Rafah crossing set to open for limited Gaza evacuations as anger grows over Israeli attack
Qatar has mediated an agreement between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, in coordination with the US, which will allow limited evacuations from besieged Gaza, a source briefed on deal told Reuters on Wednesday.
Summery
- Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel has said communications and internet services have been cut across Gaza again
- Dozens of injured Palestinians will be allowed to leave the bombarded enclave on Wednesday via the Rafah crossing to seek treatment in Egypt
- Palestinian health ministry spokesman has warned that the Al-Shifa and Indonesian hospitals are "hours away" from running out of fuel to power their generators.
- Israel's military has confirmed its jets carried out an attack in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza on Tuesday
- The IDF says the strike killed a senior Hamas commander and caused the collapse of Hamas's underground infrastructure
- The Hamas-run health ministry and a hospital director say at least 50 people were killed
- At least 8,525 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7. More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel
3:59pm
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Who is on the list of people told to leave through Rafah crossing?
The list includes Palestinians also holding Japanese, Austrian, Bulgarian, Indonesian, Jordanian, Italian, Greek, Australian and the Czech citizenships.
There is also a list of people working for different NGOs having passports from Spain, Italy, the Philippines, Haiti, Germany, the US, Taiwan, Japan, Austria, Mexico, France, Kenya, Nigeria, Australia, South Africa, Armenia, Uganda, Ghana, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Czech Republic, New Zealand and Australia.
3:45pm
Netanyahu says Israeli soldiers died in a 'just war'
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today after Israel confirmed 11 soldiers died in fighting in Gaza on Tuesday.
"We are in a difficult war. It will be a long war. We have important achievements in it, but also painful losses," he says.
"The entire nation of Israel embraces you, the families, from the bottom of our hearts. We are all with you in your time of great sorrow. Our soldiers fell in a just war, a war for our home. I promise you citizens of Israel: we will continue until we fulfill the mission - we will continue until victory."
3:26pm
Iran's Khamenei calls upon Muslim countries to boycott Israel
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslim states to cease oil and food exports to Israel, demanding an end to its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, state media reported.
"The bombings on Gaza must stop immediately ... the path of oil and food exports to the Zionist regime should be stopped," Khamenei said in a speech, according to Iranian state media.
3:01pm
How many people are expected to leave Gaza today?
BBC correspondent at the Rafah crossing says 88 injured Palestinians will be allowed to leave. Other reports from Egypt put the number slightly lower, at 81.
In terms of foreign nationals, an Egyptian source tells Reuters up to 500 will be allowed to leave today.
Meanwhile, the AFP news agency says 545 foreigners - including dual nationals - will be allowed into Egypt.
2:52pm
No ceasefire in Gaza, no votes, Muslim Americans tell Biden
Some Muslim and Arab American groups are threatening to withhold donations and votes towards President Joe Biden's 2024 reelection unless he takes immediate steps to secure a Gaza ceasefire.
The National Muslim Democratic Council, which includes Democratic Party leaders from hotly contested states that can decide elections, such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, urged Biden to use his influence with Israel to broker a ceasefire by 5pm ET (2100 GMT) on Tuesday.
In an open letter entitled "2023 Ceasefire Ultimatum,"Muslim leaders pledged to mobilize "Muslim, Arab, and allied voters" to "withhold endorsement, support, or votes for any candidate who endorses the Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people."
2:34pm
Sunak stresses the need to minimise Gaza civilian casualties
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stressed the importance of taking all possible measures to minimise casualties and protect civilians in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
"The Prime Minister reiterated the UK's resolute backing for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism while emphasising the importance of taking all possible measures to minimise civilian casualties," the Downing Street statement said.
The readout from Sunak's office said he also discussed the situation in the West Bank and "the long-term goal of a two-state solution" with Netanyahu.
"The Prime Minister noted the importance of all sides avoiding actions that would inflame tensions and keeping hope alive for a more secure and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians," the statement said.
2:28pm
At least 50 Palestinians detained in occupied West Bank
The Palestinian Prisoners Society has told Al Jazeera at least 50 Palestinians have been detained overnight in the occupied West Bank.
Several homes of released Palestinian prisoners in occupied East Jerusalem were also raided. Cash, cars and other belongings were confiscated, the society said.
2:16pm
Anti-war protest hits US Congress hearing
Two of President Joe Biden's top advisers asked US lawmakers to provide billions more dollars to Israel on Tuesday at a congressional hearing interrupted repeatedly by protesters denouncing American officials for backing what they called "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testified to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Biden's request for $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and US border security.
1:59pm
Israel sends missile boats to the Red Sea
Houthis group in Yemen - hundreds of miles south of Israel - on 31 October said it had attacked Israel three times with missiles and drones, and would do so again.
According to a BBC report, the Israeli military now says its missile ships were deployed to the Red Sea yesterday to "strengthen the defence effort in the area".
In the early hours of Wednesday, the IDF said it "intercepted an aerial threat" in the Red Sea, south of the southern Israeli city of Eilat.
1:42pm
US Senate confirms Lew to be ambassador to Israel
The US Senate on Tuesday backed President Joe Biden's nominee, former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, to be the next US ambassador to Israel, despite Republican objections over his past dealings with Iran.
The Senate voted 53 to 43, largely along party lines, with Biden's fellow Democrats backing Lew and most Republicans opposing him. Lew needed only a simple majority in the 100-member Senate to win confirmation.
Democrats had pushed to fill the vacancy at the embassy in Israel quickly in the aftermath of the October 7 attack on Israel from Gaza by Hamas.
1:26pm
Gaza health officials issue urgent appeal for fuel for hospitals
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has called "anyone who has any quantity of fuel to supply it to the al-Shifa complex and the Indonesian Hospital".
Al-Shifa, in Gaza City, is the largest medical complex in the Strip, while the Indonesian Hospital is located in the heavily bombarded north.
On Tuesday, the director of the Indonesian Hospital, Atef al-Kahlout, told Al Jazeera that services at the facility could stop within 24 hours due to the fuel shortage since Israel imposed a total siege on Gaza.
"Our absorptive capacity has become very limited due to the ongoing war and we have no beds," he said. "We perform surgeries on the ground and without anaesthesia."
Al-Kahlout also said the hospital received more than 400 wounded people after the bombardment of the Jabalia refugee camp on Tuesday afternoon.
1:12pm
Deal to allow injured out of Gaza brokered by Qatar
Qatar has mediated an agreement between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, in coordination with the US, which will allow limited evacuations from besieged Gaza, a source briefed on deal told Reuters on Wednesday.
The agreement would allow foreign passport holders and some critically injured people to leave through the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, though there is no timeline for how long it will remain open for evacuation, the source added.
12:45pm
Gaza aid distribution struggles
Distribution of food and medical supplies is faltering in Gaza due to a chronic lack of fuel, looting of stores, the choking of streets with rubble from Israeli shelling and overcrowding caused by displacement of civilians.
And despite an uptick in the trickle of supplies, the number of aid trucks entering Gaza remains tiny - averaging 14 daily - compared to the 400 trucks seen daily in normal times for a population of 2.3 million now desperate for essentials like bread, aid officials say.
"The level of humanitarian assistance that has been allowed into Gaza up to this point is completely inadequate and not commensurate with the needs of people in Gaza, compounding the humanitarian tragedy," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday, reiterating his call for a humanitarian truce.
12:22pm
Israeli army says over 11,000 targets hit in Gaza
The Israeli army says it has hit more than 11,000 targets in Gaza "belonging to terrorist organisations" since the war began more than three weeks ago.
Israel has come under widespread criticism for its ongoing bombardment in Gaza, which has seen hospitals, residential buildings and schools hit, leading to the death of more than 8,500 people and injuries to over 21,000 people.
12:11pm
Israeli defence minister says killing of soldiers a 'painful blow'
In a new post on X, Yoav Gallant has called the killing of 11 soldiers in ground battles in Gaza "a hard and painful blow".
The defence minister said Israeli forces paid a "heavy price" during their ground operation despite making "significant" achievements.
Earlier, the Israeli army published the names of nine more soldiers killed in Tuesday's fighting, bring the total number of troops announced killed in ground battles over the past 24 hours to 11.
11:55am
Gaza surgeons operate in corridors
Juggling dwindling supplies of medicines, power cuts and air or artillery strikes that have shaken hospital buildings, surgeons in Gaza work night and day trying to save a constant stream of patients.
"We take it an hour at a time because we don't know when we will be receiving patients. Several times we've had to set up surgical spaces in the corridors and even sometimes in the hospital waiting areas," said Dr. Mohammed al-Run.
He was speaking soon after a bombardment damaged the Indonesian Hospital near the frontlines of Israel's military thrust into the crowded Palestinian territory, and with a fuel supply for generators doctors say is about to run out.
11:32am
Internet shutdowns a 'warfare tactic': Rights group
Israel used that shutdown to "cover potential war crimes as they started their ground invasion", said Marwa Fatafta, the Middle East and North Africa policy and advocacy manager at Access Now, a global human rights organisation.
Israel is using Internet blackouts as a "warfare tactic to induce more pain on the population", Fatafta told Al Jazeera.
Even outside the complete blackouts, communication in Gaza is "sporadic and unreliable", she added, with Gaza's G2 mobile network "crushed further" by fuel shortages and damage to infrastructure.
11:18am
WHO warns of 'imminent public health catastrophe' in Gaza
A "public health catastrophe" is imminent in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, amid overcrowding, mass displacement and damage to infrastructure.
"It's an imminent public health catastrophe that looms with the mass displacement, the overcrowding, the damage to water and sanitation infrastructure," Lindmeier told reporters.
Gaza health authorities say more than 8,300 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began air strikes on the Hamas-run enclave in response to the October 7 attacks.
11:09am
Israel names 11 more soldiers killed on Tuesday
The Israeli military has updated its list of soldiers who were killed in the ongoing war with Hamas.
That death toll now stands at 326, including 11 soldiers who died in Gaza on Tuesday. Those soldiers were all aged between 19 and 20 years old.
10:46am
Two reported killed after latest Israeli strike on Jenin
The death toll from the latest Israeli air strike on the Jenin refugee camp has risen to two. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
Israeli forces have been carrying out regular nightly raids across the occupied West Bank, including Jenin, after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7.
A video posted by Al Jazeera Arabic on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday also showed damage to Palestinian infrastructure, after an Israel bulldozer demolished a road in Jenin.
10:20am
WHO 'gravely concerned' about hostages held by Hamas
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says his organisation continues to be "gravely concerned" about the condition of hostages held by the Hamas group when it attacked Israel on 7 October.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he expresed particular concern for children, women, older people, and those with health conditions requiring immediate medical attention.
"WHO, once again, calls for the immediate release of all the hostages," he wrote.
9:49am
Death toll rises after latest Israeli air strikes on Gaza's Khan Younis
Medical sources told Al Jazeera that the death toll has risen from five to 12, following the latest Israeli air strikes on southern Gaza's Khan Younis.
Earlier, Al Jazeera reported that two residential buildings were targeted by Israeli forces in the area before or around dawn on Wednesday.
9:31am
Communications, internet services completely cut off in Gaza
Palestine Telecommunication Company, or Paltel, said on Wednesday in a post on messaging platform X that communications and internet services have been completely cut off in the Gaza Strip due to international access being disconnected again.
Paltel is Gaza's largest telecommunications provider.
9:12am
Saudi Arabia condemns 'inhumane targeting' of Jabalia refugee camp
Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel's "inhumane targeting" of the Jabalia refugee camp in a statement shared by Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns in the strongest terms possible the inhumane targeting by the Israeli occupation forces of the Jabalia refugee camp in the besieged Gaza Strip," the statement said.
The latest attack on the densely populated refugee camp "caused the death and injury of a large number of innocent civilians", the statement added.
8:55am
More arrests, clashes as Israeli forces raid Far'un village in West Bank
Israeli forces have rearrested a freed prisoner following a raid on his home in the village of Far'un, south of Tulkarem, according to a report by Wafa.
Wafa quoted witnesses as saying that Malik Obaid's home was raided at about dawn on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Lebanon-based publication Al Mayadeen reported that fighters from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade detonated several explosive devices targeting Israeli vehicles in Jenin.
8:36am
Palestinians transport victims on a cart due to fuel shortage
A video posted by Al Jazeera Arabic on social media showed a man on a horse-drawn cart transporting victims killed in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians have been forced to find alternative means of transportation amid a severe fuel shortage in the territory due to a complete fuel blockade by Israel.
On Tuesday, Gaza's health ministry also said that as many as 25 ambulances have also been completely damaged due to Israeli air attacks.
8:19am
Five killed, dozens wounded in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis
At least five Palestinians have been killed and 40 others injured after Israeli air raids targeted two residential buildings in Khan Younis, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent in southern Gaza.
The report also said that Israeli forces have cut off communication lines and internet in the area, the second such incident over the past week.
8:05am
Two key hospitals in Gaza hours away from running out of fuel: Health ministry
Issuing a "final warning" to the world, Ashraf Al-Qudra, the Palestinian health ministry spokesperson, said the generators at al-Shifa and Indonesian hospitals were just "hours away" from completely shutting down.
"We are calling on all our brothers in oil-producing nations to urgently intervene and supply al-Shifa Hospital and the Indonesian Hospital with fuel that's needed to save the lives of the sick and injured," al-Qudra said during a news conference.
While a handful of aid trucks have been allowed into the country, Israel continues to block the shipment of fuel.
7:49am
Jewish activists occupy Australian defence minister's office
Dozens of people are currently sitting in Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles's office in the city of Geelong, calling for Australia to end its military support for Israel.
The group, led by Jewish activists, are reading out the names of people who have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks.
The protest in Australia comes after activists in Canada occupied the offices of members of parliament on Monday, including that of Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
Some 500 people also were arrested during a sit-in at the US Congress in Washington, DC, on October 18, according to the group Jewish Voice for Peace, which organised the protest.
7:26am
US Secretary of State returns to Israel on Friday
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel on Friday, the US State Department says. This will be Blinken's second trip to the Middle East in the past three weeks.
He will be meeting members of the Israeli government and will also make other stops in the region.
It is unclear if Blinken will meet with any Palestinian officials on the trip.
7:10am
Belgian unions refuse handling arms shipments to Israel
Belgian transport workers' unions on Tuesday called on their members to refuse to handle military equipment being sent to Israel to battle Hamas gunmen.
The ACV Puls, BTB, BBTK and ACV-Transcom unions said in a joint statement that airport workers have seen arms shipments.
"While a genocide is under way in Palestine, workers at various airports in Belgium are seeing arms shipments in the direction of the war zone," the statement said.
6:38am
Biden, Jordan's King Abdullah II discuss aid delivery to Gaza
US President Joe Biden made a phone call to Jordan's King Abdullah II. The two leaders discussed the latest developments in Gaza and ways to speed up the delivery of aid to the embattled Strip, among other issues regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Biden "reiterated the importance of protecting civilian lives and respecting international humanitarian law, as Israel defends its citizens and combats terrorism," the statement says.
The president also "agreed" that Palestinians should not be "forcibly displaced outside Gaza" and called for a "durable and sustainable peace" which would include the creation of an independent Palestinian nation.
6:20am
Bolivia severs ties with Israel
Bolivia said on Tuesday it had broken diplomatic ties with Israel because of its attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Bolivia "decided to break diplomatic relations with the Israeli state in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip," Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani said at a press conference.
6:00am
Israeli military jets strike Gaza camp
Israeli airstrikes hit a densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 50 Palestinians as medics struggled to treat the casualties, even setting up operating rooms in hospital corridors.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement said the strike by fighter jets on Jabalia, Gaza's largest refugee camp, had killed Ibrahim Biari.
"He was very important, I would say even pivotal in the planning and the execution of the October 7 attack against Israel from the northeastern parts of the Gaza Strip," said IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus.
Dozens of Hamas combatants were in the same underground tunnel complex as Biari and were also killed when it collapsed in the attack, Conricus said.
Disclaimer: This article first appeared on Bloomberg, and is published by special syndication arrangement.
