Israel-Hamas war LIVE | Israel says no water or fuel to Gaza until hostages freed; Indians return

Israel has been responding to Saturday's surprise attack with a massive bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The latest Israel-Palestine war, ignited by a wide-ranging attack by the militant group Hamas on Israel, has already claimed thousands of lives on both sides.

The immediate trigger was Hamas militants firing thousands of rockets and sending fighters -- through land, air and sea -- into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip during a major Jewish holiday (Simchat Torah) on October 7 in a deadly offensive branded "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood".

Israel has been responding to Saturday's attack with a massive bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas.

Meanwhile, the first batch of Indians who had been waiting to return from Israel have been flown back home.

On Monday, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza halting the supply of electricity, food, water and fuel to the Palestinian enclave. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, described the siege as "nothing less than genocidal".

Palestinians saycivilians are paying the price in strikes on Gaza, a small coastal strip of land (140 square miles) packed with 2.3 million residents, which has been blockaded for more than 15 years.

A spokeswoman for Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, warned that the “Israeli decisions to cut electricity, fuel, food and medicine supplies" would severely affect Palestinians.

The conflict is expected to continue to escalate.

The latest developments:

Operation Ajay: First flight carrying 212 Indian nationals from Strife-tron Israel lands at Delhi Airport

The first flight bringing 212 Indian nationals back from Israel successfully landed at Delhi Airport on Friday. Upon arrival, the returning citizens were received by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

"We are thankful... Most of the students had panicked a little," Shubham Kumar, a student in Israel, said.

Welcome to the homeland!

1st #OperationAjay flight carrying 212 citizens touches down in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/FOQK2tvPrR

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 13, 2023

Gaza authorities say at least 45 Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on a refugee camp

Gaza’s interior ministry on Thursday said that an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza has killed at least 45 people and wounded dozens more.

Eyad Bozum, the spokesperson of the interior ministry, told The Associated Press that a late afternoon airstrike hit the al-Shihab family house at the center of the Jabaliya camp.

The al-Shihab house was packed with dozens of relatives at the time of the airstrike. Some family members had fled heavy bombing from other parts of the strip and taken refuge there.

Bozum said the death toll was likely to rise from that airstrike, because civil defense workers were still pulling bodies from the rubble and counting the dead.

The Israel military pulverized the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with airstrikes, prepared for a possible ground invasion and said Thursday its complete siege on the territory — which has left Palestinians desperate for food, fuel and medicine — would remain in place until Hamas militants freed some 150 hostages taken during a deadly weekend incursion. Read More

With complete siege in the territory, Palestinians are left desperate for food, fuel and medicine

“Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on, and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home,” Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said on social media.

Hospitals, overwhelmed by a constant stream of wounded and running out of supplies, have only a few days worth of fuel before their power cuts off, aid officials say. The cut-off has also caused dire water shortages for over 650,000 people, according to the UN

“Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues,” said Fabrizio Carboni, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Newborn incubators, kidney dialysis machines, X-rays, and more, are all dependent on power, he said.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Blinken to visit Qatar, Egypt and UAE

The US State Department formally announces that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be adding stops in Qatar, Egypt and UAE after visiting Israel and Jordan on Friday and Saturday, according to The Times of Israel.

The US has said it has been in contact with Qatar, which has ties to Hamas, regarding efforts to release the hostages taken by terror groups into Gaza from Israel, the report said.

EU to open probe into Musk's X over disinformation on Isreal-Hamas war

The European Commission says it is opening an investigation into Elon Musk’s X social media platform, formerly Twitter, to determine if it has allowed the spread of disinformation around the Israel-Gaza conflict, according to AFP.

UK to send spy planes and naval ships to support Israel

According to Reuters, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office has announced the deployment of two Royal Navy ships, helicopters, and surveillance aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean in order to assist Israel and enhance regional stability.

Israel's military head admits lapse, promise probe

The head of Israel's military admitted that his forces did not fulfill their obligation to safeguard the nation and its citizens, promising to conduct a thorough investigation into this shortcoming following the conflict with Hamas, as reported by Bloomberg.

Morgue at Gaza City's Shifa hospital overflows with bodies

The morgue at Gaza City's Shifa hospital can only handle some 30 bodies at a time, and workers had to stack corpses three high outside the walk-in cooler and put dozens more, side by side, in the parking lot.

“The body bags started and just kept coming and coming and now it’s a graveyard,” Abu Elias Shobaki, a nurse at Shifa, said of the parking lot. “I am emotionally, physically exhausted. I just have to stop myself from thinking about how much worse it will get.”

Lines of white body bags – soles of bare feet sticking out from one, a bloodied arm from another – brought the scale and intensity of Israel's retaliation on Gaza into sharp relief.

READ MORE ON THE STORY HERE

A Palestinian man carries a wounded girl into Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. (Photo | AP)

India dubs Hamas strikes on Israel as terror attacks, reaffirms position of sovereign Palestine

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi described the strikes by Hamas on Israeli cities as "terror attacks" but at the same time reaffirmed India's long-standing position, advocating negotiations towards establishing a "sovereign, independent and viable" state of Palestine living side-by-side at peace with Israel.

He was responding to questions about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza in view of Israel's counter-attacks following Hamas's surprise strikes and US President Joe Biden's message to Tel Aviv to "operate by the rules of war".

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Israel-Hamas war a 'new cloud' over world economy: IMF

IMF's Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said it was "too early" to assess the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict, but "this is a new cloud on not the sunniest horizon for the world economy -- new cloud, darkening this horizon."

Georgieva noted that the IMF's World Economic Outlook, which was released earlier this week but drafted before the conflict broke out, already showed weak global growth.

READ FULL STORY

Only a few hours of fuel left in Gaza, says Red Cross. Gaza is under a total siege by Israel.

Recap of top developments in Israel-Hamas conflict

1. 1,417 people were killed and nearly 6,000 people injured in Gaza, say Palestinian officials. The dead include 447 children and 248 women.
2. Death toll in Israel has risen to 1,300 with over 3,500 people wounded so far
3. Over 3.4 lakh Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza since conflict broke out, says UN
4. Six medics and eight journalists have been killed, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent
5. Secretary of State Blinken reiterates US support for Israel and promises more US military support, including interceptors for the Iron Dome system
6. Syria says Israeli airstrikes hit airports in Damascus and Aleppo, damaging their runways
7. Egypt says its Rafah border crossing with Gaza remains open but has directed international aid flights for Gaza to an airport in the North Sinai due to Israel's bombardment
8. Israel says it is preparing for a possible ground invasion in Gaza amid its barrage of airstrikes
9. Gaza Strip remains under 'total siege' as rights groups demand "humanitarian corridors" to be set up.
10. Israel has asserted that the 'total siege' of Gaza would continue until the hostages are freed

'US will always be with Israel, but protecting civilians is important': Blinken tells Netanyahu

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who reached Tel Aviv earlier today, reaffirmed America's commitment to Israel in its war with the Hamas. Addressing a joint press conference with Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken said: "You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself [...] But as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side."

However, the US Secretary of State also hinted at the need for an eventual peace settlement — an idea that has long met resistance from Israel's right-wing PM Netanyahu.

READ MORE ABOUT WHAT BLINKEN AND NETANYAHU HAD TO SAY

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu make statements to the media after their meeting in Tel Aviv, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. (Photo | AP)

Syria says Israel's airstrikes hit its airports in Damascus and Aleppo

Israeli strikes knocked Syria's two main airports out of service on Thursday, Syrian state media said, in the first such attack since a weekend Hamas assault on Israel triggered fierce fighting.

The military source cited by Syrian state media described the strikes as a "desperate attempt" by Israel to "divert attention" away from the conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes it carries out on Syria, but it has repeatedly said it would not allow its arch-foe Iran, which supports Assad's government, to expand its footprint there. READ MORE

Doctor at Israel hospital on the 'astronomical' number of war wounded

Since Saturday's Hamas attack, Doctor Dan Schwarzfuchs, 60, has not been able to leave the hospital to go home.

Schwarzfuchs said he and his team rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard two consecutive sirens wailing early Saturday.

"We very quickly understood that it was a war," he said.

"Very quickly, all the employees of the hospital were here, more than 1,000 doctors, all the nurses, all those who should be there were present... and even those who were not meant to be there -- the nurses on maternity leave, the doctors, came from everywhere."

The first of the wounded began arriving at 8:00 am (0500 GMT), said Schwarzfuchs, who is also deputy director of the hospital.

"And from this moment on, we treated the injured in the trauma care unit at a crazy rhythm that we'd never imagined was possible or that we were capable of handling."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Israel allegedly targeting ambulances and health facilities in Gaza: Report

According to a ground report by Al-Jazeera, medical authorities in the Gaza Strip have accused Israel of deliberately bombing healthcare facilities and ambulances in the region. Any such attack against health services could constitute a war crime.

A team of medical workers at Gaza City's largest hospital spoke to Al-Jazeera recounting the Israeli attack while they were attending an emergency call amid Tel Aviv's aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Indian embassy carries out outreach activities to reassure stranded Indians

The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv is carrying out an extensive outreach activity for the Indian community in the country amid Israel's raging war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Assuring our students of all assistance. First Secretary Vishal met some of our students at Tel Aviv University (TAU) today to allay their concerns. pic.twitter.com/FZ9REvcEEl

— India in Israel (@indemtel) October 11, 2023

Officials from the Indian Embassy said they have been holding online meetings with Indian companies, emailing details of the flight to return to India, assuring Indian students of all assistance and allaying their concerns, and meeting the Indian caregivers, who form the largest chunk of the Indian Diaspora here.

Our caregivers in Israel have been a pillar of support for the Israeli society for years. Counsellor Dinesh met some of them today to discuss the current situation and assure them of our help.@MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/3FcUubZlXl

— India in Israel (@indemtel) October 11, 2023

Rafah crossing remains open: Egypt's Foreign ministry

Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza remains open, its foreign ministry has said, adding that "repeated Israeli bombing" on the Palestinian side prevented it from being operational.

"Contrary to the inaccurate information being circulated… the Rafah border crossing is open for business and has not been closed at any stage since the beginning of the current crisis except that its basic facilities on the Palestinian side were destroyed," the ministry said in a statement quoted by Al Jazeera. "The repeated Israeli bombing prevent officials from carrying out the work normally."

Egypt has also asked Israel to avoid targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing following Israeli bombing that prevented normal operations.

'Operation Ajay': Around 230 Indians to be repatriated from Israel tonight

The first charter flight to facilitate the return of Indian citizens stranded in Israel will leave Thursday evening from the Ben Gurion airport. About 230 Indians living in Israel will be leaving for India on a "first come first serve" basis on the 9 PM flight on Thursday, informed sources told PTI.

Those who are returning will not be paying any fare and the government is bearing the cost of their return.

First flight with evacuated Indians to land in Delhi tomorrow morning says MEA @NewIndianXpress @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/ekyvArCKvU

— Yeshi Seli (@YeshiSeli) October 12, 2023

This flight has been arranged to facilitate the return of those who were unable to do so because Air India had immediately suspended its flight on the day fighting began on October 7, and its commercial operation remains suspended till now.

The Indian embassy has emailed the first lot of registered Indian citizens for the special flight, the mission posted on X. "Messages to other registered people will follow for subsequent flights", it said.

Israel says it's preparing for possible ground assault amid a barrage of airstrikes in Gaza

So far, Israel has flattened the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, pulverizing neighbourhoods and sending its 2.3 million residents scampering for their lives. With mounting pressure on the Israeli government to topple Hamas and rescue its captive citizens, Tel Aviv has said that it is preparing for a possible ground invasion.

READ HEREon why a ground offensive in Gaza will be a devastating affair and one that will result in a surge of casualties on both sides.

Threat of a 'multi-front' war

Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah said it fired missiles at Israel on Wednesday, and the Israeli military said it responded by striking one of the group's military observation posts in southern Lebanon.

Israel also exchanged fire with militants in Syria on Tuesday after the army said munitions were fired towards the occupied Golan Heights.

In 2006, Hezbollah and Israel fought a devastating 34-day war that left more than 1,200 people dead in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers.

Children in Palestine and Israel continue to suffer as international law is routinely ignored

Among the hundreds already dead in the latest hostilities between Israel and Hamas, very many are children.

Palestinian children at a refugee camp (AP File Photo)

A 1977 addition to the Geneva Conventions (Article 77) states that: “Children shall be the object of special respect and shall be protected against any form of indecent assault.”

But there is scant evidence of this care being shown by either Hamas or Israel. (The Conversation)

READ FULL REPORT HERE

'No hard evidence of Iran's role'

The attack has raised questions about the role of Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas.

Iran has celebrated the Hamas assault, but has repeatedly denied allegations it had a role in it.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that US hasn't haven’t seen anything "that tells Iran has specifically cut checks to support this set of attacks, or that they were involved in the training."

READ HERE | Hamas official says Iran and Hezbollah had no role in Israel incursion but they'll help if needed

Ali Barakeh, a member of Hamas’ exiled leadership, had told AP: “Only a handful of Hamas commanders knew about the zero hour."

Israelis take cover from the incoming rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel. (AP)

Palestinians carry the bodies of two Palestinian reporters, Mohammed Soboh and Said al-Tawil, who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Oct. 10, 2023. (AP)

How Hamas 'weaponised' Palestinians’ despair in its latest attack on Israel

The scale of Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 and 8 October is unprecedented and the failure of the Israeli army and secret services is astonishing.

On the ground, there is a clear sense of growing despair and latent violence among the Palestinian population. Click here to read more about how the militant organisation used this despair to legitimise itself and win the support of a section of Palestinian public opinion.

Palestinians from the Gaza Strip enter Kibbutz Kfar Azza on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas carried out an unprecedented and multi-front attack, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of its fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching Israel off-guard on a major holiday. (Photo | AP)

Top US diplomat dispatched to Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv along with a team of officials.

The United States has vowed "rock solid and unwavering" support for Israel, with President Joe Biden condemning Hamas's attacks as "sheer evil".

Biden said Washington was "surging assistance" for Israel, including missiles for its Iron Dome interceptor system, while the largest US aircraft carrier has been ordered to move closer to Israel.

(AP)

Israel-Hamas war: Figures to know

1. Palestinian authorities say over 1,200 people killed & around 5,600 people injured in Gaza
2. Death toll in Israel risen to 1,300 with over 3,300 people wounded so far
3. UN says 3,40,000 Palestinians displaced in Gaza since conflict broke out
4. Eight journalists killed, and six medics, according to Palestinian Red Crescent
5. UN agency for Palestinian refugees reports 11 staffers killed
6. Gaza Health Ministry reported 22 incidents where airstrikes killed many members of the same family
7. Israeli airstrikes pounded Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, leaving 50 people — including two entire families — were killed & much of the camp razed
8. During Saturday's surprise attack, gunmen fired on hundreds of young Israelis and foreigners at a music festival. Around 270 people died there and 150 were abducted.

'No water, fuel to Gaza until hostages freed'

Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz vowed Thursday that his country would not allow basic resources or humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas released the people it kidnapped during its surprise weekend onslaught.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant on Monday had ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, saying he would halt the supply of electricity, food, water and fuel to the Palestinian enclave.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, described the siege as "nothing less than genocidal".

India launches 'Operation Ajay' to bring home citizens trapped in war-hit Israel

"Launching #OperationAjay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return. Special charter flights and other arrangements being put in place.," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on X.

Hamas threatens to kill hostages in retaliation to Israel's strikes killing civilians in Gaza

Two days ago, Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida threatened that an Israeli hostage would be killed for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning.

Fear among Keralites in Israel

As the Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies, the nearly 7,000-strong Malayali diaspora in this region of West Asia is living in fear.

The Gaza Strip and why its history is key to understanding the current conflict with Israel

How did Gaza become one of the most densely populated parts of the planet? And why is it the home to militant Palestinian action now? READ HERE

People stand outside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on Oct.8, 2023. (AP)

WATCH | Relentless bombardments nearly wipe out Gaza's Rimal neighbourhood

COLUMN | Gaza gaffe pokes hole in Israel’s Iron Dome

The Gaza border is embedded with micro surveillance devices to monitor Hamas’ movements through tunnels; and the air protected by the celebrated Iron Dome system, which has formed an antimissile carapace over Israel for twelve years now. But all this came to nought. The Dome didn’t work. The Gaza barrier was infiltrated. Intelligence and surveillance failed. Read veteran journalist Kajal Basu's column.

Day 6 of the war: Rockets fired at Tel Aviv after Israeli strikes on Gaza 'civilians': Hamas

Hamas militants on Thursday fired a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv in response to Israeli air strikes that targeted "civilians" in two Gaza refugee camps, the Palestinian group said.