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The United Nations has expressed horror over reports of mass graves being discovered outside two Palestinian hospitals.
The organisation said it was corroborating Gazan officials’ reports that 283 bodies were found at Nasser hospital and 30 at Al Shifa.
“We feel the need to raise the alarm because clearly there have been multiple bodies discovered,” said Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“Some of them had their hands tied, which of course indicates serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and these need to be subjected to further investigations.”
It comes as the US warned Hamas had “moved the goalpost” and changed its demands in the hostage negotiations with Israel mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States will continue to push for an agreement that will see hostages taken on October 7 released and a pause in fighting in Gaza.
Meanwhile, satellite photos suggest an apparent Israeli retaliatory strike targeting Iran’s central city of Isfahan hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defence battery, contradicting repeated denials by officials in Tehran of any damage in the assault.
Key Points
- UN 'horror' at Gaza mass grave reports
- Hamas has moved ‘goalpost’ on ceasfire, US warns
- US expected to sanction IDF unit over alleged human rights abuses
- Israel’s military intelligence chief quits over 7 October Hamas attack
- At least 180 bodies recovered from mass grave – report
- Rockets fired from Iraq towards US military base in Syria, security sources say
US calls on Iraq to safeguard US troops after new attacks
The US military has called on Iraq’s government to take steps to safeguard American troops in both Iraq and Syria – after failed attacks on Monday by Iran-aligned militia.
The drone and rocket fire were the first such incidents since a near three-month pause in what had been almost daily attacks that culminated in the January killing of three US soldiers at the Tower 22 outpost in Jordan.
With US-Iran tensions soaring after the Jordan attack, and some calls from Republican politicians in Washington for a direct US response against Iran, a senior Iranian commander had called on militia to halt their attacks at the end of January.
Speaking at the Pentagon, Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson, did not speculate about what triggered the renewal in attacks. But he called on Baghdad to act.
“These attacks put coalition and Iraqi personnel at risk. We call on the government of Iraq to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of US forces in Iraq and Syria against attacks from these groups,” Mr Ryder told a news briefing.
“If these attacks continue, we will not hesitate to defend our forces, as we have done in the past.”
Reuters24 April 2024 00:01 1713910228Watch: Mitch McConnell attacks Tucker Carlson ahead of vote on Ukraine and Israel aid
11-year-old girl among at least two killed after Israeli strike in Lebanon, report says
At least two people were killed including an 11-year-old girl, and six others were injured after an Israeli airstrike hit a residential area in the southern Lebanese town of Hanin, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA has reported.
“Israeli warplanes struck a two-storey house with two air-to-surface missiles, completely destroying the building which was inhabited by a family that had not left the town since Israeli attacks began,” NNA said.
Hezbollah said in a statement it had fired dozens of Katyusha rockets Tuesday evening on the Israeli settlement of Margaliot in response to the Hanin attack.
Israeli forces and Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah have been exchanging fire for over six months in parallel to the Gaza war, in the most serious hostilities since they fought a major war in 2006.
Andy Gregory23 April 2024 22:25 1713902128US says reports on mass graves in Gaza are troubling
The US State Department has said that reports on mass graves in Gaza are troubling.
Palestinian authorities reported finding hundreds of bodies in mass graves at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis this week after it was abandoned by Israeli troops. Bodies were also reported at the Al Shifa medical site following an Israeli special forces operation.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said earlier on Tuesday he was “horrified” by the mass grave reports at Gaza hospitals.
Andy Gregory23 April 2024 20:55 1713898579US Senate votes to advance Israel and Ukraine aid package
The US Senate has voted to advance a $95bn aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan toward possible passage later on Tuesday or on Wednesday – which would send it to the White House for Joe Biden to sign into law.
As voting continued, the vote was 65 to 12 in favour of advancing the package of foreign aid legislation to a vote on final passage, with more than then 60 needed.
Andy Gregory23 April 2024 19:56 1713895218Can Iran win an economic war of attrition against Israel?
Can Iran win an economic war of attrition against Israel? | Mark Almond
As the world holds its breath in the face of escalating violence in the Middle East, this conflict could come down to which country is best positioned to deal with sanctions, writes Mark Almond
Alexander Butler23 April 2024 19:00 1713891618Israeli military release video they claim to show airstrike that killed Hezbollah official
Israeli military release video claiming to show strike that killed Hezbollah official
The Israeli military has claimed an airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon killed a Hezbollah official on Tuesday 23 April. A statement from the IDF said that it had killed Hussein Ali Azqul in the strike and described him as a “significant” operative in Hezbollah’s aerial defence unit. Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that Azqul had been killed. State media and witnesses said the strike happened in the area of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 40 kilometers north of the border with Israel. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Alexander Butler23 April 2024 18:00 1713887746Mass graves claim ‘baseless and unfounded’, Israeli military says
Reports of mass graves found outside two Palestinian hospitals are “baseless” and “unfounded”, the Israeli military said.
A spokesperson told The Independent: “The claim that the IDF buried Palestinian bodies is baseless and unfounded. During the IDF’s operation in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance to the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined.
“The examination was conducted in a carful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages.
“The examination was carried out in a respectfully while maintaining the dignity of the deceased. Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place.
“At the end of February, IDF forces conducted a precise and targeted operation against the terrorist organization Hamas in the Nasser Hospital area.
“During the operation, about 200 terrorists who were in the hospital were apprehended, medicines intended for Israeli hostages were found undelivered and unused, and a great deal of ammunition was confiscated. The activity was done in a targeted manner and without harming the hospital, the patients and the medical staff.”
Alexander Butler23 April 2024 16:55 1713884938Donald Trump claims Joe Biden has 'abandoned' Israel
Hamas spokesman calls for escalation across all fronts
A Hamas representative has called for an escalation across all fronts of the conflict.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for the militant group’s armed al Qassam Brigades, made the comment in a televised speech to mark 200 days of war.
He was cited by an Al Jazeera journalist as saying: “We call on all the masses of our nation to escalate resistance actions in all forms and on all fronts.”
Alexander Butler23 April 2024 15:55 Newer1 / 6OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
