Israeli airstrikes on Gaza overnight and into Tuesday killed at least 25 people, including eight children and five women, according to Palestinian medics. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 58 bodies from Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals in the past day.
At the same time, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot remove the head of the country’s internal security agency for now. The court’s decision gives a 12-day delay, during which Netanyahu said he would keep interviewing candidates to replace the head of Shin Bet. He called the ruling “puzzling.”
Since Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas in March, it has blocked food, fuel, and aid from reaching Gaza — something human rights groups call a war crime. Israeli forces have also told large numbers of Palestinians to leave their homes, forcing many to escape bombardments and ground attacks.
The war, now in its 18th month, has taken the lives of more than 50,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel has said it will keep fighting until Hamas gives up its remaining hostages, disarms, and leaves Gaza.
The fighting began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants entered Israel, killing around 1,200 people and capturing 251 others. The group is still holding 59 hostages, with 24 believed to still be alive.
Israel plans to close UN schools in East Jerusalem
Israeli officials have given orders to shut down six UN-run schools in east Jerusalem within a month, which would interrupt education for about 800 Palestinian students.
Philippe Lazzarini, who leads the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said the organization offers key education and health services in east Jerusalem and nearby areas. Israel has blocked UNRWA from operating in its territory since January, though services in east Jerusalem and the West Bank have mostly continued. Netanyahu and his political allies claim the agency is influenced by Hamas, a claim the agency denies.
There was no immediate response from Israeli police or city officials about the school closures.
Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s director in the West Bank, said police supported by city officials entered three schools Tuesday, while over 20 armed border police entered schools in Shuafat. He said this happened before, on March 5, when forces entered three Shuafat schools with 30 border officers and education officials.
Forces works at the siteWedding hall burned in West Bank arson attack
A Palestinian wedding hall in the West Bank was set on fire overnight, apparently by Israeli civilians. No one was hurt, but parts of the building were burned.
Graffiti was sprayed in Hebrew on one building with the words “revenge” and “fight the enemy not the lover,” along with a Star of David.
Israeli security forces condemned the incident and started an investigation. Settlers in the West Bank have been blamed for more attacks on Palestinian communities, usually in response to violence or actions they see as limiting settlement growth.
Court blocks Netanyahu from firing security chief — for now
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the head of the internal security agency will keep his position for at least 12 more days. This follows Netanyahu’s recent attempt to dismiss him.
The government and attorney general must find a “creative solution” for Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar’s future by April 20, said the justices after a court session that lasted over 10 hours.
Netanyahu said he didn’t understand the decision and would keep meeting with people who could take Bar’s place.
The court hearing had to be closed to the public due to repeated protests, including disruptions from right-wing members of parliament.
Critics argue that Netanyahu has a conflict of interest in this case because Shin Bet is investigating links between his office and Qatar. Supporters of Bar say Netanyahu wants full loyalty from someone who is supposed to be neutral.
Netanyahu has already removed or forced out other top officials since the conflict began, including the defense minister and the military’s top commander.
UN chief criticizes Israel for blocking Gaza aid
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Israel is not meeting its duties under the Geneva Conventions, which require it to ensure access to food, medicine, and hospitals for Gaza’s people.
He pointed to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which says if people don’t have enough supplies, the occupying power must allow aid programs and help them.
A shopkeeper places a price tag on the fruits“None of this is happening today,” Guterres told reporters. “No humanitarian supplies can enter Gaza.”
For more than a month, Israel has stopped food, medical items, and other goods from entering Gaza. Israeli leaders claim they delivered enough food during the ceasefire, but U.N. groups disagree and say that’s not the case.
“As aid has dried up, the floodgates of horror have reopened,” Guterres said. “Gaza is a killing field — and civilians are in an endless death loop.”
He repeated calls for a lasting ceasefire, the release of all hostages from Hamas’s October 7 attack, and for aid to reach all areas in Gaza.
Netanyahu speaks after meeting Trump, shares views on Iran and trade
Prime Minister Netanyahu said military action is the only way to stop Iran’s nuclear plans.
“You go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision, American execution,” he said in a video Tuesday, referring to what happened in Libya. Without this, he warned, Iran will keep delaying talks.
Netanyahu again supported Trump’s plan to have Palestinians leave Gaza for other countries. He said Israel will keep trying to stop Turkey from setting up military bases in Syria and will look to Trump, who has close ties to Turkey’s president.
He said Trump asked him to reduce Israel’s trade deficit with the U.S., which was $7.4 billion last year. Netanyahu replied that this request was “the least we can do for the United States and its president who does so much for us.”