Live blog: Pro-Palestine protesters block airport access roads in US cities

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

2114 GMT — Pro-Palestinian protesters have briefly blocked entrance roads to airports in New York and Los Angeles, forcing some travelers to set off on foot to bypass the jammed roadway.

As US airlines contended with a rush of holiday travel, the demonstrations snarled traffic on the outskirts of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and the Los Angeles International Airport. A total of 62 people were arrested during the two protests, police said.

In New York, activists locked arms and held banners demanding an end to the Israel's war on Gaza and return of rights for Palestinians, bringing traffic to a standstill on the expressway leading up to the airport for about 20 minutes.

Video posted to social media showed passengers, some carrying suitcases, leaving vehicles behind and stepping over barriers onto the highway median. One woman could be heard saying that she was "sorry for what’s going on in another country," but she had to get to work, using an obscenity.

Twenty-six people were arrested on the roadway, said Steve Burns, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The agency also dispatched two buses "offering rides to travelers involved in the backup to allow them to reach the airport safely," Burns said.

Meanwhile, a group of Pro-Palestinian activists also protested against "their complicity in the war against Gaza" and demand an immediate ceasefire gathering in front of the Jordanian embassy and other Arab embassies in Washington DC.

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2128 GMT — Macron tells Netanyahu of need for 'durable ceasefire'

French President Emmanuel Macron has told Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call of the need to work towards a durable ceasefire "with the help of all regional and international partners," the French Presidency said in a statement.

France will also work with Jordan in days ahead on humanitarian operations in besieged Gaza, it added.

1842 GMT — Ground fighting is blocking aid to Gaza — UN

The UN humanitarian office has said that the scale and intensity of ground operations and fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance groups in most areas of Gaza and their devastating impact are impeding aid deliveries.

"Operational challenges due to insecurity, blocked roads and a scarcity of fuel are also hampering the humanitarian response," the office, known as OCHA, said in a statement.

OCHA warned that telecommunications blackouts are making communications and internet service unreliable and also impacting humanitarian deliveries.

1745 GMT — Children's March in The Hague urges ICC to investigate Gaza crimes

In a powerful display of solidarity with Palestine, children and their families have marched to the International Criminal Court (ICC) building in The Hague, demanding justice and an investigation into the alleged crimes committed in Gaza.

The event, aptly named the "Children's March," drew protesters from various backgrounds who gathered at The Hague train station to voice their concerns and call for international action.

Chanting slogans such as "ICC, do your job," "Free Palestine," and "Ceasefire now," the demonstrators, carrying placards with messages like "Justice for the 9,000 Palestinian children killed" and "Stop killing children," expressed their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.

Waving Palestinian flags, the crowd called attention to the need for the ICC to fulfill its mandate and address the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Bilal Riani, president of the Endulus Foundation and one of the protest organisers, spoke passionately about t he situation, stating that what is happening in Gaza is not merely a war but a genocide.

Riani told Anadolu: "The ICC must do its job and investigate the genocide. Those who constantly speak in the case of Ukraine remain silent when it comes to Palestine."

1822 GMT — Gaza population in 'grave peril', says WHO

The population of Gaza is in "grave peril", the head of the World Health Organisation has warned, citing acute hunger and desperation throughout the war-torn Palestinian territory.

The WHO said it delivered supplies to two hospitals on Tuesday - one in the north and one in the south - with 21 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza no longer functioning at all.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on the international community to take "urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril facing the population of Gaza and jeopardising the ability of humanitarian workers to help people with terrible injuries, acute hunger, and at severe risk of disease".

1756 GMT — Situation on Israel's northern border must change: Gantz

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has said that the situation on Israel's northern border must change and the time for diplomacy is running out.

"The situation on Israel's northern border demands change," Gantz told in a press conference.

"The stopwatch for a diplomatic solution is running out, if the world and the Lebanese government don't act in order to prevent the firing on Israel's northern residents, and to distance Hezbollah from the border, the IDF will do it," he said, referring to Israeli army.

1717 GMT — Israel reports drone attacks from Lebanon as tension soars

The Israeli army has said that three explosives-laden drones had been fired from southern Lebanon into northern Israel.

A military statement said the drones landed in Mount Dov area near the border with Lebanon.

No injuries were reported.

1633 GMT — History will judge Netanyahu as a war criminal: Türkiye's Altun

The Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is "the last person to talk about anything related to genocide", Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has said.

"Netanyahu has mastered skills to sell the world, his war crimes against civilians as self-defence. Even though the world fails to stop him, history will judge him as the war criminal he is," Fahrettin Altun said on X.

Asserting that Netanyahu is "the last person to talk about our struggle against terrorism", Altun emphasised Türkiye has fought against the terror group PKK and its extensions for more than 40 years.

1534 GMT — Medics, displaced Palestinians killed by Israeli forces at Gaza hospital: doctor

A Palestinian doctor has accused the Israeli army of killing medics and displaced people in attacks on the Awda Hospital in northern Gaza as part of its offensive on the enclave earlier this month.

"We have not left the hospital since the first day of the Israeli war," Baker Abu Safiyyeh, a surgeon, told Anadolu. "Most of the medics and employees have not left the facility until today."

The Palestinian doctor said there are currently around 97 medical personnel at the hospital along with four displaced families taking shelter near the facility.

"No medical aid, food or fuel were allowed into the hospital amid tough conditions," Abu Safiyyeh said. “The Israeli army has slapped a crippling siege around the hospital for 18 days.”

The Palestinian doctor recalled that Israeli fighter jets had struck the third floor of the hospital during its siege around the facility.

"Three medics and a relative of a patient were killed in the attack, while two nurses working for medical charity Doctors Without Borders were injured," he added.

1350 GMT — Jordan's Abdullah, Egypt's Sisi say they would reject any Israel move to expel Palestinians

Jordan's King Abdullah and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al Sisi said after a summit in Cairo that they rejected any Israeli move to expel Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, state media has reported.

In a statement, both leaders also said the international community should pressure Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire and allow enough aid into war-torn Gaza to ease the "tragic plight" of over 2 million people under siege there.

1313 GMT — No difference between actions of Hitler, Netanyahu: Erdogan

There is "no difference" between what Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu is doing in the months-long attacks on Gaza and what Nazi leader Adolf Hitler did decades ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

At a science awards ceremony in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said: "How do you (Netanyahu) differ from Hitler? These (actions) will make us think that Hitler is less evil. Is there anything Netanyahu does that is less than Hitler? No."

1255 GMT — Blinken to travel to Middle East next week - Axios

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to the Middle East late next week to discuss the war in Gaza, Axios has reported, citing five US, Israeli and Arab officials.

Axios reported that Blinken is planning to visit Israel, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

1246 GMT — Israeli strike kills 20 Palestinians in Khan Younis: ministry

The Health Ministry in Gaza has said in a statement that an Israeli strike killed 20 Palestinians near the Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

1156 GMT — Gaza death toll exceeds grim 21,000 mark: health officials

At least 195 Palestinians have been killed and 325 wounded by Israeli attacks in Gaza in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 21,110 since October 7, the Health Ministry in besieged Gaza has said.

The ministry also added that 55,243 people have been wounded since the start of the Israeli war on the enclave.

1145 GMT — Telecom services gradually restored in central, southern Gaza

Telecommunications services partially returned to Gaza after a blackout on Tuesday, said a telecom operator.

The Jawwal company said in a statement that phone and internet services were restored in areas in central and southern Gaza.

However, a blackout in communications services persists in northern Gaza due to the intense Israeli bombardment, coupled with the restricted movement of technical teams.

1130 GMT — 18 missiles launched from Lebanon target northeast Israel

About 18 missiles were fired from the Lebanese border, targeting the Ras al Naqoura area in northeast Israel, army radio has said.

Eight missiles were intercepted, the radio said, adding no injuries or damage were reported. The radio also reported multiple instances of sirens sounding in Ras al Naqoura earlier this morning.

1114 GMT — Jordanian king to meet Egypt's Sisi in Cairo to discuss Gaza developments

King Abdullah II of Jordan will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi during his visit to the Egyptian capital of Cairo to discuss the latest developments in Gaza.

The king will also talk about the ways to achieve a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, which is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe after over two months of Israeli attacks, the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement on X.

0915 GMT — Israeli soldier stabbed wounded Palestinian inside ambulance in West Bank, says doctor

A Palestinian doctor said Israeli soldiers stabbed and assaulted wounded Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency , Radwan Blaibla, head of Tulkarem Medical Syndicate, said the Israeli army stopped ambulances that were transferring injured Palestinians from the Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

"One injured was stabbed in his neck by (an Israeli) soldier while in the ambulance, posing danger to his life," the physician said. He added that the injured Palestinian suffered wounds from the Israeli airstrike on the refugee camp and the stabbing exacerbated his health condition.

0850 GMT — 3 killed, 1 injured in Israeli air strike in southern Lebanese town

Three Lebanese people were killed and one other was injured in an overnight Israeli airstrike on a house in Bent Jbeil town in southern Lebanon, local media reported.

"The Bent Jbeil town awoke on a massacre committed by the Israeli enemy last night that left three of the town's residents martyred and a fourth injured," the Lebanese official news agency NNA said.

It added that ambulances and medical teams rushed to the scene to remove the victims from the rubble of the destroyed home.

Separately, Hezbollah announced the death of a member, Ali Bizzi.

0703 GMT — Israeli army says more soldiers killed in northern Gaza battles

The Israeli army announced three more soldiers were killed in the clashes with Palestinian fighters in northern Gaza as Israel stepped up strikes inside Gaza, where nearly 21,000 people have already been reported killed.

In a statement cited by the Times of Israel online newspaper, the Israeli army identified the three soldiers as Lt. Yaron Eliezer Chitiz, 23, deputy commander in the army's Givati Brigade, Staff Sgt. Itay Buton, 20, and Staff Sgt. Efraim Jack man, 21, both from the Givati Brigade.

In an earlier statement, the Israeli army also declared five soldiers, including commanders, killed in Gaza, in addition to the injury of 43 soldiers, nine of them in serious condition, in Gaza.

0400 GMT — Jordan, Egypt discuss efforts to reach ceasefire in Gaza

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry to exchange opinions on efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

Meeting in Egypt's capital Cairo, they exchanged views on the ongoing coordination and consultation process between the two countries to ensure a ceasefire, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said on X.

They also addressed ways to deliver "adequate, urgent and sustainable" aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

0347 GMT — Israel kills six Palestinians in West Bank incursion

An Israeli military raid in a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank has left six Palestinians dead and several others wounded early on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

"Six martyrs killed by the occupation [Israel] and some who were seriously wounded were transported to the Thabet Thabet government hospital in Tulkarem," the ministry said in a short statement.

0126 GMT — US, Israel discuss war in Gaza; Cuba slams 'terrorist' Israel

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer have discussed planning for the day after Israel's brutal war on besieged Gaza, including governance and security, a White House official said.

Sullivan and Dermer also discussed efforts to bring home the remaining captives and a transition to a different phase of the war to maximise focus on high-value Hamas targets when they met, the official said.

0202 GMT — eSIM cards help war-torn Gaza stay online

Power cuts have become a fact of life in war-torn Gaza. But thanks to embedded SIM cards, Palestinians can still access the internet and maintain a channel of communication with loved ones abroad.

"Without them, we'd be cut off from the world," said Hani al Shaer, a local journalist who depends on eSIM cards to do his live streams.

"And no one would know what was happening in Gaza," he added, just as the besieged territory experienced the latest in a series of telecoms breakdowns since the war began.

The idea behind the eSIM is simple: they are a software version of the chips traditionally inserted into phones to connect to cellular networks and the internet.

0029 GMT — Cuba condemns 'genocide' in Gaza committed by 'terrorist state of Israel'

Cuba's president has called for an end to Israel's brutal war in besieged Gaza, which has been raging for more than two-and-a-half months.

"The genocide committed by the terrorist state of Israel in Gaza is a humiliation for all humanity. How long will there be impunity? How long will there be a free way to murder? Cuba, which will never be among the indifferent, raises its voice for Palestine again and again," Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X.

The island nation has repeatedly condemned the violence in Palestine, and even the Cuban Parliament declared solidarity with the Palestinian people.

2300 GMT — Palestinian activist arrested after questions about facebook posts

Supporters of a local Palestinian activist in the occupied West Bank said he has been arrested by Israel on suspicions of incitement.

They said Munther Amira, a social worker and community activist in the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, was arrested on December 18 by Israeli troops.

Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist assisting Amira, said Munther was questioned about Facebook posts, but denied allegations against him. He said it was unclear which posts drew attention from Israeli authorities.

Amira's lawyer, Riham Nasra, said the military is now trying to place Amira under administrative detention — a status under which suspects can be held without charge for months at a time. She accused Israel of trying to stifle criticism of the Gaza war.

For our live updates from Tuesday, December 26, click here.