Monday, August 12, 2024
1633 GMT –– UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel's weekend air strike on a school shelter in Gaza City that killed at least 100 forcefully displaced people.
"The Secretary-General condemns the continued loss of life in Gaza, including women and children, as we witness yet another devastating strike by Israel on the Al-Tab'een school in Gaza City, sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinian families with scores of fatalities amidst continued horror displacement and suffering in Gaza," UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told a news conference.
Saying that Guterres is "dismayed to see that the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2735 remain unimplemented", the UN chief welcomed "the mediation efforts of the United States, Egypt and Qatar leaders, and urges both sides to rejoin negotiations and conclude the ceasefire and hostages release deal".
Guterres reiterated his "urgent appeal for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages".
"He also again underscores the need to ensure the protection of civilians and for unimpeded and safe humanitarian access into and across Gaza. The Secretary-General underlines that international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions and attack must be upheld at all times," Haq added.
1653 GMT –– US says it expects Gaza peace talks to continue, ceasefire possible
The US expects Gaza peace talks to move forward as planned, the State Department said, adding it believes a ceasefire deal remains possible even after Hamas cast doubt on whether it would participate in a Thursday meeting called by mediators.
State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel, speaking to reporters at a regular news briefing, said the US fully expects talks to continue and it would continue to work with the parties involved, adding that agreement was still possible.
"We fully expect talks to move forward, as they should. All negotiators should return to the table and bring this deal to conclusion," Patel said.
1549 GMT –– Baby rescued from under rubble in Gaza after Israeli air strike
Civil defence teams have recovered a Palestinian baby from under the rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Jabalia in northern Gaza.
The strike flattened the house Sunday evening, with several people left trapped under the debris, according to an Anadolu news agency reporter.
Hours after the attack, civil defence teams managed to pull out a baby from under the rubble to the cheers of the gathering residents.
1433 GMT –– Israeli army slams public broadcaster for showing faces of soldiers detained in Sde Teiman sexual assault
The Arabic-language channel of Israeli public broadcaster KAN came under fire from the military for showing the faces of soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman Prison in southern Israel.
In a statement, the army considered the publication of the soldiers' faces a "blatant violation of the military court's gag order".
The army said it issued an order to the channel to remove the footage.
Last month, ten Israeli soldiers were detained for sexually assaulting a detainee from Gaza at the notorious detention facility, but five of them were later released.
1430 GMT –– Turkish foreign minister calls on Israel to avoid 'provocative actions' that could escalate conflict
Speaking to his US counterpart, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Israel to avoid "provocative actions" that could lead to further escalation of conflicts, expressing his concern over rising tensions in the region.
In a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, made at Blinken's request, Fidan underlined the need to apply pressure on Israel for a permanent Gaza ceasefire, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on X.
1347 GMT –– EU's Borrell under Israeli fire over call for sanctions for 'incitement to war crimes'
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich launched a fierce attack on EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell over his call for imposing sanctions on Israeli government ministers for "incitement to war crimes".
Last week, Smotrich said that the death of two million Palestinians in Gaza from hunger might be "justified and moral" to secure the release of Israelis held by Hamas.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also called for halting the entry of humanitarian aid and fuel shipments into Gaza, which has been suffering under a years-long Israeli blockade.
In response, Borrell called for imposing EU sanctions against the two ministers for "incitement to war crimes".
Smotrich claimed that the top European diplomat's call for imposing sanctions as a "dangerous indication that he sides with terror".
"Instead, in order to appease Hamas supporters in Europe, Borrell has decided he's even willing to sacrifice the people of Gaza just so he can attack Israel while it fights the war of the entire western civilization," Smotrich said.
"There will be a time in which Europe will be ashamed of Borrell and the double standard that he and many of his friends have applied to Israel."
1307 GMT –– Türkiye's involvement in Gaza genocide case 'will bring new perspective', says South Africa
South Africa welcomed Türkiye's involvement in Gaza genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying it "will bring new perspective".
Ronald Lamola, South Africa's international relations and cooperation minister, said: "Türkiye's intervention will enable the top court to see it from a new perspective."
Türkiye's joining in South Africa's case against Israel "shows how solid the case is", Lamola told reporters in the capital Pretoria.
1258 GMT –– Israeli Air Force suspends travel abroad for its personnel amid tensions with Iran
The Israeli Air Force suspended travel abroad for its personnel amid heightened tensions with Iran following last month’s assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh.
The army said the decision was taken by Air Force Commander Tomer Bar following a new assessment of the situation.
The decision applies to career offices and non-commissioned officers, not conscripts, according to The Times of Israel newspaper.
1239 GMT –– Vatican expresses 'deep concern' about potential Mideast conflict escalation
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed deep concern about rising tensions in the Middle East in talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, emphasising the importance of negotiations to resolve the conflict.
During a phone call, the two discussed issues of common interest, while Parolin congratulated Pezeshkian on his new term in the office, Vatican News reported.
Cardinal Parolin also voiced the Vatican's deep concern over the risk of widening the war to other Middle Eastern regions and hoped that dialogue, negotiation, and peace would prevail.
1206 GMT –– Israeli air strike injures three in southern Lebanon
At least three people were injured in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry said as tension continues to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah.
A ministry statement said the overnight strike targeted the town of Kfar Kila.
Other Israeli air strikes were also reported in the towns of Chihine and Borj El Mlouk, according to the state-run National News Agency.
Four tank shells also hit Ayta al Shaab in southern Lebanon, the broadcaster said. No information was yet available about injuries or damage.
1156 GMT –– Belgian official slams Israeli government over call to cut aid to Palestinian civilians
Belgium's development co-operation minister slammed Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his statement about Palestinian civilians, and described what he suggested as a "war crime".
"Denying humanitarian aid to civilians - children (!) - is a war crime," Caroline Gennez wrote on X.
She also lashed out at the Israeli government for undermining the chances for a "peaceful solution" and "threatening" both the Palestinian and the Israeli populations' safety.
1151 GMT –– Israel ramps up strikes in Khan Younis as death toll mounts
Israeli forces have pressed on with strikes near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis amid an international push for a deal to stop the war in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Palestinian medics said Israeli military strikes on several areas of Khan Younis killed at least 16 people and wounded several others.
Meanwhile more families and displaced persons streamed out of areas threatened by new evacuation orders telling people to clear the area.
1206 GMT –– Israeli air strike injures three in southern Lebanon
At least three people were injured in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry said as tension continues to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah.
A ministry statement said the overnight strike targeted the town of Kfar Kila.
Other Israeli air strikes were also reported in the towns of Chihine and Borj El Mlouk, according to the state-run National News Agency.
Four tank shells also hit Ayta al Shaab in southern Lebanon, the broadcaster said. No information was yet available about injuries or damage.
1156 GMT –– Belgian official slams Israeli government over call to cut aid to Palestinian civilians
Belgium's development co-operation minister slammed Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his statement about Palestinian civilians, and described what he suggested as a "war crime".
"Denying humanitarian aid to civilians - children (!) - is a war crime," Caroline Gennez wrote on X.
She also lashed out at the Israeli government for undermining the chances for a "peaceful solution" and "threatening" both the Palestinian and the Israeli populations' safety.
1102 GMT –– Israeli army closes areas near Gaza border amid planned settler march
The Israeli army closed several areas adjacent to Gaza and prohibited entry without prior permission.
A military statement said the move was taken following an assessment of the security situation, without providing further details.
The military order restricts access to certain areas near the Palestinian enclave, without specifying a date for ending the closure.
According to Israeli Channel 12, the decision aims to prevent far-right Israelis from entering areas in southern Israel near the Gaza border. These groups have called for a march towards the Netzarim crossing in central Gaza on Tuesday to declare the establishment of a settlement in the area.
Jewish settlers are generally barred from entering any part of Gaza.
1015 GMT — US, British forces carry out joint air strike in Yemen's western Hudaida province
US and British forces carried out a joint air strike in Yemen's western Hudaida province on Monday, the Houthi group said.
The joint air strike targeted Kamaran Island, Houthi-run Al Masirah television reported, without providing further details about casualties or damage.
The US and UK have not issued any statement regarding the air strike reported by the Houthi media outlet.
Kamaran is the largest Yemeni island in the Red Sea, and it is administratively part of Hudaida, a major Yemeni province with three important ports and a long coastline.
0945 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israel's brutal war rises to 39,897
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said that at least 39,897 people have been killed in the Israeli brutal war, now in its 11th month.
The toll includes 107 deaths in the previous 48 hours, according to ministry figures, which also list 92,152 people as having been wounded across Gaza since the war began when on October 7.
0940 GMT — At least 18 killed in Israeli forces’ heavy bombardment in Gaza
Israeli forces killed at least 18 Palestinians overnight in heavy bombardments on the eastern regions of the central and southern Gaza.
The Israeli attacks continued into Monday morning, as well as targeting residential areas in eastern Khan Younis and western Rafah.
Medical sources told Anadolu that 16 bodies have been transferred from various areas of southern Gaza to the Nasser Medical Complex in western Khan Younis since Sunday night.
Those Palestinians were killed in the Israeli strikes on Khan Younis and Rafah, with rescue teams recovering several bodies from the rubbles following heavy bombardment.
0855 GMT — Israeli premier instructs ministers to refrain from security-related statements amid escalating tensions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his government ministers to refrain from making public statements related to security issues.
According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, KAN, Netanyahu “warned his ministers against discussing security matters in the coming days, emphasising the “critical nature” of the situation.
The broadcaster said that Israel is preparing for a broader Iranian attack, potentially more extensive than the drone assault in April, which saw Israel targeted by dozens of missiles and drones.
0845 GMT — Israel says rockets fired from Lebanon, igniting fires in Western Galilee
Tel Aviv reported the launch of dozens of rockets from Lebanon targeting the Western Galilee region in northern Israel, resulting in fires that are currently being tackled by firefighting teams, according to Israeli media.
The country's official broadcaster, KAN, said that "more than thirty rocket-propelled grenades were fired at Western Galilee overnight from Lebanon."
Channel 12, a private Israeli news outlet, stated that four firefighting teams are actively working to extinguish the fires that broke out in Western Galilee as a result of the rocket fire from Lebanon.
0742 GMT — Israeli army conducts raids across West Bank, arrests more Palestinians
The Israeli army launched a series of raids across various cities and towns in the occupied West Bank early Monday morning, arresting more Palestinians.
Witnesses reported to Anadolu that the Israeli military raided the city of Jenin and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, where they stormed several homes in the eastern part of t he city.
The raids sparked armed clashes with Palestinian residents. Witnesses also described hearing explosions intermittently throughout the raid.
0700 GMT — France, Germany, UK call for Gaza truce talks with 'no delay'
France, Germany, and the UK said they welcome efforts from Qatar, Egypt, and the US “towards an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”
A joint statement signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they endorsed a joint statement of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and US President Joe Biden “calling for the immediate resumption of negotiations.”
“We agree that there can be no further delay,” it said, adding that they “have been working with all parties to prevent escalation and will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability.”
It further said: “The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released. The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid.
0400 GMT — Hamas demands Biden Gaza truce plan as Israel hits 'safe zone'
Hamas has urged Gaza mediators to implement a truce plan presented by US President Joe Biden instead of holding more talks, as thousands of Palestinians flee a new Israeli military offensive.
The statement from the Palestinian resistance group came as the Israeli army ordered Khan Younis residents to evacuate the Al Jalaa neighbourhood of Khan Younis previously designated as a “safe humanitarian zone” by the army.
Hamas said it wanted the implementation of a truce plan laid out by Biden on May 31 and later endorsed by the UN Security Council, "rather than going through more negotiation rounds or new proposals".
Hamas "demands that the mediators present a plan to implement what they proposed to the movement... based on Biden's vision and the UN Security Council resolution, and compel the (Israeli) occupation to comply", it said.
Unveiling the plan, Biden had called it a three-phase "roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages", and said it was an Israeli proposal. Mediation efforts since then have failed to produce an agreement.
0506 GMT — Israel widens evacuation orders in southern Gaza
The Israeli military ordered more evacuations in southern Gaza following previous mass evacuations as its troops return to heavily destroyed areas where they previously battled Palestinian fighters. The vast majority of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, in the besieged territory 40 kilometres long by about 11 kilometres wide.
The latest evacuation orders apply to areas of Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, including part of an Israeli-declared "humanitarian zone" from which the military said rockets had been fired.
The new order came in leaflets dropped from the sky. As smoke rose on the horizon, hundreds of families carrying belongings in their arms left homes and shelters, seeking elusive refuge. One child carried a stuffed Hello Kitty doll as others walked through rubble-filled streets.
0104 GMT — US sends F-35s, submarine to Middle East amid Israeli conflict
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, the Pentagon has said.
In a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Austin reiterated the US’s commitment to take "every possible" step to defend Israel, the Pentagon said in a statement.
"Reinforcing this commitment, Secretary Austin has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group," it added.
Additionally, Austin ordered the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine to the Central Command region.
The defence chiefs also discussed Israel's attacks on Gaza and the importance of mitigating civilian killings, progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza, and US efforts to deter "aggression" by Iran, Lebanon based Hezbollah, and other Iran-aligned groups across the region, the Pentagon added.
For our live updates from Sunday, August 11, 2024, click here.
