Israel ramps up attacks on central Gaza as Blinken arrives in region

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Palestinian journalist Salma al-Qadoumi has been taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah for treatment after being shot in the back by Israeli forces in Khan Younis on Sunday, according to a report from the Anadolu news agency.

Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli forces specifically targeted the journalists, with Salma al-Qadoumi being struck in the back.

Anadolu also reported that heavy gunfire and shelling were heard as Israeli military vehicles advanced on Hamad.

Hamas said on Sunday that a new Gaza ceasefire proposal presented by the U.S. at talks in Doha responds to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the enclave.

Negotiators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States met in Doha on Friday.

US President Joe Biden said Sunday that a Gaza ceasefire remained a possibility, despite Israel and Hamas trading blame as top diplomat Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv to push a deal.

Biden told reporters after spending the weekend at his Camp David retreat that talks were still underway and that "we're not giving up," adding that an accord was "still possible."

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday its forces successfully destroyed one Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.

The Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched repeated drone and missile strikes on ships they perceive as bound to or related to Israel or the United States since November to show their support for the Palestinians suffering due to Tel Aviv's brutal war on Gaza.

An Israeli raid has hit the town of Hula in Lebanon's Marjeyoun district, according to reports from Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).

Additionally, the NNA reported that a second raid targeted the Beit Lif area, also located in southern Lebanon

Israel police are investigating an explosion that killed one person in Tel Aviv on Sunday, a spokesperson said, appearing to suggest the incident could have been a militant attack.

"It has been confirmed as a bomb explosion," the police spokesperson said. "As a result of the explosion, one person, whose identity is still unknown, was killed, and another person was moderately injured."

"All investigative avenues are being explored," the spokesperson added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that the prime minister insists "that we remain in the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent terrorist elements from rearming." This corridor is a key part of the broader demilitarized zone along the Israel-Egypt border.

The statement also mentioned that the "prime minister will continue to work on advancing a deal that will maximize the number of living hostages and enable the achievement of all the war objectives." 

This confirms that Israel will not commit to a permanent ceasefire.

Palestinian journalist Salma al-Qadoumi was shot in the back while reporting on Israel's invasion of Khan Younis, according to local media and video footage shared on social media platforms.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by عزالدين المعشر (@ezzedine_muasher)

Hamas on Sunday again accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "obstructing an agreement" for a truce and hostage exchange in Gaza.

The Palestinian militant group said in a statement following the latest round of talks in Qatar that Netanyahu was "fully responsible for thwarting the efforts of the mediators, obstructing an agreement, and (bears) full responsibility for the lives" of hostages in Gaza.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated in a post on X that coal from Colombia is being used to produce bombs that kill Palestinian children. He also shared a link to a decree issued by the government on 14 August, which bans the export of coal to Israel.

The decree, signed by Petro, along with Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and the ministers of finance, mines, and commerce, specifies that the measure will take effect five days after its publication in the official journal.

Con el carbón colombiano hacen bombas para matar los niños de Palestina https://t.co/YXqGFSoKC0

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 18, 2024

The Israeli military has confirmed that its 98th Division has resumed operations in the Hamad area of southern Khan Younis, and that its forces are now active in the central Deir el-Balah region, which had previously seen little ground fighting, according to Al Jazeera.

The military reported that Palestinian fighters have established new positions within the so-called "humanitarian" zone, leading to new evacuation orders that now cover 89 percent of Gaza, according to the UN.

Additionally, the Israeli military announced that a soldier from one of its parachute brigades was seriously injured earlier today during combat in the southern part of the enclave.

An attack in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank killed an Israeli man on Sunday, a hospital said, three days after a deadly raid in a nearby Palestinian village.

"After several attempts to save his life, doctors had to declare the death of a man who was fatally wounded in an attack in Samaria (occupied West Bank)," the Beilinson hospital said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt on Tuesday after talks in Israel in the hope of pushing forward a Gaza ceasefire bid, the State Department said.

Blinken, who arrived in Israel on Sunday, will meet Egyptian leaders to discuss indirect truce talks between Israel and Hamas, which are set to resume within days in Cairo, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.

Israel is conducting a "robust investigation" of suspects accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner and is committed to upholding international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees, the foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday.

The UN special rapporteur on torture on Friday condemned what she called a "particularly gruesome" case of the alleged sexual abuse of a Palestinian prisoner by Israeli soldiers and said the perpetrators must be held accountable.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military said prosecutors have requested that soldiers accused of abusing a Palestinian detainee be placed under house arrest with their detention extended to next Thursday.

The United Nations says it has received multiple reports of alleged torture against Palestinians detained since Oct. 7, 2023.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday landed in Tel Aviv, a visit aimed at intensifying diplomatic pressure to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza next week that will end the months-long bloodshed between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.

In his tenth trip to the region since war began last October, the top US diplomat on Monday will meet with senior Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a senior State Department official.

After Israel, Blinken will continue onto Egypt as part of his Middle East tour.

Israel's former Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman told a civilian commission investigating the events leading up to October 7 that he had warned of a similar scenario as early as 2016.

He mentioned that on December 21, 2016, he had submitted an 11-page document outlining his concerns to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, and the head of Military Intelligence.

Liberman asserted that his warnings closely matched the events of last October, despite his initial belief that Hamas would strike in late 2022.

He also accused Netanyahu of having been aware of these risks and made similar statements about Hamas's intentions during a Knesset committee meeting.

Liberman, who resigned as Defence Minister in November 2018, criticised Netanyahu's management of the current conflict, citing a lack of communication among top officials.

A group of Palestinians have been injured in the latest Israeli attack in southern Gaza.

Following an airstrike in Shakoush that aimed to target some people according to Palestinian news agency Wafa, casualties were announced.

Israel's prime minister on Sunday accused Hamas of being "obstinate" in negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire deal and called for more pressure on the Palestinian group ahead of a new round of talks next week.

"Hamas, up to this moment, remains obstinate. It has not even sent a representative to the talks in Doha. Therefore, the pressure should be directed at Hamas and (Yahya) Sinwar, not at the Israeli government," Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, referring to the newly appointed Hamas chief.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement to share its "great concern" regarding 40 Palestinian Bedouin communities who were forcibly displaced, particularly in the Jordan Valley and Masafer Yatta in occupied West Bank. 

The ministry added that the displacement was triggered by Israeli settler attacks, which were backed and protected by the Israeli army, as well as the supervision of Israeli fr-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

“The Ministry considers this crime to be a crime of ethnic cleansing, and falls within the framework of the ongoing gradual annexation of the occupied West Bank and emptying it of its inhabitants and original owners,” it said in its latest statement.

The ministry also called for international sanctions against extremist settlers, Israeli armed forces and the Israeli government.

Israel's economy grew less than expected in the second quarter of 2024, extending a period of volatility since the start of war in Gaza, but the weakness is likely not enough to prompt a central bank rate cut next week given rising inflation.

The Central Bureau of Statistics said in an initial estimate on Sunday that gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an annualised 1.2% in the April-June period, below a Reuters consensus of 4.4%. On a per capita basis, GDP fell 0.4% in the quarter.

Overall growth was led by gains in consumer spending (12%), investment in fixed assets (1.1%) and government spending (8.2%), offsetting an 8.3% decline in exports.

First-quarter GDP was revised to 17.3% annualised from a prior estimate of 14.4%, bouncing back from a contraction of 20.6% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Over the first half of 2024, Israel's economy grew 2.5% at an annual rate versus 4.5% in the same period in 2023, according to the statistics bureau.

Three peacekeepers on patrol were "lightly injured" when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked UN vehicle in the village of Yarine in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said on Sunday.

"All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base," the spokesperson said, without giving further details of the nature of the explosion.

"We are looking into the incident. We are strongly reminding all parties and actors of their responsibility to avoid harm to peacekeepers and civilians."

Earlier today, three peacekeepers on patrol were lightly injured when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked UN vehicle in the vicinity of Yarine, in south Lebanon All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base.

— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) August 18, 2024

Suhaib al-Hams, the director of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, Gaza, has announced that the hospital has been compelled to halt all surgical procedures due to severe shortages of medical staff, medications and fuel.

Al-Hams described the situation as a complete breakdown of the healthcare system, highlighting the growing challenges in providing adequate care amidst escalating injuries from ongoing bombings.

The Palestinian Information Center reported his comments, underscoring the critical conditions faced by medical facilities in the region.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that the "humanitarian zone" in Gaza has now reduced to just 11% of the territory.

UNRWA criticised recent evacuation orders by the Israeli forces, stating that they have spread "chaos and fear" among those displaced.

As the conflict evolves, the locations of these "safe areas" within Gaza are constantly shifting.

Since October 7, around 84% of Gaza has been under evacuation orders.

On Saturday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged civilians to leave the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza for a designated "safe zone" further south, following similar evacuation orders for other areas.

#Gaza: New evacuation orders have been issued by Israeli authorities, even inside the so-called “humanitarian zone”.

Once again, fear spreads as families have nowhere to go. People remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale. pic.twitter.com/Myi6z6Ix87

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) August 16, 2024

The health ministry in Gaza said Sunday that at least 40,099 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory in more than 10 months of war.

The toll includes 25 deaths over the past 24 hours, according to ministry figures, which also listed 92,609 people as wounded in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has urged Hezbollah to show restraint in its actions against Israel as negotiations continue for a possible ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, according to a report by Al Araby Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site.

During his visit to Beirut on Friday, Abdelatty met with Lebanese officials and delivered a message to Hezbollah's leadership.

His appeal was aimed at preventing a broader regional conflict, particularly as Hezbollah considers its response to the recent assassination of its senior military commander, Fuad Shukr, in late July.

As part of this diplomatic effort, Abdelatty reportedly offered increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, which could alleviate some pressure on Hamas, along with unspecified concessions from the United States related to Hezbollah's interests in Lebanon, in exchange for the group's restraint.

Lebanese officials reportedly reacted positively to these requests, contingent on the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza reaching a favourable conclusion.

Lebanese group Hezbollah announced in a post on Telegram that its fighters have struck an Israeli army site with rockets.

The group added the attack hit the Marj outpost directly at 8:15am (05:15 GMT).

There have not been further details disclosed yet.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr received a phone call instructing him to go to the seventh floor of his apartment building in Beirut shortly before he was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike.

The information, provided by an unnamed Hezbollah official, suggests that the call may have come from someone who had infiltrated Hezbollah's communications system, making it easier for Israel to target Shukr in the densely built-up area.

The official noted that both Hezbollah and Iran are actively investigating this breach in intelligence, which they believe allowed Israel to outmanoeuvre the group’s surveillance network.

Shukr’s assassination on 31 July has intensified tensions, with Hezbollah vowing retaliation.

Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli air strike in the early hours of Saturday killed 15 members of a Palestinian family, including nine children and three women.

The strike hit the home of the Ajlah family in Al-Zawaida neighbourhood of central Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told news agency AFP.

"The toll from the Israeli strike on the Ajlah family home and their warehouse in Al-Zawaida is 15 dead," Bassal said.

Bassal gave a list of those killed, including nine children and three women.

A witness said the strike took place shortly after midnight (2100 GMT Friday).

"Three rockets hit the house directly," Ahmed Abu al-Ghoul told AFP as rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble of the flattened house.

"There were a lot of children and women inside... What have they done to deserve this?"

Footage by AFP of the aftermath, captured after dawn, showed rescuers searching for bodies under piles of collapsed concrete blocks.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote in a post on X that his government will continue to maintain Israel's "status and national honour" of Israel, following Norway closing its diplomatic office for the Palestinian Authority.

The representative office in the occupied West Bank was closed after Israel revoked the accreditation of the Norwegian diplomats working there.

Katz said that Israel did so "due to Norway’s recognition of a Palestinian-Hamas state after the October 7 massacre, and its support for the issuing of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials."

Israel said it killed two Palestinians in an airstrike on their car in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.

A joint statement from the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Defense Forces identified the militants as Ahmed Abu Ara and Rafet Dawasi, both from the West Bank's northern district around Jenin.

In a statement, Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades military wing said it was mourning the deaths of two fighters in an Israeli air strike on their vehicle in Jenin.

The Israeli statement said the two fighters were involved in planning a shooting attack last week in the West Bank's Jordan Valley where an Israeli man, Yonatan Deutsch, was killed.

Later that day, the al-Qassam Brigades said its West Bank-based fighters killed an Israeli soldier at point-blank range near the settlement of Mehola in the Jordan Valley and "returned to their bases safely."

Hamas said the operation came in retaliation for Israel's strike on a school where displaced Palestinians were sheltering in Gaza City which the civil defence service said had killed at least 90 people.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday as part of Washington's intensifying diplomatic push to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that will end the 10-month-old war between Israel and Hamas.

The top US diplomat's tenth trip to the region since the war began in October last year comes days after the United States put forward bridging proposals that it and mediators Qatar and Egypt believe would close gaps between the warring parties.

US officials cite fresh optimism to bring the deal over the finish line but also caution that there is still work to be done.

"What we've done is taken the gaps that remain and have bridged those in a way that we think basically is a deal that is now ready to close and implement and move forward," a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Friday.

In Israel, Blinken is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister and other senior officials.

The negotiations are taking place in the shadow of a feared regional escalation. Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

Washington has repeatedly warned Iran not to go ahead with any retaliatory action against Israel. The U.S. official said such an act could have "cataclysmic" consequences, particularly for Iran.