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| Israel launches fresh Gaza attacks amid rocket fire – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest news after IDF says ground forces have joined the attacks on Gaza Strip but have not entered the enclave | Latest news after IDF says ground forces have joined the attacks on Gaza Strip but have not entered the enclave |
| Here’s how things stand halfway through Friday, the fifth day of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, in what is the most serious fighting between the parties since 2014. | Here’s how things stand halfway through Friday, the fifth day of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, in what is the most serious fighting between the parties since 2014. |
| After an intense night of exchanges of air strikes and rocket fire, aerial attacks appear to be continuing in Gaza and across Israel, albeit at a slower pace. Violent protests are flaring across the West Bank, and mixed Israeli cities are bracing for another night of ethnically-charged rioting. | After an intense night of exchanges of air strikes and rocket fire, aerial attacks appear to be continuing in Gaza and across Israel, albeit at a slower pace. Violent protests are flaring across the West Bank, and mixed Israeli cities are bracing for another night of ethnically-charged rioting. |
| The IDF caused confusion in the early hours of this morning by saying ground troops had entered the Gaza Strip - a statement that was later retracted. | The IDF caused confusion in the early hours of this morning by saying ground troops had entered the Gaza Strip - a statement that was later retracted. |
| For now, there are only a handful of divisions stationed in south Israel, which suggests a ground operation in Gaza is not yet on the cards. A DPA report, quoting an Egyptian security source, said that last night’s mediation talks between Israel and an Egyptian delegation were inconclusive. | For now, there are only a handful of divisions stationed in south Israel, which suggests a ground operation in Gaza is not yet on the cards. A DPA report, quoting an Egyptian security source, said that last night’s mediation talks between Israel and an Egyptian delegation were inconclusive. |
| A total of 119 people have been killed in Gaza (most caused by Israeli attacks, but a handful from errant Hamas strikes) and nine people have died in Israel. | A total of 119 people have been killed in Gaza (most caused by Israeli attacks, but a handful from errant Hamas strikes) and nine people have died in Israel. |
| Members of the US Congress debated the deadly hostilities in Israel and Gaza last night. | Members of the US Congress debated the deadly hostilities in Israel and Gaza last night. |
| Rep Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American congresswoman who has been critical of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians, questioned the US government’s ‘unconditional support’ of Israel and, often tearing up as she spoke, accused Israel of being an ‘apartheid state’. | Rep Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American congresswoman who has been critical of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians, questioned the US government’s ‘unconditional support’ of Israel and, often tearing up as she spoke, accused Israel of being an ‘apartheid state’. |
| Earlier in the day Joe Biden said there had “not been a significant overreaction” by Israel to the Hamas rocket attacks and Reps. Ted Deutch and Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke in the House in support of Israel’s “right to defend her citizens”. | Earlier in the day Joe Biden said there had “not been a significant overreaction” by Israel to the Hamas rocket attacks and Reps. Ted Deutch and Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke in the House in support of Israel’s “right to defend her citizens”. |
| Until violence erupted this week, Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be on the verge of losing his position at the helm of Israeli politics after 12 years as prime minister. The current conflict provides him with some protection, our correspondent Harriet Sherwood reports. | Until violence erupted this week, Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be on the verge of losing his position at the helm of Israeli politics after 12 years as prime minister. The current conflict provides him with some protection, our correspondent Harriet Sherwood reports. |
| More below: | More below: |
| Talks between Israel and an Egyptian mediation delegation last night ended without any concrete steps towards even a temporary ceasefire, DPA, the German news wire service, reports from an Egyptian security source. | Talks between Israel and an Egyptian mediation delegation last night ended without any concrete steps towards even a temporary ceasefire, DPA, the German news wire service, reports from an Egyptian security source. |
| According to the source, Israel wants to take out several Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials in Gaza and dent the groups’ military capabilities before returning to negotiations on a ceasefire. | According to the source, Israel wants to take out several Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials in Gaza and dent the groups’ military capabilities before returning to negotiations on a ceasefire. |
| Tensions are also high today on Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria: at least three rockets were fired from south Lebanon in the direction of Israel last night, which landed in the Mediterranean. The Lebanese army said it had arrested a Palestinian national in connection to the incident. | Tensions are also high today on Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria: at least three rockets were fired from south Lebanon in the direction of Israel last night, which landed in the Mediterranean. The Lebanese army said it had arrested a Palestinian national in connection to the incident. |
| This morning, Israeli forces reportedly targeted a vehicle carrying weapons in Syria’s Homs province. Israel is active in Syria’s skies, carrying out frequent attacks on Hezbollah and Iranian militia infrastructure across the country, but does not usually comment on such activity. | This morning, Israeli forces reportedly targeted a vehicle carrying weapons in Syria’s Homs province. Israel is active in Syria’s skies, carrying out frequent attacks on Hezbollah and Iranian militia infrastructure across the country, but does not usually comment on such activity. |
| The Palestinian news agency reports that Israeli forces have used live bullets to fire at Palestinians in the village of Budrus, west of Ramallah, after protests turned violent. More as we get it. | The Palestinian news agency reports that Israeli forces have used live bullets to fire at Palestinians in the village of Budrus, west of Ramallah, after protests turned violent. More as we get it. |
| In case you missed it, our Jerusalem correspondent Oliver Holmes is on this morning’s Today in Focus podcast unpicking how long-simmering anger at the occupation and a series of different events and circumstances over the last few weeks have converged, resulting in the worst unrest in Israel and Palestine since 2014. | In case you missed it, our Jerusalem correspondent Oliver Holmes is on this morning’s Today in Focus podcast unpicking how long-simmering anger at the occupation and a series of different events and circumstances over the last few weeks have converged, resulting in the worst unrest in Israel and Palestine since 2014. |
| An update from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that more than 200 housing units and 24 schools have been destroyed or severely damaged in the Gaza Strip in Israeli air raids in the last five days. | An update from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that more than 200 housing units and 24 schools have been destroyed or severely damaged in the Gaza Strip in Israeli air raids in the last five days. |
| The agency also sounded the alarm over access to fresh water and impact of the hostilities on Gaza’s Covid-19 response. | The agency also sounded the alarm over access to fresh water and impact of the hostilities on Gaza’s Covid-19 response. |
| Around one quarter of the Strip’s estimated two-million-strong population has limited access to drinking water after power cuts and damage to pipe networks, Ocha said. | Around one quarter of the Strip’s estimated two-million-strong population has limited access to drinking water after power cuts and damage to pipe networks, Ocha said. |
| The health system is also struggling with a recent spike in coronavirus cases and deaths. | The health system is also struggling with a recent spike in coronavirus cases and deaths. |
| An Israeli jet has bombed a Hamas rocket launching cell in Gaza, the IDF says. | An Israeli jet has bombed a Hamas rocket launching cell in Gaza, the IDF says. |
| An air raid siren is also warning Israeli communities near the Strip to take cover after a Hamas drone managed to penetrate Israeli airspace. | An air raid siren is also warning Israeli communities near the Strip to take cover after a Hamas drone managed to penetrate Israeli airspace. |
| People across Gaza are fleeing their homes and taking refuge in temporary shelters, according to AP. | People across Gaza are fleeing their homes and taking refuge in temporary shelters, according to AP. |
| Families arrived in pickup trucks, on donkeys and by foot at schools in the Strip run by the United Nations, hauling pillows and pans, blankets and bread. Men lugged large plastic bags and women carried infants on their shoulders, cramming into classrooms. | Families arrived in pickup trucks, on donkeys and by foot at schools in the Strip run by the United Nations, hauling pillows and pans, blankets and bread. Men lugged large plastic bags and women carried infants on their shoulders, cramming into classrooms. |
| “Nothing remains for us”, one mother who fled with her children to a school in Beit Lahiya, told an AP reporter. Her son, Othman, said he had felt the family’s house “shake up and down,” adding that “everyone was running.” | “Nothing remains for us”, one mother who fled with her children to a school in Beit Lahiya, told an AP reporter. Her son, Othman, said he had felt the family’s house “shake up and down,” adding that “everyone was running.” |
| My colleagues published this photograph on the blog overnight, but it’s such a powerful image it deserves to be shared with people who are now up and about in different time zones. | My colleagues published this photograph on the blog overnight, but it’s such a powerful image it deserves to be shared with people who are now up and about in different time zones. |
| On the right: rockets fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. On the left: Iron Dome interceptors. Picture taken by Anas Baba, a photographer with Agence France-Presse. | On the right: rockets fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. On the left: Iron Dome interceptors. Picture taken by Anas Baba, a photographer with Agence France-Presse. |
| Protests against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories and the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza are growing across the West Bank and Jordan this morning. | Protests against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories and the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza are growing across the West Bank and Jordan this morning. |
| Thousands of people in Ghor, near the West Bank border in the Jordan valley, gathered to wave Palestinian flags and chant “Freedom for Gaza, freedom for al-Aqsa.” | Thousands of people in Ghor, near the West Bank border in the Jordan valley, gathered to wave Palestinian flags and chant “Freedom for Gaza, freedom for al-Aqsa.” |
| Smaller numbers of people are out on the streets in Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin and Bethlehem, but crowd sizes are expected to swell after Friday’s afternoon prayers. | Smaller numbers of people are out on the streets in Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin and Bethlehem, but crowd sizes are expected to swell after Friday’s afternoon prayers. |
| Today is the second day of Eid al-Fitr, the three-day festival which marks the end of a month of Ramadan fasting. | Today is the second day of Eid al-Fitr, the three-day festival which marks the end of a month of Ramadan fasting. |
| Four residents of East Jerusalem have been arrested on suspicion of taking part in the Jerusalem Day violence which helped spark this week’s escalation in Gaza and ethnically-fuelled rioting in several cities across Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. More than 750 people have been arrested in connection to the street violence since Monday. | Four residents of East Jerusalem have been arrested on suspicion of taking part in the Jerusalem Day violence which helped spark this week’s escalation in Gaza and ethnically-fuelled rioting in several cities across Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. More than 750 people have been arrested in connection to the street violence since Monday. |
| Last night, one Jewish man was severely beaten by an Arab mob in Acre, and one Jewish man in Batyam was severely beaten by Jews after being mistaken for an Arab, the paper also said. | Last night, one Jewish man was severely beaten by an Arab mob in Acre, and one Jewish man in Batyam was severely beaten by Jews after being mistaken for an Arab, the paper also said. |
| Individuals involved in a new eruption of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed may be targeted by an International Criminal Court investigation now under way into alleged war crimes in earlier bouts of the conflict, its top prosecutor has told Reuters. | Individuals involved in a new eruption of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed may be targeted by an International Criminal Court investigation now under way into alleged war crimes in earlier bouts of the conflict, its top prosecutor has told Reuters. |
| The ICC’s Fatou Bensouda said she would press ahead with her inquiry even without the cooperation of Israel, which accuses her office of anti-Semitic bias, and is not a member of the treaty-based court. | The ICC’s Fatou Bensouda said she would press ahead with her inquiry even without the cooperation of Israel, which accuses her office of anti-Semitic bias, and is not a member of the treaty-based court. |
| “These are events that we are looking at very seriously,” Bensouda said. “We are monitoring very closely and I remind that an investigation has opened and the evolution of these events could also be something we look at. | “These are events that we are looking at very seriously,” Bensouda said. “We are monitoring very closely and I remind that an investigation has opened and the evolution of these events could also be something we look at. |
| “This is just to alert people on all sides not to escalate, to be careful to avoid taking actions that will result in the commission of (war) crimes,” Bensouda said in a reference to the current hostilities. | “This is just to alert people on all sides not to escalate, to be careful to avoid taking actions that will result in the commission of (war) crimes,” Bensouda said in a reference to the current hostilities. |
| In March, after nearly five years of preliminary inquiries, the ICC said it was opening a formal investigation into suspected war crimes committed by both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups. | In March, after nearly five years of preliminary inquiries, the ICC said it was opening a formal investigation into suspected war crimes committed by both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups. |
| Pictures shared by Safa, the Palestinian news agency, show widespread destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes on a blacksmith’s workshop in Shejaiya, east of Gaza City. | Pictures shared by Safa, the Palestinian news agency, show widespread destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes on a blacksmith’s workshop in Shejaiya, east of Gaza City. |
| Israeli attacks on Friday are targeting senior Hamas officials and the militant group’s network of tunnels inside the territory, the Israeli military said. | Israeli attacks on Friday are targeting senior Hamas officials and the militant group’s network of tunnels inside the territory, the Israeli military said. |