Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Sexual violence no excuse for more violence
UN official says report finding “does not in any way legitimise further violence”, as Israeli continues to bomb Gaza.
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- UN report finds credible reports sexual violence occurred on October 7, and in the occupied West Bank, but official says findings do not “in any way legitimise” further violence, calls for ceasefire and release of captives.
- The number of children who have died as a result of malnutrition and inadequate medical care in Gaza has increased to 16.
- Israel has arrested 55 people during several overnight raids across the occupied West Bank.
- The Gaza Health Ministry says it has detected about one million cases of infectious diseases, as it described the medical situation in the Strip as “extremely catastrophic”.
- At least 30,534 Palestinians have been killed and 71,920 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139.
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The live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here.
To learn more about how Israel has pushed more than 1.5 million Palestinians into Rafah in southern Gaza, read this interactive story.
And you can find more news, features and videos on the conflict here.
WATCH: Released Palestinian prisoners say they don’t feel free
Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith reports from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on how one young Palestinian woman recently released from Israeli prison is adapting to life back home.
Watch the video below:
Biden says will continue to push for six-week truce deal in Gaza
Biden says he is determined to continue advocating for a truce deal that would secure the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas and the establishment of a six-week ceasefire deal to allow a surge of aid.
The Biden administration has come under severe criticism for its unwavering support of Israel, with his administration vetoing a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council three times since the war in Gaza began.
I will not let up pushing for a deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas, brings an immediate ceasefire to Gaza for at least six weeks, and allows for a surge of aid to the entire Gaza Strip.
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 4, 2024
Attack on Gaza healthcare facilities ongoing: Canadian doctor
During a week-long mission in Gaza, Dijeng Peng says the attacks on healthcare institutions in the coastal enclave were ongoing.
“Only in the past two days, I had to check in to see if my colleagues at the Emirati Maternity Hospital were alive – because the gates of that hospital were struck by a drone strike,” the Canadian doctor told Al Jazeera.
“Many people do not feel safe to provide care but they’re still doing essential care and looking after their patients and their community … it’s just horrendous.”
Peng said that a lack of food, water and housing has led to conditions of overcrowding and displacement, which in turn has led to the spread of infectious diseases.
“We are seeing so much communicable disease, such as respiratory infections and gastrointestinal disease, including a major outbreak of Hepatitis A,” he said, adding that these are preventable diseases that can be vaccinated against.
Norway to continue funding UNRWA: UN ambassador
Noway’s UN ambassador says the UN agency for Palestinian refugees is the “main lifeline” for Palestinians in Gaza “who find themselves in a humanitarian catastrophe”.
“Norway has decided to continue its funding. The needs of millions of people cannot be set aside because of the alleged participation of a small number of UNRWA-staff in the 7 October attacks,” Merete Fjeld Brattested said in a statement posted on the website of Norway’s UN mission.
“Norway urges other donors to reflect on the wider consequences of suspending funding to UNRWA in this time of extreme humanitarian distress.”
UNRWA suffered funding cuts after several of its staff were accused by Israel of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack.
The UN and Palestinian officials have called for continued funding for the agency’s “crucial work” since the announcement in January.
Another Israeli attack on aid seekers in Gaza City
An Al Jazeera live shot, featuring correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul, showed the moment when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of starving Palestinians attempting to access aid trucks.
Within the last hour, al-Ghoul and his crew were stationed at the Kuwaiti roundabout in Gaza City, when three aid trucks arrived to meet a crowd of thousands who had been waiting all day for humanitarian aid.
Just yesterday, the Kuwaiti roundabout saw an attack by Israeli forces that killed and injured dozens of aid seekers, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
As soon as the trucks arrived, the live shot shows, Israeli soldiers stationed nearby opened fire on the crowd, injuring some of them.
Some people at the roundabout told Al Jazeera that they had been waiting since 8am (It is now 12:45am the next day) and that only a small fraction of those present were able to get an aid box, which included water, flour and a few other supplies.
These attacks are becoming a near-daily occurrence as Palestinians in northern Gaza continue to suffer from a lack of food and water.
US VP Harris meets Gantz, calls on Hamas to accept truce deal
Kamala Harris in her meeting with Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz has reiterated her support for Israel’s right to defend itself, a readout from the White House says.
“She reiterated US support for Israel’s right to defend itself in the face of ongoing Hamas terrorist threats, and underscored our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”
The vice president also expressed “deep concern” about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, while urging Hamas to accept the latest six-week ceasefire proposal, which would allow a “surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza”.
Harris’s comments come as President Biden is facing mounting pressure from voters over his support for Israel ahead of November’s presidential election.
Democrats are increasingly concerned that Biden’s stance on the war could cost him votes, especially in Michigan, one of a handful of battleground states likely to decide the outcome of the election.
Vessel steers away from Yemen after taking damage in attack
The cargo vessel that was reportedly targeted earlier today has extinguished a fire on board and is clear of the area near Yemen, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
US-led coalition forces had responded after the vessel was attacked some 91 nautical miles (168km) southeast of Yemen’s Aden and the crew are reportedly unharmed.
The Houthis in Yemen said they targeted the MSC Sky in the Arabian Sea and identified it as an “Israeli ship”.
UKMTO had said an explosion had occurred near the vessel and another damaging the vessel, appearing to allude to two Houthi antiship missiles launched at the ship.
UKMTO Daily Summary
1600UTC 03 Mar 24 to 1600UTC 04 Mar 24https://t.co/tOa68P17Ig#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/W76C3rsjqN
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) March 4, 2024
Hezbollah claims new attack on Israeli forces
Hezbollah has claimed a new attack on Israeli forces, saying it targeted “a movement of Israeli enemy vehicles”.
This is the seventh attack the Lebanese armed group claimed on Monday, with other attacks claiming to target Israeli-occupied Kfarchouba and other sites with missiles, rockets and other weapons.
Earlier in the day, it had also released a short video which showed multiple attacks on Israeli positions during the past week, including with rockets.
Pro-Palestinian Jewish group wants to see end of US funding for Israel
Jewish Voice for Peace is determined to see a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US funding for Israel.
Watch our video to learn more:
UN says Gaza sexual violence does not ‘legitimise’ more violence
UN official Pramila Patten’s press conference on the body’s report on sexual violence also discussed captives previously and currently held in Gaza and emphasised a need for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged enclave.
She said her team “found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape and sexualised torture” has been committed against captives released from Gaza and that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those still held in captivity”.
“This finding does not in any way legitimise further violence but actually reinforces the need for an urgent ceasefire, as continuing this war will not serve to protect hostages from the risk of further sexual violence. On the contrary, for the sake of hostages, a ceasefire should be a priority.”
She “called” on Hamas to release all captives unconditionally and “encouraged” the government of Israel to work more closely with her office.
UN report finds sexual violence on October 7 and in West Bank
An anticipated report by the UN has found that instances of sexual violence were committed during the October 7 attacks inside Israel as well as against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Pramila Patten, the special representative on sexual violence in conflict, discussed with reporters the results of a mission to Israel and the occupied West Bank between January 29 to February 14, the parameters of which were pre-approved by Tel Aviv.
She said there were “reasonable grounds to believe conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred during the October 7 attacks in at least three locations”, including at the Nova music festival.
She added that her team did not interview any survivors of sexual violence during the attacks and: “In Kibbutz Be’eri … Some allegations of sexual violence, previously reported and highly publicised in the media, were determined by us to be unfounded”.
In the West Bank, her team found “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of Palestinians, men and women in detention” along with “disproportionate physical and sexual violence, including sexual harassment and threats of rape during house raids, including at night, and at checkpoints.”
UNRWA chief warns of serious consequences if agency goes unfunded
The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, has warned that “without additional funding, we will be in uncharted territory with serious implications for global peace and security.”
“We are functioning hand to mouth,” Philippe Lazzarini told the 193-member UN General Assembly.
The US, the largest donor to UNRWA, and other countries paused funding after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of taking part in the October 7 attacks.
UNRWA says Israel authorities tortured detained staff
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has said that Israeli authorities tortured some of its staff members during detention and interrogation.
“Some of our staff have conveyed to UNRWA teams that they were forced to confessions under torture and ill-treatment” while being asked about the October 7 attack on Israel, the agency said in a statement to AFP.
Several killed in Israeli attack on southern Gaza
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting multiple deaths following an Israeli bombing that hit a house near the European Hospital, east of Khan Younis.
Israeli forces injure Palestinian teen near Hebron
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says that a 16-year-old has been shot in his lower body in Fawwar refugee camp in the southern occupied West Bank.
Palestinian media showed footage of the transfer of the boy’s evacuation to hospital by the PRCS.
US in support of UN probe into killing of aid seekers
US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller says the US is in support of the UN’s investigation into an attack on Palestinians waiting for aid distribution in Gaza City that killed over 100 and left more than 700 injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Elsewhere in the US government, the White House said a temporary ceasefire in Gaza was essential to reaching a deal that would free Israeli captives in Gaza, and called on Hamas to accept the terms currently on the table, as talks to secure a truce were under way in Cairo.
US Muslim groups denounce planned event to sell occupied Palestinian land
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the US’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, along with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), have called for a federal probe into a planned “real estate” event at a synagogue in Teaneck, New Jersey, the US.
The event, reportedly organised by “My Home in Israel Real Estate,” a group based in the occupied West Bank, is set to occur on March 10.
In a statement, CAIR’s Dina Sayedahmed said: “Houses of worship should be sacred spaces, and it is deeply concerning to see anyone use a house of worship to allegedly flout international law by selling off stolen land.”
In a statement, AMP’s Chairperson Wassim Kanaan said the groups are mobilising their communities to protest the planned event.
“We are watching Israel commit genocide in Gaza and pillage Palestinians’ homes in the West Bank and Jerusalem. These are both stark violations of international law,” the statement said.
Israeli military attacks southern Lebanon, confirms interception over Israel
The Israeli military has released footage that it says shows an attack by its warplanes on “several military buildings” belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
It also said a “suspicious aerial target” crossed into Israel from Lebanese territory and was intercepted by air defences.
This comes hours after alarms sounded in Upper Galilee near the Lebanese border with reports indicating a possible drone intrusion. The Israeli military said rocket fire alarms sounded after the interceptor was launched.
The Israeli military also reported interceptions of incoming fire from the Mount Dov area and said it targeted the launch sites in southern Lebanon with shelling.
Watch: Aid packages airdropped on Gaza
A Palestinian activist has shared footage of humanitarian aid being dropped in the northern Gaza Strip.
The video, verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit Sanad, shows residents running to reach the spots where the aid was being parachuted, in order to secure essential supplies amid Israel’s siege on the coastal enclave.
The person who posted the video, Jannat Noufer, called this airdrop “the daily event of humiliation in northern Gaza”, as starving Palestinians are forced to chase packages of supplies that are inadequate to their needs, while Israel continues to block aid from coming in.
Translation: People are running behind an umbrella of hunger, the daily episode of air humiliation in northern Gaza.
Attacks on Palestinians rise after sanctions imposed on Israeli settlers: PA official
Amir Daoud from the Palestinian Authority’s commission on the separation wall and settlements says settler attacks have risen despite American, British and French sanctions.
“In February, settlers carried out 129 attacks in the occupied West Bank with 38 attacks concentrated in the Nablus governorate, 37 in Hebron and 17 in the Ramallah area,” Daoud told Al Jazeera.
“Last month also witnessed a significant and dangerous escalation in confiscation and theft of citizens’ property, cattle and agricultural equipment as well as vehicles, money, gold and mobile phones,” he added.
Attacks, Daoud said, escalated after the sanctions were imposed in what he calls “a clear challenge to the world and a message that sanctions will not deter settlers”.
Israel releases alleged audio files of UNRWA employees amid row
The Israeli military has released short audio files that it alleges are recordings of two employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) who are accused of participating in the October 7 attack.
It claims both worked as teachers in UNRWA schools, were inside Israel and took young women as hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
In January, Israel alleged that a dozen of the agency’s employees were involved in the October 7 attacks on southern Israel. This recording, released over a month later, is some of the first evidence it has presented to the public.
Israeli officials have said they wish to dismantle the UN agency, which they claim is heavily infiltrated by Hamas.
Western allies of Israel, including the US, have cut funding to UNRWA – the main organisation delivering aid to Palestinians – at a time when millions in the besieged enclave are in dire need of humanitarian relief.
Israel has also been heavily hampering the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza despite international criticism and condemnation.
Employee of US embassy in Israel dies
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has confirmed media reports of the death of a “direct hire” employee of the embassy but did not offer many details.
“I can confirm the death of a direct hire of the US embassy employee in Jerusalem,” Miller said during a news briefing.
“It’s an incident that is under investigation,” he continued, saying this is a step that is always taken when an employee dies and there is no indication of foul play.
Miller confirmed that the person is an American citizen but would not say what job he or she did for the embassy.
We will bring you more updates on this matter as soon as they become available.
Israel says UN trying to keep quiet on report about Hamas attacks
Israel’s foreign minister says he has recalled the country’s UN ambassador for consultations over alleged attempts by the organisation to keep quiet a report on what he describes as “mass rapes” committed by Hamas.
“I ordered our ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, to return to Israel for immediate consultations regarding the attempt to keep quiet the serious UN report on the mass rapes committed by Hamas and its helpers on October 7,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
“Despite the authority granted to him, the UN secretary general did not order the convening of the security council in light of the findings, in order to declare Hamas a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on its supporters,” Katz said.
A look at the history of US vetos on Israel resolutions at the UN
As the UN General Assembly meets to discuss the most recent US veto of a Security Council resolution that would have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, take a look at its history of using its veto power, which belongs to only four other countries (China, France, Russia and the UK), to protect Israel.