What happened in the last few hours
These are the most relevant news stories about the Israeli military attack on Gaza and the escalation in the Middle East at 8:00 pm on Monday, February 5:
Two investigations are currently underway, one internal and the other external, into the activity of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees. UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed an independent working group to assess whether UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, is doing everything it can to ensure impartiality and respond to accusations of serious violations committed by its staff when they occur. Guterres took the decision after consultations with the Agency's Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini.
An attack on Kurdish militias at an American base in Syria leaves six dead. US-backed Kurdish forces announced on Monday that six of their fighters were killed in a drone attack from Syrian government-controlled territory. Farhad al-Shami, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, announced in his post six of our combat leaders.
The exchange of fire continues between Hezbollah and Israel in the north of the country and southern Lebanon. The Israeli army indicated in a statement on Monday that it responded to “numerous shots” of different types of ammunition coming from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel. She said in a statement, “The Defense Forces soldiers attacked the places from which the missiles were launched, in addition to other areas in Lebanon.”
Netanyahu warns that the Israeli attack on Gaza will continue for months: “We will kill Hamas leaders.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that the Israeli military campaign in Gaza will not end until after the killing of Hamas leaders, which he believes will take months despite the fact that the Jewish state's army practically controls the entire Gaza Strip. In the middle of the sector and advancing in its south. Our goal is to achieve complete victory over Hamas. We will kill Hamas leaders, so we must continue to operate in all areas of the Gaza Strip. The war must not end before this date. “It will take time, months, not years,” the president said at a meeting of his party, the Likud coalition.
The Houthis condemn the new attacks launched by the United States and the United Kingdom on a coastal city on the Red Sea. On Monday, the Houthis in Yemen denounced a new round of bombing launched by the United States and the United Kingdom against the coastal city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea coast, at a time when US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that he had begun his tour in the Middle East.
Israeli police kill a Palestinian who tried to stab two policemen in East Jerusalem. On Tuesday, Israeli police killed a Palestinian who tried to stab a number of police officers with a knife in the Palestinian neighborhood of Al-Eizariya in occupied East Jerusalem. An Israeli police spokesman said: “During the security check, the terrorist pulled out a knife and tried to stab the police officers, who responded with accurate fire and neutralized him.”
Sanchez asserts that Netanyahu has lost “every reason he could have had” because of his actions in Gaza. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost the whole narrative” and “all the reasons he could have” regarding his country’s actions in the Gaza Strip. In an interview with La Sexta, Sanchez noted that 26,000 people have already died in Gaza, many of them women and children, and stressed that this situation is “completely unacceptable.”
Israeli banks apply US sanctions on settlers despite complaints from ultras. The Bank of Israel confirmed on Monday that its banking entities will implement US sanctions on four Jewish settlers in the West Bank accused of committing acts of violence against Palestinians, despite right-wing ministers’ requests not to comply with these sanctions.
Qatar pledges to continue supporting the United Nations Refugee Agency to address the situation in Gaza. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman confirmed on Monday that his country will continue to support the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to confront the tragic situation in the Gaza Strip. During a meeting with the Commissioner-General of UNRWA in Doha, Philippe Lazzarini, Abdul Rahman warned of the “catastrophic repercussions” of several countries suspending the agency’s funding following accusations that some of its employees participated in the multiple Palestinian Islamist attacks. Hamas movement against Israel on October 7.
“Unapologetic tv specialist. Hardcore zombie trailblazer. Infuriatingly humble problem solver.”