Live blog: Hamas accuses Israel of evading Gaza ceasefire deal

Monday, June 24, 2024

1730 GMT — Palestinian resistance group Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of evading efforts to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

In an interview with Israeli Channel 14 on Sunday, Netanyahu claimed that he was ready for a “partial” ceasefire deal to allow the return of some Israelis held captive in Gaza.

"Netanyahu's true stance is to avoid reaching an agreement to continue the war of ‘genocide’ on Gaza,” senior Hamas leader Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement.

He called on the US administration to "lift its cover of silence and bias” and put pressure on Netanyahu and his government “to stop the aggression and genocidal war."

The Hamas leader stressed that his group is "positively dealing" with mediators’ efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement that “ensures a permanent cessation of the aggression, complete withdrawal from Gaza and a prisoner exchange deal."

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1920 GMT — US continues to deny weapons delay to Israel after Netanyahu doubles down

The US State Department continued to insist that there has been no delay to American arms shipment to Israel after PM Netanyahu doubled down on his criticisms over the weekend.

Speaking during a weekly government meeting, Netanyahu said Sunday there had been a "dramatic drop" in the weapons pipeline to Israel.

"For many weeks, we appealed to our American friends to speed up the shipments. We did it time and time again. We did this at the senior echelons, and at all levels, and I want to emphasise — we did it in private chambers. We got all kinds of explanations, but we didn’t get one thing: the basic situation didn’t change," he said.

1915 GMT — Few civilians left in Rafah 'trapped' by the fighting

Rafah city centre in Gaza lies deserted after most residents fled weeks of fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian resistance fighters led by Hamas that punctuated daily life there.

Those who are left in the city feel trapped.

"There is no more water or food. We are totally trapped," said Haitham Abu Taha.

He is one of the few Palestinians who returned to Rafah with his family after Israel's army recently announced a daily pause on a southern route.

"It was better than staying in tents or with relatives because we were separated from each other," he remembered thinking, before returning to find that soldiers "had not really withdrawn".

There is "almost no one left" in Rafah, Abu Taha said, barring a handful of people who refused to leave their homes or who also came back later.

1910 GMT — Texas woman accused of attempting to drown 3-year-old Palestinian-American

A Texas woman has been accused of the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian-American Muslim girl, and police said the incident was motivated by bias and the suspect made racially motivated statements.

The incident occurred in May but gained media attention after the Council on American Islamic Relations offered support to the victims and issued a press statement identifying them by religion and ancestry.

"The Euless Police Department believes the crime was committed because of bias or prejudice and that is part of the case as it has been filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney's office," police said in a statement on Monday. The district attorney's office said it was reviewing the case.

1900 GMT — Israeli forces strapping shot Palestinian to car 'absolutely unacceptable': US

Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank engaged in "absolutely unacceptable" practice when they strapped an injured Palestinian man to a humvee as an apparent human shield, the State Department said.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller said the department has reviewed the "shocking" footage that circulated on social media, adding that people "should never be used as human shields."

"The IDF should swiftly investigate what happened, hold people accountable," he said, referring to the Israeli military. "I saw the statement they put out that the actions were inconsistent with the orders those soldiers received, that it is being investigate. and the people involved will be dealt with accordingly. That is absolutely appropriate."

1849 GMT — Blinken will emphasise to Israel's Gallant the need for post-war Gaza plan: US

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will emphasise to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant the importance of Israel swiftly developing a robust and realistic plan for the governance of Gaza for when the war is over, the US State Department said.

Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing the top US diplomat will also discuss with Gallant, who is visiting Washington this week and meeting with senior US officials, the need to avoid further escalation of the Gaza conflict and to improve humanitarian access.

"We look to make progress on all of these issues," Miller said.

1838 GMT — Israeli soldier killed, his body held in Gaza: military

The Israeli army said a soldier was killed and his body held by Hamas in Gaza.

A military statement identified the slain soldier as Sgt. Maj. Muhammad Alatrash, 39, who served as a tracker in the army's Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.

The army said Alatrash was killed on October 7 and his body was then taken hostage to Gaza.

His death was recently declared based on findings and new intelligence information, the army said.

1801 GMT — Israel ‘committed’ to Biden-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal, Netanyahu claims

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Monday that he is committed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal backed by US President Joe Biden.

On Sunday, Netanyahu said that he is only ready for a “partial” deal to retrieve some Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Israel "will not end the war until we bring back all the hostages (…) we will not end t he war until we eliminate Hamas and return residents of the south safely to their homes,”

Netanyahu said at the Knesset (Israel’s parliament). He said Israel is “committed to the Israeli (ceasefire) proposal welcomed by President Biden. Our position has not changed."

1712 GMT — EU's Borrell warns of gradual Israeli annexation of West Bank

The EU foreign policy chief said that Israel seems to have a "clear will" to annex the occupied West Bank "little by little," warning that this "certainly" will not lead to peace.

"There seems to be a clear will to annex the West Bank, little by little, bit by bit; there seems to be that will and that's certainly not going to lead to peace," Josep Borrell said at a press conference following the bloc's Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.

Reminding that a ceasefire has not been reached in Gaza despite three weeks have passed since the proposal, supported by the international community, he said: "We are nowhere in terms of a ceasefire."

He went on to say that a recent press conference by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed clearly that neither sides are willing to implement this proposal.

In response to a question whether the war will last long, Borrell said: "It seems so, unfortunately, it is a war that is going to test the survival of Palestinians in Gaza."

1638 GMT — Israel’s defense minister discusses 3rd phase of Gaza war with US envoy

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held talks with US envoy Amos Hochstein to discuss moving to "Phase C" of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

Gallant is currently visiting the US for talks with American officials on the Israeli war on Gaza. Gallant told Hochstein that "the transition to ‘Phase C’ in the war in Gaza will impact developments on all fronts," the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Israel is preparing for every scenario both militarily and diplomatically," he added, in reference to growing tensions with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

The third phase under the Israeli definition includes low-intensity fighting in Gaza, targeted airstrikes, withdrawal of forces, the establishment of a buffer zone near Gaza’s border and finding an alternative to Hamas' rule in the enclave.

1540 GMT — Israel strikes kill at least 11 in Gaza, tanks push further into Rafah

Two Israeli air strikes targeting aid supplies killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza, medics said, as Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Rafah in the south and fought their way back into areas in the north they had already subdued months ago.

One strike at a food distribution centre in Gaza, near the Shati historic refugee camp, killed three people. Another, near Bani Suhaila town in southern Gaza, killed at least eight, including guards who accompany aid trucks, the medics said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, which denies attacking aid efforts.

1457 GMT — US-built pier in Gaza not sufficient in delivering aid: WHO

The reconnected US-built pier off the coast of Gaza cannot supply Palestinians with anywhere near the level of aid they need, the head of the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean region said.

Dr Hanan Balkhy made the remarks after the US military began delivering aid through the floating pier again, after it was removed a second time because of rough seas.

"The pier has supported a little bit, but it’s not to the scale that is needed by any stretch of the imagination," Balkhy told The Associated Press in an interview. "So we need to emphasise on the land routes to ensure the amount and the quantity and the efficiency."

The organisation says that since Israel launched its ground invasion into Rafah, aid delivery had declined by 67 percent, with over 50 WHO trucks stuck on the Egyptian side of the crossing into the southern city.

1450 GMT — Israel won't agree on deal that ends Gaza war — Netanyahu

The viability of a US-backed proposal to wind down the 8-month-long aggression on Gaza was cast into doubt after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only be willing to agree to a "partial" ceasefire deal that would not end the war, comments that sparked an uproar from families of hostages held in Gaza.

In an interview broadcast on Israeli Channel 14, a conservative, pro-Netanyahu station, the Israeli leader said he was "prepared to make a partial deal — this is no secret — that will return to us some of the people," referring to the roughly 120 hostages still held in Gaza.

"But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. I’m not willing to give up on that."

Netanyahu's comments stood in sharp contrast to the outlines of the deal detailed late last month by US President Joe Biden, who framed the plan as an Israeli one and which some in Israel refer to as “Netanyahu’s deal.”

The three-phased plan would bring about the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Hamas has insisted it will not release the remaining hostages unless there’s a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. When Biden announced the latest proposal last month, he said it included both.

1344 GMT — Israel nixes 20 arrest operations in West Bank due to prison overcrowding: reports

The Israeli army has cancelled around 20 planned arrest operations of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank due to a lack of prison space, according to local media.

The Israeli army and Shin Bet security service had to abolish these arrests because of crowdedness in detention facilities, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

The security agencies are being forced to evaluate the risk level of prisoners and release some detainees held without charges under Israel’s administrative detention policy to make space for those deemed a “high threat,” it added.

Israeli security officials warn that the lack of detention capacity could lead to the cancellation of more arrests in the West Bank.

The Israeli Prison Service had previously announced in April that the detention capacity for Palestinian prisoners was estimated at 14,500, while the actual number held exceeded 21,000.

1330 GMT — Medics aim to screen thousands of Gaza children for malnutrition

Medics in Gaza said they were working to step up screening of young children for severe malnutrition amid fears that hunger is spreading as people flee to new areas.

Aid group International Medical Corps (IMC) and partners are planning to reach more than 200,000 children under 5 years old as part of a 'Find and Treat' campaign, one of its doctors, Mumawwar Said, told Reuters by phone.

"With the displacement, communities are settling in new locations that do not have access to clean water, or there is not adequate access to food," he said. "We fear there are more cases being missed."

1230 GMT — Gaza is at 'high risk' of famine despite increased aid to the north: experts

An influx of aid appears to have eased a hunger crisis in northern Gaza for now, but the entire territory remains at “high risk” of famine after Israel's offensive in Rafah caused displacement and the disruption of aid operations in the south, a draft report said.

The report by the leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises said n early everyone in Gaza is struggling to get enough food and that more than 495,000 people, or greater than a fifth of the population of 2.3 million, are expected to experience the highest level of starvation in the coming months.

That's despite months of US pressure on Israel to do more to facilitate aid efforts, the installation of a $230 million US-built pier that has been beset by problems and repeated airdrops by multiple countries that aid agencies say are insufficient to meet vital needs.

The latest findings come from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an initiative first set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia that now includes more than a dozen UN agencies, aid groups, governments and other bodies.

1206 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli assault surpasses 37,600

At least 28 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, pushing up the overall death toll to 37,626 since last October 7, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

A ministry statement added that 86,098 other people have been injured in the onslaught.

“Israeli attacks killed 28 people and injured 66 others in the last 24 hours,” the statement said. "Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them," it added.

1146 GMT — 'Rampant' looting, smuggling impeding aid delivery in Gaza: UNRWA

The head of the United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees warned that a breakdown of civil order in Gaza as Israel's brutal war is continuing had allowed widespread looting and smuggling and blocked aid delivery.

"Gaza has been decimated," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told the agency's advisory body.

"We have witnessed unprecedented failures of humanity in a territory marked by decades of violence," he said, according to a written version of his address to the event in Geneva, which took place behind closed doors.

1145 GMT — 'Intense' phase of Gaza war winding down: Israel PM

A day after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the "intense phase" of the Gaza war is winding down.

Netanyahu, in his first Israeli media interview since Hamas's October 7 attack started the bloodiest ever Gaza war, told Channel 14 that "the intense phase of the fighting against Hamas is about to end".

He stressed that this "doesn't mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end in Rafah," the far-southern city near Egypt that is the last part of Gaza to face a full ground invasion.

Netanyahu said Israel would then be able to "redeploy some forces to the north" on the border with Lebanon, where Israel has traded fire with the Hezbollah movement, but said this would be "primarily for defensive purposes".

0850 GMT — Germany’s Baerbock calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, ahead of her Israel visit

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and warned that a further escalation in the Middle East would be a “catastrophe” for all people in the region.

Speaking to reporters during an EU meeting in Luxembourg, Baerbock said she will be heading to Israel later in the day to discuss diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza and ways to increase humanitarian aid for Palestinians.

“We’re thinking of the hostages, the images from Gaza, they are heartbreaking. That's why it's definitely not an option for us, and our partners, to bury our heads in the sand now, we need this ceasefire,” Baerbock said, and underlined that more should be done to end the suffering of Palestinian civilians.

0828 GMT — Palestinian injured, several arrested in Israeli army raids across occupied West Bank.

A Palestinian has been injured and several others arrested during Israeli raids in cities and towns across the occupied West Bank late on Sunday, witnesses have said.

Israeli forces carried out a series of incursions in the cities of Nablus and Ramallah, the Al Far'a refugee camp near Tubas, and towns in Hebron and Tulkarm.

While the raids at homes and businesses led to clashes and armed confrontations with Palestinians, explosions were also heard in several areas within the camp.

0826 GMT — Israeli air strike kills Gaza's emergency medical director

The head of Emergency and Ambulance Services in Gaza has been killed in an Israeli air strike, the territory’s health ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry confirmed that Hani Al Jafrawi lost his life in an Israeli air strike.

The statement emphasised that “healthcare workers continue their humanitarian duty of evacuating the wounded and deceased around the clock, despite the continuous Israeli bombardment".

The ministry reaffirmed its “determination to continue its medical and humanitarian responsibilities despite systematic targeting and direct assaults, which have resulted in the deaths of 500 healthcare workers and the detention of over 310 others under harsh and inhumane conditions".

0750 GMT — Situation in Gaza 'incommensurable' amid Israeli attacks: EU foreign policy chief

The situation in Gaza, where Israel continues its military offensive since last October, has become "incommensurable," the EU foreign policy chief has said.

Josep Borrell, at the doorstep of the EU’s foreign affairs council meeting in Brussels, deplored the death of over 100 Palestinians in latest Israeli attacks over the weekend, which he described as "one of the bloodiest days."

He reiterated support for the ceasefire backed by US President Joe Biden, but said it may not be implemented due to "lack of will from both sides."

"But we will continue supporting this kind of ideas, because we need desperately a ceasefire that could allow humanitarian help to enter into Gaza, otherwise, the tragedy will be incommensurable. Well, it is already incommensurable," Borrell said.

0712 GMT — Israel could use 'unprecedented weapons' in war with Hezbollah

Israel has alerted the US it could use weapons never deployed before in the event of an all-out war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to sources cited by Channel 12.

“Tel Aviv conveyed a message to the White House stating its intent to employ unspecified new weapons systems to swiftly deal with any potential conflict with Hezbollah and avoid a prolonged war," the Israeli television channel said.

Israel warned that if Hezbollah does not "back down" soon, Israel will take military action in Lebanon.

0703 GMT — EU fear Middle East on brink after Hezbollah threats

European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said that the Middle East was close to seeing the conflict expanding into Lebanon just days after Iran-backed Hezbollah threatened EU member Greek-administered Cyprus.

"The risk of this war effecting the south of Lebanon and spilling over is every day bigger," Borrell told reporters ahead of a foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.

"We are on the eve of the war expanding."

0545 GMT — Over 20,000 children missing in Israel's brutal war on Gaza

Thousands of Palestinian children have been missing, trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed homes, detained by Israeli forces, buried in unmarked graves or lost from families, Save the Children said in a new statement

The agency’s child protection teams said the latest displacements caused by the offensive in Rafah have separated more children and further increased the strain on families and communities caring for them.

"It is nearly impossible to collect and verify information under the current conditions in Gaza, but at least 17,000 children are believed to be unaccompanied and separated and approximately 4,000 children are likely missing under the rubble, with an unknown number also in mass graves," the British aid group said.

"Others have been forcibly disappeared, including an unknown number detained and forcibly transferred out of Gaza, their whereabouts unknown to their families amidst reports of ill-treatment and torture."

Read the full report here.

0200 GMT — Israeli bombing in Gaza City kills 2 Health Ministry staffers

Two Palestinians working for the Ministry of Health were killed and several other people were wounded in Israeli air strikes on a medical clinic in downtown Gaza City.

Gaza’s civil defence agency said in a press release that its “teams recovered the bodies of two martyrs working for the Ministry of Health and many wounded individuals as a result of Israeli occupation aircraft targeting Al Daraj Clinic,” without providing further details.

0120 GMT — Israel prepared for multi-front war: Netanyahu

Israel is preparing to change the situation on its border with Lebanon but hopes there will be no need to do so, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, referring to the army’s ongoing confrontations with the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Speaking to Israel’s Channel 14 about the possibility of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, Netanyahu said if necessary, “we will meet this challenge too. We can fight on several fronts. We are prepared for this.”

Regarding the war in Gaza, he said the phase of intense fighting is nearing an end, but the war will not end until Hamas no longer controls the enclave.

Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv wants to establish “local clans” to rule Gaza.

He also said that re-establishing Israeli settlements in Gaza is “not realistic” and it would not serve the aims of the war.

0021 GMT — Israelis wounded by anti-tank missile fired from southern Lebanon

Two Israelis were wounded when a house was hit by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon.

“Two people were slightly wounded” by an anti-tank missile fired toward the northern Israeli city of Metula, Israel’s Army Radio said on X.

A helicopter reportedly evacuated the wounded to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. There has been no immediate comment from the Lebanese side on the report.

For our live updates from Sunday, June 23, 2024, click here.