Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories and one of the signatories of the statement, said on social media that sending weapons to Israel that could be used in Gaza “may amount to complicity in atrocity crimes.” “
Israel rejected the genocide allegations brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice, while the Biden administration dismissed the request as “baseless.”
The United States faces increasing scrutiny over its supply of weapons to Israel. On Friday, four Senate Democrats — Chris Van Hollen (Maryland), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján, and Martin Heinrich (both New Mexico) — urged the Biden administration to ensure that future U.S. military aid to Israel “does not lead to… To the effect of “the already disastrous situation is getting worse.”
In a letter addressed to President Biden, the senators expressed their concern in light of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the promised Israeli attack on Rafah, the southern city now crowded with nearly 1.5 million refugees.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a post-war plan aimed at imposing indefinite military control over the Gaza Strip. Under the proposal, Israel would maintain a security zone in northern Gaza and would have a presence on the Strip's southern border with Egypt. It also calls for “the complete demilitarization of Gaza.” The Palestinian Authority said that Netanyahu's plan is an attempt to obstruct the establishment of a Palestinian state.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reversed the Trump administration's position on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying they are “contrary to international law.” He said that the Biden administration “maintains its strict opposition to settlement expansion.” This week, Netanyahu's government announced plans to build thousands of additional settlement homes after a shooting attack in the West Bank.
US forces destroyed seven Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to be launched towards the Red Sea. US Central Command said. Central Command previously said that a British-owned ship attacked by Houthi militants this week leaked oil into the Red Sea and caused an 18-mile-long oil slick. She added that about 41,000 tons of fertilizer on board the Rubimar ship could also leak, exacerbating environmental risks. Central Command added that the crew was evacuated, but water was leaking into the ship.
At least 29,606 people have been killed in Gaza and 69,737 others have been injured since the start of the war. According to To the Ministry of Health in GazaWhich does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, and says that 237 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
