Live Updates: Israeli strikes kill 190 more Palestinians in Gaza in 24 hours

Monday, January 22, 2024

11:30 GMT - Israeli strikes kill 190 more Palestinians in Gaza in 24 hours

At least 190 people have been killed and 340 others injured in Gaza in the last 24 hours, bringing the total Palestinian death toll from Israel's deadly assault on the besieged enclave since October 7 to 25,295, the Health Ministry in the territory said.

A ministry statement said 63,000 others have been injured in the offensive during the same period.

"Many people are still trapped under rubble as rescuers are unable to reach them," it added.

10:50 GMT - Hezbollah reports one more militant killed in clashes with Israeli army

One of Lebanon's Hezbollah militants has been killed in the ongoing border clashes with the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, bringing the group's death toll to 165 since October 8.

The fighter was identified as Samah Asaad Asaad (Abu Tarab) from the town of Kfarkela in southern Lebanon.

Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah said that it had repelled an attack by Israeli forces off the southern border. There was no comment yet from Israel on the developments.

10:18 GMT - Germany calls for 'urgent humanitarian pauses' in Gaza

Germany has called for "urgent humanitarian pauses" in Gaza to allow unhindered humanitarian access for the Palestinian people.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reiterated her government's strong support for Israel's war on Gaza but also said they expect measures to be taken to minimise the suffering of Palestinian civilians.

"We urgently need humanitarian pauses to alleviate the situation in Gaza, to alleviate the incredible suffering, especially for children. We also need humanitarian pauses in Gaza to finally free the hostages still held by Hamas," she told reporters in Brussels, ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

09:25 GMT - EU presses Israel on two-state solution after war in Gaza

The EU's foreign policy chief has insisted on a two-state solution as he told Israel it couldn't build peace "only by military means" ahead of talks with Israeli and Palestinian top diplomats.

"Which are the other solutions they have in mind? To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill off them?" Josep Borrell told journalists.

09:00 GMT - Lost contact with teams in Khan Younis: Palestinian Red Crescent

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said that it has lost contact with its teams in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, due to the ground invasion by Israeli forces in the area.

"Israeli tanks near PRCS Al Amal Hospital, and we have completely lost contact with our teams due to the ground invasion," it said on X.

08:10 GMT - Saudi Arabia won't recognise Israel without path to Palestinian state: top diplomat

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says the kingdom will not normalise relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza's reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan's remarks in an interview with CNN broadcast were some of the most direct yet from Saudi officials. It puts them at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected Palestinian statehood and described plans for open-ended occupation over Gaza.

The dispute over Gaza’s future — coming as the war still rages with no end in sight — pits the United States and its Arab allies against Israel and poses a major obstacle to any plans for postwar governance or reconstruction in Gaza.

07:45 GMT - EU foreign ministers to meet Israeli, Palestinian counterparts

EU foreign ministers held separate talks with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts on the prospects for lasting peace after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a future two-state solution.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell risked incurring Israel's wrath by accusing it earlier of having "created" and "financed" Hamas to undermine the prospect of a possible Palestinian state.

Borrell insisted the only way to get an enduring peace in the region was for a two-state solution to "be imposed from outside."

05:30 GMT - Hamas says it avoided civilians in its October 7 attacks

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas published a 16-page report highlighting the motives behind its October 7 cross-border attack on Israel and its connection to the Palestinian cause while also countering Israeli allegations.

The report, titled "Our Narrative…Operation Al Aqsa Flood” and aimed at refuting Israel's claims, said Operation Al Aqsa Flood was a necessary step and a natural reaction against Israel's plans to eliminate the Palestinian cause, seize lands, Judaize the Palestinian lands, and establish complete control over Al Aqsa Mosque and holy sites.

During the operation, "some faults" may have arisen in its implementation due to the swift breakdown of the Israeli security and military system, leading to chaos along the border areas with Gaza, the report noted.

04:50 GMT - EU foreign ministers to meet Israeli, Palestinian counterparts

EU foreign ministers hold separate talks Monday with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts on the prospects for lasting peace after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a future two-state solution.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell risked incurring Israel's wrath by accusing it earlier of having "created" and "financed" Hamas to undermine the prospect of a possible Palestinian state.

Borrell insisted the only way to get an enduring peace in the region was for a two-state solution to "be imposed from outside".

04:13 GMT - Lebanon's Hezbollah targets Israeli soldiers who were ‘planning attack’

The Lebanese group Hezbollah said they targeted Israeli soldiers with missiles as they prepared for an attack on Lebanon.

According to a Hezbollah statement, the soldiers were preparing for an attack on Lebanese territory from an Israeli military post when they were targeted with missiles near its southern border region.

The attack reportedly resulted in a precise hit, causing casualties and injuries on the Israeli side.

03:30 GMT - US exploits events in Red Sea to fabricate international crisis: Houthis

The US exploits events in the Red Sea to fabricate an international crisis and blame the Houthis for its consequences, the official spokesman for the Yemen-based group said.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam said on X that there are “American attempts to mislead public opinion about what is happening in the Red Sea.”

“In the face of these attempts, we reiterate our confirmation that the target (of the group's operations) is Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine,” he said.

For our live updates from Sunday, January 21, click here.