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Live blog: Israel gears up for Rafah invasion after devastating Khan Younis
Israel’s aggression on besieged Gaza — now in its 185th day — has killed at least 33,175 Palestinians and wounded 75,886 others as Egyptian media reports progress in ceasefire talks in Cairo.
“Isn’t the bombing, death and destruction enough?” 51-year-old Palestinian man Muhammad Yunis asked. “There are bodies still under the rubble. We can smell the stench.” / Photo: AP
AP
“Isn’t the bombing, death and destruction enough?” 51-year-old Palestinian man Muhammad Yunis asked. “There are bodies still under the rubble. We can smell the stench.” / Photo: AP
Monday, April 8, 2024
0331 GMT — Israeli leaders prepare for a ground invasion in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, where most of the Palestinian territory’s population has fled after six months of brutal bombardment.
Israel pulled its forces out of southern Gaza on Sunday. But Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said troops had left the city of Khan Younis “to prepare for future missions, including… in Rafah” on Monday.
After troops left areas in and around the largely destroyed Khan Younis, a stream of displaced Palestinians walked there, hoping to return to their homes from temporary shelters in Rafah, a little further south. But they saw nothing but loss.
“Isn’t the bombing, death and destruction enough?” 51-year-old Palestinian man Muhammad Younis asked. “There are bodies still under the rubble. We can smell the stench.”
More updates 👇
0215 GMT — Germany faces Gaza genocide case at top UN court
Germany faces charges from Nicaragua at the top UN court that it is “facilitating” acts of genocide and breaches of international law in Israel’s war on Gaza.
In a 43-page submission to the International Court of Justice, Nicaragua argues that Germany is in breach of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, set up in the wake of the Holocaust.
Nicaragua is demanding the judges impose emergency measures to stop Berlin providing Israel with weapons and other assistance.
The Central American country will set out its case on Monday, with Germany due to respond the following day.
0028 GMT — Three killed in Israeli strike on south Lebanon, sources say
Three people have been killed, including a field commander in Lebanon’s Hezbollah elite forces Al Radwan, in an Israeli strike on Al Sultanya village in Southern Lebanon, two security sources told Reuters.
2351 GMT — Gaza truce talks in progress in Cairo, per Egypt media
Progress has been made in discussions in Cairo on a Gaza truce and there is agreement on the basic points between all parties involved, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News state-affiliated TV channel has said, citing a senior Egyptian source.
The Egyptian media also noted that Israel, US delegations to leave Cairo shortly and discussions to extend for next 48 hours.
2345 GMT — Australia appoints advisor to probe Gaza aid worker killings
Australia has tasked a former military chief with monitoring Israel’s probe into the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza, seeking “full accountability” for the killings.
Australian national Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom was among the group of World Central Kitchen volunteers killed last week in an Israeli air strike.
Israel’s military said it had fired two officers in the aftermath, but its attempts to explain have done little to curb international outrage.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been deeply critical of Israel’s initial response.
2316 GMT — Hamas ‘determined’ in Gaza truce, hostage swap deal with Israel
Palestinian resistance group Hamas has reiterated its commitment to securing a deal that brings a cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the repatriation of hostages.
“A delegation from the movement arrived in Cairo and met with Abbas Kamel,” Hamas said in a statement.
“The delegation emphasised Hamas’s demands, its desire to reach an agreement that would achieve a complete cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, the free return of displaced people to their regions and places of residence, the relief of our people and the beginning of reconstruction of what was destroyed by the occupation,” it said.
2300 GMT — Israel’s withdrawal from Khan Younis unrelated to hostage deal: officials
The Israeli army’s decision to withdraw all of its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis is not related to the negotiations on a hostage deal, an Israeli media outlet reported, citing senior Israeli military officials.
“As one officer explained, after the 98th Division had been operating in the Khan Yunis area for four months, such large-scale manoeuvres were producing dwindling returns,” Israel’s Haaretz daily reported.
The military leaders, who preferred not to disclose their names, said the Israeli army “has long understood that keeping numerous troops essentially static in Gaza instead of moving them to fight in new areas endangered them because their fixed positions turned them into targets for terrorist cells,” the report said.
2200 GMT — Egypt boosts Gaza aid with 300 daily trucks via Rafah crossing
Egypt has decided to increase the number of truckloads of humanitarian supplies entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing to 300 per day effective Sunday, an official has said.
Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egyptian Information Service, said in a statement that his country had decided to increase the number of humanitarian aid trucks carrying food, medical supplies and daily necessities following the directives of President Abdel Fattah el Sisi.
Rashwan neither specified whether all of the aid is Egyptian or also comes from other countries and entities nor the number of trucks currently entering Gaza through Rafah.
For our live updates from Sunday, April 7, click here.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD AND AGENCIES
