Afternoon summary
37,877 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza and 86,969 have been wounded since the conflict began on 7 October. The Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his position that there was no substitute for achieving victory in the war against Hamas. Netanyahu added that fighting would not stop until Gaza no longer posed a threat “to Israel and returning our residents securely to their homes in the south and the north.”
In a speech marking Egypt’s 30 June 2013 Revolution, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi addressed the conflict in “the heinous Israeli war in Gaza.” Sisi said that humanity’s conscience has been absent and the international community has turned a blind eye to the suffering and displacement in the region. He added: “Egypt’s position has been noble, honourable, and patriotic. Egypt did not stay idle in providing relief to our Palestinian brothers with actions before words.”
An IDF drone strike killed one and wounded five in the West Bank’s Nur Shams camp in Tulkarem, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Times of Israel has named Saeed Jaber, a militant related to the commander of a jihadist group in the Tulkarem area, as the man killed in the attack.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has suspended Fatima Payman from the Labor Party caucus after the senator crossed the floor on Tuesday to support a Greens motion supporting Palestinian statehood. Albanese said if she respects the caucus (by voting with the rest of her party) Payman can return. However, the senator told ABC Insiders she will not back down and would cross the floor again. She added: “When I made the decision on the Senate floor to cross, I did it with the understanding that this could lead to expulsion and costing my Labor membership.”
Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has extended a waiver that allows Israeli banks and Palestinian banks to continue to cooperate. The waiver allows shekel payments for salaries and services linked to the Palestinian Authority. Janet Yellen, U.S. Treasury Secretary said it was important to maintain Israel-Palestinian banking relationships to allow the economy to function and help security.
The Washington Post reports that thousands of Palestinians have come to Egypt for medical treatment, but most have arrived via embassies. Once in Egypt non-medical evacuees have to fend for themselves. The Palestinian Authority estimates that 115,000 Gazans have crossed into Egypt since October.
In a speech marking Egypt’s 30 June 2013 Revolution, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi addressed the conflict in “the heinous Israeli war in Gaza.”
Humanity’s conscience has been absent and international community has turned a blind eye to the tens of thousands of innocent victims, displaced and afflicted,” Egypt has supported the Palestinian people during the war.
Egypt’s position has been noble, honourable, and patriotic. Egypt did not stay idle in providing relief to our Palestinian brothers with actions before words.
