Live blog: WHO chief asks Israel to halt Rafah push 'in name of humanity'

Saturday, March 16, 2024

1834 GMT — The head of the World Health Organization has appealed to Israel "in the name of humanity" not to launch an assault on Rafah, where most of Gaza's population is sheltering.

"I'm gravely concerned about reports of an Israeli plan to proceed with a ground assault on Rafah," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that further escalation of violence in the densely populated area would lead to many more "deaths and suffering."

"In the name of humanity, we appeal to Israel not to proceed and instead to work towards peace."

An evacuation planned by the Israeli army ahead of launching its assault was not a practical solution, he argued.

"There are no fully functional, safe health facilities that they can reach elsewhere in Gaza," he said. "Many people are too fragile, hungry and sick to be moved again ... This humanitarian catastrophe must not be allowed to worsen."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the military's "plans for action in Rafah," according to a statement Friday, which provided no details or a timeline.

The United Nations and the United States have also repeatedly warned against such offensive.

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1826 GMT — ‘Situation in Gaza catastrophic, deteriorates by minute,’ warns UN agency

The situation in Gaza is "catastrophic and deteriorates by the minute," the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned.

"We need safe, sustained and unimpeded access to deliver aid across the Gaza Strip," UNRWA said on X.

"The needs are overwhelming in Gaza," it added.

1711 GMT — 1 killed, several injured in Gaza aid stampede: medics

A Palestinian was killed, and several others were injured in a stampede to reach humanitarian aid dropped over northern areas of Gaza, medical sources told Anadolu news agency.

The number of casualties in the stampede incident was not specified by the sources to the Anadolu correspondent.

The correspondent mentioned that an unidentified aircraft dropped humanitarian aid west of the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, prompting residents to rush towards it in an attempt to obtain it, given their suffering from shortages of food and water.

1426 GMT — Egypt calls on Israel to lift restrictions on aid reaching Gaza by land

Egypt called on Israel to lift restrictions on the entry of relief aid to Gaza through land border crossings and welcomed the arrival of the first aid ship by sea to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

"Egypt appreciates and welcomes every effort aimed at alleviating the human suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

Abu Zeid said that his country "continues to make all efforts to enhance the access of urgent aid to the strip through the Rafah crossing and through airdrops."

1422 GMT — Palestinian killed in firefight with Israeli forces

A Palestinian resisting Israeli occupation in the southern occupied West Bank was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers in the Jewish neighbourhood of Hebron city.

The Israeli army, in a statement, confirmed that its soldiers were attacked by a Palestinian but claimed that his firing caused no injuries or damage.

Israeli soldiers killed him and are now conducting a search operation in the area, it said.

1357 GMT — Mossad chief expected to resume Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha on Sunday

The head of Israeli intelligence is expected to lead ceasefire talks with mediators which resume in Qatar on Sunday in direct response to a new proposal from Hamas, a source close to the talks told Reuters.

The talks between Mossad head David Barnea, Qatar's prime minister and Egyptian officials will focus on remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas, including over prisoner releases and humanitarian aid, the source said.

Israel said on Friday it would send a delegation to Doha but did not spell out when or who would take part. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene the security cabinet before the talks.

1319 GMT — Second aid shipment for Gaza ready to sail

A second cargo of food aid is ready to depart by sea from Greek-administered Cyprus to Gaza, after a first aid shipment landed in the besieged Palestinian enclave overnight.

Almost 200 tonnes of food arrived in the enclave late on Friday, the first shipment in a new aid route to Gaza, devastated by five months of war.

The second ship, with 240 tonnes of aid, was moored at Larnaca port, awaiting a signal to sail.

1315 GMT — Germany airdrops four tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza

Germany parachuted four tonens of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza for the first time on Saturday, the German Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The aircraft utilised to drop humanitarian assistance through parachutes were stationed in Evreux, France, it added.

According to the German Air Force, a C-130 type aircraft carrying four tonnes of urgently needed food parachuted into Gaza. Four pallets were dropped from a height of around 1,000 metres.

"In this way, we can contribute to ensuring that urgently needed medicine and food reach the people in Gaza who are struggling," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.

1229 GMT — Israel detains 20 more Palestinians in West Bank

The Israeli army, during its incursion across the occupied West Bank, detained at least 20 more Palestinians, including former detainees.

According to a joint statement from the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the new arrests bring the total number of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, to 7,605.

Most of the arrests occurred in Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Tulkarm, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.

According to figures by the two rights groups, the total number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails exceeds 9,000, including 3,484 held under administrative detention without trial or charge, 200 children, and 70 women.

1135 GMT — One in three Gaza children under two acutely malnourished — UN

One in three children under age two in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished, and famine is looming, the main UN agency operating in the Palestinian enclave said.

"Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza," the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said in a social media post.

Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.

The international food insecurity watchdog, the IPC, is expected to report soon on the extent of the hunger crisis in Gaza after saying in December there was a risk of famine in the projection period through May.

Western countries have called on Israel to do more to allow in aid, with the UN saying it faced "overwhelming obstacles" including crossing closures, onerous vetting, restrictions on movement and unrest inside Gaza.

Air and sea relief deliveries into Gaza have started, but aid agencies say these are no substitute for bringing in supplies by land.

1100 GMT — Death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza climbs to 31,553

At least 31,553 Palestinians have been killed and 73,546 injured since October 7 in Israel's military offensive on Gaza, the territory's Health Ministry has said.

Some 63 Palestinians were killed and 112 wounded in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

"The Israeli occupation committed seven massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 63 martyrs and 112 injured during the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.

"Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them," the statement added.

1057 GMT — Ceasefire talks with Israel and Hamas expected to restart: Egyptian officials

Stalled talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza are expected to restart in earnest in Qatar as soon as Sunday, according to Egyptian officials.

The talks would mark the first time both Israeli officials and Hamas leaders joined the indirect negotiations since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

International mediators had hoped to secure a six-week truce before Ramadan started earlier this week, but Hamas refused any deal that wouldn't lead to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a demand Israel rejected.

0827 GMT — Mohammad Mustafa accepts task to form 19th Palestinian government

Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Mohammad Mustafa has accepted the task of forming a new government.

"The Prime Minister-designate accepted in a letter sent to the president tonight his assignment to form the 19th government as specified in the law and to pursue extensive consultations for its approval for ratification by the president," the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported a day after Mustafa's appointment by President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday.

"I am honored to accept this assignment and recognise the seriousness of the stage that the Palestinian cause is going through, the difficult conditions inflicted upon our steadfast people and the existing challenges faced, particularly in light of the repercussions of the ongoing months-long Israeli aggression against our people," he added.

Mustafa reaffirmed that "there is no state alone in Gaza and no state without Gaza."

0808 GMT — All cargo offloaded from first aid ship to reach Gaza: NGO

A US charity has said its team in war-ravaged Gaza had finished unloading the first maritime aid shipment to reach the besieged territory.

"All cargo was offloaded and is being readied for distribution in Gaza," World Central Kitchen said in a statement, noting that the aid was "almost 200 tons of food".

0755 GMT — Japan to join maritime humanitarian aid initiative to Gaza

Japan will join a maritime corridor initiative to supply humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has announced.

"The Japanese government plans to coordinate promptly with other related countries to deliver food, medical and hygiene supplies through the maritime corridor," the Jiji Press news agency quoted Kamikawa as saying on Friday.

Kamikawa said the corridor could help get unconstrained aid to people in Gaza, which has been under devastating Israel bombardment and ground attacks since early October.

0310 GMT — Israel kills 80 civilians in new Gaza attacks: Palestine

At least 80 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded in overnight Israeli attacks on Gaza's homes and other infrastructure, according to Palestinian media and officials.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israel continued to attack various parts of Gaza, including the Nusairat camp and main Gaza City.

The Israeli army bombed a house on Al Jala Street, leaving many residents trapped under the rubble. It demolished a seven-storey building near Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where displaced Palestinians are staying, resulting in the deaths of dozens, with many more trapped under the rubble.

2208 GMT — US 'working intensively' to 'bridge remaining gap' for Gaza ceasefire deal

The US said it is "working intensively" with Tel Aviv, Qatar and Egypt to "bridge the remaining gap" to reach a temporary ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas resistance group.

Speaking to reporters during a news conference with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that Hamas presented a proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, although he refused to "get into the details."

"We have conversations that are happening now as we speak here, and I am convinced they'll go on into the coming days," he said.

Blinken said Israel has sent back a negotiating team to pursue the talks and it "reflects the sense both of possibility and of urgency" to reach a deal, which would allow the entry of more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

2157 GMT — Italy's foreign minister presents 'Food for Gaza' initiative to Palestinian, Israeli counterparts

Italy's foreign minister has presented the "Food for Gaza" humanitarian initiative to his Palestinian and Israeli counterparts, according to a statement.

Antonio Tajani held telephone conversations with Israel Katz from Israel and Palestinian Riad Maliki, said the Italian Foreign Ministry.

Tajani explained that Italy launched the initiative with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], the World Food Program [WFP] and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [IFRC] to alleviate "the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip by joining forces to address the extremely serious humanitarian crisis."

"Joining forces to help civilians is not a slogan but a moral obligation, we must act quickly," he said.

Tajani also emphasised the need for "a pause in hostilities as essential to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza" during his conversation with Katz.

He told Maliki that "the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable" and vowed efforts "to alleviate the suffering of the population."

2100 GMT — Vessel reportedly targeted near Yemen's Hudaida

British maritime security firm Ambrey and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations [UKMTO] reported an incident near Yemen's Hudaida where Houthis continue to attack shipping lanes in solidarity with Palestinians in besieged Gaza.

UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident 35 nautical kilometres west of Hudaida where the master of a merchant vessel reported an explosion a distance off the vessel's starboard beam.

"There is no damage to the vessel, and the crew are reported safe. The vessel is continuing to its next port of call," UKMTO added in an advisory note.

Ambrey reported that a vessel was targeted approximately 43 nautical km northwest of Hudaida, yet the crew was safe.

For our live updates from Friday, March 15, click here.