Israel increases air raids on Wednesday January 17 in the south of the Gaza Strip where medicines are expected for hostages held by Hamas and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian population as part of an agreement negotiated by France and Qatar .
4 mins
What you must remember :
■ On Tuesday, Qatar announced an agreement between Israel and Hamas, following joint mediation with France. It concerns the entry of medicines for the hostages in exchange for a shipment of humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip.
■ During a press conference, the president Emmanuel Macron indicated that France had “ decided not to join » to the strikes of the American-British coalition in Yemen for “ avoid escalation “. He also announced the organization on February 7 of a tribute to the victims of the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Israel.
■ According to a report announced Tuesday January 16 by the Hamas Ministry of Health, 24 285 people were killed has Gaza since the start of the war on October 7. The majority of the dead are women, adolescents and children. There are over 60 000 wounded. More than 10,000 children – i.e. 1% of the child population total of the Gaza Strip – were killed, according to a new report from Save The Children.
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05:59: The Japanese maritime carrier NYK in turn avoids the Red Sea
The large Japanese maritime carrier Nippon Yusen (NYK Line) confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that it was completely suspending the transit of its cargo ships through the Red Sea, due to the sharp rise in tensions in this region. Nippon Yusen took this decision to “guarantee the safety of the crews”, a spokesperson for the group explained to AFP.
According to the daily Nikkei, the two other main Japanese shipping lines, Mitsui OSK Lines and Kawasaki Kisen, have also decided to completely avoid the Red Sea.
Since last November, the Yemeni Houthi rebels, supported by Iran and who control a large part of Yemen, have increased attacks at sea against ships they suspect of being linked to Israel. The Houthis claim to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians, faced with the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
05:42: The United States once again designates the Houthis as a “terrorist” entity
The United States must once again designate the Yemeni Houthi rebels as a “terrorist” entity after attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, American media reported Tuesday evening. The announcement, expected on Wednesday, comes as the US military carried out strikes in Yemen on Tuesday targeting four missiles from the Houthi rebels which represented an “imminent threat” to merchant and military ships, according to a US official.
This is the third operation carried out in less than a week by the United States against the Houthis, who are targeting ships off the coast of the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, in solidarity, they say, with the Palestinians in Gaza, territory shelled and besieged by Israel. The rebels again targeted a merchant ship on Tuesday, according to the US military Command in the Middle East (Centcom).
Last week, US-British strikes targeted nearly 30 sites in Yemen. US forces have also attacked radar and drone and missile infrastructure, raising fears of an escalation in the conflict.
05:30 a.m.: Heavy strikes in Khan Younès during the night
During the night, witnesses reported Israeli strikes near the Nasser hospital in Khan Younes, the main town in southern Gaza where, according to Israel, local leaders of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas are hiding.
According to these witnesses cited by AFP, these strikes caused panic among the hundreds of people displaced by the fighting who have found refuge in recent weeks in the vast grounds of this hospital. And the Hamas health ministry reported at least 81 deaths overnight in Khan Younes and other areas of Gaza.
► Find our live from Tuesday January 16 by clicking here