Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the U.S. has not seen any evidence of genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza during its military operations against Hamas. This statement comes amid calls from France to impose sanctions on Israel to ensure access to aid in Gaza. The U.N. has organized dignified burials for unidentified bodies at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, providing a sense of closure to families.
While Israel claims that more aid is entering Gaza, the United Nations disputes these figures, stating that the amount is insufficient to meet humanitarian needs. Protesters at the Senate hearing interrupted Secretary Austin’s remarks to denounce the situation in Gaza, calling for an end to the violence. In response to a suspicious aerial target near Eilat, Israel deployed the ‘C-Dome’ defense system for the first time to shoot it down.
Furthermore, the U.S. has transferred weapons from Iran meant for Yemeni Houthi rebels to Ukraine to aid in defense against Russia’s invasion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the operation in Rafah, despite global pressure against it. A video captured the emotional moment when a World Central Kitchen aid worker identified his colleagues killed in Gaza, highlighting the devastation caused by the conflict. As Palestinians return to areas of southern Gaza, they are met with scenes of destruction and uncertainty about what the future holds in the wake of the conflict.
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