Live blog: Israel accepts responsibility for Gaza school massacre

Thursday, September 12, 2024

1854 GMT — The Israeli military has acknowledged responsibility for the deadly air strike on the United Nations-run school in central Gaza, claiming it targeted nine Hamas members.

In its statement, the Israeli army said it targeted what it claimed as "Hamas operatives who were operating inside a command-and-control centre embedded within a compound that previously served as the al-Jaouni School in the area of Nuseirat in central Gaza."

“So far, nine Hamas members have been confirmed killed in the strike,” it added.

While the army listed the names of those targeted, it claimed that three of them worked as employees of UNRWA in Gaza.

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1859 GMT — 3 killed in Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon: Health Ministry

At least three people were killed, and three others injured in an Israeli air strike on a town in northern Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported.

The strike targeted the town of Kfar Jouz near Nabatieh, and the deaths included a child. It also injured three others, the ministry said in a statement.

Lebanon's official news agency said the victims fell when the air strike targeted two motorcycles on the road from Kfar Jouz to Nabatieh.

1827 GMT — Israeli army withdraws from Tulkarem in northern West Bank, leaving behind destruction

The Israeli army withdrew evening along with vehicles, and bulldozers from the city of Tulkarem in the northern occupied West Bank following a three-day military offensive in which eight Palestinians were killed.

Following the withdrawal, the Tulkarem Municipality began clearing debris left by the Israeli bulldozers in the refugee camp.

Relief teams entered the Tulkarem refugee camp and started distributing food among the affected families.

Um Mohammed al Ghanem, a resident of the Tulkarem refugee camp, recounted the Israeli soldiers' raid on her home and the damage they caused. She told Anadolu that around 30 soldiers stormed her home, causing extensive damage and creating a hole in one of the walls.

1808 GMT — Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian olive trees, property in West Bank village

Illegal Israeli settlers burned olive trees and Palestinian property in Yatma, a village south of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.

"A group of illegal settlers from the Rehelim settlement near Yatma set fire to olive trees, a vehicle, and a scrap yard in the village after they immediately withdrew," Ahmed Sanobar, head of the Yatma village council, told Anadolu.

He added that the settlers' attack caused a fire that damaged several olive trees and a vehicle, but locals and firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze.

1804 GMT — Egypt to continue mediation efforts to reach Gaza ceasefire: top envoy

Egypt said it will continue mediation efforts with Qatar and the United States to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

This came during a meeting in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah al Yahya.

Egypt "is continuing its persistent and unyielding efforts, in collaboration and partnership with Qatar and the United States, to foster opportunities for de-escalation by reaching an agreement on an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," Sisi said as cited by a presidential statement.

This agreement "shall pave the way for the delivery of desperately-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza's residents and halt the regional escalation," he added.

1722 GMT — Car blast kills four in Israeli city of Ramla: medic, police

Four people were killed and eight injured when a vehicle exploded in the central Israeli city of Ramla, medics and police said.

Liad Aviel, spokesperson for the Asaf Harofe Medical Center in central Israel, said it "mourns the deaths of four individuals injured in the Ramla incident", adding that six other casualties were receiving treatment there.

1552 GMT — Erdogan calls for stronger international response to Israel's occupation policies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged for a more forceful response from the international community, particularly the United Nations, against Israel's occupation policies.

In a video message to the Global Call on the Summit of the Future online event, Erdogan greeted state and government leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Erdogan highlighted the upcoming Summit of the Future as a crucial opportunity to strengthen international solidarity and work toward a peaceful, secure, and just global system. He described the summit as a rare chance to address the ongoing global conflicts, oppression, hunger, and poverty.

1535 GMT — Palestine to propose UN resolution seeking Israeli withdrawal

Palestine's permanent mission to the United Nations is expected to present a draft resolution to the United Nations General Assembly next week demanding Israel to end its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories within 12 months, according to a document obtained by Anadolu.

The draft resolution emphasises that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal under international law, including decisions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Noting that Israeli settlements also violate international law, the draft resolution asserts that the Palestinian people have the right to self-determination under the UN Charter.

It reaffirmed that the issue of Palestine is "the permanent responsibility of the United Nations" until it is resolved in accordance with international law, as it notes the urgent need for Israel to end its occupation that began in 1967.

The draft resolution demands "that Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which constitutes a wrongful act of a continuing character entailing its international responsibility, and to do so no later than 12 months from the adoption of the present resolution."

1428 GMT — UN food agency intensifies calls for Gaza ceasefire after staff come under fire

An Israeli airstrike last month demolished the top floor of a guest house in Gaza where World Food Program international staff were staying, the United Nations agency’s director said, calling the situation “impossibly dangerous” for aid workers trying to feed the Palestinian population.

The previously undisclosed incident occurred Aug. 31 in the Nuseirat refugee camp, just days after WFP temporarily stopped aid deliveries to northern Gaza and halted staff movements when its team came under fire near an Israel checkpoint.

"It was always dangerous before. It’s become impossibly dangerous now,’" McCain said.

The World Food Program is in touch with the Israeli Defense Force over the strike on the house where 11 UN employees, including 10 WFP staff, were staying. None was injured and they have been evacuated to Jordan, where McCain met with them this week.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

1415 GMT — Fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 21 more Palestinians — medics

At least 21 Palestinians have been killed in fresh Israeli attacks in war-torn Gaza, according to medical sources.

An Israeli drone hit a group of civilians in the Zeitoun neighbourhood southeast of Gaza City, leaving two people dead and several others injured, a medical source said.

Four more people lost their lives and seven others were wounded in another drone strike west of Gaza City, the same source said.

An Israeli air strike targeted a house in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, killing five people, including two children, the Civil Defense Service said in a statement. Three more people were killed in another strike targeting a house in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, it added.

1409 GMT — Gaza economy shrinks to less than a sixth of its pre-war size, UN report says

Gaza's economy has shrunk to less than a sixth of its size when the Israel-Hamas war began nearly a year ago, while unemployment in the occupied West Bank has nearly tripled, a United Nations report said, underscoring the challenges of reconstruction.

The report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) described Gaza's economy as "in ruins" more than 11 months after Israel launched a military campaign there that has reduced much of Gaza to rubble.

The UN trade body said the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, is under "immense pressure" that is jeopardising its ability to function. "The Palestinian economy is in freefall," UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno told reporters in Geneva.

1406 GMT — Spain to host meeting of European, Muslim countries on Palestinian statehood

The foreign ministers of several Muslim and European countries will meet in Madrid on Friday to discuss how to implement a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Spanish and Norwegian governments said.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares will host the meeting, which his European counterparts will attend, including European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza.

The two-state solution set out in the 1991 Madrid Conference and the 1993-95 Oslo Accords has long been seen by the international community as the best way to settle the decades-long conflict, but the peace process has been moribund for years.

1404 GMT — France condemns Israeli air strike on school in Gaza

France condemned an Israeli air strike that targeted a school and killed several victims in Gaza, including six United Nations staffers.

"France reiterates its call for the release of all hostages, and given the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, for an immediate and durable ceasefire in order to allow the protection of civilian populations and massive and unhindered access to humanitarian aid," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It also stressed Israel’s obligation to "ensure the protection of humanitarian workers and UN staffers."

1334 GMT — Pakistan condemns Israeli air strike on Gaza safe zone

Pakistan strongly condemned an Israeli air strike targeting a declared safe zone for displaced Palestinians in Gaza, describing the attack as "genocidal."

In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, expressed outrage over the assault on civilians seeking refuge in a tent camp in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis.

"The targeting of individuals seeking refuge in a designated safe zone represents a gross breach of international humanitarian law," Baloch told reporters in Islamabad, adding that the attack highlights a flagrant violation of protections for civilian populations.

Baloch emphasided that the strike, which left at least 40 dead and dozens wounded, took place without prior warning and underscored Israel’s "genocidal" intentions against Palestinians.

1302 GMT — Hezbollah rockets cause fires in northern Israel amid border tension

A barrage of rockets were fired by Lebanese group Hezbollah towards Israeli settlements in northern Israel, local media said.

Israeli Channel 12 said 15 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards the Western Galilee region with some being intercepted by the Israeli army's air defence systems. The rockets caused fires in at least two locations in Western Galilee, the broadcaster said.

No injuries were reported.

1208 GMT — Israel must protect humanitarian workers in Gaza: US

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for the protection of humanitarian workers after United Nations staffers were killed in Gaza and said a US-backed ceasefire was the best way to ensure their safety.

"We need to see humanitarian sites protected, and that's something that we continue to raise with Israel," Blinken told reporters on a visit to Poland.

1150 GMT — EU foreign policy chief urges all parties in Mideast to de-escalate military tensions

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged all parties in the Middle East to de-escalate military tensions.

In a joint news conference with Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib in Beirut, Borrell regretted that this country was negatively affected by the conflicts in the region, including Syria and Palestine. Lebanese people want and seek stability, peace, and development, and the EU stands with them, Borrell stressed.

"We need to de-escalate military tensions, and I use this opportunity to urge all sides to pursue this path," the EU official said, and noted that “war is never inevitable, it depends on the will to avoid it.”

The international community must continue “pushing for a comprehensive peace in the region,” which means, according to Borrell, “that the security of Israel depends on the capacity of the Palestinian people to have a future based on their own state and freedom.”

1129 GMT — WHO 'confident' target for Gaza polio vaccination campaign met: official

The World Health Organization said it was "confident" that a giant polio vaccination drive in Gaza had hit its target of reaching more than 90 percent of children under 10.

Disease has spread with Gaza lying in ruins and the majority of its 2.4 million residents forced to flee their homes due to Israel's military assault - often taking refuge in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

After the first confirmed polio case in 25 years, a massive vaccination effort began last week targeting at least 90 percent of children under 10, aided by localised "humanitarian pauses" in fighting.

"We are confident that we probably reached the target," Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative for the Palestinian territories, told reporters.

1118 GMT — Deaths of UN staff in Gaza 'totally unacceptable': Germany

Germany said the deaths of six United Nations staff in war-torn Gaza are "totally unacceptable" and called on Israel "to protect UN staff and aid workers".

"Humanitarian aid workers must never be victims of rockets," the foreign ministry said on social media platform X. "The death of six UNRWA staff at a school in Nuseirat is totally unacceptable."

1050 GMT — Jordan, Saudi Arabia condemn Israeli strikes on UN-run school in Gaza

Jordan and Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Israeli air strikes on a UN-run school in central Gaza a day earlier.

This attack was “a flagrant violation of the rules of international law,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

0851 GMT — Gaza death toll hits 41,118 as Israel kills 34 more Palestinians

Israeli attacks killed at least 34 more Palestinians in Gaza, taking the overall death toll since last October 7, to 41,118, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

A ministry statement added that some 95,125 others have been wounded in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 34 people and wounded 96 others in three ‘massacres’ of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

0843 GMT — Türkiye probes killing of humanitarian activist in West Bank

Türkiye is investigating the killing of a US-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi during a protest in the occupied West Bank by the Israeli forces, the justice minister has said, adding that Ankara would press the UN to take immediate action.

"Türkiye has opened an investigation," Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said.

"We will work to ensure that the (UN) Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial and Arbitrary Executions takes immediate action, and that an independent commission of inquiry is established and prepare a report," he said.

0840 GMT — Qatar urges UN probe into Israeli attacks on Gaza schools, shelters

Qatar has called for sending independent UN investigators to probe the ongoing Israeli attacks on schools and shelters in war-torn Gaza.

At least 18 people were killed in two Israeli air strikes on the UN-run al-Jaouni School, where around 12,000 displaced civilians have sheltered, in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday, according to local health authorities.

At least six staff members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) were among the victims, including the manager of the UNRWA shelter in the area.

0823 GMT — Probe sought into New Zealand’s role in Israel's war on Gaza

New Zealand’s spy chief has confirmed he was “considering” a request to probe the country’s possible role in Israeli war on Gaza which has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians since last October, public broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported.

The confirmation by Brendan Horsley, who is inspector-general of intelligence and security (IGIS), comes after a group of academic and lawyers wrote a 38-page document, alongside a request letter, warning the country might be “aiding international crimes".

It would be a first such probe if Horsley goes ahead with the request.

“We believe there is a plausible case that the intelligence-sharing actions of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) in relation to what has occurred in Gaza, breach New Zealand law as well as standards of propriety,” wrote Treasa Dunworth, lawyers Vinod Bal and Max Harris.

0732 GMT — Irish FM condemns Israeli strikes that killed 6 UN workers

Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin on Thursday “condemned” the Israeli attack on Gaza that resulted in the death of six employees from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

“I condemn the Israeli airstrikes that killed six @UNRWA staff in Gaza,” Martin said on X.

“Humanitarian workers take exceptional risks to provide vital food and aid supplies to people,” he stressed, underlining: “There is an obligation to protect them.”

0639 GMT — Palestinian killed as Israel continues West Bank attacks

The Israeli army has killed a Palestinian man in the Far'a refugee camp in Tubas city, as the army continues its military operations in the northern occupied West Bank.

A medical source in the Tubas Government Hospital identified the slain Palestinian as Sufyan Abdul Jawad, 46, who was shot by Israeli soldier's bullet in his heart.

At dawn on Thursday, the Israeli army raided the Far'a refugee camp and stormed into several homes amid exchanging fire with Palestinian fighters, according to witnesses.

0439 GMT — No more money for Netanyahu's war machine: US senator

The US should stop funding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war on Gaza, Senator Bernie Sanders has said.

"This week: 19 people killed & scores injured in a strike in a 'humanitarian zone' in Gaza. An American shot in the head in the West Bank. Now, another school bombed, killing 14 people, including 6 UN aid workers.

"Enough is enough. No more money for Netanyahu's war machine," Sanders said on X.

0413 GMT — Israel storms West Bank's Qalqilya, wounding woman, detains Palestinians

Israeli forces stormed Qalqilya, a city in the occupied West Bank, during a raid that involved live ammunition.

According to local sources, an 18-year-old woman was wounded by Israeli shrapnel in the neck during the offensive.

The wounded woman was transported to Darwish Nazzal Governmental Hospital for treatment, local sources reported to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

During the raid, Israeli forces arrested two young men, identified as Musa Zaid and Hanoud Salmi.

0146 GMT — Israel detains wounded Palestinian in West Bank hospital raid

Israeli forces have raided a hospital in the occupied West Bank, detaining a wounded Palestinian.

Eyewitnesses reported that the troops, disguised as civilians, entered Mahmoud Abbas General Hospital in Halhul, north of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.

They detained a wounded Palestinian whose identity and health condition remain unknown.

According to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa, Israeli forces also raided the town of Husan in Bethlehem, detaining 17-year-old Ibrahim Hamamira.

On his way home from work at a car wash, he was reportedly assaulted by Israeli forces, suffering cigarette burns, other wounds and bruises on various parts of his body due to torture. After his release, he was taken to Beit Jala Hospital for treatment.

Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas at Palestinians protesting the raid in Husan, leaving many affected.

0036 GMT — About 100 Palestinians evacuated from Gaza for treatment: WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that 97 patients and critically wounded people from Gaza were medically evacuated for treatment to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Tedros shared details about the medical evacuation carried out in Gaza under intense Israeli attacks on X.

"WHO, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and partners, today evacuated 97 sick and severely injured patients and 155 companions from Gaza in the largest medical evacuation since October 2023," he said.

"Patients were transported via Kerem Shalom to Ramon Airport in Israel for onward travel to Abu Dhabi for specialised care," he added.

2358 GMT — Congress members seek US-led probe into murder of Turkish-US activist

US Senator Patty Murray and Representative Pramila Jayapal have urged the Biden administration to conduct an independent, US-led investigation into the murder of Turkish American peace activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

"Our hearts are with her family, friends, colleagues and community, all of whom are devastated by her killing and deserve to know their government has done everything it can to fully understand what led to her killing, pursue accountability for those involved, and seek to ensure this does not happen again," Murray and Jayapal wrote in a letter addressing President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"That is why we request an immediate, transparent, credible and thorough independent US investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), into the killing of Ms. Eygi, which, as Secretary Blinken said was 'unprovoked and unjustified.'"

2340 GMT — New York City museum fires employees for wearing keffiyeh

New York City's Noguchi Museum has said it fired three employees after they violated its updated dress code by wearing keffiyeh headscarves, which have become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestine's cause.

Last month, the art museum — founded by Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi — announced a policy prohibiting employees from wearing anything that expressed "political messages, slogans or symbols."

"While we understand that the intention behind wearing this garment was to express personal views, we recognise that such expressions can unintentionally alienate segments of our diverse visitorship," it said in a statement.

Natalie Cappellini, one of the three gallery attendants who was fired, took to Instagram to say the museum leadership was weaponising the term "political" against the Palestinian cause.

2110 GMT — Israel kills six staff members of the UN Palestinian refugee agency

The UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has said that Israel killed six staffers in two air strikes hit a school in central Gaza, marking what it said was the highest death toll among its staff in a single incident.

"Among those killed was the manager of the UNRWA shelter and other team members providing assistance to displaced people," UNRWA said on X.

"This school has been hit five times since the war began. It is home to around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and children," UNRWA added.

The government media office said the Israeli strike killed at least 18 people, including the UNRWA staff members.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Reuters news agency that a lack of accountability for the killing of United Nations staff and humanitarian aid workers in Gaza was "totally unacceptable".

2045 GMT — Hamas says ready for Gaza truce based on Biden's May plan

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said that it is ready to implement an immediate ceasefire in besieged Gaza based on a plan by US President Joe Biden that he presented in May.

Hamas reiterated its rejection of any "new conditions" added to the agreement in a statement that followed a meeting between its negotiating team, led by Khalil al-Hayya, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as well as Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel in the Qatari capital of Doha.

In May, Biden touted the plan as one offered by Israel. Biden presented the three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a ceasefire, a hostage-prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of Gaza.

But since then hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to amend his own offer and suggest new conditions while continuing his genocidal war on Gaza.

In his new conditions, Netanyahu insists on maintaining a military occupation along the Philadelphi Corridor, or Saladin Axis, along the Palestine-Egypt border in southern Gaza — a demand both Hamas and Egypt have rejected.

2021 GMT — No deal with Israel without truce, full Gaza withdrawal: Palestine

Hamas and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) have said that no agreement with Israel will be reached unless it includes a comprehensive ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from besieged Gaza.

"The situation in the Gaza Strip after the war (once it ends) is a pure Palestinian matter," the two groups said in a statement.

"Any force, no matter its origin, that acts outside the national consensus will be treated as an occupying power."

The Palestinian resistance group and the DFLP stated: "We reaffirm that no deals with the Zionist occupation will be made without a comprehensive ceasefire, full withdrawal from Gaza, lifting the blockade, reconstruction, and a serious prisoner exchange."

2000 GMT — Israel carries out '47th massacre' in Nuseirat camp since Oct 7

The death toll has risen to 18 in an Israeli bombing of a UN-run school housing displaced civilians in central Gaza, with several wounded, according to Gaza Media Office.

"It is the 47th massacre to have been committed by the Israeli army during its war of genocide in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where over 250,000 people live," the Office said.

1955 GMT — Netanyahu repeats vows to build barrier along border with Jordan

Netanyahu has vowed to build a barrier along the border with Jordan to prevent what he said are attempts to smuggle weapons and fighters into the occupied West Bank and Israel.

"We know that we need to secure our eastern border with Jordan. This is a border of peace. We are partnering with the Kingdom of Jordan to ensure that it remains so," Netanyahu said while overlooking the Jordan Valley and accompanying army commanders.

He claimed that "there is an attempt to smuggle both terrorists and weapons across Jordan into Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and into the cities of Israel."

Netanyahu did not specify who he believes is behind the alleged smuggling attempts.

For our live updates from Wednesday, September 11, 2024, click here.