The conflict between Israel and Hamas is further contaminating the already volatile region. While Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way to Washington, the Israeli army ordered some residents of Khan Younis, a town in the south of the Gaza Strip, to evacuate their homes on Monday, July 22, before “an intensive operation against terrorist organizations.” At the same time, tensions are growing between Israel and Yemen, which Hamas claims to support.
Key information to remember
⇒ The Israeli army orders evacuations in the South, in the city of Khan Younes
⇒ In Israel, the Hostage Forum announces the death of two captives at the hands of Hamas
⇒ In Yemen, a fire in the port of Hodeida continues, after an Israeli attack
Israeli army orders evacuations in southern Gaza Strip
In a widely circulated statement on Monday, July 22, the Israeli army asked residents of the southern part of the enclave to evacuate. “Due to significant terrorist activity and rocket fire towards Israel from the eastern part of the ‘humanitarian zone,’ it is now dangerous to remain there,” it said. According to the map released by the Israeli army, residents of the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis should head west, that is, towards the sea, in a part of the Gaza Strip that the Israeli army calls the “humanitarian zone” of al-Mawasi.
In Israel, Hostage Forum Announces Death of Two Captives at the Hands of Hamas
The Hostages Forum, which campaigns for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, announced on Monday the deaths of two men kidnapped during the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel and taken to the Palestinian territory. The deaths of Yagev Buchshtab, 35, and Alex Dancyg, 76, are a “stern reminder of the urgency” of freeing the hostages so they can return home, the Israeli group said in a statement that provided no information on the circumstances of their deaths.
“Their bodies are in the hands of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the Israeli army said in a statement, adding that the circumstances of the two men’s deaths in captivity would be examined by the relevant authorities. Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attack, 116 are still being held in Gaza, 44 of whom are dead, according to the army.
Benjamin Netanyahu on his way to Washington
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for Washington on Monday, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech to Congress. As he left Israel, he said the visit was “very important” at a time of “great political uncertainty” following US President Joe Biden’s decision not to run for re-election in November.
Before delivering a speech to Congress on Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Joe Biden on Tuesday, according to his office. “The atmosphere has never been so tense, particularly between the White House and the Israeli prime minister,” said Steven Cook, a Middle East specialist at the American think tank Council on Foreign Relations.
Houthis threaten Israel
Yemeni rebels on Sunday threatened Israel with a “huge response” to its deadly strikes on the still-burning port of Hodeida, in a new regional escalation linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. A day after a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv by the Houthis, Israel on Saturday bombed the strategic rebel-held port of Hodeida in war-torn western Yemen, killing six people and wounding dozens, they said.
The Israeli military claimed that the targeted port area served as a “main supply route for Iranian weapons” to Yemen, including “the drone used” against Tel Aviv. As firefighters worked to extinguish a blaze caused by Israeli raids on the Hodeida port, a key entry point for fuel and humanitarian aid to Yemen, the Houthis reiterated their threats against Israel. “The response to Israeli aggression […] “The strikes are inevitable and will be enormous,” warned their military spokesman, Yahya Saree. Rebel leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi said the strikes would lead to “further attacks targeting Israel.” Further operations against the Houthis would follow “if they dare attack us,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
Gaza: Netanyahu announces sending a delegation to negotiate an agreement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday evening that he had agreed to send a delegation on Thursday to negotiate a deal on the release of the hostages in Gaza. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held extensive discussions today on the hostage issue with the negotiating team and senior security officials [et] ordered to send a negotiating delegation this Thursday,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, without specifying where this delegation would be sent.
A new round of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire with an agreement to release hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel resumed earlier this month under the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States.