Israeli Attacks Continue in Gaza, 42 More Palestinians Martyred, 133 Injured
Saudi Arabia Refuses Defense Agreement with the U.S. Over Israel Relations
RIYADH + GAZA ( WEB NEWS )
Saudi Arabia has rejected a defense agreement with the United States aimed at normalizing relations with Israel. According to foreign news agencies, Saudi officials stated that ties with Israel cannot be normalized until a free Palestinian state is established. The officials further clarified that if the U.S. were to enter into a general military cooperation agreement, it would not protect in the event of an attack.
Media reports suggest that the U.S. plans to increase its presence in Saudi Arabia, and the Biden administration intends to finalize a defense agreement. However, this agreement would require Senate approval.
Israeli Attacks Continue in Gaza, 42 More Palestinians Martyred, 133 Injured
Israeli military attacks in Gaza continue, with 42 more Palestinians martyred and 133 others injured in the latest assaults. Most of the fatalities occurred in the Nuseirat refugee camp. After Israeli tanks withdrew from some areas, Nuseirat became the focal point. According to Arab media reports, in a fresh attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp, 24 Palestinians were killed, including the ICU director of Kamal Adwan Hospital. Paramedics reported that they recovered the bodies of 19 Palestinians from northern areas of Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s eight old refugee camps. Medical experts said at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Beit Lahiya, located in northern Gaza.
Other deaths occurred in northern and southern Gaza. The Israeli military did not release a new statement on the incident, but on Thursday, it had said that its forces continued attacking militant positions in Gaza as part of ongoing operational activities. Israeli tanks targeted the northern and central parts of Nuseirat camp on Thursday. On Friday, the tanks withdrew from the northern areas but remained in the western part of the camp. The Palestinian Civil Defense team reported that they were unable to respond to distress calls from residents trapped in their homes. On Friday, dozens of Palestinians returned to areas where the military had destroyed their homes, inspecting the damage and recovering bodies. Some of the bodies were covered by blankets or white shrouds, and some were carried on stretchers. One man was seen crying next to the body of his wife, lying on a stretcher, saying, “Forgive me, my wife, forgive me, my smile, forgive me, my dear.”
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the death toll in Gaza has now reached 44,363. Every person in Gaza has been displaced at least once, and all areas of the strip now resemble ruins.
Meanwhile, Hamas targeted an Israeli military bus in the West Bank, injuring nine Israeli soldiers, three of whom are in critical condition.
There has been little progress in the months-long negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, and the talks are now at a standstill. However, a ceasefire between Israel and its ally, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, came into effect on Wednesday morning, halting the escalating tensions and diverting attention away from the Gaza conflict.