The US vetoes a UN-backed decision demanding a right away humanitarian ceasefire whereas the ICJ listening to continues.
Right here's how issues stand on Wednesday, February 21, 2024:
Battle and humanitarian disaster
- Docs With out Borders, recognized by its French initials MSF, mentioned the Israeli military bombed a shelter housing MSF workers in al-Mawasi close to Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
- Within the 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday afternoon, 103 Palestinians had been reported killed and 142 wounded by Israeli assaults in Gaza, in keeping with the UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA ).
- The World Meals Program mentioned it has interrupted meals shipments to the remoted northern Gaza resulting from assaults and the breakdown of civil order within the area. The weakening of assist operations threatens to deepen poverty all through the territory, the place Israel's air and floor offensive has killed greater than 29,000 Palestinians.
Regional tensions and Diplomacy
- The US vetoed an Arab-backed and broadly supported UN decision demanding a right away humanitarian ceasefire in Israel's warfare in Gaza.
- Earlier than the vote, the Algerian UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama mentioned: “A vote in favor of this draft decision is a assist for the fitting to lifetime of the Palestinians. Quite the opposite, a vote towards implies a approval of the brutal violence and collective punishment inflicted on them.
- China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun mentioned the US veto “stifled” an “overwhelming consensus” amongst UNSC members on a ceasefire in Gaza.
- Individually, South Africa argued to the UN's prime court docket that Israel is accountable for apartheid towards the Palestinians and that Israel's occupation of the land searched for a Palestinian state is “inherently and basically unlawful”. Israel rejects such claims.
- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) described the looting of Israeli troopers' properties in Gaza as a “symptom of genocide and ethnic cleaning.”
- And in Yemen, Houthi rebels mentioned they struck an Israeli cargo ship, the MSC Silver, within the Gulf of Aden close to the doorway to the Purple Sea with quite a lot of missiles.
At in the present day's session, Amb. Dr. Riyad Mansour condemned the failure of the Safety Council to name a #cease fire in #Gaza “By the point this session ends, greater than 25 #Palestinians will die due to the Council's inaction, it means extra youngsters will likely be murdered.” @AlgeriaUN @È #UNSC pic.twitter.com/J9d0LT3bvs
— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) February 21, 2024
Violence within the occupied West Financial institution
- Israeli forces destroyed infrastructure and fired stay rounds into Jenin as raids on dozens of properties continued within the metropolis within the occupied West Financial institution, in keeping with the Palestinian Wafa information company.
- The Israeli army mentioned it had focused a “terrorist cell” with an airstrike in Jenin, killing three folks. Palestinian armed teams mentioned that they had responded by utilizing explosive units towards Israeli army autos.
- Israeli forces additionally arrested a minor within the city of al-Khader, south of Bethlehem.
