Live blog: Biden anticipates Iran's retaliation against Israel soon

Friday, April 12, 2024

1930 GMT — US President Joe Biden has said he expected Iran to attack Israel "sooner, rather than later" and warned Tehran not to proceed.

Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden said simply, "Don't," and he underscored Washington's commitment to defend Israel.

"We are devoted to the defence of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed," he said.

Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come "sooner, rather than later." He spoke to reporters at the White House after a virtual speech to a civil rights conference.

More updates👇

2015 GMT — Germany urges its citizens to leave Iran

Germany has warned its citizens to leave Iran, saying that there was a risk both of a sudden escalation in Tehran's existing tensions with Israel and that Germans might be at risk of arbitrary arrest in the country.

"In the current tensions, especially between Israel andIran, there is a risk of a sudden escalation," the Foreign Office wrote in a fresh travel warning.

"It cannot be excluded that air, land and sea transport routes could be affected," it added.

"German citizens are at concrete risk of being arbitrarily arrested and interrogated and being given long prison sentences. Dual citizens with Iranian and German nationality are especially at risk," the Foreign Office said.

1930 GMT — UN calls for credible probe into Israeli attack on TRT team

The UN has said Israeli attack on TRT Arabi team is yet another stark and clear example of the dangers journalists face in Gaza, calling for "transparent and credible" probe.

Two TRT Arabi journalists were wounded in a fresh Israeli attack at the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. Cameraperson Sami Shehadeh was grievously wounded as doctors ended up amputating his right foot.

According to eyewitness accounts, the Israeli army targeted a group of journalists, including the TRT Arabic team, who were reporting at the Nuseirat refugee camp. Some journalists were injured after being hit by the tank fire.

TRT Arabi correspondent Sami Berhum and other journalists were also injured in the attack.

According to the Gaza Media Office, at least 140 journalists have lost their lives in Israeli attacks in Gaza.

1832 GMT — Settlers rampage Ramallah with excuse of searching for missing boy

Settlers raided with the excuse of searching for the missing Israeli boy," in Malachi Hashalom, an outpost near Ramallah, village mayor Amin Abu Alyah told AFP.

"They raided the village when the army arrived to back them up."

Armed with guns and stones, the settlers stormed the Palestinian village even as a muezzin urged residents to stay indoors.

In the ensuing violence, at least one person was killed and 25 wounded, the Palestinian health ministry has said.

Israel launched a massive manhunt in the occupied West Bank Friday, after an Israeli teenager went missing, with the search party clashing with Palestinian villagers, sources from both sides, said.

1747 GMT — Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians, including a 'member' of Hamas, in raids in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry has reported at least one person was killed in an Israeli settler rampage near Ramallah.

The Israeli military said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, whom it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan valley, was killed during an exchange of fire with forces.

Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership of its armed al Qassam Brigades.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said another man was killed by Israeli forces conducting a raid on the al-Far'a refugee camp in Tubas. Hamas mourned the man's death but did not claim him as a member.

1744 GMT — Ireland says moving closer to recognising Palestinian state

Ireland is close to formally recognising a Palestinian state and would like to do so in concert with Spain and other like-minded countries, new prime minister Simon Harris said after meeting his Spanish counterpart.

Spain and Ireland, long champions of Palestinian rights, last month announced alongside Malta and Slovenia that they would jointly work toward the recognition of a Palestinian state. The efforts come as a mounting death toll in Gaza from Israel's offensive to rout out Hamas prompts calls globally for a ceasefire and lasting solution for peace in the region.

"Let me this evening say our assessment is that that point is coming much closer and we would like to move together in doing so," Harris said on Friday after meeting Sanchez, the first premier to visit Dublin since Harris became prime minister this week.

1742 GMT — 'I suffer greatly' over Gaza conflict: Pope

Pope Francis said in a message to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that he suffered "greatly" from Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

"I suffer greatly because of the conflict in Palestine and Israel," said the 87-year-old pontiff in a message sent to the al Arabiya Network to mark the end of the Ramadan fast.

"May there be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where a humanitarian catastrophe is ongoing. May aid be allowed to reach the Palestinian people who are suffering greatly, and may the hostages taken in October be released!" said Francis.

"Enough! Stop!" said the pope.

"Please, put an end to the clash of arms and think of the children, all the children, as you do your own children," he said.

"They need homes, parks and schools, not tombs and mass graves."

1709 GMT — Police ban pro-Palestinian congress in Berlin

Police interrupted and cancelled a pro-Palestinian conference in Berlin less than an hour after it started, citing concerns about anti-Semitic statements.

Officers initially halted the congress because one of the speakers was subject to a ban on political activity in Germany, police wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Police did not give the name of the speaker, but participants in the congress wrote on X that it was Palestinian researcher Salman Abu Sitta.

Police then later wrote on X that they had banned the remainder of the conference, which was due to last until Sunday.

1501 GMT — Rights groups file new case against German arms export to Israel

Human rights lawyers filed a lawsuit against a German government decision to approve the export of 3,000 anti-tank weapons to Israel, the second case of its kind this month filed over Berlin's support of Israel in its war in Gaza.

Last week, Berlin lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to halt exports of war weapons to Israel, citing reasons to believe they were being used in ways that could violate international humanitarian law in Gaza.

The latest case, brought by five Palestinians from Gaza, was supported by lawyers from the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin and Palestinian human rights organisations, ECCHR said in a statement.

1430 GMT — UN says waterborne illnesses spread in Gaza due to heat, unsafe water

Waterborne diseases are spreading in Gaza due to a lack of clean water and rising temperatures, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Gaza said.

"It is becoming very hot there," Jamie McGoldrick told reporters via video link from Jerusalem on Friday. "People are getting much less water than they need, and as a result, there have been waterborne diseases due to lack of safe and clean water and the disruption of the sanitation systems."

"We have to find a way in the months ahead of how we can have a better supply of water into the areas where people are currently crowded at the moment," he said, after making his final visit to Gaza at the end of his three-month assignment.

Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and hepatitis A, according to the World Health Organisation.

1356 GMT — Outflow of Palestinians into Egypt would make conflict resolution impossible: UN refugee chief

The prospect of Palestinians crossing into Egypt from the border town of Rafah to escape a military assault would make the resolution of Israel's war on Gaza impossible and cause an "atrocious dilemma" for the people fleeing the UN refugee chief has said.

Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said "We must fervently do everything" to avoid such an outflow of the Gazan population.

"Another refugee crisis from Gaza into Egypt, I can assure you would resolve the Palestinian refugee question as a consequence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible," Grandi told Reuters at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

1355 GMT — UN needs hotline with Israeli forces for Gaza aid distribution

The United Nations needs a direct hotline to Israeli forces fighting in Gaza to combat mistrust and deliver aid safely and effectively, the outgoing UN humanitarian coordinator has insisted.

Rather than going through liaison bodies, the UN and other humanitarian actors "need to be speaking to people who are firing guns", Jamie McGoldrick told a press briefing in Geneva.

The Israel Defence Forces and humanitarian groups in Gaza need to understand each other better, he said following a final visit to the Palestinian territory at the end of a three-month posting as interim humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian territories.

1356 GMT — Israel to pay price for oppression in Gaza': President Erdogan

Israel will pay the price for its oppression in Gaza, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas.

In a phone call with Abbas, Erdogan said: “Israel will pay the price for oppression. All means must be mobilised for a ceasefire in Gaza, including (the implementation of the) UN Security Council resolution,” according to Türkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.

Earlier, the Israeli army’ attacked a team of Turkish public broadcaster TRT Arabic in Gaza.

1321 GMT — Türkiye condemns Israeli attack on TRT Arabic press team in Gaza

Türkiye has condemned the Israeli army’s attack on a team of Turkish public broadcaster TRT Arabic in Gaza.

“We condemn this vile attack. This is terrorism. This terrorism must stop and the Western world must oppose this brutality as soon as possible,” Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on X.


A TRT Arabic team vehicle, which was preparing for broadcast in the Nuseirat camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip, was attacked by the Israeli army

1251 GMT — Israeli settlers attack town in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers have attacked the town of al-Mughayyir near Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank and opened fire on several homes.

The head of the al-Mughayyir Council, Amin Abu Aliya, told Anadolu that dozens of settlers attacked the town from the eastern side.

He stated that the settlers opened fire on several homes and clashed with Palestinians.

Abu Aliya pointed out that a large number of settlers were present at the entrance to the town under the protection of the Israeli army.

1250 GMT — Norway ‘stands ready’ to recognize Palestine as state, full UN member: Premier

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has announced that his nation “stands ready” to recognise the state of Palestine and its "appropriate" place in the United Nations.

The news came after a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, who embarked on a European tour to convince more nations to recognise an independent Palestinian state.

1234 GMT — Israel kills head of police station in northern Gaza

The Israeli army has said that it killed Radwan Radwan, head of the Jabalia al-Nazla police station and the head of the committee for securing aid in northern Gaza, in a raid on Thursday claiming that he was the "Hamas internal security" official in the Jabalia area.

1147 GMT — TRT Arabi cameraman loses foot in fresh Gaza attack

Two TRT Arabi journalists have been injured in a fresh Israeli attack on Friday afternoon at the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. Cameraperson Sami Shehadeh was grievously injured as doctors ended up amputating his right foot.

According to eyewitness accounts, the Israeli army targeted a group of journalists, including the TRT Arabic team, who were reporting at the Nuseirat refugee camp. Some journalists were injured after being hit by the tank fire.

TRT Arabi correspondent Sami Berhum and other journalists were also injured in the attack.

According to the Gaza Media Office, at least 140 journalists have lost their lives in Israeli attacks in Gaza.

The Israeli army announced yesterday that it had launched a "surprise military operation" in central Gaza, which led to the killings of many Palestinians.

TRT's Director General Zahid Sobaci condemned the attack, describing it as a "brutality" with "no moral, legal or humanitarian limits."

1054 GMT — France has issued a travel advisory to its citizens, urging them to refrain travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel or Palestinian territories, citing a potential military escalation in "the coming days".

Paris has also called on the families of French diplomats to leave Iran as soon as possible, according to the statement issued by Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephane Sejourne.

2130 GMT — The United States has restricted movements of diplomats in Israel over security fears, the embassy said, as concerns mount of Iranian retaliation over an Israeli strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus that left seven Iranians dead.

"Out of an abundance of caution, US government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel" outside the Tel Aviv, West Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva areas "until further notice," an embassy notice said.

The "imperative for Iran" to retaliate for the attack on its embassy compound in Damascus might have been avoided had the UN Security Council condemned the strike, Tehran's mission to the United Nations said on Thursday.

"Had the UN Security Council condemned the Zionist regime’s reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus and subsequently brought to justice its perpetrators, the imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime might have been obviated," the mission said on the social media platform X.

Iran uses the term "Zionist regime" to refer to Israel which destroyed Tehran's consulate building in Damascus on April 1.

2126 GMT — Israelis protest against Netanyahu in Tel Aviv

Protesters have again taken to the streets in Tel Aviv to demonstrate against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of dozens of captives held in Gaza.

Demonstrators carried large photos of captives as well as signs with slogans, some in English and some in Hebrew.

For our live updates from Thursday, April 11, click here.