Live Blog Update| Israel's genocide in Gaza
This is an entry from: Israel-Palestine live: Netanyahu rejects Hamas ceasefire proposal, vows ‘total victory’

Evening recap

31 January 2024 23:59 GMT

Good evening readers of Middle East Eye. On the 117th day of the war in Gaza, the US said it was readying its response to the attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.

The response, which the US said could last weeks, comes as US, Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli officials continue discussions over a possible agreement between Israel and Hamas that could see a pause in fighting for weeks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X that Israel is pursuing another deal but that there are "red lines", and that the country would not agree to pull troops from Gaza, or release thousands of "terrorists", referring to Palestinian prisoners.

The death toll in Gaza, meanwhile, inches closer to 27,000 Palestinians. UN relief chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council today that aid entering Gaza continues to be blocked.

Local residents told MEE the bodies of 50 Palestinians were discovered at the grounds of the Khalifa bin Zayed elementary school in Beit Lahia after Israeli forces withdrew from the area.

Videos uploaded on social media sites showed several of the body bags tied with white plastic zip ties.

According to eyewitnesses assisting in identifying the deceased, Israeli forces reportedly executed the Palestinians nearly two months ago on a road near the school.

Here's what else you need to know about the 117th day of the war on Gaza:

  • A spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi movement said their naval forces carried out an operation targeting a US merchant vessel.

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the mission of Unrwa should be terminated.

  • US President Joe Biden is struggling to deal with how Biden's support for Israel has hurt his relations with the Arab American population of Michigan, a battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, campaign managers told Politico.

  • Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked the State Department to conduct an assessment of the policy options around recognising a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza, according to Axios. The UK is also considering recognising a Palestinian state.

  • The situation in Khan Younis' hospitals remains dire. Hospitals have run out of food and the Palestine Red Crescent Society said earlier on Wednesday that Israeli forces stormed al-Amal Hospital's square.

  • Thomas White, director of Unrwa affairs in Gaza, said that the staff for the UN aid agency for Palestinians has been forced to flee Khan Younis because of the intense fighting over the past week.