🇵🇸 *PALESTINE UPDATES* *Here are the latest developments:* 👇🏽 ◾ Approximately 80,000 Palestinians offered Eid al-Adha prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem this morning, despite tight Israeli restrictions and a sombre atmosphere driven by the ongoing war on Gaza. Israeli police forces were heavily deployed in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the Old City before, during and after the prayers. ◾ At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the early hours of this morning. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 54,677 Palestinians and wounded 125,530, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday. ◾ The number of journalists killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war has reached 226 after Al Arabiya TV cameraman Ahmed Qaljah was confirmed killed earlier today, Gaza’s Government Media Office has said. ◾ The Israeli army’s Arabic language spokesperson has issued the order via a post on X. “To all residents of the Gaza Strip located in Blocks 608, 609, 615, 616 in the northern Gaza Strip area … This is a warning before the attack,” he said. These areas of the Gaza Strip are located east of Jabalia in the north. ◾ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reiterated European backing for the International Criminal Court, after the US slapped sanctions on four judges it accuses of “illegitimate and baseless actions” against Washington and its allies, including Israel. ◾ The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has closed its aid distribution centres in the enclave, and told Palestinians to stay away from the hubs “for their safety”. The centres were closed earlier in the week following days of bloodshed in which hundreds of aid seekers were killed or wounded by Israeli fire, before two sites reopened on Thursday. ◾ Lebanon and Iran have condemned Israeli strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon late yesterday, with the Lebanese army saying Israel was committing daily violations of “sovereignty and the ceasefire agreement”. ◾ Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said “there will be no calm in Beirut… and no stability in Lebanon without security for Israel”, and that the Lebanese government must disarm Hezbollah. ◾ Israel said it carried out Thursday’s strikes to target Hezbollah drone production and storage sites. ◾ A US private equity firm has a stake in Safe Reach Solutions, a private security company handling security for the GHF’s controversial aid operation, according to a report. Reuters reported that McNally Capital, founded by a member of the family that established US publishing giant Rand McNally, had helped set up the security firm in November. *-Ⓜ️iddle East Review* -------------------- 👇🏼 Stay updated on the latest Middle East news and developments https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaycDal1NCrd0j1Bvg3W