Live blog: UN 'very worried' over Israel's military offensive in West Bank

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

1849 GMT — The United Nations has expressed "grave concern" over Israel's military offensive in northern West Bank cities, warning that civilians are being exposed to "deadly warfare tactics" by Israeli forces.

"We've been following the developments since this morning with grave concern and are very worried about what we're seeing," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters during a news conference.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric said Palestinians are "increasingly exposed to deadly warfare tactics that seem to exceed international standards for law enforcement."

He reported that at least nine Palestinians, including children, were killed and others injured in raids involving Israeli helicopters, drones, and ground forces."Most of the people killed were victims of air strikes, while others were targeted by sniper fire and other lethal means.

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1853 GMT — UN food agency pauses movement of staff in Gaza after vehicle fired on

The World Food Programme has said it is pausing the movement of its staff in Gaza "until further notice" after one of its vehicles was struck by gunfire at an Israeli military checkpoint.

"This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP's team in Gaza," Cindy McCain, head of the UN agency, said of the Tuesday incident in which no one was injured.

1824 GMT — Israel 'must' limit civilian casualties as it carries out West Bank offensive: US

The White House has said that Israel "must" ensure that civilian casualties are limited, and that damage to civilian infrastructure is restricted as it carries out the most sweeping military offensive on the occupied West Bank in two decades.

"We are in touch with Israeli officials to learn more about the operation. The United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself against threats to its security," a National Security Council spokesperson told Anadolu on condition of anonymity.

"At the same time, they must do so in a way that limits civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure," the spokesperson added.

1735 GMT — Israel's West Bank op must not constitute premises of war extension from Gaza: EU

Israel's major raid in the occupied West Bank must not constitute premises of war extension from Gaza, including full-scale destruction, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

"The Israeli major military operation in the occupied West Bank must not constitute the premises of a war extension from Gaza, incl. full-scale destruction," Borrell said on X.

"The parallel drew by (Israeli Foreign) Minister Katz, especially on evacuating Palestinian residents, threatens to fuel further instability," he added.

1554 GMT — Türkiye calls for 'punitive, coercive' measures against Israel

Türkiye has called for "punitive and coercive measures" against Israel’s actions that completely disregard international law.

"It is imperative that the necessary punitive and coercive measures be taken against these actions by Israel in complete defiance of international law," the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, in response to Israel's latest operation in the occupied West Bank.

The statement also condemned Israel’s "illegal operation" and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s remarks on extending practices from Gaza to the occupied West Bank.

"We strongly condemn the illegal operation launched by Israel in the West Bank and the statement by the Israeli Foreign Minister that they will extend the practices in Gaza to the West Bank," it said. The statement further said that the "genocidal policy" being pursued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is a major threat to international security.

It also urged a "handful of countries that unconditionally support Israel" to abandon their position against the law and human conscience.

1517 GMT — UN Security Council renews peacekeeping force in Lebanon

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to extend a long-running peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for another year, but Israel's ally the United States said changes should be made to the operation's mandate in the future.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - established in 1978 - patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel. The mandate for the operation is renewed annually, and its current authorisation was due to expire on Saturday.

"Today's unanimous vote is proof of the international community's interest in Lebanon," Lebanon's Deputy UN Ambassador Hadi Hachem told the council.

"It is a clear message from your honourable council in favour of stability and a ceasefire. It is a gesture of hope for all Lebanese who reject war, violence and destruction, the Lebanese who want to give peace a chance," he said.

1511 GMT — UN demands halt to escalating attacks between Hezbollah, Israeli forces

The UN Security Council has demanded a halt to the increasing attacks between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israeli forces and warned that further escalation "carries the high risk of leading to a widespread conflict."

Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah pulled back after an exchange of heavy fire across the UN-drawn boundary between Lebanon and Israel over the weekend, but their decades-old conflict is far from over and regional tensions linked to the war in Gaza are still high.

Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, told reporters before the vote that he had a message for the Lebanese people: "You and your government have a choice to make, confront Hezbollah today or watch as your country is dragged into chaos and destruction."

The Security Council demand that Israel and Hezbollah halt hostilities came in a resolution unanimously approved by its 15 members that urged the "relevant actors" to restore "calm, restraint and stability."

1500 GMT — Egypt condemns Israeli raid in northern West Bank cities

Egypt has condemned the Israeli military raid in the occupied cities of the northern West Bank.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said it considers the Israeli assaults on Palestinian civilians in occupied West Bank cities "a continuation of systematic violations of international law, international humanitarian law, and the four Geneva Conventions that protect the rights of people under occupation."

"Egypt sees these actions as a deliberate escalation and an expansion of confrontations inside the Palestinian territories," the statement said.

It called for "a unified and effective international stance to provide protection for the Palestinian people and to put an end to the ongoing targeting of unarmed civilians, the imposition of restrictions, and the seizure of private property." Egypt also warned of the "severe consequences" expected from the ongoing Israeli operations.

1410 GMT — Fate of Gaza ceasefire deal in Hamas leader's hands: US intel official

The fate of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is "largely a question that is going to be answered" by the leader of the Palestinian resistance group, Deputy CIA Director David Cohen said.

Cohen did not refer to Hamas' leader, Yahya Sinwar, by name. The Israelis were showing seriousness in the negotiations, Cohen told an intelligence and national security summit in Washington.

Mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have been working to strike a deal between the sides and prevent a broader regional war.

On those efforts, Cohen said: "There may be episodes where people would step back from the brink, but I don't think anybody can be confident that that effort to control escalation is something that ... any party in that region" can control.

1355 GMT — Norway denounces Israeli minister Ben-Gvir's call

The Norwegian foreign minister has denounced Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's call to build a synagogue inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

"Norway strongly opposes the recent statement by Israel's Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, that he wants to build a synagogue on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount," Espen Barth Eide said in a statement.

"This provocation joins a series of unacceptable statements and actions by the (Israeli) Minister, aimed at altering the historical status quo in Jerusalem and fueling tension at a time when the region is in dire need of the opposite," he added.

1336 GMT — Israeli evacuation orders in West Bank violate int'l law: Hamas

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has denounced Israeli calls for Gaza-style evacuations of Palestinians from the north of occupied West Bank as a "flagrant violation of international law."

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called for dealing with the northern West Bank with the same measures applied by the army in Gaza, including the evacuation of residents.

"(This is) a fascist call to expand the circle of destruction, genocide, and ethnic cleansing against Palestinian citizens," Hamas leader Izzat al Rishq said in a statement.

"It reflects a deep-seated Israeli violation of international law and is a clear expression of the impunity enjoyed by Zionist terrorist leaders, who evade accountability and punishment for their crimes against humanity."

The Hamas leader called on the international community and the UN to "immediately work to lift the protection that the US administration provides to Israeli war criminals."

1241 GMT — Germany calls on Israel to end West Bank occupation 'as quickly as possible'

Germany has called for a swift end to Israel’s 57-year-long occupation of the West Bank.

Israel must "in the future end the occupation (of the West Bank) as quickly as possible," deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christian Wagner said at a press briefing in Berlin.

"We are very concerned about the situation in the (occupied) West Bank," also against the background of increasing violence, the high number of civilian deaths and the extent of rights violations, he said.

1125 GMT — Israel kills at least 11 Palestinians in latest West Bank raids

Palestinian health officials have said Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians in two raids in the occupied West Bank, as the military launched attacks in several cities at once.

At least 11 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank, including the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas, according to the Health Ministry.

The Israeli military confirmed it was operating in Jenin and Tulkarem, another occupied West Bank city, but did not provide further details.

1111 GMT — Gaza paramedic tortured, threatened with rape in Israeli detention

A Palestinian paramedic was detained, blindfolded, and threatened with rape by Israeli soldiers as he was dispatched to rescue four injured people in Gaza City.

Walid Khalili, 36, took his ambulance to Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood when he saw four men shot dead by soldiers at Barcelona Garden, 20 metres away from the Labour Ministry building.

"I saw the four men being executed in cold blood," Khalili told New York-based group Human Rights Watch. "I saw it with my own eyes, I was three meters away. When they were shot."

The paramedic fled to a nearby building to save his life. "The Israeli forces raided the building and started yelling at me to raise my hands," he recalled.

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1045 GMT — Polio vaccination in Gaza hinges on 'security and access guarantees': WHO

The start of a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza remains uncertain as the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the need for "security and access guarantees."

More than one million polio vaccines have arrived in Gaza, but WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told Anadolu that the vaccination campaign could only commence once the safety of healthcare workers and access to all parts of the region is ensured.

Harris explained that the re-emergence of polio in Gaza, the first case in 25 years, is primarily due to the collapse of the health system and widespread environmental destruction.

"You’ve got wastewater all over the place. People have a lack of access to any of the basic water and sanitation systems that will normally keep people healthy," Harris said, emphasising the deteriorating conditions.

0811 GMT — Negotiators on Gaza war meet in Doha

Israeli, American, Egyptian and Qatari negotiators are meeting in Doha for "technical/working level" talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, a source with knowledge of the meeting told Reuters without giving further details.

0726 GMT — Israel's biggest incursion in occupied West Bank in decades

Israel's foreign minister has threatened forced evacuations of Palestinians in parts of the northern occupied West Bank amid an ongoing major military incursion in the area.

The Israeli army had earlier launched raids in the northern West Bank, including in the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas, killing 11 Palestinians so far.

In a statement on X, Israel Katz said the country's army was working in Jenin and Tulkarem to thwart what he called "terrorist infrastructure against Israel in the West Bank."

He added that the army's raid includes "temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents" in areas in the northern occupied West Bank in measures similar to those that taken in Gaza.

0418 GMT — Israeli attacks in occupied West Bank kill several Palestinians

At least ten Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids and strikes in several towns in the north of the occupied West Bank, a spokesman for the Red Crescent said.

Two Palestinians were killed in the city of Jenin, four others in a nearby village, and four more in a refugee camp near the town of Tubas, said Ahmed Jibril.

0320 GMT — Biden overrode internal warnings to build Gaza aid pier, watchdog finds

US President Joe Biden had overrode warnings from his staffers in order to approve a floating pier off the Gaza coast that was meant to facilitate aid deliveries but which was repeatedly met with disaster, according to a watchdog report published.

Multiple officials within the US’s humanitarian aid agency, USAID, raised concerns that using the temporary pier would distract from diplomatic efforts to push Israel to lift its restrictions on overland aid deliveries, USAID's Office of the Inspector General said in a scathing report.

It said "multiple USAID staff expressed concerns" that focusing on the pier, known as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS), "would detract from the Agency’s advocacy to open land crossings in Israel and Egypt," which were deemed to be "more efficient and proven avenues for delivering aid to Gaza."

0123 GMT — Palestinian President, Saudi Crown Prince discuss Tel Aviv's war on Gaza

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have met in Riyadh to discuss the situation in besieged Gaza.

During their discussions, Abbas and Bin Salman reviewed the latest developments in Palestine and the region. They discussed Palestinian and Arab efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli onslaught against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem.

President Abbas warned of the dangers posed by illegal Israeli statements and actions concerning Islamic and Christian holy sites, particularly remarks by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about building a synagogue in Al-Aqsa Mosque, WAFA news agency reported.

0051 GMT — Israel's decision to fund tours for Zionist settlers of Al-Aqsa Mosque could trigger 'religious war': Hamas

The Israeli regime's decision to fund tours for illegal Zionist settlers of Al-Aqsa Mosque represents a "dangerous escalation" that could provoke a "religious war," the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has warned.

The regime's decision to fund the "Zionist tours" is a dangerous escalation that risks igniting a religious war, "for which the occupation and its supporters bear responsibility," Hamas said in a statement.

"This extremist fascist government is playing with fire, as it does not care about the repercussions of its Zionist behaviour in violating the sanctity, status and identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in our Arab and Islamic nation," the statement added.

0030 GMT — Rabbis oppose Israeli decision to fund settler raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque

Thirty Israeli rabbis representing the religious Zionist movement expressed opposition to a decision by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu to fund settler raids of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East Jerusalem.

In a letter to Eliyahu published by Channel 14, they said: "We were extremely shocked by the reports of your intention to fund and manage guided tours on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque), which has been completely forbidden even for prayer by the Chief Rabbinate for generations."

"Entering the Temple Mount raises concerns about severe prohibitions and desecration of the Temple and its sanctity, which our sages said is more serious than all the other violations mentioned in the Torah," the letter added.

The rabbis reminded Eliyahu that his grandfather, former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, was among those who prohibited entry to the complex.

They emphasised that "the Temple Mount is not a place for settlement or residence, nor is it a place for visits and excursions."

0012 GMT — Israel could ignite 'religious war' with Al-Aqsa tours: Hamas

Israel has killed at least four Palestinians, including three children, in its air strike that targeted a residential apartment in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City.

The Gaza Civil Defense said in a statement that four bodies have been recovered.

It added that their teams continued searching for missing victims under the rubble.

2239 GMT — Netanyahu seeks son's safety in US while raining death on Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently requested enhanced security for his son in the US due to concerns over retaliation by Iran following Tel Aviv's assassination last month of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the capital Tehran, local media reported.

Yair Netanyahu, 33, has been living in Miami, Florida, since April 2023 under the protection of Israel's Shin Bet internal security service.

The cost of his security detail is approximately $680,000 per year, according to the Israeli news website Walla.

Netanyahu recently asked for security measures to be tightened for Yair out of fear that Iran's response and that of its allies to Haniyeh's assassination might be to target Israeli figures and assets abroad, the website noted.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has been facing backlash in Israel for keeping his son abroad while sabotaging the truce deal in Gaza, not returning the hostages and trying to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have long been exempt from serving in the military.

2223 GMT — UN calls for humanitarian pause in Gaza to administer polio vaccines

UN agencies and their partners have urgently called for a humanitarian pause in the carnage in Gaza to ensure that more than 640,000 children can receive polio vaccinations.

The request underscores the dire need for an immediate halt in hostilities to prevent the spread of the disease among vulnerable populations in the region.

According to a statement from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the agencies are prepared to administer the vaccines, but the deteriorating security situation necessitates a temporary ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.

The agencies warn that delaying the vaccination campaign could significantly increase the risk of a polio outbreak among children.

2210 GMT — Israeli air strike hits truck in Lebanon carrying military equipment

An Israeli air strike hit a pickup truck travelling in northeast Lebanon, two security sources told Reuters news agency, with one of the sources saying it carried military equipment.

The two sources said the strike hit a pickup near Chaat, a remote area of Lebanon near the Syrian border, but that the driver survived.

One of the sources said it was likely the military equipment being transported was a damaged rocket launcher on the way to be repaired.

For our live updates from Tuesday, August 27, 2024, click here.