Israel-Hamas war highlights: Israeli threat of ground invasion 'doesn't scare us', says Hamas

Israel-Hamas war highlights: The Israel Defence Forces chief said the army will soon enter the Gaza Strip to decimate the Hamas terror group.

Pro-Israeli demonstrators gather outside the headquarters of the BBC to protest about the corporation's coverage of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in London, Britain, October 16, 2023. (REUTERS)

Israel-Hamas war highlights: The Israeli military on Monday said that the Palestine-based Hamas militant group is holding at least 199 hostages in Gaza. Earlier, they had estimated the number to be around 120....Read More

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• 17 Oct 2023, 03:30:56 AM IST

  Iran warns of 'pre-emptive action' against Israel

  Iran warned Monday of a possible "pre-emptive action" against Israel "in the coming hours", as Israel readies for a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip.

  Tehran has repeatedly warned that a ground invasion of the long-blockaded Gaza would be met with a response from other fronts -- prompting fears of a wider conflict that could draw in other countries.

  "The possibility of pre-emptive action by the resistance axis is expected in the coming hours," Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a live broadcast to state TV, as he referred to his meeting with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday.

  Earlier Monday, Iran's top diplomat and president, Ebrahim Raisi had said time was running out to reach a political solution and warned against the expansion of the Israel-Hamas war to other fronts.

  Amir-Abdollahian said Monday that "the resistance leaders" will not allow Israel "to do whatever it wants in Gaza".

  "If we don't defend Gaza today, tomorrow we have to defend against these (phosphorus) bombs in the children's hospital of our own country," he added.

  (AFP)

• 17 Oct 2023, 03:05:23 AM IST

  Israel PM Netanyahu speaks to Russia's President Putin

  Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu had a conversation with Russia's President Putin on Monday regarding the ongoing war with Hamas militant group. During the exchange, Netanyahu said to Putin that Israel would not cease its operations in Gaza until Hamas is dismantled, as stated in the Israeli statement.

  (With Reuters inputs)

• 17 Oct 2023, 02:30:52 AM IST

  Israel suspends security exports to Colombia over president's Nazi comparison

  Israel has suspended security exports to Colombia in an escalating diplomatic spat over online messages by Colombia's president comparing Israel's siege of Gaza to the actions of Nazi Germany.

  Colombian President Gustavo Petro has doubled down on his criticism of Israel and suggested that his country may need to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel, while his foreign minister has suggested Israel's ambassador should leave the country.

  In a statement published Sunday, Israel's foreign ministry said that Petro's recent statements on X, previously known as Twitter, “inflame antisemitism" and "threaten the safety of the Jewish community in Colombia." The Israeli government said it called Colombia's ambassador to a meeting in which she was informed that defense cooperation between the countries would be suspended.

  (AP)

• 17 Oct 2023, 01:42:45 AM IST

  Canada PM Trudeau calls for immediate humanitarian corridor into Gaza

  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has on Monday called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor in Gaza to provide essential aid to the enclave's 2.3 million residents. This appeal comes in the wake of diplomatic efforts failing to deliver aid to Gaza, as Israel imposed a total blockade and conducted extensive airstrikes in response to an attack by Hamas that resulted in over 1,300 casualties.

  Trudeau further stressed about the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access, stating that it is imperative to deliver vital supplies such as food, fuel, and water to Gaza's civilians. While Canada supports Israel's right to self-defense within the bounds of international law, Trudeau stressed that even in times of conflict, rules must be observed.

  "Terrorism is always indefensible, and nothing can justify Hamas' acts of terror. ... Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people nor their legitimate aspirations," he said.

  (Reuters)

• 17 Oct 2023, 01:16:42 AM IST

  Israeli threat of ground invasion 'doesn't scare us': Hamas

  The threat of an Israeli ground invasion of the blockaded Gaza Strip “doesn't scare us and we are ready for it”, Abu Obeideh, the spokesman of Hamas group said Monday.

  He further said that the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades have detained 200 individuals since a significant attack in southern Israel on October 7, with approximately 50 more being held by other 'resistance factions and in different locations.

  (AFP)

• 17 Oct 2023, 12:58:21 AM IST

  Israel-Hamas war LIVE: Hamas claims 200 Israeli captives, says rest under other armed factions

  The Hamas group spokesperson said on Monday that there are about 200 to 250 Israeli captives in Gaza and also emphasised on the custody of captives of other nationalities, describing them as guests who will be released when circumstances allow.

  In related developments, former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal announced on Monday that the group's Israeli captives include high-ranking officers from the Gaza Division. Meshaal, who heads Hamas' diaspora office, also stated that the group is committed to using these captives as leverage to secure the release of 6,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, Reuters reported citing an interview with Meshaal on Hamas' telegram channel, as reported by AlAraby TV.

• 17 Oct 2023, 12:14:49 AM IST

  Sirens in Tel Aviv prompt Netanyahu and Blinken to take shelter

  Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefly took shelter in a bunker when sirens signaled a rocket attack in Tel Aviv, underscoring the risks faced by the top US diplomat as he moves through the region to prevent a broader conflict in the Middle East.

  Blinken and Netanyahu, along with senior Israeli officials, were in a meeting when the sirens blared near the prime minister's office, indicating a rocket threat. State Department personnel and journalists accompanying the delegation were also directed to a secure underground location until the sirens ceased and the shelter order was lifted.

  "During the secretary's meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the war cabinet, the air raid sirens went off, and they sought shelter in a bunker for five minutes," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller

  (With Bloomberg inputs)

• 16 Oct 2023, 11:50:23 PM IST

  Israeli public gripped by grief and shock, rallying to support military amid war with Hamas

  Normal life in Israel came to a standstill following the October 7th attack by Hamas. Presently, the nation is intensely focused on three primary objectives: mourning the loss of lives, combatting Gaza-based militants, and rescuing numerous hostages.

  Schools throughout the country have been shut down, major streets are notably devoid of traffic, and many shops and businesses have closed their doors as workers have been called up for reserve duty.

  This attack, which resulted in the tragic loss of over 1,400 Israeli lives in a single day, has left Israel in a state of turmoil, shattering confidence in the government's ability to protect its citizens and the perceived invincibility of the country's armed forces.

  Even high-tech defenses crumbled within minutes when confronted by a force that Israelis had previously considered a disorganized group of terrorists. For the first time since the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation, hostile forces took control of Israeli territory, and they also abducted at least 199 civilians and took them into Gaza.

  As residents in the southern part of the country huddled in their homes, it took the military hours to respond. Feelings of vulnerability and abandonment were exacerbated as families desperate to find their missing or captive loved ones found themselves without government officials to speak to for days.

  (AP)

• 16 Oct 2023, 10:59:18 PM IST

  Humanitarian air bridge to be launched to aid Gaza

  The European Union said on Monday it would launch a humanitarian air bridge operation consisting of "several flights" to Egypt aiming to bring supplies to humanitarian organisations on the ground in Gaza.

  "The first two flights will take place this week, carrying humanitarian cargo from UNICEF including shelter items, medicines and hygiene kits," the EU said in a statement.

  Diplomatic efforts to arrange a ceasefire to let aid reach the besieged Gaza Strip failed earlier, and Israel ordered the evacuation of villages in a strip of territory near its border with Lebanon, raising fears the war could spread to a new front.

  "Palestinians in Gaza are in need of humanitarian help and aid, they cannot pay the prize of Hamas' barbarism," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference in Tirana.

• 16 Oct 2023, 10:45:55 PM IST

  Egypt alleges Israel not cooperating with aid delivery into Gaza

  Egypt said on Monday that Israel was not cooperating with delivery of aid into Gaza and evacuations of foreign passport holders via the only entry it does not wholly control, leaving hundreds of tonnes of supplies stuck.

  Cairo says the Rafah crossing, a potentially vital opening for desperately-needed supplies into the Israeli-besieged Palestinian enclave, is not officially closed but was made inoperable due to Israeli air strikes on the Gaza side.

  As Israel's bombardment and siege of Gaza has intensified, the territory's 2.3 million residents have been left without power, pushing health and water services to the brink of collapse, with fuel for hospital generators running low.

  "There is an urgent need to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza," Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters, adding that talks with Israel had not been fruitful.

• 16 Oct 2023, 10:40:53 PM IST

  France directs Lebanon to stay out of Israel-Hamas war

  Lebanese authorities should take all necessary measures to avert a war with Israel, France's foreign minister said in Beirut on Monday, following repeated exchanges of fire along the shared frontier.

  "Lebanese officials have a responsibility... to do everything possible to prevent Lebanon from being dragged into a spiral," Catherine Colonna told a press conference, adding that, no group "should take advantage" of the situation.

• 16 Oct 2023, 10:32:55 PM IST

  ‘War with Hamas, not Palestinians’: Israeli PMO

  Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Tal Heinrich, Spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO) outlined that Israel's battle is against Hamas and not against the people of Palestine.

  Heinrich emphasised the resilience of Israeli families and the importance of taking action against Hamas, saying, "Their resilience is our strength. The ones who are aching the most are the ones giving us the most strength."

  "Today it is important to highlight what the families told the PM of Israel and what they told the entire nation of Israel, to hold our heads high and to do what must be done against Hamas," she said addressing a virtual press conference on Monday.

  Heinrich also revealed that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has discovered evidence of a Hamas-produced kidnapper's guide. "The IDF found evidence of Hamas-produced kidnapper's guide. Now the guide explains in gruesome detail how Hamas terrorists should capture and torture kidnapped civilians," added Heinrich.

• 16 Oct 2023, 10:06:43 PM IST

  Israel ‘not thinking about Hamas’ replacement' after war

  Israel's ambassador to United Nations Gilad Erdan said that his country is not thinking about who will replace Hamas to govern the Gaza Strip after it topples the Islamist group.

  “There are many, many questions regarding the future, [and] we will have time to discuss them… but for now, the only focus should be how to release the hostages, how to secure our future by obliterating Hamas capabilities,” Erdan told CNN.

• 16 Oct 2023, 09:42:29 PM IST

  Israel's intelligence agency chief says he's responsible for lack of warning against Hamas attack

  Head of Israel's intelligence agency Shin Bet, Ronen Bar on Monday took responsibility for unable to provide enough warning against the Hamas attack on October 7.

  "Despite a series of actions we carried out, unfortunately on Saturday we were unable to generate a sufficient warning that would allow the attack to be thwarted. As the one who heads the organization, the responsibility for this is mine,” Bar said in a missive to the agency members.

• 16 Oct 2023, 09:31:02 PM IST

  Over 2,800 Palestinians killed, more than 10,800 injured: Hamas media

  Hamas on Monday claimed that a total of 2,808 Palestinians have been killed so far during the war, injuring 10,850.

• 16 Oct 2023, 09:19:20 PM IST

  Israel's health ministry lambasts WHO over ‘cessation of hostilities’ statement

  The Health Ministry in Israel on Monday rebuked World Health Organisation (WHO) for its statement on the ongoing war, which has included strongly worded criticism of Israel’s strikes on Gaza and its call for civilians in northern Gaza to flee south ahead of a ground operation.

  “As Hamas rampaged through Israeli towns murdering infants, raping women and taking the sick and elderly hostage, including Holocaust survivors, the World Health Organization was largely focused on cessation of hostilities,” the Health Ministry says in a statement. “Israel’s efforts to save lives by evacuating civilians from the conflict zone in northern Gaza has been perversely twisted and maligned in service of Hamas’s efforts to continue their use of Gaza’s civilians as human shields,” the ministry was quoted as saying by Times of Israel.

• 16 Oct 2023, 09:11:27 PM IST

  On reaching political solution amid war, Iran warns ‘time running out’

  Iran on Monday said time was running short to reach a political solution in the Israel-Gaza conflict, warning of the "possibility of expanding the scope of war and conflict to other fronts".

  Israel declared war on the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas a day after waves of its fighters broke through Gaza's heavily militarised border with Israel on October 7 and shot, stabbed and burned to death over 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

  Israel has responded by pummelling the Gaza Strip with non-stop air and artillery strikes that have flattened neighbourhoods and killed at least 2,750 people in Gaza, mostly civilians.

  Iran celebrated the Hamas assault but insisted it was not involved.

  Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday held phone calls with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, during which he "warned against the continuation of crimes by the Zionist regime", the president's political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, said on X, formerly Twitter.

• 16 Oct 2023, 08:58:23 PM IST

  8 more IDF soldiers named among those killed in war

  The Israel Defence Force on Monday named eight more soldiers who were killed during the war which began last weekend. The latest number surged the toll of slain soldiers to 299.

• 16 Oct 2023, 08:51:18 PM IST

  Israel President says war against Gazan terror group not morally ‘complex’

  Israel President Isaac Herzog on Monday lauds the unity among its citizen and thanked the United States for its public support and military aid. He said that war on terror groups in the Gaza Strip is not ‘morally complex’ but a part of the international struggle to maintain free societies.

  “Everyone talks about complexity, but this moment is not a complex moment. There is absolute good here and there is absolute evil here. There is light here and there is darkness here,” Herzog was quoted as saying by Times of Israel.

• 16 Oct 2023, 08:40:42 PM IST

  Israeli PM-UAE President discuss Hamas attack

  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke last night with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. The two leaders discussed regional developments in wake of Hamas's murderous assault against the citizens of Israel.

  Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is determined to destroy Hamas's military and governing capabilities, and is making every effort to prevent harming non-combatants. The two leaders agreed to keep in contact.

• 16 Oct 2023, 08:15:23 PM IST

  Hezbollah accepts it targetted 5 positions in northern Israel

  Lebanon's Hezbollah said it targeted five Israeli positions in northern Israel on Monday, as a security source in Lebanon and Hezbollah's al-Manar television reported Israeli shelling into northern Lebanon.

  The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier for days, in violence touched off by the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Palestinian group Hamas.

• 16 Oct 2023, 08:05:25 PM IST

  UNGA calls for ‘immediate release’ of hostages

  United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis on Monday called for the release of hostages taken from Israel and providing uninterrupted access of civilians to humanitarian aid in Gaza.

  In a post on X, Francis has echoed the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' appeal for the "immediate release" of hostages from Israel.

  "I join the @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres in his appeal for the immediate release of all hostages taken from Israel & for the unimpeded access of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in line with international law," posted the UNGA President on X.

  "Civilians have been suffering the horrific consequences of violence since the attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7. I join the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his appeal for the immediate release of all hostages taken from Israel and for the unimpeded access of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in line with international law," the post added.

• 16 Oct 2023, 08:02:23 PM IST

  US' Blinken updates Netanyahu on forming coalition against Hamas

  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday updated Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his quick visit to Arab nations in an effort to form coalition against Hamas.

  Blinken ‘underlined his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas’s terrorism and reaffirmed US determination to provide the Israeli government with what it needs to protect its citizens’, White House said in a statement.

• 16 Oct 2023, 07:55:25 PM IST

  Putin speaks to Iran, Israel, Palestinians, Syria and Egypt

  Russian President Vladimir Putin entered the fevered diplomatic fray of the Middle East on Monday, speaking to five of the major players including Iran and leading Arab powers in an attempt to secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

  Russia, which has relationships with Iran, Hamas, major Arab powers as well as with the Palestinians and with Israel, has repeatedly said the United States and the West have ignored the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders.

  Putin spoke to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by telephone, the Kremlin said. He also plans to speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it said.

• 16 Oct 2023, 07:46:25 PM IST

  Sirens blare in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv after rocket blasts heard in Israel's biggest cities

  Rocket alert sirens blared Monday in Jerusalem and several blasts were heard in the city, AFP correspondents said, amid the war raging with Hamas militants in Gaza.

  The army confirmed "sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem", Israel's biggest cities, while a parliament meeting starting the legislative winter session was interrupted by the rocket alarm.

• 16 Oct 2023, 07:05:10 PM IST

  Russian President to call Israeli, Arab leaders amid surgin war

  Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to call Israeli and Arab leaders on Monday, his adviser said, amid Russian fears Israel's Gaza offensive could trigger wider conflict in the region.

  Russia has repeatedly called for talks on ending the conflict, which has strained relations with long-time partner Israel and complicated ties with Iran, which backs militant group Hamas.

  "The president has already spoken to the president of Syria and the president of Iran," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

  "During the day there will be more phone calls with the presidents of Egypt -- Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestine -- Mahmud Abbas, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," Ushakov said.

• 16 Oct 2023, 06:48:52 PM IST

  Rishi Sunak's tough ‘stamp it out’ remarks on some pro-Palestinian marches

  British prime minister Rishi Sunak condemned some incidents at pro-Palestinian marches in Britain as "simply not acceptable" after police made several arrests. Read more

• 16 Oct 2023, 06:25:56 PM IST

  Palestinian envoy urges China to end war

  The Palestinian envoy to China called for Beijing to play a role in ending the Israel-Hamas war amid concerns of a wider conflict and rising humanitarian toll.

  “We would like to have China on board with all other players who can really put an end to this,” Ambassador Fariz Mehdawi told Bloomberg TV in an interview Monday. He cited moves currently underway by Western officials to try to prevent a spillover and called on Beijing to play its part, although he didn’t specify how. “We need to stop what’s going on. People are dying.”

  The US and its allies are ratcheting up efforts to prevent further escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with President Joe Biden mulling a trip to Israel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to return to the country for a second time since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, following earlier talks with Arab leaders.

• 16 Oct 2023, 05:43:28 PM IST

  Half of Israel's hotel rooms filled with Gaza war evacuees

  Half of Israeli hotel rooms are being used to house families evacuated from communities near the Gaza Strip, where an Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas gunmen triggered a cross-border war, the head of the Israel Hotel Association said on Monday.

  Israel has 56,000 hotel rooms and 28,000 are being provided to evacuees with the state footing the bill, said association chief executive Yael Danieli.

  She told a parliamentary panel debating compensation for residents impacted by the war that an additional 27,000 from border towns near Lebanon were expected. The Israeli-Lebanon border has seen an increase in hostilities as the Gaza war rages.

  These citizens need meals and other welfare support from the state, Danieli added.

• 16 Oct 2023, 05:11:38 PM IST

  Israeli minister thanks India for its support

  Israel's Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli has thanked the Indian leadership, people of India for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel in its fight against Hamas.

  "I want to thank the leadership of India, the people of India for being with us shoulder-to-shoulder in this fight against brutal jihadist barbaric Islamist. This is not just our war, this is your war too and we will win it together with your support," he said.

  He further said: "I want to tell the people of India - we share the same values, we cherish life, we cherish good...We believe in human values."

  He said that there are more than 120 confirmed hostages. "We will make every effort to bring them back home. It won't be simple. As you know, Hamas has absolutely zero mercy, zero human values...So, we have no expectations from Hamas. Still, we believe we might, with intelligence, with efforts, maybe we can rescue some of them," he said.

  "My recommendation for Hamas militants - lay down your weapon, raise up your hands, come from your tunnel and maybe there will be mercy," he added.

• 16 Oct 2023, 04:54:20 PM IST

  Opposition leaders reach Palestinian embassy in India to show solidarity

  Amid the raging Israel-Hamas war, a group of opposition leaders, including MP Danish Ali and former parliamentarians Mani Shankar Aiyar and KC Tyagi, visited the Palestine Embassy here on Monday to express solidarity with Palestinians.

  Besides BSP's Ali, Congress' Aiyar and JD(U)'s Tyagi, CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan were also among those leaders who visited the embassy.

  Bhattacharya said they were at the Embassy to express solidarity with the people of Palestine in the wake of the war on Gaza and the humanitarian crisis.

  "In India, everywhere, we are raising our voice with the people of the world. The voice for peace must ring louder now because what is happening in Gaza right now is not just killing of the people there indiscriminately but pushing the world to the brink of the third world war," the CPI(ML) leader said.

• 16 Oct 2023, 04:45:22 PM IST

  Hamas belies Israel: Tel Aviv hasn't resumed water supplies for Gaza

  Israel has not resumed water supplies for Gaza, spokesman of Hamas interior ministry Eyad Al-Bozom said as per news agency Reuters. He said, “The residents drink unhealthy water, posing a serious health crisis threatens the lives of the citizens.” Read more

• 16 Oct 2023, 04:37:09 PM IST

  Water resupplied in parts of southern Gaza

  Water is being resupplied at Bnei Sahila near Khan Younis in South Gaza, aide to Israeli minister said.

• 16 Oct 2023, 04:13:59 PM IST

  ‘Mustn’t be business as usual with Hamas': Top US official

  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned Monday to Israel after talks in six Arab states, hoping to coordinate efforts against Hamas while finding ways to alleviate Gaza's humanitarian crisis.

  Just four days after he paid a lightning visit to Tel Aviv to show solidarity, Blinken flew back and went straight to talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Jerusalem office.

  As Israel prepares what is expected to be a major ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Blinken was later to meet Netanyahu's security cabinet.

  "I want an opportunity to share everything that I've heard -- that I've learned -- over the last few days visiting with our other partners and to talk about the way forward with our Israeli allies and friends," Blinken told reporters Sunday in Cairo.

  US officials say Blinken heard wide opposition to Hamas from leaders during his tour -- but also concern on the plight of the Palestinians.

  "I made clear that it cannot be -- must not be -- business as usual with Hamas going forward," Blinken said in Cairo.

  "And at the same time, as I said, we're determined to do everything we can to address the needs of people in Gaza," he said.

• 16 Oct 2023, 04:06:11 PM IST

  Israel president reveals shocking 'Warrior's Guide' – Hamas' operating manual

  Israel president Isaac Herzog revealed a Hamas booklet found on the body of a terrorist killed in one of the Gaza-area communities. The manual- titled “The Warrior's Guide: Jihadi Version”- outlines tactics including creating chaos, intimidating captives, electric shocks and even live executions. Read more

• 16 Oct 2023, 03:58:05 PM IST

  Gaza hospitals cram with crowd as Israel attack surges

  Palestinians in besieged Gaza crowded into hospitals and schools on Monday, seeking shelter and running low on food and water. More than a million people have fled their homes ahead of an expected Israeli ground invasion aimed at destroying Hamas after its fighters rampaged through southern Israel.

  As the enclave’s food, water and medicine supplies dwindled, all eyes were on the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, where trucks carrying badly needed aid have been waiting for days as mediators press for a cease-fire that would allow them enter Gaza and allow foreigners to leave. Rafah, Gaza's only connection to Egypt, was shut down nearly a week ago because of Israeli airstrikes.

  Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Israel “has not taken a position to open the crossing from the Gaza side.” The Israeli government did not respond to a request for comment.

• 16 Oct 2023, 03:45:42 PM IST

  11 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza war, union says

  Eleven Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its airstrikes, a union of Palestinian journalists has said. Twenty other journalists have been injured, reported AFP

• 16 Oct 2023, 03:25:13 PM IST

  Antony Blinken back in Israel

  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has returned to Israel, following a tour of six Arab countries, reported AFP, citing a correspondent travelling with him.

• 16 Oct 2023, 03:08:49 PM IST

  US already 'militarily involved' in Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says Iran

  The United States is already heavily involved in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and must be held to account, an Iranian official has said, according to Reuters.

  "The crimes of the Zionist regime are carried out with the support of the United States and Washington must be held accountable," the official said.

• 16 Oct 2023, 02:57:29 PM IST

  Israel evacuates communities along Lebanon border

  Israel's army said Monday it was evacuating residents living along its northern border with Lebanon amid rising tensions there 10 days into its war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. More details here.

• 16 Oct 2023, 02:42:59 PM IST

  Israel accuses Iran of ordering Hezbollah attacks

  The Israeli military accused Iran on Monday of having ordered attacks by Hezbollah at the Lebanon-Israel border on Sunday.

  "Hezbollah carried out a number of shooting attacks in order to distract from our war efforts in the south (Gaza), under Iranian instruction and with (Iranian) support," chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. This comes as more than a million people fled their homes in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected Israeli invasion that seeks to eliminate Hamas' leadership. Read on.

• 16 Oct 2023, 01:59:20 PM IST

  Hamas holding 199 hostages in Gaza: Israeli Army

  Israeli military now says that Hamas is holding at least 199 hostages in Gaza, reports Reuters. Earlier, they had estimated the number around 120.

• 16 Oct 2023, 01:58:12 PM IST

  Fauda actor breaks down over ongoing Israel-Gaza war

  Israeli actor Rona-Lee Shimon, celebrated for her leading role in the popular web series 'Fauda,' has pledged her commitment to opposing Hamas in light of the terrorist group's attack on her country. Read on.

• 16 Oct 2023, 01:01:28 PM IST

  Dozens of US citizens, families at Haifa port awaiting evacuation by boat

  Several dozen United States citizens and their spouses wait to board an evacuation ship at the port of Haifa.

  The queue this morning follows a security alert issued Sunday by the US Embassy in Jerusalem for citizens seeking to leave the country. Due to flight cancelations in connection with the fighting between Israel and Hamas, US citizens and their first-degree relatives were invited to come to Haifa Port and board a vessel bound for Cyprus, where they would board flights to the United States.

  “I have mixed feelings about leaving,” says Ariella Keshet, a therapist from the town of Katzrin in the Golan Heights.

• 16 Oct 2023, 12:55:47 PM IST

  What majority of Americans feel about Israel-Hamas war? Survey details

  A majority of Americans feel that the Israeli government’s military action in response to the attack by the Palestine-based Hamas militant group is justified, a survey by CNN showed. Read more

• 16 Oct 2023, 12:51:25 PM IST

  1 million people displaced in Gaza; 'not enough body-bags for the dead': UN agency

  The UN relief and works agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) has issued its latest situational report on Gaza and the West Bank in which it has said “there are not enough body-bags for the dead in Gaza.”

• 16 Oct 2023, 12:45:46 PM IST

  Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Israel

  Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Israel on Tuesday.

• 16 Oct 2023, 12:41:54 PM IST

  Likud ministers oppose temporary truce to allow aid into Gaza

  Several Likud ministers are vehemently opposing a reported US-brokered temporary truce to allow aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Times of Israel reported.

  Energy Minister Israel Katz says he “bitterly opposes the opening of the blockade and the introduction of goods into Gaza on humanitarian grounds.”

  “Our commitment is to the families of the murdered and kidnapped hostages — not to the Hamas murderers and those who helped them,” he says.

• 16 Oct 2023, 12:41:04 PM IST

  Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to at least 2,750 after Israeli airstrikes

  At least 2,750 Palestinians have been killed and 9,700 wounded in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since 7 October, Reuters reports the Gaza health ministry said on Monday.

• 16 Oct 2023, 12:35:34 PM IST

  Palestinian envoy urges China to help end Israel-Hamas war

  The Palestinian envoy to China called for Beijing to play a role in ending the war in the Gaza Strip amid concerns of a wider conflict and rising humanitarian toll.

  “We would like to have China on board with all other players who can really put an end to this,” Ambassador Fariz Mehdawi told Bloomberg TV in an interview Monday. He cited moves currently underway by Western officials to try to prevent a spillover and called on Beijing to play its part, although he didn’t specify how. “We need to stop what’s going on. People are dying.”

  The US and its allies are ratcheting up efforts to prevent further escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with President Joe Biden mulling a trip to Israel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to return to the country for a second time since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, following earlier talks with Arab leaders.