Live Updates: Netanyahu postpones Rafah invasion — Public broadcaster

Monday, April 15, 2024

05:33 GMT — 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.

More updates

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.