Israel-Hamas war Oct 19 Top points | Israel withdraws diplomats from Turkey, Jordan, Morocco and Bahrain

Israel has withdrawn all of its diplomats from Turkey over concerns for their security, Times of Israel newspaper reported citing two Turkish officials.

The move follows a spate of protests outside Israeli diplomatic missions in Turkey, and after some protesters tried to storm the ambassador’s residence in Ankara and a building housing the consulate in Istanbul.

Hebrew media reports further stated that Israeli diplomats in Jordan, Morocco and Bahrain have also left over similar concerns.

Israeli defence minister has met with Israeli infantry soldiers at the Gaza border earlier on Thursday.

Yoav Gallant urged the forces to "get organised, be ready", according to the AP news agency.

“Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside,” he said. “I promise you.”

Israel Defence Forces released the publication of data on about 200 abducted persons with information on their presence in the Gaza Strip.

At least 75 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza conflict erupted on October 7, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "rapid, unimpeded humanitarian access" to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip on Thursday (Oct 19). This comes amid reports that the Egypt-Gaza border will reopen on Friday (Oct 20). 

"We need food, water, medicine and fuel now. We need it at scale and we need it to be sustained, it is not one small operation that is required," Guterres said adding, "In plain terms, that means humanitarians need to be able to get aid in and they need to be able to distribute it safely."

Fed Chair Powell on Thursday (Oct 19) said that the economic fallout of the Israel-Hamas war "remains highly uncertain." "Speaking for myself, I found the attack on Israel horrifying, as is the prospect for more loss of innocent lives," he reportedly told a conference in New York. 

"Worldwide Caution: Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State @StateDept advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution," an official statement read on Thursday (Oct 19). 

Eight Palestinians were killed amid clashes with Israeli forces in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, Reuters reported citing the Palestinian Red Crescent. 

While welcoming Israel's move to let the aid flow in Gaza, WHO is all set to send medical aid to the ailing Palestinians. Five trucks of medical supplies are ready at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Egypt-Gaza Rafah border crossing to open Friday (Oct 20), said state-linked media as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip continues to remain dire. 

People protest for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza, outside the Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv. Thousands of people, both Israeli and Palestinians, have died since October 7, after Palestinian Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip entered southern Israel in a surprise attack leading Israel to declare war on Hamas in Gaza the following day. 

An Indian-origin doctor working at a hospital in Bahrain was sacked from his job for posting anti-Palestinians comments on social media. Royal Bahrain Hospital announced on Thursday that it terminated Dr Sunil Rao's employment because of his tweets that were "offensive to our society".
 

Drone footage showed Gazan evacuees taking up shelter around the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) centre in the southern city of Khan Younis on Thursday (October 19). Dozens of newly pitched tents could be seen just outside the UNRWA centre. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have been displaced since Israel began carrying out a constant bombardment of the Gaza Strip in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters, which killed around 1,400 Israelis. Gaza authorities say more than 3,500 people have been killed, a quarter of them children, and over 12,000 wounded since Israel began carrying out air strikes across the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met his British counterpart James Cleverly, in Cairo on Thursday, when they talked about ways to de-escalate the Israel-Hamas conflict and address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Cleverly praised Egypt's initiative to host an international summit on Saturday to discuss the ongoing crisis and coordinate international efforts to reduce the escalation. During the visit, Cleverly took part in expanded discussions with Shoukry, including delegates from both sides, during which the British foreign minister welcomed the coordination by Egypt with the United Nations to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

An American cargo plane carrying armoured vehicles lands at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. US President Joe Biden said he would ask Congress this week for "unprecedented" aid for Israel, which is expected to be part of a $100 billion package that includes Ukraine support.

The US and British embassies in Beirut on Thursday advised citizens to leave Lebanon while flights "remain available" as border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah intensify over Israel's war with Hamas. 

Both countries had already warned citizens against travel to Lebanon.

"We recommend that US citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available," a US embassy statement said. 

A similar warning was issued by the British embassy which said: "If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave now while commercial options remain available."

"British nationals should exercise caution and avoid areas where demonstrations may be held," it added.

The Defense Ministry says an American plane has landed at Ben Gurion Airport with a shipment of armored vehicles for the Israeli military, to replace those damaged amid the fighting that began on October 7.

The ministry says the delivery is part of a larger NIS 400 million procurement to bolster the Israel Defense Forces’ fleet of vehicles.

It says further shipments will also contain armored ambulances, trucks, and mechanical engineering equipment.

(TIMES OF ISRAEL)

Around 700 people, including Turkish, Palestinian, and northern Cypriot citizens, have applied to Turkey to be evacuated from Gaza, said the Deputy Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz. 

Yildiz said 322 Turkish citizens, 104 citizens of northern Cyprus and 214 Palestinian relatives of Turkish nationals were waiting to be evacuated.

Additionally, another 55 Turkish civil servants, including state media and health ministry personnel, were among those waiting, said the Turkish official. 

During a visit to the military assembly ground near the Gaza border, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he is taking responsibility for Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7.

This comes as the Israel-Hamas war is entering its second week and ahead of Israel's possible ground offensive on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. 

"I am responsible for the defense establishment. I was responsible for it in the last two weeks, even in the difficult incidents, and I am responsible for bringing it to victory in the battle," said Gallant, as quoted by Times of Israel. 

He added, "We will be precise and deadly and we will continue until we complete the mission."

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, "1200 Indians have come back in five flights under operation Ajay, including 18 Nepali nationals" have been evacuated since from Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7. 

This comes days after India rolled out 'Operation Ajay' to aid the return of stranded nationals who wished to come back to their homeland due to chaotic conditions in the post-Hamas attack war situation in Israel.

Speaking on the Israel-Hamas war, the MEA spokesperson said, "We have talked about terror attack, we have condemned it and it is important that international community stand together to condemn it."

He also reiterated India's position and called for "direct negotiations for establishing two state solution," adding that New Delhi has also expressed concern at the civilian casualties, the humanitarian situation and we will urge the strict observance of international humanitarian law. 

At least 28 French citizens have been killed in Israel since the Palestinian militant group attack the country, said the French foreign ministry, on Thursday, adding that around seven others are still unaccounted for. 

At least 44 health workers had been killed in Gaza while four hospitals were out of service and 14 basic healthcare services had stopped functioning, Palestinian health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra told a press conference.

"There are no medicine stocks in any of the hospitals in Gaza," Al-Qudra added, calling on the international community to expedite the delivery of aid to Gaza, reported Reuters. 

At least 3,785 Palestinians have been killed since October 7,  when Hamas attacked Israel and Israel has since retaliated with airstrikes, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza. 

According to health ministry, among those killed, 1,524 were children, 1,000 were women, and 120 were elderly. Around 12,493 people have also been injured, the officials added. 

During his press conference with his UK counterpart, the Israeli PM thanked him for Britain's support and called Hamas the "new Nazis, they’re the new ISIS". 

He also said how "we have to fight them together just as the world, the civilized world united to fight the Nazis and united to fight Hamas it must now stand with Israel as we fight and defeat Hamas."

Netanyahu also called it a "battle of the entire civilized world." 

"80 years ago, Mr Prime Minister, the civilized world stood with you in your darkest hour...This is our darkest hour. It’s the world’s darkest hour. We need to stand together," said the Israeli PM. 

He also reiterated that this is going to be a "long war" and Israel needs UK's "continuous support."

The UK PM, during a press conference in Jerusalem, with this Israeli counterpart said, "I want to share the condolences for the people. We absolutely back Israel to defend itself as per international law, to go after against Hamas." 

He added, "We recognized the palestinian people are victim of Hamas as well." 

Sunak also said that he backs Israel's decision to allow aid into Gaza and that the UK will also increase aid for the war-torn Gaza Strip. This comes days after Sunak had announced that Britain will increase aid to the Palestinian people by $12.18 million, in response to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

During his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Sunak said Britain stood in solidarity with Israel and also said how it was important to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

"We will stand with you in solidarity with your people and your right to defend yourself, to bring security back to your country to your people, to ensure the safe return of the hostages that have been taken," said the UK PM. 

But also stressed the need to provide aid to Gazans and said, "Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It's important that we continue to provide humanitarian access."

An Israeli strike killed the head of the Hamas-led national security forces, Jehad Mheisen, and members of his family in their house, reported a Hamas-aligned news agency, as per Reuters. 

According to Palestinian media reports, the only female member of the Hamas Politburo, the group’s main decision-making body, has also been killed by Israeli air raids. 

68-year-old Jamila al-Shanti, widow of Hamas leader and co-founder Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi was also reportedly killed during the airstrikes. 

During his visit to Israel and amid talks with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, UK PM Rishi Sunak stressed that getting urgent humanitarian support to civilians in Gaza. 

"Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It’s important that we continue to provide humanitarian access," Sunak told Herzog during the meeting in Jerusalem. 

The prime minister "expressed his personal condolences for the horrific loss of life in Israel as a result of Hamas’s terrorism," said a Downing Street spokesman. 

After the meeting, the UK PM took to X and said, "Together we agreed on the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support to ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are also suffering."

Rishi Sunak, as per reports, told the Israeli president Isaac Herzog that it was important to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. During their meeting in Jerusalem, the British PM said: "Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It’s important that we continue to provide humanitarian access."

Israeli military, as per the Guardian, has recently reported that, following the October 7th attack, Hamas has taken hostage at least 203 people, who are being held captive in Gaza. Previous estimates had placed the number of those kidnapped and held against their will at 199.

Additionally, military sources have confirmed that at least 306 soldiers have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.

As the latest wave of violence in Gaza claimed at least 500 lives after a blast at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital, another hospital in the Gaza Strip is suffering a slow, quieter but equally urgent crisis. 

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Israeli forces were positioned along the Lebanon border on the morning of Thursday (Oct 19), with signs of a fire on the Israeli side caused by apparent cross-border action.

This development comes as preparations for a ground offensive on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip were underway in response to an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory. 

After landing in Tel Aviv, British PM Rishi Sunak, as per Reuters, told reporters:

"Above all, I'm here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people. You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism, and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Egypt’s prime minister that his nation was willing to work with Cairo to bring stability to West Asia, a region rocked by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak landed in Tel Aviv, a Reuters witness said, beginning a visit in which he plans to offer condolences to Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu over the Oct 7 Hamas attack. He will also discuss the Gaza war. 

Russia on Thursday sent 27 tonnes of humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip to be transported from Egypt, Moscow's emergency situations ministry said.

"A special plane has taken off from the airport at Ramenskoye near Moscow for El-Arish in Egypt. The Russian humanitarian aid will be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent to be sent to the Gaza Strip," deputy minister Ilya Denisov said in a statement.

Denisov said the aid comprised "wheat, sugar, rice (and) pasta".

Satellite images show the before and after of the hospital, which tells the impact of the blast and the extent of the destruction. 

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Saudi Arabia has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon “immediately”, sparking fears of Hezbollah’s entry into a conflict primarily confined to the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip.

It was also reported that the kingdom’s embassy in Beirut was shut down following concerning developments in southern Lebanon where at least 18 people were killed during an exchange of fire with Israeli troops.

Israeli military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi Tuesday (Oct 17) warned that his nation would retaliate aggressively should Hezbollah escalate.

“If Hezbollah makes a mistake, it will be annihilated,” he declared while meeting Israeli troops stationed on the country’s border with Lebanon.

US President Joe Biden will address the nation on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war upon flying back home following his West Asia trip. According to the White House, the US president is also expected to discuss Ukraine and Russia.

Iran warned Israel Wednesday (Oct 18) that time was “running out” for the Jewish nation after a strike at a Gaza hospital left hundreds dead, as per a claim by the Gazan authorities.

The warning came from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who posted the threatening message on X.

"After the terrible crime of the Zionist regime in the bombing and massacre of more than 1,000 innocent women and children in the hospital, the time has come for the global unity of humanity against this fake regime more hated than ISIS and its killing machine," Amir-Abdollahian wrote in his post.

He added: "Time is OVER!"

Read More here.

Early Thursday, three people, including two teenagers, got killed during raids by Israeli forces in the Israeli-controlled territories of West Bank. The forces were allegedly carrying out arrests of suspected Hamas terrorists.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday posted a solidarity message in support of Israel on X. "We stand with the people of Israel and are working to ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself," she wrote.

Last week, Harris condemned Hamas' atrocities against Israel.

"I'm completely outraged by what has taken place. We are looking at extreme acts of terrorism that must be condemned in no uncertain terms. There is absolutely no justification for terrorism," Harris had said.

The US on Wednesday vetoed a proposal by the UN Security Council (UNSC) that would have allowed humanitarian pauses in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The proposal was backed by 12 members while Russia and the UK abstained.

"Yes, resolutions are important. And yes, this council must speak out. But the actions we take must be informed by the facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy efforts. That can save lives. The council needs to get this right," said US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

US meanwhile worked out a separate humanitarian deal for Gaza strip Wednesday after its leader Joe Biden met with PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took off to Israel for talks with its his Israeli counterpart. Sunak will then travel to other countries in the region for further discussions, Downing Street announced.

The Downing Street, however, did not specify which other leaders Sunak will engage with. Instead, it mentioned that the UK Prime Minister will travel "to a number of other regional capitals", whose details have not been released due to security reasons.

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Hundreds of Jewish peace demonstrators, calling for a ceasefire amid ongoing state of war in Israel, were arrested after they reportedly defied police orders to disperse. 

The protestors were reportedly heard chanting, "The world is watching," and wore T-shirts with the messages, "Jews Say Cease Fire Now" and "Not in Our Name."

Egypt has announced 'sustainable' aid corridor to Gaza via Rafah crossing, a statement by the presidency in Cairo stated.

"Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and American President Joe Biden have agreed on the sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah terminal," said presidential spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy in a statement, without specifying a date. 

The Israeli government carried out a raid on a Syrian government position in Quneitra province, a war monitoring NGO said on Wednesday.  

The sound of explosions also rang out in the Golan Heights, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights NGO said, without specifying their source.

Explosions were reported across Gaza's skyline late on Wednesday night after Israel's forces continued bombarding what they said were Hamas targets. 

So far, apart from localised ground assault close to the border, a full-fledged Israeli ground assault into Gaza is yet to begin. 

US President Joe Biden will give a speech from the Oval Office on Thursday (Oct 18) about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The speech will also cover the ongoing Russian offensive in Ukraine, the White House said on Wednesday.

"Tomorrow, President Biden will address the nation to discuss our response to Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia's ongoing brutal war against Ukraine," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden said that Egypt will open Gaza crossing for up to 20 aid trucks.

"He agreed to... let up to 20 trucks through to begin with," Biden told reporters after calling Sisi from Air Force One while returning from a visit to Israel.

The shipment would likely not cross until Friday as the road around the crossing needed repairs, Biden said.
 

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said on Wednesday (October 18) that the explosion which struck a hospital in Gaza on October 17  was an Israeli attack which, he added, marked the beginning of the end of the 'Zionist regime'.

Addressing a large crowd of protesters supporting Palestinians in Tehran, Raisi also accused US President Joe Biden and the United States of being a 'partner in the crimes' of Israel.

While expressing solidarity with Israel over the recent deaths caused by Hamas militants, US President Joe Biden reminded Israelis “not to get consumed by rage” and said that “it's important sometimes to take a step back and remember what we all are - human beings created with dignity and purpose.”

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Israel would allow aid into Gaza through Egypt, announced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Wednesday (Oct 18). The statement said that only items like "food, water and medicine" would be permitted into the besieged Palestinian enclave.

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