Live Updates
Middle East Eye, May 10 2024
Evening recap
On Friday, the UNGA voted overwhelmingly to pass a resolution that would expand the membership rights of Palestine. The passage of the resolutions puts Palestine on a path towards full membership in the UN, a major step up from its current status as an observer state without voting rights. The resolution passed with 143 votes in favour, nine abstentions, and 25 votes against. The US and Israel voted against the resolution. Late on Friday and after a delay of several days, the US State Dept released its highly-anticipated report on whether Israel was using US weapons in violation of international law in Gaza. The report found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israel did use US-supplied weapons in violation of international law. However, given the lack of evidence and the lack of a US government presence on the ground in Gaza, the report couldn’t make any definitive conclusions. In other news:
- The UAE denounced Netanyahu’s comments about “inviting the state to participate in civil administration of Gaza.” The UAE said Netanyahu had no authority to make such a call.
- Too Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike that took place in Gaza City in the northern region of the enclave.
- Libya filed a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
- South Africa submitted a request to the ICJ, asking for it to order additional emergency measures against Israel, including an order for it to withdraw from Rafah.
- Israel’s military announced that four of its soldiers have been killed during fighting in Gaza. All were killed during a battle that took place in northern Gaza.
- The latest death toll in Gaza from the Palestinian health ministry is at least 34,943 Palestinians.
UAE denounces Netanyahu’s invitation to participate in Gaza’s civil administration
The UAE issued a statement denouncing Netanyahu’s comments about “inviting the state to participate in civil administration of Gaza.” The statements from the UAE, published by the country’s foreign minister on X, said Netanyahu “has no legitimate authority” to call for a part in the civil administration of Gaza.
US says Israel may have breached humanitarian law using American weapons
The Biden administration has submitted its report to Congress on whether it believes Israel’s use of American weapons in Gaza violates international law. The report says the use of American-supplied arms has likely violated international law, including international humanitarian law (IHL), on several occasions, but the US government is unable to make a definitive assessment on the matter. The report added that Israel’s “overall commitment to IHL is not necessarily disproven by individual IHL violations.”
Two Palestinians killed in Israeli air strike in south of Gaza City
WAFA is reporting that two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike that took place in the Sabra neighbourhood south of Gaza City, which is located in the northern region of the enclave.
Libya intervenes in South Africa’s case against Israel at the World Court
Libya has filed a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice. Libya said it “believes that acts and omissions by Israel are of genocidal character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.” Several countries have now intervened in South Africa’s case against Israel, including Turkey, which last week said it sought to join Pretoria’s case.
Gaps on ceasefire deal can still be surmounted, says White House
NSC spox Adm (Retd) John Kirby said that while in-person negotiations for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel have concluded for now, the gaps between the two sides can be overcome. Kirby added that Washington is closely watching Israel’s assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The US said this week that the operation is not the full-scale invasion that the administration was opposed to.
South Africa requests ICJ order Israel to withdraw from Rafah
South Africa has submitted a request to the International Court of Justice, asking for it to order additional emergency measures against Israel, including an order for it to withdraw from Rafah. The request is a part of South Africa’s ongoing case against Israel at the World Court, where it accuses Israel of acts of genocide against Palestinians.
Hamas says Israel’s rejection of ceasefire proposal brings talks back to square one
Hamas said in a statement that Israel’s decision to reject the latest ceasefire proposal has brought the state of negotiations back to square one. After Hamas on Monday announced it had accepted a ceasefire deal that was put forward by mediators in Cairo, Israel said it would not accept the deal and instead offered a number of amendments to it. All parties left Cairo earlier this week, with an Israeli official declaring the talks over. Hamas said it will consult with Palestinian factions about its negotiation strategy.
Official Gaza death toll rises to 34,943 Palestinians
The Palestinian health ministry updated its death toll for Israel’s war in Gaza, and now reports that at least 34,943 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry added that 78,572 Palestinians have also been injured during this period. There are also an estimated 10k Palestinians buried under the rubble of buildings flattened by Israeli bombing, according to the Palestinian civil defence.
Hezbollah launches rockets towards northern Israel
Hezbollah said that it launched a series of rockets toward the city of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. Israeli media reported that around 20 rockets were fired towards the city and its surrounding areas, but there were no reports of casualties or damage at this point.
Israeli ambassador shreds UN charter in protest of Palestine vote
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, took to the podium at the UNGA to protest the vote taking place on whether to expand Palestine’s membership rights. In order to demonstrate what Erdan said was happening to the UN as a result of this “destructive vote,” the ambassador took out the UN Charter and shredded it. Erdan said:
That’s what you are doing, shredding the UN Charter.
Abbas says ‘Palestine to continue its endeavour’ for full UN membership
After the UNGA vote, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Palestine would “continue its endeavour” to obtain full UN membership status. As it stands, Palestine only holds observer status at the UN and is not allowed to vote on or propose resolutions.
UNGA vote paves pathway for Palestine’s full UN membership
The vote at the UNGA to back the granting of “new rights and privileges” to the State of Palestine has paved a pathway for Palestine to achieve full UN member status. The resolution calls on the UNSC to reconsider the request for Palestine to become the 194th member of the UN. The US vetoed a UNSCR on Apr 18 that would have paved way for full membership. Palestine’s permanent observer to the UN, Riyad Mansour, spoke of a day when Palestine “takes its rightful place among free nations.” We will be updating our full story on this development, which you can follow by clicking here.
UNGA votes yes to expanding Palestine’s membership
The UNGA has voted overwhelmingly to pass a resolution that would expand the State of Palestine’s membership rights at the UN. The assembly passed the resolution with 143 votes in favour, nine against, and 25 abstentions.
Four Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza fighting, says military
Israel’s military announced that four of its soldiers were killed during fighting in Gaza. All were killed during a battle that took place in northern Gaza, The Israeli military said.
UNGA to vote on ‘rights and privileges’ for Palestine
A UNGA vote on a resolution calling for more “rights and privileges” for Palestine at the UN has begun. Palestine’s request for full UN membership was vetoed by the US last month. The draft resolution being voted on today will not grant Palestine full membership but will allow it more rights and privelages within the UN, including the ability to join UN organisations and bodies. In a speech to the General Assembly, Mohamed Abushahab, the UAE’s ambassador to the UN said that the resolution would have a “profound impact on the Palestinian people.”
Aid truck drivers stuck at Rafah warn food could spoil if delays continue: report
Aid truck drivers waiting at the Rafah crossing to bring badly needed food into Gaza say that their cargoes could spoil if they continue to wait, Reuters is reporting. The border crossing has been closed since Israeli forces seized it ahead of its anticipated offensive on the city. Trucker Ahmed al-Bayoumi told Reuters:
The closure of the border crossing is not good for all these trucks because these are fridges, which means machine failure doesn’t give a warning. If the fridge stops working, then all of the food inside will be ruined.
ICRC ‘constantly asking’ Israel to allow humanitarian access
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said that if the blocking of aid following the shut down of Gaza’s border crossings continues there will be “even more catastrophic consequences from the situation that we now see.” ICRC spokesperson Jason Straziuso told Al Jazeera that the ICRC is “constantly asking” Israeli officials to allow humanitarian access. Straziuso said:
The Israeli officials know that we are desperate to bring in more supply trucks which we have waiting to cross the border as soon as they’re able to. There’s conversations also taking place about the need to spare civilian lives: no targeting of civilians, no targeting of civilian objects, meaning buildings, schools, medical facilities.
Israeli security cabinet approved ‘measured expansion’ of Rafah operation
Israel’s security cabinet approved a “measured expansion” of the Israeli military operation in Rafah on Thursday, as it instructed its negotiators to continue to try to reach a hostage deal, Axios reported on Friday. Axios cited two sources who said that the proposed expansion would not cross the red line set by Biden.
WHO warns Gaza fuel shortages leaving healthcare system on brink of collapse
The World Health Organization warned on Friday that Gaza’s healthcare system is close to collapse due to the blocking of fuel into the strip following the closure of the Rafah and Harm Abu Salem border crossings. WHO spox Margaret Harris said in a press brifing at the UN in Geneva:
Without fuel, everything in our hospitals will stop, and life-saving treatments will no longer be possible here. Without fuel, the entire healthcare system will collapse.
UK: Cambridge University academics and staff endorse Gaza student encampment
More than 1.7k staff, alumni, and students from the University of Cambridge have signed onto an open letter expressing support for protesters who set up a protest encampment earlier this week that calls on the university to end any potential complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza. On Monday, around a hundred students gathered outside King’s College, where they erected tents and demanded the institution commit to divesting from companies involved in Israel’s war. They joined students at over a hundred universities worldwide who have set up similar protest movements. The encampment’s organisers told Middle East Eye they are demanding that Cambridge University discloses all its relationships with companies and institutions “complicit in the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine.” They said they want the university to end all such relationships, support Palestinian students and academics, and commit to protecting academic freedom. Read more: Cambridge University academics and staff endorse Gaza student encampment.
Hamas steps up fighting as aid runs out under Israeli blockade
The armed wing of Hamas stepped up fighting with invading Israeli troops in Rafah on Friday, with reports of military helicopters transporting casualties from across Gaza. In a series of battlefield updates, the Izz’ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades said it ambushed Israeli troops, attacking them with anti-armour missiles and several short-range rockets. The heavy fighting comes amid intensifying Israeli artillery bombardment and air strikes across the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian reports, shelling has hit Beit Lahia in the north, Gaza City, Maghazi refugee camp and al-Mughraqa town in the central district, Abasan in Khan Younis, and Rafah. Many have been reported killed and wounded, though the Gaza health ministry has yet to provide a death toll update. Read more: Hamas steps up Gaza fighting as aid runs out under Israeli blockade.
Israeli military encircles eastern half of Rafah
Israeli tanks have seized the main road splitting eastern and western Rafah, encircling the city’s east, according to Reuters news agency. Residents interviewed by Reuters reported that constant explosions and gunfire could by heard in the east and northeast of the city.
WHO staff member’s family wounded and niece killed in Rafah air strike
A World Health Organisation staff member, along with his wife and one child were wounded in an Israeli air strike on their home in Rafah on Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros said. The staff member’s seven-year-old niece was killed in the attack. Tedros tweeted:
This is another devastating example of how unsafe it is in Rafah and across Gaza. We call for the protection of all humanitarian workers and all civilians. We call for a ceasefire.
Paramedic and maintenance worker killed in Israeli drone strike in South Lebanon
Two people have been killed, and others injured from an Israeli drone strike that hit a group of maintenance workers in Tayr Harfa, south Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. A paramedic and a technician for the company Power Tec were named as the victims.
EU condemns settler arson attack on UNRWA HQ
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the settlers involved in Thursday’s arson attack on the UNRWA HQ in Jerusalem “must be held to account.” He said in a tweet:
It is Israel’s responsibility to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers. UNRWA is an irreplaceable lifeline to millions in Gaza and the region.
Mandela’s grandson criticises UK Labour’s David Lammy, calls pro-Palestine protesters ‘heroes’
Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, the grandson of South African freedom fighter and anti-apartheid figurehead Nelson Mandela, dedicated the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of his grandfather’s presidency to pro-Palestine protesters in US university campuses. He said in a statement:
I dedicate the memory of this day to the students protesting on US university campuses, calling for an immediate ceasefire of the genocide of Gaza and supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom.
Zwelivelile Mandela called on students across the globe to emulate the US campus protests. He also criticised the UK’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, the Labour party’s David Lammy, for suggesting Nelson Mandela, would not have backed the protests. Zwelivelile Mandela said:
Contrary to what David Lammy, the Labour MP in the UK would like us to believe, my grandfather acknowledged the heroes in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA and campuses all over the world who regularly protested for our freedom.
He added that his grandfather supported armed struggle in the face of “increasing state brutality” against peaceful anti-apartheid protesters and was committed to “the Palestinian struggle.” He called on Lammy to “stop being an apologist for genocide and instead encourage all students on UK and European university campuses to emulate their fellow students in the USA in their call for a ceasefire in Gaza and support the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom.” Zwelivelile Mandela ended his statement by once again saluting the student protesters:
You are our heroes, we salute you.
Israeli army says 12 soldiers evacuated for treatment after being stung by wasps in southern Gaza
The Israeli army said twelve soldiers were wounded after being stung by wasps in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday. The incident occured when a tank from the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade drove over a large wasps’ nest in the border area, near the Nirim kibbutz. The insects then stung the troops, moderately injuring one and leaving 11 with light wounds. They were all taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.
Belgium broadcaster interrupts Eurovision semi final to condemn Israel’s war on Gaza
A Belgian broadcaster interrupted its coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final on Thursday night to display a protest message condemning Israel’s war on Gaza. In an act organised by a trade union, the screen briefly went black ahead of the semi-final coverage on VRT, Belgium’s public-service broadcaster in Flemish. It then aired the message:
This is a union action. We condemn the human rights violations by the state of Israel. Moreover, the state of Israel destroys press freedom. Therefore, we are interrupting the broadcast momentarily.
The message concluded with the hashtags “CeasefireNow” and “StopGenocide.” Read more: Belgium broadcaster interrupts Eurovision semi-final to condemn Israel’s war on Gaza.
Israel kills hundreds of imams offering message of hope and patience
Israel’s onslaught on Gaza since October has taken a heavy toll on faith leaders from the majority Muslim population, but officials say they are undeterred. Around 300 Islamic scholars and sheiks, including Quran instructors, Islamic preachers, and imams, have been killed so far in the military assaults, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs. Meanwhile, more than 500 mosques have been completely flattened, and dozens of mosques have been partially destroyed, including the historic Al-Omari Mosque. Three churches have also been reduced to rubble, including the historic Church of Saint Porphyrius. The ministry’s main building and the Quran Podcast Institute were also struck and damaged by Israeli raids. Read more: Israel kills hundreds of imams offering message of hope and patience.
Palestinian prisoners from Gaza strapped down, blindfolded, held in diapers: report
Palestinians abducted by IOF in Gaza are being “stripped down of anything that resembles human beings,” whistleblowers told CNN in a new investigation. The pictures obtained by CNN from Sde Teiman, a military base that now also serves as a detention center in the Negev desert, are captioned:
Rows of men in gray tracksuits are seen sitting on paper-thin mattresses, ringfenced by barbed wire. All appear blindfolded, their heads hanging heavy under the glare of floodlights.
The detainees were not allowed to speak, and therefore mumbled to each other. One whistleblower said:
We were told they were not allowed to move. They should sit upright. They’re not allowed to talk. Not allowed to peek under their blindfold.
Guards were reportedly instructed to scream “uscot” (“shut up” in Arabic) and to “pick people out that were problematic and punish them.” The investigation says that doctors sometimes amputated detainees’s limbs “due to injuries sustained from constant handcuffing” and that underqualified medics were called to perform medical procedures. Some wounds were even left to rot. The prisoners were placed under heavy physical restraint in the detention center, while the wounded ones are strapped to their beds in a field hospital, wearing diapers and fed through straws. Detainees were also often beaten. Another whistleblower said of these beatings:
They were not done to gather intelligence. They were done out of revenge. It was punishment for what they did on Oct 7 and punishment for behavior in the camp.
Arizona State University terminates scholar who verbally assaulted hijab-wearing woman
Arizona State University said that Jonathan Yudelman, a postdoctoral researcher who was involved in the verbal assault of a woman wearing a hijab, was terminated and will no longer be allowed to enter campus to teach. ASU President Michael Crow said in a statement to CNN:
He is no longer permitted to be on campus and will never teach here again.
Yudelman was recognised in a video where he seemed to be partaking in the intimidation of two people near a pro-Israel rally in a social media video that has since gone viral.
Israel withholding $46m in Palestinian Authority tax revenues: report
Israel’s Channel 12 says that Israeli Finance Minster Bezalel Smotrich is reportedly withholding some ₪170m ($46m) in tax revenue for the Palestinian Authority. Quoting anonymous sources, the channel says the funds have been withheld for nine days in response to the PA’s attempt to get the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials over alleged war crimes in the war on Gaza. Israel collects tax revenues on behalf of the PA, and had previously threatened to take actions that would lead to the PA’s collapse should the ICC ever issue arrest warrants.
Israel’s security cabinet holds tense meeting after Ben Gvir tweet: report
Yediot Ahronot leaked comments from last night’s security cabinet meeting, in which ministers reportedly discussed far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s “Hamas loves Biden” tweet. The meeting was scheduled to discuss Israel’s response to Biden’s decision to withhold arms shipments should an large-scale invasion of Rafah take place. Ben Gvir defended his post, saying:
It was gentle, relative to what most Israelis think. We need to talk to the Americans with respect, but make it clear that if there are sanctions on us then there will be less humanitarian aid.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reportedly responded:
To speak with respect like your tweet?
The report said that Netanyahu burst out laughing when Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel said:
He’s a romantic! He even added a heart emoji!
Ben Gvir apparently doubled down and said:
Such tweets will multiply. I expect all ministers to join me. There is support for what I said not only by Trump, who made very important comments, but also by some Democrats.
War cabinet minister Gabi Einsenkot then told Ben Gvir to remain respectful towards Biden.
Israeli army said it intercepted rockets launched from Rafah over Kerem Shalom
The Israeli army said that it had intercepted two rockets launched from the Rafah area to the Kerem Shalom kibbutz near the southern Gaza Strip.
110k have fled Rafah: UNRWA
UNRWA said that around 110k people have fled Rafah as Israeli bombardments have intensified in the area. The agency emphasises:
Nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip and living conditions are atrocious. The only hope is an immediate ceasefire.
Netanyahu says Israel can ‘stand alone’ if US halts arms shipments
Netanyahu has said that Israel can “stand alone” after the US warned it would halt arms shipments if a large-scale invasion of Rafah takes place. He said:
If we need to, we will stand alone. I have said that if necessary we will fight with our fingernails.
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda and AJ+ win Peabody Award
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda and social media publisher AJ+ won the Peabody Award, one of the highest honours in journalism, for their coverage of the impact Israel’s war on Gaza has had on Palestinians in the enclave. Owda rose to prominence for her videos on social media that detailed life in Gaza since the beginning of the war. The Peabody board of jurors said in a statement announcing the award winners:
Reporting from her makeshift tent outside the medical centre, [Bisan] shows what survival looks like for her and the masses around her, drawing on her indomitable spirit to keep the world informed of the day-to-day reality on the ground in Gaza.
Owda dedicated her award to university students and others protesting for Palestine across the globe. She said:
To all the people who took to the streets. To all the people at home who are participating in boycotts. To all the people worldwide, regardless of their religion, colour, and ethnicity.
Columbia affiliate endorses divestment from ‘companies profiting from the war in Palestine’
The Union Theological Seminary, an affiliate college to Columbia University, announced that its board of trustees endorsed a policy of divestment from “companies substantially and intractably benefiting from the war in Palestine.” The institution becomes of the first in the US to announce a plan to divest its endowment from companies linked to Israel’s war in Gaza. UTS houses Columbia’s constituent faculty of theology, but has a separate endowment from the university. A spokesperson told Columbia Spectator that UTS’s endowment is worth $110m. The statement reads:
Our investment policies will continue to adapt, guided by our values, to strengthen the resolve that undergirds our decision today. We do not take this step lightly, and we do so with all humility, recognising that our work on the global stage is far from finished. Although our investments in the war in Palestine are small because our previous, strong anti-armament screens are robust, we hope that our action today will bring needed pressure to bear to stop the killing and find a peaceful future for all.
Morning update
Here are the latest updates:
- Former Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Ghoneim was killed along with three members of his family in an Israeli air strike on Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip
- Clashes are reported between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces in eastern Rafah, while the Israeli army is conducting operations in several areas of the city
- Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN, said on Thursday that no one had been allowed to enter or leave Gaza for three days
- Netanyahu said his country is ready to “fight with our fingernails” after US warnings that arms supplies could be halted should an invasion of Rafah take place
- Axios reports that Blinken is expected to tell Congress today that Israel has not violated international law during its war on Gaza
- The UNGA is expected to vote on a resolution that grants new “rights and privileges” to the State of Palestine and calls on the UNSC to favourably consider its bid for full UN membership.
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