20:08 GMT UK premier, Palestinian president discuss developments in Gaza
In a phone call on the ongoing Mideast conflict, Britain’s prime minister and the Palestinian president agreed on the importance of avoiding further regional escalation.
During the phone call with Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, Rishi Sunak expressed his condolences for the deaths of Palestinian civilians, said a statement by the UK Foreign Office.
Reiterating the UK's position, Sunak said: "Hamas does not speak for ordinary Palestinians."
Sunak and Abbas agreed on the importance of avoiding further regional escalation and ensuring calm in the West Bank.
19:56 GMT Cartoonist sacked by British daily Guardian over Netanyahu cartoon
In a row over alleged antisemitism, famed cartoonist Steve Bell has been fired by British daily The Guardian over a cartoon critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, media reports said Monday.
The cartoon showing Netanyahu preparing to operate on himself with an outline of Gaza visible on his stomach was rejected for allegedly evoking the anti-Semitic "pound of flesh" trope.
Far from being antisemitic, Bell said, the cartoon was inspired by a 1966 David Levine cartoon of US President Lyndon Johnson, who was famed for lifting his shirt to show off a scar from his gall bladder surgery.
19:38 - Colombian president says those who say he is anti-Semitic are 'ignorant'
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been rebutting accusations of anti-Semitism amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, saying that those who call him an "anti-Semite" and point to him for allegedly supporting Hamas are "ignorant".
"I have been accused of being anti-Semitic and supporting Hamas. Ignorant. I cannot defend an organization that sustains the fusion between Religion and State because we fight it in our own country, and because the vision of those who believe they are the chosen people and superior race leads to the massacre of other peoples", Petro said on X, adding that neither he nor his family supported Adolf Hitler.
"They are resurrecting Hitler in the times of the climate crisis and he returns exactly the same with his concentration camps and the complete destruction of the peoples," he stated on Monday. "The fear of the different is the father of Hitler".
19:24 - UNRWA warns of waterborne illness threat amid Gaza bombardment
People in Gaza face the increasing threat of waterborne illnesses amid acute shortages of clean water supplies, the UN's Palestine refugee agency has warned.
Juliette Touma, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) spokesperson, said the "vast majority" of Gazans continue to lack clean water supplies despite Israel's announcement that it would resume the flow to the southern half of the coastal enclave.
"We're talking about 2 million people in the Gaza Strip who do not have water, and water is running out. Water is life, and life is running out of Gaza," she said on Monday.
"We are very concerned about the spread of waterborne diseases if water continues not to be available in Gaza, because we do know that people are resorting to dirty water sources, including water from wells," she added.
19:12 - 'There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza': Israeli ambassador to Britain
Amid continuing attacks on Gaza and a cutoff of electricity, water, and food supplies, Israel’s ambassador to the UK claimed on Monday that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In an interview with Sky News, Tzipi Hotovely claimed that there is "no humanitarian crisis" in Gaza at a time when Israeli bombardment of Gaza continue.
Asked about photos that show the humanitarian crisis, Hotovely replied: "Would you expect your government to think about those Nazis committing those crimes?" using a smear to refer to Hamas, the Palestinian group in charge in Gaza.
"Israel is in charge of the safety of Israelis, Hamas is in charge of the safety of Palestinians," said the ambassador, insisting that there is no humanitarian crisis.
18:32 GMT Heads of Muslim states' parliaments call for 'united front' for Gaza
The heads of parliaments from several Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries have called for a "united front" against rising civilian casualties and human rights violations in Gaza.
The OIC urged the UN to intervene and put an end to Israel's ongoing violations of international law.
The speakers and presidents of parliaments from Türkiye, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Malaysia, Iran, Kuwait, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Guyana attended a virtual emergency meeting of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC) to discuss the escalating crisis, said a statement from the Senate of Pakistan on Monday.
"The participants, with great emphasis, called for an immediate end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands," the statement said in part.
17:32 GMT Turkish Red Crescent continues to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza
The Turkish Red Crescent continues to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians affected by Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
The Turkish Red Crescent said in a statement on Monday that it is collaborating with local teams to distribute humanitarian assistance because no outside relief workers can enter Gaza.
The statement noted that the Turkish Red Crescent is seeking to establish a safe humanitarian corridor to bring relief materials from outside Gaza.
Several countries have sent relief and humanitarian materials to the Palestinian people in Gaza, but these materials are stuck near Egypt's borders as Israel continues to refuse to allow aid into Gaza.
16:23 GMT Netanyahu confident of Israel's 'victory over Hamas'
Israel means to defeat the Palestinian group Hamas and end its rule in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.
Speaking to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, ahead of a widely expected ground operation, Netanyahu said "our goal is victory over Hamas, toppling it from rule."
"We will win, because our existence here is at stake," Netanyahu said, according to the Times of Israel online, and went on to describe the Hamas group as "Nazi Hamas."
The Israeli premier also warned both Iran and Hezbollah from getting involved in the course of the fighting between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza.
15:42 GMT Putin to talk with Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian leaders over phone
Russian President Vladimir Putin has planned to hold separate phone conversations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the president’s advisor on foreign policy issues Yury Ushakov said on Monday.
Ushakov emphasized that Putin is "closely following the unprecedented escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," and that "all issues related to this conflict are in the focus of the president's attention."
15:16 GMT Indian politicians slam Gaza bombing, call for end to hostilities
A group of opposition leaders, including some present and former parliamentarians, met the Palestinian envoy in New Delhi to express “solidarity” and urged an “immediate cessation of all hostilities to prevent further loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes and infrastructure.”
“We express our deep concern regarding the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the suffering of the Palestinian people. We strongly condemn the indiscriminate bombing of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, which we believe amounts to an attempt at genocide,” the leaders said in a statement on Monday.
14:21 Gaza authority rejects Israeli claims of 600,000 Palestinians displaced
A government spokesperson in Gaza rebuffed Israeli army claims that 600,000 Palestinians have been displaced due to the ongoing war with Hamas, saying that in fact just 70,000 people have been displaced from northern Gaza to the south.
"The occupation (Israeli army) continues to spread lies and allegations as part of its psychological warfare alongside its heinous military aggression against our people," Salama Marouf told a press conference on Monday.
"In contrast to the occupation's claims, estimates indicate that only about 70,000 people have been displaced from northern Gaza towards the south, and they are in 12 shelter centers," he added.
Marouf accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) of not providing displaced people in Gaza with any food or relief material "prompting hundreds of them to return to their homes in northern Gaza yesterday and announcing the collective return of thousands more in the coming hours."
14:12 White House hopes Rafah crossing opens as Gaza death toll mounts
The US voiced hope that a key crossing between Gaza and Egypt would be opened by Monday in a move that could allow some people to flee and facilitate the delivery of badly needed humanitarian aid.
"We sure hope so," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.
"Secretary Blinken has really been on a whirlwind trip trying to negotiate for safe passage out of Gaza. The key interlocutors are Egypt and Israel, obviously. We're going to keep talking to them," said Kirby.
"We're hopeful that gate can open as soon as sometime today. It hasn't yet, and we just got to keep working at it,"
14:02 - 11 journalists killed in Gaza since Oct. 7: Palestinian journalists group
Eleven journalists have been killed in Gaza, with more than 20 injured and two missing since the start of the recent Israeli airstrikes, a Palestinian journalists group said in a new report.
According to the report released on Sunday by the Freedom Committee, affiliated with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, 11 Palestinian journalists have been documented as killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 7.
A statement by the group provided "documentation of the targeting of journalists" from the start of the war on Gaza until the evening of October 15. It also decried "the violent escalation in the targeting of Palestinian journalists."
At least 20 homes belonging to journalists have been completely or partially destroyed by shelling, causing injury and death.
13:35 GMT- At least 199 people being held captive by Hamas, Israel says
The Israeli military has raised to 199 the number of people it says are being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
“We have updated the families of 199 hostages,” military spokesperson Daniel Hagari told a media briefing on Monday.
“The efforts on the hostages are a top national priority. The army and Israel are working around the clock to bring them back.”
Israeli officials had previously estimated that 155 people were being held captive by the Palestinian armed group.
13:25 - Turkish president, British prime minister discuss Israeli-Gaza conflict
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday discussed over the phone the current state of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the country's Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Both leaders discussed ways to establish peace in the region, and urgent measures for resolving the severe humanitarian crisis.
Erdogan emphasized Türkiye expects effective initiatives from the international community, particularly Western countries, against human rights violations in Gaza.
He stressed the importance of remembering and fulfilling the promises made to Palestine over the years, instead of taking provocative actions that deepen the crisis.
12:57 GMT- Turkish, Iranian presidents discuss Israel-Palestine conflict over phone
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi have discussed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, increasing tension in the region and the steps to be taken for de-escalation.
In a phone call, Erdogan said that ending the conflicts as soon as possible is important for regional and global peace, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said on X on Monday.
Erdogan also told Raisi that Türkiye is making “intensive efforts” in order for the humanitarian assistance to be delivered to Gaza, it said.
12:42 GMT - Malaysia shuns western pressure to condemn Hamas
Malaysia says it will not bow to western pressure to condemn Hamas following the group's attack on Israel.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told his country's parliament on Monday that Western and European countries have repeatedly asked Malaysia to condemn Hamas in meetings, but he pointed out that Malaysia "have a relationship with Hamas from before, and this will continue."
"As such, we don't agree with their pressuring attitude, as Hamas too won in Gaza freely through elections and Gazans chose them to lead," he added.
Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has advocated for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
12:18 GMT - US President Biden to arrive in Israel on Wednesday
US President Joe Biden is to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, according to Israel's Channel 12.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel on October 12 before extending the visit to include the Arab nations of Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt.
The US president's visit will be a show of solidarity with Israel, which has promised to provide military support to Israel in the conflict.
12:10 GMT - 291 Israeli soldiers killed in conflict
The Israeli army on Monday announced the number of hostages in Gaza jumped to 199, with 291 soldiers killed since the start of the war on Oct. 7.
Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a news conference: “We have been in contact with the families of 199 captives. The Israeli army and the state are working around the clock to secure their release.”
He added that the number of that the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the war increased to 291 and that “We are doing our utmost to try to determine the whereabouts of the captives in Gaza.”
The Israeli military spokesperson also warned the Lebanese Hezbollah of a “lethal response if it intervenes in the war in Gaza.”
11:54 GMT - Arab League demands end of Gaza bombings
The Arab League chief demanded on Monday an end to military operations in Gaza and charged that the siege of the enclave is "depriving the Palestinians of their humanity".
"We demand the immediate end of military operations and the opening of safe corridors to bring aid to the population," Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said during an Arab justice ministers meeting in Baghdad.
Israel declared war on Hamas a day after waves of its fighters broke through Gaza's heavily fortified border on October 7.
11:27 GMT - Israeli Minister reveals steps to destroy Hamas infrastructure
Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz on Monday expressed support for the proposal of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden to restore water supply to the south of the Gaza, thereby pushing civilians there and making it easier for the country's forces to destroy Hamas infrastructure.
With this step, Israel will be able to tighten the general siege of the Gaza Strip, Katz stated in his social media posts on X, rejecting any proposal to ease the blockade and allow any food and humanitarian supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza.
He supports Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden's agreement to supply water to the southern Gaza region because it is also in Israel's interest, Katz said in a Hebrew-language posts, adding that once civilians are in the south, it will be easier for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to operate and destroy Hamas infrastructure.
10:42 GMT: Spanish minister suggests taking Israel to ICC for 'war crimes'
Spain's acting social rights minister suggested taking Israel to the International Criminal Court for "war crimes," local media reported.
Ione Belarra shared a video accusing the European Union and the US of "being complicit in Israel's war crimes," the Spanish daily El Mundo said on Sunday.
She called for actions to denounce Israel before the ICC and deplored the ongoing "planned genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
10:16 GMT: Eleven Palestinian journalists killed in conflict
Eleven Palestinian journalists have been killed in the war in Gaza since Israel launched its blistering air campaign on the coastal enclave, the Palestinian journalists' union said Monday.
Twenty other journalists have also been injured in the conflict since it erupted on October 7 after Hamas carried out a deadly attack on Israel, triggering retaliatory attacks from Israel.
09:23 GMT: Christian Palestinians pray for end to conflict
Prayers have been offered during services at two churches in the blockaded Gaza Strip, appealing to end Israel's ongoing attacks.
Christian Palestinians have conducted religious services at the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church and the Holy Family Catholic Church, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Some Christian families whose homes were destroyed sought refuge in the Holy Family Church and its affiliated school. It is estimated that around 1,000 Palestinian Christians live in Gaza.
09:02 GMT ''More than 1,000 Palestinians trapped under rubble''
More than 1,000 Palestinians are trapped under the rubble in Gaza, Eyad Al-Bozom, spokesman for the Hamas Interior Ministry, said on Monday in a statement, warning of a humanitarian and environmental crisis.
08:26 GMT: Israel denies ceasefire reports
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Monday denied reports of any temporary Gaza ceasefire to allow foreign nationals to flee the enclave to neighbouring Egypt.
However, the army pledged to refrain from striking routes within Gaza designated for evacuating people from the enclave's north to the south during a limited time window, from 8:00 a.m. to noon (0500 GMT to 0900 GMT).
Media reports had said Israel, Egypt, and the United States had agreed the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would be opened for several hours Monday in a one-off move to allow foreign nationals to flee and aid goods to enter.
5:00 GMT — Israeli bombardment continues
The Israeli army continued to bombard parts of Gaza with air strikes for a ninth straight day as the besieged Palestinian enclave faced an urgent humanitarian crisis.
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu News Agency that a large number of people were killed and civil defence and ambulance crews were wounded as they made their way to Al Jalaa Street in Gaza to rescue the injured.
A woman was killed and six children were injured as a result of the Israeli bombardment on the Qaizan Al Najjar area of Khan Yunis south of Gaza city, said medical sources.
4:15 GMT — Gaza hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and desperately low on supplies as invasion looms
Medics in Gaza warned that thousands could die as hospitals packed with wounded people ran desperately low on fuel and basic supplies.
Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave struggled to find food, water and safety ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive.
Israeli forces, supported by a growing deployment of US warships in the region, positioned themselves along Gaza’s border and drilled for what Israel said would be a broad campaign to dismantle Hamas.
3:40 GMT — Protesters march in Morocco, Iraq in solidarity with Palestinians
Protesters marched in Morocco and Iraq in solidarity with Palestinians and against the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip, which has caused thousands of civilian casualties.
During a protest in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh called for by several non-governmental organizations, protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners in support of the Palestinian cause.
3:10 GMT — Biden says Israeli occupation of Gaza would be 'a big mistake'
US President Joe Biden said that Israel's occupation of Gaza would be "a big mistake" but appeared okay for an inside operation against the Palestinian group Hamas.
"What happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don't represent all the Palestinian people,' Biden said in an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes program.
''And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again, but going in and taking out the extremists -- the Hezbollah is up north but Hamas down south -- is a necessary requirement," he added.
2:30 GMT — Netanyahu invites Biden to visit Israel in show of solidarity
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited US President Joe Biden to visit Israel in a show of solidarity amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine war.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the White House and Netanyahu’s office discussed the details of the visit.
Netanyahu and Biden have held five phone calls since the Palestinian Hamas group launched an attack against Israeli towns near Gaza.
A senior administration official said that the US president is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days but no travel has been finalised.
For our Sunday's live updates on the conflict, click here.
