Israel-Hamas war Highlights: 20 aid trucks cross into Gaza from Egypt

The United Nations said on Monday that 20 aid trucks crossed into war-torn Gaza from Egypt carrying food, water, medicine and medical supplies. 

Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson said the deliveries did not include fuel, and warned that existing supplies there will run out "within days"
 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called for an unhindered access for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Putin made this remark in a telephone conversation with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. 

In a statement, the Kremlin said that Putin and Lula expressed "serious concern about the growing number of civilian casualties and stressed the fundamental importance of an early ceasefire, the evacuation of foreign citizens from the Gaza Strip, and of ensuring unhindered access to the enclave for humanitarian aid."

The United Nations World Food Programme distributed canned fish and other food supplies in the besieged Gaza on Monday (October 23) as a third convoy of aid trucks entered the Rafah crossing.

The IDF said it had "thwarted" an attack from Gaza by two drones that was claimed by Hamas.

"Two UAVs were identified crossing from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory" at Nir Oz and Ein HaBesor near the border, the army said. "Both UAVs were thwarted," a statement added, without stating whether they were shot down

Over 19,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon in the wake of an increase in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, a United Nations agency said.

"An increase in cross-border incidents" has resulted in the displacement of 19,646 people in Lebanon, "both within the south and elsewhere within the country", the International Organization for Migration said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has communicated that he had a conversation with King Abdullah of Jordan to discuss the evolving situation in the West Asia region. He conveyed that both India and Jordan have common concerns about terrorism, violence, and the loss of civilian lives. He emphasized the necessity for collaborative actions to promptly address the security and humanitarian challenges.

Israeli warplanes have hit another mosque in the Gaza Strip, taking the total number of destroyed mosques in the territory to 32 since October 7, according to the interior ministry in the enclave.

The air raid targeted Al-Noor Al-Mohammedi Mosque in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza.

The Israel Defence Forces said it launched an Iron Dome missile at a “suspicious target” that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.

The target may have been a drone, but the military is still investigating.

An alert was activated in an open area due to the missile fire, the IDF adds.

Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has claimed that the number of people killed in the retaliatory strikes carried out by Israel in has increased to 5,087.

That includes 2,055 children, 1,119 women, and 217 elderly people, they say. More than 15,273 people have been injured.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari has said that the Israeli Defence Force struck "eight terrorist cells" in Lebanon in the past 24 hours.

Seven of those were struck before they managed to fire anti-tank missiles and rockets, he said.

Hagari also said 20 Hezbollah cells had been struck since fighting broke out on the border earlier this month.

Hamas has resumed rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, said Jerusalem Post. The report said that a barrage of rockets was fired at southern Israel about 14 hours after sirens were last heard in Israel. Resident of Israeli towns of Ashkelon, Yad Mordechai, Erez, Karmia, and Nativ Ha'Asara.

Israel President Isaac Herzog has claimed that instructions for building chemical weapons were discovered on the body of a dead Hamas fighter. He made the allegation in an exclusive interview with British broadcaster Sky News.  
 

Residents of Khan Younis on Moday (October 23) woke up after intense Israeli air strikes. The residents, according to Reuters, described it the "hardest night" so far.

"We were expelled from Gaza City, they said Khan Younis is a safe area, now there is no safe space in all Gaza," said Riyad Jaabas, who was in the Hamad Town residential area of Khan Younis.

Israel has been pounding Gaza  and its southwest with airstrike since Hamas gunmen breached borders and attacked Israeli settlements.

According to figures made publc by Gaza's Health Ministry, Israeli air and missile strikes since the start of the conflict had by then killed at least 4385 Palestinians.

Video | Israel-Palestine war: Israeli strikes wreak havoc in Gaza

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday urged faster aid deliveries to Gaza. He said that the bloc was debating calling for a "humanitarian pause" in Israel's conflict with Hamas.

"What's important? More, quicker, and in particular to enter the basic things that make water and electricity supply being restored," Borrell said, ahead of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers. 

Hamas officials said that Israeli strikes on Gaza overnight and early Monday have killed at least 70 people as the military said it had struck some 320 targets in the Palestinian enclave in 24 hours. 

The Hamas-controlled government media office in the blockaded Gaza Strip said in a statement that "more than 60 were martyred in the (Israeli) raids" during the night including 17 who were killed in a single strike that hit a house in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza. 

The Israel-Hamas war might spread to the West Asian region, or even in the far West, including nations like the United States and the United Kingdom, as al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) have asked their followers to strike Israeli, US and Jewish targets. 

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Mahmoud Abu Atta, a supply manager from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society on Saturday appealed to the international community at the Rafah border crossing to take action to ensure the supplies reach those in need affected by the ongoing conflict.

On Saturday, 20 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing, the only border crossing between the besieged coastal enclave and Egypt, after a two-week blockade.

The trucks were loaded with medical aid donated by Egypt's institutions of the National Alliance for Civil Development Work and the Egyptian Red Crescent.

However, the aid was a fraction of the quantity needed for Gaza's 2.4 million people.

A British family has confirmed the death of their daughter, Noiya Sharabi, in the tragic aftermath of the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be'eri in southern Israel. 

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The United States has made a commitment to maintain the supply of aid to the Gaza Strip. This pledge came as a fresh convoy comprising 14 trucks made its way into the Palestinian enclave.

Following the successful entry of the initial convoy, the White House announced that Israel had agreed "there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance". 

According to the United Nations, approximately 100 trucks per day are necessary to address the needs of the 2.4 million inhabitants of Gaza. A significant portion of the population has reportedly been displaced due to the extensive bombing campaign carried out by Israel.

Israel's military carried out airstrikes early on Monday (October 23) on two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon. The cells were allegedly planning to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets towards Israel.

While Hezbollah acknowledged one of its fighters was killed, the details were not disclosed. Confirming the incident, Lebanon's state-run news agency NNA reported an Israeli airstrike on the southern outskirts of Aitaroun, but did not provide further specifics.

The Israeli military shared footage of the strikes, one of which targeted a cell near the Israeli town of Mattat, approximately 13 km (8 miles) southwest of Aitaroun, while the other strike occurred in the disputed Shebaa Farms area. Israel asserted that it preemptively targeted both cells before they could initiate an attack.

Additional Israeli strikes reportedly hit more Hezbollah targets, including a compound and an observation post, with no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

French president Emmanuel Macron will visit Israel in the coming days, the Israeli Prime Minister's office said on Sunday.

Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte "will arrive tomorrow and Tuesday and will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu," it said on Sunday in a post on X.

The Élysée has not yet confirmed the visit.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is scheduled to visit Israel on Monday for discussions with both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as announced by Rutte's office on Sunday.

Rutte's visit comes after the Netherlands' foreign ministry confirmed the death of a 33-year-old Dutch woman who had traveled to Gaza to visit her family just before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In a statement, Rutte mentioned that he had spoken with Netanyahu to seek clarification on the circumstances surrounding the woman's death. He also emphasised the need for "humanitarian pauses" during the hostilities to facilitate the delivery of aid to the civilian population in Gaza.

Thanks to increasing diplomatic efforts over the weekend aimed at containing the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, oil prices decreased by more than $1 on Monday. 

Amid raised concerns about a potential broader confrontation in the oil-rich region and the resulting impact on oil supplies, Brent Crude futures decreased by 67 cents to $91.49 per barrel, as of 0203 GMT, after a previous drop to $91.14 per barrel by $1.02. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures also fell, losing 72 cents to trade at $87.36 per barrel, following a decline to $87.03 per barrel by $1.72 earlier on Monday.

The previous week saw both contracts rise by over 1 per cent for a second consecutive week due to concerns about potential disruptions in the oil supply if the Israel-Hamas conflict escalates into a broader confrontation in the Middle East, which is the world's largest oil-supplying region.

US President Joe Biden held discussions on the Israel-Hamas conflict with leaders of major Western powers on Sunday, including those from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy. 

As per the White House, during these talks, the leaders reaffirmed their support for Israel's right to self-defence against terrorism and "called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians". 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to work together closely to support their own citizens who are caught in the conflict, with a focus on "those wishing to leave Gaza."

In a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting on the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group, the leaders welcomed the release of two hostages by Hamas. They called for the immediate release of all the remaining hostages.

They welcomed the first aid convoys in Gaza. Furthermore, they pledged to continue working with regional partners to ensure "sustained and safe access" for the 2.2 million people in Gaza to food, water, medical care and other humanitarian assistance.

A vehicle reportedly drove through a crowd gathered in support of Palestinians in Minneapolis on Sunday. The Minneapolis Police Department, as per a CBS report, received multiple disturbance reports at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lyndale Avenue at approximately 3:23 pm (local time). Witnesses claimed the vehicle passed through the crowd, while one person reported hearing a possible gunshot.

There were no reported injuries, and the police have launched an investigation into the incident. No arrests have been made so far.

Concerns regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict escalating into a broader Middle East crisis grew over the weekend. Washington, as per Reuters, has issued a warning about significant risks to US interests in the region and has announced a further deployment of advanced air defence systems.

Aiming to deter potential attacks by Iran-affiliated forces, the Pentagon has already sent a substantial naval presence to the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, support vessels, and approximately 2,000 Marines. 

Emphasising the situation, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, while appearing on ABC's 'This Week,' programme on Sunday, said: "What we're seeing ... is the prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region." 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with his senior military officials and war cabinet to evaluate the escalating conflict. Additionally, his office reported that he engaged in a phone conversation with the leaders of France, Spain, and the Netherlands late on Sunday.

On Monday, Israel launched air strikes on Gaza, with additional aerial bombardments hitting southern Lebanon overnight. 

According to Palestinian media, the airstrikes primarily targeted the central and northern regions of the Gaza Strip. Reports from the media indicated that a strike on a residence near the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza resulted in casualties, injuring several Palestinians and claiming the lives of others.