From Turkey’s trade embargo on Israel to the UN’s warnings on the potential consequences of a new offensive against southern Gaza, these are the latest developments from the Israel-Hamas war this Friday.
ADVERTISEMENTThe United Nations humanitarian aid agency says hundreds of thousands of people would be “at imminent risk of death” if Israel carries out a military assault in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The city is a critical lifeline for humanitarian aid and currently hosts thousands of displaced Palestinians from other parts of Gaza.
The UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has said that an invasion of Rafah would be «nothing short of a tragedy beyond words».
Israel has previously said it would begin a ground invasion into the city, insisting that it remains a stronghold of Hamas.
Leaders across the world have urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be cautious about any incursion into Rafah.
On Thursday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said any US response to such an incursion would be up to President Joe Biden, but currently, “conditions are not favourable to any kind of operation”.
Erdogan imposes trade ban on Israel
Other world leaders have also warned Israel against a ground invasion of Rafah. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country has imposed a trade ban on Israel, saying it could no longer “stand by and watch” the violence in Gaza.
Turkey on Thursday announced that it had suspended all imports and exports to Israel and that the ban would remain until a permanent ceasefire agreement was reached.
“Up to now, Israel has killed [between] 40,000 to 45,000 Palestinians without mercy. As Muslims, we could not stand by and watch,” Erdogan told reporters following traditional Friday prayers in Istanbul.
Trade between Turkey and Israel reached $9.5 billion (€8.8bn), according to Erdogan.
The Turkish leader has faced domestic pressure to stop trade ties with Israel, losing points to a smaller Islamist party in local elections in March.
Israeli strike on Rafah kills seven
An Israeli strike on the city of Rafah on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip killed seven people, including children, hospital officials said on Friday.
The overnight strike on the Chahine family home killed two adults and five children, aged between 7 and 16, according to a list of the names released by Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital.
The strike comes a day after Hamas said it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further ceasefire talks — a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza.
The overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war stands at least 34,622, according to the Gazan Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians killed.
