Live blog: Jordan to 'shoot down' any airspace target amid Israel-Iran feud

Saturday, August 10, 2024

2031 GMT — Jordan has informed Iran and Israel that it will “shoot down any target” in its airspace in case the confrontation escalates between the two nations.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made the announcement in an interview with the Al Arabiya channel.

He said Jordan “will not be a battlefield for any party.”

Israel anticipates attacks by the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, and Iran, in response to the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut last week, and Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran on July 31.

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2129 GMT — Russia 'shocked' by Israeli strike on Al-Taba'een school in Gaza

Moscow is deeply shocked by the Israeli bombing of the Al-Taba'een school, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

Such tragedies undermine international efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, Zakharova said in a statement.

“We confirm our principled and consistent position on the need for strict observance of the norms of international humanitarian law,” she said.

1916 GMT — Spain condemns Israel's latest deadly attack on Gaza school

Spain has condemned Israel’s latest deadly bombing of a school in Gaza, which left at least 100 people dead.

Israeli military aircraft targeted the Al-Taba'een school in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City while worshippers were performing the fajr (dawn) prayer, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

“We demand, once again, full compliance with the provisional measures imposed by the International Court of Justice and the protection of the civilian population,” Spain’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

1818 GMT — Two injured as Israeli fighter jets hit southern Lebanon

Two people were injured following an Israeli air strike on the town of Majdal Selm in southern Lebanon.

"An Israeli airstrike on the town of Majdal Selm resulted in a civilian sustaining minor injuries, as well as a medic from the Islamic Scout Association being injured while performing his humanitarian duties," the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The statement also mentioned that Israeli warplanes conducted an airstrike targeting several homes in the town of Tayr Harfa in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon.

In response, Hezbollah announced that its fighters had targeted "a gathering of enemy soldiers in Tel Shaar with rocket-propelled weapons, hitting them directly."

1814 GMT –– US 'deeply concerned' about Israeli strike on Gaza school refuge

The White House said it was "deeply concerned" about an Israeli air strike on a Gaza City school compound that local civil defence officials say killed around 100 people, adding to condemnation of the attack from Türkiye, Britain, several Arab states and the European Union's foreign policy chief.

The school compound in Gaza City housed displaced Palestinian families. The Gaza Civil Emergency Service, which has a credible record stating casualty numbers, said about 100 people were killed in Saturday's strike.

"We are deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following a strike by the Israel Defense Forces on a compound that included a school," the White House said in a statement, adding Washington was in touch with Israel to seek more information.

1353 GMT –– Iran seeks to avoid harming Gaza ceasefire talks

Iran has said it wanted to avoid negatively impacting Gaza ceasefire talks with its anticipated retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh last month.

Achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza remains a priority, Iran's permanent mission to the UN said in a statement following inquiries about whether Tehran would delay its retaliation plans for the planned ceasefire talks.

It also said that any agreement accepted by Hamas would also be acceptable to Iran.

The statement condemned Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran as a "violation of Iranian national security and sovereignty."

1807 GMT –– Hezbollah says launched 'squadrons of drones' at Israel after Sidon attack

Lebanon's Hezbollah group has said it launched explosive-laden drones at a north Israel army base following the killing of a Hamas commander in south Lebanon a day earlier.

Hezbollah militant launched "squadrons of explosive-laden drones" at an Israeli base near the town of Safed "in response to the attack and assassination carried out by the Israeli enemy in the city of Sidon" on Friday, the group said in a statement.

1754 GMT –– 6 Palestinians injured by Israeli army gunfire in occupied West Bank

At least six Palestinians, including three children, were injured amid Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its teams handled four injuries during clashes that broke out between residents and Israeli soldiers during a raid on the town of Beit Fourik near Nablus.

The organization reported that a 14-year-old was taken to the hospital with a foot injury, while a 16-year-old and 25-year-old were transferred with thigh injuries and another 16-year-old with a hand injury, all from live ammunition.

1252 GMT –– 'Bodies torn apart' of victims in Israeli attack on Gaza school

Rescuers in Gaza said an Israeli air strike on a religious school housing displaced Palestinians killed 93 people.

Civil defence workers in the territory said three Israeli missiles hit Tabaeen religious school in Gaza City while people performed dawn prayers.

"Their bodies were torn apart," civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. "It reminds us of the first days of the war in the Gaza Strip."

With nearly all of Gaza's 2.4 million people displaced during the war since October 7, many have sought refuge in school buildings, which have been hit at least 14 times since July 6, according to an AFP tally.

"Those who were inside the mosque were all killed. Even the floor above, where women and children were sleeping, was completely burned," local resident Abu Wassim said.

1209 GMT — Israeli army targets southern Lebanese towns

The Israeli army has launched a series of air raids on southern Lebanon, targeting the towns of Hula and Tayr Harfa, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.

The attacks in Tayr Harfa targeted multiple homes in the town's centre, while in Hula, the air strikes hit the Tal al-Hanbal neighbourhood.

The news agency did not report any casualties from the attacks.

The Israeli military has not yet stated the air strikes.

1208 GMT — Türkiye says Israel committed ‘crime against humanity’ by killing over 100 civilians sheltering in Gaza school

Israel has committed a “new crime against humanity” by killing over 100 civilians who had taken refuge in a school in the Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said.

“This attack demonstrated once again that the Netanyahu government intends to sabotage the negotiations for a permanent ceasefire,” a ministry statement said.

“International actors who do not take steps to stop Israel are complicit in Israel's crimes,” it added.

1150 GMT — Israel attacked school with 3 massive bombs: Gaza media office

The director of the Government Media Office in Gaza has said that Israeli aircraft targeted the Tabaeen School in Gaza City, which is sheltering over 6,000 displaced people, with three massive bombs.

In a statement to Anadolu, Ismail Thawabteh said the Israeli warplanes dropped three bombs, each weighing over 900 kg on the school.

The attack resulted in immediate fatalities of at least 100 people, with dozens more suffering severe injuries, including amputations.

Thawabteh added that this “massacre” coincides with the “destruction of the health system in northern Gaza,” leaving no hospitals in the Gaza province and northern areas capable of handling such a large number of casualties.

1140 GMT — EU top diplomat 'horrified' by Gaza school strike

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has expressed horror at a deadly strike by Israel on a school housing displaced people in Gaza.

"Horrified by images from a sheltering school in Gaza hit by an Israeli strike, with reportedly dozens of Palestinian victims. At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There's no justification for these massacres," Borrell wrote on X.

1118 GMT — Palestinian presidency holds US government responsible for Israeli school ‘massacre’

The Palestinian presidency has held the US government responsible for Israel’s attack on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza.

In a statement, Nabih Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Presidency, condemned the attack and held the US administration “responsible for the massacre due to its financial, military, and political support for Israel,” according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Israeli army targeted with missiles the Al-Taba'een school in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood housing displaced people, killing at least 100 Palestinians, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza.

1115 GMT — Gaza death toll nears 39,800 as Israel kills 40 more Palestinians

The Israeli army has killed 40 more Palestinians in Gaza, taking the overall death toll to 39,790 since last October 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 91,702 other people have been injured in the assault.

“Israeli forces killed 40 people and injured 140 others in three ‘massacres’ against families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

1100 GMT — UN rapporteur accuses Israel of 'genocide' after school assault

The UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine accused Israel of carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza.

Describing Gaza as "the largest and most shameful concentration camp of the 21st century," Francesca Albanese wrote on X: "Israel is genociding the Palestinians one neighbourhood at the time, one hospital at the time, one school at the time, one refugee camp at the time, one 'safe zone' at the time.”

Albanese’s comments came after the early Saturday attack when the Israeli military bombed the Tabaeen school in the Daraj neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, which Palestinian officials say killed at least 100 Palestinians.

She pointed to the use of US and European weapons in Israeli attacks, expressing dismay at what she termed the "indifference of all 'civilised nations'" to the situation in Gaza.

“May the Palestinians forgive us for our collective inability to protect them, honouring the most basic meaning of (international) law,” Albanese said.

1045 GMT — 68% of Germans oppose military support for Israel: Survey

Some 68 percent of Germans rejected a military support for Israel, should the war spread to Lebanon or Iran, according to an opinion poll released by public broadcaster ARD. 


Compared to a survey from March, criticism of the military actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in the Middle East is growing among the German population.


Some 57 percent of those questioned said Israel's military offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on October 7 has now gone too far. That is an increase of seven percentage points.


The number of respondents who consider military action in Gaza to be appropriate dropped by seven percentage points to merely 21 percent. Only 4 percent think it did not go far enough.


1030 GMT — Israeli army casts doubt on death toll from Gaza school bombing

The Israeli army cast doubt on the reported death toll from the bombing of the Tabaeen School in central Gaza City, which Palestinian officials say resulted in at least 100 fatalities and numerous injuries.

In a statement, the Israeli military questioned the accuracy of the reported casualties, claiming that only 20 people were killed.

The army claimed that their intelligence suggested the school, which was housing displaced civilians, was used for “promoting Hamas activities.”

1040 GMT — ‘Now is the time to get a ceasefire deal,’ US vice president tells pro-Palestine protesters

US Vice President Kamala Harris told pro-Palestine protesters chanting slogans at her campaign rally in Arizona that it is time to “get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done.”

According to The Hill news website, Harris responded to pro-Palestine supporters chanting "Free Palestine" at the rally in Phoenix.

“I have been clear: now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done. Now is the time,” she said.

Stressing that both US President Joe Biden and she are working to get a ceasefire agreement and for the return of the prisoners, Harris said she respected the views of pro-Palestine supporters.

0945 GMT — Palestinian presidency holds US government responsible for Israeli school ‘massacre’

The Palestinian presidency held the US government responsible for Israel’s attack on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza.

In a statement, Nabih Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Presidency, condemned the attack and held the US administration “responsible f or the massacre due to its financial, military, and political support for Israel,” according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

0833 GMT — Israel targets 13 Gaza shelters in August — Civil Defence

Israel has conducted air strikes on 13 shelter centres in Gaza, where displaced Palestinians have been seeking refuge, since the beginning of August, the Civil Defence spokesperson in the besieged Palestinian enclave said.

The latest attack came on early Saturday as Israeli military bombed the Al-Taba'een school in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, killing at least 100 Palestinians.

In a news conference, Mahmoud Basal, the Civil Defence spokesperson in Gaza, said the Israeli attack on the Al-Taba’een school hit two floors – A floor housing women and another floor that served as a prayer room for displaced civilians.

The latest strike has resulted in numerous casualties, with many people still unaccounted for, he added.

“We demand the world to intervene immediately to stop the massacres against defenceless civilians in shelters,” Basal said.

0700 GMT — Egypt says Israel lacks political will to end Gaza war

Egypt said Israel's "deliberate killing" of unarmed Palestinians shows that it lacks a political will to end the war in Gaza.

Egypt's foreign ministry statement came after more than 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike on a Gaza school sheltering displaced people, according to the official Palestinian news agency.

0645 GMT — Palestinian factions condemn Israel’s ‘horrific massacre’ of Palestinian worshippers

Palestinian factions strongly condemned the "horrific massacre" perpetrated by the Israeli army against displaced Palestinians seeking refuge at the Al-Taba'een school in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, central Gaza.

The Islamic Jihad movement labeled the attack as a "full-fledged war crime," and said: "choosing the timing of the dawn prayer to carry out this horrific and terrible massacre confirms that the enemy had the intention to cause the largest possible number of martyrs among civilians, including children and the elderly."

The Palestinian group Hamas also issued a statement condemning the “massacre,” calling it "a severe crime against humanity.”

Fatah spokesperson Munther Al-Hayek said the attack is "a heinous crime against displaced civilians" and called on the international community to intervene immediately.

0500 GMT — Israeli 'precise' strike kills 100+ Palestinians in Gaza shelter

The Israeli army has admitted responsibility for a strike that killed at least 100 people in a school housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, calling it a "precise strike."

Ismail Al-Thawabta, director general of the Gaza government media office, told AFP that the strike "resulted in more than 100 martyrs and dozens of injuries, most of which are in severe and critical condition".

The government media office said that the school was housing about 250 women and children, about half of them women and children.

The Islamic Jihad Palestinian military group said that the strike took place "during the dawn prayer".

Israel's army said it had "precisely struck" Hamas fighters claiming they were operating within a command and control centre embedded in the Al-Taba'een school.

The strike comes two days after authorities in Gaza said more than 18 people were killed in Israeli strikes on two other schools in Gaza City.

"Enough!" shouted Khan Yunis resident Ahmed al-Najjar.

"Have mercy on us, for God's sake, the young children and women are dying in the streets. Enough!"

Read more here.

0412 GMT — US Central Command says it destroys Houthi missile, vessel in Yemen

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it " destroyed" a Houthi missile launcher and an uncrewed surface vessel in Yemen.

"Additionally, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed two Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles over the Red Sea," it wrote on X.

The weapons presented a "clear and imminent threat" to US and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region, said CENTCOM. "

This reckless and dangerous behaviour by Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security.”

0230 GMT — Israel bombs school in Gaza, killing at least 100 displaced Palestinians

Israel has killed more than 100 Palestinians and wounded dozens in a strike on a school in Gaza City, according to official WAFA news agency.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli military struck the school hosting displaced Palestinians.

"Forty martyrs and dozens wounded after the Israeli bombing of the Al-Tabai'een school in the Al-Sahaba area in Gaza City," civil defence agency spokesman Mahmoud Basal said earlier in a post on Telegram.

0052 GMT — US troops come under drone attack in Syria

US troops in Syria have been attacked by a drone, a US official told the Reuters news agency, though there were no injuries according to initial reports.

"Initial reports do not indicate any injuries; however, medical evaluations are ongoing. We are currently conducting a damage assessment," the official added, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The US has a significant military presence in the Middle East, with approximately 45,000 personnel, numerous bases, and formidable air and naval fleets, heightening concerns of a potential regional conflict.

The US currently has around 900 special forces soldiers in Syria to support the terrorist group YPG/PKK, which uses the name SDF.

The US has smaller bases such as the al-Omar oil field and Al-Shaddadi, mostly in the country's northeast, and a small outpost known as the Al-Tanf garrison near Syria's border with Iraq and Jordan.

0026 GMT — US tells Israel escalation 'in no party's interest'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in a phone call that the escalation of tensions in the Middle East was "in no party's interest" while also stressing the need for a Gaza ceasefire, the State Department said.

"The Secretary reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security and discussed how escalation is in no party's interest," the State Department said in a statement.

Blinken stressed the "urgent need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza" that could release hostages held in the enclave and "create the conditions for broader regional stability," the State Department added.

0027 GMT — European countries welcome efforts of 'mediators' of Gaza truce

European countries, including major powers such as France and Italy, have expressed support for joint efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the US to reach a ceasefire in besieged Gaza.

"The war in Gaza must stop," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote X. "This must be clear to everyone."

On the Italian side, the Prime Minister's Office published a statement that said, "Italy supports the efforts of the US, Egypt and Qatar to reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2735."

"A ceasefire in Gaza is increasingly urgent to end the suffering of the civilian population, to ensure necessary humanitarian assistance, and to facilitate regional de-escalation," it said.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced Austria's support for the joint "to contribute to averting a regional escalation; to allow for full humanitarian access to civilians and to ensure the release of all remaining hostages, including Tal Shoham."

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide wrote on X: "After more than ten months of war, there is no more time to waste. The suffering must end."

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry stressed the country's support. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria reiterates its position that reaching an agreement would contribute to the overall efforts for de-escalation in the Middle East and for alleviating the humanitarian situation."

2326 GMT — Israel kills two more Palestinian journalists in Gaza

Israel has killed two more journalists in southern Gaza, a media group said.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate mourned Tamim Muammar and Abdullah al-Susi and said they were killed in separate raids in Khan Younis.

It said Muammar worked for Palestine Voice Radio while al-Susi was employed with Al-Aqsa Channel.

The Syndicate said the killings are "systematic crimes" by the Israeli army, and it urged the International Criminal Court's prosecutor to open an investigation into Israeli crimes against Palestinian journalists.

Muammar was killed, along with 13 of his family members, in an Israeli airstrike on his family's home. Al-Susi was killed with several family members, according to the Palestinian news agency, WAFA.

2005 GMT — Biden bankrolls Bibi's war on Gaza with new $3.5B allocation

Biden administration is set to provide Israel's Netanyahu regime with $3.5 billion to spend on US weapons and military equipment, releasing the money months after it was appropriated by the US Congress, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The US State Department notified lawmakers that the government intended to release billions of dollars worth of "foreign military financing: to Israel, CNN reported, adding that the money comes from the $14.1 billion supplemental funding bill for Israel passed in April.

Israeli hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [also known as Bibi] shares a strong relationship with US President Joe Biden, who identifies himself as a Zionist, and is accused of being complicit in genocide of Palestinians in besieged Gaza.

US never holds back from arming Israel, regardless of alarming Gaza civilian casualties. Washington gives Israel $3.8 billion in annual military dole and often shields its ally at the United Nations and other forums.

2000 GMT — Israeli media publish footage of army drone strike on unarmed Palestinians

Israeli media have published a video of a drone strike that killed a group of unarmed Palestinian civilians in besieged Gaza.

Published by broadcaster Channel 14, the video showed the Israeli army targeting Palestinian civilians as they were returning to inspect their homes.

The civilians in the video are clearly seen to have no weapons on them as they were struck by the Israeli drone.

The incident took place in Rafah city, in southern Gaza, according to Palestinian social media accounts.

1915 GMT — Saudi Arabia welcomes mediators inviting Hamas and Israel to resume talks

Saudi Arabia has welcomed the US, Egypt and Qatar, inviting Israel and Hamas to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations on August 15, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The kingdom affirmed its full support to the mediators' efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and urgently address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, the ministry said.

1900 GMT — White House blasts Israeli minister's criticism of possible ceasefire

The White House has blasted Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, calling his criticism of a Gaza ceasefire proposal "absurd" and accusing him of endangering the lives of Israeli captives.

"We've seen some statements from some quarters in Israel over recent days attacking the deal. I just want to underscore how long this is, not only in substance, but also jeopardising the lives of the hostages, and running cattle to Israel's own national security interests," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

"Some critics, like Mr. Smotrich, for example, have claimed that the hostage deals surrendered to Hamas, or that hostages should not be exchanged for (Palestinian) prisoners. Mr. Smotrich, which essentially suggests that the war ought to go on indefinitely without pause and with the lives of the hostages of no real concern at all," he added.

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For our live updates from Friday, August 9, 2024, click here.