Israel today continued to bombard Gaza as its troops pressed into the enclave with a ground assault. Israel has been pounding Gaza after Hamas attacked Israeli towns on October 7 and killed about 1,400 people. The Hamas operatives also took at least 239 hostages.
According to the Israeli government, more than half the hostages held by Hamas have foreign passports from 25 countries, including 54 Thai nationals.
Medical authorities in the Gaza Strip on Sunday said that 8,005 people - including 3,324 minors - had been killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "crush" Hamas operatives, who have an extensive tunnel network in and around Gaza City.
Here are the Highlights on the Israel-Hamas war:
White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby on Monday (local time) said that he thinks Israel is "certainly" making an effort to minimize humanitarian casualties in Gaza.
While addressing a press briefing on Monday (local time), he said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken about the efforts that they are making to try to avoid civilian casualties. He noted that there have been civilian casualties amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and added that the Israel Defence Force's goal is to go after Hamas terrorists and not after civilians.
The White House said Monday that an airport riot against Israeli and Jewish passengers in Russia's Muslim-majority Dagestan was reminiscent of "pogroms" from previous periods in history.
"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 told a briefing.
He also rejected as "classic Russian rhetoric" allegations by President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine and the West instigated the riot, adding: "The West had nothing to do with this. This is just hate, bigotry and intimidation, pure and simple."
US Says Does Not Back Israel-Hamas Ceasefire "At This Time"The United States does not support current calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the White House said Monday, adding that "pauses" to get aid into Gaza should be considered instead.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused Ukraine and the West of instigating the anti-Israel riot at Dagestan's Makhachkala airport Sunday evening, an accusation that Washington has called absurd.
Security forces have detained over 80 people since the incident, which saw rioters in the Muslim-majority region take over the runway in an attempt to encircle a plane that had flown in from Israel.
"The events in Makhachkala last night were instigated through social networks, not least from Ukraine, by the hands of agents of Western special services," Putin said in a televised meeting.
Israel-Hamas War: Russia President Vladimir Putin Says US Behind "Deadly Chaos" In Middle EastRussian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused the United States of being responsible for what he called "deadly chaos" unfolding in the Middle East.
Gaza Ceasefire "Will Not Happen": NetanyahuIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that a ceasefire in the Gaza war "will not happen" as it would be "to surrender" to Hamas.
Israeli army says female soldier hostage freed from Gaza: News Agency AFP
Hamas Releases Video Of 3 Women Hostages, Netanyahu Says "Cruel Propaganda"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday denounced as "cruel psychological propaganda" a Hamas video the Palestinian group said showed three hostages seized by operatoves in massive October 7 attacks.
Israel-Hamas War Could Cause Hike In Oil Price: World BankThe war between Israel and Hamas could trigger price shocks for raw materials such as oil and agriculture products if the conflict escalates across the Middle East, the World Bank warned in a report Monday.
Blocking Aid To Gaza Could Be "A Crime", Warns International CourtThe International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor warned Sunday that blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza could constitute a crime.
IDF Ground Operations in Gaza continued and expanded overnight:
- Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 30, 2023
🔻An IAF aircraft-guided by ground forces-struck a Hamas post and the 20+ terrorist operatives in it.
🔻Soldiers spotted armed terrorists and an anti-tank missile launching post near the Al-Azhar University and...
33 More Aid Trucks Entered Gaza, But "Much Larger" Volume Needed: UNMore than 30 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, the largest convoy to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory since deliveries began trickling in again over a week ago, the UN said.
🔴 In response to launches from Syria toward Israel earlier this Sunday, an IAF aircraft struck military infrastructure in Syrian territory. pic.twitter.com/Tbh06g7NiJ
- Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 29, 2023
Amid rumours that a flight was arriving from Israel, a mob looking for Israelis and Jews overran an airport in Russia's Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Sunday.
The violence in the mostly Muslim region, which erupted as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on in Gaza, forced Israel to call on Russia to protect its citizens.
In 🇷🇺 Makhachkala, locals storm the airport after a plane from Tel-Aviv arrives. They check passports, looking for Israelis. The police don't interfere. #Israel #IsraelPalestine pic.twitter.com/2mnTBiq1kK
- olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) October 29, 2023
The governor of Dagestan promised that those responsible for the incident would be punished.
Qatar Indispensable In Middle East? Israel-Hamas War Raises Big QuestionIt took just a few hours after Hamas's assault on Israel for Qatar's prime minister to assemble a team at an undisclosed location in the capital, Doha.
"I reiterated that Israel has every right to defend its citizens from terrorism and a responsibility to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law which prioritizes the protection of civilians," he added.Earlier I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu about the developments in Gaza - we discussed efforts to secure the release of hostages and help Americans in Gaza leave safely, and I underscored the need to immediately and significantly increase the flow of humanitarian assistance...
- President Biden (@POTUS) October 29, 2023
Some pictures posted on social media platforms also showed Israeli troops waving an Israeli flag deep inside Gaza. NDTV could not verify the images.As we continue to expand our ground operations in northern Gaza:
- Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 29, 2023
🔴IAF aircraft, guided by IDF troops, struck Hamas structures.
🔴Anti-tank missile launch posts & observation posts were struck.
🔴Multiple terrorists were eliminated. pic.twitter.com/XMwKPKGZ1R
Clashes between Hamas operatives and Israeli forces were also reported in a border area east of the city of Khan Younis in Gaza's south.FACT: "The IDF is focused right now on one thing-victory and dismantling Hamas."
- Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 29, 2023
This is how the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, fortifies the soldiers of the IDF Artillery Corps. pic.twitter.com/qGokguNue3
