Israel strikes shelter in Gaza's Deir el Balah killing 24

The live blog has now ended and will be back tomorrow from 9am GMT. You can read more of The New Arab's coverage of Israel's war on Gaza here. 

The Israeli war cabinet will on Saturday be briefed by negotiators who held mediated talks in Paris on a possible Gaza truce, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser said.

Tzachi Hanegbi told Channel 12 TV that the fact the negotiators believed their Friday meeting with Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators warranted convening the evening war cabinet session "shows that they did not come back empty-handed". 

(Reuters)

The Palestinian Authority Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on X accusing Israel of not taking the necessary steps to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, as per an ICJ order and UN Security Council Resolution 2720. 

"Israel persists in committing further collective massacres and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe, especially in northern, central, and southern areas of the Gaza Strip," the ministry said. 

The ministry added that it "views the international failure to compel Israel to protect civilians and secure their basic humanitarian needs as unprecedented... revealing the hypocrisy of countries claiming to uphold the principles of human rights and international law." 

After 141 days of Israel's genocide against our people, and in light of the precautionary measure issued by the International Court of Justice and UN Security Council Resolution 2720, along with increasing international and UN warnings about the risks of deepening the… pic.twitter.com/gX2a7wbrxL

— State of Palestine - MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) February 24, 2024

The EU's Josep Borrell has said the announcement from Bezalel Smotrich that Israel will build 3,300 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank is "inflammatory and dangerous".

"Settlements make Israelis and Palestinians less safe, fuel tensions, obstruct peace efforts, and constitute a grave breach of international law."

The announcement by Israeli Minister Smotrich to build 3,300 new units in illegal West Bank settlements is inflammatory and dangerous.

Settlements make Israelis and Palestinians less safe, fuel tensions, obstruct peace efforts, and constitute a grave breach of international law

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 24, 2024

The Israeli army announced that an Israeli soldier has been killed by anti-tank missile fire in northern Gaza. 

238 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the military's ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah announced it conducted rocket attacks against the Israeli army in the al-Kubra hills, in what it says are the fourth strike against the position today. 

The Israeli military also announced it had conducted further airstrikes against Hezbollah in Rab el-Thalathine, Ayta ash-Shab and Bilda near the border between Lebanon and Israel.

It added that the army conducted artillery strikes in other locations across southern Lebanon.

A Hamas source told AFP that a new ceasefire plan proposes a six-week pause in the conflict.

Included in the plan is the release of between 200 and 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 35 to 40 hostages being held by Hamas.

Seven people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza's southern city of Rafah.

The US has reportedly told Israel to stop bombing Gaza's civil police as Israeli strikes on the members have led to a loss of security for aid convoys entering the enclave.

A US official told Axios that "the current situation isn't working", adding that "Food must come in or we are going to have famine in Gaza - and this is going to dramatically damage Israel".

According to Axios Israel declined the request, saying its war goal was to ensure Hamas is destroyed in Gaza, with the police coming under Hamas' administration in Gaza.

Israel instead is attempting to cooperate with "local clans" to provide security to distributing aid.

The UN has suspended aid trucks from entering northern Gaza following an Israeli attack on a convoy on 5 February and the lack of security in the north of the strip.

It has also generally reduced convoys entering the strip due to security concerns and a break down of civil order. The situation has heightened the risks of famine in the enclave.

An unnamed Israeli official is being quoted in Israeli media as reaching an "outline of an agreement" for a ceasefire following talks in Paris.

Israel's Channel 12 quotes the official as saying "There were good talks, there's significant progress." 

"We have the basis on which to build a plan and the negotiations" they reportedly added.

The official also said that the war cabinet will have to approve the plan, followed by the rest of the cabinet, which are set to meet today following the Paris talks.

Israeli has launched airstrikes against Gaza's southern city of Rafah with reports that a house in the al-Geneina neighbourhood was targeted.

Israeli forces arrested 22 Palestinians during overnight raids on the occupied West Bank, including a journalist and two children, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

More than 7,210 Palestinians have been detained since 7 October, according to the group.

The Israeli military announced it conducted overnight airstrikes against Hezbollah in South Lebanon, strikeing sites in Jabal Blat and Ayta ash-Shab. 

Hezbollah conducted a rocket attack against Israel this morning, with Hezbollah saying it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers. Israel said the rockets landed in open areas.

A Houthi attack on a Belize-flagged, UK-owned ship in the Red Sea has caused significant damage and an 18-mile oil slick. 

US Central Command has warned that although the ship is anchored, it is taking on water, with 41,000 tons of fertilizer in danger of spilling into the Red Sea. 

On Feb. 18 between 9:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., Iran-backed Houthi terrorists attacked the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. The ship is anchored but slowly taking on water. The unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant… pic.twitter.com/bU6j850wwG

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 24, 2024

Israel has killed 92 Palestinians in the last 24 hours as it continues its strikes against the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza's health authorities.

A further 123 people were injured in the continues strikes.

The latest casualty count increases the death toll to 29,606 Palestinians killed, and a further 69,737 wounded.

The UN's aid agency of Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has reiterated calls for action to stop Israel's war on Gaza.

In a post on X the agency said "people in Gaza are in extreme peril while the world watches on."

"No one can claim 'I did not know' as the images, footage and voices of unspeakable suffering continue."

"We cannot turn a blind eye to this human tragedy any longer," it added.

People in #Gaza are in extreme peril while the world watches on.

No one can claim “I did not know” as the images, footage and voices of unspeakable suffering continue.

We cannot turn a blind eye to this human tragedy any longer. pic.twitter.com/RislB5Ilr0

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) February 23, 2024