Live Updates: Israel kills 68 more Palestinians, Gaza death toll hits 33,797

Monday, April 15, 2024

10:03 GMT — Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed 68 more Palestinians, pushing up the death toll since last October to 33,797, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said, adding that 76,465 people have been wounded.

"The Israeli occupation (forces) committed seven massacres against families in Gaza, leaving 68 martyrs and 94 injured during the past 24 hours," a ministry statement said.

11:35 GMT — Aid to Gaza increased dramatically, US claims

Humanitarian aid getting into Gaza has increased by a large amount in the last few days, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby claims, adding the United States needs to see that aid sustained.

"The aid has increased and quite dramatically in just the last few days," Kirby said in an interview with MSNBC. "That's important but it has to be sustained."

10:24 GMT — Israeli army arrests more Palestinians in occupied West Bank raids

At least 25 Palestinians were detained in fresh Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

Most arrests took place in Tulkarm city, while others occurred in the cities of Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin, Tubas, and Nablus, the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

At least 8,240 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Oct. 7, the statement added.

10:22 GMT — Hamas leader Haniyeh's grandchild succumbs to injuries

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's granddaughter Malach Haniyeh has reportedly succumbed to injuries she received in an Israeli strike.

The Israeli strike took place last week in Gaza and killed Malach’s father and two of his brothers.

After battling for her life for a week, Malach has died, Israeli media reported on Monday, citing Palestinian sources.

08:57 GMT — Palestinian killed by Israeli army gunshot in West Bank

A Palestinian was killed, and two others were injured by Israeli army gunfire during its raid into the occupied northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its teams evacuated a fatality and two gunshot injuries during the Israeli occupation forces' raid into the city of Nablus.

The army raided several neighbourhoods in the western part of the city, leading to clashes with dozens of Palestinians, witnesses told Anadolu.

They noted that the army besieged a residential building in the Marej neighbourhood, with sounds of live fire being heard from the area.

05:33 GMT — Netanyahu postpones Rafah invasion — Public broadcaster

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to postpone the ground invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, following an unprecedented retaliatory attack by Iran on Israel, the country's public broadcaster reported.

Claiming it to be “the last stronghold of Hamas,” Netanyahu has insisted on invading Rafah, where around 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge from the incessant attacks.

Despite growing international outcry over the invasion plan, the prime minister last week said a date had been set for the offensive.

According to the public broadcaster, the postponement of the ground invasion came after consultations with the Israeli security apparatus.

The postponement comes after Iran launched around 300 missiles and drones towards Israel late Saturday evening. Tel Aviv claimed to have intercepted most of them.

05:14 GMT — Gaza sports academy says 3 children killed in Israeli bombing

Three Palestinian children who were players at Al Wahda Academy in Gaza were killed in Israeli raids on the city of Deir al Balah in central Gaza, the sports institution announced.

“We are torn over the martyrdom of players Sami Bilal Abu Issa and Muhammad Bilal Abu Issa from Al Wahda Academy,” it said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the academy said the child Adam Ramez Nabhan was killed in another Israeli bombing on Friday.

A medical source confirmed to Anadolu that players Sami Abu Issa, 4, and Muhammad Abu Issa, 6, who were brothers, were killed on Saturday in an Israeli bombing that targeted a residential house in the center of the city.

The source said that Nabhan, 6, was killed in another Israeli bombing on Friday.

05:00 GMT — Palestine urges world court to issue arrest warrants for illegal West Bank settlers

Palestine urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against illegal Israeli settlers committing crimes in the occupied West Bank and called for international intervention to compel Israel to halt settlement projects.

In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the court to swiftly issue arrest warrants for extremist settlers and their backers who commit crimes against Palestinians.

It also called on the international community to urgently intervene to force Israel to cease all settlement activities, dismantle armed settler organisations and militias, withdraw weapons, halt funding and punish those providing support and protection.''

For our live updates from Sunday, April 14, click here.