Thread by @AJEnglish

Latest updates: May 16

Israel’s bombardment in #Gaza has entered its seventh consecutive day with air raids in the early hours of Sunday as Israeli PM Netanyahu vows to continue offensive for ‘as long as necessary’.

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At least 149 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the past week and in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have killed at least 13 Palestinians.

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UPDATE: Israeli forces killed a second Palestinian during protests in the occupied West Bank, says Wafa news agency.

More than 450 people were wounded with 100 injured from the use of live ammunition.

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Israeli air raids created a crater that blocked one of the main roads leading to Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza.

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Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip has entered its seventh consecutive day, with the death toll expected to rise further. Rescue workers are digging through rubble to find survivors.

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“The rescue teams have found five children alive.”

Al Jazeera’s Safwat al-Kahlout, reporting from Gaza, said rescue teams are racing to dig out survivors from beneath the rubble of residential buildings flattened in Israeli raids.

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UPDATE: Gaza death toll rises to more than 170, including at least 41 children, as 26 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes.

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“Ten more minutes”.

Owner of Gaza’s Jala tower pleaded with an Israeli intelligence officer for more time to collect press equipment moments before an Israeli air raid flattened the building. Jala Tower housed residential apartments and media offices including Al Jazeera & AP.

The owner of Jala Tower denied Israeli claims of his building containing assets of Hamas intelligence agency after an air attack launched by Israel obliterated the 12-story building.

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Rescue teams are working to free people trapped under the rubble of a residential building in Gaza hit by Israeli airstrikes overnight.

Two siblings are thought to be among those trapped.

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From New York and Madrid to Cape Town and Baghdad, thousands protested against Israeli attacks on Gaza — in pictures aje.io/azx2e

Police in Paris used tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators who defied a protest ban to rally in support of Palestinians. France’s interior minister had wanted to ban the protest, citing fears of violence.

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Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister condemned Israel’s “flagrant violations” of Palestinian rights.

He called on the international community to carry out its responsibility towards ending this “dangerous escalation”.

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The Israeli military said it struck the homes of Yehiyeh Sinwar, the most senior Hamas leader in Gaza, and his brother.

Read more: aje.io/ym65n

UPDATE: Israeli air strikes kill at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza City.

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“Apartheid states aren’t democracies.”

US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed President Joe Biden administration for not standing up to Israel, which she called an apartheid state.

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Police in Indian-administered Kashmir arrested at least 20 people, including an outspoken religious leader who prayed for Palestine and an artist who drew graffiti in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

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“They are targeting mainly civilians, these are the victims of this aggression.”

Medical workers are overwhelmed by the number of wounded at Gaza’s biggest hospital aje.io/f3gtg

Israeli police violently beat Palestinian protesters on Saturday in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem ⬇️

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"I don’t care how any spokesperson tries to spin this.

The US vetoed the UN call for ceasefire.

If the Biden admin can’t stand up to an ally, who can it stand up to?"

- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US congresswoman ⬇️ aje.io/xcly5

Gaza resident and teacher Rajaa Abu Jasser says her five children are unable to cope with the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, and are “terrified all the time.”

“They are just listening carefully if there will be a bombing anytime soon."

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BREAKING: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Gaza bombing to continue ‘in full-force’ aje.io/j8dc4

“There is no space in any of the hospital rooms.”

Journalist Youmna Al Sayed says Gaza's healthcare system is on the verge of collapsing ⤵️

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Rescuers in Gaza city are still hoping to find survivors after overnight Israeli bombing left dozens dead.

“At the Al-Shifa Hospital just a very short while ago five more bodies where brought" - Youmna Al Sayed, journalist.

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“Hamas misjudged the strength of our response,” says Aviv Kochavi, the Israeli army’s chief of general staff, who went on to say Gaza had since been enduring an aerial bombardment of unprecedented “intensity.”

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"It is a perfectly legitimate target."

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu defended the air strike on Gaza's al-Jalaa tower that housed Al Jazeera and other media bureaus, alleging it also hosted a “terrorist” intelligence office.

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“We note that Israel has not presented any evidence to support its claim the [al-Jalaa tower] building was used by Hamas”, said The Foreign Press Association.

The association has asked for a meeting with Israeli officials over the incident aje.io/j8dc4

Al Jazeera’s @safwatkahlout reports that Israeli attacks are continuing in Gaza.

“We could hear explosions a few minutes ago, the sky of Gaza is dominated by the Israeli bombs.”

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@safwatkahlout US Senator Bernie Sanders calls devastation in Gaza ‘unconscionable.’

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@safwatkahlout UPDATE: Gaza death toll jumps to 192, including 58 children, says Gaza's health ministry.

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@safwatkahlout Israeli normalisation without achieving Palestinian statehood represents support for ‘apartheid’, says Riyad al-Maliki, Palestine's foreign minister aje.io/27y3z

@safwatkahlout Over 40 schools open as shelters for thousands of Palestinians in Gaza displaced by Israeli airstrike, says UN organisation.

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@safwatkahlout US ready to help Israel and Palestinians if they seek a ceasefire.

“The United States has been working tirelessly through diplomatic channels to try to bring an end to this conflict,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to UN.

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@safwatkahlout “Some may not want to use these words – war crimes and crimes against humanity – but they know they are true.” - Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister. aje.io/jbjvt