Middle East Ticker At least 40 dead in Israeli attack on Hamas headquarters in refugee camp

On October 7, 2023, terrorist commandos of the Islamist Hamas attacked Israel, massacred the civilian population and kidnapped more than 240 people. Israel responded with a military operation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The developments in the ticker.

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16:08

Blink: Israeli military must change its approach

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on the Israeli military to make "fundamental changes" to its approach following the death of a US citizen in the West Bank. It is "unacceptable" that two US citizens have now been killed, Blinken said at a press conference with his British counterpart David Lammy in London.

The Israeli military had admitted to being responsible for the death of a pro-Palestinian activist in the West Bank last week. The woman had both Turkish and US citizenship. According to Israeli sources, she was shot unintentionally. The shots fired by the soldiers were aimed at the main perpetrator of the violent protest, according to a military statement. The death of the activist is deeply regretted and the incident is being investigated.

Commenting on the incident, Blinken said: "No one should risk their life just to freely express their views." Israel's security forces need to make some fundamental changes to their approach in the West Bank, including their rules on the use of weapons, the US politician emphasized.

"We have long seen reports of security forces looking the other way when extremist settlers use violence against Palestinians. We have seen reports of excessive force by Israeli security forces against Palestinians and now we have the second US citizen killed by Israeli security forces. This is unacceptable," Blinken said.

4.30 a.m.

Palestinians: Many dead in attack on refugee camp

The Israeli air force has reportedly attacked an Islamist Hamas command center located in a humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip. According to the Director of Supply for Civil Defense in Gaza, at least 40 people were killed in the airstrike and more than 60 were injured. According to the report, tents housing internally displaced persons were hit. According to the Israeli military, numerous measures were taken before the attack with precision ammunition to reduce the risk of civilians coming to harm.

The army did not provide any information on possible casualties during the night. It merely stated that terrorists had attacked Israeli troops and the State of Israel from the area in Chan Junis in the south of the contested coastal region. Hamas declared on its Telegram channel that Israel's claim that its fighters had been in the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone near Khan Yunis was "a blatant lie".

In July, Israel's military bombed a fenced-off object in the humanitarian zone between Han Junis and Al-Mawasi, which Israel claimed served as a base for Hamas terrorists. Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif and the commander of Hamas' Chan Junis Brigade, Rafa Salama, were killed in the attack. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 90 people were killed and a further 300 injured in the massive airstrike.

Deif is considered one of the masterminds behind the terrorist attack by Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7 last year. More than 1,200 people were killed in Israel and around 250 others were taken hostage in Gaza. The unprecedented massacre triggered the war. According to the local authorities, the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza has risen to almost 41,000 since the start of the war. The figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and is almost impossible to verify.

Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 4 a.m.

Israel stops UN convoy - alleged suspects on board

Israel's army says it has stopped a UN vehicle convoy in northern Gaza to question suspects. The background to this was "intelligence information that a number of Palestinian suspects were on board", the military announced. These were vehicles in which UN employees were being transported.

The Israeli TV station Kan reported that two suspected Palestinians had "infiltrated" the convoy and barricaded themselves in one of the vehicles. Israeli soldiers had fired warning shots. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the German Press Agency: "At this stage, I can only say that we are aware of an ongoing incident involving UN personnel and vehicles."

The already tense relationship between Israel and the United Nations has been further strained by the war. Israeli representatives have repeatedly accused UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency staff of being terrorists. Last month, according to the United Nations, a UN vehicle carrying humanitarian aid in a convoy was shot at by Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army announced an investigation into the incident.

11 p.m.

We end the ticker on Monday, September 9, 2024

22:37

Relatives' forum: Terrible conditions for Gaza hostages

The hostages held by Islamist Hamas are being held in horrific conditions, according to their relatives. The forum of family members of the abductees announced that the results of an initial investigation by the army into the fate of six hostages who were recently killed were extremely worrying.

The investigation revealed that "the murdered hostages were (previously) held in narrow underground tunnels with little air," it said. They had suffered from extreme malnutrition and weight loss and showed "clear signs of prolonged physical neglect". The results of the investigation were presented to the relatives. The army did not comment officially.

21.54 hrs

Attack plans: Israel arrests three Palestinians

Israel has arrested three Palestinians who were allegedly planning an attack. One of the three men was caught by security forces during an operation on a highway in the central part of Israel, according to a statement from the police and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service.

Following his interrogation, two other suspected members of the terror cell were arrested near Hebron in the West Bank. During a search, weapons were found with which the attack was to be carried out, according to the statement.

21.27 hrs

Polio vaccinations on track in the Gaza Strip

According to the United Nations, the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip is on track. Following the completion of the second of three phases, more than 446,000 children in the Gaza Strip have been reached in the fight against the highly contagious virus, said UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric in New York. This corresponds to almost 70 percent of the total number of 640,000 children to be vaccinated.

The third phase, in which the children in the north of the Gaza Strip are to receive the oral vaccine, is to begin on Tuesday. However, some evacuation orders from the Israeli army in the area are causing concern. Following the operation in the north of the coastal strip, a further round of vaccinations is planned four weeks after the start of the campaign. The pauses in fighting necessary for the vaccinations were reportedly largely observed.

20:07

Erdogan: Killing of activist in the West Bank goes to court

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced legal action over the killing of a Turkish-American activist. "We will continue our fight against the state of Israel by appealing to the International Court of Justice in The Hague at the highest level," Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting on Monday. The statements were broadcast on television. According to eyewitnesses, the activist was shot dead by Israeli security forces in the West Bank.

7.59 pm

Guterres: Never seen so much death and destruction in the Gaza Strip

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the situation in the Gaza Strip as worse than ever before during his more than seven years in office. The United Nations had offered to monitor a ceasefire in the Gaza war, Guterres told the AP news agency in an interview on Monday. But he said it was unrealistic to think the UN could play a role in the future of Gaza because Israel was unlikely to accept such a role. However, the United Nations is available to "support any ceasefire", he said.

"I have never seen the scale of death and destruction that we have seen in Gaza in recent months," said Guterres. A two-state solution to the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Palestinians was not only feasible, it was "the only solution".

5.23 p.m.

National Council wants to stop payments to UN Palestinian Relief Organization

The National Council wants to stop Swiss payments to the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) immediately. On Monday, it adopted a motion to this effect tabled by David Zuberbühler, a member of the SVP National Council from Ausserrhoden, by 99 votes to 88 with seven abstentions.

2.32 p.m.

14 people killed and 43 injured in airstrike in Syria

According to Syrian reports, at least 14 people have been killed in Syria in an attack on pro-Iranian militia positions allegedly carried out by Israel's air force. The Syrian state agency Sana reported last night, citing the director of the national hospital in Masjaf, that 43 other people had been injured, some critically. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, warplanes had attacked weapons depots of pro-Iranian militias near the city of Hama. There had been several explosions.

Israel does not usually comment on such attacks, according to the SDA news agency. However, the Israeli army repeatedly attacks militia positions in Syria that are supported by Iran. Government soldiers and militiamen are also regularly killed in the process.

The area attacked during the night is located west of Hama and is considered a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias, reported the Times of Israel. It had repeatedly been the target of attacks attributed to Israel in recent years. It is also home to a research center which, according to Israeli sources, is used by Iranian forces to manufacture precision missiles.

Since the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hamas began eleven months ago, Israel has stepped up its attacks in Syria. The Jewish state wants to prevent Iran from expanding its military influence in the country with the help of militias. Together with Russia, the Islamic Republic is the most important ally of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad.

4.30 a.m.

EU chief diplomat travels to the Middle East

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell wants to campaign for a ceasefire during a visit to the Middle East. He wants to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo today and also visit the Rafah border crossing to the Gaza Strip, the Foreign Service in Brussels announced. The mediators' efforts would be "high on the agenda" of the talks. On Tuesday, Borrell wants to meet Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atti and take part in a meeting of the Arab League.

Borrell also wants to hold political talks in Lebanon on Wednesday and Thursday. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, there have been almost daily military confrontations between the Israeli army and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia in the border area between the two countries.

According to the statement, Borrell is not planning to visit Israel. The Spaniard has clearly criticized Israel's war in Gaza on several occasions. He emphasized that it began with the "terrible terrorist attack by Hamas" on 7 October last year, in which around 1,200 people were killed in Israel and more than 250 others were taken hostage. However, "one horror cannot justify another horror", Borrell told Foreign Policy magazine in May.

Israel responded to the terrorist attack with air strikes and a ground offensive in Gaza. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 40,800 Palestinians have since been killed in the sealed-off coastal area. The figure does not distinguish between fighters and civilians and is almost impossible to verify independently.

The UN Human Rights Council is meeting today, Monday, in Geneva for its third and final session of the year. The agenda includes Hamas terror against Israel and the catastrophic conditions following Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip.

4.10 a.m.

Dwindling hope for a ceasefire in Gaza

Negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have made no progress for months. A ceasefire is associated with the hope of avoiding an expansion of the war in the region. However, according to a report in the "Financial Times", the US military is preparing for the collapse of the talks, in which the USA, Egypt and Qatar are mediating. US media had recently reported on a planned final proposal for an agreement.

The head of the US foreign intelligence agency CIA, William Burns, then said at an event organized by the newspaper in London: "We will present this more detailed proposal, I hope in the next few days, and then we'll see." According to Israeli media, however, it is unlikely that this will happen. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently told US broadcaster Fox News that there was no deal in sight.

Critics accuse Netanyahu of torpedoing the conclusion of an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza war with exaggerated demands - such as for the Israeli military to remain permanently in strategic locations in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu governs in a coalition with far-right parties that reject any concessions to Hamas and threaten him with the collapse of the government alliance.

1.18 pm

Activists: Another Israeli airstrike in Syria

According to human rights activists, positions of pro-Iranian militias have been attacked in Syria in an attack presumably carried out by Israel's air force. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli warplanes attacked the militias' weapons depots near the city of Hama. There had been several explosions. The Syrian state agency Sana reported at least three deaths in attacks on military installations in the center of the country. According to medical sources, at least five people were injured.

Israel does not usually comment on such attacks. However, the Israeli army repeatedly attacks militia positions in Syria that are supported by Iran. Government soldiers and militiamen are also regularly killed in the process. Israel has intensified these attacks since the start of the Gaza war eleven months ago.

Monday, September 9, 2024, 1:04 a.m.

Three Israelis killed in gun attack

According to Israeli reports, three Israelis were shot dead in a gun attack on the border between the West Bank and Jordan on Sunday.

The Israeli military announced that a gunman had approached the Allenby Bridge border crossing from the Jordanian side in a truck and opened fire on Israeli security forces, who killed him in an exchange of fire. The Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom said the victims were three men in their 50s. The military said they were all Israeli civilians.

Relatives identified the shooter as a retired Jordanian ex-soldier from the town of Athro in the impoverished Maan region. The state news agency Petra reported that the perpetrator was a truck driver transporting goods to the West Bank. Based on initial findings, the Jordanian Interior Ministry stated that it was the act of one individual. However, the investigation was still ongoing.

Jordan made peace with Israel in 1994, but is deeply critical of the country's Palestinian policy. Jordan has a large Palestinian population. There have been mass protests against the Gaza war in the country in recent months. Even after Sunday's attack, hundreds of Jordanians marched through the streets of the capital Amman, celebrating the act and burning Israeli flags.

"We bless this heroic operation by this noble Jordanian hero," said Murad Adaileh, the chairman of the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood party. Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said: "There is no place for you in Palestine."

Saturday, September 7, 7:38 a.m.

Munich shooter suspect used Swiss army weapon

The Munich shooter had bought his gun just one day before his alleged attack. The seller was a gun collector, as Austria's Director General for Public Security, Franz Ruf, reported. The rifle was an older model carbine, apparently an old Swiss army rifle.

According to Ruf, the carbine changed hands for 350 euros, plus a bayonet for 50 euros and around 50 rounds of ammunition. In Austria, carbines are classed as category C weapons. They are therefore freely available for sale and only have to be registered with the authorities up to six weeks after purchase. Category C includes long guns that have to be reloaded manually after each shot.

16:16

US citizen shot dead in the West Bank

A 26-year-old American woman has been shot dead in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The woman was shot in the head on Friday and died shortly after arriving at the hospital, two doctors told the AP news agency.

Witnesses and Palestinian media reported that the woman had been shot by Israeli soldiers as she took part in a demonstration in Beita against settlement expansion in the north of the West Bank.

Protests against Israeli settlements in the area take place regularly and have repeatedly degenerated into violence. A month ago, Israeli forces shot a US citizen in the leg when he said he was trying to flee tear gas and live fire.

12.01 pm

Suspect in Munich probably linked to Islamist group

The suspected perpetrator of the Munich attack may have acted with Islamist motives. According to information from the news agency DPA, security circles assume that the suspect in the foiled attack on the Israeli Consulate General in Munich had a connection to the Islamist group HTS. HTS stands for "Haiat Tahrir al-Sham", a militant Islamist militia.

The Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution writes that HTS emerged in 2017 from the merger of a former al-Qaeda offshoot and several smaller militant Syrian groups. Unlike al-Qaeda, which continues to plan attacks in the West, HTS focuses on Syria and wants to overthrow the ruler there, Bashar al-Assad.

The 18-year-old Austrian, who is considered the alleged perpetrator of the attack in Munich, was investigated last year on suspicion that he may have become religiously radicalized. However, the investigation into possible terrorist membership was dropped.

5.54 a.m.

Swiss UNRWA chief no longer allowed to visit Israel or Gaza

The head of the Palestinian aid organization UNRWA is apparently no longer allowed to enter Israel or the Gaza Strip. Research by Tamedia has shown that the Swiss Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency, is now being denied entry. As UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma confirmed, he has already been denied entry to the Gaza Strip three times. Lazzarini himself told Tamedia: "This is part of the strategy to not only silence UNRWA." In response to an inquiry from Tamedia, Israel's Foreign Ministry said: "(...) The vast majority of UN staff are granted entry permits" and added that the United Nations had not fulfilled its duty to act impartially and neutrally "since the Hamas massacre".

3.31 a.m.

Investigations continue after attempted terrorist attack

Following the foiled suspected terrorist attack on the Israeli Consulate General in Munich, the authorities are continuing to investigate the background. Videos from drivers, passers-by and residents are also likely to play a role. The Munich police had called for footage of the incident to be made available to the investigators via an upload portal.

It has since become known that the 18-year-old Austrian from the Salzburg region, who was killed in a shootout with police on Thursday morning, was being investigated on suspicion that he may have become religiously radicalized. The man with Bosnian roots was also subject to a weapons ban that would have expired in 2028 at the earliest, according to Salzburg police.

The then 17-year-old had come to the attention of the authorities after threatening fellow pupils and causing bodily harm. In this context, he was accused of participating in a terrorist organization, it was said. According to the Austrian news agency APA, propaganda from the terrorist organization Islamic State was found on his cell phone. However, the Salzburg public prosecutor's office closed the investigation in April 2023, according to the police. Since then, the 18-year-old has not made any further police appearances.

On the German side, the Bavarian Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism (ZET) has taken over further investigations. They are assuming a planned terrorist attack on the consulate. "The background to the crime still needs to be clarified", said Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU). However: "If someone parks here directly in sight of the Israeli Consulate General, then walks around this Consulate General with a rifle and starts shooting", this is "certainly or very probably no coincidence".

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) spoke of a serious suspicion in view of the simultaneous anniversary of the Olympic bombing in Munich. "There may be a connection. It still needs to be clarified," he said near the scene of the crime.

In the evening, he said on ZDF's "Heute Journal" that we would have to wait for the results of the investigation to be able to assess what was behind the crime. The Bavarian emergency services had worked very well, he said. "The police acted very courageously, very calmly, but also very consistently and took out the perpetrator and nothing happened."

During the terrorist attack at the Olympic Games in Munich on September 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists shot dead two men and took nine hostages in the Olympic Village. Around 18 hours later, a rescue attempt ended with the deaths of the nine Israeli hostages, a police officer and five of the attackers.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wrote on Platform X on Thursday evening: "The rapid reaction of the emergency services in Munich today may have prevented something cruel from happening. ... I say it very clearly: anti-Semitism and Islamism have no place in our country."

Friday, September 6, 2024, 2:48 a.m.

UN: Humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains more than catastrophic

According to the United Nations, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains "more than catastrophic". More than one million Palestinians did not receive any food rations by humanitarian means in August, said UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric in New York. The number of meals cooked daily had fallen by 35 percent to 450,000 compared to July.

Dujarric attributed the drastic drop in the number of meals cooked in part to the multiple evacuation orders issued by the Israeli armed forces. This had forced at least 70 out of 130 kitchens to either cease operations or relocate. The UN's humanitarian partners also had insufficient food stocks to meet needs in central and southern Gaza for the second month in a row, he said. They would only be able to distribute one food parcel to families in central and southern Gaza in September.

Dujarric cited the ongoing hostilities, insecurity, damaged roads, breakdown of law and order and access restrictions as reasons for the critical shortage of supplies. He also wanted to point out that even eleven months after the start of the war, international media representatives are still prohibited from entering the Gaza Strip to report on the impact of the war on the humanitarian situation.

In the West Bank, Israel is using "deadly war-like tactics, including air strikes" as part of a large-scale anti-terror campaign in the cities of Jenin, Tubas and Tulkarm, criticized Dujarric. This had led to further deaths and injuries, and more roads and infrastructure had been destroyed or damaged. "Medical facilities have been practically under siege for over a week, severely restricting the movement of ambulances and medical personnel," said Dujarric.

10 p.m.

We end the ticker on Thursday, September 5, 2024

7.07 pm

Investigators search the Munich shooter's home in Austria

After the suspected attempted attack by an Austrian in Munich, his home in the Salzburg region was searched. Numerous officers were deployed to Neumarkt am Wallersee to secure evidence and traces. A Salzburg police spokesman told the German Press Agency.

The gunman died in Munich in the course of a gun battle with police near the Israeli consulate in Munich.

The 18-year-old had lived in Neumarkt together with his parents. The residential building and the neighboring buildings had been evacuated for safety reasons, said the police spokesman. In retrospect, however, it turned out that there was no danger.

The police had previously announced that the shooter had been under investigation the previous year. He was suspected of having become religiously radicalized and of having an interest in weapons and explosives. According to the Austrian news agency APA, propaganda from the terrorist organization Islamic State was found on his cell phone. However, the investigation was closed last year.

5.45 p.m.

ICC chief prosecutor defends arrest warrant for Netanyahu

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has defended the arrest warrants requested for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Joav Galant. He had been advised against the move by several leading politicians and others, Karim Khan said in a BBC interview. However, it was important to show that the same standards applied to all countries when it came to alleged war crimes. Unlike his critics, he had seen evidence for the accusations.

In May, Khan had applied for arrest warrants against both Israeli politicians and the leader of Hamas. They still have to be confirmed by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Both Israel and Hamas rejected the accusations. US President Joe Biden, among others, criticized the decision.

Netanyahu and Galant are accused by Khan, among other things, of being responsible for starving civilians as a method of warfare as well as for arbitrary killings and targeted attacks on civilians.

Of the three Hamas leaders investigated by Khan, two - Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniya - have since been killed by Israel. Only Jihia al-Sinwar is still alive. The prosecutor accuses the Hamas leader of "extermination", murder, hostage-taking, rape and torture as crimes against humanity.

Mr. Khan was pleased that London no longer intends to submit a statement to the court against the arrest warrants, contrary to what the previous government had announced.

139 states worldwide have signed the Rome Statute - the contractual basis of the ICC - 124 of which have ratified it, including Germany. Alongside the USA, Russia and China, Israel is one of the states that do not recognize the court. However, the Palestinian territories are a state party to the treaty. Therefore, the ICC prosecutor is also allowed to investigate.

4.54 pm

Investigators assume attempted terrorist attack

Following the exchange of gunfire near the Israeli Consulate General in Munich, investigators are assuming an attempted terrorist attack by the man who was killed.

According to current findings, the attack by the 18-year-old Austrian armed with a rifle is believed to be "related to the Consulate General of the State of Israel", the Munich police and public prosecutor's office announced.

2.31 p.m.

Munich shooter was an 18-year-old from Austria

The Munich shooter killed by the police was an 18-year-old man from Austria, who also lived there. This was announced by the police at a press conference.

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) did not rule out a plan to attack the Israeli Consulate General, which was located near the scene of the crime. However, the authorities have not yet provided any concrete details on the exact motive. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior announced a statement for the afternoon.

It must be assumed that there may have been such an attack plan, Herrmann said. However, the background still had to be clarified.

Police officers had discovered the man armed with a so-called repeating weapon of an older model in the area near the consulate and the Nazi Documentation Center at around 9.00 am. According to Herrmann, he shot at the police officers, who returned fire. The man was hit and died at the scene.

Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) has not ruled out a connection with the memorial day for the 1972 Olympic bombing. "There may be a connection. It still needs to be clarified," said the CSU politician at the press conference near the scene of the crime. "Munich held its breath for a moment today."

Bavaria's Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich (CSU) said that the investigation was being conducted by the Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism (ZET) at the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office.

11.23 a.m.

The attacker at the Israeli Consulate General is dead

The man shot by police in Munich near the Israeli consulate is dead. This was announced by Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) in Burghausen.

The identity of the armed man, who was involved in an exchange of fire with the police, has yet to be clarified.

10.25 a.m.

Dead in Israel's operation in the West Bank

The Israeli army operation against Islamist extremists in the West Bank continues. Five Palestinians were killed in a military operation in Tubas in the north of the territory when their car was hit by an Israeli missile, the Ministry of Health in Ramallah announced.

The rocket had been fired from a drone. Two people were injured in the attack, one of them seriously.

Israel's army spoke of an anti-terrorist operation in the Tubas area, in which aircraft had carried out three targeted attacks on gunmen. These were a threat to the Israeli soldiers.

According to Palestinian sources, one of those killed was the son of former Palestinian leader Sakaria Subeidi. He and other prisoners had escaped from an Israeli high-security prison through a tunnel three years ago, but were later caught.

According to its own statements, the Israeli army is also once again taking action against militants in the Faraa refugee district. There, too, an aircraft attacked a group of militants who had fired on soldiers, the Israeli military announced.

According to the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, one person was shot dead during the operation. According to Palestinian reports, the victim was a 16-year-old boy. Israel's army did not initially comment on this when asked.

10.04 a.m.

"Süddeutsche Zeitung" journalist publishes video of shots fired in Munich

A video is said to record the shots fired near the Israeli Consulate General and the Nazi Documentation Center. Over 20 shots can be heard.

The video, which lasts just over 20 seconds, was published by Ronen Steinke, an editor at the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".

Schüsse vor dem israelischen Generalkonsulat in München. Das NS-Dokuzentrum ist direkt nebenan. pic.twitter.com/k1r819o9Rj

— Ronen Steinke (@RonenSteinke) September 5, 2024

9.53 a.m.

Shots fired outside the Israeli Consulate General in Munich

Shots have been fired outside the Consulate General of Israel in Munich, reports the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". The NS Documentation Center is located right next to it.

The Munich police report a major operation and the dispatch of a helicopter. They ask the public to avoid the area so that the officers can do their work. A short time later, it announces on X that police forces have fired shots.

The magazine "Focus" recalls that September 5 is the anniversary of the assassination of the Israeli delegation at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Das sind die ersten gesicherten Erkenntnisse im Zusammenhang mit dem laufenden Einsatz:
- Im Bereich Karolinenplatz kam es zu Schussabgaben durch polizeiliche Einsatzkräfte auf eine verdächtige Person, die Person wurde hierbei getroffen.
-Der Einsatzraum ist großräumig abgesperrt

— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) September 5, 2024

6.10 a.m.

USA: Deal within reach - but Israel remains intransigent

While the US government sees an agreement between Israel and the Islamist Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of hostages within reach, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu remains intransigent when it comes to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. According to the US government, a deal is 90 percent complete. "The deal has a total of 18 paragraphs. 14 of those paragraphs are done," said a high-ranking government representative. However, in addition to an Israeli troop presence in the Gaza Strip, the conditions for an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners have not yet been fully clarified. Hamas once again called for more pressure to be exerted on Netanyahu.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear once again on Wednesday evening in Jerusalem that he would maintain a permanent presence of Israeli troops in the so-called Philadelphi Corridor. This is an approximately 14-kilometre-long strip on the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, which Netanyahu claims is controlled to ensure that Hamas cannot smuggle weapons into the sealed-off coastal strip. "Clearing the Philadelphi Corridor does nothing to free the hostages," he told international media.

In the attack by Hamas and other Islamist groups on Israel on October 7, 2023, more than 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza. According to an Israeli count, 101 people are still in the hands of Hamas. It is unclear how many of them are still alive.

The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in which Qatar and Egypt are mediating alongside the USA in order to achieve a ceasefire and the release of the hostages, have made no progress for months.

The US government representative emphasized that the Philadelphi Corridor was not explicitly mentioned in the agreement. However, it provides for the withdrawal of the Israeli military from all densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip, and a dispute had arisen as to whether the Philadelphi Corridor was included. "Due to this disagreement, the Israelis have made a proposal in recent weeks that would significantly reduce their presence in this corridor," he emphasized. Only in the second phase of the deal is a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces planned.

Netanyahu presented this differently to the media representatives. He said that "someone" should be brought to him who could effectively guarantee that Hamas would not rearm across the Gaza-Egypt border. Then we could talk about withdrawing the Israeli military. "But I don't see that coming, and as long as that doesn't happen, we'll stay there," he added.

Critics accuse Netanyahu of overestimating the strategic importance of the Philadelphi corridor in order to prevent a ceasefire from being reached. They assume that Netanyahu's far-right government partners will refuse to make concessions to Hamas and could cause his coalition to collapse. Netanyahu denies being influenced by this.

"We don't need any new proposals," Hamas announced on its website. "What we need now is to put pressure on Netanyahu and his government and force them to honor the agreements." Netanyahu must not delay the negotiations "in order to prolong the aggression against our people".

3.54 pm

Amnesty raises serious accusations against Israeli army

Amnesty International accuses the Israeli military of systematically destroying agricultural land and thousands of houses in the eastern Gaza Strip after gaining control of the area. The human rights organization demands that this action of significantly expanding a "buffer zone" along the eastern border of the occupied Gaza Strip must be investigated as a war crime. The organization's own research has shown that this may be a war crime of wanton destruction and collective punishment.

Using bulldozers and explosive devices, the Israeli military illegally destroyed agricultural land and civilian buildings and razed entire neighborhoods with houses, schools and mosques to the ground, the statement continued. The houses had not been destroyed in the course of hostilities, but after the military had gained control of the area.

By analyzing satellite images and videos posted on social media by Israeli forces between October 2023 and May 2024, Amnesty has identified a newly destroyed swath of land along the eastern border of the Gaza Strip that is between one and 1.8 kilometers wide, the human rights organization said.

Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany, said: "The systematic devastation caused by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip is an act of wanton destruction and cannot be justified by military necessity. (...) Willful destruction and collective punishment are war crimes and must be investigated as such."

The Israeli military justifies the demolition of buildings in the Gaza Strip by, among other things, destroying tunnels and other terrorist infrastructure.

Thursday, September 5, 2024, 3.34 am

Hostage families: Netanyahu should renounce solidarity pins

A group representing families of hostages held by extremists in the Gaza Strip has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop wearing a yellow badge that has become a symbol of solidarity with the abductees.

"Stop creating a false impression of support and efforts to retrieve the hostages, while in reality you are doing everything you can to torpedo the agreement," said the group, which describes itself as a forum for the families of hostages and missing persons from the Hamas-led terror attack on Israel on October 7.

Protests recently gripped Israel following the recovery of the bodies of six young hostages from the Gaza Strip. The military has stated that the hostages were executed as Israeli forces approached the tunnel in which they were being held. News of their deaths increased pressure on Netanyahu to immediately agree to a deal to release some of the hostages remaining in the Palestinian territory in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a ceasefire.

24:00

We end the ticker on Wednesday, September 4, 2024

23:24

UN Security Council members call for ceasefire

Following the killing of six Israeli hostages, members of the UN Security Council have urged Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement on a ceasefire. "We know that the best way to save the remaining hostages and alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians is a negotiated ceasefire that releases the hostages and sets the stage for an increase in life-saving aid to Gaza," said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

China's Vice Ambassador Geng Shuang said: "The ceasefire negotiations have been delayed for too long and the suffering of the population has continued for too long. It is time to put an end to all this." The representatives of Great Britain, France, Japan and Russia expressed similar sentiments. At the same time, a number of states condemned Hamas for the deaths of the hostages, who according to Israel were shot in the head shortly before they were found.

1.37 a.m.

Philadelphi corridor: Gantz and Eisenkot counter Netanyahu

Two former members of Israel's war cabinet have rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that Israel must control the Gaza Strip border with Egypt.

Former Defense Minister and Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz said Israel should focus on bringing the hostages still remaining in Gaza home safely. The Islamist Hamas has demanded an Israeli withdrawal from the area as a precondition for a possible agreement. Gantz said at a press conference on Tuesday that Israel was in a position to return the so-called Philadelphi corridor if necessary. "Philadelphi is an operational challenge, not an existential threat," he said. "We have to get the hostages back, even at a high price."

At Gantz's side was former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, a political ally of Gantz. Both men had resigned from the war cabinet in June. They accused Netanyahu of mismanaging the war and putting his own political survival above the interests of the country. Netanyahu's office rejected the criticism. "Those who do not contribute to victory and the return of our hostages had better not interfere," it said.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 0:14 a.m.

US government takes legal action against Hamas leader Sinwar

The US government is taking legal action against Hamas leader Jihia al-Sinwar and other high-ranking members of the Palestinian terrorist organization in connection with the massacre in Israel on 7 October 2023. On Tuesday (local time), the US Department of Justice published prosecution documents submitted earlier this year that had previously been kept under seal. Sinwar and the other defendants are accused of terrorism, conspiracy to commit murder and evasion of sanctions, among other things.

"The atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7 are unacceptable, and the Department of Justice will not rest until Hamas is held accountable for its campaign of terror, death and destruction," Matthew Olsen, who is in charge of national security at the Department of Justice, was quoted as saying. The Hamas massacre, in which more than 40 American citizens were also murdered, was only the latest act of cruelty committed by Hamas, the statement continued.

Following the killing of Hamas foreign chief Ismail Haniya in Tehran at the end of July, the Islamist terrorist group appointed Sinwar as the new leader of the organization. His whereabouts are unknown - it is assumed that he is hiding in the organization's extensive tunnel system under the Gaza Strip. The Hamas leader is considered the mastermind behind the terrorist attack on October 7.

11 p.m.

We end the ticker on Tuesday, September 3, 2024

21:18

Protests for ceasefire agreement in Tel Aviv again

On Tuesday, hundreds of people once again called on the Israeli government to reach an agreement with the militant Islamist Hamas for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the remaining hostages. The demonstration in the center of Tel Aviv was the third in a row. The protests flared up again on Sunday after the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages.

The government must ensure that the other hostages are returned alive, said Emona Or, whose brother Avinatan was abducted in the Hamas-led terror attack on October 7 last year. Many of the demonstrators carried Israeli national flags or yellow banners to symbolize solidarity with the hostages. "Decide the agreement," one of the banners read.

9 p.m.

US government sees hope for hostage deal and contradicts Netanyahu

The US government still sees hope for a deal to release hostages from the hands of Hamas and once again contradicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the debate. An agreement is possible, "we believe that we are close enough, that the gaps are narrow enough that it could happen," said National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby. US President Joe Biden is personally involved in the effort, he added.

Referring to Biden's recent criticism that Netanyahu was not sufficiently committed to a deal, Kirby said: "Reaching an agreement requires compromise and leadership from everyone. "I would like to leave it at that."

5.10am

Farewell to slain hostages - Netanyahu vows revenge

While Israel bids a bitter farewell to the hostages recently killed in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been criticized by the bereaved, vows revenge. He announced that Hamas would pay a "very high price" for the murder of the six Israeli hostages whose bodies were discovered last week in an underground tunnel in the south of the Gaza Strip. According to media reports, the Israeli Ministry of Health stated that the hostages had been shot at close range some 48 to 72 hours before the autopsy.

"Israel will not let this massacre pass," Netanyahu said at a press conference in the evening. He apologized to the families of the dead "that we did not succeed in bringing them back alive". He himself has been heavily criticized because relatives of the hostages accuse him of having condoned the deaths of the abductees through his uncompromising stance in the negotiations with the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas.

At his press conference, Netanyahu once again insisted that Israel's military must retain control of the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, an approximately 14-kilometer-long strip on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. "We will not give up the Philadelphi Corridor," he reiterated. This was a strategic and political necessity for Israel.

However, if Israeli troops remain in the area, an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza war and a release of the hostages, who are still being held by the Islamist Hamas, is likely to be extremely difficult. Both Hamas and Egypt are demanding that Israel withdraw its soldiers. Together with the USA and Qatar, Egypt is mediating between Israel and Hamas, who do not negotiate directly with each other as a matter of principle.

The mediation talks continued by telephone even after the six bodies were found, a US government representative involved in the negotiations told CNN. However, Netanyahu's press conference had virtually destroyed the efforts: "This guy has now torpedoed everything with a speech," the government representative was quoted as saying.

US President Joe Biden, who continues to hope for a hostage deal, also criticized Netanyahu. When asked whether the Israeli Prime Minister was doing enough to reach an agreement, Biden replied during an appearance in Washington: "No." Nevertheless, a final agreement on the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas was "very close". Asked what led him to this assessment after the many unsuccessful attempts to reach a deal, Biden replied that hope dies last.

5 o'clock

President asks for forgiveness

At the funeral of the murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Israel's President Izchak Herzog spoke at the invitation of the family. In his eulogy, Herzog asked for forgiveness "that we did not succeed in bringing your Hersh back alive". Herzog said that Israel's decision-makers were now faced with an urgent task: "To save those who can still be saved."

Islamist Hamas fighters abducted the US-Israeli Goldberg-Polin from the Nova music festival in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. He was only 23 years old.

4.54 am

Hamas: New orders for hostage guards

A spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, spoke on Monday evening of "new orders" to the guards of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip in the event that Israeli troops should approach their hideout. The fact that the Israeli government obviously wanted to free the hostages through military pressure rather than by concluding an agreement would mean "that they would return to their families in coffins".

3.30 a.m.

Hostage video released

Hamas has released a propaganda video showing the kidnapped Eden Yerushalmi alive before the Israeli military discovered her body in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip last week. According to the Times of Israel newspaper, the 24-year-old's family agreed to share a short sequence of the video. In it, the young woman says, according to the translation: "A message to my family that I love: I miss you, father, mother, sister Shani and May. I miss and love you all so much." In similar cases, Israel has accused Hamas of psychological warfare.

24:00

We end the ticker on Monday, September 2, 2024

23:06

Hamas: Hostages will return "in coffins" if Israel's military pressure continues

Hamas has threatened that the hostages abducted in the Gaza Strip will return "in coffins" if Israel continues to exert military pressure. The "stubbornness" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to free the prisoners through military pressure instead of reaching an agreement means that they will return to their families in coffins", explained the spokesman of Hamas' armed arm, the Essedin al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, on Monday.

The guards of the hostages have been given new instructions in case Israeli soldiers approach their location, he added.

22:52

Netanyahu asks for "forgiveness" after death of Hamas hostages in Gaza Strip

Following the discovery of six hostages killed by the radical Islamic group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked for "forgiveness". "I ask for your forgiveness for not bringing them back alive," Netanyahu said at a televised press conference on Monday. "We were close, but we did not succeed."

The Israeli Prime Minister also threatened retaliation. "Hamas will pay a high price for this," he said.

Netanyahu apparently does not want to give in in the negotiations on a ceasefire with Hamas. Israel must retain control of the area on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, he said. This would ensure that the remaining hostages "are not smuggled out of the Gaza Strip".

21.43 hrs

Swiss to fly to Tel Aviv again from Thursday

The airline Swiss will resume its flights to Tel Aviv in Israel on Thursday. After a thorough analysis of the situation in the Middle East, it has come to the conclusion that safe flight operations to Tel Aviv are guaranteed, Swiss announced on Monday.

Swiss will also resume using the airspace over Iraq and a north-eastern corridor in Iranian airspace for overflights. Flights to and from Beirut, on the other hand, will remain suspended until the end of October as planned. This is for commercial reasons, as Swiss writes.

8.05 p.m.

Hundreds protest near Netanyahu's house

At demonstrations in several parts of Israel, thousands of people have called for an agreement on the release of the Israeli hostages still being held captive by the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Protests with several hundred participants also took place near the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a few hours after the funeral of a hostage who had been killed. "Your decisions lead to her death", Israeli media quoted from the speech of a man whose brother is still being held in the Gaza Strip.

19:40

British government announces partial suspension of arms exports to Israel

The British government has announced a partial suspension of arms exports to Israel. 30 of a total of 350 export licenses will be suspended, said Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the British Parliament on Monday. The ban concerns weapons "that could be used in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip" against the radical Islamic group Hamas. The government cited a "clear risk" that the weapons could be used in "a serious breach of international humanitarian law". However, parts for F-35 fighter jets are not affected by the measure.

Foreign Minister Lammy emphasized that the ban was not a determination of innocence or guilt and that the situation would continue to be monitored. "We have not judged and cannot judge whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law," he said. Great Britain is "not an international court".

Lammy reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defence and stressed that the partial export ban would not have a "significant impact on Israel's security".

6.20 a.m.

General strike begins in Israel

Following the discovery of the bodies of six Hamas hostages, the umbrella organization of Israeli trade unions has called for a one-day general strike today, Monday. The aim of the strike is to increase pressure on the government to agree to a ceasefire in the Gaza war, the Histadrut announced on Sunday. The remaining hostages still being held by the militant Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip were to be brought home.

The Histadrut, which represents around 800,000 workers in the healthcare, logistics and financial sectors, among others, announced that the strike would begin on Monday morning and would also affect the international airport. The strike is the first since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7. A strike last year during the dispute over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned judicial reform had led to a temporary delay in the project.

The bodies of the six hostages were discovered in a tunnel in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. The military announced that the people had been killed shortly before the Israeli soldiers arrived. Netanyahu announced that Israel would hold Hamas accountable for the murder of the hostages. He blamed the extremists for the deadlocked negotiations: "Anyone who murders hostages does not want an agreement."

3.50 am

Mass protests in Israel after recovery of dead Gaza hostages

In the largest mass protests in Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war, hundreds of thousands have demanded an immediate agreement with the Islamist Hamas, according to media reports. Following the discovery of the bodies of six hostages in the Gaza Strip, Israel's trade union umbrella organization wants to bring the country to a standstill for a day today with an unprecedented general strike - and thus increase the pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a deal for the release of the remaining hostage.

Protests in Tel Aviv and other cities saw some clashes with police. According to local media, there were dozens of arrests. According to estimates by the organizers, around 300,000 people gathered in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv alone, as reported by the "Times of Israel" in the evening. There were no official figures.

"We can no longer stand by and watch. The fact that Jews are being murdered in the tunnels of Gaza is unacceptable," union leader Arnon Bar David was quoted as saying by the news website "ynet". "We have to make a deal (with Hamas), a deal is more important than anything else." The protest strike is due to begin at 06:00 local time (05:00 CEST), Israeli media reported. Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv is also to go on strike and flight operations are to be paralyzed.

According to the "Times of Israel", Israel's radical right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on the Attorney General to prevent the general strike by means of a temporary injunction. Smotrich, like the radical right-wing police minister Itamar Ben Gvir, rejects concessions to Hamas and has repeatedly threatened Prime Minister Netanyahu with the collapse of the government.

The Israeli army announced on Sunday morning that six hostage bodies had been discovered shortly beforehand in an underground tunnel in the south of the Gaza Strip. The news portal "Axios" quoted the National Forensic Institute as saying that the hostages had been shot at close range around 48 to 72 hours before the autopsy of the bodies. According to the report, they were murdered between Thursday and Friday morning. A spokesman for the Hamas terrorist organization, however, said that the hostages had been killed by Israeli bombardment.

"We will not abandon them," chanted demonstrators in Tel Aviv, referring to the fate of the 101 hostages still held by the Islamists. They marched with blue and white national flags on the city's central streets. The coffins of the six hostages who were killed were symbolically laid out on a stage.

Participants in the protest rally blocked a central highway in the evening. According to media reports, they threw stones, fences, nails and metal objects onto the road, lit a fire and shot fireworks into the air. The police finally cleared the road and used stun grenades.

Protests also took place in other cities in Israel. The demonstrators demanded a swift deal from the government that would enable a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in which Qatar and Egypt are acting as mediators alongside the USA, have been stuck for months.

3.40 a.m.

Report: Mediators plan final attempt at negotiations

According to the "Washington Post", the mediators want to present the conflict parties with a final proposal for an agreement between Israel and Hamas in the coming weeks. If both sides do not accept this again, it could mean the end of the negotiations, a senior official in US President Joe Biden's administration was quoted as saying. The discovery of six dead hostages in Gaza had shown the urgency of an agreement.

Recent surveys by the Jerusalem-based research center Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) have shown that 82 percent of Israelis support an agreement on the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip in some form, the Wall Street Journal reported. However, supporters remain deeply divided over the conditions for an agreement. "There are people who say we have to get the hostages back; others say we have to continue the war to secure the south," the US newspaper quoted Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the US, as saying. "It's been the same since the first day of the war, nothing has changed," he told the newspaper.

The main point of contention in the negotiations is currently the question of how long Israeli troops may remain stationed at the Philadelphi Corridor in southern Gaza on the border with Egypt. Israel's security cabinet recently decided to maintain control of the corridor. In a statement issued by the relatives of the abductees, it was said that Netanyahu and his coalition partners had decided to "torpedo the agreement on a ceasefire for the corridor, thereby knowingly condemning the hostages to death".

Defense Minister Joav Galant called for the security cabinet's decision to be reversed. "It is too late for the hostages who were murdered in cold blood," Galant wrote on Platform X. "We must bring the hostages who are still in Hamas captivity home." According to media reports, Galant had a heated exchange with Netanyahu during the cabinet meeting.

Monday, September 2, 2024, 3:40 a.m.

Polio vaccinations started in Gaza

A vaccination campaign against the polio virus has started in the center of the sealed-off Gaza Strip. Following the first case of polio in 25 years in the embattled coastal strip, around 640,000 children are to be immunized against the highly contagious virus, according to the WHO. Normally, two vaccine doses are administered four weeks apart.

During the vaccination campaign, which began on Sunday and will last just over a week and be extended to other parts of Gaza, Israel's army said it wanted to observe pauses in fighting that were limited in terms of time and location. According to his office, Netanyahu emphasized that the breaks in fighting were not a ceasefire in the traditional sense.

23:50

We end the ticker from Sunday, September 1, 2024

8.30 pm

Tens of thousands of demonstrators at large rally in Tel Aviv

Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in a protest rally in Tel Aviv following the discovery of the bodies of six hostages. Numerous demonstrators marched with blue and white national flags on the central streets of the city on the Mediterranean. The coffins of the six hostages were symbolically laid out on a stage. In Tel Aviv, demonstrators blocked a central highway. Protests also took place in other cities.

The demonstrators demanded a swift deal from the government on a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of the remaining 101 hostages held by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas in return for Palestinian prisoners. The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in which Qatar and Egypt are mediating alongside the USA, have been stuck for months.

2.23 pm

Netanyahu apologizes to family

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to the family of the hostage Alexander Lobanov for the fact that he was not rescued alive. His office announced that the head of government wanted to speak to other families during the course of the day.

"The Prime Minister has expressed deep regret and apologized to his family for the fact that the State of Israel did not succeed in returning Alexander and the five other hostages alive," the statement continued.

Netanyahu's military advisor had returned in the morning from a visit to Moscow, the aim of which had been to advance efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war. Alexander Lobanov and other hostages were also discussed. Lobanov, a father of two, had both Israeli and Russian citizenship.

10.46 a.m.

Netanyahu: "It tears the heart of the whole people"

Following the discovery of the bodies of six hostages in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Islamist Hamas of systematically torpedoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

"Anyone who murders hostages does not want a deal," Netanyahu said in a video message. He spoke of a "difficult day". "It tears the heart out of the whole people." The score will be settled with the Hamas murderers, he said.

"The fact that Hamas continues to commit atrocities, as it did on October 7, obliges us to do everything we can to prevent them from committing these atrocities again," Netanyahu continued.

He added that efforts to free the hostages were ongoing. "Since December, Hamas has refused to engage in real negotiations." He accused Hamas of rejecting several US proposals, while Israel had agreed to them.

The Israeli government would nevertheless continue to make every effort to reach an agreement "that brings back all our hostages and guarantees our security and existence".

Critics in Israel, however, accuse Netanyahu of undermining efforts to reach a ceasefire even for domestic political and personal considerations. The security cabinet's decision on the night of 30 August to keep troops on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has been sharply criticized.

It is seen as one of the obstacles to a deal with Hamas, which is demanding Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

8.45 a.m.

Six hostages recovered dead in Gaza

The Israeli army has recovered the bodies of six hostages in the Gaza Strip. This was officially announced by the military on its Telegram channel in the early morning. The previous evening, the army had initially announced the discovery of several bodies, without giving further details.

The six victims were found in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area in the south of the embattled Gaza Strip and were transferred to Israel, the army announced.

All six victims had been taken hostage during the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on October 7 last year and kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. "According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them," said Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari in the morning.

The victims are four men - Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23), Alexander Lobanov (32), Almog Sarusi (27) and Ori Danino (25) - and two women - Carmel Gat (40) and Eden Yerushalmi (24). According to the forum of relatives of the abductees, at least five of the six victims were abducted on October 7 from the Nova music festival in the Negev desert, which was taking place near the border with the Gaza Strip.

In total, terrorists from Hamas and other groups abducted more than 250 people from Israel to the sealed-off coastal area that day. During a week-long ceasefire at the end of November, Hamas released 105 hostages. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from jails.

In some cases, hostages were freed by the Israeli army - sometimes at a high cost in blood for the Palestinian civilian population during these military operations, for which Israel is criticized internationally just as much as for the Gaza war itself. It is not known how many of the hostages remaining in Gaza are still alive.

8.30 a.m.

Prospects for success of talks in Cairo unclear

Whether a further agreement on a ceasefire and the release of abductees can be reached remains to be seen.

For some time now, the USA, Egypt and Qatar have been holding mediation talks in Cairo on an agreement providing for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages. However, the talks are deadlocked. Israel and Hamas are refusing to negotiate directly with the other side.

The main point of contention is currently the question of how long Israeli troops may remain stationed at the Philadelphi Corridor on the border with Egypt. Israel's security cabinet recently decided to maintain control of the corridor.

8.20 a.m.

West Bank: Attack kills three Israelis

Three Israelis have been killed in a suspected Palestinian attack in the West Bank. The Israeli rescue service Zaka announced that two people aged around 30 - a man and a woman - were killed in the incident near Tarkumija near Hebron.

According to media reports, a third injured person was later pronounced dead in hospital. According to the Israeli army, assailants had opened fire on a vehicle in which the three were traveling at a military checkpoint. The security forces searched for the attackers in the south of the West Bank.

Israel began a military operation in the northern West Bank on August 28. The army justified the action with the significant increase in the number of attacks on Israelis. The aim was to take action against Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. Since then, 648 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or their own attacks in the West Bank, according to the Ministry of Health.

Sunday, September 1, 6:30 a.m.

Polio vaccination campaign begins

A campaign to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children against the polio virus has begun in the center of the Gaza Strip, according to hospital sources.

A hospital spokesman in Deir al-Balah told the German Press Agency that vaccinations will initially be given in several centers and schools in the central section of the coastal strip. This also applies to several refugee districts in the area.

During the vaccination campaign, which will last just over a week in total and is to be extended to other parts of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army wanted to observe temporary and localized breaks in the fighting.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), clinics, doctors' surgeries and mobile teams are to vaccinate around 640,000 children in the Gaza Strip against the highly contagious virus, which can lead to the paralysis typical of polio. Two doses of the vaccine are usually administered four weeks apart.

Following the first case of polio in 25 years in the embattled Palestinian territory, the vaccination campaign aims to prevent a massive outbreak of the disease.

The first doses of the vaccine were administered at a press conference held by the Hamas-controlled health authority in the Gaza Strip on August 31. The WHO called for a safe course of the mass vaccination planned from today.

All parties to the conflict must make this possible, demanded WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Platform X. The WHO had previously announced that all sides had made "preliminary commitments to so-called area-specific humanitarian pauses" - meaning limited ceasefires.

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