Gaza live: Thirty seven million tonnes of debris and rubble litter Gaza, says UN

Israeli forces have killed at least 34,388 Palestinians and wounded 77,437 others in Gaza since 7 October, the Palestinian health ministry said on Saturday.

The new death toll comes after 32 Palestinians were killed and 69 others wounded over the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

Aid shipments from Cyprus to Gaza resumed late on Friday, following a pause on shipments over the death of aid workers.

A small cargo vessel left the port of Larnaca with aid donated by the United Arab Emirates, a Cypriot source told Reuters.

The World Central Kitchen paused aid earlier this month after seven of its workers were killed by Israeli air strikes in early April, halting the direct shipments into Gaza from Cyprus.

In his latest column for Middle East Eye, academic Chris Phillips argues that the UK remains a firm ally of Israel, even if suggests it might recognise a Palestinian state. 

"After more than six months of war, one thing is clear: London remains a firm ally of Israel, and if anything, that closeness is growing. At times, Foreign Secretary David Cameron has been a 'critical friend', even suggesting the UK might recognise a Palestinian state to pressure Israel. But at all the key moments, British support has been steadfast. 

"This was seen most recently when the Royal Air Force was deployed to help intercept Iranian drones launched towards Israel. It was also seen when the UK repeatedly insisted on Israel's right to defend itself, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak repeatedly refused calls for an immediate ceasefire. 

"London doesn't view the issue as dichotomous, believing it can support both Israelis and Palestinians - but the war has exposed just how much it values ties with the former."

You can read the full column below. 

Opinion: 'Labour or Tories, the UK will always back Israel'

Israeli forces have shot and killed two Palestinian men and wounded two others at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

The Israeli military said the men had opened fire on them from a vehicle on Saturday morning. It also published pictures of automatic rifles it said were used to shoot at soldiers. 

Israeli forces prevented ambulances from reaching the area to recover the bodies, according to Wafa news agency. 

Good evening Middle East Eye readers,

Gaza's health ministry said that 51 people were killed by Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 34,356 since 7 October.

Additionally, 77,368 people have been wounded since the start of the war.

In other developments:

• Thirty-seven-million tonnes of debris and rubble now litter the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel's bombardment, according to the UN.
• Hala Rharrit, the Arabic language spokesperson of the US State Department, has resigned, citing her opposition to the Biden administration's Gaza policy.
• An Israeli air strike on a home near Gaza City's al-Rimal neighbourhood killed at least three people, including a woman and a child.
• Pro-Palestine protesters launched a Gaza solidarity encampment in front of the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.
• Shaimaa, the eldest daughter of killed Palestinian poet Refaat al-Areer, was killed along with her husband and her newborn son in an Israeli strike near al-Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City.
• A Palestinian baby rescued from the womb of her mother in Gaza while she lay dying has died, according to her doctor.
• Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sustained minor injuries in a car accident and was transported to hospital on Friday.
• A group of over 135 imams and religious scholars signed a statement of solidarity with student encampments in support of Palestine.

A group of over 135 imams and religious scholars signed a statement of solidarity with student encampments in support of Palestine saying that "we admire your courageous actions and various sacrifices for Palestine. May your efforts be a beacon of hope and transformation, inspiring further actions towards a just and equitable world."

The signatories include scholars and imam such as Omar Suleiman, Yasir Qadhi, Haifaa Younis, Mohammad Elshinawy, and Suhaib Webb.

"The recent escalatory encampments by students on campuses across the country, calling for divestment and solidarity with Palestine, reflect students’ commitment to holding the American university system accountable for aiding and abetting genocide in Gaza. It is their bravery, sacrifice, and organising that emboldens us to reaffirm our support and dedication to those students, regardless of race or religion," the statement, released on Friday, says.

"Today, you extend the tradition of resistance that discursively and materially ended Jim Crow and South African apartheid. The continued repression of pro-Palestine organising in this country signals how support for Israel has reached an impasse, whereby it cannot sustain itself without draconian measures to silence dissent," the statement continued.

According to a confidential United States document reviewed by Devex, Israeli actions have been deemed non-compliant with a White House directive mandating recipients of American military aid to adhere to international humanitarian law and allow unhindered delivery of US-funded humanitarian assistance.

The recent findings, released earlier this month, come after a national security memo was issued by the White House on 8 February. The memo instructed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “obtain credible and reliable written assurances” from recipients of US weapons regarding their commitment to abide by international humanitarian law.

These findings are to be reported to both the White House and Congress. In the case of Israel, this requirement would pertain only to offensive weapons.

In a submission to Blinken, USAID officials assessed that the "government of Israel (GOI) does not currently demonstrate necessary compliance” with the memo’s requirement that it facilitate and not impede “the transport of delivery of United States humanitarian assistance” as well as US-backed international efforts to provide relief, Devex reported.

The USAID document raised significant concerns regarding the death toll of nearly 32,000 people, with approximately two-thirds assessed by the Government of Israel (GOI) as civilians. It suggested that these casualties might potentially constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. However, it noted that a definitive conclusion would depend on thorough analysis by US government legal experts.

On Friday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Iran should reevaluate the effectiveness of its weapons systems following the attack on Israel earlier this month.

"They should be questioning the effectiveness of their weapons systems and their planning," Austin told reporters.

"Hopefully they don't walk away from this over-confident that they can do this at will, because I think Israel has demonstrated that it has a significant ability to defend itself," Austin added.

On Friday, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said he saw fresh momentum in discussions aimed at ending the war in Gaza and facilitating the return of the remaining Israeli hostages.

"I believe that there is a renewed effort under way involving Qatar and Egypt as well as Israel to try to find a way forward," Sullivan told MSNBC in an interview.

"Do I think that there is new momentum, new life in these hostage talks? I believe there is."

Israeli officials told their Egyptian counterparts on Friday that Israel is prepared to grant hostage negotiations "one last chance" to secure a deal with Hamas before considering an invasion of Rafah, as reported by Axios, citing two Israeli officials.

"Israel told Egypt that it is serious about preparations for the operation in Rafah and that it will not let Hamas drag its feet," it quoted one of the officials as saying.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sustained minor injuries in a car accident and was transported to the hospital on Friday, according to police who said they are probing the incident's details.

Footage on Israeli media showed the overturned car in which Ben-Gvir was travelling.

Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai told reporters that two additional individuals sustained injuries in the event. Ben-Gvir was departing from a site in the city of Ramle, close to Tel Aviv, where authorities reported a suspected stabbing incident had occurred just moments earlier.

Hamas has slammed an international proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza which placed the release of Israeli hostages as the first step in the process.

The group said they were open to a ceasefire, but said that the new proposal - made by the US and 17 other countries - failed to address Palestinian demands.

A Palestinian baby rescued from the womb of her mother in Gaza while she lay dying has died, according to her doctor.

The baby, named Sabreen al-Rouh, had been on a ventilator since being saved from her mother who was mortally wounded by an Israeli strike which also killed her husband and their three-year-old daughter.

Doctor Mohammad Salama, head of the emergency neo-natal unit at Emirati Hospital, said the baby died on Thursday.

"I and other doctors tried to save her, but she died. For me personally, it was a very difficult and painful day," he told Reuters by phone.

"She was born while her respiratory system wasn't mature, and her immune system was very weak and that is what led to her death. She joined her family as a martyr."

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has called the Gaza protests taking place across university campuses a "hallmark of democracy" but decried the lack of criticism of Hamas.

"In our own country, it's a hallmark of our democracy that our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger, at any given time, and I think that reflects the strength of the country, the strength of democracy," Blinken said, speaking at a press conference in China.

"It is also notable that there is silence about Hamas, as if it wasn't even part of the story."

"But as I've also said repeatedly, the way Israel goes about ensuring that Oct. 7 never happens again matters profoundly. And we're working every day to try to minimize the damage that's done to innocent people and to make sure that they have the assistance and support that they need."

Gaza's health ministry said that 51 people were killed by Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 34,356 since 7 October.

Additionally, 77,368 people have been wounded since the start of the war.