Ground battles as Israeli jets bomb tunnels amid Gaza communication blackout
Here are the latest updates on the Hamas-Israel conflict
Summary
- Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip is intensifying after the military says its ground forces are "expanding operations" into the territory.
- Hamas says its fighters are confronting Israeli troops in various locations.
- International media and aid agencies say they lost contact with staff in Gaza amid a near-total communications blackout.
- UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approves non-binding resolution calling for a humanitarian truce.
- US President Biden's administration says it is "not drawing red lines" for Israel.
- At least 7,326 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7; More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.
5:20pm
Egypt calls on Israel to facilitate relief aid access to Gaza
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In a new statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry has warned of the "humanitarian and security repercussions of the Israeli ground attack" on Gaza, reports Al Jazeera.
"We hold the Israeli government responsible for violating the United Nations General Assembly resolution for an immediate ceasefire and implementing a humanitarian truce," it said, referring to yesterday's vote in New York.
5:05pm
Qatar's emir and Iranian president discuss war
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has held a phone conversation with Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran.
The two leaders discussed the latest developments in the conflict, "in addition to discussing bilateral relations and regional and international developments of common concern", according to a statement carried by Qatar's state media.
4:50pm
El-Sisi urges warring sides to respect Egypt's sovereignty
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has called for Egypt's sovereignty and position to be respected, warning the international community over the possible regional expansion of the conflict.
His comments came a day after projectiles hit two Egyptian Red Sea towns, Taba and Nuweiba. At least six people were injured in the attack that struck Taba near the border with Israel.
El-Sisi also said his country is working to play a positive role in the conflict in Gaza through the release of those held captive.
3:16pm
Israeli settler gunfire kills Palestinian near Nablus: Al Jazeera
Israeli settler gunfire has killed a Palestinian man identified as Bilal Mohammad Saleh, 40, in the town of al-Sawiyeh, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to medical sources.
The Ministry of Health said Saleh was shot in the chest and critically wounded, Palestinian WAFA news agency reported.
3:10pm
Nearly 29,000 displaced in Lebanon amid skirmishes on Israel border: Al Jazeera
Nearly 29,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon amid deadly exchanges between Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army, according to the United Nations.
A total of 28,965 people have been displaced, mainly in the country's south, the UN's International Organization for Migration said in an update, adding that the figure had risen by 37 percent since 23 October.
3:00pm
Gaza at tipping point, humanity must prevail: WFP chief
Cindy McCain has added her voice to those warning that the situation in Gaza had reached "a tipping point".
"The silence is deafening," the head of the World Food Programme said on X. "Humanity must prevail."
Like other aid groups, the UN's food agency has also lost contact with its teams in Gaza due to the telecommunications blackout.
"As conflict rages on, I am extremely worried for the safety of all humanitarian workers and civilians," McCain said.
2:30pm
There are no winners in war: UN migration agency
The International Organization for Migration has renewed its call for a ceasefire.
The UN agency said on X: "Civilians must be protected. There are no winners in war. The most vulnerable pay the heaviest toll."
2:15pm
Israeli captives' families demand government explanation of intensified Gaza onslaught
Families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas fighters in Gaza have demanded an immediate government explanation about the fate of the captives after the army intensified strikes on the Palestinian territory.
The main group representing more than 200 people believed abducted in the 7 October attacks by Hamas sought an immediate meeting with ministers.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement that relatives were angry over the "absolute uncertainty regarding the fate of the hostages held (in Gaza), who were also subject to the heavy bombings".
2:10pm
Israeli army releases footage of tanks
The Israeli army has released what, it says, is footage of its forces operating in the Gaza Strip, reports Al Jazeera.
The undated video showing tanks was shared through the military's official account on X.
1:59pm
WHO says still unable to contact staff, health facilities
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the UN's health agency is still unable to reach its staff and health facilities after Israel cut phone and internet services across Gaza.
"I'm worried about their safety," the World Health Organization chief wrote on X.
"Evacuation of patients is not possible under such circumstances, nor to find safe shelter. The blackout is also making it impossible for ambulances to reach the injured."
1:55pm
Erdogan says Israel is in a 'state of madness'
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Israel to "immediately come out of its state of madness and stop its attacks" on the Gaza Strip.
"The Israeli bombardments on Gaza, which intensified last night, have again targeted women, children and innocent civilians, deepening the humanitarian crisis," he said.
1:01pm
US tells citizens in Lebanon to leave, cannot guarantee evacuation
The US says its citizens should leave Lebanon "due to the unpredictable security situation" in the country, reports Al Jazeera.
"The State Department recommends that US citizens in Lebanon leave now, while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation," it said on X.
"There is no guarantee the US government will evacuate private US citizens and their family members in a crisis situation."
12:15AM
Israel says it struck a Hezbollah target in southern Lebanon
The Israeli army says it carried out an air raid against a Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon overnight, reports Al Jazeera.
A statement on X said that the attack was in response to a rocket fire towards Israel.
11:57am
Israel says it killed Hamas commander who helped plan October 7 attacks: Al Jazeera
The Israeli army says its fighter jets struck Asem Abu Rakaba, head of the Hamas Aerial Array, reports Al Jazeera.
It said Abu Rakaba was responsible for Hamas's UAVs, drones, paragliders, aerial detection and aerial defence, and had taken part in planning the surprise attacks inside Israel earlier this month.
There was no immediate comment by Hamas. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the information.
11:56am
Israel says army hit 150 underground targets in northern Gaza
Stung by increasing international criticism and concern over the intensity of its bombing campaign in Gaza, Israel has doubled-down, reports BBC.
The Israeli Force said that in one of the most intensive nights of bombing so far, it had hit 150 underground targets in northern parts of Gaza, including what it called "terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional infrastructure."
11:20am
More than 200 arrested at Grand Central Station anti-war protest: NYPD
We have some more details on the arrests at the mass sit-in organised by the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at New York's Grand Central Station on Friday night.
Photos earlier showed New York police escorting dozens of protesters away with their hands tied behind their backs.
Now the New York Police Department has confirmed they arrested at least 200 people at the rally, which led to the temporary closure of the station.
JVP said the peaceful sit-in on the station's concourse was "the largest civil disobedience New York City has seen in 20 years".
10:45am
Doctors Without Borders says it has lost contact with Gaza staff: BBC
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the charity organisation known as Doctors Without Borders, said it had lost contact with some of its Palestinian colleagues on the ground, reports BBC.
In a message shared on social media, the group said it was "particularly worried for the patients, medical staff and thousands of families taking shelter at Al Shifa hospital and other health facilities".
"We call for the unequivocal protection of all medical facilities, staff and civilians across the Gaza Strip," MSF said.
MSF's website says it moved international medical staff to the south of Gaza on 13 October, following Israel's evacuation order. Prior to that, the group had an operational theatre at Al Shifa in the north of the Gaza strip. Al Shifa is Gaza City's main hospital.
Earlier, an Israeli military spokesman alleged that Hamas was using the hospital as a shield for underground tunnels and command centres. Hamas has denied this accusation.
10:12am
Gaza communication blackout continues on Saturday morning: Al Jazeera
A quick reminder that there's still a near-total blackout of communications in the Gaza Strip. Phone networks and internet have been largely cut off amid heavy Israeli bombardment of feeder lines and towers, according to the Palestine Telecommunications Company.
At the moment, Al Jazeera is unable to contact it's correspondents directly but they are working to find ways to bring the latest from the ground.
The Committee to Project Journalist has issued a statement saying a "communications blackout is a news blackout" that can lead to "serious consequences", including the spread of misinformation.
"At this dark hour, we stand with journalists, with those truth seekers whose daily work keeps us informed with facts that shed light on the human condition and help to hold power to account," it said.
9:45am
Dirty water and rotten food: BBC
According to BBC, Asmaa, whose 10-year-old son Firas has cancer and is struggling to receive healthcare in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
She also told BBC that both from northern Gaza and eastern parts of Rafah, a lot of families have fled to the refugee camps, including some of her family.
"From my family, my parents, my brothers' wives, my sister and her children, my neighbours, our friends, all those who have gone to refugee camps tell me the living conditions in the camps are horrible."
She gives some details: "They tell me that the water is dirty. It's not suitable for drinking. Not even suitable for bathing or washing. Some drank the water and got sick from drinking it."
Asmaa also says that food is very limited in the camps, and that each person is given one or two pieces of pita bread, and all the food provided is very old, some of it infested with worms.
Since the people in the camps cannot take a bath or wash their clothes, hygiene problems cause illnesses and skin conditions affecting the hair and body like eczema and itching, Asmaa says.
9:44am
US Muslim leader highlights Biden's 'encouragement and approval' of Israeli attacks
Nihad Awad, head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said "genocide [is] happening now" in Gaza.
And, Awad stressed, it is being done "in America's name, with American weapons, with taxpayer dollars, with the President's encouragement and approval".
9:20am
Gaza communications blackout 'unacceptable': US Congresswoman AOC
US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has decried the communications blackout and questioned how anyone can defend it, reports Al Jazeera.
"Cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable," the progressive congresswoman wrote.
"Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian efforts, and innocents are all endangered. I do not know how such an act can be defended. The United States has historically denounced this practice."
9:10am
Palestinian press union urges UN to restore access to communications in Gaza
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) has expressed "deep concern" for media workers in Gaza after the communications blackout.
It said Israel targeted Gaza's cellular and internet networks to suppress information about "new massacres" it will commit in the Palestinian territory.
"The PJS holds the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the lives of fellow journalists and urges the United Nations and its organizations and all human rights organizations to immediately intervene and stop the war of genocide in Gaza and restore access to communication in Gaza," the syndicate added in a statement.
8:30am
US 'ready to take further action' against Iran-linked groups: BBC
US President Joe Biden has said the US "stands ready to take further action" following attacks by Iran-linked groups against US forces in Iraq and Syria, reports BBC.
Biden's comments in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson came after US fighter jets carried out air strikes in eastern Syria this week.
Earlier, Johnson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had spoken to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone.
"The House of Representatives stands with Israel and I reaffirmed our strong support," he posted.
8:29am
Report indicates US wants different approach from Israel: Al Jazeera
The Washington Post earlier reported that the Biden administration is urging Israel to pursue "surgical" operations in Gaza, as opposed to a full ground incursion, reports Al Jazeera.
The report cited five unnamed US officials, who said the administration was concerned that Israel's approach could lead to a wider escalation and scuttle negotiations for the release of captives held in the besieged enclave.
"They have clearly shifted from an initial 'We have your back; we'll do whatever you want' to now, 'You really need to rethink your strategy.' And they're doing it in a careful way," one official told the newspaper.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane says the story could be part of an effort by the Biden administration to guide Israelis without officially rebuking them. It is a common strategy US administrations have used for years, she said.
"If they are talking to the Israelis, trying to guide them and give suggestions, they never do it in public," Culhane added.
8:27am
UN General Assembly vote sends warning to Washington: Former UN special rapporteur
Former UN special rapporteur Michael Lynk says the resolution, despite being non-binding, is "a fairly accurate barometer of international diplomatic opinion and international public opinion" on the war in Gaza.
"So, the United States I'm sure is giving … military advice to Israel in how to fight in close, densely packed urban centres – I guess lessons that it would have learnt from Fallujah and Mosul in Iraq," Lynk told Al Jazeera.
"But it's also telling Israel, 'We can't keep you immune from world opinion forever.'"
7:37am
Full Israeli ground invasion would threaten more than 1 million children: Aid group
Save the Children says children will "bear the brunt" of Israel's intensified attacks on the Gaza Strip, reports Al Jazeera.
"While the scale and nature of this operation remain unclear, in the event of a full ground incursion, more than one million children's lives – nearly half of the 2.3 million population of Gaza – will be on the line," the group said in a statement.
Jason Lee, the group's country director in the occupied Palestinian territories, stressed that Palestinian children and their parents are experiencing "pure horror".
"The Gaza Strip is a small, densely populated urban environment, with no way out. Any military ground operation inside Gaza puts children in immediate danger and has devastating impacts on access to healthcare, water, shelter and food," he said.
7:35am
housands of protesters stage sit-in at NYC's Grand Central Station to demand ceasefire
The Jewish Voice for Peace advocacy group posted a video of the protest action on social media.
"Right now, Israeli warplanes are flatting entire neighborhoods in Gaza. This is what the US government is supporting," the organisation wrote on X.
7:34am
Gaza information blackout 'risks providing cover for mass atrocities': HRW
Deborah Brown, the senior technology and human rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the near-total communication blackout in the bombarded enclave is preventing people from "communicating with loved ones and accessing life-saving medical and other essential services".
She added: "This information blackout risks providing cover for mass atrocities and contributing to impunity for human rights violations."
Amnesty International also said the lack of communication "means that it will be even more difficult to obtain critical information and evidence about human rights violations and war crimes being committed against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and to hear directly from those experiencing the violations".
7:31am
New US House speaker speaks to Israel's Netanyahu: Al Jazeera
Republican Mike Johnson, whose election to the top role in the US House of Representatives this week ended three weeks of political deadlock, posted a photo on X of him speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports Al Jazeera.
"The House of Representatives stands with Israel and I reaffirmed our strong support," he said in the post.
Johnson, an evangelical Christian and staunch conservative has promised steadfast support for Israel. In his first action as speaker, he brought a resolution in support of Israel and condemning Hamas to the House floor.
The Haaretz newspaper has also documented Johnson's ties to Israel's far-right. He travelled to Israel in 2020 on a trip organised by a group whose leader lives in an illegal Israeli settlement, according to the newspaper.
He also visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque with right-wing groups and legislators, according to Haaretz.
7:25am
Israel bombing around hospitals in Gaza: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera's Safwat Kahlout, reporting from the northern Gaza Strip, cites witnesses as saying that Israel has been bombing around the Indonesian Hospital and Al-Shifa Hospital in the besieged territory.
Israel had accused Hamas of using Al-Shifa as a base, which the Palestinian group firmly denied.
"We don't know if this bombardment around the Al-Shifa Hospital was a kind of warning or an extension of the ongoing Israeli air raids that have been intensifying in Gaza City and in the rest of Gaza," Kahlout said.
7:20am
A recap of the latest developments
It's just after 3am on Friday (00:00 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.
Here's a recap of the developments in the last few hours:
- Hamas says it is confronting Israeli ground incursions into Gaza, stressing that the group is ready to "thwart" Israel's advances.
- Israel is intensifying its bombardments of Gaza as internet and phone services go down across the Palestinian enclave.
- The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passes a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza, despite US and Israeli opposition.
- UN agencies say they are unable to contact staff in Gaza amid the near-total communications blackout and call for civilians to be protected.
- Biden administration says it is "not drawing red lines" for Israel, reiterating its unwavering support for the Israeli military campaign.
- The US embassy in Lebanon urges American citizens to leave the country "now" amid fears that the conflict may widen.
Disclaimer: The information and infographics provided in this thread have been gathered from sources, including BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and other news networks.
