Israel’s war on Gaza update: Hezbollah-Israel cross-border fire intensifies
With Israel eyeing Rafah assault, fears of regional conflict grow as Hezbollah and Israeli military step up clashes.
- This live page is now closed. Follow along with our ongoing coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza here.
- Dozens of trapped people flee Nasser Hospital during deadly sniper attacks after Israeli forces ordered hundreds to evacuate.
- This live page is now closed. Follow along with our ongoing coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza here.
- Dozens of trapped people flee Nasser Hospital during deadly sniper attacks after Israeli forces ordered hundreds to evacuate.
- Israel launches “extensive wave of attacks” on southern Lebanon after “deep” rocket strikes kill one and wound eight others. Lebanon’s Hezbollah says one of its fighters killed in Israeli response.
- UN chief Antonio Guterres condemns an Israeli drone attack on two journalists in Gaza that left both men in critical condition.
- Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed at least 28,576 Palestinians and wounded 68,291 others since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139.
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing the live blog soon. Here’s a recap of the day’s main events.
- Israel carried out a series of air strikes in Lebanon following a Hezbollah strike that killed an Israeli soldier on a base in northern Israel. Several Lebanese civilians were killed, marking one of the bloodiest days since Hezbollah and Israel began trading fire at the beginning of the war on Gaza.
- More than 1,500 patients, medical workers, and displaced people remain trapped in Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital, which Israeli forces have ordered evacuated. Reports have emerged of dire conditions and people coming under fire from Israeli forces, and the World Health Organization says it has been blocked from the facility since January 29.
- A report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has found that Israeli authorities are using the war on Gaza to crack down on Palestinian agricultural activities in the occupied West Bank, part of a trend of heightened repression there.
- The Biden administration says that Israel is refusing to allow vital shipments of flour into Gaza, despite previous reassurances. Under Israel’s assault, large portions of Gaza’s population are facing acute food insecurity and famine.
WATCH: Families left with memories of cousins killed by Israeli snipers
Three-year-old Imad Abu Al-Qare’a and his cousin Hadeel were killed by Israeli snipers.
Now, their families only have memories of the two.
Watch our video to learn about their lives and how they were killed:
Biden shields Palestinians in US from deportation
The US president has signed a decree to protect Palestinians in the country from deportation for 18 months because of the deteriorating conditions in Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories.
“While I remain focused on improving the humanitarian situation, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Palestinians who are present in the United States,” Biden says in the order.
Palestinians convicted of a felony, deemed a “danger to public safety” or whose presence is determined to have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” will not be protected by the decree.
Biden, a staunch supporter of Israel’s war on Gaza, also ordered the Department of Homeland Security to issue work permits for Palestinians who fall under the order.
Al Jazeera’s Ismail Abu Omar in ‘dangerous’ condition
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic report, citing medical sources, that the health condition of Ismail Abu Omar, the network’s injured correspondent in Gaza, has taken a turn for the worse after he experienced bleeding and a drastic drop in blood pressure.
Abu Omar and cameraman Ahmad Matar were severely wounded in an Israeli attack yesterday.
Al Jazeera’s Moamen Al Sharafi described Abu Omar’s status as “dangerous”.
“His situation deteriorated suddenly over the past couple of hours, unfortunately. We had spoken to him yesterday and today, and he appeared to be in stable condition,” Al Sharafi said, adding that Abu Omar will undergo an emergency medical operation at the European Hospital near Khan Younis.
In videotaped remarks earlier, Abu Omar professed that Gaza journalists “will continue the coverage” despite Israeli attacks.
PRCS shows ambulance riddled with Israeli bullet holes
The Palestine Red Crescent has shared a video via X that it says shows one of its ambulances that was severely damaged at the hands of Israeli soldiers.
The video clearly shows bullet holes in the front windscreen of the ambulance.
The PRCS says that the ambulance was shot at and its crew assaulted “while they were attempting to transfer oxygen cylinders from Nasser Hospital to Al-Amal Hospital about a week ago”.
Per the Geneva Convention governing the laws of war, medical transports are to be respected and protected in all circumstances.
A video shows the Israeli occupation targeting a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance directly with gunfire and brutally assaulting its crew while they were attempting to transfer oxygen cylinders from Nasser Hospital to Al-Amal Hospital about a week ago. The occupation claimed at… pic.twitter.com/F6M8YXvKrq
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) February 14, 2024
Israel says latest South Africa ICJ measure serves Hamas
Israel has said that South Africa “continues to represent the interests of the Hamas terrorist organisation” after the country asked the ICJ, where Israel faces allegations of committing genocidal acts in its campaign in Gaza, to consider additional steps against an anticipated Israeli assault on Rafah.
More than half of Gaza’s population has been forced to seek shelter in the city near the border with Egypt, many of them moving there following evacuation orders from Israel in other parts of the Strip.
“South Africa continues to represent the interests of the Hamas terrorist organisation and is trying to deny Israel the fundamental right to defend itself and its citizens,” said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat.
Rafah assault would be fulfillment of Israeli promise to ‘flatten the strip’
While Israel has said that it will seek the evacuation of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians trapped in Rafah before launching a military operation there, Middle East specialist Hafsa Halawa says Israel’s destructive campaign has rendered much of Gaza unlivable.
“It [Rafah] sits right at the border with Egypt. It’s seen by the Egyptians as a major breach of their national security, and ultimately it brings the question of where will these 1.3 to 1.4 million people go?” Halawa told Al Jazeera’s Inside Story programme.
“The rest of Gaza is effectively uninhabitable, there are no services, we’ve heard the talk of famine for months now, and now we’re at a stage where this is really the Israeli government enacting what they promised on the first week after the attacks of October 7, which is to flatten the Strip.”
Israeli raid on south Lebanon kills four
An Israeli attack on the city of Nabatieh has killed four people from the same family, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports.
The agency said the victims included Hussein Berjawi, his wife and two children. Several Lebanese journalists and activists shared photos of Amani Berjawi, a young woman killed in the attack who worked at the Lebanese International University.
Today has seen some of the most widespread Israeli bombings in Lebanon since the outbreak of the war on Gaza. A Hezbollah attack on northern Israel earlier had killed an Israeli soldier and injured several others.
Israeli leaders have pledged to push Hezbollah off Israel’s northern border, including by force if necessary. Hezbollah has said that its military operations against Israel will stop when the Israeli assault on Gaza ends.
PHOTOS: Hezbollah shows off what it says is captured Israeli drone
The Lebanese group has released a video via its Telegram channel showing a drone it says was captured while flying near the Lebanese border late last week.
The model of the drone is the Skylark I-LEX, which per manufacturer Elbit Systems is an aerial reconnaissance drone.
In the video, writing in Hebrew can clearly be seen on the drone.
Palestinian diplomat shares details of Israel’s killing of his relatives
Husam Zomlot, ambassador to the UK, has identified the Palestinian girl who was found hanging from a wall in Gaza, half of her body severed, as his wife’s cousin.
Seven-year-old Sidra Hassouna was killed along with her family when Israel shelled a residential building in Rafah. The family had been displaced from the north of Gaza and took shelter in the south.
“My wife’s aunt Suzan, her husband Fouzy Hassouna, two of their sons, Muhammad and Karam, Karam’s wife Amouna and her three children [7-year-old twins Sidra and Suzan, and 15-month-old Malik] were all killed,” Zomlot wrote on X.
This is 7 year old Sidra, the cousin of my wife. The impact of the Israeli missile was so powerful it flung her out, leaving her mutilated body dangling from the ruins of the destroyed building in Rafah 48 hours ago. My wife’s aunt Suzan, her husband Fouzy Hassouna, two of their… pic.twitter.com/0RFgyPUdzu
— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) February 14, 2024
Marwan Barghouti moved from Ofer prison to isolation, Ben-Gvir confirms
The Palestinian leader who is currently incarcerated in an Israeli prison has been placed in isolation because he allegedly has been using his contacts and influence to encourage the outbreak of a third Intifada in the West Bank, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says on X.
Barghouti, who was imprisoned during the second Intifada, consistently tops polls on the question of succession following current PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Why hasn’t US Congress passed Israel funding?
The White House has once again called on legislators to pass a foreign funding bill that includes $14bn for Israel. Although Israel enjoys bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, Congress has struggled to approve the assistance amid conflicting agendas in Washington.
For a bill to pass in Congress, it has to be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Then it goes to the desk of the president. If he signs it, it goes into law.
This week, the Senate approved the Israel funding bill, which also includes billions in aid for Ukraine and Taiwan as well as funds for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and the West Bank.
But Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will not allow the legislation, which would be likely to pass in the chamber, to come to a vote because it fails to strengthen the security of the southern US border.
Conversely, the House had passed a $17bn assistance bill for Israel, but Democrats, who control the Senate, blocked it because it does not include funding for Ukraine.
Bottom line, the overwhelming majority of US legislators want more US taxpayer funds for Israel despite allegations of genocide in Gaza. However, the issue has been caught in a complex web of political priorities, including aid to Ukraine and immigration policy.
Medical workers and patients still trapped in Nasser Hospital
The situation remains critical at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis amid reports of Israeli forces consistently firing on the facility after issuing evacuation orders.
“The Israeli forces have been completely surrounding the medical facility as they are also telling people to flee from the hospital under very intense bombardment in the city of Khan Younis,” Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reported from Rafah.
“There are still people, alongside medical workers, trapped inside the facility and the medical complex as they continue caring for patients,” he added.
If you’re just joining us
It is now 10:45pm (20:45 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Here are some of the latest developments:
- The Gaza Health Ministry says the Israeli army has asked “the administration of Nasser Medical Complex to evacuate the remaining displaced persons. More than 1,500 displaced people are still inside”.
- White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the Israeli government has not allowed shipments of flour into Gaza despite promises to the US government.
- A WHO spokesperson says the UN agency has been denied access to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis since January 29.
- Houthi-affiliated media have reported new rounds of US and UK strikes on targets inside Yemen.
US ‘devastated’ by killing of Palestinian-American teen by Israel
The US State Department’s Office of Palestinian Affairs has decried the killing of 17-year-old Mohammad Ahmad Khdour, who was fatally shot by Israeli forces this week.
“The United States has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens. We urgently call for a quick, thorough, and transparent investigation, including full accountability,” the office said in a social media post.
The statement echoes Washington’s calls for an investigation into the killing of Tawfiq Ajaq, another 17-year-old US citizen killed in the West Bank last month. But Israel rarely holds its forces and settlers accountable for attacking Palestinians.
In 2022, Israel also killed two US citizens: Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh and Omar Assad.
US President Joe Biden is currently working with Congress to secure $14bn in additional aid for Israel.
We are devastated by the killing of 17-year-old U.S. citizen Mohammad Ahmad Khdour. The United States has no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens. We urgently call for a quick, thorough, and transparent investigation, including full accountability. pic.twitter.com/RqIXdWG3sj
— U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (@USPalAffairs) February 14, 2024
Israeli foreign minister says UNRWA cannot be part of Gaza aid distribution
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has told German counterpart Annalena Baerbock that UNRWA cannot be part of humanitarian assistance in Gaza “under any circumstances”. The remarks come as Israel blocks vital shipments of humanitarian assistance for Gaza, claiming that the UN agency collaborates with Hamas.
Several nations, including Germany, suspended aid to UNRWA, which the UN has said plays an indispensable role in humanitarian efforts in Gaza, following Israeli allegations that a handful of the agency’s employees took part in the October 7 attacks. Israel has not offered any evidence for the claim.
“We discussed ways to ensure that the humanitarian aid does not reach the hands of the Hamas murderers – and I told her that UNRWA cannot under any circumstances be part of the aid and that other alternatives must be found. UNRWA is the problem, not the solution,” Katz said in a social media post after the meeting.
Israeli crimes ‘igniting’ West Bank: Palestinian ministry
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the “Israeli army and settler crimes” in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, including the continuing home demolitions and land confiscation.
“The Israeli government is challenging all calls and efforts to establish calm in the occupied West Bank. It is leading us down a path that widens the conflict,” a statement read.
“The international community’s failure to put an end to the genocide in Gaza and the violations by settlers and the occupation in the West Bank is encouraging the Israeli government to persist in carrying out its crimes.”
Israeli army chief: ‘We are now focused on being ready for war in the north’
Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi says the army is preparing for war in the north, in a reference to Lebanon.
“We are now focused on being ready for war in the north. If it does not end in war, it will not end with any compromise to the achievements,” he says.
“We are intensifying the strikes all the time, and Hezbollah are paying an increasingly heavy price. The next campaign will have a very strong offensive, and we will use all of our tools and capabilities,” Halevi continues.
Germany says Israeli assault on Rafah would be ‘humanitarian catastrophe’
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said that an Israeli assault on Rafah would be a humanitarian disaster, with more than one million Palestinian trapped with nowhere to flee.
During a visit to Israel, Baerbock told reporters in Jerusalem: “1.3 million people are waiting there in a very small space. They don’t really have anywhere else to go right now … If the Israeli army were to launch an offensive on Rafah under these conditions, it would be a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Islamic Jihad says it fired rockets towards Israeli towns around Gaza
The Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian group, says it launched the rocket attack at 9pm local time (19:00 GMT).
Separately, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that rocket alarms were activated in Zikim and Ashkelon in southern Israel.
UN says ‘dangerous’ escalation in Lebanon must stop
The United Nations has expressed concern about mounting tensions on the border between Israel and Lebanon, following a series of deadly exchanges earlier today.
“The recent escalation is dangerous indeed and should stop,” UN secretary-general spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, adding that peacekeepers from the UN mission in Lebanon had noticed “a concerning shift in the exchanges of fire between the Israeli armed forces and armed groups in Lebanon”.
Health Ministry: State of panic persists among those present at Nasser Hospital
Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Dr Ashraf al-Qudra has given an update on the situation at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, which has been under Israeli attack for nearly three weeks.
Here are a few key things he said:
- The Israeli occupation asks the administration of Nasser Medical Complex to evacuate the remaining displaced persons. More than 1,500 displaced people are still inside.
- 190 Nasser Medical Complex staff and 299 of their family members are still inside it.
- 273 patients who cannot move and 327 companions are still present in the departments of Nasser Medical Complex.
- ▪️Sewage water is flooding the emergency department and we need coordination to maintain the sewage network. Medical and non-medical waste accumulates in departments and hospital courtyards, which threatens a health disaster.
- The countdown begins for the electrical generators to stop within 72 hours at the latest.
- A severe shortage of drinking water, personal hygiene water, and dialysis as a result of targeting water tanks, their breakdown, and the inability to maintain them.
Israeli raid hits Nabatieh, deep inside south Lebanon
Several Lebanese media outlets reported the attack, but it remains unclear what the target was.
Earlier today, Israel carried out air raids on several villages in the Nabatieh governorate, but targeting the city itself could prove to be an escalatory move.
We will bring you more information as we receive it.
Top US official confirms Israel not allowing flour into Gaza
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the Israeli government has not allowed the aid into Gaza despite promises to the US government.
Sullivan also addressed the expected Rafah offensive, the possible truce deal and Lebanon escalation. Here’s what he had to say:
- “That flour has not moved the way that we had expected it would move, and we expect that Israel will follow through on its commitment to get that flour into Gaza.”
- The US is asking Israel to formulate a “credible” plan for its Rafah assault that would consider: protecting civilians in the crowded city, ensuring the flow of aid and the proximity of the fighting to the Egyptian border.
- “Innocent civilians in Gaza suffered extraordinary pain and loss these last four months.”
- The US backs an extended pause in the fighting through a captives deal, but wants to see Hamas “ultimately defeated”.
- Washington will continue to work to ensure that Israelis are safe from the “threat” of Hezbollah at the country’s northern border.