Live blog: US resumes Israel bomb shipments despite Gaza worries

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

1902 GMT — The US has agreed to send Israel hundreds of 500-pound bombs from a shipment that the Biden administration withheld because of concerns about Israeli assaults in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to two US officials.

US President Joe Biden announced in May that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah over concern for the well-being of hundreds of thousands of civilians sheltering there.

The White House announced at the time that they were holding up a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogramme) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogramme) bombs because of the president’s concerns.

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1841 GMT — Palestinians seek diplomatic support on Israeli jail conditions

The Palestinian Authority has asked diplomats in a meeting in the occupied West Bank to speak out on "unacceptable" conditions suffered by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, the Palestinian minister of state for foreign affairs, invited mostly European diplomats as well as representatives from international organisations to show them a three-minute video containing testimonies from Palestinians detained by Israel in recent months.

The compilation of footage and media interviews point to mistreatment in Israeli jails and allegations of torture, which Israeli authorities deny.

"This is unacceptable, this is against all human rights laws, and it needs to stop," Shahin told the meeting in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority.

1815 GMT — UN warns of 'mass suffering' from Israel's Gaza displacement order

The UN has warned about Israel's recent directive for residents to leave Gaza City, saying that it would exacerbate the "mass suffering of Palestinian families."

"OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) warns that Israel's instruction for people to leave Gaza City will only fuel mass suffering for Palestinian families, many of whom have been displaced again and again," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

Dujarric reiterated the UN's demand to "respect international humanitarian law," adding that "the level of fighting and destruction that we are seeing in recent days as the cease-fire talks are ongoing is truly shocking."

1800 GMT — UK urges Gaza ceasefire amid Israel's school attacks

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has expressed concern over recent reports of civilian casualties in Israeli strikes on schools housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza.

In a statement on X, Lammy described the situation as "appalling" and underscored the urgent need for measures to protect civilians amid ongoing Israeli forces attacks on Gaza.

"The devastating violence in Gaza has gone on far too long and we want to see urgent measures to protect civilians, an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages," Lammy said.

1718 GMT — Over 450 Israeli attacks on Gaza buildings since October 7: UN

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said that its facilities in Gaza have been subjected to a staggering 453 Israeli attacks since last Oct. 7.

“Two-thirds of our schools in Gaza have been hit, with 524 people sheltering in our facilities killed,” the UN agency said in a statement.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Lazzarini called for an immediate ceasefire “before we lose what is left of our common humanity.”

“Schools have gone from safe places of education and hope for children to overcrowded shelters, often ending up a place of death and misery,” he said.

Lazzarini said four UN-run schools were hit in the past four days.

“Nine months in, under our watch, the relentless, endless killings, destruction and despair continue. Gaza is no place for children,” he added.

1648 GMT — Israel announces conclusion of raid in Gaza's Shejaia

The Israeli military has announced that its troops have completed a two-week offensive in Gaza's Shejaia, where they destroyed eight tunnels that contained weapons and communication equipment.

"During the fighting, the forces killed many dozens of militants," the military said in a statement.

1511 GMT — Hamas negotiating on behalf of 'Axis of Resistance': Hezbollah

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has said Hamas was conducting Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel on behalf of the entire "Axis of Resistance" and, if a deal was reached, Hezbollah would stop its operations with no need for separate talks.

At the same time, Nasrallah warned that Hezbollah was ready for and did not fear a war and pointed to the ever-larger salvos of rockets and drones the group has fired at Israel as evidence.

"Hamas is negotiating on its own behalf and on behalf of the Palestinian factions, and also on behalf of the entire Axis of Resistance. What Hamas accepts, we all accept," Nasrallah said.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas did not comment on Nasrallah's statement yet.

The Axis of Resistance is an alliance built up over years of Iranian support against Israel and US influence in the Middle East.

1455 GMT — Majority of Israelis back Gaza truce, hostage release: poll

A slight majority of Israelis support ending the war in Gaza as part of a ceasefire deal that would free all hostages held by Hamas, according to a poll released.

The poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based think-tank, found that 56 percent of Israelis favour a complete ceasefire to return all the hostages and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza.

That figure stands in contrast to a key position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in ongoing ceasefire talks – that Israel won’t commit to ending the war as part of any deal.

The poll also found that nearly 30 percent of Israelis support a temporary ceasefire that will return some of the hostages. The survey of 850 Israelis had a margin of error of 3.85 percent.

1406 GMT — Denmark calls for 'ceasefire' amid Israeli-Lebanese hostilities

Denmark’s top diplomat expressed concerns over the escalation of hostilities on the Israeli-Lebanese border and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Danish Foreign Ministry has said Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen discussed "the deeply worrying escalation between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese border with (Israel’s Foreign Minister) Israel Katz."

In Tuesday's meeting, held on the margins of a NATO summit, Rasmussen underlined the need to find solutions through diplomatic means and reiterated his push for a ceasefire.

"The foreign minister underlined the need to find a solution through diplomatic means. Also reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and release of all hostages," said the statement.

1405 GMT — Israel 'open' to Rafah crossing without Hamas

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that Tel Aviv is willing to open the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, but without allowing Hamas to return to the area.

“Israel wants to see the Rafah crossing reopened, but will not tolerate the return of Hamas to the area,” Gallant said, according to an Israeli Defense Ministry statement, without providing further details.

1400 GMT — Gaza faces severe medical supply crisis: MSF

Aid group Doctors Without Borders has warned of "critical" shortages of medical supplies in Gaza, with no resupply for more than two months of Israeli war.

The group known by its French initials MSF is "facing critical shortages of many things like gauze, gloves... things like that," Amber Alayyan, who works on the Palestinian territories for its French branch, has told AFP.

"We're seeing people who are injured in bombings, in shootings, in drone attacks," Alayyan said. "We're seeing people who are living in such poor conditions that they're cooking on the floor."

1251 GMT — USAID leader will meet with Israeli officials about security of aid workers

A United States official says the head of the agency overseeing American foreign humanitarian and development aid will visit Israel on Thursday to address security concerns around aid workers and aid distribution in Gaza.

US Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power will meet with Israeli officials to discuss improving communication and coordination to protect humanitarian workers in the ongoing Gaza war.

She was last in the region in March, when she visited Israel, Jordan, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The United Nations chief has said "total lawlessness" and chaos in Gaza prevent the distribution of desperately needed humanitarian aid in the enclave. According to the UN, more than 200 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began.

1228 GMT — France gravely concerned over reported Israeli hit on Gaza tent camp

France has said it was gravely concerned by reports that an Israeli missile had slammed into a tent encampment in southern Gaza where displaced civilians had gathered to watch a soccer match at a school.

Palestinian health officials said that at least 29 people — mostly women and children — were killed by the Israeli missile strike on the area near the city of Khan Younis on Tuesday.

"France expresses its grave concerns regarding reports that there were several Israeli airstrikes on schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza, including a United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) school and a school linked to the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem," the French foreign ministry said.

1218 GMT — Israel defence minister: important to seize chance for Gaza deal

Israel and the United States agree on the importance of seizing the opportunity for a Gaza ceasefire deal but challenges remain, Israel's Defence Ministry has said after its minister, Yoav Gallant, met US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk.

"The two discussed the importance of seizing the opportunity created to achieve an agreement for the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza," the ministry said in a statement about the meeting, which it said took place on Tuesday evening.

"They discussed the challenges that remain in achieving such an agreement, as well as possible solutions to address them," it said.

1144 GMT — Israel is committed to Gaza deal if red lines respected: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a US envoy that he was committed to securing a Gaza ceasefire deal provided Israel's red lines were respected, Netanyahu's office has said in a statement.

Netanyahu met US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk in Jerusalem, Netanyahu's office said.

1131 GMT — Israel kills more Palestinians, raising death toll to 38,295

Israeli forces killed 52 more Palestinians in attacks in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll to 38,295 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

A ministry statement added that at least 88,241 other people have been injured in the onslaught.

"Israeli forces killed 52 people and injured 208 others in four 'massacres' against families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said, adding that 27 of the victims were killed in an air strike on Al-Awda School in the town of Abasan, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

1103 GMT –– Israeli army orders Gaza City residents to evacuate south

The Israeli army has ordered all Gaza City residents to evacuate and head towards the central city of Deir al-Balah.

The military dropped leaflets calling on residents to leave Gaza City immediately and head south towards Zawaida and Deir al-Balah.

“Gaza City will be a dangerous combat zone,” the leaflets warn.

The flyers provide instructions on safe routes to evacuate Gaza City, via the Salah a-Din road or the coastal road.

1036 GMT –– Germany demands swift investigation over Israeli air strike on school

Germany has demanded a swift investigation of Tuesday’s Israeli air strike on a school in Gaza that killed at least 29 displaced civilians.

“It is unacceptable that people are being killed while seeking protection in schools. Civilians, especially children, must not be caught in the crossfire,” the German Foreign Ministry said on X.

Calling for an end to the repeated Israeli attacks on schools, the ministry demanded a swift investigation of the deadly Israeli air strike.

0933 GMT –– Fearing arrest, Netanyahu could avoid Europe stopover

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering avoiding a stopover in Europe on his way to the US over fears that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is readying to issue an arrest warrant against him over the Israeli army's crimes in Gaza.

Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to the US and to deliver a speech before the US Congress on July 24. He is also expected to meet US President Joe Biden in the White House.

On May 20, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

0843 GMT –– Israeli army claims attacks on Hezbollah air defence facilities in Lebanon

The Israeli army has announced that it had attacked air defence facilities and ammunition for the Hezbollah group in overnight raids on southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the Israeli army said it struck two Hezbollah air defence facilities located in the village of Janta of Baraachit area.

In a separate statement, the army said its fighter jets also struck a weapons depot for the group in the village of Kafr Kila.

0832 GMT –– Israeli police arrest anti-government protesters near Tel Aviv

The Israeli police have arrested nine protesters after they blocked a highway near Tel Aviv, demanding early elections and a prisoner swap deal.

The protesters holding a big banner reading "Enough of the government of destruction" blocked traffic on the Morasha Junction, and burned tyres on the road.

The police intervened to clear the highway of the protesters and arrested nine of them.

0821 GMT –– Israeli soldier killed in clashes with Palestinians in central Gaza

The Israeli army has announced that one more soldier was killed in clashes with Palestinian fighters in central Gaza.

The military statement identified the slain soldier as Sgt. First Class Tal Lahat, 21, served in the army's Maglan commando unit.

The soldier's death brought the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the Israeli ground invasion in Gaza on Oct. 27 to 325, while the army's total fatalities since the launch of Israel's onslaught against Gaza jumped to 681.

0625 GMT –– Israeli strike kills 8 Palestinians including 6 children in Gaza

At least eight Palestinians were killed in Israeli overnight air strikes on homes in central Gaza as the Israeli deadly onslaught enters day 278, local media has reported.

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa said eight Palestinians, including six children, were killed and dozens of others injured in Israeli air strikes on homes in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

Other Israeli shelling was reported in different areas of Gaza, including an Israeli raid on Naser Street in northern Gaza City that left some 10 people injured.

0111 GMT –– Air strike kills 29 in Gaza; Israeli attacks shuts hospitals

An Israeli air strike on a school-turned-shelter in southern Gaza killed at least 29 Palestinians on Tuesday, as heavy bombardment in the north forced the closure of medical facilities in Gaza City and sent thousands fleeing in search of increasingly elusive refuge.

The Israeli army committed the massacre at Al-Awda School in the town of Abasan, east of Khan Younis, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement.

Large parts of Gaza City and urban areas around it have been flattened or left a shattered landscape after nine months of fighting. Much of the population fled earlier in the war, but several hundred thousand Palestinians remain in the north.

In the past nine months, Israeli troops have occupied at least eight hospitals, causing the deaths of patients and medical workers along with massive destruction to facilities and equipment.

Israel has claimed Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes, though it has provided only limited evidence.

Only 13 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are functioning, and those only partially, according to the United Nations’ humanitarian office.

2239 GMT — US says Iran trying to stoke discord as Israel terrorises Gaza

The White House has accused Tehran of trying to take advantage of Gaza-related protests in the US and described such behaviour as unacceptable, following a warning by the top US intelligence official that Iran was trying to stoke discord in American society.

The warning, issued by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, said actors tied to Iran's government had posed as activists online, sought to encourage protests regarding Gaza and even provided demonstrators with financial support.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said freedom of expression was vital to American democracy, but the government also had a duty to warn citizens about foreign influence operations.

"Americans across the political spectrum, acting in good faith, have sought to express their own independent views on the conflict in Gaza. The freedom to express diverse views when done peacefully is essential to our democracy," she said.

"At the same time, the US government has a duty to warn Americans about foreign malign influences.... We will continue to expose attempts to undermine our democracy in our society just as we are today."

2252 GMT — US-built aid pier in Gaza will reopen for few days, then be removed permanently

The pier built by the US military to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza will get reinstalled Wednesday to be used for several days, but then the plan is to pull it out permanently, several US officials said.

It would deal the final blow to a project long plagued by bad weather, security uncertainties and difficulties getting food into the hands of starving Palestinians.

2228 GMT — Egyptian, US foreign ministers discuss Gaza ceasefire prospects

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have explored over the phone the opportunities for a ceasefire in besieged Gaza, said Cairo.

The discussion coincided with ongoing negotiations in Cairo and Doha regarding a potential truce deal and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both top diplomats "focused on the ongoing efforts to mediate a ceasefire and facilitate the exchange of prisoners and humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip."

A US delegation, led by CIA Director William Burns, arrived in Cairo to engage with the Egyptian security team in a fresh round of ceasefire negotiations for Gaza, a high-level source to the Cairo News Channel reported.

2149 GMT — Borrell condemns deadly Israeli attack on Gaza school

The European Union's foreign policy chief has slammed a deadly Israeli attack on a school sheltering civilians in the city of Khan Younis in besieged Gaza.

"For how long are innocent civilians going to bear the brunt of this conflict?" Josep Borrell said on X.

Condemning the attack as a violation of international law, he said, "Those responsible must be held accountable."

"It is imperative to immediately reach a ceasefire to bring respite to hundreds of stranded civilians, free all the hostages, deliver the needed humanitarian aid," he said.

2049 GMT — Palestinian resistance groups target Israeli troops, military vehicles

Armed wings of Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said that they targeted Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in various areas of besieged Gaza, killing and wounding numerous troops.

The Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades, Hamas' and Islamic Jihad's armed wings, respectively, reported attacks on Israeli troops in separate statements.

According to the Al-Qassam Brigades, their fighters successfully targeted a group of Israeli forces holed up inside a residential building in the vicinity of the industrial area in Gaza City.

The attack, carried out with a TBG rocket, resulted in casualties among Israeli soldiers.

The Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed that their members shot and wounded an Israeli soldier in the same Gaza City's industrial area.

Meanwhile, in the Shejaiya neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City, the Al-Qassam Brigades reported that their fighters fired two Tandem-charge projectiles at Israeli forces hiding in a house near Al-Hawashi Mosque.

The military wing also engaged in a direct firefight with Israeli troops lurking inside a house in the Shejaiya neighbourhood, using automatic weapons and TBG rockets.

When Israeli soldiers were withdrawing, they were targeted again with an anti-personnel explosive device, resulting in casualties.

The Al-Quds Brigades stated that they bombed Israeli vehicles and soldiers in the industrial area of Gaza City with a barrage of mortar shells.

In a second statement, the Al-Quds Brigades revealed that their fighters used a ground-based improvised explosive device to destroy an Israeli military vehicle in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City.

Our live updates from Tuesday, July 9, 2024, click here.