Key Points
- Israel strikes continue in Gaza
- People perform Eid Al-Adha prayers in open spaces
- Netanyahu confirms four soldiers killed in Gaza
- US sanctions ICC judges
- UN human rights chief disturbed by US sanctions
GAZA: At least 34 people were killed in Israeli attacks on several areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Adha, rescuers in Gaza said.
According to hospitals in the Palestinian territory 16 bodies arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, while al-Shifa Hospital in north Gaza received 11 bodies. Meanwhile five bodies arrived at Ahli Hospital in Gaza City and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah received two bodies.
Earlier today men and children were left to perform the traditional Eid Al-Adha prayers in open spaces with much of Gaza in rubbles. As food supplies continue to dwindle, families were forced to make do with whatever they could gather for the three-day celebration.
Netanyahu confirms four soldiers killed in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that four soldiers had been killed in Gaza, with local military reporters stating they died in a booby-trapped building.
“Our four fighters gave their lives for the safety of us all,” he said.
The names of the other two soldiers have not yet been cleared for publication, the military said.
Israel issues evacuation warning
The Israeli military on Friday issued an evacuation order for residents of parts of Gaza City ahead of an attack.
“This is a final and urgent warning ahead of an impending strike,” army spokesman Avichay Adraee said.
The army “will strike all areas from which rockets are launched.”
France determined’ to recognise Palestinian state
In an interview with French radio station RTL, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël said that an upcoming United Nations conference on the two-state solution—co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia—would provide an opportunity for nations to “make commitments to remove all obstacles on the path toward the creation, or even the very existence, of a Palestinian state.”
When asked whether France would move to recognise a Palestinian state unilaterally, even if other countries did not follow suit, Barrot did not give a direct answer.
“This is not the option I’m considering,” he responded. “France could have made a symbolic decision. That’s not the choice we made because we have a particular responsibility.
“If we do this, it’s to change things and make it so that the existence of this Palestinian state is as credible as possible.”
UN human rights chief disturbed by US sanctions on ICC judges
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said that he is “profoundly disturbed” by the US government’s sanctions against four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges.
“Attacks against judges for performance of their judicial functions, at national or international levels, run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood,” he said in a statement.
He called for the “prompt reconsideration and withdrawal” of the sanctions against the judges, who participated in rulings related to Afghanistan and Palestine.
“Such attacks are deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice,” he added.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that four ICC judges had been added to the sanctions list, accusing them of violating the sovereignty of the US and Israel.
