The Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza was targeted again on Wednesday by rocket fire, lightly injuring an Israeli soldier. The crossing was reopened on Wednesday morning after being closed for three days following a Hamas rocket attack that killed four soldiers. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said that the crossing remained closed and that the closure is crucial for UNRWA, the main aid agency operating in Gaza.
The Israeli military has mobilized two combat brigades from Northern Israel to Gaza, signaling preparations for upcoming operations in the Gaza Strip. These brigades have undergone extensive combat training in anticipation of their deployment. The move aligns with the Israeli Defense Forces’ plan to launch an offensive against the city of Rafah. Further developments are expected as the situation unfolds.
The US is considering sanctions against an Israeli army battalion, Netzah Yehuda, over alleged human rights violations against Palestinians. The unit has been under investigation for incidents of violence, including the detention of an elderly Palestinian-American who later died. The Israeli government has condemned the reports of impending sanctions, calling them “the height of absurdity.”
The US is set to invoke the Leahy Law, a landmark congressional act, to halt military aid to an Israeli army unit due to credible evidence of gross human rights abuses committed in the West Bank prior to the Gaza conflict. This move marks the first time a US administration has invoked the law against an Israeli military unit and highlights the strain in US-Israeli relations. The Leahy Law, championed by former Senator Patrick Leahy, mandates the automatic cutoff of aid to military units found to have committed such abuses. Despite accusations of shirking rigorous investigations, Israel maintains that its security forces investigate abuses and hold offenders accountable.
