KEY POINTS
- Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan blames Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu for escalated tensions in the Middle East
- Iranian Navy reportedly escorting Iran merchant ships to Red Sea
- European Summit draft reportedly calls for maximum restraint in the Middle East
The war in Gaza has entered Day 194 – British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said it's "clear" that the Israeli government is making a decision to "act" following Iran's first direct attacks toward Israel during the weekend.
Tensions are also high in the Israel-Lebanon border as a building was struck by a drone launched from Lebanese territory Wednesday, resulting in several people injured. Arab media reported that there were Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers in the targeted facility.
- Netanyahu reiterates to UK, Germany that Israel will maintain its right to self-defense
- Israel strikes Hezbollah compound after drone hits northern Israeli community facility
- Israel slams UN for huge loads of aid still waiting to be distributed by UN agencies
- Hezbollah claims drone strike that injured over a dozen people in northern Israel
- 18 injured, one critically in Hezbollah drone strike at Galilee's Arab Al-Aramshe
- Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin's mother on TIME's 100 Most Influential list
- Israel strikes Hezbollah infrastructure in 2 southern Lebanon villages
In the Red Sea, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces engaged drones in areas of Yemen held by Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel Houthis.
Talks for a ceasefire are at an impasse, but Qatar, a key mediator alongside Egypt, said it was trying its best to get Israel and Hamas to achieve a truce agreement to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and free the remaining hostages.
Back in war-torn Gaza, the death toll from more than six months of fighting is nearing 34,000, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. U.S. Army vessels that sailed to build a temporary humanitarian aid port in Gaza's shores have arrived in Crete.
Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and the current escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran stems from decades of violence in the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict that reached its climax during Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.
The live update has ended.
Israel strikes Hezbollah buildings in southern Lebanon
Israeli warplanes on Wednesday afternoon struck several "military buildings and terrorist infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah in the southern Lebanon villages of Naquora and Yarine, the IDF said.
מטוסי קרב תקפו לפני זמן קצר מבנים צבאיים ותשתית טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחבים א-נקורה ויארין שבדרום לבנון>> pic.twitter.com/WzvpF23Rdr
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 17, 2024
Hostage's mother on TIME's 100 List
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of Hersh, Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage along with some 252 others during Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, is among the TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2024 list.
Since her son was abducted, Goldberg-Polin has traveled around the world to raise awareness about the plight of the hostages, calling for their immediate release. She met with many global leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis in hopes of driving more action towards the release of all hostages in Hamas captivity.
Hersh was taken by Hamas militants and forced onto a truck on Oct. 7, as per footage from the bloody invasion. His left arm was blown off from the elbow and since then, the family has not heard of anything about the 23-year-old.
.@TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2024: Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) April 17, 2024
This isn’t an honor Rachel would have ever wanted.
Rachel has been a fierce lioness, advocating around the clock for the return of her son Hersh and all of the… pic.twitter.com/rF8AE7DeHD
1 in critical condition, 2 seriously injured in Hezbollah drone attack
Of 18 people wounded in Hezbollah's drone strike targeting a community center in the Arab Al-Aramshe in Galilee, one person is in critical condition while two others sustained serious injuries, multiple Israeli outlets reported Wednesday.
Hezbollah claims attack on northern Israel community center
Iranian-backed Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the drone strike that directly hit a community facility in northern Galilee Wednesday, multiple outlets reported.
18+ injured in a #Hezbollah rocket & suicide drone attack on the village of Arab al-Aramshe in northern #Israel today — with a community center hit here.
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) April 17, 2024
A serious incident, and the 3rd day in a row of injuries caused by #Hezbollah attacks. pic.twitter.com/z25O7AR24T
Israel blasts UN for loads of aid waiting for distribution on Gazan side
The Israeli government on Wednesday criticized the United Nations for what it said was "the content of 700 aid trucks" that were still sitting on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom border, waiting to be distributed to the Palestinian public by UN agencies.
"We scaled up our capabilities. All the UN did was make up excuses. Aid needs to be collected and delivered. The UN needs to do its job," the Israeli government said.
This is what the content of 700 aid trucks looks like.
— COGAT (@cogatonline) April 17, 2024
It is waiting on the Gazan side of Kerem Shalom to be picked up by @UN agencies.
We scaled up our capabilities.
All the UN did was make up excuses.
Aid needs to be collected and delivered. The UN needs to do its job. pic.twitter.com/a3JYkdvghH
Israel responds to Hezbollah attacks
Israeli forces on Wednesday struck the sources of launches from Lebanese territory earlier in the day and targeted what the Israeli army said was "a Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon where terrorists were operating."
This comes after a community center in northern Galilee was struck by a drone, injuring several people.
A number of launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel over the past hour.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 17, 2024
In response, the IDF struck the sources of the fire and a Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon where terrorists were operating. pic.twitter.com/oZmTpWEU4i
Netanyahu reiterates Israel's right to self-defense in meeting with British, German leaders
The Israeli Prime Minister on Wednesday met with Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, wherein Netanyahu "reiterated that Israel would maintain its right to self-defense," as per a release from his office.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 17, 2024
During the meetings, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would maintain its right to self-defense. pic.twitter.com/KoJ4soCcHw
European Summit text calls for 'maximum restraint' in the Middle East: Arab report
A draft proposal drawn up at the European Summit in Brussels calls on all parties involved in the Middle East crisis to "exercise maximum restraint" and refrain from taking steps that could further escalate tensions in the region, Sky News in Arabic reported Wednesday.
Iran's Navy escorting Iranian merchant ships in Red Sea: Iranian media
Iran's naval forces are escorting Iranian commercial vessels to the Red Sea, the navy commander, Shahram Irani said Wednesday amid escalated tensions between Iran and Israel, the Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported. Irani added that the navy's Jamaran frigate is currently in the Gulf of Aden.
Netanyahu bears sole responsibility for Middle East tensions: Erdogan
The Turkish President has put the sole responsibility for tensions in the Middle East on Netanyahu, saying "Israel is trying to provoke a regional conflict, and its attack on Iran's embassy in Damascus was the last drop."
US army ships convoy en route to Gaza reach Crete
Vessels of the U.S. Army that are sailing toward the Gaza Strip have reached Crete, local media reported Wednesday. Their arrival in the Grecian island is the first leg of the journey before they reach Gaza where American soldiers will build a temporary pier to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries into the enclave by sea.
Ceasefire talks currently at a 'delicate phase': Qatar
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Wednesday said discussions on a truce in Gaza have reached a "delicate phase" but that Qatar was "trying as much as possible to address this stumbling block."
Qatar played a key mediating role alongside Egypt in getting Israel and Hamas to achieve a ceasefire late in November. However, the latest talks have been on a slow pace amid widening gaps on a ceasefire deal's provisions.
The warring sides have also repeatedly rejected proposed agreements from the other even as more than 130 hostages are still in captivity, some 30 of which are believed dead.
US engages 2 Houthi drones in Yemen
CENTCOM forces on Tuesday "successfully engaged" two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) stationed in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
April 16 Red Sea Update
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 16, 2024
Between 10:50 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on April 16, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully engaged two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen.
There were no injuries or damage… pic.twitter.com/ImF90fhFAp
Drone hits community center in northern Galilee, several injured
A drone struck a community facility in al-Aramshe in northern Galilee Wednesday, injuring several people, with one of them being in serious condition, multiple local outlets reported.
The targeted building was one where IDF soldiers were stationed, Sky News Arabia reported, citing Israeli sources.
🔴The moment of the strike on a community building in northern Israel, filmed from the Lebanese side of the border@Mdais paramedics confirmed 1 person was in serious condition, 1 moderate, and 4 others were lightly wounded pic.twitter.com/dqWrEyhl7p
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) April 17, 2024
'Clear' Israel will retaliate against Iran: UK's Cameron
"It's clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible," the British foreign secretary told reporters regarding Israel's latest moves following Iran's weekend aerial attacks toward Israel.
He added that the United Kingdom hopes Israel's retaliation will be "smart as well as tough," but he noted that Israel should "refocus" on its goal of eliminating Hamas and getting its hostages back, and allowing more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
'It's clear the Israelis are making a decision to act, we hope they do so in a way that does as little as possible to escalate this as possible,'
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) April 17, 2024
says British Foreign Secretary David Cameron who is in Israel to meet with officials along with the German Foreign Minister pic.twitter.com/uw3ogDYpKV
