Israel-Iran latest: Israeli strike on Gaza school kills ‘more than 100’ during morning prayer

More than 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike on a Gaza school sheltering displaced people, the official Palestinian news agency said this morning, while the Israeli army said it had hit a Hamas command centre.

“The Israeli strikes targeted the displaced people while performing Fajr (dawn) prayers, a matter led to a rapid increase in the number of casualties,” the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said in a statement.

In its statement, the Israeli army said its air forces “struck command and control centre served as a hideout for Hamas terrorists and commanders.”

The Health Ministry’s Ambulance and Emergency service said the strike on the Tabeen school in central Gaza City also wounded 47 people.

Israel has intensified its attacks in Gaza this week, with tanks moving back into the city of Khan Younis on Friday, as the region braces for Iran and Hezbollah to retaliate over the killing of two top commanders in Tehran and Beirut.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified in Gaza as families fled from parts of the Strip’s second-largest city following an evacuation order issued by Israel’s military.

Key Points

• More than 100 killed in Israeli strike on Gaza school

• Israel strikes two schools in Gaza

• Hezbollah could strike Israel independently of Iran, intelligence suggests

• Iran warns airlines to avoid its airspace

• British troops in Lebanon on standby for evacuation ‘on same scale’ as Kabul

Pictured: Destruction of school in Gaza

08:11 , Alexander Butler

Egypt says Israel lacks political will to end Gaza war

08:00 , Alexander Butler

Egypt said on Saturday Israel’s “deliberate killing” of unarmed Palestinians shows that it lacks a political will to end the war in Gaza.

Egypt’s foreign ministry statement came after more than 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike on a Gaza school sheltering displaced people, according to the official Palestinian news agency.

The Israeli army said it had hit a Hamas command centre.

Watch: Iran-Backed Group Targets Israeli Iron Dome Systems

08:00 , Mike Bedigan

Harris tells pro-Palestine protesters in Arizona ‘now is the time’ to get a ceasefire

07:00 , Alexander Butler

Vice president Kamala Harris told pro-Palestine protesters at a rally in Glendale, Arizona that “now is the time” to get a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza.

“I have been clear: now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done,” she said to applause, after being heckled by pro-Palestine protesters chanting “free, free, Palestine”.

“Now is the time. And the president and I are working around the clock every day to get that ceasefire deal done and bring the hostages home. So, I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about this race in 2024.”

Harris tells pro-Palestine protesters in Arizona ‘now is the time’ to get a ceasefire

Hamas official killed in Lebanon by an Israeli drone strike

07:00 , Mike Bedigan

A Hamas official was killed on Friday after an Israeli drone strike hit a car in a southern Lebanese city.

Hamas said in a statement that the strike occurred before sunset on the southern entrance of the port city of Sidon and near one of the roads that lead to the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, Lebanon’s largest, and that Samer al-Haj, a Hamas official in charge of security of the camp was killed.

The Israeli military confirmed it targeted al-Haj, saying he was recruiting people to carry out attacks against Israel.

The military has vowed to target Hamas officials everywhere.

White House slams Israeli ‘extremists’ for resisting hostage deal

06:00 , Mike Bedigan

The White House has condemned Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich for arguing against a ceasefire and hostage release deal brokered with the Biden administration, calling his recent public statements unhelpful and dangerous.

Andrew Feinberg has the details:

White House slams Israeli ‘extremists’ for resisting hostage deal

In numbers: Israel’s war on Gaza

05:57 , Arpan Rai

• According to the United Nations, 477 out of 564 schools in Gaza have been directly hit or damaged in the war as of 6 July. In June, an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza killed at least 33 people, including 12 women and children, according to local health officials.

• The war was triggered by Hamas’ 7 October attack, in which militants from Gaza stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 250 others.

• Israel‘s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 39,600 Palestinians and wounded more than 91,700 others, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

• More than 1.9 million of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, fleeing repeatedly across the territory to escape offensives. Most are now crowded into ramshackle tent camps in an area of about 50 sq km (19 square miles) on the Gaza coast.

More than 100 killed in Israeli strike on Gaza school

05:12 , Arpan Rai

More than 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike on a Gaza school sheltering displaced people, the official Palestinian news agency said this morning, while the Israeli army said it had hit a Hamas command centre.

“The Israeli strikes targeted the displaced people while performing Fajr (dawn) prayers, a matter led to a rapid increase in the number of casualties,” the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said in a statement.

In its statement, the Israeli army said its air forces “struck command and control centre served as a hideout for Hamas terrorists and commanders.”

“The IAF precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control centre embedded in the Al-Taba’een school and located adjacent to a mosque in Daraj Tuffah, which serves as a shelter for the residents of Gaza City.”

It claimed that prior to the strike, “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence information.”

UK deeply concerned by Israel cancelling accreditation of Norwegian diplomats

05:04 , Arpan Rai

Britain is deeply concerned by Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Palestinian Authority, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

“We are deeply concerned by Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of 8 Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Palestinian Authority. Norway has long played a unique and valued role in supporting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. We urge Israel to reconsider,” the FCDO spokesperson said in a statement yesterday.

This comes just a day after Israel revoked the accreditation of the eight Norwegian diplomats.

Israeli troops launch a new assault into Gaza’s Khan Younis

04:49 , Arpan Rai

Israeli troops launched a new assault yesterday into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, targeting Hamas fighters who the military claims still operate there despite repeated offensives, as American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators renewed their push for Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire deal.Israeli evacuation orders triggered yet another exodus of Palestinians from the heavily destroyed eastern districts of Khan Younis, where many had just returned less than two weeks ago — after the Israeli military’s last incursion into the city in July.

Thousands had fled the city on Thursday, carrying essentials like small gas cylinders, mattresses, tents, backpacks and blankets.A wave of Israeli airstrikes in the southern city killed at least 21 Palestinians, medics at the city’s Nasser Hospital said. Israeli bombardment also continued to pound central Gaza on Friday, with the bodies of eight Palestinians — all women and children — arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital from a barrage of airstrikes that hit the town of Deir al-Balah and Nuseirat refugee camp.

It’s at least the third time that Israeli forces have launched a major incursion into Khan Younis, where Israeli and American officials have said they believe Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ newly named top leader and one of the architects of the 7 October attack on Israel, could be hiding.

Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, pledged allegiance to Sinwar as its new leader and promised to carry out his decisions. Ismail Haniyeh’s swift replacement “shows that Hamas is coherent and strong,” said Abu Obaida, the group’s chief spokesperson.

With tensions running high along the Israel-Lebanon border, an Israeli drone strike yesterday crashed into an SUV in the Lebanese city of Sidon, killing a Hamas official identified as Samer al-Haj on the main road to the southern port city, Lebanon’s state media reported.

The explosion engulfed al-Haj’s car in flames just outside the sprawling Palestinian refugee camp of Ein al-Hilweh, where Lebanese media reported that he oversaw security matters. Israel confirmed it targeted al-Haj, describing him as a senior Hamas commander and accusing him of recruiting militants to attack Israel as well as directing rocket launches.

In the Gaza Strip, one of the airstrikes in Khan Younis hit the home of the Abu Moamar family, killing a Palestine TV journalist, his wife and three daughters.

Another strike smashed into tents housing displaced people in Mawasi, a costal community just west of Khan Younis that the Israeli military has designated as a humanitarian zone, killing a journalist for the Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV channel and five others. A third airstrike targeted a car in Khan Younis.

Watch: Houthis Launch Series Of Attacks In Red Sea

04:30 , Mike Bedigan

Escalations in Middle East serve no one, Blinken tells Israel’s Gallant

04:21 , Arpan Rai

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant in a phone call yesterday that the escalation of tensions in the Middle East was “in no party’s interest” while also stressing the need for a Gaza ceasefire, the State Department said.

“The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and discussed how escalation is in no party’s interest,” the State Department said in a statement.

It added: “The Secretary reiterated the urgent need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages, allow a surge of humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions for broader regional stability. He also underscored the importance of reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes.”

US says it destroyed Houthi missile launcher, uncrewed surface vessel in Yemen

04:01 , Arpan Rai

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi missile launcher and an uncrewed surface vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the previous 24 hours.

The forces also destroyed two Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles over the Red Sea, CENTCOM said in a post on X.

It claimed that these weapons “presented a clear and imminent threat to US and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.”

“This reckless and dangerous behaviour by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security,” the CENTCOM said.

US troops attacked in Syria but no injuries reported, official says

03:52 , Arpan Rai

US troops in Syria were attacked by a drone, a US official told Reuters yesterday evening, though there were no injuries according to initial reports.

“Initial reports do not indicate any injuries, however medical evaluations are ongoing. We are currently conducting a damage assessment,” the official added, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

ICYMI: Israel intensifies Gaza bombardment as Hezbollah and Iran vow retaliation

02:00 , Mike Bedigan

Israel has intensified its bombardment of Gaza, hitting two schools, killing at least 40 people and ordering sweeping evacuations.

It comes as its allies brace for Iran and Hezbollah to retaliate over the killing of two top commanders in Tehran and Beirut.

Catch up here:

Israel intensifies Gaza bombardment as Hezbollah and Iran vow retaliation

Kamala Harris addresses ceasefire and hostage negotiations at Arizona campaign rally

01:50 , Mike Bedigan

US vice president Kamala Harris briefly halted a campaign rally in Arizona on Friday to address vocal protesters about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“Let me address the voices that I think that we are hearing from,” she said, referring to a group to her right. “Let me just say this on topic of what I think I’m hearing over there. Let me just speak to that for a moment, and then I’m going to get back to the business in hand.

“I have been clear: now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done. Now is the time, and the President and I are working around the clock every day to get that cease fire deal done and bring the hostages home. So, I respect your voices.”

Harris’ rallies have been halted before by protesters, after which she told them “I am speaking now.”

Israel to join negotiations on August 15

01:45 , Mike Bedigan

France and Germany back call to resume cease-fire talks

01:15 , Mike Bedigan

France and Germany have expressed their support for a call by the United States, Egypt and Qatar for a new round of talks either in Doha or Cairo on reaching a cease-fire in the war in Gaza and a release of hostages.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the war in Gaza must end amid fears of it morphing into a regional conflict following the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and in Beirut.

“The war in Gaza must stop,” Macron said in a post in English and French on X on Friday. He added: “It’s crucial for the people of Gaza, for the hostages, and for the stability of the region, which is at stake today.”

In Germany, a spokesman said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also strongly supported the call issued on Thursday by the US, Egypt and Qatar for the stalled cease-fire talks to resume without delay.

Hamas official killed in Lebanon by an Israeli drone strike

Saturday 10 August 2024 00:46 , Mike Bedigan

A Hamas official was killed on Friday after an Israeli drone strike hit a car in a southern Lebanese city.

Hamas said in a statement that the strike occurred before sunset on the southern entrance of the port city of Sidon and near one of the roads that lead to the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, Lebanon’s largest, and that Samer al-Haj, a Hamas official in charge of security of the camp was killed.

The Israeli military confirmed it targeted al-Haj, saying he was recruiting people to carry out attacks against Israel.

The military has vowed to target Hamas officials everywhere.

Quds Force chief says Iran will avenge killing of Hamas leader

Saturday 10 August 2024 00:45 , Mike Bedigan

Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force chief Ismail Qaani says in a letter to the new leader of Hamas that Tehran will avenge the killing of his predecessor who was killed in the Iranian capital last week.

The letter, seen by The Associated Press, came days after the leadership of Hamas chose Yahya Sinwar as its new leader replacing the late Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed during a visit to Iran.

Since Haniyeh was killed in an explosion during a visit to Iran, tension has been rising in the region as Tehran blamed Israel for his death and vowed to retaliate.

“We are preparing to avenge his blood, a painful and difficult incident that happened in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is our duty,” Qaani told Sinwar about Haniyeh. He didn’t elaborate on how Teheran will avenge Haniyeh’s death.

Qaani said that Haniyeh’s blood will “make the harsh punishment to the Zionist entity at the hand of the Islamic Republic” harsher that previous ones.

He was apparently referring to the mid-April missile and drone attack that Iran launched against Israel to avenge an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian Consulate in the Syrian capital in which two Iranian generals were killed.

The Quds Force is one of five branches of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, specializing in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations.

UN official condemns Israeli official’s comments about starving Palestinians

Saturday 10 August 2024 00:15 , Mike Bedigan

The UN human rights chief is adding his voice to condemnation of comments by Israel’s far-right finance minister, who alluded to allowing Gaza’s population to starve until hostages are released.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a speech Monday that the starvation of Gaza’s population of more than two million Palestinians “might be just and moral” until hostages captured in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel are returned home.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk was “shocked and appalled” by the comments that “incite hatred against innocent civilians,” a spokesperson for the office said on Friday.

“The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. The collective punishment of the Palestinian population is also a war crime. This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes,” Jeremy Laurence told a briefing in Geneva.

Some of Israel’s Western allies have already condemned Smotrich’s comments.

Lebanon welcomes call for more talks between Israel and Hamas

Friday 9 August 2024 23:45 , Mike Bedigan

Lebanon’s caretaker government welcomed the call by the US, Egypt and Qatar for Israel and Hamas to return to stalled talks, saying on Friday that it reflected Beirut’s vision for de-escalation in the region.

The government said in a statement that “it is necessary to put an end to the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” per The Associated Press.

The Lebanese government added that pressure should be put on Israel, saying it’s the only side that is escalating the situation and putting obstacles to block the reaching of a deal.

There was no comment from the militant Hezbollah group that has been attacking Israeli military posts since early October. Hezbollah has said that it will only stop firing toward Israel once the war in Gaza comes to and end.

Watch: Israel kills Hamas security official in airstrike on car deep within Lebanon

Friday 9 August 2024 23:15 , Mike Bedigan

Microsoft says Iran is using fake news sites to influence 2024 election

Friday 9 August 2024 22:45 , Mike Bedigan

Groups connected to the Iranian government are ramping up their efforts to interfere with voters’ decision-making in the 2024 presidential election by targeting far-left and far-right individuals with fake news websites, a new report from Microsoft Threat Analysis Center has claimed.

Read more from Ariana Baio:

Microsoft says Iran is using fake news sites to influence 2024 election

White House slams Israeli ‘extremists’ for resisting hostage deal

Friday 9 August 2024 22:15 , Mike Bedigan

The White House has condemned Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich for arguing against a ceasefire and hostage release deal brokered with the Biden administration, calling his recent public statements unhelpful and dangerous.

Andrew Feinberg has the details:

White House slams Israeli ‘extremists’ for resisting hostage deal

American pro-Palestinian activist says he was shot by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank

Friday 9 August 2024 21:45 , Mike Bedigan

An American pro-Palestinian activist says he was shot by Israeli soldiers on Friday while protecting Palestinians at a demonstration in the West Bank.

Activist Amado Sison bore a gunshot wound in his right thigh but was in stable condition Friday following the shooting.

Speaking from hospital, Sison told The Associated Press that Israeli forces shot him at a protest in the West Bank village of Beita, which he’d attended to guard Palestinian protesters from Israeli forces and to film any acts of violence.

The soldiers shot live ammunition and teargas at the activists, he said, hitting him in the back of the leg as he tried to flee. “We ran to the olive groves, through the olive groves, and they shot me in the back of the legs,” Sison said.

Sison is from New Jersey and traveled to the West Bank earlier this week. “As internationals, we support Palestinians, we take their lead, we are nonviolent,” he said.

When asked about the incident by the AP, a US government spokesperson said they were aware of reports that an American citizen had been injured, but could not provide information due to privacy considerations.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the shooting.

In pictures: Civil Defense workers extinguish a car that hit by an Israeli strike in Sedon

Friday 9 August 2024 21:15 , Mike Bedigan

Hamas’ military wing pledges to carry out its new leader’s wishes

Friday 9 August 2024 20:20 , Mike Bedigan

The military wing of Hamas has paid allegiance to the group’s new leader, Yahya Sinwar, who was chosen earlier this week.

In a statement posted online, spokesman Abu Obaida added that the Qassam Brigades is ready to carry out all of Sinwar’s decisions, The Associated Press reported.

He added that choosing Sinwar to replace “our martyred leader Ismail Haniyeh shows that Hamas is coherent and strong.”

Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 attacks on southern Israel, was chosen earlier this week to lead Hamas after his predecessor, Haniyeh, was killed in an attack in Iran. The attack has been blamed on Israel.

UAE urges Israel and Hamas to return to negotiations

Friday 9 August 2024 19:50 , Andy Gregory

The United Arab Emirates has urged Israel and Hamas to accept an invitation from mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations on Thursday, in a statement issued by its foreign ministry.

Israel to attend ceasefire and hostage negotiation talks next week

Friday 9 August 2024 19:30 , Mike Bedigan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said negotiators would attend talks on August 15 in order to finalize a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

On Thursday leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar called on both Israel and Hamas to meet for negotiations, saying in a joint statement that the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo.

“A framework agreement is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude,” they said. There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay. It is time to release the hostages, begin the ceasefire, and implement this agreement.”

The leaders also offered to present “a final bridging proposal” resolving the remaining issues.

Despite Netanyahu’s confirmation that Israel would attend, there was no immediate comment from Hamas.

Nine killed in latest attack on village held by US-backed fighters in Syria

Friday 9 August 2024 18:51 , Andy Gregory

Pro-government Syrians have attacked a village held by US-backed fighters in eastern Syria this morning, killing at least 11 people, including children, the US-backed force and an opposition war monitor said.

Pro-government media outlets, meanwhile, blamed a separate attack in which nine were injured in the village of Bouleil on members of the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The SDF and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said seven people under the age of 18 were part of the 11 total killed in Dahla and Jdaidet Bakkara. The SDF said pro-government Syrian fighters fired rockets from their positions from Bouleil.

Syrian state-run media said the SDF shelled Bouleil with mortar rounds, wounding nine people. It gave no further details.

Iran military chief vows to Hamas leader to avenge killing of his predecessor

Friday 9 August 2024 17:49 , Andy Gregory

Tehran will avenge the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh last week, Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force chief Ismail Qaani has reportedly said in a letter to the Palestinian militant group’s new leader Yahya Sinwar.

“We are preparing to avenge his blood, a painful and difficult incident that happened in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is our duty,” M Qaani told Mr Sinwar in a letter seen by the Associated Press, without elaborating on how Teheran will avenge Haniyeh’s death.

Mr Qaani said that Haniyeh’s blood will “make the harsh punishment to the Zionist entity at the hand of the Islamic Republic” harsher than previous ones.

He was apparently referring to the mid-April missile and drone attack that Iran launched against Israel to avenge an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian Consulate in the Syrian capital in which two Iranian generals were killed.

Mr Qaani vowed in the letter to that Tehran “will be with you on the road of resistance until we achieve the divine promise which is to clear Jerusalem.”

Israeli airstrike targets car on edge of Lebanese port city, security sources say

Friday 9 August 2024 16:55 , Andy Gregory

An Israeli airstrike has targeted a car on the edge of Lebanon’s port city of Sidon, two security sources told Reuters.

The sources said it was not immediately clear who had been targeted in the strike, Reuters reported.

Lebanon welcomes calls for return to ceasefire negotiations

Friday 9 August 2024 16:09 , Andy Gregory

Lebanon’s caretaker government has welcomed calls by the US, Egypt and Qatar for Israel and Hamas to return to stalled talks, saying this reflects Beirut’s vision for de-escalation in the region.

The government said in a statement Friday that “it is necessary to put an end to the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”, adding that pressure should be put on Israel, whom Beirut accused of escalating the situation and putting obstacles to block the reaching of a deal.

There was no comment from the militant Hezbollah group that has been attacking Israeli military posts since early October. Hezbollah has said that it will only stop firing toward Israel once the war in Gaza comes to an end.

Hezbollah war would leave Lebanon desperate for aid, minister warns

Friday 9 August 2024 13:55 , Andy Gregory

Lebanon would struggle to meet even a fraction of its aid needs if full-scale war with Israel erupts, a senior official has warned – as it seeks increased donor support amid persistent border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.

Nasser Yassin, the minister overseeing contingency planning, told Reuters that Lebanon would need $100m every month for food, shelter, healthcare and other needs in a worst-case scenario – with Lebanon already having received just a third of the $74m it has sought since the Gaza war began.

“A small fraction, even 10 to 15 percent of that, would be huge for the government. We will need donors to step up,” Mr Yassin said, adding: “Humanitarian funding in many places has been reduced to a minimal level of just keeping heads above water. Some organisations are even slashing funding for critical life-saving matters.”

Under an Israeli blockade similar to the 2006 war, Mr Yassin said Lebanon’s food supply would last four to five months – however diesel supplies would last only five weeks, in a country heavily reliant on using generators to power hospitals, bakeries and the internet amid shortages of state electricity.

Residents flee as Israeli tanks return to Khan Younis

Friday 9 August 2024 13:38 , Andy Gregory

Israeli tanks have today returned to the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, forcing thousands to evacuate along congested roadways, as Palestinian fighters continued to attack Israeli troops from the ruins, residents and the military said.

Following an evacuation order issued by Israel’s military for parts of Gaza’s second largest city, Palestinian families fled eastern Khan Younis in vehicles and on foot, belongings heaped on donkey carts and motorcycle rickshaws, making a slow escape along congested roads.

UN rights chief joins condemnation of Israeli minister’s remarks about starving Palestinians

Friday 9 August 2024 11:50 , Andy Gregory

The United Nations human rights chief has joined the condemnation of comments by Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said on Monday that the starvation of Gaza’s population “might be just and moral” until Israeli hostages are returned home.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk was “shocked and appalled” by the comments that “incite hatred against innocent civilians,” spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said.

“The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. The collective punishment of the Palestinian population is also a war crime. This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes,” Mr Laurence told a briefing in Geneva.

The UK and EU have already criticised the comments this week.

Pakistan ‘will support all efforts' to prevent escalation in Middle East

Friday 9 August 2024 11:14 , Andy Gregory

Pakistan will support all efforts to prevent war escalating in the Middle East, its foreign ministry has said.

“Pakistan will support all efforts to prevent a war in the Middle East,” a ministry spokesperson told reporters. She did not comment on whether Pakistan had been in contact with Washington over the issue.

The ministry denied reports by the Jerusalem Post newspaper that Pakistan was planning to provide Shaheen-III medium-range ballistic missiles to Iran.

Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, but has seen a marked improvement in previously rocky ties with neighbouring Iran which culminated in military fire between the two nations in January. Iran’s president visited in April and the nations have said they are boosting trade ties and cooperation.

Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar has spoken by phone with Iran’s foreign minister in recent days, and attended an emergency meeting convened by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Saudi Arabia this week where he condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and called for a ceasefire.

Iranian navy has new missiles with highly explosive warheads, state media claims

Friday 9 August 2024 10:42 , Andy Gregory

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy has new cruise missiles equipped with highly explosive warheads that are undetectable, the semi-official Tasnim news agency has claimed, as Israel braces for a retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

“A large number of cruise missiles have been added to the Guards’ navy fleet. These new missiles have capabilities of highly explosive warheads that are undetectable and can cause extensive damage and sink their targets,” Tasnim said.

‘No excuses for delay’: US, Egypt and Qatar demand that ceasefire talks resume

Friday 9 August 2024 10:27 , Andy Gregory

Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar have issued a joint statement demanding that Israel and Hamas return to stalled talks on the war in Gaza next week.

“Only the details” of carrying out a ceasefire and hostage release remain to be negotiated, they said, adding: “There is no further time to waste, nor excuses from any party for further delay.”

Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that it had accepted the invitation.

US president Joe Biden, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim al-Thani – who have acted as mediators in indirect negotiations – set the talks for Thursday, in either Doha, Qatar or Cairo.

Oil tanker reports attacks near Yemen port, UK shipping body says

Friday 9 August 2024 10:00 , Andy Gregory

The Delta Blue crude oil tanker has reported a third and fourth incident in the last 24 hours off Yemen’s port of Mokha, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has said.

The crew and vessel are safe and proceeding to their next port of call, the UKMTO said in an advisory note. The latest incidents included an attack by an uncrewed surface vessel and another by a missile that landed near the ship, UKMTO said.

On Thursday the ship’s captain reported that two small craft had approached and fired a rocket-propelled grenade which exploded near the Liberia-flagged Delta Blue some 45 nautical miles south of Mokha. Each of the two small boats had four people on board, UKMTO said.

Hours later, another missile exploded close to the tanker, it said.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Lloyd Austin tells Israeli defence minister to ‘deter aggression’

Friday 9 August 2024 09:30 , Shweta Sharma

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin held a phone call with Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and discussed the US steps in the Middle East to defend Israel and a Gaza ceasefire.

Mr Austin said on social media platform X: “The US F-22 Raptors that arrived in the region today represent one of many efforts to deter aggression, defend Israel and protect US forces in the region.”

He added: “I also stressed the importance of concluding a ceasefire deal in Gaza that releases the hostages.”

It comes as vice president Kamala Harris did not agree to discuss imposing an arms embargo on Israel during an exchange with pro-Palestinian activists who are pushing for changes to US policy towards Gaza, an aide.

The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ms Harris did not express a willingness to discuss an arms embargo during an interaction with Uncommitted National Movement.

But a campaign spokesperson said the vice president did tell members of the Muslim and Palestinian community she would continue to engage with them on the war.

Two killed in southern Lebanon after Israeli drone strike

Friday 9 August 2024 09:00 , Shweta Sharma

Two people have been confirmed dead in the Naqoura area in southern Lebanon, the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon said today.

There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defence Forces.

The situation has remained tense along the Israel-Lebanon border as Israel and its allies are bracing for retaliation from Hezbollah and Tehran over the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran and a Hezbollah leader in Beirut.

Three-pronged attack by Houthi rebels targets ships near Gulf of Aden

Friday 9 August 2024 08:30 , Associated Press

Three suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted a ship in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, authorities said.

One incident saw private security guards shoot and destroy a bomb-loaded drone boat.

The Houthis did not immediately claim the assaults, which follow a months-long campaign by the rebels targeting shipping through the Red Sea corridor in response to Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

After a recent two-week pause, their attacks resumed following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, amid concerns of a wider regional war.

Iran backs the Houthis as part of what it calls a regional “Axis of Resistance”.

The Houthis’ leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said in a speech on Thursday: “The operations are ongoing - our operations toward occupied Palestine to target the Israeli enemy, our operations at sea, the inevitable forthcoming response, as well as coordination with the axis in any joint operations.

“The decision to respond is a collective decision, at the level of the entire axis and at the level of each front individually.”

In the first attack, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) exploded close to the ship on Thursday, according to the UK Ministry of Defence’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO).

Two smaller craft, with men aboard wearing white and yellow raincoats, launched the RPG, the UKMTO said.

The second attack came early Friday, with a missile “exploding in close proximity to the vessel,” the UKMTO added.

“The vessel and crew are reported to be safe.”

The private security firm Ambrey reported that the ship was hit by a drone that caused no injuries or physical damage.

“The vessel was assessed to be aligned with the Houthi target profile,” Ambrey said. “The vessel was assessed to have been targeted earlier in the day.”

Then came the third attack with the drone boat, where private security guards on board “opened fire and (were) able to successfully destroy the vehicle”, Ambrey said.

Though the Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, it sometimes can take hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults. They have also claimed others that apparently have not happened.

Nagasaki marks 79th anniversary of US atomic bombing amid boycotts

Friday 9 August 2024 08:00 , Shweta Sharma

Japan’s port city of Nagasaki marked the 79th anniversary of its atomic bombing by the US with a moment of silence in an event boycotted by most G7 leaders.

The city fell silent when the clock struck 11.2am, the exact time when a USAAF B-29 airplane dropped the plutonium bomb over the city in 1945.

“The government of Japan, the only state attacked by atomic bombs in war, must express a serious attitude of pursuing a world without nuclear weapons,” said Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki, speaking at a ceremony marking the anniversary.

“As a step toward this, we call for the Japanese government to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as soon as possible,” he said.

The event was marred by controversy after ambassadors, including the American, boycotted it over the exclusion of Israel.

US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and British ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom did not attend the ceremony.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller defended the decision and said it was important that the Israeli ambassador be invited.

“No country should have been singled out to not be invited,” he said, adding it was presumably the reason why Mr Emanuel took the step that he did.

Nagasaki mayor said the decision was not politically motivated but added there would be no change to the decision despite the responses by ambasadors.

United Airlines suspends flights to Tel Aviv for foreseeable future

Friday 9 August 2024 07:30 , Shweta Sharma

United Airlines said it has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future and plans to resume them only when it is safe for its customers and crew.

Many airlines globally are revising their schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace while also calling off flights to Israel and Lebanon amid growing fears of a possible broader conflict in the region after the killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

The Chicago-based airline suspended its daily Newark, New Jersey-Tel Aviv service on 31 July, citing security reasons. The flight, however, was available for booking from 1 September.

On Thursday, United said it was now removing the Tel Aviv flights from its schedule. Customers can seek refunds or rebook United flights to any city in Europe or the Middle East, it said.

Its rival Delta Air Lines has halted its flights between New York and Tel Aviv through 31 August.

Israel to send negotiators for 15 August ceasefire meeting

Friday 9 August 2024 07:00 , Shweta Sharma

Israel will send negotiators to take part in a 15 August meeting to try to reach a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today.

“Following the offer from the United States and the mediators, Israel will send on 15 August the delegation of negotiators to the place to be determined, in order to finalise the details and implement the framework agreement,” Mr Netanyahu’s office said.

The US and other allies have stepped up pressure on Israel and Hamas to negotiate a deal, which is believed to be in its final stages, without wasting any time.

Mediating countries Qatar, Egypt and the US a day earlier invited Israel and Hamas to resume Gaza ceasefire talks on 15 August to close all remaining gaps in a proposed agreement and start implementing it without further delay.

The three countries, which have continued to mediate between both sides to end the war in Gaza, said in a joint statement that the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo.

Frustrated mediators call on Israel and Hamas to resume talks with ‘no excuses’

Friday 9 August 2024 06:30 , Shweta Sharma

Leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar jointly demanded Israel and Hamas to return to negotiations on the Gaza war next week, saying there is no time to waste time or excuses.

The mediators said that “only the details” of carrying out a cease-fire and hostage release remain to be negotiated.

“There is no further time to waste, nor excuses from any party for further delay,” they said in a joint statement.Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that it had accepted the invitation.

Only four to five areas of disagreement over implementation remained to be resolved between the two opponents, a senior US official said.The official cited the timing of a planned swap of Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and hostages held by Hamas, as an example.

Pictures of Israeli strike on two schools show injured children

Friday 9 August 2024 05:16 , Shweta Sharma

Pictures of injured children and women are emerging from Gaza after Israeli forces bombarded two schools where many displaced Palestinians were taking shelter.

The schools were largely destroyed in the strikes, which Israel claimed was necessary to destroy Hamas command centres set up in the schools.

The IDF said steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians prior to the strike, but around 15 people were killed in the two schools.

Three Columbia University deans resign over antisemitic texts

Friday 9 August 2024 05:02 , Shweta Sharma

Three deans of Columbia University have resigned following an investigation over text message exchanges with students, a university spokesperson said.

The messages that took place after en event on campus titled “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present, and Future” touched on “ancient antisemitic tropes”.

Cristen Kromm, former dean of undergraduate student life; Matthew Patashnick, former associate dean for student and family support; and Susan Chang-Kim, former vice dean and chief administrative officer, were earlier placed on leave as an investigation proceeded.

The event took place following weeks of protests at Columbia and other campuses around the country over Israel’s war in Gaza, the university administration said in July.

“This incident revealed behavior and sentiments that were not only unprofessional, but also, disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes,” the university said last month.