February 14, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned Israel's plans to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, saying it would create a "humanitarian catastrophe." 

Speaking during a news conference after she met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Baerbock drew attention to the plight of displaced Palestinians sheltering in Rafah. 

This comes as Netanyahu promised a "powerful action" in Rafah after the civilian population is evacuated, according to a statement posted on X. 

During her talks, Baerbock said she pushed for "more border crossings be opened quickly" so more humanitarian aid and medical supplies can reach people in Gaza. 

The foreign minister also laid out Germany's support for a ceasefire, saying it would create "a window of opportunity to free the hostages and to get more humanitarian aid in." 

Arab countries at the United Nations are preparing to introduce a Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, they said Wednesday.

The resolution would also call for unimpeded humanitarian relief and would block any transfer of residents of Gaza to a different location — which Arab countries insist is forced collective punishment against international law.

The United States has publicly stated it opposed the draft resolution. 

Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said the group had good, frank talks with the US Ambassador. Mansour said it is “high time” for the UN to act with a ceasefire resolution. and said the "internal business of the US is their business."

The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide echoed concerns expressed by other senior United Nations officials about Israel's plans for a full military incursion in Rafah, which would almost certainly have disastrous consequences for the civilians in the area.

Nderitu also emphasized the needs to release all hostages unconditionally and ensure humanitarian aid can reach those who need it most, as well as the need to speed up negotiations so that further violence can be prevented and a sustainable ceasefire can be implemented. 

"It is imperative that the protection of civilians is prioritized and that international humanitarian law is respected at all times," the special adviser said. "Enough of violence and enough of suffering of those who are most vulnerable, in Rafah and in the entire Gaza Strip.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his intention to order Israel's military to go into Rafah after the civilian population is evacuated, according to a new statement posted on X Wednesday.

Some background: US President Joe Biden told Netanyahu previously that an operation in Rafah “should not proceed” without ensuring the safety of the people sheltering there, the White House said.

Some other world leaders and NGOs including the United Nations have called on Israel to avoid a ground operation in what is now Gaza's most populated city.

French president Emmanel Macron and World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday appealed to Israel not to move forward with a Rafah ground operation.

Netanyahu said on Sunday that Rafah is "Hamas's last bastion," and that Israel will get the "remaining Hamas terrorist battalions" there, in an interview with ABC News.

FBI Director Christopher Wray met with Israeli law enforcement and intelligence officers during an unannounced trip to the country Wednesday, according to the bureau.  

Wray and his counterparts discussed the threat landscape facing both Israel and the US during the meeting, the FBI said in a press release. Also, Wray reiterated the bureau’s continued support to Israel after the October 7 attacks. 

Wray also met with the bureau’s legal attaché office in Tel Aviv and “stressed the importance of the work being done by FBI personnel alongside their Israeli partners to combat the threats posed by Hamas, Hizballah, Iran and others and to provide services to US victims of the attack,” the bureau said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a stern warning on Wednesday amid escalating armed hostilities in Rafah and the southern Gaza Strip.

With reports indicating a new phase of conflict, the ICRC emphasized the need to safeguard civilian lives. Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC's regional director for the Near and Middle East, urged all parties to spare civilian lives and infrastructure, emphasizing adherence to international humanitarian law.

Rafah, currently home to an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians, mostly displaced from elsewhere in Gaza, faces severe shortages of essentials like food, water, and healthcare.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that a US-funded shipment of flour intended for Gaza has “not moved the way that we had expected it would move."

Officials acknowledged that the delay raises concerns over Israel’s ability to ensure delivery of humanitarian aid if it does follow through with a ground incursion into Rafah.

About the shipment: The shipment was blocked by Israeli customs under operational orders of controversial Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, despite Israel’s war cabinet having approved shipments of flour to Gaza via the Ashdod port following a request from US officials.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which has been accused by Israel of employing individuals associated with Hamas’ October 7 attack, was listed as the recipient of the grain shipment. 

SpaceX-operated Starlink internet will be provided to the United Arab Emirates field hospital in southern Gaza for patients needing real-time video medical consultations, the UAE’s foreign ministry said Wednesday. 

The Rafah-based hospital — one of the few international field hospitals in Gaza — is staffed by 50 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and lab technicians. Communication difficulties in the enclave have affected its ability to help patients through video conferences with other hospitals.

Starlink uses a network of thousands of satellites to provide broadband and can deliver high-speed internet to users all over the world, including in areas where conventional internet is unavailable.

More on this: Elon Musk, who founded SpaceX, was criticized by Israeli officials in October when he wrote on X that he would provide Starlink to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.

At the time Israeli officials accused Musk of supporting Hamas, but shortly after, Israel’s communication minister posted that the country came to a “principle understanding” with Musk on Starlink and allowed it to operate in Israel and Gaza with the approval of the Israeli government. Israeli communication ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Israel approved the use of Starlink at the UAE hospital.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that it has struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to a deadly attack.

Overnight, the IDF said a base in northern Israel was targeted by rockets from Lebanon. The attack killed an Israeli soldier and injured at least eight others, according to authorities and emergency services.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group that is a regional force in its own right, has not claimed the attack. But Lebanese state media and Hezbollah-owned media reported air raids on several towns on southern Lebanon, including Aadchit, Souaneh and Chehabiya, throughout Wednesday. The United States is "concerned about escalation" in Lebanon and said that it is working to help resolve the tension, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

The strikes in Lebanon come as Palestinians in Rafah — the last remaining refuge in Gaza — are panicking as they try and decide whether to stay in the area or leave ahead of a planned Israeli offensive.

The United Nations aid chief has warned an attack on the southern Gaza city could lead to a "slaughter." And a growing number of countries and international organizations are now scrambling to convince Israel to halt its planned offensive.

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