The US says it hit greater than 85 Iran-linked targets in Syria, Iraq in retaliation for assault that killed American troopers.
Right here’s how issues stand on Saturday, February 3, 2024:
Regional tensions
- The US army says it hit greater than 85 Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the deaths of three American troopers in a drone assault in Jordan.
- The in a single day air raids killed at the least 18 Iran-aligned fighters, in accordance with the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The loss of life toll couldn’t be independently verified, and US officers solely mentioned the assault resulted in causalities.
- The White Home mentioned it knowledgeable Iraq earlier than finishing up its air raids contained in the nation. The Iraqi army referred to as the assault “a violation of Iraqi sovereignty”, including it may “lead Iraq and the area into dire penalties”.
Human affect and preventing
- Nearly all of Gaza’s 1.2 million youngsters are in want of psychological well being help, UNICEF mentioned.
- The company additionally mentioned about 17,000 youngsters in Gaza are unaccompanied or have been separated from their households throughout the battle.
- Multiple million displaced Palestinians worry a brand new Israeli army onslaught after the Israeli defence minister pledged to assault Rafah, an space as soon as described as a “secure zone”.
- The United Nations mentioned 112 Palestinians have been killed and 148 injured between Thursday and Friday afternoon in Gaza.
- Palestinian officers mentioned at the least 27,131 individuals have been killed and 66,287 wounded in Israeli assaults on Gaza since October 7. The revised loss of life toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas assaults stands at 1,139.
Diplomacy
- Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, mentioned the multistage proposal that officers from Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the USA put ahead this week is unacceptable as a result of it doesn’t embody a everlasting ceasefire in Gaza.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will journey to Israel, the occupied West Financial institution, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, and is anticipated to push for the discharge of captives held in Gaza and a pause in hostilities.
- Germany’s overseas minister warned Israel over its deliberate army offensive in Rafah, the dpa information company reported.
- The US has introduced new sanctions and fees focusing on the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- Some 800 European and US officers have written a letter to their governments denouncing Israel’s struggle on Gaza as “one of many worst human catastrophes of this century”.
Occupied West Financial institution
- Two Palestinian males of their 20s have been hospitalised after being overwhelmed by Israeli forces throughout a raid close to the town of Jenin within the occupied West Financial institution, the Wafa information company reported.
- Israeli raids have been additionally reported within the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, within the cities of Rujib and Burqa within the Nablus governorate, Tubas metropolis, northeast of Nablus, within the villages of Beit Tamar and al-Aruj, situated east of Bethlehem.
