UN: Worrying signals that Israel wants to send Gazans to third countries
High-ranking Israeli politicians have in recent days floated ideas about sending Gaza's residents to third countries after the war. According to the Times of Israel, an allegedly "voluntary" displacement of Palestinians is slowly becoming a central part of government policy.
The newspaper's Hebrew edition Zman Israel learns that Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing nationalist coalition is in secret talks with Congo-Kinshasa, among others, about receiving thousands of Gazans. Saudi Arabia is also said to be a relevant country.
On Monday, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's minister of national security, said he wants to see a "solution to encourage Gaza residents to emigrate" and the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. The day before, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made a similar move.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is "deeply concerned" about the signals that Israel wants to move civilians from Gaza to third countries. He writes on X that forced transfers and deportations are against international law.
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The Israel-Hamas War|The Victims
At least a thousand children have lost their legs - 11-year-old Noor: "Can't run and play"
In bombed-out Gaza, a generation of children who have been forced to amputate legs or arms is growing up, writes Reuters. By the end of November, over a thousand children had undergone leg amputations, sometimes more than once, according to Unicef. Many of them are also forced to undergo the operation without anesthesia due to a lack of drugs and time.
Eleven-year-old Noor's left leg was almost torn off when her home in Jabalia, Gaza, was attacked in October. Her other leg was badly injured. - I used to run around and play. I was so happy with my life. But now that I've lost my leg, life is so ugly and I'm sad, Noor, who is still being treated in hospital, told Reuters.
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USA: Israel is not carrying out a genocide in Gaza
The United States assesses that Israel's military actions in Gaza cannot be classified as genocide, said Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, to Reuters. The announcement comes after South Africa initiated a genocide case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague about the Israeli action.
- These are accusations that should not be made lightly [...] we do not see actions that constitute genocide, says Miller.
He also announces that he cannot share assessments of whether Israel has committed war crimes or crimes against humanity.
The court in The Hague has scheduled hearings in the case for January 11 and 12. Israel says it will defend itself against the accusations.
The US has previously said too many Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, and has called on the country's military to do more to protect civilians.
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Antony Blinken on a new "crisis trip" to the Middle East
US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken will go on a new "crisis trip" to the Middle East on Thursday, an official told the AFP news agency. The announcement comes at the same time as concerns about a spiral of violence in the region increase.
During his trip, Blinken will visit Israel. On previous trips, he has also made a number of stops in nearby Arab countries, but there is no information on whether any such visits will take place this time as well.
Blinken's upcoming trip comes just a couple of days after Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike in Lebanon. Israel has not confirmed that it was behind the act. In addition to the fatal attack, the terrorist act in Iran on Wednesday has affected the situation in the Middle East. Close to a hundred people were killed in two explosions in the city of Kerman. The United States has rejected speculation about America
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