Live blog: Hamas says Netanyahu 'obstructing' Gaza truce deal

Sunday, August 18, 2024

1825 GMT — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is obstructing the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner-hostage swap agreement, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said.

Hamas says Netanyahu imposed new conditions for prisoner-hostage swap in Gaza; withdrew from other terms, which prevents completion of deal.

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1717 GMT –– Blinken arrives in Israel for Gaza ceasefire talks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel to advance efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner-hostage swap deal with Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

The top US diplomat is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

Blinken is also expected to visit Egypt on Tuesday as part of his current tour, the newspaper said.

1710 GMT –– UK Foreign Office official resigns in protest of continuing arms sales to Israel

A British diplomat has resigned over the UK's "complicity in war crimes" in Gaza, saying there is "no justification" for the UK's continued arms sales to Israel.

A resignation letter, criticising the government's continuing arms sales to Israel was reported by media on Friday, attributed to Mark Smith, a diplomat working at the Foreign Office.

Early Sunday, the BBC confirmed that the diplomat is indeed Smith who worked on counterterrorism and resigned in protest at arms sales to Israel.

"It is with sadness that I resign after a long career in the diplomatic service ... I can no longer carry out my duties in the knowledge that this Department may be complicit in War Crimes," read the letter.

The Foreign Office is said to have declined to comment on the individual case, saying the government is "committed to upholding international law".

1641 GMT –– Israeli attacks kill at least 16 people in battered Gaza

At least 16 Palestinians, including a child, were killed in fresh Israeli air strikes in Gaza, according to medical sources.

Four people lost their lives and two others were injured when an Israeli drone hit a house east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, a medical source at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital told Anadolu.

Six more people, including a child, were killed and several others injured in the Israeli bombardment of a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the source said.

Israeli attacks in several areas in the southern city of Khan Younis also left six Palestinians dead, another medical source said.

1524 GMT –– UK, France warn of devastating consequences of Iranian retaliation

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne issued a stern warning about the potentially catastrophic consequences of any Iranian retaliation over the assassination of Hamas's politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

"One miscalculation, and the situation risks spiralling into an even deeper and more intractable conflict. This cycle, with its tendency towards escalation, is making progress towards a political solution harder," they wrote in a joint article for The Observer.

The ministers emphasised that such actions could not only derail the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, but also have broader, devastating impacts on the region.

"It’s never too late for peace," they said. "An all-out conflict across the region is in nobody's interests. All parties need to show restraint and invest in diplomacy. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences, not least in undermining current Gaza ceasefire negotiations."

1427 GMT –– Israel PM urges more pressure on 'obstinate' Hamas over Gaza truce talks

Israel's prime minister accused Hamas of being "obstinate" in negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire deal and called for more pressure on the Palestinian resistance group ahead of a new round of talks next week.

"Hamas, up to this moment, remains obstinate. It has not even sent a representative to the talks in Doha. Therefore, the pressure should be directed at Hamas and (Yahya) Sinwar, not at the Israeli government," Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, referring to the newly appointed Hamas chief.

1425 GMT –– Israel reports rocket fire from Lebanon as tension with Hezbollah spikes

Israel reported fresh rocket fire by Hezbollah as tension continues to rise along the border with Lebanon.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said 20 rockets were launched from southern Lebanon toward Upper Galilee in northern Israel.

Some of the rockets were intercepted by air defences, while the rest landed in open areas, the newspaper said. No injuries or damage were reported .

Separately, the Israeli army said a drone targeted a Hezbollah "cell" in the occupied Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon.

The military also reported air strikes on what it called Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and military buildings in the towns of Aita al-Shaab, Matmoura, and al-Tayri. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli claim.

1423 GMT –– EU warns of humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, West Bank amid rising dangers for aid workers

The EU has issued a stark warning about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, highlighting that the past 10 months have seen a visible and severe deterioration in conditions.

In a joint statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management and Humanitarian Aid Janez Lenarcic, said 2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with fears that 2024 may follow a similarly tragic trajectory.

The statement, released ahead of August 19 World Humanitarian Day, emphasised the critical role of humanitarian aid workers in conflict zones and the increasingly perilous conditions under which they operate.

The EU officials pointed out that local humanitarian workers, in particular, face the highest risks of being killed, kidnapped, or injured while performing their duties. They stressed that these individuals must be protected at all costs, underlining it is an obligation under international humanitarian law.

1256 GMT – Philadelphi Corridor remains sticking point in Gaza ceasefire talks: report

The Philadelphi Corridor remains a sticking point in Gaza ceasefire and prisoner-hostage swap negotiations between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media said.

The corridor is a 14-kilometre (8.69-mile) demilitarised buffer zone along the border between Gaza and Egypt.

According to the Israeli news portal Walla, Israel wants to maintain control over the corridor, while Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal from the area.

1232 GMT — American Airlines cancels all flights to Israel until April 2025 amid regional tensions

American Airlines has cancelled its flights to and from Israel until April 2025, according to Israeli media.

The move comes amid rising regional tensions over Israel's ongoing offensive on Gaza, which killed nearly 40,100 people and injured 92,600 others since October 7.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN said American Airlines has extended its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport until next April.

The airline did not provide any specific details about the long-term suspension of flights.

Several major international carriers, including United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, have suspended their flights to Israel.

As of August 7, the total number of foreign airlines that have suspended flights to and from Israel reached 20, according to KAN.

1212 GMT — Israeli attacks in Gaza killed over 80 personnel: Civil defence

At least 82 civil defence personnel have been killed and over 720 others injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza since October 7 last year, the agency said.

The Israeli army has routinely targeted the civil defence's facilities and vehicles during its offensive on the Palestinian enclave, a statement by the agency said.

It accused Israel of "deliberately hindering humanitarian efforts aimed at saving lives and protecting civilians".

According to the agency, civil defence teams have managed to recover the bodies of 35,000 people, while around 10,000 people remain trapped under the rubble.

It said fuel shortages and Israeli attacks hinder civil defence teams from responding to thousands of emergency calls.

Israel has dropped around 85,000 tonnes of explosives on Gaza, destroying more than 80 percent of urban infrastructure and 90 percent of the general infrastructure, Civil Defence Agency said.

"Around 17 percent of these ordnances remain unexploded," it warned.

1148 GMT — Southern Lebanon explosion injures three UN peacekeepers

Three peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were lightly injured in an explosion near their vehicle in the vicinity of the southern city of Yarine, the mission said.

"All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base," the UN mission said in a statement. "We are looking into the incident," it said, without providing further details.

"We are strongly reminding all parties and actors of their responsibility to avoid harm to peacekeepers and civilians."

1145 GMT — Woman, her 6 children among 23 more Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza

At least 23 Palestinians, including a woman and her six children, were killed in fresh Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to medical sources.

A woman and her six children were killed in an air strike on a house east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, the sources at the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital told Anadolu.

Seven more people were killed and several others wounded in another Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the source said.

Israeli artillery shelling was reported in the eastern areas of the Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps and the city of Deir al-Balah, witnesses said.

Four Palestinians, including a woman, were killed when an Israeli drone targeted their house in eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza, medical sources said.

Another woman was killed and several people were injured when an Israeli drone hit a house in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, according to the same sources.

Civil Defence teams retrieved the bodies of four people after an Israeli air strike in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Local sources told Anadolu that the Israeli army also demolished dozens of residential buildings in Khan Younis and the Saudi neighbourhood in western Rafah.

1105 GMT — Hezbollah drone suspected of filming Netanyahu's home: report

A Hezbollah drone was suspected of infiltrating northern Israel and filming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home in Caesarea, reported the daily Israel Hayom.

According to the publication, a missile ship of the Israeli Navy stationed off the coast in Caesarea reported on Friday that a suspected drone was hovering in the area.

The newspaper speculated that the drone was launched by Hezbollah to capture footage of Netanyahu's home.

The drone was detected by the missile ship's radar, but it was not picked up by other control systems. Despite alerts, fighter jets sent to the area could not locate the drone.

The Israeli army suspects it may have been a false alarm, noting that radar systems sometimes issue false warnings, even for flocks of birds. However, the Israeli military has not completely ruled out the possibility of a small drone launched from Lebanon.

Netanyahu's office, in response to the report, stated that it was a "false alarm" and clarified that the Prime Minister was not at his Caesarea home at the time.

0955 GMT — Palestinian death toll rises to 40,099 as Israel continues to target Gaza

The health ministry in Gaza reports that at least 40,099 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory in more than ten months of the Israeli offensive.

The toll includes 25 deaths over the past 24 hours, according to ministry figures, which also listed 92,609 people as wounded in the besieged Gaza since October 7.

0855 GMT — Israeli forces detain at least 25 Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Palestinian news agency WAFA has reported that over the past two days, "Israeli occupation forces" have detained at least 25 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, including a student, children, and former prisoners.

In a joint statement, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs reported that these detentions had occurred in most governorates of the occupied West Bank.

WAFA said the raids were accompanied by assaults on detainees and their families, as well as extensive damage and destruction to their homes, according to the statement.

0823 GMT — Woman, her 6 children among 20 more Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza

At least 20 Palestinians, including a woman and her six children, were killed on Sunday when the Israeli forces targeted several areas in Gaza.

Medical sources at the al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital told Anadolu that a woman and her six children were killed and several others injured in an Israeli attack on Deir al Balah city.

They added that four more were killed and several others wounded in another Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that Israeli artillery vehicles stationed east of Gaza are intensively shelling the eastern areas of the Maghazi and Bureij camps and the city of Deir al Balah in central Gaza.

One Palestinian woman was killed, and several others were injured when an Israeli drone targeted a house in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, according to sources.

In southern Gaza, four Palestinians, including a woman, were killed when an Israeli drone targeted a house in eastern Khan Younis, according to medical sources.

0753 GMT — Israel continues to bomb Gaza amid Blinken's Tel Aviv visit

At least 11 Palestinians were killed when the Israeli army targeted several areas in central Gaza.

Medical sources at the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital have said that seven Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli attack on Deir al-Balah city.

They added that four more were killed and several others wounded in another Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that Israeli artillery vehicles stationed east of Gaza are intensively shelling the eastern areas of the Maghazi and Bureij camps and the city of Deir al Balah in central Gaza.

0304 GMT — Blinken heads back to Middle East as hopes for Gaza truce rise

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has left on a mission to the Middle East to push ahead with a Gaza ceasefire deal as cautious optimism rises.

The top US diplomat will fly to Tel Aviv ahead of expected meetings with the Israeli leadership.

For more, read here.

0135 GMT — Thousands of Israelis protest to demand deal with Hamas

Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets, demanding a prisoner swap deal with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in besieged Gaza.

Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Kaplan Square, central Tel Aviv, to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to finalise a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, according to state-run public broadcaster KAN.

The protesters threatened to intensify demonstrations if a deal is not reached within the next week, it reported, adding that protesters chanted against Netanyahu and accused him of disregarding the lives of the hostages in Gaza.

2255 GMT — Israel claims two officers killed in Gaza

Two senior Israeli officers have been killed by roadside explosives planted by Palestinian resistance groups in central Gaza, the army announced.

One of them, logistics officer Major Yotam Itzhak Peled, 34, of "the Jerusalem Brigade's 8119th Battalion ... was killed by roadside bombs planted by Hamas in the Netzarim Corridor area", the army said in a statement.

Releasing a separate statement, it said the second officer was Sergeant Major Mordechai Yosef Ben Shoam.

Also 34, he was a "truck driver with the Jerusalem Brigade’s 8119th Battalion ... was part of a convoy to supply troops in Gaza City’s southern Zeitoun neighbourhood with equipment", it added.

2100 GMT — Israel kills 18 members of same family in Gaza

An Israel air strike in besieged Gaza killed at least 18 people, all from the same family, hours after mediators expressed optimism for an imminent ceasefire.

The air strike hit a house and adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance to the town of Zawaida, according to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where casualties were taken.

2045 GMT — Egypt, Iran explore efforts to reach ceasefire in Gaza

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasised to his Iranian acting counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani the need to contain escalation in the region.

According to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the call between Abdelatty and Kani was "within the framework of Egypt's intensive efforts aimed at containing the escalation in the region, and the ongoing communication with all relevant regional and international parties to ease the tension in the region".

"Egyptian efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza were discussed," with the Egyptian minister affirming that "the international community is more aware than ever of the need to end the war and achieve a deal for the exchange of hostages and prisoners."

For his part, Kani expressed his "appreciation for Egypt's current efforts and the responsibility Cairo bears to stop the war in Gaza and achieve calm".

For our live updates from Saturday, August 17, 2024, click here.