At least 55 people arrested in the occupied West Bank, prisoner advocacy groups say
At least 55 people have been arrested in the occupied West Bank since yesterday evening, a pair of prisoner advocacy groups said in a joint statement today.
Three women and two journalists were among those detained, the Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners and the Palestinian Prisoners Club.
The statement which accused, Israeli forces of “abuse in cities, towns, and camps,” added that the arrests were concentrated in the Bethlehem and Hebron.
Arrests in the West Bank have soared since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. The groups says that 4,785 people have been arrested since then.
Explosions reportedly heard in skies over Egypt’s Dahab city
Explosions were heard over the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Dahab on Tuesday, Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV reported today.
“A flying object was downed approximately 2 km (1.25 miles) from the shores of Dahab,” Al Qahera said, citing witnesses.
Several launches from Lebanon identified, Israeli military says
The Israel Defense Forces said today it had identified a number of launches from Lebanon hurling towards northern Israel, including a surface-to-air missile that was launched towards an Israeli aircraft in the area.
“The aircraft was not damaged by the missile and successfully completed its mission,” it said in a statement, adding the it had responded by striking targets in Lebanon.
The IDF also said its jet struck infrastructure in Lebanon belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group which.
Netanyahu tells Israeli soldiers to remain steadfast during visit to Gaza
TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told soldiers during a visit to Gaza yesterday, to remain steadfast as Israel would stay the course in the war against Hamas militants — “to the end.”
Netanyahu, under pressure over the fate of hostages taken by militants in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, asserted Israel’s need to eliminate Hamas.
The Gaza Health Ministry said dozens of people were killed at the al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza. The IDF has said it’s reviewing reports of “an incident” there.
After visiting soldiers, Netanyahu told a special session of Israel’s parliament he was inspired by what fighters on the ground told him — to keep fighting until the last Hamas militant is no longer a threat.
“We are not stopping, and we will not stop until we are victorious,” he told the Knesset.
Palestinian paramedic comforts his children after their home is destroyed
Ahmed Matar, a paramedic with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, comforted his children after they survived the destruction of their home in central Gaza.
“You want to become a paramedic like me, to save people, right?” Matar asked his son in a video posted by the group today.
He hugged one of his daughters as she cried, asking him, “Where will we live?”
Matar’s family home “collapsed entirely over their heads,” the Palestine Red Crescent Society said, while his parents were killed in the shelling of a neighboring house.
Biden orders strike on Iran-affiliated terrorist group in Iraq
U.S. airstrikes targeted an Iran-affiliated terrorist group and its affiliates, believed to be responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq, U.S. Central Command said in a statement tonight.
The group, Kataib Hezbollah, and affiliated groups attacked coalition forces this morning at Erbil Air Base in Iraq, injuring three U.S. service members, one critically, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a separate statement.
The counterattack was conducted at the direction of President Joe Biden, and targeted three facilities used by the groups in Iraq, Austin said.
“Early assessments indicate that these U.S. airstrikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants,” Central Command said in its statement. “There are no indications that any civilian lives were affected.”
A one-way attack drone was used in the offensive on U.S. personnel, and Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups claimed credit, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been high amid skirmishes along Israel’s northern border, where the IDF has been trading fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
“The President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests,” Austin said in his statement. “There is no higher priority. While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities.