Live blog: PLO slams Israeli bill to label UNRWA as 'terrorist' group

Monday, July 22, 2024

1731 GMT — The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has condemned an Israeli bill to designate the UN refugee agency (UNRWA) as a "terrorist organisation."

The Knesset (Israel’s parliament) passed three bills to shut down the UNRWA and deem it as a "terrorist" organisation. The bills will require two more readings to become effective.

Secretary-General of the PLO's Executive Committee Hussein al Sheikh termed the Knesset’s decision as a "disregard for the international community and its international organisations."

"We affirm that the Israeli occupation is the ugliest form of terrorism practised daily against the Palestinian people," he said in a statement.

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1902 GMT — Israel's Netanyahu requests meeting with Trump: report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested an in-person meeting with former president Donald Trump while in the US this week, Politico has reported citing people familiar with the outreach.

Netanyahu and Trump's teams have met in recent days to explore the idea of a meeting but Trump has yet to agree, the report added.

1749 GMT — ICJ's ruling against Israel: Gap between law and reality never been wider: EU's foreign policy chief

Never before has the gap between the law and what happens on the ground been so wide, EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said in response to the International Court of Justice's last Friday verdict on Israel's occupation and attacks on Palestinian territories.

"Never before what the law says and what happens on the ground has been so insurmountable, and all this under the watchful eye of a powerless international community," Josep Borrell said at a press conference following a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

"So today there is no ceasefire, there is no plan for Gaza, there is no revival of the global settlement. On the contrary, there is a continuation of military operations in Gaza, and it's becoming banal to say today, tomorrow and yesterday and the day tomorrow," that tens of thousands have been killed by bombs and hostages have yet to be released, he said.

1616 GMT — One killed as Israeli fighter jets hit house in southern Lebanon

At least one person was killed and several others injured in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, according to local media.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the raid targeted a house in Shihin.

Israeli bombardment was also reported in the towns of Yater, Kafr Kila and Odaisseh in southern Lebanon. No information was yet available about injuries.

1613 GMT — Israel kills scores of Palestinians in Gaza's Khan Younis

Seventy Palestinians have been killed and more than 200 wounded by Israeli fire on the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

It said some of the wounded were in a "dangerous condition".

1555 GMT — Israeli Knesset passes 3 bills to close UN refugee agency

The Knesset (Israel's parliament) has passed three bills in the first reading to close the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and designate it a "terrorist organisation."

The first bill prohibits UNRWA from operating any mission, providing any service or conducting any activity on Israeli territory. It was passed by 58-9 votes, The Times of Israel newspaper reported.

The second bill was approved by 63-9 votes and calls for stripping the UNRWA personnel of their legal immunities and privileges offered to UN staff in Israel.

The third bill calls for designating the UN agency as a “terrorist organization” and requires Israel to cut ties with it. It was passed by 50-10 votes.

The three bills will now go to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee for further deliberation. They will require two more readings to become effective.

1508 GMT — UN-backed commission welcomes ICJ advisory opinion

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry has welcomed the advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that described Israel's occupation of Palestine as "unlawful," calling it "historic."

"The Court was clear and unambiguous, and the advisory opinion entails international legal obligations not only for Israel, but for the UN and all States," Navi Pillay, the chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, said in a statement.

Pillay stressed that the maintenance and promotion of the international rules-based order "will depend on compliance with this advisory opinion."

1420 GMT — British premier calls for 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during a speech in Parliament, emphasising the urgent need for humanitarian aid and the return of hostages.

"I've spoken to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority," Starmer said. "I've been clear that I fully support Israel's right to security and the desperate need to see the hostages returned. And I've also been clear that the situation in Gaza is intolerable and that the world will not look away as innocent civilians, including women and children, continue to face death, disease, and displacement."

"It cannot go on. We need an immediate ceasefire: hostages out, aid in, a huge scale-up of humanitarian assistance. That is the policy of this government," he stated.

1334 GMT — Palestinians in Gaza flee after Israel orders safe zone evacuation

Hundreds of panicked Palestinians in Gaza have fled after the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of part of a humanitarian zone, warning it was preparing to attack the area.

The military had declared Al Mawasi, along the Gaza coast between the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, a humanitarian zone in May, and told Palestinians to go there for their own safety.

But it has now ordered people to leave part of the zone in eastern Khan Younis that it claims Hamas fighters have been using to launch attacks on Israeli targets.

Many people are hesitant to join the swelling tent camps in Al Mawasi, however, after a recent attack on the zone killed at least 92 people and wounded more than 300, according to figures from local health ministry.

"No place is safe," said one Palestinian, from the town of Al Qarara in Khan Younis, as he prepared to relocate his family for the fourth time since the Israeli war on Gaza broke out last October.

1300 GMT — EU must speak 'with one voice' regarding Gaza: Belgian FM

The European Union must speak "with one voice" regarding the situation in Gaza, Belgium’s foreign minister has said.

"We are all in favour of peace, whether in the Middle East or Ukraine, but we must work for a just peace, a peace that is not an abdication, a peace that does not mean a victory for those who still believe that the rule of the strongest can prevail," Hadja Lahbib told reporters before attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

"The EU must speak with one voice and we are in a position where we can only defend the rule of law, democracy, and this is a decision of an international court of justice, so we have to follow that," the minister added.

1202 GMT — Israel declares two more Gaza hostages dead

Israel has declared dead two more of its hostages being held in Gaza, as talks to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the release of some 120 captives there were set to resume later this week.

The Israeli military said it was still investigating the deaths in captivity of the two hostages, 35-year-old Yagev Buchshtab (35) and 76-year-old Alex Dancyg.

"Yagev and Alex were taken alive and should have returned alive to their families and to their country," the Hostage Families Forum said in a statement. "Their death in captivity is a tragic reflection of the consequences of foot-dragging in negotiations."

1154 GMT — Death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks tops 39,000

The Israeli army has killed 23 more Palestinians in attacks in Gaza, taking the overall death toll to 39,006 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

A ministry statement added that some 89,818 others have been injured in the assault.

Israeli forces killed 23 people and injured 91 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.

1132 GMT — Germany is 'not supporting Israeli occupation policy': ministry

Germany has said it is "not supporting the Israeli occupation policy" after the UN court affirmed Palestinians' right to self-determination and ruled that illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied territories must be evacuated.

While Germany supports Israel because of its historical responsibility towards the Israeli state that does "not mean it is supporting Israel’s occupation policy," Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christian Wagner told journalists in Berlin.

It is "primarily up to the Israeli government to draw conclusions from this (UN court) report," he added.

1010 GMT — Canadian citizen attempted a stabbing attack in Israel, Israeli police say

A Canadian citizen tried to carry out a stabbing attack in a southern Israeli town and was "neutralised", Israeli authorities said.

The unsuccessful attack took place at the entrance of Netiv HaAsara, a town near the border with Gaza that was hit hard during Hamas' October 7 operation through southern Israel.

The Israeli military said the attacker "exited his vehicle and threatened with a knife members of the community’s rapid response team operating in the area."

"The rapid response team responded with fire and neutralised the suspect. No injuries to the security forces were reported," the military said.

1004 GMT — High security underway for Israeli athletes at 2024 Olympics

Israel is dispatching armed agents from its internal security service, Shin Bet, to Paris to organize the largest-ever security operation for its Olympic athletes.

Around 88 Israeli athletes and their teams will be protected by Shin Bet due to alleged security concerns. However, not all will have a personal bodyguard, the Jewish Chronicle reported.

Israel has been preparing the security details for the Olympics for "more than a year," doubling the team’s security budget this year, Israel's Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar told the Telegraph.

0935 GMT — EU foreign policy chief slams Israeli premier for bending history, court opinion in Israel's favour

The EU foreign policy chief criticised the Israeli prime minister for bending history and court opinions in his country’s favour.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government rejected the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on West Bank settlements, Josep Borrell told reporters o n his arrival at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.

"Well, you can interpret history whatever you want, but we are talking about international law, and you will respect international law," he lashed out.

He stressed that the advisory opinion said the "occupation of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank is fully illegal and it has to stop."

0930 GMT — Israel kills 37 in southern Gaza following new evacuation orders

At least 37 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in southern Gaza shortly after Israel issued new evacuation orders, medical sources at Nasser Hospital.

Earlier on Telegram, Al-Aqsa TV channel said: “20 martyrs fell and several were injured in airstrikes and artillery shelling on towns east of Khan Younis.”

Israeli fighter jets also conducted a strike targeting a site in the village of Qizan an Najjar in the city, the channel added.

The attacks came after the Israeli army issued new orders earlier in the morning for Palestinians in the eastern neighbourhoods of Khan Younis to “evacuate immediately” and move towards the newly established humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi.

0840 GMT — Israeli forces target UN convoy heading to Gaza City

Israeli forces targetted a United Nations convoy heading to Gaza City, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said.

Writing on X, Philippe Lazzarini said, “While there are no casualties, our teams had to duck and take cover."

The incident occurred on Sunday, the UN official said, adding that teams were traveling in "clearly marked UN armored vehicles and wearing UN vests."

“One vehicle received at least five bullets while waiting just ahead of the Israeli Forces’ checkpoint south of Wadi Gaza.

0835 GMT — Harris may shift US stance on Gaza war if elected president: Report

US Vice President Kamala Harris, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, is expected to continue much of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy if she succeeds him, but her stance on the Israeli war on Gaza may differ, NBC News reported.

Harris has shown a willingness to publicly criticise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed empathy for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, according to former officials and analysts.

This marks a shift from Biden's approach and could appeal to Arab American voters, younger voters, and progressives who oppose Biden’s stance on the Israeli actions, the report said.

0700 GMT — Israeli army claims it intercepted 5 rockets fired from Lebanon toward Golan Heights

The Israeli army claimed it intercepted five rockets launched from Lebanon toward the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

“Following the sirens that sounded in northern Israel a short while ago, numerous suspicious aerial targets that crossed from Lebanon into the area of the northern Golan Heights were successfully intercepted by the IDF (army), no injuries were reported,” a military statement announced.

“The sirens regarding rocket and missile launches sounded due to the danger of falling shrapnel from the interception,” it added.

0630 GMT — Israel orders immediate evacuation of eastern Khan Younis

The Israeli army ordered Palestinians living in the eastern neighbourhoods of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, to evacuate immediately, despite earlier claims that the area was a humanitarian and safe zone.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed in a statement that “the presence of multiple military operations and rocket fire from the eastern part of the humanitarian zone has made staying there dangerous.”

“Therefore, the army calls on residents who remain in the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis to evacuate immediately to the newly designated humanitarian area in al-Mawasi,” he added.

0200 GMT — Netanyahu to visit US as Biden withdraws from presidential race

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the US as President Joe Biden dropped out from the 2024 presidential race.

Netanyahu will arrive in Washington, DC late Monday and is scheduled to meet with Biden on Tuesday at the White House ahead of his address to a joint session of the Congress on Wednesday. Some senators, including Bernie Sanders, already said they won't attend his speech.

Biden and Netanyahu will discuss ways to reach a deal on a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of hostages.

Netanyahu is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination after Biden's withdrawal.

2050 GMT — Israel demolishes Palestinian shops in occupied East Jerusalem

The Israeli army has demolished two commercial establishments and excavated land belonging to Palestinians in Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem.

The Israeli army raided the town of Beit Hanina, demolishing a commercial shop and a car showroom, and excavating land, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The agency did not mention the reason for the Israeli army taking this measure, but it usually uses “construction without a permit” as an excuse for demolishing Palestinians’ homes in occupied Palestinian territories.

According to the Palestinian Authority’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli authorities demolished 318 commercial establishments in the occupied West Bank belonging to Palestinians during the first half of this year and issued demolition notices for 359 others, including 85 in occupied Jerusalem.

1920 GMT — Israeli families protest at Tel Aviv, demand hostage swap deal

Families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza have demonstrated at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, demanding a hostage swap deal with Palestinian resistance forces in Gaza.

The protest came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to fly to Washington early Monday for talks with US officials, including President Joe Biden.

Dozens of families of the hostages, as well as their supporters, gathered at the airport and demanded a hostage swap deal, the state-run public broadcaster KAN reported.

Large police forces were present at the site of the protest, the broadcaster noted.

For our live updates from Sunday, July 21, 2024, click here.