Israeli troops are NOT halting their pursuit of Hamas fighters in Gaza even if the International War Court has ordered a cease -fire….
But?
They ARE trying to be more surgical in their actions, cutting down the destruction they leave behind during their urban warfare….
The Israel Prime Minister still is the subject of domestic protests at the failure to get hostages back….
On the other hand?
Those hardliners without hostage’s involved are NOT happy with the protests against Netanyahu ….
Tired of moving….
Some in Gaza are staying in any safe zone they can find….
Other groups besides Hamas are out there looking to attack Israel ….
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Four U.S. Army vessels broke free of their moorings off the coast of Gaza on Saturday amid rough seas, the Pentagon said in a statement. Two of them were beached on the coast of Israel, near Ashkelon, and were being recovered with the help of the Israeli military. The other two were anchored on the beach near the temporary pier built by the U.S. military to help deliver aid to Palestinians in the war-torn enclave. The pier was still fully functional, the Pentagon said. The episode was the latest hiccup in the U.S. effort, which has struggled to increase the amount of aid getting into Gaza.
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The Group of 7 finance ministers on Saturday called on Israel to preserve banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks, arguing that “maintaining economic stability in the West Bank is also critical for regional security.” Meeting in Italy, the group also urged Israel to “remove or relax other measures that have negatively impacted commerce to avoid further exacerbating the economic situation in the West Bank.”
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Hundreds of Israelis took to the streets Saturday in Tel Aviv to protest against Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. Featuring a large banner that read, “Crime Minister,” Saturday’s demonstration added to the growing pressure on Mr. Netanyahu over his conduct during the war in Gaza. Many in Israel are angry that the Israeli prime minister has not done more to return the more than 100 hostages believed to still be held in the enclave.
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Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Iraq launched attacks on targets in Israel and the Red Sea late Friday and early Saturday but appeared not to do any damage. Yemen’s Houthis shot two missiles over the Red Sea, according to U.S. Central Command. And the Iraqi Axis of Resistance, an alliance of three or four Iranian-backed militant groups, released a statement saying it had targeted the Israeli ports of Haifa, on the Mediterranean, and Eilat, on the Red Sea. In most cases, strikes by the Iraqi and Yemeni groups are intercepted or fall short of their targets. The groups launch them in part to demonstrate their continued efforts on behalf of the Palestinians…..
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The Israeli military was pressing ahead with its operation in Rafah on Saturday, according to three Israeli officials, a day after the world’s top court appeared to order Israel to “immediately” cease its military campaign in the southern Gaza city amid a growing international outcry over the offensive.
The officials did not say exactly where in the city its forces were striking and fighting. One official said the military continued to advance slowly, but cautioned that it was too early to conclude how Israel would ultimately respond to the court order because it takes time for a military ground operation to change course. The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter….
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Gazans have been uprooted time and again during the more than seven months of Israel’s invasion and bombardment. Facing the prospect of having to pack up and flee once more, some in Rafah are putting off leaving, at least for now.
More than 800,000 Palestinians have already fled the southern city of Rafah and its surrounding areas over the past three weeks as Israel presses a military offensive there, according to the United Nations. But many are holding on in what was once considered the safest place in the Gaza Strip, where more than a million had come to find shelter…..
The IDF is moving “more deliberately” in Rafah, according to Israeli officers who recently left Rafah who spoke to the New York Times on May 25. The officers said that the IDF is using “less airpower and artillery, and fewer, smaller bombs,” which forces Israeli soldiers to clear urban areas on foot. An Israeli reserve soldier said that some Israeli forces are working near the border and others are moving into Rafah’s outskirts. This comment is largely consistent with CTP-ISW’s current control of terrain assessment of reported Israeli clearing operations.