Morning Briefing - Feb. 19, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Monday with, including the conversion of Gaza’s Nasser hospital into military barracks by Israeli forces, oral argument to be filed at ICJ by Egypt, and protest by Israel over Brazilian president's remarks.

TOP STORIES

• Israel turns Gaza hospital into ‘military barracks’, says Health Ministry

The Israeli army has turned Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip into military barracks, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Sunday.

“The Israeli army has arrested 70 medics at the facility,” ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said in a statement.

The Israeli army on Thursday stormed the hospital, forcing everyone inside to evacuate and flee for their lives.

Al-Qudra said electricity outage at the hospital has caused the death of seven patients due to the cessation of oxygen.

• Egypt to submit oral argument before ICJ on Israeli practices in Palestinian territories

Egypt said Sunday it will give an oral argument before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Feb. 21 regarding Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Hague-based court is set to hear a Palestinian request for an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the 57-year-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories this week.

A total of 52 countries will present their legal arguments before the UN court between Feb. 19 and 26, while Israel will be absent.

“Egypt will give an oral argument on the Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories since

• Israel protests over Brazilian president's remarks comparing Gaza war to Holocaust

Israel on Sunday criticized Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for comparing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's Holocaust against Jews, with Tel Aviv announcing that it would summon the South American country's envoy for an official protest on Monday.

In a statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called da Silva’s statements “shameful” and “serious.”

Earlier in the day, da Silva accused Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip,.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Brazilian president “crossed a red line.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Türkiye late Sunday evening for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the Communications Directorate.

• The Israeli government on Sunday approved a declaration rejecting unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. “Israel categorically rejects international diktats around a permanent settlement with the Palestinians,” read the Cabinet decision cited by The Times of Israel.

• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that Israel insists on continuing its attacks on the Gaza Strip to "impose displacement," especially on the city of Rafah.

• Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanged cross-border fire on Sunday amid growing tensions between the two sides.

• The Israeli army’s expansion of its operation in the city of Rafah “risks cutting the lifeline of assistance into Gaza, causing further suffering,” the UN agency for Palestine Refugees said Sunday.

• Violence against Palestinians has increased since Oct. 7 and the West Bank is "boiling," EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Sunday.

• Two Palestinians were killed and two others injured in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Sunday, according to the Health Ministry.

• An Israeli offensive on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah is “unacceptable because Palestinians have nowhere to go” Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Sunday at Germany’s Munich Security Conference.

• Israel's plan to restrict Palestinians' entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is a reflection of the Zionist crimes and religious war waged by radical elements of the Israeli government against the Palestinian people,” Hamas said Sunday.

• The Popular Party won another absolute majority in Spain’s Galicia region in elections Sunday, defeating hopes that the left could end 15 straight years of conservative rule.

• The UN announced Sunday that a meeting focusing on Afghanistan kicked off in Qatar’s capital, Doha, without any representatives from the Taliban administration in the Afghan capital Kabul.

• American space agency NASA has announced that the second of the one-year Mars habitat experiments, dubbed "Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA)" will begin next spring.

SPORTS

• Spanish leaders Real Madrid held to 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano

Spanish La Liga leaders Real Madrid were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano in a Sunday match to go six points clear of this season's surprise package Girona.

Visitors Real Madrid took an early lead against their city rivals as Spanish forward Joselu scored.

In the 27th minute, Rayo Vallecano's Raul de Tomas scored the equalizer.

• Dutch sprinter Femke Bol breaks world indoor 400-meter record

Dutch sprinter Femke Bol broke the world indoor 400-meter record with a time of 49.24 seconds on Sunday.

Bol, 23, improved her record at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn to retain the title on home soil.

In 2023, Bol ran 49.26 seconds to smash Jarmila Kratochvilova's world record that the ex-Czech athlete set in 1982.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Iran, Armenia agree to build car bridge at Nurduz-Agarak border crossing

Iran and Armenia have agreed to put the construction of a car bridge at the Nurduz-Agarak border crossing on the agenda to bolster their economic cooperation.

The decision was taken during the 18th meeting of the Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Commission held in the Iranian capital this week, Iran's state media reported on Sunday.

• Putin says Türkiye 'most reliable' partner of Russia in gas sector

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that since the West’s restrictions on buying cheap energy from Moscow, Türkiye has emerged as the "most reliable partner" in the gas sector.

“They were constantly saying that Russia does not provide (energy), but restricts. We do not restrict anything… we give everything. The Turks proved to be the most reliable partner. It goes through TurkStream,” Putin said in an interview with Rossiya-1 TV.​​​​​​