Israel-Hamas war highlights: PM Netanyahu says defeating Hamas ‘existential test’

Qatar-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at de-escalating fighting in Gaza continued on Saturday, a source briefed on the negotiations said, even as Israel intensified its assault on the enclave.

Talks have not broken down, but are taking place at a "much slower pace" than before the escalation from Friday evening, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of negotiations.

"This is the second stage of the war whose goals are clear - to destroy Hamas' governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home," PM Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters.

"We are only at the start," he said. "We will destroy the enemy above ground and below ground."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that defeating Hamas was an "existential test" for Israel, charging that 90 per cent of the group's military budget came from Iran.

"We must defeat Hamas because the test is an existential test for us," Netanyahu told a news conference.

"Iran supports Hamas. I think that 90 per cent of Hamas's military budget comes from Iran. It funds, it organises, it directs it."

The Palestinian death toll since the war started passed 7,700, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.

More than 1,400 people were slain in Israel during a surprise incursion by Hamas militants, including at least 310 soldiers, according to the Israeli government. At least 229 hostages were taken into Gaza, and four hostages were released earlier.

"I was encouraged in the last days by what seemed to be a growing consensus in the international community ... for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting," Guterres said in a statement.

Gaza's besieged people had barely any communications with the outside world on Saturday as Israeli jets dropped more bombs and suggested a long-threatened ground offensive against Hamas militants running the Palestinian enclave was starting.

Israel said troops sent in on Friday night were still in the field whereas previously it had made only brief sorties during three weeks of bombing to destroy Hamas whom it said killed 1,400 Israelis in an Oct. 7 assault.

"We attacked above the ground and under ground, we attacked terror operatives of all ranks, everywhere," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Saturday there was the potential for thousands more civilians to die as Israel presses a ground operation in Gaza.

Israel's army relentlessly hammered the territory on Saturday after fierce overnight bombardment that rescuers said destroyed hundreds of buildings three weeks into a war sparked by the deadliest attack in the country's history.

Israel on Saturday expanded its ground operation in Gaza, sending in tanks and infantry backed by massive strikes from the air and sea. Israel's defense minister said that “the ground shook in Gaza” and that the war against the territory's Hamas rulers entered a new stage.

The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said Saturday that at least 7,703 people have been killed in the war with Israel that erupted on October 7.

Israel's military said on Saturday it stopped a surface-to-air missile fired from Lebanon at one of its drones and the Lebanese authorities issued precautionary guidance in case it has to evacuate Beirut airport. The Israeli army and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon have exchanged fire on a daily basis since the start of the Gaza conflict three weeks ago.

Israel said Saturday it is expanding its ground operation in Gaza with infantry and armored vehicles backed by “massive” strikes from the air and sea, including the bombing of Hamas tunnels.

Hamas pledged to confront Israeli attacks with "full force" after Israel's military widened its air and ground attacks on the Palestinian enclave.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on Israel to "immediately stop this madness" and end its "attacks" on targets in Gaza after Israeli forces intensified strikes on the Palestinian territory.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that the organisation is still out of touch with its our staff and health facilities in Gaza.

“I’m worried about their safety. WHO appeals to all those who have the power to push for a ceasefire to act NOW,” he says.

The Israel Defence Forces are claiming that the head of Hamas' aerial unit, Issam Abu Rukbeh, was killed in an overnight airstrike.

According to ANI, Rukbeh was responsible for overseeing Hamas' drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, paragliders, aerial detection systems, and air defences.

The Israeli army is claiming that it hit 150 “underground targets” in north Gaza overnight.

As India was one of the 44 countries that did not vote on United Nations' resolution on Israel calling for truce, it said the attack of October 7 was shocking and the perpetrators deserve condemnation. The Jordan-drafted resolution which was adopted by the UN did not mention Hamas. India's explanation to abstain from voting also skipped any mention of Hamas. India, however, supported Canada's proposal to amend the resolution and insert a paragraph condemning Hamas. Read more

"We are at war for the nation - it's either us, or them" the Israel Defence Minister has said in a video posted on X.

As Israel stepped up its air and ground offensive in Gaza, the United States said it is not trying to dictate limits for Tel Aviv.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said that he would not comment on the expansion of Israel's ground operation in Gaza and added that Tel Aviv has a right to defend itself. "We are not drawing red lines for Israel," he said. More on this.

Hundreds of protesters demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas forced the closure on Friday of Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City's major transit hubs, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

"Grand Central Terminal is closed until further notice due to a protest," the MTA said on its website, urging commuters to use alternate stations and plan for extra travel time. Read further.

India has abstained from voting on a resolution in the United Nations that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The resolution drafted by Jordan also called for unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip but had no mention of Hamas. More on this.

Israel has rejected the United Nations General Assembly's resolution calling for a ceasefire in Hamas.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel intends to “eliminate Hamas as the world dealt with Nazis and ISIS.”

United Nations António Guterres has reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies in Gaza.

"Everyone must assume their responsibilities. This is a moment of truth. History will judge us all," he wrote on X.

The US State Department is recommending American citizens in Lebanon “leave now” while commercial flights remain available due to the unpredictable security situation.

"There is no guarantee the US government will evacuate private US citizens and their family members in a crisis situation," it wrote on a post on X.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the organisation has lost touch with its staff in Gaza.

“This siege makes me gravely concerned for their safety and the immediate health risks of vulnerable patients. We urge immediate protection of all civilians and full humanitarian access,” he wrote on X.