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Live: Strike announced in Israel amid mounting anger at Netanyahu

Live
Live: Strike announced in Israel amid mounting anger at Netanyahu
Israeli forces rescue bodies of six captives in Gaza
Key Points
At least 72,000 children vaccinated against polio in Gaza
Hamas blames captives' deaths on Israel over failure to sign deal
Attacks on occupied West Bank continue

Live Updates

1 month ago

This page is now closed - please follow our continued coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza on the new link here 

1 month ago

Our live coverage from Gaza will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are some of the day's key developments:

  • Gaza's health ministry said that 40,738 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on the enclave since 7 October, 47 of them in the past 24 hours. Additionally, 94,154 were wounded since the start of the war.

  • Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on the head of Israel's labour federation Histadrut to announce a general strike in response to the death of six captives in the Gaza Strip

  • Israeli police are clashing with protesters on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv as they try to clear the road, with some officers reportedly throwing stun grenades at demonstrators

  • Over 200 medical teams are dispatched in 28 UN-run health facilities to vaccinate children against polio in the Gaza Strip, the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, says

  • The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that over 72,000 children were vaccinated on the first day of the emergency polio vaccination campaign in the central governorate of the Strip

  • Three Israeli police officers were killed on Sunday morning near Hebron in the occupied West Bank by a former member of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Presidential Guard

  • According to the Israeli army, the suspect's vehicle followed the car carrying the three officers. After the shooting, the officers lost control of their vehicle, with one officer killed at the scene and two declared dead en route to the hospital

  • Former US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Sunday that the current crises over captives in Israel is "happening only because Comrade Kamala Harris is weak and ineffective and has no idea what she's doing"

  • Senior Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hiya told Al Jazeera that there will be no agreement on the release of captives or a ceasefire unless Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza-Egyptian border and the so-called Netzarim corridors that bisects the Gaza Strip in two

1 month ago

Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the deaths of six captives held in Gaza stating they could have been brought back alive. Hayya spoke to Al Jazeera:

  • Hayya said that Netanyahu prioritised control over the Gaza-Egyptian border over the captives, sacrificing their case as it didn't concern him
  • Hamas had reassured the family of prisoner Hirsch, an American citizen, with Qatari intervention. However, they lost contact with Hirsch and his guards after presenting a video to his family. Hirsch was later found dead
  • In May, Hamas agreed to a proposal by mediators to support an agreement, but Israel responded by storming Rafah and its crossing
  • Hamas accepted a document presented by President Biden and adopted by the Security Council but only raised enquiries. Netanyahu responded by evading and imposing new conditions
  • Netanyahu insisted on maintaining control over the Gaza-Egyptian border and Netzarim corridors and refused to release elderly prisoners serving life sentences
  • Hayya emphasised that the negotiations have now centred around Netanyahu's new demands, which Hamas refuses to negotiate
  • He reiterated that without Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza-Egyptian border and Netzarim corridors and the Rafah crossing, no agreement would be reached
  • Hayya accused the Israeli government of not recognising the Palestinian people's existence, citing ongoing violence and destruction in the West Bank
  • He warned that the situation in the West Bank could escalate, with Netanyahu's government aiming to ignite conflict across the region
  • The escalation, according to Hayya, is part of Israel's plan concerning Al-Aqsa Mosque and to make Palestinians lose hope of achieving their rights
  • Hayya affirmed that Palestinian factions in Gaza and the West Bank are working together to counter Israel's objectives, and the Palestinian people will not surrender
1 month ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly "worried" about the massive anti-government protests sweeping across Israel, according to an unnamed Israeli official cited by CNN.

While the police have not released official figures, Crowd Solutions, a private firm, estimates that around 280,000 people participated in the central Tel Aviv demonstration—potentially the largest rally in nearly 18 months.

1 month ago
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Israeli Police officers detain a protester during clashes following an anti-government rally calling for the release of Israelis in Gaza since October, in Tel Aviv on September 1, 2024 (AFP)

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Protesters block Tel Aviv's Ayalon highway during an anti-government rally (AFP)

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Protesters set wooden pallets on fire as they block Tel Aviv's Ayalon highway during an anti-government rally (AFP)

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Israeli Police officers detain a protester during clashes following an anti-government rally (AFP)

1 month ago

Israeli police are clashing with protesters on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv as they try to clear the road, with some officers reportedly throwing stun grenades at demonstrators.

Israelo media reports indicate that at least 20 people have been arrested.

Member of Israeli parliamnet Naama Lazimi of the Labor Party shared on her X account that a stun grenade was thrown at her and her advisor, knocking them down.

"A stun grenade was thrown at me and my advisor just now. We fell from the force and panic, and then another explosion occurred, nearly hitting us directly," Lazimi wrote.

She added, "A police officer who noticed the incident quickly pulled us away from the grenade. Miraculously, [we didn't suffer] anything more terrible than a few bruises."

1 month ago

Senior Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hiya told Al Jazeera that there will be no agreement on the release of captives or a ceasefire unless Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza-Egyptian border and the so-called Netzarim corridors that bisects the Gaza Strip in two.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations, Hiya added that "several technical committees continued the discussions, but [Hamas] did not take part in them, and they did not reach any results."

1 month ago

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv and other cities, demanding a deal for the exchange of captives.

The protests have intensified following the deaths of six more captives in Gaza.

Hundreds of protesters breached barricades and poured onto the road, chanting, "Why are they still in Gaza?"

1 month ago

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to seek immediate injunctions to prevent tomorrow’s planned general strike.

In a letter to Baharav-Miara, Smotrich argues that the strike is “clearly political and lacks any legal basis,” according to a report by The Times of Israel.

He contends that the strike was declared to improperly influence diplomatic and national security matters, which he claims fall under the jurisdiction of the political echelon and should not be subject to labour strikes.

Smotrich also points out that there was no advance notice of the strike and that it was organised without labour leaders having full access to national security information. He warns that allowing such a strike could set a dangerous precedent.

1 month ago

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that over 72,000 children were vaccinated on the first day of the emergency polio vaccination campaign in the central governorate of the Strip.

The vaccination program is being conducted despite the Israeli onslaught on the besiged Strip. 

1 month ago

Israel's Channel 12 reported that police have arrested 15 protesters from the Tel Aviv demonstration, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of participants.

1 month ago

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a halt to Israel’s attacks on the occupied West Bank.

President Sisi and Crown Prince Mohammed discussed escalating regional tensions due to the assaults in a phone call.

They emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the escalation in the West Bank to prevent further conflict and restore stability, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

Crown Prince Mohammed stressed the importance of mobilising all Arab and Islamic efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli attacks and violations against Palestinians, as reported by Saudi state news agency SPA.

Meanwhile, Israel's military assault in the northern West Bank has continued for a fifth day, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 Palestinians, numerous arrests, and significant damage to infrastructure.

1 month ago

The Civil Defence Agency reports that six Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombings in the northern Gaza Strip.

Additionally, four people died when Israeli forces targeted a civilian vehicle on Salah al-Din Street, south of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

1 month ago

Histadrut labor federation chairman Arnon Bar-David announced at a mass protest in Tel Aviv, “This afternoon, I decided to halt the Israeli economy starting tomorrow morning. Some are upset that I didn’t call for a general strike sooner, but I’m here to ensure no one is left behind. Jews don’t abandon Jews—what’s unclear about that? It’s unacceptable for our children to die in tunnels due to political considerations!”

He added: "We refuse to remain indifferent to the fact that our country has become one of abandonment! The economy has also been abandoned. As head of the Histadrut, the country is on its way to political ruin. We must stop this …coalition money is still going to unneeded ministries. Tomorrow morning, all of Israel will not go to work…including ports, factories, and offices."

The strike will start at 06:00 local time on Monday with Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport closing also. 

1 month ago

Former US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Sunday that the current crises over captives in Israel is "happening only because Comrade Kamala Harris is weak and ineffective and has no idea what she's doing."

He added, "I look forward to seeing her at the debate! Biden failed, and now he spends his days on the beach, plotting and scheming how to take out his former political opponent, ME, who defeated him both in the debate and otherwise."

Trump concluded, "The October 7th Israeli crisis would never have happened if I were president!"