Washington on alert. The American government said it was “concerned” on Monday December 11 after the publication of an article from Washington Postwhich claims, based on analysis of fragments, that Israel used American-made white phosphorus munitions during strikes on southern Lebanon in October. “We are aware of this article and we are of course concerned. We will ask questions to try to find out a little more”said John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. Phosphorus bombs are incendiary weapons whose use is prohibited against civilians, but not against military targets, according to a Convention signed in 1980 in Geneva. Follow our live stream.
Houthis target oil tanker in Red Sea. A missile fired from areas controlled by Houthi rebels hit, Strinda, a Norwegian-flagged ship off the coast of Yemen without causing any casualties, the US military announced Monday evening. The Houthis form, alongside Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, the “axis of resistance” against Israel.
Fighting is intensifying in the south of the Gaza Strip. “The fact that people are surrendering (…) accelerates our success and that’s what we want: to move forward quickly”Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi declared in Khan Younes, specifying that the army “intensified” its operations in the south while consolidating its presence in the north.“Hamas is at its breaking point, the Israeli army retakes its last bastions”Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday evening.
“Apocalyptic” situation in Gaza. The situation in the Gaza Strip is “apocalyptic”warned Monday evening the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, for whom the level of destruction in the Palestinian territory is “more or less, even greater” to that of Germany during the Second World War. According to the UN, more than half of the homes have been destroyed or damaged by the war in the Gaza Strip, where 1.9 million people have been displaced, or 85% of the population.