Father of American teenage hostage freed by Hamas says she is ‘doing very good’
Israel has vowed to step up its airstrikes on Gaza which have already killed nearly 4,500 Palestinians in the fortnight since Hamas militants breached the border and massacred some 1,400 Israelis.
“We will deepen our attacks to minimise the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war. We are going to increase the attacks, from today,” an Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson said.
After days of geopolitical efforts, the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza finally opened on Saturday to allow desperately needed aid flow to Palestinians for the first time since Israel sealed off the territory.
But the Palestinian Red Crescent Society warned that, while the first 20 trucks of aid offered “a welcomed glimpse of hope”, they “represent “a drop in the ocean” of what is needed.
The enclave’s 2.3 million Palestinians have been rationing food and drinking filthy water, while hospitals say they are running low on medical supplies and fuel for emergency generators amid a territory-wide power blackout.
UN agencies call for ceasefire
UN agencies have reiterated calls for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access throughout Gaza, after 20 trucks carrying a shipment of aid reached the enclave through the Rafah crossing.
“We call for a humanitarian ceasefire, along with immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access throughout Gaza to allow humanitarian actors to reach civilians in need, save lives and prevent further human suffering,” the joint statement from the UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO said.
“Flows of humanitarian aid must be at scale and sustained, and allow all Gazans to preserve their dignity.”
Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City
(Abed Khaled/AP)
Andy Gregory21 October 2023 18:44
At least 50 Palestinians killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight
More than 50 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza strip overnight, Reuters news agency has reported quoting Gaza medical sources.
Stuti Mishra22 October 2023 07:00
Israel strikes underground compound at West Bank mosque
Israeli Defense Forces said a military aircraft launched a strike early today on the Al-Ansar mosque at the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
The IDF said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants had been using an “underground terror route” beneath the mosque. One Palestinian was killed in the shelling, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said.
Tensions have ris=en in the West Bank, where dozens of Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops.
Stuti Mishra22 October 2023 06:30
US committed to ensuring Gaza has access to food, water and medical aid, says Biden
The United States is committed to ensuring that civilians in Gaza will continue to have access to food, water and medical care without it being diverted by Hamas, President Joe Biden said on Saturday.
“We will continue to work with all parties to keep the Rafah crossing in operation to enable the continued movement of aid that is imperative to the welfare of the people of Gaza,” he said in a statement after the first convoy of humanitarian supplies passed through the crossing into the enclave.
Andy Gregory22 October 2023 06:01
Israel did not strike Gaza hospital, Canada says
Canada’s National Department of Defence said on Saturday that Israel was not behind the Al-Ahli hospital strike in Gaza which killed 471 people.
“Analysis conducted independently by the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command indicates with a high degree of confidence that Israel did not strike the Al-Ahli hospital on 17 October 2023,” it said in a statement.
The strike was more likely caused by an errant rocket fired from Gaza, the Defence department said based on analysis of open source and classified reporting.
Canada’s findings are similar to the conclusions by France and the US.
Stuti Mishra22 October 2023 05:30
US races to free more hostages as Israel prepares for ground invasion of Gaza
The release of two American hostages held by Hamas has magnified a race against the clock to secure the release of others, and evacuate Americans in Gaza ahead of Israel’s likely ground invasion that could complicate those efforts.
My colleague Alex Woodward has more details:
Andy Gregory22 October 2023 05:04
US to send more air defence systems to Middle East
The US will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system and additional Patriot air defence missile system battalions to the Middle East, the Pentagon said, in response to recent attacks on JUS troops in the region.
The United States has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in recent weeks, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.
Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.
“Following detailed discussions with President (Joe) Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the department of defence posture in the region,” defence secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
Austin said he was placing additional troops on prepare-to-deploy orders, but did not say how many. The Pentagon has already placed some 2,000 troops on a heightened state of readiness in case they need to deploy to the region.
“These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for U.S. forces in the region, and assist in the defence of Israel,” Mr Austin added.
Stuti Mishra22 October 2023 04:30
Four Hezbollah fighters killed near Lebanon border on Saturday, militant group claims
Four fighters from tHezbollah were killed along the border with Israel on Saturday, the Iran-backed militant group said, taking to 17 the number of its members it says have died during two weeks of escalating violence in the frontier region.
A security source in Lebanon said one of the fighters was killed in the Lebanese area of Hula, opposite the Israeli community of Margaliot, which Israel said was the target of an anti-tank missile attack. The Israeli army said it fired back.
Hezbollah later said three other members were killed in the fighting, without providing details. The Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, which also has a presence in southern Lebanon, separately said one of its fighters was killed.
Andy Gregory22 October 2023 04:05
Rishi Sunak warns Israel-Hamas war risks unleashing ‘contagion of conflict’ across Middle East
Rishi Sunak has warned that the Israel-Hamas war risks unleashing a “contagion of conflict” across the Middle East, following a visit to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for talks with key regional players this week.
The prime minister said his two-day visit showed “that the UK stands in solidarity with them against terrorism” and that “there can be no justification” for the atrocities committed by Hamas, adding: “I wanted to sit down with other leaders and talk face to face. Because in times of tension and division, it’s more important than ever to accelerate diplomatic efforts.”
He said the opening of the border crossing with Egypt to allow an aid convoy into the Gaza Strip was “testament to the power of diplomacy, with the US, Israel and Egypt brokering an agreement to ensure vital aid reaches the Palestinian people”.
“We’re working closely with Egypt to ensure that the UK plays our part in ensuring those Palestinians get the food, water and medicine they so desperately need,” he said.
“The overwhelming view I got from everyone I spoke to this week was that we need to do everything possible to stop a contagion of conflict in the region. We need to keep our aspirations for a more peaceful and stable future firmly in our sights as we work together to defeat the evil of terrorism.”
Andy Gregory22 October 2023 03:11
Watch: Biden speaks on the phone to US mother and daughter released by Hamas
Biden speaks on the phone to US mother and daughter released by Hamas
Andy Gregory22 October 2023 02:14