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EXPLANER
As the conflict between Israel and Gaza enters its 42nd day, here are the main developments.
Almost six weeks after the start of the war, here is the situation as of Friday November 17, 2023:
Latest news on human impact and fighting
- The Syrian army announced Friday morning that Syrian air defenses had shot down Israeli missiles in the vicinity of the capital Damascus. While most of the missiles were intercepted, some caused material damage, the army said.
- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warned that Gaza faced the possibility of immediate famine, adding that only 10 percent of needed food supplies were entering the besieged enclave. The air attacks hit bakeries and wheat mills in southern Gaza, leaving only one company capable of producing flour in the enclave.
- A communications blackout across much of Gaza, as well as attacks on Gaza’s health system, make it difficult for the Health Ministry to collect information on locations affected by Israeli strikes.
- The Israeli army announced Friday that it had recovered the body of a soldier, Noa Marciano, held captive by Hamas. The body of another Hamas captive, Yehudit Weiss, was also found, the Israeli army announced Thursday.
- The Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza was hit by Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, killing at least 11 people, according to Palestinian authorities.
Situation in Gaza hospitals
- The situation in Gaza’s hospitals continues to worsen.
- The Israeli army remains present in Gaza’s largest medical center, al-Shifa Hospital, for the third day in a row. The hospital’s radiology department was damaged and several bodies were removed from the medical facility.
- The Israeli army said Thursday evening that it had found an operational tunnel under al-Shifa hospital. The army had insisted that Hamas operated its command center beneath the hospital, but has so far provided no evidence to support its claims.
- Gaza’s hospitals are running out of beds to accommodate patients, forcing many to be treated in hospitals. They are also resorting to manual procedures as they are short of medical supplies and equipment.
- Mahathir Mohamad, former Malaysian Prime Minister said Friday that a medical facility in Gaza established by his foundation was destroyed by Israeli bombing.
Diplomacy
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcement on X Friday, he discussed the current situation with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese. Trudeau has come under pressure from the Canadian electorate to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, Albanese’s government resisted the call for a ceasefire.
- The US State Department issued a statement on Thursday following Wednesday’s attack on a Jordanian military hospital in Gaza, which injured seven people. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed concern for the injured, commending the Jordanian government for establishing the hospital. Miller, however, did not condemn the strike nor did he specify who was responsible.
- The State Department also said Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli War Minister Benny Gantz, discussing the urgent need to defuse tensions in the West Bank, including addressing the levels increasing settler violence.
- Blinken also spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry about efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, reaffirming Washington’s rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians. However, calls for a ceasefire in Gaza remain irrelevant.
- The Elders, a group of former world leaders working for peace, sent an open letter to President Joe Biden saying that Israel’s destruction of Gaza and the killing of civilians put “states’ credibility and interests at stake.” -United in the world.”
Updates in the West Bank
- Three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone strike in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the head of the Palestinian ambulance service told Reuters on Friday.
- Israeli forces arrested two paramedics and ordered the evacuation of Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin while launching a raid on the hospital. Ibn Sina is one of the largest medical institutions in the Palestinian territory and is considered a specialized hospital. Armored vehicles damaged cars and roads during the raid.
- Israeli police killed three Palestinians with open fire at a checkpoint in Bethlehem.
