Thousands of Israelis demonstrated on the evening of Saturday January 20 in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and also Haifa to demand the return of the 132 hostages held since October 7 in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators also demanded the departure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused by the opposition and part of the population of continuing the war to stay in power with his far-right coalition. On some placards, protesters demanded the organization of new elections, while Israel is mired in its military operation against Hamas in Gaza. Follow our live stream.
The Israeli government is maintaining its course. DFierce fighting continued on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, while Benjamin Netanyahu remains opposed to any idea of “Palestinian sovereignty” on the enclave, as requested in particular by the United States. Israel must “ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat”, what “contradicts the demand for Palestinian sovereignty”the Israeli Prime Minister said on Friday during a telephone interview with US President Joe Biden, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Hamas denounces new strikes. The Palestinian terrorist organization reported dozens of airstrikes and artillery attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, saying Israeli forces had targeted the area around Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals in the southern city of Khan Younes. now the epicenter of military operations. At the same time, the Israeli army is carrying out several operations in the West Bank, in Hebron, Qalqilya and Jenin, indicated the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
The United Kingdom is strengthening its position in the Red Sea. The British Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that the country will upgrade anti-aircraft batteries currently used by the Royal Navy to shoot down hostile drones over the Red Sea. The total cost of this upgrade is estimated at 405 million pounds (around 471 million euros), as attacks by Yemen’s Houthis threaten global trade.
Food deliveries expected in Gaza. Israel will allow shipments of flour to be delivered to the Palestinian enclave via the port of Ashdod, halfway between Tel Aviv and Gaza, but has not yet announced a precise date for these deliveries. In its latest statement on the military operation in Gaza, the country says it wants above all to keep “security control” in the Palestinian enclave. “The president welcomes the decision of the Israeli government to authorize the delivery of flour for the Palestinian population directly via the port of Ashdod”located near the Gaza Strip, the White House said on Friday.