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☆ Gaza death toll: More than 30,000 killed since Israel-Hamas war began, health ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The US proposed a “temporary ceasefire” at the United Nations earlier this month, but has vetoed calls for an immediate halt in the conflict. Gaza’s health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but has said in recent updates that around 70% of the casualties are women and children. Israel estimates about 10,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since October 7, when Israel declared war on the militant group. More than 1,200 people in Israel were killed during Hamas’ attacks on that day, and more than 250 were kidnapped and taken hostage in Gaza. CNN cannot independently verify the casualty tolls in Gaza or the Israeli estimates of Hamas fighters killed.

Persons: Israel, Benny Gantz, Ramadan, ” Gantz, Israel’s, Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu, ” Carl Skau, there’ll, “ Organizations: CNN, Hamas, United Nations, Ramadan, Conference, Major, Jewish, Israel Defense Forces, UN, UN Humanitarian Affairs, Food Programme, UN Security Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, United States, Gaza’s, Jerusalem, Egypt, Qatar

☆ Death Toll in Gaza Passes 30,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Victoria Kim | More About Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The death toll in Gaza passed a somber milestone on Thursday as the local health ministry reported that more than 30,000 people had been killed in the war since Oct. 7. Still, the reported figure is staggering — roughly one person killed for every 73 Palestinians in Gaza, whose population is about 2.2 million. The figures provided by the Gazan health ministry do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. In addition to bearing the risk of being killed in strikes or fighting, Palestinians are living with the growing specter of famine and disease. The health ministry has said infants have died from dehydration and malnutrition in recent days.

Persons: Israel, “, ”, Biden, CBS’s, Adhanom Ghebreyesus Organizations: Hamas, World Health Organization Locations: Gaza, Israel, ” Israel, U.S, Jerusalem

☆ Parties to Cease-Fire Talks Offer Mixed Signals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Vivian Yee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The prediction matched that of President Biden, who said that a deal could come as soon as next week. In public, however, Hamas and Israel are sticking with their longstanding positions and not signaling any breakthrough. The two sides have not met face to face, instead negotiating through mediators in Doha, Cairo and Paris. Qatar’s foreign ministry said this week that talks were ongoing and it was too early to speculate about a resolution. Mr. Haniyeh met on Monday with the emir of Qatar and accused Israel of dragging its feet in the talks, according to a Hamas statement.

Persons: Israel, ”, Ismail Haniyeh, Abdel Fattah el, “ God, Biden, Haniyeh, Basem Naim, —, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Nada Rashwan, Adam Sella Organizations: West Bank, West Bank Palestinians, New York Times Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Qatar, United States, Doha, Cairo, Paris, Jerusalem, Islam

A top Hamas official on Wednesday appeared to raise the stakes for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, saying the militant group was ready to continue fighting and calling on Palestinians to defy Israeli restrictions and march to the Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem to pray at the start of Ramadan. That creates the prospect of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces around the mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam and a longtime flashpoint in relations with Israel. Israel has restricted access to the Aqsa mosque for West Bank Palestinians, and it has severely limited movement within the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza. Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, declined on Wednesday to comment on Mr. Haniyeh’s call for a march to the mosque, which is part of a 35-acre site that is also holy for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount. “I would just say, as it pertains to Al Aqsa, we continue to urge Israel to facilitate access to Temple Mount for peaceful worshipers during Ramadan, consistent with past practice and that’ll continue to be our position,” Mr. Miller said.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Ramadan, Matthew Miller, Haniyeh’s, “, Al Aqsa, ” Mr, Miller Organizations: West Bank, West Bank Palestinians, State Department Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Islam

The United Nations’ top court on Monday was hearing a final day of arguments on the legality of Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories, hearings that have added pressure to Israel at a time when attention focuses on the war in Gaza. The hearings, which began last Monday, are the first time that the court, the International Court of Justice, has been asked to give an advisory opinion on the issue, which has been the subject of years of debates and resolutions at the United Nations. The court is likely to take months before issuing an opinion. The representatives, including a team of prominent lawyers, said that Israel has abused Palestinian rights with impunity. The Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister, Riyad al-Maliki, said that Israel had subjected Palestinians to decades of discrimination, leaving them with the choice of “displacement, subjugation or death.”

Persons: Israel, Riyad al, ” Organizations: United Nations ’, International Court of Justice, United Nations, West Bank Locations: Israel, Gaza, The Hague, East Jerusalem, Palestinian

☆ Netanyahu unveils plan for Gaza’s future post-Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Richard Allen Greene | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Jerusalem CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a plan for the Gaza’s future post-Hamas, which includes the “complete demilitarization” of the enclave, closing off the territory’s southern border with Egypt, as well as the overhaul of Gaza’s civil administration and education systems. CNN has obtained a copy of the plan, which Netanyahu presented to members of Israel’s security cabinet Thursday night. On the security file, the envisioned plan includes Israel closing off Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, giving Israel complete control of entry and exit from the enclave. Yahya Hassouna/AFP/Getty ImagesOn the civil level, Netanyahu details an overhaul of Gaza’s civil administration and education systems, including an apparent cut-off of funding from Qatar to Gaza – which a previous Netanyahu government approved and facilitated. The Netanyahu plan also calls for “de-radicalization” in the education system, which Israel and its allies have long accused of promoting antisemitism and hatred of Israel.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel, David Barnea, “, Yahya Hassouna, Joe Biden, “ Israel, ” Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israeli, CNN, West Bank, Israel, Palestinian Authority, United Nations Locations: Jerusalem, Egypt, Paris, Gaza, Israel, Gaza’s, Rafah, United States, Jordan, ”, East Jerusalem, Gaza City, AFP, Qatar, Palestinian, United Kingdom

☆ West Bank highway shooting: At least one killed and seven injured in shooting on outskirts of Jerusalem
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Amir Tal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Jerusalem CNN —At least one person was killed and seven others injured on Thursday in a highway shooting in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Jerusalem, according to authorities. Two of the injured remain in serious condition, the Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency and medical service said. The shooting took place near the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, according to a separate statement issued by the police spokesperson’s unit. Police referred to the shooters as terrorists, but no further information was given as to who the shooters were. The shooting took place near the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.

Persons: David Adom, Ma’ale Adumim, “, ” Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, West Bank, Police, Israel Police, Israel Police Security Locations: Jerusalem, Ma’ale

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Historic hearings are opening on Monday at the United Nations’ top court into the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. It has built 146 settlements across the West Bank, according to watchdog group Peace Now, many of which resemble fully developed suburbs and small towns. An additional 200,000 Israelis live in settlements built in east Jerusalem that Israel considers to be neighborhoods of its capital. Israel’s annexation of east Jerusalem, home to the city’s most sensitive holy sites, is not internationally recognized.

Persons: Israel, ”, Omar Awadallah, Yuval Shany, It’s Organizations: United Nations ’, International Court of, General Assembly, of Justice, West Bank, Palestinian, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Hebrew University, Israel Democracy Institute, Hamas, South, African National Congress Locations: HAGUE, Netherlands, Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem, Jordan, Egypt, South Africa, israel

☆ Israel’s Occupation of Palestinian Territories Draws Focus of U.N. Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Marlise Simons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The International Court of Justice began hearing arguments on Monday on the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. It is the first time the world’s highest court has been asked to give an advisory opinion on the issue, which has been the subject of years of debates and resolutions at the United Nations. The hearings are expected to focus on decades of Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem. What is the International Court of Justice? All countries belonging to the United Nations are automatically members of the court and are expected to accept its jurisdiction.

Organizations: Court of, United Nations, West Bank, International Court of Justice Locations: Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, The Hague

☆ Israel's Six-Week Drive to Hit Hamas in Rafah and Scale Back War
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +10 min

Gaza's ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity. A senior regional security official said Israel believed some Hamas commanders and hostages were in Rafah. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told lawmakers that Britain and its allies "will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations". Yet for Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials, talk of a two-state solution amounts to a betrayal of the people killed on Oct. 7. "I say clearly to anyone still stuck in October 6: We will never lend a hand to the creation of a Palestinian state," Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said on social media last month.

Persons: Samia Nakhoul, Jonathan Saul, Humeyra Pamuk, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Avi Melamed, Yoav Gallant, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, Gaza's, hasn't, Israel . Fighting, Khan Younis, Emad Joudat, Gallant, Israel, Yahya Sinwar, Antony Blinken, Washington, David Cameron, Britain haven't, Miki Zohar, Dan Williams, Nidal Al Mughrabi, Andrew Hay, Jeff Mason, Pravin Char Organizations: Humeyra Pamuk DOHA, Reuters, Military, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Israeli, America, . Senior, Palestinian Authority, State Department, Israel, United Nations Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Washington, Qatar, RAFAH, Hamas, Khan, Gaza City, Egypt, Cairo, U.S, Palestinian, Britain, Palestine, Doha, London, Jerusalem

☆ Israeli minister says ground offensive in Rafah will begin by Ramadan if hostages aren’t returned
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Mohammed Tawfeeq | Lauren Izso | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Israel will expand military operations in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah if hostages held by Hamas are not returned by the start of Ramadan, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has warned. Israel believes that 130 hostages remain in Gaza – 101 alive and 29 dead – following Hamas’ October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel. The comments come amid stuttering talks aimed at securing the release of hostages and a longer-term ceasefire in Gaza. Egypt’s security buildup comes amid fears of the war spilling over into its territory should Israel begin its operation in Rafah. The Israeli military said it had credible evidence that Hamas had previously held hostages at the hospital, and that the bodies of deceased hostages may be at the medical complex.

Persons: CNN —, Benny Gantz, Ramadan, ” Gantz, “, Israel, ’, Israel’s, Israel –, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Martin Griffiths, Sameh Shoukry, ” Shoukry, Abed Rahim Khatib Organizations: CNN, Hamas, United Nations, Sunday, Sky News, Anadolu, Getty, Hospital Locations: CNN — Israel, Gazan, Rafah, Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, “, Nasser, Khan, United States, ”, Egypt

☆ 'Hostile elements' tried to take over communications with a flight from Thailand to Israel, trying to divert it, airline says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read preview"Hostile elements" tried to seize control of the communication network of an El Al plane flying from Thailand to Israel over the weekend, The Jerusalem Post reported. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The Post reported that this was the second time in a week that such an incident occurred to an El Al flight. In a statement provided to Kan, El Al said that the disruptions were not aimed solely at its planes. The airline did not respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.

Persons: —, Kan, El Al Organizations: Service, Jerusalem Post, Ben Gurion, Business, El, Horn Observer Locations: El, Thailand, Israel, Jerusalem, Phuket, Tel Aviv, Iran, Yemen, Red, Gaza, Somaliland, Somalia, Mogadishu

☆ Israel-Hamas War: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Ephrat Livni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Image Six days of hearings began at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Monday. Credit... Peter Dejong/Associated PressThe International Court of Justice in The Hague began hearing arguments on Monday on the legal consequences of Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and the West Bank. It will not be legally binding on Israel, and the country has ignored such opinions from the court before. The United Nations General Assembly first asked the top U.N. court to consider Israel’s activities in Palestinian territories more than two decades ago. In 2004, the court concluded that a wall that Israel was building around the territories violated international law.

Persons: Peter Dejong, Riyad al, ” Omar Awadallah, Israel, ”, Clive Baldwin Organizations: International Court of Justice, ., Associated, Court of Justice, West Bank, Maliki, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, United Nations, United Nations General Assembly, Governments, Human Rights Watch Locations: The Hague, East Jerusalem, United States, Britain, China, Russia, Israel, Gaza

☆ Israel to Set Security Limits on Ramadan Prayers at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa, Netanyahu Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he had made a "balanced decision" to allow freedom of worship at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque during Ramadan, but that access would be limited according to security needs. Asked about the possibility of blocking access for Israeli Muslims to Al Aqsa, a flashpoint prayer site in Jerusalem's Old City, Netanyahu's office said: "The prime minister made a balanced decision to allow freedom of worship within the security needs determined by professionals." It gave no details. Israel often sets limits on which worshippers can reach the prayer site - for example based on age - in order to avoid violence from erupting at the site, which is part of a compound also holy in Judaism. War in Israel and Gaza View All 209 Images(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by James Mackenzie)

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Ari Rabinovitch, James Mackenzie Locations: JERUSALEM, Jerusalem's Al Aqsa, Al Aqsa, Jerusalem's Old City, Israel, Gaza

☆ ‘Our people are here to stay:’ World Court hears arguments over Israeli occupation of Palestinian-claimed land
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Fifty-two countries will participate in arguments at The Hague over the six-day hearing – more than any other case heard by the court in its history. Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel today has full administrative and security control over 60% of the West Bank area while the PA has nominal control over Palestinian population centers. There are an estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers illegally living in the West Bank. All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and by much of the international community.

Persons: ”, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Riyad al, ” al, Maliki Organizations: CNN, Court of, Hague, UN, Assembly, Hamas, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Maliki, West Bank . Locations: Israel, South Africa, Gaza, Hague, East Jerusalem, Oslo

☆ Netanyahu Halted Gaza Truce Talks Over 'Delusional' Hamas Demands
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has sent negotiators for truce talks in Cairo as requested by U.S. President Joe Biden but they did not go back for further talks because Hamas' demands were "delusional," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. A round of inconclusive talks in Cairo ended on Tuesday. Asked during a press conference on Saturday why Israeli negotiators did not return for further talks, Netanyahu said: "We got nothing except for delusional demands from Hamas." Regarding the possible "unilateral recognition" of a Palestinian state, Netanyahu said there could not be a "bigger prize for terrorism." Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has blamed Israel for a lack of progress in achieving a ceasefire deal in Gaza, the group said in a statement on Saturday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Haniyeh, Ari Rabinovitch, Angus MacSwan, Mike Harrison Organizations: U.S Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Cairo, Gaza, Jerusalem, Islam, Iran, Palestinian

☆ Netanyahu Dismisses Election Calls as Thousands Protest in Tel Aviv
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday dismissed the idea of holding early elections, while thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv for an anti-government protest. Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet in opinion polls since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that sparked the devastating war in Gaza. Still, demonstrators again took to the streets of Tel Aviv Saturday night calling for new elections, which are not scheduled until 2026. Netanyahu was asked at a press briefing about calls within his own ruling Likud party to hold early elections right when the Gaza war ends. "The last thing we need right now are elections and dealing with elections, since it will immediately divide us," he said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, you've, Ari Rabinovitch, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Saturday Locations: JERUSALEM, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Israel

☆ Netanyahu Says He Won’t Bow to Pressure to Call Off Rafah Invasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel insisted on Saturday that Israel would not bow to international pressure to call off its plan for a ground invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza that is now packed with more than a million Palestinians. Many of the people now in Rafah are displaced and living in schools, tents or the homes of friends and relatives, part of a desperate search for any safe refuge from Israel’s military campaign, which has dragged on for more than four months. Their lives are a daily struggle to find enough food and water to survive. “Those who want to prevent us from operating in Rafah are basically telling us: Lose the war,” Mr. Netanyahu said at a news conference in Jerusalem on Saturday evening. They filled the same street where mass protests against Mr. Netanyahu’s efforts to weaken the country’s judiciary riled the nation before the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mr, Netanyahu, “, ” Organizations: riled Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Israel

Yet large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation, and many believe it should be one. The idea of a Christian America means different things to different people. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, said he doesn’t identify as a Christian nationalist, but does believe America was founded as a Christian nation. Six in 10 U.S. adults said the founders intended America to be a Christian nation, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey. About 45% said the U.S. should be a Christian nation.

Persons: Donald Trump, God, it’s, Trump, ”, Eric McDaniel, McDaniel, “, ” Trump, Mike Johnson, Thomas Jefferson, Johnson, Steve Bannon, Jerusalem ”, Charlie Kirk, Robert Jeffress, “ I’m, I’m, shouldn’t, John Jay —, —, ” Jeffress, doesn’t, ” Anthea Butler, Butler, John, Joe Biden, John Jay, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Jesus, George Washington Organizations: U.S, Republicans, Constitution, Pew Research Center, University of Texas, America, Republican, Washington Metropolitan Area, Vocal, Trump, Kentucky Republican, Baptist Church of, Supreme, University of Pennsylvania, Blacks, Native, John Fea, Messiah University, Democratic, Religion Research Institute, Fea, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Independence, U.S, America, Washington, Jerusalem, ” Recent Texas , Oklahoma, Baptist Church of Dallas, Mechanicsburg , Pennsylvania, Brookings

☆ Israel Presents Video Allegedly Showing UN Aid Worker Taking Body of Israeli on Oct. 7
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A video made public by Israeli officials allegedly shows a U.N. relief worker loading the limp body of a shot Israeli man into the back of an SUV and driving away from a southern Israeli village during Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border attack. Jonathan Fowler, an UNRWA spokesperson, said in response to the video: "It is not possible for UNRWA to verify the footage or photographs and ascertain who the person is. In the CCTV footage, a white SUV drives into Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the communities hardest hit on Oct. 7. A screen shot of the video was posted on X by an Israeli military spokesperson and a clip of it was posted by a Foreign Ministry official. Reuters did not and could not independently verify the identities of the men in the video.

Persons: Faisal Ali Mussalem Al Naami, Jonathan Fowler, Kibbutz, Yoav Gallant, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Giles Elgood Organizations: Washington Post, United Nations Relief Works Agency, UNRWA, UN, Be'eri, Foreign Ministry, Reuters, Israeli Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, Kibbutz Be'eri

☆ In the West Bank, an independent Palestine remains a distant dream
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Ramallah and Jerusalem CNN —The world is once again talking about a Palestinian state. Under the Oslo Accords peace agreement, the West Bank has been split into three distinct areas, depending on who is in charge. Israel has full administrative and security control over 60% of the West Bank area, which it continues settling its citizens in. Earlier this month, Biden issued an executive order imposing sanctions on four settlers accused of directly perpetrating violence or intimidation in the West Bank. It was largely here that the plans for a future Palestinian state and its institutions were drawn up.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khalil Shikaki, ”, Ivana Kottasova, “, Israel, –, Biden, CNN Diana Buttu, , it’s, Buttu, ” Buttu, “ We’re, Jo Shelley, Shikaki, Sojoud, Mahmoud Abbas, ” Shikaki, Adnan Joulani, David, Cameron Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Palestinian Center, Policy, Survey Research, CNN, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Orient House, Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel, International Court of Justice, Oslo Accords, Fatah, PLO, Israeli Police, Palestinian, Society, International Affairs, British Locations: Ramallah, Jerusalem, Palestinian, Israel, United States, Palestine, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Oslo, South Africa, Old City, Orient

☆ World Court Holds Hearings on Israel's Occupation of Palestinian Territories
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Stephanie van den BergTHE HAGUE (Reuters) - A record 52 states will present arguments about the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N.'s highest legal body. The ICJ's six days of hearings starting on Monday come after the U.N. General Assembly asked the court in 2022 for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation. It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory. “The International Court of Justice is set for the first time to broadly consider the legal consequences of Israel’s nearly six-decades-long occupation and mistreatment of the Palestinian people,” said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. While Israel has filed a written statement with the court, it has not asked to participate in the hearings.

Persons: Stephanie van den Berg, Omar Awadallah, Israel’s, ”, Clive Baldwin, Josie Kao Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, International Court of Justice, General Assembly, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Israel, West, General, West Bank, Court of Justice, Human Rights Watch, Governments, Court, United Nations Locations: Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Palestine, Egypt, West, Africa, Holy City, Jerusalem, United States, Russia, China, South Africa

☆ Middle East Crisis Egypt Is Building a Wall Near Gaza Border But Won’t Say Why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Nada Rashwan | Christiaan Triebert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

A wall is going up in the desert of Egypt near the border of the war-torn Gaza Strip, but no one is talking much about it. Image Construction of a wall along the Egyptian border with Rafah is seen in this satellite imagery. Credit... Maxar TechnologiesThe satellite imagery clearly shows newly graded land south of the Rafah border crossing. And many Palestinians suspect that Israel might not allow people who leave Gaza to come back when the war is over. One Gazan official in Rafah, Ahmed al-Soufi, estimated that there were over 100,000 displaced Palestinians in encampments pressed against the border.

Persons: Gazans, Ahmed al, Martin Griffiths, —, Hisham el, Gen Mohamed Shousha, Ahmed Ezzat, Nick Cumming, Bruce, Adam Rasgon Organizations: The New York Times, Maxar, The Times, Egyptian Army, United Locations: Egypt, Gaza, Rafah, Israel, North Sinai —, North Sinai, Maj, Geneva, Jerusalem

CNN —Talks on a hostage and ceasefire deal for Gaza appear to be at an impasse. During the process, Israeli troops would gradually withdraw from Gaza, hostages would be released and Palestinian prisoners in Israel – including those serving life sentences – would be freed. The Israeli leader has repeatedly said that the war in Gaza will continue until Israel destroys Hamas’ leadership and rescues the hostages. Even as talks continue in Cairo, the Israeli military has been conducting operations in Gaza designed to hunt down top Hamas figures. The Israeli prime minister on Wednesday said that Hamas must change its negotiating position before talks can continue in Cairo.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bill Burns, David Barnea, Israel –, Said Khatib, ”, ’, –, Netanyahu, “, Matthew Miller, Ronen Zvulun, Shin Bet, Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu –, ” Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, “ We’re, we’re, Joe Biden, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Israeli, Getty, “, US State Department, ’, IDF, State Department, The Washington Post Locations: Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Rafah, Paris, AFP, Qatar, “ Qatar, Doha, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, “, Egypt, Albania, The Washington, Palestinian, United States

☆ Israel Says South Africa Serving Hamas in Latest Bid to World Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - South Africa's latest request to the World Court against a possible offensive by Israel in southern Gaza serves Hamas and is an attempt to stop Israel from defending itself, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. South Africa on Tuesday asked The International Court of Justice (ICJ) to consider whether Israel's plan to extend its offensive in Gaza into the city of Rafah requires additional emergency measures to protect Palestinians' rights. "South Africa continues to represent the interests of the Hamas terrorist organization and is trying to deny Israel the fundamental right to defend itself and its citizens," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat. The ICJ last month ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa. The court has not yet ruled on the core of the case brought by South Africa - whether genocide has occurred in Gaza.

Persons: Lior Haiat, Israel, Haiat, Maayan, Diane Craft Organizations: Israeli Foreign Ministry, Tuesday, International Court of Justice, Israel, Foreign, Hamas Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, South Africa, Rafah, Africa

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