KEY POINTS
- Israeli army deepens offensive in central and southern Gaza
- US-Qatar talks did not mention potential Hamas leadership 'exile,' report says
- Ship boarded by 'armed' individuals had 37 crew members: Report
On the 97th day of the Israel-Hamas war, several "armed" and "unauthorized" individuals boarded a ship in the Red Sea on Thursday morning, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. The ship has since been identified as the oil tanker St. Nikolas, formerly named Suez Rajan.
- Ship boarded by 'armed' persons has 'altered course' toward Iranian waters: UKMTO
- Israel's supporters demonstrate outside Peace Palace
- Vessel boarded off Oman was carrying 'Iraqi oil': Report
- South Africa accuses Israel of crossing UN Genocide Convention line at ICJ hearing
- Israeli opposition leader slams South Africa's ICJ case against Israel
- Jewish students sue Harvard over alleged failure to address campus anti-Semitism
- Day 1 of ICJ South Africa vs. Israel hearing concludes
- Qatar may have known more about Oct. 7 than it let on: Report
- 'Senior' wanted person from PIJ eliminated in southern Israel: IDF
- Iranian Navy says it seized 'American' vessel off Oman coast
- Israel's MFA says South Africa serving as Hamas' 'legal branch'
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded the first day of hearing on the case filed by South Africa against Israel that accused the latter of committing "genocidal acts" in the Gaza Strip.
Ahead of the hearing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel was not intending to permanently occupy Gaza and or displace the civilian population.
Journalists Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this week, were members of "Gaza-based terrorist organizations," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Over in the northern border, tensions remain high as Israel warned heavily armed terror group Hezbollah against initiating a new war front near the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday voted in favor of a resolution that demanded Yemen's Houthi rebel militia put an end to their disruption of Red Sea shipping operations.
The raging war in Gaza stems from the violent history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that reached a bloody apex on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants raided Israeli communities and killed more than 1,200 people – mostly civilians.
The live update has ended.
South Africa serving as 'legal branch' of Hamas: Israel's foreign ministry
Lior Haiat, the spokesperson of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), on Thursday said that South Africa was "functioning as the legal arm of the Hamas terrorist organization, utterly distorted the reality in Gaza following the October 7 massacre and completely ignored" the militant group's atrocities during the Oct. 7 invasion of Israel.
Today we were witness to one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy in history, compounded by a series of false and baseless claims.
— Lior Haiat 🇮🇱 (@LiorHaiat) January 11, 2024
South Africa, which is functioning as the legal arm of the Hamas terrorist organization, utterly distorted the reality in Gaza following the October 7… pic.twitter.com/82EfD9WeuF
Eylon Levy, spokesperson of the Israeli government, called South Africa's actions "tragic," adding that it was once a nation that "prided itself on fighting racism" but has become a nation that fights "pro bono for the biggest racists after their 10/7 act of genocide."
How tragic that South Africa has chosen to play advocate for the devil, and serve as the legal branch of the Hamas terrorist organization. The nation that once prided itself on fighting racism is now fighting pro bono for the biggest racists after their 10/7 act of genocide.
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) January 11, 2024
Their remarks came after the ICJ concluded the first day of hearings on the case South Africa filed against Israel over the latter's military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
