Ali Muwafaq Muzahem was killed by Israeli occupation forces in Abwein, in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: via social media)

Israeli occupation forces shot and killed a 26-year-old Palestinian man during a raid on the town of Abwein, northwest of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

According to the Mayor of Abwein, Mahmoud Hamad, the Israeli forces stormed the town on Friday, triggering confrontations, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

During the clashes, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition directly at Ali Muwafaq Muzahem, critically injuring him. He was shot in the head and pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby medical facility.

On Thursday, Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old during a raid on the town of Meithalun, south of Jenin. Several other towns were also raided.

Live Ammunition – Palestinian Teen Killed as Israel Raids Intensify in West Bank

Hebron Raid

Israeli occupation forces conducted a raid on Friday morning in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron (Al Khalil), and arrested two brothers.

WAFA said the Israeli forces stormed the town with dozens of military vehicles.

Lawyer Thaer Abu Ayyash, 35, and his brother, Mahmoud, 36, were detained after Israeli forces raided their home, destroying its belongings. All family members were confined to a single room during the raid.

‘Irreversible Harm’ – Israel Approves Three Settlement Outposts, Thousands of Housing Units in West Bank

Settler Attacks

Illegal Jewish settlers on Friday attacked Palestinian vehicles close to Shuqba village, northwest of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, WAFA reported.

Witnesses said dozens of armed settlers attacked vehicles with Palestinian registration plates traveling on Road 465 close to the entrance of the village, hurling stones towards them.

Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli occupation authorities, said WAFA.

Beit Iksa is a Village and a Prison – How Israel Made Life in West Bank ‘Unbearable’

Over 700,000 settlers are living in outposts across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

The Israeli government last week approved 5,295 new housing units in dozens of settlements throughout the occupied West Bank, according to Peace Now, a settlement watchdog group. This was in addition to the five settlement outposts approved by the Israeli cabinet the week before.

Village Sealed Off

The Israeli occupation forces closed the eastern entrance to the village of Husan west of Bethlehem, in the southern occupied West Bank.

The director of Husan village council, Rami Hamamre, told WAFA that the occupation forces closed the eastern entrance, specifically the Matina area, and prevented the movement of residents.

‘Protecting Security’ – Israel Approves Smotrich’s Plan to Legalize Five Settlements

The entrance is considered the main entrance connecting the village with the towns of Nahalin and Battir and Wadi Fukin area.

The occupation forces also forced the owners of stores in the Matina area to close their businesses.

(PC, WAFA)

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The United States “is not a member of the ICC, and expects the UK to look after its interests there.”

The US is reportedly pressuring the UK’s new Labor government not to drop a legal challenge over the International Criminal Court’s pursuit of an arrest warrant against the Israeli Prime Minister for war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

According to a report by The Guardian, the prominent human rights lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson made the claim, warning that “giving into US pressure would be ‘the first big moral mistake’ of the premiership of Sir Keir Starmer.”

Robertson stressed that the US “is not a member of the ICC, and expects the UK to look after its interests there.”

Labour Government Signals Policy Shift, Drops ICC Challenge on Netanyahu – Report

In May, the previous government under Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak challenged the ICC on whether it had any jurisdiction to issue the arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu.

The newly elected government has been given until July 26 by the ICC to decide whether to pursue the matter.

Legal Jurisdiction

The Guardian said the court did so “after the ICC pre-trial chamber ruled on 26 June that it would allow the UK and other interested parties to make submissions over the jurisdiction.” It said that in 2021, the ICC ruled that “it did have jurisdiction over Israeli activity in Palestine.”

The paper said that the UK’s Foreign Office argued that the Oslo Accords agreement, from 193 to 1995, “preclude Palestine from prosecuting Israelis.”

‘Looming Possibility’ – Netanyahu Expects ICC Arrest Warrants soon

Robertson reportedly described the legal argument as “preposterous”, saying the ICC “decided in the 2021 case that this was ‘not pertinent’ to its right to punish crimes in Gaza as Palestine was a member state, so any war crime on its territory fell within the ICC’s remit.”

He pointed out that the ICC was “not even in existence in 1995” and the idea that “a provisional clause in a moribund negotiation 30 years ago can prevent it from acting over breaches of international criminal law now is preposterous.”

‘No Accountability’

The human rights barrister also noted that the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor “has no connection with Palestinian authorities.”

“Israel’s argument, adopted (so far) by the UK, is that Palestine is precluded from prosecuting Israelis and this means it cannot ‘delegate’ such prosecutions to the ICC. This is wrong because the ICC prosecutor is in no sense a delegate of Palestine.”

Robertson went on to say “If the argument adopted by the UK is correct, there would be nothing to stop the Israel Defense Forces lining up Palestinian children and executing them point-blank. There would be no accountability for any crime against humanity they might commit.”

‘Collective Punishment’ – Khan Says Israel Must Comply with International Law

The Guardian said that due to the legal challenge, a decision on the issuing of the ICC arrest warrants can only be expected in August “at the earliest.”

According to the paper, Labour officials informed The Guardian over the weekend that the party and its government had rejected the Conservatives’ legal challenge while they were in opposition. They maintained that its policy “remained unchanged in government.”

The officials reportedly refrained from mentioning whether that claim would, however, be withdrawn.

The issue was expected to be discussed at a meeting between Starmer and US President, Joe Biden, in Washington, the paper said.

(PC, MEMO)

Illegal Jewish settlers escorted by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: via WAFA)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“Lehava’s members have engaged in repeated acts of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas.”

The US government has announced a new round of sanctions against Jewish ‘extremists’ and illegal outposts in the occupied West Bank.

“We are imposing sanctions on three Israeli individuals and five entities connected to acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press statement on Thursday.

He stated that the sanctions targeted the far-right Lehava, “an organization led by U.S.-designated Ben Zion Gopstein that has been involved in acts of violent extremism.”

“Lehava’s members have engaged in repeated acts of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,” Miller stressed.

‘Serious Rights Abuses’ – EU, US Sanction Extremist Jewish Settlers and Groups 

EU Blacklist

Gopstein and the Lehava group already face sanctions imposed by the European Union and the US in April describing it as “a radical right-wing Jewish supremacist group.”

The latest sanctions also target previously sanctioned groups, including Tzav 9 co-heads Reut Ben Haim and Aviad Shlomo Sarid. The far-right group has been implicated in attacks on humanitarian convoys bound for Gaza as well as actions in the West Bank.

Four West Bank outposts accused of being bases for violent activities against Palestinians have been targeted. These are the Meitarim Farm, HaMahoch Farm, Neria’s Farm, and Manne’s Farm, owned or controlled by individuals already under sanctions for their extremist activities.

Outposts ‘Weaponized’

Miller said these individuals “have weaponized” the outposts “as bases for violent actions to displace Palestinians.”

These outposts “have been used to disrupt grazing lands, limit access to wells, and launch violent attacks against neighboring Palestinians,” he added.

‘Long-Standing Source of Tension’ – Canada Imposes New Sanctions on Israeli Settlers

Miller said the US “remains deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel’s own security.”

“We strongly encourage the Government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable,” he emphasized. “In the absence of such steps, we will continue to impose our own accountability measures.

Those listed under the sanctions regime are subject to an asset freeze, and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit, is prohibited.

Canada

Last month, Canada announced a new set of sanctions targeting settlers for “extremist violence” against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

The move followed the country’s first-ever sanctions against settlers, implemented a month before in coordination with Britain, France, the European Union, and the United States.

US Rabbis Call for End to Jewish Funding of Israeli Extremism

The sanctions named seven individuals and five organizations including Daniella Weiss, a veteran settler activist, and Gopstein.

Israel has occupied the West Bank, which is home to three million Palestinians, since 1967.

Estimates indicate that around 700,000 Israeli settlers live in roughly 300 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

All Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal under international law.

(PC, WAFA)

UNRWA said it continued to face “disproportionate restrictions” on access to Gaza. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“Our colleagues shared that two people had already died in this facility because of the lack of sanitation, and there is a spread of hepatitis A and skin diseases.”

The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has highlighted “the appalling conditions” of displaced people in Gaza, with one school sheltering 14,000 Palestinians in classrooms and in makeshift shelters, with only 25 toilets at the facility.

“Our colleagues shared that two people had already died in this facility because of the lack of sanitation, and there is a spread of hepatitis A and skin diseases,” Louis Wateridge, UNRWA’s Senior Communications Officer said on Thursday.

In a video on X, Wateridge highlighted the situation at a UNRWA school in Deir el-Bala, one of more than 180 schools that the UN agency has turned into a shelter during the war.

“Walking through the school, there are people sleeping in the hallways, even an elderly couple in the stairwell,” Wateridge said.

https://twitter.com/UNRWA/status/1811337177445368030

‘Frighteningly Malnourished’

Outside one of the classrooms, there were two children suffering from a genetic disorder that requires high protein intake, “frighteningly malnourished, having been deprived the duration of the war.”

Staff at the facility told her “The shelter hasn’t had food to distribute since the 11th of March.”

“Parents showed us photos of their once healthy children, unrecognizable from the sunken eyes looking up from a filthy mattress in a hallway, skin covered in bedsores from not being able to wash,” said Wateridge.

Water Shortage

The facility only has 25 toilets, meaning 560 people “are sharing one single toilet with no hygiene products” and a shortage of water “due to a lack of fuel” to pump water from the water well, the UNRWA officer emphasized.

“The conditions here are utterly appalling,” Wateridge stressed. “People are being killed by bombs and strikes, and now they’re also dying from disease and malnourishment, and there are different consequences of the imposed siege.”

Last month, Gaza’s Government Media Office said at least 1.5 million Palestinians in the besieged enclave have contracted infectious diseases due to the displacement caused by the war.

Beyond Bombs – Infectious Diseases Plague Over 1.5 Million Displaced in Gaza

Ongoing Genocide

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 38,345 Palestinians have been killed, and 88,295 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Missiles from Syria, Lebanon | Israeli Army Withdraws from Tal Al-Hawa | ‘Leading Israel to Destruction’ – Day 280

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

Israeli Knesset member and head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman. (Photo: Preiss /MSC, via Wikimedia Commons)

In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv newspaper, Lieberman accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leading Israel toward destruction.

Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman expressed severe criticism of the current Israeli government, stating on Thursday that if the ruling coalition and Knesset remain in power until 2026, Israel may cease to exist. 

Lieberman harshly criticized the government’s handling of the war in the Gaza Strip and its failure to prevent the October 7 military operation carried out by the Palestinian Resistance in southern Israel.

Quds Force Commander Reaffirms Iran’s Support for Gaza Resistance – Iranian News Agency

In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv newspaper, Lieberman accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leading Israel toward destruction and stated that Netanyahu is incapable of managing the country. 

According to Lieberman, Netanyahu is primarily focused on maintaining his hold on power.

Lieberman emphasized that Israel is facing existential threats and is undergoing a multi-dimensional crisis encompassing political, economic, and security issues—the most significant since its establishment.

He also criticized the entire political system in Israel, suggesting that it is compromised by interest groups. 

Quds Force Commander Reaffirms Iran’s Support for Gaza Resistance – Iranian News Agency

Lieberman blamed Netanyahu for the attack on October 7, accusing him of empowering the Palestinian movement Hamas over the years by releasing its leaders.

These leaders include Hamas’ late founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and current Gaza Strip leader Yahya Sinwar, along with over a thousand members in a previous exchange deal.

According to Lieberman, the October 7 attack could have been prevented if the current government officials had adopted innovative thinking. 

He has previously called for Netanyahu’s government to be ousted, stating that removing Netanyahu would be a reward for Israelis.

Ongoing Genocide

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7. 

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 38,345 Palestinians have been killed, and 88,295 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’. 

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Missiles from Syria, Lebanon | Israeli Army Withdraws from Tal Al-Hawa | ‘Leading Israel to Destruction’ – Day 280

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children. 

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety. 

(PC, AJA)

The withdrawal of Israeli forces revealed a staggering level of destruction in Shejaiya. (Photo: via QNN)

The Israeli occupation army withdrew from areas in Tal Al-Hawa and al-Sina’a Street in Gaza City on Friday morning, following a seven-day military operation. 

After the withdrawal, the Civil Defense moved in to recover the bodies. Mahmoud Basal, the spokesman for the Civil Defense in Gaza, told Al-Jazeera that the death toll in the Tal Al-Hawa area and al-Sina’a Street had reached nearly 60 Palestinians.

According to the Civil Defense in Gaza, dozens of bodies were found scattered in the alleys and inside homes, with entire families martyred on al-Sina’a Street following the withdrawal. 

Charred bodies and completely burned houses were discovered in the Tal Al-Hawa and the industrial area, with reports indicating that citizens seeking food supplies were killed by the occupation forces.

The Civil Defense reported the recovery of three bodies from one family in the industrial square west of Gaza City.

Aftermath of Shejaiya Invasion Revealed – Israeli Forces Attack Tel Al-Hawa

They also confirmed that the Israeli army had set homes and facilities on fire before withdrawing from the area. Rescue crews had to reach these areas on foot due to destroyed infrastructure and a lack of fuel.

Before the Israeli army’s retreat, Palestinian media reported that the occupation forces had demolished residential buildings in Tal Al-Hawa, southwest of Gaza City. 

Snipers were still deployed around the Finance Roundabout in Tal Al-Hawa and shot a young man near the al-Azhar intersection as he attempted to return home.

Disaster Area

The withdrawal follows the declaration of the Shejaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, as a disaster area. 

Scores of bodies were recovered from streets and rubble after the occupation army ended a two-week military operation there.

Meanwhile, intense shelling of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza continued from last night. Palestinian sources reported that Israeli artillery shelled the Al-Maghraqa area and the northern part of the Nuseirat refugee camp.

Palestinian media reported that three civilians were killed in a house bombing in Al-Mufti land, north of Nuseirat. 

GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE: The Civil Defense in Gaza reported the recovery of the bodies from one family in the industrial square west of Gaza City.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG https://t.co/xZNFAwZdkZ pic.twitter.com/fRtN3Nt0gx

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 12, 2024

In Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, two citizens were killed and others were injured after an Israeli airstrike on a gathering of residents.

In Rafah, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli drone strikes in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, according to Al-Jazeera. The Israeli army continued to bomb areas in Rafah by air, land, and sea, while resistance forces engaged them in Tel Za’arub and Tel Sultan.

Ongoing Genocide

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7. 

 According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 38,345 Palestinians have been killed, and 88,295 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’. 

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Missiles from Syria, Lebanon | Israeli Army Withdraws from Tal Al-Hawa | ‘Leading Israel to Destruction’ – Day 280

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children. 

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety. 

(PC, AJA)

Israel continues to carry out massacres against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.(Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Rockets were fired from Lebanon at Metulla in the Upper Galilee, and electricity was cut off in the entire area. Meanwhile, fires broke out in the occupied Golan Heights after a missile was fired from Syria.

The Gaza Civil Defense announced that the Israeli army forces are withdrawing from areas in Tal al-Hawa and al-Sina’a Street and that its crews are retrieving the bodies from those areas.

Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lead Israel to destruction.

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LATEST UPDATES

Saturday, July 13, 02:00 am (Gmt+2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two people were killed and others were injured in the Israeli occupation’s bombing of a house near the Islamic University east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli occupation aircraft bombed a house at the entrance to the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

In this video, Al-Qassam fighters are reportedly seen luring a zionist force into a pre-prepared ambush in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood west of Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/gImZi1441N

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 12, 2024

Saturday, July 13, 12:30 am (Gmt+2)

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army said that its air force fighters bombed Hezbollah infrastructure in Kfar Kila, Taybeh and Khiyam in southern Lebanon.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two people were killed and others were injured in an Israeli raid on a house in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

HAARETZ: Netanyahu’s policy towards the prisoner exchange deal raises concerns. Netanyahu is hardening his position, presenting demands that did not exist and reneging on pledges made by Israel.

Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Man in West Bank Raid As Settler Violence Continues

WHITE HOUSE: Biden and his team are working around the clock to reach a swap deal.

AL-JAZEERA: 7 Palestinians were injured in an Israeli bombardment of a house in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

ANSARALLAH: We targeted a ship in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.

CHANNEL 12: We are one step away from returning about 30 hostages.

Friday, July 12, 10:45 pm (Gmt+2)

AL-JAZEERA (Citing the director of the government information office in Gaza): What happened today in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, west of Gaza City, “a pre-planned massacre,” resulting in the martyrdom of more than 70 Palestinians and the loss of contact with 50 others.

بعد تراجع قوات الاحتلال.. جثامين شهداء متحللة في منطقة الصناعة وتل الهوا بمدينة غزة#فيديو #حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/8YTI8xAfOm

— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) July 12, 2024

ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 12: A poll conducted by Channel 12 showed that 72% of Israelis support the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and 64% are demanding an exchange deal now.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: The dispute between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the heads of the foreign intelligence services (Mossad) and the Shin Bet security services confirms the fear that the prime minister will block the deal with the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip.

Friday, July 12, 8:30 pm (Gmt+2)

ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 12 (Citing a source in the Israeli negotiating delegation): It is not true Mossad chief David Barnea had expressed support for the new principles outlined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

AL-JAZEERA:

A Palestinian fisherman was killed by Israeli drone fire in the port area, west of Gaza City.

4 people were killed and others were wounded as a result of Israeli shelling targeting a residential apartment on Al-Jalaa Street, north of Gaza City.

Devastation in Tal Al-Hawa-: Charred Bodies, Burned Homes Found after Israeli Retreat

AL-QASSAM:

We detonated two Merkava 4 tanks with a rocket left over from the occupation and a shrapnel canister near Al-Amin Al-Mohamed Mosque in Tel Al-Hawa, west of Gaza City.

We targeted “a Merkava tank and a Zionist troop carrier with two Al-Yassin 105 shells east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.”

Friday, July 12, 6:30 pm (Gmt+2)

PENTAGON: Central Command tried on Wednesday to reinstall the floating dock on Gaza’s shore but was unsuccessful for technical reasons. We returned the dock equipment to Ashdod.

HEZBOLLAH: We targeted a building “used by enemy soldiers in the settlement of Metulla with appropriate weapons.”

Friday, July 12, 5:00 pm (Gmt+2)

ICJ (The International Court of Justice): On Friday July 19, the court will give its opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

Friday, July 12, 1:00 pm (Gmt+2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Several Palestinians were killed and wounded after the occupation aircraft targeted a warehouse in the Mawasi area of ​​Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

CHANNEL 12: Netanyahu added principles that could hinder reaching an agreement.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Israeli protesters marched today towards occupied Jerusalem to demand that their government reach a prisoner exchange deal to return prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip.

‘Toward Destruction’ – Lieberman Says Israel Faces Existential Crisis under Netanyahu

MAARIV: The Cabinet approved extending compulsory service for soldiers by 36 months for the next eight years.

Friday, July 12, 11:00 am (Gmt+2)

HEZBOLLAH: Lebanese Hezbollah said it targeted the espionage equipment of Israeli military and reconnaissance crews in the settlement of Metulla, “leading to its destruction.”

CHANNEL 12: Two buildings in the Medulla area in the Upper Galilee were hit by anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanon.

Devastation in Tal Al-Hawa-: Charred Bodies, Burned Homes Found after Israeli Retreat

CHINA: The Chinese Foreign Ministry urged Israel to stop its military operations as soon as possible and effectively protect civilians.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli artillery shelling targeted northwest of Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip.

Friday, July 12, 10:00 Am (Gmt+2)

CHANNEL 12: Two rockets were fired from Lebanon at Metulla in the Upper Galilee, and electricity was cut off in the entire area.

GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE: The Civil Defense in Gaza reported the recovery of the bodies from one family in the industrial square west of Gaza City.

GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE: The Civil Defense in Gaza reported the recovery of the bodies from one family in the industrial square west of Gaza City.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG https://t.co/xZNFAwZdkZ pic.twitter.com/fRtN3Nt0gx

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 12, 2024

ISRAELI ARMY: We bombed a military site in southern Syria.

Friday, July 12, 09:00 Am (Gmt+2)

GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE: The Israeli army forces are withdrawing from areas in Tal al-Hawa and al-Sina’a Street and our crews are moving to retrieve the bodies from those areas.

MAARIV POLL: 43% of participants support Gantz as prime minister, compared to 38% for Netanyahu.

HAARETZ: Channel 13 is witnessing a “purge” of opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which began with the cancellation of a popular program presented by investigative journalist Raviv Drucker.

Friday, July 12, 08:00 Am (Gmt+2)

LIEBERMAN: Netanyahu is leading Israel to destruction and does not know how to manage anything.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli occupation artillery continues to shell the Al-Maghraqa area and the north of the Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli occupation artillery continues to shell the Al-Maghraqa area and the north of the Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG https://t.co/xZNFAwZdkZ pic.twitter.com/f94KJVQsGH

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 12, 2024

Friday, July 12, 07:00 Am (Gmt+2)

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army announces the death of an officer in Unit 9308 during battles on the northern front.

Friday, July 12, 06:00 Am (Gmt+2)

BIDEN: “I will not provide Israel with 2,000-pound bombs that cannot be used in Gaza or any other populated area without causing humanitarian tragedy and damage”.

Friday, July 12, 05:00 Am (Gmt+2)

AMBREY: A merchant ship reported two explosions about 21 nautical miles west of Mokha, Yemen.

Friday, July 12, 03:00 Am (Gmt+2)

BIDEN: We are working to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

ERDOGAN: Türkiye will not cooperate with Israel within NATO.

Friday, July 12, 02:00 Am (Gmt+2)

PENTAGON: The United States will soon remove a floating water platform it built off the coast of Gaza “to deliver aid to the Palestinian enclave” that has suffered from repeated problems.

Failed Gaza Pier to Be Dismantled Early – NYT Reveals

Friday, July 12, 01:00 Am (Gmt+2)

CHANNEL 13: Fires broke out in the Golan Heights after a missile was fired from Syria.

Friday, July 12, 12:00 Am (Gmt+2)

MOSSAD CHIEF: without Netanyahu’s principles we will not return the prisoners, so military pressure on Gaza must be doubled.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

A Qassam fighter preparing himself before reaching the battlefield. (Photo: video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas broadcast scenes of its fighters targeting Israeli soldiers and vehicles west of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Al-Qassam’s video stated that the operations took place on July 7 in the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city. 

The scenes included monitoring the progress of the Israeli military vehicles, then targeting a number of them with Al-Yassin 105 anti-armor missiles. 

The footage also included direct shots fired at an Israeli soldier peeking his head from a tank, directly hitting him.

Al-Qassam’s video concludes when one of the fighters places an explosive device under one of the tanks, then withdraws immediately, before a large explosion is heard.

Below are the latest statements by the two main Resistance forces in Gaza, and the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah. 

The statements were communicated via their Telegram channels and are published here in their original form. 

Al-Qassam Brigades broadcast scenes of fighters confronting Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the Shejaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/mwx66ypH21

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 11, 2024

Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)

“Al-Qassam Brigades targeted two Merkava tanks with two tandem shells near the Al-Zahar Junction in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

“WATCH: After their return from their combat mission and the enemy’s withdrawal:

Scenes of Al-Qassam fighters confronting enemy soldiers and vehicles in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City.

“Al-Qassam Brigades bombard a gathering of enemy soldiers and vehicles on Tal Zorob, west of the city of Rafah, with mortar shells.”

Al-Quds Brigades

“This morning we bombed Holit, Yatid and Avishalom in the Gaza envelope with a rocket barrage.

“We, in cooperation with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, bombed the soldiers and vehicles of the Zionist enemy penetrating the vicinity of the industrial area, southwest of Gaza City, with a number of mortar shells.

“We bombed Ashdod, Ashkelon, Sderot, and the Gaza Strip envelope with a rocket barrage.

“We bombed a position of Zionist enemy soldiers on the supply line in the Netzarim axis, south of Gaza City.

Quds Force Commander Reaffirms Iran’s Support for Gaza Resistance – Iranian News Agency

“After reestablishing contact with one of our combat groups in the advanced combat zones southwest of the city of Rafah, our fighters, in cooperation with Al-Qassam Brigades fighters, confirmed their successful targeting of a Zionist armored personnel carrier, an engineering corps vehicle, and a D8 military bulldozer with RPGs and Al-Yassin 105 shells in the vicinity of the Qabila Tarabin compound near the Shoun area south of Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah city.

“We bombed with 107mm rockets the Fajjah military site and positions of Zionist enemy soldiers on the supply line of the Netzarim axis.”

Hezbollah

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance launched an aerial attack, with a squadron of attack drones on the newly established headquarters of the artillery battalion of the 146th Brigade south of Kabri. 

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted the newly established technical installations at the Malikiyah site with appropriate weapons, achieving a direct hit.

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted a gathering of enemy Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Hanita site with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.”

(The Palestine Chronicle)

Iranian Commander Esmail Qaani. (Photo: via Wikimedia Commons)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, visited on Thursday the resistance front and met with its senior leaders.

According to news websites citing the Iranian News Agency, Qaani reaffirmed Iran’s unwavering support for the resistance of the people of the Gaza Strip.

The Iranian reports did not specify the date, location, or the individuals Qaani met with. However, the announcement of his visit coincides with ongoing escalations between Israel and the Lebanese movement Hezbollah, a key ally of Iran.

Iran has consistently reiterated its support for what is known as the Axis of Resistance, which includes resistance groups in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq. 

Hezbollah’s Response – Rocket Barrage Targets Israel following Commander’s Assassination

Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.

In recent weeks, the escalation between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah has intensified, raising fears of a full-scale war, especially with the Israeli army announcing the approval of operational plans for a large-scale attack on Lebanon.

The announcement of Qaani’s visit coincides with a message from Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian, to Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh.

Pezeshkian assured Haniyeh that Tehran “will continue its comprehensive support for the oppressed Palestinian people until they achieve all their goals, regain their rights, and liberate Jerusalem.”

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Additionally, on Monday, President Pezeshkian sent a message to Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, reaffirming the Islamic Republic’s support for the Resistance and the people of the region against the illegitimate Israeli occupation.

He expressed confidence that the Resistance movements in the region would not allow the Israeli occupation to continue its war tactics and aggression against the people of Palestine and the broader region.

(PC, AJA)

South African Minister Ronald Lamola. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Lamola, who previously served as the minister of justice and correctional services, highlighted that South Africa consistently raises the issue of Palestinian suffering through various multilateral platforms.

South Africa’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola announced on Thursday that the country will continue to leverage global institutions to defend Palestinian rights and ensure the equitable application of international law for all.

In his first public discussion on foreign policy in Cape Town since his appointment earlier this month, Lamola stated: “South Africa will continue to do everything within its power to preserve the existence of the Palestinian people as a group.”

He emphasized that South Africa will collaborate with global institutions to end all acts of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people. 

Lamola reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to walking with Palestinians towards achieving their collective right to self-determination, citing the country’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice as a guiding principle.

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Lamola, who previously served as the minister of justice and correctional services, highlighted that South Africa consistently raises the issue of Palestinian suffering through various multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, advocating for access to humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.

He noted that South Africa spearheaded the referral of the Palestinian situation to the International Criminal Court by six states.

“As our foreign policy is anchored on our history of solidarity with those struggling against oppression and occupation, we will continue to support the people of Western Sahara in their quest for self-determination,’’ Lamola added.

Lamola emphasized that multilateralism is a key policy for South Africa, which has utilized its membership in various international forums to advance the African agenda and strive for a more rules-based multilateral system and a more just and equitable world.

He reiterated South Africa’s consistent advocacy for the reform of global governance institutions, such as the UN Security Council, to better reflect current global political and economic realities and to be more representative and responsive to the needs of the Global South.

Plausible Risk of Genocide

On December 29, the South African government brought the case against Israel before the ICJ, accusing it of “genocidal acts” in its military campaign in Gaza.

Public hearings on South Africa’s request were held on January 11 and 12.

In January, the ICJ called on Israel to avoid actions that could lead to genocide and to facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza. 

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A few weeks later, South Africa requested additional measures in response to Israel’s announced intention to attack Rafah, but the court rejected this request.

At the beginning of March, South Africa renewed its request for emergency measures against Israel. 

Later that month, the court ordered Israel to ensure the delivery of “urgent humanitarian aid” to Gaza, in light of “a famine that has begun to spread” in the war-torn Strip.

Ongoing Genocide

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7. 

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 38,345 Palestinians have been killed, and 88,295 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’. 

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Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children. 

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety. 

(PC, Anadolu)