Gaza Unrest
Live Reporting
WHO says no medical supplies received in Gaza for 10 days
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it received no medical supplies in the Gaza Strip for 10 days as Israel pursues a new offensive against Hamas, AFP reports.
Israel’s closure of the Rafah crossing into Gaza has caused “a difficult situation”, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said. “The last medical supplies that we got in Gaza was before May 6.”
Jasarevic said the biggest concern was over fuel needed to keep clinics and hospitals running. Gaza’s health facilities need up to 1.8 million litres of fuel per month to keep operating.
Israeli military says forces seized bodies of three hostages from Gaza
Israel’s chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari has said forces rescued the bodies of three hostages from the Gaza Strip on Thursday night, Reuters reports.
Hagari identified the three as Shani Louk, Amit Buskila and Yitzhak Gelernter, who he said “were murdered by Hamas while escaping the Nova music festival on October 7 and their bodies were taken into Gaza”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the military operation and reiterated a pledge to return all the hostages.
“We will bring back all our hostages, whether they are alive or dead,” he said in a statement.
Israel army reports ‘perhaps the fiercest’ fighting in Gaza’s Jabalia since start of fighting
The Israeli army has told AFP that renewed fighting in Gaza’s northern town of Jabalia is “perhaps the fiercest” in over seven months of the conflict.
“Hamas was in complete control here in Jabalia until we arrived a few days ago,” the Israeli army told AFP.
The current fighting in Jabalia is “perhaps the fiercest we have encountered” in this area since the start of the offensive in the Gaza Strip, the army said, adding that it was now operating in the town’s refugee camp.
Fierce fighting in northern Gaza, as aid starts to roll off US-built pier
Israeli forces battled Hamas fighters in the narrow alleyways of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Friday in some of the fiercest engagements since they returned to the area a week ago, while in the south militants attacked tanks massing around Rafah.
Residents said Israeli armour had thrust as far as the market at the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, and that bulldozers were demolishing homes and shops in the path of the advance.
As fighting raged in the north and south of the territory, the U.S. military said trucks had started moving aid ashore from a temporary pier built off Gaza.
ICJ requests Israel provide more information about aid to Gaza’s ‘evacuation zones’
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has put a question to the Israeli delegation about humanitarian conditions in its declared “evacuation zones” in Gaza, Al Jazeera says.
Judge Georg Nolte read the question: “Can Israel provide information about the existing humanitarian conditions in the designated evacuation zones, in particular al-Mawasi, and how it would ensure safe passage to these zones, as well as the provision of shelter, food, water, and other humanitarian aid and assistance to all evacuees that are and can be expected to arrive in these zones?”
Israel has been asked to submit a written reply to the question no later than 4pm tomorrow (May 18), the court said.
Areas in West Bank that Israeli forces have raided recently
Israeli forces have stormed various areas in the West Bank, including near Nablus, Bethlehem and Hebron, making numerous arrests and wounding at least one Palestinian, Al Jazeera reports citing Wafa news agency.
Here is a breakdown of the latest raids (according to Al Jazeera):
. Askar camp in Nablus governorate: Fighting between residents and Israeli forces was reported where live bullets, tear gas and stun grenades were fired by the soldiers, injuring at least one person
. Town of Duma in Nablus governorate: Israeli forces searched homes and arrested two people
. Villages of Harmala and al-Asakra near Bethlehem: Israeli forces raided homes and tampered with residents’ property
. Towns of Sa’ir, ash-Shuyukh and Dura in Hebron governorate: Israeli forces searched homes, while detaining two citizens and interrogating them, before releasing them
Hezbollah introduces new weapons and tactics against Israel as war in Gaza drags on
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah this week struck a military post in northern Israel using a drone that fired two missiles. The attack wounded three soldiers, one of them seriously, according to the Israeli military.
Hezbollah has regularly fired missiles across the border with Israel over the past seven months, but the one on Thursday appears to have been the first successful missile airstrike it has launched from within Israeli airspace.
The group has stepped up its attacks on Israel in recent weeks, particularly since the Israeli incursion into the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. It has struck deeper inside Israel and introduced new and more advanced weaponry.
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Russia says US 'playing with fire' in 'indirect war' with Moscow
A top Russian diplomat said on Friday the United States had long since entered into a state of indirect war with Moscow and was playing with fire over Ukraine by behaving in such a way that the situation could spin out of control.
The comments by deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov in an interview with state TASS news agency reflect growing Russian concern over what Moscow casts as dangerous Western escalation in Ukraine as Russian forces advance in several places.
Foreign ministers from 13 countries warn Israel against Rafah assault
Foreign ministers from 13 countries have signed a letter warning Israel to halt its ground invasion of Rafah and to allow more aid to reach the Palestinian population.
German news agency DPA, citing a report in Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, said that apart from the US, all other members of the G7 nations signed the four-page letter which was dated Wednesday.
In the letter sent to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, the ministers called on Netanyahu’s government to alleviate the devastating and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza by opening all border crossings for aid supplies, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which is under Israeli military control.
The letter was signed by the foreign ministers of the G7 states: Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Japan and Canada, as well as their counterparts from Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and Sweden.
Spain will not authorise ships carrying weapons for Israel to call at ports
Spain will not authorise ships carrying weapons for Israel to call at its ports, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, after the country refused to let a ship call at the southeastern port of Cartagena.
The ship was the first to be denied access to a Spanish port, Albares said, adding the refusal was consistent with the government’s decision not to grant weapon export licences to Israel since October 7, as Spain does not “want to contribute to war”.
Israel rejects all requested provisional measures
Over at the ICJ, Israel’s lawyer Gilad Noam argues that all provisional measure sought by South Africa are without merit.
Specifically, he argues Israel should not be ordered to withdraw from Gaza because that would mean:
More than 100 Israeli captives will remain trapped in the territoty
Hamas will be left to operate unhindered
Such an order would strip Israel of its rights under international law
The court would be turning the Genocide Convention “into a sword rather than a shield”.
South African minister says genocide case is swaying public opinion
South Africa’s justice minister says the country’s genocide case brought against Israel at the ICJ has helped sway public opinion and grow international support for the Palestinian cause.
“You can see the collective conscience of the population in terms of protests and people raising their views. We believe this will turn the tide in favour of peace and justice in the Gaza Strip,” Ronald Lamola said.
On Thursday, South Africa told the UN’s top court that the conflict has reached “a new and horrific stage” and Gaza has been “largely wiped off the map”, as it sought new emergency measures to halt Israel’s assault on Rafah.
Day 2 of ICJ hearings about to begin
A reminder that the second day of hearings at the ICJ will begin at The Hague shortly.
On Thursday, lawyers representing South Africa presented their oral arguments. Today, Israel will be presenting its response.
Six Palestinians killed in Israeli attack on Jabalia camp
At least six people have been killed in an Israeli attack on a house in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp.
About 30 displaced Palestinians were sheltering in the house. Emergency workers are searching under the rubble for the wounded.
We will bring you more on this attack from our correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum on the ground in Gaza.
Mural of murdered Palestinian child Hind Rajab unveiled in Irish capital
A street artist based in the Irish capital, Dublin, has created a giant mural of Hind Rajab, the six-year-old Palestinian girl who was slain along with six relatives in Gaza when an Israeli tank opened fire on the car in which they were travelling.
Artist Emmalene Blake painted the mural outside the stadium of the Irish league’s Bohemian Football Club, to mark the first time Palestine’s women’s team has played on European soil – beating the home side Bohemians 2-1 on Wednesday night in Dublin.
The friendly game was scheduled to coincide with Palestine’s 76th commemoration of the Nakba.
The killing of Hind and her relatives caused global outrage. Alone and terrified in the car with the bodies of her loved ones, Hind called the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who sent an emergency crew to rescue her. The two PRCS staff were also killed by Israeli forces.
Does Netanyahu have a plan for a ‘day after’ the war on Gaza?
Every passing day, less and less of Gaza is left standing, raising increasingly pressing questions on how long the Israeli military can continue its vicious attacks.
What does it plan to do once it tires of bombing and re-bombing the besieged enclave? The evidence appears to show that Netanyahu does not have a plan.
FIFA to hear Palestinian case for sanctions against Israeli football teams
Football’s world governing body FIFA is set to hear arguments from the Palestinian Football Association calling for the Israeli Football Association to be suspended from all football activity at its annual congress today.
The meeting, held in the Thai capital, Bangkok, will also see FIFA decide the hosts for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Palestine’s FA argues that Israel’s national team and club sides should be penalised as the country has breached international law with its occupation of Palestinian territories, and for allowing Israeli teams located in occupied areas to compete in Israel’s domestic league.
It also argues that, by allowing racism and discrimination in areas under the Palestinian FA’s jurisdiction and being complicit in military offensives in Gaza, the Israeli FA has breached FIFA statutes.
The Asian Football Confederation has backed Palestine’s case for sanctions against Israel.
Raids and shootings in night of violence across the occupied West Bank
Local media is reporting several shootings and raids across the occupied West Bank tonight.
Israeli forces have stormed the town of Anabta, shooting a 16-year-old in the thigh. The teenager has been transferred to hospital, with his condition unknown.
A second man has been shot while riding his bicycle as Israeli forces stormed the city of Qalqilya, while a third man was shot at the entrance to the Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah, where there have been reports of intense clashes between Palestinian resistance groups and Israeli forces.
Earlier, we reported that Israeli forces had shot and killed one Palestinian and injured another during a raid on the town of Bal’a, near the city of Tulkarem.
South Africa tells ICJ this is ‘last chance’ to stop genocide in Gaza: Analyst
Juliette McIntyre, a lecturer in law at the University of South Australia, said South Africa told judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that this is a “last chance to stop what appears to be genocide” in Gaza.
“This is now the fourth time that South Africa has applied to the court. And each of those times, South Africa has asked for some form of ceasefire order. And what we really saw in the hearings today is that they are putting pressure on the court,” McIntyre told Al Jazeera
“They added evidence of genocidal rhetoric and of course various acts that we have all seen on the news, to really say to the court, look, it’s now or never. If you don’t order Israel to pull out of Rafah, it will be too late,” McIntyre said.
On Friday, the court will hear from Israel.
“It is likely that Israel will continue the same line of defence, which it has to date, which is essentially that there is no genocidal intent here,” McIntyre said, adding that they will also likely argue that Israel is complying with the court’s previous order to ensure that humanitarian aid is reaching Gaza.
“Israel is likely to take the line that they are complying with the court’s orders to date and that they are engaged in active warfare against Hamas and that is likely to lead to civilian casualties,” McIntyre added.
Israeli extremists carry out another truck attack in the West Bank
A group of Israeli extremists have blocked another truck and attacked its driver in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports.
The driver sustained minor injuries and the truck was set on fire in the attack, which occurred near the Kochav Hashahar Israeli settlement, east of Ramallah, Wafa reports.
This is the latest of several attacks carried out on trucks by Israeli extremists, who say they are blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza until all Israeli captives are returned.
Israeli extremists have, however, also perpetrated attacks and looted several trucks not carrying humanitarian aid.
Palestinians mourn loved ones killed in Israeli attacks on Rafah
A Palestinian woman is preparing to bury her husband and son, but these are not the first family members she has lost in recent months. Her house was also bombed at the start of the conflict, resulting in the deaths of 10 people, including her children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren.
This woman’s tragedy highlights the profound human cost of Israel’s war in Gaza, where funerals have become a familiar sight for Palestinians living in the besieged Strip.
Palestinians find themselves surrounded by intense Israeli bombardment in places like Rafah, Khan Younis, Jabalia, and Nuseirat. Among residents, safety is now perceived as dependent solely on divine protection.
US-built floating pier for aid ‘no substitute’ to opening Gaza border crossings
The US said it can go ahead with the project because it’s received security guarantees from the Israeli military regarding the safety of US military personnel in what’s called the ‘marshalling area’ – the area where the aid will be unloaded.
However, when I asked a Pentagon spokesperson about a similar assurance from the Israelis about the safety of aid workers who will subsequently transport the aid into Gaza, I didn’t get the same certainty.
Even those here at the Pentagon admit that a pier is no substitute for reopening land routes into Gaza where famine is taking hold.
However, for whatever reason, the US is still not using its leverage to get those aid entry points open.
The US House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at forcing US President Joe Biden’s administration to reverse its decision to halt a shipment of bombs to Israel.
Israel will abolish its free trade agreement with Turkey and impose a 100 percent tariff on imports in retaliation for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to halt exports until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Israeli military has confirmed two of its tanks have killed five Israeli soldiers and wounded another seven, in another friendly-fire incident in Gaza.
Israel vows to 'intensify' operations in Rafah
RAFAH (AFP) - Israel vowed Thursday (May 16) to "intensify" its ground offensive in Rafah, in defiance of global warnings over the fate of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians sheltering in Gaza's far-southern city.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said "additional forces will enter" the Rafah area and "this activity will intensify".
