JERUSALEM. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unexpected visit to troops in southern Gaza on Thursday, just days before his scheduled speech to the U.S. Congress. Netanyahu’s visit to Rafah came shortly after Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, potentially complicating ongoing Gaza cease-fire talks.
Earlier in the day, Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader, visited the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque. He stated he was there to pray for the return of hostages “but without a reckless deal, without surrendering.” His actions risk disrupting delicate negotiations aimed at reaching a cease-fire in the nine-month-old Israel-Hamas conflict. Israeli negotiators had arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to continue these talks.
Standing in front of the golden dome of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ben-Gvir declared, “I am praying and working hard to ensure that Netanyahu will not give in to international pressure and will continue with the military campaign in Gaza.” Ben-Gvir’s visit in May to protest against unilateral recognitions of Palestinian statehood had also drawn significant controversy.
Ben-Gvir, who has been convicted eight times for offenses including racism and supporting a terrorist organization, now oversees the country’s police force as security minister. As a key coalition partner, he holds significant sway, capable of undermining Netanyahu’s parliamentary majority and potentially triggering early elections. He has been pushing Netanyahu to continue the war in Gaza despite widespread calls for a cease-fire.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit as a “provocative intrusion” that endangered the fragile status quo of the Jerusalem hilltop compound, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif. Tensions over this site have historically fueled violence.
In an overnight session that extended into Thursday morning, Israel’s parliament passed a resolution rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, a symbolic vote intended to send a message ahead of Netanyahu’s U.S. visit.
The U.N.’s International Court of Justice is expected to issue an advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of Palestinian territories on Friday, a separate legal matter from the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
Overnight Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza killed at least 11 people, including two children and two women, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defense organization and local hospitals. Israel’s military claimed the strikes targeted senior commanders from the militant Palestinian group Islamic Jihad and other groups responsible for attacks on northern Israel.
The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel, has resulted in over 38,600 deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis, displacing most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and causing widespread hunger.
Hamas’ attack in October killed 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and militants took around 250 hostages. Israeli authorities report that about 120 hostages remain in captivity, with approximately a third believed to be deceased.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
