Live blog: Palestine declares 3-day mourning over deadly Gaza hospital strike

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning following a deadly Israeli air strike on a hospital in Gaza, killing at least 500 Palestinians.

"What is taking place is genocide. We call on the international community to intervene immediately to stop this massacre. Silence is no longer acceptable," a statement issued by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation said in response to the attack.

Palestinian group Hamas called Israel's targeting of the hospital a "genocide."

Hundreds of people were seeking shelter at the Al Ahli Hospital at the time of the attack. Footage showed corpses scattered across the hospital grounds.

More updates👇

1827 GMT — Egypt denounces in strongest terms Israeli strike on Gaza hospital

Egypt has denounced "in strongest terms" an Israeli air strike on a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the international community must urgently intervene to stop such violations.

1820 GMT — Greek premier set to visit Israel

Greece's premier is set to visit Israel, a top official has announced.

"The important thing is for everyone to understand that Greece has a role to play," State Minister Akis Skertsos told public broadcaster ERT while announcing the visit, but without giving any details.

1818 GMT — UN chief to meet Egypt's Sisi for talks on Gaza aid

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet in Egypt with President Abdel Fattah el Sisi to discuss how to get humanitarian aid into Gaza as it endures steady attacks from Israel, the UN has said.

Guterres, who is now in China, will confer with Egypt's leader and other officials in Cairo to talk about Israel-Hamas conflict, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

Guterres will also speak on Saturday at an international conference that Sisi is sponsoring, according to Dujarric.

1801 GMT — Egypt slams calls for displacing Gaza population

Egypt’s foreign minister has criticised calls for displacing 2.5 million people from Gaza amid ongoing Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian territory.

“If you are asking me if Egypt can host 2.5 million inhabitants; I believe you can equally ask if the UK or any EU country can adopt this policy,” Sameh Shoukry told the BBC.

“We saw how countries complained against the influx of mere thousands of migrants, while Egypt hosts 9 million guests on land,” he said.

1758 GMT — UN warns Gaza civilians being 'packed in ever-smaller area'

The United Nations has warned that Palestinian civilians in Gaza are being "packed into an ever-smaller area" and life-saving essentials have essentially run out, appealing for a humanitarian truce to allow aid access.

"It is now estimated that as many as 1 million people have fled their homes to other parts of Gaza," senior UN aid official Joyce Msuya told a meeting convened by Arab envoys on the enclave, urging a "humanitarian suspension of hostilities."

1753 GMT — UK premier discusses conflict with Saudi crown prince, Qatari emir

Britain’s prime minister had separate phone calls with the Saudi crown prince and the Qatari emir to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

During a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Rishi Sunak agreed on the importance of avoiding further destabilisation across the region, including through "Iranian proxies in the region," according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office.

The British prime minister also said that the UK would continue to support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people "to statehood, alongside regional partners like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt."

1748 GMT — British healthcare body slammed by over 2,000 medics for pro-Israel statement

Over 2,000 UK healthcare professionals have rejected a recent pro-Israel statement made by the Department of Health and Social Care.

In its Friday statement, the department – which is responsible for health and care policies – said: “We are flying the flag of Israel at the Department of Health and Social Care in London. We stand in solidarity with the people of Israel.”

But in a petition, thousands of UK healthcare professionals condemned the statement, calling it “an explicit unilateral expression of solidarity and makes no recognition of the loss of Palestinians life at the hands of the State of Israel.”

“As UK healthcare professionals and employees of the UK National Health Service (NHS) we say this is totally unacceptable.”

1722 GMT — Turkish, Brazilian presidents discuss latest developments in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have spoken over the phone and discussed the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"The call addressed the conflicts that are becoming more and more violent between Israel and Palestine as well as steps aimed at ensuring calm," Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said on X.

1721 GMT — Israel kills at least 500 Palestinians in Gaza hospital bombing

At least 500 people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a Gaza City Hospital, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.

Hundreds of people were seeking shelter at the Al Ahli Hospital at the time of the blast.

Photos sent to The Associated Press showed fire engulfing the hospital halls, shattered glass and body parts scattered across the area.

1707 GMT — World Food Program renews call for sustained access to Gaza

The UN World Food Program (WFP) has renewed the call for sustained access to Gaza to provide a food lifeline.

"The situation over there is catastrophic and our stocks inside Gaza are running out," said Corinne Fleischer, WFP regional director for Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, in a statement.

“Every day that passes pushed more and more people closer to starvation,” she added.

1707 GMT — Gulf bloc plans urgent relief operation for Gaza

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Ministerial Council plans an urgent relief operation for embattled Gaza, Oman has said.

An Omani Foreign Ministry statement said the council held an extraordinary session in the capital Muscat to discuss developments in Gaza.

"The GCC intends to find an urgent relief operation to help the Palestinian people in Gaza," the statement said, stressing the necessity "to secure the urgent delivery of aid to Gaza."

1647 GMT — Six killed in Israeli strike on UN-run school in Gaza: UN agency

At least six people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a UN-run school in a refugee camp in central Gaza, the UN Palestinian refugee agency said.

The attack on a school in the Al Maghazi refugee camp is "outrageous & it again shows a flagrant disregard for the lives of civilians," the UNRWA said on X.

"No place is safe in Gaza anymore, not even at UN facilities," it added.

1627 GMT — Israeli army says military deaths rose to 302

The Israeli army said that its military deaths in the current conflict with Hamas have risen to 302.

The army made the announcement while releasing the names of three more soldiers and reservists killed since October 7.

1621 GMT — World must unite to 'defeat Hamas': Israeli PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for broad international support in the country's fight against Hamas, which carried out the deadliest attack in Israel's 75-year history.

"The world must stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas," Netanyahu said alongside visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"The savagery that we witnessed perpetrated by the Hamas murderers coming out of Gaza were the worst crimes committed against Jews since the Holocaust," Netanyahu said.

Israel last week ordered a complete siege on Gaza, where 2.4 million residents are facing life-threatening shortages of medicine, water, food and fuel.

1615 GMT — Israeli air strikes kill 'over 3,000' Palestinians in Gaza

At least 3,061 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli air strikes on Gaza, the Health Ministry in Gaza said.

Some 13,750 other people have been injured in the Israeli bombardment, a ministry statement said.

Since the bombardment began on October 7, at least 940 Palestinian children and 1,032 women have been killed in Gaza, the Hamas government media office said.

Israel's bombardment and blockade of Gaza continued on for the eleventh day, with over one million people displaced – almost half of Gaza's total population, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

1604 GMT — Kazakhstan calls on Israel to refrain from ‘disproportionate use of power’ against Palestinian civilians

Kazakhstan has called on Israeli authorities to refrain from the "disproportionate use of power" against Palestinian civilians.

"In this situation, it is crucial to comply with the norms of international law, and follow the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, which secure the legal rights of the Palestinian people," a Kazakh Foreign Ministry statement said.

The ministry also condemned Palestinian group Hamas’ attacks "against civilians in Israel and the capture of hostages, including foreigners."

1602 GMT — Israeli claims 5,000 'Hamas targets' attacked in Gaza so far

Israel has attacked around 5,000 "Hamas targets" in Gaza and cancelled a "large number" of other strikes in an effort "to avoid Palestinian civilian casualties", a senior Israeli official said.

Briefing Reuters on condition of anonymity, the official did not elaborate on the number of strikes cancelled, saying only that every such operation is "approved at the highest level" of the Israeli military.

But Israel is determined to eliminate Hamas "even if it takes months or years," he said.

1535 GMT — UK defence minister to visit US for talks on Middle East and Ukraine conflicts

British Defence Minister Grant Shapps will visit the United States for urgent talks over conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine on Tuesday, aimed at preventing further destabilisation and enabling humanitarian support, the Ministry of Defence said.

"At this crucial time for global security, I’m in Washington DC for urgent talks with our partner and friend on our ongoing work to prevent escalation in the Middle East, and our vital support to Ukraine," Shapps said in a statement.

1524 GMT — Palestinian envoy to UK urges ICC to probe war crimes against Palestinians

Palestinian ambassador to Britain Husam Zomlot has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to act "immediately and with responsibility" to investigate war crimes committed against Palestinians.

Speaking at a news conference in the British capital London, Zomlot, touching on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, said the health sector in one of the world's most densely populated areas "is absolutely collapsing."

He said that this is not a war against Hamas but the Palestinian people.

1353 GMT — 4,000 Palestinian workers held by Israel for questioning

Approximately 4,000 Palestinian workers are being held by Israel for questioning in connection with a cross-border attack by the Hamas group, according to Israeli media.

"Those workers entered Israel in the week that preceded the attack," said Israeli Channel 12. "At this stage, those workers will be kept in Israel and will not be returned to Gaza."

It said the workers are being investigated for any possible link to the attack.

1343 GMT — Israel carried out 41 confirmed attacks on health services in Gaza

Israel has carried out 41 confirmed attacks on health care services in Gaza since October 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

"Since Oct. 7, there have been 41 confirmed attacks on healthcare services in Gaza. A total of 11 healthcare workers have been killed while on active duty, and 16 have been injured. As th e attacks continue, these numbers are likely to increase," WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said.

Expressing concern over the situation, Jasarevic said that hospitals in the region are grappling with overwhelming numbers of patients, pushing their capacities to the limit.

1339 GMT — Israeli ground offensive may cause 'massive' spike in Gaza child casualties: Human Rights Watch

Amid reports of Israeli plans for a ground operation into Gaza, Human Rights Watch fears that such an assault could result in a “massive increase” in killings of children.

"It’s hard to imagine that you wouldn't see an increase, a massive increase in the deaths of children if there’s a ground operation," the associate children's rights director at Human Rights Watch, Bill Van Esveld, told Anadolu News Agency.

The latest escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has so far claimed the lives of over 1,000 Palestinian children. An average of 100 children have been killed every day since the conflict began on October 7, according to the HRW.

Besides the ongoing intense airstrikes and shelling, a feared ground operation into the besieged and bombarded Gaza would involve a lot more Israeli troops, tanks, and heavy artillery on the ground, said Esveld.

1329 GMT — Leaders of US, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan to convene in Amman to discuss Gaza

Jordan is scheduled to host on Wednesday a meeting with the leaders of the US, Palestine and Egypt to discuss the ongoing fighting between Hamas and Israel, and related developments in Gaza.

The Jordanian Royal Court in a statement said King Abdullah II will receive US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a four-way summit in Amman.

They will "discuss dangerous developments in Gaza, its regional impact & ensuring provision of aid" into the Gaza."

1328 GMT — Israeli air strike kills one of Hamas top commanders

Hamas group said one of the top leaders of its armed wing has been killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza.

"Ayman Nofal, 'Abu Ahmad', a member of the general military council and commander of the central command in Al Qassam Brigades, was killed" in an Israeli strike on the central Gaza, Hamas said in a statement, referring to its military wing.

The Israeli military did not immediately confirm the killing when contacted by AFP news agency.

1255 GMT — Israel thwarts infiltration, kills four at Lebanon border

Israeli troops have killed four people attempting to enter its territory from Lebanon, the army said, as tensions run high on the border between the two countries.

Meanwhile, three Israelis in northern Israel were injured by fire from an anti-tank guided missile launched from Lebanon.

The Times of Israel website said the injured people were lightly wounded and were taken to hospital for treatment.

1237 GMT — US sees no deepening Iran engagement in Israel-Hamas war: White House

The White House sees no signs of a deepening engagement by Iran in the Israel-Hamas war, a senior official has said.

Asked whether US authorities have noticed that Iran was engaging in the conflict in new ways, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on CNN, "Outside of the rhetoric..., no we haven't."

1237 GMT — Gaza crisis result of 'disdainful attitude towards Middle East settlement': Russia

The tragedy that is unfolding in Gaza is a result of a "disdainful attitude towards the Middle East settlement process," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Speaking at an online news conference, Peskov pointed out that the conflict has been going on for decades, and the world is now witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a "topic on the agenda of all world leaders" and Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the recent developments with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a forthcoming meeting, he said.

1224 GMT — Palestinian deaths in Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza rises

Palestinian deaths in Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza in the last 24 hours have risen to 80, Hamas-run Government Media Office said.

1217 GMT — 4,200 people killed in Israel, Gaza conflict in 10 days: UN

The United Nations has said that a “staggering” 4,200 people have been killed and more than one million have been displaced in 10 days in Israel and Gaza, which is under blockade.

UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said at a UN press conference that Israel’s military assaults show no signs of abating, and that “the continued siege on Gaza” is affecting water supply, food, medicine, and other basic needs.

“With a staggering 4,200 people killed, over one million people displaced in just 10 days, and large areas in Gaza reduced to rubble, we have grave fears about the toll on civilians in the coming days,” said Shamdasani.

“And there are daily indications of violations of the laws of war and international human rights law,” she added.

1159 GMT — US puts thousands of troops on deployment alert

The US military has put 2,000 troops on deployment alert, the Pentagon said, in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin placed the personnel and a range of units "on a heightened state of readiness through a prepare to deploy order," the Pentagon said in a statement, to be able "to respond quickly to the evolving security environment in the Middle East."

1135 GMT — Israeli actions on border 'adding fuel to fire' : Lebanon

Israeli actions along Lebanon's southern border are like adding fuel to the fire, the Lebanese foreign minister has said.

Speaking at a joint news conference in the capital Beirut with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Abdallah Bouhabib emphasised that his country is not seeking war.

"These (Israeli) actions are like adding fuel to the fire. What we want is to ensure calm in the region."

1130 GMT — German chancellor warns Hezbollah, Iran not to intervene in ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in the ongoing deadly armed conflict between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.

"The Palestinians are not Hamas, and Hamas has no right to speak for them," Scholz said at a joint press conference with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Berlin following their meeting in Berlin, which was live-streamed by several broadcasters.

"We are continuing our humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population," the German chancellor said, warning "Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in the conflict."

1109 GMT — Iran warns 'no one can stop' resistance if Israel keeps bombing Gaza

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has warned that "no one can stop" forces opposed to Israel if it keeps up its bombardment of Gaza.

"If the crimes of the Zionist (Israeli) regime continue, Muslims and resistance forces will become impatient, and no one can stop them," Khamenei said.

"No one should expect" that certain parties like Iran can "prevent the resistance forces" from taking action, said the supreme leader, who has the final say in major state policies in Iran.

1102 GMT — Gaza conflict could produce greater wars, but also historic peace: Türkiye

Alongside the risk of leading to greater wars, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine also has the potential of bringing a historic peace, Türkiye's foreign minister said.

"It is now time for the international community to take serious steps towards a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state," Fidan said at a joint news conference in Lebanon's capital Beirut with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bouhabib.

Fidan said that peace would not come to the region as long as the establishment of the state of Palestine is delayed.

0949 GMT — Japan to provide $10M in aid to support civilians in Gaza

Japan will provide $10 million in aid to support civilians in Gaza, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has announced.

The aid is aimed at addressing the humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

"We will keep making diplomatic efforts to improve humanitarian access so that necessary assistance, such as food, water, and medical and health services, will be provided to innocent civilians and Palestinian refugees," Kamikawa said.

0854 GMT — Just four-five days of food left in besieged Gaza: UN

The UN's World Food Programme said the situation in Gaza was worsening by the minute with only four or five days of food stocks left in the shops.

"Inside the shops, the stocks are getting close to less than a few days, maybe four or five days of food stocks left," WFP's Middle East spokesperson Abeer Etefa, told reporters in Geneva via video link from Cairo.

Out of five mills in Gaza, only one is operating due to security concerns and the unavailability of fuel and electricity. Etefa said the primary challenge for WFP is being able to get food to shops amid the constant bombardment.

1110 GMT — ICC’s silence on Israel’s Gaza attacks ‘utterly unacceptable’

The systematic targeting of a civilian population, as is the case with Israel’s attacks on Gaza, can be a “crime against humanity and the continued silence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the matter is “utterly unacceptable,” according to a legal expert.

For over 10 days, Israel has been bombing the besieged Palestinian territory, with the death toll now nearing 3,000, among them at least 750 children.

Ahmed Abofoul, legal researcher and advocacy officer at rights organisation Al Haq, emphasised that Israel’s actions in Gaza are “a war crime,” while the targeting of civilian infrastructure and civilian population could also amount to “a crime against humanity.”

There have been “very disturbing, genocidal statements” by Israeli politicians, like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that they will be “turning Gaza into rubble,” he pointed out.

1054 GMT — Israeli bombardments kill dozen of two families in Gaza

A strike in Deir al Balah, south of Gaza City, reduced a house to rubble, killing nine members of the family living there, mostly women and children. Three members of another family that had evacuated from Gaza City were killed in a neighbouring home. Witnesses said there was no warning before the strike.

In Khan Younis, in a neighbourhood just a few hundred meters away from Nasser Hospital, Samiha Zoarab looked around at the destruction in shock as children rummaged through the piles of debris and detritus around a levelled home, which lies within a dense cluster of buildings.

At least four people from the same family were killed in the attack, locals said. “There are only two survivors,” Zoarab said.

1045 GMT — Clashes reignite on Lebanon-Israel border

Clashes erupted again on the border between Lebanon and Israel, where Israeli forces and armed groups in Lebanon have engaged in a series of low-level skirmishes since the outbreak of the latest war in Gaza.

An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon landed in the town of Metula in northern Israel Tuesday morning, injuring three people, according to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed.

No group in Lebanon has immediately claimed responsibility. It was not clear if the injured were civilians or soldiers, but Israel has ordered civilians to evacuate the area near the border with Lebanon.

Israel responded by striking several areas along the border in southern Lebanon with artillery fire and white phosphorus, the state-run National News Agency in Lebanon reported. The Israeli military said its tanks fired back into Lebanon after an anti-tank missile was launched across the border.

0826 GMT — WHO: Urgent access to Gaza to deliver aid, medical supplies needed

The World Health Organisation has said it needs urgent access to Gaza to deliver aid and medical supplies, as the UN agency warned of a humanitarian crisis in the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian enclave.

Speaking to media in a briefing, Dr Richard Brennan, regional emergency director of the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean regional office, said the WHO was meeting with "decision-makers" on Tuesday to open access to Gaza as soon as possible.

0807 GMT — Jordan, Egypt 'will not accept' Palestinian refugees

King Abdullah II of Jordan has said at a meeting with German Chancellor OIaf Scholz in Berlin that neither Jordan nor Egypt would be willing to take in any Palestinian refugees.

“This is a situation that has to be handled within Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. “And you don’t have to carry this out on the shoulders of others.”

Abdullah also said that everything needs to be done to prevent a further escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

“The whole region is on the brink,” Abdullah said. “This new cycle of violence is leading us towards the abyss.”

0750 GMT — Israel: Status of Palestine's Gaza after war will be 'global issue'

An Israeli military spokesman has said that the status of Gaza after Israel's planned ground invasion on the Palestinian enclave would be a "global issue" for discussion by Israel's politicians and with other countries.

"We've had all kinds of end games," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told media during a news briefing, in response to a question about whether Israel's military planned to stay and govern Gaza after its ground offensive.

"The cabinet is also discussing what that could look like ... this is also a global issue, what the situation will look like in this region," he said.

Israel is preparing a ground assault on Gaza in response to the group's deadly attack on nearby towns and kibbutzes in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

0558 GMT — UN pushes for aid flow into Gaza under Israeli airstrikes

Calling this “the worst of times,” the UN humanitarian chief said the United Nations is in “deep discussions” with the Israelis, Egyptians and others about getting aid through the Rafah crossing, “hugely helped” by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who has been travelling in the region.

Martin Griffiths, who is heading to Cairo on Tuesday “to try to help in the negotiations,” said in an interview with the UN Monday that he was hoping for “some good news” soon.

Griffiths said the UN’s “overwhelming priority” is to get access to Gaza, saying humanitarian rules of war are being violated.

“You cannot ask people to move out of harm’s way without assisting them to do it,” by providing safe places and humanitarian aid, and right now Israel has not made these provisions for Gaza residents moving from the north to the south, Griffiths said.

He also called for the immediate release of all hostages taken from Israel, many of them children, women, the elderly and the sick, which he said is “unacceptable” and illegal.

0510 GMT — Relief convoys which had been waiting in the Egyptian city of El Arish headed towards the Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, aid officials have said.

"We have arrived at the terminal and are now waiting for the next step," said Heba Rashed, who runs the aid group Mersal.

Hundreds more lorries were headed along the coast road for the 40-kilometre (25-mile) journey to Rafah, other aid officials said.

0229 GMT — Israeli security agency admits failure of Hamas infiltration

The director of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency has admitted that it had failed to detect the Palestinian Hamas group’s infiltration into Israeli territories on October 7.

"Despite a series of actions we carried out, unfortunately on Saturday, we were unable to generate a sufficient warning that would allow the attack to be thwarted," said Ronen Bar, according to the Times of Israel news website.

"As the one who heads the organisation, the responsibility for this is mine," Bar said. "There will be time for investigations. Now we are fighting.”

0003 GMT — UN Security Council rejects Russia's resolution on Gaza ceasefire

The UN Security Council rejected a Russian resolution that condemned violence and terrorism against civilians. Only four countries joined Russia in voting for the resolution. Four countries voted against it, including the United States. Six countries abstained.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, had urged support for the resolution to respond to the “unprecedented exacerbation” of the situation.

The Russian draft resolution would have called for “an immediate, durable and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire” and “strongly condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism.” It never mentions Hamas.

The Brazilian draft resolution calls for “humanitarian pauses” and also “firmly condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians and all acts of terrorism.” But it also “unequivocally rejects and condemns the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas.”

0057 GMT — Biden to visit Israel on Wednesday: Blinken

US President Joe Biden will pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday following the Hamas attacks, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also announced that Israel had agreed to work on civilian aid for Gaza.

Blinken spoke after meeting for nearly eight hours at the defence ministry with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the top US diplomat's second visit since the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

"The president will reaffirm United States solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security," Blinken said early Tuesday in Tel Aviv.

0050 GMT — Britain’s prime minister calls on Israel, Egypt to open border crossing to allow in aid

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged both Israel and Egypt to open up the Rafah crossing to allow in aid.

“We must ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza. This requires Egypt and Israel to let in the aid that is so badly needed,” he said in a statement in the House of Commons.

Sunak began his speech by extending his support to the families of some of those who went missing after the Palestinian group Hamas’s infiltration into southern Israel.

0038 GMT — Children, families in Gaza have practically run out of water: UNICEF

Palestinian children and families in Gaza have practically run out of water, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said late Monday.

“They are now forced to use dirty water from wells, increasing risks of waterborne diseases,” UNICEF said in a statement.

“We need an immediate humanitarian pause to ensure unhindered and safe access to children and families in Gaza.”

For our live updates from Monday (October 16), click here.