Live Updates
Middle East Eye, Apr 30 2024
Evening recap
Gaza’s health ministry said that 47 people were killed in the past 24 hours and 61 were injured, bringing the total to 34,535 Palestinians killed since the start of the war and 77,704 injured. In other developments:
- The International Court of Justice ruled against issuing emergency orders to stop German arms exports to Israel, however, the court didn’t grant Berlin’s request to throw out the case.
- Netanyahu said Israel will invade Rafah “with or without a deal.”
- Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has been forced to close over 100 of its Malaysian outlets amid a month’s long boycott campaign over US support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
- The White House said that Israel will open a new crossing into northern Gaza this week after a request from Biden.
- In an interview with Time, Trump didn’t rule out a withdrawal of military aid to Israel over its ongoing war on Gaza.
- France’s foreign minister said to Netanyahu that launching an offensive in Rafah is a “bad idea” and would not lead to any resolution to the war in Gaza.
- On Tuesday, N chief Antonio Guterres voiced concern over reports of mass graves unearthed in Gaza, which included sites at two hospitals.
Rafah assault ‘on immediate horizon,’ UN chief says
On Tuesday, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths cautioned that despite worldwide appeals for Israel to refrain from targeting Rafah in the Gaza Strip, “a ground operation there is on the immediate horizon.” He also said in a statement that Israeli improvements to aid access in Gaza “cannot be used to prepare for or justify a full-blown military assault on Rafah.”
UN chief urges independent probe into Gaza mass graves
On Tuesday, UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced concern over reports of mass graves unearthed in Gaza, which included sites at two hospitals. He also raised allegations that those buried may have been unlawfully killed, stressing the need for an independent investigation. Guterres said:
It is imperative that independent international investigators with forensic expertise are allowed the immediate access to the sites of these mass graves to establish the precise circumstances under which the Palestinians lost their lives and were buried or reburied.
Blinken to present list of Gaza aid measures during Israel visit
On Tuesday, Blinken said he would present a list of further actions required from Israel’s leaders to facilitate the increased delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, ahead of scheduled meetings in Israel on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters at a warehouse of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, Blinken announced that aid shipments from US-based charities were being assembled. He also said that the initial aid shipments directly from Jordan to the Erez crossing, also known as the Beit Hanoun crossing, in northern Gaza would depart on Tuesday.
Israel offensive in Rafah is a ‘bad idea,’ French foreign minister says
According to a French diplomatic source with direct knowledge of the conversation, France’s foreign minister said to Netanyahu that launching an offensive in Rafah is a “bad idea” and would not lead to any resolution to the war in Gaza. Stephane Sejourne told Netanyahu during a meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem:
It is a bad idea to do it. There are too many uncertainties over the humanitarian issues.
Biden condemns US campus protests, says ‘intifada’ is hate speech
In a statement released by the White House, President Biden condemned the ongoing protests that have sweeped college campuses across the country. The president said that he “respects the right to free expression,” but went on to say that “forcibly taking over buildings is not peaceful. It is wrong.” On Monday night, student protesters at Columbia University occupied Hamilton Hall, after the demonstrators had a stand off with administration over their encampment raised in solidarity with Gaza. Biden also condemned the use of the word “intifada,” which has often been used during pro-Palestinian rallies on college campuses. The White House statement said:
He condemns the use of the term ‘intifada,’ as he has the other tragic and dangerous hate speech displayed in recent days.
The intifada refers to two different Palestinian uprisings against Israel’s occupation, and has been characterised by mass protests, civil disobedience, as well as well-organised strikes.
Trump doesn’t rule out cutting military aid to Israel if reelected
In an interview with Time, Trump didn’t rule out a withdrawal of military aid to Israel over its ongoing war on Gaza. In the interview, Trump was asked: “Would you consider withholding aid?” Trump responded:
I think that Israel has done one thing very badly: public relations. I don’t think that the Israel Defence or any other group should be sending out pictures every night of buildings falling down and being bombed with possibly people in those buildings every single night, which is what they do.
He was then asked whether he would rule out withholding or conditioning aid, to which he said: “No.” Read the full story by clicking here.
White House says new aid crossing to open in northern Gaza this week
The White House said that Israel will open a new crossing into northern Gaza this week after a request from Biden, made during a call with Netanyahu. The White House added that more than 200 aid trucks are entering Gaza each day.
World Court rules against Nicaragua’s case to halt German arms exports to Israel
The International Court of Justice ruled against issuing emergency orders to stop German arms exports to Israel, however, the court didn’t grant Berlin’s request to throw out the case. This leaves room for the case to still potentially move forward. Germany’s foreign ministry welcomed the ruling, tweeting:
Nobody is above the law. This guides our actions.
Israeli officials worried about ‘secret ICC arrest warrants’
Lawyers acting on behalf of Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Dutch city of The Hague are worried arrest warrants against Israeli officials may have been issued secretly, according to Israeli media. A report by Ynet says lawyers are concerned that Israeli officials may only find out about the warrants without warning after arriving in European countries. The report said that the basis of such warrants could be statements made by many Israeli leaders during the course of the ongoing war on Gaza, in which they warned Palestinians in the besieged territory that they would be denied food and aid. A source who spoke to the media outlet said that Netanyahu is apparently using “threatening” tactics against the ICC’s prosecutor Karim Khan, comparing his behaviour to an “elephant in a china shop.” Read More: Israeli officials worried about ‘secret ICC arrest warrants.’
French foreign minister presents proposal to calm Lebanon tensions to Israel
French Foreign Minister Stephane Serjoune said French officials are presenting the proposals made to Lebanese officials to calm tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. He said ahead of a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Jerusalem:
A number of proposals that we made to the Lebanese side have been shared. We have a relationship with Lebanon, 20k citizens there and the war in 2006 was particularly dramatic for them.
Sejourne was in Lebanon on Sunday where he met with several Lebanese officials, including some close to Hezbollah. He said he saw progress in the responses from Lebanese authorities. The proposals are based on UNSCR 1701, says Sejourne. The resolution calls for Hezbollah to disarm south of the Litani River and for Israeli to fully withdraw from Lebanese territories. Lebanon accused Israel in the past of violating the resolution on thousands of occasions.
KFC Malaysia closes over 100 outlets amid Gaza boycott
The American fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has been forced to close over 100 of its Malaysian outlets amid a month’s long boycott campaign over US support for Israel’s war on Gaza. According to Chinese media, QSR Brands, which owns the fast-food franchise, KFC, had to temporarily shutter 108 of its 600 outlets across Malaysia, most of them in the Muslim-majority north-Kelantan state. In a statement, QSR Brands cited “challenging economic conditions” for the closures and that employees had been offered the opportunity to relocate to busier stores, saying that the company contributes “positively to the Malaysian economy through job security for 18k team members in Malaysia, of which, approximately 85% are Muslims.” Read more: KFC Malaysia closes over 100 outlets amid Gaza boycott.
Netanyahu says will invade Rafah ‘with or without a deal’
Netanyahu said Israel will invade Rafah, the southern Gaza city sheltering over a million displaced Palestinians, “with or without a deal.” Ceasefire and hostage release talks are ongoing between Israel and Hamas, as the latter is expected to send a written response to the latest offer soon.
Israeli police officer stabbed in Jerusalem, Turkish suspect killed
Israeli authorities said security forces shot and killed a Turkish man who allegedly stabbed a police officer in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Times of Israel say the stabbed officer is in “moderate condition.”
Netanyahu says Israel preparing for Rafah operation
Netanyahu said his forces have started evacuating Palestinians from Rafah in preparation for their upcoming operation there. He added that the chances of reaching a ceasefire and hostage deal are “slim” and that Israel will not accept a complete withdrawal from Gaza.
Columbia University asks staff and students to avoid campus due to pro-Palestine protests
Columbia University asked staff and students to stay away from its main campus on Tuesday as pro-Palestine protests are still ongoing. The school said in a statement:
In light of the protest activity on campus, members of the University community who can avoid coming to the Morningside campus today should do so.
the school said essential staff members should still head to campus. Students took over the university’s Hamilton Hall and barricaded themselves to protest the school’s refusal to divest from Israel. They renamed the building “Hind’s Hall” in honour of the Palestinian girl who was killed by IOF in January after calling the Palestinian Red Crescent for help, as she was the sole survivor in her family’s car.
University students stage pro-Palestine protests in Lebanon
Students in several universities in Lebanon took part in pro-Palestine protests on Tuesday following weeks of protests and encampments in campuses in the US and other areas of the world. Protests were reported from several top universities such the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, the Beirut Arab University, and others. Al Mayadeen reports that the American University of Beirut did not allow its crew to enter and report on the protests inside, nor did it permit alumni to enter.
China says Hamas and Fatah met in Beijing
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that representatives from Fatah and Hamas, met in Beijing for “in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation.” Referring to Fatah and Hamas by their formal names, he said:
Representatives of the Palestine National Liberation Movement and the Islamic Resistance Movement recently came to Beijing.
The spox said they made “positive progress.”
Gaza death toll rises to 34,535
Gaza’s health ministry said that 47 people were killed in the past 24 hours and 61 were injured, bringing the total to 34,535 Palestinians killed since the start of the war and 77,704 injured.
Journalism professors call on the NYT to review report on Oct 7 sexual violence
Over 50 tenured professors from top universities signed a letter calling on the NYT to address questions about a major investigation that described a “pattern of gender-based violence” during the Hamas-led Oct 7 attack on Israel. The professors, coming from universities such as the New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Emory and the University of Texas, amongst others, said they felt the need to raise this issue after seeing “compelling reports” challenging the integrity of the story. The reports include the relatives of a woman killed in the attack, whose story was central to the investigation, casting doubts on on reporting suggesting that she was raped. Other critics pointed out discrepancies in various accounts by an eyewitness cited in the story. The NYT themselves reported in March that new video evidence “undercut” some details in their story, but did not issue a correction or a retraction. The journalism professors called this an “unusual decision.” The professors ask the NYT to “immediately commission a group of journalism experts to conduct a thorough and full independent review of the reporting, editing and publishing processes for this story and release a report of the findings.”
Israel to attack Rafah if no ceasefire deal reached: Report
Israeli army radio said that the plan to attack Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering, will be launched “in the coming days” if there is no ceasefire deal with Hamas. Hamas are believed to be preparing their written response to a reported Israeli offer for a 40-day ceasefire. The group’s senior spokesman, Osama Hamdan, told Al Jazeera that is was clear Israel did not want a “complete ceasefire,” which is one of Hamas’s key demands.
Palestinian killed after arrest near Hebron
WAFA reports that a Palestinian man, Hassan Rebhi Mansiya, was pursued, arrested and killed by Israeli forces in ad-Dhahiriya, 22 km south-west of Hebron, occupied West Bank. Mansiya was reportedly on his way to work when Israeli troops started pursuing him.
Columbia University students take over Hamilton Hall
Columbia University students have taken over the university’s Hamilton Hall building after the administration refused to divest from Israel and started reportedly suspending more students. The building was previously occupied by student protesters in 1968 protesting the Vietnam War along with other causes.
Morning update
Here are the latest updates:
- An Israeli air strike on a family home in Rafah killed three people, while another one on Gaza City killed two
- Israeli forces are threatening to destroy the homes of wanted Palestinians in the Askar refugee camp, near Nablus in the West Bank
- US officials are reportedly threatening the International Criminal Court (ICC) should it take action against Israeli officials, with one one Republican lawmaker saying they are already working on a legislation to sanction the ICC
- ICC prosecutors reportedly interviewed al-Shifa and Nasser hospital staff about possible crimes committed in the Gaza Strip
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to deliver its order on the request for provisional measures submitted by Nicaragua against Germany over the latter’s support for Israel today
- Columbia University started suspending pro-Palestine student protesters who did not leave the encampment by the given deadline.
Niqnaq 