Norway, Spain, and Ireland’s leaders declared on Wednesday that they would officially acknowledge the existence of a Palestinian state on May 28. The objective of the action is to induce Israel to consent to a political process that will terminate its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The decision was met with anger by Israel, which recalled its ambassadors to the three countries and referred to it as a “distorted step.” Israel Katz, the Foreign Minister of the Jewish state, announced that he had recalled the ambassadors of the three countries to Israel. He also stated that they would be shown a harrowing video of the abduction of five female hostages by Hamas during its Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which was the catalyst for the ongoing conflict.
The video, which was released by the Hostages Families Forum with the consent of the abductees’ families, was taped by Hamas militants who were wearing body cameras during the abduction of the women, who are still believed to be held captive in Gaza.
The European nations’ pronouncement, which was made in the midst of intensified fighting in Gaza, was warmly received by the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and Hamas, which ruled over Gaza for nearly two decades prior to Oct. 7.
On Wednesday, Israeli tanks advanced to the perimeter of a densely populated district in the southern city of Rafah.
t the conflict between Israel and Hamas is not restricted to southern Gaza. . Additionally, the Palestinian enclave, which was initially subjected to Israeli artillery and ground forces, has experienced an increase in violence this week in certain areas.
On Tuesday evening, the Israel Defense Forces conducted numerous attacks at the Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern Jabalia refugee camp, prompting 150 patients and medical personnel to flee for their lives. CBS News producer Marwan al-Ghoul reported as much.
The IDF sIn a statement issued on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that in the vicinity of Jabalia, soldiers had “dismantled a multitude of terrorist infrastructure and conducted aerial and artillery attacks on terror targets.” to Palestinian media, at least six individuals were murdered, and images from the area depicted shrouded bodies in a morgue, including several seemingly innocent children.
An IsraelAl-Ghoul reported that an Israeli strike in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah resulted in the deaths of at least 12 individuals, including young children. CBS News visited Al Aqsa hospital shortly after the strike and watched an infant being delivered from his mother, who was killed. ere unable to save the small infant.
The U.N. UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, estimated that as of Monday, over 810,000 individuals had evacuated Rafah within the past two weeks. Food distribution in Rafah has been halted by the agency due to insecurity and a shortage of supplies in the region. as directed the majority of those who have evacuated Rafah to relocate to al-Mawasi, a densely populated coastal region located to the northwest of the city. Israel has designated al-Mawasi as a humanitarian zone.
In a social media post on Wednesday, UNRWA stated that “For thousands of Palestinian families, there is nowhere left to go: military operations & bombardments pose a continuous threat; buildings have been turned to rubble.” The organization also stated that “Nowhere is secure in Gaza.”
A U.S. official has stated that Israeli leaders have addressed a significant number of President Biden’s concerns regarding the commencement of a full-scale ground operation in Rafah and that the White House has not yet expressed its support for such an assault on the city.
