Live blog: Gaza aid convoys shouldn't be attacked — US to Israel

Thursday, May 2, 2024

1739 GMT — Israel should prevent further attacks on aid convoys bound for Gaza after Israeli settlers attacked a shipment from Jordan, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

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1825 GMT — Khan Younis' al-Amal Hospital resume partial operations

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) resumed partial operations at the Al-Amal Hospital in southern Gaza's Khan Younis.

The medical facility had been out of service for over a month following an Israeli army raid amid its ongoing war on the enclave.

Medical staff at al-Amal Hospital resumed work in some departments for the first time in over a month since the Israeli incursion of Khan Younis, an Anadolu correspondent reported.

"The baby Muhammad Luay al-Raqab is the first birth case after the reopening of the maternity ward at the PRCS Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis," the non-governmental organization said on X.

1815 GMT — UN, humanitarian partners warn against Rafah invasion

The UN and humanitarian partners reiterated their warnings about the devastating impact of Israel's potential ground attack against Rafah on civilians and humanitarian operations.

At a daily news conference, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Rafah is a "crucial centre" for humanitarian operations, with dozens of humanitarian organisations having life-saving materials located there.

Dujarric said, "Rafah is absolutely central to our ongoing efforts to provide food, water, health, sanitation, hygiene and other critical support to people across Gaza."

Regarding whether Israel has provided them with information about the attack on Rafah, Dujarric responded, "We are not privy to (Israel's) their military operations."

Asked about if civilians are leaving Rafah, Dujarric stated that they do not have a clear figure on this but that they have not observed a significant humanitarian movement.

1801 GMT — Palestinian groups say top Gaza surgeon died in Israeli custody

Palestinian advocacy groups said that the head of orthopaedics at Gaza's largest hospital al-Shifa has died in Israeli custody, alleging he had been tortured during his detention.

Doctor Adnan Ahmed Atiya al-Barsh died at the Israeli-run Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank last month, the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Committee and the Palestinian Prisoners Club said in a joint statement.

Barsh, 50, had been arrested with a group of other doctors last December at Al-Awda Hospital near the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

He died on April 19, the prisoners groups said, citing Palestinian authorities.

"His body is still being held," they added.

1747 GMT — Hezbollah says it targeted Israeli sites near Lebanese border

The Lebanese Hezbollah group claimed it targeted two Israeli military sites near the border with southern Lebanon, while Israeli warplanes launched an air strike on one of the border towns.

The group said in a brief statement its fighters targeted the Zebdine site in the occupied Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon with artillery shells, and the al-Summaqa site in the hills of Kfar Shuba in southern Lebanon with appropriate weapons.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on the town of Ayta ash Shaab in the district of Tyre (south), without specifying the target of the air strike or its results.

1558 GMT — Protests haven't caused Mideast policy reconsideration — Biden

US President Joe Biden said that ongoing student-led demonstrations against Israel's war on Gaza have not brought him to reconsider how he is addressing the region.

Asked by a reporter if the demonstrations on campuses nationwide have forced him to rethink his Middle East policy, the president said succinctly: "No."

The brief remark came at the tail-end of an unscheduled speech at the White House in which Biden commented on the demonstrations, saying the US is "not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent."

"The American people are heard, in fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But neither are we a lawless country. We're a civil society, and order must prevail," he said.

1529 GMT — Gaza health workers express gratitude for pro-Palestine protests in US, Europe

Health workers in Gaza held a demonstration to thank university students in the US and Europe for their protests in solidarity with Palestine.

A statement by the government's Gaza's government media office said that dozens of health workers gathered at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah to thank the students for their demonstrations in support of Palestine and in response to the genocide in Gaza.

Speaking at the demonstration, hospital spokesperson Dr Khalil al-Dakran said that Israel carried out more than 3,000 massacres, killing more than 40,000 people, mostly women and children, and wounding at least 70,000 people.

Stating that more than 2,000 people were displaced in Gaza, Dakran said that more than 370,000 houses were destroyed and the bodies of about 10,000 people are still under the rubble of the houses.

1518 GMT — Yemen’s Houthis attacked 107 ships since November: leader

Yemen’s Houthi group said that it had targeted 107 ships since the start of Israel’s deadly offensive on Gaza.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the group’s leader, said that his fighters had carried out attacks against eight ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean and launched 33 ballistic missiles and winged drones this week.

"Some 107 ships have been targeted since November involving 606 ballistic missiles and drones," he added in a televised speech.

1432 GMT — Palestinian GDP seen falling 27% on seven months of war: UNDP

The Palestinian economy is estimated to shrink by 26.9 percent after seven months of war, with the poverty rate surging, said a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assessment released.

The estimates, released by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, also found that the Palestinian poverty rate will continue climbing to 58.4 percent.

"Every additional day that this war continues is exacting huge and compounding costs to Gazans and all Palestinians," said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner in a statement. "These new figures warn that the suffering in Gaza will not end when the war does," he added, warning of a "serious development crisis" stemming from the massive losses over a short span of time.

Should the war continue for nine months, poverty is expected to more than double from pre-war levels, while the drop in gross domestic product would reach 29 percent, the UNDP said.

1424 GMT — Israeli warplanes strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes struck two Hezbollah buildings in southern Lebanon, the military said.

A military statement said gunmen had holed up in the two buildings in the border town of Markaba. The Israeli army also reported air strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the occupied Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon.

The army also said that it had detected the launch of four missiles from Lebanon toward military sites in Har Dov (the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms), three of which were intercepted.

There was no comment from Hezbollah on the report.

1409 GMT — UN estimates rebuilding Gaza will cost $30B to $40B

A UN agency said rebuilding war-wracked Gaza will cost an estimated $30 billion to $40 billion and require an effort on a scale unseen since World War II.

"The scale of the destruction is huge and unprecedented... This is a mission that the global community has not dealt with since World War II," UN assistant secretary-general Abdallah al-Dardari told a press conference in the Jordanian capital Amman.

He added that if Gaza's reconstruction were to be carried out through the normal process, "it could take decades, and the Palestinian people do not have the luxury of waiting for decades".

"It is therefore important that we act quickly to re-house people in decent housing and restore their lives to normal — economically, socially, in terms of health and education".

"This is our top priority, and it must be achieved within the first three years following the cessation of hostilities," saying "72 percent of all residential buildings have been completely or partially destroyed".

"Reconstruction must be planned carefully, efficiently and with extreme flexibility because we do not know how the war will end" and what type of post-war governance will be established in Gaza.

1342 GMT — Türkiye's Erdogan criticises US crackdown on college protests

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has waded into the debate over US college campus protests, saying authorities were displaying "cruelty" in clamping down on pro-Palestinian students and academics.

"Conscientious students and academics including anti-Zionist Jews at some prestigious American universities are protesting the massacre (in Gaza)," Erdogan told an event in Ankara.

"These people are being subjected to violence, cruelty, suffering, and even torture for saying the massacre has to stop," he said, adding that university staff were being "sacked and lynched" for supporting the Palestinians.

"The limits of Western democracy are drawn by Israel's interests," Erdogan said. "Whatever infringes on Israel's interests is anti-democratic, antisemitic for them."

1251 GMT — Hamas studying Gaza truce proposal 'in positive spirit'— Haniya

A delegation from the Palestinian group Hamas is set to visit Egypt soon for further ceasefire talks, the group said in a statement.

The statement added that Hamas chief Ismail Haniya had affirmed the group's "positive spirit in studying the ceasefire proposal" in a phone call with Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.

Hamas said on Saturday that it had received Israel's latest position and would study it before submitting a reply.

The Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera News quoted an unidentified high-level Egyptian source as saying that the Hamas delegation would arrive in Cairo in the next two days.

1240 GMT — Italy’s premier, Jordan’s king wish diplomatic efforts on Gaza will be successful

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia​​​​​​​ Meloni met with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Rome, her office said, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a de-escalation in the Middle East.

“The premier and the king discussed the situation in the Middle East, wishing ongoing diplomatic efforts for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages will soon be successful,” her office said.

The talks between the two leaders focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to Meloni’s office.

The Italian prime minister expressed her appreciation for the key role Jordan has had with regard to humanitarian aid.

She also reiterated Italy’s commitment to supply aid to Gaza’s civilians, also in cooperation with Jordan.

1230 GMT — Palestine seeks temporary status for Gaza residents who entered Egypt during war

The Palestinian Embassy in Egypt is seeking temporary residency permits for tens of thousands of people who have arrived from Gaza during Israel's war on Gaza, which it says would ease conditions for them until the conflict is over.

Diab al-Louh, the Palestinian ambassador in Cairo, said as many as 100,000 Gaza residents had crossed into Egypt, where they lack the papers to enrol their children in schools, open businesses or bank accounts, travel, or access health insurance - though some have found ways to make a living.

Louh stressed that residency permits would only be for legal and humanitarian purposes, adding that those who arrived since the war began on Oct. 7 had no plans to settle in Egypt.

"We are talking about a category (of people) in an exceptional situation. We asked the state to give them temporary residencies that can be renewed until the crisis in Gaza is over," Louh told Reuters in an interview.

"We have confidence that our Egyptian brothers will understand this. They have already provided a lot," he said. "But ... this is an issue of sovereignty being discussed at the highest level."

1143 GMT — Egyptian media report 'positive progress' in Gaza truce talks

Egyptian state media reported "positive progress" on in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas regarding a truce in Gaza.

"Positive progress has been made in the truce negotiations amid intensive Egyptian contacts with all parties," said the state-run Al-Qahera News channel, citing a high-level Egyptian source.

1127 GMT — Israel reviewing alternatives to Rafah invasion: report

Israel is looking into alternatives to its planned invasion of Rafah city at the southern tip of Gaza, local media said.

"Security services are examining alternatives to a large-scale operation in Rafah, if this operation does not take place," Army Radio said.

"The Israeli security services insist on launching an operation at the Philadelphi Corridor (on the border between Gaza and Egypt) to cut off Hamas’ smuggling routes," the radio said.

1126 GMT — Erdogan urges Muslim world to act in unity to halt Israel’s attack on Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the Muslim world to act in unity to ensure the cessation of Israel's attacks on Gaza.

In a phone call with Gambian President Adama Barrow, Erdogan discussed the ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestine and the agenda of the 15th Islamic Summit to be held in Gambia, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said on X.

The Turkish president expressed hope that the decisions to be made at the summit will be auspicious, adding that his country will be represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the event.

He said that "joint steps could be taken in the upcoming period to enhance relations between Türkiye and Gambia," the directorate said.

1111 GMT — Israel fears being blacklisted by UN over Gaza onslaught

Fears are growing inside Israel about being blacklisted by the United Nations among countries harming children in conflict zones.

Israel grew worried after numerous statements made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about a brutal offensive on Gaza, which killed nearly 34,600 people, the vast majority of whom were children and women, the public broadcaster KAN reported.

A report is scheduled to be released next month by UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba on the situation of children in conflict zones, which is likely to include Israel among entities violating children’s rights.

According to KAN, Israeli officials are struggling behind the scenes to persuade the UN to correct what they call "many inaccuracies" in the draft report. If added, Israel will be listed alongside terrorist groups such as Daesh, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram.

1106 GMT — Rebuilding bombed Gaza homes may take 80 years: UN

Rebuilding homes in Gaza could drag into the next century if the pace follows the trend of previous conflicts, according to a UN report released.

Nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment have caused billions of dollars in damage, leaving many of the crowded strip's high-rise concrete buildings reduced to heaps, with a UN official referring to a "moonscape" of destruction.

Palestinian data shows that around 80,000 homes have been destroyed since October 7.

The assessment, released by the UN Development Programme, said Gaza needs "approximately 80 years to restore all the fully destroyed housing units".

However, in a best-case scenario in which construction materials are delivered five times as fast as in the last crisis in 2021, it could be done by 2040, the report said.

1100 GMT — Israeli Cabinet set to vote on closure of Al Jazeera television

The Israeli security cabinet is set to vote on Thursday on closing the office of the Doha-based Al Jazeera television, according to local media.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has given the green light for the cabinet to consider the closure of the channel in Israel, the public broadcaster KAN reported.

There was no comment yet from the pan-Arab channel on the Israeli move.

1050 GMT — Police, protesters face-off at UCLA in campus unrest over Gaza

Hundreds of police and protesters were in a tense stand-off at the University of California, Los Angeles as unrest over Israel's war in Gaza simmers on US campuses.

Officers in riot gear moved in to start removing some barricades around the protest encampment, CNN footage showed, with several protesters detained.

Police used flashbangs to disperse the crowds gathered outside the encampment who were chanting "Let them go!," an AFP journalist at the scene reported as helicopters hovered overhead.

"This is a peaceful protest, there are no counter-protesters tonight, so to call the police on them is despicable. This city should support them," LA resident Jack Bedrosian who came along to show support told AFP.

1041 GMT — Iraq students rally for Gaza and US campus protests

Dozens of Iraqi university students and professors rallied at a Baghdad campus in solidarity with Gaza and pro-Palestinian protests at US universities, AFP correspondents said.

Students at Al-Nahrain University waved the Palestinian and Iraqi flags.

"With all that is happening to our people in Gaza... of course, I must be among the first to come to raise our voice," student Aya Kader, 20, said.

"It is very positive to see the Palestinian flag being waved at American universities," she said.

Weeks-long pro-Palestinian protests that have swept campuses across the United States have "encouraged us", she added.

Students and professors also carried banners calling for a "free Palestine", with some wearing the keffiyeh scarf that has long been a symbol of the Palestinian cause.

"We are here to tell them to stop the killing and to thank the free voices around the world," said Professor Jomaa Salman, head of the engineering faculty.

"If the storming of Columbia University had happened in another country, especially in a third world country, they would have moved heaven on earth."

1039 GMT — Organizers of Eurovision Song Contest ready to remove Palestinian flags or symbols

Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest said they reserve the right to remove any Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols at the show next week in Sweden.

Michelle Roverelli, the head of communications for the European Broadcasting Union that runs the show each year, said ticket buyers are only allowed to bring and display flags that represent countries that take part in the event, as well as the rainbow-colored flag.

The Geneva-based EBU reserves the right “to remove any other flags or symbols, clothing, items and banners being used for the likely purpose of instrumentalizing the TV shows,” she told The Associated Press in a text message.

Swedish news agency TT reported that anyone who tries to bring a Palestinian flag or a sign with a political message will be stopped at the entrance by guards.

1013 GMT — Iran slaps sanctions on US, UK individuals, entities over Gaza war

Iran has imposed a slew of sanctions on US and British individuals and entities for their alleged involvement in “terrorism and human rights violations” by supporting the Israeli war on Gaza.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the sanctions on US individuals and institutions are in line with Iran’s law on “countering violation of human rights and terrorist activities of the United States in the region.”

The ministry referred to the US “support and financing” of Israel’s “terrorist acts” and “gross human rights violations” against the Palestinian people in besieged Gaza.

0855 GMT — Palestinian death toll nears 34,600 as Israel still bombs Gaza

The Palestinian death toll has surged to 34,596 as Israel continued its deadly offensive on Gaza since last October, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement added that 77,816 other people had been injured in the onslaught.

“At least 28 Palestinians were killed and 51 others injured in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

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

0844 GMT — Israeli forces raid several cities in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army detained 15 more Palestinians in military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

A woman was among the detainees in the raids that targeted the cities of East Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Nablus, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said i n a joint statement.

The new arrests brought to 8,550 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since last October, according to Palestinian figures.

Witnesses said clashes erupted when Israeli forces raided the Jalazoun refugee camp near Ramallah.

At least one Palestinian was reportedly injured in the violence.

0827 GMT — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters detained across US colleges

Amid ongoing demonstrations at universities across the US in solidarity with Palestine, US police have arrested hundreds of students this week as university campus administrators seek to repress pro-Palestinian encampments and protests.

The demonstrations. which started on April 17 at Columbia University to protest Israel's offensive in Gaza, quickly spread to other campuses including Yale and Harvard.

The University of California, Los Angeles, emerged Wednesday as another sticking point between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and the police as law enforcement, some wearing riot gear, entered the campus.

The police asked demonstrators to clear out the area to avoid arrest, which they refused.

A Stony Brook University official noted that 29 people "including students, faculty members and others from outside our campus community" have been arrested "for violating various legal statutes and university policies," the Axios news website reported.

Multiple students protesting the Gaza war were detained at separate demonstrators at the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College, New Hampshire State Police said on X.

0420 GMT — Biden keeps quiet as Gaza protesters and police clash on college campuses

President Joe Biden is staying mum about student protests and police crackdowns as Republicans try to turn campus unrest over the war in Gaza into a campaign cudgel against Democrats.

Biden's last public comment came more than a week ago, when he condemned “antisemitic protests” and “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”

The White House, which has been peppered with questions by reporters, has gone only slightly further than the president. On Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden is “monitoring the situation closely," and she said some demonstrations had stepped over a line that separated free speech from unlawful behaviour.

“Forcibly taking over a building," such as what happened at Columbia University in New York, "is not peaceful," she said.

Despite the White House's criticism and Biden's refusal to heed protesters' demands to cut off US support for Israel, Republicans blame Democrats for the disorder and have used it as a backdrop for press conferences.

0320 GMT — US, Israeli defence chiefs discuss Rafah invasion — Pentagon

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant discussed a possible Israeli ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Pentagon said.

In a phone call, Austin and Gallant also exchanged views on ongoing hostage negotiations and humanitarian assistance efforts, Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Austin reaffirmed the US’ commitment to the unconditional return of all hostages and conveyed the importance of increasing the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza while ensuring the safety of civilians and aid workers, Ryder said.

0102 GMT — Israel threatens to retaliate against Palestinian Authority if ICC issues arrest warrants

Israel has threatened in discussions with US counterparts that it will retaliate against the Palestinian Authority (PA) if the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues arrests warrants for senior Israeli officials, according to a report.

Israel has been increasingly fretting over the possibility of arrest warrants being handed down by the ICC against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Israel Defense Forces, the Axios news website reported, citing two anonymous Israeli and US officials.

Israel has told the US it has information that PA officials are pressuring the ICC prosecutor to hand down the warrants.

Israel could choose to withhold the PA's tax revenue, which it collects and then distributes to the government. The economic retaliation could lead to the collapse of the PA, which administers some areas of the occupied West Bank under the landmark 1993 Oslo Accords.

0009 GMT — Students at New York's Fordham University set up Gaza solidarity encampment

A group of students at Fordham University in New York City has set up a Gaza solidarity encampment, joining similar encampments launched nationwide to demand an end to Israel's carnage in the blockaded enclave.

Many students gathered in the lobby of the Leon Lowenstein Center, a building at the university's Lincoln Center campus, setting up five tents as part of the encampment in solidarity with Palestinians.

The university administration handed students notices written by Lincoln Center student dean Jenifer Campbell instructing them to leave Fordham University property immediately.

The university said it was also suspending the students from on-campus housing, classes, final exams and all events.

2216 GMT — 50+ Democrats urge Biden to prevent Israeli invasion of Rafah

US President Joe Biden's administration has faced renewed pressure from his fellow Democrats to influence ally Israel not to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the city where almost half of besieged Gaza's 2.4 million people have taken refuge.

Fifty-seven of the 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives signed a letter calling on the administration to take every possible measure to dissuade hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government from an all-out assault on the city near the Egyptian border.

"We urge you to invoke existing law and policy to immediately withhold certain offensive military aid to the Israeli government, including aid sourced from legislation already signed into law, in order to preempt a full-scale assault on Rafah," said the letter, dated Wednesday.

2340 GMT — Israel kills 7 Palestinians in central Gaza

Israel has killed at least seven Palestinians and wounded several others after striking the city of Al-Zahra and the town of Al-Mughraqa north of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

"The bodies of seven martyrs were brought to Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat camp as a result of an Israeli air strike targeting the city of Al-Zahra and the town of Al-Mughraqa north of the camp," medical sources told Anadolu Agency.

An Anadolu correspondent reported that the Israeli army intensified its air strikes on the two locations as part of an operation to expand the Nitzarim Corridor between the southern and northern parts of besieged Gaza.

2206 GMT — Hamas hails Colombia cutting ties with Israel

Hamas resistance group has hailed as a "victory" Colombia's decision to cut ties with Israel over its carnage in besieged Gaza.

"We greatly appreciate the position of Colombian President Gustavo Petro... which we consider a victory for the sacrifices of our people and their just cause," Hamas said in a statement, calling for other countries in Latin America to follow suit.

2230 GMT — Barclays says it does not invest in defence firms supplying Israel

Barclays does not invest its own money in companies that supply weapons used by Israel in Gaza, the British bank has said, because it is not an investor and instead trades shares of listed companies for clients.

The statement came after one of its branches in London's financial district was called out by pro-Palestine activists.

The bank has also faced criticism for providing financial services to defence firms that produce equipment used by the Israeli military.

Besides urging customers to boycott the bank, demonstrators have expanded protests to include defacing buildings and branches, using red paint to symbolise the bloodshed in Gaza.

Barclays' branch in Moorgate, central London, was the latest to be hit on May 1, traditionally a day of activism across many countries.

"We have been asked why we invest in nine defence companies supplying Israel, but this mistakes what we do," the lender said on its website.

"We trade in shares of listed companies in response to client instruction or demand and that may result in us holding shares.

For our live updates from Wednesday, May 1, click here.