
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p><strong>Chef&nbsp;</strong>José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen announced it would restart aid operations in Gaza on Monday—four weeks after seven of its employees were killed by an Israeli airstrike condemned globally and described by Israel as “unintentional.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>In a news release on Sunday afternoon, WCK said the organization was ready with 276 trucks filled with 8 million meals for Gaza, where the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wfp.org/stories/hunger-gaza-famine-findings-dark-mark-world-says-wfp-palestine-country-director" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">U.N. estimates</a>&nbsp;about 1.1 million people are experiencing “catastrophic hunger.”</p>



<p>The nonprofit said it was also “exploring” other options for expanding operations and delivering more food to Gaza—including using the Israeli port of Ashdod and by sending more trucks from neighboring Jordan.</p>



<p>The organization also said it was building a new “high production kitchen” in the town of Mawasi, which will be named “Damian’s Kitchen” after victim Damian Sobol, and celebrity chef founder Andrés&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgOwYvIvJ_g" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reposted a video</a>&nbsp;of WCK workers building the facility in southern Gaza.</p>



<p>WCK operates two other “high production” facilities in Rafah and Deir al-Balah, as well as 68 more community kitchens across the besieged territory.</p>



<p>The restart comes only three days after Andrés&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKzVWyLpv-8" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">delivered a eulogy</a>&nbsp;at Washington D.C.’s National Cathedral for the aid workers, who he called “the best of humanity.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Seven WCK employees were killed on April 1 while traveling in a convoy near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. According to Andrés, the aid workers were targeted “systematically,” by the Israeli Defense Force, who struck three separate cars transporting the workers. Israel later apologized for the strike, which it called a “grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures.” Two senior military officers were fired after the incident. However, WCK called for an independent investigation, stating the Israeli military “cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza.” On Sunday, the nonprofit’s CEO Erin Gore renewed the organization’s call for an independent investigation, saying, “While we have no concrete assurances, we continue to seek answers and advocate for change with the goal of better protecting WCK and all NGO workers serving selflessly in the worst humanitarian conditions.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“We have been forced to make a decision: stop feeding altogether during one of the worst hunger crises ever, ending our operation that accounted for 62% of all International NGO aid, or keep feeding knowing that aid, aid workers, and civilians are being intimidated and killed,” Gore said in a <a href="https://wck.org/en-us/news/chefs-for-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a> on Sunday. “Ultimately, we decided that we must keep feeding, continuing our mission of showing up to provide food to people during the toughest of times.”</p>


Spain Eases Lockdown As Death Rate Slows

José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen Resumes Gaza Aid—4 Weeks After Deadly Strike Killed Staffers


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Israeli military reportedly launched airstrikes targeting Iran early on Friday, in response to Tehran’s drone attack on its territory over the weekend, amid concerns about escalation between the two Middle Eastern nations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Citing unnamed Iranian officials, the New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/18/world/israel-iran-gaza-war-news/blasts-are-reported-near-the-iranian-city-of-isfahan?smid=url-share" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;the strikes hit an airbase near the city of Isfahan in central Iran, while an unnamed “senior U.S. official” told&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/israel-gaza-hamas-war/?id=108860743" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">ABC News</a>&nbsp;that Israel had launched a missile strike against Iran.</p>



<p>The Iranian state controlled Fars News Agency also reported explosions being heard near the Isfahan airport, but an official later told the state media that explosions were caused by air defense batteries firing at a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irna.ir/news/85449584/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%BE-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%87%D9%86-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B4%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D9%BE%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">suspicious object</a>.</p>



<p>On Iranian state TV, however, the country’s officials publicly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-04-18/ty-article-live/five-idf-reservists-in-serious-condition-following-rocket-drone-strike-on-northern-israel/0000018e-eecd-daad-a3de-eeff299e0000?liveBlogItemId=11850594&amp;utm_source=site&amp;utm_medium=button&amp;utm_campaign=live_blog_item#11850594" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">dismissed</a>&nbsp;reports of the strike, calling it “Israeli and American media propaganda” and denied that an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council had been convened.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2024-04-19/middle-east-latest?cursorId=6621F343688C0000" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">According to</a>&nbsp;Bloomberg, Israel had informed the U.S. officials on Thursday about its plan to carry out a strike on Israel in the following 24-48 hours.</p>



<p>Sources cited by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/iran-israel-attack-live-updates-rcna148496/rcrd39372?canonicalCard=true" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">several</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-strikes-site-iran-retaliation-weekend-assault" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">outlets</a>&nbsp;referred to the retaliatory attacks as “limited” while a retired military general appearing on Israel’s Channel 12 said he believed it was a “symbolic attack” that may not force a response by the Iranians.</p>



<p>The Israeli military has refused to comment on reports of the attack so far.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Real time air traffic data on FlightRadar24 showed&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/OrenCNN/status/1781132736423403933" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">several airplanes diverting</a>&nbsp;away from Iran just after the strikes were reported. FlightRadar24 then&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/1781150391280750655" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that Iranian authorities had issue a notification informing pilots that the airports in Isfahan, Shiraz and the national capital Tehran were closed. Budget Emirati carrier Fly Dubai&nbsp;<a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/mena/flydubai-airline-cancels-flights-to-iran-statement" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;receiving the notification and announced the cancellation of its flights to Iran. The notices of closure at all three airports were&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/1781194845991633032" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">lifted</a>&nbsp;a few hours later.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>An unnamed Israeli official cited by the Washington Post said the attack “was intended to signal to Iran that Israel had the ability to strike inside the country.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>The extent of the damage from the attack remains unclear. Iranian authorities said nuclear facilities located near Isfahan <a href="https://www.irna.ir/news/85449584/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%BE-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%87%D9%86-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B4%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D9%BE%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">were safe</a>. The International Atomic Energy Agency also <a href="https://twitter.com/iaeaorg/status/1781196309329793463" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confirmed</a> this while calling for restraint and saying “nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>On Wednesday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2024/04/17/iran-threatens-fierce-and-severe-response-if-israel-launches-tinest-invasion-in-response-to-weekend-attack/?sh=447e1fd11083">warned</a>&nbsp;that any military incursion by Israel would be met with a severe response. Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles targeting Israeli territory in an unprecedented attack. Israel claimed the strikes resulted in only minor damages as its military—along with U.S. and other allied forces in the region—were able to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/13/world/israel-iran-gaza-war-news/611216e4-0347-518a-bd58-51184c463120?smid=url-share" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">shoot down 99%</a>&nbsp;of the missiles and drones. Iran said its attack was in response to an Israeli airstrike on its diplomatic compound in Damascus that resulted in the deaths of 16 people—including two senior military leaders.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-mideast-tensions-4-19-2024-a7ccbae2e2844bab089e8e4377a24ddb" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Iran fires air defense batteries at Isfahan air base and nuclear site after drones spotted</a>&nbsp;(Associated Press)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2024/04/17/iran-threatens-fierce-and-severe-response-if-israel-launches-tinest-invasion-in-response-to-weekend-attack/?sh=447e1fd11083">Iran Threatens ‘Fierce And Severe’ Response If Israel Launches ‘Tinest Invasion’ In Response To Weekend Attack</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Iranian official TV confirms ‘massive explosions’ in central Isfahan province

Israeli Missiles Reportedly Strike Airbase In Central Iran


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The head of the United Nations agency providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees on Saturday denounced a move by a growing number of countries to pull funding for the agency following allegations by Israel that some of its staffers participated in Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p><a href="https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/finland-to-suspend-its-funding-to-unrwa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Finland</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dutchnews.nl/2024/01/the-netherlands-halts-financial-support-for-unrwa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Netherlands,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/swiss-aid-payment-to-un-agency-for-palestinian-refugees-in-doubt-08d15150" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Switzerland</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/italy-suspends-financing-unrwa-foreign-minister-tajani-2024-01-27/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Italy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-allegations-about-unrwa-staff-and-7-october-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the U.K.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/germany-says-suspending-funding-to-un-agency-in-gaza-df4ea2be" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Germany</a>&nbsp;all announced suspensions of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on Saturday.</p>



<p>Those announcements followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/statement-on-unrwa-allegations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S.</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorWong/status/1751103658509644035" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australia&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canada-suspends-cash-for-un-agency-serving-palestinians-amid-probe-into-hamas-attack-1.6744404" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada</a>, who suspended funding on Friday.</p>



<p>Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the agency,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/unrwa%E2%80%99s-lifesaving-aid-may-end-due-funding-suspension" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;it was “shocking” to see the suspension, especially since the agency took “immediate action” to terminate the contracts of the accused staffers and investigate the allegations.</p>



<p>Citing Friday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-genocide-court-south-africa-27cf84e16082cde798395a95e9143c06" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ruling</a>&nbsp;from the International Court of Justice that ordered Israel to take measures to enable humanitarian assistance for people in Gaza, Lazzarini said it would be “immensely irresponsible” to sanction the agency and those it serves “because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“I urge countries who have suspended their funding to re-consider their decisions before UNRWA is forced to suspend its humanitarian response,” Lazzarini said in his statement. “The lives of people in Gaza depend on this support and so does regional stability.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Israel alleged on Friday that 12 UNRWA staffers were involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack against Israel, where militants killed roughly 1,200 people and took more than 200 captive. UNRWA terminated the contracts of those employees and launched an investigation the same day, and the New York Times reported Friday that the employees are also<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/world/middleeast/un-aid-israel-oct-7-attacks.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;subject</a>&nbsp;to a criminal investigation. In a statement Friday, Lazzarini reiterated UNRWA’s condemnation of Oct. 7 “in the strongest possible terms” and called for the “unconditional release” of all Israeli hostages. But the U.S. led the charge in pulling back funding, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller saying in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/statement-on-unrwa-allegations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement&nbsp;</a>that the U.S. was “extremely troubled” by the allegations. On Friday, the International Court of Justice at the UN<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/key-takeaways-world-court-decision-israei-genocide-case-2024-01-26/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;ordered</a>&nbsp;Israel to take steps to avoid continued casualties that would constitute a genocide in Gaza. UNRWA is the largest humanitarian actor in Gaza with 3,000 core staff on the ground, per Lazzarini’s statement. Israel has in the past&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/world/middleeast/unrwa-aid-israel-hamas-attack.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accused</a>&nbsp;UNRWA of spreading pro-Hamas propaganda.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>26,083. That’s the number of Palestinians that have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/health-ministry-in-hamas-run-gaza-says-war-death-toll-at-26-083-86a72a11" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according </a>to the health ministry in Gaza.</p>


UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in Gaza

Head Of UN Agency Denounces ‘Shocking’ Funding Cuts Amid Allegations Staffers Were Involved In Hamas’ Attack On Israel


<p><strong>Topline</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Thursday, January 11, marked the start of an unprecedented legal confrontation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in the Netherlands, as South Africa argued that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to “genocide”. The country has also condemned all violations of international law by all parties, including the actions of Hamas. The case, which has drawn worldwide attention, emphasizes the complexities of the ongoing conflict and the diverse global reactions it has ignited.</p>



<p><strong>Key Facts</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>South Africa presents its case first at the ICJ. The claim by its legal team, led by Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, is supported by an 84-page application citing Israeli military and political statements.</li>



<li>The South African application states, “No armed attack on a State’s territory, no matter how serious&#8230;can provide any possible justification for or defense to breaches of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”</li>



<li>Israel&#8217;s President Isaac Herzog firmly rejects these accusations, asserting the country’s stance of self-defense and adherence to humanitarian law.</li>



<li>Ngcukaitobi stated, “The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest level of state,” emphasizing the severity of the situation. His colleague, Adila Hassim, reinforced this sentiment by highlighting the daily suffering of Palestinians: “Every day, there is mounting, irreparable loss of life, property, dignity, and humanity for the Palestinian people.”</li>



<li>The case has sparked significant public interest and polarized views, with demonstrations outside the ICJ and an international outcry from countries like Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey and Iran supporting South Africa&#8217;s allegations.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Its outcome could have potential ramifications for South Africa&#8217;s diplomatic relations with the United States (US), an ally of Israel.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Contra</strong></p>



<p>Israel has firmly rejected the accusations. Israeli President Isaac Herzog denounced the claims as &#8220;atrocious and preposterous&#8221;, asserting Israel&#8217;s stance of self-defense. &#8220;We will present proudly our case of using self-defense… under humanitarian law,&#8221; Herzog declared during a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, emphasizing Israel&#8217;s commitment to avoiding civilian casualties.</p>



<p>Amidst the legal battle, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has criticized the South African government&#8217;s approach. In a statement issued by Prof Karen Milner, National Chair of the SAJBD, the organization accused South Africa of an &#8220;inversion of justice&#8221;. Milner pointed to South Africa&#8217;s alignment with Hamas and the inclusion of controversial figures in its delegation as evidence of a flawed and biased perspective. &#8220;This says volumes about South Africa’s intention,&#8221; Milner remarked, questioning the motives behind the legal action.</p>



<p><strong>Key Background</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>This legal confrontation at the ICJ comes against a backdrop of escalating violence and political strife in Gaza. The 84-page application was lodged with the ICJ on December 29 2023. The ICJ&#8217;s role in this matter is limited to issuing opinions on allegations, which, while not enforceable, carry significant moral and political weight. The conflict has claimed over 23,000 lives according to Gaza’s health ministry.</p>



<p>The US, historically an ally of Israel, may find its diplomatic stance with South Africa challenged, depending on the outcome and reactions to the ICJ&#8217;s ruling. Zane Dangor, Director-General of South Africa&#8217;s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, commented on the potential impact of the case during a media conference last week. “We will be able to see how we regain this after the hearings are done but clearly, under the current circumstances, the relationship is not going to be normal and we will have to look at how do we engage after this, particularly working towards a permanent solution for the relationship,” adding, “We feel that our position is the principled one and that is something that they understand.”</p>



<p><strong>Further Reading</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/current-affairs/2024/01/01/south-africa-accuses-israel-of-genocide-in-un-filing/">South Africa Accuses Israel Of Genocide In UN Filing (F</a><a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/current-affairs/2024/01/01/south-africa-accuses-israel-of-genocide-in-un-filing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ORBES AFRICA)</a></p>


South Africa’s genocide case against Israel begins at International Court of Justice

South Africa Presents Its Case At The ICJ Over “Genocide” In Gaza


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>A drone struck a vessel reportedly linked to Israel off the coast of India on Saturday morning—an unexplained attack that comes as the Houthi militant group continues a campaign of strikes against ships hundreds of miles west in the Red Sea.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The attack took place about 200 nautical miles off the coast of Veraval in India’s state of Gujarat—making it one of the furthest drone attacks to hit a vessel in recent weeks, after the Houthis began launching attacks from the portion of Yemen they control.</p>



<p>The Houthis have not taken credit, but British maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed to Forbes the attack took place in the “heightened threat area” for drone strikes.</p>



<p>India’s&nbsp;<a href="https://aninews.in/news/world/asia/indian-navy-coast-guard-vessels-moving-towards-merchant-ship-hit-by-suspected-drone-attack20231223165323/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ANI</a>&nbsp;news agency identified the vessel as the MV Chem Pluto, a Liberian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia to India that Ambrey told Forbes has a link to Israel (the Houthis have targeted ships it says are connected to Israel in the past).</p>



<p>The unmanned aerial vehicle struck the ship’s stern, sparking a fire in the ship’s rope locker and causing structural damage, according to Ambrey.</p>



<p>The fire was extinguished, but the vessel also sustained some damage to the aft, and the ship began taking on water, Ambrey said—no injuries or casualties were reported among the crew of 20 people.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Merchant vessels in the Red Sea have faced dozens of attacks by ballistic missiles and drones over the past month. Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for the majority of the attacks, which they say are a response to Israel’s war in Gaza. The Houthis control a large portion of northern Yemen, including the capital of Sana’a, and are allied with the Iranian government and Gaza-based militant group Hamas, which attacked southern Israel in October. The attacks have primarily been targeted at vessels linked to Israel. “Merchant vessels are advised that these types of attacks are typically targeted at Israeli-affiliated shipping, but have in the past mistakenly hit previously Israel-affiliated vessels,” Ambrey said. The drone attacks have slowed trade in the region, causing shipping giants Maersk and Hapag Lloyd to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/12/15/maersk-pauses-shipments-through-red-sea-after-recent-houthi-attacks/?sh=24e033d6495c">halt cargo shipments</a>&nbsp;through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. BP also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/12/18/oil-giant-bp-halts-shipments-in-the-red-sea-following-houthi-attacks/?sh=596022022ccb">paused all oil shipments</a>&nbsp;through the Red Sea on Monday. Swedish furniture store Ikea, dairy brand Danone, and appliance manufacturer Electrolux have all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/britneynguyen/2023/12/21/these-companies-are-facing-product-delays-due-to-red-sea-houthi-attacks-ikea-danone-and-more/?sh=1825e6ba1063">reported shortages and delays</a>&nbsp;since the attacks began.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>On Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/12/19/us-announces-multinational-naval-force-to-combat-houthi-attacks-in-red-sea/?sh=15f13d9f104e">Operation Prosperity Guardian</a>, a multinational security force aimed at protecting merchant vessels in the Red Sea. According to Austin, the Houthi attacks threaten “the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law.” The coalition will include forces from the U.K., Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, the Defense Department announced. Air Force Major General Pat Ryder said the coalition force will act as a “highway patrol” on the Red Sea shipping lanes, which the military estimates sees anywhere from 10-15% of all global shipping.</p>


Israel’s Response To Hamas Attack Complicated By Hostages And Concerns Over Gaza Campaign

Drone Hits Israeli-Linked Oil Tanker Off Indian Coast, Security Firm Says


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Israel released 39 Palestinians it was holding in its Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank on Friday as part of a deal for the release of Israeli hostages Hamas took during its Oct. 7 attack—the Palestinians released were mostly teenage boys and women, a vast majority had not yet been convicted of a crime and many had been imprisoned for years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Seventeen of the released Palestinian prisoners are minors and, of those 17, 15 are boys and two were girls, while the remaining 22 are adult women,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/24/who-were-the-palestinian-prisoners-israel-released-on-friday" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Al Jazeera</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>



<p>Israel holds 2,200 Palestinians in detention under its controversial “administrative detention” policy that Israel says is a counter-terrorism measure it uses against people who plan to commit future offenses, according to the AP.</p>



<p>The released prisoners include Iyas Khatib, 17, the son of a U.N. aid worker who was put in “administrative detention” last year based on secret evidence without being publicly charged of a crime or put on trial, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-prisoner-exchange-hostage-92545883b1fef86fb9b34549b7deca58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>



<p>The prisoners also include Marah Bakeer, 24, who was a 16-year-old high school student in occupied East Jerusalem when Israeli forces shot at and arrested her for allegedly trying to stab an Israeli officer, an accusation Bakeer and her family deny,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/25/family-celebrates-return-of-free-palestinian-prisoner-marah-bakeer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Al Jazeera</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>



<p>The 39 are part of a list of 300 Palestinians Israel said it was considering releasing as part of its deal with Hamas—some on the list were held on minor charges like throwing stones (though some were held on charges as serious as attempted murder), less than a quarter of them were convicted of a crime and most were being held on remand while awaiting a trial, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67522703" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBC</a> reported.</p>



<p>Other common offenses the prisoners have been accused of include threatening security officers, entering Israel illegally without a permit, supporting terrorism and associating with hostile or unknown organizations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/24/who-were-the-palestinian-prisoners-israel-released-on-friday" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Al Jazeera</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The released prisoners were being held in Israel’s Ofer prison, which is situated in the occupied West Bank near its western border north of Jerusalem. Israeli forces began using it in 2002 and it has since housed scores of Palestinian detainees, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.addameer.org/content/offer-prison" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Addameer</a>&nbsp;Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, a Palestinian non-governmental organization. The Israeli military court system is designed to prosecute Palestinians that violate its various military orders in occupied Palestinian territory, according to Addameer. Human rights groups allege that Israel’s military court system rules Palestinains guilty 99% of the time, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67528844" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBC</a>. Addammer points to other perceived issues with the military court and Israeli prison systems, including that Israeli officers, despite being required to interrogate prisoners in their native language, allegedly often&nbsp;<a href="https://www.addameer.org/israeli_military_judicial_system/military_courts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get them to sign</a>&nbsp;statements in Hebrew they don’t understand and that prison officials allegedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.addameer.org/key_issues/medical_negligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deliberately don’t provide</a>&nbsp;prisoners with necessary medical care.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>750,000. That’s how many Palestinians have at one point been in an Israeli jail since 1967, according to estimates from human rights groups, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-prisoner-exchange-hostage-92545883b1fef86fb9b34549b7deca58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AP</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>The release of the Palestinian prisoners was part of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/11/22/what-to-know-about-the-israel-hamas-hostage-deal/?sh=64f13bfe5845">an agreement</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Hamas that ended weeks of ferocious fighting between the two. That fighting began Oct. 7 after Hamas crossed the border of northern Gaza into Israel, killing around 1,200 and taking 240 hostage in a bloody attack. Israel responded with frequent airstrikes and a ground military incursion into Gaza. More than 14,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel declared war, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. On Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/11/24/temporary-ceasefire-takes-effect-in-gaza/?sh=2c11d07321a5">fighting paused</a>&nbsp;as part of a temporary cease-fire. As part of the cease-fire deal, Hamas agreed to release some of the hostages it took on Oct. 7, and Israel agreed to free some of its Palestinian prisoners. Along with the 39 released Palestinians, 13 Israeli hostages were released Friday. The pause in fighting—which is set to last four days, but could be extended if both sides come to further agreement—allowed trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>More Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages to be released. Israel has promised to release 150 Palestinian prisoners and Hamas agreed to release 50 hostages. All of those are expected to be released by the end of the four-day cease-fire. However, even more could ultimately be released soon. As part of the deal, Israel agreed to continue the pause in fighting one more day for each additional 10 hostages released by Hamas.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>The newly freed Palestinian minors’ names are Yousef Mohammad Mustafa Ata, Qusai Hani Ali Ahmad, Jibreel Ghassan Ismail Jibreel, Mohammad Ahmad Suleiman Abu Rajab, Ahmad Nu’man, Ahmad Abu Na’im, Baraa Bilal Mahmoud Rabee, Aban Iyad Mohammad Said Hammad, Moataz Hatem Moussa Abu Aram, Iyas Abdul Qader Mohammad Khatib, Hazma Laith Khalil Othman Othman, Mohammad Mahmoud Ayoub Dar Darwish, Jamal Khalil Jamal Barahmeh, Jamal Yousef Jamal Abu Hamdan, Mohammad Anis Saleem Tarabi, Abdul Rahman Abdul Rahman Suleiman Rizq, Zeina Raed Abdou and Noor Mohammad Hafez al-Tahir, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/24/who-were-the-palestinian-prisoners-israel-released-on-friday" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Al Jazeera</a>. The adults’ names are Rawan Nafez Mohammad Abu Matar, Marah Joudat Moussa Bakeer, Malak Mohammad Yousef Suleiman, Amani Khaled Nu’man Hasheem, Nihaya Khader Hussein Sawan, Fayrouz Fayez Mahmoud al-Baw, Tahreer Adnan Mohammad Abu Suriya, Falasteen Fareed Abdul Latif Najm, Walaa Khaled Fawzi Tanja, Maryam Khaled Abdul Majid Arafat, Asil Muneer Ibrahim al-Tayti, Azhar Thaer Bakr Assaf, Raghd Nashat Salah al-Fanni, Fatima Nu’man Ali Badr, Rawda Moussa Abdul Qader Abu Ujaima, Sara Ayman Abdul Aziz Abdullah al-Suweisa, Fatima Ismail Abdul Rahman Shahin, Samira Abdul Harbawi, Samah Bilal Abdul Rahman Souf, Fatima Bakr Moussa Abu Shalal, Hanan Saleh Abdullah al-Barghouthi and Fatima Nasr Mohammad Amarnah, according to Al Jazeera.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/11/24/heres-what-to-know-about-the-hostages-released-from-gaza/?sh=4800c2e1aff7">Here’s What To Know About The Hostages Released From Gaza</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/11/24/first-hostages-released-amid-temporary-israel-hamas-ceasefire/?sh=1c663278e9fe">First Hostages Released Amid Temporary Israel-Hamas Ceasefire</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/11/24/temporary-ceasefire-takes-effect-in-gaza/?sh=2c11d07321a5">Temporary Ceasefire Takes Effect In Gaza</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/11/22/what-to-know-about-the-israel-hamas-hostage-deal/?sh=64f13bfe5845">What To Know About The Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/11/23/israeli-forces-reportedly-arrest-director-of-gazas-largest-hospital/?sh=28e410055505">Israeli Forces Reportedly Arrest Director Of Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Gilad Shalit Swap Deal

Israel Released 39 Palestinian Prisoners: Here’s What We Know About Them


<p><strong>South Africa&#8217;s National Assembly has voted in favor of suspending diplomatic relations with Israel, including closing its embassy, in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This significant political move reflects escalating tensions and calls for a ceasefire and peace negotiations.</strong></p>



<p>South Africa’s National Assembly voted yesterday to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel, as well as the closure of the Israeli embassy within the country, due to Israel’s continued war against Hamas in Palestine. The vote, which came hours after Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa, passed with 248 votes in favor and 91 against. However, the vote is not binding unless enforced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.</p>



<p>The vote, initiated by opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and supported by the ruling African National Congress (ANC), called for a suspension of all diplomatic ties with Israel until a ceasefire is reached. Earlier this week during a virtual summit of the BRICS nations, chaired by President Ramaphosa, it issued a statement condemning attacks on civilians in Palestine.</p>



<p>The move was welcomed by the South African branch of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. “There is no role for diplomacy with a settler-colonial apartheid state that is guilty of genocide against a population that it occupies,” said SA BDS Coordinator Roshan Dadoo to FORBES AFRICA. “South Africa should not be having relations with a state that perpetrates war crimes with impunity, and treats the United Nations, international law, and the rest of the world with utter disdain.”</p>



<p>However, the National Assembly’s vote was not appreciated by all parties. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) condemned the vote as pointless in light of Israel’s withdrawal of its ambassador for consultations, and condemned the chanting of “from the river to the sea” by some members of parliament “a chant which calls for the destruction of the only Jewish state, makes a mockery of the ANC’s stated position of supporting a two-state solution,” said Professor Karen Milner of the SAJBD in a statement.</p>



<p>Both the Israeli ambassadors’ recall as well as the National Assembly vote indicate a further breakdown in diplomatic relations between Israel and South Africa, which has historically had strong political, historical, and ideological ties to Palestinians. The ANC-led government has long condemned the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza, and it remains to be seen how this recent development will impact the already strained relations.</p>



<p>The resolution, titled ‘Closure of the Israel Embassy in South Africa and suspension of all diplomatic relations with Israel’, was presented by Julius Malema of the EFF. This parliamentary decision, while symbolic, reflects a long-standing stance of the South African government since Nelson Mandela&#8217;s presidency, likening the Palestinian struggle to the country’s own fight against apartheid. The ANC&#8217;s chief whip, Pemmy Majodina, emphasized the resolution&#8217;s call for a ceasefire and commitment to United Nations-facilitated peace negotiations.</p>



<p>President Ramaphosa has been vocally critical of Israel&#8217;s military actions in Gaza, urging the International Criminal Court to investigate potential war crimes.</p>



<p>This recent parliamentary vote, amidst the backdrop of escalating violence in Gaza and Israel&#8217;s strategic military campaign against Hamas, marks a pivotal moment in South Africa&#8217;s foreign policy, mirroring its historical commitment to human rights and international law. As the world watches, the actions of Ramaphosa&#8217;s administration in the coming days will be crucial in shaping the future of South Africa-Israel relations and, possibly, the broader geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.</p>


Israeli attacks continue on the 47th day in Gaza

South Africa Votes to Suspend Diplomatic Ties with Israel Amid Gaza Conflict


<p><strong>South Africa intensifies its critique of Israel, recalling diplomats and slamming actions in Gaza as war crimes. As international condemnation grows, the government contemplates further sanctions amid widespread protests and calls for a decisive international response.</strong></p>



<p>South Africa has recalled its diplomatic corps from Israel for consultation, with the country&#8217;s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, issuing a strong critique of Israel&#8217;s ground invasion of Gaza. Pandor stated that the killing of children in the Palestinian region is a &#8220;war crime&#8221;.</p>



<p>Pandor was responding to questions she received after the Cabinet announcement today, withdrawing South Africa&#8217;s diplomats from Tel Aviv.</p>



<p>The African National Congress (ANC)-led South African government has long shown solidarity with the Palestinian cause, with Palestinian resistance movements providing social and military aid in the fight against apartheid in South Africa.</p>



<p>Israel&#8217;s response to the attacks of Hamas on October 7, which, at the time of writing, have seen at least 10,000 casualties among Palestinians in Gaza, was strongly condemned by the South African government.</p>



<p>&#8220;We believe the nature of the response by Israel has become one of collective punishment,&#8221; continued Pandor, &#8220;which falls outside the practices of international humanitarian and international human rights law.&#8221;</p>



<p>South Africans themselves have demonstrated in vast numbers in the major cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, with protests occurring almost weekly outside the United States Embassy and Consulate.</p>



<p>South Africa is not the only country to have instituted diplomatic responses to Israel in recent weeks, with Chad also recalling its ambassador earlier today. Several South American governments, such as Colombia, Chile, and Bolivia, had earlier done the same.</p>



<p>The South African branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement welcomed the decision by the government but also critiqued the time taken to make such an action.</p>



<p>&#8220;The SA BDS Coalition welcomes our government’s Cabinet statement condemning Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people,&#8221; said Roshan Dadoo, spokesperson for the BDS, to FORBES AFRICA. &#8220;However, it took more than 10,000 Palestinians to be killed by the apartheid Israeli state before our government recalled all South African diplomatic staff for consultations.&#8221;</p>



<p>South Africa might take even further action following the last three weeks of conflict, with Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stating in today&#8217;s post-Cabinet briefing that Israeli Ambassador Eliav Belotsercovsky&#8217;s position was &#8220;very untenable&#8221;.</p>



<p>Belotsercovsky has been directly critiqued by both the Cabinet and Pandor for his remarks in South African media as of late, with Minister Ntshaveni also stating that President Cyril Ramaphosa had instructed the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to chastise him for &#8220;disparaging remarks&#8230;about those who are opposing the atrocities and the genocide of the Israeli government.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;A genocide under the watch of the international community cannot be tolerated,&#8221; said Ntshaveni, sparing no words. &#8220;Another holocaust in the history of humanity cannot be tolerated.&#8221;</p>



<p>The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) spokesperson Charisse Zeifert said in a statement to FORBES AFRICA that the organization is seeking an urgent meeting with President Ramaphosa regarding today&#8217;s Cabinet decision, stating, &#8220;Severing ties would be a decision contrary to everything that the government claims it stands for, that is, talking to both sides of the conflict. And the only people who will stand to lose are South African citizens.&#8221;</p>



<p>Both the South African Jewish community and the Palestinian diaspora have deep ties within the country, with tensions unlikely to abate without a greater resolution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine itself.</p>



<p>&#8220;The South African people demand our government act in multilateral fora towards an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian assistance for people trapped in Gaza with UN protection, for the reinstatement of the UN anti-apartheid mechanisms towards international sanctions and an arms embargo, and a swift investigation and prosecutions by the International Criminal Court into war crimes, crimes against humanity including the crime of genocide and apartheid,&#8221; concluded the statement by BDS.</p>


Encircled By Israel, Gaza Faces Catastrophe As Death Toll Soars

Escalating Tensions: South Africa’s Diplomatic Withdrawal From Israel


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Israel Defense Forces admitted to striking the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza—an attack that Hamas said killed dozens and injured hundreds—and said it killed a senior Hamas commander in the attack.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>A spokesperson for Israel said the IDF killed a Hamas commander who oversaw fighting in northern Gaza, and that Israeli forces killed&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1719424225751027715" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">around 50 Hamas fighters</a>&nbsp;and damaged a Hamas command center.</p>



<p>Hamas has denied that any leadership was at the refugee camp at the time of the attack, NBC News&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna122919#rcrd23975" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<p>The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/31/dozens-killed-in-israeli-air-attack-on-gaza-refugee-camp-medical-official" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Al Jazeera that more than 50 people were killed and many others were hurt in the strike, and the director of Gaza’s Indonesian hospital, Dr. Atef al-Kahlout,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-10-31-23/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;CNN that “hundreds” of people came in dead or injured and said there were still people in the rubble.</p>



<p>Photos of the aftermath of the attack show massive holes in the ground, and eyewitnesses said there were “body parts all over the place,” CNN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/middleeast/jabalya-blast-gaza-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<p>The Jabalia refugee camp, the area hit by the Israeli strike, is the largest of the eight refugee camps in Gaza and has held refugees since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>116,011. That’s how many Palestinian refugees were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/jabalia-camp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">registered</a>&nbsp;with the United Nations and living in the camp, though the total population of the camp was likely higher. Many refugees in the camp were living in “substandard conditions,” according to the UN, which said the camp is characterized by “overcrowding and a lack of living space.”</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>A statement&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/pmofa/status/1719372014211768685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posted</a>&nbsp;to the X, formerly known as Twitter, account of the Gaza Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said it “strongly condemns the recent massacre committed by the occupation against our people in the #Jabalia camp just a while ago. This resulted in the destruction of an entire densely populated residential area, over their heads.” The post estimated that 400 people were killed or wounded.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The strike came as Israel is facing calls for a ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there won’t be a ceasefire. He has said calls for a ceasefire are calls “to surrender to terrorism,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/world/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-hamas-cease-fire.html#:~:text=Calls%20for%20a%20cease%2Dfire%20are%20calls%20for%20Israel%20to,Israel's%20fight%20is%20your%20fight." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>, and has continued to vow to destroy Hamas. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency, said Monday that “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions,” CNN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/middleeast/israel-gaza-hamas-war-tuesday-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>. Since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, the Hamas-run Healthy Ministry in Gaza&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-news-10-31-2023-54ab6bd7f6861be86266770c245827e1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>&nbsp;that more than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed, adding that most have been children or minors. The Israeli death toll is around 1,400, almost entirely from the initial attack, while hundreds of hostages were taken from Israel to the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-news-10-31-2023-54ab6bd7f6861be86266770c245827e1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>


Israeli attack on residential square in Jabalia refugee camp

Israel Admits Striking Refugee Camp—Says It Targeted And Killed Hamas Commander


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Starlink internet satellites will be made accessible to aid organizations in Gaza, according to a Saturday <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718224153474388433?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a> from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, as the region continues to experience Israeli bombardments amid a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/27/gaza-experiences-communications-blackout-as-israel-expands-ground-force-activity/?sh=507ea9da7774">communications blackout</a> that began Friday.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="733" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53654" style="aspect-ratio:1.3969986357435198;width:528px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297-300x215.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297-768x550.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIME)</figcaption></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Musk pledged Starlink connectivity support for “internationally recognized aid groups” and the United Nations in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718224153474388433?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">two</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718225344568668417?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posts</a>&nbsp;on X, formerly known as Twitter.</p>



<p>Musk initially responded to a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DrLoupis/status/1717960271895883898?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a>&nbsp;that called for Starlink support in Gaza, saying it&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718206478283133105?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasn’t clear</a>&nbsp;who had the authority for ground links in Gaza and that SpaceX had not received a request from any terminals in the region, which are required on the ground to receive the satellite internet service.</p>



<p>Musk has also faced calls to extend internet access to civilians and journalists documenting the situation in Gaza.</p>



<p>The posts come less than a day after the Gaza Strip was hit with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/27/gaza-experiences-communications-blackout-as-israel-expands-ground-force-activity/?sh=507ea9da7774">major communications disruptions</a>, causing multiple humanitarian agencies such as the Red Crescent, the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children&#8217;s Emergency Fund to lose contact with their medical teams and workers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The communications collapse in Gaza occurred Friday, when telecommunications company Paltel told the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-airstrikes-region-e41b5b12e8cdf9db62395314d9a782b6?taid=653bf435d6113200015b4286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>&nbsp;that Israeli bombardments in Gaza caused “a complete disruption of all communication and internet services.” Amid the disruption, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said on Friday that ground forces were expanding activity in Gaza, in a tweet translated by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/27/israel-hamas-war-updates-and-latest-news-on-gaza-conflict.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNBC</a>. An Israeli ground invasion of Gaza has been widely anticipated in the three weeks since Hamas launched an attack on Israel, starting the ongoing war. Mark Regev, senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told MSNBC on Friday night that Hamas would “feel our wrath tonight,” a statement followed up by a constant bombardment at the Israel-Gaza border as the Israeli military forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-airstrikes-region-e41b5b12e8cdf9db62395314d9a782b6?taid=653bf435d6113200015b4286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ramped up ground operations</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>More than 8,000. That’s how many people have died on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-death-toll-numbers-injured-5c9dc40bec95a8408c83f3c2fb759da0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>. The Palestinian death toll streaked past 7,000 this week, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza. Some 1,400 Israelis were reportedly killed in Hamas’ attack.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/27/gaza-experiences-communications-blackout-as-israel-expands-ground-force-activity/?sh=6383a8ce7774">World Health Organization Loses Contact With Gaza Staff Amid Communications Blackout&nbsp;</a>(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-airstrikes-region-e41b5b12e8cdf9db62395314d9a782b6?taid=653bf435d6113200015b4286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Israel steps up air and ground attacks in Gaza and cuts off the territory’s communications</a> (AP)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/"></a></p>


Israeli attacks continue on the 22nd day in Gaza

Elon Musk Says Starlink Will Support ‘Recognized’ Aid Groups In Gaza


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Israel approved Egypt delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza on Wednesday shortly after President Joe Biden arrived and the U.S. and other countries applied pressure to allow the aid, reports say.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Israel will allow “food, water and medicine” for civilians in the southern Gaza Strip “as long as these supplies do not reach Hamas,” according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office; the statement said any supplies that do reach Hamas will be &#8220;thwarted&#8221; and did not list fuel as one of the allowed supplies.</p>



<p>Netanyahu continued to say Gaza will not receive any humanitarian aid from Israel until its hostages are returned,&nbsp;<em>Haaretz</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-18/ty-article-live/israeli-army-blames-islamic-jihad-for-hitting-gaza-hospital-in-deadly-strike/0000018b-40a6-d881-abab-edae5c5d0000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<p>Israel’s decision was made after a meeting with Biden in which he said he supported the decision and said aid would be suspended if Hamas attempted to control it, Axios&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/18/gaza-humanitarian-aid-entry-israel-netanyahu-biden?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>The prime minister’s office said in the statement that their decision was made “in light of the overwhelming and vital American support for the war effort and in light of US President Biden&#8217;s demand for basic humanitarian aid.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The decision to allow aid from Egypt comes 11 days after Hamas launched an attack on Israel,&nbsp;<a href="https://ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-11" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">killing</a>&nbsp;more than 1,400 Israelis. In that time, more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured as Israel declared war on Hamas shortly after the attack earlier this month. As part of its declaration of war, Israel cut off fuel, water and other utilities it supplied to Gaza, leaving civilians without resources as attacks continued. Biden arrived in Israel early Wednesday to meet with Netanyahu and other leaders, though his planned trip to Jordan to meet with Arab and Palestinian leaders was canceled Tuesday after a hospital explosion in Gaza that Palestinian authorities are blaming on Israel. Israel denies involvement in the attack and says the explosion was caused by a failed rocket launched by the Gaza-based militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Since his arrival in Israel, Biden said he’d seen evidence from the Pentagon indicating that the Israeli military did not cause the explosion, Bloomberg&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-18/biden-lands-in-israel-seeking-to-salvage-trip-after-deadly-blast?srnd=premium&amp;cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-tv&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_content=business&amp;cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/business/status/1714654718113526140?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;Wednesday he will ask Congress this week to approve an “unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense.” There were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-considering-100-bln-funding-request-that-includes-israel-ukraine-aid-2023-10-17/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a><a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians/card/biden-planning-to-ask-congress-for-100-billion-funding-package-for-israel-ukraine-oiljgK7kiKeXEyPsTCau" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;reports</a>&nbsp;Tuesday that Biden was eyeing a $100 billion request for defense aid for defense aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. An unnamed congressional source said Israel asked the U.S. for $10 billion, Reuters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-considering-100-bln-funding-request-that-includes-israel-ukraine-aid-2023-10-17/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>. Israel already receives $3.8 billion a year from the U.S.</p>


Death toll from Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital at 471 after bombing

Israel Approves Egyptian Humanitarian Aid For Gaza After Biden Applied Pressure


<p><strong>As they grapple with keeping their businesses afloat, Palestinian founders are grieving the loss of life and community in Gaza, with many currently unable to reach friends, family and colleagues.</strong></p>



<p>alestinian founder Ram Mere was pitching his startup, Olivery, to a Startups Without Borders program backed by Meta to support and train local entrepreneurs. One of 10 finalists, Mere took home second place and a $15,000 check. Olivery now provides logistics solutions to 100 clients in seven countries and mostly hires Palestinians, he told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;on Saturday from Ramallah, in the West Bank.</p>



<p>But amid the chaos of war, Mere has no idea whether all of his Gazan employees are safe. He recalled one person who continued to work for two days after the fighting began. “Now nothing,” he said. “They have no internet, and I am not sure if he is alive or not.”</p>



<p>Like other Palestinian startups, Olivery has served as a bright spot for a growing local tech scene, with pockets of young companies, incubators and accelerators across Gaza and the West Bank. While small, that tech ecosystem has been viewed as an important part of Palestinians’ economic future, Palestinian founders and investors said. But in the face of renewed tragedy and war, it’s one that also seems increasingly fragile.</p>



<p>After Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and killed 1,300 Israelis last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/israel-hostages-hamas-explained.html#:~:text=Hamas%20Took%20Scores%20of%20Hostages,citizens%20are%20among%20the%20captives" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kidnapping</a>&nbsp;nearly 200 others, the Israeli government responded with aerial strikes that killed at least 3,000 Palestinians,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians/card/latest-death-tolls-in-gaza-and-israel-xJRhBt04VQMocRuYUtsA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">per local officials</a>, and an evacuation order for 1.1 million Gazan civilians to relocate ahead of an expected ground invasion. Israel has cut off access to water, food and electricity for civilians and the evacuation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/israel-must-rescind-evacuation-order-for-northern-gaza-and-comply-with-international-law/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has been called</a>&nbsp;a “crime against humanity” by the U.N. “It’s impossible to deliver help or anything to support my employees in Gaza,” Palestinian founder Mo Jebrini, told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;on Friday from Ramallah; 30% of his Palestinian team is based in the enclave.</p>



<p>Now, what was once a tenuous path to economic advancement in one of the poorest places in the world could vanish entirely.</p>



<p>“Tech was actually the last resort they could escape to from the prison,” said Mere, referring to Gaza&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-occupation-makes-palestinian-territories-open-air-prison-un-expert-2023-07-11/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">description</a>&nbsp;by some human rights groups as an open-air prison. “Now, even that is gone.”</p>



<p>In Israel, founders and tech employees are mourning killed relatives and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2023/10/13/israel-founders-struggle-to-balance-startups-and-front-line-military-service/">grappling</a>&nbsp;with their colleagues getting called up to Israel’s military reserves. More than 500 venture capital firms&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2023/10/12/vc-firms-sign-statement-israel/?sh=2d8192997a7a">signed</a>&nbsp;a public statement in support of Israel and its tech community last week.</p>



<p>The country’s technology sector, which represents 18% of GDP, raised nearly $10 billion in funding in 2021, and $1.4 billion in the last quarter alone, according to data from startup funding tracker Crunchbase. By comparison, the Palestinian startup community has received a tiny amount of funding: $9.5 million for all of 2021, at a combined valuation of $66 million, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://fastcompanyme.com/impact/palestinian-startups-are-growing-fast-but-they-face-huge-challenges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Fast Company Middle East</em></a>.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“I’m trying to stay focused on the tech sector and build it in a way that keeps everyone safe and free.”Ibraham Housheya, founder of Endeavor Technology</p>
</blockquote>



<p>But despite its small size, the Palestinian startup landscape represents a unique chance at economic development and sustainability. (<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2022/06/02/heres-how-young-palestinian-and-israeli-entrepreneurs-are-forging-co-existence-through-startups/?sh=7a3bc4d243b2">attended</a>&nbsp;a joint Israeli and Palestinian startup pitch competition just last year.) And it’s been growing: The West Bank’s and Gaza’s $493 million information technology sector&nbsp;<a href="https://www.anera.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTG-Tech-Ecosystem-Palestine-spreads.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">doubled between 2008 and 2018</a>, with an estimated 2,500 graduating with tech degrees from Palestinian universities annually (though just 10% find jobs in the sector immediately out of school). In Gaza, where the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/westbankandgaza/overview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unemployment rate</a>&nbsp;hovers at nearly 50%, the most common tech jobs for trained residents are in online IT freelancing, with outsourcing amounting to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.anera.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTG-Tech-Ecosystem-Palestine-spreads.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approximately 80%</a>&nbsp;of the Palestinian tech sector.</p>



<p>It’s unclear how the war will affect this momentum; some of the community’s infrastructure is already gone.</p>



<p>“The lack of basic necessities has made it nearly impossible for anyone to continue their work, and believe me, work is not a priority for them at the moment with everything they are facing,” Leen Abubaker, programs manager at Flow Accelerator and cofounder of social impact startup Sawaed19. Many of the buildings that Gaza’s IT freelancers used to conduct work for international companies, including offices and coworking spaces, have been destroyed, she said.</p>



<p>That appears to include the headquarters of Gaza Sky Geeks, a tech hub founded in 2011 with support from Google parent Alphabet and non-profit organization Mercy Corp.&nbsp;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/14/palestine-tech-industry-hamas-israel-war/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to&nbsp;<em>TechCrunch</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em>at least 5,000 coders and developers in the West Bank and Gaza have graduated from the group’s tech programs, which include a coding academy and startup accelerator. Named for the satellite internet access that provided many Gazans with an “open gate to the world,” said Dalia Shurrab, a former communication and social media coordinator for the group, Gaza Sky Geeks was a valuable source of training for residents unable to leave to pursue their education.</p>



<p>On Wednesday, Shurrab&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7117624115745693696/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared footage on LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;of the Mercy Corps building where Gaza Sky Geeks had rented an office floor. Most of its windows appear blown out and ash covers the street. Mercy Corps regional director for the Middle East, Arnaud Quemin, said its team members are taking shelter and Gaza Sky Geeks is “not currently able to safely operate in Gaza.”</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>In the West Bank, which is home to most of the Palestinian startup scene and its only venture capital firm, Ibtikar Fund (which has backed startups like Olivery), tech companies are looking to maintain as normal operations as possible.</p>



<p>Endeavor Technology founder Ibraham Housheya, who employs more than 20 people in an office in Nablus, said his company has completed digital transformation projects for the likes of Walmart and Kroger. His Palestinian staff’s technical talent is no different from that of their colleagues in the company’s U.S. or Turkey offices, added Housheya — but they work using 3G wireless connections, not 4G or 5G. Colleagues are still able to connect on a daily basis via Gmail and Google Meet, said Housheya, who grew up in the West Bank and spoke to&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;from Turkey on Saturday.</p>



<p>“The most important thing right now is to help to keep the business running,” Housheya said. “There is a difference between Hamas and Palestinians,&#8221; with Hamas &#8220;only a part of a diverse Palestinian nation,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I’m trying to stay focused on the tech sector and build it in a way that keeps everyone safe and free.”</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“It’s a continuous struggle when you don&#8217;t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”Mohammad Alnobani, cofounder and CEO of The Middle Frame</p>
</blockquote>



<p>One entrepreneur who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons said that they were leading an ongoing effort to supply meals to Gazan workers&nbsp;<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/gazan-workers-israel-stranded-occupied-212240164.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stranded</a>&nbsp;in Ramallah and other towns following Saturday’s Hamas attacks. Access to Israel and Gaza is blockaded, they said; locals can feel their windows shake from aerial bombardments at night. “We’re trying to be as hospitable as possible,” they said, adding that their focus is on providing food, clothing and blankets. “Many of the people stuck here have double the pain because they’re away from loved ones and unable to reach them.”</p>



<p>Ramallah-based Sondos Mleitat, the cofounder and CEO of online mental health platform Hakini, is trying to set up a&nbsp;<a href="https://donorbox.org/psychological-first-aid-for-our-people-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free mental health phone hotline</a>&nbsp;for Gazans, wherein psychologists and specialists from the Palestinian territories and around the world could provide immediate trauma intervention. She told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;the war has underscored Hakini’s mission of social responsibility, even though running a business at this time has been challenging. “I know there are delays, and we are behind schedule, but this is nothing,” she said. “It’s worthless for me when I think about the people whose lives are at risk.”</p>



<p>Palestinian founders described the unique challenges they faced in building companies even before war broke out: reduced access to early stage capital, crossing through military checkpoints in order to travel. In Gaza for example, Palestinian internet service providers have only been able to offer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/middleeast/gaza-internet-outage-map-visuals-dg/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2G networks</a>, and the blockade has placed restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.anera.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTG-Tech-Ecosystem-Palestine-spreads.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hardware imports</a>. Raising money internationally has also been difficult due to instability. Next to Israel’s tech ecosystem, “it is not comparable at all in terms of resources,” said Mleitat.</p>



<p>Now, these obstacles may be compounded.</p>



<p>“It’s a continuous struggle when you don&#8217;t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” said Mohammad Alnobani, cofounder and CEO of The Middle Frame, a stock image platform that aims to dismantle stereotypes about the Arab world. He was returning home from a conference when war broke out. “I was literally at the border on the bus waiting to go in, and everything started blowing up and they sent us back to Jordan.”</p>



<p>But Mleitat said that her community is used to building companies with so few resources and against so many odds. “One of the advantages we have as Palestinians is that we’re resilient because of what we have been going through,” she told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>. That resilience, multiple founders said, is core to entrepreneurs’ success.</p>



<p>“The Gazan people are very talented,” said Gaza Sky Geeks’ Dalia Shurrab. She believes the organization — and the community it supports — will endure. “We are going to rebuild it again, and we are going to rebuild Gaza again.”</p>



<p><em>This story has been updated with the most recent death toll numbers in Gaza as of publication and details about Olivery’s pitch to Boost Without Borders.</em></p>


Israel continues bombing Gaza

The Palestinian Startup Ecosystem Has Represented Economic Hope. War Is Decimating It


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office dismissed media reports about a supposed ceasefire with Hamas and delivering aid to Gaza in exchange for hostages on Monday, a day after UN authorities warned that they can no longer provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian enclave due to Israel’s blockade of the territory.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/unrwa-commissioner-general-philippe-lazzarini%E2%80%AF-remarks%E2%80%AF-situation-gaza-strip" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press conference</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said Gaza was running out of water and electricity and “soon…there will be no food or medicine either.”</p>



<p>Lazzarini told the press that most of the UNRWA’s 13,000 staffers in the territory have been displaced and 14 have been killed so far.</p>



<p>On Monday,<em> Haaretz </em><a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-16/ty-article-live/israel-prepares-for-ground-invasion-biden-big-mistake-to-reoccupy-gaza/0000018b-364f-dc99-a1db-3fcf1ae10000?liveBlogItemId=52323506#52323506" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> that Israel agreed to allow aid—mostly water and medicine—to be delivered to Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt in response to U.S. requests.</p>



<p>The report mentioned that Israel was still blocking the shipment of fuel to the territory over concerns that it would be used by Hamas to operate generators in its tunnel complexes under the enclave.</p>



<p>The Israeli PM’s office&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1713818720697532592" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeted</a>: “There is no ceasefire” and told the press that no deal has been struck to allow “humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the removal of foreigners.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>Citing unnamed foreign diplomatic sources, <em>Haaretz </em><a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-16/ty-article/.premium/foreign-diplomats-talks-on-humanitarian-deal-for-release-of-some-israeli-hostages-ongoing/0000018b-3753-da5e-abef-bf775eb30000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> that talks of a humanitarian deal with Hamas to ensure the safe release of hostages from Gaza have taken place over the past few days. But it is unclear if such a deal will go into effect or if it will find support within the Israeli government.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>199. That is how many hostages are being held by Hamas inside Gaza, Israel’s military&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-has-notified-199-families-that-have-loved-ones-being-held-hostage-in-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;Monday.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>Lazzarini said during Sunday’s press conference: “Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity…The answer to killing civilians cannot be to kill more civilians. Imposing a siege and bombarding civilian infrastructure in a densely populated area will not bring peace and security to the region. The siege in Gaza, the way it is imposed, is nothing else than collective punishment.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Israel has bombarded parts of Gaza as it readies its military for a likely ground invasion of the enclave, after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel more than one week ago that killed 1,300 people. Last week, Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/10/13/israel-orders-1-million-gaza-residents-to-relocate-within-24-hours-un-says-its-impossible/?sh=6a8dc2841322">ordered</a>&nbsp;more than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza—including Gaza City—to relocate to the south, prompting criticism from international groups including the Norwegian Refugee Council, which called it a “war crime of forcible transfer.” Israel had initially set a 24-hour deadline for the evacuation but has since acknowledged that such a large movement of people will take time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Israel began evacuating residents residing in a 2km zone along its border with Lebanon in the north on Monday after minor clashes in the region with the militant group Hezbollah. The evacuation and clashes come amidst concerns of Hezbollah&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hezbollah-says-when-time-comes-any-action-we-will-carry-it-out-2023-10-13/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">opening a second front</a>&nbsp;against Israel as it prepares for potential ground invasion of northern Gaza.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/14/us-citizens-stuck-at-gaza-egypt-border-after-crossing-agreement-possibly-hindered-by-hamas/?sh=19fb895729f9">U.S. Citizens Stuck At Gaza-Egypt Border After Crossing Agreement Possibly Hindered By Hamas</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/15/iran-warns-it-may-not-remain-a-spectator-in-israel-hamas-conflict-as-us-urges-iran-not-to-intervene/?sh=1e6b925c2a6f">Iran Warns It May Not ‘Remain A Spectator’ In Israel-Hamas Conflict—As U.S. Urges Iran Not To Intervene</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Israeli attacks on Gaza continue on the 10th day

Israel Dismisses Reports Of Ceasefire And Aid After UN Warns Gaza Is Running Out Of Water And Food


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>An outdoor concert and dance party in a rural area near the Gaza-Israel border turned into tragedy Saturday, when many attendees were killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip, adding to hundreds of Israeli casualties in the unprecedented attack.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>About 260 bodies were recovered from the festival grounds, though it’s expected the toll will rise, a spokesperson for ZAKA, an Israeli non-governmental rescue and recovery organization, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/music-festival-revelers-israeli-desert-became-victims-hamas-militants-rcna119394" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-ca7903976387cfc1e1011ce9ea805a71" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlets</a>&nbsp;Sunday.</p>



<p>The SuperNova Festival—which celebrated the Jewish holiday Sukkot—took place in the Negev Desert near Urim, a kibbutz about 13 miles from the Gaza Strip.</p>



<p>Attendees&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/07/middleeast/israel-gaza-fighting-hamas-attack-music-festival-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;CNN that once they heard the gunshots early Saturday morning they tried to flee, but cars were at a standstill and gunmen were still shooting, so some ran into nearby forests and hid.</p>



<p>One attendee described the scene to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/2023_q3/Article-f88c2856ee80b81026.htm?Partner=interlink" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">local media</a>&nbsp;as “four-five hours of a horror movie” and another described hearing sirens before the gunshots started, saying there were gunmen in every direction shooting at the concert-goers.</p>



<p>One festival-goer called it a “battlefield,” telling Israeli newspaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-07/ty-article/.premium/survivors-of-massacre-at-israeli-outdoor-rave-describe-battlefield/0000018b-0a85-dae9-adcb-abbfa4990000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Haaretz</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>they saw gunmen firing from all directions and burnt-out cars on the street.</p>



<p>“Everyone just started running in all directions,” attendee Eliav Klein&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/music-festival-revelers-israeli-desert-became-victims-hamas-militants-rcna119394" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;NBC News, adding his friend jumped off a 25-foot cliff; Klein estimated there were thousands at the festival, though there is not yet an official count of attendees.</p>



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<p>Some attendees were seen in social media videos being taken hostage by militants—CNN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/07/middleeast/israel-gaza-fighting-hamas-attack-music-festival-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;the details of a viral video in which an Israeli woman and her boyfriend were shown being kidnapped, and the woman’s family has since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67047034" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confirmed</a>&nbsp;to BBC they believe she was taken hostage.</p>



<p>Jake Marlowe, a 26-year-old British man who was working security at the festival, is missing and hasn’t been heard from since Saturday, when he texted his mother about the attack, Sky News&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/british-citizen-jake-marlowe-missing-after-hamas-attack-on-music-festival-in-israel-says-embassy-12979858#:~:text=A%20British%20citizen%20is%20missing,the%20festival%20in%20southern%20Israel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“We are doing the best we can to help the security forces, maintaining constant contact with them and are positioned in the area taking part in searches in order to locate the missing,” Nova Festival said in a Hebrew&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TRIBEofNOVA/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;on social media translated by CNN, adding they “share the sorrow” of the missing and killed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>1,100. That’s at least how many Israeli and Palestinian people have died since Hamas fighters entered Israel on Saturday. The Israeli death toll is past 700,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelMFA/status/1711091937514492031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1711091937514492031%7Ctwgr%5E82081fcc6e897c4ff5356e244afd539a6f0eb034%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Flive%2F2023%2F10%2F08%2Fworld%2Fisrael-gaza-attack-hamas-news" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Israel Foreign Ministry, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/08/americans-taken-hostage-in-hamas-attack-on-israel-as-death-toll-passes-1000/?sh=28673215239b">said</a>&nbsp;there were about 413 Palestinians who had been killed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>On Saturday, Gaza-based militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/barrage-of-rockets-fired-at-israel-from-gaza-strip-d5b2f05f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air, land and sea</a>, with militants crossing the Gaza Strip border into southern Israel while Hamas fired rockets toward Israeli cities, leading to one of the worst attacks on Israel in decades. The festival grounds were reportedly one of the first places gunmen attacked, capturing and killing civilians. Throughout Saturday night into Sunday, residents of Gaza faced Israeli airstrikes, while sirens to warn of potential attacks rang through the night in Israel. The Israeli military is widely expected to launch a large-scale counterattack on Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/10/07/israel-vows-mighty-vengeance-unprecedented-hamas-attack-leaves-at-least-200-dead/?sh=e0f214d688dd">said</a>&nbsp;the scale of the attack “has never been seen in Israel,” and vowed to “take mighty vengeance for this black day.” Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif called the attack the “day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/07/israel-declares-state-of-war-alert-after-surprise-hamas-attack.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-762052" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlets</a>&nbsp;reported. Throughout Sunday, death and injury tolls have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/08/americans-taken-hostage-in-hamas-attack-on-israel-as-death-toll-passes-1000/?sh=28673215239b">continued to rise</a>&nbsp;and more information about hostages has been released, as well. Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, after Israeli forces withdrew from the occupied territory two years prior, and the narrow, densely populated coastal territory has remained under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since then, with occasional flare-ups between Hamas and Israel’s military.</p>


Israeli airstrikes continue in Gaza

At Least 260 Killed At Israeli Music Festival In Hamas Attack—Attendees Describe ‘Horror Movie’


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Six Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and dozens more injured during three separate incidents in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the Palestinian Ministry of Health told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/20/middleeast/israeli-military-palestinians-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNN</a>—incidents that come during a controversial meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Four people died and over 30 were injured when the Israeli military invaded the Jenin refugee camp Tuesday evening and exchanged fire with Palestinian militants,—Israel claims the Palestinian militants fired first—CNN reported, citing the ministry and an anonymous witness, who said that electricity was knocked out from the camp for some time.</p>



<p>The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement that troops entered the camp as part of “counterterrorism activity” and claimed that “armed gunmen opened fire” at them before they returned fire.</p>



<p>Meanwhile, on Tuesday afternoon, a Palestinian man was killed and several others were injured when Israeli forces fired across the Gaza border fence at protesters who had been holding regular protests along the border for the past week; the earlier protests had, at times, turned violent, with protesters throwing explosive devices and burning tires as well as occasionally firing guns at Israeli guards.</p>



<p>The IDF said in a statement, “hundreds of rioters gathered in a violent riot adjacent to the security fence in the Gaza Strip…a number of explosive devices were activated by the rioters.”</p>



<p>On Wednesday morning, a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli military who entered the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho.</p>



<p>Israeli forces said they were attempting to apprehend 10 wanted suspects when explosive devices were hurled at them and they returned fire.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The West Bank and the Gaza strip have been under military occupation by Israel since 1967. The West Bank has been embroiled by nearly daily violence throughout 2023, spurred by nightly raids from Israeli forces, putting the region on track for its bloodiest year since 2005. Notably, in July, Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/06/19/5-palestinians-die-in-the-conflicts-most-ferocious-fighting-in-years/?sh=5e3671687ab2">struck</a>&nbsp;the refugee camp in Jenin—the same one that saw four people die on Tuesday—with gunfire, armored bulldozers and at least one Apache helicopter, the first time a helicopter gunship had been used in the conflict since the second Palestinian uprising around two decades ago. That fighting lasted 10 hours, killed five and injured 91.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>The violence unfolded while Israel’s leader Netanyahu was visiting Biden and New York during the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-biden-white-house-united-nations-c6dab3cc0357f67b2054446f3c6cdc52" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press reported</a>. The meeting will be the first between the two since Netanyahu formed his far-right coalition government last year, a buck to tradition as the U.S. has typically invited Israeli leaders to the White House within weeks of them starting their tenure. The delay, as well as the meeting taking place in New York instead of Washington, D.C., is widely seen as a signal of Biden’s displeasure with Netayahu’s new government, which has taken a hardline on the conflict with the Palestinians and attempted to overhaul the country’s judiciary in a way that makes it more favorable to them, according to the AP. Biden opened the meeting by saying they would discuss “some tough issues” including “upholding democratic values that lie at the heart of our partnership, including checks and balances.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/20/middleeast/israeli-military-palestinians-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Six Palestinians killed by Israeli military in three separate incidents over 24 hours</a>&nbsp;(CNN)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/06/19/5-palestinians-die-in-the-conflicts-most-ferocious-fighting-in-years/?sh=5e3671687ab2">5 Palestinians Die In The Conflict’s Most Ferocious Fighting In Years</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/09/19/us-considering-defense-treaty-with-saudi-arabia-that-includes-israel-normalization-report-says/?sh=652d65239e37">U.S. Considering Defense Treaty With Saudi Arabia That Includes Israel Normalization, Report Says</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Tag: Israel Defense Force

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