Summary of the day …
It has just gone 5pm in Gaza, Cairo, Beirut and Tel Aviv. Here are the latest headlines …
A Hamas statement has confirmed that talks over a deal with Israel will continue, despite a Hamas delegation leaving Cairo where talks were being held, and a senior Hamas official claiming that Israel had “thwarted” any deal. Official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Israel had been “thwarting” efforts to conclude a ceasefire deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt during the four days of talks, rejecting Hamas’s demands to end its offensive in the territory, withdraw its forces, and ensure freedom of entry for aid and the return of displaced people.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said “it is Hamas who is the stumbling block right now by not telling us who is alive and who they have in their custody”. Separately an Israeli official told the CNN network it believes Hamas is playing a “game”, and that the group does know where hostages are being held.
At least 30,800 Palestinians have been killed and 72,298 have been wounded since Israel began its military assault on Gaza after the 7 October Hamas attack inside Israel, according to the latest figures from the health ministry. In addition, the Palestinian Authority ministry of health – which is separate to the Hamas-led one that operates inside Gaza – says that 424 Palestinians have now been killed by Israeli security forces or settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since 7 October.
In its latest operational update Israel’s military says it continues “operations against terrorist infrastructure and operatives in Khan Younis and the central Gaza Strip”. It claims in the last 24 hours to have located “weapons manufacturing facility, explosive devices and military equipment” as well as having “dismantled command centers used by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip”.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will push on with its offensive in Gaza, including in Rafah, regardless of international pressure. Israel’s prime minister said “There is international pressure and it’s growing, but particularly when the international pressure rises, we must close ranks, we need to stand together against the attempts to stop the war.”
The health ministry in Gaza said Israel on Thursday returned 47 bodies of Palestinians it had killed earlier during the military offensive. Images appeared to show a mass gave being prepared near where people are sheltering in makeshift tent camps in Rafah.
Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, is reported to have instructed diplomats to push calls for the UN to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation in the wake of a UN report on sexual violence occurring during and after the 7 October attacks inside southern Israel.
Turkey’s Red Crescent is sending its biggest aid shipment yet to Gaza via Egypt, with a ship carrying about 3,000 tons of food, medicine and equipment leaving for the Egyptian port of Al-Arish.
The IDF has said that it struck on Thursday at what it described as two Hezbollah outposts inside Lebanon.
Lior Haiat, spokesperson for Israel’s foreign affairs ministry, has accused South Africa of acting “as the legal arm of Hamas in an attempt to undermine Israel’s inherent right to defend itself and its citizens, and to release all of the hostages”. South Africa has been pressing the international court of justice in The Hague to order Israel into a ceasefire.
Three crew members of the True Confidence dry bulk carrier were killed in a missile attack off Yemen on Wednesday, the owners and manager of the ship confirmed in a statement on Thursday. Two other crew members sustained serious injuries. The ship is drifting away from land and salvage arrangements are being made.
Russia’s Federal Security Service said it prevented an attack on a synagogue in Moscow that was plotted by an Islamic State cell.
Malaysia’s prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has criticised the west for its attitude to the situation in Gaza during a speech in Australia. He said the west had been “so vociferous, vehement and unequivocal in the condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine” but “utterly silent on the relentless blood-letting inflicted on innocent men, women and children of Gaza”. Anwar said it would foolish to think these inconsistencies would “go unnoticed”.
We are closing this live blog now. You can find all of the latest on the Israel-Gaza war here.
At the Kerem Shalom border crossing today an attempt by the Standing Together movement to deliver aid to Gaza appears to have been blocked. The convoy, consisting of numerous vehicles with banners proclaiming “No to starvation,” was en route to the border when it encountered a halt at the police checkpoint near the border gate.
Co-director of the Jewish-Arab movement which campaigns for peace, equality & social justice in Israel, Alon-Lee Green, posted to social media saying:
In the very minutes that the police and the army block us – 10 minutes from the border with Gaza with an aid and food convoy – a group of settlers are allowed to be at the border itself and completely prevent the transfer of food and aid to millions of people who are starving. This proves that there is an official policy of starvation, a policy of eternal war in which we will all lose.
זה לא פחות מדהים. ממש בדקות שאותנו המשטרה והצבא חוסמים - 10 דקות מהגבול עם עזה עם שיירת סיוע ואוכל - לחבורת המתנחלים מאפשרים להיות בגבול עצמו ולמנוע לגמרי העברה של אוכל וסיוע למיליוני אנשים שגוועים ברעב.
— Alon-Lee Green - ألون-لي جرين - אלון-לי גרין 🟣 (@AlonLeeGreen) March 7, 2024
זה מוכיח שיש מדיניות רשמית של הרעבה, מדיניות של מלחמת נצח שבה כולנו נפסיד. pic.twitter.com/6PGVnpGKHk
Other clips from the site showed a convey that was attempting to reach the border with Gaza held up.
🚨🟣המשטרה והצבא חוסמים אותנו! אבל אנחנו עדיין כאן, לא מתייאשים, ומתעקשים להעביר את הסיוע לתושבי עזה שסובלים מרעב#לאתרעיב pic.twitter.com/fnZGtwQvOw
— עומדים ביחד نقف معًا Standing Together🟣 (@omdimbeyachad) March 7, 2024
Images from the site showed the convey was laden with goods.
The border crossing has seen repeated demonstrations by groups who are opposed to any humanitarian aid entering Gaza until hostages are freed, and have been attempting to blockade it.
Israel’s prime minister was making those comments at an army officers’ course graduation ceremony, where Benjamin Netanyahu also said that as well as pressing the offensive in Rafah, “we will act firmly in the other sectors against anyone who seeks to destroy us, including on the northern front,” in a reference to clashes with anti-Israeli forces based in Lebanon.
He added:
Those who are not yet convinced by the extension of our arm, better look at what is happening in the enemy’s strongholds in Gaza: Our enemies have brought upon themselves unprecedented destruction.
In the future we will draw out all the lessons of October 7 openly and fully, but today we have one clear and immediate goal in front of our eyes: achieving complete victory in the war.
Netanyahu: Israel needs to 'stand together against attempts to stop the war' and will push on into Rafah
Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will push on with its offensive in Gaza, which has so far cost 30,800 Palestinian lives, including in Rafah, regardless of international pressure.
Reuters reports the Israeli prime minister said:
There is international pressure and it’s growing, but particularly when the international pressure rises, we must close ranks, we need to stand together against the attempts to stop the war.
He said the military would operate against Hamas all through the Gaza Strip, “including Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold.”
He added “Whoever tells us not to act in Rafah is telling us to lose the war and that will not happen.”
During the five month military campaign waged against the Gaza Strip by Israel, its military have repeatedly ordered the Palestinian civilian population to evacuate to Rafah in the south for safety.
Reuters quotes Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer saying today, about the ongoing attempts to find a deal:
Needless to say, Israel will do whatever it takes to release our hostages. We’ve made very, very clear and this has been reiterated by the US that, unfortunately, it is Hamas who is the stumbling block right now by not telling us who is alive and who they have in their custody.
Hamas officials have insisted that for logistical reasons they cannot provide the information until a ceasefire is in place.
The IDF has said that a short while ago it struck at what it described as two Hezbollah outposts inside Lebanon.
Yehuda Cohen was one of the relatives of the Gaza hostages who spoke at the Israeli embassy in London earlier today in a press conference where relatives called for Hamas to release the captives.
His 19-year-old son, Nimrod Cohen, was stationed along the border when he was kidnapped during the 7 October attacks by Hamas, and Cohen told reporters at the event:
If 134 hostages will be marched from Gaza back to Israel, suffering from both sides will stop. What we want, after 153 days, 22 weeks, 5 months, to bring all our loved ones back home, we know he’s alive there.
He wasn’t there to harm anyone, he was there to defend, he was an innocent boy. Hamas took innocent children, innocent women and kidnapped them just for the spite of it, and we want them all back home.
Updated
IDF chief of staff publishes letter to commanders on process of reviewing conduct during war
Describing a review of Israeli military performance as a “lever that allows for improvement after failure”, the IDF chief of the general staff has issued a letter to commanders about a review process to assess performance during a war which it says began with “a difficult start”.
The letter, published openly by the IDF, starts:
The “Swords of Iron” War began with a surprise that resulted in a difficult outcome and a significant loss of civilian and soldier lives. Since then, the IDF has been defending and striking successfully and effectively - we had a difficult start, we recovered and we are making significant progress.
Reviews hold an honorable place in our military values. They are the lever that allows for improvement after failure, a way to be better after success, the tool with which a unit can build itself a climbing route that will elevate it indefinitely.
Just as charging in the face of enemy fire requires strength and courage, holding ourselves accountable and facing reviews also requires bravery and leadership.
The letter appeals to IDF troops for “honesty” in the review, stating that “when dealing with complex situations, it is critical to explore and make decisions that allow for evaluation and learning.”
The letter concedes that the review will not be able to “thoroughly examine every step, every bullet fired”. It also laments that “some of our people are no longer here with us, and we will not be able to hear their point of view.”
It concludes “Just as I trust the IDF’s ability to fight well, I believe each of us has the ability to ask questions in an unassuming, but constructive manner. This is how we’ll learn, and this is how we will better defend Israeli civilians in the future.”
An Israeli official has told the CNN news network that it believes Hamas is playing a “game”, and that the group does know where hostages are being held in the Gaza Strip, despite insisting on a ceasefire before it can compile and give the information.
“I think they do know, it’s a game,” the official said, claiming that both Israel and Hamas have “intelligence” on where the remaining abductees are being held.
Reportedly the failure of Hamas to give Israel a precise list of which hostages are being held has been a stumbling block in efforts to get them released.
Hamas official Basem Naim has previously said “There is no way to know the fate” of captives until a ceasefire is implemented.
Russia says it prevented attack on Moscow synagogue
Russia’s Federal Security Service said it prevented an attack on a synagogue in Moscow that was plotted by an Islamic State cell, Reuters reported citing Russian state news agencies.
The FSB said the attackers opened fire during the attempted arrest and were “neutralised by return fire”.
Lior Haiat, spokesperson for Israel’s foreign affairs ministry, has accused South Africa of acting “as the legal arm of Hamas in an attempt to undermine Israel’s inherent right to defend itself and its citizens, and to release all of the hostages”.
In a statement posted on social media, he said “the repeated requests for provisional measures made by South Africa in order to assist Hamas are yet another cynical exploitation of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which has already twice rejected the baseless attempts to deny Israel its right and obligation of self-defence”.
South Africa continues to act as the legal arm of Hamas in an attempt to undermine Israel’s inherent right to defend itself and its citizens, and to release all of the hostages.
— Lior Haiat 🇮🇱🎗️ (@LiorHaiat) March 7, 2024
The repeated requests for provisional measures made by South Africa in order to assist Hamas are yet… pic.twitter.com/zYNMqnUq45
Updated
The health ministry in Gaza has said Israel on Thursday returned 47 bodies of Palestinians it had killed earlier during the military offensive. Images from Gaza today appear to show a mass gave being prepared near where people are sheltering in makeshift tent camps in Rafah.
Hamas confirms ceasefire talks continue, despite delegation leaving Cairo and official saying Israel 'thwarted' deal
A Hamas statement has confirmed that talks over a deal with Israel will continue, despite a Hamas delegation leaving Cairo where talks were being held, and a senior Hamas official claiming that Israel had “thwarted” any deal.
“Hamas’s delegation left Cairo this morning for consultation with the leadership of the movement, with negotiations and efforts continuing to stop the aggression, return the displaced and bring in relief aid to our people,” Reuters reports Hamas statement said.
Earlier, official Sami Abu Zuhri told the news agency Israel had been “thwarting” efforts to conclude a ceasefire deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt during the four days of talks hosted in Cairo.
Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Israel was rejecting Hamas’s demands to end its offensive in the territory, withdraw its forces, and ensure freedom of entry for aid and the return of displaced people.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, which is demanding the release of about 134 hostages still believed to be kept inside Gaza. Not all of them are thought to be alive.
Hamas pledged to continue the Cairo talks, but officials said a ceasefire must be in place before hostages are freed, Israeli forces must leave Gaza and all Gazans must be able to return to homes they have fled, many of which have been destroyed during five months of intense aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israel.
Reports had said Israel was staying away from the Cairo talks because Hamas refused to provide a list of hostages who are still alive. Hamas says this is impossible without a ceasefire first, as hostages are scattered across Gaza.
Turkey’s Red Crescent is sending its biggest aid shipment yet to Gaza via Egypt, with a ship carrying about 3,000 tons of food, medicine and equipment leaving for the Egyptian port of Al-Arish on Thursday.
Reuters reports Turkey’s ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Sen, said on social media “This aid, which will be delivered to Gaza with the support and cooperation of the Egyptian Red Crescent, will keep the hopes of Palestinians alive on the eve of Ramadan.”
The aid has largely been collected through donations, and the ship will reportedly make two trips.
Here are pictures from two events in London today. Members of a coalition of international relief agencies held an International Women’s Day demonstration on the Millennium Bridge calling for an immediate ceasefire.
At the embassy of Israel in London, relatives of some of those being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas gave a press conference calling for more international pressure for their release.
Hamas accuses Israel of 'thwarting' all efforts by mediators to reach a deal
A senior Hamas official has accused Israel of having “thwarted” all efforts by mediators to reach a deal before Ramadan.
Speaking to news agency Reuters, senior official Sami Abu Zuhri said Israel insists on rejecting elements of the deal that would lead to a pause in fighting, ensure the entry of aid, and facilitate the return of internally displaced people back to their homes.
The Hamas negotiating delegation has now left Cairo, although a source told the state-affiliated Al-Qahera news channel in Egypt that talks would continue between all parties.
There are believed to be about 134 people still being held inside Gaza by Hamas, although the status of all of them is not known. Family members of some of those seized on 7 October have been giving a press conference calling for their return in London.
Hamas delegation leaves Cairo, talks between all parties said to be 'ongoing'
Reuters has a quick flash, citing an official source telling Al-Qahera news in Egypt that the Hamas delegation has left Cairo after talks, with no breakthrough.
However the report also states that talks remain ongoing between all parties to reach a ceasefire agreement before Ramadan, which is expected to begin on 10 March.
More details soon …
Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has criticised the west for its attitude to the situation in Gaza during a speech at the Australian National University in Canberra. He said countries should not apply international law selectively.
“Unfortunately, the gut-wrenching tragedy that continues to unfold in the Gaza Strip has laid bare the self-serving nature of the much-vaunted rules-based order,” Anwar said.
“The differing responses by the west to human suffering defy reasoning.”
Anwar questioned why the west had been “so vociferous, vehement and unequivocal in the condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while remaining utterly silent on the relentless blood-letting inflicted on innocent men, women and children of Gaza”.
“Sure, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between,” he said as he delivered the 2024 Gareth Evans Oration, named after a long-serving former foreign minister.
Anwar said some countries had labelled as “counterproductive” the proceedings initiated by South Africa at the International Court of Justice alleging Israel had breached the genocide convention. Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide levelled against it.
“But what could be more consistent with any reasonable conception of a rules-based order, than an appeal to those values before a panel of 17 judges?”
Anwar said it would foolish to think these inconsistencies would “go unnoticed”.
Ibrahim said he had appealed directly to his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, to reinstate funding to UNRWA, arguing the aid agency was the most effective channel to “help the besieged civilians” of Gaza.
Read more of Daniel Hurst’s report here: Malaysian PM calls on Albanese to reinstate UNRWA funding to aid ‘besieged civilians’ of Gaza
Family members of hostages still being held in Gaza are holding a news conference in London. You can watch it here.
30,800 Palestinians killed by Israel's military assault on Gaza since 7 October - ministry
At least 30,800 Palestinians have been killed and 72,298 have been wounded since Israel began its military assault on Gaza after the 7 October Hamas attack inside Israel, according to the latest figures from the health ministry.
Reuters reports the Hamas-led ministry claims that in the last 24 hours, 83 Palestinians were killed and 142 were wounded.
In addition, the Palestinian Authority ministry of health – which is separate to the one that operates inside Gaza – says that 424 Palestinians have now been killed by Israeli security forces or settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since 7 October.
It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict.
Emanuel Fabian, a military correspondent for Israeli media, has posted to social media to say that the IDF reports “ten rockets were fired from Lebanon at Rosh Hanikra in Israel, nine of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome”. He reports Israel is now shelling the launch sites.
According to the IDF, ten rockets were fired from Lebanon at Rosh Hanikra, nine of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 7, 2024
Troops are shelling the launch sites with artillery, it adds. https://t.co/uAZZ4VVmqg
The Times of Israel reports that Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, has instructed diplomats to push calls for the UN to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation in the wake of a UN report on sexual violence occurring during and after the 7 October attacks inside southern Isreal.
In a letter, Katz is reported to have told embassy staff to push messaging about the report in interviews, on social media and in person, and to report back on those activities by 14 March. The Times of Israel quotes a letter by Katz which says diplomats should stress that “the weak response by the UN indicates to Hamas that these acts are acceptable and will not bring sanctions on the terror organization.”
The UN’s special envoy on sexual violence in conflict has reported “clear and convincing information” that some women and children hostages held by Hamas had been subjected to rape and sexualised torture and that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe such abuses were “ongoing”. The special envoy, Pramila Patten, also reported on Monday that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe sexual assaults including rape and gang-rape in several places took place during the 7 October attacks by Hamas.
A separate internal UN report has described widespread abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention centres since 7 October, including beatings, dog attacks, the prolonged use of stress positions and sexual assault.
That report was compiled by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) and is largely based on interviews of Palestinian detainees released at the Kerem Shalom crossing point since December, when UNRWA staff were present to provide humanitarian support.
Paula Gaviria Betancur, who is a UN special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, has described Israeli evacuation orders imposed on civilians in Gaza as “illegal”, said they have not made people safer, and said she was “shocked” that Israel might order evacuations from Rafah in the south.
She told Al Jazeera news network:
I was completely shocked to hear that Israel intends to extend these evacuation orders to Rafah, which is the only refuge for about 70% of the surviving Gazans and the only point open for humanitarian assistance.
Any evacuation order imposed on Rafah under the current circumstances, with the rest of Gaza reduced to rubble, would be a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.
It should be emphasised that any evacuation that took place in Gaza was not legal. [They] have not made the residents of Gaza safer.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that a 19-year-old who was shot by Israeli security forces in occupied Burin, south of Nablus, last Monday, has died of his wounds. The Palestinian Authority ministry of health says that 424 Palestinians have now been killed by Israeli security forces or settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since 7 October.
True Confidence owners confirm three crew members killed in attack on ship near Yemen
Three crew members of the True Confidence dry bulk carrier were killed in a missile attack off Yemen on Wednesday, the owners and manager of the ship confirmed in a statement on Thursday.
Two other crew members sustained serious injuries, Reuters reports they said.
The ship is drifting away from land and salvage arrangements are being made, the owners added.
In its latest operational update Israel’s military says it continues “operations against terrorist infrastructure and operatives in Khan Younis and the central Gaza Strip.”
It claims in the last 24 hours to have located “weapons manufacturing facility, explosive devices and military equipment” as well as having “dismantled command centers used by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip”.
In describing its operations, the IDF claims to have killed at least 17 fighters.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Israel accused of firing machine gun at reporters in October incident that killed journalist
A report by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) which was contracted by Reuters to investigate the circumstances in which visuals journalist Issam Abdallah was killed on 13 October has concluded that an Israeli tank crew killed the Reuters reporter in Lebanon by firing two shells at a clearly identified group of journalists and then “likely” opened fire on them with a heavy machine gun.
The report found that a tank 1.34 km away in Israel fired two 120 mm rounds at the reporters. The first shell killed Abdallah, 37, and severely wounded Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi, 28.
A previous Reuters in December covered TNO’s preliminary finding that a tank in Israel had fired at the journalists. In its final report on Thursday, Reuters reports the institute revealed that audio picked up by an Al Jazeera video camera at the scene showed the reporters also came under fire from 0.50 calibre rounds of the type used by the Browning machine guns that can be mounted on Israel’s Merkava tanks.
“It is considered a likely scenario that a Merkava tank, after firing two tank rounds, also used its machine gun against the location of the journalists,” TNO’s report said. “The latter cannot be concluded with certainty as the direction and exact distance of fire could not be established.”
Reuters could not independently determine if the Israeli tank crew knew it was firing on journalists, nor whether it also shot at them with a machine gun and, if so, why. Neither of the two surviving Reuters reporters or another AFP journalist at the scene remembered the machine gun fire. All said they were in shock at the time.
Reuters reports the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to requests for comment about any aspect of the attack on journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says that to date in the Israel-Gaza war, 95 journalists and media workers have been confirmed killed, 16 journalists were reported injured, four journalists were reported missing and 25 journalists were reported arrested.
The CPJ has described it as “the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992”.
Welcome and summary
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.
The US said on Wednesday that talks on a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza could still reach an agreement between Hamas and Israel, despite reports negotiations were at an impasse.
“We continue to believe that obstacles are not insurmountable and a deal can be reached … so we’re going to continue to push for one,” U.S state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in Washington.
Hamas pledged to continue talks in Cairo, but officials in the Palestinian militant group said a ceasefire must be in place before hostages are freed, Israeli forces must leave Gaza and all Gazans must be able to return to homes they have fled.
A source told the Reuters news agency that Israel was staying away from the Cairo talks because Hamas refused to provide a list of hostages who are still alive. Hamas says this is impossible without a ceasefire as hostages are scattered across the war zone.
We’ll have more that in a minute, first here’s a round up of the day’s other main events.
The US is reported to have made more than 100 weapons sales to Israel, including thousands of bombs, since the start of the war in Gaza, but the deliveries escaped congressional oversight because each transaction was under the dollar amount requiring approval. The Washington Post reported that administration officials informed Congress of the 100 foreign military sales to Israel in a classified briefing.
Three sailors have died and others have been injured after a Houthi missile attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, US officials have said – the first fatalities of crew of commercial shipping since the Houthis began launching strikes at ships in waters off Yemen last year. The officials told US news agencies that the crew of the MV True Confidence had abandoned ship after the attack, which was claimed by the Houthis.
A new drive by the United Nation’s World Food Programme to deliver aid to an estimated half million people at risk of famine in northern Gaza has failed amid further scenes of chaos and violence. A 14-truck convoy destined for northern Gaza was looted on Tuesday after being held at an Israeli army checkpoint for several hours, aid workers said. As the convoy turned back after the delay, it was attacked and 200 tonnes of food looted by “a large crowd of desperate people
European Commission president Usrula von der Leyen is due to travel to Cyprus later this week as the bloc is working towards establishing a possible humanitarian corridor in support of the population in Gaza through the Mediterranean island, her spokesperson said on Wednesday.
International development charity ActionAid has warned that the aid system in Gaza is “at the brink of total collapse” and reported that a “sharp increase in malnutrition” in Gaza had led to an increase in deaths among children and cases of stillborn babies. In a statement from the charity, Dr Mohammed Salha, director of al-Awda hospital, ActionAid’s partner in northern Gaza, said: “There are many operations that have been performed, like caesarean sections to remove foetuses, [which] died due to malnutrition among women.”
It is Martin Belam with you today. You can reach me at martin.belam@theguardian.com.
