Israel-Palestine live: Israel bombs Unrwa building in Gaza
Live Updates
Hello MEE readers. A day after Israel launched a raid on the city of Rafah, conducting intense bombing that killed dozens of Palestinians including children, the southern city in Gaza waits in fear for a potential planned invasion by the Israeli army.
The plans for the invasion called by the Israeli government and military have been met with warnings from a number of western countries, including France and Canada, who have called on Israel to not go through with an assault on the city.
Rafah is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians at the moment, after many fled to the southern area after being forcibly displaced by Israel's military in central and northern Gaza.
At the beginning of Israel's military campaign, it called on Palestinians to move south towards Rafah, saying the city would serve as a place where Palestinians could escape the conflict. However, throughout the past four months Rafah has faced Israeli bombardment.
Now, as an Israeli invasion looms, thousands of Palestinians are moving north of the city, with many becoming displaced yet again.
Here is the news you need to know from today:
-
A Hezbollah official in southern Lebanon was "seriously wounded" in an Israeli air strike on Monday, while four of the movement's fighters were killed.
-
US President Joe Biden said Washington is working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that would result in a six-week long pause in the fighting.
-
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday he was deeply concerned about a potential Israeli ground invasion of the city of Rafah.
-
Hamas' armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said three Israeli hostages who were seriously injured following Israeli air strikes died from their wounds.
-
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hinted that Biden should give Israel "less arms" if it cares about the high civilian death toll in Gaza.
-
In a cabinet meeting with Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi, national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded the military shoot women and children in Gaza near the border with Israel.
A Hezbollah official in southern Lebanon was "seriously wounded" in an Israeli air strike on Monday, a Lebanese security source told AFP.
In addition to the official, four of the Lebanese movement's fighters were killed in the strike.
The security source told AFP that the strike "targeted a local Hezbollah official in the town of Bint Jbeil".
The Israeli military said in a statement on X that "an aircraft struck a vehicle in which Hezbollah terrorists were identified in the area of Maroun El Ras," which is on the edge of Bint Jbeil.
Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the group Palestinian Islamic Jihad said two of its members were killed. The group has a presence in Lebanon and has also been fighting against Israel in Gaza alongside Hamas.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations received reports that a vessel was attacked off the coast of Yemen, where Houthi forces have continued to target commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
“UKMTO has received a report of an incident, 40NM South of AL Mukha, Yemen,” the group said.
“Master reports his vessel was attacked by two missiles and reports minor damage. Vessel and crew are safe. Vessel proceeding to next port of call.”
The United States is working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that would result in a six-week long pause in the fighting, President Joe Biden told reporters on Monday.
"We're actively working for peace, security and dignity for both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people. And I'm working on this day and night," Biden said, following talks with Jordan's King Abdullah.
International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday he was deeply concerned about a potential Israeli ground invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
The prosecutor said on X that the court has an active investigation going on in Palestine and added the probe has a goal of "bringing to justice those responsible for Rome Statute crimes".
"I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah," Khan said.
Israel is not a member of the ICC and doesn't recognise its jurisdiction.
Read more by clicking below.
ICC prosecutor threatens Israel with potential action over military activity in Rafah
As a planned Israeli invasion of Rafah continues to loom, mass protests took place on London’s Downing Street in demand of a ceasefire.
The UK Labour Party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali, a candidate in the by-election for Rochdale, a town in the greater Manchester area.
"Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale by-election," a Labour spokesperson said, as reported by Guardian political correspondent Eleni Courea.
Ali is alleged to have said at a Labour meeting that Israel "allowed" the Hamas-led attack to take place on 7 October.
While it is too late to replace Ali from the ballot, if he wins he would serve as an independent MP, rather than being affiliated with Labour.
Stephane Sejourne, the foreign minister of France, said that an Israeli assault on Rafah would be unjustified, according to Reuters.
International pressure warning Israel against invading the southern city of Gaza is mounting, with Rafah currently home to more than a million people - many of whom originally fled to the area to escape bombardment in central and northern Gaza.
White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby welcomed news that Israel's military freed two hostages during a raid by special forces in the southern city of Rafah.
The raid by Israel, which included intense bombardment of the area, killed dozens of Palestinians including children.
Kirby said there can be no end to the war in Gaza until Hamas releases all hostages held in the enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the latest ceasefire proposal from Hamas, which would have led to the release of all the hostages in Israel in exchange for a monthslong pause in fighting.
Hamas's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said on Monday that three Israeli hostages who were seriously injured following Israeli air strikes died from their wounds. A total of eight hostages were injured in the strikes.
"We will postpone the announcement of the names and pictures of the dead for the coming days until the fate of the remaining wounded becomes clear," the group said on Telegram.
Thousands of Palestinians are leaving Rafah, once deemed by Israel's military to be the "safe" haven that Gaza residents should evacuate to escape bombardment, as an Israeli invasion of the southern Gaza city grows imminently closer.
On Sunday night, Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians in Rafah, including children, in an operation it said was aimed at rescuing two hostages.
In a cabinet meeting with Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded the military shoot women and children in Gaza that come near Israel.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the two engaged in a debate over Israel’s “open-fire” policy in Gaza, with Ben Gvir saying that its soldiers should be given more reign over shooting at Palestinians.
“We cannot have women and children getting close to the border... anyone who gets near must get a bullet [in his head],” Ben Gvir was quoted as saying.
After US President Joe Biden said Israel's conduct in Gaza was "over the top" last week, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hinted that the American leader ought to do something to rein in that conduct.
"Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed," Borrell told reporters on Monday.
"If the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe we have to think about the provision of arms."
The EU's foreign policy chief said that countries were contradicting themselves when saying Israel was killing too many civilians in Gaza, but not using their leverage to prevent those killings.
Another Palestinian journalist has died after being critically wounded in an air strike.
According to local media, Ala'a Al Hams was wounded in an attack on Rafah on Sunday.
Last month an Israeli strike killed 11 members of her family and left her with a spinal fracture.
Israeli bombs have hit targets in Gaza just 300 metres from the Egyptian border, according to a Sinai-based rights group.
The Sinai Foundation said it obtained photos of the aftermath of strikes on civilian facilities in Rafah.
Local sources told the organisation that the Israelis struck areas close to the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip as well as areas adjacent to the border fence.
