Live blog: UN chief urges ceasefire in Gaza to avert 'gigantic tragedy'

Thursday, February 8, 2024

1900 GMT — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about the worsening situation in Gaza and reiterated his demand for a ceasefire.

"It is time to have a humanitarian ceasefire before a gigantic tragedy develops in Gaza, if we have the same kind of intensity of military operations in Gaza that we have seen in Khan Younis and in other parts of Gaza territory, I mean, the same in Rafah," Guterres said at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

Guterres said he is worried about reports that the Israeli military intends to focus on Rafah.

"Half of Gaza’s population is now crammed into Rafah. They have nowhere to go," he said.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday that the army's next target in Gaza will be Rafah and claimed it is the last remaining stronghold of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

Guterres stressed that in Gaza, the situation "just keeps getting worse."

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1917 GMT — At least 300,000 at risk from lack of food in north, central Gaza: UN

Hundreds of thousands of people's lives are at risk in north and central Gaza because of a lack of food, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the last time the agency was allowed to deliver supplies to the area was more than two weeks ago on January 23.

"Since the beginning of the year, half of our aid mission request s to the north were denied," Lazzarini wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"The @UN has identified deep pockets of starvation and hunger in northern #Gaza where people are believed to be on the verge of famine.

"At least 300,000 people living in the area depend on our assistance for their survival."

1911 GMT — UN chief warns Palestinian aid agency cannot be replaced

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that his organisation's Palestinian refugee agency cannot be replaced, even as it faces criticism after 12 staffers were implicated in Hamas's attack on Israel.

"No other organisation has a meaningful presence inside Gaza -- and nothing compared with this situation. So there is no other organization that would be able now to replace" it, Guterres told a media briefing.

Guterres pointed to the cost effectiveness of UNRWA as he defended why it was the best-placed organisation to continue to deliver aid to Gaza.

1841 GMT — Nicaragua asks to join Gaza case against Israel: UN court

Nicaragua has asked to formally join South Africa's genocide case against Israel, the UN's top court said, with Managua claiming it had "interests of a legal nature" in the highly contested hearings.

Managua filed its own application on January 23, which the Hague-based ICJ confirmed.

"In its application for permission to intervene, Nicaragua states that it 'has interests of a legal nature that stem from the rights and obligations imposed by the Genocide Convention on all State Parties," the ICJ said.

1830 GMT — US warns Israel that Rafah assault risks 'disaster'

The United States warned Israel that staging a military push into the southern Gaza city of Rafah without proper planning would run the risk of becoming a "disaster."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he ordered troops to "prepare to operate" in Rafah, and air strikes have been stepped up.

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said Washington had "yet to see any evidence of serious planning for such an operation," adding: "To conduct such an operation right now with no planning and little thought in an area" where one million people are sheltering "would be a disaster."

1320 GMT — Israeli strike hits medics evacuating injured people in Gaza

A paramedic was killed and two others were injured in an Israeli air strike as they evacuated injured Palestinians in Gaza City, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRSC) said.

“Israeli forces deliberately targeted the Red Crescent team as they were carrying out a coordinated humanitarian mission to evacuate injured people in Gaza,” it added in a statement.

Thursday’s fatality brought to 12 the number of PRSC medics killed in Israeli attacks since October 7.

1304 GMT — Blinken seeks to advance Gaza ceasefire, hostage swap with Israeli leaders

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has sought to advance a proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas during two separate meetings with Israeli leaders.

Blinken held talks with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz.

Lapid said his meeting with the top US diplomat took up the issue of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and measures to end funding for the Palestinian group.

"The whole Israeli society is determined to bring back the hostages and to eradicate Hamas. Those are not conflicting goals and we will not give up either," Lapid wrote on X. The former premier said the discussions also dwelt on the need for a political settlement to the tension on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Blinken’s talks with Gantz, a former defence minister, also took up efforts to release hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Gantz said he spoke to Blinken about bringing in an "international actor" that can deliver aid into Gaza away without diversion to Hamas.

1251 GMT — Norway transfers $26M to UN agency for Palestinian refugees

Norway announced that it has sent $26 million in aid to the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees or UNRWA, after some countries decided to stop their support temporarily.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on X, “Today, Norway transfers $26 million to UNRWA, the UN Agency that supports Palestinian refugees.”

“UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Its services are critical for millions of people in extreme need,” he added.

1146 GMT — Another journalist killed in Israeli attack in Gaza, tally rises to 124

Another Palestinian journalist was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, taking the tally to 124 since Oct. 7, according to the government media office.

Nafez Abdel Jawad, a reporter for the official Palestine Television station, was killed in central Gaza, the media office said in a statement.

Around 10 Palestinian journalists have also been arrested by Israeli forces in Gaza, according to an earlier statement by the office.

1111 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks reaches 27,840

The Palestinian death toll from Israel's deadly offensive on Gaza has jumped to 27,840 since October 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement said that 67,317 other people have also been injured in the ongoing onslaught.

"Israeli attacks left 130 people dead and 170 others injured in the last 24 hours," the statement said. "Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads and rescuers can't reach them," it added.

1001 GMT — Iran-aligned groups launch drone attack on US base in Syria

A US military base came under a drone attack by Iran-aligned groups in Deirez Zor province in eastern Syria, according to local sources.

Multiple kamikaze drones were fired at the military base at Al Omar oilfield, where US forces are stationed, by Iranian-aligned groups stationed on the western bank of the Euphrates River, the sources said.

No information was yet available about casualties and the US has yet to comment.

0928 GMT — Fighting in Rafah will worsen humanitarian plight – UN

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths has voiced concern over further fighting in southern Gaza city of Rafah, saying it risks claiming more lives and exacerbating humanitarian needs.

"With the Gaza hostilities entering their fifth month, hope is dwindling for the millions of people affected and the humanitarians striv ing to assist them," Martin Griffiths, the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement.

Griffiths said that as the war continues further into Rafah, he is "extremely concerned" about the safety and well-being of families who have endured the unthinkable in the search for safety.

"Their living conditions are abysmal — they lack the basic necessities to survive, stalked by hunger, disease and death," he said, referring to the situation in which more than half of Gaza's population of some 2 million people is now crammed into Rafah.

0932 GMT — Israel to abolish tax exemptions for UN Palestinian refugee agency

Israel's finance minister said he plans to cancel tax exemptions for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Israel claims that 12 staff members of the UN agency were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Several countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Canada, have suspended funding for the UNRWA following the Israeli accusations.

The UN agency has said that it is investigating these allegations.

0901 GMT — Oil up over failed peace attempts in Gaza, weaker US dollar

Oil prices increased Thursday over Israel's decision to reject the ceasefire offer from Hamas and resume attacks on Gaza, while a weaker US dollar and an expected build in US crude oil stocks limited further price rises.

The international benchmark crude Brent traded at $79.59 per barrel at 10:24 am local time (0724 GMT), a 0.48 percent rise from the closing price of $79.21 a barrel in the previous trading session on Wednesday.

The American benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), traded at the same time at $74.19 per barrel, up 0.45 percent from Wednesday's close of $73.86 per barrel.

0751 — Palestinian dies of wounds from Israeli gunfire in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian died of injuries sustained from Israeli army gunfire in the occupied West Bank, according to the official WAFA news agency.

Mohamed Khalil Barghouthi was injured two weeks ago in clashes with Israeli forces in the town of Kafr Ein, northwest of Ramallah, and succumbed to his wounds on Thursday, WAFA said.

The Health Ministry has yet to confirm the fatality.

0714 GMT — Overnight Israeli strikes kill 14 more Palestinians: WAFA

At least 14 Palestinians have been killed and several others injured in overnight Israeli air strikes on southern and central Gaza, news agency Wafa reported.

Two people were killed and more than 10 others injured in an Israeli air strike on a house in Deir al Balah city in central Gaza, said the agency citing local resources.

Another 12 people lost their lives after Israeli fighter jets targeted two houses near the Abu al Said junction in Tal al Sultan and the Saudi neighbourhood west of Rafah, it added.

0541 GMT — Israel PM orders troops to prepare for push into Rafah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to enter the overcrowded Gaza's city of Rafah, even as a new round of talks aimed at securing a truce with Hamas were set to open in Cairo.

Netanyahu announced the order after rejecting Hamas's response to a ceasefire proposal at the centre of intense recent diplomatic efforts, though visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted that he still saw "space for agreement to be reached."

Concerns were mounting, meanwhile, for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have sought refuge in Rafah along the Egyptian border, with UN chief Antonio Guterres warning a military push into the city "would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare."

0424 GMT — Israel hits Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon: military

The Israeli military has said it conducted air strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

Israeli fighter jets bombed targets in the town of Khiam, the military said in a statement, adding that one-sixth of the rockets fired during clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah since October 8 originated from Khiam.

According to the Lebanese official news agency NNA, one civilian was killed and two others were wounded in the Israeli air strike on Khiam.

0412 GMT — New York police detain pro-Palestinian protesters ahead of Biden speech

New York City police detained dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters for blocking the street in front of the building where President Joe Biden was set to speak.

A scuffle broke out between New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and protesters gathered around the building in Manhattan where Biden's campaign event was set to take place ahead of the November presidential elections.

A number of predominantly Jewish protesters who accused the president of supporting the genocide in Gaza were arrested on 5th Avenue after clashing with police.

0151 GMT — IFRC president says she witnessed 'catastrophic' conditions in Gaza

The president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said that she witnessed firsthand the catastrophic realities faced by civilians in Gaza amid the ongoing crisis in the enclave.

Kate Forbes emphasised the urgent need for protection and humanitarian aid in the region.

"Today, I visited Gaza, where I witnessed the catastrophic and utterly dire conditions firsthand," Forbes said.

"What I saw reiterated that civilians, medical facilities and our Red Cross and Red Crescent teams need protection. Our teams [also] need access to deliver vital life-saving humanitarian aid."

0059 GMT — Israeli army to extend mandatory service amid Gaza war

The Israeli army plans to extend mandatory service through changes to an existing law, a local media outlet reported.

"The Israeli army intends, after the current war in the Gaza Strip, to demand a law to extend compulsory service to three years, which will also apply to those who have already begun their service," Israeli Army Radio said on X.

The potential law will include all male soldiers.

The radio said the draft law also includes "raising the exemption age for soldiers from reserve duty from 40 to 45 and for officers from 45 to 50 as well as increasing the period of service that reserve soldiers can be called up to each year."

2314 GMT — 33 people arrested after Gaza protest in suburban Chicago

Police in suburban Chicago have arrested 33 people after they blocked streets for more than six hours outside a company protesters say has a role in the deaths of thousands of civilians in besieged Gaza.

Seven men and 26 women were charged with the misdemeanour of unlawful assembly following the protest outside Woodward MPC, the Niles Police Department said in a news release.

The 33 protesters were released after being booked, police said, and there were no injuries.

2300 GMT — Netanyahu wants prolonged 'aggression', mislead Israelis: Hamas

The Israeli government and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are seeking in every possible way to "mislead domestic public opinion and prolong the aggression" against besieged Gaza, a member of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas' politburo said.

"Netanyahu and his government are striving, by all means, to continue misleading Zionist public opinion and prolong the aggression, despite the losses their defeated army is suffering in terms of lives and equipment," Osama Hamdan said during a press conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

"Both Netanyahu and his government are trying to evade their post-aggression obligations and postpone the confrontation with the investigative committees regarding the dismal failure on October 7," he added.

2241 GMT — Putin says Russia is working to free captives in Gaza

President Vladimir Putin told leaders of Russia's Jewish community that Moscow had achieved "specific results" in diplomatic efforts to free captives caught up in Israel's war on besieged Gaza, Russian news agencies reported.

"You know, since the situation became more tense in the Middle East, Russia has been doing everything to help people who became hostages," Putin was quoted as saying.

"As is known, our Foreign Ministry worked through the political wing of Hamas, and, on the whole, there have been specific results."

For our live updates from Wednesday, February 7, click here.