Live blog: UN calls for immediate halt to Israeli attacks on West Bank camp

Saturday, August 31, 2024

2046 GMT — The UN Human Rights Office has called for an immediate halt to Israeli military raids in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, condemning the use of "unlawful force."

In a statement, the rights office criticised the Israeli forces' use of military weapons and tactics in the densely populated area, home to about 11,000 Palestinians.

The ongoing Israeli military assault in Jenin refugee camp and “adjacent parts of the city has led apparently to unlawful killings, insecurity for Palestinian residents and enormous destruction of the camp,” it said.

The UN reported that 12 Palestinians have been killed since the raid began on Wednesday, including five in air strikes and seven by live ammunition.

The statement also highlighted widespread destruction, including bulldozed roads and damaged infrastructure, leaving many families trapped without access to water and food.

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2124 GMT — Israeli soldier killed during army offensive in Jenin, northern West Bank

One Israeli soldier was killed during a military offensive in the city of Jenin in the occupied northern West Bank, the army has said.

In a brief statement, the army said that Elkana Navon, 20, was killed during the ongoing raid in Jenin.

"The slain soldier, from Petah Tikva (central Israel), was a squad leader in Battalion 906,” the statement added.

The new fatality has brought the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since Oct. 7 to 705, including 339 in Gaza, according to the army.

1900 GMT — Houthis say they attacked ship off Yemen

Yemen's Houthis said they had attacked a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, as a multinational naval force said two missiles exploded near a Liberia-flagged vessel.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting the ship (GROTON) in the Gulf of Aden," Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.

He said the ship had been hit and that it was the second time it had been attacked after a similar incident on August 3.

The group has waged a campaign against international shipping passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israeli war in Gaza.

1800 GMT — Al Azhar condemns deadly Israeli offensive in occupied West Bank

Egypt’s Al Azhar, one of the highest seats of Sunni Muslim learning, condemned the ongoing Israeli offensive in the West Bank, calling it an attempt to "completely" eliminate Palestine and “Judaise” all of its occupied territories.

In a statement, Al Azhar warned of an “Israeli plan being executed in the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, aimed at seizing ownership, Judaising its landmarks, killing its Palestinian residents, and committing a new genocide, amidst unprecedented international collusion and UN inaction."

“We strongly condemn the Israeli aggression on West Bank cities, the destruction of a wide range of roads, facilities, and homes, the spilling of the blood of dozens, and the injury and arrest of hundreds," the statement said.

It also highlighted the dangers of this aggression on regional security and stability, calling on the international community and all active parties to "take responsibility for the horrendous and painful massacres committed by the Israeli killing machine against the people of Gaza, and what it is about to commit in the West Bank.”

1700 GMT — Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp of West Bank

The Israeli army killed two Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said in a statement that its crews “arrived at the location of the bodies of two martyrs in the Jenin camp, but the occupation forces prevented them from receiving the bodies and demanded that the paramedics leave.”

In a later statement, the PRCS said that Israeli forces “prevented the transfer of two injuries in Jenin camp to the hospital for the third time.”

1600 GMT — Israeli army blocks water supply to Jenin public hospital

The Israeli army blocked water trucks from reaching Jenin Government Hospital, potentially disrupting kidney dialysis services for patients.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli forces stopped water tankers from the Jenin Civil Defense from reaching the hospital.

Dargham Zakarneh, director of the Jenin Civil Defense Center, said Israeli soldiers stationed at the hospital's gate blocked the water delivery.

Highlighting that the hospital's kidney dialysis department requires a daily 100 cubic meters of water to operate, he warned that blocking the trucks would bring dialysis services to a halt.

Wassim Bakr, the hospital's director, also said continued restrictions could lead to a suspension of dialysis services if the water supply remains blocked.

1500 GMT — Gaza launches polio vaccination campaign targeting children under 10

The Gaza Health Ministry has launched a polio vaccination campaign in southern Gaza, specifically targeting children under 10 years old.

The campaign began in Khan Younis, with the aim of vaccinating over 90 percent of children across all regions of Gaza by September 12.

The vaccination drive, which is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), kicked off at Nasser Hospital following a joint press conference by the organisations.

Majdi Duhair, head of the technical committee overseeing the vaccination effort, stated that the campaign will first focus on central Gaza from September 1 to 4, followed by Khan Younis from September 5 to 9, and will conclude in Gaza City and the northern regions from September 9 to 12.

The campaign comes amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where ongoing conflict and a blockade have led to critical shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies. The deteriorating conditions have heightened concerns about potential outbreaks of diseases, including polio.

1230 GMT — Death toll nears 40,700 as Israel kills 89 more people in Gaza

The death toll in Gaza has risen to nearly 40,700 as Israeli forces killed 89 more Palestinians over the past two days, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the besieged enclave. The relentless Israeli onslaught has also left 94,060 others injured, according to the ministry.

“Israeli forces killed 89 people and injured 205 others in five ‘massacres’ against families in the last 48 hours,” the ministry said.

Many victims remain trapped under rubble, with rescuers unable to reach them due to the continued bombardment, the ministry said.

1225 GMT — Occupied West Bank city 'cut off from the world' as Israel raid drags on

Concrete slabs and sheet metal were piled high alongside streets in Jenin, as residents assessed the damage from Israel's latest West Bank raid even as explosions persisted nearby.

"We are cut off from the world", Taher al-Saadi said.

"The water is cut off. The electricity is cut off, the sewage system is no longer working. All the infrastructure is destroyed, we no longer have any services that work."

He added: "The bakeries are at a standstill. We can't find milk for the children."

1012 GMT — 14 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on central, south Gaza

At least 14 Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli attacks targeting the central and southern Gaza.

Medical sources at the Al-Awda Hospital told Anadolu that nine Palestinians were killed and over 10 others injured in an Israeli attack targeting a house west of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

Separately, the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza said five Palestinians were killed and 15 others injured as Israeli forces shelled a house in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

1010 GMT — Israeli army storms Hebron, closes Ibrahimi Mosque amid heightened tensions

The Israeli army stormed the city of Hebron, shutting down the Ibrahimi Mosque and preventing worshippers from entering, according to eyewitnesses and local authorities.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that Israeli forces raided the Wadi al-Hariya neighborhood, searching several homes.

The incursion also targeted the Jabal Abu Rumman neighborhood, where soldiers and snipers were seen taking positions on rooftops of residential buildings, they added.

Sheikh Mutaz Abu Sneina, director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, reported that the mosque was closed at dawn on Saturday without prior notice. “The occupation forces closed the mosque from 4:00 a.m. without warning, preventing worshippers from entering,” Abu Sneina said.

0422 GMT — UN reports rise in humanitarian aid denials to Gaza by Israel

The United Nations reported that the number of humanitarian missions denied access to Gaza by Israeli authorities nearly doubled in August compared to July.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters during a news conference that out of 199 planned humanitarian missions in northern Gaza coordinated with Israeli authorities, only 74 were facilitated between August 1 and 29.

He noted that the remaining missions were either denied, impeded, or cancelled due to various issues. In southern Gaza, of 372 coordinated humanitarian movements, only 173 were allowed.

0827 GMT — Israel issues administrative detention order against Palestinian child

The Israeli occupation authorities have issued a four-month administrative detention order against the 14-year-old child Ammar Subhi Abdul Karim from the town of Abwein, north of Ramallah.

The child's father said that the occupation forces broke into the house and detained his son Ammar in a room, interrogated him and brutally assaulted him, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported

He was later detained and transferred to the Israeli prison of Ofer, adding that the occupation court issued an administrative detention order against Ammar for four months.

0819 GMT — Illegal Israeli settlers attack occupied West Bank, steal livestock

Illegal Israeli settlers have launched an early morning attack on a Palestinian residential area in the southern occupied West Bank stealing 300 sheep and causing significant damage to the property of residents.

Eyewitnesses reported to Anadolu Agency that settlers from the Nokdim settlement, which is itself illegal under international law, descended on the Jorat al-Khail area, east of the town of Sair, near Hebron.

During the assault, the settlers not only stole livestock but also destroyed mobile homes belonging to three Palestinian families.

Read more here

0439 GMT — Israeli judicial system facilitates forced disappearance of Palestinian detainees: rights groups

Palestinian rights groups have said that the Israeli judicial system facilitates the crime of forced disappearance of Palestinian detainees from Gaza, calling for holding Israel accountable.

The statement, reported by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, was issued by the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the Prisoners Affairs Commission, and the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance on August 30.

The statement noted that thousands of detainees are being held under the "Unlawful Combatants Law," enacted by the Israeli Knesset in 2002, which the groups argue fundamentally violates due process.

Read more here

0344 GMT — Hamas lauds 'heroic operation' bombings in occupied West Bank

Palestinian resistance group Hamas issued a statement praising what it called a "double heroic operation" in the occupied West Bank, saying it "is a clear message that resistance will remain striking, prolonged and sustained as long as the brutal occupation's aggression and targeting of our people and land continue".

Hamas said that the timing of the two attacks—one at a petrol station in the illegal Israeli Gush Etzion settlement and the other in the illegal Israeli settlement of Karmei Tzur, about 8 km (4.9 miles) away—was significant because they occurred while Israeli forces were conducting a large military operation in the northern part of the territory.

Hamas described the attacks as a major blow to the occupation’s security system, noting that they were carried out while Israeli forces were on high alert.

Israel’s military reported that its forces killed one Palestinian attacker after the explosion at the petrol station and that a bomb detonated in a car during an exchange of gunfire in the illegal Karmei Tzur settlement, which resulted in the death of the second Palestinian attacker.

Violence in the occupied West Bank, already on the rise before the war in Gaza, has escalated recently, with stepped-up deadly Israeli military raids and illegal Israeli settler violence.

0320 GMT — Palestine secures new position at UN general assembly for 79th session

Palestine's Mission to the United Nations announced that it will participate in the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (GA) for the first time with an official seat.

"Starting the 79th GA session, and for the first time, you can find the State of Palestine seated between Sri Lanka and Sudan," the mission wrote on X, adding that the position comes following a resolution being adopted at the General Assembly.

The resolution, ES-10/23, grants Palestine additional rights and privileges for participation at the UN, marking a notable enhancement of its status within the international organization.

In May, the General Assembly endorsed a resolution calling for the reevaluation of Palestine's UN membership bid and granting additional rights.

The resolution was adopted with 143 member states voting in favour. The US was among nine countries that opposed it, while 25 others abstained.

0112 GMT — Israeli actions in Gaza, West Bank, Jerusalem severely worsen situation: France

Israeli actions in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Jerusalem have severely worsened the situation, noted the French Foreign Ministry.

“France expresses its strong concern over the deterioration of the situation in the Palestinian Territories following recent Israeli actions,” the ministry said in a statement.

Regarding Gaza, the ministry highlighted that Israeli attacks on schools and shelters for displaced persons have resulted in an unacceptable number of civilian casualties.

0003 GMT — UAE offers $5M for polio vaccination in war-torn Gaza

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a $5 million donation for a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, that is set to begin.

According to the UAE’s official news agency WAM, the country's President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, directed the funding for the critical polio vaccination campaign in Gaza as part of the UAE’s efforts to support the Palestinian people.

The campaign, which will be implemented in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, will consist of two rounds and aim to vaccinate 640,000 Gazan children under the age of 10 with two doses each.

2126 GMT — Israel kills 12 Palestinians in Gaza as toll soars in West Bank

The Israeli army has killed 12 Palestinians in a series of raids across besieged Gaza, with more bodies being recovered from areas previously vacated by Israeli forces.

Palestinian Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal stated that six Palestinians were killed in two Israeli air strikes in Jabalia, northern Gaza, including one targeting a gathering of people.

In the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of northwestern Gaza City, another Palestinian was killed in an Israeli air strike on a residential home, according to the statement.

In central Gaza, two Palestinians were killed in air strikes on a home in the Al-Maghazi camp and at a gathering in Deir al-Balah.

In Khan Younis, three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on a home in the Abasan al-Kabira town, eastern Khan Younis.

2258 GMT — Israeli settlers injured in occupied West Bank

At least four Israelis settlers have been injured in two separate attacks in the illegal settlement of Gush Etzion in the southern occupied West Bank.

Israeli media reported that the perpetrators of the two attacks were killed by Israeli military.

Israeli Army Radio reported that two settlers were injured in an explosion involving a car in Gush Etzion; one sustained moderate injuries, while the other was lightly injured.

2022 GMT — Jordan, Iran discuss ceasefire and West Bank escalation

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi have discussed the Gaza ceasefire efforts and the Israeli escalation in the occupied northern West Bank.

According to a statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, both top diplomats spoke over the phone and discussed the regional developments, including the Israeli carnage in Gaza and the risky Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank.

The statement quoted Safadi as stressing that halting Israeli aggression on Gaza is the first step in preventing the spread of an "all-out regional war."

1919 GMT — Death toll from Israel aggression in West Bank reaches 20

Palestinian health authorities have said that the death toll from Israel's most aggressive invasion into the occupied West Bank since the start of its carnage in Gaza has reached at least 20.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported the killing by Israeli forces of "an elderly man" in the city of Jenin, without specifying his age, bringing the total death toll from the military raids in the occupied territory to 20. Israel says it has killed 20 Palestinian fighters and arrested 17 others. Hamas has claimed at least 10 of those killed as its fighters.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, said the Palestinians killed in the West Bank raids included a person with disabilities and a number of children, without specifying how many.

For our live updates from Friday, August 30, 2024, click here.