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Israel’s military says air and ground forces are attacking Gaza – updates Israel’s military says air and ground forces are attacking Gaza – updates
(32 minutes later)
Latest news as IDF says ground forces have joined the attacks on Gaza Strip but have not entered the enclaveLatest news as IDF says ground forces have joined the attacks on Gaza Strip but have not entered the enclave
From the Washington Post’s Jerusalem bureau chief:
The full statement from the US state department advising against travel to Israel and Palestinian territories:
Here is an image of rockets being fired tonight from Gaza in response to the attacks from Israel:
This video shows being intercepted by Israel’s “Iron Dome” defence system tonight (we have not verified this independently):
Al Quds (the Palestinian Arabic daily newspaper) reports that “several areas in the cities of the West Bank, including Jenin, Nablus and Qalqilya, are currently witnessing rallies in solidarity with the Gaza strip”.
What we are now trying to understand is why the IDF at first said there were troops on the ground in Gaza and then retracted that.
As the Wall Street Journal’s Israel / Palestinian territories correspondent writes, the IDF’s international spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, said to her: “There are ground troops in Gaza.” He retracted the statement two hours later:
United Nations secretary general António Guterres has tweeted calling for “an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities in Gaza and Israel”.
Guterres appealed for the ceasefire “out of respect for the spirit of Eid”:
Eid al-Fitr, which began on Wednesday night and continues into Thursday night, marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and is usually a time of celebration.
So to summarise what has happened in the past few hours.So to summarise what has happened in the past few hours.
The Israeli defence force tweeted at 1am (Gaza time: GMT+3) on Friday 14 May that “IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza strip”.The Israeli defence force tweeted at 1am (Gaza time: GMT+3) on Friday 14 May that “IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza strip”.
It was unclear from this statement whether there were Israeli boots on the ground in Gaza, and over the past few hours we have received extensive footage and reports of airstrikes in the Gaza strip by Israeli forces. Now the IDF has revised its statement to (the Times of Israel reports):It was unclear from this statement whether there were Israeli boots on the ground in Gaza, and over the past few hours we have received extensive footage and reports of airstrikes in the Gaza strip by Israeli forces. Now the IDF has revised its statement to (the Times of Israel reports):
“There are currently no IDF ground troops inside the Gaza strip. IDF air and ground forces are carrying out strikes on targets in the Gaza strip.”“There are currently no IDF ground troops inside the Gaza strip. IDF air and ground forces are carrying out strikes on targets in the Gaza strip.”
The IDF’s statement saying that there are currently no IDF ground troops inside the strip, per Judah Ari Gross, the Times of Israel’s military correspondent:The IDF’s statement saying that there are currently no IDF ground troops inside the strip, per Judah Ari Gross, the Times of Israel’s military correspondent:
“Clarification: there are currently no IDF ground troops inside the Gaza strip. IDF air and ground forces are carrying out strikes on targets in the Gaza strip.”“Clarification: there are currently no IDF ground troops inside the Gaza strip. IDF air and ground forces are carrying out strikes on targets in the Gaza strip.”
This video from Palestinian journalist Aya Isleem shows the moment of attack by Israeli aircraft in Gaza (the Guardian has not verified this independently):This video from Palestinian journalist Aya Isleem shows the moment of attack by Israeli aircraft in Gaza (the Guardian has not verified this independently):
She has also posted these videos that capture the sound in Gaza at the moment (again, we have not verified these independently):She has also posted these videos that capture the sound in Gaza at the moment (again, we have not verified these independently):
Here is our full report on what we know so far:Here is our full report on what we know so far:
More on the US advising citizens not to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories:More on the US advising citizens not to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories:
In a notice issued on Thursday, the US state department raised its travel advisory for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza to level 3 – “reconsider travel”. It had previously been at level 2, which recommends travelers “exercise increased caution”.The revised alert cited continuing rocket fire from Gaza into areas across southern and central Israel, including Jerusalem, Israel’s military response to the attacks, and a “marked increase” in violence and protests throughout Israel.“Protests and violence may continue to occur, some with little or no warning,” it said.In a notice issued on Thursday, the US state department raised its travel advisory for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza to level 3 – “reconsider travel”. It had previously been at level 2, which recommends travelers “exercise increased caution”.The revised alert cited continuing rocket fire from Gaza into areas across southern and central Israel, including Jerusalem, Israel’s military response to the attacks, and a “marked increase” in violence and protests throughout Israel.“Protests and violence may continue to occur, some with little or no warning,” it said.
AFP reports that the Israeli army now says it has not entered the Gaza strip:AFP reports that the Israeli army now says it has not entered the Gaza strip:
Journalist Anshel Pfeffer, who reports for Haaretz and the Economist, has tweeted: “The Israeli army’s line now, after a series of contradicting briefings over the last couple of hours, is that there are no Israeli troops actually inside the Gaza strip right now. Make of it what you will.”Journalist Anshel Pfeffer, who reports for Haaretz and the Economist, has tweeted: “The Israeli army’s line now, after a series of contradicting briefings over the last couple of hours, is that there are no Israeli troops actually inside the Gaza strip right now. Make of it what you will.”
The Al Quds newspaper reports, citing the public broadcaster KAN, that the US has “warned its citizens not to travel to Israel and is considering halting flights to Tel Aviv”:The Al Quds newspaper reports, citing the public broadcaster KAN, that the US has “warned its citizens not to travel to Israel and is considering halting flights to Tel Aviv”:
According to Israeli media (Amichai Stein is a correspondent for KAN, Israel’s public broadcaster), an IDF spokesperson told his colleague that ground troops did not enter the Gaza strip:According to Israeli media (Amichai Stein is a correspondent for KAN, Israel’s public broadcaster), an IDF spokesperson told his colleague that ground troops did not enter the Gaza strip:
What the IDF said in their tweet was that “IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip”.What the IDF said in their tweet was that “IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip”.
Again, there is still confusion over whether this escalation signals the launch of a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza by Israel.Again, there is still confusion over whether this escalation signals the launch of a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza by Israel.
Journalist Anshel Pfeffer, who reports for Haaretz and the Economist, tweeted:Journalist Anshel Pfeffer, who reports for Haaretz and the Economist, tweeted:
This week’s violence between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers has killed 103 Palestinians, including 27 children, and wounded 530 people in the impoverished territory. Israeli airstrikes have pounded apartments, blown up cars and toppled buildings, the Associated Press reports. And Gaza’s hospitals were already struggling:
“Before the military attacks, we had major shortages and could barely manage with the second (virus) wave,” said Gaza Health Ministry official Abdelatif al-Hajj by phone as bombs thundered in the background. “Now casualties are coming from all directions, really critical casualties. I fear a total collapse.”Gutted by years of conflict, the impoverished health care system in the territory of more than 2 million people has always been vulnerable. Bitter division between Hamas and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and a nearly 14-year blockade imposed by Israel with Egypt’s help also has strangled the infrastructure. There are shortages of equipment and supplies such as blood bags, surgical lamps, anaesthesia and antibiotics. Personal protection gear, breathing machines and oxygen tanks remain even scarcer.Last month, Gaza’s daily coronavirus cases and deaths hit record highs, fuelled by the spread of a variant that first appeared in Britain, relaxation of movement restrictions during Ramadan, and deepening public apathy and intransigence.
On Thursday, the US Defence Department flew about 120 personnel out of Israel as a precaution in light of the ongoing violence there, AP reported, citing Pentagon press secretary John Kirby, who said the American personnel departed on Thursday on a US Air Force C-17 transport plane.They had been in Israel to plan for a future bilateral exercise. Kirby said the conference was scheduled to end this week but the exit was accelerated by a few days.
The response to that decision to meet in three days’ time (if you are in New York, where the UN Security Council is located, and where it is currently Thursday), rather than immediately – from the Guardian’s world affairs editor, Julian Borger:
US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has just tweeted that the UN Security Council will meet on Sunday to “to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza”.
She added: “The US will continue to actively engage in diplomacy at the highest levels to try to de-escalate tensions.”
Here is what it is like in Gaza at the moment, per a report from the Associated Press:
“Masses of red flames illuminated the skies as the deafening blasts from the outskirts of Gaza City jolted people awake. The strikes were so strong that people inside the city, several kilometres away, could be heard screaming in fear.”
Army spokesman Jonathan Conricus confirmed that Israeli soldiers had entered the Palestinian enclave, without giving any numbers, AFP reports.
But Reuters are far more circumspect, reporting:
Although the statement gave no further details, Israeli military affairs correspondents who are briefed regularly by the armed forces said it was not a ground invasion, and that troops were firing artillery from Israel’s side of the border.
Residents of northern Gaza, near the Israeli frontier, said they had seen no sign of ground troops inside the enclave but reported heavy artillery fire and dozens of air strikes.
It is not yet clear whether the operation is a full-scale invasion of Gaza by Israel, or is at this stage a targeted attack on military group strongholds.
It is currently just after 1am in Gaza on Friday, 14 May.
What we know so far is that an hour ago, as we saw in that earlier post, the Israeli Defence Force tweeted, “IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew a few minutes later:
This is just in from the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent, Oliver Holmes:
Hi, Helen Sullivan joining you now.
I will be bringing you developments in this story as they happen. Please do send any news you think we may have missed to helen.sullivan@theguardian.com or to me on Twitter @helenrsullivan.
Israel’s military has said “ground troops” have begun attacking in the Gaza strip, following days of airstrikes and prompting fears of a ground invasion.
“[Israel Defense Forces] air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip,” the military said in a statement just after midnight local time, without providing further details.
Shortly after, in an apparent reference to the operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: “The last word was not said and this operation will continue as long as necessary.”