Live: At least 75 killed in Israeli strikes on second day of Eid al-Adha

Jeremy Corbyn has told Middle East Eye that the British government must decide whether it will support an inquiry into UK involvement in Israel’s war on Gaza, or “block our efforts to expose the truth”. 

On Wednesday, the former Labour leader presented in parliament his bill for an independent, Chilcot-style public inquiry into Britain’s support for Israeli military operations in Gaza. 

The bill passed without division and Corbyn hailed the development, telling MEE: “We have passed a major hurdle in establishing an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Gaza. 

“I will now be writing to the prime minister to ask for assurance that the government will not stand in the way.” 

The independent MP said: “The government must decide: will it support an inquiry that has support from MPs across the political spectrum, or will it block our efforts to expose the truth?”

John McDonnell, the former Labour shadow chancellor, who is also supporting the bill, told MEE: “All we are asking for is the truth to be told about the genocide taking place in Gaza, not just to expose the horrendous brutality of Israel’s actions, but to enable those accountable for this war crime to be held to account.”

Jeremy Corbyn: UK must decide if it will 'block efforts to expose truth' over Israel support

Israel’s Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday that arms exports by Israeli companies reached an all-time high in 2024, totalling $14.8bn.

“The unprecedented operational achievements, combined with the combat experience gained through Israeli-developed technologies during the war, have generated significant demand for Israeli defence systems among numerous countries,” the ministry stated, attributing the surge in exports to the ongoing military offensive on Gaza, which began in October 2023.

According to TheMarker, arms exports rose by 13 percent compared to 2023, when exports stood at $13.1bn. The 2024 figure represents roughly 10 percent of Israel’s total exports of goods and services, according to data published by the outlet.

This marks a record year for Israeli arms exports, which have more than doubled over the past five years; in 2019, total exports amounted to $7.3bn.

Europe emerged as the primary destination for Israeli arms, accounting for 54 percent of total purchases – up nearly 20 percentage points from 2023, when European countries made up 35 percent of Israel’s arms export market. 

In 2024, European states bought nearly $8bn worth of Israeli military products, compared to $4.6bn in 2023, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Beyond Europe, another significant destination for Israeli arms in 2024 was the group of countries that normalised relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Combined arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan reached $1.8bn – equivalent to 12 percent of Israel’s total arms exports.

Read more: Arab states received 12 percent of Israeli arms exports in 2024 amid surge in arms sales

At least 15 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded after a series of Israeli air strikes on Thursday afternoon.

Three Palestinians were killed and others wounded in an Israeli attack targeting the Beer al-Najja area in Jabalia refugee camp.

Meanwhile, two civilians were reportedly killed and others wounded in an Israeli strike on the Aslan neighbourhood of Beit Lahia.

In Khan Younis, two more Palestinians lost their lives and several others were injured in an Israeli attack on the Maan area east of the city. Israeli air strikes also targeted the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis, killing four Palestinians. 

Iran on Thursday "strongly condemned" the US for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access in Gaza.

Esmaeil Baqaei, foreign ministry spokesperson, said that the US veto of the resolution - which had been supported by 14 of the 15 members of the council - demonstrated "the country's complicity in the crimes of the Zionist regime". 

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused Israel of carrying out "premeditated genocide" in Gaza.

"[It is] a premeditated genocide from a far-right government that is waging a war, including against the interests of its own people," he said at a joint press conference in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It's a genocide being carried out by a highly prepared army against women and children," said Lula.

"We see a genocide unfold under our eyes day after day... It's no longer possible to accept."

Macron said the "coming days" would be critical in attempts to bring about a ceasefire. 

"We will ramp up pressure in coordination with the Americans to obtain a ceasefire," he said.

Later this month, France and Saudi Arabia will co-host a United Nations conference in New York discussing Palestinian statehood.

Macron said the summit would take steps "towards recognising Palestine", without expanding further.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has urged his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar at a press conference in Berlin on Thursday to allow more humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza.

Wadephul also criticised the Israeli government's announcement that it would approve 22 more illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

However, he said that Germany would continue to deliver weapons to Israel.

The US and Israel backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has said it will open two aid distribution centres on Thursday.

GHF had said earlier that its sites would not open at their usual time due to maintenance and repair work. 

More than 100 Palestinians have been gunned down by Israeli forces near GHF sites in less than a week.

Earlier this week, eyewitnesses and local officials told Middle East Eye that Israeli troops opened fire directly on civilians, with many of the fatalities receiving gunshot wounds to their head or chest.

The head of the world's largest academic association on genocide has declared Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide.

Dr Melanie O'Brien, president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), outlined her legal opinion in an interview with Middle East Eye, ahead of an upcoming episode of the Expert Witness podcast featuring leading genocide experts.  

"Applying the legal definitions of genocide as found in the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, I would determine that what is happening in Gaza constitutes genocide," O'Brien said.

"The definition involves acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. These include killing or imposing conditions meant to bring about physical destruction," she explained, referring to the definition of genocide under the Genocide Convention. 

"What we are witnessing fits within that legal definition."

Read more: Israel committing genocide in Gaza, says top legal scholar Melanie O'Brien

Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman has accused Israeli forces, under the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of arming “crime families” in Gaza.

The accusations add weight to the claim that Israel has used Palestinian gangs to disrupt the distribution of aid in the besieged enclave.

"Israel has provided assault rifles and light weapons to crime families in Gaza, on Netanyahu's orders," Lieberman, the head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a former finance minister and deputy prime minister, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Thursday. 

"The weapons are being transferred to criminals and offenders and are being directed at Israel.

"In my opinion, it did not pass cabinet approval. The head of the Shin Bet knows, I'm not sure the chief of staff knows. We're talking about the equivalent of Isis in Gaza," he added, referencing the Islamic State group. 

Read more: Israel opposition leader says Netanyahu arming 'equivalent of Isis' gangs in Gaza

At least four Palestinian journalists were killed in Israeli strikes targeting a group of media workers in Gaza City's Al Ahli Arab hospital's courtyard, local reporters told Middle East Eye.

According to local sources, the attack on Thursday morning came with no prior warning of the bombing.

The Israeli assault has so far claimed the lives of correspondent Suleiman Hajjaj and photographer Ismail Badah, who both worked for Palestine Today TV, alongside photographers Samir al-Rifai, who worked for the Shams News Agency, and Ahmed Qaljah, who worked for Al-Arabiya TV.

Journalist Imad Daloul, who works for Palestine Today TV, was also critically injured in the Israeli attack and has been rushed to the intensive care unit.

Footage online shows bodies scattered across the courtyards of the Al Ahli Hospital, otherwise known as the Baptist Hospital, as Palestinians attempt to aid one another. 

Read more: Israeli strike on Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City kills four journalists

At least 24 people have been killed in Gaza since dawn, according to Al Jazeera, reporting that the latest recorded air strike killed one person in the al-Satr al-Gharib area of the city.

The toll combines the number of casualties registered by the Nasser, al-Ahli, and al-Shifa hospitals.

A survey has revealed that 82 percent of Britain's Muslim Labour MPs, councillors and mayors believe Prime Minister Keir Starmer has handled Israel's war on Gaza "badly", a major new survey has found.

The poll of over 220 elected Muslim representatives by the Labour Muslim Network (LMN) reveals that two-thirds do not believe Muslim representatives are treated equally to others in the Labour Party.

Most of them - 64 percent - believe Labour operates a "hierarchy of racism".

The findings, released on Thursday, indicate widespread discontent among Muslim Labour representatives over the party's handling of Islamophobia - and a dramatic disjuncture between their views and the Labour government's policy on Israel.

Read more: Starmer has handled Gaza 'badly' say four in five elected Muslim representatives

The Gaza health ministry said in a statement that Israel's war on Gaza has killed 54,677 people, and wounded 125,530 people since 7 October 2023.

At least 70 people were killed in the past 24 hours, the ministry says, and 189 wounded were admitted to Gaza hospitals in that same period.

Israel delivered weapons to gangs in Gaza on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s orders, Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

"Under the prime minister’s orders, Israel is transferring weapons to criminals in Gaza who are affiliated with ISIS, as a counterbalance to Hamas," Lieberman said, referring to the Islamic State group.

"As far as I can tell, this wasn’t approved by the cabinet, and I’m not sure the IDF chief of staff even knows about it. No one can guarantee these weapons won’t be used against Israel."

Israel will not allow the passage of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s ship, Madleen, and if the activists disobey orders from the Israeli military the ship could be seized and the activists could face arrest, The Jerusalem Post reported, quoting an unnamed senior Israeli military source.

The report said Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz is expected to decide on a course of action regarding the ship today.