Israel said its troops have entered the middle of Gaza’s main city, as they continue their operation to destroy Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated there would be no cease-fire until the roughly 240 hostages taken during Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7 are freed.
Saudi Arabia’s investment minister said the possibility of continuing talks for a normalization of diplomatic ties with Israel “remains on the table,” despite the kingdom’s vociferous criticism of Israeli military actions in Gaza. Any discussions will, however, be “contingent on a pathway to a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian question.”
Earlier, Axios reported that US President Joe Biden had on Monday urged Netanyahu to agree to a three-day pause in the fighting to allow progress in releasing some of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
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(All time stamps are Israeli time)
Israeli Army Enters ‘Heart’ of Gaza’s Main City (8:59 a.m.)
“IDF forces are in the heart of Gaza City,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said late Tuesday, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. “They came from the north and the south. They stormed it in full coordination between land, air and sea forces.”
Israel describes Gaza City as the “center of gravity” of Hamas’s operations. The government is determined to end the militant group’s rule over the strip following its attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, which killed around 1,400 people.
Biden Asked Netanyahu For Three-Day Pause: Axios (7:10 a.m.)
US President Biden urged Netanyahu in a call on Monday to agree to a three-day pause in the fighting to allow progress in releasing some of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Axios reported, citing unnamed US and Israeli officials.
Asked Tuesday if he had urged a pause, Biden told a briefing he “Didn’t get a chance to talk about that. I did ask him for a pause in the past, yesterday,” without elaborating.
According to the Israeli assessment, Hamas is holding about 180 hostages, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group is holding 40 and people loosely affiliated with the militant factions are holding about 20, Axios reported, citing two Israeli officials.
House Votes to Censure Representative Tlaib Over Israel Stance (6:40 a.m.)
The US House voted to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan over her condemnation of Israel in its war against Hamas.
The resolution, put forward by a member of the Republican majority and passed 234-188, accused Tlaib, the sole Palestinian American in Congress, of “promoting false narratives” about Hamas’s incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7 and for “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
Twenty-two Democrats voted in favor.
Saudi Minister on Talks Toward Normalization of Ties With Israel (3:47 a.m.)
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s minister of investment, said talks toward the normalization of ties with Israel remain on the table but have always been “contingent on a pathway to a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian question.”
“That was on the table — it remains on the table and obviously the setback over the last month has clarified why Saudi Arabia was so adamant that resolution of the Palestinian conflict has to be part of a broader normalization in the Middle East,” Al-Falih said on a panel at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore.
Saudi Minister Says Israel Talks Hinge on Palestinian Question
When asked whether Saudi Arabia would use economic tools such as the oil price to achieve a ceasefire, Al-Falih laughed and said: “That is not on the table today. Saudi Arabia is trying to find peace through peaceful discussions.”
Aid Convoy Comes Under Fire, Red Cross Says (12:30 a.m.)
The International Committee of the Red Cross said a humanitarian aid convoy came under fire in the Gaza Strip. The ICRC did not specify the source of fire, but said it was “deeply troubled” over the episode.
A driver was lightly wounded and two of the five trucks were damaged. The trucks were carrying medical supplies to health facilities, including Al Quds hospital in Gaza City, which Israel has demanded evacuation amidst bombings in the vicinity of the medical center. Thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter at the hospital. The convoy changed course and delivered the aid to the Al-Shifa hospital in the city according to the Red Cross.
US Having ‘Tough Conversations’ With Israel Over Gaza Bombing (9:19 p.m.)
The Biden administration is talking to Israel about respecting humanitarian law and keeping its airstrikes against the Gaza Strip proportional, Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said, amid growing condemnation of the civilian toll.
“We’re going to continue to have these kinds of conversations,” Singh said at a briefing. “That’s what a good partner does — is also having these tough conversations.”
Singh declined to say if Israel has violated international or humanitarian law with its strikes against the Gaza Strip, and said the US puts no conditions on the use of weapons it sends to Israel. But the US has been “very clear that humanitarian law, proportionality, always be taken into consideration when conducting any kind of response within Gaza,” she said.
