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A man gestures as Palestinians inspect destroyed residential buildings and vehicles in Khan Younis after the Israeli military withdrew most of its troops from the southern Gaza Strip [Ahmed Zakot/Reuters]
By Edna Mohamed and Nils Adler
Published On 7 Apr 2024

The live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here.

8 Apr 2024 - 00:00
 (00:00 GMT)

That’s a wrap from us

Thank you for joining us for updates on everything related to Israel’s war on Gaza. Please check our homepage for the latest news.

7 Apr 2024 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

A look at what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a quick recap from today:

  • The Israeli military said it’s withdrawing more ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip, leaving just one brigade there.
  • Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the troops are being pulled out to prepare for future operations, including in the enclave’s southern city of Rafah.
  • Many of Khan Younis’s displaced residents rushed back to their city after Israeli forces relocated from southern Gaza to find a wasteland of destruction and rubble.
  • The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported that several civilians were killed and others injured in an Israeli shelling of Nuseirat refugee camp and Rafah.
  • CIA Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Egyptian mediators, and delegations from Hamas and Israel are reported to have met in Cairo for the latest round of ceasefire talks.
  • Israeli media reported that the US made a new proposal for a captive deal on Sunday night in Cairo that demands a significant compromise on the part of both Israel and Hamas.
7 Apr 2024 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

Photos: ‘Bring Them Home’ demonstrations outside UN headquarters

A member of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum performs in a cage during a demonstration marking the six-month anniversary of the October 7 attacks near the UN Headquarters in New York [Kena Betancur/EPA-EFE]
Protesters in New York on April 7, 2024 [Kena Betancur/EPA-EFE]
Argentinian-born Louis Har, centre, a freed captive, speaks to US Congressman Dan Goldman during a demonstration in New York [Kena Betancur/EPA-EFE]

7 Apr 2024 - 23:20
 (23:20 GMT)

Italy’s foreign minister calls for immediate Gaza ceasefire

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has called for a ceasefire in Gaza in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart in Rome.

“We call for an immediate ceasefire to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and obtain the liberation of the hostages … to then achieve a sustainable and prolonged cease-fire,” Tajani said, according to a statement from his office.

He added that although he believed Israel had the right to defend itself after the October 7 attacks, “the number of civilians killed in Gaza is in no way justifiable”.

He added that Italy continues to work to reach peace in Gaza and that it is firmly against an Israeli ground operation in Rafah.

7 Apr 2024 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Turkey-Israel trade volume declines amid war on Gaza

Data from the Turkish Trade Ministry indicates that the trade volume between Turkey and Israel has declined significantly since Israel began its war on Gaza.

The total Turkey-Israel trade volume fell by nearly 33 percent from October 7, 2023, to March 20, 2024.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s exports to Israel fell by 30 percent, while its imports decreased by 43.4 percent.

Turkish nationals and companies have been gradually cancelling sales and orders with Israel, with trade confined mainly to private and international, rather than state enterprises.

7 Apr 2024 - 22:40
 (22:40 GMT)

Photos: Demonstrators in Lisbon show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza

People carry a giant Palestinian flag during a demonstration demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and support of Palestinians, in Lisbon, Sunday, April 7, 2024 [Armando Franca/AP]
People carry a banner with the words ‘Free Palestine’ during a demonstration in Lisbon on Sunday, April 7, 2024 [Armando Franca/AP]
A woman helps a child adjust his keffiyeh during a demonstration in Lisbon, Sunday, April 7, 2024 [Armando Franca/AP]
A woman helps carry a giant Palestinian flag during a demonstration demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and in support of Palestinians in Lisbon, Sunday, April 7, 2024 [Armando Franca/AP]

7 Apr 2024 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)
Analysis

Israeli troops leaving Gaza could be rested, relocated or prepared for Rafah assault

David Des Roches, an associate professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Security Studies, spoke to Al Jazeera about why Israel has decided to withdraw thousands of troops from the Gaza Strip.

He listed three possible reasons.

The first, he said, was that many of the soldiers needed to be rotated, rested and refitted. US White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby had said this earlier on Sunday.

The second reason was for the Israeli military to prepare for a potential assault on Rafah in the southern tip of Gaza.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had said on Sunday evening that troop withdrawal from Khan Younis was part of preparations to launch a ground attack on Rafah.

The third possible reason Des Roches gave for the withdrawal was tensions with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Israel may want to have troops that are not pinned down in Gaza but are available for operations elsewhere if needed, in the short term,” he said.

7 Apr 2024 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Palestinian Civil Defense battles fire after Israeli bombardment on Gaza City

The Palestinian Civil Defense published a video on Telegram, which has been verified by Al Jazeera, showing the moment its crews dealt with a fire that broke out in a shop after it was bombed by Israeli aircraft on Fahmy Bey Street, Palestine Square, in Gaza City.

Two firemen are seen spraying water from hoses onto the bombed-out shop front, which is engulfed in flames. The buildings surrounding the shop are charred and damaged, with rubble strewn across the street and crumpled corrugated iron sheets.

7 Apr 2024 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

German civil servants demand ‘immediate’ end to Israeli arms supplies

By James Jackson

A group of German civil servants have written to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other senior ministers calling on the government to “cease arm deliveries to the Israeli government with immediate effect”.

“Israel is committing crimes in Gaza that are in clear contradiction to international law and thus to the constitution, which we are bound to as federal civil servants and public employees,” the statement says, citing the International Court of Justice’s ruling in January that Israel’s military actions are “plausible acts of genocide”.

According to the organisers of the five-page statement, about 600 civil servants have voiced support for the initiative, which has slowly been gathering traction for months through professional networks and word-of-mouth across a range of ministries.

Read more here.

7 Apr 2024 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Hamas releases news statement after Cairo talks

In the statement, the group said its delegation had arrived in Cairo and met with Egypt’s Interior Minister Abbas Kamel.

Hamas said its aims for the negotiations are:

  • An agreement that achieves a complete cessation of aggression by Israeli forces
  • The withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip
  • The free return of the displaced in the Gaza Strip to their areas and places of residence
  • Relief for Palestinians in Gaza and the beginning of the reconstruction
  • A deal for the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas and the other groups in Gaza.
7 Apr 2024 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

Photos: Palestinians return to destroyed homes in Khan Younis

Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after Israel withdrew from Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, April 7, 2024 [Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP]
[Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP]
[Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP]
[Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP]
[Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP]

7 Apr 2024 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

Oman urges de-escalation during Iran FM visit

Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi has called for de-escalation during a visit by his Iranian counterpart, who started a regional tour in Muscat.

The visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian came almost a week after a deadly air strike in Damascus on the Iranian embassy.

The attack, believed to be carried out by Israel, killed seven of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals. Iranian leaders have called for retaliation.

“Oman supports efforts to reduce escalation in the region, address various issues and conflicts, and for the voice of wisdom to prevail,” al-Busaidi said in a statement carried by the official Oman News Agency.

Oman has long been a mediator between Tehran and the West.

“The Palestinian issue is the main issue that we are working to overcome,” the minister said.

7 Apr 2024 - 20:50
 (20:50 GMT)

Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Nuseirat refugee camp, Rafah: Report

The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reports that several civilians have been killed and others injured in an Israeli shelling of Nuseirat refugee camp and Rafah city.

Citing medical sources, the media outlet reported that six civilians were killed in Israeli aerial raids targeting a commercial facility in Ain Jalut towers, south of the Nuseirat camp.

Wafa also stated that Israeli warplanes bombed a group of civilians in the town of Nassr, north of Rafah, killing at least one civilian and wounding several others.

A Palestinian boy views the site of an Israeli strike on a residential building at Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, March 20, 2024 [Ramadan Abed/Reuters]
7 Apr 2024 - 20:35
 (20:35 GMT)

More than half of Israelis believe gov’t not doing enough for captives: Poll

According to a Channel 12 poll, 56 percent say the government is not “doing enough to bring back” the captives in Gaza.

The poll also found that almost half of Israelis (49 percent) believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is carrying out decisions based on his own political interests.

7 Apr 2024 - 20:20
 (20:20 GMT)

Cross-border fire between southern Lebanon, northern Israel

Israel’s military posted on X that its fighter jets attacked a Hezbollah rocket launcher and operational infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

It also said that earlier in the day an aerial attack from Lebanon was intercepted by air defences, and rocket attacks were detected over northern Israel, but no casualties were reported.

7 Apr 2024 - 20:05
 (20:05 GMT)
Analysis

Three possibilities for Israel’s troop withdrawal, analyst says

Mohamad Elmasry, a professor in the Media Studies programme at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, spoke to Al Jazeera about the recent announcement that Israel would pull out thousands of soldiers from the south of the Gaza Strip.

He listed three possibilities for Israel’s motivation.

One is Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s explanation that the withdrawal is to prepare for future operations, including in the enclave’s southern city of Rafah.

Another possibility he posited is a “redistribution” of troops in and around the Gaza Strip.

Alternatively, it could be “a negotiating ploy”. It’s better for Israel, he said, if Hamas thinks that an attack on Rafah is “imminent”.

Elmasry said that he is marginally more optimistic about the latest round of ceasefire talks because of the heightened pressure on Israel.

“There’s pressure domestically [in Israel], with the protests, but also international pressure,” he said.

“Israel last week killed seven international aid workers. These killings came at the same time that media reports were coming out of Israel, showing … Israel is prepared to kill a hundred Palestinian civilians if it thinks it can kill a single low-level Hamas operative,” he said.

“This has caused outrage in the international community, and I think that’s one reason why international pressure is picking up.”

7 Apr 2024 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

US expected to propose new captive deal: Report

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that the US is expected to make a new proposal for a captive deal tonight that will demand a significant compromise on the part of both Israel and Hamas.

The media outlet cites an Israeli source who said: “The significant involvement and pressure applied by the US can influence the standstill that the negotiations are in.”

Haaretz stated that the Israeli delegation present at the talks in Cairo included David Barnea, the head of Israel’s national intelligence agency Mossad; Ronen Bar, the chief of Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet; and Nitzan Alon, the head of Hostages Headquarters.

The US’s CIA Director William Burns and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani are also present at the talks.

7 Apr 2024 - 19:15
 (19:15 GMT)

Iraq to send fuel to Gaza, treat wounded Palestinians

Iraq has agreed to send 10 million litres of fuel to the Gaza Strip in support of the Palestinian people, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced in a statement.

Iraq also agreed to receive wounded Palestinians from Gaza and provide them with treatment in state and private hospitals.

The Israeli army has routinely blocked the arrival of food and fuel since the start of its war on the enclave, leaving nearly all the 2.3 million people trapped in Gaza facing starvation, with the United Nations saying famine will take hold in various parts of the enclave by May.

7 Apr 2024 - 19:05
 (19:05 GMT)

Father of killed aid worker urges tougher US stance on Israel

The father of Jacob Flickinger, a US citizen killed in an Israeli air strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy of aid workers in Gaza on April 1, has spoken to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, The Associated Press reports.

John Flickinger told Blinken that the US, Israel’s most important ally, must use its power to pressure Israel to end killings in the besieged Gaza Strip.

“If the United States threatened to suspend aid to Israel, maybe my son would be alive today,” Flickinger told AP as he described his 30-minute conversation on Saturday with Blinken.

Jacob, 33, was killed in Israeli drone strikes that hit a convoy he and six other aid workers were travelling in to deliver food aid in Gaza.

The elder Flickinger said that in his view, the strike “was a deliberate attempt to intimidate aid workers and to stop the flow of humanitarian aid”.

7 Apr 2024 - 18:55
 (18:55 GMT)

Palestinian detainee in Israeli prison dies

According to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Walid Daqqa, a 62-year-old prisoner who suffered from cancer, has died in Shamir Medical Center.

Daqqa was from Baqa al-Gharbiyye, a predominantly Palestinian city near the Green Line in Israel.

The father of one had served 38 years in Israeli prisons, the commission said.

His daughter, Milad, was conceived via semen smuggled from prison, it added.

Local media reported demonstrations taking place in 50 locations across the country amid anger at Netanyahu government.

Published On 6 Apr 2024