Live Updates: China slams Israel for killing 100 Palestinians in Gaza school

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

04:53 GMT — China slams Israel for killing 100 Palestinians in Gaza school

China has condemned the Israeli military's recent attack on a school sheltering displaced people in besieged Gaza that killed at least 100 Palestinians.

Beijing denounces any actions that harm civilians, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said in a statement.

Lin said that Beijing opposes any actions that violate international humanitarian law.

He urged Israel to immediately stop its attacks on Gaza, to do everything possible to protect civilians there and to prevent further escalation in the region.

04:20 GMT — Putin to discuss Middle East situation with Abbas

Russia's President Vladimir Putin will discuss the situation in the Middle East with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow on Tuesday, the Kremlin said.

"It is expected that an exchange of views will be held on the situation in the Middle East in light of the current aggravation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip," the Kremlin said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

Abbas is in Moscow on a long-expected visit until Wednesday and is to travel to Türkiye for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan afterwards.

03:50 GMT — Israel gave 84% of Gaza Palestinians evacuation ultimatum: UN

The UN has highlighted the extensive nature of the Israeli military's expulsions in besieged Gaza, saying they cover nearly 84 percent of the enclave.

Citing the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters during a news conference that Israel's "ongoing bombardment and hostilities in Gaza continue to kill, injure and displace Palestinians – as well as damage and destroy the homes and infrastructure they rely on."

He said, "Two evacuation orders were issued by the Israeli military over the weekend for Khan Younis, mostly for areas that were previously placed under evacuation."

03:15 GMT — Finnish politician criticises government's inaction on Gaza

Nasima Razmyar, vice-chair of Finland's Social Democratic Party (SDP) and a member of parliament, has sharply criticised the Nordic country's handling of Israel's carnage in Gaza, accusing Helsinki of empty rhetoric without meaningful action, local media reported.

Razmyar expressed deep frustration over the atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians and the international community's indifference.

"The endless toll of the Gaza war is difficult to put into words. We become desensitised to the constant headlines, which only breeds cynicism. The human suffering, the famine, the ashes of bombed cities—these are hard to describe because they have been ever-present throughout the war," she was quoted as saying by the national daily online newspaper, the Helsinki Times.

02:30 GMT — Hamas says Gallant's admission that Netanyahu is hindering deal with Palestinians confirms his 'lies'

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant's admission that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the one who is creating obstacles to reaching a ceasefire in Gaza confirms his "lies and intransigence," the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said.

In a statement, Hamas political bureau member Izzat al-Rishq said what Gallant said "confirms what we have always said: that Netanyahu is lying to the world and the families of the (Israeli) prisoners (in Gaza)."

He added that Netanyahu "does not want to reach an agreement and that all he cares about is the continuation and expansion of the war."

For our live updates from Sunday, August 12, 2024, click here.