Israel-Hamas war live: Israeli military says it ‘continues to attack all the time throughout the Gaza Strip’; Sunak arrives in Tel Aviv - The Guardian

Sunak has told the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, that getting humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza is an important issue.

Speaking as the two met in Jerusalem, the British prime minister said:

Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It’s important that we continue to provide humanitarian access.

Sunak also told Herzog this morning that Israel has the “right to self-defence in line with international law”.

Offering a readout of a meeting between the two, a Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister “expressed his personal condolences for the horrific loss of life in Israel as a result of Hamas’s terrorism”.

They added: “[Sunak] reiterated that the UK stands in solidarity with Israel and firmly believes in the country’s right to self-defence in line with international law.

“The prime minister and President Herzog agreed on the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support to ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are also suffering. The prime minister welcomed yesterday’s announcement that Israel would not stop aid from entering Gaza. He expressed his sincere hope that further progress could be made on delivering crucial food, water and medicine.”

The spokesperson said Sunak “conveyed his gratitude to President Herzog for the support Israel has provided to British nationals caught up in the attacks, including to the families of those who have been taken hostage”, with the two agreeing to “work tirelessly to secure their release”.

He added: “The prime minister and President Herzog stressed the imperative need to avoid further escalation of violence in the region. They agreed to continue working together to that end.”

Sunak and Netanyahu have just given a short press conference. Here are some of the key quotes and lines.

Netanyahu framed the conflict as a showdown between good and evil, modernity and barbarism, saying that both Israel and the world were facing their “darkest hour”.

He said:

This is a battle of western civilisation, the battle of the free world, the battle for the future. We have here two forces. One is an axis of evil, led by Iran through Hezbollah, Hamas and others, that want to bring back the Middle East to the Middle Ages, to an age of bondage and war and slavery and annihilation. And the other forces – the forces of progress and humanity – that want to push the Middle East into a world of peace and prosperity. We’re on the cusp of expanding that peace – and destroying that move was one of the reasons why this action was taken. We have to resist it and we have to win. Above all, we have to win. We have to release the hostages.

The Israeli PM said the war would be long, adding that although there would be “ups and downs”, the people of Israel had never been more united.

He described Hamas and its allies as “the modern barbarians; the worst monsters on the planet”.

Sunak said Israel had gone through something that “no country; no people should have to endure – least of all Israel”.

He also said that the UK supported Israel’s right to defend itself “in line with international law”, to go after Hamas and to bring back the hostages.

In a reference to concerns over Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks, Sunak added:

Now I know that you are taking every precaution to avoid harming civilians, in direct contrast to the terrorists of Hamas, which seem to put civilians in harm’s way.

The British PM thanked Netanyahu for his support for British nationals “caught up in this horror”, including the hostages.

Sunak referred to Tuesday’s blast at al-Ahli Arab hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip but did not speculate as to who may have been responsible for it. He said:

We’ve seen scenes over the past day that have shocked all of us, particularly in the hospital and we mourn the loss of every innocent life.

Sunak also thanked the Israeli government for its decision to announce the opening up of humanitarian routes into Gaza.

Lack of access to water is one of the biggest challenges in Gaza, according to the international charity Action Against Hunger, which is warning of “a health crisis on the brink of explosion”.

Staff at the charity say overcrowded displacement shelters are close to breaking point. They add that one shelter in Gaza is currently supporting more than 24,000 people and that 60% of the children there are affected by diarrhoea. Some people are are also resorting to open defecation.

The UN estimates that there are fewer than 3 litres of water per person each day for the 2.3 million people living in Gaza, half of whom are children who are most at risk from water shortages and diarrhoeal infections – the leading cause of child mortality globally. And that amount is likely to decrease by the day as supplies and fuel used to make water drinkable in the desalination plants are reduced.

Chiara Saccardi, officer for the Middle East at Action Against Hunger, said:

Faced with this impossible situation, many Gazan families are resorting to non-drinking water sources, such as agricultural wells. This puts them at imminent risk of dehydration and even an outbreak of infectious diseases such as cholera. Such an epidemic, if it happens, would make this serious crisis an even bigger problem.

An Israeli strike killed the head of the Hamas-led national security forces, Jehad Mheisen, and members of his family in their house in Gaza, according to a Hamas-aligned news agency. (Via Reuters)

The Philippines embassy in Tel Aviv has confirmed the death of another Filipino national, bringing the country’s death toll to four.

The victim, who has not been named, was working as a carer in Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the communities attacked by Hamas on 7 October, the embassy said. Her remains were identified using fingerprint records.

There are around 30,000 Filipinos in Israel, including many who work as carers. A further two Filipino nationals remain missing.

‘I’ve lived through several wars, it’s never been like this, it has never been this brutal’

Inside Gaza health officials say bombing has so far killed nearly 3,500 people and wounded more than 12,000.

In Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, an area of shops was reduced to rubble as far as the eye could see, with a toddler’s pink cot overturned on the ground, windows blown off a clothing store and damaged vehicles.

Rafat Al-Nakhala, who had sought shelter in there after obeying Israel’s order for civilians to flee Gaza City in the north, said nowhere was safe:

I’m over 70 years old, I’ve lived through several wars, it’s never been like this, it has never been this brutal, no religion and no conscience. Thank God. We only have hope in God, not in any Arab or Muslim country or anyone in the world, except for God.

Footage obtained by Reuters from the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north showed residents digging with their bare hands inside a damaged building to free a small boy and girl trapped under masonry.

The body of a man was hauled out of the ruins on a stretcher as residents tried to light up the site with torches on their mobile phones.

The UN says around half of people in Gaza have been made homeless, still trapped inside the territory, one of the most densely populated places on earth. (Via Reuters)

Scholz attacks Putin’s ‘cynical’ concern for civilians in the Middle East

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has slammed Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, for lamenting the fate of civilians in the Israel-Hamas conflict while his army wages war in Ukraine.

Putin has warned that the expected ground offensive would lead to “absolutely unacceptable” civilian casualties. He also described the deadly strike on a hospital in Gaza earlier this week as a “tragedy”.

Scholz told the German parliament on Thursday:

It makes me more than furious to hear the Russian president repeatedly warning that there could be civilian casualties from an armed conflict. It doesn’t get more cynical than that.

International charities urge Sunak to push for an urgent ceasefire during Israel visit

More than 60 international charities - including Action Aid UK, Bond, Cafod, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Médecins Sans Frontières UK, Oxfam GB and Save the Children UK – have signed a statement calling on the UK government to step up its efforts to secure an urgent ceasefire in Israel and Gaza following the bombing of al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza and the escalating instability and humanitarian crisis in the region:

The horrific blast at al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza must serve as a wake-up call to the international community. We urge global leaders to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Without this there can be no safe humanitarian access which would allow NGOs and humanitarian agencies to urgently get food, clean water, and medical supplies into Gaza. Civilians, particularly women, the young and old, and people with disabilities, are already bearing the brunt of this escalating and tragic crisis and must be allowed to move to safety and be protected wherever they are.

The UK prime minister should urgently help secure a ceasefire and uphold UK’s responsibilities to ensure international humanitarian law is adhered to, to prevent further escalation and more lives being lost. It must act now to avoid a wider regional conflict.

Finally, we call on international actors to find a long-term, sustainable, just and peaceful solution for all people across the region.

Sunak has told the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, that getting humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza is an important issue.

Speaking as the two met in Jerusalem, the British prime minister said:

Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It’s important that we continue to provide humanitarian access.

Sunak also told Herzog this morning that Israel has the “right to self-defence in line with international law”.

Offering a readout of a meeting between the two, a Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister “expressed his personal condolences for the horrific loss of life in Israel as a result of Hamas’s terrorism”.

They added: “[Sunak] reiterated that the UK stands in solidarity with Israel and firmly believes in the country’s right to self-defence in line with international law.

“The prime minister and President Herzog agreed on the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support to ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are also suffering. The prime minister welcomed yesterday’s announcement that Israel would not stop aid from entering Gaza. He expressed his sincere hope that further progress could be made on delivering crucial food, water and medicine.”

The spokesperson said Sunak “conveyed his gratitude to President Herzog for the support Israel has provided to British nationals caught up in the attacks, including to the families of those who have been taken hostage”, with the two agreeing to “work tirelessly to secure their release”.

He added: “The prime minister and President Herzog stressed the imperative need to avoid further escalation of violence in the region. They agreed to continue working together to that end.”

More than 60 Berlin police injured and 174 people arrested at pro-Palestinian protests, city authorities say

Sixty-five police officers were injured at overnight protests in Berlin against Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip, authorities said on Thursday, as demonstrators defied bans on such gatherings.

The officers were “wounded by stones, flammable liquid and acts of resistance,” Berlin police said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

A police spokesperson said 174 people were arrested, including 65 who will be facing investigations.

The gathering had began late Wednesday in Neukölln, a district with a large Arab community.

Bild daily said a call had gone out on Telegram calling on “men” to “turn Neukölln into Gaza. Burn everything”.

As police ordered protesters to disperse, “rubbish bins and obstacles were put on the streets” and “stones and pyrotechnics were thrown” at them, prompting police to respond by firing water-cannon, said authorities.

Since Israel began its relentless bombing raids on Gaza in response to Hamas’s deadly attack on October 7, pro-Palestinian protests have erupted across major German cities despite widespread bans.

The number of antisemitic incidents has also jumped, with a synagogue in Berlin hit by molotov cocktails early Wednesday.

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Thursday urged authorities to prevent demonstrations that could degenerate into antisemitic incitement.

Gatherings where “antisemitic slogans are shouted, where the deaths of other human beings are glorified” must be outlawed, said Scholz. (Via Agence France-Presse)

King Abdullah II of Jordan is on his way to Egypt to discuss ways to end “the Israeli aggression on Gaza”

EU interior ministers debate how to manage the impact of the war

EU interior ministers are debating how to manage the impact of the war between Israel and Hamas on the bloc, amid heightened security tensions after a firebomb assault on a Berlin synagogue and killings in Belgium and France by suspected Islamist extremists.

Officials from across the 27-nation bloc have expressed concerns about a rise in antisemitic attacks, the radicalisation of young people online, the use of encrypted messaging services by criminals or extremists, and the need to speed up the deportation of people who might pose a public danger.

But calls for an increase in security across the board are also creating deep unease as the solutions being discussed could undermine free movement and the right to assemble in Europe. Italy and Germany, notably, are introducing new border checks.

The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, believes that part of the solution to Europe’s security woes must involve the bloc helping diplomatically and financially to bring an end to years of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

“We have learned from history that the most difficult decisions are always taken when we are on the edge of the abyss. I believe that is where we are now: on the edge of the abyss,” Borrell told EU lawmakers on Wednesday.

“When I hear Muslim religious authorities speaking the language of inter-religious conflict and explicitly stating that Europe is a party to this conflict, I feel that the storm clouds are looming,” he said. (Via Associated Press)

The executive committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) – a group of 57 states that describes itself as “the collective voice of the Muslim world” – held an emergency meeting yesterday.

In a strongly-worded communique, the OIC referred to “the crime of genocide” and called on its member states “to apply all feasible and effective diplomatic, legal and deterrent measures, to stop the occupying power Israel’s crimes against humanity.”

Here is the communique in full.

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2023-10-19 04:09:00Z
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Russia’s foreign minister hails ‘new level’ of ties during North Korea trip - The Guardian

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has said Moscow’s relations with North Korea have reached a “new level”, as concern grows over deepening military ties between the two countries amid the war in Ukraine.

Speaking on Thursday in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, Lavrov hailed last month’s summit in Russia’s far east between Vladimir Putin and the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, as evidence that bilateral ties were at a “qualitatively new, strategic level”.

Lavrov also thanked Pyongyang for its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as US officials claimed North Korean weapons were being sent to help the Russian war effort.

“We highly value your principled, unambiguous support for Russia’s actions in connection with the special military operation in Ukraine,” he said, according to Russia’s RIA news agency.

Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Wednesday on a visit that is expected to lay the foundations for a Putin-Kim summit in Pyongyang – with a date yet to be decided – that could see the heavily sanctioned countries agree to even closer military and economic cooperation.

Lavrov’s visit comes weeks after Kim travelled to Russia by armoured train to meet Putin for talks that are thought to have focused on weapon supplies and Russian help with North Korea’s space programme.

Last week, the White House said arms shipments had already started, with North Korea delivering more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks. Moscow said Washington had no evidence to support the allegations.

Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said satellite images showed continued activity around a North Korean port near the border with Russia, and indicated that at least six sea crossings had taken place between the two countries since late August.

Earlier, it released satellite images showing what it termed an “unprecedented” buildup of train traffic along Russia’s border with North Korea. The flurry of activity “likely indicates North Korea’s supply of arms and munitions to Russia”, the group said in a report.

Analysts believe North Korea will have demanded a high price for the weapons, as well as access to Russian aerospace and military technology. The regime in Pyongyang has twice failed to place a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit, with a third attempt expected to take place this month.

Kim used his first trip outside North Korea since the Covid-19 pandemic, to describe relations with Moscow his “number one priority”, adding and that he saw the war in Ukraine as an attempt to challenge “hegemonist forces” seeking to undermine Russia’s security.

In response, the US and its allies in the region, South Korea and Japan, have stepped up their military cooperation. On Thursday, the US and South Korean navies joined four other countries, including Canada, for anti-mine exercises off South Korea’s coast, the defence ministry said.

In addition, a US B-52 bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons landed this week at Cheongju airport, about 100km south of Seoul, the Yonhap news agency reported.

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2023-10-19 05:56:00Z
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Israel-Hamas war live: Hospital blast ‘done by other team’, says Biden, after Israel claims it has proof of failed rocket launch within Gaza - The Guardian

The US president, Joe Biden, in a joint press conference in Tel Aviv with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Wednesday that Washington would provide Israel with everything it needed to defend itself, while appearing to accept Israel’s assertion that a blast at a hospital in Gaza had been caused by a failed Palestinian rocket launch.

Biden said Hamas was worse than Islamic State for its killings of Israeli civilians in the surprise attack on 7 October which the president characterised as “slaughter”. He said Hamas “committed evils and atrocities that make Isis somewhat more rational”.

He said he was “sad and outraged” by an explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, which Hamas said killed hundreds of people.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,” Biden told the Israeli PM.

At the conference, Benjamin Netanyahu said 1,400 Israelis, “maybe more” had been murdered during the Hamas attack, and thanked the US for “your support and your steadfast commitment to provide us with the tools we need to defend ourselves,” saying it was the first visit to Israel “by an American president during a time of war.”

Earlier IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari had presented what the Israel claims is evidence that the devastating explosion at the al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital was caused by a misfiring rocket from inside Gaza launched by Islamic Jihad. He said that propellant from the rocket had ignited and caused the explosion, and that imagery from the site showed it could not have been caused by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Authorities in Gaza have put the death toll at the hospital at 300, and stated that over 3,000 Palestinians had already been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its series of retaliatory strikes after 7 October.

A statement signed by more than 800 legal scholars, including experts in international law and Holocaust and genocide studies, has warned that Israel is at risk of committing genocide in Gaza.

Their statement said: “We are compelled to sound the alarm about the possibility of the crime of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. We do not do so lightly, recognising the weight of this crime, but the gravity of the current situation demands it.”

It added: “Israel’s current military offensive on the Gaza Strip … is unprecedented in scale and severity, and consequently in its ramifications for the population of Gaza. Following the incursion by Palestinian armed groups on 7 October 2023, including criminal attacks against Israeli civilians, the Gaza Strip has been subjected to incessant and indiscriminate bombardment by Israeli forces.”

The signatories “urgently appeal to states to take concrete and meaningful steps to individually and collectively prevent genocidal acts, in line with their legal duty to prevent the crime of genocide. They must protect the Palestinian population, and ensure that Israel refrains from any further incitement to genocide and from the perpetration of conduct prohibited by article II of the genocide convention.”

Meanwhile, some of the UK’s leading Jewish lawyers have warned Israel of its obligations under international law in its war with Hamas.

Lord Neuberger, Philippe Sands and six other prominent UK Jewishlawyers condemned atrocities committed by Hamas as crimes against humanity and war crimes, but added “there are laws that we must all live by”.

In a letter to the FT, they said: “There are some aspects of Israel’s response that already cause significant concern. International law forbids sieges of civilian populations … collective punishment is prohibited by the laws of war. Equally, international law requires combatants to ensure minimum destruction to civilian life and infrastructure.”

They add: “In these early days when emotions are so understandably raw, many might be reluctant to remind Israel of its international law obligations, considering to do so insensitive or inappropriate. However, we disagree.”

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has condemned the attack on the hospital in Gaza as “senseless” and “horrifying”.

“Hamas’s terror has plunged Israel and Palestine into a new spiral of violence. Last night, a new, senseless tragedy has shocked us all. A hospital in Gaza – sheltering hundreds of wounded people – was turned into a hell of fire. The scenes from al-Ahli hospital are horrifying and distressing. There is no excuse for hitting a hospital full of civilians. All facts need to be established, and those responsible must be held accountable.

“In this tragic hour, we must all redouble our efforts to protect civilians from the fury of this war.”

Here is the video clip of the US president, Joe Biden, in Tel Aviv talking about the claim that the explosions at the al-Ahli Arab hospital was caused by a failed rocket launch from inside Gaza.

France is advising its citizens not to travel to Lebanon.

Iran’s foreign ministry has urged countries to impose sanctions on Israel. Reuters reports it said in a statement:

The foreign minister calls for an immediate and complete embargo on Israel by Islamic countries, including oil sanctions, in addition to expelling Israeli ambassadors if relations with the Zionist regime have been established.

Iran does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Reuters has a quick snap that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has said that the explosion at a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians was a terrible catastrophe that showed the conflict should be ended.

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has said “antisemitism has no place in Germany” after an attack outside a synagogue in Berlin in which police say two molotov cocktails were thrown at the building.

Reuters reports Scholz said during a visit to Egypt: “I want to expressly say that I am outraged. It outrages me personally what some are shouting and doing.”

In a social media post, he added: “Attacks on Jewish institutions and acts of violence on our streets are despicable and cannot be tolerated. Antisemitism has no place in Germany.”

Two hooded men threw the molotov cocktails at a synagogue in central Berlin early on Wednesday morning, police said, adding that they had arrested a man who shouted antisemitic slogans while they were investigating.

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is confident that aid could be allowed into Gaza soon after his talks with the leaders of Israel, Jordan and Egypt, he said on Wednesday.

“We are all closely aligned so I have a feeling it could happen soon,” Reuters reports Scholz as saying in Cairo following his meeting with the Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

The UK’s foreign secretary has said “too many jumped to conclusions” about the blast at the al-Ahli Arab hospital hospital.

In a post to social media, James Cleverly wrote: “Last night, too many jumped to conclusions around the tragic loss of life at Al Ahli hospital. Getting this wrong would put even more lives at risk. Wait for the facts, report them clearly and accurately. Cool heads must prevail.”

Earlier the Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari criticised the media for spreading what he said were “false and baseless allegations made by terrorists against Israel”.

The US president, Joe Biden, in a joint press conference in Tel Aviv with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Wednesday that Washington would provide Israel with everything it needed to defend itself, while appearing to accept Israel’s assertion that a blast at a hospital in Gaza had been caused by a failed Palestinian rocket launch.

Biden said Hamas was worse than Islamic State for its killings of Israeli civilians in the surprise attack on 7 October which the president characterised as “slaughter”. He said Hamas “committed evils and atrocities that make Isis somewhat more rational”.

He said he was “sad and outraged” by an explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, which Hamas said killed hundreds of people.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,” Biden told the Israeli PM.

At the conference, Benjamin Netanyahu said 1,400 Israelis, “maybe more” had been murdered during the Hamas attack, and thanked the US for “your support and your steadfast commitment to provide us with the tools we need to defend ourselves,” saying it was the first visit to Israel “by an American president during a time of war.”

Earlier IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari had presented what the Israel claims is evidence that the devastating explosion at the al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital was caused by a misfiring rocket from inside Gaza launched by Islamic Jihad. He said that propellant from the rocket had ignited and caused the explosion, and that imagery from the site showed it could not have been caused by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Authorities in Gaza have put the death toll at the hospital at 300, and stated that over 3,000 Palestinians had already been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its series of retaliatory strikes after 7 October.

The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, has reiterated the strong need for Europe to condemn Hamas, but also to condemn any attack on civilians by Israel in the defence of its country that breaches international humanitarian law.

His remarks follow discord at the top in Brussels, with the European Commisssion leader, Ursula von der Leyen, accused of initially failing to emphasise that Israel’s defence needed to be within the scope of international law in the days following Hamas’s attack.

“Let’s repeat it one more time. And let’s also say that Israel has – of course – the right to defend itself. She has always had it and anyone who found themselves attacked in this brutal way would have the right to defend themselves.

“But I think we are all united in saying that the right to defence, like all rights, has limits. And, in this case, they are the limits set by international law and, in particular, international humanitarian law. All this is already obvious, and we can repeat it, but repeating it will not make us advance in the necessary reflection that guides action,” said Borrell.

“Because condemning one tragedy should not prevent us from condemning another. Showing our pity for the dead, victims of terrorist attacks, should not – and does not – prevent us from also demonstrating our feelings for other dead people.

“In these tragic moments, I believe that the European Union must base its response on four principles: firmness, humanity, coherence, and a proactive political attitude in the face of this conflict.”

Here are some of the latest images sent to us over the news wires from the site of the blast at al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza.

Roberta Metsola, president of the European parliament, said today that “the devastation of a hospital is horrific and unjustifiable, and we must ensure we continue to shed light on what happened. As the tragedy in the Middle East continues to unfold, it is once again the innocent who are forced to pay the price. We must remain clear that protecting civilian lives must keep being a priority. We cannot lose sight of the humanitarian consequences.”

Biden has said Hamas has “committed evil atrocities that make Isis look somewhat rational”.

He said: “We have to also bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and has brought them only suffering.”

The US president also said: “I’m deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday. Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we have to overcome a lot of things.”

He said the US would give Israel what it needed to defend itself. He finished by saying the bravery of the Israeli people was stunning, and he was proud to be there.

The pair did not take questions.

Biden says that the US is grieving with Israel.

Joe Biden said: “I wanted to be here today. For a simple reason I want the people of Israel, the people in the world to know where the United States stands.”

Here is what Benjamin Netanyahu has said in opening:

I want to thank you for coming here today and for the unequivocal support you have given Israel during these trying times. The support that reflects the overwhelming will of the American people.

I’ve seen your support every day and the depth and breadth of cooperation that we have had since the beginning, a level of cooperation that is truly unprecedented in the history of the great alliance between our two nations.

We see that support and your steadfast commitment to provide Israel with the tools we need to defend ourselves. We see that support in the clear message you send our enemies not to test our resolve, and in the two American carrier battle groups that you send to the region to back up those words, with action but above all, Mr. President, the world sees that support and the moral clarity that you have demonstrated from the moment Israel was attacked.

You rightly drawn a clear line between the forces of civilization the forces of barbarism and describe what commands do a sheer evil.

It is exactly that.

Hamas murder children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children. They burned people alive. They raped and murdered women. They beheaded soldiers, and they searched for the secret hiding places where parents hid their children. Just imagine, Mr President, the fear and the panic of those little children in their last moments as the monsters discovered, found out, their hiding places.

The Israeli prime minister has greeted Biden and thanked him for the unprecedented support and “moral clarity” that the US has given Israel.

Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu are giving a joint press conference in Tel Aviv. I’ll bring you the key lines.

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2023-10-18 10:16:00Z
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Israel Palestine live: Gaza hospital strike sees hundreds feared dead - The Independent

Family of Hamas hostage Rimon Kirsht issues tearful plea

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US President Joe Biden has said the explosion at a Gaza hospital appears to have been the result of “the other team” as uncertainty remains over responsibility for the death of potentially hundreds of civilians.

An explosion and resultant fire was recorded at roughly 7pm (local time) last night in the car park of the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in northern Gaza.

The Hamas-run health ministry claimed that as many has 500 people were killed as a result of the explosion.

Hamas blamed the explosion on an Israeli airstrike; Israel said the fire was caused by a failed rocket launched from within the enclave by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Speaking with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Mr Biden said he was “deeply outraged” by the incident but that “it appears as though it was done by the other team, not [Israel]”.

He added: “We have to also bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and has brought them only suffering.”

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Biden: Strike on hospital carried out by ‘other team’

President Joe Biden told Benjamin Netanyahu that it appears that the explosion at a Gaza hospital was done “by the other team”, Rachel Sharp reports.

Speaking alongside the Israeli Prime Minister in Tel Aviv, he said that he was “deeply outraged and saddened” by the incident, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths.

“I’m deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday. Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we have to overcome a lot of things,” he said.

Israel has blamed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad for the hospital attack. The PIJ has denied involvement while Hamas has blamed Israel.

He added: “We have to also bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and has brought them only suffering.”

Tom Watling18 October 2023 10:01

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Protesters gather outside US embassy in Jordan

Protesters have gathered at the US embassy in Jordan following an explosion that is feared to have killed up to 500 people in Gaza.

There has been unrest across the Middle East following the explosion at a Gaza City hospital, including in Nablus and Ramallah in the West Bank, in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, and in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Tom Watling18 October 2023 11:14

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German chancellor condemns firebombing of Berlin synagogue

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has strongly condemned the firebombing of a synagogue in Berlin, saying “we will never accept when attacks are carried out against Jewish institutions”.

Assailants threw two incendiary devices at the synagogue in the centre of the capital early on Wednesday morning, police said, as antisemitic incidents in the country have been rising following the escalating violence in the Middle East.

The Kahal Adass Jisroel community wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Unknown persons threw two Molotov cocktails from the street.”

Dozens of police officers were investigating in front of the synagogue in the Mitte area of the city, and the entire street next to the building was cordoned off and closed to traffic.

German police officers stand guard in front of the building complex, center, of the Kahal Adass Jisroel community

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Tom Watling18 October 2023 11:11

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More photos from the Gaza hospital explosion

More photos have emerged of the aftermath of the Gaza hospital explosion.

You can see them below.

Tom Watling18 October 2023 11:01

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Kirby says Biden will ask ‘tough questions’ of Israel

NSC spokesperson John Kirby has said that President Joe Biden will be asking “tough questions” of Israel during his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.

“He’ll be asking some tough questions. He’ll be asking them as a friend – as a true friend of Israel. But he will be asking some questions of them,” he told reporters on board Air Force One en route to Israel overnight Tuesday.

His comments come after hundreds of civilians were killed in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.

Mr Kirby added that the president had directed the national security team “gather as much information and context as possible so that we can learn more about how this happened”.

After arriving in Tel Aviv, Mr Biden said that it appeared that the attack was carried out by “the other team” – not Israel.

President Biden says it appears Gaza hospital explosion was done ‘by other team’ – not Israel.

Tom Watling18 October 2023 10:56

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Netanyahu likens Hamas attacks on Israel to ‘20 9/11s’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likened the attacks by Hamas on Israel to “20 9/11s” as he spoke of the significance of the president’s wartime visit.

“I know you share our outrage on this,” he said, saying that this marks the first visit of an American president in Israel at a time of war.

In total, 1,400 people have so far been killed in Hamas attacks on Israel, he said.

“This would be equivalent to 50,000 Americans in a single day,” he said. “That is 20 9/11s.”

Mr Biden doubled down on his administration’s support, vowing that “the US stands with Israel”.

“I want to be here today for a simple reason. I want the people of Israel, the people of the world to know the US stands with Israel,” he said.

“We had the secretary of state but I wanted to personally come to make that clear.”

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu describes the Hamas attacks as ‘20 9/11s’

Tom Watling18 October 2023 10:55

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What is Biden’s schedule for trip to Israel?

The Biden administration has kept specific timings of President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel under wraps, coming at a time of escalating tensions in the Middle East region. However, NSC spokesman John Kirby gave an outline of plans to reporters on board Air Force One overnight Tuesday. Here’s what we know about his schedule for the visit:

• Meeting with Netanyahu – Mr Biden will first meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a restricted bilateral meeting. Both leaders will then be able to broaden the meeting to include Mr Biden’s team and the Israeli war cabinet.
• Visit first responders – Mr Biden is then expected to meet some of Israel’s first responders who have responded to the violence, thanking them for their work.
• Meet families of hostages and victims – The president will then meet with some of the families whose loved ones have been killed or taken hostage by Hamas.
• Press briefing – Mr Biden will then make public remarks where he is expected to reinforce the US’s support for Israel.
• Meeting with Herzog – Mr Biden is also expected to have a “short conversation” with President Herzog.
• Departure – The president will head back to the White House later today.

Tom Watling18 October 2023 10:50

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Cleverly says ‘too many jumped to conclusions’ about Gaza explosion

James Cleverly has said that “too many jumped to conclusions” about the explosion in a Gaza hospital that may have killed hundreds of people.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the UK foreign secretary said: “Last night, too many jumped to conclusions around the tragic loss of life at Al Ahli hospital.

“Getting this wrong would put even more lives at risk. Wait for the facts, report them clearly and accurately. Cool heads must prevail.”

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the ‘protection of civilian life must come first’ (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Tom Watling18 October 2023 10:40

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IDF posts alleged audio of Hamas militants discussing failed strike

The Israeli Defence Forces have published an audio clip allegedly between two Hamas militants suggesting that a misfired rocket was responsible for the hospital explosion in Gaza.

Tom Watling18 October 2023 10:18

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Some more footage from the aftermath of an explosion in Gaza

Some more footage is posted below appearing to show the aftermath of an explosion in the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital.

Up to 500 people are feared dead in the explosion, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

Tom Watling18 October 2023 10:10

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2023-10-18 09:10:18Z
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Killing of two Swedish football fans in Brussels ‘probably lone wolf’ attack - The Guardian

A Tunisian man who killed two Swedish citizens in a terrorist attack in Brussels was “probably a lone wolf”, the Belgian prime minister has said, as Sweden and Italy called for security at Europe’s borders to be tightened.

Sweden’s prime minister said the country was suffering “unfathomable sadness” after the fatal shooting of two Swedish football fans, one in his 60s and one in his 70s, and the wounding of a taxi driver.

Speaking before a planned visit to Brussels on Wednesday to take part in a memorial ceremony, Ulf Kristersson warned that it was time for Europe to bolster security. “This is a time for more security; we can’t be naive,” he said.

“We have an openness in Europe, which is one of the important reasons why we need to keep an eye on the EU’s external border, because otherwise people can easily move between European countries,” he added.

“These terrorists want to scare us into obedience and silence. That will not happen.”

The suspected assailant, identified in reports as Abdesalem Lassoued, 45, used an automatic rifle on Monday night to shoot dead the two men and injure the third before fleeing the scene on a scooter. He was shot dead on Tuesday morning by police outside a cafe in the Schaerbeek area near Brussels city centre.

Investigators said the suspect had claimed in a video on social media that he was a fighter “for Allah”, prompting concern over a potential wave of radicalisation triggered by the war between Israel and Hamas.

The prosecutor’s office, which had initially said there was no evidence that the attack was related to the conflict, said on Tuesday that such a link was being explored.

“We initially said that there would be no connection with the events in Gaza, but we have since established that he has shared a number of expressions of support for the Palestinian people on his social media,” said Eric Van Der Sypt of the federal prosecutor’s office. “So this may have played a role.”

The public prosecutor’s office said “all possible avenues” were being investigated. One possible line of inquiry is that the gunman was motivated by protests in Sweden at which the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, was burned. In response to anger prompted by the burnings, Sweden’s intelligence service raised its threat level to four on a scale of five in August.

Belgium is still haunted by terrorist attacks in 2016 that killed 32 people and injured more than 300. But investigations are understood so far to have not shown any links between the gunman and other groups, or any evidence of a terrorist cell operating in Belgium.

Speaking at a press conference, the Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, said the security threat level for Brussels had in fact been reduced to level 3 from level 4 after the fatal shooting of the attacker.

“We managed to neutralise the guilty person. So there was no longer any imminent threat,” De Croo said, adding he was “probably a lone wolf, but we cannot rule out copycat behaviour”.

However, the level 3 threat level, which has not been in force for more than five years, indicates that terrorist acts are “possible and probable”, with extra security deployed to secure certain areas and institutions such as the EU headquarters.

It emerged on Tuesday that Lassoued had travelled to Italy’s Lampedusa island in 2011 and then moved to Sweden, from where he was deported after a spell in prison, the Swedish migration agency said. He is then believed to have returned to Italy, where he was identified by police in Bologna in 2016 as a “radicalised subject” who was also monitored by intelligence services.

The man then moved to Belgium.

The Belgian justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, confirmed the perpetrator “was on the radar of the security services” for illegal residence and four other matters but not on the country’s list of potential terrorists. He had no criminal record, he added.

The gunman’s background looks likely to reignite debate about migration to the EU. Italy’s interior minister called on Brussels to speed up implementation of the controversial deal it did with Tunisia to reduce people smuggling across the Mediterranean.

Speaking on Tuesday, Kristersson expressed particular concern for Swedish citizens. “All indications are that this is a terror attack aimed at Sweden and Swedish citizens only due to them being Swedish,” he said.

His thoughts were with the “innocent people who have died”, the injured man and their relatives, as well as Sweden fans in the stadium who had travelled to Belgium for the Euro 2024 qualifying football match between Belgium and Sweden. The flag outside the Swedish parliament was flown at half mast on Tuesday.

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2023-10-18 01:30:00Z
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Vladimir Putin arrives in China to meet 'dear friend' Xi Jinping - The Telegraph

Ukraine’s forces launched successful overnight strikes on Russian airfields and equipment near the cities of Luhansk and Berdiansk in territory controlled by Russian forces, Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine made well-aimed strikes on enemy airfields and helicopters near the temporarily occupied Luhansk and Berdiansk,” the Ukrainian military’s communication department said on the Telegram messaging app.

Rob Lee, the military analyst, said earlier this year that Russia had “transferred 20 helicopters to the Berdyansk airport”, bringing the total to 27. 

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official in parts of the Zaporizhzhia region controlled by Moscow in Ukraine’s southeast, said, however, that the strikes on Berdiansk were not successful.

“According to preliminary information, our air defence system successfully intercepted enemy rockets,” Rogov said on the Telegram. “Information about victims and possible damage is being clarified.”

Berdiansk is a port city in Zaporizhzhia on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

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2023-10-17 08:45:37Z
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