Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Israeli snipers kill three at Nasser Hospital

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

To learn more about how civilians in Gaza are struggling amid Israel’s ongoing campaign, read our story of displaced families returning home to ruined neighbourhoods in Gaza City here.

You can also read our coverage of negotiations in Cairo, where parties continue to search for a pause in the fighting, here.

We will be closing the live blog soon. Here’s a review of the day’s main events.

• Two Al Jazeera journalists were severely injured by an Israeli drone attack in Gaza, the latest Palestinian reporters to come under fire from Israel in what Al Jazeera called an act of “deliberate” targeting.
• The International Court of Justice receives a request from South Africa for additional interventions against Israel’s expected assault on Rafah.
• Israeli forces order the evacuation of displaced people inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis; Doctors Without Borders asks Israel to “ensure that all medical staff, patients and displaced people are unharmed”.
• Hamas claims several attacks against Israeli troops and military vehicles in Gaza.
• Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah says hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border will stop when Israeli “aggression” on Gaza ends.
• Further negotiations for a pause in the fighting and a release of the remaining captives were held in Cairo, with CIA chief William Burns attending along with an Israeli delegation and representatives from Qatar and Egypt.

Congresswoman Cori Bush says the US should prioritise social programmes over support for military campaigns overseas, as Congress debates a spending package of nearly $100bn in assistance for countries such as Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

Rights groups have been especially angered by the $14bn in aid to Israel included in the bill given the abuses in Gaza.

“We must invest in humanity, both at home and abroad. Congress must stop funneling taxpayer dollars into endless wars and invest in the housing, health, education, and social programs our communities need,” the progressive congresswoman said in a social media post.

We must invest in humanity, both at home and abroad. Congress must stop funneling taxpayer dollars into endless wars and invest in the housing, health, education, and social programs our communities need. pic.twitter.com/3Fdy9cs4Sc

— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) February 13, 2024

Israeli forces have stormed the town of Hizma in the occupied West Bank and fired live ammunition, stun grenades and tear gas, the Wafa news agency reported.

According to Wafa, several Palestinians sustained suffocation injuries in the raid.

Israeli soldiers and settlers have been regularly assaulting Palestinian communities in the West Bank, killing hundreds since the outbreak of the war on Gaza.

In a statement summing up its military operations today, the Lebanese group said it has launched 1,028 attacks against Israel since the start of the war on Gaza.

Hezbollah said today’s attacks included targeting a police building in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona and rocket launches against Israeli troops and bases across the border.

The Israeli military also said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and buildings today as the two sides continue to exchange cross-border fire amid growing fears of an all-out war.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has thanked Jordan’s King Abdullah for his leadership in the Middle East in a meeting today.

The Jordanian leader has been outspoken in his support for a ceasefire in Gaza, a position the Biden administration has consistently opposed.

“Met with King Abdullah II today in Washington to express gratitude for the close partnership between our two nations,” Blinken said in a social media post.

“I thanked him for his leadership amid ongoing regional challenges and underscored U.S. commitment to furthering regional peace and stability.”

Met with King Abdullah II today in Washington to express gratitude for the close partnership between our two nations. I thanked him for his leadership amid ongoing regional challenges and underscored U.S. commitment to furthering regional peace and stability. pic.twitter.com/Q4xfUfPpZq

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 13, 2024

Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, Michigan – home to large Arab and Muslim communities – has renewed his call for voting “uncommitted” in the upcoming Democratic presidential primaries in the state in response to Biden’s support for the Israeli war on Gaza.

Hammoud highlighted that a White House-backed, Senate-approved foreign funding bill that would provide $14bn to Israel mostly pays for military assistance.

“$9 out of every $10 for bombs. $1 out of every $10 for humanitarian aid,” the mayor wrote in a social media post. “No shift in policy. No end to endless wars. No excuses. On February 27th, vote ‘uncommitted’ in the Michigan presidential primary.”

Hammoud’s remarks were in response to Biden who had cited humanitarian assistance to Palestinians to promote the proposed legislation.

$95B package.

$9 out of every $10 for bombs.

$1 out of every $10 for humanitarian aid.

No shift in policy. No end to endless wars.

No excuses.

On February 27th, vote “uncommitted” in the Michigan presidential primary. https://t.co/WFeTmfKl8S

— Abdullah H. Hammoud (@AHammoudMI) February 13, 2024

Netta Amar Shiff, a Yemenite Jewish human rights lawyer representing Palestinians in cases of settler and military violence, spoke to Al Jazeera about why only 3 percent of reported settler violence against Palestinians ends in a conviction.

Here is what she had to say:

• Israel does not recognise politically the occupied territories as occupied but as seized territories, so the application of international humanitarian law is only partially in place.
• For many years, Israel has been in violation of both international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
• The military administration has been subjected to settler interest almost from the start, so in fact, the real rulers in the occupied territories are the settlers.
• The administration itself is not completely in adherence with its obligations even under Israeli law.
• There is less motivation, definitely under this government, to enforce the law, but there is also a legal infrastructure in the occupied territories that has allowed settlers to do whatever they want.

The State Department has said it is looking into reports that Israeli actions in Gaza have harmed civilians as part of a process meant to ensure US-provided weapons are being used in compliance with international law.

Israel’s assault on Gaza has been described as one of the most brutal military campaigns in modern history, with more than 12,300 children killed and more than 80 percent of Gaza’s population displaced.

“That process is not intended to function as a rapid response mechanism,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

“Rather, it is designed to systematically assess civilian harm incidents and develop appropriate policy responses to reduce the risk of such incidents recurring in the future and to drive partners to conduct military operations in accordance with international humanitarian law.”

Biden previously lamented what he called “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza but he has not changed his policy of firm support for the Israeli offensive.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that efforts to reach those in need across Gaza have come under constant strain, amid reports that Israeli forces are consistently blocking aid convoys from large portions of the strip.

“WFP is deeply concerned about an expanded military offensive in Rafah, where over a million people are crammed into a tiny area. WFP has expanded our distribution points, but efforts to reach people in need throughout Gaza are constantly hampered,” the group said in a social media post.

“There is nowhere safe.”

WFP is deeply concerned about an expanded military offensive in #Rafah, where over a million people are crammed into a tiny area.

WFP has expanded our distribution points, but efforts to reach people in need throughout #Gaza are constantly hampered.

There is nowhere safe. pic.twitter.com/L9YSNDoGfB

— World Food Programme (@WFP) February 13, 2024

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has slammed US legislators for approving a measure that would provide $14bn in aid for Israel.

“Shame on the Senate for prioritizing funding for Netanyahu’s far-right genocidal government while turning a blind eye to the war crimes it is committing against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” CAIR Director of Government Affairs Robert McCaw said in a statement.

“This vote is morally reprehensible and goes against the American principles of justice and humanity.”

The bill would also allocate billions in assistance to Ukraine. Some senators, including Chris Van Hollen, had criticised the Israeli war on Gaza but voted for the measure in support of Kyiv.

“This shocking vote effectively traded brown Palestinian lives for white Ukrainian lives – an act that should be unequivocally condemned,” McCaw said.

Israeli media outlets are reporting that even before the Israeli delegation went to Cairo, the deal that had been presented to Netanyahu that was made by his own security establishment was rejected by him, and that he nearly sent them to listen and not respond to whatever Hamas put on the table.

It is very interesting because the Israelis had severe red lines before going into these negotiations.

The Israeli prime minister reiterated for weeks that there will not be the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and there will not be an end to the war.

In fact, Hamas wants to see an end to the war, a multi-phase deal that would see an end to the assault on Gaza.

These negotiations were not fruitful at all and it comes on the heels of an expected invasion into Rafah.

There are disagreements within the Israeli government. Those who do want to see a deal to bring back the captives and those who are saying Netanyahu should not have sent a delegation to Cairo.

Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) has confirmed that Israeli forces have ordered displaced people inside the medical complex in Khan Younis to leave the hospital.

“We call on Israeli Forces to ensure that all medical staff, patients and displaced people are unharmed,” the medical aid group said in a series of social media posts.

“Today, Israeli Forces ordered all displaced people sheltering inside Nasser hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, to evacuate the facility. Medical staff and patients were told that they may remain in the hospital with a limit of one caretaker per patient.

“People are afraid to leave the hospital because they hear reports of people being shot at. Those who wish to leave must be granted safe passage out.”

🚨We are very worried about the situation unfolding at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, #Gaza. We call on Israeli Forces to ensure that all medical staff, patients and displaced people are unharmed.

— MSF International (@MSF) February 13, 2024

It’s now 11pm (21:00 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Here are some of the latest developments:

• The ICJ acknowledges receiving a request from South Africa for additional interventions by the court as Israel prepares for an expected assault on Rafah.
• UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths warns that an Israeli assault on Rafah “could lead to a slaughter in Gaza”.
• A doctor at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis tells Al Jazeera that Israeli forces are telling those at the facility to evacuate, using speakers attached to drones.
• Hamas claims several attacks against Israeli forces in Khan Younis.
• The US has said that journalists must be protected after two Al Jazeera journalists were targeted in an Israeli drone strike in Gaza earlier today.
• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he is blocking shipments of much-needed flour to Gaza amid a growing risk of famine in the territory.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says Israeli forces also injured 10 people inside the besieged medical complex in Khan Younis.

We reported earlier that Israeli authorities had used drone speakers to urge the evacuation of the hospital, but medical teams have promised to stay put until it becomes impossible to help patients.

Palestinians attempting to return to their homes in Gaza City, hard-hit by Israel’s devastating assault on northern Gaza, have found little comfort.

After months of displacement and insecurity, the handful of Palestinians who have braved the journey back to the north have often found that their homes, and even their neighbourhoods, no longer exist.

“For us, losing the family home felt like losing our soul while still alive. And that’s the most painful feeling a human can experience,” said Rahaf, a Palestinian mother who recently returned to Gaza City after a “long and traumatic” journey, only to find her family home destroyed.

Read more here.

The Biden administration has expressed sympathy to Al Jazeera reporters who were severely injured in an Israeli drone strike in Rafah, adding that it wants to see journalists protected.

“Let me offer, of course, condolences to your colleagues who have been injured. And I know that they are not the first Al Jazeera journalists to have been harmed during this conflict. So they have our sincere condolences, as do their families, as do all of you at Al Jazeera,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

“We continue to engage with the government of Israel to make clear that journalists ought to be protected.”

Minutes before Miller made his comment, Biden urged the House of Representatives to pass a foreign aid bill that includes $14bn for Israel.

The US president focused on Ukraine in a televised message calling on the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to pass the proposal that was approved earlier in the Senate.

“It also provides Israel with what it needs to protect its people against the terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and others,” Biden said.

The bill bans funding for UNRWA against the pleas of aid experts, who say the UN agency plays an essential role for Palestinians in Gaza and the broader Middle East.

But Biden said the proposal would secure “life-saving” support for Palestinians.

The bill would provide $14bn for Israel to continue its war in Gaza despite the mounting civilian death toll and devastating destruction of the Palestinian territory. It also allocates $9bn in humanitarian assistance, some of which could go to Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

United Nations humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths has again expressed deep concern over an anticipated Israeli assault on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population could be at risk of “slaughter” if the campaign is allowed to proceed.

“The scenario we have long dreaded is unraveling at alarming speed,” Griffiths said in a statement.

“Today, I’m sounding the alarm once again: Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.”

The scenario we have long dreaded is unraveling at alarming speed.

Today, I’m sounding the alarm once again: Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.https://t.co/oXpMNkVx75 pic.twitter.com/rUNfCGRIDK

— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) February 13, 2024

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he has decided to block the transfer of vital food assistance to Gaza, stating that it would be distributed through UNRWA, which he called “a central part” of Hamas’s “war machine”.

The UN has warned that many Palestinians in Gaza are facing famine, but Israel has consistently blocked large portions of aid deliveries for the strip.

Earlier in the day, the US news outlet Axios reported that Smotrich had blocked the flour shipments after Netanyahu promised Biden they would be allowed into Gaza. In a social media post, Smotrich said he stopped the deliveries “in coordination with the prime minister”.

His comments come as the US and several its allies have suspended funding for UNRWA despite warnings from humanitarian organisations that the UN agency’s work is vital for Palestinians.

Last month, the UN’s top court ordered Israel to allow adequate aid into Gaza.