Live blog: 'Man-made' Gaza famine can still be avoided — UN

Sunday, February 25, 2024

1744 GMT — Famine in Gaza can be averted if vital aid is allowed into the besieged territory, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said, more than four months into the Israeli war on the besieged enclave.

"This is a man-made disaster," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, of the dire humanitarian conditions in war-battered Gaza.

"The world committed to never let famine happen again," he said.

"Famine can still be avoided through genuine political will to grant access and protection to meaningful assistance."

More updates:👇

1735 GMT — Health conditions ‘extremely catastrophic’ in northern Gaza, ministry warns

Health conditions are “extremely catastrophic” in northern Gaza, the Health Ministry in the Palestinian enclave has said.

“The health situation in northern Gaza is extremely catastrophic and indescribable,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said hospitals in Gaza’s north don’t have fuel.

“Dozens of ambulances, civil defence and medical services vehicles are out of service due to the lack of fuel,” it added.

The Health Ministry warned that kidney dialysis and intensive care patients “are at risk of death as a result of the lack of fuel for generators, ambulances, and medicines."

1721 GMT — Israel’s Netanyahu willing to risk hostages’ lives ‘to look strong’, says former premier

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to risk the lives of hostages held by Hamas if it serves his image, a former premier has said.

“It’s more important for Netanyahu to look strong than to get a deal,” Ehud Barak told Israeli Army Radio in an interview.

1612 GMT — Gaza suffers clean water scarcity amid spread of solid waste: UN agency

Clean water is scarce amid a spread of solid waste across Gaza, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has warned.

“Shelters are severely overcrowded,” UNRWA said in a statement.

“Clean water is scarce. Solid waste is accumulating. Spread of diseases is on the rise,” it added.

“The situation is catastrophic,” it warned. “UNRWA teams continue working to provide critical aid.”

1603 GMT — US-UK strikes kill 1 civilian , injure 6: Houthis

A Yemeni civilian was killed and six others injured in US and British attacks in the southern city of Taizz, local media has cited the Houthi group as saying.

"As a result of the US and British warplanes bombing the Shamir region in the Maqbanah district of Taizz, one civilian died and six others were injured in the same family," Houthi-affiliated broadcaster Al Masirah reported.

No further details were provided on the attacks, with no immediate comment from the US or British side.

1558 GMT — Netanyahu: Rafah operation will put Israel weeks away from 'total victory'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the military offensive into Gaza's Rafah would put Israel within weeks of "total victory" over Hamas.

"If we have a (ceasefire) deal, it will be delayed somewhat, but it will happen," he told CBS.

"If we don't have a deal, we'll do it anyway. It has to be done because total victory is our goal and total victory is within reach - not months away, weeks away, once we begin the operation."

1432 GMT — US, Israel, Egypt and Qatar have agreed on 'basic contours' of hostage deal: Sullivan

The United States, Egypt, Qatar and Israel have come to an understanding of "basic contours" of a hostage deal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on CNN.

The deal is still under negotiation, said Sullivan, who added there will have to be indirect discussions by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas.

1357 GMT — Jordan warns of Gaza war expansion amid Israeli onslaught

Jordan has warned that continuing the Israeli war on Gaza during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan risks an expansion of the conflict in the region.

“Continuing the aggression in these circumstances as Ramadan approaches will place the entire region at the risk of an explosion,” Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told a joint press conference in Amman with his Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel.

"Every day passes with the war going unabated increases the risk of explosion and mounts its casualties,” he added.

1230 GMT — Gaza ceasefire talks resume in Doha: Egyptian media

Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza have resumed in Doha between "experts from Egypt, Qatar, United States and Israel", as well as Hamas representatives, state-linked Egyptian media has reported.

An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea was in Paris on Friday discussing possibilities of a deal to ensure a fresh ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.

Israel's war cabinet agreed to send a delegation to Qatar to continue the talks, according to Israeli media reports.

The talks are a "continuation of what was discussed in Paris" and "will be followed by meetings in Cairo," reported Al Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian state intelligence services.

1202 GMT — OIC calls for 'unconditional ceasefire' to prevent further loss of life in Gaza

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for an "unconditional ceasefire" to halt further loss of life in the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

In a communique issued after an extraordinary session held in Istanbul, the information ministers of the member states condemned "the ongoing military aggression launched by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people as well as its systematic oppression, massacre, and genocide of Palestinians civilians in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, and in the occupied West Bank , and call for an unconditional ceasefire to prevent further loss of life."

The OIC reiterated that the "only path to peace and security in the region is through the realization of the Palestinian people's inalienable rights, including national independence and sovereignty with East Al Quds as its capital."

1148 GMT — Atmosphere of optimism around negotiations does not reflect reality: Hamas

The atmosphere of optimism regarding the imminent reaching of an agreement on a hostage exchange deal between Hamas and Israel does not reflect the truth, a source in the Palestinian resistance group has said.

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said they dealt with the mediators positively to end “the suffering of the Palestinian people” and “stop the war of extermination.”

He also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "evades responding to the most important demands of the resistance to stop the aggression which are the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army, and the return of the displaced to northern Gaza."

The source added that “killing the people of northern Gaza through starvation is a crime of genocide that threatens the entire process of negotiations."

1113 GMT — Qatar to host Hamas-Israel talks for truce agreement

Qatar will host mediated talks between Hamas and Israel aiming to finalise an agreement on a truce this week, Egyptian security sources have said.

Representatives from both parties will later travel to Cairo for further talks aimed at reaching an agreement on the timing and mechanism for executing any deal, including hostage releases, the sources said.

1046 GMT — Israel rounds up 15 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces detained 15 more Palestinians across the occupied West Bank late Saturday and early Sunday, according to prisoners’ rights groups.

“The Israeli occupation forces arrested at least 15 citizens from the West Bank, including journalist Sami Al-Shami and former prisoners,” the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

The detentions took place in the governorates of Hebron, Nablus, Jericho, Jenin, and Ramallah, accompanied by widespread acts of abuse, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their families, they added.

With the latest figures, the total number of Palestinians detained since Oct. 7 has risen to 7,225, according to the statement.

1015 GMT — Hezbollah says 2 more fighters killed by Israeli army

Lebanese group Hezbollah has said that two more of its fighters were killed by the Israeli army.

This brought the death toll of Hezbollah fighters since Oct. 8 to 213, according to a tally by Anadolu.

Amid a devastating Israeli offensive on Gaza, which led Tel Aviv to stand trial before the International Court of Justice on charges of “genocide,” the Israeli-Lebanese border has witnessed exchanges of fire since Oct. 8, between the Israeli army on one side and Hezbollah and Palestinian factions on the other, resulting in fatalities and injuries on both sides of the border.

0944 GMT — Several killed, injured in Israeli strikes on homes in Gaza

A number of Palestinians were killed on Sunday as Israeli aircraft bombed homes in various areas of the Gaza Strip, local media reported.

“Israeli warplanes bombed a residence belonging to the Kali family in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, resulting in the tragic killing of three Palestinians there,” the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported.

Another raid targeted a home in the Al-Shaaf area, east of hte Gaza City, killing one and wounding others, medical sources told Anadolu.

Artillery and aerial bombardment continued in the Zaytoun neighbourhood, southeast of Gaza City, in conjunction with fierce clashes with fighters of the Palestinian resistance factions, according to witnesses.

0946 GMT — Israeli strikes kill 29,692 Palestinians since Gaza invasion

Israel's relentless strikes have killed at least 29,692 Palestinians, injuring 69,879 in Gaza since October 7, the health ministry in the enclave has said in a statement.

In the past 24 hours alone, 86 lives were lost and 131 people were wounded, the ministry added.

The Ministry of Health emphasised that there were still deceased individuals under the rubble and on the roadside, however, due to the obstacles posed by the Israeli forces, medical teams and civil defence officials could not reach the bodies.

International observers and humanitarian organisations are expressing deep distress over the rapidly deteriorating situation, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urging diplomatic efforts to address the crisis.

0122 GMT — Yemen’s Houthis hits American oil tanker, warships

The Houthis said that they targeted an American oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden and American warships in the Red Sea.

Spokesman of Yemen's Houthi armed forces, Yahya Saree, made the announcement on Telegram but did not provide information on the results of the attacks.

Saree said that the attacks were carried out in response to aggression against the Palestinian people and strikes by the Americans and the British against Yemen.

0110 GMT — Houthis says US, UK carried out air strikes in Yemeni capital

The US and the UK carried out airstrikes Saturday in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television.

No further details were provided about the attacks.

The Pentagon said in a coordinated effort, the US and the UK, alongside support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand, carried out strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas.

0010 GMT — Israeli delegation heads to Doha for more talks on Gaza captives

Israel's war cabinet approved sending negotiators to Qatar to continue talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in the war on Gaza and the return of captives being held in Gaza, officials and local media said.

The talks began in Paris, where the head of Israel's overseas intelligence service Mossad and his counterpart at the domestic Shin Bet security service met with mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar.

National security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a televised interview that the "delegation has returned from Paris -- there is probably room to move towards an agreement".

The negotiators had asked to speak to the cabinet "to bring us up to speed on the results of the Paris summit", he added shortly before the meeting.

Israeli media later reported that the meeting had concluded, with the cabinet agreeing to send a delegation to Qatar in the coming days to continue negotiations on a weeks-long truce involving the release of captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

2300 GMT — Qassam Brigades sniped Israeli officer, targeted armoured personnel carrier in Gaza City

The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, announced that its fighters sniped an Israeli officer and targeted an armored personnel carrier in Gaza City.

The group said in separate statements on Telegram that fighters “succeeded in sniping a Zionist officer with a Qassam ‘Ghoul ’ rifle in the southern Zaytoun neighbourhood in Gaza City,” without providing details.

It shared a picture on Telegram that was captioned: “57 missions carried out by Qassam snipers, including 34 with the ‘Ghoul’ rifle.”

For our live updates from Saturday, February 24, click here.