Live blog: At least 29 dead after Israel bombs Gaza school used as shelter

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

1843 GMT — At least 29 people have been killed and dozens wounded in the fourth Israeli strike in four days on a school used to shelter displaced Palestinians.

The strike hit the entrance to Al Awda school in Abasan, near the southern city of Khan Younis, said a source at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis where victims were taken.

Gaza media office said that the "majority" of the victims were women and children — in what it called a "terrible massacre" by Israel.

Israel did not immediately comment on the strike. It has acknowledged carrying out three other strikes since Saturday on Gaza schools used as displacement shelters.

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1844 GMT — Two Israelis killed in Golan Heights by rocket fire from Lebanon

Two Israelis were killed in the occupied Golan Heights by rocket fire from Lebanon, according to medics.

“Two people were killed by a direct hit on a car in the central Golan,” the national ambulance service, Magen David Adom, said in a statement.

Israel’s Army Radio said several fires broke out in the occupied territory due to rocket launches from Lebanon. It said approximately 40 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards the Golan Heights on Tuesday evening.

It did not clarify whether any of the rockets were intercepted.

1751 GMT — Israeli soldiers routinely shoot, execute Palestinians in Gaza: report

Israeli forces routinely executed Palestinian civilians during military operations in Gaza, according to testimonies of army soldiers.

Six soldiers, who spoke with Tel Aviv-based website 972 and Local Call news site, said troops shot at civilians simply because they entered an area defined by the army as a "no-go zone."

"If we see someone in a window looking at us, he is a suspect. You shoot," one soldier said.

Various sources said orders given to soldiers to shoot without restrictions gave them a way to blow off steam or relieve the dullness of their daily routine.

"I’m bored, so I shoot,| an Israeli soldier recounted. "I personally fired a few bullets for no reason, into the sea or at the sidewalk or an abandoned building."

1712 GMT — Progress in Egypt-hosted prisoner swap talks: Israeli officials

Israeli officials have reported progress in Egypt-hosted talks aimed at reaching a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap with Hamas.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN, citing officials, said progress had been made on important issues during a visit by the head of the Shin Bet security service, Ronen Bar, to the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

It, however, did not provide any details about these important issues. An Israeli official, however, called for caution, predicting “complicated negotiations" with Hamas.

1709 GMT — Israeli forces kill 13-year-old, raid West Bank refugee camp

Palestinian officials say Israeli forces shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli army said it opened fire at a group of Palestinians throwing stones at Israeli vehicles.

Separately, Israeli forces launched another raid into the Nur Shams refugee camp near the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, demolishing several buildings and making several arrests.

Violence has surged in the occupied West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, with over 570 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the occupied territory. That’s according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which confirmed the killing of the 13-year-old Ghassan Gharib Zahran in the village of Deir Abu Mashal, northwest of Ramallah.

1557 GMT — NATO members 'cannot turn a blind eye' to Gaza: Türkiye

Türkiye urged NATO allies to take a stance against Israel's "aggression" against the Palestinians in Gaza, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus has said.

"We, members of the most powerful defence organisation of the world, cannot turn a blind eye to one of the most pressing global issues, to the immense human catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

"This bloodshed and the massacres of Israel must be stopped," Kurtulmus said at a NATO parliamentary summit in the US. "There is a grave risk for this situation escalating into a regional war. In our discussions on global security, we must align ourselves with the common front of humanity that champions fairness and justice.

1419 GMT — Israel bulldozes 200 dunams of Palestinian land in West Bank

The Israeli army has bulldozed more than 200 dunams (49.4 acres) in the town of Um Safa, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to a local official.

"The destroyed lands were cultivated and planted with olive and grape trees," Marwan Sabbah, the town’s mayor, told Anadolu news agency.

"Israeli bulldozers destroyed everything, including retaining walls and trees," he added.

1358 GMT — Hamas killed several Israeli soldiers in attacks in Gaza: statement

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has claimed to have killed and injured several Israeli soldiers in attacks in Gaza City.

The group's armed wing, Qassam Brigades, said that its fighters had detonated anti-personnel landmines in Tal al Hawa, southwest of Gaza City, killing and injuring several Israeli soldiers.

Another landmine explosion targeted a 6-strong military force southwest of Tal al Hawa, leaving its members dead and injured, it added.

Two Israeli military bulldozers were also burnt in roadside explosions west of Tal al Hawa, Hamas said.

1326 GMT — Western countries, companies restrict munitions sales to Israel: report

Several Western countries and companies have restricted the sale of raw materials to Israel that can be converted to ammunition amid Tel Aviv’s deadly offensive on Gaza, according to Israeli media.

Weapons suppliers from European countries "have simply stopped responding to their Israeli counterparts," Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist said.

It said Italy, Canada and Belgium have announced a halt to defence exports to Israel. Spain also prevented a ship carrying a weapons shipment from India to Israel from docking at its ports.

Some other countries, including Serbia, however, continue to provide an airlift of military supplies to Israel.

1310 GMT — Hezbollah releases footage of Israeli military sites in Golan Heights

Lebanese group Hezbollah released detailed drone footage of Israeli military sites in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The footage broadcast by Hezbollah's media showed Israeli intelligence bases, command centers, and camps in the occupied territory, claiming that the scenes were captured by the group's aerial drones.

The video shows aerial scanning of bases that Hezbollah said belong to six strategic locations for electronic reconnaissance, including western Shlagim West, Astra, eastern Shlagim, Yisraeli, Avital, and Tel Faris.

1211 GMT — French political scientist detained for 'advocacy of terrorism'

A renowned French political scientist who supports the cause of besieged Gaza has been placed in custody for "advocacy of terrorism," his lawyer has said.

Francois Burgat was detained by police in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence over his alleged "advocacy of terrorism," lawyer Rafik Chekkat said on X.

The European Jewish Organization filed a complaint about the expert on the Arab world and Islamophobia for reposting a post on X this Jan. 2, Chekkat told Anadolu news agency.

"Burgat is giving honest answers and refers to his status as a researcher and the books he wrote. He said that he was also heard at the National Assembly, the Senate, the Criminal Court, etc. He was asked questions about the conflict and he had the opportunity to express himself," the lawyer explained.

1155 GMT — Egypt's Sisi, CIA chief discuss Gaza truce efforts in Cairo

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has met CIA director William Burns in Cairo, where US and Israeli delegations discussed efforts for a Gaza truce.

Sisi's office said the two men "discussed the latest developments in joint efforts to reach a truce and ceasefire agreement in Gaza," where Israeli troops, backed by tanks and warplanes, stepped up their operations in the Palestinian enclave.

Mediators Egypt and Qatar have been engaged in months of negotiations aimed at reaching a truce and captive swap deal for Gaza.

1116 GMT — Gaza medical points shut down: Palestinian Red Crescent

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said all its medical points in Gaza City went out of service under the Israeli evacuation orders to many areas of the city.

In a statement, it said all its medical points and emergency clinics in the Gaza Governorate came out of service "due to the Israeli occupation's forcible evacuation measures in various areas of the (Gaza) governorate where these medical points and clinics are located."

Early on Tuesday, the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City also said they were forced by the Israeli army to close it after its vicinity came under Israeli fire.

The hospital management said all patients and displaced people were forced to leave the hospital, putting them at risk amid Israeli attacks.

1038 GMT — Netanyahu 'secretly' agreed to Ben-Gvir's cabinet role

A close source to Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "secretly" agreed for Ben-Gvir to join a smaller security Cabinet that administers the war affairs. The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Netanyahu approved Ben-Gvir's request to join the small security forum.

The source added that Netanyahu demanded that his approval not be announced.

1004 GMT — Death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza reaches 38,243

At least 38,243 Palestinians have been killed and 88,033 have been wounded in Israeli military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the health ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

1002 GMT — Hezbollah mourns one more fighter killed in clashes with Israel

The Lebanese Hezbollah group has announced one more of its fighters was killed in clashes with Israel.

In a statement, the group identified the fighter as Ali Hussein Wizani (Ali Al-Akbar), and said he was killed "on the road to Jerusalem," in reference to the Hezbollah fight in support of the Palestinian resistance facing the Israeli devastating onslaught in Gaza.

The new fatality brought the number of Hezbollah fighters killed in clashes with Israeli forces since Oct. 8, 2023, to 365, according to an Anadolu Agency tally.

0825 GMT — Israeli army detains 16 Palestinians from areas in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army has detained 16 more Palestinians in military raids across the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

The Israeli forces assaulted and threatened the detainees and their family members, as well as vandalised their homes, the statement added.

The new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since October last year to 9,600, including those who were released after being arrested, according to Palestinian figures.

0754 GMT — UN 'appalled' by Israel evacuation orders as Gaza battles rage on

The United Nations has protested over the latest mass evacuation orders issued by Israel in Gaza.

Israel extended its evacuation warning to cover most of Gaza's main city on Monday and intense fighting erupted.

Israel has now issued three evacuation orders for Gaza City and one for the south of the Palestinian territory since June 27 in a new stepping up of its brutal military offensives. The UN says tens of thousands of civilians have fled.

0726 GMT — Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon cause fires in several towns

Several fires have broken out in towns and areas in southern Lebanon as a result of Israeli overnight heavy shelling, local media reported.

The Lebanese official news agency NNA said the Israeli army continued its shelling across southern Lebanon, causing fires in some towns, where the civil defence firefighting teams worked to extinguish them.

The agency said that over 15 Israeli artillery shells were fired in the early hours of Tuesday on the outskirts of the Aaichiyeh town and others on the Jezzine town.

More fires also erupted from the Israeli shelling on the towns of Maroun al-Ras, Ayta al-Shaab, Hanine, and Rmeish as the firefighting teams rushed to contain the fires.

No casualties were reported from the Israeli shelling.

0700 GMT — 16 Palestinians killed in Israeli overnight shelling across Gaza

At least 16 Palestinians have been killed and dozens others injured in a series of Israeli overnight strikes and shelling across Gaza.

A local medical source told Anadolu Agency that seven people were killed in an Israeli shelling on their home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.

Six others from the Mhanna family were killed by an Israeli army's air strike on their home in the Al-Jalaa street and three others were also killed in another air strike on the Lababidi area in Gaza City, according to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.

Meanwhile, the medical teams removed a child and a number of injured people from under the rubble of a struck home in eastern Gaza City, Wafa also reported.

The Israeli army on Monday ordered the residents in several neighbourhoods across Gaza City to flee their areas as the Israeli army raided several areas in eastern and southern Gaza City.

0648 GMT — Yemeni Houthi group announces hitting 'vital target' in Israel's Eilat

The Yemeni Houthi group has said it jointly attacked with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance group a "vital target" in the Israeli southern city of Eilat.

In a statement, the Houthi group's military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attack was carried out with a number of combat drones, and claimed to "accurately" hit the target.

The Houthi spokesman, however, did not reveal further information about the nature of the Israeli target his group had hit.

0601 GMT — Three Palestinians found dead after release from Israeli custody

The handcuffed bodies of three Palestinian men freed from Israeli custody have been found near Gaza's border with Israel, and an uncle of one of them and a witness said they had been attacked by Israeli forces shortly after their release.

Abdel Hadi Ghabayen, an uncle of one of the detainees, Kamel Ghabayen, said he set out at 5 am local (0200 GMT) on Sunday looking for his nephew following his arrest by Israeli forces on Saturday.

"I found him left on the ground along with the other two martyrs. They were without clothes, and their hands had plastic cuffs put on them by the Israeli army," Ghabayen said.

0334 GMT — Top US diplomat for Middle East travels to region for Gaza ceasefire talks

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf is traveling to the Middle East from July 8-14 to discuss a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the State Department said.

Leaf will visit the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and the West Bank and Italy.

"The Assistant Secretary will meet with government officials on continued diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire agreement, secure the release of all hostages, and ensure humanitarian assistance is distributed throughout Gaza," said the State Department.

"She will also have further discussions on the post-conflict period in a way that builds lasting peace and security," it added.

Meanwhile, Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security services, and CIA Director William Burns arrived in Egypt on Monday for talks on a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

2119 GMT — UN details catastrophic effects of Israel's carnage in Gaza City

The United Nations has said that Israel's latest ultimatum forcing exodus of Palestinians from parts of besieged Gaza City affected more than 60 schools sheltering displaced Palestinians, as well as two partially functional hospitals, six medical points and two primary health care centres.

Humanitarian officials report that staff and patients have fled hospitals in and around the Israel-threatened areas, and people who were already displaced are being forced to flee again, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

The UN humanitarian office also reports that "active hostilities, damaged roads, access limitations and the lack of public order and safety continue to hamper movement along the main humanitarian cargo route from the Kerem Shalom [Karam Abu Salem] crossing to Khan Younis, and then to Deir al-Balah," Dujarric said.

He said this has resulted in critical food shortages, reduced food rations in central and southern Gaza last month, and the increasing risk of stranded supplies, especially food, spoiling in the heat.

2100 GMT — Israel's top general in West Bank makes rare public criticism of settler violence

Israel's top general in the occupied West Bank has spoken out against settler violence in the occupied territory, a rare public denunciation of Zionist settler attacks on Palestinians from within Israel's military establishment.

At a ceremony appointing his successor, the retiring chief of the Israeli military's central command, Major General Yehuda Fox, said that "nationalist crime" had recently "reared its head."

"Under the auspices of the war and the desire for revenge, it sowed chaos and fear in Palestinian residents who did not pose any threat," Fox added.

Fox said he was dismayed that local politicians and religious leaders in the West Bank have not acted to combat the escalating settler violence.

"This is not Judaism to me. At least not the one I grew up with," Fox said.

1931 GMT — Netanyahu running 'one-man government': Ben-Gvir

Israel's extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has accused hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sidelining his coalition partners.

Netanyahu is running a "one-man government," Ben-Gvir said on X, accusing the premier of surrendering to what he called "terror on every front."

The accusation followed Netanyahu's refusal to allow the extremist to join a body that administers the Gaza war and has influence over war decisions.

"We did not join to be cheerleaders to the tribune. We came to influence," Ben-Gvir said.

Ben-Gvir has threatened to topple Netanyahu's regime if Israel ends its invasion of Gaza.

Our live updates from Monday, July 8, 2024, click here.