Israeli Fire Kills 81 Gazans in the Last Day, 38,794 Since the Start of the War
Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip killed at least 81 Palestinians and injured another 198 in the last day, according to the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-controlled enclave. The day was marked by bombings in the “humanitarian zone” of Mawasi (south) and a UN school in Nuseirat (center).
With these latest figures, the death toll has reached 38,394 (mostly women and children) since the war began, while the number of injured has risen to 89,364. These numbers do not include the thousands of bodies still trapped under the rubble, inaccessible to emergency teams.
Gaza’s Civil Defense services reported an Israeli drone attack near the El Cairo School in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City (north), killing 11 people.
Israeli Supreme Court Hesitant About Investigation into October 7 Failures
Judges of the Israeli Supreme Court expressed concern on Wednesday that the military might be unable to effectively conduct operations in the Gaza Strip if an investigation is opened into the authorities’ failures during the surprise Hamas attack on October 7.
The judges’ statements came during a hearing, reported by local media, in which civil organizations such as the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and the Ometz Movement demanded that the court order the State Comptroller to halt its inquiries into the case and advocate for the creation of a state commission of inquiry.
The civil organizations argue that the comptroller lacks the authority to investigate this case and may overlook political responsibility for the attack, which left around 1,200 dead, 251 kidnapped in Israel, and triggered the ongoing war.
Israel Releases 14 Palestinian Prisoners, Who Report Torture Upon Arrival in Gaza
Israel released 14 Gaza prisoners on Wednesday, including an elderly woman, after months in Israeli jails. According to Gaza’s Civil Defense services, they were taken to the Martyrs of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah (central Gaza).
One of the released prisoners, Nader Asaliya, told Al Jazeera upon his arrival in Gaza, “We were treated inhumanely in prisons, called dogs, and subjected to all kinds of torture, hunger, and humiliation.”
Videos showing their arrival in Gaza depict the only woman in the group, Najah Safi, descending from the vehicle in tears, followed by other visibly weakened released prisoners escorted by Palestinian Red Crescent doctors.
Putin Calls for Regulation of Cryptocurrency Mining Due to High Energy Consumption
Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Wednesday for legislative measures to control cryptocurrency mining, as its high energy consumption could cause failures in the electrical supply to the civil sector and Russian industry, and hamper investment projects.
“We need to make correct and timely decisions, including systemic ones, at the level of federal laws,” he said during a meeting with the Russian government focused on digital currencies and cryptocurrencies.
Putin explained that “cryptocurrencies are not monetary units in the traditional sense, but they are increasingly used globally as a means of payment in international transactions.”
Montero Votes Against European Parliament Resolution Supporting Ukraine Alongside Orbán’s Patriots
The new European Parliament confirmed its support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion on Wednesday, while highlighting a sanitary cordon around the Patriots for Europe group, led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which voted against the resolution approved in the European Parliament. Joining the opposition were two Podemos MEPs, Irene Montero and Isa Serra, along with the leader of the Se Acabó La Fiesta group, Alvise Pérez, and a socialist MEP. The latter, Rosa Serrano, who also voted against the resolution, was confirmed by the socialist delegation to have made an error and has requested to correct her vote.
Netanyahu and Opposition Clash Over Gaza War
In a heated debate, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his strategy of “pressure, pressure, and more pressure” in the Gaza Strip before the Knesset (Parliament), where more than 38,700 people have died, and thousands are missing after nine months of intense bombings. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas “is under pressure because we are eliminating their commanders, thousands of their terrorists, because we have entered Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor, and we have them by the throat,” Netanyahu said during a parliamentary session convened by the opposition.
Netanyahu rebuked his critics for questioning his strategy in the enclave, stating that pressuring him would be futile. He also suggested that if the opposition were in charge, Israel would have ended the war “without eliminating the commanders, without controlling Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor,” with Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif “parading around as a winner.”
Israel Destroys Hamas Tunnel in Gaza Used in Infiltration Attempt
The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it had dismantled a Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip that several militants used in June to attempt to infiltrate Israel. The tunnel was located in the town of Rafah, in the south of the enclave, and inside, soldiers found “branches, armored doors, a terrorist hideout, and electrical infrastructure,” according to a military statement.
Four Hamas militants attempted to infiltrate Israeli territory using this tunnel last June. The group was caught in the act by an army battalion, thwarting the attempt, though one soldier was killed in the fighting. According to Israeli forces, the tunnel was 700 meters long.
Hamas Rejects HRW Report, Claims It Spreads “Lies” in Favor of Israel
Hamas rejected on Wednesday a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that denounces “numerous” war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Islamist group and other Palestinian militias against civilians during the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.
“We reject the lies and blatant bias towards the occupation and the lack of professionalism and credibility in Human Rights Watch’s report. We demand its withdrawal and an apology,” Hamas said in a statement. According to the Islamist group, which effectively controls the Gaza Strip, the organization “adopted the entire false Israeli narrative.”
Israel Conflict Features in Ashura Organized by Hezbollah
Crowds of Shiite faithful dressed in black flooded the suburbs of Beirut on Wednesday as part of a procession organized by Hezbollah to commemorate Ashura, an important religious event that this year reflected the ongoing conflict between the group and Israel. A day of mourning for Shiite devotees, Ashura commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who died along with 72 of his followers at the hands of the Umayyad caliph Yazid’s army during a battle in Karbala (Iraq) nearly 14 centuries ago.
As happens annually, thousands of people, some barefoot, expressed their sorrow for the imam with rhythmic chest-beating and pledges of servitude to his figure during the march through the streets of Dahye, a Hezbollah stronghold on the outskirts of the capital. However, this time, among the chants of ‘We serve you, Hussein,’ there were also cries of ‘Death to America’ or ‘Death to Israel,’ and alongside images of the Prophet’s grandson, several photographs of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli attacks were displayed.
