Live blog: Hamas urges Arab League, OIC to stop Israel's Gaza genocide

Sunday, August 11, 2024

2215 GMT — The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has called on the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to hold an urgent meeting on Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

It emphasised the need to "make effective decisions that lead to halting the aggression and ongoing genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip and to cut any political, commercial or normalization relations with the Zionist occupation."

Hamas also called for "the implementation of the decisions made at the joint Arab and Islamic summit which took place in Riyadh on Nov. 11 last year to break the siege and deliver aid and relief to our besieged people in the Gaza Strip."

In addition, it called on the UN Security Council to "hold an emergency session and make a decision that obliges the occupation (Israel) to stop the aggression and genocide and to cease its blatant violations of laws and treaties, which have become an effective recipe for destabilizing regional and international security and peace.”

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2309 GMT — Rights group refutes Israel’s list of alleged targets

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has said that a list provided by the Israeli army of alleged targets at Al-Tab'een School in Gaza City includes individuals who were killed in previous attacks and civilians who opposed Hamas.

At least 100 people were killed and several injured Saturday when Israeli aircraft targeted Palestinians performing fajr (dawn) prayers at the school in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood.

The Israeli military claimed it killed 19 fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad during the attack, but the two groups strongly denied this.

Euro-Med, a nonprofit organisation headquartered in Switzerland, said in a statement that its team's preliminary investigation found that “the Israeli army used names of Palestinians killed in Israeli raids—some of whom were killed in earlier raids—in its list, and took their photos from the Israeli-controlled civil registry.”

“Following the initial review, it was discovered that three of the 19 names listed by the Israeli army as ‘terrorists who were eliminated’ in the Al-Tab'een School massacre had already been killed in earlier Israeli bombing attacks,” it said.

2133 GMT — Israel tells US that it expects large scale attack: report

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and told him Iran's military preparations suggest Iran is getting ready for a large-scale attack on Israel, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on X, citing a source with knowledge of the call.

2011 GMT — Three Hezbollah fighters killed in Israel clashes

Three more Hezbollah fighters were killed in border clashes with the Israeli army, the Lebanese group said Sunday.

Hezbollah identified the slain fighters as Hassan Mustafa, Mohammad Haidar and Ali Hijazi, “who have ascended on the road to Jerusalem,” according to the group’s statement.

As a result, the death toll of Hezbollah members due to clashes with Israel has risen to 407 since Oct. 8 last year, according to an Anadolu tally.

1824 GMT — At least 4 Palestinians killed as Israeli bombardments

At least four Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, the Civil Defense Agency has said.

The fatalities were reported in Israeli attacks targeting two homes in Gaza City and the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the agency said.

Several people were also injured in Israeli shelling of a farmland in the Nuseirat refugee camp and a house in the southern city of Khan Younis, it added.

1829 GMT — Hamas wants Gaza mediation based on past talks

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said it had asked mediators to present a plan based upon past talks instead of engaging in new negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire deal.

1827 GMT — Biden says ceasefire in Gaza 'possible' before his term ends

US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire deal in Gaza would be "possible" before the end of his presidency.

"Yes. It's still possible," Biden said in comments broadcast when asked if he believes a ceasefire could be secured with five months left to his term.

"The plan I put together, endorsed by the G7, endorsed by the UN Security Council, etc., is still viable.

"And I'm working every single day — and my whole team — to see to it that it doesn't escalate into a regional war. But it easily can," Biden said in the interview.

1754 GMT — Israeli intelligence believes Iran has decided to attack Israel

The Israeli intelligence community believes Iran has decided to attack Israel directly and may do so within days, Axios reporter Barak Ravid has said, citing two sources.

The attack would be in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, Ravid added.

1656 GMT — Israeli minister calls for ‘Gaza-like tactics’ for Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has called for evacuating the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank and “handling it similarly” to Gaza, according to Israeli media.

"The refugee camps are the epicentre of evil. They are not under the control of the Palestinian Authority but under the control of Iran,”

Katz said during a closed-door meeting with leaders of the far-right group Yesha Council, which includes all municipal councils of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as cited by the public broadcaster KAN.

“The Jenin refugee camp must be evacuated of its citizens, and it must be handled similarly to Gaza,” he added.

1647 GMT — Tens of thousands flee southern Gaza as Israel escalates attacks

Palestinians fled southern Gaza's main city as Israel warned of a new military assault, a day after one of the deadliest reported strikes in more than 10 months of war.

AFP journalists said hundreds of Palestinians fled northern neighbourhoods of Khan Younis, southern Gaza's main city already ravaged by months of bombardment after Israel issued fresh evacuation orders in the early morning.

The military dropped leaflets and sent mobile phone messages warning of "dangerous combat" in the Jalaa district and telling Palestinian residents to leave the area, which until Sunday was designated a humanitarian safe zone.

Similar evacuation orders have preceded major military incursions, often forcing Palestinians displaced numerous times by the war to pack up and leave for safety.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said that "just in the past few days, more than 75,000 people have been displaced in southwest Gaza."

1358 GMT — Israeli army ‘still far from victory’ in Gaza: Army officers

The Israeli army is “still far from victory” in Gaza as Tel Aviv continued its deadly offensive on the Palestinian enclave since last Oct. 7, dozens of Israeli reserve officers said in a letter.

“In the past few days, we have been astonished by repeated statements from senior army officials that victory is within reach and it is possible to move to the stage of pinpoint raids, ” reads the letter signed by around 100 officers to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

“We, who came from the field, know very well that the situation is still far from victory.”

The army officers said that Palestinian resistance factions still have cross-border capabilities such as UAVs, explosive drones and mortars.

1358 GMT — Israel killed 1.8 percent of Gaza's population, official figures show

Israel has killed around 1.8 percent of Gaza’s population since last Oct. 7 amid a devastating war on the enclave, according to figures released by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) on Sunday.

In a statement, the bureau said more than 39,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

“This constitutes around 1.8 percent of the total population in the territory,” it added.

Read more here

1304 GMT — China says Hamas chief’s assassination undermined Gaza ceasefire talks

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that the assassination of former Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran undermined the ceasefire negotiation process in Gaza.

"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the assassination, believing that such practices seriously violate the basic norms of international relations, seriously infringe upon Iran's sovereignty, security and dignity, directly undermine the ceasefire negotiation process in Gaza, and impact regional peace and stability," Yi said in a telephone call with Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

1301 GMT — Palestinian president to travel to Russia’s capital Moscow on Monday

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will travel to Russia’s capital on Monday and is expected to meet with his counterpart Vladimir Putin, the country’s ambassador to Moscow has said.

“The president is arriving on the evening of August 12. A meeting with President Putin is expected on Tuesday, and before that, Mahmoud Abbas will lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow,” Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told state news agency TASS.

Nofal further said that Abbas’ three-day visit to the country will end with his departure on Aug. 14, expressing that the Palestinian president will also hold a meeting with Arab ambassadors in the country during his stay.

1117 GMT — Hezbollah strikes military sites in Israel amid escalation

Hezbollah has attacked several military sites in northern Israel amid a growing escalation between the two sides.

Hezbollah said its militants targeted the Marj site with “appropriate weapons,” resulting in a direct hit.

The group also struck with missiles the Barakat Risha and Raheb posts, saying the attacks were “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people and their resistance.”

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the attacks.

1111 GMT — Israel’s Ben-Gvir calls ceasefire, prisoner swap deal with Hamas ‘grave mistake’

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called any ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas a “grave mistake.”

Israel is set to send its negotiating team to Egypt on Thursday to resume the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap talks with Hamas.

"We are crushing Hamas," Ben-Gvir claimed. "I listen not only to the opinions of officials in the security cabinet but also to the field commanders," he told Israel’s pro-government Channel 14.

“Are we now going to strengthen Hamas by attending the talks [in Cairo]? It's a grave mistake by the prime minister."

1055 GMT — Gaza ceasefire would be 'decisive step' towards Middle East de-escalation: Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed concern about a regional escalation of the Israeli war on Gaza in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, his spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said in a statement.

Scholz "emphasised that now was the time to finalise the agreement on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire" and stressed that "an end to the war in Gaza would be a decisive step towards a regional de-escalation", Buechner said.

1020 GMT — Israeli attacks on Gaza's Khan Younis continue, four killed

At least four Palestinians were killed when an Israeli army shelling targeted Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Medical sources in the Nasser Medical Complex told Anadolu that the attack occurred when an Israeli shelling targeted a gathering of civilians in central Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The Israeli army issued late Saturday and early Sunday evacuation orders for residents in Gaza the latest of which was issued for the “humanitarian safe zone” in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

1000 GMT — Over 75,000 displaced in southwest Gaza in few days — UNRWA

More than 75,000 Palestinians have been displaced in southwest Gaza in the past few days, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said.

“Over the decades, Palestinian civilians have been caught up in wars and conflicts, far too many times,” Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA commissioner-general, said on X.

“Just in the past few days, more than 75,000 people have been displaced in southwest Gaza,” he added.

Lazzarini noted that the Israeli authorities issued additional orders overnight forcing more people to flee, “again and again.”

Some of the fleeing Palestinians are only able to carry their children with them, “some carry their whole lives in one small bag,” he added.

“They are going to overcrowded places where shelters are already overflowing with families. They have lost everything and need everything,” Lazzarini said.

“Unlike in other wars, the people of Gaza are trapped and have nowhere to go,” he added

0915 GMT — Australia condemns Israeli air strike on Gaza school housing displaced Palestinians

Australia joined the international community to condemn the deaths of dozens of civilians in an Israeli air strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza.

"Innocent Palestinians cannot continue to pay the price of defeating Hamas," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a post on X, calling for an "immediate" cease-fire in the bes ieged enclave.

"Australia condemns the deaths of civilians from Israel’s strike on Al-Tabeen School. Israel must comply with international humanitarian law," Wong said. "We again call for an immediate ceasefire," she added.

0900 GMT — 5 Palestinians injured as Israeli army expands evacuation orders in southern Gaza

At least five Palestinians were injured when the Israeli army targeted areas in southern Gaza shortly after expanding evacuation orders.

The army expanded these orders to include more areas in Khan Younis after it already ordered residents to evacuate the Al Jalaa neighborhood of Khan Youn is previously designated as a “safe humanitarian zone” by the army.

Medical sources at Nasser Medical Complex told Anadolu that five people were injured in an Israeli air strike targeting two buildings in Hamed City, north of Khan Younis, shortly after residents were ordered to evacuate.

0730 GMT — Israeli army injures Palestinian, arrests 17 in occupied West Bank raids

A Palestinian was injured by Israeli gunfire and 17 others were arrested during Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and state media reports.

In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its medical teams transported a young man to the hospital after he was shot by live am munition in the Al-Ain refugee camp.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that during the raid on the camp, the Israeli army arrested three Palestinians and searched several homes in and around the camp.

0610 GMT — Israel orders evacuation of part of Gaza 'humanitarian zone'

The Israeli army ordered Khan Younis residents to evacuate the Al Jalaa neighbourhood of Khan Younis previously designated as a “safe humanitarian zone” by the army.

The al-Jalaa neighbourhood will no longer be part of the “humanitarian zone,” an army statement said.

It claimed that the Palestinian resistance group Hamas “operates” from the neighbourhood and that it will be a “dangerous combat zone.”

Although the Israeli army has previously designated certain locations “safe,” it continued to pound these areas, causing many fatalities among Palestinians.

0500 GMT — UN envoy slams attack on Gaza school — 'end this nightmare'

The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process voiced concern about an Israeli attack on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza.

“Every day civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict amidst horror, displacement and endless suffering.

"The cost in lives of this war is evident with every passing day as we have witnessed yet another devastating strike on a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians, with dozens of fatalities," Tor Wennesland said in a statement.

Wennesland said he is encouraged by the perseverance of the leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar as mediators and their call on both sides to conclude a cease-fire and hostages relea se deal in the besieged enclave.

Stressing that the UN is committed to supporting all efforts toward that goal, he added: "An end to this nightmare is long overdue."

0400 GMT — US president’s terse warning to Iran about possible Israel attack: 'Don't'

US President Joe Biden again warned Iran about a possible retaliatory attack against Israel amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

"Don’t," Biden responded to reporters before entering his vehicle, when he was asked: "What’s your message to Iran?"

Biden issued the same warning in April, before Iran carried out a rocket and drone attack against Israel in retaliation for the April 1 air strike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killing at least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals.

2207 GMT — Algeria seeks urgent UN meeting over Israel's Gaza school attack

Algeria has said it requested an urgent open UN Security Council session next Tuesday to discuss an Israeli attack on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City.

Algeria's request, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, for the emergency meeting comes "in response to the recent serious developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially after the air strike carried out by the Zionist occupation army on the Al-Tabin school,” the official Algerian news agency reported, citing an unnamed diplomatic source in New York.

It said the "request was made in consultation with the State of Palestine" and "is supported by other member states of the Security Council (not specified)."

2227 GMT — Palestinians in occupied West Bank protest Gaza school 'massacre'

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered Saturday in the occupied West Bank cities of Nablus and Ramallah to protest an Israeli air strike on a school in Gaza that targeted displaced Palestinians seeking refuge.

The demonstrations were organized by the Coordination Committee of Factions and local institutions in both governorates.

Protesters condemned ongoing Israeli attacks and the recent “massacre” at the Al-Taba’een School, where at least 100 Palestinians were killed while performing fajr (dawn) prayers.

Demonstrators in Nablus assembled in Martyrs’ Square, with prominent figures from political factions joining the protest.

2214 GMT — Norway-Israel diplomatic tensions rise over Palestine recognition

Norway and Israel have been at odds for months over Oslo's decision to recognise Palestine as a state, a move that drew sharp rebuke from Tel Aviv, which responded with a series of measures against the Nordic country and Palestinians.

Most recently, Israel rescinded the accreditation of Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Palestinian Authority, over the decision in late May, also reportedly withdrawing and cancelling some bank deposits in Norwegian accounts.

"We received a message today from the Netanyahu government that it will no longer facilitate the work of Norwegian diplomats in the Palestinian territories," Norwegian Foreign Ministry has said in a statement.

"This is an extreme act that severely impacts our ability to assist the Palestinians. Israel's decision to revoke the diplomatic status of members of our embassy is an extreme measure and will have consequences," the ministry said, adding that it was assessing possible responses to the situation "created by the Netanyahu government."

2213 GMT — Fires erupt in Golan Heights post-projectile interception

Fires broke out in five areas in northern Israel and the Golan Heights due to debris falling from intercepted missiles and drones launched from southern Lebanon, Israeli media has reported.

Sirens sounded continuously for a period of time as the drones and missile attacks targeted the Upper Galilee region and Israel-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, according to Israel's public broadcaster and the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, said it "launched an aerial attack with swarms of kamikaze drones on the Alon base, which is considered a base for the assembly and mobilization of forces."

It added that the attack "targeted the positions of officers and soldiers at the base and hit it directly, causing confirmed casualties."

Earlier, the group announced it used guided missiles to target a military technical system on Karantina hill, "hitting it directly."

For our live updates from Saturday, August 10, 2024, click here.