19:43 GMT - Israeli settlers perpetrate 280 attacks on Palestinians in occupied West Bank since October 7
Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have spiked since October 7, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The surge in attacks — sometimes under the protection of soldiers — against Palestinian people and their property has coincided with Israel's devastating bombardment and blockade of Gaza, which began earlier this month when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.
19:43 GMT - Israel says it killed 4 top Hamas commanders in Gaza
The Israeli army said it killed four Hamas commanders, including the deputy leader of the group’s intelligence unit in the Gaza Strip.
A military statement on Thursday said Shadi Baroud, deputy commander of Hamas’ intelligence unit, was eliminated by the army and the Shin Bet internal security service in a drone attack.
The army said Baroud was the mastermind of the October 7 cross-border attack, along with Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. In another statement, the army said fighter jets targeted and killed Hamas commanders Rifaat Abbas, Ibrahim Jadba and Tarek Maarouf.
There was no confirmation yet from Hamas.
19:24 GMT - Pentagon sending nearly 900 troops to Middle East: Spokesperson
Pentagon is sending 900 troops to the Middle East, spokesperson Pat Ryder announced.
"I can confirm that since our initial force posture announcement, approximately 900 troops have subsequently deployed or are in the process of deploying to the US Central Command Area of Responsibility," Ryder told reporters on Thursday.
He said the US is also planning to provide the two US Iron Dome systems currently in the inventory to Israel "to help further bolster their air defense capabilities and protect citizens from rocket attacks."
19:10 GMT - Israel ready to consider Gaza deal to free hostages held by Hamas: Report
Israel has informed mediators that it is ready to consider “a large-scale deal” that would lead to the release of a large number of Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza, according to Israeli media on Thursday.
Tel Aviv “informed mediators, including Qatar and Egypt, that it is ready to consider a large-scale exchange deal with Palestinian factions in Gaza,” the public broadcaster KAN said.
“The deal includes the release of a large number of prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza,” the broadcaster said. Hamas, in return, wants fuel to be allowed into Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and a cease-fire, KAN said.
There was no comment from Hamas on the report.
19:04 GMT - African Union chair ‘fully supports’ UN chief on Palestine
The chairperson of the African Union Commission gave his full support to the UN chief for Antonio Guterres’ "principled position and leadership" amid criticism for remarks on Israel’s military actions in Gaza at the Security Council.
“I fully support the principled position and leadership of @antonioguterres and the work of the @UN in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” Mo ussa Faki Mahamat wrote on X on Thursday.
“It is in line with International law and with the @_AfricanUnion position and relevant United Nations Resolutions,” he added.
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18:32 GMT - Former Israeli army chief backs removing Netanyahu from office
A former Israeli army chief said that he supports the idea of dismissing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the war and appointing another premier.
Former Israeli Army Chief of Staff Dan Halutz told Army Radio that he supports having another figure to “lead the war.”
"In war, we can demand an account,” Halutz said on Thursday, holding Netanyahu responsible for leading Israel during the past years to the current situation.
He also expressed his support to exchanging Israeli prisoners in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. He suggested that the Palestinian inmates who would be released in the prisoner swap would be held later.
18:07 GMT - Gaza’s Health Ministry releases full list of Palestinians killed as Biden doubts accuracy of toll
Gaza’s Health Ministry on Thursday released a full list of Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli attacks on the blockaded territory.
The move came a day after US President Joe Biden doubted the accuracy of the death toll announced by the ministry in Gaza.
The ministry’s list included 6,747 people killed in the Israeli attack s, including 2,665 children.
Another 529 bodies remain to be identified, the ministry added.
17:16 GMT - Israeli forces shoot boy, 17, in occupied West Bank, raising Palestinian death toll there to 105
The Israeli army on Thursday shot and killed a Palestinian boy near Ramallah city in the West Bank, raising the death toll in the occupied territory to 105 since Oct. 7.
"The young boy, Asad Hamidat, 17, was killed by the occupation gunfire in the Jalazone refugee camp north of Ramallah, bringing the tot al death toll to 105," the Palestinian Health Ministry, said in a statement viewed by Anadolu.
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that clashes had erupted between dozens of Palestinians and the Israeli troops at the camp's entrance.
16:35 GMT - Iran demands US halt 'genocide' in Gaza in UN General Assembly address
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian demanded Thursday that the US stop "genocide" in Gaza and said Israeli attacks must stop immediately.
"US should stop supporting genocide in Gaza and Palestine," Amirabdollahian said in a UN General Assembly emergency session address on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He said Iran does not welcome a widening war in the region but he offered a warning.
"I say frankly to the American statesmen now managing the genocide in Palestine, we do not welcome to expansion of the war in the region,” he said. "If the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire. It is our home and West Asia is our region.”
16:06 GMT - Hamas ready to swap hostages with Palestinian prisoners — Iran
Iran's foreign minister has said Hamas is ready to release civilian prisoners to Tehran, world should support the release of 6,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein AmirAbdollahian warns that if Israel's bombardment in Gaza doesn't end then the United States will "not be spared from this fire."
"I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome an expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire," he told the United Nations General Assembly.
15:28 GMT - Hamas representatives meet with Russian officials in Moscow
Representatives of Palestinian group Hamas are holding talks with Russian diplomats in Moscow, a Russian government spokesperson said on Thursday.
"I can say and confirm that representatives of the relevant Palestinian movement (Hamas) are on a visit to Moscow. As for contacts, we will inform you (about their results) additionally," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference in Moscow.
15:24 GMT - Germany voices support for Israel, warns Iran not to intervene in conflict
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on EU member states to demonstrate solidarity with Israel and warned Iran not to intervene in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Today it’s about making it clear together (as EU members) that we support Israel in defending its own country against the terrible attacks by Hamas,” Scholz told reporters in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a summit of EU leaders.
Scholz refrained from joining international calls for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and reaffirmed Germany’s unconditional support for Israel.
“Therefore, it should not happen that Hezbollah enters the war in the north with its own activities or that Iran and its proxies try to intervene here,” he said.
14:04 GMT - 22 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on house in Gaza
A total of 22 Palestinians were killed and 100 injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house belonging to a family in the city of Khan Yunis, the Gaza Interior Ministry announced on Thursday.
“The bodies of 22 martyrs have been retrieved thus far, with over 100 people rescued from under the rubble of the Ab u Shamala family's house and its surroundings in Khan Yunis, following bombardment by the Israeli occupation," said a ministry statement.
According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli shelling resulted in extensive destruction of homes and properties belonging to the local residents.
Khan Yunis is in southern Gaza, where Israel ordered Palestinians in the north to evacuate to on October 12, despite warnings that this would lead to a humanitarian disaster.
13:43 GMT - Gaza war costing Israel billions of shekels daily, reports local newspaper
Israel is spending billions of shekels per day to maintain its military campaign against Gaza, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday.
"The army has purchased equipment on an unprecedented scale for the possibility of a multi-front war at the same time as the planned ground operation in Gaza is underway," according to the Yedioth Ahronoth.
"It is a major armament process never seen before that includes tens of thousands of missiles, bombs, radars, night vision devices, radios, vehicles, drones, and various types of weapons being transported by air to Israel around the clock," added the daily.
13:03 GMT -12 more humanitarian aid trucks enter Gaza through Rafah crossing
Twelve more humanitarian aid trucks reportedly entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Thursday.
The trucks were carrying water, food, and medicine into the besieged enclave, the director of the crossing's press office, Abu Muhsin, announced.
Muhsin said that with the latest aid convoy, the total number of trucks that have entered Gaza since October 7 totaled 74.
Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine, and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.
14:38 GMT - Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza surges to 7,028
The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since October 7 rose to 7,028, the Health Ministry in Gaza announced on Thursday.
The ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said during a press conference: "The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has reached 7,028, including 2,913 children, 1,709 women, and 397 elderly individuals. In addition, 18,484 citizens have been injured since October 7.”
He said the Israeli forces committed 43 massacres in the past 24 hours, killing 481 people, the majority of whom were displaced to the south of the Gaza Strip, an area that Israel claims to be safe.
14:10 GMT - US resolution on Gaza at UN would have completely dashed 2-state solution: China
A draft UN Security Council resolution on the Israel-Palestine conflict proposed by the US would have completely "dashed" the two-state solution if it had passed, which is why Beijing opposed it, said China’s envoy to the UN.
Speaking at the council on Wednesday, Ambassador Zhang Jun said the proposal departed “from the spirit of previous UN resolutions and embeds the dangerous logic of clash of civilizations and the justification of war and use of force.”
"If adopted, it will completely dash the prospect of the two-state solution and plunge the Palestinian and Israeli peoples into a vicious cycle of hatred and confrontation," he added, according to an official transcript of his remarks.
13:02 GMT - Amid Israel’s war on Gaza, Australia dispatching troops, aircraft to Middle East
Australia is dispatching a “significant contingent” of troops and two aircraft to the Middle East amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said Australia is deploying additional Australian defense force personnel and two aircraft to the Middle East region as part of “Operation Beech.”
“The deployment of Australian aircraft and supporting Defense personnel is a precautionary measure to support the whole of Australian government contingency options due to the risk of the security situation deteriorating further,” he said on X on Thursday, calling the situation “challenging and rapidly evolving.”
The two aircraft and troops will join Australia’s aircraft deployed in the Middle East. The minister did not reveal where the contingent will be based in the region.
12:35 GMT - Israeli army says 224 hostages held in Gaza
The Israeli army announced that the number of Israeli hostages in Gaza increased to 224 while the number of soldiers killed since the beginning of war on October 7 rose to 309.
Daniel Hagari, Israeli army spokesperson, said at a press conference: “The families of 309 soldiers have been notified, along with the families of 224 hostages.”
He further stated: "We will continue executing field operations to locate the hostages and the missing individuals.
12:05 GMT - Israeli forces arrest 85 more Palestinians in West Bank
The Israeli army arrested 85 more Palestinians in the West Bank, bringing the total number of detainees since October 7 to 1,460, the Palestinian Prisoners Club announced.
The Israeli forces arrested more than 85 citizens on Wednesday night and Thursday morning from cities and towns in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the club stated in a press release on Thursday.
Those arrested included some Hamas leaders and five women, the club added.
It further stated: “The total number of prisoners in Israeli custody has now reached approximately 6,700 following the recent waves of arrests since October 7.”
11:30 GMT - Turkish President Erdogan, Pope Francis discuss Israel-Palestine conflict in phone call
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pope Francis spoke over the phone about Israel's attack on Gaza and escalating human rights violations.
Erdogan, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, said Israel's attacks on Gaza, which have no justification in any sacred text, have reached the level of a massacre, and that it is shameful for the international community to turn a blind eye to them.
10:59 - Palestinian top diplomat calls Israel offensive 'war of revenge'
The Palestinian Authority's foreign minister says Israel's offensive in Gaza was a "war of revenge", as he called for a ceasefire in the conflict.
The visit of Riyad al-Maliki to the Hague comes as Israel said a column of tanks and infantry launched an overnight raid into Hamas-controlled Gaza, striking "numerous" targets.
"This time the war that Israel is waging is different. This time... it's a war of revenge," Maliki said in The Hague. "First we need to end this one-sided aggression and then we need to call for a ceasefire."
08:17 — 'Nowhere is safe' in Gaza: UN
The United Nations issued a stark warning on Thursday that "nowhere is safe" in Gaza amid stepped up Israeli air raids in preparation for a widely expected ground offensive.
With Israel retaliating after Hamas's shock October 7 attacks with strikes on nearly every part of the Palestinian enclave, "people are left with nothing but impossible choices. Nowhere is safe in Gaza," Lynne Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, said in a statement.
06:40 GMT — Israeli army strike northern Gaza
The Israeli army carried out a "targeted raid" overnight in northern Gaza with tanks and infantry, it said in a statement, as it prepared its forces for a ground invasion.
"Overnight, the IDF conducted a targeted raid using tanks in the northern Gaza, as part of preparations for the next stages of combat," the army said in a statement.
"The soldiers exited the area at the end of the activity."
06:30 GMT — Israel's order for Gaza residents to evacuate may amount to war crime: Amnesty
A recent move by the Israeli military ordering residents of northern Gaza to immediately evacuate may amount to a war crime, Amnesty International said.
“Declaring a whole city or region a military target flies in the face of international humanitarian law, which stipulates that those carrying out attacks must distinguish at all times between civilians or civilian objects and military objectives and that they must take all possible measures to spare civilians and civilian objects," said the rights group’s Senior Crisis Response Adviser Donatella Rovera in a statement.
06:20 GMT — Israel conducts overnight 'targeted raid' with tanks in Gaza: Army
The Israeli army has carried out a "targeted raid" overnight in northern Gaza with tanks and infantry, it said in a statement, as it prepared its forces for a ground invasion.
"Overnight, the IDF conducted a targeted raid using tanks in the northern Gaza Strip, as part of preparations for the next stages of combat," the army said in a statement.
"The soldiers exited the area at the end of the activity."
05:40 GMT — US and Russian bids on Israel-Gaza war fail at UN Security Council
Two draft resolutions separately proposed by the US and Russia on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict failed to pass in the UN Security Council.
The council’s members first voted for the US draft resolution, which demanded humanitarian pauses in Gaza, condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel and called for the “immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages” held by the Palestinian resistance group.
The resolution got 10 votes in favour, with Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates voting against it.
05:30 GMT — Biden urges 'path to peace' in Israel-Gaza war
US President Joe Biden called for world leaders to develop plans for a "path toward peace" including two-state solution when the Israel-Gaza war is over.
Biden also said during a visit by the Australian prime minister that while Israel has the right to respond to the October 7 Hamas attack it must do everything it can to protect civilians.
But as international pressure mounts for a ceasefire, Biden added that he "did not demand" that Israel delay a ground invasion of Gaza, which Israel has been pounding since the attacks.
05:20 GMT — WHO calls for immediate release of hostages held by Hamas
The World Health Organization (WHO) called for the immediate release of all hostages being held by the Palestinian group Hamas, expressing concern over their situation.
The call was made by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus following his discussions with the Israeli non-governmental organisation the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents families of those abducted, according to a statement released by the organisation.
The WHO also asked for urgent access to each hostage and the delivery of medical care.
For our live updates from Tuesday (October 24), click here.
