Israeli military reports weapons found in Gaza clinic
According to Israeli soldiers, they have found numerous weapons belonging to Palestinian extremists in the basement of a children's hospital in the city of Gaza. There are also signs that hostages may have been held in the basement of the Rantisi hospital, said military spokesman Daniel Hagari.
In a video published on the X platform, formerly Twitter, on Monday evening, he shows assault rifles, hand grenades, explosive vests and anti-tank weapons. "This is equipment for heavy fighting," Hagari continues. Hamas leader Khalil al-Haja told the broadcaster Al-Jazeera that Israel was making false claims.
Israel's foreign minister: pressure will increase
According to Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Israel's government is preparing itself for a significant increase in international pressure on its country within two to three weeks due to the Gaza war. Although political pressure from abroad is already being felt, it is not yet very strong - this is increasingly changing.
"In the conversations I have, the focus is on the topic of humanitarian aid," says Cohen. The solidarity and shock following the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7, on the other hand, was declining. Israel will continue to fight in any case "until we have destroyed Hamas and brought back the hostages", he wrote on X.
Israel: Incubators offered for Shifa clinic
In view of the dramatic situation in the Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli armed forces have reportedly offered to supply incubators for premature babies. "We have made a formal offer to the health authorities in Gaza to bring incubators to the Gaza Strip to help the pediatric clinic in the Shifa hospital," said a spokeswoman for Cogat, the Israeli authority responsible for contacts with the Palestinians. "We are at war with Hamas and not with the people of Gaza." Photos showed an Israeli soldier carrying incubators into a van.
UN Relief and Works Agency fears total communications failure in the Gaza Strip
Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) fears a total breakdown of telecommunications in the Gaza Strip. The telecom companies still have enough fuel until Thursday to produce electricity for the data centers and the operation of servers, it said. In view of numerous service interruptions, it is already increasingly difficult to reach people and gather accurate information about the situation on the ground.
Biden calls for better protection of hospitals in Gaza
US President Joe Biden called on Israel to spare hospitals in the Gaza Strip from the fighting more than it has done so far. He hoped and expected that there would be less heavy fighting around hospitals, Biden said at the White House, according to US media. He also expressed hope for talks on the possible release of hostages.
Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called for better protection for hospitals and safe evacuation routes for people trapped there.
UN: No fuel to unload aid trucks
According to the United Nations, the lack of fuel in the Gaza Strip could also disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid. "We simply can't unload the trucks that will start arriving tomorrow because we don't have the fuel for the forklift," said Andrea De Domenico, the local head of the UN emergency relief office Ocha.
There is also not enough fuel for the trucks that distribute the aid - including food, water and medicine. Since the terrorist attack by militant Hamas in Israel at the beginning of October, which left 1,200 dead, the country has sealed off the Gaza Strip even more rigidly than before and banned fuel deliveries.
What is important today
According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, the health centers are likely to run out of fuel today. The centers would then have to rely exclusively on solar energy, which is only designed for minimal operation.
In response to international concerns, Israel has offered to provide incubators for premature babies in the Shifa clinic in Gaza, despite the ongoing conflict. However, concerns about a total breakdown of telecommunications in the Gaza Strip persist, potentially making it difficult to deliver and distribute aid efficiently.
Source: www.dpa.com
