Live Updates: Hamas demands Biden Gaza truce plan as Israel hits 'safe zone'

Monday, August 12, 2024

0400 GMT — 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.

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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.