Live blog: G7 foreign ministers voice concern over Middle East tensions

Sunday, August 4, 2024

2159 GMT — The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies expressed “deep concern” over the rising tensions in the Middle East.

The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the High Representative of the European Union in a statement indicated their “deep concern at the heightened level of tension in the Middle East, which threatens to ignite a broader conflict in the region.”

They urged all involved parties “to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions and engage constructively toward de-escalation.”

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2237 GMT — One killed in Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon

One person was killed in an Israeli air strike targeting the village of Houla in Marjayoun district in southern Lebanon.

“The enemy's (Israeli) airstrike initially resulted in the martyrdom of one person, while rescue teams are still working to clear the rubble,” the Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Lebanese Ministry of Health said in a statement.

2228 GMT — Israeli court extends detention of 5 soldiers in Gaza assault case

An Israeli military court decided to extend the detention of five soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee from Gaza at Sde Teiman Prison in the Negev desert in southern Israel, local media has reported.

Their detention has been extended until next Tuesday, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported.

On July 29, Israel’s official broadcasting authority KAN reported that 10 Israeli soldiers had been detained after causing serious injuries to a Palestinian detainee, but five of them were later released.

2114 GMT — Pope Francis fears Middle East conflict may worsen

Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics and head of state of the Vatican, expressed hope Sunday that the conflict in the Middle East, which is "already particularly violent and bloody, does not expand further,” conveying his concern over tensions in the region.

The Pontiff addressed the crowd after reciting the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, Vatican News reported.

“Attacks, even targeted ones, and killings can never be a solution. They do not help to follow the path of justice, the path of peace, but generate even more hatred and revenge,” he said.

1817 GMT — Iraqi PM ties regional tensions to Gaza in Blinken call

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call on Sunday that preventing regional escalation is tied to stopping Israeli "aggression" in Gaza, Iraqi state media said.

1709 GMT –– Israel orders Palestinians in Gaza's Khan Younis to evacuate

The Israeli army has issued immediate evacuation orders for Palestinian residents in seven neighbourhoods in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ahead of a new military offensive in the area.

The orders came four days after the death of at least 225 people in an Israeli attack on areas designated as a “safe zone” for displaced Palestinians east of Khan Younis.

Military spokesman Avichai Adraee called on residents of Jort al-Lut, Al-Manara, Ma'an, Qizan al-Najjar, Qizan Abu Rashwan, Al-Salam, and Al-Hashash to “immediately evacuate to the humanitarian area” in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.

1642 GMT –– G7 foreign ministers meet via videoconference over Mideast: Italy

G7 foreign ministers have met by videoconference to discuss the Middle East and expressed "strong concern" over the threat of escalation, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says.

"Together with our partners, we have expressed strong concern about recent events that threaten to determine a regionalisation of the crisis, starting from Lebanon," said Tajani in a statement.

"We call on the parties involved to desist from any initiative that could hinder the path of dialogue and moderation and favour a new escalation," said the statement issued by the foreign ministry of Italy, which holds the G7 presidency this year.

1626 GMT –– Macron, Jordan king urge avoiding Mideast escalation 'at all costs'

France's Emmanuel Macron and Jordan's King Abdullah II have said a military escalation in the Middle East must be avoided "at all costs" during a telephone call, the French presidency said.

The leaders "expressed their utmost concern" and "underlined the need to avoid a regional military escalation at all costs", according to a readout of their call, as Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to avenge deadly strikes by Israel.

1558 GMT –– Saudi Arabia renews call for nationals to leave Lebanon ‘immediately’

Saudi Arabia has renewed its call for its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately amid rising border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a statement, the Saudi Embassy in Beirut said it is closely monitoring the situation in southern Lebanon and called on Saudi citizens to leave the Lebanese territory immediately.

1503 GMT –– Israel perpetrating first phase of genocide in Gaza: Türkiye

Israel's blocking aid, killing aid workers, preventing evacuations, and allowing humanitarian supplies to rot are crimes against humanity and the “first phase of the genocide being conducted on the other side of the border,” Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in Egypt.

“Israel's closing of the border gate, targeting aid convoys, killing humanitarian workers, blocking the evacuation of the sick and civilians, and causing the decay of thousands of trucks' worth of aid materials are crimes against humanity and constitute the first stage of the genocide being conducted on the other side of the border,” Fidan said on X.

1502 GMT –– Dozens of Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on Gaza schools

At least 30 Palestinians have been killed and scores injured in Israeli air strikes on two schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, medical sources said.

The attacks targeted the Hassan Salama and al Nasr school west of Gaza City, the sources said.

“Around 80 percent of the victims are children,” Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said in a statement.

He called the scenes at the two bombed schools “tragic.”

"There is no longer a safe place in Gaza City, and the (Israeli) occupation does not respect any sanctities,” he added.

1341 GMT –– Netanyahu rejects Hamas’ demand for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza-Egypt border area

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of obstructing a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal by insisting on Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt.

“We have not added any demand to the draft, Hamas is the one who demanded to include dozens of changes,” Netanyahu claimed during a Cabinet meeting.

Recent Israeli media reports, citing unnamed sources, blamed Netanyahu for derailing Gaza ceasefire talks with Hamas by insisting on conditions not included in the original plan.

1324 GMT –– No country would send Palestinians back to Gaza amid war: Australia

Australia's newly-appointed Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has confirmed that Canberra is examining how to allow Palestinians on temporary visitor visas to stay in the country longer.

Burke told Sky News that it was appropriate to issue visitor visas when war broke out in Gaza on October 7, “but they are now reaching their expiry."

He confirmed the government is looking at "the next step" for those affected but has yet to make a final decision. So, he could not reveal further details.

"Certainly no country in the world would send people back to Gaza at the moment, no country in the world would do that; so we have to work through what happens as the visas that people are currently on expire," he said.

1308 GMT –– Yemen's Houthis say they targeted MV Groton in the Gulf of Aden by ballistic missiles

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement has said that it targeted the MV Groton vessel in the Gulf of Aden and also confirmed that it had downed a US drone "MQ-9" over Yemen’s northern Saada province.

The attacks are the first to be claimed by the Houthis since Israel carried out an air strike against the group in the port of Hodeidah on July 20.

1226 GMT –– Netanyahu ‘ungrateful’ to US, lied about Gaza hostage deal: US official

Netanyahu is “ungrateful” towards the US and has lied about a Gaza hostage deal, a senior US official has told Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The official said Netanyahu disregards the amount of aid Washington has provided since the outbreak of the war on Gaza some 10 months ago.

"[US President Joe] Biden realised that Netanyahu was lying to him about the hostages," the official told Haaretz.

"He's not saying it publicly yet, but in the meeting between them, he specifically told him, 'Stop bullsh**ing me.'"

1202 GMT –– Israel braces for ‘deadly’ attack from Iran, Hezbollah: Media

Israel is bracing for a potential coordinated deadly attack from Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah following the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, according to Israeli media.

After conducting intensified consultations with the US, Israeli officials believe that a joint or separate attack against Israel by Hezbollah and Iran is “inevitable,” Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said.

The timing of the attack, however, remains uncertain.

According to the daily, discussions are still underway on how Israel should respond to the planned attack.

“Israeli officials also discussed the option of Israel moving first and carrying out a ‘preemptive attack’,” the newspaper said.

1138 GMT –– Israel has ‘influential networks’ inside Iran, says Iranian lawmaker

Israel is cooperating with “influential networks” inside Iran, an Iranian parliamentarian said amid rising tensions following the July 31 assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

“There are networks of influence for Israel in Iran, and there are evil centres in Iran with which the Israelis cooperate and are part of the Mossad ’s operations,” Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of the parliament’s Security Committee, said in statements carried by the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA).

Zohrevand, a former diplomat to Afghanistan, criticised what he called inadequate security measures surrounding Haniyeh.

1028 GMT –– Palestinian death toll in Israel's war on Gaza nears 39,600

At least 31 more Palestinians have been killed in relentless Israeli attacks in Gaza, pushing up the overall death toll to 39,583 since October 7 last year, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 91,398 other people have been injured in the assault.

"Israeli forces killed 33 people and injured 118 others in two 'massacres' against families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said. "Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them," it added.

1023 GMT –– Illegal Israeli settlers storm Al Aqsa Mosque amid rise in tensions

Under Israeli police protection, a mob of illegal Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli forces and illegal settlers entered the flashpoint mosque performing religious rituals while Israeli police established checkpoints around the Old City of East Jerusalem, restricting Palestinian access to the mosque, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Separately, the Palestinian Awqaf and Religious Affairs Ministry released a monthly report detailing increased violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, reporting that Israel conducted 23 raids on Al-Aqsa Mosques this July.

The report also highlighted that Israeli forces had obstructed the call to prayer at Ibrahimi Mosque 43 times last month and prevented Palestinians from entering the mosque.

1005 GMT –– 19 killed when Israel bombs several areas in besieged Gaza

At least 19 Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli attacks targeting various areas of besieged Gaza.

Six Palestinians were killed and 21 others were injured following two separate air strikes on Deir al-Balah, one of which hit tents housing displaced persons within the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital grounds, said medical sources at the hospital.

Separately, Israeli army vehicles stationed on the eastern border of the central governorate fired intensively at eastern areas of the Bureij and Maghazi camps.

Israeli warplanes also struck agricultural land near a displaced persons' tents in the Nuseirat camp, igniting a fire, according to eyewitnesses.

In Gaza City, Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassil reported that three Palestinians were killed and two others were missing after an Israeli drone hit a civilian car in the Zeitoun neighbourhood.

Another two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a group of citizens in the Shujaiya neighborhood.

In northern Gaza, rescue teams recovered eight bodies, including three children, and several people were injured after an Israeli air strike hit a home belonging to the Al-Amoudi family in the Al-Fakhoura area of the Jabalia camp.

0907 GMT –– 2 Lebanese killed in Israeli air strike on southern Lebanese town

At least two Lebanese were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, the country's Health Ministry said.

Five more civilians were injured in the attack on the town of Deir Siryan in Marjayoun, the ministry added.

The Lebanese National News Agency noted that an Israeli drone had targeted the centre of the town, but gave no further details.

0644 GMT –– Israel bombs displaced persons' camp in central Gaza

At least three Palestinians have been killed and over 18 others injured in an Israeli attack targeting displaced persons' tents in a hospital in central Gaza, the government media office said.

"The Israeli occupation forces committed a massacre within the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital by bombing several tents housing displaced persons," the media office said in a statement on the attack on Deir al-Balah.

"This brutal attack resulted in the martyrdom of three individuals and more than 18 injuries so far, including serious injuries currently being treated by the medical teams at the hospital," it added.

The media office condemned "in the strongest terms this new massacre perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces".

It urged "the international community and international and UN organizations to pressure the Israeli occupation to stop the genocide and the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip".

0641 GMT –– France calls on citizens in Lebanon to leave 'as soon as possible'

France called on its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country "as soon as possible" amid fears of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah and a broader regional conflict.

"In a highly volatile security context, we once again call the attention of French nationals, particularly those passing through, to the fact that direct commercial flights and ones with stopovers to France are still available, and we invite them to make their arrangements now to leave Lebanon as soon as possible," the foreign ministry said in its travel advice notice for Lebanon.

0356 GMT –– Estimated 9,900 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons: report

The number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons is estimated at around 9,900, Palestinian organisations specialising in prisoner affairs said in a report.

The report by the governmental Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the non-governmental Al-Dameer Foundati on for Human Rights said the number of prisoners in Israeli prisons at the beginning of August includes 3,432 administrative detainees, at least 250 children and 86 women –– 23 of whom are administrative detainees.

Administrative detention is Israeli military imprisonment without charge, lasting six months that is renewable.

0047 GMT –– US president hopes Iran would stand down amid Mideast tension

US President Joe Biden said he hopes Iran will stand down amid recent tensions in the Middle East.

"I hope so. I don’t know," Biden told a reporter when he asked, "Will Iran stand down?" as he was leaving a grocery store in his home state of Delaware.

The Pentagon announced Friday that the US will deploy additional military assets to the Middle East amid rising tensions in the region.

"The Department of Defense continues to take steps to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran's partners and proxies.

"Secretary (Lloyd) Austin has ordered adjustments to U.S. military posture designed to improve U.S. force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies," it said.

2326 GMT — Israel's Gaza mediators leave Egypt amid disputes with Netanyahu

An Israeli negotiating team left Cairo and returned to Tel Aviv shortly after arriving Saturday to resume discussions on a hostage swap deal with Palestinian factions, according to media reports.

The team, which included Mossad spy agency chief David Barnea, Shin Bet security agency head Ronen Bar and the government's coordinator of operations in the Palestinian territories, Ghassan Alian, returned to Tel Aviv because of disagreements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

There has been no statement from Netanyahu's office as of yet about the report.

"The departure of the delegation to Cairo is the result of heavy American pressure on Israel and Egypt in recent days to continue negotiations on the hostage deal despite the assassination of the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh," Israeli news website Walla said earlier, quoting unnamed sources.

2341 GMT —US, UK urge nationals to leave Lebanon amid Israel tensions

The US and UK issued warnings Saturday to their nationals to immediately leave Lebanon amid fears of a wider escalation with Israel.

The US Embassy in Beirut said some flights by several airlines have been cancelled but "commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available".

"We encourage those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route. US citizens who lack funds to return to the United States may contact the embassy for financial assistance via repatriation loans," it said in a statement.

2233 GMT — US destroys missile, launch pad belonging to Houthis: Central Command

The US has announced that it destroyed a missile and a lunch pad belonging to the Houthis in Yemen.

"In the past 24 hours US Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi missile and launcher in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen," CENTCOM wrote on X.

Noting that the weapons were deemed an "imminent threat to the US and coalition forces", as well as merchant vessels in the region, it added that the actions were to safeguard freedom of navigation and enhance the safety and security of international waters.

2136 GMT — Canada warns citizens to avoid all travel to Israel

Canada on Saturday warned citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, saying the regional armed conflict endangered security.

"The security situation can deteriorate further without warning," the Canadian government said in a travel advisory issued to raise the risk level for travel to Israel.

"If the armed conflict intensifies, it could impact your ability to depart by commercial means. It may result in travel disruptions, including airspace closures and flight cancellations and diversions," the travel advisory said.

For our live updates from Saturday, August 3, 2024, click here.