Israel-Palestine live: Thousands in state of panic as Israel continues to strike hospitals

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted in favour of a non-binding Jordanian resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel has rejected calls for a "humanitarian pause" in hostilities, in a rare disagreement with several of its western allies. 

"Israel is opposed to a humanitarian pause or ceasefire at this time," Lior Haiat, Israel's foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Friday. 

A temporary stop to bombardment has been touted by several of Israel's backers, including the US, Canada, the UK, and the EU. 

"I welcome the growing global consensus for a humanitarian pause in the conflict," UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said in a statement. 

But far from a pause, Israel's military said on Friday evening that it was "expanding" its aerial and ground activity in Gaza. 

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has urged a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, calling it a "moment of truth". 

"I repeat my call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies at the scale needed," he wrote on X on Friday evening.

"Everyone must assume their responsibilities. This is a moment of truth. History will judge us all."

Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has claimed that Israel is planning to flood Hamas tunnels with a type of nerve gas or chemical weapon.

Speaking to Egypt's Sada El Balad TV channel on Thursday, Meshaal also claimed that the US had told Israel to delay its looming ground invasion and continue pummelling Gaza from the sky and that Washington had deployed soldiers from its elite Delta Force to help in securing the release of hostages.

"We have information from trusted sources that the [US's] plan with Israel is to send special American/Israeli forces, administered by the US and executed either by Israel or combined [US and Israel] to... use nerve gases, aiming to paralyse the capabilities of Palestinian soldiers in the tunnels and trenches without killing him so they do not kill the hostages or captives held in these tunnels," he said.

Middle East Eye reported on Wednesday that Palestinian groups expected Israel to flood Hamas's tunnels with a type of nerve gas or chemical weapon under the surveillance of US Delta Force commandos.

Read more: Former Hamas chief claims Israel planning to flood Gaza tunnels with nerve gas

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs, has said that Israel has launched a ground war on Gaza and would result in a “human catastrophe”.

“Israel just launched a ground war on Gaza. Outcome will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions for years to come,” he wrote on X.

“Voting against Arab #UNGA resolution means approving this senseless war, this senseless killing. Millions will be watching every vote. History will judge.”

Jordan, on behalf of several Arab countries, has put forward a resolution to the 193-member UN General Assembly, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire, after a similar resolution put forward by Russia at the UN Security Council failed to pass.

The Israeli military is using flares to illuminate Gaza’s sky as it launches intense air strikes in the besieged Strip.

Fighter jets concentrated bombing in northwest Gaza late on Friday, in the heaviest shelling reported since the start of the war on 7 October, according to Al Jazeera.

The use of flares followed an announcement by the Israeli army spokesperson that ground forces would “expand activity” tonight.

The escalation comes after the Israeli military launched limited raids into Gaza from the sea and ground, on Thursday and Wednesday respectively.

Salvos of rockets from Gaza continued to be fired amidst the heavy bombardment, targeting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and cities and town near the Israel-Gaza frontier.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Friday it had lost contact with its teams in Gaza after Israel cut all communications, and was concerned whether it could continue providing emergency services.

Here is its full statement: 

"We have completely lost contact with the operations room in the Gaza Strip and all our teams operating there due to the Israeli authorities cutting off all landline, cellular and internet communications.

We are deeply concerned about the ability of our teams to continue providing their emergency medical services, especially since this disruption affects the central emergency number '101' and hinders the arrival of ambulance vehicles to the wounded and injured.

We are also worried about the safety of our teams working in the Gaza Strip as the continuous and intense Israeli airstrikes around the clock indicate that the Israeli authorities will continue to commit war crimes while isolating Gaza from the outside world.

We call on the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to provide immediate protection to innocent civilians, medical facilities and our teams."

Hamas has accused Israel of intending to commit "massacres" and "genocide" after cutting off all communications in the Gaza Strip on Friday. 

"Cutting off communications from the Gaza Strip and escalating bombing signals the occupation’s intention to commit more massacres and genocidal crimes," the Palestinian group said in a statement. 

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are taking to the streets to protest, after Israeli conducted intense, continuous air strikes across the Gaza Strip and cut internet connectivity in the enclave. 

Footage shared by local media showed demonstrators chanting and marching in central Ramallah. 

Israel's military has repeated claims that it is expanding its aerial and ground activity in Gaza. 

"The Air Force is striking underground targets very significantly. Ground forces are expanding the ground activity this evening," military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during a press conference on Friday evening, without elaborating further.

He also called on people in Gaza City to move further south of the besieged enclave.

Israel has previously ordered over 1 million Palestinians to move to the south but has continued to target air strikes on those southern areas, killing civilians. 

Internet observatory Netblocks confirmed on Friday that connectivity in the Gaza Strip had broken down. 

"Live network data show a collapse in connectivity in the #Gaza Strip with high impact to Paltel, amid reports of heavy bombardment," it said on X. 

"The company is the last remaining major operator to supply service as connectivity declines amid ongoing fighting with Israel."

Palestinian officials have rebutted Israeli claims that Al-Shifa hospital was being used by Hamas as a command centre, during a press conference outside the facility on Friday evening. 

"These are false fabricated allegations raised by the Israelis," said Salama Marouf, head of the Palestinian media office in Gaza. 

He said that Israel used technology to "fabricate audio records", adding that there was no evidence to suggest that Hamas was using tunnels under the facility or a command centre within it. 

Palestinian officials invited journalists to an inspection tour of the facility.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that "terrorists move freely in Al-Shifa hospital" in Gaza City. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video, most of which consisted of CGI animation, of what he said was "intelligence" proving that hospitals were "headquarters" for Hamas. 

Senior Hamas figure Izzat al-Rishq said the remarks by Israeli officials were a "prelude" to targeting the hospital, which is currently sheltering around 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza. 

A Palestinian telecommunications provider said there was now a complete blackout of connectivity in the besieged Gaza Strip.

“We regret to announce a complete interruption of all communications and Internet services with the Gaza Strip in light of the ongoing aggression,” the telecommunications company Jawwal said in a statement on Friday. 

“The intense bombing in the last hour caused the destruction of all remaining international routes linking Gaza to the outside world,” it said, adding that Israel’s bombardment and siege had already interrupted communications services in the enclave.

A barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza as the Strip was being pounded by some of the heaviest Israeli air strikes yet. 

Sirens were sounded in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. There were no immediate reports of damage in Israel. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the UN will not be able to continue delivering aid without an immediate and fundamental shift in how aid goes into Gaza.

Speaking on Friday Guterres said the collapse of Gaza’s humanitarian safety net will have “unimaginable consequences” for more than two million civilians.

Guterres added that before the war 500 trucks would cross into Gaza in a single day but since the conflict an average of just 12 trucks a day entered the besieged enclave.

The World Health Organization said on Friday that it urgently needs an estimated $80 million to respond to humanitarian needs in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.