Live Updates: Spain demands EU review Israel ties over Gaza war crimes

Thursday, April 4, 2024

15:10 GMT — The European Union should debate whether to continue its strategic relationship with Israel if the European Commission finds that Israel has breached humanitarian law in its war on Gaza, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has told Al Jazeera TV.

In February, Sanchez and his Irish counterpart asked Brussels to urgently review whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations in Gaza.

"In the case of the EU, the situation would be that there's an open door to have a debate within the European Council in order to see if we continue with this strategic relation or not. But this is something for which we first need to have the assessment of the European Commission," Sanchez said.

14:51 GMT — Israel to adjust Gaza war tactics after aid worker killings

Israel has said it would adjust its Gaza war tactics after killing seven aid workers in an air strike that the military called an operational accident, though the process may take weeks while an investigation proceeds.

Some local media reported, based on unnamed sources, that the convoy was hit repeatedly from the air despite having coordinated its route in advance with the military — possibly due to a false belief that gunmen were aboard it or close by.

14:34 GMT — Israel refuses implementation of int'l humanitarian law: UN

The UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights has said that "Israel is clearly refusing to implement its obligations under the international humanitarian law."

"Violence continues unabated. Israel most recently has launched a very large attack on a major hospital in Gaza, causing many hundreds of deaths there," Ben Saul told Anadolu, noting that over 30,000 people have been killed, and over 70,000 wounded since October 7.

14:32 GMT — Biden is urged action against Netanyahu's carnage

US President Joe Biden has faced growing calls to turn outrage over the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza into conditions on military support for Israel, as he prepared to confront Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the incident.

In his first call with Netanyahu since an Israeli strike killed the employees of the US-based World Central Kitchen group, Biden was expected to express anger and urge Israel to do more to protect humanitarian staff and civilians.

Biden also reportedly faces pressure from even closer to home — from First Lady Jill Biden.

"Stop it, stop it now," she told the president about the growing toll of civilian casualties in Gaza, according to comments by Biden himself to a guest during a meeting with members of the Muslim community at the White House, and reported by the New York Times.

14:28 GMT — Israeli strike on Gaza killed 106, apparent 'war crime'

Human Rights Watch says an Israeli attack on a Gaza apartment building in October killed at least 106 civilians, including 54 children.

The New York-based rights group says its investigation found no evidence that the attack targeted any military activity inside the building, making it an apparent war crime. International law prohibits attacks on military targets that will likely cause disproportionate harm to civilians.

Human Rights Watch says four separate strikes collapsed the Engineer’s Building in central Gaza, which was housing some 350 people, around a third of whom had fled their homes elsewhere in the territory.

12:42 GMT — Poland expects ‘straight apology’ from Israel over killing aid workers

Poland expects a "straight apology" from the Israeli ambassador in Warsaw over the killing of a Polish aid worker in Israeli air strikes in Gaza, according to local media.

Campaigning for local government elections this weekend, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, "We all know what happened, how senseless and unnecessary that death was," according to state-run PAP news agency.

Saying that he expects a full and immediate explanation of the tragedy and compensation for the victim's next of kin, he added: "If the ambassador decides to speak publicly on our media, he should use the opportunity to offer a normal, human apology.”

12:36 GMT — Israel signals probe of lethal strike on Gaza aid convoy to take weeks

Israel has signalled that its military's investigation of an air strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, and which it has already described in preliminary statements as an operational accident, could take weeks.

"In the coming weeks, as the findings become clear, we will be transparent and share the results with the public," Israeli government spokesperson Raquela Karamson said in a briefing.

13:19 GMT — No progress in Gaza truce talks — Hamas official

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said there has been no progress in Gaza ceasefire talks despite the movement showing flexibility.

11:53 GMT — Over 600 jurists caution UK: Arming Israel breaches int'l law

Over 600 British jurists, including three former Supreme Court judges, lawyers, academics, and retired senior judges, warned that the UK's arming of Israel violates international law, Irish media reported on Wednesday night.

"While we welcome the increasingly robust calls by your government for a cessation of fighting and the unobstructed entry to Gaza of humanitarian assistance, simultaneously to continue the sale of weapons and weapons systems to Israel and to maintain threats of suspending UK aid to UNRWA falls significantly short of your government ’s obligations under international law," they stated in an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to Irish Times daily.

Drawing attention to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) finding that there is a plausible risk of genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza, the letter said, "The UK must take immediate measures to bring to an end through lawful means acts giving rise to a serious risk of genocide."

11:45 GMT — Northern Gaza residents get only 245 daily calories: Oxfam

People in northern Gaza are being forced to survive on an average of just 245 calories per day, international NGO Oxfam said in a statement published Wednesday.

The average calorie intake represents less than 12 percent of an adult’s average daily calorie needs — and that does not consider access to proper nutrition.

"For the little fruits and vegetables still available, extreme price rises due to scarcity have put them out of reach for most people. Specialised nutrition products and centres to treat malnourished children are also difficult or impossible to find," the press release said.

10:52 GMT — Israeli army detains 40 Palestinians in occupied West Bank raids

At least 40 Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in overnight military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

Three women were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement. The arrests took place in the cities of Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tubas, Bethlehem and Hebron, the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 8,030 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since last October, according to Palestinian figures.

10:50 GMT — Palestinian death toll in Israel's war on Gaza surpasses 33,000

At least 33,037 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its war on Gaza in October last year, the enclave's health ministry said.

The toll includes at least 62 killings over the past 24 hours alone, a ministry statement said, adding that 75,668 people have been wounded in the territory during nearly six months of war.

10:35 GMT — US expresses 'outrage' over Israeli killing of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and expressed his "outrage" over this week's attack on a humanitarian aid convoy from World Central Kitchen (WCK) that killed seven workers.

"Secretary Austin stressed the need to immediately take concrete steps to protect aid workers and Palestinian civilians in Gaza after repeated coordination failures with foreign aid groups," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Austin asked Gallant to carry out "a swift and transparent investigation, to share their conclusions publicly, and to hold those responsible to account."

10:18 GMT — Food aid charity demands independent inquiry of Israeli strikes

The World Central Kitchen (WCK) called for an independent investigation into this week's Israeli killing of its seven aid workers.

"We have asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States of America, Poland and the United Kingdom to join us in demanding an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law," the charity organisation that provides meals to communities in disaster and war zones said in a statement.

"Yesterday, to ensure the integrity of the investigation, we asked the Israeli government to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant to the April 1 strikes."

09:15 GMT — Israel bombards Gaza, kills two more Palestinians

Israel carried out an air strike on a house in Gaza, killing at least two Palestinians and injuring 15 others.

The home was located in the Maghazi refugee camp, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

The report also said that Israeli warplanes targeted a house in the Tel al Sultan neighbourhood west of Rafah in southern Gaza.

08:27 GMT — Israeli army raids Jenin, clashes erupt with Palestinians

Israeli forces raided the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp.

Israeli forces accompanied by bulldozers stormed the city in occupied West Bank from several directions and raided the camp, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

They said alarms sounded in the camp while Israeli forces took to the rooftops of houses. They noted that armed clashes also broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinians, with the sounds of explosions heard.

07:43 GMT — Israeli explanation for aid workers killing 'not good enough'

Israel's explanation for the deaths from an air strike in besieged Gaza of seven aid workers, including Australian woman Zomi Frankcom, was "not good enough," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said.

"We need to have accountability for how it has occurred, and what is not good enough is the statements that have been made, including that this is just a product of war," Albanese said during a press conference in Sydney.

Albanese seemed to be referring to comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video message on Tuesday in which he said that "this happens in war" as the Israeli military promised an independent investigation.

07:03 GMT — Biden, Netanyahu to speak following Gaza killings

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak, a US official said, in their first call since Israel killed seven aid workers in besieged Gaza.

The call comes after Biden expressed outrage over the killings of the employees of the US-based World Central Kitchen group and said Israel must do more to protect aid workers and civilians.

"I can confirm President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu will speak tomorrow," a US official who is knowledgeable about the matter told the AFP news agency.

06:40 GMT — Missile fired from Lebanon hits house in Israel: report

An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon struck a house in northern Israel, an Israeli media outlet reported.

"Hezbollah operatives fired an anti-tank missile at Metula in the Galilee finger, which hit a house in the northern neighbourhood of the settlement. There were no casualties. The IDF is attacking the source of the fire," said the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The Lebanese Hezbollah group has not commented on the report.

06:15 GMT — Scottish leader calls for ban on arms sales to Israel

Scottish leader Humza Yousaf has reiterated his call on the UK government to suspend arms sales to Israel following the Israeli army's killing of aid workers in besieged Gaza.

"By not stopping arms sales to Israel, the UK is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians," Yousaf warned in his letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Reminding that he called on the government in January to ban the license of arms exports from the UK to Israel, the first minister said he has yet to receive a response, adding: "You have taken no such action, despite the death toll continuing to increase."

05:30 GMT — Israel bombs Rafah home, killing several including two toddlers

Israel has killed several Palestinians, including two toddlers, after striking a home in Tal al Sultan neighbourhood in west of besieged Gaza's Rafah city, according to local media reports and witnesses.

Images at the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah showed bloodied bodies two Palestinian girls, who were killed in the Israeli attack, lying on a medical stretcher.

Civil defence teams and local residents were conducting search and rescue operations at the blast site.

04:33 GMT — Israeli explanation for aid workers killing 'not good enough'

Israel's explanation for the deaths from an air strike in besieged Gaza of seven aid workers, including Australian woman Zomi Frankcom, was "not good enough", Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said.

"We need to have accountability for how it has occurred, and what is not good enough is the statements that have been made, including that this is just a product of war," Albanese said during a press conference in Sydney.

Albanese seemed to be referring to comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video message on Tuesday in which he said that "this happens in war" as the Israeli military promised an independent investigation.

03:53 GMT — Biden, Netanyahu to speak following Gaza killings

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak, a US official said, in their first call since Israel killed seven aid workers in besieged Gaza.

The call comes after Biden expressed outrage over the killings of the employees of the US-based World Central Kitchen group and said Israel must do more to protect aid workers and civilians.

"I can confirm President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu will speak tomorrow," a US official who is knowledgeable about the matter told the AFP news agency.

03:14 GMT — Missile fired from Lebanon hits house in Israel: report

An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon struck a house in northern Israel, an Israeli media outlet reported.

"Hezbollah operatives fired an anti-tank missile at Metula in the Galilee finger, which hit a house in the northern neighbourhood of the settlement. There were no casualties. The IDF is attacking the source of the fire," said the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The Lebanese Hezbollah group has not commented on the report.

02:30 GMT — Scottish leader calls for ban on arms sales to Israel

Scottish leader Humza Yousaf has reiterated his call on the UK government to suspend arms sales to Israel following the Israeli army's killing of aid workers in besieged Gaza.

"By not stopping arms sales to Israel, the UK is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians," Yousaf warned in his letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Reminding that he called on the government in January to ban the license of arms exports from the UK to Israel, the first minister said he has yet to receive a response, adding: "You have taken no such action, despite the death toll continuing to increase."

For our live updates from Wednesday, April 3, click here.