Eurasia Press & News
Eleven days into the fighting between Israel and Hamas, nearly 1 million are now displaced in Gaza as rocket barrages continue in the direction of Israel and the Israeli bombardment intensifies on the enclave.
Lebanon’s juggernaut militant group Hezbollah has called for a “day of rage” on Wednesday over the Gaza hospital strike that has left hundreds dead and comes just as US President Joe Biden heads to Israel.
Hundreds of Lebanese protesters gathered outside US embassy compound near Beirut in early of hours of Wednesday local time, where they clashed with security forces. The US raised the travel alert in Lebanon to level 4 urging citizens against any travel to the country, and authorized departure of non-emergency personnel.
Lebanon: On Oct. 17, 2023, the @StateDept raised the Travel Advisory for Lebanon to Level 4 – Do Not Travel due to the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges between Israel and Hizballah or other armed militant factions.
The Travel… pic.twitter.com/MRidNOu51A
— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) October 18, 2023Protests were also reported in Iraq, Turkey and Jordan. Biden is expected in Israel on Wednesday, but a planned four-party summit in Jordan with President Joe Biden has been postponed until further notice, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on state television, in response to a Gaza hospital blast that killed hundreds.
The White House confirmed that Biden is no longer going to Jordan. “After consulting with King Abdullah II of Jordan and in light of the days of mourning announced by President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, President Biden will postpone his travel to Jordan and the planned meeting with these two leaders and President [Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi of Egypt,” the White House said. It added that Biden sent his “deepest condolences for the innocent lives lost in the hospital explosion in Gaza, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.”
NOW: Baghdad, Iraq—massive crowd heads towards the US embassy.
They’re chanting “America is the greatest devil.” pic.twitter.com/oCq8AsuyRi
— Diliman Abdulkader (@D_abdulkader) October 17, 2023A regional official told Al-Monitor’s Jared Szuba that the decision to cancel Biden’s summit in Amman was “collective,” not a unilateral one by Jordan.
Following his visit to Israel on Wednesday, Biden was due to meet with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority in Amman to discuss the Gaza crisis. Earlier Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly withdrew from the summit in protest following a deadly explosion at a Gaza City hospital that Hamas blamed on Israel. Hamas officials said at 500 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday evening local time.
The Israel Defense Forces denied responsibility, and said a failed rocket launch from the militant group Islamic Jihad caused the deadly explosion. “An enemy rocket barrage was carried out toward Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit,” the IDF said in a statement. “According to intelligence information from several sources we have, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital.”
A correspondent for Al-Monitor in Gaza City described scenes of chaos in the area of the attack. “The electricity is gone, so ambulances and transporting bodies is even harder.” The correspondent, who prefers to stay anonymous for safety reasons, said wounded militants from Hamas and other groups have been receiving treatment at Gaza hospitals but emphasized that al-Ahli Hospital hosted a large number of those displaced.
The news comes as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a direct threat to the United States on Tuesday, saying Washington “must be held responsible” for the Israel-Hamas escalation. The Pentagon ordered around 2,000 troops to be on heightened alert to potentially deploy to the region, as Biden readies for a trip to Israel on Wednesday.
The death toll has now exceeded 4,000, with nearly 3,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis killed.
The fighting entered day 11 on Tuesday as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued shuttle diplomacy and visited Amman. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while French President Emmanuel Macron said he will visit Israel “in the coming days.” The foreign visits reflect both solidarity with Israel and concerns over Netanyahu’s leadership in risking a regional war.
Meanwhile, intense negotiations to open the Rafah crossing continued as a blast hit the area, adding to operational problems that could delay opening the only passage out of Gaza.
On Tuesday, Jordan’s King Abdullah said that neither his country nor Egypt will accept Palestinian refugees, declaring it a “red line.”
Al-Monitor’s Rina Bassist, Adam Lucente, Ezgi Akin, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Jack Dutton, Beatrice Farhat, Jared Szuba, Ben Caspit and Al-Monitor’s contributors on the ground in Gaza contributed to this blog.
Live updates (all times EDT):
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023
9:00 pm: Protesters outside US embassy in Lebanon
Hundreds of protesters reportedly gathered at the US embassy in Awkar, a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon.
According to Reuters, more than 100 protesters were near the embassy carrying Palestinian flags, and ahead of a “day of rage” declared by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Wednesday.
7:09 pm: Biden ‘outraged’ by Gaza hospital blast
President Joe Biden said he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the explosion at Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, which Palestinian health officials said killed hundreds of people.
“Immediately upon hearing this news, I spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and have directed my national security team to continue gathering information about what exactly happened,” Biden said in a statement after departing for Israel.
Hamas blamed the blast on an Israeli airstrike, while Israel said the hospital was hit by an errant rocket fired by Palestinian militants.
6:45 pm: Jordan summit cancelation was ‘collective’
A regional official told Al-Monitor’s Jared Szuba that the decision to cancel Biden’s summit in Amman was “collective,” not a unilateral one by Jordan.
6:00 pm: Biden no longer going to Jordan
President Joe Biden will no longer visit Jordan on Wednesday. “After consulting with King Abdullah II of Jordan and in light of the days of mourning announced by President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, President Biden will postpone his travel to Jordan and the planned meeting with these two leaders and President [Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi of Egypt,” the White House said. It added that Biden sent his “deepest condolences for the innocent lives lost in the hospital explosion in Gaza, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.”
5:30pm: Jordan calls off summit with Biden
A planned four-party summit in Jordan with President Joe Biden has been postponed until further notice, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Jordanian outlet Roya News. Following his visit to Israel, Biden was due to meet with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday to discuss the Gaza crisis. Earlier Tuesday, PA President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly withdrew from the summit in protest following a deadly explosion at a Gaza City hospital that Hamas blamed on Israel. The Israel Defense Forces said a failed rocket launch from Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad caused the blast.
4:43 pm: Hezbollah blames US for strike on Gaza hospital, calls for ‘day of anger’
Hezbollah denounced the alleged Israeli strike on the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, while also blaming the United States.
“These acts, over the years of the oppressive occupation, reveal the true criminal nature of this entity, its malevolent sponsor, and the principal culprit, the United States of America, which bears direct and complete responsibility for this and all crimes perpetrated by the Zionist enemy,” read a statement carried by Hezbollah’s media outlet, Al-Manar.
Hezbollah declared that Wednesday should be a “a day of unparalleled anger against the enemy” in response to the attack, referencing US President Joe Biden’s planned visit to Israel on that day, according to Al-Manar. Read more here.
4:15 pm: Chaos, power outage near site of hospital attack
A correspondent for Al-Monitor in Gaza City described scenes of chaos in the area of the attack. “The electricity is gone, so ambulances and transporting bodies is even harder.” The correspondent, who prefers to stay anonymous for safety reasons, said wounded militants from Hamas and other groups have been receiving treatment at Gaza hospitals but emphasized that al-Ahli Hospital hosted a large number of those displaced.
3:52 pm: Gulf states, Egypt condemn Israel over Gaza hospital bombing
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said it “condemns in the strongest terms the atrocious crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces” in reference to the strike against the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City. Adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates Anwar Gargash tweeted that “the human tragedy and scenes of horror for innocent people is the result of Israeli targeting” of the hospital.
Earlier, the foreign ministries of Qatar and Egypt issued statements condemning Israel for the incident. Gaza authorities said Israel struck the hospital, while the IDF blamed a failed rocket launch from the militant group Islamic Jihad.
3:50 pm: Hamas leader calls strike against Gaza hospital ‘massacre’
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh strongly denounced the alleged Israeli airstrike against a Gaza City hospital, referring to the incident as a “massacre” and vowing to continue the fight against Israel.
“The resistance continues and will not cease until the occupier leaves our land and holy sites,” said Haniyeh in a video message broadcast by Al Jazeera Arabic. Speaking from Qatar, Haniyeh added that the United States has “provided cover” for Israel and “carries responsibility” for the attack.
Hamas-run health authorities in the Gaza Strip said an Israeli airstrike hit the al-Ahli Hospital, killing hundreds, while the IDF said a failed rocket launch from the Gaza-based militant group Islamic Jihad caused a deadly explosion at the facility.
3:38 pm: Israel blames Islamic Jihad for Gaza hospital blast
The Israel Defense Forces said a failed rocket launch from the militant group Islamic Jihad, not an Israeli airstrike, caused the deadly explosion at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. “An enemy rocket barrage was carried out toward Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit,” the IDF said in a statement. “According to intelligence information from several sources we have, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital.”
3:00 pm: Israel warns citizens to leave Turkey
Israel’s National Security Council raised the level of travel warning to Turkey to level 4 — the highest alert. It called on all Israelis staying in Turkey to leave the country as soon as possible, and to exercise vigilance by not wearing any signs indicating that they are Jews or Israelis. Israel also raised the warning level for those in Morocco, to level 2 — urging citizens to take extra precautions.
1:27 pm: Gaza officials say hundreds killed in Israeli strike
Hamas-run health authorities in the Gaza Strip said hundreds were killed by an Israeli airstrike at a hospital in Gaza City. A Gaza civil defense chief told Al Jazeera more than 300 people were killed at the al-Ahli Hospital. A Gaza Health Ministry official said at least 500 were killed and injured.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, “I don’t know to say whether it was an Israeli airstrike,” and the IDF will get details and update the public, The Associated Press reported.
12:15 pm: French president denounces captive video released by Hamas
French President Emmanuel Macron denounced on Monday a video released by Hamas showing 21-year-old dual French-Israeli national Mia Shem, who appears injured. It’s the first hostage video released publicly by Hamas since its fatal attacks on Oct. 7. “It is an ignominy to take innocent people hostage and put them on show in this odious way,” Macron said, before confirming that he will visit Israel in the coming days. Rina Bassist reports.
11:56 am: Israel-Lebanon border clashes continue
The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee tweeted that Israel is striking Hezbollah targets without providing further details.
Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF reported that missile fire from Lebanon injured two soldiers and a civilian in the northern town of Metula. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli shelling in the southern town of Blida as well as Hezbollah strikes on Israeli targets, including in Metula.
11:30 am: Iran’s Khamenei threatens US, 2,000 US troops enter heightened state of readiness
The Pentagon said 2,000 US troops have been placed in a heightened state of readiness in the event they must deploy to the region after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a direct threat to the United States on Tuesday, saying Washington “must be held responsible” for the Israel-Hamas escalation. Jared Szuba reports.
11:05 am: US takes oversight role in Israel’s Hamas war
Distrusting Netanyahu and fearing a regional war, the Biden administration has taken on an oversight role in Israel’s war plan with the US president making a rare visit on Wednesday. Read Ben Caspit’s latest.
10:45 am: Gaza death toll around 3,000, Israel at 1,400
The Palestinian Health Ministry said around 3,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes. More than 12,500 were wounded, the PA’s WAFA news agency reported.
The death toll in Israel from Hamas’ attack and subsequent fighting has risen to more than 1,400 people, multiple outlets reported on Sunday, with around 3,400 wounded.
10:11 am: Hamas military leader killed in Israeli airstrike
Hamas’ armed wing the Al-Qassam Brigades announced the death of one of its senior commanders, Ayman Nofal. The brigades said Nofal was killed in an Israeli airstrike. He was a member of the group’s general military council and led its central brigade in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-affiliated Safa news agency reported.
The IDF announced its fighter jets killed Nofal.
7:54 am: Missile fire between Israel, Lebanon continues
Two anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon toward the northern Yiftah kibbutz and some rifle fire was reported toward IDF positions near the border, said an IDF spokesperson. Israeli troops are responding with tank fire and artillery. IDF also said two of the three Israelis injured earlier by missile fire in the northern town of Metula are soldiers and the third is a civilian.
7:02 am: Jordan to host four-way meeting on Gaza war
Jordan’s King Abdullah will host US President Joe Biden, Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a four-way summit on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Gaza and their impact on the region. The Jordanian royal court said in a statement posted on X that the four leaders will also tackle the issue of aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
5:49 am: Turkey FM reports efforts to free third-country citizens, Egypt to host summit on Gaza war
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Tuesday that efforts to release hostages held by Hamas are particularly focused on third-country citizens.
“Our efforts for the release of particularly foreigners, civilians and children will continue,” Fidan said. Fidan discussed the issue with Hamas’ Qatar-based political chief on Monday. Separately, Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida also said Monday that the group was preparing to release third-country citizens at a suitable time.
Fidan also said Egypt will host a summit of world leaders on Saturday to discuss the ongoing war and the situation in the Gaza Strip. His remarks came during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut.
3:34 am: Israeli airstrikes kill another journalist in Gaza
A Palestinian journalist was killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit a residential building in the northern Gaza neighborhood of al-Saftawi, bringing the total number of journalists killed since Israel began its air campaign against Gaza last weekend to 12. Sources cited by Anadolu Agency identified the journalist as Mohammad Balousha. He worked with the local Palestine Today news site, which confirmed Balousha’s death in a post on the X platform.
3:20 am: Israel begins major arrest campaign in West Bank
Some 109 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli forces across the West Bank, according to the official WAFA news agency. The massive wave of arrests coincides with the Hamas-Israel escalation in the Gaza Strip that erupted last weekend. Since then, 680 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank, most of whom are former prisoners in Israeli jails, the Palestinian Prisoners Club reported.
3:18 am: Residents of northern Israel instructed to enter shelters amid Lebanon fire
The IDF instructed residents of the northern cities Metula and Kiryat Shmona to enter shelters after reports of anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanese territory. Earlier in the day, the IDF reported killing four militants who tried to cross the border fence from Lebanon and to place explosives there. The head of the Metula municipality said three people were injured. The IDF responded with artillery fire.
2:30 am: King Abdullah says Jordan and Egypt won’t accept Palestinian refugees
Jordanian King Abdullah II said while in Germany that neither his country nor Egypt will accept Palestinian refugees, declaring it a “red line.” Speaking after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Abdulla said, “Some of the usual suspects are trying to create facts on the ground.” He stated, “There will be no refugees in Jordan and no refugees in Egypt.”
2:13 am: Israeli forces shoot Palestinian teenager dead in West Bank
A Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli forces during a raid on a school in the city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank, the official WAFA news agency reported. Medical sources identified the victim as Mohammad Nidal Melhem, 17. Since the Hamas-Israel war erupted on Oct. 7, 60 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, where tension is running high.
1:00 am: IDF hits more than 200 Hamas, Islamic Jihad targets overnight
The Israeli army struck more than 200 targets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip overnight, said the IDF spokesperson’s office. Among the targets hit by fighter jets were the operational headquarters of the two organizations, operatives, a bank that was used by Hamas to finance terrorism and several tunnels. The IDF added that in the past few days, its navy has struck several operations headquarters and depots of weapons and ammunition.
Monday, Oct. 16, 2023
11:00 pm: CENTCOM chief arrives in Israel
Commander of the US Central Command Michael Kurilla is in Israel to conduct high-level meetings with Israel’s military leadership, including IDF chief Herzi Halevi. A statement issued by CENTCOM said Kurilla came to “gain a clear understanding of Israel’s defense requirements, outline US support efforts to avoid expansion of the conflict and reiterate the Department of Defense’s ironclad support for Israel.”
9:00 pm: UN Security Council rejects Russian draft resolution on Gaza
The UNSC failed to adopt a proposal by Russia with four countries voting against, five in favor and six abstaining. The draft called for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza but failed to mention Hamas or the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The Times of Israel said a second draft proposed by Brazil, which includes condemning Hamas, will be voted on Tuesday.
8:15 pm: Biden to visit Israel to view war plans, Blinken says
US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday and view Israel’s plans for war in Gaza, Washington’s top diplomat Antony Blinken said following more than seven hours of meetings. He met with top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv Monday night into early Tuesday morning local time.
The United States and Israel agreed to develop a plan to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, Blinken said, after a previous agreement had been reportedly reached with Egypt and Israel fell through on Monday.
US officials have scrambled to arrange a humanitarian corridor for Gaza even as the Pentagon continues to say military hardware will flow to Israel unabated.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian threatened that Tehran’s forces and the militias it backs in the region will take “pre-emptive action” to prevent an Israeli assault on Gaza.
7 pm: Israel says IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
The Israeli army said Monday night it had carried out strikes against Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon. The statement did not provide the locations of the targets or details of the strikes, but the move comes as tensions between the Iran-backed militant group and the Jewish state hit a new peak since the 2006 war. Earlier on Monday, the IDF said shots were fired toward one of its tanks and posts along the northern border with Lebanon and that it retaliated with artillery fire.
6:30 pm: CNN reports US to send 2,000 Marines to Middle East
CNN reported on Monday that the United States is sending a Marine rapid response force to a position off the coast of Israel and the Pentagon is preparing American troops for a potential deployment to the country. A US defense official told CNN that the force consisting of 2,000 Marines and sailors will be joining a growing number of “US warships and forces converging on Israel as the US seeks to send a message of deterrence to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.”
5:15 pm: Iranian FM says ‘pre-emptive actions’ possible in coming hours
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that “resistance” groups may take “pre-emptive actions” against Israel in the coming hours and urged the international community to find a solution to the conflict in Gaza, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Further details were not immediately available.
“Leaders of the resistance will not allow the Zionist regime to take any action in Gaza. … All options are open and we cannot be indifferent to the war crimes committed against the people of Gaza,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
🚨 Iran’s FM Abdollahian warns of potential “preemptive action” by Iran & its allies in the “coming hours” in the region to counter Israel’s attacks on Gaza. This is a serious statement that signals a real possibility of Iran and/or Hezbollah joining the war against Israel.>>> pic.twitter.com/1vi76MPRf4
— Sina Toossi سینا طوسی (@SinaToossi) October 16, 20234:30 pm: Netanyahu speaks with UAE president
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Sunday night with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, marking the first — and so far only — call between Netanyahu and an Arab head of state since the Hamas attack on Israel Oct. 7. The two discussed regional developments and agreed to stay in touch, according to a statement. The Emirates previously said that it was “appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes.” Rina Bassist reports.
3:50 pm: Hamas says between 200 and 250 hostages held in Gaza
Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida said that due to “security and practical considerations,” there is no definite count of the number of hostages currently held in Gaza. But he stated that their number is between 200 and 250 and could be higher. Abu Obeida said that Hamas has around 200 hostages, while the remainder are being held by other resistance factions or in unidentified places. The statement came after Israel said earlier in the day it had so far notified relatives of 199 people kidnapped and held in Gaza.
3:45 pm: EU establishes air bridge to Gaza via Egypt
The European Commission announced Monday it was setting up a humanitarian air bridge to help Palestinians from Gaza. Assistance equipment including shelter items, medicine and hygiene kits will be flown to Egypt with the hope that the Rafah crossing will soon open to transfer the material into the Gaza Strip. Rina Bassist reports.
3:10 pm: Turkish FM, Hamas leader discuss release of civilian hostages
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Hamas’ Qatar-based political chief Ismail Haniyeh discussed “the latest developments in Palestine and the possibility of release of civilians” in a phone call on Monday. The phone call came after Erdogan said last week that his government was working intensively with all parties for the release of the hostages.
12:45 pm: UK announces $12.2M in aid for Palestinian civilians
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a further £10 million ($12.2 million) in aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, an increase of a third.
Sunak made the announcement in the House of Commons on Monday and called for immediate access for humanitarian organizations to be allowed to deliver life-saving aid.
He condemned the actions of the Hamas militant group in both Israel and Gaza.
“An acute humanitarian crisis is unfolding to which we must respond. We must support the Palestinian people — because they’re victims of Hamas too,” Sunak said.
12:40 pm: UN estimates over 43% of Gaza’s displaced
The United Nations estimated on Monday that over 1 million people out of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million are now displaced. Talks to reopen the Rafah crossing are stalled. Beatrice Farhat reports.
12:34 pm: Netanyahu, Putin speak for first time since Hamas attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Netanyahu’s office reported without offering any details.
The Kremlin said that Putin has also spoken with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and that he is planning to speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Netanyahu spoke on Sunday with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his first conversation with an Arab leader since Oct. 7.
12:09 pm: Egypt-Gaza crossing hit in military strike
The Rafah border crossing has been hit in a military strike, Agence France-Presse reported. No details were immediately available. Israel has struck the crossing at least three times since the war with Hamas began, according to the outlet.
11:34 am: Shin Bet chief takes responsibility for Israel’s deterrence failure
In a first address since the deadly Hamas attack, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar took responsibility for Israel’s failure to establish deterrence vis-a-vis Hamas.
“As the leader of our organization, responsibility for this is on me,” Bar wrote to Shin Bet members.
11:25 am: Shekel hits lowest since 2015
The Israeli shekel continues to drop and is now worth four to the dollar, its lowest value since 2015.
10:56 am: Gaza death toll rises above 2,800
The number of people killed in the Gaza Strip from Israeli strikes is now 2,808, with another 10,850 wounded, the Palestinian Authority’s WAFA news agency reported.
10:30 am: Back in Israel, Blinken meets again with Netanyahu, Herzog
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is back in Israel after a first solidarity visit last Friday. The second visit comes against a backdrop of American efforts to reach a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and an agreement to partially open the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border. Read the full report here.
9:54 am: Knesset stops winter session opening ceremony over rocket alarm
Israel’s parliament stopped the opening ceremony for its winter session when sirens warned of rockets fired at the direction of Jerusalem from Gaza. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said earlier in the meeting that the war would end only with the complete defeat of Hamas and the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. “It will take time and will require great force. And if the world doesn’t like it, so be it,” said Lapid.
9:15 am: Arab Israelis show solidarity with victims of Hamas attack
Arab Israelis, a number of them members of the Bedouin community in the Negev, are standing in solidarity with their country and the victims of the Hamas attack. Afif Abu Much reports from Baqa al-Gharbiyye in Israel.
8:24 am: Hezbollah claims to destroy Israeli surveillance cameras
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it has started destroying surveillance cameras at Israeli military outposts on the border, The Associated Press reported.
Earlier, the Lebanese army said it found 20 rocket launchpads near Qlaileh in southern Lebanon, the official National News Agency reported.
The IDF and Hezbollah have been sporadically exchanging fire across the border since the war with Hamas began.
7:53 am: French FM pledges 10M euros in humanitarian aid
In Beirut after a solidarity visit to Israel, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna pledged a donation by France of 10 million euros ($10.5 million) for humanitarian aid for the residents of Gaza. The donation will be transferred to UNRWA, the International Red Cross and nongovernmental groups in place. Colonna is set to meet with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other Lebanese leaders.
6:30 am: Gaza’s Interior Ministry says Israel has not resumed water supplies
The spokesperson for the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza, Eyad al-Bozom, said the enclave is in a dangerous water crisis, denying Israeli claims that water services have been resumed.
“We confirm that the occupation has not pumped one liter of drinking water to any governorate in Gaza for the 10th day in row,” Bozom said in a statement, adding that Gazans are now forced to drink unsafe water.
6:10 am: Turkey’s FM discusses Gaza with US, Russian counterparts
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the Israel-Hamas war with his US and Russian counterparts Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov, Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT reported Monday.
The talks covered the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the Turkish side said.
Blinken “reiterated the need for Hamas to halt all violent attacks and free hostages immediately,” according to the State Department. Turkey doesn’t recognize Hamas as a terror outfit and has open channels with the militant group.
Fidan met with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo on Saturday as regional countries ramped up their efforts to send humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave under siege.
6:00 am: Blinken returns to Israel after Jordan meetings
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel after a series of meetings in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Blinken met political leaders in Israel on Oct. 13 and will return Monday for more discussions. He is set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog as Israel lays the groundwork for a land invasion into the Gaza Strip.
5:23 am: Palestinian PM says people will not abandon their land
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the Palestinian people will not abandon their land whatever the sacrifices.
Speaking at an emergency cabinet meeting in Ramallah, Shtayyeh called on the international community and the United States to intervene and end the escalation in the Gaza Strip and ensure the protection of civilians there. He further condemned the Israeli aggression on the besieged enclave, saying more than 800 children and 500 women have been killed since the violence erupted last week.
5:15 am: Egyptian FM blames Israel for continued closure of Rafah crossing
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed that his country has worked to keep the Rafah border crossing open for aid since the start of the Hamas-Israel escalation. “The Israeli government has not, unfortunately, taken a position to allow for the opening of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side,” he added in comments during a joint press conference with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Cairo.
4:20 am: Israel has informed families of 199 people that their relatives have been kidnapped
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the Israeli army has informed the families of 199 individuals that their relatives have been kidnapped by Hamas and are being held in the Gaza Strip. Family members of Israelis kidnapped met Sunday for the first time with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
4:00 am: EU’s top diplomat calls for ‘unimpeded access’ to Gaza
European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said Monday the United Nations must be granted unimpeded access to Gaza for the delivery of vital humanitarian aid including water and other supplies.
“Human suffering can be no bargaining chip,” he wrote on X, also calling for the immediate release of the more than 100 hostages Hamas is holding. An EU Commission statement last week on partially suspending humanitarian aid for Palestine in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel led to divisions within the bloc. The commission later walked back its initial statement amid opposition from several EU member nations including Ireland, Spain and Luxembourg.
2:56 am: More than 2,700 killed in Gaza
The Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 2,750 people so far and left over 9,700 wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a press statement carried by the official Wafa news agency.
2:35 am: Israel denies cease-fire, humanitarian aid reports
“Currently, there is no cease-fire or entering of humanitarian aid into Gaza in exchange for allowing foreign nationals to exit,” read a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The statement contradicts an earlier report by Reuters that Israel, the United States and Hamas agreed on the opening of the Rafah crossing from 2:00 to 8:00 am for the entry of humanitarian aid and exit of foreign nationals.
Hamas has also denied such news. Speaking to Reuters, Hamas official Izzat El Reshiq denied reports of an agreement to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as well as those of a temporary cease-fire. More than 100 trucks carrying aid bound for Gaza have piled up on the Egyptian border as the humanitarian situation in the enclave worsens.
2:01 am: Israel evacuates villages near Lebanon border
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari says Israel started evacuating 28 villages located within two kilometers (1.2 miles) of Israel’s Lebanon border. Earlier, the IDF said one officer was killed on Sunday by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon.
