Israel-Palestine live: Israel’s response to South Africa’s genocide case at the ICJ ends
Live Updates
In a bid to justify its attack on Yemen, the British armed forces minister, James Heappey, said overnight strikes on in Yemen, which is more than 6,200 kilometres away, were justified.
“Our action and the action of the Americans last night was in self-defence in order to defend against further attacks on our warships as they go about their legal and reasonable business,” he told Times Radio in London.
Earlier, the UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had said the “threat to innocent lives and global trade” had become so great that London felt it was its “duty” to safeguard ships and freedom of navigation.
The Houthis have said that maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea is safe and normal for all ships except for ships heading to Israel.
Many will view US and British strikes against Yemen as explicit support for Israel's military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza.
The Houthis will not succumb to threats from the UK and the US and will continue to attack Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea, its spokesperson said in a statement on his official X account.
The spokesman, Mohammad Abdulsalam, added that nothing could justify the US and UK’s “treacherous aggression”.
The group said in a post on X that it would continue its "firm and supportive position for Palestine and the Gaza Strip" and that "maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea is safe and normal for all ships except for Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the Israeli entity."
The Houthis have said they would stop their naval blockade of Israeli ports once it stop bombing Gaza and allows humanitarian aid into the Strip.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the organisation’s aid efforts are being hampered by Israeli actions.
In the first 11 days of 2024 only 5 out of 24 planned aid deliveries of food, medicines, water and other lifesaving supplies to the north of Gaza proceeded.
“Humanitarian partners were forced to cancel or delay missions in two instances due to excessive delays at Israeli checkpoints or because the agreed routes were unpassable,” it said, adding that only two of the five missions that were allowed in were able to fully deliver their aid.
“The ability of humanitarian partners to respond to the extensive needs in the northern part of Gaza is being curtailed by recurring denials of access for aid deliverers and lack of coordinated safe access by the Israeli authorities. These denials and severe access constraints paralyse the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at-scale.”
Israel will respond on Friday to accusations brought by South Africa at the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) that its military assault on Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign aimed at wiping out the Palestinian population.
South Africa, which filed the lawsuit at the ICJ in December, asked judges on Thursday to impose emergency measures ordering Israel to immediately halt the offensive.
Lawyer's representing South Africa on Thursday said "Israeli actions show systematic patterns of conduct from which genocide can be inferred."
"Genocidal intent against the Palestinians in Gaza is evident from the way in which Israel’s military attack is being conducted," the lawyers said.
"Israel’s political leaders, military commanders and persons holding official positions have systematically and in explicit terms declared their genocidal intent," they added.
At least 30 Palestinian killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza have been brought to hospitals in Khan Younis, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Lebanese group Hezbollah has joined its ally, Iran, in condemning the attacks on Yemen.
In a statement the group said that “the American aggression confirms once again that the US is a full partner in the tragedies and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza and the region’’.
Iran also condemned on Friday the US-Britain attack on the Houthis in Yemen warning that it will fuel "insecurity and instability" in the region, Iranian state media reported.
"We strongly condemn the military attacks carried out this morning by the United States and the United Kingdom on several cities in Yemen", said Nasser Kannani, spokesperson at Iran's foreign ministry. "These attacks are a clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of international laws," he added.
Good morning readers of Middle East Eye,
We are on the 98th day of the war on Gaza and the Palestinian death toll in Gaza is officially 23,469 with 59,410 wounded and more than 7,000 missing who are believed to be dead and buried under rubble.
It’s been an eventful 24 hours and things only look set to get worse in the Middle East.
Last night the UK and the US began launching strikes against the Houthis in Yemen who have imposed a naval blockade in the Red Sea for ships heading towards Israel.
The Houthis have said they will stop blocking ships once Israel stops its war on Gaza and allows humanitarian aid through.
Today we are also expecting Israel to appear before the International Court of Justice to defend itself against the charge of genocide.
Middle East Eye will be covering the latest developments as they happen.
Here are the major developments from the last few hours:
- Nine Palestinians have been killed in Rafah after the residential building they were taking refuge in was completely levelled by an Israeli strike
- Israeli air strike kills five in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza
- The Israeli military denies it was behind the bombing of an ambulance in the central Gaza Strip that killed four medics and two other people
- Oxfam report says Israel’s war is the deadliest conflict in the 21st century, with 250 Palestinians killed per day in Gaza
- Saudi Arabia called for “restraint” and “avoiding escalation” as analysts express concern at the “dangerous direction” the US is heading in the Middle East
- Russia says attack on Yemen violates UN Charter, calls for Security Council emergency session
Good evening readers of Middle East Eye,
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that the death toll in Gaza has now reached 23,469 since the start of the war on 7 October.
Gaza’s government media office issued a statement on Thursday saying that Israel has killed at least 117 journalists in Gaza since the start of the war.
The two latest journalists killed have been named as Fouad Abu Khammash and Mohammed al-Thalathini.
According to the political editor of the Times newspaper, Britain is anticipated to join the US in executing overnight air raids on military sites controlled by Houthis in Yemen, as reported on Thursday.
According to the Times report, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak briefed his cabinet of ministers on the imminent military intervention earlier on Thursday.
Reports from British media say that political figures, such as Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, have received briefings from the government.
During the first day of hearings at the World Court in The Hague on Thursday, South Africa's legal team included video footage from Middle East Eye in their presentation.
This footage, shared on social media by MEE last month, depicted Israeli soldiers singing and chanting in support of the occupation and destruction of Gaza.
Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, a South African lawyer, showcased the videos as part of her evidence to demonstrate what she described as Israel's "genocidal intent" towards the Palestinian population in Gaza.
One video showed Israeli soldiers on 7 December 2023, dancing and singing at an Israeli base where they vowed to "wipe off the seed of Amalek" and said there were no "innocent civilians" in Gaza.
"The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest levels of the state. President Isaac Herzog has joined the ranks of those silent bombs destined for Gaza," remarked Ngcukaitobi.
During the first day of hearings at the World Court in The Hague on Thursday, South Africa's legal team included video footage from Middle East Eye in their presentation.
This footage, shared on social media by MEE last month, depicted Israeli soldiers singing and chanting in support of the occupation and destruction of Gaza.
Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, a South African lawyer, showcased the videos as part of her evidence to demonstrate what she described as Israel's "genocidal intent" towards the Palestinian population in Gaza.
One video showed Israeli soldiers on 7 December 2023, dancing and singing at an Israeli base where they vowed to "wipe off the seed of Amalek" and said there were no "innocent civilians" in Gaza.
"The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest levels of the state. President Isaac Herzog has joined the ranks of those silent bombs destined for Gaza," remarked Ngcukaitobi.
The US military said that Yemen's Houthi group launched an anti-ship ballistic missile into the international maritime routes in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, which resulted in no injuries or damage.
The US Central Command said in a release that a commercial ship witnessed the missile striking the water.
They added that this incident marks the 27th assault on international maritime traffic by the Houthi forces since 19 November.
Nine people were killed in an Israeli bombardment targeting a house in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, a statement from the Palestinian Red Crescent said on Thursday.
Details on the people who were killed are not yet available.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that hypocrisy and lies were displayed at the UN’s highest judicial body.
He said that South Africa’s claim accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza is an event that could only occur in a world turned upside-down.
“We are fighting terrorists, we are fighting lies,” Netanyahu said. “Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide.”
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said that Gaza is confronting significant food security challenges due to difficulties in increasing humanitarian aid access.
Kirby told reporters on Thursday that not enough aid trucks are getting into Gaza.
“There’s a lot of hunger and starvation in Gaza,” he said.
