20:33 GMT Blinken extends Israel trip to five Arab nations
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will extend his trip to Israel on Thursday to include the Arab nations of Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt October 11-15, 2023, where he will meet with senior officials," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Blinken will reiterate his "condemnation of the terrorist attacks in Israel in the strongest terms", said Miller, adding that the secretary "will also reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with the government and people of Israel."
"The Secretary will engage regional partners on efforts to help prevent the conflict from spreading, secure the immediate and safe release of hostages, and identify mechanisms for the protection of civilians," Miller said in the statement on Thursday.
19:22 GMT Israeli parliament approves emergency unity government
The Israeli parliament, or Knesset, approved an emergency unity government led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Knesset Plenum, the supreme authoritative body, approved by vote of 66-4 inclusion of five National Unity Party lawmakers in the emergency government.
Speaking during a special session of the 120-seat Knesset, Netanyahu vowed to “shatter Hamas into pieces.”
"The unity of the people is a force multiplier, and the emergency government we are establishing today out of national responsibility, conveys a message of immense strength, both externally and internally,” he said.
18:07 GMT Israeli opposition leader refuses to join Netanyahu's war cabinet
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid refused to join an emergency unity government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lapid, a former premier, said that with its structure and membership, the current government would not work, The Times of Israel newspaper reported.
The opposition leader said it was necessary to "take the extremists out of the government of extremists," without specifically naming any members of the administration as extremists.
This structure "can't work, it'll just add to the mess," because "instead of one cabinet, (there are) two cabinets that will clash," he said.
16:32 GMT Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza tops 1,400
The Palestinian death toll rose to 1,417 from a massive Israeli air campaign against Gaza, the Health Ministry has announced.
It said fatalities include 447 children and 248 women.
At least 6,268 people were injured in the bombardment since Saturday, including 1,531 children and 932 women, according to a statement on Thursday.
Ten medics were also killed in Israeli attacks, said the ministry.
16:22 Egypt urges Israel to halt airstrikes on Rafah border crossing with Gaza
Egypt urged Israel to avoid attacking the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to allow for repairs and restoration after Israeli airstrikes affected operations on the Palestinian side.
“Rafah border crossing is open and has not been closed since the start of the ongoing escalation,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“However, its facilities on the Palestinian side have been destroyed due to Israeli airstrikes, which affected its operations,” he said on Thursday.
“Egypt calls Israel to avoid targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing point, to allow the repair and restoration,” he added.
16:00 GMT Israel’s army chief vows Gaza 'will never be the same again'
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi vowed on Thursday to launch a long and decisive attack on the Gaza Strip, saying the territory “will never be the same again.”
The Israeli attack “will take time and will require a cool head,” Halevi said in a speech to his soldiers.
The top military official pledged that the Israeli army will be creating “a new reality in Gaza” for the security of the lives of Israeli citizens.
Halevi held Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the weekend attack in Israeli territory.
15:43 GMT Türkiye ready to mediate in Israel-Palestine conflict
Türkiye stands ready to take peaceful steps towards ending the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian clashes as soon as possible, including mediation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In a phone call, Erdogan and Scholz exchanged views on the Israeli-Palestinan conflicts, which are a matter of concern both regionally and globally, and efforts to find solutions to humanitarian crises, according to the statement issued by Türkiye’s communication directorate on Thursday.
President Erdogan emphasized that the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem within the 1967 borders would be crucial for a lasting solution to the issue, according to the statement.
15:37 GMT US sees 'no indication' of Iran’s helping attacks on Israel
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Washington has not seen “any indication” that Iran was behind the weekend's Hamas attack against Israel.
Speaking to reporters after a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers, Austin said on Thursday that the US has not seen “any indications that Iran was involved in the planning or the execution of the attack” on Israel.
He, however, added that the US “will remain focused” because “Iran has a long track record of supporting Hamas.”
Austin said the US has not placed “any conditions” on the support for Israel, confirming that it will back Israel “in any way that we can."
15:00 GMT Gaza to turn into ‘mass grave’ if aid is further delayed: Official
The head of the government media office in Gaza warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave, saying it would turn into a “mass grave” if response to distress calls is delayed.
"Gaza has entered a dangerous turn, and is witnessing deterioration in all its services and living conditions" after Israel cut off water and electricity supply, Salama Ma’rouf said on Thursday.
"Israel is working to wipe out entire residential neighborhoods, forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of citizens from their homes, and annihilate entire families by bombing their homes over their heads."
The bombing, Ma'rouf added, has led to "mass massacres," and "morgues are unable to accommodate the increasing number of corpses."
12:07 GMT - Israel strikes Syrian airports, TV: Syrian state media
Israeli strikes targeted Syria's two main airports on Thursday, Syrian state television said, in the first such attack since a Hamas assault on Israel at the weekend triggered fierce fighting.
"Israeli aggression targets Damascus and Aleppo airports," state television reported on the messaging app Telegram, without providing additional details.
Israeli strikes have repeatedly caused the grounding of flights at the airports in Aleppo and the capital Damascus, both of which are controlled by the government of Syria.
11:43 GMT - Kenya wary of 'solidarity' attacks over Israel-Hamas war
Kenya has warned of the risk that groups such as Al-Shabaab could carry out "solidarity" attacks after the explosion of violence between Israel and Hamas.
11:40 GMT - What’s Iran's role in the Hamas offensive against Israel?
Hamas’ “unprecedented” attack on Israel showed that Tel Aviv hasn’t been able to entirely secure its contentious border with occupied Palestine territories.
The Palestinian group’s sophisticated offensive surprised both Israel, “a settler-colonial state” and its allies, making some officials to suggest that a non-state actor alone couldn’t have carried out the attack and that some outside power is involved.
10:43 GMT- Pakistan urges UN to play "proactive" role in resolving conflict
Pakistan has urged the UN to play a "proactive" role in facilitating a cease-fire to contain the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza amid the "indiscriminate and disproportionate” use of force by Israel.
“The international community must work in concert for a just, comprehensive, and lasting two-state solution with a viable, sovereign, and contiguous state of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while addressing a weekly press briefing in Islamabad.
“Peace in the Middle East will remain elusive in the absence of such a solution,” she said, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
09:34 - Jordan sends relief aid to Gaza
Jordan has sent a plane with humanitarian aid to Egypt for Gaza, which is under total lockdown and intense Israeli attacks.
In a statement on Thursday, the Hashemite Charity Foundation said: “A humanitarian aid plane carrying mostly medical supplies was sent to Gaza on the instructions of King Abdullah II of Jordan.”
The relief plane was sent with the coordination of Egypt, the statement said, adding that the relief supplies will be delivered to the health authorities in Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.
09:27 - UEFA postpones Israel's European qualifying game
UEFA has postponed Israel’s European Championship qualifying game against host Kosovo on Sunday following Hamas’ surprise attack that has thrown both sides into a deadly conflict.
UEFA said in a statement on Thursday that the game cannot be played “because the Israeli authorities currently do not allow their national team to travel abroad.”
The delayed Kosovo-Israel game could also prevent UEFA from making the qualifying playoffs draw on Nov. 23 as scheduled.
09: 10 - South Africa offers to mediate in Israeli-Palestinian conflict
South Africa is ready to help mediate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, drawing on its experience at conflict resolution, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
09:03 GMT - US raises new travel warning for Israel
The US has raised the travel warning for Israel and the West Bank to Level 3, urging its citizens to reconsider travelling to those places.
“Updated given the current security situation, including increased travel restrictions for U.S. government employees,” a State Department statement said on Wednesday.
“The Travel Advisory for Gaza remains Level 4 – Do Not Travel,” it added.
08:39: Germany offers military aid to Israel
Germany is offering military help to Israel and promising to crack down on support for Hamas at home following the group's attack on Israel.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday underlined Germany's historical responsibility for Israel's security adding that it agreed to an Israeli request for two Heron TP combat drones as well as warships, a request that will now be discussed.
08:03 GMT - 'No humanitarian aid till hostages are freed'
Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz has said Israel would not allow basic resources or humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas releases Israeli hostages.
"Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened, and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home," he said in a statement.
Around 150 Israelis, foreigners, and dual nationals were abducted to the Gaza Strip by Hamas as part of the Saturday attack, AFP reports.
07:50 GMT - US Secretary of State Blinken arrives in Israel
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv Thursday in a show of solidarity after Hamas's surprise attack in Israel, an AFP correspondent travelling with him reported.
Blinken is expected to visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington closes ranks with its ally, which has launched retaliatory air campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
07:08 GMT: Hamas fires retaliatory strikes at Israel
Hamas fighters have fired a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv in response to Israeli air strikes that targeted "civilians" in two Gaza refugee camps, the Palestinian group said.
"Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades fired rockets at Tel Aviv in response to Israeli strikes targeting civilians in Al-Shati and Jabalia camps," Hamas said on Thursday, referring to its armed wing, in a text message sent to journalists.
AFP correspondents witnessed dozens of air strikes over 30 minutes on Thursday morning in the direction of Al-Shati camp and in the blockaded strip's north.
06:35 GMT: UN needs $104 m for life-saving aid to Gaze
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency has said it was seeking $104 million for life-saving aid to Gaza, which has been pounded by Israeli reprisal strikes following attacks by Hamas against Israel.
"UNRWA is urgently seeking $104 million to enable its multi-sectoral humanitarian response over the coming 90 days," the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on Wednesday.
"The requested funds will cover the urgent immediate food, non-food, health, shelter and protection needs of up to 250,000 persons seeking safety in UNRWA shelters across the ravaged Gaza and another 250,000 Palestine refugees within the community."
05:57 GMT — No decision yet on Gaza ground invasion
The Israeli military says it is preparing for a possible ground operation in the besieged Gaza but that the political leadership has not yet decided on one.
Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters on Thursday that forces “are preparing for a ground manoeuvre if decided.” Israel has called up some 360,000 army reservists and has threated an unprecedented response to Hamas’ unprecedented incursion over the weekend.
It has been launching intense airstrikes and declared a total siege of Gaza since the attack by Hamas on Saturday.
05:57 GMT — Malaysian aid for Palestine
Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir slammed Israel’s “outrageous acts of cruelty” in cutting off food, water and fuel to Gaza and said Malaysia will provide 1 million ringgit ($212,000) as an emergency fund to help Palestinians.
A strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, Malaysia has blamed the crisis on the oppression and injustice against the Palestinian people.
05:22 GMT — More than 338,000 flee homes
More than 338,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in besieged Gaza, the United Nations said, as heavy Israeli bombardments continue to hit the Palestinian enclave.
The number of displaced in the densely populated territory of 2.3 million people had by late Wednesday "risen by an additional 75,000 people and reached 338,934," the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a statement sent on Thursday.
02:15 GMT — Gaza death toll climbs to 1,200, with 5000 others wounded
Gaza’s Health Ministry has announced that the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks has climbed to around 1,200, with nearly 5,000 wounded.
Deputy Health Minister Yusuf Abu al-Reesh visited Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza to assess the state of health services.
Speaking at a press conference after the inspection, he said "the number of martyrs has approached 1,200 and there are approximately 5,000 injured." He noted that most of the dead and wounded are women, children and the elderly.
01:51 GMT — US asking countries to use influence on Hamas, Iran
The United States is encouraging its international partners to use their influence with Hamas and its supporters in Iran to get the Palestinian fighters to stand down amid the fight with Israel, a senior official said.
The comments came on Thursday as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading to Israel for a visit of solidarity before stops in Jordan and likely other countries in the region.
"Frankly, we're asking all of our partners to engage with Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran — with any of that trifecta — with whom they have any channels or relations or what have you, to get Hamas to stand down from its attacks, to release those hostages, and to keep Hezbollah out, and to keep Iran out of the fray," the official said on a refuelling stop in Ireland.
01:00 GMT — Dozens of Israelis in critical condition
Israel’s Health Ministry has announced that 3,268 wounded Israelis have been evacuated to hospitals since the start of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper cited a statement from the ministry indicating that 443 Israelis remain hospitalised, 105 of them in critical condition.
According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), the number of Israelis killed so far in the conflict totals 1,200 and the number of injured has reached 2,900.
