Israel-Gaza war live: Biden compares Hamas to Putin as IDF troops ready to enter

Joe Biden compared Hamas to Russian president Vladimir Putin to defend American aid to Israel and Ukraine, as Israeli troops readied their forces to enter Gaza.

Addressing a press conference after returning from Israel, Mr Biden said “Hamas and Putin represent different threats” but both want to “annihilate” a neighbouring democracy.

While promising billions of dollars in aid to counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu Mr Biden placed an increased emphasis on the deadly toll that the conflict has had on civilians there, saying he’s “heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life”.

Israeli defence forces have, meanwhile, told troops to stand ready to “see Gaza from inside” as they prepare for a ground assault on the city.

“Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside,” he said. “It might take a week, a month, two months until we destroy them,” he added, referring to Hamas.

The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem blamed Israel for the bombing of a church in Gaza where hundreds of displaced Palestinian refugees were taking shelter.

Dozens of people have been killed following an explosion at the Church of Saint Porphyrius, a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City as overwhelmed hospitals tried to stretch out ebbing medical supplies and fuel for generators.

Key Points

• Biden calls to maintain ‘American leadership’ with aid package for Ukraine and Israel

• Explosion in Gaza church sheltering Palestinian refugees

• Nine British nationals confirmed dead, says Downing Street

• Road repair machinery sent through Rafah crossing to prepare for Gaza aid trucks

Biden compares Hamas to Putin as he pledges support to Israel

05:08 , Shweta Sharma

Joe Biden linked Palestinian militant group Hamas to Russian president Vladimir Putin in his speech from the Oval Office hours after his whirlwind trip to Israel to show US solidarity.

“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy,” he said

“Putin denies Ukraine has, or has ever had, real statehood,” he added.

In his attempts to convince Americans they should spend billions more on supporting Israel and Ukraine in their wars, he said that only the US’ involvement can prevent global chaos.

“American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe,” he said.

But referring to the emerging humanitarian crisis in Gaza, he said: “We can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace and have opportunity.”

As global protests grow about the attacks on Gaza, Mr Biden urged Israelis not to give in to “blind rage” as they respond to Hamas.

Israel announces evacuation plan for Kiryat Shmona city near Lebanese border as fighting rages

06:26 , Shweta Sharma

Israel has ordered the evacuation of residents of Kiryat Shmona, a northern town close to the Lebanese border, the defence ministry said today.

Kiryat Shmona has a population of more than 20,000 and is some 2km (1 mile) from the border fence.

It comes as Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it fired rockets at an Israeli position in the village of Manara yesterday and drew an Israeli artillery barrage in response after the worst escalation in violence on the border in 17 years.

A civilian was killed in the area, Lebanese security sources and the UN peacekeeping force said.

The Lebanese army said a journalist was killed by Israeli gunfire yesterday in a southern Lebanon border area where Israel‘s forces and Hezbollah had a heavy exchange of fire. The Lebanese army said a group of seven media personnel became stranded in the crossfire and it requested UN peacekeepers to extract them.

Rishi Sunak will travel to Egypt for talks on Israel, Gaza

06:22 , Shweta Sharma

British prime minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Egypt today where he will hold talks with counterparts in the region to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza, his office said.

In the talks, Sunak will stress “the imperative of avoiding regional escalation and preventing the further unnecessary loss of civilian life”, his office said.

He is on a tour to middle east, where he held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu and travelled to Saudi Arabia to meet crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

Latest death tolls in Israel and Gaza

06:19 , Shweta Sharma

The Palestinian health ministry said 3,785 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, the majority women, children and older adults as of Thursday.

It said 1,524 children, 1,000 women, and 120 elderly people were killed in the conflict.

Nearly 12,500 were injured, and another 1,300 people were believed buried under rubble, authorities said.

Israel said its death toll stands at 1,400 deaths of civilians slain during Hamas’ deadly incursion. Roughly 200 others were abducted, it said, The Israeli military said Thursday it had notified the families of 203 captives.

Latest scenes from Israel and Gaza

06:09 , Shweta Sharma

The conflict between Israel and Hamas running into 14th day today marked a humanitarian crisis with bombs being fired from both sides.

‘Cannot save more lives,’ Gaza doctor says as power remains shut

06:00 , Shweta Sharma

Dr Mohammed Qandeel of Nasser Hospital in the southern town of Khan Younis the already dire conditions at Gaza’s second-largest hospital have deteriorated further.

He said at least 80 wounded civilians and 12 dead flooded into the hospital after witnesses said a strike hit a residential building in Khan Younis.

Doctors had no choice but to leave two to die because there were no ventilators, Mr Qandeel said.

“We can’t save more lives if this keeps happening,” he said.

The Independent’s Bel Trew reported from Gaza that patients are being operated on without anaesthetic in Gaza because supplies are so low as WHO announced that its own warehouse of medicine in the strip is now completely empty.

The Gaza Health Ministry pleaded with gas stations to give fuel to hospitals and a UN agency donated some of its last fuel.The agency’s donation to Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, the territory’s largest, would “keep us going for another few hours,” hospital director Mohammed Abu Selmia said.

Israel readies troops for ground invasion of Gaza

05:48 , Shweta Sharma

In a fiery address to Israeli infantry troops stationed at the Gaza border, defence minister Yoav Gallant called for readiness and organisation.

“Prepare yourselves to enter,” he said.

“Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside,” he said. “It might take a week, a month, two months until we destroy them,” he added, referring to Hamas.

It comes as Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals tried to stretch out ebbing medical supplies and fuel for generators, as authorities worked out logistics for an aid delivery from Egypt.

Doctors in darkened wards across Gaza performed surgeries by the light of mobile phones and used vinegar to treat infected wounds.

Washington says US troops attacked in Iraq, Syria and on alert for more strikes

05:26 , Shweta Sharma

US troops have been repeatedly attacked in Iraq and Syria in recent days, officials said yesterday, as Washington was on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups with regional tensions soaring during the Israel-Hamas war.

President Joe Biden has sent naval power to the Middle East in the past two weeks, including two aircraft carriers, other warships and about 2,000 Marines.

There has been an uptick in attacks on US forces since the conflict in Israel broke out when Palestinian militants from Hamas attacked southern Israel. On Wednesday, a drone hit US forces in Syria resulting in minor injuries, while another one was brought down.

During a false alarm at Al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a civilian contractor died from a cardiac arrest.

Yesterday drones and rockets targeted the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq, and multiple blasts were heard inside the base.

Rockets hit another military base hosting US forces near Baghdad’s international airport, Iraqi police said without providing further details.

“While I’m not going to forecast any potential responses to these attacks, I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend US and coalition forces against any threat,” Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters on Thursday.

“Any response, should one occur, will come at a time in a manner of our choosing,” Mr Ryder said.

Who is to blame for Gaza hospital bomb - we scrutinise the evidence

05:00 , Josh Marcus

At roughly 7pm local time on Tuesday night, a blast was reported in a hospital in Gaza City.

The Hamas-run health ministry initially claimed that between 200 and 300 people had been killed in what they said was an Israeli airstrike. They added that “hundreds are still buried under the rubble”.

An official later told Al Jazeera that the death toll was closer to 500.

Israel responded by saying they were investigating the incident. They subsequently denied involvement, suggesting the explosion was caused by a misfired rocket by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), who also denied their involvement.

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday during a meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that he believed the explosion had been caused “by the other side”.

Who is to blame for Gaza hospital bomb - we scrutinise the evidence

China’s envoy to middle east calls for rights guarantees for Palestinians amid relentless bombings

05:00 , Shweta Sharma

China’s special envoy for the middle east pinned the cause of the Israel-Gaza crisis on the lack of guarantee for the rights of Palestinians as relentless bombing continued in Gaza.

His comments came as he met with his Russian counterpart in Qatar, a key diplomatic go-between in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In the first leg of his tour in the region, China’s envoy for middle east issues Zhai Jun landed in Qatar yesterday where he reaffirmed with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov Beijing’s alignment with Moscow in their efforts to help de-escalate the Gaza crisis.

China and Russia share the same position on the Palestinian issue, Mr Zhai was quoted saying after meeting with Bogdanov in Doha, a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin held talks with his “dear friend” President Xi Jinping in a rare meeting in Beijing.

“The fundamental reason for the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been guaranteed,” Mr Zhai said.

ICYMI: Biden suggests Hamas has ‘gotta learn how to shoot straight’ after hospital blast

04:30 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden on Wednesday said it appeared that the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital which had upended plans for a visit to Jordan had been an accident caused by Hamas militants’ inability to accurately target their own weapons.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during a stop at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, Mr Biden said: “I’m not suggesting that Hamas deliberately did it”.

“It’s that old thing: Gotta learn how to shoot straight,” he said, adding later that the Tuesday explosion, which the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry had falsely attributed to an Israeli airstrike, was “not the first time that Hamas has launched something that didn’t function very well”.

The Israeli government has released intercepted phone calls and other evidence that supports the theory that a botched rocket launch caused the deadly conflagration, though it attributed the weapons accident to a different militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, rather than Hamas.

Andrew Feinberg has more.

US military shoots down missiles and drones ‘headed towards Israel'

04:26 , Shweta Sharma

US forces in the middle east are shooting down missiles and drones appearing to head towards Israel as it faces increasing threats.

American bases in Iraq and Syria have also repeatedly been targeted by drone attacks and on Thursday, a US official said there had been an attack near Baghdad’s airport, where US forces are hosted.

The official said one projectile was shot down and another struck, but according to early reports no one was injured. It was not clear what type of munition was fired.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said information was still being gathered.

The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea, intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen.

The action potentially represented the first shots by the US military in the defence of Israel in this conflict.

Pentagon press secretary Brig Gen Patrick Ryder told reporters the missiles were “potentially” headed toward Israel but said the US has not finished its assessment of what they were targeting.

A US official said they do not believe the missiles - which were shot down over the water - were aimed at the warship.

Rishi Sunak says UK to work with Saudi Arabia for ‘regional stability' in meeting with MBS

04:05 , Shweta Sharma

British prime minister Rishi Sunak discussed the middle east crisis amid the Israel-Gaza conflict with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.

He urged Saudi Arabia to use its influence for regional stability in the middle east and said UK will work with Riyad to prevent a wider conflict.

Mr Sunak insisted that the Hamas terror attack should not become a “catalyst for a terrible humanitarian crisis” in Gaza.

“We will work together to ensure regional stability and prevent a dangerous escalation”, he said in a post on social media.

A readout of talks between the two leaders released by Downing Street said that Mr Sunak had “an important and productive meeting” with Prince Mohammed.

“We agreed on coordinated action to prevent further escalation in the region, provide vital humanitarian aid in Gaza and support stability, both now and in the long-term,” the prime minister said.

His stopover in Saudi Arabia came after his visit to Tel Aviv and meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu.

Britain wanted Israel “to win”, Mr Sunak said in a joint press conference in Jerusalem following talks.

‘We are scared’: US citizens still stuck in Gaza after Biden visit to Israel

04:00 , Josh Marcus

When Joe Biden visited Israel on Wednesday, he had a message for its people: You are not alone.

“As long as the United States stands – and we will stand forever – we will not ever let you be alone,” the president said from Tel Aviv.

Sixty-two miles away in southern Gaza, hundreds of US citizens stranded near Rafah border crossing couldn’t have felt more forgotten.

Despite nearly two weeks of fighting, intensive negotiations between the US and its partners, and apocalyptic humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory, an estimated 500 to 600 Americans are still trapped in the 88-square-mile enclave, one of the most densely settled places in the world.

‘We are scared’: US citizens still stuck in Gaza after Biden visit to Israel

John Fetterman condemns ‘disturbing rush’ to blame Israel for Gaza hospital attack

03:30 , Josh Marcus

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman called out the members of Congress who “rushed” to blame Israel for the airstrike on the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that killed hundreds of people earlier this week.

In the hours after the deadly blast, Palestinian leaders pointed the finger at Israel, while Israeli leaders cited the militant group Islamic Jihad as the culprit

Soon after, people began taking sides, including some members of Congress, like Rashida Tlaib. Then on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said data from the Department of Defense indicated the missile had come from the Islamic Jihad, not Israel.

Ariana Baio reports.

John Fetterman condemns ‘disturbing rush’ to blame Israel for Gaza hospital attack

Donald Trump attacks Biden’s ‘incompetence and weakness’ ahead of presidential address to the nation

03:00 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump has attacked Joe Biden’s “deadly combination of incompetence, radicalism and weakness” ahead of the president’s address to the nation to discuss the US response to the Hamas “terrorist attacks” against Israel and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

A scathing statement put out by the Trump campaign on Thursday said that Mr Biden was responsible for the “horrific catastrophes” taking place around the world, and said his credibility was “shot”.

The president’s speech comes less than a day after he visited Tel Aviv, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet 10 days after terror attacks by Hamas left more than 1,000 Israelis dead and hundreds of hostages taken captive by the militant group.

Mike Bedigan has the story.

Trump attacks Biden’s ‘incompetence and weakness’ ahead of presidential address

State Department issues ‘worldwide’ travel warning for Americans

02:05 , Josh Marcus

The US State Department has issued a “worldwide” travel advisory, warning Americans to exercise increased caution to avoid becoming victims of possible terror attacks.

“Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution,” the agency warned.

The move came in the wake of Joe Biden’s visit to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the IDF continues its military response in Gaza. On 7 October, Hamas launched an attack that killed approximately 2,000 Israelis. The IDF launched a response attack shortly after that has displaced more than a million Palestinians and killed more than 3,785 Gazans, according to the Gaza health ministry’s data.

Graig Graziosi reports.

State Department issues ‘worldwide’ travel warning for US

Biden urges Americans (and Congress) to overcome ‘partisan, angry politics’

01:43 , Josh Marcus

Joe Biden had a message on Thursday to Americans, and in particular to Congress: Get your act together.

The president called on leaders and citizens alike to look past partisan politics and get behind giving additional security support to Israel and Ukraine.

“We can’t let petty, partisan, angry politics get in the way of our responsibility as a great nation,” he said.

It’s hard to ignore the Washington context of these remarks, where the Republican Party has frittered away days trying to select a new House Speaker, despite holding a majority in the lower house.

Here’s Eric Garcia on the latest chaos in the House.

How the plan to save the House fell apart before it even started

Biden warns of antisemitism and Islamophobia in Oval Office address

01:38 , Josh Marcus

President Biden spoke out against antisemitism and Islamophobic hate crimes during his Oval Office address on Thursday, urging Americans not to fall into the kind of prejudice the nation witnessed in the years after 9/11 because of the cultural tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war.

Mr Biden said hate is “given too much oxygen...right here in America.”

During this portion of the speech, he referenced the killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian-American boy who was stabbed 26 times in Plainfield Township on 14 October, days after the Hamas attacks in Israel.

DOJ opens hate crime investigation into killing of Palestinian-American boy

“We scan’t stand by and stand silent when this happens,” Mr Biden added.

Speaking directly to Jews and Muslims in America, he said, “I see you. You belong. You’re all Americans.”

He also urged Israel not to allow itself to become consumed by rage after the historic attacks on civilians it suffered earlier this mont and respect human rights, the laws of war, and religious tolerance.

Biden calls to maintain ‘American leadership’ with aid package for Ukraine and Israel

01:28 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden on Thursday said he was asking Congress to approve an “urgent budget request” including essential defence aid to Ukraine and Israel, casting both countries’ respective wars against Hamas and Russia as part of a struggle against enemies of democracy who will be emboldened if the US withdraws support.

“American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us America safe. American values are what make us a partner other nations want to work with,” he said in remarks delivered as part of just the second prime-time Oval Office address of his presidency.

“To put all that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine, if we turn our backs on Israel, it’s just not worth it,” he said.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden calls to maintain ‘American leadership’ with aid package for Ukraine and Israel

Biden calls security aid to Israel and Ukraine a ‘smart investment'

01:25 , Josh Marcus

Joe Biden on Thursday issued a strong call for Congress to provide additional security aid that would bolster Ukraine and Israel, as well as refresh American military capabilities.

The president framed the infusion of cash as a way to maintain democracy, American leadership, and the various alliances that have defined global governance since the mid-1900s.

“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations,” Mr Biden said.

Mr Biden argued in his speech that American leadership underwrites global security and human rights, comparing the wars in Ukraine and Israel to the American Revolution.

“We’re stronger than ever before. America is a beacon to the world, still,” Mr Biden said, quoting Madeleine Albright’s famous phrase that America is “the indispensable nation.”

The president said there were people around the world “who hope because of us, who believe in a better life because of us, who are desperate not to be forgotten by us.”

Hamas and Russia both want to ‘annihilate’ neighbouring democracies

01:15 , Josh Marcus

Joe Biden’s Oval Office speech today is arguing that US support for Ukraine and Israel are linked to a wider goal of protecting democracies around the world from aggression.

He said Hamas’s threats against Israel are similar to the Russian threat against Ukraine because they share an authoritarian character.

“They both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy,” the president said.

“If we walk away and let Putin erase Ukraine’s independence, would-be aggressors around the world would be embolded to try the same,” Mr Biden continued, arguing that regional powers like Iran could take similar actions in the Middle East.

Biden ‘pursing every avenue’ to free hostages, president says in Oval Office address

01:09 , Josh Marcus

Joe Biden said on Thursday he’s making freeing Israeli and American hostages in Hamas custody a top priority.

“We’re pursing every avenue to bring your loved ones home,” he said from the Oval Office. “As president there is no higher priority for me than the safety of Americans held hostage.”

Joe Biden begins Oval Office address

01:03 , Josh Marcus

You can watch it on The Independent’s YouTube channel below.

ICYMI: How to watch Joe Biden’s Thursday Oval Office address

Friday 20 October 2023 00:45 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden is scheduled to address the nation on Thursday evening in a formal speech from the Oval Office.

Hours after returning from a solidarity trip in Israel, the White House announced the president will speak to Americans and address the US’s response to the Hamas attack in Israel as well as the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Typically, Oval Office addresses are reserved for special moments when the president wants to speak directly to citizens and sway public opinion by addressing concerns.

Here’s everything to know ahead of Mr Biden’s address.

How to watch Joe Biden’s Thursday oval office address

House progressives call on Biden to push for ceasefire

Friday 20 October 2023 00:30 , Josh Marcus

Progressive Democrats in the US House of Representatives have spent recent days calling on Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

“President Biden, not all of America is with you on this one. You need to wake up and understand that,” Rep Rashida Tlaib of Michigan said in Washington this week. “One goal: save lives.”

More than 300 arrested for Israel-Hamas war cease-fire demonstration

Israel’s police chief threatens to send protesters ‘on buses’ to Gaza

Friday 20 October 2023 00:15 , Josh Marcus

Kobi Shabtai, Israel’s police chief, threatened this week to send protestors rallying against the Israel-Hamas war to the Gaza Strip on buses.

In a video on the Israeli police’s TikTok account shared Tuesday, the official said he would have “zero tolerance” for protests against the war.

“Whoever wants to become an Israeli citizen, welcome,” he said in the video, Al Jazeera reports. “Anyone who wants to identify with Gaza is welcome. I will put him on the buses heading there now.”

Explosion goes off in ancient Gaza church

Thursday 19 October 2023 23:55 , Josh Marcus

A explosion tore through Gaza’s ancient St Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church campus on Thursday.

An estimated 500 people have been sheltering on the campus of the church, one of the oldest in the world.

Majdy Jildah, one of those seeking refuge there, told The Wall Street Journal about 80 people were sheltering in the council building on the campus where the explosion took place, and that he believed a child was killed in the blast.

The Israeli military told the paper it is investigating the incident.

Armed guards to accompany US students to Shabbat events on campus

Thursday 19 October 2023 23:42 , Josh Marcus

Hillel International, a Jewish campus life organisation, is hiring armed guards to accompany US students to Shabbat services on university campuses across America, Haartez reports.

The decision comes as tensions on campus rise amid the Hamas-Israel war, and antisemitic incidents have been reported across the globe.

Letter from Harvard students about Hamas-Israel war ignites campus free speech crisis

Israel joins US visa-waiver regime ahead of schedule

Thursday 19 October 2023 23:27 , Josh Marcus

Israelis can now travel to the US and stay for 90 days or less without a visa as part of the American visa waiver programme, joining a select group of other US allies, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday.

Though Israel’s participation in the programme was announced in September, the new privileges originally weren’t scheduled to begin until the end of November.

The country had previously struggled to qualify for the programme, which requires reciprocal treatment of US travelers into partner countries.

Israel has long imposed extensive and unique travel restrictions on Palestinians, including Palestinian-Americans, according to Human Rights Watch.

John Fetterman condemns ‘disturbing rush’ to blame Israel for Gaza hospital attack

Thursday 19 October 2023 22:59 , Josh Marcus

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman called out the members of Congress who “rushed” to blame Israel for the airstrike on the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that killed hundreds of people earlier this week.

In the hours after the deadly blast, Palestinian leaders pointed the finger at Israel, while Israeli leaders cited the militant group Islamic Jihad as the culprit

Soon after, people began taking sides, including some members of Congress, like Rashida Tlaib. Then on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said data from the Department of Defense indicated the missile had come from the Islamic Jihad, not Israel.

Mr Fetterman, a vocal supporter of Israel, called some congressional members’ quick assumption that Israel had launched the attack “disturbing”.

Ariana Baio has the story.

John Fetterman condemns ‘disturbing rush’ to blame Israel for Gaza hospital attack

Over 1,000 people gather for vigil for murdered Palestinian American boy Wadea Al-Fayoume

Thursday 19 October 2023 22:19 , Josh Marcus

More than 1,000 mourners packed into a community centre in Plainfield, Illinois, for a vigil remembering Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who police said was stabbed to death by his landlord in an apparent hate crime spurred by the war in Israel and Gaza.

The Prairie Activity and Recreation Centre was filled to its 1,400-person capacity by community members on Tuesday night, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Wadea’s family sat next to a photograph of the child smiling and met members of the community seeking to express their sympathy.

The vigil was organised by the American Muslims Assisting Neighbors nonprofit organisation.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Lebanese civilian killed near border with Israel

Thursday 19 October 2023 21:45 , Holly Evans

A Lebanese civilian was killed on Thursday near the border with Israel, Lebanese security sources and the U.N. peacekeeping force UNIFIL said, in an area of the border where Israeli forces and Lebanese group Hezbollah had a heavy exchange of fire.

Earlier in the day, Iran-backed Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at an Israeli position in the village of Manara and Israel had responded with shelling, the latest exchange in the worst bout of violence on the border in 17 years.

“The Lebanese Armed Forces requested UNIFIL’s assistance for seven individuals stranded near the Blue Line, close to Sheikh Abad’s tomb, during a significant exchange of fire across the Blue Line,” UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said.

He said UNIFIL contacted the Israeli army to request it cease fire in order to rescue the group. “Tragically, one person lost his life during this incident and the others were successfully rescued,” Tenenti said.

A Lebanese security source said the Lebanese civilian was killed by Israeli fire and another person was wounded. The incident was around Hula, which lies in an area across the border from Manara, the source said.

‘We are scared’: US citizens still stuck in Gaza after Biden visit to Israel

Thursday 19 October 2023 21:34 , Holly Evans

When Joe Biden visited Israel on Wednesday, he had a message for its people: You are not alone.

“As long as the United States stands – and we will stand forever – we will not ever let you be alone,” the president said from Tel Aviv.

Sixty-two miles away in southern Gaza, hundreds of US citizens stranded near Rafah border crossing couldn’t have felt more forgotten.

Read more here

‘We are scared’: US citizens still stuck in Gaza after Biden visit to Israel

US Navy warship intercepted missiles potentially headed to Israel, Pentagon says

Thursday 19 October 2023 21:10 , Holly Evans

A U.S. Navy warship on Thursday intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen potentially toward Israel, the Pentagon said.

Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.

The Pentagon said the destroyer USS Carney was operating in the northern Red Sea on Thursday when it brought down the projectiles and there were no injuries. “We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it did not appear that the warship was the target.

Netanyahu visits soldiers at Gaza Border

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:50 , Holly Evans

The Israeli prime minister has told his troops Israel “stands behind” them and the country will “win with all our might”.

Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to the Gaza Border today to meet combat soldiers, ahead of an expected ground invasion.

When he asked if they were ready , they replied: “Yes, until victory.”

Earlier, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant told troops they would soon see Gaza “from inside”.

Mr Netanyahu posted this video to X, with the message: “The warriors are ready.”

State Department official resigns over Biden’s approach to Gaza crisis: ‘Failure of American politics’

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:39 , Holly Evans

Josh Paul worked with the US Department of State for more than a decade. On 18 October, his viral resignation letter warned that “blind support” for Israel’s military actions has informed “short-sighted, destructive, unjust and contradictory” decisions that conflict with “the very values we publicly espouse.”

His resignation follows President Joe Biden’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to affirm US support for Israel in the wake of Hamas attacks, a visit marked by widespread protests against the administration at home and abroad during a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Read more here

State Department official resigns over arms to Israel amid Gaza crisis

Gaza’s ministry of health asks petrol stations to donate diesel supplies to hospitals

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:27 , Bel Trew

Gaza’s ministry of health has issued a desperate plea to petrol stations and citizens to hand over any diesel supplies to hospitals to power their generators.

In the communique they urged “anyone who has any litter of diesel” to communicate with the ministry of health “in order to save the lives of the wounded and sick”.

Medhat Abbas, the director of Gaza’s largest hospital al-Shifa told The Independent his teams were desperately searching for fuel across Gaza as their generators would shut at any moment, meaning ventilators and incubators could be switched off.

“They are searching in all gas stations to find any amount at all,” he said.

The World Health Organisation told The Independent on Wednesday that doctors were having to operate without anaesthesia because the number of wounded was so huge and stocks were so low.

They said medics are having to make “impossible choices” because of the “crippling shortages”. On Thursday British-Palestinian surgeon, who works with Doctors Without Borders said on X social media platform that he was reduced to using shop-bought vinegar to treat bacterial wound infections.

20 trucks of aid does ‘not even scratch the surface’ of Gaza’s needs

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:06 , Holly Evans

Gaza’s health ministry has begged petrol stations and citizens to donate diesel supplies for hospital generators, as rights groups warned 20 trucks of aid due to enter Gaza on Friday does “not even scratch the surface” of the enclaves needs.

US president Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that Israel and Egypt agreed to allow 20 trucks carrying food, water and medicine into the besieged strip.

Fuel, which needed to power generators at hospitals, was included on the list approved by Israel.

Twenty trucks ““does not even scratch the surface of their needs,” said Melanie Ward, head of Medical Aid to Palestine that runs clinics in Gaza.

“Hospitals are collapsing, lacking even basic supplies like painkillers and bandages. Disease outbreaks are inevitable in overflowing and unsanitary shelters. People are drinking sea water to try to stay alive, “ she added.

ActionAid said that insufficient aid could lead to more innocent deaths in Gaza and that the lack of fuel in particular meant that “hospitals could stop operating at any hour”.

Biden will seek support from Americans of his approach to Israel conflict in TV address

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:00 , Holly Evans

President Joe Biden will try to sell Americans on his approach to conflicts in Israel and Ukraine in a prime-time White House address on Thursday, a day after his Middle East trip was upended by a hospital blast in the Gaza Strip.

His televised remarks are scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday (0000 GMT on Friday), while the U.S. House of Representatives remains without a leader needed to pass Biden’s expected funding requests for the wars.

In only the second prime-time Oval Office address of his nearly three years as president, Biden will seek support from citizens and lawmakers growing wary of sending billions of dollars overseas to support conflicts with no end in sight.

The White House has said Biden will unveil his additional funding request this week.

Body of British victim Danny Darlington identified, says relative

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:45 , Holly Evans

A relative of photographer Danny Darlington has told Sky News that his body has been identified.

Mr Darlington was killed alongside his German girlfriend in southern Israel after a shock incursion by Hamas terrorists on 7 October.

His half-brother Lior Perri said he received official confirmation shortly before going on air and said he was “speechless” by the actions of Hamas.

“I could never imagine the abduction of old and sick people, people who need care, and babies and and mothers,” he said.

“I would never believe that these kind of people will be abducted. I cannot give any logical message to them.”

European council president states importance for the US and EU to share information

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:40 , Holly Evans

European Council President Charles Michel said on Thursday it was very important for the United States and the EU to share information and do what is needed to avoid escalation in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Michel also noted the authorities must be vigilant to ensure that EU funds in Gaza are not misused.

Biden suggests Hamas has ‘gotta learn how to shoot straight’ after hospital blast

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:20 , Holly Evans

President Joe Biden on Wednesday said it appeared that the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital which had upended plans for a visit to Jordan had been an accident caused by Hamas militants’ inability to accurately target their own weapons.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during a stop at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, Mr Biden said: “I’m not suggesting that Hamas deliberately did it”.

“It’s that old thing: Gotta learn how to shoot straight,” he said, adding later that the Tuesday explosion, which the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry had falsely attributed to an Israeli airstrike, was “not the first time that Hamas has launched something that didn’t function very well”.

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Biden suggests Hamas ‘gotta learn how to shoot straight’ after hospital blast

Israeli strikes kill 18 Palestinians at refugee camp, say Hamas

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:08 , Holly Evans

A series of Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza has killed 18 Palestinians, the Hamas-run interior ministry has claimed.

It comes as Israel continues to bombard the region in response to Hamas’s deadly attacks nearly two weeks ago, with thousands declared dead since the violence began on 7 October.

Rishi Sunak shares picture landing in Saudi Arabia

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:02 , Holly Evans

In a post on X, Rishi Sunak said: “I’ve landed in Saudi Arabia.

“As an international community, we must not let Hamas’ terror attack become a catalyst for a terrible humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“We will work together to ensure regional stability and prevent a dangerous escalation.”

Eight Palestinians and Israeli police officer killed in West Bank clashes

Thursday 19 October 2023 18:48 , Holly Evans

Eight Palestinians and an Israeli police officer were killed in clashes in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Israeli police said on Thursday.

Clashes were still taking places between the Israeli army and a number of gunmen at the camp, witnesses said.