Israel-Gaza war live: Israeli tanks 20 metres from al-Quds hospital
Israeli forces target another health facility with 14,000 displaced people sheltering from strikes.
This live blog is now closed. These were the updates on Saturday, November 11.
This live blog is now closed. These were the updates on Saturday, November 11.
- Israeli tanks are just 20 metres (65 feet) away from al-Quds Hospital and firing at the facility with about 14,000 displaced people in a state of “extreme panic and fear”, the Palestinian Red Crescent says.
- Al-Shifa Hospital’s director tells Al Jazeera the medical complex is “completely cut off, any moving person targeted” by Israeli forces.
- Saudi Arabia hosts a joint summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the war in Gaza.
- At least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. In Israel, after a downward revision, the death toll now stands at more than 1,200.
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WATCH: 90-year-old Nakba survivor displaced from her home in Gaza City
About 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced by the Israel-Hamas war over the past month, according to the United Nations.
They include a 90-year-old woman who survived the Nakba, the name given to the dispossession and displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.
She walked 5km (3 miles) on foot to seek shelter from Israel’s air and ground attacks in northern Gaza.
Number of arrests at London’s pro-Palestinian, right-wing protests rises to 126
London’s Metropolitan Police has raised to 126 the number of people arrested during Saturday’s “National March for Palestine” and right-wing counter-demonstrations.
Police said most of those arrested were right-wing protesters who gathered to oppose the pro-Palestinian march taking place on Armistice Day, which commemorates British soldiers killed in World War I and subsequent conflicts.
Violent clashes broke out between police and far-right demonstrators near the Cenotaph war memorial in the capital.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the violence demonstrated by the right-wing protesters was “extraordinary and deeply concerning.”
Twist said a group of about 150 people wearing face coverings had also broken away from the main pro-Palestinian march and fired fireworks that hit officers, leading to several arrests.
He said police were also investigating a small number of hate crimes and incidents of supporting proscribed organisations.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the “violent, wholly unacceptable scenes” involving the right-wing counter-protestors as well as “Hamas sympathisers” at the main rally “signing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today’s protest”.
Remembrance weekend is a time for us to come together as a nation and remember those who fought and died for our freedoms.
The unacceptable scenes today disrespect their memory. pic.twitter.com/vVyqSB7oi2
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 11, 2023
Attacks intensify in northern Gaza
If you are just joining us, here is a recap
It’s 12:45am (22:45 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, so let’s bring you up to speed with the latest developments:
- Israeli tanks are just 20 metres (65 feet) away from al-Quds Hospital and firing at the facility with about 14,000 displaced people sheltering inside.
- Al-Shifa Hospital’s director says two premature babies have died after being taken out of incubators because of power outages. He says the medical complex is “completely cut off, any moving person targeted” by Israeli forces.
- Israeli troops conducted a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. At least one person was killed while another was shot dead in Arraba, a nearby town, according to the health ministry.
- Arab and Muslim leaders concluded an emergency summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation where they condemned Israeli “aggression” on Gaza and demanded a ceasefire.
- In his second speech since October 7, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the armed group used new types of weapons and struck new targets in Israel, and pledged the front against Israel would “remain active”.
- Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of London demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
- At least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. In Israel, after a downward revision, the death toll now stands at more than 1,200.
WATCH: Why is Western media accused of bias on Israel-Palestine?
The world’s television screens, newspapers and online media have been filled with pictures of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Modern technology means there’s more media coverage than ever before but some of it has been criticised – by journalists themselves. Hundreds of them have signed a letter accusing Western media of biased reporting of the Gaza war.
Are the allegations fair?
US not utilising leverage over Israel ‘effectively’: Analyst
Sahar Khamis, a professor at the University of Maryland, says there has been growing sentiment in the US to save the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza.
“Atrocities” being committed by Israeli forces are now available for everyone to see on social media, she noted.
But despite growing pressure, the Biden administration has not responded in a way that is “firm, decisive, strong, or satisfactory to meet these demands”, Khamis said.
While the US has leverage over Israel, it is not being used “sufficiently or productively” to put an end to Israel’s attacks, she added.
Her comments come as diplomats in the US State Department have been criticising US policy on the war on Gaza.
In Pictures: From Paris to Karachi, protesters rally in support
Across the world, demonstrators call for an immediate ceasefire and urgent humanitarian action in Gaza.
Major cities, including New York, London, Paris, Baghdad, Karachi, Berlin and Edinburgh, witnessed large marches on Saturday.
See all the images here.
Five Israeli soldiers killed in heavy fighting: Military
The Israeli army says five soldiers were killed during battles in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Ynet news website cited a military statement saying four soldiers were killed in a booby-trapped tunnel in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza while the fifth died in fighting elsewhere.
The number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of ground operations on October 27 rose to 43.
The army is facing fierce battles from armed Palestinian groups in different areas across Gaza.
‘Don’t make the mistake’: Netanyahu warns Hezbollah
Israel’s leader issued a stark warning to Lebanon’s Hezbollah after the defence minister did the same earlier in the day.
“Don’t make the mistake of going to war. That would be the mistake of your life… Your entry into the war will seal the fate of Lebanon,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah earlier said the armed group used new types of weapons and struck new targets in Israel, and pledged the front against Israeli would “remain active”.
Two premature babies die in al-Shifa Hospital: Director
Al-Shifa Hospital director Mohammed Abu Salmiya says two prematurely born babies died because of the power outage there.
“They were 39 children and now they’re 37 newborns,” Abu Salmiya told Al Jazeera.
The babies, who require oxygen devices, were moved from incubators to a bed in another part of the hospital that is “not conducive to newborns”.
“We’ve placed 10 prematurely born babies on one bed because these children need a particular temperature, they need particular respirators and ventilators, and particular nutrition,” he added.
These babies weigh somewhere between 800 to 2,000 grams (1.7 – 4.4 pounds), according to Abu Salmiya. He said doctors are struggling to save their lives and are now using “primitive methods”, but that this is “very unsustainable”.
Abu Salmiya said the Israeli army has ignored requests to transfer the newborns out of al-Shifa to a safe location.
Read the full story here.
Israel’s threat against Lebanon ‘very dangerous’
Israeli leaders are acting like war criminals. They used to be political criminals but now they’ve become war criminals.
When the Israeli president says there are no innocents in Gaza, all Palestinians hold responsibility for October 7. When the defence minister calls them “human animals” and says he will treat people in Lebanon the same way – basically the Israelis are taking the position that women, children and men can be slaughtered in revenge.
These are war crimes. This is genocide. There is intent and there is action. And it’s very dangerous.
What worries me is because the US has deployed its armada to the east Mediterranean, the Israelis think this is their chance because the Americans are here and if they finish with Gaza, perhaps they can start with Lebanon. It’s dangerous what is going on.
No Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza: Netanyahu
Israel’s leader has ruled out a role for the current Palestinian Authority government in Gaza once the war between Israel and Hamas is over.
“There will have to be something else there,” he said when asked whether the PA, which has partial administrative control in the occupied West Bank, may govern Gaza after the war.
“There won’t be a civilian authority that educates their children to hate Israel, to kill Israelis, to wipe out the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
53 aid trucks enter Gaza: Red Crescent
The trucks were loaded with food, water, medical supplies and medicine, the Palestinian Red Crescent says.
It said that since October 21, 904 humanitarian aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing from Egypt – an average of 41 trucks a day.
Critics say the amount of aid is a “drop in the ocean” of what is required for the war-battered territory. Israel still refuses to allow desperately needed fuel into the coastal enclave.
Palestine calls out Germany for ‘supporting Israel with weapons’
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh says Germany needs to make a clearer statement on Israel’s attack on Gaza.
Shtayyeh said Berlin must “take a position on Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip that is in line with international human rights law”.
“Not calling for an end to the war, supporting Israel with weapons, encourages it to continue its aggression against our people in Gaza,” Shtayyeh said.
He made the comments as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a visit to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank before flying to Israel to meet her counterpart, Eli Cohen.
‘Continued control’ of Gaza: Netanyahu rejects growing ceasefire calls
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military will continue its battle against Hamas in Gaza with “full force” in a rejection of growing international calls for a ceasefire.
In a televised address, Netanyahu said a ceasefire would only be possible if Hamas releases all of the about 240 hostages taken in the attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Netanyahu said Gaza will be demilitarised after the war and Israel will “continue to control security there”.
Asked what he meant by security control, Netanyahu said Israeli forces must be able to enter Gaza when necessary to hunt down fighters.
Such a position appears to run counter to the post-war scenarios floated by Israel’s closest ally, the United States, which says it opposes an Israeli reoccupation of the territory.
WATCH: West Bank violence explained
While attention has been on the war in Gaza, there’s been a rise in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Start Here with Sandra Gathmann explains what’s happening. Watch the episode below:
Update on Israeli raid in Jenin
A Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, the director of Jenin Governmental Hospital says.
Amir al-Qaisi, 19, was evacuated to hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his wounds, Dr Wissam Bakr said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues to destroy roads and infrastructure in Jenin.
#عاجل | تغطية صحفية: " جرافات جيش الاحتلال تواصل عمليات التجريف وتدمير البنية التحتية في جنين". pic.twitter.com/nmV2bcM7tn
— القسطل الاخباري | القدس (@AlQastalps) November 11, 2023
LISTEN: Will a daily pause offer any respite to Palestinians in Gaza?
Calls for a ceasefire in Gaza are growing by the day. Despite Palestinians enduring deaths and devastation, they’ve been offered a pause in Israeli attacks.
It’s a daily four-hour window said to be aimed at helping people move to the south, which is also being bombed. So, does it offer any respite?
‘Bring them home now’: Anti-war Israelis call for Gaza ceasefire
Thousands of anti-war protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives held by Hamas.
Footage posted on X showed protesters holding signs saying, “Israelis for ceasefire,” “War has no winners”, “Save all children, ceasefire now,” and “Only peace talks will solve this”.
Noam Perry, whose father was abducted by Hamas on October 7, told the Haaretz newspaper: “Mr Prime Minister [Netanyahu], cabinet members – do not talk to me about conquering, do not talk to me about flattening [Gaza]. Do not talk at all. Just take action … bring them home now.”
Now in Tel Aviv protest against the war and calling for ceasefire pic.twitter.com/pcs6E8Wrgb
— Oren Ziv (@OrenZiv_) November 11, 2023
In Pictures: Israel targets Rafah as tens of thousands flee to south
No place is safe in Gaza as continuous bombardment triggers mass evacuations in the besieged enclave.
The mass movement towards Gaza’s south, accelerated under intense fighting and through evacuation corridors, has seen tens of thousands of people flee in recent days.
See all the images here.
Rafah crossing to reopen for foreigners on Sunday
Gaza’s border authority says the Rafah land crossing into Egypt will reopen on Sunday for foreign passport holders.
Evacuations from the Gaza Strip into neighbouring Egypt for foreign citizens and Palestinians needing urgent medical treatment were suspended on Friday.
The Rafah crossing is the only exit point for Palestinians and foreign nationals. It has been repeatedly bombed by Israel and is completely shut to those who wish to enter Gaza from the Egyptian side.
Egypt says it will help secure the evacuation of about 7,000 foreigners and dual nationals from the Gaza Strip.
‘Situation totally out of control,’ says Al-Shifa director
Dr Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of the Al-Shifa Hospital, says hundreds of wounded people must be transported to an operational facility as thousands continue to seek shelter from Israeli attacks in the battered facility.
“We need to work on transporting these injured and I spoke with the Israelis on this matter. We are ready and willing to transport the injured and the newborn babies and intensive care patients safely.
“The number of displaced people staying here has been reduced since yesterday. Once the hospital was attacked many people left, some moved to a nearby school. Dozens have been injured and killed. About 5,000 to 7,000 displaced remain here.
“It’s a tragedy. The dead bodies – we can’t put them in freezers as they’re not functioning so we decided to dig a pit in the vicinity of the hospital. It’s a very inhumane scene. The situation is totally out of control. Hundreds of bodies are decomposing,” Abu Salmiya told Al Jazeera.
‘Never seen it’: Norwegian doctor disputes Hamas in hospitals
Dr Mads Gilbert, who regularly works in Gaza, says the situation in hospitals, particularly Al-Shifa Hospital, is very “desperate” as staff and patients are left with no oxygen, food, or water.
As fighting goes on in the north, Dr Gilbert says doctors there have said there is “no possibility to access the wounded or the dead”.
“I’m sick and tired of these [Israeli] claims that there are Hamas command centres [in hospitals],” Gilbert told Al Jazeera. “We have never seen it. We’ve never seen high-ranking Hamas people in Al-Shifa. We’ve been able to roam freely.”
Some 1.5 million internally displaced people are “desperate” and drinking water “from the streets and drinking seawater”, the Norwegian physician said.
‘There is a shortage of all necessities’
Older people with medical conditions who have been displaced inside Gaza are struggling with harsh living conditions.
“Getting a loaf of bread has become a thing of the past,” an older displaced man told the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from the Khan Younis Training Centre.
“Here, there is a shortage of all necessities. There is either no water or it is very scarce and not clean. I suffer from nerve and urinary tract problems. As for using the bathroom, it’s very challenging. We wait in line for an hour or more,” he added.
"Getting a loaf of bread has become a thing of the past"
Persons with specific needs, such as older people, are really struggling in the harsh living conditions in the 📍#GazaStrip – where there is a "shortage of all life necessities"#HearTheirVoices pic.twitter.com/L0QmtIQTHC
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) November 11, 2023