Live blog: Biden, Sisi stress dangers of military escalation in Rafah

Monday, April 29, 2024

1916 GMT –– Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi received a phone call from US President Joe Biden to discuss the latest developments of ongoing negotiations regarding a ceasefire in Gaza and the dangers of a military escalation in Rafah, a statement from Egypt's presidency said.

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1854 GMT –– US 'does not support' ICC investigation of Israel

The United States said it opposed the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into Israel's conduct in Gaza, amid reports that Israeli officials feared the Hague-based tribunal could soon issue arrest warrants.

"We've been really clear about the ICC investigation, that we don't support it, we don't believe that they have the jurisdiction," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing.

1819 GMT –– UN warns of water and sanitation system collapse in Gaza's Rafah

The UN warned that the water and sanitation system is nearing collapse in Gaza city of Rafah.

The situation in Gaza remains "dire and rough, where about half of Gaza is currently seeking shelter," Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference.

Dujarric said intensive strikes on Rafah are "continuing to be reported along with dozens of fatalities," making it difficult for locals to access essential services such as healthcare, clean water, and sanitation facilities.

"The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility warned that the entire water and sanitation system is nearing collapse to address the rising needs for safe drinking water" in Rafah, he added.

1810 GMT –– Five Israeli units committed gross human rights violations: US

The US said it has found five Israeli units committed gross violations of human rights before the start of Israel's war on Gaza following Hamas' cross-border attack last October 7.

"Four of these units have effectively remediated violations," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters, adding that all of the incidents occurred before October 7 and none took place in Gaza, the focus of the conflict in the months since last October. He added that remediation is in consistent with what the US expects its partners to do.

"We continue to be in consultations and engagements with the government of Israel," Patel said. "They have submitted additional information as it pertains to that unit, and we’re continuing to have those conversations," he added.

1713 GMT –– Gaza hospital staff questioned by ICC war crimes prosecutors, sources say

Prosecutors from the International Criminal Court have interviewed staff from Gaza's two biggest hospitals, two sources told Reuters news agency, the first confirmation that ICC investigators were speaking to medics about possible crimes in Gaza.

The sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject, told Reuters ICC investigators had taken testimony from staff who had worked in the main hospital in Gaza City in the north of the enclave, Al Shifa, and the main hospital in Khan Younis in the south, Nasser.

One of the sources said that events surrounding the hospitals could become part of the investigation by the ICC, which hears criminal cases against individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression.

1609 GMT –– Britain's shadow secretary of defence questions UK troops deployment in Middle East

Britain's shadow secretary of state for defence, MP John Healey, questioned the role of the UK armed forces in the Middle East, particularly in light of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

During a heated session in the House of Commons, he emphasised the extreme suffering of Palestinians, including starving children and families succumbing to famine and disease.

Highlighting the recent RAF airdrop of aid into Gaza, Healey pressed the government on the lack of sea shipments, querying why there has only been one such shipment in over six months.

1551 GMT –– Pro-Palestine protests continue at Canada's McGill University

Students in solidarity with Palestine are continuing their encampment for a third day at McGill University, one of Canada's leading institutions.

McGill University students on Saturday joined the wave of protests on campuses spreading across the US.

The university said in a statement on Monday that it is in talks with "lawyers retained by McGill students in the encampment, to discuss conditions in place to ensure safety as well as a timeline to remove the tents."

The students have expressed their intention to remain on campus "indefinitely," prompting McGill University's senior leadership team to convene and discuss the next steps in this matter, with updates expected soon.

1541 GMT –– Hamas can’t be eliminated: Egypt, Jordan

The top diplomats of Jordan and Egypt said that the Palestinian resistance group Hamas can't be eliminated amid a brutal Israeli offensive on Gaza.

"Hamas is an idea that can’t be eliminated," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia.

He said that the Palestinian group did not ignite the current conflict in Gaza.

"The problem did not start on October 7, but it was the result of 70 years of Israeli occupation, which refused to recognise the rights of the Palestinians," he added.

"Everyone wants peace based on a two-state solution," Safadi said. "Israel must declare its commitment to a just and comprehensive peace, but it is clear that Netanyahu does not want peace."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, for his part, said Hamas leaders have signalled readiness to abandon armed resistance "if there is a clear commitment to establishing a Palestinian state."

"The armed struggle and resistance to occupation are legitimate, and as long as there is occupation there will be a justification for resisting it under international law," he told the panel.

The top diplomat called for setting the conditions "that lead to Hamas being a partner in the [political] process and participating in establishing the Palestinian state." "Palestinian voters are entrusted with determining the role that Hamas can play," he added.

1532 GMT –– Massacre in Gaza should end as soon as possible: Turkish Foreign Minister

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed the massacre in Gaza should end as soon as possible.

During a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Fidan said pressure should be exerted on Israel for an end to the massacre, a permanent ceasefire, and delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

1521 GMT –– Paris police clear Gaza protesters at Sorbonne University

Police moved in to clear dozens of protesters who had set up tents in a courtyard at the Sorbonne University in Paris to protest against the war in Gaza, students there said.

"We set up tents ... like in several US universities," Sorbonne student Louis Maziere said. "We're doing all we can to raise awareness about what is happening in Palestine, about the ongoing genocide in Gaza."

"Police then came running in, brought down tents, grabbed students by the collar and dragged them on the ground, that's not OK... We're quite shocked," he said.

Fellow student Lou said: "What we're pushing for is peace and they answer with force and violence."

BFM TV showed footage of police dragging a couple of students out.

A police source confirmed they had intervened to clear out the Sorbonne's courtyard.

"This operation, which lasted only a few minutes, was carried out peacefully without incident," the source said, declining to respond to questions on how the students had been removed.

1442 GMT –– Norway accuses West of double standards on Gaza

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide accused Western countries of double standards on the second day of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With brutal war unravelling in Gaza and Ukraine, the foreign minister argued that the West’s support for the war-torn European country, inherent in terms of respect for international law, has been absent when it comes to violations of international law in Gaza.

"Many Western countries hesitated to use the same type of language against violations of international humanitarian law, for instance, that we easily apply when they are violated by Russia in Ukraine," Eide said.

1405 GMT –– Hamas offered 40-day truce in Gaza, release of prisoners: UK

Hamas has been offered a 40-day ceasefire and the release of "potentially thousands" of Palestinian prisoners in return for freeing Israeli hostages, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.

The Palestinian resistance group has been given "a very generous offer of sustained 40 days ceasefire, the release of potentially thousands of Palestinian prisoners, in return for the release of these hostages", Cameron told a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh.

The UK foreign minister said that for a "political horizon for a two-state solution", with an independent Palestine co-existing with Israel, the "people responsible for October 7, the Hamas leadership, would have to leave Gaza and you've got to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza".

"You've got to see a political future for the Palestinian people, but you've also crucially got to see security for Israel and those two things have to go together," he added.

1337 GMT –– US military's pier in Gaza to cost $320M

The US military's cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid has risen to $320 million, a US defence official and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.

The figure, which has not been previously reported, illustrates the massive scale of a construction effort that the Pentagon has said involves about 1,000 US service members, mostly from the Army and Navy. Still, the cost has roughly doubled from initial estimates earlier this year, according to a person familiar with the matter.

"The cost has not just risen. It has exploded," Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Democratic-led Senate Armed Services Committee, told Reuters, when asked about the costs. "This dangerous effort with marginal benefit will now cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days."

1311 GMT –– China 'strongly condemns' perpetrators of Gaza mass graves

“We are deeply shocked and strongly condemn the perpetrators of the atrocity,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, responding to questions about the discovery of mass graves.

Without naming a country, Beijing said "(the) relevant country must no longer turn a deaf ear to the call for justice from people with conscience across the world," according to a transcript of a news conference by the ministry.

"It must no longer talk about the need of a ceasefire while pouring weapons into the conflict, and talk about aid while creating obstacles for humanitarian access," said ministry spokesperson Lin.

"A humanitarian catastrophe that should never have happened continues to unfold before our eyes," said Lin, adding that the "biggest imperative is to put in place a ceasefire as soon as possible." "This is the number one overriding priority in Gaza," he added.

1248 GMT –– Palestinians dig to retrieve bodies buried in rubble

Civil defence teams and volunteers have joined hands to extract the bodies of dead Palestinians from under the rubble of destroyed buildings in northern Gaza, according to a local official.

"We resume our work [in northern Gaza] after a 100-day hiatus," Ahmed al-Kahlout, head of the Civil Defense Agency, told Anadolu news agency.

He said the recovered bodies will be examined, documented and identified before being buried in northern Gaza.

Kahlout said civil defence teams and volunteers are working with limited equipment.

“The Israeli army has destroyed the agency’s drills, bulldozers, and machines,” he added.

Eid Sabah, the nursing director at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, said the Health Ministry has enough information about the number of those under the rubble.

"Work has begun to extract and bury the victims in the designated cemeteries," he told Anadolu. "There are about 10,000 bodies still missing under the rubble in various parts of the strip," he added.

1223 GMT –– US, Egypt 'hopeful' of Gaza truce as envoys meet in Cairo

US top diplomat Antony Blinken said he was "hopeful" Hamas would accept the latest proposal for a long-sought Gaza truce and hostage release deal as negotiators from the Palestinian group were due in Egypt.

Talks "are taking place in Cairo today", said Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian intelligence services. A senior Hamas official said on Sunday the Palestinian group had no "major issues" with the most recent truce plan.

Blinken told a World Economic Forum meeting in Saudi Arabia he was "hopeful" Hamas would accept a truce.

"Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel," Blinken said, urging the group to "decide quickly". "I'm hopeful that they will make the right decision."

Speaking at the same meeting, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said "the proposal has taken into account the positions of both sides." While there was no "final decision" yet, Shoukry said: "We are hopeful... I hope that all will rise to the occasion."

1217 GMT –– Israel launches fresh attacks in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army carried out fresh attacks in southern Lebanon amid growing tension with Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Israeli artillery shelled the towns of Ayta ash-Shaab, Alma ash-Shaab and Naqoura, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.

Israeli air strikes were also reported in the border towns of Tyre Harfa, Maroun al-Ras, Naqoura, and Blat amid reports of damage to properties and infrastructure. No reports were yet available about injuries.

1215 GMT –– US press Israel on more humanitarian aid to Gaza: Blinken

The US has seen measurable progress in the humanitarian situation in Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. However, he cautioned that it still wasn't sufficient and vowed to press Israeli officials later this week to do more.

Speaking at the opening of a meeting with the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, Blinken cited the opening of new border crossings and higher amount of humanitarian aid as evidence of progress.

"But, it is not enough. We still need to get more aid in and around Gaza. We need to improve de-confliction with the humanitarian assistance workers," Blinken said, referring to a mechanism that will ensure Israel does not strike aid groups.

"We finally have to make sure that we're not just focusing on inputs but on impact. All of this is going to be focus of the next few days for me, as I travel onto Jordan and Israel," Blinken said.

1202 GMT –– Israel scrambled to prevent ICC arrest warrants for Gaza war crimes

Israel has launched a major campaign to prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from issuing arrest warrants for top officials over war crimes in besieged Gaza.

"The Prime Minister's office is worried that the ICC will soon issue arrest warrants against [Benjamin] Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as IDF (army) Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi,” an Israeli diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post.

“Where is [US President Joe] Biden? Why is he quiet while Israel will potentially be thrown under the bus?” the source said. The Israeli source argued that The Hague-based court could not act against Netanyahu and top army officials without overt or tactic support from the US.

1158 GMT –– Gaza protesters disrupt Paris's Sorbonne University

Protesters angry over the Gaza war took to Paris' Sorbonne University, chanting 'Free Palestine' at the university's gates while some students set up tents in the courtyard.

Days after similar protests at Paris's Sciences Po elite school, the gathering at the Sorbonne was the latest sign that demonstrations on US campuses were spilling over to Europe as the devastating war is in its seventh month.

The protests, which lead the university to close the building for the day, were peaceful as students urged the institution - one of the world's oldest universities - to condemn Israel's actions.

1021 GMT — Blinken says US 'not seen' Rafah invasion plan that protects civilians, hopeful for ceasefire

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has renewed US opposition to an Israeli offensive on Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, ahead of his trip to Israel.

"We have not yet seen a plan that gives us confidence that civilians can be effectively protected," Blinken told a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.

Blinken also said he was hopeful Hamas would accept an "extraordinarily generous" offer to halt Israel's Gaza offensive in return for the release of hostages.

1009 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks rises to 34,488: ministry

At least 34 more Palestinians have been killed and 68 others injured over the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on besieged Gaza, the Health Ministry in the territory has said.

"The Israeli occupation (forces) committed three massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 34 martyrs and 68 injured during the past 24 hours," a ministry statement said.

"Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them," it added.

Flouting a provisional ruling by the International Court of Justice, Israel continues its onslaught on Gaza where at least 34,488 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 77,643 injured since October 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

0837 GMT — Red Cross has no mandate to replace UNRWA in Gaza, chief says

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) does not have a mandate to replace the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, its director general has said.

"We have completely different mandates," ICRC director general Pierre Krahenbuhl told Swiss daily Le Temps in an interview.

UNWRA's mandate "comes from the UN General Assembly, the ICRC's from the Geneva Convention. The ICRC cannot take over UNRWA's mandate," he said.

"We already have enough to do without replacing other organisations," said Krahenbuhl, who himself had headed UNRWA between 2014 and 2019.

0833 GMT — Top Saudi, US diplomats meet to discuss Israel's war on Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah has met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the developments in Gaza.

Saudi Press Agency WAS reported that the meeting took place on the sidelines of the joint meeting between the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the United States.

Both top diplomats reviewed the developments in Gaza and the city of Rafah, emphasising the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, in addition to exploring ways to ensure the entry of urgent humanitarian aid.

This comes as a a Hamas delegation is due to arrive today in Egypt, where it will respond to Israel's latest proposal for a long-sought hostage-release deal and truce in Gaza after almost seven months of war.

0832 GMT — Blinken says 'measurable progress' on Gaza humanitarian situation in recent weeks

The United States has seen "measurable progress" in the humanitarian situation in Gaza over the past few weeks, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said, but urged Israel to do more.

Speaking in Riyadh at the opening of a US-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting, Blinken said the most effective way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was to achieve a ceasefire.

He also said Washington continued efforts to prevent the Gaza war from expanding.

0825 GMT — Hamas claims rocket barrage from Lebanon into north Israel

Hamas's armed wing has said its armed wing in Lebanon's south launched a slew of rockets at a northern Israeli military position.

Hamas fighters "have fired a concentrated rocket barrage from south Lebanon towards" an Israeli military position, said the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades in a statement on Telegram.

The armed wing described the action as a "response to the massacres of the Zionist enemy (Israel)" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli army told AFP that "approximately 20 launches crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory" but it had intercepted most rockets and struck "the sources of fire".

0813 GMT — Israeli officials appear increasingly concerned ICC may issue arrest warrants

Israeli officials appear to be increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against the country’s leaders.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that it had informed Israeli missions of “rumours” that warrants might be issued against senior political and military officials.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said “we expect the court to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials,” saying such warrants would “provide a morale boost” to Hamas and other groups that Israel is fighting.

0713 GMT — Talks on Gaza ceasefire progressing but we remain prudent, says French Foreign Minister

Talks on a ceasefire in Gaza are progressing, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne has said in Riyadh, where he was due to meet other ministers of Arab and Western countries as well as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

"Things are moving forward but you always have to be careful in these discussions and negotiations. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic and we need a ceasefire," he said.

0646 GMT — UN agency for Palestinians refugees assesses damages to its Gaza facilities

UNRWA has said it led a mission to assess the damage inflicted on its facilities as a result of the Israeli war on Gaza.

In a statement released on X, the agency said: "UNRWA and UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) led a critical mission to assess damage to the agency facilities, marking any shrapnel and unexploded ordnance."

It also highlighted that a staggering 165 agency installations across Gaza had been affected during the course of the war.

The UNMAS, for its part, emphasised the enormity of the task ahead, noting: "Making Gaza safe from unexploded ordnance could take 14 years."

0410 GMT — Antony Blinken arrives in Saudi Arabia for discussions on Gaza

Blinken has arrived in Saudi Arabia, the first stop in a broader trip to the Middle East, aimed at discussing post-war Gaza and pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In Riyadh, Blinken is expected to meet with senior Saudi leaders and hold a wider meeting with counterparts from five Arab states: Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

He aims to further discussions on what governance of Gaza would look like after the war, according to a senior State Department official.

0312 GMT — Hamas delegation heads to Egypt for Gaza truce talks

A Hamas delegation is due to arrive today in Egypt, where it will respond to Israel's latest proposal for a long-sought hostage-release deal and truce in Gaza after almost seven months of war.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, as the death toll in Gaza rises and calls for a deal intensify.

But despite intense pressure to reach a ceasefire, secure the release of hostages held in Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid into the war-battered territory, a deal has remained elusive.

0303 GMT — University students in occupied West Bank hold solidarity demonstration with Gaza

Students at a university in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus hhave organised a solidarity demonstration with Gaza.

An-Najah National University students and staff protested Israel’s attacks on the enclave, which began last October.

Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas said the demonstration expressed "the rejection of the genocide in Gaza" and reflected the national unity of Palestine.

The university’s spokesperson, Riad al-Dabai, underlined the importance of "supporting Gaza, which was exposed to the genocidal war, and the victory of the Palestinian people."

0240 GMT — Israel kills 22 more Palestinians in Gaza

At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in overnight Israeli attacks on Gaza, local media has reported.

Five Palestinians, including women and children, lost their lives in an Israeli bombing targeting a house belonging to a family in western Gaza City, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the Sabra neighbourhood, where two Palestinian women were killed, some people were injured and others were trapped under the rubble.

2304 GMT — Anti-tank missile from Lebanon hits house in northern Israel

An anti-tank missile struck a house in the Israeli settlement of Shtula in the Upper Galilee region near the border with Lebanon, local media has reported.

“An anti-tank missile was fired from southern Lebanon earlier on Sunday, hitting a residential house in the Shtula settlement in northern Israel without causing any casualties,” said Israel’s Channel 12.

The house sustained material damage according to the channel.

2330 GMT — Israel kills over dozen Palestinians in Rafah — medics

Israeli air strikes on three houses in the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed 13 people and wounded many others, medics have said.

Hamas media outlets put the death toll at 15.

In Gaza City, in the north of the enclave, Israeli planes struck two houses, killing and wounding several people, health officials said.

The strikes on Rafah, where over a million people are sheltering from months of Israeli bombardment, came hours before Egypt was expected to host leaders of Hamas to discuss prospects for a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

2248 GMT — Situation in Gaza is 'catastrophe by every measure': Riyadh

The situation in Gaza obviously is "a catastrophe by every measure," Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan has said.

His remarks came during one of the sessions of a special meeting of the World Economic Forum being hosted by Riyadh on April 28 and 29, according to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

"The situation in Gaza obviously is a catastrophe by every measure — humanitarian, but also a complete failing of the existing political system to deal with that crisis," said Farhan.

"We are going to look at how we can solve the bigger problem in the context of Gaza. That is a real commitment to a two-state solution that is a credible, irreversible path to a Palestinian State," he added.

2135 GMT — Gaza lost over $3B in transport: Minister

Gaza’s transportation sector has suffered more than $3 billion in losses in the past seven months due to Israel’s war against the enclave, Minister of Transportation and Communications Tareq Zarab has said.

Zarab's remarks came during a presentation at a session of the Cabinet in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement viewed by Anadolu news agency.

“The committees of the Ministry of Transportation estimate the destruction by the (Israeli) occupation forces of about 55,000 vehicles in the Gaza Strip, which is equivalent to 60 percent of the licensed vehicles in the Strip,” said Zarab.

For our live updates from Sunday, April 28, click here.