Israel has announced plans to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including reopening a key border crossing into northern Gaza. This decision follows a conversation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden, where Biden emphasized the importance of taking action to protect civilians and aid workers. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 33,000, with women and children making up two-thirds of the dead. The United Nations has warned of a risk of genocide in Gaza and called for a cease-fire. Israel is facing international isolation after killing seven aid workers in Gaza.
Rights groups report that an Israeli strike on a Gaza building resulted in the deaths of 106 people, potentially constituting a war crime. A diplomatic crisis between Poland and Israel has erupted following the killing of a Polish aid worker in Gaza. Senior U.K. jurists have joined calls to halt arms sales to Israel, with other allies facing similar pressure. A Jewish group has launched a Holocaust survivor speakers bureau to combat increasing antisemitism worldwide.
The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to address attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza and the risk of famine in the territory. The U.S. military remains on schedule to build a pier off the Gaza coast to increase humanitarian aid deliveries. Former President Donald Trump has urged Israel to quickly end the war in Gaza and return to peace, criticizing Israel’s tactics and civilian casualties.
President Joe Biden has stressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that future U.S. support for the Gaza war depends on taking steps to protect civilians and aid workers. A Spanish charity has ended its mission to deliver food aid to Gaza by sea following the deaths of seven workers in Israeli airstrikes. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed disagreement with Netanyahu’s assertion that the killing of aid workers is part of the cost of war, calling for a transparent investigation.
The U.S. military has reported shooting down an anti-ship ballistic missile and two aerial drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, targeting the USS Gravely destroyer. Polish leaders are calling on Israel to compensate the family of a Polish aid worker killed in Gaza. Israeli officials have uncovered a Palestinian plot to assassinate an Israeli government minister. Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of killing over 100 civilians in Gaza in a single attack, including 54 children. U.K. jurists are urging the government to suspend arms sales to Israel, while the Palestinian death toll continues to rise in Gaza.
World Central Kitchen is demanding an independent investigation into the Israeli strikes that killed seven aid workers in Gaza. The U.S. defense secretary has expressed outrage at the attacks and called for Israel to protect aid workers and civilians. UNICEF has reported a worsening situation for babies in northern Gaza, with one-third of children under 2 suffering from acute malnutrition. The U.N. special envoy for children in conflict has warned of a shocking increase in incidents of denial of humanitarian access globally, emphasizing the urgent need for assistance in conflict-affected regions.
