US and allies urgent Israel to delay Gaza invasion to get hostages out – report
The US and European governments have been placing stress on Israel to delay its floor invasion of Gaza to purchase time for secret talks underneath option to win the discharge of hostages held by Hamas, in keeping with a report.
The negotiations with Hamas by way of Qatar are delicate and will fail, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing individuals conversant in the efforts.
The sources informed the outlet that there are indicators that Hamas may comply with launch a minimum of a few of its civilian hostages with out demanding Israel launch any prisoners in return.
Israel agreed underneath US stress to carry off an enormous navy operation, they mentioned.
Key occasions
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The US embassy in Jerusalem has shared a photograph of Judith and Natalie Raanan chatting with President Joe Biden after their launch earlier right now.
.@POTUS spoke this night with the 2 Americans who had been held hostage by Hamas. We’re so grateful that they’re secure. We are going to proceed to do the whole lot we will to unite all hostages with their family members. pic.twitter.com/rp1YDtB8Zu
— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) October 20, 2023
Abstract of the day to date
It’s simply previous 2am in Gaza Metropolis and Tel Aviv. Right here’s the place issues stand:
Tensions flared within the West Financial institution as indignant and typically armed confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli forces befell throughout the occupied territory after a lethal raid by Israeli troops. The Palestinian well being ministry says 13 individuals, together with 5 youngsters, have been killed after an Israeli assault on the Nur Shams refugee camp within the West Financial institution. At the very least 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers within the West Financial institution for the reason that Gaza battle erupted on 7 October, in keeping with figures from the Palestinian well being ministry in Ramallah. One member of the Israeli safety forces has additionally been killed within the territory.
The US and the EU mentioned they’re “involved by the deteriorating humanitarian disaster” in Gaza. “It’s essential to forestall regional escalation. We name for the quick launch of all hostages and emphasize our shared view {that a} two-state answer stays the viable path to lasting peace,” a joint assertion mentioned after talks between the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, the European Fee president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the US president, Joe Biden.
The Palestinian Pink Crescent mentioned its operations at Al-Quds hospital in Gaza Metropolis face an “imminent menace” after the Israeli navy ordered the hospital’s evacuation. The PRCS posted in an “pressing enchantment” on Friday saying that the hospital was “a sanctuary for over 400 sufferers and round 12,000 displaced civilians”.
A mom and daughter from Chicago who have been seized throughout the Hamas assault on Israel on 7 October and held hostage in Gaza have been launched after Qatar brokered negotiations with the militant group. Natalie Raanan, 17, and her mom, Judith, have been transferred by means of the Rafah crossing into Egypt, the place they have been met by Israeli safety forces. They have been then taken to an Israeli navy base to be reunited with their family members. Their launch is “a primary step and discussions are ongoing for extra releases”, Reuters cited a supply conversant in the negotiations as saying.
A Hamas spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, mentioned the hostages have been launched in response to Qatari mediation efforts, “for humanitarian causes, and to show to the American individuals and the world that the claims made by [President Joe] Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless”.
A lot of the 200 or so individuals kidnapped in Israel by Hamas and brought to the Gaza Strip are nonetheless alive, the Israeli navy mentioned on Friday. The navy mentioned greater than 20 hostages have been youngsters, whereas between 10 and 20 have been over the age of 60.
An Israel Protection Forces spokesperson mentioned “there’s going to be no break” in his nation’s effort to destroy Hamas, amid reviews that the US and European governments have been placing stress on Israel to delay its floor invasion of Gaza to purchase time for secret talks underneath option to win the discharge of hostages held by Hamas.
Israel safety officers have signalled their readiness to embark on a floor offensive into Gaza that they are saying can be way more complete and ferocious than any earlier battle with Hamas. Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, visited troops on the Gaza border on Thursday, telling them: “You see Gaza now from a distance, you’ll quickly see it from inside. The command will come.”
Gallant additionally mentioned that after Israel destroys the Hamas militant group, the navy doesn’t plan to manage “life within the Gaza Strip”. The Israeli defence minister’s feedback to lawmakers have been the primary time an Israeli chief mentioned its long-term plans for Gaza.
The UN secretary basic, António Guterres, flew to the Sinai peninsula in an effort to open a humanitarian route into Gaza, with the primary help supply anticipated “within the subsequent day or two”. The border crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border had been attributable to open on Friday. When the crossing opens, the Israelis will permit 20 help lorries to enter Gaza in an preliminary convoy underneath the Biden deal.
Joe Biden mentioned on Friday that he believed vehicles carrying much-needed humanitarian help ought to enter Gaza “inside the subsequent 24-48 hours”. Individually, Rishi Sunak mentioned the Rafah border crossing ought to reopen “imminently”.
Israel bombarded Gaza early on Friday, hitting areas within the south the place Palestinians had been informed to hunt security. Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy airstrikes in Khan Younis within the south, and ambulances carrying males, ladies and youngsters streamed into the city’s Nasser hospital, Gaza’s second largest, which was already overflowing with sufferers and other people in search of shelter.
At the very least 18 persons are reported to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Greek Orthodox church compound in Gaza on Thursday. Palestinian officers mentioned a minimum of 500 Muslims and Christians had taken shelter within the church from Israeli bombardments. The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed its “strongest condemnation” of the strike, which it mentioned constituted a conflict crime.
Rishi Sunak and Abdel Fatah al-Sisi agreed world leaders wanted to “do the whole lot doable to keep away from a contagion of battle” within the Center East throughout their talks in Cairo on Friday, Downing Avenue mentioned. The UK prime minister praised Cairo’s efforts to permit motion by means of Rafah as he spoke about the necessity to guarantee help can get to Palestinians “as shortly as doable”.
Sunak additionally met with the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, throughout his journey to Egypt on Friday. The 2 leaders “condemned Hamas’s terrorism and careworn that Hamas don’t characterize the Palestinian individuals”, an announcement from Sunak’s workplace mentioned.
Greater than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, in keeping with an replace from the Hamas-run well being authority in Gaza on Friday. A complete of 4,137 individuals have misplaced their lives, it mentioned, whereas greater than 13,000 individuals have been injured. Greater than one million individuals have been displaced in Gaza, with many heeding Israel’s orders to evacuate the northern a part of the sealed-off coastal enclave.
Israel has evacuated its personal communities close to Gaza and Lebanon and introduced plans to evacuate Kiryat Shmona, a city of greater than 20,000 residents close to the Lebanese border.
A candlelit vigil for Issam Abdallah, the Reuters visuals journalist killed final week whereas filming Israeli missile assaults on the Israeli-Lebanon border, was held in Beirut on Friday.
Protesters rallied throughout Egypt, together with in Cairo, on Friday in help of Palestinian rights in Gaza.
Uri Raanan, whose daughter and granddaughter have been launched after being seized and held hostage in Gaza, mentioned he has spoken to his daughter Judith Raanan and that he believes she can be house quickly, AP reported.
“She’s doing good. She’s doing excellent,” Uri, 71, who relies in Chicago, mentioned.
I’m in tears, and I really feel very, excellent.
Natalie Raanan, 17, and her mom, Judith, 59, have been seized throughout the Hamas assault on Israel on 7 October. They have been transferred by means of the Rafah crossing into Egypt, the place they have been met by Israeli safety forces, after which taken to an Israeli navy base to be reunited with their family members.
Uri mentioned he believes the pair are on their option to Tel Aviv to reunite with family members earlier than returning to the US, which means Natalie will be capable to have fun her 18th birthday subsequent week with household and buddies.
Former US congressman Justin Amash mentioned a number of of his family members have been amongst these killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza.
Amash, a Republican-turned-independent from Michigan, mentioned his household had been sheltering on the church “when a part of the advanced was destroyed as the results of an Israeli airstrike.”
The church compound was filled with Christian households from the Gaza Strip when the airstrike befell on Thursday night time, in keeping with witnesses.
At the very least 18 individuals Christian Palestinians died within the assault, native well being officers and the church mentioned.
I used to be actually apprehensive about this. 😔 With nice disappointment, I’ve now confirmed that a number of of my family members (together with Viola and Yara pictured right here) have been killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, the place they’d been sheltering, when a part of the advanced was destroyed as… pic.twitter.com/w5k1xEeTgF
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) October 20, 2023
A joint assertion by the US and the EU mentioned they’re “involved by the deteriorating humanitarian disaster” in Gaza following a trilateral summit in Washington.
The White Home launched the assertion after talks between the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, the European Fee president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the US president, Joe Biden.
We condemn within the strongest doable phrases Hamas and its brutal terrorist assaults throughout Israel. There is no such thing as a justification for terrorism. We affirm Israel’s proper to defend itself in opposition to these heinous assaults, in keeping with worldwide regulation, together with worldwide humanitarian regulation.
We are going to work intently with companions within the area to emphasize the significance of defending civilians, supporting those that try to get to security or present help, and facilitating entry to meals, water, medical care and shelter. We’re involved by the deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
It’s essential to forestall regional escalation. We name for the quick launch of all hostages and emphasize our shared view {that a} two-state answer stays the viable path to lasting peace.
Up to date at 18.39 EDT
Gloria Oladipo
Ilhan Omar, one among solely two Muslim US representatives, says that she fears for her household’s security after receiving an onslaught of threats for criticizing Israel’s therapy of Palestinians.
The Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota opened up in an announcement concerning the enhance in Islamophobic remarks and threats she has acquired, together with threats directed at her household. NBC Information first reported on the assertion, which was later shared with the Guardian.
Omar mentioned that she and different Muslim Individuals have been negatively affected by a “dishonest smearing” that labels them as a menace for condemning Israel’s therapy of Palestine amid combating in Gaza.
She particularly known as out rhetoric utilized by a number of far-right lawmakers that equates her and different representatives with terrorist supporters.
“It immediately endangered my life and that of my household, in addition to subjected my employees to traumatic verbal abuse merely for doing their jobs,” Omar mentioned within the assertion, referring to the far-right rhetoric. “Extra importantly, it threatens the thousands and thousands of American Muslims.”
In a single voicemail to Omar’s workplace, an nameless caller mentioned that an extremist group had been spying on the congresswoman and her youngsters. The caller additionally claimed that they’d obtained all of Omar’s addresses and “handed them out to rapists”, NBC Information reported.
One other message known as Omar a “terrorist Muslim”. In a 3rd voicemail shared with NBC Information, a caller claimed to be a part of a vigilante group and threatened to “rip your fucking rag off your head”, referring to Omar’s hijab.
“I hope the Israelis kill each fucking one among you,” the caller mentioned.
Up to date at 18.37 EDT
The US president, Joe Biden, spoke with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, right now about plans to start shifting humanitarian help into Gaza from Egypt, the White Home mentioned.
The pair additionally mentioned offering for “secure passage for US residents and different civilians in Gaza”, an announcement mentioned.
The president reaffirmed the US’ help for Israel’s proper to defend itself and obligation to guard its residents, whereas underscoring the significance of working in line with the regulation of conflict to incorporate the safety of civilians in Gaza caught within the battle launched by Hamas.
Up to date at 18.35 EDT
French intelligence assesses Israeli strike not behind Gaza hospital blast
The French navy intelligence directorate (DRM) mentioned the blast on the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza was not the results of an Israeli missile strike, however most likely attributable to a misfiring Palestinian rocket.
The DRM dominated out numerous prospects, together with fragments from Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system or intercepted missiles being the trigger, Reuters reported. It mentioned:
There may be nothing that enables us to say that it’s an Israeli strike, however the almost definitely (situation) is a Palestinian rocket that had a firing incident.
In response to the DRM, the affect crater was too small to have been attributable to an Israeli missile.
A part of the evaluation was primarily based on open-source materials starting from the sunshine structural injury on the hospital, few destroyed automobiles and the comparatively restricted presence of civilian belongings on the blast website.
It couldn’t present the precise departing level of the failed rocket and didn’t place blame on any particular group. “The almost definitely speculation is a Palestinian rocket, which exploded with a cost of about 5 kilos,” it mentioned.
On Thursday, the US intelligence neighborhood estimated there have been most likely 100 to 300 individuals killed within the Gaza hospital blast. The quantity is decrease than the 471 deaths that well being authorities within the Hamas-ruled enclave initially described.
The DRM declined to estimate the dying toll, however mentioned that it was prone to be fewer than 471 given the affect.
In response to the US intelligence doc, “Israel most likely didn’t bomb [the] Gaza Strip hospital,” and the US is constant “to work to corroborate whether or not the explosion resulted from a failed PIJ [Palestine Islamic Jihad] rocket.”
Up to date at 18.02 EDT
‘Day of rage’ erupts throughout West Financial institution after Israeli forces assault refugee camp
Tensions flared within the West Financial institution on Friday as indignant and typically armed confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli forces befell throughout the occupied territory after a lethal raid by Israeli troops.
The Palestinian well being ministry mentioned 13 individuals together with 5 youngsters have been killed on Thursday within the Nur Shams refugee camp close to Tulkarm. Israeli media mentioned Israeli troops used a drone earlier than partaking in a protracted gun battle with armed teams within the camp that left civilians and a number of other militants lifeless.
The organisation Defence for Youngsters Worldwide in Palestine mentioned Israeli forces used an American-supplied Apache helicopter, which “fired a missile towards a bunch of Palestinian civilians, largely youngsters”, and prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching the wounded.
Hundreds from the camp attended funerals for these killed within the assault, together with supporters of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a paramilitary offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood group. Crowds of supporters of the Islamic Jihad group chanted “revenge” and waved flags, a sign of the growing prominence of armed teams within the West Financial institution.
Up to date at 17.50 EDT
Joe Biden has spoken with the household of Judith and Natalie Raanan, the 2 Individuals launched by Hamas on Friday.
A White Home assertion reads:
This afternoon, the President spoke by cellphone with the household of the 2 Individuals launched right now after being taken hostage by Hamas throughout the horrific terrorist assault in opposition to Israel.
Ben Quinn
The UK international secretary, James Cleverly, is amongst these anticipated to attend a world convention in Cairo on Saturday to debate the escalating conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
Others will embody Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah and the Qatari Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
On the summit, Cleverly will emphasise the UK’s want to forestall the regional unfold of the battle and mitigate the menace from Hamas. He’ll work with worldwide companions in the direction of a peaceable decision that ensures Israel’s safety and protects the rights of Palestinians.
Cleverly will even talk about pressing efforts to facilitate quick, unimpeded and secure humanitarian entry for lifesaving help to succeed in civilians in Gaza.
