Live blog update| Israel's war on Gaza
This is an entry from: Gaza live: Biden moves ahead with military aid for Israel as it launches ground assaults on Rafah

Recap

3 May 2024 23:38 BST

Good evening MEE readers. This weekend is gearing up to see another round of mediation around a potential ceasefire deal in Cairo, with Hamas announcing it would be sending a delegation to the Egyptian capital on Saturday.

CIA director William Burns is already in the city, according to several news reports.

In the US, the student encampments in solidarity with Gaza have continued, after several universities called on the police to clear the encampments, leading to police in full riot gear using tear and rubber bullets against student demonstrators.

And meanwhile, in Gaza, at least 26 people were killed and 51 wounded in the past 24 hours by Israeli forces, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The death toll now stands at 34,622 Palestinians.

In case you missed it, here is what else happened today:

  • Two leading pro-Palestine groups in the US, National Students for Justice in Palestine and (NSJP) and American Muslims for Palestine, were accused in a federal lawsuit of spreading propaganda on Hamas's behalf.

  • A group of 88 US lawmakers have signed a letter addressed to US President Joe Biden, saying that by impeding aid deliveries into Gaza, Israel is violating Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act. If Israel is found to be in violation of this law, it would require the suspension of weapons sales to the country.

  • The US announced that it would be temporarily putting a halt to the construction of the floating pier off Gaza's coast, citing bad sea conditions. US forces moved the partially constructed pier to the Port of Ashdod as they continued the assembly of the dock.

  • Universities in the UK and US have begun to engage with their student protesters on their demands in relation to Israel's war on Gaza and occupation of Palestine. Some universities have agreed to discuss the students' main goal, which is divestment from companies linked to Israel.

  • At least 120 people have been charged by Egyptian authorities for acts of solidarity with Palestinians since the war in Gaza began, according to an Egyptian rights group.