Live blog: Israeli bombing intensifies around Gaza hospitals

Sunday, November 5, 2023

2023 GMT — Palestinian government in Gaza said the Israeli army carried out "intense bombings" around several hospitals in the north of Gaza, shortly after telecommunications were cut.

"For more than an hour, intense bombings have been taking place around hospitals," said Salama Marouf, the head of the government's media office.

The vicinity of the Palestinian territory's largest hospital, Al Shifa, saw particularly heavy strikes, according to Marouf.

The bombing came after the Israeli military once again accused Hamas of using hospitals in their military campaign against Israel. Hamas has repeatedly rejected the charge and said it was open to allowing international monitors to inspect hospitals for signs of use by combatants.

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2122 GMT — Israeli army says they imposed complete blockade on Gaza City

The Israeli army announced that it has completed a blockade of Gaza City and divided the Gaza Strip into two sections, calling on residents to move south.

“The army, under the command of the Golani Brigade, has completed the blockade of Gaza City and reached its coast,” spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference, adding the move is “extremely important to pressure Hamas.”

Hagari said the army has also divided Gaza into “two sections -- north and south.”

He again called on Gazans to move south, saying, “we have already intensified the attacks tonight in a very effective manner.”

2057 GMT — Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar condemn Israeli official's statements on using nuclear weapon on Gaza

The Arab nations of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and Yemen all strongly condemned an Israeli Cabinet minister’s statement that dropping a bomb on Gaza is one of Israel’s “options” going forward.

"The failure to immediately dismiss the minister from the government and merely suspending his membership reflects the utmost disregard for all human, ethical, religious, and legal standards by the Israeli government," said the Saudi Foreign Ministry, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

Jordan also condemned the official's statements, calling them a "call for genocide and a hate crime that cannot be ignored, as well as incitement to murder and the commission of war crimes, in addition to the crimes committed against the people of Gaza."

1854 GMT — Israeli military says it split Gaza in two

The Israeli army said its land assault on Gaza had split the besieged Palestinian enclave in two, with "significant" strikes continuing in its war against Palestine.

Israeli forces "have encircled Gaza City... Now there exists a south Gaza and a north Gaza," said army spokesman Daniel Hagari.

1849 GMT — UN agency says 1.5M people displaced in Gaza since October 7

At least 1.5 million people have been displaced in Gaza, with nearly half of them sheltering in 149 of its facilities, a United Nations agency has confirmed.

The Israeli army widened its air and ground attacks on Gaza, which has been under heavy air strikes since October 7.

The residents of Gaza are suffering from a catastrophic humanitarian and health situation. Israel still bars fuel entry into Gaza, leaving many hospitals out of service.

According to the UN and Red Cross, an insufficient amount of humanitarian aid is being allowed to Gaza, which has been under a total blockade for 30 days.

1846 GMT — Blinken visits Iraq unannounced, meets Iraqi PM

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Iraq as he tours the Middle East after a recent conflict erupted between Israel and Palestine last month.

After an earlier visit to the occupied West Bank, Blinken landed in Baghdad for his first visit to the country as the US top diplomat and held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al Sudani.

After throwing its weight behind Tel Aviv, Washington has now stepped up diplomacy with regional countries whose populations have been angered by Israel's assault on Gaza that has killed close to 10,000 people, mostly civilians and including a large number children.

1844 GMT — Lebanon vows to complain to UN about Israel burning 462 hectares of southern farms, forests

Beirut will file official complaints to UN officials about Israel's "scorched earth" policy after Israeli phosphorus shells burned 462 hectares (1,143 acres) of agricultural and forestland in southern Lebanon, a Lebanese cabinet minister said.

"462 hectares were burned by enemy Israeli phosphorus shells in the border towns of southern Lebanon," Environment Minister Nasser Yassin said on X.

"Those shells ignited over 100 fires, spreading across extensive forested areas with high environmental significance, agricultural lands and tens of thousands of olive trees," he added.

1743 GMT — Woman, three children killed in Israeli air strike in south Lebanon: local officials

Four civilians, three of them children, were killed by an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon, a local civil defence official and Lebanese state-run media said.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that one Israeli was also killed in a strike launched by Hezbollah.

He did not specify whether the person was a civilian or a soldier.

1607 GMT — Palestinians protest Blinken's visit to Ramallah

Dozens of Palestinians organised a protest in the centre of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah to protest US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the city and demanded the Palestinian Authority cut talks with him.

A group of protesters gathered in Al Manara Square in central Ramallah and raised banners and chanted slogans condemning the US role in the Israeli war on Gaza and accused the Biden administration of active participation in the war.

"We stand here today against the visit of war criminal and Israel's partner, Antony Blinken," Bassam Al-Salhi, secretary-general of the Palestinian People's Party, told Anadolu. "Blinken comes to Ramallah today like a murderer walking at the funeral of the victim he murdered. We reject the American policy."

1526 GMT — Hamas says it destroyed six Israeli tanks

Hamas's Qassam Brigades said that its members had destroyed six Israeli tanks with Yassin 105 shells and killed a number of soldiers since morning.

The brigades said, in a series of statements on its Telegram channel, that its fighters had destroyed, with locally-made Yassin 105 shells, an Israeli tank northwest of Gaza City, two tanks in Tal al Hawa (south of Gaza City), and three others in Beit Hanoun (northern Gaza).

It added that its members "engaged in armed clashes with enemy forces northwest of Gaza this morning and last night, and destroyed a tank with an Al Yassin 105 shell," adding that its fighters "confirmed that they killed a number of soldiers at close range."

1450 GMT — 2 Turkish ships carrying field hospitals, ambulances for injured Palestinians greenlighted to enter Egyptian ports

Two Turkish ships, loaded with field hospitals and ambulances for injured Palestinians in Gaza, have been granted permission to enter Egyptian ports, the country's health minister said.

The ships are currently in Turkish territorial waters and can be deployed at any time for the shipment of field hospitals and ambulances that Türkiye wants to send to Egypt to be used to treat injured Gazans, Fahrettin Koca said on X.

Koca said he had a meeting with Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar late on Saturday and discussed about the people in Gaza who cannot access health care services due to Israeli attacks.

1230 GMT — Qatar regrets global reactions to Israel's bombings in Gaza

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani regretted that international reactions to Israel's bombing of civilians in Gaza are "shameful."

"The international community's reactions to the Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza are not at the required level, and may sometimes be shameful," Al Thani told a joint news conference with his visiting French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Doha.

He stressed the necessity of coordination with regional and international partners to reach "an immediate, permanent and sustainable humanitarian truce that leads to the cessation of hostilities."

1217 GMT — 'Türkiye will never leave its brothers and sisters in Gaza alone': Erdogan

It is Türkiye's duty to stop the bloodshed in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said during a ceremony in the northeastern Rize province.

The Turkish president said that Türkiye has an obligation to "save Palestinians from Israel's oppression."

"It is our duty to stop the bloodshed in Gaza, which is being carried out in front of the very eyes of the international community," he said, adding: "We are doing and will continue to do more than what is visible," Erdogan said, implying Türkiye's efforts for Palestinian people.

1153 GMT — Hamas decries Israeli minister's remarks about 'nuking Gaza'

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas denounced the remarks of an Israeli minister on using a "nuclear bomb" in Gaza.

"These statements reflect the unprecedented criminal Zionist terrorism practiced by this fascist government and its leaders against our people," said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem in a statement seen by Anadolu.

He added: "These Nazi statements by a minister in the occupation government are results of some countries unconditional support (to Israel), especially the United States."

1130 GMT — Palestinians in Gaza must not be 'forcibly displaced': Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to the occupied West Bank as part of his Middle East tour, the office of the Palestinian president said.

According to Palestinian president's office, the US scretary of state urged a stop to "extremist violence" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Blinken that there must be an immediate ceasefire and an allowing of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

1101 GMT — Initial cost of Gaza war for Israel amounts to $51B: report

Preliminary Israeli estimates showed that the war on Gaza would cost the state budget $51B.

The country's finance ministry's initial estimate of the cost of the war on the state treasury is "based on the fact that the situation will not extend for more than a year, no additional arenas will be developed, and reserve soldiers will return to work soon," Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

The finance ministry's assessment indicated that "in the event of war, the recovery will be slow, and the economy will not return to its pre-war trend."

1042 GMT — France FM urges 'immediate humanitarian truce' in Israeli war on Gaza

France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has called for an "immediate" humanitarian pause in Israel's aggression as casualties climb in the besieged Gaza, whose population is living on dwindling supplies.

Colonna, who met with her Qatari counterpart in Doha, added that France was working to have a resolution on a truce adopted by the UN Security Council.

0958 GMT — Blinken visits occupied West Bank

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a high-security surprise visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, according to photographs released by the Palestinian Authority.

The top US diplomat met with Abbas in Ramallah as global concern grows over rising violence in the occupied territory since October 7.

0953 GMT — Gaza evacuations suspended

Gaza evacuations have been suspended after an Israeli strike on ambulances, according to an Egyptian security source and medical source.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson has said Qatar is working with Egypt to ensure the Rafah crossing remains open.

Qatari foreign minister has also said that international reactions to Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza are "not at the required level, sometimes shameful."

0858 GMT — Israeli strike kills 21 from one family: Gaza health ministry

Twenty-one Palestinians from one family were killed in Israeli strikes targeting Gaza overnight, the Health Ministry in Gaza has said.

0813 GMT — Anadolu cameraman's family killed

Israeli air strike has killed four children, three siblings of Anadolu Agency's cameraman Mohamed Alaloul; his wife, mother, father, and another child of him wounded as his home was destroyed.

0630 GMT — Israeli fire traps burns Palestinians to death in East Jerusalem

At least two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the town of Abu Dis, occupied East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian media.

The official Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that "two young men were shot dead by Israeli forces while six others were injured in the town of Abu Dis, east of occupied Jerusalem."

"Large forces from the occupation army stormed the town of Abu Dis, surrounded a house which caused violent confrontations in the place," eyewitnesses said.

0100 GMT — Hezbollah says targeted Israeli soldiers in northern settlement

Hezbollah has said that it targeted several Israeli soldiers inside a home in the settlement of Metula in northern Israel.

The Lebanese group said it inflicted direct casualties among Israeli soldiers. It added that the attack was in response to the Israeli killing of Lebanese civilians in recent days.

The Israeli army claimed no injuries to its soldiers from the attack by Hezbollah and said fighter jets struck a number of sites belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

0057 GMT — Israel says 345 soldiers killed since October 7

The Israeli army has said it has lost 345 soldiers since the outbreak of fighting in Gaza.

Spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a news conference that four soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the death toll to 345.

The Israeli army said 29 soldiers were killed in Gaza since last Tuesday when it started a ground invasion in Gaza. Hagari said fighting is ongoing across the territory, and the army aims to dismantle the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

2300 GMT — Israeli military kills 51 in air strike on Al Maghazi camp

Israeli military has killed at least 51 Palestinians and wounded dozens others in an air strike on Al Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, Palestinian WAFA agency reported.

A spokesperson for the Health Ministry in Gaza, Ashraf al Qidra, said a large number of people were killed without giving an exact figure, adding scores of people with severe wounds were laying on the ground of a hospital's emergency ward.

Maghazi is located in the Deir al Balah Governorate in the central Gaza.

2100 GMT — Biden says progress made on humanitarian pause

President Joe Biden has suggested there have been some advances in US attempts to persuade Israel to pause military strikes on Gaza for humanitarian reasons.

In a brief exchange with reporters as he left St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Biden was asked if there was progress, and he responded, "Yes," but did not share specifics.

This comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Arab counterparts.

For our live updates from Saturday (November 4), click here.