Live
By Maziar Motamedi, Linah Alsaafin and Brian Osgood
Published On 12 Jan 2024
  • The Gaza Media office said that there is no fuel left to power generators at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, putting ICU and nursery patients at extreme risk of death.
  • All internet and telecom services in Gaza cut as a result of the Israeli bombardment of the enclave, the main operator said.
13 Jan 2024 - 00:00
 (00:00 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

This live page is now closed. Follow along with our ongoing coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza here.

To read more about Israel’s appearance at the International Court of Justice, see our explainer here.

The US and UK attacked Houthi targets in Yemen, find out more here.

(Al Jazeera)
12 Jan 2024 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will soon be closing this live page. Here’s a recap of the day’s main developments:

  • Israel defended itself from charges of genocide before the ICJ where it argued it takes pains to protect civilians despite a daily death toll in Gaza with few parallels in modern history.
  • Medical workers at the Al-Aqsa Hospital struggled to treat patients after the facility ran out of fuel, plunging one of the last functional hospitals in the strip into darkness and endangering the lives of patients.
  • UN humanitarian relief director Martin Griffiths said that Israel’s campaign in Gaza has been waged “with almost no regard for the impact on civilians”, adding that Palestinians may not be able to return to northern Gaza due to widespread destruction.
  • The US said that it is not seeking wider escalation following joint strikes with the UK against Houthi targets in Yemen.
  • Israel’s bombardment of Gaza cut off access to telecommunications and internet access, complicating rescue efforts by medical workers.
12 Jan 2024 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

Israeli forces raid town near Jenin, occupied West Bank

Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing security sources, reports an ongoing raid on the occupied West Bank town of Yabad, which has seen multiple raids already this week.

There, according to Wafa, Israeli forces “carried out wide-scale home raids and searches, deployed snipers on the rooftops of buildings and shops and set up ambushes throughout the neighbourhoods”.

It also said that one young man was hospitalised after being severely beaten by Israeli soldiers and that the soldiers deployed live fire and tear gas after clashes erupted.

12 Jan 2024 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)

EU welcomes anti-Houthi UN Security Council resolution

In a statement, the EU has said that “upholding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea is vital to the free flow of global commerce and regional security”.

It continued to say that EU member states have a right to defend themselves, and called on the Houthis to exercise restraint “to avoid further escalation in the Red Sea and the broader region”.

Earlier today, the US and UK bombed Houthi positions inside Yemen in retaliation for the group’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

12 Jan 2024 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

WATCH: Israel rejects genocide charges in Gaza, asks ICJ to dismiss case

Israel presented its defence during day two of the International Court of Justice hearing of a case brought against it by South Africa alleging that its war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

Watch our video to learn Israel’s arguments against South Africa’s claims:

12 Jan 2024 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

Biden says he is concerned war could impact oil prices

US President Joe Biden has said that he is worried that ongoing fighting in the Middle East could impact the price of oil.

Oil prices ticked up slightly on Friday following a series of strikes by the US and the UK on the Houthis in Yemen, prompting concerns of wider regional escalation.

12 Jan 2024 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

Report: France refused to support US-UK strikes on Houthis

UK newspaper The Telegraph reports that France not only refused to take part as the US and the UK hit Houthi targets in Yemen earlier today, but they also refused to sign a statement in support of them.

“Speaking on condition of anonymity, a French official said Paris feared that by joining the US-led strikes, it would have lost any leverage it had in talks to defuse tensions between Hezbollah and Israel,” the report said.

The newspaper says that France joined Italy and Spain in refusing to sign the joint statement, which warned of further action should the Houthis continue their attacks on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The statement was signed by Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea and Bahrain.

 

 

12 Jan 2024 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)
Developing

Video footage shows nursing unit in lightless Al-Aqsa Hospital

Video footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows a desperate situation inside Al-Aqsa Hospital, which is struggling to treat patients amid a power outage caused by a shortage of fuel.

The video shows premature babies and newborn children in the lightless hospital, where medical workers now labour by flashlight.

“We worked on the light of mobile phones to take care of the condition of children in intensive care, and the devices work on secondary power, and if they stop, the children lose their lives,” said Dr Warda al-Awawdeh, who works in the nursery unit.

Al-Awawdeh said that medical workers rushed to provide the small children with blankets in order to stabilise their temperature.

 

12 Jan 2024 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Canada says that it will follow ICJ case ‘closely’

Canada’s global affairs ministry has released a statement saying that the government is following the Israeli genocide case at the International Court of Justice but does not necessarily agree with the premise of the case.

“Canada’s unwavering support for international law and the ICJ does not mean we accept the premise of the case brought by South Africa,” the statement reads. “We will follow the proceedings of South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice very closely.”

“We must ensure that the procedural steps in this case are not used to foster anti-Semitism and targeting of Jewish neighbourhoods, businesses, and individuals,” the statement adds.

12 Jan 2024 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Report: CIA providing intel on Hamas leaders to Israel

US newspaper The New York Times, citing unnamed US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the CIA has formed a new task force that has uncovered information on Hamas leadership as well as the location of Israeli captives held in Gaza.

The report also says that US officials believe that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar to be hiding in the “deepest part of the tunnel network under Khan Younis”, but that he is also believed to have surrounded himself with captives, complicating any operation to capture or kill him.

 

12 Jan 2024 - 21:50
 (21:50 GMT)

Danish police say foiled terror plot had links to Hamas

Police and intelligence services in the northern European nation of Denmark have said that they foiled a plot in December that had links to Hamas. Further details were not offered.

The news outlet AFP reported that the unspecified plot “has links to Hamas”, citing an email from Danish prosecutor Anders Larsson.

12 Jan 2024 - 21:40
 (21:40 GMT)

Power outage will harm Al-Aqsa Hospital’s ability to care for patients

A medical worker says that the power blackout at Al-Aqsa Hospital, stemming from fuel shortages due to Israel’s siege and assault on the strip, will seriously impact the facility’s ability to care for patients and accept others in need of assistance.

“A hospital can’t function without electricity. This is a basic requirement for the functioning of any health facility,” James Smith, an emergency physician with Medical Aid for Palestinians who recently returned from working in the hospital in Gaza, told Al Jazeera.

“So this has huge implications in terms of the ability to deliver ongoing clinical care to patients, to current inpatients, but also to the hospital’s capacity to accept new patients or safely transfer them to other healthcare facilities.”

Smith also noted that conditions at the facility were already dire and that the hospital was “incredibly congested, incredibly crowded, [with] very little resources, and very low levels of staffing”.

12 Jan 2024 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Russia’s UN ambassador blames US for regional spillover of Gaza war

Speaking during a meeting of the UN Security Council, Vasily Nebenzia has accused the United States of “singlehandedly” causing a spillover of fighting in the Middle East following a series of strikes on Yemen with the UK.

Nebenzia also blasted US ally Israel for the indiscriminate use of force in Gaza, where Russia accused Israel of continuously violating international law.

Russia has been strongly criticised for alleged war crimes of its own in Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022.

Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a proposal to demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip at UN headquarters in New York on December 22, 2023 [David Dee Delgado/Reuters]
12 Jan 2024 - 21:20
 (21:20 GMT)

Attack on Israeli settlement symptomatic of high tensions in the occupied West Bank

The Israeli security forces are saying that three men infiltrated [the] settlement of Adora, that is in the occupied West Bank, not far from Hebron.

There was a patrol of the Israeli security forces, they attacked it, there were some clashes going on, the three men were killed but apparently, one of the settlers there was injured.

We also know that right now [Israeli forces] are calling for support just to monitor the situation. They asked the population in that settlement to stay in their homes.

This is happening as tensions are on the rise in the West Bank, especially since October 7.

12 Jan 2024 - 21:10
 (21:10 GMT)

Biden says he doesn’t believe civilian casualties occurred during Yemen strikes

“I don’t think there’s any civilian casualties, that’s another reason why it’s a success,” Biden said during a campaign trip on Friday.

12 Jan 2024 - 20:50
 (20:50 GMT)

UN’s humanitarian chief paints grim picture of Gaza at UN Security Council meeting

This is the second time that the Security Council has met this week just on the situation in Gaza.

Martin Griffiths, the top gentleman when it comes to humanitarian affairs, we’ve heard him speak well over a dozen times, if not more, since the conflict began on October 7. He’s been a constant, whether speaking at the Security Council, on the sidelines or issuing statements.

With each new statement, you hear a situation that is getting even worse in Gaza, and I think we really heard that here from Martin Griffiths.

He said that UN officials have just been able to access the northern part of Gaza; he said they came back and said the scenes were utter horror.

He said corpses were lying on the road, [there were] people with evident signs of starvation stopping tricks stopping trucks in search of anything they can get to survive.

Griffiths painted a picture where the UN basically cannot function and cannot get aid to people that need in really any part of the besieged Gaza Strip.

12 Jan 2024 - 20:50
 (20:50 GMT)

Nearly 320 displaced people have been killed in Gaza UNRWA shelters: UN official

Speaking at the UN Security Council, Assistant UN Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris has said that at least 319 internally displaced persons have been killed and 1,135 injured in strikes on shelters run by the UN’s relief agency for Palestinians since October 7. She also noted that Israel’s evacuation of Palestinians may constitute a war crime.

“While Israel stated that its evacuation orders have been for the safety of Palestinian civilians, it appears that Israel has made scant provision to ensure such relocations comply with international law, in particular ensuring access to appropriate hygiene, health, safety, nutrition and shelter, and taking steps to minimise the risk of separation of family members,” she said.

“Such compelled evacuations, failing to meet the necessary conditions for lawfulness, therefore potential amount to forcible transfer, a war crime.”

12 Jan 2024 - 20:40
 (20:40 GMT)

Biden says Houthis ‘terrorists’

US President Joe Biden has called Yemen’s Houthi forces a “terrorist” group, and said that Washington would respond to the Houthis if they continued behavior that he called outrageous, the Reuters news agency reports.

In 2021, the Biden administration formally delisted Yemen’s Houthi movement as a “foreign terrorist organization” and “Specially Designated Global Terrorists”, designations which dramatically hampered aid efforts in war-torn Yemen, and which United Nations and aid groups said threatened to further devastate the country.

It was unclear from Biden’s comments if he planned to move towards again formally designating the Houthis as a terrorist group.

12 Jan 2024 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

UN relief head says Israeli campaign conducted with no regard for civilian impact

In an address to the UN Security Council, Martin Griffiths has said that Israel’s campaign in Gaza is being waged “with almost no regard for the impact on civilians”.

“As ground operations move southward, aerial bombardments have intensified in areas where civilians were told to relocate,” Griffiths said, noting that UN facilities sheltering displaced Palestinians have come under “relentless attack”.

Griffiths added that it’s difficult to imagine that Palestinians “would or could” move back to northern Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel’s assault.

He also said that statements from Israeli cabinet members promoting the expulsion of Palestinian civilians raise “grave concerns about the possible forcible mass transfer or deportation of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip”.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths speaks during a press conference on the situation in Gaza, at the UN building in Geneva, on November 15, 2023 [File: Jean-Guy Python /AFP]
12 Jan 2024 - 20:20
 (20:20 GMT)
Developing

Dire situation at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital as blackout continues

By Tareq Abu Azzoum

Reporting from Rafah, Gaza Strip

Al-Aqsa Hospital, in the central area of the Gaza Strip, has become completely dark right now, as the fuel for the generators has completely run out, imposing a full blackout in the hospital, which also contains hundreds of patients who are in very desperate need of electricity to keep them provided with medical treatment.

A group of babies are in a very risky situation right now, as they might lose their lives if this blackout continues.

We can also say that the hospital is very crowded with patients and injured people, along with displaced people, who are trying to live in the backyards of the hospital.

We reported earlier that the vicinity of the hospital had been widely attacked by the Israeli military as a number of residential buildings there had been destroyed, alongside the fact that the hospital exists in an area that is considered to be a battle zone.

And now, with the expansion of the Israeli military operations in the middle Governate [of Gaza], this hospital may be exposed to new threats.