Pressure on Israel in the Gaza war is growing – the nightly update without photos NATO states practice response to Russian attack with large-scale maneuvers

Israel comes under increasing international pressure during the Gaza war due to the catastrophic humanitarian situation. South Africa has filed an urgent request with the International Court of Justice in The Hague to order Israel to allow aid to the closed coastal area. The reason for this is “widespread famine”, according to a statement from the court in The Hague on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, hopes are waning that an agreement on the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire will be reached before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins around March 10, as the New York Times newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing several people involved in the terrorist act. conversations Acquaintances from Cairo reported.

Concerns about escalation of violence during Ramadan

If efforts by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt fail, Israel is threatening a military operation in the city of Rafah during Ramadan, expected to start on Sunday. In Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, approximately 1.5 million Palestinians are currently seeking refuge from the fighting in other parts of the area, in limited space and in dire conditions. Israel assured that it would move civilians to safety before an offensive.

Israeli officials believed that the leader of the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Jihia al-Sinwar, was not interested in an agreement but hoped that there would be an escalation of tensions in the West Bank and Jerusalem during Ramadan, according to reports. reported Wall Street in the Journal. . An invasion of Rafah could also lead to a wider conflict on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, it was said.

South Africa complains of violations of the Genocide Convention

In late December, South Africa sued Israel in the International Court of Justice for alleged violations of the Genocide Convention. The UN court ruled in an interim judgment that Israel must take protective measures to prevent genocide. “Given the new facts and changes in the situation in Gaza – in particular the widespread famine – caused by Israel’s continued blatant violations of the Convention, South Africa is forced to request further interim orders, the country said on Wednesday.

Current developments in the live ticker:

Israel: More aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip than before the start of the war

Faced with increasingly sharp criticism from other countries over the catastrophic supply situation in the coastal strip, the government in Jerusalem stressed on Wednesday that more aid supplies are currently arriving in the coastal strip than before the start of the war. “Over the past two weeks, an average of 102 food shipments have entered the Gaza Strip every day. “That is almost 50 percent more than before Hamas started the war on October 7,” said government spokesman Eylon Levy. There is a “flood of false reports” that Israel would limit the amount of aid deliveries. ‘There are no restrictions. I repeat: none,” the Israeli spokesman emphasized.

The British Foreign Secretary urges Israel to provide more aid

However, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron sees that Israel has a duty to facilitate more aid deliveries. During a meeting with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz, he made clear what steps Israel needed to take and how concerned Britain was about a possible offensive in Rafah, Cameron said on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday evening. “I have once again urged Israel to increase the flow of aid. We still see no improvements on the ground. “That has to change,” Cameron said. There is a need for an immediate humanitarian pause, greater capacity for aid distribution and better access by land and sea.

Report: Hamas calls for permanent ceasefire

The mediators had recently discussed a proposal for a six-week ceasefire in which the Islamist Hamas would release about 40 hostages – women, the elderly and the sick, as well as five Israeli soldiers – in exchange for about 400 Palestinian prisoners. So far, the talks have focused on a first phase that provides for the release of these 40 of the approximately 100 hostages in total, the New York Times wrote. Israeli officials believed that a broad consensus had been reached, but then Hamas again made further demands.

Hamas wants Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire during or after three phases of the hostage rescue, the New York Times reported. She also calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the northern Gaza Strip after the third phase of the hostage rescue and for increased aid deliveries. It said it must be guaranteed that half of it goes to northern Gaza. These latter demands could still be negotiated between Israel and Hamas, it was said. There is disagreement over whether men of fighting age will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, which Israel has sealed off during the ceasefire, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Egyptian officials. However, an Israeli official denied that this is currently part of the negotiations taking place exclusively through the mediating states.

The war in Gaza was sparked exactly five months ago by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups carried out in Israel on October 7. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 30,717 people have been killed in Gaza so far. The number does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

US: Death after Houthi attack on cargo ship

The US government says sailors have been killed in an attack on the cargo ship ‘True Confidence’ off the coast of Yemen. “The Houthis have killed innocent civilians as they continue their reckless attacks on international commercial shipping, hitting countries around the world,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. According to media reports, this is the first time that crew members of a merchant ship have been killed in a Houthi attack. The spokeswoman did not announce the death toll. US media reported two deaths, citing government officials.

In recent months, the Houthi militia in Yemen has repeatedly attacked civilian merchant ships. According to its own statements, the country is acting in solidarity with Hamas and is targeting cargo ships with alleged connections to Israel, the US or Britain. The country had recently announced that it would intensify its attacks. The US and Britain had carried out several military strikes on positions in Yemen in response to the attacks. The EU has also launched a military operation to protect shipping in the Red Sea, in which Germany is participating with a frigate. (sda/dpa)