The Israeli army continues its operations in the north of the Gaza Strip and in certain areas of Rafah, a town in the south of the Gaza Strip threatened by a major offensive. The IDF announced on Thursday, May 16, the death of five soldiers killed Wednesday during fighting in the north of the Palestinian enclave. The latter were killed “in combat”, the army said in a press release Follow our live stream.
South Africa demands Israeli withdrawal from Rafah before the International Court of Justice. Pretoria’s lawyers are calling on judges of the UN’s highest court to order Israel to stop an operation it has called “genocidal” threatening the “even survival of the Palestinians” as a group.
An Arab League summit dominated by the war in Gaza. The 22 Arab leaders meet Thursday in Manama, Bahrain, for a summit focused on the conflict. They had already met in November in Saudi Arabia and condemned Israel’s offensive, while refraining from announcing punitive economic and political measures against it.
Hamas leader says post-war Gaza governance will be decided with Palestinian factions. “We say that Hamas is here to stay (…) and it will be up to the movement and all the national (Palestinian) factions to decide on post-war governance in Gaza,” declared the leader of the Islamist movement, Ismaïl Haniyeh, in a televised speech.