Israel-Hamas war – live: Netanyahu declares ‘time for war’ as Israeli troops push deeper into Gaza City

Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Gaza, advancing in tanks and other armoured vehicles on the territory’s main city and freeing a soldier held captive by Hamas militants.

This comes as Israeli prime minister rejected calls for a ceasefire, declaring a “time for war” amid continuing calls for a humanitarian pause in the conflict from the UK and other allies.

“Calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas,” Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference. “That will not happen.”

Meanwhile, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told a UN emergency meeting yesterday that “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions,” accusing Israel of “collective punishment” of Palestinians and the forced displacement of civilians.

More than 8,300 people have been killed in Gaza – 66 per cent of them women and children – and tens of thousands injured, the UN humanitarian office said, citing Gaza’s ministry of health.

Key Points

• Israel pushes deeper into Gaza

• Israel declares ‘time for war’ amid global pressure for humanitarian ceasefire

• UN agency in Gaza says urgent ceasefire is ‘matter of life and death’

• ‘More than 8,300 people killed in Gaza’

Israel declares ‘time for war’ amid global pressure for humanitarian ceasefire

02:39 , Namita Singh

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a ceasefire in Gaza, declaring a “time for war” amid continuing calls for a humanitarian pause in the conflict from the UK and other allies.

UK political leaders have called for the pause in the fighting to allow Palestinians to flee Gaza and for aid to be distributed.

Similar appeals have been made by the USA and other countries, but Mr Netanyahu told Israel’s allies it would not heed calls for ceasefire.

“The Bible says that there is a time for peace and a time for war. This is a time for war,” he said in a press conference, claiming that laying down arms would be akin to America doing the same after the 9/11 attacks.

Sir Keir Starmer to make speech on Gaza ceasefire - watch

11:03 , Tom Watling

Sir Keir Starmer is about to make a speech adressing the calls from his Labour Party to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

WHO warns of 'imminent public health catastrophe' in Gaza as services break down

10:49 , Tom Watling

A World Health Organization official has said that a “public health catastrophe” is imminent in Gaza amid overcrowding, mass displacement and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure.

At the same press briefing, a spokesperson from the UN children’s agency warned of the risk of infant deaths due to dehydration with just five percent of normal water supplies available.

Israeli forces demolish West Bank house of senior Hamas leader - claim

10:45 , Tom Watling

Israeli troops on Tuesday destroyed the family home of Saleh al-Arouri, the exiled commander of Hamas forces in the occupied West Bank as security forces continued their crackdown on leaders of the militant Islamist group , video has purported to show.

Currently thought to be living in southern Lebanon, Arouri, the deputy to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, is among a group of leaders singled out by Israeli officials who have vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for the deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

A veteran Hamas leader who has spent 17 years in Israeli jails, Arouri rose to prominence in 2014 by admitting to the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers from a West Bank settlement.

Since then he has been behind a steady expansion of Hamas political cadres and gunmen throughout the West Bank, where the rival Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas controls the Palestinian Authority.

His house, which local residents said was not occupied, had been scheduled for demolition since last week and security forces blew it up in the early hours of the morning, according to witnesses.

Following 18 months of steadily escalating violence in the West Bank, Israeli forces have clamped down further since the Oct. 7 attack, making hundreds of arrests and conducting regular raids that have resulted in clashes. At least 121 Palestinians have been killed there in the three weeks since the attack.

On Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy hit during a confrontation near the northern West Bank city of Nablus died of his wounds and in a separate incident, a 70 year-old man was killed during a clash in the city of Tubas.

Putin discussed beefing up measures to counter external interference after airport riot - Kremlin

10:30 , Tom Watling

Russian president Vladimir Putin and top government and security officials on Monday discussed strengthening measures to counter external interference, including information-related interference, the Kremlin’s spokesman said on Tuesday.

In a statement to a meeting of members of his Security Council and the government and the heads of law enforcement agencies, Putin had on Monday accused the West and Ukraine of stirring up unrest inside Russia after rioters in the predominantly Muslim Dagestan region stormed an airport to “catch” Jewish passengers on a flight from Tel Aviv.

Kyiv denied any involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the events in Dagestan were being analysed to ensure risks of a repeat were minimised.

You can read a full report of what happened in Dagestan here.

Mother of rescued Israeli soldier praises ‘miracle’ of her daughter’s return - video

10:15 , Tom Watling

The mother of the Israeli private rescued during a special operation on Monday in Gaza has praied the “miracle” of her daughter’s return.

Maggie Magidish, mother of the soldier Uri Magidish, said: “A miracle happened to us. Thank you to the Creator of the world. Thank you to the IDF, thank you to the security forces.”

Some more photos from the Israel and Palestine conflict

10:00 , Tom Watling

Its midday in Israel and Gaza. Below are some more photos from the conflict, as well as an image of the demonstration going on in the Philippines today.

Kidnapped Israeli solider seen embracing her grandmother after release from captivity - video

09:45 , Tom Watling

Kidnapped Israeli solider seen embracing her grandmother after release from captivity.

White House says US does not support calls for Gaza ceasefire

09:30 , Tom Watling

The White House has reiterated that it was not in favour of calling for a ceasefire in Gaza where Israeli attacks since 7 October killed more than 8,500 Palestinians, including more than 3000 children.

“We do not believe that a ceasefire is the right answer right now,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reportedly said.

Mr Kirby said the “first goal” for the US was to get up to 100 trucks each day across the border, ABC News reported.

You can read the full story here.

More than 420 children killed or injured in Gaza a day, says UNICEF

09:18 , Tom Watling

More than 420 children a day are being killed or injured in Gaza as a result of Israeli airstrikes, ground operations and siege tactics, UNICEF has said.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told a UN emergency meeting on Monday that “an immediate humanitarian cease-fire has become a matter of life and death for millions.”

Philippe Lazzarini accused Israel of “collective punishment” of Palestinians and the forced displacement of civilians.

Mr Lazzarini warned that a further breakdown of civil order after the agency’s warehouses were broken into by Palestinians searching for food and other aid “will make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the largest UN agency in Gaza to continue operating”.

According to the latest figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 8,300 people have been killed — 66 percent of them women and children — and tens of thousands injured, the UN humanitarian office said.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell that toll includes over 3,400 children killed and more than 6,300 injured.

“This means that more than 420 children are being killed or injured in Gaza each day — a number which should shake each of us to our core,” she said.

Lazzarini said: “This surpasses the number of children killed annually across the world’s conflict zones since 2019. This cannot be ‘collateral damage’.”

Netanyahu declares it is ‘time for war’ as he rules out ceasefire in Gaza - video

09:00 , Tom Watling

Netanyahu declares it is ‘time for war’ as he rules out ceasefire in Gaza.

Sir Keir Starmer ‘completely right’ for dodging ceasefire calls, says Labour shadow minister

08:53 , Tom Watling

Sir Chris Bryant has said Sir Keir Starmer is right to dodge calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, claiming the Israel-Hamas conflict is “not some kind of football match”.

The shadow creative minister said there are not “two sides”, with Hamas not committing to “laying down their weapons or returning the hostages being kept against their will”.

And, ahead of Sir Keir’s calls for a political solution to the conflict, Sir Chris told the BBC: “Kier Starmer is completely right to emphasise that we’ve got to get the peace process back on track.

“It has been a failure not just of Israel and Palestine, but the whole international community that over the last 15 years we’ve devoted so little time and energy to trying to get that peace process back on track.”

Ahead of a major speech on the conflict by Sir Keir, aimed at reuniting his warring Labour Party, Sir Chris added: “We’re calling for a pause because that’s the fastest way to get food, water, medicine and power back into the people of Gaza.”

He said that Israel had a “right to self defence” but it was “not a carte blanche”.

The shadow minister said that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would be laying out today “how he thinks we can get the peace process back on track”.

Iran foreign military chief in Lebanon, says Arabic media,

08:44 , Tom Watling

The commander of Iran’s foreign forces is in Lebanon liaising with anti-Israeli forces and Palestinian officials, Arabic media site Amwaj has claimed, citing sources.

Esmail Qa’ani, commander of the Quds Force, the foreign branch of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), effectively the Iranian Armed Forces, arrived in Lebanon on 20 October, the site said.

The site wrote: “Qa’ani arrived in Beirut the day after the Palestinian Hamas movement’s Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. He is said to have left for consultations on Oct. 16, and returned to Lebanon on Oct. 20, where Qa’ani has since maintained a constant presence.

“The focus of his mission, informed sources say, is to help coordinate a possible broader confrontation with Israel.”

Qa’ani, whose predecessor Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by the US in 2020, is believed to be passing messagings to Hezbollah directly from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Hezbollah are currently firing over Israel’s northern border, threatening to escalate the conflict in Gaza into a regional one.

19-year-old Hamas hostage rescued overnight in Gaza ‘doing well’

08:30 , Tom Watling

The Israeli military have said the 19-year-old Israeli private rescued during their offensive in Gaza is “doing well” after being taken out of the enclave.

Pvt. Ori Megidish was rescued on Monday during a special forces operation, making her the fifth hostage to be either released by or removed from Hamas.

It is unclear why Ms Megidish was singled out for rescue, or if she was, in fact, chosen deliberately.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed during a briefing this morning that they believed there were still 240 captives held by Hamas.

Kuwait condemns Israeli 'aggression' on Gaza, calls for ceasefire

08:19 , Tom Watling

Kuwait’s crown prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah has said that his country condemns Israeli “aggression” on Gaza and called for a ceasefire.

Al-Sabah was addressing the parliament on behalf of the Emir in the opening of the parliament’s regular second session.

Drones attack US airbase in Iraq

08:10 , Tom Watling

Two armed drones targeted Iraq’s Ain al-Asad airbase, which hosts US forces and other international forces in western Iraq, a security source and a government source told Reuters on Tuesday.

The attack in the early hours of Tuesday, did not cause casualties or damage, the sources said.

There has been an increase in attacks on US forces since the conflict in Israel broke out on 7 October and Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran threatened to target US interests with missiles and drones if Washington intervened to support Israel against Hamas in Gaza.

A group called the “Islamic resistance in Iraq” has endorsed Tuesday’s attack.

On Monday, four Katyusha rockets were fired at Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base but it was not clear if the attacks caused damage or casualties.

Here are some of the latest photos from the Israel-Hamas war

07:58 , Tom Watling

Below are some of the latest photos from Israel and Gaza after 24 days of the most recent round of fighting.

Israeli forces battle Hamas around Gaza City, as military says 800,000 have fled south

07:50 , Tom Watling

Israeli ground forces attacked Hamas militants and infrastructure on Tuesday in northern Gaza, which the military said some 800,000 people have fled since the war began more than three weeks ago, even as warplanes continued to strike from end to end of the sealed-off territory.

ICYMI: Rishi Sunak sacks senior Tory aide for calling for Gaza ceasefire

07:03 , Namita Singh

Rishi Sunak has sacked a senior Tory from his government job as a ministerial aide for calling breaking ranks and calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Paul Bristow, a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) at the science department, had called for a “permanent” ceasefire in Gaza in a letter to Mr Sunak.

The MP for Peterborough said it “would save lives and allow for a continued column of humanitarian aid [to] reach the people who need it the most”.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest:

Rishi Sunak sacks senior Tory aide for calling for Gaza ceasefire

Andy Burnham warns Starmer: Don’t brand us disloyal for disagreeing with you over Israel

07:02 , Namita Singh

Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has warned Sir Keir Starmer it is “simply not possible” to have a clear party position quickly on the current Israel-Hamas crisis.

Writing for The Independent, the senior Labour figure issued a plea not to brand as “disloyal” those who – like himself – have defied the party leader to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Mr Burnham also urged that lessons are learned from the flawed response to 9/11 terror attacks – arguing that Israel’s actions against Hamas “should be as targeted as possible”.

At least 13 Labour frontbenchers are opposed to Sir Keir’s position, with a host of shadow ministers and devolved leaders breaking ranks in recent days.

Burnham warns Starmer: Don’t brand us disloyal for disagreeing with you over Israel

Tunnels, traps and timers: Why Israel is facing a ‘nightmare’ in Gaza

06:43 , Namita Singh

As Israel’s ground offensive into Gaza intensifies, reports have emerged that invading forces have begun fighting in the underground tunnels built by Hamas beneath the enclave.

Their ground operation in Gaza – a response to a deadly Hamas attack on Israeli soil on 7 October that killed more than 1,400 people – has never been carried out to this extent before.

Brief incursions in 2014 and 2009 were intended to take out concentrations of Hamas’ weapons, not to “destroy” the entire group, as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated is the only objective this time around. It will be an exercise in urban warfare of the highest order.

Tunnels, traps and timers: Why Israel is facing a ‘nightmare’ in Gaza

Permanent ceasefire could currently risk more violence – Keir Starmer

06:21 , Namita Singh

A permanent ceasefire could risk more violence in Israel and Palestine at the moment, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say.

The Labour leader will make a speech on Tuesday calling on global leaders to work towards restoring peace in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

But Sir Keir will defend Labour’s calls for a humanitarian pause to allow Palestinians to flee the fighting, and for aid to be distributed.

He is expected to say that a permanent ceasefire at this stage could leave Hamas with the capability to carry out further attacks in Israel.

The Labour leader’s latest intervention on the conflict comes as several MPs on his frontbenches have broken ranks to call for a ceasefire, contradicting his support for a humanitarian pause.

Shadow ministers Yasmin Qureshi, Jess Phillips, and Imran Hussain are among the figures who have joined calls for an end to the fighting.

Labour has also been at odds over its stance on Israel with devolved mayors like Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan, and with Labour-led councils across England.

But the party is not likely to sack its internal critics from frontbench roles, and will instead “continue engaging” with them, shadow science secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday.

A UN envoy says the Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, adding to growing instability there

05:40 , Namita Singh

The Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, fueled by growing instability, violence and a lack of progress toward a political solution to its 12-year conflict, the United Nations special envoy for the country said Monday.

Geir Pedersen told the Security Council that, on top of violence from the Syrian conflict, the Syrian people now face “a terrifying prospect of a potential wider escalation” following Hamas’ 7 October attacks on Israel and the ongoing retaliatory military action.

“Spillover into Syria is not just a risk; it has already begun,” the UN envoy for Syria said.

Report:

A UN envoy says the Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, adding to growing instability there

Pro-Palestine activists claim to have shut down Boston arms company that supplies Israel

05:09 , Namita Singh

Pro-Palestine activists claim they have shut down a Boston arms company that supplies Israel.

Palestine Action US posted on X, alleging it has “completely halted” the business of Elbit Systems in Boston.

Video footage posted on social media appears to show activists from the group Palestine Action protesting outside the headquarters of Elbit Systems in Boston.

Protesters could be heard chanting “Elbit Systems has got to go”. Some protesters could also be heard telling officers “You’re defending genocide of children”, and calling them “f***ing pigs” as police shouted “get back”.

Martha McHardy reports:

Pro-Palestine activists claim to have shut down arms company that supplies Israel

Japan announces sanctions on Hamas-related individuals, company

05:08 , Namita Singh

Japan has imposed a fresh set of sanctions on individuals and a company connected to the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, according to a statement released by the Japanese foreign ministry today.

The sanctions consist of freezing the assets of individuals and a company that have helped fund Hamas, and is in line with new sanctions announced by the United States government earlier this month.

It is the first set of sanctions Japan has imposed on Hamas since its deadly rampage on 7 October that Israeli authorities say killed over 1,400 people.

Individuals including Hamas operatives Muhammad Ahmad ‘Abd Al-Dayim Nasrallah and Ayman Nofal were newly added to the list of people and organisations deemed as terrorists by Japan.

An Israeli ministry, in a ‘concept paper’, proposes transferring Gaza civilians to Egypt’s Sinal

04:54 , Namita Singh

An Israeli government ministry has drafted a wartime proposal to transfer the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million people to Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, drawing condemnation from the Palestinians and worsening tensions with Cairo.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office played down the report compiled by the Intelligence Ministry as a hypothetical exercise – a “concept paper.” But its conclusions deepened long-standing Egyptian fears that Israel wants to make Gaza into Egypt’s problem, and revived for Palestinians memories of their greatest trauma – the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of people who fled or were forced from their homes during the fighting surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948.

“We are against transfer to any place, in any form, and we consider it a red line that we will not allow to be crossed,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said of the report. “What happened in 1948 will not be allowed to happen again.”

A mass displacement, Abu Rudeineh said, would be “tantamount to declaring a new war.”

So far more than 8,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them civilians, have been killed since Israel went to war against Hamas after its 7 October attack.

Tennessee governor and congressman discuss safety on visit to Jewish school that foiled armed intrusion

04:52 , Namita Singh

Tennessee governor Bill Lee and US representative David Kustoff praised security measures at a Memphis Jewish school where a former student with a gun was stopped from entering the building in July, declaring strong safety procedures have become even more critical in light of the Israel-Hamas war.

Mr Lee and Mr Kustoff, both Republicans, spoke with students at Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South during a visit to the suburban school. Kustoff, who is Jewish and attended the school from kindergarten through 2nd grade, expressed support with Lee for Israel in the war that began when it was attacked by Hamas on 7 October.

Inside the one-story Memphis school, a sign saying “we stand with Israel” hangs on a hallway wall. Nearby, a bulletin board features names and photos of Israeli hostages as another sign of solidarity from the school’s students and staff.

Report:

Tennessee governor, congressman discuss safety on visit to Jewish school that foiled armed intrusion

Israel pushes deeper into Gaza

04:08 , Namita Singh

Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Gaza on Monday, advancing in tanks and other armored vehicles on the territory’s main city and freeing a soldier held captive by Hamas militants.

The Israeli prime minister rejected calls for a cease-fire as airstrikes landed near hospitals where thousands of Palestinians are sheltering beside the wounded.

The military said a soldier captured during Hamas’ brutal 7 October incursion was rescued in Gaza — the first rescue since the weekslong war began.

Military officials provided few details but said in a statement that Pvt Ori Megidish, 19, was “doing well” and had met with her family.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed her home, saying the “achievement” by Israel’s security forces “illustrates our commitment to free all the hostages.”

He also rejected calls for a cease-fire to facilitate the release of captives or end the war, which he has said will be long and difficult. “Calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas,” he told a news conference. “That will not happen.”

Police arrest women suspected of wearing pictures of Hamas paragliders during pro-Palestinian rally in UK

04:05 , Namita Singh

Counter-terrorism police have made two arrests after a group of women were photographed with images of Hamas paragliders.

Social media footage of a protest in Whitehall on 14 October showed two women with the image taped to their tops, while a third held a placard with it.

Two women, aged 29 and 44, came forward after recognising themselves in the pictures, which were widely shared, the Met Police said.

They were arrested on suspicion of inviting support for a proscribed organisation and are still being held in custody.

Read the details in this report:

Police arrest women suspected of wearing pictures of Hamas paragliders during rally

‘Deaths of babies will be on our hands if no ceasefire in Gaza’

04:05 , Namita Singh

A midwife holding a hunger strike for Gaza has said the potential deaths of newborn babies will be “on our hands” if calls for an immediate ceasefire are ignored.

Sharyn Lock, who lives near Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, is holding her five-day fasting vigil outside of the Scottish Parliament as she also demands UK politicians call for the restoration of vital services to Palestine.

Report:

Deaths of babies will be ‘on our hands’ if no ceasefire in Gaza – vigil midwife

How a pro-Palestine mob stormed Dagestan airport on Sunday

03:58 , Namita Singh

More than a thousand pro-Palestine protesters stormed a Russian airport on Sunday evening after rumours swirled that “Israeli refugees” were arriving from Tel Aviv.

The group stormed into the Makhachkala airport, located in the Republic of Dagestan, and rushed onto the landing field, chanting antisemitic slogans and seeking passengers arriving on the Tel Aviv flight, Russian news agencies and social media reported.

Authorities quickly closed the airport in the capital of the predominantly Muslim region and police converged on the facility.

My colleague Tom Watling has more on the storming of airport:

How the mob in search of Jewish passengers at Dagestan airport unfolded

US dismisses Putin’s ‘absurd’ claim anti-Israel riot organised by West

03:45 , Namita Singh

The US dismissed as “absurd” claims by Vladimir Putin that an anti-Israel riot at a Dagestan airport on Sunday was organised by Ukraine and the West.

The Russian president had earlier sought to blame the West for the crisis in the Middle East, saying the incident was an attempt by the West to spread “chaos”.

In a televised statement to a meeting of members of his Security Council and the government and the heads of law enforcement agencies, Mr Putin said the “ruling elites of the US” and their “satellites” stood behind the killing of Gaza’s Palestinians, and behind conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

“They need constant chaos in the Middle East. Therefore (the US) does its best to discredit those countries that insist on an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, on stopping the bloodshed, and are ready to make a real contribution to resolving the crisis, and not parasitise on it.”

Russia backed an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution. It has also angered Israel by receiving a Hamas delegation in Moscow.

Mr Putin said Russia was fighting the shadowy US forces he blamed for the Middle East crisis on the battlefields of Ukraine.

“Palestine can only be helped by fighting those who are behind this tragedy. We are Russia and we are fighting them in the context of the ‘special military operation’. Both for ourselves and for those who strive for real true freedom,” he said.

“The key to resolving the conflict is in the creation of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state,” Mr Putin said, implying that this was not Washington’s stated aim.

Graphic pro-Israel ads make their way in children’s video games

03:20 , Namita Singh

Maria Julia Assis was sitting down to a meal in her terraced home in north London when her six-year-old son ran into the dining room, his face pale.

The puzzle game on his Android phone had been interrupted by a video showing Hamas militants, terrified Israeli families and blurred graphic footage. Over a black screen, a message from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the first grader: “WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO HARM US PAY A HEAVY PRICE.”

Ms Assis, a 28-year-old barista from Brazil, told Reuters that the ad left her son shaken and she quickly deleted the game.

“He was shocked,” she said in a telephone interview last week. “He literally said, ‘What is this bloody ad doing in my game?’”

Reuters has not been able to establish how the ad came to her son’s video game, but her family isn’t alone. The news agency has documented at least five other cases across Europe where the same pro-Israel video, which carried footage of rocket attacks, a fiery explosion, and masked gunmen, was shown to gamers, including several children.

In at least one case, the ads were played inside the popular “Angry Birds” game made by SEGA-owned developer Rovio.

Rovio confirmed that “somehow these ads with disturbing content have in error made it through to our game” and were now being blocked manually. Spokesperson Lotta Backlund did not provide details on which of its “dozen or so ad partners” had supplied it with the ad.

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ head of digital, David Saranga, confirmed that the video was a government-promoted ad but said he had “no idea” how it ended up inside various games.

Labour MP suspended over ‘between the river and the sea’ pro-Palestine speech

03:13 , Namita Singh

Senior Labour MP Andy McDonald has had the party whip suspended for using the controversial phrase “between the river and the sea” in a pro-Palestine rally speech.

The MP for Middlesbrough used the phrase as he urged peace between Israelis and Palestinians at an event at the weekend.

Some pro-Palestinian protesters have chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during recent demonstrations in London, despite controversy around the slogan’s meaning.

Why is the slogan controversial? Report:

Labour MP Andy McDonald suspended over ‘between the river and the sea’ speech

White House concerned about antisemitic threats at Cornell

03:00 , Tara Cobham

The White House on Monday expressed concern at reports of antisemitic threats at Cornell University in response to the Israel-Hamas crisis in Gaza.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that senior Biden administration officials are with Jewish leaders and universities to discuss the threat of antisemitism on campuses.

‘More than 8,300 people killed in Gaza’

02:59 , Namita Singh

More than 8,300 people have been killed in Gaza – 66 per cent of them women and children – and tens of thousands injured, the UN humanitarian office said, citing Gaza’s ministry of health.

Unicef executive director Catherine Russell that toll includes over 3,400 children killed and more than 6,300 injured. “This means that more than 420 children are being killed or injured in Gaza each day – a number which should shake each of us to our core,” she said.

UN agency in Gaza says urgent ceasefire is ‘matter of life and death’

02:56 , Namita Singh

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told a UN emergency meeting Monday “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions,” accusing Israel of “collective punishment” of Palestinians and the forced displacement of civilians.

Philippe Lazzarini warned that a further breakdown of civil order following the looting of the agency’s warehouses by Palestinians searching for food and other aid “will make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the largest UN agency in Gaza to continue operating.”

Report:

UN agency in Gaza says urgent ceasefire is `a matter of life and death' for millions of Palestinians

In pictures: Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continued on Monday

02:00 , Tara Cobham

Forced displacement and collective punishment in Gaza, says UNRWA chief

01:00 , Tara Cobham

The head of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) warned the Security Council on Monday that Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip were being subjected to forced displacement and collective punishment.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini also said a communication blackout over the weekend had accelerated the breaking down of civil order and warned that if that breakdown worsened it “will make it extremely difficult, if not impossible” for the U.N. to continue operating in Gaza.

Israel has renewed warnings for civilians to move from the north of Gaza to the south as it began an advance late on Friday to pursue Hamas militants it says are hiding in a labyrinth of tunnels under Gaza City.

Watchdog says attack that killed videographer ‘targeted’ journalists

00:00 , Tara Cobham

A watchdog group advocating for press freedom said that the strikes that hit a group of journalists in southern Lebanon earlier this month, killing one, were targeted rather than accidental and that the journalists were clearly identified as press.

Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, published preliminary conclusions Sunday in an ongoing investigation, based on video evidence and witness testimonies, into two strikes that killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and wounded six journalists from Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera as they were covering clashes on the southern Lebanese border on Oct. 13.

The first strike killed Abdallah, and the second hit a vehicle belonging to an Al Jazeera team, injuring journalists standing next to it. Both came from the direction of the Israeli border, the report said, but it did not explicitly name Israel as being responsible.

Kareem Chehayeb and Lujain Jo report:

Watchdog group says attack that killed videographer 'explicitly targeted' Lebanon journalists

Baroness thanks sacked Tory MP for ‘being on right side of history’

Monday 30 October 2023 23:00 , Tara Cobham

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has thanked Tory MP Paul Bristow for "being on the right side of history" after he was sacked from his Government job for publicly urging Rishi Sunak to push for a "permanent ceasefire" in Gaza.

Baroness Warsi, a member of the House of Lords and former Conservative co-chairwoman, said the treatment of Mr Bristow "reinforces the fear within our ranks of speaking out".

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Baroness Warsi wrote: "Thank you (Paul Bristow) for being on the right side of history.

"A number of Conservative colleagues are deeply disturbed by the Government position on Gaza.

"This treatment reinforces the fear within our ranks of speaking out. Principles in politics should be applauded not punished."

Downing Street said that Mr Bristow, the MP for Peterborough, has been asked to leave his job as a parliamentary private secretary for breaking rank.

Jared Kushner claims Jews safer in Saudi Arabia than US colleges

Monday 30 October 2023 22:10 , Tara Cobham

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, has claimed that Jewish people are safer in Saudi Arabia than on college campuses in the United States.

Mr Kushner’s comments come in the middle of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the group in charge of the Gaza Strip, which has been labelled as a terror organisation by the US and the EU.

On 7 October, Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. More than 8,000 people have died in Gaza following counterattacks by the Israeli military, according to the AP.

Gustaf Kilander reports:

Jared Kushner claims Jews are safer in Saudi Arabia than US college campuses

One death in Jerusalem illustrates a never-ending cycle of violence

Monday 30 October 2023 22:00 , Kim Sengupta, World affairs editor

It was another killing among many in a spiralling list of the dead, reflecting the rage and retribution which is enmeshing Israelis and Palestinians in this cycle of violence.

On a sunny, and seemingly relaxed, morning in east Jerusalem a teenage youth was walking by a security point when something happened. Israeli authorities say he produced a knife and stabbed one of the policemen and began to run. He did not get far: he was shot down with three staccato bursts of semi-automatic rifle fire within a hundred yards.

The youth, 17 years old, fell just outside the entrance of St George’s Cathedral in Nablus Road, a historic street near the holy shrines of three religions. I had walked by a few minutes earlier and returned at the sound of gunfire to see the body lying there face down in the pavement.

Read more here:

The death of one young man in Jerusalem illustrates a never-ending cycle of violence

Why Israel is facing a ‘nightmare’ in Gaza

Monday 30 October 2023 21:41 , Tara Cobham

As Israel’s ground offensive into Gaza intensifies, reports have emerged that invading forces have begun fighting in the underground tunnels built by Hamas beneath the enclave.

Their ground operation in Gaza – a response to a deadly Hamas attack on Israeli soil on 7 October that killed more than 1,400 people – has never been carried out to this extent before.

Brief incursions in 2014 and 2009 were intended to take out concentrations of Hamas’ weapons, not to “destroy” the entire group, as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated is the only objective this time around. It will be an exercise in urban warfare of the highest order.

Tom Watling reports:

Tunnels, traps and timers: Why Israel is facing a ‘nightmare’ in Gaza

White House compares Dagestan mob targeting Jewish people to ‘pogroms’

Monday 30 October 2023 21:40 , Tara Cobham

The White House compared a riot targeting Jewish people in Dagestan on Sunday to pogroms of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The comments come a day after hundreds of protesters in the Russian region stormed an airport in search of passengers who had landed on a flight from Israel. Twenty people were injured before security forces contained the protest.

“Some people will compare it to the pogroms of the late 19th and early 20th century and I think that’s probably an apt description,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Richard Hall reports:

White House compares Dagestan mob targeting Jewish people to ‘pogroms’

Labour MP McDonald responds to his suspension from party

Monday 30 October 2023 21:39 , Tara Cobham

Senior Labour MP Andy McDonald has said his words have been “misrepresented” after he had the party whip suspended for using the controversial phrase “between the river and the sea” in a pro-Palestine rally speech.

The MP for Middlesbrough said he felt compelled to respond in the wake of “baseless and extremely harmful accusations” following his use of the phrase as he urged peace between Israelis and Palestinians at an event over the weekend.

In a statement posted on X, he said: “In my speech on Saturday, I said the following: ‘Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty.’ These words should not be construed in any other way than they were intended, namely as a heartfelt plea for an end to the killings in Israel, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank, and for all peoples in the region to live in freedom without the threat of violence.”

Women undergoeing C-sections without anaesthetics in Gaza, says CARE

Monday 30 October 2023 21:00 , Tara Cobham

A humanitarian organisation has told of pregnant women forced to undergo C-sections without anaesthetics in Gaza.

CARE West Bank and Gaza also warned of shortages of baby formula as well as other essential medical supplies in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Country Director Hiba Tibi said: “I am completely devastated by the reports we are receiving from the doctors we work with in Gaza. Pregnant women are being forced to undergo emergency C-sections without anaesthetics. I can only imagine how afraid these women are, for themselves and their babies, all while suffering in unbearable pain.

“We are also hearing that some hospitals have run out of baby formula. This is particularly concerning because trauma can affect a mother’s ability to produce milk. As food supplies dwindle, there is a substantial risk to the health of the 283,000 children under five and pregnant or lactating women.”

White House compares Dagestan mob targeting Jewish people to ‘pogroms’

Monday 30 October 2023 20:44 , Tara Cobham

The United States on Monday condemned violent antisemitic events that have been reported in Russia threatening Israelis and Jews after rioters in the predominantly Muslim Dagestan region stormed an airport to "catch" Jewish passengers on board a flight from Tel Aviv.

Videos obtained by Reuters from the airport at Makhachkala, the regional capital of Dagestan, showed the rioters, mostly young men, waving Palestinian flags, breaking down glass doors and running through the airport on Sunday evening.

Police said they had arrested 60 people in connection with the unrest and identified 150 of the most active participants.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington condemned the incident, and said he had seen videos of events he said "looked like a pogrom to me."

"We call on Russian authorities to publicly condemn these violent protests, to hold anyone involved accountable and to ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews in Russia," Miller said at a regular press briefing.

Russia's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Netanyahu denounces Hamas’ new hostage video

Monday 30 October 2023 20:33 , Tara Cobham

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as “cruel psychological propaganda” a video released on Monday by Hamas that shows three hostages seized by the Islamist movement on 7 October.

The video shows three woman - identified by Netanyahu as Yelena Trupanob, Danielle Aloni and Rimon Kirsht - sitting side by side against a bare wall, with Aloni addressing an angry message to the prime minister.

Accusing Netanyahu of failing to protect Israeli citizens during the deadly Hamas attack and failing to get them back home, she called for an agreement to secure their release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. “You were supposed to free all of us. You committed to free us all. But instead we are carrying your political, security, military, diplomatic failure,” she said.

In a statement, Netanyahu repeated a pledge to make every effort to bring the hostages home. “Abducted by Hamas, which is committing war crimes, I embrace you. Our hearts are with you and with the other captives. We are doing everything to bring home all the captives and the missing,” he said.

Aloni’s father, Ramos Aloni, said his heart almost stopped when he saw his daughter in the video, feeling shock but also relief that she was alive. “Until today we did not know any confirmed information about her,” he told reporters who gathered in Tel Aviv.

Aloni is in captivity along with five others from his family, including 3-year-old twin grandchildren, he said.

Avital Kirscht, whose daughter Rimon sat quietly in the video beside Aloni, said they will do everything to bring her home and demanded the hostages receive urgent medical care.

“I don’t wish on any mother to have to go through what we are going through for the past 24 days,” she said. “I saw the video today and I am worried. Rimon was without eyeglasses. For 24 days she cannot see. She needs glasses.”

Deaths of babies ‘on our hands’ if no ceasefire, says hunger striking midwife

Monday 30 October 2023 19:56 , Tara Cobham

A midwife holding a hunger strike for Gaza has said the potential deaths of newborn babies will be “on our hands” if calls for an immediate ceasefire are ignored.

Sharyn Lock, who lives near Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, is holding her five-day fasting vigil outside of the Scottish Parliament as she also demands UK politicians call for the restoration of vital services to Palestine.

Prior to her midwifery training in the UK, Ms Lock began volunteering in the Middle Eastern country in 2002 after a Jewish friend introduced her to the International Solidarity Movement to support Palestinians.

Rebecca McCurdy reports:

Deaths of babies will be ‘on our hands’ if no ceasefire in Gaza – vigil midwife

Watch: Police clash with activists who ‘shut down Israel supplies company'

Monday 30 October 2023 19:15 , Tara Cobham

Watch: Netanyahu claims Israel will ‘resign Hamas to dustbin of history’

Monday 30 October 2023 19:00 , Tara Cobham

Israel issues highest level travel warning to area of Russia's Dagestan

Monday 30 October 2023 18:58 , Tara Cobham

Israel on Monday issued a 'highest level travel warning' for Russia's Dagestan region after hundreds of anti-Israel protesters stormed an airport there on Sunday, where a plane from Israel had just arrived.

Twenty people were injured before security forces - who were forced to close the airport - contained the protest.

Labour MP McDonald suspended over ‘between river and sea’ speech

Monday 30 October 2023 18:43 , Tara Cobham

Senior Labour MP Andy McDonald has had the party whip suspended for using the controversial phrase “between the river and the sea” at a pro-Palestine rally speech.

Mr McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough, used the phrase as he urged peace between Israelis and Palestinians at an event at the weekend.

Some pro-Palestinian protesters have chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during recent demonstrations in London, despite controversy around the slogan’s meaning.

Lydia Patrick reports:

Labour MP Andy McDonald suspended over ‘between the river and the sea’ speech

Activists claim they shut down arms company supplying Israel

Monday 30 October 2023 18:42 , Tara Cobham

Pro-Palestine activists claim they have shut down a Boston arms company that supplies Israel.

Palestine Action US posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, alleging it has “completely halted” the business of Elbit Systems in Boston.

Video footage posted on social media appears to show activists from the group Palestine Action protesting outside the headquarters of Elbit Systems in Boston.

Martha McHardy reports:

Pro-Palestine activists claim to have shut down arms company that supplies Israel

Labour MP suspended over ‘between river and sea’ remark at rally

Monday 30 October 2023 18:07 , Tara Cobham

Labour MP Andy McDonald has had the party whip suspended.

Mr McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough, used the phrase “between the river and the sea”, as he made a speech urging peace between Israelis and Palestinians at a recent rally.

Some pro-Palestinian protesters have chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during recent demonstrations in London, despite controversy around the slogan’s meaning.

A Labour spokesperson said: “The comments made by Andy McDonald at the weekend were deeply offensive, particularly at a time of rising antisemitism which has left Jewish people fearful for their safety.

“The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Andy McDonald, pending an investigation.”

Labour MP Andy McDonald has had the party whip suspended.

US says 45 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza on Sunday

Monday 30 October 2023 17:59 , Tara Cobham

The US State Department on Monday said 45 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total to 150, and said that progress is being made on ensuring the delivery of essential fuel supplies to Gaza.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that the U.S. made clear to the government of Israel over the weekend that communications networks in Gaza needed to be restored.

Telephone and internet communications were partially restored in Gaza after a more than day-long blackout that had badly impacted rescue operations as Israel pounded targets of the militant Hamas group that controls the territory.

Even most just wars have unintended civilian casualties, says Israeli PM

Monday 30 October 2023 17:44 , Tara Cobham

The Israeli Prime Minister has said that “even the most just wars have unintended civilian casualties” in the face of increased international appeals for people in Gaza to be protected.

He added, “We’re going out of our way,” to protect civilians, blaming Hamas for preventing people from leaving areas of Gaza under Israeli bombardment.

Israel will not agree to cessation of fighting with Hamas, says PM

Monday 30 October 2023 17:37 , Tara Cobham

The Israeli Prime Minister has said Israel will not agree to a cessation of fighting with Hamas after the militant’s attack on the country on 7 October.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu added, “We’re going to resign [Hamas] to the dustbin of history.”

Rishi Sunak sacks senior Tory aide for calling for Gaza ceasefire

Monday 30 October 2023 17:07 , Tara Cobham

Rishi Sunak sacks senior Tory aide for calling for Gaza ceasefire

Rishi Sunak has sacked a senior Tory from his government job as a ministerial aide for calling breaking ranks and calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hama conflict.

Paul Bristow, a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) at the science department, called for a “permanent” ceasefire in Gaza in a letter to Mr Sunak.

The MP for Peterborough said it “would save lives and allow for a continued column of humanitarian aid [to] reach the people who need it the most”.

Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent reports:

Rishi Sunak sacks senior Tory aide for calling for Gaza ceasefire

Pro-Palestine protester jailed for smashing police with megaphone

Monday 30 October 2023 16:57 , Tara Cobham

A man has been sentenced to six months in jail after he struck a police officer over the head with a megaphone at a pro-Palestinian protest.

Atif Shafiq, 41, from Walthamstow in east London, left the officer needing stitches after attacking him at a rally in Whitehall on Saturday.

The father of four - who appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Monday wearing a T-shirt with a Palestine flag and “love Palestine” on the back - was among a reported 100,000 protesters who took to the streets of central London.

District Judge Denis Brennan told Shafiq his actions could have “provoked a volatile reaction from the crowd”.

Prosecutor Anushka Levey said Shafiq pulled the red megaphone he was wielding “to shoulder height” before he “hit the victim around the head”. The officer suffered a “large laceration” and needed two stitches when he was taken to hospital.

The court heard Shafiq, who had attended numerous protests in the past, ended up behind the police cordon with a number of other protesters before ignoring police orders to “get back”.

Sentencing Shafiq to six months in jail, District Judge Brennan said: “This country has an honourable tradition of peaceful protest. What you did was assault a police constable who was on duty causing him a serious injury.”

MP told to leave Government job after urging PM to back ceasefire

Monday 30 October 2023 16:52 , Tara Cobham

Tory MP Paul Bristow has been told to leave his Government job as a parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology after urging Rishi Sunak to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, No 10 has said.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “Paul Bristow has been asked to leave his post in Government following comments that were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility.”

Soldier being held hostage by Hamas has been released, says Israel

Monday 30 October 2023 16:46 , Tara Cobham

The Israeli military has said a female soldier who was being held hostage by Hamas has been released during its ground operations overnight.

The soldier PVT Ori Megidish was “released during Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground operations” after being taken by Hamas on 7 October, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Securities Authority announced in a joint statement.

The soldier has been medically checked and is now “doing well and has met with her family”, they said.

Cousin of hostage slams police for ‘tearing down missing posters’

Monday 30 October 2023 16:45 , Tara Cobham

Police are investigating an image purporting to show officers ripping posters depicting Hamas hostages off a chemist’s shutters in London.

Adam Ma’anit has already lost one of his cousins 18-year-old Maayan who was murdered in front of her family by a Hamas gunman on October 7.

He shared a photo of what appears to be Metropolitan Police officers tearing down posters off the pharmacy’s front door on Saturday night.

Barney Davis reports:

Activists claim they ‘shut down’ Israel defence contractor office in US

Monday 30 October 2023 16:34 , Tara Cobham

Activists have claimed they have “shut down” an office of a defence contractor that supplies Israel in the US.

Palestine Action US posted on X alleging it has “completely halted” the business of Elbit Systems in Boston.

Watch: Braverman describes pro-Palestine protests as ‘hate marches’

Monday 30 October 2023 16:27 , Tara Cobham