Israel continues operation in Jenin; Hames leader charged by US

Israeli forces continue military operation in West Bank city of Jenin

Israeli forces continue military operation in West Bank city of Jenin Source: AAP / ALAA BADARNEH/EPA

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The US has charged six Hamas leaders over the 7th of October attacks as Israeli forces continue their West Bank operation, clashing with Palestinians in Jenin killing 29 people. In Tel Aviv, protestors are demanding a ceasefire agreement and the subsequent release of hostages as a Polio vaccination drive continues in Gaza.


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Israeli soldiers have clashed with armed Palestinians Tuesday night in central Jenin.

Shots rang out as Israeli bulldozers tore up roads and infrastructure as Israel's six-day incursion into the Israeli-occupied West Bank town continues.

Israel claims to have killed 14 militants and arrested 25 since the operation began.

Palestinian health officials say at least 29 have been killed, including five children, during the same period.

This comes as protests continue in Tel Aviv for a third consecutive night with demonstrators demanding a cease-fire deal and the immediate release of roughly 100 hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Protesters fear that time is running out to save them.

On Tuesday protestors lit a bonfire and scuffled with police.

Joining in one demonstration is Tel Aviv resident Efi Lachover.

He says the Israeli government must be overthrown.

“I’m here today because of two main reasons, one is to topple the government at the end of the demonstration, and second to bring back all the kidnapped people in Gaza. And as it looks today it seems the government doesn't want to bring them back, they have other priorities, the only way to bring them back is to topple the government and this is in my opinion the most important thing.”

Tuesday's protest followed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that Israel must control Gaza's border with Egypt, an area known as the Philadelphi Corridor.

It is a critical area between the two countries, which remains a major point of contention in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas rejects any Israeli presence there, while Mr Netanyahu insists on maintaining control to prevent weapon smuggling, calling the corridor an existential threat.

Further fanning anti-government flames is Benny Gantz.

Mr Gantz, a former general and chief of staff who had been part of Mr Netanyahu's war cabinet until he quit in June, says Iran, not the Philadelphi corridor, is Israel's main existential threat.

"The Philadelphi corridor is an operational challenge, but is not an existential threat to the state of Israel, Iran's axis of evil is the existential threat to us. Existential threat is a strategic and security threat, and it is also composed of the collapse of all the components of the resilience of the state of Israel.”

Meanwhile, the US Justice Department has filed criminal charges against Yahya Sinwar, the new head of Hamas, and other commanders for the 7th of October attacks in Israel, citing the deaths of American citizens and other civilians.

The indictment also highlights the threat Hamas poses to national security, including charges of conspiracy to provide material support leading to hundreds of deaths.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says that US President Joe Biden continues to work towards a hostage deal and that Hamas leaders will face consequences for their actions.

"Make no mistake about it. Hamas leaders are going to pay for these crimes. And he and his team for sure will keep working around the clock to get this hostage deal done. And this is a president that has been pretty, pretty clear about that. He's spoken about making sure that we get this hostage deal done."

Meanwhile in Gaza, World Health Organization officials say 500 teams have fanned out across the besieged enclave as part of a vaccination campaign against an outbreak of Polio there.

Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the United Nations' Secretary General says tens of thousands of children have been vaccinated so far as day three is underway.

"The office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that local pauses (in fighting) aimed has aimed to allow us to reach more than 640,000 children under the age of ten across the Gaza Strip. The World Health Organization's director general, Doctor Tedross, said today that around 74,000 children are estimated to have been vaccinated yesterday, which is the second day of the campaign. This brings the total number of children vaccinated so far to over 160,000."

He adds that U-N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres holds hope that since both Israel and Hamas can take measures to shield children from a deadly virus, they can agree to end the war and secure the release of all hostages.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the release of hostages and an immediate ceasefire. If the parties can act to protect children from deadly virus, he said, surely they can and must act to protect children and all innocents from the horrors of war."

This comes as President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Phil Rosenberg, has decried the U-K government's decision to suspend 30 of its 350 licences for arms exports to Israel.

"It sends a terrible signal to key strategic ally Israel, but also the wrong signal to Hamas that they will commit these atrocities and yet it'll be Israel that faces consequences. It's unhelpful in the context of that horrible conflict. It's unhelpful message to send to other allies, and it's an unhelpful message to send to other adversaries."

The suspension includes parts for military planes, helicopters and drones, along with items used for ground targeting.

It does not include UK-manufactured parts for the F-35 fighter jets that Israel uses to strike Gaza.

The government's approval of export licences to sell weapons to Israel has been a contentious issue in Britain since Israel's war began on the 7th of October when Hamas fighters reportedly killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures.

Israel's offensive has devastated much of Gaza, with the Gaza health ministry reporting over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, 33 in the past 24 hours alone.


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