Live Updates: Mass displacement in Gaza's Deir al Balah amid Israeli assault

Thursday, August 22, 2024

09:50 GMT - Mass displacement in Gaza's Deir al Balah amid Israeli assault

Thousands of people in Gaza are fleeing to different areas in the Mawasi area after Israeli forces issued fresh evacuation orders for Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.

“The continuous forced displacement of people is inhumane,” says MSF project coordinator Jacob Granger.

“People have no belongings left, nowhere left to go. There is no room to put tents up. The overcrowding, severe lack of water, and minimal sanitation services are fueling the spread of diseases. We are unable to keep up with the overwhelming needs.”

06:11 GMT — Israel kills at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza's Beit Lahiya

Israel has killed at least 11 people in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said.

Tel Aviv, which is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 92,000 others, since October last year.

Thousands have perished under the debris of bombed homes, while some 10,000 Palestinians have been abducted by Israeli troops.

05:30 GMT — Hamas, Islamic Jihad reaffirm truce deal conditions

The Palestinian group Hamas and Islamic Jihad movement have reaffirmed their conditions for any agreement with Israel, including an end to the Gaza carnage, a full Israeli withdrawal, reconstruction, ending the blockade and a serious prisoner exchange deal.

This was outlined in a statement released by Hamas following a meeting that included Mohamed Ismail Darwish, the head of Hamas' Shura Council, Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhala, and his deputy Mohamed Hindi, though the location of the meeting was not specified.

According to the statement, the two groups emphasised the need to ensure the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza regardless of the results of negotiations about ending the war.

04:53 GMT — USS Abraham Lincoln strike group arrives in Middle East

The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has arrived in the Middle East after a recent order from Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Block III fighters, entered the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility,” CENTCOM said on X.

"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, is accompanied by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9," it added.

04:23 GMT — Ilhan Omar blasts Blinken's 'humiliation' after his failed MidEast trip

Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar has blasted the "humiliation" US Secretary of State Antony Blinken endured during his recent trip to Israel, where he failed to secure a breakthrough for a Gaza ceasefire deal.

"Now ask yourselves, how does our Secretary of State travel 11 times begging for an end to a situation that we truly have continued to provide the bombs and the weapons that are creating that situation," the Minnesota representative told the "Uncommitted" movement's press conference in Chicago, Illinois, where thousands of delegates gathered for the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

"How do we allow our Secretary of State to go into Israel and say we are close to securing a ceasefire now for the 11th time, to leave for Egypt, only for Bibi Netanyahu to have a press conference right after him and say we are not taking a deal?" she said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

04:00 GMT — Biden calls stubborn Netanyahu as Blinken fails on Gaza truce

US President Joe Biden has called hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Gaza ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas stumble, the White House said.

The pair, joined by Vice President and White House hopeful Kamala Harris, discussed "the ceasefire and hostage release deal and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions," the White House said in a brief statement.

The call came after Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his Middle East trip, failing to convince Netanyahu to soften his demand that Tel Aviv be allowed to keep occupation troops along a land corridor between Egypt and Gaza — a stipulation Hamas and Cairo both oppose.

03:21 GMT — Gaza's cemeteries overflow as Israeli carnage grinds on

The Israel's ongoing carnage in besieged Gaza is leaving no space in cemeteries for families to bury their loved ones.

Palestinians in Gaza are struggling to find vacant plots at cemeteries for family members killed in the carnage, especially in the central region of the besieged enclave.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Saad Hassan Barakat, a worker at a cemetery in Gaza City, said he has spent much of his life working in cemeteries but has never encountered such a dire situation.

03:00 GMT — Egypt signals scepticism over truce after Netanyahu's sabotage

Key mediator Egypt has expressed scepticism about the US proposal meant to "bridge gaps" in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas as more details emerged a day before negotiations were expected to resume in Cairo.

Officials in Egypt, in its unique role as both a mediator and affected party since it borders Gaza, told The Associated Press that Hamas won't agree to the bridging proposal for a number of reasons — ones in addition to the long-held wariness over whether a deal would truly remove Israeli occupation forces from Gaza and end the carnage.

One Egyptian official with direct knowledge of the negotiations said the so-called "bridging proposal" requires the implementation of the deal's first phase, which has Hamas releasing the most vulnerable civilian hostages.

02:29 GMT — Delta and American Airlines extend suspension of flights to Israel

Delta Air Lines has said it will extend its suspension of flights to Israel by another month, through October 31, as Israel doesn't show sign of ending its carnage in Gaza.

"Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports," the airline said in a travel advisory.

02:00 GMT — Israel killed at least 1 Palestinian every day in August in West Bank

The UN has reported that Israel has killed at least one Palestinian every day in August, on average, in the occupied West Bank.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' (OCHA) latest report, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: "More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October.

The vast majority were killed by Israeli forces, with at least 11 fatalities caused by Israeli settlers."

For our live updates from Wednesday, August 21, 2024, click here.