Hostilities entered their fourth month on Sunday and, despite numerous diplomatic efforts, nothing seems to be able to put an end to them. The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken, visiting Tel Aviv for the fourth time since October 7, called on Israel on Tuesday to spare Palestinian civilians in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, believing that they, especially children, paid a price that was “far too high”. The head of American diplomacy must also meet the head of the Palestinian authority, Mahmoud Abbas, while the latter must participate in a tripartite meeting with the Jordanian King Abdullah II and the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.
Information to remember
⇒ Blinken asks Netanyahu to spare civilians in the Gaza Strip
⇒ New security incident in the Red Sea, 21 drones and missiles shot down
⇒ Palestinian journalist released by Israel says he was tortured
New security incident in the Red Sea
American and British forces shot down 18 drones and three missiles fired by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on Tuesday evening as part of a “complex” attack, the US military said. “The Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex Iranian-designed attack in the southern Red Sea using drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile,” the US military command said in the Middle East (Centcom).
The drones and missiles were shot down by combat aircraft deployed from an American aircraft carrier, three American destroyers and a British warship, Centcom said in a statement, ensuring that there was no had “no damage or injuries” in these attacks.
Blinken asks Netanyahu to spare civilians in Gaza Strip
Antony Blinken, whose country is Israel’s main ally, reaffirmed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “(American) support for Israel’s right to prevent a repeat of the October 7 attacks”, while insisting on “the “importance of avoiding further harm to civilians” in Gaza, according to the State Department.
“The price paid every day by civilians in Gaza, especially children, is far too high,” he said at a press conference, noting that the Palestinian territory needed to receive “more food , no more water, no more medicine.” He further urged Israel to “stop taking actions that undermine the Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves.”
Blinken set to meet Mahmoud Abbas
Antony Blinken meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday to discuss the thorny post-war issue in this territory ravaged by Israeli strikes.
“The Palestinian Authority has a responsibility to reform itself, to improve its governance. These are issues that I will raise with President Abbas when we meet tomorrow (Wednesday),” declared Antony Blinken.
Furthermore, Jordan is hosting a meeting on Wednesday bringing together King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to discuss “dangerous developments” in Gaza and the “situation in the occupied West Bank”, announced the Jordanian royal palace Tuesday evening.
Hezbollah says it targeted Israeli military base
Hezbollah said in a statement on Tuesday that it had targeted the “command center of the northern region of the Israeli army” in the city of Safed using “several suicide drones”. He claimed to be acting in “response” to the elimination of a senior military official from the powerful Lebanese formation, Wissam Tawil, killed Monday in southern Lebanon, and the assassination of Arouri.
The Israeli army confirmed that “an enemy aircraft” had fallen on its base, but “without causing any injuries or damage”. On Tuesday, Hezbollah’s number two, Naïm Qassem, declared that these Israeli strikes would encourage his formation to “move forward with more determination”.
Palestinian journalist says he was tortured
The New Arab media, based in London, announced Tuesday the release of one of its Palestinian journalists detained by Israel since December, who said he had been tortured. Reporter Diaa Al-Kahlout, Gaza correspondent for the pan-Arab media outlet, was one of dozens of Palestinians arrested in early December by Israel in the north of the Gaza Strip and whose images were broadcast by Israeli television channels.
They were seen in their underwear, blindfolded, under the guard of Israeli soldiers. These images made the rounds on social networks and sparked a lively controversy. The journalist, aged 37, told his employer that he had faced “unspeakably harsh” conditions since “the moment” he was arrested. He claimed to have been beaten and tortured.
Gaza: international media hampered
The Israeli Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request from international media for free access to the Gaza Strip, citing “the extreme security situation” in the Palestinian territory where Israel and Hamas have been at war for three months. Seized by the International Press Association (FPA) representing journalists working for international press organs covering Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israeli justice raised the risk that such access “could not put into question endanger the forces in action on the ground and the safety of soldiers” by revealing, for example, their location.