Humans Rights Watch accuses Israel of “acts of genocide” in Gaza, exchanges of fire with Yemen… News of the conflict in the Middle East this Thursday, December 19 – Libération

Most of the information on the war between Hamas and Israel this Thursday, December 19

Exchanges of fire between the Houthis and Israel

On Wednesday evening, Yemen’s Houthi rebels carried out their first missile attack on Israel. “The Houthi terrorist regime fired a missile towards central Israel, forcing millions of civilians to take refuge in shelters”announced on Wednesday evening the spokesperson for the Israeli army. IDF aircraft carried out retaliatory raids this Thursday morning against Houthi positions in Yemen, targeting ports as well as energy infrastructure, particularly in the capital Sanaa. According to the Yemeni rebel movement, Israeli bombings left nine people dead. This Thursday morning, the Houthis again fired two missiles towards the Jewish state, targeting “two Israeli military targets in the region of Yafa (Arabic name for Jaffa)”, declared the movement’s spokesperson.

Iran condemns Israeli response

The Israeli military response to Houthi missile attacks has angered Iran. The Israeli air raids constitute “a flagrant violation of the principles and norms of international law”declared Thursday the spokesperson for Iranian diplomacy, Esmaïl Baghaï, while condemning “the unconditional support of the United States” brought to Israel. The Houthis are part of what Iran calls the“axis of resistance”which brings together other movements hostile to Israel such as Hamas, Iraqi groups or Hezbollah in Lebanon.

For Human Rights Watch, Israel is committing “acts of genocide” in Gaza

The humanitarian organization estimates in a report published this Thursday that Israel is committing “acts of genocide” by restricting the“access to water” for Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war more than a year ago. “Israeli authorities deliberately created living conditions aimed at causing the destruction of part of the population of Gaza, by intentionally depriving Palestinian civilians in the enclave of adequate access to water, which likely resulted in caused thousands of deaths, writes Human Right Watch (HRW) in a press release accompanying its investigation. “In doing so, the Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and acts of genocide,” adds the NGO. In its report, HRW judges that Israel intentionally limited Gaza residents’ access to water, and asserts that this indicates a desire to«extermination». The NGO accuses Israel “acts of genocide” and not genocide, an accusation which would require proof of genocidal intent. In response, Israeli diplomacy described “slander” these accusations. “This report is riddled with blatant lies, even from HRW for whom the bar is already low,” declared the ministry in a press release denouncing “anti-Israeli propaganda”.