New Israeli air strikes overnight, another Hamas leader killed

The Israeli army announced the elimination of six Hamas leaders. At the same time, the Israeli military continued raids against Hamas and Hezbollah structures on Monday. The strikes on Hezbollah targets follow Sunday’s shelling aimed at Israel. At the same time, attacks continued in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli army is preparing a massive ground, air and naval offensive.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen, according to the United Nations. However, six days later, Israel resumed water supplies to the south in an attempt to hasten the evacuation of more than a million civilians after three ultimatums expired. Israel asked the people of Gaza to move to the south, so that they would not be victims of its attacks against Hamas structures. This evacuation or displacement is carried out with great difficulty, especially after the terrorist group blocked the access routes. According to the Israeli army, 600,000 people moved from the north to the south.

Gaza bombed with more than 200 rockets last night

The Israeli army launched more than 200 rockets into the Gaza Strip last night. Earlier, the Palestinian interior ministry announced that 23 people died in Gaza, in Khan Younis, after the bombings. Another 28 people were killed in strikes in the Rafah area, near the border crossing with Egypt, also according to Palestinian information. Many Gaza locals were evacuated to Khan Younis yesterday after the Israeli government told Palestinians to go south. There are still hopes for a humanitarian corridor through the Rafah crossing so that aid can enter Gaza.

IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus says that 600,000 Palestinians have left the northern Gaza Strip so far at Israel’s call, but that 100,000 more remain there. In his daily briefing on the war between Hamas and Israel, Conricus said 600,000 Palestinians had made the “smart and life-saving” decision to move south. He added, however, that there are still 100,000 Palestinians who “must” leave. Conricus also said that Hamas’ actions had the effect of delaying the evacuation, but that the passage of time would mean that the terrorist group would stop using its civilians “as human shields”.

At least 23 people were killed in new Israeli shelling in the southern Gaza Strip in Khan Younis on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Palestinian interior ministry and quoted by the BBC. According to him, another 28 people were killed in strikes in the Rafah area, close to the border crossing point with Egypt. Many Gazans were evacuated to Khan Younis yesterday after the Israeli government told Palestinians to go south. There are still hopes for a humanitarian corridor through the Rafah crossing so that aid can enter Gaza.

Hamas says foreign prisoners it kidnapped are ‘guests’
A senior Hamas leader said Monday the group “has everything it needs” to secure the release of Palestinians from Israeli prisons, a sign that the terrorist group plans to use their captives, kidnapped after the October 7 attack, as bargaining chips, Reuters reports. Shortly after Khaled Meshaal made these remarks about the captives, who include Israelis and foreign nationals kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, the organization’s military wing said separately that the non-Israeli prisoners were “guests” and that they will be released “when circumstances permit.”

According to the IDF, Hamas terrorists took 199 people hostage and brought them to Gaza. Hamas claims to have between 200 and 250 hostages. The terrorist organization has long demanded the release of 6,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Now Hamas says it has “everything it needs to empty all the prisons”.

Among the Hamas prisoners are also believed to be citizens of other countries, such as Germany or Thailand. Other countries have also reported missing citizens.

The spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, Abu Obedia, said in a video message that Hamas “has a group of detainees of various nationalities, they are our guests and we will protect them.” “We will release these prisoners of various nationalities when the circumstances on the ground permit,” he continued, without giving further details. Another leader of the terrorist organization, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said on Monday that “foreign prisoners cannot be released because of Israel’s continued bombardment in the Gaza Strip.”

Israel hits Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

The Israeli army announced that it hit Hezbollah “terrorist” targets in Lebanon on the night of Monday to Tuesday, reports AFP, taken by Agerpres. “The Israeli army is striking military targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization on Lebanese territory,” the Israeli military said in a press release. Since the beginning of the war triggered by the unprecedented attack of Hamas in Israel on October 7, the clashes on the border between Israel and Lebanon have resulted in about ten deaths on the Lebanese side, mostly combatants, but also a Reuters journalist and two civilians. On the Israeli side, at least two people were killed. The international community fears an extension of the conflict between the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, and the Israeli army. Israel began evacuating thousands of residents in 28 areas in the north of the country after these border clashes.

Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu arrived in Israel with a Spartan military plane 

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is visiting Israel on Tuesday, where he will meet with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and with the representatives of the Romanian community in this country affected by the damage the security situation in the area. The head of the government is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu and the Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, as well as the deputy Silviu Vexler, president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, and the Romanian ambassador to Israel, Radu Ioanid.

The government confirmed on Tuesday that Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is in the State of Israel on Tuesday, where he will have meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with representatives of the Romanian community in this country affected by the deterioration of the security situation in the area. The Prime Minister flew in a Spartan military plane.

Joe Biden will go to Israel on Wednesday

American President Joe Biden will go to Israel on Wednesday for a solidarity visit following the Hamas attack on October 7, announced American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, AFP informs, taken by Agerpres. “The president will reaffirm the solidarity of the United States with Israel and our unwavering commitment to its security,” Blinken said Tuesday morning after a night of marathon talks in Tel Aviv with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Israel has the right and duty to defend its people against Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” added the head of US diplomacy.

While in Israel on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US and Israel have agreed to develop a plan for humanitarian aid to reach civilians in the Gaza Strip without Hamas benefiting from it.

The head of American diplomacy has been in the Middle East for five days in an ongoing diplomatic effort, returning to Israel after visiting six Arab countries in four days.

Blinken had 9 hours of negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which lasted until the early hours of Tuesday. Their meeting was interrupted by air raid sirens warning of Palestinian rocket fire, forcing them to take shelter briefly in a bunker.

“Today, and at our request, the United States and Israel agreed to develop a plan that will allow humanitarian aid from donor countries and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” Blinken told reporters.

He said the US shares Israel’s concern that Hamas could seize or destroy aid entering the Gaza Strip, or prevent it from reaching the people who need it. “If Hamas in any way blocks humanitarian assistance, preventing it from reaching civilians, including confiscating aid, we will be the first to condemn it. And we will act to prevent this from happening again,” said Blinken. The US Secretary of State did not provide details about this aid plan.

Blinken mentioned that President Joe Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday to show clearly that Israel, the main US ally, has the right to defend itself. “President Biden will receive a comprehensive briefing on Israel’s war objectives and strategy,” Blinken said.

“He will hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and allows humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas,” Blinken stressed.

Blinken traveled to Egypt on Sunday, where he said that the Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing to Gaza will soon reopen, but an agreement to this effect, allowing aid to enter and foreign nationals to leave , did not materialize.

“This will be a long war; the price will be high. But we will win for Israel and the Jewish people and for the values ​​that both countries believe in,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after the meeting with Blinken.

The US has sent an aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean and is set to send another aircraft carrier to the region in the coming days, moves Blinken said are meant to be a deterrent, not a provocation.

EU leaders meet to discuss a coherent response to the war in Israel

European Union leaders will try, on Tuesday, to reach a common approach to the crisis triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel, after days of confusion, infighting and mixed messages, reports Reuters. In an emergency video conference, the European Council will also address the potential serious consequences of the crisis on the continent.

While the EU and member state governments unanimously condemned the Hamas assault, in which around 1,300 Israelis were killed, they had divergent positions on other statements and political implications.

The debacle exposed old divisions within the EU regarding the Middle East and highlighted the drastic limits of the Union’s influence in the region. It has also undermined the EU’s calls to be treated as a major geopolitical player in its own right.

The virtual summit on Tuesday is an effort by the heads of state and government of the 27 countries to take firm control of the response to the crisis after some of them expressed unease about the approach of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. “It is of the utmost importance that the European Council (…) establish our common position and establish a clear unified course of action that reflects the complexity of the ongoing situation”, stated the President of the Council, Charles Michel, in the invitation to participate sent to the leaders .

The commission led by Ursula von der Leyen sowed confusion last week when one of its members announced on social media that EU development aid to the Palestinians had been frozen, only for the announcement to be revoked later.

Some officials and MPsalso criticized the Commission chief, who visited Israel on Friday, for not saying the EU expected Israel to comply with international humanitarian law in its response to the attack, as other leaders of the Union proceeded.