Israel-Hamas highlights: Biden calls Netanyahu, emphasises on increasing Gaza aid

Israel-Hamas war highlights: The war between Israel and Palestine's Hamas militant group entered its 23rd day on Saturday. Over 9,000 people have died.

Palestinians inspect the damage of destroyed buildings caused by the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City on October 28. (AP)

Israel-Hamas war highlights: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said that Israeli Defence forces have entered the second phase of the war against Palestinian militant group Hamas. He vowed to "destroy the enemy above ground and below ground."...Read More

Follow all the updates here:

• 30 Oct 2023, 04:40:13 AM IST

  Israel Hamas war: How many people held hostage, how many released?

  Soldiers and civilians being held hostage in Gaza - 239

  Hostages released - 4

• 30 Oct 2023, 04:39:27 AM IST

  How many people displaced in Israel and Gaza?

  Number of Israelis displaced - 250,000

  Number of Palestinians displaced in Gaza - 1.4 million

• 30 Oct 2023, 03:49:50 AM IST

  ICC lawyer warns over preventing aid getting to Gaza

  International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan on Sunday said that preventing access to humanitarian could be a crime, after visiting Egypt's Rafah crossing with Gaza, the main entry point for international aid. "Impeding relief supplies as provided by the Geneva conventions may constitute a crime within the court jurisdiction," Khan told reporters in Cairo.

• 30 Oct 2023, 02:47:24 AM IST

  Hezbollah says it downed Israeli drone in south Lebanon

  Lebanon's Hezbollah group on Sunday said it shot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon with a surface-to-air missile. According to the Iran-backed group, the drone was hit near Khiam, about 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Israel, and was seen falling into Israeli territory.

• 30 Oct 2023, 02:36:08 AM IST

  ‘Israel must distinguish between Hamas and Gaza civilians’: US

  Israel must protect innocent Gaza residents by distinguishing between Hamas militants and civilians, the White House warned on Sunday as US President Joe Biden promised a significant increase in aid to the Palestinian territory during a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

• 30 Oct 2023, 01:02:49 AM IST

  Biden calls Israel PM, emphasises on increasing Gaza aid

  US President Joe Biden called Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasised the need for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. According to a statement by the White House, Biden also agreed in a separate call with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to “the significant acceleration and increase of assistance flowing into Gaza beginning today and then continuously.”

• 30 Oct 2023, 12:40:54 AM IST

  A look at death toll, injured in Israel and Gaza

  Number of Israelis killed - 1,400

  Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza - 8,005

  Number of Palestinians killed in West Bank - 116

  Number of Israelis injured - 5,431

  Number of Palestinians injured in Gaza - 20,242

  Number of Palestinians injured in the West Bank -2,000

• 29 Oct 2023, 11:47:16 PM IST

  Hamas playing 'psychological games' over Gaza hostages: Israel minister

  Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday accused Hamas of playing "psychological games" over hostages after it offered to free all captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. "The stories published by Hamas are part of their psychological games ... Hamas is cynically using those who are dear to us -- they understand the pain and the pressure," Gallant told relatives of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a statement released by his office said, reported AFP.

• 29 Oct 2023, 11:26:05 PM IST

  ‘Hope to visit Gaza, Israel’: ICC prosecutor

  International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan who visited the Rafah border crossing on Sunday said that he “hopes” to visit the Gaza Strip and Israel while he is in the region. “There should not be any impediments to humanitarian relief supplies going to children, women and men, civilians, they are innocent,” he added.

• 29 Oct 2023, 10:52:26 PM IST

  Hezbollah says downed Israeli drone in south Lebanon

  Lebanon's Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone southeast of Lebanon with a surface-to-air missile,

• 29 Oct 2023, 10:48:45 PM IST

  Netanyahu, Biden speak after Israel expands Gaza ground incursions

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu's office said, after Israel expanded ground incursions in a Gaza war now in its fourth week.

• 29 Oct 2023, 10:42:38 PM IST

  Medics warn Israel is bombing around Gaza hospital

  The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that the Israeli military was repeatedly bombing around its hospital in central Gaza, causing damage and putting civilians at risk.

  "The Israeli army deliberately continues to launch rockets directly near Al-Quds hospital with the aim of forcing medical staff, displaced individuals and patients to evacuate the hospital," the medical organisation said in a statement.

• 29 Oct 2023, 10:24:43 PM IST

  Palestinian Red Crescent says Israeli strikes damaged parts of Gaza hospital

  The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Israeli strikes damaged sections in the jam-packed Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City.

• 29 Oct 2023, 09:46:14 PM IST

  What Israeli army said on clashes with Hamas

  The Israeli army said that troops had "identified a number of terrorists exiting the shaft of a tunnel" near the Erez border crossing and "confronted the terrorists, killing and injuring them".

• 29 Oct 2023, 09:30:42 PM IST

  Israel says it killed many Hamas terrorists near Erez crossing

  Israel’s military said that ground forces killed a number of Hamas terrorists as they were exiting a tunnel near the Erez crossing, Associated Press reported.

• 29 Oct 2023, 09:22:32 PM IST

  Hamas says engaged in 'heavy fighting' with Israeli army in Gaza

  Hamas's armed wing said that its fighters were engaged in "heavy fighting" with Israeli forces in Gaza. "Our fighters are currently engaged in heavy fighting with machine-guns and anti-tank weapons with the invading occupation (Israeli) forces in northwest Gaza," the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement as per news agency AFP.

• 29 Oct 2023, 09:07:00 PM IST

  Israel's leaflets in Gaza: Hamas exploiting you

  Israel’s military dropped leaflets on the Gaza Strip asking civilians to “surrender.” Written in Arabic, the leaflets told civilians to lay down all their weapons, put their hands up, wave white flags and follow instructions from the Israeli military.

  “Hamas leaders are exploiting you,” the flyers read. “They and their families are in safe places, while you die in vain.”

• 29 Oct 2023, 08:45:52 PM IST

  What Jake Sullivan said on Israel-Hamas war

  "What we believe is that every hour, every day of this military operation, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), the Israeli government should be taking every possible means available to them to distinguish between Hamas terrorists who are legitimate military targets and civilians who are not," Jake Sullivan said on CNN.

• 29 Oct 2023, 08:20:04 PM IST

  Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians in West Bank: Health ministry

  Israeli forces killed five Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, health officials said, raising to more than 110 the death toll in surging violence there since the start of the Gaza war.

• 29 Oct 2023, 07:55:13 PM IST

  Claims that Iran linked to Hamas attack are 'baseless,' Iran foreign minister says

  Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described claims that Iran was directly connected to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as “baseless” saying, “We always had political media and international support for Palestine. We have never denied this.”

• 29 Oct 2023, 07:31:21 PM IST

  Rishi Sunak, Macron talk on humanitarian support for Gaza

  UK PM Rishi Sunak’s office said that he has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza.

  The leaders “agreed to work together on efforts both to get crucial food, fuel, water and medicine to those who need it, and to get foreign nationals out,” Downing Street said in a statement, adding, “They expressed their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region, in particular in the West Bank. The Prime Minister and President Macron updated on the conversations they have had with leaders in the region to stress the importance of working to ensure regional stability."

• 29 Oct 2023, 07:26:56 PM IST

  Thousands demand halt to 'Gaza massacre' in Athens protest

  More than 5,000 people protested in Athens on Sunday, police said, calling for an end to the "massacre" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

  "We are fighting for the peace of people," Athens News Agency reported.

• 29 Oct 2023, 07:15:25 PM IST

  'I was wrong': Netanyahu's rare apology with nod to Israel's intelligence bosses

  "The things I said following the press conference should not have been said and I apologize for that," Benjamin Netanyahu said. Read here

• 29 Oct 2023, 06:58:33 PM IST

  Israel should take every precaution to distinguish between terrorists and civilians

  The US believes Israel should take every means possible to distinguish between Palestinian civilians and Hamas in its military operation in Gaza, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

• 29 Oct 2023, 06:42:29 PM IST

  UN chief meets Nepal PM, calls for ceasefire by Israel in Gaza

  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of 10 Nepali students killed in a Hamas attack in Israeli villages bordering Gaza.

• 29 Oct 2023, 06:16:32 PM IST

  Palestinians expelled from West Bank village, AFP reports

  "Residents said some were local settlers dressed in army uniforms who have regularly harassed the village, while others wore civilian clothing, with army and police vehicles also at the scene", the report claimed.

• 29 Oct 2023, 06:09:53 PM IST

  What is the Palestinian Red Crescent issue?

  The Palestinian Red Crescent said that it had received warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital in the Gaza Strip. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the Palestinian Red Crescent report was "deeply concerning", adding it was impossible to safely evacuate hospitals full of patients.

• 29 Oct 2023, 05:50:11 PM IST

  Pope Francis calls for ceasefire in Gaza, again

  Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza saying, “Let’s continue to pray for Ukraine and for the serious situation in Palestine and Israel and for other regions with wars. In particular, in Gaza, leave space to guarantee humanitarian aid. And let the hostages be freed immediately. Let no one abandon the possibility to stop the arms. Cease fire.”

• 29 Oct 2023, 05:44:17 PM IST

  What Norway PM said about Israel's actions in Gaza

  Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre told public broadcaster NRK in an interview, “It says in international law that (reaction to such an attack) must be proportionate. Civilians must be taken into account, and humanitarian law is fully aware of that. I believe that the line has now been far exceeded by Israel."

• 29 Oct 2023, 05:34:48 PM IST

  WHO concerned by report of evacuation warning to Gaza al-Quds hospital

  "The Palestinian Red Crescent report of evacuation threats to Al-Quds hospital in Gaza is deeply concerning," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote X.

• 29 Oct 2023, 05:22:43 PM IST

  What's happening in Gaza?

  Gazans struggled to find their loved ones and heard news of family members killed as communications gradually returned to the enclave after a near total blackout. The United Nations warned that Palestinians were desperate for food and that civil order was breaking down.

• 29 Oct 2023, 05:11:03 PM IST

  What Gaza resident said on Israeli strikes

  "Israel cut us off from the world in order to wipe us out, but we are hearing the sounds of explosions and we are proud the resistance fighters have stopped them at meters distance," Shaban Ahmed, a public servant who stayed in Gaza City despite an Israeli warning to evacuate south, said as per news agency Reuters.

• 29 Oct 2023, 05:02:18 PM IST

  Israel's death toll since October 7

  More than 1,400 people have been killed on the Israeli side, the vast majority civilians killed by Hamas in its October 7 incursion into Israel.

• 29 Oct 2023, 04:49:53 PM IST

  UN chief on immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza

  UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. Condemning the “appalling attacks perpetrated by Hamas”, he said “there is no justification, ever, for the killing, injuring and abduction of civilians.”

  “I have always been consistent in my call for strict compliance of the well-established principles and rules of international humanitarian law. The protection of civilians is paramount,” he said, adding, “The laws of war establish clear rules to protect human life and respect humanitarian concerns. Those laws cannot be contorted for the sake of expediency. The world is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes."

• 29 Oct 2023, 04:31:11 PM IST

  Gaza death toll 8,005 since October 7: Health ministry

  The total death toll in Gaza rose to 8,005 people, a statement released by the health ministry in Gaza said.

• 29 Oct 2023, 04:23:45 PM IST

  What Israel said on Gaza strikes

  The Israeli military said that it had struck over 450 militant targets over the past 24 hours, including Hamas command centers, observation posts and anti-tank missile launching positions. It said more ground forces were sent into Gaza overnight.

• 29 Oct 2023, 04:05:48 PM IST

  WHO restores contact with Gaza team, it says

  The head of the World Health Organization said that they managed to communicate with the agency’s team in Gaza after internet and phone connectivity in the enclave were gradually restored.

  “They said the last two nights were extremely tense with a lot of airstrikes - without fuel, water, electricity, connectivity and safe shelter to evacuate to,” Tedros Adhanom wrote on X.

• 29 Oct 2023, 03:39:57 PM IST

  Ex-Israel PM suggests permanent buffer zone: What it means

  Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suggested the war plan should include establishing a 2-kilometer (1.2 mile) permanent buffer zone inside Gaza. This will suffocate Hamas inside the territory’s tunnels, Bennett, who is not part of Netanyahu’s so-called war cabinet, said in a post on X.

• 29 Oct 2023, 03:30:42 PM IST

  UAE condemns Israeli ground operations in Gaza: ‘Immediate ceasefire needed’

  UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that an immediate ceasefire was needed in Gaza to ensure that civilians and civilian institutions are not targeted as per international humanitarian law, international treaties for the protection of civilians and human rights.

• 29 Oct 2023, 03:17:27 PM IST

  Israel to allow more Gaza aid, civilians should move south, official says

  An official said as per news agency Reuters, "In the coming week we were planning to increase dramatically the amount of assistance" headed for Gaza from Egypt. Colonel Elad Goren of Cogat said, “We have mrked a humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip in the Khan Younis area ... we still recommend that the civilian population that evacuated will go to this zone.”

• 29 Oct 2023, 03:05:21 PM IST

  UN chief warns Gaza growing more desperate 'by the hour'

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The situation in Gaza is growing more desperate by the hour. I regret that instead of a critically needed humanitarian pause, supported by the international community, Israel has intensified its military operations.”

• 29 Oct 2023, 02:53:56 PM IST

  UN official on aid in Gaza amid Israeli strikes

  UN official said as per news agency AFP, “Supplies on the market are running out while the humanitarian aid coming into the Gaza Strip on trucks from Egypt is insufficient. The needs of the communities are immense, if only for basic survival, while the aid we receive is meagre and inconsistent.”

• 29 Oct 2023, 02:37:02 PM IST

  Palestinian Red Crescent says Israel asks it to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital

  The Palestinian Red Crescent said that it has received warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital in the Gaza Strip.

  "Since this morning, there has been raids 50 meters away from the hospital," it said as per news agency Reuters.

• 29 Oct 2023, 02:36:00 PM IST

  What UNRWA head said about the break in

  Thomas White, the agency's Gaza director, said that the break-ins were “a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege on Gaza. People are scared, frustrated and desperate."

• 29 Oct 2023, 02:17:51 PM IST

  Israeli army says 'increased' troop numbers inside Gaza

  The Israeli army raised the number of troops fighting inside the Gaza Strip, a spokesman said. "Overnight we increased the entry of IDF forces into the (Gaza) Strip, and they joined the forces already fighting there," Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari informed.

• 29 Oct 2023, 02:05:51 PM IST

  Israeli forces kill 3 Palestinians in West Bank: Health ministry

  Israeli forces killed three Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, as violence surges across the territory.

• 29 Oct 2023, 01:34:00 PM IST

  Thousands of people broke into Gaza aid warehouses: UN

  UN says thousands of people broke into Gaza aid warehouses to take food and other ‘basic survival items’, reported AP.

• 29 Oct 2023, 12:53:42 PM IST

  IDF re-issues call for civilians in Gaza to move south

  The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari urged civilians residing in the northern regions of Gaza and Gaza City to temporarily relocate to the safer South, where they can access essential supplies such as water, food, and medicine.

  “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is expanding its operations. We are moving to the next phase of our war against Hamas in Gaza, from the air, land, and sea. On October 7, Hamas committed a crime against humanity. Israel is in a war, it did not start, and it did not sink. Hamas is attacking Israeli civilians while firing from among dozen civilians. These are both war crimes. Our fight is with Hamas. Not with the people of Gaza,” Hagari said in a video posted to the IDF's profile on 'X'.

• 29 Oct 2023, 12:33:12 PM IST

  Israel strikes near Gaza's largest hospital, accuses Hamas of using it as a base

  Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes early Sunday near Gaza's largest hospital, which is packed with patients and tens of thousands of Palestinians seeking shelter, report AP quoting residents.

• 29 Oct 2023, 12:30:10 PM IST

  ‘Blatant violation of time-tested policy’: CM Pinarayi slams govt support to Israel

  In a powerful display of solidarity with the Palestinian people, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan denounced the ongoing offensive in Gaza while addressing a protest rally in Delhi.

  "The support being extended to Israel by the government of India in blatant violation of time-tested policy of solidarity with the Palestinian people who fight for their own land. It is really shocking that the government has gone to the extent of abstaining from discussion of the UN resolution, supporting Israel and the US."