Live blog: 36 Gaza prisoners tortured to death in Israeli jails since Oct 7

Thursday, June 20, 2024

1728 GMT — At least 36 prisoners from Gaza who were detained by the Israeli military since October 7, 2023 have died because of torture and harsh conditions in Israeli prisons, the Palestinian Media Office in the enclave said.

The Office said another "54 detainees from various Palestinian regions have died in Israeli prisons due to torture and inhumane detention conditions, amid systematic assaults on prisoners since the beginning of the genocidal war."

It accused Israel of "committing ongoing crimes against humanity, including enforced disappearances."

The statement described Israeli prisons as "mass graves for thousands of Palestinian prisoners, ignored by international institutions."

Based on testimonies from recently released detainees, the statement detailed numerous forms of torture and inhumane treatment, including forced stripping, prolonged binding and blindfolding, electrocution, systematic starvation and cutting the body with sharp tools.

Other reported abuses include deprivations of sleep, bathing and medical care, dog attacks and exposure to extreme cold.

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1829 GMT — Israeli army releases 33 Palestinian detainees from Gaza

The Israeli army released 33 Palestinian detainees from Gaza, according to medical sources.

"The freed detainees were admitted to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital with thin bodies and signs of torture," the sources said.

According to an Anadolu news agency reporter, the detainees were set free east of Deir al Balah in central Gaza.

1821 GMT — Casualties in Israeli strikes on Gaza homes, gatherings: witnesses

Several Palestinians were killed and injured in Israeli air strikes that targeted two homes and two groups of residents in Gaza.

Witnesses told Anadolu news agency that multiple casualties were transported to the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the city following the strikes with warplanes and drones on two homes and the gatherings.

Warplanes bombed a house in the Zaytoun neighbourhood in southeastern Gaza and another in the Shejaiya neighbourhood in the east, said witnesses.

They also reported that drones targeted residents in the western part of the city and in the Zaytoun neighbourhood.

The number of casualties or the severity of injuries remain unclear.

1811 GMT — Israel needs US ammunition in 'war for its existence': Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country needs ammunition from the United States in "the war for its existence," directly addressing the White House after it criticised him for complaining about arms deliveries related to the war on Gaza.

"I am prepared to suffer personal attacks provided that Israel receives the ammunition from the US that it needs in the war for its existence," he said in a statement.

The Israeli leader's comments came after he angered Washington with a video statement this week accusing it of "withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel."

US officials have said they were not aware of what Netanyahu was referring to.

1758 GMT — Humanitarian operations in Gaza must be fully facilitated: UN

A UN official voiced concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and called on Israel to allow aid delivery.

"Humanitarian operations in Gaza must be fully facilitated and all impediments must be lifted," deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters.

Haq stressed that access constraints continue to "severely undermine" the delivery of humanitarian assistance and services across Gaza.

1739 GMT — Mortar attack hit Israeli command site in Gaza: Hamas

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, said that it targeted an Israeli army command and control site in Gaza City with heavy mortars.

"We shelled an enemy command and control site east of the Zaytoun neighbourhood in Gaza with heavy mortars, achieving direct hits on the troops," the group said in a statement.

It added that fighters detected "two Black Hawk and Yasur helicopters landing to evacuate the dead and wounded" from the site. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the claims.

1554 GMT — Many Israeli soldiers killed by 'friendly fire' on Oct 7: probe

An Israeli military investigation has revealed that several soldiers were killed and injured by "friendly fire" during Hamas's October 7 attack, according to leaked findings reported by local media.

Various Israeli entities, including the military, initiated investigations to determine accountability for the "failure" to predict and prevent the attack.

Israel's Channel 12 broadcaster reported that a military investigation into the attack found, based on leaked information, that "friendly fires led to the deaths and injuries of an unspecified number of Israeli soldiers who were highly hesitant" to confront the Palestinian attacking factions.

The investigation found that Israel's military forces were deployed in "chaotic" ways in areas adjacent to Gaza.

The broadcaster noted that the official investigation outcome will be published by mid-July.

1540 GMT — Netanyahu's comments on US weapons 'perplexing': White House

The White House said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments on the US-supplied weapons was "incorrect."

Netanyahu on Tuesday said he told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it was "inconceivable" that in the past few months Washington was "withholding weapons and ammunitions" to Israel.

"It was perplexing to say the least, certainly disappointing, especially given that no other country is doing more to help Israel defend itself against the threat by Hamas," White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

1423 GMT — Firms sending arms to Israel could be complicit in abuses: UN

A group of United Nations experts have warned arms and ammunitions manufacturers against taking part in the transfer of weapons to Israel, saying it could make them complicit in human rights abuses and violations of international law.

The group of 30 experts, including several UN Special Rapporteurs, said arms manufacturers supplying Israel should halt their transfers of war materiel, "even if they are executed under existing export licenses."

"These companies, by sending weapons, parts, components, and ammunition to Israeli forces, risk being complicit in serious violations of international human rights and international humanitarian laws," the experts said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from Israel which has repeatedly denied carrying out abuses during its attacks on Gaza.

1346 GMT — Israeli army reports fresh rocket fire from Lebanon

The Israeli army said at least 25 rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel amid rising tensions along the border between the two countries.

No injuries were reported in the rocket attack that targeted the towns of Shomera and Zar'it in Western Galilee, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

Lebanese group Hezbollah said it fired a volley of Katyusha rockets on the Israeli army's Zar'it barracks in northern Israel in response to the killing of a senior commander in the town of Deir Kifa.

1257 GMT — Six Israeli soldiers injured in last 24 hours: military

Six Israeli soldiers were injured in clashes in the last 24 hours, including three in Gaza, military figures showed.

The army, however, did not provide any further details about how the soldiers were wounded.

According to Israeli military figures, at least 662 soldiers have been killed and 3,866 others injured since Tel Aviv launched its war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.

1241 GMT — Another Hezbollah militant killed in Israeli strike in southern Lebanon

Another Hezbollah militant was killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese group said.

The group identified the slain member as Abbas Ibrahim Hamada, without specifying the circumstances of his death.

The Israeli army, for its part, confirmed that Hamada was killed in a drone strike in the town of Deir Kifa. A military statement said that Hamada was allegedly the operations officer of Hezbollah's Jouaiyya regional unit.

At least 347 Hezbollah militants have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces since October 8, 2023, according to an Anadolu news agency tally.

1204 GMT — Hamas chief, Iran FM discuss efforts to end Israel's war on Gaza

Hamas chief Ismail Haniya has held talks with Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri in Qatar to discuss ways of ending Israel's war on Gaza, the Palestinian group said.

The talks held between the two sides Wednesday evening took up Palestinian developments and efforts to halt the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, Hamas added in a statement.

Bagheri reviewed Iranian efforts to support the Palestinians in international arenas, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the BRICS bloc of emerging economics, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the statement said.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt have so far failed to agree on a permanent ceasefire that allows a prisoner swap between the two sides.

1130 GMT — Israel arrests 20 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

The Israeli army detained 20 more Palestinians in military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

The speaker of the now-disbanded Palestinian Legislative Council, Aziz Dweik, was among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

Dweik was released by the Israeli army earlier this week.

Thursday's arrests brought to 9,300 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since last October, according to Palestinian figures.

1029 GMT — Over 70% of public facilities in Rafah destroyed by Israeli army: mayor

Israeli attacks have destroyed more than 70 percent of public facilities in Rafah in southern Gaza, the city's mayor said.

"Over 70% of public facilities and infrastructure have been destroyed in the Israeli onslaught," Ahmed al Soufi told Anadolu news agency. He said the Israeli army on Tuesday blew up dozens of homes in the Saudi neighbourhood of western Rafah.

"Israel seeks to turn Gaza into an uninhabitable area by destroying the Rafah crossing and preventing the entry of humanitarian and relief aid," the mayor said, warning of a possible famine in the Palestinian enclave.

1030 GMT — Palestinian death toll from Israel's war on Gaza continues to mount

The Palestinian death toll from relentless Israeli attacks on Gaza since last October reached 37,431, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

At least 85,653 people have also been injured in the onslaught, the ministry added in a statement.

"Israeli forces killed 35 people and injured 130 others in four 'massacres' against families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said. "Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them," it added.

1000 GMT — Families of Israeli hostages demonstrate in Tel Aviv to demand prisoner swap with Hamas

Families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas have blocked a main highway in Tel Aviv to demand a prisoner swap with the Palestinian group.

Protesters blocked Ayalon Highway, the main artery of the Tel Aviv area, to pile pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a deal with Hamas to free hostages in its captivity, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

Israel estimates that around 120 Israelis are held in Gaza following its cross-border attack on October 7, 2023.

1017 GMT — Israel prepares for possible 'mass burials' in case of war with Lebanon: Minister

Israel is preparing for possible "mass burials" in case of a large-scale war with Lebanon, the country's religious affairs minister has said.

"Not everything can be said in the studios, but we are holding meetings in the office to prepare for bigger things in the north," Michael Malchieli told Israeli Channel 14.

When asked about the possibility of carrying out mass burials in case of a military conflict with Lebanon, he said "yes" without elaborating.

0900 GMT — Israeli army releases 33 Palestinian detainees from Gaza

The Israeli army has released 33 Palestinian detainees from Gaza, according to medical sources.

"The freed detainees were admitted to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital with thin bodies and signs of torture," the sources said.

According to an Anadolu news agency reporter, the detainees were set free east of Deir al Balah in central Gaza.

The Israeli army is believed to have detained thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, including women, children and medics, amid its deadly offensive on the enclave.

0815 GMT — Hamas condemns Israeli rearrest of former Palestinian Legislative Council speaker

Palestinian group Hamas has condemned the arrest of Aziz Dweik, speaker of the now-disbanded Palestinian Legislative Council, by the Israeli army just days after his release from prison.

In a statement, Hamas said the decision to rearrest Dweik was carried out in "a brutal and retaliatory manner," holding Israel fully responsible for his life and safety.

Hamas said Israel would fail to break the will of Palestinian detainees, urging parliaments and rights groups worldwide to urgently exert pressure on Israel for his and all detainees' release from Israeli jails.

0735 GMT — Israeli forces raid occupied West Bank city amid clashes

Israeli army forces have raided the West Bank city of Jenin amid clashes with Palestinian resistance, according to witnesses.

Israeli forces searched several houses and shops in the city, witnesses said.

Armed clashes were reported between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the al-Faraa refugee camp near Tubas City in the northern West Bank.

0710 GMT — US floating pier in Gaza 'reattached to beach' after being dismantled

The US-built floating humanitarian pier in Gaza was reattached to the coast several days after it was dismantled due to unfavourable weather conditions, CNN reported.

It quoted two US officials who confirmed the pier was re-anchored to the Gaza coast, marking the second time it was reattached to the beach since its construction in mid-May.

On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said the pier would "go operational this week."

The pier was removed from its anchored position in Gaza last week and towed to Israel's port city of Ashdod due to expectations of high seas, according to a US Central Command (CENTCOM) statement.

0702 GMT — Deadly Israeli strikes hit across Gaza's north and south

Israeli air strikes across Gaza have resulted in several Palestinian casualties, mostly women and children, as the deadly aggression in the besieged enclave continues.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, two women were killed and 12 others injured in an Israeli air strike on a home in western Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Israeli artillery shelled the southern areas of the Zeitoun neighbourhood in southeastern Gaza City, as well as the eastern areas of the central Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps.

Shelling was also reported in most areas of Rafah, the enclave's southernmost city, as well as heavy Israeli machine gun fire.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since last October.

0223 GMT — Yemen's Houthis say used 'new weapons' to sink Red Sea ship

Yemen's Houthi group has said that it employed "new weapons" to target and sink the cargo ship MV Tutor in the Red Sea.

The announcement was made by the group's naval forces and published by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel.

The statement said that "several naval weapons were used to target and sink the Tutor, including some that were used for the first time," without elaborating.

The Houthi statement said, "The targeting of the ship occurred after the vessel, belonging to a Greek-owned company, violated the group's ban on entering the occupied Haifa port."

The statement also accused the ship of "turning off its Automatic Identification System while passing through the Red Sea."

0144 GMT — Israel says preparing for various scenarios on border with Lebanon

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that the situation on the northern border with Lebanon will change either through a political settlement or a wide-scale war.

Gallant's remarks followed an assessment at the Northern Command headquarters in Safed in Upper Galilee near the Lebanese border with Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, the commander of the Northern Command, Ori Gordin, and the commander of the Air Force, Tomer Bar.

"IDF (army) forces are preparing and continue to prepare against every threat that comes our way, both in defence and attack," Gallant wrote on X.

"The situation in the north will change with a settlement or with a wide-scale military operation; we have an obligation to return the citizens safely to their homes," he added.

"We are completing the ground and air readiness, strengthening the intelligence systems and preparing for any possibility," The Times of Israel daily cited Gallant as saying in a statement.

2330 GMT — Israel is fundamental cause of catastrophe in Gaza: Türkiye

Israel is the fundamental cause of the catastrophe seen in besieged Gaza, Türkiye's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva has said.

"The fundamental cause of the catastrophe we face in Gaza today is the Israeli occupation. As long as this occupation persists, resistance against the occupation by Palestinians will also continue," said Burak Akcapar.

Akcapar's remarks came after former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, Chair commissioner of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including occupied East Jerusalem and Israel — which is investigating crimes committed in occupied Palestinian territories — presented the commission's report during an interactive dialogue session held within the framework of the 56th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Akcapar said the report exposes some of the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israeli occupation forces against civilians in Gaza.

He further said they support the report's call for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, the lifting of the Gaza blockade and the uninterrupted, adequate and continuous delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as the mutual release of detainees and prisoners and an end to the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

2243 GMT — US says it struck targets in Yemen

The US military has claimed to have destroyed one ground control station and one command and control node in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.

In a statement, the US military's Central Command added its forces also destroyed two Houthi drone boats in the Red Sea.

Houthis first launched drone and missile strikes in the key waterway in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In over 70 attacks, they have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers.

2008 GMT — Hamas slams Israeli destruction of Rafah crossing as 'terrorism'

Hamas denounced the Israeli military's destruction of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing as "criminal behaviour" that "will not change the crossing's reality."

The statement was in response to footage released by the Israeli army that showed the devastation caused at the Rafah border crossing between besieged Gaza and Egypt.

"It is an act of terrorism by the occupying Israeli army to destroy the Rafah crossing with all its buildings and facilities, an escalation of crimes and violations against our people," said the Palestinian resistance group.

2000 GMT — Israel abducts five Palestinians in Ramallah-area village

Israeli forces have stormed the village of Al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah, abducting five Palestinians and abused them before releasing them, Wafa news agency said, citing security and local sources.

The report said that Israeli occupation forces fired stun grenades and toxic tear gas in the confrontation, but wounds were reported.

1900 GMT — Israeli tanks push deeper into Rafah, forcing people to flee again

Israeli tanks backed by warplanes and drones have advanced deeper into the western part of the Gaza city of Rafah, killing eight people, according to residents and Palestinian medics.

Residents said the tanks moved into five neighbourhoods after midnight. Heavy shelling and gunfire hit the tents of displaced families in the Al-Mawasi area, further to the west of the coastal enclave, they said.

Twelve Palestinians were also killed in an Israeli strike that hit a group of citizens and merchants in the south of Gaza; medical sources told Reuters news agency.

The people were hit as they waited for convoys of aid trucks carrying goods through the Karem Abu Salem crossing in Salahuddin Road northeast of Rafah, the sources added.

For our live updates from Wednesday, June 19, 2024, click here.