Live blog: UNRWA chief calls for protection after Israel flattens Gaza HQ

Monday, July 15, 2024

1545 GMT –– The Gaza headquarters of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, in Gaza City, has turned into a battlefield and is now flattened, chief Philippe Lazzarini has said.

"Another episode in the blatant disregard of international humanitarian law," he said in a post on X.

Lazzarini called for the protection of the United Nations facilities at all times.

"They must never be used for military or fighting purposes."

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1759 GMT –– Israeli army admits it suffers shortage of tanks, ammunition amid Gaza war

The Israeli army has admitted that it is suffering a shortage of tanks and ammunition amid its ongoing deadly offensive on Gaza.

The army said in filings to Israel's Supreme Court that many of its tanks were damaged during the Gaza war and that its ammunition was in short supply, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

The admission was made in response to a petition demanding the incorporation of women fighters into the army's Armored Corps.

"The number of operational tanks in the corps is insufficient for the needs of the war and for conducting experiments of the deployment of women," the newspaper said, citing the court filing.

1736 GMT –– Israel hits Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon amid escalation

Israeli warplanes struck two buildings belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the army said as tension continued to grow between the two sides.

The attack targeted the two buildings in the town of Mays al-Jabal after Hezbollah operatives were spotted inside, the army said in a statement.

1724 GMT –– Hamas and Palestinian rivals Fatah to meet in Beijing: official

Senior officials from the rival Palestinian groups Hamas, which is at war with Israel, and Fatah have agreed to meet in Beijing this month in a renewed bid for reconciliation, officials said.

The Hamas delegation is to be headed by its Qatar-based political chief Ismail Haniyeh, while the Fatah representation will be led by deputy head Mahmud Alul, Fatah sources said.

The two groups have been bitter rivals since Hamas ejected Fatah from Gaza after deadly clashes that followed Hamas's resounding victory in a 2006 election.

1449 GMT –– Removing Israeli war rubble in Gaza to take 15 years, $500M: UN

Clearing Gaza of the rubble caused by a deadly Israeli offensive will take about 15 years, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has said.

"It would take up to 15 years to clear around 40 million tons of war rubble in Gaza," UNRWA said, citing an assessment by the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

It said the removal of the war debris in Gaza will need over 100 trucks and cost over $500 million.

"Debris poses a deadly threat for people in the Gaza Strip as it can contain unexploded ordnance and harmful substances," the UN agency added.

Last month, Israel's Army Radio, citing military officials, said around 50,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza by Israeli warplanes since last October 7, adding that between 2,000-3,000 bombs did not explode.

1545 GMT –– Death toll from Israeli attack on UN-run school in central Gaza rises to 22

The death toll from Israeli bombardment of a UN-run school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza rose to 22, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

At least 102 other people were injured in the attack that targeted the Abu Oreiban School run by the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Sunday, the ministry added in a statement.

According to witnesses, several children and women were among the victims.

1535 GMT –– EU imposes sanctions on five Israelis and three entities

The European Union announced sanctions against five Israeli individuals and three entities, describing them as responsible for "serious and systematic human rights abuses" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The list included Tzav 9, a group which it said had regularly blocked humanitarian aid trucks delivering food, water and fuel to Gaza.

Also on the list were Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the Lehava organisation, and Isaschar Manne, whom the EU described as the founder of an unauthorised outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Both have also been sanctioned by the United States, as has Tzav 9, which Washington said last week opposes Jewish assimilation with non-Jews and agitates against Arabs in the name of religion and national security.

1530 GMT –– Lapid criticises Netanyahu, calls him "crybaby, coward"

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has dismissed allegations of incitement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying every soldier fighting in Gaza is more threatened than him.

Lapid expressed his views in a post on the social media platform X, referring to a government meeting held on Sunday.

“Two hours of discussion in the government about the incitement against him. There is no two-hour discussion about the 101 victims of Kibbutz Bari. There is no two-hour discussion on the opening of the school year in the north on Sept. 1,” Lapid said with disbelief.

“Just the incitement against him is worth two hours of discussion? Is that the only thing that matters?” he questioned.

Criticizing the Israeli premier, Lapid said “Netanyahu is not a victim, he is a crybaby and a coward. Every soldier in Gaza is more threatened than he is.”

1500 GMT –– Australian library accused of censoring attendees of pro-Palestine workshop

Authors and poets in Australia accused the State Library of Victoria (SLV) of censorship, following the termination of their contracts for a pro-Palestine workshop in March.

Jinghua Qian, one of the writers involved, alleged that he acquired certain documents from the library using a Freedom of Information request, which showed SLV examining authors' social media for pro-Palestine content.

He claimed correspondence between SLV Board member Maxine McKew and CEO Paul Duldig indicated the library management emphasizing the importance of being cautious about the language used by individuals they collaborate with, including scrutinizing Australian poet and novelist Omer Sakr's posts after October 7 on Gaza.

1208 GMT –– Germany says deadly Israeli attack on Khan Younis safe zone may be justified

Germany has suggested a deadly Israeli attack on a humanitarian safe zone near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis could be justified.

The strike that hit the densely populated Al-Mawasi on Saturday killed at least 90 people and wounded many more. Israel said the strike targeted Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas military wing.

Asked at a press briefing whether the Israeli air assault was justified, given the fact that it killed dozens of people, among them women and children, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said: "I don't think that's an easy question to answer because, for example, we don't know how many of the victims were terrorists."

“Perhaps we first have to state again that the Israeli airstrike on Saturday at noon was, I believe, aimed at Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif and also Rafa Salama, the commander of the Khan Yunis Brigades," he added.

1153 GMT –– Gaza detainees face torture, rape in Israeli prisons: Lawyer

A Palestinian lawyer shared harrowing accounts of torture against detainees from Gaza in Israeli prisons.

Khaled Mahajna, a lawyer with the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, said at a press conference that he visited two Gaza detainees on Sunday in Ofer Prison near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

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1127 GMT –– Israeli army arrests 15 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

At least 15 more Palestinians were detained by the Israeli army in military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

The raids targeted the cities of Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Jenin, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

“The detainees were subjected to abuse, severe beatings, and threats against their families, in addition to widespread acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes,” the statement added.

1028 GMT –– Israel launches new Gaza strikes

Israel struck southern and central Gaza to put more pressure on Hamas, following a weekend strike targeting the Hamas resistance group's leadership which killed scores of Palestinians camped in a designated "safe zone".

Mawasi on the western outskirts of Khan Younis has been sheltering hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled to the area after Israel declared it a safe zone.

The military also stepped up aerial and tank shelling in central Gaza in the Al-Bureij and Al-Maghazi historic refugee camps. Health officials said five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house in Maghazi camp.

A statement from the Al-Quds brigade, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad resistance group, said its fighters were engaged in fierce battles in the Yabna camp in Rafah.

1010 GMT — Death toll in Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 38,664: ministry

More than 38,664 Palestinians have been killed and 89,097 have been injured in the brutal Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement.

Some 80 Palestinians were killed and 216 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

1016 GMT — Israeli army demolishes Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem village

The Israeli army demolished four Palestinian homes in the village of al Walaja, in the southern part of East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unauthorised construction.”

“A military force raided the village, which lies in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, and began demolishing four homes, claiming they were built without permits,” Khader al Araj, the head of the village council, told Anadolu.

He clarified that “the lands where the demolition took place are part of Bethlehem and administratively within the boundaries of the nearby Jerusalem Municipality.”

“Israel is working to pressure residents to leave their lands,” he said.

“Everything is at risk of demolition under the pretext of unlicensed construction while there is significant settlement expansion at the expense of citizens' lands,” al Araj added.

0917 GMT — Israeli airstrikes in Gaza result in Palestinian casualties amid ongoing clashes

Several Palestinians were killed and others injured in Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple areas in Gaza.

The attacks occurred amid ongoing clashes between armed Palestinian resistance Hamas and the Israeli army.

According to medical sources cited by Anadolu, a number of Palestinians were killed in the Israeli bombardment across the region.

In one incident, three Palestinians lost their lives, and several others were wounded when Israeli forces struck a group of civilians in Mansoura Street in the Shejaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City.

The Israeli artillery also targeted several locations in the Sabra neighbourhood south of Gaza City. Additionally, Israeli warplanes fired missiles north of Gaza City in the Zahra district, as reported by eyewitnesses.

0727 GMT — Israeli army raids Occupied West Bank towns, arrests more Palestinians

The Israeli army raided on Monday cities and towns across the occupied West Bank, arresting Palestinians and destroying property.

Witnesses told Anadolu that the army stormed the towns of Qabatiya, Yabad, Marka, and Bir al Basha in Jenin, leading to armed clashes with Palestinian fighters.

The army destroyed properties and homes during the raid on Qabatiya amid sounds of gunfire and explosions in various parts of the town, the witnesses said.

They also noted that the army blew up a vehicle and arrested several Palestinians from the towns before withdrawing.

In Nablus, the Israeli army raided several towns, including Jammain, where they searched homes and shops, arrested three Palestinians, and interrogated them on-site before releasing them, according to witnesses.

0030 GMT — Gaza truce talks haven't paused, military chief survived — Hamas

Hamas said that Gaza ceasefire talks continue and the group’s military commander is in good health, a day after the Israeli military targeted Mohammed Deif with a massive air strike that local health officials said killed at least 90 people, including children.

The Israeli military said Rafa Salama, a Hamas commander it described as one of Deif's closest associates, was killed in Saturday's strike. Salama had commanded Hamas' Khan Younis brigade.

Hamas rejected the idea that mediated ceasefire discussions had been suspended. Spokesperson Jihad Taha said “There is no doubt that the horrific massacres will impact any efforts in the negotiations” but added that “efforts and endeavours of the mediators remain ongoing.”

Hamas political officials also insisted that communication channels remained functional between the leadership inside and outside Gaza after the strike in the enclave's south.

2300 GMT — Israeli army bombs sites in southern Lebanon

Israeli fighter jets bombed sites in the village of Ayta ash Shab and the town of Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon.

Warplanes renewed their raids on Ayta ash Shab, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

An air strike destroyed a house in the town of Meiss El Jabal in Marjayoun district without causing any injuries, according to the agency.

The Electricity of Lebanon company announced that the Israeli army targeted Marjayoun’s power station with artillery shells on Saturday, "which caused severe damage to transformers, cells and high-voltage networks, rendering them out of service."

It added that it is assessing the technical and engineering condition of the station to take appropriate measures.

2200 GMT — Hamas chief, Iranian president discuss developments in Israel’s war on Gaza

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke by phone Sunday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on developments in Israel's ongoing offensive on embattled Gaza.

Hamas said in a statement on its Telegram channel that Haniyeh called President Pezeshkian “to discuss political and field developments related to the genocidal war being waged by the (Israeli) occupation on Gaza and overall developments related to the Palestinian cause.”

Haniyeh said “the massacres of civilians (in a displaced people’s camp) near Khan Younis and (near the ruins of a mosque at) the Shati refugee camp (in Gaza City) on Saturday came despite the positive stance of Hamas and the resistance factions towards cease-fire talks.”

He said, however, that “Netanyahu imposed new conditions that were not mentioned in the texts of the mutual proposals through mediators, confirming his desire to continue and escalate the aggression.”

Haniyeh expressed his appreciation f or “the Islamic Republic's positions on Palestine and the resistance and its support for our cause at various levels,” according to the statement.

2200 GMT — Brazil's Lula condemns attack killing 90 displaced Palestinians in Gaza

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva released a statement condemning an Israeli airstrike in a designated humanitarian “safe zone” in southern Gaza that killed at least 90 Palestinians, calling on world leaders to speak up against an "endless massacre."

Israel said it targeted Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif in the attack Saturday on a displaced people’s camp, which also wounded at least 300 civilians.

“The Israeli government continues to sabotage the peace process and the cease-fire in the Middle East,” said Lula on his X account.

“The most recent bombing carried out in Gaza, killing hundreds of innocent people, is unacceptable. Now with more than 90 fatalities and almost 300 wounded in tents that housed children, the elderly and women.”

For our live updates from Sunday, July 14, 2024, click here.