Egypt on Sunday announced its intention to formally support South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, alleging genocide in its war against Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile Israel sent tanks into the Jabalia area of northern Gaza Sunday to try to stop Hamas from re-establishing its military presence in a zone the Israeli army claimed to have cleared months ago. The redeployment in the north came as Israel pushed deeper into the southern Gazan city of Rafah. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
This blog is no longer being updated. For more coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, please click here.
Summary:
- Israel sent tanks into the Jabalia area of northern Gaza Sunday to try to stop Hamas from re-establishing its military presence in a zone the Israeli army claimed to have cleared months ago.
- Israeli forces also pushed deeper into Gaza's southern city of Rafah.
- Egypt on Sunday said it will formally support South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Sunday an immediate halt to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the return of hostages and a "surge" in humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.
- US President Joe Biden said Saturday that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was possible as soon as "tomorrow" if the militant group released its hostages.
- At least 35,034 Palestinians have been killed and 78,755 wounded in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Some 1,170 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.
Yesterday's key developments:
- Israel called on residents from more areas of Rafah in the Gaza Strip to evacuate and head to the “expanded humanitarian area” in Al-Mawasi, according to a post on social media site X by the military’s Arabic-language spokesperson.
- The Israeli army said rockets were launched Saturday from Rafah in southern Gaza towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, which was temporarily shut earlier this week. "Four launches were identified that crossed from the Rafah area," the military said in a statement.
- President Joe Biden on Saturday said a Gaza ceasefire would be possible "tomorow" if Hamas released all the hostages. It was his first remarks on the Gaza war since a US State Department report released Friday that it was “reasonable to assess” that Israel has used US-supplied weapons in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law during the Gaza war.
Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent. For more on the health ministry’s casualty figures, click here.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters, AP)
