Israel-Gaza war Highlights: ‘Not to occupy, to free Gaza from Hamas,’ says Netanyahu on takeover plan; UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting

London's Metropolitan Police arrested more than 365 people at a protest against Britain's decision to ban the group Palestine Action, the force said.

Protesters, some wearing black and white Palestinian scarves and waving Palestinian flags, chanted "hands off Gaza", and held placards with the message "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action", video taken by Reuters at the scene showed.

Israel denies allegations of being responsible for genocide in Gaza. The Reuters video showed demonstrators who had gathered in Parliament Square by the Houses of Parliament being carried away by police. The crowd chanted "shame on you" at the police.

Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned and rejected Israel's plan to expand its military operation in the Gaza Strip. "The implementation of such decisions and plans, which provoke condemnation and rejection, is fraught with the risk of exacerbating the already extremely dramatic situation in the Palestinian enclave, which has all the hallmarks of a humanitarian catastrophe," the ministry said. -The Guardian

More than 50 people protesting against Britain's decision to ban the Palestine Action group were arrested outside parliament on Saturday. London's Metropolitan Police made these arrests after crowds gathered in Parliament Square, waving placards in support of the group.

The UK banned Palestine Action in July under anti-terrorism legislation due to members breaking into a Royal Air Force base and damaging planes in protest against Britain's support for Israel.

Being a member of the group is now a crime, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Notably, co-founder Huda Ammori won a bid to legally challenge the ban.

(Inputs from Reuters)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Muslim nations must work in total unison and mobilize the international community against Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City.

Fidan made these comments on Saturday after talks in Egypt with his Egyptian counterpart and following a meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in El Alamein. Fidan also mentioned that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been called to an emergency meeting. -Reuters

The UK has announced another £8.5 million for UN aid to Gaza after Israel unveiled plans to expand its military operations in the territory. Development minister Baroness Jenny Chapman said the money would “help address urgent need” in Gaza, but only if Israel allowed the region to be “flooded with aid”.

She emphasized, "It is unacceptable that so much aid is waiting at the border - the UK is ready to provide more through our partners, and we demand that the government of Israel allows more aid in safely and securely."-The Guardian

Muslim nations must work in total unison and work to mobilise the international community against Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday after talks in Egypt.

Speaking at a joint press conference in El Alamein with his Egyptian counterpart after meeting Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Fidan also said the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had been called to an emergency meeting. — Reuters

President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Qatar's prime minister on Saturday in Spain to discuss a plan to end the war in Gaza and release hostages, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on X. — Reuters

Sri Lanka on Saturday expressed "deep" concern over the Israeli decision to seize control of Gaza, cautioning that it would lead to further escalation of violence.

In a statement, the island nation's Foreign Ministry called for an "immediate ceasefire" and urged "all parties to resolve differences through diplomatic dialogue in order to establish sustainable peace.” "Sri Lanka expresses deep concern over the decision by Israel to seize control of Gaza, which will lead to further escalation of violence and suffering of the people of Gaza," it said. — PTI

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Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour denounced Israel’s plan to take control of all of Gaza, reported NBC News, calling it “crazy, irresponsible, dangerous, [and] vicious.”

The foreign ministers of Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom on Friday issued a joint statement “strongly” rejecting Israel’s decision to launch additional military operations in Gaza, NBC News reported. The statement warned the move “will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians,” and said it could violate international humanitarian law.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s aim was not to occupy Gaza but to “free” it from Hamas. In a post on X, he said the territory would be demilitarised and run by a peaceful civilian administration. " This will help free our hostages and ensure Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future," he wrote.

Israel has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban area, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says is a step towards removing Hamas from the territory and securing the release of hostages. Read More

US Senator Marco Rubio stated that peace talks with Hamas "fell apart" on the day French President Emmanuel Macron decided France would recognize a Palestinian state.

Speaking to Raymond Arroyo on Global Catholic TV's The World Over, Rubio said, "So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas". Macron had announced France's recognition of the State of Palestine, urging an end to the war in Gaza. -BBC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed disappointment with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after Germany suspended military exports to Israel that could be used in Gaza.

Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City is "wrong" and will put the lives of the remaining hostages at greater risk, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Friday. -Reuters

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot strongly condemned Israel's plan to occupy Gaza City, stating that it would "worsen an already catastrophic situation without enabling the release of Hamas hostages, its disarmament, or its surrender".

In a post on X, Barrot wrote, "France strongly condemns the Israeli government's plan aimed at preparing for the complete occupation of Gaza. Such an operation would worsen an already catastrophic situation without enabling the release of Hamas hostages, its disarmament, or its surrender".

Soldiers for the Hostages, a reservist organisation in Israel, has renewed calls for soldiers to decline military orders to serve after the security cabinet approved the plan to take over Gaza City.

“Your children do not know how to refuse on their own, because it is difficult. It is almost impossible,” the organisation said.

After German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that he would suspend arms exports to Israel that could be used in Gaza "until further notice," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Merz that Tel Aviv’s goal is not to take over Gaza, but to free it from Hamas and enable the establishment of a peaceful government there, according to the Prime Minister’s Office on X.

EU Council president Antonio Costa on Friday said Tel Aviv decision to take over Gaza City violates the July 19 agreement announced by the High Representative and “must have consequences for EU-Israel relations.”

He further said it would undermine "fundamental principles of international law and universal values."

Reaffirming the two-state solution “as the only political path for stability in the region,” he urged the Israeli government to reconsider and said the move will be assessed by the Council.

While labeling the October 7 assault a “barbaric terrorist attack,” he said that the Israeli government’s planned operation will only further worsen the “dramatic” situation in Gaza.

Israel “should be concerned” that Germany has decided to halt the export of arms that could be used in Gaza, said Jeremy Issacharoff, a former ambassador of Israel to Germany.

Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday said his country will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the strip “until further notice.”

With Germany being a supporter of Israel for decades, he maintained that Israel “has the right to defend itself against Hamas’ terror” and said that the release of Israeli hostages, while adding that Hamas must not have a role in the future of Gaza.

He said “purposeful” negotiations toward a cease-fire in the 22-month conflict “are our top priority.”

During a bilateral meeting with foreign secretary David Lammy at Chevening House, in Kent, England, US vice-president JD Vance said the Washington has “no plans” to recognise a state of Palestine.

“I don’t know what it would mean to really recognise a Palestinian state, given the lack of functional government there,” The Guardian quoted Vance as saying.

Vance further stated two goals of the White House at the moment -- to make sure "Hamas cannot attack innocent Israeli civilians ever again" and solve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy (left) and US Vice President JD Vance during a meeting at Chevening House in Kent. (AP Photo)

Independent MP and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the government of UK is “complicit in genocide” after Israel announced its decision to take over Gaza City.

"If the government was truly horrified by Israel’s occupation of Gaza, it would stop supplying them with the weapons they need to carry it out. The prime minister can condemn Israel’s plans all he wants. He cannot hide the truth: his government is complicit in genocide," The Guardian quoted Corbyn as saying.

Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Israeli political-security cabinet’s decision was wrong and urged the Tel Aviv to reconsider.

“This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed,” he said.

Tel Aviv has fixed October 7 as the deadline for evacuating Gaza City ahead of the siege, a day which will mark the second year anniversary of the massacre in Israel that triggered the war, CNN reported quoting an Israeli source.

A second Israeli source told the news outlet that the plan calls for no aid distribution in the city as a means of forcing Palestinians to evacuate.

Spain has condemned the Israeli government’s decision to take over Gaza.

"We firmly condemn the decision of the Israeli government to escalate the military occupation of Gaza. It will only cause more destruction and suffering," Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares as saying.

He pushed for a permanent ceasefire, the "immediate and massive entry" of humanitarian aid, and the urgent release of all hostages.

Quoting two Arab officials on condition of anonymity, the Associated Press reported that mediators from Egypt and Qatar are working on a framework to facilitate the release of all hostages — dead and alive — in one go in return for an end of the war in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip.

While Israel is seeking full disarmament of Hamas, the agreement aims to "freezing arms" which may involve Hamas retaining but not using its weapons, The Guardian reported. The agreement also aims to pressure the group to relinquish power in the strip and replace it with a Palestinian-Arab committee overseeing the reconstruction.

Saudi Arabia condemns any Israeli move to take control of Gaza, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The kingdom "categorically denounces Israeli occupation authorities' persistence in committing crimes of starvation, brutal practices, and ethnic cleansing against the brotherly Palestinian people," it said in a statement. (Reuters)

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the Israeli government's decision to further extend its military operation in Gaza must be reconsidered while reiterating that the hostages in Gaza must be released.

She also reaffirmed that there must be immediate access for humanitarian aid to the strip and called for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

Israel's decision to intensify its military operation in Gaza is wrong and should immediately be reversed, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told Denmark's TV2 on Friday.

Israel's political-security cabinet approved a plan early on Friday to take control of Gaza City, a move expanding military operations despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad. (Reuters)

Jordan on Friday condemned Israel's decision seize Gaza City, a Foreign Ministry statement read.

Jordan has been a quiet yet influential supporter of Israel in the region, notably aiding Tel Aviv in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones in April 2024. However, relations appear to have entered troubled waters in recent times.

In November 2023, Amman pulled out of a joint water-for-energy deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel and recalled its ambassador.

Jordan also voted to expel the Israeli ambassador to Jordan in May 2024 and, in September of he same year, called for a weapons embargo on Israel.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday said his country will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in Gaza “until further notice.” Germany has been a stalwart supporter of Israel for decades.

In a statement, Merz emphasised that Israel “has the right to defend itself against Hamas' terror” and said that the release of Israeli hostages and “purposeful” negotiations toward a cease-fire in the 22-month conflict “are our top priority.” He said Hamas must not have a role in the future of Gaza. (AP)

An Israeli airstrike on eastern Lebanon killed several people, including a senior member of a Palestinian group and his bodyguard as they were on their way to Syria, news reports and his group said Friday.

The Thursday afternoon airstrike near the Lebanese border crossing of Masnaa killed Mohammed Wishah, a member of the central committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the group said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from Israel. (AP)

Israel's plan to intensify operations in Gaza is "a wrong move", Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said on Friday.

"The plan of the Netanyahu government to intensify Israeli operations in Gaza is a wrong move. The (Gaza) humanitarian situation is catastrophic and demands immediate improvement. This decision in no way contributes to this and will also not help to get the hostages home," Veldkamp said in a statement on X. (Reuters)

Hamas on Friday described Israel's decision to take control of Gaza City as a "war crime", adding that the Israeli government "does not care about the fate of its hostages," news agency Reuters reported.

Earlier the United Nations urged Israel to end its occupation and achieve a two-State solution "giving Palestinians the right to self-determination," adding that any further escalation between the outfit and Israel would "result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”

The Palestine Red Crescent Society has accused Israel forces of targeting Palestinian civilians waiting to receive aid in Gaza and killing one of its staff members.

"Today, our colleague Ashraf Suleiman Eid Yousef (44), a staff member in the administrative services department at the Sarayah field hospital in Gaza City, was killed after Israeli forces targeted a group of civilians while they were waiting to receive aid in the Kisufim area, east of the central governorate," the organisation wrote on X.

This brings the total number of PRCS team members killed to 53, the Guardian reported.

China expressed “serious concerns” over Israeli political-security cabinet's decision to seize Gaza City and urged it to “immediately cease its dangerous actions”, echoing the calls of UK PM Starmer.

“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory,” the foreign ministry told news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) in a message.

“The correct way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages is an immediate ceasefire,” they added.

“A complete resolution to the Gaza conflict hinges on a ceasefire; only then can a path to de-escalation be paved and regional security ensured,” the spokesperson said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday said Israel's decision to take control of Gaza City was wrong and urged the government in Jerusalem to reconsider. "The Israeli Government's decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately," he said in a statement. "This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed."

Turkey condemns in the strongest terms Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City, the foreign ministry said on Friday, calling on the international community and United Nations Security Council to act to prevent the plan's implementation.

The ministry said Israel must immediately halt its war plans, agree a ceasefire in Gaza, and start negotiations for a two-state solution, saying each step by Israel's government to continue what Turkey called Israel's genocide and occupation of Palestinian lands dealt a heavy blow to global security.

(Reuters)

The Israeli government's plan for a full-scale military takeover of Gaza will cause more deaths and suffering and must be halted immediately, the United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said on Friday. The plan runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realisation of the agreed two-state solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination, Turk said in a statement.

Israel's political-security cabinet approved a plan early on Friday to take control of Gaza City, as the country expands its military operations despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating almost two-year-old war. Earlier Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel intended to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip.

"On all evidence to date, this further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes," Turk said. "Instead of intensifying this war, the Israeli Government should put all its efforts into saving the lives of Gaza's civilians by allowing the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid. The hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released by Palestinian armed groups."

(Reuters)