Israel War on Gaza: Fierce Battles, Humanitarian Crisis, and Global Reactions

 

Intense Fighting in Khan Younis and Bureij

In the latest ground assault by the Israeli military in Khan Younis, at least 89 Palestinians have been killed and 250 others injured. The area is witnessing intense resistance from Palestinian fighters. Approximately 150,000 residents of Khan Younis were forced to flee within a day, many receiving only minutes of warning before evacuating to areas with minimal infrastructure.

In Washington, DC, hundreds of protesters were arrested ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the US Congress. Netanyahu, who faces potential war crimes charges from the ICC, is also scheduled to meet President Biden, and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

The ongoing war massacre from israil on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 39,090 people and injuries to 90,147 in Gaza. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas-led attacks stands at approximately 1,139, with many still held captive in Gaza.

UK Charity Condemns Child Casualties

A Palestinian boy hugs a pair of shoes as he cries while killed members of a family are brought for burial, outside Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis [Bashar Taleb/AFP]

Save the Children reports that at least 24 children are among the over 80 people killed by Israeli forces in a single day in Khan Younis. Jeremy Stoner, the charity’s regional director for the Middle East, expressed outrage over the disproportionate massacre against Palestinian children, emphasizing the inhumane conditions and extreme stress faced by survivors. According to the UN, child casualties have increased by nearly 250 percent since the war began.

Violence in the Occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have killed three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. A customs officer was shot in Tubas, while a man was shot and another run over during a raid on the Qalandiya refugee camp. Additionally, a 13-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries after being shot in Tulkarem on July 11. Since the start of the conflict, mass arrests, raids, and killings have become a daily occurrence in the West Bank. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that at least 513 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7.

Israel Intercepts Missile Fired by Houthis at Eilat

 Israel Says It Intercepted Missile Fired by Houthis at Port City of Eilat

Israeli forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Houthi militants in Yemen targeting the southern city of Eilat, following Israeli strikes on Yemeni port facilities in Hodeidah.

Brig Gen Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, claimed that multiple ballistic missiles were fired towards Eilat and an American ship in the Red Sea was targeted with missiles and drones, both of which he described as “successful”.

The Houthi group had vowed a “huge” response to Israeli attacks amid concerns of escalating regional conflict. Heavy fighting was reported in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, with numerous casualties from Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza.

“The Houthis’ response to the Israeli aggression against our country is inevitably coming and will be huge,” said Saree.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that its Arrow 3 missile defense system intercepted the missiles directed at Eilat early on Sunday outside Israeli airspace. Sirens were activated in Eilat to warn residents of possible falling shrapnel.

The missile attack followed Israeli airstrikes on oil facilities and a power station near Hodeidah, which according to Saree, resulted in three deaths, 87 injuries, and significant damage to the port facilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Hodeidah’s port was targeted because it was used for military purposes by the Houthis. “They used this weapon to attack Israel, to attack the countries of the region, to attack an international shipping lane, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world,” Netanyahu said after the strikes.

The strikes on Hodeidah raised concerns about the delivery of international aid to Yemen, where millions face starvation and an estimated 18.2 million people need humanitarian assistance, according to the EU. The UN has described Hodeidah port as “critical to the delivery of food and humanitarian assistance”.

Saudi Arabian authorities denied involvement in the attack and did not allow their airspace to be used for the strikes, despite ongoing conflict with Houthi militants.

The Israeli strikes on Hodeidah were a response to a rare drone attack on Tel Aviv early Friday morning, which killed one man and injured 10 others. The Houthis claimed success in the drone attack due to their advanced drone capabilities, while Israeli authorities cited “human error” for the lapse in air defenses.

The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks as long as Israeli assaults on Gaza persist. Israeli strikes in Gaza have resulted in over 38,000 deaths in nearly 10 months of conflict, the longest in the country's history.

The Houthis’ targeting of global shipping routes in the Red Sea has disrupted trade, forcing ships to reroute away from Eilat and significantly affecting the port's business.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure domestically and from military officials to agree to a ceasefire deal, potentially involving the release of some of the estimated 116 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a pause in fighting.

Netanyahu met with negotiators before his scheduled departure to Washington, where he is expected to meet President Joe Biden and address Congress. Netanyahu's office announced a delay in his departure to Monday morning, with the Biden meeting set for Tuesday.

Observers hope Netanyahu’s trip to the US will help ease tensions in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, where the IDF is engaged with Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants, and prevent a regional war.

Hezbollah recently fired rockets towards a kibbutz in northern Israel in response to an Israeli strike in Lebanon. Hamas militants based in Lebanon also fired at an Israeli army base, and a drone strike injured two Israeli soldiers in the occupied Golan Heights.

Despite US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assertion that a ceasefire deal was near, major gaps remain in the negotiations. US efforts to prevent war between Israel and Lebanon have seen more success than those aimed at securing peace in Gaza. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah indicated the group would halt attacks on Israel if a Gaza ceasefire is achieved.

Approximately 200,000 people are displaced on both sides of the “blue line” marking the Israel-Lebanon border.

Tropical Storm Gaemi Strengthens as It Approaches Taiwan

 Tropical Storm Gaemi Intensifies as It Heads Toward Taiwan: CWA

Tropical Storm Gaemi has slightly intensified and is moving toward Taiwan, with potential threats anticipated in the coming days, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

As of 8 a.m. on Sunday, Gaemi was located 800 kilometers southeast of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost tip, and was moving at 9 kilometers per hour (kph) in a northwesterly direction. The storm currently has sustained winds of 23 meters per second (m/s), with gusts reaching up to 30 m/s. The CWA indicated that a sea warning could be issued as early as Monday night.

The third tropical storm of the 2024 typhoon season in the Pacific, Gaemi is expected to be closest to Taiwan between Wednesday and Thursday. However, according to forecasters, the exact impact on Taiwan remains uncertain and will depend on the storm's future direction, radius, and intensity.

Wu Der-rong, an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University, predicted that Gaemi will likely develop into a typhoon by Monday, potentially bringing significant threats to Taiwan. By that time, the storm is forecasted to have a radius of 220 kilometers and will approach waters east of Taiwan.

In preparation for Gaemi’s impact, ferry services between Taitung County and Orchid and Green Islands will be suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to port authorities, the resumption of services on Thursday will depend on the storm’s development.

Israel Responds to Houthi Drone Strike with Air Raids on Yemen's Hodeidah

 Israel Strikes Houthis in Yemen After Drone Hits Tel Aviv

Israel launched air strikes on the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Yemen, following a drone attack by the group that struck Tel Aviv. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated the operation aimed to send a clear message to the Houthi movement.

"The fire currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East, and the significance is clear," Gallant said.

Houthi-linked news outlets reported three fatalities and over 80 injuries from the strikes, which Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam condemned as "brutal Israeli aggression against Yemen."

On Sunday morning, the Israeli military announced the interception of a missile fired from Yemen before it entered Israeli airspace. Air sirens were activated in Israel's Red Sea port of Eilat due to potential falling shrapnel.

Abdulsalam claimed the Israeli strikes were intended to pressure the Houthis to cease supporting Palestinians in Gaza, asserting that such support would continue.

This marks Israel's first direct retaliation to what it claims have been hundreds of Yemeni drone and missile attacks targeting its territory in recent months. Footage from Hodeidah showed large fires burning on Saturday evening. The Houthi-run government in Sanaa reported that Israel struck oil storage facilities near the shore and a nearby power plant.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, "After nine months of continuous aerial attacks by the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel, IAF [Israeli Air Force] fighter jets conducted an extensive operational strike over 1,800km [1,118 miles] away against Houthi terrorist military targets" in the port area of Hodeidah. The operation was codenamed Outstretched Arm.

Gallant emphasized that Israeli jets targeted the group in response to harm caused to Israeli citizens. "The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required," he said.

Following the attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would defend itself "by all means." He declared, "Anyone who harms us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression," alleging that the port served as an entry point for Iranian weapons and demonstrating that Israel could reach any adversary.

The drone attack on Friday hit a block of flats in Tel Aviv, killing a 50-year-old man who had recently moved from Belarus and injuring eight others. The Israeli military reported that the drone was an Iranian-made UAV modified for long-distance flight. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and vowed to continue such actions.

The Houthi Supreme Political Council, the movement's executive body, promised an "effective response" to the Israeli airstrikes. While Israel has not previously struck the Houthis in Yemen, the US and UK have been conducting air strikes against the group for months to prevent attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The Houthis initially targeted ships linked to Israel, but have also attacked vessels connected to the UK and US.

Bangladesh Imposes 'Shoot-on-Sight' Orders Amid Deadly Protests

 Bangladesh Police Given ‘Shoot-on-Sight’ Orders Amid National Curfew

Bangladesh is facing severe unrest as student-led protests have prompted authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and grant police “shoot-on-sight” orders. The turmoil has resulted in over 100 fatalities, with more than a thousand injured.

The curfew, enforced from midnight on Friday until Sunday morning, aims to control the escalating violence, with military personnel patrolling Dhaka’s streets. Briefly lifted on Saturday afternoon for essential errands, the curfew otherwise mandates that citizens remain indoors, with all gatherings and demonstrations banned. Additionally, a communications blackout has been in place since Thursday night, cutting off internet and social media access.

Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the ruling Awami League party, confirmed that police have been authorized to open fire on curfew violators. The unrest began as university students protested against the reintroduction of civil service job quotas, which they claim are discriminatory and favor the Awami League, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The protests have since evolved into a broader movement against Hasina's government, which has been accused of authoritarianism, police brutality, and corruption. Hasina’s re-election in January was boycotted by the opposition and widely regarded as rigged. The economic downturn since the Covid outbreak has exacerbated public discontent, with millions facing unemployment and record inflation.

Shafkat Mahmud, a 28-year-old student protester from Dhaka, described the situation as akin to “civil war.” He recounted the escalation from rubber bullets to live ammunition and attacks by pro-government supporters wielding machetes and guns. “Our fight initially was about quotas, but after witnessing the police brutality, it’s now about change,” he stated.

Friday was reported as the deadliest day of the protests, with at least 40 people killed. Protesters stormed the state-run broadcaster, set it ablaze, and broke into a central prison, freeing hundreds of prisoners. Late-night talks between representatives of both sides aimed at reaching a resolution, with student leaders demanding complete reform of the quota system and the reopening of universities. Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq indicated the government’s willingness to discuss their demands.

The situation in Bangladesh remains tense as the government struggles to restore order and address the protesters' grievances.