- October 14, 2023 05:27Von der Leyen to Netanyahu: ‘Europe stands with Israel’
- October 14, 2023 05:15Biden says “workin’ like hell” to find hostages held by Hamas
U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration was “workin’ like hell” to find American hostages held by Hamas amid the conflict with Israel, according to an excerpt of a 60 Minutes interview released on Friday.
“I’m not gonna go into the detail of that, but there’s -- we’re workin’ like hell on it,” Biden was quoted as saying. - Reuters
- October 14, 2023 04:37At UN, Palestinians call for halt to Israeli offensive
The Palestinian United Nations envoy appealed to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday to do more to stop a “crime against humanity” by Israel, which has warned nearly half of the population of the Gaza Strip to relocate as it plans an assault.
“He has to do more. Whatever was done is not sufficient. We need all of us to do more to stop this crime against humanity,” Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters before a meeting of Arab Group ambassadors at the United Nations.
srael’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said on Friday that Israel’s warning to residents in northern Gaza was “to temporarily move south ... to mitigate civilian harm.” He was speaking at an event Israel hosted at the U.N. with families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza in the attack.
Guterres briefed the 15-member U.N. Security Council behind closed doors on Friday.
“The situation in Gaza has reached a dangerous new low,” he told reporters on his way to the briefing, adding that he was in constant contact with the leaders across the region to try and “prevent further dangerous escalation in the West Bank or elsewhere in the region, especially in southern Lebanon.”
Guterres reminded the parties: “Even wars have rules ... Civilians must be protected and also never used as shields.” - Reuters
- October 14, 2023 04:28World concern over Israel’s Gaza evacuation order
Israel’s ultimatum to more than a million Gazans giving them 24 hours to evacuate to the south of the coastal enclave was condemned Friday by countries and organisations around the world.
The United Nations said it had been informed of the order shortly before midnight but as thousands of people streamed southwards in cars and on foot, the Israeli army admitted that the evacuation would “take time”. - AFP
- October 14, 2023 04:03In Beirut, Iran’s foreign minister warns war could spread if Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues
Iran’s foreign minister warned Friday that if Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip don’t stop immediately, the violence could spread to other parts of the Middle East.
Hossein Amirabdollahian is on a tour that took him to Baghdad before Beirut, and later in the day he went to the Syrian capital, Damascus. Iran heads the so-called “axis of resistance” that includes powerful militant groups in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq.
Amirabdollahian spoke to reporters in Beirut after a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, during which the two officials called for an end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. He also met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as well as caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the speaker of parliament.
There have been concerns that the war could spread to Lebanon’s border where Hezbollah fighters have been on alert following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on Saturday that left hundreds of people dead. - AP
- October 14, 2023 03:26Arab states say Palestinians must stay on their land as war escalates
Calls for a humanitarian corridor or an escape route for Palestinians from Gaza as a conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has escalated have drawn a blunt reaction from Arab neighbours.
Egypt, the only Arab state to share a border with Gaza, and Jordan, which is next to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, have both warned against Palestinians being forced off their land.
It reflects deep-rooted Arab fears that Israel’s latest war with Hamas in Gaza could spark a new wave of permanent displacement from land where Palestinians want to build a future state. - Reuters
- October 14, 2023 03:00Lufthansa suspends Beirut flights amid Middle East tensions: spokesman
German airline Lufthansa suspended its flights to and from the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday until October 16 as tensions soar in the region while the Israel-Gaza war rages.
The spokesman, who blamed the decision on the “current situation in the Middle East”, confirmed information from two passengers who had been unable to fly from Frankfurt to Beirut. - AFP
- October 14, 2023 02:30UN chief says ‘even wars have rules’ as Israel-Hamas conflict rages
- October 14, 2023 02:26Second batch of Indian nationals flies out of Israel under Operation Ajay
The second batch of 235 Indian nationals, including two infants, wishing to leave Israel were safely evacuated on Friday, a day after 212 Indians were flown out amid the country’s raging conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. - PTI
- October 14, 2023 01:48Israel, Gaza bloodshed divides the world, isolates West
The global response to the bloodshed in Israel and Gaza has revealed deep divisions, with Western countries increasingly isolated on the global stage, a trend that has gathered pace since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
On the day of Hamas’ unprecedented attacks on Israel, Western countries condemned the militant group’s onslaught in the strongest terms insisting “nothing justifies terrorism”.
While some non-Western countries such as Argentina and India have shown solidarity with Israel, many others have simply called for de-escalation including regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, as well as global powers Russia and China.
Algeria, Iran, Sudan and Tunisia have openly expressed support for Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist organisation that controls Gaza.
Thousands of people across the Middle East gathered on Friday to demonstrate in support of the Palestinians, including in Jordan and Bahrain. - AFP
- October 14, 2023 01:26More than 600 children among 1,900 killed in Gaza: health ministry
Israeli strikes on Gaza since Hamas’s deadly cross-border attack have killed at least 1,900 people, including 614 children, the territory’s health ministry said Friday.
Some 370 women were among those killed in the seven days of air strikes, the Hamas-run health ministry said. It added that 7,696 people have been wounded. - AFP
- October 14, 2023 01:20With Gaza under fire, tensions run high in Jerusalem’s Old City
Tensions ran high in Jerusalem Old City on the Muslim day of prayer and rest Friday, as Israel’s nearly week-old war against Palestinian militant group Hamas raged in and around Gaza.
The usually bustling alleyways of the Muslim quarter were nearly deserted, except for young Palestinians unsuccessfully attempting to break through an Israeli checkpoint barring them from the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint in the city’s annexed eastern sector.
The militants also abducted around 150 Israelis, dual nationals and foreigners for use as hostages.
Israeli authorities have since denied entry by those aged under 55 to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national as well as religious pride. - AFP
- October 14, 2023 00:41WHO says Gaza mass evacuation would be ‘disastrous’
The World Health Organization said Friday that a mass evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip would be “disastrous” for hospital patients, with hospitals in the south already at full capacity.
“The Palestinian Ministry of Health has informed WHO that it is impossible to evacuate vulnerable hospital patients without endangering their lives,” the UN health agency said in a statement.
“Vulnerable patients include those who are critically injured or dependent on life support. Moving them amid hostilities puts their lives at immediate risk.”
The WHO joined other UN bodies in calling for Israel to rescind the evacuation order. - AFP
- October 14, 2023 00:34Netanyahu says Israel’s Gaza onslaught ‘just the beginning’
Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel’s fierce bombardment of Gaza was “just the beginning” of his country’s response to Hamas attacks that left 1,300 dead.
With tens of thousands of Israeli troops massed on the Gaza frontier, Netanyahu said in televised address: “Our enemies have only just started paying the price. I cannot reveal what will happen, but I am telling you this is just the beginning.” - AFP
- October 14, 2023 00:17Reuters journalist dead, AFP reporters among 6 wounded in south Lebanon
A Reuters journalist was killed Friday and six others from AFP, Reuters and Al Jazeera were wounded while working in southern Lebanon, the three news organisations said.
A group of journalists from different media outlets were near Alma al-Shaab close to the border with Israel when they were caught up in cross-border shelling, one of the two wounded AFP correspondents said.
A Lebanese security source had told AFP that initial Israeli shelling followed an infiltration attempt by a Palestinian faction from the Lebanese side of the border.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed,” Reuters said in a statement, adding he “was part of a Reuters crew in southern Lebanon”.
AFP photographer Christina Assi was with her AFP colleague video journalist Dylan Collins working in the area. Both were taken to a hospital in Tyre for treatment.
Two other Reuters reporters, “Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh also sustained injuries and are seeking medical care,” Reuters said in a statement, adding it was “urgently seeking more information”.
Al-Jazeera said two of their reporters were among the wounded, blaming “Israeli bombing on their vehicle”. They named them as Carmen Joukhadar and Elie Brakhya.
“We are deeply concerned that a group of journalists who were clearly identified have been killed and injured while doing their job,” said AFP’s global news director Phil Chetwynd.
“We send our deepest condolences to our friends at Reuters for the loss of Issam and we are all pulling for our injured colleagues in hospital.”
AFP correspondents had reported shelling targeting the villages of Dhayra, Alma al-Shaab and Adaysseh, with smoke billowing from the area.
The Israeli army had said in a statement not long before the journalists were hit: “A short while ago, a blast occurred on the border fence in Hanita (Western Galilee),” referring to a point in Israel just across the border from Alma al-Shaab.
“Light damage was caused to the wall. In response, IDF (army) forces are currently responding with artillery fire towards Lebanese territory.”
Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah said it retaliated by firing at several positions in Israel. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 23:29First U.S. charter flight out of Israel lands in Athens, official says
The first U.S. State Department-organized flight taking Americans out of Israel during the conflict in Gaza landed in Athens on Friday, a White House official told Reuters.
White House spokesperson John Kirby earlier told reporters the first charter flight that the State Department organized had departed from Israel and was en route to Europe.
Kirby said the government is exploring departure options by sea as well. “We’re just trying to add to the options.”
Reuters identified the flight on a U.S.-based charter company from flight records, and a White House official confirmed it had landed on the condition of anonymity.
Additional charter flights are scheduled between Athens and Tel Aviv through at least Oct. 19, a separate source said. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 23:20Blinken and Austin bolster U.S. support for Israel as potential ground offensive in Gaza looms
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin assured Israel that “we have your back” as he and America’s top diplomat met Friday with Israeli and Arab leaders. There was no indication the U.S. was trying to prevent an expected Israeli ground offensive into Gaza that could worsen a humanitarian crisis for the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in the blockaded territory.
The visits to the Middle East by Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken came as Israel escalated its war against Hamas militants in response to their shocking and brutal rampage last weekend.
Asked about the likelihood of civilian casualties in Gaza, Austin said Israel has the right to defend itself and added that he respects Israeli forces because he worked with them over the years when he was in the military.
“They are professional, they are disciplined and they are focused on the right things,” he told reporters after meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Israeli War Cabinet. He also spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him, “As the president said, we have your back.”
Blinken voiced a similar message, saying at a news conference in Doha, Qatar, that although the U.S. continues to “discuss with Israel the importance of taking every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians,” it was also the case that any country “faced with what Israel has suffered would likely do the same.”
“No country can tolerate having a terrorist group come in, slaughter its people in the most unconscionable ways and live like that,” Blinken said. “What Israel is doing is not retaliation, it is defending the lives of its people.”- AP
- October 13, 2023 23:10Palestinians flee northern Gaza ahead of expected ground invasion
Palestinians began a mass exodus from northern Gaza on October 13 after Israel’s military told some 1 million people to evacuate toward the southern part of the besieged territory, an unprecedented order ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group.
The U.N. warned that so many people fleeing en masse — almost half the Gaza population — would be calamitous, and it urged Israel to reverse the order. Families in cars, trucks and donkey carts packed with blankets and possessions streamed down a main road out of Gaza City, the biggest city, even as Israeli strikes hammered neighborhoods in southern Gaza.
Click here to read more... - October 13, 2023 23:0870 killed in Israeli airstrike on convoy fleeing Gaza: Hamas
Hamas press office said that 70 people, mostly women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrike on convoys fleeing Gaza City, reported AP.
- October 13, 2023 22:50Israel made raids into Gaza ‘over past 24 hours’: army
Israeli ground forces made raids into Gaza over the past 24 hours, the military said Friday, ahead of an expected ground offensive on the densely populated Palestinian territory.
“Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli military) forces carried out localised raids inside the territory of the Gaza Strip to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry,” an army statement said. “During these operations, there was also an effort to locate missing persons.” - AFP
- October 13, 2023 21:1317 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strike in northern Gaza strip: Report
The Palestinian pro-Hamas Shehab news agency on Friday said 17 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza Strip. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 20:57Palestinian UN envoy urges UN chief to stop Israel ‘crime against humanity’
The Palestinian United Nations envoy appealed to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday to do more to stop a “crime against humanity” by Israel, which has warned nearly half of the population of the Palestinian Gaza Strip to relocate.
“He has to do more. Whatever was done was not sufficient. We need all of us to do more to stop this crime against humanity,” Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters ahead of a meeting of Arab Group ambassadors at the United Nations.
- Reuters
- October 13, 2023 20:48Israel replying with ‘cruel methods’ to Hamas attack: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Israel was replying to an attack of unprecedented cruelty by using cruel methods of its own.
Mr. Putin told reporters that Russia understood the “logic of events” in the Middle East, where Israel has laid siege to the Gaza Strip.
“Israel is replying on a large scale and also with quite cruel methods,” he said during a visit to Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 20:45Putin compares ‘unacceptable’ Gaza siege to Nazi blockade of Leningrad
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called Israel’s siege of Gaza “unacceptable”, comparing it to the Nazi blockade of Leningrad during World War II.
Israel is now about to do something that is “comparable to the siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War,” Mr. Putin told journalists in Kyrgyzstan. “In my opinion, this is unacceptable,” he said. - AFP
- October 13, 2023 20:39‘Where do we go?’, Gazans ask after Israel’s evacuation warning
Hundreds of Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza City on Friday in a panic to head southwards after Israel warned them to evacuate. But for many others, there is simply nowhere to go.
The rush to leave came after the Israeli military urged around 1.1 million Gazans living in the north of the Palestinian territory to flee “for their own safety and protection”, ahead of an expected ground incursion.
Some were in cars, many others were on foot as they sought to make the trip to the south of the densely populated territory that is home to 2.4 million people on its 362 square kilometres (140 square miles). - AFP
- October 13, 2023 20:00ICRC says aid groups unable to assist people in any mass Gaza displacement
The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that humanitarian organisations would not be able to assist more than a million people in Gaza who Israel has given 24 hours to evacuate to the south of the enclave.
“With a military siege in place, humanitarian organisations including the ICRC will not be able to assist such a massive displacement of people in Gaza,” ICRC said in a statement.
“The needs are staggering, and humanitarian organisations must be able to increase aid operations.” - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 19:56Red Cross says Hamas attack doesn’t justify Gaza’s destruction
The massive Hamas attack on Israel cannot justify the “limitless destruction” of the Gaza Strip, the Red Cross said Friday, as Israel pounded the enclave.
“Nothing can justify the horrific attacks Israel suffered last weekend... but those attacks cannot in turn justify the limitless destruction of Gaza,” the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement. - AFP
- October 13, 2023 19:46Palestinians flee northern Gaza after Israel orders 1 million to evacuate
Palestinians began a mass exodus from northern Gaza Friday after Israel’s military told some 1 million people to evacuate toward the southern part of the besieged territory, an unprecedented order ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group.
The U.N. warned that so many people fleeing en masse — almost half the Gaza population — would be calamitous. Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel nearly a week ago and has fired thousands of rockets since, dismissed the evacuation order as a ploy and called on people to stay in their homes.
The evacuation order, which applies to Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, sparked widespread panic among civilians and aid workers already running from Israeli airstrikes and contending with a total siege of Gaza. Israel has cut off all food, water and supplies and caused a territory-wide blackout. - AP
- October 13, 2023 19:39Israeli fire kills nine in West Bank
At least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank on Friday during rallies in solidarity with war-battered Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said.
AFP correspondents and a security official reported clashes in Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarem, Hebron and other cities, nearly a week after a massive Hamas attack on southern Israel spiralled into an all-out war.
- October 13, 2023 19:37Israeli military denies allegation it’s using white phosphorus in Gaza
The Israeli military said on Friday it has made no use of white phosphorus in its Gaza war this week, in an apparent denial of a Human Rights Watch report.
“The current accusation made against the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) regarding the use of white phosphorus in Gaza is unequivocally false,” it said in a statement. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 18:561,799 Palestinians killed, 6,388 injured: Gaza health ministry
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on October 13 that 1,799 Palestinians had been killed and 6,388 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 18:04U.S. ready to send more military aid to Israel
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday that the Pentagon was ready to deploy more military aid to Israel as Israeli forces prepare for a likely invasion of Gaza in response to a devastating attack by militant group Hamas.
Mr. Austin said that munitions, air defence capabilities and other equipment and resources were “rapidly flowing” to Washington’s closest Middle Eastern ally.
“The U.S. Department of Defense stands fully ready to deploy additional assets if necessary,” Mr. Austin told a news conference in Tel Aviv with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 17:37Hezbollah says ‘prepared’ for action against Israel when time comes
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement on Friday said it would be “fully prepared” to join its ally Hamas in the war against Israel when the time is right.
Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem spoke as Hamas and Israel traded heavy fire for a seventh day, after hundreds of Hamas gunmen stormed across the border from Gaza into Israel on Saturday and killed more than 1,300 people.
“We, as Hezbollah, are contributing to the confrontation and will (continue) to contribute to it within our vision and plan,” Qassem told a pro-Palestinian rally in Beirut’s southern suburbs. - AFP
- October 13, 2023 17:17Protests across Pakistan, Afghanistan in support of Palestinians
Several thousand Pakistani Muslims protested across the country after Friday prayers against Israel’s massive bombardment of Gaza in retaliation to Hamas attacks.
Political and religious parties staged dozens of small demonstrations across the cities of Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and the capital Islamabad, where U.S. and Israeli flags were burned.
Protester Shahid Husain, 47, said the leaders of Muslim nations were failing to stand up for Palestinians. - AFP
- October 13, 2023 17:10Israel’s call to move Gaza civilians ‘a tall order’: White House
Israel’s call for more than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza to move within 24 hours is going to be a “tall order,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Friday.
“That is a lot of people to move in a very short period of time,” Mr. Kirby said in an interview on MSNBC. “We understand what they’re trying to do and why they’re trying to do this -- to try to isolate the civilian population from Hamas, which is their real target.” - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 17:03Canadian foreign minister to visit Israel, reaffirm support
Canada’s foreign minister departs for Israel on Friday to reaffirm her nation’s support for the country and to discuss humanitarian aid and other issues in the wake of Hamas’ attack, the Canadian government said.
Melanie Joly will also visit Greece and Jordan as part of her trip before returning Sunday, her office said in a statement.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 16:45In Israel, Italy FM compares Hamas to ISIS, Nazis
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani compared Hamas to the Islamic State group and the Nazi SS during a visit to southern Israel on Friday.
“Hamas is like ISIS, like the SS, like the Gestapo, they do the same things, they are terrorists, murderers and are using the Palestinian people as a shield, which is not right,” he said in comments reported by Italian media and confirmed to AFP by his spokesman.
“We must avoid further innocent deaths.”
Tajani said his visit to the Israeli town of Netivot near the Gaza border was intended to show Italy’s solidarity with Israel after Hamas militants attacked from the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 16:38Israel death toll in war with Hamas rises to over 1,300: army
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas militants unleashed a massive attack from the blockaded Gaza Strip, the army said Friday, raising an earlier toll by 100.
Over 3,200 other people had been wounded, the Israeli army said on X, formerly Twitter, while families of 120 hostages have been contacted since attack at dawn on Saturday that spiralled into all-out war.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 16:38Jordan disperses pro-Palestinian protesters heading to border with West Bank
Jordanian riot police on Friday forcibly dispersed hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters trying to reach a border zone with the Israeli-occupied West Bank as thousands held anti-Israel demonstrations across the country, witnesses said.
Jordan is worried that a regional widening of violence arising from the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza could have repercussions for itself given that a large percentage of its population are Palestinians. - Reuters
- October 13, 2023 16:33Palestinian President Abbas to Blinken: ‘We reject the forced displacement of our people in Gaza’
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman on Friday that he “rejects the forced displacement” of Palestinians in Gaza, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
He said such an event would constitute a “second Nakba”, referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation, adding that humanitarian corridors must be allowed in the blockaded coastal enclave immediately to prevent a humanitarian disaster, the report said.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 16:20Iraqis gather during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians
- October 13, 2023 16:17Western countries should take steps to ease tensions in Gaza, Erdogan tells Macron
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the humanitarian situation in the conflict between Israel and Palestinians in a phone call on Friday, the Turkish presidency said.
Erdogan told Macron that the violation of human rights in Gaza against civilians was unacceptable and Western countries needed to take steps to ease tensions, it said in a statement posted on messaging platform X.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 16:05G20 draft communique makes no mention of Middle East conflict
Group of 20 (G20) finance leaders made no mention of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in their communique, a draft obtained by Reuters showed.
The G20 finance leaders are meeting on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meeting in Marrakech.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 15:56Iran’s foreign minister meets Hezbollah leader in Lebanon on Israel-Hamas war
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday discussed Israel’s war against Hamas with the head of the powerful Tehran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which has launched its own cross-border attacks on Israel.
Local media outlet Al-Mayadeen said the Iranian minister and Nasrallah had discussed Hamas’ attack on Israel. Iran also supports Hamas, and has lauded the group’s attack on Israel but has denied any involvement.
Hezbollah has exchange fire with Israel across the border this week, and Israel has responded by striking an observation post belonging to the group as well as Lebanese villages, in the most serious escalation since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Amirabdollahian told reporters on Friday that Israel was committing “war crimes” in Gaza, adding that Iran had asked Egypt, which borders Gaza, the United Nations and aid groups to allow it to send humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 15:49Meta takes steps to remove Hamas-related disinformation
Meta said on Friday it was taking steps including removing praise and substantive support for Hamas from its platforms after the European Union reprimanded social media companies for not doing enough to tackle disinformation.
Since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, misleading claims and doctored images have spread on Facebook and other social media.
In the three days after the attack, Meta said it removed or marked as disturbing more than 795,000 pieces of content in Hebrew or Arabic.
Meta is also temporarily expanding its violence and incitement policy and removing content that clearly identifies hostages taken by Hamas, even if it is being done to condemn or raise awareness of their situation.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 15:42Hamas attack, Israeli response fall under ICC jurisdiction-prosecutor
The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over potential war crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel is not a member state, the ICC’s top prosecutor told Reuters on Thursday.
The occupied Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC, meaning the court has the authority to prosecute Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza.
“If there is evidence that Palestinians, whether they’re Hamas or Al Quds Brigades or the armed wing of Hamas or any other person or any other national of any other state party, has committed crimes. Yes, we have jurisdiction wherever they’re committed, including on the territory of Israel,” ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in an interview.
In his first comments since Hamas launched brutal attacks on Israel on Saturday and Israel responded with devastating bombings of the Gaza Strip, he said the images are “heartbreaking”.
“It’s horrendous what’s going on, what we’re seeing on our television screens. There has to be a legal process to determine criminal responsibility,” he said.
“One doesn’t need to be the prosecutor of the ICC. Any human being’s heart must be chilled and frozen and heartbroken at seeing the pictures that are coming out of Israel and Palestine these last few days,” he said.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 15:38Supporters of Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gather for mass Friday prayer in solidarity with Palestinians
- October 13, 2023 15:35Hamas practiced in plain sight, posting video of mock attack weeks before border breach
Less than a month before Hamas fighters blew through Israel’s high-tech “Iron Wall” and launched an attack that would leave more than 1,200 Israelis dead, they practiced in a very public dress rehearsal.
A slickly produced two-minute propaganda video posted to social media by Hamas on September 12 shows fighters using explosives to blast through a replica of the border gate, sweep in on pickup trucks and then move building by building through a full-scale reconstruction of an Israeli town, firing automatic weapons at human-silhouetted paper targets.
The Islamic militant group’s live-fire exercise dubbed operation “Strong Pillar” also had militants in body armour and combat fatigues carrying out operations that included the destruction of mock-ups of the wall’s concrete towers and a communications antenna, just as they would do for real in the deadly attack last Saturday.
Read the full story here - October 13, 2023 15:32At least 258 Israeli soldiers killed: Army
- October 13, 2023 15:29UN rights office on Gaza: states with clout should insist on respect of law
The United Nations’ human rights office on Friday called on all states, especially those with international clout, to insist on the full respect of international law in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We are calling for a global call, an unequivocal call from every member state in the international community, particularly those with influence, to insist upon full respect for international humanitarian law,” said U.N. Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 15:20Thousands of Iraqis rally in support of Palestinians: state TV
Thousands of Iraqis poured onto the streets of Baghdad Friday in support of Palestinians amid Israeli air strikes on Gaza in reprisal for a deadly Hamas attack, state television said.
“No to the occupation! No to America!” chanted the demonstrators, who had gathered in Tahrir Square after Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called for a demonstration “in support of Gaza” and against Israel, an AFP journalist reported.
Protesters waved Palestinian and Iraqi flags while a huge Israeli flag was laid on the ground for the demonstrators to trample on.
“This rally is aimed at condemning what is happening in occupied Palestine, the bloodletting and the violation of rights,” said Abu Kayan, an organiser of the protest.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 15:12Great concern among G7/G20 countries for Middle East crisis, Italy minister says
There is great concern among G7/G20 countries about the crisis in the Middle East after Hamas’ attack on Israel last week due to its consequences in terms of geopolitical and economic instability, Italy’s Economy Minister said on Friday.
Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti was speaking on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Marrakech.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 15:11Iran urges US to ‘control’ Israel to avert regional war
The United States must rein in Israel to avert a regional spillover of the war with Hamas, Iran’s top diplomat said Friday in Beirut, adding Tehran was seeking to safeguard Lebanon’s security.
“If the Americans want to prevent the war in the region from developing, they must control Israel,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, adding, “one of the goals of our trip is to stress on Lebanon’s security”.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 14:42Friday prayers at al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem
- October 13, 2023 14:34Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel
- October 13, 2023 14:31Moving severely ill people in Gaza amounts to ‘death sentence’: WHO
The World Health Organization said on Friday local health authorities in Gaza had informed it that it was impossible to evacuate vulnerable hospital patients from northern Gaza after Israel’s military called for civilians to relocate south within 24 hours. “There are severely ill people whose injuries mean their only chances of survival is being on life support, such as mechanical ventilators,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
“So moving those people is a death sentence. Asking health workers to do so is beyond cruel.” -- Reuters
- October 13, 2023 14:20Hamas rejects Israel order to evacuate north Gaza
Hamas on Friday rejected an Israeli order for 1.1 million residents to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of an expected ground incursion into the overcrowded Palestinian territory.
“Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt,” the Islamist militant group said in a statement.
“We are steadfast on our land and in our homes and our cities. There will be no displacement,” it said.
The United Nations said an order by Israel to flee within 24 hours risked a “calamitous situation”.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 14:12Israeli embassy staffer in Beijing assaulted: Israel Foreign Ministry
A staffer at the Israeli embassy in Beijing was assaulted on Friday, the Israel foreign ministry said in a statement.
The person was in stable condition and is being treated in hospital, the statement said.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 14:01South Africa checking whether two of its citizens killed in Israel
South Africa’s government is checking information from the Israeli embassy that two of its nationals have been killed in attacks by militant group Hamas, a spokesperson said on Friday.
The Hamas attacks killed more than 1,300 people and have triggered days of retaliatory attacks by Israel’s military in which more than 1,500 Palestinians have died.
“We are currently verifying this,” Clayson Monyela, a spokesperson for South Africa’s department of international relations and cooperation, said when asked about a local news report that two South Africans had been killed since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated last weekend.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 13:48Terrorism against humanity, have to move forward with human-centric approach: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13, inaugurating the ninth P20 Summit, said that ‘terrorism, no matter where it happens or for what reason, it is against humanity’.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit of G20 nations, Mr. Modi lamented that there isn’t unanimity on the definition of terrorism even in the United Nations. He cautioned that conflicts and confrontations being faced by the world today do not benefit anyone, saying the world has to move forward with a human-centric approach.
Mr. Modi also said ‘we have to remove obstacles in the way of global trust’ and added that this is the time for peace and brotherhood, and time to move forward together.
- October 13, 2023 13:34US Secretary of State Blinken meets Jordanian king in Amman
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday met with Jordanian King Abdullah in Amman, the second stop of his most extensive Middle East tour yet as Israel prepares for a sweeping ground offensive in Gaza, and he urged people in Gaza city to evacuate to the south.
His demand, which the United Nations said would be impossible to carry out “without devastating humanitarian consequences”, comes a day after Blinken visited Israel and held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the conflict.
On Friday alone, the top American diplomat is set to visit three more countries: Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where he will spend the night. Before departing for Doha, he is set to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman.
“Across each of these engagements, we’ll continue pressing countries to help prevent the conflict from spreading, and to use their leverage with Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the hostages,” Blinken told a news conference in Tel Aviv.
“We’ll also discuss how we can continue to make real our affirmative vision for a region that’s more peaceful, more prosperous, more secure, more integrated. And in fact, that is the choice, and the choice in some ways has been made even more stark by the actions of Hamas on Saturday.”
Reuters - October 13, 2023 13:23Hamas says Israeli bombardment of Gaza killed 13 hostages held by the group, including foreigners
Hamas says Israel’s heavy bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed 13 hostages, including foreigners, held by the group.
Hamas’ military wing said in a statement Friday that the 13 were killed in various locations over the past 24 hours.
It did not give the nationality of the foreigners. There has been no confirmation from Israel.
AP
- October 13, 2023 13:05Woke up to sound of sirens, spent time in shelters: Indian evacuees from Israel recount horror
Glad to be home and traumatised by what they had seen in the last few days, the first batch of around 200 Indians returned from Israel on Friday with the sound of air raid sirens, rocket fire and screams ringing loud in their ears.
“We woke up to sounds of air raid sirens. We stay in central Israel and I don’t know what shape this conflict will take,” said Shashwat Singh soon after landing at Delhi airport along with his wife.
PTI
- October 13, 2023 13:04Indian team withdraws from world cadet chess championship in Egypt
The Indian team has pulled out of the World Cadet Chess Championship scheduled to be held at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt from October 14 to 23 in view of the situation in Gaza and keeping in mind the safety of the participants.
As many as 39 players from the country were supposed to take part in the tournament which included events in the under-12, 10 and 8 categories.
- October 13, 2023 12:54Japan condemns Hamas’ ‘terror attacks,’ supports Israel’s right to defend itself
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told her Israeli counterpart on Thursday the “terror attacks” by Hamas cannot be justified for any reason, and that Tokyo resolutely condemns the conduct, a statement by the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 12:47Ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Khan Younis
- October 13, 2023 12:41Austin arrives in Israel on visit to show solidarity
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel Friday for a visit aimed at showing solidarity with a country still reeling from a devastating Hamas attack that has left thousands dead.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 12:29Israel says ‘deeply disappointed’ over lack of China condemnation of Hamas attack
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Friday said it expressed “deep disappointment” in a call with the Chinese envoy to the Middle East over China’s lack of condemnation of Hamas’s weekend attack.
“The ambassador expressed Israel’s deep disappointment with Chinese announcements and statements about the recent events in the south, where there was no clear and unequivocal condemnation of the terrible massacre committed by the terrorist organization Hamas against innocent civilians and the abduction of dozens of them to Gaza,” the statement said.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 12:18Hamas calls on Palestinians to stay in their homes after Israel orders mass evacuation
- October 13, 2023 12:17UN says relocating Palestinian refugee agency to south Gaza
The United Nations announced Friday that its agency for Palestinian refugees is moving operations and foreign staff to southern Gaza, following an Israel army evacuation order condemned by the global body.
“UNRWA relocated its central operations centre and international staff to the south to continue its humanitarian operations and support to its staff and Palestine Refugees in Gaza,” the agency wrote on Twitter, rebranded X.
- October 13, 2023 12:14Israel calls for immediate relocation of 1.1 million people in Gaza amid its massive bombardment in retaliation for Hamas’s attacks
- October 13, 2023 11:42‘Now is the time for war,’ says Israel’s military chief
Israel’s military chief said, “Now is the time for war,” as his country amassed tanks near the Gaza Strip ahead of a planned ground invasion to annihilate the Palestinian militant Hamas group that rules the enclave.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 11:26Blinken seeks Arab pressure on Hamas as Israel readies Gaza move
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday began a tour of Arab capitals as he seeks to build pressure on Hamas while Israel readies a likely massive offensive on the Gaza Strip following the militants’ attacks.
The top U.S. diplomat will meet Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a longtime U.S. partner, and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Amman and will then visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr. Blinken spent Thursday in Tel Aviv where he promised unwavering solidarity to U.S. ally Israel after the surprise October 7 offensive by Hamas, who killed over 1,200 people and took about 150 more hostage.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 11:25254 Nepali students rescued from conflict-ridden Israel return home
A group of 254 Nepali students rescued from the strife-torn Israel and led by Foreign Minister N P Saud arrived in Kathmandu on Friday.
A Nepal Airlines flight that took off from Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Thursday landed at Tribhuvan International Airport here this morning after a stopover in Dubai.
PTI
- October 13, 2023 10:15Israel army says it has called on Gaza City residents to evacuate to south
Israel’s army called Friday for all Gaza City residents to evacuate their homes and head south of the territory “for their safety”.
“The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza as shown on the map,” the army said in a statement.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 10:00“Very thankful to government for bringing us back,” say Indians on first flight from Israel under Operation Ajay
The first charter flight carrying the first batch of Indian citizens stranded in Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas arrived in New Delhi on Friday morning under Operation Ajay.
Those who were being repatriated from Israel thanked the Indian government for bringing them back. Speaking to ANI one of the passengers who landed at the Indira Gandhi International today said, “This is the first time that we are facing such a situation over there. We are very thankful to the Indian government, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing us back. We are hoping for peace as soon as possible so that we can return to work as soon as possible...”
ANI
- October 13, 2023 09:3627 Americans killed in Israel, U.S. to arrange charter flights to evacuate its citizens: WH
At least 27 American citizens have died and 14 remain unaccounted for as a result of unfolding violence in Israel and the US will arrange charter flights to evacuate its citizens from the strife-torn Jewish state, the White House has announced.
AP
- October 13, 2023 09:29France bans pro-Palestinian protests, vows to protect Jews from resurgent antisemitism
France’s interior minister on Thursday ordered local authorities to ban all pro-Palestinian demonstrations amid a rise in antisemitic acts since Hamas attacked Israel over the weekend. President Emmanuel Macron urged French people not to allow the war in the Mideast to erupt into tensions at home.
- October 13, 2023 09:18Israel orders the evacuation of 1.1 million people from northern part of Gaza, the UN says
Israel’s military on Friday directed the evacuation of northern Gaza, a region that is home to 1.1 people, within 24 hours, a UN spokesman said.
Read more - October 13, 2023 08:42Brazil calls for humanitarian corridor for Gaza residents
he President of Brazil, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, has appealed to his Israeli counterpart for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to enable people in the Gaza Strip to flee to Egypt, he said Thursday.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 08:11Indian nationals evacuated from Israel arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi
- October 13, 2023 07:49Japan condemns Hamas’ ‘terror attacks,’ supports Israel’s right to defend itself
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told her Israeli counterpart on Thursday the “terror attacks” by Hamas cannot be justified for any reason, and that Tokyo resolutely condemns the conduct, a statement by the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 07:49Flight carrying 212 Indians from Israel lands in Delhi
A flight carrying the first batch of Indians, who were stranded in Israel amid the ongoing war, landed in New Delhi under ‘Operation Ajay’ on Friday morning.
As many as 212 Indian nationals from Israel have arrived at the Delhi airport.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar was present at the airport to welcome them. With folded hands, Mr. Chandrasekhar greeted the returning Indians. He then interacted with the students.
The Union Minister reassured the passengers, saying India’s commitment to the safety of every Indian is unwavering. Prime Minister Modi is determined to protect them, he added.
ANI
- October 13, 2023 07:47North Korea denies its weapons used by Hamas against Israel
North Korea denied on Friday its weapons were used by Hamas in the attack against Israel, saying the claim made in some media reports was a bid by Washington to divert the blame for the conflict from itself to a third country.
Radio Free Asia reported this week citing military experts that Hamas militants may be using North Korean weapons and said footage of Palestinian fighters showed what appeared to be a rocket launcher suspected to be from the North.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 07:26Israel releases images of slain children to rally support after Hamas attack
Israel’s government showed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO defence ministers graphic images of dead children and civilians on Thursday, saying they were killed by Palestinian group Hamas as it builds support for its response.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also released on social media a picture of a dead infant in a pool of blood and the charred body of a child, part of an apparent effort to stoke global anger against the Gaza militants over Saturday’s attack.
Reuters
- October 13, 2023 07:14UN calls for $294 mn for ‘urgent needs’ in Gaza, occupied West Bank
The United Nations on Thursday issued an emergency appeal for $294 million to address “the most urgent needs” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where more than 400,000 Palestinians have fled their homes in recent days.
AFP
- October 13, 2023 06:48Operation Ajay: First flight carrying 212 Indian nationals from Israel, lands in Delhi
- October 13, 2023 06:37Trump says Netanyahu ‘let us down’ before the 2020 airstrike that killed a top Iranian general
Former President Donald Trump has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of betraying him just before the U.S. killed a top Iranian general in 2020, breaking from the Republican presidential primary field’s uniform support of Israel as it responds to Hamas’ deadly attack.
- October 13, 2023 06:36Why did Hamas launch a surprise attack on Israel? | Analysis
On Saturday morning, Israel witnessed the largest attack from the enclave — and perhaps the worst security crisis in 50 years — when dozens of Hamas militants, using motorcycles, pickup trucks, boats, paragliders and mid-range rockets, launched a highly coordinated attack, infiltrating Israeli cities, hitting military bases and killing and taking hostage soldiers and civilians. The attacks, reminiscent of the 1973 Yom Kippur holiday attack by Egyptian and Syrian troops, took Israel by surprise.
- October 13, 2023 06:35For more context on the ongoing situation between Israel and Palestine
Here’s a collection of stories from The Hindu, that provide some context to the situation unfolding in Israel and Palestine:
A creation of the first intifada, Hamas has risen from a charity in Gaza to a key, controversial force of the Palestinians’ fight against occupation. Read more on the Hamas group here...
The elusive leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, announced the beginning of what he called “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.” Who is Mohammed Deif?
Islam’s third holiest mosque has become a flashpoint of the Israel-Palestinian crisis. Read more on the Al-Aqsa mosque here
- October 13, 2023 06:35What are Israel’s options after the Hamas attack? | Analysis
Over 1,350 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombing of Gaza in six days that followed a surprise attack by Hamas that left at least 1,200 Israelis dead on October 7. Israel has also mobilised some 300,000 military reservists and is moving troops and weaponry towards the Gaza border, preparing for an invasion. U.S. President Joe Biden has said responding to Hamas’s attack is Israel’s “duty”, throwing America’s full support behind Israel’s actions.
Read more from our International Affairs Editor Stanly Johny - October 13, 2023 06:32India reiterates call for ‘sovereign, independent, viable state of Palestine’
India reiterated its call for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state on Thursday, with the Ministry of External Affairs saying that there was an “obligation” to uphold humanitarian principles.
Read more - October 13, 2023 06:31First flight under Operation Ajay carrying 212 Indians takes off from Israel
he first charter flight to facilitate the return of Indian citizens wishing to return from Israel left Thursday evening from the Ben Gurion airport carrying 211 adults and an infant living in the war-battered region.
The passengers were chosen on a “first come first serve” basis after a drive launched by the Indian embassy for all Indians to register at the mission’s database. The government is bearing the cost of their return.
PTI
- October 13, 2023 06:18Israel says it won’t allow aid to flow until Hamas releases hostages
The Israeli military pulverized the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, prepared for a possible ground invasion and said Thursday its complete siege of the territory — which has left Palestinians desperate for food, fuel and medicine — would remain in place until Hamas militants free some 150 hostages taken during a grisly weekend incursion.
AP
- October 13, 2023 06:14U.K. PM Sunak unveils funding to protect Jewish community amid Israel conflict
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday announced a new support package, including GBP 3 million in extra funding, targeted at enhanced protection for the country’s Jewish communities against antisemitic attacks in the wake of the conflict in Israel.
The additional funding will be provided to the Community Security Trust (CST), an organisation established to protect British Jews from antisemitism and related threats which works closely with the police.
PTI
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