The Israeli army recovered the bodies of 3 hostages killed by Hamas at the Nova Festival on 7 October in Gaza last night. Their corpses had been brought by the militiamen to the Strip and among them there is also that of Shani Louk, the 23-year-old Israeli-German whose photo, in a pick-up belonging to the Hamas militiamen and perhaps already dead, made the rounds of the world. The announcement by military spokesman Daniel Hagari, in a half-hour press conference, plunged the country, on the eve of Shabbat, into an atmosphere of pain and anger as Israel continues with its operations in Rafah and Jabalya. Despite the West asking him to stop.
With Italy promoting a letter, also signed by the foreign ministers of 13 countries, to the Israeli minister, Israel Katz, which underlines opposition to a large-scale operation in the city on the border with Egypt. Israel has the right to “exercise its right to defense” but “must respect international law” and the large-scale operation in Rafah “would have catastrophic consequences on the civilian population”, write the diplomats of Italy, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Holland, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia and South Korea, coordinated by Antonio Tajani for the presidency of the G7. And they ask for “a credible plan to protect civilians”. The 13 ministers then underlined that Israel must allow “the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza through all relevant crossings, including Rafah” while today’s news has arrived that the first aid has arrived from the floating pier built by the USA and completed in recent days.
The operation in Rafah and its consequences are being discussed, at the request of South Africa, at the International Court in The Hague. Today was the turn of Israel’s counter-argument that Pretoria’s complaint is “a mockery” of the “heinous accusation of genocide. Entirely divorced from the facts and circumstances”. Returning to the bodies of the hostages recovered in Gaza, in addition to Shani there are those of Amit Buskila (28 years old) and Itzhak Gelerenter (56). All three were at the Nova Music Festival near Kibbutz Beeri, which was attacked by Hamas on October 7. But they managed to escape, taking refuge in the Mefalsim kibbutz close to the Palestinian enclave. But they were joined by militiamen from the Islamic faction “killed in an atrocious manner”, said Hagari without specifying in which part of Gaza they were found, thanks to a joint intelligence action between the Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security) and the army itself initiated on the basis of “information obtained during interrogations of captured terrorists”.
The remains were taken to Israel for recognition while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “heartbroken by such a great loss”. He then added that Israel “will bring home all the hostages: living and dead”. “The return of Shani’s body is the definitive answer for our family”, were the sad words of the girl’s father, Nissim Louk. On the 224th day of the war, the IDF continued to operate in the eastern part of Rafah and in Jabalya, in the north of the Strip, where “intense armed fighting” is underway with Hamas militiamen also in the center of the city. The IDF defined them among “the most violent” of the war and announced the killing of more than “60 terrorists”. Hamas spoke of “strong resistance to the enemy”. And the conflict with Hezbollah in northern Israel shows no sign of decreasing in intensity. The IDF – according to the media – struck near Sidon where “three people, including two Syrian citizens” and a Hezbollah commander were killed. About 75 rockets arrived from Lebanon.
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IDF fighter plane hits target in Jenin, West Bank
A fighter plane hit a target in the West Bank city of Jenin. This was reported by the IDF. According to Al Jazeera, a commander of the Jenin Brigades, a Palestinian armed resistance group, was killed in the attack. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that two people were also injured. Their conditions are stable.
