Middle East updates: Israel marks 76th anniversary amid war

Israelis held a moment of silence for their country's 76th Independence Day, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to win the fight against Hamas militants in Gaza.

Israel marks Memorial Day to honor fallen soldiers, and then celebrates Independence Day the next day. The juxtaposition of the two days is meant to highlight the link between Israel's costly wars and its founding in 1948, and its survival. But both days were quiet this year.

The event comes more than seven months into the war in Gaza, with thousands of displaced Palestinians preparing to flee Rafah in southern Gaza amid an anticipated Israeli offensive meant to eradicate militants holed up there.

Here's the latest from the Israel-Hamas warand the wider Middle East region on May 14:

05/14/2024May 14, 2024

Netanyahu says 'war of independence is not over yet'

A day after a somber Memorial Day in Israel, the country is marking its 76th Independence Day with a muted celebration from sunset on Monday to sundown on Tuesday.

Israelis observed a moment of silence, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing that "our war of independence is not over yet. It continues even today... We are determined to win this struggle."

Israel's Independence Day celebrates the creation of the state in 1948. This year, the usual firework displays were canceled, and the traditional torch-lighting ceremony was a televised event.

Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza are facing an impossible situation as the war there continues. 

Around 360,000 Palestinians have been driven out of Rafah in Gaza's south over the past week by escalating Israeli military operations, the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees said Monday. Israel has said the city, which is sheltering Gaza's big refugee population, is the last stronghold of Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, Israel and others.

The war in Gaza started on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked Israel and killed some 1,200 people and took another 250 people hostage. Israel's subsequent counteroffensive has killed at least 35,091 people, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.

On Monday, there were demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Binyamina calling for the release of the hostages, with protesters chanting: "No hostages, no independence."

Protesters called for the release of hostages in a demonstration in Tel Aviv Image: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

ss/rm (AP, AFP, Reuters)