Over the last few days, there have been new developments regarding the war in Gaza, from Israel’s government, the antigovernment protesters, and other nations. We share a few for those that have not managed to keep pace:
Israel kills senior Gaza health official
An air strike by Israel at a medical clinic in Gaza City killed Hani al-Jaafarawi, the director of Gaza’s Ambulance and Emergency Department, the enclave’s health ministry said. Israel’s military said the strike targeted Mohammad Salah, a senior Hamas commander involved in weapon development. This raises the number of medical staff killed by Israel since October 7 to 500.
In Rafah, Israel’s forces advanced, prompting heavy fighting and displacement. International mediation has not achieved a ceasefire, with Israel insisting on temporary pauses until Hamas is removed.
Israel’s Supreme Court rules ultra-Orthodox must serve in the military
The decision could result in ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset pulling out of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and bringing it down. Israel’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously that ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students must be conscripted into Israel’s military and are no longer eligible for substantial government benefits.
U.S. frets over Israel-Hezbollah flare-up
The U.S. is expressing concerns about a potential escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, as tensions rise in the region. The Biden administration is wary of further destabilization in the area. Whilst the Israel Defence Forces have ratcheted up tension by announcing that they have a plan in place should the need arise to attack Lebanon, in response Iran’s rhetoric has become more aggressive with strong statements coming out from the military advisor to the Supreme Leader, General Rahim Safavi. Calling for an increase in Iran’s strategic reach, he states, “The IRGC Navy and Air Force must focus on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea – Because future wars will be at sea and in the air”.
Netanyahu dissolves Israel’s war cabinet
Israel’s Premier Netanyahu has dissolved the war cabinet he set up in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack.
The entry of Gantz, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s long-time rival, to the war cabinet briefly brought unity to Israel’s politics. Gantz and Eisenkot joined Netanyahu’s coalition soon after the war started and have become increasingly critical of Netanyahu’s conduct of the war.
Gantz pulled his National Unity alliance out of the emergency government and resigned from the war cabinet after Netanyahu ignored his demands for a series of policy shifts, including drawing up a plan for the aftermath of the war. Eisenkot said he and Gantz left the government after the war cabinet was “infiltrated” by “ulterior motives and political considerations”, and described Ben-Gvir as “the alternate prime minister”.
Netanyahu’s office accused the pair of lying, insisting the prime minister made decisions based only on Israel’s national security needs. Following their departure, national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, ultranationalists, had demanded to be admitted to the war cabinet. Premier Netanyahu will instead now hold meetings in smaller forums to discuss sensitive matters. The wider security cabinet, which includes Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, will continue to deal with matters relating to the war.
Benny Gantz has accused Premier Netanyahu, who now depends on Ben-Gvir’s and Smotrich’s parties for his majority in parliament, of allowing decisions relating to the war to be affected by narrow political calculations.
Arrests and Injuries in Israel’s anti-government protests
More people continue to be arrested as police clash with the antigovernment protesters outside Premier Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence, with more demonstrations expected in the coming days. Some protesters have been wounded by the water cannon used by police.
The demonstrators have been calling for new elections in Israel and a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as a deal for the release of captives being held in the Palestinian enclave. Moreover, they called on local authorities and business leaders to join the protests, to hold elections before the first anniversary of the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7. The protesters intend to intensify their activism with “A Week of Resistance” which will include country-wide demonstrations over the next several days.
Demonstrators in front of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, were joined by opposition leader Yair Lapid.
UK approval of arms exports to Israel plunged at start of Gaza war
US sanctions rightwing group over blocking aid to Gaza
The US blacklisted Israel’s rightwing extremist organisation, Tzav 9, which it says has been blocking deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The group has “repeatedly sought to thwart the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including by blockading roads, sometimes violently, along their route from Jordan to Gaza, including in the West Bank”, state department spokesperson Matt Miller said.
The sanctions are the first from Washington directly connected to Gaza aid deliveries. Earlier this year, the US started sanctioning settler groups for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Key Democrats approve major arms sale to Israel, including F-15s
After facing intense pressure from the Biden administration and pro-Israel advocates to allow the transaction to move forward, two key Democratic holdouts in the House and Senate approved a major arms sale to Israel, including 50 F-15 fighter jets worth more than $18 billion.
This spring, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, publicly vowed to hold up the arms package unless he received assurances from the administration about how the warplanes and munitions would be used in Gaza. Besides the F-15s, which are not scheduled to arrive in Israel for years, the administration sought sign-off on air-to-air missiles and Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which retrofit unguided bombs with precision guidance.
US claims Hamas is to blame for ceasefire delay
The US has, earlier this month, announced the ceasefire proposal from Israel to Hamas which is divided into three phases:
- Phase One (lasts for six weeks): “full and complete” ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Gaza’s “populated areas” and “the release of a number of hostages including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.” Biden also mentioned an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza during this Phase.
- Phase Two: President Biden described the second phase as “a permanent end to hostilities,” acknowledging that negotiations to reach this phase might exceed six weeks due to differences between the sides. Israel wants its interests protected, and if negotiations extend beyond six weeks, the ceasefire will continue. The US, Qatar, and Egypt will facilitate ongoing talks until agreements are reached. This phase includes the release of all remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, leading to a permanent cessation of hostilities if Hamas adheres to its commitments.
- Phase Three: complete release of all hostages, return dead bodies of hostages to their family and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Additionally, it focuses on the reconstruction of Gaza with supports from Arab nations and the international community, ensuring that Hamas does not rearm. This phase aims to establish long-term peace and stability in the region.
The position of the US on the Gaza ceasefire is that Hamas is responsible for the delay and that Israel has not just accepted the deal. The US took the notion to the UN where the Security Council backed a text that said Israel accepted the deal.
Hamas has made positive statements about the proposal and submitted a response which includes requested changes. In early May, Hamas accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal that laid out a timetable for a ceasefire and had only minor differences from the current deal.
Hamas says it will ‘deal positively to arrive at an agreement’, and one of its leaders overseas, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the group’s position was ‘consistent with the foundational principles’ of the ceasefire proposal.
Israel by contrast refuses to say whether it supports the proposal.
Casualty Figures
Fighting slows but continues with gunfire and artillery shelling around Nuseirat refugee camp. The latest casualty figures are:
Palestinian Casualties-
- Killed: 37,372, including more than 15,000 children
- Injured: more than 85,452
- Missing: more than 10,000
- IDF killed: 662
- IDF injured: 3,860
- Civilians killed: 1,139 people
- Civilians injured: at least 8,730
The image featured above is by Hosny Salah from Pixabay
