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.
