Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Hospital besieged amid assault on Khan Younis
The Red Crescent says heavy Israeli shelling and gunfire persist around the Khan Younis hospital.
- The Palestine Red Crescent says Israel has imposed a curfew around Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, and that gunfire and
- The International Court of Justice says it will decide this Friday on South Africa’s requested provisional measures against Israel in genocide case.
- The Palestine Red Crescent says Israel has imposed a curfew around Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, and that gunfire and
- The International Court of Justice says it will decide this Friday on South Africa’s requested provisional measures against Israel in genocide case.
- UNRWA reports “mass casualties” as training centre sheltering tens of thousands of displaced people in Khan Younis catches fire after being struck amid fierce fighting.
- Israeli forces continue tank-and-drone strikes on Khan Younis city with at least 210 people killed over the past 24 hours.
- At least 25,700 people have been killed and 63,740 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139.
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of today’s main developments:
- UN officials say that a shelter in Khan Younis was struck by Israeli tank shells, killing at least nine people and injuring 75, with the casualty count expected to climb higher.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced that it will issue a decision this Friday on South Africa’s requested provisional measures against Israel in genocide case.
- Qatar’s foreign ministry rebuked alleged comments from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who Israeli media reports say questioned the usefulness of Qatar’s role as a mediator in the conflict.
- The Houthis say they engaged US warships off the coast of Yemen, as tensions in the Red Sea continue to simmer.
- Israel continued military operations in Khan Younis, where the Palestine Red Crescent Society said that Al-Amal Hospital is struggling to function under a “blockade” by Israeli forces.
US lawmakers ask for assessment of arms transfers to Israel
A handful of Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan research agency, to conduct a review of whether US arms transfers to Israel are violating US and international law.
In a press release on Wednesday, Palestinian-American Representative Rashida Tlaib said that she had sent a letter to President Biden and the GAO along with four other lawmakers. The statement notes that on January 5, the administration said it had not conducted any formal review of Israel’s compliance with international law during its assault on Gaza.
“We write today regarding your Administration’s ongoing weapons transfers to the Israeli government despite considerable evidence that these transfers are flagrantly violating American and international law and being used in the commission of war crimes,” the letter to Biden reads.
The Biden Admin and @USGAO must conduct long overdue formal reviews of @StateDept’s compliance with the Leahy Laws & @POTUS' own Conventional Arms Transfer policy regarding security assistance to the Israeli government given the many reports of violations of international law. pic.twitter.com/Qjz2wvWnEX
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) January 24, 2024
WATCH: Rights group says 24,000 children in Gaza have lost parents
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 25,000 Palestinians since it began on October 7. Almost the same number of children have lost their parents to Israeli attacks.
One orphaned boy, Anas, told Al Jazeera that he is protecting his little brother from the news that their parents had been killed.
“I don’t know how to tell him,” Anas said.
Watch our video to find out more about the situation of children orphaned by Israel’s war:
Hamas praises Egypt for rejecting Israel’s push to control Gaza border
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu says the group “values” Egypt’s position in opposing Israel’s attempt to control the Philadelphi Corridor – the 14km (8.6 mile) border between Gaza and Egypt.
Cairo had issued a statement warning that the Israeli push to take over the border would jeopardise Israeli-Egyptian relations.
Al-Nunu said Cairo’s stance highlights “the importance of the Egyptian role and its strong effects in supporting the Palestinian people in this historic battle and stopping the brutal aggression” in Gaza.
Netanyahu had said last month that the Philadelphi Corridor “must be in our hands”.
‘Ceasefire now,’ US Congress members say
Several Democratic legislators have renewed their calls for a ceasefire, urging President Biden to push to end Israel’s war on Gaza.
Despite the mass destruction and killing of more than 25,000 Palestinians, the Biden administration has vehemently opposed a ceasefire, arguing that the war must go on until Israel destroys Hamas – a goal that many experts say may not be achievable militarily.
Congresswoman Cori Bush, who introduced a ceasefire resolution 100 days ago, said the world cannot wait another 100 days.
It's been 100 days since we introduced the Ceasefire Now Resolution.
25,700+ people have been killed
1.7M have been displaced
63,740+ people are injured
8,000+ are missingWe cannot wait another 100 days for @POTUS to facilitate a lasting ceasefire. We need a #CeasefireNOW.
— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) January 24, 2024
It’s been 100 days since @RepCori, @RepRashida, @RepSummerLee, @repdeliaramirez & I introduced our #CeasefireNow resolution. We’ve seen a growing movement to end the status quo of violence and human rights abuses.
I urge all Members of Congress to heed our call: Ceasefire. Now.
— André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) January 24, 2024
It’s been 100 days since we introduced the Ceasefire Now Resolution.
We need a permanent #CeasefireNOW to help save innocent lives, allow for the release of hostages, and get humanitarian aid to those in need.
We cannot wait another 100 days. pic.twitter.com/CJEVwo6Le7
— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) January 24, 2024
It’s been 100 days since we introduced the Ceasefire Now Resolution.
Our pro-peace, pro-humanity movement is growing stronger every day.@POTUS must heed our calls for #CeasefireNOW & facilitate an immediate and lasting ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/eMU5pXvCIS
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) January 24, 2024
UN expert suggests Israeli bombing of Khan Younis is ‘punishable’ war crime
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on Palestine, goes beyond the UN relief chief Martin Griffiths, who had described as “callous” bombing people in southern Gaza without giving them enough time to flee.
“Ordering trapped people to evacuate and bombing them before they can even do so is callous, yes, and it is also a serious international crime, punishable under the Rome Statute of the [International Criminal Court],” Albanese wrote in a social media post.
Ordering trapped people to evacuate and bombing them before they can even do so is callous, yes, and it is also a serious international crime, punishable under the Rome Statute of the @IntlCrimCourt. https://t.co/6UeCyzWTOe
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) January 24, 2024
Analyst: Netanyahu comments criticising Qatar reflect his own failures
Hassan Barari, a professor at Qatar University, has told Al Jazeera that the Israeli PM’s alleged criticism of Qatar’s mediation efforts in the Israel-Hamas conflict reflects frustration over his own failures in the war.
“Qatar has stepped in many times, and Qatar has succeeded in mediating between Israelis and Hamas,” Barari said, calling Netanyahu’s alleged remarks a sign of “desperation”.
“Netanyahu wants everyone to do things his own way. He fails on the battleground, he fails to convince his own people that he’s doing the right thing, and he wants to blame others and pass the buck for his failures on the Qataris,” he added.
WATCH: UNRWA facility under Israeli attack in Khan Younis
A vocational training centre belonging to the UN’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees in Khan Younis has been hit by Israeli tank shells, killing at least nine and injuring at least 75.
A spokesperson for UNRWA told Al Jazeera that the number of dead will likely climb higher.
Watch our video to learn more about the situation at the centre:
Biden ‘must heed’ ceasefire calls: US congressman
Democratic legislator Hank Johnson notes that it has been 100 days since his colleague Cori Bush introduced a resolution calling for ending the war in Gaza.
“Our pro-peace, pro-humanity movement is growing stronger every day. [Biden] must heed our calls for #CeasefireNOW [and] facilitate an immediate, lasting ceasefire,” Johnson said on X.
It’s been 100 days since @RepCori introduced the Ceasefire Now Resolution.
Our pro-peace, pro-humanity movement is growing stronger every day.@POTUS must heed our calls for #CeasefireNOW & facilitate an immediate, lasting ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/eakhhnAsQ2— Rep. Hank Johnson (@RepHankJohnson) January 24, 2024
Researcher says spread of hunger in Gaza is ‘unprecedented’
Alex De Waal, an expert on humanitarian crises and director of the World Peace Foundation has told Al Jazeera’s Inside Story that the conditions in Gaza have few parallels in modern history.
“I’ve been studying this topic for almost 40 years, and during that 40 years, I have not seen or studied a situation in which a population was reduced with this speed, this rigour, this comprehensiveness, to a state of starvation. It is unprecedented since World War II,” said De Waal.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry denounces Israeli attack on UNRWA facility
Jordan TV, the kingdom’s public broadcaster, cited the ministry as saying that it condemns the attack in the “strongest terms”.
It added that the building in Khan Younis was sheltering displaced people who were fleeing the “deliberate and ongoing” Israeli targeting of their homes.
With this statement, Jordan joins a chorus of others, including the US government, who have condemned the Israeli attack on the facility.
Displaced Palestinians help clean emergency room at Nasser Hospital
Al Jazeera verified video footage posted to Instagram by a Palestinian journalist showing displaced Palestinians teaming up with doctors at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to clean.
The hospital has been under attack in recent days as the Israeli army has intensified their ground operations and air raids on the southern Gaza city. The hospital was completely surrounded by Israeli forces and cut off from the rest of the city, rendering it unable to respond to reports of casualties from Israeli attacks.
Translation: After the siege of Nasser Hospital and the evacuation of the cleaning crews, some of the displaced people and remaining doctors volunteered to clean the emergency department
Biden convoy encounters ceasefire protesters – again
As the US president was leaving a political event in Washington, DC, his motorcade passed by small groups of protesters yelling “ceasefire now”, and someone holding a yellow sign with the words “full ceasefire in Gaza now”, a White House pool report said.
Yesterday, more than a dozen demonstrators calling for ending the war in Gaza interrupted Biden as he spoke at a campaign event in the state of Virginia.
Houthis report clashes with US destroyers
The Yemeni group says it clashed with US warships that tried to protect two US commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
As a result, the Houthis said one of the US vessels suffered a “direct hit”, and the two commercial ships were forced to withdraw from the area.
“Several of our ballistic missiles struck their targets despite warships’ attempts to intercept them,” the Houthis said in a statement.
“The Yemeni military forces used a number of ballistic missiles during more than two-hour clashes.”
The group, which presents itself as the country’s official armed force, added that its “blockade” on Israeli navigation in the Red Sea will persist until the war on Gaza ends.
This statement contradicts one made by the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which said that of three missiles fired at its ships by the Houthis, none hit their target.
“One missile impacted in the sea. The two other missiles were successfully engaged and shot down by the USS Gravely [DDG 107],” US CENTCOM said.
WHO laments killing of Palestinians in Israeli strike on UNRWA shelter
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has offered his condolences to those killed after Israeli tanks shelled a facility run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza earlier today.
Tedros, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), lamented the “horrendous” heavy bombardment of Khan Younis.
“The ongoing heavy bombardment, evacuation orders and killing of civilians in Khan Younis, Gaza is just horrendous,” he said in a social media post.
“WHO team joined an UNRWA mission to help those who were injured in today’s blast at the training centre where civilians were sheltering. Our deep condolences to the families who lost loved ones.”
Italy’s right-wing PM voices support for two-state solution
Giorgia Meloni has told Italian legislators that she disagrees with Netanyahu’s position opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“Italy has always reiterated that the Palestinian people have the right to have a state, an independent, secure state,” Meloni said, as reported by the Associated Press news agency.
“It is a just and necessary solution, both in the interests of the Palestinians but also in those of Israel. For this [reason], I don’t share the position expressed by the Israeli prime minister.”
EU: Two-state solution necessary even if Netanyahu ‘not interested’
EU special envoy to the Middle East Sven Koopmans has told Al Jazeera that the international community must push for a two-state solution, despite the fact that Netanyahu is “clearly not interested”.
“The only solution there is a two-state solution. Is it realistic? It is very difficult. But there is no other solution,” he said, noting that there is still division among EU member states about whether to call for an immediate ceasefire.
“It is clear from Prime Minister Netanyahu that he is not in favour of a two-state solution, and that has been clear for a long time. At the same time, we don’t hear any alternative solution,” he added.
Report: Egypt rejects Israel’s request for a call between el-Sisi and Netanyahu
Israeli broadcaster Channel 13, citing two unnamed Israeli officials, reports that the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu attempted to coordinate with an Egyptian security agency to set up a phone call with the Egyptian present, but this attempt was rejected.
The report states that there are “significant disputes” between the governments of Israel and Egypt over the Israeli army’s plans for the “Philadelphia axis”, the strip of land in the southern Gaza Strip bordering Egypt.
Late last month, Netanyahu told a news conference that the corridor “must be in our hands” and shut down to ensure the security outcome Tel Aviv desires.
Qatar rebukes Netanyahu’s reported criticism of mediation role
A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign affairs ministry has issued a statement rebuking alleged comments from Netanyahu, following media reports that the Israeli leader called Qatar’s mediation efforts “problematic”.
“We are appalled by the alleged remarks attributed to the Israeli Prime Minister in various media reports about Qatar’s mediation role. These remarks if validated, are irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising,” Majed Al Ansari said on X.
“If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages,” the statement adds.
We are appalled by the alleged remarks attributed to the Israeli Prime Minister in various media reports about Qatar’s mediation role. These remarks if validated, are irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising.
For months, and…— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) January 24, 2024
How US officials have responded to apparent Israeli abuses
The Biden administration’s spokespersons have faced barrages of questions about apparent Israeli war crimes – often captured on camera – since October 7.
But the US government has never condemned Israel’s actions in the war despite accusations that the Israeli military is committing genocide in Gaza. A pattern has emerged in how the US responds to possible Israeli violations.
Shortly after an alleged Israeli war crime, spokespersons at the White House and the State Department will say that they do not have information about what happened. That’s how John Kirby addressed the Israeli attack on the UNRWA facility in Khan Younis today, for example.
US officials will also refer questions to Israeli authorities, stressing that Washington is not involved in the war, despite the Biden administration’s unwavering military and diplomatic support for Israel.
When – and if – reporters bring up the same incident in subsequent days, US officials would say that they raised the issue with Israel and reiterate a general statement about the need to protect civilians.
More often than not – with the news cycle accelerating – attention will move on to another development without Washington directly addressing or issuing a public assessment of the incident.
US ‘deplores’ Israeli attack on UNRWA centre, but offers few details
Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel got into a tense exchange with a reporter during a news briefing, in which he was asked to comment on an attack by the Israeli army on a vocational training centre operated by the UN’s Palestinian relief agency that killed at least nine and injured dozens more.
Patel started by saying “We [the US] deplore today’s attack on Khan Younis training centre … the protected nature of UN facilities must be respected.”
When pressed several times on whether or not the US had asked the Israeli government about the attack, Patel refused to elaborate.
“I’m not going to read out every single conversation we had with the Israelis,” he told the reporter.
“We continue to raise with our Israeli partners the need and the responsibility that they have to protect UN facilities,” he repeated several times.
Israeli protesters block highway
A crowd has blocked a highway in Tel Aviv, calling for the government to make a deal securing the release of the remaining captives held in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
Israeli reporter Oren Ziv shared a video from the protests showing a group of women marching with a banner that reads “Stop the bloodshed”.
Now in Tel Aviv women protest for ceasefire chanting “you can’t achieve security with the corpses of children” #gaza pic.twitter.com/7omUywC2Or
— Oren Ziv (@OrenZiv_) January 24, 2024
Israel preventing all movement around Khan Younis hospital: Red Crescent
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says Israeli forces are besieging its headquarters and Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis and imposing a curfew in the area.
“The intense shelling around the hospital, gunfire, and the military vehicles approaching from all directions are ongoing violations of international laws and the Geneva Conventions,” the PRCS said on X.
“The occupation prohibits the movement of humanitarian teams, including ambulances, in blatant disregard for established norms.”
⭕️The Israeli occupation forces continue their siege on Al-Amal Hospital and the PRCS's headquarters in #KhanYounis, imposing a complete curfew since noon today. The intense shelling around the hospital, gunfire, and the military vehicles approaching from all directions are… pic.twitter.com/9Yc3BOd1AT
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) January 24, 2024
Humanitarian groups call for end of arms transfers to Israel, Palestinian armed groups
A group of 16 humanitarian organisations, including Amnesty International, Oxfam and Save the Children have sent a letter to the UN asking for an end to arms transfers to Israel and armed Palestinian groups, as conditions in Gaza reach a level of “utter desperation” more than three months into Israel’s assault on the strip.
“We call on all states to immediately halt the transfer of weapons, parts and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups while there is risk they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law,” the letter reads, noting that Israel’s assault has created a crisis of “unprecedented severity and scale” for Palestinian civilians.
The statement also notes that Palestinian armed groups continue to hold kidnapped Israelis captive in Gaza.