Live Updates: Hezbollah, Israel trade cross-border fire amid growing tensions

Thursday, February 29, 2024

11:33 GMT — Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged cross-border fire amid growing tensions between the two sides.

In a statement, Hezbollah said its forces targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at Jal al Alam site with artillery shells, resulting in direct hits.

Israeli artillery shelling, meanwhile, targeted the outskirts of Naqoura city in southern Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency reported. Israeli forces also opened artillery fire towards the town of Ayta ash Shab in southern Lebanon.

There have been no reports yet of casualties or damage.

12:40 GMT — Israeli plan to build artificial island an attempt to legitimise occupation

The idea of constructing an island in the Mediterranean for the settlement of Palestinians by Israel is said to legitimise the occupation plan implemented by Israel after October 7, 2023.

Jeff Halper, the Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and Prof Dr Neve Gordon, Queen Mary University of London Law School, evaluated Israel's occupation policy to Anadolu.

Halper told Anadolu that the Israeli attacks starting on October 7, 2023, are steps towards a permanent occupation, and redirecting civilians to different places under the guise of a safe zone is part of the preparations for building a geography where "there is no Palestine and no Palestinians."

12:22 GMT — Civilians in Gaza engulfed by 'destruction, desperation, despair'

An official of the Norwegian Refugee Council described the worsening situation and suffering in Gaza following his visit to the besieged enclave this week.

"What I have witnessed in Gaza this week is a civilian population engulfed by destruction, desperation and despair. Famine is a growing threat here, as millions of trapped people face a nightmare of violence and starvation," Jan Egeland, secretary general of the humanitarian organisation, said in a statement.

"The children of Gaza are visibly malnourished, reduced to searching the streets for food and assistance. It is unimaginable that an entire population is left to starve while vast amounts of supplies sit waiting just a few miles away across the border."

12:02 GMT — 'Humanity is lost in Palestine': Bangladeshi minister

Despite the contradiction of narratives of Israel's war on Gaza, there is only one truth: "Humanity in Palestine is lost," said Bangladeshi minister of state for information and broadcasting.

"There cannot be two different kinds of truth. There is only one, and it is very clear. That is, humanity was defeated in Palestine," Mohammad Arafat told Anadolu in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul.

Noting that babies are being killed beyond religion, ethnicity and country, he said there is "no respect for humanity there." Despite the disinformation efforts, the whole world knows the truth, he said, urging countries to fight against Israel's "lies, fake news and misinformation."

11:42 GMT — Israel arrests 20 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

The Israeli army rounded up 20 more Palestinians in fresh military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

"The arrests were marked by acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens' homes, in addition to severe beatings against detainees and their families, and confiscation of money," the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

The new arrests brought the number of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, to 7,325.

10:25 GMT — Under current circumstances 'we can't discontinue our funding' to UNRWA: Norway's envoy to UN in Geneva

Norway's ambassador to the UN in Geneva stressed that states "cannot discontinue" their funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA under the current circumstances.

Tormod Endresen's remarks came during his speech at the Interactive Dialogue on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory under the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"UNRWA represents a lifeline for millions of Palestinians. While there must be accountability for any misconduct by the UNRWA staff, we cannot, under current circumstances, discontinue our funding," he stressed.

He added: "We urge all countries that suspended their funding to adhere to their commitments."

10:16 GMT — Death toll in Israel's Gaza war hits 30,035

At least 30,035 Palestinians have been killed and 70,457 others injured in Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra said at least 81 people were killed and 132 others injured in Israeli attacks in the war-battered enclave since Wednesday.

According to the spokesman, children, women, and elderly people accounted for the majority of the victims in Gaza, with many of the victims still trapped under the rubble.

09:40 GMT — More bodies are arriving at Kamal Adwan hospital: official

Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital has received the bodies of 10 dead people and dozens of wounded Palestinians from western Gaza City, the head of the hospital Hussam Abu Safieyah told reporters.

"We don't know how many are there in other hospitals," he added.

Gaza's Government Media office said Israeli military strikes killed 70 Palestinians and wounded 250 others as crowds waited for aid trucks in Gaza City.

09:34 GMT — Israeli forces raid Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank amid clashes

Israeli forces staged a military raid into the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank, according to witnesses.

Sounds of gunfire were heard amid clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the camp, eyewitnesses said.

09:31 GMT — Israeli attack on Rafah would violate ICJ orders — UN

The UN human rights chief Volker Turk has warned that the Israeli attack on Rafah would not be consistent with the World Court's binding provisional measures against Tel Aviv, calling on all states to do "everything within their power to avert such outcome."

"The prospect of an Israeli ground assault on Rafah would take the nightmare being inflicted on people in Gaza into a new dimension. Over 1.5 million people are sheltering in Rafah, despite continuing bombardment, and it has become Gaza's humanitarian aid hub," Turk said.

He warned that such ground assault would incur potentially "massive loss of life, additional risk of atrocity crimes, new displacement, to another unsafe location distribution, and sign a death warrant for any hope of effective humanitarian aid."

06:04 GMT — Over 30,000 Palestinians killed in Israel's Gaza war — ministry

The Health Ministry in Gaza has said that the number of people killed in the Palestinian territory in Israel's war in the enclave has surpassed 30,000.

"The number of martyrs exceeds 30,000," the ministry statement said.

It added that the toll includes at least 79 deaths reported overnight.

05:37 GMT — Last hospital in northern Gaza shut down due to Israeli blockade

The only functioning hospital in northern Gaza was forced to halt operations due to a fuel shortage, leaving residents devoid of essential health care services.

In a statement, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said Kamal Adwan Hospital has been shut down.

The statement highlighted a complete cessation of activity at the hospital due to a lack of fuel and the inability to operate generators.

04:52 GMT — Canada working for aid supply into Gaza

Canada is working to airdrop humanitarian aid to Gaza as soon as possible, Canadian International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen has said.

He said the provision of airdrops in partnership with like-minded countries in the region, such as Jordan, was on the table.

Hussen said last week that the provision of aid is nowhere near what’s needed and a tedious inspection process was slowing down the movement of supplies brought in by truck.

04:14 GMT — Israeli police warn curbing access to Al Aqsa Mosque in Ramadan may fuel tensions

Israeli police have warned that imposing restrictions on the entry of Palestinians to Al Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan could inflame tensions in occupied Jerusalem, local media reported.

Recently, extremist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for not allowing occupied West Bank residents to enter Islam's third holiest site during the Muslim fasting month while only permitting entry to Palestinian citizens of Israel aged 70 and above.

Israel's Channel 12 quoted unnamed senior police officials as saying that a decision on the matter will be made next weekend.

03:24 GMT — Israel kills 2 people in southern Lebanon strikes

Israel has killed two people and wounded 14 in air strikes in southern Lebanon, Lebanon's National News Agency said.

"Israeli warplanes carried out raids in three sorties on the towns of Seddiqine and Kafra, resulting in the deaths of two people from Kafra and 14 injuries," the agency reported.

03:00 GMT — After 30K deaths and starvation, US mulls aid airdrops into Gaza

US President Joe Biden's administration is considering airdropping aid into besieged Gaza as land deliveries become increasingly difficult, American news website Axios has reported, citing four US officials.

"The situation is really bad. We are unable to get enough aid [in] by truck so we need desperate measures like airdrops," one US official told Axios.

Very little humanitarian aid has entered besieged Gaza this month, with a 50 percent reduction compared to January, the head of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday.

02:50 GMT — US seeks Israeli assurance over US-supplied weapons

The State Department has confirmed a request to Israel to sign off on a letter provided by the Biden administration that includes a written assurance that it will use US-supplied weapons in compliance with international law.

The letter does not single out Israel and is instead the result of a February 8 memorandum signed by President Joe Biden that requires countries that receive US military assistance to give Washington "credible and reliable written assurances" that the arms will be used in compliance with "international human rights law and international humanitarian law."

"There is a process that we are engaged in with every country that receives military assistance from the United States to make sure they are aware of the requirements of the national security memorandum, make sure that they are aware of the timeline that is outlined in the national security memorandum," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

02:13 GMT — US Congress members demand full UNRWA funding

Forty-seven members of the US Congress have called for full funding of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to provide urgent humanitarian relief to besieged Gaza.

"For decades, UNRWA has played a unique and integral role in supporting the welfare and survival of Palestinians," Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said in a statement.

Jayapal said that humanitarian aid in the region is already severely restricted.

For our live updates from Wednesday, February 28, click here.