2024-02-10 05:00:00
Biden highlights plight of Gaza civilians as Israel watches Rafah advance. Here’s the latest
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Israel’s military operation to pursue Hamas had been “unconscionable”, highlighting the plight of Palestinians who have endured intense bombing and a lack of essential supplies.
“I have been pushing very hard, very hard, to bring humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Many innocent people are going hungry. Lots of innocent people in trouble and dying. And this has to stop,” Biden said.
Biden also expressed optimism that a deal currently being negotiated that combines the release of hostages with a prolonged pause in fighting might eventually lead to a more sustained turn in the war.
His comments come following a State Department spokesperson said the United States would not support an Israeli military operation in Rafah “without serious planning” around the more than one million displaced civilians crammed into the southern Gaza city. .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the army “is preparing to fight in Rafah.”
Here are the latest developments in the region:
Mortal attack: An Israeli airstrike targeting a room at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City killed five people on Thursday, journalist Khader Zaanoun, who was briefed by health officials in the city, told CNN.
Detained Americans: Two American citizens were detained by Israeli forces during a raid on a home in Gaza early Thursday, according to a family member in the United States. To date, the family does not know where the men were taken. CNN has contacted the IDF for comment.
Fears regarding aid: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday that it would not be possible to replace the main UN aid agency in Gaza amid Israeli calls for it to be closed. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the only agency capable of doing the job, Guterres said.
American attacks: The United States killed or wounded more than 40 militants in its strikes once morest Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on February 2, according to the Department of Defense. US Central Command is still evaluating the full results of the strikes, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a briefing Thursday. Meanwhile, the US military carried out new strikes once morest Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday, US Central Command said.
Tensions in Lebanon: An Israeli drone attack on a car in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh this Thursday killed at least three people, Lebanese state media NNA reported. NNA did not name those killed in the attack, but the Israeli military told CNN it had carried out an attack once morest a Hezbollah commander. Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force said Thursday that dozens of its aircraft deployed over Lebanon might “become hundreds” ready to operate within minutes of launch in the event of war.
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