The Israeli raid on the hospital in the Gaza Strip during the first UN Security Council session of the Gaza war: Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Prime Minister of Israel
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Prime Minister of Israel in Tel Aviv. Blinken urged Netanyahu not to launch an Israeli operation in the city of Rafah.
Blinken’s arrival in Cairo followed the launch of an Israeli raid Monday on the Al-Shifa medical complex in Gaza, the territory’s largest hospital, for the second time since the start of the between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military said the raid was a “precise operation,” but with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continuing to grow, the attack is putting more pressure on the cease-fire calls.
The United States plans to introduce a resolution to the UN Security Council on Gaza, according to a draft obtained by NPR. The U.S. is expecting a vote as early as Friday. The US has rejected calls for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The new draft supports a cease-fire when there is a hostage release.
The Israeli military’s attacks on Al-Shifa, one of the few remaining partially functioning hospitals in Gaza, have forced many women and children who were using the hospital for shelter to flee further south, according to eyewitnesses.
One witness, who wished to remain anonymous out of concerns for their safety, told NPR the upper floors of the surgical ward of the hospital had caught fire. Ezzeddine Lulu, a medical student at Al-Shifa, posted a video on Instagram from inside the facility, and said the hospital is without water, electricity and food.
The Israeli military said no civilians have been killed since the start of the operation, and that troops have supplied food, water and generators for the hospital.
The raid on Al-Shifa has so far killed “over 140 terrorists” and netted more than 250 arrests of individuals that troops have identified as Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, according to Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Weapons have been discovered and hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were found hiding in a hospital.
The three Israeli teens that were kidnapped and killed in the summer of 2014 were identified by news reports as Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Nafti Fraenkel. The Shin Bet said the man was arrested and brought to Israel for questioning.
The president has supported Israel’s response to the southern Israel attack, in which 1,200 people were killed.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s criticism of Netanyahu in a speech last week is adding to the strain. In his remarks, Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish American leader, criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the war and called for a new election in Israel.
Netanyahu spoke to Senate Republicans through a video conference on Tuesday, during the weekly closed lunch meeting. Netanyahu has also been invited to address Congress by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The prime minister’s intention to carry out military operations in the Sinai is one of the biggest points of tension between the Democrats and Netanyahu.
Biden and Netanyahu spoke Monday, in their first call in over a month, during which Biden urged his Israeli counterpart not to go through with an attack on Rafah.
“President Biden, whose support I appreciate, asked to present us with the proposals from his side in the humanitarian sphere, and also on other topics. Netanyahu said that there were times when they had agreed with their friends and times where they didn’t agree with them. “In the end, we have always done what is vital for our security, and this is what we will do this time as well.”
In the next week, Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant will be in Washington, D.C., according to his office. White House officials will be meeting with Gallant and others.
The Israeli Defense Ministry’s “Ofensive” in Gaza and the “Misleading War” on Israel, Israel’s Online Reputation, and “Myths About Israel”
Blinken’s work has yet to bring “any tangible results” for Gaza and has given Israel more time to “escalate its aggression against our people,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Mothers of IDF Soldiers organization, which represents moms of service members currently fighting in the war, launched a new campaign targeting Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. A new banner from the group that reads “Don’t Run With Sinwar” depicts Biden, Harris and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar together in an attempt to highlight how the administration’s actions are benefiting Hamas.
The reporter reported from Tel Aviv. Michele Kelemen in Washington, D.C., Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, Aya Batrawy in Dubai and Anas Baba in Rafah contributed to this report.
The Israelis seemed oblivious to the fact that they are facing a lot of damage to their reputation, not just in the region but elsewhere in the world, the memo says. The Israelis are making a strategic error in writing off their reputation damage and missing the forest for the trees.
The Israeli military offensive in Gaza has caused a major credibility problem for the U.S. and Israel, according to an interview with an assistant Secretary of State.
A widening rift between Israel and its biggest ally over Israel’s conduct in the war is reflected in the stark differences between the countries’ views.
“It risks killing more civilians, it risks wreaking greater havoc with the provision of humanitarian assistance, it risks further isolating Israel around the world and jeopardizing its long-term security and standing,” Blinken said.
The memo was obtained by NPR and states that the deputy director general of the Israeli foreign ministry disagreed with the US assessment about the state of Israel’s reputation. He said public opinion polls found a “silent majority” of people in the U.S. and Europe continue to support Israel, and blamed TikTok’s algorithm, which he claimed favors pro-Palestinian content, for turning young people against Israel.
The Israeli government has solicited influencers to help target social media users in the U.S. and Europe to counter denial about atrocities committed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. In Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf Arab countries, Israel plans a social media campaign, according to a memo.
The “silver lining” of the October attack, according to Israeli officials, is that it allows Israel to see who its real friends are.
Gaza health officials don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants, and they claim that more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s air and ground offensive against Hamas. Three-quarters of Gaza’s population has been displaced, according to the U.N, and the world’s top experts in global hunger warn that Gaza faces imminent famine.