Israel-Hamas War Highlights: Aid trucks enter Gaza as Rafah crossing on Egypt border opens; Hamas released two American hostages, Israel says

A fighter from the Lebanese group Hezbollah was killed along the border with Israel on Saturday, the Iran-backed group said, taking to 14 the number of its members it says have died during two weeks of escalating violence in the frontier region.

A security source in Lebanon said the fighter was killed in the Lebanese area of Hula, which lies opposite Margaliot on the Israeli side which Israel said was the target of an anti-tank missile attack. The Israeli army said it fired back.

Hezbollah and Israel's military have been trading fire at the frontier on an almost daily basis since Palestinian group Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with fierce airstrikes on Gaza. (Reuters)

A 50-year-old Indian internal medicine specialist has been dismissed from his job in Bahrain over an anti-Palestine tweet, his employer in the Gulf country has said.

The Royal Bahrain Hospital in a statement on Friday described Dr. Sunil Rao’s tweet, which he had subsequently deleted, as a violation of the hospital’s code of conduct.

According to a Reuters news report, Palestinian militant faction Hamas said on Saturday it won't discuss the fate of Israeli army captives until Israel ends its "aggression" on the Gaza strip.

"Our stance with regards to Israeli army captives is clear: it's related to a (possible) exchange of prisoners, and we will not discuss it until Israel ends its aggression on Gaza and Palestinians," Hamas official Osama Hamdan, speaking from Lebanon, told a televised presser.

No one lives in Kibbutz Nir Oz anymore, but some residents are returning to bury their dead.

Israeli aircraft and soldiers on Saturday targeted militants who had fired rockets and anti-tank missiles near the border with Lebanon, the military said.

'Hits were identified during both strikes,' the military said. Soldiers were responding to a third round of missiles, it added. (Reuters)

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Saturday he had spoken to the Israeli government about its duty to respect international law and to preserve civilian lives in Gaza, and for its military to show restraint.

"The UK is clear and has been consistently clear that Israel has the right to self defence and the right to secure the release of those who are kidnapped on Oct. 7," Cleverly told the Cairo Peace Summit hosted by Egypt.

"We are also clear that we must work and they must work to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and that their actions are in accordance with international law. "Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, I have called for discipline and professionalism and restraint from the Israeli military," he added.

Police in Cyprus said Saturday they arrested four Syrians on suspicion of setting off a small explosive device that caused no damage not far from Israeli Embassy in the capital Nicosia.

Police said the four, ranging in ages between 17 and 21, face charges of attempted destruction of property using explosives, possession and use of explosives and possession of a knife.

Police did not say whether the bombing some 30 metres (98 feet) from the Israeli Embassy was connected to the war in Gaza. (AP)

According to a Reuters report the death toll in Gaza rose to 4,385 dead with 13,651 injured since the conflict between Hamas and Israel escalated on Oct. 7, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The dead include 1,756 children and 976 women, the health ministry added.

? After Netanyahu signalled no pause in Israel's aerial onslaught and expected ground invasion, its military said fighter jets had struck a 'large number of Hamas terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip

? Hamas on Friday freed Americans Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and her daughter Natalie, 17, who were among 210 kidnapped

? Gaza's Health Ministry says Israel's retaliatory air and missile strikes have killed at least 4,137 Palestinians

? The first emergency humanitarian aid convoy to be sent to Gaza Strip since the war  began moving through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt on Saturday after days of diplomatic wrangling over conditions for delivering the relief.

? The United Nations said the 20-truck convoy included life-saving supplies that would be received by the Palestinian Red Crescent. Hamas said the delivery included medicine and limited amounts of food but not fuel.

? The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the main Palestinian Christian denomination, said that Israeli forces had struck the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, where hundreds of Christians and Muslims had sought refuge. (AP)

If there was one big idea that captured the essence of independent India’s early thinking on the Middle East, it was the preference for modern secular nationalists in the region. Delhi was uncomfortable with traditionalist and religious forces in the Middle East. The region, however, did not evolve according to India’s preferences.

The division between secular republics and conservative monarchies was too simplistic to capture the regional complexities. Several developments in the Middle East since the late 1970s led to the rise of violent religious extremism and Islamic republicanism that today threaten both secular and conservative regimes.

Over the last few years, India has drawn closer to Arab moderates and Israel. This has been facilitated by the converging interests and expanding engagement between Arab moderates and Israel. They have become valuable partners for Delhi in countering religious extremism, accelerating India’s economic modernisation and expanding India’s security footprint in the region. (Read More)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today said "we won't leave, we will remain on our land" during his opening speech at the Cairo Peace Summit on Saturday.

The Cairo Peace Summit is being held as Israel prepares a ground assault on Gaza following Hamas' attack that killed 1,400 people. More than 4,100 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's counteroffensive, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, amid a growing humanitarian crisis.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told a summit in Cairo on Saturday that he had invited leaders to come to an agreement for roadmap to end humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip and revive a path to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The roadmap's goals included the delivery of aid to Gaza and agreeing a ceasefire, followed by negotiations leading to a two state solution, he said. (Reuters)

The Israeli military said on Saturday that humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip would go only to southern areas of the enclave, where it has urged Palestinian civilians to congregate to avoid its fighting with Hamas.

In a televised briefing, chief spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the aid shipments would not include fuel.

He gave 210 as the updated number of hostages held by Hamas since its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and said around a fifth of Palestinian rockets launched since Friday had fallen short within Gaza due to misfires, causing fatalities.

Jordan's King Abdullah said in his opening speech at the Cairo Peace Summit on Saturday that the forced or internal displacement of Palestinians would be a war crime.

The summit is being held as Israel prepares a ground assault on Gaza following Hamas' attack that killed 1,400 people.

More than 4,100 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's counteroffensive, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, amid a growing humanitarian crisis. (Reuters)

The number of people confirmed held hostage in Gaza in 210, the Israeli Ministry said today.

Trucks laden with humanitarian aid began entering the Rafah crossing to reach the blockaded Gaza Strip on Saturday, footage from Egyptian state TV showed.Earlier, as per a security source, preparations were underway for trucks carrying essential medical supplies, and border personnel were positioned on the Egyptian side of the crossing.

President Joe Biden and his top aides have been urging Israeli leaders against carrying out any major strike against Hezbollah, the powerful militia in Lebanon, that could draw it into the Israel-Hamas war, US and Israeli officials say.

Israel and Palestinian militant groups traded fire on Saturday, following the release of an American woman and her teenage daughter by Hamas, news agency AP reported. 

They were the first of approximately 200 captives to be set free after the militant group's incursion into Israel on October 7. Simultaneously, there were indications that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza might soon open to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

For the past two weeks, Israel had imposed a blockade on the territory, leading to Palestinians having to ration their food and resort to drinking contaminated well water. Hospitals have been grappling with shortages of medicine and fuel for emergency generators, exacerbated by a widespread power outage. On the Gaza side, there was visible movement of empty flatbed trucks, possibly in preparation for the much-needed aid delivery.

The US Embassy in Israel has indicated the possibility of the Gaza-Egypt border potentially opening on Saturday. Such an action, if realized, could allow foreigners to depart from the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

"We have received info that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will open on Saturday, 21 October, 10:00am local time. If the border is opened, we do not know how long it will remain open for foreign citizens to depart Gaza," the Embassy said.

Security Alert 11: We have received info that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will open on Saturday, 21 October, 10:00am local time. If the border is opened, we do not know how long it will remain open for foreign citizens to depart Gaza. https://t.co/WD8AeWCrkB pic.twitter.com/XPZQUiu10v

— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) October 21, 2023

Egypt on Saturday is playing host to numerous regional leaders and prominent Western officials for a summit addressing the war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.

This meeting in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, located just east of Cairo, aims to explore avenues for de-escalating the ongoing hostilities and pursuing a cease-fire, given the growing concerns about a potential regional conflict, news agency AP reported.  The leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Palestinian Authority are among those attending the summit.

Prime ministers of Italy, Spain, Greece and Canada, the president of the European Council and the foreign ministers from Germany, France, the UK and Japan are also among those attending the summit.

Israel has been evacuating a significant town near the Lebanese border, raising concerns of a potential ground invasion of Gaza, which could have broader regional implications.

Heavy airstrikes have been reported by Palestinians in Gaza, particularly in the southern city of Khan Younis, where civilians were instructed to seek safety due to Israeli bombardment near the Israeli border.

The UN Secretary-General is currently at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, working to facilitate the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the enclave.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, the toll stands at 4,137 Palestinians killed and over 13,000 others wounded.

A pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, Australia's biggest city, saw the participation of thousands of people on Saturday, receiving last-minute approval amidst concerns following instances of protesters at a previous gathering chanting anti-Jewish slogans.

Across the globe on Friday, demonstrators called for an end to Israel's airstrikes on Gaza, which had continued for nearly two weeks and claimed the lives of approximately 4,100 people, according to authorities.

In Sydney, approximately 15,000 individuals joined the march on Saturday, as reported by the Palestine Action Group, expressing their solidarity with chants of "Palestine will endure" and waving the flag of Palestine.

If there was one big idea that captured the essence of independent India’s early thinking on the Middle East, it was the preference for modern secular nationalists in the region. Delhi was uncomfortable with traditionalist and religious forces in the Middle East. The region, however, did not evolve according to India’s preferences.

The division between secular republics and conservative monarchies was too simplistic to capture the regional complexities. Several developments in the Middle East since the late 1970s led to the rise of violent religious extremism and Islamic republicanism that today threaten both secular and conservative regimes.

Mustafa Barghouti, who leads the Palestinian National Initiative, and a top politician in the West Bank spoke exclusively to The Indian Express.

A former Information minister in the Palestinian National Authority, he is one of the most articulate voices within the Palestinian political leadership. He is neither with Fatah, which rules the Palestinian National Authority, nor does he represent Hamas.

President Joe Biden said on Friday that he believed one of the motivations behind Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 was an attempt to hinder Israel's normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia.

“One of the reasons Hamas moved on Israel … they knew that I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden said at a fundraising event. According to the US president, Hamas launched the assault because the Saudis were on the verge of officially recognising Israel, saying, "Guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel."

According to the latest data released by Israel's military, more than 1,400 people in the country have been killed, and over 4,600 have been reported as injured.

War With Hamas
2 week recap:

?6,900+ rockets fired from Gaza at Israel (450+ failed launches inside Gaza).

?1,400+ killed.
?4,600+ injured.
?200+ hostages taken.

?1,000+ Hamas terrorists neutralized, many after infiltrating Israel.
?Dozens of senior Hamas terrorist…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 20, 2023

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to continue to "fight until victory" in Gaza indicating that there will be no halt to the military's bombardment and an anticipated invasion of the region. This decision comes after the release of two US hostages by Hamas.

"Two of our abductees are at home. We are not giving up on the effort to return all abducted and missing people," the PM said in a statement released late Friday night.

"At the same time, we'll continue to fight until victory," Netanyahu added.

The father of the recently freed American teenager, Natalie Raanan, mentioned on Friday that she is doing well after spending two weeks in captivity, news agency AP reported. Natalie and her mother were abducted by Hamas in Israel and held in Gaza. Uri Raanan, who resides in the Chicago suburbs of Illinois, shared that he had a telephone conversation with his daughter on Friday and described her as doing well. “I’m in tears, and I feel very, very good,” he said. 

Uri Raanan is hopeful that Natalie might be able to celebrate her 18th birthday at home with family and friends next week, which he described as "wonderful" and "the best news." He believes that Natalie and Judith are currently in transit to Tel Aviv to reunite with relatives and expects both of them to be back in the US early next week.

Hamas on Friday released an American woman and her teenage daughter who had been held hostage in Gaza, Israel said. This marks the first instance of a release among the approximately 200 individuals abducted by the militant group from Israel during its rampage on October 7th.

Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, are now in Israeli military custody after being released by Hamas. Hamas cited humanitarian reasons for their release in an agreement with the Qatari government. This comes amidst heightened expectations of an Israeli ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

UK PM Rishi Sunak met President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and agreed that global leaders should do everything possible to avopid a contagion of conflict in the region. He also welcomed efforts by Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crosiing between Egypt and Gaza. (Reuters)

I am in Egypt as part of wider efforts to prevent the spread of violence following the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

All leaders must work together to avoid any regional escalation and ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza.

The UK stands ready to help.

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 20, 2023

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again:

Hamas does NOT care about Gazan civilians. pic.twitter.com/NhIa2zbKrS

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 20, 2023

The White House on Friday asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security, but offered no strategy for securing the money from a broken Congress.

U.S. President Joe Biden's request for the funding comes days after he visited Israel and pledged solidarity as the country bombards Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants that killed 1,400 people in southern Israel.

By grouping Israel funding with Ukraine, border security, refugee assistance, measures to counter China and other hotly debated priorities, Biden is hoping he has created a must-pass national security spending bill that can win support in a chaotic House of Representatives.

Biden also wants more than $9 billion for humanitarian relief, including for Israel and Gaza, where the population faces a worsening humanitarian crisis. (Reuters)

Canada is still committed to a two-state solution to create peace in the Middle East, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, reiterating the country's long-time position in the wake of deadly Hamas attacks against Israel earlier this month.

"Canada remains firm and steadfast in our commitment to a two-state solution," Trudeau told reporters in Toronto. "The world and the region needs a peaceful, safe, prosperous, viable Palestinian state alongside a peaceful, prosperous, democratic, safe... Israel." (Reuters)

Egypt holds a summit on the Gaza crisis on Saturday amid growing fears of a wider Middle East war but the absence of a top official from Israel's main ally the U.S. and some other leaders has dampened expectations for what it can achieve. The hastily-convened Cairo Peace Summit as the conflict still rages will bring together several Arab and European heads of state and government, alongside foreign ministers.

There was no word on who would represent the U.S., or whether major powers China and Russia would attend. Egypt has said little about the aims of the gathering, beyond an Oct. 15 statement by the Egyptian presidency that the summit would cover recent developments involving the crisis in Gaza and the future of the Palestinian issue.

"There is no precise overview of the participants so far. Much is still in flux," said one European source.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will not attend, while there has been no official word on whether French President Emmanuel Macron will go.

Arab countries have voiced anger at Israel's unprecedented bombardment and siege of Gaza, home to 2.3 million people. European countries have struggled to settle on a united approach to the crisis, beyond condemning Hamas's attack, after days of confusion and mixed messaging.

Egypt has been trying to channel humanitarian relief to Gaza through the Rafah crossing, the one access point not controlled by Israel, but aid has piled up on the Egyptian side. (Reuters)

Hundreds of supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups gathered on Friday at Iraq's main border crossing with Jordan to express solidarity with Gaza and call for an end to the blockade imposed by Israel.

Some 800 supporters of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of mainly Shi'ite militia, departed from Baghdad late on Thursday in buses and arrived at the Iraqi-Jordanian border crossing in the early hours of Friday in the western Anbar province, which is the closest access point from Iraq to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Amid heavy security presence at the crossing, protesters set up tents and staged a sit-in, demanding Israel lift its blockade on Gaza and allow aid to flow in.
“No to Israel and normalization,” protesters chanted while waving Palestinian flags. (Reuters)

Russia is in contact with Hamas to free hostages seized by the Palestinian militant group during its attack on Israel and now being held in the Gaza Strip, the Russian ambassador to Israel said.

Izvestia newspaper quoted envoy Anatoly Viktorov as saying: 'Of course, we have contacts with representatives of Hamas, and first of all they are aimed at rescuing the hostages from the places where they are now, captured by Hamas militants on the first day of the - frankly speaking - terrorist attack on Israeli civilians.' (Reuters)

“We fight for our existence,” IDF Spokesperson LTC (Res.) Jonathan Conricus. pic.twitter.com/0c9nkuGqAs

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 20, 2023

Russia is urging its citizens to refrain from travelling to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon or Jordan, the foreign ministry said on its website on Friday.
"We continue to work closely with the Egyptian and Israeli authorities to ensure the exit from the Gaza Strip of Russian citizens who have asked for assistance in evacuating," it added in a statement. (Reuters)

As many as 80% of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must take responsibility for the security failures exposed by the devastating Oct. 7 assault on Israeli by Hamas, a poll in the Ma'ariv newspaper showed on Friday. Even among voters of Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, 69% said he should accept responsibility.

The survey showed Netanyahu lagging far behind former Defence Minister Benny Gantz, head of an opposition centrist party who joined a unity government last week. It said 48% of respondents thought Gantz would make a better prime minister, compared with only 28% for Netanyahu.

The poll indicated that 65% of Israelis were in support of the expected ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli troops. It was conducted on Oct. 18 and 19 among 510 respondents and had a 4.3% margin of error, Ma'ariv said. (Reuters)

Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip early Friday, hitting areas where Palestinians had been told to seek safety, and it began evacuating a sizable Israeli town near the border with Lebanon, the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.

Amid the fighting, Israel’s defense minister said the country did not have plans to maintain control over civilians in Gaza after its war against the Hamas militant group.Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s comments to lawmakers were the first time a top Israeli official discussed its long-term plans for Gaza. 

Gallant said Israel expected a three-phase war, starting with airstrikes and ground maneuvers. It anticipates then defeating pockets of resistance, and finally, ceasing Israel's “responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip.” (AP)

UN secretary-general António Guterres is in Egypt near the Rafah border to supervise aid delivery preparations to the war-torn Gaza.

I am in Egypt on a humanitarian mission and to witness @UN preparations to deliver massive support to civilians in Gaza.

Humanitarians need to be able to get the aid in - and they need to be able to distribute it safely. pic.twitter.com/bAX3JxiWCp

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 19, 2023

Civilians in Gaza desperately need core services and supplies.

We need rapid, unimpeded humanitarian access.

We need food, water, medicine and fuel now.

We need it at scale and we need it to be sustained.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 19, 2023

Emmanuel Macron met the families of French hostages held captive by Hamas. France is not abandoning its own people. We are doing everything possible to obtain the release and return of our compatriots.," he wrote on X.

J'ai pu échanger à l’instant avec des familles d’otages français retenus par le Hamas.

Je le dis ici à tous : la France n'abandonne pas les siens. Nous faisons tout notre possible pour obtenir la libération et le retour de nos compatriotes.

La Nation se tient à leurs côtés.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 20, 2023

As per the Israeli military, their aircraft strike took down three 3 Hezbollah fighters, reported news agency Reuters.

Israel's Ministry of Defence took to X and declared the arrival of the 45th cargo plane with 1000 tons of arms.

The Israeli defense establishment welcomed the arrival of the 45th cargo plane to Israel this morning. Around 1,000 tons of armaments arrived to bolster IDF capabilities. pic.twitter.com/MRNlqLeUyY

— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) October 20, 2023

All of us at @WHO have been shocked, appalled and saddened by the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

We continue to ask for access to deliver lifesaving supplies.

We hope the Rafah crossing will open today.

More delays will result in more suffering and more deaths. pic.twitter.com/1acEg5qTbz

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 20, 2023

Declaring that U.S. leadership "holds the world together,” President Joe Biden said a rare Oval Office address, on Thursday night the country must deepen its support of Ukraine and Israel in the middle of two vastly different, unpredictable and bloody wars.

Acknowledging that “these conflicts can seem far away,” Biden insisted that they remain “vital for America’s national security" as he prepared to ask Congress for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries.

“History has taught us when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction,” Biden said. “They keep going. And the cost and the threat to America and the world keep rising.”

Biden’s speech reflected an expansive view of U.S. obligations overseas at a time when he faces political resistance at home to additional funding. He's expected to ask for $105 billion on Friday, including $60 billion for Ukraine, much of which would replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles provided earlier. There’s also $14 billion for Israel, $10 billion for unspecified humanitarian efforts, $14 billion for managing the U.S.-Mexico border and fighting fentanyl trafficking and $7 billion for the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Taiwan. The proposal was described by three people familiar with the details who insisted on anonymity before the official announcement. “It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations,” Biden said. (AP)

Protesters marched from several mosques to the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in Indonesia’s capital on Friday to denounce the staunch American support for Israel and demand an end to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Similar protests also took place in front of the United Nations mission, a few kilometers (miles) from the embassy, and in the compound of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Authorities estimated that about 1,000 people participated in the rallies across Jakarta following Friday prayers. (AP)

Another flight carrying urgent supplies for Gaza reached Al-Arish airport in #Egypt this morning. We are ready to deliver a stream of life-saving supplies. What we need now is the immediate and uninterrupted flow of these supplies to Gaza. pic.twitter.com/EuFCSI6ffO

— WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (@WHOEMRO) October 20, 2023

Another plane carrying @WHO medical supplies has landed at Al Arish airport, Egypt thanks to the support of the United Arab Emirates.

Supplies are enough to cover 1000 medical operations, and include tents and water tanks.

Aid supplies are piling up in Al Arish - just 20… pic.twitter.com/l3s9JZUXJs

— WHO in occupied Palestinian territory (@WHOoPt) October 20, 2023

A Greek Orthodox church in the Gaza Strip which was sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians was hit overnight by an Israeli air strike, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Palestinian health officials said.

The Orthodox Church said in a statement: "The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expresses its strongest condemnation of the Israeli air strike that has struck its church compound in the city of Gaza."

The Coptic Orthodox Church stands in solidarity with “our people in Gaza.” https://t.co/zcfWJqXLDw pic.twitter.com/UUJQYCeYjs

— Candace Lukasik (@lukasik_c) October 18, 2023

Video from the scene at the church compound showed a wounded boy being carried from rubble in the nighttime. A civil defence worker said two people on upper floors had survived. Those on lower floors had been killed and were still in the rubble, the worker said.

After the massacre at the Baptist Ahli hospital, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Palestinian Christian community in #Gaza are the target of Israel’s murderous air strikes! Enough! https://t.co/FwcT586ZTS

— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) October 19, 2023

Gaza health officials said the attack on the church killed at least two people and wounded dozens of others. The Israeli military said a part of the church was damaged in a strike on a militant command centre and it was reviewing the incident. Palestinian officials said at least 500 Muslims and Christians had taken shelter in the church from Israeli bombardments. (Reuters)

Violence in the occupied West Bank has surged since Israel began bombarding the Gaza Strip and clashing with Hezbollah at the Lebanon border, fuelling concerns the flashpoint Palestinian territory could become a third front in a wider war.

Israel is waging war against the militant Hamas group in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, but Israeli soldiers and settlers pulled out of Gaza in 2005. Israel still occupies the West Bank, captured with Gaza in a 1967 Middle East war.

Clashes between Israeli soldiers and settlers and Palestinians have already turned deadly. More than 70 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank violence since Oct. 7 and Israel has arrested more than 800 people. Israeli forces raided and carried out an air strike in a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank on Thursday, killing at least 12 people, Palestinian officials said, and Israeli police said an officer was killed during the raid. The violence poses a challenge to both Israel and to the Palestinian Authority (PA), the only Palestinian governing body recognised internationally which is headquartered there. (Reuters)

Amid Israel's 'total siege', which has deprived Palestinians of food, water, fuel and electricity, Gazans have turned to community solar-powered plug points to charge their mobile phones. Here are a few pictures from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. 

All photo by Mohammed Salem of the news agency Reuters.

Over 1,000 Chinese nationals have left Israel amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Chinese foreign ministry said today.

According to preliminary statistics, the Chinese nationals who have left have either returned to China or gone to a third country, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing.

Mao said 280 Chinese nationals had been stranded in Sderot, a city in southern Israel near Gaza, when the conflict first broke out but all have been evacuated.  (Reuters)

A Kerala-based apparel firm, which has been supplying uniform for Israel police since 2015, has decided “not to take further orders until peace has been restored” in the country.

In a release, Maryan Apparel Private Limited, located at the state-owned industrial growth centre at Koothuparamba in Kannur, has said, “We have been making uniforms for the Israel police since 2015. In the light of recent events, bombing of hospital and loss of thousands of innocent lives, we have made a moral decision to not take any further orders to manufacture Israel police uniforms until peace has been restored,” (Read more)

Amid the ongoing siege in Gaza, the region is grappling with severe shortages of essential resources such as food, water, and fuel. The dire situation has been exacerbated by over a thousand casualties and a significant number of injuries, further strained by dwindling medical supplies. The densely populated area is teetering on the brink of a worsening humanitarian crisis as the population's basic needs become increasingly difficult to meet. 

The Palestinian health ministry said today that 13 people were killed, including five children, after Israeli forces raided and carried out an air strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank yesterday.

The raid was conducted on the Nur Shams refugee camp, adjacent to the city of Tulkarm near the territory's border with Israel. (Reuters)

US President Joe Biden, during his eight-hour Israel visit, had sought to broker a deal to get aid into Gaza with only limited success. Biden said Israel and Egypt agreed that 20 trucks with relief supplies could cross into the enclave. Two Egyptian security sources said the equipment was sent on Thursday through its border crossing to repair roads on the Gaza side. More than 100 trucks were waiting in Egypt.

Gaza’s only border crossing not controlled by Israel remains closed as negotiators work to convince Egypt to open Rafah to allow aid in and people out ?? pic.twitter.com/I1w4u0OVFQ

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 20, 2023

The crossing has been out of operation amid Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side of the border.

While some officials previously expected aid to enter Gaza on Friday, the chances appeared to dwindle. The newly appointed US Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield was still negotiating the "exact modalities" of aid deliveries with Israeli and Egyptian officials, the State Department said.

There have been repeated delays and obstacles, and Israel has demanded assurances that relief supplies could not be commandeered by Hamas militants. The United Nations has called for aid to return to pre-conflict levels of 100 trucks a day. Secretary General Antonio Guterres planned to visit the Rafah border crossing from Egypt to Gaza on Friday. (Reuters)

Gaza's Hamas-run interior ministry said 21 Palestinians were killed and 71 injured overnight in Israeli air strikes targeting homes in the southern city of Khan Younis, and that rescue workers were searching for victims under the rubble. 

Seven children from one family were among the victims of an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis on Wednesday ?? pic.twitter.com/v6c215fdu5

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 20, 2023