Palestine president calls for 'immediate ceasefire'; Gaza death toll hits 9,770
Arab leaders publicly pressed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In a rare open display of disagreement, the top US diplomat pushed back as he stood next to his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts at a press conference, saying a ceasefire would only let Hamas fighters regroup. Meanwhile, Israel's heavy bombardment of Gaza intensified, particularly in the north where many civilians remain trapped and unable to flee.
Summary
- Arab countries demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, but the US warns this would allow Hamas to regroup
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met leaders from Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan in Amman - as he pushes for humanitarian pauses in the fighting
- But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday there will be no temporary ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza until all Israeli hostages are released
- Earlier, a US envoy said 350,000-400,000 people remain in northern Gaza, which Israel has warned civilians to leave
- The Israeli military is also carrying out strikes in the south and the UN says no part of Gaza is safe
- At least 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October. More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel.
10:00pm
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'We will continue': Netanyahu tells 'enemies and friends' no ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there will be no ceasefire in Gaza despite growing international demands, reports Al Jazeera.
"There will be no ceasefire without the return of our hostages," he said while addressing pilots at the Ramon Airbase in southern Israel.
"We say this to both our enemies and our friends: We will continue until we beat them."
8:15pm
Abbas lays down condition for Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza
President Abbas has said that the Palestinian Authority could return to power in the Gaza Strip only if a "comprehensive political solution" is found for the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
After US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Abbas in Ramallah, a senior US State Department official told the Reuters that Blinken had expressed that the PA should play a central role in "what comes next in Gaza".
"We will fully assume our responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution that includes all of the West Bank, including east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip," Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Abbas as telling Blinken.
6:50pm
Palestinian Health Ministry says war death toll hits 9,770 in Gaza
The Palestinian Health Ministry has just reported that the death toll in the besieged enclave has risen to 9,770, including 4,880 children, since 7 October.
Latest casualty figures:
Gaza
Killed: 9,770
Wounded: 26,000
Occupied West Bank
Killed: 152
Wounded: 2,100
Israel
Killed: 1,405
Wounded: 5,600
6:05pm
Iran says US to be 'hit hard' if no ceasefire in Gaza: Report
Iran said the United States would be "hit hard" if Washington did not implement a ceasefire in Gaza.
"Our advice to the Americans is to immediately stop the war in Gaza and implement a ceasefire, otherwise they will be hit hard," Iran's Minister of Defence Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was quoted as saying by the semiofficial news agency Tasnim.
Iran considers the US to be "militarily involved" in the conflict, he added.
5:05pm
Abbas calls for 'immediate ceasefire'
In a meeting which lasted less than an hour, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ramallah that there must be an "immediate ceasefire" and humanitarian aid should be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, Abbas' spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told Reuters.
5:00pm
Blinken, Abbas discussed efforts to restore calm in West Bank: US State Department
Blinken "reaffirmed the US commitment to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance and resumption of essential services" in Gaza, according to a spokesperson for the US State Department, reports BBC.
He also made clear that Palestinians "must not be forcibly displaced", spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
Blinken and Abbas discussed efforts to "restore calm and stability" in the West Bank, including the need to "stop extremist violence against Palestinians and hold those accountable responsible", he added.
4:30pm
France FM urges 'immediate humanitarian truce' in Gaza war
France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called Sunday for an "immediate" humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas war as casualties climb in the besieged Gaza Strip, whose population is living on dwindling supplies, reports AFP.
"An immediate, durable and observed humanitarian truce is absolutely necessary and must be able to lead to a ceasefire," Colonna told reporters during a visit to Qatar.
4:00pm
Blinken-Abbas meeting underway
The meeting between US Secretary of State Blinken and Palestinian President Abbas has started in Ramallah.
3:05pm
Israeli attack targets mosque in northern Gaza: Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera Arabic is reporting that Israeli forces targeted a mosque east of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip.
The bombing comes as Israel intensifies its attacks on civilian targets and infrastructure, including mosques and churches, says Al Jazeera.
On Saturday, the Israeli army also destroyed two mosques in the Al-Zaytoun and Al-Sabra neighbourhoods, south of Gaza City.
3:00pm
Blinken to meet Abbas in Ramallah: Al Jazeera
US Secretary of State Blinken is scheduled to meet Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas at 11am [09:00 GMT] in Ramallah.
While the primary focus of the meeting will be to discuss stopping the war in Gaza, local media reports that Abbas is also expected to bring up the ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank as nightly raids by Israeli forces continue.
On Saturday, Blinken held a news conference in Amman alongside Jordan's deputy PM and Egypt's foreign minister on his third visit to the region since the war began.
2:30pm
Israeli forces arrest at least 46 Palestinians in occupied West Bank
Israeli forces intensified raids, violence and arrests in the occupied West Bank last night.
So far, the Israeli army has arrested at least 46 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.
In Ramallah, the Israeli army raided homes in the towns of Birzeit and Bil'in and arrested at least 14 Palestinians.
At least 14 people were also arrested in Hebron.
Arrests also took place in Jenin with at least nine people being arrested. Meanwhile, four more Palestinians were also arrested in Nablus.
1:50pm
Israeli army says it has hit over 2,500 targets in Gaza
The Israeli army says it hit more than 2,500 targets inside the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, reports Al Jazeera.
In a latest update on its military operations inside the besieged enclave, the military said it continued to engage in "face-to-face" battles.
The army said one of its airstrikes targeted one of Hamas's military compound overnight which included observation posts and operational headquarters
1:40pm
Three Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: Al Jazeera
Israeli forces have killed three Palestinians and wounded six in the town of Abu Dis in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
Around 2am [00:00 GMT], a large contingent of Israeli soldiers stormed the town and surrounded a house for several hours. Israeli forces said the home belonged to a suspected Palestinian fighter.
Israeli forces called on the suspect to hand himself over, but as the Palestinian refused, the army fired an antitank missile at the building, killing the man inside.
The man was later identified as 20-year-old Nabil Halabia. His body was taken by the Israeli soldiers.
1:30pm
Latest casualty figures
Gaza
Killed: 9,488
Wounded: 24,158
Occupied West Bank
Killed: 152
Wounded: 2,100
Israel
Killed: 1,405
Wounded: 5,600
12:14pm
Recap
- More than 30 people killed in the Israeli bombing of Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.
- US Secretary of State Blinken expected to meet Palestinian President Abbas in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.
- Blinken is then expected to go to Turkey where protestors have rallied outside a US base.
- Protests held around the world in support of Palestine on Saturday and Sunday.
- A protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday night called for the government to make more efforts for the release of captives held by Hamas.
11:00am
Tel Aviv protesters call for release of captives
Demonstrators in Tel Aviv surrounded rows of yellow chairs representing captives held by Hamas in Gaza on Saturday night, reports Al Jazeera.
Each of the chairs had a picture showing the eyes of the 242 people that Israel says were taken captive by Hamas almost one month ago.
Hamas's military wing the Qassam Brigades has said that 60 of those hostages have now been killed in Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip.
10:14am
Israel bombs Azhar university in Gaza: deputy foreign minister: Al Jazeera
Israel has bombed Azhar University in Gaza, according to a video posted on X by Palestine's deputy foreign minister Amal Jadou.
Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum, who attended Azhar University, said that the bombing occurred on Saturday morning.
9:28am
About 30 aid trucks arriving per day: Palestinian Red Crescent
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) received 30 additional aid trucks on Saturday, a number it says is equivalent to the number of trucks arriving per day since 21 October.
In total, just 451 aid trucks have arrived in Gaza since 21 October, the PRCS added.
The average resident in Gaza is living on two pieces of Arabic bread a day and is increasingly desperate for water, Thomas White, the head of the UN's Palestinian agency UNRWA has said.
9:20am
Infectious diseases reported as UNRWA shelters exceed capacity: UN
The UN's latest humanitarian update has described details of overcrowding in UNRWA shelters where more than 530,000 Palestinians are seeking refuge.
"Overcrowding conditions continue to create severe health and protection risks," the UN update said, adding that there are reports of several cases of acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and chicken pox in UNRWA shelters.
People are also now sleeping in the streets near UNRWA shelters, with its 92 facilities "[exceeding] capacity" and "unable to accommodate new arrivals", the UN said.
9:00am
Protesters mass outside Israeli PM Netanyahu's house as anger grows: Reuters
Police held back protesters outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, amid widespread anger at the failures that led to last month's deadly attack by Hamas gunmen on communities around the Gaza Strip, reports Reuters.
Waving blue and white Israeli flags and chanting "Jail now!", a crowd in the hundreds pushed through police barriers around Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem.
The protest, which coincided with a poll showing more than three quarters of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign, underlined the growing public fury at their political and security leaders.
8:39am
Biden says some progress towards 'humanitarian pause' in Gaza
US President Joe Biden says that there has been some progress made on securing a so-called "humanitarian pause" in the fighting.
His secretary of state, Antony Blinken has been working on the same issue, as he continues his diplomacy in the region.
Asked if any progress had been made on the issue, Biden replied "yes" and offered a thumbs up, without giving any further details.
8:25am
Israel-Hamas conflict affecting Ukraine war - Kyiv
The Israel-Gaza war is "taking away the focus" from the conflict in Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted.
He said this was "one of the goals" of Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
And he denied that fighting in Ukraine had reached a stalemate, despite a recent assessment to this effect by the country's top military general.
Ukraine's counter-offensive in the south has so far made little headway, prompting fears of war fatigue among Kyiv's Western allies.
8:10am
Turkey recalls Israel ambassador and cuts talks with Netanyahu
Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Israel following the country's refusal to agree to a ceasefire in its conflict with Hamas.
Turkey's foreign ministry stated that the withdrawal was the result of the "unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel's refusal [to accept] a ceasefire".
The move reflects an emerging tension between the two countries, with Tukey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying earlier that his government will cut off communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off," Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.
7:52am
Israeli minister vows to 'eliminate' Hamas top targets
sraeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has listed the top Hamas targets of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and vowed to "find and eliminate" them.
Yahya Sinwar is the head of Hamas in Gaza and a top military priority for the Israeli forces.
"I tell the residents of Gaza - if you reach him before us, it will shorten the war," said the defence minister.
The leader of Hamas' armed wing, Mohammed Deif, is another one of the army's top targets and security sources say that Sinwar and Deif are now somewhere in the network of tunnels below Gaza.
7:33am
Conflict will push us into abyss of hatred, says Jordan FM
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has called for all sides to work together to "stop a catastrophe that will haunt the region for generations".
He made the call during his joint news conference in Amman with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
He said: "I think we need to remind each other of our humanity. I think we need to accept that killing more people will not bring [back] those who are lost on both sides, as tragic as the loss is.
"I think we need to all emphasise that everything we can do to save one more life is imperative upon all of us."
7:14am
Israelis moving to isolate Gaza City
It seems that the Israeli military operation has a clear target: to enter the western and eastern parts of the Gaza Strip and squeeze the civilian populations into the central neighbourhoods of Sabra, Ziton, Daraj and Askoula.
There are five areas in which fighting is taking place - and that fighting is described on both sides of the conflict as fierce.
The most prominent is in the north west, where dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles have penetrated Gaza from Israel along the coast and travelled six to seven kilometres into Gaza.
They then moved eastwards in an apparent attempt to isolate Gaza City, the largest city in the Strip in size and population.
6:56am
No country would accept slaughter of civilians, says Blinken
One journalist asked Blinken what Israel has achieved in its operation, apart from "killing nearly 10,000 people".
Speaking about the attacks on 7 October, he said "not a single one of the countries represented here" or "pretty much any country in the world would simply accept the slaughter of its citizens and do nothing about it".
But he again stressed the need to take measures to protect civilians and said that in conversations with the Israeli government "we have pointed to steps that they could and should take to minimise harm to civilians".
However, he says that this "is also an extraordinary challenge" as Hamas "cynically, monstrously embeds itself in the midst of civilians" with fighters, weapons and command and control placed in and underneath schools, hospitals, mosques and residential buildings.
6:24am
Arab leaders press Blinken for Gaza ceasefire after school blasts
Arab leaders publicly pressed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Palestinians said an Israeli air strike killed at least 15 people in a UN-run school being used as a shelter.
In a rare open display of disagreement, the top US diplomat pushed back as he stood next to his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts at a press conference, saying a ceasefire would only let Hamas fighters regroup.
Blinken met the Saudi, Qatari, Emirati, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers in Amman.
6am
Protesters march in major cities to demand Gaza ceasefire
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged protests in London, Berlin, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul and Washington on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and castigate Israel after its military intensified its assault against Hamas.
In London, television footage showed large crowds holding sit-down protests blocking parts of the city centre, before marching to Trafalgar Square.
Police said they made 29 arrests for offences including inciting racial hatred and racially aggravated public order. Two people were arrested on suspicion of breaching terrorism legislation in connection with the wording of a banner displayed during the protest.
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