Europa Press, Reuters and Sputnik
The newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, August 14, 2024, p. 24
Madrid. Palestinian civilians are used in Gaza to search tunnels and buildings during operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), whose high command believes that It is better that they explode and not the soldiersreported the Israeli newspaper yesterday Haaretzwhile Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir led a prayer on the Esplanade of the Mosques in East Jerusalem, together with thousands of Jewish worshippers, which was rejected by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), the United Nations Organization (UN), the European Union (EU), the United States, Jordan and Egypt.
The use of civilians to search tunnels and buildings during its operations in the Gaza Strip has been carried out repeatedly, with the knowledge of senior IDF commanders and with Palestinians who have been specifically detained for this purpose, it reported. Haaretz.
They said that our lives are more important than theirs, that in the end it is better for our soldiers to be alive than to be blown up by a device.said some of the soldiers with whom the Israeli newspaper, one of the largest circulation, was able to speak.
The IDF said that such practices are prohibited and that this information is already being investigated.
Closure of humanitarian corridor in Rafah
The Israeli army announced on X the temporary closure of the humanitarian corridor of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, claiming that it is a active combat zone since Hamas attacked the site by perpetrating a shooting towards the humanitarian axis areaalthough the Islamist group made no statements on the matter.
In East Jerusalem, Ben Gvir led some 3,000 Jewish worshippers to the Esplanade – Temple Mount for Jews – to commemorate the destruction of the historic temples located in this area.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said they were able to do so with the protection of the israeli occupation policewarning that the ultimate goal of this group is impose complete control.
Some of the Jews offered prayers during the rally, even though the status quo on the Esplanade of the Mosques, they are prohibited from praying and are only allowed to visit the area at predetermined times and to travel through it along a fixed route, accompanied by police who must ensure that the faithful do not pray or that they bring in Israeli flags or religious objects.
The esplanade rests on one side of the Wailing Wall, the last vestige of the Jewish Temple of Solomon, which is why Muslims fear that Israel will destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque, their third most sacred place, to build a third Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to deny that the rules banning Jews from praying at the site, holy to both Muslims and Jews, would be changed and rebuked Ben Gvir. There is no private policy of any minister on the Temple Mount, neither the Minister of National Security nor any other minister.Netanyahu’s office clarified in a statement.
Jordan, which acts as custodian of the site, recalled that the Esplanade of the Mosques is a prayer area exclusive for Muslims.
The United States described unacceptable that Gvir prayed at that place, which non-Muslims can visit, but without praying.
Not only is this unacceptable, but it detracts from what we consider a vital moment as we work to achieve a ceasefire.State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
Several Arab countries have protested the Gvir prayers.
Hamas’ new leader Yahya Sinwar has demanded that Israel halt its military operations as a condition for joining this week’s talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement, mediators told the daily. Al Arabiya.
Gvir maintained his hostile attitude and, referring to the new date for negotiations, stated: We have to win this war, not go to talks in Doha or Cairo.
Hamas is sticking to its demand that truce talks in the Gaza Strip focus on an agreement already discussed with Israel and mediators rather than working out a new one, an official speaking on behalf of Sinwar said, after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 19 Palestinians in the enclave. As of yesterday, the death toll since the war between Israel and Hamas stood at 39,929, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry.
Hamas also claimed responsibility for firing two rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months. No casualties were reported in Israel. The military said two rockets had been fired from Gaza, one of which landed in the sea and the other missed Israeli territory.
In this context, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow that Palestine has Russia’s support.