Limited evacuations from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing began on Wednesday. Some U.S. citizens were among the first to leave, per State Department officials.
Israeli airstrikes hit apartment buildings in Gaza’s largest refugee camp for a second day in a row, the Hamas-run government said.
The Israel Defense Forces said it killed a top Hamas commander in a Tuesday airstrike on the same camp. Hamas rejected that claim.
The developments come as Israeli troops push deeper into Gaza as part of an expanded ground operation against Hamas in response to the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack that left more than 1,400 people dead in Israel.
More than 8,500 people have since been killed in retaliatory strikes across the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, with civilian casualties continuing to rise.
United Nations: ‘Serious concerns’ about war crimes
In a social media post, the United Nation Human Rights Office wrote, “Given the high number of civilian casualties & the scale of destruction following Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp, we have serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes.” Israeli air strikes have hit the camp in consecutive days.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said at a Wednesday press briefing that the agency is not beginning its official process to assess whether Israel has committed war crimes during the conflict with Hamas at the moment.
“We will continue to discuss with them directly, as we will say publicly, that it is our expectation that in all of their activities, all their military campaigns that they comply with the laws of war.”
Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel, three other nations recall envoys over Gaza bombardment
Jordan, a key U.S. ally, announced Wednesday it has recalled its ambassador from Israel, saying it was out of protest for Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, per a Reuters report. Jordan is a country where pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread.
“This is to express Jordan’s stance that rejects and condemns the Israeli war on Gaza that kills innocents and is causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in a statement via state media.
Jordan joins Colombia and Chile, which also announced Tuesday that they have recalled their ambassadors to Israel for consultations and condemned the deaths of Palestinian citizens, the Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, Bolivia’s government severed diplomatic relations with Israel on Tuesday, accusing the nation of carrying out “crimes against humanity” in Gaza.
Bolivian and Chilean officials made no mention of the Hamas attack on Israel at the start of the conflict.
Some U.S. citizens stuck in Gaza are now in Egypt, says State Dept.
Some U.S. citizens were among an initial group of foreign nationals that have departed Gaza and are now in Egypt, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said during a Wednesday briefing.
He cited “operational security” concerns when he declined to give the exact number when asked by a reporter. “We want to make sure we can get U.S. citizens and their family members out as safely as possible,” Miller said. “The embassy in Cairo is standing by to provide assistance to U.S. citizens as they enter Egypt.”
ABC New reported on Wednesday that five American aid workers crossed the Rafah border into Egypt, citing as a source the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. The aid workers are affiliated with the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, Catholic Relief Services and Doctors Without Borders, the report said.
Meanwhile, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Air Force One that a “handful” of Americans are expected to depart Gaza on Wednesday.
“We expect to get more to come in future days. The State Department has communicated directly with American citizens and Gaza over the past 24 hours to tell them to be ready to go and to await further instruction,” Kirby said.
How the tiny Arab state of Qatar became indispensable in talks with Hamas
CNN reports: “On Wednesday, Qatar brokered a deal between Israel, Hamas and Egypt, in coordination with the United States, to release foreign nationals and critically injured Palestinian civilians from Gaza to Egypt, according to sources familiar with the talks. The agreement was separate from any hostage negotiations, the source added.At least 110 foreign passport holders left Gaza, according to officials on the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing. Al-Arish Hospital in Egypt also began receiving injured Palestinians who crossed from Gaza, according to Al-Qahera news.Qatar finds itself in a delicate diplomatic position, one that experts say has so far acted in its benefit, making it an indispensable ally to Washington. But some have said that Qatar’s relationship with Hamas may become a liability.”
CBS News reports: “The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York says 21-year-old Patrick Dai has been arrested for posting antisemitic threats, including, ‘If you see a Jewish ‘person’ on campus follow them home and slit their throats.’The feds say Dai is from the Rochester area and faces charges of posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications.The complaint alleges he also posted he would shoot up 104 West, the university’s kosher dining hall, among other violent messages.”
