Live blog: Ceasefire in Gaza 'will not happen' — Israel's Netanyahu

Monday, October 30, 2023

1832 GMT — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that a ceasefire in the Gaza war "will not happen".

"Calls for a ceasefire are a call for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. This will not happen."

Vowing that Israel would "fight until this battle is won", Netanyahu said the army was going out of its way to "prevent civilian casualties" in Gaza.

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2230 GMT -- Palestinian Authority rejects governing Gaza without permanent solution for West Bank

The Palestinian Authority has no intention of governing Gaza again after the Israel-Hamas conflict without a comprehensive agreement that includes the occupied West Bank in a Palestinian state, said the authority’s prime minister.

Israeli officials have previously said that their plan for the end of the Gaza war is to have some form of transitional authority rule the territory, leading to the restoration of the PA.

Speaking to the Guardian news outlet for an article published Monday, Mohammad Shtayyeh, who has been prime minister since 2019, said the PA would not cooperate without a return to a genuine peace process resulting in two sovereign states.

2147 GMT — Current aid system for Gaza 'geared to fail,' UN warns

The UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned that the limited number of aid trucks entering Gaza were insufficient to meet the "unprecedented humanitarian needs" in the territory.

"The handful of convoys being allowed through Rafah is nothing compared to the needs of over two million people trapped in Gaza," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told the UN Security Council, referring to the sole border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

2117 GMT — 'Forced displacement' continues to happen in Gaza, says UNRWA chief

"Forced displacement" is happening in Gaza, said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

"What happened and continues to happen is forced displacement," Lazzarini told an emergency session at the UN Security Council on Gaza.

The UNRWA chief said over 670,000 displaced people are now in overcrowded UNRWA schools and buildings.

"They live in appalling, unsanitary conditions, with limited food and water, sleeping on the floor without mattresses, or outside, in the open," he said, adding that hunger and despair are "turning into anger against the international community" and UNRWA.

Lazzarini also warned the Security Council that people of Gaza are being subjected to "collective punishment".

1850 GMT — Israel must heed to captives' demands: Hamas

Hamas said Israel must heed to the demands of its captives held in Gaza, who in a video message called for their release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

"The (Israeli) occupation leaders must heed the message of the captives held by the (Palestinian) resistance in Gaza before it's too late," spokesman Abdel-Latif al Qanoua said in a statement.

He said expanding the ground operation in Gaza may put the lives of captives in danger, and only Israel will be to blame.

1846 GMT — Putin blames West for Gaza crisis, says US needs global chaos

Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to blame the West for the crisis in the Middle East, where Israel is bombing Gaza to try to eradicate Hamas fighters.

In a televised statement to a meeting of members of his Security Council and the government and the heads of law enforcement agencies, Putin said the "ruling elites of the US" and their "satellites" stood behind the killing of Gaza's Palestinians, and behind events in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria.

1815 GMT — US says Hamas making number of demands before it will allow people to leave Gaza

Hamas is making a number of demands before it will allow people to leave Gaza, the State Department has said as Washington works to ensure the safe passage of American citizens in Gaza who want to leave and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"Hamas is making a number of demands before they'll allow people to leave Gaza ... Just as we believe they ought to release all hostages they are holding, we believe they ought to ... let leave all the American citizens and other foreign nationals who are being basically forced to remain in Gaza against their will because Hamas won't uphold its responsibility to operate its side of the Rafah crossing," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

It also said 45 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total to 150, and said that progress is being made on ensuring the delivery of essential fuel supplies to Gaza.

1814 GMT — 'Hospitals need to be protected': UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is opposed to the bombing of hospitals in Gaza and stresses that these vital medical facilities need to be protected, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"He's against it. Hospitals need to be protected. Hospitals cannot be used for combat, and those people who are inside need to be safe," said Dujarric during a press briefing, responding to a question from an Anadolu reporter regarding an attack on the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza.

1807 GMT — Israel has been 'let down' by UN and its agencies: envoy

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said her country had been "let down" by the global body, saying its agency chiefs had not done enough to condemn Hamas and growing anti-semitism.

"Generally, the United Nations has let down the people of Israel," Israeli Ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar told reporters, naming the World Health Organisation.

1800 GMT — US 'pleased' Israel listened on Gaza internet access

The United States said it had pressed Israel over the weekend to restore internet access to Gaza and was pleased that Israel had followed suit.

"We made clear to the government of Israel over the weekend that communications networks needed to be restored and we are pleased that they took steps to do that," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

"It is about ensuring that vital information flows, humanitarian coordination continues, and families can stay in touch," he said.

1729 GMT — UK home secretary labels pro-Palestine rallies 'hate marches'

The UK's home secretary called pro-Palestine rallies "hate marches," saying protests against Israeli attacks on Gaza saw "a large number of bad actors who are deliberately operating beneath the criminal threshold."

Suella Braverman addressed the impact of the Israel-Palestine conflict on communities in the UK following an emergency cabinet meeting (Cobra) chaired by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"We’ve seen now tens of thousands of people take to the streets following the massacre of Jewish people – the single largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, chanting for the erasure of Israel from the map," she said.

Braverman did not distinguish between the majority of peaceful protesters and those advocating for the "erasure" of Israel, asserting: "To my mind, there is only one way to describe those marches – they are hate marches."

1715 GMT — Israeli army hits surroundings of Indonesian Hospital in Gaza

The Israeli army has targeted the immediate surroundings of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, according to local officials.

The attack caused serious damage to the hospital, said Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra.

The Israeli attack "endangered the lives of hundreds of injured people, patients, medical personnel, journalists, and thousands of displaced people," he added.

1709 GMT — Turkish Red Crescent condemns bombing of aid warehouse in Gaza

The Turkish Red Crescent has "strongly" condemned a heavy bombing that rendered the Palestinian Red Crescent's aid warehouse in Gaza unusable.

"We strongly condemn all attacks on humanitarian aid workers and facilities, especially those targeting the dedicated staff and volunteers of the Palestinian Red Crescent, who work tirelessly to meet humanitarian needs under challenging conditions," said the Turkish Red Crescent in a statement.

"The warehouse belongs to the Palestinian Red Crescent, our humanitarian aid partner. There is no Turkish Red Crescent warehouse in Gaza," it added.

1704 GMT — Israeli jets hit Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza

Israeli warplanes made a direct hit on the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza, inflicting severe damage, the hospital director has said.

"Israeli warplanes bombed the third floor of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only hospital in Gaza for cancer patients," Dr Subhi Skaik told Türkiye's Anadolu.

He added that the Israeli bombing "caused extensive damage, as a fire broke out in the floor before being contained."

Skaik also said the Israeli bombing damaged some of the electromechanical systems, as well as exposed medical staff and patients alike to danger.

In an earlier statement, he said that the Israeli army had repeatedly bombed the vicinity of the hospital in recent days.

1700 GMT — China calls for a two-state solution amid the Israel-Palestine conflict

China has called for a two-state solution amid the Israeli conflict in Gaza, pledging to "do everything it can to help implement" the solution, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

"China firmly supports anything that is conducive to promoting dialogue, achieving cease-fire and restoring peace," said Wang in Beijing.

He added that "China will do everything it can to help implement the two-state solution and promote a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue. We will continue to make unremitting efforts to this end together with the international community," Beijing-based Global Times reported.

1644 GMT — Female soldier hostage freed from Gaza: Israeli army

A female Israeli soldier was released from captivity in Gaza, the army said, following an operation in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.

"Last night, soldier Ori Megidish was released during a ground operation after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7," the army said in a statement.

"The soldier was medically checked, is doing well, and has met with her family."

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a photograph of Megidish in which she is seen surrounded by her family members.

1631 GMT — Israel making 'systematic progress' in Gaza: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his war cabinet that Israel is making "systematic progress" in its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu said the Israeli army "has expanded its ground entry into Gaza, it is doing it in measured, very powerful steps, making systematic progress one step at a time", according to an official video statement at the start of the meeting.

1611 GMT — Time is running out for humanitarian pause in Gaza: Canada

Canada's foreign minister reiterated a call for a humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza and said there is little time left to get Canadians and hostages out while delivering badly needed aid.

"Four hundred Canadians are trapped in Gaza, they are living in fear and despair... And that is why we need humanitarian pauses, a humanitarian truce, in Gaza," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in the text of a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto.

"Time is running out. We need an agreement from all parties to get foreign nationals out, including Canadians. To release all hostages. And to allow food, fuel and water into Gaza," she said.

1528 GMT — Gaza breakdown halts four aid distribution centres: UNWRA

A breakdown in civil order has put four UN aid distribution centres and a storage facility out of action in Gaza as people search desperately for food and water, a UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) official has said.

Tom White, director of UNWRA Affairs in Gaza, also said that a logistics base at the Rafah border crossing vital to aid distribution had become increasingly difficult to operate because 8,000 people were sheltering at it.

"With the breakdown of civil order, every day now we've got hundreds of people trying to get into the warehouses to steal flour," he told Reuters.

"Right now people are in survival mode. It's about getting enough flour and it's about getting enough water."

1519 GMT — Turkish, Malaysian foreign ministers discuss Israel-Palestine conflict

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation with his Malaysian counterpart Zambry Abdul Kadir, as the duo discussed the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

No further details were shared of the phone call

1515 GMT — Buckling Gaza health service turns to volunteers

Gaza medical chiefs are turning to volunteers to help run an emergency service buckling under Israel's offensive as ambulances struggle to reach bomb sites past rubble-strewn roads and with ever-depleting supplies of fuel.

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has called on all trained paramedics to help staff hospitals and call-out teams, but though dozens have responded the system is still in dire need of more workers, it said.

"I have not gone home since the first day of the war. I shower here, sleep here and eat here," said Loay al Astal, a volunteer emergency worker in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave.

1514 GMT — First cargo of Italian aid for Gaza lands in Egypt: Minister

The first cargo of Italian aid for Gaza landed in Egypt, the Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, has announced.

"A great team effort coordinated by the Italian Foreign Minister with an Italian Air Force flight departed from the UN hub in (southern Italia city of) Brindisi. 16 tons of essential goods destined to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians," said Tajani on X.

1447 GMT — Israel PM calls Hamas hostage video 'cruel propaganda'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced as "cruel psychological propaganda" a Hamas video the Palestinian group said showed three hostages seized by fighters in a massive October 7 operation.

"This is cruel psychological propaganda by Hamas-ISIS," Netanyahu said in comments released by his office soon after the video was released, likening the Gaza fighters to Daesh.

Netanyahu named the three women as Yelena Trupanob, Daniel Aloni and Rimon Kirsht, and vowed "to bring all the abducted and missing people home".

1446 GMT — Jordanian king meets UNRWA chief, calls for support to humanitarian organisations in Gaza

Jordanian King Abdullah II has called on the international community to support the work of international humanitarian organisations in Gaza, including the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

According to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court, the monarch met UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini in Amman and reaffirmed the importance of an immediate cease-fire in the besieged Palestinian enclave, and enabling the work of humanitarian organisations to proceed without impediments.

1334 GMT — Israeli captive urges Netanyahu to release jailed Palestinians

"Release us now and release all their citizens," an Israeli captive in Gaza has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video released by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, referring to Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

Hamas released a video it said showed three women from among at least 239 people that Israel says were abducted to Gaza during the October 7 operation by the group.

"We're facing this situation because of the failure you (Netanyahu) caused on Oct. 7, you are obliged to release us all," said the captive.

It was not immediately possible to verify the identity of the women in the 76-second video in which one calls for Israel to make a deal for the release of all captives. Hamas said the women were "Zionist detainees".

1307 GMT — Egypt’s Al Azhar urges help for Palestinians amid Israeli bombardment

Al Azhar Al Sharif, the highest seat of learning in the Islamic world, has called for providing help to the Palestinians amid an Israeli campaign of aerial bombardment in Gaza.

"Al Azhar urges governments of the Arab and Islamic countries to race to provide help to their brothers in Palestine, and to mobilise their capabilities, wealth, and sources of power to support them and stop the aggression of this usurping entity against them," the Egypt-based institution said in a statement.

It termed the Israeli military as a "terrorist army that lacks all meanings of morality and humanity, and permits various brutal crimes from bombing hospitals, destroying mosques and churches to killing children, women, reporters, and innocent citizens."

It hailed countries, organisations, and officials "who came out to condemn these brutal massacres in Gaza and demanded a halt to the Zionist aggression and the killing of children and innocents."

1250 GMT — Top Vatican, Iranian diplomats discuss situation in Gaza

The Vatican’s top diplomat discussed the latest situation in Gaza with his Iranian counterpart, the Vatican Press Office has announced.

During the phone call with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, which was requested by the Iranian side, Vatican Foreign Affairs Secretary Paul Richard Gallagher expressed the Vatican's “serious concern about what is happening in Israel and Palestine and reiterated the absolute necessity to avoid escalating the conflict,” the office said.

In addition, Gallagher reaffirmed the Vatican’s commitment to achieve a two-state solution for a stable and lasting peace in the Mideast.

1235 GMT — Israel freezes tax revenues for Palestinian Authority

Israel’s finance minister froze the transfer of tax revenues amounting to some $188 million monthly to the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to Israeli media.

Bezalel Smotrich said the funds will be withheld over the failure of the Ramallah-based authority to condemn an Oct. 7. cross-border operation by the Hamas group into Israeli territory, which began the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The PA didn't see fit to distance itself from these barbarian actions, and officials in the authority even expressed support for the awful massacre," Smotrich, a far-right Cabinet minister, said in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

"Furthermore, the PA is acting against Israel at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice,” he said.

There was no comment yet from the Palestinian Authority on the Israeli move.

1226 GMT — Lebanon working to avoid 'war' with Israel: PM

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister said he was working to ensure his country does not enter the Palestine-Israel war, even as Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging cross-border fire.

Najib Mikati said he feared an escalation, with the border skirmishes stoking concerns that Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement could open a new front with Israel.

"I am doing my duty to prevent Lebanon from entering the war" raging further south, Najib Mikati told AFP in an interview.

1205 GMT — Five killed in occupied West Bank during Israeli raids: ministry

Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in the West Bank, said health officials in the occupied territory, as violence has escalated amid Israel's attacks against Hamas in Gaza.

The army said its forces encountered explosive devices in a raid on Jenin and labelled another incursion, near Hebron, a "counterterrorism operation".

The Palestinian Health Ministry said four people aged 23 to 28 were killed during the Israeli early morning raid on the northern city of Jenin.

According to the official Palestinian agency Wafa, "more than 100 military vehicles and two bulldozers" took part.

The raid targeted Jenin and its refugee camp, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups and the target of frequent military incursions.

Another nine people were wounded, a ministry statement said.

Military drones hovered over the area and army snipers were positioned on buildings around Jenin's main hospital, Wafa said.

1154 GMT — Palestinian death toll from Israeli fire in occupied West Bank rises to 122 since Oct. 7

Two more Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, taking the death toll from Israeli fire in the occupied territory since the start of the current conflict in Gaza to 122, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said a 23-year-old man was shot dead by Israeli forces at the entrance of Yata town, south of Hebron city.

The fatality occurred in clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli forces, which used live fire and tear gas canisters, according to witnesses.

Another Palestinian succumbed to injuries he sustained in an attack by Israeli settlers near Ramallah city last week, the Health Ministry said.

1140 GMT — Germany calls on Israel to protect Palestinians from settler violence

Germany condemned Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank and urged the Israeli government to take measures to protect Palestinians from violent attacks.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said Germany backs Israel's right to self-defence against the Palestinian group Hamas. Still, the Tel Aviv government should also counter extremist settler violence.

"We clearly condemn the attacks and violence by the settlers against the Palestinian communities," Fischer said, adding that these attacks in the occupied territories claimed many lives in recent weeks.

"We are calling on Israel to protect the Palestinians from the acts of the extremist settlers and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice," he stressed.

1132 GMT — Death toll from Israeli assaults on Gaza climbs to 8,300

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli bombardment in Gaza has climbed to 8,306, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave has said.

"The fatalities include 3,457 children and 2,136 women, while more than 21,048 people were injured," ministry spokesperson Ashraf al Qudra told a news conference in Gaza.

He said 25 hospitals were forced out of service and 25 ambulances were targeted in Israeli air strikes in Gaza.

"The occupation deliberately seeks to paralyse ambulance service," he added.

1108 GMT — South Africa calls for UN force to protect civilians in Gaza

South Africa called for the United Nations to deploy a rapid protection force to protect civilians in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza from further bombardment as Israel steps up its retaliation for an operation by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

South Africa has long been an advocate for peace in the region, likening the plight of Palestinians to its own under the apartheid regime that ended in 1994.

In calling for a protection force, South Africa has gone further in its support for the Palestinians than most nations, some of which have called for a ceasefire or the opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow aid into Gaza.

1031 GMT — Israeli tanks withdraw from main highway after brief incursion: Gaza government

Israeli tanks have withdrawn from Salah al Din Street in Gaza City after a brief incursion, the government in Gaza said.

"There are no Israeli tanks in Salah al Din street and life has returned to normal," the Government Media Office said in a statement.

"The occupation is trying to paint an unreal picture regarding the presence of its forces inside Gaza, but they can’t stay in the territory under the resistance strikes," the media office said.

"There is no ground incursion into residential neighbourhoods in Gaza," it added.

0829 GMT — Over 1,538 Israelis killed since October 7

More than 1,538 Israelis have been killed since the outbreak of the Gaza crisis on Oct. 7, the public broadcaster KAN has said.

KAN said 823 bodies have so far been identified and 715 have already been buried.

On Sunday, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the military deaths in the Gaza war reached 311.

According to the Israeli Health Ministry, 5,431 Israelis have also been injured in the conflict.

0823 GMT — Iran tells US to stop blaming Tehran for Hamas's operation on Israel

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson has said the US should refrain from blaming Tehran for Hamas' October 7 operation on Israel.

"Stop it," Nasser Kanaani said when asked by a journalist about statements by US officials, including President Joe Biden, accusing Iran of developments in Gaza.

0810 GMT — Israel strikes two houses, kills 14 in Gaza

At least 14 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on two dwellings in Gaza, Palestinian Interior Ministry in the blockaded enclave has said.

The strike targeted a house in the town of Zawaida, northeast of the central Deir al Balah city, killing 11 people and injuring several others, the ministry said in a statement.

Three others were killed in another strike on a house in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, the ministry added.

0811 GMT — Israel: Over 600 Gaza targets hit in 24 hours

Israel's military has said it had struck more than 600 targets in Gaza in the past 24 hours, one of the heaviest bombardments yet in its war on the Palestinian enclave.

"We have hit more than 600 targets in the past 24 hours," a military spokesperson told AFP, a rise of 450 targets reported on Sunday.

0805 GMT — Israeli tanks enter Gaza from east and north

Israeli tanks have entered the edge of Gaza City and cut a key road from the north to the south of the war-torn Palestinian territory, witnesses told AFP.

The witnesses said tanks were seen in the Zaytun district.

"They have cut the Salah al Din road and are firing at any vehicle that tries to go along it," said one resident.

Separately, Israeli armoured vehicles move from east of Gaza and reach Salah al Din Street in Gaza City according to witnesses speaking to Anadolu Agency.

Israel's chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari also said during a regular press briefing that it is "advancing gradually" in Gaza and will step up the offensive "according to phases, goals of war."

Following the Israeli report, Hamas released a statement indicating that Israeli tanks withdrew from Salah al Din Street, asserting that it demonstrates Israel's inability to remain in the enclave under Palestinian armed groups' strikes.

Israeli forces have stepped up ground operations in Gaza in recent days following a relentless air bombardment of the besieged enclave after the Palestinian group Hamas launched a major assault on Israel.

0648 GMT — Israel says 'dozens' of fighters killed in Gaza raids

The Israeli army has said that its forces killed "dozens" of fighters in clashes through the night in Gaza.

The army said "troops killed dozens of terrorists who barricaded themselves in buildings and tunnels and attempted to attack the troops".

0536 GMT — Egypt reportedly arranges for entry of 60 aid trucks into Gaza

Arrangements by Egypt are underway for the entry of 60 aid trucks into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, local media reported.

"Egypt is continuing its efforts to ensure the continued entry of aid into Gaza and its increase to meet the needs of Palestinian citizens, as 48 trucks of various aid (materials) entered today," the Egyptian Cairo News Channel has reported.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said separately on Sunday that 118 trucks had entered the besieged Palestinian enclave through its southern border since the beginning of intense Israeli bombardment and blockade on Gaza earlier this month.

Fuel, however, has not been allowed, it noted.

0459 GMT — Hindering Gaza aid could be a crime: ICC prosecutor

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor warned Sunday that blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza could constitute a crime.

"Impeding relief supplies as provided by the Geneva Conventions may constitute a crime within the court jurisdiction," Karim Khan told reporters in Cairo.

He was speaking after a visit to Egypt's Rafah crossing, where he said trucks full of desperately needed goods remained stuck and unable to cross into Gaza.

"I saw trucks full of goods, full of humanitarian assistance stuck where nobody needs them, stuck in Egypt, stuck at Rafah," he said.

"These supplies must get to the civilians of Gaza without delay."

0308 GMT — 33 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday: UN

More than 30 aid trucks entered Gaza, the largest convoy to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory since deliveries began trickling in again over a week ago, the UN said.

The United Nations humanitarian organisation OCHA said 33 trucks carrying water, food and medical supplies had gone into Gaza on Sunday, through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

0212 GMT — Israel reopens 2nd water pipeline into Gaza

Israel has reopened the second of three pipelines supplying water to Gaza, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said the pipeline was reopened, the Times of Israel newspaper reported.

Opening the pipeline will allow a total of 28.5 million liters of potable water to flow daily, which constitutes a little more than half of what Israel was supplying to Gaza, or nearly 49 million liters per day, before on October 7.

0144 GMT — 2 Al Quds Brigades members killed in clashes with Israeli army near Lebanese border

The Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said that two of its members were killed in clashes in the Israeli area of Hanita near the Lebanese border.

The group said the two members were killed late Sunday “while carrying out the heroic operation at the Hanita military site.” It noted that the operation took place after infiltrating through Israel’s security fence.

0004 GMT — 47 mosques, 3 churches damaged in Gaza since October 7

Continuous Israeli attacks on Gaza have led to the destruction of 47 mosques and damage to three churches, the local government media office said.

“Israeli raids on Gaza have caused the destruction of 47 mosques and damaged three churches and 203 schools in addition to 80 government buildings,” the director of the office, Salama Maarouf, said at a press conference.

He said the number of medical personnel killed by Israel had reached 116 along with 18 members of rescue teams and civil defense crews and 35 journalists.

0000 GMT — Israel must protect Gaza civilians, says White House as calls for aid grow

Israel must protect innocent Gaza residents by distinguishing between Hamas and civilians, the White House warned, as world leaders stepped up calls for desperately needed humanitarian aid to reach the war-torn Palestinian territory.

Israel has intensified its air and ground operations in Gaza following a surprise attack by Hamas more than three weeks ago that Israeli authorities say killed at least 1,400 people.

Since the October 7 attack, more than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's relentless retaliatory bombardments, half of them children, says the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.

The United Nations earlier warned that "civil order" was starting to collapse in Gaza after thousands of people ransacked its food warehouses there, taking wheat, flour and other supplies.

The bloodshed saw the Biden administration warn Israel that it must protect civilian lives.

2200 GMT — Israeli army says 239 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza

The Israeli army said that 239 people are being held by the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Speaking at a press conference broadcast by Israeli Army Radio, spokesman Daniel Hagari said the families of 239 abductees in Gaza have been informed that their relatives are being held by Hamas. Hagari pointed out that foreign workers are among the prisoners.

2150 GMT — Egypt will never allow displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to Egyptian territory, el Sisi tells Biden

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told his US counterpart Joe Biden that Egypt will never allow the displacement of Palestinians from their lands to Egyptian territory.

“Egypt has not and will never allow the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egyptian territory,” el Sisi told Biden in a phone call, according to a statement released by the Egyptian presidency.

For our live updates from Sunday (October 29), click here.