Israel Expands Airstrikes Across Syria Amid Widening Power Vacuum, The Washington Post
Israel launched waves of heavy airstrikes across Syria on Tuesday, hitting what it said were military targets to prevent abandoned weapons from falling into the hands of rebel fighters. The intensified aerial campaign, carried out in parallel with Israel’s first ground operation in Syrian territory since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, drew international condemnation and added another dangerous variable to the fast-moving situation in Syria.
Humanitarian Aid to North Gaza Mostly Blocked for the Last 2 Months, UN Says, AP
Humanitarian aid to North Gaza, where Israel launched a ground offensive on Oct. 6, has largely been blocked for the past 66 days, the United Nations said Tuesday. That has left between 65,000 and 75,000 Palestinians without access to food, water, electricity or health care, according to the world body.
Cease-Fire Talks Between Israel and Hamas Gain Momentum, Officials Say, The New York Times
While details about the latest proposals remain murky, several officials briefed on the negotiations said the talks are picking up steam. “We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” the prime minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is one of the main mediators.
Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 29, Palestinian Medics Say, AP
Israeli strikes pounded the Gaza Strip overnight and into Wednesday, hitting a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north and a built-up refugee camp. At least 29 people were killed, according to Palestinian health officials.
World Central Kitchen Fires Dozens of Workers in Gaza After Israel Accuses Them of Militant Links, Reuters
A U.S.-based charity, the World Central Kitchen, fired dozens of Palestinians working for the charity in the Gaza Strip, at least three workers told Reuters, after Israel said at least 62 staff were linked to militant groups.
PM: Israel Wants ‘Correct’ Ties With New Syrian Regime, but Will Attack if Necessary, The Times of Israel
“We have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Syria,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a video statement, “but we certainly do intend to do what is necessary to ensure our security.”
Iran’s Khamenei Says Toppling of Syria’s Assad Was Result of US-Israeli Plan, Reuters
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was the result of a plan by the United States and Israel. One of Syria’s neighbours also had a role, he said. He did not name the country but appeared to be referring to Turkey, which has backed anti-Assad rebels.
Why I Resigned as Chairman of Amnesty Israel, The Forward
Daniil Brodsky shares, “When I became chairman of Amnesty Israel in January 2024, there were no Palestinians on the board of managers or in managerial positions on staff. By way of comparison, this is a lower standard than the one found in Israeli public service and government-owned corporations, which are, according to the attorney general’s guidelines, at least obligated to have a proper representation of Arabs ‘in all ranks and professions, in every office and auxiliary unit,’ including the board of directors.”
In a Tel Aviv Court, the Many Faces of Benjamin Netanyahu Were on Full Display, Haaretz
Dahlia Scheindlin writes, “In his version of democracy, alleged political corruption, the fallen standards of governance when a sitting prime minister is on trial, are dismissed as ‘absurd.’ Netanyahu and his team attacked the indictments, the investigations and the media. But the deeper silent message to emerge from his first day testifying in court is that an independent judicial system, one that holds the state and its leaders to account, is an enemy of the people.”
Netanyahu’s War on the Israeli Media, Foreign Policy
David Rosenberg reports, “The foreign press has not been exempt from government pressure. In October 2023, just weeks into Israel’s war with Hamas, the Israeli cabinet approved emergency regulations that allowed the government to temporarily shut down foreign media outlets deemed as national security threats.”
These Palestinians Disappeared After Encounters With Israeli Troops in Gaza, AP
Wafaa Shurafa, Sarah El Deeb and Julia Frankel share, “Milena Ansari, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Israel is obligated under international law to document what happens during every home raid and detention. But the military is not transparent about the information it collects on detainees or on how many it is holding, she said. Hamoked has asked the military for the whereabouts of 900 missing Palestinians. The military confirmed around 500 of them were detained in Israel. It said it had no record of detaining the other 400.”