Israel-Hamas war Highlights: ‘Will target Hamas like human animals,’ says Israeli minister

Israeli aircraft targetted three Hezbollah fighters along the Lebanon border, says Israeli Military, reports Reuters.

European Council President Charles Michel, currently in Washington for a summit with US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has announced his visit to Egypt on Saturday.

He emphasized the need for support for Egypt, a country bordering the war-torn Gaza Strip, saying, "Egypt needs support, so let's support Egypt." During his weekend visit, he will also meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Furthermore, at President Sisi's invitation, Michel will participate in a "conference on the current developments in the Middle East, Palestine, and the Peace Process," as confirmed by his spokesperson, Ecaterina Casinge.

Israel’s military said it struck Hamas targets in Gaza overnight and hit Hezbollah assets in response to fire from Lebanon, where the Iran-backed group is based.

There are fresh concerns that Israel’s war with Hamas will spark a bigger conflict in the energy-producing Middle East, after the US said its military bases in Iraq and Syria are increasingly under attack. An American destroyer also shot down cruise missiles and drones launched by Yemen-based Houthi militants toward Israel. Global stocks retreated and oil rose.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains closed, even as the US and Europe push for it to open to allow humanitarian aid into the territory. Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the US, has again called for a ‘Day of Rage’ on Friday, the most important day of prayer for Muslims.

Bloomberg

Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg said on Twitter that she would protest in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza.

“Week 270. Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reported gunfire directed towards the northern town of Margaliot along the Lebanon border, Times of Israel reported.

IDF units are conducting thorough scans of the area, with additional details yet to be provided.

According to reports from Hebrew-language media, there is a possibility that an armed individual may have crossed into Israeli territory.

In response to these developments, residents of neighboring towns have been advised to seek shelter in bomb shelters as a precaution, although many have already evacuated due to recurrent rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon.

"The conflict between Israel and Hamas may jeopardize already limited humanitarian resources needed in other parts of the world," warned Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, during a visit to Tokyo, Reuters reported.

He expressed concern that the war might escalate beyond Israel and Gaza, putting additional strain on countries like Lebanon and Egypt, which are already grappling with refugee crises.

Grandi emphasized that humanitarian resources are finite, and increased crises could result in "less resources for everybody."

Rocket sirens wail in Ashdod, Ashkelon, and surrounding localities.

As of now, there have been no immediate reports of rocket impacts or interceptions, Times of Israel reported.

The entrance of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing is to be determined, says an Israeli army spokesperson, as per Reuters.

Zhai Jun, China's special envoy to the Middle East, attributed the Israel-Gaza crisis to the absence of guarantees for Palestinian rights. He emphasized the importance of increased coordination with Moscow during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Qatar.

During the initial segment of his regional tour, the Chinese envoy arrived in Qatar on Thursday, where he reaffirmed China's alignment with Moscow in their joint endeavors to facilitate de-escalation in the Gaza crisis, AlJazeera reported.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, issued a stark warning on Friday, emphasizing that any further escalation or continuation of military activities in the Gaza Strip would be "catastrophic" for its residents, AFP reported.

Grandi, speaking to reporters in Japan, stressed that while the UNHCR does not have a formal mandate in the Palestinian Territories or Israel, he shares the deep concern expressed by many of his colleagues, including the UN Secretary-General, regarding the conflict.

Grandi also characterized the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7 as "appalling" and cautioned that the potential spread of the conflict into Lebanon or other areas would have "incalculable" consequences.

Amid the ongoing crisis, international aid has been accumulating near Gaza, as the Palestinian population faces urgent needs for food and water.

Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Avi Dichter said on Friday that his country will target Hamas like ‘human animals’ during and after the war saying that the organisation have behaved like ‘animals’.

"You don't need justification to fight against an organization like Hamas that have behaved like animals hunting other animals. It's not going to be to be stopped and we are not going to take it as something that was done, and that's it. We are going to target those animals, human animals, whether during the war or after the war, nobody is going to escape," Dichter was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He further claimed that Hamas and its associates were responsible for the explosion at the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza and highlighted that the incident happened the day when the US President was scheduled to land in Tel Aviv.

The death toll resulting from an Israeli troops' operation in the occupied West Bank has reached 13, while the conflict continues along the Gaza strip, AFP reported quoting Palestinian health officials.

Since the eruption of the Gaza conflict on October 7, at least 81 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers, and one member of the Israeli security forces lost their life in the territory, the report further said.

"The Israeli occupation army committed a massacre from Nur Shams camp in Tulkarem during its attack yesterday, with the death toll reaching 13 martyrs, among them five children," the ministry said in a statement.

On Thursday, the Israeli military announced an airstrike that resulted in the death of "a number of terrorists" in Nur Shams. An army statement mentioned, "Exchanges of fire with armed gunmen, which included explosive devices being thrown at Israeli security forces, took place."

Senior Israeli officials have discussed the possibility of launching a significant ground offensive into the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas, according to a Times of Israel report. Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers near Gaza that the order for entry into the Palestinian enclave would be issued “soon”. He stated, "You now see Gaza from a distance, soon you will see it from the inside... The order will come."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also visited the frontlines, motivating a group of Golani soldiers near the Gaza border and expressing confidence in a major victory. He said, "We are going to win with all our might... All of Israel is behind you, and we are going to heavily strike our enemies so that we can achieve victory," as reported by The Times of Israel.

The head of the Israeli Defense Forces Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, anticipates that the expected ground offensive will be "long and intense."

A collection of UN independent experts has asserted that the limited access to humanitarian aid in Gaza is leading to "crimes against humanity." In a press release, these experts have also expressed significant concerns of both humanitarian and legal nature regarding Israel's reinforcement of its 16-year-long blockade on Gaza. This blockade has been affecting the population's access to crucial resources such as food, fuel, water, electricity, and medicine, depriving 2.2 million people, as further indicated by the UN Human Rights Office in a press release on Thursday.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have had a conversation with the family of a Palestinian-American boy who lost his life in a hate crime near Chicago this week. The White House issued a statement confirming that the Bidens expressed their condolences to the Alfayoumi family and offered prayers for the complete recovery of Wadea's mother. The conversation took place immediately after President Biden's rare Oval Office address to the nation over the ongoing Gaza conflict on Thursday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scheduled to visit Egypt on Friday as part of his Middle East tour, during which he aims to stress on the importance of preventing any escalation of violence in the region following the Hamas attack on Gaza.

In his visit to Jerusalem, Sunak aimed to express support for Israel and engage in negotiations to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas, as well as to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza's residents.

During his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, Sunak urged the Saudi leader to leverage the country's leadership role in the region to promote stability, highlighting concerns that the Hamas attack and Israel's response could potentially spark regional unrest.

In his discussions in Egypt, Sunak will emphasize "the imperative of avoiding regional escalation and preventing the further unnecessary loss of civilian life," as stated by his office.

(With Reuters inputs)

The Israeli Defense Ministry has issued a directive for the evacuation of Kiryat Shmona, a northern town located in proximity to the Lebanese border, Reuters reported. Kiryat Shmona, with a population exceeding 20,000, is situated approximately 2 kilometres from the border fence.

• Egypt's El Arish airport, located in the Sinai region bordered with Gaza, has been receiving an influx of aid, including food, medicines, water purifiers, hygiene products, and blankets. Due to the volume of aid deliveries, the airport has even opened an additional landing strip to handle the shipments.

• The Rafah border crossing into Gaza, which Egypt had promised to open, is situated a short distance to the east of El Arish airport. Rafah is the sole entry point into the blockaded Palestinian territory that is not under Israeli control.

• During a visit to Cairo, UN Chief Antonio Guterres emphasized the urgent need for "swift and unobstructed humanitarian access" in response to dire warnings regarding the impact of the sustained Israeli blockade on Gaza.

• Guterres highlighted that both the Rafah crossing and El Arish airport are not just critically important but also represent the only hope and lifelines for the people of Gaza.

•The Israel-Hamas conflict has reached its 14th day.

•In a rare Oval Office address, U.S. President Joe Biden called on Americans to allocate billions of dollars to support Israel in its fight against Hamas.

•Israel's defense chief instructed troops to be prepared for potential entry into the Gaza Strip with the aim of defeating the Palestinian militant group.

•The Pentagon reported an increase in drone attacks in Iraq and Syria.

•An American destroyer in the Red Sea intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched toward Israel.

•Three Palestinians, including two teenagers, were killed by Israeli forces in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

•Israel has been conducting airstrikes on Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants on October 7, during which 1,400 Israelis were killed, and hostages were taken.

•In response to the conflict, Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system has intercepted rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

•Palestinian health officials estimate that around 3,500 people in Gaza have been killed, and over a million have been displaced.

•A siege imposed by Israel on Gaza has resulted in a dire humanitarian situation, with shortages of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies reported by civilians.

Gaza's primary medical facility, Al-Shifa Hospital, has only enough fuel to operate its generators for 24 hours, CNN reported citing Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Thursday. Al Shifa hospital, where MSF has been providing care for burn patients for an extended period, is one of the few places in Gaza that still has electricity. Currently, it is also attending to patients from the recent hospital blast at Al Ahli Baptist Hospital, which occurred on Tuesday.

Thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge at Al-Shifa hospital, looking for a safe haven from the ongoing bombings, as mentioned by Thomas. MSF emphasised the urgency of getting hospitals fully operational again and stressed the need for regular ceasefires to ensure the delivery of fuel and medicine to medical facilities.

In the dawn attack by Hamas militants on October 7, an estimated 25% of an Israeli kibbutz near the Gaza border suffered damage. Nearly 400 residents were either killed, kidnapped, or went missing in the assault, which targeted Israeli communities and military posts.

According to Bahat, who is 57 years old, it's challenging to determine the final death toll because bodies are still being discovered, and some are waiting to be identified. He pointed out one specific home where the bodies of a woman and her grandson were recovered recently.

On the first day of the attack, Israeli officials report that at least 1,400 people were killed, the majority of whom were civilians, many of whom were shot, mutilated, or died in fires.

Israel states that about 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before regaining control of the affected area.

Even nearly two weeks after the attack, the signs of the devastation are still evident. Laundry is still hanging on washing lines, and children's bicycles are strewn in gardens alongside the charred remnants of homes.

Kibbutz security chief Shachar Butler returned, in part to bury a close friend on Thursday afternoon.

(With AFP inputs)

Intel Corp. and Siemens AG have decided to withdraw from Web Summit, the largest technology conference in Europe, in response to critical comments made by the event's organiser regarding Western support for Israel following the Hamas attacks, Bloomberg reported.

Intel, the US chipmaker, confirmed on Thursday that it is pulling out of Web Summit. A representative for the company, which has well-established operations in Israel, declined to provide further comment.

Siemens, the German engineering and manufacturing company, was originally listed as a top sponsor for the upcoming summit in Lisbon. However, following a review of the situation, the company has chosen not to participate in or sponsor the event this year.

China's special envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun attributed the Israel-Gaza crisis to the lack of guaranteed Palestinian rights during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Qatar, which serves as a diplomatic intermediary in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

At the initial stop of his regional tour Zhai arrived in Qatar on Thursday, where he reiterated Beijing's alignment with Moscow in their joint efforts to de-escalate the Gaza crisis.

After meeting with Mikhail Bogdanov in Doha, Zhai stated that China and Russia hold identical positions on the Palestinian matter. This development followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's discussions with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, marking a rare meeting between the two leaders.

“The fundamental reason for the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been guaranteed,” Zhai said.

(With Reuters inputs)

Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, as the ground troops prepared to see Gaza “from the inside”. Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals tried to stretch out ebbing medical supplies and fuel for generators, as authorities worked out logistics for much needed aid delivery from Egypt.