That's the end of our live coverage for today - thanks for reading. We're back again at 09:00CET on Saturday morning with the latest developments. Read our live blog below to see how events unfolded on Friday:
${title}
Live ended
Summary
- Israel says all 1.1 million Palestinians in north Gaza must leave. This is around half the strip's population
- The UN warns Israel's plan would have "devastating humanitarian consequences"
- Israel is expected to launch a ground invasion of Gaza, which Hamas says it is capable of fighting off
- Some 1,800 people in Gaza have been killed. Hamas's attacks on Israel over the weekend killed 1,300, with 150 civilians taken hostage
- Aid agencies say Gazans face a dire situation, with Israel imposing a total blockade on the Palestinian enclave
- More than 423,000 people have now been forced to flee their homes in Gaza due to the Israeli bombardment
- Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon
Stop Israel’s ‘crimes against humanity’ - Palestine to UN chief
The Palestinian United Nations envoy, Riyad Mansour, has appealed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to do more to stop the “crime against humanity” bein carried out by Israel.
“He has to do more. Whatever was done was not sufficient. We need all of us to do more to stop this crime against humanity,” Mansour told press ahead of a meeting of Arab Group ambassadors at the UN.
17 Palestinians killed in airstrike - pro-Hamas news agency
An airstrike in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, has killed 17 people, according to the pro-Hamas Shehab news agency.
Von der Leyen speaks of necessity to 'care for the Palestinian people and humanitarian needs'
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken of the need to protect Palestinian civilians after coming under criticism for her previous proclamation of Israel’s right to “self-defence”.
In footage shared on Friday of her visit to Israel with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, von der Leyen said: “I am very grateful that you said very clearly that Hamas are terrorists but that we have to care for the Palestinian people and humanitarian needs".
She added "The world is very clear that it is Israel that has to be defended and Israel that has to be respected and protected".
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola shared on X, formerly Twitter, a picture of her holding hands with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a show of solidarity with Israel
Together. pic.twitter.com/uNYFB7Xy38
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) October 13, 2023
Meta announces it has strengthened the moderation of its content
Meta has announced that it has significantly strengthened the moderation of content posted on its platforms, notably Facebook, as well as removing removing hundreds of thousands of messages since the start of the conflict.
The company which also controls the social networks Instagram and Threads, as well as WhatsApp messaging, has set up a dedicated unit, with many Arabic and Hebrew-speaking people in the team.
The limitations set concern in particular content of a violent, shocking and hateful nature.
During the three days following Hamas' surprise offensive on Israeli territory on Saturday, Meta said it deleted or covered up with a warning message some 795,000 messages in Arabic or Hebrew.
The number of daily messages in Arabic or Hebrew that are actively moderated represents seven times the volume observed, on average, during the previous two months.
On Instagram, Meta has restricted the distribution of certain keywords, which do not appear when a user does a search.
The move comes as the EU warned Meta earlier this week bout the increase in false information and called on its boss, Mark Zuckerberg, to take measures to remedy it.
European Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton has also issued similar warnings to X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
11 killed in the West Bank
Eleven people have been killed in the West Bank today, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
It comes following Israeli forces shooting dead three Palestinians in the area during protests in support of Gaza earlier today.
Ankara: Population displacements from Gaza 'unacceptable'
Israel's call for civilians in Gaza City to evacuate is "unacceptable", the Turkish Foreign Ministry has denounced.
“The announcement by the Israeli army calling on the Palestinian population living in northern Gaza to move towards southern Gaza within 24 hours is unacceptable,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Forcing the 2.5 million inhabitants of Gaza, subjected to indiscriminate bombing for days and deprived of electricity, water and food, to migrate in an extremely limited area constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and is inhumane,” they added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also ruled on Friday that “cutting off water, electricity and food to 2 million people stranded... is contrary to the most fundamental human rights”.
(AFP)
Palestinian Prime Minister accuses Israel of 'genocide' in Gaza
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza.
“Our people in Gaza are undergoing genocide and Gaza has become a disaster zone,”Shtayyeh said at a news conference in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
Israel bombs southern Lebanon - Lebanese security source
The Israeli army has bombed the surroundings of several border towns in southern Lebanon on Friday afternoon, according to security sources and an AFP correspondent nearby.
A Lebanese security source reported that the bombing followed an “infiltration attempt”. The army, for its part, announced that it had fired artillery on Lebanese territory after “an explosion on the border fence” between the two countries.
(AFP)
Hamas attack does not justify destroying Gaza, warns ICRC
The deadly assault by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Israel does not justify the destruction of Gaza, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned.
“Nothing can justify the horrible attacks that Israel suffered last weekend” but “these attacks cannot in turn justify the unlimited destruction of Gaza,” the ICRC said in a statement.
Amnesty investigating white phosphorus claims
Human rights organisation Amnesty International has announced it is investigating claims that white phosphorus has been used by Israel to strike Gaza.
"Amnesty's Crisis Evidence Lab has verified that Israeli military units striking Gaza are equipped with white phosphorus artillery rounds," Amnesty said.
"We are investigating what appears to be the use of white phosphorus in Gaza, including in a strike near a hotel on the beach in Gaza City", they added.
The move comes following Human Rights Watch's claim that Israeli forces had used the chemical in Gaza and Lebanon.
They say that the use of such weapons put civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.
Israel's military have denied using it, saying they were: "currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza".
Norway condemns 'unacceptable' siege of Gaza
Norway has condemned the "unacceptable" siege of Gaza by the Israeli army, while announcing additional humanitarian aid to the city's residents.
“Israel has the right to defend itself... but they cannot resort to all possible means”, Anniken Huitfeldt, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, told NRK.
Huitfeldt previously released a statement late on Thursday, saying: “The establishment of a total blockade, including on access to electricity, water, food and other goods essential to the survival of the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable”.
Her comments on Friday come as Norway announces an increase of 70 million Krone (or €6 million) to its humanitarian aid offering for the civilian population of Gaza.
UK: Rishi Sunak denounces 'disgusting increase' in the number of anti-Semitic acts
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has denounced the "disgusting increase" in the number of anti-Semitic acts in recent days in the United Kingdom following Hamas attacks against Israel.
“There has been a frankly disgusting increase” in the number of anti-Semitic acts “in recent days,” Sunak told British television channels.
Earlier in the day, London police stressed that the British capital had seen a "massive increase" in the number of anti-Semitic acts since the start of the new conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The British government announced on Thursday that it had recorded 139 anti-Semitic acts in four days, five times more than last year over the same period.
Deputy Commissioner Laurence Taylor spoke of "provocative behavior", "anti-Semitic remarks", acts of "intimidation outside synagogues", as well as other more serious offenses.
London police say they have assigned 1,000 officers to patrols to reassure the population.
“We will absolutely not tolerate people who incite hatred, violence or racism”, Sunak said, adding that “intimidating or threatening behavior will not be tolerated” and those who undertake it will be met with the “full force of the law".
(AFP)
Death toll rises in Gaza
The number of killed Palestinians is climbing in the Gaza Strip.
At least 1,799 people have been killed and 6,388 wounded in Israeli air strikes, according to the besieged enclave's health ministry.
In Israel, the number of people killed following Hamas’s attack now stands at more than 1,300, with some 3,400 wounded.
‘US will make sure Israel has what it needs’ - US Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin has said Washington will continue to support and supply Israeli forces, not ruling either out the possibility of sending US troops.
“I won’t speculate on anything that could happen in the future,” said the US Secretary of Defense, when asked if his country's military could join the fight against Hezbollah.
“Make no mistake, the United States will make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself,” he added.
Austin detailed the Pentagon was already providing “munitions, air defence capabilities and other equipment resources” as well as additional “interceptors for Iron Dome, to save Israeli lives.”
He said US officials “will continue to coordinate closely with Israel to help secure the release of the innocent men, women and children in the clutches of Hamas, including American citizens.”
“Israel has a right to defend itself," said Austin when questioned about mounting civilian casualties in Gaza. "I’ve worked with Israeli forces for many years, my experience is that they’re professional, they’re disciplined and they’re focused on the right things.”
“This is a time for resolve and not revenge, for purpose and not panic, and for security and not surrender,” he continued.
Death toll in occupied West Bank climbs
The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank has risen to nine, according to the latest figures from the Palestinian health authorities.
Dozens have also been wounded, with deaths recorded in various locations, including in Tulkarem, Nablus, Beit Ula and Tammun.
Earlier, the Israeli Defence Force said it had arrested 220 Palestinians across the West Bank, since fighting began last weekend in southern Israel.
'Killing of children must stop' - UN
UNICEF has said children in the Gaza Strip are dying every hour, detailing that "hundreds and hundreds" have been killed or injured already.
“In every war, the ones who suffer the most are children. This is tragically true today," it wrote on X.
“The images and stories are clear: children with horrendous burns, mortar wounds, and lost limbs. And hospitals are utterly overwhelmed to treat them. Yet the numbers keep rising," said UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder in a press release.
"Israeli children being held hostage in Gaza must be safely and immediately reunited with their families and loved ones," he added.
"The humanitarian situation has reached lethal lows, and yet all reports point to further attacks. Compassion – and international law – must prevail."
Attack was 'Iranian idea', claims Israeli minister
Israel's defence minister has said Hamas's deadly assault in southern Israel on Saturday was sprung by Iran.
Asked if there was any evidence of Iran’s involvement in the attack, Yoav Gallant said it “doesn’t matter … the idea is an Iranian idea”.
“Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas are one axis, an axis of evil. Everything is directed, generally from Iran. The permission is given by Iran. The money is supplied by Iran, and the ideas are shaped in Iran,” he added during a press conference with his US counterpart.
Iran denies its involvement in the surprise attack.
Tehran is a regional foe of Israel, though large parts of the Iranian population disagree with its anti-Israel policies.
Palestinians killed in West Bank
Israeli forces have shot dead three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during protests in support of Gaza, says the Palestinian health ministry.
Israel agrees to 'safe zones' for Palestinians inside Gaza
A US official has said that Israel will provide 'safe zones' for Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip, following a discussion between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“One of the things that we did discuss with them (on Thursday) was the need to protect civilian lives in Gaza, the need to establish some safe areas, where civilians could relocate to be safe from Israel’s legitimate security operations,” the senior State Department official told reporters.
(AFP)
Photos: Israeli security forces on Jerusalem streets
Young woman in UK arrested for supporting Hamas
A 22-year-old woman suspected of supporting Hamas was arrested after a demonstration on Sunday in southern England, British police announced on Friday.
The Palestinian militant group is classified as a terrorist and banned in the UK.
Her arrest comes as part of an investigation into a speech given during a demonstration in the city of Brighton on Sunday.
Counter-terrorism police were contacted after the demo in support of Palestine, amid Israel's unrelenting strikes.
Some have claimed supporters of Palestine are being silenced in the UK and other European countries.
Citing public concern about the "ongoing conflict in Israel and on the border with Gaza", Sussex Police emphasizes its increased presence to "reassure our local communities".
“We recognise that there is a risk of increased tensions” and “we are working with communities and partners to ensure that people feel safe and protected,” police continued.
After a sharp increase in anti-Semitic acts, the British government announced Thursday it would release additional funds for an organisation responsible for protecting the security of the Jewish community.
A pro-Palestinian demonstration is planned for Saturday in London.
(AFP)
Israel's 24-hour deadline for evacuating Gaza 'utterly unrealistic' - top EU diplomat
Josep Borrell has said that Israel’s 24-hour deadline for 1.1 million civilians to leave the Gaza Strip is “utterly unrealistic.”
“Certainly, civilians must be pre-warned, must be alerted about the incoming military operations in order to allow them to leave, which is what Israel has done,” Borrell said in Beijing, China.
“But such warnings, and the expected movement they should produce... we are talking about one million people, must be realistic. And certainly this is utterly unrealistic that one million people can move in 24 hours. The Secretary General of the United Nations has said that, and I join him.”
“The warning has to be realistic in order to avoid devastating humanitarian consequences,” he added.
Borrell reiterated that Israel has the right to “defend itself”, but that this has to be done in line with international humanitarian law.
“We are against any attack against civilians, and protection of civilians is of utmost importance always, on all sides, everywhere,” he said.
US ambassador to China 'shocked' by attack on Israeli diplomat in Beijing
The US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, has said he was "shocked" by the attack on an Israeli diplomat on Friday in Beijing and gave his "full support" to the Israeli community in the country.
“We are shocked by today's attack on an Israeli diplomat in Beijing,” he said on the X network, adding that he had spoken with the Israeli ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba.
His remarks come after an employee of the Israeli embassy in Beijing was attacked on Friday in the Chinese capital.
“The employee is being treated in hospital and is in stable condition,” said the Israeli Foreign Ministry in a statement.
The ministry added that the attack did not occur on the embassy site and "the motive for the attack is under investigation."
A video posted on social networks shows a man brandishing a knife and stabbing another several times. Blood is visible on the road.
The attacker is then seen leaving the scene, knife in hand.
AF, a French news agency, has geolocated the footage to an area located one and a half kilometres from the Israeli embassy.
(AFP)
'No safe place to go' for Gazans - HRW
Human Rights Watch, a US-based NGO, has said people in north Gaza cannot flee, despite Israel's evacuation order.
"Ordering a million people in Gaza to evacuate, when there’s no safe place to go, is not an effective warning. The roads are rubble, fuel is scarce, and the main hospital is in the evacuation zone," said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch.
"This order does not alter Israel’s obligations in military operations to never target civilians and take all the measures it can to minimize harm to them. World leaders should speak up now before it is too late."
We 'reject forced displacement' of our people in Gaza - Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas has told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he “rejects the forced displacement” of residents of northern Gaza to the south of the region, following Israel's warnings.
According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, Abbas said that such an event would constitute a “second Nakba” - referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.
Evacuation order 'horrendous' - UN
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has condemned Israel's decision to instruct more than one million civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate.
The organisation said the move, which orderder civilians to flee Gaza City within 24 hours, was "horrendous".
"This will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into abyss," General Philippe Lazzarini, its Commissioner General, said.
The UN say more than 423,000 people have already been displaced since the beginning of the conflict.
"The scale and speed of the unfolding humanitarian crisis is bone-chilling. Gaza is fast becoming a hellhole and is on the brink of collapse", he said, adding, "There is no exception, all parties must uphold the laws of war; humanitarian assistance must be provided at all times to civilians".
Flyers dropped on Gaza by Israeli army
The Israeli army has dropped flyers on the north of Gaza. They feature warnings to residents instructing them to flee “immediately” to the south.
“Evacuate your homes immediately and go south of Wadi Gaza,” the flyers - dropped by drones and seen by reporters - read.
On the flyers, there is also a map which shows an arrow pointing south across a line in the central Gaza Strip.
The text on the flyer is signed by the Israeli military and orders residents to “evacuate public shelters in Gaza City”.
'Forced transfer' of Gaza population 'is a crime', claims Arab League
The order given by Israel to the Palestinians to move to the south of the Gaza Strip is "a forced transfer" and constitutes "a crime that surpasses understanding", the head of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said on Friday.
The secretary general of the pan-Arab institution added that "what Israel is committing is not a military operation planned or studied to uproot the groups responsible for the attacks against it but an act of atrocious revenge... to punish the powerless civilians in Gaza".
He made the remarks in an urgent letter addressed to António Guterres, the UN's secretary general, who himself has repeatedly expressed his concern about the spread of the conflict.
Civilian losses from potential Israeli invasion 'unacceptable' - Putin
Russia's president has urged Israel not to go ahead with a proposed ground operation in Gaza.
Vladimir Putin said on Friday that such an operation would result in an "absolutely unacceptable" level of civilian casualties.
His comments come despite the fact that he himself is embroiled in the ongoing war with Ukraine, where Russian forces have been accused repeatedly of targeting civilians.
Putin also warned against using heavy weaponry in residential areas, calling it "fraught with serious consequences for all sides".
"Most importantly, the civilian casualties will be absolutely unacceptable. Now the main thing is to stop the bloodshed," he added.
(AFP)
IDF admits evacuation will 'take time'
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari says Israel's military is aware that evacuating 1.1 million people from north Gaza will take some time.
He did not confirm a UN report that it had set a 24-hour deadline, refusing to say if it is an accurate time.
"This is a war zone, we are trying to provide them the time and we are doing a lot of effort, and we understand it won’t take 24 hours," Hagari told journalists.
When pressed on whether he was saying the IDF was aware it would take more than 24 hours to evacuate Gazans, Hagari responded: "We understand it will take time. This is all I've said."
Observers say the size of the population in north Gaza and the timeframe given mean it is impossible for everyone to flee in time.
'Beyond cruel': WHO says impossible to move severely ill in Gaza
The World Health Organization said health authorities in Gaza had told it that vulnerable hospital patients could not be evacuated from northern Gaza, despite Israel's evacuation order.
"There are severely ill people whose injuries mean their only chances of survival is being on life support, such as mechanical ventilators," said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
"So moving those people is a death sentence. Asking health workers to do so is beyond cruel."
Israeli army details more troop casualties
At least 258 Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting against Palestinian fighters since Saturday, the IDF has said.
Hamas launches torrent of rockets at Israel
The al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing, say they have launched 150 rockets towards the Israeli city of Ashkelon “in response to the displacement and targeting of civilians”.
It was not immediately clear if the rockets were intercepted or caused any damage.
UK military to support Israel
The UK announced this morning it has sent "military assets" to the eastern Mediterranean to help Israel.
Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying in the region from Friday to track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups, it said.
The P8 reconnaissance aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships, three Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, will be on standby to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region and offer deterrence and assurance, the UK government detailed in a press release.
"The monstrous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in recent days have proven why the UK must support Israel’s absolute right to self-defence and deter malign external interference. No nation should stand alone in the face of such evil and today’s deployment will ensure Israel does not," said Defence Secretary Grant Shapps in a statement.
"The Royal Navy Task Group, RAF operations and our wider military support will be an undeniable display of the UK’s resolve to ensure Hamas’s terrorist campaign fails, whilst reminding those who seek to inflame tensions that the forces of freedom stand with the Israeli people."
Ships will also be sent to Med to support humanitarian efforts, according to the UK government.
Israeli ultimatum to Gaza must be reversed - rights group
The Norwegian Refugee Council has urged Israel to cancel its order that more than a million people in north Gaza should flee, ahead of a likely Israeli ground invasion.
"The Israeli military demand that 1.2 million civilians in northern Gaza relocate to its south within 24 hours, absent of any guarantees of safety or return, would amount to the war crime of forcible transfer. It must be reversed," said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, in a statement.
"The collective punishment of countless civilians, among them children, women, and the elderly, in retaliation for acts of horrible terror undertaken by armed men is illegal under international law."
Egeland continued: "countless people in the northern parts who have no means to safely relocate under the constant barrage of fire."
"The loss of civilian lives caused by deliberate or indiscriminate use of force is a war crime for which the perpetrators will have to answer. We fear that Israel may claim that Palestinians who could not flee northern Gaza can be erroneously held as directly participating in hostilities, and targeted."
He urged Western and Arab countries to urge the Israelis to "immediately rescind" their order.
Just one rocket warning in 13 hours across Israel
There has been only a single rocket siren nationwide in the last 13 hours, an overnight alarm in Netiv Ha’asara, near the Gaza border. No injuries were reported.
The last few days have seen a significant slowdown in the number of rockets fired at Israel after thousands were launched on Saturday and Sunday.
Hamas and other militant groups are thought to be holding back rocket fire as they conserve firepower ahead of a likely Israeli ground invasion in the coming days.
UN appeals for aid to protect Palestinians
The United Nations appealed for €278.5 million on Friday to aid and protect 1.2 million Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
The international organisation said it hopes to deliver relief funds to dozens of partners in the Palestinian territories, including UN agencies, which are now struggling to provide basic services in Gaza.
(AP)
Photos: Isreal readies its invasion
Hostages, including foreigners, killed in Israeli strike
At least 13 Israelis and foreigners held in northern Gaza have been killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours, Hamas' armed wing said on Friday.
“Thirteen prisoners including foreigners” were killed in five locations in Gaza targeted by Israeli warplanes, the al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
An estimated 150 people were captured by Hamas in Israel and taken to the Palestinian enclave during its deadly weekend assault.
(AFP)
Israel trying to force Palestinians into Egypt - Egyptian MP
An Egyptian politician has alleged Israel's evacuation order for north Gaza claims is an effort to force Palestinians out of Gaza to Egypt.
“In this way, the Palestinian cause will be completely liquidated,” Mustafa Bakri wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Egypt will never agree to participate in this plan, and the Palestinians will not leave their land and will remain steadfast, no matter the sacrifices it costs them."
Hamas calls on Palestinians to stay put
Hamas called on people in Gaza to remain in their homes, despite Israel's sweeping evacuation order.
The Hamas Authority for Refugee Affairs told those in the north of the besieged enclave to “remain steadfast in your homes and to stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation.”
A statement on the Hamas' website calls Israel “delusional” for thinking people will flee.
“Scenes of migration and displacement are a thing of the past and won’t be repeated, except with the victorious return of our people to our occupied land,” the group said.
Israel has ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, an area home to 1.1 million people.
Palestinians can only flee south within Gaza, an extremely densely populated and narrow strip of land about 40 km miles long, as Israel has completely sealed off the territory.
There are concerns about the 24-hour timeframe given by Israelis, with some observers saying it is impossible for people to flee quickly enough.
Medics won't leave northern Gaza
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent has said medical staff are defying Israeli orders to leave northern Gaza, claiming people cannot be moved safely within their 24-hour deadline.
"What will happen to our patients," asked Nebal Farsakh. "We have wounded, we have elderly, we have children who are in hospitals."
Many medics were refusing to evacuate hospitals and abandon patients, she added.
"People have no place to go," she told the BBC separately. "That's the point. Hearing bombardments all over the area and asking people to evacuate themselves to another area with this great destruction of the infrastructure and roads and these restrictions of movement, is just something unbelievable."
UNRWA relocates to southern Gaza
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) announced on Friday that it would move its operations centre and staff to the southern Gaza Strip, following an evacuation order for the Israeli army.
Writing on X, UNRWA said it did so to "continue its humanitarian operations and support for staff and Palestinian refugees in Gaza".
Number of displaced in Gaza rises
The number of people forced from their homes by Israeli airstrikes soared 25% in a day, reaching 423,000 out of a population of 2.3 million, the United Nations said on Thursday.
Most have crowded into UN-run schools, which are now running out of supplies.
Families were cutting down to one meal a day, Rami Swailem, a 34-year-old lecturer at al-Azhar University, who had 32 relatives sheltering in his home, told AP.
Water stopped coming to the building two days ago, and they have rationed what’s left in a tank on the roof.
(AP)
Photos: Palestinians flee to safety
France bans pro-Palestinian demos
France’s interior minister on Thursday ordered local authorities to ban all pro-Palestinian demonstrations amid a rise in antisemitic acts since Hamas attacked Israel over the weekend.
President Emmanuel Macron urged French people not to allow war in the Middle East to erupt into tensions at home.
"Let us not bring ideological adventures here (to France) by imitation or by projection. Let us not add national fractures ... to international fractures," Macron pleaded. "Let us stay united."
With several French-Israeli citizens believed held hostage by Hamas, Macron pledged that France would protect its Jewish citizens and be ’’ruthless toward all those who bear hate," and noted concerns about hostility toward France’s Muslims too.
(AP)
Israel used white phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon – NGO
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has alleged Israeli forces are using white phosphorus, putting "civilians at risk of serious and long-term injures".
While the substance is not classified as a chemical weapon in international law, its use against civilian areas is considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention because of its "indiscriminate" and "traumatic effects".
Phosphorus creates flash fires that are incredibly hard to put out. If people are hit with the chemical they suffer horrendous burns, which actually accelerate if they come into contact with water.
It can, however, be legitimately used by military forces for night illumination and smoke screens.
HRW said it has verified videos taken in Lebanon and Gaza on 10 and 11 October showing multiple bursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border.
“Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.
“White phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.”
Israeli authorities have not commented on whether they are using the weapon or not.
'New fronts' could be opened against Israel, warns Iran
Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Thursday that new war fronts could be opened against Israel.
He made the comments in Iraq, where pro-Iranian militias are based.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon, has fired on Israeli positions, but there are concerns the group could enter the fighting more directly.
"Everything is dependent on the moves of the Zionist regime in Gaza,” Iran’s foreign minister was quoted as saying by the Tehran Times.
Israeli military full statement on Gaza evacuation
This is the statement Israel's military has sent to civilians in Gaza city:
“The IDF [Israeli army] calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, as shown on the map.”
“The Hamas terrorist organisation waged a war against the State of Israel and Gaza City is an area where military operations take place. This evacuation is for your own safety.”
“You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel.”
“Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians.”
“Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields.”
“In the following days, the IDF [Israeli army] will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians.”