Live Updates: Hamas says open to any initiative that ends Israel's war in Gaza

Saturday, June 22, 2024

2253 GMT — Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, has reiterated his group's openness toward any initiative that ends the Israeli genocidal war in besieged Gaza that meets the demands of the Palestinian resistance.

Haniyeh made the statement in a seminar in Beirut that discussed scenarios of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza.

The Hamas leader said the group is open to deal with "any document or initiative that ensures the foundations of the resistance's position in the ceasefire negotiations."

He reiterated Hamas' demands for a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli army withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction, the provision of relief and a prisoner swap.

2325 GMT — Houthi group showcases footage of attack drone boat

The Yemeni Houthi group has announced that it has a new attack drone boat, Toufan 1, with footage showing a test on a maritime target.

It was revealed in a video broadcast by the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV channel.

The domestically-made Toufan 1 boat carries a 150-kilogramme warhead and features high speeds of up to 64 nautical Kilometres per hour, along with "high manoeuvrability and stealth capabilities," according to the video that was broadcast on the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV channel.

The boat is specialised to target nearby stationary and moving maritime targets. The video shows the boat rapidly approaching a maritime target before destroying it.

2324 GMT — Hamas rejects Netanyahu's claims about civilian death ratio to fighters

Hamas has rejected a claim about the ratio of civilian deaths to fighters in besieged Gaza made by warmonger Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stressing it a "lie and a contempt for global public opinion."

The Palestinian resistance group said Netanyahu seeks to "cover up the enormity of what his army committed of unprecedented war crimes and genocide in our contemporary history" with his statement.

It added that daily reports by the Gaza Health Ministry and other rights groups "confirm that the vast majority of victims in the Gaza Strip are civilians, particularly children and women, who have perished in the brutal and indiscriminate bombardment" by the Israeli army.

In an interview with the Punchbowl news portal from the US, Netanyahu said, "The ratio of civilians to combatant casualties in Gaza is roughly one to one," and claimed it "is the lowest in modern urban warfare."

2030 GMT — Israeli troops abduct 19 Palestinians, including Hajj returnees

Israeli occupation forces have abducted 19 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank during pre-dawn incursions, official Palestinian news agency WAFA said, citing sources.

The Israeli forces abducted two Palestinians at the border with Jordan who were on their way back from Hajj, WAFA reported. Other abductions took place in Tulkarm, Nablus, Yatma, and Ramallah.

These abductions are done under no legal status, without the need of a search warrant and can be carried out whenever and wherever the Israeli military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.

More than 9,500 Palestinians have been abducted and jailed by Israeli military since October last year, compared to 116 Israelis currently held in Gaza by Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups.

1930 GMT — 76% of Gaza schools require reconstruction, rehabilitation: UNRWA

Over three-quarters of schools in besieged Gaza need to be rebuilt or restored, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said.

"In Gaza, over 76 percent of schools need reconstructing or require major rehabilitation to be functional again," UNRWA quoted a statement by the Global Education Cluster as saying.

UNRWA added that despite the ongoing war on Gaza, its teams "continue to reach children with play and learning activities," stressing that "education is a fundamental human right" and reiterating the need for a ceasefire in the enclave.

1919 GMT — Arab countries welcome Armenia's recognition of Palestine

Several Arab nations have welcomed Armenia's decision to recognise Palestine as an independent country.

Qatar said the move by Armenia as "an important step to support the two-state solution and achieve peace and stability in the region."

Lebanon said that it reflects Armenia's "commitment to the international law and the principles of equality, sovereignty, and the right of peoples to self-determination."

Saudi Arabia hailed Armenia's decision as an "important step supporting the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Jordan described it as a "significant step reflecting Yerevan's adherence to international law and resolutions."

Kuwait praised the move as a "positive leap towards fulfilling relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, enabling the Palestinian people to exercise self-determination."

For our live updates from Thursday, June 20, 2024, click here.