Live blog: Israel to be held ‘undoubtedly’ accountable for crimes in Gaza

Saturday, March 9, 2024

2150 GMT — Israel will be held “undoubtedly" accountable for crimes against people in Gaza, according to Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry spokesman.

“Israel is a state being prosecuted for genocide charges at the International Court of Justice, and the Israeli Government is held responsible for all crimes committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Oncu Keceli wrote X.

“The conscience of humanity and international law will undoubtedly ensure that Israeli officials are held accountable,” Keceli wrote about statements by Israeli government members.

Keceli added that Israeli government members’ efforts to change the agenda cannot “overshadow these facts. “

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2240 GMT — Death toll from malnutrition, dehydration at Gaza hospitals surges to 25

The death toll from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza has risen to 25, following the deaths of two more victims, including an infant, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said.

“A two-month-old female baby died at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and another aged 20 at Al Shifa Medical Complex, due to malnutrition and dehydration,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The announced toll of malnutrition and dehydration victims reflects only those who have reached hospitals,” it said. “The increasing number of malnutrition and dehydration victims is extremely worrying and confirms that famine in northern Gaza has reached lethal levels.”

2217 GMT — 5 killed in Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon

Five Lebanese were killed and more than nine others, including members of one family, were injured in an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in southern Lebanon, the state’s national news agency reported.

“An Israeli raid targeted a house in the Ain neighbourhood in the centre of Khirbet Selm town, resulting in the death of a family of 4, who had fled from the town of Blida, and injuring more than 9 others,” said the agency.

It pointed out that “Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at the house, resulting in the martyrdom of the father from the Marji family, his pregnant wife from the Fakih family, their two sons, and another person.”

2150 GMT — Another Israeli officer killed in battle in southern Gaza: Army

Another Israeli officer was killed in fighting in southern Gaza, the army said.

“Yesterday (Friday), Major Amishar Ben David Malle was killed in battle in southern Gaza,” the army said in a statement.

Israeli army data shows the number of fatalities in its ranks in the Gaza war since October 7 reached 587, including 247 since the start of a Israeli ground operation into Gaza on October 27.

1840 GMT — Spain PM to propose parliament recognise Palestinian state

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said he will propose that Spain's parliament recognises a Palestinian state.

"I do this out of moral conviction, for a just cause and because it is the only way that the two states, Israel and Palestine, can live together in peace.”

He stressed that Spain demanded "respect for international law from Russia, and from Israel, for the violence to end, the recognition of two states, and for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza."

His comments at a rights conference in the city of Bilbao came as aid shipments were headed for Gaza amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and a new international willingness to work around Israeli restrictions.

1902 GMT — Israel says Canada, Sweden wrong to resume UNRWA funding

Israel slammed Canada and Sweden for resuming aid to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, reiterating claims that UNRWA staff in Gaza were involved in "terrorist activity."

Supporting UNRWA, which has been central to humanitarian efforts in the war-ravaged Gaza, was a "serious mistake," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.

Israel's foreign ministry called on both governments to cut funding and "not support" the humanitarian organisation.

1754 GMT — Hamas's Haniya urges swift relief for Gaza

The head of Hamas's political bureau urged Arab and Muslim leaders and scholars to act to stop the aggression against Gaza, and to quickly rescue Palestinians and isolate Israel politically and diplomatically due to the "war crimes" it commits.

"On the threshold of the month of Ramadan, we call on leaders, icons, and scholars of the ummah (Islamic community) to take effective action on various political, diplomatic, and legal fronts to immediately stop the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and protect Al-Aqsa Mosque," said Ismail Haniya on Telegram.

He stressed that "urgent need to truly relieve Palestinians in terms of food, medicine, and shelter, and to fully open the crossings to provide full and urgent needs and to completely end the blockade on people of Gaza and start a comprehensive reconstruction process."

1713 GMT — Mossad, CIA chiefs met Friday to 'advance' hostage release deal: Israel

Israel said its spy chief had met with his US counterpart as part of efforts to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

"The head of the Mossad, David Barnea, met yesterday (Friday) with the head of the CIA, Bill Burns, as part of the ceaseless efforts to advance another hostage release deal," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on behalf of the Mossad on Saturday

The statement came as mediators scrambled to secure a new truce in Israel's five-month-old war in Gaza before Ramadan, the Muslim holy month which could begin as early as Sunday, depending on the lunar calendar.

1621 GMT — Over 7,000 Palestinians detained in West Bank since October 7

The number of Palestinians detained in the occupied West Bank has risen to 7,505 since October 7, following the Israeli army's arrest of 15 Palestinians on Friday and Saturday, according to Palestinian rights groups.

The arrest operations were carried out in Nablus, Tubas, Ramallah, and Hebron, accompanied by wide-ranging raids, harassment, brutal beatings, threats against detainees and their families, as well as extensive destruction and sabotage of homes, according to the statement.

1619 GMT — Hamas reveal identities of 4 Israeli hostages killed in Gaza air strikes

Hamas's Al Qassam Brigades announced the identities of four Israeli hostages who were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

"We previously announced the killing of seven Zionist hostages as a result of the savage Zionist air strikes on the Gaza Strip and we revealed the names of three of them," said Abu Ubaida, Al Qassam Brigades spokesperson, on Telegram.

He added that "after examining and verifying the identities of the remaining four fatalities, it has been confirmed that ... Itzik Elgarat, Alex Dancyg, Ronen Angel, and Eliyahu Margalit" were killed.

1553 GMT — Türkiye, US agree on importance of ending conflict in Gaza: Turkish Foreign Ministry

Türkiye and the US agreed on the significance of finding a way to end the conflict in Gaza, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Türkiye, US in joint statement emphasise the importance of finding a way to end the conflict in Gaza, and to immediately overcome the humanitarian crisis," the ministry said in the statement released after the meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington.

1452 GMT — Thousands march in London pro-Palestinian rally

Thousands of protesters marched in central London to call for a ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing bombardments by Israel since October 7.

The march, from Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy, was the fifth major demonstration of the year so far in the capital.

"We will continue to protest until a ceasefire is called, and until there is an end to all UK complicity with Israel's decades-long oppression of the Palestinian people," march organiser Ben Jamal said ahead of the protest.

1319 GMT — Casualties reported as Israel targets Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza

Several Palestinians were killed and many others injured as the Israeli army again targeted hundreds of people who were waiting for aid trucks east and west of Gaza City.

"A number of dead and wounded arrived at the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City after being targeted by Israeli drones while they were waiting for aid trucks to arrive in the areas of the Kuwait and Nabulsi Roundabouts," medical sources told Anadolu.

They added that many of the wounded are in serious condition, while there are no capabilities to provide them with the necessary treatment.

1315 GMT — Gaza reconstruction will require $90B: Egypt's Sisi

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi said that the reconstruction of Gaza, adjacent to the border with his country, will require $90 billion.

He pointed out in a speech at the Cairo Convention Center that "what happened in Gaza is a challenge to Egypt and the entire region."

"The Rafah crossing is open 24/7, and we are keen to bring aid into the Gaza Strip," he added.

He also noted that Egypt "airdrops aid into Gaza because of the difficulties facing the process of bringing it in by land."

1224 GMT — UN Palestinian refugee agency at 'risk of death', UNRWA chief says

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency is at "risk of death" after a string of donors suspended their funding over Israeli allegations some staff took part in the October 7 attacks, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said.

"The agency is at risk of death, it is risking dismantlement," Lazzarini said.

"What is at stake is the fate of the Palestinians today in Gaza in the short term who are going through an absolutely unprecedented humanitarian crisis."

1140 GMT — Israel strikes landmark residential tower in southern Rafah as truce talks stall

Israel struck one of the largest residential towers in Rafah in the southern Gaza, residents said, stepping up pressure on the last area of the enclave it has not yet invaded and where over a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.

The 12-floor building, located some 500 metres from the border with Egypt, was damaged in the strike.

Dozens of families were made homeless though no casualties were reported, according to residents.

1125 GMT — Gaza war 'ruptured any sense of shared humanity' — ICRC

Calling for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza, Mirjana Spoljaric, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, says Israel and Hamas must respect international law and protect civilians caught up in their conflict.

She said getting a steady, substantial flow of desperately needed aid into the besieged Palestinian territory — where the United Nations says more than 90 percent of the population is on the brink of famine — was "only part of the solution."

"Alleviating a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza starts with a clear will and measures that safeguard civilian life and human dignity, meaning both sides must conduct their military operations in a way that spares the civilians who are caught in the middle," Spoljaric said.

"The only way to achieve this is that the parties strictly adhere to international humanitarian law, which means preserving the life, dignity and humanity of all people affected by armed conflict, regardless of which side they are on.

"It is the line between humanity and barbarity," she insisted, adding "Preserving civilian life and health is the rule, not the exception."

1106 GMT — Aid boat readied as Gaza fighting rages before Ramadan

A boat carrying desperately needed aid for war-ravaged Gaza, where the UN has repeatedly warned of famine, prepared to sail from Greek-administered Cyprus.

The sea route aims to counter access restrictions, which humanitarians and Western governments have blamed on Israel, more than five months into the war which has left Gaza's 2.4 million people struggling to survive, particularly in the Palestinian territory's north.

1021 GMT — Israeli army storms Tulkarm city, Nour Shams refugee camp in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army stormed the city of Tulkarm and the Nour Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, destroying infrastructure and shooting at an ambulance belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

According to the eyewitnesses "armed clashes broke out between army forces and residents."

"Israeli army soldiers opened fire randomly ... and attacked press crews," the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

"The occupation forces bulldozed an agricultural area containing greenhouses. They also destroyed the water line in the middle of Nour Shams camp, and an electricity transformer at its entrance, causing a power outage," the agency added.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the Israeli army opened fire on one of its ambulances in the Nour Shams camp causing damage to the vehicle.

1006 GMT — Türkiye dispatched 40,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza

Türkiye has dispatched some 40,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Gaza through 19 aircraft and seven civilian aid vessels so far, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced.

Another vessel belonging to the Turkish Red Crescent, carrying 3,000 tonnes of aid and dispatched a day earlier, is expected to reach Egypt's Al Arish port on Sunday, Erdogan told the general assembly meeting of the Istanbul-based Knowledge Dissemination Foundation.

“We will increase the amount of aid throughout the (Muslim holy) month of Ramadan,” he added.

1006 GMT — Netanyahu is a present day Nazi: President Erdogan

President Erdogan has said that Netanyahu, his administration earns their place alongside Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin as Nazis of our time, with humanitarian crimes committed in Gaza.

Islamic world, with around population of 2B, regrettably failed to fulfill its duty of 'brotherhood to Palestinian people in its true sense, he added.

We are committed to holding these 'murderers' accountable under int'l law, who are already convicted in the conscience of humanity, says Türkiye's President Erdogan referring to Israel.

0934 GMT — Israel kills 82 more Palestinians in Gaza, death toll at 30,960

At least 82 Palestinians have been killed and 122 others injured in the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged Gaza, the territory's Health Ministry said.

“The Israeli occupation committed 10 massacres against families in Gaza, leaving 82 martyrs and 122 injured during the past 24 hours,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” the statement said.

“72 percent of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza are children and women,” it added.

0917 GMT — Sweden resumes aid to UN agency for Palestinians

Sweden has said it was resuming aid to the cash-strapped UN agency for Palestinians with an initial disbursement of $20 million after receiving assurances of extra checks on its spending and personnel.

Like several other countries, Sweden suspended aid to UNRWA after Israel accused about a dozen of its employees of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the conflict in Gaza.

"The government has allocated 400 million kronor to UNRWA for the year 2024. Today's decision concerns a first payment of 200 million kronor," the Swedish government said in a statement.

0845 GMT — US denies its plane involved in airdrop aid incident in Gaza, resulting in five Palestinians’ deaths

The US has denied involvement in the killing of five Palestinians who were waiting for much-needed humanitarian aid when several parachutes dropped from a plane failed to open northwest of Gaza City on Friday.

“We are aware of reports of civilians killed as a result of humanitarian airdrops,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

“Contrary to some reports, this was not the result of US airdrops,” it added.

0752 GMT — US-led coalition shoots down 15 Yemen rebel drones: CENTCOM

US and allied forces have shot down 15 one-way attack drones fired by Iran-backed Houthis into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the US military said.

It was one of the Houthis' largest attacks since they began in November a campaign of drone and missile strikes against ships in the Red Sea area, vital for world trade, in solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war in Gaza.

The US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said the "large-scale" Houthi attack occurred before dawn into the Red Sea and adjacent Gulf of Aden.

0749 GMT — US war destroyers targeted at Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: Houthis

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted US bulk carrier Propel Fortune in the Gulf of Aden, the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech.

The spokesman also said they targeted "a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones"

0745 GMT — Aid ship set to sail to Gaza on new corridor: US charity

A US charity has loaded aid for Gaza onto a boat in Greek-administered Cyprus, the first shipment to the enclave along a maritime corridor the EU Commission hopes will open this weekend.

The Spanish-flagged vessel Open Arms docked three weeks ago in the port of Larnaca in Greek-administered Cyprus, the closest European Union country to Gaza.

"World Central Kitchen teams are in Cyprus loading pallets of humanitarian aid onto a boat headed to northern Gaza," the charity said in a statement.

"We have been preparing for weeks alongside our trusted NGO partner Open Arms for the opening of a maritime aid corridor that would allow us to scale our efforts in the region," it added.

0434 GMT — Gaza 'heavy burden on conscience' of world: Türkiye

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that a permanent ceasefire has to be reached in Gaza and the door should be opened to a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel.

"It has become an indispensable responsibility to end this great tragedy and massacre experienced by our brothers in Gaza, as soon as possible and to ensure that concrete steps are taken towards this end," Fidan told Turkish reporters at a news conference in Washington.

"This is not only a heavy burden on the conscience, but also appears to be a fuse that will mobilise and ignite the countries' own societies in an unexpected way," he said.

0325 GMT — Beirut rally at UN Women headquarters supports Gaza

Dozens of Lebanese and Palestinian activists have protested in front of the UN Women's Office in Beirut and denounced the “negligent stance” by the organisation toward people in Gaza, who have been facing an Israeli onslaught, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

The protest coincided with the annual International Women's Day and was in response to calls by activists on social media platforms.

Demonstrators chanted: “Lift the siege on Gaza”, “Freedom, freedom, freedom” and “Stop fire now” to demand freedom for Gaza, lifting the siege on it and an immediate cease-fire.

0255 GMT — Rallies in Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania held in support of Palestinians in Gaza

Rallies have been held in Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania in support of Palestinians in Gaza who are experiencing a devastating Israeli onslaught for more than five months.

Anadolu reported several rallies in the Moroccan cities of Tangier, Casablanca and Oujda.

The rallies marked International Women's Day and highlighted the steadfastness of women in Gaza in the face of the Israeli occupation.

0217 GMT — Relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza block highway, burn tires to demand deal for captives

Relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza have blocked the highway between the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, demanding the government to reach an immediate deal to exchange hostages with Hamas.

“Relatives of the prisoners in Gaza closed the highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and sat inside cages demanding the immediate return of the hostages,” the Israeli Channel 12 reported.

They chanted, “the government's life is not at the expense of the hostages.”

0202 GMT — Gaza air drops won't lessen hunger: UN

The UN special rapporteur on the right to food has stressed that aid airdrops will not lessen the hunger in Gaza.

"You use airdrops as a measure of last resort when you're desperate. It is incredibly expensive and ineffective," Michael Fakhri said at a meeting in Geneva with the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the UN (ACANU).

"The amount that was airdropped will do very little to alleviate hunger, malnutrition and do nothing to slow down famine," he said.

"Also, it can create chaos. You're throwing aid into people who have been starving and have been denied humanitarian access. This will create chaos predictably."

0129 GMT — Expanding Israeli settlements a 'war crime': UN

Expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes "a war crime" and risks eliminating any likelihood of a viable Palestinian state, the UN rights chief has warned.

Volker Turk said there had been a drastic acceleration in Israeli illegal settlement building in the occupied West Bank as it wages a relentless war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

The UN high commissioner for human rights said creating and expanding settlements amounted to the transfer by Israel of its own civilian population into occupied territories.

"Such tran sfers amount to a war crime that may engage the individual criminal responsibility of those involved," Turk said in a report to the UN Human Rights Council.

Reported Israeli plans to build another 3,476 settler homes in the West Bank colonies of Maale Adumim, Efrat and Kedar "fly in the face of international law", he said.

0030 GMT — Biden says Gaza ceasefire by Ramadan 'looking tough'

US President Joe Biden has said that it would be "tough" to secure a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza by the holy month of Ramadan.

"It's looking tough," Biden told reporters when asked if a deal to halt the five-month-old war could be achieved by Ramadan, which is due to start as early as Sunday depending on the sighting of the Moon.

Biden added that "I sure am" worried about the possibility of violence in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem as Ramadan approaches, adding to a similar warning earlier this week.

Resistance group Hamas urged Palestinians to mobilise towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.

It also said there would be no compromise on the movement's demand that Israel completely withdraw from Gaza to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

2315 GMT — Terror-preacher rabbi incites Jews to commit genocide

A terror-preacher Israeli rabbi has urged the mass killings of women and children in the besieged Gaza and said he considered it a response to the teachings of halakha, or Jewish law.

Eliyahu Mali was seen making the alarming comments in a video that was widely circulated on social media.

Mali heads the extremist Shirat Moshe school in Jaffa in central Israel, where students serve in the army.

"In our mitzvah (holy) war, in our situation in Gaza, according to what the law says, ‘Not every soul shall live,’ and the logic of this is very clear: if you do not kill them, they will kill you," said Mali.

2200 GMT — More children in Gaza die of malnutrition, dehydration

Three more children have died in besieged Gaza from malnutrition and dehydration.

The children died in the Al-Shifa Hospital and the deaths bring the number of children who have died from malnutrition in Gaza to 23 since October 7, according to authorities.

Most of the children died in hospitals in the north which is reeling under a severe siege by Israel.

The United Nations Children's Fund warned on February 19 that the sharp rise in malnutrition among children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers in Gaza poses a "serious threat" to their health, particularly given Israeli forces' ongoing attacks on the enclave.

2110 GMT — Protestor disrupts Washington mayor's speech

A protestor calling for a ceasefire in Gaza has disrupted Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's speech during a ceremony for an arts festival.

Running towards the podium as Bowser was delivering remarks at the event for the start of the Artomatic arts festival in the US capital, the protestor chanted "DC artists are against apartheid".

"Here we go," Bowser said when she saw the protestor running towards her. Security stopped the protestor from reaching the mayor.

"We demand that DC calls for ceasefire," the protestor continued chanting, calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza.

The identity of the protestor is unknown, according to local reports.

For our live updates from Friday, March 8, click here.