Qatar and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the International Court of Justice's ruling on South Africa's allegations against Israel. Doha, said a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry, “welcomed the ruling of the International Court of Justice on South Africa's request to impose emergency measures against Israel.”
Important points
3:25 p.m
The Yemeni government is asking the US and Riyadh for help to stop Huti
3:25 p.m
The Yemeni government is asking the US and Riyadh for help to stop Huti
Yemen's internationally recognized government said on Saturday that “defensive attacks” by the United States and Britain against the Iran-backed Houti group were not enough and called for support from the United States and Saudi Arabia to deny them the ability to launch attacks on the Red Sea to carry out shipping.
“Defense operations are not the solution. The solution is to eliminate the Houthis’ military capabilities,” he said Rashad al-AlimiChairman of the Saudi-backed Presidential Council, during a briefing with journalists in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
(afp) 2:36 p.m
Finland and the United Kingdom also stopped funding UNRWA
Following the United States, Canada, Australia and Italy, the United Kingdom also announced the suspension of funding to UNRWA after Israel accused some of its members of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack. “The UK is shocked” and has decided to “temporarily suspend all funding” to the UN agency for the Palestinians while it investigates the allegations, the Foreign Office said. Finland has also joined the list of countries that have withdrawn their financial support. UNRWA responded to the evidence provided by Israel by launching an internal investigation and dismissing “several” staff members.
2:04 p.m
Erdogan: “Israel listens to the appeals of the international community”
“We once again call on Israel to listen to the demands of the international community and put an end to its attacks and massacres as soon as possible,” Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in statements reported by Anadolu Agency after the The International Court of Justice called on Israel to do everything possible to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip. “Yesterday's decision by the International Court of Justice reflects our cry of alarm that the world is bigger than the 'Five,'” he added from Izmir, appearing to refer to the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
1:34 p.m
The fighting in Khan Yunis continues
Three Palestinians accused of planting explosives near Israeli troops were killed in an airstrike, while soldiers killed “many armed terrorists at close range,” the Israeli military said. Another seven people were reportedly killed in RPG attacks on soldiers. According to local witnesses, thousands have left Khan Yunis in recent days due to heavy fighting in southern Gaza's largest city. Israel suspects Hamas leaders and Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza since Israel's deadly Oct. 7 attack are in the area's network of tunnels.
12:35 p.m
Israel: “100 terrorists killed in Khan Yunis”
Last week, over “100 terrorists” were killed in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, where the army continues to operate mainly in the western part of the city, considered a Hamas stronghold. This was announced by the military spokesman, according to which the Israeli commandos had “hit anti-tank cells, destroyed terrorist infrastructure and located many weapons”. The special forces of the “Egoz” unit also searched “the house of an associate of Yahya Sinwar,” the leader of Hamas in Gaza, and found “weapons” there. A building was also hit where, according to the same source, “terrorists” had barricaded themselves. “As a result,” he continued, “there were numerous secondary detonations as evidence of the presence of explosive devices in the building from which the terrorists fled.”
11:11
Israel: “UNRWA no longer plays a role in post-war Gaza”
“Israel will ensure that UNRWA is not part of the post-war Gaza Strip,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, adding that he would “work to build” bipartisan support for this policy in the US, EU and other nations around the world to win, aimed at stopping UNRWA activities in Gaza.
11:04
Hamas: “We call on the UN not to give in to threats against UNRWA”
Hamas has criticized Israeli “threats” against UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinians, after the Jewish state accused several employees of involvement in the October 7 attack. “We ask the United Nations and international organizations not to give in to threats and blackmail from Israel,” the Islamic Movement said in a post on Telegram.
10:18
Italy also stops funding UNRWA
The Italian government suspended UNRWA funding following the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. Allied countries have recently made the same decision. “We are committed to providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population and protecting the security of Israel.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced this in an article on X.
10:02
Iran: “Israel must be punished for genocide, good verdict in The Hague”
The leaders of Israel's “Zionist regime” should be “immediately tried and punished for committing genocide against the Palestinians,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who “congratulated” the Court of Justice (ICJ). The Hague and South Africa for its “success” in the court case against Israel. Tehran's diplomatic chief also told X that “the White House's full support for Zionist crimes will never be forgotten.” In a separate comment, also on .
09:48
Israel: “UN should take immediate action against UNRWA leaders”
“We call on the UN to take immediate action against the UNRWA leadership.” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said this after thanking the United States and Canada for the decision to stop funding UNRWA due to the links of twelve of its employees to Hamas to suspend the October 7 attack. “We have been warning for years: UNRWA is perpetuating the refugee issue, hindering peace and serving as the civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza.” Katz, who hoped other countries would follow the example of the United States and Canada, stressed that UNRWA “is a price to pay must pay for his actions. UNRWA is not the solution.”
08:54
More sirens on the border between Israel and Lebanon
Air raid sirens sounded three times in an hour in areas of northern Israel, near the border line with Lebanon. This was reported by the Times of Israel, which reports on the alarm in the Shlomi region.
08:37
Australia is also temporarily suspending funding for UNRWA
“The allegations of involvement of UNRWA staff in the horrific terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th are very worrying.” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong writes on X and announces that Australia will “temporarily suspend the disbursement of funds.” An announcement that comes after similar announcements in Canada and the United States.
08:36
The Israeli army continues its operations in Khan Yunis
The Israeli army continues its operations in Khan Yunis, considered a Hamas stronghold in the southern Gaza Strip. This was announced by the military spokesman, after which the soldiers “carried out targeted raids on terrorist targets, including a weapons depot containing large quantities of ammunition, rifles and various technical aids.” According to the same source, an airstrike eliminated “three terrorists who were planning to plant explosives next to the troops.” “Numerous terrorists were killed” – he added – in various “hand-to-hand” battles.
08:34
Missile defense sirens in northern Israel
Rocket warning sirens sound in northern Israel on the border with Lebanon. This was announced by the military spokesman. It's the second alarm within an hour
07:40
Hezbollah claims there were attacks on the border with Israel on January 26th
The Lebanese group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, yesterday claimed responsibility for nine attacks against Israel from Lebanon's southern border. The first attack occurred in the morning and targeted an Israeli troop position near Hunin. Six of the attacks occurred at night, the most recent being a rocket attack on soldiers near Metulla, Israel, around midnight. According to the Qatar-based al-Jazeera television website, the group has lost 168 fighters since the war began, including four in the last day alone.
07:33
Houthis and US-GB attacks on Ras Issa port
Two airstrikes by the USA and the United Kingdom have hit the Yemeni port of Ras Issa: this was reported by the Houthi television channel Al-Masira. The port is in Yemen's Hodeidah province, and the events followed a Houthi attack that hit a tanker sailing in the Red Sea.
07:27
Talks about releasing hostages, Biden thanks al-Sisi: “Egypt’s role is important”
US President Joe Biden thanked Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for Egypt's “important role” in efforts to release hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel. This was announced by the White House after a conversation between the two presidents in recent hours that focused on “the ongoing war in Gaza” and work for “the release of all hostages” still in their hands of Hamas.
06:26
Following the USA, Canada is also providing additional funding to UNRWA
Following the United States, Canada will also suspend additional funding for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, after launching an investigation into the alleged involvement of some of the agency's employees in Hamas' latest attack against Israel on October 7.
The Canadian federal government's decision was announced by International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen. “Canada takes these reports very seriously and is working closely with UNRWA and other donors on this matter,” the minister said in a statement after directly contacting Philippe Lazzarini, the organization’s commissioner general.
It was the Israeli authorities who provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of some of its employees in the attack by the Palestinian Islamic group.
“In order to protect the organization’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance,” Lazzarini assured, “I have made the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these employees and launch an immediate investigation to find out the truth.”
With over 30,000 employees, UNRWA is the most important organization in Gaza alongside the administration of the Gaza Strip.
04:40
Red Sea: US forces attack Houthi missile
The US military's Unified Combatant Command (Centcom) said it attacked a missile that Houthi rebels planned to fire at ships in the Red Sea. The operation took place at around 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time in Yemen), as reported by Centcom in its official profile on X.
The missile was detected in Houthi-controlled territory and was considered an “imminent threat” to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships transiting the area.
Centcom then reported that hours earlier the rebels had fired a ballistic missile against the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, which was flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Gulf of Aden near the Red Sea. The attack claimed by the Houthis caused damage, but no injuries were reported. The Iran-backed rebels said they had fired over 200 drones and 50 missiles against Western merchant ships and warships in the Red Sea since November 19, with the aim of inflicting economic damage on Israel and supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
03:13
Judgment by the International Court of Justice, UN Security Council on Wednesday
The United Nations Security Council will meet next Wednesday to consider the International Court of Justice's ruling that Israel must stop all possible acts of “genocide” in Gaza. This was announced by the French Council Presidency.
The session is scheduled for 16:00 GMT and 17:00 in Italy. The convocation was requested by Algeria “in order – explained the Algerian Foreign Ministry – to give enforcement effect to the ruling of the International Court of Justice on the interim measures imposed against the Israeli occupation”.
00:01
Arab League: “Victory for humanitarian law in The Hague”
The Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, welcomed the International Court of Justice's decision on the genocide allegations against Israel over the attacks on Gaza, stressing that it represents “a victory for the values of humanitarian law and international law.” that this is a blatant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.” In a press release, the head of the Arab League emphasized the need to now “fully and immediately implement the decisions contained in the judgment.”