Live blog: EU calls for 'immediate pauses', humanitarian corridors in Gaza

Sunday, November 12, 2023

1905 GMT — The EU joined calls for "immediate pauses" in hostilities and establishment of humanitarian corridors in Gaza.

"The EU is gravely concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the bloc said in a statement, adding it "joins calls for immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, so that humanitarian aid can safely reach the population of Gaza."

It called for "continued, rapid, safe and unhindered" humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through any necessary means.


Regarding the Israeli attacks against hospitals in Gaza, the statement said: "The EU emphasizes that international humanitarian law stipulates that hospitals, medical supplies and civilians inside hospitals must be protected."

It also said that most urgent medical supplies should be delivered to hospitals and that patients who require urgent medical care need to be evacuated safely.

More updates 👇

2156 GMT — WHO chief says Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital no longer functioning as medical facility

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday that Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza is no longer operating as a medical facility, citing a concerning rise in patient fatalities.

"Regrettably, the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore. The world cannot stand silent while hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation and despair," Tedros wrote on X.

Emphasising “the dire and perilous” situation at the hospital, he highlighted that for the past three days, the facility has lacked electricity and water and has poor internet connectivity, severely hampering its ability to provide essential care.

“Tragically, the number of patient fatalities has increased significantly,” he said, reiterating his call for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

2142 GMT -- Attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah wound 7 Israeli troops, 10 others along border with Israel

Attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah group wounded seven Israeli troops and 10 other people, Israel's military and rescue services said.

The clashes came as skirmishes between the Iran-backed group and Israeli military continue to intensify along the Lebanon-Israel border, threatening to escalate into another front in the Mideast’s latest war.

The assault was the most serious incident involving civilians along the Lebanon-Israel border since an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon on November 5 killed a woman and three children.

The Israeli army’s chief spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said the Hezbollah attack on Israeli civilians was “very serious.”

2127 GMT — Netanyahu warns ministers to watch their words after remarks on ‘new Nakba’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his Cabinet ministers on Sunday to “be careful with their words” when they talk about the war with Hamas.

Speaking to Israel’s Channel 12 news outlet on Saturday, Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter described the forced exile of the civilian population in Gaza as the "Gaza Nakba of 2023.”

Dichter, a member of the right-wing Likud party, was referring to the ongoing displacement of large numbers of Palestinians from the north to the south of Gaza.

Asked about comparing the situation in Gaza to the original Nakba, Dichter replied: "Gaza Nakba 2023. That’s how it’ll end."

The ‘Nakba’ refers to the forced exodus of Palestinians from their homeland in 1948 to make way for new state of Israel.

2042 GMT — Health official says 5 premature babies, 7 patients died in Gaza hospital

A total of five premature babies and seven critical patients have died in Gaza's Al Shifa hospital, an official said, as the facility suffers fuel shortages amid intense fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters.

"We fear the toll will rise further by morning," said Youssef Abu Rish, deputy health minister in Gaza.

1858 GMT — Hamas’ armed wing in Lebanon claims responsibility for rocket attacks on Israel

Hamas’ armed wing in Lebanon claimed responsibility for several rocket attacks on northern Israel.

In a statement, "Qassam Brigades - Lebanon" said that the rocket attacks on the city of Haifa and the towns of Shlomi and Nahariya came in response to the “occupation (forces’) massacres and its aggression against our people in Gaza.”

According to Anadolu's correspondent, Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes on Lebanese border areas from where the rockets were believed to have been launched.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported that “Israeli enemy artillery is targeting the areas of Al Mushayrifah and Al Labouneh, located on the outskirts of the town of Naqoura in southern Lebanon.”

The agency said that “the alarm sirens were activated at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon.”

1807 GMT — UN warns of health risk to pregnant women and newborns in Gaza

The UN humanitarian affairs office warned of the imminent danger to the health of thousands of pregnant women and newborns in Gaza due to the shortage of food, water, medicines, obstetric care and fuel.

“Amid ongoing hostilities, about 50K women are pregnant in (Gaza). Over 180 are giving birth each day and thousands are due in the coming weeks,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on X.

“Their health, and that of their newborns, depends on access to food, water, medicines, fuel & obstetric care,” it added.

1629 GMT — Gaza patients 'in streets without care': Palestinian official

Patients are out "in the streets without care" after "forced evacuations" of two paediatric hospitals in Gaza, an official in the Palestinian territory said, countering the Israeli army which said it secured safe passage for civilians.

"The forced evacuations of Al-Nasr and Rantisi paediatric hospitals have left sick people on the streets without care" in Gaza City, Mohammed Zaqut, director-general of hospitals in the Palestinian territory, told reporters.

"We have completely lost contact with the caregivers" at these two hospitals, he added.

Zaqut also described a "catastrophic" situation inside Gaza's largest hospital, Al Shifa, saying "no one can enter or leave it" amid heavy fighting.

1545 GMT — Israel Aerospace signs $1.2 bln Israeli military air defence deal

State-run Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has signed a $1.2 billion deal to supply air defence systems to Israel's military, the company said, citing the country's war with Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

"IAI finds itself in an accelerated mode to supply systems and solutions for Israel’s defence establishment, for all theaters of operation, whether sea, ground, air or space," IAI said, noting the deal was with the defence ministry.

1515 GMT — Palestinian Authority in current form should not run Gaza: Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thrown up more doubts about the future of Gaza, saying that the Palestinian Authority in its current form should not take charge of the coastal enclave.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday said that the PA could play a future role in governing Gaza, but Netanyahu indicated late Saturday that he did not want the current PA rulers to be given free rein in Gaza.

At a news conference, Netanyahu aired his long-standing grievances over the PA's school syllabus, which he says fuels hatred of Israel, and its policy of giving salaries to families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Such an organisation should not take charge of Gaza, he told reporters.

"We need a different authority. We need a different administration," Netanyahu said. Asked what sort of body that would be, he replied: "I think it's too early to say."

1433 GMT — Israel strikes Gaza hospital again, causes major damage to ICU

The Israeli army has carried out another attack on Al Shifa Hospital in the Gaza on Sunday afternoon, causing significant damage to the intensive care unit, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said.

The ministry’s spokesman Ashraf Al Qudra said the second Israeli army attack of the day caused significant damage to the intensive care unit building.

The hospital's cardiology unit was severely damaged in the morning by Israeli military attack.

Al Qudra said: “The occupation (forces) recently targeted a number of people as they attempted to leave Al Shifa.”

According to Palestinian medical sources, the Israeli army has been surrounding the hospital since Saturday and opening fire on "whoever moves."

1431 GMT — 500 dual nationals leave war-torn Gaza to Egypt as evacuations resume

Around 500 foreigners and dual nationals, as well as several wounded Palestinians, were evacuated from the Israeli-bombed Gaza to Egypt, reports from both sides of the border said.

Some "500 foreign nationals from 15 different countries entered Egypt," an Egyptian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

AlQahera News, an outlet close to the Egyptian intelligence services, reported the crossing of an additional "seven wounded Palestinians" through the terminal.

Rafah is the only crossing out of Gaza not controlled by Israel, and had been c losed on Friday and Saturday.

1409 GMT — Tens of thousands in Australia hold rally in solidarity with Palestinians

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Australia in support of Palestinians and against Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza.

Protesters gathered in front of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne before marching toward parliament, according to ABC News.

Police said that approximately 45,000 people attended the rally that called for an end to the siege in Gaza and for a ceasefire.

Speakers at the protest called the Israeli attacks in Gaza "ethnic cleansing" and condemned the bombing of hospitals.

1310 GMT — All communications services in Gaza will stop by Thursday: Palestinian minister

Palestinian Communications Minister Yitzhak Sidr said that all communications and internet services will stop in Gaza by Thursday due to depleting fuel.

During a press conference, the minister said that the lack of communications services will “deepen the humanitarian disaster,” according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

This will affect communications among the Civil Defense, the Red Crescent, and other humanitarian organizations, he added, noting that “this means the loss of many lives.”

Calling “these actions violation of international law,” Sidr called on “all international institutions, the International Telecommunication Union in particular, UNRWA, the Arab Red Crescent, the Red Cross, human rights bodies, and civil society organizations to intervene immediately in order to bring fuel to the Gaza Strip.”

1301 GMT — Hezbollah targets Israeli army's 'logistic support unit' across border

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on an Israeli army "logistic support unit" near the Doviv outpost in northern Israel, which resulted in casualties.

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah group said in a statement that the attack targeted "a logistic support unit of the occupation army, (which) was in the process of installing transmission poles and eavesdropping and spying devices in a recently established site near the Dovev outpost."

The statement said the attack resulted in "confirmed casualties."

1259 GMT — Israel opens fire on Gaza hospital, rejects calls for ceasefire

Israeli strikes pounded Gaza City overnight and into Sunday as ground forces opened fire near the territory's largest hospital, where health officials say thousands of medics, patients and displaced people are trapped with no electricity and dwindling supplies.

In a televised address on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire.

Israel has vowed to end Hamas’ 16-year rule in Gaza and crush its military capabilities. Israel has come under mounting international pressure over the plight of civilians.

In Gaza City, residents reported heavy airstrikes and shelling overnight, including in the area around Shifa Hospital. Israel, without providing evidence, has accused Hamas of concealing a command post inside and under the hospital compound, allegations denied by Hamas and hospital staff.

1252 GMT — 650 patients in danger due to catastrophic situation in Al Shifa Hospital

The director general of hospitals in Gaza warned that lives of about 650 patients are at risk due to the catastrophic situation in the Al Shifa Hospital.

About 650 patients, including 36 children, have their lives in danger, Muhammad Zaqout said at a press conference, calling on Egypt to save their lives.

Zaqout also confirmed the presence of “about 1,500 displaced people in the Al Shifa Medical Complex,” warning that “accumulation of garbage and medical waste, lack of water, and power outages threaten everyone’s life.”

1244 GMT — Palestinians mostly shot in abdomen, legs: Doctors Without Borders

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), a French humanitarian healthcare organization, said that the majority of the young Palestinians it received at Jenin Hospital in the West Bank had life-threatening bullet wounds in their abdomens and lower thighs.

"Most of the patients we receive have been shot in the abdomen and legs," Dr. Pedro Serrano, head of the hospital's intensive care unit that is supported by MSF or Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement posted on the social media platform X.

“Some have had their liver and spleen shattered, while others have severe vascular injuries,” Dr. Serrano added.

“We had one very sad case of a guy who was walking just outside the hospital entrance when he was shot in the head by a sniper,” he added, noting that “the violence is ongoing and most patients we receive have life-threatening injuries.”

1241 GMT — "Enough", says Pope Francis, calling for more aid to Gaza

Pope Francis has reiterated his plea for an end to hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians, and called for "much more" humanitarian aid for Gaza.

"Enough, enough brothers, enough", Francis said, adding the wounded in Gaza needed to be taken care of immediately and the protection of civilians assured. He also said hostages held by Hamas must be freed.

Addressing the crowds in St Peter's Square after his weekly Angelus prayers, Francis said arms would never bring peace and that the conflict must not widen.

"I am close to all those who suffer, Palestinians and Israelis," he said, adding he was praying for them.

1230 GMT — UN peacekeeper injured in southern Lebanon shooting

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that one of its soldier was shot by an unknown gunman in southern Lebanon early Sunday.

In a statement, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said one of the peacekeepers was hit by a bullet shortly after midnight near Al-Quzah village.

“The injured soldier underwent surgery and is now recovering,” the spokesman added.

Tenenti said the source of the shooting is currently unknown, and an investigation has been launched.

The spokesperson stressed that "attacks against civilians or United Nations personnel are violations of international law that may amount to war crimes."

1137 GMT — 13 Palestinians killed, 25 injured in Israeli airstrike on house in Gaza

At least 13 Palestinians have been killed and 25 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the south of blockaded Gaza.

The Israeli army bombed a house in Bani Suheila town of Khan Younis city in the south of Gaza, according to medical sources.

At least 13 people were killed and 25 others were injured in the airstrike on the Palestinian Al Najjar family's home.

1050 GMT — Gaza's al Quds hospital out of service due to lack of power

The Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) announced on Sunday that the Al-Quds Hospital is out of service due to a lack of fuel and a power outage.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement that "Al Quds Hospital is out of service and no longer operational."

“The cessation of services is due to the depletion of available fuel and power outage,” the statement added.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it "holds the international community and signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention accountable for the complete breakdown of the health system and the resulting dire humanitarian conditions."

Separately, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) also said Sunday that it has lost communication with its contacts in Al Quds Hospital in Gaza.

"I'm worried about the safety of people in Al-Quds Hospital. Since yesterday night, we lost contact with them," IFRC chief Jagan Chapagain said on X.

"In an already highly critical situation where the hospital will run out of fuel very soon, we don’t know if and how people are getting help," Chapagain said, urging "This suffering must end. Now."

0944 GMT — Many killed, injured in bombing of UN compound in Gaza

The United Nations Development Programme has said several people have been killed and wounded in strikes on a UN facility in Gaza City, where hundreds of Palestinians have taken refuge to escape the Israeli attacks.

"The shelling has reportedly resulted in a significant number of deaths and injuries," the UNDP said in a statement.

On 6 November UNDP reported that several hundred people seeking refuge had entered the compound, and there are indications that this number has since increased significantly.

Separately the UNDP chief, Achim Steiner, released a statement on X saying “This is wrong on every count,” he added.

“Civilians, civilian infrastructure & the inviolability of UN facilities must be always protected.”

0910 GMT — Israeli strike kills over dozen in Khan Younis

Gaza health officials have said at least 13 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Khan Younis.

0757 GMT — Israeli forces kill another Palestinian in West Bank, death toll rises to 186

Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank, taking the death toll in the occupied territory since Oct. 7 up to 186, the Health Ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said: “Montaser Muhammad Amin Saif, 34, was shot Sunday by the Israeli occupation forces in the village of Burqa north of Nablus.”

The Israeli forces stormed the town of Burqa, and searched several homes, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

0734 GMT — Israel arrests dozens of Palestinians in multiple locations in West Bank

At least 21 Palestinians were arrested by the Israeli forces in multiple raids in the occupied West Bank provinces of Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, and Tulkarm, according to Palestinian security and local sources.

In Ramallah, in the central West Bank, a large-scale Israeli army force stormed the town of Bil'in and detained six Palestinians after raiding and searching their homes.

In Hebron province, south of the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces stormed Hebron City and the nearby towns of Halhul and Yatta, where at least nine Palestinians were reported arrested after Israeli occupation soldiers raided and searched their homes.

In Occupied East Jerusalem, the forces arrested the teenager Omar Alaqam (12 years old) from Shuafat camp, Samed Raed Mteir from Qalandia camp, Mohammad Obeid Al-Matari, Adi Abdullah Jamhour, and Mujahid Matari from the village of Beit Anan northwest of occupied east Jerusalem.

0625 GMT — Australia calls for 'steps' towards ceasefire in Gaza

Australia has said that "steps" should be taken towards a ceasefire in Gaza amid Israeli attacks on hospitals and deaths of infants.

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said while she understood that Hamas is "burrowed into civilian infrastructure," international humanitarian law requires the protection of hospitals.

Palestinian officials and international humanitarian organisations have said three babies have died and dozens more patients are at risk following Israeli strikes at Gaza's largest Al Shifa Hospital.

“We need steps towards a ceasefire,” she said, adding that it cannot be "one-sided."

"We know that Hamas is still holding hostages, and we know that a ceasefire must be agreed between the parties. But we can also say that Israel should do everything it can to observe international humanitarian law," she added.

0510 GMT — US seeks clarification on Netanyahu’s comments about Israel's post-war Gaza control

The United States has asked for clarification of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments that Israel will have security responsibility for Gaza for an indefinite period after the war against Hamas.

The demand for clarification was first reported by the Kan public broadcaster, and a US official confirmed the report to The Times of Israel.

On Friday, Netanyahu said the IDF will remain in control of Gaza after the current war ends, and will not rely on international forces to oversee security along the border.

Last week, Netanyahu told ABC News that Israel will have “overall security responsibility” over Gaza “or an indefinite period” after the war against Hamas ends.

0222 GMT — Hospitals, children must be protected: UNICEF

UNICEF has called for "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" and said hospitals and children must be protected in Gaza.

"Al Shifa hospital in Gaza is without power and we are seeing deeply worrying reports of premature babies dying in incubators. Hospitals must be protected! Children must be protected!," it said in a post on X.

0212 GMT — WHO loses contact with Gaza's Al Shifa hospital as Israel troops close in

The World Health Organization has said it has lost communication with its contacts in Al Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, and expressed "grave concerns" for the safety of everyone trapped there by the fighting while calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry said that operations in Al Shifa hospital complex, the largest in the Palestinian enclave, were suspended on Saturday after it ran out of fuel resulting in death of two of the 45 babies there.

WHO said it has "grave concerns for the safety of the health workers, hundreds of sick and wounded patients, including babies on life support and displaced people who remain inside the hospital", and reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

0056 GMT — Babies at Al Quds Hospital suffering from dehydration

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said that babies in the Al Quds Hospital in Gaza are suffering from dehydration amid ongoing Israeli attacks on the hospital.

"Babies in Al Quds Hospital are suffering from dehydration because of lack of milk," the humanitarian rights organisation wrote on X.

It added that the medical staff at the hospital is working around the clock despite the power outage and intense Israeli airstrikes in the vicinity.

The president of the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies [IFRC], Francesco Rocca, urged the international community to save babies in Gaza.

"Enough! How can the international community accept the situation in Gaza?" Rocca wrote on the platform. "Infants in incubators and patients in ICU are at risk of life in the Al Quds hospital."

0005 GMT — Displacement of Gazans first step in 'ethnic cleansing'

Israeli human rights activist Ofer Neiman said the Israeli army's forced displacement of Palestinians from the north to the south of besieged Gaza is the "first step of ethnic cleansing."

Neiman told Anadolu Agency that the Israeli government is trying to encourage ethnic cleansing and deport Palestinians from Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

"We also see that the south of Gaza is not safe for the Palestinians," he said. "We witness the attacks and bombings of the Israeli army against the Palestinians there, too."

"I think we need to understand that the Israeli government does not want to see Palestinians in Gaza," he said.

"I do not think even US President Joe Biden will allow this," the activist said, adding that despite such doubts, the Israeli government has not refrained from trying to carry out ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

Neiman also stressed that Palestinians have the right to resist the Israeli army.

"I think reasonable people who understand international law and the situation here would say that the Palestinians have the right to fight against the Israeli forces that are engaged in occupation and apartheid," he said.

"Even some honest Israeli politicians say that Palestinians have some rights to resist and that not every Palestinian attack is terrorism."

2333 GMT — Hamas says it hit 25 Israeli military vehicles in last 48 hours

The Hamas group's military wing has said that its fighters had hit 25 Israeli military vehicles in the last 48 hours in besieged Gaza.

Al Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida said in a recorded message that since the start of an Israeli ground operation in Gaza on October 27, fighters "destroyed more than 160 Israeli military vehicles whether totally or partially", including 25 in the past 48 hours.

Abu Obeida noted that the battle between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli army is asymmetrical, but still frightens the Israeli army, who described it as the strongest army in the region.

"Our fighters come out of the ground and above, and from under the rubble to destroy armoured vehicles and tanks," he said.

Al Qassam Brigades then released a video showing fighters hitting several Israeli tanks in northern Gaza.

2200 GMT — Netanyahu signals Israel will occupy Gaza after war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a role for the current Palestinian Authority government in besieged Gaza once its bombardment on the enclave is over.

Gaza will be demilitarised after the war and Israel will "continue to control security there," Netanyahu said.

"There will have to be something else there," he said when asked whether the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the occupied West Bank, may govern Gaza after the war.

"There won't be a civilian authority that educates their children to hate Israel, to kill Israelis, to wipe out the state of Israel."

He rejected growing calls for a ceasefire, saying Israel's battle against Hamas will continues with "full force."

Netanyahu's position runs counter to post-war scenarios floated by Israel's closest ally, the United States.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the US opposes an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and envisions a unified Palestinian government in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

2137 GMT — Five Israeli soldiers killed in battles in Gaza

The Israeli army has announced that five soldiers were killed during battles in besieged Gaza with Palestinian fighters.

The Israeli Ynet news website cited a military statement that said four soldiers were killed in a booby-trapped tunnel in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, while the fifth was killed in battles also in the north.

The number of Israeli army soldiers killed since the start of ground operations on October 27 in Gaza rose to 43.

The army is facing fierce battles from the Palestinian resistance groups in different areas across Gaza.

At least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women. About 2,700 people have been reported missing and are thought to be possibly trapped or dead under the rubble.

The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.

2006 GMT — Three Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in West Bank

Three young Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

One of those killed was from the town of Jenin, while the other two were from Arraba, a town to the southwest.

1956 GMT — Hezbollah says front with Israel will remain active

The head of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah party has said that its armed wing had used new types of weapons and struck new targets in Israel, and pledged that the front against its sworn enemy would remain active.

In a televised address, Hassan Nasrallah said Hezbollah had shown "a quantitative improvement in the number of operations, the size and the number of targets, as well as an increase in the type of weapons".

He said it had used a "Burkan" missile that carries an explosive payload of 300-500 kg, as well as weaponised drones for the first time.

Nasrallah said the group had also struck the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona for the first time in retaliation for an Israeli air strike that killed three girls and their grandmother this month.

"This front will remain active," he pledged.

Soon after, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told troops near the Israel-Lebanon border: "Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into a war that might happen.

"It is making mistakes and ... those who will pay the price are first and foremost Lebanon's citizens. What we are doing in Gaza, we can do in Beirut."

1900 GMT — Israel says almost 200,000 fled northern Gaza in past three days

The Israel army has said nearly 200,000 people have fled north Gaza for the south, as it continues its bombardment of the besieged enclave.

"Nearly 200,000 people left the north just in the past three days and moved southward," military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing.

For our live updates from Saturday (November 11), click here.