Live Updates: Israel kills 21 Palestinians in Gaza on 3rd day of Eid al Adha

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

01:19 GMT — Israel has killed at least 21 Palestinians in its air strikes on besieged Gaza during the third day of Eid al Adha holiday, according to medical sources.

Israeli warplanes struck three homes in the central city of Deir al Balah, killing 13 people and wounding several others, the sources said.

Israeli drone killed two more people when it struck a group of civilians in central Gaza, medics said.

Several people were also reported killed and wounded in an Israeli air strike on a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City.

An Israeli drone killed two others in Gaza City, while the Israeli army killed two others in its bombardment in al-Qarara east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Palestinian medical teams also recovered a Palestinian after Israeli shelling that targeted a group of civilians west of Rafah in southern Gaza. Another Palestinian was killed by the Israeli army fire east of Rafah.

01:30 GMT — US should withhold military supplies to Israel: Bernie Sanders

The US should be withholding military aid to Israel in its ongoing genocidal war in besieged Gaza, Senator Bernie Sanders has said.

"The United States should be withholding all offensive military aid to Israel and using our leverage to demand an end to this war, the unfettered flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, a stop to the killing of Palestinians in the [occupied] West Bank and initial steps towards a two-state solution," Sanders said in a statement.

His remarks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the US is withholding weapons from Israel.

00:47 GMT — 'No one wants to see a wider regional war' between Israel and Lebanon: US

The US has expressed concern over growing tensions between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group and warned against a wider regional conflict.

"When it comes to the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border, our focus is on working with partners in the region, to include Israel, obviously, to encourage a diplomatic resolution," Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder told reporters.

"So, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals or speculate on what might happen other than to say that no one wants to see a wider regional war," he added.

His remarks came right after the Israeli military said it had approved plans for an assault in Lebanon as tensions continue to rise with Hezbollah.

21:55 GMT — Colombia urges Israeli protesters to demand end to Gaza genocide

Colombia's president has urged Israelis to protest against their government and demand that it stop committing genocide against Palestinian children.

Following anti-government protests in Israel on Monday, Gustavo Petro launched fresh criticism against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid its carnage in besieged Gaza.

Petro welcomed the marches in Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem in which thousands of Israelis called for new elections and a ceasefire in Gaza as well as a deal for the release of hostages being held by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

"The people of Israel are beginning to respond. 150,000 Israelis in demonstration demand the removal of international prisoner Netanyahu," Petro wrote on his X account, referring to a request by International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan to issue arrest warrants for the Israeli premier and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant based on reasonable grounds to believe that they "bear criminal responsibility" for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

22:21 GMT — UN says it's unable to use new aide route in southern Gaza

The United Nations hasn't been able to deliver aid using a new route the Israeli military said it would secure inside southern Gaza, a UN spokesperson said, citing fighting and insecurity along the road.

"The lack of any police or rule of law in the area makes it very dangerous to move goods there," in addition to active combat, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

Desperate Palestinians along the route "have to be assured that there's going to be a regular flow of goods so that there's not a panic when we get to the area," he said.

22:02 GMT — US claims it destroyed nine Houthi drones in Yemen

The US military has claimed to have destroyed eight Houthi drones in Yemen and one over the Gulf of Aden in the past 24 hours.

US Central Command said on the social media site X that there were no injuries or damage reported to US, coalition or merchant vessels in the incident.

20:25 GMT — Israel kills one Palestinian, wounds three in occupied West Bank

Israel has killed one Palestinian and wounded three others in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestine's Health Ministry and Red Crescent Society.

A statement by the ministry said a 39-year-old man was killed by Israeli fire south of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank.

Israeli forces wounded two others in clashes east of Nablus, as well as a third north of Tulkarm, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

19:33 GMT — Houthis believed to have sunk second ship in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthis are believed to have sunk a second ship, the Tutor, in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

The Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier was struck by missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat on June 12 and had been taking on water, according to previous reports from UKMTO, the Houthis and other sources.

"Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the (Tutor's) last reported location," UKMTO said in a security update.

For our live updates from Tuesday, June 18, 2024, click here