Live blog: UNRWA warns of critical health care shortages in Gaza

Thursday, June 27, 2024

1832 GMT — The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has issued a stark warning about the urgent need for health care in Gaza.

Severe shortages of essential medicines and fuel are hampering life-saving operations in the region, it said.

"People in Gaza desperately need healthcare. Only a fraction of UNRWA health centres are operational," the agency said on X.

"Safe and sustained aid access can't wait any longer," it added.

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1812 GMT — Israel claims to have detected 40 rockets launched from Lebanon

The Israeli army claimed that it had detected a rocket barrage fired from Lebanon towards a northern Israeli city, according to local media.

"The Israeli army said 40 rockets were fired toward Safed in the latest barrage from Lebanon," said Israeli daily Haaretz.

"About half of them were intercepted. The other half fell in open areas," said the newspaper.

Haaretz added that no casualties have been reported yet, but there was damage to property, and several fires broke out.

1750 GMT — Ship attacked in Red Sea in latest maritime assault carried out by Houthis

A ship travelling through the Red Sea reported being hit in an attack carried out by Yemen's Houthis, authorities said, the latest in the campaign targeting shipping over Israel's war on Gaza.

The ship issued a radio call off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida saying it had been struck, the private security firm Ambrey first reported.

A warship in the area was responding to the attack, Ambrey said.

1749 GMT — Hezbollah reports 1 member killed in Israeli air strike

Another Hezbollah member was killed in Israeli an air strike in eastern Lebanon, the group said.

The fighter was identified as Ali Alaedine from Sohmor in the western Bekaa Valley.

The death toll for the Lebanese group's members has now risen to 348 since October 8, according to a tally by Anadolu news agency.

1741 GMT — 68 sick and injured children plus companions leave Gaza in first medical evacuation since May

Israeli authorities say 68 people — sick and injured children plus their companions — have been allowed out of Gaza and into Egypt in the first medical evacuation since May, when the territory's sole travel crossing was shut down.

The Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, known by its acronym COGAT, said that the evacuation was carried out in coordination with officials from the United States, Egypt and the international community.

The children and their companions left Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the patients were to travel to Egypt and further abroad for medical treatment.

1740 GMT — Jordan sends 50 humanitarian aid trucks to Gaza

Jordan said it dispatched a new humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza as the Israeli army continues its onslaught against the Palestinian enclave amid international warnings of a looming famine.

"A fresh humanitarian aid convoy has crossed into Gaza, destined for our fellow citizens," the Hashemite Charity Organization said in a statement.

The convoy was organised jointly by the Jordanian Armed Forces and the Hashemite Charity Organization.

1734 GMT — Melbourne University faces backlash for issuing 'general misconduct' notices to pro-Palestinian students

The administration of Melbourne University in Australia is facing backlash for serving "general misconduct" notices to pro-Palestinian students, as a group that participated in protests against Israel's "genocidal war" in Gaza questioned the university's commitment to combating racism and Islamophobia on campus.

An online petition has also been launched, with netizens openly criticising Melbourne University authorities for warning pro-Palestinian students for their stance against the ongoing Israeli military attacks, which have killed over 37,000 people, the majority of whom are women and children.

At least 19 pro-Palestine student protesters received "general misconduct" notices from the university administration, according to a statement posted on X by the varsity group Unimelb.

1729 GMT — ICC allows UK to submit arguments on jurisdiction over Israelis in Gaza case

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled that the United Kingdom can submit legal arguments to judges mulling the prosecution's request for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Court documents made public showed that the UK, an ICC member state, filed a request with the court earlier this month to provide written observations on whether "the court can exercise jurisdiction over Israeli nationals, in circumstances where Palestine cannot exercise criminal jurisdiction over Israeli nationals (under) the Oslo Accords".

The judges said the court would also accept submissions from other interested parties on the legal issue, but set a July 12 deadline for filings.

1652 GMT — Israeli ground offensive in Gaza's Shujaiya is continuation of 'genocidal war': Hamas

The Palestinian group Hamas slammed the Israeli army for its ground offensive in the Shujaiya neighbourhood east of Gaza City, describing it as the continuation of the "genocidal war" against Palestinians, in which the US administration is a "partner" in the crime.

The statement came after the Israeli army launched a ground offensive in Shujaiya, the third since the war began on October 7 last year.

"The intensive shelling on Shujaiya, east of Gaza City, is a continuation of the genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, fully supported and covered by the US administration, a partner in these crimes," Hamas said.

1628 GMT — Prohibiting US officials from citing Palestinian death toll is 'disgusting': Congresswoman

It is "disgusting" that members of the US House of Representatives would support legislation to prohibit US officials from even citing the Palestinian death toll from eight months of Israeli attacks, said an outspoken member of Congress.

"I wanted to say how absolutely unconscionable that my colleagues are offering an amendment to prevent our US government from even citing the Palestinian death toll," Rashida Tlaib said on the House floor.

Since 1948, she said, there has been a "coordinated effort" to dehumanise Palestinians and erase Palestinians from existence, referring to the Nakba or ethnic cleansing of Palestinians during the 1948 war.

1613 GMT — Canada sanctions seven Israelis, five entities over West Bank violence

Canada imposed sanctions on seven Israeli settlers it said had taken part in extremist violence in the occupied West Bank, the second time in just over a month Ottawa has taken such a step.

The foreign ministry said it had also imposed punitive measures on five entities, including settler organisations.

"We remain deeply concerned by extremist settler violence in the West Bank and condemn such acts, not only for the significant impact they have on Palestinian lives, but also for the corrosive impact they have on prospects for lasting peace," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.

1556 GMT — Palestinians flee as Israeli forces return to Gaza's north

Palestinians have fled eastern Gaza City under heavy bombardment as the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for the area it had previously declared clear.

The flare-up in northern Gaza's Shujaiya district, which witnesses and medics said caused numerous casualties, comes as fears grow of a wider regional conflagration involving Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah.

In Gaza City, a witness in Shujaiya who declined to be named told AFP news agency the situation was "very difficult and frightening" as Israeli military vehicles approached the area amid air strikes and shelling.

"Residents are running through the streets in terror... a number of wounded and martyrs lie in the streets."

1507 GMT — US, Russia, Ireland latest countries to warn against travel to Lebanon

The United States, Russia and Ireland were the latest countries to recommend against travel to Lebanon amid fears of a possible war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

In a statement, the US Embassy in Beirut asked its nationals to strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon, and for those in the country to take precautionary measures, including avoiding travel to southern Lebanon and the border areas with Syria.

The Russian Embassy in Beirut recommended its citizens in Lebanon to refrain from travelling to the country.

The Irish Foreign Ministry advised against all travel to certain areas of Lebanon and urged Irish citizens currently in the country to exercise extreme caution.

1500 GMT — UN renews mandate on Golan Heights monitoring mission

The UN Security Council extended a mandate to December 31 for a UN mission monitoring a 1974 ceasefire between Syria and Israel.

The unanimously adopted resolution urges all parties to fully cooperate with the operations of the mission, to respect its privileges and immunities and to ensure its freedom of movement, as well as the security of and unhindered and immediate access for UN personnel carrying out the mandate.

The UN Disengagement Observer Force has been stationed in the Golan Heights, a jagged plateau in southwestern Syria to monitor a disengagement accord between Syria and Israel, which followed the 1967 Mideast war.

1452 GMT — Canada plans to evacuate 20,000 nationals from Lebanon

Canada has emergency rescue plans in place to evacuate 20,000 of its nationals if war breaks out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Canada's head military commander said in a report published Thursday.

But General Wayne Eyre said Canada cannot manage the herculean task by itself.

"We can't do it alone," Eyre said Wednesday during an interview with CBC News. "It will very much be a coalition effort, and we are tightly tied in — very tight — with our allies."

1435 GMT — 21 Gaza cancer patients enter Egypt via Kerem Shalom crossing

Twenty-one cancer patients crossed from war-ravaged Gaza into Egypt through the Kerem Shalom crossing, a medical source in Egypt's El-Arish city said.

"They will be transported to the United Arab Emirates for treatment," the source, who requested anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media, told AFP news agency.

It is the first evacuation from Gaza since the Rafah border crossing was closed in early May, when Israeli forces took over the Palestinian side of the terminal.

1410 GMT — Twenty-two more soldiers injured in last 24 hours: Israeli army

The Israeli army said that 22 of its soldiers had been injured in clashes in the last 24 hours.

A military statement said the toll included 16 soldiers, who were injured in the occupied West Bank.

It, however, did not provide any details where the other soldiers were wounded. The army said that one soldier was killed and 16 others were injured during a military raid in Jenin in the northern West Bank.

Military figures show that at least 667 soldiers have been killed and 3,944 others injured since the start of Israeli war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.

1402 GMT — Norway slams lawsuit against UN agency for Palestinian refugees

Norway strongly opposed the Israeli-initiated lawsuit against the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency (UNRWA), warning that the accusations against some individuals coincide with "a politically motivated campaign aimed at weakening the agency."

"We strongly oppose the attack on UNRWA and their staff, including the Norwegian diplomat who previously served as Deputy Commissioner-General of the agency," Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement.

Eide's announcement came after families of Israeli hostages in Gaza filed a lawsuit against the UNRWA in a US federal court in New York on Monday, claiming that the aid agency helped finance Hamas by paying employees in US dollars.

1358 GMT — Israel mobilises troops near Lebanon for war drills: report

The Israeli army has begun to move troops near the border area with Lebanon amid military exercises simulating a war in the country, according to Israeli media.

The army published footage of its military exercises in preparation for a possible full-blown war with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

A military statement said the Golani Brigade's 12th Brigade carried out a drill simulating fighting in complex terrain.

The army's 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade also carried out a military drill that included various combat scenarios, including movement in complex terrain and advancing along a "mountainous route," the military said.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that the army began to move its forces toward the north near the border with Lebanon amid an escalation of tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

1329 GMT — Israel's military operation in Rafah nears its end: report

The Israeli army is close to ending its ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to local media.

Defying international warnings, Tel Aviv launched its ground attack on Rafah on May 6, with its army capturing the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a vital route to humanitarian aid into the blockaded enclave.

"The army continues to advance in Rafah and the operation is about to end," Israeli Channel 12 said.

1314 GMT — France 'extremely concerned' about Lebanon-Israel border violence: ministry

Paris is "extremely concerned" about fighting on Lebanon's border with Israel, France's foreign ministry said, calling "all sides to exercise the greatest restraint."

"Violence on the border with Israel is intensifying dramatically," the ministry said in a statement, calling for "implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701" governing the border zone and vowing that France remains "fully committed to prevent any risk of escalation along the Blue Line" between the two countries.

1242 GMT — 7 killed, dozens injured in intensive Israeli bombardment of Gaza's Shejaiya

At least seven civilians were killed and dozens injured in intensive Israeli bombardment of the Shejaiya neighbourhood in Gaza, the Civil Defence Agency said.

"Seven martyrs and dozens of injured were admitted to the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza," spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told Anadolu news agency.

"There are many dead people still on the roads and inside homes," he said, adding that civil defence teams were unable to reach the site to "retrieve the martyrs and the injured" due to the intensity of the Israeli bombardment.

"The situation is difficult and painful amid shelling and bombardment of populated areas," Basal said.

1237 GMT — Gaza's residents enduring 'catastrophic hunger': UN

In war-torn Gaza, Palestinians face dire hunger and health crises, relying on the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) for vital support amid ongoing displacement, the agency said.

"Since the war began, Palestinians in #Gaza have faced immense suffering," the UNRWA stated on X. "They endure catastrophic hunger, with children dying from malnutrition and dehydration," the agency said.

"Gazans are clinging to life, displaced repeatedly across a ravaged territory, and looking to @UNRWA for protection," the statement added.

1221 GMT — Israel charges Al-Aqsa imam with terror incitement

The imam of Al-Aqsa mosque denounced a "fabricated" campaign against him after being charged with inciting terrorism for allegedly praising Palestinian gunmen who killed four Israelis, including a soldier.

Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, 85, formerly mufti of Jerusalem and now head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem, preaches at the occupied East Jerusalem holy site.

Sabri was indicted this week for inciting terrorism for comments he made that allegedly supported an attacker who shot at guards in the occupied West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim, killing a soldier, in October 2022.

1137 GMT — Palestinian death toll in Israel's war on Gaza reaches 37,765

Gaza's death toll from Israel's ongoing attacks has surged to 37,765 after 47 more Palestinians were killed, the Health Ministry in the battered enclave said.

At least 86,429 other people have also been injured since October 7, 2023, the ministry added in a statement.

"Israeli forces killed 47 people and injured 52 others in three 'massacres' against families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.

1105 GMT — US urges citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon

The US Embassy in Beirut advised American citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon amid growing border tensions with Israel.

The embassy said that Americans should not travel to southern Lebanon, the border area with Syria and refugee settlements amid fears of a full-blown war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

"We remind US citizens to strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon. The security environment remains complex and can change quickly," it added in a security alert.

1049 GMT — Russia recommends citizens to refrain from travelling to Lebanon

The Russian Embassy in Beirut recommended its citizens to refrain from travelling to Lebanon.

Speaking in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV channel, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov urged Russians to wait until the situation in the country calms down.

Cross-border tension between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah, continuing since the Gaza war in October, has escalated in recent weeks, stoking fears of an all-out war.

1001 GMT — UN criticises Israel for unleashing dogs on Palestinian inmates

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Jeremy Laurence criticised Israeli soldiers for unleashing dogs on detained Palestinians.

Laurence responded in writing to questions from Anadolu about Israeli soldiers using dogs to attack Palestinian prisoners, engaging in acts of sexual violence, and using a wounded Palestinian as a human shield in the occupied West Bank.

“We are aware of reports that dogs have been released on detainees, in some cases resulting in attacks and bites,” said Laurence.

“Such actions constitute serious violations of Israel’s obligations under occupation law concerning protected persons and under international human rights law concerning individual rights to life and health, the absolute prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” Laurence noted.

0945 GMT — 21 Palestinian patients leave besieged Gaza for medical treatment abroad

Twenty-one Palestinian patients left Gaza for medical treatment in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), a medical source has said.

“Some 21 sick and wounded Palestinians, suffering from difficult health conditions, left Gaza to receive treatment abroad,” the source told Anadolu.

He said the patients left the blockaded enclave through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza in coordination between the WHO and Israel.

0939 GMT — Norway to accept patients from Gaza: Premier

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has confirmed that the Nordic country will accept and treat injured Palestinians from Gaza, local media reported.

Norway will participate in the international effort to help Palestinians who badly need hospital treatment, according to media outlet VG.

The announcement comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) together with the EU said 9,000 Palestinians need urgent medical evacuation by the end of 2024, amid a brutal Israeli offensive on Gaza.

In addition, Norway will contribute to aircraft transporting Palestinian patients to other countries.

0927 GMT — Israeli protesters block roads to demand swap deal with Hamas

Israeli demonstrators blocked several roads across Israel to demand early elections and a swap deal with Palestinian group Hamas.

The country’s main coastal road, Route 2, linking between Tel Aviv and Haifa, was blocked in both directions, causing traffic jams, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

The protest was part of planned demonstrations to pile pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold early elections and reach a deal with Palestinians to secure the release of Israelis.

0759 GMT — Israeli forces raid Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank

Israeli army has raided the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank amid clashes with Palestinian residents, according to witnesses.

Several houses and shops were vandalised during the raid while eight Palestinians were detained before Israeli forces withdrew from the camp, witnesses said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its medics treated a Palestinian from gunshot wounds in Jenin.

The Israeli military has said a soldier was killed and 16 others were wounded during the raid.

0740 GMT — PA leader Abbas may visit Moscow in August

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may visit Russia in August, Russian state-run RIA news agency has reported, citing source.

The agency did not provide an exact date for the planned visit.

0655 GMT — Israel bombs refugee camp in Gaza, kills 8 Palestinians

Eight Palestinians were killed and several others injured as the Israeli army bombed the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, local media has reported.

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported that the Israeli army shelled the Alami area in Jabalia, the largest refugee camp in Gaza, killing at least eight Palestinians and injuring others.

According to reports, overnight Israeli air strikes also targeted five homes across Gaza City, causing fatalities and injuries.

0130 GMT — UN ready to deploy police force to Gaza — official

The United Nations is “ready to respond to any call by member states” to deploy a police force to Gaza, the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General for Peace Operations has said.

"If we are called on by the relevant bodies to help, of course, we would do our best," said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, answering a reporter’s question at UN headquarters in New York.

Pointing to numerous issues related to aid distribution in Gaza, Lacroix noted that incidents of looting have increased significantly.

He emphasised the need to find a solution to these problems, saying that involving a third party could be one of the options.

0356 GMT — Hundreds of Israelis take to the streets demanding end to war, release of hostages

Hundreds of Israelis have protested near the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv, demanding an end to the war and a deal to release the hostages held in Gaza.

The demonstrators, including the families of the hostages, marched from Habima Square to Begin Road, where the ministry is located, Israel’s Maariv daily reported.

They blocked Begin Road in the southbound direction.

The demonstrators held signs with slogans such as "Stop the war," "Deal now" and "Bring back all the captives."

0320 GMT — Dutch Foreign Ministry asks Israeli ambassador to 'report' over ICC spying claims

The Dutch Foreign Ministry has summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands to ask him to provide an explanation following allegations that Israeli spy services carried out a secret surveillance and espionage campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"The Israeli ambassador has been asked to report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with the allegations in the articles in The Guardian and +972 Magazine," the ministry said in a statement.

"The government regards such activities as a form of undesirable foreign interference and considers it totally undesirable," the statement said, noting that there is ongoing contact with the ICC on "various security concerns."

0023 GMT — Israel's Gallant threatens to return Lebanon to 'Stone Age'

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said during a visit to Washington that Israel's military is capable of taking Lebanon "back to the Stone Age" in any war with Hezbollah but insisted his regime prefers a diplomatic solution on the Israel-Lebanon border.

Speaking to reporters, Gallant also said he discussed with senior US officials his "day after" proposals for governance of post-war Gaza that would include local Palestinians, regional partners and the US, but that it would be "a long and complex process."

2301 GMT — Nearly 80 trespass arrests from pro-Palestine protest at University of Texas dropped

Nearly 80 criminal trespass arrests stemming from a pro-Palestine protest at the University of Texas have been dismissed, a prosecutor said, the latest dropped charges against demonstrators arrested on college campuses across the US this spring.

Delia Garza, a Democrat who is the elected attorney for Travis County, said 79 criminal trespass cases that were dismissed all stemmed from the April 29 protest. She said cases involving other offences remain pending.

2200 GMT — UN unable to use road approved by Israel for aid delivery

The United Nations has said it has not been able to use the single road approved by Israel to deliver humanitarian aid to southern besieged Gaza because of increased criminal activity and Israeli carnage nearby.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that Israeli authorities continue to restrict the use of alternative roads to the designated route from Karem Abu Salem — the only operational aid crossing from Israel into southern Gaza — to the Salah a-Din highway, a main north-south road.

Dujarric said, "The road that we've been told to use to access Kerem Shalom is now insecure for us because of increased criminal activity, so we have not been able to use that particular road."

2200 GMT — Israel kills two in Syria, wounds five in Lebanon

Israel has killed two people and wounded a soldier after striking southern Syria, Syrian regime media reported.

Regime-run SANA said the strikes over several points in the country's south also caused "material damage" and came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, without giving further information on the location of the strikes and damages.

In Lebanon, Israel wounded five people after striking a two-storey building in the town of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon, state media reported.

2026 GMT — US, Israel cite progress on resolving weapons rift

Israel and the United States have said they had made progress toward resolving a rift over US weapons supply after hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly accused President Joe Biden's administration of slowing down arms deliveries.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant met top officials over three days in Washington as he voiced hope for quietly working through disagreements with Israel's vital ally, drawing an implicit contrast to Netanyahu's more confrontational approach.

"During the meetings, we made significant progress, obstacles were removed, and bottlenecks were addressed," Gallant said after meeting with Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor.

Gallant said the progress was on "a variety of issues", including "the topic of force build-up and munition supply that we must bring to the state of Israel."

For our live updates from Wednesday, June 26, 2024, click here.