Tensions in Gaza have reached new heights as the Health Ministry reported five additional fatalities over the past 24 hours, including three newly confirmed deaths, along with 11 injuries. The ministry stated that two bodies had been recovered, though an unknown number of victims remain trapped under rubble, with ambulance crews unable to reach them due to ongoing military operations.
In a statement, the Prisoners’ Information Office accused Israel of continuing to detain 32 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza beyond the completion of their sentences, calling the practice a “legal and humanitarian crime.” Some detainees have been held for months, or even years, without release or judicial review. The office warned that more detainees could be added to the list in the coming months.
The Gaza Health Ministry also reported that 362 medical personnel have been detained since the onset of the conflict, many held under harsh conditions and deprived of basic legal rights. It called on international human rights organizations to intervene and demand their release.
On the ground, Palestinian media reported multiple injuries after an Israeli airstrike targeted a home in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. In Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Sheikh Jarrah, issuing interrogation summonses to four security guards and conducting extensive searches while sealing off the building.
In southern Gaza, Israel carried out airstrikes in areas behind the so-called “yellow line” in Rafah, and shelled targets east of Khan Younis with tanks and helicopters. Israeli troops also detonated several buildings in north Rafah. Israel’s Defense Ministry reported that 22,000 soldiers and officers have been wounded since the October 7 attack, with 58% suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
On the diplomatic front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized U.S. efforts to establish an international temporary force in Gaza. According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Netanyahu told Israeli ambassadors, “Our friends in the United States want to set up an international force to carry out the mission. I told them: go ahead, but they cannot do everything, and perhaps cannot do the most important thing.”
In Sweden, the Left Party organized a symbolic action in parliament to raise awareness about Palestinian prisoners. All 22 party members, along with two European Left MPs, placed photos of 24 Palestinian detainees on their seats for two weeks, sharing their stories on social media and writing solidarity letters to the prisoners through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In Jordan, the Foreign Ministry condemned recent remarks by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state and announced plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. The ministry called his statements a “flagrant violation of international law” and urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt its unilateral actions.
Yedioth Ahronoth, a leading Israeli newspaper, reported that Smotrich has allocated 2.7 billion shekels for the construction of 17 new settlements over the next five years, describing the West Bank as “Israel’s security belt” and reaffirming his stance against partition or the creation of a Palestinian state.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, the director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross stated that the organization is facing “one of the worst operational conditions” in Gaza over the past two years. He emphasized the urgent need for both an end to hostilities and a humanitarian response to rebuild and protect the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.
