Palestinians flee the area after Israeli bombardment in central Gaza City on March 18, 2024, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Credit: AFP)
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Catch up on yesterday’s LIVE coverage of Day 164 of the Gaza war here.
One person was hospitalized for injuries suffered during Israel’s attacks on Mais al-Jabal as cross-border strikes continued to fall across southern Lebanon. The Israeli army destroyed and damaged several houses during its continued shelling of southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah claimed several strikes against the Israeli military. Following a meeting with the Qatari ambassador to Lebanon, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope Qatar and its fellow mediators’ efforts would “halt the escalation of conflict in the region, particularly the war in Gaza, and restore calm to South Lebanon.” While attempts to broker a second ceasefire resumed, Israel has repeatedly stated that a halt to hostilities in Gaza and the resulting reprieve of Hezbollah attacks would not be enough for it to end its offensive on southern Lebanon – demanding instead guarantees for the safe return of its displaced northern residents, seemingly through Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the border region as stipulated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
Caretaker Justice Minister Henry Khoury and a delegation of Lebanese MPs discussed a proposed law to increase the independence of Lebanon’s judiciary with the European Commission for Democracy through Law, the state-run National News Agency reported. The delegation is set to hold further meetings in Europe after their consultations in Italy with the Venice Commission. The commission in June 2022 published potential improvements to the draft law aiming to increase the judiciary’s independence – notably through increasing the number of elected members of the Higher Judicial Council from two to seven out of ten. Rendering the judiciary more independent figures among the reforms prerequisites by the International Monetary Fund to unlock a multi-billion dollar aid package for Lebanon. A number of high-profile cases, including attempts to prosecute banks over their informal restriction of depositors’ funds and the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut Port explosion probe, have instigated concerns over alleged government intervention in the judiciary. The draft bill also aims to ensure fairness in judicial appointments against claims that magistrates are named primarily through nepotism. Over sixty judicial appointments last month attempted to ease the backlog in Lebanese tribunals, which have left more than eight out of 10 detainees awaiting trial in abhorrent carceral conditions in prisons at more than double their capacity.
At least 31,726 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the latest figures from the enclave’s health ministry. The Israeli army raided the al-Shifa hospital, the largest in the enclave and one of several health facilities attacked by Israel over claims that it was used by Hamas, after months of war, supply shortages and fighting near hospitals have led to a total breakdown of the medical system. The same day an Israeli intelligence delegation traveled to Qatar to resume cease-fire negotiations. European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borell accused Israel of “causing famine” and using it as “a weapon of war” in Gaza, where he said it has crossed over into a “state of starvation.” International aid shipments have attempted to use airdrops and a newly-opened Cypriot maritime corridor to overcome stringent conditions set by Israel and the difficulties transporting aid in the war-torn enclave. Lastly, US intelligence claimed that an Israeli strike last week killed Hamas’s number three leader in Gaza, Marwan Issa. If true, this would prove to be a huge win for Israel which has struggled to achieve any results or kill and significant Hamas leaders in Gaza since the start of the war on Oct. 7.
In case you missed it, here’s our must-read story from yesterday: “Controversial new campaign calls to 'undo the damage' of Syrians in Lebanon”
Compiled by Abbas Mahfouz