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Two Palestinians confirmed dead after Israeli raid and air strike on Jenin

More on the earlier reports of airstrikes in Jenin.

Israeli forces on an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank came under fire by a group of Palestinians whom the military then targeted with a drone strike, the Israeli military said on Wednesday, and medics said two Palestinians were killed.

The military said armed Palestinians "fired and hurled explosive devices" at its forces in Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank. The military then struck them with a drone, and "hits were identified", it added.

The Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service said two Palestinians were killed, with others injured.

The strike was at least the third use of Israeli air power in the West Bank since violence in the territory surged after Israel began relentlessly bombarding the Gaza strip. 

Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold for the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank, was the focus of a deadly Israeli military raid this year, which left 12 Palestinians dead, including a child. 

(������ Staff and Reuters)

Australia deploys more aircraft, personnel to Middle East, fearing Israel-Gaza escalation

"Australia said on Wednesday it had deployed two more military aircraft and a "significant number" of defence personnel to the Middle East to help support its citizens there if the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza escalates.

Australia sent a Boeing C-17 aircraft and an air refueler plane that has the capacity to carry passengers, taking the total to three, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

He did not disclose the total number of personnel deployed and where the aircraft would be based due to security reasons but said they would not be based in Israel.

"All of this is a contingency and the purpose of it is to be supporting Australian populations that are in the Middle East ... this is a very volatile situation and we just don't absolutely know which way it goes from here.""

Read more here.

Israel strikes Syrian army assets after rocket launches, Israeli military says

Israel's military said its jets struck Syrian army infrastructure and mortar launchers early on Wednesday in what it described as a response to rocket launches from Assad regime-held Syria toward Israel.

The military said it had identified two rocket launches from Syria that had landed in open areas late on Tuesday, and that it had responded with artillery fire at the sources of the launches.

In a further response, the military said its fighter jets "struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army".

The military did not provide further details. It did not accuse Syria's army of firing the two rockets, which set off air raid sirens in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from Syria.

Israel has traded fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah and militants in Syria in recent days, a wider conflict over its northern border as it carries a relentless bombardment of Gaza, killing over 5700 people, including over 2000 children. 

Reports of deadly Israeli airstrikes on Jenin

Following on from earlier reports of an Israeli raid on Jenin, there are widespread reports on social media of Israeli air strikes on the city in the occupied West Bank. Some are reporting that 4-5 Palestinians have been killed, though this cannot be verified at this time. 

Jenin, West Bank |

4-5 Palestinians killed after several Israeli air strikes on the city.

The air strike occurred after the Israeli military cut off the electricity from Jenin and incursed several neighborhoods

— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi)

Jenin now |

— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi)

S&P lowers Israel's rating outlook to negative on war risks

"S&P Global Ratings said Tuesday it was lowering Israel's credit outlook from stable to negative, citing risks that the Israel's war on Gaza could broaden, with a more pronounced impact on the economy.

In a notice, the credit rating agency said: "The negative outlook reflects the risk that the Israel-Hamas war could spread more widely or affect Israel's credit metrics more negatively than we expect.""

Read the full report here.

Israeli forces raid Jenin

Al Jazeera is reporting that Israeli military forces are conducting a raid on Jenin, where they are fighting with armed Palestinians in the city in the occupied West Bank.

Jenin, and particularly its refugee camp, is a base for Palestinian armed resistance to the Israeli occupation, who regularly battle Israeli forces during the latter’s raids. Earlier this year, the Jenin refugee camp was subject to the largest Israeli raid in two decades, which left 12 Palestinians dead, including a child.

24 US military personnel injured in attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria

NBC news has reported that more US military personnel were wounded in attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria than previously disclosed.

The news organisation said that 20 US military personnel sustained injuries during attack on al-Tanf base on October 18. That same day four others were wounded in an attack on Ain al-Asad in Iraq, NBC said, citing United States Central Command. All of the injuries were minor.

 

Biden, Mohammed bin Salman discuss potential 'widening' of Israel-Gaza war

"US President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) on Tuesday discussed efforts to prevent Israel's war on Gaza from widening, the White House said.

They agreed in a call to pursue broader diplomatic efforts "to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding," the White House said, adding the two leaders will remain in close coordination.

Biden and the Saudi crown prince welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that "much more is needed for civilians" to have sustained access to food, water and medical assistance, according to the White House."

Read the full report here.

Canada's Trudeau backs 'humanitarian pauses' in Gaza, refuses to support full ceasefire call

Canada supports the idea of humanitarian pauses in Israel's attack on Gaza so aid can reach Palestinian civilians and hostages can be freed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.

"There are a lot of conversations going on now about the need for humanitarian pauses and I think that's something Canada supports," he told reporters.

"We must remain anchored on the priorities of protecting innocent (people) and freeing the hostages."

Despite this, Trudeau refuses to support a full ceasefire. 

Trudeau and other cabinet ministers have repeatedly said Israel has the right to defend itself, as long as it adheres to international law.

The New York Times, citing U.S. officials, on Sunday said Washington had advised Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza, hoping to buy time for hostage negotiations and to allow more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, asked whether Canada had also asked Israel for a delay, told a press conference that "we absolutely are focused on working with all of our partners in the region" to address Ottawa's humanitarian concerns but did not answer directly.

Israeli airstrikes near Red Crescent HQ and al-Amal hospital

Israel has bombed the vicinity of the Palestine Red Crescent headquarters and al-Amal hospital in Khan Younis, the Palestinian health society says.

The Red Crescent said the air strike in Khan Younis caused injuries and extensive damage.

More than 4,000 displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge at the hospital, it added.

🚨���� airstrike has caused injuries and extensive damage near Palestine Red Crescent headquarter and Al-Amal Hospital in , where over 4,000 displaced people seek refuge.

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS)

US Muslim group says Biden admin is 'actively enabling' Israel's bombing of Palestinian civilians

Responding to the US refusal to back a ceasefire at the UN, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) said: "Our nation is instead actively enabling the Israeli government’s mass bombing of men, women and children in Gaza, including both American citizens who cannot evacuate because of the blockade and American citizens reportedly held hostage."

They also said that if Biden wanted "to force the Israeli government to allow Americans trapped in Gaza to evacuate, he could do so today", while demanding that Biden "seek a permanent end to violence". 

8 aid trucks enter Gaza via Rafah

The Palestine Red Crescent confirms that five of the trucks are carrying water, two are transporting food, and one is bringing medicine into the besieged strip. Still no fuel.

The Palestine Red Crescent receives the fourth batch of humanitarian aid from its Egyptian counterpart at the Rafah crossing, consisting of 8 trucks:

5 trucks of water
2 trucks of food
1 truck of medicine.

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS)

Israel appears to be above international law, Jordan FM tells UN

Jordan's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Israel "appeared" to be above international law and urged an end to what he termed "double standards" in dealing with the Gaza conflict.

In remarks after a United Nations Security Council meeting that did not call for an end to hostilities, the minister, Ayman Safadi, said the international community had an obligation to end Israel's war "against Palestinians" in Gaza.

Gaza ceasefire 'only benefits Hamas,' says White House

A full ceasefire in Gaza would only help Hamas as Israel wages a relentless and unprecedented air assault on the strip, but humanitarian "pauses" should be considered to let vital aid in, the White House said Tuesday.

The comments came as President Joe Biden said aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave, under Israeli bombardment since October 7, were "not fast enough."

"A ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists.

Read the full report here. 

50 Palestinians killed in the last hour by Israeli airstrikes

The Palestinian health ministry said at least 50 people were killed Tuesday in a single hour of increased Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.

"The Israeli occupation expands its targeting of multiple areas in the Gaza Strip, killing about 50 martyrs during the last hour," a health ministry spokesperson said in a statement late Tuesday.

Over 700 Palestinians, including 305 children, killed by Israel in past 24 hours: health ministry

The Palestinian health ministry said on Tuesday that it had been the deadliest 24 hours of the war so far, with 704 people reported killed, including 305 children, 173 women and 78 elderly people. 

Two rockets land inside US air base in Iraq, as spokesperson says America is 'preparing for escalation'

Two rockets landed inside Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces west of Baghdad, two security sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

One of the sources said the rockets were big, and the rocket launcher was found about 50 km southeast of the base.

Ain al-Asad air base is located in the western Anbar province

A Pentagon spokesperson said: “US and coalition forces have been attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets” from October 17 to 24.

During a news conference, Brigadier General Pat Ryder called the numbers “initial” and did not give information on injuries.

“We know that the groups [that] conduct these attacks are supported by the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian regime. What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” he said.

“We are preparing for this escalation both in terms of defending our forces and responding decisively.

UNRWA says it will be forced to halt operations on Wednesday night unless fuel enters Gaza

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said it that unless fuel enters Gaza, it will have to halt its operations in the besieged enclave by Wednesday night. 

🛑 warning: If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the📍 as of tomorrow night.

🆘 agency says its operation will end tomorrow 'if we don't get fuel'

— UNRWA (@UNRWA)

Israeli military claims it repelled sea attack in Zikim near north Gaza, killing two

Israeli naval forces claim they intercepted a group of Hamas divers attempting an infiltration by sea in Zikim, which is a Kibbut close to north Gaza.

An Israeli military spokesman said the Navy killed two of the alleged infiltrators, while also adding that "fighter jets attacked the military installation from which the terrorists left". 

Biden says aid deliveries to Gaza 'not fast enough'

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that aid was not reaching war-torn Gaza fast enough, as Israel bombards the Palestinian territory for an 18th consecutive day.

"Not fast enough," Biden replied after a medal presentation ceremony at the White House when a reporter asked him about humanitarian assistance getting to the enclave.

Abbas calls for immediate ceasefire during meeting with Macron

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking in the presence of visiting French President Emmanuel Macron, called for an immediate cessation of the "aggression" on Gaza and to provide protection for the Palestinian people.

Macron, for his part, said that the Hamas attack had been traumatic for Israel but that it also was a disaster for the Palestinian people.

“Nothing can justify” civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip, Macron told reporters in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.

Rockets attack targets Iraqi base housing U.S. forces: sources

Two rockets landed inside Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces west of Baghdad, two security sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

One of the sources said the rockets were big, and the rocket launcher was found about 50 km southeast of the base.

Ain al-Asad air base is located in the western Anbar province.

Putin raises concerns of 'catastrophic deterioration' in Gaza with Erdogan

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed fears of a sharp deterioration over the situation in besieged Gaza, the Kremlin said Tuesday, during a call with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The two leaders expressed "their deep concern over the growing number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," the Kremlin said.

Hamas attacks don't justify killing 'millions of innocents': Lula

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday the attack by Hamas against Israel on 7 October did not justify killing "millions of innocents" in Gaza.

"Just because Hamas committed a terrorist attack against Israel doesn't mean Israel has to kill millions of innocents," the veteran leftist said in his weekly live address on social media.

Lula, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said the conflict had exposed the "weakness" of the United Nations.

"If the UN were stronger, it could play a bigger role" in brokering a stop to the fighting, he said.

Lula called for talks to set up a humanitarian corridor for the besieged Gaza Strip and broker a peace deal in which "Israel keeps its territory and the Palestinians have theirs."

Lula's weekly address was the first since he took a three-week break after undergoing hip surgery.

'Heavy' fighting between Hezbollah, Israel along border

Heavy cross-border clashes have been reported along the Lebanese-Israeli border between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles and rockets into northern Israel, as Israeli forces shelled the neighbouring villages of Rmaysh and Ayta al-Shaab.

Witnesses said Israeli shelling landed next to a school in Ayta al-Shaab.

قصف عنيف يستهدف المدرسة الرسميه في عيتا الشعب

— Al Hadeel News (@news_hadeel)

Alaraby TV's correspondent in southern Lebanon Ali Rabbah said it was the worst Israeli strikes the region had seen since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on 7 October, adding that the bombs were landing inside the border towns.

Rabbah said contrary to Israeli claims that Hezbollah positions were the target, Israeli shelling fell very close to homes and schools.

العدو الإسرائيلي أقر باستهداف ثكنة برانيت قبالة ، بصاروخ موجه وهي مقر قيادة فرقة الجليل. ورصدت سحب الدخان تتصاعد منها. فيما رد العدو بقصف أطراف رميش و وجبل بلاط في خراج

— جريدة الأخبار - Al-Akhbar (@AlakhbarNews)

Translation: The Israeli enemy admitted that the Pranit barracks, which is the headquarters of the Galilee Division and opposite to [Lebanon’s] Rmaysh, was targeted with a guided missile. Clouds of smoke were seen rising from the site. The enemy responded by bombing the outskirts of Rmaysh, Ayta al-Shaab, Jabal Blat and Marwahin.

Palestinian top diplomat says Security Council inaction 'inexcusable'

The Palestinian Authority's foreign minister on Tuesday deplored inaction by the UN Security Council to stop "massacres" in Gaza by Israel, which has retaliated for a massive attack by Hamas that largely killed civilians.

"The ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel - the occupying power against the Palestinian civilian population under illegal occupation - must be stopped," Riyad al-Maliki told a special Security Council session.

"It is our collective human duty to stop them," he said. "Continued failure at this council is inexcusable."

UN chief deplores 'clear violations' in Gaza, urges truce

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed deep concerns of violations of international law as Israel pounds Gaza, and urged an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to bring in relief.

"I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law," Guterres told a Security Council session, without explicitly naming Israel.

Guterres, who personally travelled to the crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a push to let in assistance, welcomed the crossing of three aid convoys so far through the Rafah crossing.

"But it is a drop of aid in an ocean of need. In addition, our UN fuel supplies in Gaza will run out in a matter of days. That would be another disaster," Guterres said.

"To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer, and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."

The Security Council session is bringing together top diplomats including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has previously rejected calls for a ceasefire, saying it would only allow Hamas to regroup.

UN urges improved coordination on Gaza aid

The United Nations on Tuesday called for improved coordination among humanitarian groups in making sure the small amount of aid now moving into the Gaza Strip contained only the most needed items.

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said that some of the food delivered into Gaza so far, such as rice and lentils, had been impractical given the dwindling availability of fresh water and fuel.

"An additional challenge in a very limited flow of supplies is that we are not really receiving the most needed supplies for Gaza, or the most relevant," UNRWA spokeswoman Tamara Alrifai said.

"In one of the shipments over the last couple of days, we received boxes of rice and lentils," she told journalists at the UN in Geneva, via video-link from the Jordanian capital Amman, where UNRWA has its headquarters.

An unprecedented catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes.

📍 is being strangled and the world seems to have lost its humanity.

We urgently need fuel to come into the otherwise aid operations, clean drinking water and hospitals - will all come to a close.

— UNRWA (@UNRWA)

"But for people to cook lentils and rice, they need water and gas. And therefore these kinds of supplies - while very generous and well intended - are not very usable right now," she said.

Alrifai added that before October 7, around 500 trucks a day were entering Gaza from Israel and Egypt, with a mixture of commercial goods, food, aid and fuel.

But only a few dozen trucks carrying food, medicine and water have entered Gaza via Egypt since a US-brokered deal entered into operation on Saturday.

"We will need to get better as a consortium of humanitarians in sending very explicit lists of what is most needed," Alrifai said.

She noted that items such as mattresses and blankets would be needed as winter approaches.

Situation of displaced in south Lebanon by Israeli-Hezbollah fighting 'unsustainable': officials

The situation of the emergency shelters housing the thousands of people displaced by fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army along the Lebanese border is "unsustainable," officials in the southern city of Sour warned on Tuesday, 24 October.

Over 1,000 individuals have taken shelter in three schools in Sour, while an additional 5,000 live in private apartments around the city, with more suspected to be unregistered.

Read the full article here.

Rocket aimed at Tel Aviv hits settlement near Qalqilya in West Bank

One of a barrage of rockets aimed at the Israeli city of Tel Aviv landed at a settlement in the West Bank, Palestinian media reported.

Palestinian news outlet Al-Qastal posted video purportedly showing the damage caused by the misfired rocket in the Alfei Menashe settlement.

BREAKING 🇮🇱 : rockets penetrated 's missile defence system and hit the Alfei Menashe settlement near Qalqilya (north of Tel Aviv)

— Zaid Ahmd  (@realzaidzayn)

Israel bombs Al-Amal Hospital: Palestinian Red Crescent 

Israel has bombed the Al-Amal Hospital in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Al-Amal hospital was hit by "heavy shelling", the medical NGO said on social media.

Local officials have warned of a healthcare system collapse amid the intense bombardment and acute shortages in fuel.

Sirens blare as Al-Qassam Brigades claims it hit Tel Aviv

Hamas's armed wing has claimed to have hit the city of Tel Aviv with rockets in response to what it called Israel's "massacre of civilians".

This followed a similar announcement from the Al-Quds Brigades, who said they had fired rockets at several Israeli targets near Gaza. 

The Times of Israel  Tuesday afternoon that sirens had blared in areas east of Tel Aviv.

(Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, ������ Staff)

🚨𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: Hamas rockets hit north of Tel Aviv.

Israeli Iron Dome defense system is not working properly - Reports l l l

— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews)

Germany's Scholz vows support for Israel won't impact Ukraine aid

Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged Tuesday to maintain Germany's aid to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion even as Berlin supports Israel in its conflict with Hamas.

"We are backing Ukraine economically, financially, with humanitarian aid and also with weapons," Scholz said.

"This support will in no way be impacted by the fact that we of course since the horrible morning hours of October 7 have focused on Israel and the Middle East with the greatest sympathy and concern," he said.

The German leader was speaking at a German-Ukrainian business forum in Berlin attended by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and joined virtually by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Scholz said Russian President Vladimir Putin had attacked Ukraine in an act of "imperialist delusion" and was "mistaken if he believes that he will endure longer than we will".

"Ukraine will not stop fighting for its freedom - that has become unmistakeably clear in these more than 600 days" since the start of the invasion in February 2022, Scholz said.

"And you have our word. We will support Ukraine as long as necessary."

Israel drops leaflets in Gaza offering reward for hostage information

Israel's military dropped leaflets in Gaza on Tuesday, urging Palestinians to give them information about hostages being held by Hamas and offering them protection and a reward.

"If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area," the military said in the leaflet.

"The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality."

الجيش الإسرائيلي يلقي منشورات ورقية يطلب فيها الإبلاغ عن مكان الأسرى داخل غزة

— التلفزيون العربي (@AlarabyTV)

The leaflet listed phone numbers to call with information.

People taking refuge at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza collected the leaflets and tore them up after they were dropped by Israeli planes.

Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one Palestinian man said: "We don't care, do whatever you want. All of us in Gaza are telling you, we are resisting, from east to west."

Anti-tank missile fired at Shtula, Israel strikes south Lebanon village

An Israeli airstrike has reportedly targeted a car in the south Lebanon village of Yaroun, Alaraby TV correspondent said.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that anti-tank missile was fired from south Lebanon, targeting the Israeli settlement of Shtoula.

Israeli strikes have targeted us repeatedly: head of Gaza hospital

Head of the Nasser hospital in Gaza told Alaraby TV Israeli airstrikes have targeted the hospital's vicinity multiple times, saying that the facility was currently housing 20 thousand displaced persons.

He added that the hospital got in touch with external sides to possibly move patients outside of the Gaza Strip, but to no avail.

Israeli jets had earlier Tuesday struck close to Al-Wafaa hospital. Smoke is seen billowing from the area in videos shared online.

تغطية صحفية: "لحظة قــصــف طــائــرات الاحتلال لمحيط مستشفى الوفاء في غزة".

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn)

Israel not looking for confrontation with Hezbollah: Herzog

Israel is not looking to wage war with Hezbollah militants on its northern border, but is focused instead on battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday during a meeting with French head of state Emmanuel Macron.

"I want to make clear, we are not looking for a confrontation on our northern border or with anyone else ... But if Hezbollah drags us into a war it should be clear that Lebanon will pay the price," Herzog said.

Netanyahu says Israel 'will destroy Hamas' in Gaza war

The Israeli military will destroy Hamas during the on-going war in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, adding that after the conflict no one would live "under Hamas tyranny".

Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Netanyahu warned that the war might take time.

5,791 killed in Gaza during war: health ministry

The health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Tuesday that 5,791 people have been killed in the territory since the outbreak of war with Israel.

The death toll includes 2,360 children. A total of 16,297 people have also been wounded since the war erupted on 7  October.

The ministry added that 704 had been killed in the past 24 hours alone.

Gaza hospitals have begun to collapse: health ministry

A health ministry spokesman told Alaraby TV that hospitals in Gaza have "begun to completely go out of service" amid shortages in fuel and medical supplies.

The spokesman said hospitals still operating cannot keep up with the large number of injured and killed coming in everyday, adding that the aid received so far was far from enough.

'Israel is committing genocide': TNA correspondent

������’s correspondent in Gaza speaks about the horror she is witnessing in Gaza, from entire families being killed in Israeli airstrikes to the lack of basic services.

"Another massacre was committed against a family near my aunt’s house. An entire building was destroyed," she said.

"Now the [Israeli] tanks are bombing eastern Dair al-Balah and Khan Younis."

She said she has no electricity and her phone battery is running very low, adding that she is having to rely on her phone data amid poor connection.

"Israel is committing genocide against us. I don’t know where the world is."

Freed Israeli says beaten by abductors then well treated in Gaza

An Israeli 85-year-old freed by Hamas said Tuesday she was beaten during her abduction, then treated well during more than two weeks held captive in Gaza.

"The guys beat me on the way, they didn't break my ribs but hurt me there very much," Yocheved Lifshitz said a day after her release.

"They treated us well," she told media at a Tel Aviv hospital, explaining a doctor visited her and fellow hostages every two to three days and provided medicines.

Lifshitz was a resident of Nir Oz kibbutz, one of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip which Hamas militants attacked on October 7.

Her husband, also in his 80s, is among more than 200 hostages still being held in Gaza.

حماس تطلق سراح سيدتين اسرائيليتين بوساطة قطر و مصر .
—-

— حسين الغاوي (@halgawi)

"They treated us gently, and provided all our needs," she said, when asked why she reached out to shake the hand of a militant the moment she was freed.

Lifshitz described her captives as "very friendly" and "very courteous" people who had organised well in advance for taking hostages.

"They seemed ready for this, they prepared for a long time, they had everything that men and women needed, including shampoo," she told journalists.

"We ate the same food they did - pitas with cream cheese, melted cheese, cucumbers. That was a meal for an entire day," said Lifshitz.

The octogenarian was released alongside fellow Nir Oz resident Nurit Cooper, 79, three days after an American woman and her daughter were freed.

France's Macron proposes international coalition against Hamas

French President Emmanuel Macron called Tuesday for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group to be expanded to also fight Hamas after the October 7 attacks on Israel.

Macron, speaking after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, said that countries fighting IS "should also fight against Hamas."

The French leader stressed there must be a "decisive relaunch" of the Palestinian peace process following the crisis set off by the deadly Hamas attacks and Israel's response.

Israel still blocking aid to Gaza: HRW

Human Rights Watch said Monday that Israel's decision to block aid from reaching people in the Gaza Strip constituted a war crime.

"The Israeli government is deliberately deepening the suffering of civilians in Gaza by refusing to restore the flow of water and electricity and blocking fuel shipments. Willfully impeding relief supplies is a war crime, as is collectively punishing civilians for the actions of armed groups," HRW said in a .

"Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, is required under the Geneva Conventions to ensure civilians have access to basic goods, and, as a party to the armed conflict, it must facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid," it added.

Israel Still Blocking Aid to Civilians in Gaza

— Human Rights Watch (@hrw)

Israel arrests Palestinian actress for 'incitement'

Israel has extended the detention of Palestinian actress Maysaa Abdelhadi for two days, accusing her of "spreading incitement and support for terrorism."

Israeli police claimed that "actress Maysa Abdel Hadi expressed her joy over the October 7 massacre in the Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip, which was carried out by the Al-Qassam Brigades."

Abdelhadi, from Nazareth, was arrested Monday night.

She had written a post on her Facebook page.

قبل قليل تم اعتقال الفنانة ميساء عبد الهادي ابنة مدينة (فلسطين 48) بسبب منشور لها على الفيسبوك ضد الإسرائيلي على .

حيث تعمدت الشرطة تكبيل يديها والتقاط صورة لها وخلفها العلم الإسرائيلي ،وايضا صورة لها داخل الزنزانة.

— مرشد سياحي للتاريخ الأندلسي (@Andalusrise)

ICJ to hold public hearings over consequences from Israel's occupation

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold public hearings to allow parties to give their views on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories before eventually issuing a non-binding legal opinion, it said on Monday.

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly in December had asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to give its view on the on-going conflict between Israel and Palestinians.

Hearings in the Dutch city of The Hague will open on Monday, 19 February, the court said. The request for a so-called advisory opinion had been made before the current escalation in the region, so the ICJ's opinion will focus solely on the Israeli occupation.

It was made in a resolution adopted by the General Assembly with 87 votes in favor. Israel, the United States and 24 other members voted against, while 53 abstained.

Thousands join pro-Palestinian protest in Bosnia

Several thousand people gathered in Sarajevo city centre on Sunday, waving Palestinian and Bosnian flags and demanding a halt to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Some chanted: "Genocide, genocide," while a large and prominent banner read "Yesterday Srebrenica, today Gaza," referring to the 1995 massacre in the Bosnian town, Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two in which Serb forces killed an estimated 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Other demonstrators held banners with slogans including "Stop the war" and "Free Palestine".

Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karic told protesters the city knew "how it is to live without water and food and see children being killed," referring to the 1992-95 siege during which Serb forces killed an estimated 11,000 people in the city including 1,600 children.

Human flood in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a support of .

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng)

UN Palestinian refugee agency calls for unimpeded flow of aid to Gaza

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency on Tuesday called for an unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, trapped in a humanitarian crisis after two weeks of intense Israeli attacks.

"We call for an unimpeded and continuous flow of humanitarian assistance and medical assistance to continue coming into Gaza," said Tamara Alrifai, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

"The trucks that have come in so far are just a trickle in the face of the immense needs of people on the street.

Gaza war sparks Arab fears of new Palestinian displacement

The sight of tent cities for Palestinians displaced within war-torn Gaza evokes dark historical memories for Israel's Arab neighbours, especially Egypt and Jordan.

"That's how the Nakba started," says the Gaza-based rights group Al Mezan, reflecting regional suspicions that Israel is planning to empty the coastal territory.

Israeli warnings to evacuate the north of the territory ahead of a looming ground invasion have raised deeper historical fears, with one million Gazans already forced out of their homes.

The only possible way out of Gaza that is not controlled by Israel is the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

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'We have many weeks of fighting ahead of us': Israeli army spokesman

An Israeli military spokesman said Tuesday that the army is "ready and awaiting political instructions," referring to Israel's possible ground offensive in Gaza.

"We have many weeks of fighting ahead of us," he added.

Obama warns some of Israel's actions in Gaza may backfire

Some of Israel's actions in its war against Hamas, like cutting off food and water for Gaza, could "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations" and weaken international support for Israel, former U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday.

In rare comments on an active foreign policy crisis, Obama said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war "could ultimately backfire."

"The Israeli government's decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population (in Gaza) threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel's enemies, and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region," Obama said.

Obama condemned Hamas' attack and reiterated his support for "Israel's right to defend itself," while cautioning about risks to civilians in such wars.

It was not clear whether Obama had coordinated his statement with U.S. President Joe Biden, who served as his vice president for eight years.

In his statement on Monday, Obama acknowledged that the U.S. had itself "fallen short of our higher values when engaged in war," especially after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Hamas says at least 140 killed in Israel night strikes on Gaza

Hamas said Tuesday that Israeli air strikes on the besieged territory during the night killed at least 140 people.

A statement from the government's media office said, "more than 140 people were martyred and hundreds wounded in massacres committed by the occupation (Israel) raids".

France's Macron says releasing Gaza hostages must be 'first objective'

France's President Emmanuel Macron said on a solidarity visit to Israel on Tuesday that releasing hostages held by Hamas must be the "first objective" of the war in Gaza.

"The first objective we should have today is the release of all hostages, without any distinction, because this is an awful crime to play with the lives of children, adults, old people, civilians and soldiers," Macron said after meeting Israel's President Isaac Herzog.

Macron added that the campaign must be fought without "enlarging this conflict."

He is set to meet the Israeli prime minister and Palestinian president later on Tuesday.

24 more Palestinians arrested in West Bank: prisoner group

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said another 24 Palestinians have been arrested in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces.

The number of Palestinians detained by Israel since 7 October has nearly doubled.

Israel-Hamas war risks 'serious' economic damage: World Bank president

The war between Israel and Hamas could deal a "serious" blow to global economic development, the president of the World Bank told an investor conference in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

"What just happened recently in Israel and Gaza - at the end of the day you put all this together, I think the impact on economic development is even more serious," Ajay Banga said, adding: "I think we're at a very dangerous juncture."

Banga was speaking at the annual Future Investment Initiative, often referred to as "Davos in the Desert".

More than 6,000 delegates are registered for the three-day event that will feature appearances by global banking chiefs and the presidents of South Korea, Kenya and Rwanda, organisers say.

Qatar's emir: Israel shouldn't get unrestricted OK to kill

Qatar's ruling emir on Tuesday urged the international community not to grant Israel "unrestricted authorisation to kill" Palestinians in its fight against Hamas, in what he called a dangerous escalation that threatens global security.

"We say enough. Israel shouldn't be granted an unconditional green light and unrestricted authorisation to kill," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said in an annual speech to open the Gulf Arab state's advisory Shura council, his first public comments since Qatar began its most recent efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas.

"We call for a serious regional and international stance against this dangerous escalation that we are witnessing, which threatens the security of the region and the world,” Sheikh Tamim said.

"We do not accept double standards and acting like the lives of Palestinian children aren't accounted for, as if they don't have faces or names."

Hezbollah says 3 more fighters killed

The Lebanese Hezbollah militant group announced the death of three more of its fighters who it said perished during clashes with Israel.

They were identified as Mustafa Hussein Nazha, Ali Adnan Arteel, and Ibrahim Mohammad Qashmar.

Fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border has not stopped since 7 October.

Six UN refugee agency workers killed in Gaza in 24 hours

Six workers with the UN's Palestinian refugee agency were killed in just 24 hours in Gaza, the global body said Tuesday, bringing to 35 the total of its staff killed since October 7.

"Since the start of hostilities, at least 16 health workers have been killed while on duty, along with 35 UNRWA staff," the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update sent Tuesday on the situation up to Monday evening.

"Six of (them) were killed in the past 24 hours."

It said 40 of its installations in Gaza have also been damaged.

🔺Another six staff have been confirmed killed, bringing total to 35 staff killed since 7 October

🔺�������Dz���📍, nearly 600,000 internally displaced people sheltering in 150 facilities

🔺40 installations have now been damaged

— UNRWA (@UNRWA)

Gaza death toll at 5,300: health ministry

The Gaza Strip's health ministry said the death toll from Israel's airstrikes have reached 5,300, with another 18,000 people wounded.

Most of the casualties have been women and children.