Live blog: Hamas team meets Qatar, Egypt officials to discuss Gaza war

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

1900 GMT — The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said that its negotiation team, led by senior official Khalil al Hayya, met Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to discuss the latest developments in Gaza.

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1843 GMT — Belgium sends over 500 tents to Gaza

Belgium said it is sending more than 500 tents to Gaza, which has been reeling under an Israeli offensive since last October.

"Belgium sent 511 tents to Gaza, transported with a Belgium Defence A400M from Melsbroek military airport as part of a B-FAST mission to address urgent civilian needs," the Foreign Ministry said on X.

"Belgium continues to call for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and a two-state solution." The announcement came after the recent deadly Israeli airstrike on a declared "humanitarian safe zone" in southern Gaza.

1837 GMT — UN condemns Israeli 5th strike on school sheltering displaced Palestinians

The United Nations said that Israel has struck a school in central Gaza for the fifth time in 11 months that is run by the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and shelters displaced civilians.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the school was used as a shelter and that information had been previously shared with the Israeli army. He said the UN is "trying to confirm reports that some UNRWA staff members were killed in the attack."

"Our colleagues on the ground are trying to evaluate the situation," he said.

1825 GMT — Gaza ceasefire needed 'more urgently than ever': Germany

Germany described a deadly Israeli airstrike on a declared "humanitarian safe zone" in southern Gaza as "terrible," saying the implementation of a ceasefire is "more urgently than ever."

"Reports about many deaths following the Israeli airstrike on al-Mawasi are terrible," the Foreign Ministry said on X. "The Israeli army is obliged to protect the civilian population as best as possible."

This incident shows there is "no military solution" for Gaza, it said, adding: "We need a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of the hostages more urgently than ever, so that the dying ends."

Stressing that "nowhere is safe" in the enclave, the ministry said: "Humanitarian space is shrinking constantly: evacuation notices apply to 86 percent of the area. Humanitarian infrastructure and warehouses must also be left behind."

It said necessary preparations for winter cannot be made under these conditions.

1801 GMT — Israeli killing of Turkish-American activist 'unprovoked and unjustified': US envoy to UN

The United States ambassador to the United Nations denounced on Wednesday Israel’s killing of a Turkish American activist in the occupied West Bank, calling it "unprovoked and unjustified."

"The killing of American citizen Aysenur Eygi was unprovoked and unjustified. No one should lose their life for speaking out and attending a protest," Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish-US national, was killed by Israeli forces during a protest last Friday against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita, outside of Nablus.

1755 GMT — Family of Turkish American activist criticizes Biden, Harris for not speaking to them directly

The family of Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Ezgi, who was killed by Israel last week, criticised the Biden-Harris administration for a lack of communication and reiterated their demand for an independent investigation.

"Let us be clear, an American citizen was killed by a foreign military in a targeted attack. The appropriate action is for President Biden and Vice President Harris to speak with the family directly, and order an independent, transparent investigation into the killing of Aysenur, a volunteer for peace," Eygi's family said in response to a statement by President Joe Biden.

Biden said he was "outraged and deeply saddened" but added that her death "was the result of a tragic error resulting from an unnecessary escalation," citing an Israeli investigation.

1709 GMT — Israeli forces kill six more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces killed at least six more Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank.

An air strike in the city of Tubas killed five men and the Palestinian Red Crescent said rescue crews had recovered bodies at the site and had transferred them to a hospital.

In a separate incident in the city of Tulkarem, the Israeli military said troops backed by police and intelligence services killed another Palestinian.

1631 GMT — Israeli soldier injured by anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon

An Israeli soldier was seriously injured after an anti-tank missile from Lebanon struck northern Israel and 60 rockets were fired into the country within an hour, the Israeli military said.

"Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Abirim, approximately 30 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanese territory into Israel and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported," the army said in a statement.

1522 GMT — Israeli air strike on UN school in Gaza kills at least 14

An Israeli air strike killed at least 14 people, including two children, when it hit a UN school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in central Gaza, hospital officials said.

Officials from al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said they had received 10 dead from the strike, and another four dead were brought to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah.

At least one woman and two children were among those killed, and at least 18 people were wounded in the strike, hospital officials said.

1348 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli onslaught soars to 41,084

Israel's military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 41,084 Palestinians and wounded 95,029 since Oct. 7, the Palestinian enclave's Health Ministry said.

At least 64 people died in the last 24 hours, it added.

1256 GMT — Iran's president slams the West over the war in Gaza and support for Israel

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian slammed the West, saying that Israel is "committing massacres" in the war in Gaza and using European and American weapons to do so.

Pezeshkian, who spoke in Baghdad at the start of his first visit abroad since taking office, is hoping to cement Tehran’s ties to Baghdad amid regional tensions.

1234 GMT — 'We are too rooted to be removed from our land:'Palestinian envoy to UK

Israel will be unable to remove Palestinians from Gaza because they are deeply rooted in the land, as Israel has tried but failed to do in the past, said Palestine's envoy to the United Kingdom.

Ambassador Husam Zomlot, speaking at the 156th Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the seaside resort city of Brighton, said Palestinians are too resilient to be broken.

"Despite the genocide, despite the ethnic cleansing, despite all the horrors, we are too rooted, like the roots of our ancient olive trees, we are too rooted to be removed from our land," he asserted.

Zomlot said: "We have done it before, they could not erase us completely in 1948, they could not crush us in 1967, they did not wipe us out in Lebanon in 1982 and despite the horrors in Gaza, they will not erase us from Gaza."

He went on to say that Palestinians "will survive this, will rise again and will rebuild Gaza, adding: "As we have been, we will remain in Gaza."

1232 GMT — Qatar urges int'l community to show 'courage, political will' to end Israeli war

Qatar has called on the international community to show “courage and political will” to end Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

"Establishing a reliable international system for protecting human rights requires the international community to demonstrate courage and full political will to move beyond silence and take on its legal and ethical responsibilities," Qatari delegate Jawhara bint Abdulaziz al Suwaidi said during the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

This involves "actively intervening to halt aggression against Gaza, ending the Israeli occupation, and providing necessary protection to the Palestinian people who are facing genocide under everyone's watch," she added.

"There is a need for a system that respects the humanity of all people equally and affirms that human rights are for everyone, regardless of race, gender, colour, or religion," Suwaidi continued.

1158 GMT — Serbia, Israel agree to further improve bilateral relations in multiple domains

Serbia and Israel announced that they have agreed to further improve bilateral relations in multiple domains.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog in Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksander Vucic said enhancing cooperation between the countries in many sectors, including high-technology and artificial intelligence, is on the agenda of the visiting president’s visit to Belgrade.

In addition, Vucic said, Serbia wants to increase its exports to Israel and attract more investors to the county’s real estate market, and tourists from Israel.

1146 GMT — Polio vaccination campaign reaches over 82 percent of targeted children in war-torn Gaza

An ongoing polio vaccination campaign has reached 82.5 percent of targeted children in war-torn Gaza, the Health Ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said 527,776 children under the age of 10 received the first dose of the polio vaccine in the Palestinian enclave.

The ministry said medical teams are continuing their efforts “to continue the polio vaccination campaign despite the continuing Israeli aggression.”

"Despite the great danger facing medical teams, families continue to come to vaccination centres to vaccinate their children against polio," the ministry said.

The third and final phase of the campaign began in northern Gaza on Tuesday to vaccinate around 14,000 children against polio. The first and second phases of the campaign covered central and southern Gaza.

1118 GMT — Egyptian president calls for European pressure to reach Gaza ceasefire

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has called for European pressure to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking during a joint press conference in Cairo with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Sisi underlined the importance of piling pressure by the European countries to strike a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

He also affirmed his country's rejection of Israel's use of hunger as a weapon against Palestinians.

For months, Egypt, Qatar and the US have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

1108 GMT — Biden seeks 'full accountability' after death of US citizen in West Bank

US President Joe Biden has said that Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like the fatal shooting of an American activist of Turkish origin, who opposed illegal Jewish settlement expansion, never happen again, calling her death "totally unacceptable."

In a statement, Biden said that while Israel has taken responsibility for Aysenur Ezgi Eygi's death, the US government expects continued access as the investigation continues over the circumstances of the shooting.

"There must be full accountability. And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again," Biden said.

1037 GMT — US' Blinken pledges consequences following Israel's killing of Turkish-American activist in West Bank

Last week’s killing of a Turkish-American activist in the occupied West Bank was "totally unacceptable," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a new interview, also pledging that there would be consequences for the incident.

Speaking to Sky News, Blinken stressed that Israel’s killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was “inexcusable” and raised concerns about its rules of engagement.

"We’ve seen this horrific loss, the killing of a young American-Turkish woman. Just today we got a preliminary investigation that was provided to us. And the actions that were taken are totally unacceptable. I think it goes to, among other things, the rules of engagement that Israel has," he said, adding that a preliminary investigation into the incident had been completed and shared with US officials.

0925 GMT — Israeli soldier critically injured in car-ramming attack in West Bank

An Israeli soldier was critically injured in a car-ramming attack near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

Video footage shared on social media showed a gas tanker rolling off the road and hitting a soldier at a checkpoint near the illegal settlement of Givat Asaf.

The Israeli army said the assailant was "neutralised" at the scene.

0857 GMT — Another Hezbollah militant killed in border clashes with Israel

Another Hezbollah militant was killed in border clashes with Israel, the Lebanese group has said as tensions continue to mount between the two sides.

The group identified the slain member as Hani Hussein Ezzedine, without providing details about the circumstances of his death, saying only he was killed on the “road to Jerusalem," in reference to the professed support of the Palestinian resistance facing a devastating Israeli onslaught in Gaza.

0818 GMT — Israel besieges West Bank city, restricts access to hospital

The Israeli army has imposed a curfew in the occupied West Bank city of Tubas and displaced dozens of families in Tulkarem amid a major military assault in the area, according to local officials.

"Israeli forces are besieging Tubas from all directions, and sent military reinforcements into several neighbourhoods in the city,” Governor Ahmed al Assad told Anadolu.

He said the Israeli army had laid a siege around the Tubas Turkish Government Hospital, hindering the work of medical teams.

0754 GMT — Israel army says two soldiers killed in Gaza helicopter crash

The Israeli military has that a military helicopter crashed in the Rafah area of southern Gaza overnight, killing two soldiers and injuring seven.

"An initial inquiry conducted indicates that the crash was not caused by enemy fire... Two IDF (Israeli army) soldiers were killed as a result of the crash," the military said in a statement, adding that the seven injured had been evacuated to hospital for treatment

0715 GMT — Israel conducts a series of air strikes across southern Lebanon

The Israeli army's warplanes carried out a series of overnight strikes across southern Lebanon amid the ongoing escalation of tensions with Hezbollah.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that Israeli fighter jets bombed the forest areas surrounding the southern Lebanon towns of Zibqine, Chaaitiyeh, and Qlaileh 17 times.

However, the Israeli army claimed to have targeted 30 Hezbollah rocket launching sites and military infrastructure in southern Lebanon in overnight raids, according to the Times of Israel.

0707 GMT — Hamas’ top leader, Yahya Sinwar thanks Algeria for its support

Hamas' political leader Yahya Sinwar congratulated Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on his reelection and thanked the country for its support for the Palestinian cause.

Algeria, the Arab representative on the United Nations Security Council, circulated a draft resolution in May demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a halt to Israel’s military offensive in the southern city of Rafah.

0643 GMT — Israel continues assault on West Bank's Tulkarem for second day

Israel has intensified its attacks on the occupied West Bank's Tulkarem city for a second consecutive day, as they caused extensive damage to both infrastructure and civilian property.

Israeli forces have also surrounded Tulkarem camp, using heavy machinery and bulldozers to destroy streets and alleys, including Al-Nadi, Al-Shuhada, and Al-Balouna neighbourhoods, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Separately, the Red Crescent has reported that five of their ambulance crews are detained inside the camp, with communication lines shut.

Several Palestinians have also been detained, with their current conditions unknown.

0604 GMT — Casualties as Israel strikes parts of occupied West Bank, Gaza

Several Palestinians were killed and wounded in early morning Israeli air strikes, targeting multiple areas in Gaza, WAFA news agency has reported.

In Khan Younis, 13 civilians were killed and others wounded when Israeli warplanes bombed a home belonging to the al-Qara family in Khuza'a.

A fisherman was also killed after being targeted by the Israeli navy near the Mawasi area of Khan Younis.

In Jabalia, nine people, including three children and two women, lost their lives when Israeli forces bombed a house belonging to the Al-Najjar family. Several Palestinians remain missing.

In Al-Nuseirat camp, located in central Gaza, four Palestinians were killed and 11 others were wounded in an air strike on a house owned by the Abu Atwi family in Block C.

0400 GMT — US claims destroying Houthi UAVs, missile systems in Yemen

The US has said that its forces destroyed five Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two missile systems in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the past 24 hours.

“It was determined these systems presented a clear and imminent threat to US and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.

“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition and merchant vessels,” it added.

0212 GMT— We need a two-state solution on Israel-Palestine conflict: Kamala Harris

After repeating false claims of Israeli officials and media on the October 7 raid by Palestinian resistance fighters, US VP Kamala Harris said Israel has a right to defend itself.

"This war must end, and it must end immediately. The way it will end is through a ceasefire deal, and we need the hostages out. We will continue working around the clock to achieve this, understanding that we must also chart a course toward a two-state solution. In that solution, there must be security for the Israeli people and, in equal measure, for the Palestinians," she added.

"I will always ensure Israel can defend itself, especially concerning Iran and any threat Iran and its proxies pose. But we must have a two-state solution, where we can rebuild Gaza and ensure the Palestinians have security and self-determination," she said.

0212 GMT — Gaza war would have never started under my watch: Trump

Former US president Donald Trump in a presidential debate with VP Kamala Harris has said that if he was a president Israel's Gaza war "would have never started."

He went on to criticise Harris, saying, “When she mentions Israel, all of a sudden she hates Israel."

Trump also commented on Iran, saying, "Iran was broke under Donald Trump. Now, Iran has $300 billion because they took off all the sanctions that I had....Look at what’s going on in the Middle East. This would have never happened.”

0117 GMT — US urges Israel to make changes after US activist killed in West Bank

Top US officials have urged Israel to make changes to its operations in the occupied West Bank after the military acknowledged its fire "highly likely" killed an Turkish-American activist there.

US President Joe Biden said he thought the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was an "accident", but both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin called it "unprovoked and unjustified".

The investigation, and eyewitness accounts, make clear "that her killing was both unprovoked and unjustified", Blinken told reporters on a visit to London.

2236 GMT — Türkiye says closing ranks 'a must' to stop genocide in Palestine

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that "at a time when the international system is failing to stop the genocide in Palestine, uniting and acting together are not optional but a must."

Earlier, Fidan attended the 162nd session of the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers in the Egyptian capital of Cairo and met with his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting.

He met with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Tunisian counterpart Mohamed Ali Nafti and Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.

Fidan said his meetings with Prince Faisal, Nafti and Safadi primarily focused on the Gaza crisis and potential steps to address the genocide in Palestine.

2201 GMT — Canada blocks weapons sales to Israel

Canada has suspended some 30 permits for arms shipments to Israel, including a rare move against a US company's Canadian subsidiary's deal with the US government, the foreign minister said.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said she had ordered a review of all Canadian weapons suppliers' contracts with Israel and other countries.

"Following that, I suspended this summer around 30 existing permits of Canadian companies," she said.

"Our policy is clear: We will not have any form of arms or parts of arms be sent to Gaza. Period," Joly said.

2100 GMT — Biden terms Israeli murder of Turkish-US activist an 'accident'

US President Joe Biden appeared to be absolving Israel in the murder of Turkish-American peace activist, adopting Israeli version of the incident and calling the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli troops as an "accident".

"Apparently, it was an accident — it [the bullet] ricocheted off the ground, and she got hit by accident," Biden told reporters, hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the killing was "unprovoked and unjustified."

Eygi, 26, a dual US and Turkish national, was shot in the head by Israeli troops last Friday during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in Beita, a town just outside the city of Nablus.

Biden, who appeared to downplay Israel's role in the murder, has not yet spoken with the family of Eygi.

Palestinian eyewitness Mounir Khdair has said that the Israeli sniper who killed Eygi in the occupied West Bank cried out for joy after shooting her.

"After shooting her, he was happy, he shouted for joy," Khdair said.

Eygi's autopsy confirmed that she was killed by an Israeli sniper's bullet specifically targeting her head, according to Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas.

2028 GMT — ICC urged to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has urged the court's Pre-Trial Chamber to issue arrest warrants "with utmost urgency" for hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The arrest warrants are "necessary to ensure that they do not obstruct or endanger the investigation or court proceedings, prevent the continuing commission of the crimes alleged and/or the commission of other Rome Statute crimes," Karim Khan wrote.

2017 GMT — Aid convoy held at gunpoint by Israel in Gaza

A UN convoy carrying workers for a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza was held at gunpoint at an Israeli military checkpoint, a UN spokesman said, adding that shots were fired and its vehicles were rammed by a bulldozer.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, called the incident, which occurred on Monday, "the latest example of the unacceptable dangers and impediment that humanitarian personnel in Gaza are experiencing" by Israeli forces.

He said the convoy was carrying 12 staff members on their way to support the polio campaign in the northern part of Gaza.

The group's "movements were fully coordinated with Israeli forces, and all details provided ahead of time," Dujarric said.

2017 GMT — French prosecutors reject torture complaint against soldier

French prosecutors have rejected a criminal complaint that accused a French Israeli soldier of participating in torture and genocide against Palestinians.

French media, citing judicial sources, reported that the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) reviewed the case on September 2 and dismissed the complaint because there was insufficient evidence.

The soldier, who holds dual citizenship, was serving in besieged Gaza.

For our live updates from Tuesday, September 10, 2024, click here.