Live blog: WFP warns of ‘apocalyptic’ scenes in southern Gaza

Friday, May 31, 2024

1706 GMT — Daily life has become “apocalyptic” in parts of southern Gaza since Israel invaded Rafah, though the situation in the north is improving, the UN’s food agency has said.

“The exodus that we’ve seen in the past 20 days or so out of Rafah has been an awesome and horrific experience for many, many people,” Matthew Hollingworth, the World Food Programme (WFP) director for the Palestinian territories.

They have fled the fighting to areas where there was not enough water, healthcare or fuel, where food was limited, telecommunications had stopped and there was not enough space to dig pit latrines, Hollingworth told an online briefing.

The public health situation was “beyond crisis levels”, he said, adding: “The sounds and smells of everyday life are horrific and apocalyptic.” People “sleep to the sounds of war… and they wake to the same sounds”, he said.

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1641 GMT — Spain slams Israel restrictions on Jerusalem consulate

Spain has rejected Israel’s “restrictions” on the activities of its Jerusalem consulate in response to Madrid’s recognition of a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has said.

“This morning we sent a ‘note verbale’ to the Israeli government rejecting any restriction on the normal activity of Spain’s consulate general in Jerusalem, as its status is guaranteed by international law and by the Vienna Convention” on diplomatic relations, Albares told Onda Cero radio.

“This status cannot be changed unilaterally by Israel,” he said, indicating that Madrid had asked Israel “to reverse this decision”.

1633 GMT — Israel ‘implemented scorched-earth policy’ in Jabalia: Gaza authorities

The Gaza local authorities have said the Israeli army “implemented a scorched-earth policy” during its incursion into the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza as it left an immense scale of destruction in the camp’s homes and infrastructure.

In a statement, Salama Marouf, chairman of the media office of the Gaza government, said that the scenes from Jabalia expose the atrocities committed there against the homes and public facilities, including markets and cemeteries.

He said that the medical teams recovered dozens of corpses of people killed during the incursion, while they continue to search for dozens of others missing under the rubble of destroyed homes and shelters.

1527 GMT — Israeli army destroyed its premises in Jabalia: UNRWA

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said that it “received horrific reports” from its premises in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza, during the Israeli military offensive in the camp.

In a statement, UNRWA said displaced people, including children, who were sheltering in its schools in Jabalia, were killed and injured by the Israeli army. It added that “tents of people sheltering at our (UNRWA) school reportedly set on fire by IDF (Israeli army).”

UNRWA noted that it received reports that its offices in Jabalia were “destroyed by air strikes and bulldozed” by the Israeli forces. So far, “more than 170 UNRWA premises have been damaged or destroyed across Gaza” since the outbreak of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.

1445 GMT — Israel confirms its forces are in central Rafah in expanding offensive

The Israeli military has confirmed that its forces are operating in central parts of Rafah in its expanding offensive in the southern Gaza city.

The statement did not specify where in central Rafah the operations were taking place, but previous statements and witness reports have pointed to raids in the Shaboura refugee camp and other sites near the city centre.

More than one million Palestinians have fled the city since the assault began, scattering around southern and central Gaza.

1419 GMT — Gaza death toll from relentless Israeli attacks surges to 36,284

Gaza’s death toll from relentless Israeli attacks since last October has reached 36,284, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

At least 82,057 people have also been injured in the onslaught, the ministry added in a statement.

“Israeli forces killed 60 people, and injured 280 others in five ‘massacres’ against families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

1413 GMT — Jordan to host international humanitarian conference on Gaza

Jordan will host on June 11 an emergency international conference to work on the humanitarian response to Israel’s war on Gaza, in coordination with Egypt and the United Nations, the Jordanian royal court has posted on X.

1306 GMT — Humanitarian situation remains dire in Gaza: US

The humanitarian situation remains dire in Gaza, especially in terms of distributing aid to civilians, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

“Rafah remains closed and that’s a real problem,” Blinken said during a news conference in Prague. The United States is working intensely to address the acute needs of Gaza civilians, he claimed.

1259 GMT — Israel won’t be present at France’s Eurosatory arms fair: organisers

Israel will not have a stand present at this year’s annual Eurosatory arms and defence industry exhibition in France, a spokesperson for the organisers has said, confirming earlier media reports.

“Following a decision by government authorities, there will not be an Israeli stand at the Eurosatory 2024 salon,” said the spokesperson via email.

“No further information will be given on this,” added the spokesperson.

1232 GMT — Hezbollah-affiliated rescuers say Israel strike on ambulance kills medic

Rescuers affiliated with Hezbollah have said a medic was killed and another wounded in an Israeli strike on one of their ambulances in south Lebanon.

“An Israeli drone strike targeted an ambulance… One rescuer was martyred and another wounded” in the border town of Naqura, the operations room of the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee said

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency also said “an enemy drone targeted a Health Committee ambulance in the town of Naqura”, reporting casualties.

1156 GMT — Overcrowded shelters in Gaza fuel spread of diseases, warns UN agency

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that the overcrowding and poor sanitation in Gaza’s refugee camps are advancing the spread of infectious diseases.

In a statement released on X, the UNRWA emphasised the urgent need for improved healthcare services. “Our teams continue to provide essential medical care to vulnerable individuals, including children and the elderly,” the agency said.

However, the situation remains critical due to the scarcity of vaccines and medicines, it said. The overcrowding and lack of proper sanitation in Gaza’s shelters have contributed significantly to the health crisis. “Overcrowded shelters and inadequate hygiene practices are fueling the transmission of infectious diseases,” the UNRWA warned.

It called for “safe and unrestricted access” to address the pressing health needs of the refugee population.

1050 GMT — Aid ‘not getting to people’ in Gaza, ‘children starving’: UN

The UN humanitarian office and World Health Organization (WHO) have warned that aid is “not getting to people” in Gaza, and as a result “children are starving.”

“They are certainly not getting the amount that they desperately need to prevent a famine,” Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, said at a UN briefing in Geneva.

To the question on the seizure of the Philadelphi Corridor by Israel, Laerke said: “More military action is not normally helpful for humanitarian action.”

He added that it is “difficult to predict” how it would affect the humanitarian operations as a whole, considering the “very dynamic” situation on the ground with armed forces moving around to different areas.

“We want military action to cease altogether. We want to have a humanitarian pause,” he urged and added: “That is the only way we can actually do our jobs properly.”

1045 GMT — Israel won’t end Gaza war even if Hamas releases all hostages: National security adviser

The Israeli government will not end its war on Gaza even if Hamas released all the October 7 captives, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said.

Hanegbi’s comments came during a meeting with the families of the Israeli hostages. He said that a “stage one” deal for the return of hostages, classified under humanitarian grounds, could be reached soon, according to broadcaster Channel 12 and the daily Times of Israel.

However, Hanegbi reportedly told the families: “This government will not take a decision to stop the war for the return of all the hostages.”

He also reportedly acknowledged the lack of an alternative plan if the hostages were not returned within the expected timeframe.

0957 GMT — Israel will not agree to halt in Gaza fighting without hostage return, official says

Israel will not agree to any halt in fighting in Gaza that is not part of a deal that includes a return of hostages, a senior Israeli security official said.

The comment came after a statement from Hamas declaring that it would be ready to reach an agreement including an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, as long as Israel stopped the fighting in Gaza.

“There will be no truce, or any halt in fighting whatsoever, in Gaza which is not part-and-parcel of a hostage-release deal,” the official said in comments sent to Reuters. “Any ceasefire would arise solely within the framework of a deal.”

0930 GMT — Houthi-run TV claims 16 killed in American-British raids on western Yemen

At least 16 Yemenis were killed and several others injured as a result of the US and British strikes on Hodeidah city in western Yemen, the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV claimed on Friday.

Al Masirah report added that 35 others were wounded as a result of the American and British raids on the Hodeidah governorate on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the group’s leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated: “This brutal aggression against Yemen is a punishment for its support of Gaza.”

0806 GMT — Spain says rejects Israeli ‘restrictions’ on its Jerusalem consulate

Spain rejects “restrictions” that Israel plans to impose on the activities of its consulate in Jerusalem in response to Madrid’s recognition of a Palestinian state, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said.

“This morning we sent a ‘note verbale’ to the Israeli government in which we reject any restriction on the normal activity of the Spanish consulate general in Jerusalem, as its status is guaranteed by international law,” he said during an interview with radio Onda Cero.

“This status cannot therefore be changed unilaterally by Israel,” he said, adding Madrid had asked Israel “to reverse this decision.”

Israel’s foreign ministry said Monday it had told the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem to stop offering consular services to Palestinians from June 1 over Madrid’s recognition of a Palestinian state.

0717 GMT — Israeli forces pummel Gaza, push into central Rafah

Israeli forces have struck several parts of Gaza, with witnesses reporting air raids around the southern city of Rafah, the latest focus of the nearly eight-month aggression.

Israel launched its military invasion into Rafah in early May despite international objections over the safety of civilians sheltering in the city on Gaza’s border with Egypt.

Witnesses said Israeli strikes hit the Rafah area as well as central Gaza’s Nuseirat, and an AFP correspondent reported intense bombardment in the north.

Strikes on two separate locations killed 11 people overnight, medical sources at a hospital in Deir al Balah and the Nuseirat refugee camp reported.

0705 GMT — 2 more Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza fighting: army

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and one officer seriously injured in battles in Gaza, the military said.

A military statement said Adar Gavriel, 24, was killed in battles in northern Gaza, while Yehonatan Elias, 20, was killed and an officer from the Givat patrol was seriously injured in battles in southern Gaza.

With the latest fatalities, the death toll of Israeli soldiers killed since the outbreak of the Gaza war since October 7, 2023 climbed to 644, according to official military figures.

0650 GMT — Sweden urges Israel to comply with ICJ orders, halt Rafah offensive

Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Tobias Billstrom called on Israel to “immediately halt military offensive” on Rafah, southern Gaza, and to comply with International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders.

“The ICJ has urged Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah in light of its humanitarian consequences. The ruling is binding and Sweden and the EU urge Israel to comply with it,” Billstrom told Anadolu.

The minister’s comments came as Israel continues with bombarding the southern Gaza’s city which shelters hundreds of thousands of civilians, despite international condemnation.

0642 GMT — Bodies of Palestinians recovered from northern Gaza after Israeli army withdrawal

Several bodies of Palestinians have been recovered from areas in northern Gaza after the Israeli army withdrew from the region.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that several bodies of Palestinians were recovered from the streets of the Jabalia camp and the Beit Lahia project area in northern Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The Israeli forces withdrew from northern Gaza revealing massive destruction of homes and infrastructure and the burning of dozens of residential buildings in the Jabalia camp, eyewitnesses added.

The Israeli army completely withdrew from the Jabalia camp area and its surroundings after an offensive that lasted 20 days, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

0400 GMT — Swedish police forcibly remove students from pro-Palestinian tent encampment

Swedish police forcibly removed students from a tent encampment at Lund University that was established on May 16 in solidarity with Palestinians and in protest against Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza.

Dozens of students refused to leave when police attempted to clear the camp and were forcibly carried and dragged away.

Some protesters will only be allowed to go in and collect their belongings under police escort, after which the tents will be confiscated, police press spokesperson Thomas Johansson was quoted as saying by public broadcaster SVT Nyheter.

0340 GMT — French opposition lawmakers call for boycott of TV channel over Netanyahu interview

Opposition lawmakers in France have called for a boycott of the French television channel LCI after it aired an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

The interview was featured on Le 20h de Darius Rochebin, a programme on LCI, which is part of the TF1 Group.

Opposition politicians and social media users expressed outrage, labeling Netanyahu a “butcher,” “genocidal” and a “war criminal.”

0125 GMT — Qassam Brigades say they targeted Israeli tanks, troops in Gaza

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, said that they targeted seven Israeli tanks as well as Israeli forces during battles in Gaza.

They provided the news in a series of statements detailing skirmishes across the enclave.

The armed wing said they targeted three Merkava tanks in the Yibna refugee camp in the city of Rafah using Yassin 105 shells.

2238 GMT — US-British joint strikes leave two people dead in Yemen

The US and British militaries have announced that they have launched strikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen. Houthi media confirmed on Thursday that at least two persons were killed in the strikes.

The British defence ministry said the joint operation targeted three locations in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported at least two deaths and 10 injuries from strikes against a radio building in Hodeidah’s Al-Hawk district.

2142 GMT — Hundreds protest Netanyahu interview broadcast in France

Hundreds of demonstrators rallied late Thursday outside a top French television station to protest the broadcast of an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the brutal Israeli war on Gaza.

Wearing black and white keffiyeh scarves and waving Palestinian flags, protesters gathered peacefully outside the offices of private broadcaster TF1 in the western Paris suburbs.

Kept away from the building by a heavy police presence, the protesters chanted: “Gaza, Paris is with you,” “Immediate ceasefire!” and “Israel, murderer.”

In the interview broadcast on TF1’s news channel LCI, Netanyahu defended his country’s devastating offensive in Gaza.