Thursday, August 29, 2024
1534 GMT — Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri has said the US supports Israel's stance against a ceasefire, reflecting Washington's lack of seriousness in stopping Tel Aviv's attacks on Gaza.
Zuhri told Anadolu that the US isn't serious about pressuring Israel to agree to a Gaza ceasefire, noting that Israel keeps imposing new conditions with US backing.
He stated that the delays in achieving a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza are due to this situation.
"Hamas accepted the proposal from Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediators on July 2, but Israel imposed new conditions, despite it being based on principles outlined in President Joe Biden's speech and UN Security Council resolutions," he added.
Regarding Hamas' stance, Zuhri said: "We reaffirmed our commitment to the proposal announced on July 2 and are waiting for a plan to implement this agreement."
1434 GMT — Israel waging 'war of extermination' in Gaza: Palestinian scholar
A prominent Palestinian academic has characterised Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide," urging immediate international intervention to halt the ongoing conflict.
Sami Al Arian, director of the Center for Islamic World and Global Affairs at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, told Anadolu Israel is waging "a war of extermination against the Palestinian people" in Gaza.
"The Zionist regime in Palestine is trying to resolve its demographic problem because they want Greater Israel, but also they want to claim a Jewish state and a democratic state," Arian stated.
1355 GMT — Egypt warns of 'extreme danger' from Israeli ops in West Bank
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has warned of the "extreme danger" from an ongoing Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank.
The warning came during a meeting in Cairo between Sisi and a delegation from the US Congress led by Senator Joni Ernst to back efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
Sisi warned of "the gravity of the escalation and tension in the region due to the ongoing war in Gaza," the statement said. He underlined Egypt’s keenness to continue its efforts, in coordination with partners, "to put an end to the Israeli war that has caused a humanitarian disaster in Gaza," it added.
1339 GMT — 'We are witnessing total erasure of Palestine': UK politician
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has sharply criticised Israel's recent military actions in the occupied West Bank, accusing the nation of committing war crimes with impunity.
In a statement on X, Corbyn expressed his deep alarm over the ongoing violence, framing it as part of a broader, systematic campaign to erase Palestinian presence in the region. "Israel knows it can commit war crimes with impunity. That is why it has launched its largest assault on the West Bank since 2002," Corbyn said.
1313 GMT — EU seeks humanitarian pauses in Gaza war for polio vaccination
The European Union has called for humanitarian pauses in the war-torn Gaza to allow for a critical vaccination campaign against poliovirus, according to a statement from the EU High Representative's office.
"The EU joins the call by the United Nations Secretary-General and the World Health Organisation for immediate humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow for the polio vaccination campaign to take place," the statement read.
The EU expressed deep concern over the potential for a polio epidemic in Gaza, a region that has been polio-free for the past 25 years. The call for action aligns with the appeals made by the UN secretary-general and the World Health Organization, urging immediate pauses in the war to ensure the vaccination campaign can proceed.
1246 GMT — China 'deeply' concerned over escalation in occupied West Bank
China has voiced concern over Israel's escalations in the occupied West Bank, saying it opposes actions that fuel tensions.
"We are deeply concerned about the escalation in the (occupied) West Bank. China opposes actions that fuel tensions, and condemns all attacks on civilians," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, in response to a question by Anadolu during a news briefing in Beijing.
Commenting on the latest developments with over 10-month-long conflict spilling from Gaza to the occupied West Bank, Jian called upon all the parties concerned, Israel in particular, to "remain calm and exercise restraint, and prevent further escalation and deterioration of the situation."
12330 GMT — Israeli raids in West Bank to continue for days
Israeli military raids in the northern West Bank would continue for several days and may be longer, military spokesperson Ella Waweya told Anadolu.
1135 GMT — Germany open to EU sanctions against Israeli far-right ministers
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock did not rule out possible EU sanctions against Israel's far-right ministers, but underlined that this will require a unanimous decision by the member states.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, Baerbock expressed grave concern over growing violence by Israeli extremist settlers and inflammatory comments by Israel's far-right ministers.
"As Germany, we have always strongly criticised statements made by various Israeli ministers in recent months, when they called for acts of violence, when these statements were against international law, against the Oslo Accords," she said.
0849 GMT — Top Islamic Jihad commander killed in Israeli West Bank raid
Palestinian group Islamic Jihad has announced the death of its commander in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank.
Earlier, the Israeli military said it had killed five resistance fighters, including Muhammad Jabber, also known as Abu Shujaa.
"Abu Shujaa, commander of the Tulkarem Brigade of the Al-Quds Brigades," the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, which has a strong presence in the refugee camps in the north of the occupied West Bank, "died along with several brothers of his brigade after a heroic battle against the soldiers of the (Israeli) occupation", the group said in a statement.
0811 GMT — Death toll from Israeli attacks in northern West Bank rises to 17
At least 17 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire amid an ongoing military incursion in the northern occupied West Bank since Wednesday, the Red Crescent Society said.
The relief organisation said in a statement that a Palestinian man lost his life in eastern Jenin on early Thursday.
It came shortly after five Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire inside a mosque in Nur Shams refugee camp in the northern city of Tulkarem.
0833 GMT — Families of Israeli captives breach Gaza border fence to demand prisoner swap
Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza stormed the territory’s border fence to demand a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians.
In a statement on X, a forum for the hostages’ families said they breached the border fence, using loudspeakers to cry out to the captives.
"The families in their great pain breached the fence to Gaza and ran towards the Gaza Strip to get close to their loved ones," the forum said.
A video published by Israeli media showed a number of people running towards the direction of Gaza through an open gate.
0805 GMT — Death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks rises
At least 40,602 Palestinians have been killed and 93,855 wounded in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 7, the besieged enclave's Health Ministry said.
0753 GMT — Israeli minister's call to displace people from West Bank 'completely unacceptable': EU foreign policy chief
The Israeli foreign minister’s call to displace people from the West Bank is “completely unacceptable,” the EU foreign policy chief said Thursday.
Before attending the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Josep Borrell told reporters that UN’s Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag will brief the ministers on the situation in the field.
She will “explain the situation and the situation of even the United Nations, which are under strong pressure from the Israeli government, preventing all the United Nations organizations to do their work,” Borrell said.
07:17 GMT — UN demands 'immediate' end to Israel's incursion in West Bank
Israel must "immediately" end its large-scale military offensive in the occupied West Bank, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, after 11 Palestinians were killed and several injured.
Guterres strongly condemned "the loss of lives, including of children," and called for "an immediate cessation of these operations."
The secretary-general "calls on Israel to comply with its relevant obligations under international humanitarian law and to take measures to protect civilians and ensure their safety.
05:53 GMT — Israel kills 5 Hamas fighters inside mosque
The Israeli military has said its troops killed five fighters from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas inside a mosque in Tulkarm, in the occupied West Bank.
05:09 GMT — 20 Israeli soldiers refuse to return to Gaza, face trial
Twenty Israeli soldiers from an infantry brigade have refused to return to combat in Gaza, and some have been informed that they will face a military trial if they do not comply, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.
The agency noted that around 10 soldiers received notifications on Tuesday indicating that they would face trial for disobeying military orders if they did not agree to return to Gaza.
Some soldiers have indicated that after 10 months of fighting in Gaza, they are no longer able to return but are willing to take on other duties.
04:12 GMT — Houthis agree to temporary truce to secure stranded oil tanker
Yemen's Houthis have agreed to a temporary truce to allow for an oil tanker targeted by them — now at risk of causing an oil spill — to be secured, Iran's mission to the UN said.
The Greek-owned Sounion was hit by the Houthis off the coast of Hudaida last week, sparking fires and the evacuation of its crew.
Houthis say they will continue to strike Israel-owned or Israel-bound ships around Yemeni waters in solidarity with Palestinians of besieged Gaza.
03:30 GMT — Israeli opposition parties agree to oust Netanyahu amid Gaza war
Chairman of the Democrats Yair Golan has called on leaders of opposition parties to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Golan said in a recorded message posted on his X account, "Today, I reached out to all my friends in the opposition with a clear call: let's embark on a shared path."
He added, "Israel is in an extraordinary state of emergency and is collapsing politically, security-wise, economically, socially, and constitutionally.
02:30 GMT — Houthis agree to temporary truce to secure stranded oil tanker
Yemen's Houthis have agreed to a temporary truce to allow for an oil tanker targeted by them — now at risk of causing an oil spill — to be secured, Iran's mission to the UN said.
The Greek-owned Sounion was hit by the Houthis off the coast of Hudaida last week, sparking fires and the evacuation of its crew.
Houthis say they will continue to strike Israel-owned or Israel-bound ships around Yemeni waters in solidarity with Palestinians of besieged Gaza.
"Several countries have reached out to ask Ansarullah, requesting a temporary truce for the entry of tugboats and rescue ships into the incident area," citing the fires and "subsequent environmental hazards," Iran's mission said, using an alternate name for the Houthis.
"Ansarullah has consented to this request," it said, adding any "failure to provide aid and prevent an oil spill in the Red Sea stems from the negligence of certain countries" rather than the risk of being targeted by the Houthis.
For our live updates from Wednesday, August 28, 2024, click here.
