The US Department of State is imposing sanctions on Tzav 9, a violent extremist Israeli group that has been blocking, harassing, and damaging convoys carrying lifesaving humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
"For months, individuals from Tzav 9 have repeatedly sought to thwart the delivery of humanitarian aid, including by blockading roads, sometimes violently, along their route from Jordan to Gaza, including in the West Bank. They also have damaged aid trucks and dumped life-saving humanitarian aid onto the road. On May 13, 2024, Tzav 9 members looted and then set fire to two trucks near Hebron in the West Bank carrying humanitarian aid destined for men, women, and children in Gaza,'' said Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the US Department of State, in a statement.
"The provision of humanitarian assistance is vital to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from worsening and mitigate the risk of famine,'' he emphasised.
"The Government of Israel has a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian convoys transiting Israel and the West Bank en route to Gaza. We will not tolerate acts of sabotage and violence targeting this essential humanitarian assistance. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to promote accountability for those who attempt or undertake such heinous acts, and we expect and urge that Israeli authorities do the same.''
Negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad this week to resume talks to end the war, sources told Reuters on Tuesday, after the collapse of weekend negotiations prompted Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports.
A third Iran-linked tanker was entering the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday on the first full day of the US blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports, shipping data showed.
A teenager opened fire at a high school in Turkey's southeastern province of Sanliurfa on Tuesday, wounding at least 16 people, including students and teachers, before taking his own life, Governor Hasan Sildak said.
The US military began a blockade of Iran's ports, angering Tehran and adding uncertainty around the crucial waterway, although hopes for dialogue to end the war provided some relief to oil markets where benchmark prices fell below $100 on Tuesday.