Live blog: US sees no genocide in Gaza, slams S.Africa case against Israel

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

2029 GMT — The United States has criticised South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel before the UN's top court, rejecting accusations against its ally over its brutal war in besieged Gaza.

"This submission is meritless, counterproductive and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever," White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told a briefing.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said separately that from a US assessment, "We have not at this point seen acts that constitute genocide."

"Genocide is, of course, a heinous atrocity," Miller told reporters. "Those are allegations that should not be made lightly."

Israel has angrily rejected the accusation by South Africa, with the Foreign Ministry calling it "blood libel," a reference to ancient anti-Semitic conspiracies, and even accused the African country of conspiring with "terrorists."

South Africa often criticises Israel and draws parallels to its own history of apartheid.

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2100 GMT — Türkiye sends 2,300 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza

Türkiye has loaded a new ship with over 2,300 tonnes of humanitarian aid for the people of besieged Gaza, the country's disaster management authority said.

The fleet of 109 trucks carrying 2,334 tonnes of humanitarian aid has been loaded onto the ship "Bestekar," which is anchored in the Mersin International Port on the north-eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea in southern Türkiye.

The aid was prepared with the help of 29 NGOs and coordinated by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency [AFAD], and Mersin Governorship.

"We will send 2,334 tonnes of humanitarian aid materials, including flour, pasta, water, tomato paste, sugar, tents, blankets, and hygiene materials. Palestine is our brother country. We are always standing by them," Cenk Yildiz, the head of AFAD's Mersin province, told Anadolu Agency.

The ship will dock at Egypt's Al Arish Port before delivering aid to Palestine.

2058 GMT — Hamas has 'significant force posture' inside Gaza: US

Hamas forces in besieged Gaza remain "significant," the White House has said.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the Biden administration has estimates for the number of Hamas fighters that remain on the battlefield, but said he is "loathe" to release them.

"Hamas still has a significant force posture inside Gaza," he said.

When asked about Israel's stated aim of "eradicating" Hamas in Gaza, Kirby deflected, saying, "We don't believe that military attacks alone are going to eradicate an ideology. And it's not likely that you're going to get rid of every single Hamas fighter."

"So, in that sense, you still have to reconcile yourself with the fact that there may still be some Hamas around even when your military operation is over. That said, what they absolutely can do is eradicate the threat that Hamas poses to the Israeli people. And you can do that by going after leadership. You can do that by going after their infrastructure. You can do that by going after their resources," he said.

2043 GMT — Eighteen shipping companies re-route around Africa amid Red Sea attacks

Eighteen shipping companies are re-routing their vessels around Africa to avoid the Red Sea amid an upsurge in attacks on shipping, blamed by Western countries on Yemen's Houthi rebels, the UN's maritime agency said.

"A significant number of companies, around 18 shipping companies, have already decided to reroute their vessels around South Africa in order to reduce the attacks on vessels," said International Maritime Organization chief Arsenio Dominguez.

"[This] represents an additional 10 days to the journeys [and] negative impact on trade and on increasing freight rates."

1819 GMT — Hamas official's assassination 'won't go unpunished': Nasrallah

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that the assassination of the deputy head of Hamas' Political Bureau, Saleh al Arouri, "will not go unpunished."

"What happened yesterday and Arouri’s assassination was very dangerous," Nasrallah said in a speech Wednesday evening. “This attack (in Beirut’s southern neighbourhood) was the first since 2006,” he added.

Nasrallah said Arouri’s assassination "was an Israeli attempt to create an image of a victory after it failed to achieve its goals in Gaza."

"If the enemy thinks of waging a war on Lebanon, we will fight without restraint, without rules, without limits and without restrictions," Nasrallah said in a televised speech. "We are not afraid of war," he said, adding that "for now, we are fighting on the frontline following meticulous calculations".

"Israel has been weakened" by Hamas's October 7 onslaught, Nasrallah said, adding that the country was "now on the path to extinction".

1845 GMT — UK urges Israel to allow more aid into Gaza

Britain urged Israel to "allow" more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

"More must be done to get humanitarian aid into Gaza – Israel must allow significantly more supplies in to reduce the risk of hunger and disease," Foreign Secretary David Cameron wrote on social media platform X.

Cameron added that the UK "also wants to see the immediate release of hostages and progress towards a sustainable ceasefire." He further wrote that he spoke "today about how we can work together on these issues" with Israel’s new Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

1841 GMT — US remains concerned about Middle East conflict spreading after Beirut assassination: State Dept

The United States remains incredibly concerned about the risk of the conflict in Gaza spreading to other fronts after the killing of a senior Hamas leader in Beirut, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

The United States rejected suggestions that ally Israel or Washington was behind deadly blasts in Iran at the grave of Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed four years ago in a US strike.

"The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. "We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion," he said.

Miller said he could not offer an assessment on who carried it out but called Saleh al Arouri "a brutal terrorist with civilian blood on his hands."

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the assassination on Tuesday.

1812 GMT — UN 'completely' against forced displacement in Gaza

The UN is "completely" against forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, said a spokesperson.

"As a principle, we are completely against forced displacement. So that needs to be made very, very clear. The aim really should be for Palestinians to be safe in Gaza, for the civilians to be safe in Gaza," Florencia Soto Nino, associate spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters.

"We've been very clear that we're not advocating, that no one should be advocating for mass displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza and that they should be safe in their homes," Nino said.

Every person has the right to be protected from forced displacement from their home or residence, she said, adding that so far, 85% of Gaza's population has been internally displaced and living in "pretty dire conditions."

"They have the right to return to their homes," she added.

1802 GMT — Israeli army confirms death of hostage in rescue operation

Israel's military confirmed that a hostage kidnapped in the October 7 Hamas attack was killed during a failed army rescue operation in December in Gaza.

Sahar Baruch, among 250 hostages seized by Hamas and taken to Gaza on Oct. 7, was confirmed dead last month by his kibbutz community.

"At this stage, we are unable to determine the circumstances around his death and whether he was killed by (Israeli) fire or he was murdered by Hamas," the army said in a statement.

Hamas announced Baruch's death on December 9, saying he died during an attempt by the army to rescue him and released a video showing his remains.

1735 GMT — Several Palestinians killed as Israeli jets strike house in northern Gaza

Several Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli strike on a house in northern Gaza, local health authorities said.

A Health Ministry statement said the attack targeted a house in the Jabalia refugee camp. Several people remained trapped under the rubble of the destroyed building, eyewitnesses said.

1550 GMT — Forcible transfer of people from Gaza is 'act of genocide' — UN

The forcible transfer of people in Gaza is an "act of genocide," a UN special rapporteur said, warning other states not to be part of such a move.

"Forcible transfer of Gaza's population is an act of genocide, especially given the high number of children," Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, said on X.

"Congolese or other states' officials will be guilty of aiding and abetting genocide if they agree to any transfer of population," he warned.

Rajagopal's remarks came after media reports said that Israeli officials have held clandestine talks with the African nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo and several others for the potential acceptance of Gaza emigrants.

1549 GMT — Israel demolishes another Palestinian residential building in East Jerusalem

Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian residential building in occupied East Jerusalem, according to witnesses.

Israeli municipal authorities cited the lack of a construction permit for razing the building in the Jabel Mukaber neighbourhood southeast of East Jerusalem, the witnesses said.

The building was inhabited by nearly 50 Palestinians. “Israeli forces demolished part of the building in 2009, and they levelled it all today without prior warning,” Um Adam al Husseini, the building’s owner, told Anadolu.

"We have been living in the building since 2006, and we have repeatedly tried to obtain a building permit, but to no avail,” she said.

1543 GMT — Turkish FM Fidan warns of escalation as Israel's moves increase tensions

Israel's dangerous flirtation with starting a war with Lebanon risks spreading the Gaza conflict to the wider region, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned.

"I think the Israelis are barely holding back from going to war with Lebanon. But I always say that this is a dead end. If something like this happens, of course, this war will have no end," Fidan said hours after Israel assassinated the deputy head of Hamas' Political Bureau, Saleh al Arouri, in Lebanon, suggesting that any more such developments could widen the war.

"On the contrary, if the (Palestine) issue is to be resolved, it is necessary to focus on peace and a two-state solution," Fidan told reporters at the Foreign Ministry in Türkiye's capital, Ankara.

1514 GMT — Germany reiterates opposition to Israeli ministers’ demand to dislocate population of Gaza

Germany reiterated its opposition to the demand made by two Israeli ministers to dislocate the Palestinian population in Gaza.

"We reject the statements made by the two ministers in the strongest possible way," said Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Sebastian Fischer.

He added: "The forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza and the reduction of the territory of the Gaza Strip should not be out of the question."

Furthermore, Fischer emphasised that Germany continues to support a two-state solution as the only model for the peaceful co-existence of Palestinians and Israelis. He said that Germany is working intensively for a "humanitarian pause" to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.

1447 GMT — Two more Hezbollah fighters killed in clashes with Israel

The Lebanese Hezbollah group said that two more of its fighters were killed in border clashes with the Israeli army.

The Lebanese group did not specify the location where the fighters were killed.

The death toll of the Hezbollah fighters killed by the Israeli forces since Oct. 8 has risen to 140, according to Anadolu tally.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced it attacked an "armed cell" and Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

1432 GMT - Israel commits war crime by assassinating senior Hamas figure: Palestinian journalist

1237 GMT — Priority is to secure Gaza truce, Sisi tells US Congress members

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sisi told a delegation from the US Congress that the current priority is to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a presidency statement.

Sisi stressed the importance of "responsible action" to avoid widening the conflict in the region, the statement added.

Egypt and Qatar have been mediating between Israel and Hamas.

1215 GMT — Israeli ministers reject US criticism of their calls to expel Palestinians from Gaza

Two Israeli ministers rejected US criticism of their calls for expelling Palestinians from the besieged Gaza amid a deadly military offensive on the blockaded enclave.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said 70 percent of Israelis support a "humanitarian solution" for encouraging the emigration of Palestinians.

For his part, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the Israeli government "will do what is best for the State of Israel," in reference to his call for emptying Gaza of its residents.

"I deeply appreciate the United States of America, but with all due respect, we are not just another star on the American flag," Ben Gvir wrote on his X account.

Washington rejected what it called "irresponsible" statements by Israeli ministers about expelling Palestinians from Gaza.

"The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza," State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

"This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible," he added.

1150 GMT — 'We're in middle of WW III,' claims Israel's new foreign minister

On his first day in office, Israel's new Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, accused Tehran of actively pursuing the development of nuclear weapons, according to the Israel 24 news website.

"We are going through challenging moments, infused with hope in mobilising the entire country,” Katz said, taking the reins from his predecessor, Eli Cohen.

"The first thing, my top priority, is the activity of this office to bring the hostages home," he added, referring to the Israeli hostages held in Gaza since Oct. 7, but he did not address how that goal might conflict with Israel’s stated goal to eliminate Hamas.

He claimed that "the Iranian race to acquire nuclear weapons is gaining momentum at its strongest during these times."

"The front that Iran built in the region is not only against Israel and its interests; this is a third world war with today's tools," he said, adding that Israel is at the forefront of the war.

1130 GMT — World must impose solution to Gaza conflict: EU's Borrell

The international community must impose a solution to Israel's war on Gaza as the warring sides are unable to come to terms, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

"I believe that we have learned in these 30 years that the solution has to be imposed from outside because the two parties will never be able to reach an agreement," he told an event in Lisbon, also warning that "if this tragedy doesn't end soon, the entire Middle East might end up in flames".

"What happened yesterday with the death of one of the leaders of Hamas is yet another factor that could push the conflict to escalate," Borrell said, adding he had plans to visit the Middle East, including Lebanon, to "explore ways out" of the conflict.

1130 GMT — Israel arrested 11,000 in one year: Palestinian prisoners group

Palestinian prisoners group said the Israeli army last year made 11,000 arrests of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

1008 GMT — Death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 22,313

At least 22,313 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza over nearly three months of Israeli attacks, according to the Health Ministry.

The toll includes 128 people killed over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, while Israeli attacks since October 7 have also wounded 57,296.

0922 GMT — WHO chief deplores Israeli attack on Red Crescent in Gaza

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has deplored Israeli strikes that killed at least five civilians including a five-day-old infant at a hospital run by the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza.

"I deplore today’s strikes on the Palestine Red Crescent Society-run-Al Amal hospital in the southern Gaza City of Khan Younis, which severely damaged the Palestine Red Crescent Society training centre located within the hospital complex," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

He added that his colleagues undertook a mission to the facilities, where they "witnessed extensive damage and displacement of civilians."

0857 GMT — UN Interim Force in Lebanon calls for restraint

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is deeply concerned at any potential for escalation that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides of the Blue Line, spokesperson Kandice Ardiel has said.

"We continue to implore all parties to cease their fire, and any interlocutors with influence to urge restraint," she added.

0849 GMT — Israel minister slams US for condemning call for mass exodus

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has hit back at ally the United States over its criticism of his push for the transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza.

"The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the (Israeli) residents of the envelope to return home and live in security and will protect the IDF (Israeli) soldiers," the extreme-right minister has posted on X.

His post comes after the US State Department criticised his call for a population transfer as "inflammatory and irresponsible".

0826 GMT — General strike being observed across occupied West Bank to mourn top Hamas figure's killing

A general strike is being observed across the occupied West Bank to mourn the assassination of the deputy head of Hamas' Political Bureau, Saleh al Arouri.

Shops, banks, commercial facilities and public institutions were shut, while the transport activity seemed disrupted.

Palestinian parties and factions had called for the joint action as well as protest rallies, holding Israel fully responsible for the killing.

0756 GMT — Assassination of Hamas leader 'serious alarm' for region: Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has said the assassination of the al Arouri is a "serious alarm" for the countries in the region.

“The evil acts by Israel in other countries pose a real threat to peace and security, and a serious alarm for security of the countries in the region,” Amir Abdollahian said in a statement on X.

He added the assassination of Arouri proves that Israel "didn't achieve any of its goals after weeks of war crimes, genocide, and destruction in Gaza."

0451 GMT — Lawmaker calls US to stop funding Israel's 'illegal' war in Gaza

US Senator Bernie Sanders urged Congress to reject the $10.1 billion in unconditional military aid being considered for Israel to continue its "brutal war" against the Palestinian people.

"Let me be clear: NO MORE US funding for Netanyahu’s illegal, immoral, brutal and grossly disproportionate war against the Palestinian people," Sanders said on X.

Americans must understand that Israel’s war against the Palestinian people has been significantly waged with US bombs, artillery shells and other forms of weaponry, he said, adding: "And the results have been catastrophic."

"Enough is enough. Congress must reject that funding. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women and children in Gaza," he added.

0712 GMT — Iran blasts Israel of killing top Hamas commander

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said Israel's "evil acts" in other countries constitute a real threat to peace, security in region.

0641 GMT — Israeli soldier death toll surges in Gaza

The Israeli army has announced that another of its soldiers was killed in fighting with Palestinian groups in northern Gaza.

The slain soldier was part of the Combat Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit, according to Army Radio.

As many as 175 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli ground operation on October 27.

0342 GMT — Protests held in Palestine, Lebanon after killing of Hamas deputy chief

Protests were held in Palestine and Lebanon following the assassination of al Arouri in an Israeli drone strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Palestinians took to the streets in the occupied West Bank.

Carrying Hamas flags, protesters in the city of Ramallah, near Arouri’s hometown of Aroura, chanted slogans such as "We will follow your footsteps" and "Revenge, revenge, Qassam!"

Separately, protests were held at refugee camps, including the Beddawi camp in northern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency. Carrying Palestinian flags and banners, groups chanted slogans condemning the crimes of the Israeli army and calling for support for the resistance in the fight against the "enemy."

0313 GMT — Canada to accept 1,000 relatives of its citizens from Gaza

Canada will accept up to 1,000 visa applications from Palestinians who want to flee Gaza and seek refuge with their Canadian extended family members, but a Muslim organisation wants the cap removed, according to reports.

The program, slated to start next week, is in response to pleas from Palestinian Canadians to provide a safe path to those trapped in the chaos of Gaza as Israel's war on Gaza rages on.

It will offer visas for up to 1,000 Palestinians, allowing them to come and stay in Canada for up to three years if their sponsoring families guarantee financial support during their stay. The door to Canada would be closed at 1,000 applicants.

But the National Council of Canadian Muslims, which bills itself as Canada’s largest Muslim advocacy group, said it has already been in contact with more than 1,000 people who have asked about getting relatives out of Gaza.

“There should not be a cap,” Uthman Quick, the organisation’s communications director, told the Canadian Press.

0200 GMT — Blasts reported near ship off Yemen as Israel pummels Gaza

British maritime security agency UKMTO has reported explosions near a cargo ship in the strategic Bab al Mandeb Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it had received reports of up to three explosions 1-5 nautical miles from the merchant vessel, which was travelling between the coasts of Eritrea and Yemen.

"Master reports no damage to the vessel and crew are reported safe at present," the agency, run by Britain's Royal Navy, said in a brief message. "Authorities are investigating."

In recent weeks, Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a flurry of drone and missile strikes targeting commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

They say their strikes are in solidarity with Palestinians in besieged Gaza, where Israel is indiscriminately bombing towns, villages and urban centres. The Houthis have warned they will target ships sailing in the Red Sea that have links to Israel.

0158 GMT — France will not support ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza

France will not support the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, Nicolas de Riviere, the permanent representative of France to the UN, has said.

"France is opposed to the forced displacement of populations. That's very clear-cut...We will not support the forced displacement of people," de Riviere told reporters.

"It's more or less obvious that the Gaza Strip is inhabited by Palestinians. Our goal is for Palestinians to be able to continue living there in safety and security and under good conditions. That should be the priority."

De Riviere said shutting people out of Gaza or recolonising Gaza are "harebrained ideas," adding it is essential to put an end to the military invasion and not to target civilians.

"Palestinians should be able to live in peace in their homes, and the bombing of civilians in the Gaza Strip should end. Hospitals, schools have been destroyed...We want that to end," he stressed.

0030 GMT — Israeli army 'abducted Palestinian children, transferred them out of Gaza'

The Israeli military has abducted Palestinian children and transferred them out of Gaza, a human rights monitor has said, calling on Israel to return the children to their parents.

The Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said in a statement on its website that it "takes very seriously the information published by Israeli Army Radio on 1 January 2024 regarding the kidnapping of a Palestinian infant from inside her Gaza family home by Israeli officer Harel Itach, a commander in the Givati Brigade, after the killing of her family members."

"Following the news that the Israeli officer died on 22 December 2023 from injuries sustained during fighting in Gaza, a friend of Itach's disclosed the kidnapping incident and said that the little girl's whereabouts remain unknown," it added.

Expressing "deep fear and concern," it said the case of the Palestinian infant is not an isolated one.

"Numerous testimonies that the rights group has received say that the Israeli army regularly detains and transfers Palestinian children without disclosing their whereabouts," it noted.

For our live updates from Tuesday, January 2, click here.