Benjamin Netanyahu has said that all of the Gaza Strip will be under Israeli security control “in the end”, as dozens more Palestinians are killed in Israeli attacks.
On Wednesday, the Israeli prime minister told a press conference that the entire enclave would come under Israeli control eventually, and that Israel had probably killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar after a strike on a hospital in southern Gaza earlier this month.
The statement comes as Netanyahu is facing growing international pressure, as the UN warns no humanitarian aid has reached starving Palestinians in Gaza yet - even after an 11-week blockade was lifted this week.
Hospital officials said on Wednesday that a newborn baby and several women are among at least 82 people who have been killed in Gaza after Israeli strikes overnight.
A nurse has said conditions at Nasser Hospital are “beyond critical” and the hospital that was once a “major lifeline” is now barely functioning.
“Many patients die simply because we cannot treat them in time,” the nurse, called Ahmad, told The Independent.
Meanwhile, the UK government is facing pressure to sanction ministers in Israel’s government.
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Key Points
- All of Gaza will ultimately come under Israeli control, Netanyahu says
- Week-old baby, women among 82 killed in Israeli strikes, health officials say
- Pope Leo appeals for aid access to Gaza
- 'No flour, no food, no water': Palestinians desperately wait for aid
- Former Israeli PM claims current action in Gaza 'is very close to a war crime'
Analysis: Netanyahu is turning Israel into a global pariah – the world has finally run out of patience
22:28
,
Athena Stavrou
The joint statement by the UK, France and Canada – combined with UK sanctions and suspension of trade talks – shows the international community has finally run out of patience with Israel, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew:
Who are the Israeli ministers potentially facing UK sanctions?
22:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Keir Starmer is on the verge of sanctioning senior members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government - and it’s understood that Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich are at the top of the list.
Ben-Gvir is a far-right politician, who earlier this year resigned from cabinet in response to approved plans to begin a three-phase ceasefire with Hamas. He returned to the government two months later when fighting resumed, as Israeli’s Haaretz reported.
Last week he said the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza should be promoted, the Times of Israel reported.
Smotrich did not resign as a minister alongside Ben-Gvir, but he is also a far-right politician and a settler living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to Haaretz.
Earlier this month, he bragged that Israel was “finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip,” before saying the territory would be “totally destroyed” within months, the Times of Israel reports.
More recently he also vowed to only allow “the minimum necessary” amount of aid into Gaza, the Times said.
UK minister condemns Israeli military after British diplomats caught in shooting
21:29
,
Athena Stavrou
Israel must hold an investigation after British diplomats were caught up in shooting by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, a Foreign Office minister has said.
A group of western diplomats faced warning shots from the Israel Defence Forces while visiting the city of Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
Two British diplomats understood to be among the group of around 20 people have been confirmed as safe.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer described the events in Jenin as “unacceptable”.
He added: “I have spoken to our diplomats who were affected. Civilians must always be protected, and diplomats allowed to do their jobs. There must be a full investigation and those responsible should be held accountable.”
Pictured: Smoke billows from Gaza as Israeli bombardment continues
21:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Palestinian deal with Lebanon on weapons
20:28
,
Jane Dalton
The Lebanese and Palestinian presidents have agreed that Palestinian factions won't use Lebanon as a launchpad for any attacks against Israel, and to remove weapons that aren't under the authority of the Lebanese state.
The announcement was made during a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Lebanon's government is seeking to establish authority throughout the country, mainly in the south near the border with Israel after the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war that ended in late November with a ceasefire.
The 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are not under the control of the Lebanese state, and Palestinian factions in the camps have different types of weapons.
Rival groups have clashed inside the camps in recent years, inflicting casualties and affecting nearby areas.
100 aid trucks entered into Gaza, Israeli military says
20:06
,
Athena Stavrou
The Israeli military has said 100 aid trucks carrying flour, baby food and medical equipment have entered into the Gaza strip on Wednesday.
However, UN officials said earlier distribution problems had meant that no aid had so far reached people in need.
Pictured: Netanyahu holds first press conference in months
19:37
,
Athena Stavrou
At least 15 aid trucks enter Gaza, two merchants say
19:15
,
Athena Stavrou
At least 15 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom, two merchants familiar with the matter have said.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that the trucks are crossing en route to World Food Program warehouses in central Gaza.
International and domestic pressure has been mounting on the Israeli government to allow more aid to reach a population on the brink of famine after an 11-week blockade.
‘No flour, no food, no water’: Israel continues to pound Gaza as aid still struggles to get through
19:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Palestinians in Gaza were still desperately waiting for the food aid to arrive despite mounting pressure on the Israeli government to ease its military offensive and allow more humanitarian supplies into the territory.
The Israeli military continued its renewed attack on Gaza overnight on Wednesday, killing at least 82 including a week-old baby and several women, Gaza’s hospital officials said.
The ongoing attacks come despite international and domestic pressure to allow essential humanitarian aid to flow to 2 million Palestinians in Gaza on the brink of a famine after an 11-week blockade.
Read the full story:
All of Gaza will ultimately come under Israeli control, Netanyahu says
18:33
,
Athena Stavrou
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently giving a press conference.
After he claimed Israel has probably killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, he said: “All of Gaza Strip will be under the security control of Israel.”
Netanyahu speaking
18:29
,
Athena Stavrou
Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a press conference, as pressure continues to mount on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza and to scale back its military offensive.
He has said Israel has probably killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, and that if there is an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire and hostage deal “Israel will be open to it”, Reuters reported.
Netanyahu to speak shortly
18:15
,
Athena Stavrou
Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to hold a press conference in the next few minutes.
The Israeli prime minister will speak at his first press conference in five months, as pressure continues to mount on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza and to scale back its military offensive.
We will bring you the latest updates here.
Charities warn 'Gaza is hell on earth' as Israel intensifies attacks
18:12
,
Athena Stavrou
People in Gaza have described the enclave as “hell on earth”, as Israel continues to bombard the strip and supplies run out.
ActionAid said staff at their partner organisation in Gaza, WEFAQ, had been forced to evacuate their offices and homes.
The charity’s emergency response manager in Gaza, Alaa, who was also forcibly displaced from his home in Deir Al-Balah, said people were fleeing with just the clothes on their backs while hungry and exhausted.
“Gaza is hell on the earth,” he said. “We live under non-stop bombing along with starvation...The situation is beyond impossible.”
Riham Jafari, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator at ActionAid Palestine, said: “There are simply no words to describe the horror people in Gaza are living through right now, with the entire strip under intense attack and virtually no food or other essentials available.
“Every single day the news from our colleagues and partners in Gaza gets more unbearable. “
Aid still not distributed in Gaza, says UN
17:42
,
Athena Stavrou
Humanitarian aid is still yet to reach Palestinian people in Gaza, the UN has said.
Two days after Israel lifted an 11-week blockade and began allowing limited deliveries through the Kerem Shalom crossing, it is yet to be distributed to starving civillians in the enclave.
"So far ... none of the supplies have been able to leave the Kerem Shalom loading area," said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
They added that it was because Israeli authorities had only allowed access within Gaza "that we felt was insecure" and where looting was likely due to the prolonged deprivation.
No aid has been distributed today, UN aid official says
17:13
,
Reuters
No aid has reached people in Gaza, a U.N. aid official said on Wednesday, two days after the Israeli government said it had lifted an 11-week-old blockade that has brought the Palestinian enclave to the brink of famine.
The Israeli military said five aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday and 93 on Tuesday but supplies have not made it to Gaza's soup kitchens, bakeries, markets and hospitals, according to aid officials and local bakeries that were standing by to receive supplies of flour.
"None of this aid - that is a very limited number of trucks - has reached the Gaza population," said Antoine Renard, country director of the World Food Programme (WFP), who said the trucks appeared to be stopped in Kerem Shalom, the sprawling logistics hub at the south-eastern corner of the Gaza Strip.
Many in Gaza at risk of famine
16:51
,
AP
Experts have warned that many of Gaza's 2 million residents face a high risk of famine. At one displacement camp in Gaza City, a charity group distributed thin and watery lentil soup.
Somaia Abu Amsha scooped small portions into bowls for her family, saying they have not had bread for over 10 days and she can't afford rice or pasta.
"We don't want anything other than that they end the war. We don't want charity kitchens. Even dogs wouldn't eat this, let alone children," she said, pointing at the soup.
Mapped: Where and how Israel has ramped up its latest attack on the Gaza Strip
16:25
,
Alex Croft
Israel continued to pound the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Wednesday as it resisted international pressure to halt its revamped attacks on the devastated enclave.
Scores of Palestinians were killed, including several women and a one-week-old baby, with at least 500 killed in the past week as Israel launches its new offensive, “Operation Gideon’s Chariots”.
Here’s a look at what Israel is doing in Gaza:
Netanyahu expected to hold press conference
16:01
,
Rachel Clun
Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to hold his first press conference in five months later today, as pressure continues to mount on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza and to scale back its military offensive.
Netanyahu’s office said he would speak at 8.15pm in Jerusalem (6.15pm British time), according to the Times of Israel.
'No flour, no food, no water': Palestinians desperately wait for aid
15:45
,
Rachel Clun, Rachel Clun
Palestinians in Gaza were still waiting for the promised arrival of food despite mounting pressure on the Israeli government to allow more aid in to the territory.
International and domestic pressure has ramped up to allow essential humanitarian aid to flow to the population on the brink of a famine after an 11-week blockade.
According to Israeli military figures fewer than 100 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Monday, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government agreed to lift the blockade that has forced Gazans into a desperate struggle to survive.
Abdel-Nasser Al-Ajramy, the head of the bakery owners' society, said at least 25 bakeries that were told they would receive flour from the World Food Programme had seen nothing and there was no relief from the hunger for people waiting for food.
"There is no flour, no food, no water," said Sabah Warsh Agha, a 67-year-old woman from the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya sheltering in a cluster of tents near to the beach in Gaza City. "We used to get water from the pump, now the pump has stopped working. There is no diesel or gas."
In pictures: Palestinians queue for food
15:31
Palestinians have queued for food on Wednesday amid an ongoing shortage of food and necessities following an 11-week Israeli blockade on aid.
While Israel says it has let dozens of aid trucks into Gaza, as of Tuesday evening the UN said they had been unable to distribute the essentials.
Top EU diplomat calls for Israeli investigation after warning shots fired at diplomats
15:15
,
Rachel Clun, AP
The European Union’s top diplomat has called for a full investigation by the Israeli Defence Force after video emerged of IDF troops firing warning shots as foreign diplomats toured Jenin this morning.
“Any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable. Israel is also a signatory to the Vienna Convention — the obligation to guarantee the security of all foreign diplomats,” she said at an EU-African press conference, the Times of Israel reports.
The Italian government also demanded an explanation, saying that its vice consul was among those who came under fire.
Jenin has been the site of Israel's widespread crackdown against West Bank militants since earlier this year.
Israeli military apologised after troops fire towards diplomats at Jenin
15:00
,
Rachel Clun
The Israeli Defence Force has apologised after video emerged of IDF troops firing warning shots as foreign diplomats toured Jenin this morning.
Video published by the Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry shows dozens of dignitaries and minders who were in Jenin running back to their cars as gunshots are heard.
The IDF apologised but also said the group did not follow the route that had been agreed to when coordinating with the army.
The IDF said the group “deviated from the route and entered an area where they were not authorised to be,” according to the Times of Israel.
The military said the commander of the West Bank division launched an immediate inquiry, and the head of the civil administration will speak to the diplomats involved.
“The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused,” it said.
In pictures: Israeli demonstrators attempt to block food aid to Gaza
14:42
,
Rachel Clun
Right-wing. Israeli protesters gathered at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday morning in an attempt to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
Israel said it has let in dozens of UN trucks though this week, but is facing mounting international pressure to increase the aid flow and abandon its intensified military campaign.
Week-old baby, women among 82 killed in Israeli strikes, health officials say
14:25
,
Rachel Clun, AP
A newborn baby and several women are among at least 82 who have been killed in Gaza after Israeli strikes overnight, hospital officials said.
Earlier, officials said 45 had been killed in strikes overnight in Gaza.
More aid trucks left Israel on Wednesday morning, but internal notes circulated among aid groups on Wednesday said that no humanitarian trucks had left Kerem Shalom, the border crossing in southern Gaza that is operated by Israel.
The notes said 65 trucks moved from the Israel side of the crossing to the Palestinian side, but had not made it into Gaza.
It comes after the UN said on Tuesday evening that although aid had entered Gaza, workers had not been able to take it to distribution points after the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks and workers ran out of time.
In pictures: Pro-Palestinians protest at Foreign Office, London
14:02
,
Jane Dalton
Pope Leo's full comments on Gaza aid
13:48
,
Rachel Clun
During his first Wednesday audience in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV appealed for aid to reach those who need it in Gaza.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying and painful,” he said.
“I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, the heart-rending price of which is being paid by children, the elderly and the sick.”
Israeli troops blockade hospitals
13:40
,
Jane Dalton
Two of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals have been encircled by Israeli troops, preventing anyone from leaving or entering them, hospital staff and aid groups said this week.
The Indonesian hospital and al-Awda hospital are among the region's only surviving medical centres.
Both have come under fire this week, including shelling at al-Awda today.
A third hospital, Kamal Adwan, is out of service, its director said, citing Israeli troops and drones in its vicinity.
Israeli military says it killed a member of elite Hamas fighting unit in Gaza attacks
13:17
,
Rachel Clun
The Israeli Defence Force says it has killed a member of an elite Hamas military unit in overnight strikes on Gaza.
“Mohammad Shahin, a Nukhba terrorist in Hamas' east Jabaliya Battalion was eliminated. Shahin infiltrated Israel and participated in the brutal October 7 massacre,” The IDF said on social media.
“Over the past day, the IDF struck over 115 terror targets throughout Gaza from the ground, sea and air. The targets included launchers, military structures, tunnels, terrorist cells, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites.”
Gazan hospital officials said more than 45 people were killed in the strikes, including several women and a week-old baby.
In pictures: Demostration outside Foreign Office calling for more UK pressure on Israel
12:51
,
Rachel Clun
A group of pro-Palestine protesters have been demonstrating outside the Foreign Office today, calling for the United Kingdom to place more pressure on Israel to end its operations in Gaza.
