Live blog: Israel targets aid line in Gaza again, killing Palestinians

Saturday, March 30, 2024

2100 GMT — Several Palestinians were killed and injured as the Israeli army again targeted hundreds of people who were waiting for aid trucks in the southeast of Gaza City.

The Israeli army fired shells and opened fire on dozens of Palestinians who were waiting for aid trucks at the Kuwait roundabout in the Zeitoun neighbourhood southeast of Gaza City, resulting in deaths and injuries, eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency.

According to eyewitnesses, medical teams and citizens were unable to evacuate the casualties fully and there were still people lying on the ground.

Over the past few months, the Israeli army has targeted aid recipients and popular committees distributing aid at the Kuwait roundabout, killing and injuring dozens.

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2122 GMT — Israeli army detains over 100 Patients in Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has said that the Israeli army detained 107 patients in one of the buildings of Al Shifa Medical Complex in western Gaza.

“After two weeks since the (Israeli) occupation forces raided the medical complex, there are still 107 besieged patients who have been gathered in the Human Resources Development Building living in inhumane conditions without water, electricity, or medicine,” said the ministry.

“Among the patients, there are 30 beds, in addition to 60 medical staff members,” who are detained, it said. “The occupation prevented all attempts to evacuate these patients through international institutions.”

2030 GMT — Egypt, Jordan, France oppose Israeli attack on Rafah, call for Gaza ceasefire

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and France — Sameh Shoukry, Ayman Safadi and Stephane Sejourne — expressed their opposition to a possible Israeli attack on Rafah in a joint statement released on Saturday evening following a meeting in Cairo.

The ministers called for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of all hostages,” said the statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

They expressed their concern about "the appalling humanitarian consequences, famine, and collapse of the health system in the Gaza Strip."

1913 GMT — Palestinian resistance groups oppose foreign forces in Gaza

Palestinian factions have rejected any international or Arab force entering Gaza, warning that it would be considered an "occupying force" and "will be dealt with accordingly."

The warning was issued in a statement issued by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas after a meeting of the Follow-up Committee for National and Islamic Forces, which included the majority of Palestinian factions, on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the March 30 Palestinian Land Day.

Nevertheless, the committee said in its statement: "The talk by the (Israeli) occupation leaders about forming an international or Arab force for the Gaza Strip is mere illusions, and any force entering Gaza is rejected and unacceptable, considered an occupying force and we will deal with it accordingly."

1905 GMT — Thousands in Israel call for end to Gaza war on Palestinian Land Day

Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel have rallied for an end to the Gaza war as they marked Land Day, an annual commemoration of a deadly 1976 crackdown on protests against Israeli land seizures

The protesters, led by Arab members of the Israeli parliament, marched through the northern town of Deir Hanna waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners reading: "Stop the war on Gaza".

Most of the demonstrators were Arab citizens of Israel, Palestinians who evaded displacement during the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation and who, with their descendants, now constitute around 21 percent of its population.

1900 GMT — Families of hostages threaten to 'burn Israel', demand swap deal

Families of Israeli hostages say they reached the end, threatening to 'burn the country' if a hostage swap deal with Hamas is not reached, Israeli media has reported.

Thousands of people also protested across Israel against the current government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding a hostage swap deal with Palestinian group Hamas.

Thousands of Israelis began to gather in Kaplan Square, in central Tel Aviv, to participate in the main demonstration demanding a hostage swap deal, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

The newspaper said police used trucks to close the streets surrounding Kaplan Square, preventing protesters from reaching the gathering to participate.

1724 GMT — Truce talks between Israel and Hamas to resume in Cairo — report

Truce talks between Israel and Hamas will resume on Sunday in Cairo, Egypt's Al Qahera News TV has reported, citing a security source.

Israeli delegation, including representatives from Mossad, Shin Bet, and military intelligence, arrive in Cairo to negotiate a hostage swap with Hamas on Sunday, Channel 12 reports.

1707 GMT — Thousands of people cancel Easter celebrations in Sweden, march in support of Gaza

Thousands of people in the Swedish capital Stockholm have canceled Easter celebrations in solidarity with the people of Gaza and demonstrated in support of Palestine.

Approximately 5,000 demonstrators gathered in Stockholm's Odenplan district on the call of many non-governmental organisations, demanding Israel stop the war crimes in Gaza.

Along with banners reading "Children are being killed in Gaza", "Stop the genocide" and "Palestine forever," the demonstrators carried models of children killed in Gaza.

1606 GMT — Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt's El Arish port

A Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid for people in Gaza has arrived in Egypt's El Arish port.

This was Türkiye's 8th humanitarian aid ship for the Palestinians in Gaza, with 125,000 food packages sent by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and General Directorate of Foundations via the vessel SARDES.

The ship was welcomed at Al Arish port by AFAD President Okay Memis and the on-duty team.

The materials will be transported to Gaza via aid trucks from the Rafah border crossing.

1546 GMT — Thousands take to streets in London in solidarity with Gaza

A large number of people have gathered in the British capital to protest Israeli attacks and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Thousands of protesters gathered in central Russell Square for the 11th national march in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 33,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since October 7.

Carrying Palestinian flags, the protesters called for an immediate ceasefire while harshly criticising the British government's stance on Israel.

1526 GMT — Israel admits killing two Palestinians on Gaza beach after video proof

Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and wounded a third on Gaza’s beach, the military acknowledged, responding to a video that showed one man falling to the ground after walking in an open area and then a bulldozer pushing two bodies into the garbage-strewn sand.

The army did not say whether the beach shootings would be investigated.

Israeli fire has killed over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave.

1510 GMT — Famine in Gaza can be tackled if Israel opens crossings — Jordan

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has said that "famine" in Gaza can be dealt with in a short time if Israel opens the land crossings for aid to enter.

Safadi made the comments at a press conference with his Egyptian and French counterparts in Cairo.

Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and French Foreign Minister took part in a ministerial meeting hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt in Cairo to discuss the situation in Gaza.

1355 GMT — Second ship with 400 tonnes of aid for Gaza sets sail

A second vessel carrying aid to Palestine's Gaza has set sail from Greek-administered Cyprus, more than two weeks after the last shipment arrived by sea.

Almost 400 tonnes of aid is being carried to Gaza on a flotilla organised by two charities — the US-based World Central Kitchen and the Spanish Open Arms.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85 percent of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

1404 GMT — Lebanese premier condemns attack on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday condemned the attack on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that injured three soldiers and a civilian.

In a phone call to the Commander-in-Chief of UNIFIL forces, Mikati expressed his “solidarity with th e international forces after the targeting of a UNIFIL vehicle, which led to a number of injuries,” according to the Premier’s Office.

General Lazaro informed the Lebanese prime minister that UNIFIL was investigating the incident.

1358 GMT — WHO says 9,000 patients need emergency evacuation from Gaza

Some 9,000 patients in Gaza require evacuation for emergency care, with the war-torn Palestinian territory down to just 10 barely functioning hospitals, the head of the WHO said Saturday.

"With only 10 hospitals minimally functional across the whole of #Gaza, thousands of patients continue to be deprived of health care," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

1313 GMT — Israel illegally confiscated 27,000 decares of West Bank land since October 7: Palestinian Authority

Israel has illegally confiscated about 27,000 decares of land in the occupied West Bank and forced 25 Palestinian communities to leave since October 7, continuing its decades-long land grab, a Palestinian government body said.

“The occupation state makes use of its fierce hostility towards our people in the Gaza Strip by carrying out massive confiscation operations of Palestinian land,” Moayya Sha’ban, head of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC), said in a statement marking Palestine’s Land Day.

"The area of Palestinian lands actually subject to Israeli measures amounted to 2,380 square kilometres, constituting 42 percent of the total area of the West Bank, and 69 percent of the total areas classified as (C), which are areas subject to occupation military rule,” he added.

1233 GMT — Jordan, Egypt, France to discuss latest developments in Gaza

Jordan has announced that Cairo is hosting a tripartite meeting to discuss the latest developments in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli aggression.

“Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, begins a working visit to Cairo to participate in the tripartite ministerial meeting hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, which includes the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan and France,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It added the meeting will discuss the latest developments in Gaza and the efforts made to stop the war and ensure the protection of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

1155 GMT — Berlin police crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators, assault woman

German have police cracked down harshly on pro-Palestinian protesters inside Berlin’s Central Train Station, including assaulting a Muslim woman, as captured by video at the scene.

In a video posted on X, multiple police officers can be seen surrounding a woman in Muslim clothing, forcing her to the ground, and holding her down. The woman shouts and says: “What is this? What are you doing?”

They continued to hold her down though she did not seem to pose any threat, and she was arrested.

1153 GMT — UN confirms 4 peacekeepers hurt in Lebanon shell explosion

The United Nations has confirmed that four of its military observers were wounded when a shell exploded near them in southern Lebanon, where Israel and the Hezbollah movement trade regular cross-border fire.

The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) did not identify the source of the shelling but Lebanon's official National News Agency blamed Israel.

"This morning four UNTSO military observers on a foot patrol along the Blue Line (demarcating the border with Israel) were injured when a shell exploded near their location," UNTSO said.

"The targeting of peacekeepers is unacceptable," it said in a statement, adding that the peacekeepers were taken to hospital for treatment and an investigation launched into the origin of the explosion.

1143 GMT — Israeli army destroys headquarters of two municipalities in Gaza

The Israeli army has bombed the headquarters of the Bureij and al-Zawaida municipalities, the Central Governorate in Gaza said.

“The occupation (forces) deliberately bombs the administrative headquarters of the municipalities and other municipal services, such as water wells, emergency stores, and water and sewage lines,” the municipalities said in a statement.

The municipalities stated that "the Israeli occupation forces continue to work to make Gaza uninhabitable."

1031 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks rises to 32,705

At least 32,705 people have been killed in Gaza during more than five months of Israel's war on the enclave, the health ministry has said.

The toll includes at least 82 deaths over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 75,190 people have been wounded in Gaza since October 7.

1032 GMT — Hamas vows to 'keep flame of resistance burning' in face of Israeli war

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has pledged to "keep the flame of resistance burning" in the face of the Israeli occupation, stressing that the "Al Aqsa Flood operation is an extension of our people's journey to defend their land.”

“On the 48th anniversary of Land Day, the Al Aqsa flood is an extension of our people’s journey in defending the land and the holy sites until our legitimate rights are given and our aspirations for liberation and return are achieved,” the movement said in a statement.

"Land Day will remain an eternal national symbol and an honourable milestone in the history of our people's struggle,” Hamas said.

0944 GMT — At least five killed in Gaza aid delivery chaos: medics

The Palestine Red Crescent has said five people were killed and dozens wounded by gunfire and a stampede during an aid delivery in Gaza, where famine is looming.

AFP video footage shows a convoy of trucks moving quickly past burning debris near the distribution point in the pre-dawn darkness as people shout and gunfire echoes - some of which were warning shots, witnesses said.

The Red Crescent said it happened after thousands of people gathered for the arrival of around 15 trucks of flour and other food, which were supposed to be handed out at Gaza City's Kuwait roundabout, in the territory's north.

The Red Crescent said three of the five killed early Saturday had been shot.

Eyewitnesses told AFP news agency that Palestinians in Gaza overseeing the aid delivery shot in the air, but Israeli troops in the area also opened fire and some moving trucks hit people trying to get the food.

0930 GMT — Israeli strike wounds UN observers in south Lebanon, security sources say

An Israeli strike hit a vehicle carrying United Nations technical observers outside the southern Lebanese border town of Rmeish, wounding several observers, two security sources have said.

The Israeli military's spokesman Avichay Adraee denied that Israeli forces hit a vehicle belonging to the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL.

There was no immediate comment from UNIFIL or from the UN technical observer mission UNTSO.

One of the security sources said the car carried three UN technical observers and one Lebanese translator. That source, and a second security source, said that the Israeli strike had left several of those in the car wounded.

0902 GMT — US welcomes new Palestinian govt following its repeated calls for political reform

The United States has welcomed the formation of a new Palestinian autonomy government, signalling it is accepting the revised Cabinet lineup as a step toward Palestinian political reform.

The Biden administration has called for “revitalising” the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority in hopes that it can also administer Gaza after the Israeli war on the enclave ends.

In a statement late Friday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States looks forward to working with the new group of ministers “to deliver on credible reforms.”

“A revitalised PA is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza and establishing the conditions for stability in the broader region,” Miller said.

0326 GMT — Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen during raid in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have killed one teen and injured two Palestinians, one critically, during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

Fighting erupted between Palestinians and Israeli forces when troops raided homes and deployed snipers in areas of Kabatiye in southern Jenin.

Mutesim Nebil Abu Abid, 13, was killed and two others were wounded, the Palestinian news agency, WAFA, reported, citing Fevvaz Hammad, the director of Er-Razi Hospital.

Israeli forces also raided three homes, causing damage to belongings, and arrested two individuals.

The number of Palestinians killed has risen to 455 in attacks by Israeli forces and illegal Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since Oct. 7.

0253 GMT — Hezbollah in Lebanon says it attacked Israeli troops, vehicles

Hezbollah announced that it has targeted Israeli military troops and vehicles in southern Lebanon.

Vehicles in the al-Malikiyye region were targeted with rockets, while in the al-Mitille region, a military vehicle was targeted and "successfully hit" with a kamikaze drone, Hezbollah said in a statement.

It said an Israeli infantry unit in the Hadeb Yarun region was targeted with artillery shells.

0251 GMT — Libyan ship leaves for Gaza with humanitarian aid

A ship carrying more than 1,200 tons of humanitarian aid set sail for Gaza from the port of Misrata in western Libya, according to a statement from the municipality.

The ship will first reach the Port of El Arish in Egypt before entering Gaza via a land route from Rafah.

Teams from the Misrata municipality and the Libyan Red Crescent are on board and will accompany the aid until it reaches Gaza.

0240 GMT — Hamas, Islamic Jihad tie success of Israel talks to 4 conditions

Palestine resistance groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have said that four conditions, including the return of displaced people to their homes in Gaza, are necessary for the success of indirect negotiations with Israel.

Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh and a delegation led by Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah met in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Hamas said in a statement that for "successful indirect" negotiations with Israel, there must be a complete halt to Gaza attacks, withdrawal of occupation forces, return of displaced persons and uninterrupted aid entry.

The statement highlighted Palestinians' direct conflict with Israel amid raids, attacks in the occupied West Bank and violations in Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque. It demanded employing all forms of resistance in conflict zones.

0027 GMT — More than 100 protests against Israel held in Morocco

Fifty-two cities in Morocco have held demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza on the third Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, according to a statement from the Support for Ummah Issues Foundation.

The civil society organisation said more than 100 protests were organised in the cities.

Thousands participated in rallies held in cities such as Tangier, Casablanca, Tetouan, Agadir, an d Chefchaouen.

Demonstrators chanted slogans expressing unconditional support for the Palestinian people.

Protesters condemned the genocide in Gaza and expressed outrage at the silence of the international community.

2334 GMT — Abbas demands Israel 'rapidly and completely' withdraw from Gaza

Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas has said that Israel must "rapidly and completely" withdraw from besieged Gaza and cease all unilateral actions in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian news agency, WAFA.

The remarks were made when Abbas spoke with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on the telephone, focusing on the Palestinian issue.

Abbas stressed the importance of the Palestinian state assuming its responsibilities in Gaza, similar to the occupied West Bank and highlighted the necessity of establishing a mechanism for humanitarian and medical aid entry into Gaza.

He also emphasised the prevention of the expulsion of Palestinians and the need for the state to attain full membership status at the UN.

Radev expressed hope for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza and voiced his desire for Palestinians to achieve independence and obtain all of their national rights.

2312 GMT — US rejects UN report accusing Israel of 'genocide' in Gaza

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has rejected "unfounded" allegations of genocide in besieged Gaza.

Miller commented on the report released on Wednesday by the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, which said Israel's actions against Palestinians in Gaza have "crossed the threshold of committing 'genocide' against Palestinians in Gaza."

He said Washington fully supports Tel Aviv on the issue without entering into a discussion of possible war crimes that Israel may have committed.

Miller also accused Albanese of making "antisemitic statements."

"We have made clear that we believe that allegations of genocide are unfounded. But at the same time, we are deeply concerned by the number of civilian casualties in Gaza, and that's why we have pressed the government of Israel on multiple occasions to do everything it can to minimise those civilian casualties," he added.

For our live updates from Friday, March 29, click here.