Israel-Hamas War Live Updates: Hamas freed two more women hostages abducted to the Gaza Strip
Hamas freed two Israeli women who were among the more than 200 hostages taken during its October 7 rampage in southern Israel while according to some reports the US had advised Israel to hold off on a ground assault in the Gaza Strip.
"We decided to release them for humanitarian and poor health grounds," Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas militant group, said on Telegram.
The Israeli prime minister's office issued a statement confirming that the women, whom it named as Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, were handed over to the Israeli military and would be taken to a medical facility.
Israel launched an immediate war on Hamas and more than 5,000 people have since been killed in its air attacks on Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Here are the live updates on the Israel-Hamas war:
Israeli Army Says Targets "Military Infrastructure" In SyriaThe Israeli army said Wednesday that it had struck military infrastructure inside Syria in response to earlier launches towards Israel.
"IDF fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army in response to the launches toward Israel yesterday (Tuesday)," the IDF said in a statement. An IDF spokesperson told AFP the strikes were inside Syria.
"We Are Ready to Invade Gaza": Israel Defence Forces Chief Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday announced that the ground personnel massing on the southern border were ready to 'invade' Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Briefing reporters at the country's southern border, IDF Chief-of-Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said, "I want to be clear, we are ready to invade."
He added that the IDF was in the process of deciding on the 'exact timing' of the ground invasion of Gaza in coordination with the country's political echelons.
World Leaders Seek To Suspend Israel-Hamas Fighting For Gaza AidThe United Nations, United States and Canada pushed for a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip so that humanitarian aid could be delivered to besieged Palestinian civilians and late on Tuesday eight trucks with water, food and medicine entered the enclave from Egypt.
Nearly three weeks after Hamas militants shocked Israel with an attack on southern Israeli towns in a rampage that killed 1,400 mostly civilians, world leaders sought to prevent the conflict from spreading.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on Tuesday and agreed on broader diplomacy "to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding," the White House said.
Jordan Says Israel "Appears" To Be Above International Law In Gaza ConflictJordan's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Israel "appeared" to be above international law and urged an end to what he termed "double standards" in dealing with the Gaza conflict.
In remarks after a United Nations Security Council meeting that did not call for an end to hostilities, the minister, Ayman Safadi, said the international community had an obligation to end Israel's war "against Palestinians" in Gaza.
Hamas Says 50 Killed In One Hour In Israeli strikes On GazaThe Hamas health ministry said at least 50 people were killed Tuesday in a single hour of increased Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.
"The Israeli occupation expands its targeting of multiple areas in the Gaza Strip, killing about 50 martyrs during the last hour," a health ministry spokesperson said in a statement late Tuesday.
Gaza Ceasefire "Only Benefits Hamas", Says White House A full ceasefire in Gaza would only help Hamas as Israel wages an air campaign against the militant group, but humanitarian "pauses" should be considered to let vital aid in, the White House said Tuesday.
The comments came as President Joe Biden said aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave, under Israeli bombardment since the deadly Hamas attacks of October 7, were "not fast enough."
"A ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists.
Thousands of people have been killed on both sides since Hamas militants stormed across the border, executing civilians and seizing hostages, with Israel retaliating with relentless strikes on the Gaza Strip.
UN Says No Aid Trucks Enter Gaza On Tuesday The United Nations said 20 trucks that had been due to deliver aid to the besieged Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Tuesday had not entered the enclave.
"We hope the materials can enter Gaza tomorrow," U.N. aid spokesperson Eri Kaneko said.
Senior UN aid official Lynn Hastings earlier told the U.N. Security Council that 20 trucks were due to cross on Tuesday. Since Saturday, 54 trucks have crossed into Gaza carrying food, medicine and water, which U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as "a drop of aid in an ocean of need."
Lebanon PM Says Committed To UN Resolution Amid Israel Border SkirmishesLebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati reaffirmed on Tuesday Beirut's commitment to a UN resolution that ended a 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, amid border tensions as Israel fights Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Hamas fighters stormed into Israel from the blockaded Gaza Strip on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and taking more than 200 others hostage.
Israel's retaliatory bombing campaign has killed more than 5,700 in Gaza, mainly Palestinian civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
On The Edge Of Gaza, Israeli Soldiers Brace For BattleAfter 16 days of mobilising and massing near the Gaza Strip, an eerie calm lingers among Israeli troops as they await the highly anticipated invasion of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory.
The parched desert floor is now filled with hundreds of armoured vehicles along with columns of tanks primed for the expected onslaught.
The mechanised steel is adorned with the blue and white Israeli flags, while soldiers labour away with the everyday maintenance of their vehicles.
This entire first line is protected by an immense trench, about two kilometres (more than a mile) long, that was dug by engineering units outfitted with heavy machinery.
Palestinian Leader Tells Macron To Stop Israel 'Aggression' On GazaPalestinian president Mahmud Abbas told France's Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday that the international community must halt Israel's "aggression" as it battles Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"We urge you, President Macron, to stop this aggression," Abbas said after the two leaders held talks in Ramallah dominated by the war that has left thousands of civilians dead in Gaza and Israel.
The Palestinian leader strongly condemned Israeli air strikes which he said "kill innocent civilians in a barbaric way".
"Will Work With China To Prevent Mideast Conflict From Spreading": Biden OfficialUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that he will work with China's top diplomat Wang Yi to prevent the conflict in the Middle East from spreading when they meet later this week.
Wang is set to arrive in Washington Thursday, amid soaring tensions after Palestinian militant group Hamas' attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
UN Chief Alleges Violations Of Law In Gaza, Angering IsraelUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law in Gaza and urged an immediate ceasefire as Israel pounds the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks, with the crisis deeply dividing the Security Council.
Israel voiced anger over the UN chief's plea before a high-level session of the Security Council, where the Palestinian foreign minister in turn denounced what he described as inaction in the conflict that has killed thousands on both sides, mostly civilians.
Israel's Holocaust Survivors Struggle With Gaza War As Trauma DeepensWhen night falls, Sarina Blumenfeld gets flashbacks from what she endured during the Holocaust and struggles to process the carnage that took place when Hamas Islamists entered Israel from Gaza and killed 1,400 people.
Blumenfeld, 89, is one of tens of thousands of elderly survivors of the Nazi Holocaust who live in Israel and are once again facing up to the reality of war, with more than 220 Israelis taken hostage in Gaza.
"This all reminds me of what we went through during the Holocaust and how much we suffered," Blumenfeld told Reuters from her home in the coastal city of Ashdod, which is 40 km (25 miles) from Gaza and frequently a target of Hamas rocket fire.
Malaysia PM Joins Thousands To Condemn Israel For Gaza 'Barbarism'Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined 16,000 pro-Palestinian supporters to condemn Israel's "barbaric" acts in the Gaza Strip, where thousands are estimated to have been killed in Israeli attacks, and denounce its Western supporters.
The gathering in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, was the largest in a series of demonstrations held in Muslim-majority Malaysia in recent weeks.
More than 700 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes, Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday, the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began a bombing campaign to crush Hamas militants who stunned the country with a deadly October 7 attack.
700 Palestinians Killed In Overnight Israeli Strikes, Say Gaza AuthoritiesMore than 700 Palestinians were killed overnight by Israeli air strikes, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said on Tuesday, the highest 24-hour death toll in Israel's two-week-old "total siege", as pressure grew for aid to be allowed into the enclave unimpeded.
The Israeli military said it had hit over 400 Hamas militant targets and killed dozens of its fighters overnight, but that it would take time to destroy Gaza's ruling Islamist group, whose deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7 shocked Israel.
With international aid agencies warning of a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron flew to Israel to offer it support.
Putin, Turkey's Erdogan Express "Deep Concern" Over War-Torn Gaza SituationRussian President Vladimir Putin expressed fears of a sharp deterioration of the situation in besieged Gaza during a call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said Tuesday.
The leaders expressed "deep concern over the growing number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip", the Kremlin said.
Putin and Erdogan also discussed the "unacceptable" strikes by Israel on residential neighbourhoods and religious sites, according to the statement.
Hamas Attacks Don't Justify Killing 'Millions Of Innocents': Brazil's LulaBrazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday the "terrorist attack" by Palestinian militants against Israel on October 7 did not justify killing "millions of innocents" in Gaza.
"Just because Hamas committed a terrorist attack against Israel doesn't mean Israel has to kill millions of innocents," the veteran leftist said in his weekly live address on social media.
Thousands of civilians have been killed on both sides since the conflict began when Hamas fighters stormed across the border, indiscriminately killing civilians in the deadliest attack since Israel was created in 1948.
War Tests Jewish-Arab Ties In North Israel TownWith schools and businesses shut, the streets were unusually quiet in Acre, an Israeli town home to Jewish and Arab communities hoping their fragile yet time-honoured ties survive the latest war.
When Israel and Palestinian armed group Hamas last fought in 2021, violence spilled over into towns like Acre, shared by both Jewish and Arab residents, with bouts of rioting resulting in deaths.
In Acre, a placid town of some 50,000 inhabitants along Israel's northern Mediterranean coast, a joint Jewish-Arab theatre and a restaurant that long served as a symbol of coexistence were both set ablaze during the 2021 melee.
During more than two weeks since the latest war erupted on October 7, triggered by a bloody Hamas assault on Israeli soil near the border of the blockaded Gaza Strip, Uri Jeremias has kept his iconic eatery open -- but it has remained largely deserted.
Turkey's Erdogan Says UN Security Council 'Deepened' Gaza CrisisTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday accused the United Nations Security Council of deepening the Gaza crisis by bowing to the "Israeli regime".
"The international community is not rising to the challenge in the face of the Israeli regime's unlawful and unrestrained attacks against civilians," Erdogan said in a statement, adding that the UN Security Council "has deepened the crisis with its one-sided attitude".
Czech And Austrian Leaders To Visit Israel On WednesdayCzech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will fly to Israel on Wednesday in a show of support for the country in the wake of Hamas's large-scale attack on Israelis, government spokespeople confirmed on Tuesday.
The leaders will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, spokespeople for both governments said.
Nehammer will also meet with the family of an Austrian-Israeli national who is currently being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Austrian government said in a statement.
Iran's President Says Muslim Disunity Enabled Israeli 'Aggression'Iran's president on Tuesday expressed regret at a "lack of unity" among Muslim countries in response to the war between its arch-foe Israel and Gaza's rulers Hamas.
Ebrahim Raisi said greater co-ordination across the Muslim world could have stopped Israel's bombing of the Palestinian territory.
"A united and unified position in the Muslim world could have prevented the oppression and aggression of the Zionist regime and the excesses of its Western supporters in a more effective way," he said, quoted by state news agency IRNA.
Raisi also called for "strengthening co-operation" between countries in the region to avoid interventions from outside nations.
More Than 100 Detained In Egypt After Pro-Palestinian Protests: LawyersAt least 100 people were arrested in Egypt after taking part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations late last week, though some have subsequently been released, lawyers working on the cases said on Tuesday.
State-approved protests against Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip were held at several locations in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt on Friday.
However, some protesters in Cairo walked to Tahrir Square - the centre of Egypt's 2011 uprising - which was not among the sites approved for the pro-Palestinian demonstration. The protesters were quickly dispersed by security personnel.
UN Chief Deplores 'Clear Violations' In War-Torn Gaza, Urges TruceUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law as Israel pounds Gaza, and urged an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to bring in relief.
"I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law," Guterres told a Security Council session, without explicitly naming Israel.
Guterres, who personally travelled to the crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a push to let in assistance, welcomed the crossing of three aid convoys so far through the Rafah crossing.
"But it is a drop of aid in an ocean of need. In addition, our UN fuel supplies in Gaza will run out in a matter of days. That would be another disaster," Guterres said.
Hamas Official Calls For Halt To Gaza War, Opening Aid Crossings Hamas official Osama Hamdan urged Arab, Islamic countries and the United Nations to try to halt Israel's assault on Gaza, in a press conference held in Beirut on Tuesday.
Hamdan also called on Arab countries to end any normalisation of diplomatic relations with Israel.
The official called for humanitarian aid crossings to be opened, allowing fuel, aid and rubble removal equipment into Gaza.
Gaza Aid Deliveries Face Multiple Obstacles
With a trickle of aid flowing into the besieged Gaza Strip from Egypt, humanitarian staff and diplomats face a web of political, security and logistical obstacles as they try to build up and sustain deliveries of relief.
The aid is desperately needed. Supplies of food, water, medicines and fuel have been running critically low for Gaza's 2.3 million people since Israel began its bombardment and "total siege" of the Palestinian enclave in retaliation for a lethal incursion by Hamas on October 7.
No Success In Freeing Russian Hostages From Hamas: Kremlin
The Kremlin said Tuesday it had not succeeded in freeing Russian hostages being held by Hamas and did not know how many of its citizens had been taken.
Russia has working relations with Israel as well as Hamas, and when the Palestinian group took more than 200 hostages during its attack on Israel this month, Moscow launched a diplomatic effort to try to free them.
"Indeed, we have not succeeded so far, but we will continue," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, when asked about Moscow's efforts to secure the release of Russian citizens.
Germany's Chancellor Vows Support For Israel Won't Impact Ukraine Aid
Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged today to maintain Germany's aid to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion even as Berlin supports Israel in its conflict with Hamas.
"We are backing Ukraine economically, financially, with humanitarian aid and also with weapons," Scholz said.
"This support will in no way be impacted by the fact that we of course since the horrible morning hours of October 7 have focused on Israel and the Middle East with the greatest sympathy and concern," he said.
Israel-Hamas War Threatens World Economy, Bankers Tell Saudi ForumThe Gaza war raging between Israel and Hamas could deal a heavy blow to the global economy, banking titans told a glitzy investment forum in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
The dour mood from some of the gathering's most high-profile speakers underscored how the conflict threatens attempts by the world's biggest oil exporter to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels.
Hamas militants who stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7 killed at least 1,400 people and took more than 220 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
More than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said.
Gaza Displaced Show Signs of Disease From Crowding, Poor Sanitation: DoctorsDoctors in Gaza say patients arriving at hospitals are showing signs of disease caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation after more than 1.4 million people fled their homes for temporary shelters under Israel's heaviest-ever bombardment.
Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of a health crisis in the tiny, crowded Palestinian enclave under an Israeli blockade that has cut off electricity, clean water and fuel, with only small U.N. convoys of food and medicine getting in.
"The crowding of civilians and the fact that most schools used as shelters are housing lots of people, it's a prime breeding ground for disease to spread," said Nahed Abu Taaema, a public health doctor at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
WHO Can't Get Fuel, Vital Supplies To Hospitals In North GazaThe World Health Organization said on Tuesday it remains unable to distribute fuel or life-saving health supplies to major hospitals in northern Gaza due to a lack of security guarantees.
The WHO called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire so health supplies and fuel can be delivered safely throughout the Gaza Strip".
UN Urges Improved Coordination On Gaza AidThe United Nations on Tuesday called for improved coordination among humanitarian groups in making sure the small amount of aid now moving into the Gaza Strip contained only the most needed items.
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said that some of the food delivered into Gaza so far, such as rice and lentils, had been impractical given the dwindling availability of fresh water and fuel.
Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7 and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.
Netanyahu, Fending Off Critics, Says There Is "Clear Unity Of Purpose"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved to dampen media pressure over the government's conduct of the war against the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, issuing a statement insisting he was in full accord with his defence and army chiefs.
Netanyahu, Israel's longest serving prime minister, has seen his already falling approval ratings plunge following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed some 1,400 people in the deadliest day for Israel in its 75-year history.
On Monday, amid growing expectations of an imminent ground operation against Hamas in Gaza, Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's largest circulation newspaper, published a stinging attack on the government, saying that a "crisis of confidence" had developed between Netanyahu and the army leadership.
Gaza Hospital Blast Not Caused By Israeli Missile, Says Italy Minister Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday a blast at a hospital in Gaza City last week was not caused by a missile fired by Israel and also said around 50 people had been killed, not the almost 500 reported by Palestinian officials.
Tajani, who did not say what evidence his comments were based on, was commenting on the Oct. 17 explosion at Al Ahli hospital, among the most hotly disputed events of the Gaza war.
The Gaza health ministry has put the death toll at 471.
"Do The Right Thing": Israel Offers Gazans Rewards For Hostage Tip-OffsThe Israeli army deluged the Gaza Strip with leaflets on Tuesday urging residents to provide information about the hostages held by Hamas in return for financial rewards, AFP journalists reported.
The messages were dropped by Israeli aircraft amid the waves of air strikes targeting Gaza, which Hamas health officials said have killed more than 5,000 people.
"If you want a better future for yourself and your children, do the right thing and send us safe and useful information about kidnapped people in your area," said the Arabic message on leaflets seen by AFP.
Israel-Hamas War Casts Dark Shadow Over Saudi Investor Forum
The war between Israel and Hamas could deal a heavy blow to the global economy, banking titans told a glitzy investment forum in Saudi Arabia today.
The dour mood from some of the gathering's most high-profile speakers underscored how the war threatens attempts by the world's biggest oil exporter to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels.
Survivors Of 1983 Beirut Attack Horrified By Israel-Palestine Violence
On October 23, 1983, attacks on French and US military in Lebanon's capital Beirut left hundreds dead, 40 years on, survivors are horrified at today's upsurge in violence.
"What's going on now in the Middle East just stirs up all those memories," said Eric Mohamed, a former French soldier.
He was just 20 when the Drakkar, the hotel housing French troops, was razed to the ground. Fifty-eight died, and Mohamed was among 15 survivors.
Universities In Israel Delay Start Of Academic Year Till Reserve Call-Up Ends- Report
Universities in Israel will delay the start of the academic year until the massive call-up of reserve soldiers ends, but not before December 3, the Committee of University Presidents announced, The Times of Israel reported.
Previously, the semester, scheduled to begin on October 15, was delayed until November 5.
The call-up of some 360,000 Israel Defence Forces reservists includes thousands of staff and students, according to the committee, cited The Times of Israel report. About 30 per cent of all university students are among those who are now serving.
China's Foreign Minister Concerned About Global Impact Of Israel-Palestine Conflict
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasised the need to prevent further escalation in the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, citing its global impact and the critical choice between war and peace, China's official state news agency, Xinhua, reported.
The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, if escalated further, will cause even more serious humanitarian hardship, Wang Yi added.
In a telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, the Chinese Foreign Minister conveyed China's deep concern over the escalating conflict and the resultant humanitarian crisis, expressing sadness over civilian casualties.
Freed Israeli Hostage Says She Was Treated Well After Initial Violence
An elderly Israeli hostage who was released by Hamas overnight said she was beaten by operatives as she was taken into Gaza on Oct. 7, but was then well-treated during her two-week captivity in the Palestinian enclave.
Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, was one of two women freed late Monday, leaving around 220 hostages still in the hands of Hamas.
Seated in a wheelchair, a frail looking Lifshitz told reporters that a doctor had visited her while she was held in a network of tunnels within Gaza and that all her needs had been taken care of.
'Enough Is Enough': Emir Of Qatar Takes Aim At Israel's Backers
The Qatari ruler hit out at Israel's backers today, charging they had given it "free licence to kill" in its war with Hamas and questioning what the conflict would achieve.
Major powers, including the United States, Britain and France, have rallied to support Israel and affirmed its right to defend itself after this month's deadly attack by the Palestinian Islamist group.
Macron On Visit To Israel, West Bank As Gaza War Rages
French President Emmanuel Macron was Today set to become the first Western leader to visit both Israel's premier and the Palestinian president, more than two weeks into the brutal Gaza conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.
As Israel battles Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas after suffering the worst attack in its 75-year history, Macron visited to express solidarity but also to stress the need to protect Gaza's civilian population in the withering bombing campaign since.
As Palestinian Deaths Rise Israel Says Strikes Will Dismantle Hamas
Israel said on Tuesday it had killed dozens of Hamas fighters overnight in strikes on Gaza and that it had no intention of easing its bombardment of the besieged Palestinian enclave.
"We want to bring Hamas to a state of full dismantling," Israeli Chief of Staff said in a statement.
Israel-Hamas War Updates: UN Palestinian refugee agency calls for unimpeded flow of aid to Gaza
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency on Tuesday called for an unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, trapped in a humanitarian crisis after two weeks of intense Israeli attacks.
"We call for an unimpeded and continuous flow of humanitarian assistance and medical assistance to continue coming into Gaza," said Tamara Alrifai, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"The trucks that have come in so far are just a trickle in the face of the immense needs of people on the street."
"Ready And Determined" For The Next Stage In War: Israeli Military
Israel's Military Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday that the military was "ready and determined" for the next stage in the war and was awaiting political instruction.
He said Israel was learning from U.S. experience in the Middle East but "our war is on our borders, not thousands of miles from Israel," adding that he was expecting weeks of fighting ahead.
Hagari said Egypt was playing a key role in negotiations for the release of hostages from Gaza, which he said was a top priority for Israel.
Israel-Hamas War Live Updates: Gaza war sparks Arab fears of new Palestinian displacement
The sight of tent cities for Palestinians displaced within war-torn Gaza evokes dark historical memories for Israel's Arab neighbours, especially Egypt and Jordan.
"That's how the Nakba started," says the Gaza-based rights group Al Mezan, reflecting regional suspicions that Israel is planning to empty the coastal territory.
The Nakba, or "catastrophe", is how the Arab world refers to the exodus or forced displacement of 760,000 Palestinians in the war that led to the creation of Israel 75 years ago.
The fear of history repeating itself has been stoked as Israel has waged war on Hamas since the Islamist group killed 1,400 people in the October 7 attack on southern Israel.
The Gaza Strip is mostly populated by Palestinian refugees and their descendants, who have now endured over two weeks of withering bombardment that the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed over 5,000 people.
So Israeli warnings to evacuate the north of the territory ahead of a looming ground invasion have raised deeper historical fears, with one million Gazans already forced out of their homes.
Israel-Hamas War Updates: France's President Emmanuel Macron says releasing Gaza hostages must be "first objective"
France's President Emmanuel Macron said on a solidarity visit to Israel on Tuesday that releasing hostages held by Hamas must be the "first objective" of the war in Gaza.
"The first objective we should have today is the release of all hostages, without any distinction, because this is an awful crime to play with the lives of children, adults, old people, civilians and soldiers," Macron said after meeting Israel's President Isaac Herzog. Macron added that the campaign must be fought without "enlarging this conflict."
France's Emmanuel Macron to meet Palestinian president in Ramallah
France's President Emmanuel Macron will meet his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah on Tuesday, the Palestinian leader's office said.
Macron is the latest Western leader to make a solidarity visit to Israel after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, but would be the first to visit the Palestinian Authority headquarters in the occupied West Bank during the crisis. The French presidency did not immediately confirm the meeting.
Israel-Hamas War Updates:
France's Macron says releasing hostages must be 'first objective' in Gaza war: news agency AFP
Israel-Hamas War Updates:
French President Emmanuel Macron to meet Palestinian leader Abbas Tuesday, says Palestinian Authority: news agency AFP
Israel-Hamas war risks 'serious' economic damage: World Bank president
The war between Israel and Hamas could deal a "serious" blow to global economic development, the president of the World Bank told an investor conference in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
"What just happened recently in Israel and Gaza -- at the end of the day you put all this together, I think the impact on economic development is even more serious," Ajay Banga said, adding: "I think we're at a very dangerous juncture."
"Shot The Corpse Too": Israel Releases Chilling Video Of HamasThe Israel Securities Authority (ISA) released a video clip on Monday, purportedly showing Hamas terrorists confessing their active participation in the deadly terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7.
A video file provided by ISA Communications was attached to the statements of the Hamas terrorists, involved in the October 7 attacks, during interrogation, the Authority added.
In the video, the Hamas terrorists are purportedly heard saying that they were promised a stipend for taking civilian hostages from Israel to Gaza.
"Whoever kidnaps a hostage and brings them to Gaza is to get a stipend of USD 10,000 and an apartment," a Hamas terrorist is purportedly heard saying in the video.
Israel-Hamas War Updates: Hamas says at least 140 killed in Israel night strikes on Gaza
Gaza's Hamas government said Tuesday that Israeli air strikes on the besieged territory during the night killed at least 140 people.
A statement from the government's media office said "more than 140 people were martyred and hundreds wounded in massacres committed by the occupation (Israel) raids".
Gaza's rulers say more than 5,000 people have been killed in the territory since their gunmen attacked Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people.
Israel-Hamas War Live Updates:
Hamas says at least 140 killed in Israel night strikes on Gaza: news agency AFP
Israel-Hamas War Updates: French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Israel on solidarity visit
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to express his country's "full solidarity" with Israel after the deadly October 7 attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to an AFP journalist.
The French head of state was also expected to call for the "preservation of the civilian population" in Gaza, as Israel carries out a relentless bombardment of the Palestinian enclave and prepares for a ground offensive, the presidency said.
Israel-Hamas War Live Updates: French President Emmanuel Macron arrives on solidarity visit to Israel: news agency AFP
Israel Military Vows "Unrelenting Attacks" On Hamas As War RagesIsrael's military said it was preparing for "unrelenting attacks" to dismantle Hamas while former U.S. President Barack Obama warned that "any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire."
The Palestinian health ministry said the Gaza death toll in two weeks of air strikes had topped 5,000.
Israel pounded hundreds of targets in Gaza from the air on Monday as its soldiers fought Hamas militants during raids into the besieged Palestinian strip where civilians are trapped in harrowing conditions.
Can "Talk" About Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Only After Hostages Freed: BidenUS President Joe Biden said on Monday that any discussions about a Gaza ceasefire could only take place if Hamas frees all hostages seized from Israel in its October 7 attack.
"We should have those hostages released and then we can talk," Biden said at a White House event when asked if he would support a "hostages-for-ceasefire" deal.
Biden then apologized for having to leave the event to promote his economic program ahead of next year's election, saying he had to go to the White House Situation Room for "another issue I have to deal with."
Some Of Israel's Actions In Gaza May Backfire, Warns Barack ObamaSome of Israel's actions in its war against Hamas, like cutting off food and water for Gaza, could "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations" and weaken international support for Israel, former U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday.
In rare comments on an active foreign policy crisis, Obama said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war "could ultimately backfire."
"The Israeli government's decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population (in Gaza) threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel's enemies, and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region," Obama said.
Hamas Says It Freed 2 More Hostages, Days After It Released 2 Americans- Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Monday it had freed two more women hostages abducted to the Gaza Strip from Israel during the October 7 attacks.
- The Islamist group's military wing said in a statement the two had been freed for "compelling humanitarian" reasons following mediation by Qatar and Egypt.
- There was no immediate confirmation by Israeli authorities but Israeli media reported that the women had been taken to the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
- Two American women, a mother and daughter, were freed on Friday.
- Israel on Monday increased the number of hostages it has confirmed to 222 people seized when Hamas gunmen crossed the border and attacked kibbutz communities, towns and military bases in southern Israel.