Israel-Hamas war latest: Israeli military says it killed 5 more militants in West Bank operation

The Israeli military says it has killed five more militants in a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank, including a well-known local commander.

There was no immediate Palestinian confirmation on Thursday of the death of Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, a commander in the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Nur Shams refugee camp on the outskirts of the city of Tulkarem.

He became a hero for many Palestinians earlier this year when he was reported killed in an Israeli operation, only to make a surprise appearance at the funeral of other militants, where he was hoisted onto the shoulders of a cheering crowd.

Israel launched a large-scale operation in the West Bank overnight into Wednesday. Hamas said 10 of its fighters were killed in different locations, and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported an 11th casualty, without saying whether he was a fighter or a civilian.

Violence has surged in the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there.

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Here’s the latest:

EU’s top diplomat says bloc should consider sanctions on Israeli ministers

BRUSSELLS — The European Union’s top diplomat says that the bloc should consider imposing sanctions on a number of Israeli government ministers over their remarks about the war in Gaza.

“Some Israeli ministers have been launching hateful messages, unacceptable hateful messages, against the Palestinians and proposing things that go clearly against international law and is an incitation to commit more crimes,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Borrell did not name the ministers, but earlier this month he criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over remarks suggesting that the starvation of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians “might be just and moral” until hostages captured in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel are returned home.

Borrell said there should be “no taboos” to prevent the EU from ensuring that international humanitarian law is respected. Borrell was chairing a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday, and he wanted them to discuss possible sanctions.

But the 27 EU member countries are divided over their approach to the war in Gaza and it’s unlikely that they would all agree on such a move.

UN food agency ‘pauses’ movement in Gaza after its vehicle is hit by bullets

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. food agency says it is “pausing” the movement of all staff in Gaza until further notice after one of its clearly marked vehicles was hit by at least 10 bullets as it was moving toward an Israeli military checkpoint at the Wadi Gaza bridge in the center of the territory.

The World Food Program announcement Wednesday afternoon said the vehicle was struck Tuesday evening despite receiving multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach. “None of the employees onboard were physically harmed,” WFP said.

The agency said two armored WFP vehicles were returning from the Kerem Shalom crossing after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo routed to Gaza’s central area.

“Though this is not the first security incident to occur during the war it is the first time that a WFP vehicle has been directly shot at near a checkpoint, despite securing the necessary clearances, as per standard protocol,” the Rome-based agency said.

It called the incident “a stark reminder of the rapidly and ever shrinking humanitarian space in the Gaza Strip, where increasing violence compromises our ability to deliver life-saving assistance.”

WFP said this critical situation is exacerbated “by restricted access and heightened risks” which has led to a decrease in the amount of food reading Palestinians in desperate need.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the vehicle was struck by Israeli military gunfire, “including with bullets targeting front windows.” He said the incident shows the need for more U.N. armored vehicles, saying the two people inside the WFP vehicle were saved because it was armored.

Israeli authorities recover body of a soldier abducted and killed by Hamas

JERUSALEM -- Israeli authorities said Wednesday that they have recovered the body of a soldier who was abducted and killed by Hamas on Oct. 7 and who had since been held in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli’s military and the Shin Beit internal security agency rescued the remains of the fallen soldier in a joint operation overnight and returned them to Israel, according to a statement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the man’s death, saying he had fallen “in a heroic battle” on Oct. 7 while defending Israeli communities near Gaza.

“The heart of the entire nation mourns the terrible loss,” Netanyahu said.

The soldier was not identified at the family’s request.

The war in Gaza erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and rampaged through army bases and farming communities, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. The militants are still holding 107 hostages, about a third of whom are believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released during a November cease-fire.