Live blog: Israel's West Bank offensive a plan to grab more land — Hamas

Friday, August 30, 2024

1722 GMT –– The Palestinian movement Hamas has condemned Israel's ongoing military offensives in the occupied West Bank, describing them as part of a larger strategy to usurp Palestinian lands after forcibly evicting residents.

The ongoing military offensives by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, which are currently concentrated in the city of Jenin, are a continuation of the war crimes committed by Israel throughout Gaza as well as the West Bank, Hamas said in a statement.

It added that these military actions are part of a plan to "grab more West Bank lands and expel its inhabitants."

Hamas said Israel's recent military offensives, including those in Tulkarem and Tubas, have failed, and that "the inevitable outcome of the current aggression in Jenin will be the same."

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1803 GMT –– Death toll from Israeli incursion in West Bank hits 20 on third day

The death toll from a three-day Israeli incursion in the occupied West Bank rose to 20, Israel and the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have said at least 13 of those killed were their members.

1701 GMT –– Israeli strike on aid convoy kills four Palestinians

An Israeli military strike hit the first vehicle in a convoy carrying medical supplies and fuel to an Emirati hospital in Gaza, killing four Palestinians from a local transportation company, officials said.

1628 GMT –– Polio vaccination period in Gaza 'unlikely to be enough': WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has said that the time agreed on for a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza is "unlikely to be enough" to achieve adequate coverage.

The polio vaccination campaign for children under 10 will begin in Gaza on Sunday and will last three days in each zone: central, south and north of Gaza - where humanitarian pauses will take place during the distribution.

"Due to insecurity, damage to roads and infrastructure, and population movement and displacement, three days in each area is unlikely to be enough to achieve adequate coverage," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing.

"Vaccination coverage will be monitored throughout the campaign, and it has been agreed that vaccination will be extended by one day wherever necessary," Tedros said.

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1351 GMT –– Israel brought to West Bank 'systematic brutality' being carried out in Gaza: Turkish FM

Israel has brought to the West Bank "systematic brutality" carried out in Gaza, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.

"Israel is not only committing genocide in Gaza, but it is now extending this war to the West Bank, Lebanon, and potentially other nations it deems as enemies which we cannot know or predict," Fidan said at a joint press conference with his Slovenian counterpart in Ljubljana.

Fidan said Israel has been carrying out occupation, oppression, cruelty, and massacre in the region, and called on the international community to stop Israeli crimes being committed in the Palestinian territories.

"The Netanyahu government continues to play with fire. It is endangering the future of the entire region to maintain its position. Everyone who remains silent on the Gaza issue, especially those who support Israel unconditionally, is under a burden. Israel's barbarity must finally come to an end," he added.

1321 GMT –– Norway denounces Israeli attack on UN humanitarians in Gaza

Norway has strongly condemned a recent attack on humanitarian workers in Gaza, expressing deep concern over the rising dangers faced by aid personnel in the conflict-stricken region.

In a statement on Friday, Norwegian Minister for International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim described the incident, where a clearly marked UN vehicle was directly hit by gunfire while approaching an Israeli checkpoint, as "utterly unacceptable."

1244 GMT –– Israeli attacks force UNRWA to suspend services in West Bank

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has announced that it has suspended its services in several refugee camps in the occupied northern West Bank due to ongoing Israeli military incursions.

"Israeli security forces' operations in the (occupied) northern West Bank continue impacting Palestine refugees," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on the social media platform X.

Since early Wednesday, the Israeli army has been conducting large-scale military raids in the cities of Tulkarm, Jenin, and Tubas in the northern West Bank. This incursion is the most extensive since 2002.

1203 GMT –– Germany criticises Israel's large-scale military attacks in West Bank

Germany has sharply criticised Israel over its large-scale military attacks in the occupied West Bank, which raised fears of further escalation in the region.

"We are very concerned about the situation, as there is a real threat of escalation in the (occupied) West Bank," Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson Christian Wagner said at a press briefing in Berlin.

He reiterated Germany's support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza but criticised its recent disproportionate military actions in the occupied West Bank.

"Israel has a legitimate security interest in taking action against terror, but at the same time, we must say that terror cannot be fought by blocking streets, houses, power grids, and access to hospitals," Wagner said.

1153 GMT –– Palestine issues schedule for polio vaccination in Gaza areas

Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan has announced that a polio vaccination campaign for children under the age of 10 will begin in Gaza on Sunday.

According to a statement issued by Ramadan, the campaign will begin on September 1 in the Deir al Balah district of central Gaza and will continue until September 4.

It will then move to Khan Younis in southern Gaza from September 5 to 9, before concluding in Gaza City and the northern part of the enclave from September 9 to 12.

The minister emphasised that vaccination equipment will be transported between areas as per schedule, and assured that the vaccines are completely safe. He urged Gaza residents to vaccinate their children and ignore any misinformation spread by the Israeli occupation forces.

The ministry has released maps and sent text messages to inform Gaza residents about vaccination sites and schedules.

1144 GMT –– UN agency warns of 'disastrous' consequences in event of military operation during polio vaccination campaign

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has issued a stark warning about the potential impact of renewed attacks in Gaza during the upcoming polio vaccination campaign.

In a statement on X, UNRWA said: "We cannot vaccinate children who are fleeing for their lives," and warned that "any military operations during the upcoming polio vaccination campaign in Gaza will affect the ability of the UN and its partners to vaccinate children."

The organisation stressed that the "repercussions will be 'disastrous' not only for children in Gaza but also for the broader region, which has already suffered greatly during this conflict."

"We urgently need a ceasefire to ensure these vaccinations can be administered. Hostages need to return to their families, and everyone needs a respite," the statement added.

1000 GMT –– UK 'deeply worried' by Israel's 'methods' in West Bank incursion

The UK has said it was deeply concerned by the Israeli military's ongoing operation in the occupied West Bank, urging it to "exercise restraint" and "adhere to international law".

"We recognise Israel's need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

0824 GMT –– Israeli army claims it assassinated a Hamas leader in Jenin

The Israeli army claimed it assassinated a Hamas leader in the northern occupied West Bank.

In a statement, the army said that its forces targeted a vehicle killing Wassem Hazem, the “leader of Hamas network” in Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

It added that its forces also killed two more Palestinians, Misbah al-Masharka and Arafat Amr, who were on board the vehicle.

0753 GMT –– Israeli army continues military offensive in Jenin for 3rd day

The Israeli army continued its military offensive in the city of Jenin and its refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank for the third consecutive day.

According to witnesses, the military offensive in Jenin has expanded, with Israeli forces storming the refugee camp, the eastern neighbourhood, and the town of Zababdeh. They surrounded homes, conducted searches, and interrogated a large number of residents.

The witnesses reported hearing explosions and exchanges of gunfire sporadically across several areas in Jenin.

In the town of Zababdeh near Jenin, Ahmed Turkman, a local resident, told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces entered the town, opened fire on a group of young men and set a Palestinian vehicle on fire.

0550 GMT — 5 Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli attacks across Gaza

Five civilians, including a child, were killed in an overnight Israeli air strike and shelling in northern and southern Gaza, according to local reports.

In Gaza's south, Israeli aircraft targeted a house belonging to the Abu Daqqa family in the town of Abasan al-Kabira in Khan Younis. The attack resulted in the killing of three people and injuries to others, who were transported to Nasser Hospital in the city.

In a separate attack, two people, including a child, were killed when Israeli forces struck a residential apartment near the al-Houja junction in the Jabalia refugee camp, located in northern Gaza.

Additionally, paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent transported injuries to al-Awda Hospital in the Nusairat camp following an Israeli strike on a house belonging to the al-Qassas family in the northeast of the camp.

Another seven Palestinians with serious injuries were taken to Nasser Hospital after an Israeli air strike hit a house in the village of al-Fukhari, east of Khan Younis.

0427 GMT — Turkish deputy foreign minister calls for accountability over Gaza

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government must be held accountable for the human rights violations and massacres in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories.

Yilmaz, speaking at the 50th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Yaounde, Cameroon, noted the significance of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s remarks before the Turkish parliament on Aug. 15.

"It was meaningful that President Abbas highlighted that our lives are not more valuable than the lives of children in Gaza. This should be a wakeup call for all of us," he said.

Yilmaz also addressed the OIC’s foundational purpose of protecting holy sites amid increasing Israeli provocations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"The OIC must always remember its reason for existence," he stressed.

0250 GMT — UN Security Council condemns Israeli fire on WFP vehicle

The United Nations Security Council criticised the Israeli army for firing on a World Food Program (WFP) vehicle repeatedly at a checkpoint, resulting in the organisation temporarily halting staff movement in Gaza.

"We are alarmed by yesterday's (Wednesday) reports that the IDF fired repeatedly on a WFP vehicle," US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Robert Wood said during a session at the Council.

Informing the Council that Israel has told the US that "it is investigating this most recent incident, which their initial review has said was a result of a communication error between IDF units," Wood said the US urged Israel "to immediately rectify the issues within their system that allowed this to happen."

0219 GMT — Hezbollah launches multiple attacks on Israeli army sites amid escalating tensions

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said that its fighters conducted operations against 10 Israeli military sites along the Lebanese border.

In response, Israel launched air and artillery strikes on several towns in southern Lebanon.

According to Hezbollah’s statements, its fighters targeted Israeli soldiers near the Kfar Yuval settlement and the Zarit military barracks in northern Israel with rocket-propelled weapons.

The group later said on Telegram that its operatives attacked Israeli troops near the Doviv military barracks and Tallet Al-Tayhat region with similar weapons.

It also targeted the Al Samaqa and Ruwaisat Al-Alam sites in the occupied Kfarchouba hills with rocket-propelled weapons and hit the Bayad Blida military site directly.

0143 GMT — Harris says 'No' to arms embargo on genocide-perpetrator Israel

United States Vice President Kamala Harris has said in a CNN interview that she would not change President Joe Biden's controversial policy on supplying Israel with weapons for its carnage in Gaza if elected in November.

"No," the Democratic nominee and vice president said when asked if she would change course and withhold weapons to Israel, while adding that it was time for a ceasefire and hostage deal and to "end this war."

Washington doles out $3.8 billion in annual military funding to its longtime ally Israel. The administration has so far resisted calls to condition any arms transfers even though senior US officials have criticised Israel over the high civilian death toll in Gaza.

0104 GMT — UN slams Israel ultimatums to Palestinians

The UN has highlighted the "desperate" situation in Gaza as it raised concerns over the Israeli army's continued ultimatums to Palestinians to flee in the besieged enclave, which "defy the requirements of international humanitarian law."

While expressing "deep concern about the latest deterioration in the occupied West Bank," Joyce Msuya, the UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the UN Security Council that "the situation in Gaza is beyond desperate."

Msuya recalled the "harrowing levels of death, injury and destruction" in Gaza that "raise very serious concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law."

She cited mounting reports of "ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israel."

Noting that "evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military have spiked, with devastating impacts on civilians," she said, "more than 88 percent of Gaza’s territory has come under an order to evacuate at some point."

2352 GMT — Houthis vow retaliation for Israel's bombing of Hudaida port

Yemen's Houthi group said that it is continuing preparations to respond to the Israeli bombing of Hudaida Port in western Yemen in July, noting "the timing will be a surprise for Israel."

"Preparations for a response against the Israeli enemy are ongoing, and the timing will surprise the enemy," the group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised speech broadcast by the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV.

2019 GMT — Israel kills at least 20 Palestinians in new Gaza strikes

Israel has killed at least 20 Palestinians, including children, and wounded several others during its air strikes in besieged Gaza.

Four bodies were brought to the Gaza European Hospital after an Israeli air strike targeted a civilian vehicle in the city of Rafah, in the southern part of Gaza, a medical source told Anadolu Agency.

Earlier, another medical source at Al-Awda Hospital reported to Anadolu that the facility received seven bodies, including four children, following an Israeli air strike that targeted a residential apartment in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

2040 GMT — Israeli army storms town east of Tulkarm

The Israeli army has stormed the town of Anabta, east of Tulkarm, in the northern occupied West Bank, local media and witnesses said.

The Israeli occupation army earlier withdrew from the city of Tulkarm and its camps following a 48-hour military invasion, bringing deaths and destruction in the area.

Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that the Israeli army pulled out of the city, leaving behind four people dead, several wounded and significant damage to infrastructure.

They added that Israeli military bulldozers destroyed main roads, vandalised water and sewage networks, knocked down power poles, demolished homes, and damaged vehicles.

Hours later they stormed Anabta.

1930 GMT — Israel abducts two Palestinians in Al Khalil raid

Israeli army has raided several areas of Al Khalil governorate in the occupied West Bank and abducted two Palestinians, WAFA news agency reported.

According to Palestinian security sources, the two were abducted after the Israeli military stopped two vehicles in the Farsh al-Hawa and Beit Einun areas in the province.

The individuals were taken to an unknown location, and their vehicles were left abandoned on the roadside.

For our live updates from Thursday, August 29, 2024, click here.