Live blog: Rafah border crossing closed due to 'security circumstance' — US

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

1840 GMT — The US said that the Rafah border crossing remains closed because of a “security circumstance.”

"Our understanding is that given a security circumstance that brought the border closing, Rafah border crossing remains closed today," State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters.

"But this is something that we are continuing to work with, in partnership with the government of Egypt and the government of Israel," he said.

Patel said the US expects the border crossing will be reopened at “regular intervals” to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and foreign nationals and others to depart once security circumstances are resolved.

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1912 GMT — Collective punishment of Palestinian civilians 'amounts to war crime': UN human rights chief

Israel’s collective punishment of Palestinian civilians "amounts to a war crime," Volker Turk, the UN High commissioner for human rights said.

Turk demanded respect for international human rights laws and international humanitarian laws, and noted that "parties to the conflict have the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects."

"Attacks against medical facilities, medical personnel and the wounded and sick are prohibited," he said.

The commissioner also deplored the complete communication blackouts.

“Blackouts have serious consequences on rescue workers struggling to find and rescue the victims of strikes, families trying to find out the status of their loved ones and to access emergency medical care, and for the situation on the ground to be monitored and documented," he said, and urged the parties to now agree on a cease-fire.

1829 GMT — Hamas has lost control in northern Gaza, Israeli military claims

Hamas has lost control of northern Gaza as thousands of residents have moved south, Israel's military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing.

"We saw 50,000 Gazans move from the northern Gaza to the south. They are moving because they understand that Hamas has lost control in the north," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

"Hamas has lost control and is continuing to lose control in the north." Hagari added that there would be no ceasefire but Israel has been allowing for humanitarian pauses at specific times to allow for residents to relocate south.

1847 GMT — Israeli army says another soldier killed in Gaza combat

The Israeli army said another of its soldier was killed in Gaza, as it continued with its ground offensive.

The army in a statement said on Wednesday that “Sergeant Noam Yosef Abu, 20, from Dimona, a fighter in the 931st Battalion of the Nahal Brigade, one of the elite brigades, was killed in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip.”

The number of Israeli soldiers killed in the ground battles that began in late October has risen to 34.

1843 GMT — Netanyahu again rejects ceasefire without hostages release

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again rejected the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza, amid reports of negotiations for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas.

"I'd like to put to rest all kinds of false rumours we're hearing from all kinds of directions, and reiterate one clear thing: There will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages," he said.

1830 GMT — White House says more than 80 humanitarian trucks entered Gaza in past 24 hours

The White House said more than 80 humanitarian trucks have entered Gaza in the past 24 hours and roughly 500 to 600 Americans have yet to get out of the Palestinian enclave.

"We know we had 400 or so out so far, that leaves a population of about five to 600 left when you count family members in there," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

1807 GMT — Pro-Palestinian London rally to go ahead despite govt concerns

A pro-Palestinian rally looks set to take place in London on Saturday, despite government concerns that it could clash with the solemn annual commemorations for Britain's military war dead.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government had put pressure on the Metropolitan Police to ban the protest in the British capital.

Sunak met with Scotland Yard chief Mark Rowley to secure assurances that Armistice Day memorial services would not be disrupted and that the public would be safe from disorder.

He warned that "there remains the risk of those who seek to divide society using this weekend as a platform to do so".

1657 GMT — NATO allies back humanitarian pauses for Gaza — Stoltenberg

The allies of NATO support pauses to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

1710 GMT — Source close to Hamas says talks under way for release of 12 hostages

Negotiations are under way for the release of a dozen hostages held by Hamas, including six Americans, in return for a three-day ceasefire in Gaza, a source close to Hamas said.

"Talks revolve around the release of 12 hostages, half of them Americans, in exchange for a three-day humanitarian pause, to enable Hamas to release the hostages and to enable Egypt an extended (period of time) to deliver humanitarian aid," the source said.

1643 GMT — Italy deploys hospital ship off Gaza coast for emergency aid

Italian navy ship Vulcano, equipped with hospital instruments and operating rooms, has been deployed to the Middle East to receive and treat wounded people from Gaza, the country's defence minister said.

Guido Crosetto said that the hospital ship would first head to Cyprus island and then as close as possible to Gaza to provide emergency medical support to the Palestinian population.

Crosetto added that the government is also working on providing a field hospital that will be sent "directly to Gaza in agreement with the Palestinians."

1633 GMT — Canada PM Trudeau calls for significant "humanitarian pause" in Gaza

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for a significant humanitarian pause in the Gaza conflict to allow for the release of all hostages and the delivery of enough aid to address civilian needs.

"I don't need to describe the horrors. This is why we are calling for a significant humanitarian pause that will allow us to release all the Jewish hostages and ... continue to evacuate foreign citizens from Gaza," Trudeau told reporters.

"This pause must allow the delivery of real and substantial aid, enough aid to relieve this abominable humanitarian crisis for people and civilians in Gaza."

1633 GMT — Major aid groups call for Gaza ceasefire

An alliance of 13 major aid groups including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Amnesty International and Oxfam has urged world leaders to push for a ceasefire in Gaza after one month of war .

The organisations "call on French President Emmanuel Macron and heads of state... to do everything in their power to obtain an immediate ceasefire," they said in a statement, one day before a humanitarian conference on Gaza is due to be held in Paris.

Other priorities should include "concrete measures to free civilian hostages and protect all civilian populations, guaranteeing entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza and respecting international humanitarian law," the groups said.

1550 GMT — Gaza deaths show 'something clearly wrong' with Israeli offensive: UN

The head of the UN said that thousands of children in Gaza were killed, which he said shows that there is "something clearly wrong in the way that military operations are being done."

"Every year, the highest number of killing of children by any of the actors in all the conflicts that we witness is the maximum in the hundreds," Antonio Guterres said in an interview with Reuters Next in New York.

"We have in a few days in Gaza, thousands of children killed," he said.

Guterres stressed the need for a humanitarian ceasefire as well as allowing the release of hostages, and allowing for the “massive entrance” of aid into Gaza.

"If we don't make that distinction, I think it's humanity itself that loses meaning."

Describing the situation in Gaza as "terrible" and "catastrophic," the UN chief noted that the entrance of fuel into Gaza has not yet been authorised, and water is "very limited" while there is a lack of medicine in hospitals.

1554 GMT — Sharp rise in German military export approvals for Israel

Germany has approved 10 times more in military gear exports to Israel so far this year, official data showed, as Berlin said it was prioritising requests from the country after Hamas's operation.

Data up to November 2 this year showed export approvals issued for $324 million worth of military equipment to Israel, almost 10 times more than the $34 million in authorisations a year ago.

1524 GMT — Demonstrators in Norway wear shrouds to decry killing of civilians in Gaza

A group of people in the Norwegian capital wore shrouds to draw attention to the killing of civilians in Gaza over the last month of Israeli attacks on the enclave.

Some 100 activists gathered in the Oslo Central Station on Wednesday and chanted slogans and carried banners calling for an immediate ceasefire and end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Images of the rally were widely liked and reposted on social media.

1450 GMT — Israel says it does not intend to 'reoccupy' Gaza or control it for long time

Israel does not intend to "reoccupy" Gaza or control it for a long time, a senior Israeli official said in Washington, as Israeli forces pressed their invasion in the Palestinian coastal enclave.

"We assess that our current operations are effective and successful, and we'll continue to push," the Israeli official told reporters late on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It's not unlimited or forever," the official added, without giving a specific timeframe.

1426 GMT — Images coming from Gaza trouble Athens: Greek foreign minister

Greece is troubled by images coming from Palestine's Gaza, the site of over a month of Israeli airstrikes and ground invasion, according to the Greek foreign minister.

Athens condemns Hamas’ October 7 attacks but it also acknowledges that Israeli attacks on Gaza have gone beyond its legitimate "right to self-defence", George Gerapetritis said, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

He added that Athens insists "on the basic solution adopted by the UN Security Council, the two-state solution within the territorial boundaries of 1967, with East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian State."

1309 GMT — Qatar negotiating release of 10-15 hostages for Gaza ceasefire

Qatar is mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas for the potential release of 10-15 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a short ceasefire, a source briefed on the talks told AFP Wednesday.

"Negotiations mediated by the Qataris in coordination with the US are ongoing to secure the release of 10-15 hostages in exchange for a one- to two-day ceasefire," the informed source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the talks' sensitivity.

The Gulf emirate has been a fierce supporter of the Palestinian cause and has open channels of communication with Hamas.

Qatar also hosts the political office of Hamas and is the main residence of its self-exiled leader Ismail Haniyeh.

1329 GMT — Israel can't hide truth by killing journalists, say protesters at Pakistan rally

Thousands of people took to the streets of Karachi, Pakistan's southern port city to protest the West's "silence" over the killing of civilians, particularly children and journalists, in intensified Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

Carrying banners and placards engraved with slogans such as "Stop targeting journalists," "You can't hide the truth by killing journalists," and "Hold Israel accountable for journalists' killing in Gaza," as protesters marched towards the Governor House on Wednesday.

Karachi Press Club President Saeed Sarbazi in his speech to the rally blamed Israeli and US leaders "equally responsible" for the deaths of journalists in Gaza.

"It's the US and some so-called Muslim countries, whose criminal silence has emboldened Israel to kill unarmed Palestinians with full impunity," Sarbazi said.

1333 GMT — War in Gaza is 'war of the free world': Israeli FM

Israel's war in Gaza is "the war of the free world", Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told EU lawmakers in Brussels.

Cohen also said that Israel was attacked not only by Hamas but by other groups in the region that are supported by Iran, which he called "the world number one financer of terror".

1313 GMT — Belgium wants sanctions against Israel for Gaza bombings: deputy PM

Belgium's deputy prime minister called on the Belgian government to adopt sanctions against Israel and investigate the bombings of hospitals and refugee camps in Gaza.

“It is time for sanctions against Israel. The rain of bombs is inhumane," Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter told Nieuwsblad newspaper. "It is clear that Israel does not care about the international demands for a ceasefire," she said on Wednesday.

De Sutter said the European Union should immediately suspend its association agreement with Israel, which aims at better economic and political cooperation.

She also said an import ban on products from occupied Palestinian territories should be implemented and violent settlers, politicians, soldiers responsible for war crimes should be banned from entering the EU.

1117 GMT — Hezbollah strikes northern Israel military base, inflicts losses

Lebanon's Hezbollah has said it struck the vicinity of a military base in northern Israel and inflicted casualties.

It did not give further details. Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelled two border towns in southern Lebanon, according to Anadolu.

1159 GMT — Israel to shun Paris Gaza aid conference: French presidency

Israeli representatives will not participate at a Thursday "humanitarian conference" for Gaza in Paris organised by French President Emmanuel Macron, his office said.

Like other governments, Israel nevertheless has "an interest in the humanitarian situation improving in Gaza", an official in Macron's office, who asked not to be named, told reporters.

1157 GMT — At least 18 killed as Israeli fighter jets strike Palestinian house in central Gaza

At least 18 Palestinians were killed as Israeli warplanes struck a house in central Gaza, the Interior Ministry in the blockaded enclave said.

The strike targeted a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, the ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli attack caused massive destruction in the area, according to witnesses.

1130 GMT — Survival of women and girls at stake in Gaza, warns UN Women

In Gaza, where relentless streaks of fire and explosions pose a constant threat to civilian inhabitants, women strive to keep their families safe, feeding their children amid a harsh blockade and keeping them in shelter as Israeli strikes reduce building after building to rubble.

"Women, girls, and their families in Gaza continue to face unimaginable death and deprivation. As Gaza is running out of life-saving water, food, electricity, and fuel, nothing less than the survival of women and girls is at stake," Sarah Hendriks, UN Women’s deputy executive director ad interim, told Anadolu.

"They (women and girls in Gaza) are in overcrowded and overstretched shelters without food, water, privacy, or sanitation facilities — limited to no operational toilets — which is increasing protection risks."

UN Women estimates that over 1,800 women have become widows and will bear the weight of their family’s survival alone and that more than 744,000 women and girls have been displaced from their homes.

1049 GMT — Death toll rises as Israel continues to bomb Gaza

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has reported that the death toll from Israeli bombardments climbed to 10,569, including 4,324 children.

The report also noted that 2,823 of the victims were women.

More than 2,550 Palestinians are still under the rubble of the destroyed homes including 1,350 children, according to the health ministry.

At least 26,475 Palestinians were injured in Israel's attacks.

0937 GMT — UK seeks pro-peace Palestinian leadership as soon as possible

A move towards a peace-loving leadership in Palestine is the most desired outcome in Israel's attacks on Gaza, British foreign minister James Cleverly said, reiterating Britain's support for a two-state solution.

"In the short term, it is inevitable that Israel, because they have the troops in Gaza, will need to have a security responsibility," Cleverly said at the G7 summit in Japan.

"But our view is as soon as practicable, a move towards a peace-loving Palestinian leadership is the most desired outcome."

0932 GMT — Blinken: Israel should not 'reoccupy' Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Israel not to reoccupy Gaza once its attack ends.

Speaking to reporters after G7 foreign ministers held talks in Japan, Blinken listed what he said were "key elements" in order to create "durable peace and security."

"The United States believes key elements should include: no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, not now, not after the war; No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks; No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends," Blinken told reporters.

He added that other conditions included no "attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza" or any "reduction in the territory of Gaza."

0902 GMT — WHO: Israeli attacks kill 509 Palestinians in hospitals

World Health Organization (WHO) released a report that Israel's attacks on healthcare facilities in the occupied Palestine territory have resulted in the deaths of 509 Palestinians, including patients and healthcare personnel, and injuries to 447 people.

Israel has carried out 229 attacks on hospitals and healthcare centers in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7, according to the Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA) of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Only in Gaza, 102 attacks on healthcare facilities carried out by Israel until Nov. 5, WHO reported previously.

WHO had called "for the active protection of civilians and health care," it said on X.

0849 GMT — Israel’s unemployment rate rises sharply amid Gaza war

The number of unemployed people in Israel rapidly climbed in October amid the ongoing Gaza crisis.

Figures released by the Israel Employment Service showed that 70,000 people registered themselves as unemployed in October – up by 57,500 people compared to a month earlier, Hebrew-language newspaper Globes reported.

“Of these, 42,400 are workers on unpaid leave, 60.3 percent of the new registrants,” the daily said.

0834 GMT — G7 supports for ‘humanitarian pauses, corridors’ in Gaza

G7 foreign ministers have said that they supported "humanitarian pauses and corridors" in the Israel-Gaza war but refrained from calling for a ceasefire.

The ministers said in a joint statement "We stress the need for urgent action to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

“All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers,” said the statement, hammered out by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy.

“We support humanitarian pauses and corridors to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and the release of hostages.”

0826 GMT — Iraq donates 10 million liters of fuel to Gaza hospitals

The Iraqi government has donated 10 million liters of fuel to power generators of hospitals in Gaza amid an Israeli military assault on the Palestinian territory.

A statement by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani said the move “aims to assuage the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

The statement, however, did not specify a date for the fuel shipments or how they would be allowed into the blockaded territory.

Israel refuses any fuel shipments into Gaza until hostages held by Hamas are released.

0553 GMT — Number of Palestinian displacement in Gaza spikes: UN

The pace of Palestinian civilians fleeing the combat zone in northern Gaza has picked up as Israel’s air and ground campaign there intensifies, UN monitors have said.

About 15,000 people fled on Tuesday, compared to 5,000 on Monday and 2,000 on Sunday, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians remain in the combat area, many sheltering at hospitals or UN schools.

Some said they were deterred from moving south because of dire humanitarian conditions in the evacuation zone and ongoing Israeli air strikes across Gaza, including the south.

UN monitors say some 1.5 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced.

0550 GMT — Israeli soldier death toll rises to 31 after another killed in Gaza invasion

An Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza, bringing the death toll in the Israeli ground operation in the blockaded enclave to 31 since October 27, the army said.

A military statement said the soldier, from the Artillery Corps, was killed in fighting in northern Gaza. Two more soldiers were seriously injured.

Israel said 31 soldiers have been killed and 260 others injured since it began expanded ground operations in Gaza.

0411 GMT — 40 Filipinos arrive in Egypt from Gaza

Dozens of Filipinos fled from the war-ravaged Gaza into Egypt through the Rafah crossing after Filipino diplomats negotiated for their safe passage and Qatar mediated for the border to be opened, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

The 40 Filipinos were travelling to the Egyptian capital of Cairo, where they planned to take flights back to the Philippines, Marcos said in a video message in Manila. Two Filipino doctors managed to leave Gaza for Egypt last week.

“I hope the rest of our countrymen who also wanted to return home can also exit properly with their spouses and loved ones,” Marcos said.

0308 GMT — MSF says staff member killed in Gaza bombing

An employee of medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has been killed in Gaza along with several family members, the group has said.

Mohammed Al Ahel, a laboratory technician, was killed in his home in the Shati refugee camp when the area was bombed and his building collapsed, MSF said in a statement.

"Today, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is mourning the loss of one of our team members in Gaza, Mohammed Al Ahel, who was killed along with several members of his family on November 6," the medical charity said.

"It is clear that no place in Gaza is safe from brutal and indiscriminate bombing," it said.

0300 GMT — Rashida Tlaib censured for remarks over Israel war's in Gaza

The US House has voted to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — the only Palestinian American in Congress — an extraordinary rebuke.

The 234-188 tally came after enough Democrats joined with Republicans to censure Tlaib, a punishment one step below expulsion from the House. The three-term congresswoman has long been a target of criticism for her views on the decades-long conflict in the Middle East.

Republican Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia pushed the censure measure in response to what he called Tlaib's promotion of antisemitic rhetoric. He said she has "levied unbelievable falsehoods about our greatest ally, Israel, and the attack on October 7."

With other Democrats standing by her side, Tlaib defended her stance, saying she "will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words."

Tlaib added that her criticism of Israel has always been directed toward its government and its leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"It is important to separate people and government," she said. "The idea that criticising the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent. And it's been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation."

0234 GMT — G7's top diplomats discuss what happens after Gaza conflict

G7 foreign ministers have discussed how to revitalise peace efforts in the Middle East and the "day after" in Gaza once the conflict there recedes as they met for a two-day summit in Tokyo.

The subject was brought up during a working dinner, host Japan said in a statement, with the Group of Seven (G7) due to continue talks on Wednesday on the Israel-Palestine crisis, Russia's war in Ukraine and issues related to China.

The statement gave no details of options being discussed if the Hamas is ousted from Gaza as the result of an ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave.

0225 GMT — Saudi Arabia says will host Arab and Islamic summits to discuss Gaza war

Saudi Arabia will host summits of Arab and Islamic nations in coming days to discuss the Israel-Palestine war, Saudi Arabia's investment minister has said.

"We will see, this week, in the next few days Saudi Arabia convening an emergency Arab summit in Riyadh," said Saudi investment minister Khalid Al-Falih, at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore.

"In a few days you will see Saudi Arabia convening an Islamic summit," he said.

"In the short term, the objective of bringing these three summits and other gatherings under the leadership of Saudi Arabia would be to drive towards peaceful resolution of the conflict."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit, Etemad online news reported, the first visit by an Iranian head of state since Tehran and Riyadh ended years of hostility under a China-brokered deal in March.

Falih also said Saudi Arabia would convene a summit with African nations, without specifying a date.

0120 GMT — Israel's war on Gaza has killed and injured at least 40,000 people: Media office

At least 40,000 people have been killed, injured or gone missing in Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

Salama Marouf, a spokesman for the office, told reporters that 10,328 people including 4,237 children, 2,719 women, and 631 elderly people have been killed.

Marouf said nearly 26,000 others have been injured and more than 3,000 people are missing.

He said the death toll includes 1,021 residents of Gaza City and northern Gaza who were displaced to areas that the occupation claimed were safe in the south of Gaza and 49 journalists.

He also noted that 192 medical and health personnel were killed, 40 ambulances were destroyed, 113 health institutions were severely damaged and 18 hospitals and 40 health centers were put out of service.

Marouf pointed out that "the occupation committed 1,071 massacres against Palestinian families…while 1.5 million citizens were displaced from their homes."

2100 GMT — Biden asks Netanyahu for pause as Israel rains down death upon Gaza

US President Joe Biden has said that he asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a pause in its war on besieged Gaza during a call on Monday.

A White House spokesperson previously said the two leaders discussed the potential for "tactical pauses" in fighting in Gaza for humanitarian reasons and possible hostage releases during their conversation on Monday.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, emphasised in a call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog the importance of protecting civilian lives and respecting international humanitarian law, the White House said in a separate statement.

Countries across the world are witnessing large pro-Palestine demonstrations since the Hamas blitz on October 7, which killed 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials.

The Gaza-based resistance group says it launched Operation Al Aqsa Flood against Israel in response to the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence in occupied West Bank.

Since then, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the Palestinian territory and sent in ground troops, killing more than 10,300 Palestinians, mostly children and women, wounding thousands and displacing over a million in the tiny enclave.

2349 GMT — Israeli air strikes target areas in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes have launched a series of air strikes on several towns and regions in southern Lebanon, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

"The enemy [Israeli] warplanes launched two raids on the outskirts of the towns of Yater and Kafra in Bint Jbeil District," NNA said.

According to an Anadolu Agency correspondent, one of the air strikes in Yater hit a three-story house, causing major damage, but no information was received about any casualties.

Israeli aircraft also targeted the outskirts of the towns of Naqoura, Alma al Shaab and Jabal al Labouneh in south governorate, according to NNA.

Also, the Marjayoun Plain in Nabatieh governorate and the forests of the town of Shebaa were targeted, NNA reported, without disclosing information about any casualties.

2350 GMT — Hamas denies Israel is making major gains in Gaza

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad, speaking from Beirut, has denied that Israeli forces were making any significant military gains or that they had advanced deep into Gaza City.

"They never give the people the truth," Hamad said. He added that numerous Israeli soldiers were killed on Monday and "many tanks were destroyed."

"The Palestinians fight and fight and fight against Israel, until we end the occupation," said Hamad.

"I challenge [Israel] if it has been able, to this moment, to record any military achievement on the ground other than killing civilians," Hamad told Al Jazeera television.

"Gaza is unbreakable and will remain a thorn in the throat of the Americans and the Zionists," Hamad said.

2317GMT — US congresswoman says 'Palestinian people are not disposable'

US Rep. Rashida Tlaib became emotional during her speech on the floor of the House of Representatives amid a debate over a resolution seeking to censure her.

Facing her second censure resolution for criticizing Israel, Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, emphasized the humanity of the Palestinian people.

"I can't believe we have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable," said the congresswoman representing Michigan. "We are human beings just like anyone else."

Holding a photograph up for her fellow House members to see, Tlaib continued, "My grandmother, like all Palestinians, just wants to live her life with freedom and human dignity we all deserve."

"Speaking up to save lives — no matter faith, no matter ethnicity — should not be controversial in this chamber. The cries of the Palestinian and Israeli children sound no different to me. What I don't understand is why the cries of Palestinian children sound different to you all. We cannot lose our shared humanity," she added.

The resolution, introduced by Republican Rep. Rich McCormick, accuses Tlaib of "promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel."

2214 GMT — Israel Bonds raises a billion dollars for Israeli government

The US- based Israel Bonds has raised more than one billion dollars for the Israeli government since the start of Israel's war in Gaza, a statement from the organisation said.

Most investments came from US state and municipal governments.

Dani Naveh, president and CEO of Israel Bonds, said the amount was a record high for Israel Bonds, which he said "demonstrates the strong support for Israel of the Jewish communities and Israel's supporters in the United States and around the world."

The cost of the war is expected to be high and Israel will need to raise the capital to compensate for the deficit.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Israel Bonds for "helping mobilise world Jewry in immediate and urgent action for the State of Israel."

2254 GMT — Canada says first nationals evacuated from Gaza

Nearly 60 Canadian nationals, residents and their dependents have been evacuated from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, Canadian officials said.

"The first group of Canadians have left Gaza. Our team of officials has met them on the Egyptian side of the border, providing them with support and care," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The ministry said 59 Canadians, permanent residents and family members have crossed the Rafah border into Egypt, out of 400 nationals registered with Canada seeking to leave.

They will be taken to Cairo before heading to Canada or another country of their choice.

"As the situation is quite fluid and unpredictable, Canadians should be prepared for significant delays at the Rafah border," the ministry said.

Around 80 Canadian citizens, residents and family members had been expected to leave Gaza, according to the ministry.

For our live updates from Tuesday (November 7), click here.