20:35 GMT -Biden thanks Qatar, Israel after 2 American hostages freed by Hamas
US President Joe Biden thanked the Qatari and Israeli governments "for their partnership" in securing the release of two Americans who were held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Hamas, vowing to ensure all detainees are released.
"Today, we have secured the release of two Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on October 7. Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear," he said on Friday.
20:00 GMT - Biden's Israel visit amounts to endorsing destruction in Gaza: Turkish FM
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has criticised the United States, and the West in general, for their unconditional support for Israel in its relentless operations against Palestine’s Gaza.
“America is in full agreement to support Israel,” Fidan said in an exclusive interview with TRT Haber on Friday, stressing that President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel amounted to US approval of the immense destruction in Gaza.
He emphasised that while Israel is seeking revenge for its losses from the Hamas attacks on October 7, “its failure to pay attention to the civilian population while carrying out this retaliation, … and a choice to pursue a path of collective punishment should be a source of serious concern for humanity.”
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19:45 GMT - Israel threatens to bomb Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza: Palestinian Red Crescent
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Israeli forces threatened to bomb the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza, which is sheltering thousands of displaced women and children.
As many as "12,000 displaced people, including 70% children and women, are in imminent danger after Israeli forces threatened to bomb Al-Quds Hospital and demanded evacuation," the humanitarian organization said on X on Friday.
"This place could turn to ashes if those threats are carried out," the PRCS said.
It called on the international community to "act urgently" to avert "another catastrophe like Al-Ahli Hospital."
19:14 GMT - Climate activist Greta Thunberg expresses solidarity with Palestine
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg expressed her support for the Palestinian people as the latest conflict in Gaza continues.
"Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected," Thunberg said on X on Friday.
Accompanying the message was a photograph of Thunberg and three other individuals holding pro-Palestine posters, which read: "Free Palestine," This Jew stands with Palestine," and "Stand with Gaza."
18:31 GMT - Hamas releases American mother, daughter held in Gaza
The military wing of Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Friday announced the release of two American detainees “for humanitarian reasons."
In a statement, the al-Qassam Brigades' spokesman Abu Ubaida said: “In response to Qatari efforts, we released two American detainees, a mother and her daughter, for humanitarian reasons.”
The spokesman added that what the Brigades did was to prove "to the American people and the world that the claims of US President Joe Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless."
Israeli government sources also confirmed the release of “two American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza,” according to Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.
18:01- GMT - Biden says humanitarian aid to enter Gaza within 48 hours
An initial tranche of direly needed humanitarian aid is set to enter Gaza within 48 hours, US President Joe Biden has announced.
Biden said he secured agreements from Israel and Egypt to open the Rafah border crossing but said the roadway into the coastal enclave had to be repaved before the deliveries could move forward, because they were "in very bad shape."
"I believe in the next 24 to 48 hours, the first 20 trucks will come across the border," Biden told reporters at the White House as he hosted European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday.
The comments come about a week after the Rafah border crossing was effectively shuttered amid Israeli shelling. The crossing is one of three posts connecting Gaza with the outside world.
17:49 GMT - British premier Sunak, Egypt's Sisi agree on call to avoid 'contagion of conflict' in Middle East
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi agreed that "global leaders should do everything possible to avoid a contagion of conflict in the region," according to a statement by 10 Downing Street.
Both leaders held talks in Cairo on Friday as part of UK's diplomatic efforts in easing the tension in the Middle East.
17:36 GMT - Lebanon's Hezbollah, Israel exchange fire on border
Tension on the Israeli-Lebanese border escalated on Friday, as the Israeli army and Hezbollah exchanged fire amid the ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Hezbollah in a statement said it attacked a group of Israeli soldiers in the Hunin barracks near the border, causing casualties.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it was "monitoring the firing of about 20 missiles from Lebanon towards Israel."
16:29 GMT - UN reiterates call for ceasefire in Gaza
A senior UN official called for a humanitarian ceasefire as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict entered its 14th day.
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, addressed the UN Security Council during a meeting on "peace through dialogue."
"The dangerous and escalating situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory is a bitter reminder of the urgent need for an end to the horrific violence and immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and the pathway to negotiations towards just lasting and comprehensive political solution," he said on Friday.
15:40 GMT - Egypt’s Sisi says Israeli bombardment in Gaza 'goes beyond right to self-defense'
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Israeli bombardment of Gaza “goes beyond the right to self-defense,” and called for the revival of peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis
“We must all take action to contain developments that may become uncontrollable regionally,” the Egyptian president said during discussions with visiting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, state media reported on Friday.
Sisi mentioned civilian casualties in the besieged Palestinian enclave, saying “we all need to take action to so that the fighting does not cause the death of more civilians."
The Egyptian president also emphasized on the necessity of continuing the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip, including medical and humanitarian supplies.
15:16 GMT - Thousands attend pro-Palestine rally in Paris
Thousands gathered for a pro-Palestinian protest on Friday after authorities lifted a ban imposed after the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel.
The administrative court of Paris authorized the demonstration organized by the New Anti-capitalist Party at the Place de la Republique in central Paris.
"Slogans criticizing Israeli policy and French government's stance do not seem to be able to qualify as antisemitic," the ruling said.
Police were using water cannons to disperse the crowd, but they had to withdraw after the verdict, and the demonstration went on.
15:00 GMT - Gaza death toll due to Israeli attacks climbs to 4,137, including 1,524 children
The death toll in Gaza due to Israel's ongoing bombardment has climbed to 4,137, Health Ministry officials in the besieged enclave said on Friday.
The ministry said that 1,524 children, 1,000 women and 120 elderly people were among the people killed in the Israeli attacks.
The number of injured has risen to 13,300, ministry spokesman Ashraf Qudra told a news conference, adding that over 1,000 others are missing.
At least 16 Palestinian Christians were among those killed in direct Israeli attacks on a Greek Orthodox church Thursday evening in Gaza city.
14:50 GMT - Israeli army claims fire exchange on Lebanon-Israel border
The Israeli army claimed its troops and the Lebanese group Hezbollah exchanged fire on the Lebanon-Israel border.
In a statement, the Israeli army claimed its troops operating near the northern town of Margaliot, adjacent to the Lebanese border, came under fire on Friday.
The statement said the Israeli army returned the fire, adding the army was scanning the area for possible infiltrators into the Israeli territory. The Lebanese Hezbollah group has yet to comment on the Israeli statement.
Qassam al-Qaderi, the mayor of Kafrchouba town in southern Lebanon, told Anadolu that 70% of the town's residents have left it after coming under Israeli bombing.
14:36 GMT - Clashes erupt in West Bank as Palestinians protest Israeli attacks
Clashes erupted across the occupied West Bank between the Israeli army and Palestinians demonstrating against the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Eyewitnesses said the clashes occurred at the entrance of Ramallah city, central to the West Bank, following a protest by Palestinians on Friday. The Israeli army employed live and rubber-coated bullets, as well as tear gas canisters, to disperse the Palestinians who were throwing rocks at the Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, clashes were reported near the Israeli Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah city, near the entrance of Bethlehem city, and in Nablus city in southern Gaza.
14:26 - GMT Israeli forces detain 80 more Palestinians in West Bank operations
Israeli forces detained 80 Palestinians in various parts of the occupied West Bank on Friday
According to a statement from the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Israeli forces carried out operations in the West Bank throughout the night and in the morning to detain Palestinians.
In the cities of Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Tulkarm in the West Bank, 80 Palestinians, including members of the Legislative Council, two journalists, and former prisoners, were detained by the Israeli forces.
The statement mentioned that since the start of Israel's "systematic revenge operations against the Palestinian people" on October 7, the number of Palestinians detained in the West Bank has exceeded 930.
14:00 - Rafah crossing open, Israel obstructing entry of aid to Gaza, says Egypt
Egypt said that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was open on its side, accusing Israel of "refusing" the entry of aid into the besieged enclave.
Egypt is clearly being targeted in Western media, which is promoting a "displacement scenario" for Palestinians and holding Cairo responsible for the crossing's closure despite Israel's "targeted attacks and refusal of aid entry," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said on X on Friday.
It has also recently been insinuating that Egypt is responsible for "obstructing third-country nationals" from exiting Gaza, he said.
The spokesman stressed that the Rafah crossing "is open and Egypt is not responsible for obstructing third-country nationals' exit."
13:52 GMT- Germany urges nationals to leave Lebanon amid escalating Israel-Hezbollah tensions
Germany called on its nationals to leave Lebanon amid heightened tensions between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah.
"We call on German citizens who are currently still in Lebanon to leave Lebanon. The situation is simply very volatile and we have to expect that the situation will worsen at any time," deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Christian Wagner told journalists in Berlin on Friday.
13:48 GMT- Israeli army kills 3 Hezbollah members inside Lebanese territory
The Israeli army announced that three Hezbollah members were targeted in an airstrike on the Lebanese border.
Meanwhile, Hamas announced that one of its members was killed in clashes with the Israeli army on the border in southern Lebanon.
In a written statement from the Israeli army on Friday, it was stated that three Hezbollah members were identified at the border and were struck from the air.
13:25 GMT- 2 additional UNRWA staff members killed, 16 in total since Gaza conflict onset
The UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, has reported the death of at least two additional staff members in Gaza.
This brings the total number of fatalities to 16 since the onset of the conflict, according to a statement released by the agency on Friday.
“At least 16 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October and another ten staff have been injured. The actual number is likely to be much higher as these figures include only those that the Agency has been able to confirm,” UNRWA said in a statement.
13:00: GMT Somalis rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Mogadishu
People in the Somali capital of Mogadishu took to the streets on Friday to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza, and to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Protesters, including religious figures, youth, and women, chanted anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian slogans.
Some were also seen carrying Palestinian flags and placards with slogans such as "Stop the war crime," "Free Palestine," and "We demand an end to the genocide in Gaza, Palestine."
12:35 GMT: Netherlands asks citizens to leave Lebanon
The Netherlands has issued a travel advisory, asking its citizens to leave Lebanon "as soon as possible" due to the ongoing tension in the region.
The Foreign Ministry on Friday issued an update on X, urging Dutch citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon and those who live there to leave "as soon as possible" as commercial flights are still operating.
The ministry also asked Dutch citizens who chose to stay in Lebanon to keep in touch with the embassy in Beirut and to be prepared for emergencies.
11:38 GMT: Pro-Palestine protests begins in Arab nations after Friday prayers
Amid Israeli bombardment on Gaza, pro-Palestine solidarity demonstrations have begun following Friday prayers in many Arab nations
11:06 GMT: Israel admits damaging church in Gaza
The Israeli army has acknowledged that a church in Gaza suffered damage when its forces targeted a site it said was "close to" a Hamas commander in Gaza.
“Fighter aircraft targeted the headquarters of a military member of the Hamas (Palestinian) organization, involved in firing rockets and mortar shells towards the territory of the State of Israel,” the Israeli army’s press office told Anadolu on Friday.
“The aircraft launched a raid on the target, and (with) the ‘explosion wave’ resulting from the raid, the wall of a church located in the area was damaged," the office added.
10:28 GMT - ''Bayern Munich will not suspend Noussair Mazraoui over pro-Palestinian posts''
German club Bayern Munich has said defender Noussair Mazraoui would not be suspended, after a probe into the Moroccan player over his social media posts on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In the wake of the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas, Mazraoui had put up several pro-Palestinian posts, including one that called for "victory" for "our oppressed brothers in Palestine".
The messages, which have since been deleted, were posted after Hamas fighters stormed into Israel from the Gaza on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.
10:15 GMT - Jewish activists protest in London
10:17 GMT: Israel agrees to let aid enter Gaza
Israel says it's now ready to honor US President Joe Biden's request to let in limited humanitarian aid enter Gaza.
President Joe Biden says he struck a deal with his Egyptian counterpart to allow a first run of 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, which Israel sealed off after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
The Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies and the United Nations are expected to help oversee the operation, in part to ensure the supplies from the convoy through the Rafah Crossing on Egypt's border with Gaza reaches civilians — not combatants.
08:57 GMT - Israel's injury toll rises
The Israeli Health Ministry says the number of Israelis injured since the start of the armed conflict with the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 has risen to 4,834.
According to a ministry statement on Friday, 12 people are in critical condition, 280 are in serious condition, 771 are in moderate condition, and the rest have sustained minor injuries.
It noted that 301 injured Israelis are still being treated in hospitals and that the death toll stands at 1,400 since October 7.
08:48 GMT: 600,000 people in Gaza deprived of clean water: rights body
Israel has left around 600,000 people in Gaza without clean water after it cut off supplies on October 11, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said, highlighting a growing humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“The blockade of the Gaza is putting Palestinian children and other civilians at grave risk,” HRW said on the X social media platform.
Under international human rights law, states must respect the right to water, which includes abstaining from limiting access to or destroying water services and infrastructure as a “punitive measure” during armed conflicts, it said.
08:27 GMT: MTV Europe Music Awards cancelled amid conflict
Organisers of the MTV Europe Music Awards scheduled to hold next month in Paris say the event has been cancelled, citing "the volatility of world events" amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
"Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life," a spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
08:09 GMT - Hamas hails position of Arab leaders
The head of the Palestinian group Hamas’ political bureau hailed the positions of Arab leaders, especially Egypt’s opposition to displacing Gazans, and called on the Arab masses to show solidarity on Friday through public protests.
In a televised speech late Thursday, Ismail Haniyeh said: “We commend the position of the Arab and Muslim world, especially that of Egypt, on the issue of the displacement of Palestinians.”
08:05 GMT: Israeli forces withdraw from refugee camp after 30-hour offensive
The Israeli army withdrew from the Nour Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem city in the northern occupied West Bank on Friday morning following a 30-hour offensive, which Tel Aviv described as a "military operation."
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the Israeli offensive against the camp killed 12 Palestinians and injured dozens more.
During the Israeli army offensive, it attacked a location in the camp with a drone, the eyewitnesses also said, adding that the Israeli forces left a large scale of destruction in the camp.
5:47 GMT - Several killed in Israeli attack on Greek Orthodox Church
At least eight Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza city, according to Palestinian Wafa news agency
4:50 GMT - Israel continues bombardment of Gaza
Israel has bombed six homes in Khan Yunis in southern besieged Gaza, causing multiple casualties, the Interior Ministry in Gaza said.
Eight sleeping children killed in one strike, doctors fighting but failing to save an unborn child were the other stories recounted by Gaza medics as Israel stepped up its air strikes.
Gaza's government says that children made up 1,524 of the 3,785 people killed since Israel launched a relentless barrage on blockaded Gaza.
4:30 GMT - Israel implementing plan of 'genocide': Palestine church committee
Israel’s bombardment of the Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza indicates its "intentions to annihilate the Palestinian people," the head of the Higher Committee for Churches Affairs in Palestine said.
In a statement published on its official website early on Friday, Ramzi Khoury "condemned the Israeli bombardment of the premises of Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza, where around 500 Palestinian Muslims and Christians are seeking shelter."
It added that the Israeli strike targeted the church's council building. The statement also stressed that "targeting places of worship constitutes a war crime, and international law makes it clear that houses of worship may under no circumstances be subjected to attacks."
3:40 GMT - Israel targets Gaza church
At least two women have been killed and many other civilians wounded in an Israeli attack on Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in besieged Gaza, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said.
Palestinian Interior Ministry reported multiple casualties, calling it a "new massacre". The ministry said several displaced people had taken shelter at the church compound when Israeli warplanes targeted it.
The strike left a "large number of martyrs and injured" at the compound, the ministry said. Witnesses said the strike damaged the facade of the church and caused an adjacent building to collapse.
2:50 - GMT - Lebanese army says Israel killed member of journalist team
Lebanon's army has blamed Israel for killing a member of a "journalist team" covering cross-border tensions in the country's south, as war rages further south between Israel and Palestine in Gaza.
On Thursday, "a journalist team of seven people covering news... near the Israeli enemy’s al Abad site outside the town of Hula, was targeted with machine guns by enemy [Israeli] members, killing one and injuring another," the Lebanese army said in a statement early on Friday.
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