Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Israel must prevent genocide in Gaza – ICJ
The court stopped short of ordering a ceasefire, but says that Israel must drastically scale down its war on Gaza.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered its ruling on the emergency measures requested by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel over its war on the Gaza Strip.
- ICJ has ordered Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered its ruling on the emergency measures requested by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel over its war on the Gaza Strip.
- ICJ has ordered Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.
- At least 183 people have been killed and 377 wounded throughout the enclave in 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
- Refugee camps and public facilities across Khan Younis relentlessly targeted by Israeli artillery shelling as snipers shoot at Palestinians leaving al-Amal Hospital.
- At least 26,083 people have been killed and 64,487 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139.
Hezbollah claims attack on ‘secret’ Israeli base
In the last hour, the Lebanese group has released two statements claiming attacks on Israeli army positions.
In one, Hezbollah says it hit “a secret command headquarters in the Zabdin barracks”, located in the Shebaa Farms, a territory bordering the Golan Heights that Israel occupies and Lebanon claims as its own.
In the second attack, which took place 10 minutes after the first, the group claims it struck Israeli “espionage equipment at the Al-Bahri site”.
This is the latest series of attacks from Hezbollah across Lebanon’s southern border with Israel. It has been firing into Lebanese territory since the start of the war in Gaza, and says it will not stop until a permanent ceasefire is achieved.
Yesterday, Hezbollah announced that four of its fighters were killed, shortly after Israeli attacks on the Lebanese village of Beit Lef that the country’s National News Service says caused deaths and injuries.
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing the live blog soon. Here’s a recap of the day’s main updates.
- The world reacted to a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which allowed South Africa’s genocide case to move forward but stopped short of calling for an end to the fighting. Palestinians expressed frustration that the court did not call for a ceasefire, but also said the decision was an important step towards accountability for Israel.
- Healthcare facilities in Gaza are under mounting pressure as Israel continues to press its assault, with Doctors Without Borders warning that the strip no longer has a functioning healthcare system and reports of power outages at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
- The US said it will cut funding for UNRWA, following allegations from Israeli authorities that several employees of the agency took part in the October 7 attack. Additional details are not yet available, but the UN said that it terminated several employees as it investigates the allegations.
- Israel continues to exchange fire with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with Israel stating that it struck targets in a Lebanese town where casualties were reported.
Pro-Palestine protesters arrested in front of Israel lobby group office
Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets of New York City in the US, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US aid to Israel.
The march stopped in front of the headquarters of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, one of the largest pro-Israel lobbying groups in the US.
Video posted to X by a journalist present at the march shows New York City police arresting demonstrators in front of the lobbying group’s office.
#FreePalestine protesters are outside of AIPAC HQ in Manhattan. NYPD just made multiple arrests. Cops have been threatening to make arrests for any little thing, particularly for use of megaphones & other amplified sound. Not sure what the justification for these arrests is. pic.twitter.com/xOXOSZfpkd
— Ash J (@AshAgony) January 26, 2024
WATCH: What the UN’s top court said in Israel genocide case ruling
Earlier today, the International Court of Justice stopped short of ordering a ceasefire in Gaza.
It did, however, order that Israel take measures to prevent genocide as it continues its war on Gaza.
Here’s exactly what the court said and what exactly it demanded of Israel:
Occupied West Bank raids continue
Video Al Jazeera verified shows that a new Israeli raid on the city of Qalqilya has begun.
The footage, published on Telegram, shows Israeli military vehicles surrounding the Kafr Saba neighbourhood before soldiers exit the vehicles and storm the area. In other video clips of the raid, the sounds of gunfire can be heard.
Earlier, we reported an Israeli raid on the town of Deir Abu Darif, near Jenin. The Palestine Red Crescent says that a Palestinian sustained “critical injury” when they were struck by live ammunition in the town.
US Congresswomen say ICJ ruling puts Biden administration ‘on notice’
Two lawmakers in the US House of Representatives, Palestinian-American Representative Rashida Tlaib and progressive Representative Cori Bush, have released a joint statement saying that the ICJ ruling puts the Biden administration “on notice for enabling violations of the Genocide Convention”.
“This ruling underscores the urgency of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the Israeli and US governments in Gaza,” the statement reads.
“The Biden Administration must not only affirm the legitimacy of this ruling and facilitate an immediate ceasefire – it must comply with federal and international law by suspending military assistance to the Israeli government,” it adds.
My joint statement with @RepCori on the International Court of Justice’s Initial Ruling in South Africa’s Genocide Case Against the Israeli Government: pic.twitter.com/SDFMSrdwBn
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) January 26, 2024
South Africa ‘acted for our common humanity’, Tutu’s granddaughter says
Mungi Ngomane, human rights activist and granddaughter of the late South African bishop Desmond Tutu has told Al Jazeera that although the ICJ did not call for a ceasefire, she doesn’t “see the ruling as a loss.
“By bringing the case to the ICJ, South Africa has acted for our common humanity,” she said.
“South Africa was drawing upon its history with apartheid. Today Netanyahu mentioned ‘never again’ and South Africa was saying, ‘OK, never again applies to all’. This includes the Palestinians.
“This is not just a one-size-fits-all justice that we can meet out to the West and then the Global South has something else. I think South Africa wants to hold up and live by the democratic ideals that came out of our struggle and is asking the world to do the same.”
Complete power outage reported at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis
Al Jazeera’s correspondent has reported a complete power outage at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Quds News Network also reported the news and shared a video on X showing the electricity blackout.
Complete power outage at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. pic.twitter.com/LvwOl7w823
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 26, 2024
Translation: The hospital is completely without power.
Heavy clashes around Nasser Hospital
Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Haddad has posted a video on his Instagram showing the Khan Younis hospital, in which the sounds of frequent gunfire and explosions can be heard.
He said that a large number of Palestinians in the surrounding areas have fled under the order of the Israeli army and that residents are fearful that an all-out assault on the area is imminent.
WHO chief gives update on dire situation at Nasser Hospital
The hospital is running out of fuel, food and supplies,” Tedros Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, says on X.
He added that 350 patients and 5,000 displayed Palestinians are currently inside the hospital in Khan Younis, which has been under a state of siege over the past several days.
The Israeli army has surrounded the hospital and forced residents nearby and some of those inside the hospital to evacuate.
As fighting intensifies around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, #Gaza, hundreds of patients and health workers have fled. Currently 350 patients and 5000 displaced people remain at the hospital.
The hospital is running out of fuel, food and supplies.
The intense fighting in the… pic.twitter.com/dA2OTmFJXc
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 26, 2024
Israeli army says it hit Lebanese town where two were killed
The Israeli military said on X that it carried out strikes on “two operational infrastructures where the operatives of the terrorist organization Hezbollah were located”, in the towns of Beit Lef and Deir Ams.
Earlier, we reported that two were killed and four injured in the southern Lebanese village of Beit Lef, according to a statement from Lebanon’s National News Agency and reports from local media outlets.
In the last hour, Hezbollah announced the deaths of four of its fighters. As usual, the group did not mention where or when they were killed.
Israeli forces raid town near Jenin
Video verified by Al Jazeera shows a convoy of Israeli armoured personnel carriers and Humvees entering the town of Deir Abu Darif, east of the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
The video also shows plumes of white smoke rising about the town, in an apparent deployment of tear gas.
Raids on the occupied West Bank by Israeli security forces were a regular occurrence before the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, but since then, Palestinian residents say they have increased in intensity and violence.
US Muslim rights group welcomes ICJ ruling
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called the ruling an “important first step” in efforts to end the war in Gaza.
“The Biden administration must respect the court’s ruling, apologise for dismissing South Africa’s case as ‘meritless’, and stop enabling the Netanyahu government’s genocide,” national director Nihad Awad said in a statement.
“By allowing South Africa’s charge of genocide to proceed, the ICJ has opened the door to some semblance of justice for the Palestinian people. However, the ICJ should have gone further by ordering a complete ceasefire.”
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill several civilians, Palestinian news agency says
Wafa reports that Israeli attacks on the southern city of Rafah have killed at least one man and wounded many others. The man was killed when a bomb hit a group of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians, the news agency said.
Elsewhere in central Gaza, Wafa reports, Israeli air strikes killed at least three Palestinians.
Doctors Without Borders says there is ‘no longer a healthcare system’ in Gaza
The group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has said that vital medical services “have collapsed” at Nasser Hospital, the largest functioning health facility in Gaza.
In a statement on Friday, MSF said that there is “no longer a healthcare system in Gaza” and reiterated calls for a ceasefire.
“Most of the hospital’s staff, along with thousands of displaced people who had sought shelter in the hospital, fled in the days leading up to the evacuation order of the surrounding areas by Israeli forces,” the statement reads, adding that between 300 and 350 patients remain in Nasser because evacuation efforts are too dangerous and there are no remaining ambulances.
“These patients have war-related injuries such as open wounds, lacerations from explosions, fractures, and burns,” the statement adds.
There is no longer a healthcare system in #Gaza https://t.co/LDYWiION40
— MSF International (@MSF) January 26, 2024
Israeli airline El Al will suspend direct flights to South Africa amid worsening relations
The Israeli national carrier El Al has announced that it will nix direct flights from Tel Aviv to Johannesburg starting on the first of April, as relations between Israel and South Africa deteriorate amid the case before the ICJ, according to the news outlet Reuters.
“Israelis don’t want to fly to South Africa,” an El Al spokesperson said. “They are cancelling flights and planes are pretty empty … We understand it’s the situation because it was different before.”
Hezbollah announces latest attacks on Israeli army
In the last hour, the Lebanese group says it carried out two Burkan missile attacks on a group of Israeli soldiers on “Cobra Hill” and on the Zarit barracks.
Earlier, we reported that Leabanon’s sate-run National News Agency said two people were killed and four wounded when an Israeli army attack hit a home in the souther Lebanese village of Beit Lef.
Exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army are a daily occurrence on Lebanon’s southern border, and senior Israeli government officials have ramped up their threats to escalate military action in Lebanon in recent weeks if Hezbollah’s attacks don’t stop. For its part, Hezbollah has said that it is carrying out attacks on Israeli army positions to put pressure on Israel to end its war on Gaza.
Israeli leaders speak out against ICJ ruling
Earlier instructions to Israeli cabinet members to remain silent on Friday’s ICJ ruling have gone largely unheeded, with Israeli officials speaking out about the decision. Netanyahu called the decision “outrageous”.
“He [Netanyahu] went on to say that Israel follows international law, that they make an effort to differentiate between Hamas and Palestinian civilians. The statement he released, one in Hebrew and one in English, is trying to convey this message to the international community,” Al Jazeera correspondent Hamdah Salhut reported from occupied East Jerusalem.
“But the reality on the ground in Gaza is often at a disconnect with what Israeli leaders are saying. As we see, the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza rise by the hour.”
UN rights chief calls on Israel to ‘fully implement’ ICJ decision
The UN human rights chief has urged Israel to abide the interim decision taken by the ICJ.
“Volker Turk calls on Israel to fully implement ICJ orders in relation to the Genocide Convention,” the office said on X. “We call again on all parties to respect their obligations under international law.”
Mayor of US city says he will not meet with Biden officials over Gaza war
Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of the US city of Dearborn, Michigan, home to a large Arab population, has said that he turned down an invitation to meet President Biden’s campaign manager due to widespread outrage over the administration’s handling of the war on Gaza and its unconditional support for Israel.
“Our immediate demand is crystal clear: the Biden Administration must call for a permanent ceasefire to a genocide it is defending and funding with our tax dollars,” Hammoud said on X. “Dearborn residents have tirelessly protested and organized in demand of a ceasefire. As their mayor, I follow their lead.”
As Biden begins his re-election campaign, many are speculating on the effect that Arab-American outrage towards the president will have on his ability to win Michigan, a crucial swing state.
President Biden’s national campaign manager was sent to Michigan to meet with a group of Arab and Muslim American leaders on Friday. I was invited to attend.
— Abdullah H. Hammoud (@AHammoudMI) January 26, 2024
US freeze on UNRWA funding could have severe impact
While many details remain uncertain regarding allegations that employees of the UN’s Palestinian relief agency in Gaza took part in the October 7 attack on Israel, the US decision to freeze its funding for the organisation could have a potentially dramatic impact.
Al Jazeera correspondent Gabriel Elizondo reported from UN headquarters in New York City that UN officials have not offered details on the information received from Israeli authorities or the number of employees under investigation.
“The US is by far the biggest funder of UNRWA, more than $200m a year. It’s unclear if this funding will stop immediately, or if just future funding could be put on hold. That is unclear,” he said.
“But the bottom line is, anytime the US even threatens to withhold funding, that would have a dramatic effect on their operations.”
Two dead in Israeli attack on south Lebanon
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, along with local media, are reporting that two people were killed and four wounded when the Israeli army hit a residential home in the southern Lebanese village of Beit Lef.
Local outlet Kawalis Beirut published video from the scene of the strike, which shows civil defence crews digging through rubble in search of survivors. The four wounded people were transported to the hospital, Kawalis Beirut said.
الغارة استهدفت ٤ منازل وسط بلدة #بيت_ليف، وعمليات رفع الأنقاض مستمرّة، وعملت فرق الدّفاع المدني على نقل ٤ جرحى إلى مستشفيات المنطقة.#لبنان #غزة #اسرائيل #حزب_الله #جنوب_لبنان pic.twitter.com/x7LrNd910m
— كواليس بيروت – Kawalis Beirut (@KawalisBeirut) January 26, 2024
Translation: The raid targeted 4 houses in the centre of the town [#Beit_Lef], and rubble removal operations continued, and civil defence teams worked to transfer 4 wounded people to area hospitals.
Houthis claim credit after vessel catches fire in Gulf of Aden
The Yemeni group have claimed credit for an attack on “the British oil tanker Marlin Luanda”, saying that they used “a number of appropriate naval missiles, the strike was direct”.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) group said that it received a report Friday stating that a vessel had caught fire after being hit off of Aden in Yemen.
“[Company security officer] reports that a vessel has been struck and is currently on fire. They are requiring assistance. Authorities have been informed and are responding,” the group said in an advisory.
Ruling will lead to growth of BDS movement: Buttu
Palestinian lawyer and former PLO spokesperson Diana Buttu has said that “the power of today’s ruling isn’t just about what the ICJ ruled”, but that it will lead to the growth of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement that targets Israel’s finances and companies that do business with it.
“In 2004 the ICJ issued an advisory opinion ruling that Israel’s Wall is illegal. The ruling was ignored by Israel and the world. One year later (to the day) the BDS movement was launched,” she said on X.
In 2004 the ICJ issued an advisory opinion ruling that Israel’s Wall is illegal. The ruling was ignored by Israel and the world. One year later (to the day) the BDS movement was launched. The power of today’s ruling isn’t just about what the I J ruled but will lead to the growth…
— Diana Buttu (@dianabuttu) January 26, 2024