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EXPLANER
Israel presents “morning after” plan for Gaza and al-Arouri’s funeral takes place. Here is the last one:
Here’s how things are going on Friday January 5, 2024:
Latest updates:
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant presented a “morning after” plan for Gaza.
- Under the plan, civilian affairs in Gaza would be handed over to anonymous local “Palestinian actors,” and Israel would retain the ability to carry out military activities.
- Former Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mashal said Thursday that Israel wanted to “export its crisis abroad” through the assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri.
- Thousands of people gathered in Beirut for al-Arouri’s funeral.
- A meeting of Israel’s post-war war cabinet on Gaza reportedly devolved into a row between army chief of staff Herzi Halevi and far-right ministers over an investigation into the failures of the army which allowed Hamas to enter Israel on October 7. .
Human impact and combat:
- The UN agency OCHA reported that Israeli attacks in Gaza killed 125 Palestinians and injured 318 between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, citing the Gaza Health Ministry.
- They are in addition to the 22,438 Palestinians killed and 57,614 injured between October 7 and January 3.
- The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in Gaza recorded 155 deaths and 357 injuries following Israeli attacks on two refugee camps in December, the medical association Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced on Thursday.
- At a press conference, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said 136 prisoners remained in the Gaza Strip, including three civilians initially reported missing.
- Tel Aviv Tribune Arabic reports that six people were killed in an attack on a house in Rafah, which had been declared a safe zone in Gaza.
- Israeli gunboats target coastal areas of Gaza amid escalating clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters near the Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps.
Diplomacy:
- Oman issued a statement on Thursday condemning Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir for pushing for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.
- The United Arab Emirates also issued a statement on Thursday condemning Israeli calls to displace Gaza residents and demanding an end to the war in the Palestinian enclave.
- UN human rights chief Volker Turk also condemned the calls in a message on X on Thursday.
- “85 percent of Gaza residents are already internally displaced. They have the right to return home,” Turk’s message said.
Very troubled by statements by senior Israeli officials on plans to transfer civilians from #Gaza to third countries. 85 percent of Gaza residents are already internally displaced. They have the right to return home. International law prohibits the forcible transfer of protected persons… pic.twitter.com/LMFxa9ur9N
– UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) January 4, 2024
West Bank raids and settler violence:
- In Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army attacked a commemoration ceremony for al-Arouri. They dispersed the gathering on Thursday with live ammunition and tear gas grenades.
- A Palestinian man suffered broken bones and bruises following settler attacks in Bethlehem on Thursday, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
- Israeli forces arrested a young boy herding sheep in Bethlehem on Thursday and confiscated 60 sheep from him, Wafa reported.
- Ratib al-Jabour, coordinator of the Popular and National Committees of Resistance to the Wall and Settlements, told Wafa that Israeli occupation forces have started building settler-only roads on citizens’ land in Masafer Yatta in Hebron.
- In Beit Rima, northwest of Ramallah, Osaid Tariq Anis al-Rimawi, a 17-year-old Palestinian high school student, was killed and at least seven others were injured Thursday evening.
- Israeli forces withdrew from the Balata camp, east of Nablus, after a raid lasting several hours which left two Palestinians injured.
