Monday, January 15, 2024
19:00 GMT — Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the high-intensity ground operation in northern Gaza has ended.
"In the south of Gaza [the intensive phase] will end soon," Gallant said, without giving an exact timeline.
Gallant said the army will carry out low-intensified operations in northern Gaza, adding that Israeli forces are working to locate the remaining Hamas sites in the area.
The Israeli offensive has left 85 percent of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
19:14 GMT — Hamas says two Israeli hostages killed in Gaza bombardment
Hamas said that two Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian group were killed in Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, released a video showing three hostages appealing to the Israeli government to end the Gaza war and secure their release.
Two of the hostages appeared dead at the end of the video, without any details about the circumstances leading to their deaths.
The footage identified the three hostages as Noa Argamani, 26, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itay Svirsky, 38.
There was no comment yet from the Israeli authorities on the report.
19:00 GMT — Greece reiterates deep concern over situation in Gaza
Greece has reiterated its deep concern over the situation in Gaza and the escalation in the Red Sea, again pushing for a two-state solution as a way to help end the conflict.
"Greece has consistently and consistently supported the creation of an independent Palestinian state, which will coexist peacefully with Israel, within the internationally recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 borderline and with East Jerusalem as its capital," Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said alongside his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi in the Jordanian capital Amman, where he is paying an official visit.
Adding that Athens is increasingly concerned over the loss of civilian life and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and escalation in the West Bank, at the Lebanese-Israeli border, and the Red Sea as a spillover of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, he added: “Greece believes that it is time to start a serious discussion for the day after (the conflict), in order to be able to open a political prospect for peace in the region.”
18:20 GMT — Palestinians will govern Gaza after war: Israel defence minister
Palestinians will govern Gaza after the war with Israel ends, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said.
"Palestinians live in Gaza and therefore Palestinians will govern it in the future. The future Gaza government must grow out of Gaza," Gallant said at a press conference.
"At the end of the war there won't be a military threat from Gaza. Hamas won't be able to rule and function as a military force in Gaza."
He said the future government would be a "civilian alternative" but insisted that Israeli forces would have the "freedom of operation" in a way aimed at protecting Israeli citizens.
17:40 GMT — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza, as the fighting between Israel and Hamas passed the 100-day milestone.
"We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. To ensure sufficient aid gets to where it is needed. To facilitate the release of the hostages. To tamp down the flames of wider war because the longer the conflict in Gaza continues, the greater the risk of escalation and miscalculation," Guterres said at a press briefing in New York.
With aid deliveries struggling to get through to a "traumatized people," Gaza now faces "the long shadow of starvation."
"Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," Guterres said.
The UN leader also warned about what he said was an escalating spillover of the conflict, including across the Lebanon-Israeli border. "This risks triggering a broader escalation... and profoundly affecting regional stability," he said.
17:16 GMT — Israel’s Netanyahu ‘unfit’ to run Gaza war: opposition leader
The Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unfit to run the Gaza war, opposition leader Yair Lapid said.
"The State of Israel needs change now, and there is no possibility of waiting any longer," Lapid said on X.
"This government does not know how to manage a war, and it is pushing us into a deep economic crisis that hurts every citizen’s pocket and has landed us in The Hague,” he added.
South Africa has filed a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians in Gaza during its deadly military offensive. It also requested provisional measures from the court to protect the Palestinian people, including by calling upon Israel to immediately halt its military attacks.
“This government is not fit to manage the war, and Netanyahu is not fit to run the country,” Lapid said.
The opposition leader said that his party is ready to vote in favour of an alternative government to be led by another prime minister.
Calls have grown for holding fresh elections in Israel amid criticism of Netanyahu over his failure to acknowledge responsibility for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
16:54 GMT — Yemen's Houthis say they will target US ships
The Yemeni Houthi movement will expand its targets to include U.S. ships, an official from the Iran-allied group told Al Jazeera.
Nasruldeen Amer, a spokesperson for the Houthis, said the United States was "on the verge of losing its maritime security".
16:44 GMT — Italy offers Lebanon support to mediate with Israel
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered Lebanon her support to mediate between the country and Israel, her office said.
In a phone call with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Meloni spoke about how to boost ongoing mediation efforts between Lebanon and Israel, underscoring Italy’s full commitment to work with all stakeholders involved.
“The Prime Minister reiterated that Italy is fully committed to Lebanon’s stability,” her office said in a statement.
The pair also agreed on the need to avoid any expansion of the conflict in Gaza, where the war has been going on for more than 100 days.
"The two leaders also agreed to keep on coordinating (decisions) on the evolution of the crisis," her office also said.
Lebanese group Hezbollah exchanged cross-border fire with Israeli forces on Monday in the latest sign of escalation along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
15:03 GMT — Israel must know there are limits to right to self-defence: Ex-Austrian president
Israel must know there are limits to its right to self-defence, a former Austrian president said, referring to Tel Aviv's military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 24,000 Palestinians and reduced almost the entire enclave to rubble.
“Israel naturally has the right to defend itself after Hamas's gigantic and unforgivable crimes on Oct. 7, 2023, but there are also limits and international law that must be observed for the self-defence,” Heinz Fischer told the state-run Austria Press Agency.
"A Palestinian mother weeps for her killed child just as much as an Israeli mother weeps for hers. When I think about it, I think that the United Nations is right when it calls for compliance with international law and human rights. Especially when people, namely the civilian population, cannot flee Gaza," he added.
Fischer said Austria's voting against the UN resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in mid-December was a mistake.
15:00 GMT — Missile strikes a US-owned bulk carrier off Yemen coast
A missile fired from Yemen struck a US-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden, private security firms told The Associated Press.
Ambrey and Dryad Global identified the vessel as the Eagle Gibraltar, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier. The ship is owned by Eagle Bulk, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The firm did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though suspicion fell on Yemen's Houthis.
The US Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
14:54 GMT — 1 Palestinian killed, 10 injured in Israeli military raid in occupied West Bank
One Palestinian was killed and 10 others were injured in an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.
A ministry statement said a 20-year-old man was injured and died of his wounds from army fire in the town of Dura southwest of Hebron city.
Ten other people were injured in the raid, the statement said.
Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against Gaza following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
At least 353 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 4,000 others injured in the occupied territory, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.
14:15 GMT — 1 killed in car-ramming, stabbing incident in central Israel
An Israeli was killed in a car-ramming and stabbing incident in the central city of Ra'anana, according to local media.
A woman was injured and later succumbed to her wounds in the incident, according to Israeli Channel 12.
Israel's national ambulance service Magen David Adom said 18 people were injured in the incident, including three seriously.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper had earlier put the number of casualties in the incident at 19 before revising it to nine.
14:04 GMT — Israel cabinet passes amended budget adding $15B for war
Israel's cabinet has passed an amended 2024 state budget adding $15B of extra spending, after three months of war with Palestinian group Hamas, the Finance Ministry said.
The extra funding includes money for defence and compensation for those impacted by the war, along with higher allocations for healthcare, police, welfare and education.
12:19 GMT — Iran seeks diplomatic end to Israeli war on Gaza
The United States cannot call for restraint while supporting Israel's war in Gaza, Iran's foreign minister said, while calling for a diplomatic solution to the war in the enclave.
Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a televised joint press conference with his Indian counterpart in Tehran, called on US officials "not to tie the security and national interests of the US to the fate of Israel's prime minister who is falling".
12:08 GMT — Israeli civilian mistakenly killed by army fire at Gaza border: Report
An Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed by army forces after crossing the border with Gaza, Israeli media outlet Haaretz has reported.
The newspaper said the incident took place on Oct. 23, two weeks after Israeli attacks on Gaza.
It cited that a 29-year-old Israeli, who was identified as Aviahu Mori, left his home and crossed the Gaza border on foot for half a kilometre before he was hit by Israeli army fire.
His family reported his absence to the police four days after his disappearance.
Mori "bypassed the military forces in the Nahal Oz (settlement), crossed the (border) fence and walked unhindered for a distance of about half a kilometre into Gaza," Haaretz said.
“When he decided to retreat and approach the fence, he was mistakenly identified as a terrorist and killed in a drone strike,” it added.
Multiple reports emerged of the killing of Israeli hostages and soldiers by army fire in Gaza.
11:41 GMT — Hezbollah, Israel trade fire across Lebanon border amid escalation
Lebanese group Hezbollah exchanged cross-border fire with Israeli forces in the latest sign of escalation along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it had targeted with missiles a gathering of Israeli soldiers in Metula barracks, resulting in direct hits.
Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on Lebanese towns near the border, including Adaisseh, Alma Al Shaab, and Jebbayn, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.
Artillery shelling also targeted El Hamames Hill and Marjayoun Plain in southern Lebanon.
There were no reports yet of casualties.
11:31 GMT — 25 university students among 55 Palestinians detained by Israeli army in West Bank raids
The Israeli army detained 55 more Palestinians, including 25 Al Najah National University students, in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, prisoners' rights groups said.
The Israeli military detained 25 students from the Al-Najah National University in Nablus on Sunday night, while other arrests were made in Hebron, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Jenin, and Tubas, the Palestinian Prisoners Club and the Commission of Detainees Affairs said in a joint statement.
Israeli soldiers beat and abused Palestinians during the arrests, as well as damaged their homes and other property, the statement said.
A woman from Hebron, two children, and former prisoners are among those detained, it added.
The latest arrest brings the total number of Palestinian detainees in the West Bank to 5,930 since Oct. 7, the statement said.
10:54 GMT — UN tells Israel access to northern port critical for Gaza aid
Three United Nations agencies have called on Israel to allow access to the port of Ashdod, north of Gaza, for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid.
Bringing food and supplies to the besieged population of Gaza, which is increasingly at risk of famine, also depends on the opening of new entry routes into the territory, the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a joint statement.
The use of Ashdod, located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the Gaza border, is "critically needed by aid agencies", they said while calling for a "fundamental step change in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza".
Allowing humanitarian agencies to use that port "would enable significantly larger quantities of aid to be shipped in and then trucked directly to the badly affected northern regions of Gaza, which few convoys have managed to reach", they said.
10:54 GMT — Gaza mayor flays Israel's bombing of municipal machinery
The Israeli army has destroyed about 70 percent of the Gaza Municipality's heavy and medium machinery since the outbreak of the war on October 7, City Mayor Yahya Al Sarraj said.
The army destroyed more than 90 out of 130 vehicles in a deliberate bombardment of the municipality at a time when it already had a severe shortage of vehicles, Al Sarraj told Anadolu Agency.
And the residents' pain and suffering were exacerbated by a fuel shortage, with the city receiving the much-needed commodity for the last time on October 31, he added.
09:55 GMT — Gaza in much worse condition than 1945 Berlin: Chilean president
Gaza is now in a much worse condition than Berlin was in 1945, Chilean President Gabriel Boric has said.
Visiting Guatemala to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Bernardo Arevalo, Boric told reporters that a cease-fire was an urgent need of time.
“Gaza is in a much worse condition than Berlin was in 1945,” he said, referring to the Fall of Berlin post-World War II. “Almost all houses have been destroyed and 1.5 million people do not have any place to sleep, they are running out of food.”
“The solution to the problem between Israel and Palestine lies in the political dialogue,” he further said, adding: “Two-state solution based on mutual borders will end this problem.”
09:04 GMT — Israeli War Cabinet minister calls for deal to bring hostages home
Israel’s War Cabinet Minister Gadi Eisenkot has said Israeli authorities must stop deceiving themselves and reach an agreement to bring back hostages held in Gaza.
“The hostages are running out of time and every day that passes exposes their lives to danger. This is a critical time to make courageous decisions,” the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth cited him as saying during a War Cabinet meeting on Saturday evening.
While Eisenkot and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz support reaching a hostage deal with Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Galant oppose it, according to the newspaper.
09:02 GMT — Israeli attacks kill 'over 24,000' Palestinians in Gaza
At least 24,100 people have been killed in Gaza in more than three months of Israel's brutal war on the enclave, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave.
A ministry statement said the toll includes 132 fatalities over the past 24 hours, while scores remain trapped under the rubble and 60,834 people have been wounded since October 7.
06:43 GMT — Hamas military wing sends message to families of Israeli prisoners
Hamas military wing al Qassam Brigades have addressed the families of Israelis held hostage by the movement in Gaza following the October 7 attacks.
Al Qassam shared a video featuring some of the hostages sending messages to the Israeli government, demanding an end to the war and their return to their families.
The video ended with the Qassam Brigades stating: "Wait for us... we will inform you of their fate tomorrow. Your government is lying."
The resistance group said Sunday that the fate of many hostages held by the group is unknown amid a deadly Israeli offensive on Gaza.
“Many of the hostages may have likely been killed, while the rest are in imminent danger every hour,” Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded speech marking 100 days since Israel launched its onslaught on Gaza.
06:38 GMT — UN agency accuses Israel of obstructing aid delivery into Gaza Strip
Israel has been obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid into besieged Gaza, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Egypt has not closed the Rafah border crossing since the outbreak of the war on October 7, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told Egyptian news channel Al Qahira Wal Nas on Sunday.
The world is witnessing the killing of innocent Palestinians by the Israeli killing machine, which did not spare any human, stone, or even animals, he added.
06:13 GMT — Over 60 Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza
More than 60 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes across the territory overnight, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
The ministry said dozens of people were also wounded in "intense" Israeli strikes and artillery bombardments across Gaza.
The strikes hit the southern cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah, as well as areas around Gaza City, the media office said.
It said two hospitals, a girls' school and "dozens" of homes were among the targets.
05:50 GMT - China calls for major peace conference on Gaza
China Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the war in Gaza continues to escalate and China is calling for a larger-scale, more authoritative and effective international peace conference and a concrete timetable to implement a two-state solution.
Wang made the comments to reporters after talks with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, sharing his views on the Israeli aggression in Gaza, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.
Separately, Wang also held talks with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States where the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the conflict, reaching several points on helping to solve the crisis.
05:16 GMT - Australian foreign minister calls for 'sustainable ceasefire'
Australia's foreign minister has called for a "sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza as she left for a Middle East tour that includes a visit to the occupied West Bank and meetings with the families of Israeli hostages.
Penny Wong said she would use the visits to Jordan, Israel, the occupied West Bank and the United Arab Emirates to advocate for a pathway out of the current conflict and a lasting peace in the form of a two-state solution.
Australia would also use its voice to push for more humanitarian assistance, greater protection of civilians and a de-escalation of regional tensions, she added.
04:41 GMT - US says it shot down anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas
US fighter aircraft have shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi areas of Yemen toward a US destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the US military said.
The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under siege from Israeli forces in Gaza.
It follows a series of American and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that have drawn threats of a "strong" response from the Iranian-backed militia.
04:00 GMT - International Union of Muslim Scholars forms delegation for Gaza mission
The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) announced that it has assembled a delegation which will enter Gaza through Egypt as Israel continues its military onslaught on the enclave.
Ali Muhyiddin al Qaradaghi, the Secretary-General of the Qatar-based IUMS, said in a statement on X that the delegation will enter Gaza through Egypt's Rafah border crossing.
He said IUMS has asked for support from Egypt and Sheikh Ahmed al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar University, to facilitate their journey.
03:50 GMT - WHO director-general 'marks 100th day of tragedy' in Gaza
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described Gaza situation as a "tragedy" reiterating his call for a ceasefire.
Emphasising that there is a "major humanitarian crisis" in Gaza following the attacks, Ghebreyesus said on X: "Today we mark 100 days of a tragedy."
"More than 24,000 Gazans killed — 70% women and children; more injured, many grievously," he said.
03:16 GMT - Israeli footballer excluded from Turkish football club squad over gesture flouting 'national values'
Israeli football player Sagiv Jehezkel has been excluded from the squad of Antalyaspor over a gesture that went against "national values," the Turkish football club announced.
Jehezkel expressed solidarity with Israel by raising his bandaged hand after scoring a goal against Trabzonspor, referencing to the attack carried out by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7 and the 100 days that have since passed.
"Sagiv Jehezkel, following his goal in the 68th minute during the match against Trabzonspor, has been deemed to have acted against our country's national values by sharing an inscription on his wrist.
02:50 GMT - Hamas urges Germany to reverse decision to support Israel in ICJ genocide case
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas urged Germany to reconsider its decision to back Tel Aviv before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague in the Netherlands in the genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel.
The statement was made by Hamas leader Izzat al Rashq two days after the German government announced that it would intervene as a third party in the case, arguing that Israel has not violated the Genocide Convention during its war on Gaza since October 7.
“We call on Germany to stop all forms of support for the Zionist crimes and to reject and criminalize the genocide being committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” he said in a statement.
02:30 GMT - Four Palestinians killed by Israeli army fire in occupied West Bank
Four Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
A ministry statement said a 14-year-old boy lost his life after Israeli forces opened fire in the Ein Sultan refugee camp northwest of Jericho city.
According to the state news agency Wafa, the boy was shot in the chest by Israeli forces. He was transferred to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
For our live updates from Sunday, January 14, click here.
