Live Updates: Israel strikes southern Lebanon villages, kills 9 people

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

06:22 GMT — Israel has struck southern Lebanon villages, killing nine people amid a fragile ceasefire violated by Tel Aviv.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said the strikes killed five people and wounded two in the village of Haris "in an initial toll", while in the village of Tallous, another four people were killed and one wounded.

05:30 GMT — Gaza urges UNRWA to resume aid shipments despite Israeli blockades

The Gaza Government Media Office urged the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to reverse its decision to suspend aid shipments to besieged Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem border crossing.

"We are pausing the delivery of aid through Kerem Shalom, the main crossing point for humanitarian aid into Gaza. The road out of this crossing has not been safe for months," said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in a statement.

The Gaza government called on UNRWA to enhance aid deliveries to the blockaded territory, emphasising the worsening humanitarian conditions, particularly acute food shortages. It urged the agency to explore alternate, safer routes for delivering supplies.

04:23 GMT — US senator says Israel is ethnically cleansing Gaza

US Senator Bernie Sanders has said Israel "is committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Gaza."

The Vermont lawmaker said he agreed with a former top Israeli general and defence minister, Moshe Yaalon, who accused the government of ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza, where the army has sealed off the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and the Jabaliya refugee camp and allowed almost no humanitarian aid to enter.

"You don't fight terrorism by starving people & killing tens of thousands of civilians," Sanders said in a post on social media.

03:17 GMT — Israel tells residents to leave areas of south Gaza

Israel gave an ultimatum of residents of some areas in southern besieged Gaza to flee, claiming resistance groups fire rockets from there.

"Terrorist organisations are once again firing rockets towards the State of Israel from your area," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post in Arabic on X, addressing residents of the Khan Younis area.

"For your safety, you must evacuate the area immediately and move to the humanitarian zone," he said, sharing a map of the area in question.

For our live updates from Monday, December 2, 2024, click here.