Al Shifa hospital destroyed, US and Israel discuss Rafah | War Israel and Hamas

The Israeli Army (IDF) has withdrawn from the largest hospital in Gaza, Al Shifa Hospital, after two weeks. Images on social media show the building left largely destroyed. 21 patients died during the siege.

The hospital was once the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, but little of it remains.

The IDF says it killed 200 Hamas militants hiding in the complex and arrested hundreds of others, “while avoiding harm to civilians, patients and medical teams.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation as a success, calling it “a precise and surgical strike.”

Local authorities in Gaza say there are hundreds of bodies scattered across the Al-Shifa compound. Hamas claims at least 300 bodies have been found, but this has not yet been independently confirmed.

A Palestinian journalist writes on “I saw hundreds of bodies lying around the hospital. Not a single body was whole. All the bodies were in pieces or severely mutilated.”

Ontvang meldingen bij nieuwe berichten Stay informed with notifications

Officials from the United States and Israel took part in a “virtual meeting” on Monday that lasted 2.5 hours. The discussion included US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.

The US has often spoken out against a potential ground offensive in Rafah. The Americans have pushed in the conversation for what they see as “a better alternative” to offensive in Rafah, US officials say CNN.

But the government has “no expectation of a breakthrough” with Israel. The White House views the meeting as a series of talks among allies that will continue in the coming weeks.

Israel tells news agency Reuters to take US concerns into account.

Several people were killed in an airstrike on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday. News agency reports this Reuters and Iranian and Syrian media.

A senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards is said to have been killed in the airstrike. According to Iranian and Syrian media, it is believed to be Mohammad Reza Zahedi, one of the leaders of the Quds Force.

Iran’s foreign minister says Israel is behind the airstrike. Israel refuses to comment on the incident. Four Israeli officials object New York Times said Israel was behind the airstrike that targeted Zahedi. They did not want to say anything about his possible death.

The Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations Security Council to vote on UN membership this month. The Palestinian ambassador, currently a “permanent observer”, wants to represent a full member state in the future.

The chance that this will succeed this month seems small. Israel is strongly against the plans and Israel’s main ally, the United States, has a veto in the Security Council. In addition, two-thirds of the 193 UN member states must support the proposal.

The Israeli parliament has approved a law giving ministers the power to ban foreign news channels. The White House calls the development “worrisome”.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi says so Al Jazeera banned in the coming days, “because it serves as a propaganda channel for Hamas, the Palestinian movement against which Israel is waging war.”

In addition, several journalists are said to have ties to Hamas. The news channel denies all accusations and says Israel is systematically attacking journalists in the Gaza Strip.

Ontvang regelmatig een overzicht van de ontwikkelingen in Gaza en Israël Stay informed with notifications

At the same time, there are large protests in Jerusalem against the government. Tens of thousands of Israelis march through the streets and gather at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. Monday was the second day of a four-day event sit in.

There are several reasons why protesters take to the streets. For example, they demand new elections or fight for an agreement with Hamas, which should lead to the release of the more than 130 hostages that Hamas is probably still holding in Gaza.

People are also taking to the streets because they disagree with the exemption that ultra-Orthodox Jews have from military service. The demonstrators want the burdens to be shared more fairly.

Om een vraag te kunnen stellen dien je in te loggen. Log in of maak binnen 1 minuut jouw gratis account aan.