Live blog: Israel's closure of Gaza crossings 'crippling' aid — UN

Thursday, May 9, 2024

1715 GMT — Israel's closure of key crossings into Gaza has cut off the main entry point for aid, and particularly fuel, rendering humanitarian operations all but impossible, a senior UN official has warned.

"We lost the main entry point for all humanitarian aid," said Andrea De Domenico, who heads the United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"In Gaza, there are no stocks" of fuel, Domenico said. That "means no movement," he added. "It is completely crippling the humanitarian operations."

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1804 GMT — Egypt, Jordan reject Palestinian displacements from Gaza, West Bank

Egypt and Jordan have reiterated their rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from besieged Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi “confirmed the complete rejection of the displacement of Palestinians and the attempt to liquidate the Palestinian issue at the expense of Egypt and Jordan,” Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said at a news conference in Cairo, alongside his Jordanian counterpart, Bisher Al-Khasawneh,

"Any action that could lead to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza could extend to their displacement from the occupied West Bank," he said.

1740 GMT — US believes Rafah invasion would weaken Israel’s position in talks

The United States believes a major military offensive in Rafah would weaken Israel's position in hostage talks with Palestinian resistance Hamas, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has said.

Washington continues to engage with Israel on amendments to a ceasefire proposal submitted by Hamas, Miller said, adding work was ongoing to finalise the text of an agreement but that work was "incredibly difficult."

1722 GMT — Israel has munitions for Rafah and other attacks: military

The Israeli military has the munitions it requires for operations in Rafah and other planned operations, chief armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has said.

1719 GMT — Egypt's Sisi, Guterres discuss consequences of Israel's Rafah invasion

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received a phone call from United Nations chief Antonio Guterres where they discussed Gaza truce talks and the "huge humanitarian consequences" of an Israeli military operation in Rafah, the Egyptian presidency has said.

1700 GMT — Israel will fight with only their fingernails if it must: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appeared to rebuff a vow by US President Joe Biden to halt some weapons supplies to Israel if it attacks Rafah, saying the country was prepared to stand alone if necessary.

"As I have already said, if we must, we shall fight with our fingernails," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

"But we have much more than our fingernails, and with that strength of spirit, with God's help, together we shall be victorious."

1652 GMT — Civilians in Gaza are being starved, killed: UN relief chief

The UN relief chief has issued a stark warning about the harrowing conditions in Gaza, where an Israeli blockade has left civilians teetering on the brink of starvation and death.

"Civilians in Gaza are being starved and killed, and we are prevented from helping them," Martin Griffiths wrote on X.

Stressing that "nothing and no one has been allowed in or out of Gaza" for the past three days, Griffiths drew attention to the grim picture of a region isolated from essential supplies and vital assistance.

"The closure of the crossings means no fuel. It means no trucks, no generators, no water, no electricity and no movement of people or goods," the relief chief emphasized, highlighting the desperate plight faced by Gazan residents.

1611 GMT — Hamas urges halt to airdrops of aid in Gaza after two killed

Hamas has called for an end to airdrops of aid after two Palestinians were killed in northern Gaza when an aid pallet crashed into a warehouse after its parachute failed to open.

"We reiterate that airdrops pose a real danger to the lives of citizens and do not provide a real solution to alleviate the food crisis plaguing northern Gaza," Salama Marouf, head of the government's media office in Gaza, said in a statement.

"We call for an immediate halt to the delivery of aid in this ineffective and erroneous manner, and we call for the full activation of the land crossings to deliver humanitarian aid to northern Gaza."

The latest fatalities take to at least 21 the number of people killed when airdrops of aid have gone disastrously wrong, according to authorities in Gaza.

1611 GMT — Israeli ground assault in Rafah a ‘serious concern’: Latvia

Latvia has said that Israel's military assault in Rafah, southern Gaza, has caused "serious concern."

"A potential full-scale Israeli ground operation in Rafah causes serious concern, given the risks to the civilian population. The current priority is an immediate humanitarian pause, release of all hostages and provision of humanitarian assistance," the Latvian Foreign Ministry told Anadolu.

1600 GMT — Cairo talks over, Rafah offensive to proceed as planned: Israel

Israel has submitted Gaza truce mediators with its reservations about a Hamas proposal for a hostage-release deal and deems this round of negotiations in Cairo to have ended, a senior Israeli official has said.

The Israeli delegation is returning from the Egyptian capital and Israel will proceed with its assault in Rafah and other parts of Gaza as planned, the official added.

1544 GMT — Israel's Rafah invasion won't defeat Hamas: US

Israel undertaking a major Rafah offensive will not advance the objective of both Washington and Tel Aviv of defeating Hamas in Gaza, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has said.

"Smashing into Rafah, in his view, will not advance that objective," Kirby said in a briefing with reporters.

Kirby also noted that the US sees that the Karem Abu Salem crossing in Gaza is technically open but aid not getting in.

1508 GMT — Over 260 Palestinian athletes killed by Israeli attacks: official

At least 265 Palestinian sportsmen have been killed in Israeli attacks since last October, the Palestinian Football Association has said.

"The victims include players, administrators and technical staff, including 11 in the occupied West Bank," Jibril Rajoub, head of the association, told reporters.

"Dozens of athletes remain under the rubble, and we are unable to count their number," he said. "Many athletes are also held in Israeli jails."

1426 GMT — UK's Cameron calls for Israel to produce 'clear plan' for Rafah

Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said that the UK would not support a major Israeli offensive in Rafah "unless there was a very clear plan for how to protect people and save lives".

"We have not seen that plan, so in the circumstances, we will not support a major operation in Rafah," he added.

1408 GMT — Houthis vow to target ships involved in Israel trade

The leader of Yemen's Houthis, Abdul Malik al-Houthi has said the group would target ships of any company related to supplying or transporting goods to Israel regardless of their destination.

He said this was a fourth stage of escalation in retaliation to "the Israeli aggression on Rafah" in southern Gaza.

"From now on, we are also thinking about the fifth stage and the sixth stage, and we have very important, sensitive and influential choices on the enemies," he added.

1337 GMT — Hamas 'committed' to ceasefire deal as negotiators leave Cairo

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said that it still accepts a Gaza ceasefire proposal drawn by Egypt and Qatar.

"Our delegation left Cairo for Doha a while ago, and we confirm our commitment and adherence to our position on accepting the proposal drawn by mediators," senior Hamas member Izzat al-Rishq said.

He said an Israeli attack on Rafah city in southern Gaza "aims to sabotage efforts by mediators and escalate the aggression."

1319 GMT — US' halt on arms 'will harm operation plans' in Gaza: Israeli official

A US pause on arms transfer may change Israel’s operational plans in Gaza, a senior Israeli official has said.

"US President Joe Biden’s statement regarding delaying arms shipments to Israel will harm operational plans in the war,” the official was quoted as saying by the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

"Israel could be forced to rationalise the use of weapons,” he added, without elaborating.

1306 GMT — Israeli lawmaker threatens to use 'imprecise missiles' in Gaza

A member of the Knesset (Israel's parliament) has threatened to use “imprecise missiles” in the war on Gaza in response to a US pause on arms transfer to Tel Aviv.

"The US is threatening not to give us precise missiles. Oh, yeah? Well, I got news for the US. We have imprecise missiles, and we have the right to defend ourselves," Tally Gotlive, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, told Israeli Channel 7.

"So, maybe instead of using a precise missile and take down a specific room, or a specific building, I'll use my imprecise missiles, and I'll just destroy ten buildings. That's what I'll do."

1240 GMT — Israel's attack on Rafah aims to 'obstruct' truce talks: Hamas

A Hamas official has accused Israel of carrying out incursions in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah to block talks seeking a truce in the seven-month war in the Palestinian territory.

Israel's military invasion in Rafah and its border crossing "aim to obstruct the efforts of the mediators", Ezzat al Rishq said in a statement, adding Hamas had sent a delegation to the talks in Cairo and that it was still committed to accepting a ceasefire proposal presented by mediators.

1237 GMT — Israel raids Al Jazeera office in Nazareth

Israel raided the Nazareth offices of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite news network, days after the government shuttered the network's offices in Israel.

The Ministry of Communications said forces confiscated equipment from the office in northern Israel that had been used to transmit live broadcasts of Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

"Israel won’t let Hamas broadcast from here," Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on X.

1226 GMT — Türkiye refutes Israeli claims of Ankara easing trade ban

Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat has said that Israeli claims of Ankara easing its trade ban with Israel are "absolutely fictional and have nothing to do with reality."

Türkiye's trade ban with Israel will remain in place until a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and humanitarian aid flow to the region is secured, the minister said in a post on X.

1149 GMT — Israel kills two Hezbollah militants in clashes

Two more Hezbollah members were killed in clashes with Israeli forces near the border with Lebanon, the Lebanese group has said.

The group identified the slain fighters as Ali Ahmed Hamza and Ahmed Hassan Maatouq, without providing any details about the circumstances leading to their death.

The new fatalities brought to 292 Hezbollah militants killed in clashes with Israeli forces since Oct. 8, 2023, according to an Anadolu tally based on statements released by the group.

1104 GMT — Three Palestinians killed in Israeli strike in Gaza's Rafah

At least three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Rafah city in southern Gaza, a medical source has told Anadolu news agency.

The attack targeted a group of civilians near a mosque in southern Rafah, eyewitnesses said.

Massive destruction was reported in the area. The Israeli army on Tuesday seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on the bor der with Egypt, a vital route for humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

1020 GMT — Doctors Without Borders voices fear of 'further catastrophe' in Rafah

The secretary general of the humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) has voiced fear of “further catastrophe” in Rafah, in southern Gaza, and warned of the risk of more civilian casualties, a clear reference to Israel's ongoing onslaught that began on Monday.

Christopher Lockyear told Anadolu that Rafah is one of the “very few arteries into Gaza that can provide essential humanitarian assistance to the people who are desperately in need.”

Lockyear noted that bombs are causing direct casualties, but there are also “silent killings that are ongoing on a daily basis for those people who can't receive medical treatment.”

1018 GMT — Some 80,000 have fled Rafah since Israel hiked assaults this week: UN

The United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees said that about 80,000 people had fled Rafah in the three days since Israel intensified attacks in the south Gaza city.

"Since Israeli forces military operation intensified on 6 May, around 80,000 people have fled Rafah, seeking refuge elsewhere," UNRWA said on X, formerly Twitter, warning that "the toll on these families is unbearable. Nowhere is safe".

1006 GMT — Barclays AGM disrupted by activists protesting against violence in Gaza

Barclays' annual shareholder gathering was disrupted by activists protesting against violence in Gaza, with the bank's Chairman Nigel Higgins requesting they be ejected from the meeting taking place in Glasgow.

"We are totally prepared to answer questions on this topic but there is no point engaging in megaphone diplomacy," Higgins told protesters who shouted allegations about the bank's links to the financing of defence firms that produce equipment used by the Israeli army.

Barclays said earlier this month it does not invest its own money in companies that supply weapons used by Israel in Gaza.

1000 GMT — Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered

The Israeli military said that it has reopened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza after days of closure, but the UN said no humanitarian aid has yet entered and there is no one to receive it on the Palestinian side after workers fled during Israel's military incursion in the area.

Aid officials warn that the prolonged closure of the two crossings could cause the collapse of aid operations, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the U.N. says a “full-blown famine” is already underway in the north.

1000 GMT — Gaza truce talks resume in Cairo as Israel pounds Rafah

Gaza ceasefire talks resumed in Cairo with participation of all parties to find a "consensus formula" over conflicting points, according to Egyptian Al-Qahera news TV.

The US, Egypt and Qatar are meanwhile ramping up efforts to close the gaps in a possible agreement for at least a temporary ceasefire and the release of some of the scores of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

Israel has linked the threatened Rafah offensive to the fate of those negotiations.

CIA chief William Burns, who has been shuttling around the region for talks on the ceasefire deal, met Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

With the seizure of Rafah, Israel now controls all of Gaza’s crossings for the first time since it withdrew troops and settlers from the territory nearly two decades ago, though it has maintained a blockade with Egypt's cooperation for most of that time.

The Rafah crossing has been a vital conduit for humanitarian aid since the start of the war and is the only place where people can enter and exit.

0900 GMT — Israel says Biden threat to stop arms 'very disappointing'

Two top Israeli officials criticised US President Joe Biden for threatening to stop certain arms supplies to Israel if it invades the crowded Gaza city of Rafah.

"This is a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war," Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said on public radio in Israel's first reaction to Biden's warning.

Israel has defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting "targeted raids" in the eastern areas of Rafah.

0830 GMT — 4 killed in Israeli strike on car in southern Lebanon

At least four people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a car in the town of Bafliyeh in southern Lebanon, the country’s civil defence said.

It, however, did not provide any details about the nationality of the victims.

A medical source earlier told Anadolu Agency that two people had been killed in the attack.

There was no Israeli comment on the report.

0754 GMT — Gaza death toll from brutal Israeli war tops 34,900

The Health Ministry in Gaza said that at least 34,904 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory during the Israeli war on the enclave.

The tally includes at least 60 deaths in the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 78,514 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war broke out when the Palestinian resistance group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

0530 GMT — Women, children killed as Israel pounds Rafah, block aid

Between Monday and Wednesday, 109 Palestinians have been killed and 296 injured, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said some of the deadliest recent attacks by Israeli forces took place in Rafah that has killed women and children in their homes:

- Nine Palestinians, including at least four children and two women, were reportedly killed and others injured when Israeli forces targeted a house in Yebna Refugee Camp in southeastern Rafah.

- Nine Palestinians, including four children and three women, were reportedly killed when a house was hit by Israeli forces on George Street in eastern Rafah.

- Four Palestinians, including two children and two women, were reportedly killed when Israeli forces targeted a house in Al Junainah neighbourhood in eastern Rafah.

- At least five Palestinians, including a woman and a child, were reportedly killed when a house was hit by Israeli forces in Al Barahma neighbourhood in Tal As Sultan area in western Rafah.

- Four Palestinians, including one woman, were reportedly killed when a house was targeted by Israeli forces in Al Junainah neighbourhood in eastern Rafah.

- Four Palestinians were reportedly killed when two apartments were hit by Israeli forces in Tal As Sultan area in western Rafah.

0116 GMT — US working with Arab states to rebuild Gaza: Biden

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed the weapons delay to Israel, telling the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense that the US paused “one shipment of high payload munitions.”

“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin said. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.”

It also comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the air strikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and US laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," US President Joe Biden told CNN. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.”

“We’re not walking away from Israel’s security," Biden continued. “We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.”

0402 GMT — 360,000 buildings damaged or destroyed in Gaza: ESCWA

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said that 360,000 buildings in Gaza have been partially damaged or destroyed amid Israel’s war on the tiny enclave.

ESCWA published a report compiling data from various institutions and organisations regarding the physical damage caused by Israel's attacks on Gaza to buildings and infrastructure.

The report included data from different periods provided by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) and the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and Oregon State University.

The report said that two percent of the population in Gaza was killed, four percent were injured and almost the entire population was displaced.

0324 GMT — Spain’s king says violence in Gaza has already reached an unimaginable level

The violence in Gaza has already reached an unimaginable level, Spanish King Felipe VI said.

Speaking at an event in the capital Madrid, he said that the growing violence in Gaza is something that was rarely experienced during previous conflicts in the region, according to the state-run EFE news agency.

Felipe noted that its consequences are projected globally with "many uncertainties."

“This did not begin on October 7, but it was when this terrible escalation of violence began with the devastating destruction and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It has already reached unimaginable levels and is of utmost concern to everyone,” he said.

0128 GMT — Riot police, protesters clash at Amsterdam Gaza demo

Dutch riot police clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters as officers moved in to clear barricades at the University of Amsterdam, scene of upheaval since Monday.

Police said around midnight (2200 GMT) that they had arrested 32 people for "violence, destruction, assault and incitement" at the university and on a major thoroughfare in the centre of the Dutch capital.

Local television images showed dozens of police dressed in riot gear exchanging blows with a group of protesters as officers cleared out an area in front of the Binnengasthuis building in Amsterdam's city centre.

Students are demanding that the University of Amsterdam (UvA) sever ties with Israel over the war in Gaza and are inspired by ongoing demonstrations at US campuses.

2330 GMT — US working with Arab states to rebuild Gaza — Biden

US President Joe Biden has told CNN that he was working with Arab states that are prepared to rebuild Gaza and help with the transition to a two-state solution, following Israel's war on besieged Gaza.

Biden's also publicly warned Israel for the first time that the US would stop supplying it weapons if Israeli military make a major invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.

"I made it clear that if they go into Rafah..., I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem," Biden said.

He also acknowledged US weapons have been used by Israel to kill civilians in Gaza, where Israel has mounted a seven-month-old invasion that has so far killed 34,789 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

2300 GMT — Hamas says Israel not serious about reaching truce deal

Israeli hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to "create excuses to avoid negotiations" and Israel is not serious about achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, a senior member of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said.

"Israel is not serious about reaching an agreement. It is using negotiations as a pretext to occupy Rafah city and the (Rafah) fence crossing," Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' Political Bureau, said on Telegram.

2249 GMT — US representatives decry arrest of student protestors at GWU

US Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib have expressed support for pro-Palestine protestors who were arrested earlier at George Washington University (GWU) in the US capital.

"Students are protesting all across the country because they believe our government ha s failed to recognize the common humanity of all people," Bush said at a news conference alongside the students.

"They're protesting because they oppose our government's silence and complicity in the deaths of at least 35,000 Palestinians," she added.

Her remarks came after police dispersed a pro-Palestine tent encampment at GWU early Wednesday. Dozens of students who are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and demand that their school divest from Israel were arrested.

Inviting colleagues at Congress to join her and Tlaib and "these brave students on the right side of history," Bush said, "We must hear the demands of these students because we believe strongly that change must happen."

Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, said that "under the cover of darkness," the police pepper sprayed, brutalized and arrested non-violent student protesters at GWU.

"It is outrageous that police are now entering college campuses across our nation with their guns drawn, targeting students with pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets and tasers. Shame!" she added.

For our live updates from Wednesday, May 8, click here.