GAZA LIVE BLOG: Humanitarian Catastrophe in Rafah | Poll: Israelis Prefer Gantz | Soldiers Killed in Rafa – Day 259

June 21, 2024 Blog, News
Israel continues to carry out massacres against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.(Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, Palestine Chronicle)

The mayor of Rafah, Ahmed al-Sufi, said that the entire city is considered an area of Israeli military operations and that it is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe. 

According to an opinion poll conducted by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, 42 percent of Israelis would prefer Benny Gantz for prime minister if new elections were held today, compared to 35 percent who prefer current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli army announced that an officer and a soldier were killed and 8 others were injured in an ambush by the Al-Qassam Brigades in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 37,396 Palestinians have been killed, and 85,523 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

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LATEST UPDATES

Saturday, June 21, 05:30 am (GMT+2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The Israeli occupation forces blow up several buildings in the center and west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

FOX NEWS (Citing an informed source): The US aircraft carrier, Eisenhower, will leave the Red Sea, and will be replaced by the USS Roosevelt.

CHANNEL 12: Poll showed that 51% of Israelis believe it is not possible to achieve a complete victory against Hamas.

Critic of Biden’s Israel Policy – Andrew Miller Resigns from US State Department

AL-JAZEERA: The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry called on its citizens to refrain from heading to Lebanon, and called on those in Lebanon to leave as soon as possible.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: One killed and two wounded when an Israeli drone opened fire at gathering of citizens north of the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

Saturday, June 21, 12:00 am (GMT+2)

US State Department official (cited by Times of Israel): Miller’s resignation should serve as a wake-up call for Israelis. Miller is well respected in Israel and supports the relationship with Tel Aviv.

CHANNEL 12: 51% of Israelis believe that it is not possible to achieve a complete victory over the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

ISRAELI MEDIA: The Canadian Foreign Minister informed her Israeli counterpart that her country is preparing militarily to evacuate its 45,000 citizens from Lebanon for fear of the outbreak of war in Lebanon.

Israeli Forces Kill Two Palestinians in Qalqiliya – West Bank Update (VIDEO)

Friday, June 21, 11:00 pm (GMT+2)

MAARIV: Israel’s security services fear the collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

HAMAS: Netanyahu’s claim is a blatant deception to cover up his crimes.

US STATE DEPARTMENT: Everyone at the State Department regrets Miller’s resignation, and we wish him well.

Friday, June 21, 10:00 pm (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli occupation forces again blew up a residential square in the center of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

CHANNEL 12: The army will not stop the fighting in Gaza except with an agreement.

KAN: The occupation army is preparing to remove the unexploded shells it threw into the Gaza Strip, in coordination with the United Nations and at the request of the United States.

ISRAELI MEDIA: The army is preparing to begin the third phase of the war in Gaza.

‘No Justice, No Peace – What Does It Mean in the Context of Gaza Genocide?

Friday, June 21, 9:30 pm (GMT+2)

ISRAELI MEDIA: The army is preparing to begin the third phase of the war in Gaza.

FORMER SECURITY MINISTER: We have not gone through a crisis like this since the establishment of Israel.

GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE: The occupation forces deliberately bombed water wells

KAN: The army is preparing to announce the defeat of the military arm of Hamas.

Israeli Army Seeks End to Gaza Offensive, Netanyahu Refuses – Report

Friday, June 21, 8:30 pm (GMT+2)

NYT (citing audio recording): Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich informs settlers of efforts to change governance in the West Bank without the government being accused of officially annexing it.

Netanyahu Ignored Warnings from Aides Against Public Criticism of US – Report 

Friday, June 21, 7:30 pm (GMT+2)

ISRAEL KATZ: We cannot allow Hezbollah to continue attacking our lands and citizens, and we will take the necessary decisions soon.

What Israel, Pro-Israeli Organizations Aim to Achieve from Vilifying the Palestine Chronicle – Factsheet

MEDICAL SOURCES: 75 Palestinians were martyred as a result of the Israeli raids on Gaza City since this morning.

ISMAIL HANIYEH: What happened on October 7 prompted America to come to the rescue of the occupation.

AL-JAZEERA: Andrew Miller, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, resigned due to the US administration’s position on the Gaza war.

GUTERRES: There is no military solution to the tense situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Palestinian Doctors, Hospitals and Health Care Workers are Primary Israeli Military Targets in Gaza

Friday, June 21, 6:30 pm (GMT+2)

IRAN: Any reckless decision by Israel could plunge the region into a new war. Hezbollah has the ability to defend itself and Lebanon.

AL-JAZEERA: The death toll resulting from the Israeli occupation’s bombing of the displaced persons’ tents west of Rafah had risen to 14 martyrs, in addition to more than 40 injured.

MSF: Doctors Without Borders says its teams may have to stop or reduce some of their life-saving activities in the Gaza Strip due to a shortage of medical supplies.

UNRWA: More than 76% of Gaza’s schools need reconstruction and rehabilitation.

DIRECTOR OF INDONESIAN HOSPITAL: The director of the Indonesian Hospital in the Gaza Strip announced that the hospital was out of service and said that the hospital suffers from a severe shortage of medical personnel.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We bombed the Be’eri settlement in the Gaza Strip with a missile salvo.

Friday, June 21, 5:00 pm (GMT+2)

HEZBOLLAH: We attacked with a suicide drone the enemy’s artillery emplacement in Zaoura in the occupied Golan, and we hit the target accurately.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH (citing sources): Netanyahu’s statements against the Americans are hysterical and unnecessary.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We bombed the headquarters of the Zionist enemy’s leadership and a gathering of its soldiers and vehicles at the Abu Oreiban site in the Netzarim axis.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Six Palestinians were killed and more than 20 injured in an Israeli bombing on tents for displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

NETANYAHU: Channel 14 quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that the occupation army will not leave the Gaza Strip until all the captives return.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: Netanyahu said that here must be permanent demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.

Friday, June 21, 4:30 pm (GMT+2)

MAARIV: The resistance discovered the Alexandroni Brigade unit, which was moving on foot yesterday afternoon, Thursday. Hamas fighters bombed the force with 5 mortar shells. The Israeli soldiers did not have enough time to take cover in the open space and were hit by mortar shells exploding near them.
Officer Saadia Yaqoub Deri and Officer Omar Samadja were killed instantly, and 8 soldiers were injured, 3 of them seriously.

AL-JAZEERA: Dead and wounded were reported following an Israeli bombing that targeted the vicinity of Martyrs’ Square in the center of the city.

UN OFFICIAL: The US naval operation in Gaza is a failure.

WHO: The Israeli ‘tactical pause’ had no impact on humanitarian aid.

Israeli Army Seeks End to Gaza Offensive, Netanyahu Refuses – Report

AL-JAZEERA: Sirens sounded in the Re’im area in the Gaza envelope.

Friday, June 21, 3:00 pm (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA: A number of Palestinians were injured as a result of an Israeli bombing that targeted the vicinity of tents housing displaced persons west of the city of Rafah.

HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the Ras Naqoura naval site with assault drones, and confirmed that part of the site had been destroyed.

AL-JAZEERA: Sirens sounded in the Re’im area in the Gaza envelope.

Friday, June 21, 2:00 pm (GMT+2)

MEDICAL SOURCES: At least 21 Palestinians were killed since dawn on Friday as a result of continued Israeli raids on various areas in the Gaza Strip.

Friday, June 21, 1:00 pm (GMT+2)

MEDICAL SOURCES IN GAZA: A large number of dead and injured was reported following an Israeli airstrike on a residential block in the Al-Jalaa area in central Gaza City, in northern Gaza.

‘Severe Violations’ – UN Experts Call for Immediate Cessation of Arms Transfers to Israel

AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli bombing targeted the Old City in central Gaza City, killing two Palestinians and wounding others.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Several Palestinians were injured in an Israeli raid targeting citizens near Wadi Gaza in the central Gaza Strip.

GAZA MUNICIPALITY: Israeli occupation forces targeted a number of workers working to operate water wells in the center of Gaza City.

ISRAELI FM: The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it summoned the Armenian ambassador to “strongly rebuke” him after his country recognized Palestine.

Friday, June 21, 12:00 pm (GMT+2)

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: Our fighters targeted an Israeli military helicopter with a Sam-18 missile east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, during its return from evacuating the dead and wounded of the occupation army who fell in the Shaboura ambush yesterday, Thursday.

PALESTINIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY: The Israeli occupation prevented 39,000 students from taking the high school exam this year.

AL-JAZEERA: Two Palestinians were killed and another was injured as a result of an Israeli bombing that targeted the Khirbet Al-Adas area, north of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

SPANISH FM: We are working with our partners to reduce the escalation in southern Lebanon.

MEDICAL SOURCES IN GAZA: 14 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip since dawn today, as a result of continued Israeli raids on various areas of the Strip.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Five Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli bombing near Yarmouk Stadium in central Gaza City.

BLOOMBERG (citing European military commander): We need to double our forces in the Red Sea to confront the Ansarallah.

Friday, June 21, 11:00 am (GMT+2)

CBS (citing US official): The Israelis are no closer to achieving their goal of destroying Hamas. There are still hundreds of fighters, miles of unexplored tunnels and Sinwar still at large.

DIRECTOR OF KAMAL ADWAN HOSPITAL: There are diseases spreading again in Gaza.

ARMENIAN FM: Armenia recognized the Palestinian state.

CHANNEL 13: Severe damage was caused to a dairy farm in the Gaza envelope as a result of rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip.

HAARETZ: The Israeli army wants to leave Gaza, and Netanyahu disagrees.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli occupation army artillery bombed the Shaboura camp in the center of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Friday, June 21, 09:30 am (GMT+2)

ISRAEL HAYOM: Netanyahu warned the Americans that obstructing his arms supply would bring war with Hezbollah closer.

MAARIV POLL: 42% of Israelis prefer National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz for prime minister if the elections were held today, compared to 35% who prefer Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

AL-JAZEERA: Sirens sounded in the Gaza envelope.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Three Palestinians were killed in Gaza following an Israeli raid that targeted the town of Al-Fokhari, east of the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

MAYOR OF RAFAH: The entire city is an Israeli military operations zone, and there are residential squares that were completely destroyed.

Friday, June 21, 06:00 am (GMT+2)

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army announced that an officer and a soldier were killed and 8 others were injured in an ambush by the Al-Qassam Brigades in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday.

Friday, June 21, 06:00 am (GMT+2)

US STATE DEPARTMENT: Antony Blinken stressed to the Israelis the importance of avoiding further escalation with Hezbollah and reaching a diplomatic solution.

Friday, June 21, 05:10 am (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA:

The Israeli army shelled with artillery the northern areas of the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The correspondent reported Israeli tank fire on the eastern areas of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The occupation army also blew up residential buildings in the Saudi neighborhood, west of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes launched raids on the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City.

HAARETZ: The Israeli government is working on an alternative mechanism to the Red Cross for visits to Palestinian prisoners.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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