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Israeli troops prepared on Sunday for a ground assault on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip as the country hit back for an unprecedented assault on its territory. Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas group in retaliation for a rampage in which its fighters attacked Israeli towns eight days ago, shooting men, women, and children and seizing hostages.
Israeli jets and artillery have bombarded the Gaza Strip, killing more than 2,200 Palestinians and destroying thousands of buildings.
Here are the Highlights on Israel-Hamas War:
Oct 16, 2023 03:52 (IST)
Hamas' Actions "Don't Represent Palestinian People", Says Mahmud Abbas: Report
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the actions and policies of Hamas group do not represent Palestinian people, said official news agency WAFA.
Mahmoud Abbas called the Palestine Liberation Organization the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" in a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, WAFA said.
Oct 16, 2023 03:16 (IST)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Sunday for Hamas to release all hostages and for Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning that the Middle East was "on the verge of the abyss."
Oct 16, 2023 03:09 (IST)
The World Health Organization chief on Sunday urged Hamas to release all civilian hostages, as he warned that the war between Israel and the Islamist group would only bring destruction and horror.
Oct 15, 2023 23:26 (IST)
Hamas Holding 155 Hostages: Israel Army
The Israeli military said Sunday it had confirmed 155 people were being held hostage by Hamas since the Palestinian group staged its deadly attack last week, reported news agency AFP.
Families of "155 hostages" have been contacted by the authorities, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said, updating an earlier figure confirming 126 hostages.
Oct 15, 2023 23:25 (IST)
Netanyahu Partner Says Israel's Leaders Failed To Protect Citizens
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday the government was taking responsibility for the devastating attack that allowed Hamas militants to enter Israel and kill hundreds of Israeli civilians, reported news agency Reuters.
"We have to admit honestly, painfully, and with a bowed head - we, the state leadership and the security establishment, have failed in maintaining the security of our citizens," Smotrich, a key partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, told a news conference.
"We failed to implement the unwritten contract, the first of its kind between a state and its citizens. A contract that was written in blood and is now stained with blood."
Oct 15, 2023 23:18 (IST)
Pope Francis Calls For Humanitarian Corridors To Help Those Under Siege In Gaza
Pope Francis on Sunday called for humanitarian corridors to help those under siege in Gaza and again appealed for the release of hostages held by Hamas, reported news agency Reuters.
"I forcefully ask that children, the sick, the elderly and women, and all civilians do not become the victims of the conflict," he said at his weekly address to thousands at St Peter's Square.
"May humanitarian rights be respected, above all in Gaza, where it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors to help the entire population," he said.
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Oct 15, 2023 23:13 (IST)
"Wash Babies' Blood Off Hands": Israel Envoy To UN Official Over Iran Meet
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations today blasted some of its officials on X, formerly Twitter, and "severed ties" with one who shook hands with a minister of Iran.
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations today blasted some of its officials on X, formerly Twitter, and "severed ties" with one who shook hands with a minister of Iran.
Oct 15, 2023 23:12 (IST)
Canada's Dead In Hamas Attack On Israel Rises To 5
The number of Canadians killed in last week's attack by Hamas on Israel is now five, an official from the foreign ministry said on Sunday, while three are still missing, reported news agency Reuters.
The official did not provide the name or any details about the fifth confirmed death.
On Saturday, the family of 22-year-old Shir Georgy, who went missing after Hamas attacked a music festival near Kibbutz Re'im last Saturday, confirmed her death on Instagram. She was the fourth Israeli-Canadian victim of the attacks.
Like other countries, Canada is trying to evacuate its citizens, permanent residents, and their families from Gaza. There are about 300 people in Gaza that Canada is seeking to bring out through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, which remained closed on Saturday.
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Oct 15, 2023 23:11 (IST)
Gaza Witnessing "Unprecedented Human Catastrophe": UN Agency
Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip have led to an "unprecedented human catastrophe" in the Palestinian territory, the United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees said Sunday, reported news agency AFP.
"Not one drop of water, not one grain of wheat, not a litre of fuel has been allowed in the Gaza Strip for the last eight days," Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA, told journalists.
Israel on Sunday said water had resumed to the south of the Palestinian enclave.
Oct 15, 2023 23:10 (IST)
1 Killed In Fire From Lebanon As Hezbollah Claims Strikes: Israel
Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel exchanged deadly cross-border fire Sunday, with the Iran-backed group claiming responsibility for strikes that Israel said killed a civilian, reported news agency AFP.
The exchanges - and a rocket that hit a UN peacekeeping base - further raised tensions on Israel's northern border, as it targets Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip to the south.
The Israeli army closed the border area to civilians as tit-for-tat fire with Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions in Lebanon intensified.
More than 10 people have been killed in Lebanon and at least two in Israel since last Sunday.
"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) responded with fire and destroyed Hezbollah positions and the source of the fire," an army spokesman said.
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Oct 15, 2023 21:34 (IST)
None Can Guarantee Control Of Situation If...: Iran Warns Israel
Iran on Sunday warned that any Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip could expand the scope of the conflict elsewhere in the Middle East.
Iran on Sunday warned that any Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip could expand the scope of the conflict elsewhere in the Middle East.
Oct 15, 2023 21:24 (IST)
European Union Nations Stress "Israel's Right To Defend Itself" Within International Law
Leaders of the 27 European Union member states stressed "Israel's right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks" by Hamas, in a statement Sunday, reported news agency AFP.
"We reiterate the importance of the provision of urgent humanitarian aid and stand ready to continue supporting those civilians most in need in Gaza... ensuring that such assistance is not abused by terrorist organisations," the statement said, adding, "it is crucial to prevent regional escalation" of the conflict.
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Oct 15, 2023 21:22 (IST)
Antony Blinken Confident Rafah Crossing With Gaza To Open To Aid
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt "will be open" for aid into the blockaded strip, he said while departing from Cairo, reported news agency AFP.
"We're putting in place with the United Nations, with Egypt, with Israel, with others, the mechanism by which to get the assistance and to get it to people who need it," he told reporters.
Blinken also said that the United States had appointed an envoy, veteran former diplomat David Satterfield, to work on aid to Gaza.
Oct 15, 2023 21:20 (IST)
US Arab Allies Don't Want Israel Conflict To Spread: Antony Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday there was a consensus among the United States' Arab allies to contain the Israel conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, reported news agency AFP.
"There's determination in every country I went to make sure that this doesn't spread," Blinken told reporters before leaving Egypt for Israel, after visiting seven countries in the region.
"No one should do anything that could add fuel to the fire in any other place... It's clear from my conversations with all of these other countries, that they strongly share that view and they're using their own relationships to try to make sure that this doesn't happen."
Oct 15, 2023 21:14 (IST)
Gaza Invasion Could Lead To "Genocide": Arab League, African Union
Israel's planned ground invasion of Gaza "could lead to a genocide of unprecedented proportions", the heads of the Arab League and African Union said Sunday in a joint statement, reported news agency AFP.
Both organisations called on "the United Nations and the international community to stop a catastrophe unfolding in front of us, before it is too late", as Israel readies for a ground invasion following Hamas's surprise attack last week.
Oct 15, 2023 20:33 (IST)
Gaza Death Count Rises To 2,450: Hamas Health Ministry
Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 2,450 people since Hamas's bloody attack on southern Israel last week, the Gaza health ministry said Sunday, reported news agency AFP.
Another 9,200 people have also been injured as Israel continued its blistering air campaign on targets in the Palestinian coastal enclave, the Hamas-controlled ministry added.
Oct 15, 2023 20:26 (IST)
As Gaza Deaths Rise, Ice Cream Trucks Double Up As Morgues For Bodies
Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip have resorted to storing the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli air strikes in ice cream freezer trucks because moving them to hospitals is too risky and cemeteries are short of space.
Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip have resorted to storing the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli air strikes in ice cream freezer trucks because moving them to hospitals is too risky and cemeteries are short of space.
Oct 15, 2023 19:43 (IST)
White House Says Israel Has Announced Water Back On In Southern Gaza
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday that Israel told him it has turned the water supply back on in southern Gaza, reported news agency AFP.
"I have been in touch with my Israeli counterparts just within the last hour who reported to me that they have, in fact, turned the water pipe back on in southern Gaza," Sullivan told CNN. Israel had halted the flow of water as part of its siege of the Hamas-ruled territory since the war broke out last weekend.
Oct 15, 2023 19:42 (IST)
Nepali Student Taken Hostage By Hamas, Says Foreign Minister
A Nepali student who went missing after a farm in Israel was attacked by Hamas has been taken hostage by the group and efforts are on to find him with the help of international organisations, the country's government said, reported news agency PTI.
Hamas carried out a barrage of air strikes in Southern Israel on Saturday last which killed 10 Nepali students. Six students were rescued and one was missing. These 17 students were working as interns on the farm under the 'Learn and Earn' scheme.
Bipin Joshi, who saved the lives of other Nepalese students when Hamas launched a grenade attack on them, has been kidnapped by the group, Nepal's Foreign Minister NP Saud said.
Oct 15, 2023 19:06 (IST)
US Fears Escalation Of War, Prospect Of Iran Becoming "Directly Engaged"
The United States said Sunday it fears an escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas and the prospect of Iran getting directly involved, reported news agency AFP.
Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan cited the possibility of a new battlefront on the Israel-Lebanon border and added, "We can't rule out that Iran would choose to get directly engaged some way. We have to prepare for every possible contingency."
Iran is a long-time backer of the militant group Hamas and of Hezbollah in Lebanon, providing them with funding and weapons.
Oct 15, 2023 19:06 (IST)
US Fears Escalation Of War, Prospect Of Iran Becoming "Directly Engaged"
The United States said Sunday it fears an escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas and the prospect of Iran getting directly involved, reported news agency AFP.
Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan cited the possibility of a new battlefront on the Israel-Lebanon border and added, "We can't rule out that Iran would choose to get directly engaged some way. We have to prepare for every possible contingency."
Iran is a long-time backer of the militant group Hamas and of Hezbollah in Lebanon, providing them with funding and weapons.
Oct 15, 2023 18:44 (IST)
Though Hamas is no match for the technological sophistication of the Israeli army, the group has one very unusual asset: a vast network of secret subterranean tunnels.
Oct 15, 2023 18:22 (IST)
China Supports 'Just Cause' Of Palestinian People
China supports the "just cause of the Palestinian people in safeguarding their national rights", foreign minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian today.
"The root cause of the Palestine-Israel situation is that the Palestinian people's right to statehood has been set aside for a long time," he said.
"This historical injustice should end as soon as possible," he said, adding that "China will continue to stand on the side of peace and support the just cause of the Palestinian people in safeguarding their national rights."
Oct 15, 2023 18:10 (IST)
''They're here. They're burning us. We're suffocating,'' Yonatan Kedem Siman Tov texted his sister Ranae Butler.
Oct 15, 2023 17:57 (IST)
One Million People Displaced In Gaza War: UN
An estimated one million people have been displaced in the first seven days of the conflict in Gaza, the United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees said today.
"An estimated one million people have been displaced in the first seven days" of the war in Gaza, UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma told news agency AFP.
Oct 15, 2023 17:53 (IST)
Israel-Palestine Conflict: Netanyahu Convenes Emergency Israeli Cabinet, Vows To 'Demolish Hamas'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today convened Israel's expanded emergency cabinet for the first time, saying the national unity on display sent a message at home and abroad as the country gears up to "demolish Hamas" in Gaza.
Welcoming former opposition lawmaker Benny Gantz, who joined the government along with several members of his party last week, Mr Netanyahu said all ministers were "working around the clock, with a united front".
"Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas," he said, adding that the show of unity "sends a clear message to the nation, the enemy and the world".
Oct 15, 2023 17:40 (IST)
Blinken To Head Back To Israel On Monday As War Escalates
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head back to Israel on Monday for his second visit in less than a week following a tour of six Arab countries on the crisis with Hamas, the State Department said.
"Secretary Blinken will return tomorrow for further consultations with Israeli leaders," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters today as Mr Blinken arrived in Cairo.
Oct 15, 2023 17:14 (IST)
126 Hostages 'Confirmed' In Hamas Hands: Israel
Israeli military spokesperson Richard Hecht today said they had confirmed 126 people held as hostages by Hamas since the Palestinian group staged their deadly attack eight days earlier.
Authorities had initially estimated about 150 Israeli and foreign captives after Hamas launched its October 7 attack that killed at least 1,300 in Israel.
Richard Hecht also said that 286 Israeli soldiers had now been killed in military operations launched in response to the unprecedented Hamas attacks.
Israeli officials say the number of known hostages had been revised down as bodies from the Hamas attack sites in southern Israel have been found and identified.
Oct 15, 2023 17:09 (IST)
The three-hour deadline set by the Israeli military for a safe corridor in northern Gaza to allow residents to go to the "safer" southern part of the seaside territory ended at 3.30 pm.
Oct 15, 2023 17:05 (IST)
Iran Warns "No One Can Guarantee" Control Of Situation If Israel Invades Gaza
Iran has warned that "no one can guarantee" control of the situation if Israel invades Gaza.
"If the attacks of the Zionist regime (Israel) against the defenceless citizens and people of Gaza continue, no one can guarantee the control of the situation and the non-expansion of the conflicts," Iran's foreign ministry quoted Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as saying.
Oct 15, 2023 16:33 (IST)
A special forces unit of Israel that works with canines rescued a family after searching for them inside a building following the terror attack by the Hamas group.
The family had been locked inside their home for hours, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a post on X.
Oct 15, 2023 16:10 (IST)
Israel Army Awaits "Political Decision" For Gaza Invasion
The Israeli army is awaiting a "political decision" on the timing of a major ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, military spokesmen said today.
Military spokespersons Lieutenant Richard Hecht and Daniel Hagari told separate briefings that "a political decision" will set off any action against Hamas.
"We will be holding discussions with our political leadership," Mr Hecht told one briefing.
Oct 15, 2023 16:08 (IST)
Israel-Hamas War Live Updates: Pope Calls For Humanitarian Corridors For Gaza Residents
Pope Francis today called for humanitarian corridors to allow the delivery of essentials to the Gaza Strip.
"Humanitarian law must be respected, especially in Gaza, where it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors and help the population," he said after his traditional Angelus prayer in Rome's Saint Peter's Square.
Oct 15, 2023 15:43 (IST)
As Israel gears up for a ground offensive against Hamas, over 2 million Gaza residents caught in the crossfire are facing a struggle for survival.
Oct 15, 2023 15:36 (IST)
Israel-Hamas War News: "Mass Displacement" Towards Southern Gaza, Says UN
Israel's order to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip has triggered "mass displacement" towards the south of the Palestinian enclave, the United Nations said today.
"Mass displacement from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip has been ongoing since Friday morning, after Israel ordered residents to evacuate the areas ahead of military operations," the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update.
"Humanitarian partners report that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has risen significantly over the last 24 hours; however the exact number is unknown," OCHA added.
Oct 15, 2023 15:32 (IST)
Israel-Palestine Conflict: Blinken Discusses Israel-Hamas War With Saudi Crown Prince
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war during a meeting with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today
The two met for nearly an hour at the royal's farm residence in the Riyadh area, a US official said.
Mr Blinken "highlighted the United States' unwavering focus on halting terrorist attacks by Hamas, securing the release of all hostages and preventing the conflict from spreading," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Oct 15, 2023 15:28 (IST)
Israel-Hamas War Live Updates: Israel Says One Killed In Fire From Lebanon
Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel exchanged deadly border fire today with the Iran-backed group claiming responsibility for strikes that Israel said killed a civilian.
Oct 15, 2023 15:05 (IST)
With Rafah Crossing Closed, Gaza Aid Stuck: Egypt
Convoys of humanitarian aid stacked up near Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, unable to enter the Palestinian enclave being bombarded by Israel, witnesses told AFP.
The Rafah crossing -- the only passage in and out of the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel -- has been closed since Tuesday, after three Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian border post within 24 hours.
On Saturday, an American official confirmed to AFP that Egypt and Israel had reached an agreement to allow American citizens to leave Gaza via Rafah.
Oct 15, 2023 14:38 (IST)
Israel Closes Border With Lebanon
The Israeli army on Sunday ordered an immediate evacuation of civilians near its frontier with Lebanon after cross-border fire killed one person.
"In accordance with the situational assessment and the recent shooting incident in northern Israel, the area up to four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the northern border with Lebanon has been closed," the army said in a statement.
Oct 15, 2023 14:17 (IST)
1 Killed, 3 Injured In Hezbollah Attack On Israel
Lebanese Hezbollah fighters launched a missile at an Israeli northern border village on Sunday, killing one person and wounding three others, the militant group and Israeli medics said.
The medics had initially said two people were wounded in the attack on Shtula, a farming community the abuts the border fence, opposite the Lebanese community of Ayta a-Shab.
Oct 15, 2023 14:03 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 13:53 (IST)
Israel Gives Gazans Deadline To Flee
Oct 15, 2023 13:39 (IST)
Germany Issues Travel Advisory For Israel, Lebanon
The German government on Sunday urged its nationals not to travel to Israel, the Palestinian territories or Lebanon because of "an escalation of violence" following the Hamas attacks on Israel.
The travel warning is at the highest level given by the German government. In its statement, the foreign ministry also said it would "do its utmost" to support citizens wishing to leave Israel or the Palestinian territories.
Oct 15, 2023 13:38 (IST)
Israel Strikes Lebanon After Anti-Tank Missile Fire Near Border
The Israeli army said it was striking inside Lebanon on Sunday after anti-tank missile fire towards a border community, in the latest incident of cross-border shelling.
"Following the anti-tank missile fire in the area of Shtula, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) struck the origin of the fire with artillery fire," the army said.
"Furthermore, additional anti-tank missile fire was carried out toward an IDF military post on the Lebanese border. In response, the IDF is currently striking in Lebanese territory."
Oct 15, 2023 12:30 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 12:20 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 11:23 (IST)
Gaza Death Count Reaches 2,329
Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since Hamas's attack on southern Israeli civilians eight days ago have killed at least 2,329 people, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said Sunday.
It said 9,042 people have also been injured, giving an overall toll as of 7:47 am (04:47 GMT) Sunday as Israel continued its blistering retaliatory air campaign on targets in Gaza.
Oct 15, 2023 10:58 (IST)
3 Fighters Killed After Infiltrating Israel From Lebanon: Hamas
Hamas says 3 fighters killed after infiltrating Israel from Lebanon: AFP reports
Oct 15, 2023 10:02 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 07:57 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 07:54 (IST)
Chinese Envoy To Visit Middle East Next Week To Push Peace Talks
Chinese envoy Zhai Jun will visit the Middle East next week to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and promote peace talks, state broadcaster CCTV reported Sunday.
Zhai "will visit the Middle East next week to coordinate with various parties for a ceasefire, to protect civilians, ease the situation, and promote peace talks," CCTV said in a video posted to its official social media account on Sunday.
Oct 15, 2023 07:52 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 07:31 (IST)
US President Joe Biden on Sunday said that Hamas is using innocent Palestinian families as human shields in its assault on Israel.
Oct 15, 2023 07:29 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 07:20 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 07:03 (IST)
Oct 15, 2023 06:55 (IST)
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