Israel kills 37 Palestinians in Gaza in morning 'massacres', as US says 'progress' made in Cairo truce talks

The New Arab's live blog on Israel's war on Gaza has now ended, and will resume at 0900am. Thank you for following.

The Israeli military warned residents of areas in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah operates to "leave immediately" as it carried out a series of pre-emptive strikes against the Iran-backed militant group.

"Anyone who is near areas where Hezbollah operates should leave immediately to protect themselves and their families," the military said in an Arabic-language message. "The IDF (military) will do whatever is necessary to protect the citizens of Israel. In the coming hours we will update you on the latest developments."

The Israeli military early said on Sunday it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after identifying the group was "preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory," warning in a statement that Hezbollah's actions could lead to wider regional escalation.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the strikes. 

Israeli forces arrested a man from the Balata camp east of Nablus, in a raid at dawn on Sunday.

Local sources reported that the army arrested the young man, Nidal Hashash, after raiding and searching his house in the camp.

The sources, cited by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, said that  the army raided the camp accompanied by a military bulldozer.

At least six people have been killed and others injured following an Israeli attack on a house in Deir al-Balah, Gaza city, Al Jazeera is reporting.

The Islamic State group said Saturday in a statement that one of its members carried out a deadly attack a day earlier in Germany in "revenge" for Muslims "in Palestine and everywhere".

"The perpetrator of the attack on a gathering of Christians in the city of Solingen in Germany yesterday was a soldier of the Islamic State" group, said a statement from the jihadists' Amaq news agency on the Telegram messaging app. The attack was carried out "in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere", the statement added.

The United States warned Saturday of a potential environmental disaster in the Red Sea after Houthi rebels struck an oil tanker off the Yemeni coast.

The Greek-flagged Sounion was struck on Wednesday off the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, with the Iran-backed Houthis claiming to have hit the vessel with drones and missiles.

On Friday, the UKMTO maritime agency said three fires had been spotted on the ship, while a video released by the Houthis on social media allegedly showed three explosions on the ship.

The 274-meter long vessel had departed from Iraq and was destined for a port near Athens, carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil.

"The Houthis' continued attacks threaten to spill a million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, an amount four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster," US State Department Matthew Miller said Saturday in a statement.

The Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 released 257,000 barrels along the coast of Alaska.

"While the crew has been evacuated, the Houthis appear determined to sink the ship and its cargo into the sea," Miller said.

The Sounian's crew of 23 Filipinos and two Russians were rescued by a ship with the European Union's Aspides mission.

The naval mission also warned the unmanned vessel represented "a navigational and environmental hazard."

Israeli police clashed with demonstrators in Tel Aviv, as rallies took place calling for the release of Gaza-held captives.

In one video, police cavalry trample a protester, while another shows police officers assaulting other demonstrators.

שימו לב לאלימות המשטרה בבגין דוחפים מחסום על המפגינים pic.twitter.com/Y78RiAhJWW

— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) August 24, 2024

Hezbollah said it has launched several attacks against Israel on Saturday, Al Jazeera said, including rocket, drone and artillery attacks.

The Lebanese group launched a drone at Israeli soldiers in the settlement of Yaara along the border while firing rockets at the occupied Kfarchouba hills and the occupied Shebaa Farms.

A barrage of at least eight rockets were also fired at the occupied Golan Heights, according to the Israeli military, which said some were intercepted.

The bodies of at least 14 Palestinians were transferred by the Palestinian Red Crescent Cross to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis city, the NGO said on Saturday.

🚑 Today, Palestine Red Crescent teams transported the bodies of 14 individuals from Hamad City in #KhanYunis to Nasser Medical Hospital.
📷Filmed by volunteer: Attallah Ghaith. pic.twitter.com/XVmgcu49OO

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) August 24, 2024

Israeli forces assaulted two girls and a man before then arrested them on Saturday in east Jerusalem's Damascus Gate.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa said the incident occurred as the two men tried to protect as she was being assaulted by the Israeli police. 

The Israeli military announced on Saturday the deaths of three reserve officers killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip the previous day.

The officers, two major generals and a lieutenant colonel, were killed in central Gaza, the military said, without giving further details.

The latest deaths bring the military's losses in the Gaza campaign to 338 since it launched a brutal ground offensive in the Palestinian territory on October 27.

Several Palestinians have been injured after Israeli settlers attacked them in the village of Susiya, south of Hebron, Palestinian media reported.

A group of armed settlers, protected by Israeli soldiers, raided the village and attacked citizens with sticks, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. Two women, aged 62 and 52, were hit in the head.

Israeli settlers stormed at least three West Bank towns on Saturday, according to Palestinian media.

The settlers  also raided the town of Sarra, near Nablus and Rujeib, east of the same city.

Israeli forces detained on Saturday seven Palestinians from various parts of the occupied West Bank, according to security and local sources, as cited by the Palestinian Wafa agency.

Raids took place in  az-Zawiya town, west of Salfit and in the governorates of Tulkarem, Nablus and Jenin.

Anwar El Ghazi pledged to donate 500,000 euros to children in Gaza, one-third of the payout he has received from Mainz 05 for wrongfully terminating him over his support for Palestinians during Israel's war on Gaza.

On Friday, El Ghazi wrote on social media: "I would like to take this moment to thank Mainz for two things. Firstly, for the substantial financial pay off, 500k of which will be used to fund projects for the children in Gaza."

"I hope Mainz, despite their repeated failed attempts to avoid making the due payment, take solace from the knowledge that they have, through me, contributed financially in trying to make life a little more bearable for the children of Gaza.

"Secondly, in attempting to silence me, making my voice even louder for the oppressed and voiceless in Gaza."

The Palestinian group has issued a statement denying the existence of so-called “safe areas” in the Gaza Strip, labeling such claims by the Israeli military as “a complete lie” and a form of “deception.”

“The facts confirm that thousands of people have been killed in shelters and displacement centres, at schools, institutions, and tents that the occupation classified as safe,” Hamas stated.

The group added that despite this, the Israeli army continues to issue evacuation orders—most recently targeting the central governorate, including the Maghazi refugee camp, the village of al-Musaddar, and large areas of Deir el-Balah city—“which are crowded with hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the north and south of the Strip.”

These orders, Hamas said, are “part of Israel’s policy to deepen the suffering of our people and continue the crime of genocide and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip with American political and military cover.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy has been wounded by live ammunition during an Israeli military raid in the town of Beit Furik east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa news agency.

The agency cited medics with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) as saying first responders provided treatment to the child, who sustained gunshot wounds to both legs during the incursion.

It added that Israeli forces also detained an unidentified Palestinian in Beit Furik, which has been subjected to frequent raids.

Hamas has condemned the burning of copies of the Qur'an by Israeli soldiers during a raid on the Bani Saleh Mosque in the northern Gaza Strip. In a statement, the Palestinian group described the act, which was captured on a soldier's body camera, as evidence of the "extremist nature" of Israel and its soldiers, "filled with hatred and criminality.", as reported by Al Jazeera.

The statement also emphasized that the regular documentation and sharing of such attacks by soldiers on social media "clearly indicates a systematic criminal policy" orchestrated by the Israeli government.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reports that the al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, which it operates, was directly targeted by Israeli forces earlier today. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

🚨Today, the second floor of PRCS Al-Amal Hospital's "Rehabilitation Department" was directly fired upon by Israeli drones. It is important to note that patients were present in the department for monitoring and treatment, but no staff or patients were harmed.
⭕️This violation… pic.twitter.com/RU5Jj1JkBX

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) August 24, 2024

A young Palestinian man, arrested near the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing while attempting to secure food for his displaced family, was repeatedly used as a human shield by Israeli forces before being left for dead, Al Jazeera reports.

A woman and a young girl are among the victims of Israel's latest attack on the Bureij refugee camp, according to reports from Al Jazeera.

Their bodies, along with other injured children, have been taken to al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, they report

A top U.S. general began an unannounced visit to the Middle East on Saturday to discuss ways to avoid any new escalation in tensions that could spiral into a broader conflict, as the region braces for a threatened Iranian attack against Israel.

Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began his trip in Jordan and said he will also travel to Egypt and Israel in the coming days to hear the perspectives of military leaders.

His visit comes as the United States is trying to clinch an elusive Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which Brown said would "help bring down the temperature," if achieved.

"At the same time, as I talk to my counterparts, what are the things we can do to deter any type of broader escalation and ensure we're taking all the appropriate steps to (avoid) ... a broader conflict," Brown told Reuters before landing in Jordan.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is expected to attend Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo on Saturday, a source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters.

A video posted on social media shows two children in Gaza collecting spilled flour from the sandy ground. The Palestinian journalist who captured the footage near Hamad City in the southern Gaza Strip asks the boys if they plan to eat the flour, and they respond affirmatively.

Yesterday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a significant increase in acute malnutrition among Palestinian children in Gaza in recent months. The agency noted that the number of cases in northern Gaza surged by 300 percent from May to July, while in the southern part of the enclave, it increased by more than 150 percent during the same period.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by همام يونس الزيتونيه (@hammam.younis)

Hospitals and health centers in the enclave are facing a critical shortage of medicines and medical supplies as Israel's army continues to target them, the ministry said in a statement.

"Sixty percent of the essential medicines and 83 percent of medical supplies have run out at the ministry’s warehouses," the statement on Telegram added.

The ministry emphasized that this situation could lead to a complete shutdown of medical services, including emergency services, operations, intensive care, kidney dialysis, primary healthcare, and mental health services.

It called on the international community, UN institutions, and concerned parties to intervene and provide the necessary medical supplies for Gaza.

At least 40,334 Palestinians have been killed and 93,356 injured in Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Medics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) have recovered the bodies of five individuals killed and rescued one person injured in an Israeli attack on the northern Nuseirat camp.

Footage shared by the group shows its medics carrying out the recovery of the dead and wounded, transporting them to a nearby health facility in what was described as a “dangerous mission.”

Earlier, we reported that Israeli forces had targeted an apartment in Nuseirat, resulting in the deaths of at least three people.

🚨In a dangerous mission from the northernmost point of Nuseirat camp, central #Gaza, Palestine Red Crescent teams successfully recovered the bodies of five people and rescued an injured person after an Israeli military strike on a home.
Filmed by volunteer: Mohamed Suleiman. pic.twitter.com/ql7arAcDlb

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) August 24, 2024

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reports that the outskirts of the towns of Aitaroun and Maroun al-Ras have been intermittently shelled by Israeli artillery from positions near the border.

Earlier, the agency also reported shelling in the outskirts of the town of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon.

A senior Hamas official said the Palestinian militant group was sending a delegation to Cairo on Saturday but that they would not attend Gaza ceasefire talks in the Egyptian capital.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States have for months tried to reach a deal to end Israel's war on Gaza.

"The delegation will meet with senior Egyptian intelligence officials to be briefed on developments in the ongoing round of Gaza ceasefire talks... but this does not mean it will take part in the negotiations," the Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk publicly on the issue.

"Hamas has said from the beginning that it will not participate in this round of negotiations, which began last week in Doha."

Hamas's decision to send a delegation to Cairo comes after the United States said progress had been made at the latest round of talks.

Amid increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the occupied territory, Jewish Voice for Peace, a US.-based advocacy group, has created a graphic to highlight the vast number of guns and other weapons distributed by the Israeli state to illegal settlers since 7 October.

“This visual captures how the Israeli government has transferred over 150,000 guns and hundreds of other weapons to Israeli settlers since October 7, as settler violence against Palestinian communities skyrockets with impunity,” JVP stated in a social media post.

The group also noted, “During this period, the Israeli Ministry of National Security has significantly relaxed gun licensing requirements, approving permits for an additional 100,000 firearms."

While the Israeli government continues its brutal genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, armed Israeli settlers, backed by the Israeli government, continue to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and terrorize Palestinian communities. This visual captures how the… pic.twitter.com/CLB7ahpjUV

— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) August 23, 2024

According to the Wafa news agency, four children and four women were confirmed to be among those killed in an Israeli attack on a home in Khan Younis.

Earlier reports indicated that the Israeli military had shelled a house belonging to the Kalakh family in the al-Amal neighborhood of southern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 people and injuring 15 others.

At least 12 Palestinians, including two children and a woman, were killed early on Saturday morning by Israeli attacks east of Gaza's Khan Younis and in the Al-Nuseirat camp area, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said.

At least 15 others were injured in the attacks, Wafa added.

The United States said Friday that progress had been made at the latest round of Gaza truce talks, after the presence of Israeli troops on the Egyptian border emerged as a major sticking point.

The White House said CIA chief William Burns was among US officials taking part in the discussions in Cairo, joining the heads of Israel's spy agency and security service.

"There has been progress made. We need now for both sides to come together and work towards implementation," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Preliminary talks that began Thursday "were constructive in nature", he said, adding that reports that the diplomacy was "near collapse" were inaccurate.

An Egyptian source close to the negotiations told AFP the Egyptian and Qatari intelligence chiefs were also taking part.

"The discussions are taking place in Cairo... in preparation for an enlarged round of negotiations which will begin on Sunday," the source said.

"Washington is discussing with mediators new proposals to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas and for mechanisms to implement" the plan.