Israel-Palestine live: Netanyahu rejects Hamas ceasefire proposal, vows ‘total victory’

In an opinion piece for Middle East Eye, columnist Jonathan Cook said the ICJ's interim judgement on Friday had assured "the taint on Israel is not going away". 

He wrote: "The ICJ's ruling does not exist in a legal vacuum. On the same day, a federal district court in California heard a case brought against the Biden administration for complicity and failure to prevent an "unfolding genocide" in Gaza.

Other states are in similar jeopardy. Before the ruling, Israel's allies could plausibly argue that their transfer of arms to Israel were made in good faith, even if it was later shown that some of those weapons ended up being used, inadvertently or otherwise, in the commission of war crimes.  

But a suspicion by the World Court of genocide means that other states must act much more carefully to avoid the risk of being accused of complicity. The justices have raised a red flag over Israel's behaviour. Other states are required to take note."

You can read the full column below. 

Opinion: The World Court has put Israel and its allies on trial for genocide

Fires on board a tanker operated on behalf of commodities firm Trafigura have been extinguished by crews, after the vessel was hit by a Houthi anti-ship missile in the Gulf of Aden.

"All crew on board the Marlin Luanda are safe and the fire in the cargo tank has been fully extinguished. The vessel is now sailing towards a safe harbour," Trafigura said in a statement on Saturday.  

It added that Indian, US and French navy vessels had helped in the firefighting efforts.

Yemen's Houthis have launched several drones and missile attacks on vessels in the Red Sea as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Several hours after the incident on the Marlin Luanda, US forces destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Red Sea and ready to launch, the US Central Command said in a statement.

The missile "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region," it said.

Palestinians in Gaza are resorting to extreme measures amid growing starvation due to Israel's bombardment and siege. 

Families have been forced to use animal fodder and bird feed baked into their bread, sometimes causing medical problems, particularly in young children. 

Abu Alaa, an owner of a mill in central Gaza, said that the food available to people is inedible. 

“People are mixing bird feed and animal food into their food. This is not right, it's not healthy. People are grinding this and mixing it into their bread,” he told Middle East Eye. 

You can read the full report from Gaza below. 

Read more: Palestinians forced to mix animal fodder with flour to make bread 

A displaced Palestinian, 28, has been killed after Israeli forces opened fire on him in the courtyard of al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on Saturday.

The PRCS said the hospital, which it runs, had been targeted and come under siege by Israeli troops for six consecutive days. 

"The Israeli occupation continues to bombard the vicinity of the hospital and open fire, jeopardising the safety of medical staff, the wounded, patients, and approximately 7,000 displaced individuals who sought refuge there," it wrote on X.

David Hearst, Middle East Eye's editor-in-chief, believes that the ICJ's ruling could finally break Israel's siege on Gaza, and even pressure its western allies to start aid drops into the enclave themselves. 

He writes: "This judgement re-establishes the morality, impartiality and standing of international law, and will show the impunity that Israel has been granted by its major arms suppliers and backers for what it is: a license to kill.

There can be no bigger hole knocked through the position of a US administration that bogusly claimed “diplomacy is back”, and then went on to to defend and furnish the most murderous bombardment in the recent history of this conflict.

Israel is now in the dock on a charge of genocide and will be obliged to report back to the court in a month, for its accuser South Africa to review, on the measures it has taken to prevent incitement to genocide and genocide itself and to allow more aid into Gaza."

You can read the full column below. 

Opinion: How the ICJ ruling could finally break Israel's siege of Gaza

The decision by several countries to suspend financing Unrwa, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, entails great political and relief risks, according to a senior Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) official.

"We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for Unrwa to immediately reverse their decision," Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the PLO, wrote on X on Saturday. 

Italy, Canada, Australia and the US ceased their support for the organisation over allegations that some members of Unrwa were involved in Hamas' attacks on southern Israel on 7 October.

The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since 7 October now stands at 26,257, the Palestinian health ministry announced on Saturday. 

At least 64,797 others have been wounded during that time, the ministry added.

Video footage shared overnight shows the moment when an Israeli army bulldozer destroyed a public monument in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. 

Israeli forces stormed the city on Friday night, sparking confrontations with Palestinian residents. 

Qassam Ahmad Yasin, 27, was killed after being shot in the abdomen by Israeli troops during the raid. He was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his wounds shortly afterwards.

Italy has suspended its funding of Unrwa, the UN refugee agency for Palestinian refugees. 

"The Italian government suspended funding Unrwa after the atrocious attack by Hamas against Israel on 7 October," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X on Saturday. 

"Allied countries have recently made the same decision. We are committed to humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population [and] protecting Israel's security." 

It came after the US suspended funding for Unrwa, saying it was "troubled" by allegations that 12 of its employees might have been involved in the 7 October Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. 

Good morning MEE readers, 

It's been nearly 24 hours since the ICJ ruled that Israel must take all measures to prevent genocide and allow aid into the Gaza Strip.

The decision was met by disappointment from many Palestinians, after the court fell short of asking for a ceasefire. 

Since then Israel's bombardment of the besieged enclave has continued. Dozens of Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed overnight following Israeli air strikes and shelling in Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah, according to Wafa news agency. 

In the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian man, 27, was shot dead by Israeli forces north of Jenin during a late night raid. 

US President Joe Biden spoke with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Friday night, during which both leaders agreed that a deal to release Israeli captives held in Gaza was key to securing a longer pause in fighting. Biden also spoke with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Hello Middle East Eye readers. Friday began with the highly anticipated interim decision by the International Court of Justice, which ruled that Israel must prevent a genocide in Gaza and has a month to prove it is doing so.

The decision was welcomed by much of the international community as a victory for the Palestinian people. However, the response from inside Gaza was dreadful, as Palestinians saw the decision as meaning they will have to continue facing Israel's military assault for another month.

Inside the US, a federal court in Oakland heard a historic hearing on a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of failing to stop a genocide in Gaza.

And as global attention turned towards The Hague on Friday, Israel continued its military campaign in Khan Younis, targeting two hospitals in the city.

Here's what you need to know from today's developments:

• The planned meeting between President Joe Biden's campaign team and Arab and Muslim American leaders in Dearborn was cancelled due to the outrage from the community over Biden's support of Israel's devastating war in Gaza.

• Qassam Yassin, a 27-year-old Palestinian man, was killed by Israeli forces in the village of Deir Abu Daif, near Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

• The US suspended funding for Unrwa, saying it was "troubled" by allegations that 12 of its employees might have been involved in the 7 October Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. The suspension pauses funding for the UN agency at a critical time as many Palestinians are sheltering at Unrwa facilities in Gaza.

• In Khan Younis, hospitals received the bodies of 18 Palestinians and dozens of others who were wounded.

• At least 6 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli aerial bombing in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

• Two vessels in the Red Sea caught fire after being attacked by Houthi missiles.

Qassam Yassin, a 27-year-old Palestinian man, was killed by Israeli forces in the village of Deir Abu Daif, near Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian news outlets reported that Yassin was killed by live bullets that hit his stomach during confrontations with Israeli forces after they stormed the village.

He was then transferred to the hospital with serious injuries, and later pronounced dead.

The planned meeting between President Joe Biden's campaign manager and a group of Arab and Muslim American leaders in Dearborn was cancelled due to the outrage from the community over Biden's support of Israel's devastating war in Gaza.

The news reflects the anger towards the Biden administration from members of both Arab and Muslim communities in the US. 

Campaigns have been started in the communities to advocate against voting for Biden over his approach to Israel's war.

In a joint statement released late on Friday afternoon, Congresswoman Cori Bush and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib applauded South Africa for its submission to the International Court of Justice.

The ICJ ruled earlier on Friday that Israel must commit to preventing a genocide, and has one month to prove it is doing so.

Tlaib and Bush said that the ruling by the World Court also "puts the US government on notice for enabling violations of the Genocide Convention".

"The Biden Administration must not only affirm the legitimacy of this ruling and facilitate an immediate ceasefire—it must comply with federal and international law by suspending military assistance to the Israeli government," the two progressive lawmakers said.

Kuwait

Kuwait's foreign ministry welcomed the ruling, but noted that it does "not meet the demand for a ceasefire".

Nonetheless, Kuwait said that the decision was an important step towards ending Israel's occupation.

Pakistan

Pakistan called for the full implementation of the court's decision "so that basic human rights, dignity and identity of Palestinian people as a distinct group are upheld and protected".

"We consider the ICJ’s ruling timely and a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and international accountability of Israel," he country's foreign ministry said a statement.

Tunisia

Tunisia expressed "great satisfaction" with the decision, considering it a historic moment for the Palestinian people in their path to justice against Israel's occupation.

Algeria

Algeria said the ruling was the "beginning of the end of the era of impunity" for Israel and also said it was working to call on the UN Security Council to hold a meeting to force Israel to abide by the court's decision.

Qatar

Doha said it also welcomed the interim decision, saying that the order "reflects the magnitude of the threat of genocide facing our Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip".