Live Updates: Israeli aggression in Gaza signals failure of army — Hamas

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

07:00 GMT — The Palestinian group Hamas said that the "Zionist madness" directed against Palestinian civilians in Gaza reflects the failure of the Israeli army in the face of the resistance.

"The Zionist madness against civilians signals the complete failure of the occupation army in front of the resistance and a re flection of Zionist terror from larger developments,'' Hamas leader Izzat al Rishq said in a statement on Telegram.

He highlighted "the Nazism of the occupation army, as revealed in some images at the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, where the worst massacre in the world against the health sector was committed.''

06:44 GMT — US conducts humanitarian airdrops into Gaza

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted another round of airdrops of humanitarian assistance into northern Gaza to provide relief to civilians affected by the ongoing war.

"The joint operation included two C-130 U.S. Air Force aircraft, and US Army Soldiers specialised in aerial delivery of US humanitarian assistance supplies," CENTCOM said on X.

The planes dropped over 25,300 US meal equivalents into northern Gaza, it added.

06:20 GMT — US should not lose sight of Gaza disaster: Senator

Independent US Sen. Bernie Sanders warned Tuesday that the US should not forget the disaster in Gaza as tensions continue to simmer between Israel and Iran.

"While we pay attention to this developing Israeli-Iran crisis, I hope very much that we will not lose sight of the unprecedented humanitarian disaster now taking place in Gaza. We must not lose sight of that disaster," Sanders said on the Senate floor.

Stressing that what is happening in Gaza is "horrendous," he said: "It is inhumane and it is in gross violation of American and international law."

06:01 GMT — Protesters in Croatia call on Germany to stop backing Israel's Gaza war

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Croatia gathered in front of the German Embassy in the capital Zagreb and demanded that Germany stop supporting Israel’s war in Gaza.

Participants of the demonstration, which was organised by the Free Palestine Initiative, came to the embassy with their hands painted red and unfurled a banner that s aid "Germany, stop supporting genocide.”

The demonstrators also reacted to Germany's termination of the Palestine Congress in the capital Berlin last week, which was attended by academics and activists.

05:33 GMT — Israel kills dozens of Palestinians in new Gaza strikes

Israel has killed at least 28 Palestinians, including many children, in fresh strikes on the different parts of besieged Gaza, witnesses told TRT World and local media reported.

Israeli war planes killed eight people in the Tuffah neighbourhood after striking a police vehicle. Israeli bombardment on the al-Maghazi camp in Gaza's Deir al-Balah neighbourhood killed 13 Palestinians.

Israel killed seven Palestinians in an air strike on a family in Yabna camp in Rafah city. A number of people were left wounded in these strikes.

05:20 GMT — US to query Israel about 6-year-old's killing

The US State Department will ask Israel for more information about the January killing of 6-year-old Palestinian Hind Rajab in besieged Gaza, spokesperson Matthew Miller said, calling for a full investigation into the matter after a Washington Post report cast doubt on Israel's earlier explanation.

The terrified girl trapped in a car in Gaza with her dead family had begged for help in a phone call to rescuers, in which gunfire could be heard as she described Israeli forces drawing near.

Relatives found her body 12 days later, along with those of her aunt, uncle and their three children, in their car near an ambulance and two dead ambulance workers who had tried to save her.

05:00 GMT — UN committee unable to agree on Palestine's bid for full membership

A United Nations Security Council [UNSC] committee considering an application by Palestine to become a full UN member "was unable to make a unanimous recommendation" on whether it met the criteria, according to the committee report seen by the Reuters news agency.

Palestine is still expected to push the 15-member Security Council to vote — as early as this week — on a draft resolution recommending it become a full member of the world body, diplomats said.

Such membership would effectively recognise a Palestinian state.

For our live updates from Tuesday, April 15, click here.