The Israeli army continued its bombings on the city of Rafah on Thursday April 25 in the morning, while the Israeli government promised an evacuation of this displaced persons camp which hosts hundreds of thousands of civilians. Israel also confirms strikes on infrastructure in southern Lebanon, where a vast offensive had been launched the day before against Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas. The United States is demanding explanations from Israel regarding mass graves discovered on Wednesday April 24 in the main hospitals of Gaza City.
Information to remember
⇒ Bombings on the southern zone of Lebanon and on the city of Rafah
⇒ Biden supports “free speech” protests at universities
⇒ US demands answers on mass graves
The offensive continues in Rafah and southern Lebanon
Israel continues its major “offensive action” in southern Lebanon, after announcing on Wednesday April 24 that it had “eliminated half of Hezbollah’s commanders”, without however having crossed the border.
The Israeli army confirmed early Thursday airstrikes the day before against Hezbollah “infrastructure” in Maroun al-Ras, and against an “observation post” of the Shiite movement in Merkaba. It announced on Wednesday an “offensive action” on “the entire south” of Lebanon and specified that its air force and artillery had struck 40 targets of Lebanese Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, around Aïta el-Chaab.
At the same time, new deadly strikes were carried out on Wednesday and early Thursday in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the Rafah sector. The day before, the Israeli government had announced that it was going to evacuate civilians from the area that Rafah, considered by the Israeli Prime Minister as “the last bastion of Hamas”, which currently constitutes “the largest camp of displaced people on earth” according to the song.
Biden supports ‘free speech’ at universities
American President Joe Biden “supports freedom of expression, debate and non-discrimination” in American universities shaken since the start of the conflict by protest movements against the deadly war waged by Israel in the Gaza Strip, said a White House spokesperson said on Wednesday. “We think it’s important that people can express themselves peacefully. But when there’s hateful rhetoric, when there’s violence, we have to denounce it,” she added.
Around a hundred arrests have taken place in recent days on New York campuses where the police intervened at the request of university leaders. Accused of not doing enough against anti-Semitism, two university presidents, including Harvard, had to resign a few months ago. Some students and teachers accuse demonstrators of anti-Semitic speeches and acts, denied by others who in turn denounce an attack on freedom of expression.
Visiting Columbia University in Manhattan – where this latest wave of student demonstrations began in October – the Republican President of the House of Representatives of Congress, Mike Johnson, threatened: “if the situation “is not brought under control quickly and if the threats and intimidation do not stop, it will then be time to call in the National Guard.”
“Horrible” protests on American campuses, says Netanyahu
The Israeli Prime Minister on Wednesday described pro-Palestinian demonstrations on American campuses as “horrible”. “Anti-Semitic hordes have seized leading universities,” Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
These demonstrators “call for the annihilation of Israel, they attack Jewish students, they attack Jewish teaching staff, reminiscent of what was happening in German universities in the 1930s,” he added. “It has to stop”.
Mass graves in Gaza: US demands answers
The White House on Wednesday demanded “answers” from the Israeli authorities after the discovery of mass graves in the two main hospitals in the Gaza Strip, following the withdrawal of Israeli troops. “We want this to be fully and transparently investigated,” said Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser.
At the Nasser hospital in Khan Younes, Gaza’s civil defense said it had already exhumed in recent days around 340 bodies of people killed and buried, according to it, by Israeli forces. The Israeli army denies having buried Palestinians there. Several people told AFP that part of the bodies had been buried by relatives or friends.
Germany resumes cooperation with UNRWA
Germany announced on Wednesday the resumption of cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip, after an investigation which concluded that there was certainly a lack of political neutrality on the part of the organization, but does not prove supposed links with Hamas as claimed by Israel.
“In this context and in connection with these reforms, the federal government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza,” said the ministerial press release. This has already been the case for Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, it is specified.