Live blog: Palestinians will run civilian affairs in post-war Gaza — Israel

Thursday, January 4, 2024

2100 GMT — The Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that Palestinians would be running "civilian affairs" in post-war Gaza, provided that "there will be no hostility" to Israel.

"Gaza residents are Palestinian, therefore Palestinian bodies will be in charge, with the condition that there will be no hostility to the State of Israel," the Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted Yoav Gallant as saying.

After the war, Gallant said Hamas would no longer govern Gaza and Israel would reserve its operational freedom of action.

But he said there would be no Israeli civilian presence and Palestinian bodies would be in charge of the enclave.

Gallant's statement is at odds with the stance of several allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have vowed to ethnically cleanse Palestinians in Gaza and have reportedly launched talks with several African countries where expelled Palestinians will be settled.

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2039 GMT — US kills 'pro-Iran' military commander in Iraq

The US has claimed to have killed a pro-Iran military commander in its strike on Baghdad, which called the strike a "blatant aggression".

An Iraqi security official said two people were killed and seven wounded in the drone strike.

But Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said the strike was an act of self-defence against a commander who was actively planning attacks against US personnel.

The strike targeted a leader of Harakat al Nujaba who was "actively involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel," according to Ryder, who said it also killed another of the group's members.

2038 GMT — Netanyahu seeks 'fundamental change' to border with Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told a US envoy that he is seeking a "fundamental change" on Israel's border with Lebanon.

Netanyahu did not specify what his plans entailed, but said he was committed to resettling evacuated residents from Israel’s north back in their homes safely.

Netanyahu also said he hopes to resolve the war with Lebanon diplomatically but indicated that Israel would not shirk from a wider conflict.

"Israel, after the murderous attack on Saturday of October 7, is determined, bolder and more united than ever before," said Netanyahu.

"Those of our neighbours who have not yet understood this will understand this very well in the future."

Netanyahu spoke during a meeting with Amos Hochstein, a US envoy who mediates between Israel and Lebanon.

2000 GMT — Israeli army says 136 captives remain in Gaza

The Israeli army has said that 136 captives remained in besieged Gaza. In a news conference, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said: "136 Israelis are still held in the Gaza Strip, including three civilians who were initially reported missing but later turned out to be among the hostages held in Gaza."

"We continue to work with all intelligence and operational efforts to create the conditions for their return," Hagari added.

Hagari's remarks statement after recent statistics published by Israeli officials and media indicated that there are 129 captives held in besieged Gaza, suggesting conflicting reports about the actual number of captives.

1836 GMT — Houthi leader vows to answer 'American aggression'

The leader of the Houthi group has issued a warning that said American aggression against his forces in the Red Sea would not go unpunished.

It came in a message directed by Abdul-Malik al Houthi to supporters, urging them to gather Friday in the nation's capital of Sanaa and several provinces in solidarity with besieged Palestinians in Gaza.

US Central Command announced in a statement that it attacked and sunk three boats belonging to the Houthis and killed their crews after the group fired at a US Navy ship and helicopters.

"The American-Zionist arrogance committed its folly by targeting a group of our naval forces heroes while performing their sacred mission in the Red Sea treacherously and aggressively," Al Houthi said.

"Millions will march out tomorrow to announce to the whole world that our people do not retreat from their faith-based stance and do not yield to the arrogant."

1713 GMT — Israel to expel hundreds of Israeli Arabs, Jerusalem residents

Israel is preparing to expel hundreds of Arabs and residents from occupied East Jerusalem to Palestinian Authority-run areas, citing alleged ties to terrorism, according to Israeli army radio.

"Israel is on the verge of deporting hundreds of Israeli Arabs and residents of East Jerusalem who have been convicted of terrorism to the Palestinian Authority territories, with some of them set to be deported in the coming months," it said.

This move comes after a modification to the Citizenship Law issued last February, according to the radio station.

"Israel is in the process of deporting 18 terrorists to Palestinian Authority territories in the first phase, with hundreds of other activists targeted for revoking their citizenship or cancelling their residency," it said.

While Arab citizens hold Israeli citizenship, Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem have permanent resident status.

The radio station noted that "the Economic Warfare Authority against Terrorism, in collaboration with the Israeli army and the Shin Bet security agency, has concluded an intelligence report regarding funds transferred by the Palestinian Authority to terrorists holding Israeli citizenship or residency."

1737 GMT — Blinken heads to Middle East for talks on Gaza — State Dept

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads back to the Middle East on his fourth trip since the Israel-Hamas war, expecting tough talks for Israel's war on Gaza and de-escalation in the region.

The top US diplomat will visit both Israel and the occupied West Bank, home of the Palestinian Authority, and five Arab countries - Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the State Department said.

Blinken will leave late Thursday and first go to Türkiye followed by Greece.

Blinken will discuss "immediate measures to increase substantially humanitarian assistance to Gaza," where the World Health Organization has warned of the risk of famine and disease.

"We don't expect every conversation on this trip to be easy. There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

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Arouri and the six other Hamas members were killed in a strike in a south Beirut stronghold of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.

Hamas and Lebanese security officials accuse d Israel of launching the attack, with one high-level Lebanese security official saying they were targeted by guided missiles.

1431 GMT — Riyadh, Doha decry Israeli calls for mass displacement from Gaza

Saudi Arabia and Qatar strongly condemned comments by two Israeli ministers calling for Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza.

Saudi Arabia "categorically condemns and rejects the comments of the two ministers," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The kingdom called on the international community to act in the face of the Israeli government's "persistence" in violating international law "through its statements and actions".

Qatar also "condemned in the strongest terms" the comments made by two ministers.

"The policy of collective punishment and forced displacement practised by the occupation authorities against the inhabitants of Gaza will not change the fact that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian," reads a statement published by Qatar's Foreign Ministry.

Kuwait followed suit with its Gulf neighbours and warned against "Israeli plans to displace Gaza residents in particular, and the Palestinian people in general".

1324 GMT — Palestinian death toll in Gaza tops 22,400 — ministry

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 22,438 people have been killed in the besieged territory by Israeli strikes.

A ministry statement recorded 125 fatalities over the past 24 hours, while a total of 57,614 people have been wounded in the fighting.

1253 GMT — Israeli warplanes strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army said that its fighter jets had struck Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

The strikes targeted a reconnaissance site, rocket launchers and a Hezbollah structure in the Maroun el Ras area, a military statement said.

The army said that it had fired several artillery shells overnight "to eliminate threats" in the border area of Rab El Thalathine without giving further details. There were no reports yet of casualties.

1245 GMT — Israel considers opening Beit Hanoon crossing for Gaza aid

Lebanese group Hezbollah has said that four of its members had been killed in clashes with Israeli forces near the border with southern Lebanon.

The group, however, did not provide any details about the circumstances of their death. Hezbollah said its fighters struck a gathering of Israeli soldiers in Shtoula in northern Israel "with appropriate weapons," resulting in "direct hits."

At least 147 Hezbollah members have been killed since the outbreak of the clashes on Oct. 8, according to figures released by the Lebanese group.

1011 GMT — Israel bombs Palestinian Red Crescent, kills and wounds many

In a tragic incident in southern Gaza, one person was killed and six others sustained injuries when an Israeli attack targeted the Palestinian Red Crescent Society building.

The society published a video of the Israeli strike that targeted its building in Khan Younis city.

The PRCS, a vital institution providing medical assistance and humanitarian aid, has been directly affected by the recent attack.

As tensions escalate, the toll on civilian lives continues to rise.

Separately, 14 Palestinians, including nine children, were killed in a series of strikes to the west of Gaza's Khan Younis, according to a health ministry official.

1008 GMT — Israeli embassies reportedly put on alert following Hamas leader’s assassination

Israeli embassies around the world were reportedly put on alert following the assassination of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon.

Arouri was killed in an Israeli strike on a Hamas office in Beirut’s southern neighbourhood Tuesday evening.

He was the highest Hamas leader to have been killed by Israel since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza on Oct. 7.

“All embassies and Israeli and Jewish institutions were asked to increase vigilance,” the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

“Air Force and forces stationed on the border with Lebanon were also asked to increase vigilance amid retaliation threats by Hamas and Hezbollah,” it added.

0621 GMT — Tensions in Red Sea spillover effects of Gaza conflict: China tells UN

Expressing concern over attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, China has linked the ongoing tensions in the busy sea route with the war in Gaza, the besieged Palestinian enclave which has been pounded by Israeli attacks since October 7.

“The current tensions in the Red Sea are one of the manifestations of the spillover effects of the conflict in Gaza,” Ambassador Geng Shuang told the UN Security Council briefing on the Red Sea on Wednesday.

“Only by achieving an early cease-fire in Gaza and easing the humanitarian crisis on the ground, can we avert any further escalation in the Red Sea and prevent other parts of the Middle East from being embroiled in conflicts and wars,” said Geng, China’s deputy permanent representative at the UN.

He added Beijing was “committed to working with all parties to make unremitting efforts to promote de-escalation in the Red Sea, a political settlement of the Yemen issue, the cess ation of hostilities in Gaza, and long-lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.”

0501 GMT — Hezbollah: Five more members killed in clashes with Israeli army

The Lebanese Hezbollah group announced that five additional members were killed in clashes with the Israeli army on the border region in southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese group did not specify the location where the fighters were killed.

Hezbollah said in a statement late Wednesday that the Israeli army attacked an armed cell on Lebanese territory.

“An air force fighter jet also at tacked infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah on Lebanese territory,” it said.

"In recent hours, several launches from Lebanese territory to Israeli territory have been observed," it added.

Since Oct. 8, ongoing clashes at the border between the Israeli army and Hezbollah have resulted in the deaths of 28 Lebanese civilians, 147 Hezbollah members, five Israeli civilians and nine Israeli soldiers.

0501 GMT — Israeli army kills Palestinian in West Bank as death toll hits 325

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced Thursday the killing of a Palestinian by Israeli army gunfire in Tamoun in the northern West Bank.

The ministry said in a statement that Asid Jawad Matar Bani Odeh, 29, was killed after being shot in the chest by the Israeli military.

Witnesses told Anadolu that the army invaded Tamoun near Tubas, initiating a search and raid operation in homes, leading to clashes with dozens of Palestinians.

They mentioned that live ammunition was used to disperse the Palestinians.

With the killing of Bani Odeh, the number of Palestinian casualties in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, rose to 325, according to the Ministry of Health data.

0443 GMT — Riyadh condemns Israeli ministers' call for transferring Palestinians from Gaza

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned statements by Israeli ministers that called for the voluntary migration of Palestinians from Gaza and emphasized the importance of international efforts for Israel to be held accountable.

The Foreign Ministry emphasized its condemnation and clear rejection of extremist statements by two ministers in the Israeli occupation government, who called for the displacement of the Gaza population and the reoccupation of Gaza to build Jewish settlements.

It noted that Riyadh underscored the importance of joint international efforts to activate international accountability mechanisms for holding Israel accountable.

It pointed out that statements and actions of the Israeli government have advanced in violation of international legitimacy decisions and international humanitarian law.

0325 GMT — US seeks UN help on Houthi attacks in Red Sea

The United States called on the UN Security Council to take urgent action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels for attacking ships in the key Red Sea trade route and warned their longtime financier Iran that it has a choice to make about continuing to provide support to the rebels.

US Deputy Ambassador Christopher Lu told an emergency council meeting that the Houthis have carried out more than 20 attacks since Nov.19 — and despite losing 10 fighters in a confrontation with US forces after trying unsuccessfully to board a cargo ship on Sunday, the rebel group announced Wednesday morning they had targeted another container ship.

0204 GMT — Netherlands slams Israeli ministers' call for Palestinian ethnic cleansing

The Netherlands has said that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's calls for the expulsion of Palestinians from besieged Gaza are "irresponsible."

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Amsterdam supports a two-state solution.

"The Netherlands rejects any calls for Palestinian displacement from Gaza or reduction of Palestinian territory," it said.

"This does not fit a future two-state solution, with a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel."

0150 GMT — Israel dropped 65,000 tonnes of bombs in 'genocidal war' on Gaza

Israeli army has bombarded besieged Gaza with more than 45,000 missiles and bombs that weighed more than 65,000 tonnes, the Gaza Media Office has said.

"Occupation aircraft dropped over 45,000 missiles and giant bombs, some of them weighing two thousand pounds of explosives, during the comprehensive genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, deliberately targeting entire residential areas," it said.

"The weight of the explosives dropped by the army on the Gaza Strip exceeded 65,000 tonnes, which is more than the weight and power of three nuclear bombs like those dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima."

The office said about "two-thirds of the bombs and missiles … are unguided and imprecise, commonly known as dumb bombs."

It pointed out that the use of such bombs indicates "the deliberate targeting of indiscriminate and unjustified killing by the occupation, a clear and explicit violation of international law and various international conventions."

The office documented Israel's use of around nine internationally banned bombs and missiles against civilians, children and women.

0129 GMT — US top diplomat visits Middle East amid fear of regional war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head Thursday to the Middle East as fears mount that Israel's war in Gaza will spread across the region, following deadly blasts in Iran and the killing of a Hamas leader in Lebanon.

A US official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the trip — Blinken's fourth to the region since the start of Israel's Gaza war — but declined to offer any details on the itinerary apart from a stop in Israel.

Ahead of the announcement of Blinken's visit, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller echoed the fears of many across the Middle East about the Israel-Hamas war expanding.

"It is in no one's interest — not in the interest of any country in the region, not in the interest of any country in the world — to see this conflict escalated any further than it already is," Miller said.

0100 GMT — Second Biden admin official resigns over US support for Israel

A senior official in the US Education Department has stepped down, citing President Joe Biden's handling of Israel's brutal war in besieged Gaza, the latest sign of dissent in the administration.

Tariq Habash, special assistant in the Education Department's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, in a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, said: "I cannot stay silent as this administration turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed against innocent Palestinian lives, in what leading human rights experts have called a genocidal campaign by the Israeli government."

"I cannot be quietly complicit as this administration fails to leverage its influence as Israel’s strongest ally to halt the abusive and ongoing collective punishment tactics that have cut off Palestinians in Gaza from food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies, leading to widespread disease and starvation," said Habash.

0100 GMT — Biden re-election campaign staffers warn Biden could lose votes

About Seventeen Biden re-election campaign staffers have issued a warning in an anonymous letter that Biden could lose voters over his handling of Israel's war on besieged Gaza, urging him to call for a ceasefire.

"Biden for President staff have seen volunteers quit in droves, and people who have voted blue for decades feel uncertain about doing so for the first time ever, because of this conflict," the staffers wrote in the letter.

0100 GMT — Slovenia rejects expulsion of Palestinians outside Gaza

Slovenia has rejected the idea of the Israeli government's suggestion of mass displacement of Palestinians from besieged Gaza, according to the Foreign Ministry.

"Slovenia rejects the recent statements of members of the Israeli government who proposed mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaze," it said in a statement on social media.

"We once again call for respect for international law and international humanitarian law and the protection of the civilian population in Gaza," said the statement.

0036 GMT — Intense shelling targets vicinity of Al Amal Hospital

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said that Israeli artillery vehicles are shelling the vicinity of the Al Amal Hospital, which is affiliated with the humanitarian organisation, in Khan Younis in the southern besieged Gaza.

"The intense artillery targeting is escalating around Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis," it said in a statement.

It clarified that shelling is at a distance of less than "a hundred meters" from the hospital.

2236 GMT — Iran blames Israel, US for Kerman carnage as Gaza endures siege

Iran has blamed Israel and the US for twin bomb blasts that killed at least 103 Iranians in the country's south, ripping through a crowd commemorating Revolutionary Guard general Qasem Soleimani four years after his killing in a US strike.

"Washington says USA and Israel had no role in the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? A fox smells its own lair first," the Iranian president's political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Make no mistake. The responsibility for this crime lies with the US and Zionist regimes [Israel], and terrorism is just a tool," he added.

"The United States was not involved in any way... We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Asked about the blasts, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said: "We are focused on the combats with Hamas." Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, blamed "evil and criminal enemies" of the country for the attack and vowed a "harsh response".

2232 GMT — About 1 million displaced Palestinians enter Rafah since October 7

A Palestinian official in besieged Gaza has told Anadolu Agency that the number of displaced people who arrived in Rafah in the southernmost part of the enclave is about one million since the beginning of Israeli war's on Gaza.

"The total number of people present in the city of Rafah at the moment is not less than 1.3 million, with the city's population being around 300,000," said Ahmed al Soufi, the head of Rafah municipality.

He said the number in shelters belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, is about 713,000, including those displaced outside the premises of the centres but registered with the UN agency.

Al Soufi pointed out that out of the total number of people in the city, there are about 268,000 in public squares and streets.

2125 GMT — Saleh Arouri's family says his 'assassination will not deter our people from their struggle'

Dalal Arouri, the sister of assassinated Hamas deputy chief Saleh al Arouri, has said that the Israeli assassination of his brother in Lebanon "will not deter our people from their struggle, and it will not break the resistance."

"In 2002, Israel committed crimes in the Jenin refugee camp, and a stronger generation emerged. What about the current generation who witnesses this war? New leaders will emerge," she said during an interview with Anadolu Agency at Arouri's house in northwest Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

"We thank God; his martyrdom is a pride for Palestine, and his blood, like that of the other martyrs, is not more precious than the blood of the people of Gaza," she added.

Dalal Arouri noted that she met her brother in late June for Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Upon her return to the occupied West Bank, an Israeli intelligence officer interrogated her at the Palestine-Jordan border.

"The officer asked me about Saleh, and I told him, 'Thank God, he's strong.' Then he informed me that it wouldn't be long until his assassination." "Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us; Saleh seeks martyrdom more than you seek to kill him," she told the officer.

Referring to protests after his assassination, she said: "Despite the occupier's [Israel] actions, the West Bank erupted in anger over the killing of Saleh, sending a message to the occupation that it has failed in everything."

2109 GMT — Palestinian man speaks of torture by Israeli troops

Abu Muhammed has revealed to Anadolu Agency the torture he endured during his nine days in captivity in the besieged Gaza under invasion by Israeli forces.

Muhammed, detained in a raid in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, said that Israeli soldiers instructed residents to come out. Residents were forced to undress and walk naked, he said.

Their homes were burned in a line-up, causing "immense sorrow."

Muhammed, along with others, recounted being taken to a market and being forced to kneel in the cold for about "five hours" before being transferred to the Zikim area near Israel.

They faced brutal beatings and insults from Israeli soldiers during their transfer, he added. He said before examination and inspection, the Israeli army compelled them to sit naked on the ground for four hours.

For our live updates from Wednesday, January 3, click here.