Israel-Hamas latest: Israel trying to force Gaza population to leave, Qatar's ruler says in extraordinary attack

Israel trying to make Gaza City 'unliveable', UN official claims

In an echo of comments from the Emir of Qatar reported in our previous post, the top United Nations expert on Palestinian rights has said Israel is trying to make it impossible for people to live in Gaza City.

The IDF has begun an assault on the city, where it says Hamas is embedded in parts of the infrastructure.

Francesca Albanese told reporters in Geneva: "Israel is bombing using unconventional weapons ... it is trying to forcibly evacuate Palestinians. 

"Why? This is the last piece of Gaza that needs to be rendered unliveable before advancing the ethnic cleansing of that piece of land."

Her comments were rejected by the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN, which said in a statement: "Her numerous statements have showcased her willingness to go to extreme lengths in (the) delegitimisation of the State of Israel.

"According to her, Hamas doesn't embed itself in civilian infrastructure, doesn't cynically use civilians as human shields, and generally doesn't really exist."

Israel says it has warned civilians to head south to a designated humanitarian zone.

But the UN and numerous countries say its tactics amount to forced mass displacement.

As we reported earlier (14.39pm post), the Israeli military has struck and destroyed a residential tower block in Gaza City - said to be the tallest building in the Gaza Strip.

Albanese serves as a special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories - one of dozens of experts appointed by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council to report on specific global issues. 

Israeli leaders trying to force Gaza population out - and are lying about hostages, Qatar's ruler says in extraordinary attack

In an unusually fiery attack, the Emir of Qatar has claimed that Israel wants to make Gaza "uninhabitable" in order to displace its population.

Responding to the IDF's attack on a Hamas negotiating team in Doha last week, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani pointed out what he said were inconsistencies in Israel's strategy.

In a lengthy statement, released to coincide with an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, he said: "If Israel wants to assassinate the political leadership of Hamas, then why does it negotiate with it? 

"And if it wants to negotiate the release of the hostages, then why assassinate all those who could conduct negotiations with it?"

Al Thani claimed Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, "truly intends that Israel intervene wherever and whenever it wishes" and that he "dreams that the Arab region becomes an Israeli sphere of influence".

He described the latter as a "dangerous delusion".

The Emir appeared to rule out further official Israeli visits to his country.

He said: "How can we welcome Israeli delegations to our country for negotiations, when those who sent these delegations are plotting to bomb this country?"

Al Thani added: "There is no room to deal with such a party that's cowardly and treacherous.

"Those who work consistently to assassinate the party in these negotiations will certainly do everything to ensure the failure of these negotiations. 

"When they claim that they seek the liberation of hostages, that's a mere lie."

He said last week's Israeli attack was carried out in a residential neighbourhood that "includes schools and diplomatic missions".

It was a "grave violation" of Qatar's sovereignty and had trampled on "international conventions and norms", he said.

Al Thani described Qatar as a "mediation state" which has been "exerting strenuous efforts for two years to reach a settlement" in Gaza.

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, will travel to Qatar following his visit to Israel.

As reported here earlier, Rubio told a news conference alongside Netanyahu today that people had forgotten that the war in Gaza started because "barbaric animals conducted an operation" on 7 October 2023.

He and Netanyahu presented a generally united front - while Netanyahu refused to rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders in foreign countries.

IDF destroys 'tallest building' in Gaza Strip

The Israeli military has struck and destroyed a residential tower block in Gaza City - said to be the tallest building in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Ghefari tower was 16 storeys tall before being hit by IDF airstrikes.

Action was taken about an hour after a warning was delivered to displaced families sheltering inside, and nearby, to leave.

Israel said the building was being used to hide "terrorist infrastructure".

Elsewhere, local Hamas-run health authorities said 16 people were killed in strikes on two homes and on a tent housing a displaced family.

Rubio faces having to get diplomacy back on track after 'disaster' in Doha

This is a solidarity visit by America at a time Israel is growing increasingly isolated on the world stage.

It's also damage control by America's top diplomat. 

An attempt to calm tensions in the Middle East and reign in Benjamin Netanyahu after Israel attacked a Hamas residence in Qatar. 

Publicly it was a display of unity by Marco Rubio answering questions from journalists alongside Israel's prime minister.

But the words and messaging were carefully choreographed. Netanyahu was at pains to emphasise that the decision to bomb Qatar was Israel's alone but he also doubled down on this, refusing to rule out further strikes. 

"We sent a message to the terrorists - you can run but you can't hide," he said.

Marco Rubio was keen to sweep over the diplomatic disaster in Doha, saying "we are focused on what happens now, what happens next, what role Qatar can play".

America's secretary of state has a heck of a job this week trying to repair relationships and get diplomacy back on track. 

For now, ceasefire talks are completely off. Trust totally eroded. How do you negotiate with individuals you've attempted to kill? 

The goodwill of Qatar hosting the talks and playing the critical role of mediator has also been seriously tested. 

It's undermined American alliances too. Astonishingly, the US didn't appear to know this attack was going to happen and didn't, or couldn't, stop it. 

The concern among other Gulf States is if Israel can bomb Qatar, a key American ally and home to the biggest US airbase in the Middle East, then is anywhere in the region safe?

Marco Rubio will head to Doha tomorrow where an emergency summit of Arab leaders is currently taking place in response to Israel's actions. 

A draft resolution suggests leaders are set to warn Israel that the normalisation of relations between Israel and Arab neighbours is under threat. 

Today is the 5th Anniversary of the Abraham Accords, the peace deals carved out by Donald Trump during his first term in office, formalising diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab nations including the UAE. Trump has called them one of his proudest achievements but it seems Israel's attack in Doha has put them on life support.

Any hope of a breakthrough on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has been destroyed this week. Just when you think the situation in Gaza can't get any worse, somehow things take another dire turn. 

Tour of Spain bike race cut short after pro-Palestine protests

Watch the moment the Tour of Spain bike race is cut short by pro-Palestine protests.

The demonstration took place during the event's finale, causing it to be subsequently cancelled.

The protests were over the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team due to Israel's actions in Gaza.

Some riders had threatened to quit last week as routes were blocked, causing some falls.

Israel strikes Gaza City after 'urgent evacuation warning'

Israel has launched a strike on a "high-rise building" in Gaza City.

It comes after the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee shared an "urgent warning" to Palestinians in parts of Gaza City, saying it would attack "soon".

In a statement confirming the attack, the IDF said: "Hamas terrorists planted intelligence gathering equipment and positioned observation posts to monitor the location of IDF troops in the area, and to advance terrorist attacks against the state of Israel and IDF troops.

"Prior to the strike, steps were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible, including advanced warnings to the population, the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence."

Ahead of the strikes, Adraee said attacks would be carried out in:

• The Gaza Port area, 
• The Rimal neighbourhood,
• And specifically the Al Ghafri Tower and nearby tents.

In recent days, Israel has carried out similar strikes repeatedly destroying high-rises, using similar justification.

Rubio set to visit Qatar after Israel trip

A Qatari source has told our correspondent Sally Lockwood that US secretary of state Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Qatar after his two-day trip to Israel.

Donald Trump's top diplomat held talks today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (see our 12.25 post for more).

It comes after Israel's attack on Qatar last week, which sparked the ongoing summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in Doha.

The Washington Post initially reported on the trip to Qatar.

Analysis: Rubio's trip feels like a 'solidarity visit' with Israel becoming increasingly isolated

There was a public display of unity between Benjamin Netanyahu and Marco Rubio at the news conference, our correspondent Sally Lockwood said.

Despite that, she said Rubio would have been asking "serious questions" behind closed doors at their meeting, which lasted two and a half hours.

Lockwood explains that there are some key diplomatic issues that need addressing after Israel's attack on Qatar last week.

"Qatar was playing a critical role in mediating, the goodwill of Qatar has been completely blown by this move by Israel," she said.

"And how can you attempt to negotiate with people that you've just tried to kill? There are lots of questions at the moment about how things progress forward when it comes to the war in Gaza, but certainly Rubio is playing a very difficult balancing act here in the region."

She added that Rubio's trip to Israel appears to be more of a "solidarity visit" from America, with Israel "becoming increasingly isolated on the world stage".

Netanyahu-Rubio news briefing finished - what we learned

The news briefing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US secretary of state Marco Rubio has finished.

Here's a summary:

• Netanyahu refused to rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders in foreign countries;
• Israel triggered alarm - and today's summit of Arab countries - after attacking Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, last week;
• When asked about specifics of the strike, Netanyahu stressed it was all Israel's doing;
• Meanwhile, Rubio dodged a question over whether the US was facing a "crisis" with its Gulf allies, saying instead he was focused on "what happens next";
• Netanyahu also said the final report on whether any Hamas leaders were actually killed in the attack was still being worked on;
• Both Rubio and Netanyahu presented a typically united front, calling for the end of Hamas and return of all hostages - all things we've heard before;
• Washington's top diplomat repeatedly called Hamas "barbaric", and suggested the militant group wouldn't agree to a diplomatic end to the war;
• And Netanyahu defended Israel's conduct in Gaza - something it has faced repeated criticism for.

Rubio says people have 'forgotten' the reason the war started

Donald Trump's top diplomat is now asked whether Israel's military plans in Gaza City formed part of discussions with Benjamin Netanyahu.

Marco Rubio says "the purpose of our conversations is what the president [Trump] has repeatedly said".

"He wants every hostage released, he wants Hamas eliminated as a threat and he wants the United States to be helpful in rebuilding Gaza for a future that's going to be peaceful and prosperous," he says.

"How do we achieve that? How do we get there? That's what we are always talking about."

Rubio says people have forgotten that the war started because "barbaric animals conducted an operation" on 7 October 2023.

"We wouldn't even be having these conversations right now if these barbarians had not done what they did," he adds.

"This needs to end... it ends by eliminating the people that did it, by ending them as a threat, it ends by releasing every single hostage... when all of that is done, we can begin the work internationally to provide the people of Gaza the kind of future they will never have as long as a group like Hamas exists."

The news conference has now come to an end.

-SKY NEWS