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

Two American citizens held hostage by Hamas since October 7 have been released, US President Joe Biden announced Friday, assuring that his government would fully support the duo in their recovery and healing process.

Biden thanked the governments of Qatar and Israel for their partnership in securing the release of the two hostages -- a mother and her teenage daughter.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday voiced relief that Hamas has released two American hostages but said the militant group still holds up to 10 other US citizens among approximately 200 captives seized earlier this month.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said he believed that trucks carrying aid will get through to Gaza in the next 24 to 48 hours, as he met with leaders from the European Union at the White House to discuss the war in the Middle East.

The Israeli Air Force is striking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip "at a rate not seen in decades," a military official said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters today, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the air force was also preparing the way for the expected ground assault on the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.

US President Joe Biden said Friday he believed the first trucks carrying aid to Gaza would come through the Rafah crossing from Egypt within the next two days.

"I believe in the next 24 to 48 hours the first 20 trucks will come across the border," Biden said as he met European Union chiefs at the White House.

Biden said that he had a commitment from Israel and from Egypt's president to let the aid through but the "highway had to be repaved, and it was in very bad shape."

AFP

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met the leaders of Egypt and the Palestinian Authority in Cairo on Friday, agreeing with them on the need to let humanitarian aid into Gaza and avoid civilian casualties in Israel's war with Hamas.

Sunak met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as part of a diplomatic tour of the Middle East.

During the talks Sunak stressed the imperative of avoiding a wider regional conflict and preventing any further unnecessary loss of civilian life, his office said.

"We've also made good progress on tangible areas like ensuring access for humanitarian aid to those who need it," Sunak told broadcasters in Cairo.

Reuters

German police have recorded more than 1,100 offences in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict since Hamas launched its deadly attack earlier this month, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Friday.

"These are preliminary figures... and investigations are underway everywhere," Faeser told journalists in a press conference at the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Wiesbaden.

Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials.

More than 4,100 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks by the Palestinian Islamist militant group, according to the latest toll from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza.

AFP

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called upon Israel to halt its actions in Gaza, which he characterized as a form of genocide. He has also urged the international community to facilitate a humanitarian ceasefire in the region.

Erdogan, in a message on the social messaging platform X, expressed concern that Israel's actions were not only escalating tensions but also involving non-regional entities. He emphasized the necessity of rescuing the region from what he termed the "frenzy of madness," which he believes is being encouraged by Western powers and media, Reuters reported.

Erdogan reiterated his appeal to Israeli leadership, emphasizing the importance of not expanding attacks on civilians and immediately terminating actions that he equates to genocide. He also noted that Ankara is actively working to prevent the conflict between Israeli and Palestinian forces from reaching a point of no return.

Outside the Red Cross in Geneva on Friday, Assaf Shem Tov clutched a picture of his 21-year-old nephew who was abducted by Palestinian group Hamas and called on the international community to step up efforts to free Israeli hostages.

The nephew, Omer Shem Tov, was at a festival in Kibbutz Reim near the Gaza Strip when he was abducted. His family was told by authorities that he was in Gaza but have heard nothing since.

"I think that we need the Red Cross to first of all visit the hostages, make sure that they are well treated," he said.

"Make sure that they get human rights, and act as fast as possible for them to come back home."

Assaf Shem Tov and relatives of two other hostages were set to meet with Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which has offered to visit and help the hostages in any way and work towards their release.

"Any civilized country should put as much pressure as they can for the release of the hostages," said Michal Dorset, aunt of hostage Romi Gonen, who was abducted and taken to Gaza when trying to escape a nature festival.

"These are not military personnel. These are simple people that just went to enjoy themselves or live in that area."

Reuters

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched a series of airstrikes against Hamas command centres, anti-tank guided missile launch sites, and underground infrastructure in the Gaza Strip since Friday morning, .

Additional airstrikes on sites affiliated with the terrorist group are currently in progress, as reported by the IDF.

IDF tweeted, “Since the morning the IDF has been attacking terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, among the targets attacked were several operational headquarters, anti-tank launchers and underground infrastructure of the terrorist organization Hamas.”

Canada's commitment to a two-state solution for peace in the Middle East remains steadfast, reiterated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Reuters reported.

He stated, "Canada remains firm and steadfast in our commitment to a two-state solution. The world and the region needs a peaceful, safe, prosperous, viable Palestinian state alongside a peaceful, prosperous, democratic, safe... Israel."

Arab citizens in Israel and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem are facing repercussions, including arrests, job terminations, and dismissals, due to their social media expressions of solidarity with Gaza, Reuters reports.

These expressions of solidarity have been in response to the heavy bombardment of Gaza by Israel, resulting in a significant number of casualties, primarily civilians. This situation developed following an attack on October 7, where Hamas militants infiltrated southern Israel, leading to a large number of casualties, including civilians, on that day.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reported a recent drone strike against a terrorist cell situated along the Lebanon border. Specific information regarding the cell's identity and the nature of their planned operation has not been disclosed at this time, Times of Israel report.

Additionally, the IDF notes that several anti-tank guided missiles were launched from Lebanon toward IDF outposts along the border. In response, IDF forces have initiated artillery shelling directed at the sources of the missile attacks.

The White House has submitted a request to Congress for an allocation of nearly $106 billion to support ambitious initiatives in Ukraine, Israel, and U.S. border security. However, the proposal does not include a specific strategy for securing the funds, considering the challenges presented by the current state of Congress, Reuters reported.

President Joe Biden's request for this funding comes shortly after his visit to Israel, where he expressed solidarity with the country during its conflict with Gaza, following an attack by Hamas militants that resulted in the death of 1,400 people in southern Israel.

By combining the funding for Israel with allocations for Ukraine, border security, refugee assistance, measures to address concerns related to China, and other contentious priorities, President Biden aims to create a national security spending bill that is deemed crucial and can garner support in the tumultuous House of Representatives. It's worth noting that the House has been without a leader for over two weeks since Republicans gained control last year.

Russia on Friday advised its citizens against travelling to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories amid flaring tensions over Israel's war with Hamas.

"The situation in the Middle East is heating up," Moscow's foreign ministry said. "The number of casualties and injuries is rising. Mass protests are taking place around the world."

"We strongly recommend that Russian citizens refrain from travelling to the region, especially to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories," it warned.

Tensions in the region have escalated dramatically since Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7.

The Nepal government on Friday urged for a "peaceful and negotiated settlement" of the Israel-Palestine issue as it condemned the attack on a hospital in Gaza in which hundreds of people were killed.

Around 500 people were reported to have been killed on Tuesday in the explosion at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, evoking strong international condemnation.

Palestinian authorities blamed Israeli air strikes for the explosion at the hospital, while Israel said it was caused by a misfired rocket launched from Gaza by militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Chanting slogans that encouraged Islamist Hamas militants to escalate their attacks on Israel, a large gathering of Jordanians marched throughout the country, with over 6,000 participants taking part in a protest organized by opposition parties and tribal groups in downtown Amman, Reuters reported.

This demonstration reflects the heightened emotions in Jordan due to the ongoing escalation of violence between Palestinians and Israel.

The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates held a meeting on Friday, as reported by state media. This meeting comes as the two Gulf states are working to address their differences, especially in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has the potential to escalate and impact the entire Middle East, Reuters reported.

The encounter, which took place at Riyadh's airport, featured Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, welcoming UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Notably, public meetings between these leaders have been infrequent in recent years, as both countries have competed for investments and regional influence.

IDF spokesperson at Gaza border amid war with Hamas says,"...We are ready for anything...IDF is focused on a mission to ensure that Hamas leadership from top to bottom are unable to commit any more atrocities."

The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a travel advisory for Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestinian territories, TASS reported.

Rocket sirens wail in the small communities located in the Judean foothills region, to the south of Modiin, Times of Israel reported.

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

Egypt is set to host an international conference on Saturday to address the escalating conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, Reuters reported. The Cairo Peace Summit will bring together several prominent leaders, including:

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly, European Council President Charles Michel, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Middle East Airlines (MEA) in Lebanon will cut back on flights following alterations to its insurance coverage, as stated by Chairman Mohamad El-Hout in a televised interview on Friday. He further mentioned that, as of the coming week, only eight out of their 22 aircraft will be in operation due to the insurance adjustments, Reuters reported.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant outlined that one of the objectives of the military campaign in Gaza was to end Israel's responsibility over the Palestinian coastal enclave, Reuters reported.

During a briefing to the parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, he said, "The objectives of the campaign include eliminating Hamas, destroying its military and governing capabilities, completely relinquishing Israeli responsibility over the Gaza Strip, and establishing a new security reality in the region."

Overnight, a building in Tel Aviv, which serves as the headquarters for the ruling Likud party in the city, was defaced with fake blood. This act appears to convey a message holding the national leadership responsible for the casualties resulting from Hamas's attacks on October 7, Times of Israel reported.

At the entrance of the Metzudat Ze'ev office building, the display includes a collage of photos depicting hostages held in Gaza after the onslaught in southern Israel. Additionally, the photos of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been covered with fake bloody handprints.

Police have initiated an investigation into the incident.