army attacks new hospital, communications cut in Gaza

► Communications once again “totally cut” with Gaza due to lack of fuel

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Thursday, November 16, that communications were once again “totally cut off” with the Gaza Strip.

“Gaza is once again suffering from a total communications blackout, and (…) it’s because there is no fuel”declared Philippe Lazzarini. “I believe there is a deliberate attempt to strangle our operation and paralyze that of UNRWA”added the head of Unrwa, about the siege imposed by Israel on the Palestinian territory, during a press conference in Geneva.

► The Palestinian Red Crescent reports a “violent attack” on the Ahli-Arab hospital

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported Thursday afternoon a “violent attack” Israeli tanks which “besiege” the Ahli-Arab hospital in Gaza City, while the Israeli army has been tightening its grip on the city and more particularly its hospitals for several days.

“The rescue teams are unable to move and therefore reach the injured”adds the Red Crescent which manages this hospital.

Also on Thursday, the Hamas health ministry claimed that the Israeli army had struck several wards at Al-Chifa hospital, also in Gaza City, with the Israeli army confirming “search every floor, building after building”.

► The head of EU diplomacy calls on Israel “not to let itself be consumed by rage”

The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell on Thursday urged Israel to “don’t let yourself be consumed by rage” in the war waged since October 7 against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“I understand your fears and your pain. I understand your rage. But let me ask you not to let yourself be consumed by rage.”, declared the diplomat during a visit to a kibbutz in southern Israel ravaged by the October 7 attacks. He also called for “immediate and unconditional release” people taken hostage that day.

► The Israeli army says it has seized “images relating to the hostages” in Al-Chifa hospital

An Israeli army official said Thursday that “images relating to the hostages” captured during the Hamas attack on Israel were found on computers seized during the army’s intervention in Gaza’s Al-Chifa hospital.

The images were found on equipment “belonging to Hamas”the official said in a statement, adding that the raid on Gaza’s largest facility was still underway on Thursday: “Soldiers search every floor, building after building while hundreds of patients and medical staff are still in the complex”.

► Hamas health ministry says Israel “destroyed” services at Al-Chifa hospital

The Hamas health ministry said Thursday that the Israeli army had struck several wards of Al-Chifa hospital in Gaza City, where hundreds of patients, staff and civilians are located, destroying the hospital’s infrastructure. radiology.

“They destroyed the radiology department and bombed the burns and dialysis department” of this hospital, the largest in Gaza, said ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidreh.

► The Palestinian ambassador to the UN calls on countries to “wake up” to the “genocide” committed by Israel

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN called on countries in Geneva on Thursday to “wake up” faced with the operations carried out by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip following the bloody attack by Hamas, affirming that it was a “genocide”.

“You should wake up in this room. It’s a massacre, it’s a genocide. And we see it on television. This cannot continue”declared Palestinian diplomat Ibrahim Khraishi before representatives of United Nations member states.

► The Israeli army says it has taken “operational control” of the Gaza port

The Israeli army said Thursday it had taken “operational control” of the Gaza port, a key infrastructure in the north of the Palestinian territory, on the 41st day of the war between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas.

A joint operation of armored and naval forces made it possible ” the last days “ of “take operational control of the Gaza port, which was controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas”. According to the army, the port was used“as a training center for its naval commando forces to plan and execute naval terrorist attacks”.

► The UN sounds “the loudest possible alarm” on the West Bank

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has “sounded the loudest possible alarm” Thursday on the situation “potentially explosive” in the occupied West Bank.

“I am deeply concerned about the escalating violence and serious discrimination against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In my opinion, this creates a potentially explosive situation”declared Volker Türk after his recent trip to the Middle East.

► The UN wants an international investigation into violations of humanitarian law

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported Thursday that“extremely serious allegations” of violations of international law in the war between Israel and Hamas and called for an international investigation.

“The extremely serious allegations of multiple and serious violations of international humanitarian law, whoever their perpetrators, require a rigorous investigation and the establishment of responsibilities”said Volker Türk, adding that“an international investigation is necessary”.

► The Israeli army announces having lost 50 soldiers in Gaza since the start of the war

The Israeli army announced Thursday the death of two new soldiers in the fighting in the Gaza Strip, bringing to 50 the total of its soldiers killed in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war with Hamas which controls it.

On October 7, the Hamas terrorist attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to the Israeli authorities. Since then, in retaliation, Israel has relentlessly shelled Gaza and 11,500 Palestinians have been killed according to the Hamas government.

► Five injured in attack near Jerusalem, attacker “neutralized”

Israeli police announced Thursday that they had killed three attackers after a ” shooting “ near a security checkpoint linking Jerusalem to the occupied West Bank. “The three attackers this morning are dead”said a police spokesperson.

The Israeli emergency services, for their part, reported “four gunshot wounds including a man around 20 years old in very serious condition” in a press release. Two other people were slightly injured. All the injured were members of the security services.

► Israel continues its operation in the largest hospital in Gaza

The Israeli army continues its operation on Thursday in the main hospital in Gaza, a strategic Hamas military site according to it where thousands of civilians are crowded, causing serious concern and criticism.

“Tonight we are carrying out a targeted operation in al-Chifa hospital. We continue to move forward”Major General Yaron Finkelman said late Wednesday evening on the army’s Telegram channel.

The Israeli military confirmed early Thursday that its “soldiers” were still deployed in this hospital, the largest in Gaza where, according to the UN, there are around 2,300 people (patients, caregivers, displaced people).

► According to the Hamas health ministry, the Israeli army deployed bulldozers at al-Chifa hospital

The health ministry of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip said Thursday that the Israeli army had deployed bulldozers at al-Chifa hospital, suspected according to it of serving as a military site for the Palestinian Islamist movement.

“Israeli bulldozers destroyed parts of the southern entrance” from the hospital, the ministry announced in a brief statement in Arabic. When questioned, the Israeli army indicated that an operation was underway on the site of this hospital.

► UN Security Council calls for “humanitarian pauses”

Breaking silence for the first time since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, the UN Security Council on Wednesday called for “humanitarian breaks and corridors” in the Gaza Strip.

The resolution prepared by Malta, adopted by 12 votes in favor and 3 abstentions (United States, United Kingdom, Russia), “calls for extensive and urgent humanitarian pauses and corridors for a sufficient number of days” to enable the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip.

► Biden “relatively optimistic” about the release of Hamas hostages

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday “relatively optimistic” regarding the upcoming release of hostages held by Hamas and assured that he had asked Israel to be “extremely cautious” in the conduct of its operations in Gaza’s main hospital.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself because I don’t know what happened in the last four hours, but we had great cooperation from the Qataris”he declared during a press conference following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

► The Israeli army claims to have found weapons at Al-Chifa hospital, Hamas denies it

The Israeli army said on Wednesday it had found “munitions, weapons and military equipment” of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Al-Chifa hospital in Gaza where it intervened militarily on Wednesday.

“We have proof that the hospital was used for military and terrorist purposes contrary to international laws”, army spokesperson Daniel Hagari told the press. The Israeli army “did not find any weapons or equipment” soldier in the hospital, retorted the Hamas health ministry, specifying ” not to allow “ the presence of weapons in its establishments.