Middle East & North Africa

16 November 2023; MEMO: The Palestine Red Crescent Society announced, on Thursday, that Israeli tanks are besieging Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza City, and its ambulance teams are unable to reach the injured people due to the intense clashes, Anadolu Agency reports.

The society said in a statement on Facebook that tanks are surrounding Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, and there are intense clashes.

It added, "Red Crescent ambulance teams are unable to move to reach the injured and wounded".

17 November 2023; MEMO: Turkish Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, slammed Israeli officials, Thursday, for spreading disinformation about Turkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Anadolu Agency reports.

17 November 2023; MEMO: Israel has rejected a request for a visit from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, amid growing concern over the escalation of violence in its war on Gaza.

According to Euro News, the Israeli mission to the United Nations in Geneva told the French news agency AFP in response to a question about Turk’s request to visit Israel, “Israel is not aware of any additional benefit to a visit from the High Commissioner at this time.”

17 November 2023; MEMO: The Ministry of Health in Gaza has stated that the Israeli army destroyed medical departments in its attack on Al-Shifa Hospital.

Sources inside the Al-Shifa complex also reported that Israeli bulldozers began destroying the southern part of the complex and are advancing to demolish other departments.

17 November 2023; MEMO: The Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that Amman will not sign an agreement to provide energy to Israel in exchange for water. The exchange agreement was supposed to be signed last month.

13 November 2023; MEMO: An internal dissent memo within the US State Department has accused President Joe Biden of “spreading misinformation” on Israel’s assault against the Gaza Strip and has acknowledged that Israel is committing “war crimes”, in what is the latest occurrence of dissent in American policy bodies during the ongoing hostilities.

13 November 2023; MEMO: Israel’s Foreign Minister, on Monday, said international pressure on Israel would increase within two or three weeks over its onslaught on Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to the Jerusalem Post newspaper, Eli Cohen told a press conference that Israel has only two or three weeks before it loses its diplomatic battle on the international stage to stop the war on Gaza.

15 November 2023; MEMO: Israeli tanks are trying to advance further into Gaza City on the 39th day of the war, under the cover of warplanes and Quadcopter drones which are opening fire on anyone moving in Gaza City’s streets.

Israeli tank movements are limited to the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, while continuing to try to reach Saraya Square.

14 November 2023; MEMO: The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said as many as 3,141 Palestinian students have been killed by Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank since 7 October, along with 130 teachers and administrators.

14 November 2023; MEMO: The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip said that the Israeli army “is spreading lies and practising misinformation and incitement in preparation for destroying hospitals and killing patients.”