Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Ceasefire talks to resume in Egypt
Israeli delegation reportedly heads to Cairo to meet ceasefire mediators as thousands hit the streets of Tel Aviv demanding a deal to return captives from Gaza.
This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here.
This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here.
- News reports say Gaza ceasefire talks to resume on Sunday in Cairo, Egypt, as thousands of Israelis rally to demand a deal to return captives.
- The Palestinian foreign ministry criticised the United States after reports it agreed to send another $2.5bn in weapons to Israel – despite growing concerns Israeli forces will expand military operations to Rafah.
- Gaza’s health ministry says 82 people were killed and 98 wounded in the past 24 hours.
- At least 32,705 Palestinians have been killed and 75,190 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139 with dozens still held captive.
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The main developments today
We will be closing this blog soon. Here’s a quick recap of what happened today:
- Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange talks are expected to resume on Sunday in Egypt’s Cairo, while Tel Aviv saw its largest anti-government and captive release protests since the start of the war.
- Dozens of patients and medical staff remain inside the besieged al-Shifa Hospital, as the World Health Organization is denied access and the Israeli military claims to have killed Hamas officials in and around the besieged facility.
- A Norwegian UN observer, two other military observers and a Lebanese translator were wounded in a blast in southern Lebanon on a UN peacekeeping mission that Israel denied perpetrating.
- Hezbollah said its attacks today included a targeting of an Israeli military headquarters, with Israel claiming multiple airstrikes on southern Lebanon.
- Protests expressing solidary with Palestinians were organised in various parts of the globe, from the US and Canada to the UK and Jordan.
Israeli attack on Palestinian aid seekers at Kuwait Roundabout kills 12
At least 12 Palestinian civilians waiting for aid trucks at the Kuwait Roundabout were killed and 30 injured after the latest Israeli attack on aid seekers, the Wafa news agency reports.
Witnesses recounted “harrowing scenes” with medical teams and civilians struggling to transport casualties to medical facilities, with some wounded people lying on the ground after the attack.
The Israeli military has killed dozens of desperate aid-seeking Palestinians in multiple large-scale attacks on food and supplies trucks.
Wafa also reports several other attacks:
- One person was killed in an Israeli strike near the Wadi Gaza bridge on Salah al-Din Street.
- There have been casualties from air strikes on the Maghazi refugee camp and artillery shelling of the al-Bureji refugee camp in central Gaza.
- Israeli artillery also hit streets east of Jabali as well as Beit Hanoon in northern Gaza.
WATCH: Jordanian security forcibly disperse anti-Israel rally in Amman
Jordanian security forces rushed at protesters with batons and shields as they moved towards the Israeli Embassy in Amman for a seventh night in a row.
Protesters have expressed solidarity with Palestinians in their marches and called for an end to Jordan’s massively unpopular peace treaty with Israel as the war on Gaza continues to claim civilian lives.
قوى الأمن الأردني تفرق مظاهرة حاشدة بالعاصمة الأردنية عمان والتي انطلقت لليوم السابع على التوالي دعما لغزة وتنديدا بالعدواني الإسرائيلي#حرب_غزة #فيديو pic.twitter.com/PBO521JtDz
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) March 30, 2024
Translation: Jordanian security forces disperse a massive demonstration in the Jordanian capital, Amman, which ran for the seventh day in a row in support of Gaza and denouncing the Israeli aggression.
US ‘undermining integrity of UN procedures system’: Special rapporteur
Earlier this week, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller dismissed a damning report by the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, that found Israel is committing “acts of genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
Miller said Albanese has had a “history of anti-Semitic comments” and that the “allegations of genocide are unfounded”.
Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, now says it is “deeply concerning” that rather than engaging with the conclusions of the report, the US government “has moved to slander and smear” Albanese – who has also received threats.
“Whereas many of us are attacked for doing the work we were mandated to do by the [UN Human Rights Council], it is particularly alarming when a member state of the Council does so. It undermines the integrity of the special procedures system,” Alsalem wrote in a post on X.
Deeply concerning that rather than engaging with the grave conclusions of @FranceskAlbs report on the anatomy of #genocide, the US Government has moved to slander and smear her.
Whereas many of us are attacked for doing the work we were mandated to do by the #HRC, it is… https://t.co/HeIqQQAB7a
— Reem Alsalem UNSR Violence Against Women and Girls (@UNSRVAW) March 30, 2024
LISTEN: Palestinian Christians barred from Jerusalem’s Old City at Easter
We speak to a pastor in Bethlehem about the meaning of Easter in Palestine and the struggles of Palestinian Christians.
Israeli military shoots down suspected drone coming from Syria
An Israeli fighter jet shot down a suspected unmanned aerial vehicle inside Syria that was flying towards Israel.
The military said in a statement that it “intercepted a suspicious aerial target” and the projectile “did not cross into the territory of the state of Israel”.
Syrian and Iranian Telegram channels cited local sources as saying a drone was shot down over Syria. Earlier reports of an “explosion” in Deraa, in southwestern Syria, caused a false alarm that the Israeli military had conducted another air strike.
Israeli strikes on Thursday on Syria’s northern province of Aleppo killed more than 40 people, including six members of Hezbollah.
UK lawmakers tell Cameron to restore UNRWA funding ‘without delay’
More than 50 MPs and peers called on UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron to restore funding to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA immediately, citing “severe implications” for besieged Palestinians.
The UK, one of the organisation’s largest donors, joined the US and other Israeli allies in cutting funding to the UN agency that gets aid to famine-stricken Palestinians after an Israeli claim that about a dozen UNRWA staff members participated in the October 7 attacks.
The MPs, represented in a letter penned by Scottish National Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Brendan O’Hara, said they understood the need to thoroughly investigate the claims.
“But the decision to hastily suspend funding on January 27, without receiving any substantive evidence from Israel that justifies such a strong accountability measure, has done monumental reputation damage to UNRWA and risks derailing the critical, life-saving work of the only agency that has the experience and infrastructure to receive and distribute aid on the massive scale urgently needed right now in Gaza.”
British Parliamentarians have highlighted the inconsistencies in @FCDOGovUK Ministers' positions and called on Foreign Secretary @David_Cameron to reinstate funding to @UNRWA without delay. Letter has been signed by 50 MPs and Peers from across the breadth of both houses: pic.twitter.com/OLzrSL5eDZ
— Gary Spedding (@GarySpedding) March 30, 2024
Armed Palestinian groups hit Israeli forces around al-Shifa Hospital
Two Palestinian armed factions say they targeted Israeli troops and armoured vehicles during the siege of the al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza.
The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Saraya al-Quds said they fired mortar rounds at Israeli vehicles and soldiers gathered in the vicinity of the hospital.
The Palestinian groups also claimed a rocket attack on Israeli forces in the area, which is west of Gaza City.
Israeli police arrest 16 in Tel Aviv protests, roads reopen
Israeli police say 16 people were arrested during a huge protest in Tel Aviv, which bashed the government and Netanyahu for failing to secure the release of captives in Gaza.
Footage showed protesters clashing with police officers, some riding horses. With tens of thousands taking to the streets, it is believed to have been the largest rally since the start of the war on Gaza.
Police also said that nine fines were issued, totalling 1,000 shekels ($270) for public disturbances and blocking traffic, Israeli news outlets report.
Police said all roads have now been reopened and the rallies concluded.
Gaza press office: 400 killed during Israel’s al-Shifa Hospital siege
Gaza’s media office says the Israeli military killed more than 400 Palestinians and destroyed, burned or otherwise targeted 1,050 homes in the vicinity of the al-Shifa Hospital after laying siege to it for 13 days.
“We condemn the international silence towards this crime,” the office said in a statement on its Telegram channel, adding that the Israeli military has also arrested and “tortured” hundreds of patients, displaced people and medical staff inside and around the key hospital in Gaza City.
“We once again condemn in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation army’s storming of the Shifa Medical Complex, which is a war crime and a crime against humanity.”
“We call on all international organisations, all Arab and Islamic countries, and all countries of the free world to move out of the box of silence and condemnation and into the box of taking practical positions, real measures, and field action to stop the genocidal war.”
The Israeli military has more or less provided similar numbers on Palestinians killed or arrested inside and around the hospital, but insists most were “terrorists”, including senior Hamas officials.
UK government legal advice on Israel’s war should be made public
A human rights lawyer says the public is entitled to see what legal advice government lawyers provided UK officials over Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Guardian reports a legal opinion had been issued saying Israel broke international humanitarian law, which would mean weapons sales must immediately be halted or else the UK government could be found complicit.
“If any government has received clear advice that what is happening is unlawful, then providing weapons for unlawful activity runs the risk of being found complicit,” barrister Geoffry Nice told Al Jazeera.
“It’s a big problem for governments. There’s a lot to play for here.”
Palestinian factions warn against ‘dangerous’ Arab military force proposal
The Alliance of Palestinian Forces, which includes major factions Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), strongly opposed the idea of establishing an Arab military force in the Gaza Strip.
The idea, according to media reports, was pitched by Israel to the US and at least three Arab states including Egypt. The plan is an Israeli “trap” designed to serve its interests and “get the occupation army out of the great quagmire it has found itself in the Gaza Strip”, a joint statement said.
The factions said Palestinians, who have stood up to Israel during six months of devastating war, “are capable of choosing their leaders and institutions to manage the Gaza Strip and preserve national sovereignty”.
What legal advice did the UK get on Israel’s war on Gaza?
The Guardian’s Observer reports it obtained a leaked audio recording indicating the UK government received legal advice from its lawyers saying Israel broke international law in its war on Gaza.
The lawyers’ judgement would mean the UK should have stopped arms sales to Israel immediately after the legal opinion was given, the news report said.
Alicia Kearns, a former UK Foreign Office official, called on the government to present the legal advice from its lawyers.
“I remain convinced the government has completed its updated assessment on whether Israel is demonstrating a commitment to international humanitarian law, and that it has concluded that Israel is not demonstrating this commitment, which is the legal determination it has to make,” Kearns was quoted as saying.
“Transparency at this point is paramount, not least to uphold the international rules-based order.”
WHO forced to delay another mission to al-Shifa amid Israeli attacks
The World Health Organization and its partners have been forced to “postpone a highly-complex joint mission due to delays” after having three previous missions to the besieged al-Shifa Hospital denied by the Israeli military.
“Repeated denials have not only impeded us from reaching patients but also disrupted other crucial life-saving operations by diverting limited resources,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
“We urge Israel to facilitate a safe humanitarian corridor and a better deconfliction system for WHO and partners to support patient transfers.”
“International humanitarian law is clear: health must not be militarised or attacked. Ceasefire!”
Update on Al-Shifa hospital in #Gaza: @WHO and partners had to postpone a highly-complex joint mission due to delays. Three prior missions were denied. The hospital remains under siege since 18 March.
100 patients and 50 health workers are reportedly still inside the…
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 30, 2024
Israel says UN agencies ‘must admit failures’ on Gaza aid block
The Israeli government continues to insist it is the UN and its aid agencies that are holding up aid from reaching famine-stricken Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the defence ministry organisation in charge of organising aid, claimed 400 trucks’ worth of humanitarian relief is waiting to be picked up and distributed from the Gazan side of an Israeli-controlled land crossing.
It said the UN and its agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA “lack the logistic capacity for performing their jobs”.
The UN and Israel’s allies have criticised Israel for allowing limited aid into the enclave, especially its northern region, where a humanitarian crisis is getting quickly deteriorating into famine.
Again, the content of 400 trucks worth is waiting to be picked up and distributed from the Gazan side of KS post Israeli inspection. @UNRWA and @UN aid agencies lack the logistic capacity for performing their jobs. They must enhance its logistic capacity and admit its failures. pic.twitter.com/1vbVO4Z807
— COGAT (@cogatonline) March 30, 2024
Israelis pledge to take protests to the parliament in Jerusalem
Israelis rallying in Tel Aviv calling for the immediate release of captives say they will take their demonstration to the Knesset to turn up the heat on Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a statement released by the captive families forum, relatives of those held in Gaza said they will “turn off the lights in the squares, and meet in the streets”, calling for a mass march.
“Next week we will relocate to Jerusalem, in front of the Knesset, where the struggle for the release of the hostages will take place,” said the statement.
Families of captives and supporters have blamed the Israeli prime minister for putting the captive deal and the country at risk and not handling it properly.
Palestinian shot after 30 settlers attack town in occupied East Jerusalem
A 23-year-old Palestinian was wounded by gunfire after Israeli settlers attacked the town of Makhmas, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, the Wafa news agency reports.
It cited unnamed witnesses as saying at least 30 Israelis from illegal settlements stormed the town during the time of iftar, smashing windows of several vehicles and firing live ammunition at civilians.
Three others sustained injuries, as well, and the young man with the gunshot wound was transferred to hospital for medical treatment, it said.
Photos: Pro-Palestine rally in Canada to ‘end the war on babies’
Hamas condemns new US arms transfer to Israel amid Gaza war
Hamas says it “strongly condemns” the decision by the Biden administration to greenlight the transfer of thousands more bombs and fighter jets to the Israeli military as it continues to kill civilians across the Gaza Strip.
The group said in a statement this only “confirms the full partnership of this administration in the brutal war of extermination” against Palestinians in the enclave.
Hamas also said the move shows the United States is only insisting on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza and protecting civilians to “cover up the ongoing crimes” of its ally Israel.
“We call on the international community and the United Nations to impose a complete ban on the supply of weapons to the criminal Zionist entity, and to take steps to stop the aggression, leading to holding the occupation and its leaders accountable for the violations and crimes against humanity they have committed.”
Four UN staff in ‘stable condition’ following blast
Norway’s defence ministry says a Norwegian UN observer was “lightly injured” in a blast in southern Lebanon and was admitted to a hospital.
Two other military observers and a Lebanese translator were wounded, as well.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said the other two observers were from Australia and Chile, adding all four wounded were in “stable” condition.
‘Children’s game’: Released Israeli captive blasts Netanyahu at protest
Tens of thousands of Israelis are protesting in Tel Aviv in one of the largest demonstrations since the start of the war on Gaza, with pressure building on the government to get remaining captives out of Gaza.
Aviva Siegel, an Israeli woman released from the enclave through negotiations, said at a rally that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must stop treating current negotiations “as if they are a children’s game”.
“You cannot bring back the delegation from Qatar without a deal,” she said, pointing out she has no idea if her husband, still a captive in Gaza, is alive, according to Times of Israel.
Raz Ben-Ami, a captive released from Gaza about three months ago, also said the government must strike a deal with Hamas, as those being held “won’t last there, no one can survive what they go through there”.
Israel acknowledges its troops killed 2 Palestinians
The Israeli military’s acknowledgment that its troops shot dead two Palestinians and wounded a third along Gaza’s beach comes after video aired on Al Jazeera showing the killings.
The footage showed one man falling to the ground after walking in an open area and then an Israeli military bulldozer pushing two bodies into the garbage-strewn sand.
The Israeli army claimed its forces opened fire after the men ignored warning shots. One of the men was waving a white piece of cloth before being gunned down.
The footage follows a number of similar clips that have shown Palestinians in war-stricken Gaza being fired at or killed while seeming to pose little threat.
Israel, Hamas to return to ceasefire talks in Cairo: Report
Citing an unnamed security source, Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV reports the talks will take place on Sunday,
An unidentified Israeli official also told the Reuters news agency Israel will send a delegation to Cairo on Sunday.
An unnamed Hamas official, however, was quoted as saying the group would wait to hear from Cairo mediators on the outcome of their talks with Israel first.
Hezbollah claims drone attack on Israeli military headquarters in Ya’ara
Hezbollah says it used attack drones to target an Israeli military headquarters in the settlement of Ya’ara in northern Israel, “hitting its objectives precisely”.
It was the eighth attack claimed by the Lebanese armed group today, with another targeting a site in Kfarchouba with a Burkan missile.
The group also said an attack directly hit a radar site in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms with rockets and missiles, with another attack “inflicting confirmed casualties” among Israeli soldiers in the Adamit kibbutz.