Gaza live: Biden moves ahead with military aid for Israel as it launches ground assaults on Rafah

The bodies of at least 30 Palestinians who were killed in overnight Israeli attacks on their homes in Gaza have been taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera is reporting.

The victims include the elderly, women and children.

The Israeli army said on Saturday about 300,000 people had left eastern Rafah after Israel ordered people to leave that area of the southern Gaza city this week.

"So far, approximately 300,000 Gazans have moved towards the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi" since the order was issued on Monday, the military said in a statement, referring to a coastal area west of Rafah.

Israeli forces ordered fresh evacuations from areas in Rafah on Saturday as it prepared to expand its operation in the city.

In a post on X, Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, called on residents to  evacuate parts of al-Jnaina, Khirbet al-Adas and al-Adari neighbourhoods, and Shaboura camp and to "immediately head to the shelters west of Gaza City".

He said that people in these areas were in a "dangerous combat zone ... [T]herefore everyone who is in those areas exposes themselves and their families to danger".

Evacuation orders have also been issued for residents in areas of Jabalia and northern Gaza.

Hello MEE readers. On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to pass a resolution that would expand the membership rights of Palestine.

The passage of the resolution 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 Department released its highly anticipated report on whether Israel was using American weapons in violation of international law in Gaza.

The report found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israel did use American-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 United Arab Emirates denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.

• Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike that took place on 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 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.

The United Arab Emirates issued a statement denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.

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, 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 [international humanitarian law] is not
necessarily disproven by individual IHL violations".

The Palestinian news agency 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 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 ethical 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.

White House national security spokesperson 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 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 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.

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 10,000 Palestinians buried under the rubble of buildings flattened by Israeli bombing, according to the Palestinian civil defence.

The Lebanese movement 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.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, took to the podium at the UN General Assembly 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.

"That's what you are doing, shredding the UN Charter," Erdan said.

After the UN General Assembly 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 United Nations and is not allowed to vote on or propose resolutions.