Israel-Hamas war – live: IDF warns ‘time is up’ as troops surround Gaza and fighting intensifies

Israeli forces have surrounded Gaza City from several directions, after weeks of airstrikes followed by a ground invasion.

The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Herzi Halevy, said his forces were closing in on Gaza and “fighting in a built-up, dense, complex area.”

On Thursday, Israeli planes dropped leaflets warning with the message “time is up” warning residents to immediately evacuate Shati refugee camp, a densely built-up district on the Mediterranean coast bordering Gaza City’s center.

In a statement, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We’re at the height of the battle. We’ve had impressive successes and have passed the outskirts of Gaza City. We are advancing,”

This comes as the death toll of Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes rises to 9,061, according to the Hamas-led health ministry.

Among those killed include 3,760 children and 2,326 women while a further 32,000 have been injured, they said.

Five battles are currently being fought between the IDF and Hamas, with the biggest taking place in the north-west of the strip.

No British citizens are expected to leave Gaza today, despite government assurances that it is a “top priority” to retrieve the 200 Britons trapped in the besieged enclave.

Key Points

• Biden calls for humanitarian ‘pause’ in Gaza but stops short on calling for ceasefire

• IDF says two Hamas leaders killed in Jabalia camp strike that kiiled 195

• Israeli refugee camp airstrikes could be war crimes, says UN human rights chief

• Hundreds of foreign nationals flee as Egypt opens Rafah crossing

• Qatar brokers deal between Egypt, Hamas and Israel for limited Gaza evacuations, say sources

Israel stopping patients from reaching Egyptian hospitals as Gaza doctors down to back-up generators

12:11 , Bel Trew

A Gaza ministry of health spokesman told reporters on Friday: “Israel deliberately prevents the wounded from hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip from going out for treatment in the Arab Republic of Egypt as a result of cutting off roads between the north and south of the Strip.

“[We are now} Operating the secondary generators in Al-Shifa Medical Complex and the Indonesian Hospital after the main electrical generators were shut down. This means work can only continue in only three sensitive services and electricity is cut off from the rest of the hospital departments.

“We will try to connect electricity for only 4 hours to the oxygen and sterilization stations, water pumps and some support services.”

First minister’s inlaws allowed to leave Gaza

11:57 , Barney Davis

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has confirmed that his wife Nadia’s parents, who were trapped in Gaza, were able to leave the country through the Rafah crossing this morning.

Israeli Colonel says soldiers engaged in ‘complex guerrilla warfare’ with Hamas

11:30 , Bel Trew

Lt Colonel Richard Hecht, a spokesperson for the Israeli military said Israel had “completed the encirclement of Gaza City” and was now engaged “in a complex urban fight.”

“It’s very, very close quarter combat between our troops and Hamas operatives… It’s guerrilla warfare. It’s people popping out of tunnels,” he told reporters.

He added that the operational goal right now was to finish the encirclement of the city and then “start handling the Hamas infrastructure inside the city.”

“We are on key points [around Gaza city] - it is not a siege. There’ll be still options for people that want to move south so they ca move south. We’ll be doing slowly operations within the city, taking care of Hamas infrastructure. We’ve got UAV coverage we’ve got these forces which are in the south, north and east.”

French news agency AFP reported that their offices in Gaza city were hit on Thursday in a suspected Israeli drone strike, despite the fact that the Israeli military has the coordinates of their bureau.

Lt.Col said the military was still investigating the bombing of the building and the preliminary assessment was it was not an Israeli strike.

A dozen cancer patients have died already after Gaza’s only specialist hospital ran out of fuel

11:26 , Barney Davis

Around a dozen cancer patients have died since the Turkish Friendship Hospital ran out of fuel on Wednesday, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Dr Ashraf Al-Qudra Spokesman for the Ministry of Health said at a press briefing: “We call on the president, government and people of Turkey to provide protection to the Turkish hospital, the only hospital catering to cancer patients in Gaza. It is totally out of operation due to the absence of fuel.

“As we speak, we have lost a dozen of cancer patients simply because the Turkish hospital is out of operation.”

In an update by Medical Aid for Palestinians, Dr. Marwan Abusada, chief of surgery at Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, said the situation was “beyond catastrophic” at hospitals in Gaza.

“We are almost out of fuel... The consumption needs are immense due to the influx of injuries and the thousands of people who are displaced and seeking refuge in the hospital,” Abusada said, adding Al-Shifa had more than 800 injured people, far beyond its capacity.

He said many displaced people were living in the hospital courtyard and inside the building, including its corridors, and that there was a high chance of pandemics spreading between the patients and displaced.

“The ER rooms are beyond full. We have zero capacity to treat all the injured people. Every hour we have tens of injured that come for treatment. We are facing a real catastrophe.”

IDF release footage of blasts targeting Hamas tunnel networks

11:06 , Barney Davis

Israel Defence Forces have released footage of a bombing campaign on Hamas tunnel network.

An extensive labyrinth of tunnels stretch underneath the densely populated Gaza strip, hiding Hamas fighters, their rocket arsenal and over 200 hostages they now hold after an unprecedented Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Clearing and collapsing those tunnels will be crucial if Israel seeks to dismantle Hamas. But fighting in densely populated urban areas and moving underground could strip the Israeli military of some of its technological advantages while giving an edge to Hamas both above and below ground.

Nearly 10,000 Palestinians killed since October 7 - Gaza says

10:59 , Barney Davis

At least 9,227 Palestinians were killed, including 3,826 children, in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7, the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said on Friday.

The death toll is up from 9,061 yesterday, meaning 166 people have been reportedly killed in the last 24 hours.

The Independent has not been able to verify these figures.

“We call on all parties, the international community to have a safe corridor opened for the delivery of medical supplies, fuel, and also allowing volunteer medical teams from outside to enter and lend a helping hand,” the ministry’s spokesperson says.

“We assure our people and we call on our people to approach the nearest hospital, medical centre to donate blood. We call on the International Red Cross to provide blood quantities in order to help people, help save lives.”

Watch live as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Israel's President Isaac Herzog.

10:46 , Barney Davis

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Friday to press for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into besieged Gaza, while Israeli troops tightened their encirclement of Gaza City, the focus of Israel’s campaign to crush the enclave’s ruling Hamas group.

Live: Blinken meets with Israeli President Herzog as Biden calls for humanitarian ‘pause’ in Gaza

Watch: Crowds gather outside Rafah crossing as Israeli forces encircle Gaza City

10:36 , Barney Davis

UN issues West Bank warning as 41 children killed

10:29 , Barney Davis

The United Nations rights office described the situation in the West Bank as “alarming”, saying Israeli forces were increasingly using military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations there.

“While much attention has been on the attacks inside Israel and the escalation of hostilities in Gaza since the 7th of October, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is alarming and urgent,” said Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

She added that at least 132 Palestinians, including 41 children, were killed in the West Bank, 124 of those by Israeli forces and some eight by settlers. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed.

Scottish first minister’s family ‘waiting at Rafah crossing today’ - report

10:20 , Barney Davis

Humza Yousaf’s wife’s parents are on a list of Brits attempting to use the Rafah crossing to travel to Egypt, a source close to Scotland’s first minister told Sky.

Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla are on an approved list featuring 92 Britons who have been given the go-ahead to leave the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Humza Yousaf has said his in-laws were trapped with “dwindling supplies” and were reduced to drinking seawater.

The couple, from Dundee, travelled to Gaza to visit family before the conflict erupted.

Tory security minister asks police to stop any pro-Palestine protest on Remembrance Sunday

09:57 , Adam Forrest

Rishi Sunak’s security minister has asked the Metropolitan Police and Mayor of London’s office to halt any pro-Palestine protests taking place in central London on Remembrance Sunday.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s attacks on Gaza are planning to take to the streets of London on Armistice Day.

Tom Tugendhat has said the idea of a demonstration on 12 November would not be “acceptable” and was “a matter of great concern to me”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Minister asks police to stop any pro-Palestine protest on Remembrance Sunday

British doctor speaks of ‘relief’ of leaving Gaza and fears for those left behind

09:44 , Barney Davis

Dr Abdel Hammad released a video after becoming one of the first Britons to cross at Rafah into Egypt.

The Liverpool surgeon told Sky News, it was “big relief” to be out of Gaza as he was met with members of British Embassy hoping to be taken to Cairo.

“It has been four weeks of a terrible situation. I am very pleased to be out,” he said.

Around 100 people including 92 Brits are expected to cross in the coming hours, according to sources on the Sinai side.

Israel on ‘very, very high alert’ along Lebanon border

09:36 , Barney Davis

Israel is on “very, very high alert” along its northern border with Lebanon, a military spokesman has said.

It comes as Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will make his first public comments since the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel went to war, a speech that will be scrutinised for clues on how the group’s role in the conflict might evolve.

The militant group claimed to have launched 19 consecutive strikes on Israel yesterday.

A formidable military force backed by Iran, Hezbollah has been engaging Israeli forces along the border, where 55 of its fighters have been killed in the deadliest escalation since it fought a war with Israel in 2006.

Live view of Rafah crossing as Brits expected to escape wartorn Gaza today

09:28 , Bel Trew

Around 100 people have arrived at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing in two buses, according to sources on the Sinai side.

Watch live view of Israel-Gaza border as fighting intensifies

No one has crossed yet but according to the list 92 Brits alongside 32 Palestinians, two Irish and a Moroccan dependent on the UK are expected to leave Gaza.

It came as Israeli forces have surrounded Gaza City from several directions, after weeks of airstrikes followed by a ground invasion.

The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Herzi Halevy, said his forces were closing in on Gaza and “fighting in a built-up, dense, complex area.”

Keir Starmer must resign over Gaza stance, say two Labour council chiefs

09:23 , Barney Davis

Two Labour council leaders have called on Keir Starmer to quit as party leader over his refusal to back a ceasefire in Gaza.

Burnley Council leader Afrasiab Anwar and leader of Pendle Borough Council Asjad Mahmood said they were asking for the resignation on behalf of outraged councillors in their areas.

It comes as Sir Keir – under growing pressure to change his stance from MPs, mayors, devolved leaders, councillors and members – prepares to make a speech in County Durham on Friday.

Adam Forrest reports:

Keir Starmer must resign over Gaza stance, say two Labour council chiefs

Live: Families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza hold press conference

09:22 , Barney Davis

The families of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza are pleading for their safe release in a press conference.

Emotional tributes and home videos of captured Israelis were played to reporters.

Live: Families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza hold press conference

Blinken and Netanyahu embrace as they meet ahead of Gaza talks

09:19 , Barney Davis

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now holding a private meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv. They will also meet with the members of the War Cabinet.

Blinken, on his second trip to Israel in a month, is due to discuss concrete steps to minimise harm to civilians in Gaza, where food, fuel, water and medicine are running out.

It came as The White House said any pauses in fighting should be temporary and localised. It has dismissed calls from Arab and several other nations for a full ceasefire in the war.

“When I see a Palestinian child – a boy, a girl – pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building, that hits me in the gut as much as seeing a child from Israel or anywhere else,” Blinken told reporters before leaving for Israel.

Allied militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their fighters had detonated explosive devices against advancing troops, dropped grenades from drones, and fired mortars and anti-tank rockets in fierce urban warfare around destroyed buildings.

Former Gaza journalist confirms three neices killed in Israeli airstrike

08:55 , Barney Davis

Fares Akam, a former AP correspondent in Gaza, said he suffered 12 hours of uncertainty to find out four members of his family had been killed amid a media blackout.

He posted on X: “Bad news spreads fast, and it lingers even when we hope it’s not true.

“After 12 hours of uncertainty, the heartbreaking confirmation came: my three nieces and their father were lost in an Israeli airstrike on their #Gaza City home.

“May they rest in peace.”

It came as a Hamas commander has been killed in a joint operation, the Israel Defence Forces claimed.

In a statement on Telegram, the IDF said its fighter jets acted on “precise” intelligence and killed Mustafa Dalul, the commander of the Hamas Sabra Tel al-Hawa Battalion.

It claimed Dalul took a “central part in managing the combat against IDF troops in the Gaza Strip”.

“In recent years, Dalul held a number of positions in the Hamas battalion and brigade of Gaza City,” it added.

Blinken arrives in Israel eyeing ‘endgame’ of Gaza coflict

08:34 , Barney Davis

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Israel entering a diplomatic maelstrom as he seeks release of hostages and draws up plans for Gaza after end of war.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken would once again underscore the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself but also stress the importance of minimising civilian casualties and ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches innocent Palestinians in Gaza.

Securing the release of hundreds of Israelis and others held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, easing the transit of dual Palestinian nationals and foreigners currently in Gaza into Egypt and preventing a broader regional war from erupting will also be key agenda items, Miller said.

At the same time, Blinken wants to begin a conversation with Israel and with Jordan about an end game for the Gaza conflict once it is over, Miller said.

To that end, Blinken will push Israeli officials on reigning in violence being committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and will be re-stating U.S. backing for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, he said.

Palestinian march on Armistice Day ‘not appropriate’ - Top Tory says

08:21 , Barney Davis

Tens of thousands of protesters calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s attacks on Gaza are planning a march through central London on November 11.

The demonstration could disrupt the two-minute silence commemorating the war dead and the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall usually attended by members of the royal family.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat said: “For me and fellow veterans, 11th of November is not just another day, it’s not just even a day of remembrance, it’s a day of grief.

“For many of us it’s a day when we remember friends who are not standing with us anymore, some who fell at the time and some who sadly have taken their own life since.

“It can be a very painful moment and I think that is why this is not an appropriate time, this is not an approprite venue for protest.

“It’s a time for us to come together and to remember all those who served our country with courage and distinction in many conflicts around the world and gave us the freedoms and liberties that we are lucky enough to enjoy today.”

Burnley council leader calls for Sir Keir to step down as Labour leader over Gaza stance

08:00 , Barney Davis

The leader of Burnley council has called for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to resign after his decision not to back a ceasefire in Gaza.

Councillor Afrasiab Anwar told the BBC’s Today programme: “What we feel should be happening is that the leader of the opposition should in the least be applying pressure on the Prime Minister, on the Government, to call for a ceasefire and a release of all hostages.

He added: “The reason that a humanitarian pause is not good enough is because obviously the aid will get in but then the bombing, the attacks will start again. What we’re seeing is that these innocent civilians have got nowhere to escape to.

“The whole international community came out and said that Israel has the right to defend itself, just as any other nation does, but it’s got to be proportional and within international law.

“The number of lives that we’re seeing lost, the number of people, innocent civilians, who are losing their lives on both sides, we need to call it out and there needs to be a stop to it.

“What needs to happen is there needs to be a diplomatic solution.”

‘They were eliminated’ Israeli soldier describes intense firefight with Hamas

07:42 , Barney Davis

The Israeli Defence Forces have released a video of a soldier describing the moment his unit was ambushed by Hamas fighters jumping out of tunnels to fire RPGs.

The IDF said soldiers from the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion and the Armored Corps’ 53rd Battalion clashed with fighters in Gaza overnight.

It came as the Palestinian death toll rose above 9,000. US and Arab leaders raised pressure on Israel to ease its siege of Gaza and at least briefly halt its attacks in order to aid civilians.

Nearly four weeks after Hamas’ deadly rampage in Israel sparked the war, U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading to the region for talks Friday in Israel and Jordan following President Joe Biden’s suggestion for a humanitarian “pause” in the fighting.

The aim would be to let in aid for Palestinians and let out more foreign nationals and wounded. Around 800 people left over the past two days.

Eight Palestinians killed in the West Bank overnight- medical sources claim

07:27 , Barney Davis

Palestinian medical sources said on Friday that eight Palestinians were killed in separate incidents in the West Bank overnight.

One of them died of wounds from a previous incident, they said.

Blinken lands in Israel

07:08 , Namita Singh

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has landed in Israel on his second visit to the country in a month’s time since the conflict between Israeli troops and Hamas militants broke out in the besieged Gaza Strip.

As Mr Blinken left Washington for the Middle East, he said he would discuss concrete steps to minimise harm to civilians in Gaza. The White House, meanwhile, said any pauses in fighting should be temporary and localised, and insisted they would not stop Israel defending itself.

Israel’s troops in Gaza City as Netanyahu says his nation’s forces at ‘height of battle’

07:00 , Lydia Patrick

The head of the Israeli military has said his country’s forces are surrounding Gaza City, with troops also operating inside the besieged territory’s largest city.

“We have advanced another significant stage in the war [with Hamas],” Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the Israeli army’s chief of staff, said. “The forces are in the heart of northern Gaza, operating in Gaza City, surrounding it, and deepening [the ground offensive].”

Echoing Lt Gen Halevi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops were “at the height of the battle” with Hamas and were “advancing”.

“We’ve... passed the outskirts of Gaza City. We are advancing,” he said. Military officials had said that troops were conducting “face to face” battles with Hamas militants.

Israel has imposed a total siege and launched its heaviest bombardment ever on Gaza in retaliation for a bloody 7 October attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,400 people and took more than 200 people including British citizens, hostage.

Israel’s troops in Gaza City as Netanyahu says nation’s forces at ‘height of battle’

Sunak under pressure as hundreds of Britons remain stranded in Gaza

06:40 , Namita Singh

Rishi Sunak is facing calls to do more to secure the escape of British nationals trapped in Gaza, with hundreds still stranded after a second day of evacuations.

Relatives of those stuck and senior politicians called for action after no one travelling on a British passport was included in a daily list of those allowed to cross into Egypt.

The prime minister has promised that the rescue of Brits inside the besieged enclave is a “top priority”.

But while foreign nationals from other countries including Belgium, Japan and the United States were among 500 names on the list, the UK was omitted. The Foreign Office later said some had made it through, though it would not release numbers.

Read more in this joint report:

Sunak under pressure as hundreds of Britons remain stranded in Gaza

Watch: Majority of US citizens in Gaza can access Rafah crossing, says White House

06:15 , Namita Singh

White House believes ‘vast majority’ of US citizens in Gaza can access Rafah crossing

Ukraine says more than 260 civilians killed after stepping on mines since beginning of Russian invasion

06:00 , Lydia Patrick

Extensive mines and explosives in Ukraine have killed more than 260 civilians and injured another 571 during Russia’s 20-month-old invasion, Kyiv’s military officials have said.

Around 174,000sq km of Ukraine, making up about a third of its territory, has been potentially strewn with mines or dangerous war detritus, estimates from Kyiv officials showed.

The 571 injuries have occurred in more than 560 incidents that involve mines or explosive objects left behind in the fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops, the country’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said on its official Telegram channel on Wednesday.

Almost a quarter of these incidents have happened in fields, the military official said.

Mines planted by Vladimir Putin’s forces have heavily damaged war-stricken Ukraine and played a significant role in stalling Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Ukraine says more than 260 civilians killed after stepping on mines and explosives

Irish president calls for independent verification of facts in Israel-Hamas conflict

05:48 , Namita Singh

Ireland’s president has said that “collective punishment” cannot be accepted and there must be a push for the independent verification of facts in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Michael D Higgins said a solution must be found that both delivers “a reasonable security” to Israeli citizens and provides “long-neglected rights” to the Palestinian people.

He hit out at breaches of international law by both state and non-state actors and said the “ongoing horrific loss of civilian life” in both Gaza and Israel “should concern us all”.The former communications minister said it was important that those killed in the fighting were “not reduced to competing press releases”.

Report:

Irish president calls for independent verification of facts in Israel-Hamas conflict

Israel’s troops in Gaza City as Netanyahu says his nation’s forces at ‘height of battle’

05:08 , Namita Singh

The head of the Israeli military has said his country’s forces are surrounding Gaza City, with troops also operating inside the besieged territory’s largest city.

“We have advanced another significant stage in the war [with Hamas],” Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the Israeli army’s chief of staff, said. “The forces are in the heart of northern Gaza, operating in Gaza City, surrounding it, and deepening [the ground offensive].”

Echoing Lt Gen Halevi, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops were “at the height of the battle” with Hamas and were “advancing”.

“We’ve passed the outskirts of Gaza City. We are advancing,” he said. Military officials had said that troops were conducting “face-to-face” battles with Hamas militants.

Read this joint report from Bel Trew and Chris Stevenson:

Israel’s troops in Gaza City as Netanyahu says nation’s forces at ‘height of battle’

UAE warns against risk of regional spillover from Gaza war

05:00 , Namita Singh

Gulf Arab power the United Arab Emirates warned that there was a real risk of a regional spillover from the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, adding that it was working “relentlessly” to secure a humanitarian ceasefire.

“As we continue working to stop this war we cannot ignore the wider context and the necessity to turn down the regional temperature that is approaching a boiling point,” Noura al-Kaabi, a minister of state for foreign affairs, told a policy conference in the capital, Abu Dhabi.

“The risk of regional spillover and further escalation is real, as well as the risk that extremist groups will take advantage of the situation to advance ideologies that will keep us locked in cycles of violence.”

Rishi Sunak under pressure as hundreds of Britons remain stranded in Gaza

05:00 , Lydia Patrick

Rishi Sunak is facing calls to do more to secure the escape of British nationals trapped in Gaza, with hundreds still stranded after a second day of evacuations.

Relatives of those stuck and senior politicians called for action after no one travelling on a British passport was included in a daily list of those allowed to cross into Egypt.

The prime minister has promised that the rescue of Brits inside the besieged enclave is a “top priority”.

But while foreign nationals from other countries including Belgium, Japan and the United States were among 500 names on the list, the UK was omitted. The Foreign Office later said some had made it through, though it would not release numbers.

Just two British nationals were on Wednesday’s list, while around 200 British nationals are understood to be stuck in Gaza.

Sunak under pressure as hundreds of Britons remain stranded in Gaza

7 October Hamas attack ‘act of terrorism’, says Indian foreign minister

04:52 , Namita Singh

The 7 October attack by Hamas is “a big of act of terrorism”, said Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar as he backed a two-state solution for Palestine.

“What happened on October 7 is a big act of terrorism and the subsequent happenings after that...this has taken the entire region into a very different direction. But surely it must be everybody’s hope that eventually, the conflict cannot be the normal in the region...that it comes back to some stability, some cooperation. Within this, we have to find a balance in between different issues... we all find terrorism unacceptable and we have to stand up on terrorism,” Mr Jaishankar said.

“But there is also an issue of Palestine. There has to be a solution to the problems being faced by the Palestinian people. And our view is that it has to be a two-state solution. If you have to find a solution, you have to find it through dialogue and negotiation. You cannot find a solution through conflict and terrorism. So we will support that as well.

“Given the current situation...we do believe that international humanitarian law must be respected by everybody. So in any complex situation, it is not wise to not get the balance right. That is a very important part of addressing a very difficult and complicated situation,” he added.

Thailand in talks with Iran, other governments for Hamas hostages release

04:44 , Namita Singh

Thailand is in touch with Iran and other governments that can make contact with Hamas for the safe release of nearly two dozen Thai nationals being held hostage by the organisation, its foreign minister said today.

Foreign minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said Iran, which is close to Hamas, has promised to help with negotiations.

At least 23 Thai nationals were among more than 240 people taken hostage when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October.

Indonesia foreign minister: 4 Indonesians evacuated from Gaza on 2 November

04:26 , Namita Singh

Indonesia’s foreign minister Retno Marsudi today said that four Indonesians and one wife of an Indonesian national had been evacuated from Gaza yesterday.

The evacuees had arrived in Cairo, she said in a press conference.

Chile's Boric, after condemning Israel over Gaza, raises concerns with Biden

04:19 , Namita Singh

Chilean president Gabriel Boric, who this week condemned Israeli military’s air bombardment of Gaza and recalled his envoy to Israel said he told president Joe Biden that Israel’s actions were violating international law.

Mr Boric said he condemned the 7 October attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group that killed 1,400 people, and called for the release of Israeli hostages, but added Israel’s retaliatory bombardment of Gaza had been disproportionate and was violating international law.

“These Hamas attacks are without justification, they deserve global condemnation, but the response by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government also deserves our clearest condemnation,” he told reporters after his meeting with Mr Biden at the White House.

“There’s no doubt we can say the response has been disproportionate and is violating international humanitarian law,” he said. “The right of a state to defend itself has limits, and those limits imply respecting the lives of innocent civilians, especially children, and respecting civil humanitarian law.”

Asked about Mr Biden’s response, Boric said it was not his place to speak for the American president.

The White House issued a statement later on Thursday that said Mr Biden had “reaffirmed our continued efforts to urgently increase and sustain the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance” including food, water, and medical care “to civilians in Gaza”.

Mr Biden is facing mounting pressure abroad and at home for failing to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, although the White House is now backing a series of “pauses” in the fighting to allow people to exit Gaza and aid to flow in.

‘It is simply wrong’: The Israel-Palestine conflict is tearing the art world apart

04:00 , Natalie Crockett

When it was announced early last month, “Treasured Ornament: 10 Centuries of Islamic Art” promised an exhibit that evoked “the rich history of the Islamic world, and the shared human experiences that bind us, transcending borders and boundaries”.

The exhibit at the Frick Pittsburgh museum was set to open on Saturday 4 November. But, in the days after Hamas’s 7 October attacks in Israel, Israel’s siege of Gaza and a bombardment campaign that has killed thousands of Palestinians, the museum quietly decided to postpone the opening.

The decision is the latest move in a wider upheaval within art institutions and media targeting pro-Palestinian and Muslim content, writes Alex Woodward.

Read more here:

How the Israel-Palestine conflict is tearing America’s art world apart

Israel military surrounds Gaza City; militants attack from tunnels

03:58 , Namita Singh

Amid heavy explosions in Gaza, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters his country’s “troops completed the encirclement of Gaza City, which is the focal point of the Hamas terror organization”.

Brigadier General Iddo Mizrahi, chief of Israel’s military engineers, said troops were encountering mines and booby traps.

“Hamas has learned and prepared itself well,” he said.

Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas, said in a televised speech on Thursday that Israel’s death toll in Gaza was much higher than the military had announced. “Your soldiers will return in black bags,” he said.

Israel has said it has lost 18 soldiers and killed dozens of militants since ground operations expanded on Friday.

Hamas and allied Islamic Jihad fighters were emerging from tunnels to fire at tanks, then disappearing back into the network, residents said and videos from both groups showed.

UN rapporteurs call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

03:46 , Namita Singh

A group of independent United Nations experts warned Palestinians there are at “grave risk of genocide”.

“We call on Israel and its allies to agree to an immediate ceasefire. We are running out of time,” the group of UN special rapporteurs said in a statement.

The Israeli mission to the UN in Geneva called the rapporteur’s comments “deplorable and deeply concerning” and blamed Hamas for the civilian deaths. A spokesperson for the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, said a determination of genocide could only be made by a relevant UN judicial body.

Israel says Hamas killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 240 hostages in the attack on 7 October, the deadliest day of its 75-year-old history.

Blinken due in Israel, to urge Netanyahu to accept humanitarian pauses

03:45 , Namita Singh

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken was due in Israel on Friday to call for localised pauses in fighting to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza as Israel said it surrounded the Palestinian enclave’s biggest city and the focus of its drive to annihilate Hamas.

With the conflict nearing the end of its fourth week, US secretary of state Blinken was due to visit Israel for the second time in a month to meet prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s military battled Hamas militants, who fought back with hit-and-run attacks from underground tunnels.

“We’re at the height of the battle. We’ve had impressive successes and have passed the outskirts of Gaza City. We are advancing,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement after the military said it had encircled the seaside enclave’s main city.

As Mr Blinken left Washington for the Middle East, he said he would discuss concrete steps to minimise harm to civilians in Gaza. The White House, meanwhile, said any pauses in fighting should be temporary and localised, and insisted they would not stop Israel defending itself.

Mounting casualties among Palestinian civilians, along with acute shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel, have intensified calls by global leaders for a pause in fighting or a ceasefire.

Israel has dismissed those calls, saying it targets Hamas fighters whom it accuses of intentionally hiding among the population and civilian buildings. The White House has also rejected calls for a ceasefire.

Gaza health authorities say at least 9,061 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its assault on the enclave of 2.3 million people in retaliation for deadly attacks by Hamas militants on southern Israel.

Dozens of Americans leave Gaza under evacuation deal but crossing remains precarious

03:25 , Namita Singh

At least 79 American dual citizens have crossed into Egypt from Gaza over the last two days as part of a deal brokered by the US, Israel, Egypt and Qatar, which acted as a mediator with Hamas.

US president Joe Biden told reporters in the Oval Office that 74 “American folks, dual citizens” had been able to leave the territory on Thursday. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby later added that five US citizens had left a day earlier, but added that the “numbers are changing in real-time.”

The news comes one day after Mr Biden declared that he had “secured safe passage” for wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals to exit Gaza, which has been under heavy Israeli bombardment in recent weeks.

Palestinian officials in Gaza said that 384 foreign nationals had left via the Rafah crossing on Thursday, along with 21 wounded. More than 400 US citizens have been cleared to leave under the deal, according to a list of names seen by The Independent. But precisely how many will be able to make it to the Rafah crossing, on the border with Egypt, is unclear, due to the intensity of Israeli bombing all over the Gaza strip.

Read this joint report:

79 Americans leave Gaza under evacuation deal, but crossing remains precarious

Israel-Hamas war misinformation is everywhere. Here are the facts

03:23 , Namita Singh

Misinformation about the latest Israel-Hamas war is thriving on social media platforms, where misrepresented video footage, mistranslations and outright falsehoods often crowd out real reporting from the conflict.

In recent weeks, users have pushed false claims that “crisis actors” are staging scenes of carnage and that US Marines are flooding in to fight on the ground in Gaza.

Here is a closer look at the latest misinformation spreading online — and the facts:

Israel-Hamas war misinformation is everywhere. Here are the facts

Suspended Labour MP to sue Tory who said he ‘sought to justify’ Hamas attack

03:08 , Namita Singh

An MP who has been suspended by Labour over what the party said were “deeply offensive” comments at a pro-Palestine rally is threatening legal action against a Tory MP over a “highly defamatory” accusation that he sought to “justify” Hamas’s murderous attack on Israel.

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said he was “not prepared to stand by” while Chris Clarkson or others “peddle the lie” that he sought to justify Hamas’s actions on 7 October.

Mr McDonald was suspended by Labour earlier this week after he used the phrase “between the river and the sea” in a speech during a demonstration.

Report:

Suspended Labour MP to sue Tory who said he ‘sought to justify’ Hamas attack

House passes $14bn aid package for Israel in exchange for spending cuts

02:59 , Namita Singh

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a $14.3bn aid package to Israel that would strip money meant for the Internal Revenue Service to beef up enforcement against tax cheats – setting up a likely veto from Joe Biden.

The bill passed overwhelmingly 226 to 196, with just 12 Democrats voting yes alongside the GOP majority, bucking the trend of normally widespread bipartisan support for aid to Israel.

The House bill would fund the aid by stripping money from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Democrats’ signature 2022 climate and health care bill, which allocated billions to increase tax enforcement and create a free government-run electronic tax filing system.

More in this report from Eric Garcia and Josh Marcus:

House passes $14bn aid package for Israel in exchange for spending cuts

Israel’s troops in Gaza City as Netanyahu says his nation’s forces at ‘height of battle’

01:55 , Natalie Crockett

The head of the Israeli military has said his country’s forces are surrounding Gaza City, with troops also operating inside the besieged territory’s largest city.

“We have advanced another significant stage in the war [with Hamas],” Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the Israeli army’s chief of staff, said. “The forces are in the heart of northern Gaza, operating in Gaza City, surrounding it, and deepening [the ground offensive].”

Echoing Lt Gen Halevi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops were “at the height of the battle” with Hamas and were “advancing”.

“We’ve... passed the outskirts of Gaza City. We are advancing,” he said. Military officials had said that troops were conducting “face-to-face” battles with Hamas militants.

Read more from Bel Trew, in Tel Aviv, here:

Israel’s troops in Gaza City as Netanyahu says nation’s forces at ‘height of battle’

Pro-Palestinian march set for Armistice Day will avoid Cenotaph, protesters say

00:55 , Sam Rkaina

Pro-Palestinian protesters are planning to take to the streets on Armistice Day as the Metropolitan Police commissioner admitted he may have to look to other forces to help deal with the ongoing action.

Demonstrations are set to be staged this Saturday in London and across the UK, with a further march planned in the capital on November 11, the anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA) is preparing to bus protesters from Leicester to London next weekend to demand an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s attacks on Gaza, and said it expected hundreds of thousands of people to take part in the demonstration organised by a coalition of groups.

But it vowed to avoid the Cenotaph war memorial on Whitehall – the focus of national remembrance events.

A two-minute silence is held each year at 11am on Armistice Day – also known as Remembrance Day – to commemorate those who died in conflict.

Ismail Patel, FOA spokesman, said: “We definitely will not be at the Cenotaph. We understand the sensitivity of the date.”

Palestinian tax transfer row shows strains in Israel's ruling coalition

Thursday 2 November 2023 23:55 , Sam Rkaina

Israel’s government was split on Thursday over whether to make a regular transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, adding to growing signs of strain in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were pulling in opposite directions over whether to release tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority following the deadly attack by hundreds of Hamas gunmen out of the Gaza Strip on 7 October.

The ultra-nationalist Smotrich has refused to release the funds, accusing the Palestinian Authority of supporting the “horrific massacres of the Nazi terror organisation Hamas”.

He has rejected an appeal by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who has called for the funds to be disbursed to help restore stability to the volatile West Bank where there has been a surge in violence since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

“This is clearly a problem for cohesive policy at the time of war,” said Gideon Rahat, senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. “They are already thinking about the day after the war.”

Dozens of Americans and other foreign nationals leave Gaza under multi-country deal

Thursday 2 November 2023 23:00 , Bel Trew

At least 74 American citizens crossed into Egypt from Gaza on Thursday as part of a deal brokered by the US, Israel, Egypt and Qatar, which acted as a mediator with Hamas.

“Good news we got out today 74 American folks, dual citizens,” US president Joe Biden told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. It comes one day after Mr Biden declared that he had “secured safe passage” for wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals to exit the territory.

More than 400 US citizens have been cleared to leave under the deal, according to a list of names seen by The Independent. But precisely how many will be able to make it to the Rafah crossing, on the border with Egypt, is unclear, due to the intensity of Israeli bombing across the Gaza strip.

British Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta said that the Israeli army had opened fire on ambulances carrying wounded people along a coastal road that was declared safe by the Israeli army on Thursday. Video footage released a few days ago an Israeli tank firing on a car on Salalhuddin road: the main artery from the north to the south in Gaza.

The Independent requested comment from the Israeli army about the alleged attack on the coastal road but did not receive a response.

Still, some are making it through. Wael Abo Mohsin, a Palestinian official in Gaza, said that 384 foreign nationals had left via the Rafah crossing on Thursday, along with 21 wounded.

Suspended MP threatens to sue over ‘claim he sought to justify Hamas attack’

Thursday 2 November 2023 22:00 , Sam Rkaina

An MP who has been suspended by Labour over what the party said were “deeply offensive” comments at a pro-Palestine rally is threatening legal action against a Tory MP over a “highly defamatory” accusation that he sought to “justify” Hamas’s murderous attack on Israel.

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said he was “not prepared to stand by” while Chris Clarkson or others “peddle the lie” that he sought to justify Hamas’s actions on October 7.

Mr McDonald was suspended by Labour earlier this week after he used the phrase “between the river and the sea” in a speech during a demonstration.

A slogan used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, has been described as antisemitic by critics, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman claiming that it is “widely understood” to call for the destruction of Israel.

Mr McDonald, who is sitting as an independent MP while an investigation takes place, said his reference to the phrase was part of a “heartfelt plea” for peace in the region.

Irish president hit out at breaches of international law

Thursday 2 November 2023 21:00 , Sam Rkaina

Irish president Michael D Higgins has hit out at breaches of international law by both State and non-State actors while speaking about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

He said in a statement released on Thursday that the “ongoing horrific loss of civilian life in Gaza and Israel has to be addressed”, and “should concern us all”.

“Violence by non-State as well as State actors must be described for what it is – breaches of international humanitarian law,” Mr Higgins said.

“If international law is to respected, it is important that hostages be released and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire be put in place.

“In this terrible ongoing loss of civilian life, that is having such a devastating impact on families on all sides, with the large proportion of those killed being women and children, it is important that there be a verification of figures, that the lives lost are not reduced to competing press releases.”

IDF surround Gaza city

Thursday 2 November 2023 20:52 , Lydia Patrick

The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Herzi Halevy, said his forces were encircling Gaza City from several directions and “fighting in a built-up, dense, complex area.”

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in “face to face” battles with militants, calling in airstrikes and shelling when needed.

He said they were inflicting heavy losses on Hamas fighters and destroying their infrastructure with engineering equipment.

Casualties on both sides are expected to rise as Israeli troops advance toward the dense residential neighborhoods of Gaza City.

Israeli officials say Hamas’ military infrastructure, including tunnels, is concentrated in the city in and under civilian areas.

On Thursday, Israeli planes dropped leaflets warning residents to immediately evacuate Shati refugee camp, a densely built-up district on the Mediterranean coast bordering Gaza City’s center.

“Time is up,” the leaflets read, warning that strikes “with crushing force” against Hamas fighters were coming.

US senate looking at support deals for Ukraine and Israel

Thursday 2 November 2023 20:15 , Sam Rkaina

New US Speaker Mike Johnson has told Republican senators a fresh Ukraine aid package will come as soon as lawmakers wrap up the $14.5 billion Israel aid package that is heading for passage later this week.

Johnson, who has been on the job a week, made the trip across the Capitol to speak privately with GOP senators to outline the agenda ahead.

“Look, we all like the new speaker we want him to be successful,” said Senator JD Vance, Republican for Ohio, who opposes more aid to Ukraine.

Johnson was greeted with applause at the start of the lunch meeting, a get-to-know-you session for the new GOP speaker that many senators had never met — or even heard of — until he won a longshot race for House speaker to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy.

The new speaker told the senators Ukraine needs U.S. aid as it battles Russia, but that there was no way President Joe Biden’s request for a nearly $106 billion supplemental funding request that included Israel could be passed through the House.

“‘We want to take up Ukraine,’” was his message, said Senator Josh Hawley, Republican for Missouri, who opposes more funding for the overseas war.

Hawley said Johnson told the Republican senators the “next order of business” after the Israel package would be the Ukraine-U.S. border package.

The Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the House’s Israel-only approach was dead on arrival in the Senate.

More Britons manage to flee Gaza through the Rafah crossing

Thursday 2 November 2023 19:45 , Holly Evans

British nationals have been able to get out of Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt for a second day amid intensive diplomatic efforts as Israeli forces continue to advance through the territory.

Two UK aid workers managed to leave the territory on Wednesday, but around 200 British nationals were facing an anxious wait for permission to make the journey to safety.

The Foreign Office said more UK nationals were able cross into Egypt on Thursday, but declined to say how many.

Read the full article here

More Britons manage to flee Gaza through the Rafah crossing

Israel releases footage of 'missile being intercepted'

Thursday 2 November 2023 19:15 , Holly Evans

The Israel Defence Forces has released footage that it says shows a cruise missile being intercepted as it heads towards Israeli airspace.

M&S removes Christmas advert outtake after Palestinian flag controversy

Thursday 2 November 2023 18:45 , Holly Evans

Marks and Spencer has apologised after posting an outtake from its Christmas advert on Instagram that showed hats in the colours of the Palestinian flag burning in a fire.

The image posted to the retailer’s social media had festive red, green and silver paper hats burning in a fireplace. The image was captioned: “This Christmas, do what you love... like saying no to paper hats”. The hashtag said #LoveThismasNotThatmas.

Some social media users pointed out that the colours of the festive chapeau were similar to that of the Palestinian flag and felt the image was inappropriate considering the current Israel-Palestine conflict.

Read the full article here

M&S removes Christmas advert outtake after Palestinian flag controversy

Senator Durbin becomes first US Senator to call for a ceasefire in Gaza

Thursday 2 November 2023 18:15 , Holly Evans

WHO chief says situation on the ground is ‘indescribable’

Thursday 2 November 2023 17:45 , Holly Evans

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the forced evacuation of hospitals in the Gaza Strip would put the lives of hundreds of patients at risk as he called the situation on the ground “indescribable”.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters: “We’re running out of words to describe the horror unfolding in Gaza.

The WHO said 46 critically injured medical evacuees had left Gaza for care in Egypt since the Rafah crossing opened on Wednesday, and it had also provided 54 metric tonnes of medical aid to the territory, but nowhere near what was needed.

The situation in Gaza was “indescribable”, Tedros added, with hospitals crammed, morgues overflowing, and doctors performing surgery without anaesthesia, as families sought shelter and toilets overflowed, risking the spread of disease.

He also reiterated calls for Hamas to release Israeli hostages, many of whom need medical attention.

Charity describes situation in Gaza hospitals as ‘beyond catastrophic’

Thursday 2 November 2023 17:15 , Holly Evans

The charity Medical Aid for Palestinians has described the situation in Gaza hospitals as “beyond catastrophic” with dwindling fuel, packed corridors and many medics themselves bereaved and homeless.

Colonel Elad Goren of the Israeli Defence Ministry said 700,000 of the usual 1 million residents of the northern Gaza Strip had evacuated southwards.

“We are not at war with Gaza’s civilians. We are doing everything possible to get more humanitarian aid in,” he said, adding that the limitations on aid trucks entering Gaza were down to logistical challenges, not Israeli restrictions.

He cited the speed at which cargo could be loaded onto trucks at Egypt’s Al Arish port, and the number of trucks available in Gaza.

“Right now, around 80 trucks are going into Gaza daily,” he said. Aid agencies say this is a fraction of what is needed given the scale of the humanitarian disaster.

Israel talking to agencies about setting up field hospitals in southern Gaza

Thursday 2 November 2023 16:44 , Holly Evans

Israel is talking to medical agencies about setting up field hospitals in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, where it has told Palestinian civilians to seek refuge while it fights Hamas in the north, an Israeli official said on Thursday.

Colonel Elad Goren of COGAT, an Israeli Defence Ministry agency that liaises with Palestinians on civilian affairs, said the idea was initially to address the general needs of the wounded, potentially moving to more specialised care later.

“Right now, we are talking about field hospitals that would provide the basic medical care required for war trauma,” Goren told Reuters.

“Field hospitals can, potentially, be equipped to provide specialised medical care, given their modular structure, but this would be further down the line. There is also the question of where to find specialised staff,” he said.

Lebanon's Hezbollah attacks Israeli forces with drones

Thursday 2 November 2023 16:22 , Holly Evans

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli army position using explosive drones for the first time, prompting heavy Israeli shelling in an escalation of more than three weeks of clashes at the frontier.

The Israeli army said it was striking a series of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon following a number of launches towards Israel, in post on social media platform X.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli shells hitting various areas of the south along the border.

In a statement, Iran-backed Hezbollah said it had used two drones packed with explosives to attack an Israeli army command position in the disputed Shebaa Farms area at the Lebanese-Israeli border.

UN experts say Palestinians in Gaza at 'grave risk of genocide'

Thursday 2 November 2023 16:06 , Holly Evans

United Nations experts called on Thursday for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, saying the Palestinian people there were at “grave risk of genocide.”

“We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide,” the experts, including several U.N. special rapporteurs, said in a statement.

“We demand a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure that aid reaches those who need it the most.”

Israel have not made ‘any decision’ about transferring fuel to Gaza

Thursday 2 November 2023 16:02 , Holly Evans

In a press briefing, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the government had not made any decision about transferring fuel to Gaza, although it is helping with obligatory humanitarian aid like food, fuel and water.

“We haven’t made any decision about transferring fuel. I haven’t given any (such) instruction and the war cabinet has not authorised any decision,” he told reporters.

Netanyahu has repeatedly sidestepped accountability for failing to prevent Hamas attack, says critics

Thursday 2 November 2023 15:43 , Holly Evans

A growing list of Israeli officials have accepted responsibility for failing to prevent Hamas’ brutal attack on Israeli communities during the Oct. 7 incursion that triggered the current Israel-Hamas war.

Following the horrific assault, which saw the deadliest day for Israelis since the country was established 75 years ago, Netanyahu has repeatedly sidestepped accountability. He has instead blamed others, in what critics say shows a leader thinking more about his own political survival than soothing and steering a traumatized nation.

“Netanyahu is fighting a personal battle of survival and that takes precedence over fighting Israel’s war against Hamas,” said Netanyahu biographer and journalist Anshel Pfeffer. “As part of that battle, he’s prepared to malign those who are now commanding Israel’s army and intelligence services.”

Israel’s top security brass, including the military chief of staff, the defense minister and the head of the domestic security agency Shin Bet, came forward and accepted responsibility for the blunder in the days after the attack.

Netanyahu, however, has not taken outright responsibility for the missteps that led up the horrific attack, despite serving as prime minister for 13 of the past 14 years. He says there will be time for investigations — after the war.

Israeli troops push through outskirts of Gaza City, says Netanyahu

Thursday 2 November 2023 15:23 , Holly Evans

Israeli troops have pushed through the outskirts of Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

'Garbage on the ground and the whole place is polluted'

Thursday 2 November 2023 15:15 , Holly Evans

Palestinians in Gaza sheltering from an intensifying Israeli bombardment are running out of clean water and face growing health risks, with public services at a halt and hospitals closing.

In Khan Younis, in the south of the tiny, crowded enclave, nine-year-old Rafif Abu Ziyada said she was drinking dirty water and getting stomach pains and headaches.

“There is no cooking gas, there is no water, we don’t eat well. We are getting sick,” she said. “There’s garbage on the ground and the whole place is polluted.”

Health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave said on Thursday Israeli bombardment has killed 9,060 people including 3,760 children, and put several hospitals out of service - even as a mounting ground offensive increases casualty numbers.

Civilians ordered by Israel to leave the northern half of Gaza but also under bombardment in the south are facing ever worse conditions despite the start of some aid deliveries through the Rafah crossing with Egypt last week.

“Water is being used as a weapon of war. Many people are resorting to unsafe sources of water...Clean water in Gaza is either unavailable or available in very, very small quantities,” said Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.

Gaza hospital evacuations put hundreds of patients at risk

Thursday 2 November 2023 14:57 , Holly Evans

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the forced evacuation of hospitals in the Gaza Strip put the lives of hundreds of patients at risk.

“Twenty-three hospitals have been ordered to evacuate in Gaza City and north Gaza, and forced evacuation in these circumstances would put the lives of hundreds of patients in a life threatening situation,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Hezbollah leader set to weigh in on Israel-Hamas conflict

Thursday 2 November 2023 14:32 , Holly Evans

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will on Friday make his first public comments since the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel went to war, a speech which will be closely watched for clues on how the group’s role in the conflict might evolve.

A formidable military force backed by Iran, Hezbollah has been engaging Israeli forces along the border, where 50 of its fighters have been killed in the deadliest escalation since it fought a war with Israel in 2006.

But with the clashes so far mostly contained to the frontier, Hezbollah has drawn on a fraction of the firepower with which Nasrallah has been threatening Israel for years.

Many people in Lebanon are anxiously awaiting the 3pm speech, rattled for weeks by fear of a catastrophic conflict. Some say they are not making plans beyond Friday, believing his remarks will signal the chances of escalation.

Norway ‘saddened’ by loss of 33 journalists killed in Israel-Hamas conflict

Thursday 2 November 2023 14:00 , Holly Evans

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it is “saddened and disturbed” by the loss of 33 journalists in the conflict, which first broke out on 7 October.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the journalists and media workers confirmed dead to-date include 28 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese national.

Another eight journalists have been reported injured and nine are reported to be missing or detained.

“CPJ is also investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, hurt, or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists’ homes,” the CPJ said in a statement.

US secretary of state and Saudi Arabia discuss Gaza in meeting

Thursday 2 November 2023 13:40 , Holly Evans

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the need to reinforce regional stability with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, the State Department said on Thursday.

“The secretary affirmed the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza, preventing further spread of the conflict, and reinforcing regional stability and security, including in Yemen,” in Wednesday’s meeting, the department said in a statement.

“He also emphasized the importance of working toward sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians, a shared priority of both the United States and Saudi Arabia.”

Foreign nationals leave Gaza for second day

Thursday 2 November 2023 13:20 , Holly Evans

Eight Hungarian citizens with their two Palestinian family members have left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt today, the Hungarian foreign minister has said.

Peter Szijjarto said there had been 15 Hungarian citizens in Gaza, and all of them could have left Gaza, but only two families took on the journey and now “they are in complete safety on Egyptian territory”.

Yesterday, 335 foreign nationals and 76 severely injured Palestinians were evacuated via Egypt.

Sunak and UN secretary-general discuss Gaza humanitarian situation

Thursday 2 November 2023 13:00 , Holly Evans

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres agreed on the need to scale up delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the prime minister’s office said on Thursday.

“The leaders ... discussed the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and agreed on the importance of urgently scaling up the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“The Prime Minister and the Secretary-General agreed on the need to reinvigorate international efforts to reach a lasting resolution to the conflict and progress work towards a two-state solution.”

The two leaders met as they attended talks on the final day of the inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in England.

F1 responds to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix cancellation fears

Thursday 2 November 2023 12:49 , Holly Evans

The season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is not at risk of being cancelled, F1 stated on Thursday.

The ongoing conflict in the Israel Gaza region, and the potential prospect of fighting escalating throughout the Middle East region, has led to speculation online in recent days that the season finale in the UAE could be cancelled.

However, a spokesperson for Formula 1 insists the race at the Yas Marina Circuit on November 26 is not at risk.

Read the full article here

F1 responds to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix cancellation fears

Pope Francis: There are no real winners in war

Thursday 2 November 2023 12:40 , Holly Evans

There are no real winners in any war, Pope Francis said on Thursday during a visit to a World War Two military cemetery.

“Wars are always a defeat, always. There is never a total victory. One side wins over the other but behind that there is always defeat in the price that has to be paid,” he said in an improvised homily during a Mass at the cemetery attended by several ambassadors from Commonwealth countries.

Francis has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the creation of humanitarian corridors to help relieve the suffering of its besieged inhabitants.

He has also called for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, has said Israel has a right to defend itself from attack, and has condemned a rise in antisemitism worldwide.

Israel asks for foreign countries to send hospital ships, says ambassador

Thursday 2 November 2023 12:32 , Holly Evans

Israel has asked foreign countries to send hospital ships to help treat wounded Palestinians who are allowed to leave the war-ravaged Gaza Strip to neighbouring Egypt, the Israeli ambassador to Germany has said.

France said last week it was sending a naval vessel, “Tonnere”, on what it described as a mission to support Gaza hospitals. Egypt this week began admitting limited numbers of wounded across its Gaza border.

In a Kan radio interview, ambassador Ron Prosor was asked whether Israel had asked France and other European countries to send hospital ships for receiving Gazan wounded at Al-Arish, an Egyptian port close to the Palestinian enclave.

He described the scenario posited in the question as correct, saying he had submitted such a request to Berlin.

“I don’t know yet if it is happening,” said Prosor, a former director-general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry. “We asked for this. I suppose it is being discussed. There is a leaning, here in Europe, to help in humanitarian matters in any way possible.”

‘We are at the gates of Gaza City’, says IDF commander

Thursday 2 November 2023 12:16 , Holly Evans

An Israeli military commander has said they are “at the gates of Gaza City”, as fierce fighting continues in the northern territories of the besieged enclave.

IDF commander Brigadier General Itzik Cohen gave the update last night, as Israeli tanks and troops met fierce resistance from Hamas militants, who operate from their underground tunnel network.

“This is certainly terrain that is more heavily sown than in the past with minefields and boobytraps,” Brigadier General Iddo Mizrahi, chief of Israel’s military engineers, told Army Radio.

“Hamas has learned and prepared itself well.”

Humanitarian aid arrives in Gaza through Rafah crossing

Thursday 2 November 2023 12:02 , Holly Evans

Humanitarian aid arrives in Gaza through Rafah crossing