Egyptian delegation in Israel to reignite Gaza truce talks

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Summary:

• Dozens of students at Sciences Po university in Paris gathered for a pro-Palestinian demonstration Friday after police broke up a protest earlier this week. 
• Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday in the hope of reaching a ceasefire agreement.
• The US military has begun construction of a pier to boost deliveries of desperately needed aid to Gaza, the Pentagon said on Thursday.                             
• Between 80,000 and 100,000 Palestinians have crossed into Egypt from Gaza since the start of the war triggered by the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, the Palestinian ambassador to Cairo said Thursday.     
• A Palestinian civil defence team on Thursday called on the UN to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers departed the complex.                             
• At least 34,356 Palestinians have been killed and an estimated 77,368 have been injured in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Some 1,170 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks that sparked the war and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.

10:25pm: Ship attacked by missiles off Yemen coast, says UK agency

A ship was damaged when it was attacked twice by at least two missiles while travelling off Yemen's coast on Friday, British maritime security agency UKMTO reported.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, which the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said took place southwest of the Yemeni port of Mokha.

In the first attack "the vessel experienced an explosion in close proximity to the vessel which was felt by the crew on board", UKMTO said on X, formerly Twitter.

"The second attack on the vessel consisted of what is believed to be two missiles, which resulted in damage," it added.

Hours earlier, the British maritime security firm Ambrey had also reported an attack off the port of Mokha.

9:55pm: Team from Egypt in Israel for Gaza truce talks

A delegation from mediator Egypt arrived in Israel Friday in a bid to reignite stalled negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza war including the potential release of hostages, Israeli and Egyptian media reported.

The signs of fresh truce talks came alongside Israeli preparations for a military push in Gaza's southern city of Rafah, and with spillover from the war leading to stepped-up exchanges of fire over Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to seal a ceasefire deal in Gaza without success since a one-week halt to the fighting in November, which saw 80 Israeli hostages exchanged for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

8:55pm: Lebanon pro-Hamas group says two members killed in Israeli strike

A pro-Hamas Lebanese militant group said on Friday that two of its senior commanders were killed in an Israeli strike in eastern Lebanon.

Jamaa Islamiya said in a statement that Mosab Saeed Khalaf and Bilal Mohammed Khalaf "died while carrying out their jihadist tasks ... in a Zionist strike in the Bekaa" valley.

It was not immediately clear if the two were related.

A Lebanese security source earlier reported that an Israeli drone attack killed one member of the Jamaa Islamiya who was in a vehicle on the road to Meidun in the Bekaa Valley.

8:42pm: China to host Hamas, Fatah for Palestinian unity talks

China will host Palestinian unity talks between Islamist militant group Hamas and its rival Fatah, the two groups and a Beijing-based diplomat said on Friday, a notable Chinese foray into Palestinian diplomacy amid the war in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, is the group whose fighters stormed into Israeli towns on October 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas in an onslaught that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.

Fatah is the movement of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

6:30pm: White House national security adviser sees 'new momentum' in Gaza hostage talks

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday he saw fresh momentum in talks to end the war in Gaza and return 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."

6:28pm: Israel to Egypt: 'one last chance' at hostage deal before Rafah invasion, says Axios

Israeli officials told their Egyptian counterparts on Friday that Israel is ready to give hostage negotiations "one last chance" to reach a deal with Hamas before moving forward with an invasion of Rafah, Axios cited two Israeli officials as saying.

"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.

5:28pm: US review on IDF unit over rights allegations ongoing, source says

The United States has received new information from the Israeli authorities about a specific Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unit that Washington was reportedly going to designate for human rights allegations in the West Bank, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

In light of the new information, Washington is looking into whether the unit is on a path to remediation, the source said. "If they aren't, there will be restrictions on the provision of US assistance," the source added.

No final decision has been made, the source stressed.

4:55pm: Students at prestigious Paris university occupy campus building in pro-Palestinian protest

Students in Paris inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments at campuses in the United States blocked access to a campus building at a prestigious French university Friday, prompting administrators to move all classes online.

Read moreStudents occupy Paris's Sciences Po university in pro-Palestinian protest

The pro-Palestinian protest at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, came two days after police broke up a separate demonstration at the university’s amphitheater outside one of its Paris campuses.

On Friday, scores of protesters occupied a central campus building and dozens of others blocked its entrance with trash cans, wooden platforms and a bicycle. Protesters gathered at the building’s windows chanted slogans and hung placards reading “We are all Palestinians,” in defiance of administrators who students say called the police on their peers two days earlier. 

Watch the report by Antonia Kerrigan and Valentine Elba below:

01:16

4:20pm: Netanyahu says ICC decisions will not affect Israel's actions, set dangerous precedent

Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday that any rulings issued by the International Criminal Court would not affect Israel's actions but would "set a dangerous precedent".

"Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the International Criminal Court in the Hague to undermine its basic right to defend itself," Netanyahu said in a statement shared on Telegram.

"While decisions made by the court in the Hague will not affect Israel's actions, they will set a dangerous precedent that threatens soldiers and public figures."

3:56pm: Egypt sends delegation to Israel, its latest effort to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas

Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, two officials said. At the same time, it warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on Gaza's city of Rafah – on the border with Egypt – could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability.

Egypt's top intelligence official, Abbas Kamel, is leading the delegation and plans to discuss with Israel a “new vision” for a prolonged cease-fire in Gaza, an Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the mission freely. 

As the war drags on and casualties mount, there has been growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement on a cease fire. 

3:50pm: Hamas criticises US hostage proposal for not meeting permanent ceasefire demand

Hamas on Friday criticised a proposal from the United States and 17 other countries that called on it to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza, saying it failed to address Palestinian demands, a statement said.

Hamas is open to ceasefire ideas and sticks to the main demands outlined by the group, the statement added.

3:20pm: Saudi Arabia to host top Arab, EU diplomats for Gaza talks, say officials

Top Arab and European diplomats are expected to begin arriving in the Saudi capital this weekend for an economic summit and meetings on the war in Gaza, diplomatic officials said.

The two-day World Economic Forum special meeting, scheduled to begin in Riyadh on Sunday, includes in its official programme appearances by the Saudi, Jordanian, Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers.

A Gaza-focused session on Monday is set to feature newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations aid coordinator for Gaza.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné is among the European officials travelling to the Saudi capital during the summit for talks on the war, which erupted with Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel.

2:21pm: After five days in an incubator, a premature baby girl who was rescued from her dead mother's womb dies in Gaza

A premature Palestinian infant, rescued from her mother's womb shortly after the woman was killed in an Israeli air strike, has died, her uncle said Friday.

Sabreen Jouda died in a Gaza hospital on Thursday after her health deteriorated and medical teams were unable to save her, said her uncle, Rami al-Sheikh.

Sabreen's home in the southern Gaza city of Rafah was hit by an Israeli air strike shortly before midnight Saturday. Her parents and 4-year-old sister were killed.

First responders took the bodies to a nearby hospital, where medical workers performed an emergency Cesarean section on her mother, Sabreen al-Sakani, who was 30 weeks' pregnant. The infant was kept in an incubator in a neonatal intensive care unit at another hospital until she died five days later.

Al-Sheikh told The Associated Press that Sabreen was buried next to her father on Thursday.

1:39pm: EU commits additional €70 million for Gaza aid

The European Union on Friday said it was giving an extra €68 million ($73 million) to provide desperately needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza. 

The territory has been devastated by more than six months of Israeli bombardment and ground operations after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, leaving the civilian population in need of humanitarian assistance to survive.

"In light of the continued deterioration of the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the steady rise of needs on the ground, the (European) Commission is stepping up its funding to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing war," an EU statement said. 

"This support brings total EU humanitarian assistance to €193 million for Palestinians in need inside Gaza and across the region in 2024."

The EU said the new aid would be focused on food deliveries, clean water, sanitation and shelters, and would be channelled through local partners on the ground. 

1:09pm: Blinken says US campus protests part of 'democracy'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that campus protests sweeping the United States over Israel's war in Gaza were part of democracy.

"It's a hallmark of our democracy that our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger, at any given time," Blinken told reporters in China, which tightly controls protests, adding: "I think that reflects the strength of the country."

12:32pm: UN official says it could take 14 years to clear debris in Gaza

The vast amount of rubble including unexploded ordnance left by Israel’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip could take about 14 years to remove, a United Nations official said on Friday.

Israel’s military campaign against Gaza’s ruling Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has reduced much of the narrow, coastal territory of 2.3 million people to a wasteland with most civilians homeless, hungry and at risk of disease.

Pehr Lodhammar, senior officer at the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), told a briefing in Geneva that the war had left an estimated 37 million tonnes of debris in the widely urbanised, densely populated territory.

He said that although it was impossible to determine the exact number of unexploded ordnance found in Gaza, it was projected that it could take 14 years under certain conditions to clear debris, including rubble from destroyed buildings.

“We know that typically there’s a failure rate of at least 10 percent of land service ammunition that is being fired and fails to function,” he said. “We’re talking about 14 years of work with 100 trucks."

11:48am: Israeli civilian fatally injured in anti-tank missile strike near Lebanon border, says army

The Israeli army said Friday a civilian was killed near the country's northern border with Lebanon, as near-daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah rage.

"Overnight, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles toward the area of Har Dov in northern Israel," the Israeli army said, referring to the disputed Shebaa Farms district.

"As a result, an Israeli civilian doing infrastructure work was injured and he was later pronounced dead."

Israeli media reported that the victim was an Arab-Israeli truck driver. Police told AFP they had not identified the body, but said it was the only one found after a truck was hit.

Hezbollah said it had destroyed two Israeli vehicles in the Kfarchouba hills overnight in a "complex ambush" on a convoy using missiles and artillery. The Israeli army did not comment directly on the claim.

Both Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have stepped up attacks this week, with Hezbollah increasing rocket fire and Israel saying it had carried out "offensive action" across southern Lebanon.

11:37am: Paris students hope to ‘start a wave’ of pro-Palestinian protests across France

Students from an elite Paris university are protesting the war in Gaza, despite having their demonstration shut down on Wednesday night by police.

FRANCE 24’s Shirli Sitbon, reporting from the protest, says the students “want to start a wave of protests across universities in France”, with most demonstrators calling for an immediate ceasefire.

After reports of anti-Semitic incidents taking place at campuses in the US, where pro-Palestinian protests have spread to an increasing number of colleges and universities, student leaders at Sciences Po say they are “not anti-Israel as such”.

“They say that they are for the liberation of hostages held in Gaza, that they want international law to be applied and for the bombings in Gaza to stop,” says Sitbon.

Watch the latest updates below:

02:57

11:06am: Egyptian ceasefire delegation due in Israel, officials say 

Egypt is sending a high-level delegation to Israel in the hope of reaching a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, while warning a possible new Israeli offensive focused on the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability, two officials said Friday.

While in Israel, Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel plans to make clear that Egypt “will not tolerate” Israel’s deployments of troops along Gaza’s borders with Egypt, an Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to freely discuss the mission.

10:56am: Pro-Palestinian students protest at Sciences Po in Paris

Students in Paris protested again on Friday after police broke up a pro-Palestinian solidarity demonstration Wednesday night at Sciences Po, one of France's most prestigious universities.

“They say their university is not doing enough to protest the war in Gaza,” says FRANCE 24's Shirli Sitbon, reporting live from Sciences Po.

“They want to examine all collaborations between their university and Israeli, or pro-Israeli, universities and companies.

Watch her full report below:

01:39

7:08am: Israeli army and Hezbollah exchange fire overnight

On Friday, the Israeli army reported that two anti-tank missile strikes had hit northern Israel from Lebanon overnight, adding that it had responded with artillery fire. 

Fighter jets struck Hezbollah "infrastructure" near Kfarchouba village in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army said in a statement.

Hezbollah claimed in a statement to have "directly hit" Israeli forces on the border with artillery.

Hezbollah had on Thursday denied a comment by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant that "half of Hezbollah's commanders in southern Lebanon have been eliminated" in the months of violence.

6:09am: Columbia University drops deadline for dismantling pro-Palestinian protest camp

Columbia University retreated in a statement late Thursday from a midnight (0400 GMT Friday) deadline for pro-Palestinian protesters to abandon an encampment there as more college campuses in the United States battled to prevent occupations from taking hold.

"The talks have shown progress and are continuing as planned," the office of Columbia president Minouche Shafik said. "We have our demands; they have theirs."

6:07am: Ship comes under attack in the Gulf of Aden

A ship travelling in the Gulf of Aden came under attack Thursday, officials said, the latest assault likely carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war.

6am: Northern Gaza still headed towards famine, says UN food agency 

Northern Gaza is still heading towards famine because Israel hasn’t allowed the daily delivery of food and other critical items for hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need, the UN food agency’s deputy chief said.

Carl Skau, the deputy executive director of the World Food Programme, said Thursday that a little progress has been made since Israel made commitments on April 5 to speed up aid deliveries, but not enough.

Seven to 12 trucks have gone to the area every other day, or every third day in the last three weeks, he said, with at least 30 trucks needed each day.

“We haven’t seen that paradigm shift that is needed to avert a famine,” Skau said.

On a positive note, Skau said 16 bakeries are now open in Gaza, delivering some 60,000 bags of bread every day.

Yesterday's key developments:

• The Arabic language spokesperson of the US State Department has resigned, citing her opposition to Washington's policy related to the war in Gaza, in at least the third resignation from the department over the issue.                                                                   
• The Israeli government sought another deferral of a looming Supreme Court-enforced deadline for it to come up with a new military conscription plan that would address mainstream anger at exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jews.                                       
• A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press that the Islamist militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel if certain conditions are met.        

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)