Today, Wednesday, "Al-Qasam Brigades," the armed wing of Hamas, announced that it has bombarded the city of Haifa in northern Israel with an "AR160" missile. They confirmed that they "attacked a gathering of vehicles and personnel east of Gaza with two suicide drones of the Zawari type."
On the other hand, Israeli army radio reported that "Netanyahu is conducting a security assessment of the situation, and warning sirens have sounded in Haifa, Gilboa, and Carmel areas due to the intrusion of drones." The Israeli Home Front has requested that all residents "stay in shelters in the areas from Haifa to the far north."
The National Unity Party announced in a joint statement that "the leader of the centrist opposition party Benny Gantz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to form an emergency government." The statement said that the two sides agreed to form a war cabinet that includes Netanyahu, Gantz, and current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and that they will not support any policies or laws unrelated to the fight against Hamas in Gaza.
In another development, "Al-Quds Brigades," the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, announced that they targeted cities and settlements in the Gaza envelope with extensive rocket fire toward Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and surrounding areas. Israeli radio reported that there were no "human losses related to the incident at the hospital."
As a result of the ongoing airstrikes, the United Nations announced on its platform X that nine of its staff members working with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have been killed in the continuous airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that 1,100 Palestinians have been killed and 5,339 injured in Israeli airstrikes. The official Palestinian news agency "Wafa" reported that Israeli forces and settlers killed three Palestinians in the village of Qusra near Nablus in the West Bank. The Red Crescent reported that 11 other Palestinians were injured due to being shot with live bullets.
Ghassan Daghlas, the acting governor of Nablus, told Reuters earlier today that Israeli settlers attacked the village located south of Nablus and fired live ammunition at citizens and ambulances in the area.
The highest Shiite authority in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called in a statement for the world to stand against Israel and prevent the occupation forces from carrying out their plans to cause further harm to the oppressed Palestinian people.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace stated today that "British King Charles feels shocked by the acts of sabotage in Israel that followed the attacks launched by Hamas." He indicated that "this is a situation that deeply concerns His Majesty, who has requested to be kept continuously updated on developments, and his heart and prayers are with all those suffering, especially those who are losing loved ones and those affected as we speak."
Furthermore, the Chinese Special Envoy to the Middle East, Chai Jun, called for an "immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas," adding that "the international community should provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people," according to a statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In related news, two Egyptian security sources stated that "Egypt has discussed plans with the United States and other countries to provide humanitarian aid across its border with the Gaza Strip under a limited ceasefire." The sources, who requested anonymity, noted that the aid will pass through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, adding that "Qatar and Turkey have also participated in the discussions."
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani requested Egypt to play an active role in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. He informed reporters during a visit to Cairo that "Egypt is a country that can play an important role in de-escalating the situation," and added: "I found a receptive audience with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when I asked him to exert his utmost efforts in the very difficult issue of the hostages, especially women, children, and the elderly."
In the same vein, the Egyptian presidency stated in a statement that "Sisi informed Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during a meeting in Cairo today that Egypt is intensifying its efforts and communications to contain the situation in Gaza to prevent further escalation."
Regarding President Mahmoud Abbas visiting Russia, the Russian news agency cited Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov as saying that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to visit Moscow soon, although he could not specify an exact date.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for a ceasefire and "international humanitarian intervention" in the conflict in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to stop human rights violations. Lula posted on platform "X": "There is an urgent need for international humanitarian intervention... There is an urgent need for a ceasefire to defend Israeli and Palestinian children."
He also stated that "Hamas should release the Israeli children who were kidnapped from their families," and called on Israel to halt bombings to allow Palestinian children and their mothers to leave the Gaza Strip and cross the border into Egypt. The leftist leader added that Brazil, which currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council, will join efforts to end the conflict immediately and definitively.
