Live blog: 11 people killed in Israeli strikes on civilian vehicles in Gaza

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

1740 GMT — At least 11 Palestinians have been killed and others injured in Israeli air strikes targeting two civilian vehicles in Khan Younis and a home in Jabalia, in southern and northern parts of Gaza.

"Five Palestinians were killed and others were injured in an Israeli air strike on a home in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip," Palestinian Civil Defence said in a statement.

As part of the offensive, the Israeli army ordered Palestinian residents in Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia to leave their homes and head south.

In a separate incident, a medical source who asked to speak on the condition of anonymity told Anadolu that six Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on two civilian vehicles near the Bani Suhaila roundabout, east of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

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1901 GMT — Israeli army reports 90 rockets fired from Lebanon within 10 minutes

The Israeli army reported that it identified 90 rockets within less than 10 minutes that were launched from Lebanon.

"Following the sirens that sounded between 16:41 - 16:49 in the areas of the Upper Galilee, Western Galilee, and southern Golan Heights, approximately 90 projectile launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory," according to a military statement.

"Some of the projectiles were intercepted, and fallen projectiles were identified.

1856 GMT — Biden, Netanyahu discussed Israeli response to Iranian ballistic missile attack: White House

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Tel Aviv's planned retaliation for last week's Iranian ballistic missile attack against Israel, the White House said.

"They continued their discussion on a response to Iran's attack last week, a discussion that certainly started at the staff level, and now the two leaders were able to have a productive, straightforward, honest conversation, as they tend to do," spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

The telephone call between Biden and Netanyahu took place Wednesday morning, but an official readout has yet to be released by the White House.

1829 GMT — Lebanese death toll from Israeli assault since last October hits 2,141: Health Ministry

The Lebanese Health Ministry said the death toll from Israeli attacks has risen to 2,141, with 10,099 injured since October 8, 2023.

It said 22 people were killed and 80 injured in the last 24 hours.

Israel has mounted massive air strikes across Lebanon since September 23 that have killed more than 1,323 people and injured nearly 3,700.​​​​​​​

1730 GMT — Israel police say six injured in stabbing rampage in central town

Israeli police said at least six people were injured in a stabbing rampage in four different locations in the central town of Hadera, before the assailant was "neutralised".

"The attack took place on four different sites where six people were stabbed... A short time ago, the police located the suspect and neutralised him by shooting," a police statement said.

"We treated several injured individuals in varying conditions," said emergency service provider Magen David Adom. "We provided life-saving medical treatment and began transporting them to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center," it added.

1653 GMT — Israeli retaliation against Iran will be 'lethal, precise and surprising': defence minister

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant appeared to say that retaliation against Iran for its missile attack will be "lethal, precise and surprising," in a video published on Israeli media.

After describing Iran's October 1 missile attack as a failure, Gallant said: "Whoever attacks us will be hurt and will pay a price. Our attack will be deadly, precise and above all surprising, they will not understand what happened and how it happened, they will see the results."

1625 GMT — Israel police say forces kill five Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces killed five "armed Palestinian fighters" in the occupied West Bank , Israeli police said.

There was no immediate comment from Palestinian officials or Palestinian resistance groups. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the deaths of only four men.

The Palestinian official news agency WAFA said that Israeli special forces had opened fire on a vehicle that the men were travelling in, in the city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.

1556 GMT — Russia condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Syria

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Israeli air strikes on Lebanon and Syria, saying despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon.

"We observe a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law," Zakharova said, adding that some strikes occur in densely populated neighbourhoods of Beirut and other cities.

"Warnings issued to Lebanese residents about evacuating specific areas are too general to be effective, leading to civilian casualties that far outnumber those among Hezbollah fighters," she added.

She reiterated Russia's condemnation of all military actions that contribute to regional instability and expressed condolences to the victims' families while calling for a diplomatic solution based on international law.

1529 GMT — Scores killed in Israeli onslaught in northern Gaza: Media office

At least 125 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in northern Gaza this week, the government media office said.

"Dozens of bodies remain on the streets, with ambulances and civil defence teams unable to reach them due to Israeli targeting of vehicles," it added in a statement.

The media office accused Israel of committing "a crime against humanity by forcing more than 17,000 displaced civilians to evacuate their shelters".

It appealed to the international community to intervene to halt the "ethnic cleansing" and "crimes against humanity" being carried out by the Israeli army against Palestinians.

The media office held the US government "fully responsible for the continuation of the Israeli crimes", which it said had gone on without reprieve since last year.

1458 GMT — 7 schools sheltering displaced Gazans evacuated amid Israeli onslaught: UN

Seven UN-run schools sheltering displaced civilians have been evacuated in northern Gaza amid an Israeli offensive in the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said.

“Intensified military operations in the north are forcing us to shut down lifesaving services,” UNRWA said in a statement on X.

It added that only two out of eight water wells in the Jabalia refugee camp are operational.

1300 GMT — Spanish PM calls Israeli strikes in Lebanon an 'invasion'

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has described Israel's military offensives in Lebanon as an "invasion", saying that the international community had to act.

"It is clear that there has been an invasion by a third country of a sovereign state such as Lebanon, and therefore the international community cannot remain indifferent," the Socialist premier told parliament.

"We denounced (this situation) in Ukraine, we also denounce it in Gaza and now we are also denouncing the invasion of Lebanon," he added.

1246 GMT — Israeli emergency responders say rocket kills two in Kiryat Shmona

Israeli emergency responders said two people were killed in a rocket attack on the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, as the army and Lebanon's Hezbollah exchanged fire along the border.

"We found a man and a woman aged around 40 years old, unconscious and injured by shrapnel," said emergency service provider Magen David Adom in a statement, adding their injuries were serious and they had to declare them dead on the spot.

The incident is the first involving civilian deaths since Israel sent ground troops into southern Lebanon and began targeting Hezbollah positions with regular air strikes on Beirut.

1214 GMT — Hezbollah is still organised despite Israeli attacks, Russia says

Russia's foreign ministry said that Hezbollah was still organised despite strikes by Israel which Moscow said was trying to stoke an armed conflict across the Middle East.

"According to our assessments, Hezbollah, including the military wing, has not lost its chain of command and is demonstrating organisation," FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Zakharova said that the West, in particular the United States and Britain, was stoking the conflict in the Middle East and showing hypocrisy by its support for Israel which was inflicting significant civilian casualties in Lebanon.

1135 GMT — Switzerland calls for de-escalation between Israel and Lebanon

The Swiss government urged de-escalation between Israel and Lebanon, following weeks of stepped-up Israeli attacks, with the heaviest toll in death and displacement falling on the Lebanese people.

In a statement, the Swiss government emphasised "that only dialogue, de-escalation and compliance with international humanitarian law can lead to peace in the Middle East".

"The Swiss government reiterates its call to all parties to cease hostilities in the entire region," it added.

The government also decided to provide an additional 7 million Swiss francs ($8.16 million) in aid for Lebanon and Syria, where many Lebanese have sought shelter from Israeli attacks.

1126 GMT — Bolivia joins South Africa ICJ 'genocide' case against Israel

Bolivia has joined South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice that alleges the Israeli war on Gaza breaches the UN Genocide Convention, the court said.

The South American country is the latest of several nations, including Colombia, Libya, Spain and Mexico, adding their weight to the case against Israel, which vehemently denies the accusations.

Bolivia already announced in November it was severing diplomatic ties over what it described as the "disproportionate" attacks on Gaza by Israel.

At the time, Israel slammed the move as "a surrender to terrorism".

1108 GMT — At least 4 people killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon

The Lebanese Health Ministry has said at least four people were killed in an Israeli strike on a hotel-turned-shelter for displaced people in southern Lebanon.

Ten others were wounded in the strike that hit the building in Wardaniyeh in Lebanon’s Chouf province.

An Associated Press reporter in a nearby town heard two sonic booms and an explosion from Israeli jets before the strike, followed by plumes of black and white smoke rising from the building.

1101 GMT — ICC directs groups to use term 'State of Palestine' in submissions

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally requested that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other institutions, including those with support from Germany and Israel, use the term "State of Palestine" in their written submissions, replacing the previously used designation "Palestine."

The ICC’s language directive relates to its ongoing investigation into issues concerning Palestine, a case that has drawn attention from several international entities.

Various organizations, many of which are aligned with German and Israeli perspectives, have complied with the court’s request by updating the terminology in their documents.

1025 GMT — Iran’s FM visits Saudi Arabia to discuss Israel's Middle East war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for talks on Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.

The Iranian Embassy in Riyadh said Araghchi will meet with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, including the situation in Gaza and Lebanon.

There was no confirmation of the visit by the Saudi authorities.

1020 GMT — Ankara sends ships to evacuate Turkish citizens from Lebanon

Türkiye has sent two ships to Lebanon to evacuate 2,000 Turkish citizens amid rising tensions in the region, the country's ambassador to Beirut has said.

Speaking to Anadolu, Ali Baris Ulusoy said that Turkish citizens have requested their evacuation due to the deteriorating security situation caused by Israel's increasing attacks on Lebanon in recent weeks.

"Today, two ships belonging to the Turkish Navy are arriving at the Port of Beirut. These ships, with a capacity to carry 2,000 people, will pick up our citizens and take them to the Port of Mersin," Ulusoy added.

0911 GMT — Death toll from Israel's war in Gaza reaches 42,010

Israel’s bombardment of central and northern Gaza has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes, Palestinian officials have said, as the death toll in the yearlong war hits 42,010.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said it recovered 40 bodies from Jabaliya from Sunday until Tuesday, and another 14 from communities farther north.

The toll is likely higher as there are bodies buried under the rubble and in areas that can’t be accessed, it said.

During Israel's war on Gaza, at least 97,720 were wounded since October 7, 2023, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

0828 GMT — Hamas, Fatah leaders to hold Palestinian unity talks in Cairo

Leaders from Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement will hold further unity talks in Cairo on Wednesday, a Hamas official has told Reuters. According to Taher al Nono, the media adviser of the Hamas political chief, the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday. It was led by Khalil al Hayya, the group's chief negotiator and Hamas' second-in-command, currently based in Qatar.

"The meeting will discuss the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and the challenges facing the Palestinian cause," Nono said.

There was no immediate comment from Fatah.

0811 GMT — French FM describes Netanyahu’s threats to Lebanon as 'provocations'

The French foreign minister has described the Israeli premier’s threats to Lebanon as “provocations.”

“If those provocations turn real, this would drag Lebanon, a friendly country to France already so fragile, to chaos,” Jean-Noel Barrot told broadcaster France 2 in an interview.

In a recorded video published earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Lebanese people and delivered unprecedented criticism of Hezbollah.

He warned the Lebanese people before their country “falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza.”

0747 GMT — Israel yet to brief US on plans for response to Iranian missile attack

Israeli leaders have not yet briefed the United States on the specifics of their military response to last week’s Iranian ballistic missile attack, despite ongoing discussions between US military officials about potentially supporting Israel with intelligence or air strikes, two US officials have said.

Over the weekend, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss possible responses to Iran’s missile strike, though Israel has not made a final decision on its course of action or timing, according to one former and two current officials familiar with the call, NBC News reported.

0718 GMT — 18 Palestinians dead after Israeli strikes in Gaza

Israel’s bombardment of central and northern Gaza killed at least 18 people, including five children and two women, Palestinian officials have said.

Two strikes hit tents for displaced people in the urban Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps in central Gaza.

The bodies of nine people, including three children, were brought to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby town of Deir al Balah, an AP journalist saw the bodies at the morgue.

0617 GMT — Hezbollah says two Israeli infiltration attempts repelled

Hezbollah has said that its militants repelled two Israeli army attempts to infiltrate southern Lebanon, as Israel intensifies its ground offensive.

In a statement issued after midnight, Hezbollah said its members detonated an explosive device targeting Israeli forces and engaged in combat with them as they "attempted to infiltrate the border town of Blida" in the southeast.

In another statement, it said its militants targeted Israeli soldiers with artillery "and rocket-propelled weapons" as they attempted to advance towards the border area of Labouneh.

0553 GMT — 400,000 Palestinians trapped in Gaza amid Israeli attacks: UN

Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said that at least 400,000 Palestinians remain trapped in northern Gaza, facing escalating Israeli invasion.

"Recent evacuation orders from the Israeli Authorities are forcing people to flee again & again, especially from Jabalia Camp," Lazzarini said in a statement on his social media account X.

Many individuals and families refuse to evacuate, fully aware that no location within Gaza offers genuine safety, he added.

As the Israeli invasion intensifies, UNRWA shelters and services are being forced to shut down, the chief underlined with some facilities closing for the first time since the Gaza war began.

"With almost no basic supplies available, hunger is spreading & deepening again. This recent military operation also threatens the implementation of the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign for children," Lazzarini noted.

0159 GMT — Biden to speak to Netanyahu about Iran

US President Joe Biden is expected to hold a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about any plans to strike Iran, three officials briefed according to Axios media outlet.

0154 GMT — US lawmaker renews probe into Israeli killing of Turkish-American activist

US Representative Pramila Jayapal has slammed the Biden administration for the lack of movement toward an independent investigation into the killing of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi last month by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

Jayapal also urged the US government to demand accountability by stopping certain offensive military assistance to Israel.

“It has been 32 days since Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was killed in the West Bank, and we have seen no movement toward an independent investigation by the US government and no additional information on changes in the practices of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units that are using live ammunition on those who are peacefully protesting," Jayapal, a Democratic representative from Washington's 7th congressional district, said in a statement

Noting that she has had numerous briefings with State Department officials and has been in close touch with Eygi’s family, she said: "I am frankly appalled with the lack of movement on this case."

0135 GMT — Israel forces fire anti-tank bomb into Palestinian home in West Bank

Israeli forces have fired an Energa anti-tank rifle grenade at a home in the town of Aqaba in the occupied West Bank, according to witnesses.

Armed clashes broke out between Palestinian resistance forces and Israeli troops in the town, with an explosive device targeting an Israeli military vehicle, the witnesses said.

The Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said in a statement that its fighters were “engaged in fierce battles with Israeli forces invading Aqaba, targeting them with heavy gunfire and explosives and achieving direct hits.”

0027 GMT — Israel committed massacres in North Gaza: Civil Defense

Israeli army has committed massacres in North Gaza province during a wide-scale assault, the Palestinian Civil Defense said.

"The humanitarian situation in the northern province is becoming increasingly dangerous by the hour as the occupation continues its assault on Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Jabalia for the fourth consecutive day, enforcing a strict siege that prevents the entry of water, food and medicine," the agency said in a statement.

"The occupation has committed massacres against civilians, resulting in dozens of martyrs and hundreds of injured," it added.

It said the bodies of the victims remained in the streets as rescue teams could not reach them due to the Israeli army's targeting of ambulances and civil defence crews.

The statement also noted that the Israeli military "threatened over 200,000 residents in the areas and neighbourhoods of North Gaza with eviction, committing massacres to force civilians to flee."

2346 GMT — White House losing trust in Netanyahu: report

The White House's distrust of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has grown increasingly in recent weeks as Tel Aviv carries out multiple attacks across the region, according to a report.

Four US officials told the Axios news website that Washington is not opposed to Israel carrying out its attacks but wants it to measure its attack.

"Our trust of the Israelis is very low right now, and for a good reason," one of the officials said.

Netanyahu's further decision to walk away from a US-backed 21-day ceasefire proposal in Lebanon further eroded US trust, as has Israel's decision to order all civilians in northern Gaza to flee south as it prepares a new offensive on the region.

US officials have said they are concerned that the directive is setting the stage for a potential siege and that Palestinian civilians would not be allowed to return.

"They tell us what we want to hear — the problem is lack of trust," a US official told Axios.

2224 GMT — Anadolu marks Gaza war anniversary with short film

Anadolu Agency, marking the first anniversary of the Israeli carnage in besieged Gaza, released a short animation in 13 languages depicting Israel's genocide in the blockaded enclave.

It highlights Israel's year-long massacre in the enclave, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

The animation begins with a scene of a young child who, after losing their home in the attack, asks their family: "Where will we go?"

It portrays the suffering endured by Palestinians under Israeli bombardment for the past year.

The animation further illustrates how the Israeli army, through evacuation orders issued since October 7, 2023, has pushed Palestinians into so-called safe zones, forcing them into displacement within Gaza.

The animation shows Palestinian civilians trying to flee to these alleged safe areas, only to be directly targeted by Israeli bombings and soldiers along the way.

2100 GMT — Hamas slams Israel's orders to empty out 3 Gaza hospitals

Hamas has condemned Israel's orders to evacuate three hospitals in northern Gaza as a "criminal attempt to implement a displacement plan."

"The Israeli army's warning to evacuate Kamal Adwan, the Indonesian, and Al-Awda hospitals of patients and medical staff is a criminal attempt to carry out Tel Aviv 's displacement plans," Hamas said in a statement.

"This terrorist threat against hospitals and the forced evacuation is tantamount to a death sentence for thousands of patients and wounded individuals, including women, the elderly, and children."

2031 GMT — Hezbollah said it attacked 6 Israeli military sites with rockets, drones

Hezbollah said that it attacked six Israeli military positions in northern Israeli settlements using rockets and drones.

The group said in a series of statements that its fighters targeted military gatherings in Yiftah, Avivim, Biranit Orchards, Maroun El Ras and Metula with rockets.

It reported using a "swarm of kamikaze drones" to strike an Israeli military position in the settlement of Ya'ara.

2014 GMT — Israel issues ultimatum to Beirut's southern residents to flee

The Israeli military has declared residents in the southern suburbs of Beirut to flee their homes, citing plans to target the area with air strikes soon.

"Urgent warning to the residents of the southern suburbs in Haret Hreik ... specifically to those in the buildings marked on the maps and those nearby," Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army's spokesperson for Arabic media, posted on X.

He shared two maps that he claimed showed buildings near Hezbollah facilities and interests, warning residents to flee because the Israeli army would soon attack them "in the near future."

"You must evacuate these buildings and those nearby immediately and keep a distance of at least 500 meters," Adraee added.

For our live updates from Tuesday, October 8, 2024, click here.