Live Updates: Israel holding up humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza — Egypt

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

04:20 GMT — The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza is open 24/7, but the procedures by Israel to allow the entry of aid are obstructing the process, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi said.

"This is part of how they exert pressure on the issue of releasing the hostages", he added.

04:07 GMT — Israeli minister renews call for striking Gaza with ‘nuclear bomb’

Israel’s far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu renewed his call for striking Gaza with a "nuclear bomb."

"Even in The Hague, they know my position," The Times of Israel newspaper quoted Eliyahu as saying during a tour in the West Bank city of Hebron, in reference to his previous call for using nuclear weapons in Gaza.

In November, Eliyahu said dropping a "nuclear bomb" on Gaza is "an option." The hardline minister, who has extremist rhetoric against Palestinians, also called for encouraging Gaza’s population to migrate from the enclave.

03:40 GMT — Israeli army detains 35 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

The Israeli forces rounded up 35 more Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

The detentions took place in several areas in the occupied territory, including Tulkarm, Nablus, Salfit, Jenin, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Hebron, and Jericho, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

The figure includes those picked from homes, detained at military checkpoints, and forced to surrender, the statement said.

03:22 GMT — No progress in ceasefire in Gaza, prisoners swap with Hamas: Israeli official

No progress has been made in indirect talks with Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza or a prisoners swap deal, an Israeli official said.

"In the meantime, there is no breakthrough in the negotiations with Hamas," Israeli public broadcaster KAN quoted an Israeli official as saying without mentioning his name.

The official added that the resistance group is not flexible and is escalating its demands but noted that talks are ongoing.

03:10 GMT — Palestinian death toll reaches 25,700 amid Israel's bombardment

At least 25,700 Palestinians have been killed and 63,740 injured in Israeli bombardment and invasion of Gaza since October 7, the Gaza health ministry has said in a statement.

Some 210 were killed and 386 were injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

02:15 GMT — Israel kills 125 Palestinians in overnight strikes in Gaza

Heavy Israeli bombardment of Gaza overnight killed at least 125 people, the health ministry has said, against the backdrop of talks in Cairo aimed at reaching a truce.

As the fighting raged, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said Israeli forces had issued fresh evacuation orders for a section of Khan Younis housing an estimated half a million residents and displaced people.

The orders came as the World Food Programme warned Gaza residents were facing "catastrophic food insecurity", and as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took Israel to task over its rejection of a two-state solution — seen by ally the United States as the only path to a durable peace.

02:13 GMT — South Africa expects ICJ judgment on Gaza on Friday: local media

South Africa expects the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule this Friday on whether it will grant emergency measures to stop Israel's war in Gaza, South African news website News24 reported, citing two sources close to the matter. A spokesperson for South Africa's justice ministry told Reuters "no communique yet".

In the initial ruling, the ICJ will not deal with the main question of whether Israel is committing genocide.

The court will just look at possible emergency measures, meant as a kind of restraining order while the court looks at the full case, which usually takes years.

12:20 GMT — Israel troops demolish Palestinian home in occupied West Bank

Israeli troops have blown up the home of a Palestinian accused of assisting in the killing of four Israelis near a settlement in the occupied West Bank in June, witnesses say.

Basil Shehadeh was arrested on suspicion of helping two other Palestinians carry out the deadly shooting at a petrol station near Eli settlement in the northern occupied West Bank.

Troops stormed the village of Orif overnight and surrounded Basil Shehadeh's house, witnesses said.

"The family were evacuated from the three-storey building, then the second floor of the building was blown up," village council secretary Adel al Amer said.

The Israeli military confirmed it had demolished Basil's house overnight.

12:12 GMT — Qatar delays LNG Shipments to Europe amid Red Sea conflict: report

Qatar, one of the world's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters, is delaying some shipments to Europe as conflict in the Red Sea forces longer travel times, Bloomberg News has reported.

Qatar informed some European buyers of delays and rescheduled shipments, the report said, citing traders with knowledge of the matter.

According to the report, the traders said that Qatar is reshuffling global supply to meet contractual obligations, diverting deliveries from elsewhere and swapping for available cargoes near Europe.

As per the report, Qatar has diverted at least six shipments destined for Europe around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa since January 15, instead of the shorter route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

11:40 GMT — Israeli shelling kills three Palestinians outside Red Crescent HQ

Three displaced Palestinians have been killed in Israeli shelling in front of the Red Crescent headquarters in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, the humanitarian organisation has said.

"Three displaced individuals were killed and two others were injured due to the occupation's targeting in front of the northern gate of the PRCS headquarters in Khan Younis," the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement on X.

Areas around the main hospitals in Khan Younis, crowded with thousands of displaced Palestinians, have been experiencing heavy Israeli bombardment and shelling since Monday.

11:30 GMT — 'Enough is enough', Slovenia slams Israeli attacks on Gaza

Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon has called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have continued for over 100 days, saying "enough is enough."

Fajon highlighted the need for an immediate ceasefire and a political solution to address the ongoing conflict in an interview with Anadolu Agency, saying the hostilities must stop "because there is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance."

Fajon said, "We see day to day a worsening of the humanitarian situation, a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of children and women (were) killed, and we have to stop it. Enough is enough."

She stated, "We have to be serious about the two-state solution," adding it would be the only guarantee for the safety of Israelis and Palestinians.

11:43 GMT — UK's Cameron to urge regional leaders for ‘sustainable ceasefire in Gaza’

UK's Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit the Middle East and Türkiye to “urge regional leaders to work with the UK to achieve a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza,” an official statement has said.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office statement said Cameron, who is travelling to the region for the third time in the last two months, will seek support for the release of hostages and to “reach a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.”

“The Foreign Secretary travels to the Middle East and Türkiye this week where he will urge regional leaders to work with the UK to achieve a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, so that Israelis and Palestinians can build a peaceful future together,” it said.

“No one wants to see this conflict go on a moment longer than necessary. An immediate pause is now necessary to get aid in and hostages out. The situation is desperate,” Cameron said ahead of his trip to the region.

05:14 GMT - Iran accuses US of supporting Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that Israel "does not observe any red line in the genocide" against Palestine.

"We have all gathered today in the (UN) Security Council in a situation where the occupying and apartheid regime of Israel does not observe any red line in the genocide against Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank," Amir-Abdollahian told a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

The US, as the "practical supporter" of Israel, has prevented the Council from establishing a cease-fire in Gaza.

Despite the US repeatedly expressing its "grave concern" over this spillover of tension in the region, he said, it continues its full support for Israel and even violates the sovereignty of Yemen and expands the scope of the conflict.

"The United States must bear the responsibility for its consequences,” he said.

05:00 GMT - Israel kills dozens in new Gaza strikes — Palestine

Israeli air strikes have killed dozens of civilians and wounded others in different areas of besieged Gaza, particularly Khan Younis in the south, Palestinian WAFA news agency reported.

At least seven civilians, mostly women, were killed, and others were wounded after Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the Jabalia area, north of Gaza, the state-run news agency said.

Israeli air strikes also shelled a house belonging to the Zaml family, resulting in the killing of seven people, including five females, WAFA reported.

04:30 GMT - US says it struck two Houthi anti-ship missiles in Yemen

The US military has carried out more strikes in Yemen, destroying two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed at the Red Sea and were preparing to launch, the US military claimed in a statement.

The US strikes, which took place at roughly 2:30 am [2330 GMT], are the latest against the Iran-allied group over its targeting of Red Sea shipping, and followed a larger round of strikes a day earlier.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have said their attacks on Israel-linked ships are in solidarity with besieged Palestinians as Israel pummels Gaza. The attacks have disrupted global shipping and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel's war on Gaza could destabilise the Middle East.

03:45 GMT - Israel's war on Gaza won't lead to peace or submission: Türkiye

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has slammed the international community for not stopping the war on besieged Gaza and voiced concern about the spillover effect of the war to the region.

"One hundred and nine days into the conflict, it is a shame that the international community is still unable to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and the West Bank. Gaza used to be an open prison. Now, it is a battleground where the Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] runs military operations for killing civilians to extend his political life," Fidan told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

"The argument that the current war is about providing security for Israel is far from being convincing. Yet, the proponents of this argument never talk about the security of the Palestinians nor Palestine's right to self-defence," said Fidan.

Stressing that Israel "commits serious war crimes," Fidan said those responsible must be held accountable to restore faith in international law and the rules-based order. Fidan stressed the need to avoid the geographical escalation of the war.

"Türkiye consistently warned about the risks of spill-over. Now, today, that risk has become a reality. Recent incidents in the Red Sea, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Pakistan are very, very alarming. This escalation has the potential to turn into a geostrategic vortex, from which no one can easily escape," he said.

The minister urged Israel and its supporters to seek a diplomatic solution while it is still achievable. "The ongoing war in Gaza and beyond cannot lead to peace nor to submission. We have a historical responsibility to stop this war," said Fidan.

"The future of Gaza is up to the Palestinians and Palestinians only. The only 'day-after' question that needs our attention is how we will be able to safeguard a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution on 1967 borders," he said.

03:00 GMT - UNSC member states continue to press for ceasefire

UN Security Council member states have continued to call for a ceasefire in besieged Gaza at a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Israel-Palestine conflict rooted in Israel's decades-old occupation of Palestinian lands.

Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, Mozambique, Indonesia, and China all called for a ceasefire during the meeting.

Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi said, "The clock is ticking" and "Stop the massacre". Saudi Arabia's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Waleed El Khereiji, said the priority was to alleviate the suffering and bring an end to the crisis in Palestine.

02:40 GMT - Gaza protesters repeatedly interrupt Biden abortion speech

Protesters chanting slogans against Israel's brutal war in besieged Gaza have repeatedly interrupted US President Joe Biden during an election campaign event to promote abortion rights.

Demonstrators held up a Palestinian flag and shouted around eight times during the speech in Manassas, Virginia, where Biden addressed an audience gathered to show their support in the next presidential elections.

02:20 GMT - France says 'full international community must be mobilised to rebuild Gaza'

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne has urged the international community to come together and contribute to the reconstruction of besieged Gaza.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza, Sejourne described the situation in the Palestinian enclave as "tragic" and said "the full international community must be mobilised to rebuild Gaza."

"In light of what has been played out between Israelis and Palestinians, there are two options for this council," he said, citing those who choose division and those who choose to invade their neighbour, such as Ukraine, in the Middle East, and seek division rather than unity.

02:00 GMT - One-month Gaza truce focus of intensive talks — Reuters

Israel and Palestinian resistance group Hamas broadly agree in principle that an exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners could take place during a month-long ceasefire, but the framework plan is being held up by the two sides' differences over how to bring a permanent end to the Gaza war, three sources told Reuters news agency.

Intense mediation efforts led by Qatar and Egypt in recent weeks have focused on a phased approach to release different categories of Israeli hostages — starting with civilians and ending with soldiers — in return for a break in hostilities, the release of Palestinian prisoners and more aid to Gaza.

The latest round of shuttle diplomacy started on December 28 and has narrowed disagreements about the length of an initial ceasefire to around 30 days, after Hamas had first proposed a pause of several months, said one of the sources, an official briefed on the negotiations.

For our live updates from Monday, January 23, click here.