Gaza Tension
Loading...
Live Reporting
Not the time for ceasefire resolution, says US envoy
The UN Security Council is now meeting to vote on a resolution brought by Algeria that calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.
The US ambassador the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has already telegraphed her intention to veto this resolution.
Speaking before the Security Council, she said that if passed, Algeria’s resolution would work against negotiations taking place for a truce in Gaza.
“Any action this council takes should help and not hinder these sensitive and ongoing negotiations,” she said, “and we believe the resolution on the table right now would negatively impact these negotiations”.
US vetoes UN Security Council push for Gaza ceasefire
The United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, even as President Joe Biden faced mounting pressure to dial back support for Israel, AFP reports.
“Proceeding with a vote today was wishful and irresponsible… we cannot support a resolution that would put sensitive negotiations in jeopardy,” said Washington’s ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield while advocating an alternate resolution drafted by the US.
Infectious diseases outbreak in besieged Gaza
Infectious diseases spread in the besieged Gaza amid a shortage of food and potable drinking water, following the months-long brutal Israeli airstrikes and ground invasion of the enclave.
A doctor from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah said it is impossible to prevent its spread.
“Over the last week, we have been dealing with tens of hepatitis A virus, which is feco-orally transmitted through contaminated food or polluted water. Not only that, the figures of gastroenteritis, infected wounds, and hypoglycemia are incredibly rising among casualties,” Dr Khalid Abu-Habel told Al Jazeera.
“Normally, we isolate cases of hepatitis A virus to prevent infection. Amidst these circumstances and the overcrowded numbers in Gaza, it is utterly complicated to prevent infection,” he added.
Hamas chief in Cairo for Gaza truce talks
Hamas says its chief Ismail Haniyeh has arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials, days after mediators said prospects for a new truce with Israel had dimmed, AFP reports.
The Qatar-based head of Hamas’ political bureau will “hold discussions with Egyptian officials on the political situation and the situation in the field”, a statement said.
The delegation will also discuss “efforts to stop the aggression, provide relief to citizens and achieve the goals of our Palestinian people”, it added.
Qatar says ceasefire talks continue despite challenges
Talks on a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner-captive swap between Hamas and Israel continue despite big challenges, according to a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman.
Dual standards in the international arena have been negatively affecting talks, however, AJ quotes the spokesperson as saying, drawing comparisons between the conflict in Gaza with Ukraine.
Qatar chided international institutions for having failed to bring an end to the conflict.
UN food agency halts north Gaza deliveries after gunfire and looting
The UN’s food agency says it has paused deliveries of aid to northern Gaza despite widespread hunger, after a convoy of trucks faced gunfire and looting, AFP reports.
The World Food Programme (WFP) resumed deliveries on Sunday after a three-week suspension but its convoy “faced complete chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order” and its teams reported witnessing “unprecedented levels of desperation”, it said.
UN experts seek probe into claims Israeli forces raped and killed Palestinian women
United Nations experts have called for an investigation into what they described as “credible allegations of egregious human rights violations” against Palestinian women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank by Israeli forces, CNN reports.
The allegations include extrajudicial killing, arbitrary detention, degrading treatment, rape and sexual violence, according to a statement by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) denied the accusations and said it adheres to international law. “Without precise details or proof of individual cases it is not possible for us to examine them in depth,” the IDF said in a statement to CNN.
Israel’s mission to the UN in Geneva said authorities had received no complaints of abuse but stressed “Israel remains ready to investigate any concrete claims of misconduct by its security forces when presented with credible allegations and evidence.”
WHO completes second Gaza hospital evacuation amid ongoing raid
The WHO says it has completed a second evacuation mission from Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, transferring a total of 32 critical patients including children from the site amid ongoing hostilities.
Efforts to transfer the remaining patients continue, the global health agency said.
“WHO fears for the safety and well-being of the patients and health workers remaining in the hospital and warns that further disruption to lifesaving care for the sick and injured would lead to more deaths,” it said in a post on X.
Eighteen patients evacuated from Nasser Hospital: Ministry
We are receiving updates on the evacuation of patients in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which is under siege by the Israeli army.
The ministry said in a statement on Telegram that 18 patients have been evacuated from the now defunct medical complex to field hospitals, adding that 118 patients are still inside the complex.
The situation inside the hospital, which the Israeli forces turned into a military base, has exceeded the level of disaster and constitutes a direct threat to the lives of the staff and patients, the statement said.
The ministry said medical staff and patients do not have any electricity, water, food, milk for children, oxygen facilities and appropriate medical capabilities for difficult cases.
Hezbollah says it targeted Israeli troops in northern Israel
The Lebanese group Hezbollah has said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of, what it said was the Ramim military outpost in northern Israel, with rocket-propelled weapons.
The group claimed that its attack this morning “achieved a direct hit”.
Hospital in Rafah overcrowded with orphans, premature babies
Al-Helal Al-Emairati Maternity Hospital in Rafah is witnessing overcrowding of children who have become orphans as well as premature babies.
“We now have at least 70 to 80 cases per day in the hospital,” said Dr Ahmed al-Shaer, deputy head of the hospital’s nursery department, referring to the number of children brought in each day orphaned as a result of the war.
“One of them is an unknown child and we do not know the fate of his family, and people found him on a tree in the morning as a result of the shelling and brought him to the hospital.”
According to footage seen by Al Jazeera as well as several doctors’ statements, there are also the bodies of premature babies who died a few days ago, with the hospital administration unable to reach their families.
Doctors at the hospital have said they are facing overcrowding issues, and that there is a lack of equipment, oxygen and electricity.
“[Gaza’s] health sector has been completely destroyed.”
Palestinian presidency lambasts Netanyahu’s comments about security of West Bank, Gaza
The official spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeina, condemned statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel issuing “full security control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip”.
Rudeina said the Israeli PM’s position challenges international legitimacy and belittles both the international and American position, especially as much of the world seeks to build an independent Palestinian state.
The spokesman pressed that such a state needs to be realised, and that the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza must end.
Israeli officials deny Yahya Sinwar fled to Egypt via tunnels
Israeli officials have denied a report that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar fled to Egypt via underground tunnels in Rafah, Israel’s Channel 12 reports.
They were responding to a report by Saudi news outlet Elaph which quoted an anonymous security source as saying the Israeli government believes that Sinwar and his brother Muhammed, among others, recently escaped to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
“We do not know the information that was published,” the unnamed official said.
Last week, the Israeli military released footage of Sinwar’s now-abandoned underground base in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
UN findings on Palestinian women and girls affirm ‘crime of genocide’
The statement by UN experts of violations against Palestinian women “is an affirmation of the crime of genocide and ethnic cleansing committed by the [Israeli] occupation”, Hamas said in a post on its official Telegram account.
“While we appreciate the issuance of this important statement, we call for its adoption as an additional document in a case filed before the International Court of Justice, to examine the crimes of genocide committed by the criminal Zionist entity against our Palestinian people,” the statement also read.
On Monday, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it had received information that Palestinian women and girls have “reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children”.
UN experts expressed alarm over the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, many of whom have reportedly been subjected to inhuman treatment, denied menstrual pads, food and medicine and also suffering severe beatings, the OHCHR said.
OHCHR called for an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the allegations and for Israel to cooperate.
Netanyahu facing mounting international, domestic pressure over Gaza
On the international front, you have the US and other countries wanting to see a difference when it comes to how Israel is prosecuting this war. You also have domestic pressure from the Israeli public, which has been demonstrating non-stop.
You also have members of Netanyahu’s own government, members of the war cabinet like Gadi Eisenkot, who are saying that the war cabinet is not making good decisions and is impacting whether they are going to achieve their goals.
Eisenkot’s letter that he sent to the war cabinet said there needs to be stricter decisions made and at a quicker rate than what we’re seeing now. He also gave a deadline for getting the captives back before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10.
Eisenkot says anyone saying there is a way for Israel to achieve total victory [in Gaza] is not being honest, and that the military achievements Israel says that it has achieved are not all true.
‘UN Gaza resolution by the US signals policy change’
Perhaps the US policy towards Gaza is starting to change. For weeks, the US has been opposed to a draft resolution for the UN Security Council proposed by Algeria, which was due to be put to vote on Tuesday, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Now, the US proposed its own draft resolution and it mentions the word ceasefire. It does not mention an immediate one, but it does what it says is a temporary ceasefire as soon as it is practical.
And this resolution also condemns the idea of a ground incursion by Israel into Rafah. It says under the current circumstances such an incursion should not proceed.
Australia’s ABC rejects freedom of information request on Gaza coverage
ABC News has rejected a freedom of information (FOI) request seeking information about complaints made by staff members at the Australian national broadcaster over its coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza.
The request by Al Jazeera called for access to “complaints about coverage of the war in Gaza sent by ABC staff to Justin Stevens, Director of ABC News” from October 7, 2023 to January 16, 2024.
In November, an internal meeting of more than 200 ABC staffers heard numerous complaints about the way the broadcaster has covered the conflict. In January, the sacking of ABC presenter Antoinette Lattouf – over the sharing of a Human Rights Watch post about Israel’s war on Gaza – sparked an internal revolt, with some staff threatening to stage a walkout over the handling of her dismissal.
Denying the request, an ABC representative said the “agency is exempt from the operation of the FOI Act in relation to its program material”.
The response also cited Section 47E(c) of Australia’s FOI Act, which “exempts documents containing information the disclosure of which would, or could reasonably be expected to, have a substantial adverse effect on the management or assessment of personnel”.
Brazil will not retract Lula's Gaza comments in diplomatic row with Israel
BRASILIA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Brazil does not intend to retract President Luiz Inacio da Silva's comment comparing Israel's war on Gaza to Hitler's treatment of Jews that sparked a diplomatic rift between the countries, sources with knowledge of internal discussions said on Monday.
Brazil's foreign ministry has already summoned the Israeli ambassador for talks and recalled its own ambassador to Israel after Israeli officials gave him a formal reprimand following Lula’s comment.
Yemen's Houthis say ship attacked in Gulf of Aden may sink
LONDON/CAIRO (Reuters) – Yemen's Houthi militants said on Monday they had attacked the Rubymar cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden which was at risk of sinking, raising the stakes in their campaign to disrupt global shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have made repeated drone and missile strikes since November in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. US and British forces have responded with multiple strikes on Houthi facilities but have so far failed to halt the attacks.
US pushes for UN to support temporary Gaza ceasefire, oppose Rafah assault
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States has proposed a rival draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and opposing a major ground offensive by its ally Israel in Rafah, according to the text seen by Reuters.
The move comes after the US signaled it would veto on Tuesday an Algerian-drafted resolution — demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire — over concerns it could jeopardize talks between the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar that seek to broker a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Until now, Washington has been averse to the word ceasefire in any UN action on the Israel-Hamas war, but the US text echoes language that President Joe Biden said he used last week in conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Strikes in Lebanon wound 14, Israel says targeted Hezbollah arms
GHAZIYEH (Lebanon) (AFP) – Two Israeli air strikes hit southern Lebanon Monday near the city of Sidon, wounding 14 people, official media said, while the Israeli army said it had targeted "Hezbollah weapons storage facilities".
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its arch-foe Israel have been exchanging near-daily fire across the border since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7.
While most of the exchanges have been limited to areas near the frontier, Monday's strikes occurred in Ghaziyeh, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the nearest Israeli boundary and less than five kilometres from the city of Sidon.
UN agencies warn of 'explosion' in Gaza child deaths
GENEVA (AFP) – An alarming lack of food, surging malnutrition and the rampant spread of disease could spark an explosion in child deaths in Gaza, the United Nations warned Monday.
Twenty weeks into Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies warned that food and safe water had become "incredibly scarce" in the Palestinian territory, adding that virtually all young children had infectious illnesses.
"The Gaza Strip is poised to witness an explosion in preventable child deaths which would compound the already unbearable level of child deaths in Gaza," said Ted Chaiban, deputy head of humanitarian action at the UN children's agency UNICEF.
Palestinians accuse Israel of 'apartheid' at UN top court
THE HAGUE (AFP) - Palestinians are suffering "colonialism and apartheid" under the Israelis, foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki told the UN's top court on Monday (Feb 19), urging judges to order an immediate and unconditional end to Israel's occupation.
"The Palestinians have endured colonialism and apartheid ... There are those who are enraged by these words. They should be enraged by the reality we are suffering," Al-Maliki told the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICJ is holding hearings all week on the legal implications of Israel's occupation since 1967, with an unprecedented 52 countries, including the United States and Russia, expected to give evidence.
Israel sets Ramadan deadline for assault on Gazan city Rafah
GAZA STRIP (AFP) - Israel has threatened to invade Gaza's Rafah by the start of Ramadan if Hamas does not return the remaining hostages by then, despite international pressure to protect Palestinian civilians sheltering in the southern city.
With prospects for truce talks dimmed, the United States and other governments, as well as the United Nations, have issued increasingly urgent appeals to Israel to call off its planned offensive on Rafah.
The Israeli government says the city on the Egypt border is the last remaining stronghold in Gaza of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
