Israeli forces target Jenin on fifth day of raids, retrieves six bodies of captives in Gaza

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the war on Gaza concludes for today. Join us again tomorrow at 0800 GMT for updates from the besieged Palestinian enclave.

An Israeli strike on the village of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon has injured at least four people, according to the official National News Agency, with Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirming the number.

The shelling also targeted the southern towns of Kafr Kila, Odaisseh, and Khiam, the news agency reported.

Israel's health ministry said six hostages whose deaths were announced on Sunday were shot at close range shortly before their bodies were recovered from the Gaza Strip.

"The six hostages were murdered by Hamas [operatives] with several close-range gunshots," ministry spokesperson Shira Solomon said in a statement.

"According to the forensic examination, the hostages' deaths are estimated to have occurred approximately 48-72 hours before their examination (between Thursday and early Friday morning)."

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement on Sunday, reiterating its stance that it condemns the ongoing Israeli assault on Jenin and its refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, which has resulted in numerous deaths, injuries, and arrests.

The country described the assault as an extension of the ongoing grave crimes in Gaza and a blatant violation of international resolutions- as well as emphasising its support for Palestinian statehood.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the need for the international community to urgently provide the Palestinian people with the necessary protection and to hold Israel accountable for its brutal crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, along with obliging it to stop its blatant violations of international humanitarian law and to compel it to respect international conventions," it added.

Statement | Qatar Condemns in Strongest Terms Ongoing Israeli Onslaught on Jenin#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/vEJoq7FGzt

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) September 1, 2024

Before his upcoming trip to Asia and Oceania, Pope Francis has urged for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, highlighting the urgent health crisis caused by polio.

In his statement, the Pope expressed concern about the conflict's potential to spread to other Palestinian cities. He appealed for ongoing negotiations, an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the rescue of Gaza's population, where diseases like polio are rapidly spreading.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to hold a virtual meeting on Sunday with families of American hostages held by Hamas, Israeli reporter Barak Ravid, who has written for publications such as US news outlet Axios and Hebrew-language news site Walla, said on social media, citing a source.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to hold a virtual meeting today with the families of the American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, per source with direct knowledge

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) September 1, 2024

The head of Israel's Histadrut labour union called for a general strike beginning at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Monday to pressure the government into reaching a deal to return Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Arnon Bar-David, whose union represents hundreds of thousands of workers, called on all civilian workers to join the strike and said Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main air transport hub, would be closed from 8 a.m. (0500 GMT).

Bar-David said that for now, the strike would just be for Monday but he sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for failing to bring hostages back alive.

A dozen bodies of hostages have been brought back to Israel in the past week. Some 101 still remain, although Israel believes one-third of them are no longer alive.

"The neglect of the economy must be stopped," Bar-David said at a news conference. "Israel must be returned to a reasonable routine... We must reach a deal. A deal is more important than anything else.

"We are getting body bags instead of a deal."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed Gaza as well as regional and global developments in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Sunday, Erdogan's office said in a post on X.

"Stating that Israeli attacks and human rights violations must be stopped and a lasting ceasefire must be established, President Erdogan underscored the importance of joint action by Islamic countries with regard to this issue," it said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that two more Palestinians were killed during an ongoing Israeli military raid in the Jenin area of the occupied West Bank.

"The bodies of two people killed in the occupation's (Israel) aggression in Kafar Dan were transported to Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin," the ministry stated, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since Israeli forces began large-scale raids in the northern West Bank on Wednesday to 26.

• Hebron: Two Palestinians killed.
• Jenin: At least 16 killed by Israeli shelling and gunfire.
• Tubas: Four Palestinians killed in the shelling of Al-Fara’a camp.
• Tulkarem: Four killed since Wednesday.

The Israeli army and Shin Bet have announced that they besieged a house in Hebron, West Bank, killing the suspect behind the Tarqumiya checkpoint shooting.

According to sources cited by Israeli news publication Haaretz, the army fired an anti-tank missile at the house, and a weapon was reportedly found near the suspect.

Tel Aviv municipality services will participate in half-day strike on Monday in solidarity with hostages and their families, a notice on the municipality Facebook page said on Sunday.

The strike will be in tandem with several municipalities across Israel after the bodies of six Israeli hostages were brought back to Israel from Gaza. 

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has condemned Israel's justification for its operation in the occupied West Bank as a "lie."

In a statement on X, Safadi rejected the claims made by Israel's "racist extremist ministers" who, he said, fabricate threats to legitimise the killing of Palestinians and the destruction of their livelihoods.

He asserted that the Israeli occupation, its crimes against Palestinians, and the escalation in the region are the greatest threats to security and peace.

Safadi also emphasised that Jordan will oppose "any attempt to displace the Palestinian people inside or outside their occupied land with all our capabilities."

Israel initiated its operation in the West Bank on Wednesday, citing threats to Israeli security as the reason for its actions.

كل ما تدعيه إسرائيل حول أسباب شن عدوانها على الضفة الغربية كذب. ونرفض ما يزعمه وزراؤها العنصريون المتطرفون الذين يختلقون الأخطار لتبرير قتلهم الفلسطينيين وتدمير مقدراتهم. الاحتلال الإسرائيلي للأرض الفلسطينية والجرائم الإسرائيلية ضد الشعب الفلسطيني والتصعيد الإسرائيلي في المنطقة…

— Ayman Safadi (@AymanHsafadi) August 31, 2024

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday he was "completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing" of six Israeli hostages in Gaza, blaming Hamas for their deaths.

"My thoughts are with their loved ones at this awful time," Starmer said on X, adding, "Hamas must release all the hostages now, and a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering".

I am completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing of six hostages in Gaza by Hamas. My thoughts are with their loved ones at this awful time.

Hamas must release all the hostages now, and a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 1, 2024

The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said Sunday he was "horrified at the murder of 6 Israeli hostages of Hamas", whose bodies were found in the Gaza city of Rafah.

"These young innocent men women should have long been brought to safety and to their loved ones," Borrell said on X, calling for a ceasefire and return of the remaining hostages.

I am horrified at the murder of 6 Israeli hostages of Hamas whose bodies were found in Gaza

These young innocent men women should have long been brought to safety & to their loved ones

We stand with all hostages

We need a ceasefire to end this tragedy & bring all hostages home

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) September 1, 2024

 Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to conclude a ceasefire deal with Hamas to bring the remaining hostages home from Gaza, as the bodies of six of those taken on Oct. 7 were brought home.

"It's too late for the abductees who were murdered in cold blood. The abductees who remain in the captivity of Hamas must be returned home," he said on the social media platform X.

"The political-security cabinet must convene immediately and reverse the decision made on Thursday," he said, referring to a decision by the cabinet to insist on keeping troops in the so-called Philadelphi corridor, along the southern edge of Gaza.

Gallant has clashed repeatedly with Netanyahu and hardline religious nationalist ministers over the need to reach a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and bring the remaining hostages back in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israeli media reported that Gallant confronted Netanyahu angrily during the cabinet meeting on Thursday over the issue of the Philadelphi corridor and warned that time was running out for a hostage deal.

Far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir expressed his condolences to the families of the captives found dead by Israeli forces in southern Gaza, while rejecting criticism of the government over the lack of a ceasefire deal.

In a statement on X, Ben-Gvir responded to accusations, stating, "Unfortunately, I see the disturbing statements from the left, which accuse the Israeli government of murdering the hostages. To be clear: The terrorist organisation Hamas, and only Hamas, killed the hostages."

Earlier, Hamas had claimed that the captives were killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike.

A senior Hamas official said Sunday that several of the six Israeli hostages found dead in a Gaza tunnel had been "approved" for release in the event of a truce deal.

"Some of the names of the captives announced as found by the (Israeli) occupier... were part of the list of hostages to be released that Hamas had approved" in a proposed exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, the official told news agency AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the issue.

The health ministry in Gaza said Sunday that at least 40,738 people have been killed in the war on the devastated territory, now in its 11th month.

The toll includes 47 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to ministry figures, which also list 94,154 people as wounded in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

Autopsy findings for the six hostages recovered from Gaza show that all were shot in the head, confirming that they died from the gunshot wounds, a source informed Israeli news outlet Haaretz.

The source noted that while the hostages were in frail condition, there were no signs of extreme emaciation or starvation.

The source further stated that, had they not been shot, the hostages would have likely survived, as no other physical trauma was detected on their bodies.

The Hostages' Families Forum responded to Prime Minister Netanyahu's Sunday morning message by urging him to "take responsibility" following the recovery of six bodies of Israeli captives in Gaza.

"Take responsibility for your mistakes. Take responsibility for the sabotage. Take responsibility for the abandonment. Take responsibility for the hostages who were murdered in captivity," the families said in a statement.

"Hamas is not the only one responsible for sabotaging the deal," the statement added.

"We do not expect [Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar] to want to return the hostages, we expect the prime minister of Israel to do everything, everything, everything, in order to bring the hostages home."

Significant protests are anticipated in Israel today following the discovery of the bodies of six captives in Gaza.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has urged the "entire nation" to participate in the pro-ceasefire demonstrations.

Two major rallies are scheduled to be held later today, one at a public square in Jerusalem and another at Tel Aviv's Begin Gate, according to the group.

TODAY, The Families will Bring the Nation to a Halt

As Foot-Dragging Continues, Hostages Are Dying

After 11 months of neglect of 107 hostages, the Hostages Families Forum call on the public to join a massive demonstration, demanding a complete halt of the country and the… pic.twitter.com/fSnO1dct2E

— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) September 1, 2024

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Sunday for a strike to shut down the country's economy in order to pressure the government to reach a deal to release the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Lapid, who is also a former prime minister, called on every Israeli "whose heart was broken this morning" to join a major protest in Tel Aviv later in the day. He also called on Israel's main labor union, businesses and municipalities to go on strike.

His remarks came after Israel recovered the bodies of six more hostages from captivity in Gaza. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to "settle the score" with Hamas after the military had recovered the bodies of six hostages from a Gaza tunnel.

"Those who kill hostages do not want an agreement" for a Gaza truce, Netanyahu said in a statement, telling Hamas leaders that "we will hunt you down, we will catch you and we will settle the score".

Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq claimed that the six Israeli captives found dead in a tunnel in southern Gaza on Saturday were killed by Israeli airstrikes.

Al-Risheq further accused the United States of being complicit in the 11-month conflict, citing its "bias, support, and partnership" with Israel. Among the captives, one held dual US-Israeli citizenship, while another was a Russian-Israeli national.

The official asserted that Hamas values the lives of its prisoners more than President Biden does, highlighting that the group had accepted both his proposal and the UN Security Council resolution.

Al-Risheq also criticised Netanyahu for rejecting the proposal and resolution, accusing his administration of capitulating to the Prime Minister's demands, which were aimed at blocking an agreement to preserve his hold on power.

At least three Israelis were killed when their vehicle was fired on near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, Israeli officials said on Sunday.

Israeli police said the three people killed in Sunday's shooting attack in the occupied West Bank were members of the police force.

"Three members of the police force were killed this morning in a shooting attack," Ouzi Levy, chief of the Israeli police in the West Bank, told reporters at the scene of the attack near the Tarqumiya checkpoint near the city of Hebron.

Israel's medical emergency service, Magen David Adom, earlier had announced the death of the three, two men and a woman.

"This was a very severe attack. We saw a vehicle with bullet marks on a mound beside the road," the emergency service said in a statement quoting two of its paramedics who had rushed to the scene.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also visited the scene of the attack and called for more checkpoints be set up in the area.

"Right to life (of Israelis) is more important than freedom of movement of PA (Palestinian Authority) residents," he told journalists.

"Instead of freeing terrorists, shoot them in the head."

The Israeli military said Sunday that it had found the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, including a US-Israeli and a Russian-Israeli.

Their remains were recovered Saturday "from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area" and returned to Israel where they were formally identified, the military said.

It said the dead hostages were Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino, who were all seized by Palestinian militants during Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war.

Gat was taken from the southern Israeli kibbutz community of Beeri, while the remaining five, ages 23 to 32, were abducted from a music festival near the Gaza border.

They were among 251 people taken hostage during the October 7 attack, 97 of whom remain captive in Gaza including 33 the Israeli army says are dead.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the six hostages whose remains had been retrieved were alive when taken captive.

A polio vaccination campaign officially began Sunday in the Gaza Strip where the United Nations has announced "humanitarian pauses" to allow for large-scale innoculation, a health official told news agency AFP.

The campaign was announced after Gaza recorded its first polio case in a quarter of a century last month.

It officially began on Sunday in three health centres in central Gaza, a day after an unspecified number of children were vaccinated in the southern area of the Gaza Strip.

Children aged from one-day-old to 10 years arrived at the centres to receive the dose as drones flew overhead, said Yasser Shaabane, medical director of Al-Awda hospital in central Gaza said.

"There are a lot of drones flying over central Gaza and we hope this vaccination campaign for children will be calm," said Shaabane.

The campaign began at 9:00 am (0600 GMT), he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that Israel had agreed to a series of three-day "humanitarian pauses" in northern, southern and central areas to facilitate vaccinations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu however has insisted that these pauses were not amounting to any kind of ceasefire in overall fighting in Gaza.

The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 640,000 children in the besieged Palestinian territory, devastated by almost 11 months of war.

The campaign also aims to administer the first dose -- two drops -- to at least 90 percent of the territory's children.

WHO has dispatched 1.26 million doses of the oral vaccine to Gaza already.

Children in #Gaza are receiving much-needed #polio vaccines today.

Ultimately, the best vaccine for these children is peace. pic.twitter.com/yD1AIoXvpF

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) September 1, 2024