U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns Israel that humanitarian conditions in Gaza must improve to have ‘partners for peace’
November 04, 2023 06:47 am | Updated 04:55 pm IST
A child looks on as Palestinians gather to collect water, amid water shortages, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday pushed back against growing U.S. pressure for a “humanitarian pause” in the nearly month-old war to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza, insisting there would be no temporary ceasefire until the roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas are released.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his third trip to Israel since the war began, reiterating American support for Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas after its brutal October 7 attack in southern Israel. He also echoed President Joe Biden’s calls for a brief halt in the fighting to address a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Also read | Israel-Hamas war, Day 28 updates
Alarm has grown over spiraling Palestinian deaths and deepening misery for civilians from weeks of Israeli bombardment and a widening ground assault that risks even greater casualties. Overwhelmed hospitals say they are nearing collapse, with medicine and fuel running low under the Israeli siege. About 1.5 million people in Gaza, or 70% of the population, have fled their homes, the U.N. said Friday.
Palestinians are increasingly desperate for the most basic supplies.
Also read | UN official says the average Gaza resident is living on two pieces of bread a day
(With inputs from agencies)
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November 04, 2023 16:55
Hamas Health Ministry says 12 killed at Gaza U.N. school in Israeli strike
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 12 people were killed Saturday when Israel struck a United Nations school where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering.
The Ministry reported in a statement “12 martyrs and upwards of 54 wounded so far as a result of targeting Al-Fakhura school, which is sheltering thousands of displaced people in Jabalia (refugee) camp in the northern Gaza Strip”.
An earlier statement by the interior ministry said it was an “occupation (Israeli) strike” that hit the school.
– AFP
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November 04, 2023 16:34
Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll hits 9,488
The Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Saturday at least 9,488 people were killed in the Palestinian territory since war with Israel erupted last month.
The Ministry said at least 3,900 children were among those killed since Israel began striking the Gaza Strip in retaliation to the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas militants in southern Israel.
– AFP
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November 04, 2023 16:33
Turkey’s Erdogan says post-war Gaza must be part of sovereign Palestinian state
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that Gaza must be part of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state once the Israel-Hamas war is over, adding Ankara would not support models “gradually erasing Palestinians from history”.
Mr. Erdogan also said his intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities, as well as Hamas, broadcaster Haberturk and others reported.
He said he would not take Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a counterpart, but added Ankara would not sever its ties with Israel either, according to Haberturk.
– Reuters
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November 04, 2023 16:05
Erdogan says Netanyahu ‘no longer someone we can talk to’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he was breaking off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,” Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.
– AFP
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November 04, 2023 15:02
French death toll from Hamas attacks in Israel up to 39
The death toll of French citizens killed as a result of Hamas’ attacks in Israel has risen to 39, with nine other French nationals still missing, France’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
– Reuters
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November 04, 2023 14:43
U.K. urges Iran to use influence to prevent escalation of Israel-Hamas conflict
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly has urged Iran to use its influence with groups in the Middle East region to prevent an escalation of Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
Britain’s Foreign Office said Cleverly spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Friday, telling him “Iran bore responsibility” for the actions of groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, that it has supported for many years.
Cleverly also reiterated that Iranian-backed threats against people in the United Kingdom were unacceptable and must stop, a Foreign Office spokesperson said.
– Reuters
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November 04, 2023 13:43
Lebanon’s PM emphasizes urgency of ceasefire in Gaza in meeting with Antony Blinken
Lebanon’s caretaker PM Najib Mikati met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman on Saturday and emphasized the importance of working towards a ceasefire in Gaza and stopping Israeli aggression in southern Lebanon, Lebanon state news agency said.
Mr. Mikati also stressed Lebanon’s commitment to international legitimacy and the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to cease its violations.
Mr. Blinken, in turn, emphasized his efforts to halt military operations for humanitarian reasons and to address the issue of prisoners.
– Reuters
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November 04, 2023 13:27
Israel fires missile at Gaza house of Hamas chief Haniyeh
An Israeli drone fired a missile at the Gaza house of Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh who is currently outside the enclave, Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Radio reported on Saturday.
It was unclear whether any of his family members were at the house when it was struck.
Haniyeh, Hamas’ political chief, has been outside the Gaza Strip since 2019, residing between Turkey and Qatar.
– Reuters
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November 04, 2023 12:33
Japan announces $65 million in humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa announced a $65 million in humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip on Friday as she condemned attacks on civilians and promised Japan’s continued support for a two-state solution for the conflict.
Mr. Kamikawa met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and her Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, during her visit to the region Friday, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The aid will cover support for the Palestinians and supplies for the Gaza Strip, in addition to $10 million in emergency aid Japan announced earlier, she said.
– AP
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November 04, 2023 12:10
Is the United Nations toothless in ending wars?
Ever since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces have been relentlessly bombing civilian locations across the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is still ongoing. These two conflicts have in recent times led to more questions about the inability of the United Nations in bringing about peace. Has the UN become toothless in ending wars? Rakesh Sood and Vivek Katju discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Kallol Bhattacherjee.
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November 04, 2023 11:53
US does not want to see Israel-Hamas conflict expand into Lebanon: White House
The United States does not want to see the Israel-Hamas conflict expand into Lebanon, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. She said that Hezbollah and other actors, including state and non-state should not take advantage of the ongoing conflict.
“We and our partners have been clear: Hezbollah and other actors, state or non-state, should not take advantage of the ongoing conflict. This has the potential of becoming a bloodier war between Israel and Lebanon than in 2006. So, the United States does not want to see this conflict expand into Lebanon. The likely devastation for Lebanon and her people would be unimaginable and is avoidable. So again, we’ve been very, very clear about that part, as well. Like, you heard from the Secretary of State on these two things that I just laid out yesterday and again today,” she added.
-ANI
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November 04, 2023 11:32
U.N.Relief Chief briefs U.N. member states on humanitarian situation
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November 04, 2023 11:01
Aryadan Shoukath leads Palestine rally, defies PCC whip
Defying the Congress Kerala leadership and heavy rain, a large number of Congress workers took out a rally in Malappuram on Friday evening expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine. The rally held under the banner of the Aryadan Foundation was in defiance of the Congress leadership’s stand.
Hundreds of Congress men and women attended the rally led by Aryadan Foundation working chairman and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary Aryadan Shoukath.
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November 04, 2023 10:29
Indonesia sends its first shipment of aid for Gaza
Indonesia dispatched a batch of humanitarian aid for people in Gaza on Saturday, its first since the latest Israel-Hamas war began.
The 51.5-ton aid was sent off directly by President Joko Widodo from Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base. Widodo said the medical equipment, food, blankets, tents and other supplies came both from the government and from Indonesian civilians, collected by humanitarian agencies.
“This is a form of Indonesian solidarity, a form of Indonesians’ concern for humanity,” Mr. Widodo said, “because the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza is unacceptable and must be stopped as soon as possible.”
-AP
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November 04, 2023 10:09
“There is no water. There is no food,” say Palestine refugees
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November 04, 2023 09:52
Israel’s fortified underground blood bank processes unprecedented amounts as troops move into Gaza
Hours after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, the country’s new fortified, subterranean blood bank kicked into action. Staffers moved equipment into the underground bunker and started saving lives.
The Marcus National Blood Services Center in Ramla, near Tel Aviv, had been scheduled to open within days, but with more than 1,400 people in Israel killed since the Hamas raids — most killed during the initial attack — the timeline changed.
“It became very clear we needed to move with the war plans because this was exactly the moment, the event it was built for,” said Dr. Eilat Shinar, director of the national blood services division of Magen David Adom — Israel’s medical emergency, disaster, ambulance and blood service.
Nestled some 15 meters (50 feet) underground at its lowest level, the $135-million, 6-story, state-of-the-art facility is protected from rockets, missiles, chemical attacks and earthquakes, ensuring blood processing can continue when it’s needed most.
-AP
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November 04, 2023 09:32
U.N. calls for immediate humanitarian pause
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November 04, 2023 09:01
U.N. chief ‘horrified’ by Israeli strike on Gaza ambulance convoy
The head of the United Nations was “horrified” by a strike by Israeli forces on a convoy of ambulances in Gaza on Friday, he said in a statement, adding that the conflict “must stop.”
“I am horrified by the reported attack in Gaza on an ambulance convoy outside Al Shifa hospital. The images of bodies strewn on the street outside the hospital are harrowing,” Antonio Guterres said in the statement.
-AFP
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November 04, 2023 08:42
Modi, Sunak speak on West Asia during call
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed the Israel-Hamas war and the situation in Palestine during a phone call on Friday.
On West Asia, Mr. Modi said that he and Mr. Sunak agreed “ that there is no place for terror and violence”.
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November 04, 2023 08:16
U.S. making intense effort to get hostages out of Gaza, says official
U.S. officials are making intense efforts to gain the release of hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza, but there is no guarantee of success or a timeframe, a senior Biden administration official said on Friday.
The official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said there was “indirect engagement” aimed at finding a way to get the hostages out but that the work was extremely difficult.
– Reuters
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November 04, 2023 07:55
U.N. official says the average Gaza resident is living on two pieces of bread a day
The average Gaza resident is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the U.N. had stockpiled in the region, yet the main refrain now being heard in the street is “Water, water,” the Gaza director for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said on November 3.
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November 04, 2023 07:35
Palestinian Red Crescent condemns Israeli strike on Gaza ambulance convoy
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has condemned the targeting of a convoy of ambulances in Gaza by Israeli forces on Friday, which it says killed 15 people and wounded more than 60 others.
The PRCS said in a statement early Saturday that one of its ambulances was struck “by a missile fired by the Israeli forces”, about two meters from the entrance to the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians and wounded 60 other people, the PRCS said, mirroring figures released earlier by the Hamas-run health ministry.
Another ambulance, belonging to the health ministry, was “directly targeted” by a missile around one kilometre from the hospital, causing injuries and damage, it said.
-AFP
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November 04, 2023 07:11
Gupkar alliance leaders urge India to play role to end bloodshed in Palestine
National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who met the leaders of the Peoples Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), on Friday urged India to raise its voice over the ongoing crisis in Palestine and work for ways and means to achieve peace there.
“Mahatma Gandhi’s country has to raise its voice,” Dr. Abdullah said, at a press conference in Srinagar.
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November 04, 2023 06:54
U.S. Official says Hamas tried to put wounded fighters on list of approved Palestinian evacuees
Hamas attempted to slip some of its wounded fighters onto a list of people approved to pass from Gaza into Egypt at the Rafah crossing, a senior Biden administration official said, contributing to a slowed effort this week to evacuate hundreds of foreign nationals and dozens of seriously injured Palestinians.
-AP
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November 04, 2023 06:47
Blinken warns Israel that humanitarian conditions in Gaza must improve to have ‘partners for peace’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Israel on Friday that it risks destroying an eventual possibility for peace unless it acts swiftly to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza for Palestinian civilians as it intensifies its war against Hamas.
In a blunt call for Israel to pause military operations in the territory to allow for the immediate and increased delivery of assistance, Mr. Blinken said the current situation would drive Palestinians toward further radicalism and effectively end prospects for any eventual resumption of peace talks to end the conflict.
-AP
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