Saturday, February 17, 2024
14:03 GMT - Hamas won't accept anything less than 'complete cessation of aggression' on Gaza
The head of the Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh has said that the Palestinian resistance will “not accept anything less than a complete cessation of Israeli aggression.”
“Hamas responded all the time in a positive spirit and responsibly with the mediators in order to stop the aggression against our people, to end the unjust siege, and to allow the flow of aid, shelter, and reconstruction,” Haniyeh said in a statement.
13:47 GMT - 'What's happening in Gaza is genocide': Bangladeshi premier
Bangladesh’s prime minister has said that what is happening in Gaza now is genocide, stressing that the Palestinian people have the right to live and have their own state.
In an interview with Anadolu, Sheikh Hasina stressed that Bangladesh has always stood against genocide, adding that as for what is happening in Gaza, "I feel it is a genocide. So we never support it."
13:00 GMT - EU reiterates call on Israel to not launch Rafah offensive
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has reiterated his call on Israel to not launch a military attack on Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
"The EU asks Israel not to take military action in Rafah that would worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian situation," he wrote on X, sharing the link to one of his previous statements.
He stressed that all civilians must be protected in line with international humanitarian law, and called for Israel to respect the International Court of Justice's order issued last month.
12:40 GMT - Recognising a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France: Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that recognizing a Palestinian state is not a ‘’taboo’’ for France, as international frustration grows with Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
France and the EU have long supported a two-state solution in the Mideast, but as part of a negotiated settlement. With talks long stalled and Israel’s offensive in Gaza deepening, some European countries are voicing support for recognising a Palestinian state sooner.
11:36 GMT - Israel has not presented evidence that Hamas diverted UN aid: US envoy
Israel has not presented specific evidence that Hamas is diverting UN aid and its recent targeted killings of Gaza police commanders safeguarding truck convoys have made it “virtually impossible” to distribute the goods safely, a top US envoy said in rare public criticism of Israel.
With the departure of police escorts following Israeli strikes, criminal gangs are increasingly targeting the convoys, said David Satterfield, the Biden administration's special Middle East envoy for humanitarian issues.
11:00 GMT - Israel out to destroy UNRWA: Agency chief
Israel is waging a concerted campaign aimed at destroying UNRWA, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said in an interview.
Philippe Lazzarini said calls for his resignation were part of the Israeli government's push.
"Right now we are dealing with an expanded, concerted campaign by Israel aimed at destroying UNRWA," he told the Swiss newspaper group Tamedia.
10:15 GMT - Israel stages airstrikes across Gaza, makes arrests at hospital
Israeli forces have carried out arrests in Gaza's largest functioning hospital, health officials and the military said as airstrikes hit across the enclave and rain battered Palestinians taking shelter in Rafah.
"Occupation forces detained a large number of medical staff members inside Nasser Medical Complex, which they (Israel) turned into a military base," said Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza spokesman Ashraf al Qidra.
09:40 GMT - Germany’s Scholz urges Israel to abide by international law
Amid growing concerns over Israel’s planned ground offensive in the city of Rafah, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Tel Aviv to abide by international law.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Scholz reaffirmed Germany’s support for Israel’s security, but also underlined that they expect the Israeli government to respect international law.
“We are also very clear on the things that are important to be said. So first that humanitarian aid has to get to Gaza, and more as we see today. Second, that the way the war is handled is according to international law,” he stressed.
09:14 GMT - Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll at 28,858
The health ministry in Gaza has said at least 28,858 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory during Israel's war on Gaza.
A ministry statement said 68,667 people have also been wounded in Gaza since the war erupted on October 7.
08:41 GMT - Death toll of UNRWA workers killed in Gaza by Israel reaches 158
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has confirmed a total death toll of its employees in Gaza due to Israeli air strikes at 158.
“As of 15 February, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is now 158, an increase of two since UNRWA last update,” the agency said in a report.
It added that increased air strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah have “heightened fears that they will further hamper overstretched humanitarian operations.”
08:29 GMT - Yemeni Houthis say they targeted oil tanker Pollux
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said that they had fired missiles at the oil tanker Pollux, which US officials said the previous day had been hit by a missile.
The US State Department said on Friday that the Pollux, a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil bound for India, was hit by a missile on its port side.
"The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against a British oil ship (Pollux) in the Red Sea with a large number of appropriate naval missiles, and the strikes were accurate and direct", the Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement on Saturday.
08:00 GMT - Palestinians flee Rafah from Israeli attack towards central Gaza
UN humanitarian officials say Palestinians in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah are reportedly moving out of that region toward central areas around Deir al-Balah as intensified Israeli air strikes continue
An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half of Gaza’s population, have crammed into Rafah, most of them displaced by fighting elsewhere in the territory. Hundreds of thousands are living in sprawling tent camps.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters about the reported movements toward Deir al-Balah, which is roughly 16 kilometres north of Rafah. He also described the lack of food in Rafah and elsewhere — especially in northern Gaza, the first target of the offensive, where large areas have been completely destroyed.
07:13 GMT - Israel should not attack Rafah: Italian deputy prime minister
Israel should not attack Rafah and wait for a ceasefire, which cannot be unilateral, the Italian deputy prime minister and foreign minister said.
Antonio Tajani held a news conference after he landed in Germany late Friday to attend the 60th Munich Security Conference and said foreign ministers of G7 countries will hold their first meeting on Saturday under the Italian presidency as part of the Conference.
He stressed that G7 countries could move toward a ceasefire in Gaza for the release of hostages.
06:28 GMT - Ex-HRW chief urges global halt in military aid to Israel
Former Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Kenneth Roth, said pressure should be exerted to halt military aid and arms sales to the Israeli government.
Roth, in an interview with Anadolu on the current situation in Gaza, urged a worldwide economic boycott against Israel and said Tel Aviv’s attacks on Rafah on the border with Egypt should stop.
"Israel must provide information to the court by Feb. 23. It's unclear how they will defend themselves because they have not complied with the court's decision so far," said Roth, referring to an International Court of Justice order on Jan. 26 for Israel to take "immediate and effective" measures to enable the provision of urgently needed services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
06:06 GMT - UN official demands 'arms embargo' against Israel amid Gaza war
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders proposed imposing an "arms embargo" on Israel in response to its onslaught in besieged Gaza.
"We have to allow humanitarian aid in there and also there has to be an arms embargo," Mary Lawlor told Anadolu Agency about the situation in the blockaded enclave, rights violations and steps countries should take to stop Israel's bombardment.
"In my view, any of the states that are fuelling this conflict by supplying arms to Israel just have to stop because Israel is not seeing any sense at the moment," she said.
05:30 GMT - Israel's attacks on Gaza increase support for worldwide boycott against Israeli products: activist
A global boycott movement against Israeli products has gained significant traction with the recent Israeli onslaught in besieged Gaza, according to activist and spokesperson for Palestine Initiative, Tulay Gokcimen.
"The oppression Israel has been inflicting on Palestine for 75 years before the massacres in Gaza was not fully described, but now everyone wants to do something as much as they can," Gokcimen told Anadolu Agency.
The momentum for the group that seeks to be a voice for Palestinians has transformed into a global movement, encompassing diverse communities and religions, she said.
05:00 GMT - Hamas welcomes UN court's demands for Israel to immediately implement provisional measures in Rafah
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas welcomed demands by the International Court of Justice [ICJ] for Israel to implement immediate provisional measures in Rafah, which is threatened by an Israeli ground invasion.
Hamas said it welcomes the ICJ decisions "which stressed the necessity to immediately implement provisional measures ordered by the court on January 26."
It urged the court to develop its decisions into "direct and clear order to stop the brutal aggression that leads to genocide against the unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip."
For our live updates from Friday, February 16, click here.
