J Street Commends Senators Opposing West Bank Expulsions, Calls for Further Action, J Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “We commend Senators Merkley, Van Hollen, Sanders and Welch for their urgent statement shining a light on the looming demolitions in Masafer Yatta. We urge more Members of Congress to join the growing international opposition to the E1 settlement plans, which are designed to cut the West Bank in two and hamper the creation of a viable Palestinian state.”
Israeli Forces Push Into Parts of a Central Gaza City That the War Had Largely Spared, AP
“Deir al-Balah is the only Gaza city that has not seen major ground operations or suffered widespread devastation in 21 months of war, leading to speculation that the Hamas militant group holds large numbers of hostages there. The main group representing hostages’ families said it was ‘shocked and alarmed’ by the incursion and demanded answers from Israeli leaders.”
Israel Condemned by 25 Nations Over “Inhumane Killing” of Gaza Civilians and “Drip Feeding of Aid” as War Expands, CBS
“The statement by the U.S. allies and partners across the globe and published online by the U.K. government condemns Israel’s tightly-controlled aid distribution method, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s U.S.-backed government of the ‘drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children.’”
Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 20 in Gaza, Health Officials Say, AP
“Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Gaza, Palestinian health officials said Tuesday, as Israel pushed on with a new incursion in an area that had largely been spared heavy fighting during the 21-month war.”
Source: Hamas Negotiators Unable to Reach Group’s Gaza Leaders, Slowing Hostage Talks, The Times of Israel
“Hamas’s negotiators in Doha have been unable to reach the terror group’s leaders in Gaza since late last week, preventing talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal from moving forward, a source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Monday.”
UN Palestinian Refugee Staff and Doctors Fainting From Hunger in Gaza, Says UNRWA, Reuters
“‘No one is spared: caretakers in Gaza are also in need of care. Doctors, nurses, journalists and humanitarians are hungry,’ UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement, shared by his spokesperson at a press briefing in Geneva. ‘Many are now fainting due to hunger and exhaustion while performing their duties: reporting atrocities or alleviating some of the suffering.’”
As a Zionist and Lifelong Advocate, I Believe Israel Has Gone Too Far, The Jewish News of Northern California
Rabbi Doug Kahn writes, “Withholding humanitarian aid (food, water, medicine and electricity) through a collective punishment policy crosses a moral boundary. Not providing urgently needed medical equipment, especially for children who have been severely injured or who need life-saving supplies because of illness, cannot be justified.”
Eleven-Minute Race for Food: How Aid Points in Gaza Became ‘Death Traps’ – A Visual Story, The Guardian
“‘You get there and you slowly, slowly advance,’ he says. ‘You always know that it could be you who gets shot, or it might be someone next to you.’ Alareer says chaos always ensues when the aid point opens, as people start running towards the packages, which are left in the middle of the distribution zone. People trip over craters and tangled wires.”