Live blog: No signs of Israel's Rafah invasion in coming days —White House

Monday, March 25, 2024

1816 GMT — The White House has said it has not seen indications or a plan for an Israeli invasion of Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town on the Egyptian border, in the coming days.

"We haven't seen any indication that the Israelis are imminently getting ready to conduct a ground operation in Rafah," White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. "There's no sense right now that this is about to happen in coming days," he said.

Earlier, the White House said it was disappointed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had cancelled a high-level Israeli delegation's planned visit to Washington.

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1852 GMT — South Africa welcomes adoption of UN Security Council resolution

South Africa has said it welcomes the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

"It is now the responsibility of the United Nations Security Council to ensure that there is compliance with the resolution, which is binding on the parties," South Africa's department of international relations and cooperation said in a statement.

1849 GMT — Israeli minister quits Netanyahu's unity government

A veteran Israeli minister who joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency unity government after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack has said he had resigned after not being included in the highest-level war cabinet.

Gideon Saar joined the unity government along with several other members of the opposition to help manage the war on Hamas in Gaza.

"I can't carry the responsibility if I do not have, in my judgment, a real possibility to influence the direction of policy. I simply do not see any benefit in this," Saar said in broadcast remarks.

1819 GMT — White House 'perplexed' by Israel scrapping delegation visit

The White House has said it was "perplexed" by Israel's decision to cancel the visit of a delegation that was to discuss US concerns over a possible offensive in southern Gaza.

"We're kind of perplexed" by the move, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists, saying it "seems like the (Israeli) prime minister's office is choosing to create a perception of daylight here when they don't need to."

1744 GMT — Israel carrying out acts of genocide in Gaza: UN expert

An independent expert working with the UN’s top human rights body says there are "reasonable grounds" to believe Israel has been carrying out genocide in Gaza.

The report from Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, cited Israeli policies and the “patterns of violence” during Israel’s military operation in Gaza since October 7.

It accused Israeli military forces and government leaders of having intentionally violated the laws of war and protections that they confer, “in an attempt to legitimise genocidal violence against the Palestinian people.”

"By analysing the patterns of violence and Israel’s policies in its onslaught on Gaza, this report concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating Israel’s commission of genocide is met," said the report, entitled “Anatomy of a Genocide.”

1737 GMT — Palestinian Authority welcomes UN's Gaza ceasefire vote

The Palestinian Authority has hailed the UN Security Council's demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and said the fighting must end permanently.

"We welcome the UN Security Council resolution," Hussein al-Sheikh, minister for civilian affairs in the Authority which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said on social media platform X.

"We call for a permanent cessation to this criminal war and Israel's immediate withdrawal from the Gaza Strip."

1731 GMT — Egypt calls for immediate implementation of UN Gaza resolution

Egypt has called for an immediate implementation of a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

A statement by the Foreign Ministry said Egypt welcomed the UN resolution despite its imbalance and limited timeframe.

"Egypt calls for the immediate implementation of the ceasefire in a way that opens the way for dealing with all elements of the crisis," it added.

It said the adoption of the resolution “represents an important and necessary first step to put an end to the bloodshed and prevent more Palestinian civilian casualties and to provide the opportunity for humanitarian aid to enter the strip.”

1719 GMT — US to warn Israel on Rafah 'mistake' despite delegation canceling

The United States said Monday it will find ways to warn Israel against an attack on Rafah after a delegation to discuss US concerns was scrapped to protest a UN ceasefire resolution.

"We believe this type of full-scale invasion would be a mistake," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would likely discuss Rafah with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

1659 GMT — US sees Israeli decision to pull out of talks as overreaction

The United States is perplexed by Israel's abrupt decision to withdraw from scheduled talks this week about Gaza and considers it an overreaction to US abstention from a UN vote, a US official has told reporters.

The official told a small group of reporters that domestic political tensions in Israel probably were responsible for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision not to send an Israeli delegation to Washington for the talks.

President Joe Biden has no plans to call Netanyahu about the decision nor did Netanyahu call Biden about it in advance, the official added.

1654 GMT — UN says humanitarian chief Griffiths quitting for health reasons

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, who has played a key role in pressing for aid to Gaza and earlier led efforts in Yemen, is quitting due to ill health, the world body has said.

Griffiths, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, "has informed the secretary-general of his intention to step down for health reasons," a UN spokesperson said.

1648 GMT — 'Unforgivable' if Gaza ceasefire resolution not implemented: Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the implementation of the first Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza after Israel voiced anger.

"This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable," Guterres wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

1624 GMT — Türkiye, Jordan welcome the UNSC Gaza decision

Jordan and türkiye have welcomed the UN Security Council’s resolution on Gaza, with both countries saying Israel must comply with the resolution's demands.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said in a statement that the resolution was "a positive step."

“We call on the international community to take a united stand against Israel to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and to find a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the spokesman said.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufyan Al Qudah noted the resolution "emphasises protecting civilians and allowing the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid."

1622 GMT — Israel 'will not stop war' until hostages freed: defence minister

Israel will not end its war against Hamas until militants free hostages, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said in Washington after Israel cancelled another US-bound delegation over a UN Security Council ceasefire call.

"We have no moral right to stop the war while there are still hostages held in Gaza. The lack of a decisive victory in Gaza may bring us closer to a war in the north," Gallant said ahead of meetings with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

1549 GMT — Hamas welcomes UNSC resolution, ready for prisoners exchange

Hamas has issued a statement welcoming a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it "affirms readiness to engage in immediate prisoner swaps on both sides."

The resolution passed on Monday demands an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages after the United States abstained from the vote.

1600 GMT — UN resolution must be 'turning point' for Gaza: Palestine

The Palestinian envoy in emotional remarks to the UN Security Council said that the approval of a ceasefire resolution needed to be a "turning point" in ending the Gaza war.

"This must be a turning point," Riyad Mansour said, holding back tears. "This must signal the end of this assault, of atrocities against our people."

1532 GMT — US abstention in UN vote 'hurts' war effort: Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said the US abstention on a UN Security Council Gaza ceasefire call hurt Israel's fight against Hamas and the effort to release hostages held in the territory.

"It gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to accept a ceasefire without the release of our abductees," Netanyahu said, cancelling the departure of a delegation set to leave for consultations in Washington.

1522 GMT — Gaza ceasefire can 'only' start if Hamas releases hostage: US

The United States said that a ceasefire voted for Monday by the United Nations can "only" be implemented once Hamas begins releasing hostages it still holds.

"A ceasefire can begin immediately with the release of the first hostage," Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said after the United States, which vetoed previous drafts, abstained in the UN Security Council vote.

"This is the only path to securing a ceasefire."

1521 GMT — France urges 'permanent ceasefire' in Gaza after UN vote

France has urged work on a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after the Security Council for the first demanded a truce but for the ongoing month of Ramadan.

"This crisis is not over. Our council will have to remain mobilized and immediately get back to work.

After Ramadan, which ends in two weeks, it will have to establish a permanent ceasefire," said France's UN representative, Nicolas de Riviere.

1520 GMT — Netanyahu cancels Israeli delegation to Washington after Gaza vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would not send a delegation as planned to Washington after the United States did not veto a UN Security Council proposal calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Netanyahu, according to a statement from his office, said that Washington's failure to veto the proposal was a "clear retreat" from its previous position, and would hurt war efforts against Hamas in Gaza as well as efforts to release over 130 hostages.

"In light of the change in the American position, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided the delegation would not leave," his office said.

The high-level delegation was due to travel to Washington to discuss a planned Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

1453 GMT — Hamas blames US for disrupting talks with Israel

Hamas has accused the United States of disrupting ceasefire talks the resistance group has been holding with the Israeli government.

In a statement, Hamas said the US should not be a mediator due to its support of Israel.

"The American administration is the main reason for stalling any agreement," senior Hamas official Husam Badran said in a statement. He also described Washington as a "military partner" of Israel, making it unfit to play the role of mediator.

The US has provided Israel with key diplomatic and military support throughout the war.

1449 GMT — Palestinian Red Crescent calls for safe passage for Gaza hospital

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has called for providing safe humanitarian passage for medics and patients at al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza.

Israeli forces raided the hospital on Sunday as part of its ongoing offensive on Gaza.

The organisation said Israeli troops forced the medical staff and wounded Palestinians to evacuate the hospital Sunday night.

"While attempting to leave through the military checkpoint, the teams encountered difficulty moving due to extensive excavation and infrastructure destruction," it said.

1346 GMT — Israel denounces Israel's blocking of UNRWA aid to Gaza

Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin on Monday said Israel's blocking of UNRWA aid deliveries into northern Gaza is "completely unacceptable."

"On humanitarian access to Gaza, (UN Secretary-General) Antonio Guterres is crystal clear; blocked aid is a ‘moral outrage’. The use of starvation as a weapon of war is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law," he said on X.

1438 GMT — UNSC for first time seeks 'immediate' Gaza truce as US abstains

The United Nations Security Council has demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian resistance Hamas and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages after the United States abstained from the vote.

The resolution, which demands an "immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that leads to a "lasting" truce, went through, with all other 14 Security Council members voting yes.

It also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

The Security Council resolution also "emphasises the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to and reinforce the protection of civilians in the entire Gaza Strip and reiterates its demand for the lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale."

1410 GMT — Netanyahu threatens to cancel delegation to US over UN Gaza vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not send a delegation as planned to Washington if the United States does not veto a UN Security Council proposal calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli news website Ynet reported on Monday.

A high-level delegation is due to travel to Washington to discuss a planned Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu's office on Ynet's report.

1358 GMT — White House's Sullivan to meet Israeli defence minister: official

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan planned to meet with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss hostage talks, humanitarian aid and protecting civilians in Rafah, a White House official has said.

The meeting is separate from an upcoming meeting between senior officials from the United States and Israel to discuss Israel's plan for Rafah, the official said.

1354 GMT — Israel will stop working with UNRWA in Gaza: government

Israel will stop working with the UN Relief Works Agency in Gaza, a government spokesperson has said, accusing the aid agency of perpetuating conflict

"UNRWA are part of the problem, and we will now stop working with them. We are actively phasing out the use of UNRWA because they perpetuate the conflict rather than try and alleviate the conflict," spokesperson David Mencer told reporters.

1352 GMT — Germany: more humanitarian aid for Gaza is its 'big political priority'

The German government has said that providing more urgently needed humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza is its “big political priority.”

Berlin is "working intensively to ensure that more humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza. It is our big political priority that more humanitarian aid comes into Gaza,” deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Christian Wagn er told media representatives in Berlin.

Asked about Israel’s decision to prevent the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, from operating in northern Gaza, Wagner replied while he could not give any assessment yet, "any news that gives the impression that the already insufficient humanitarian aid is being reduced again is of course not a good thing.”

1302 GMT — Aid groups report 'unimaginable' conditions in Gaza hospital

Aid groups that visited a packed Gaza hospital described an "unimaginable" situation in which large open wounds were left untreated.

An emergency medical team organised by three aid groups spent two weeks carrying out surgeries and other care at the European Gaza Hospital near Khan Younis. The southern city has seen heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance groups since the start of the year.

In a statement, the team said healthcare workers had been forced to evacuate or were unable to access the hospital.

It said Israeli restrictions had led to shortages of medical supplies, including basics like gauze and plates and screws used to stabilise broken bones.

1126 GMT — Pro-Palestine group targets dual-national Israeli soldiers over Gaza with legal action

A pro-Palestine group based in Europe is ramping up its efforts for justice for victims of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, focusing particularly on legal action against soldiers in the Israeli military.

More precisely, the March 30 Movement is going after Israeli soldiers who hold dual nationality of European nations.

Since last October when Israel launched its war on Gaza, the group has filed more than a dozen cases at local courts in the Netherlands and at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Its latest case was filed at the ICC last Friday against Yoel Ohnona, a French-Israeli soldier, on charges of torturing Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

1014 GMT — Israel warns Europe against Palestinian statehood recognition

Israel has told four European countries that their plan to work toward recognition of a Palestinian state constituted a "prize for terrorism" that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the conflict between the neighbours.

Spain said on Friday that, in the name of Middle East peace, it had agreed with Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to take first steps toward recognising statehood declared by the Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza.

"Recognition of a Palestinian state following the October 7 massacre sends a message to Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations that murderous terror attacks on Israelis will be reciprocated with political gestures to the Palestinians," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X.

"A resolution of the conflict will only be possible through direct negotiations between the parties. Any engagement in the recognition of a Palestinian state only distances reaching a resolution and increases regional instability."

He did not specify what kind of resolution he had in mind. Israel, whose governing coalition includes pro-settlement far-rightists, has long ruled out Palestinian statehood.

1055 GMT — Israel arrests 15 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

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

A child and former prisoners were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

Most of the arrests took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Jenin, Ramallah and Jerusalem, the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 7,770 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied territory since October 7, 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

1052 GMT — Gaza death toll rises to 32,333: Health Ministry

At least 32,333 Palestinians have been killed and 74,694 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 7, the health ministry in the enclave said.

There have been 107 Palestinians killed and 176 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry statement added.

1025 GMT — Israel kills dozens in Gaza attacks and besieges two hospitals: medics

Israel's military killed dozens of people in new attacks in Gaza, Palestinian medics said, and its forces maintained a blockade of two hospitals where they say Hamas fighters are hiding.

Palestinian medics said 30 people had been killed in the previous 24 hours in Rafah, whose population has been swollen by displaced Palestinians escaping fighting elsewhere in Gaza after more than five months of war.

"Every bombing that takes place in Rafah, we fear the tanks will come in. The past 24 hours were one of the worst days since we moved into Rafah," said Abu Khaled, a father of seven, who declined to give his full name for fear of reprisals.

0956 GMT — UN agency a 'lifeline of hope' for Palestinian refugees: Guterres

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres defended the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, describing it as a "lifeline of hope and dignity."

During a visit to the Wihdat refugee camp in the Jordanian capital Amman, Guterres said it would be "cruel and incomprehensible" to halt UNRWA's vital services to Palestinian refugees across the region.

"We must strive to keep the one-of-a-kind services that UNRWA provides flowing because that keeps hope flowing," Guterres said during his visit to the camp.

"In a darkening world, UNRWA is the one ray of light for millions of people. I see that hope here. Now more than ever, we must not take away that hope."

0934 GMT — Israel seeks alternative routes to get weapons for its attacks on Gaza: report

Israel is exploring alternative routes to get weapons to sustain its ongoing offensive on Gaza, Israel's public broadcaster said, amid tensions with the US over the launch of military assault in Rafah city in southern Gaza.

It quoted an unnamed security official as saying that tensions with the US over the Rafah operation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will have an impact on Washington's readiness to continue assisting Israel at the same pace.

The US, Israel's staunchest supporter, recently differed with Tel Aviv over the danger of starting a military offensive in the densely populated Palestinian city of Rafah.

0925 GMT — Israel bars Palestinian Christians from entering Jerusalem for Palm Sunday celebrations

Palestinian Christians from the occupied West Bank were barred by the Israeli authorities from entering the occupied East Jerusalem to participate in the Palm Sunday religious event.

Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement condemned Israel's action and called for "binding international measures to ensure the freedom of access for Palestinians to their holy capital."

"The occupation deprives Christian citizens of access to Jerusalem, is a commitment to its separation from its Palestinian surroundings, annexation, and Judaization," the statement added.

0918 GMT — British activists push for halt to Israel arms sales

The International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) interim ruling that Israeli forces may well be committing genocide in Gaza should be enough for countries like the UK to suspend arms sales to Israel, according to British activists.

The southwestern city of Bristol was the site of pro-Palestine protests even before the beginning of Israel’s attacks on Gaza last October as it hosts the headquarters of Elbit Systems, a weapons manufacturing company that has long been accused of being complicit in the Israeli onslaught against the enclave.

In an interview with Anadolu, Eldin Fahmy, a senior lecturer at the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol, said Elbit is "very secretive" about their activities in the UK.

Fahmy said the firm is involved in supplying Israel with weapons "that are used in violence against Palestinians," including manufacturing military drones to target Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

"So they are complicit with Israel's actions in Gaza today," he said.

0826 GMT — China supports new UN Security Council draft resolution on Gaza ceasefire

China said it supported a new draft resolution at the UN Security Council on an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza, after it and Russia vetoed an earlier text proposed by the United States.

"China supports this draft resolution and commends Algeria and other Arab countries for their hard work in this regard," foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.

"We hope the Security Council will pass it as soon as possible and send a strong signal for the cessation of hostilities," he said.

0342 GMT — UN Security Council to vote on new Gaza ceasefire resolution

The UN Security Council will vote on a new draft resolution on an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza, after Russia and China vetoed an earlier text proposed by the United States.

The Council has been divided over Israel's war on Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Palestinian group Hamas, approving only two of eight resolutions, with both dealing mainly with humanitarian aid to the devastated besieged enclave.

Permanent Council member and key Israel backer the United States has unequivocally supported Israel.

But with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepening, the United States has tempered its support for Israel over its conduct of the war.

2300 GMT — UN agency for Palestinians barred from north Gaza aid deliveries

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said that Israel had definitively barred it from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest.

"Despite the tragedy unfolding under our watch, the Israeli Authorities informed the UN that they will no longer approve any @UNRWA food convoys to the north," Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the agency, said on X. "This is outrageous & makes it intentional to obstruct lifesaving assistance during a man made famine."

UNRWA director of communications Juliette Touma told AFP the decision had been relayed in a meeting with Israeli military officials. It followed two denials in writing for convoy deliveries to the north last week.

No reason for the decision was given, Touma said.

2240 GMT — Preventing UNRWA from operating in Gaza deepens famine: Palestine

Israel's decision to prevent the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA from operating in northern Gaza is "deepening the famine and eliminating the rights of refugees," the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The ministry condemned in its statement the decision by Israeli authorities to no longer approve the passage of the agency's food convoys into the region, considering it "very dangerous, as it will deepen the famine and murders through starvation and thirst."

The ministry also saw the decision as "a direct threat to a prestigious and credible UN institution that serves the issues of Palestinian refugees and is concerned with their rights, not only in the occupied Palestinian territory, but also for Palestinian refugees in the region, especially their right to return."

2200 GMT — Palestine Red Crescent loses contact with teams at Al Amal Hospital

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that it lost contact with its teams at Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza after the Israeli army stormed the facility in the morning.

"Communication has been lost with the Palestine Red Crescent Society team at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis due to the VHF wireless communication wave going out of service," it said on X.

"Various land and cellular communication means, as well as internet services, are still disconnected in Khan Younis Governorate for the 72nd consecutive day," it added.

2200 GMT — Galatasaray winger Kerem Akturkoglu condemns Israel's attack on Al Shifa Hospital

Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray's winger Kerem Akturkoglu condemned Israel's attack on Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza in a post on his official Instagram account.

"What is humanity waiting for to stop to this oppression, rape and terrorism? Do human rights, the inviolability of life, property and chastity only apply to a part of the world?" he wrote, adding: "Oh Allah, we, your servants, are powerless to stop this disgrace. Help us!"

Akturkoglu also shared a photo depicting a destroyed Al Shifa Hospital with the words "person," "woman" and "child" crossed out followed by the word "rights."

For our live updates from Sunday, March 24, click here.