Israel’s war on Gaza updates: UN chief says blocked aid a ‘moral outrage’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says it is time for Israel to give an ‘ironclad commitment’ for unfettered access to humanitarian goods throughout Gaza.
The live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here.
The live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here.
- Speaking from the Rafah border crossing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says it is time for Israel to give an “ironclad commitment” for unfettered access to humanitarian goods throughout Gaza.
- In Gaza, 72 people have died and 114 were wounded in the past 24 hours.
- Israeli forces launched attacks across southern Gaza, killing many Palestinians, including five children in the city of Rafah.
- A United Nations Security Council vote on a new resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire has been postponed until Monday, according to the AFP news agency. Russia and China vetoed an earlier text drafted by the United States.
- Antony Blinken, the US’s top diplomat, again left the Middle East empty-handed as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Washington’s appeals to shelve a planned ground invasion of southern Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge.
- At least 32,142 Palestinians have been killed and 74,412 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139, with dozens taken captive.
A recap of today’s news
We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a look at what happened today:
- UN chief Antonio Guterres visited the Rafah border crossing to shine a spotlight on the plight of Palestinians and called Israeli-blocked aid a “moral outrage”.
- Hamas’s political bureau official Bassem Naim says it isn’t ready “to discuss any further proposals” in ceasefire talks, accusing Israel of backsliding on previous agreements.
- The Israeli military killed 19 Palestinians when it fired on aid seekers at Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, which according to a rights group means it has killed 560 people in incidents involving aid trucks so far.
- Heavy fighting has been ongoing in and around the al-Shifa Hospital in central Gaza, even as patients are dying inside the besieged facility, parts of which have been blown up by the Israeli military.
- Hamas said one more Israeli captive has died from hunger and a lack of medicine.
Israel keeps ‘pushing the limits’ in truce talks in Qatar
Since there is no UN Security Council resolution supported by the US demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel continues to “buy time” for its planned invasion of southern Rafah, an analyst says.
“Israel doesn’t feel the full pressure from the United States, so it can keep pushing the limits. The US is requesting them not to go into Rafah, but it is not requesting them directly to agree to a ceasefire,” said Luciano Zaccara from Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Center.
“This could be just buying time to ready the military operation on Rafah.”
Ten arrested at weekly Tel Aviv protest rallies
Ten people have been arrested during weekly protests against the government of Netanyahu and in favour of securing an agreement to bring captives out of Gaza, according to the Times of Israel.
Police used force to remove protesters from multiple major streets in Tel Aviv with demonstrators trying to shift tactics and block roads.
A small group of protesters also blocked the street outside the official residence of the Israeli prime minister. The group reportedly included a family member of a captive taken on October 7. The police ordered it to disperse.
‘All our food convoys denied access’ to north Gaza: UNRWA
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), says “all our food convoys have been denied access” to northern Gaza this week even as famine looms.
“With unimpeded access this man-made starvation can still be averted,” he wrote on X.
Israel continues to insist that it imposes no restrictions on entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, even as the UN says one-in-three babies under two years old are exposed to extreme malnutrition in northern Gaza, with lack of food rising rapidly across the enclave.
All our food convoys have been denied access to North #Gaza this week. With unimpeded access this man made starvation can still be averted. https://t.co/5hVpp2gKEr
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) March 23, 2024
Biden signs legislation banning UNRWA funding until 2025
US President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills that the US Congress passed hours earlier, which includes a crucial policy with humanitarian ramifications for Palestinians during Israel’s war on Gaza.
The bill eliminates US funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) until March 2025.
The United States was by far the largest funder of the UN agency, which is the main organisation getting humanitarian aid to Palestinians amid catastrophic conditions in the besieged enclave.
Read our full story here.
Israeli army has killed at least 560 Palestinians awaiting aid trucks: Rights group
The Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor says in a new report that the Israeli military has killed at least 560 and injured 1,523 other Palestinians in incidents involving aid trucks amid its war on Gaza.
The casualty tolls comprise Palestinian civilians who were awaiting humanitarian aid amid Israeli-imposed starvation, in addition to aid workers, and Palestinians responsible for aid protection and distribution.
“Israel uses hunger as a standalone war crime,” the rights group said.
The report comes after the latest Israeli attack on aid seekers at the Kuwait Roundabout earlier today killed at least 19 Palestinians, with Gaza officials saying the Israeli military used its tanks. The Euro-Med Monitor also reports that Israeli tanks and quadcopters were used.
The Israeli military again denied responsibility.
https://twitter.com/EuroMedHR/status/1771621648782807176
Israeli bombing of home in Deir el-Balah kills 7 Palestinians
The Israeli military targeted a home in the al-Hakar area of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza killing seven Palestinians, an Al Jazeera correspondent reports from the scene.
A large number of wounded, including terrified children, arrived at the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and are being treated.
وصول عدد كبير من الجرحى إلى مستشفى شهداء الأقصى جراء القصف الإسرائيلي على دير البلح وسط قطاع غزة#حرب_غزة #فيديو pic.twitter.com/KSWcOJDIFy
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) March 23, 2024
Translation: A large number of wounded arrived at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital as a result of the Israeli bombing of Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Hamas official says ‘we’re not ready to discuss any further proposals’
Hamas’s political bureau official Bassem Naim says a lot of “misinformation” has been circulated through the media in recent days regarding the ongoing truce talks in Doha.
He said the Israelis are focusing on only one aspect of the negotiations, the release of captives, and are unwilling to discuss Hamas’s three demands – a permanent end to the war, “total withdrawal” from Gaza and the return of displaced people to their homes.
“Hamas has clearly told the mediators that we cannot accept negotiating any prisoner deal unless the Israelis give these guarantees,” Naim told Al Jazeera, describing it as “shocking” that the latest Israeli proposals retract points previously agreed on at prior talks.
“Now suddenly, the Israelis are rejecting these. We believe it is not about a ceasefire, it is about Netanyahu using the negotiations as a cover to gain more time to continue his plans for the complete bombardment of the rest of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, and to relieve international pressure,” said Naim.
“We told the negotiators tonight we’re not ready to discuss any further proposals. There are talks between the Israelis and the negotiators. There are no talks with us. It is up to the superpower Americans and Europeans to exercise more pressure on Netanyahu not endanger the whole region and undermine any chance of long-term stability, security and prosperity.”
WATCH: Can the UNSC agree on a ceasefire resolution?
The UN Security Council failed to pass a US-drafted resolution recognising the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
It was the first time the Americans had used such strong language but it was not enough for Russia, China and Algeria.
UN: Gaza famine imminent as agriculture sector ravaged
The latest analysis from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization shows famine is imminent in northern Gaza between now and May, says Rein Paulsen, the director of its Office of Emergencies and Resilience.
That is in part because of widespread damage caused by the Israeli military to the agricultural sector in the Gaza Strip.
“When it comes to livestock losses – obviously this is a sector we’re very concerned about as it’s indispensable for the livelihoods and the survival of families in Gaza – we estimate that 60 percent of the milk cows have been killed,” Paulsen says.
When it comes to meat production, as much as 70 percent of the cattle stock has been killed. About 60 percent of small ruminants such as goats and sheep have been killed.
“When we look at the trajectory of food security and nutrition statistics, we are facing a catastrophic situation in technical terms.”
#ICYMI: Famine is imminent between now and May in Gaza unless more aid is allowed into the besieged and bombarded enclave, according to @FAO's Rein Paulsen.
Catch up on our news from Gaza: https://t.co/MBLgY1Y67d pic.twitter.com/O76NgCeiLZ
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) March 23, 2024
ICRC inspects damage at al-Amal Hospital, PRCS headquarters
The al-Amal Hospital and the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) were under heavy siege by the Israeli military ground forces for weeks.
A delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRCS) has now been able to visit both sites in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where intense ground battles raged and tens of thousands of Palestinians were displaced.
“During their visit, the delegation witnessed the extensive damage inflicted by the Israeli occupation on both the hospital and the PRCS headquarters following a siege that lasted over 40 days.”
Two days ago, on Thursday, a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross paid a visit to both PRCS Al-Amal Hospital and the PRCS headquarters in Khan Yunis. During their visit, the delegation witnessed the extensive damage inflicted by the Israeli occupation on… pic.twitter.com/3Vmpqw1YAA
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) March 23, 2024
‘Time for humanitarian ceasefire’ in Gaza: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says nothing justifies the October 7 attacks by Hamas or the collective punishment of Palestinians by Israel that came after.
“It’s time for a humanitarian ceasefire, a commitment by Israel for unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza, and the release of all hostages,” he writes on X.
Read our full story on the UN chief’s visit to the Egyptian border with Gaza earlier here.
Nothing justifies the horrific attacks by Hamas.
Nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
It's time for a humanitarian ceasefire, a commitment by Israel for unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza, and the release of all hostages.— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 23, 2024
Hamas says Israeli tanks destroyed, troops killed near al-Shifa Hospital
The military wing of Hamas continues to report attacks on Israeli ground forces in the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital, including targeting three Merkava tanks.
Qassam Brigades said it used explosive charges and rocket-propelled grenades anti-tank shells to hit the three tanks, “killing and wounding a number of occupation soldiers south of the al-Shifa Complex in Gaza City”.
The Palestinian group also reported fighters used the Yassin-105 RPGs to target an Israeli armoured troop carrier south of the hospital.
Hamas official tells of ‘deep divergence’ with Israel in ongoing talks
An official from Hamas signaled major differences still remain between the Palestinian group and Israel during ongoing talks in Doha.
“There is a deep divergence in positions in the negotiations between Hamas and the occupation [Israel] because the enemy understood the flexibility shown by the movement as weakness,” the unnamed official was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
This comes as Israeli media report Tel Aviv’s negotiators in the Qatari capital have made a compromise on the issue of the number of Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged for captives in Gaza, and are awaiting a response from Hamas.
Israel has accused Hamas of having “delusional” demands over the Israeli military’s withdrawal from Gaza and ending the war as it pushes for “total victory” over the Palestinian group.
Red Crescent says 364 medical workers killed since start of war
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says 364 medical workers, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, have been killed by the Israeli military since the start of its war on Gaza.
The Israeli military has also been systematically targeting healthcare facilities and vital infrastructure across the besieged enclave despite international outcries.
Since the beginning of the war on the #Gaza Strip, 364 medical workers, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, have been killed by the Israeli occupation forces.
📍International humanitarian law mandates the protection of medical and humanitarian workers. #NotATarget ❌ #IHL pic.twitter.com/QCH6cvSh9Y— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) March 23, 2024
Israel says Palestinians need ‘educational transformation’ akin to post-Nazi Germany
In a speech at the UN Security Council, the Israeli envoy said the vast majority of Palestinians “want to annihilate Israel at any cost” and must therefore be “deradicalised”.
“The educational transformation that the German people underwent after the Third Reich is what the Palestinians need to receive so they finally support coexistence with Jews and Israel. That’s how we educate our kids,” Gilad Erdan said.
The ambassador said the UNSC – which is debating another resolution on ending Israel’s war on Gaza after a criticised US resolution was rejected – must demand that the Palestinian Authority “end incitement” against Israel among Palestinians.
During the war, top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly rejected a two-state solution that would recognise Palestine as a sovereign state and end Israel’s decades-long occupation.
🇮🇱 Watch Israel’s Ambassador to the UN @giladerdan1 make it clear to the Security Council that the vast majority of Palestinians do not want peace – they want to annihilate Israel at any cost! This is why deradicalization is key.
The Palestinians must undergo an educational… pic.twitter.com/hToRYbCA14— Israel at the UN (@IsraelinUN) March 23, 2024
Talks on Israel-Hamas agreement in Doha could still take days
Political and security delegations from Israel and Hamas – along with the US, Qatar and Egypt – are continuing negotiations in Doha on a potential deal for truce in exchange for released of captives.
Multiple Israeli media outlets report a major issue is still how many Palestinian prisoners would be freed in exchange for captives held in Gaza in a multi-phase deal.
But they say Israel accepted a new US compromise offer and is now awaiting a response from Hamas. Mossad chief David Barnea some other top Israeli negotiators may return to Israel tonight, but other members of the Israeli team could stay in Doha for several more days, according to reports.
Israeli negotiators have reportedly been allowed to discuss the process of the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza as well, which has been a major Hamas demand.
But there is still no update on another key demand – an Israeli commitment to end its war on Gaza, which Tel Aviv has repeatedly dismissed as “delusional”.
Hamas says another Israeli captive dead in Gaza
The spokesperson for the military wing of Hamas says one more Israeli captive has died in the Gaza Strip because of conditions created by Israel.
The Qassam Brigades spokesman said Begiv Buchhataf, 34, died as a result of a lack of food and medicine.
“We previously warned the enemy prisoners were suffering from the same conditions as our people: hunger and deprivation from food and medicine,” Abu Obeida said.
Qassam Brigades also released a video of the captive with the message, “Although he survived the Israeli army’s attacks, he did not escape the lack of food and medicine.”
Hamas announced in early March that seven captives held in Gaza had been killed as a result of Israel’s bombardment of the besieged enclave.
Israeli government taunts UN aid agency on northern Gaza disaster
The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) earlier said Israel has denied entry to a food convoy to northern Gaza – where infants are dying of starvation – for the second time this week.
He said the last time the organisation was able to send food to the north was nearly two months ago.
Now, the Israeli government’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is in charge of managing humanitarian aid to Gaza, is taunting the UN agency.
“Perhaps if your organisation wouldn’t be so deeply involved with a terrorist organisation and actually do humanitarian work as you should be, you would know that over the last month over 300 aid trucks were coordinated to northern Gaza,” it says on X, adding none of those were UN vehicles.
Israel claims about a dozen UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 attacks and wants to dismantle the main organisation getting aid to Palestinians.
Perhaps if your organization wouldn't be so deeply involved with a terrorist organization and actually do humanitarian work as you should be, you would know that over the last month, over 300 aid trucks were coordinated to northern Gaza.
None of those were @UNRWA trucks. https://t.co/5BYbRNnvvp
— COGAT (@cogatonline) March 23, 2024
Israel tells UNSC ‘road to permanent ceasefire passes through Rafah’
The Israeli envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, told the UN Security Council “no country wants to avoid an operation in Rafah more than Israel” but insisted “the road to a permanent ceasefire passes through” the southernmost city in Gaza where 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering.
A day after a US resolution perceived as tolerant of a ground invasion of Rafah was voted down by Russia, China and Algeria, the Israeli envoy said the only way to achieve a lasting truce is to “end Hamas’s capabilities entirely”.
“This cannot happen unless all of their battalions are demolished. You cannot extinguish a fire by putting out most of it, the fire will grow again and spread. This is what will happen without an operation in Rafah.”
Watch Israel’s Ambassador to the UN @giladerdan1 make it clear to the Security Council that no country wants to avoid an operation in Rafah more than Israel. These are our soldiers who are risking their lives. But only the complete elimination of Hamas can lead to a ceasefire.… pic.twitter.com/Yykz33UYvA
— Israel at the UN (@IsraelinUN) March 23, 2024
Euro-Med Monitor: Israeli army burning homes near al-Shifa Hospital
The Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor says the Israeli military is torching residential buildings near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
“In several incidents, Israeli forces set fire to homes while occupants were inside, preventing evacuation or fire extinguishing,” it says in a statement on X.
“We urge the Secretary-General of the UN and the Commissioner of the EU to intervene immediately, demanding that Israel cease its serious violations against civilians in Gaza City, including burning residential buildings and forcibly displacing residents towards southern Gaza.”
We documented the Israeli army's burning of dozens of residential homes west of Gaza City and near the Shifa Medical Complex. In several incidents, Israeli forces set fire to homes while occupants were inside, preventing evacuation or fire extinguishing. pic.twitter.com/gNOMueiuoK
— Euro-Med Monitor (@EuroMedHR) March 23, 2024
Israel’s Gallant confirms ‘procurement’ Washington visit on Sunday
Israeli Defence and War Cabinet Minister Yoav Gallant will be in Washington, DC for an official visit at the invitation of his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, his office confirms.
Gallant will also meet Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who just wrapped up his sixth tour of the region, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan along with other senior US officials, the Times of Israel reports.
The statement appears to confirm a report earlier by US outlet Axios that Gallant will be taking with him a long Israeli wish list to receive more American weapons as it continues its war on Gaza and border fighting with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
In addition to reporting progress in fighting, efforts to return captives and humanitarian aid, Gallant will discuss actions to “strengthen the special cooperation between the defence establishment and the American government with an emphasis on the procurement processes to preserve the qualitative advantage of the State of Israel in the region”.
WATCH: Thousands of Palestinians pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Palestinians continue to go to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to pray during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan despite Israeli restrictions.
آلاف الفلسطينيين يتوافدون إلى المسجد #الأقصى لأداء صلاة تراويح الليلة الرابعة عشرة من شهر #رمضان#فيديو pic.twitter.com/nJGQ0qNjo7
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) March 23, 2024
Translation: Thousands of Palestinians flock to the al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Tarawih prayers on the 14th night of the month of Ramadan.
Death toll rises to 19 after Israeli attacks on aid seekers in Gaza City
Gaza’s press office says at least 19 people were killed and 23 wounded when the Israeli military again fired at Palestinian aid seekers at the Kuwait Roundabout earlier.
It said in a statement that soldiers and tanks opened fire at hungry Palestinians as they gathered to get bags of flour at the roundabout in southeastern Gaza City.
Some of the dead were brought to the Ahli Arab Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, but the bodies of others were left lying on the ground, the office said.
“We call on all countries of the free world to put pressure on the occupation in order to stop the war of genocide and ethnic cleansing that it is waging against our Palestinian people. We also call on them to stop the famine immediately before it is too late.”
Israel’s military denied any attacks on the aid seekers.