Live blog: Israeli drones target Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital — health ministry

Sunday, January 6, 2024

2100 GMT — The Israeli army is targeting the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza with drones, the Health Ministry in Gaza said.

"The Israeli occupation is terrorising the patients and medical staff at the facility by attacking it with drones," the ministry said in a statement.

"The Israeli drones intensively fire towards the buildings and areas of the hospital, targeting anyone in motion," it added.

The statement further said that the wounded and patients are fleeing the hospital under the fire of the drones.

The Israeli army's attempt to take the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital out of service constitutes a death sentence for thousands of wounded and patients inside, the ministry also said.

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2100 GMT — German FM in Israel visit calls for 'less intensive' Gaza combat

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Israel to ease its military campaign in Gaza and to do more to protect civilians in the besieged Palestinian territory.

"The suffering of many innocent people cannot go on like this. We need less intensive management of operations," Baerbock said on a visit to Jerusalem as the Israeli aggression on Gaza entered its fourth month.

2030 GMT — Cyberattack targets Beirut airport screens, unleashing anti-Hezbollah messages

A cyberattack targeted the screens of departures and arrivals at a Beirut airport in Lebanon, state media reported.

The hacked screens at Rafic Hariri airport displayed an anti-Hezbollah content and messages opposing the war in southern Lebanon.

The cyberattack led to the disruption of the passenger baggage inspection system, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.

The airport authorities applied alternative plans to ensure the normal operation at the airport, the agency added.

1816 GMT — Displaced Palestinians in Gaza must be allowed to 'return home': Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel must do more to protect civilians in Gaza and that Palestinians displaced by the ongoing war must "return home".

"Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot, they must not be pressed to leave Gaza," Blinken told a news conference in Doha alongside Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

1756 GMT — Hamas leader's death affects mediation: Qatar PM

Qatar's prime minister said the killing of a Hamas leader by an Israeli drone strike in Beirut last week has affected Doha's ability to mediate between the Palestinian group and Israel.

However, the Gulf state will continue its efforts, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said in a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha.

1731 GMT — Berlin protesters form massive vehicle convoy to decry Israel attacks on Gaza

Thousands of protesters gathered in the heart of Berlin to denounce Israel's attacks on Gaza.

The demonstrators crowded the June 17 Street with a striking vehicle convoy that traversed the city, drawing attention to the atrocities occurring in Gaza.

On the iconic street, situated between the historic Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column, demonstrators congregated with their vehicles adorned with poignant symbols.

They topped their vehicles with Palestinian flags, models representing children killed in Israel's attacks, and signs saying "Protect Gaza," "This is not war, it's genocide," and "Stop the genocide."

Later, the protesters with the vehicle convoy passed through central areas of the city, honking their horns along the route to protest Israeli killings in Gaza.

1729 GMT — Gaza shelters ‘massively overcrowded' : UN refugee agency

The UN Palestinian refugee agency said that its shelters in Gaza are “massively overcrowded.”

“Our own shelters in the area are massively overcrowded, we cannot take more people anymore,” Juliette Touma, communications director of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), told ABC News.

''Gaza doesn’t have civilian infrastructure to support such a huge influx of displaced people, many now sleeping on streets,'' she added.

1718 GMT — Israeli police kill Palestinian girl

Israeli police killed a young Palestinian girl in a car at a West Bank crossing when they opened fire on another car suspected of a ramming attack, Israeli emergency services said.

The border police said they hit the girl after firing at a couple in a car who they said rammed into two Israelis at a crossing in the occupied West Bank just outside Jerusalem.

Israeli paramedics gave her age as three but Palestinian sources told the WAFA official Palestinian news agency that the girl was four.

The Israeli ambulance services said she was treated on the scene but pronounced dead.

1650 GMT — Dozens gather outside US Embassy in Stockholm to protest Israel's attacks on Gaza

A large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in front of the US Embassy in Stockholm to protest Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza.

Despite the cold weather, dozens of activists assembled in the Odenplan area, calling for an end to the violence and recognition of Israel's actions as war crimes.

The demonstrators marched towards the US embassy building, voicing against Israel's siege on Gaza and demanding an immediate cessation of the attacks.

Chanting slogans such as "Children are being killed in Gaza" and "Freedom for Palestine," the protesters accused the US of "being complicit in the war crimes committed by Israel."

1509 GMT — Jordan, US reject forced displacement of Gazans

Jordan said it has agreed with the United States on rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met in Amman with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in the country as part of a regional tour.

The two chief diplomats held talks on the “disastrous” conditions in Gaza, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Safadi emphasized the necessity of reaching an immediate and permanent cease-fire in Gaza, the statement said.

Safadi termed any proposal for separating Gaza from the West Bank as "futile.”

According to the statement, the two ministers agreed on the importance of delivering immediate and sufficient aid to the Palestinian enclave.

They also rejected the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the necessity of enabling displaced Gazans to return to their homes, it added.

Safadi and Blinken agreed to pursue efforts to halt the war and launch real and effective efforts to achieve a just peace based on the two-state solution, the statement said.

1402 GMT — Al Jazeera condemns killing,'targeting' of Gaza reporters

Al Jazeera has condemned the killing and "targeting" of Palestinian journalists in Gaza after two reporters working for the Qatar-based television died in a strike on their car.

Hamza Wael Dahdouh, the son of its Gaza corresponent Wael Al Dahdouh, and Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP news agency who was working for Al Jazeera, both died in the strike in Rafah.

"Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns the Israeli occupation forces' targeting of Palestinian journalists’ car," the company said in a statement, accusing Israel of "violating the principles of freedom of the press".

1229 GMT — Jordan king presses Blinken on Gaza ceasefire, aid

Jordan's king urged the top United States diplomat to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the humanitarian crisis brought by three months of war, the royal palace said.

King Abdullah II made the remarks to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a Middle East tour aiming to ensure the Israel-Hamas war does not spread.

King Abdullah warned Blinken against "the catastrophic repercussions of continuation of the aggression against Gaza'', underlining the necessity of ending the tragic humanitarian crisis, a statement from the royal palace said.

The king reiterated "the important role of the United States in bringing pressure for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, protection of civilians, and guaranteeing delivery" of medical and humanitarian aid.

1201 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli onslaught tops 22,800

At least 22,835 Palestinians have been killed and 58,416 others injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

A ministry statement said that 113 people had been killed and 250 others injured in the Israeli onslaught in the last 24 hours.

​​​​​​​Israel has continued relentless air and ground attacks on Gaza after the resistance group Hamas’ surprise cross-border attack on October 7.

Israeli authorities claimed that the Hamas attacks have killed around 1,200 people.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicines due to a continuing blockade.

1149 GMT — 8 Palestinians killed by Israeli army fire in West Bank

At least eight Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said seven Palestinians lost their lives when Israeli forces bombed a public gathering in Martyrs Square near the city of Jenin in the West Bank.

Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that the bombing resulted in many casualties, with human remains scattered at the scene, and the injured were taken to Jenin Governmental Hospital in the city.

Another Palestinian died of wounds as a result of Israeli army fire in the town of Abwein near Ramallah, the Health Ministry said.

1107 GMT — Doctors Without Borders evacuating Al Aqsa hospital

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced its withdrawal from Gaza's Al Aqsa hospital in the face of increasing Israeli army attacks.

Though the international medical care organisation said in a late on Saturday statement that it was having difficulty evacuating staff and their families from Gaza, it also said it was leaving even from Al Aqsa hospital.

"It is with heavy conscience that we have to evacuate while patients, hospital staff, and many people seeking safety remain in the hospital premises," Carolina Lopez, the emergency coordinator at Al Aqsa Hospital, said in a statement on X.

​​​​​​​"Yesterday, at 13:30, a bullet heavily penetrated a wall in Al Aqsa Hospital’s intensive care unit. Over the last couple of days, drone attacks and snipers' fire were just a few hundred meters from the hospital."

1020 GMT — Israeli strike kills two more journalists — Gaza Health Ministry

An Israeli air strike has killed two journalists in the Palestinian territory, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.

Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP news agency, and Hamza Wael Dahdouh, the son of Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau chief, were killed while they were travelling in a car, the ministry and medics said.

READ: Why is Israel getting away with killing so many journalists in Gaza?

1002 GMT — Two Israelis killed in the occupied West Bank

An Israeli police officer has been killed during an operation in Jenin refugee camp.

"She (officer) was in an operational vehicle that was hit by an explosive device," Israeli force said, adding three other officers were also wounded.

In another incident north of Ramallah, an Israeli civilian was shot dead, the army said.

The civilian was "killed adjacent to the British police junction" north of Ramallah, the army said, adding police were searching for the attacker.

1000 GMT — Blinken meets Jordan's king, foreign minister on Gaza war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Jordan's king and foreign minister as he pressed ahead with an urgent Middle East diplomatic mission to prevent Israel's brutal war on Gaza from spreading.

King Abdullah II "warned of the catastrophic repercussions" of the war in Gaza while calling on the US to press for an immediate ceasefire, a statement by the Royal Court said.

Blinken also toured the World Food Programme's Regional Coordination warehouse in the Jordanian capital where trucks are being packed with aid to be delivered to Gaza through both Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.

0856 GMT — 'Israeli apartheid far more brutal than anything we saw in South Africa': former politician

A former colleague of South African human rights personalities Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu has expressed strong support for his country's decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice.

Andrew Feinstein, a onetime key figure in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) who now lives in Britain, emphasised his unique perspective as a Jewish son of a Holocaust survivor.

"I think it's incredibly important that South Africa has brought this case to the International Court of Justice describing what is happening in Gaza as a genocide of the Palestinian people," he said.

0428 GMT — Israeli air strike on Jenin kills six Palestinians

Six people have been killed during an Israeli air strike in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

"An Israeli occupation bombardment on a group of citizens killed six people in Jenin," said the Palestinian Authority-run Ministry of Health, which is based in the occupied West Bank.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported early on Sunday that a major deployment of Israeli forces was underway in Jenin.

0300 GMT — Israel says part of Hamas 'dismantled' as war enters fourth month

Israel has said it "dismantled" Hamas's military leadership in northern Gaza as its war against the Palestinian resistance group entered its fourth month.

Witnesses said Israel carried out air strikes early on Sunday in Gaza's main southern city of Khan Younis, with the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reporting numerous dead and wounded.

Israel's army said its forces would now "focus" on central and southern areas of Gaza.

0135 GMT — US protesters call for ceasefire in Gaza, blocking freeway in Seattle for several hours

Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza blocked northbound traffic on Interstate 5 in Seattle for several hours.

Additional demonstrators on a nearby overpass cheered in support of the blockade, which began around 1:15 pm, the Seattle Times reported.

Demonstrators chanted "Free, free Palestine" and "Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go."

0130 GMT — Israeli bid for Gaza governance will fail: Palestinian groups

Palestinian groups said that Israeli plans to create structures to govern Gaza will fail in the face of the determination of Palestinians.

"Israel is still trying to liquidate the Palestinian cause and displace our people with its old and new plan, but this plan will fail and fall in vain," the National and Islamic Forces Monitoring Committee, which includes Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said in a statement.

Regarding Israel's plans to create structures to govern Gaza, the statement emphasised: "Israel is allegedly trying to create local civilian or tribal bodies to govern Gaza, but they will not succeed in doing so."

0130 GMT — The Qassam Brigades share new footage of Israeli prisoner in Gaza

The Qassam Brigades has shared new footage of an Israeli prisoner in Gaza who lost his wife and two children in an Israeli air strike.

The armed wing of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, shared the video on Telegram in which Yarden Bibas refers to his murdered wife and two children, and addresses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Will I get out of here and mourn them or will I be buried in the ground with them?" he said.

The group had offered to hand the bodies to Israel but the Netanyahu government rejected the offer and continued to negotiate.

0011 GMT — At least 16 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza

At least 16 Palestinians, mostly children, were killed and 50 injured in an attack by the Israeli army on a UN-owned school in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, media reports said.

The army targeted a school belonging to the UN Relief and Public Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Al Maghazi Refugee Camp in Gaza from the air and sea, according to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.

At least four Palestinians were killed and others were injured in the attack.

Israeli warplanes separately targeted a house where a large number of displaced people were sheltering in Khan Yunis.

At least 12 Palestinians, mostly children, were killed and 50 others, most of them children and women, were injured.

For our live updates from Saturday, January 6, click here.