Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Looming famine could ‘kill thousands’ in days

The live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here.

You can read our story about how growing anger over US President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza may jeopardise his reelection chances in the crucial state of Michigan here.

Or, you can watch our panel of experts discuss why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains determined to launch an assault on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population is seeking refuge with nowhere to flee, below:

We will be closing the live blog soon. Here’s a recap of the day’s main events.

• The UN humanitarian affairs chief said that about a quarter of Gaza’s population – estimated to be some 576,000 people – is “one step away from famine” as Israel continues to block large portions of humanitarian aid amid deteriorating conditions in the strip.
• Voters in the US state of Michigan, home to a large Arab-American community, take part in a presidential primary vote, where many have said they will vote “uncommitted” to express their anger over President Joe Biden’s firm support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
• Hezbollah said that it struck the Meron military base in northern Israel, with Israeli forces saying they responded with a round of strikes in Lebanon. US officials warned against further escalation and called for a diplomatic solution to growing tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Uncertainty remains about a potential truce between Hamas and Israel, with US and Qatari officials expressing optimism that a deal may be reached in the coming week. Hamas and Israel, however, have taken a more cautious tone.
• Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, says it has seen “no signs” that Israel is attempting to alleviate suffering or avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, noting that Israel has “tightened” its restrictions on humanitarian assistance even as extreme hunger envelops the strip.

The progressive US group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has stressed that Israel, which has been besieging Gaza, is responsible for hunger in the territory.

“Palestinians in Gaza are not starving, they are BEING starved. By the Israeli military,” JVP said in a social media post.

Palestinians in Gaza are not starving, they are BEING starved. By the Israeli military. pic.twitter.com/uKwKEQqpRo

— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) February 27, 2024

A report from US news site Axios says that US President Biden’s administration has given Israel until mid-March to sign a letter that guarantees any US weapons provided to Israel will be used in accordance with international law and assures that Israel will allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The report cites three US and Israeli officials.

This request follows a memo issued on February 8, which states that, before the US supplies any country with weapons, it must give “credible and reliable written assurances” that the weapons will be used in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Should Israel fail to provide assurances to the US, weapons transfers will be paused, says Axios.

In a daily statement describing its military operations, the Lebanese group said it fired rockets at the Meron air base, targeted spying equipment at Israeli positions in the Shebaa farms and attacked a military command centre in Ga’aton.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire since the outbreak of the war on Gaza. Earlier, Washington said it is seeking de-escalation and a diplomatic solution to the crisis at the Lebanon-Israel border.

Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn – a Detroit suburb – cited Palestinian grandfather Khaled Nabhan who was filmed kissing the eyes of his granddaughter Reem after she was killed in an Israeli attack in Gaza last year, as he shared a photo of his ballot.

Many progressives in Michigan are voting “uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential primaries in protest against Biden’s “unwavering” support for the war on Gaza.

For our grandfather Khaled and the soul of his soul Reem,

For the 100,000 killed, wounded, and missing,

For the hope of a Free Palestine.

Vote “Uncommitted” on the Democratic Presidential Primary Ballot. pic.twitter.com/GDv8QG4SVi

— Abdullah H. Hammoud (@AHammoudMI) February 27, 2024

A handful of Democratic and Republican US senators have questioned President Biden’s approach to the ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, which the group says are an effort to exert pressure to end the war in Gaza.

“Trying to re-establish deterrence, I don’t think you’re going to do it if the 200 strikes become 400 strikes, 800 strikes, 1,200 strikes,” Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said during a congressional hearing today.

“I think you will re-establish deterrence when we get a hostage deal that leads us to a truce, that leads us to humanitarian aid into Gaza, that leads us to the ability to discuss, whatever that truce period is, can be extended,” he added.

Republican Senator Todd Young said: “It’s imperative that the administration respond to these actions while demonstrating it is both a strategy for deterring aggression and appropriate legal doctrine. To date, I have not seen such a strategy put forward.”

The Israeli army said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of south Lebanon.

The military also said in a statement that it carried out an air strike against a Hezbollah cell in Aita al-Shaab, a Lebanese town near the Israeli border.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he discussed the “catastrophic health and humanitarian situation” in Gaza during a meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki.

“We discussed concerns about intensified bombardment in Rafah, and the disastrous impact that a full-scale incursion would have on civilians,” Ghebreyesus said in a social media post.

“I asked to ensure hostages held by Hamas are receiving needed medical attention. A ceasefire and efforts to achieve a lasting peace are urgently needed.”

My team and I met with #Palestine's Foreign Minister Riad Malki to discuss the catastrophic health and humanitarian situation in #Gaza; @WHO's response; and the critical need for safe, sustained access for health supplies, emergency medical teams, and disease outbreak prevention… pic.twitter.com/iDE7oF8Lkj

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 27, 2024

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre calls the incident a “horrific tragedy” without commenting on the US’s Gaza policy or unqualified support for Israel.

“Our thoughts are with the family of the service member during this – I can we can’t even imagine – horrible, horrible, difficult time,” she told reporters.

Earlier this week, 25-year-old active duty member of the US Air Force Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy after saying that he will “no longer be complicit in genocide” in Gaza.

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it has received reports of an attack off the coast of Yemen, as tensions remain high in the Red Sea amid continued attacks by the Houthis – on what they say are Israel-linked commercial ships – as well as air strikes on Yemeni territory by the US and UK.

“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 60NM [111km] west of Al Hudaydah [Hodeidah], Yemen. Authorities are investigating,” the group said in a statement.

“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.”

UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 042

ATTACKhttps://t.co/iW1s1T1mSa#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/DSudqLsIKb

— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 27, 2024

A poll released by the progressive data firm Data for Progress has found that 67 percent of US voters support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, including 77 percent of Democratic Party voters. The Biden administration has consistently rejected calls for a permanent ceasefire.

“Around two-thirds of voters (67 percent) – including majorities of Democrats (77 percent), Independents (69 percent), and Republicans (56 percent) – support the US calling for a permanent ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza,” the group said in a memo.

“This represents a 6-point increase in support for the US calling for a permanent ceasefire since Data for Progress last polled this question in November, with a 12-point increase among Independents.”

The poll also found that substantial majorities of voters support making continued aid to Israel conditional on requirements such as allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza, committing to peace talks with the Palestinians and halting indiscriminate bombings to protect civilians.

NEW POLL: Voters continue to support the U.S. calling for a permanent ceasefire and de-escalation of violence in Gaza.

This includes 77% of Democrats, 69% of Independents, and 56% of Republicans.https://t.co/g5LXpjLqrz pic.twitter.com/JUsuiuHJRW

— Data for Progress (@DataProgress) February 27, 2024

UN humanitarian affairs chief Ramesh Rajasingham has said that 576,000 people in Gaza, or about a quarter of the population, are on the edge of famine.

“And here we are, at the end of February, with at least 576,000 people in Gaza – one-quarter of the population – one step away from famine,” Rajasingham told the UN Security Council today, noting that if nothing is done “we fear widespread famine in Gaza is almost inevitable.”

While aid groups have consistently warned that Gaza is being plunged into extreme hunger, Israel has further restricted efforts to deliver vital humanitarian assistance into the strip during February. Some rights groups have concluded that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.

Amani Sarhana, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoner Society, says the number of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel has risen from 5,250 to more than 9,000 since October 7 – and that excludes people detained in Gaza.

“The number of sick and injured prisoners is also growing because of the abuses against them since October 7 and the policies of torture and humiliation and starvation that Israeli prison authorities are pursuing,” Sarhana told Al Jazeera.

She added that it is difficult to know exactly how many Palestinian children are held by Israel because many children are being detained and some are released daily, but the group estimates around 200 minors remain in Israeli prisons.

Many Arab Americans and progressives in Michigan are voting “uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential primaries to send a message to Biden against his unconditional support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the president understands the pain of Arab and Muslim voters.

“We know it’s been a difficult time. He cares about what that community is feeling very deeply, and we believe its important they feel that they’re able to express themselves and voice their feelings and concerns,” she said as reported by Haaretz.

Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat says Israel’s trade with Arab countries remain “stable” and has not changed despite rising public outrage towards Israel’s war on Gaza across the Middle East.

“There is no change at all,” Barkat told reporters.

“Things are very stable. … I think the leadership understands we have the same goal, which is to collaborate in a peaceful way,” he added.

While Israel has normalised relations and expanded trade ties with a number of Arab states over the past several years, such moves have often been carried out with US encouragement in spite of public disapproval in their respective countries.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the US has been urging Israel to release Palestinian tax revenues amid reports of an agreement to resolve the issue.

“The United States has urged the Israeli government to release clearance revenue to the Palestinian Authority to fund basic services and to bolster the economy in the West Bank,” Yellen said during a news conference in Brazil.

Yellen also called for reversing ban on Palestinian workers in Israel. “Blocking West Bank residents from working in Israel, it has a very significant negative effect on incomes in the West Bank. And Israel is also dependent on that labour force,” she said.

Ahmed Asaad, the acting head of the Tubas governorate, says a large number of Israeli military vehicles, including three bulldozers, stormed the Far’a refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank, leaving widespread destruction to the infrastructure there.

“It was a tough night, as the governorate lost three young men who were killed in cold blood while living their normal lives at their homes,” Asaad told Al Jazeera.

He said Israeli raids in the area have been intensifying.

“If the goal of these military operations is going after young men, why do the Israelis bulldoze the roads and target power generators?” Asaad asked.

“The Israelis are carrying out a policy of terrorising and subjugating the Palestinian people, but they will fail again,” he said.

In a statement on X, Israel’s army says that an anti-tank missile was detected crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory towards the Miron area, where Israel has an airbase.

“Damage was detected in the area of ​​the Air Force’s air control unit. There is no damage to the facility’s competence,” it said.

It also said that the launches of about 20 rockets were detected in Israeli territory, and “a number were successfully intercepted by the air defense fighters”.

The statement concluded by saying the army is “now attacking terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in Lebanese territory”.

Strikes by Israel inside Lebanese territory have escalated over the past week, occurring further and further away from the Lebanon-Israel border, fueling fears of the breakout of full-scale war.

The Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham says he is facing death threats after giving a speech at a Berlin film festival calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israeli apartheid over the Palestinians, which Israeli media and German politicians called anti-Semitic.

Abraham said he has temporarily cancelled his planned return to Israel after a right-wing mob went to his family’s home to search for him, threatening his family members and forcing them to leave for another town in the middle of the night. He said his Palestinian co-director, Basel Adra, is more seriously endangered living “under a military occupation surrounded by violent settlements in Masafer Yatta”.

“This happened after Israeli media and German politicians absurdly labeled my Berlinale award speech – where I called for equality between Israelis and Palestinians, a ceasefire and an end to apartheid – as ‘antisemitic’,” Abraham said in a social media post.

“The appalling misuse of this word by Germans, not only to silence Palestinian critics of Israel, but also to silence Israelis like me who support a ceasefire that will end the killing in Gaza and allow the release of the Israeli hostages – empties the word antisemitism of meaning and thus endangers Jews all over the world,” he wrote.

A right-wing Israeli mob came to my family’s home yesterday to search for me, threatening close family members who fled to another town in the middle of the night. I am still getting death threats and had to cancel my flight home. This happened after Israeli media and German…

— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) February 27, 2024