Israel’s war on Gaza live: 215 Palestinians killed in last 24 hours
- A group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims responsibility for the drone attack that killed three American soldiers and wounded 34 others at a base along the Jordan-Syria border.
- Israeli cabinet ministers attend the “Return to Gaza” conference to plan illegal settlements in the war-ravaged territory.
Qatari PM meets with US secretary of state
Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as foreign minister, has met with Antony Blinken in Washington, DC, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.
The two diplomats discussed “the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and occupied Palestinian territories and the need to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause”, the ministry said in a statement.
It added that the two emphasised ensuring the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Sheikh Mohammed also condemned the deadly attack on US forces in Jordan, calling it a violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty.
Qatari PM meets with US secretary of state
Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as foreign minister, has met with Antony Blinken in Washington, DC, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.
The two diplomats discussed “the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and occupied Palestinian territories and the need to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause”, the ministry said in a statement.
It added that the two emphasised ensuring the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Sheikh Mohammed also condemned the deadly attack on US forces in Jordan, calling it a violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty.
UNRWA aid cuts aimed at ‘eliminating refugee issue’: Palestinian official
Naghnaghia also says the cuts will have political and humanitarian repercussions, which threaten ongoing relief efforts in Gaza and are tantamount to collective punishment.
“They also serve the Israeli agenda to exhaust Palestinians, impoverish and dispossess them. It also means striking at the heart of the Palestinian issue: refugees and their right of return to their original homes,” he told Al Jazeera.
More from Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
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- On the future of Gaza: “Our position is that the fate of the Palestinians should remain at the hands of the Palestinians. They are the ones who should decide what will be the way forward. For us, we see that Gaza cannot be addressed separately or in isolation from the West Bank. There should be one government.”
- On push to release captives: “We are trying our best to get those hostages freed. That’s something that we’ve been doing from day one without even being asked. … We have been persistent and committed to the process that led to the first release. We are hoping for this process to continue to produce some good results.”
- On Hamas officials in Qatar: “This ‘living in Qatar’ has always been taken out of context. Qatar has had a Hamas political office for almost 11 years. It happened in full coordination with the US to establish communication channels and to be used in resolving the situation in the region. It has managed multiple de-escalations and ceasefires over the years, and it’s proven to be effective. … Qatar’s role has been very clear and transparent, dealt with in close coordination with the US.”
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‘UNRWA cannot be punished’: Qatari PM
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, is in Washington, DC, to meet with top US officials. He has been speaking at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank.
Here are some of his key statements he made:
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On captives deal: “The progress that we have been making in the last couple of weeks has put us in a much better place. Yesterday, good progress was made to get things back in shape. We are hoping to relay this proposal to Hamas and get them to a place where they engage positively and constructively in the process.”
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On UNRWA cuts: “UNRWA cannot be punished because of the acts of some employees. First of all, we don’t know about the allegations yet until the investigation comes out. If it’s the behaviour of an individual or a small group of people among tens of thousands of people working in UNRWA, this cannot be a way to label an entire agency as adopting such an act.”
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On aid to Gaza: “People in Gaza are dying from starvation. We have seen the suffering they are going through is unprecedented. … Unfortunately, [humanitarian aid] is being used as a bargaining chip all the time.”
- On the attack on US soldiers: “We condemn any act that tries to undermine the security and stability in the region. That is something that cannot be accepted. In order to rescue the region from more suffering and escalation, we need to find a resolution for what’s happening in Gaza.”
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Israel has destroyed 61 houses in Jenin camp since October 7: Official
Nidal Naghnaghia, who heads the committee that follows up on citizens affairs in the refugee camp, also says close to 1,000 other houses have been damaged by Israeli forces, which have repeatedly raided the area.
“This has led to the displacement of approximately 3,500 people, who were forced to leave the camp and rent houses or stay with relatives elsewhere,” he told Al Jazeera.
Israeli forces raided the camp as recently as last night, destroying infrastructure, water networks and electric poles as well as cutting off telephone and internet services.
“They destroyed the sewage and drainage systems as well, and with the rain, the camp was flooded, adding to the suffering of the camp’s residents,” Naghnaghia said.
Violence by the Israeli military and settlers has killed 370 people in the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Gaza health system on ‘brink of collapse’: IFRC chief
Jagan Chapagain, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), warns that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening.
“Key concerns include the health system on the brink of collapse, the alarming spread of diseases and the risk of famine increasing daily,” Chapagain wrote in a social media post.
“The people in Gaza are in dire need of our help. I call for continuous support, including financial resources to organisations who are active on the ground, to address the most pressing needs at the scale required.”
“With approximately over one million displaced Palestinians taking shelter in or around 154 UNRWA shelters, the agency and aid organisations have continued to work in near impossible circumstances to provide food, vaccinations, and freshwater,” the groups said in a statement.
“The countries suspending funds risk further depriving Palestinians in the region of essential food, water, medical assistance and supplies, education and protection.”
The groups urged donor states to reaffirm support for the work that UNRWA and its partners do to help Palestinians survive what they called one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of our times.
If you’re just joining us
It’s 8:30pm (18:30 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Here are the main developments in the past few hours:
- The Gaza death toll has risen to 26,637, the territory’s Health Ministry says, adding that 65,387 people have been injured in Israeli attacks since October 7.
- Despite protests from the Biden administration, some Israeli politicians are still calling for reducing Gaza’s population, a policy that rights groups say amounts to ethnic cleansing.
- Hamas’s Qassam Brigades says it targeted Tel Aviv with rockets in response to Israel’s “massacres against civilians”.
- Countries, rights groups and aid organisations across the world decry Western funding cuts to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
- Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz says he has cancelled meetings scheduled for Wednesday between UNRWA’s chief, Philippe Lazzarini, and officials from his ministry.
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Hezbollah claims attacks against Israeli forces
The Lebanese group says it has conducted several military operations against Israeli positions today, including a rocket attack against the Biranit base.
Hezbollah also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers near Zerait in the central sector of the border.
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Iraq calls for regional de-escalation
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed concern over the recent “security developments” in the region and called for de-escalation to support “international efforts towards stability”.
The ministry said it rejects the escalation near the Jordan-Syria border, referring to the drone attack that killed three US soldiers, which Washington has blamed on Iran-linked Iraqi groups.
Baghdad has been in talks with Washington over the future of US forces in Iraq. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry stressed “the need to allow space for the ongoing negotiations with the American side … to reach positive agreements that serve Iraq and the region”.
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