The EU is putting pressure on Israel and demanding an immediate ceasefire. Israel says it has killed and arrested hundreds of terrorists. More information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
UN: Vote on Gaza resolution probably not until Monday
7 o’clock: A vote in the UN Security Council on a new draft resolution calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has been postponed until Monday, according to diplomatic sources. The vote, which was actually planned for Saturday, has been postponed to allow further discussions on the text, according to diplomatic circles.
On Friday, the USA put a draft resolution to a vote in the UN Security Council in which Washington emphasized for the first time the “need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip in order to enable aid deliveries. The text also called for supporting “diplomatic efforts” to reach a ceasefire “in conjunction” with the release of all hostages.
However, Russia and China vetoed the US proposal. Russia said the text was too weak and did not directly call for the silencing of the weapons in the Gaza Strip. The USA, for its part, had previously vetoed several resolutions in the UN Security Council calling for immediate ceasefires in the war in the Gaza Strip – most recently a draft introduced by Algeria in February.
Call for a ceasefire fails in the UN Security Council
2:26 p.m: The call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that is binding under international law has failed again in the UN Security Council. Russia and China blocked the resolution introduced by the USA in New York in the most powerful body of the United Nations with a veto. Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said the US government’s proposed resolution was half-hearted and did not call for a ceasefire clearly enough.
The committee’s previous efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip had failed due to resistance from the veto power USA, Israel’s closest ally. With the now rejected resolution, the USA also changed course towards Israel on the UN stage. In view of the increasing number of civilian casualties and the threat of famine in parts of the sealed-off coastal strip, the USA had recently increased its pressure on Israel.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, once again strongly supported the resolution immediately before the vote. “Every day without a decision means more unnecessary suffering,” she emphasized.
Israel’s army continues to operate in Shifa Hospital
2:05 p.m.: Israel’s army says it is continuing its operations in the largest clinic in the Gaza Strip. “So far, the forces have eliminated more than 150 terrorists in the area of the hospital,” the military said. Hundreds of suspects have been arrested. On Thursday, the army said it had killed more than 140 terrorists and arrested 600 more people since the operation began in the Shifa clinic several days ago.
Among those arrested are said to be several high-ranking members of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Residents told the German Press Agency that Israel’s army had attacked most of the houses around the clinic. All information could not initially be independently verified.
Israeli troops moved into the largest clinic in the Gaza Strip again on Monday night to, according to their own statements, take action against Hamas and its infrastructure. According to the army, two Israeli soldiers were also killed in the operation.
After Israeli strike against Hamas: arrests in Lebanon
1:53 p.m.: Several people have been arrested on suspicion of espionage after an Israeli airstrike against a leading Hamas member near the Lebanese coastal city of Tyre. Those close to the terrorist organization Hamas said that among them were two young people from the Palestinian refugee camp Rashidiya. They were handed over to the Lebanese security authorities.
According to a report in the Lebanese newspaper “L’Orient Today”, the two minors are said to have worked as sellers of paper handkerchiefs in the camp south of Tyre. They are therefore accused of having monitored the whereabouts of the Hamas member. The newspaper also reported that the alleged client was arrested.
Lebanese judicial circles said two arrest warrants had been issued on suspicion of spying for Israel and connections to the targeted killing. Cards with sensitive records were found on the suspects.
