Live blog: 'Nowhere is safe' as Israel shifts bombardment to south Gaza

Sunday, December 3, 2023

1441 GMT — Israel's military ordered more areas in and around Gaza's second-largest city of Khan Younis to evacuate, followed by heavy bombardment, as it shifted its offensive to the southern half of the territory.

Palestinians in Gaza said they were running out of places to go, adding that "nowhere is safe to go". Many of the territory’s 2.3 million people are crammed in the south after Israel ordered civilians to leave the north in the early days of the offensive.

Heavy bombardment was reported overnight into Sunday around Khan Younis and the southern city of Rafah, as well as parts of the north that had been the focus of Israel's shattering air and ground offensive.

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1437 GMT — 15,523 people killed in Gaza since start of Israeli war on Gaza

Death toll due to Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 has risen to 15,523, with 41,316 injured, Gaza's health authorities have reported.

1425 GMT — Netanyahu holds news conference without other War Cabinet members

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a news conference without his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, casting shadows of an apparent dispute between the two men.

Asked about the situation, Netanyahu said: “I suggested to the defense minister tonight to hold a joint press conference, and he decided what he decided," in reference to Gallant's absence.

In recent days, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said there were differences between Netanyahu and top officials in the army about assessments and plans concerning the Israeli onslaught against Gaza.

Netanyahu, however, tried to downplay the issue by saying, "It's important that the public hear us."

1402 GMT — Israeli army detains 60 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces arrested approximately 60 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including five women university students, during a crackdown that lasted from Saturday night to Sunday morning, bringing the total to 3,480 detainees since October 7.

According to a joint statement issued by the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoner Club, “the arrest campaign was marked by widespread incidents of abuse, severe physical beatings, threats against the detainees and their families, alongside extensive acts of vandalism and destruction in citizens' homes.”

1317 GMT — Thousands remain trapped under rubble in Gaza: Civil defense unit

Thousands of bodies remain under the debris of buildings destroyed by ongoing Israeli attacks, civil defense teams in Gaza have reported, with equipment shortages preventing their retrieval.

In a written statement published by the Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza, civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said Israeli forces have been targeting their teams in the enclave constantly since October 7.

"Thousands of martyrs are still under the rubble, and we cannot retrieve them. There are clear and significant deficiencies in our capabilities and mechanisms. We cannot reach the bodies under the debris in northern Gaza," said Basal, urging support for the civil defense unit.

1108 GMT — Pope deplores end of Israeli-Hamas truce, calls for new ceasefire

Pope Francis has said it was "painful" to see that the truce between Israel and Hamas had been broken and called on all parties involved to reach a new ceasefire agreement as soon as possible.

He also said he was thinking about the people still held hostage in Gaza and the lack of basic necessities in the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory.

0851 GMT — Israeli strikes kill over 700 in past 24 hours in Gaza

In a grim turn of events, the Palestinian information office in Gaza reports that Israel's airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 700 people in the past 24 hours as the conflict intensifies.

The "Holy Family school" in Gaza, serving as a refuge for displaced individuals, has become one of the targets in the ongoing brutal Israeli offensive in the city.

Separately in the occupied West Bank, Israel has ordered the demolition of a building in the Al Sawana neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem which houses Sheikh Ikrimah Sabri, the preacher of the Al Aqsa Mosque, along with other families.

The Israeli forces also detained 21 Palestinians, further fueling the unrest.

In a separate incident, illegal Jewish settlers launched a violent attack on the village of Umm Safa, destroying dozens of cars and Palestinian properties.

0739 GMT — Israeli army says targets 'launch' site in Syria

Israel's military has said that it had identified a launch from Syria towards Israel and that its artillery responded by striking the site of the launch.

The army gave no further details.

0444 GMT — Israeli attacks kill children, women in Gaza

In a series of air raids, Israeli warplanes targeted locations in Gaza, killing at least nine, including women and children, as reported by the enclave's Interior Ministry.

The strikes specifically hit al Burij, Dier al Balah, and areas east of Rafah.

The death toll in Gaza has risen to 15,207, with the number of wounded surpassing 40,652. Officials believe that thousands of bodies remain under the rubble due to Israeli strikes.

At least 193 Palestinians have been killed and 652 injured since Friday — following truce talks collapse — in Israeli air strikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Simultaneously, Israeli forces conducted additional raids in the occupied West Bank, intensifying tensions in the region.

Tragedy struck in Qalqilya, where a 21-year-old Palestinian lost his life due to gunfire, and numerous others were detained by Israeli forces. In response to the killing, a general strike was declared in Qalqilya, underscoring the heightened emotions and unrest gripping the Palestinian territories.

As the situation unfolded, clashes erupted during Israeli forces' operations in the town of Jenin, further exacerbating the volatile atmosphere.

0426 GMT — WHO urges urgent 'ceasefire' to stop humanitarian crisis in Gaza

In a harrowing development, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed deep concern over the ongoing hostilities and intense Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

A WHO health team dispatched to the ground visited Nassar Medical Hospital in the south on Saturday, discovering a dire scene that underscored the severity of the crisis.

The facility, crucial for many seeking medical assistance, was found to be operating at an alarming over three times its capacity.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took to his personal social media account on X to convey the distressing situation, stating, "It was packed with 1,000 patients — 3 times over its capacity. Countless people were seeking shelter, filling every corner of the facility."

The overwhelming demand for medical care has left Nassar Medical Hospital unable to cope, with patients now receiving care on the floor amidst agonising screams of pain.

The WHO chief emphasized that these conditions go beyond being inadequate, noting that they are unimaginable for the provision of healthcare.

In light of this crisis, Ghebreyesus issued a call for an immediate ceasefire, recognising the urgent need to prioritise the safety and well-being of the civilian population caught in the crossfire.

0116 GMT — Israeli war escalates in crowded southern Gaza, death toll rises

Israel has pounded crowded southern Gaza and ordered more neighbourhoods designated for attack to evacuate, driving up the death toll as the United States and others urged it to do more to protect civilians.

The prospect of further ceasefires in Gaza appeared bleak, as Israel recalled its negotiators and Hamas’ deputy leader said any further swap of Gaza-held captives for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel would only happen as part of ending the war.

“We will continue the war until we achieve all its goals, and it’s impossible to achieve those goals without the ground operation,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address Saturday night.

At least 200 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting resumed Friday morning following the weeklong truce, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. Several multi-story residential buildings were hit, engulfing neighbourhoods in huge clouds of smoke.

0000 GMT — Thousands across Europe protest Israel, demand ceasefire in Gaza

Thousands took to the streets in European capitals Saturday to protest Israeli attacks and demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

Demonstrators once again held a number of protests to urge their governments to pressure Israel in the face of an ongoing dire humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.

In France, protesters held rallies across the country, including in Toulouse, Nice as well as Paris in support of Palestine.

Protesters held rallies across Spain, including Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Granada and Madrid in support of Palestinians.

In the Austrian capital Vienna, demonstrators gathered in the central Mariahilf area to protest Israeli attacks that resumed after the end of a humanitarian pause.

2323 GMT — London event discusses Gaza, demands permanent ceasefire

A panel in London discussed the Middle East and demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza where more than 15,000 people have been killed by Israel since October 7.

The "Freedom for Palestine: Imperialism, War and the Middle East" panel was organised by the Stop the War Coalition after Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave resumed.

Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said what is happening in Gaza is "a second Nakba," or catastrophe, in reference to the exodus of Palestinians from their lands in 1948 when the state of Israel was created.

He said the whole population of Gaza is being removed and pushed into the Sinai Desert in a bid to create a new one on the other side of the Rafah Crossing.

"What does it take for the United States and Britain and Europe and others to actually call it out," he said, defining the situation as "destruction of life."

2300 GMT — Leaders of Qatar, France discuss developments in Gaza

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the developments in Gaza as Israel resumed its devastating onslaught against Gaza.

According to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), Sheikh Tamim received Macron in Doha's Lusail Palace during which he "stressed the importance of continuing joint international efforts to ensure a return to calm and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza."

The Qatari Emir also emphasised on protecting civilians in Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza, as well to find solutions that guarantee the establishment of two states solution in accordance with international and UN resolutions.

2300 GMT — Israel faces growing US calls for restraint amid renewed Gaza fighting

Israel faced growing US calls to avoid further harm to Palestinian civilians in its war in Gaza, as the warring sides showed no sign of moving toward reviving their collapsed truce.

US Vice President Kamala Harris said too many innocent Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin deemed it a "moral responsibility" for Israel to protect civilians.

The senior US officials' remarks reinforced pressure from Washington for Israel to use more caution as it shifts the focus of its military offensive further south in the besieged Gaza.

For our live updates from Saturday (December 2), click here.