plans for Gaza, coupled with his refusal to support any solution involving Israeli military or civil governance in the territory. The public clash raises questions about Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s future in the government and the stability of Netanyahu’s coalition. Gallant’s demand for Netanyahu to articulate a “day-after plan” for Gaza has ignited immediate speculation over his political standing.
Netanyahu issued a videotaped statement in apparent damage control mode. Meanwhile, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Gallant to be replaced.
At a press conference in Tel Aviv, Gallant reiterated his call for an alternative governing body to Hamas to be found, criticising the lack of political planning for the “day after” the war in Gaza.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh stated on Wednesday that the militant group plans to be involved in postwar governance in Gaza, along with other Palestinian factions.
With Israeli ground forces advancing into Rafah, mass displacement has ensued, leaving countless people in urgent need of essential supplies such as food and water. The forced exodus of civilians resulted in the displacemnt of at least 600,000 Palestinians.
In its war on Gaza which began on 7 October, Israel has killed at least 35,233 people, mostly women and children, and wounded 79,141 others.