Israel-Hamas top developments: Canada says first group of nationals evacuated from Gaza

Canadian officials said on Tuesday that the first group of 20 Canadians were evacuated from Gaza. 

"The first group of Canadians have left Gaza. Our team of officials has met them on the Egyptian side of the border, providing them with support and care," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on X. 

The Red Cross said on Tuesday that child fatalities in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war was the world's moral failing. 

"One month on, civilians in Gaza and Israel are being forced to endure tremendous suffering and loss. This needs to stop," the Red Cross said in a statement. 

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday called on pro-Palestinian groups to call off a march against the Israel-Hamas war scheduled to take place in London on Armistice Day.

The organisers of the rally have so far defied pleas from the British capital's Metropolitan police force to postpone the demonstration planned for this Saturday.

In front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, people held up photos of hostages held by Hamas on the 32nd day of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement. The rally was organised by a non-political group that claims no religious affiliation and was formed after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israeli soil.

Ambulances carrying wounded Palestinians were waiting to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Tuesday (November 7), and drive into Egypt, where they are expected to receive treatment. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday it had escorted a four-ambulance convoy of patients from the Shifa hospital in Gaza City to the Rafah border crossing, breaking a temporary suspension in evacuations following an Israeli strike on an ambulance.

Gaza services are close to "breaking point" without fuel supplies, U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) spokesperson Jens Laerke said on Tuesday (November 7), adding that none of the 569 aid trucks that had reached the enclave so far were carrying fuel. Last week U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said there had been "some progress" in negotiations on letting fuel into the Israeli-besieged Gaza strip, without elaborating.

Journalists marched on Tuesday to the United Nations headquarters in Ramallah to denounce the killing of journalists in Gaza and the West Bank while covering the Israel-Hamas war. The protest was organised by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.

Paris-based NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) said on Tuesday (November 7) the situation in Gaza was 'catastrophic' for the civilian population and called for a ceasefire in the enclave. This echoed what U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday (November 6), that Gaza was becoming a "graveyard for children," amplifying demands for a ceasefire, where Palestinian health authorities said the death toll from Israeli strikes had exceeded 10,000.

As per reports, the tanks were seen moving towards southern Israel border's Gaza side as the devastating Israel-Hamas war continued.  

Israeli troops have been fighting with Palestinian militants inside Gaza from  a week, and have divided the territory in half and Gaza City has been encircled.

People across Israel and other places marked a moment of silence to commemorate the victims of the attacks carried out by Hamas militants on October 7 on Israel and the hostages still kept in Gaza. 

Flags were lowered to half-staff by the municipality in Jerusalesm and in a flight to London, which was carried by the Israeli company El-Al, the passengers aboard stood and rememberrd the victims.

In a Tel Aviv logistical center, volunteers stoped their activity and sang Israel's national anthem, Hatikva, or Hebrew for 'hope'.

Mlitary spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Ubaida, in a statement, said that the outfit is willing to release 12 detainees in Gaza but held the situation on ground as hindrance in the process.

“The Al-Qassam Brigades announce that several days ago, we were about to release 12 detainees in Gaza who hold foreign nationalities, but the occupation obstructed that. We still confirm that we are ready to release them, but the situation on the ground and the Zionist aggression that threatens their lives is what hinders this from being completed," the spokesman said.

Three days before, Abu Ubaida had stated, “Since October 7 until now, the barbaric Zionist bombing of Gaza has caused the loss of more than 60 hostages in Gaza, and after search operations, 23 of their bodies are still missing under the rubble until now, it seems that we will never be able to reach them due to the continued brutal aggression of the Israeli occupation against Gaza.”

The parliament of Turkey removed Coca-Cola and Nestle products from its restaurants  after they allegedly supported Israel, as per a parliament statement. 

“It was decided that the products of companies that support Israel will not be sold in restaurants, cafeterias and tea houses in the parliament campus,” read a parliamentary statement, which did not name the companies.

As per Reuters,  Coca-Cola beverages and Nestle instant coffee were the only items which went missing from the menu.

In the first speech delievered by the UK's King to open parliament in last 70 years, King Charles stated that the government will look into the most pressing security issues which include “the consequences of the barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel, facilitating humanitarian support into Gaza and supporting the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East.”

He also stated that the UK government is “committed to tackling antisemitism". He added that the planning for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens will be passed through parliament.

Israeli’s foreign ministry has appointed the envoy to New Zealand Alon Roth-Snir to head the diplomatic effort to free the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

He will be tasking with heading international efforts to pressure Hamas to release the at least 241 Israelis and foreigners they kidnapped on October 7, Times of Israel newspaper reported.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the appointment is meant to “advance international efforts in a number of forums that will assist in the speedy release of all the hostages.”

Shuli Davidovich, who is the Foreign Ministry’s coordinator for captives and missing, will continue serving as the ministry representative on the team led by point man Gal Hirsch, including heading the team’s meeting with foreign diplomats who come to Israel.

The pair will also be the contact people for the families of the hostages at the Foreign Ministry.

A World Health Organization spokesperson said on Tuesday that over 160 health care workers had died on duty in Gaza and called for a lifting of restrictions on medical aid, saying some doctors were performing operations, including amputations, without anaesthetic.

“Over 160 of the healthcare workers have died on duty while taking care of those injured and diseased. These are the people keeping the health system going through the dedication they have somehow found a way to keep some level of service going,” Reuters reports Christian Lindmeier told a press briefing.

The Kremlin called on Tuesday for "humanitarian pauses" during Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, and it described the humanitarian situation there as "catastrophic."

Russia will continue contacts with Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinians to help ensure that humanitarian supplies can be delivered to Gaza, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a regular briefing.

Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has begun a five-day visit to the Middle East. During the visit, he will engage with government officials and civil society on the human rights violations taking place amid Israel's escalation in Gaza.

In a statement, he said: "It has been one full month of carnage, of incessant suffering, bloodshed, destruction, outrage and despair."

"Human rights violations are at the root of this escalation and human rights play a central role in finding a way out of this vortex of pain."

As per his office, he is in Cairo on Tuesday and will visit Rafah, located on the border with Gaza, on Wednesday. On Thursday, he will travel to the Jordanian capital of Amman.

A solidarity rally for Gaza is underway in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. Demonstrations have spread nationwide and are expected to continue as people express their shock at what they witness on their screens.

While hundreds participate, there is widespread support across Pakistan for Palestine and frustration with Muslim leaders primarily offering verbal condemnations, reported Al Jazeera. 

The ILO's initial evaluation reports that 182,000 jobs have been lost in Gaza due to Israeli ground and air attacks, which began following a deadly incursion by Hamas militants on October 7.

A Palestinian woman wrapped in a Hamas flag and carrying a small knife was shot and injured by the IDF at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Jerusalem in what the police dub as a foiled terror attack.

The woman is currently receiving treatment at the site and is in custody, as reported by the Times of Israel.

Indonesia has denied an Israeli claim that made on Monday (Oct 6) that a hospital built in the Gaza Strip using Indonesian funding sits atop a network of Hamas tunnels and is located near a launchpad for rocket attacks on Israel.

Some media reports allege that Israel was targeting solar panels in Gaza mounted over hospitals and civlian buildings.

(WION can't verify these reports independently)

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has questioned statement by now-suspended Israeli Heritage minister Amihay Eliyahu over nuclear strike on Gaza.

"This raised a huge number of questions. Question number one - it turns out that we are hearing an official statement about the presence of nuclear weapons? Accordingly, the next questions that everyone has are - where are the international organizations, where is the IAEA, where are the inspectors?," Zakharova was quoted as saying by Tass news agency.

Israel has never accepted publicly that it possesses nuclear weapons.

Aljazeera reported that fighting was taking place between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters outside Jenin refugee camp.

Earlier, gunshots were heard outside the Tulkarm refugee camp.

So far, 160 Palestinians have lost their lives in gunfights in West Bank since the war began after Hamas' deadly terrorist attack on Israel on Oct 7.

(WION can't verify these reports independently)

Singapore has warned its citizens against displaying or wearing emblems linked to the war in Gaza, a violation of which can land them in jail.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Monday the war was an "emotive issue" which could disrupt peace in the country.

Those found violating the rule may be fined up to 500 Singapore dollars ($370) or sentenced to six months in prison, or both.

UN Security Council on Monday again failed to reach a consensus regarding "humanitarian cease-fire" in Gaza war. 

While US maintains it supports “humanitarian pauses” in the war, other members insist there should be "humanitarian cease-fire".

"We talked about humanitarian pauses and we’re interested in pursuing language on that score,” US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters after the meeting. “But there are disagreements within the council about whether that’s acceptable," he added.

US Secy of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday arrived in Japan to attend a two-day meeting of G7 foreign ministers, which is expected to revolve around developments in Gaza.

Blinken arrives in Japan after making a second round of tour to the West Asian region since the war broke out in Gaza. The US has resisted calling for a ceasefire, calling instead for pauses in the fighting and insisting that Israel has the right to respond to the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Israel will have "overall security responsibility" in Gaza for an "indefinite period" after the war, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an interview that aired on ABC News on Monday (Nov 6). 

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Japan said on Tuesday that G7 support for Ukraine in its war with Russia will not be affected by the intensifying West Asia conflict,  as the group's foreign ministers prepared to hold virtual talks with Kyiv during a meeting in Tokyo. 

"Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, who is a senior Hamas leader, has refused to acknowledge that his group killed civilians in Israel. He claimed that only conscripts were targeted. 

While speaking to BBC, he said that "women, children and civilians were exempt" from Hamas' attacks. His claims contradict the video footage of Hamas members shooting defenceless individuals and children. 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that Gaza is becoming a "graveyard for children", amplifying demands for a ceasefire in the enclave. Both Israel and the Hamas militants who control Gaza have rebuffed mounting international pressure for a ceasefire. 

Israel says hostages taken by Hamas during its rampage in southern Israel on Oct 7 should be released first; Hamas says it will not free them or stop fighting while Gaza is under assault.  

"Ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces and continued bombardment are hitting civilians, hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches and U.N. facilities – including shelters. No one is safe," Guterres told reporters.

In Washington, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters on Monday blocked traffic, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The protest was held at the Port of Tacoma, where a military supply ship allegedly carrying weapons bound to Israel had recently arrived.

As per an AP report, organisers of the protest said that they were against the Israel-Hamas war. They also stated that they were targeting Cape Orlando, the supply ship, based on confidential information that it was to be loaded with weapons for Israel.

While there is no confirmation of these claims, in an emailed statement to AP, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, confirmed that the vessel is under the control of the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command.

The DoD spokesperson said that the vessel was supporting the movement of U.S. military cargo and that "Due to operations security, DoD does not provide transit or movement details or information regarding the cargo embarked on vessels of this kind."

Reiterating global calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh during a press conference on Mondays said: "Without a cessation of hostilities or some kind of humanitarian truce that is immediately implemented, far too many civilians have already lost their lives and far too many more will continue to lose their lives unless that is put into place."

She added that "I don't mean to be morbid, but there are a number of innocent lives under the rubble today, so until everybody is accounted for, we actually don't have a sense of the full scale. But the numbers so far are the ones that the UN are giving us, and I think we can all rely on those numbers."

In Gaza, as per Hamas controlled Palestinian health authorities, the death toll from Israeli strikes had exceeded 10,000.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with ABC News said that his country would consider "tactical little pauses" in Gaza fighting but despite growing international pressure rebuffed a ceasefire. These pauses for "an hour here, an hour there" would facilitate the entry of aid or the exit of hostages.

The Israeli leader said that a general ceasefire would hamper his country's war effort.

"As far as tactical little pauses - an hour here, an hour there - we've had them before. I suppose we'll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages, to leave," he said, adding "But I don't think there's going to be a general ceasefire."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will take "overall security responsibility" of the Gaza Strip after the war with Hamas. He said that such an arrangement will be for an indefinite period.

"Israel will, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility," he said in a television interview with ABC News. 

"When we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn't imagine."

In the same interview, he said that Israel was open to considering "tactical little pauses" in Gaza fighting in order to allow entry of aid or exit of hostages. He however rejected a general ceasefire.

Nicolas De Rivière, the French Ambassador to the United Nations has appealed for a "humanitarian truce" in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. His appeal came after a closed door meet of United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Other Western allies have so far maintained that any truce would benefit Hamas.
 

Israelis gathered at the Western Wall to mark a month of the hostilities that erupted after Hamas launched attack into Israel on October 7. Western Wall is believed to be last remaining part of an ancient temple and is a Holy site for the Jewish population. Among those gathered were some of the relatives of the Israeli victims. Hamas fighter killed at least 1400 people and took more than 200 people hostage during their October 7 attack.

Israel launched flares over Gaza City as its troops fought Hamas fighters.

UAE's state news agency has said that the country will establish a field hospital in the Gaza Strip. The agency did not say whether there was an agreement on this with Israel.

The White House has said that US President Joe Biden called Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasised need to protect Palestinian citizens in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

"The President reiterated his steadfast support for Israel and the protection of Israeli citizens from Hamas and all other threats while also emphasizing the imperative to protect Palestinian civilians and reduce civilian harm in the course of military operations," said the White House in a statement.

Referring to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, "There is no substitute for victory". He said this during a speech while he met foreign ambassadors.

The US has said that Israeli minister's comment of a nuclear attack in Gaza was "wholly unacceptable"

"We continue to believe that it is important for all sides of this conflict to refrain from hateful rhetoric," deputy State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told a briefing.
 

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appealed for USD 1.2 billion in humanitarian aid to those caught in crosfire in Gaza as well as West Bank. Guterres was speaking at the UN in New York. He renewed his call for humanitarian ceasefire for supplies to reach Gaza.

“The unfolding catastrophe makes the needs for a humanitarian ceasefire more urgent with every passing hour,” he said. 
 

The Israeli military has said that it has found and destroyed rocket-launching compounds in northern Gaza. A rocket launcher installation was found inside a mosque compound, said the army. Israel has carried out intense air-strikes in northern Gaza and has separated it from rest of the besieged enclave.

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have discussed the possibility of tactical pauses in Israeli strikes in Gaza for humanitarian reasons.  The potential for such pauses is also being explored for possible release of hostages. White House Spokesperson John Kirby has said that both the leaders have agreed to continue their dialogue in the coming days.