Israel’s war on Gaza live: Israeli military confirms operations in Rafah
In a statement, the Israeli army says its forces in central Rafah have uncovered Hamas rocket launchers and tunnels and dismantled weapons storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Israel’s 20-day operation in Jabalia has destroyed much of the refugee camp, including more than 1,000 homes, Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal says.
The European Commission has released a second tranche of assistance of 25 million euros ($27.1m) for the Palestinian Authority, and another 16 million ($17.4m) for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the Commission said in a statement.
“This new payment to UNRWA brings to €66 million [$71.7m] the EU’s total development assistance out of the €82 million [$89.03m] for the UN Agency in 2024,” it added.
Several nations led by the United States in January, mostly Western nations, announced a pause in funding for UNRWA in response to Israeli claims that some agency staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel.
An investigation led by French former Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna concluded last month that Israel had not provided evidence to support its allegations of UNRWA involvement in the assault.
Some countries including Sweden and Finland, have since announced they will resume funding for the UN agency.
Biden to deliver remarks on Middle East: White House
The announcement from the White House comes Israel pushes into Rafah despite US warnings against a full-scale offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city.
“In the afternoon, the president will deliver remarks on the Middle East,” the White House said in an updated daily schedule for Biden, without giving further details.
Images from northern Gaza show ‘ugliness’ of Israeli army actions: Media office
The statement from the Government Media Office in Gaza comes following the announcement by the Israeli army that it has withdrawn its troops from some parts of northern Gaza.
“The videos and photos that came out of Jabalia Camp after the occupation army withdrew from it, show the ugliness of the atrocities and crimes committed in Jabalia Camp and the Beit Lahia project, and the extent of the destruction and sabotage it inflicted on citizens’ homes, service facilities, and public facilities,” the media office said.
“Ambulance and civil defense teams recovered dozens of martyrs throughout the period of the invasion and after the withdrawal, and the search is currently continuing for dozens of missing people among the rubble of homes, shelter centers, schools and hospitals that were not spared from bombing and destruction.”
The Government Media Office has urged the World Court in Hague and the International Criminal Court to ensure “stopping this aggression and holding the Zionist leaders accountable as war criminals and perpetrators of crimes against humanity”.
Jordan to host humanitarian conference for Gaza next month: Royal Court
Jordan will host the international conference on June 11 to work on the humanitarian response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
The conference will be co-organised in coordination with Egypt and the United Nations, the Jordanian royal court posted on X.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) agency says it has received “horrific reports” from UNRWA facilities in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
“Displaced people, including children, reportedly killed and injured sheltering in our school, besieged by [Israeli] tanks. Tents of people sheltering at our school reportedly set on fire by [the Israeli military],” the agency said in a post on X.
UNRWA also said it received reports of its office being hit and destroyed in air raids, as well bulldozed by Israeli forces.
‘Absurd’ to say that Israeli operation in Rafah is limited: Doctor
Dr Smith tells Al Jazeera that comments by the US State Department that the Israeli army is not conducting a major military operation in Rafah are “absurd”.
“We’ve had soldiers and tanks now reportedly pushing right over towards the coastline. For the last several weeks, I have watched air strikes, artillery strikes firing onto the shoreline from the Israeli naval warships that are positioned just off the coast,” he said. “There is nothing limited about the Israeli military incursion into Rafah.”
“We’ve watched over several weeks now a mass exodus of people, the forced displacements of more than 900,000 people out of Rafah fleeing some of the most grotesque and barbaric Israeli violence that we have seen since October of last year,” he added.
At least 36,284 Palestinians have been killed and 82,057 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, its Health Ministry says.
The ministry added that 60 people were killed and 280 injured in the latest 24-hour reporting period. ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb ewb
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