The European Union announced an emergency grant of around 400 million euros to the Palestinian Authority by September and said that the Union’s long-term support for the Palestinian Authority should bring it back into financial balance by 2026.
On the night of 22 July, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Fatah signed the national unity agreement in the Chinese capital Beijing. Hamas leader Husam Badran: The announcement in Beijing is another positive step towards achieving Palestinian national unity. The Palestinian demands for an end to aggression, an end to the siege, full withdrawal from Gaza, aid and reconstruction have been agreed upon.
Key points of the agreement: ‘To form a national consensus government to run the affairs of Gaza and the West Bank, oversee reconstruction and create the conditions for elections. To form a government that will agree on the most appropriate solution to the Palestinian situation after the war, thus creating an impenetrable barrier against any intervention aimed at imposing facts contrary to the interests of two peoples.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman: President Xi Jinping stressed the need to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement in Gaza and ensure the entry of aid. We are committed to supporting the ceasefire in Gaza and to Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations. The agreement between the factions in Beijing points to the formation of a Palestinian national unity government that will work to rebuild Gaza.
The Prime Minister’s Office: Benjamin Netanyahu has told the families of Gaza ‘prisoners’ that an agreement will soon be reached to secure their release. Israel classifies ‘UNRWA’ as a terrorist organisation, a classification rejected by ‘Hamas’ and ‘Islamic Jihad’. Israeli media report a cyber attack on the Israeli Ministry of State Security.
The Israeli MGB: ‘We prevented a “significant attack” organised by the Hamas headquarters in Turkey: five members of the team, members of the Hamas student cell at Bir Zeit University in Ramallah, were arrested’.
Brett Jonathan Miller, Israel’s deputy representative to the Security Council: We are under attack by the Houthis, whose military arsenal has grown in recent years. Since the start of the war in Gaza, the Houthis have carried out more than 220 rocket and drone attacks against Israel, including the Samad drone attack on Tel Aviv. The hand of the Houthis is now able to reach countries in the region and beyond, and one has to think what would happen if the Houthis are not stopped now. The fear now is of joint attacks with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance and then attacks from Yemen and Iraq.
The British delegate on the Security Council: ‘We confirm that there has been no UK involvement in the Israeli attacks against the Houthis in Yemen’.
Satellite imagery suggests that the Israeli attack on Hodeidah may have destroyed 33 oil tanks. Riyadh is accused of opening its airspace to Israel, which it denies.
Despite the Israeli attack, the management of the Red Sea Ports Corporation confirms that the port of Hodeidah is operating at full capacity. The Minister of Transport confirms the regular entry of ships into the docks of the port of Hodeidah and the stability of the situation in the port. On 22 July, the Houthis threatened Italy: ‘Any country that participated in the aggression against Hodeidah should also be concerned, even if it is Italy’.
Meanwhile, in Yemen, in the Houthi-controlled area, applications have begun for the start of Phase V of the escalation against Israel and its allies; the Islah party reported that ‘we assure Israel that we will not fight it for its aggression against Gaza or Yemen, but we will fight those who kill it in order to attack the Yemeni Support Front from within’. The clans linked to the Houthis have agreed to the aggression. Among the objectives: ‘to attack Israeli energy reserves after the attack on the port of Hodeidah in Yemen’.
The Houthi military media showed the press pictures of the new Houthi drone, Jaffa, which targeted an important Israeli target in the Jaffa region.
The agreement between Yemen and Saudi Arabia to address certain humanitarian and economic issues stipulates that “Annul recent decisions and procedures against banks on both sides and stop any similar decisions or procedures in the future. Yemenia Airlines will resume flights between Sanaa and Jordan, increasing the number of flights to three per day, and will operate flights to Cairo and India daily or as required. Meetings are held to address the administrative, technical and financial challenges facing the company. Start holding meetings to discuss all economic and humanitarian issues according to the roadmap’.
And now a look at the escalation between Israel – Hamas – Hezbollah, updated at 14:00 on 23 July (And now a look at the escalation between Israel – Hamas – Hezbollah, updated at 14:00 on 23 July: https://www.agcnews.eu/israelhamaswar-houthi-retaliation-expected-for-israeli-british-american-coalition-attack-on-yemeni-infrastructure/) . According to sources close to Hezbollah, there has been a significant improvement in the Israeli interception of drones from Lebanon. Some seven drones were launched from Lebanon today, all of which were intercepted by Iron Dome and other defence systems. Three drones came from Hemon and four from different areas of the Golan. During the night of 22 July, Israeli air strikes were reported in the areas of Al-Wizani, Aita al-Shaab and the village of Khiyam. Further attacks were reported in Yatar and Shiheen. A fire caused by Israeli artillery shelling was reported in Kfarkila.
On the morning of 23 July, the Israeli army fired three missiles at a vehicle in the village of Shaqra. Two civilians were injured. The IDF reports that during the night, the IAF struck a Hezbollah weapons depot in the Ayta ash Shab area in southern Lebanon, as well as infrastructure sites used by Hezbollah in the Houla and Ayta ash Shab areas. On Monday night, IDF artillery fired to eliminate a threat in the Ayta ash Shab area.
Hizbullah claimed to have attacked the al-Radar base, damaging spying equipment inside. The base is operated by Unit 8200. According to Hezbollah sources, other equipment was attacked at the al-Rahib base. The houses of Metulla and Al-Manara were also attacked. Hezbollah also announced that it had attacked the settlement of Tsuryal with rockets: ‘This is the first time that this settlement has been attacked, and we will attack new settlements whenever the Israeli army attacks and harms civilians in Lebanon’. Two people were reportedly injured in the attack.
Sirens sounded in the north of the Galilee, near Meron and Qiryat Kleb, warning of drones and rockets. Explosions were heard around Qiryat Shmona. Three UAVs launched in the attack on Meron. No reports of interceptions.
Hamas shells fired at Israel landed inside Gaza, hitting a school
On 21 July, IDF forces began operational activity in the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip, using airstrikes and tanks to eliminate Hamas forces. As part of the activity, IDF aircraft struck over 50 Hamas infrastructure sites, including weapons depots, observation posts and facilities used by Hamas men, as well as underground tunnel routes in the area. IDF forces continue an intelligence-led operational activity in the Rafah area. During the activity, troops eliminated dozens of Hamas men through targeted airstrikes and close combat. The IDF believes that the Hamas leadership is still hiding in Khan Yunis.
The Al-Quds Brigades claimed in a post: ‘We, along with the forces of the martyr Omar Al-Qasim, targeted Israeli groups on the supply line in the ‘Netzarim’ axis with a barrage of large-calibre mortar shells.
On the morning of 23 July, a joint IDF and ISA statement said: ‘Overnight, the IDF, ISA and Israel Border Police carried out a joint counter-terrorism operation in the Tulkarem area, as part of a series of more than 50 operations in the area since the beginning of the war. The soldiers hit several gunmen in an exchange of fire and dismantled numerous explosive devices planted under the streets.” “Among those eliminated was Ashraf Nafa, the head of the Hamas branch in the Tulkarem area. Also eliminated was Muhammad Awad, who was involved in the attacks against IDF soldiers”.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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