Live blog: Casualties as Israel targets house in Gaza's Rafah area

Monday, February 26, 2024

Israeli fighter jets have struck a house in Rafah city in the southern Gaza, according to eyewitnesses, killing and wounding many civilians, witnesses said.

Several Palestinians were killed and wounded in the strike in central Rafah, they said.

The Health Ministry has yet to issue an official death toll.

The air strike came as Tel Aviv plans a ground invasion in Rafah, where 1.4 million people have taken refuge, despite international warnings and calls to avoid any such attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the army had presented to the War Cabinet its operational plan for a ground invasion into Rafah.

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2100 GMT — Self-immolation of US airman was 'tragic': Pentagon

The deadly self-immolation of a US airman outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington over the weekend was "very tragic," the Pentagon said.

"It certainly is a tragic event. We do extend our condolences to the airman's family," Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters.

Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, set himself ablaze in front of Israel's embassy afternoon in protest of its ongoing war in the besieged Gaza, and US support for the carnage.

1754 GMT — Jordan carries out series of air-drops of aid into Gaza

The Jordanian army said it had carried out a series of humanitarian aid drops of food and other supplies into the besieged Gaza, one of them by a French army plane.

Jordanian forces made "four air drops carrying aid for the people of Gaza", under the directive of Jordanian King Abdullah II, a statement said.

The operation came on the same day that two human rights groups said Israel was further limiting humanitarian aid into Gaza - where the UN has warned of famine - despite an order from the UN's top court.

1913 GMT — Egypt renews call for Gaza ceasefire at UN disarmament conference

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has renewed his country’s call for a ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza.

"The ongoing war in Gaza, which witnessed an official threat to use nuclear weapons against the Palestinian people, requires all peace forces to work to restore and strengthen the foundations of regional stability in the Middle East," Shoukry said in a speech to the High-Level Segment of 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

The top Egyptian diplomat reiterated Cairo's categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians from Gaza.

1845 GMT — Israel files report with World Court on Gaza measures: official

Israel has filed a report with the International Court of Justice about measures taken to comply with an interim ruling that called on it to prevent Gaza war actions that might amount to genocide, an Israeli official said.

The official did not provide details on the content of the report, which was filed hours before the deadline for its submission.

Last month the UN's top court ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians after South Africa accused Israel of state-led genocide.

1801 GMT — Israel committed to eradicating Hamas regardless of economic toll

Israel is committed to winning the war in Gaza and eliminating Hamas regardless of the economic toll on the country, Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat said.

Israel's $500-billion economy has taken a hit during the more than four-month-old war in Gaza, during which thousands of people have left the Israeli workforce and gone to serve in the military.

"I think when people look at the economy of Israel, they want to make sure, first of all, we're a secure ... country," he said during a visit to the United Arab Emirates for a ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization.

1645 GMT — ICJ concludes week-long public hearings on Israeli occupation

Public hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s occupation of Palestine concluded after a week of oral statements by dozens of countries, including Türkiye, and three international organisations.

"The public hearings on the request for an advisory opinion in respect of the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, concluded today," the top UN court said in a statement.

Along with Palestine, 49 other states, including Türkiye, the US, the UK, France, and the Netherlands, and three international organizations – the Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and African Union – presented oral statements in the Hague.

"The Court will now begin its deliberation. The Court's advisory opinion will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in due course," the top UN court said.

1617 GMT — Jordan warns of dangers of Israel's planned Rafah assault

Jordan's King Abdullah has warned of the dangers of a military operation planned by Israel in Rafah and reiterated his appeal for an immediate ceasefire to help protect civilians in Gaza and bring in aid, the royal palace said.

The king also said the only way to end the decades-old conflict was to find a "political horizon" for Palestinians that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state on territory Israel occupied in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, including east Jerusalem.

1546 GMT — Humanitarian aid entering Gaza reduced by half: UN agency

Humanitarian aid entering Gaza dropped by half this month, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said.

"Aid was supposed to increase not decrease to address the huge needs of two million Palestinians in desperate living conditions," UNRWA's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.

"February registered a 50 percent reduction of humanitarian aid entering Gaza compared to January," he added.

1502 GMT — Planes airdrop humanitarian aid in Gaza amid Israeli onslaught

Planes airdropped shipments of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza amid an Israeli offensive on the enclave, according to witnesses.

The aid supplies were airlifted to the cities of Deir al Balah and Rafah in central and southern Gaza, witnesses said.

The nationality of the planes was not yet clear. No aid shipments were dropped in northern Gaza, witnesses said.

1453 GMT — Hezbollah fires 60 rockets at Israeli base after east Lebanon strikes

Lebanon's Iran-aligned Hezbollah movement said it fired a volley of rockets at an Israeli military base in retaliation for deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon's east.

"In response to the Zionist aggression near the city of Baalbek," Hezbollah fighters targeted the base in the occupied Golan Heights "with 60 Katyusha rockets", the group said in a statement.

1405 GMT — Morocco calls for Gaza ceasefire, entry of humanitarian aid

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and access to humanitarian aid to the war-battered Palestinian enclave.

"There must be a ceasefire in Gaza and efforts must be made to bring in aid," Bourita said at a joint press conference in Rabat with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne.

He also called for halting "all practices that fuel tension" at the flashpoint Al Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East Jerusalem.

1350 GMT — Brazil urges Israel to 'fully comply' with measures ordered by ICJ

Brazil has denounced the ongoing attacks on Gaza and called on Israel to fully comply with emergency measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month.

"Brazil believes it's its duty, but also that of this council to firmly oppose any form of racism, sexism, antisemitism or Islamophobia," Brazil's Human Rights and Citizenship Minister Silvio Almeida told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Reiterating that Brazil has condemned the attacks perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7 and demanded the "immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages," he noted that they reject the "flagrant disproportionality" of the Israeli government's use of force which has claimed nearly 30,000 lives in Gaza.

"Most of them women and children, (Israel) forcibly displaced more than 80 percent of Gaza's population and left thousands of civilians without access to electricity, drinking water, food and basic humanitarian assistance," added Almeida.

"The creation of a free and sovereign Palestinian state that coexists with the state of Israel is an essential condition for peace," he noted, adding that Brazil considers it to be the duty of the council to "honour the self-determination of peoples" and to search for a peaceful solution to conflicts and to oppose all forms of new colonialism and apartheid.

1343 GMT — Air strike on central Lebanon won't go 'unanswered': Hezbollah

A Hezbollah lawmaker has that an Israeli air strike in Baalbek in central Lebanon "will not go unanswered."

"The enemy threatened Lebanon, and we tell them that the fire of resistance is burning and will confront any attack on our country," Hassan Fadlallah said in a statement.

The Lebanese MP vowed: "This war will end with victory."

Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Baalbek, marking a significant escalation away from the border confrontation with Hezbollah, witnesses told Anadolu. Baalbek is considered a stronghold of Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon, along the Syrian border.

1338 GMT — US airman who set self on fire outside Israeli embassy dies: Pentagon

An active member of the US Air Force has died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington over the weekend in protest of the war in Gaza, the Pentagon said.

An Air Force spokesperson said the unnamed man had "succumbed to his injuries and passed away last night. We will provide additional details 24 hours after next of kin notifications are complete."

1255 GMT — Palestinians suffer due to double standards: Indonesia

People in the Palestinian besieged enclave of Gaza continue to suffer "because of the double standard, especially in the context of human rights," the Indonesian foreign minister told the UN Human Rights Council.

"Human Rights Council should do what it should: to address the gross violation of human rights, including in Gaza … including in Palestine," said Retno Marsudi, addressing the council in Geneva.

Marsudi pointed out that UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk "did not" refer to the situation in Gaza in his opening remarks when the session opened. "May be, I just missed it," said Marsudi, sounding sarcastic, calling for global support to Palestine.

1248 GMT — Israeli occupation is 'affront to justice': Arab League

The League of Arab States has called Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories an "affront to international justice", saying failure to end it amounted to "genocide".

"This prolonged occupation is an affront to international justice," the 22 Arab-country bloc's representative told judges in The Hague.

"The failure to bring it to an end has led to the current horrors perpetrated against the Palestinian people, amounting to genocide," Abdel Hakim el Rifai said, reading a written statement.

The International Court of Justice entered its last day of week-long hearings after a request from the United Nations, with an unprecedented 52 countries giving their views on Israel's occupation.

1248 GMT — EU foreign policy chief criticises von der Leyen’s 'pro-Israel stance'

The EU foreign policy chief criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her "pro-Israel stance."

In an interview with the Spanish daily El Pais, Josep Borrell had harsh words about the trip she took to Tel Aviv in October 2023, where she offered the EU’s unconditional support for the war against Hamas.

"That trip by von der Leyen, with such an absolutely pro-Israeli stance, without representing anyone but herself in a matter of international politics, has had a high geopolitical cost for Europe," he said.

He also said that US President Joe Biden’s support of Israel seems to be losing him votes among the young Democratic base.

"Hamas is an idea, and an idea can only be fought with another idea. Netanyahu’s plans for Gaza are unacceptable. They are sowing the seeds of hate for generations to come," he told the Spanish daily. "It’s an open secret that the Israelis funded Hamas as a gamble on dividing the Palestinians," he added.

1123 GMT — Israel claims to hit Hezbollah air defences in Lebanon

The Israeli military said its fighter jets struck Hezbollah air defences in Lebanon's Beqaa valley in response to the downing of one of its drones.

The military said it would continue operations to defend Israel from Iran-backed Hezbollah, including within Lebanese air space.

1005 GMT — Türkiye warns of 'dangerous' situation in Palestine, urges aid

The unfolding situation in besieged Gaza and occupied West Bank is "extraordinary" and "extremely dangerous," Türkiye's delegation to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said, calling for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid.

Türkiye's newly-nominated Permanent Representative to UN and Deputy FM Ahmet Yildiz presented Türkiye's oral statements in advisory proceedings on the legal consequences of Israel's policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an unhindered flow of aid to Palestinians as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.

"It is alarming to see reports regarding plans by the Israeli government to limit prayers of Muslims at Haram al Sharif during Ramadan," he said during public hearings in The Hague, adding that the "provocative rhetoric" by certain Israeli ministers is also "worrisome."

Expressing Ankara's position regarding the situation in Palestine, Yildiz said Türkiye is "deeply concerned" with the unilateral policies and practices of Israel, which "violates the status quo in Haram al Sharif [Al Aqsa Mosque Compound]."

0848 GMT — Security Council undermined by Gaza, Ukraine deadlock, says UN chief

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has deplored how the UN Security Council had failed to respond adequately to the Israeli war on Gaza and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying the conflicts had "perhaps fatally" undermined its authority.

Speaking at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Guterres said the UN Security Council often found itself deadlocked and "unable to act on the most significant peace and security issues of our time".

The Council's "lack of unity on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and on Israel's military operations in Gaza" following Hamas's blitz on 7 October, has "severely – perhaps fatally – undermined its authority," he said.

"The Council needs serious reform to its composition and working methods."

0836 GMT — UNGA president calls for urgent truce, aid access in Gaza

The UN General Assembly president has said that the United Nations "must" speak out louder to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the opening of corridors for urgently needed assistance.

"In the name of humanity, we the United Nations must vehemently use our commanding platforms to speak up and to speak out – louder – in our demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for the opening of corridors to render urgently needed assistance and care to the 1.5 million displaced and unhoused Palestinians," Dennis Francis said during his remarks to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Francis also implored to donors to uphold and sustain their contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to discharge its mandated responsibilities to the Palestinians.

"Even in the midst of the current extraordinary challenges, UNRWA has be en and continues to be an indispensable lifeline of support to the Palestinians," he added.

0840 GMT — Hezbollah says it downed Israeli drone over Lebanese territory

Lebanon's Hezbollah said it had downed an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over Lebanese territory with a surface-to-air missile.

The group has downed or seized control of several drones in recent weeks.

0854 GMT — Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of blocking aid

Israel has failed to comply with an order by the United Nations' top court to provide urgently needed aid to desperate people in Gaza, Human Rights Watch said, a month after a landmark ruling in The Hague ordered Israel to moderate its war.

In a preliminary response to a South African petition accusing Israel of genocide, the UN’s top court ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza.

It stopped short of ordering an end to its military offensive that has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in the tiny Palestinian enclave. Israel vehemently denies the charges against it, saying it is fighting a war in self-defense.

0840 GMT — Attack on Rafah would be 'nail in coffin' of Gaza aid: UN chief

A full-scale Israeli military offesnive in Rafah would deliver a death blow to aid programmes in Gaza, where humanitarian assistance remains "completely insufficient", the UN chief warned.

Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Antonio Guterres said that Gaza's southernmost city, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are crowded together in tent cities, was "the core of the humanitarian aid operation" in the Palestinian territory.

"An all-out Israeli offensive on the city would not only be terrifying for more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there; it would put the final nail in the coffin of our aid programmes," he said.

0857 GMT — Rights chief decries disinfo attacks aimed to 'undermine' UN legitimacy

The UN rights chief has decried disinformation and other attacks aimed to "undermine the legitimacy" and work of the United Nations and other institutions, describing them as "profoundly destructive".

The attacks include "disinformation that targets UN humanitarian organisations, UN peacekeepers and my office," Volker Turk told the opening of the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session, lamenting that "the UN has become a lightning rod for manipulative propaganda and a scapegoat for policy failures".

0854 GMT — Palestinian death toll tops 29,780 as Israel resumes its attacks

Palestine's Health Ministry in Gaza has stated that Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours have killed 90 Palestinians and injured 164 others in Gaza.

Israel's new wave of attacks brings the death toll to 29,782 Palestinians and 70,043 injured since the beginning of Israel's military onslaught on Gaza on October 7.

The situation continues to deteriorate as Israel has sealed the enclave, leaving Gaza to starve.

The international community calls on Israel to allow aid into the region.

0818 GMT — Palestinian PM Shtayyeh steps down for 'political arrangements'

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has said he was resigning to allow for the formation of a broad consensus among Palestinians about political arrangements following Israel's war in Gaza.

"I see that the next stage and its challenges require new government and political arrangements — taking into consideration the evolving situation in Gaza, national unity talks, the urgent need for a Palestinian consensus based on national foundations and the extension of the authority of the government over the entire land of Palestine. Therefore, I submit the resignation of the government to the President (Mahmoud Abbas), for him to take necessary actions to serve our great people," Shtayyeh said.

The move comes amid growing US pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to shake up the Palestinian Authority as international efforts have intensified to stop the fighting in Gaza and begin work on a political structure to govern the enclave after the war.

President Mahmoud Abbas must still decide whether he accepts Shtayyeh and his government's resignation, tendered Monday.

0745 GMT — Officer and four soldiers seriously injured in Gaza fighting: Israeli army

The Israeli army said that an officer and four soldiers were seriously injured during fighting in northern and southern Gaza.

An officer and soldier from the Paratroopers Brigade in addition to a soldier from the Yalam unit were seriously injured Sunday in southern Gaza, the army said in a statement.

Two more soldiers from the 601st Battalion sustained serious injuries in northern Gaza, the statement added.

The army did not specify the circumstances of the soldiers' deaths

0702 GMT — Israeli forces kill over 30 Palestinian fighters in Gaza city

Israel killed more than 30 Palestinian fighters in Gaza City's Zeitoun district, more than 10 in central Gaza and others in the southern city of Khan Younis, the military has claimed in a summary of the last 24 hours' operations.

Gaza City was overrun by Israeli forces in the first stages of the war and has seen renewed incursions against Palestinian resistance groups.

Israeli TV said that Zeitoun, once under Israel's full control, could be a test site for post-war management of Gaza.

0254 GMT — Houthis miss target in missile attack on US-owned oil tanker: US central command

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that Yemen's Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile likely targeting the MV Torm Thor, but missed the US-flagged, owned and operated oil tanker, in the Gulf of Aden on Feb. 24.

The missile impacted the water causing no damage nor injuries, CENTCOM added in a post on X.

The Iran-aligned group said on Sunday that they targeted the tanker, as the fighters continued to attack shipping lanes in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The US military also shot down in "self-defence" two one-way unmanned aerial attack vehicles over the southern Red Sea on Sunday, said CENTCOM.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have launched exploding drones and missiles at commercial vessels since Nov. 19 as a protest against Israel's onslaught in Gaza.

0100 GMT — Israel army proposes evacuation plan as PM vows Rafah invasion

Israel's military proposed a plan for "evacuating" civilians from Gaza, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a ground invasion of the Palestinian territory's southern city Rafah was necessary for "total victory".

Foreign governments and aid organisations have repeatedly expressed fears that such an offensive will inflict mass civilian casualties in Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians -- most of them displaced from other areas -- have converged.

It is also the entry point for desperately needed aid, brought in via neighbouring Egypt.

Israel's military "presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from areas of fighting in Gaza, and with the upcoming operational plan", a statement in Hebrew from Netayahu's office said Monday.

The statement did not give any details about how or where the civilians would be moved.

The announcement comes after Egyptian, Qatari and US "experts" met in Doha for talks also attended by Israeli and Hamas representatives, state-linked Egyptian media said, the latest effort to secure a truce before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

0005 GMT — UAE's floating hospital starts receiving Gaza patients

The United Arab Emirates began providing medical aid to Palestinians wounded in Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, utilising a floating hospital anchored in Al Arish Port in northeastern Egypt.

According to the UAE's official news agency WAM, the floating hospital, established as part of the country’s support to Palestinians, commenced medical services and began admitting casualties from Gaza.

The 100-bed hospital is equipped with a comprehensive array of medical facilities including operating and intensive care rooms, a radiology unit, a laboratory and a pharmacy.

It is staffed by a team of 100 medical and administrative personnel spanning various specialties including anesthesia, general surgery, orthopedics and emergency medicine prepared to address the urgent medical needs of those affected by the conflict.

2311 GMT — Israel vows to target Lebanon's Hezbollah even if ceasefire reached with Hamas in Gaza

Israel’s defence minister vowed to step up attacks on Lebanon’s Hezbollah group even if a ceasefire is reached with Hamas in Gaza.

Hezbollah, which has been exchanging fire with Israel throughout the war in Gaza, has said it will halt its nearly daily attacks on Israel if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

But Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that anyone who thinks a temporary ceasefire for Gaza will also apply to the northern front is “mistaken.”

“We will continue the fire, and we will do so independently from the south, until we achieve our goals,” Gallant said. He said there is a simple aim: to push Hezbollah away from the Israeli border, either through a diplomatic agreement or by force.

2200 GMT — UNRWA chief says ‘man-made’ famine in Gaza can be averted if aid let in

A severe famine in Gaza can be averted if aid is allowed in, the commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said.

“The last time UNRWA was able to deliver food aid to northern Gaza was on 23 January,” Philippe Lazzarini said on X.

“Since then, together with other UN agencies, we have warned against a looming famine, appealed for regular humanitarian access, and stated that famine can be averted if more food convoys are allowed into northern Gaza on a regular basis,” he added.

For our live updates from Sunday, February 25, click here.