Israel-Hamas live: IDF expanding ground operations in Gaza tonight as internet and mobile services go down

The Israeli military has said its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip tonight, as lines of communication in the enclave have gone down.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s spokesman, said aerial attacks had been targeting Hamas tunnels and other targets.

“In addition to the attacks that we carried out in recent days, ground forces are expanding their activity this evening,” he said. “The IDF is acting with great force ... to achieve the objectives of the war.”

Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border with Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive against the Hamas militant group.

Airstrikes have intensified since nightfall and the territory’s internet and mobile communications services collapsed on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, US said its fighter jets struck two Iranian facilities in Syria, after repeated attacks on US coalition forces in the region by an Iran-backed militia in the past week.

The strikes were not carried out in coordination with Israel, which has been engaged in its own clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah forces on the border with Lebanon, a US official said.

Key Points

• IDF kills top Hamas commander, Israel says

• IDF strikes Hamas targets overnight

• US fighter jets strike Syria after attacks by Iran-backed militia

• Over 1,000 people still under rubble in Gaza, WHO says

• Palestinian authorities release list of 7,000 people they say have been killed

Israel ground forces ‘expanding activity’ and communication goes down

18:43 , Sam Rkaina

The Israeli military has said its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip tonight, as lines of communication in the enclave have gone down.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s spokesman, said aerial attacks had been targeting Hamas tunnels and other targets.

“In addition to the attacks that we carried out in recent days, ground forces are expanding their activity this evening,” he said. “The IDF is acting with great force ... to achieve the objectives of the war.”

Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border with Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive against the Hamas militant group.

Airstrikes have intensified since nightfall and the territory’s internet and mobile communications services collapsed on Friday evening.

Palestinian telecom provider says ‘complete’ blackout of services amid bombardment

05:11 , Shweta Sharma

Palestinian telecom provider Paltel said Israel’s bombardment has caused “complete disruption” of internet, cellular and landline services.

The cutoff meant casualties from strikes and details of ground incursions could not immediately be known. Some satellite phones continued to function.

Already plunged into darkness after most electricity was cut off weeks ago, Palestinians were thrown into isolation, huddling in homes and shelters with food and water supplies running out.

Relatives outside Gaza panicked after their messaging chats with families inside suddenly went dead and calls stopped going through.

“I was so scared this was going to happen,” said Wafaa Abdul Rahman, director of a feminist organization based in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

“We’ve been seeing these horrible things and massacres when it’s live on TV, so now what will happen when there’s a total blackout?” she said, referring to scenes of families that have been crushed in homes by airstrikes over the past weeks.

What are Israel’s D9R bulldozers? £1m armoured ‘Teddy Bear’ tanks set to lead soldiers into booby-trapped Gaza

05:05 , Andy Gregory

As thousands of Israeli soldiers mass at the Gaza border ahead of an anticipated ground offensive, a heavily modified armoured bulldozer dubbed the “Teddy Bear” is set to lead the charge.

The heavily-armoured vehicles, manufactured by the US tractor company Caterpillar, will be used to soak up enemy fire and clear a path through cluttered streets intermittently mined by Hamas, the militant group in control of the enclave.

In a national address on Wednesday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said forces were “preparing for a ground invasion” of the Gaza Strip.

What are Israel’s ‘Teddy Bear’ armoured D9 bulldozers?

Scenes from above Gaza and around the world as heavy bombardment continues

05:03 , Shweta Sharma

As Gaza city remains under blackout with communication cut off, pictures of the sky taken from outside the enclave showed the dark area lit up by Israeli airstrikes.

Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian protesters across the world, including in the US, have demanded governments to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Protests at one of the busiest train stations in the US forced the closure of New York’s Grand Central Terminal.

Protests were also seen in Paris, JakaIstanbul, Washington DC and parts of Germany.

Hamas vows to counter Israel with ‘full force’ after ground operations

04:34 , Shweta Sharma

Hamas has said it will confront Israeli attacks with “full force” after the country’s military plunged the city into darkness and imposed a communication blackout to widen its air and ground attacks.

The Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza said earlier that its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in areas near the border with Israel after the latter intensified attacks in Gaza.

The armed wing of Hamas said its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in Gaza’s northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.

“The Al-Qassam brigades and all the Palestinian resistance forces are completely ready to confront (Israel’s) aggression with full force and frustrate its incursions,” Hamas said in a statement.

“Netanyahu and his defeated army will not be able to achieve any military victory,” referring to the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Bombardment of Gaza intensified after Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised news briefing yesterday evening: “In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight.”

UN calls for 'humanitarian truce' in Gaza as Israel expands activity in the territory

04:08 , Shweta Sharma

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) approved a resolution yesterday calling for an immediate “humanitarian truce” in Gaza leading to a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

The resolution – though nonbinding – was the first UN response to Hamas’s surprise 7 October attacks on Israel and Israel’s ongoing military response and vow to obliterate Hamas.

The UNGA adopted the resolution by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions after rejecting a Canadian amendment backed by the US to unequivocally condemn the “terrorist attacks” by Hamas and demand the immediate release of hostages taken by the militant group.

The resolution was drafted by a group of 22 Arab countries. It passed even as 45 countries abstained and the US and Israel voted no.

Scotland’s first minister ‘can only pray family in Gaza survive the night'

04:02 , Andy Gregory

Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf has said he is unable to contact his family in Gaza and “can only pray they survive the night”.

His wife Nadia El-Nakla said 10 days ago that three of her young cousins – including a two-year-old – had suffered shrapnel injuries after being hit by an Israeli drone.

World is ‘in a dark hour’, says Pope Francis

03:05 , Andy Gregory

Pope Francis has led special Friday evening prayers in St Peter’s Basilica for a world “in a dark hour” and in “great danger” from what he described as the folly of war.

Francis delivered his remarks in the form of a prayer to the Virgin Mary and did not mention by name the conflict that exploded when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October and Israel retaliated by sealing off the Gaza Strip and battering the Palestinian territory with air strikes.

He said he was praying for “especially those countries and regions at war” and he pleaded with Mary to “take the initiative for us, in these times rent by conflicts and laid waste by the fire of arms”.

“This is a dark hour,” Francis said in a subdued voice, in his remarks in the basilica.

UN chief urges change in how aid to Gaza is inspected

02:03 , Andy Gregory

The UN secretary-general has appealed for the procedures for inspecting aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip from Egypt through the Rafah crossing to be “adjusted to allow many more trucks to enter Gaza without delay”.

“The humanitarian system in Gaza is facing a total collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than 2 million civilians,” Antonio Guterres said.

The US is leading negotiations with Israel, Egypt and the UN to try and create a sustained delivery mechanism for aid to Gaza, but they are wrangling over procedures for inspecting aid which see each truck offload its cargo at a checkpoint to be inspected for possible arms and ammunition.

“The verification system for the movement of goods through the Rafah crossing must be adjusted to allow many more trucks to enter Gaza without delay,” Mr Guterres said.

Before the conflict about 500 trucks a day were crossing into Gaza, but in recent days, an average of only 12 trucks a day have entered, he said.

Describing the situation in Gaza as “desperate and dramatic” the U.N. chief said the United Nations will not be able to continue delivering assistance inside the enclave “without an immediate and fundamental shift in how aid is going in.”

Buses loaded with arrested activists after Grand Central protest

01:48 , Graeme Massie

Footage: Multiple explosions seen and sirens heard on Israel-Gaza border

00:59 , Andy Gregory

Jewish Voice for Peace stages ‘takeover’ of NYC’s Grand Central Station

00:24 , Graeme Massie

US supports humanitarian pause in Gaza

00:01 , Andy Gregory

The United States supports a pause in Israeli military operations in Gaza to get humanitarian aid, fuel and electricity to civilians, White House spokesperson John Kirby has said.

Mr Kirby also said that if getting hostages out of Gaza requires a localised temporary pause, then the United States is in support of that.

“We absolutely believe that that if a pause can be effected to allow for the … release of hostages, then that is something we absolutely would support and we believe Israel should support it,” Mr Kirby said.

“We’ve been having active conversations with them about that.”

23:32 , Graeme Massie

British citizens trapped under Israel’s bombing of Gaza slam ‘shameful’ lack of support from UK government

23:30 , Sam Rkaina

British citizens trapped under Israel’s ferocious bombing of Gaza have slammed the “shameful” lack of support from the British government that has failed to push for evacuation or a humanitarian ceasefire.

There are believed to be 200 Britons registered with the UK authorities in the besieged enclave, where food, water, fuel and medical supplies are fast running out.

Among them is Manchester resident Mohammed Ghalayini, who said Israeli air strikes have killed 37 members of his extended family and forced him to be displaced four times.

He was visiting family in Gaza when Israel unleashed its heaviest-ever air raids in retaliation for Hamas’s bloody 7 October attack on southern Israel.

Despite struggling to access food, water, and other supplies the 44-year-old said he has only received one communique from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: a single email 10 days ago.

Click here for the full story.

Diplomat contradicts DeSantis claims on shipping weapons to Israel

23:25 , Graeme Massie

Governor has helped coordinate evacuation flights.

Diplomat contradicts DeSantis claims on shipping weapons to Israel

Diplomat contradicts DeSantis claims on shipping weapons to Israel

23:23 , Graeme Massie

Governor of Florida as helped coordinate evacuation flights.

Will US airstrikes in Syria trigger a wider conflict?

22:30 , Joe Middleton

After the recent airstrikes in Syria, America has a careful balancing act on its hands to prevent the situation from getting out of control, writes world affairs editor Kim Sengupta from Jerusalem

Will US airstrikes in Syria trigger a wider conflict? | Kim Sengupta

Don’t fall into the trap of ‘picking sides’ over Gaza

22:00 , Joe Middleton

The horrors of Dresden, Guernica and Iraq are compelling reasons not to raze Gaza to dust, just as those sadistic and hate-filled attacks by Hamas are abhorred by all of us. This war is not about choosing one camp over another, writes Alan Rusbridger. Basic humanity is at stake – we need our leaders not to take sides

Don’t fall into the trap of ‘picking sides’ over Gaza | Alan Rusbridger

Biden questioned Gaza’s death toll, so Palestinians released the names

21:59 , Barney Davis

The list is stark in its simplicity: the victim’s name, age and sex.

There are 6,747 names in total, all of them killed during Israel’s assault on Gaza.

That number, reached in just 19 days, does not include the missing, making the true toll likely higher still.

Biden questioned Gaza’s death toll, so Palestinians released the names

“Those are real people”: Hamas captive’s family despair as hostage posters torn down across London

21:42 , Barney Davis

The family of a headteacher held by Hamas has spoken of their sadness at seeing posters of kidnapped Israelis being ripped down across London.

Ada Sagi, a 75-year-old mother and grandmother, has not had contact with her family since she was believed to have been taken hostage from her home in a dawn ambush on Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October.

Her daughter-in-law Michel Sagi, who knows the organisers of the missing poster campaign, said her worst fears were realised when she saw the flyers being ripped down or defaced in a flurry of videos.

“Those are real people”: Hamas captive’s family despair as hostage posters torn down

Footage of Israeli ground forces heading towards Gaza City

21:32 , Barney Davis

PBS reporter Leila Molana-Allen has shared footage of Israeli trucks full of troops and supplies heading to the Gaza border as air strikes bombard the Strip.

Moment Hamas spokesman storms out of BBC interview when asked about ‘killing Israeli families’

21:30 , Joe Middleton

This is the moment a top Hamas spokesman throws his microphone on the floor and storms out of a BBC interview when questioned about the killing of Israeli families as they slept in their beds.

Ghazi Hamad, the deputy foreign minister for Hamas, was being questioned about the killings by BBC’s Middle East reporter Hugo Bachega.

When asked how he can justify killing people as they slept. Mr Hamad looks to the side and pulls off his microphone. He states: “I want to stop this interview.”

He then throws the microphone onto the floor.

Hamas spokesman storms out of interview when asked about ‘killing Israeli families’

IDF can’t guarantee safety of journalists

21:27 , Barney Davis

Israel’s military has told international news organisations that it cannot guarantee the safety of their journalists operating in the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces wrote to Reuters and AFP this week after they had sought assurances that their journalists in Gaza would not be targeted by Israeli strikes.

“The IDF is targeting all Hamas military activity throughout Gaza,” the IDF letter said, adding that Hamas deliberately put military operations “in the vicinity of journalists and civilians”.

The IDF also noted that its high-intensity strikes on Hamas targets could cause damage to surrounding buildings and that Hamas rockets could also misfire and kill people inside Gaza.

“Under these circumstances, we cannot guarantee your employees’ safety, and strongly urge you to take all necessary measures for their safety,” the IDF letter concluded.

Scottish First Minister loses contact with family in Gaza

21:14 , Barney Davis

Humza Yousaf has lost contact with his family members trapped in the Gaza Strip amid reports of expansion in ground activity from Israeli forces.

The Scottish First Minister said that phone signal and internet in the region was cut leaving his wife in the dark as to whether her parents were still alive.

Breaking: UN General Assembly approves resolution calling for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza

20:59 , Andy Gregory

The UN General Assembly has approved a resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza leading to a halt in the Israel-Hamas war.

The Jordanian resolution has been adopted by the General Assembly, with 120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions.

‘When this is over, Gaza will be very different,’ says Netanyahu aide

20:53 , Andy Gregory

Israel is “beefing up the pressure” on Hamas, its military operations are underway and Gaza will be very different when the conflict is over, an adviser to Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

“We are beefing up the pressure on Hamas. We’re increasing the pressure that they’re under. Our military operations are underway. I can’t be more specific of course at this stage. But Hamas is feeling now Israel’s might,” Mark Regev told Fox News.

“They will continue to be on the receiving end of our military blows until we have dismantled their military machine and dissolve their political structure in Gaza. When this is over, Gaza will be very different,” he said.

Booms from Gaza heard in Egypt’s Sinai

20:41 , Andy Gregory

Israel’s military has announced it was “expanding” ground operations in Gaza on Friday night, amid reports of the heaviest bombardment yet of the besieged strip and a total communications black-out.

Orange explosions seared through the night sky above northern Gaza as the Israeli air force appeared to unleash its most devastating attack yet on the enclave, which is home to over two million people.

While booms sounded as far as Egyptian towns in the Sinai, there was a chilling silence from within the 42-km-long strip.

Our chief international correspondent Bel Trew has more in this report from Tel Aviv:

Israel ground operations ‘expanding’ in Gaza as phone service and internet cut off

UN chief warns of ‘moment of truth’ in which ‘history will judge us all’

20:20 , Andy Gregory

Writing in the wake of Israel’s announcement to be expanding its ground operations in Gaza, the UN general secretary has warned this evening of “a moment of truth” in which “everyone must assume their responsibilities”.

Israel steps up bombardment of Gaza

20:16 , Andy Gregory

Here are more images showing the intensified bombardment of Gaza this evening:

Jordan foreign minister says Israel has ‘launched a ground war'

20:05 , Andy Gregory

Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi has described Israel as having “just launched a ground war on Gaza”, and warned that the “outcome will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions for years to come”.

Israel said tonight that it is expanding its ground operations “in continuation of the offensive activity we carried out in the last few days”, which have seen IDF troops carry out raids across the border ahead of an expected ground attack.

The delays, doubts and diplomacy around an Israeli invasion of Gaza: ‘Full throttle will be costly’

20:00 , Joe Middleton

While troops are conducting raids backed by tanks and armoured bulldozers, and Benjamin Netanyahu is talking up the prospect of a full-scale ground assault, the picture is more complicated – and uncertain, writes Kim Sengupta

The delays, doubts and diplomacy around an Israeli invasion of Gaza

Connectivity ‘collapses’ in Gaza after ‘intense bombing'

19:42 , Andy Gregory

Connectivity tracker Netblocks has this graphic showing the “collapse in connectivity” in Gaza this evening:

Palestinian mobile phone service provider Jawwal said that services including phone and internet had been cut by heavy bombardment.

Israeli ground offensive ‘will be like nothing seen this week'

19:31 , Andy Gregory

The Independent’s chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports:

Gaza map shows scale of destruction of tiny strip as Israel tanks raid north

19:30 , Joe Middleton

Israel’s military conducted an overnight raid into Gaza on Wednesday night as the besieged strip reels from ceaseless strikes, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

The “open-air prison” - home to some 2.3 million Palestinians- has been hit with over 7,000 Israeli air strikes since Hamas’ attack on 7 October, destroying hospitals and UN-protected schools in the relentless assault on the enclave. Israel says more than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attacks and around 200 more were taken hostage.

The Israeli military said the overnight raid was carried out “in preparation for the next stages of combat” as the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) prepared for a large-scale invasion.

Gaza map shows scale of destruction of tiny strip as Israel tanks raid north

Israel has increased attacks on Gaza in recent hours, says IDF

19:19 , Andy Gregory

Here is more from IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari:

“In recent hours we have increased the attacks in Gaza. The Air Force widely attacks underground targets and terrorist infrastructure, very significantly. In continuation of the offensive activity we carried out in the last few days, the ground forces are expanding the ground activity this evening.

“The IDF works powerfully in all dimensions in order to achieve the goals of the war.”

Sadiq Khan calls for Gaza ceasefire as Labour rebellion against Starmer stance grows

19:00 , Joe Middleton

Multiple Explosions Seen And Ambulances Heard On Israel-gaza Border

18:44 , Sam Rkaina

Hamas using hospitals in Gaza to ‘wage war’, IDF says

18:30 , Alexander Butler

Hamas is using hospitals in Gaza to “wage war”, the Israel Defence Forces spokesperson said.

Daniel Hagari said “hundreds of terrorists fled into the hospital to hide there” after attacks on Israel on 7 October, and Israel has intelligence that “there is fuel in hospitals in Gaza, and Hamas is using it for its terror infrastructures”.

He adds that Hamas does this because, he says, the IDF distinguishes between “terrorists and civilians” in its attacks. By contrast, he says Hamas is harming both Israeli and Gazan civilians.

London: More than 200 balloons released in support of Hamas hostages

18:00 , Alexander Butler

More than 200 balloons have been released next to Tower Bridge, London, in support of the more than 220 people taken hostage by Hamas.

The Israeli military said today that the confirmed number of people held hostage in the Gaza Strip since the 7 October cross-border raids by Hamas has risen by five to 229.

Qatar open to reconsidering Hamas presence in country, US official says

17:30 , Alexander Butler

Qatar has sad it is open to reconsidering the presence of Hamas in the country after the hostage crisis is resolved, a senior US official has said.

The gulf state is a US ally that hosts a large American military base, as well as Hamas’s political leadership, doubling up as the main residence of self-exiled leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The understanding was reached at a meeting in Doha this month between Antony Blinken and the emir of Qatar, the official said.

Greater Manchester Mayor calls for ceasefire

17:00 , Alexander Butler

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has become the latest senior Labour figure to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“We recognise that Israel has the right to take targeted action within international law to defend itself against terror attacks and terrorist organisations and to rescue hostages,” he said in a statement signed by deputy mayor Kate Green and 10 leaders of Manchester councils

“We also have profound concerns about the loss of thousands of lives in Gaza, the displacement of many more and widespread suffering through the ongoing blockade of essential goods and services. It is vital that urgent support and humanitarian aid is allowed into the area.

“Given the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza, the mayor, deputy mayor and 10 leaders of Greater Manchester join the growing international calls for a ceasefire by all sides and for the hostages to be released unharmed.”

Hamas claims responsibility for Tel Aviv rocket attack

16:30 , Alexander Butler

Hamas’s armed wing, the al Qassam brigades, has claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that struck an apartment building in southern Tel Aviv.

“Al Qassam Brigades renewed their bombing of Tel Aviv in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians,” the group said.

Israel’s ambulance service, the Magen David Adom, said it was treating a number of people left injured after the rocket attack.

Six more aid lorries cross into Gaza

16:00 , Alexander Butler

Six more aid lorries filled with humanitarian aid have crossed into Gaza using the Rafah crossing borde, the International Committee for the Red Cross said.

“We are bringing in medical staff, including a war surgery team, alongside 6 trucks with urgent humanitarian aid,” it said in a statement.

The Red Cross said it brought medical materials, water purification tools and war surgery kits.

Israel conducted ‘sea raid’, IDF says

15:00 , Alexander Butler

The Israeli Defence Forces conducted a “targeted raid from the sea” in southern Gaza overnight, the military said on X, formerly Twitter.

“Fighters of the 13th Fleet carried out a targeted raid from the sea in the south of the Gaza Strip during the night. As part of the operation, the forces destroyed terrorist infrastructures of the Hamas terrorist organization and operated in a compound used by the organization’s naval commando forces,” it said.

The attack was different to an attack conducted by ground troops and fighter jets over night, which targeted anti-tank missile launch sites, command centres and Hamas terrorists.

Up to 408 antisemitic offences in London this month

14:52 , Alexander Butler

There have been 408 recorded antisemitic offences in London between 1 October and 27 October, compared to just 28 over the same period last year, according to the Metropolitan Police.

In that time there have been 174 Islamophobic offences compared to 65 in the same period in 2022. The force has also made 75 arrests linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Ground offensive would be ‘long and difficult'

14:15 , Alexander Butler

An Israeli ground offensive of Gaza would be “long and difficult”, Israel’s defence minister admitted.

Yoav Gallant said a ground invasion would include large troop numbers backed by airstrikes, which would take a “long time”.

Mr Gallant added that it would be followed by a third phase of lower-intensity fighting, as Israel destroys ”pockets of resistance.”

Pictured: Empty Shabbat table laid in London for missing hostages

14:00 , Alexander Butler

An empty Shabbat table has been laid in London to raise awareness of more than 200 Jewish hostages being held captive in Gaza by Hamas.

Hamas will release hostages if Palestinian prisoners released, Iran says

13:45 , Alexander Butler

Hamas will release Israeli hostages if 6,000 Palestinians being held in Israel’s prisons are also released, Iran’s foreign minister said.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN general assembly in New York, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Iran “stands ready to play its part in this very important humanitarian endeavour, along with Qatar and Turkey.”

Iran is a major funder of Hamas. Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon held a meeting with Hamas and Islamic Jihad this week to discuss how to bring about “real victory” in the region.

UK stands “four-square” in support of Israel, UK home secretary says

13:20 , Alexander Butler

Britain stands “four-square” behind Israel and will do “everything necessary” to protect British jews, the UK home secretary said.

“I met with Jewish communal leaders yesterday on public order and the sickening 1300% rise in antisemitism following Hamas’s terrorist atrocities,” home secretary Suella Braverman said.

“The Government stands foursquare in support of Israel and will do everything necessary to protect the British Jewish community.”

Up to 7,326 Palestinians killed in Gaza, health ministry says

12:57 , Alexander Butler

Up to 7,326 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since 7 October, the Gazan health ministry has claimed.

Hospitals in Gaza record a death with the person’s identity number, name, gender and age after this information is confirmed, according to the ministry of health.

This data is then transferred to a “central” database overseen by the Ministry of Health, based in Ramallah, West Bank, where it is double checked for discrepancies, the ministry said.

Although the Biden administration has raised questions about the credibility of the ministry’s figures, it is the only official source for Gaza casualties. Israel has sealed Gaza’s borders, barring foreign journalists and humanitarian workers.

The United Nations and other international institutions and experts, as well as Palestinian authorities in the West Bank — rivals of Hamas — say the Gaza ministry has long made a good-faith effort to account for the dead under the most difficult conditions.

‘Tyranny meets terrorism’: Shapps slams Putin’s meeting with Hamas

12:25 , Alexander Butler

Vladimir Putin’s meeting with terror group Hamas shows how far “Russia has fallen” since its invasion of Ukraine, the UK defence secretary said.

“Tyranny meets terrorism. Pariah meets proscribed, as Russia sits down with Hamas,” defence secretary Grant Shapps said on X, formerly Twitter.

“Putin’s humiliating search for friends, from North Korea to Hamas, has shown how far Russia has fallen & proven the disastrous cost of his failing invasion of Ukraine.”

Another 10 lorries carrying aid enter Gaza

12:13 , Alexander Butler

Another 10 lorries carrying water, food and medical supplies has been allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafah land border crossing with Egypt, officials said.

“This Friday morning, a medical delegation consisting of 10 foreign doctors entered, in addition to 10 trucks entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah land crossing, carrying water, food and medicine, bringing the total number of trucks since the beginning of the war to only 84 trucks,” a Palestinian border official said.

Humanitarian agencies and charities have warned more aid was needed to deal with the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Lack of fuel threatens food aid to Gaza, UN warns

12:00 , Alexander Butler

Fuel shortages in Gaza may disrupt the delivery of emergency food to thousands of displaced families, the UN food agency warned.

“Only two of our contracted bakeries have fuel to produce bread at the moment and tomorrow there might be none,” World Food Programme (WFP) representative Samer Abdeljaber said.

“This would be a terrible blow to the thousands of families living in shelters who have been relying on the daily bread deliveries,” he added.

The Rome-based agency said it provides daily bread supplies, on average, for 200,000 people in shelters, but this fell to 150,000 on Wednesday due to the lack of fuel.

EU position on Israel-Hamas is ‘evolving’, says Irish premier

11:47 , Adam Forrest

Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said he believes the EU position on Israel-Palestine is “evolving” and that it would have a role to play in any future peace conference.

Mr Varadkar has said it is “possible” that EU states could update their statement to call for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in the future.

On Thursday, EU leaders reiterated a condemnation of Hamas for “brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks across Israel”.

The European Council also strongly emphasised “Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international law”, while reiterating the importance of protecting civilians.

Israel-Hamas conflict won’t affect UK’s support for Ukraine, Sunak says

11:35 , Katie Devlin

Rishi Sunak has spoken to Volodymyr Zelensky, to reassure him the UK’s support for Ukraine will not change despite the Israel-Hamas war.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said the Prime Minister spoke to the Ukrainian President this morning “to reiterate the UK’s support for Ukraine.

“The Prime Minister underscored the UK’s long term and unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterated that the conflict in the Middle East would not change that.”

Mr Sunak added that “the principle of a rules based order, in which people could live in peace and stability, needed to be protected both in Ukraine and the Middle East”.

US sanctions Hamas and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

11:20 , Alexander Butler

The US has issued a second round of sanctions on Hamas by targeting a senior official, as well as members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“Today’s action underscores the United States’ commitment to dismantling Hamas’s funding networks by deploying our counterterrorism sanctions authorities and working with our global partners to deny Hamas the ability to exploit the international financial system,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said

A Gaza-based entity that Treasury said has served as a conduit for illicit Iranian funds to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group was also targeted, the department said. Iran backs Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East.

Watch: Sadiq Khan calls for Gaza ceasefire as Labour rebellion against Starmer stance grows

11:05 , Alexander Butler

IDF kills top Hamas commander, Israel says

10:49 , Alexander Butler

Israel has killed a senior Hamas commander, according to the Israeli Defence Forces.

“The IDF and the Shin Bet tonight killed Midhat Mabasher, the commander of the West Khan Yunis Battalion in the terrorist organization Hamas,” the IDF said.

The Israeli military said Mabasher took part in sniping attacks and used large explosives against IDF forces and Israeli settlements.

WHO: 1,000 people still under rubble in Gaza

10:40 , Alexander Butler

Up to 1,000 people are still stuck under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza, according to a World Health Organisation official.

“We also get these estimates that there are still 1,000 plus people under the rubble which have not been identified yet,” Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, said in response to a question about the death toll in Gaza.

More than 7,000 people have been killed by Israeli bombardments in response to deadly cross-border attacks on Israel by Hamas gunmen on 7 October, Gazan health authorities say.

At least 57 UN staff members killed in Gaza

10:30 , Alexander Butler

Up to 57 staff members from the United Nations have been killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said.

“At least 57 colleagues of mine are confirmed killed,” said Mr Lazzarini. “Wonderful people who have just dedicated their lives to their communities.”

Mr Lazzarini also said Gaza’s death figures, which were challenged by the US, had been accurate in previous conflicts between Israel and Hamas.

“In the past, the five, six cycles of conflict in the Gaza Strip, these figures were considered as credible and no one ever really challenged these figures,” he said.

Pictured: Gaza

10:20 , Alexander Butler

London mayor Sadiq Khan calls for ceasefire

10:10 , Alexander Butler

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Thousands of innocent civilians have already been killed in Israel and Gaza,” he said.

“With the humanitarian crisis set to deteriorate even further, I’m calling for a ceasefire.”

Israeli forces kill four Palestinians in West Bank clashes

10:00 , Alexander Butler

Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians during raids in the occupied West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said. Two of the dead were identified by militant factions as their members.

As it wages a now three-week-old war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel has also stepped up operations against Islamist groups in the West Bank, killing scores of Palestinians and arresting hundreds. One Israeli soldier was killed in a clash.

The Israeli military said that during West Bank arrest operations its troops came under attack in the city of Jenin and fired back, killing Ayser al-Amar of the Islamic Jihad faction.

Islamic Jihad confirmed al-Amar belonged to the group. Hamas said one of its men, Jawad al-Turki, was killed during the Jenin fighting.

Up to 229 confirmed hostages held by Hamas, Israel says

09:50 , Alexander Butler

The number of hostages currently being held by Hamas militants as 229, the Israeli said.

It brings the number up from the previously confirmed 224. So far, four hostages have been released.

An American mother and daughter have been released, as well as two elderly Israeli women. Qatari negotiators hope for a full release within the next few days.

Eight more lorries carrying aid set to enter Gaza

09:40 , Alexander Butler

Eight lorries carrying food, medicine and water are expected to cross into the Gaza Strip on Friday, a senior United Nations official said.

“We have gotten in approximately 74 trucks. We’re expecting another eight or so today,” Lynn Hastings, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said.

Aid workers have said repeatedly that the convoys meet only a tiny fraction of the territory’s mounting humanitarian needs. Prior to the war, an average of 500 trucks entered Gaza each day, according to reports.

09:30 , Alexander Butler

The Israeli military said an “aerial threat” had been spotted in the Red Sea region and linked this to a projectile that landed on Egyptian coastal territory there.

“In recent hours, an aerial threat was spotted in the Red Sea region. Combat helicopters were scrambled in response to the threat, and this matter is now being investigated,” chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

“To our understanding, the strike that took place in Egypt originated in this threat,” he said in a televised briefing. “Israel will work with Egypt, and the United States, and bolster regional defences against threats from the Red Sea region.”

Egypt has said an unidentified drone landed near a hospital building in Taba, injuring six people.

Gaza invasion will lead to ‘significant escalation’ of violence across Middle East, says ex-Obama adviser

09:20 , Adam Forrest

Ben Rhodes, the former deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration, said the current US government was worried about wider conflict – particularly attacks by Iran’s proxies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

“I don’t know how you have that ground invasion [in Gaza] without having a significant escalation across the region – including perhaps Hezbollah getting involved in northern Israel and the West Bank becoming much more violent and Iranian proxies being further activated in Iraq, Yemen and Syria,” he told BBC Radio 4.

Mr Rhodes added: “If there’s not a de-escalation, if there’s further escalation in Gaza I think it’s likely we see further incidents … if you continue to light that tinder box on fire at some point it’s going to catch.”

He said the Joe Biden administration had “caused the Israelis to at least consider the risks” from an invasion, but warned: “It does not seem like that message has caused them to fundamentally changed their calculus.”

What can we expect next in Israel-Hamas war? Ask our expert Kim Sengupta anything about the conflict

09:10 , Alexander Butler

What happens to Gaza if Israel make good on their promise to destroy Hamas? Who will govern it and have the responsibility of restoring a destroyed land?

If you have a question for The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta me submit it now, or when I join you live at 12pm today for the “Ask Me Anything” event.

Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article linked below. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to leave your question. For a full guide on how to comment click here.

Ask expert Kim Sengupta anything about political fallout from Israel-Hamas war

Moment Hamas spokesman storms out of interview after being questioned on terror attack

09:00 , Alexander Butler

Families of Israeli victims urge world to stand against Islamist violence

08:50 , Alexander Butler

The world must take a stand against Islamist violence to avoid it spreading and take action to ensure the swift release of hostages taken by Hamas militants, families of victims said.

A delegation of relatives visited Rome to hold talks with authorities, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as part of a campaign to bolster world efforts to free the more than 200 people taken captive.

The group included Avi Eylon, whose 23-year-old daughter, Shira, was killed with a friend while attending a music festival.

“Please wake up. To the people in the world, to the people in Europe, please wake up, because this is not a land conflict, this is a religious conflict,” he said, saying the reason why Hamas murdered his daughter was that she was Jewish.

Pictured: Destruction in Gaza

08:40 , Alexander Butler

Iran launches military exercises

08:30 , Alexander Butler

Iranian ground forces have launched two days of exercises to test the flight readiness of more than 200 helicopters, according to reports.

The drills, which had been planned earlier, are aimed confronting possible threats facing the Islamic Republic, spokesperson Brigadier General Amir Cheshak told state media.

He said troops and military equipment had been transferred from seven of Iran’s provinces for the drills in Nasr Abad in the central Isfahan province.

It comes after the US said its fighter jets struck two Iranian facilities in Syria, after repeated attacks on US coalition forces in the region by an Iran-backed militia in the past week.

IDF strike Hamas 'missile launch sites' and 'command centres' in Gaza

08:20 , Alexander Butler

More than 250 lawyers urge Britain to call for a ceasefire

08:10 , Alexander Butler

More than 250 British lawyers have called on the UK government to press for a ceasefire in Gaza, claiming Israel is breaching international law.

The letter, addressed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, calls on the British government to “urgently fulfil its international legal obligations”

“We are moved to intervene because, in a region already accustomed to great suffering, the death and other harm visited on individuals, families and whole communities in the last 20 days has been truly terrible.

“The starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare, including wilfully impeding adequate relief supplies, as Israel is doing in Gaza, is strictly prohibited under customary international law... and constitutes a war crime.

“Hamas’s war crimes cannot be justified by reference to prior war crimes by Israel; neither do they justify further such crimes by Israel in its response, which must comply with international law,” it says.

Hostages can’t be released until ceasefire, Hamas claims

07:56 , Alexander Butler

Hostages seized by the Hamas terror group during its cross-border raid which killed up to 1,400 Israelis cannot be released until there is a ceasefire, the group has claimed.

“They seized dozens of people, most of them civilians, and we need time to find them in the Gaza Strip and then release them,” Hamas official Abu Hamid told Russian newspaper Kommersant.

A calm environment was needed to complete this task, the newspaper quoted him as saying. On Thursday, Hamas said around 50 of the hostages had been killed in Israeli air strikes.

But Israel has urged Russia to expel the visiting Hamas delegation, calling their invitation to Moscow “deplorable”.

Nearly half of Israelis want to hold off on Gaza invasion, poll finds

07:37 , Alexander Butler

Nearly half of Israelis want to hold off on any invasion of the Gaza strip, a new poll has found.

Twenty-nine per cent of Israelis agreed while 49 per cent said “it would be better to wait” when asked if the IDF should immediately escalate to a large-scale ground offensive. Meanwhile, 22 per were still undecided, the poll published in the Maariv newspaper said.

The paper said the results contrasted with its poll last week which found 65 per cent of Israelis supported a major ground offensive.

IDF strikes Hamas targets overnight

07:28 , Alexander Butler

The Israel Defence Forces said it had conducted more air strikes on Hamas terrorist targets over the last 24 hours.

“IDF ground troops, fighter jets and UAVs struck anti-tank missile launch sites, command & control centers and Hamas terrorist operatives. The troops exited the area and no injuries were reported,” the Israeli military said.

Unprecedented death toll in Gaza

07:07 , Namita Singh

The rising death tolls in Gaza are unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even greater loss of life could come if Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and survived four previous wars with Israel.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said on Wednesday that more than 750 people were killed over the past 24 hours, higher than the 704 killed the previous day.

The figures could not be independently verified and the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

By comparison, 2,251 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in the entire six-week-long war in 2014, according to UN figures.

Iran’s foreign minister said Hamas is ready to release civilian prisoners abducted from Israel but that the international community must take responsibility for releasing 6,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Hossein Amirabdollahian told an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly on Thursday that Iran “stands ready to play its part in this very important humanitarian endeavour, along with Qatar and Turkey”.

Rafah crossing checks 'slow aid to dribble’

07:07 , Jane Dalton

Overly stringent checks on lorries at the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza were slowing the flow of humanitarian aid to a “dribble” as hunger grows among Palestinians there, UN World Food Programme executive director has said.

The Rafah crossing, which is controlled by Egypt and does not border Israel, has become the main point of aid delivery since Israel imposed a “total siege” of Gaza in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on 7 October.

The United States is leading negotiations with Israel, Egypt and the UN to try to create a sustained delivery mechanism for aid to Gaza.

“We’ve gotten a few – a dribble, just a dribble – of trucks in,” Cindy McCain told Reuters. “We need to get a large amount in. We need safe, unfettered access into Gaza so that we can feed and make sure that people don’t starve to death, because that’s what’s happening.”

In video: Al Jazeera reporter Wael Al Dahdouh continues to report on Gaza after the loss of family

07:05 , Namita Singh

US will ‘not be spared from this fire’, warns Iran foreign minister

06:59 , Namita Singh

On Thursday, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said at the United Nations that if Israel’s retaliation against Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip doesn’t end, then the United States will “not be spared from this fire.”

“I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome (an)expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire,” he told a meeting of the 193-member General Assembly on the Middle East.

One way Iran projects power is by arming and funding militant groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen and Shi’ite militias in Iraq.

In the last such known US retaliation, the US military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria on 23 March against Iran-aligned groups it blamed for a drone attack that killed an American contractor, wounded another and hurt five US troops.

Biden sent message warning Iran’s Khamenei against targeting US troops

06:52 , Namita Singh

President Joe Biden has sent a rare message to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning Tehran against targeting US personnel in the Middle East, the White House said on Thursday after a spate of attacks on American forces in the region.

“There was a direct message relayed,” White House spokesperson John Kirby said at a news briefing, declining to elaborate.

US officials want to avoid a wider conflict in the Middle East following the 7 October attack by the militant Hamas group on Israel that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

About 900 additional US troops are headed to the Middle East or have recently arrived there to bolster air defenses to protect US personnel amid a surge in attacks in the region by Iran-affiliated groups, the Pentagon said.

US troops have been attacked at least 12 times in Iraq and four times in Syria in the past week, it added.

US fighter jets strike Syria after attacks by Iran-backed militia

06:43 , Namita Singh

Two US fighter jets struck weapons and ammunition facilities in Syria on Friday in what Washington said was a retaliation for attacks on US forces by an Iran-backed militia.

Joe Biden ordered strikes on the two facilities used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and militia forces it backs, the Pentagon said, warning the US will take additional measures if attacks by Iran’s proxies continue.

US and coalition troops have been attacked at least 19 times in Iraq and in Syria by Iran-backed forces in the past week, the US officials said. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Lebanon’s Hezbollah are all backed by Tehran.

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said at the United Nations on Thursday that if Israel’s offensive against Hamas did not stop, the United States will “not be spared from this fire”.

The US air strikes took place at roughly 4.30am on Friday in Syria near Abu Kamal, a Syrian town on the border with Iraq, and were carried out by two F-16 fighter jets using precision munitions, a US defence official said.

“These precision self-defence strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on 17 October,” US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

“These Iranian-backed attacks against US forces are unacceptable and must stop,” Mr Austin said.

Explainer: What is Gaza’s ministry of health and how does it calculate death toll?

06:06 , Jane Dalton

Doctors scribble on notepads in overflowing morgues, struggling to account for bodies trapped under rubble and tossed in hastily dug mass graves. Yet the Gaza-based Ministry of Health continues to tally casualty numbers:

EXPLAINER: What is Gaza's Ministry of Health and how does it calculate the war's death toll?

Republican senators want to separate Israel funding from Ukraine aid

05:05 , Jane Dalton

A group of conservatives in the US Senate are pushing to drive a wedge between military aid for Ukraine and Israel at a time when passing legislation to support the former seems more uncertain than ever:

Republican senators want to separate Israel funding from Ukraine aid

Israel says calls for humanitarian pause in Gaza appear to be in ‘poor faith’

20:36 , Andy Gregory

Israel is rejecting calls for respite in Gaza as its closest allies in the West have coalesced around the idea of “humanitarian pauses”, or temporary stops to the bombardment.

The issue has opened the first public split between Israel and backers including the United States, the EU, UK and other G7 members such as Japan over the campaign after tight alignment and support in the nearly three weeks since Hamas militants burst from Gaza into southern Israel on a deadly rampage.

“Israel is opposed to a humanitarian pause or ceasefire at this time,” Lior Haiat, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on Friday, while a senior Israeli official said calls for a pause in fighting appeared in “poor faith.”

The chorus of appeals for a pause followed days of intense diplomacy at UN headquarters in New York and in Brussels, and was a compromise between those, such as Spain, who wanted to push Israel to call a ceasefire, and those who say Israel’s right to self defence was foremost.

Israel claims to have killed Hamas spy chief

04:04 , Jane Dalton

The Israeli military said an airstrike killed one of two masterminds of the Hamas massacre – Shadi Barud, the head of Hamas’ intelligence unit.

The military says it only strikes militant targets and accuses Hamas of operating among civilians in an attempt to protect its fighters.

New photos show destruction as Israel tanks raid Gaza

03:03 , Jane Dalton

An online geolocating platform has posted photos of military vehicles and identified the location of Israel’s tanks at the northern border of the Gaza strip:

Gaza map shows scale of destruction of tiny strip as Israel tanks raid north

Hostages’ families stage demonstration in Tel Aviv

02:02 , Jane Dalton

Family members of the Israeli hostages who were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip held a demonstration calling for their government to bring them back:

The evidence on who is to blame for Gaza hospital bomb

01:01 , Jane Dalton

Hamas blame the deaths on an Israeli airstrike; Israel blames a jihadist group’s failed rocket:

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

EU leaders stress Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’

Friday 27 October 2023 00:02 , Jane Dalton

Leaders of the European Union’s 27 nations have emphasised Israel’s right to defend itself “in line with international law and international humanitarian law”.

The summit in Brussels was the leaders’ first in-person meeting since the attack that prompted Israel to bombard and blockade Hamas-run Gaza.

In their declaration, the leaders also repeated a call for Hamas to immediately release all hostages “without any precondition”.

They reiterated their previous condemnation “in the strongest possible terms” of the 7 October assault on Israel by Hamas.

“The European Union will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, ensuring that such assistance is not abused by terrorist organisations,” the declaration also said.

In pictures: Lights memorial for the kidnapped

Thursday 26 October 2023 23:01 , Jane Dalton

A display of lights signifying those abducted by Hamas light the sky in Jerusalem:

Reporter whose family were killed ‘felt duty’ to continue working

Thursday 26 October 2023 22:30 , Jane Dalton

An Al Jazeera reporter who was on air when he was told his wife and children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike has spoken of why he has continued working despite his agony.

Wael Al-Dahdouh said: “Thank you for all your solidarity and condolences and prayers. They were really important ... I felt it was my duty to get back to work as quickly as possible, despite everything.

“As you can see, the firing is going on everywhere...

“I felt that it was my duty, despite the pain and the open wound, to get back in front of the camera and to communicate with you on social media as soon as possible.”

UK Border Force set to help Britons escape Gaza

Thursday 26 October 2023 22:00 , Jane Dalton

UK Border Force teams are in Egypt to help trapped British nationals escape from Gaza when a crossing is opened, Rishi Sunak has revealed.

Around 200 Briton stuck inside the besieged enclave have been in touch with the Foreign Office, the prime minister said:

UK Border Force in Egypt to help trapped British nationals escape Gaza

EU summit calls for 'humanitarian corridors and pauses' in Gaza

Thursday 26 October 2023 20:50 , Sam Rkaina

EU leaders agreed at a summit on Thursday to call for the establishment of “humanitarian corridors and pauses” to get urgently-needed aid into Gaza.

“The European Council expresses its gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and calls for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs,” a declaration adopted by the leaders said.

“The European Union will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, ensuring that such assistance is not abused by terrorist organisations,” added the declaration, issued at the summit in Brussels.