28- Oct-2013- Aljazeera
WATCH: Multiple explosions seen in Gaza
Multiple explosions could be seen in Gaza from southern Israel on Saturday night after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said his country’s ground operation marked the “second stage” of a “long and difficult” war with Hamas.
Civilians in Gaza remain cut off from the outside world, with phone lines and internet down for most people.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Gaza war will be “long and difficult” as Israel steps up air attacks and “expands activities to the second stage”.
- Israel says its ground troops are fighting inside Gaza as it subjects the besieged territory to the heaviest bombardment since the war began. Hamas says its fighters have confronted Israeli troops in various locations.
- More than one million Palestinian children and their parents are living through “pure horror” in the besieged enclave, says humanitarian group Save the Children.
- UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approves non-binding resolution calling for a truce.
- At least 7,703 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7; More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel
UN chief surprised by ‘unprecedented escalation’
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the escalation in Israel’s military assault on Gaza surprised him after it appeared there was a growing international consensus around the need for a humanitarian pause in the conflict.
“I was encouraged in the last days by what seemed to be a growing consensus in the international community… for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting,” Guterres said in a statement.
“Regrettably, instead of the pause, I was surprised by an unprecedented escalation of the bombardments and their devastating impacts, undermining the referred humanitarian objectives,” he added.
On Friday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly called for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas to allow more aid into Gaza.
But Israel angrily dismissed the resolution.
Palestinians in occupied West Bank face closures, harassment and attacks
Since the Israeli offensive began on the Gaza Strip on October 7, the violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has also escalated.
At least 105 Palestinians have been killed, and another 1,550 arrested in a crackdown by Israeli forces. Palestinian cities and villages have been cut off from one another through the Israeli closures and the threat of settler attacks, resulting in a near-complete commercial standstill and severe restrictions on movement.
Israeli official says will fight Starlink’s deployment in Gaza
The minister of communications has said Israel will “use all means at its disposal to fight” the use of Elon Musk’s Starlink to support connectivity for aid groups in Gaza.
Posting on X, Shlomo Khari said if the Starlink satellite internet is deployed “Hamas will use it for terrorist activities”.
“There is no doubt about it, we know it, and Musk knows it,” he wrote.
“Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people,” he wrote.
Musk had made the offer to use Starlink in Gaza earlier today, although further details have yet to emerge
Netanyahu says goal of war is to destroy Hamas ‘military capabilities’, bring hostages home
The Israeli PM says the ongoing ground operation in Gaza is the second stage of the war, saying those accusing Israel of war crimes are hypocrites.
“The goals of this war is to destroy the military capabilities (of Hamas), and bring those kidnapped back,” he said during a televised speech in Tel Aviv.
Pro-Palestine rally held in Berlin
Thousands have taken to streets in the German capital Berlin in support of Palestinians and to end Israel’s war on Gaza.
One of the protesters at the rally accused Israel of “genocide” while others voiced disapproval of the German government’s backing of Israel. People could be heard chanting “Viva, Viva Palestine” and “Free Palestine” during the demonstration.
The event was organised by the Global South United campaign, according to police.
UAE calls on UN Security Council to meet on Gaza
The United Arab Emirates has requested the UNSC to convene “at the earliest opportunity” in response to Israel’s expanded ground incursions in Gaza.
UAE is also demanding a response to the shutdown of telecommunications networks, unnamed diplomats told the Reuters news agency.
It also called for briefings from UN aid chief Martin Griffiths and Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency responsible for providing assistance to Palestinians.
The 15-member Security Council may gather as soon as Sunday, diplomats say.
Pro-Palestinian protests held around the world
Israeli military posts videos of Gaza ground operations
The army says the video shows Israeli forces targeting Hamas anti-tank positions and buildings used as meeting points.
“Starting in the early evening last night, the [Israeli military], led by combined combat teams of armoured, engineering and infantry forces, is operating on the ground in the northern Gaza Strip,” the post said.
The announcement comes more than 24 hours after entering the Palestinian territory as the military expanded its war on Hamas.
About 360,000 reservists have been summoned. They will supplement an active military force of more than 150,000, giving Israel half a million men and women in uniform.
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Demonstrations in Israel against Gaza war
A protest against the fighting in Gaza is currently taking place in Tel Aviv.
Demonstrators held placards calling for a ceasefire and to negotiate a “hostage deal” to bring captives held by Hamas home
Israel recalls diplomats from Turkey
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced diplomats in Turkey were ordered to return so Israel can “conduct a reassessment of Israel-Turkey relations”.
The order comes as pro-Palestine protests continue in Turkey with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza. He said earlier his country is making preparations to proclaim Israel a “war criminal”.
The Turkish leader has also said “Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group“, while calling the West the “main culprit” behind the killing of civilians in Gaza.
The statements have roiled relations between the two countries, which had seen a thaw in recent years.
Main culprit behind Gaza massacre is the West: Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has addressed a massive pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul.
Speaking to tens of thousands of people, Erdogan said Hamas is not a “terrorist organisation” and called Israel “the occupier”.
“We will tell the whole world that Israel is a war criminal, we are making preparations for this,” the president said.
“The main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West,” he added.
“The West owes you, but Turkey does not owe you,” he said, referring to Israel.
Residents of Gaza steadfast despite increase in attacks
Gaza resident Mansour Shouman tells Al Jazeera there has been “a lot of chaos” over the last 24 hours with a near-total communication blackout.
“However, the people of Gaza – despite all the challenges, despite everything they are going through – they are still holding steadfast.”
The public remains “extremely angry” more aid has not been allowed into the enclave, Shouman says.
“I’m in the south of Gaza. I’ve separated from my family and I haven’t seen them in a couple of weeks. They are suffering from malnutrition. They don’t have food. They are drinking dirty water. This is just an example of 2.3 million people here in Gaza.”
It’s almost 16:30 (14:30 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Here’s a recap of the latest developments in the past few hours:
UN chief in Qatar hails ‘tireless mediation initiatives’
- UN human rights chief warns that thousands more civilians could die if Israel’s large-scale ground operations in Gaza continue.
- Telecommunications blackout continues across Gaza, adding to residents’ anxiety and hampering rescue efforts.
- Israel says its troops are still in the field in Gaza, after the army widened its air attacks on the enclave.
- The Israeli military has reissued a call for residents in the Gaza Strip to evacuate the northern part of the enclave
- Entrepreneur Elon Musk has announced that his satellite-based system Starlink “will support connectivity to internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza”.
- There have been more detentions in Israel’s campaign of mass arrests in the occupied West Bank since the war began three weeks ago.
- The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a platform representing families of Israelis taken captive during Hamas’s attack on October 7, says they expect to hold a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as early as Saturday evening.
- A heavy exchange of fire continues along the Israel-Lebanon border. Israel says mortars and antitank guided missiles have been launched from southern Lebanon at its military positions, setting off sirens.
Smoke rises over Gaza, as seen from Israel’s border with Gaza, in southern Israel on Saturday [Amir Cohen/Reuters]
Let’s bring you up to speed with the latest
The UN secretary-general says he is meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Guterres came to express “our full gratitude, appreciation and support for Qatar’s tireless mediation initiatives, namely for the release of the hostages kept in Gaza”.
In a subsequent post on X, he said: “I was encouraged by what seemed to be a growing consensus for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the Middle East. Regrettably, instead I was surprised by an unprecedented escalation of bombardments, undermining humanitarian objectives.”
110 doctors and other medical staff killed so far: Gaza ministry
At least 110 medical staff in the Gaza Strip have been killed by Israeli shelling and air raids since October 7, the health ministry says.
- More than 100 medical staff have been injured
- 12 hospitals and 46 primary healthcare clinics have shut down because of damage from bombing or lack of fuel
- 50 ambulances have been attacked, half no longer functioning
- 24 hospitals – with a bed occupancy of 2,000 – have been told to evacuate in northern Gaza
A medical worker assists a wounded Palestinian in Nasser Hospital Reuters