Closing summary
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
At least 32,333 Palestinians have been killed and 74,694 injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday. The latest figures include at least 21 Palestinians who were reportedly killed by an Israeli airstrike on an apartment block in central Gaza late on Sunday.
The UN security council voted to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the first time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, after the US dropped a threat to veto, in a significant break with the Israeli government, bringing it to near total isolation on the world stage. The US abstained in a vote in Monday’s security council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan”. It also demanded the release of hostages by Hamas, but did not make the ceasefire dependent on hostage release, a linkage the US had previously insisted on.
Hamas welcomed the resolution and said it stood ready for an immediate exchange of prisoners with Israel, raising hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations under way in Doha, where intelligence chiefs and other officials from the US, Egypt and Qatar are seeking to broker a deal that would involve the release of some hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian detainees and prisoners, and a truce that would last an initial six weeks.
After the UN vote, the office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a planned visit to Washington by two of his ministers, intended to discuss a planned Israeli offensive on Rafah, which the US opposes. The White House said it was “very disappointed” by the decision. Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz argued that the visit should go ahead.
Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, will still meet with US defense secretary Lloyd Austin and other senior US officials despite the cancellation of a separate visit by an Israeli delegation to Washington. The meeting, set to take place at the Pentagon on Tuesday, will cover a range of topics including the release of hostages held by Hamas and the need for more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the Pentagon’s press secretary said.
Israel confirmed it will cease working with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), accusing the organisation of “perpetuating the conflict”. Unrwa has provided essential services to the Palestinians in the occupied territories for decades, and has been at the centre of a bitter controversy after being accused by Israel of collaborating with Hamas in Gaza – a charge it has denied.
The medical situation in Gaza’s hospitals has reached an “unimaginable” state of crisis, according to an emergency medical team organised by three aid groups that spent two weeks carrying out surgeries and other care at the European hospital near Khan Younis.
Israel’s foreign ministry said Spain, Malta, Slovenia and Ireland are offering “a reward for terrorism” with a joint statement about their readiness to recognise a Palestinian state. Israel has repeatedly insisted that the only way progress towards a two-state solution can be made is by direct talks between Israel and Palestinian authorities that it recognises. Palestinians have argued that this effectively grants Israel a veto over statehood.
US says it will 'find ways' to warn Israel against Rafah attack despite cancellation of visit
The US has said it will “find other ways to make our concerns known” regarding Israel’s planned military operation in Rafah despite the decision by Benjamin Netanyahu to scrap an Israeli delegation visit to Washington.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will likely discuss Rafah with visiting Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. He said:
We believe this type of full-scale invasion would be a mistake, not just because of the civilian harm that it would cost which would be immense.
He added there are currently about 1.4m people in Rafah and Israel has not presented a coherent evacuation plan, adding:
This type of invasion would weaken Israel’s security and would make Israel less safe, not more safe. It would undermine its standing in the world.
Miller said that while Blinken will likely discuss US concerns over a Rafah invasion during his meeting with Gallant, the secretary of state would not be presenting Washington’s alternative plans for a military operation in the southern Gaza city.
The White House has said it was “perplexed” and “disappointed” by Israel’s decision to cancel its delegation’s planned visit to Washington to discuss US concerns over a possible offensive in Rafah.
The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced it would cancel the visit after the US dropped a threat to veto a UN security council resolution to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“We’re kind of perplexed” by the cancellation, the White House’s national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. He added that the Israeli prime minister’s office seemed to be “choosing to create a perception of daylight here when they don’t need to do that.”
US officials had been in touch with Israel throughout the weekend to make Washington’s position known on the UN security council resolution, and to articulate that it was not a change in policy or in support for Israel, a US official told AP.
Netanyahu did not talk to US president Joe Biden before he canceled the delegation’s trip, and Biden doesn’t have any immediate plans to phone Netanyahu, the official added.
Kirby had earlier said Washington was “very disappointed” the delegation would not be visiting. While the delegation’s trip has been canceled, a separate visit by Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, is proceeding.
An Israeli minister, Gideon Saar, has resigned from Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency unity government, citing the fact that he was not included in the country’s highest-level war cabinet.
Saar joined the unity government along with several other members of the opposition after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.
His departure, reported by Reuters, is not expected to affect the stability of Netanyahu’s government, which still controls a clear majority in parliament.
Netanyahu hits back at war cabinet minister who criticised cancellation of US visit
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has hit back at comments by his war cabinet minister and political rival, Benny Gantz, over the decision to cancel a planned trip for top Israeli officials to Washington over the US decision not to veto the UN security council resolution.
The Israeli delegation that was supposed to visit Washington on Tuesday should continue, Gantz argued in a social media post. He wrote:
Not only is it right for the delegation to travel – the prime minister would do well if he himself traveled to the USA, and held a direct dialogue with President Biden and the senior administration officials.
Gantz, who met with top US leaders during a visit to Washington earlier this month, added:
At the same time, it is important to remember – the special relationship between Israel and the United States is an anchor in Israel’s security and foreign relations, and the direct dialogue with the American administration is an essential asset that must not be given up even when there are challenges and disputes.
Netanyahu’s office responded that the Israeli leader “rejected the proposal” by Gantz in a statement that said:
After Hamas welcomed the Security Council decision that was passed by way of the USA’s abstention, Gantz proposes that a delegation visit the USA. The Prime Minister has rejected his proposal.
Updated
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has cancelled a scheduled Washington trip for top aides Ron Dermer and Tzachi Hanegbi in response to the US’s decision not to use veto power in the UN security council resolution for a ceasefire without hostage release conditions, according to media reports.
Israel accuses the US of undermining war efforts and hostage release attempts, calling it a departure from prior US stance in the security council.
The statement calls the decision “a clear retreat from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war,” and one that “gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to get a ceasefire without releasing our hostages,’’ the Times of Israel has reported.
The Israeli minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in response to the UN security council resolution said:
The decision of the UN Security Council proves what has been known since time immemorial - this is an anti-Semitic institution, with an anti-Semitic Secretary General, who is encouraging Hamas towards total victory. President Biden’s choice, on the other hand, to avoid vetoing the decision on the part of the USA, proves on the other hand that President Biden does not put the victory of Israel and the free world over terrorism at the top of his priorities, but rather his political considerations. Precisely after this decision, we must increase the intensity of the war and continue striving with all our might, at any cost, to defeat Hamas.
• This post was amended on 26 March 2024 to correct the spelling of Itamar Ben-Gvir’s surname.
Updated
Trump tells Israel 'you have to finish up your war'
The former US president Donald Trump has said he would have responded to the 7 October Hamas attacks in the same way that Israel did, but argued Israel was losing international support and should wrap up its war in Gaza.
Hamas’ killing spree through southern Israel was “one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen”, Trump said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom published on Monday, but:
You have to finish up your war. To finish it up. You gotta get it done. And, I am sure you will do that. And we gotta get to peace, we can’t have this going on. And I will say, Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support, you have to finish up, you have to get the job done.
Updated
The secretary general of the Palestinian Authority’s executive committee, Hussein al-Sheikh, has welcomed the UN security council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
We welcome the #UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the #Gaza Strip. We call for a permanent cessation to this criminal war and Israel's immediate withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. https://t.co/woxJznMwQo
— حسين الشيخ Hussein AlSheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) March 25, 2024
The 2025 European gymnastics championships will not be staged in Tel Aviv as scheduled because of Israel’s war with Hamas, its governing body announced.
In a statement, the governing body of gymnastics in Europe cited “the current situation in Israel” as its reason and said it was reopening the bidding process for a host. It added:
We acknowledge the efforts done by the Israeli Gymnastics Federation, the excellent host of several European Championships in the past 8 years.
The UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza sent a clear message that the hostages held by Hamas should be released and aid should allowed in to Gaza, Downing Street has said.
The UK backed the resolution, which demanded the release of hostages but did not make the ceasefire dependent on hostage release.
A spokesperson for the UK prime minister said:
We have long called for an immediate humanitarian pause or temporary ceasefire leading to a sustainable ceasefire, which is what this resolution calls for. And that is why the UK voted in favour of it.
They said Israel had a right to defend itself, but that “far too many” Palestinians had been killed “and a humanitarian catastrophe is a clear and present risk”.
Asked what message the UK government would send to Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Downing Street said:
We would obviously urge both sides to listen to that and to follow this resolution.
ActionAid has condemned Israel’s decision to block the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza.
Unrwa head Philippe Lazzarini, in a social media post on Sunday, said Israeli authorities had informed the UN that they will no longer approve any Unrwa food convoys to the north of Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest.
An Israeli official confirmed earlier today that Israel will cease working with the UN agency, accusing the organisation of “perpuating the conflict”.
📍# Gaza: as of today, @UNRWA, the main lifeline for #Palestine Refugees, is denied from providing lifesaving assistance to northern Gaza.
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) March 24, 2024
Despite the tragedy unfolding under our watch, the Israeli Authorities informed the UN that they will no longer approve any @UNRWA food… pic.twitter.com/lfp9xRQuh1
ActionAid Palestine’s advocacy and communications coordinator, Riham Jafari, said in a statement:
We are utterly horrified and outraged to see Israel pull the plug on the most vital lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza on the brink of famine right now. With severe hunger claiming children’s lives and severely malnourished women giving birth to stillborn babies, Israel’s decision to cease working with UNRWA is nothing short of a death sentence for those living through immense hunger and suffering.
A UN-backed food security assessment has warned that famine was projected to hit the north of Gaza by May unless there was urgent intervention.
Unrwa has not been able to deliver food to the north since 29 January, a spokesperson has said.
Updated
Hamas welcomes vote and says it is ready to engage in immediate prisoner swap
Hamas has welcomed the UN security council resolution and said it stands ready to engage the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
In a statement posted to social media, Hamas said a pause in fighting is needed to “bury our martyrs who have remained under the rubble for months” and for access to “humanitarian needs”.
Updated
European commission chief welcomes UN ceasefire vote
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has welcomed the adoption by the UN security council of a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Von der Leyen, in a social media post, said that implementation of the resolution is “vital for the protection of all civilians”.
I welcome the adoption by UN Security Council of a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and the immediate & unconditional release of all hostages.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 25, 2024
Implementation of this resolution is vital for the protection of all civilians.
Updated
Here’s the full text of the UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza that was passed on Monday after the US dropped a threat to veto, in a significant break with the Israeli government.
The text of the resolution 2728 just adopted by the Council pic.twitter.com/YJpbBUgeW2
— Ambassador Majed Bamya 🇵🇸 (@majedbamya) March 25, 2024
Aid groups have been responding to the UN security council vote to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the month of Ramadan.
A statement by the International Rescue Committee calls the UN resolution “a critical turning point” and warns that without a ceasefire that is respected by all parties, Gaza risks facing further catastrophe. It adds:
IRC urges Council members, including the United Kingdom, to leverage all their influence to achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities and work towards a lasting ceasefire.
The UN resolution is a “welcome step forward but long overdue,” according to a statement by Care International UK, which warns that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would have “utterly dire” consequences for civilians, including women and girls. It adds:
With famine imminent in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire is the only way to reduce the death toll. The resolution must be implemented, there is no time to lose.
Oxfam says it welcomes the UN resolution, but argues that while it is a “step in the right direction" that it “falls short of the permanent ceasefire which is truly required and comes too late for over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza that have been killed, and thousands more unaccounted for, while the Security Council wrung its hands over semantics.” It adds:
A mere two-week pause is not enough. This initial cessation in violence must lead to a permanent ceasefire that lasts and sustainable peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike; so people in Gaza can mourn their loved ones and begin the long road of recovery and reconstruction.
A meeting between the US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in Washington is still expected to take place, the Pentagon’s press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder has said.
The meeting, set to take place at the Pentagon tomorrow, will cover a range of topics including the release of hostages held by Hamas and the need for more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinian civilians in Gaza, he added.
US 'very disappointed' after Netanyahu cancels Israeli visit to Washington
The White House has said it is “very disappointed” that Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a high-level Israeli delegation’s planned visit to Washington after the US abstained from a UN security council vote demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
As we reported earlier, Netanyahu’s office announced that a planned visit to Washington by Israeli officials, which was to include Israel’s minister of strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, and head of Israel’s national security council, Tzachi Hanegbi, will no longer take place.
White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters:
It’s disapppointing. We’re very disappointed that they won’t be coming to Washington DC. to allow us to have a fulsome conversation with them about viable alternatives to them going in on the ground in Rafah.
A separate set of talks between Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, who is already currently in Washington, and senior US officials is expected to take place.
Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, who is expected to meet with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and secretary of state Antony Blinken, has said that Israel has “no moral right to stop the war in Gaza until we return all the hostages to their homes.”
A statement released by Gallant’s office, reported by the Times of Israel’s Emanuel Fabian, reads:
I will make clear the importance of collapsing the Hamas regime and returning the hostages to their homes. We will act against Hamas everywhere, even in areas where we have not been yet. We will create an alternative to Hamas so that the IDF can complete its mission … We have no moral right to stop the war in Gaza until we return all the hostages to their homes. If we don’t reach a clear and absolute victory in Gaza, it could bring a war in the north closer.
Here’s more from the White House’s spokesperson, John Kirby, who was speaking with reporters following the UN security council vote on Gaza.
Kirby insisted that the US decision to abstain from the UN vote does not represent a shift in policy, the Jerusalem Post reported, quoting him as saying:
We have been clear, and we’ve been consistent in our support for a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. That’s how the hostage deal is structured. We wanted to get to a place where we could support that resolution, but because the final text does not have key language that we think is essential like a condemnation of Hamas, we could not support it.
White House says it has not been informed of any change in Israeli visit plans
The White House has said it has not been informed of any change in plans for an Israeli delegation to visit Washington, despite reports that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has cancelled the visit.
White House spokesperson John Kirby, speaking to reporters, said US officials would still meet for separate talks with Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, on hostages, humanitarian aid and protecting civilians in Rafah.
Asked about reports that the other Israeli visit has been cancelled, Kirby said:
We were looking forward to having a discussion (about) alternatives and options to a major ground offensive because we don’t believe that a ground offensive in Rafah is the right course of action.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has cancelled a planned trip to Washington by his top aides, Ron Dermer and Tzachi Hanegbi, according to reports.
A statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office accused the US of harming Israel’s war effort and attempts to free hostages by its decision not to use a veto to block a UN security council resolution that called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported.
The US decision marks “a clear retreat from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war,” and one that “gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to get a ceasefire without releasing our hostages,” the statement says.
Netanyahu cancels Israel delegation visit to the White House - reports
Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled the Israeli delegation to the White House, according to Israeli media reports, after the US dropped a threat to veto a UN security council vote demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
A statement by the Israeli prime minister’s office, carried by Israel’s state-owned Kann, reads:
The US retreated from its consistent position in the Security Council linking a ceasefire with the release of the hostages.
#BREAKING: PMO: In light of the change in the US position, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that the delegation will not leave to Washington https://t.co/FCiJBXHWpO
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) March 25, 2024
#BREAKING Netanyahu canceled the Israeli delegation to the White House and said the US has backed down from its policy of tying a ceasefire to the release of hostages by not vetoing the UNSC Gaza ceasefire resolution. https://t.co/CtGl0T1Mp7
— Lahav Harkov 🎗️ (@LahavHarkov) March 25, 2024
Before the vote, the Israeli prime minister threatened to cancel a visit to Washington DC by an Israeli delegation set for early this week to discuss a planned Israeli offensive on the city of Rafah in Gaza, something the Biden administration opposed.
Updated
UN chief: Failure to implement 'long-awaited' resolution would be 'unforgivable'
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has called on the resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to be implemented, adding that “failure would be unforgivable”.
A social media post by Guterres reads:
The Security Council just approved a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable.
The Security Council just approved a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 25, 2024
This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable.
Updated
At the UN security council meeting, US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield has criticised what she said was the cynical approach of Russia and China, and said the US was disappointed that the resolution still does not go far enough as to condemn Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
She said:
Just last week, Russia and China vetoed a resolution that condemned this horrific attack, a resolution the vast majority of this council supported.
They have shown time and time again that they are not actually interested in advancing a durable peace through diplomatic efforts.
Nor for all their rhetoric are they interested in making any meaningful contributions to humanitarian efforts. Instead, they are using this devastating conflict as a political cudgel to try to divide this council at a time when we need to come together. It is deeply deeply cynical. And we should all see through it.
Regarding Hamas, Thomas-Greenfield said:
We appreciated the willingness of members of this Council to take some of our edits and improve on this resolution. Still, certain key edits were ignored, including our requests to add a condemnation of Hamas. And we did not agree with everything in the resolution. For that reason, we were unfortunately not able to vote yes.
Critically, a ceasefire and the release of hostages will allow much more humanitarian aid to get into Gaza at a time when famine is looming large and provide an opportunity to work toward a sustainable cessation of hostilities, and toward a future where Hamas can no longer threaten Israel, and never repeat 7 October.
[A future where Hamas] no longer controls Gaza and uses civilians as shields. A future where Palestinians and Israelis live side-by-side in peace and two democratic states of their own. Something that will never happen with Hamas, a terrorist organisation dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews. A terrorist organisation this body still fails to condemn, controlling Gaza.
This resolution rightly acknowledges that during the month of Ramadan, we must recommit to peace. Hamas can do that by accepting the deal on the table. A ceasefire can begin immediately with the release of the first hostage and so we must put pressure on Hamas to do just that.
Abstention at UN marks new rift between Biden administration and the Netanyahu government
A snap piece of analysis from my colleague Julian Borger in Washington:
The US abstention marks a rift with the Netanyahu government, reflecting mounting frustration in Washington at the prime minister’s defiant insistence Israeli forces will go ahead with the Rafah attack, and at continued Israeli hindrance of humanitarian aid deliveries.
While the resolution demands a temporary ceasefire during the remainder of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it adds that should lead to a “lasting sustainable ceasefire”. In a late amendment demanded by the US, the word “lasting” was substituted for “permanent”, to Russian objections. A Russian effort to restore the word “permanent” was defeated by 11 votes to three.
At the last minute on Monday morning, the US asked for an amendment adding a condemnation of Hamas for its attack on Israel on 7 October leading to urgent huddles of diplomats on the chamber floor, but dropped that demand when it became clear the amendment would be resisted.
US says it is 'working round the clock' to try and secure ceasefire and hostage release deal, but is 'not there yet'
Linda Thomas-Greenfield has said that the US is working around the clock to try and get a ceasefire deal and hostage release deal done, but is not there yet.
She opened her speech with this message:
Colleagues, today this council spoke out in support of the ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the US, Qatar, Egypt to bring about an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, secure the immediate release of all hostages, and help alleviate the tremendous suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are in dire need of protection and life saving humanitarian assistance.
The United States fully supports these critical objectives. In fact, they were the foundation of the resolution we put forward last week, a resolution that Russia and China vetoed.
But colleagues, the United States support for these objectives is not simply rhetorical. We’re working around the clock to make them real on the ground through diplomacy, because we know that it is only through diplomacy that we can push this agenda forward.
We’re getting closer to a deal for an immediate ceasefire with the release of all hostages, but we’re not there yet.
Now let’s be clear. A ceasefire could have come about months ago, if Hamas had been willing to release hostages months ago. Instead, Hamas continues to stand in the way of peace to throw up roadblocks cower in tunnels beneath Gaza cities and behind under civilian infrastructure and hide among the civilian population.
US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield is now speaking. She opened by directly offering condolences to Russia over the Crocus City Hall terror attack in Moscow.
UN security council passes resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza after US abstains
For the first time the UN security council has voted for a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, after the US abstained, rather than using its veto as it has done on previous occasions. Russia and China have also previously vetoed texts.
The resolution that passed was written by the 10 elected members to the council, and proposed in the chamber by Mozambique’s representative.
Russia attempted to amend the text by restoring it to an earlier draft which included the word “permanent”, but the bid failed.
14 members of the UN security council voted for the resolution, while the US abstained.
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier threatened to cancel a planned delegation to Washington if the US did not exercise its veto.
Updated
In Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid has described prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s earlier threat to withdraw a delegation to the US if it didn’t use its veto at the UN security council as “alarming irresponsibility from a prime minister who has lost it.”
Algeria’s representative to the UN security council, Amar Bendjama, is speaking now. He said finally the security council was shouldering its responsibility.
He said:
I would like to thank all the council members for their flexibility and the constructive way that allowed us today to adopt this long awaited resolution. A resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in order to put an end to the massacres that, unfortunately, are still ongoing after the past five months.
Updated
UN security council resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire passes
The UN security council has passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, avoiding a veto by any of the major powers.
Previous attempts to get a resolution passed had faced multiple hurdles as the US, China and Russia used their vetos. The US abstained.
More details soon …
Updated
The US has abstained
The US has voted against the proposed Russian amendment, 11 countries abstained including the UK. The Russian amendment, which is attempting to restore the text to an earlier draft, has failed.
The Russian representative says the changes to the text and the way it has been handled has been unacceptable. Russia is trying to restore the word “permanent” to the opening paragraph.
Russia is next to the floor, and has opened by saying Russia is disappointed with the way the text has been altered over the last 24 hours.
Mozambique’s representative has made the point that the ten elected members of the UN security council have repeatedly unanimously backed resolutions calling for a ceasefire. He said:
We have proposed the present resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire during the sacred period, leading to a permanent and sustainable ceasefire at the same time. The draft resolution demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and emphasises that humanitarian access must be allowed to address their medical and other humanitarian needs [in Gaza].
Mozambique representative Pedro Comissário Afonso is introducing the resolution, saying the situation in Gaza is a matter of gave concern to the entire international community.
The draft resolution on Gaza up for a vote today is written by Algeria, Guyana, Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland.
Israel, Yemen and Palestine have been invited as additional observers at the meeting.
A meeting of the UN security council has begun in New York. It is starting, at the request of Russia, with a minute of silence for victims of the Crocus City Hall attacks.
Israel to 'phase out' use of Unrwa, accusing refugee agency of 'perpetuating the conflict'
An Israeli official has confirmed that Israel will cease working the the UN relief and works agency that assists Palestinian refugees in Gaza, accusing the organisation of “perpuating the conflict”.
Israel, which has occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, and whose creation in 1948 displaced large numbers of Palestinians from their homes, said “Unrwa are part of the problem”.
“UNRWA are part of the problem, and we will now stop working with them. We are actively phasing out the use of UNRWA because they perpetuate the conflict rather than try and alleviate the conflict,” Reuters reports spokesperson David Mencer told the media.
More details soon …
Netanyahu threatens to cancel delegation visit to Washington if the US does not use veto at UN security council
Israeli media is reporting that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will call off the visit of senior aides to Washington this week if the US does not use its veto to block a UN Security Council resolution today calling for a ceasefire if it does not have the release of hostages as a condition.
National security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer were set to fly out later this week.
Meanwhile the White House has announced that national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant are expected to meet today in Washington. They are expected to discusss hostage talks, humanitarian aid and protecting civilians in Rafah, Reuters reports a White House official said.
Israel confirms it will not work with Unrwa in Gaza
An Israeli government spokesperson has confirmed yesterday’s claim by Unrwa that Israel is ceasing to co-operate with the agency.
More details soon …
Axios is reporting that sources tell it the US does not intend to veto a new UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Earlier a spokesperson for China’s foreing ministry also appeared to indicate there would be no veto from China.
So far, since 7 October, at least one of the US, China or Russia has vetoed multiple attempts to pass a resolution calling for a halt in the fighting.
Here is a map from our graphics team showing the damage to buildings in the Gaza Strip wrought by months of Israel’s aerial bombardment and its ground offensive inside the territory. It uses data up until 21 March, and is cross-referenced with satellite imagery. It does not show damage to agricultural land, the destruction of which is contributing to the food crisis and the threat of famine.
The medical situation in Gaza’s hospitals has reached an “unimaginable” state of crisis where large open wounds are being left untreated and medical staff are facing chronic shortages of the most basic medical items, including surgical gauze and material to pin fractures.
In a statement released on Monday, the team said healthcare workers had been forced to evacuate or were unable to access the hospital. It said Israeli restrictions had led to shortages of medical supplies, including basics such as gauze and plates and screws used to stabilise broken bones.
Vital medical supplies have been caught up in Israel’s restriction of aid to Gaza, which has brought large parts of territory to the brink of a “man-made famine”, according to senior UN officials last week.
The statement was released as Israeli forces continued to assault two major Gaza hospitals, including al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
The IRC’s Gaza team leader said:
The situation we’re facing is beyond comprehension. Continuous Israeli military operations near hospitals are making an already tense situation even worse for those seeking shelter or medical help, pushing the healthcare system to the brink of collapse.
Despite the relentless efforts of our medical teams, the infrastructure necessary to deliver optimal medical care has been severely compromised by bombing, stringent restrictions on the entry of aid including medical supplies, and the overwhelming surge in needs.
Read more here: Medical crisis in Gaza hospitals at ‘unimaginable’ level, aid agencies say
Reuters interviewed more than two dozen people, including humanitarian workers, Israeli military officials and truck drivers, about the tortuous route that aid takes to get into Gaza.
Before aid shipments enter Gaza, they undergo a series of Israeli checks, and a shipment approved at one stage of the process can later be rejected, according to 18 aid workers and UN officials involved in the aid effort.
“It’s upsetting watching these aid trucks go nowhere and vast humanitarian supplies sit in warehouses when you think about what’s happening, right now, to the people who need them,” said Paolo Pezzati, an Oxfam worker who recently visited the queue of aid trucks near the Egypt-Gaza border.
While the trucks struggle to get into Gaza, the need for aid has risen dramatically, both because of the vast number of displaced people and the devastation of key infrastructure in Israel’s assault. This includes the destruction of bakeries, markets, and farmland whose crops met some of Gaza’s food needs.
“Previous wars weren’t like this,” said Alaa al-Atar, a municipal official, referring to conflicts in Gaza. “There wasn’t the destruction of all sources of subsistence – homes, farmland, infrastructure. There’s nothing left to survive on, just aid,” said Atar, who was displaced from the north to the south of Gaza early in the war.
Once trucks reach the Rafah crossing, some are then required to drive along the Egypt-Israel border for 40km to an inspection facility on the Israeli side called Nitzana. Here the goods are physically checked by Israeli soldiers.
Some items get rejected during the physical inspection, in particular ones Israel believes could be used by Hamas and other armed groups for military purposes. The same item that is let through one day, can be rejected on another day, UN officials and aid workers said.
Pezzati said he saw a warehouse in Al Arish in early March that was filled with items banned by Israel. “There were crutches, camping toilets, hygiene kits, disinfectants for doctors, for surgery,” he said.
The Israeli military says it can scan a total of 44 trucks an hour at Nitzana and at a crossing from Israel into Gaza where aid trucks are inspected, at Kerem Shalom. But aid agency officials say the actual number scanned is fewer. The military declined to tell Reuters how many hours Nitzana and Kerem Shalom are open each day.
Groups of Israelis have been began protesting against the delivery of aid to Gaza. Between late January and early March, the protests effectively shut down either Nitzana or Kerem Shalom for a total of 16 days, according to aid agencies.
Storing aid in Gaza has also become a problem. Warehouses have been damaged by the fighting and occasionally looted. Of the 43 warehouses in Gaza that were operational before the war, only 22 are now working.
Before the war began, an average of 200 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza each day. Since the start of the war, an average of around 100 trucks have entered Gaza daily. Delivering aid directly by air to Gaza is not possible as Israel destroyed the strip’s international airport two decades ago.
UN officials have accused Israel of blocking humanitarian supplies to Gaza. The European Union’s foreign policy chief alleged Israel was using starvation as a “weapon of war”. A coalition of aid agencies has said famine is imminent in northern Gaza.
“There is a sufficient amount of food entering Gaza every day,” said Col Moshe Tetro, a Cogat official overseeing Gaza for Israel’s military.
Sirens have sounded in southern Israel.
🚨Sirens sounding in the city of Ashdod in southern Israel🚨 pic.twitter.com/p11GcYGRE1
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 25, 2024
Israel accuses Spain, Malta, Slovenia and Ireland of offering 'a reward for terrorism'
Israel’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat has said that Spain, Malta, Slovenia and Ireland are offering “a reward for terrorism” with a joint statement about their readiness to recognise a Palestinian state.
In a statement issued on Friday, the four countries had said:
We are agreed that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region is through implementation of a two-state solution, with Israeli and Palestinian States living side-by-side, in peace and security.
We discussed together our readiness to recognise Palestine and said that we would do so when it can make a positive contribution and the circumstances are right.
In a response today, Haiat said:
The recognition of a Palestinian state following the 7 October massacre sends a message to Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations that murderous terror attacks on Israelis will be reciprocated with political gestures to the Palestinians.
The only way to fight Palestinian terrorism is to unequivocally condemn Hamas for the war crimes, crimes against humanity and sexual crimes that it committed during the 7 October attack and continues to commit, and to issue an explicit call for the release of all the hostages.
A resolution of the conflict will only be possible through direct negotiations between the parties. Any engagement in the recognition of a Palestinian state only distances reaching a resolution and increases regional instability.
Israel has repeatedly insisted that the only way progress towards a two-state solution can be made is by direct talks between Israel and Palestinian authorities that it recognises. Palestinians have argued that this effectively grants Israel a veto over statehood. Israel has occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967.
32,333 Palestinians killed by Israel's military offensive in Gaza – ministry
At least 32,333 Palestinians have been killed and 74,694 injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday.
Reuters reports the Hamas-led ministry said there have been 107 Palestinians killed and 176 injured in the past 24 hours.
Much of the territory’s population of 2.3 million people has been displaced since Israel began its constant aerial bombardment and ground offensive, and aid agencies have warned that a famine in Gaza is imminent, with only limited amounts of humanitarian aid being allowed to pass into the territory.
Journalists have been unable to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict.
Here is a video clip of UN chief António Guterres speaking earlier today in Jordan, where he said there was a growing international consensus, “even in the countries that are friends and allies of Israel”, that there must be a ceasefire in Gaza.
The UN security council is expected later today to have another attempt at passing a resolution that all of the US, Russia and China can agree on. So far every attempt to pass a resolution calling for an end to hostilities has been vetoed by at least one of the nations. [See 8.46 GMT for some background on the UN votes]
We reported earlier that in Jerusalem there is a celebratory Purim parade which, after some criticism of it being held during the Israel-Gaza conflict, was led by a delegation of family members of those being held hostage.
There was a counter demonstration against holding it, and at least one protestor attempted to interrupt the parade, leading to an intervention by security.
The parade was able to continue.
Reuters has spoken via chat app to Abu Khaled, a father of seven currently in Rafah the south of the Gaza Strip, who declined to give his full name for fear of reprisals. He told the news agency:
Every bombing that takes place in Rafah, we fear the tanks will come in. The past 24 hours were one of the worst days since we moved into Rafah. In Rafah, we live in fear, we are hungry, we are homeless and our future is unknown. With no ceasefire in sight, we might end up dead or displaced somewhere else, maybe north and maybe south [into Egypt].
Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that seven more Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
It writes:
At least seven civilians today were killed and others were wounded in a barrage of Israeli airstrikes targeting different areas in the central and southern Gaza Strip.
Medical sources reported that six civilians were killed in an Israeli shelling targeting a group of civilians in the town of Al-Mughraqa in the central Gaza Strip. Meantime, An Israeli shelling that targeted the Al-Nasr neighbourhood, northeast of Rafah, resulting in the killing of a civilian.
In Khan Younis, multiple of wounded individuals were rushed to the European Hospital, in the south of the city, following intense Israeli bombardment on Abasan area.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Earlier the news agency reported that one of its own correspondents had been killed, along with his son, after an Israeli airstrike west of Gaza City. Wafa extended its condolences to the family of Saher Akram Rayan, who it said had worked for it for 20 years.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has been tracking the deaths of journalists during the Israel-Gaza war, which it says has been the deadliest for reporters since its records begun. It writes:
As of 21 March, 2024, CPJ’s preliminary investigations showed at least 95 journalists and media workers were among the more than 32,000 killed since the war began on 7 October.
Journalists in Gaza face particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict during the Israeli ground assault, including devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, supply shortages, and extensive power outages.
Of the 17 journalists deaths the CPJ has recorded since 2024 began, 14 of the media workers were killed by Israeli airstrikes, one by an Israeli drone strike, one by an Israeli sniper and one succumbed to wounds received after being shot by Israeli forces in late October 2023.
A parade for Purim celebrations is taking place in Jerusalem today. After discussions with families of those being held hostage in Gaza, the celebration of the weekend’s holiday has been toned down, and the procession is being led by families of the hostages.
There had been calls to cancel Purim parades, known as Adloyada, as inapproriate during a time of war. There is a small counter-protest in Jerusalem today opposing the parade. Israeli media reports demonstrators are holding up signs saying “It’s still October 7.”
Today’s parade consists of 30 floats and seven stages along the one-kilometer route through Jerusalem.
Israel’s military has said that overnight 15 rockets were launched at a military outpost in northern Israel from Lebanon. In an update on its Telegram messaging app account, the IDF said “the launches fell in open areas, no injuries were reported.”
The update goes on to say that Israel struck at what it described as “a Hezbollah military compound” inside Lebanon.
Reports at least 21 killed by Israeli airstrike on apartment block in central Gaza
Palestinian health officials say an Israeli airstrike on an apartment block in central Gaza killed at least 21 Palestinians from two extended families.
The strike late Sunday killed 10 members of the Salman family and 11 members of the Buhesi family, according to hospital records. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies at the hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah.
Associated Press overnight had some analysis of the fractious international relationships within the UN security council which have prevented it passing a resolution calling for a ceasefire since 7 October last year, when the surprise Hamas attack inside Israel led to the current IDF military offensive on Gaza.
The US has so far vetoed three resolutions demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the most recent an Arab-backed measure on 20 February. That resolution was supported by 13 council members with one abstention.
Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution in late October calling for pauses in the fighting to deliver aid, the protection of civilians and a halt to arming Hamas. They said it did not reflect global calls for a ceasefire.
They again vetoed the US resolution Friday, calling it ambiguous and saying it was not the direct demand to end the fighting that much of the world seeks.
Before the vote last week Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate ceasefire, but criticised the diluted language of the US-drafted text, which he said was “some kind of an empty rhetorical exercise”. He said the wording ensured “the impunity of Israel, whose crimes in the draft are not even assessed.”
China’s UN ambassador, Zhang Jun, said “If the US was serious about a ceasefire, it wouldn’t have vetoed time and again multiple council resolutions,”
Unrwa official: 'more people will die' as a result of Israel barring it from delivering aid to northern Gaza
Unrwa’s planning director has said “more people will die” in the north of the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel barring the agency from delivering aid there.
Sam Rose is quoted by Al Jazeera saying:
An independent authority warned last week of an imminent famine and people are already dying of starvation up in the north. And this is essentially a death sentence on many of those people. The situation is particularly harsh in northern Gaza, where we estimate about 250,000 people have been trapped. More people will die.
According to a report in Haaretz, IDF data shows that 30 of Israel’s troops have been wounded since Friday. All but five were wounded in the Gaza Strip, and two of the troops are said to be in “severe condition”.
Israel’s military has lost just over 250 of its forces so far during the months-long ground offensive inside Gaza. Over the same period authorities in Gaza have said that more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military action inside the beseiged Gaza Strip.
Israel claims its fighter jets 'struck approximately 50 terror targets' in Gaza during the last 24 hours.
In its latest operational update, Israel has said that its air force has “struck approximately 50 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorist infrastructure and military compounds” during the last 24 hours.
In its daily morning briefing, published via the Telegram app, Israel’s military now claims that it has “apprehended approximately 500 terrorists affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organisations” in what it describes as “precise operational activities in the al-Shifa hospital and the al-Amal area”.
Claiming to have “facilitated the exit of hundreds of Gazans from the area and questioned dozens of suspects” it said it had “conducted targeted raids on several terrorist infrastructure sites in the area and located explosive devices, RPGs, and military equipment.”
The claims have not been independently verified.
UN chief Guterres: there is 'growing consensus' to tell Israel a ceasefire is needed
The UN secretary-general António Guterres has said he sees a growing international consensus that the international community has to tell Israel that a ceasefire is needed.
Speaking at a press conference in Jordan, the UN chief said it was “absolutely fundamental to preserve the life of the people in Gaza” and that the UN had been “insisting on the need for a ceasefire.”
“In the beginning,” Guterres said “our voice was relatively alone, but now we are seeing more and more of the international community recognising the same.”
He went on to say:
We see a growing consensus emerging in the international community to tell the Israelis that the ceasefire is needed and I also see a growing consensus, I heard in the US, I heard from the European Union, not to mention of course the Muslim world, to tell clearly to Israelis that any ground invasion of Rafah could mean a humanitarian disaster.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images sent to us over the news wires from Gaza.
Medical staff at the the European Gaza hospital near Khan Younis have said their staff have witnessed “horrific scenes” at the hospital, including patients dying from infections and with serious evidence of malnutrition.
In a press release from a group of NGOs operating the hospital, one of Gaza’s last remaining functioning medical facilities, one anaesthetist is quoted as saying “There are around 22,000 displaced people sheltering in the corridors and in tents inside the hospital because people feel that it’s safer to be here than anywhere else.”
Overnight Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari gave a video address in which he claimed that Hamas was destroying al-Shifa hospital.
In the three minute briefing, Hagari claimed that the Israeli military operation at the hospital compound had been “one of the most successful operations since the start of the war”, and that Israel had “apprehended hundreds of terror suspects with confirmed ties to Hamas or Islamic Jihad”.
Hagari said:
Right now, Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists are barricading themselves inside al-Shifa hospital wards. Hamas is destroying al-Shifa hospital. Hamas is firing from inside the al-Shifa emergency room and maternity ward and throwing explosive devices from the al-Shifa Burn Ward.
Terrorists hiding around the hospital fired mortars at our forces, causing extensive damage to the hospital buildings. I repeat: Hamas is firing mortars at the al-Shifa hospital. Hamas is destroying the al-Shifa hospital. Hamas hijacked the al-Shifa hospital and hides behind the sick and injured, waging war from inside al-Shifa hospital.
Hagari did not present any evidence of these claims during the address, which was was filmed straight to camera. Israel’s military has previously released video footage which it has claimed shows fighters inside the compound, but the footage has not been independently verified. Hamas has repeatedly denied using medical infrastructure as bases.
The Geneva conventions, adopted in the aftermath of the second world war, protect civilian hospitals from deliberate attack. Article 8 of the Rome statute, which established the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague, defines a long list of war crimes including “intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected”.
But it makes an exception if the targets are “military objectives”. If a civilian hospital is used for acts harmful to the enemy, the hospital can lose its protected status under international law and be considered a legitimate target.
Access to the hospital compound for journalists has been extremely limited due to Israeli military actions. One Al Jazeera journalist in the vicinity last week was arrested and detained for multiple hours, and claims he was severly beaten by Israeli forces.
There is some useful background reading on the subject of whether targeting a hospital is a war crime here, which the Guardian published four months ago during a previous IDF attack on the al-Shifa hospital: Can hospitals be military targets? What international law says
Israel will no longer approve Unrwa food aid to northern Gaza, agency says
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, said on Sunday that Israel had definitively barred it from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest.
“Despite the tragedy unfolding under our watch, the Israeli Authorities informed the UN that they will no longer approve any Unrwa food convoys to the north,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the agency, said on X.
Israel did not immediately respond on Sunday to media requests for comment about Lazzarini’s statement. The Unrwa spokesperson, Juliette Touma, said the decision had been relayed in a meeting with Israeli military officials on Sunday. It followed two denials in writing for convoy deliveries to the north last week. No reason for the decision was given, Touma said.
Last week a UN-backed food security assessment warned that famine was projected to hit the north of Gaza by May unless there was urgent intervention. Unrwa has not been able to deliver food to the north since 29 January, Touma said.
Read more here: Israel will no longer approve Unrwa food aid to northern Gaza, agency says
UN security council to vote on new ceasefire draft resolution
The UN security council is set to vote on yet another ceasefire draft resolution, this time demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The new text, according to the version seen by Agence France-Press (AFP), “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, “leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire.”
It also “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages as well as the “lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale.”
The text is being put forward by non-permanent members of the Security Council, which worked with the United States over the weekend to avoid a veto, according to diplomats speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.
But it’s unclear if it will have the support to pass.
“We expect, barring a last-minute twist, that the resolution will be adopted and that the US will not vote against it,” one diplomat told AFP.
But Associated Press is reporting that the United States has warned the resolution could hurt negotiations to halt hostilities, raising the possibility of another veto, this time by the Americans.
Welcome and opening summary
It’s has just gone 9am in Gaza and Tel Aviv, welcome to our latest live blog on the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis. I am Martin Belam and I will be with you for the next while.
The UN security council is to vote Monday on another draft resolution for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, after Russia and China vetoed an earlier text proposed by the US. The US itself had vetoed previous wordings.
The new text is being put forward by non-permanent members of the Security Council.
It is not clear what the prospects are for this new draft resolution and whether the US, Russia and China will all support it.
It comes as The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, said on Sunday that Israel had barred it from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest.
More on that in a moment but first, here’s a summary of the latest developments so far:
Israeli forces besieged two more Gaza hospitals on Sunday, pinning down medical teams under heavy gunfire, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, while Israel said it had captured 480 militants in continued clashes at Gaza’s main al-Shifa hospital.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said one of its staff was killed when Israeli tanks suddenly pushed back into areas around Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in the southern city of Khan Younis, amid heavy bombardment and gunfire, Reuters reports. Israeli forces began operating around al-Amal, the military said, following “precise intelligence … which indicated that terrorists are using civilian infrastructure for terror activities in the area of al-Amal.” Reuters has been unable to access Gaza’s contested hospital areas and verify accounts by either side, the news agency says. Targeting civilian hospitals is considered a war crime, however, international law makes an exception if the targets are “military objectives”.
Israel has reportedly barred the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest, the head of Unrwa has said.
The UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths has reacted to the reports saying on X “Now this – more impediments. Unrwa is the beating heart of the humanitarian response in Gaza. The decision to block its food convoys to the north only pushes thousands closer to famine. It must be revoked.”
Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has also reacted saying on X “Blocking Unrwa from delivering food is in fact denying starving people the ability to survive. This decision must be urgently reversed. The levels of hunger are acute.”
The only effective and efficient way to meet Gaza’s humanitarian needs is by road and includes an exponential increase in commercial deliveries, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.
Senior US Democrats on Sunday increased pressure on Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon a planned offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. Two days after a similar call by US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, was rejected by the Israeli leader, vice-president Kamala Harris said that the Joe Biden White House was “ruling out nothing” in terms of consequences if Netanyahu moves ahead with the assault.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any forced transfer of people from the southern Gaza city of Rafah would constitute “a war crime”, reports Agence France-Presse. In a telephone call between the two leaders, Macron also “strongly condemned” Israel’s announcement Friday of the seizure of 800 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank for new settlements, said his office. Activists say Israel’s declaration that the land in the northern Jordan Valley was now “state land” was the single largest such seizure in decades.
32,226 Palestinians have been killed and 74,518 injured since Israel’s military offensive on Gaza began on 7 October, according to the Gaza health ministry’s daily tally.
Four people were wounded by Israeli airstrikes near Lebanon’s eastern city of Baalbek overnight, one of which hit a two-storey building.
An Israeli strike on a car near the Syrian border killed a man on Sunday, a security source said.
