Live blog: Israel broadly agrees to Gaza truce ahead of talks — US official

Saturday, March 2, 2024

1816 GMT — Israel has essentially endorsed the framework of a proposed Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, a senior US administration official said on Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement were to resume in Egypt.

The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes the six-week ceasefire as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, which includes the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, said the official.

“Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House to brief reporters.

Officials from Israel and from Hamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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1809 GMT — Egypt airdrops new aid into northern Gaza

The Egyptian army said it airdropped a new batch of aid supplies to Gaza, where Israeli attacks since last October have killed more than 30,000 people and created conditions of famine.

“The General Command of the Armed Forces issued orders to prepare military transport planes loaded with tons of food supplies and urgent humanitarian needs to alleviate the suffering experienced by the residents of the Gaza Strip,” spokesman Col. Gharib Abdel Hafez said in a statement.

“Airdrops of aid were carried out in various areas in the northern Gaza Strip,” he added.

1710 GMT — Death toll from Israeli army's ‘flour massacre’ in Gaza rises to 116, as another Palestinian dies

One more Palestinian man died from his wounds, bringing the total number of deaths from the Israeli army's "flour massacre" against a group of Palestinians in Gaza who were waiting for humanitarian aid to 116, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

“A citizen died at Kamal Adwan Hospital as a result of injuries sustained in the Rasheed Street massacre on Thursday morning,” the ministry said in a statement.

It added that “The death toll from the massacre rises to 116 so far, fearing that the number is likely to increase due to dozens of serious injuries and the lack of medical resources.”

1600 GMT — US military cargo planes begin air drop to Gaza

US military C-130 cargo planes dropped food in pallets over Gaza in the opening stage of an emergency humanitarian assistance authorized by President Joe Biden after more than 100 Palestinians who had surged to pull goods off an aid convoy were killed during a chaotic encounter with Israeli troops.

Three planes from Air Forces Central dropped 66 bundles containing about 38,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 am EST (3:30 pm local).

The bundles were dropped in southwest Gaza, on the beach along the territory's Mediterranean coast, one US official said. The airdrop was coordinated with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, which has been airdropping food and took part in Saturday's mission.

1508 GMT — Hamas team heads to Cairo for new truce talks: source

A Hamas delegation was expected to fly to Cairo on Saturday for talks on a truce in Gaza, a source close to the group told AFP, as mediators scrambled to secure a deal.

The Hamas delegation will "meet with Egyptians overseeing the ceasefire negotiations, to follow up on the negotiation developments that aim to stop the offensive and the war, and to reach a hostage exchange deal," said the source close to Hamas, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

1427 GMT — Egyptian, Qatari foreign ministers discuss Gaza ceasefire developments

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani efforts to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 30,000 people in five months.

The two officials, who met in Doha, discussed bilateral relations and the "latest developments in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories,” Qatar's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

They also discussed “joint efforts between the two sides along with regional and international partners to reach an immediate ceasefire and the continuation of bringing humanitarian aid" into the Palestinian enclave.

The two ministers agreed on the need to intensify joint efforts to contain and prevent the expansion of violence to other parts of the region.

1351 GMT — EU condemns Israeli restrictions on entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza

The European Union has condemned restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the bloc's foreign policy chief said.

In a statement, Josep Borrell recalled the recent Israeli attack on civilians in the besieged enclave, stressing it is "unjustifiable."

"We request an impartial international investigation on this tragic event allowing for a clear picture of the events and responsibilities," he said, urging Israel to comply with the rules of international law and to protect the distribution of humanitarian aid to civilian populations.

He said unabated fighting and disregard for international humanitarian law will lead to "complete chaos" making the distribution of humanitarian aid impossible.

"The responsibility for this incident lays on the restrictions imposed by the Israeli army and obstructions by violent extremist to the supply of humanitarian aid," Borrell added.

1236 GMT — Israeli plans regarding Palestinians in Rafah may turn into 'ethnic cleansing' — Russia

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Israel's plans regarding Palestinians in Rafah may turn into an "ethnic cleansing."

There are a lot of initiatives on a ceasefire and humanitarian pause, however, the statements of the Israeli leadership show that they do not change their goal of "clean up Gaza completely, eliminate Hamas," he said.

"Even the Western representatives wonder how can this be done, to eliminate Hamas by 100%. Moreover, Israeli generals and ministers say that everyone in Gaza is Hamas. It is then necessary to destroy all the inhabitants of Gaza," he said.

Lavrov said Moscow is also concerned about Israeli plans to carry out a ground invasion in Rafah, where two-thirds of the Palestinians are seeking shelter from violence.

"If the operation of Rafah begins, a huge number of refugees will leave for Egypt, and the Egyptians have repeatedly stated that this is unacceptable. This will be ethnic cleansing in fact," he stressed.

1219 GMT — Israeli air attack kills at least 10 Palestinians in Rafah

At least 10 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli air strike that hit a tent in Rafah, the Gaza health ministry said.

The air strike took place over an area where displaced Palestinians have been taking shelter, outside the Emirate Hospital in the suburb of Tel Al-Sultan of southern Gaza's Rafah.

The health ministry in Gaza said a medic working at the hospital was among those killed. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

1217 GMT — Israeli strikes kill 7 Hezbollah members in south Lebanon

An Israeli drone strike hit a car in south Lebanon, killing three Hezbollah members, state media and officials said.

Another four Hezbollah members were killed in a strike on a house in the town of Ramia overnight, said a Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had “struck a vehicle in southern Lebanon, in which a number of terrorists who launched rockets into Israeli territory were driving.” It said the militants operated under the Imam Hossein Division, which is affiliated with Iran and operates under Hezbollah.

1117 GMT — Hamas delegation discusses latest Gaza situation with Russian special envoy

The Hamas delegation discussed with Russia's special envoy for the Middle East and North Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, the latest developments in Gaza.

The delegation from the resistance movement expressed gratitude to the Russian Federation for "their position in support of the Palestinian people, and for hosting the Palestinian meetings."

It also reviewed “the course of the meetings and the positive results they achieved in uniting the Palestinian ranks, responding to aggression, providing relief to our people, supporting the valiant Palestinian resistance, and emphasising the continuity of the meetings.”

0820 GMT — Israel admits army shot dead over 100 Palestinians seeking aid

Israel admitted that its forces opened fire at Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City, killing more than 100 people and injuring over 700 others.

“IDF (Israel army) forces did not shoot at the convoy. IDF forces did not shoot at people looting the trucks. IDF forces used fire when masses ran toward them in a way that threatened their lives. They were there in the first place to secure the convoy,” Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy said on X.

The spokesperson later on deleted his post and repeated claims by the Israeli army, accusing civilians of killing each other in a stampede.

“Those poor people were killed when they were crushed in a stampede and in some cases run over by the Gazan truck drivers as they tried to get out. But go ahead, blame Israel,” Levy said later.

0505 GMT — Several Gaza aid attack victims were shot - UN

A United Nations delegation found that numerous people injured in the Israeli attack on Palestinians awaiting food assistance on Thursday sustained gunshot wounds. The director of al-Awda Hospital states that 80 percent of the casualties admitted to the hospital were gunshot victims.

0440 GMT — Germany refuses to condemn Israeli army’s massacre of Palestinians

The German government expressed shock at the Israeli army’s killing of Palestinian civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza but it refused to explicitly condemn the massacre.

“There is frightening news reaching us (from Gaza). We very clearly demand clarification of the circumstances. The protection of civilians in such a dramatic situation is the top priority,” said Deputy Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer when asked at a news conference in Berlin, if Germany condemns the latest mass killings in Gaza.

“We demand a humanitarian cease-fire so that more people do not die in Gaza,” she added.

But deputy chancellery spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said the killings of Palestinian civilians on Thursday was “not a massacre” because the circumstances remain unclear.

0350 GMT — Deaths of 13 children from malnutrition in Gaza is ‘a failure’

Hamas said it considered the deaths of 13 children in the northern Gaza Strip from malnutrition "a failure" by the international community and the UN.

The Palestinian resistance group said the deaths will remain "a stain on the conscience of humanity and a dangerous precedent in our modern time".

It urged the UN and international relief groups to urgently move "to save the children and civilians in the Gaza Strip," in particular, those in the north.

Early Friday, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said four more children died from malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza, bringing the total to 13.

0640 GMT — Israeli forces kill Palestinian teenager in West Bank raid

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during a raid in the occupied West Bank.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli soldiers conducted a raid on the town of Kafr Ni'ma, west of Ramallah, in the West Bank.

During the raid, 16-year-old Muhammed Murad ad-Diq was fatally shot in the head by Israeli soldiers.

Israeli forces als o carried out raids in the cities of Qalqilya and Hebron, as well as the town of Azzun.

In Azzun near Qalqilya city of the West Bank, the Israeli forces, conducting raids for the sixth consecutive day, arrested one Palestinian and caused damage to property in residents' homes.

0010 GMT — US President Biden has said he trusts Tel Aviv will investigate itself after Israeli troops fired on starving Palestinians at an aid site in besieged Gaza, killing at least 115 Palestinians and wounding 760 others, may of them critically.

Earlier, the White House said that it believes Israel should investigate the killings of 115 people in Gaza City after Israeli troops opened fire while civilians waited for food aid, defending the country's ability to look into its own potential wrongdoing.

"We've asked the government of Israel to investigate, and it's our assessment that they're taking this seriously and they are looking into what occurred, so as to avoid tragedies like this from happening again," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby added that they have not given Israel a timeline to complete their investigation.

Kirby said Israel was "seriously" investigating the aid convoy deaths. However, Washington would continue to support Israel militarily despite the growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, Kirby said.

"We are still helping Israel with their needs to defend themselves," he said.

2345 GMT — Biden says 'hoping' for Gaza ceasefire deal by Ramadan

US President Joe Biden said he was "hoping" for a ceasefire deal in besieged Gaza by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan but agreement was still not sealed.

"I'm hoping so; we're still working real hard on it. We're not there yet," he told reporters at the White House when asked if he expected a deal by Ramadan, which will start on March 10 or 11, depending on the lunar calendar.

"We'll get there, but we're not there yet — we may not get there," Biden added, without elaborating, as he headed to his helicopter to spend the weekend at the presidential Camp David retreat.

2102 GMT — Global media outlets sign letter urging protection of journalists in Gaza

Senior leaders at multiple global media outlets have signed a letter urging Israeli authorities to protect journalists in besieged Gaza, saying reporters have been working in unprecedented conditions during Israel's invasion on the enclave and faced "grave personal risk."

Among media outlets whose top editors signed the letter were the Associated Press, AFP, Reuters, the New York Times, the Washington Post, BBC, CNN, the Guardian, Financial Times, Der Spiegel and Haaretz.

Committee to Protect Journalists, which released the letter signed by the leaders of 59 news global organisations, said the war has been the "most dangerous ever" for journalists.

For our live updates from Friday, March 1, click here.