UN urges Israel to call off northern Gaza evacuation order

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Dujarric said the same order applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities -- including schools, health centres and clinics.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is sheltering more than 60 per cent of the 423,000 people displaced in recent days in the Gaza Strip.

"The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," Dujarric said.

"The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation."

A Security Council meeting on the conflict has been called for Friday.

UN: Israel orders the evacuation of 1.1 million people in northern Gaza.

The United Nations was informed that Israel had ordered 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to relocate to the south of the territory within 24 hours, a UN spokesperson told AFP Thursday, calling for the order to be rescinded on humanitarian grounds.

"The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general said.

At least 10 Palestinians killed and 15 injured in Khan Yunis.

Israeli troops storm the town of Birzeit in Ramallah.

UN calls for $294 mn for 'urgent needs' in Gaza, occupied West Bank

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The funds would be used to help more than 1.2 million people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, stressing that aid groups do not have "the resources required to adequately respond to the full range of needs of vulnerable Palestinians."

36 Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the start of war 

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 36 Palestinians lost their lives and 650 were injured in the West Bank since the start of the war. 

UN: At least 423,000 people displaced in Gaza

 Death toll in Jabalia camp rises to 45

Gaza’s interior ministry says at least 45 Palestinians killed in an airstrike targeting a house in the northern refugee camp. 

UAE denies arrival of US military aircraft to support Israel

In a statement on X, the UAE Ministry of Defence has denied reports of a US military aircraft recently arriving at Al Dhafra airbase to provide support for Israel. Adding that US warplanes at the base been planned for months as part of agreements to maintain bilateral military cooperation.
 

Iran's Foreign minister: continuation of crimes against Palestinians will receive response from 'the rest of the axis'

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Thursday upon his arrival in Beirut in a press statement on TV from the airport that the continuation of crimes against Palestinians will receive a response from 'the rest of the axis' and 'the Zionist entity' will be responsible for that. The displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians and cutting off water and electricity is considered a war crime, he added.

Human Rights Watch: Israel used White Phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon

Human Rights Watch confirmed in a statement that Israel has used White Phosphorus in its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. Witness testimony and verified video footage showed “multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon borderâ€�.     The rights group said the weapon can severely harm civilians and “can burn people and set structures, fields and other civilian objects in the vicinity on fireâ€�. Adding the use of white phosphorus in densely populated places like Gaza “violates the international humanitarian law prohibition on putting civilians at unnecessary riskâ€�.  

BREAKING: Israel has used white phosphorus in military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, putting civilians at risk of serious and long-term injuries.

White phosphorus causes excruciating burns and can set homes afire. Its use in populated areas is unlawful.

— Human Rights Watch (@hrw)

Hamas: No hostage file will be opened until aggression on Gaza stops

Hamas has released a precorded press statement on Telegram. The group said it "firmly denied" allegations that it had beheaded babies, calling these "lies and Israeli propaganda. Hamas added that the situation on the ground prior to the operation was "not sustainable" and that Israel had "neglected all political and legal means to settle the conflict". It calls its operation, dubbed Al-Aqsa Flood, a "supremely defensive act" and said that there were clear instructions to avoid targeting civilians but "they had been caught in the middle". The group also said that it would not negotiate over the release of hostages "until aggression on Gaza stops", but that it was committed to treating them "in accordance with international humanitarian law".

Palestinian Health Ministry: over 1,537 Palestinians killed and more than 6,000 wounded in Israeli air strikes in Gaza since Saturday.  

Jordan says Israel’s denial of aid to Gaza's is a breach of international law

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi says Israel’s denial of entry of aid to Gaza’s inhabitants is a breach of international humanitarian law.  He warned against displacing Gazans to Egypt and expanding the crisis to other countries in the region.

Gazans must 'remain on their land': Egypt's Sisi

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Eighteen killed in Jabalia refugee camp

An Israeli air strike killed at least eighteen people and injured over 30 others after targeting a family home in the Jabalia refugee camp.

" احنا ما بنحب الليل " مجزرة �ي مخيم جباليا وعدد كبير من الشهداء والاصابات قي منزل عائلة حلاوة

— HosamSalem (@HosamSalemG)

France's Macron says 13 French killed by Hamas in Israel attack

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that 13 French citizens had been killed by Hamas’s Oct 7 attack on Israel and he vowed to do everything to bring back 17 other French nationals who still have not been accounted for.

Speaking in a national television address, Macron said the only way to resolving the crisis was security guarantees for Israel along with the creation of a state of Palestine.

Three Palestinians killed after an Israeli strike on Rafah

An Israeli air strike targeted a residential building in Rafah in the southern of Gaza, killing three and wounding at least 28 others.

�يديو قص� منزل بالقرب من مسجد العودة ر�ح

— كويتيون ضد التطبيع 𓂆 (@kuwaitpal48)

 'No desire by Israelis' for US troops on ground: White House

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"There is no intention, no plan and, frankly, no desire by the Israelis for US combat troops to be involved in this conflict," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Palestinian woman Shot dead by Israeli forces in Ramallah

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, a woman was shot dead by Israeli forces near the town of Silwad in Ramallah. 

Israeli police killed shooter after Jerusalem shooting: police

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Israel 'emergency government' sworn in

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Benny Gantz and five members of his party were sworn in as ministers, while opposition chief Yair Lapid has announced he would not join the government.

Israeli police storms At-Tur neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

UK to send navy ships, surveillance planes to support Israel

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is deploying two Royal Navy ships, helicopters and surveillance aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and reinforce regional stability, his office said on Thursday.

Blinken says none of $6 billion in Iranian funds in Qatar have been spent or accessed

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said Washington has strict oversight of $6 billion in Iranian funds transferred from South Korean to Qatari accounts as part of a prisoner swap deal earlier this year.

Blinken, speaking at a news conference in Tel Aviv, said that none of the funds have been spent or accessed.

(Reuters)

Two wounded in shooting near Jerusalem police station

Two injuries were reported in a shooting on a police station in Bab Al-Sahera in Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli media said.

Roads in the vicinity have been cordoned off.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shooting and who the injured individuals were.

مصادر عبرية: إصاباتان.. بعمليــــة إطلاق نار �ي باب الساهرة بالقدس ، وشرطة الاحتلال تعلن استشها د من�ذ العملية

— مصدر مسؤول (@fouadkhreiss)

Blinken says he spoke to Israel about 'humanitarian needs' of Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday he raised with Israel the "humanitarian needs" of the Gaza Strip while defending the right to retaliate for the deadly Hamas attack.

"We did discuss ways to address the humanitarian needs of people living in Gaza to protect them from harm, while Israel conducts its legitimate security operations to defend itself from terrorism and to try to ensure that this never happens again," Blinken told reporters after talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials in Tel Aviv.

UK will send 2 royal navy ships to the E.Mediterranean 'to support Israel': Times

The UK has said it will send 2 royal navy ships to the Eastern Mediterranean and begin surveillance flights over Israel in a show of military support designed to reassure Israel, the Times has reported.

Blinken insists that he saw photos of murdered babies in Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated claims that he and other Washington officials had in fact seen photos of murdered children in Israel after Hamas' surprise attack on 7 October.

He did not however say that he saw photos of 'beheaded' babies.

During a press conference in Tel Aviv, Blinken said "we saw photos of a baby riddled with bullets and beheaded soldiers."

Hamas on Wednesday refuted widely spread claims that its militants had beheaded children during their attack.

What does Israel's 'total siege' of Gaza mean?

Israel on Thursday imposed a full siege on the Gaza Strip, vowing there would be "no humanitarian exceptions" to the blockade until all hostages captured by Hamas were freed.

The comments came after humanitarian groups on the ground pleaded for fuel to be allowed in to prevent overwhelmed hospitals from "turning into morgues".

Read the full article here.

Jordan's king and Palestinian leader warn against escalation in Gaza

Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Thursday for steps to prevent a deterioration in the Gaza crisis and they condemned what they called Israel's "collective punishment" of Palestinians.

In a statement after a meeting in Amman, they also warned against a "rise in violence and its spread" as a humanitarian crisis worsens amid Israel's intense bombing campaign in Gaza after a devastating cross-border attack by Hamas.

Abdullah and Abbas also called on the international community to pressure Israel to allow humanitarian corridors into Gaza to allow food and aid as NGOs and aid groups warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.

Jordan has sent a military plane with medical aid to the Egyptian city of Rafah in Sinai, Egypt, to try to get Israel to allow the cargo into the enclave through a single border crossing with Gaza.

Jordan's interior ministry also said they would not allow protesters planning anti-Israeli marches to reach the border zone with the West Bank, where it said this area was a closed to civilians.

France bans pro-Palestinian protests

France on Thursday said it was banning all pro-Palestinian demonstrations after the bloody attack on Israel by Hamas, on the grounds such protests threaten to public order.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a note to regional prefects that the demonstrations "are likely to generate disturbances to public order", adding that organisers should face arrest.

UK: Saudi ambassador visits Palestinian embassy in London

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to London visited the Palestinian embassy on Thursday in a show of solidarity with Gaza as it reels under intense Israeli bombardment for a sixth day, following Hamas' surprise attack.

"A brotherly gesture from His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Bandar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, visiting the Palestinian Mission to the U.K. today to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, and to coordinate joint action to stop the war machine and the targeting of civilians," Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot wrote on X.

A brotherly gesture from His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Bandar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, visiting the Palestinian Mission to the U.K. today to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, and to coordinate joint action to…

— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot)

Israel hits Gaza with 4,000 tonnes of explosives since Saturday: army

The Israeli army said it has bombarded the Gaza Strip with approximately 6,000 bombs containing a total of 4,000 tonnes of explosives since Saturday when it began striking Hamas targets.

"Approximately 6,000 bombs have been dropped on the Gaza Strip with a total weight of 4,000 tonnes," the army said in a statement Thursday.

Abbas urges 'immediate end to aggression' against Palestinians

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called Thursday for "an immediate end to the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people", his office said following a meeting in Amman with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

After a massive Hamas onslaught on Israeli communities near the Gaza border early Saturday that spiralled into war, Abbas rejected "practices related to killing civilians or abusing them on both sides", according to a statement.

Drone infiltrated Galilee from Lebanon: Israeli army

The Israeli army said a drone coming from Lebanon had infiltrated Israeli airspace on Thursday.

It had fired a patriot missile into south Lebanon over a false alarm earlier.

Israel-Hamas war a 'new cloud' over world economy: IMF

The war between Israel and Hamas has cast a shadow over the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Morocco, with warnings Thursday that it has darkened the outlook for an already sluggish global economy.

Speaking at a press conference in Morocco, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the International Monetary Fund was "very closely monitoring how the situation evolves" and how it is affecting oil markets.

She said it was "too early" to assess the impact of the conflict, but "this is a new cloud on not the sunniest horizon for the world economy - new cloud, darkening this horizon."

Israel has destroyed at least 752 residential buildings in Gaza: Palestinian official

Israel has destroyed at least 752 residential buildings since launching its "illegal aggression" against the coastal enclave six days ago, said Salama Maarouf, the head of the Hamas-run government office, in a press statement sent to °®Âþµº. 

Maarouf noted official figures have documented that Israeli airstrikes destroyed "at least 752 residential buildings, with 2,835 units completely demolished and 32,000 units seriously damaged."

Israel fires missile into south Lebanon over 'false alarm': army

The Israeli army said it has fired a patriot missile into southern Lebanon Thursday over a false alarm.

The Patriot landed near the village of Al-Mari in the Hasbaya district, on the eastern side of southern Lebanon.

Images were shared by Lebanese journalists on X.

سقوط صاروخ باتريوت تم ت�عيله من منصات ص�د �ي خراج بلده الماري جنوب لبنان

— علي شعيب || Ali Shoeib 🇱🇧 (@alishoeib1970)

India condemns Hamas 'terrorist attack', reiterates backing for independent Palestine

India considers the weekend attack by Hamas militants in Israel a "terrorist attack", a spokesperson for the country's foreign ministry said Thursday, while reiterating its longstanding position for an independent Palestine.

"We see this as a terrorist attack," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson's remarks were the first reiteration of India's stance on an independent Palestinian state since the latest hostilities broke out between Israel and Hamas over the weekend.

"India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side-by-side at peace with Israel," spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a weekly briefing.

Immediately after the attacks Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed shock over the "terrorist attacks in Israel".

"We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," he said on social media platform X, and also during a phone conversation with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

India only established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992, but the two countries have inched closer to becoming strategic partners since then and New Delhi has become much less vocal in expressing its support for an independent Palestinian state.

But as the hostilities continue and Israel launches a barrage of bombing across the Gaza Strip, New Delhi said that "there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law".

"There is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," the spokesperson said.

(Reuters)

Iran accuses Israel of seeking "genocide" by besieging Gaza: state TV

Iran's foreign minister accused Israel of seeking "genocide" by enforcing a siege against Gaza, according to Iranian state TV, before a visit to Iraq's capital on Thursday.

"Today, the continuation of war crimes by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and Zionists against the civilians of Gaza, besieging, cutting off water and electricity, and denying entry of medicine and food, has created conditions where the Zionists are seeking a genocide of all people in Gaza," Hossein Amirabdollahian said.

"The war we witness today in the Gaza Strip is not just the Zionists' war against Hamas, it is the Zionists' war against all Palestinians."

(Reuters)

Gaza death toll rises above 1,400

The death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 1,417 people with 6,268 people wounded, the Hamas-run health ministry announced.

The Norwegian Refugee Council calls for immediate relief for Gaza

Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, called on Thursday for the establishment of humanitarian corridors to allow the immediate safe passage of humanitarian workers and relief supplies into the Gaza Strip in light of intense Israeli raids.

Egeland said, in a statement: "The Norwegian Refugee Council calls for the immediate establishment of humanitarian corridors and a temporary cessation, to allow the safe passage of humanitarian workers and relief supplies into Gaza." He also called on "the international community to urgently insist on humanitarian access "and protect civilians."

"At this moment, Gaza is running out of fuel, with supplies of medicine and food dangerously low," Egeland warned.

Turkey ready to send Palestinians aid but 'very difficult' to deliver

Turkey is prepared to send humanitarian aid to Palestinians hit by the conflict centred on Gaza but it is very hard to deliver it under the current circumstances, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday.

"The situation in the region is very complicated. Under current circumstances, it is very difficult to deliver aid there," the Turkish defence ministry official told reporters.

He added the Turkish Armed Forces were ready to deliver aid if the president directed them to.

Despite Erdogan's discussions with leaders, Turkey has not announced any official timetable for delivering humanitarian aid.

Turkey's AFAD disaster management agency typically handles such tasks, backed by military aircraft and ships as needed.

(Reuters)

Hamas fires at Israeli mobilisation units in Yad Mordechai

Hamas' military wing says they have fired rockets at Israeli army mobilisations in the Yad Mordechai kibbutz north of the Gaza Strip.

3 killed including child in airstrike on ministry building: Alaraby TV

Three people including a little girl were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Development in Rafah, south Gaza Strip, reported Alaraby TV.

US will 'always be there by your side': Blinken in Israel

Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed on a visit Thursday that the United States will "always" back Israel but said the Palestinians also had "legitimate aspirations" not represented by Hamas.

"You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself. But as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side," Blinken said during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as war raged between Israel and Hamas.

Israel bombs Damascus and Aleppo airports in Syria: state media

Israeli airstrikes targeted the international airports in the Syrian capital Damascus as well as the northern city of Aleppo on Thursday, Syrian state-run media said.

A video shared online purportedly shows smoke billowing from the Damascus airport.

🔻 تدمير مدارج مطار وحلب �ي سوريا �ي قص� اسرائيلي

— المرصد العسكري ⧨ (@Military_OSTX)

The Israeli army later said that the targeting of the airports came after mortal shells were fired from Syria towards Israel earlier this week.

14 Palestinian bodies pulled from rubble in Deir al-Balah

The bodies of 14 people were pulled from underneath the rubble after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

كل دقيقة مجزرة، دير البلح قبل قليل

— بلال نزار ريان (@BelalNezar)

Hamas still firing rockets into Gaza periphery

Hamas' armed wing said Thursday it continued to target Israeli settlements near Gaza with rocketfire.

No casualties have been reported in these settlements.

Israeli settlers kill two Palestinians in West Bank: Palestinian health ministry

Israeli settlers killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Witnesses told Reuters that the father and son were shot when settlers opened fire at the funeral of four Palestinians who were killed by armed settlers and Israeli soldiers in the village of Qusra, near the northern city of Nablus, on Wednesday.

The Ministry condemns the heinous crime committed by the occupation forces today by firing live bullets at the funeral procession of the martyrs of the village of and the ambulances carrying them, resulting in the of a civilian and his son. Also, the attacks by…

— State of Palestine - MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa)

Israeli security forces have killed at least 27 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war with Hamas erupted on Saturday.

(Reuters)

UN experts say Israel's strikes on Gaza amount to 'collective punishment'

A group of independent UN experts have condemned violence against civilians in Israel and deplored the "collective punishment" of reprisal strikes against Gaza.

While condemning the "horrific crimes committed by Hamas", the group said that Israel had resorted to "indiscriminate military attacks against the already exhausted Palestinian people of Gaza".

"They have lived under unlawful blockade for 16 years, and already gone through five major brutal wars, which remain unaccounted for," the group, which includes several U.N. special rapporteurs, said in a statement.

"This amounts to collective punishment. There is no justification for violence that indiscriminately targets innocent civilians, whether by Hamas or Israeli forces. This is absolutely prohibited under international law and amounts to a war crime."

NATO supports Israel, urges it to respond with 'proportionality' in Gaza

NATO countries on Thursday told the Israeli defence minister they stood by Israel after the attack by Hamas, but urged his forces to respond with "proportionality", the alliance said.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant briefed his counterparts from the US-led military alliance via video-link as his country's military carries out a bombing campaign after Islamist militants killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

I briefed the meeting of Defense Ministers in Brussels on developments in the war against Hamas. I described the atrocities committed by Hamas against infants, women, the elderly. The "ISIS" of Gaza will not exist on our borders. The IDF will destroy Hamas.

— יו�ב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant)

"Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO condemned the terrorist attacks in the strongest possible terms, adding: 'Israel does not stand alone'," NATO said in a statement.

"Allies expressed solidarity with Israel, making clear that it has the right to defend itself with proportionality against these unjustifiable acts of terror."

NATO countries "called for Hamas to immediately release all hostages, and for the fullest possible protection of civilians. Allies also made clear that no nation or organisation should seek to take advantage of the situation or to escalate it."

The statement added that "a number of NATO allies made clear that they are providing practical support to Israel as it continues to respond to the situation".

Egypt directing Gaza aid flights to northern Sinai: ministry

Egypt said on Thursday it was directing international aid for the besieged Gaza Strip to Al Arish airport in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The nearby Rafah crossing between Sinai and Gaza remained open, the statement said, adding that Egypt had asked Israel to avoid targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing after strikes that prevented normal operations there.

(Reuters)

Gaza death toll now over 1,300: health ministry

Gaza's health ministry said 1,354 Palestinians have died so far from Israeli airstrikes and more than 6,000 have been wounded.

Israeli army says all units preparing for next phase of war

The Israeli military said Thursday that all of its units were preparing for the next phase of the war with Hamas, in a possible indication of a ground offensive.

Turkey's Erdogan talks to Hamas for release of Israeli hostages: official

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched a negotiation process with Hamas for the release of Israeli hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian militants, an official source told AFP on Wednesday.

"They are negotiating to secure the release of the hostages," the source said, confirming a report by the private TV channel Haberturk.

Dozens of people were taken hostage during Hamas' surprise attack on Israel, with some reports saying they could be as many as 150.

The Turkish President, who has offered to mediate to restore peace, has been stepping up talks with his Middle Eastern counterparts.

Israel death toll reaches 1,300: Israeli media

The death toll in Israel from Hamas' weekend attack has reached 1,300 people, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said Thursday.

326 children among Gaza dead: DCIP

At least 326 Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 7, said Brad Parker from Defense for Children International – Palestine.

"DCIP has documented the killings of 105 Palestinian children in Gaza so far, and the death toll is rising more quickly than we can keep up as Israel closes Gaza off from food, water, fuel, electricity, and medical supplies."

Gaza health sector ‘exhausted’, on verge of collapse: ministry

The Gaza Strip’s health institutions are "exhausted and beginning to collapse," the undersecretary of Gaza’s health ministry told Alaraby TV on Thursday.

It comes after the ministry said the enclave’s hospitals have reached full capacity with the number of deaths and injuries rising because of Israel’s bombardment.

Israeli forces have destroyed at least 752 residential buildings since launching its aggression against the coastal enclave six days ago, while an estimated 89 schools were attacked - nine of which have become no longer operational ⬇

— °®Âþµº (@The_NewArab)

Iran FM to visit Beirut as part of regional tour: embassy

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announces visit to Beirut as part of greater regional tour.

Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon announced on Twitter that the FM will embark on the regional tour on Thursday "in light of developments in Palestine and the crimes committed against Gaza, and their dangerous repercussions."

Germany's Scholz condemns Iranian backing of Hamas

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a crackdown on organisations that backed Hamas, telling legislators that Iran bore responsibility for allowing the group to grow to the point where it launched the weekend's attack on Israel.

"While we have no firm proof that Iran operationally supported this cowardly attack, it is clear to us all that without Iranian support Hamas would never have been able to launch this unprecedented attack," he said on Thursday.

"Sadly, we can foresee the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza strip likely growing further - but that too is the fault of Hamas and its attack on Israel," he added.

At home, he said Germany would ban all fundraising and other support activities for Hamas and ban Samidoun, an international activist group that says it supports Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, but which German authorities says promotes hate speech and calls for Israel's destruction.

He added that it was important to try and avoid a further regional escalation of violence, warning Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed militant group, in Israel's neighbour Lebanon not to risk an attack on Israel.

"I am in close contact with Egypt's President Sisi, who has channels to Gaza. I will speak with Turkey's President Erdogan today and receive the Emir of Qatar," he added. "All three can play an important role in de-escalating the situation."

(Reuters)

2 senior PIJ, PFLP officials killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza: Alaraby

Alaraby TV reported Thursday that a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, and another senior official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were killed in Gaza.

Israel will not supply water, fuel to Gaza until hostages freed: minister

Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz vowed Thursday his country would not allow basic resources or humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas released the people it abducted during its surprise weekend onslaught.

"Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home," he said in a statement.

Around 150 Israelis, foreigners and dual nationals were abducted to the Gaza Strip by Hamas militants as part of the Saturday attack that killed more than 1,200 people in Israeli towns and communities around the enclave.

Israel had previously announced a "complete seige" on Gaza, cutting off water, fuel and electricity supplies. The Palestinian territory's sole power plant shut down on Wednesday after running out of fuel.

Blinken arrives in Israel in solidarity visit after Hamas attacks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv Thursday in a show of solidarity after Hamas's surprise weekend onslaught in Israel, an AFP correspondent travelling with him reported.

Blinken is expected to visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington closes ranks with its ally that has launched a withering air campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Blinken, who under unusually tight security with guards in camouflaged military gear, was received at the airport by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

In comments made before departing to Israel, Blinken stressed Washington's support to Israel.

"The United States has Israel's back. We have their back today, tomorrow - we will have it every day," Blinken told reporters. "We're determined to make sure Israel gets everything it needs to defend itself."

Gaza death toll rises above 1,200

The death toll has reached 1,203 with more than 5,760 wounded from Israel's bombardment, the Gaza Strip's health ministry has said.