Israeli military bombs house in central Rafah, killing two
The Israeli military has bombed a home in the centre of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, killing two people, the Wafa news agency reports. No additional injuries have been reported.
Israeli forces have also targeted the al-Farahin area, east of the town of Abasan al-Kabira in Khan Younis, according to Wafa.
Israel pounds Gaza as UN urges opening of land crossings for aid deliveries
Hamas fighters say they are battling invading Israeli troops in the narrow alleyways of Jabalia – the Gaza Strip’s largest refugee camp.
Jabalia is now experiencing some of the fiercest confrontations since Israeli soldiers returned to the area in northern Gaza a week ago.
Thick smoke over Jabalia refugee camp as Palestinian fighters battle Israeli forces
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic have shared video footage showing thick black smoke billowing over the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza where fierce fighting is under way.
There was constant artillery shelling of Jabalia overnight, according to reports, while Israeli drone strikes and missiles fired by jet fighters killed at least six people and injured others in three separate attacks in the Jabalia area.
https://x.com/AJA_Palestine/status/1791680023457346032
Israeli military says battle for Jabalia the ‘most violent’ of war so far: Monitors
Israeli officers have described the current fighting in Jabalia in northern Gaza as some of the most intense of the war to date, as Palestinian fighters maintain their highest daily attack rates so far, monitors say.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) said Israeli commanders have told domestic media that Jabalia is the site of the “most violent” confrontations as Palestinian fighters use the relative advantage of the refugee camp’s narrow alleyways to launch attacks with rocket-propelled grenades and explosive devices.
On Friday, Palestinian fighters reported launching 22 attacks on Israeli troops in Jabalia and Hamas said its assaults had forced the enemy to change their supply lines “multiple times” in the Jabalia area, the US-based defence think tanks said.
Israeli forces also continued operations in the east of Rafah city on Friday, while Palestinian fighters in the city used rockets and mortars to hit “Israeli command positions”, the war monitors said.
No let-up in Israeli attacks on Jabalia, Rafah
The Israeli military is still operating aggressively in the north of Gaza with large-scale air strikes and attacks. That includes the Jabalia refugee camp where attacks are ongoing.
In Rafah city, the Israeli military is pushing deeper into the central parts with overnight attacks on residential homes in Barbara refugee camp. This is seen as a new way to expand attacks all the way to the western part of the city, causing more people to flee.
Israeli military claims to hit 70 targets in last day
In its latest war update, Israel’s military says its troops are continuing operations in northern and southern Gaza, and that its jets struck 70 targets across the enclave in the last day. It added that one strike in Rafah killed a “significant” Islamic Jihad figure who operated as the head of logistics for the organisation’s Rafah brigade.
Israeli ground troops also killed Palestinian fighters in combat in eastern Rafah and Jabalia, according to the military.
Israel’s operation in Rafah, where it previously told Palestinians to take shelter, is causing a humanitarian catastrophe, aid groups warn, so far displacing more than 630,000 people and cutting off vital aid to the Strip. Its return to Jabalia has left many residents trapped inside evacuation zones with no aid as fierce battles rage on the streets.
Gaza’s death toll rises
At least 35,386 Palestinians have been killed and 79,366 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, its Health Ministry says. The ministry added that 83 people were killed and 105 injured in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
One killed from shelling on Khan Younis home
Our colleagues on the ground are reporting that Israeli forces shelled a home in Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis, killing at least one person. The Khan Younis area is one of the places where Palestinians fleeing Rafah are seeking refuge, even though it has continued to face Israeli attacks.
Today’s death toll in Jabalia rises to 15: Report
At least 15 people have been killed and 30 wounded by Israeli attacks in Jabalia today, reports the Wafa news agency. Many of the casualties took place when a shelter at the entrance of the Jabalia refugee camp was bombed.
We earlier reported that overnight drone and missile attacks in Jabalia killed at least five people, while a separate strike on a school killed another person. Currently, Israel’s military claims to be fighting Palestinian fighters within Jabalia.
Drone strike hits car leaving Rafah, killing one
A car has been struck by a drone in the western part of Rafah city while it was going to central Gaza on the coastal road. One person has been reported killed and other passengers have been severely injured.
We are seeing a pattern of people being attacked no matter what – whether they are staying inside Rafah city or they are on their way to evacuation zones.
Four killed in central Gaza
Two of the victims were killed by an Israeli attack near Nuseirat camp, reports the Wafa news agency. Two others were killed by an attack in the Wadi Gaza, further north, according to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
The attacks come even as Israel concentrates its forces in northern and southern Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands to flee those areas towards central parts of the Strip.
A Palestinian woman searches for her belongings after her apartment was destroyed in an Israeli raid, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip
Eight Palestinians including children killed while fetching water
At least eight people, including women and children, have been reported killed and 10 were wounded after Israeli artillery shelling targeted a group of Palestinians filling water containers in the al-Faluja area, west of Jabalia camp, in northern Gaza today.
“We were displaced to the Faluja area, which is considered a safe area, and suddenly this place was shelled by the Israelis. We do not know where to go,” a witness said.
Video footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed how the attack turned the area into a pool of blood, as well as the impact of shrapnel on shops and homes at the site of the bombing.
Footage shows destruction caused by Israeli attacks on Jabalia
Footage shared online, and verified by Al Jazeera, shows the destruction of a number of houses by Israeli shelling in Jabalia, as residents try to search for people trapped under the rubble.
22 people were killed and many were wounded in the Israeli bombardment of a residential square around Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza this morning
“An entire residential block was bombed by Israel,” said one resident. “We pulled children out of the rubble. There are many families who are still under the rubble. Most of them were inside their homes, and they have displaced people.”
Twenty-two people have been confirmed killed from the air attack, which hit a residential block across from the hospital, according to our colleagues on the ground. At least 30 others are injured.
Our colleague Hani Mahmoud reported that this attack, along with others today in the Jabalia area, amount to “one of the most rapid mass killings of civilians” across Gaza since the early weeks of the war.
Women and children among victims of attack near Kamal Adwan Hospital
We are witnessing one of the most rapid mass killings of civilians across the Gaza Strip since the initial weeks of this war.
We just got a confirmed report that the number of people killed at the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital has risen to 14. This includes women and children who were in that residential block across the road from one of the gates of the hospital.
A witness described a massive explosion that took place after multiple air strikes targeted the residential block. In addition to those killed, there are multiple injured. They have all been transferred inside the hospital, which severely lacks medical supplies and basic necessities.
Four killed by bombardment near Khan Younis: Report
We now have reports of casualties from another Israeli attack near Khan Younis, an area where many displaced Palestinians have sought shelter.
Israeli warplanes bombed the town of Khuza’a, some 8km (5 miles) east of Khan Younis, killing at least four people and injuring others, according to the Wafa news agency.
Palestine Red Crescent Society trying to restore services in its al-Amal Hospital
The aid group, in a post on X, said efforts to resume services are continuing in the Khan Younis facility, which has been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces during the war.
The majority of Gaza’s hospitals are no longer functional, and those partially operating are struggling to get by with scant fuel, medicine, and staff.
As part of ongoing efforts to reactivate its services after repeated targeting by occupation forces, which had rendered it out of service, PRCS #AlAmalHospital in Khan Yunis conducted four specialized eye surgeries the day before yesterday. These surgeries were performed by the… pic.twitter.com/jIFEz6yhXn
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) May 18, 2024
Israeli forces burying civilians under the rubble
Things are moving incredibly fast in the north of the Strip, which has been the main focus of Israel’s military campaign in that densely populated area now.
As we have been reporting, battles are still raging from the heart of Jabalia refugee camp as the Israeli military has ramped up its military bombardment in the main central neighbourhoods, killing at least within the past couple of hours 28 Palestinians, including 10 children and 10 women in that area. And it’s worth mentioning that the entire Jabalia refugee camp has been experiencing an unprecedented rate of destruction
As we have been speaking to witnesses and our sources on the ground in that northern corner of the Strip, they have been confirming that the Israeli military is demolishing complete residential neighbourhoods over the heads of civilians. It seems that Israel is burying civilians under the rubble of the destroyed buildings as more emergency efforts being made by emergency workers in the north of the Strip in order to recover victims.
The concentration of attacks were carried out on the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the heart of Jabalia. It seems that they are working on destroying the entire camp there in order to guarantee that there is no any kind of military threat being released from that area.
Israeli warplanes bombed houses around Al-Awda Hospital in Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip, killing and wounding many people, including women and children
Israeli forces shoot teenager during raid on Balata camp
The Israeli military has shot a 17-year-old in the Balata camp, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports. Israeli forces stormed the camp with bulldozers amid heavy gunfire.
Israeli forces also stormed the village of Deir Abu Mashal, west of Ramallah.
At least 20 Palestinians detained in Israeli raids across occupied West Bank
At least 20 Palestinians have been detained in pre-dawn Israeli raids across the occupied West Bank.Many of those detained were workers from Gaza who were staying in the Palestinian village of Barta’a, west of Jenin, and the separation barrier.
Close to dawn, Israeli forces raided the refugee camp of Balata, east of Nablus. Residents said Israeli forces were seen mapping roads and filming several areas in the camp.
Other raids targeted Qusra and Burqa villages near Nablus as well as Qalqilya and Beit Ummar town north of Hebron.
Last month, more than 960 Israeli military raids were carried out across the occupied West Bank, with an average of 32 raids carried out every day.
Since October 7, more than 8,750 Palestinians have been detained while 502 people, including 124 children, have been killed in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers across the occupied West Bank.
A Palestinian gestures at the site of an Israeli military airstrike, in the area of Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Saturday
Aftermath of Israeli air strike on Jenin refugee camp
A Palestinian woman looks at the damage following an Israeli air strike in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp
Oil tanker struck by missile southwest of Yemen
A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker has been attacked in the Red Sea about 10 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port city of al-Makha (Mocha), reports British security firm Ambrey.
It said early indications suggest the tanker was struck by a missile.
There has been no claim of responsibility but the Houthi group has been carrying out attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza.
Maritime security said that the “vessel was hit by a missile and that there was a fire in the steering gear flat”. The firm later said it had “received information that indicated that the tanker had received assistance. One of the steering units of the vessel was reportedly functional”.
The British navy’s maritime security agency said earlier it had received a report of a vessel “sustaining slight damage after being struck by an unknown object”.
“The vessel and crew are safe and continuing to its next port of call,” United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) added.
Alleged Israeli strike destroys car near Syria-Lebanon border
A presumed Israeli air strike hit a car traveling in Syria’s Dimas town, along the border with Lebanon, completely destroying it, reports the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. At least two people were travelling in the vehicle when it was struck, including a Hezbollah member, said the observatory, adding that their condition is unknown.
Since the start of the year, Israel’s military has targeted Syrian territory at least 39 times, according to the Syrian Observatory. Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the latest strike.
Israel pounds southern Lebanon
Israeli fighter jets struck a rocket launcher and military compounds used by Hezbollah in Kounine and Khiam overnight, the military has said. The military also said shelled areas near Hanine with artillery to “remove a threats”.
This morning, two projectiles were fired from Lebanon toward the Biranit army base on the border, the army said, adding that there were no injuries or damaged reported.
Smoke billows during an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese border village of Kfar Hamam, Friday
90 aid trucks loaded at temporary pier
We have confirmation of about 90 trucks filled with humanitarian aid were loaded at the temporary pier at Gaza City’s shore yesterday.
Those trucks made their way to UNRWA warehouses inside Deir el-Balah. Priority will be given to evacuation centres in central Gaza, including Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis, al-Mawasi evacuation zone, and hospitals that are still operational.
Reaching hospitals in Rafah will require high-level coordination, as Israel’s military continues to pound the city.
The aid delivery has been perceived as an important step, likely to relieve some of the widespread suffering. However, it should not be a replacement for all the land crossings … which are more equipped and more efficient.
Ninety trucks a day is not nearly enough to feed and respond to the needs of displaced Palestinians.
Gaza aid pier ‘isn’t a substitute’ for land routes, says ICRC
The newly operational dock on Gaza’s coast provides a valuable alternative route for aid, but reopening land routes remains vital to meet humanitarian needs in the Palestinian enclave, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.
“Efforts to create a sea corridor will help mitigate the severity of the conflict on people. However, it isn’t a substitute for the land transportation, [which is] the most efficient and reliable way,” said Hisham Muhanna, ICRC spokesman.
Officials announced that the US-built pier was anchored on Thursday, with President Biden announcing that the first humanitarian shipments passed through on Friday. Biden added that the dock would be used to deliver “170 metric tonnes of nutrient-rich food bars” to support 11,000 people.
Reliance on floating pier a sign of failed US diplomacy
This floating pier is really about the lack of options that the Americans have when it comes to putting pressure on Israel. It is the most visible example of the failure of US diplomacy when it comes to Israel and humanitarian aid.
Before October 7, trade, not aid, was coming into Gaza at about 500 to 600 trucks per day. We’re not getting anywhere close to that. This floating pier might be able to get something like 90.
As the Americans admitted, it isn’t enough, but it’s the only thing they can do. The aid agencies have put their hands up, saying there are several land crossings we can get aid into Gaza very easily. The Israelis simply don’t want that to happen.
Ships are seen near a temporary floating pier built to receive humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip in Gaza Beach, in this handout picture
That cost 320 million to build??
More global protests scheduled against Israel’s war on Gaza
Pro-Palestinian activists in Indonesia protest against Israel’s war on Gaza
Hundreds of activists staged a solidarity rally to protest and ask people to boycott all products related to Israel
Pro-Palestinian march in central London to mark 76th anniversary of Nakba
Austria to resume funding UNRWA
Austria has said it will restore its funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after suspending it over allegations that staff were involved in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7.
Israel alleged in January that some UNRWA employees may have participated in the attacks. In the weeks that followed, numerous donor states, including Austria, suspended or paused some $450m in funding.
Many, including Germany, Sweden, Canada and Japan, have since resumed funding, while others continue to hold out.
“After analysing the action plan in detail” submitted by UNRWA “to improve the functioning of the organisation”, Austria has decided to “release the funds”, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
A total of 3.4 million euros ($3.7m) in funds have been budgeted for 2024, and the first payment is expected to be made in the summer, the statement said.
Israel on losing end in Gaza war: Former Mossad deputy chief
Israeli Knesset member and former Mossad deputy chief Ram Ben-Barak said the ongoing war in Gaza is “futile”, asserting that Israel is on the losing end and facing economic collapse.
“This war lacks a clear objective, and it’s evident that we’re unequivocally losing it,” Ben-Barak told Israeli public radio.
“We are forced to engage in fighting in the same areas and end up losing more soldiers. We’re also facing setbacks on the international stage, our relations with the US deteriorating significantly, and the Israeli economy in decline,” he said.
“Show me one thing we have succeeded in.”
Israeli prison authorities accused of medical negligence of Palestinian detainees
The Commission for Detainees’ Affairs has said its lawyers were able to visit three detainees in Ramon prison, in southeast Israel, who accused prison authorities of neglecting their illnesses and dire health conditions.
Mohammed Tous and Murad Abu Alrub, who are serving life in prison, and Taher Saleh, who has been in administrative detention for the past four years, have said that Israeli authorities are carrying out “systematic negligence of detainees, including withholding medicine, leaving them to fall victim to illnesses”.
Tous, who has been in prison since 1985, told lawyers he has not witnessed this kind of mistreatment since his detention about 40 years ago. He confirmed to the commission’s legal team that his already poor vision deteriorated after prison authorities suspended his treatment since October 7.
Alrub spoke about the spread of skin diseases among detainees due to the lack of sanitisers and cleaning supplies, in addition to the lack of clothes and bed linens.
Saleh, who became paralysed on his left side while in prison and is unable to walk or use the toilet independently, said he is being denied transfer to a hospital, despite the prison doctor’s recommendation for him to receive treatment at one.
“The commission warns of an escalation in the medical crimes that threaten the lives of hundreds of sick detainees,” it said in a statement, adding that international intervention by rights and legal groups is needed.
Israeli military claims to expose Palestinian minors as ‘Hamas informants’
The Israeli military has released names and information of a number of Palestinian children, claiming that they are informing on Hamas.
Palestinian children arbitrarily arrested and detained by the Israeli army are often coerced into becoming collaborators or informants, according to Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
The practice dates back to before October 7, but the expert said the situation has grown considerably worse and “risks to grow even worse if we do not use our power to stop it”.
Palestinian children arbitrarily arrested & detained by the Israeli army are often coerced into becoming collaborators/informants, as I outlined in my second report on "deprivation of liberty."
To understand the treatment of Palestinian children under Israeli occupation even… https://t.co/uskuxg7tyP
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) May 18, 2024
Palestinian rights group calls for investigation into Meta’s data leaks to Israeli military
The Sada Social online rights group says US tech giant Meta must be investigated for helping the so-called Lavender AI-assisted targeting system of the Israeli military used to kill Palestinians in Gaza through leaking users’ Whatsapp data.
“Since the onset of the genocidal war on October 7, the enforcement of surveillance and violation of users’ privacy through WhatsApp has escalated, with more than 670 numbers of Palestinian users being banned, over 78 percent of whom are journalists and users in the Gaza Strip, directly impacting their lives,” said the group, which is based in the occupied West Bank.
“Sada Social calls upon Meta management to adhere to responsibility and transparency across its various platforms, and to release transparency reports that have been withheld since the onset of the genocidal war.”
Press Release| Sada Social Calls for Immediate Investigation into Meta's Leak of WhatsApp Users' Data to the Israeli Military
Sada Social diligently observes the collective dissent voiced by numerous Meta employees, encompassing Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and… pic.twitter.com/Ec8Xu17uO8
— صدى سوشال - Sada Social (@SadaSocialPs) May 18, 2024
UN chief renews call for two-state solution, says Gaza an ‘open wound’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the war on Gaza “is an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region”.
“The only permanent way to end the cycle of violence and instability is through a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as capital of both states,” he wrote.
The war in Gaza is an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region.
The only permanent way to end the cycle of violence & instability is through a two-state solution, Israel & Palestine living side-by-side in peace & security, with Jerusalem as capital of both states.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 18, 2024
An open wound the UN created in 1947, perpetuated by the USA.
Netanyahu ‘doesn’t know how to deal with this’
Rami Khouri, distinguished public policy fellow at the American University of Beirut, says Israel’s prime minister faces intense pressure from at least half a dozen different sources in the country as he struggles to juggle various forces.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Khouri said, “He can’t achieve his war aims. He can’t look weak. He has to keep fighting and he’s probably looking at a position now where he thinks he and his right-wing partners can drive Palestinians out of Gaza.
“I think Netanyahu has a military problem on his hands. But he’s also got a political problem domestically, a diplomatic problem with the US, and the whole world is up in arms to support the Palestinians. And he doesn’t know how to deal with this.”
Israeli opposition leader says Gantz should withdraw from government
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid says war cabinet minister Benny Gantz should use his speech, which is expected soon to announce he’s stepping away from “the worst government in the country’s history”.
“He must announce that he is no longer ready to lend his hand to the abandonment of the abductees, the abandonment of the north, the crushing of the economy and the middle class,” he wrote in a post on X.
“He should say that he will no longer help Netanyahu stay in power and he is leaving the government immediately and calling for elections now.”
Netanyahu puts his own interests before lives of soldiers: Qassam Brigades
The armed wing of Hamas says the Israeli military is “throwing soldiers into the alleys of Gaza to return in coffins” in an effort to find the remains of the captives who the military has “deliberately targeted and killed”.
“Netanyahu would rather have his soldiers killed while searching for remains than go for a prisoner exchange that does not serve his political and personal interests,” said Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, in a short statement.
This comes after the Israeli military said it found the remains of three captives in Gaza who were allegedly killed by Palestinians during the October 7 attacks.
Israel’s Gantz demands Gaza plan by June 8; threatens to quit cabinet
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz demanded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commit to an agreed vision for the Gaza conflict that would include stipulating who might rule the territory after the war with Hamas.
In a news conference, Gantz said he wanted the war cabinet to form a six-point plan by June 8. If his expectations are not met, Gantz said, he would withdraw his centrist party from the conservative prime minister’s emergency government.
Captives’ families urge action after Gantz ultimatum speech
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz presented Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu with a June 8 deadline to agree on a Gaza vision, but the families of captives held in the enclave say “the time for talk is over”.
“The only relevant ultimatum this evening is that time is running out for the hostages. The time has come for action — to renew negotiations for their immediate return,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
But broad splits have emerged in the Israeli war cabinet in recent days after Hamas fighters regrouped in northern Gaza, an area where Israel previously said the group had been “dismantled”.
Netanyahu came under personal attack from Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza after the war.
Israeli minister hits out at Gantz following Gaza plan deadline
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called Gantz a “big deceiver”. “His trips to Washington for talks against the prime minister’s position were only a small part of his subversion,” Ben-Gvir said in a post on X.
“The man who hosted Abu Mazen [Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas] in his home, brought in workers from Gaza, led the gas surrender agreement with Lebanon, removed essential security barriers in the US, and endangered Golani’s soldiers ‘out of concern for the Palestinians’ is the last one who can offer security alternatives.”
What’s in the 6-point plan demanded by Israel’s Benny Gantz?
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz says if Prime Minister Netanyahu fails to agree on a plan before June 8 that includes these six tenets, he will break from his government and attempt to hold elections:
Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu are going head to head again, this time as the fate of the war on Gaza hangs in the balance
Gantz’s conditions mean ‘defeat for Israel’, says Netanyahu
The Israeli prime minister says the conditions set out by Benny Gantz means “the end of the war, defeat for Israel, and the abandonment of most of the hostages – leaving Hamas intact and establishing a Palestinian state”, the Haaretz newspaper quotes Benjamin Netanyahu as saying.
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