Israel-Hamas war live: UN refugee chief warns military escalation would be ‘catastrophic’ for Gaza, as IDF says it hit 100 targets overnight - The Guardian

The Egyptian foreign ministry has accused “western media” of targeting the country about the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

On the social media site X, formally known as Twitter, the Egyptian foreign minister said the media were “Promoting displacement scenario, holding Egypt responsible for the Crossing closure despite Israeli targeted attacks and refusal of aid entry and recently insinuating Egypt responsibility for obstructing third-country nationals exit.”

It added: “Rafah crossing is open and Egypt is not responsible for obstructing third-country nationals exit.” A subsequent tweet said: “The opportunity is available tomorrow to change course and awaken the conscience.”

Board of Deputies of British Jews meets BBC director general

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has put out a statement after a meeting today with Tim Davie, the BBC director general.

The broadcaster has been criticised in recent days for describing Hamas as militants rather than terrorists, and for its initial coverage of Tuesday’s blast at al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza.

The statement reads:

The BBC confirmed it was committed to continued dialogue. It also confirmed it is no longer BBC practice to call Hamas militants. Instead, the BBC describes the group as a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK government and others, or simply as Hamas.

Marie van der Zyl, the president of the board of deputies, said:

We emphasised our outrage at the refusal of the BBC to describe Hamas’ barbaric actions as terrorism and the damaging, false report of the rocket which killed innocent civilians. We will both continue dialogue as well as pursuing legal avenues.

German interior minister calls for deportation of Hamas supporters

Germany’s interior minister says Hamas supporters should be deported from the country where possible, adding that authorities would keep a close eye on potential Islamist attackers.

“If we are able to deport Hamas supporters, we must do this,” Nancy Faeser told reporters following talks with officials at the Federal Criminal Police Office.

“Our security authorities have currently placed an even stronger focus on the Islamist scene,” Faeser added, pointing to a recent attack in Brussels as an indication of the threat relating to tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has flown to the Sinai peninsula in an effort to open a humanitarian route into Gaza, as Israel’s bombardment continued ahead of a looming ground offensive.

The border crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border was due to open on Friday under an agreement Joe Biden believed he had brokered on his one-day visit to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. But the US state department said on Thursday that the “modalities” of opening the gate were still being negotiated, and the Egyptian government said it needed more time to repair the bomb-damaged road.

Guterres called for significant deliveries of aid to be let through and for security checks to be speeded up. “We are actively engaging with all parties to make sure conditions for delivering aid are lifted,” he said.

Thousands of Jordanians rally in support of Hamas

Chanting slogans urging Islamist Hamas militants to intensify their strikes on Israel, thousands of Jordanians marched in the capital and around the country on Friday to protest against Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza.

More than 6,000 people took part in the protest in downtown Amman arranged by opposition parties and tribal groups in a kingdom where passions are running high since the escalation of violence between Palestinians and Israel.

“Oh Hamas, hit them with al-Qassam rockets ... Bring the suicide bombers to Tel Aviv,” they chanted, referring to the military wing of Hamas.

In Amman on Friday, several thousand people also gathered near the Israeli embassy, a common spot for anti-Israel protests at times of turmoil in the Palestinian territories.
“No Jewish embassy on Arab land!” protesters chanted.

Riot police blocked roads leading to the fortified embassy complex to keep back demonstrators who gathered around the nearby Kaloti mosque in the capital.

Authorities in Jordan earlier this week quelled rioting around the Israeli embassy and said they would not tolerate any attempt by mobs who sought to exploit anger against Israel to create havoc.

On the outskirts of the capital, hundreds of anti-riot police blocked all roads leading to Jordan Valley opposite the West Bank, where activists had called for large protests.

More than 2,000 protesters who were prevented from heading to the border called on the authorities to allow them to join the fight alongside Hamas.

In the southern city of Karak, hundreds of protesters gathered at a checkpoint on a highway leading to the border chanting pro-Hamas slogans.

Many of Jordan’s 10 million citizens are of Palestinian descent. They or their parents were expelled or fled to Jordan in the fighting that accompanied the creation of Israel in 1948.

They have close ties with family on the other side of the Jordan River in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, both captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. (Via Reuters)

The Egyptian foreign ministry has accused “western media” of targeting the country about the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

On the social media site X, formally known as Twitter, the Egyptian foreign minister said the media were “Promoting displacement scenario, holding Egypt responsible for the Crossing closure despite Israeli targeted attacks and refusal of aid entry and recently insinuating Egypt responsibility for obstructing third-country nationals exit.”

It added: “Rafah crossing is open and Egypt is not responsible for obstructing third-country nationals exit.” A subsequent tweet said: “The opportunity is available tomorrow to change course and awaken the conscience.”

Russia is urging its citizens to refrain from travelling to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon or Jordan, the foreign ministry said on its website on Friday.

It added in a statement:

We continue to work closely with the Egyptian and Israeli authorities to ensure the exit from the Gaza Strip of Russian citizens who have asked for assistance in evacuating.

(Reuters)

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has spoken by video link-up to families of the French hostages held by Hamas.

He said he, along with every service of the French state, was fully mobilised to obtain their liberation. The Elysée said Macron had told the families of the hostages: “Everything will be done for them to come back safe and sound to France.”

More than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, according to the latest update from the Gaza health authorities. They said that 4,137 people have lost their lives, while more than 13,000 people have been injured.

Israel doesn’t plan to control ‘life in Gaza’ after destroying Hamas, says defence minister

Israel’s defence minister has said that after the country destroys the Hamas militant group, the military does not plan to control “life in the Gaza Strip”.

Yoav Gallant’s comments to lawmakers were the first time an Israeli leader discussed its long-term plans for Gaza.

Gallant said Israel expected there to be three phases to its war with Hamas. He said the first would be an attack on the group in Gaza with airstrikes and ground operations, then it would defeat pockets of resistance and finally it would cease its “responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip”. (Via AP)

Israel will also “establish a new security regime”, he said.

“October 7 is the day that started the process of destroying Hamas,” Gallant said, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. He added that the war will be divided into three phases, the first of which is “a military campaign by fire and later by tactical manoeuvre, the purpose of which will be to assassinate operatives and damage infrastructure” to destroy Hamas.

After that, Gallant said, the fighting will continue “at a lower intensity.” The final stage of the campaign will include “the creation of a new security regime in the Gaza Strip, the removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Strip and the creation of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel,” the defense minister said.

Most of the 200 or so people kidnapped in Israel by Hamas and taken to the Gaza Strip are still alive, the Israeli military said on Friday.

“The majority of the hostages are alive. There were also dead bodies that were taken … to the Gaza Strip,” an army statement said.

The military said more than 20 hostages were children, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60.

There are also between 100 and 200 people considered missing since the Hamas attacks, the army added.

My colleagues Angelique Chrisafis, Ashifa Kassam, Kate Connolly and Angela Giuffrida have written this piece about the fears of some Jewish communities around Europe in the aftermath of Hamas’s attack on Israel:

In the usually bustling “Little Jerusalem” area of Sarcelles, north of Paris, the popular falafel and grill restaurant was eerily quiet. “People are not going out,” said Jérémy, the 33-year-old restaurant owner.

Lunchtime and evening crowds are common in one of the largest Jewish communities on the Paris outskirts. But many thought it wiser to stay home, fearing a growing number of antisemitic incidents in France and across Europe since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October and the ensuing bombardment of Gaza.

UN chief visits Egypt’s Rafah crossing ahead of Gaza aid delivery

The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, has visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to oversee preparations for the delivery of aid to the war-torn territory.

Cargo planes and trucks have been bringing humanitarian aid to Rafah for days, but so far none has been delivered to the Gaza Strip, which Israel has besieged and bombed for 13 days.

“We are actively engaging with all the parties, with Egypt, Israel, the United States... in order to have these trucks moving as soon as possible,” Guterres told journalists on Friday.

Rafah is the only crossing into the blockaded Palestinian territory that is not controlled by Israel, which agreed to allow aid to enter after a request from the US.

Earlier on Friday, the UN humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, said the first aid delivery via the Rafah crossing should take place “in the next day or so”.

Guterres said there was an “absolute need to have these trucks moving as soon as possible and as many as necessary”, adding that “this must be a sustained effort”.

“We are not looking for one convoy to come but we are looking for convoys to be authorised in a meaningful number to have enough trucks to provide support to Gaza’s people,” the UN chief said.

The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says two more of its staff have been killed in Gaza, bringing the total number to 16 since the war began.

An Israeli air strike on Friday targeted three Hezbollah militants near the Lebanese border, Israel’s military said.

“Three Hezbollah terrorists were identified in the area of the border with Lebanon. Israel Defence Forces aircraft struck the terrorists,” it said.

“In addition, a short while ago, IDF snipers opened fire toward gunmen that were identified operating in the area of the border with Lebanon.”

• At least 18 people are reported to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Greek Orthodox church compound in Gaza.

• The Palestinian health ministry says 13 people, including five children, were killed after an Israeli assault on the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank.

• The Israeli military says it attacked more than 100 operational targets in the Gaza Strip overnight.

• Israel has evacuated its own communities near Gaza and Lebanon and announced plans to evacuate Kiryat Shmona, a town of more than 20,000 residents near the Lebanese border.

• The first delivery of aid to the besieged Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt should take place “in the next day or so”, the UN has said.

• The UN has also warned that any escalation of military activities in the Gaza Strip would be “catastrophic” for people there.

• The Dutch government has joined other countries in advising its citizens against any travel to Lebanon and also urged those still in the country “to leave Lebanon as soon as possible”.

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2023-10-20 09:11:59Z
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Aid delivery waits to enter Gaza from Egypt at Rafah crossing - BBC

EPA

By Antoinette Radford

BBC News

About 20 trucks carrying much-needed aid may be allowed to enter Gaza in the coming days - bringing some relief to its 2.2 million residents.

Israel cut electricity, most water and stopped food and medicine deliveries there following an attack by Hamas militants on 7 October.

A deal allowing some supplies through Egypt's Rafah crossing has now been struck by the US and Egypt.

But humanitarian organisations warn it will not be nearly enough.

"The UN has reported that a minimum of 100 trucks of humanitarian assistance are needed in order to support the millions of civilians living in Gaza", Shaina Low of the Norwegian Refugee Council told the BBC.

The World Food Programme's Abeer Etefa said that the situation in the territory was becoming "very difficult".

"Food and water supplies are running out. The bakeries - many of them have stopped functioning."

Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UN relief agency UNRWA, told the BBC that about 500 trucks a day had been entering Gaza before the war started. Some 1.2 million people living in the territory already relied on food aid from UNRWA before 7 October.

"Poverty is very, very high in the Gaza Strip. Already before the war the situation was desperate - now it is becoming tragic," said Juliette Touma, the UN body's spokeswoman in Amman.

The agreement to deliver a limited amount of aid via the Rafah crossing was reached by US President Joe Biden and Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Wednesday that Israel would "not thwart" supplies going from Egypt to the civilian population in southern Gaza.

However, his government only agreed to allow food, water and medical supplies - not other much-needed supplies like fuel.

A UN report on Gaza said that fuel is a necessity, and a lack of it is contributing to the water crisis, as desalination plants and water pumps can no longer operate.

Mr Lazzarini said that if fuel could not be delivered, many more trucks will be needed to carry in water.

More on Israel-Gaza war

• Follow live: Latest updates
• Explained: What's going on in Gaza and Israel, and why now?
• History behind the story: The Israel-Palestinian conflict
• Hamas attack: Family seeks answers after live-stream horror
• From Gaza: BBC reporter flees Israel bomb warning

The aid agreement offers a glimmer of hope for millions inside Gaza. Prior to these negotiations, it had been unclear how any aid would reach civilians.

However, Israel has said it will not allow any aid to pass through its own territory until hostages being held by Hamas are released and and aid has not yet crossed the Rafah crossing into Gaza.

Speaking to the BBC's Newshour, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that was because the crossing had been subject to four aerial bombardments, and that there had been no authorisation for the safe passage of lorries and trucks into Gaza.

"I would hope there would be a determination as to why the crossing is being bombarded and by whom it's being bombarded", he said.

The exact timeline on when aid will get to those who need it remains unclear. The road on the Rafah crossing requires repairs before any trucks are able to enter.

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said the first trucks could start arriving in Gaza on Friday.

But Mohsen Sarhan from the Egyptian Food Bank warned that time - as well as supplies - was running out. He said 120 lorries were ready to deliver aid and were waiting at the border for safe passage.

"We're very angry because we know people over there have run out of water. They have even run out of body bags. They have run out of everything."

Related Topics

• Middle East
• Israel-Gaza war
• Egypt
• Gaza

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2023-10-19 15:44:19Z
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‘Free world, where are you?’ Gaza hospital chief pleads amid Israel attacks - Al Jazeera English

Footage of dead bodies lined up side by side on a hospital stretcher stir outrage in bombarded Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The head of a hospital in the Gaza Strip has issued an emotional appeal calling for an end to Israel’s bombardment following an air raid that doctors said killed several infants.

“Look at these children. Who is killing these children,” asked Yousef al-Akkad, director of European Gaza Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, standing behind the bandaged and bloodied bodies of the toddlers.

“Free world, where are you regarding these massacres committed against this bereaved and oppressed people?” al-Akkad continued, in a video released by the besieged enclave’s Ministry of Health on Wednesday.

At least nine people were killed, including seven children, in an Israeli air attack that struck the al-Bakri family house south of Khan Younis, Palestinian news agency WAFA said. Many were trapped under the rubble, it added.

The news of the attack spread quickly on social media as images of children’s bodies lined up side by side on a hospital stretcher stirred outrage in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Photographers swarmed the operation room of the European Gaza Hospital as women covered their eyes and doctors wept.

“This is a massacre,” al-Akkad said, his voice choking with emotion. “Let the world see, these are just children.”

Doctors and residents also confirmed that the children were killed in the attack and said the al-Bakri family was just one of many such cases on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press news agency.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which started a devastating air campaign on Gaza after an October 7 attack of Hamas, the group that rules the enclave, in southern Israel.

So far, at least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and nearly 3,500 in Gaza, including 1,030 children.

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2023-10-19 09:36:27Z
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Harry Potter girl's terrified last message to her mother as Hamas attacked kibbutz: Family share heartbreaking - Daily Mail

By Chris Jewers

Published: 03:52 EDT, 19 October 2023 | Updated: 07:09 EDT, 19 October 2023

The heartbreaking final message of a 12-year-old Israeli Harry Potter fan who was murdered by Hamas terrorists has been shared by her family.

Noya Dan - who was autistic - and her 80-year-old grandmother Carmela were among those who went missing when gunmen attacked Israel on October 7.

Since then, their family had been clinging to the hope that they were kidnapped rather than killed, and would be returned by Israeli forces who are preparing to launch a ground assault into Gaza to destroy Hamas and rescue hostages.

Noya's plight was highlighted by JK Rowling on Monday after the author was made aware of her kidnapping. She shared a picture of the young fan in a Potter costume.

However, the Dan family confirmed in a tragic Facebook post late on Wednesday that the bodies of both Noya and Carmela had been identified by rescue workers. The Israeli ministry of foreign affairs also confirmed their deaths.

Before the devastating news, Noya's mother had shared her daughter's tragic final voice message to her - sent as she cowered inside her grandmother's home in Nir Oz while Hamas gunman stalked the kibbutz, searching for residents to kidnap or kill.

'Mom, there was a big boom at the door that scared me,' Noya is heard saying in Hebrew in a voice note, played by her mother to Israeli media.

'All the windows in Grandma's house were broken at the entrance. Because there was another boom, there are many broken windows. Mommy… I'm scared.'

Noya's mother Galit Dan, 53, was five miles away hiding in a panic room when her daughter was taken by the terrorists. Galit told a reporter how Hamas gunmen were inside her home, in her living room, when she heard from Noya.

The youngster was hidden in darkness at her grandmother home, texting each other in silence as explosions erupted around the kibbutz on that Saturday morning.

'Just because she is autistic, doesn't mean she doesn't understand. She understands everything,' Galit tells Israeli media. 'Where are they keeping her? What are they doing with her? I hope they're together, praying,' she added.

Three more members of the Dan family are understood to still be missing.

News of Noya's disappearance had prompted Harry Potter author JK Rowling to condemn the Hamas attacks, and specifically the kidnapping of children.

The author on Tuesday shared a picture of Noya wearing a Harry Potter costume on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption: 'Kidnapping children is despicable and wholly unjustifiable. For obvious reasons, this picture has hit home with me. May Noya and all hostages taken by Hamas be returned soon, safely, to their families.'

In the photo posted by Rowling, a grinning Noya could be seen wearing clothes resembling the Hogwarts school uniform (the wizarding school in Rowling's books) as well as the iconic red and yellow Gryffindor tie (one of the school's houses).

She appeared to be dressed as one of the main characters - Hermione Granger - and was also holding a Hebrew copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (the fifth book in the series) as well as a wand.

Israel had previously posted Noya's picture on X on Sunday, saying: 'This beautiful 12 year old girl with autism was kidnapped from her home by Hamas terrorists and was taken to Gaza. Noya is sensitive, kind, funny and a massive Harry Potter fan.'

The State of Israel's official X account also urged JK Rowling to share Noya's story in the hopes of 'bringing her home'.

Rowling's post touched many, especially fellow Harry Potter fans, and further brought home the reality of the brutal terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas that killed as many as 1,400 people in Israel, many of whom are yet to be identified.

The terrorists also kidnapped at least 203 others, including children, and took them into the Gaza Strip to be held as hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

The brutal rampage through kibbutzim and other settlements in southern Israel sparked a retaliatory response from the country's military, which has relentlessly bombed the Gaza enclave leading to thousands of Palestinian deaths.

Noya had been staying with her her grandmother when the pair were taken prisoner in Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the several Israeli communities just miles from Gaza that were attacked by Hamas 13 days ago.

According to Israeli news sources, their bodies were found burned near the Israel-Gaza border fence by workers for ZAKA Search and Rescue organisation.

Israel did not confirm where the bodies were found. 

The tragic news was first confirmed on Facebook by people close to the family.

'Today was a difficult day. All kinds of reasons, all kinds of feelings, many tears, many conversations. At the end of the day, difficult news arrived, ones we hoped not to receive. Carmela Dan, Noya Dan are no longer with us,' Sharon Calderon wrote.

'May they be remembered for love. We continue to fight to bring Ofer, Sahar Varez home,' she added, in reference to others who are missing.

Noam Dan, Carmela's niece, wrote on her Facebook page: 'It just dawned on us that our beloved family members Noya and Carmela are no longer alive. 

'We are in great pain... we have three more souls to save in the family (and in the country - a huge amount...) so tomorrow we will continue. Thanks for the hug. From our hearts that drink from pain and gratitude.'

In a message on X, Israel said: 'We are devastated to announce that Noya and her grandmother Carmela's bodies were discovered yesterday. Thank you to all of you who shared her story to help us bring her home. Our hearts are broken.'

Last week, Noya's mother had shared the heartbreaking last conversation she had with her 12-year-old daughter before the kidnapping.

Ms Dan was five miles away hiding in a panic room when Noya sent her a voice message: 'Mummy, I'm scared. There are people in the house - help me.'

Noya hid in darkness at her grandmother Carmela's home, texting each other in silence as explosions erupted around their kibbutz.

They disappeared after Noya sent a panicked message.

Noya's mother managed to wait in safety with her husband - Noya's stepfather - and her other daughter Tomal, 9, at their home in the settlement of Kibbutz Kissufim.

After 22 hours, the family was evacuated to a Dead Sea resort hotel. 

Ms Dan told The Sun last week: 'The pain is indescribable. My little girl went for a sleepover with her granny and was messaging us as these animals came for them.

'Our best hope now is that they have been kidnapped and will somehow survive. I am living every parent's nightmare — every parent in the world will feel our pain.' 

Ms Dan told The Sun her daughter had autism and was extremely sensitive. She described her daughter as a 'very sweet, very funny, very clever little girl'. She said that her grandmother Carmela was 'vulnerable herself'. 'What do they hope to achieve by doing this to innocent helpless people?' she asked of Hamas.

Reports vary about exactly how many of Nir Oz's 400 residents were killed by Hamas, but estimates range from 20 to 240. The surviving kibbutz members were evacuated to Eilat, where many are currently staying in a hotel.

News of the tragic deaths of Noya and her grandmother came as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel to 'express solidarity' with the country.

He will also call for any escalation of violence in the wider region to be avoided.

Sunak landed at Ben Gurion airport on Thursday morning ahead of holding talks with his counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Isaac Herzog.

'Above all, I'm here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people. You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you,' Mr Sunak told reporters on the ground.

As part of a trip, he will urge Middle East leaders to 'avoid further dangerous escalation', saying that 'too many lives have been lost' already in the conflict.

The visit comes after the US president flew into Israel on Wednesday in a diplomatic bid to prevent fighting from spiralling into a larger crisis.

Joe Biden urged Israel not to be 'consumed by' rage in the wake of Hamas's deadly attack on October 7 and to avoid making the same 'mistakes' that the US did after September 11 2001, following the Islamist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The president's trip appeared to mark a breakthrough, with Mr Netanyahu's office announcing it had approved a request from Mr Biden to allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.  

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2023-10-19 07:52:00Z
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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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