Discussing the situation that is Israel can be difficult, it evokes a lot of different emotional reactions. This article will look into the history of the state of Israel, how it came to be such a hostile area, and the possible breaches of international law from both sides. It is an attempt to gauge both sides of the situation to add perspective that may have been missed. Further down is a timeline of historical highlights and photos from the Gaza Strip by Motaz Azaiza.
The Israel Perspective.
In 1917 the British announced its support to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine, known as the Balfour Declaration. The idea sought to restore Jews to their historic homeland and remove the Ottoman occupiers. The pledge is generally viewed as one of the main catalysts of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948 and the creation of the Zionist state of Israel. (Pictured: Arthur Balfour)
Unlike other settler regimes, Israel claims to be a return. The return to Palestine is seen as the restoration of a state that was temporarily disrupted. Messianic movements in the 16th and 17th Centuries attempted a return to Palestine, the "Return to Zion" was even the theme of Jews in Babylon as far back as the Sixth Century BC. Much of modern Zionism has attempted to move from a mystical, mythical, and religious backing of their claim to Israel, to one of Politics and Social aspects. However, many still rely on their belief system, including the Bible. As God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 "I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed".
The State of Israel received international backing from the United Nations. They approved Resolution 181 on November 29, 1947. 33 votes in favor, 13 against, 10 abstentions and one absent. The Resolution was accepted by the Jews in Palestine, but rejected by the Arabs, and Arab nations. In 1948, Israel applied for membership to the United Nations but failed to win the necessary majority. Their application was renewed in 1949 having signed armistice agreements with Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Israel was admitted by 37 votes in favor, 12 against, with 9 abstentions.
Israel has positioned itself favourably with the West, including free trade agreements and armaments deals. The state has built upon the land and transformed it into a capitalist, westernised city hub. They have become a more nationalist and religion-led state under the recent return of Binyamin Netanyahu, who would like to clamp down on certain freedoms that have previously made Tel Aviv a cultural and liberal hub in the Middle East. Hamas, a militant group occupying the Gaza Strip, attacked Israel killing 1,400 and allegedly abducting 203 people.
In short: Israel's international "birth certificate" was validated by the promise of the Bible; uninterrupted Jewish settlement from the time of Joshua onward; the Balfour Declaration of 1917; the League of Nations Mandate, which incorporated the Balfour Declaration; the United Nations Partition Resolution of 1947; Israel's admission to the UN in 1949; the recognition of Israel by most other states; and, most of all, the society created by Israel's people in decades of thriving, dynamic national existence. It's friendships with the West have allowed a level of immunity to the actions of Israel and its military decisions.
The Palestinian Perspective.
The Balfour Declaration was particularly controversial as it wasn’t the first, and only, agreement the British had made regarding the occupation of Palestine. The British had already promised the Arabs independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 1915 Hussein-McMahon Correspondence. They had already promised the French, that the majority of Palestine would be under international administration; the agreement known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement. The declaration meant that Palestinian Arabs would not gain independence under British occupation. Image: AlJazeera Instagram post mapping the change of Palestine in the last 100 years.
The notion of a “national home” is somewhat unprecedented in International Law. Original drafts used the phrase “the reconstitution of Palestine as a Jewish State”, the change to “home” left the meaning open to interpretation. Arthur Balfour and PM David Lloyd George said the declaration “always meant an eventual Jewish state” when meeting with Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann in 1922.
US President Woodrow Wilson appointed a commission to look into public opinion on the mandatory system in Syria and Palestine. The King-Crane Commission found that the majority of Palestinians opposed to Zionism, the conductors of the commission to advise a modification of the mandate’s goal. Awni Abd al-Hadi condemned the Balfour Declaration as it was made by an English foreigner with no claim to Palestine, to a Jew with no right to it.
Khalil Sakakini, a Jerusalemite writer and teacher, described Palestine in the immediate aftermath of the war as follows: “A nation which has long been in the depths of sleep only awakes if it is rudely shaken by events, and only arises little by little … This was the situation of Palestine, which for many centuries has been in the deepest sleep, until it was shaken by the great war, shocked by the Zionist movement, and violated by the illegal policy [of the British], and it awoke, little by little”.
Increased immigration created violence between the Palestinian Arabs and the European Jews. The 1920 Nebi Musa revolt led to the killing of four Palestinian Arabs and five immigrant Jews. A spark of violence that lit the embers of the blazing war we are witnessing now.
The British terminated their mandate in 1947, transferring the question of Palestine to the United Nations, but by then the Jews had an army and self-governing institutions that prepared them for a state whilst forbidding the Palestinians from doing so.
Breaches of International Law and War Crimes.
The Hague Conventions adopted in 1899 and 1907 focus on the prohibition to warring parties to use certain means and methods of warfare. Other treaties have been adopted since the, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Both Hague Law and Geneva Law identify several of the violations of its norms, though not all, as war crimes. However, there is not a single statutory instrument that codifies what is and what is not a war crime.
In March 2022 the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights determined that “the political system of entrenched rule … satisfies the prevailing evidentiary standard for the existence of apartheid”. In October 2022 the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that the occupation is unlawful due to its permanence and Israel’s measures to annex Palestinian land in law and practice.
The Third Palestinian Congress decried the British Government’s support of the Zionist project and rejected the declaration as a violation of international law and the rights of the indigenous population.
Khalil Sakakini, a Jerusalemite writer, and teacher, described Palestine in the immediate aftermath of the war as follows: “A nation which has long been in the depths of sleep only awakes if it is rudely shaken by events, and only arises little by little … This was the situation of Palestine, which for many centuries has been in the deepest sleep, until it was shaken by the great war, shocked by the Zionist movement, and violated by the illegal policy [of the British], and it awoke, little by little”.
In July the Israeli Supreme Court upheld a law authorising the interior minister to strip citizenship if convicted of acts that amount to “breach of allegiance to the state”. Since its enactment in 2008 the law has only been considered against Palestinian citizens. The Israeli Appeals Tribunal allegedly approved the revocation of stay or temporary residency permits of 10 Palestinians living in Jerusalem because they are distant relatives of a Palestinian assailant.
Israel issued an unprecedented order to remove 1m Palestinians from Gaza, firing posters and warnings of a possible ground invasion in retaliation to the Hamas attacks. When the al-Hilal Hospital was bombed, killing 500 people, Israel blamed Hamas, and Hamas blamed Israel. The US have supported Israel's allegations whilst others suggest evidence that it came from Israel's Iron Dome defence system.
The family of missing British teenager Noiya Sharabi have claimed that she was murdrered in the Hamas attack, along with her 13-year-old sister, and her mother. They disappeared after militants attacked Kibbutz Be'eri annd killed her mother Lianne.
Timeline of Historical Highlights.
17th – 6th Century BCE
The time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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13th Century BCE
The exodus from Egypt, Moses leads the Israelites from Egypt, wandering for 40 years before settling in Israel.
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Circa 1020 BCE
Jewish Monarchy established with Saul, the First King.
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C. 960 BCE
King Solomon builds the First Temple.
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C. 586 BCE
Judah was conquered by Babylonia. Jerusalem and the First Temple were destroyed, and most of the Jews exiled.
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538 – 142 BCE
The Persian and Hellenistic Periods
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538 – 515 BCE
Many Jews return and rebuild the temple.
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332 BCE
Alexander the Great Conquers the land.
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166 – 160 BCE
Maccabean (Hasmonean) revolt against restrictions on the practice of Judaism and desecration of the temple.
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162 – 63 BCE
Jewish autonomy and independence gained under Hasmonean Monarchy.
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63 BCE
Roman General Pompey, a member of the First Triumvirate, captures Jerusalem.
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63 BCE – 313 CE
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Roman Rule
c. 20 – 33 CE
Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.
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c. 66-73
The Jewish revolt against the Romans. Jerusalem and the Second Temple are destroyed, and the Jews make their last stand at Masada.
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c. 210
Codification of Jewish Oral Law (Mishna) is completed.
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313 - 636
Byzantine Rule
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614
Persian Invasion
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636 - 1099
Arab Rule
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691
Dome of the Rock built on the site of the First and Second Temple, by Caliph Abd el-Malik.
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1099 - 1291
Crusader Domination
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1291 - 1516
Mamluk Rule
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1517 - 1917
Ottoman Rule
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1564
Code of Jewish Law (Shulhan Arukh) Published.
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1860
The first neighbourhood is built outside of Jerusalem’s Old City.
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1882 - 1903
First Aliya mainly from Russia.
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1897
The first Zionist Congress convened, and the Zionist Organisation founded.
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1909
First Kibbutz and all Jewish city founded, Tel Aviv.
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1917
400 years of Ottoman Rule ended by British conquest. Foreign Minister Balfour pledges to support establish a Jewish national home in Palestine.
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1908 - 1948
British Rule
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1922
Britain granted Mandate for Palestine by the League of Nations.
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1929
Hebron Jews massacred by Arab terrorists.
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1936 - 1939
Anti-Jewish riots instigated by Arab terrorists.
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1947
UN proposes the establishment of Arab and Jewish states in the Land.
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1948 - 2023
State of Israel
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1948
End of British Mandate and the State of Israel Proclaimed (14th May)
Israel invaded by five Arab states (15th May).
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1949
Armistice agreements signed with Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. Jerusalem divided under Israeli and Jordanian rule.
First Knesset Elected. Admitted to the UN.
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1962
Adolf Eichmann tried and executed in Israel for his part in the Holocaust.
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1967
Six Day War; Jerusalem reunited.
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1968 - 1970
Egypt’s War of Attrition against Israel.
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1973
Yom Kippur War
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1978
Camp David Accords include framework for comprehensive peace in the Middle East and proposal for Palestinian self-government.
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1981
Israel Air Force destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor just before it is to become operative.
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1982
Palestinian Liberation Organisation terrorists removed from Lebanon.
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1987
Intifada starts in Israeli-administered areas.
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1991
Israel attacked by Iraqi Scud missiles during Gulf war.
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1993
Declaration of Principles on interim of Self-Government Arrangements for the Palestinians signed by Israel and PLO. (Oslo Accords).
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1994 - 1995
Implementation of Palestinian self-government in Gaza strip and Jericho areas. Palestinian Council elected. Prime Minister Rabin assassinated.
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1996
Operation Grapes of Wrath in retaliation for Hizbullah attacks.
Binyamin Netanyahu elected as Prime Minister.
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2001
Sharm-el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee (Mitchell) Report Issued.
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2002
Work on the Iron Dome and the anti-terrorist fence begins.
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2007
Israel declares Gaza “hostile territory” followings the violent take over by Hamas.
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2009
Benyamin Netanyahu returns as Prime Minister.
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2023
In early October Hamas fired rockets into Israel and stormed into southern cities, they killed hundreds and took dozens of hostages.
Israel’s Iron Dome defended against the majority of airborne missiles.
Israel mounted a deadly retaliatory operation and removed over 1m Palestinians from their homes whilst they raised buildings to the ground, killing hundreds.
Trucks carrying aid have entered Gaza.
AlJazeera Instagram Post
Breaking News Updates.
22:01
Russia and China veto US resolution for pause in violence at the UN Security Council
Russia, China, and the UAE have voted no to a US draft resolution on Israel and Gaza that called for humanitarian pauses to allow aid access. 10 other members voted in favour whilst two member states abstained.
The UAE have previously stood for peace, with the Abraham Accords agreed in 2020. The Accrods were a bi-lateral agreement on Arab-Israeli normalisation. In doing so, the UAE became the third Arab state to recognise the State of Israel. The motives of the UAE to veto the resolution are somewhat unclear. It may be positioning itself with Russia and China in an idealogical perspective, or it may simply dislike the substance of the resolution.
Security Council also failed to adopt a Russia-led resolution urging “humanitarian ceasefire” & unhindered aid into Gaza; insufficient Yes vote. For: 4 (China, Gabon, Russia, UAE) Against: 2 (UK,US) Abst.: 9 (Albania, Brazil,Ecuador, France, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland).
21:38
Christoph Ena / Pool / EPA-EFE / Rex / Shutterstock
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against a massive ground invasion into Gaza as it would be an 'error'. The President warned that it would likely harm civilians without ensuring Israel's long-term security. Though he added that France recognised Israel's right to defend itself.
Regarding a ground intervention, if it is entirely targeted against terrorist groups, that is a choice that it has, but if it is a massive operation that would endanger civilian populations, in that case I think it would be an error for Israel".
20:39
Reuters
There has been a strike near a hospital safe zone at around 17:30 BST . The strike hit a building just 200m from Nasar hospital resulting in 50 casualties.
20:27
US President Joe Biden has said that there will be no return to the status quo between Palestinians and Israelis. Speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Biden said Israel must do "everything in its power to protect civilians".
Biden said Hamas does not represent the "vast majority of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip or anywhere else". He added that he was alarmed by reports of "extremist settlers" attacking Palestinians in the West Bank. "They're attacking Palestinians in places that they're entitled to be. It has to stop".
18:29
Benjamin Netenyahu has addressed media in Tel Aviv. In the speech he has said that Israel is continuing the preparations for a ground invasion of Gaza but will not give any timings. We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning. Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how or how many. I will also not elaborate on the various calculations we are making, which the public is mostly unaware of and that is how things should be."
"Everyone will have to give answers, me too. But all this will happen only after the war." He added.
17:15
The UN Ambassador for Israel, Gilad Erdan, has called for Gutteres to resign. He accused the UN chief of blaming Israel for Hamas's brutal attack on 7 October saying he "distorts and twists reality".
"It is a disgrace to the UN that the Secretary-General does not retract his words and is not even able to apologise for what he said yesterday. He must resign. Every person understands very well that the meaning of his words is that Israel has guilt for the actions of Hamas or, at the very least, it shows his understanding for the ‘background’ leading up to the massacre.
A secretary general who does not understand that the murder of innocents can never be understood by any ‘background’ cannot be secretary general."
12:32
Yad Vashem has criticised UN Secretary General for saying on Tuesday that the the Hamas attacks on Israel earlier this month "did not happen in a vacuum".
The slaughter of Jews by Hamas on October 7th was genocidal in its intents and immeasurably brutal in its form. Part of why it differs from the Holocaust is because Jews have today a state and an army. We are not defenseless and at the mercy of others."
Those who seek to 'understand', look for a justifying context, do not categorically condemn the perpetrators, and do not call for the unconditional and immediate release of the abducted – fail the test. UN Secretary General António Guterres failed the test."
Dani Dayan - Chairman Yad Vashem
He added that, what happened tested the sincerity of world leaders, intellectuals, and influencers alike. Everyone has been put into a position where we must pick a side and no matter what we say we are wrong to say it or think it.
Gueterres has not responded directly but posted on X on Wednesday:
"The grievances of Palestinian people cannit justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendoues attacks cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people".
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added his thoughts, "Obviously we don't agree with that characterisation put forward, We are clear that there is and can be no justification for Hamas's barbaric terrorist attack which was driven by hatred and ideology."
11:49
EPA-EFE / Rex / Shutterstock
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has labelled Hamas as a "liberation group" waging a battle to protect its land. Hamas, and it's military wing, are labelled terrorists by the UK, EU, US and Israel, amongst other countries.
In a fiery speech in Turkey's parliament, Erdogan said he was cancelling plans to visit Israel. He said he had shaken the hand of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, but that Netanyahu had abused Turkey's good intentions.
11:02
Israel has evacuated villages near Lebanon because of cross-border exchanges of fire. In the past half hour, Israel's military says it has used fighter jets and artillery to target a "terrorist squad" that tried to fire from Lebanese territory towards Israel.
Israel and the US have previously warned Iran-backed Hezbollah - Lebanon's most powerful military force - against opening another battle front in the region.
10:31
Reuters
There has been hesitation by Israeli forces to enter Gaza not only because of the physical difficulties but also the difficulty in squaring the move with international law. The presence of hostages in Gaza is a real issue now for Israel. In releasing some hostages, Hamas are playing some very clever psychological games because they are implying there may be a way to get some of these people out in one piece. If Israel eneter Gaza, Hamas may not be so willing to maintain the safety of their hostages.
09:49
Israeli military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, has accused Hamas of setting up roadblocks to stop people evacuating from the north of the Gaza Strip. Hagari says Israel targeted those roadblocks overnight "to allow the population to evacuate".
Hamas and its leadership "are exploiting you, they are using your homes, your schools, hospitals, underground, under your homes, near schools and hospitals, they are hiding there", he added.
When asked if the IDF are preparing a possible air strike on Iran, He said Iran was "destabilising the Middle East" and "we need to keep watching all the time" - but said they are focused on the fighting in Gaza.
08:52
The row between the UN and Israel is getting bigger. The row broke out in New York on Tuesday night as the UN Security Council met to discuss the Israel-Gaza war.
The Row in Short.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the Hamas attacks on 7 October – in which more than 1,400 people were killed – did not occur "in a vacuum", pointing to "56 years of occupation" by Israel of the Palestinians.
The comments drew an angry response from Israel's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, who said there can be "no cause for such a massacre". "In what world do you live?" he asked Guterres -later saying he would cancel his meeting with the UN chief.
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, called on Guterres to resign, saying he "is not fit to lead the UN".
Guterres later highlighted other parts of his speech, writing on X that the "grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas", and that "horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people"
Israel now says it will deny visas to UN officials - with Erdan telling Israeli radio that Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, had already been denied a visa. "The time has come to teach them a lesson," Erdan reportedly said.
Earlier today (25 October) the Holocaust Memorial Centre Criticised UN Chief for saying on Tuesday that the the Hamas attacks on Israel earlier this month "did not happen in a vacuum".
07:42
Eight Syrian soldiers were killed and seven wounded by Israeli strikes on military positions in the southern province of Daraa, state media reports. Syria's state news agency SANA says the attack happened around 01:45 local time on Wednesday. Israel's military confirmed it attacked Syrian targets - saying its fighter jets carried out a strike on military infrastructure and mortar launchers after rockets were fired across the border.
01:04 - 25 October 2023.
Getty Images
Queen Rania of Jordan has condemned Western media coverage of the war in Israel and Gaza, saying there is a "glaring double standard” in how it covers attacks on Palestinian and Jewish communities.
“It has been very disappointing to see the double standards in the world today, to see the strong condemnation of what happened on 7 October but very little condemnation of what is happening today,” she told CNN in an interview from Amman that aired on Tuesday. “Why isn't there a call for an immediate ceasefire? We are seeing staggering human suffering happening today, so why is the narrative always skewed towards the Israeli side?" continued the monarch.
“We are being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family at gunpoint, but it’s okay to shell them to death… . And it is just shocking to the Arab world,” she said. She later added: “This is the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering, and the world is not even calling for a ceasefire. So the silence is deafening.”
23:00 - 24 October 2023.
Australia has pledged troops to the Middle East. Acting PM Richard Marles said two aircraft and number of personnel have been sent to the region as a precautionary measure. Marles didn't say how many troops were being sent, but confirmed it was a "significant number".
20:18
No aid has entered the Gaza Strip today. A UN official said trucks had been stuck at the Rafah crossing from Egypt for ten hours.
Asked by reporters about the slow pace of humanitarian relief, US President Joe Biden said simply “not fast enough.”
The UNRWA, the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, says it will run out of fuel tomorrow, making it impossible to maintain any kind of relief effort.
Israel has refused to allow fuel into the Gaza Strip since imposing a total blockade, following the devastating series of Hamas attacks on 7 October.
But tonight the Israeli military posted on X a satellite photo of a dozen fuel tanks inside the Gaza Strip, just north of the Rafah crossing, saying they contained 500,000 litres of fuel.
And they offered this advice to UNRWA: “Ask Hamas if you can have some.”
18:44
Biden has criticised the speed of which aid is entering Gaza, this comes as the main UN agency in Gaza warned it eould stop work within 24 hours unless there were urgent deliveries of fuel.
17:38
"The protection of civilians is paramount in any armed conflict. Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields. Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no waterm no mediicine and no fuel, and then continue to bomb the south. ... I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza."
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
15:16
Hamas has fired rockets at Tel Aviv.
Air raid sirens have gone off in central Israel and the Israeli emergency services say no injuries have been reported so far in the countries largest city.
14:52
Displaced Gazan Faysal Shawaa has called for a ceasefire now.
"We lack in everything; food, medicine and of course there is no electricity. We are lucky we have solar energy that comes two or three hours a day." Shawaa said other than that "it is miserable" and that they are waiting for some good news "to end the bombardment of the Israeli army everywhere." He added: "In Gaza they are killing people every minute. They are destroying infrastructure, buildings, everything is destroyed. "We have nothing left in Gaza." Shawaa explained that every night they hear the air strikes nearby "everywhere" and that "we need a ceasefire now. We need a solution for the situation. "Every year we have some kind of Israeli invasion in Gaza, they destroy Gaza and then we rebuild Gaza. Enough is enough."
13:12
EPA
There was steel beneath her frailty, as Yochedev Lifschitz (pictured) held the gaze of one journalist after another and gave measured details about her kidnap by Hamas - her wheelchair submerged in a sea of microphones and television cameras from around the world.
"I've gone through hell" she said.
She described how the attackers kidnapped her from her house in kibbutz Nir Oz, carrying her to Gaza on a motorbike, punching her and hitting her with sticks - until, she said: "It was so painful that I couldn't breathe."
In Gaza, she said, she joined a group of 25 hostages, and was then separated into a smaller group with four other people from her kibbutz - and guarded inside a network of tunnels.
She said she was treated well, had a mattress to sleep on, and one meal a day of pitta bread, cheese and cucumber. She also said a doctor was sent to examine them every few days.
"They were scared we’d become sick" she said.
She ended with critical words for the Israeli government "We were their scapegoat," she said, describing the infiltration of Hamas into their fields three weeks before the 7 October attack. "They showed us what they were capable of, burning our fields, but the IDF didn't take it seriously."
Yesterday, this 85-year-old woman was living with Hamas in the tunnels under Gaza. Today, her story holds the world captive: offering precious information for Israel's security forces, relief to her family, and to the relatives of those still held there, a longed-for glimpse of hope.
12:27
Israel has dropped leaflets into Gaza, in Arabic, asking for help for information about hostages being held by Hamas. They have offered compensation and protection in return for advice.
"If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area. The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality".
00:50 - 24 October 2023.
Israeli forces have carried out a strike on a Hezbollah site, Israel's military has said.
The attack targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including a watch tower and a a military compound, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
It came in response to rocket launches that were fired from Lebanon earlier on Monday, the military said in a tweet, alongside a video that appears to show an airstrike being carried out on a building.
23:53 - 23 October 2023.
The US are concerned that Iran-backed groups may launch attacks on their 'interests' in the region. Militants hit two military bases housing US troops in Iraq last week. There are around 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and around 900 in Syria, which also has Shia militants supported by Iran.
Reports have not been confirmed that the Biden administration has requested a delay in Israel's ground invasion of Gaza to prepare for further attacks. Some have speculated that the US CSG has been moved to the Persian Gulf to hit targets from afar if it chooses to assist Israel in its defence of land and liberties. US Sectretary of State Blinken said that it is taking steps "to make sure we can defend [and] respond decisively". The State Department ordered family members and non-emergency staff to leave US diplomatic missions in Iraq.
The Pentagon announced that it is sending more missile defence systems; a THAAD battery and additional Patriot battalions. It is also redirecting an aircraft carrier to the Central Command's area of responsibility. They are advising Israel on its military campaign to mitigate harm to civilians. National Securoty Spokeman John Kirby has said that there are a few American military adivsors in "the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting and may conduct in the future" having reportedly learning lessons from fighting ISIS in Mosul.
23:04
Senior US administration officials have said that China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, will be visiting the US later this week to discuss the situations in Ukraine and Israel, perhaps in cotext with China's own ambitions in Taiwan.
China has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and vowed to work with Arab countries in the region towards the creation of a Palestinian state. It has refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has maintained close relations with Russia as western countries press new sanctions against Moscow.
22:24
The Office of the Prime Minister of Israel released a statement following the release of the two hostages. Read below:
The Special Envoy for Abducted and Missing Persons updated that today (Monday) Nurit Cooper (79) and Yocheved Lifshitz (85) were released from the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas. The two were kidnapped during the murderous attack on Saturday (07.10.23) from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Amiram, the 85-year-old husband of Cooper, and Oded, the 83-year-old husband of Lifshitz, who were kidnapped along with them, are still being held by the cruel terrorist organisation along with the other abductees, and we will continue to work in every way for their return. The IDF and the security forces have worked hard in the last few days in all channels to bring about their release and to overcome the many difficulties set by Hamas. After being handed over to the IDF forces, they are making their way at this time to a medical center in Israel that was specially organized and prepared to receive them. Their family members will be waiting for them there. We thank Egypt for its assistance, and the Red Cross for their important role as life savers. The Government of Israel, the IDF and the entire security establishment will continue to operate with the best of their abilities and efforts in order to locate all of the missing and return all of the abductees home." |
20:23
The Red Cross has confirmed the release of two more hostages from Gaza. The humanitarian group posted on X (Twitter) that their "role as a neutral intermediary makes this work possible and we are ready to facilitate any future release". The Israeli government named the hostages as Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz.
The Qassam Brigade, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Telegram that they had released the two hostages through Egyptian-Qatari mediation. Hamas has claimed that Israel refused to accept these hostages since Friday.
18:28
Additional reports from the US media suggest that the Biden administration is asking Israel to delay the ground invasion of Gaza to buy time for hostage negotiations. A number of US citizens are amongst the 200+ Hamas hostages, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
There is a growing conern that a punishing Israeli ground invasion of Gaza will trigger a wider war. Israelis are denying the reports that they have been asked to delay it, but America is advising, if not dictating, demands. Israel has already carried out unprecedented air strikes on Gaza and there is little doubt that it will eventually launch a ground invasion, which is the only way to eliminate Hamas fighters and infrastructure; a move the US supports.
18:03
A 'source' familiar with the progress of Hamas hostage release talks being brokered by Qatar told the BBC that negotiations to get more people freed from Gaza had entered a serious stage.
"Intense and focused" talks through a Qatari mediator and involved the US were ongoing. Hamas was said to have given a "positive response" regarding the release of about 50 foreign and dual-nationality civilian hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and the entry of more aid into Gaza.
According to the source, Israel has rejected any ceasefire and is holding up any break through.
17:50
The water supplies in Gaza are coming in, but they are critically low. Two of the lorries that entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing on Saturday carried enough water for 22,000 people, for one day. Additional units entered yesterday, but these were also limited.
A UN Report has said that a lack of fuel is contributing to the water crisis in Gaza, desalination plants and water pumps can no longer operate. The fuel is also needed to power generators and hospitals meaning they have to choose between water and health in the most severe of cases.
17:38
Maayan Idan turned 18 just days before her family were attacked by Hamas. Tsachu Idan was driven away with his hands still covered in his daughter's blood. He wasn't allowed to wash them or wipe them clean before he used his body to shelter his two youngest children. Their ordeal was broadcast live to the world on Facebook Live.
17:21
Speaking after an EU Foreign Affairs meeting in Luxembourg, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, said Israel's right to self-defence has limits and "the limits are of international law. This means there cannot be cutting of water and electricity for the civilian population. A population under seige cannot be deprived od water and electricity under humanitarian law". He added: "what is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe. It is imperative we provide humanitarian aid".
Reuters
Aid has been filtering through from Egypt to displaced Palestinians who fled from South Gaza. Volunteers are shown handing out food to those in need in Rafah.
BBC Analysis of the Commons Speech.
Some of the Prime Minister's speech focused on immediate support such as the £20m of aid he pledged to Gaza; but a large portion focused on longer term ambitions for peace. The Prime Minister was referring to a two-state solution whereby Palestine and Israel are autonomous with codified consitutions and democratic governments that share the land.
16:07
"For too long we have talked about a two state solution without a serious path or will to make it happen" ~ Sir Keir Starmer.
16:04
"The Darkest day in Jewish history since the holocaust" ~ Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition.
House of Commons
The Labour Leader went on to say 'democracies know innocent lives must be protected, which is why humanitarian corridors must be established for civilians in Gaza trying to escape violence'. He added that "civilians must not be targeted" and where Palestinian people have been forced to flee for safety they must not be permanently displaced from their homes.
15:32
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to give a statement to the House of Commons in London about the situation in Israel and Gaza shortly.
House of Commons
"A nation in mourning and a nation under attack. We stand with Israel" ~ PM Rishi Sunak.
The Prime Minister has pledged to offer more support to Gaza, pushing for a "constant stream" through the Rafah Crossing. The PM has also doubled the pledge of support to Palestinians from £10m to £20m. He also pledged support of the "essential" two-state solution which has been "highly valued across the region".
"They are also victims of Hamas" ~ PM Rishi Sunak.
The British Government suggests that evidence and intelligence reports support the allegation that the Al-Hilal hospital was destroyed by a rocket or missile fired from within Gaza, supporting the claims by Israel. He told the House of Commons that the misreporting of the blast had a negative effect in the region.
"Putin will fail and so will Hamas" ~ PM Rishi Sunak.
The Prime Minister added that he met with the families of people being held hostage in Gaza and says he is doing everything he can to help get them back. Opposition Leader Keir Sunak affirmed the message of Rishi Sunak aadding that the Israeli operation must be done so in co-operation with International Law.
15:20
Dr Abdelkader Hammad, from Liverpool, is currently in the city of Rafah where residents from the north were told by Israeli forces to flee for their own safety. He said It’s been a nightmare working here trying to treat patients,” he tells BBC Radio 5 Live from a UN hospital. Civilians are paying a high price for this indiscriminate war. These people need some sort of relief and need a lot of supplies to change the situation on the ground.” He and ten others sharing a room are awaiting the Rafah boarder opening, to get to Egypt where they hope to return home.
The Rafah Boarder Crossing (Pictured) has been subject to much speculation in the past few week, particularly around the entry of aid and supplies to Gaza.
Tents in Khan Younis housing thousands of refugees | Reuters
Ghada Ouda expressed "every second, every moment, you can hear the sound of bombing around you". The freelance translator fled her home in Gaza city to Khan Younis. She explained that the situation in the southern part of the enclave there are "few, few, few supplies of food and water" in Kan Younis, and "we are sleeping on the floor".
15:05
United Nations workers have arrived to distribute aid in Khan Younis to Palestinians sheltering in a UN-run school. On Saturday, 20 aid trucks crossed from Egypt, at the Rafah crossing for the first time in two weeks.
The Latest from Gaza.
Palestinian officials in the Hamas-run Health Ministry say that more than 430 have been killed since yesterday morning - taking the total to more than 5,000 since 07 October.
Israel claim that 320 targets have been hit after targeting Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels and rocket-launch sites.
Raids inside Gaza: Israeli forces entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday to clear the area of terrorists and weapons with one Israeli soldier killed.
Hostage number rises. Israel claims 222 people are known to be held hostage in Gaza.
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf says his mother-in-law and her husband are living through "torture" as they remain stuck in Gaza, in a house with 100 people.
13:36
Hamas says it has launched two drones into Southern Israel. A raid alert was issued after a suspected drone attack. Hamas wrote on Telegram that it had used two drones to attack military posts.
13:27
A popular Red Sea Resort in the Southern city of Eilat is considering a 'tent city' to house thousands of people who have moved there since the start of the war. The city's Mayor says the population of the city has doubled, with over 60,000 evacuees arriving. The refugees have occupied some 12,000 rooms, 4,000 private rented places, and some hospitality centres.
Eli Lankri told Israel's Channel 12 that they "are looking at all kinds of options, including the establishment of a tent city. We are ready with the plans we prepared last week and will present them to decision makers.
According to the Israeli Government, more than 200,000 Israeli's have been internally displaced since the 07 October attack as people evacuate areas near the border with Gaza and Lebanon.
12:27
The Hamas run ministry has claimed that 436 people have been killed in 24 hours as Israel hits its targets. Israel has claimed it is striking Hamas infrastructure, they have launched a limited ground raid into Gaza to retrieve information about the hostages being held.
12:12
Another British-Israeli has been confirmed to have been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.
Yosef Guedalia, 22, was a soldier in an anti-terror unit and was killed when confronting Hamas gunmen at Kibbutz Kfar Aza. His brother Asher said that he helped evacuate injured civilians before returning to fight Hamas gunmen. His brother added: "He literally saved people minutes before he got shot. He acted with heroism and determination, he continued to fight and didn’t think of himself or hesitate... he went into rescue as many citizens as possible before they got murdered in their homes and to kill as many terrorists as he could."
Eleven Britons are now known to have been killed by Hamas, one has been kidnapped, and four are still missing.
Photos by @motaz_azaiza in the Gaza strip.
GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images