Live blog: Gaza truce deal 90% done despite Israeli denial — White House

Thursday, September 5, 2024

1741 GMT — The White House has maintained that nearly all of a Gaza ceasefire for a prisoner-swap deal is complete, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that is the case.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby declined to get into what he called "a back and forth with" Netanyahu in public but maintained that his colleague accurately described the state of ongoing negotiations.

"So first of all, 90 percent, verge of a deal. You call that optimistic, I call that accurate. That's how close we believe we are. That's where we have gotten to. The basic framework of the deal has been agreed to," Kirby said in response to a reporter's question.

"What we're talking about now is the implementing details, and specifically the exchange of prisoners, and now that calculus is different because of what happened over the weekend," added Kirby, referring to the discovery of the bodies of six hostages who were killed while in Hamas captivity.

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1906 GMT — Palestinian injured in illegal Israeli settler attack in northern West Bank

A Palestinian man was injured after being assaulted by illegal Israeli settlers in the town of Huwara, south of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.

The man, 48, sustained bruises and was treated at the scene by emergency responders, according to a statement from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Earlier in the day, Mowafaq Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, reported that illegal settlers have carried out nearly 1,760 attacks across the West Bank in 2024, resulting in the deaths of nine Palestinians.

1838 GMT — Israeli displacement of Palestinians to Jordan a 'declaration of war'

Jordan has warned that any attempt by Israel to displace Palestinians to Jordanian territory would be considered a "declaration of war."

The warning came during a news conference by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, who is currently visiting Jordan as part of a regional tour.

Safadi said Jordan is preparing a legal file on Israeli incursions into holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, though he did not specify to which entity this file would be submitted.

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1758 GMT — Hostage families blame Netanyahu for deaths

Dozens of families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have gathered in Tel Aviv's HaBima Square, demanding an exchange deal with Palestinian group Hamas.

The demonstrators carried six empty coffins draped in Israeli flags, symbolising the six hostages whose bodies were recovered from a tunnel in southern Gaza last week.

Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported that the families held a news conference, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning their loved ones.

"Prime minister, you have abandoned our sons. If you won't bring them back, we will make sure to do so ourselves. The neglect must end, here and now," they said.

1756 GMT — UN demands Israeli ensure humanitarian access in Gaza

The UN has stressed that the Israeli government, "as the occupying power in Gaza," must ensure that humanitarian organisations can effectively carry out their work.

In a news conference, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric emphasised the critical role of the UN and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as the "backbone, heart, lungs, and arms" of humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Stressing the need for Israel "as the occupying power in Gaza" to ensure access to humanitarian efforts, Dujarric said: "We are in constant contact with Israeli counterparts, notably COGAT (Israeli military’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) on how to improve the system."

The "humanitarian situation in Gaza remains beyond catastrophic," he said, adding that a significant 35 percent decrease in cooked meals provided compared to July, with over 700,000 meals distributed from more than 200 kitchens.

1708 GMT — Hamas backs Biden-supported Gaza ceasefire, UN resolution

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has said it sticks to a proposal backed by US President Joe Biden and a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"We confirm our adherence to what was agreed upon after President Biden-backed proposal at the end of May, and UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, which the movement agreed to on July 2," Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas' political bureau, said in a video clip posted on Telegram.

He said that “any agreement must include a comprehensive halt to the aggression against our Palestinian people, a complete withdrawal (of Israeli forces) from the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphia Corridor, the right of displaced people to return, relief for our people, and reconstruction of what was destroyed by the occupation (forces), leading to a serious and genuine hostage swap deal.”

1624 GMT — Netanyahu rejects Gaza truce reports, disputes US claims

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed reports that a ceasefire and hostage swap deal was nearing completion, calling the claims "exactly inaccurate," contradicting statements by US officials.

"There's a story, a narrative out there that there's a deal out there … that’s just a false narrative," Netanyahu said in an interview with US-based Fox News.

"There's not a deal in the making," he said, "Unfortunately, it's not close."

Netanyahu's remarks were in response to reports citing a senior US administration official who claimed that 90 percent of the terms of a ceasefire and prisoners exchange deal had been agreed upon.

1608 GMT — Hamas negotiator urges US to 'exert real pressure' on Israel

Hamas's lead negotiator has urged the United States to press Israel for a truce in Gaza, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

"If the US administration and its President (Joe) Biden really want to reach a ceasefire and complete a prisoner exchange deal, they must abandon their blind bias towards the Zionist occupation and exert real pressure on Netanyahu and his government," Qatar-based Khalil al-Hayya said in a video statement.

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1535 GMT — Hezbollah claims drone attacks on military sites in northern Israel

The Lebanese group Hezbollah has claimed drone attacks on military sites in northern Israel amid rising tensions between the two sides.

In a statement, the group said it fired drones and Katyusha rockets at the Ramot Naftali and Beit Hillel barracks and the newly established headquarters of the Western Brigade 300 in northern Israel.

Hezbollah said the attacks were in response to Israeli air strikes on border towns in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said earlier that one person was killed and another injured in an Israeli strike in the town of Kafarya.

1443 GMT — Amnesty urges war crimes probe over Israel levelling east Gaza

Amnesty International has urged a war crimes probe into Israel razing homes and farms in eastern Gaza to expand a so-called buffer zone between it and the Palestinian territory.

"Using bulldozers and manually laid explosives, the Israeli military has unlawfully destroyed agricultural land and civilian buildings, razing entire neighbourhoods, including homes, schools and mosques," it said.

The London-based rights group said the levelling since the start of the war on October 7 "should be investigated as war crimes of wanton destruction and of collective punishment".

Israel has in several cases said it was destroying "terror" infrastructure to protect Israeli communities living on the other side of the border fence.

1415 GMT — Eleven Palestinians killed in fresh Israeli air strikes on Gaza

At least 11 Palestinians have been killed and several others injured in fresh Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to medical sources and witnesses.

Three people lost their lives when an Israeli drone struck near Zeitoun Martyrs School southeast of Gaza City, a medical source said.

Four more people were killed and several others injured in Israeli shelling targeting refugee tents at the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah, another medical source said.

Three more Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli strike targeting a group of civilians near Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, the Civil Defense Agency said.

Another Israeli strike on a tent for displaced people killed at least one person west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the same source said.

Several people were also reported injured in a drone strike on a sewing workshop inside a house north of Gaza City, the Civil Defense Agency said.

Several residential buildings were also demolished by the Israeli army east of Gaza City and central Rafah in southern Gaza, witnesses said.

1413 GMT — Türkiye accuses Netanyahu of Gaza genocide, calling international action

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him the primary "culprit behind genocide in Gaza."

Fidan accused Netanyahu of perpetuating violence in Gaza to maintain political power.

"Netanyahu continues to spread death and terror to stay in power," Fidan told a news conference in the capital Skopje.

1350 GMT — Palestinian death toll reaches 40,878 in Israel's Gaza war

The Health Ministry in Gaza has said that at least 40,878 people have been killed by Israel in its war on the Palestinian enclave, now nearing its 12th month.

The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to ministry figures, which also list 94,454 people as wounded in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli invasion following the October 7 Hamas attack.

1336 GMT — Israeli army blocks entry of medical teams for polio vaccination in Khan Younis

Israel refused to coordinate the entry of medical teams for polio vaccination east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

"This area contains a large percentage of the target group of children," the ministry added in a statement. The ministry appealed to relevant institutions "to urgently intervene to ensure the success of the vaccination campaign by reaching all children wherever they are."

The second phase of a polio vaccination campaign for Palestinian children in southern Gaza began on Thursday.

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1222 GMT — Israeli army bars Palestinian ministers from visiting Jenin

The Israeli army barred a Palestinian ministerial delegation from visiting Jenin city amid a major military operation in the northern occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities have said.

"The delegation was obstructed by the Israeli army from reaching Jenin for two hours,” the government’s media office said in a statement.

The delegation includes government spokesman Mohammed Abu al-Rub, Local Governance Minister Sami Hijjawi, and Public Works Minister Ahed Bseiso, according to an Anadolu reporter.

1144 GMT — Egypt army chief of staff inspects security situation on Gaza border

Egypt's army chief of staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Fathy Khalifa made a surprise visit to the country's border with Gaza to inspect the security situation, state television reported, citing the army's spokesperson.

The visit comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel would only agree to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza which guaranteed that the border area between southern Gaza and Egypt could never be used as a lifeline for Hamas.

The Philadelphi Corridor, along the southern edge of Gaza bordering Egypt, has been one of the main obstacles to a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and bring Israeli hostages home in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

1142 GMT — 36 Palestinian journalists in Gaza detained by Israel since Oct. 7

Israel has detained 36 Palestinian journalists from Gaza since last Oct. 7, local authorities have said.

"We documented the arrest of 36 journalists by Israel in the course of its genocidal war on Gaza,” Ismail Thawabteh, who heads Gaza’s government media office, told Anadolu.

He said only four journalists were released, while 32 others remain in detention.

According to Thawabteh, at least 172 journalists were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

1106 GMT — No operational tunnel found by Israel along Gaza-Egypt border corridor: Israeli analyst

The Israeli army has not discovered any operational underground tunnel under the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, an Israeli military analyst has said.

"No single open tunnel has been found in the Egyptian territory. No single usable tunnel has been discovered under the Philadelphi Corridor,” Alon Ben-David told Israeli Channel 13.

The corridor, a demilitarised area along Egypt’s border with Gaza, has been a sticking point in Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on maintaining a military presence on the axis, claiming that the corridor is a “lifeline” for Hamas to rearm.

1030 GMT — Another Hezbollah fighter killed in border clashes with Israel

The Lebanese group Hezbollah has said that one more member was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

The group identified the slain fighter as Abbas Ayyoub, without providing details about the circumstances of his death, saying only he was killed "on the road to Jerusalem," in reference to the Hezbollah fight in support of the Palestinian resistance facing a devastating Israeli onslaught in Gaza.

The Health Ministry said earlier that one person was killed and another injured in an Israeli air strike on the border town of Kafra.

0916 GMT — Second stage of Gaza polio campaign begins while war goes on in other areas

Crowds of Palestinians gathered at medical centres in the south of embattled Gaza to have their children vaccinated against polio, the start of the second stage of a campaign that has so far seen 187,000 youngsters inoculated.

The UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said the campaign, facilitated by Hamas and Israel agreeing on limited pauses in their fighting, was so far successful but complex.

But the war continued elsewhere in the enclave, with Gaza health authorities reporting several people killed in Israeli airstrikes, including a hit on a hospital in central Gaza.

0832 GMT — In US, hostages' families press White House to bypass Israel

Families of US hostages held by Hamas have pressed the White House to seriously consider bypassing Israel and cutting a unilateral deal with the Palestinian resistance group for their release, according to US media reports.

Discussions of this option are currently underway within the Biden administration, as reported by NBC television, citing five unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

The administration is considering options that exclude Israel, according to sources.

0803 GMT — Israel's ongoing offensive on West Bank kills 39 Palestinians

The Palestinian death toll from an ongoing Israeli military offensive in the northern occupied West Bank has risen to 39 since last week, the Health Ministry said.

"Eight children and two elderly people were among the victims," a ministry statement said, adding that some 145 other people were also injured.

The highest death toll was recorded in Jenin city with 19 fatalities and Tubas with 10 deaths, the ministry said.

0755 GMT — German foreign minister slams Israel's offensive in West Bank

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has sharply criticised Israel over its large-scale military attacks in the occupied West Bank, ahead of her two-day trip to the Middle East.

"Terrorism cannot be fought by tearing up roads, destroying waterpipes and blocking access to hospitals. No one stands to gain anything if a new young generation is radicalised now because they are forced to witness the destruction on their doorsteps," Baerbock said.

She renewed her call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, pointing out that this is the only way to ensure the release of hostages, de-escalate the tensions, and revive diplomatic efforts for a political solution to the conflict.

0359 GMT — Pro-Palestinian protesters rally at Georgetown University in US capital

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied through the campus of Georgetown University in the US capital of Washington, DC.

During their demonstration, which began with the new semester, the student protesters chanted, "If we don't get no justice, then they don't get no peace" and "Free, free Palestine".

They called for their school's divestment from Israel and an end to the Israeli attacks in Gaza.

0156 GMT — Overnight Israeli strikes across Gaza kill dozens more

At least 22 Palestinians were killed and many others wounded in overnight Israeli air strikes targeting locations across Gaza.

The information was provided by Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence.

In northern Gaza, two Israeli strikes killed seven Palestinians, according to Basal.

Six people were killed or injured in an attack near the Sheikh Zayed Towers, while another person was killed in a strike at the Houja intersection in the Jabalia refugee camp.

In Gaza Governorate, Basal said, 10 more Palestinians were killed in four air strikes. In the central region of Gaza, three air strikes killed five Palestinians.

0117 GMT — Israel kills 5 Palestinians in West Bank strike amid Gaza war

Israel has killed at least five Palestinians and wounded another after bombing a vehicle in Tubas in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian news agency WAFA and a local aid agency reported.

"Five killed and (one) seriously wounded in a strike (on) a car in Tubas," the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement.

0111 GMT — Hamas accuses Netanyahu of blocking truce deal

Hamas has warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hindering efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange by insisting on maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land that runs in southern Gaza along Palestine's border with Egypt.

The Palestinian resistance group said there is no need for new proposals to reach an agreement and called on the international community to pressure Netanyahu and his government to honour the commitments already made in previous negotiations.

Hamas stressed that the Israeli leader's decision to remain in the corridor was an attempt to sabotage any progress towards a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

0007 GMT — Israel seeks military solution by 'disappearing' a nation: Palestine

The Palestinian envoy to the UN has accused Israel of attempting to impose a military solution to the Gaza crisis by "disappearing a nation".

"Israel has unleashed a full-fledged war against the Palestinian people. Israel is seeking to impose a military solution to the conflict by disappearing a nation," Riyad Mansour said at a UN Security Council session.

Saying that Israel is employing "genocide" and "apartheid" tactics to achieve its colonial aims, Mansour asserted that Palestinians are suffering "disposition, displacement, devastation, destruction and death" at a scale not seen since the Nakba.

2318 GMT — Israel accused of pursuing 'Jewish supremacy'

The executive director of the Israeli rights group B'Tselem has condemned Israel's actions over the past 11 months in besieged Gaza, accusing it of pursuing a goal of "Jewish supremacy" since its founding.

"To understand the Israeli government's criminal conduct over the last 11 months, you have to understand the overall goal of this regime. Since Israel was founded, its guiding logic has been to promote Jewish supremacy over the entire territory under its control," Yuli Novak virtually told the UN Security Council during a session on Palestine.

Novak criticised the regime for exploiting the collective trauma from the October 7 attacks on Israel "to violently advance its project of cementing Israeli control over the entire land".

2311 GMT — 90% of truce, hostage deal agreed on: US

A senior US administration official has said that 90 percent of the terms of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal have been agreed on, though critical issues related to a prisoner exchange and the Philadelphi Corridor remain unresolved.

"Ninety percent of this deal has been agreed, and it's based on terms that even Hamas had in their own proposal," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

The official said that the deal, which has been under negotiation for months, consists of 18 paragraphs, 14 of which are "finished".

"One paragraph has a very technical fix, and the other three paragraphs have to do with the exchange of prisoners to hostages, which even Hamas' own text of July 2 explicitly says has to still be negotiated," the official added.

2200 GMT — No need for new truce proposal: Hamas

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said in a statement that there is no need for a new ceasefire proposal, adding it's time to put pressure on Israel.

Hamas slammed Netanyahu, saying the Israeli PM's decision not to withdraw troops from Philadelphi Corridor aims to thwart truce-prisoner swap deal.

2100 GMT — US vows security for Israel if it leaves Philadelphi Corridor

A senior US official has said that if the Israeli military withdraws from the Philadelphi Corridor, a tiny strip of land between Egypt and Palestine also known as the Saladin Axis, "there are things the United States can do [to] fully account for Israel's security needs."

Briefing reporters in Washington DC, the official said that US is "confident about the security arrangements around the corridor," which hawkish Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu wants to remain under Israeli control.

It comes after Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposition to withdrawing from the corridor, claiming without any proof that Hamas resistance group could smuggle Israeli captives out of southern Gaza.

The Philadelphi Corridor has been a focal point of contention in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Critics argue that Netanyahu's refusal to withdraw from the corridor has complicated potential prisoner swap deals with Hamas.

2020 GMT — Hezbollah says it hit Israel's Neot Mordechai settlement

Lebanese group Hezbollah has said that it targeted the Israeli settlement of Neot Mordechai for the first time with a barrage of Katyusha rockets.

In a statement, Hezbollah said it fired a barrage of Katyusha rockets at Neot Mordechai, which is located just 6 kilometers from the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The attack came amid ongoing hostilities, with Hezbollah claiming its strikes are in retaliation for Israeli artillery attacks on southern Lebanese villages, including Ayta ash Shab and Khiam.

Hezbollah also reported launching attacks on several Israeli military positions, including artillery sites at the Zaoura military base and troop deployments at the Zarit military barracks.

2000 GMT — Thousands of Israelis again take to streets to demand prisoner swap deal

Thousands of Israelis have held rallies near the army's headquarters in the capital Tel Aviv, in front of the homes of government ministers as well as in other cities, demanding a deal with Palestinian factions for the release of some 100 captives from Gaza.

Thousands gathered on Begin Street in front of the Kirya military base, the Israeli army's headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The protesters were carrying Israeli flags and images of the six hostages recently killed in Gaza. They chanted slogans, including "Deal now", "They could have been brought back alive", and "Those who abandoned them are obligated to return them".

Mass protests broke out in Israel since Sunday after the army said that it had recovered the bodies of six captives in southern Gaza. Hamas said that the hostages were killed in Israeli air strikes in the Palestinian enclave.

For our live updates from Wednesday, September 4, 2024, click here.