Live blog: Israel must do 'everything' to protect civilians in Gaza — Biden

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

US President Joe Biden has said that Israel has the right to respond to the attack but must do "everything in its power" to protect civilians.

Biden said that he is sure Israeli strikes in the besieged Gaza have resulted in civilian casualties, but sought to cast doubt on the official toll from Palestinian Health Ministry.

Biden also told reporters at a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank must "stop now."

Biden also reiterated calls for a two-state solution for Palestinians and the Israelis once the current conflict subsides.

"I continue to be alarmed about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank," Biden said, accusing them of pouring gasoline on a fire.

"They're attacking Palestinians in places that they're entitled to be."

Biden also said that he "did not demand" that Israel delay a ground invasion of Gaza until hostages are freed.

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1858 GMT — New US House speaker announces resolution supporting Israel as first bill

The new Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives told lawmakers that his first act leading the chamber would be to introduce a resolution supporting Israel in its war on Gaza.

"The first bill that I'm going to bring to this floor in just a little while will be in support of our dear, dear friend Israel, and we're overdue in getting that done," Louisiana congressman Mike Johnson said in his acceptance speech, warning that America's "greatest ally in the Middle East is under attack."

1835 GMT — Blinken asked Qatar to 'tone down' Al Jazeera's Gaza war coverage

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he asked Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to "tone down Al Jazeera's rhetoric about the war in Gaza," according to a report.

Blinken's request came during a meeting with American Jewish community leaders, Axios reported, citing three people who attended.

One source cited in the report said Blinken asked the Qataris to "turn down the volume on Al Jazeera's coverage because it is full of anti-Israel incitement."

It said Blinken "appeared to be talking about Al Jazeera Arabic, not Al Jazeera English."

The wife and two children of Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent in Gaza, Wael al Dahdouh, were killed in an Israeli airstrike, shortly after the Axios report, according to the Doha-based television station.

1822 GMT — Israel PM says will give 'answers' on Hamas attacks lapses

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged for the first time that he would "have to give answers" for security lapses exposed in the October 7 attacks by Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

"We will examine in detail, we will get to the bottom of it," said Netanyahu, who has faced a barrage of opposition and media criticism after Hamas fighters breached Israeli border defences.

"The fault will be examined and everyone will have to give answers, including me. But all this will happen later," the right-wing leader said in a televised address as the Israeli military prepares for a widely expected invasion of Gaza.

"As prime minister, I am responsible for securing the future of the country," he added.

1815 GMT — Iran accuses Israel of Palestinian 'genocide' in Gaza

Iran accused Israel of carrying out a "genocide" against Palestinians as Israeli forces pressed on with a bombardment campaign since October 7.

"The attacks of the Zionist (Israeli) regime have reached an intensity that shows the goal is the mass killing of the Palestinian people in Gaza," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian charged in a letter addressed to the United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk.

Remarks by Israeli officials and "the widespread and systematic attacks... in Gaza show that this is a campaign for the genocide of the Palestinian people", Amir Abdollahian said in his letter, which the foreign ministry shared on social media.

1710 GMT — UN to vote on Russian, US resolutions on Gaza war

A divided UN Security Council will vote on competing draft resolutions on the Israel's war on Gaza that were drawn up by Russia and the United States, diplomats said.

The council's schedule said the meeting was due to begin at 1900 GMT.

After the defeat last week of two draft resolutions presented by Russia and Brazil, two new drafts will be voted on, diplomats said.

The Russian document, seen by AFP, calls for "an immediate, durable and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire" and "condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians."

But unlike the Russian draft of last week, which won the support of only five countries, the new one specifically mentions Hamas.

1652 GMT — Italy in talks with Arab, Muslim countries to prevent falling into trap of clash of civilizations: Premier

Giorgia Meloni reiterated that her government stands with Israel and fully supports its right to self-defense, during a speech to the Senate, according to a statement by her office.

But Meloni added the right to self-defense should be exercised in line with international law.

“And all those on the right side of this confrontation must work together to prevent an escalation of the conflict. An extension that would bring with it the risk of the involvement of new regional actors starting from Lebanon and Syria, powers such as Iran, up to the major geopolitical players such as Russia and China who would certainly not disdain to see the West's attention diverted from other critical scenarios,” she said.

1647 GMT — 'Massive' Israeli ground invasion in Gaza would be 'an error' — Macron

A "massive" Israeli ground incursion into Gaza would be "an error", French President Emmanuel Macron has said in Cairo, warning it would harm civilians without ensuring Israel's long-term security.

"If it's a massive intervention that would put civilian lives at risk, I think it's an error... for Israel too because it is unlikely to protect Israel in the long term, and because it is incompatible with... international humanitarian law and the rules of law," Macron said after meeting Egypt's Abdel Fattah el Sisi, who also urged Israel to avoid an invasion.

"The international law applies to everyone. France has always supported the universal values of humanism. All lives matter and there is no hierarchy. All victims deserve our compassion, our engagement in a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East," he said.

He was responding to claims by Arab leaders who have accused Western nations of overlooking harm to Palestinians.

Marcon said France would send medical material aboard a plane that will land in Egypt. France will also soon dispatch a ship of its National Marine to support hospitals in Gaza, he added.

1646 GMT — Ground operation in Gaza could turn brutality into 'massacre': Ankara

Israel's ground operation into Gaza could escalate the situation there from brutality into a "massacre," the Turkish foreign minister warned.

As the deaths mount in Gaza, the backlash in the region will naturally grow, Fidan said, adding: "It is impossible to predict consequences in advance."

Anyone with a conscience should put an end to this brutality taking place in front of the whole world, he said.

"We will not accept the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes. This will not only be an injustice to the Palestinians but will also lead to the destabilization of Egypt, Jordan, and Beirut."

1600 GMT — Scotland’s first minister: 'How many more children have to die' before UK, main opposition call for ceasefire in Gaza

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf reiterated his demand for the UK’s government and main opposition to support a ceasefire in Gaza.

Yousaf was asked by Radio Clyde in Glasgow about talks he held Tuesday with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - the first meeting the two had since October 7.

"I find it infuriating. We are seeing thousands of people die, children die," responded the Scottish National Party (SNP) leader, adding he spoke about the necessity of a ceasefire with the premier.

1534 GMT — UNRWA's Rafah school sustained severe collateral damage

An UNRWA school in Rafah, sheltering 4,600 people, sustained severe collateral damage from a close proximity strike, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza said on the X platform.

1528 GMT — 37 Palestinians killed, 100 injured in new Israeli attack on Gaza

At least 37 Palestinians were killed Wednesday in new Israeli air strikes on Gaza, according to the Interior Ministry in the blockaded enclave.

A statement said 26 were killed and more than 100 injured in the strikes that targeted the Yarmouk neighbourhood in Gaza.

Scores of people were also injured in the strikes that targeted a house in Tal al Zaatar neighbourhood, the ministry said in a statement.

1519 GMT — 70% of Gaza population displaced by Israeli attacks: Palestine

Israeli air strikes have forced 70 percent of Gaza’s population to flee their homes amid harsh living conditions, the Palestinian government media office in the blockaded enclave said.

“Around 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced,” Salama Maarouf, a spokesman for the media office in Gaza, said.

He said the displaced civilians have taken shelter at 223 spots, including hospitals, schools, churches, and health care centres.

"The displaced Palestinian families lack the most basic necessities of life amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza," Maarouf added.

1507 GMT — No calls from EU for ceasefire in Mideast at this stage: official

There are no calls from the European Union for a cease-fire at this stage in the Mideast conflict, a spokesperson said.

The European Commission’s lead spokesperson on foreign affairs, Peter Stano, justified this decision due to the ongoing "attacks" from Hamas.

1506 GMT — Israel agrees to US request to delay Gaza ground invasion: report

Israel has agreed to delay the ground invasion of Gaza for now, so the US can rush missile defences to the region, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and Israeli officials.

1454 GMT — Likening Hamas to Daesh aims to justify Gaza bloodshed: Palestinian leader

A Palestinian faction leader said that Israeli attempts to liken Hamas to the Daesh terrorist group aim to justify bloodshed in Gaza.

"Israel aims to justify the bloodshed and extermination of Palestinians in Gaza," Talal Abu Zarifa, a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), told Anadolu.

"Hamas fought against Daesh and eliminated it from Gaza in the past years,” he said.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas to Daesh and Nazis.

1426 GMT — France's Macron: humanitarian aid must enter into Gaza without obstacles

French President Emmanuel Macron, at a joint news conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi in Cairo, said that humanitarian aid must enter into Gaza without obstacles.

Macron said that it was essential to get fuel supplies to hospitals, adding that a French navy ship would arrive soon to help bring support to Gaza hospitals and a plane will arrive in Egypt with key supplies.

1422 GMT — Netherlands lawyers, jurists urge Israel to stop human rights violations, illegal occupation of Palestine

Lawyers and jurists in the Netherlands urged Israel to stop human rights violations and its illegal occupation of Palestine.

More than 200 lawyers deplored the situation caused by attacks on Gaza in a joint statement on social media.

They also criticised the Dutch government for turning a blind eye to the situation instead of calling for a ceasefire.

The group denounced ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza and the collective punishment meted out by Israel against the Palestinians.

1414 GMT — 171 attacks on health care facilities in occupied Palestinian territory: WHO

WHO documents 171 attacks on health care in occupied Palestinian territory between Oct. 7 and 24, as Israel's war on Gaza continues.

The WHO office in the occupied Palestinian territory said on X that 493 people, including 16 health workers on duty, were killed in these attacks.

"Health care and civilians must be protected now," it urged.

According to the UN health agency, 96 of these attacks occurred in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, while 75 in Gaza.

1404 GMT — UN chief says 'shocked' by 'misrepresentations' of Hamas remarks

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "shocked" by what he called "misrepresentations" of his remarks a day earlier on Hamas that infuriated Israel.

"I am shocked by misrepresentations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council," Guterres told reporters.

Guterres said it was "necessary to set the record straight, especially out of respect for the victims and their families."

"I spoke of the grievances of the Palestinian people. And in doing so, I also clearly stated, and I quote: 'But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas.'"

1400 GMT — Israeli claim of fuel tanks held by Hamas is a 'lie': Palestine

Officials in Gaza have dismissed as a "lie" Israeli claims of tanks of fuel being held by Hamas in the blockaded enclave.

"This lie shows how narrow-minded the Israeli army spokesman is and unable to make believable claims," the Palestinian government media office said in a statement.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee on Tuesday issued photos of what he said were fuel tanks held by Hamas in Gaza. The photos showed a location near the Rafah crossing in south Gaza.

"This is what over half a million litres of diesel looks like, while Hamas keeps claiming it does not have enough fuel to support hospitals and bakeries," Adraee said on social media platform X.

1324 GMT — UK: 'Pauses' needed in Israel's war on Gaza

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that "specific pauses" are needed in Israel's war on Gaza to allow aid into the clave, but again stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.

Facing calls from some opposition lawmakers during weekly questions in parliament to urge Israel to hold a ceasefire, Sunak reiterated it "has the right to defend itself under international law".

But the UK leader said London had consistently called for the conditions to allow aid to enter Gaza.

"We recognise for all of that to happen there has to be a safer environment which of course necessitates specific pauses as distinct from a ceasefire," he told MPs.

1257 GMT — Libya's parliament calls for halting oil exports to supporters of Israel

"We demand the government halt oil and gas exports to countries supporting Israel in case the Israeli massacres are not stopped," parliamentary spokesperson Abdullah Belihaq said in a statement.

The East Libya-based assembly also called on ambassadors of countries supporting Israel’s "crimes" in Gaza to leave Libya immediately.

"The assembly strongly condemns the support provided by the US, UK, France, and Italy for Israeli crimes in Gaza," the statement said.

It termed the Gaza conflict as a “genocide led by the US and the West against disarmed people under blockade.”

1240 GMT — Over 150 Muslim councillors ask UK’s Labour Party to call for Gaza ceasefire

"As a party that bases its principles on fairness and justice, we cannot sit idly by as Palestinians face collective punishment, said a letter signed by the councillors.

The letter was published by Labour Muslim Network (LMN), an inclusive organization that seeks to promote British Muslim engagement with the Labour Party.

"We urge the Labour Party to urgently adopt a position of calling for an immediate cease-fire, calling on the UK government and the international community to act upon this proposal to save innocent human lives," the letter added.

The Labour Party has seen a series of resignations from councillors after its leader Keir Starmer said in controversial remarks that Israel had the "right" to cut power and water supplies to Palestinians living in Gaza.

1239 GMT — Pakistan to UN: Struggle against foreign occupation cannot be equated with terrorism

Condemning the Israeli air strikes on Gaza, Pakistan told the UN that a struggle against foreign occupation cannot be equated with terrorism.

During a high-level debate at the UN Security Council over the situation in the Middle East, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram said that his country condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

However, under international law, the struggle against occupation, for self-determination, and national liberation is legitimate and cannot be equated with terrorism, he said, according to a transcript released by the Pakistani mission at the UN.

"It is the suppression of this struggle, which is illegal," Akram said while referring to Israeli actions in Gaza. "Yet, a state, which is in forcible occupation of a foreign territory, cannot invoke the 'right to self-defence' against those whose territory it has illegally occupied," said the veteran Pakistani diplomat.

1226 GMT — Israeli blockade of Gaza devastated its economy even before latest conflict: UN agency

While the current crisis has worsened conditions in Gaza, a decades-long blockade had already devastated the besieged enclave's economy, leaving 80 percent of the population dependent on international aid, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said.

UNCTAD's latest report showed that 2022 was another "bad year" for Palestinians as the economy of the occupied Palestinian territory remained below its 2019 pre-pandemic level.

"Against a backdrop of heightened political tensions, deepening dependency on the occupying power and a stalled peace process, the Palestinian economy continued to operate below potential in 2022 as other persistent challenges intensified," it said.

"These include loss of land and natural resources to Israeli settlements, endemic poverty, a shrinking fiscal space, declining foreign aid and the build-up of public and private debt."

1223 GMT — UN warns Gaza fuel shortage will stop aid work by end of day

The main UN aid agency in besieged Gaza warned it will have to stop operations by the end of the day because it is running out of fuel as the death toll from Israeli strikes had surged by more than 700 in a single day.

Alarm has grown about the spiralling humanitarian crisis in the heavily bombarded Gaza where one doctor said he was forced to perform emergency surgery on the wounded without anaesthetic.

1211 GMT — Türkiye, Qatar slam 'double standards' in Gaza conflict

The foreign ministers of Türkiye and Qatar accused the international community of "double standards" in its reaction to the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Qatar's top diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the two governments - both Western allies - "reaffirm our complete rejection of responding to the crisis with double standards when it comes to human life".

"It is not permissible to condemn the killing of civilians in one context and justify it in another." Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar's prime minister, said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said: "The failure of some American and north European countries to condemn and prevent the destruction and disaster in Gaza constitutes a very serious double standard and plays a destabilising role.

"The operation in Gaza should be stopped as soon as possible. Humanitarian corridors should be opened," he added.

1220 GMT — Britain would discuss humanitarian pause in Gaza but not ceasefire

Britain would discuss a humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza to facilitate aid shipments, but does not want a wholesale ceasefire as that would only benefit Hamas, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said.

Israel's military intensified its bombing of southern Gaza overnight, amid international calls for a pause in fighting to let aid into the Palestinian enclave and prevent many more deaths.

"Humanitarian pauses - which are temporary, which are limited in scope - can be an operational tool, and obviously that is something we could consider, and have been discussing," Sunak's spokesperson said.

1200 GMT — Israel considers limiting entry visas for UN personnel

Israel will consider whether to approve all entry requests submitted by UN employees, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported.

The authority stated: “Since the beginning of the conflict, there has been an increased demand from the UN staff to come to the region. Israeli anger over the words of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and prior to that, the meeting between the UN Special Envoy to the Middle East Tor Wennesland and the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, has led Israel to consider this negatively.”

As of now, Israel has not declared any official stance on restricting the entry of UN employees, while the United Nations has also not reported any obstacle regarding visa approvals.

The presence of UN staff in the region tends to increase during times of conflict and crisis.

1156 GMT — UN Security Council to vote on rival US, Russian plans for Israel, Gaza action

The United Nations Security Council will vote later on rival proposals by the United States and Russia for action on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, diplomats said.

Both countries seek UN Security Council resolutions to address shortages of food, water, medical supplies and electricity in Gaza.

But the United States has called for pauses to allow aid to enter Gaza, while Russia wants a humanitarian ceasefire.

1119 GMT — Israel prohibits access to 1,000 metres near Gaza fence

The Israeli army prohibited access to an area of 1,000 metres inside Gaza near Israel’s perimeter fence.

A military spokesperson classified this area as a battlefield and any access would be deemed dangerous.

The Israeli army has amassed forces and tanks near the Gaza border in preparation for a ground invasion in the seaside enclave.

1100 GMT — Türkiye saddened by UN's inaction against Israeli attacks on Gaza

Türkiye is deeply saddened by the helplessness the UN has fallen into and no one takes it seriously as it turns a blind eye to the brutal killing of children, says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The silence over the massacre in Gaza of those who stood against the Russian offensive against Ukraine is the most concrete expression of hypocrisy, he further said.

He also said that all parties in Palestine-Israel should take their fingers off the trigger, and declare a ceasefire immediately.

Erdogan said he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its "inhumane" war in Gaza.

"We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go," Erdogan told ruling party politicians in parliament.

1048 GMT — Death toll in Gaza reaches 6,546

Israel's indiscriminate attacks on Palestine's besieged Gaza have killed 6,546 people since the beginning of the conflict, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

The death toll includes 2,704 children, 1,584 women, and 364 elderly people, in addition to 17,439 citizens sustaining various injuries since October 7.

Health Ministry also said that Gaza’s health care system is "out of service" and in critical shortages.

1040 GMT — 10 Palestinians killed as Israeli warplanes strike bakery in Gaza

At least 10 Palestinians were killed as Israeli warplanes hit a bakery in the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza, the government media office in Gaza said.

"Israeli occupation aircraft bombed the Maghazi bakery last night, the only one that had been supplied with flour by UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees) just hours before," Salama Maarouf, head of the media office, said in a press release.

The bakery "used to provide tens of thousands of the camp residents and the displaced people with bread," he further added.

The missile strikes “completely destroyed the bakery and left a large crater, in addition to damaging several surrounding homes in the middle of the camp, resulting in the death of 10 Palestinians and the injury of others."

1010 GMT — Ground operation could turn brutality into 'massacre': Turkish FM

Israel launching a ground operation in Gaza could escalate the situation there from brutality into a “massacre,” the Turkish foreign minister warned.

Speaking at a press conference in Doha alongside his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Hakan Fid an said the targeting of Palestinians regardless of whether they are children, the sick, or the elderly, and even in schools, hospitals, and mosques, is a crime against humanity.

As deaths mount in Gaza, the backlash in the region will naturally grow, said Fidan, adding: "It is impossible to predict consequences in advance".

0950 GMT — Negotiations ongoing to free more captives: Qatar

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said that there is some progress on hostage negotiations following Hamas taking more than 200 hostages during its October 7 attack in southern Israel.

"The number of children killed in Gaza exceeds the number of children killed in Ukraine, but we have not seen the same reaction," Sheikh Mohammed who is also the minister of foreign affairs, added in a press conference with the Turkish foreign minister in Doha.

0530 GMT — Lives of incubator babies at risk as Gaza hospitals near fuel run out

Doctors in Gaza say patients arriving at hospitals are showing signs of disease caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation after more than 1.4 million people fled their homes in the enclave for temporary shelters.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than one-third of hospitals in Gaza and nearly two-thirds of primary health care clinics had shut due to damage or lack of fuel.

Doctors have also warned that critical equipment, like incubators for newborns, risks stopping.

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, warned in a post on messaging platform X that it would halt operations in Gaza night because of the lack of fuel.

However, the Israeli military on Tuesday reaffirmed it would bar the entry of fuel to prevent Hamas from seizing it.

0935 GMT — Turkey says Israeli ground operation in Gaza will result in massacre

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that an Israeli ground operation into Gaza would turn the fighting there into a massacre.

In a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart in Doha, Fidan said that those supporting Israel's actions under the pretence of solidarity are "accomplices to its crimes".

0930 GMT — Lebanon's Hezbollah chief meets Hamas, Islamic Jihad officials

Senior officials of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have held talks with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah about achieving "real victory" in their war with Israel, the Lebanese group said.

The Hezbollah statement did not specify when or where Nasrallah met with Hamas number two Saleh al Aruri and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh beyong saying that it was at an undisclosed location in Lebanon.

The three groups are part of the "axis of resistance" -- Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian and other Iran-backed armed groups opposed to Israel.

They discussed what "the axis of resistance must do at this critical stage to achieve real victory... in Gaza and Palestine and stop" Israel's "brutal aggression", the statement said.

0735 GMT — Death toll in West Bank rises to 103, including 2 prisoners

The Palestinian death toll in the West Bank since the start of the current conflict on October 7 has risen to 103, including two in Israeli prisons, according to a count by Anadolu based on official figures.

The Health Ministry, in a statement viewed by Anadolu Agency, reported: “Four Palestinians were killed this morning by the gunfire and missiles of the occupation, including three killed in Jenin and one in Qalqilya".

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners Club announced the death of a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli prison, marking the second such case in less than 24 hours.

0730 GMT — Israel to amend budget, Gaza war direct cost at $246M daily

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said the 2023-2024 national budget was "no longer relevant" given the Gaza war and would be amended, and sounded unfazed by S&P Global's downgrade of Israel's outlook to "negative" from "stable".

While putting the direct cost of the war at around 1 billion shekels ($246M) a day to Israel, Smotrich said in an Army Radio broadcast that he did not yet have an assessment of the indirect costs on an economy partly paralysed by the mass mobilisation of military reservists and extensive Palestinian rocket salvoes.

0700 GMT — Israel-Hamas war already affecting regional economies

The raging war between Israel and Hamas is already battering the economies of nearby countries, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund told a Saudi investor forum Future Investment Initiative in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

0430 GMT — Israel warplanes strike mosque in Gaza

Israeli warplanes targeted a mosque in Gaza City, according to Al Aqsa TV.

“The occupation's planes bombed Hattin Mosque on Al-Jalaa Street,” it said, without providing further details.

0500 GMT — Hamas says at least 80 killed in Israel night strikes on Gaza

Gaza's Hamas government has said that Israeli air strikes on Gaza during the night killed at least 80 people.

A statement from the government's media office said "more than 80 people were martyred and hundreds wounded in massacres committed by the occupation (Israel) raids" overnight.

0030 GMT — Israel targets West Bank with drone strikes

Israeli military has killed four Palestinians in drone strikes on occupied West Bank's Jenin city, Palestine TV reported. A number of people were also wounded, some of whom are in "serious condition," it added.

Separately, a Palestinian teenager who was shot by Israeli troops last week succumbed to his wounds.

The strike was at least the third use of Israeli air power in the area since October 7.

With the new killings, Palestinian death toll in the occupied West Bank tops 100 since October.

0144 GMT — Hezbollah says 2 more members killed in clashes with Israeli army

Lebanon's Hezbollah group has announced that two more of its members were killed in clashes with the Israeli army.

The latest fatalities pushed the death toll of the group to 36.

Hezbollah has been engaged in clashes with Israel along Lebanon's southern border since October 8.

The clashes have been ongoing due to the Israeli war on besieged Gaza, in which Israel has been relentlessly bombarding the blockaded enclave.

2331 GMT — Australia deploys more aircraft, personnel to Middle East

Australia has deployed two more military aircraft and a "significant number" of defence personnel to the Middle East to help support its citizens there if the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine escalates.

Australia sent a Boeing C-17 aircraft and an air refueller plane that has the capacity to carry passengers, taking the total to three, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

He did not disclose the total number of personnel deployed and where the aircraft would be based due to security reasons but said they would not be based in Israel.

"It is a significant number of personnel, though, and they're there to support the aircraft and to support what that aircraft might ultimately have to do," Marles told Channel Nine.

"All of this is a contingency and the purpose of it is to be supporting Australian populations that are in the Middle East ... this is a very volatile situation and we just don't absolutely know which way it goes from here."

2130 GMT — More US warplanes arrive in Mideast

The New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron has arrived in the Middle East, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters. The squadron has F-16 fighter jets, and officials would not say where exactly it went.

Ryder also said the US is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.

"What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran," he said during a Pentagon briefing.

He added that the US won't hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region.

2234 GMT — Macron says fight must be 'without mercy'

French President Emmanuel Macron has visited Israel in the latest trip by a Western leader to express support for the country amid its relentless bombardment on besieged Gaza, offering an assurance that Israel is "not left alone in the war against terrorism."

At a news conference in West Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron stressed Israel's right to defend itself.

"The fight must be without mercy, but not without rules," Macron said, because democracies "respect the rules of war," an apparent reference to criticism of Israeli air strikes that have killed thousands of Palestinian civilians in the blockaded enclave.

He later travelled to the Israeli-occupied West Bank for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who runs the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority.

Macron said Hamas' raid was "also a catastrophe" for Palestinians and "there will be no lasting peace" without a two-state solution.

2203 GMT — Ex-Israeli PM accuses media of favouring Hamas

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has accused international media of displaying bias in its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, favouring the Palestinian resistance group Hamas over Israel.

"If the international media is objective and shows both sides, it serves Hamas," Lapid said.

"My argument is that the media cannot just claim to bring both sides of the story. If you do that, you are only bringing one — Hamas's side," he said, noting "it is an insult to the victims, including the Palestinians."

"It is an insult to the core idea of journalism," Lapid added.

2059 GMT — Malaysia says will not be scared off to condemn Israel

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that no one can intimidate and stop his country from condemning Israeli "aggression" and supporting Palestinians.

Ibrahim noted he had received criticism from "some circles in Europe, the US" along with Israel.

"I said as long as I am given a mandate by the people, I do not accept threats. We will still fight," he said at a Solidarity with Palestine rally at Axiata Arena Stadium.

He wanted anyone to not even "dream of threatening" his country because Malaysians know what freedom is.

"Malaysians have been there [for Palestinians] until today," he said. "And we will continue without fear."

Malaysia condemns "aggression," he said. "We talk about humanity, justice, and human rights for the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians. We respect them as they respect us."

"The level of aggression has reached the level of insanity," he said.

"Women and children are butchered, hospitals and schools have been bombed," he added. "Where is the justice, humanity, and democratic rights that the West is talking about?"

Noting that Palestinians are "human beings too," the Malaysian leader said Palestinians deserve to be treated as one, as well.

For our live updates from Tuesday (October 24), click here.