Live blog: Over 85% of Gaza under Israeli evacuation orders — UN

Monday, September 16, 2024

1815 GMT — The UN has highlighted the impact of ongoing mass evacuation orders in Gaza by the Israeli army, saying that the orders now cover more than 85 percent of Gaza.

"As of 16 September, more than 55 evacuation orders remain in effect, covering more than 85 percent of Gaza. The latest evacuation order was issued in northern Gaza on Saturday," Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference, citing Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Saying that "repeated displacements are also separating families," Dujarric added it is also "eroding social protection systems, particularly for women and children."

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1913 GMT — Israeli defence minister tells US envoy ‘military action’ needed to return Israelis to homes in north

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has told a US envoy that military action against Lebanese Hezbollah is necessary to enable Israelis’ return to their homes in northern Israel.

Speaking to visiting US envoy Amos Hochstein, Gallant said negotiations are no longer a viable option to restore calm along the northern border with Lebanon.

“The only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes will be via military action,” Gallant told Hochstein during their meeting in Tel Aviv, according to an Israeli Defence Ministry statement.

1833 GMT — Houthi official says group received 'temptations' from US to stop Yemeni attacks

Member of the Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi movement's political bureau, Mohammed al Bukhaiti, has said to Qatar's Al Jazeera TV that the group received "temptations" from the United States to acknowledge their Sanaa government in an effort to stop Yemeni attacks.

The remarks came a day after a Houthi ballistic missile reached central Israel for the first time.

1813 GMT — Initial probe into US citizen's killing does not exonerate Israeli security forces, State Dept says

Israel's initial findings on the killing of Turkish-US citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi do not exonerate Israeli security forces, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has said, warning that Washington would consider other measures if it is not satisfied with a full Israeli probe.

Israel has acknowledged that its troops shot 26-year-old Eygi on Sept. 6 as she took part in a protest against settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, but says it was an unintentional act during a demonstration that turned violent.

1804 GMT — Finish Gaza deal now, Israel opposition leader says in US

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seal a Gaza truce deal immediately, as he met top US officials in Washington.

"I believe that any political interests should be set aside for this. This is way more important," Lapid told reporters outside the State Department after meeting Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"Israel as a nation will not heal unless we will bring them back home," Lapid said of the hostages. "This is essential to our existence."

"It's doable," he said. "We can do a hostage deal -- and we need to do it."

1759 GMT — UN rapporteur says Israel's 'militarisation of water' part of 'water, territorial apartheid' policy

The UN special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation has said that Israel's "militarisation of water" in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is part of its "water and territorial apartheid" policy.

Noting that the Gaza population lives on an average of 4.7 litres of water per person per day, ​​​​​​Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, in a press briefing in Geneva, reminded that it is far below the World Health Organization's set minimum requirement in emergencies —15 litres.

The only natural source of fresh water is the coastal aquifer, Arrojo-Agudo said, adding that the population of 2.3 million in Gaza has been forced to pump three times more water than the aquifer receives through natural replenishment, resulting in "intense marine intrusion and salinisation."

"In addition, Israel has been blocking 70 percent of the materials needed to build and operate sewage treatment plants as 'dual-use,' preventing proper sewage treatment, which has led to progressive faecal contamination of groundwater," he added.

1744 GMT — US still working on revised proposal for Gaza ceasefire deal, says State Dept

The United States is still working with mediators Egypt and Qatar to present a revised proposal for a ceasefire in the war on Gaza, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has said.

Miller told reporters he does not have a timetable for the proposal, which has been expected for several weeks, but said Washington wanted to make sure it is a proposal that can get Israel and Hamas to an ultimate agreement.

1716 GMT — Israel risks 'pariah' status over Gaza 'genocide': UN experts

United Nations rights experts have warned that Israel risked becoming an international "pariah" over its "genocide" in Gaza, suggesting that the country's UN membership should be called into question.

Several independent UN experts decried what they said was Israel's escalating violence and rights violations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, its disregard for international court rulings and verbal attacks on the UN itself.

The rapporteurs, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but who do not speak on behalf of the UN, also slammed Western countries' "double standards" and insisted Israel needed to face consequences for its actions.

1657 GMT — Palestinian president Abbas to travel Tuesday to Spain: official

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is set to travel Tuesday to Madrid, an official in his office has said, after the first Palestinian ambassador to Spain presented his credentials to Spanish King Felipe VI.

Abbas is due to meet King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose government formally recognised a Palestinian state in May, before heading to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, the official said.

1625 GMT — Hamas chief says ready for 'long war' in Gaza

Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar has said the Palestinian resistance group had ample resources to sustain its fight against Israel, with support from regional allies, nearly a year into the Gaza war.

Sinwar, who last month replaced slain politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh, said in a letter to the group's Yemeni allies that "we have prepared ourselves to fight a long battle of attrition".

1439 GMT — Italian, British premiers call for immediate end of war on Gaza

Italian Prime Giorgio Meloni and her British counterpart Keir Starmer have pledged to keep on working to achieve an end to hostilities in the Middle East.

“We are united in our support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We want to see the release of all hostages, desperately needed humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza, and a calming of tensions on the West Bank in particular,” Starmer told journalists after meeting his Italian counterpart in Rome.

“And of course, as we discussed, none of this is easy, but it is urgent and it is vital. So we will keep working together to resolve this crisis and end the suffering on all sides,” he added.

1437 GMT — Israel kills more Palestinians in Gaza as ceasefire calls grow

Eight more Palestinians have been killed in fresh Israeli air strikes across Gaza, the Civil Defence Service said.

Three people lost their lives when an Israeli aircraft shelled a group of civilians in northern Gaza, the service said in a statement.

Two more people were killed in another attack on a tractor north of Rafah in southern Gaza, it added.

In a separate statement, the civil defence said three Palestinians were killed after an Israeli air strike on a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.

1419 GMT — UN refugee calls for ‘humanitarian pauses’ to administer 2nd dose of polio vaccine to Gaza children

The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has called for “humanitarian pauses” to provide children in Gaza with a second dose of polio vaccines.

“UNRWA and partners vaccinated hundreds of thousands of children, reaching 90 percent vaccination coverage,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini posted on X.

“Our next challenge is to provide children with their second dose at the end of September,” he said.

The UNRWA chief said the first phase of the polio vaccination campaign showed that “when there is a political will, assistance can be provided without disruption”.

“While new pauses will be needed to undertake the campaign safely, what people in Gaza urgently need, wherever they are is ceasefire now.”

1419 GMT — Hamas chief tells Yemen's Houthis their latest attack sent a message to Israel

Hamas chief Yehya Sinwar has said a Houthi attack on Sunday had sent a message to Israel, in a letter sent to Yemen's Houthis' leader Abdul Malik al Houthi, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Massirah TV reported.

1330 GMT — Israeli air strike kills one, injures two in southern Lebanon

One person was killed and two others were injured in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry has said.

The attack targeted the border town of Houla, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Israeli artillery shelling was also reported in the towns of Wadi Hassan and Chihine, but no reports were yet available about injuries.

1305 GMT — Gaza truce: Former Israeli negotiator claims three-week plan accepted by Hamas

A former Israeli hostage negotiator has revealed details of his plan to end the war on Gaza in three weeks, a proposal he claims has been accepted by Hamas but is yet to see the light of day.

Gershon Baskin, known for his role in facilitating past negotiations between Israel and Hamas, including the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011, put forward a proposal to his contacts within the Palestinian group earlier this month.

In an interview with Anadolu, he said Hamas allegedly agreed to the terms, which included an end to Israeli presence in Gaza, along with the release of all Israeli hostages and “an agreed upon” number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons – all within the span of just three weeks.

1223 GMT — Iran president denies providing hypersonic ballistic missiles to Yemen's Houthis

Tehran has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthis, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has said in a televised news conference, a day after the group used one to strike Israel.

1216 GMT — Israeli army reintroduces 5th Brigade to operations in Gaza

The Israeli army has announced that its Fifth Brigade has been redeployed to military assaults in central Gaza after it had been withdrawn at the end of January.

In a statement, the army said: “The soldiers of the Fifth Brigade have resumed manoeuvring (military operations) in central Gaza”.

“In recent days, the brigade's soldiers completed a series of exercises at the Ground Forces Training Center,” the statement added.

1203 GMT — At least four Palestinians in Gaza killed in Israeli strike on bakery in Khan Younis

At least four Palestinians, including a child, were killed when an Israeli air strike hit a bakery serving displaced families in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, a medical source has said.

Witnesses said the targeted bakery is located in an area designated by the Israeli army as a “humanitarian safe zone.”

1104 GMT — Israel warns time running out to halt battle with Hezbollah

Israel's defence minister told the United States that prospects for a halt in fighting with Hezbollah along the Lebanon border were dimming, his office has said.

Yoav Gallant told his ally, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, in a call that "the possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out as Hezbollah continues to 'tie itself' to Hamas", an Israeli defence ministry statement said.

0957 GMT — Top Israeli commander suggests creating buffer zone in southern Lebanon

A top Israeli military commander has suggested the creation of an Israeli buffer zone in southern Lebanon to push back Hezbollah from the border.

Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin called during private meetings for authorisation to create a buffer zone in Lebanon under Israeli control, Israel Hayom newspaper has reported.

“Gordin argued that current conditions are favorable for the IDF (army) to swiftly implement such a move,” the daily said, citing the death of many Hezbollah fighters near the border over the past 11 months and the evacuation of civilians from southern Lebanon.

“This substantial decrease in civilian presence would allow the IDF (army) to execute the proposed maneuver (ground operation) more efficiently and rapidly,” the newspaper said.

0935 GMT — Gaza death toll crosses 41,220 amid ongoing Israeli onslaught

Relentless Israeli attacks claimed 20 more Palestinian lives in Gaza, taking the overall death toll since last October 7 to 41,226, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 95,413 other people have been injured in the assault.

Many victims are still under the rubble and on the roads while ambulances and civil defence crews cannot reach them, the medical officials added.

0839 GMT — US envoy arrives in Israel for Hezbollah war talks

US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein has arrived in Israel amidst efforts to prevent a full-scale war between Tel Aviv and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Hochstein is scheduled to meet with top Israeli officials, including President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said.

His talks will focus on reaching a political solution to avoid the outbreak of a full-blown war with Hezbollah, the newspaper said.

0835 GMT — Israeli defence minister sees slim chance for Hezbollah deal

The chance for reaching an agreement between Israel and Lebanon is running out, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has told his US counterpart Lloyd Austin.

Gallant had a phone call with the US defence secretary to discuss developments along the Israeli-Lebanese border amid an exchange of attacks with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Gallant told Austin that the opportunity for striking a deal “is passing” due to Hezbollah's increasing alignment with Hamas, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.

He said Israel is committed to ending Hezbollah’s influence in southern Lebanon and ensuring the return of evacuated Israelis to their homes in northern Israel.

0812 GMT — Anti-tank missile hits building in northern Israel

An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon hit a building in Metula in northern Israel early Monday as tensions continued to escalate between Tel Aviv and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, according to Israeli media.

The missile caused damage to the building, but no injuries were reported, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

Air-raid sirens sounded in several border towns in northern Israel.

Three other rockets from Lebanon landed in open areas near the border, but without causing injuries.

0700 GMT — Palestinian dies from Israeli strike injuries in occupied West Bank

A 27-year-old Palestinian man has died from injuries sustained in an Israeli drone strike on the city of Tubas in the northern occupied West Bank, according to the official Palestinian news agency.

Saif Mithqal Abu Dawas succumbed to his injuries 10 days after the Israeli strike targeted a vehicle in Tubas on Sept. 5, WAFA reported.

The attack resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians and injured several others. Abu Dawas had been receiving treatment at Tubas Turkish Hospital before his death.

0528 GMT — Israel kills over a dozen Palestinians in strike on Gaza City

Palestinian officials say Israeli air strikes have killed 16 people in Gaza, including five women and four children.

A strike early Monday flattened a home in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including four women and two children.

The Awda Hospital, which received the bodies, confirmed the toll and said another 13 people were wounded. Hospital records show that the dead included a mother, her child and her five siblings.

Another strike on a home in Gaza City killed six people, including a woman and two children, according to the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government.

0033 GMT — Pro-Palestine demonstration held in Madrid

A large group of people staged a demonstration in support of Palestine in the Spanish capital, Madrid. Responding to a call from civil society organisations, the crowd gathered at Sol Square, waving Palestinian flags and wearing Palestinian scarves.

During the demonstration, sirens blared, and many participants laid on the ground with their eyes closed to honour the Palestinians killed by Israel.

"I search online every day to stay informed about what's happening in Palestine. No human being can remain indifferent to this. I've been in pain since day one after seeing what's going on," one of the participants, Gonzalo Avila Cruz, told Anadolu Agency.

For our live updates from Sunday, September 15, 2024, click here.