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Live blog: Israeli army admit troops tied wounded Palestinian to jeep
Israel’s war on Gaza, now in its 261st day, has killed at least 37,551 Palestinians — mostly women and children –– and wounded 85,911, with more than 9,500 abducted by Tel Aviv.

Israeli army bulldozers damage streets around Jenin Refugee Camp, in Jenin, West Bank. / Photo: AA
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Israeli army bulldozers damage streets around Jenin Refugee Camp, in Jenin, West Bank. / Photo: AA

Sunday, June 23, 2024

0645 GMT — Israeli troops have tied a wounded Palestinian man to a military vehicle during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the army said, admitting that soldiers had violated operational procedures.

Footage of the incident, which occurred on Saturday, has gone viral and shows a Jenin resident strapped horizontally to the bonnet of a military jeep as it passes through a narrow alley.

The military said the Palestinian was wounded during a “counterterrorism operation” launched to apprehend wanted suspects.

“In violation of orders and standard operating procedures, the suspect was taken by the forces while tied on top of a vehicle,” the statement said.

“The conduct of the forces in the video of the incident does not conform to the values of the IDF (military),” it said, adding that “the incident will be investigated and dealt with accordingly.”

More updates

0457 GMT — Israeli airstrikes kill five and wound others

At least five Palestinian civilians have been killed and several others wounded in the early morning following Israeli air and artillery strikes targeting central and western areas of Gaza City.

Three Palestinians were killed, and others, including children and women, were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building near Al Jawhara Tower in central Gaza City, WAFA news agency reported this morning.

In a similar attack, two citizens were killed and others injured when an Israeli air strike hit a house in Al Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City.

Additionally, Israeli artillery intermittently shelled central and southern Rafah, while Israeli warplanes targeted a house in northern Rafah.

0511 GMT — Merchant ship damaged by drone attack in Red Sea: UK agency

A merchant ship has been damaged by a drone attack in the Red Sea near Yemen early morning, though no injuries were reported, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO.

“The Master of a merchant vessel reports being hit by uncrewed aerial system (UAS), resulting in damage to the vessel. All crew members are reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” said a bulletin from UKMTO, which is run by the British navy.

The Yemeni Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since October 7.

The Red Sea is one of the world’s most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

READ MORE
Israel’s Gaza invasion leaves 800,000 students out of education — officials
0056 GMT — Death toll rises after Israeli warplanes bombed homes in Gaza City

The death toll from the Israeli airstrikes that targeted two homes in Gaza City has risen to at least 43, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.

It announced earlier on Saturday that three bodies, including two children and a woman, were recovered after an Israeli warplane targeted a home in Gaza City, raising the death toll in the city to 43, along with dozens of injuries.

Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Civil Defense (Civil Protection), told Anadolu: “Warplanes destroyed residential buildings in the Al Shati Camp, Al Tuffah, Al Shujaiyya and Al Zaytoun neighbourhoods in Gaza City.”

The Israeli army acknowledged targeting Gaza City but claimed it bombed “two military structures belonging to Hamas in Gaza.”

2231 GMT — EU urges investigation over shelling of ICRC office in Gaza

The EU has condemned the recent shelling in Gaza that damaged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office, resulting in dozens of casualties.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stressed the necessity of holding those responsible accountable through an independent investigation.

“The EU condemns the shelling which damaged the ICRC office in Gaza and led to dozens of casualties,” Borrell wrote on X.

“An independent investigation is needed and those responsible must be held accountable.”

Borrell reiterated the importance of protecting civilians, highlighting that such protection is an “obligation under the Geneva Conventions,” which “all parties in conflict are bound to” uphold.

READ MORE
Piles of dead bodies, pools of blood: Red Cross tells Israel’s Gaza strike
2226 GMT — London activists vow to protest until Gaza ‘genocide’ ends

Palestine activists have staged a demonstration in solidarity with people in Gaza, vowing to keep protesting until “the genocide ends and Palestine is free.”

Gathering at the Victoria Embankment Gardens, a group of protesters decried Western governments’ “silence” in the face of ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, where more than 37,500 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7.

Speaking at the rally, Hala, a protester from Gaza, touched on the worsening situation in the enclave, where people are facing hunger and disease.

Criticising the UK government’s stance, she noted that so far the government has not accepted any injured Palestinian for treatment.

“The UK until today has taken zero patients from Gaza. Here we are eight months later in supposedly one of the most developed countries in the world, and not one single person is getting treatments in this country… not one,” she said as the crowd chanted, “Shame.”

2204 GMT — US airmen seek conscientious objector status over Washington’s Gaza policy

US Air Force members Larry Hebert and Juan Bettancourt have announced that they can no longer ignore the US policy concerning Gaza and requested to exercise their conscientious objector rights.

A report by NBC News said the servicemen expressed their protest because of the US’ support for Israel.

Hebert said the turning point for him was the story of 6-year-old Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a vehicle targeted by Israel in Gaza and begged for her life.

“It’s wholly unjustified to support what’s happening,” said Hebert, noting that Hind resembled his daughter.

He said he was part of an operation that provided weapons to Israel.

Bettancourt, overwhelmed by the images he witnessed, said: “The world is witnessing the massacre of thousands of innocent civilians through their smartphones.”

For our live updates from Saturday, June 22, 2024, click here.

SOURCE: TRTWORLD AND AGENCIES