Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Israel bans UNRWA aid trucks to north, UN
Head of UN’s Palestinian refugee agency says move will speed up famine in north, where 70% face extreme food scarcity.
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.
- The bombing of a house in Deir el-Balah has killed at least nine Palestinians, our correspondent and the Wafa news agency report, with several people remaining trapped under rubble.
- Israel has informed the UN that it will no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to north Gaza, says agency head, where 70 percent of people face highest level of food scarcity.
- Palestinian Red Crescent says smoke bombs launched at the hospital to force staff, wounded and displaced individuals to evacuate.
- Mediation efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza appear to be struggling, with a Hamas official telling Al Jazeera that Israeli negotiators have rejected their latest proposals for a ceasefire.
- At least 32,226 Palestinians have been killed and 74,518 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139, with dozens taken captive.
A recap of today’s events
We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a quick look at what happened today:
- Israel has told the UN that it will not allow UNRWA food convoys into northern Gaza any more despite spreading famine. The UN agency says the US decision to cut its funds until March 2025 will only make things worse.
- The Israeli army continues to operate in the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital in central Gaza to deadly effect, with Hamas fighters also claiming hits on Israeli soldiers and tanks in the area.
- The Israeli military also laid siege to al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, killing several and surrounding it with tanks, forcing people to evacuate.
- The European Union condemned the illegal Israeli confiscation of 800 hectares (1,976 acres) of Palestinian land, but laid out no consequences for the move.
- Negotiations aimed at ending the killing in Gaza appear nowhere near the finish line, with Hamas telling Al Jazeera that Israel does not want a permanent ceasefire.
Videos show search for survivors of strike on Deir el-Balah
The footage, posted on Instagram by Palestinian journalist Hani Abu Rizk, shows rescuers digging through the rubble of a house in the central Gaza Strip city after it was bombed by the Israeli army.
We reported on this strike earlier, in which at least nine Palestinians were killed.
One video shows the rescue of two young girls from under the rubble and another shows the destroyed house and a young man who says that the family in the house was praying the Tarawih, special prayers said during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
These videos have been verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit.
Translation: “They were praying Tarawih.” The Israeli occupation army destroys the house of Salman’s family on the heads of residents in the city of Deir el-Balah.
Netherlands military chief visits Israel as ‘special army guest’
General Onno Eichelsheim, the defence chief of the Netherlands armed forces, arrived in Israel last night as the “official guest” of Israeli military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
The Israeli military released pictures of the two army commanders speaking and said Eichelsheim participated in a military panel hosted by senior commanders as well as visited an Israeli air force operations room at army headquarters along with the Gaza division of the army and the Nahal Oz post.
The Chief of Defence of the Netherlands Armed Forces, GEN Onno Eichelsheim, landed in Israel last night as the official guest of IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Herzi Halevi.
GEN Eichelsheim participated in a panel hosted by IDF Deputy Chief of the General Staff MG Amir Baram… pic.twitter.com/f2LjAvMAjq
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 24, 2024
EU ‘will not recognise changes to 1967 borders’ after Israeli confiscation of land
The European Union is “urging” Israel to reverse its illegal confiscation of more than 800 hectares (1,976 acres) of Palestinian land and declaring it Israeli state land.
“In line with its longstanding common position and UN Security Council Resolutions, the EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties,” it said in a statement.
“This position goes hand in hand with the EU’s commitment to Israel’s security and to ensuring that the horrific attacks against Israeli civilians on 7 October will never be repeated. The EU is determined to fight such terrorism in word and deed, by continuously condemning Hamas in the strongest possible terms and through sanctions and other measures.”
“Settlement expansion runs counter to this objective. It fuels tensions and undermines prospects for a two-state solution, which remains the only sustainable guarantee for the long-term security of both Israelis and Palestinians,” the EU says as Israel continues to reject a two-state solution.
Confiscation of occupied land violates the international law.
The EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 borders, including in Jerusalem, unless agreed by the parties.
Such illegal actions only serve to fuel tensions & undermine Israel’s security, which the EU is committed to. https://t.co/TWQYgMAfZ9— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) March 24, 2024
UN relief chief condemns northern Gaza aid block with deadly implications
Martin Griffiths, the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator at the UN, says he repeatedly urged Israel to lift all its restrictions on aid to Gaza, but it has now done the exact opposite.
“UNRWA is the beating heart of the humanitarian response in Gaza,” he said about the UN organisation for Palestinian refugees, which has now been told by Israel that its food convoys to northern Gaza will be blocked entirely despite the humanitarian disaster there.
“The decision to block its food convoys to the north only pushes thousands closer to famine. It must be revoked.”
I have urged Israel to lift all impediments on aid to #Gaza. ⁰⁰Now this – MORE impediments.⁰⁰UNRWA is the beating heart of the humanitarian response in Gaza.⁰⁰The decision to block its food convoys to the north only pushes thousands closer to famine. It must be revoked. https://t.co/CvtbcT6hMR
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) March 24, 2024
Palestinians injured in Israeli strike on al-Qarara
The Palestine Red Crescent has posted footage on its X account showing the arrival of wounded people at a hospital in Deir el-Balah.
The group said it brought 10 injured people from al-Qarara, north of Khan Younis.
🚑The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance teams transported ten injured individuals who arrived in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, due to the Israeli occupation targeting a house in Al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis.
📷Filmed by PRCS volunteer: Ahmed Wishah pic.twitter.com/OoAYh8uDBM— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) March 24, 2024
UN special rapporteurs decry underreporting of sexual violence against Palestinians
As accounts of sexual violence against Palestinian women in Gaza are coming out, two women special rapporteurs of the UN say the issue is underreported and undervalued.
Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, said in a post on X that it is “abhorrent” that reports of rape by Israeli forces keep coming out without any consequences.
“Rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide! It must stop!”
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, said, “I lost count of how many renowned journalists interviewed me on the alleged mistreatment of/sexual abuse against Palestinian women by Israeli forces, and never published any article on this”.
I lost count of how many renowned journalists interviewed me on the alleged mistreatment of/sexual abuse against Palestinian women by Israeli forces, and never published any article on this.
One day I will give a full account in my memoir. https://t.co/uoARcXuVOF
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) March 24, 2024
Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque
A video posted on X by Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Suheib Alassa shows the incursion of Israeli soldiers into the al-Qibli prayer hall inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to Alassa, the soldiers assaulted and expelled worshippers inside who were engaged in the practice of Itikaf, which entails spending nights inside a mosque with the aim of devoting oneself to worship.
Israel has again placed restrictions on entry to the Islamic holy site during the holy month of Ramadan, drawing the criticism of Muslim leaders worldwide.
قوات الاحتلال تقتحم المسجد الأقصى المبارك وتخرج المعتكفين من المصلى القبلي pic.twitter.com/Tru1x7PJpU
— صُهيب العصا SUHEIB ALASSA (@SuAlassa) March 24, 2024
Translation: The occupation forces storm the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and expel those in seclusion from the Al-Qibli prayer hall.
At least nine killed in Israeli strike on Deir el-Balah
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza and the Palestinian news agency Wafa are reporting that nine deaths resulted from an Israeli bombing of a house in the city, located in the central Strip.
A number of people are still trapped under the rubble of the destroyed house, local sources said, and even more were wounded in the strike.
Guterres asks for staff access, safety amid record UN death toll
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has met with humanitarian staff working in dangerous conditions in the Gaza Strip.
“Some of them, with decades of experience, said they have never encountered a situation as difficult as this,” he wrote in a post on X.
“Aid workers need resources, access and safety – now.”
A record number of at least 168 members of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have been killed by the Israeli military since the start of its war on Gaza.
Humanitarians working in Gaza shared with me the extremely challenging environment they work in.
Some of them, with decades of experience, said they have never encountered a situation as difficult as this.
Aid workers need resources, access & safety – now. pic.twitter.com/dLY3YhigkQ
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 24, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protesters flock to Israeli Embassy in Jordan
This video, verified by Al Jazeera Arabic, shows large crowds gathered at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan to express solidarity with Palestinians.
"الشعب يريد تحرير فلسطين".. مظاهرة حاشدة بمحيط السفارة الإسرائيلية بالعاصمة الأردنية عمان دعما لغزة#فيديو #حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/ZgKaUX3q70
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) March 24, 2024
Translation: “The people want to liberate Palestine.” A massive demonstration in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, in support of Gaza.
Macron warns Netanyahu that Rafah forced displacement would be ‘war crime’
French President Emmanuel Macron has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that any forced transfer of people from Rafah in southern Gaza would constitute “a war crime”.
Macron also repeated his opposition to any Israeli military operation to fight Hamas in Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinians have taken shelter, reports the AFP news agency.
Moreover, the French leader “strongly condemned” Israel’s announcement on Friday of the seizure of 800 hectares (1,978 acres) of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank for new settlements and the declaration that it was state land.
In the call, Macron told Netanyahu he intended to bring a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” and also urged Israel to immediately open all land crossing points into Gaza for humanitarian aid.
Palestinian boy describes executions inside al-Shifa Hospital
Teenage Palestinian boy Farouk Mohammed Hamd tells Al Jazeera he witnessed Israeli soldiers executing a group of eight people, including his father and brother, inside al-Shifa Hospital.
He said he and the others were stripped of their clothing and moved several times inside the al-Shifa Hospital building in central Gaza over the course of hours before being taken to the top floor of the facility.
“They left us for about three hours, then they said, ‘You are safe. You can go south’,” he said.
“We stood up, but then they opened fire. We all laid down on the floor again. Then, the snipers entertained themselves by shooting us one after the other.”
He said his father told him before being killed to run away if he could, and he managed to run, but not before seeing the unresponsive bodies of the executed group.
Gallant says will meet senior US officials on US trip, discuss arms transfers
In comments issued to the media by his spokesperson, Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant says that he will meet the US secretary of defence, the secretary of state, the director of the CIA and the White House’s national security adviser.
Gallant is travelling to Washington today at the invitation of the US government, with which ties have become strained over Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza and its blocking of humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip.
“This visit will focus on preserving the qualitative military edge of the State of Israel, our ability to obtain platforms and munitions, our critical ties with the United States, and the importance of achieving our goals in Gaza,” Gallant said.
He added that Israel’s goals in Gaza are “defeating the Hamas organization, returning the hostages and ensuring Israel’s security needs as these relate to the Gaza Strip and Lebanon”.
Iran condemns al-Shifa raid, calls for fact-finding mission on sexual violence
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, has in a statement condemned the “inhumane and horrific crimes of the Zionist regime” at the al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza.
“The regime is adding another shameful chapter to the history of its miserable existence and the dark list of its crimes,” he said.
Kanaani also referred to reports of rape and killing of Palestinian women by Israeli soldiers in the area of the hospital, and called for “urgent and decisive action by the global community, including forming an international fact-finding mission to expose the volume of the war crimes of Zionists at al-Shifa Hospital”.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran calls for effective, decisive and urgent action by governments and legal and international organisations to stop these crimes and to form criminal cases to prosecute and try the perpetrators, agents and supporters of this humanitarian catastrophe,” he said.
Former Israeli security official: Army cannot rescue all captives
Yossi Amrosi, an ex-senior official of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, was quoted by local newspaper The Jerusalem Post as admitting that the Israeli army does not have the means to return all captives currently held in Gaza by Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
“We have already made contact and rescued hostages. In my estimation, there is some intelligence on different hostages, but we do not have the operational capability to carry out the operation and rescue them safely,” he told Radio North 104.5FM, according to the newspaper.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said at the start of the war that it had taken 250 captives during its October 7 incursion into Israel.
According to the Qassam Brigades, 50 captives have been killed in Israeli air raids. Israeli intelligence officers say 30 captives have died in Gaza so far since they were taken to the enclave.
The latest round of negotiations to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war is ongoing, but reports are that progress has stalled, with Hamas saying today that Israel rejected its latest proposal to exchange the captives it holds for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Hamas says Israel ‘destroying all means of life’ in Gaza in hospital attacks
Hamas says in a statement that the Israeli military is systematically targeting hospitals across Gaza with the goal of displacing all Palestinians from their lands.
The Israeli military has imposed a week-long siege on the al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, and is now intensely attacking the al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis in the south. Hamas says Israeli military vehicles are moving toward Nasser Hospital, also in Khan Younis.
This, the group said, shows Israel wants to continue its “war of extermination” against Palestinians and forcibly displace them from their land “by destroying all means of life in the Gaza Strip, especially hospitals”.
Hamas called on Arab and Islamic nations, along with the global community, to support Palestinians in their plight, and said Palestinians’ determination to cling to their land and resist is only being strengthened.
Close-quarters combat ongoing around Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital
Both the Israeli military and Hamas are confirming another day of intense close-range combat in the vicinity of the besieged al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military released bodycam footage from its soldiers engaging in a firefight in a four-storey building near the hospital. It said they were shooting at a Palestinian fighter who was lobbing grenades at them.
The military wing of Hamas has also reported targeting Israeli soldiers and armoured vehicles in the vicinity of the hospital in the past few hours.
The Qassam Brigades said its fighters used an anti-armour shell to hit Israeli soldiers barricaded inside a building, inflicting casualties. It also claimed mortars were used to target soldiers, and said it achieved a hit on a military vehicle near al-Shifa.
Ground fighting is ongoing elsewhere across the Gaza Strip, with Hamas claiming hits on a Merkava tank and a D9 military bulldozer with Yassin-105 anti-tank shells northeast of Beit Hanoon in northern Gaza, and the Israeli army besieging the al-Amal Hospital in the south.
US official accuses Israel of ‘systematic’ sexual abuse of Palestinians: report
A senior US Department of State official has accused Israel of “systematic” sexual abuse of Palestinian women, an Israeli army general has said in an interview.
Brigadier General Amir Avivi said he was shocked when the person in charge of the Israel-Palestine file at the US State Department made this accusation during a meeting, reports the Jerusalem Post, citing a 103FM interview.
Avivi was quoted as saying, “This is absolutely disconnected from reality. But without hesitation, she said, ‘The UN presented evidence to the Israeli government. I told her, ‘Does it make sense that this phenomenon would exist and the media would never have reported on it?’ I wanted there to be greater awareness… about what is really happening in the US State Department.”
“When we meet with a State Department official holding the Israeli-Palestinian portfolio, every word she utters, as far as I’m concerned, is an official US position. Ultimately, she is a government official,” Avivi continued.
As we reported earlier, Al Jazeera has spoken with a woman living near the besieged al-Shifa Hospital who said Israeli soldiers are raping and killing Palestinian women in the area.
MSF: Bombing and clashes continue near al-Shifa Hospital
Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF, has given an update on the situation at the Gaza City medical centre in a series of posts on X.
The group says its staff have reported “heavy air strikes by Israeli forces and fierce fighting” in the vicinity of the hospital, “endangering patients, medical staff and people trapped inside with very few supplies”.
It added that MSF staff in the area say that a mass-arrest campaign of medical staff and other people has been carried out by Israeli forces, and that the organisation is “deeply concerned” for the safety of those detained.
Israeli forces stormed the hospital last week on March 18, beginning a siege that continues today. Among those arrested and detained were Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his reporting team.
WHO chief says Israel must reverse decision on blocking north Gaza aid
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says Israel must “urgently reverse” its decision to block the entry of food convoys organised by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) into northern Gaza, where humanitarian needs are most urgent.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in a post on X that this decision will lead to the deaths of more starving Palestinians in the northern part of the enclave.
“The levels of hunger are acute. All efforts to deliver food should not only be permitted, but there should be an immediate acceleration of food deliveries,” he said.
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. All efforts to deliver food should not only be permitted but there should be an immediate acceleration of food… https://t.co/JxuipvVK41
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 24, 2024
Clashes during Israeli raid on Azzun
Al Jazeera’s team in the occupied West Bank reports that Israeli forces began a raid on the village during iftar, when Muslims observing the holy month of Ramadan break their daily fast, around 6pm local time (16:00GMT).
Our correspondents report that Palestinians targeted Israeli soldiers with locally made explosives, as confrontations broke out.
Azzun is near the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank.
Israeli military claims attacks on Hezbollah outposts
The Israeli military has released aerial footage of what it says are the latest attacks by its air force on Hezbollah outposts in southern Lebanon.
The army said it attacked a “military structure” in the Aita al-Shaab area, and another structure in the Odaisseh area, after its combat intelligence unit spotted operatives.
It also said it identified and shelled the source of missile and rocket fire against areas in northern Israel, and targeted areas in southern Lebanon to “remove threats”.
Gantz threatens to quit Israeli government
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has been quoted by local media as saying he will quit if a new law on army conscription passes in its current form.
The bill, favoured by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, would exempt ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews from military service in the country.
Gantz has been pushing for a law to draft this community into the Israeli army.