Day 33-36

Photo Source: Al Jazeera
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CWA # 1119, 11 November 2023
Day 33-36
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Fourth Week

  IPRI Team

The Israel-Hamas War: Day 36
Highlights:
Israeli forces target hospitals.
Iran calls upon Muslim countries to impose sanctions on Israel. 
France urges Israel to ceasefire.
More than half of Gaza’s healthcare have stopped functioning.
US raises concerns over death toll surpassing 11,000. 
Rosemary Kurian, Nuha Aamina, Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari

WAR ON THE GROUND 
On 11 November, Al Jazeera reported that according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, about 14,000 displaced people are in a state of “extreme panic and fear” as a result of Israeli tanks that are firing at the  Al-Quds Hospital being stationed only 20 metres away from the building. The director of Al-Shifa Hospital informed Al Jazeera that Israeli forces have “completely cut off” the hospital. 

On 11 November, Al Jazeera reported that thousands of people participated in the largest-ever Palestine solidarity demonstration in the UK, marching through central London while shouting “Ceasefire now” and “Stop bombing Gaza.” Around 300,000 protestors are estimated to have participated in the march on Saturday, which coincided with the yearly Remembrance Day celebrations and commemorating the end of World War I. Prior to the protests, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, referred to the event’s timing as “disrespectful”.

On 11 November, the Guardian reported on  fighting between Hamas militants and Israeli forces near the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. However,  no gunfire was coming from the hospital itself, as per a defence official cited in Reuters. In an Arabic video message, Colonel Moshe Tetro of COGAT, an Israeli Defence Ministry agency that works with Palestinians on civilian matters, stated that the east side of the hospital was open for anyone who wanted to leave safely. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, had earlier informed Al Jazeera that the facility was without water, electricity, internet, or medical supplies.

On 11 November, the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a statement: “Over the past 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza have been under relentless bombardment. Al-Shifa hospital complex, the biggest health facility where MSF staff are still working, has been hit several times, including the maternity and outpatient departments, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.” As hundreds of patients and MSF staff remain inside the Al-Shifa hospital,the group urgently restated its demands for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the attacks on hospitals, and the safety of healthcare facilities, personnel, and patients.

 REGIONAL RESPONSE
On 11 November, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries gathered for a joint-Islamic summit in Riyadh, calling for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza. They issued a declaration stating that Israel bears responsibility for the "crimes" against Palestinians. Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, said that the catastrophe in Gaza is the result of the failure of the UNSC and the international community to stop Israel from violating international laws.

On 11 November, Reuters reported that Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, called for action to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Before departing to Riyadh to attend a summit on the conflict, he said, "Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action." 

On 11 November, Arab News reported that Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, urged all Muslim countries to impose sanctions on Israel and designate it as a "terrorist group." Raisi accused Israel of violating international law and called the US a major partner in crimes against Gaza, citing its support for Israeli aggression and provision of weapons.

GLOBAL RESPONSE
On 11 November, according to Reuters, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, urged Israel to stop its bombing of Gaza. Macron suggested a ceasefire to halt the war, further stating that France condemns the “terrorist” actions of Hamas. While defending Israel’s right to defend itself, he emphasised that the bombing must stop. France hopes the US and the UK will join the call for a ceasefire. The comments came a day after the humanitarian conference on Gaza held in Paris, where world leaders decided that first a humanitarian pause, then a ceasefire was the only way to protect civilians. 

On 11 November, according to Reuters, the US expressed its concern over the rising Palestinian death toll in Gaza, topping 11,000 deaths. Fighting between the Hamas militants and the Israeli forces has escalated in and around Gaza City, especially its hospitals. Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the US, expressed his growing concern over the civilian casualties in Gaza, welcoming the four-hour pauses offered by Israel but demanding more to protect them.

On 11 November, according to Arab News, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the health system in Gaza is “on its knees”. Tedros Adanhim Ghebreyesus, the chief of the WHO, noted in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that more than half of Gaza’s hospitals have stopped functioning. While stating that there have been more than 250 attacks on healthcare in Gaza and the West Bank, he called for more aid through the Rafah border in the form of medicines, medical equipment, and fuel, and reiterated the UN stance on a ceasefire. 

On 11 November, according to the Guardian, members of the far- right disrupted London’s mass pro-Palestine march, one of the biggest in its history. London has beefed up its police presence on the streets, as several people emerged to disrupt the protests after Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s comments on the police being unfavourably biased to “politically correct minority groups”. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and Humza Yousaf, the Scottish first minister, blamed Braverman for her comments that prompted such clashes.

About the Authors
Rosemary Kurian and Nuha Aamina are undergraduate scholars from St Joseph's University, Bangalore. Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari are postgraduate scholars from Pondicherry University.

Curated By
Dhriti Mukherjee and Shamini are Research Assistants at NIAS.

The Israel-Hamas War: Day 35
Highlights: 
11,078 Palestinians are reported dead since the 7 October attacks.
US says that Israel has agreed to daily pauses.
War could push Palestinian GDP to 8.4, according to UNDP and ESCWA.
Rosemary Kurian, Nuha Aamina, Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari

WAR ON THE GROUND
On 10 November, Al Jazeera reported the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said that Israel is waging a “war against hospitals.” This statement comes after the Israeli forces stormed the hospital's front gate. The hospital is filled with patients and is also aiding many displaced families. ICRC said that military operations around hospitals must consider the civilians as they "are protected under humanitarian law." It further emphasised the protection of hospitals under international humanitarian law.

On 10 November Al Jazeera reported that a school in Gaza housing internally displaced people, was attacked by Israeli artillery and missile forces, killing at least 50 people. Witnesses claimed that those who fled along the main road towards southern Gaza were attacked. According to officials, more than half of the housing units were destroyed by the Israeli bombardment. 

On 10 November, the Guardian reported that according to Palestinian officials, Israel killed at least 22 people on Friday when it launched airstrikes on or near four hospitals and a school. The bombardment occurred after Israel’s war against Hamas militants left thousands of people injured or displaced, putting a strain on the already tenuous healthcare system. Reuters confirmed that one person had died after confirming the footage. 
 
Since 7 October, Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in at least 11,078 Palestinian deaths. The number of fatalities in Israel is over 1,200.

REGIONAL RESPONSE
On 10 November, Al Jazeera reported that Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Foreign Minister of Iran, said that spillover of the Gaza war is "inevitable" due to Israel's increased intensity of war against Gaza. This statement was made during a phone conversation with with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Foreign Minister of Qatar.

On 10 November, Arab News reported that Hezbollah made a statement in which it claimed thatseven of its fighters were "martyred on the road to Jerusalem" by Israeli fire. 

On 10 November, Arab News reported that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, said that the Saudi government had made necessary preparations to take injured Palestinians from Gaza, including patients suffering from chronic illnesses. Erdogan also said that Turkey would increase pressure on Israel to ensure the evacuation of injured Palestinians from Gaza.

GLOBAL RESPONSE
On 10 November, according to Reuters, the US said that Israel agreed to implement daily pauses in military action in parts of north Gaza, to allow civilians to flee through the two humanitarian corridors out of Gaza. John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, described the act to be a significant first step, which would also be used for the release of hostages. However, Israel has not officially confirmed recurring breaks, despite suggestions of scattered pauses. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated in an interview with Fox News Channel that there would be no "stoppage" to the fighting against Hamas, but only a few scattered hours in specified locations dedicated to the safe passage of civilians.

On 10 November, according to the Associated Press, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the US, said that Israel needs to do much more to save Palestinian lives. Blinken stated that while the US “appreciates” the steps Israel has been taking in minimising civilian casualties, it isn’t enough as “far too many” Palestinians have lost their lives. The US has proposed that the “humanitarian pauses” be expanded for a longer period and aid into Gaza increased. 

On 10 November, according to Al Jazeera, the UN warned that the Israel-Gaza war is having a “devastating” effect on Palestine's economy. One month into the war, a report released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), stated that the war would force thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank into poverty. It further predicted that if the war continues for another month, the GDP of Palestine would drop by 8.4 per cent.

On 10 November, Reuters reported that Mossad publicly extended its gratitude to Brazil for arresting two people suspected of being a part of Hezbollah’s cell and planning an attack. However, Flavio Dino, the Justice Minister of Brazil, thought that any foreign authority is not welcome to “direct Brazilian police bodies, ” or use their “investigations for the use of propaganda or its political interests.” In the backdrop, 30 Brazilians remain trapped in Gaza after the bombardments started on 7 October. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazilwarned Israel that ties between the two countries would become  unsustainable if these Brazilians were harmed.

About the Authors
Rosemary Kurian and Nuha Aamina are undergraduate scholars from St Joseph's University, Bangalore. Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari are postgraduate scholars from Pondicherry University.

Curated By
Dhriti Mukherjee and Shamini are Research Assistants at NIAS.

Israel-Gaza War: DAY 34
Rosemary Kurian, Nuha Aamina, Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari

War on the ground
On 9 November, the director of the Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in Gaza City stated that the hospital was almost completely shut down due to two attacks. 16 Palestinians were injured and at least 14 Palestinians killed in several Israeli raids on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Over 1,400 people have died in Israel in the same time frame. 

On 9 November, according to a spokesperson for the Palestinian Health Ministry, an Israeli attack struck a car in the parking lot of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City; the precise number of casualties is unknown. According to the group’s military spokesman, the Houthis of Yemen have fired a number of ballistic missiles at different Israeli targets, including military installations in Eilat. Earlier on the same day, an armed drone struck a building in Eilat. There was an attack on two US military bases in Iraq in al-Anbar and Erbil, and Ain al-Assad and al-Harir. A day after cross-border fighting restarted, Israel claimed to have struck “Hezbollah infrastructure” in Lebanon.

On 9 November, BBC reported that the US National Security Council spokesman said that Israel would start implementing daily four-hour military pauses in parts of northern Gaza. The Defence Minister of Israel, Yoav Gallant, emphasised that these were merely “localised and pinpoint measures” and would “not detract from the war fighting.” Two “humanitarian passages” that would permit people to flee conflict zones were highlighted by the President of the US, Joe Biden. 

Regional response
On 9 November, Arab News reported that Iran’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Nasser Kanani, had rejected a statement by G7, which called for Tehran to stop supporting Hamas and actions that destabilise the Middle East. The statement was made after G7 countries expressed their support for " humanitarian pauses and corridor" in the Israel- Hamas war.

On 9 November, Arab News reported that UAE, under its operation Gallant Knight 3, had sent give more planes to Gaza, carrying supplies and equipment to aid the construction of a field hospital in the Gaza Strip. Till now, UAE has sent 16 planes as part of this operation.

On 9 November, Arab News reported on the first Saudi plane carrying 35 tonnes of relief and shelter materials from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The plane headed to Al-Arish International Airport in Egypt in preparation for transportation to the besieged territory. Saudi Arabia is sending the relief material as part of its campaign to help Palestinian people in the Gaza strip.

Global response
On 9 November, according to Reuters, the US said that Palestinians must govern Gaza once Israel ends its war on Hamas. This statement came as a counter to Israel’s statement of indefinite security control in Gaza. The Secretary of State of the US, Antony Blinken, brought forth the American stance in a press conference in Tokyo by saying: “No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza”. While there might be some “transition period” allowed after the conflict, it cannot continue to post-crisis governance without Palestinians, Blinken added. 

On 9 November, according to the Associated Press, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, opened a Gaza aid conference to discuss the protection of civilians in Israel’s fight against Hamas. The conference included officials from the Western and Arab nations, along with international organisations and NGOs, who discussed on urgent aid to Gaza. While stating that Israel’s fight for terrorism must not be carried out without rules, he reiterated Paris’s stance on the need for a “humanitarian pause”. 

On 9 November, according to the Associated Press, , the Home Secretary of the UK, Suella Braverman accused the London police of supporting pro-Palestinian protesters. Braverman stated that London’s Metropolitan Police force was more lenient towards “pro-Palestinian mobs” by ignoring their breaches of law. In a political feud over the Israel-Hamas war that had subsided post the British prime minister backing the right to peacefully protest in the UK, Braverman unexpectedly escalated the matter, leading to widespread criticism and political uproar.

About the Authors
Rosemary Kurian and Nuha Aamina are undergraduate scholars from St Joseph's University, Bangalore. Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari are postgraduate scholars from Pondicherry University.

Curated By
Dhriti Mukherjee and Shamini are Research Assistants at NIAS.

War in Gaza: Day 33
Rosemary Kurian, Nuha Aamina, Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari

War on the ground
On 8 November, Al Jazeera reported that Israel has killed 214 people in the last 24 hours through its continued attacks on residential areas in Gaza.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in at least 10,569 Palestinian deaths since 7 October. Over 1,400 people have died in Israel in the same time frame.

On 8 November, BBC reported that according to the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry of the Gaza Strip, Israel has carried out 27 attacks in the last day, resulting in the deaths of 241 people, of which nearly half of the fatalities occurred in the south. As per the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), it is still providing safe passage at predetermined times for civilians who are still in the north to travel south. The IDF has positioned tens of thousands of soldiers, along with tanks and artillery, calling up a record 300,000 reservists.

On 8 November, according to Al Jazeera, trucks carrying medical supplies as part of a humanitarian convoy belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) came under fire in Gaza City. The ICRC was carrying supplies to the Palestinian Red Crescent’s Al Quds hospital, and expressed that it was “deeply troubled” by the incident. The Geneva-based neutral organisation reminded the parties at war of their “obligation under international humanitarian law to respect and protect humanitarian workers at all times”.

Regional Responses
On 8 November 2023, Arab News reported that the Secretary of Defence of the US, Lloyd Austin, and the Minister of Defence of Egypt, Gen.Mohamed Ahmed Zaki, had discussed efforts to bolster security in the Middle East and the importance of protecting civilians Austin appreciated Egypt’s efforts in evacuation of American citizens from Gaza.

On 8 November 2023, Arab News reported that the Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Falih, had announced to convene an emergency Arab summit in Riyadh to discuss the Israel-Hamas war.

Global Responses
On 8 November, the G7 foreign ministers issued a joint statement from Tokyo, denouncing Hamas, and calling for a “two-state solution.” Following intensive meetings in Tokyo, top diplomats from the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy expressed their support for humanitarian pauses “to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and release of hostages”.

On 8 November, according to Reuters, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Petra De Sutter, called on the Belgian government to adopt sanctions against Israel. De Sutter stated that she wants investigations on the Israeli bombings of refugee camps and hospitals in Gaza. She asked the European Union (EU) to cut ties with Israel over economic and political cooperation, as well as ban products from occupied Palestinian territories, further wanting those responsible for war crimes to be banned from entry into the EU.

On 8 November, according to the BBC, the sole Palestinian-American woman in the US Congress, Rashida Tlaib, was censured over her comments on the Israel-Gaza war. The Democrat from Michigan was condemned for “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel” as the censure motion passed by 234 to 188 votes in the Congress. Tlaib said that her comments were meant as an “aspirational call for freedom… not death, destruction or hate”, further stating that her comments were directed at the Israeli government to treat Palestinians as human beings.

On 8 November, Reuters reported that German military export approvals have risen ten-fold from last year. Since the attack of Hamas militants in Israel, the speed of approving permit requests has been a priority for Germany, which has so far approved around EUR 303 million worth of military equipment to Israel, compared to EUR 32 million in defence equipment in 2022. The primary exports include air defence systems and communication equipment.

On 8 November, Al Jazeera reported that Spain’s Minister for Social Rights, Ione Belarra, expressed her dissatisfaction about the unequal treatment of world leaders towards the victims of Israel attacks, while the same parties condemned the human rights abuse in Ukraine. She urged the EU to perform “fast action” against Israel by imposing economic sanctions. She further added that Spain should break diplomatic relations with Israel, which would send the “right political message,” underscoring that Spain does not “want to have anything to do with this war criminal like this leader.”

On 8 November, Reuters reported that the Director-General of the South Africa Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Zane Dangor, said that South Africa is likely to issue a “demarche” to Israel’s Ambassador to South Africa, Elian Belotsercovsky.

About the Authors
Rosemary Kurian and Nuha Aamina are undergraduate scholars from St Joseph's University, Bangalore. Rishita Verma and Gananthula Uma Maheshwari are postgraduate scholars from Pondicherry University.

Curated By
Dhriti Mukherjee and Shamini are Research Assistants at NIAS.

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