The European Union has warned Israel that if it keeps up military operations in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, it would put a “heavy strain” on relations. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the ongoing operation is “further disrupting the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza and is leading to more internal displacement, exposure to famine and human suffering.”
Quick Read
- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) criticizes Israeli military actions that have resulted in the deaths of aid workers in Gaza, labeling these incidents as “deconfliction failures.”
- Dan Dieckhaus, USAID Response Director, specifically references recent incidents, including a strike on workers from the World Central Kitchen, demanding an end to such failures.
- Despite efforts by the Israeli military to avoid targeting aid workers, USAID expresses dissatisfaction with the current situation and emphasizes the need for improved safety for aid workers.
- USAID and U.S. Navy officials discussed a new initiative involving a floating aid pier to enhance the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
- The first shipment of UK aid has left Cyprus for Gaza, signaling increased international efforts to deliver necessary supplies despite ongoing challenges.
The Associated Press has the story:
European Union warns Israel that a further push into Rafah would ‘strain’ ties
Newslooks- BRUSSELS — (AP)
The European Union has warned Israel that if it keeps up military operations in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, it would put a “heavy strain” on relations.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the ongoing operation is “further disrupting the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza and is leading to more internal displacement, exposure to famine and human suffering.”
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled Rafah since Israel launched an incursion last week in which it captured the Gaza side of the city’s crossing with Egypt. Israel says it is carrying out a limited operation after the United States and other close allies urged it to avoid a promised full-scale invasion.
Borrell said on Tuesday that “should Israel continue its military operation in Rafah, it would inevitably put a heavy strain on the EU’s relationship with Israel.”
Israel says it must go into Rafah in order to fully dismantle Hamas and return scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war.
Before the operation, Rafah was sheltering some 1.3 million Palestinians, most of whom had fled fighting elsewhere and were living in U.N.-run shelters and rudimentary tent camps. The United Nations says some 450,000 people have fled the city in the last week.
ISRAELI TROOPS KILL A PALESTINIAN MAN IN THE WEST BANK, HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY
JERUSALEM — The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli troops killed a man in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the latest in a surge of deadly violence in the territory.
The Israeli military said a Palestinian was shot after throwing a brick at soldiers during a violent protest near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, identified the slain man as 21-year-old Mohamed Safi.
Violence has spiked across the West Bank since the Israel’s war in Gaza erupted last October. Since then, around 500 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli forces, according to figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Many have been killed in armed clashes or for throwing stones, but people not involved in confrontations have also been killed.
