Live blog: Dozens dead in latest Israeli strike on Gaza's Jabalia camp

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Twenty-five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house in Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, Hamas media reported.

Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against Gaza, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the attack was in retaliation for the storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers' growing violence against Palestinians.

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1926 GMT — Canada supports Israeli right to defence under international law : Trudeau

Canada supports Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said, condemning Palestinian group Hamas for taking hostages during its operation last weekend.

Trudeau though side-stepped questions about whether Israel's decision to seal off Gaza and cut off water and power supplies to the enclave was justified.

1921 GMT — Gaza residents must 'remain on their land': Egypt's Sisi

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has said that Gaza residents must "stay steadfast and remain on their land", amid calls for Cairo to allow safe passage for civilians stuck in Gaza.

Egypt is committed to ensuring the delivery "of aid, both medical and humanitarian at this difficult time", Sisi said, affirming Cairo's "firm position" of ensuring Palestinians' "legitimate rights".

But he stressed, in a speech at a military ceremony, that Gazans must "stay steadfast and remain on their land".

1844 GMT — Israel's parliament approves national unity government

Israel's parliament has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency unity government, including a number of centrist opposition lawmakers, to display its determination to fight the war with Hamas in Gaza.

The government, approved after Saturday's attack by Hamas that governs Gaza, underlines the suspension of normal political rules during one of the most serious crises in Israel's history.

"This is a war for our home, it must end with one thing - in total victory, and the crushing and elimination of Hamas," Netanyahu told parliament, calling Oct. 7 "the most horrible day for Jewish people since the Holocaust."

1744 GMT — US to arrange flights to help citizens leave Israel: White House

The White House has said it was working to organize charter flights to help US citizens leave Israel as the number of confirmed American dead in the war with Hamas rose to 27.

"Beginning tomorrow, (the) United States government will arrange charter flights to provide transportation from Israel to sites in Europe," said White House national security spokesman John Kirby, adding that officials were "still working through some of the details."

"We can now update the number of Americans that we know have been killed to 27 and the number of unaccounted for stands today at 14, " Kirby said.

1626 GMT — G7 finance leaders condemn Hamas attacks on Israel

"We unequivocally condemn the recent terror attacks by Hamas on the State of Israel and express our solidarity with the Israeli people," the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors said in a joint communique after meeting on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual gathering in Morocco.

1626 GMT — Lebanon to file protest against Israel at UNSC: caretaker PM

Lebanon will lodge an urgent protest against Israel at the United Nations Security Council, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said.

"Lebanon is in the eye of the storm, feels deep concern over what is happening at its southern border, which is a result of repeated Israeli provocations and repeated Israeli violations of UN Resolution 1701," Mikati added in a statement.

1606 GMT — Israel opposition leader accuses govt of 'unpardonable failure'

Opposition leader Yair Lapid has accused the Israeli government of "unpardonable failure" for not preventing the weekend attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel.

"Saturday's failure is unpardonable," Lapid said in a televised address, adding that he would not join the emergency government announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with his rival Benny Gantz.

1606 GMT — Türkiye strives to find solution for Israel-Palestine conflict: Parliament speaker

Ankara is making efforts to find a solution to the tension between Israel and Palestine, Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus has said.

"Türkiye has been trying to make a great contribution from the beginning to resolve the tension between Israel and Palestine so that civilian casualties and bloodshed of innocent people could be avoided," Kurtulmus said at a general debate in the parliament on the conflict.

Türkiye has been taking "very serious" steps and holding diplomatic contacts to establish a cease-fire so that the people of Gaza can breathe, he added.

1559 GMT — Blinken to visit Qatar to discuss Hamas: US official

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Doha later this week to discuss Hamas with Qatari leaders.

"Tomorrow, Secretary Blinken will travel to Qatar to meet with senior officials there," a US official said Thursday.

A source with knowledge of the visit told AFP that Blinken's discussions would "focus on joint Qatari-US efforts to secure the release of hostages and de-escalate".

1551 GMT — Palestinian death toll tops 1,400

The Palestinian death toll has risen to 1,417, including 447 children and 248 women, from a massive Israeli air campaign against Gaza, the Health Ministry said.

At least 6,268 people were injured in the bombardment since Saturday, including 1,531 children and 932 women, according to a statement.

Ten medics were also killed in Israeli attacks, said the ministry.

1551 GMT — Germany’s Scholz praises Qatar for mediation efforts in conflict

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has thanked Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for his country’s mediation efforts in the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and the fate of hostages held by Hamas during their meeting in Berlin, Scholz’s spokesman said in a statement.

1548 GMT — Egypt urges Israel to halt air strikes on Rafah border crossing

Egypt has urged Israel to avoid attacking the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to allow for repairs and restoration after Israeli air strikes 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 spokesperson wrote on X.

"However, its facilities on the Palestinian side have been destroyed due to Israeli airstrikes, which affected its operations."

1539 GMT — France bans pro-Palestinian protests

France has said it was banning all pro-Palestinian demonstrations, on the grounds such protests threaten "public order."

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a note to regional prefects that the demonstrations "are likely to generate disturbances to public order", adding that organisers should face arrest.

1525 GMT — Israel’s army chief vows Gaza 'will never be the same again'

Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi has vowed to launch a long and decisive attack on Gaza, 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.

1522 GMT — Türkiye ready to mediate between Israel, Palestine: Erdogan

Türkiye stands ready to take peaceful steps towards ending in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian clashes as soon as possible, including mediation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Scholz.

In a phone call, Erdogan and Scholz exchanged views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 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.

President Erdogan emphasised 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.

1513 GMT — Abbas urges 'immediate end to aggression' against Palestinians

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has called for "an immediate end to the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people", his office said following a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

In his first public remarks since early Saturday, Abbas rejected "practices related to killing civilians or abusing them on both sides", according to a statement.

The two leaders met in Amman and discussed "ways to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and deliver aid and relief" to besieged Gaza, the statement said.

They called for steps to prevent a deterioration in the Gaza crisis and they condemned what they called Israel's "collective punishment" of Palestinians.

1510 GMT — Palestinian issue is core of Middle East conflict: China's Wang Yi

China's top diplomat and foreign minister Wang Yi has said the Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East conflict, and that crux of the matter was that "justice" had been denied to the Palestinian people.

Wang made the remarks in a phone call with Celso Amorim, the top adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Wang also said China opposed acts that harm civilians and condemned violations of international law, according to a statement posted on Beijing's foreign ministry website.

1502 GMT — EU warns TikTok over 'illegal content and disinformation'

The EU's top tech enforcer, Commissioner Thierry Breton, has warned TikTok over "illegal content and disinformation" on its platform.

The alert, and a demand that Chinese-owned TikTok respond within 24 hours with details on how it is curbing online disinformation, mirrored similar warnings Breton issued this week to X, formerly Twitter, and Facebook parent Meta.

"Given that your platform is extensively used by children and teenagers, you have a particular obligation to protect them from violent content depicting hostage-taking and other graphic videos which are reportedly widely circulating on your platform, without appropriate safeguards," Breton said in a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.

1458 GMT — UN agency warns food, fresh water rapidly running out in Gaza

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that crucial supplies were running dangerously low in Gaza after Israel imposed a total blockade on the occupied territory.

"It's a dire situation in the Gaza Strip that we're seeing evolve with food and water being in limited supply and quickly running out," said Brian Lander, the deputy head of emergencies at WFP, which is based in Rome.

"WFP is on the ground and is responding and we're providing food to thousands of people that have sought shelter in schools and elsewhere across the territory. But we're going to run out very soon," he told Reuters TV.

1454 GMT — Israel hits Gaza with 4,000 tonnes of explosives so far: army

The Israeli army has bombarded Palestine's Gaza with approximately 6,000 bombs containing a total of 4,000 tonnes of explosives since Saturday.

"Approximately 6,000 bombs have been dropped on the Gaza Strip with a total weight of 4,000 tonnes," the army said in a statement.

More than 1,350 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as Israel has levelled entire city blocks and destroyed thousands of buildings.

1451 GMT — China 'deeply concerned' about conflict, calls for a ceasefire

China has said it was "deeply concerned" about the escalating conflict during a call with an Israeli official, Beijing's foreign ministry said.

"China is deeply concerned about the escalating tension and violence between Israel and Palestine, (and) is saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict," Middle East envoy Zhai Jun told Israeli Foreign Ministry official Rafael Harpaz, according to a ministry statement.

Beijing "condemns the harm to innocent civilians and calls for a ceasefire and an end to violence as early as possible, as well as the resumption of peace talks based on a two-state solution to enhance the confidence of the people on both sides in achieving peace," Zhai said.

1450 GMT — US says no 'conditions' on use of military support to Israel

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that Washington did not put any conditions on the way Israel can use the weapons it provides for fighting Hamas.

"We have not placed any conditions on the provision of this equipment," Austin said, after a meeting of NATO ministers in Brussels.

"This is a professional military, led by professional leadership, and we would hope and expect that they would do the right things in the prosecution of their campaign."

1449 GMT — Gaza to turn into ‘mass grave’ if aid further delayed: Official

The head of the government media office in Gaza has 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 told Anadolu Agency.

He said: "Israel is working to wipe out entire residential neighbourhoods, forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of citizens from their homes, and annihilate entire families by bombing their homes over their heads."

1349 GMT — German foreign minister to visit Israel Friday: official

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to Israel, a spokesman for her ministry has said.

Baerbock would make the "solidarity visit" to Israel as part of her efforts at "crisis diplomacy", the spokesman said on Thursday.

The visit comes the day after Baerbock held talks in Berlin with the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, seen as a potential broker in the conflict.

1320 GMT — Israel's El Al to operate rare Sabbath flights for soldiers abroad

Israeli flag carrier has announced it would operate "special flights" to bring back reserve soldiers on the Jewish day of rest, a rare move for El Al.

"El Al will operate special flights from New York and Bangkok on Friday" to retrieve reservists, rescuers, medics and members of the security forces "whose arrival into the country is vital," Israel's national carrier said in a statement.

The flights, which are expected to land at Ben Gurion airport after the start of the Sabbath on Friday evening, would be free of charge and financed by the airline along with "major US financial institutions", it added without elaborating.

1314 GMT — Israel-Hamas war a 'new cloud' over world economy: IMF

The war between Israel and Hamas has cast a shadow over the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Morocco, with warnings that it has darkened the outlook for an already sluggish global economy.

Speaking at a press conference in Marrakesh, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the International Monetary Fund was "very closely monitoring how the situation evolves" and how it is affecting oil markets.

She said it was "too early" to assess the impact of the conflict, but "this is a new cloud on not the sunniest horizon for the world economy — new cloud, darkening this horizon."

1304 GMT — India reiterates backing for independent Palestine

India considers the weekend operation by Hamas fighters in Israel a "terrorist attack", a spokesperson for the country's foreign ministry has said, while reiterating its longstanding position for an independent Palestine.

"India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side-by-side at peace with Israel," spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a weekly briefing.

1251 GMT — NATO urges Israel to keep Gaza response in proportion

NATO countries have told Israel's defence minister they stood by Israel after the attack by Hamas, but urged his forces to respond with "proportionality".

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant briefed counterparts from the US-led military alliance via videolink as his country continues to bombard Gaza.

In Gaza, officials have reported more than 1,200 people killed in Israel's campaign of air and artillery strikes, while the UN said more than 338,000 people have been displaced.

1228 GMT — US 'always by' Israel's side: Blinken

Blinken has vowed on a visit to Israel that the United States will "always" back it but said the Palestinians also have "legitimate aspirations" not represented by Hamas.

"You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself," Blinken said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "But as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side."

1224 GMT — Israel seeking 'genocide' by besieging Gaza: Iran

Iran's foreign minister has accused Israel of seeking "genocide" by enforcing a siege against Gaza, according to Iranian state TV, before a visit to Iraq's capital Baghdad.

"Today, the continuation of war crimes by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and Zionists against the civilians of Gaza, besieging, cutting off water and electricity, and denying entry of medicine and food, has created conditions where the Zionists are seeking a genocide of all people in Gaza," Hossein Amirabdollahian said.

"The war we witness today in Gaza is not just the Zionists' war against Hamas, it is the Zionists' war against all Palestinians."

1207 GMT — Germany allows Israel to use two of its combat drones

Germany will allow Israel to use two of its Heron TP combat drones and is considering a request from the Jewish state for ammunition for warships, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said.

Israel has asked to use two of the five Heron TP drones that Germany's Bundeswehr leases from Israel, the German defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it had approved the request.

"We will provide the two drones that the Israelis have requested," Pistorius confirmed on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

1203 GMT — Egypt receives humanitarian aid bound for Gaza

The first shipment of humanitarian aid has arrived in Egypt's Sinai from Jordan, state-affiliated media reported, to be transported into Gaza.

El Arish airport, 50 kilometres away from the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, "has been designated by Egyptian authorities to receive international humanitarian aid from different parties and international organisations", Egypt's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.1021 GMT — Pakistan urges UN to play 'proactive' role for ceasefire in Gaza

Pakistan has urged the UN to play a "proactive" role in facilitating a ceasefire 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 in a weekly press briefing.

“Peace in the Middle East will remain elusive in the absence of such a solution,” she said, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

1011 GMT — Gaza humanitarian situation will soon be 'unmanageable': Red Cross

The humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza will become "unmanageable very quickly" Fabrizio Carboni, a senior official with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said even as the death toll due to Israeli bombardment in the enclave rose to over 1,300.

At least "1,354 citizens have been martyred and 6,049 suffered various injuries", the ministry said, updating an earlier death toll of around 1,200 that was announced at dawn on Thursday.

At least 1,300 Israelis have also been killed since a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas early on Saturday that involved dozens of fighters who infiltrated Israeli towns, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) said.

More than 3,300 Israelis have been injured in the unprecedented assault, with over 350 seriously injured.

1007 GMT — 650,000 people in Gaza face dire water shortages

The United Nations humanitarian office has reported that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza has levelled 1,000 homes since the retaliation began last Saturday, and many in the territory face dire shortages of water, fuel and medical supplies.

Another 560 housing units, it said, have been severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable. Over 12,600 homes have sustained damage due to Israeli airstrikes.

The agency, known as OCHA, also reported that all 13 hospitals in the territory are only partially operational because of severe shortages of fuel and crucial medical supplies.

It said the reduction in water supplies due to Israel tightening its siege on the strip has resulted in dire water shortages for over 650,000 people in the territory of 2.3 million.

0935 GMT — Blinken arrives in Israel to meet with officials

Blinken arrived in Israel amid its war on Hamas.

Blinken stepped down the stairs from his aircraft just before 0730 GMT at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv. He was met at the airport by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and other officials.

Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken will also meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman on Friday.

0921 GMT — Jordan sends 1st plane with humanitarian aid for Gaza Strip

Jordan has announced that it had sent a plane with humanitarian aid to Egypt for the Gaza Strip, which is under total lockdown and intense Israeli attacks.

In a statement, 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 the relief supplies will be delivered to the health authorities in Gaza via the Rafah Border crossing.

King Abdullah II announced on Oct. 10 that his country would provide emergency aid to the Gaza Strip via Egypt.

0912 GMT — Israel focusing on 'taking out' senior Hamas leaders in Gaza: army

Israel's military assault against Hamas is focusing on "taking out" the group's senior leadership in the Gaza Strip, including chief Yahya Sinwar, the army spokesman said.

"Right now, we are focused on taking out their senior leadership, not only the military leadership (but) also their governmental leadership, all the way up to Sinwar," Richard Hecht told journalists, referring to Hamas's chief in the enclave.

"They were directly connected" to the attack that Hamas launched on Israel over the weekend that left more than 1,200 people dead.

0815 GMT — Israel’s El Al to fly on Jewish Sabbath to bring back army reservists

Israel's El Al Airlines said it would to operate flights this Saturday from the United States and Asia to bring back reservists to serve in the war with Hamas, breaking a 40-year policy of not flying on the Jewish Sabbath.

El Al has not flown on the Sabbath since 1982 but it received permission from rabbis who said that preservation of life overrides other religious laws.

The airline said it would will operate two flights on Boeing 787 aircraft from New York and Bangkok to collect reservists who received military call-up orders.

The flights will be free of charge for soldiers and paid for by El Al and by large financial institutions in the United States, El Al said.

Israel has called up some 360,000 reservists to join its war against the Palestinian group Hamas.

0734 GMT — 'No water, fuel to Gaza' - Israeli Energy Minister

Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz has vowed his country would not allow basic resources or humanitarian aid into besieged Gaza until Hamas released the people it abducted during its surprise weekend onslaught.

"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 on Thursday.

Around 150 Israelis, foreigners and dual nationals are believed to be held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, which launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.

0557 GMT — Preparing for ground offensive

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 threatened an unprecedented response to Hamas’ unprecedented incursion over the weekend.

It has been launching intense air strikes and declared a total siege of Gaza since the attack by Hamas on Saturday.

0557 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 $212,000 (1 million ringgit) 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.

0522 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.

0215 GMT — Gaza death toll climbs to 1,354, with 6,049 others wounded

Gaza’s Health Ministry has announced that the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks has climbed to around 1,354, with nearly 6,049 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 were women, children and the elderly.

In a previous statement, the Health Ministry said Gaza's hospitals were operating at full capacity due to the increasing Israeli attacks.

Health Ministry spokesperson Esref al-Kudra said that due to overcrowding, patients and the wounded were being accommodated on the floors of hospitals and receiving treatment in this manner.

Al-Kudra warned that Israel continues to cut off electricity, water and fuel, which poses a "significant danger," and "a severe environmental and health catastrophe could occur," emphasising that the responsibility for this lies with the Israeli occupation.

0151 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 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.

Another US official confirmed that Blinken would visit other countries in the region after the announced trips to Israel and Jordan but did not say which ones.

Blinken and other US officials say that Hamas survives on Iranian support but that there is no evidence that Tehran directed the attacks on Israel.

0100 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.

0030 GMT — New casualties as Israeli bombs rain on Gaza

At least seven people, including women and children, have been killed and wounded in incessant Israeli bombing in Khan Younis south of besieged Gaza, according to Anadolu Agency correspondent.

The number of victims is likely to rise as rescue teams are still unable to pull out all bodies or wounded from the rubble, the news agency said, citing sources.

The fresh casualties came as the Israeli military continues to pound Gaza ahead of a possible ground invasion in the Palestinian coastal enclave.

2100 GMT — Hamas frees Israeli settler, her two children from captivity

Palestinian group Hamas has released a captured Israeli woman and her two children.

A video aired by the Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera showed a woman in a blue and pink jacket walking toward a child and the two embracing, as Hamas fighters walked away.

They appeared to be near the Gaza border fence.

"An Israeli settler and her two children were released after they were detained during the clashes," Ezzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a statement.

A video footage aired by Hamas television Al Aqsa network showed a woman dressed in a blue shirt with two children in a barbed-wired area that appeared to be between Israel and Gaza, while three Hamas fighters were seen walking away.

2235 GMT — Ultra-nationalist Israeli fans protest outside hospital in Tel Aviv

More than a hundred far-right protesters have rioted outside one of the main hospitals in Tel Aviv after hearing reports that doctors there were treating a Palestinian fighter, according to Hagai Levine, Chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians.

Protesters from La Familia — a group of notoriously racist Jerusalem fans of the "Beitar" football team — blocked the main entrance to the emergency room for three hours, according to videos circulated by doctors on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The ultra-nationalist football fans clashed violently with police and disrupted the passage of emergency crews into the hospital. At the time of the riot, Sheba hospital was not treating any fighters from Hamas, Levine said.

The protest came on the heels of a letter circulated by Israeli Health Minister Moshe Arbel that barred Israel's public hospitals from treating Plaestinian fighters. Arbel wrote that wounded fighters should be referred to the Israeli military or Israel's intelligence services.

2235 GMT — Palestinians find nowhere is safe in Gaza

Over 180,000 Palestinians in the Gaza are packed into UN shelters as Israeli warplanes pound the tiny territory of 2.3 million people.

Residents say there is no real escape in Gaza, which has been under a suffocating 16-year blockade imposed by Israel from land, air and sea.

When war breaks out, as it has four times since Hamas assumed power in 2007, even UN facilities that are supposed to be safe zones risk becoming engulfed in the fighting.

2000 GMT — Iran and Saudi Arabia discuss Israel-Palestine war

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have discussed the situation in Palestine.

In their first-ever phone conversation following the resumption of ties between Tehran and Riyadh after a seven-year hiatus, Raisi and Salman spoke for 45 minutes on the latest developments in the Palestine-Israeli conflict and highlighted the need to stop war crimes from being committed by Israel against Palestinians.

During the call, the importance of unity in the Islamic world was underscored and criticism was directed towards the support provided by the US to Israel, which continues to launch heavy attacks on civilian settlements in Gaza.

1930 GMT — Biden urges Israel to operate 'by the rules of war'

US President Joe Biden has said that Israel should abide by the rules of war in its fight against Hamas, five days after the Palestinian group's surprise attack that Israeli forces say saw more than 1,200 people killed.

Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "It is really important that Israel — (with) all the anger and frustration ... that they operate by the rules of war," Biden told a gathering of US Jewish community leaders.

Gaza officials have reported more than 12,00 people killed in Israel's sustained air and artillery strikes in recent days.

For our live updates from Tuesday (October 11), click here