Live blog: Hamas refuses to join any new Gaza ceasefire negotiations

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

1802 GMT — Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has said in a statement addressed to UN chief Antonio Guterres that it expects "immediate action" to end the Israeli war on Gaza and will not join new ceasefire talks.

"We demand immediate action to stop the Israeli aggression and the war... in the Gaza Strip," Hamas said, adding it stands firm in its "position against entering new negotiations that would provide (Israel) with cover to continue its aggression".

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1826 GMT — Netanyahu, like Hitler, must be stopped by alliance of humanity: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the international community to stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as it did generations ago with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

"Israel's attitude has once again shown that it is essential for the international community to develop a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians," Erdogan said in his address to the 79th UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

"Just as Hitler was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his murder network must be stopped by the alliance of humanity."

Before his address, Erdogan expressed pleasure at seeing the representative for Palestine at the UN, in the place "he deserves among the member states, after lengthy struggles." He added: "I wish this historic step to be the last stage on the way to Palestine's membership in the United Nations.

1819 GMT — Israel 'not eager' for Lebanon ground invasion: envoy to UN

Israel is not eager for a ground invasion of Lebanon, the country's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said, as Israel carried out deadly strikes on its northern neighbour.

"We had experience in Lebanon in the past. We are not eager to start any ground invasion anywhere," Danon said as intensified Israeli strikes stoked fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

"We don't want to send our boys to fight in a foreign country, but we are determined to protect the civilians of Israel," Danon told reporters at the United Nations as world leaders gathered for the organisation's signature diplomatic event.

"We prefer a diplomatic solution. If it's not working, we are using other methods to show to the other side that we mean business," he added.

1809 GMT — Israeli army says it is investigating 3 drone incursions

The Israeli army said that it is investigating 3 drone incursions into Atlit, southern Haifa.

The incident marks the first such incident since 2019.

1808 GMT — Hezbollah fired about 300 rockets: Israel army

The Israeli army has stated that Hezbollah had fired about 300 rockets at Israel.

1746 GMT — In UN address, South African president welcomes international support for genocide case against Israel

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed international support for the genocide case against Israel his country filed last December at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, Ramaphosa said, “We will not sit silent and watch as apa rtheid is perpetrated against others," evoking South Africa’s decades-long fight against apartheid, which finally ended with success in the 1990s.

"The only lasting solution is the establishment of the Palestinian state, a state that will exist side by side with Israel, with East Jerusalem as its capital," he added.

1550 GMT — Israeli air strikes kill nine in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp

Nine Palestinians have been killed and others, including children and women, were wounded in Israeli air strikes targeting the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Israeli warplanes bombed several homes in Nuseirat, resulting in their near-total destruction and a high number of casualties, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

Medical sources at al-Awda Hospital told Anadolu that rescue teams managed to recover six bodies, including three women, from the rubble of the bombed homes. They noted that rescue teams were still working to locate several missing individuals trapped under the debris.

1549 GMT — Italy hopes Iran will pressure proxies to de-escalate Mideast tension

Italy’s foreign minister said that Rome hopes Iran would exercise influence on its proxies to de-escalate Mideast tensions.

Antonio Tajani “reiterated the Italian government's strong concern, also on behalf of the G7 partners, for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza as in Lebanon,” according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry that was released after he met his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.

Tajani told Araghchi that Italy hopes “Tehran will exercise its influence on the groups in the region, to call them to moderation in all quadrants: Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and the Red Sea," as he underlined Rome’s strong commitment to preventing further escalation.

1548 GMT — Forced displacement of Palestinians would be 'war crime': Jordan king at UN

Jordan's King Abdullah II has ruled out the possibility of his country becoming an "alternative homeland" for the Palestinians, warning that their forced displacement by Israel would be a "war crime."

"The idea of Jordan as an alternative homeland (for Palestinians)... will never happen," he told the UN General Assembly, adding that Jordan "will never accept the forced displacement of Palestinians, which is a war crime."

1533 GMT — UN refugee agency says 2 staffers killed in latest Israeli air strikes in Lebanon

The chief of the United Nations refugee agency confirmed that two staffers were among the hundreds who have been killed in the latest Israeli air strikes in Lebanon

"Israeli air strikes in Lebanon are now relentlessly claiming hundreds of civilian lives. And I am very saddened to confirm that two UNHCR colleagues were also killed yesterday," Filippo Grandi wrote on X.

Grand extended condolences to their families, friends and colleagues on behalf of all at the UNHCR.

1530 GMT — 'Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest': Biden

United States President Joe Biden has warned against the possibility of "all-out war" as Israel continues to pound Lebanon with air strikes that have killed over 550 people, prompting Hezbollah to ramp up retaliatory strikes.

"Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even as the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible," Biden said in an address to the UN General Assembly in New York. "In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes and the border safely."

Biden said he and his senior officials are "working tirelessly" to achieve that end.

1509 GMT — 'Not only children but also UN system dying in Gaza': Türkiye's Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed the United Nations for inaction on Gaza, which he said has turned into "the world's largest children's and women's cemetery."

"Not only children but also the UN system is dying in Gaza," Erdogan told the UN General Assembly. "The truth, the values that the West claims to defend are dying ... I ask openly: Hey human rights organisations, aren't those in Gaza and West Bank human beings?"

1404 GMT — Israeli strike kills six more in southern Beirut: ministry

Lebanon said six people were killed in an Israeli strike on Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold, with the Israeli army confirming it had hit the capital for the second time in as many days.

The "Israeli enemy raid on Ghobeiri in Beirut's southern suburbs killed six people and injured 15," Lebanon's Health Ministry said in a statement.

Hezbollah-affiliated rescuers had earlier reported three dead in the strike.

"An Israeli strike targeted two floors in a residential building in the Ghobeiri area," a Lebanese security source earlier told AFP, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to discuss sensitive matters.

The Israeli military said it had "conducted a targeted strike in Beirut" but did not immediately give further details.

1346 GMT — Iran president condemns 'senseless' UN inaction against Israel

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned the "senseless" United Nations inaction against Israel.

1334 GMT — Lebanon becoming 'another Gaza': UN chief tells member states

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned member states about Lebanon "becoming another Gaza" amid escalating tensions with Israel.

Highlighting the "epic transformation" that the world is facing, Guterres addressed member states during the opening of the 79th UN General Assembly at New York headquarters.

1322 GMT — UK PM Starmer calls for de-escalation on Lebanon-Israeli border

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for restraint and de-escalation on the border between Lebanon and Israel, as Israel struck the Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital for a second consecutive day.

"I call again for restraint and de-escalation at the border between Israel and Lebanon in the Middle East today. I call again for all parties to step back from the brink," Starmer said in a speech at the Labour Party's conference in Liverpool, northwest England.

1240 GMT — Israeli strikes kill 22 Palestinians across Gaza — medics

Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least 22 Palestinians, medics said, as Israeli forces battled Hamas-led fighters in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.

Israeli tanks advanced in the northern and western areas of Rafah, battling fighters from Hamas, according to residents and a statement published by the two Palestinian groups.

Residents said the Israeli army blew up several homes in eastern and central areas of the city.

1214 GMT — Israeli warplanes drop approximately 2,000 shells on 1,500 targets in Lebanon

Israeli warplanes have dropped approximately 2,000 shells on 1,500 targets in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Army Radio.

1153 GMT — Tens of thousands flee Lebanon strikes: UN

Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in Lebanon as Israeli strikes pummelled the country, the United Nations said, calling events "extremely alarming".

"We are gravely concerned about the serious escalation in the attacks that we saw yesterday," UN refugee agency spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters in Geneva.

"Tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes yesterday and overnight, and the numbers continue to grow," he said.

1151 GMT — Biden not giving up on Gaza ceasefire, hostages: White House

United States President Joe Biden is determined to bring about a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas while also seeking to de-escalate tensions on Israel's border with Lebanon, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

"He absolutely hasn't given up," Sullivan said in an interview with MSNBC hours before Biden addresses the UN General Assembly for the last time as president.

Biden will huddle with world leaders gathered in New York to work on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza and avert an all-out war in the Middle East, Sullivan said.

He acknowledged challenges in getting both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar across the line and said Hamas and Sinwar in particular "don't want to do a deal." "But we're determined to keep at it," Sullivan said.

1141 GMT — Israel launches new wave of air strikes in Lebanon

The Israeli army said it launched a new wave of air strikes against what it called Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

A military statement said warplanes hit sites associated with Hezbollah in the Beqaa Valley and other areas of southern Lebanon, including buildings Israel said used for storing weapons, command centres, and other military infrastructure.

"We continue our efforts to weaken and dismantle the military capabilities and infrastructure of Hezbollah,” the army said.

The new wave of strikes came one day after the army said that it had hit over 1,100 Hezbollah targets in the last 24 hours in southern and eastern Lebanon, using more than 1,400 different munitions in some 650 sorties of its fighter jets.

1133 GMT — Gulf airlines suspend Beirut flights as Israel attacks

Gulf airlines including Emirates and Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to Beirut as tensions soared between Israel and Hezbollah after the deadliest bombardment of Lebanon since 2006.

Etihad Airways and flydubai also joined several international carriers in suspending Beirut services. "The safety of our crew and customers is of utmost importance and will not be compromised," Emirates said in a statement, announcing the suspension of flights on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Qatar Airways, the national flag carrier which operates two flights a day to the Lebanese capital, also cancelled services for two days.

1104 GMT — UN rights chief calls for diplomatic efforts to address Lebanon crisis

The United Nations human rights chief called on anyone with influence in the Middle East to seek to avert an escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as intensifying cross-border attacks increased fears of a full-blown war.

"UN High Commissioner Volker Turk calls on all states and actors with influence in the region and beyond to avert further escalation and do everything they can to ensure full respect for international law," Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for Turk said at a Geneva press briefing.

"The methods and means of warfare that are being used raise very serious concerns about whether this is compliant with international humanitarian law," she added.

1033 GMT — Israeli strikes on Lebanon risk destabilising the Middle East: Kremlin

The Kremlin warned that Israeli strikes on Lebanon had the potential to completely destabilise the Middle East and widen the conflict there.

Asked about the Israeli strikes, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call: "This is an event that is potentially extremely dangerous when it comes to the expansion of the conflict, to the complete destabilisation of the region. Of course, this is of extreme concern to us."

In a separate statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow condemned what she called "indiscriminate" strikes on Lebanon that target civilians. "It is urgent to stop the spiral of violence before the situation spirals completely out of control. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities," she said.

1015 GMT — Lebanon death toll from Israeli attacks rises to 558

The death toll from Israeli air strikes on Lebanon since Monday has jumped to 558, including 50 children and 95 women, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

1010 GMT — Gaza death toll nears 41,500 as Israel kills 12 more Palestinians

At least 12 more Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks in Gaza, taking the overall death toll since last October 7, to 41,467, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the battered territory said.

A ministry statement added that some 95,921 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 12 people and injured 43 others in three ‘massacres’ of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

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

0836 GMT — Iran president tells CNN Hezbollah 'cannot stand alone' against Israel

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that its ally Hezbollah "cannot stand alone" against Israel.

"Hezbollah cannot stand alone against a country that is being defended and supported and supplied by Western countries, by European countries and the United States," Pezeshkian said in an interview with CNN translated from Farsi to English.

0835 GMT — Ministerial group formed to protect humanitarian workers amid Gaza conflict

A coalition of countries has established a ministerial group aimed at protecting humanitarian workers.

The announcement follows a commitment from Australia, Jordan, Switzerland, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, the UK, Japan, Brazil, and Colombia to form the ministerial group dedicated to “upholding and championing international humanitarian law” while enhancing protections for humanitarian personnel in conflict zones.

“It’s an injustice that civilians, such as aid workers, enjoy protected status under international humanitarian law, yet are being killed with no repercussions for states committing these war crimes,” stated the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ).

0830 GMT — Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire after deadly day in Lebanon

Israel struck southern Lebanon and Hezbollah attacked military facilities in northern Israel.

Israel's military said it hit dozens of Hezbollah targets overnight, a day after carrying out air strikes against the group which Lebanese authorities said killed nearly 500 people and sent tens of thousands fleeing for safety.

Hezbollah said it targeted several Israeli military targets overnight including an explosives factory 60 km (37 miles) into Israel, which it attacked with Fadi rockets around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT).

It said it also attacked the Megiddo airfield near the northern Israeli town of Afula three separate times over night.

Israeli Channel 12 said 50 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards the settlement of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee region. At least 10 rockets were also fired on the northern city of Haifa.

0742 GMT — Israel says over 50 projectiles fired from Lebanon Tuesday morning

The Israeli military said more than 50 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Tuesday morning, as it pounded Hezbollah targets with new strikes.

Between 9:36 am (0636 GMT) and 09:44 am, more than 50 projectiles crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon, the military said. "The majority of the projectiles were intercepted," it said in a statement.

0718 GMT — Entire family killed in Israeli air strike on eastern Lebanon: Report

The Israeli army's warplanes launched a series of air strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, with one of the air strikes killing an entire family.

According to the official Lebanese National News Agency (NNA), Israel intensified air strikes on the Baalbek-Hermel governorate in eastern Lebanon, forcing mass displacement of people to nearby areas, where they sheltered in mosques and halls.

It added that in one air strike, an entire family was killed and is still under the rubble, but did not specify how many people were killed.

0413 GMT –– Hezbollah fires missile on Israeli bases, explosives factory

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it launched six missile strikes on military installations in northern Israel, including two airfields and an explosives factory, in retaliation for Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

The Lebanese group said on Telegram that the Megiddo Military Airfield west of the city of Afula was struck three times with Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 missiles.

This marks the first time the airfield, located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Lebanese border, was targeted by the group.

In another statement, Hezbollah confirmed that Ramat David Airbase and the Amos base, a key logistical hub for Israeli military operations in the north, were hit with Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 missiles.

0400 GMT — China FM slams 'indiscriminate attacks' on civilians in talks with Lebanese counterpart

China's top diplomat Wang Yi expressed support for Lebanon and condemned what he termed "indiscriminate attacks against civilians", Beijing's foreign ministry said.

Meeting his Lebanese counterpart in New York, Wang said: "We pay close attention to developments in the region, especially the recent explosion of communications equipment in Lebanon, and firmly oppose indiscriminate attacks against civilians."

On Monday, Israeli air strikes killed 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and wounded 1,645 others in the country, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Wang acknowledged the strikes, saying China "strongly condemns any violation of the basic norms governing international relations".

"No matter how the situation changes, we will always stand on the side of justice, on the side of our Arab brothers, including Lebanon," Wang told Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

"Armed force does not represent truth, and might only undermines peace," Wang said.

0505 GMT — Hamas's armed wing confirms death of commander in Israeli strike

The military wing of Palestinian resistance group Hamas has announced that one of its field commanders was killed in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon.

The Qassam Brigades confirmed in a statement that Hussein Mahmoud al-Nader, a field commander from Marjayoun town in southern Lebanon's Nabatieh Governorate, was killed in an air strike on Monday evening.

Earlier, Hamas reported that 40 rockets were fired from Lebanese territory into northern Israel, indicating a significant escalation in hostilities between the two sides.

Israeli local news outlets, citing military sources, claimed that 20 rockets were launched from Lebanon, some of which were intercepted and others landed in open areas.

0310 GMT — UNICEF raises alarm over escalating tensions after 24 children killed in Israeli air strikes in Lebanon

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed grave concern over the escalating violence in Israel and Lebanon, particularly following reports of attacks that claimed at least 24 children’s lives in southern Lebanon on Monday.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell expressed her deep concern in a statement over the escalating violence in Lebanon and Israel.

"I am deeply alarmed by the ongoing surge of attacks in Lebanon and Israel, which earlier today reportedly claimed the lives of at least 24 children in southern Lebanon," she said, emphasizing that the intensified violence represents a "dangerous escalation" for civilians in the region.

2305 GMT — EU's Borrell warns Lebanon, Israel on verge of full-scale war

The escalation between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah is almost a full-fledged war, the European Union's foreign policy chief said.

"This situation is extremely dangerous and worrying. I can say that we are almost in a full-fledged war," Josep Borrell told reporters.

"If this is not a war situation, I don't know what you would call it," he said, citing the increasing number of civilian casualties and the intensity of military strikes.

Borrell said efforts to reduce tensions were ongoing, but Europe's worst fears about a spillover were becoming a reality.

2300 GMT — Qatar, Saudi Arabia say Israel poses threat to regional security

Qatar and Saudi Arabia have expressed deep concern over Israel's ongoing escalation of attacks on Lebanon, warning that Tel Aviv's "impunity" is driving it to escalate the situation, endangering regional security.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "strongly condemns the Israeli aggression on Lebanon," stressing that the continued escalation is mainly due to "the absence of any deterrence to Israel's behaviours, its repeated violation of international law, and its ongoing impunity."

The ministry urged the international community to take "urgent action" to compel Israel to stop its "brutal aggression on Lebanon and Gaza."

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the escalation in Lebanon and urged the international community to fulfil its obligations to halt conflicts in the region.

The ministry said the Kingdom "is following the developments of the security-related events taking place in Lebanese territory with great concern, and renews its warning of the danger of the violence spreading in the region, and the serious repercussions of the escalation on the security and stability of the region."

0026 GMT — Iran warns of 'irreversible' consequences of wider regional war

Israel wants to drag the Middle East into a full-blown war by provoking Iran to join the nearly year-old conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran's president said, warning of its "irreversible" consequences.

Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking to a group of journalists after his arrival in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, said: "We do not wish to be the cause of instability in the Middle East as its consequences would be irreversible"

"We want to live in peace, we don't want war," he added. "It is Israel that seeks to create this all-out conflict."

Pezeshkian accused the international community of silence in the face of "Israel's genocide" in Gaza.

"We will defend any group that is defending its rights and itself," Pezeshkian said, when asked whether Iran will enter the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. He did not elaborate.

2045 GMT — Lebanon's death toll from Israeli strikes rises to nearly 500

Lebanon's death toll from Israeli air strikes has risen to 492, including 35 children, according to the Health Ministry.

The deaths included 58 women, and some 1,645 others were wounded, the ministry said. Health Minister Firass Abiad said "thousands of families" had been displaced.

2113 GMT — Palestinian president urges ICC prosecutor to expedite probe into Israel's war crimes

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan to expedite looking into Israel's war crimes committed in Palestine.

Abbas made the request while meeting with Khan on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, during which they discussed developments in the Palestinian territories, especially Israel's ongoing devastating onslaught in besieged Gaza, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Abbas told Khan that "impunity means encouraging the Israeli occupation to continue committing its crimes against the Palestinian people, who have suffered 76 years of injustice, oppression, apartheid and ethnic cleansing."

He also stressed the need for action by the international community and the legal organisations of the United Nations to oblige Israel, as the occupying power, to implement the UN resolutions demanding to end its war and decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories.

2100 GMT — Norwegian NGO 'urgently appeals' for de-escalation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon

A leading Norwegian non-governmental organisation (NGO) has expressed concern over Israeli air strikes on Lebanese villages, calling for immediate de-escalation as the situation reaches "a new and incredibly dangerous level."

In a statement, Jan Egeland, the Norwegian Refugee Council's secretary general, said that residential areas and densely populated neighbourhoods were bombed in Lebanon, "which means the human toll will be immense."

"Israel's air strikes across Lebanese villages and cities are the most violent in 11 months," said Egeland, adding that families were told they only had a couple of hours to leave home, and many thousands were displaced.

"We urgently appeal for immediate de-escalation by all parties to the conflict and for an end to the indiscriminate attacks that destroy civilian homes and infrastructure," he added.

2047 GMT — Spain condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon, calls for ceasefire in Gaza

The Spanish government has expressed "deep dismay and condemnation" over Israeli attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon, underlining that a ceasefire in Gaza is necessary to reduce regional tension.

In a statement, the government condemned Israel's recent bombardments in response to Hezbollah's attacks on Israel over the weekend, saying "the spiral of violence must stop."

"War must be avoided at all costs. All parties must respect civilian lives and the basic principles of international humanitarian law," said the statement.

2038 GMT — Belgium calls escalating tensions between Israel, Lebanon 'extremely worrying'

Belgium's foreign minister has expressed concern over escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon, urging de-escalation and diplomatic solutions.

"The intensification of the conflict on the border between Lebanon and Israel is extremely worrying. Civilians, including women and children, are once again being affected," Hadja Lahbib wrote on X.

For our live updates from Monday, September 23, 2024, click here.