Live blog: Two safe corridors planned for people to leave northern Gaza — US

Thursday, November 9, 2023

1837 GMT — The US State Department said that there will be two humanitarian corridors allowing people to evacuate areas of hostilities in northern Gaza, adding that it is critical humanitarian supplies and assistance be expanded in the areas where people are moving.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters that the Rafah crossing was open for aid trucks to enter Gaza and foreign nationals to depart.

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1826 GMT — Gaza pauses meant to help refugees flee, won't curb offensive: Israel

Israel's defence minister said that the military was undertaking "localised, pinpoint measures" in Gaza to enable Palestinian refugees to flee the fighting with Hamas, in an apparent reference to four-hour pauses announced by Washington.

"These things do not detract from the war fighting," Yoav Gallant said when asked by a reporter about the US announcement, which he did not directly address.

1825 GMT — Palestinian PM pleads to end ongoing conflict in Middle East

The Palestinian prime minister pleaded for an end to the ongoing Mideast conflict.

"We have to bring an end to war, we have to bring an end to the occupation in Gaza, and to the displacement of the local population," Mohammad Shtayyeh said at an international conference on humanitarian aid for the besieged enclave hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

"The Palestinian people need international protection in Gaza, in Jerusalem, and the West Bank," Shtayyeh said, and called urged the international community "to distance itself from this policy of double standards."

1745 GMT — Any pause in Gaza conflict needs UN coordination, agreement from all parties: UN

The UN said that any halt to the conflict in Gaza for humanitarian purposes needs to be coordinated with the global body, hours after Israel announced it would provide daily humanitarian pauses in the besieged enclave.

"Any such halt in the fighting and how it would work for humanitarian purposes would need to be coordinated with United Nations, especially on the issue of timings and location," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"And obviously, in order for this to be done safely for humanitarian purposes, it would have to be agreed with all parties to the conflict to be truly effective," he added.

1745 GMT — NGOs express disappointment at international conference organised by Macron for Gaza

Thirteen NGOs held a news conference in Paris to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after attending an international conference on humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.

The conference that was organized by President Emmanuel Macron was aimed at mobilising the main players in the humanitarian response in Gaza and to determine concrete action to support the Palestinian residents.

Despite those aims, the NGOs expressed disappointment because of the lack of any real and effective measures for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which has been besieged for 17 years.

“Disappointed with the speech at the Elysee as they called for a humanitarian pause only, and the €100 million ($107 million) that the French government promised to help Gaza did not fit the actual challenges to distribute it,” said Jean-François Corty, vice-president of Medecins du Monde, or Doctors of the World.

1743 GMT — Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza killed by Israeli air strike: Hamas

Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza was killed and another captive soldier was injured in an Israeli air strike.

1735 GMT — No indication Iran or its proxies intend to precipitate a conflict: US special envoy

US Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield said that there was no indication that Iran or its proxies in the region intend to precipitate a conflict beyond Israel's war on Gaza.

But it is essential that Iran and Hezbollah do not undertake provocative actions, and exchanges with Hezbollah along Israel's border with Lebanon raise the potential for miscalculation, he said.

"We do not believe that a conflict involving Lebanon and Israel is in any way inevitable," Satterfield said in an online briefing with reporters.

1705 GMT — Talks ongoing with Israel but no deal so far — Hamas official

Taher Al Nono, a political adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, said that unspecified negotiations were continuing and no deal had been reached with Israel so far.

The White House had said earlier in the day that Israel would begin daily four-hour pauses in northern Gaza to enable Palestinians to flee Hamas-Israeli fighting in the coastal enclave.

1729 GMT — Belgium urges EU sanctions on Israeli 'extremists'

The EU should look at barring "extremist" Israelis who call for violence against Palestinians from visiting Europe, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said.

The liberal premier pointed to Israeli violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and said the lack of action against such "violent extremists" was "unacceptable".

"Our country must ensure that those who commit serious crimes, for example, those who commit violence in the West Bank, can be prevented from entering our country and the European Union," De Croo told the Belgian parliament.

He suggested there could be sanctions on individuals, including "a minister who calls for the use of nuclear weapons against a population that cannot do anything and that already lives today in horrible conditions".

1711 GMT — No ceasefire in Gaza, just brief, local pauses: Israeli military

Israel has not agreed to any ceasefires during its war on Gaza, but will continue to allow brief, localised pauses to let in humanitarian aid, the Israeli military said.

"There's no ceasefire, I repeat there's no ceasefire. What we are doing, that four-hour window, these are tactical, local pauses for humanitarian aid," army spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said.

1701 GMT — Poverty soars in conflict-hit Gaza, West Bank: UN

The socioeconomic "shock" of the Israel-Hamas war will force hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into poverty, a UN report on the conflict's possible long-term impacts on blockaded Gaza and the occupied West Bank warned.

After a month of intense Israeli bombardment of Gaza, the poverty rate in the Palestinian territories is expected to soar from 26.7 percent to 31.9 percent, according to estimates from the UN Development Program (UNDP).

That represents about 285,000 people added to the impoverished pre-war population of almost 1.5 million.

The poverty rate could reach 35.8 percent if the conflict lasts another month, according to the report, and rise further to 38.8 percent if it lasts two months.

1652 GMT — Israeli army reports clashes in 'security square' of Hamas in central Gaza City

Fighting between the Israeli army and the Qassam Brigades is taking place in what Israel referred to as the “security square” of Hamas in central Gaza City, the military said.

“Infantry, armored units, and engineering forces from the 162nd Division, backed by the Air Force and special forces, infiltrated into the security square and authority square of Hamas in the center of Gaza City, next to Al-Shifa Hospital,” it said in a statement.

The Israeli army posted a video of an abandoned school without specifying the location.

"The security square is comprised of strategic locations for Hamas, including the main intelligence headquarters, air defence headquarters, and the authority offices of Hamas, including the Ministry of the Interior and police centers,” it said.

1558 GMT — Israel to start daily four-hour 'pauses' in attacks on Gaza — US

Israel has agreed to begin daily four-hour "military pauses" in northern Gaza to allow people in the area to flee the war, the White House said.

"Israel will begin to implement four-hour pauses in areas of northern Gaza each day, with an announcement to be made three hours beforehand," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

"We believe these pauses are a step in the right direction, particularly to help ensure that civilians have an opportunity to reach safer areas away from the active fighting," he said.

The pauses will allow humanitarian assistance to be moved into the areas where they are implemented and will allow Palestinians there "to get out of harm's way," according to Kirby.

1606 GMT — Gaza deaths likely 'higher than is being cited,' says senior US diplomat

Despite shocking totals of over 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza killed since October 7, according to Health Ministry in the enclave, the number is likely to be "higher than are being cited," according to a senior US diplomat.

"In this period of conflict and conditions of war, it is very difficult for any of us to assess what the rate of casualties are," Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, said in testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

“We’ll know only after the guns fall silent," Leaf said, adding that the US has sources from a "variety of folks who are on the ground."

1539 GMT — Biden says 'no possibility' of Gaza ceasefire

US President Joe Biden said that there was currently "no possibility" of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

"None. No possibility," Biden told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to Illinois when asked about the chances of a ceasefire.

1524 GMT — 39 Israeli soldiers killed since ground offensive began in Gaza: Israeli media

At least 39 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of ground operations, Hebrew newspaper, Haaretz, said.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported earlier that the number of Israeli military casualties in ground invasion was 35.

Israel said more than 270 soldiers have been injured since it began expanded ground assaults on October 27.

1507 GMT — Hamas delegation including group's chief Haniya in Cairo for talks - statement

Senior Hamas officials including political leader Ismail Haniya and its former chief Khaled Meshaal arrived in Cairo, a statement by the Palestinian group that governs Gaza said.

The high-level Hamas delegation met with the head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, and discussed the situation in Gaza, the statement added.

1304 GMT — Mossad, CIA chiefs meet Qatar PM over Gaza hostage deal

A trilateral meeting was held in Doha between CIA and Mossad chiefs and the Qatari prime minister to discuss the parameters of a deal for hostage releases and a pause in Gaza attacks, a source briefed on the meeting told Reuters.

The advantage of the trilateral meeting was to bring all three parties together at one table in real-time to speed up the process, the source said.

The talks also included a discussion over allowing humanitarian imports of fuel into Gaza.

1352 GMT — Palestinian death toll hits 10,812 in Gaza

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said 10,812 people have been killed in the weeks-long Israeli bombardment.

At least 4,412 children and 2,918 women are among those killed, while another 26,905 people have been wounded in a blistering Israeli assault after attack on southern Israel by Hamas on October 7.

1334 GMT — Israeli air strikes continue to target areas in southern Lebanon

Israel continued to shell the outskirts of border towns in southern Lebanon with artillery and drone strikes, with no reported casualties, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

The outskirts of Rmeish and Ramia were shelled, while a drone targeted the town of Mahibib.

Also targeted was the outskirts of the border town of Habbariya. Reconnaissance drones maintained a presence above the middle and eastern sectors.

1316 GMT — Denmark announces $10.6M more humanitarian support for Palestinians

In response to the catastrophic situation in Gaza, Denmark has announced it is more than doubling its humanitarian support to Palestinian civilians by $10.6 million (75 million Danish krone).

The humanitarian support centres on child protection, delivery of emergency aid and food, and providing medicine, medical equipment, and medical care to the sick and wounded.

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic and deteriorating day by day. Not least for the children. Therefore, the government has chosen to support the humanitarian effort with an additional 75 million krone," said Dan Jorgensen, the minister for development cooperation and global climate policy.

1223 GMT — Death toll from deadly Israeli raids in West Bank rises to 173

Another 10 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, taking the death toll in the occupied territory since the recent conflict flared up to 173, Palestine's Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said a 51-year-old man was shot dead in the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, and a 30-year-old was killed in Dura town, south of Hebron.

Separately, the ministry said eight Palestinians were killed and 14 others injured by Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. Witnesses said Israeli forces staged military raids into the Jenin and Al Amari refugee camps.

1217 GMT — Pakistan's premier urges world to hold Israel accountable for bombing hospitals, civilians

Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar called upon the international community to hold Israel accountable for its "incessant and lethal" bombing of hospitals and innocent civilians in Gaza.

Addressing the 16th Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Summit in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Kakar observed that Tel Aviv's "deplorable" actions in Gaza demanded international condemnation.

"This issue needs to be addressed in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council and OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) resolutions," he said.

1154 GMT — Only two-state solution can deliver peace in Israel-Palestine conflict: Greek premier

Only a two-state solution can deliver peace in the decades-old Israel-Palestine conflict, said Greece's premier.

Meeting his Palestinian counterpart Mohammad Shtayyeh in Paris, Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated his growing concern about civilian casualties and underlined the need for humanitarian pauses to allow a steady flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to a statement by the Greek Prime Minister's Office.

Against this background, he added, Greece is ready to provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza.

1107 GMT — European children's rights group urges EU to take action in response to Israel's war crimes

A Brussels-based major children's right organisation urged the EU to condemn Israel for war crimes committed by its military in Gaza, particularly against children in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

"We urgently call upon the European Union (EU) institutions and EU Member States to take immediate and decisive action in response to the ongoing conflict in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and Israel and to end war crimes committed against civilians," Eurochild Communication Director Davide Rambaldi said in a statement shared with Anadolu.

He said, "The EU must equally support civilians, regardless of religion, nationality or residence, and hold accountable all parties equally."

1032 GMT — Israel shells Gaza City amid clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters

Israeli heavy artillery shelling targeted the western outskirts of Gaza City as Palestinian resistance fighters confront forces trying to push deeper into the besieged enclave.

Artillery cannons shelled the neighbourhoods of Tel al Hawa, Sheikh Ijlin and Rashid Street west of Gaza City, sources said.

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, earlier claimed to have destroyed 136 Israeli military vehicles since the army expanded its ground operations in northern Gaza on October 27.

1106 GMT — Macron calls for 'ceasefire' at Gaza aid conference

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged nations to "work towards a ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as he opened a conference on aid to the Palestinian territory.

"In the immediate term, we need to work on protecting civilians. To do that, we need a humanitarian pause very quickly and we must work towards a ceasefire," Macron told delegates.

0959 — 'No humanitarian crisis in Gaza': Israel military official

An Israeli military official has denied there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, even as he acknowledged the Palestinian territory faces several challenges amid the ongoing war.

"We know the civil situation in the Gaza Strip is not an easy one," said Colonel Moshe Tetro, head of coordination and liaison at COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body handling civil affairs in Gaza.

"But I can say that there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip," he told reporters.

0956 — UN aid chief warns Gaza conflict could spread across region like wildfire

The conflict in Gaza is a wildfire that could spread across the region, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths has said, adding that allowing the situation to continue in Gaza would be a "travesty".

"The United Nations cannot be part of unilateral proposal to push Palestinians into so-called safe zones," he also said at the start of the humanitarian conference in Paris.

0938 GMT — Turkish President Erdogan calls on Economic Cooperation Organization to raise voice against Israel's attacks on Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the Economic Cooperation Organization to speak out against Israel's attack on Gaza.

"If we, as the Economic Cooperation Organization, do not raise our voices together as Muslims today, when will we raise them?," Erdogan told the 16th summit of the economic grouping in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent.

"Israel continues to bomb schools, mosques, churches, hospitals, and crushing all humanitarian values," the Turkish leader said.

0912 GMT — Israel detains 29 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

Israeli forces have rounded up 29 more Palestinians in military raids in the occupied West Bank, a local nongovernmental organisation said.

In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said one woman and two journalists were among the detainees.

At least 165 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,300 others have been arrested by the Israeli army in the occupied territory since last month, according to Palestinian figures.

0905 GMT — Pro-Palestine group protests outside defence firm's London offices

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have blockaded the London offices of a defence firm said to be linked to Israel's military supply chain.

"Palestine Action blockade weapons firm Thales’ London offices, disrupting a lethal link in Israel’s military supply chain," Palestine Action said on X. "We SHUT IT DOWN for Palestine!"

It also shared footage showing the entrance sprayed with blood-red paint, with "Free, free Palestine!" chants in the background.

0855 GMT — Israel’s Knesset criminalises watching pro-Hamas content

Israel’s parliament has passed an amendment to criminalise the consumption of pro-Hamas materials.

Lawmakers late on Wednesday voted to amend the country’s counterterrorism law to make it a criminal offence to “consume terrorist materials.”

The bill bans individuals from the “systematic and continuous consumption of publications of a terrorist organisation under circumstances that indicate identification with the terrorist organisation.”

0846 GMT — Spanish minister calls for breaking ties with Israel 'once and for all'

What's happening in Palestine is "genocide" and an attempt to exterminate an entire people, the Spanish minister for social rights said, calling to cut diplomatic ties with Israel.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Ione Belarra asked Spain's conservative Popular Party, considered pro-Israel, whether it will "stop being complicit with the genocidal state of Israel."

"Let us break diplomatic relations with Israel once and for all," she said.

0824 GMT — Eight Gaza hospitals struck by Israeli fighter jets in past days: Media office

Israeli warplanes have bombed eight hospitals in Gaza in the past three days, the government media office in Gaza said.

“The Israeli aggression has forced 18 hospitals out of service since Oct. 7,” the media office said in a statement.

According to the statement, Israeli artillery canons shelled the courtyard of Al Shifa Hospital and the gate of Al Nasr Hospital in the blockaded territory.

“The bombing of hospitals is a war crime according to international humanitarian law, and is criminalised by 16 international agreements and UN resolutions that call for the protection of these health facilities,” it added.

0814 GMT — Israel pounds Gaza City as tens of thousands flee their homes

Israel pounds Gaza City as tens of thousands flee their homes

Israeli air strikes have pounded Gaza as soldiers battled street-by-street with Hamas members, and tens of thousands of Palestinians desperate for safety fled their homes southwards in the besieged territory.

After more than a month of intense bombardment, hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in a "dire humanitarian situation" in battle zones without enough food and water, the United Nations said.

0802 GMT — Another Israeli soldier killed in Gaza ground offensive, death toll rises to 35

Another Israeli soldier has been killed in Gaza, taking the death toll to 35 since Israel expanded a ground offensive in the blockaded enclave on Oct. 27, the army said.

An Israeli military statement said a soldier from the Combat Engineering Corp’s 8219th Battalion was killed in the fighting in central Gaza on Wednesday.

Five more soldiers were seriously injured in the seaside territory, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

0726 GMT — Israel forces kill 2 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank, death toll rises to 165 since Oct. 7

The Israeli army has killed two more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, taking the death toll in the occupied territory to 165 since Oct. 7, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said a 51-year-old man was shot dead in the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, and a 30-year-old was killed in Dura town, south of Hebron.

According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces staged military raids into the Jenin and al Amari refugee camps on Thursday.

0706 GMT — US, Seoul see need for humanitarian pause in Gaza conflict: South Korea's Park

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin has said he and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared the view there is a need for humanitarian pauses in Israel's war with Hamas.

Park, speaking after his meeting with Blinken in Seoul, said the two countries condemn Hamas' attack against civilians and were monitoring possible North Korea's connection with Hamas.

0626 GMT — Negotiations underway for humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza: officials

Negotiations are underway to reach a three-day humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of about a dozen hostages held by Hamas.

That’s according to two officials from Egypt, one from the United Nations and a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic efforts.

The deal would enable more aid, including limited amounts of fuel, to enter the besieged territory to alleviate worsening conditions for the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped there.

It is being brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, according to the officials and the diplomat.

0459 GMT — Dozens of Palestinians wounded by Israeli forces in Bethlehem

Dozens of Palestinians have sustained injuries from Israeli forces in the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its medical teams treated 64 injury cases from the clashes in Bethlehem.

It added that 10 cases involved people wounded by live bullets while others suffocated from Israeli teargas.

0449 GMT — 187 humanitarian aid trucks reach Gaza amid blockade

The Palestine Red Crescent Society has said that 187 more aid trucks have entered besieged Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.

In a statement, it noted that its teams received a total of 187 humanitarian aid trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, with 81 on Wednesday and 106 on Thursday, along with five ambulances sent from Kuwait.

It said that despite fuel restrictions, the trucks carried medicines, medical supplies, food, water and relief materials.

0432 GMT — Israel carries out fresh air strikes near Gaza hospitals

Israeli aircraft have bombed the vicinity of Al Shifa Hospital and Al Nasr Children's Hospital in Gaza.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Al Shifa Hospital, which houses thousands of patients and refugees, was targeted by missiles intermittently fired from Israeli aircraft.

The simultaneous use of illumination flares during the attacks resulted in shrapnel damage to the hospital's surroundings.

An airstrike near Al Nasr Children's Hospital in the western part of the city killed three Palestinians and left dozens more wounded.

Meanwhile, Israeli artillery fired rounds towards the eastern part of the city of Rafah.

0438 GMT — Palestinian president rejects Israel’s move to divide Gaza into 2 sections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that any move by the Israeli occupation forces to divide Gaza into two sections is unacceptable and emphasised that the enclave is an integral part of Palestine.

Abbas held separate phone calls with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

During his conversation with Rutte, he said the Israeli military’s recent statement that its forces have divided Gaza into two as it reaches a “significant stage” in its war against Hamas is unacceptable and there is no separate political or security solution for Gaza as it is an inseparable part of the Palestinian state.

0354 GMT — Palestinian minister urges IAEA chief to take measures to neutralise Israel's nuclear threat to Gaza

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has urged the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take measures to neutralise threats made by Israel to use nuclear weapons in Gaza.

Al-Maliki sent a message to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi about recent remarks made by Israel’s far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was “one of the possibilities” the government was considering to deal with the threat from the Palestinian group Hamas.

He called for international condemnation of Eliyahu’s remarks and the implementation of all necessary measures to neutralise this clear threat to the lives of Palestinians and neighbouring countries.

0323 GMT — Moroccans stage rally to protest Western countries' support for Israel

Scores of Moroccans have taken part in a rally in the capital Rabat to protest Western countries' support for Israel and to show sympathy with Palestinians in Gaza.

The rally was organised by local pro-Palestinian groups including the Moroccan Initiative for Support and Victory and the Action Group for Palestine.

During the rally, the participants raised banners that called for ending normalisation between Morocco and Israel and closing the Israeli liaison office in Rabat.

0310 GMT — British lawmaker says children in Gaza shouldn't be asking if they’re being taken to graveyards

Children in Gaza “should be asking if they are being taken to playgrounds and planning for their futures, not asking if they are being taken to graveyards and planning to die,” a British lawmaker has said.

Speaking in House of Commons, Naz Shah, the Labour Party MP for Bradford West, said she watched a video of a small girl being pulled out of the rubble asking her uncle if she was dead and whether he was taking her to a graveyard.

She said another video showed a girl who was barely five years old and was stuck under a collapsed building praying her final prayers in preparation for her death.

0246 GMT — Amnesty International calls on Israel to end 'inhumane' measures against Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli authorities have dramatically increased their use of administrative detention of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and failed to investigate incidents of torture and death in custody, rights group Amnesty International said.

While the Israeli military’s relentless attacks on Gaza continue, Amnesty International said Palestinian prisoners are subjected to torture, arbitrary detention and other violations of their rights.

"They have also extended a set of ‘emergency’ prison measures giving them unchecked powers to intensify cruel and inhuman treatment of Palestinian detainees and prisoners," it said on X.

0007 GMT — US senator says Gaza civilian toll 'too high'

A US senator has said that it is "vital" for Israel to carry out more targeted strikes in Gaza to limit civilian casualties.

"I think that the civilian death toll has been too high and a more surgical approach would be important and vital," Chris Murphy, a Democratic member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the AFP news agency.

"I am concerned that if Israel's strategy and end goal is to defeat Hamas, then this pace of civilian casualties, which certainly comes with a moral cost, also comes with a strategic cost."

The Israeli military's relentless bombing and ground invasion of Gaza has killed more than 10,600 people, also mostly civilians, the Palestinian territory's Health Ministry has said.

2300 GMT — More than 100 Democrats seek protected status for Palestinians in US

A group of Democratic lawmakers have urged US President Joe Biden to allow Palestinian tourists, students and workers in the United States to remain in light of Israel's war on Gaza and violence in the occupied West Bank, mainly by illegal Jewish settlers.

In a letter to Biden on Wednesday, more than 100 Democrats led by US Senator Dick Durbin called on Biden to grant residents of Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories deportation relief and access to work permits through US programmes for people whose homelands are affected by conflicts, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances.

"In light of ongoing armed conflict, Palestinians already in the United States should not be forced to return to the Palestinian territories, consistent with President Biden's stated commitment to protecting Palestinian civilians," the lawmakers wrote.

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2255 GMT — US strikes Syria as Israel's Gaza invasion grinds on

US warplanes have carried out a strike on what US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said was an Iran-linked site in eastern Syria in response to attacks against American personnel.

"US military forces conducted a self-defense strike on a facility in eastern Syria used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. This strike was conducted by two US F-15s against a weapons storage facility," Austin said in a statement.

This is the second time in less than two weeks that the US has bombed facilities used by the militant groups, which US officials say have carried out at least 40 such attacks since October 17.

2100 GMT — Houthis shoot down US drone off Yemen

A US military MQ-9 drone has been shot down by Yemen's Houthis, two US officials and the Houthi movement said.

While US drones have been shot down by Houthis in the past, this incident comes at a particularly tense time in the region.

Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during Israel's war on Gaza.

2000 GMT — Palestinians flee combat zone Gaza's north

A long line of thousands of Palestinians have fled on foot from northern Gaza — families, children and older adults, crying babies — carrying only what they could take in their arms or on their backs.

They were seen in Associated Press video walking down Gaza’s main north-south highway, heeding the Israeli military's ultimatum to evacuate during a five-hour window as its troops battled Hamas fighters deep inside Gaza City. Some evacuees were pushing relatives in wheelchairs, with one older adult wheeled down the road in a hand truck.

Abeer Akeila left her home in Gaza city after relentless Israeli strikes forced all her neighbours to flee southward. She said life in the city has become increasingly difficult amid dwindling water and food supplies.

"There was [Israeli] shelling and bombardment overnight," she said. "We didn't have food or drinking water ... They struck the bakeries. There is no life in Gaza."

For our live updates from Wednesday (November 8), click here.