Live blog: UN's Griffith says Hamas not on UNSC's list of terrorist groups

Thursday, February 15, 2024

1900 GMT — Martin Griffiths clarified the process of identifying various groups by the UN, saying Hamas was not on the UNSC list of groups designated as terrorist organisations.

In an interview with Sky News, Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, remarked that Hamas is "not a terror group."

On Thursday, he pushed back and wrote on X [formerly twitter] that Hamas was not on the list of groups designated as terrorist organisations by the United Nations Security Council.

In response to a question whether Guterres has any comment on Griffiths' remarks on Hamas, the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said Guterres and other senior officials, including Griffiths, have unequivocally condemned the October 7 attacks.

"That position is unchanged."

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1900 GMT — Hospitals must be kept free of combat: UN

A UN spokesperson said that hospitals cannot be used as a source of combat after a recent Israeli attack on a hospital in besieged Gaza.

"[We] reiterate once again that hospitals must be kept free of combat, must not be subjected to any sort of military action. Any type of military action on hospitals must be condemned," Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

His remarks came after the Israeli army said its forces stormed the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern besieged Gaza and detained suspects.

Dujarric said he echoed the head of the World Health Organization [WHO] Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said: "We're deeply concerned about the safety of patients and health personnel due to the intensifying hostilities in the vicinity of the hospital. We repeat: health MUST be protected at all times."

1515 GMT — Brazil's Lula slams Israel on Gaza war, says UN failed

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that the United Nations has failed to resolve international conflicts and harshly criticised Israeli assaults in Gaza.

"Israel's behaviour has no explanation: with the pretext of fighting Hamas, it is killing women and children," he said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi.

Lula said there would not be peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

"The killing must be stopped," he said.

1826 GMT — UK PM Sunak urges Israel to allow delivery of aid to Gaza in call with Netanyahu

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called on Israel to fully open the Karem Abu Salem crossing to allow for the delivery of international aid to Gaza through Ashdod port, in a call to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said.

"The Prime Minister highlighted the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and urged Israel to fully open the Kerem Shalom crossing and allow the maritime delivery of international aid through Ashdod port," a statement from Downing Street said.

1753 GMT — Yemen's Houthis claim strike on 'British ship' off Aden

Yemen's Houthis have said they fired missiles at a "British ship" passing through the Gulf of Aden, after two maritime security agencies reported an explosion near a vessel in the area.

The Iran-aligned group carried "out a military operation targeting a British ship... while it was sailing through the Gulf of Aden", Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media, claiming the missiles had made a "direct" hit.

1773 GMT — Blinken says he believes deal on Gaza hostages 'possible'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that he believed an agreement on a truce in the Israeli war on Gaza and the release of hostages was still "possible".

"So we're very focused on it and I believe it's possible," he told a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana, as negotiations between mediators continue in Cairo.

1715 GMT — Hamas denounces Knesset approval of bill to ban UN agency in Jerusalem

Hamas has condemned the voting on a bill in a preliminary reading in the Knesset, or Israel's parliament, to ban the work of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem and Israel.

The Palestinian resistance group said the move is to "terminate the work of the agency which represents an international witness on the suffering of our people, on their forcible expulsion from their homes and on their right to return to them."

"We reject this occupation decision which contradicts the related international resolutions," said Hamas.

1714 GMT — Israel destroys over 70% of civilian infrastructure in Gaza: UN

More than 70 percent of civilian infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed or severely damaged from intense Israeli attacks, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has said.

UNRWA shared what is said was "shocking footage" that showed "unimaginable destruction" in Gaza city, including the agency's health centre.

The UN agency wrote on X that "70% of civilian infrastructure- including homes, hospitals & schools- have been destroyed or severely damaged."

It said 84 percent of health facilities have been affected by the attacks. “Nowhere is safe," it added.

1700 GMT — Hezbollah says it fired dozens of rockets into north Israel

Lebanon's Hezbollah has said it had fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel, a day after Israeli raids killed 15 people including a Hezbollah commander.

"In a first response to the massacres in Nabatiyeh and Sawaneh, Islamic resistance fighters fired dozens of Katyusha-type rockets at Kiryat Shmona," an Israeli town near the Lebanese border, Hezbollah said in a statement.

1643 GMT — Egyptian, Brazilian leaders call for ceasefire in Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and his Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva have agreed on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza.

In a joint news conference in Cairo, al Sisi said: "I agreed with President Lula on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of captives and prisoners, and the entry of the largest possible amount of aid into the strip to preserve the lives of civilians," according to the Egyptian State Information Service (SIS).

It said that they also emphasised the importance of "paving the way for the post-war phase to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

1632 GMT — CIA director makes secret visit to Israel for Gaza talks

CIA Director William Burns has arrived in Israel for an unannounced visit for talks with top Israeli officials, according to local media.

Burns met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief David Barnea following his arrival, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

The reason for the visit was not yet clear, but Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said it was linked to Netanyahu’s refusal to send a security delegation to Egypt to continue talks for a hostage swap deal with Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

1553 GMT — Palestinian Red Crescent slams Israeli claims about arrest of 'terrorists' at Gaza hospital

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has dismissed Israeli claims about arresting 20 "terrorists" at Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza.

In a statement, the aid organisation termed the Israeli claims as "slanders that aim to justify Israeli siege and raids on hospitals and medical staff."

Israel "is desperately attempting to justify its war crimes by killing medical staff and bombing and destroying hospitals," it added.

1526 GMT — Israel's Knesset approves bill in preliminary reading to ban UN refugee agency

The Knesset (Israel's parliament) has passed a bill in its preliminary reading to ban the operations of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

The bill was advanced by 33-10 votes, the Knesset said in a statement. It will now be turned over to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee for deliberation.

The bill needs to pass three more readings before becoming law.

1458 GMT — Israel not complying with world court's interim ruling: South Africa

As Israel continues preparing for a feared ground offensive in Gaza's southernmost city, South Africa has said its actions show it is not complying with previous orders by the UN's top court to prevent genocide in Palestine.

Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said her country is horrified at what has been happening to people in the enclave, including in the city of Rafah on its southern border with Egypt, as well as in the occupied West Bank.

"We believe this confirms the allegations we have tabled before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that genocide is underway in the occupied Palestinian territories and clearly the actions of the Israeli government prove that what we have said is actually accurate," Pandor told reporters on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

1444 GMT — UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon says attacks against civilians constitute 'war crimes'

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said that attacks against civilians constitute "war crimes."

"Attacks targeting civilians are violations of international law and constitute war crimes. The devastation, loss of life, and injuries witnessed are deeply concerning," UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said in statements carried by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

"We urge all parties involved to halt hostilities immediately to prevent further escalation," he said.

1442 GMT — Israel committing 'genocide without any doubt': UN official

Food, water, sanitation, and other basic needs are in unprecedented shortage for over one million people who have fled from across Gaza to the territory's southern city of Rafah, a UN special rapporteur told Anadolu.

"More than one million people are concentrated in Rafah, having fled from other parts of Gaza. They are lacking very seriously in the basic necessities of life, from food and water and sanitation with the threat of diseases beyond anything that we have seen in any conflict in recent decades around the world, severe as those conflicts were," said Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN special rapporteur on the right to housing.

"You never had a situation where a population was not even allowed to flee," he added.

Underlining how UN rapporteurs wrote numerous reports on the "genocidal" dimension of Israel's attacks in Gaza, Rajagopal noted that they mentioned a "serious risk of genocide" in their initial report.

Rajagopal further said they published another report that included the possibility of ongoing genocidal acts, stating: "Since then, we have confirmed that in fact, what’s happening in Gaza constitutes genocide."

"The actions taken by Israel to create conditions where Gaza becomes uninhabitable for the population of people living there, together constitute in my view, acts of genocide, in without any doubt," he added.

1422 GMT — Houthis vow to continue attacks in solidarity with Palestinians

The leader of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, Abdulmalik al Houthi, said in a televised speech the group will continue its attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians as long as Israel continues what he called its crimes against them.

1404 GMT — Israeli strike kills 10 people, including 4 children, in central Gaza

At least 10 people were killed, including four children, in an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to the official news agency Wafa.

The attack came amid a deadly Israeli offensive on Gaza, which has killed at least 28,663 people and injured 68,395 others since Oct. 7, according to local health authorities.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has yet to confirm the fatalities in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

1230 GMT — Head of UNRWA warns money for Gaza operations running out

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says it will run short of money for its work in Gaza within weeks unless donor countries reverse their decision to suspend funding.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the decision by 15 nations had frozen a total of $450 million, and a failure to restore funding “will definitely impact our ability to continue to operate.”

Speaking during a visit to Dublin, Lazzarini said that the suspended money includes $88 million from the European Union’s executive, the European Commission.

1225 GMT — Peace efforts in Gaza 'fruitless' due to US approach: Erdogan

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said calls for peace in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 28,000 people, "unfortunately remain fruitless due to a negative approach of the US."

"Although the US claims to have sent some high-level officials to the region ostensibly to resolve the issue, tangible results are yet to be achieved. Despite the situation, we continue to strive for a ceasefire and peace, as we see no alternative way out," Erdogan said.

"Humanity must hear this cry as soon as possible. The responsibility and accountability for remaining silent in the face of this genocide are immense," he said.

"History will judge those who allowed the deliberate killing of those people. Those who are complicit in this genocide have already been declared guilty before history," he added.

1223 GMT — Hezbollah commander among 10 dead in Israeli strike on Lebanon

A Hezbollah commander, two other militants, and seven civilians were killed in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon, a security source has said, raising the death toll from a raid a day earlier.

The same Hezbollah commander had previously been targeted and wounded in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanon town of Nabatiyeh a week earlier, the security source said, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

1133 GMT — US says intercepted Iran weapons shipment to Yemen's Houthis

The US military has said it had seized an Iranian weapons shipment in January that was destined for Yemen's Houthis who have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea.

The US navy "seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen from a vessel in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 28," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media.

1129 GMT — Gaza needs 'Marshall Plan' for post-war reconstruction: UN trade body

Gaza will need a new 'Marshall Plan' to recover from the Israeli brutal war on besieged territory, a UN trade body official has said, adding that the damage was already about four times that endured during a previous war.

"This will need a new Marshall Plan," Richard Kozul-Wright, a director at the UN trade body (UNCTAD), told a UN meeting in Geneva, referring to a plan for Europe's economic recovery after World War Two.

He said that the damage was already four times the damage endured in Gaza during the seven-week war in 2014.

1125 GMT — Türkiye says it expects Israel to take global warnings on Rafah attacks seriously

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that Ankara expects Israel to consider the warnings by the global community against any attack on the city of Rafah, southern Gaza.

“The international community has come together, issuing warnings to Israel, particularly urging against any attack on Rafah. There are very serious warnings, and we expect Israel to take these warnings into consideration,” Fidan told a news conference with his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili in Ankara.

Fidan said Türkiye is exerting significant efforts, particularly in the realm of aid for Gazans, and is closely cooperating with Egypt on the issue.

1104 GMT — Gaza death toll reaches 28,663: Health Ministry

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said at least 28,663 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since the beginning of Israel's war on the besieged enclave.

The toll includes 87 fatalities over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, while 68,395 people have been wounded in Gaza since October 7.

1025 GMT — Israel grants gas exploration license in areas considered to be within Palestine's maritime boundary

Israel has given exploration licenses for natural gas in locations that are considered to be within Palestine's maritime boundary in preparation for "occupying" these areas.

Israel, having killed tens of thousands of civilians in attacks and occupation of Gaza, announced the results of the tender it organised for exploration in Palestinian waters in December 2022 on October 29 last year, just days after it intensified its attacks in Gaza.

Within the scope of the tender, the Israeli administration granted licenses to six Israeli and international companies to explore natural gas in areas that are deemed to fall under Palestinian maritime borders in accordance with international law.

1014 GMT — Israel detains 20 more Palestinians in fresh West Bank raids

The Israeli army rounded up 20 more Palestinians in military raids carried out across the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

Most of the arrests took place in the cities of Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Nablus, Jenin and Jerusalem, the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

"The arrests were marked by acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens' homes, in addition to severe beatings against detainees and their families, and confiscation of money," the statement said.

There was no comment from the Israeli army on the report.

1011 GMT — Israeli ministers reject US peace plan for Palestinian state

Two Israeli ministers voiced opposition to a reported US peace plan for the creation of a Palestinian state.

According to the Washington Post newspaper, the US and a number of Arab countries are finalising a long-term peace plan between Israel and Palestinians.

The plan includes ''a firm timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian state, that could be announced as early as the next several weeks,'' it said.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said they "will never agree" to such a plan.

1001 GMT — Israeli forces storm Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis: witnesses

Israeli forces have stormed the main hospital in southern Gaza, witnesses said, hours after Israeli fire killed a patient and wounded six others inside the complex.

The Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al Qidra said Israel had launched a "massive incursion" with heavy shooting that wounded many of the displaced people who had sheltered there.

He said the military had ordered medics to move all patients into an older building that was not properly equipped for their treatment.

"Many cannot evacuate, such as those with lower limb amputations, severe burns, or the elderly," he said in an interview with the Al Jazeera network.

0955 GMT — Ireland to give UNRWA 20M euros after key donors suspend aid

Ireland announced 20 million euros ($21.46 million) in support for the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) and urged countries that have suspended funding to resume and expand support to the agency.

UNRWA, which provides healthcare, education and other services, has been pitched into crisis since Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

The allegations prompted a number of countries to suspend funding, including the United States, its largest donor.

0934 GMT — Israeli air strikes killed 10 Lebanese civilians in a single day

The civilian death toll from two Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon has risen to 10, Lebanese state media reported, making the previous day the deadliest in more than four months of cross-border exchanges.

The Lebanese group Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for Wednesday's strikes, which hit the city of Nabatiyeh and a village in southern Lebanon, just hours after projectiles from Lebanon killed an Israeli soldier.

More Israeli strikes were reported in south Lebanon on Thursday and Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the escalation.

0930 GMT — Israeli army threatens military offensive in Nablus amid West Bank tensions

The Israeli army threatened a deadly military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.

According to witnesses, Israeli forces dropped leaflets on the Nablus refugee camp warning residents of a military offensive in the area. "The fate of your city is in your hands. Do not follow the path of the Jenin camp," the leaflet reads.

The Israeli army staged several military raids inside the Jenin refugee camp in the past weeks, killing a dozen Palestinians and causing mass destruction.

0700 GMT — UAE to provide satellite internet to field hospital in Gaza

The United Arab Emirates has said it is working to provide SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband at its field hospital in the Rafah city in northern Gaza.

Abu Dhabi is working "in partnership with various international and regional organisations and hospitals to introduce SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband at its field hospital in the Gaza Strip," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

This initiative aims "to enable potentially life-saving medical consultations via real-time video calling," it added.

0650 GMT — World leaders urge Israel to avoid 'catastrophic' Rafah offensive

Israel's plan to push ahead with a "powerful" offensive in Gaza's Rafah was met with a growing chorus of international condemnation, with leaders warning against catastrophic consequences for the 1.4 million Palestinians trapped there.

Australia, Canada and New Zealand warned Israel "not to go down this path," issuing a rare joint statement in the latest urgent appeal seeking to avert further mass civilian casualties.

"An expanded military operation would be devastating," they said. "There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go."

0434 GMT — Israel isolates Palestinian iconic leader Barghouti

Israel has placed Marwan al Barghouti, a prominent leader of the Palestinian Fatah group, in solitary confinement, Israel's national security minister said Wednesday.

"I'm glad that the Israeli security service is implementing my very clear policy towards terrorists in prisons," Itamar Ben-Gvir said on X.

Saying that Barghouti was taken by Israel's Prisons Authority from Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank after receiving a tip about his "planned uprising," the Israeli far-right minister shared no further details about which prison he was put in.

Barghouti, 64, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, is most favoured to chair the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority after President Mahmoud Abbas, according to Palestinian opinion polls.

0409 GMT — Arab nations urge UN to stop Israel's Rafah invasion

The 22 Arab countries at the United Nations are urging the UN Security Council to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and unhindered humanitarian assistance and to prevent any transfer of Palestinians out of the territory.

Tunisia's UN Ambassador Tarek Ladeb highlighted the potential "catastrophic scenario" facing 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza's Rafah if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with the invasion.

Algeria circulated a draft resolution two weeks ago, opposing forced displacement and seeking a humanitarian ceasefire.

0402 GMT — Families protest Israeli officials for suspension of hostage deal

Hundreds of Israelis, including relatives of those detained in Gaza, demonstrated Wednesday in front of the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the homes of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister of War Benny Gantz.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that the demonstrators protested in front of Netanyahu's residence on Gaza Street in West Jerusalem after he announced the suspension of negotiations for the release of the hostages.

It added that following the protest, Gaza Street was closed to traffic.

"The meaning of the decision (to suspend negotiations) is deliberately sacrificing the lives of all the abducted," the organisers of the demonstration said in a statement, according to the channel.

0234 GMT — Israel strikes Nasser Hospital in Gaza, casualties reported

In besieged Gaza's Khan Younis, an Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital's orthopaedics section killed one and injured scores, Palestinian media has reported.

The hospital has been under Israeli blockade for 25 days, according to WAFA news agency while some eyewitnesses say that the health facility faced aggression as military vehicles and bulldozers besieged and destroyed its walls.

People sheltering in the hospital have told Anadolu Agency that the Israeli army ordered the displaced people to evacuate the hospital under gunfire.

The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed "deep concern" as the situation unfolds around Nasser Hospital, emphasising the impact on healthcare in Gaza.

0141 GMT — Australia, New Zealand and Canada call for immediate ceasefire

Canada, Australia, and New Zealand jointly appealed for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza amid reports of Israel's planned military operation in Rafah, according to a statement released by the countries.

The parties have emphasised the necessity of a negotiated political solution for lasting peace, warning that an Israeli attack on Rafah would be catastrophic.

0111 GMT — Demonstrators interrupt US House hearing with 'bloody' hands

A group of activists staged a pro-Palestine protest at a hearing of the US House of Representatives, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Members of the anti-war activist group Code Pink sat behind speakers who were testifying about the Iran-aligned Houthi group's actions in the red sea, raising their red-painted hands during the entire testimony.

"We're in the House hearing on the US's latest round of attacks on the people of Yemen. The US has blood on their hands — Hands Off Yemen!" the group wrote on X.

2317 GMT — Biden signs deferral protection for 'most' US Palestinians

US President Joe Biden has deferred protection of "most" Palestinians already in the US due to the humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged Gaza.

In light of the situation, Biden signed an executive order "directing the deferral of removal of certain Palestinians who are present in the United States, giving them a temporary safe haven," Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

The protections will remain in place for 18 months. Individuals who have been convicted of felonies "or who are otherwise deemed to pose a public safety threat are not eligible for deferred enforced departure," Sullivan said. Any individual who returns to Palestine will similarly lose the protections.

2310 GMT — Pro-Palestine demonstrators protest Israel in Prag

Protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Prague, condemning Israel's invasion of Gaza's Rafah.

They demanded an immediate ceasefire, expressing concern over the Czech Republic's unwavering support for Israel.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, one of the participants, Dominika Znameneanckova, said a ceasefire is the need of the hour.

"I am worried about how this war has become a never-ending cycle of human rights abuses. This needs to be over. We all have joined here demanding a ceasefire."

2201 GMT — Swedish foreign policy debate interrupted by 'Israel commits genocide' objection

Protesters condemning Israel's war in besieged Gaza disrupted a foreign policy debate in Sweden's parliament or Riksdag.

The first disturbance took place just after 9 am (0800 GMT) when a woman from the audience suddenly interrupted Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom while he was speaking.

Billstrom said: "Sweden stands behind Israel's legitimate right to defend itself against Hamas in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law."

The woman shouted: "Israel commits genocide. How can you stand for this?" The protests continued during the debate, and nine people were arrested by the Riksdag's security guards. Seven of them are still being detained by the police.

2110 GMT — Israel accuses South Africa of siding with Hamas

South Africa's latest appeal to the World Court over an Israeli assault in Gaza is denounced by Israel as supporting Hamas and hindering its right to self-defence, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

It accused Pretoria of representing Hamas's interests and attempting to deny Israel's fundamental right to protect its citizens.

For our live updates from Wednesday, February 14, click here.