Israel-Hamas war top updates (Oct 17) Rishi Sunak to visit Israel on Thursday

• UK PM Rishi Sunak to visit Israel on Thursday
• At least six people killed in Israeli air strike on Gaza school
• More than 1 000 Indians flown back from Israel
• US President Joe Biden to meet leaders of Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Palestine
• Four or five days of food left in Gaza shops: UN

Israeli air strikes on a Gaza hospital compound Tuesday killed at least 200 people, the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory said.

"Two hundred to 300 displaced people killed in occupation (Israeli) strikes on the yard" of the Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza, the ministry said.

"Hundreds of victims are still under the rubble," it added.

The visit could be part of a wider visit to the region to include Jordan and Egypt, the report says.

At least six people have been killed in an Israeli air strike that hit a school run by the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza’s Al-Maghazi refugee camp, the agency said.

Dozens were injured, including UNRWA staff, in the airstrike, as well as “severe” structural damage to the school, it said in a statement. The numbers are likely to be higher, it added.

This is outrageous, and it again shows a flagrant disregard for the lives of civilians. No place is safe in Gaza anymore, not even UNRWA facilities.

Israeli forces arrested Palestinian singer Dalal Abu Amneh over alleged claims of “incitement” after she posted in support of Gaza. 

The singer was arrested on Monday night. 

The death toll in Israel-Hamas war reached another grim milestone, with more than 1400 deaths recorded in Israel, and around 3,000 in Gaza.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday said between 1,000 and 1,200 Indians have been brought back to India by special flights so far, PTI news agency.

There are approximately 20,000 Indians in Israel, and all of them have been asked to register themselves with the Indian embassy so that it will be easy to know their locations in case they have to be evacuated, he said.

"As per one estimation, there are approximately 20,000 Indians in Israel, and in the wake of the ongoing conflict, the Indian embassy there issued an advisory for them to remain cautious. We also told them to register themselves with the embassy. For those who want to come back, we have arranged special flights to repatriate them to India. Till Monday, five flights have carried 1,000 to 1,200 Indians. We are evacuating those whose living there is risky," the minister said.

US President Joe Biden will be leaving Washington on Tuesday evening (Oct 17) to meet leaders of Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Palestine as he embarks on his Middle East trip in a bid to de-escalate the situation in Gaza Strip. 

On Wednesday, Biden will meet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv for talks. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has already made two trips to Israel since the Hamas attack on 7 October.

Later, Biden is expected to fly to Amman in Jordan for talks about accelerating humanitarian assistance to Gaza, where he will meet Jordan’s King Abdullah, the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

According to Reuters, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said: “He’ll make it clear that we want to continue working with all our partners in the region, including Israel, to get humanitarian assistance in and provide some kind of safe passage for civilians to get out.”

Israeli air strike killed senior Hamas armed commander Ayman Nofal in Gaza, the Hamas armed wing Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam Brigades said on Tuesday.

Nofal was in charge of the Central Gaza area in the armed wing.

The US military has readied 2,000 troops to be deployed in case the conflict between Israel and Hamaz escalates in Gaza, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

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

US media reported the troops would cover support roles, such as medical assistance and handling explosives.

"No decisions have been made to deploy any forces at this time," it added.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it killed four people who tried to sneak in from Lebanon and plant an explosive device. 

An Israeli army statement did not say where the attempted infiltration on the border with Lebanon took place.

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

In a statement, the Pentagon said that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin placed the personnel and a range of units "on a heightened state of readiness through a prepare to deploy order."

The UN said on Tuesday that there are only four to five days of food stocks left in the Gaza Strip. 

"The situation in Gaza is getting worse by the minute: the humanitarian situation but also of course the food security situation," WFP's Middle East spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told reporters in Geneva. 

"The current stocks of essential food commodities are sufficient for only two weeks -- and that's at the wholesalers' level," she said Etefa said. 

The United Nations (UN) said on Tuesday that Israel's Gaza evacuation order for the north of the enclave could amount to a forcible transfer of civilians and be in breach of international law.

"We are concerned that this order, combined with the imposition of a complete siege of Gaza, may not be considered as lawful temporary evacuation and would therefore amount to a forcible transfer of civilians in breach of international law," Geneva, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva.

Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday (Oct 17) warned against the attempt to push Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan, urging that situation must be contained within Gaza and the West Bank.

"That is a red line, because I think that is the plan by certain of the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground. No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt," King Abdullah said at a news conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 led to tragic stories of victims, including the Kutz family, who died together while hugging each other, according to Israeli media reports. Another couple from Kfar Aza, Niral Zini and Niv Raviv, lost their lives before their engagement, the reports said.

Read the full report here.

A World Health Organization (WHO) official has said that approximately 11,000 people have been injured in Gaza, half of which consist of women and children.

The organisation said there have been 115 attacks on health facilities in Gaza and that they need to prepare for disease outbreak prevention.

People in Gaza has reported of intense bombardments near the southern towns of Khan Younis and Rafah, where Israel ordered civilians to take refuge, as reported by the Associated Press. 

UK’s Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said that Israel has “moral and practical responsibility” to allow passing of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

He said that the situation in the territory is a “looming humanitarian crisis” as he added that “all of us must hope” that the US and the Israelis are able to finalise an agreement which paves way for the opening of the Rafah crossing. 

“If there is a plan, I’m sure that it will be possible for the Egyptians to agree to it opening,” the minister said, while speaking to Times Radio.

Speaking to US President Joe Biden, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani said that “continued aggression in Gaza stirs outrage among people in the region and globally," as per a readout of a call from the prime minister's office.

The two men emphasised “the importance of containing the conflict and avoiding the expansion of war, given the far-reaching consequences it has on regional and global peace, as well as its adverse impact on civilians,” it stated. 

UN’s Relief and Works agency (UNRWA) spokesperson, while speaking to BBC, said that “supplies are dwindling” in Gaza, amid fears “waterborne diseases are going to start spreading.”

Speaking about what they are being able to provide in sourthern Gaza, UNRWA director of communications Juliette Touma said, “They continue to provide assistance wherever possible. UNWRA is overwhelmed. We are overwhelmed. Our supplies are dwindling and running out fast."

“Our staff are also very, very tired. They have been impacted themselves by the war. Many of them lost loved ones, we have sadly at UNRWA lost 14 staff members and these numbers continue to increase," she added. 

In the Israeli air strikes carried out overnight, more than 70 people were killed which took the overall Palestinian death toll beyond 2800.

Taking to social media platforms, the Israeli air force said that it has shot down four people who were approaching the perimieter fence of the country from the direction of Lebanon. 

"The air force a short time ago thwarted an attempted infiltration by a terrorist squad, which was identified by IDF surveillance approaching the perimeter fence from Lebanese territory and planting a bomb. Four terrorists were eliminated," it wrote.

The army shared a video along with the message which it said showed the incident.

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

"We have arrived at the terminal and are now waiting for the next step," said Heba Rashed, who runs the aid group Mersal. Hundreds more lorries were headed along the coast road for the 40 kilometre (25 mile) journey to Rafah, other aid officials said.

A statement by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior claimed that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 people in Rafah early Tuesday. 

In another statement, the ministry said airstrikes also killed and injured people in Khan Yunis.

Israel's military said it killed four people who had tried to cross the fence bordering Lebanon and plant an explosive device on Tuesday.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that around 500,000 Israelis have been evacuated and displaced in the 10 days since Hamas attack on Oct 7. 

"There are about half a million internally displaced Israelis at the time," Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said in an online briefing.

He pointed out that all communities around the Gaza Strip had been evacuated, as had more than 20 communities along Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

Amid soaring tensions in West Asia, the United States has put about 2,000 troops on prepare-to-deploy orders for possible support to Israel, the Associated Press reported on Monday citing a defence official. 

The readiness appeared to be in anticipation of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, which is aimed at rescuing hostages taken during the Oct 7 attack by Hamas and crushing the militant group that rules the enclave. 

Click Here to read follow report 

Michael "Erik" Kurilla, head of US Central Command, overseeing American forces in the Middle East, has made an unannounced trip to Israel.

Talking to Reuters, he said: "I'm here to ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself, particularly focused on avoiding other parties expanding the conflict." 

The visit comes a day before a planned visit by US President Joe Biden to the country.

Malaysia's education ministry has withdrawn from this year's Frankfurt Book Fair, accusing the organisers of taking a pro-Israel stance.

The move to pull out of what is considered the world's largest trade fair for books came after literary association Litprom said it would postpone an award ceremony for a novel by a Palestinian author at the event following the deadly October 7 attack by militant group Hamas in Israel.

"The ministry will not compromise with Israel’s violence in Palestine, which clearly violates international laws and human rights," said Malaysia's education ministry in a statement.

"The decision is in line with the government’s stand to be in solidarity and offer full support for Palestine," it added.

On Facebook, the fair's organiser said that it would be making Jewish and Israeli voices "especially visible" at this year's edition of the fair.

In the 10 days since Hamas began its unprecedented surprise attack on Israel, around 500,000 Israelis have been displaced, said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Jonathan Conricus.

"There are about half a million internally displaced Israelis at the time," said Conricus.

"We are talking about a significant humanitarian situation in Israel," he added. 

He also acknowledged that "the situation in Gaza is worse," and said "I wouldn't want to swap tables for even a second."

Khaled Meshaal, a top Hamas leader, has made the claim that the group "has what it needs" to free Palestinians in Israel's jails. This, as per Reuters, indicates the militant group may try to use the Israelis it has kidnapped as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Soon after, the group's armed wing also released a statement, where it called non-Israelis as "guests" and said they would be released "when circumstances allow".

Abu Obeida, the spokesperson in a video message that Hamas has "a group of detainees of different nationalities, these are our guests, and we seek to protect them."

He added: "We will release detainees of different nationalities when circumstances on the ground allow." However, he did not elaborate.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that at the United States' request, the United States and Israel "agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza".

The said plan, details of which were not shared, also includes the "possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way".

Hamas released a yet another chilling video of a hostage on their Telegram channel which appears to show a young woman purportedly receiving medical attention from Hamas.

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US President Joe Biden will pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday (Oct 18) following the Hamas attacks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is currently in Israel himself, announced on October 17.

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Resolution proposed by Russia for "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza fails to get through the Council.

Total votes

5: Favour

4: Against

6: Abstentions

The member states are now giving reasons for their vote. 

After closed-door consultations purportedly aimed at preventing a showdown between two draft resolutions, one of which explicitly condemned acts of brutalities by Hamas (Brazil) while the other one called for immediate ceasefire (Russia), the UN Security Council has reconvened. 

The 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was preparing to hold a vote on the drafts of two resolutions reportedly brought about by Russia and Brazil aiming to purportedly stop the Israeli retaliatory actions in Gaza. 

But the Council proceedings viewed by WION suggest that the United Arab Emirates demanded the postponement of this meeting.

The Council convened to discuss "situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question".

The UAE is likely to hold closed-door consultations on these two resolutions with Brazil and Russia respectively.

On Friday, Russia distributed to members of the Security Council a draft resolution that called for an "immediate, permanent and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire" and the delivery of humanitarian aid "without obstacles".

Brazil, which holds the presidency of the Council this month, submitted a draft resolution condemning "the shameful terrorist attacks by Hamas," according to the text of the draft reported upon earlier. 

Describing Hamas as part of the "evil axis of Iran, Hezbollah and their followers", the Israeli Prime Minister said that Hamas intends to "destroy the State of Israel".

"Their desire is to destroy the State of Israel and murder us all. They want to return the Middle East to the abyss of barbaric fanaticism of the Middle Ages, while we want to catapult the Middle East to the heights of progress of the 21st century. This is a struggle between the people of light and the people of darkness," Netanyahu said.

"I say to our friends in the enlightened world: our war is also your war. If we don't stand together on one front, it will come to you too. And I also have a message for Iran and Hezbollah: don't test us in the north. Do not repeat the mistake you have already made, because today the price you will pay will be much heavier. President Biden told you in English: "Don't do it". And I tell you the same in Hebrew: "Be careful". We went to war, we will win the war, and we will not stop until victory."

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while addressing the opening of the Winter Assembly of the second session of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) called upon Israel's allies to state: "our war is your war", adding, "If we don't stand together on one front, it will come to you too."

In a wartime speech to the Knesset, Netanyahu called for "an overwhelming victory over Hamas, overthrowing its rule and removing its threat to the State of Israel - once and for all."

"There are many questions about the disaster that happened to us ten days ago. We will investigate everything to the end, and we have already started to apply immediate lessons. But now we are focused on one goal: to unite forces, and charge forward to victory," Netanyahu wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

"For this purpose, determination is needed, because victory will take time. There will be difficult moments. There will be bumps. Sacrifice is required. But we will win, because it is our very existence in this space that has many dark forces."

Hamas has broadcasted the video of an Israeli 'prisoner' purportedly kept in Gaza.

The video put out on militant group's Telegram channel shows "one of the prisoners in Gaza", a young woman speaking Hebrew.

According to the caption, she had been abducted on October 7, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sheltered in a bunker for five minutes on Monday when air raid sirens went off in Tel Aviv during their meeting, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

The incident occurred as President Joe Biden weighs a trip to the region himself amid an Israeli bombardment of Gaza after Hamas' deadly attack on Israel on Oct 7-Oct 8.

"During the Secretary's meeting with PM Netanyahu and the war cabinet, the air raid sirens went off and they sheltered in bunker for five minutes," Miller said.

Blinken returned to Israel after an intense series of visits with leaders in the West Asia with a stated aim to contain the Israel-Hamas war and secure humanitarian aid and safe passage for the US citizens and civilians in Gaza.