► Visit of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem to Gaza City
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, is “on a pastoral visit” in Gaza City to deliver a “message of hope, solidarity and support” in the territory ravaged by more than seven months of war, announced Thursday, May 16, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
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“His Beatitude, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem, entered Gaza and joined the parish of the Holy Family for a pastoral visit” of Gaza City, indicates the Catholic Patriarchate whose diocese includes Cyprus, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel.
This visit is the “first stage of a common humanitarian mission of the Latin Patriarchate and the Sovereign Order of Malta”intended to deliver food and medical aid to the population of the Palestinian territory, it is still indicated.
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► Israel will “intensify” its ground operations in Rafah
The Israeli defense minister announced in a statement that additional troops would take part in the ground fighting in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, where military operations “will intensify”.
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“Additional troops will enter” in Rafah and “(military) activity will intensify”, Yoav Gallant said during a field visit to the area. The Israeli army says it has been carrying out operations in Rafah, neighborhood by neighborhood, for around ten days. “targeted” on the ground, accompanied by bombings, with the announced objective of annihilating the last battalions of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
► American port in Gaza set up, 500 tons of aid on the way
The US military announced that around 500 tonnes of humanitarian aid would be delivered to Gaza in the coming days, after the establishment of the artificial port on the shore of the territory besieged by the Israeli army.
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“A few hours ago, the temporary port was successfully set up on a beach in Gaza”said Brad Cooper of the US Middle East Command (Centcom). “I think we are going to have around 500 tonnes (of humanitarian aid) in the coming days. It’s a fairly large number, and it’s currently spread between several boats.”he added to the press.
Controlled upstream in Cyprus, the aid will be distributed ” quickly “ in Gaza once landed via this new infrastructure, he insisted.
► South Africa denounces “genocide” before the ICJ
“The genocide” committed by Israel “reached a horrible level”declared before the highest court of the UN South Africa, which asks the judges to order Israel to stop its incursion in Rafah.
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“South Africa had hoped, when we last appeared before this court, to put an end to this genocidal process in order to preserve Palestine and its people”said Pretoria representative Vusimuzi Madonsela. “Instead, Israel’s genocide has continued apace and has reached a new and horrific level.”he added.
The Israeli operation in Rafah “is the final stage in the destruction of Gaza and its Palestinian people”said Vaughan Lowe, a lawyer from South Africa.
► Abbas accuses Hamas of having “given pretexts” to Israel
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has accused the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of “given pretexts” to Israel to attack the Gaza Strip, in the grip of a deadly war for more than seven months.
Israel-Hamas war: after a week of Israeli offensive on Rafah, Egypt raises its voice
“The military operation carried out unilaterally by Hamas that day, October 7, gave Israel more pretexts and justifications to attack the Gaza Strip, killing, destroying and displacing hundreds of thousands of people”declared Mahmoud Abbas during the Arab League summit in Bahrain.
► Bahrain calls for international peace conference
The Kingdom of Bahrain calls for “an international conference for peace” in the Middle East, as well as “support the full recognition of the State of Palestine and its membership in the United Nations”declared King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa at the opening of the 33rd Arab League summit in Manama.
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Invited to the summit, the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, estimated that the war which has ravaged the Gaza Strip for more than seven months was “an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region”reiterating his call for “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” and one “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.
► Five Israeli soldiers killed by “friendly fire”
The Israeli army acknowledged the death of five soldiers killed Wednesday in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip. Asked about media reports mentioning that it was about “friendly fire” in other words on the part of the Israeli forces, a military spokesperson confirmed this without giving further details.
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This brings to 278 the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on October 27.
The Hamas health ministry, for its part, announced a new death toll of 35,272 in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.
► Four Palestinians killed in Israeli bombing
Four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bombardment which targeted their home in the center of Rafah, said the hospital in this town located on the southern edge of the small Palestinian territory.
Israel-Hamas war: after a week of Israeli offensive on Rafah, Egypt raises its voice
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to launch a major ground offensive in Rafah.
Worried about the civilian population, the United States, like a large part of the international community, is opposed to such an offensive in this city located on the Egyptian border, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crowded together.
► Three people killed by the Israeli army in the West Bank
Three people were killed by the Israeli army in the northern occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities announced.
“Three martyrs eliminated by the occupying forces in Toulkarem”, communicated the Ministry of Health. The three young Palestinians who died were around twenty years old, according to the same Source. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, they were killed during an Israeli army raid, which also left several injured.
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For two years, the West Bank has been the scene of an outbreak of violence, further exacerbated by the deadly attack carried out on October 7 from Gaza by Hamas in the Israeli south.
► Hamas says it wants to decide the future of Gaza with other Palestinian “factions”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday that the Islamist movement would decide with other Palestinian factions on governance in Gaza after the war with Israel.
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“We say Hamas is here to stay (…) and it will be up to the movement and all national factions (Palestinian) to decide on governance after the war in Gaza”declared Ismaïl Haniyeh in a televised speech.
He also said the outcome of ceasefire talks was uncertain because Israel “insists on occupying the Rafah crossing point and amplifying its aggression” in the Palestinian territory since the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.
