Saturday, March 2, 2024
12:19 GMT — At least 10 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli air strike that hit a tent in Rafah, the Gaza health ministry said.
The air strike took place over an area where displaced Palestinians have been taking shelter, outside the Emirate Hospital in the suburb of Tel Al-Sultan of southern Gaza's Rafah.
The health ministry in Gaza said a medic working at the hospital was among those killed. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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12:36 GMT — Israeli plans regarding Palestinians in Rafah may turn into 'ethnic cleansing' — Russia
Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Israel's plans regarding Palestinians in Rafah may turn into an "ethnic cleansing."
There are a lot of initiatives on a ceasefire and humanitarian pause, however, the statements of the Israeli leadership show that they do not change their goal of "clean up Gaza completely, eliminate Hamas," he said.
"Even the Western representatives wonder how can this be done, to eliminate Hamas by 100%. Moreover, Israeli generals and ministers say that everyone in Gaza is Hamas. It is then necessary to destroy all the inhabitants of Gaza," he said.
Lavrov said Moscow is also concerned about Israeli plans to carry out a ground invasion in Rafah, where two-thirds of the Palestinians are seeking shelter from violence.
"If the operation of Rafah begins, a huge number of refugees will leave for Egypt, and the Egyptians have repeatedly stated that this is unacceptable. This will be ethnic cleansing in fact," he stressed.
12:17 GMT — Israeli strikes kill 7 Hezbollah members in south Lebanon
An Israeli drone strike hit a car in south Lebanon, killing three Hezbollah members, state media and officials said.
Another four Hezbollah members were killed in a strike on a house in the town of Ramia overnight, said a Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had “struck a vehicle in southern Lebanon, in which a number of terrorists who launched rockets into Israeli territory were driving.” It said the militants operated under the Imam Hossein Division, which is affiliated with Iran and operates under Hezbollah.
11:17 GMT — Hamas delegation discusses latest Gaza situation with Russian special envoy
The Hamas delegation discussed with Russia's special envoy for the Middle East and North Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, the latest developments in Gaza.
The delegation from the resistance movement expressed gratitude to the Russian Federation for "their position in support of the Palestinian people, and for hosting the Palestinian meetings."
It also reviewed “the course of the meetings and the positive results they achieved in uniting the Palestinian ranks, responding to aggression, providing relief to our people, supporting the valiant Palestinian resistance, and emphasising the continuity of the meetings.”
09:10 GMT — Israel admits army shot dead over 100 Palestinians seeking aid
Israel admitted that its forces opened fire at Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City, killing more than 100 people and injuring over 700 others.
“IDF (Israel Defense Forces) forces did not shoot at the convoy. IDF forces did not shoot at people looting the trucks. IDF forces used fire when masses ran toward them in a way that threatened their lives. They were there in the first place to secure the convoy,” Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy said on X.
The spokesperson later on deleted his post and repeated claims by the Israeli army, accusing civilians of killing each other in a stampede.
08:05 GMT — Several Gaza aid attack victims were shot - UN
A United Nations delegation found that numerous people injured in the Israeli attack on Palestinians awaiting food assistance on Thursday sustained gunshot wounds. The director of al-Awda Hospital states that 80 percent of the casualties admitted to the hospital were gunshot victims.
07:20 GMT — Germany refuses to condemn Israeli army’s massacre of Palestinians
The German government expressed shock at the Israeli army’s killing of Palestinian civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza but it refused to explicitly condemn the massacre.
“There is frightening news reaching us (from Gaza). We very clearly demand clarification of the circumstances. The protection of civilians in such a dramatic situation is the top priority,” said Deputy Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer when asked at a news conference in Berlin, if Germany condemns the latest mass killings in Gaza.
“We demand a humanitarian cease-fire so that more people do not die in Gaza,” she added.
06:50 GMT — Deaths of 13 children from malnutrition in Gaza is ‘a failure’
Hamas said it considered the deaths of 13 children in the northern Gaza Strip from malnutrition "a failure" by the international community and the UN.
The Palestinian resistance group said the deaths will remain "a stain on the conscience of humanity and a dangerous precedent in our modern time".
It urged the UN and international relief groups to urgently move "to save the children and civilians in the Gaza Strip," in particular, those in the north.
05:40 GMT — Israeli forces kill Palestinian teenager in West Bank raid
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during a raid in the occupied West Bank.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli soldiers conducted a raid on the town of Kafr Ni'ma, west of Ramallah, in the West Bank.
During the raid, 16-year-old Muhammed Murad ad-Diq was fatally shot in the head by Israeli soldiers.
04:10 GMT — US trusts Israeli will probe itself over killing of starving Palestinians
US President Biden has said he trusts Tel Aviv will investigate itself after Israeli troops fired on starving Palestinians at an aid site in besieged Gaza, killing at least 115 Palestinians and wounding 760 others, may of them critically.
Earlier, the White House said that it believes Israel should investigate the killings of 115 people in Gaza City after Israeli troops opened fire while civilians waited for food aid, defending the country's ability to look into its own potential wrongdoing.
"We've asked the government of Israel to investigate, and it's our assessment that they're taking this seriously and they are looking into what occurred, so as to avoid tragedies like this from happening again," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
03:45 GMT — Biden says 'hoping' for Gaza ceasefire deal by Ramadan
US President Joe Biden said he was "hoping" for a ceasefire deal in besieged Gaza by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan but agreement was still not sealed.
"I'm hoping so; we're still working real hard on it. We're not there yet," he told reporters at the White House when asked if he expected a deal by Ramadan, which will start on March 10 or 11, depending on the lunar calendar.
"We'll get there, but we're not there yet — we may not get there," Biden added, without elaborating, as he headed to his helicopter to spend the weekend at the presidential Camp David retreat.
03:02 GMT — Global media outlets sign letter urging protection of journalists in Gaza
Senior leaders at multiple global media outlets have signed a letter urging Israeli authorities to protect journalists in besieged Gaza, saying reporters have been working in unprecedented conditions during Israel's invasion on the enclave and faced "grave personal risk."
Among media outlets whose top editors signed the letter were the Associated Press, AFP, Reuters, the New York Times, the Washington Post, BBC, CNN, the Guardian, Financial Times, Der Spiegel and Haaretz.
Committee to Protect Journalists, which released the letter signed by the leaders of 59 news global organisations, said the war has been the "most dangerous ever" for journalists.
