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Here’s where things stand on Wednesday, January 17, 2024:
Latest Updates
- Qatar announced on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to allow an increased amount of medical aid into Gaza. The deal, mediated by Qatar in cooperation with France, will also provide medication for captives in Gaza.
- The Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen, which operates the Galaxy Leader ship seized by Yemen’s Houthis on November 19, has announced on Wednesday it is suspending operations in the Red Sea.
- In the US Senate, a resolution brought forth by Senator Bernie Sanders calling for the Department of State to report on Israel’s human rights practices was voted down on Tuesday night.
- Approximately 150 protesters from Mennonites Action, a Christian group, were arrested at the US Capitol building on Tuesday as they called for a ceasefire, as reported by US news outlets.
Human Impact and Fighting
- Following Israeli attacks in Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza on Tuesday, at least 15 people have been killed, per the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
- An operation by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against the armed group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Tuesday resulted in the death of two children, Reuters reported. It remains unclear if this attack is connected to the broader escalation related to Israel’s war on Gaza.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan issued a statement on Wednesday addressing the Iranian attack, cautioning that it could have “serious consequences” and was “completely unacceptable.” In response, an Iranian diplomat was summoned in Islamabad.
- Palestinian fighters have launched attacks from northern Gaza, an area heavily affected by Israeli bombardment, as noted in a Wednesday report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP).
- Yemen’s Houthi rebels have taken responsibility for a missile strike on a Malta-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea on Tuesday, which coincided with the US announcing a new strike on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Diplomacy
- Global leaders have convened in the Swiss Alps for the annual World Economic Forum’s Davos summit, with the Israel-Gaza conflict anticipated to be a primary subject of discussion.
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari Prime Minister, spoke on Tuesday at the Davos summit, indicating that the current situation in the Middle East could lead to widespread escalation.
- French President Emmanuel Macron expressed at a Tuesday press conference that France is committed to a “defensive” stance in the Red Sea and will abstain from participating in the US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets to prevent further regional conflict escalation.
Israeli Raids in the West Bank
- Israeli forces persist with their lethal raids in the occupied West Bank. Al Jazeera Arabic reports that on Wednesday, their bulldozers razed streets and infrastructure in the Tulkarem refugee camp.
- A drone strike by Israeli forces targeted a car in the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, resulting in the death of one Palestinian on Wednesday. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) stated that Israeli forces shot at ambulances attempting to access the ignited vehicle.
This overview provides the latest happenings and key developments regarding Israel’s military engagement in Gaza as well as surrounding regional incidents influencing the broader conflict.
