Israel launches ground offensive in Gaza City: Live Updates

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, has announced that the country will join several other European nations in recognising a Palestinian state during the upcoming UN General Assembly.

Speaking to reporters, Frieden stated that “the situation on the ground has deteriorated considerably in recent months.” He explained that “a movement is now emerging in Europe and around the world to demonstrate that the two-state solution is still relevant,” adding, “that is why the Luxembourg government intends to join those who recognise the State of Palestine at next week’s conference on the two-state solution.”

Alongside Luxembourg, countries such as Britain, Australia, Canada, and Belgium have also said they plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the meeting. 

Spain is summoning Israel’s ambassador in Madrid after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar branded Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez an “antisemite and a liar.”

Saar made the remarks on X on Monday in response to Sanchez urging sports bodies to reflect on whether it is ethical for Israel to continue participating in international competitions given the war in Gaza.

“Why was Russia expelled after the invasion of Ukraine, but not Israel after the invasion of Gaza?” Sanchez asked.

In his post, Saar declared: “Sanchez and his Communist government are antisemites and enemies of the truth.”

Palestine’s Foreign Ministry has urged “exceptional and urgent international intervention” to safeguard civilians and stop Israel’s advance into Gaza City.

In a post on X, the ministry stated that diplomatic efforts to end the conflict had been a “failure” and appealed to the international community to take action.

As Israel launches its ground offensive in Gaza City, UNICEF, the United Nations’ children’s agency, cautioned that “any further intensification” of military operations would “multiply children’s suffering exponentially, ripping away the last vestiges of protection.”

According to the agency, 450,000 children in the city are “traumatized and exhausted, facing famine,” with no aid and “collapsed medical care.”

UNICEF stressed that children have already endured “nearly two years of unrelenting war” and warned they will “face more loss if another escalation hits.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has accused the UN commission report’s authors of being “Hamas proxies” and called for the “immediate abolition” of the commision.

“The report relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods, laundered and repeated by others,” the ministry claimed.

Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a report published on Tuesday.

The Commission concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces carried out four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention: killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life aimed at destroying Palestinians in whole or in part, and imposing measures to prevent births.

“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” said Navi Pillay, chair of the Commission. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”

The Commission urged Israel and other UN members to meet their legal obligations under international law to end the genocide and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Videos on social media show families spending the night in the streets of Gaza City after intensive Israeli bombardment. Reports from Gaza claim that dozens were killed and injured in the overnight strikes.

The IDF says it has “begun destroying Hamas infrastructure in Gaza City,” confirming the launch of a major offensive and urging residents to evacuate to a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.

“Gaza City is considered a dangerous combat zone, staying in the area puts you at risk,” IDF Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee said in a post on X. He claimed that more than 40% of the city’s estimated 1 million residents have already left, with IDF figures from last night putting the number at over 350,000 evacuees.