On the 74th day of war on Gaza, Israel continued to bomb various areas in the Gaza Strip with at least 19,453 Palestinians having been killed since October 7.
The United Nations Security Council member countries are expected to vote on Tuesday on a ceasefire draft resolution introduced by the United Arab Emirates. The resolution calls for an "urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities" in Gaza to allow "safe and unhindered humanitarian access”.
The vote, initially scheduled for Monday in New York, faced a delay as the United States expressed objections to the wording of the draft, particularly regarding the term "cessation of hostilities". The US suggested a potential acceptance of a "suspension of hostilities" instead. Suspension means a temporary or conditional delay.
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Here are latest 10 updates:
1. Israeli forces targeted residential buildings in Rafah, southern Gaza, a declared safe zone, resulting in at least 29 casualties.
2. Human Rights Watch says Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. A new report cites the blocking of aid, destruction of infrastructure and public statements by Israeli officials as evidence of this accusation, considered to be a war crime.
3. After Israeli attacks on Nasser hospital in southern Gaza, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on Monday that the hospital’s functionality has significantly deteriorated since WHO’s last visit on December 7.
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4. On Monday, United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a "multinational security initiative" to safeguard Red Sea trade, responding to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The 10-nation force includes the US, United Kingdom, and Bahrain.
5. Israel’s chief rabbi David Lau has announced a special court to help women streamline divorce proceedings if they lost their husbands in the Gaza war, the Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday.
6. Hamas released a video on Monday via its Telegram channel featuring three captives pleading for their immediate release from Israel.
7. Iran asserted on Monday that the cyberattack disrupting services at over 70% of Iran’s petrol stations was orchestrated by the Israel-linked group Predatory Sparrow.
8. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping during a call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Monday. Saudi Arabia has been combating the Houthis since 2015 on behalf of the Yemeni government.
9. The Israel-Gaza war will be discussed as UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron heads to France and Italy for meetings on Tuesday. Cameron's office stated he would reiterate the call for a "sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza, which has endured over two months of Israeli bombardment, resulting in nearly 19,000 casualties.
10. Israel’s Airports Authority is placing 600 staff on unpaid leave due to a drastic decrease in flight numbers amid the Gaza War, as reported by the Israeli financial newspaper Globes. An additional 2,000 employees will face a 25% reduction in work hours, according to the report.
