Israel’s war on Gaza live: Three US troops killed near Jordan-Syria border
US President Joe Biden blames Iran-backed groups for the deadly incident and vows to ‘hold all those responsible to account’.
- The head of the United States CIA meet in France with officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Israel after reports of progress being made on a potential captives deal that would temporarily halt Israel’s attacks.
- United Nations chief Antonio Guterres denounces alleged involvement of UNRWA staff in the October 7 attack on Israel but pleads with donor nations to continue funding aid work for the two million desperate people of Gaza.
- The head of the United States CIA meet in France with officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Israel after reports of progress being made on a potential captives deal that would temporarily halt Israel’s attacks.
- United Nations chief Antonio Guterres denounces alleged involvement of UNRWA staff in the October 7 attack on Israel but pleads with donor nations to continue funding aid work for the two million desperate people of Gaza.
- Thousands fleeing fighting in Khan Younis arrived in overcrowded Rafah, where people are sleeping on the street and in tent camps flooded with sewage.
- A drone attack has killed three US service members and injured dozens others at a military base near the Jordanian-Syrian border; US President Joe Biden blames Iran-backed groups for the incident.
- At least 26,422 people have been killed and 65,087 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139.
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing the live blog soon. Here’s a recap of today’s major developments:
- A drone attack has killed three US service members and injured dozens near the Jordan-Syria border; Washington blamed Iran-backed groups for the incident, pledging to respond.
- Jordan, Turkey, Amnesty International and the WHO have called on countries to reinstate funds for UNRWA.
- The head of the United States CIA has met with officials from Qatar, Egypt and Israel in France for talks, indicating there is momentum to try to reach a captives deal that would temporarily halt Israel’s attacks.
- Thousands fleeing fighting in Khan Younis have arrived at overcrowded Rafah, where people are sleeping on the street and in tent camps flooded with sewage.
- Hezbollah and Israel have continued to exchange fire, with the Lebanese group saying three of its fighters were killed.
- Israeli forces raid the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.
UK foreign minister urges Iran to ‘de-escalate in the region’
David Cameron has condemned the attack that killed US troops near the Jordan-Syria border, which he blamed on “Iran-aligned militia groups”.
“We continue to urge Iran to de-escalate in the region,” Cameron wrote in a social media post.
The UK itself has been involved in hostilities in the Middle East, participating in US-led attacks against the Houthi group in Yemen.
We strongly condemn attacks by Iran-aligned militia groups against US forces. We continue to urge Iran to de-escalate in the region.
Our thoughts are with those US personnel who have lost their lives and all those who have sustained injuries, as well as their families.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) January 28, 2024
Israeli drone attack targets south Lebanon village: News agency
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports a late night Israeli drone assault on the edges of Yaroun, near the country’s border with Israel.
NNA also said there was Israeli artillery shelling in the same area.
Hezbollah claims rocket attack against Israeli army position
The Lebanese group says it fired rockets at an Israeli site near Shtula in the central sector of the border late in the evening.
Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire since the start of the war in Gaza and Israeli leaders have pledged to push the Lebanese group’s fighters off the border, sparking growing fears of an all-out war.
Iranian-American group warns against ‘full-blown regional war’
The US National Iranian American Council (NIAC) says Washington and Tehran “are now closer to the brink of being pulled into a full-blown regional war by the vortex of violence” unleashed by the conflict in Gaza.
The group called on Biden to secure an immediate ceasefire between Israelis and Palestinians.
“President Biden must show leadership and recognize that there is no military solution to this crisis that has only been expanded and prolonged by military escalation and a dearth of diplomacy,” NIAC president Jamal Abdi said in a statement.
Paris summit shows momentum for captives deal amid pressure on Netanyahu
The talks in France indicate that there is momentum now to try to iron out the sticking point and try to reach a deal. That’s a contrast to what we were hearing earlier, which sounded more negative.
One of the reasons this is also complicated is because even though there is this initiative to try to affect some kind of cessation of hostilities, there’s still a lot of questions about how long a potential cessation of hostilities would last. Some media outlets have quoted Israeli officials saying it could be 30 days, others saying it could be up to two months.
Netanyahu is under a lot of pressure from a lot of different factions throughout Israel. You have families of captives being held in Gaza saying the government needs to be doing a lot more to try to secure their release. You also have members of the Israeli war cabinet that are openly questioning if Netanyahu is doing enough to secure the release of those captives.
Beyond that, you also have far right-wing members of his government who have been saying that they are concerned that if a deal is reached, it would not be a good deal.
‘Delusional’: CAIR slams Pelosi for linking ceasefire protesters to Putin
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the former US House speaker for saying that some demonstrators calling for an end to the war in Gaza are tied to the Russian president.
Nancy Pelosi, a top Democrat, did not provide any evidence to back her comments.
Thousands of people have been protesting across the country in demand of a ceasefire and public opinion polls show that most Americans support ending the war.
“Pelosi’s claim that some of the Americans protesting for a Gaza ceasefire are working with Vladimir Putin sounds delusional, and her call for the FBI to investigate those protesters without any evidence is downright authoritarian,” CAIR director Nihad Awad said in a statement.
Israeli forces raid Jenin
The Israeli army has raided the town in the occupied West Bank from all of its entrances with several military vehicles, the Wafa news agency reports.
It also said clashes erupted in the village of Muthalath al-Shuhada, south of Jenin City.
The Israeli army has been regularly storming Palestinian towns in the West Bank amid an uptick in settler violence. Israeli attacks have killed hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7.
Israeli forces storm Ya’bad, southwest of Jenin
Local Palestinian platforms have published videos showing Israeli infantry soldiers storming residential neighbourhoods in the town of Ya’bad, southwest of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
The videos showed a large deployment of Israeli vehicles and soldiers raiding separate neighbourhoods and streets.
‘De-escalation begins with a ceasefire in Gaza’
Trita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC, said it’s likely US interests will continue to be threatened without an end to the war in Gaza.
“It’s important to note that there were zero attacks during the six days between November 24-30 when there was a ceasefire in Gaza,” Parsi told Al Jazeera.
He added that the Biden administration appears willing to put US service members at risk to allow Israel to push on with the war.
“In fact, the carnage in Gaza is increasingly clear now. It is posing a threat to US interests because we’re seeing how it’s threatening the US in the Red Sea.
“We’re seeing the casualties now on the Syrian border. There may be a war between Israel and Lebanon as well and, down the line, a new nuclear crisis with Iran. Biden is not pursuing US interests by allowing this to continue. If he really wants to end it and protect US troops, there needs to be de-escalation and de-escalation begins with a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Three Hezbollah fighters killed, group says
The Lebanese group identified the fighters as Hussein Halawi, Ali Shokr and Sadeq Hashem. It said they were killed on “the road to Jerusalem” – a symbolic phrase Hezbollah has been using to describe its ongoing clashes with Israeli forces, which started after the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Earlier, the Israeli military announced attacking Hezbollah positions in south Lebanon.
‘Iran must be held accountable’: US Democratic senator
Jacky Rosen, a staunchly pro-Israel lawmaker, says “proxies of Iran’s regime” are responsible for the drone attack that killed three US service members.
“Iran must be held accountable,” she wrote in a social media post.
Most US members of Congress have been opposing a ceasefire in Gaza while also warning against expanding the conflict.
My heart is shattered after news that three U.S. servicemembers were killed and dozens wounded from an attack launched by proxies of Iran’s regime. We will never forget their bravery, valor, and service to our nation. Iran must be held accountable.
— Senator Jacky Rosen (@SenJackyRosen) January 28, 2024
Jordan says will protect its security, continue to confront smuggling
The Jordan News Agency quoted the Jordanian minister of government communications, Muhannad Al-Mubaidin, as saying that the kingdom will fight back against anyone who tries to assault its security, “with full ability and determination”.
“Jordan will continue to confront the danger of terrorism and drugs and weapons smuggling through the Syrian border to Jordan,” Al-Mubaidin said.
His comments come after an attack near the Jordan-Syria border killed three US service members. Washington said the incident took place in northeast Jordan but Amman said the targeted base was not on its territory.
Pentagon chief says US ‘will not tolerate’ attacks on its forces
Lloyd Austin says he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the killing of three US troops near the Jordan-Syria border.
Austin echoed Biden’s comments in blaming Iran-backed groups for the attack, pledging to “respond at a time and place of our choosing”.
“The president and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests,” he said in a statement.
We warned US of conflict expanding: Hamas
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri says the Palestinian group had warned the US administration of the expansion of the conflict in the Middle East as a result of the “aggression on Gaza”.
Abu Zuhri said that the Arab and Muslim nation “will continue its role to protect Palestinian blood and what is happening in Gaza is a disgrace to the world”.
Trump says attack on US forces is result of ‘Biden’s weakness’
The former US president and current presidential candidate has hit out at his likely opponent in the general elections in November over the attack that killed three American service members.
“This brazen attack on the United States is yet another horrific and tragic consequence of Joe Biden’s weakness and surrender,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
He added that today’s incident, Hamas’s October 7 attack and the Russian invasion of Ukraine would not have happened if he had still been in power. “Instead, we are on the brink of World War 3,” Trump wrote.
Biden has been facing scathing Republican criticism over the killing of US service members, highlighting how his political opponents will cite the violence in the Middle East to paint him as ineffective.
Still, the US president has vehemently refused to call for a ceasefire to end the war on Gaza.
Canadian citizen journalist missing in Gaza: Report
The Toronto Star reports that officials in Ottawa are monitoring the disappearance of Mansour Shouman, who was working as a citizen journalist and aid worker in the region.
Global Affairs Canada – a government department that manages the country’s diplomatic and consular relations – said in a statement: “Canadian officials continue to monitor the situation closely and are in direct contact with the family members. Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”
The Toronto Star wrote that it spoke with people close to Shouman, who “say they fear he has been detained or killed by the Israeli military while travelling between Khan Younis and Rafah on Tuesday, January 23”.
According to the newspaper, Shouman, an engineer with degrees from the University of Calgary and Queen’s University, was living in Gaza City before the war after moving from Canada in 2022 with his wife and five children, aged 16, 14, 10, six and four.
UNRWA fund cuts ‘sickening’: Amnesty
Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, has called the cuts a “heartless decision” by some of the world’s richest countries “to punish the most vulnerable population on earth because of the alleged crimes of 12 people”.
“Right after the ICJ ruling finding risk of genocide. Sickening.”
While Western nations, including the US, rushed to suspend UNRWA’s funding after allegations that members of the agency participated in the October 7 attacks, the same countries have failed to formally revise their ties with Israel despite mounting reports of abuse by Israeli forces.
Sickening heartless decision of the richest countries in the world to punish the most vulnerable population on earth because of the alleged crimes of 12 people. Right after the ICJ ruling finding risk of genocide. Sickening. https://t.co/ARrPqUdyHA
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) January 28, 2024
Israeli PM says summit for captives deal ‘constructive’ but gaps remain
Talks held on Sunday initiated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt to broker a captives deal between Israel and Hamas were “constructive” but differences between the sides remain, a statement from Netanyahu’s office has said.
The statement added that the talks were held in Europe and that further discussions are planned for later this week.
“There are still significant gaps in which the parties will continue to discuss this week in additional mutual meetings,” the statement said, as reported by the Reuters news agency.
US response to drone attack ‘fraught with danger’: Former Pentagon official
David Des Roches, former Pentagon director of Arabian peninsula affairs, has told Al Jazeera that the US reaction to the drone attack that killed three service members “will be a significant one”.
“I don’t think it will be directed solely against proxies; I think there will be something higher up the hierarchy of Iranian interests destroyed,” he said. “I think it will be accompanied by messages saying, ‘This can end here. If you want to continue doing this, we’re going to hit something that’s very significant to you.’
“It’s a calculus that’s very hard to get right and it’s fraught with danger. The greatest danger is that both sides might create a sort of unwanted momentum towards a confrontation that neither side truly wants.”
US senator suggests retaliating directly against Iran
Tom Cotton, a hawkish Republican, calls for a forceful response against the killing of three US service members, which US President Joe Biden has blamed on Iran-backed groups.
“The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander in chief,” Cotton said in a statement.
My statement following the Iran-backed attacks in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members and injured 25: pic.twitter.com/L8ckks5ch4
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 28, 2024
If you’re just joining us
It’s 9:30PM (19:30 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Here are the main developments in the last few hours:
- A drone attack has killed three US service members at a military base in Jordan near the Syrian border; US President Joe Biden blames Iran-backed groups for the incident.
- The Israeli military says its fighter jets recently attacked buildings, observation posts and military sites belonging to Hezbollah in various locations across southern Lebanon.
- The head of humanitarian policy and advocacy at Save the Children, Alexandra Saieh, says Israel’s war on Gaza is killing children at “rates unparalleled in recent crises”.
- Jordan, Turkey and the WHO call on countries to reinstate funds for UNRWA.
- Israeli police have arrested several protesters in Tel Aviv who called for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and early elections.
Kamala Harris says US ‘will continue to fight terrorism’
The US vice president said the killing of three US service members near the Jordan-Syria border was a “despicable attack by Iran-backed militant groups”.
“We will continue to fight terrorism, and we will hold all those responsible to account,” Harris wrote in a social media post.
The Biden administration, which has shown unwavering support for Israel’s war on Gaza, has been trying to disconnect the conflict, which has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, from the broader unrest in the region.
Doug and I mourn the loss of the three U.S. service members killed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border in a despicable attack by Iran-backed militant groups. Our prayers are with their loved ones and those injured.
These fallen patriots served bravely and selflessly,…
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 28, 2024
Israelis call for resettling post-war Gaza
The “Return to Gaza Conference” in Jerusalem – attended by Israeli cabinet ministers and members of parliament – has laid out a plan for the re-establishment of 15 Israeli settlements and the addition of six new ones on top of where recently destroyed Palestinian communities stood.
An Israeli humanitarian lawyer said the fact that Israeli officials would convene a high-level meeting to plan what he called an act of aggression – the acquisition of occupied territory and its colonisation – is an early indication of intent to breach the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.
#Israeli Ministers (including #Smotrich and #BenGvir) dancing at the conference would form part of the compelling evidence of noncompliance with the #ICJ order. pic.twitter.com/TQWDxWe0lu
— Itay Epshtain (@EpshtainItay) January 28, 2024