Summary of the day so far
It’s 10pm in Tel Aviv and Gaza. Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
Palestinians in Gaza are still waiting for aid to arrive, UN officials said, two days after Israel said it had lifted an 11-week-old blockade that has brought the Palestinian territory to the brink of famine. A UN spokesperson said trucks were still in the loading area of the Kerem Shalom crossing, but sources told Reuters that at least 15 aid trucks left the crossing en route to World Food Program warehouses in central Gaza.
At least 82 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strike in Gaza on Wednesday, including several women and a week-old infant, according to Gaza’s health ministry and area hospitals. Israeli strikes targeted a bus station in the Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City and blew up residential buildings east of Jabalia, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces “probably” killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of the former Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. He said Israel has achieved “a lot” in its “clear and justified” goal of defeating Hamas, but he adds that “our work isn’t over yet”.
The Israeli leader said the entire of the Gaza Strip will be under Israeli security control by the end of its new offensive. Netanyahu said he is “prepared” to end the war “under clear conditions that ensure Israel’s security”, which would include the Palestinian territory being “completely disarmed” and Israel “making the most of the Trump plan”.
Israel acknowledged firing “warning shots” at a group of 25 diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. The delegation comprised ambassadors and diplomats representing 31 countries, including Italy, Canada, Egypt, Jordan and the UK, who were on an official mission organised by the Palestinian Authority to observe the humanitarian situation there. The Israeli military said the visit had been approved but the delegation “deviated from the approved route”.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, condemned Israel’s firing at diplomats which he said was “unacceptable”. Countries including the Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Ireland and France all condemned the incident. The British, French and other European ministers summoned the Israeli ambassadors in their respective capitals to explain the “unacceptable” incident.
Netanyahu said Israel’s government will appoint the next head of the domestic Shin Bet intelligence agency, despite Israel’s attorney general barring him from doing so. Israel’s supreme court ruled earlier on Wednesday that Netanyahu’s announcement that he was sacking Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was “illegal and contrary to law”.
The UK will send £4m worth of aid to Gaza as it ramps up pressure on the Israeli government to lift a blockade on the region. The aid will include essential medicines, safe drinking water and food parcels. It comes after the UK on Tuesday suspended trade deal talks with Israel, sanctioned West Bank settlers and summoned the country’s ambassador.
UN chief says Israeli fire at diplomats in West Bank 'unacceptable'
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has condemned Israel’s firing at a group of diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres’ spokesperson, told reporters:
It is clear that diplomats who are doing their work should never be shot at, attacked in any way, shape or form. Their safety, their viability, must be respected at all times.
These diplomats, including UN personnel, were fired at, warning shots or whatever... which is unacceptable.
The Israeli military has admitted firing “warning shots” at a group of 25 diplomats who were visiting Jenin in the West Bank on an official mission organised by the Palestinian Authority.
It said it “regrets the inconvenience caused” by the shooting, which resulted in no injuries.
Dujarric added:
We urge the Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, to share those findings with us and to take any measures that would prevent any other such incident to take place.
