Israel-Gaza war – live: Hamas leader refuses to admit civilians were targeted in 7 October attack

A senior Hamas leader has refused to admit that civilians were targeted during the group’s 7 October attack on Israel, despite overwhelming evidence from videos and eye-witnesses.

“Women, children and civilians were exempt” from Hamas’ attacks, claimed Moussa Abu Marzouk in a BBC interview.

It comes as the United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the Gaza Strip was becoming “a graveyard for children.”

Mr Guterres said the protection of civilians “must be paramount” in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants but said clear violations of international humanitarian law were being committed.

“Ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces and continued bombardment are hitting civilians, hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches and UN facilities including shelters,” Mr Guterres said.

“At the same time, Hamas and other militants use civilians as human shields and continue to launch rockets indiscriminately towards Israel.”

It comes as the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing war with Israel has surpassed 10,000.

The figures released on Monday mark a grim milestone in what has quickly become the deadliest round of fighting since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago.

Key Points

• Hamas leader refuses to acknowledge targeting of civilians in 7 October attack

• UN chief says Gaza becoming a 'graveyard for children'

• Palestinian death toll surpasses 10,000 - Gaza health ministry

• Rafah crossing reopens to limited number of foreign nationals

• US sends nuclear submarine to Middle East

Israel hints at extending ‘indefinite control’ over security in Gaza

10:05 , Alexander Butler

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at extending “indefinite control” over security in Gaza as Israel ramps up its ground invasion into the region.

“I think Israel will for an indefinite period have security responsibility. We have seen what happens when Israel does not have the security responsibility,” he told ABC news, referencing the 7 October attack.

“When we do not have this security responsibility what we have is an eruption of Hamas terror on a scale we could not imagine.”

IDF secures 'Hamas military stronghold' inside Gaza

09:15 , Alexander Butler

The Israel Defence Forces says it has secured a “Hamas military stronghold” inside the Gaza Strip.

It said in a statement the stronghold belonged to “the Hamas terrorist organisation in the northern Gaza Strip”.

“Furthermore, IDF troops located a number of Hamas terrorists who barricaded themselves in a building adjacent to the al Quds Hospital, and planned to carry out an attack on the forces from there.”

Anti-tank missiles, launchers, other weapons and “various intelligence materials” were reportedly found inside.

IDF ‘employ archaeologists’ to find remains of Hamas victims

08:39 , Alexander Butler

The Israel Defence Forces have employed archaeologists to find the remains of Israelis murdered by Hamas on 7 October, the Israeli government said.

“On 7 October, Hamas incinerated its victims so badly that the IDF has recruited archaeologists to sift through the rubble and find human remains. They’ve found “certain evidence” of the remains of ten people,” Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said.

The Hamas attack on 7 October killed at least 1,400 people, including men, women and children.

Watch: Putin will choose Iran over Israel in tough choice for protecting his regime, says expert

06:54 , Namita Singh

About 800,000 Palestinians flee to southern Gaza

06:30 , Namita Singh

About 800,000 people have heeded Israeli military orders to flee to southern Gaza. But continued Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza – the purported safe zone – killed dozens of people Sunday.

After another strike yesterday, in the southern town of Khan Younis, men dug through the rubble with sledgehammers and their bare hands. A young boy caked in dust screamed as he was rolled onto a stretcher and carried away. At least two people were killed, according to an AP reporter at the scene.

Earlier yesterday, Palestinians held a mass funeral for 66 people laid out on the ground outside a hospital morgue in the central town of Deir al-Balah. A man with bandages wrapped around his head placed his hand on a child’s body and wept.

Israeli troops arrest Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi in West Bank

06:27 , Namita Singh

Israeli troops yesterday arrested a Palestinian activist, regarded in the occupied West Bank as a hero since she was a teenager, on suspicion of inciting violence, but her mother denied the claim and said it was based on a fake Instagram post.

The Israeli military said it apprehended Ahed Tamimi, 22, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. Tamimi rose to prominence in 2017 when, at age 16, she slapped an Israeli soldier who raided her village. She and others have for years protested Israeli land seizures.

Tamimi “is suspected of inciting violence and calling for terrorist activity to be carried out,” the military said.

Her mother, Nariman Tamimi, said more than a dozen Israeli soldiers entered their house overnight and arrested her daughter.

Israeli authorities alleged the young woman “wrote an inciting (Instagram) post calling for the killing of settlers and saying what Hitler did wasn’t enough - but Ahed does not have an Instagram account,” her mother said in an interview.

Some Israeli media outlets published a screenshot of what appeared to be an Instagram post by an account with Tamimi’s name and picture. The text threatened to “slaughter” Israel’s West Bank settlers.

Reuters was not able to locate the Instagram account, which had the handle “ahed_tamimi15”, or independently authenticate the image. The military did not comment on the image.

Israel open to ‘little pauses’ between strikes on Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu says

06:19 , Namita Singh

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he may be open to “little pauses” in his nation’s bombardment on the Gaza Strip.

Mr Netanyahu made the admission in an interview with US broadcaster ABC, adding there would be no general ceasefire in Gaza without the release of the estimated 240 hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October.

“Well, there’ll be no ceasefire, no general ceasefire in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” he said.

“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.”

Lulls in the fighting are being sought to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries.

Over 450 trucks carrying aid have been allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt since October 21, but humanitarian workers say the support is far short of mounting needs.

Irish father of girl feared to be hostage in Gaza ‘praying that she comes back’

06:16 , Namita Singh

The Irish father of a girl who is feared to have been kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip has said the family are praying “that she comes back”.

In an appeal to those who may have her, Dubliner Thomas Hand called for “some humane feelings of any kind” for captors to release the children.

Emily Hand was originally feared to be dead after the Hamas assault on Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel on 7 October.

However, the eight-year-old’s family have been informed she might still be alive and being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

More details here:

Irish father of girl feared to be hostage in Gaza ‘praying that she comes back’

About 800,000 Palestinians flee to southern Gaza

06:15 , Namita Singh

About 800,000 people have heeded Israeli military orders to flee to southern Gaza. But continued Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza – the purported safe zone – killed dozens of people Sunday.

After another strike yesterday, in the southern town of Khan Younis, men dug through the rubble with sledgehammers and their bare hands. A young boy caked in dust screamed as he was rolled onto a stretcher and carried away. At least two people were killed, according to an AP reporter at the scene.

Earlier yesterday, Palestinians held a mass funeral for 66 people laid out on the ground outside a hospital morgue in the central town of Deir al-Balah. A man with bandages wrapped around his head placed his hand on a child’s body and wept.

Civilians fleeing northern Gaza's combat zone report a terrifying journey

06:13 , Namita Singh

What was once Gaza’s busiest thoroughfare has become a terrifying escape route for Palestinian civilians fleeing combat on foot or on donkey carts. On their way south, those running for their lives said they raised their hands and waved white flags to move past Israeli tanks along the four-lane highway.

Some reported Israeli soldiers firing at them and said they passed bodies strewn alongside the road.

Many escaped with just the clothes on their back. One woman, covered head-to-toe in a black veil and robe, cradled a toddler and clutched a black purse. A man walked alongside a covered donkey cart that transported his family. It was piled high with mattresses.

In the north of the Gaza Strip, Israeli ground forces backed by relentless airstrikes have encircled Gaza City, the base of Hamas ‘ power, since the weekend. They cut the strip in half and sought to drive Palestinians from northern Gaza as troops advanced.

Report:

Civilians fleeing northern Gaza's combat zone report a terrifying journey on foot past Israeli tanks

Indonesia president scheduled to meet US president Biden this month

06:11 , Namita Singh

Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo is scheduled to meet US president Joe Biden this month, “most likely” at the White House, a spokesperson for the Southeast Asian country’s foreign ministry said today.

The date of the meeting was unclear. Jokowi, as the president is known, is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco from 15-17 November.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Widodo, leader of the world’s largest secular Muslim-majority country, said Indonesia’s support for Palestine would “never waver”.

Indonesia has joined a chorus of international condemnation of Israel’s invasion of Gaza following Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October, and has called for an immediate ceasefire.

Hezbollah and Hamas’ military wings in Lebanon exchange fire with Israel

06:07 , Namita Singh

The military wing of Palestinian group Hamas yesterday said it fired rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel, triggering Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese side of the border.

The Qassam Brigades said in a statement its militants fired 16 rockets on the town of Nahariya and the southern outskirts of the city of Haifa in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Haifa is the furthest city targeted by rockets from the Lebanese side since the start of the Israel-Hamas war nearly a month ago.

The Israeli army said approximately 30 rockets were fired from the Lebanese side targeting northern Israel, adding it was responding by shelling the origin points of rocket launches. The exchange lasted about half an hour and Israel’s Iron Dome could be clearly seen intercepting rockets from Lebanon. Relative clam prevailed afterward.

Report:

Hezbollah and Hamas' military wings in Lebanon exchange fire with Israel. Tension rises along border

Jewish man dies after confrontation during pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations

06:06 , Namita Singh

A 69-year-old Jewish man died yesterday after falling and striking his head following a confrontation during competing pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in suburban Los Angeles, authorities said.

Paul Kessler’s death was being investigated as a homicide and authorities haven’t ruled out the possibility a hate crime occurred, said a statement from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. No arrests had been made.

Kessler was injured shortly before 3.30pm on Sunday during competing demonstrations in Thousand Oaks, a city of about 125,000 northwest of Los Angeles. Police received reports that a battery had occurred and deputies sent to the scene found Kessler suffering from a head wound, the department said.

“Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protester(s). During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground,” the department said.

An autopsy conducted yesterday determined Kessler died from a blunt force head injury and it was homicide, the department said.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said Kessler was Jewish and that he was struck in the head by a megaphone held by a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. The sheriff’s department didn’t confirm those details immediately.

Indonesia denies Gaza hospital being used by Hamas

05:42 , Namita Singh

Indonesia’s foreign ministry says the Indonesia Hospital in Gaza was “fully” dedicated to serving Palestinians, after an accusation by the Israeli military that it has been used by Hamas to launch attacks.

The Israeli military said that Hamas “systematically exploits hospitals as part of its war machine” as it exposed a network of tunnels, command centres and rocket launchers beneath and adjacent to hospitals in northern Gaza.

Hamas denies doing so and has accused Israel of spreading lies.

“Indonesia Hospital in Gaza is a facility built by Indonesians fully for humanitarian purposes and to serve the medical needs of Palestinians in Gaza,” said the ministry said in a statement, adding the hospital is run by Palestinian authorities, helped by a few Indonesian volunteers.

The hospital “is currently treating patients in the amount that far exceeds its capacity”, the ministry added.

Sarbini Abdul Murad, the chairman of Mer-C, a voluntary group which funded the Indonesia hospital, told Reuters that the hospital had run out of fuel, and had “collapsed”.

Yesterday, he denied Israel’s accusations, adding that it was a “precondition so that they can attack the Indonesian hospital in Gaza”.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, has called for an immediate ceasefire and has sent humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israel says it is open to Gaza fighting pauses for aid, hostages

04:51 , Namita Singh

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would consider “tactical little pauses” in fighting to facilitate the entry of aid or the exit of hostages from the Gaza Strip, but again rejected calls for a ceasefire despite international pressure.

Having encircled the densely populated Gaza City in the north of the enclave, where the Hamas Islamist group is based, Israel’s military said it had taken a militant compound and was set to attack fighters hiding in a warren of underground tunnels.

Since the Hamas raid on southern Israel on 7 October, when its fighters killed 1,400 people and seized 240 hostages, Israel has bombarded the enclave in an assault that Gaza health officials say has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, including some 4,100 children.

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

04:47 , Namita Singh

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion by left-wing Labour MPs who are trying to force a vote on a Gaza ceasefire in parliament, The Independent understands.

The Labour leader is under growing pressure to change stance as his party suffers a major split on his refusal to back a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

At least 18 Labour frontbenchers have defied Sir Keir’s position, while more than 30 councillors have quit the party and more than 330 local leaders have urged him to back down.

More in this report from our political correspondent Adam Forrest:

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

Protesters calling for Gaza ceasefire block road at Tacoma port

04:28 , Namita Singh

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza blocked traffic yesterday at the Port of Tacoma in Washington, where a military supply ship had recently arrived.

Organisers said they opposed the Israel-Hamas war and targeted the vessel – the Cape Orlando – based on confidential information that it was to be loaded with weapons bound for Israel.

Those claims could not immediately be corroborated. In an emailed statement, Air Force Lieutenent Colonel Bryon J McGarry, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, confirmed that the vessel is under the control of the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command and is supporting the movement of US military cargo.

“Due to operations security, DoD does not provide transit or movement details or information regarding the cargo embarked on vessels of this kind,” he said.

Protesters calling for Gaza cease-fire block road at Tacoma port while military cargo ship docks

Malaysia says it won’t recognise US's sanctions over Palestinian groups

04:27 , Namita Singh

Malaysia said on Tuesday it will not recognise sanctions brought under a proposed US law against foreign supporters of Hamas and other militant groups operating in the Palestinian territories.

The Hamas International Financing Prevention Act, aimed at cutting off international financing to the groups, was passed by the US House of Representatives last week and is awaiting a vote by the Senate.

Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government was closely monitoring developments on the bill’s passage, adding that it could affect Malaysia only if it is proven to provide material support to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

“Any sanctions against Malaysia can also affect the assessment of the US government and US companies towards Malaysia, as well as affect US companies’ investment opportunities in Malaysia,” Mr Anwar said in a written reply to parliament on Tuesday.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has advocated for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Top Hamas leaders in the past have often visited Malaysia and met with its premiers.

Mr Anwar previously rejected Western pressure to condemn Hamas and said the US had raised concerns with Malaysia regarding its stance on Palestine.

Hamas leader refuses to acknowledge targeting of civilians in 7 October attack

04:02 , Namita Singh

Senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk refuses to acknowledge the targeting of civilians during the group’s 7 October attack in Israel.

“Women, children and civilians were exempt” from Hamas’ attacks, he told BBC News.

Mr Marzouk was pressed on the large body of video and witness evidence showing unarmed civilians being shot and killed during the attack.

But referring to Hamas’s military leader, he said: “El-Deif clearly told his fighters ‘don’t kill a woman, don’t kill a child and don’t kill an old man’,” maintaining that only “conscripts or soldiers” were killed.

Israel says that more than 1,400 people were killed in the massacre, including many civilians, and that more than 200 people were abducted by Hamas as hostages.

Mr Marzouk told the BBC that Hamas will only release those it kidnapped when Israel commits to a ceasefire.

“We will release them. But we need to stop the fighting,” he said.

At least five injured by Israeli forces in occupied West Bank

03:52 , Namita Singh

At least five people have been injured in a raid by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, reported Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Among those injured include the mother of a Palestinian man, Izz al-Din Awad, who was reportedly killed by Israeli forces on Monday.

A young man was also seriously injured after being shot in the chest, reported Wafa

UN Security Council fails to agree on Israel-Hamas war as Gaza death toll passes 10,000

03:30 , Namita Singh

The UN Security Council failed again yesterday to agree on a resolution on the monthlong Israel-Hamas war.

Despite more than two hours of closed-door discussions, differences remained. The US is calling for “humanitarian pauses” while many other council members are demanding a “humanitarian cease-fire” to deliver desperately needed aid and prevent more civilian deaths in Gaza.

“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.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters he wanted an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza and a halt to the “spiral of escalation” already taking place from the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria to Iraq and Yemen.

Report:

UN Security Council fails to agree on Israel-Hamas war as Gaza death toll passes 10,000

No diplomatic breakthrough over Gaza – so where do we go from here?

03:21 , Namita Singh

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has been busy speaking to as many nations as he can as the death toll in Gaza continues to grow, writes Chris Stevenson. But he has little to show for it.

Report:

No diplomatic breakthrough for the US over Israel-Gaza – so where do we go from here?

Israeli forces cut off north Gaza to isolate Hamas as advance on urban centre looms

03:20 , Namita Singh

The Israeli army severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with airstrikes on Monday, preparing for expected ground battles with Hamas militants in Gaza’s largest city and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.

Already, the Palestinian death toll surpassed 10,000, the health ministry of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said on Monday, making it the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago.

Casualties are likely to rise sharply as the war turns to close urban combat. Troops are expected to enter Gaza City soon, Israeli media reported, and Palestinian militants who have had years to prepare are likely to fight street by street, launching ambushes from a vast network of tunnels.

“We’re closing in on them,” said Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesperson. “We’ve completed our encirclement, separating Hamas strongholds in the north from the south.”

Pro-Palestinian groups defy police calls to postpone Armistice day march

03:02 , Namita Singh

Pro-Palestinian groups have defied calls by the Metropolitan Police to postpone a demonstration on Armistice Day.

Concerns have been raised about the protest due to take place in central London on Saturday.

The Met said senior officers had asked various groups behind the event to “urgently reconsider” and described the plans as “not appropriate” during a meeting yesterday.

But the coalition of groups, which includes Stop the War and the Muslim Association of Britain, insisted they would press ahead with the demonstration calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

More details here:

Pro-Palestinian groups defy police calls to call off Armistice Day march

Israeli troops poised to press into Gaza City with force, as ‘death toll passes 10,000’

03:01 , Namita Singh

Israeli troops are poised to push into the dense confines of Gaza City after pounding the north of the territory with airstrikes. The attacks in the last 24 hours were some of the heaviest in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment in the wake of a Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October, during which 1,400 people were killed and another 240 taken hostage.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll had crossed 10,000 on Monday, with the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, saying the enclave was becoming a “graveyard for children”.

“Hundreds of girls and boys are reportedly being killed or injured every day,” Mr Guterres said. The health ministry in the strip has said that more than 4,000 children have been killed since the start of the Israeli bombing campaign.

Our international editor Chris Stevenson reports:

Gaza death toll has passed 10,000, Hamas-controlled health ministry says

Met Police urges pro-Palestine protesters to delay Armistice Day march but resists calls for ban

03:00 , Athena Stavrou

The Metropolitan Police has urged organisers to postpone a pro-Palestine march planned for Armistice Day over fears it could spark disorder amid growing political pressure on the force to ban the demonstration.

Senior officers said they were concerned breakaway groups “intent on fuelling disorder” will commit crimes if the protest on 11 November goes ahead.

Amy-Clare Martin reports:

Met Police urges pro-Palestine protesters to delay Armistice Day march

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

02:00 , Athena Stavrou

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion by left-wing Labour MPs who are trying to force a vote on a Gaza ceasefire in parliament, The Independent understands.

The Labour leader is under growing pressure to change stance as his party suffers a major split on his refusal to back a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

At least 18 Labour frontbenchers have defied Sir Keir’s position, while more than 30 councillors have quit the party and more than 330 local leaders have urged him to back down.

Adam Forrest reports:

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

Netanyahu suspends minister who suggested Israel ‘nuke Gaza’

01:00 , Athena Stavrou

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended a minister who suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza.

Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, from a far-right party in the coalition government, was asked in an interview with Radio Kol Berama about a hypothetical nuclear option to which he replied: “That’s one way.”

His remark drew swift condemnation from around the Arab world, scandalised mainstream Israeli broadcasters and was deemed “objectionable” by a U.S. official.

Read more:

Netanyahu suspends minister who suggested Israel ‘nuke Gaza’

Israeli troops poised to press into Gaza City with force – as Palestinians say death toll passes 10,000

00:01 , Athena Stavrou

Israeli troops are poised to push into the dense confines of Gaza City after pounding the north of the territory with air strikes and cutting the enclave in two.

The airstrikes in the last 24 hours were some of the heaviest on the Strip since Israel began its bombardment in the wake of a Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October, during which 1,400 people were killed and another 240 taken hostage.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll had crossed 10,000 on Monday, with the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, saying the enclave was becoming a “graveyard for children”.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Gaza death toll has passed 10,000, Hamas-controlled health ministry says

No diplomatic breakthrough for the US over Israel-Gaza – so where do we go from here?

Monday 6 November 2023 23:00 , Athena Stavrou

As Antony Blinken engages in a bout of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East he has three things he wants to achieve in regards to Israel and Gaza. The problem is that none of them are going well.

Chris Stevenson writes:

No diplomatic breakthrough for the US over Israel-Gaza – so where do we go from here?

Hezbollah and Hamas’ military wings in Lebanon exchange fire with Israel

Monday 6 November 2023 21:30 , Athena Stavrou

Hamas said it had fired rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel on Monday, triggering Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese side of the border.

The Qassam Brigades said in a statement that its militants fired 16 rockets on the town of Nahariya and the southern outskirts of the city of Haifa in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Haifa is the furthest city targeted by rockets from the Lebanese side since the start fighting.

The Israeli army said approximately 30 rockets were fired from the Lebanese side targeting northern Israel, adding it was responding by shelling the origin points of rocket launches.

The exchange lasted about half an hour and Israel‘s Iron Dome could be clearly seen intercepting rockets from Lebanon. Relative clam prevailed afterwards.

About three hours later, Israel‘s air force carried out airstrikes on “Hezbollah targets” inside Lebanon, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that details would follow later.

The exchange of fire came as Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah said its fighters attacked at least three Israeli military posts along the border around sunset on Monday.

The clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces erupted on October 8, a day after the war started. The fighting has been largely contained along the border but in recent days military activities have increased.

An Israeli airstrike killed four civilians, a woman and three children in south Lebanon on Monday, after which Hezbollah fired a rocket on the northern Israeli municipality of Kiryat Shmona, leaving one Israeli dead.

Hezbollah officials have warned that if Israel killed Lebanese civilians, it would be considered a violation of the rules of engagement and the group would retaliate by targeting Israeli civilians.

Biden emphasizes need to protect Palestinian civilians in call with Netanyahu

Monday 6 November 2023 21:00 , Athena Stavrou

U.S. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that it was imperative steps were taken to protect Palestinian civilians, even as he restated his support for Israel‘s efforts to protect it citizens from Hamas, the White House said.

“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,” it said in a statement outlining a call between the two leaders.

UAE says it will establish a field hospital in Gaza

Monday 6 November 2023 20:30 , Athena Stavrou

he United Arab Emirates will establish a fully equipped field hospital in the Gaza Strip, the state news agency said on Monday without elaborating whether there is an agreement on this initiative with Israel.

The agency said five aircraft carrying the equipment and requirements necessary for the establishment and operation of the field hospital departed from Abu Dhabi on Monday heading to Al-Arish airport in Egypt.

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

Monday 6 November 2023 20:00 , Athena Stavrou

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion by left-wing Labour MPs who are trying to force a vote on a Gaza ceasefire in parliament, The Independent understands.

The Labour leader is under growing pressure to change stance as his party suffers a major split on his refusal to back a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

At least 18 Labour frontbenchers have defied Sir Keir’s position, while more than 30 councillors have quit the party and more than 330 local leaders have urged him to back down.

Adam Forrest reports:

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

Jordan says 'all options' open as Gaza conflict intensifies

Monday 6 November 2023 19:30 , Athena Stavrou

Jordan said on Monday it was leaving “all options” open in its response to what it called Israel‘s failure to discriminate between military and civilian targets in its intensifying bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh did not elaborate on what further steps Jordan would take, days after it recalled its ambassador from Israel in protest at Israel‘s offensive against Gaza launched after a cross-border Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas.

Jordan also announced last week that Israel‘s ambassador, who left Amman shortly after Hamas’ attack, would not be allowed to come back to resume his duties for now, effectively declaring him persona non grata.

“All options are on the table for Jordan in our dealing with the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its repercussions,” Khasawneh, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 - told state media.

Khasawneh said Israel‘s siege of the densely populated Gaza was not self-defence as it maintains. “The brutal Israeli attack does not discriminate between civilian and military targets and is extending to safe areas and ambulances,” he said.

Israel has denied deliberately targeting civilian objects in heavily populated areas.

Rafah crossing re-opens for limited evacuations from Gaza

Monday 6 November 2023 19:00 , Athena Stavrou

Dozens of foreign passport holders and some medical evacuees passed through the Rafah crossing from Gaza into Egypt on Monday after evacuations resumed following a two-day suspension, three Egyptian security sources said.

The Gaza border authority had said earlier that Egyptians and foreign citizens already on pre-approved lists issued since last Wednesday would be allowed through the crossing, the only exit from Gaza that does not border Israel.

Passage of foreign nationals and dependents, as well as injured Gazans, had ceased on Saturday after an Israeli strike on an ambulance in Gaza, Egyptian officials said.

The flow of aid trucks, which enter Gaza through the crossing, had slowed to 25 trucks on Sunday from a high of 102 trucks on Thursday, according to U.N. data.

After evacuations resumed on Monday about 80 dual nationals and 17 medical evacuees had left through Rafah by early evening, with 48 aid trucks crossing in the other direction, according to the Egyptian security sources.

Met Police ask demonstrators to ‘urgently reconsider’ Armistice day protest

Monday 6 November 2023 18:30 , Athena Stavrou

The Metropolitan Police has asked demonstrators planning to hold a pro-Palestinian rally in London on Armistice Weekend to “urgently reconsider” their protest.

The force said it had met organisers from a range of groups on Monday to discuss concerns about the march, which is due to take place in central London on Saturday, although the planned route will not go past the Cenotaph.

It said organisers had declined to postpone the demonstration.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “The risk of violence and disorder linked to breakaway groups is growing. This is of concern ahead of a significant and busy weekend in the capital.

“Our message to organisers is clear: Please, we ask you to urgently reconsider. It is not appropriate to hold any protests in London this weekend.”

The organisers of the protests said that they will continue to hold protests every weekend until a ceasefire is called.

Biden and Netanyahu ‘discuss tactical pauses'

Monday 6 November 2023 18:19 , Athena Stavrou

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the potential for tactical pauses in strikes on Gaza during talks on Monday, according to a spokesperson.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said more Americans are expected to exit Gaza on Monday as more aid enters the territory. Biden and Netanyahu also discussed the situation in the West Bank, Kirby said.

UN chief says Gaza becoming a 'graveyard for children'

Monday 6 November 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that the protection of civilians “must be paramount” in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, warning that the Gaza Strip was becoming “a graveyard for children.”

“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.

“At the same time, Hamas and other militants use civilians as human shields and continue to launch rockets indiscriminately towards Israel,” he said.

He said clear violations of international humanitarian law were being committed and again appealed for a humanitarian ceasefire.

Israeli forces ‘kill 4 Palestinian militants in West Bank'

Monday 6 November 2023 17:30 , Athena Stavrou

Four Palestinian militants were killed and another seriously wounded after Israeli forces shot at their car in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm, the Palestinian health ministry said on Monday.

The Israeli security forces killed four Palestinian militants who it said were part of a cell in the West Bank that was directed by Hamas and behind numerous shooting attacks, the Israeli military and police said in a statement.

A statement by the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said three of the militants, whose ages ranged between 20 and 25, were from its Tulkarm arm while the fourth was from the Islamist Hamas’ armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades.

A 14-year-old boy was seriously wounded in the shooting but his condition was stable, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Highest number of United Nations aid worker fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict

Monday 6 November 2023 17:00 , Athena Stavrou

At least 88 aid workers for the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have been killed since 7 October - making the Israel-Gaza war the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.

UN agency leaders called on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to the territory

In a joint statement, the UN human rights commissioner, head of the World Health Organization; and the UN aid chief said: “An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship.

“This is unacceptable. More than 100 attacks against health care have been reported.

“Scores of aid workers have been killed since October 7 including 88 UNRWA colleagues – the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict. We renew our plea for the parties to respect all their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.”

Labour ceasefire row explained as pressure builds on Starmer builds over Israel-Hamas war

Monday 6 November 2023 16:30 , Matt Mathers

Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure over Labour’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war after dozens of councillors quit the party.

The Labour leader, who has said his focus is on stopping the suffering in Gaza and not the “individual positions” of party members, has backed the government’s call for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting but has not called for an immediate ceasefire.

Alexander Butler reports:

Labour ceasefire row explained as pressure builds on Starmer over Israel-Hamas war

South Africa recalls ambassador in Israel over ‘genocide'

Monday 6 November 2023 16:00 , Matt Mathers

South Africa’s government has recalled its ambassador and diplomatic mission to Israel in condemnation of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, calling it a “genocide”.

The government also threatened action against the Israeli ambassador to South Africa over his recent remarks on the African country’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. No further details were given about the remarks.

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the presidency, said: “The South African government has decided to withdraw all its diplomats in Tel Aviv for consultation.”

Ms Ntshavheni also said the position of the Israeli ambassador in the country was “untenable”.

‘Shocking milestone'

Monday 6 November 2023 15:20 , Matt Mathers

The Palestinian death toll of 10,000 marks a “shocking milestone” in the war between Hamas and Israel, Medical Aid for Palestinians has said. The aid group reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire, hit out at the Western countries refusing to back one and warned that those who have not been killed during the bombardment are at risk from starvation, dehydration and infectious diseases.

“More people have been killed in the last one month in Gaza than were recorded killed in the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre, or the January 1999 assault on Freetown, Sierra Leone,” the aid organisation said in a statement.

“Soon those killed by the bombs will be joined by people dying from starvation, dehydration, infectious diseases and the closure of medical services. This includes 130 newborn babies in incubators in Gaza’s hospitals whose lives are at critical risk as generators run out of fuel. Israel’s siege is making sustaining human life in Gaza impossible and must be brought immediately to an end. Collective punishment is a war crime, and those responsible must be held accountable.”

Melanie Ward, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)’s CEO, said: “The killing of 10,000 people in such a short period of time should shock the world’s conscience. Most of the dead are women and children. Israel’s bombardment of civilian areas in Gaza demands an immediate response from the international community, who must uphold international law. The cost of inaction is measured in lives, and we cannot allow this carnage to continue.”

Fikr Shalltoot, MAP’s Gaza director, said: “How many more deaths will it take for this assault to be brought to an end – 50,000, 100,000? As we witness our homes, hospitals and schools turned to rubble, we are crying out for a shred of humanity from world leaders. We are terrified of what is to come if we don’t get a ceasefire soon,”

“Our colleagues are running out of food and water. Gaza is running out of time. We must have ceasefire now”.

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

Monday 6 November 2023 15:10 , Matt Mathers

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion by left-wing Labour MPs who are trying to force a vote on a Gaza ceasefire in parliament.

The Labour leader is under growing pressure to change stance as his party suffers a major split on his refusal to back a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Adam Forrest reports:

Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire

Netanyahu suspends minister who suggested Israel ‘nuke Gaza’

Monday 6 November 2023 15:01 , Matt Mathers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended a minister who suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza.

Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, from a far-right party in the coalition government, was asked in an interview with Radio Kol Berama about a hypothetical nuclear option to which he replied: “That’s one way.”

Athena Stavrou reports:

Netanyahu suspends minister who suggested Israel ‘nuke Gaza’

Turkish foreign minister called for immediate ceasefire in talks with Blinken

Monday 6 November 2023 14:33 , Matt Mathers

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan told his US counterpart Antony Blinken in a meeting in Ankara that a ceasefire needed to be declared urgently in Gaza, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.

Blinken made an unannounced visit to the West Bank on Sunday to meet Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, who joined international calls for an immediate ceasefire. Blinken reiterated US concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled one out until Hamas releases all hostages in Gaza.

US CIA director William Burns was also set to visit Israel on Monday to discuss the war and intelligence with officials, the New York Times reported. Burns also will make stops in other regional states, it quoted an unnamed US official as saying.

Eight killed in strike on cancer hospital - Gaza health ministry

Monday 6 November 2023 14:22 , Matt Mathers

Palestinian health officials said eight people were killed in an air strike overnight on Gaza City’s Rantissi cancer hospital. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report.

The Israeli army said its strikes hit "tunnels, terrorists, military compounds, observation posts, and anti-tank missile launch posts".

Ground troops killed several Hamas fighters while taking a militant compound containing observation posts, training areas and underground tunnels, it said.

Gaza border officials said the Rafah crossing has resumed operations to allow foreign passport holders and critically wounded Palestinians into Egypt.

Hundreds of foreign nationals and wounded were allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt last week but no such exits have been reported since 3 November.

25 aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Sunday - PRCS

Monday 6 November 2023 13:57 , Matt Mathers

An aid organisation said it received twenty-five aid trucks through the Rafah crossing on Sunday.

The Palestinian Red Cresent Society said it was the 476th truck it had received since 21 October.

However, it has not received any fuel, it added.

Palestinian death toll surpasses 10,000 - health ministry

Monday 6 November 2023 13:25 , Matt Mathers

The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing war with Israel has surpassed 10,000.

The figures released Monday mark a grim milestone in what has quickly become the deadliest round of fighting since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago.

The war erupted on October 7 when Hamas militants stormed into Israel from Gaza and killed over 1,400 people and took some 240 others hostage in a rampage that Israel described as the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Israel responded with a campaign of blistering airstrikes, followed by a ground invasion.

The health ministry says 10,022 people have been killed in Gaza, without distinguishing between fighters and civilians.

The vast majority of the dead are believed to have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, though Israel says over 500 errant rockets launched by Palestinian militants have landed inside Gaza.

Rafah border crossing reopens for limited number of foreign nationals

Monday 6 November 2023 13:18 , Andy Gregory

The Rafah border crossing has reopened, but only for evacuations by Egyptians and foreign nationals listed since 1 November, the border authority in Hamas-controlled Gaza has said.

The authority’s statement added that those who were not listed won’t be able to cross the border, as per notification from the Egyptian authorities.

Every effort being made to secure release of Irish Israeli girl, says minister

Monday 6 November 2023 13:15 , Matt Mathers

Irish authorities are making every effort possible to assist in securing the release of an Irish Israeli girl believed to have been abducted by Hamas, the country’s justice minister has said.

Emily Hand was originally feared dead after the assault on Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel on October 7.

Full report:

Every effort being made to secure release of Irish Israeli girl, says minister

A woman and 3 children are killed by an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon, local officials say

Monday 6 November 2023 12:50 , Matt Mathers

An Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon on Sunday evening killed four civilians, including a woman and three children, raising the likelihood of a dangerous new escalation in the conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border.

Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants and their allies have been clashing for a month along the border since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. While clashes remain largely contained, they have increased in intensity as Israel conducts a ground incursion in Gaza against Hezbollah ally Hamas.

Full report:

A woman and 3 children are killed by an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon, local officials say