Live blog: Over 1M Palestinians fled Rafah since Israeli invasion — UN

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

1850 GMT –– More than a million people have fled Gaza’s southern city of Rafah since Israel launched a ground invasion on May 6 and some have been displaced several times already because of Israeli bombardments, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees has said.

Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the agency known as UNRWA, told a UN press conference that the agency's teams on the ground say heavy bombardments again took place overnight including in the area north of Rafah home to the UN main offices as well as UNRWA's offices. Most of its staff didn’t make it to work and were "packing and moving," she said.

"People are absolutely terrified," Touma said in the video briefing from Jordan. "A lot of people are fleeing to al-Muwasi and they are also fleeing to the middle areas including Deir al-Balah," which are crowded with other displaced Palestinians.

Touma said just over 200 trucks with humanitarian supplies have been picked up for delivery to those in need in the past three weeks, which she called "a drop in the ocean amid people’s humanitarian needs."

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1842 GMT –– Hezbollah targets Israeli military site near Lebanese border

Hezbollah has targeted an Israeli military site in the Kfar Shuba Hills near the Lebanese border.

The group said in a statement that it targeted the al-Sammaqah site in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba Hills “with appropriate weaponry.”

As of yet, Israel has not commented on Hezbollah's statement. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s official news a gency reported that Israeli artillery targeted the outskirts of Naqoura and Tayr Harfa in southern Lebanon.

1829 GMT –– US expressed deep concern to Israel over Rafah air strike: State Dept.

The United States has expressed deep concern to Israel's government over an air strike in Rafah and urged an investigation as soon as it saw reports of the incident, the State Department said, adding that Washington will closely watch the results of Israel's probe.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that the "military operations" that Israel has so far conducted in Rafah have not been as large-scale as the ones it has carried out in central or northern Gaza.

The US will continue to emphasise to Israel its obligation to comply fully with international humanitarian law, minimise the impact of its attacks on civilians and maximise the flow of humanitarian assistance, Miller said.

1828 GMT –– Turkish National Security Council stresses importance of Palestinian state recognition for security

The Turkish National Security Council has emphasised the critical importance of increasing the number of countries that recognise Palestine as a state and stepping up efforts to hold those responsible for "massacres" accountable.

The National Security Council, which convened at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: "It is of critical importance to increase the number of countries recognising the State of Palestine and enhance the efforts towards ensuring that those responsible for the massacre are held accountable before justice by being on the right side of history."

Israel's continued massacres in Gaza, disregard for international legal obligations, and suppression of global protests against these crimes expose the insincerity of those who claim to have upheld the rule of law, democracy, and freedom of expression, the council said in a statement.

1731 GMT –– Israel's deadly strike in Rafah was beyond tragic: US VP

US Vice President Kamala Harris has said that "the word tragic doesn't even begin to describe" an Israeli air strike that triggered a fire in a tent camp in the Gazan city of Rafah, killing 45 Palestinians.

Harris, speaking outside an event in Washington, was responding to a reporter's question about the weekend air strike.

1641 GMT –– 'Horror' in Gaza must stop after Israel's Rafah strikes: UN

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel's deadly May 26 air strikes on Rafah in Gaza and called for the horror and suffering to stop immediately, his spokesperson said.

"The Israeli authorities must allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need and all crossing points must be open," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

1636 GMT –– Israeli army carry out 3,222 massacres in Gaza over 235 days of continuous bombing

The Israeli army has carried out 3,222 massacres in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 36,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring over 81,000 others.

In a statement, the Gaza media office provided information about the devastating attacks that Israel has been carrying out for the last 235 days on Gaza.

The statement mentioned that the Israeli army has "carried out 3,222 massacres in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023."

It was noted that 15,328 children and 10,171 women have lost their lives in the Israeli army's attacks on Gaza, 10,000 people are under rubble or missing, the number of dead reaching hospitals is 36,096, and the number of injured is 81,136.

1619 GMT –– At least 72 displaced Palestinians so far killed in Israeli attacks in Rafah

Israeli forces killed at least 72 displaced Palestinians in attacks on refugee tents in Rafah in the last 48 hours, Gaza’s government media office has said.

"The Israeli occupation army has committed three crimes against humanity by killing 72 displaced persons in the last 48 hours," the media office said in a statement.

It said the Israeli attacks targeted refugee tent encampments in areas declared “safe zone” by Tel Aviv.

“It confirms the occupation’s insistence on committing the crime of genocide with premeditation and deliberation,” it added.

1619 GMT –– US to suspend Gaza aid deliveries by sea after pier suffers weather damage: NBC

The US military has suspended aid deliveries to Gaza by sea after bad weather damaged the temporary pier it had set up on the enclave's coast, NBC News has reported, citing unnamed officials.

The US military is expected to make the announcement later, NBC said in its report, which cited a United Nations official, a US official and an Israeli official.

1504 GMT –– Israeli incursion in Rafah could cause loss of city's last hospital: WHO official

A World Health Organization official has said the last hospital in Rafah could become non-functional and a substantial number of deaths could be expected if Israel launches a "full incursion" into the southern Gazan city.

"If the incursion would continue, we would lose the last hospital in Rafah," Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for Gaza and the West Bank, said on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

He said that in the case of a "full incursion", the "contingency plan" "will not prevent what we expect: substantial additional mortality and morbidity."

1405 GMT –– Dignity of humanity 'destroyed' in Gaza: Turkish minister

The Turkish health minister has said the dignity of humanity "is being destroyed" in Gaza amid ongoing attacks not only on civilians but also on health facilities.


"In Gaza, the dignity of humanity is being destroyed in front of all of our eyes, stomp by stomp," Fahrettin Koca said in a World Health Assembly (WHA) session in Geneva.

"It has been seen that countries that claim to be developed are very backward in human values. They preferred to keep silent while children and babies were slaughtered with the most primitive methods," he said, adding: "The so-called advanced democracies turned a deaf ear to the voices of societies."

"We are all prisoners of this black and dark history," he said.

1358 GMT –– Palestine calls new Israeli strikes on Rafah a massacre

The Palestinian president's spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, has described new Israeli strikes on Rafah as a massacre and called for the implementation of a World Court decision ordering Israel to halt its offensive on the city.

Israel has kept up its offensive despite a ruling by the top UN court on Friday ordering it to stop, saying the court's ruling grants it some scope for military action in Rafah.

1353 GMT –– Finland expresses sorrow about Israeli strikes in Rafah

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has expressed sorrow about recent Israeli air strikes in Rafah that killed dozens of civilians.

"Devastated by news from Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of civilians, including small children," she wrote on X.

"Finland has consistently urged Israel to refrain from attacking Rafah, especially considering the high numbers of displaced people there. The orders of the ICJ and international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties."

1344 GMT –– Israel holds 26 Palestinian women without trial or charge: NGO

Israel is holding 26 Palestinian women without trial or charge, a local nongovernmental organisation has said.

Three journalists, a lawyer and several students are among the detainees, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

"Some 26 women are held administratively without trial or charge from among 80 women in Israe li custody at Damon prison" near Haifa in northern Israel, it added.

1300 GMT –– Hamas urges UNSC to take 'immediate measures' to halt Israeli assault

Hamas has called on the UN Security Council to take "immediate" measures to halt Israel’s ongoing offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.

In a statement, the Palestinian group urged the council "to fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities towards Israel’s disregard for the decision of the International Court of Justice."

1243 GMT –– WHO chief deplores Israel’s Sunday attack on Rafah camp for displaced people

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has deplored Israel's Sunday attack on a camp for displaced people in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, causing the deaths of dozens.

"WHO deplores the air strike on Sunday night in Rafah that reportedly killed 45 displaced people sheltering in tents," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

"As violence in Rafah continues escalating, almost a million displaced people are once again in search of safety that doesn’t exist in Gaza," he said.

1231 GMT –– Dozens killed in Israeli strikes on tent area west of Rafah: officials

At least 21 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in new Israeli strikes on an area of tents housing displaced people West of Rafah, health authorities in the enclave have said.

The new Israeli strikes targeted tents of displaced families in the designated humanitarian area in Mawasi in western Rafah, according to medics and residents.

1212 GMT –– South Africa condemns Israel's 'deplorable' Rafah strike

South Africa has condemned as "deplorable" an Israeli strike on Gaza's southern city of Rafah that killed dozens in a displaced persons camp.

"The South African Government joins the international community in condemning the deplorable and brutal attacks on innocent civilians after Israeli forces bombed a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians," the foreign ministry said.

It noted that the strike came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah.

1200 GMT –– Medical evacuations under 'abrupt halt' in Gaza: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that medical evacuations in Gaza are under "abrupt halt" while 10,000 people need to be referred out.

"There's been an abrupt halt to all medical evacuations," WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said at a UN press briefing.

"We have around 10,000 people who need to be evacuated. And since the increase in the violence in the area and Rafah, and the limitation on the services, we now have an extra 1,000 critically ill and injured patients who've been unable to leave Gaza to receive the much-needed medical treatment elsewhere," Harris stressed. She noted that no evacuation has been done since May 7.


1154 GMT –– Just one hospital now operational in Gaza's Rafah: ministry

Only one hospital remains operational in Rafah in southern Gaza, while all other hospitals have ceased operations amid an Israeli offensive in the city, the Health Ministry has said.

In a statement, the ministry said that Israeli attacks had forced four hospitals in Rafah - Abu Yusef al-Najjar Hospital, Abu al-Walid Central Clinic, Rafah Field Hospital 2, and Kuwait Specialist Hospital – out of service.

"The Tel al-Sultan Maternity Hospital is still struggling to provide services to patients," it added.

1114 GMT –– Israeli killing of Egyptian soldier shows how real Gaza war spillover threat is: Fidan

Israel's killing of an Egyptian soldier in the Rafah border crossing has shown how real the risk of a spillover of the Gaza conflict is, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said in a live presser.

Speaking in a news conference alongside his Cambodian counterpart Sok Chenda Sophea, who is in the Turkish capital Ankara on an official visit, Fidan also criticised the US and other Western nations for their support to Israel.

"It would not be possible for this genocide to continue without the support of some countries, especially the US, for Israel," he said.

1127 GMT –– Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognise State of Palestine

Spain, Norway and Ireland have formally recognised the State of Palestine, defying Israel which had condemned the move.

The three European countries believe their initiative has a strong symbolic impact that is likely to encourage others to recognise a Palestinian state.

As Oslo's formal recognition went into effect, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide hailed the move as "a special day for Norway-Palestine relations."

"Norway has been one of the most fervent defenders of a Palestinian state for more than 30 years," he added.

Shortly afterwards, Spain followed suit, with government spokeswoman Pilar Alegria confirming the cabinet had formally recognised Palestinian statehood, qualifying it as "a historic day."

Later, the Irish government, too, announced its official recognition of a Palestinian state.

1044 GMT –– Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll at 36,096

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said that at least 36,096 people have been killed in the territory during more than seven months of Israel's war on the besieged enclave.

The toll includes at least 46 deaths over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 81,136 people have been wounded in Gaza since the Tel Aviv launched a brutal war after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7.

1030 GMT –– Israeli strikes in Rafah have had horrific, unacceptable consequences: Australia

In a broadside at Tel Aviv over its latest bombardment in Gaza, Australia has called on Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.

"Israel's strikes have had horrific and unacceptable consequences," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement, referring to the latest Israeli attacks in Rafah which killed 45 on Sunday.

These events "underscore that we must see a humanitarian ceasefire now so that civilians can be protected," she added.

0950 GMT –– UK foreign secretary calls for urgent action following 'deeply distressing' Israeli airstrikes on Rafah

In the wake of the devastating Israeli airstrikes on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza during the past weekend, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed deep concern and called for immediate and decisive action.

"Deeply distressing scenes following the airstrikes in Rafah this weekend," Cameron said on X.

Cameron emphasised the necessity of a thorough investigation by the Israeli forces, urging it to be "swift, comprehensive & transparent."

0941 GMT –– Reporters Without Borders files 3rd complaint with ICC about Israeli war crimes against journalists

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed its third complaint with the International Criminal Court about Israeli war crimes against journalists, according to a statement.

The complaint was filed on May 24, the Paris-based RSF said in a statement.

This complaint is "asking the prosecutor to investigate crimes against at least nine Palestinian reporters between 15 December and 20 May, as well as, more broadly, the more than 100 journalists that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have killed since 7 October (2023) in Gaza," the non-profit said.

The RSF added that it filed two previous complaints on October 31 and December 22, 2023, and the third one detailing "eight new cases of Palestinian journalists killed between 20 December and 20 May, as well as the case of a journalist who was injured."

0908 GMT –– Israel advances in Philadelphi Corridor, moves closer to blocking Gaza from Egypt

The Israeli army began expanding its incursion into Rafah, southern Gaza, seizing more of the border area with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor.

The move means that the Israeli army is moving closer to isolating the besieged enclave from contact with Egypt and eventually the entire world.

The current Israeli incursion into Rafah makes it only 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) away from the Rafah coast and puts over two-thirds of the Philadelphi Corridor area under Israel's control.

The Philadelphi Corridor –– 14-kilometer (8.69-mile) in length –– is a demilitarised buffer zone running along the Gaza-Egypt border, as stipulated by the treaty following the signing of the 1978 Camp David Accords between then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

0901 GMT –– Israel again bombs Rafah as UNSC to discuss camp attack

Israel has again bombarded Gaza's far-southern Rafah area despite a global storm of outrage over Sunday's strike that set ablaze a crowded tent city, killing at least 45 people.

The strike, which Gaza medics said also left hundreds of civilians with shrapnel and burn wounds, drew condemnation from world leaders and was set to be discussed at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council from 1915 GMT.

The sight of the charred carnage, blackened corpses and children being rushed to hospitals led UN chief Antonio Guterres to declare that "there is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop."

0842 GMT –– Israeli tanks reach Rafah city centre, witnesses say

Several Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah, witnesses told Reuters news agency, three weeks into a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city that has has drawn intense scrutiny from neighbouring Egypt and from the United States.

The tanks were spotted near al-Awda mosque, a central Rafah landmark, the witnesses said.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on their account, saying it would issue a statement about the Rafah offensive later.

0809 GMT –– Israeli forces press Rafah offensive despite global outcry

Israel pounded Rafah with air strikes and tank fire, pressing its offensive in Gaza's southern city.

At least 16 Palestinians were killed in strikes overnight, officials in the enclave said. Israeli tanks pushed towards western neighbourhoods in one of the worst nights of bombardment reported by residents.

Reacting to Sunday night's strike and fire in a camp where thousands of families displaced from assaults elsewhere in Gaza had sought shelter, global leaders urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt Israel's assault.

0746 GMT –– China expresses 'grave concern' over Israel's military assaults in Rafah

China expressed "grave concern" over Israel's military attacks in Rafah, where an Israeli strike killed dozens in a displaced persons camp.

China "expresses its grave concern over the ongoing Israeli military operations in Rafah", foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

Beijing urged "all parties to protect civilians and civilian facilities". It also said it "strongly urges Israel to listen to the appeals of the international community and to stop its attacks on Rafah".

0739 GMT –– UNRWA says around 1 million people have fled Rafah in past 3 weeks

Around one million people have fled the Gazan city of Rafah in the past three weeks, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said.

The small city on the southern edge of Gaza had been sheltering more than a million Palestinians who fled Israeli assaults on other parts of the enclave.

UNRWA said Palestinians' flight from Rafah "happened with nowhere safe to go and amidst bombardments, lack of food and water, piles of waste and unsuitable living conditions."

0652 GMT — Recognising Palestinian statehood 'essential for reaching peace': Sanchez

Recognising Palestinian statehood is an "essential" step for achieving peace in the Middle East, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, with his government poised to formally take the step alongside Ireland and Norway.

"Recognition of the state of Palestine... is an essential requirement if we are all to achieve peace," he said.

0319 GMT –– German foreign minister booed over govt's approach to Gaza conflict

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was booed and jeered by pro-Palestinian protesters at a weekend event in the capital Berlin over the government's support for Israel.

Footage shared on social media showed several people interfering with a presentation by Baerbock at the Democracy Festival held on Sunday to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the country's constitution.

Some attendees shouted angrily and waved banners, disrupting her speech. They accused the German government of bias and demanded that it immediately halt arms shipments to Israel.

Reports in the German media also said that a woman among the protesters who claimed to be Jewish shouted: "There is no freedom of thought in Germany after Israel's attacks on Gaza!"

The protesters were later escorted out of the venue by security personnel.

0255 GMT –– Greece's main opposition party pushes for recognition of Palestinian state

Greece's main opposition SYRIZA party said it is pressing the government to recognise the State of Palestine.

"We must take a history lesson from the friendship between the Greek people and the Palestinian people, starting with (former Greek Prime Minister) Andreas Papandreou and (former Palestinian President) Yasser Arafat, and today bring it back to the forefront of our foreign policy.

"Because if not now, (then) when? What is the best time to finally recognise the Palestinian state, to follow the example of Spain, Ireland and Norway?" said the party's leader, Stefanos Kasselakis, speaking to the radio station Sto Kokkino.

0205 GMT –– Israel's attack on Rafah was 'intentional': US Congresswoman

Israel's bombing over the weekend of a camp for displaced people in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza was "intentional," the only Palestinian American member of the US Congress said.

"This was intentional. You don't accidentally kill massive amounts of children and their families over and over again and get to say, 'It was a mistake'," Rashida Tlaib said on X.

"Genocidal maniac Netanyahu told us he wants to ethically cleanse Palestinians. When are you going to believe him @POTUS?" she added, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

0148 GMT –– Several Palestinians injured from assaults by Israeli army, settlers in West Bank

Several Palestinians were injured due to assaults by Israeli forces and illegal Jeswish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Two Palestinians –– a father and his son –– were injured near the town of Yatta in Hebron governate as illegal Israeli settlers stopped and assaulted them with sharp objects, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Both suffered moderate injuries and were transferred to a hospital in Hebron.

0127 GMT –– An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon kills 2 people near a hospital, officials say

An Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle in southern Lebanon hit next to a hospital entrance, killing the motorcycle driver and a hospital security guard and wounding several civilians nearby, local health officials said.

It was not immediately clear who the driver was or why he was targeted in the strike in the town of Bint Jbeil.

The Israeli army did not give a statement on the strike but said it had targeted other areas of southern Lebanon in response to what they call "terrorist launches."

0117 GMT –– Hezbollah targets Israeli army position in northern Israel

The Lebanese Hezbollah group said it carried out an aerial attack against an Israeli army position in northern Israel.

In a statement, the group said it targeted newly established bunkers of Artillery Battalion 411 east of Nahariya with explosive-laden drones and achieved precise hits, inflicting casualties.

The Times of Israel news website meanwhile reported that the Israeli army intercepted one drone while a second one hit an area in western Galilee, both of which were launched by Hezbollah.

0052 GMT –– Japan urges Israel to comply with world court's order to halt Rafah offensive

Japan urged Israel to obey an order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt its military offensives in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

The provisional measures "are legally binding on the parties to disputes and to be observed in good faith," Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko told her Israeli counterpart Israel Katz in a phone call.

Kamikawa also linked the release of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza to a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian enclave, according to a statement by Japan's Foreign Ministry.

0023 GMT –– EU discussing sanctioning Israel if it refuses to comply with world court's ruling: minister

The European Union is discussing sanctioning Israel if it refuses to comply with a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to immediately halt its military campaign in the city of Rafah, local media reported, citing Ireland's foreign minister.

During a meeting of the European Political Community, EU foreign ministers for the first time discussed the prospect of sanctions against Israel if it continued to disregard the court's order, said Michael Martin, according to public broadcaster RTE.

"Certainly, if compliance isn't forthcoming, then we have to consider all options," he said, adding that Ireland would support such an approach.

2126 GMT — UNSC to hold emergency meeting after Israel's massacre in Rafah

The UN Security Council has convened an emergency meeting after what Israel said was a "precision strike" on a displaced persons camp in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that killed at least 45 people, wounded 250, some of them burned alive and others slashed into pieces.

The closed-door meeting was requested by Algeria, which is currently a non-permanent member of the council, diplomats said.

For our live updates from Monday, May 27, 2024, click here.