Friday, February 9, 2024
14:30 GMT — Israel launched new strikes on the overcrowded Gaza city of Rafah, after President Joe Biden issued the strongest rebuke yet to the US ally, warning its attacks have been "over the top".
The United States is Israel's main international backer, providing it with billions of dollars in military aid.
But the US State Department said it does not support a ground offensive in Rafah, warning that, if not properly planned, such an operation in a city sheltering more than one million displaced Palestinians risked "disaster".
Witnesses reported new strikes overnight on Rafah, after the Israeli military intensified air raids on a city teeming with about half of Gaza's 2.4 million people.
14:15 GMT — Israeli forces raid Khan Yunis hospital — Gaza medics
Israeli forces raided a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis which has been besieged for weeks, said the Palestinian Red Crescent Society which runs the facility.
"The occupation (Israeli) forces stormed Al Amal hospital and started searching it. We're finding it difficult to communicate with our crews inside the hospital," a PRCS statement said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP about soldiers entering the hospital.
Al Amal has been caught in fierce fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters, with the Red Crescent reporting "intense artillery shelling and heavy gunfire" continuing around the hospital on Thursday.
The medical organisation has in recent days made repeated pleas for supplies and protection, reporting severe shortages of oxygen, medicines and fuel to power the hospital.
14:11 GMT — Israeli military doctor reveals soldiers burning down homes in Gaza after looting everything inside
An Israeli military doctor made a shocking revelation that exposed the soldiers' brutality in the besieged enclave, asserting to have witnessed the burning of people's homes after looting everything inside, including small household items.
The Israeli military doctor who served in Gaza for two months revealed a shocking ordeal about Palestinians' plight, which was published in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, detailing the Israeli army's gross violations of international human rights law.
"The forces start intermittently burning houses, and the brigade commander says it's okay for him, and the cumulative feeling is that they can do here in Gaza what they did in Hawara," wrote Nahum Barnea, a senior analyst for Yedioth Ahronoth, in his article published on Friday, quoting the doctor.
The doctor revealed that “looting has become almost institutionalised as he witnessed during his time in Gaza,” Barne a stated, presenting the literal text of a letter from a doctor in the reserve paratrooper brigade.
“It starts with seizing large quantities of mattresses, gas stoves, and gas cylinders from occupied houses, and continues with taking small souvenir gifts like tables, small toys for children.”
14:00 GMT — Israel, US discuss plans for 'specific operations' in Gaza
In a Friday phone call, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed "specific military operations" in Gaza.
Gallant briefed Austin on developments about the war on Gaza, detailing the ongoing assaults of the Israeli army, said a statement by the Israeli Defense Ministry.
13:00 GMT — Almost 10 percent of Gaza's under-fives now acutely malnourished, UN says
Almost one in 10 of Gazan children under five are now acutely malnourished, overwhelmingly as a result of Israel's war, according to initial UN data from arm measurements that show physical wasting.
The food supplies that Gaza depends on have shrivelled from their pre-war level, and aid workers have reported visible signs of starvation, especially in areas of northern and central Gaza worst hit by Israel's war since October 7.
Measurements of thousands of young children's and infants' arm circumferences showed that 9.6 percent were acutely malnourished, up about 12 times from pre-war levels, according to a note from the U.N. humanitarian office, OCHA.
In northern Gaza, the rate was 16.2 percent, or one in six.
12:00 GMT — UNICEF warns against military operation in Rafah, where over 600,000 children, their families already displaced
UNICEF has warned against a military operation in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, where over 600,000 children and their families – around a million people – have been displaced under the pressure of over four months of devastating war.
“An escalation of the fighting in Rafah, which is already straining under the extraordinary number of people who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza, will mark another devastating turn in a war that has reportedly killed over 27,000 people – most of them women and children,” Catherine Russell, the agency’s executive director, said in a statement on late Thursday.
Calling on parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, she added: “Military operations in densely populated residential areas can have indiscriminate effects.”
10:14 GMT — Erdogan vows to bring global attention to Israeli 'war crimes'
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has underlined Türkiye’s strenuous efforts to draw attention worldwide to Israel’s wrongdoing in over four months of the Gaza conflict.
"We are making intensive efforts to ensure that Israel's human rights abuses and war crimes are not overlooked on the international stage," Erdogan said, addressing the 5th General Assembly of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum via video message in Istanbul.
Underscoring the importance of collective diplomatic action among Islamic countries in response to Israel's oppression in Gaza, Erdogan mentioned ongoing diplomatic efforts to encourage joint responses and solidarity.
Additionally, he reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to supporting the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state recognized worldwide.
"We will continue our struggle until an independent, territorially integral Palestinian state is founded based on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as capital," he said.
05:30 GMT - Biden calls Israel's Gaza response 'over the top'
Israel's military response in besieged Gaza to the October 7 surprise blitz by Hamas has been "over the top," US President Joe Biden said.
"I'm of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, has been over the top," the 81-year-old Democrat told reporters at the White House.
"I've been pushing really hard, really hard to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza."
04:40 GMT - US strikes Houthi missile positions in Yemen: CENTCOM
The United States military has confirmed its forces conducted multiple strikes against Houthi missile systems.
Beginning early Thursday Sanaa time, US Central Command forces "conducted seven self-defence strikes against four Houthi unmanned surface vessels [USV] and seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"CENTCOM identified these missiles and USVs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region," it said.
04:00 GMT - UK minister says devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza 'unfolding before our very eyes'
Britain's minister for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad pointed to the "growing humanitarian crisis" in besieged Gaza in remarks before the House of Lords, saying the suffering is unfolding "before our very eyes."
"What is very clear [is that] ordinary people are suffering. Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis. Indeed, it's unfolding before our very eyes," Lord Ahmad told those present.
Member of the House of Lords Baroness Hussein-Ece reminded that more than 27,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, and compared to the number of Israelis killed on October 7, she said it is at least 20 times higher and more than 200 times as many children.
03:38 GMT - Saudi Arabia hosts meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Gaza
Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to consult on developments in besieged Gaza.
"Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan received Arab ministers participating in the consultative ministerial meeting on events in Gaza," the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X, without providing further details.
The ministry shared images of bin Farhan receiving his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and United Arab Emirates counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in addition to the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein al-Sheikh.
For our live updates from Thursday, February 8, click here.
