Live blog: Israel kills over a dozen in Gaza in Eid eve strike

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

2045 GMT — Israel has killed at least 14 Palestinians and wounded several others in its air strike on the Al Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

According to the agency, Israeli warplanes targeted a residential building in the camp on the eve of the Eid al Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

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1723 GMT — UNRWA unable to deliver food to northern Gaza 'since January'

Israeli restrictions have prevented the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) from delivering food to northern Gaza since January, the United Nations humanitarian office said.

“UNRWA continues to face disproportionate restrictions on access, with no food convoys approved to the north since January 2024,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

It cited that 40 percent of all food missions have been denied access by Israel in February and March.

“The Gaza Strip is undergoing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis,” it added.

UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organisation in Gaza and is considered the backbone of humanitarian aid operations in the enclave.

1751 GMT — US Muslim group slams US defence chief for denying Israeli genocide in Gaza

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has slammed US defence chief Lloyd Austin for rejecting accusations that Israel has committed genocide in the besieged Gaza.

The condemnation came shortly after Austin said the US has seen no evidence that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

1723 GMT — Blinken says Israel has not told US about Rafah invasion start date

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel has not informed the Biden administration about when it plans to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had set a date for the ground operation to begin, bucking international opposition by saying that "no force in the world" will prevent him from carrying out the invasion.

Blinken said the US does not "have a date for any Rafah operation, at least one that's been communicated to us by the Israelis."

He pointed instead to twice-delayed talks that the US is seeking to have with an Israeli delegation to present it with alternatives to a ground attack.

Those talks are expected to happen next week after a meeting planned for this week was postponed.

1608 GMT — UAE sends first aid convoy by land to northern Gaza

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the arrival of the first aid convoy by land to northern Gaza.

"The first Emirati aid convoy has arrived in the northern Gaza Strip by land, consisting of 17 trucks," the Joint Operations Command of the UAE Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The convoy is considered the first to have been dispatched by any country by land to northern Gaza amid a crippling Israeli blockade on the enclave.

The convoy carried over 370 tonnes of relief aid, including food and medical supplies, food supplements, clothing, shelter materials and other necessities.

1603 GMT — UNICEF urges ceasefire in Gaza to help stem humanitarian crisis

A ceasefire in Gaza would allow aid distribution, facilitate the return of hostages, and bring relief to those affected by the conflict, UNICEF spokesman James Elder has said, describing a ceasefire as critical.

Elder expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, emphasising the urgent need for a ceasefire.

He highlighted that despite the UN's call for a ceasefire, the region remains engulfed in violence, with the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza facing the threat of famine.

Saying he witnessed "dire" conditions firsthand during his travels in Gaza, Elder stressed the widespread desire for peace among Palestinians.

"We need that ceasefire so children and families that have been enduring this for months can finally go to bed at night knowing that they will actually wake up in the morning," he said.

1551 GMT — Germany denies facilitating Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Germany has defended its political and military support for Israel’s war in Gaza and rejected Nicaragua’s claim that it was facilitating “genocide” against Palestinians.

Addressing the UN's highest court in The Hague, German diplomat Tania von Uslar-Gleichen argued that Nicaragua’s case against Germany had taken a “one-sided” view of the conflict.

“It fails to properly appreciate both the facts and the law in this situation. Germany firmly rejects Nicaragua's accusations,” she said and claimed that Berlin is acting in line with international law while providing assistance to Israel.

Presenting her country’s defence before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Uslar-Gleichen argued that Berlin’s arms exports to Israel were appropriate and delivered after detailed scrutiny.

Berlin approved $354 million (€326.5 million) worth of weapons exports to Israel in 2023, the majority of which were approved after October 7, a tenfold increase compared to 2022.

1535 GMT — Amnesty International urges Israel to return body of Palestinian who died of cancer in custody

Amnesty International has said Israel must release the body of Palestinian Walid Daqqah, who died a day earlier after a long battle with cancer while serving a prison sentence.

"It is heart-wrenching that Walid Daqqah has died in Israeli custody despite the many calls for his urgent release on humanitarian grounds following his 2022 diagnosis with bone marrow cancer and the fact that he had already completed his original sentence," Erika Guevara-Rosas, senior director at Amnesty International, said.

The Israeli army concluded a large-scale drill near the Lebanese border amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah.

A military statement said the drill by the 146th Division, the army’s largest reserve division, as well as the Navy, Air Force, police and rescue services aimed at “increasing readiness and strengthening cooperation between the forces.”

The army said the military exercise simulated several scenarios, including defending the region, evacuating wounded under fire, and different attacks.

1459 GMT — US does not believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza: Defence chief

The US does not believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, defence chief Lloyd Austin has said.

"We don't have any evidence of genocide being created," Austin said at a Senate hearing on the Pentagon’s budget request.

Austin reiterated that the US is committed to assisting Israel in defending its territory and people by providing security assistance.

1413 GMT — Denmark announces $15M in humanitarian aid to Gaza, occupied West Bank

The Danish Foreign Ministry has announced that it is sending $15 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the occupied West Bank amid warnings of imminent famine, media reports said.

The ministry emphasised, however, that the world “cannot hide the fact that it is difficult to get in the emergency aid.”

“Therefore, at the same time, we are putting massive diplomatic pressure on Israel to open up better opportunities to bring in the emergency aid,” Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jorgensen, said in a statement.

1402 GMT — 'No force in the world' will prevent Rafah invasion — Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that “no force in the world” will prevent his army from invading Rafah in the southern tip of Gaza.

"We will complete the elimination of the Hamas battalions, including in Rafah,” Netanyahu told recruits being drafted to the army’s Border Defense Corps.

“No force in the world will stop us. Many forces are trying to do this, but it will not help because this enemy, after what he has done, will not do it again," he added.

Several countries, including the US, have urged Israel to abandon plans for a ground attack in Rafah, where more than 1.4M people have taken refuge in Rafah from Tel Aviv’s ongoing offensive on Gaza.

1302 GMT — Israeli army arrests 20 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

Israeli army forces have detained 20 more Palestinians in military raids across the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

The arrests took place in the cities of East Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tubas, and Nablus, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

The new arrests brought to 8,165 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since last October, according to Palestinian figures.

1301 GMT — Israeli soldiers injured in Gaza fighting: military

The Israeli army has said that six soldiers had been injured in fighting in Gaza in the last 24 hours.

A military statement, however, did not specify where the soldiers were wounded.

According to Israeli army figures, at least 604 soldiers have been killed and 3,208 others wounded since Israel's brutal onslaught on Gaza.

1158 GMT — Spain’s premier to embark on European tour to rally support for recognition of Palestine

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will embark on a European tour to try to convince more nations to recognise an independent Palestinian state, the government spokesperson has announced.

Madrid has vowed to recognise the Palestinian state before July, but it hopes more countries will follow its lead.

Starting on Friday, Sanchez will begin a series of “trips, meetings and contacts” with European and international leaders to “share his concern around the situation in Gaza and the need to push forward the recognition of Palestine as a state,” spokesperson Pilar Alegria told a press conference.

1128 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks hits 33,360 — ministry

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza has reached 33,360 since last October, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

In a statement, the ministry said at least 75,993 others have also been injured in the deadly offensive.

“At least 153 people were killed and 60 others injured in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads and rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

1102 GMT — Palestinians recover over 400 bodies in Gaza after Israeli troop withdrawal

Palestinian civil defense teams have recovered the bodies of 409 people since Israeli troop withdrawal from al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Younis, local authorities have said.

The Israeli army withdrew from al-Shifa Hospital on April 1 following a two-week raid and from Khan Younis on April 7, leaving behind a massive trail of destruction.

The Palestinian Civil Defense Agency said that efforts were still ongoing to retrieve more bodies from both areas.

0916 GMT — France may consider sanctions to push Israel for more aid into Gaza

France has said it may consider imposing sanctions to push Israel to allow entry of more humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said France was one of the first countries to propose EU sanctions on illegal Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank who were involved in violent attacks against Palestinians.

“There must be levers of influence and there are multiple levers, going up to sanctions to let humanitarian aid cross checkpoints,” he told public broadcasters RFI and France 24.

0910 GMT — Palestinian mayor killed in Israeli air strike in central Gaza

A Palestinian mayor has been killed in an overnight Israeli air strike in central Gaza, local authorities say.

Hatem al Ghamri, the mayor of the Maghazi district, was killed when Israeli fighter jets struck a local government building in central Gaza, the government media office said in a statement.

The killing is “a war crime that contravenes international laws that grant immunity and protection to civilian figures,” it said.

According to Palestinian media, at least five people were killed in the attack.

0509 GMT — China's Wang discussed Ukraine, Gaza conflicts with Russia's Lavrov

China's top diplomat Wang Yi has discussed the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, as the two met in Beijing.

"Foreign Minister Lavrov and I had an in-depth communication about several international and regional hotspot issues... including the Ukraine and Palestine-Israel conflicts," Wang told a press conference.

0215 GMT — US, Israeli defence chiefs discuss 'tragic strike' on World Central Kitchen aid workers

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant have held talks on Israel's "tragic strike" on humanitarian aid workers with the food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK).

In a phone call on Monday, Austin and Gallant exchanged views on the Israeli army's investigation of the strike and the "need for procedural changes to ensure such incidents never happen again," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The Israeli April 1 attack in Gaza killed seven WCK aid workers – three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, a US-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian.

The defence chiefs also discussed the urgent need to dramatically increase deliveries of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

0102 GMT — Israel's proposal didn't meet any of our demands: Hamas

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said Israel's proposal that it received from Qatari and Egyptian mediators did not meet any of the demands of Palestinian factions.

However, the group added in a statement it would study the proposal, which it described as "intransigent", and deliver its response to the mediators.

A senior Hamas official, Ali Baraka, told Reuters news agency: "We reject the latest Israeli proposals that the Egyptian side informed us of. The politburo met today and decided this."

Another Hamas official had earlier told Reuters that no progress had been made in the negotiations.

0100 GMT — Hamas hails Nicaragua's case before ICJ on Germany aiding Israel's 'genocide'

Hamas has welcomed a case brought by Nicaragua before the International Court of Justice [ICJ] in the Netherlands, seeking to order Germany to cease providing support to Israel in its brutal war on Gaza.

In a statement, Hamas expressed appreciation for "the lawsuit filed by the Republic of Nicaragua against Germany at the International Court of Justice that requests cessation of the military support provided by the German government to the Zionist occupation."

The group urged the World Court to issue "firm decisions" that push towards halting the Israeli war on Gaza. The ICJ began hearings on Monday on Nicaragua's case, accusing Berlin of facilitating "genocide" in Gaza by providing political and military support to Israel.

Addressing the court, Nicaraguan Ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez said Germany is continuing its military support to Israel, although it is well aware that Israel's violations may amount to an act of "genocide."

He highlighted that Germany, as a party to the 1948 Genocide Convention, has to respect its obligations and stop sending weapons and military materials to Israel.

2115 GMT — Egypt, Jordan, France warn Israel against Rafah invasion

The leaders of France, Egypt and Jordan have warned Israel against a threatened invasion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, urging an "immediate" ceasefire in its brutal war on the blockaded enclave.

"We warn against the dangerous consequences of an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge," they said in a joint editorial published in several newspapers.

"Such an offensive will only bring more death and suffering, heighten the risks and consequences of mass forcible displacement of the people of Gaza and threaten regional escalation."

The editorial was signed by France's President Emmanuel Macron, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II.

2301 GMT — UK's Cameron heads to US for talks on Gaza

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron will travel to Washington to talk with US counterpart Antony Blinken about Israel's war on besieged Gaza and Ukraine's conflict with Russia.

Cameron will push for a "full, urgent, and transparent investigation" into Israel's air strike last week that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement.

The foreign secretary is expected to discuss arms exports during a joint press conference with Blinken at 15:30 GMT, but will not announce a change of policy, according to UK government sources.

"He will underline that the deaths of World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers are completely unacceptable and that major changes need to be made to ensure the safety of aid workers on the ground," the Foreign Ministry said.

The statement added that talks between Cameron and Blinken will also focus on "the path to a sustainable ceasefire and the delivery of greater quantities of humanitarian aid in Gaza."

0025 GMT — Israel deploys C-Dome defence system for the first time

Israel has for the first time deployed its ship-mounted defence system, called the C-Dome, against a "suspicious" target that entered the country's airspace near the southern city of Eilat, the military said.

The C-Dome is a naval version of the Iron Dome air defence system used to shield against rocket and missile attacks.

On Monday evening, the Israeli military reported an alert in the area of Eilat, which was targeted in February by intercepted ballistic missile fire from Yemen's Houthis, "

"Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Eilat regarding the infiltration of a hostile aircraft, IDF Naval forces identified a suspicious aerial target crossing into Israeli territory," the military said in a statement.

"The target was successfully intercepted by the 'C-Dome' naval defence system," it said.

2233 GMT — 14 Palestinians have died in Israeli jails since Oct. 7: prisoners group

Fourteen Palestinians have died in Israeli jails since the start of Israel's war on the blockaded enclave on October 7, a Palestinian prisoners' affairs group said.

Walid Daqqa, a 62-year-old writer who was the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner after 38 years in Israeli prisons, died on Sunday due to cancer, according to Palestinian rights groups.

In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society [PPS] said that with the death of Daqqa, the number of Palestinians who have died in Israeli jails since October 7 "as a result of torture, abuse, starvation and medical neglect surged to 14."

In addition, it said Palestinian Mohammad Abu Sneina from Jerusalem died in an Israeli hospital one day after his arrest on February 18.

PPS also noted that according to Israeli media, two Palestinians from Gaza died in Israeli jails, but Israeli authorities did not reveal their identities.

2152 GMT — Pro-Palestine rally held in front of German parliament

Pro-Palestine protesters have staged a rally in front of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, as the International Court of Justice [ICJ] in the Netherlands began hearing a case brought by Nicaragua accusing Berlin of facilitating "genocide" in Gaza by providing political and military support to Israel.

The crowd carried Palestinian flags and banners saying, "Genocide-Germany is participating again" and "Stop supplying weapons."

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Jara Nassar, one of the participants, said: "We think Germany is guilty of aiding genocide," in reference to the case at the ICJ.

"We demand that Germany stop criminalising and silencing pro-Palestinian voices. Of course, we also want a cease-fire to be achieved as soon as possible, the blockade of Gaza to be lifted, and the occupation of Palestine to be ended immediately," he added.

2101 GMT — Hezbollah claims to have killed, wounded several Israeli soldiers

The Lebanese group Hezbollah has said several Israeli soldiers were killed or wounded in an attack on a gathering near a military post in northern Israel.

The group said in a statement that after precisely monitoring Israeli soldiers' movements, Hezbollah militants attacked the soldiers with artillery shells near the military Hanita post in northern Israel.

In a separate statement, Hezbollah said its militants had shelled the Israeli army's sites at Ruwaisat al Alam and Zebdine in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.

Hezbollah said it conducted a precise air strike "using a drone" to target the Israeli army's naval Ras al Naqoura base.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to Hezbollah's statements.

For our live updates from Monday, April 8, click here.