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Displaced Palestinian children in Rafah. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Despite international calls to prevent the ground invasion in Rafah, US officials said Washington is ready to send even more weapons to Israel. 

In Addis Ababa, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said that Israel’s war on Gaza is unparalleled in the history of humanity, declaring the AU’s total support for South Africa’s case at the ICJ.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue their attacks on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, this time detaining scores of medical staff and civilians. 

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 28,858 Palestinians have been killed, and 68,677 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Click here for the previous blogs.

LATEST UPDATES

Saturday, February 17, 10:30 pm (GMT+2)

MAARIV: Washington stipulated a settlement freeze in exchange for precision-guided munitions.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Israeli police arrested three demonstrators in front of Netanyahu’s house.

FAMILIES OF ISRAELI PRISONERS: Netanyahu ignores us and does not hear us.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: the Israeli occupation forces arrested a large number of the administration and staff of the Nasser Medical Complex.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: 7 Palestinians – including 3 children – were killed as a result of an Israeli bombing that targeted agricultural land housing displaced people north of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

BEN-GVIR: I will strongly oppose the entry of Palestinians into Israel during Ramadan.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Demonstrators block the street to the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv to demand that Netanyahu conclude a prisoner exchange deal.

Saturday, February 17, 9:00 pm (GMT+2)

NETANYAHU: Our soldiers are determined to continue the war until the end.

BELGIAN FM: The solution to the current crisis cannot be military alone.

Saturday, February 17, 8:00 pm (GMT+2)

SAUDI FM: The priority now must be to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

EGYPTIAN FM: We do not intend to prepare any safe places for civilians in Gaza.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Eleven Palestinians were killed in the ongoing Israeli bombing of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip since this morning, according to what Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported.

AL-JAZEERA: New Israeli raids on central and southern Gaza Strip.

Saturday, February 17, 7:00 pm (GMT+2)

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli occupation army announced the death of a soldier who was injured in a shooting attack in Kiryat Malachi yesterday.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: Our fighters bombed with a barrage of mortar shells gatherings of Israeli occupation soldiers and vehicles on the frontlines of the advance in the city of Khan Yunis.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: 40 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids on citizens’ homes in the central Gaza Strip.

BLINKEN: We do not support the Rafah operation without a plan for the safety of a million people.

Saturday, February 17, 6:00 pm (GMT+2)

G7: We are concerned about the forced displacement of Palestinians.

UNRWA: Eliminating the agency is a long-term Israeli goal.

CHANNEL 13 (quoting Israel local official): The situation on the Lebanese border is unreasonable.

TOP HAMAS OFFICIAL: We intend to suspend negotiations until aid is brought in

Saturday, February 17, 4:30 pm (GMT+2)

PRCS: The Israeli occupation continues to arrest 12 of our staff, including 7 from inside Al Amal Hospital a week ago.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A number of Palestinians were killed, in addition to dozens of wounded, as a result of the occupation aircraft bombing 5 homes in different areas of the central Gaza Strip.

US CENTRAL COMMAND: We carried out two strikes in Yemen.

AP (quoting US official): Israel did not provide any evidence that Hamas had stolen or diverted UN aid to its benefit.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two Palestinians were killed and others were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house in the town of Al-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip.

AL-JAZEERA: Clashes with heavy machine guns occurred between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation forces in the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City.

Saturday, February 17, 3:00 pm (GMT+2)

JORDANIAN FM: We completely reject any plan to isolate the Gaza Strip, and we coordinate with the Egyptian side, which shares the same position.

US SECRETARY OF STATE: The two-state solution must be resolved in a way that guarantees Israel’s security.

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: The Israeli aggression on Gaza caused the injury of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including 11,000 wounded who need to travel to receive treatment abroad.

US SOURCES: Growing hostility towards Washington because of its position on the Gaza war and its absolute support for Israel.

Saturday, February 17, 2:00 pm (GMT+2)

CHINESE FM: We will not allow the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to continue. Generations of Palestinian people were displaced and unable to return to their homes to this day.

BORRELL: Any military action in Rafah will exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation.

NEW PRESIDENT OF AFRICAN UNION: The Palestinians have the right to establish their state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Saturday, February 17, 1:25 pm (GMT+2)

HANIYEH: Israel bears responsibility for the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 28,858 Palestinians have been killed, and 68,677 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

CHANNEL 13: an Israeli delegation is expected to leave for Qatar next week to discuss a new prisoner exchange deal.

Saturday, February 17, 12:00 pm (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA: Six Israeli raids targeted the vicinity of the town of Salhani in southern Lebanon.

CHAIRPERSON OF AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: Moussa Faki Mahamat said that Gaza is being subjected to annihilation, and the Israeli operation is unparalleled in the history of humanity.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The bodies of five Palestinians from the Masoud family were recovered following the bombing of their home in Gaza City, while six other members of the family are still under the rubble.

Saturday, February 17, 11:00 am (GMT+2)

GERMAN CHANCELLOR: Israel must conduct the war in accordance with international law

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: the Israeli occupation forces arrested a large number of staff at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, which they turned into a military barracks.

Saturday, February 17, 10:00 am (GMT+2)

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army announces the bombing of sites in Lebanon and Syria.

Saturday, February 17, 09:00 am (GMT+2)

ANSARALLAH MILITARY SPOKESMAN: We will continue to prevent Israeli navigation until the aggression against Gaza stops.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli occupation forces targeted with artillery shelling the southern and eastern areas of the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

ITALIAN FM: Israel should not attack Rafah.

Saturday, February 17, 08:00 am (GMT+2)

DUTCH DEFENSE MINISTER: We are very concerned about the situation in Gaza and there must be a ceasefire.

Saturday, February 17, 07:00 am (GMT+2)

WSJ: The United States is preparing to send bombs and other weapons to Israel that will strengthen its military arsenal, even though the United States is seeking to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Saturday, February 17, 04:00 am (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli aircraft launched a raid on the town of Al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis, and another on the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: At least one person was killed and one was injured as a result of an Israeli bombing that targeted an apartment in a house in the Al-Jeneina neighborhood in the center of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Saturday, February 17, 03:00 am (GMT+2)

US SECRETARY OF STATE: Blinken said that he held “constructive” discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on bilateral and international issues, including the situation in the Middle East, during their meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The Israeli occupation forces carried out artillery shelling on the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

Saturday, February 17, 02:00 am (GMT+2)

FINANCIAL TIMES: The Rafah attack could deal a blow to Israel’s relations and the Biden administration

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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