WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that no indication of genocide has been observed in Gaza. This statement comes in response to South Africa’s request to the International Court of Justice to declare Israel in breach of its obligations under the Genocide Convention. The World Court has scheduled public hearings on Jan. 11 and 12 to address South Africa’s request.
Israel’s Mossad chief, David Barnea, has vowed to track down every Hamas member involved in the recent attack on Israel. This comes after the deputy head of the Palestinian militant group was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut. Barnea compared the situation to the aftermath of the Munich Olympics in 1972, when Mossad agents tracked down and killed Palestinian militants involved in the killing of Israeli athletes.
In a separate development, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that it hit Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, resulting in one of the deadliest days for the group. Hezbollah had announced that nine of its fighters were killed, but did not provide details about how they died. The IDF stated that it targeted a group in Yaroun, Lebanon, after identifying several launches from Lebanon toward northern Israel.
The tensions between Israel and militant groups have raised concerns over the possibility of war. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, warned that the group would respond without restraint if tensions escalate to war with Israel. He referred to the fatal drone strike in Beirut targeting the home of a Hamas leader as a crime and blamed Israel for the attack.
Amid the conflict, the father of a Palestinian American boy killed in a knife attack in Chicago expressed concerns about justice for his son. Wadee Al Fayoumi was stabbed to death, and his mother was severely injured in the attack. Joseph Czuba, the suspect, reportedly targeted the two because of their Muslim faith. Czuba has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, and hate crime charges.
In another development, Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, reported that ongoing attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels on vessels in the Red Sea have led 18 shipping companies to reroute their vessels to avoid the area. This decision adds more than a week to the journeys and increases freight rates.
The situation in the Middle East remains tense as military and political leaders continue to address the escalating conflicts and threats in the region. These developments have drawn concerns about the potential for a wider regional war and have sparked discussions about justice, accountability, and humanitarian issues in the affected areas.