Israel’s war on Gaza updates: 6 children die of malnutrition in north Gaza
Ministry pleads for more aid as north Gaza’s hospitals run low on fuel, food and water.
This live page is now closed. Following along with our continuing coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza here.
This live page is now closed. Following along with our continuing coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza here.
- The Gaza Health Ministry says six children are dead in north Gaza from dehydration and malnutrition at Kamal Adwan and al-Shifa hospitals, and others are in critical condition.
- Senior Hamas official Basem Naim tells Al Jazeera that there is still a long way to go to secure a potential ceasefire deal with Israel.
- A UN humanitarian agency says humanitarian organisations “systemically denied access” to Gaza and that humanitarian aid convoys are coming under fire.
- At least 29,954 people have been killed and 70,325 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 attacks stands at 1,139.
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You can continue to follow our coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza here.
You can read our story here on the significance of the “groundbreaking” uncommitted voting campaign in Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary, which protested Biden’s support for Israel.
You can also follow more of our coverage of the war here.
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing the live page soon. Here’s a recap of the day’s main events.
- A UN humanitarian agency has said that humanitarian organisations are being “systemically denied access” to Gaza, and that aid convoys have frequently come under fire.
- The Gaza Health Ministry has said that six children at the Kamal Adwan and al-Shifa hospitals in north Gaza have died from dehydration and malnutrition.
- Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant threw his support behind a bid to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews, largely exempted from mandatory military service in Israel, in light of strains on the military amid the war in Gaza and tensions on the border with Lebanon. The move could trigger a showdown with ultra-Orthodox parties, a key component of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition.
- Activists in the United States have claimed success after a campaign to enter “uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential party in the state of Michigan, in opposition to the Biden administration’s stance on Gaza, garnered 100,000 votes. Some Democratic politicians have warned that the White House must change course or risk alienating important constituencies within the party.
WATCH: Palestinian carrying bag of flour reportedly shot by Israeli troops
As Gaza’s hunger crisis gets worse, Palestinians are more and more desperate for what little aid Israel allows into the Strip.
In north Gaza, one man was found bleeding on the floor next to a bag of flour, reportedly shot by Israeli troops while he waited for aid.
Watch our video to find out more:
Biden flopped in Arab American parts of Michigan city, election data shows
In predominantly Arab neighbourhoods of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, the “uncommitted” campaign protesting Biden’s support for the war on Gaza received far more votes than the US president in the presidential primaries yesterday.
According to election data shared with Al Jazeera, in a precinct in a mostly Yemeni American neighbourhood, Biden received four votes as 175 people voted uncommitted. At another voting location, nine people voted for Biden versus 140 uncommitted.
Throughout heavily Arab areas in Dearborn, Biden never exceeded 25 percent of the vote, often performing in the single digits, according to election data.
The trend could spell trouble for Biden’s reelection chances, particularly in Michigan – a key swing state with a sizable Arab population.
Report: US considers dropping aid on Gaza
As ground deliveries of humanitarian aid in Gaza have slowed, despite the US and other countries and humanitarian bodies urging Israel to facilitate delivery, the US is considering providing aid directly to Palestinians in Gaza via air, a report from US news site Axios says.
“The situation is really bad. We are unable to get enough aid [in] by truck, so we need desperate measures like airdrops,” one of four anonymous US officials cited by Axios said.
The fact that Biden is considering this move underscores the difficulty his administration has had in getting Israel to comply with its demands. The UN says that aid deliveries to and in the Strip have sharply fallen this month, and the majority of reasons cited for this have much to do with Israel either blocking or hampering efforts to distribute life-saving food, water, medicine and fuel to people in extreme need.
We reported earlier that six children died today in north Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, of extreme dehydration and malnutrition.
‘Absolutely clear’ Gaza needs more aid crossings: US official
Samantha Power, the administrator of the US’s international development agency, USAID, has paid a visit to the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Citing “deteriorating” conditions in Gaza, Power said in a video message from the border that it is “a matter of life and death” that “far more” aid crossings are opened.
Power said that the US is talking to Israeli officials in order to make this happen, however, the US has been urging Israel for months to open additional crossings into Gaza to no avail. Israel said it would open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing between Israel and the Strip. However, it has often been shuttered as well as blocked by Israeli protesters trying to prevent aid from entering.
Gazans are facing a catastrophic food crisis. Today from the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EOTqMor4Cq
— Samantha Power (@PowerUSAID) February 28, 2024
Campaign slams Biden’s statement following primary win
The “Listen to Michigan” campaign, which pushed voters to mark themselves as “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic presidential primary yesterday in opposition to the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza, slammed a statement from the White House that made no mention of Gaza or the plight of the Palestinians.
“Quite frankly, Biden’s statement last night did not unite this party nor seek to unite this party. His statement last night ignored the more than 100,000 voters who showed up and asked of him to stand with the children of God, to stand against war crimes, to stand for peace and a ceasefire,” the statement reads.
“Yesterday showed that the center of the Democratic Party has moved on Palestine. Michigan has made our voices clear through our vote. It’s President Biden’s turn to tell us where he stands.”
A response to President Biden’s statement about Michigan’s primary. https://t.co/OLcoE6CxED pic.twitter.com/rwUXseCA85
— #ListenToMichigan (@Listen2michigan) February 28, 2024
US congresswoman slams Netanyahu’s ‘dishonesty’, calls for ceasefire
Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, who recently returned from a trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, has become the latest US legislator to urge ending the war on Gaza.
Dean said while Israel has a right to defend itself, the assault on Gaza goes beyond self-defence.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s dishonesty – his broken promises to use precision strikes to protect civilians and his false claims that safe zones have been created and enforced – is unacceptable,” the congresswoman said in a statement.
She accused Netanyahu of waging a war against civilians, adding that “no war against civilians is just”.
"The US and the international community must find a permanent, safe, and dignified pathway to a two-state solution for the future of Palestinian and Israeli civilians alike." pic.twitter.com/Huaja0Tqsd
— Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (@RepDean) February 28, 2024
More on the deadly Israeli strike on Lebanon
Lebanese media outlets are citing the country’s civil defence service as saying that the Israeli attack on the southern village of Kafra killed a man and his wife.
Lebanese broadcaster Al Jadeed TV reported that the victims are civilians.
Earlier, the Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah “infrastructure” in Kafra and targeted the Hula area with artillery fire.
Israeli FM issues directive against unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has issued a directive against “international diktats” regarding a Palestinian state to envoys abroad. The move comes as countries around the world insist that Palestinians must have a state if the conflict is to be permanently solved, and reports that some governments are considering recognition of Palestinian statehood, which Israel objects to.
“Israel utterly rejects international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians,” the directive, which passed with the approval of 99 out of 120 members of the Israeli parliament, states.
“Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” it adds.
Many Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have consistently stated that they will never allow a sovereign Palestinian state.
Islamic Jihad claims attacks against Israeli forces
The al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group, has said it targeted a military bulldozer and clashed with an infantry force in Khan Younis, leaving four soldiers dead or injured earlier today.
The group also said it fired mortar shells at Israeli troops in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City in the north of the territory.
The Brigades later released footage of an Israeli quadcopter drone that it said its fighters downed in southern Gaza.
Two killed in Israeli attacks on south Lebanon: Report
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reports that Israel has targeted the villages of Siddikine and Kafra, killing two people and injuring several others.
We will bring you more on this incident as further details become available.
UNRWA says one quarter of Gaza’s wells have been destroyed
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has said that one quarter of Gaza’s wells have been destroyed during the war, as Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip drives a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scope.
“There is no limit to the scale of humanitarian needs for people in Gaza. Diseases are rampant. Food production has come to a halt. Over 1/4 of water wells have been destroyed,” UNRWA said in a social media post. “Famine is looming. Hospitals have turned into battlefields. 1 million children face daily trauma.”
There is no limit to the scale of humanitarian needs for people in #Gaza
Diseases are rampant.
Food production has come to a halt.
Over 1/4 of water wells have been destroyed.
Famine is looming.
Hospitals have turned into battlefields.
1 million children face daily trauma. pic.twitter.com/ZwmNgjOo5q— UNRWA (@UNRWA) February 28, 2024
White House says Biden is ‘working 24-7’ for Gaza deal
Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre says the US president and his aides are pushing to secure a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas that would see the release of Israeli captives and allow aid into the Palestinian territory.
President Joe Biden faced an electoral setback on Tuesday when more than 100,000 people voted “uncommitted” in the Democratic Party primary in the US state of Michigan to protest against his support for Israel.
Jean-Pierre said the White House will continue conversations with Arab and Muslim American communities about their concerns over Gaza. She also appeared to play down the significance of the protest vote.
“He appreciates folks getting out there making their voices heard. But he also got more than 80 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Rights groups say UK arms transfers to Israel may violate international law
Eight nongovernmental organisations, including the watchdog group Human Rights Watch, have released a joint statement expressing concern that the United Kingdom has not suspended arms transfers to Israel amid persistent allegations of human rights abuses by the Israeli military in Gaza.
“As UK and international organisations working in and on the Occupied Palestinian Territory we are deeply concerned that the UK government still refuses to suspend arms transfers to Israel despite the clear risk that UK-licensed equipment might be used to carry out or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), including war crimes, amid the hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups that escalated following the 7 October Hamas-led attacks,” the statement reads.
War on Want & other UK orgs are deeply concerned by the UK government's refusal to halt arms transfers to Israel – despite the clear risk that these arms are being used by Israel in its plausible genocide of the Palestinian people.
Read our joint letter > https://t.co/ruuPaSz27Z pic.twitter.com/h1ejrn7sui
— War on Want (@WarOnWant) February 28, 2024
US Congress members pen letter calling for full UNRWA funding
Congressperson Pramila Jayapal, head of the Progressive Caucus, has penned a letter calling for the full restoration of US funding for UNRWA, which was pulled over Israeli allegations that several of its employees had taken part in the October 7 attacks. Israel has not provided evidence for its claims more than a month after initially making them.
Assistance groups say that UNRWA plays an indispensable role in humanitarian operations in Gaza, and the decision of key donors such as the US to freeze assistance as the strip reels under extreme shortages of food, medicine, shelter, and water has been criticised.
The letter was also signed by representatives Andre Carson and Jamie Raskin.
“I’m leading a call w/@RepAndreCarson & @RepRaskin to fully fund UNRWA, a vital agency that supports the welfare and survival of Palestinians,” Jayapal said in a social media post.
“Prohibiting U.S. funding for UNRWA is irresponsible and unacceptable. We must do all we can to push humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
I’m leading a call w/ @RepAndreCarson & @RepRaskin to fully fund UNRWA, a vital agency that supports the welfare and survival of Palestinians.
Prohibiting U.S. funding for UNRWA is irresponsible and unacceptable. We must do all we can to push humanitarian aid into Gaza. pic.twitter.com/fYf71K9Vc5
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) February 28, 2024
Syrian government confirms Israeli strike near Damascus
The Syrian Defence Ministry says Israel launched an air attack from the occupied Golan Heights, targeting areas in the Damascus countryside.
“Our air defences confronted the missiles of the attack and downed most of them,” it said.
The ministry added that the raids only caused material damage.
Michigan vote ‘true rejection of Biden’s disastrous policies’ on Gaza
Palestinian-American comedian and organiser Amer Zahr calls the result “historic”, adding that the vote is a “true rejection of Biden’s disastrous policies of support for the genocide in Gaza”.
More than 101,000 people voted uncommitted in Michigan state’s Democratic Party primary in a protest campaign against US President Joe Biden’s support for Israel.
“Now, the work continues. We must stay the course of denying Biden our votes. For the martyrs in Gaza. For our dignity. Otherwise, we turn into Ted Cruz, and nothing matters,” Zahr told Al Jazeera in a statement, referring to the Republican senator who endorsed Donald Trump in 2016 after the former US president insulted his wife.
Palestine welcomes EU parliament’s call for Gaza ceasefire
The government of Palestine says it welcomes the European parliament’s call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and its full support for UNRWA.
“This moral stance reflects the voices of millions in European streets demanding justice,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says in a statement.
“We extend our gratitude to MEPs, European citizens, solidarity movements, and all free people for their unwavering support and advocacy towards Europe’s legal, moral, and political obligations to uphold justice,” the ministry adds.
On Tuesday, the parliament’s standing rapporteur for Palestine, Evin Incir, said, “We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza … We value the crucial work of UNRWA, ensuring vital humanitarian aid to civilians, under extremely dangerous conditions. We urge all countries to resume and increase their funding to the agency, which is needed now more than ever.”
Israeli army raids village of Qusra, injuring Palestinian man
According to activist Fuad Hassan, soldiers raided the village located south of Nablus, firing live and rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas, injuring a 19-year-old man. Dozens of others were treated for tear gas inhalation.
Since October 7, six Palestinians from the village have been killed, four of them by settlers, and dozens of citizens were injured in repeated incursions into the village, Hassan told Al Jazeera.
“The Israeli army deliberately storms the village of Qusra and other Palestinian villages on an almost daily basis, with the aim of provoking Palestinian citizens. Since this afternoon, it has raided several villages and towns south of Nablus governorate, namely Odala, Qabalan and Madama,” he added.
US encourages Israel to allow Muslims access Al-Aqsa during Ramadan
The US State Department has said that it is encouraging Israel to allow Muslim worshippers access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan, as far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir pushes plans to bar them from entering.
“As it pertains to Al-Aqsa, we continue to urge Israel to facilitate access to Temple Mount for peaceful worshippers during Ramadan consistent with past practice,” spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Asked about plans from Ben-Gvir, which Prime Minister Netanyahu has supported, Miller said he was unsure if “a final decision” had been made.
A report today from Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 said that Israel’s war cabinet had decided to remove Ben-Gvir’s powers of management over the Al-Aqsa compound.
Miller added that it is “not in Israel’s security interests to inflame tensions in the West Bank or in the broader region” but declined to answer when asked whether such steps would bring consequences.
Syrian state media reports apparent attack near Damascus
The country’s official news agency SANA said Syrian air defences confronted “hostile targets” over the capital area.
Earlier, state-run Al-Ikhbariyah TV also said sounds of explosions had been heard above Damascus.
For the past few years, Israel has regularly carried out air raids on Iran-linked targets in Syria.
Report: Israeli war cabinet backtracks on Al-Aqsa Mosque restrictions
Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reports that the war cabinet stripped far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of the power to manage the site during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The report also said that the war cabinet had decided not to impose broad-ranging restrictions on entry to the compound during Ramadan, preferring instead to let police manage entry and exit from the mosque.
We reported last week on comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office saying that Israel would implement some restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem during Ramadan according to “security needs”.
On X, Ben-Gvir fumed at the report, saying that he expects Netanyahu to deny the facts of it, and that the powers in question should belong to his office.
Israel continues to deny its responsibility to Palestinians: NGO
Tania Hary, executive director at Gisha-Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, says that the Israeli government continues to “sow chaos and deny its responsibility to the population” as public order in Gaza disintegrates with growing desperation and starvation.
“The ICJ [International Court of Justice] provisional measure states that Israel must ‘take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services’ not taunt, mock and endanger humanitarians trying to provide aid to 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza,” Hary says.
This comes in response to Israel blaming the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for “logistical failures” that it says have led to low amounts of humanitarian aid being delivered to people in the besieged coastal enclave.
“Aid agencies, all those operating in the Strip, not just Israel’s scapegoat, UNRWA, report that they are not receiving proper deconfliction coordination, come under attack and can’t deliver aid safely,” Hary adds.
The ICJ provisional measure states that Israel must "take immediate and *effective* measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services" not taunt, mock & endanger humanitarians trying to provide aid to 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza. 1/ https://t.co/66JHYJV2rI
— Tania Hary (@taniahary) February 28, 2024
Two more children die of malnutrition in northern Gaza: Ministry
The Health Ministry in Gaza says two children died of dehydration and malnutrition at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, bringing the death toll from hunger in the territory today to six.
Earlier the ministry said four children died at the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
“We ask international agencies to intervene immediately to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in northern Gaza,” Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra said in a statement.
“The international community is facing a moral and humanitarian test to stop the genocide in Gaza.”