Live
By Linah Alsaafin and Alma Milisic
Published On 25 Jan 2024
  • Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed 200 Palestinians in the last 24 hours and injured 370, as Israeli forces surround Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals in Khan Younis.
  • At least 20 killed and 150 wounded as Israeli tanks fire shells and live rounds at people in northern Gaza City who lined up to receive much-needed humanitarian supplies, health officials say.
2 Feb 2024 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)
Developing

US officially confirms retaliatory strikes against Iran-allied militias

The US army’s Central Command has issued a statement via X, confirming reports of air strikes in Iraq and Syria.

The US struck 85 targets belonging to “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps [IRGC] Quds Force and affiliated militia groups”, CENTCOM said.

“The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aired vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against US and Coalition forces,” the statement added.

 

26 Jan 2024 - 00:00
 (00:00 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

This live page is now closed. Follow along with our ongoing coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza here.

To learn about the thousands of Palestinian children killed by Israel’s war on Gaza, read more here.

And you can always read more about the conflict here.

25 Jan 2024 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing the live blog soon. Here is a quick recap of the day’s main events:

  • An Israeli attack has killed at least 20 people waiting for humanitarian assistance in Gaza City, sparking outrage and calls for international interventions to protect Palestinian civilians.
  • Heavy fighting continues in Khan Younis, where the Health Ministry says Israeli tanks are shelling the area surrounding Nasser Hospital.
  • The Israeli military demolishes hundreds of buildings near Israel’s fence with Gaza as it seeks to create “a buffer zone”, despite US opposition to diminishing the size of the Palestinian territory.
  • UNRWA says Israel’s assurances of protecting civilians are not being followed after an attack on a UN training centre killed at least 13 people on Thursday.
  • CIA chief William Burns will travel to the Middle East to secure another captive deal, according to US media reports.
25 Jan 2024 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

Is Israel’s war on Gaza a watershed moment in history?

Israel is driving ahead with its war on Gaza, but while it is killing Palestinians, it is failing to destroy Hamas.

As the world watches, Israel is carrying out its slaughter with Western-supplied weapons without restraint.

So, are we at a pivotal point in history for both the Palestinian people and Israel?

Watch Al Jazeera’s Inside Story to hear the debate:

25 Jan 2024 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)

WHO decries ‘inhumane’ displacement of Palestinians in Gaza

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the forced displacement of Gaza’s population is “inhumane”. Earlier in the day, Ghebreyesus said that conditions in Gaza brought back personal memories of living through war as a child.

Ghebreyesus shared a video posted by UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini showing a “sea of people forced to flee Khan Younis” due to Israel’s assault.

“Heartbreaking. Unacceptable. Inhumane,” Ghebreyesus said. “Ceasefire. Protect civilians.”

25 Jan 2024 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Report: Israel asks foreign embassies if they’re ready for ‘escalation’ of Gaza war

UK newspaper outlet The Financial Times reports that the Israeli government has written to diplomatic missions in the country to inquire if they are equipped with backup generators and satellite phones in case of a ‘security escalation’.

The FT says it saw the letter sent to the embassies by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which “asked whether the diplomatic missions possessed generators, and how long they would run on a full tank of fuel”.

The report comes as fears that Israel’s war on Gaza could spiral into a regional conflict. Israeli leaders, most notably PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gantz, have repeatedly threatened broader conflict with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in recent weeks.

25 Jan 2024 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

WATCH: Israeli forces open fire during aid distribution

At least 20 Palestinians were killed and 150 wounded earlier today when the Israeli army attacked a long line of people waiting for food aid in northern Gaza City.

The wounded and terrified survivors fled to al-Shifa Hospital, where were treated on the floor due to overcrowding.

“We were going to bring flour. We were waiting for the trucks,” Mohammad al-Reafi said from al-Shifa Hospital. “The [Israeli tanks] hit us with four shells.”

Watch our video for more scenes from the ground in Gaza City:

25 Jan 2024 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

US city of Minneapolis passes ceasefire resolution

The Minnesota city’s council approved the measure in a 9-3 vote. The resolution also urged ending military aid to Israel, releasing Israeli captives in Gaza and freeing Palestinians from Israel’s military prisons.

Several large cities across the country – including Oakland, Detroit and San Francisco – have adopted ceasefire resolutions.

While municipalities have little power over foreign policy, Palestinian rights advocates say the resolutions are important.

“Local government has the ability to amplify these voices, has the ability to be on the right side of history, has the ability to put on the record that there were citizens against this,” Deema Totah, who helped push a ceasefire resolution in Iowa City, told Al Jazeera earlier this month.

“We want future history books to say that this was a unilateral decision by a government whose people did not agree with them.”

25 Jan 2024 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

What will the ICJ announce on Israel’s Gaza war? The possible scenarios

By Sarah Shamim

On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will announce its decision on emergency or provisional measures against Israel in an interim verdict after South Africa filed a case against Israel accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza.

The court’s decision could have a significant impact on the war, with high stakes for Palestinians, Israel, and other parties, such as the United States.

What are the possible outcomes of tomorrow’s decision, what could these provisional measures look like, and what might that mean for the people continuing to suffer amid brutal fighting and a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza?

To learn more, you can read our story here.

25 Jan 2024 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

PRCS doctors remove 1kg piece of shrapnel from Palestinian man

Doctors at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, operated by the Palestine Red Crescent, have shared photos on social media of a massive piece of shrapnel from a 60-year-old patient’s shoulder. They said the hunk of metal weighs approximately one kilogramme (2.2 pounds).

“The success of the operation is notable given the limited resources and challenging conditions imposed by the Israeli siege on the hospital,” the PRCS wrote on Instagram.

Khan Younis, along with al-Amal Hospital, remains surrounded by Israeli forces and is experiencing heavy fighting, as the Israeli army continues its ground operations in south Gaza.

25 Jan 2024 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

Hamas rebukes US for calling South Africa’s ICJ claims unfounded

Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq accuses the Biden administration of trying to preempt the UN court’s ruling on South Africa’s petition accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention.

“The American administration still rejects ending the aggression against Gaza by stopping the UN Security Council from passing a resolution to end the aggression and by continuing to supply the occupation forces with weapons and ammo to bomb women and children,” al-Risheq said in a statement.

“This makes the US a biased side and a partner in the crimes of murder. It does not have a right to talk about values and morals and international laws, which it violates in broad daylight.”

25 Jan 2024 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Scale of death and destruction in Gaza ‘horrifying’: US congresswoman

Summer Lee, a progressive Democrat who is gearing up for re-election against an expected onslaught of campaign spending by the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC, has renewed her call for a ceasefire.

“We saw a ceasefire work: aid was trickling in [and] Israeli hostages [and] Palestinians were coming home,” she wrote in a social media post. “100 days in, I’m still standing with a majority of Dem voters, humanitarian orgs, [and] families of hostages for a #CeasefireNOW.”

25 Jan 2024 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

Al-Quds Brigades claims it hit Israeli forces with mortar fire

The armed wing of the Islamic Jihad says in a statement that it fired on a group of soldiers and vehicles near the Abu Safiya military site east of the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

25 Jan 2024 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

Obstetrician says pregnant women in Gaza dying from complications in greater numbers

Dr Haya Hijazi, a gynaecologist and obstetrician in Gaza, has spoken to Al Jazeera’s The Stream about the dire situation of pregnant women in the besieged Strip.

“The cases that undergo hysterectomy due to postpartum haemorrhages are increasing, because there is no medical aid to treat them and to deal with them,” she said.

“Postpartum depression is also increasing,” she added, noting that in one case a 23-year-old woman was forced to travel to numerous hospitals only to be turned down as the facilities were strained by bombardment. Hijazi said the girl died from sepsis.

A Palestinian mother, Sabreen al-Azami, is seen holding her daughter Sukkar in Rafah, Gaza, on December 23, 2023 [File: Abed Zagout/Anadolu Agency]
25 Jan 2024 - 20:50
 (20:50 GMT)

Report: Israeli army detaining Palestinian men fleeing Khan Younis fighting

The Associated Press has reported that Palestinians are fleeing Khan Younis “by the thousands” as fighting in the area intensifies. Palestinians also told the outlet that Israeli forces told them to evacuate the Faisal school where many were sheltering, and detained many young men with little explanation.

“Suddenly, they [the Israeli military] started calling from the microphones to evacuate the site within half an hour,” Amal, a Palestinian mother who gave birth three days ago and fled the school with her newborn, told AP.

“They allowed us to leave, and they made us walk a certain distance, and they took the young men and searched them on the side,” said Israa Khashan, who was also sheltering at the school.

“They took some young men with them and left others, and now we are here, not knowing where to go,” she added.

Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis, due to the Israeli army ground operation, January 25, 2024 [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters]
25 Jan 2024 - 20:40
 (20:40 GMT)

Why is Canada asking Palestinians to list scars on Gaza visa applications?

By Jillian Kestler-D'Amours

Abdallah Alhamadni knows the clock is ticking.

Every day, the 51-year-old Palestinian father of three checks to see whether his efforts to bring his relatives in Gaza to safety have advanced.

But Alhamadni, a Canadian permanent resident who lives in Milton, Ontario, says he is stuck in a dangerous waiting game, as Israel continues to wage war on the Gaza Strip. “We feel paralysed, depressed, frustrated, crying,” he told Al Jazeera.

Read more here about Canada’s programme to that allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to apply to bring extended family members from Gaza to the country.

Palestinians arrive in Rafah on January 22 after fleeing Khan Younis amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters]
25 Jan 2024 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims attack against US base

The Iran-linked coalition of Iraqi groups has said it targeted a base near the Erbil airport with drones as part of its fight against the “occupying US forces in Iraq and the region” and as a response to the Israeli massacres in Gaza.

Iraqi groups allied with Tehran have stepped up their attacks against US forces since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza. But the Biden administration has been trying to dismiss the link between regional unrest and the Israeli offensive.

25 Jan 2024 - 20:20
 (20:20 GMT)

Report: Three Palestinians killed in Israeli attack on central Gaza

Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that a young girl is among the three dead from the attack, which hit az-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip. The agency cited local sources.

Wafa also reports that Israeli bombs hit a residential home in the al-Hassayna neighbourhood in the west of the Nuseirat refugee camp.

 

25 Jan 2024 - 20:10
 (20:10 GMT)
Developing

Health ministry in Gaza reports bombing around Nasser Hospital

Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra says tanks are shelling the vicinity of the hospital in Khan Younis, and drones are firing heavily towards the medical centre’s yards and buildings, endangering everyone inside.

We will bring you more information as we get it.

25 Jan 2024 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)
Analysis

Former US official: Negotiations could ‘lead someplace’ despite Netanyahu intransigence

Speaking with Al Jazeera on Thursday, former US Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb said that CIA director William Burns’s upcoming trip to meet with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials suggests that negotiations between Hamas and Israel could be nearing something more concrete.

“He [Burns] is not a political appointee. He’s a career foreign service officer; he’s been ambassador to Russia. I think it sends a signal that this is probably going to lead someplace,” Korb said, noting that both US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are under growing pressure to bring the war to an end.

“If you can do this [secure a ceasefire] for two months, that will set the stage for more meaningful negotiations, and empower those people in Israel who see no end to this war and know that Netanyahu, a lot of the reason he’s doing this, is because when this war ends he’ll probably be voted out of office,” Korb added.