Live blog: UN mulls role in maritime corridor for Gaza aid — official

Thursday, April 4, 2024

1745 GMT — A UN spokesperson has said that a discussion is "ongoing" about the UN participation in a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

"I can tell you that at the moment any decision regarding the UN participation in the maritime corridor needs to be fully agreed on with the humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza under conditions that would meet our bedrock of conditions which is principled, safe, sustained, and impartial humanitarian distribution, and scaled up assistance to reach as many people in need," Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

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1829 GMT — UN can't verify Israel's AI-generated Gaza kill lists: spokesperson

The UN has no way to verify Israel's reported use of an artificial intelligence-powered program that is used to help identify bombing targets in Gaza, a UN spokesman has said.

"We've read the press reports, we have no way of verifying them, but upon reading them, I think they are very clear illustrations of the kinds of concerns that the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) raised directly," Stephane Dujarric told reporters when asked about the recent reports.

Dujarric said it could be a "real world example" of how the technology is being used.

1827 GMT — UK gov't responsible for Gaza aid worker deaths: charity

The British government bears "particular responsibility" for the Israeli killing of seven food aid workers in Gaza as a supplier of arms and munitions to Israel, according to the head of UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

In an op-ed published on Thursday by the British daily Express, MAP CEO Melanie Ward noted that political leaders need to take action to prevent killings in Gaza.

1801 GMT — Spanish charity ends Gaza food delivery mission

Open Arms, a Spanish charity normally focused on rescuing migrants from the Mediterranean Sea, says it’s ending its mission to deliver food by sea to Gaza after an Israeli air strike killed seven workers from a related charity.

The Spanish foundation had provided one of its ships, the Open Arms, to transport food aid in two trips sponsored by World Central Kitchen, a US charity that has accused Israel of deliberately targeting its workers.

Open Arms blamed the Israeli military for the deaths in a statement, adding that Monday's attack "marks a painful turning point in our efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

1801 GMT — Trudeau counters Netanyahu on aid workers' killing, not war cost

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he "takes issue" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza was part of the cost of war.

"I have to directly take issue with what Prime Minister Netanyahu said yesterday when he said ‘Well, this just happens in conflicts and in wartime,'" Trudeau said. "No! It doesn’t just happen and it shouldn’t just happen."

Aid workers are risking their lives to help people in Gaza, Trudeau said, and "that is not OK that they get hit by targeted missiles like this."

1759 GMT — Israel must end Gaza conflict swiftly, losing PR: Trump

Former President Donald Trump has offered a tough message to Israel in its war on Gaza, urging the country to: “Get it over with.”

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said that Israel is “absolutely losing the PR war” and called for a swift resolution to the bloodshed.

“Get it over with and let’s get back to peace and stop killing people. And that’s a very simple statement," Trump said. "They have to get it done. Get it over with and get it over with fast because we have to — you have to get back to normalcy and peace.”

1749 GMT — Muslim bloc calls for Gaza ceasefire ahead of Eid al-Fitr

The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has called on the "free world" to strive for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza before the blessed Muslim festival Eid al-Fitr.

The Israeli crimes in Gaza constitute genocide and represent a serious abuse, demolishing all human values, the union said in a statement.

The statement condemned "the killing of innocents and the torture of children, women, the elderly, and scholars" in Gaza, considering it "a heinous violation of all human values.”

"We call on the free world to immediately and urgently ceasefire before the Eid al-Fitr (April 10),” the statement added.

1748 GMT — Biden urges Netanyahu to reach Gaza ceasefire 'without delay'

President Joe Biden has told Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that an "immediate ceasefire is essential" in Gaza and urged Israel to reach a deal "without delay."

“He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers,” the White House said in a statement following the leaders' call.

“He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”

1757 GMT — Blinken urges Israel to protect civilians, boost aid in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Israel, as a democracy, to place the highest value on human life and increase the flow of aid to Gaza, adding that this week's "horrific attack" on World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza must be the last such incident.

"Right now, there is no higher priority in Gaza than protecting civilians, surging humanitarian assistance, and ensuring the security of those who provide it. Israel must meet this moment," Blinken told reporters at a news conference in Brussels.

1720 GMT — Egypt's Gaza ceasefire proposal includes nothing new: Hamas

A senior Hamas leader said on Thursday that Egypt had put forward a ceasefire proposal to end the conflict in Gaza, but that it did not include anything new.

He added US and Egyptian mediators wanted to keep the ceasefire process alive despite their conviction that there was a wide gap between Israel and Hamas.

"The Hamas leadership informed the Egyptian and Qatari mediators that what is being offered cannot be accepted, as it is a continuation of the stubborn Israeli position," he added.

1719 GMT — Palestinian paramedic killed, 2 injured in Israeli air strike in Gaza

A Palestinian paramedic was killed and two others injured in an Israeli air strike on the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.

A medical source identified the slain paramedic to Anadolu as Hussein Matar, while two others are in critical condition.

The source said the paramedic team was on a mission to evacuate injured civilians in the town who were struck by the Israeli army's artillery.

1712 GMT — Israel systematically wrecking Gaza healthcare: MSF

Israel is systematically destroying Gaza's healthcare system, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said, describing scenes of carnage that no hospitals in the world would be able to handle.

The medical charity said children were turning up in hospitals with gunshot wounds from drones, while many patients were being crushed under rubble and then suffering severe burns.

MSF said deadly attacks on humanitarian staff showed either deliberate intent or reckless incompetence and called for a change in how the war is being conducted.

1650 GMT — US approves additional bombs to Israel following aid workers strike: report

The US approved the transfer of thousands of additional bombs to Israel earlier this week on the day an Israeli air strike in Gaza killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), according to a report.

The State Department approved the transfer of more than 1,000 MK82 500-pound bombs, over 1,000 small-diameter bombs and fuses for MK80 bombs to Israel, the Washington Post reported, citing three US officials.

The transfer was related to authorizations granted by Congress years before an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, according to the report, citing officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

1538 GMT — MSF denies Israeli 'regrettable incident' in Gaza strike

The Doctors Without Borders medical charity (MSF) said on Thursday it rejected Israel's position that an airstrike which killed seven aid workers was a "regrettable incident", saying many humanitarian personnel have been attacked previously.

"We do not accept the narrative of regrettable incidents," Christopher Lockyear, Secretary General of MSF International, said at a press conference in Geneva.

,"We do not accept it because what has happened to World Central Kitchen and MSF's convoys and shelters is part of the same pattern of deliberate attacks on humanitarians, health workers, journalists, UN personnel, schools and homes."

1510 GMT — Spain demands EU review Israel ties over Gaza war crimes

The European Union should debate whether to continue its strategic relationship with Israel if the European Commission finds that Israel has breached humanitarian law in its war on Gaza, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has told Al Jazeera TV.

In February, Sanchez and his Irish counterpart asked Brussels to urgently review whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations in Gaza.

"In the case of the EU, the situation would be that there's an open door to have a debate within the European Council in order to see if we continue with this strategic relation or not. But this is something for which we first need to have the assessment of the European Commission," Sanchez said.

1451 GMT — Israel to adjust Gaza war tactics after aid worker killings

Israel has said it would adjust its Gaza war tactics after killing seven aid workers in an air strike that the military called an operational accident, though the process may take weeks while an investigation proceeds.

Some local media reported, based on unnamed sources, that the convoy was hit repeatedly from the air despite having coordinated its route in advance with the military — possibly due to a false belief that gunmen were aboard it or close by.

1434 GMT — Israel refuses implementation of int'l humanitarian law: UN

The UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights has said that "Israel is clearly refusing to implement its obligations under the international humanitarian law."

"Violence continues unabated. Israel most recently has launched a very large attack on a major hospital in Gaza, causing many hundreds of deaths there," Ben Saul told Anadolu, noting that over 30,000 people have been killed, and over 70,000 wounded since October 7.

1432 GMT — Biden is urged action against Netanyahu's carnage

US President Joe Biden has faced growing calls to turn outrage over the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza into conditions on military support for Israel, as he prepared to confront Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the incident.

In his first call with Netanyahu since an Israeli strike killed the employees of the US-based World Central Kitchen group, Biden was expected to express anger and urge Israel to do more to protect humanitarian staff and civilians.

Biden also reportedly faces pressure from even closer to home — from First Lady Jill Biden.

"Stop it, stop it now," she told the president about the growing toll of civilian casualties in Gaza, according to comments by Biden himself to a guest during a meeting with members of the Muslim community at the White House, and reported by the New York Times.

1428 GMT — Israeli strike on Gaza killed 106, apparent 'war crime'

Human Rights Watch says an Israeli attack on a Gaza apartment building in October killed at least 106 civilians, including 54 children.

The New York-based rights group says its investigation found no evidence that the attack targeted any military activity inside the building, making it an apparent war crime. International law prohibits attacks on military targets that will likely cause disproportionate harm to civilians.

Human Rights Watch says four separate strikes collapsed the Engineer’s Building in central Gaza, which was housing some 350 people, around a third of whom had fled their homes elsewhere in the territory.

1319 GMT — No progress in Gaza truce talks: Hamas official

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said there has been no progress in Gaza ceasefire talks despite the movement showing flexibility.

Hamdan said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was placing obstacles hindering both parties from reaching an agreement, and that he is "not interested" in releasing Israeli hostages.

"The occupation government is still evading, and negotiations are stuck in a vicious circle", Hamdan said at a press conference held in Beirut.

1242 GMT — Poland expects ‘straight apology’ from Israel over killing aid workers

Poland expects a "straight apology" from the Israeli ambassador in Warsaw over the killing of a Polish aid worker in Israeli air strikes in Gaza, according to local media.

Campaigning for local government elections this weekend, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, "We all know what happened, how senseless and unnecessary that death was," according to state-run PAP news agency.

Saying that he expects a full and immediate explanation of the tragedy and compensation for the victim's next of kin, he added: "If the ambassador decides to speak publicly on our media, he should use the opportunity to offer a normal, human apology.”

1236 GMT — Israel signals probe of lethal strike on Gaza aid convoy to take weeks

Israel has signalled that its military's investigation of an air strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, and which it has already described in preliminary statements as an operational accident, could take weeks.

"In the coming weeks, as the findings become clear, we will be transparent and share the results with the public," Israeli government spokesperson Raquela Karamson said in a briefing.

1233 GMT — Israeli journo likens WCK workers' killing to army slaying hostages with white flag

Israeli journalist Barak Ravid highlighted the deaths of three Israeli hostages who were killed in Gaza despite carrying white flags, similar to World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers.

Ravid, who works for the American news websites Axios and CNN, said an Israeli reserve officer informed him that he had received orders to shoot anyone with a weapon.

Ravid made these remarks to CNN about the killing of WCK workers.

"You may remember that a few weeks ago, three Israeli hostages who managed to escape from their captors were killed by Israeli soldiers despite having white flags in their hands," he said.

1153 GMT — Over 600 jurists caution UK: Arming Israel breaches int'l law

Over 600 British jurists, including three former Supreme Court judges, lawyers, academics, and retired senior judges, warned that the UK's arming of Israel violates international law, Irish media reported on Wednesday night.

"While we welcome the increasingly robust calls by your government for a cessation of fighting and the unobstructed entry to Gaza of humanitarian assistance, simultaneously to continue the sale of weapons and weapons systems to Israel and to maintain threats of suspending UK aid to UNRWA falls significantly short of your government ’s obligations under international law," they stated in an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to Irish Times daily.

Drawing attention to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) finding that there is a plausible risk of genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza, the letter said, "The UK must take immediate measures to bring to an end through lawful means acts giving rise to a serious risk of genocide."

1145 GMT — Northern Gaza residents get only 245 daily calories: Oxfam

People in northern Gaza are being forced to survive on an average of just 245 calories per day, international NGO Oxfam said in a statement published Wednesday.

The average calorie intake represents less than 12 percent of an adult’s average daily calorie needs — and that does not consider access to proper nutrition.

"For the little fruits and vegetables still available, extreme price rises due to scarcity have put them out of reach for most people. Specialised nutrition products and centres to treat malnourished children are also difficult or impossible to find," the press release said.

1052 GMT — Israeli army detains 40 Palestinians in occupied West Bank raids

At least 40 Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in overnight military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

Three women were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement. The arrests took place in the cities of Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tubas, Bethlehem and Hebron, the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 8,030 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since last October, according to Palestinian figures.

0740 GMT — Palestinian death toll in Israel's war on Gaza surpasses 33,000

At least 33,037 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its war on Gaza in October last year, the enclave's health ministry said.

The toll includes at least 62 killings over the past 24 hours alone, a ministry statement said, adding that 75,668 people have been wounded in the territory during nearly six months of war.

0635 GMT — US expresses 'outrage' over Israeli killing of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and expressed his "outrage" over this week's attack on a humanitarian aid convoy from World Central Kitchen (WCK) that killed seven workers.

"Secretary Austin stressed the need to immediately take concrete steps to protect aid workers and Palestinian civilians in Gaza after repeated coordination failures with foreign aid groups," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Austin asked Gallant to carry out "a swift and transparent investigation, to share their conclusions publicly, and to hold those responsible to account."

"Secretary Austin stated that this tragedy reinforced the expressed concern over a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah, specifically focusing on the need to ensure the evacuation of Palestinian civilians and the flow of humanitarian aid," the statement added.

0618 GMT — Food aid charity demands independent inquiry of Israeli strikes

The World Central Kitchen (WCK) called for an independent investigation into this week's Israeli killing of its seven aid workers.

"We have asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States of America, Poland and the United Kingdom to join us in demanding an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law," the charity organisation that provides meals to communities in disaster and war zones said in a statement.

"Yesterday, to ensure the integrity of the investigation, we asked the Israeli government to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant to the April 1 strikes."

0255 GMT — Israel bombards Gaza, kills two more Palestinians

Israel carried out an air strike on a house in Gaza, killing at least two Palestinians and injuring 15 others.

The home was located in the Maghazi refugee camp, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

The report also said that Israeli warplanes targeted a house in the Tel al Sultan neighbourhood west of Rafah in southern Gaza.

0227 GMT — Israeli army raids Jenin, clashes erupt with Palestinians

Israeli forces raided the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp.

Israeli forces accompanied by bulldozers stormed the city in occupied West Bank from several directions and raided the camp, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

They said alarms sounded in the camp while Israeli forces took to the rooftops of houses. They noted that armed clashes also broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinians, with the sounds of explosions heard.

No official Palestinian sources have provided details about the raid or the accompanying clashes, including casualties or material losses.

0203 GMT — Israeli explanation for aid workers killing 'not good enough'

Israel's explanation for the deaths from an air strike in besieged Gaza of seven aid workers, including Australian woman Zomi Frankcom, was "not good enough," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said.

"We need to have accountability for how it has occurred, and what is not good enough is the statements that have been made, including that this is just a product of war," Albanese said during a press conference in Sydney.

Albanese seemed to be referring to comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video message on Tuesday in which he said that "this happens in war" as the Israeli military promised an independent investigation.

0133 GMT — Biden, Netanyahu to speak following Gaza killings

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak, a US official said, in their first call since Israel killed seven aid workers in besieged Gaza.

The call comes after Biden expressed outrage over the killings of the employees of the US-based World Central Kitchen group and said Israel must do more to protect aid workers and civilians.

"I can confirm President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu will speak tomorrow," a US official who is knowledgeable about the matter told the AFP news agency.

0114 GMT — Missile fired from Lebanon hits house in Israel: report

An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon struck a house in northern Israel, an Israeli media outlet reported.

"Hezbollah operatives fired an anti-tank missile at Metula in the Galilee finger, which hit a house in the northern neighbourhood of the settlement. There were no casualties. The IDF is attacking the source of the fire," said the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The Lebanese Hezbollah group has not commented on the report.

The Israeli Defence Ministry announced an expansion of its operations "against Hezbollah and other entities threatening us, striking our enemies across the Middle East."

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said a war in the north would pose a "tough challenge" for Israel, but it would be "devastating for Hezbollah and Lebanon."

2354 GMT — Scottish leader calls for ban on arms sales to Israel

Scottish leader Humza Yousaf has reiterated his call on the UK government to suspend arms sales to Israel following the Israeli army's killing of aid workers in besieged Gaza.

"By not stopping arms sales to Israel, the UK is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians," Yousaf warned in his letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Reminding that he called on the government in January to ban the license of arms exports from the UK to Israel, the first minister said he has yet to receive a response, adding: "You have taken no such action, despite the death toll continuing to increase."

2200 GMT — Israel bombs Rafah home, killing several including two toddlers

Israel has killed several Palestinians, including two toddlers, after striking a home in Tal al Sultan neighbourhood in west of besieged Gaza's Rafah city, according to local media reports and witnesses.

Images at the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah showed bloodied bodies two Palestinian girls, who were killed in the Israeli attack, lying on a medical stretcher.

Civil defence teams and local residents were conducting search and rescue operations at the blast site.

The latest Israeli strike came amid global outrage over the killing of seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen, whose founder accused Israel of deliberately killing the relief workers in "car by car" strikes.

For our live updates from Wednesday, April 3, click here.