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Israel’s Gaza invasion - Day 174

  • Israel’s deadly siege of Gaza Strip continues nearly six months after Hamas’ Oct 7 attack

  • UN says half of Gaza population experiencing “catastrophic” hunger as threat of famine looms

  • Push for Ramazan ceasefire continues as some 101 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas custody

  • Israel plans ground operation in overcrammed Rafah refugee camps

Published 28 Mar, 2024 11:28am

‘Unimaginable’ conditions: UN says few hospitals remain functional in Gaza

Two-thirds of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are “non-functional” while those that remain open are either “minimally” or “partially” functional, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Al Jazeera reports.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reports that the healthcare system in northern Gaza “has been largely destroyed” and is on the “brink of collapse” in the south.

Published 28 Mar, 2024 01:52pm

Israel continues battles, bombardment in Gaza as talks with US rescheduled

Battles and bombardment continue to pound the Gaza Strip, after Washington said Israel agreed to reschedule cancelled talks with tensions worsening between the allies, AFP reports.

United States criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mounted over Gaza’s civilian death toll, dire food shortages, and Israeli plans to push its ground offensive against Hamas into the far-southern city of Rafah, which is packed with displaced civilians.

Bombardment and fighting have continued despite a binding United Nations Security Council resolution passed on Monday demanding an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Netanyahu scrapped an Israeli visit to Washington to discuss the Rafah plan. His government has since backtracked and agreed “to reschedule the meeting dedicated to Rafah”, according to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

She added that they were working to find a “convenient date”. US officials say they plan to present Israel with an alternative for Rafah, focused on striking Hamas targets while limiting the civilian toll.

 A man assists another to carry an intravenous solution bag for him as they walk outside the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City on March 27, 2024. — AFP
A man assists another to carry an intravenous solution bag for him as they walk outside the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City on March 27, 2024. — AFP

Published 28 Mar, 2024 01:14pm

Gunman opens fire on vehicles in occupied West Bank, wounding 3

A gunman has opened fire on vehicles in the occupied West Bank, wounding at least three people, including a 13 year-old boy, emergency services said.

According to Reuters, the Israeli military said soldiers had blocked routes in the area, adjacent to the town of Al-Auja in the Jordan Valley, following reports and were pursuing the gunman.

Israeli media said a man wearing military uniform opened fire on passing vehicles, hitting a school bus, in which a 13 year-old boy was hurt by shrapnel, and wounding two other men in separate cars.

Published 28 Mar, 2024 12:10pm

Pakistan calls on world to redouble efforts for ‘just solution to Palestine question’

Pakistan has called on the “backers of Israel to urge Israel to bring an end to the massacre of the Palestinian people, lift the inhumane siege and allow humanitarian assistance to all parts of Gaza.”

The comments were made by Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad. Baloch noted that despite the adoption of a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Palestine, “the Israeli war on the people of Gaza continues unabated, and the Palestinian people continue to face starvation and genocide.

“The international community must redouble its efforts for a just and durable solution to the Palestine question, and for the creation of an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state along pre-June 1967 borders with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital.”

Published 28 Mar, 2024 11:29am

UK legislators call for suspension of arms sales to Israel

More than 130 parliamentarians in the United Kingdom have urged the government to immediately suspend export licenses for arms transfers to Israel.

In a letter — coordinated by Labour MP Zarah Sultana — the group of cross-party legislators noted instances in 2009 and 2014 when the UK government halted or threatened to suspend weapons exports, and said, “Today, the scale of violence committed by the Israeli military is vastly more deadly, but the government has failed to act.”

The letter was signed by 107 MPs from the Labour, Scottish National, Green and Liberal Democratic parties, as well as 27 members of the House of Lords.

Updated 28 Mar, 2024 12:45pm

Swedish petition against Israel taking part in Eurovision gathers more than 800 signatures

A Swedish petition titled “No Eurovision in Malmo if Israel Participates” has gathered more than 800 signatures and is to be discussed at a city council meeting in April, AFP reports.

But the move is purely symbolic — the EBU has already ruled Israel can take part, rejecting calls in a number of European countries for it to be excluded over the Gaza conflict.

The EBU suspended Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, effectively banning Russia from the contest. Israel’s public broadcaster is an EBU member, and Eden Golan, 20, will represent the country after winning a domestic competition.

 This photograph taken on Feb 20 shows the logo of the Eurovision 2024 displayed during a press conference at the headquarters of French-spoken public broadcaster RTBF in Brussels. — AFP
This photograph taken on Feb 20 shows the logo of the Eurovision 2024 displayed during a press conference at the headquarters of French-spoken public broadcaster RTBF in Brussels. — AFP

The EBU did however force Israel to change the lyrics of the song “October Rain”, deeming it too political. It is widely considered to reference the victims of Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel.

When Malmo last hosted Eurovision, in 2013, residents also protested Israel’s participation. “This is the first time since the war in Gaza that Israel is participating in an international event,” said Linnaeus University political scientist Anders Persson.

“So it’s also the first time that the BDS (Boycott, Disinvestment, Sanctions) movement has a chance to protest against Israel on a global scale,” he said.

Published 28 Mar, 2024 10:10am

Sweden prepares for high security Eurovision with Gaza spotlight

The Swedish city of Malmo is preparing to host the Eurovision Song Contest in early May under high security, amid protests over Israel’s participation during its ongoing fight with Hamas, AFP reports.

The war in Ukraine, and a heightened threat level in Sweden since August mean organisers already had their work cut out to ensure that the world’s biggest live music event, which runs from May 5 to 11, goes off without a hitch.

“We have the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the war in Ukraine which has affected Sweden, a bigger risk of hybrid warfare, there are cyberattacks,” the head of security for the city of Malmo, Ulf Nilsson, enumerated for AFP. “We’re living in troubled times.”

Published 28 Mar, 2024 09:45am

US says it downed four Yemen rebel drones in Red Sea

The United States military has said it downed four drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen aimed at a US warship in the Red Sea, AFP reports.

US Central Command said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that its forces had “engaged and destroyed four long-range unmanned aerial systems” at around 2am Sanaa time (11pm GMT), adding there were no injuries or damage reported to US or coalition ships.

“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region,” the statement said.

“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels,” it added.

Published 28 Mar, 2024 09:10am

CAIR calls for UN probe of unarmed Palestinians killed by Israeli army

The UN must investigate the killing of unarmed Palestinian men on a beach in Gaza whose bodies were then bulldozed under the sand by Israeli soldiers, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said, Al Jazeera reports.

Video footage has emerged showing Israeli forces gunning down two men on Gaza’s coast who posed no threat, and then using a military bulldozer to bury their bodies.

Calling for an international investigation of the “heinous war crime”, the council said Israel appears to “kill Palestinians on a whim” and then treats the bodies of its victims “like trash”.

“The genocidal Israeli [government] must be investigated by the UN,” CAIR said on social media.

“This genocide must be stopped, not excused or supported with weapons [and] rhetoric.”

Published 28 Mar, 2024 08:37am

Israeli forces launch air attacks across northern Gaza

Al Jazeera Arabic reports that Israeli forces have launched air attacks on northern Gaza, including Gaza City and the Shati and Jabalia refugee camps.

The attacks targeted residential buildings in Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood and an electrical appliances centre in Jabalia, causing a fire to break out there.

AJA also said Israeli forces have launched artillery attacks in the vicinity of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 10:41pm

Great and growing concern on the ground in Gaza: US diplomat

An American official says talks with Israeli leaders continue as Gaza bombardment and raids have not ceased despite a UN resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

“The Israelis saw that resolution, they didn’t like it. But I think there’s great and growing concern on the ground in Gaza, and there’s a lot of concern about a potential operation in Rafah,” Robert Wood, deputy ambassador to the UN, told Al Jazeera.

“We talk to them all the time about this and we’re going to continue to push to make sure this resolution is implemented by all sides,” Wood said.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 10:11pm

UN expert in Israel genocide accusation says she has been threatened

A United Nations expert who published a report saying there were reasonable grounds to believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza during its military campaign against Hamas said she had received threats throughout her mandate, Reuters reports.

Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the West Bank and Gaza, presented a report entitled “Anatomy of a Genocide” to the UN Human Rights Council, which Israel said it “utterly rejects”.

Asked whether her work on the report had caused her to receive threats, Albanese said: “Yes, I do receive threats. Nothing that so far I considered needing extra precautions. Pressure? Yes, and it doesn’t change either my commitment or the results of my work.” Albanese, who has held the position since 2022, did not elaborate on the nature of the threats, nor did she say who had issued them.

“It’s been a difficult time,” she said.

“I’ve always been attacked since the very beginning of my mandate.”

Read full story here

Published 27 Mar, 2024 08:51pm

Spain air drops 26 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza

Spanish military planes have dropped 26 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza as Spain’s government called on Israel to open land border crossings to prevent a famine, Al Jazeera reports.

“Spain insists on the opening of the land crossings as an indispensable measure to avoid a famine situation,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The operation, carried out in coordination with Jordan and co-financed by the European Union, dropped more than 11,000 food rations.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting UNRWA, the United Nations humanitarian agency for Palestinians, and to its continued existence.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 06:31pm

Two aid seekers shot in Gaza City: report

Two people waiting for aid at Gaza City’s Kuwait Roundabout have been severely wounded after being shot by Israeli snipers, Al Jazeera quotes Wafa news agency as reporting.

Palestinian aid seekers in northern Gaza have repeatedly come under fire by Israeli forces, with the most recent attack on March 23 killing 19 people and injuring 23 at the same roundabout, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 06:10pm

Trauma of Israeli offensive will have long-term impact on Gaza: Save the Children

Soraya Ali from Save the Children tells Al Jazeera that the psychological impact of Israel’s offensive she observed on a visit to Gaza was “tragic”.

“Yesterday, I spoke to a woman who said more than food, she needs mental support, and that really shows you the long-term consequences this war will have on children and families,” Ali said.

“People have been displaced time and time again. Now in the south they have nowhere left to go and you can visibly see the impact this has on them.”

Published 27 Mar, 2024 05:49pm

Israeli army arrests 20 Palestinians in overnight West Bank raids: prisoners’ body

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society has said Israeli forces arrested 20 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank in overnight raids, Al Jazeera reports.

The arrests took place in the governorates of Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Salfit, Tulkarem and Jenin, where three people were killed in a raid and several wounded.

Since October 7, Israel has detained 7,820 people in the West Bank, the group reported.

Updated 27 Mar, 2024 05:34pm

’Declared intent to forcibly transfer Palestinians from their land: UN rights official

United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif has highlighted Israeli settler violence in occupied Palestinian territories and a “declared intent to forcibly transfer Palestinians from their land”.

“The line between settler violence and State violence has further blurred, including violence with the declared intent to forcibly transfer Palestinians from their land,” she said while addressing the 55th session of the Human Rights Council.

“Israeli authorities continued to implement eviction and demolition orders against Palestinians based on discriminatory planning policies, laws and practices, including on the grounds that properties lacked building permits,” the UN official said.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 04:36pm

Israel bombs Gaza, fights Hamas around hospitals

Israeli forces continue to pound besieged Gaza and fought Hamas around several hospitals despite a UN Security Council demand for a ceasefire. They have battled Hamas in and around three Gaza hospitals, raising fears for patients, medical staff and displaced people inside them.

Fighting has raged for nine days around Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, the territory’s largest, and more recently near two hospitals in the main southern city of Khan Younis — Al-Amal and Nasser.

The army and Shin Bet security service said they were “continuing to conduct precise operational activities” in both cities “while preventing harm to civilians, patients, medical teams and medical equipment”.

 This picture taken from Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing following an Israeli strike in the besieged Palestinian territory on March 27. — AFP
This picture taken from Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing following an Israeli strike in the besieged Palestinian territory on March 27. — AFP

The army claimed “troops continued to eliminate terrorists and locate terror infrastructure and weapons” around Al-Shifa. “Thus far, hundreds of terrorists have been apprehended and dozens of terrorists have been killed in the area of the hospital,” it said.

Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles have also massed around the Nasser Hospital, the Gaza health ministry said, adding that shots were fired but no raid had yet been launched.

The Palestinian Red Crescent warned that thousands were trapped inside and “their lives are in danger”. The Israeli army has yet to comment on the situation in and around the hospital.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 04:04pm

32,490 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct 7, health ministry says

At least 32,490 Palestinians have been killed and 74,889 injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since Oct 7, the Gaza health ministry said, Reuters reports.

There have been 76 Palestinians killed and 102 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry statement added.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 04:00pm

Jordanian anti-riot police use batons to push back protesters near Israeli embassy

Jordanian anti-riot police beat and arrested dozens of demonstrators trying to march towards the heavily guarded Israeli embassy in the capital Amman, Reuters quotes witnesses and residents as saying.

More than two thousand protesters gathered late on Tuesday — the third day of demonstrations which have been marred with clashes — after baton wielding police pushed back hundreds of angry crowds seeking to storm the embassy compound in the affluent Rabae district of Amman.

Many demonstrators chanted slogans in support of Hamas. Jordanian authorities are alarmed that Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza could broaden the popularity of the Hamas movement among many Jordanians. “Oh Hamas…All of Jordan’s people are behind you,” the protesters chanted.

Passions have run high among Jordanians, many of whom are of Palestinian origin, over the carnage in Gaza as Israel’s relentless bombing campaign against Hamas has led to tens of thousands of civilian deaths and flattened many parts of the densely populated enclave.

Authorities in Jordan say peaceful protests are allowed but they would not tolerate any attempt by mobs who sought to exploit anger against Israel to create havoc or try to reach a border zone with the Israeli occupied West Bank or Israel.

 Demonstrators carry banners and flags as a flare burns during a protest in support of Palestinians, outside Al Kalouti mosque near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan on March 27. — Reuters
Demonstrators carry banners and flags as a flare burns during a protest in support of Palestinians, outside Al Kalouti mosque near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan on March 27. — Reuters

Published 27 Mar, 2024 03:40pm

Israel’s budget for Gaza offensive leaves top scientists in limbo

Israeli scientist Ellen Graber has spent years researching ways to save chocolate crops from climate change. But with the government slashing spending to fund its offensive in Gaza, her project is one of hundreds now hanging in the balance, AFP reports.

Graber’s research had already been hit by the Israeli offensive — she had to abandon her cacao plants when the area where they were grown was evacuated after the October 7 Hamas attack.

They survived weeks of drought-like conditions in a greenhouse. But the state-funded Volcani Institute where she works is now facing huge budget cuts.

The institute specialises in arid and desert environments, increasingly vital areas of study for a planet wracked by extreme weather caused by climate change. Now the government’s war budget means hundreds of the institute’s projects are under threat.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 03:16pm

Hezbollah rocket kills Israeli following deadly Lebanon strike

Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement has fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel killing a civilian, after Israel carried out a deadly strike in south Lebanon, AFP reports.

Israeli rescue teams searching a building that had been hit in the border town of Kiryat Shmona “found a 25 year old who was unconscious, with no pulse and not breathing”, and pronounced him dead at the scene, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.

Hezbollah said they fired “dozens of rockets” at Kiryat Shmona in retaliation for what it called “the massacre committed by the Zionist enemy (Israel)” in the south Lebanon village of Habariyeh.

 Israeli forces check the area of building that hit was by Hezbollah in Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel near the Lebanon border on March 27. — AFP
Israeli forces check the area of building that hit was by Hezbollah in Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel near the Lebanon border on March 27. — AFP

The emergency response arm of Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese militant group, said “a number” of people were killed in the overnight Israeli strike in Habariyeh.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, a Jamaa Islamiya official said the seven dead were “rescuers” who were killed when an emergency centre in the village was hit.

Another Jamaa Islamiya official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said a dozen first responders were in the centre at the time of the strike, adding that bodies were being pulled from the rubble.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 01:50pm

Israel’s decision to block UNRWA aid ‘unacceptable’, says Norway

Israel’s decision to deny access to food convoys from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) to northern Gaza is unacceptable, Norway’s Foreign Ministry said, TRT World reports.

“Famine is imminent. More life-saving humanitarian assistance is crucial & urgent,” the ministry wrote on X, citing Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

The agency is investigating the claims but has warned that cutting off funding risks a catastrophe.

Some countries including Canada later revised their decision and resumed funding to the agency amid the crippling humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.

“Israel must ensure increased access of vital food supplies and aid into and within Gaza,” said Barth Eide.

Published 27 Mar, 2024 01:28pm

PHOTOS: Palestinians inspect damage from Israeli strikes in Gaza’s Rafah

Palestinians check buildings that were destroyed following overnight Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 27, 2024 — AFP
Palestinians check buildings that were destroyed following overnight Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 27, 2024 — AFP

A Palestinian man sits next to a damaged car at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 27, 2024 — Reuters
A Palestinian man sits next to a damaged car at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 27, 2024 — Reuters

A Palestinian man carries items recovered from debris following Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 27, 2024 — AFP
A Palestinian man carries items recovered from debris following Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 27, 2024 — AFP