Summary

  • Seven people are injured, three seriously, in a car ramming attack in Tel Aviv in Israel

  • Police say a 20-year-old Palestinian man drove into pedestrians standing outside a shopping centre

  • He was shot and killed after he got out and tried to stab those around him, a police spokesman says

  • The Israeli security minister says a "brave citizen" shot the suspected attacker

  • Palestinian militant group Hamas says the "heroic" attack in the city was a response to Israel's operation in the occupied West Bank

  • In Jenin, the Palestinian authorities say at least 11 people have died since Israel's military operation began yesterday

  • Thousands have left the refugee camp in the West Bank - Israel says the operation is almost complete

  1. Teenagers among the 10 killed in Jeninpublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    Smoke rising over JeninImage source, EPA

    We have just received a list of names of the 10 people killed in Israel's military operation in Jenin from the Palestinian health ministry.

    What is striking are their ages - four are listed as being under 18 years old.

    The youngest was 16 and the oldest was 23 years old.

    The ministry also said that 120 people have been injured, including about 20 who are seriously wounded.

  2. Attacker got out of his car and tried to stab civilians - policepublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    Israeli police have been speaking to reporters at the scene of the attack in Tel Aviv - they are calling it a terror attack.

    A spokesman said: "An individual rammed his car into civilians in a populated area managing to injure seven civilians. He got out of his vehicle and began trying to stab those around him.

    "Luckily there was a civilian who was armed and he managed to neutralise this terrorist."

  3. WATCH: The scene in Tel Avivpublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    There's a heavy police presence at the scene of the suspected attack now, with a cordon stretched over a long section of the street.

  4. Attack a result of Jenin operation - Islamic Jihadpublished at 12:26 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group's Khaled Al-Batsh says the attack in Tel Aviv "is the first response of the resistance to what is happening in Jenin."

  5. Seven hurt, three in serious condition - Israeli policepublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 4 July 2023
    Breaking

    Seven people have been hurt in the attack, three of whom are in a serious condition, Israeli police say in their most recent update.

    Officers confirmed the suspect was driving a vehicle traveling from south to north on Pinchas Rosen Street in Tel Aviv, when he "rammed into pedestrians standing in the shopping centre and proceeded to get out of the vehicle to stab civilians with a sharp object".

    The victims were taken to the Beilinson and Ichilov hospitals, according to medical officials, and emergency services are currently at the scene.

    Reuters is reporting that the suspected attacker was a Palestinian from the West Bank.

  6. Hamas says 'heroic' attack is a response to Jenin operationpublished at 12:07 British Summer Time 4 July 2023
    Breaking

    We've had a statement from Palestinian militant group Hamas, and its spokesman Muhammad Hamadeh.

    It says the "heroic" attack in Tel Aviv is part of "a natural response to the ongoing massacre of our people, and a legitimate self-defence against the [Israeli] occupation's violation of all human norms".

    It goes on: "The occupier must prepare to count his dead and injured, for the blood of our children is not cheap."

  7. At least one victim in serious condition - ambulance servicepublished at 12:01 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    AmbulanceImage source, Israel MDA

    A statement from Israel's emergency medical service says there were four people injured in the suspected ramming attack in Tel Aviv. They include:

    • A 46-year-old woman with "multiple systemic injuries"
    • Two people in a moderate condition
    • One person in a mild condition

    It has been reported that the alleged attacker was shot and killed at the scene - we'll bring you more when we have it.

  8. Suspect 'neutralised' at the scenepublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    An Israeli police spokesperson has told Israel's Army Radio that the motorist responsible for ramming a car into a crowd in Tel Aviv was "neutralised" at the scene by a civilian first-responder, Reuters news agency reports.

  9. Five injured in suspected car ramming attack in Tel Avivpublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 4 July 2023
    Breaking

    We're getting reports about a suspected car ramming attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

    The ambulance service says five people have been injured by a car, but did not confirm the nature of the incident.

    Local media are reporting that the suspected attacker was shot and killed.

  10. Hospital and ambulances attacked - Palestinian politicianpublished at 11:16 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    The Israeli military has attacked civilian areas and homes with helicopters, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council has told the BBC.

    Mustafa Barghouti said Israel's forces attacked Jenin's main hospital with tear gas a while ago. He said among those attacked so far were journalists, people trying to provide first aid, and ambulances.

    "They've been bombarding houses, bombarding civilian areas with their Apache helicopters, with rockets. They have military armoured vehicles attacking the place.

    "They even bombarded hospitals - just a minute ago, I was told that they were shooting tear gas bombs at the main hospital in Jenin," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme earlier.

    Barghouti, who lives in the West Bank city of Ramallah, added at least 4,000 people had fled their homes.

  11. Analysis

    Palestinian Authority discredited for many as it cannot protect civilianspublished at 10:42 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    Jeremy Bowen
    International editor, in Jenin

    Smoke rises amid an Israeli military operation, in Jenin,Image source, Reuters

    The Palestinian Authority (PA), which has some administrative and security responsibilities in areas of the occupied territories, has effectively lost control of Jenin refugee camp.

    One Israeli spokesperson has said this operation will allow the PA to regain authority.

    But the thing about the PA, which is a remnant of the peace process of the 1990s, is that among many Palestinians, they're absolutely discredited.

    It's a very ageing leadership, headed by 87-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas, and they haven't had elections for years.

    They also have not delivered independence, which was meant to be the point of its existence.

    But at the moment, the PA can't do anything to protect Palestinians from the activities of either the Israeli security forces, or more particularly from Jewish settlers in state-sponsored settlements in the occupied territories - who are there in breach of international law.

    These settlers in recent times have engaged in very serious pogroms, as the Israelis call them, after Palestinian attacks that have killed Jews.

    Such attacks on Palestinian villages and towns have led to a loss of life, significant damage to property and a sense of general fear among civilians.

  12. Emergency health teams blocked from entering Jenin - UNpublished at 10:30 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    Imogen Foulkes
    Geneva correspondent

    UN aid agencies this morning voiced alarm at the scale of Israel’s military operation in Jenin.

    A spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) said emergency health teams had been blocked from entering Jenin to treat the injured, adding that the WHO had reports that at least two hospitals had "experienced attacks".

    A spokeswoman for the UN’s emergency relief co-ordination (OCHA) called for immediate access for health workers, warning that hundreds of people had been injured, and three children were among the dead.

    Earlier today the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) condemned what it said was "denial of medical access", saying: "Military bulldozers destroyed multiple roads leading to the Jenin refugee camp, stripping them of pavement and making it nearly impossible for ambulances to reach patients; during the raid, Palestinian paramedics have been forced to proceed on foot, in an area with active gunfire and drone strikes.

    "All roads leading to the camp have been blocked for the duration of the military operation despite the presence of patients in need of care inside the refugee camp."

    MSF staff are working in Khalil Suleiman hospital, where they report several patients with gunshot wounds to the head.

  13. In pictures: People evacuating Jenin refugee camppublished at 10:03 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    Members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society have been helping refugees to evacuate Jenin camp to a safe place.

    The organisation says it is facing huge difficulties in reaching people who need help because of Israeli roadblocks and the destruction resulting from their military operation.

    Members of Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) help refugees to evacuate Jenin CampImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
    Members of Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) help refugees to evacuate Jenin CampImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
    Members of Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) help refugees to evacuate Jenin CampImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
  14. What is the West Bank?published at 09:38 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    It is a chunk of land located - as the name suggests - on the west bank of the River Jordan and bounded by Israel to the north, west and south. To its east lies Jordan.

    The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war, but decades of difficult on-off talks between Israel and the Palestinians - both of whom assert rights there - have left its final status unresolved.

    Between 2.1 million and 3 million (sources vary) Palestinian Arabs live in the West Bank under both limited self-rule and Israeli military rule.

    The West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) is also home to some 430,000 Israeli Jews who live in 132 settlements (and 124 smaller "outposts") built under Israel's occupation.

  15. Charity worker seeing gunshot and shrapnel woundspublished at 09:19 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    Jovana Arsenijevic is with the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres. She's been at a hospital next to the refugee camp in Jenin since the early hours of Monday morning.

    Yesterday, she said she saw more than 90 patients with gunshot and shrapnel wounds from different explosive devices.

    "The military activity is still going on. There was a very brief pause where we also saw displacement of many, many families with children as young as one day old fleeing to the hospitals to seek refuge."

  16. What is the Jenin camp?published at 09:02 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    In short, it's a refugee camp in the city of Jenin, which is located in the north of the occupied West Bank.

    The Jenin camp has been around since the early 1950s and was set up for Palestinians displaced during the 1948-49 war, which surrounded Israel’s creation.

    The UN's Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, says, external it's currently home to some 14,000 people, who live in an area of only 0.42 sq km (0.16 sq miles).

    Map of Jenin refugee camp

  17. Military operation close to achieving aims - Israeli adviserpublished at 08:44 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    The Israeli national security adviser has said the military operation in the north of the occupied West Bank is close to achieving its aims.

    The operation "is close to completing the achievement of the goals set" after a relative lull in clashes last night, Tzachi Hanebi told Kan radio, according to Reuters news agency.

    Ten Palestinians are said to have been killed and 100 injured in the operation so far.

  18. In pictures: Second day of Israeli operation in Jeninpublished at 08:32 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    We have received these pictures showing what is happening on the ground on the second day of Israel's military operation in Jenin refugee camp.

    Israeli troops arriveImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
    Image caption,

    Israeli troops are seen in the camp on Tuesday

    Israeli soldiers take positionImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
    Image caption,

    Israeli soldiers take position inside the camp

    Palestinians carry a dead body evacuated from Jenin camp during the second day of an Israeli military operation in the camp, West BankImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
    Image caption,

    Palestinians carry a dead body out of the camp

  19. Electricity and water in Jenin camp hit by fighting - UNpublished at 08:14 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    The electricity and water networks inside Jenin refugee camp have been damaged by fighting, the UN has said.

    Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Secretary General António Guterres, tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there have been problems getting accurate information out of the camp.

    He adds a health centre operated by the UN, who administers the camp, has not been able to run due to the clashes.

    Asked if this means the operation has not been conducted within humanitarian law, Haq says Guterres is "deeply concerned" by the situation on the ground.

    "We need to make sure that everything goes according to international law and that's not what the events of the last 36 hours have indicated," he adds.

    Haq says the UN has been in contact with Israeli representatives to "try and make sure basic international norms are observed", adding "we'll need to see if they feel the need to take any action on that".

    Pressed on what Israel's response has been and if they have been ignored, he says: "You can see for yourself, as far as we're aware a lot of the attacks are still ongoing."

  20. Densely populated Jenin presents risk for 'pinpoint' operationpublished at 08:07 British Summer Time 4 July 2023

    Anna Foster
    BBC Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

    There are many civilians still in the refugee camp - it's such a densely populated area. You'll sometimes have whole generations of a family in one small flat, even in one room.

    It raises the question of how Israeli forces are managing to carry out the pinpoint operation they talked about at a briefing on Monday evening.

    They said they were using intelligence and particular weaponry to exclude the civilian population from what they were doing - but an operation of this size in what is an area home to thousands of families is not without risk.

    Only when the operation is over will we have an idea of the impact it's had on them.