While we await Hamas’s response to Israel’s counter-proposal on the release of the hostages, the International Criminal Court could issue a ruling against Netanyahu and Israeli political and military leaders. Construction of the pier off the coast of Gaza continues
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According to Israeli media, Hamas will respond to the latest counter-proposal for a hostage deal within 48 hours. The Jewish state called for the release of 33 women, children, elderly and sick people, while Hamas said it had only 20.
Israel made it known that its request was an unquestionable condition and threatened a ground intervention in Rafah if the release was not made. Armored vehicles were spotted near the city in the southern Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt.
The International Criminal Court’s ruling against Netanyahu is awaited
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains firm in his intention to eliminate Hamas facilities in Rafah. However, there is strong international pressure on him to suspend the possible ground operation. If Israel entered Rafah by land, the offensive could cause enormous damage to civilians, since the city is home to most of the displaced people from the Strip.
Netanyahu said on Saturday that the International Criminal Court ruling would also not affect Israel’s war efforts. The International Criminal Court in The Hague could issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians and military personnel for alleged violations of international law in Gaza. According to the Israeli news site “Walla”, however, Netanyahu is trying to put pressure on the United States to avoid the sentence.
More humanitarian aid arrives in the Gaza Strip
Faced with international pressure, Israel is stepping up the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The country’s military forces have on Saturday a video has been released of the ongoing construction of a complex of floating docks, intended to receive aid transported by sea, mostly from the US military, which “sponsors” its construction.
Since March, Israel has been building the pier to facilitate the docking and unloading of humanitarian aid by humanitarian ships such as the Spanish “Open Arms”. For their part, the United States is building a floating dock which would also facilitate the landing.
Washington opted for a floating dock instead of on land, so that its military do not set foot on the ground in case of conflict. Smaller vessels will transport the goods from the floating dock to the mainland, where they will be collected by trucks and distributed.
Lazzarini: “At least 13 thousand children dead in Gaza”
Speaking to the Russian news agency Tass, the commissioner general of the UN refugee agency (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini said that the number of deaths in Gaza, which has exceeded 30 thousand, may be underestimated, because there would still be many victims under the rubble. According to Lazzarini, over 13 thousand children have died in the Strip since the beginning of the war.
