Israeli warplanes
targeted parts of the Gaza Strip overnight into Saturday in relentless bombardments,
hitting even the small remaining parcels of land that Palestinians had been
told to evacuate to in the territory’s south.
The latest strikes
came a day the United States utilised its veto power to block a United Nations
resolution backed by almost all other Security Council members and dozens of
other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.
Advocates of the resolution
characterised the US veto as a regrettable development, expressing concerns
about the potential for increased civilian casualties and destruction as the
conflict entered its third month. The vote in the 15-member council resulted in
a 13-1 outcome, with the United Kingdom choosing to abstain.
“Attacks
from air, land and sea are intense, continuous and widespread,” UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said before the vote.
He
further added that Gaza residents “are being told to move like human pinballs –
ricocheting between ever-smaller slivers of the south, without any of the
basics for survival.”
Guterres told the
council that Gaza was at “a breaking point” with the humanitarian support
system at risk of total collapse, and that he feared “the consequences could be
devastating for the security of the entire region,” news agency AP reported.
The US’ stand
reflected a growing fracture between Washington and some of its closest allies
over Israel’s monthslong bombardment of Gaza. France and Japan were also among
those supporting the call for a cease-fire.
Israel’s
military campaign has killed more than 17,400 people in Gaza — 70% of them
women and children — and wounded more than 46,000, according to the Palestinian
territory’s Health Ministry, which says many others are trapped under rubble.
Here’s a round-up of the
latest developments so far:
1. 01
Israeli military round up Palestinian men in northern Gaza
as UN warns aid operation is 'in tatters'
Israel said on Friday that the
military was rounding up Palestinian men in northern Gaza for questioning in
its search for Hamas militants.
Israeli government spokesman
Eylon Levy said Friday that those detained in northern Gaza were
"military-aged men who were discovered in areas that civilians were
supposed to have evacuated weeks ago." Military spokesman Daniel Hagari
said that in the past 48 hours, some 200 people have been detained.
The United Nations expressed
concerns about the state of its aid operation, describing it as "in
tatters." These detentions highlight Israeli efforts to secure control
over northern Gaza as the conflict entered its third month. Intense urban
fighting persisted in the north, revealing Hamas' determined resistance, with
tens of thousands of residents believed to still be in the area six weeks after
Israeli troops and tanks entered.
2. 02
US denies it forbade Palestinian official from speaking to
reporters
The US State Department denied
allegations on Friday that it had prohibited Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad
Malki from speaking to reporters in Washington during a joint mission with Arab
and Turkish counterparts. The denial came after a Saudi official claimed the US
had imposed visa restrictions preventing Malki from responding to media
questions. The State Department refuted this, stating, "We have imposed no
restrictions that prohibit individuals from speaking to the press."
3. 03
Rocket fired from Gaza lands in Tel Aviv
A rocket fired from the Gaza
Strip landed in central Tel Aviv on Friday, causing damage to a parked car,
news agency AP reported. Police and forensic teams were on the site to clear
the road from debris and any remnants of the rocket. There were no reports of
injuries. Hamas militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel during
the two-month war.
The rocket fire has continued,
despite a fierce Israeli ground offensive inside Gaza.The rocket barrages have
displaced tens of thousands of people in southern Israel from their homes and
set off air-raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv, some 80 kilometers (50 miles)
north of Gaza.
4. 04
Israel says attempt to rescue hostages failed
The Israeli military said that
a rescue mission aimed at freeing Israeli hostages in Gaza resulted in two
soldiers sustaining serious injuries. The operation, carried out overnight,
successfully eliminated several militants, but no hostages were rescued. Hamas,
on the other hand, asserted that its fighters thwarted the rescue attempt and
engaged in clashes with Israeli special forces.
Additionally, Hamas claimed
that an Israeli soldier held hostage was killed by Israeli air fire during the
withdrawal. As of now, Israel's military has not provided any comments on this
particular claim.
5. 05
Four killed in Israeli airstrike in Syria
An Israeli drone strike hit a
car in southern Syria on Friday, killing four people, two Syrian pro-government
media outlets reported. A Hezbollah official in Beirut said three of the dead
were members of the Lebanese militant group.
Over the past decade, Hezbollah
has positioned its fighters in various regions of Syria, collaborating with
government forces in the ongoing conflict, which has entered its 13th year. The
latest deaths raise to 93 the number of Hezbollah fighters killed during
battles with Israeli troops since the Israel-Hamas war started two months ago,
as per AP.
6. 06
EU puts two Hamas leaders on terrorist list
On Friday, the European Union
took action by adding two senior members of the militant group Hamas to its
terrorist list in connection with the October 7 attack on Israel. The EU
headquarters announced the freezing of funds and other assets in Europe
belonging to Mohammed Deif, the commander general of Hamas' military wing, and
Marwan Issa, the deputy commander.
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