Live blog: Palestinian Red Crescent exits Gaza due to heavy Israeli bombing

Saturday, June 29, 2024

2108 GMT — The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has said it evacuated its temporary headquarters in southern Gaza because of Israeli attacks.

The PRCS “fully evacuated its temporary administrative headquarters in the Mawasi Khan Younis area due to shrapnel falling on the building and direct shelling, which posed a danger to the staff working inside,” it wrote on X.

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2155 GMT — Egypt, Qatar condemn Israeli approval of illegal settlement expansion in West Bank

Qatar and Egypt have condemned a decision by Israel to expand illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank

Statements came after an announcement by Israel's official broadcasting authority that the Security Cabinet approved a plan Thursday to legalize five settlement outposts in the West Bank, issue tenders to build thousands of housing units in the settlements and impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said the decision was “a new episode in a series of its continuous violations of international legitimacy resolutions, especially Security Council Resolution 2334,” in reference to the Council’s resolution passed in 2016 that said Israel’s settlements on Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a “flagrant violation under international law” and a major obstacle to a two-state solution.

2130 GMT — Turkish intelligence chief, Hamas leader discuss Gaza ceasefire

Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalin spoke with Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh to discuss the ceasefire talks in Gaza.

The meeting included steps to ensure a permanent ceasefire, the exchange of hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.

Kalin also extended his condolences to Haniyeh for the loss of his sister, who was killed in an Israeli attack and expressed sympathy for the Palestinian people.

He reiterated Türkiye's commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause.

2122 GMT — Hamas, Egyptian Intelligence chief discuss Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has discussed a ceasefire in Gaza with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in a telephone, according to the Palestinian resistance group.

Haniyeh received the call from Kamel to discuss “the course of ongoing negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire,” it said.

The Egyptian intelligence chief also extended condolences to Haniyeh for the deaths of his elder sister and several family members in an Israeli airstrike on the Al Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City last week.

2057 GMT — US pier aid finally reaches Gaza warehouses as seas calm

Humanitarian workers have started moving tons of aid that piled up at a US-built pier off the Gaza coast to warehouses in the besieged Palestinian territory, the United Nations has said, an important step as Washington considers whether to resume pier operations after yet another pause because of heavy seas.

It wasn't known when the aid might reach Palestinians in Gaza, where experts have warned of the high risk of famine as Israel's war is in its ninth month.

This is the first time trucks have moved aid from the pier since the World Food Program, a UN agency, suspended operations there because of security concerns on June 9.

In just the last week, more than 10 million pounds were moved ashore, according to the US military.

2036 GMT — More Israeli soldiers killed in northern Gaza battles

Two more Israeli soldiers were killed during battles in northern Gaza, the Israeli army has announced.

In a statement, the army said: “Two soldiers were killed, and a third was seriously injured during battles in the northern Gaza Strip.”

It noted they were killed in separate incidents in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.

2026 GMT — Israel FM to Iran: Regime-threatening destruction deserves destruction

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said that Iran's message of an "obliterating war" made it worthy of destruction.

⁠"A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed," Katz said in a post on X. He also said Israel will act with full force against Iran-backed Hezbollah if it does not stop firing at Israel from Lebanon and move away from the border.

Iran's UN mission said on Friday that if Israel embarks on a "full-scale military aggression" in Lebanon, "an obliterating war will ensue."

The Iranian mission also said in the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that in such an event "All options, incl. the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table."

1935 GMT — Saudi Arabia urges citizens to leave Lebanon immediately

Saudi Arabia has urged its citizens to immediately leave Lebanese territory due to the ongoing developments on its borders with Israel.

The Saudi Embassy in Beirut said in a statement that “it is closely monitoring the current events in southern Lebanon and reiterated its previous call on October 18, 2023, for all Saudi citizens to adhere to the travel ban to Lebanon,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.

It urged citizens currently in Lebanon "to depart the Lebanese territory immediately” and emphasised the necessity for them “to stay in touch with the embassy in case of any emergencies.”

1641 GMT — Another Hezbollah militant killed in clashes with Israeli army

Another Hezbollah militant was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, the group said.

Hezbollah identified the slain militant as Abbas Atawi, 38, from the town of Shaqra in southern Lebanon.

At least 353 Hezbollah members have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces since last October, according to an Anadolu news agency tally.

1631 GMT — Hamas says no progress in Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel

A senior official of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Osama Hamdan, said there has been no progress in ceasefire talks with Israel over the Gaza war.

The Palestinian group is still ready to "deal positively" with any ceasefire proposal that ends the war, Hamdan told a news conference in Beirut.

1629 GMT — Qassam Brigades claim deaths, injuries among Israeli army in Gaza's Shujaiah

Hamas's armed wing Qassam Brigades announced that they inflicted casualties on Israeli army forces advancing in the Shujaiah neighbourhood of Gaza City.

In a statement on Telegram, the Qassam group said: "In a pre-planned ambush, our fighters detonated an anti-personnel device against a Zionist force infiltrating the Shujaiah neighbourhood east of Gaza City."

They added that the explosion resulted in casualties among the Israeli forces, "including fatalities and injuries."

Minutes earlier, Qassam fighters reported another statement on Telegram, indicating that they had "targeted the invading enemy forces in Shujaiah with several rounds of 120 mm mortar shells, causing direct casualties among them."

The Israeli military had initiated a ground offensive in Shujaiah on Wednesday "to dismantle Hamas infrastructure," which it claimed remained active in the area, the broadcasting authority reported.

1547 GMT — Israeli army claims to have bombed Hezbollah-linked military building

The Israeli army claimed that it bombed a military building in the area of Houla, southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah members were reportedly present.

In a statement on X, the army added that their warplanes attacked the building where Hezbollah members were located, along with another military building adjacent to it.

The army further stated that earlier, two anti-tank missiles were launched from Lebanon and landed in the general area of Misgav Am, without causing injuries.

It reported that "the army forces responded to the sources of fire with artillery."

As of yet, there has been no comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli army's report.

1529 GMT — Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli approval of illegal settlement expansion in West Bank

Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli Security Cabinet's decision to expand illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, warning of "dire consequences", according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.

The statement came following an announcement by Israel's official broadcasting authority that the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan on Thursday to legalise five settlement outposts in the West Bank, issue tenders to build thousands of housing units in the settlements, and impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority.

It reported on Friday that the Security Cabinet approved Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's plan to counter the Palestinian statehood recognition and actions against Israel in international courts.

1502 GMT — Egypt warns of unprecedented regional conflict, calls for international intervention

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has warned of an "unprecedented conflict" in the region, calling for international intervention to prevent it and urging collective efforts to ceasefire in Gaza, the presidency said in a statement.

This came during Sisi's meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the Egyptian-EU Investment Conference in Cairo.

The meeting touched on "ways to confront the escalating regional challenges, particularly the developments in the Gaza Strip and their impact on regional security and stability."

The Egyptian president emphasised "the necessity of concerted international efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire and the urgent access to humanitarian aid in Gaza to avert the humanitarian catastrophe facing the Palestinian people."

1322 GMT — Israel targeting Christian community in Palestine: Foreign Ministry

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has accused Israel of targeting the Christian community in Palestine, particularly in Jerusalem.

In a statement, the ministry said it "unequivocally condemns the recent actions by Israel, the illegal occupying power, to impose taxes on churches, their institutions, and properties in the occupied city of Jerusalem through its so-called 'occupation municipalities'."

"These actions are a blatant violation of international law and the city's historical and legal 'Status Quo'," it added.

The ministry stressed that "Israel's imposition of these taxes is illegal," adding: "Israel, as an occupying power, has no sovereignty over Jerusalem."

1259 GMT — Israeli army kills 17 Palestinians in Gaza, destroys plantations

At least 17 Palestinians have been killed and several others injured, including journalists, in Israeli attacks on various areas in Gaza.

Medical teams told Anadolu news agency that 13 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bombing on the Shakoush area, northwest of Rafah in southern Gaza.

According to witnesses, the bombing targeted groups of civilians, journalists, and tents of displaced persons.

Medical sources also said that four Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted the home of the Al Ghazi family in the Sabra neighbourhood, south of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses reported that Israeli military tanks and bulldozers destroyed around 1,235 acres (approximately five million square metres) of agricultural greenhouses in the area northwest of Rafah, which was the last remaining land in the enclave planted with vegetables.

0922 GMT — Two rockets explode near Kerem Shalom settlement

Two rockets launched from Gaza exploded near the Kerem Shalom settlement, according to Israeli media.

The daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that “two rockets exploded in the last hour in an open area near the Kerem Shalom settlement adjacent to southern Gaza.”

No alarm was triggered in the area, it added, without providing any further details.

No group has claimed responsibility for the rocket launches.

0847 GMT — Death toll in Gaza from Israel's brutal war exceeds 37,800

At least 37,834 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza since last October, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

A ministry statement added that 86,858 other people have also been injured in the onslaught.

“Israeli attacks killed 40 people and injured 224 others in the last 24 hours,” the statement said.

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

0445 GMT — US military says destroys seven drones, vehicles in Yemen

American forces have destroyed seven drones and a control station vehicle in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the past 24 hours, the US military said.

The strikes were carried out because the drones and the vehicle "presented an imminent threat to US coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," the US Central Command said in a statement on social media platform X.

On Friday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for attacks on four vessels, including a "direct hit" on the Delonix tanker in the Red Sea after an operation involving a number of ballistic missiles.

0243 GMT — US proposes new language for Gaza ceasefire deal: report

The United States has proposed new language for parts of the proposed hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in an effort to reach a deal, Axios has reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge.

0016 GMT — Iran warns of 'obliterating war' if Israel attacks Lebanon

Iran's UN mission has said that if Israel embarks on a "full-scale military aggression" in Lebanon, "an obliterating war will ensue."

The Iranian mission also said in the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that in such an event "all options, incl. the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are on the table."

It comes as American intelligence sees a large-scale war likely to erupt between Israel and Lebanon in "the next several weeks" if a ceasefire is not reached in besieged Gaza, where Israel continues its 267-day invasion and mass killings of Palestinians.

2305 GMT — Hamas slams Israel's plan to legalise Zionist settlements in West Bank

Hamas has condemned an Israeli decision to legalise new Zionist settlement outposts and units in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian resistance group denounced the announcement as "a practical declaration by the fascist occupation government to proceed with extremist (Finance Minister Bezalel) Smotrich's plans to control the West Bank."

Hamas said the new settlement plans "require a unified Palestinian stance to reject and confront them and resist the policies of the extremist Zionist government."

The group urged the UN and the international community to "take practical steps beyond condemnation to work on stopping these measures, which represent a dangerous attempt to liquidate the (Palestinian) cause."

2212 GMT — Houthis say targeted Israel-linked ships in Red, Mediterranean seas

The Yemeni Houthi group has announced it targeted four more Israel-linked ships, including a US ship, in the Red and Mediterranean seas in solidarity with Gaza.

The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said it attacked the Waler oil tanker with several drones in the Mediterranean Sea while it was headed to the Haifa port in Israel.

Saree said fighters also targeted the Johannes Maersk container carrier in the Mediterranean with a cruise missile. He added that both vessels violated the group's ban on vessels from accessing Israeli ports.

Two other ships, the Loannis and US-owned Delonix, were also targeted by the group in the Red Sea, Saree added. US Central Command said it destroyed a drone fired by the Houthi group toward the Red Sea.

2100 GMT — US gave Israel 14,000 2,000-pound bombs for Gaza war — report

The Biden administration has sent to Israel large numbers of munitions, including at least 14,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles, since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, Reuters news agency reported, citing two US officials who briefed on an updated list of weapons shipments.

Between the war's start last October and recent days, the United States has transferred at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs, and other munitions, according to the officials, who were not authorised to speak publicly.

While the officials didn't give a timeline for the shipments, the totals suggest there has been no significant drop-off in US military support for its ally, despite international calls to limit weapons supplies and a recent administration decision to pause a shipment of powerful bombs.

Experts said the contents of the shipments appear consistent with what Israel would need to replenish supplies used in the nine-month intense military invasion in Gaza.

"While these numbers could be expended relatively quickly in a major conflict, this list clearly reflects a substantial level of support from the United States for our Israeli allies," said Tom Karako, a weapons expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that the listed munitions were the type Israel would use in its fight against Palestinian resistance group Hamas or in a potential conflict with Hezbollah.

The delivery numbers, which have not been previously reported, provide the most up-to-date and extensive tally of munitions shipped to Israel since the Gaza war began.

2056 GMT — 'Carry your son and run': Gaza families describe fleeing Rafah under Israeli invasion

Displaced Palestinian families in Gaza's south have fled what they said was intensifying Israeli fire in northern areas of Rafah to seek shelter elsewhere, describing a chaotic night as the sounds of fighting drew closer and prompted the difficult decision to evacuate.

"Just carry your son and run, we don't have anything with us," said one man, Mohammad al-Hadad. Some who fled overnight were able to return on Friday, throwing their belongings atop vehicles or wagons pulled by donkeys and setting off.

"We do not know where we can go," said a woman, Ghada Qudeh. "Since yesterday, we have not found food or drink." She said her family fled after Israeli invaders fired missiles at a house where they were sheltering Thursday.

The invading Israeli military said its troops were continuing to operate in Rafah but did not immediately comment on specific strikes. The military said one soldier had been killed during combat overnight in Rafah.

2000GMT — Israeli incursion in Gaza City forcing Palestinians to flee again

Palestinians in northern Gaza said intense Israeli bombardments have forced many people to flee the Shijaiyah neighbourhood of Gaza City, as the Israeli military confirmed it had launched a new incursion into areas that were heavily bombed by Tel Aviv and largely emptied early in the war.

Residents described fierce battles in Shijaiyah for a second day in row, driving people to seek safety in western parts of Gaza City.

"It's like the first weeks of the invasion," said one man, Mahmoud al-Masry, who left his home with his parents and four siblings.

A Hamas statement reported intense close-quarters combat in Shijaiyah.

The fighting comes after Israel issued new ultimatum for Shijaiyah and other neighbourhoods, forcing residents to flee again.

For our live updates from Friday, June 28, 2024, click here.