Live blog: Israel bombs Gaza as UN chief decries 'horror and starvation'

Sunday, March 24, 2024

2105 GMT — Israeli air and artillery strikes pounded targets in Gaza as UN chief Antonio Guterres called for a surge of aid into the besieged territory he said was stalked by "horror and starvation".

The health ministry in Gaza said that another 84 people had been killed over the previous 24 hours, raising the total death toll in the territory during nearly six months of war to 32,226, most of them women and children.

Guterres, on a visit to Egypt, urged an end to the "non-stop nightmare" endured by Gaza's 2.4 million people in the territory's worst-ever war.

"Looking at Gaza, it almost appears that the four horsemen of war, famine, conquest and death are galloping across it," the UN secretary-general said, visiting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"The whole world recognises that it's past time to silence the guns and ensure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."

With the UN warning of imminent famine in Gaza, Guterres urged Israel to allow in more humanitarian aid via the Rafah border crossing whose Egyptian side he visited, saying trucks were "blocked".

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2033 GMT — Women in Gaza urgently need ceasefire: UN women chief

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous highlighted the difficulties experienced by women in Gaza, stressing the urgent need for a ceasefire in the region.

"Women in Gaza give birth without water. They have no food, no tents, no toilets. They are living the unimaginable," Bahous said on X.

"What women in Gaza need right now is a ceasefire and relief," she added.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 9,000 women have lost their lives, and over 23,000 women have been injured in the ongoing attacks by the Israeli army on Gaza.

The fate of over 2,000 missing women in Gaza remains unknown.

Additionally, the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system due to Israeli attacks has left approximately 60,000 pregnant women unable to access healthcare services, putting the lives of both Palestinian women and their babies at risk.

1900 GMT — Benny Gantz threatens to quit Israeli gov’t if bill exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscription passed

Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz threatened to quit if the current version of the conscription bill is passed, which exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscription.

The conscription bill is scheduled to be presented in its current form next week before the Knesset (Parliament) for approval.

“We will not be able to be members of the government if the conscription law is passed in its current form,” Gantz said in a video broadcast by KAAN channel, affiliated with the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

He added: “Neither I nor my partners (in the national camp that he leads) will be able to be members of the emergency government if the Knesset approves this legislation and includes it in the laws of the State of Israel.”

2005 GMT — Israeli attack on Rafah will be 'huge mistake,' says US vice president

US Vice President Kamala Harris said any attack by Israel on Rafah, despite all warnings, would be a "huge mistake."

"We have been clear in multiple conversations and in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake," Harris told ABC News.

"Let me tell you something: I have studied the maps. There's nowhere for those folks to go," Harris said.

When asked about the possibility of the US taking action in response to Israel's attack on Rafah, Harris said they would "take it step by step," but emphasised that no option is off the table.

Regarding whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obstructs peace, Harris stated: "We will continue to pursue our priorities regarding Gaza."

Harris opposed the killing of innocent Palestinians, affirming the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in "equal security and dignity."

1841 GMT — Macron warns Israel over any Rafah forced population transfer

French President Emmanuel Macron has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any forced transfer of people from the southern Gaza city of Rafah would constitute "a war crime".

He repeated his opposition to any Israeli military offensive in Rafah, where most of Gaza's population has taken shelter after months of fierce fighting in the besieged territory.

In a telephone call between the two leaders on Sunday, Macron also "strongly condemned" Israel's announcement on Friday of the seizure of 800 km² of land in the occupied West Bank for new settlements.

In the call, Macron told Netanyahu he intended to bring a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for "an immediate and lasting ceasefire".

He also urged Israel to immediately open all crossing points into Gaza.

1740 GMT — Palestinians say 24 Gazan children held at Israel’s Megiddo Prison

Some 24 Palestinian children from Gaza are held by Israel at Megiddo Prison, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

“Around 94 children are held at the prison in northern Israel, including 24 from Gaza,” the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

According to the statement, Israeli authorities keep in custody some 200 Palestinian children, including more than 40 held without charge or trial under Israel’s notorious policy of administrative detention.

“Prison authorities continue to impose punitive measures against child prisoners similar to those taken against adult detainees since Oct. 7,” the statement said, adding that children held at Israeli prisons were deprived of family visits.

1658 GMT — US funding cut harms Palestinian refugees: UN agency

The United Nations relief agency for Palestinians warned that the US suspension of funding will harm Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the entire Middle East region.

“In Gaza, the humanitarian community is racing against the clock to avert famine,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on X.

“As the backbone of the humanitarian response, any gap in funding to UNRWA will compromise access to food, shelter, primary health care & education at a time of deep trauma.”

The US is the largest donor to UNRWA, providing the refugee agency with $300-$400 million annually.

1540 GMT — Germany slams Israel's decision to seize 800 km² of land in West Bank's Jordan Valley

Germany has condemned Israel's decision to seize 800 km² of land belonging to the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank's Jordan Valley region.

"We strongly condemn the announcement to confiscate over 800 hectares of land in the Palestinian Territories as Israeli "state land". This would be the largest appropriation in over 30 years," Germany's Foreign Ministry said on X.

"The settlements violate international law & fuel further tensions in this extremely fragile situation," it added.

1515 GMT — US, Jordan jointly conduct humanitarian airdrops into Gaza

US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Jordanian Air Force jointly conducted humanitarian assistance airdrop into northern Gaza to provide relief to civilians affected by the ongoing war.

“US Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on March 24, 2024, at 12:18 pm (Gaza time) (1018 GMT) to provide essential relief to civilians in Gaza affected by the ongoing conflict,” CENTCOM said on X.

"The combined joint operation included Jordanian provided food and a US Air Force C-130 aircraft," with the US aircraft dropping "13,080 meal equivalents, including rice, flour, milk, pasta and canned foods, providing life-saving humanitarian assistance" in northern Gaza, it noted.

1434 GMT — Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to ‘destroy’ entire Gaza: Palestine

Palestine has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to “destroy” entire Gaza.

“Netanyahu's insistence on a military solution in Gaza as an alternative to political solutions reveals his true intentions of destroying the strip and emptying it of its population,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Netanyahu "is seeking to gain more time to commit more mass massacres, deepen the genocide, destroy the entire Gaza Strip, and push its residents out of the territory,” it added.

The ministry called on the UN Security Council to "address Netanyahu's goals more seriously by adopting a binding UN resolution” to enforce a political formula agreed by all parties.

1407 GMT — Israeli army launches new military offensive in Gaza’s Khan Younis

The Israeli army launched a new military offensive in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza, the military said.

A military statement said around 40 targets were struck in an operation in the al-Amal neighbourhood in the city’s southern part.

There were no reports yet of casualties.

1330 GMT — Israel to no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to northern Gaza

The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said Israel had informed the UN that they will no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to north of Gaza.

"This is outrageous and makes it intentional to obstruct lifesaving assistance during a man-made famine. These restrictions must be lifted," UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on social media platform X.

1346 GMT — Jordan calls for permanent ceasefire in Gaza amid Israeli onslaught

Jordan’s King Abdullah II called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza amid a deadly Israeli onslaught on the Palestinian territory.

In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, the monarch underlined the need to protect civilians in Gaza and provide adequate humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, the royal court said in a statement.

“The catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza require immediate action from the international community to limit its exacerbation,” he added.

He also warned of grave consequences from any Israeli ground attack on Rafah, on the southern tip of Gaza, where more than 1.4 million people have taken refuge from Israel’s ongoing offensive on the strip.

1330 GMT — One killed in Israeli strike on east Lebanon: security source

An Israeli strike on a car near the Syrian border killed a man, a security source said, after overnight fire wounded four people in Lebanon's east, according to an AFP correspondent.

"Israeli fighter jets targeted a vehicle in the eastern Bekaa area of Suwairi, killing its Syrian driver," a security source told AFP news agency, requesting anonymity for security concerns.

Earlier on Sunday, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency had said a strike on a vehicle in Suwairi injured the driver, before reporting that he had been killed.

The NNA said he had been delivering food in a car that belonged to a supermarket owner.

Overnight on Sunday, an AFP correspondent said Israeli strikes targeted a Hezbollah centre that had been deserted for some time, wounding four residents in nearby buildings.

1329 GMT — Qatar, UN explore ways of facilitating humanitarian aid access to besieged Gaza

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks in Doha with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths to discuss ways of facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into besieged Gaza.

The talks dwelt on ways to bolster regional and international efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to facilitate an obstacle-free humanitarian aid access to Gaza, the state news agency QNA reported.

Al Thani, who is also a foreign minister, underlined the importance of the UN's role in supporting efforts “to battle the worsening humanitarian catastrophe and put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian brothers trapped in the Gaza Strip.”

1305 GMT — Egypt says ‘intensive efforts’ to reach ceasefire in Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Sisi reviewed Egypt’s “intensive efforts” to reach an immediate ceasefire, exchange prisoners and allow access to sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The Egyptian leader praised efforts exerted by Guterres to urge the international community to contribute to stopping the Israeli war on Gaza and his keenness to adhere to international law and international cooperation law, the statement said.

“It’s important for the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility related to the war in Gaza,” he added.

1147 GMT — Aid to Gaza 'requires Israel removing' obstacles: UN chief

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said in Cairo that delivering the necessary aid to famine-threatened Gaza "requires Israel removing the remaining obstacles and chokepoints to relief".

Following a visit to the gates of the besieged Palestinian territory at the Rafah border crossing, sending in large quantities of aid requires Israel to remove the remaining obstacles and choke points to relief, Guterres said.

"It requires more crossings and access points," he said. "The only efficient and effective way to move heavy goods is by road. It requires an exponential increase in commercial goods."

UN aid officials say deliveries can only be scaled up by land, accusing Israel of impeding relief, which Israel denies.

1124 GMT — 16 more Palestinians detained in Israeli raids in West Bank

At least 16 more Palestinians were detained in fresh Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

A child and former prisoners were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

The arrests took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Tulkarm.

"The arrests were marked by acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes, in addition to severe beatings of detainees and their families,” the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 7,755 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023.

1009 GMT — EU condemns Israeli seizure of 800 km² of land in occupied West Bank

The EU has condemned the Israeli seizure of 800 km² of land in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.

“The European Union firmly condemns the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that over 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territory have been declared as ‘state lands’,” the EU said in a statement.

This is the largest confiscation since the Oslo Accords was signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1994, it said.

“Settlements are a grave breach of international humanitarian law. At this week’s European Council, EU leaders condemned Israeli Government decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, urging Israel to reverse these decisions,” it added.

0935 GMT — Israeli army storms Nasser, al-Amal hospitals in Khan Younis

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has reported that Israeli forces stormed the Nasser Medical Complex and al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza amid heavy gunfire.

“Israeli occupation vehicles are besieging both al-Amal Hospital and al-Naser Hospital amidst very intense shelling and heavy gunfire,” the society said in a statement.

“Occupation vehicles are currently surrounding al-Amal Hospital and conducting extensive excavation work around the hospital,” it added.

“All of our teams are in extreme danger at the moment and are completely immobilised,” it also said, noting that its crews were unable to bury the body of their colleague Amir Abu Aisha in the hospital’s backyard.

0817 GMT — Death toll in Gaza hits grim 32,226 as Israel continues to bomb

At least 32,226 Palestinians have been killed and 74,518 injured in Israel's brutal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, the health ministry of the besieged enclave has said.

There have been 84 Palestinians killed and 106 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry statement added.

0816 GMT — Israeli police arrest 12 demonstrators in Tel Aviv

Israeli police in Tel Aviv have arrested demonstrators for "inciting a riot" after they called on the government to agree to a deal for the release of hostages in Gaza.

“The demonstrators continued to walk in the nearby streets (to Kaplan Street) and light bonfires throughout the city, risking human lives,” the Israeli police said on X.

0013 GMT — Israeli air strike hits northeastern Lebanon: local official

An Israeli air strike deep in northeastern Lebanon early Sunday wounded at least three people, a local official said.

The air strike near the city of Baalbek, a stronghold of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, was the latest to hit the area in recent weeks.

The strike occurred a few minutes after midnight and wounded three people according to Baalbek’s mayor, Bachir Khodr, who posted the news on X.

It was not immediately clear what was struck. The strike came hours after Hezbollah said it used two drones carrying explosives to attack an Israeli Iron Dome missile defence system in the northern Israeli town of Kfar Blum.

2300 GMT — The World Health Organization (WHO) transferred two sick children from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza to the Rafah border crossing in preparation for their transport to hospitals outside the enclave.

Fadi Al Zannat, 9, and Nour Jarboa, 6, who are suffering from cancer and malnutrition, were transported via an ambulance belonging to the UN health agency.

“The evacuation (of the two children) took place after two months of issuing an urgent appeal to all international and humanitarian institutions, child rights organizations, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization,” Hossam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, told Anadolu. “For over two months, we have been pleading to relocate these children to a better-equipped facility.”

“Currently, we are facing shortages of medical supplies, food, and infant formula. These children are now suffering from severe malnutrition,” said the director.

2200 GMT — Israeli officer succumbs to injuries after shooting near Ramallah: Army

An Israeli army officer succumbed to his injuries on Friday during an exchange of fire with a Palestinian fighter near the city of Ramallah in the West Bank, the Israeli army announced.

At least one Israeli settler was seriously injured on Friday in a shooting near the Dolev settlement in the occupied West Bank after a Palestinian fighter opened fire on a small bus. Israeli forces then exchanged fire with the assailant, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

The Hamas movement mourned the perpetrator of the attack, stating that he was “Barkat Mansour from the village of Deir Ibzi, near Ramallah.”

For our live updates from Saturday, March 23, click here.