Welcome and Overview
Hello and welcome to today’s live blog.
The Israeli army renewed evacuation orders for Palestinian residents of several neighborhoods in the eastern province of Khan Younis and said it would take strong action against militants firing rockets from those areas.
The army said it had ordered X to evacuate and that residents in southern Gaza had received text and voice messages.
Residents said dozens of families had begun leaving their homes and heading west toward Al Mawashi, an Israeli-designated humanitarian area, but the area is already overcrowded with families fleeing from surrounding areas and lacks basic necessities such as food, water and proper shelter.
Despite its designation, the site has been the target of Israeli attacks before, including in July when Israel bombed the area in an attempt to kill Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, killing at least 90 Palestinians and wounding hundreds.
Khan Yunis, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip, has already suffered devastating damage from Israeli military attacks and is now reduced to piles of cement and rubble.
We’ll go into more detail on this shortly, but first, here’s a quick rundown of today’s other major news:
-
The leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar have called on Israel and Hamas to resume emergency negotiations to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.The Gaza Strip’s Syrian Refugee Relief Committee said there was no excuse for further delays “from any party” in admitting Syrian refugees.The three countries that have been trying to broker a deal said in a joint statement that talks could take place in Doha or Cairo on August 15, adding that “it is time to bring immediate relief to both the long-suffering people of Gaza and the hostages and their families.”
-
Israel’s Channel 12 aired security camera footage on Wednesday of the alleged sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee from Gaza at Sde Teyman military detention camp, where riots erupted last week over the detention of soldiers accused of involvement in the abuse. Security camera footage shows what appear to be Israeli soldiers lifting the blindfolded prisoner out of the camera’s view, before the soldiers cover themselves and the prisoner with riot shields and surround him.
-
Israeli forces intensified attacks across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, Palestinian medical sources said. As fighting continues against Hamas-led militants, Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a larger war in the region.
-
The Israeli army said on Thursday it had struck an area containing two schools in the Gaza Strip that it claims is home to a Hamas command center. “The school site was used by Hamas terrorists and commanders as a command and control center from which they planned and carried out attacks against IDF units and the State of Israel,” the report said.
-
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that Israel had informed them that it would no longer accredit Norwegian diplomats operating in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling it an “extreme act” by the Israeli government. Later the same day, Israeli Foreign Minister Katz said the decision was due to Norway’s “anti-Israeli actions.”
“,”elementId”:”24e98d51-dc63-4e30-8434-84354abd3041″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The Houthis did not immediately claim the assaults, though they follow a months-long campaign by the rebels targeting shipping through the Red Sea corridor over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“,”elementId”:”39838e9f-99ba-4e46-bd1a-dde402b49532″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
After a recent two-week pause, their attacks resumed after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, amid concerns of a wider regional war. Iran backs the Houthis as part of what it calls a regional “Axis of Resistance.”
“,”elementId”:”d7659bc1-32d0-41e2-b318-f24ac9695d33″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
In the first attack, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded close to the ship Thursday, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. Two smaller craft, with men aboard wearing white and yellow raincoats, launched the RPG, the UKMTO said.
“,”elementId”:”6d5fa14f-4ec0-4896-abea-0c38706d1522″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The second attack came early Friday, with a missile “exploding in close proximity to the vessel,” the UKMTO said. “The vessel and crew are reported to be safe.”
“,”elementId”:”f8db591d-88f0-490f-8de1-9dcf55776fd0″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The private security firm Ambrey reported that the ship was hit by a drone that caused no injuries or physical damage.
“,”elementId”:”b36b81c9-02a2-4c16-b227-1957f394e822″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
“The vessel was assessed to be aligned with the Houthi target profile,” Ambrey said. “The vessel was assessed to have been targeted earlier in the day.”
“,”elementId”:”5a85cef7-fc78-43f2-8ed4-0a87d0a145c2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Then came the third attack with the drone boat, where private security guards on board “opened fire and (were) able to successfully destroy the vehicle,” Ambrey said.
“,”elementId”:”83430364-98a4-4003-9c06-48147f4c6747″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Though the Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, it sometimes can take hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults. They’ve also claimed others that apparently haven’t happened.
“,”elementId”:”31a75f73-a3e9-4ced-800c-8c0a2d3ee029″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1723192765000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.39 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1723193154000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.45 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1723193154000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.45 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.45″,”title”:”Ships in Bab el-Mandeb Strait targeted by Houthi attacks”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Friday, August 9, 2024 04:45 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First Published Friday, August 9, 2024 03:22 EDT”},{“id”:”66b570118f08f3c949564fa7″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Hello and welcome to the today’s live blog.
“,”elementId”:”8cfe8078-7e46-428f-9b5f-5d052c6ce84a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The Israeli military has renewed evacuation orders to Palestinian residents in several districts in eastern Khan Younis, saying it would act forcefully against militants who had fired rockets from those areas.
“,”elementId”:”5272e7da-8013-465a-a955-45a79492f28c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The army posted the evacuation order on X, and residents of the southern Gaza city said they had received text and audio messages.
“,”elementId”:”8ccbfce7-1331-4aff-b13f-061af1898fa7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Residents said dozens of families had begun to leave their homes and head west towards Al-Mawasi, an area designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel but one that is already severely overcrowded by displaced families from around the enclave and which lacks basic necessities including food, water and proper shelter.
“,”elementId”:”1fe3abae-7ef2-412d-9e27-11b59f8bf0b6″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The site has also previously been the target of Israeli attacks despite its designation including one in July in which at least 90 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more injured when Israel bombed the area in what it said was a bid to kill Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif.
“,”elementId”:”80e36573-7f14-4884-a860-841c4a9f04f8″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Khan Younis, Gaza’s second largest city, has also already been devastated by the Israeli assault reduced largely to piles of cement and rubble.
“,”elementId”:”8506e71a-11d0-40a6-b1d3-b71e653247d6″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
More on that in a moment, first here’s a summary of the day’s other main news.
“,”elementId”:”ee03dd72-785d-4ae5-8a12-cf0da3ae4045″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
- \n
- \n
The leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar have called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent negotiations in order to finalise a ceasefire and hostage release deal, saying there were no excuses “from any party for further delay”. The three countries, which have been trying to mediate a deal, said in a joint statement the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo on 15 August, adding that it was “time to bring immediate relief both to the longsuffering people of Gaza as well as the longsuffering hostages and their families.”
- \n
Israel’s Channel 12 on Wednesday broadcast security camera footage that reportedly showed the sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee from Gaza at Sde Teiman military detention camp. Last week, the detention of the soldiers accused of involvement in the alleged abuse sparked violent riots. The surveillance footage showed what appeared to be Israeli soldiers lifting up a blindfolded prisoner and taking him out of sight of the camera. They then covered themselves and the prisoner with their riot shields as they encircled him.
- \n
Israeli forces stepped up strikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, Palestinian medics said. The continued battles with Hamas-led militants came as Israel braced for potential wider war in the region.
- \n
The Israeli military said it had struck an area where two schools were situated in Gaza on Thursday, which it claims had Hamas command centres embedded within. “The school compounds were used by Hamas terrorists and commanders as command-and-control centres, from which they planned and carried out attacks against Israel Defense Forces troops and the state of Israel,” it said.
- \n
Israel has given notice it will no longer accredit Norwegian diplomats serving the occupied Palestinian territories, Norway’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, calling it “an extreme act” by the Israeli government. Later in the day, Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said the decision was due to Norway’s “anti-Israel conduct”.
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
“,”elementId”:”24b94ba0-1b05-48f8-a013-21cdd84bab50″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:true,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1723188149000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”03.22 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1723188019000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”: “03.20 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1723188149000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”03.22 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”03.22″,”title”:”Welcome and Overview”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Friday, August 9, 2024 04:45 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First Published Friday, August 9, 2024 03:22 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”,”absoluteServerTimes”:false}”>
Main Events
Ships in Bab el-Mandeb Strait targeted by Houthi attacks
The Associated Press reported that three attacks suspected to be carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted ships in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait that links the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea, and authorities said Friday that in one of the attacks, private security personnel shot down a drone boat carrying a bomb.
The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack, but it follows a months-long rebel campaign targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis recently resumed attacks after a two-week hiatus amid fears of a wider regional war following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, which backs the Houthis as part of the so-called regional “Axis of Resistance.”
In the first attack, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded near the ship on Thursday, according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, which said two small boats carrying men wearing white and yellow raincoats fired the rocket-propelled grenades.
The second attack took place early on Friday morning, when a missile “exploded in close proximity to the vessel,” UKMTO said in a statement. “The vessel and crew are reportedly safe.”
Private security company Ambry reported that the ship was hit by a drone but there were no injuries or physical damage.
“The vessel was assessed to be consistent with a Houthi targeting profile,” Ambry said. “It was assessed that the vessel was targeted earlier in the day.”
There was then a third attack by a drone boat, and the private security personnel on board “opened fire and successfully destroyed the drone boat,” Ambry said.
The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, but it can take hours or even days before they acknowledge an attack, and they have also claimed other attacks that apparently did not happen.
The UK Maritime Trade Office (UKMTO) said on Friday that a vessel had been hit by a fourth missile attack in the Red Sea, 45 nautical miles south of Mocha, Yemen, according to Reuters.
Welcome and Overview
Hello and welcome to today’s live blog.
The Israeli army renewed evacuation orders for Palestinian residents of several neighborhoods in the eastern province of Khan Younis and said it would take strong action against militants firing rockets from those areas.
The army said it had ordered X to evacuate and that residents in southern Gaza had received text and voice messages.
Residents said dozens of families had begun leaving their homes and heading west toward Al Mawashi, an Israeli-designated humanitarian area, but the area is already overcrowded with families fleeing from surrounding areas and lacks basic necessities such as food, water and proper shelter.
Despite its designation, the site has been the target of Israeli attacks before, including in July when Israel bombed the area in an attempt to kill Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, killing at least 90 Palestinians and wounding hundreds.
Khan Yunis, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip, has already suffered devastating damage from Israeli military attacks and is now reduced to piles of cement and rubble.
We’ll go into more detail on this shortly, but first, here’s a quick rundown of today’s other major news:
-
The leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar have called on Israel and Hamas to resume emergency negotiations to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.The Gaza Strip’s Syrian Refugee Relief Committee said there was no excuse for further delays “from any party” in admitting Syrian refugees.The three countries that have been trying to broker a deal said in a joint statement that talks could take place in Doha or Cairo on August 15, adding that “it is time to bring immediate relief to both the long-suffering people of Gaza and the hostages and their families.”
-
Israel’s Channel 12 aired security camera footage on Wednesday of the alleged sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee from Gaza at Sde Teyman military detention camp, where riots erupted last week over the detention of soldiers accused of involvement in the abuse. Security camera footage shows what appear to be Israeli soldiers lifting the blindfolded prisoner out of the camera’s view, before the soldiers cover themselves and the prisoner with riot shields and surround him.
-
Israeli forces intensified attacks across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, Palestinian medical sources said. Fighting with Hamas-led militants continues as Israel prepares for a possible larger war in the region.
-
The Israeli army said on Thursday it had struck an area containing two schools in the Gaza Strip that it claims is home to a Hamas command center. “The school site was used by Hamas terrorists and commanders as a command and control center from which they planned and carried out attacks against IDF units and the State of Israel,” the report said.
-
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that Israel had informed them that it would no longer accredit Norwegian diplomats operating in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling it an “extreme act” by the Israeli government. Later the same day, Israeli Foreign Minister Katz said the decision was due to Norway’s “anti-Israeli actions.”
