The Israeli military said it had killed five more militants, including a well-known local commander, in a major operation in the occupied West Bank.
There was no immediate Palestinian confirmation on Thursday of the death of Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaaa commander of the militant group Islamic Jihad in the Nur Shams refugee camp on the outskirts of the city of Tulkarem.
He became a hero to many Palestinians earlier this year when he was reported killed in an Israeli operation, then made a surprise appearance at the funeral of other militants, where a cheering crowd hoisted him onto their shoulders.
Israel launched a large-scale operation in the West Bank Night into Wednesday. Hamas said ten of its fighters had been killed in various locations, and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported an eleventh death, without specifying whether it was a fighter or a civilian.
Since the Hamas attack from Gaza on October 7, violence in the West Bank has increased started the war there.
___
Here is the latest information:
Top EU diplomat calls for sanctions against Israeli ministers
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top diplomat says the bloc should consider imposing sanctions on several Israeli ministers over their comments on the war in Gaza.
“Some Israeli ministers have spread hateful messages, unacceptable hate messages against the Palestinians and proposed things that clearly violate international law and incite further crimes,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Borrell did not name the ministers, but earlier this month criticised Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for comments suggesting that starving more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip “might be just and moral” until hostages captured in the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel are returned home.
Borrell said there should be “no taboos” preventing the EU from ensuring that international humanitarian law is respected. Borrell chaired a meeting of the Union’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday and wanted them to discuss possible sanctions.
But the 27 EU member states are divided over how to deal with the Gaza war, and it is unlikely that they would all agree on such a step.
UN food agency halts movement in Gaza after its vehicle hit by bullets
UNITED NATIONS – The UN food agency says it is “suspending” the movements of all its personnel in the Gaza Strip until further notice after one of its clearly marked vehicles was hit by at least 10 bullets en route to an Israeli military checkpoint at the Wadi Gaza Bridge in the center of the area.
The World Food Programme’s statement on Wednesday afternoon said the vehicle was hit on Tuesday evening despite Israeli authorities giving multiple permissions to approach. “None of the staff on board were physically injured,” the WFP said.
The agency said two WFP armored vehicles returned from the Kerem Shalom crossing after escorting a truck convoy carrying humanitarian aid into central Gaza.
“Although this is not the first security incident during the war, it is the first time that a WFP vehicle has been directly shot at near a checkpoint, despite the necessary authorizations having been obtained in accordance with standard protocol,” the Rome-based agency said.
The incident is “a stark reminder that the humanitarian space in Gaza is shrinking at an ever-increasing rate and that increasing violence is undermining our ability to deliver life-saving assistance.”
The WFP said the critical situation was exacerbated by “restricted access and increased risks”, which had led to a decline in food supplies to Palestinians who urgently need them.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the vehicle was hit by Israeli military fire, “including bullets targeting the front windows.” He said the incident showed that more UN armored vehicles were needed, adding that the two occupants of the WFP vehicle were saved because it was armored.
Israeli authorities recover body of soldier kidnapped and killed by Hamas
JERUSALEM – Israeli authorities said Wednesday they had recovered the body of a soldier who was kidnapped and killed by Hamas on Oct. 7 and held in the Gaza Strip since then.
The Israeli military and the domestic intelligence service Shin Beit rescued the remains of the fallen soldier in a joint operation overnight and brought them to Israel, a statement said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the man’s death, saying he fell on October 7 “in a heroic battle” while defending Israeli communities near Gaza.
“The heart of the entire nation mourns this terrible loss,” Netanyahu said.
At the request of the family, the soldier’s name was not disclosed.
The war in Gaza broke out when Hamas-led militants swept into southern Israel and wreaked havoc in army bases and farming communities, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250. The militants still hold 107 hostages, about a third of whom are believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire in November.
