Live Updates: Patients of destroyed al-Shifa will die if not evacuated — WHO

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

15:16 GMT — The destruction of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza will require more medical evacuations and ultimately cause more deaths if these are not carried out swiftly, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

"The people who need medical evacuation will increase, and medical evacuation is already slow," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"People will die because they will not get the services either from Shifa or because of slow evacuation, because they cannot be evacuated."

15:29 GMT — Canada wants full probe into killing of aid workers in Gaza

Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has called for a full investigation into the killing of aid workers in Gaza, amongst whom was a Canadian citizen, by an Israeli air strike.

Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, she said Israel needed to respect international law. Seven aid workers died in the attack on Monday, including 33-year-old dual US-Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger.

In Toronto, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said officials had spoken to Israeli ambassador Iddo Moed to express "our dismay at the unacceptable deaths of a Canadian-American aid worker along with others ... the world needs very clear answers as to how this happened".

15:16 GMT — Israeli strike on aid workers should not affect ceasefire talks: US

The United States does not expect the Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza to affect talks on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the White House has said.

"The ceasefire and hostage negotiations are ongoing," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters in a briefing. "I wouldn't anticipate any particular impact on those discussions as a result of the strike yesterday."

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he was outraged and heartbroken by the Israeli strike in which the food aid workers were killed.

14:59 GMT — Israeli explanation of aid workers attack is 'insufficient': Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said explanations provided by Israel about the killing of seven people working for the aid charity World Central Kitchen in a Gaza air strike were insufficient and unacceptable, demanding further details.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident "a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants", adding that "this happens in war".

"That is unacceptable and insufficient, and we are awaiting a much stronger and more detailed clarification, after which we'll see what action to take," Sanchez told a news briefing on Wednesday while visiting Qatar.

14:59 GMT — Dispute in Gaza ceasefire talks is mainly over return of displaced people: Qatar

Qatar's prime minister has said that the main point of dispute in negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire is over the return of displaced people to different parts of the Palestinian territory.

14:08 GMT — Hamas sticking to its demands for ceasefire in Gaza — Haniyeh

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has said that the group was sticking to its conditions for a ceasefire, including an Israeli military withdrawal.

"We are committed to our demands: the permanent ceasefire, comprehensive and complete withdrawal of the enemy out of Gaza, the return of all displaced people to their homes, allowing all aid needed for our people in Gaza, rebuilding the enclave, lifting the blockade and achieving an honourable prisoner exchange deal," Haniyeh said in a televised speech marking Al-Quds Day.

The exchange he referred to would be a release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for Israeli hostages being held by the group in Gaza since Oct. 7.

13:30 GMT — Protesters seeking hostages' release smear paint in Israeli parliament

A group of Israelis demanding their government do more to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza protested in parliament with some smearing paint on the partition between the visitors' gallery and the plenum.

"Now! Now!" they chanted at lawmakers below, leaving the glass streaked with yellow - the colour of their campaign - as ushers bundled them out.

The protest followed three days of anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem when thousands took to the streets calling for more action to free the hostages and new elections to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

13:27 GMT — Lebanon's Hezbollah, Israel continue to trade attacks

Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged cross-border attacks as escalation continued to grow along Lebanon’s border with Israel.

Hezbollah said its fighters targeted with missiles a newly established command post behind the Branit Barracks in northern Israel.

Hezbollah fighters also attacked with missiles at the Raheb site and a gathering of Israeli soldiers near the Lebanese-Israeli border.

13:25 GMT — Pope renews call for ceasefire in Gaza

Pope Francis has reiterated his appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

"I renew my appeal for the exhausted and suffering civilian population to be allowed access to humanitarian aid and for the hostages to be released immediately," he said during his weekly General Audience in the Vatican.

The pontiff also expressed his "deep regret" for the staff members of the World Central Kitchen charity killed while engaged in the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza and reassured of his prayers for them and their families.

12:54 GMT — Arab League convenes emergency meeting to discuss Gaza war

An emergency meeting of the Arab League has begun in the Egyptian capital Cairo to discuss Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza.

Addressing the meeting, Palestinian delegate Mahend al-Aklouk warned against launching an Israeli ground attack on Rafah city, where more than 1.4 million people have taken refuge from Israel's war, in the southern tip of Gaza.

"The Israeli attack will have grave repercussions on more than one million displaced people in the city," he said.

12:21 GMT — Bodies of foreign aid workers killed by Israel arrive in Egypt

Egypt state media has reported that the bodies of six foreign aid workers killed in Israeli strikes have been transported out of Gaza.

Bodies will be received by representatives from their home nations and then they will be repatriated to their respective countries, according to reports.

12:00 GMT — Gaza death toll nears 33,000 amid ongoing Israeli assault

A total of 32,975 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since last October, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

The Health Ministry in Gaza made the statement as the deadly Israeli onslaught on the enclave entered its 180th day. The ongoing onslaughts have also injured 75,577 Palestinians, it added.

It noted that in the past 24 hours, "Israel committed five massacres against families across Gaza that left 59 martyrs and 83 others injured."

11:21 GMT — Israel army implicates Hezbollah in UN peacekeepers' wounding

Israel's military said it had obtained information that indicated a Hezbollah explosive charge caused the blast that wounded UN peacekeepers in Lebanon last week.

The UN peacekeeping force said three military observers and a translator were wounded in Saturday's blast in south Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah militants trade frequent cross-border fire.

"According to information available to the (army), the explosion that occurred on March 30... occurred after a UNIFIL patrol passed over a charge that had been previously placed by Hezbollah in the area," army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X.

10:32 GMT — Freedom Flotilla Coalition to bring aid, international observers to Gaza this month

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FCC) will sail several ships carrying 5,500 tonnes of humanitarian aid and hundreds of international observers to besieged Gaza in mid-April, its Spanish chapter Rumbo a Gaza said in a statement sent to Anadolu.

Rejecting Israel's control over the entrance of humanitarian aid, Rumbo a Gaza said it will not allow Israel to inspect the shipments.

"For everyone's safety and to ensure that aid reaches those who need it, the FFC will be bringing hundreds of international humanitarian observers from many countries and different backgrounds," the statement said.

10:06 GMT — Following two-week raid, Israel leaves Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital in ruins

Following extensive damage to Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital following two weeks of Israeli army raid, Palestinian doctors said the hospital's entire premises had been destroyed by fire and bombings, rendering it unusable.

Speaking to Anadolu, Marwan Abu Sada, head of the Department of Surgery at the hospital, said the Israeli army withdrew from al-Shifa Hospital, leaving behind widespread destruction throughout the hospital's buildings and facilities.

Abu Sada underlined that the destruction inflicted by the Israeli army has made it impossible to resume medical operations to aid the wounded and patients.

08:50 GMT — Israeli president, army chief extend apologies over killing of foreign aid workers in Gaza

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and army chief Herzi Halevi extended apologies for the Israeli army's killing of aid workers in Gaza affiliated with the US-based aid organisation World Central Kitchen (WCK).

In a statement by his office, Herzog made a phone call with WCK founder Chef Jose Anders during which he "expressed his deep sorrow and sincere apologies over the tragic loss of life of WCK staff in the Gaza Strip."

The Israeli army's Chief of Staff Halevi also issued an apology for the Israeli air strike on the aid convoy in Gaza.

08:26 GMT — Israel accused of 'genocide in plain sight' by British lawmaker

An independent British member of parliament has denounced Israel's killing of international aid workers, saying Israel is "out of control."

Referring to Monday's deadly strike in Gaza on aid workers with the food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), Claudia Webbe said on X that Israel is out of control and is "deliberately killing" international aid workers.

Also referring to Israel's recent move to ban the Qatari television Al Jazeera, she stressed that it has passed a law to "ban journalists."

07:35 GMT — British lawmaker calls for probe into whether UK-supplied arms used in Israeli attack on aid workers

A British lawmaker called on the government to launch an investigation into the Israeli killing of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza, saying the attack showed why Britain "should immediately suspend arms sales to Israel."

In a letter to Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Labour MP Richard Burgon demanded that the government immediately launch a full investigation into whether UK-supplied arms were used in an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Monday that killed seven aid workers with the food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), including three British nationals.

"This attack once again underlines why the UK should immediately suspend arms sales to Israel, given the role these could be playing in such deadly attacks on Gaza and even in war crimes carried out by the Israeli government," said the member of parliament for East Leeds.

06:25 GMT — Four officers injured in Israel car-ramming attack: police

Four Israeli police were injured in a car-ramming attack at a checkpoint in the centre of the country, police said, adding that the assailant was killed after trying to stab other security forces.

The 26-year-old man crashed into four police officers at a checkpoint in the town of Kochav Yair, which borders the occupied West Bank and sits northeast of Tel Aviv.

The officers suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital, Israeli police says.

05:35 GMT — US conducts humanitarian airdrops into Gaza

US 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 four C-130 U.S. Air Force aircraft and U.S. Army Soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of U.S humanitarian assistance supplies," CENTCOM said on X.

The planes dropped over 50,680 U S meal equivalents into northern Gaza, it added.

04:56 GMT — Israel says strike killing aid workers was 'grave mistake'

Israel's defence chief has said that a strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza was a "grave mistake", after the incident prompted a chorus of international condemnation.

"This incident was a grave mistake," Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi said in a video message on the strike that hit a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy on Monday.

"It shouldn't have happened," Halevi said, as he blamed the strike on a "misidentification — at night during a war in very complex conditions."

"We are sorry for the unintentional harm to the members of WCK."

04:20 GMT — Biden says Israel 'has not done enough to protect aid workers'

US President Joe Biden has said he is "outraged" and "heartbroken" over an Israeli air strike in Gaza that killed seven aid workers, highlighting that Israel "has not done enough to protect aid workers."

"They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy," Biden said in a statement.

Noting that Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the killings, he said "that investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public."

03:30 GMT — Palestine reignites its quest for full UN seat amid

Palestine has officially revived its application to become a full member state in the United Nations, according to a letter from their UN envoy.

"Upon instructions of the Palestinian leadership, I have the honor to request that renewed consideration be given to this application by the Security Council during April 2024," UN envoy Riyad Mansour wrote in the letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which has been transmitted to the council.

The Palestinians, who have had observer status at the world body since 2012, have lobbied for years to gain full membership, which would amount to recognition of Palestinian statehood, already recognised by most of the UN member states.

03:06 GMT — Israel says strike killing aid workers was 'grave mistake'

Israel's defence chief has said that a strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza was a "grave mistake", after the incident prompted a chorus of international condemnation.

"This incident was a grave mistake," Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi said in a video message on the strike that hit a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy on Monday.

"It shouldn't have happened," Halevi said, as he blamed the strike on a "misidentification -— at night during a war in very complex conditions".

02:42 GMT — Biden says Israel 'has not done enough to protect aid workers'

US President Joe Biden has said he is "outraged" and "heartbroken" over an Israeli air strike in Gaza that killed seven aid workers, highlighting that Israel "has not done enough to protect aid workers."

"They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy," Biden said in a statement.

Noting that Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the killings, he said "that investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public."

2:00 GMT — Missile attack from Lebanon targets northern Israel: reports

At least 14 missiles have been launched from Lebanon toward the city of Nahariyya and illegal settlements in western Galilee in northern Israel, Israeli media reported.

Two missiles were intercepted, and seven fell in open areas, Yedioth Ahronoth daily said without specifying the fate of the remaining rockets.

For the first time since last November, sirens sounded in the cit y of Nahariya earlier in the night, according to the newspaper. There have been no reported injuries as of yet.

For our live updates from Tuesday, April 2, click here.